#not to play devils advocate | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thethirdtreeofvalinor · 7 months

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thorin to the company: which one of you dwarves, who i call kin, stole my fucking arkenstone?

thorin to his burglar for hire of a different race he’s known for a year that he’s distrusted for half the journey, in the same breath: it’s you and me against the world

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rustyboltzz · 2 months

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"I don't want to die,

but I don't want to keep living, either."

#signalis #signalis spoilers #ariane yeong #this is a really testy painting I made really quick #but this game is so good and Ariane means the world to me #she really just spit out some of the most relatable lines while dying on her gay ass space ship #anyway scp moots you should definitely play signalis and signalis fans u should definitely read Devils Advocate SCP #yuri solidarity -> sharing our gayass media with eachother #rust art !!

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serialunaliver · 3 months

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I made a joke post about "the most contrarian man alive" but I think I actually found him. A guy in the notes of a post about child abuse arguing that starving your child when you have food is a nuanced topic

#playing devils advocate on starving children is something

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onerudegentleman · 10 months

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have been thinking of some skellies while I’m resting up

tic belongs to @didderd

butch belongs to @sans-guy

#butch sans #i am not sure what to tag bwahah #I just…love them….#and making my oc being annoying to butch bc I play devils advocate #tic sans

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genericpuff · 6 months

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And with that, 2000 years of history and 10+ years of an animated adaption later, Attack on Titan is over.

I wasn't planning on making an essay post about this but like all of my essay posts, it got crazy out of hand, so here we are. I have a lot to say on it and the more I wrote, the more I realized exactly what the Attack on Titan finale was about. It's cathartic. It's also kind of a big shitpost but not for the reasons you might think.

Spoilers for the Attack on Titan finale ahead! CW: DISCUSSION OF WAR AND GENOCIDE AHEAD!

Now for anyone who knows what I'm about to talk about (and anyone who follows my stuff here), I'm sure you're wondering , what side do I fall on in regards to Attack on Titan's ending? Am I about to talk shit about it? It's very divisive and somewhat inconclusive. It followed the exact ending in the manga which, while expected, was still disappointing to many who had hoped the anime would take some other path.

But I have to ask, could there have been any other way?

Eren committed mass genocide, bordering on extinction of the entire human race. There was no way that he was gonna come out of it redeemed or as a hero, and he knew it. He went straight up Walter White core here and like Walter White, he is not a hero.

The fact that the Marlayans have been constantly going to war with other countries using Eldians as their personal soldiers goes to show that for countries that seek out conquest, there's no target too small or insignificant that can't be marked as an "enemy", and we see that reflected in Eren as well, in his pursuing of "freedom", an ever-moving goalpost that can never truly be satisfied.

The Jaegerists were hellbent on creating a new empire on the bloodshed of Marley - 'an eye for an eye', so to speak.

Nothing was ever going to truly satisfy either 'side' in the conflict of humanity vs. Eldians because such conflicts' origins have been obfuscated in hundreds of years of history, propaganda, and generational trauma that has repeated itself for so long that many don't even know what they're fighting for anymore, aside from one thing - that they don't want to suffer, that they shouldn't have to suffer for the actions of their ancestors, that they want peace and happiness but don't know where to start with taking the first step.

I think people are disappointed in this ending because, let's face it, it's anime, and it's an anime adaption that took years to finish. We always want to see some kind of vindication from stories like these, but I think in having vindication, it ultimately removes the point altogether of what's being said.

As much as we may try to fight it, try to deny it, the course of human history travels in a circle. Conflict will always arise. History is written by the victors, and those victors will be seen as heroes by whichever side they're fighting for regardless of what heinous acts they may have committed to justify their salvation. And after all of that conflict, regardless of the result - time goes on, and new conflicts arise.

But I don't think that means we have to succumb to grief and suffering and that's a point that I'm seeing missed in a lot of the discussion around the finale. There's a very powerful scene between Armin and Zeke, in which Armin talks about how he was born to run up the hill with Mikasa and Eren. He recognizes fully that if his life isn't meant to be long, he can still cherish those small moments that he thinks back on fondly, the moments that defined his life with the people he cared about.

And that's really all life is. Small moments and experiences that stick with us until the end. The very act of being born in and of itself is a cosmic miracle that gives us the chance to experience things that bring us joy and stay with us forever - however short or long that 'forever' may be. We take these small moments for granted when we're comfortable, but we look for them the most when we're suffering.

If I can relate all this to another piece of media that says the same thing - albeit with a much brighter ending - FF XIV: Endwalker also asks a similar question to Attack on Titan - is the only meaning in life to suffer and die? Of course, by its end, we learn that while death and suffering is an inevitable part of life - not something that should be avoided - it shouldn't persuade us to give in to fear and despair as a constant state of being. And I think Attack on Titan goes for a very similar approach, albeit slightly more as a cautionary tale - a nihilistic reminder that ultimately, the losses and victories we find in our current point of history are still just that, a single point, a blip that will be forgotten until it's ultimately repeated, and there's no escaping that.

It cautions us that freedom cannot exist without constant vigilance for war and conflict. It cautions us that our values and core beliefs for attaining freedom, love and happiness can be twisted into a weapon to cause harm, vindication gained at the cost of another. It cautions us that when left in the wrong hands, power can and will be abused by the ignorant while propagandizing itself as "the greater good".

So why not just find the joy that we can? The friendships, the little moments, the things that bring us happiness even if only temporary. Conflict is inevitable, suffering is inevitable, but that doesn't mean life isn't worth living. "Happiness" is not a tangible end point - it's the side effect of living a meaningful life that's true to yourself.

Attack on Titan is over. Some will argue the ending was the only way, others will argue that there could have been another way and that the anime adaption had the chance to change it but still didn't for reasons beyond their comprehension.

But isn't that the whole point? We'll argue. We'll bargain. Many of the arguments made will reinforce our own beliefs further rather than sway us. Many of us will insist there had to be another way, just as Armin insisted that this couldn't have been the only way, that humanity must have had another option. Meanwhile, many of us will acknowledge that at the end of the day, this is the story Isayama wanted to tell, and regardless of whether or not it makes him an idiot toying with his audience and admitting defeat by lampshading it in the penultimate scene of Eren admitting to his own idiocy, this was the power given to him and he used it in the best way he knew how.

Much like in any conflict, there's one thing that unites both sides - the human need for joy, connection, and freedom.

We might not agree on how Attack on Titan ended, but we can agree that it was a hell of a ride, and I hope we can all agree that it was worth riding, even if it wasn't satisfying for everyone in the end. It brought many people together regardless of their backgrounds, experiences, and differences, and connected them through something they all loved for over ten years. And despite how big a part of our lives it was, life will still go on, and we'll move on to other things to watch, enjoy, and argue over. Isayama will move on to whatever awaits him next, knowing fully well that his choice was his own, that he created the series he wanted to create regardless of how people feel about it. We'll all look for our own forms of joy and happiness as life moves on around us, as conflicts come and go.

Isn't that really what freedom is at the end of the day?

#also ok i know this turned into a philosophical post but like #i'm still just talking about fucking anime #so please for the love of god i don't want to be seeing anyone using this post as a way to play devil's advocate on real actual war crimes #human conflict in and of itself is an enigmatic inevitability but blatant actions of genocide and colonization are not #and that was made VERY clear by the end of the series through eldians and marlayans putting aside their differences to take out eren #also ymir being in love with king fritz was a bit of a weird thing to do but that's for another post #i think it spoke more to her just being that desperate for connection that she fell into an abusive relationship #but idk it could have been executed better esp because a lot of the 'romance' in AoT is weird #still i really enjoyed the finale tbh and i don't think we're supposed to be left feeling strictly one way about it #the fact that we're arguing over whether or not the finale was good is literally just proving isayama right ngl LOL #attack on titan #attack on titan finale #attack on titan spoilers #shingeki no kyojin #shingeki no kyojin finale #shingeki no kyojin spoilers #essay post #long post #tw genocide #tw war

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mokeonn · 2 months

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Before I go to sleep I leave you all with this piece of advice: sometimes you don't actually have to answer big political questions, sometimes you can just say "I am not smart enough to know that, I just know the small things I do to help." Like you can often times completely avoid making a fool of yourself if you just say you don't know.

#simon says #to explain here and not in a reblog:#sometimes when you try to explain big picture solutions you're gonna sound dumb #you might not have done enough research #you might not have a rebuttal to a counter argument #you might not be articulate enough to explain why you think this #sometimes you gotta take a step back and give the simple solution. the one man solution #you do what you can to fight against the problem #you talk to people to help spread awareness and how to fight the bad problem #and you vote and invite others to vote for bigger steps towards solving the problem #like you can talk about theory and how you believe we need to do a huge drastic thing to solve and issue #but people will disagree and argue til you're blue in the face #they'll poke and prod until you mess up or lose your temper and use it against you #and you'll feel dumb and they'll learn nothing #sometimes the best thing to do is step away from the big picture and just say 'idk what the solution is I just know the things I can do“#sometimes you gotta admit you're not a scientist/expert and you can't answer that #i used this while talking with my Dad tonight #he brought up our climate crisis and space travel as a possible solution #and I said I think that's just addressing the symptom and not the cause and we need to care for our Earth now #and he asked me what solutions I think would fix it #and knowing my incredibly smart Dad who is articulate and ready to throw rebuttles at a moments notice to play devils advocate #and my past experience in struggling in this topic with him before #i just told him I didn't know. all i knew is the little things I can and do do to help #and that hopefully by spreading the word and habits and encouraging others to vote for those bigger solutions I could help make a change #but all I really could do is the little things I have control over #and the topic became much less stressful about the little things we have control over #like planting native plants and recycling and adopting habits that are healthier to our planet #which was 100% more preferable to if I tried to give a big solution. because I would reveal i didn't have all the knowledge needed to argue #and my articulation would make me sound like a stupid kid who only thinks they know what's best #so yeah I basically suggest that if you dont wanna feel like shit after debating someone just step away from the big picture for a moment

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fromtheseventhhell · 8 months

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"The best calumnies are spiced with truth," suggested Qavo, "but the girl's true sin cannot be denied. This arrogant child has taken it upon herself to smash the slave trade, but that traffic was never confined to Slaver's Bay. It was part of the sea of trade that spanned the world, and the dragon queen has clouded the water. Behind the Black Wall, lords of ancient blood sleep poorly, listening as their kitchen slaves sharpen their long knives. Slaves grow our food, clean our streets, teach our young. They guard our walls, row our galleys, fight our battles. And now when they look east, they see this young queen shining from afar, this breaker of chains. The Old Blood cannot suffer that. Poor men hate her too. Even the vilest beggar stands higher than a slave. This dragon queen would rob him of that consolation." (Tyrion VI, ADWD) Should you reach your queen, give her a message from the slaves of Old Volantis." She touched the faded scar upon her wrinkled cheek, where her tears had been cut away. "Tell her we are waiting. Tell her to come soon." (Tyrion VII, ADWD)

I appreciate how George explicitly makes the point that slavery isn't just about the economic aspect and that it is, at its root, built on subjugation. Even the people who don't directly benefit from it will fight to keep the system in place just so they have someone beneath them. That's why all the criticisms of Dany not replacing the economy before abolishing slavery fall flat, because that wouldn't have worked either. The slavers would've fought to enforce slavery regardless because they enjoyed the power and privilege it granted them. We also get insight onto the slaves thoughts on Dany's revolution, which makes it feel like this perspective is only coming from the consideration of the slavers and not the people actually being subjugated. The slaves want to be free, they want Dany to free them, and that shouldn't have to wait until the people who think of them as property decide it's acceptable.

#daenerys targaryen #pro daenerys targaryen #asoiaf #george rr martin #I just know some of y'all were in history class playing devil's advocate when the teacher was covering slave rebellions #there's no other explanation for why people in this fandom advocate so hard for the slavers and ignore the slaves #slavers: uwu I'm nervous being around my slaves who I think of property cause this new Queen is giving them ideas #and those are the people fandom is choosing to defend 🙄#never mind that she's actually working to rebuild the economy and instead of working with her the slavers are digging their heels in and #fighting to reinstate slavery...but these are the people y'all want Dany to compromise with (knowing you would call her a slaver if she did #/dragons don't plant trees so Dany doesn't know how to rebuild/ and she's literally replanting the trees that the /slavers/ burned sdksdkds

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skania · 11 months

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Has Akane ever made aqua smile? He always act like the perfect high school boy to kana and smilies sometimes but with akane he never does. And that’s why most people prefer aqukana than aquakane.

Smiling Aqua

Happy Aqua

Childish Aqua

Playful Aqua

Old man Aqua

Akane has seen those sides of Aqua, too. You know what else she has seen?

Flustered Aqua

Vengeful Aqua

Edgy Aqua

Vulnerable Aqua

Honest Aqua

Goro Aqua

Just to name a few. This is actually one of the reasons why I, personally, prefer AquaKane lol

#aquakane #my aquakane meta #I can't tell if this was sent by someone who thought they were dunking on the ship #or someone playing devil's advocate #in either case aqua is the furthest thing from a perfect high school boy lmao #onk asks convos

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carramblings · 3 months

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so another sh2 remake trailer got dropped and unsurprisingly people are upset about it focusing on combat. like, i saw a tweet that was along the lines of “did people forget there was combat in silent hill 2” and like….yeah….that’s kinda how some people on here and twitter are acting. i don’t think having one (1) trailer be solely focused on combat means they’re turning it into resident evil, like sh2 had literal BOSS FIGHTS in it, combat has always been a part of the game. we also knew it was not going to have fixed camera angles anymore, how else are they supposed to tackle combat other than an over the shoulder view? and how is james holding his pistol a certain way an actual valid complaint, that honestly just seems like being negative for the sake of being negative to me. like, he literally holds his pistol the way he did in the original.

i have my own gripes about what we were shown and mostly agree with people (the combat looks jank and needs polish, there needs to be more polish overall with textures, the button mashing prompts are really abysmal and should be removed) and i think we should be skeptical given the dev’s track record. i think ppl have a right to their opinion and how they feel about the trailers, especially since sh has not been in a good state for a while. but it’s becoming unbearable trying to keep up with any news because of the amount of needless nitpicking over every single thing. i feel like no matter what state this game comes out in everyone is going to hate it no matter what lol, like what’s even the point? just cancel the game tbh

#silent hill 2 #sh2 #silent hill #james sunderland #i have a feeling i might get my ass beat for this #but idk i just be thinking please beat my ass gently if you must beat my ass #for playing devil’s advocate ig

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gh-0-stcup · 8 months

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My last post got me thinking a bit more on how one might interpret Willow's relationships in the early seasons when coming at it with the perspective of her being a lesbian, rather than bisexual.

Willow had a crush on Xander from the start. Xander is her oldest (and possibly only) friend. They've known each other their whole lives, they always have fun together, and they love each other to death.

As I mentioned in my previous post, it is very easy to conflate this kind of dynamic with romantic/sexual attraction. You know you want this person to be in your life forever - isn't that what romance is? Wouldn't it be so nice to just marry them?

Let's put it this way. So you don't have many friends. The other girls are all really mean to you, so you hate them about as much as they hate you. You haven't had a close relationship with another girl since before puberty (if ever). You missed out on the slumber parties and other little moments of closeness with girls that could have clued you in that you're attracted to them.

Because of your social ostracization and general tendency to stay inside studying, you may be going into your second year of high school without ever having felt attracted to a single real life person.

At the same time, you know that everybody else is feeling it. They talk about it all the time. You must be feeling it to. You see guys on TV and think, "Oh, he's nice to look at." You always feel happy and comfortable around your best friend. That's it, right? That's what the buzz is about?

Another huge thing I don't see brought up too much anymore is the way Willow's pre-Tara relationships center almost entirely around validation.

Willow wants to be loved. She wants to be valued. She wants to be seen as attractive. Xander is constantly talking about how hot other girls are. Why can't he see her that way? Why can't any guy? Xander would see a girl he hates as an object of sexual desire before Willow.

The desire to be seen, to be desired can easily warp into a sort of obsession. But wanting to be wanted by a person is not the same as being attracted to them. And herein lies much of the trouble between her and Xander. She wants to be wanted by Xander, but does she want him? No, says season 3.

And now we come to Oz. This is another relationship that is almost entirely focused on validation for Willow. It's a big part of what makes it really, really fun to watch. From the second he first lays eyes on Willow, he's hers.

Oz is like everything Willow ever wanted. He's a cool attractive senior who's in a band and has a van. And he really, really wants her. He's also very smart, easy to talk to, and fun to be around.

It's a very low pressure relationship in terms of the physical. Oz craves meaningful connection, sees sexual activity as an expression of that connection. He encourages her to slow down, to not force it. He's chill. He'll wait. In short - it's not a relationship where passion is a requirement.

They go on several dates without Oz ever kissing Willow. Willow's first attempt to kiss Oz has him rejecting her because he can tell she's just trying to pacify her Xander-induced insecurities.

In his speech, Oz expresses openly how much he wants to kiss Willow. How he fantasizes about her in class. How much he wants to be the object of her desire as well. And Willow melts.

But her reaction is focused around (finally) being desired. It doesn't have much to do with Oz and who he is. She wants him to want her. That he's a cool guy she can brag about to her friends is a great bonus.

And don't take that last bit in the wrong way - it's wonderful Willow got to have that. It was innocent and sweet. The kind of guy she never imagined would be interested in her falling head over heels? It's pretty much every dorky girl's fantasy. Of course she's flattered and flustered and excited.

And what does Willow do when she has her dream guy? She cheats on him. Her affair with Xander can be seen as her being overwhelmed by this powerful attraction she's felt to him for years. Hormonal teenagers being idiots.

Many have suggested the thing with Xander can't align with lesbian!Willow. I disagree. Under this lens, Willow can't tell the difference between her feelings for Oz and her feelings for Xander because they aren't meaningfully different. She is able to cheat, depsite it being pretty against her character, because neither relationships carry the emotional weight they should.

The fling with Xander was a meaningless indulgence of a childhood fantasy. It was largely powered by (apologies for the repetition) wanting to be wanted. Xander, who's always overlooked Willow, was fucking up his relationship with Cordelia goddamn Chase to make out with Willow. That'd be pretty addictively validating.

Even after it blew up and Xander was single, there was never a choice between him and Oz for Willow. No conflict, Oz all the way. She felt dumb for even jeopardizing it.

But she did jeopardize it. Possibly an indication that even though their relationship was literally everything Willow could have asked for, there was still something missing?

Their sex life is also somewhat removed from sexual desire. When she attempts to initiate sex, it isn't about her attraction to him. She wants Oz to know she loves him, that he's special to her.

When they do have sex, it direct follows Willow's speech about there being so much she wanted to try after high school and how she's scared she might never get to. It isn't passion between the two characters that motivates the consummation, but Oz giving Willow the only thing he can in that moment. The chance to have a new and important experience.

Willow enjoyed it. They cuddle happily in the afterglow and Willow describes the experience as "nice."

Let's take a leap forward to Tara. Due to network restrictions, there's more limits on what the viewer is able to see of their relationship. The magic substitutes the physical, especially in season 4.

Those moments are intimate, sensual, very intense. They're deeply passionate.

Their connection is powerful. And it's entirely about each other. It's everything that was missing from Willow's relationship with Oz.

#a weird sort of lesbian!willow manifesto i guess lol #playing devil's advocate in a way - i'm not super invested in any interpretation of willow's sexuality #btvs #willow rosenberg #btvs meta

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creaturefeaster · 2 months

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On the topic of ship names, what about some for Zack and Taylor?? (Or really any Canon ship if you're up for it)

Fortunately, Zaylor sounds sick as hell. On the flip side, sometimes when I write notes for them I call them as a team, Devil's Advocat. Goofy I know but it is what it is.

#advocat not advocate #because. because kitty cat #and again devils advocate is a play on how their characters & arc work :3 #brambleramble

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shimenchus · 1 year

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it's so telling when someone says radical feminism is "white woman shit" and you bring up the fact that in many places such as africa or asia, the only feminism that prominently exists is radical feminism, and for those places it's just considered regular feminism that you get told those women live in places that aren't progressive enough for them to understand their actions properly. to say these women are too dumb to realize that their beliefs are "bad" simply because they don't align with western mainstream liberal feminism is rooted in xenophobia and racism, not to mention a lack of understanding of the struggles and violence women from these countries regularly go through, which can range anywhere from fgm to men rubbing and wiping their cum on the back of women's clothes in trains. but of course, as usual, there's no intelligent response to this so you just end up getting blocked or get rape wished on you.

#my grandma was born and raised in south sudan she considers herself a feminist and her beliefs #along with all of the women she knows believe in what radfems believe in #being against things like surrogacy forced marriage harmful sex culture misogyny male violence and femicide #i live in a primarily hispanic/black area and literally the only people who try to push gender shit on us is white people #and if you say you don't believe in all that you get called an ignorant white supremacist #white people put the mirror down when you're calling non white people white supremacists #anyway today's rant is brought to you by a white guy who told me (a non white darkskin child of 2 immigrants)#that of course i didn't understand gender politics because i'm too privileged #and then went on to say women in south korea aren't 'booksmart' enough to realize their corset movement is a 'terf' movement.....#my mom always tells me do not engage with white people who want to play devil's advocate with race based matters #and yet here i am doing it again lol #/rambling

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needsmoreexplosions · 2 months

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HEY. HEY TUMBLR.

Even if for some reason you wanted to ignore the fact that Israel is actively committing a genocide

THIS IS ALSO AN AD TELLING ME TO GO VACATION IN A WAR ZONE

#like! if you played devils advocate and really believed Hamas was a threat!#then youd be telling me to go on vacation in the place where theyre evidently harmful enough to warrant thousands of civilian casualties

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pinkwright · 5 months

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the easiest way for me to see if a tlou fan is full of shit is seeing if they agree w the whole "joel had it coming" n ask them what they think about ellie going after abby

#they fail like everytime its funny #im not gonna get into what i think bc i talk too much n im addicted to playing devils advocate #｡:°ஐ ʚĭɞ. sere's shit talk #the last of us part 2 #ellie williams #abby anderson #joel miller #ellie williams x reader #abby anderson x reader #tlou #tlou 2

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miscreantahead · 23 days

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I know there's nothing more to say that hasn't been said in a million fics and posts already but do you ever think about how Zolf lost his faith in his god and found it in humanity and the future and do you ever think about who was with him throughout that transition and who his future became do you ever think about that do you ever think about it do you ever STOP thinking about it because i do not

#i play devil's advocate with myself hard on the subject #but no one can convince me Zolf's new power isn't heavily tied to wilde in some way #rqg spoilers

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childotkw · 1 year

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"On one hand, he's completely against it because Aemond is completely unworthy of Lucerys in his eyes. Aemond is violent and power-hungry and manipulative and oh dear is this what Viserys felt?"

HA!

This is what we call karma Daemon. Viserys is probably ugly laughing in the afterlife.

Daemon’s definitely going to gain a new appreciation for what his brother went through

He’s going to swing between “I’d be a hypocrite to shoot down whatever relationship is building between them” and “I can and will burn the entire country down if Aemond doesn’t stop eye-fucking my son every time they cross paths.”

He can be both. He has the range 😂

#anonymous #HOTD #ruination au #lucerys velaryon #aemond targaryen #lucemond #daemon targaryen #daemon playing devil’s advocate and hating every second of it lmao

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