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chawarin-panich · 4 months

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I really had to read with my own two eyes multiple times since this post had multiple people add on to it, bringing it back to my dash again and again, that the drama from Tharn and Phaya's past life did not feel dramatic at all. And somehow that detracts from taking the drama of the present as seriously as the show is taking it. This story is based on Thai folklore? The Naga and Garuda are eternal enemies. The love between a Naga and a Garuda is an insult to the literal cosmic order. Chalothon who was only trying to preserve the natural order has been wronged by their love. The natural order is also referenced several times but especially when the priest was like keep Phaya and Chalothon away from each other, they're destined to be enemies. Not meeting the show halfway to accepting this as part of your lens as an audience is frankly...an interesting choice to make. The next bit is pure conjecture on account of me not being Thai but I'm trying to relate to what The Sign is likely trying to do from my own understanding of Asian folklore and the way we use those stories to build new stories. What is there to get out of this show other than the big fuck you to 'natural order' of things that must be because of the way that they are. Why can't a Naga and Garuda be in love? This must be a concept that people explore under the general lens of forbidden love in Thailand (pure conjecture but also like I don't know how it can't be true). We all have our poorly explained versions of Forbidden Love gone bad; Romeo and Juliet, Ram Leela, Devdas would be some heterosexual stories of Forbidden Love that kind of hand waves around the forbidden part a little bit that I'm familiar with. Devdas (the story I'm most familiar with of the one's stated) and its myriad adaptations is a story about the absolute ways we hold on to class even as it brings about our own downfall.

It's a great pick for a queer adaptation because the reasons why the lovers couldn't be together was so made up and really came down to ONE person (Devdas' mother) who just couldn't let go of class even though everyone else was literally begging for the two to just be together because let me tell you none of you have met a poor little meow meow on the scale of Devdas.

The Sign is bringing the forbidden love between a Naga and Garuda as a parallel of the forbidden love between two men. Homosexuality outside of the legal sphere really does come down to an ideological difference as to what is natural vs not. Homosexuality goes against a natural order of reproduction. And this is true. Two men cannot reproduce, two women cannot reproduce with each other.

The challenge isn't to prove that they can, it's to prove that reproduction isn't the centerpoint of human life, that we have transcended the need for our life to be dictated by this 'natural' order because on principal our societies just aren't built along the paradigm of 'survival of the fittest' where the benchmark of species fitness is its ability to reproduce.

Thai shows including things that have come out of Idol Factory (that produces The Sign) are often socially engaged with LGBT rights within Thailand. Now that gay marriage is legal or on its way to be, I assume a move in the direction of bringing same sex relationships up to the same societal respect as straight relationships would be a natural direction that future screenwriters will go.

The Sign is trying very hard to take the question of homosexuality right to the heart of Thai culture and tradition and talk about it from that lens [this is less conjecture and more paraphrasing what Saint has said about the show in interviews] And I know that you all are capable of meeting a story halfway in respecting its desire to set up the stakes through references of allegorical story telling since y'all have been doing it with Last Twilight and Le Petit Prince. So I don't know even know why I had to make this post but: tl;dr: The stakes of the love between Tharn and Phaya and the forbidden nature of it is set before you even see much of the show just from the fact that Tharn is a Naga and Phaya is a Garuda and as a member of the audience you have to accept that the love between Naga and Garuda is a deviant form of love in Thai culture.

#the sign the series #im not tagging this post heavily #because i dont want people to be mad at me #because im a coward like that #but oh my god sometimes i really will read things and be like #*bursting into tears* but-but you're watching a thai show #and then i must be a smartass about it on my own blog but in like the most cowardly way possible

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where-theres-smoak-2 · 2 months

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The Rookie Series Thoughts (Major Spoilers seasons 1-6!)

So due to health reasons I have spent the last couple of weeks bedridden, which has sucked, but to pass the time I decided to watch the entire series of the rookie, I'd seen some gifs here on tumblr and thought it looked interesting and turns out it really was, I love this show, its got it all, action, emotion and sometimes pure goofiness.

So here are some random thoughts I had about the series as a whole I am going to stick the rest under a page break because I had more thoughts than I realised, just be warned there are spoilers from here on out.

I really liked the concept in the first season of Nolan being this older guy starting out as a rookie and how this is unusual, it was interesting to see him navigate being the oldest rookie and seeing in what ways that put him at a disadvantage but also how in many ways it was actually an advantage to him and how his life experience meant he was able to connect with people, he knew how to talk them down. I also thought him becoming a TO was a good move for his character and I love the dynamic between him and Celina.

I also love all of the characters in this show. I've really enjoyed seeing them grow over the seasons and seeing the relationships strengthen and change, they really do seem like a family. The group chats they sometimes have over the radio our always hilarious. I love how Grey is like the dad of the group and is constantly trying to get his kids to behave.

Tim very much has that protective oldest child about him, he might seem gruff but as Lucy always says, underneath he's a big softie who always has his friends backs, I loved the scene when Angela is wedding dress shopping and calls Tim because she's upset that her bridesmaids said she has to hide her baby bump, he gave her the best response and the scene was funny but it also showed a softer side to Tim and he was so supportive of her, show off that baby belly Angela.

Angela, Nyla, Lucy, Tamara, Bailey, Luna and Talia are all badasses, I love the sisterhood between all the ladies, I also love how different they all are but how they are all awesome in their own ways. I think the show does a good job of portraying strong women without falling into the troupe of just giving a woman typically male traits, like yeah she's a good fighter and doesn't like girlie things so that makes her a badass trap, they are still allowed to be women. Hope I am making sense there, there are all allowed to be there own person instead of just a cookie cutter 'tough chick' but are all also 'strong women' in their own right.

Jackson was also a really interesting character. I thought it was interesting how they explored how his father being this well respected cop had an effect on his own journey as a cop. Both the good and the bad sides of it. How he never really had any other dream than being a cop and how he had to explore whether that was really his own dream or whether he just went with that because he comes from a cop family. Also showing how he had to deal with the expectations of everyone knowing his father was this almost legendary cop along with his father's expectations for him. I was so upset when Jackson was killed, like I was so shocked by it and it took me a hot minute to accept that he really was gone.

It was also a shame to see Talia leave the show earlier on but at least she is still alive and just at another station. Still I really liked her character and wished we could have gotten more time with her.

Aaron and Celina are both really great additions to the cast as well. They both have these dark tragic backgrounds, Aaron being falsely charged with the murder of his friend and Celina having to go through her sister being abducted and murdered. It's interesting to see how this effects how they do their jobs and how they see police work. For Aaron I do think it helps him relate to those calls involving people who have been incarcerated in the past because he himself has experienced being in prison, it gives him a special edge. I also really like Celina's intuitiveness and how she is into the psychic stuff, aura's and dreams etc, I also like that although it throws Nolan he doesn't dismiss it, he helps her use it to improve her police work, its an interesting element to add and I think it makes sense for her character. I also really love Celina and Aaron's relationship, I love their friendship but I do wonder if they will eventually become a romantic pairing, they have kind of teased it but it also looks like they might chalk it up to being a result of the trauma they went through together. Honestly I am happy either way, like I said I already love their friendship so if they decide to keep them as friends that's all good, but if they do decide to shift them into something romantic I wouldn't hate it.

What I really love about all the characters is that they aren't perfect, they all have their flaws. You might not always agree with them or like what they are do but they are all growing and these flaws make them seem more real.

I also really enjoyed those special episodes where they are filming a documentary, there have been three so far, the cult one, the one covering Aaron's case and them solving Patrick's murder and the one with Jake and Sava. They are weird but in the best way possible. I don't think I'd like for every episode to be like that but they are fun as occasional one offs, like if they did one a season or every other season going forward I'd be happy. I love how goofy they are but also at the same time they are really engaging and suspenseful, like you are along for the ride just waiting for the next twist in the tale. I also love how they have those interviews with the police officers, those episodes are just really fun.

Ok so we have to talk about the ships, my favourite part of watching a new show is adding to my ship list and I am pleased to announce that there are some really good ships in this show.

I love Angela and Wesley, their dynamic at the start was really funny to watch because it was that kind of enemies to lovers type arc with the whole lawyer vs cop thing, I thought it was really funny when they are both arguing with each other and the criminal Jackson was arresting was like 'man they really dig each other.' They had a very passionate and fun dynamic and I really loved watching that grow into a steady loving marriage. Seeing them navigating marriage and parenthood, Jack is the cutest lil one, I love that they named him after Jackson and I am sure their new daughter is going to be just as adorable, have we been told her name yet, because I don't think we have? Anyway, I also like that it isn't also smooth sailing and that they do hit bumps in the road but that it is clear that they still love each other.

I also really enjoyed Nolan and Bailey's relationship, loved seeing them finally tie the knot in 6x02 and of course their honeymoon turned into a murder mystery type situation because its Nolan the bad luck magnet, but I do love how playful they are with each other and how they have that competitiveness. Similar to the Lawyer vs Cop thing that Angela and Wesley have going on, Nolan and Bailey have the whole Firefighter vs Cop thing which they play off as another fun dynamic between them. I like the whole, she runs into fires and he runs towards bullets line that they had, I also like that while they both worry about the other because they both have dangerous jobs, they both still respect that is part of the other's jobs and understands that they are capable and have been trained to deal with that aspect of their jobs. They have professional respect for each other as well as respect within their romantic relationship. I am excited to see more of them.

Nyla and James are also a really cute couple and their baby girl is the cutest but maybe its just me but I don't think we see this couple as much as the others, I wish we could see more of them. But I do enjoy their scenes together and I love that James' character isn't like a lawyer, cop or firefighter and how he's a community worker, its interesting seeing the perspective of someone who is a community member and is outside of the justice/service if I am making sense there. I just think James adds a new and interesting perspective to the show and I wouldn't say no to seeing more of him and of him and Nyla together.

Ok but now we have to talk about my favourite ship in this show, because they have taken over my heart and I am obsessed with them. Chenford, Tim and Lucy, I loved them from the very beginning and I have loved seeing their dynamic change and grow over the seasons and how they went from TO and Boot to literal soulmates who are deeply in love with each other.

The interesting thing about Tim and Lucy's dynamic in the first couple of seasons is that you could almost see Tim as being a bit of an asshole with all these Tim Tests he does on her, like he's just being mean and messing with her for the sake of it, but when he gets a new rookie and he's being really nice to her so Lucy confronts him and he explains that he trains his rookie's according to what they need. His new rookie had just got out of the military and needed help recognising that not everyone was the enemy and that people could be nice and kind. Lucy on the other hand kind of saw the world as sunshine and rainbows, she sees the best in everyone, she really is the sweetest, which is great in many ways but Tim had to show her that the world wasn't always a nice place and sometimes people do bad things and she should be on her guard sometimes. As much as the Tim Tests weren't fun for Lucy every one of them held an important lesson. The one where he said he's been shot and she had to call for help where was she, showed that it was important for her to always be aware of her surroundings and it pays off when Tim really is shot later and she saves his life, taking her duty belt when she went to the toilet taught how important it was to make sure the toilets were floor to ceiling or the belt wasn't secure and how important it was to make sure her gun was always secure so it doesn't end up on the street, the flour bomb taught her that using a radio near an IED can cause it to go off. So it wasn't just him being an asshole because, he had valuable lessons to teach her.

But I also loved that their relationship wasn't just about what he could teach her but that he learns from her too. I really do think she softens him and helps him heal from the trauma from his abusive father, she helps him to become more open about how he is feeling. Watching them pull pranks on each other is also really fun, like Lucy doesn't just lay down and take it, she gives back as good as she gets. Like when she takes his money clip, or leaves him the bar tap or puts the booties in his locker.

When they do start getting into the romantic era of their relationship their scenes are just so so good, there are so many golden moments like right from their first kiss where they are practising being a couple before going undercover and then realise that it didn't feel all that fake. Got to love the fake dating turns to real feelings troupe. What I really loved about this plotline was how it was actually Tim who was more open about his feelings which was unexpected. Like he was the one that confronted Lucy in the hotel room when undercover and said that it didn't feel like pretend whilst she was still in denial and went with 'its just basic biology' sure Lucy sure. It was also Tim who asks Lucy out first and I love that whole scene, it is definitely one that I rewatched more than a few times. I love how vulnerable but intimate it was. How Lucy is scared to take it further and admits that Tim is the most important relationship in her life. How she says its not worth the risk but Tim says what if it is before taking that deep breath and asking her out. They are both just all smiles and you can see how happy they are with each other. I love how that conversation about it being worth the risk parallels with the conversation they have about how Lucy deserves someone who is worth the effort.

Other stand out scenes are their first dates in 5x10, both of them (though I would still argue that their first date was that double date they went on with Ashley and Chris because lets be real those two might as well not have been there Chenford were so wrapped up in each other), their first time in 5x12, their breakfast scene in 5x20, they are just so domestic, their 'I love you' scenes in 6x02 and the trophy scene in 6x03, but honestly I love every one of their scenes and I can't wait to see more of them.

I love seeing how supportive they are of each other, like how happy Lucy is every time Tim gets a promotion and how she reassured him that he wasn't like his father, how he supports Lucy with her undercover work even though he has issues due to his past with Isabel and how he tells her she could never disappoint her, which I think is really important for Lucy because she has always felt like she has let down her parents so I think its great that she has that support and reassurance from Tim.

Anyway I could talk about Chenford forever but I think I have rambled about them enough so I'll stop now and move on.

If there is one plotline or scene that really stood out to me over the whole series it has to be the one with Rosalind and Lucy's abduction. The show has alot of really great plotlines and covers some really important issues throughout the series but this one really is one that got me in the feels, like it wrecked me. I think Rosalind was a truly terrifying villain not just because of the crimes she committed, which are horrifying in themselves, but because of the way she relishes it, the way she gets enjoyment not just out of committing the murders and inflicting pain on her victims but because of the way she also gets pleasure from seeing her victim's loved ones pain and suffering too, its just so disturbing. Also how she continues to kill even from her jail cell by taking on acolytes to do her bidding like Caleb.

The one scene that always gets me no matter how many times I watch it is the one where Lucy is in the barrel buried alive and is singing dream a little dream, there's no background music or any other sound, its just her voice and they show clips of the team all searching for her. It's just such an intense and emotional scene and it gives me goosebumps and makes me want to cry every time, it just never seems to lose its impact no matter how many times you watch it.

The moment Tim finds her burial site and the whole team are just digging with their hands trying to get her out in time, when they get her out and she isn't breathing and again there is very little sound just a few notes of sorrowful music here and there, then she wakes up and just breaks down crying whilst Tim holds her, its just as heartbreaking and suspenseful and I cry, every time. I just think the whole team did an amazing job with that episode.

That whole plotline is terrifying, suspenseful and heartbreaking. Just the idea of being buried alive is horrifying to me, also the whole idea of her day of death being tattooed on to her is another thing that is psychologically terrifying. I do love what Tim said though about how Lucy can choose to see it as a mark of her biggest failure or what it really is a mark of the first day of the rest of her life and that it shows that she is a survivor. I do wonder whether she kept the tattoo or not because I don't think we are ever told in the show whether she went through with the removal or not.

I would like for the trauma this left on both Lucy and Tim to be brought back up again at some point. Whilst they did explore some of Lucy's trauma over what happened and some of Tim's guilt I do think there is even more to explore there, because it really was so traumatic. Like is that song still a trigger for Lucy, are small dark places? It could be interesting to see her working through some of the lingering trauma. Also I do feel like Tim is traumatised by what happened but in a different way, like during the episode where Lucy was abducted you really did see how it effected Tim in particular, he felt responsible for Lucy and was frantic to find her and I think it effected him more than he realised and that it stayed with him and now that he and Lucy are together and she is exploring undercover work I do wonder if some of his issues are also connected to what happened with Rosalind as much as his past with Isabel, but that is just speculation on my part.

Anyway going to wrap this up now, overall I really did enjoy this show and now that I am all caught up I am looking forward to seeing what's going to happen next with all of our beloved characters. I am also officially declaring myself a huge Chenford shipper and if you follow my blog then fair warning I am going to be reblogging every gif set I come across for the foreseeable future, sorry not sorry.

#the rookie #chenford

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 11 months

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youtube

Andrew Doyle asks: Remember when the pride flag made sense?

Remember when the pride flag made sense?

It was designed by an American Artist called Gilbert Baker in 1978. It was originally an eight-stripe rainbow but was soon refined into the six-striped version that was the norm for many decades.

At a time when gay people couldn't hold hands with their partners on the street, this flag served a useful purpose. It meant that you could easily find gay pubs or other places where no one had to pretend to be something they weren't. The rainbow symbol was a simple and effective concept that conveyed positivity and unity.

And then some activists came along and said hang on a minute, why are there no black or brown stripes in the rainbow flag? See, for some reason they were under the impression that the gay flag was a literal representation of the range of skin colors that are acceptable in the community. And so we got this.

Okay then, I mean, well, there weren't any white stripes in the original one either. But most people understood that it was symbolic with that we were all included already, irrespective of our race.

But then after this, trans activists came along and said, why aren't we in there? So we got this one. And this was the chevron with the pink white and blue, which was based on the trans flag.

But surely this eyesore couldn't get any worse, could it? Well, it could, because activists were then concerned that it was excluding intersex people, so they added this symbol.

Okay, it's getting a bit out of control now. But then last year, some bright spark added a red umbrella to represent sex workers.

Now, if you thought this was getting out of hand, last year then we had Microsoft. They designed a new version to incorporate all the other multiple sexualities and genders that have been invented over the past few years. Let's have a look at that.

I mean, what the hell is it? It looks like a space ship going at warp speed through a Care Bear's bum hole.

Identity politics in its current form is an ever expanding beast. Pride used to be just one day. Then it was a month. And now Pride events have been scheduled all the way from March through to September. As one sign in a shoe shop pointed out Pride never stops. If only it would.

The initialism as well that's expanded too. First we had LGB, and then it became LGBT, then LGBTQ, then LGBTQIA. The Canadian government currently favors 2SLGBTQIA+, although even its prime minister finds that a bit of a mouthful.

Similarly, Pride started out as an important protest against injustice. When the original Pride March took place in London in 1972, homosexuality had only been legal for five years, and the prospect of gay marriage or even an equal age of consent, seemed impossible. Only 2000 people turned up to these protests.

But by contrast, the Pride parade in London in 2022 attracted over a million. And of course, most of those people aren't even gay. It's become a family day out, a huge party.

And what's so wrong with that, you might ask. And that's a fair question. If people are celebrating and having a good time, that's great. Except that's not necessarily what's going. Increasingly, gay people no longer feel welcome at Pride. I spoke to a representative from a lesbian group on this show last year who had been moved along by police when trying to protest at Pride. But isn't Pride meant to be a protest, not a party? What's going on?

The answer is that pride has been hijacked not once but twice.

First by avaricious multi-billion dollar corporations who are able to pose as virtuous by posting the pride flag. Only, they don't do it in the branches in countries where homosexuality is still illegal. After all, you wouldn't want to fly the flag anywhere which might actually make a difference.

I'm old enough to remember that corporations were certainly not celebrating Pride quite so openly before section 28 was repealed in 2003, or before the age of consent was equalized in 2001, or before the decriminalization of homosexuality in Scotland in 1980. So, these corporations' commitment to LGBT rights apparently only manifests itself when it's likely to make them a profit.

And then there's the second hijacking. See, whereas the original Pride was about agitating for equal rights for gay people, it's now been taken over by activists who are obsessed with group identity and who believe that gender is more important than sex.

That's why the British library, to celebrate the advent of pride month this week, posted a thread on Twitter about the sex life of fish, and how some species have been known to change from male to female.

I mean, what's that got to do with Pride? Why have Librarians seemingly forgotten that human beings aren't the same as fish? Now, they've since deleted those tweets, because well, you know they're bonkers. And although we might laugh at that kind of nonsense, the ideology it promotes is actually rather sinister, particularly for gay people.

See, in her book, "Time to Think" by Hannah Barnes, she found that between 80 and 90% of adolescents referred to the Tavistock pediatric gender clinic were same-sex attracted. Studies have long confirmed a correlation between gender non-conformity in youth, and homosexuality in later life. At the Tavistock, staff used to joke that "soon there would be no gay people left." Somehow the medicalization and sterilization of gay people has been reframed as progressive.

Even Stonewall, the UK's foremost LGBT charity has redefined the word "homosexual" on its website and promotional materials to mean "same gender attracted." Its CEO, Nancy Kelly, has claimed that women who exclude trans people from their dating pool are akin to sexual racists. There's been an intense resurgence of old homophobic tropes online from gender ideologues that believe that "genital preferences are transphobic" and that lesbians who don't include men in their dating pool must be suffering from trauma.

Gay rights were secured by recognizing that a minority of people are instinctively attracted to members of their own sex. And the new ideology of gender identity rejects this notion entirely, and actively shames gay people for their orientation.

So, when you see this flag, try to understand that many gay people consider it to be a symbol of opposition to gay rights, Women who are concerned about their rights consider it a symbol of misogyny, because it promotes an ideology that denies the reality of sex-based oppression, and yet most people, gay people included, haven't even noticed this transition from the pro-gay rainbow flag to this anti-gay imposter.

And that's because it all happened so quickly, and activists are playing on good intentions of a public who don't want to be seen to be on the wrong side of history. Well, I would suggest that upholding the rights of women and gay people and protecting gender non-conforming children and opposing the hypocrisy of corporations is the truly progressive approach.

Anyone who spends any time on social media would have seen that homophobia is clearly on the rise. It's coming from the reactionary elements of the right, who are now holding gay people responsible for sexualized drag shows for children, and the proliferation of sexually explicit books in school libraries. But of course, they've fallen for the trick. This isn't gay people. That's gender ideologues who've convinced everyone that the LGBTQIA+ movement is one big happy family, when it isn't.

And we know this because homophobia is also on the rise among gender ideologues themselves, who frequently go online to tell gay people to kill themselves. Some of them have said that they celebrate AIDS as a good thing. And this isn't just a few mad activists, there are thousands of examples of this if you've got the stomach to look them up.

So whether it's coming from those who consider themselves right wing or left-wing, anti-gay sentiments are back in fashion. And the best way to combat this is to remind everyone that that Progress Pride flag, and the corporate orgy that accompanies it, is not in the interests of gay people.

And if it's too late to reclaim the original Pride flag, we can at least ditch the new one.

#Andrew Doyle #Pride month #pride flag #rainbow flag #progress pride flag #ideological takeover #impostor #anti gay #homophobia 2.0 #woke homophobia #gender ideology #queer theory #same sex attraction #gay rights #religion is a mental illness

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xjulixred45x · 29 days

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I know your requests are not open. But this is for when they DO open. Sorry if this is not aloud and if it isn’t then pls do let me know so I do not make any mistakes further.

What about a collector x reader (platonic ofc) but the reader is one of the archivists who’s trying to mend things with the collector?

Mh...fine, just bc A- i have a Soft spot for Toh and SPECIFIC the Collector and B- i think i have a concept for this.

(but btw,GUYS, THE REQUESTS ARE CLOSED, DO NOT REQUEST MORE WHILE THEY ARE CLOSED, PLEASE AND THANK YOU)

I think it depends a lot on whether Collie got along with this Archivist!Reader before the "incident" or whether he is willing to make amends with them. Obviously he wouldn't be willing to fix things with his sibilings who sent him to Earth just to get rid of him, but with Archivist! reader, there may be possibilities.

First of all, what could have been their dynamic with Collie? maybe something similar to Blue Diamond from Steven Universe and Pink Diamond (Collector), but way healthier, I mean, Archivist!reader didn't really have much time for The Collector but they tried to do what they could to keep him happy and entertained.

Maybe they were the ones who read to Collie before bed😭 and that's why he got into the habit of sleeping with a story from the book we see in the special. Perhaps even this Archivist!reader has taught The Collector how to use the spell to turn living beings into puppets (although for another purpose, of course). in general being a figure, although somewhat absent, well-intentioned compared to his other sibilings.

However, one day Collie simply... disappears and Archivist! reader does not know what happened, but as soon as they learns about his interaction with the titans and the power they have, they becomes terrified for the child's safety. so it probably helps to a greater or lesser extent in its disappearance.

imagine their reaction when The Collector simply disappeared/was trapped ☠️ similar to Blue Diamond, Archivist! reader sinks into a great depression for Thousands of Years, mourning the loss of their younger brother.

for the events of the series the other archivists are tired of Archivist reader's sad and poor performance since the incident, so they tell them to go to earth for a while to "get some fresh air" in the hope that they will change their attitude a little.

but surprise surprise, not only when wandering around the planet Archivist! reader realizes how much the world has changed (the witches, the near destruction of the world, A TITAN IS STILL ALIVE) but The Collector IS BACK.

I like to believe that Collie knows when his siblings are around, so when Archivist! reader arrives on Earth he somehow feels that he has to go and/or starts looking for them, which could lead to a pretty nice reunion and even Something sentimental, since we come, Archivist! Reader thought he would never see his little brother again.

although The Collector definitely has many doubts that he wants answered in order to forgive his favorite brother. Although I think he himself could realize that they didn't really participate in his disastrous trip to Earth, it doesn't mean that Collie didn't have fights with them. mainly because of the titans issue.

Archivist!reader may have a difficult time accepting his fault in that matter, but more than anything because his head has been quite battered by his other brothers and because unlike Collie they have not gone through a process where they understand the importance of mortality, Surprisingly, The Collector will have to be the one to guide them this time.

Collie really wants his brother to come to his senses and see the damage they did, for them to fix it together, for things to be like before but better! Even if he is partly angry with them for the incident, he still loves them by having good memories with them.

Let's say Archivist!reader comes to his senses (less traumatic than Collector, but he does it) and accepts not only the bad things he did, but REALLY tries to fix the damage he did to the Boiling Isles. I don't think to the point of fighting with the other Archivists, but he would definitely separate himself from them.

in that case, I can definitely see Collector not only forgiving them, but also welcoming them back into the archives, in the end they both have what they needed in the first place, Archivist! reader to a new point of view of things, beyond of what they can "file" and Collie has his brother :3

I can see Archivist!reader much more present not only in Collie's life in general, but also in his games, now that they are not busy, they can play whatever he wants! They wants to make up for all the lost time, although they doesn't object to just catch up while Collie show them the islands.

Imagine that Archivist!reader collapses when they tell Collector a bedtime story again after so long 😭 since they are so happy to have him again after so many years of silence (even Collie could get sentimental too) .

definitely Archivist!reader becomes quite overprotective of their little brother, almost to the point of a helicopter parent. They stop when they realize they're overstepping their boundaries, but the trauma of The Collector's disappearance is still fresh, so he can't really be that upset (although the subsequent meetings with King are definitely a bit weird).

In general, I think they could go back to being the sibilings they were before but even better, after all now they have all the time in the world to make up for what they lost.

Shares, reglogs and comments are very welcome!

again, PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR ANY MORE REQUESTS WHILE THEY ARE CLOSED, if you want a request, DO IT WHEN THEY ARE OPEN PLEASE. This is for a mere matter of MY COMFORT, thank you.

#headcanons #neutral reader #toh #the owl house #the owl house x reader #the owl house collector #toh x reader #toh the collector #toh the archivists #toh collector x reader #toh collector #the collector x platonic reader #the collector x reader #platonic reader #platonic

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birthdaycakeplate · 1 month

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same anon asking for Blitzbee fic recommendations, tried to message you but unfortunately your account is set to only people you follow doing that.

but hmmm, I'd say my personal taste in fics are actually slow burns, I really like fics that focus on Blitzwing and Bee forming an unlikely relationship based on their 'home lives' in a sense of it, where neither are understood and often viewed as annoyances/loose canons leading both to a feeling of isolation and a mild desperation/willingness to connect with anyone even at the risk of 'treason' for interacting with the other side.

I also enjoy the progression for Blitzwing of seeing Bumblebee as a harmless amusement to him somehow becoming a bit of a hyper focus that causes the big bad con to develop some empathy and *gasp* morals.

Meanwhile Bee is just a cocky little bastard who refuses to accept Blitzwing as the actual threat he is and then feelings are caught when his view of the world is shifted and he finds out Decepticons are also actually just people with complex feelings and motivations (also bonus if break down of autobots 'all warbuilds are evil because' bs is broken down)

I realize now I'm rambling so apologies its just a very fun ship to babble about.

If I was to ask for any fic, if you could set one in your Nemesis AU that be amazing, the size difference you give in that is spectacular like omg I stare so politely.

Also the concept is just very fun to me and I'd love to see that au world expanded.

As for spicy content I don't really have any ideas? Sorry I'm actually terrible at writing it my only preferences are Blitz top and preferably consensual.

for ease if we keep talking like this I'll sign off as

Curiosity

GOD, of course I invited you to talk with me and then blocked you from doing that elekkeem 🌝 I think I fixed my messaging where I’ll get your stuff now, if you’d like to try again 😭 I swear I’m always this dysfunctional.

But anyway, your message here is good, true, andfantastic. I CRY. Your view on the ship is perfect and pure D,8

I LOVE when Blitzwing is stunned when his desire to squash the useless yellow gnat and be done with him is suddenly evaporated by the sudden realization this guy is slowly becoming the only thing in his life fun and full of life (and kind of precious if he’s being honest, ok???). Because their chemistry is crazy- they’re both wrekcless little freaks when left to their own devices, but full time loyal, fucked up little creatures to the ones closest to them. The handful Blitzwing can afford to let in to his life, even if ‘friends’ isn’t the word he’d use, and the few Bumblebee can make real connections with, when he’s a mischievous ant with a complex to make ‘something great’ of himself.

But he already IS great and bad boy Blitzwing needs to make it his immediate life’s goal to get that through to him and give him lots of love. (I ramble, too, you’re in good company)

I’m bad at stating my thoughts, I get overwhelmed when it’s my own emotions. But I typed and retyped something along the lines of how I’m noticing we have lots of similarities here in terms of what our favorite flavor of Blitzbee is 🩷🩷🩷 I bet lots of ppl who read this would agree with you and appreciate you throwing out there the love language of these complete messes of men✨

Does that mean my attempt to translate these tastes into fiction beside my ideas will make for good reading and also provide you a happy source of top Blitz/blitzbee? God, I HOPE so. You deserve it and I’m going to try.

I have the first chapter half written, because-

OH MY GOD, YOU LIKE MY AUTBOTS JOIN THE NEMESIS AU STUFF EKEKKEE

OoooOOOHhhh aAHHHHHHHH

I SCREEEEEEAM 💕💕💕 thank you???!!! That means so much to ME and makes me insanely happy, because I was so surprised when you said that, and I REALIZED how amazing it is to hear a thing like that. That I’ve got a thing going I didn’t imagine would become liked enough for a fic request for it.

I’m hoping to finish this first chapter by next Friday. Probably sooner than that? But I’m scared life won’t allow it. Thanks for your messages💕

(The other anons who messaged me, too, about some top Blitzwing fic stuff, I see you and I’m elated to hear from so many of you, thank you✨)

#ask

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copperbadge · 2 years

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I’ve been doing more research on ADHD after the diagnosis, specifically watching some channels that you guys and others have recommended, and it’s actually a fascinating process coming at the diagnosis from the far side of forty instead of the near side of twenty.

I have a ton of coping mechanisms, which I developed because “Well, I’ve got to deal with life somehow”. In the evaluation I had with the psychiatrist, I was basically diagnosed on them. Some of the more simple ones really seemed to fascinate him, like taking the doors off my kitchen cupboards and hanging my keys on the knob of my self-locking door.

Many of the videos are about helping younger people develop these coping mechanisms -- not relevant to me, generally, although some of the tips are still useful, like the idea that whatever you’re doing to cope, it’s meant to lower the demand on executive function. I’m fortunate in that my diagnosis is inattentive, I don’t have the hyperactive angle, and thus don’t have a ton of need for fidget toys or sensory stimulation in the way the videos talk about. The fidget spinner I have is cool because it’s Captain America, but it doesn’t like...help, per se, and after about two minutes I get frustrated with the fact that there’s no result, it doesn’t produce anything. I do best in meetings and classes when I have something to occupy me, but it can’t be tactile, it has to at least partially engage my brain, and knowing that I need a brain-fidget rather than a hand-fidget will be helpful in coming up with appropriate (and socially acceptable) workarounds.

Not sure what to do with all the discussion of emotional regulation; I feel like I’ve got that bit figured out but also like maybe my solutions aren’t the healthiest, so we’ll see.

I think perhaps the most useful thing is the idea of identifying a need or issue and then finding a workaround for it as a conscious process, which is usually something I do instinctively. This one video was about going to Target specifically to shop for products for kids that could still help adults with ADHD, and while most of it was fidget toys, I liked the idea of browsing with the focus in mind of finding tools for workarounds. Which led to the idea of, well, what am I working around? and the concept of consciously identifying ADHD-specific issues. So that’s something to think on for a while -- aside from the Adderall, what are solutions to specific ADHD-driven issues I have?

I suspect because I am older and well-trained in problem solving I may not get as much assistance from videos or books about living with ADHD as a younger person might, as I might have as a younger person. I think I may look for something more along the lines of a layperson’s medical text; I’d like to know what we know about how ADHD affects function, because that will be more helpful to me in identifying ways my experience of reality is not neurotypical, and then I can come up with my own workarounds. Because it is a trifle frustrating to look for more information and get a lot of stuff -- useful stuff, just not useful to me -- about fidget toys or bullet journaling. :D

Plus...the biggest hurdle I’ve had is an inability to start and carry-through tasks, and the Adderall does a great job with that, so a huge looming issue is resolved, or at least on its way to resolution. Other than that I don’t really see many problems that are going unaddressed, but that’s where a more thorough knowledge of the actual biology might help me shift perspective.

Anyway. Get in losers, we’re going to Target even if we don’t need fidget toys, because Target is fun to shop at.

#sam has adhd

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freelanceexorcist · 3 months

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OK, one last Remake bit of speculation before Rebirth drops.

Cut for spoilers and length (Remake, Game of Thrones and Split).

TW: discussion of mental illness and child abuse.

This one is only half serious, I think. I just REALLY can’t accept that Sephiroth went from a great guy to 100% Chaotic Evil in Remake/Rebirth. The original game’s version? Sure. I could totally buy that he was a ticking time bomb.

But the good guy buildup Ore Sephiroth is getting just doesn’t happen with designated villains. It doesn’t align with a complete change in personality.

Even on Game of Thrones, the golden girl with the dragons had hints that dark things were in her future (oh, she was plenty cruel, murderous and power-hungry all along, she just did it to bad people who had it coming until she ran out of bad people. There was plenty her more level-headed advisers had to talk her out of. There were screaming hints all along that her story would end that way.). Sephiroth? Not so much. It’s as though they’re going in the opposite direction with him and beating us over the head with what a mensch he was.

Anyway.

So I’ve been thinking. And you’re probably going to think this is really stupid, because it is. This is me reaching.

Both Ore and Watashi have dissociative identity disorder (DID) with vastly different outcomes.

For those who don’t know, DID-or multiple personality disorder-is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct and enduring personality states in a single person. This ranges from the ego state to alters, which is two ways of saying “alter ego.” The former is distinct behaviors and personality traits that possess boundaries while the patient retains their sense of self. In the latter, each state has its own autobiographical memory, autonomy and sense of self. Think of movies like Split and Identity for the last one.

There are two schools of thought on what causes this disorder, and one of them is the trauma model, which deals with severe early childhood abuse or other traumas. Ever Crisis tells us that Sephiroth is a survivor of child abuse both physical (“endure the pain, Sephiroth”) and psychological (being isolated from others, generally having to interact with Hojo, who gloats about how much better it is to destroy a subject psychologically). There’s also the trauma from witnessing war, either as a civilian or a child soldier.

I think you can see by now where this is going, and I’m no shrink, so I’ll get to what I came here to talk about.

My proposal is that there are at least four separate personalities rattling around in Sephiroth’s head besides the mind he was born with.

The Core is Sephiroth. We already know him.

Then there’s The Mother. She is who he didn’t have as a child so she emerged to protect him. She is kind and helpful to others and fierce when it comes to protecting her child. She may emerge when Sephiroth sees someone who had a similar background to his, either an abused child or an adult survivor.

Next up is The Boy. He’s about fifteen years old, the age Sephiroth was when he first went to war. The Boy doesn’t come out much. The other alters keep close tabs on him to protect him. He only sees daylight at times in Sephiroth’s life when he is completely calm, in control and around people he trusts.

Then there’s The Smart One. This is the one who steps in when Sephiroth is stressed and nervous in front of others. He emerged after Sephiroth met Glenn, Matt and Lucia and is the result of Sephiroth seeing how normal people interacted with each other and him. The Smart One combines Lucia’s sass, Glenn’s smart mouth and Matt’s wisdom. He’s the one who explains things to people and handles the social aspect of Sephiroth’s life. He’s the one who’s there to help Sephiroth get through those tedious Shinra parties and media events. He’s the one who claps back when Genesis’ claws get too sharp. He’s the one who explains the concepts that Sephiroth has trouble with. He has gotten good at matching Sephiroth’s core personality even though he’s the type to verbally shoot first and ask questions later. Wouldn’t want Sephiroth getting in trouble or anyone suspecting that something is off about him, after all.

Finally, there’s The Conqueror. This is the one to be afraid of. This is the rage. The bloodlust. The cruelty. The god complex. This is the one that the others work hardest to keep down. He is the one who believes himself to be Sephiroth’s greatest protector, and if he thinks you’re going to hurt him, he’ll make you wish you died as a child if he can fight his way out of where the others keep him.

Sephiroth’s mental defenses were down at the end of his time at the library, and that made it easy for The Conqueror to get past the others and emerge. He was the one boiling with barely-contained rage that spilled over as he read the passage about Jenova’s discovery. Those shaky breaths were the others trying to drag him back in, but they failed and Nibelheim suffered for it.

Watashi Sephiroth is the integration of The Conqueror and The Core and the utter destruction of the other three. Even mother. He found his true mother, and she’s real. He’s helping her. They’re working together to burn away the old world and create a new, perfect one. He's "cured."

Ore, on the other hand, was the result of the alters getting the reins back on The Conqueror and stuffing him back in the box. The lock isn’t as strong as it used to be, so the alters have to work a little harder to keep him under wraps. The Smart One doesn’t hold back anymore and is quick with a caustic comment when he thinks someone is getting to close to Sephiroth. The Mother fiercely protects The Boy and Sephiroth. The latter can’t come out anymore because it is so unsafe out there now.

Maybe trust Ore Sephiroth to have the party’s back, because he has all his ducks in a row now and he has “people” to help him.

My pet crack theory these days is that Sephiroth is essentially the Kevin Wendell Crumb of the FFVII-verse, but without taking on the actual physical traits (Jade’s needing insulin, Orwell and Dennis needing glasses, The Beast’s superhuman strength, etc.). Fight me all you want, but I’m sticking with this until proven otherwise and when/if it does get Jossed, I may dust off my godawful writing skills and get started on an AU fic with this as the plot. Because seriously, Sephiroth’s Heel Face Turn in the trilogy’s story is as inexplicable and makes as much sense as Genesis’ redemption arc with the way that character was written.*

Look, I get it. He’s the Designated Villain. He killed some people’s favorite character and is super mean to their other favorite character and for that he’s irredeemable forever and ever amen. It’s hard to hate a villain that may have some sympathetic traits. It’s not as much fun to gleefully destroy a Final Boss when you come to the realization that this is the final moments of a life that was fucked before it even began. Just let everyone else look for nuance and maybe hope his story might turn out a little differently this time around. There’s Hojo if you want an irredeemable monster, he just wouldn’t look as good in black leather. And I doubt we’ll be seeing any backstory to explain that he is the way he is because he didn’t get enough hugs growing up.

*And what I mean by that is that the potential for a sensible redemption was possible with Genesis just as it is with Sephiroth, but the writing was whiffed so badly it actually makes me a little mad that Genesis was handled with such kid gloves and given a pass in any other media he’s appeared in. Fight me on this if you want, but I blame G*ckt’s involvement.

Anyway, another long one on the books. As always, if you’ve made it this far or read it at all, thank you.

#FFVII Rebirth Spoilers #Sephiroth

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 years

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Love hearing your opinions of the characters! Can you do the character bingo for Ace and/or Crowley(only if you do the staff, if not it's fine)

Ace Character Opinion Bingo here!

***Standard disclaimer: These are just my personal opinions of the character(s); regardless of what I may think of them, sharing my thoughts is NOT meant to offend or to shame anyone that thinks differently.***

Crowley has drip 👀 It feels like every time I look at his design, I notice something new and cool about it that I didn’t notice the first time I looked. There’s a lot of intricate detailing, but not so much that it becomes cluttered, and there’s elements of him being a crow without it being too obvious. I love the keys dangling at his waist, and the way his coat has feathered shoulder pads, how the hem turns feathery... Oh, but what I love the most is his gloves; the gold tips look so pointed, I think they’d make for great ASMR sounds when he drums them against a hard surface.

TWST gives Crowley his time in the spotlight, but I want to see more of what he does behind the scenes. Whenever he has screen time, he’s there just to cause trouble for the students or to explain a concept, which leaves a lot to be desired and doesn’t exactly paint him as “likeable” to most. I feel as though TWST is intentionally doing this to misdirect us on Crowley’s character or intentions, because there was a distinct LACK of him in episode 6, the most serious part of the main story so far. I want to know what he was up to, what he was talking about with Idia’s parents. And that’s??? Not even mentioning the odd opening lines to the game where Crowley is beckoning to some “flower of evil”, or the various ominous lines of text sprinkled throughout the main story. He’s really REALLY suspicious, and that, combined with the plethora of fan theories about him purposefully letting Overblots happen or Final Boss or Big Bad Crowley, I’m itching to see what the canon culminates to in the climax.

I unfortunately see a lot of... dislike directed at Crowley? Sometimes it’s something as innocuous as joking that he’s really bad at his job, and other times it can be outright hatred 💦 I’ll confess that Crowley definitely has his faults, but I find those to be part of his charm. I don’t know, there’s just something so oddly endearing about a bumbling adult that seems to have no clue what they’re doing (because honestly? Me too, Crowley, me too 😭)? He’s admittedly a lot more irresponsible than I’d like an adult to be in real life (like damn, how many student kidnappings have there been under his watch?? How often has he asked the kids to save themselves instead of stepping in to help?), but he’s fictional so I can laugh along and just have fun with it. If anything, we the players should all be thanking Crowley for being as inattentive as he is, because it's all because of HIM that MC can stay in Twisted Wonderland and experience all of its wonders.

I also think that hyperfixating on Crowley’s bad points detracts from his overall character. In spite of all the shit he gets his students into, Crowley does indeed have traits beyond being irresponsible. Er, and those traits usually aren’t that positive either. He’s greedy (accepting bribes/donations and letting them influence his decisions), he’s attention-seeking (concerned with getting good publicity for NRC), and he’s lazy (skips out in researching a way to send Yuu home to go on vacation instead). However, I like to think that he does care for his students in his own... weird way? Like, there has to be a deeper reason why he wants the school to have funds and publicity. Sure, it strokes his own ego, but the money and the exposure the school has can also tie back to his students’ success. Crowley’s indirectly giving the kids the resources to study well and make careers for themselves.

Let’s not forget that for all the fandom jokes about Crowley making Yuu the school’s “unpaid therapist”, Crowley actually went the extra mile and sought out professional therapy for the OB boys (a detail briefly mentioned in episode 6). Crowley was also the one that called STYX because he believed his students would be in danger (because of Grim), and that Crowley left the school in Trein’s capable hands while he was away. If Crowley didn’t care at all, he’d rush off to save his own tail feathers and leave the school in disarray. If we’re going to take gameplay into consideration for this, Crowley is also always popping into classes to check up on his students and to make sure they’re getting the most they can out of their education. There’s a lot of little things he does that go unnoticed because the focus is just squarely on him being a Bad at Adulting 😔 (Of course, maybe these are all things Crowley is doing for the sake of his Big Bad Scheme if he really is the final boss or something, but right now I think they can be interpreted in an innocent enough manner.)

#Dire Crowley #twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #spoilers #ask game #character opinion bingo #notes from the writing raven

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kyanitedragon · 2 years

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My Thoughts on the Harmony & Wrathful routes

(Spoilers for those 2 routes plus the Moral route!)

For context, my first playthrough was Moral. Then I played these two routes.

Harmony:

I was glad to finally get Miu and Kaito's backstory! And I was certainly not expecting to completely agree with Kaito beating that guy up!

Although, I'm still curious what Miu meant when she claimed that Kaito is "always violent". It felt like there was still a lot more to their stories, and especially Kaito's thoughts and reactions beyond the extreme threats to Miu's safety.

I felt like Miu's death was the weakest of all the character deaths in the game. It felt way too fast, and wasn't enough time to build up the tension and horror like the other deaths. I wanted to feel sad about it - Miu is my favorite character! - but I didn't really care about her dying.

But! who I did surprisingly care about, was Kaito.

Full disclosure: I really don't like Kaito. His overprotectiveness and ego annoyed me, and I won't forgive him for slapping Miu in that one scene.

(*As a person. As a character, he's great! I love to hate him!)

That said... Kaito's reaction to Miu's death hit me hard. It was such a cruel blow to his character, and it was brilliant writing. He was all about protecting her, but when it came down to it, he froze and let her die.

It really got me, when the next chapter at the school, Kaito leaves to go outside and be alone. During the Free Actions, you have the option to go follow him, so I did. When you spend a Free Point on him, you are given a few options - one to talk, and one to leave him alone. I chose to leave him alone, and that turned out to be the correct choice that gives affinity. Because he wants to be alone, and he doesn't want to talk, but he's genuinely happy that you cared enough to check on him.

And I... oh...

[ID: A reaction meme showing a bipedal pixelated cat, supporting itself against a wall with a paw, and crying with sparkling tearful eyes. Text on the image says “wait. hold on a minute. i think i need a moment wait. wait, wait. hold. i need a moment. i need. to sit down i think wait. wait. old honh on, wait, please i am breaking down. hold on, wai”. End ID]

Further, and in the opposite direction lol, I love corruption arcs! So I was really excited to see how it all went down with Kaito. It was all just cruel blow after cruel blow to him - it's really no wonder he snapped.

The jogress to BoltBoutamon was chilling. How they describe it as Piemon "eating" Dracmon. How Kaito accepts this. How Dracmon is okay with this because Kaito is his partner. How he and Kaito say their final goodbyes - already speaking in the past tense.

It's so messed up, and so intruiging. I've always been interested in the concept that digimon partners can't really say no to their partners. How in Adventure, Gabumon was immediately willing to kill Agumon and Taichi. And how In Zero Two, Wormmon didn't agree with Ken but went along with it, until it became too much and he felt he finally had to do something. It's such a messed up element of human-digimon partnerships, and its yet another story element that would be too dark to go further with in the kids' anime, but they absolutely can here!

And Kaito's emotional goodbye to the group right before his death...

I was hoping this game would make me like Kaito after playing the other routes, and it definetly delivered!

Wrathful:

I wasn't sure what to expect, after thinking that Miu's death was underwhelming in Harmony, and although Kaito's speech before his death was heartbreaking, the actual visuals for his death were lacking as well. It was just a fade-out.

But Saki's death. Wow. That was rough. It was so horrible. It was so good.

In every playthrough, it's clear that Saki was the one kid who feared death the most. And in this route, we got so much more information. A huge reason why she fears dying in the digital world is because she's already felt that fear in the real world. She's avoiding it in the real world, putting off surgery that comes with risks.

And so to have her willingly give herself up to save the others. That's amazing. It's so sweet and so sad.

And after this scene, things get a bit interesting if you played Harmony first. Kaito considers what he would do if it was Miu in that situation instead of Saki. Which is exactly what does happen in Harmony. I thought that was a nice touch.

Kaito doing his best to help Aoi was also really sweet. And I appreciate how the game didn't imply it was romantic.

Aoi's downfall, that hurt too. And it felt so realistic to me. In a horrifying, sad, and traumatic situation like that, of course your memory isn't going to be 100% accurate. Of course Aoi doesn't remember all the details. Of course she thinks that she let go, that it's her fault Saki died.

Aoi's death scene was brutal. I was spoiled on the strangulation image with Piemon so I wasn't surprised by it happening, but I was surprised at just how graphic and drawn-out it was. I thought it would be another, "show the image, fade-to-bloodsplatter, have the rest of the group be horrified and discuss it." I was NOT expecting to get Aoi's reaction. The betrayal, the pain, hearing her heartbeat get slower and slower as she realizes she's dying and that she doesn't want to die. And then the voice acting of Labramon, also dying and using all her strength to call out to Aoi, that broke my heart. How they wanted to hold hands in their final moments. "Let them be. They're partners. Let them hold hands."

I also took a look at the TvTropes page for Survive, and it pointed out that... Aoi and Labramon were the team healers. Miu begged someone to help and save them, but Aoi and Labramon themselves were the only ones with the power to do that.

Just think about that for a second. Literally every other character death was fast. No time to act, no time to save anyone. But Aoi's? Only her death scene was there time to save her - but no one had the ability to do anything about it. That's cruel irony and brilliant writing.

Just. Wow. I thought Saki's death was the saddest. But no, it's Aoi's death by far.

And the bio-merge to Plutomon. Aoi's distorted voice. It's all so good. We haven't had that many villains merging with digimon before. Certainly none of the protagonists-turned-evil. Just another dark idea that Survive takes and runs with and executes perfectly.

The ending for Wrathful also threw me for a real loop. I felt that in Harmony, in a way it was a happier ending than Moral. Moral they ended up seperate but hopeful they'd meet again. In Harmony, they might struggle with keeping the peace, but they're with their partners forever.

So when Wrathful began to wrap up, and Takuma mused that maybe the gate staying open would grant Aoi's wish in a way, I assumed it would be a similar (if not the exact same) ending as Harmony.

Boy was I wrong! Immediately you're hit with the information that the world is full of "chaos and destruction" and "[digidestined] are discriminated against".

My only issue with Wrathful, is that the end fight with the Master could have used more explaining. Harmony fully explained how and why BoltBoutamon merged with the Master. In Wrathful, the Master absorbs Plutomon and then with no explanation you fight a fusion of them that has Aoi's voice. And then after the fight, everyone is surprised that Aoi is still around. If I hadn't played Harmony first, I would have been very confused.

I thought it was really cool how Harmony and Wrathful parallel each other. In Harmony, Kaito wished to destroy the world. In Wrathful, Aoi wished to "fix" both worlds and "end suffering".

To take it even further, I saw someone point out that you're actually fighting against the opposite in each route: In Harmony, you're fighting against Kaito's wrath; In Wrathful, you're fighting against Aoi's harmony.

This game's writing is so good.

#digimon #digimon survive #digimon survive spoilers #survive spoilers #survive

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toomanyplotbunnies-sendhelp · 3 months

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Hello and welcome to Day 12 of "Let's Explore My Plot Bunnies"

Today, I wanna present to you a plot bunny that has a concept inspired by the manhwa "I want to be a Great Villain" - an Izuku has a System AU!

In "I want to be a Great Villain," the main character has a system that puts him into different stories, and he has to finish the storyline while maintaining his role as the "villain" of said story. If he doesn't comply, he can receive punishments (such as being electrocuted).

Title of the fic: "World's Best Hero System"

For this fic, what I did was I took the "System that makes you follow the storyline and punishes you with electrocution" part and mashed it with a version of Izuku that DOES NOT want to become a hero.

However, he has the misfortune (aka me, I bring the misfortune) of bring selected by a "System" (in the form of a cat) to be this world's "Best Hero Ever" - the System's words, not mine.

Izuku immediately refuses and promptly gets punished via slow suffocation. The System tells him, "You either follow the storyline or die here. Which one would you choose?"

In the end, Izuku accepts the deal, if only just because he doesn't wanna die yet. And so, the more confident and straightforward Izuku takes the role of canon Izuku. Shy, without much confidence and with a very big complex about being Quirkless - but on the inside, Izuku is seething because he doesn't like the "character" he has to play as for this sadistic System.

Katsuki is also very confused since he knew Izuku from before the System and liked him better then, too. In this AU, Katsuki's reason for being mean to Izuku is to finally make him snap and revert back to the more confident, outspoken "I don't give a shit" Izuku he knew before.

The System tells him he will become the "World's Best Hero" but doesn't bother to make him train or even stop him from training many times. It tells him that he should just follow along with the storyline, even though Izuku is very skeptical of this "storyline" the System talks about.

So, Izuku ends up messing around a lot just to test the limits of the System. Not doing what he is told to do, not following the rules exactly as he is told to, speaking back to the System and arguing with it - and as such, he is punished a lot. So much so that Izuku develops a high tolerance for pain due to the punishments.

Things continue like this till the day Izuku is supposed to met All Might. That same day, Katsuki is supposed to tell Izuku to "go take a dive of the roof and pray he gets a Quirk in his next life." Katsuki doesn't.

Seeing this, the System takes matters in its own hands and controls Katsuki for a brief period of time so Katsuki actually says the line he was supposed to. (Bakugou is still kinda conscious during this and he has a lot of guilt about it.) This is where Izuku realizes the System is way more dangerous than he ever thought since it can fully control people to do or say what it wants them to.

Meeting All Might and learning about One for All makes Izuku confident that the System has some goal in mind other than "finishing the storyline." Which, in Izuku’s opinion, it's not actually a good thing. Especially not when the System seems near gleeful at the fact that All Might wants to give the Quirk to him.

And so beings Izuku’s quest of stopping the System from whatever it is planning to do while trying to avoid being killed by the League of Villains because he gained Shigaraki Tomura's interest.

Meanwhile, we have the System, which is fully aware that without Izuku, the world will end due to All For One's actions. The System basically searches for a way to stop the madman from ending the world and comes across the "canon storyline," which it uses in order to make sure the world won't end.

It may have forgotten to explain that to Izuku beforehand, though. Oops.

More little details:

Izuku is 7 when he gets the System.

The System is able to control people who are "characters of the story" for a short period of time. The Villains are exceptions because they will fall into the villainous acts they need to do naturally without the System's interference.

The System takes the form of a cat that is only visible to Izuku.

There are other people in this AU with a System but only Izuku has the "World's Best Hero" System. Other systems would include: "Best Reverse Harem Protagonist", "Best Mafia Boss", "Best Scientist" etc. (Izuku does meet some of the System-having people)

There will be a lot of angst in this because Izuku has to conform to the main storyline: for example, even if he wants to, the System will stop him from talking Iida out of going after Stain. And then there is Katsuki centric angst with him being taken over by the System and saying things that he truthfully regrets ever saying.

And this is about all I have for this plot bunny. So, how was it? Good? Bad? Let me know!

Honestly, I kinda love My Hero Academia mashed together with a System AU because it means one of two things: 1. Izuku/Whoever is chosen has to work around the System's mechanizations (if it has any) to get to a good ending in the stroy; or 2. Izuku/Whoever is chosen has to survive the plans of the System (be it bad or good System).

I actually have an Izuku Survival System AU as well, which I will talk about tomorrow.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed another day of me rambling about my plot bunnies and that you have a great day/night! Take care of yourselves.

See you tomorrow,

-TooManyPlotBunnies-Send Help

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scrollsfromarebornrealm · 1 year

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brainworms

fuck it, I shall be unhinged

SPOILERS BENEATH THE READMORE

but first

EVERYTHING CERTAINLY WAS NOT FINE AT ALL

Okay so ever since last August this bit of dialogue has been living rent free in the back of my head

That 'infect' line is pretty interesting considering we get a somewhat similar line in patch 6.4, when Jullus speaks to Zero on the nature of trust among mortals. Thancred also had a similar line, telling Zero to stick around the Warrior of Light and she'd learn the meaning of trust.

It also speaks (at least in my opinion) the sheer level of damage Athena's betrayal and his self-sundering inflicted on Lahabrea. This man got wrecked. He was in love, possibly high on fatherhood, is on the Convocation, enjoys a great deal of respect from his peers--and he is hurt so badly that he limits himself to feeling any and all emotions at a reserve. He prizes logic and cold hard facts. Talk about a fucking crash to the bottom!

And even with his self sundering, he still feels deeply! Call him out over his shutting out of Erichthonios and the man just stares at you like you fucking slapped him straight into the abyss. And when he rejoins himself--he's still that cold, hard, logical asshole of a man--still repressing his feelings.

Anyway. Brainworms. I'm playing with the idea (still gotta let patch things settle, get some proper sleep and the like), but fiddling with the idea that Lahabrea--or rather, Hephaistos was at odds with Junia, because like him, Junia was wildly passionate and worked more according to her feelings rather than accept and follow logical outcomes. Though when they did get along on matters it was actually frightening for all involved.

I'm disappointed that we didn't get any time with *our* Lahabrea--this version of him is post Panda and self-rejoined and *right* before the Final Days, but as I've got the feeling that Pandaemonium is a good-bye to the Ancients on a whole in terms of story (could be wrong but as of rn there seems to be no need for the WoL to go back to Elpis), this version of him is probably the best good-bye we'll be able to get. And honestly it might be better this way. Lahabrea was so unhinged at the end of it all that just sleeping in the Lifestream is probably the best medicine, if he hasn't moved onto being reborn yet.

Regarding anything with Riven--I'm now on the fence regarding the idea of Junia finding out about her future...soul-child, so to speak. I have two trains of thought--one where she did find out about Riven and the Final Days, and her assistance in securing Pandaemonium. Junia decides to protect Riven as best as she could by giving out that Riven was a familiar she created, giving her freedom to wander the world. She then gives Themis a cryptic clue regarding Pandaemonium and Riven's arrival, and finally, to make sure that she doesn't foul anything up, uses Kairos to wipe her memories and implant false ones.

The other line of thought was Venat. It's in line with Elidibus's explanation in Panda 2.0. Venat tells Junia that she encountered a strange being in her travels--one that reminded her greatly of her student. Junia is suspicious initially, even more so when she starts to get details of Riven's time in Elpis. Venat then 'admits' to her successor that she suspected the strange being was possibly a concept that had escaped and evolved on its own--and had decided to model itself after Junia and her actions. Junia accepts this--much to her brother Lucis' displeasure.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Either way, following Pandaemonium's stabilization, Lahabrea--who has been unable to cast out the memory of a gremlin that looked and sounded too much like a certain illogical and annoying co-worker--

(not to mention her combat skill eclipsed the most powerful of the Convocation)

Confronts Junia over Riven. Junia being Junia, effectively blocks and prevaricates on the matter. Surprisingly Lahabrea lets it drop. Yes he'd like to get his hands on the little gremlin for Science™️ but really, he did warn her away from Pandaemonium so alas.

Later on before the Final Days, he is privy to a comment Junia makes-- voicing her wish for a strong and caring daughter who could 'help the world'. This makes him stop and pause--was the little fiend Azem's daughter?

And then all the Very Bad Shit happens, Lahabrea loses his fucking mind, doesn't meet Riven again until the events of ARR and HW. By that time he's so far gone he doesn't remember the events of Pandaemonium and possibly doesn't until his soul hits the Lifestream.

"SHE WAS THE FUCKING 'FAMILIAR'?!"

Riven: *sneeze*

#ffxiv #patch 6.4 the dark throne #ffxiv pandaemonium #SPOILERS #brainworms #i have brainrot over this patch k #STILL STEWING ON SHIT #lahabrea #i have brainworms over msq too #but listen this man having to deal with riven #smol unhinged chaos gremlin and the man who DOES NOT LIKE TO HAVE FEELINGS

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timemachineyeah · 2 years

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Finally watching Stranger Things s4 (just started ep08) and man unless we get more later, this motivation and backstory for 001 sucks.

Like this season has been so good and then it’s like “oh Vecna? yeah just some kid who liked spiders and was ~weird~ who just decided to judge and terrorize people around him because, idk, he could” which is just counter to every other theme at play in the season so far.

Like the theme of guilt? The fear of hurting people you care about? The cruelty of ostracism and the folly of fear of the “other”? Nah. Fuck all that good shit we were building on. Back in the 50s there was a kid who was evil and weird because he just was. Cool story. Awesome.

Like what if this backstory was that there was someone who became so convinced of their own irredeemability after something they blamed themselves for that they basically made their perception of themselves real? When others blamed them they accepted that blame and started acting out the role they had been given until it just was the truth? You know??? The themes??? The two major motifs??? Self blame and the satanic panic??? Nah??? Fuck those themes I guess??? Sometimes a literal child is just evil and weird and will terrorize and murder their own family! the bad guy? oh just someone who is bad, and who also conveniently helps mitigate Eleven’s own source of guilt in the process wow great storytelling I love it 😐

LIKE. You had such a good setup here, y’all. I think what I hate about it is that the horrors of self-repulsion and social repulsion are both based in the same lie. There are good people and evil people. See, because if that’s true, you could be an evil person, or someone else could be a evil person. And both of those ideas are deeply frightening.

But that horror concept IMMEDIATELY loses its power when you imply that it’s a natural state of the world based in fact. You know? Because then it’s not horror. It’s self-congratulations. It’s reassurance.

If evil is that inherent and apparent and obvious, no need to worry about secretly being evil. And if some significant number of people just are bad, then trying to identify and shun them is a reasonable way for people to behave. The real horror wasn’t ostracism, it was The Other all along.

And tbh El should’ve just been the one who killed the kids. Or maybe not, but at least done something more horrific than she did. The point shouldn’t be “she doesn’t have to worry if she’s evil, she didn’t do the bad thing she thought she did.” It should be “even if she did that she still wouldn’t be evil because she was a literal child and more importantly there’s no such thing as a person who’s just evil”. But the writers were like, “but what if, and hear me out, there is a person who is just evil”

I really thought this whole thing was going to be leading to, idk, a “you are not a single moment. you are not just your worst day” thing, but instead it’s like, “idk, the fact that every single story and arc for every character was about guilt was, like, a goofy coincidence. The horror isn’t guilt, the horror is one kid who liked some spiders so much he decided to gruesomely murder his family, which is what happens when you seem weird and like weird stuff. no this does not thematically contradict all the satanic panic storytelling at all”

I was really on board and loving this season, like it’s still some of the best stuff this show has ever done, but this villain fucking sucks.

#timemachine wuz here #stranger things spoilers #it’s cool if you like it and also if you didn’t read it that way

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pinnithin · 8 months

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long kind of sad gay poast ahead

saw something about loving the unlovable and it got me thinking about how its a central theme in most of my writing. paired with like, isolation, being separate/other, the doomed concept of human connection, being the only person who can love and understand you the way you need, etc - i watched evangelion way too young if you couldnt guess.

anyway and this is due to the fact that a core part of my identity and personality revolves around the fact that i considered myself unlovable for the majority of my life, first unconsciously through childhood neglect, then by choice as some "you cant fire me i quit" teen angst sort of thing, then by a doomed sense of resignation all through college. its a significant part of how i see myself even now after years of working to unlearn it - ive managed to dial it back to "im difficult to love" which still isnt great but yknow. better than it was

which is why i have attachment issues and preferred one night stands for a long time. my romantic relationships (many of them short lived) have been with well meaning partners who assured me constantly that like, even though youre difficult to love its worth it. and that was all nice and good but it made me feel so fraudulent and disgusted with myself because it put me in the position of thinking either 1) this person doesnt actually know me that well at all or 2) i have somehow tricked this person into thinking under all the baggage theres someone worth loving. which is something i find difficult to reconcile with because the baggage is me too. i cant get rid of it. inevitably those people got wise and it ended up not working out.

by now have all these arguments and strategies geared up to explain to people who make the mistake of caring about me that its really not worth the effort, we're better off as friends or acquaintances, etc. im very transparent about the issues i deal with so its all just laid out there from the beginning and im not like, tricking people into being in a relationship with me or whatever by hiding it. ive talked in circles with exes over and over along the general lines of "im difficult to love" > "no youre not" > "i have xyz wrong with me and i push people away, trust me you dont want to deal with this" > "okay well we can work on that, and youll get better and itll be worth it" > "what if i never get better" > "you will, ill help you" > [me relenting bc im unable to dash their hopes and dreams that even if i Get Better im still Me at the core and the things that make me difficult to love are a permanent part of me]

the relationship im in now doesnt even let me get into that. shan is just like, youre not. youre not difficult to love, youre actually very easy to love and it has always been easy to love you, even before we were dating. and i dont have a comeback for that.

even with my usual strategy of "heres an itemized list of all the reasons dating me is a risk" theyre just like well sure, thats difficult for you to deal with, and im sorry its so hard for you, but that doesnt make you difficult to love. the loving is easy. that part has always been easy.

she doesnt treat me like a problem that needs to be solved she doesnt try to be my savior from myself she doesnt give any indication that shes just waiting it out until i reach a certain threshold of acceptable or unacceptable. she just loves me and trusts me to take care of myself, and it places a lot of personal responsibility on me to be better - not for us but for me, because im the only person who can do that and they know it.

its the healthiest relationship ive ever been in and ive never felt so safe and free to be myself. i dont need to live up to any expectations to eventually make myself lovable. im easy to love. hard thing for me to believe in self practice but going back to the inherent disconnect between all humans, who am i to know or control what they consider easy or difficult? i dont judge her when something she finds difficult is easy for me, so why wouldn't the opposite be true?

#started thinking about this first thing in the morning for some reason #i think because im moving again and its making me think of the last time i moved #out of the house i shared with my ex #something about grief being cyclical idk #pin talks #im doing a lot of posting and not a lot of packing. lol

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