before i proceed, this is not a hate post!!! i am just saying things

i need people to understand that part of shinichiro's "charm" and appeal as a character, is that he isn't as good as people pointed him out to be. he's not the best person in the world. he isn't an "uwu" goody two shoes. he's pretty flawed and kinda selfish sometimes. he has good intentions ofc, but most of the time, they fall flat because of the outcome. and before people argue with me, lemme pull out some receipts

sano shinichiro has:

told haruchiyo to forgive mikey for uh *checks notes* mutilating his face

said "that's just how he is" in reference to haruchiyo swinging a katana at people and ending up in jail because of it

disregarded haruchiyo's mental health when it came to time leaping and made him shoulder the burden of his demented younger brother (😭)

gave an 8 year old time leaping powers because he had good vibes

murdered someone

let's stop pretending he didn't do anything wrong. love shinichiro for who he is!! a huge fucking idiot who has no foresight. with a really big heart, that is slightly compromised. because he's probably a traumatized kid. not like he had to raise his younger siblings with no support or anything. his mom died and his dad was a fucking hoe, then he died without ever being present in his life. the guy had it rough which in turn made him a little rough. i don't understand how you can like a character by fabricating facts about them and denying the actual...facts. i hate some of the things that shin has done, but i still love him. i am a true shin fan because i accept that he's fucking great and an inspiration to so many people but he's also kinda awful a bit <33.

(this post was inspired by a post @chaoticdelinqueerwithglitter made but idk how to link things!!! so check out their blog :))

had talia not been character assassinated do you think she and bruce should have gotten back together?

no. i hate to use the word "phase" bc that would seem to diminish the importance of what's between them, which is something that will always persist esp as their continued dedication to the same causes and their respect for each other remains. but i do think realistically bruce should be a phase in talia's life. at least in terms of consummated romances specifically. i do love the idea of them remaining allies, close friends, and co-parents, but i think allowing talia to walk away from ra's and bruce in the first place has to stand for something in the long term. before talia went her own way i think it was easier to imagine a potential future where she ended up with bruce bc it felt like the desirable option. she was in this very debilitating position where she had little to no freedom to act on her own desires and goals, the embodiment of which was none other than bruce. so when you frame her situation pre-tower of babel, obv wanting to be with bruce was appealing. he was as much the love of her life as he was a means of escape and freedom and talia having the scope to then act on her own desires. i think that's what subsequently makes dc #750 (or is it #570. i never get the numbers straight and i'm too lazy to check) a really clever issue, actually, bc it acknowledges that and the fact that bruce once again setting her free bc of his love for her actually gives her the courage to step out on her own where she never has before. the fact that she has the option to go back to gotham with bruce and presumably have everything she's ever wanted with him, but she leaves it anyway, is a really huge deal. it's a statement. she loves him, but not more than she loves herself. and sure, what talia puts herself through during lex corp era certainly begs the question of whether her version of loving herself is really viable or in any way healthy, and i would love to see bruce help her recognize that she's not alone and that she doesn't have to do it alone to prove that she's capable. all of this i agree with. but i don't think that really means she and bruce have to fall back on their once-imagined dream of playing house. even if talia did find methods of going about her work that were mentally healthier i don't really know what'd be in it for her to play house with bruce in gotham. bc that is what it would have to be, for their relationship to work in any way. bruce will never leave gotham and son of the demon didn't need to explore that issue bc it was never going to get there but trust that corny as the line about naming the baby thomas or martha was it was reflective of a reality: gotham is bruce's entire life. no matter where he goes, no matter what he does, no matter who he works with, in the end he will always belong to gotham. and i simply do not think that would ever work for talia bc there is so much more she is capable of. while her vision is aligned with bruce's her scope of access and ability is entirely distinct of his own and there is so much more that she can do aside from relegate herself to gotham (hence why lex corp as an arc makes so much sense, bc it capitalizes on that scope). and yeah every superhero couple is kinda crazy and they have teleportation and shit but idk i don't think it's really a relationship for each party to go on long missions with ill-defined parameters that give them the worst sleep schedules known to man and occasionally they share a bed. it really isn't. and that's something that bruce and talia have to live with. their duty is always going to come first even though they both have a passion for civilian life. for talia to be in a relationship again she would have to stop having the liberty of being able to go wherever the work carries her and for bruce to be in a relationship again he would have to have the equivalent of a robin-wife. neither of these things is ever going to happen. so

also. should i make a persona 5 oc. place ur votes now. more details in the tags so if you're interested, i'd appreciate your input!

putting it out there now but i don't think copia's gonna die. i think what happened to terzo was so over the top insult-to-injury because it was "goodbye lawsuit era, you've been embalmed alive and beheaded and we're never going back." i think the other two were the same, more or less. copia's just. wildly different. it's not like it's tradition for the papas to get murdered. it just Happened. and even if it was tradition, i literally don't think ghost tradition matters in the post-lawsuit age.

Annoyed in a very normal way that his portrait from school is the same length as his hair during the game. Don't worry about what's in the tags I'm sure it's a normal amount of text.

One day there's gonna be a person online that will take people's requests of any color and draw it in a person's skintone in a convincing way, see: a brown that looks like a light skinned white person's skin in a darker lighting, a green that looks like a healthy person's skin in neon lights, and so on.

And this will be a huge thing for the online art community in the west. I think the thing it lacks right now is this realization that the knowledge that tree trunks are brown and leaves are green are just something observed under the specific conditions of a sunny day, even in these very conditions these very leaves and trunk can look blue and purple and gray and so on if cast in shadow, especially in art

Here's how wolfwood can still win

damn the way i click a zenos thread on twt n i see people talking abt philosophy in the comments

Things in the Miraculous movie that were way better than the show

Everything

Ok but actually, adjustments made in the movie that vastly improved the show’s canon:

Marinette’s awkwardness being equally applied to everyone she interacts with. Having her reputation be that she is a walking disaster makes Adrien’s (and Alya’s) kindness to her more impactful. Also makes Chloe’s bullying more believable. IN GENERAL makes Marinette’s character more believable.

In the same realm, the entire school and world not revolving around how perfect and cool Adrien is fixes SO. MANY. THINGS. The only person at school who seems to care about his status is Chloe, which not only makes his overall character less annoying, but also adds to Chloe’s characterization.

Speaking of Chloe, making her an actual character and not a bitch who torments her classmates relentlessly for no reason? Like yeah she’s still a bitch and a bully but she has sense of decorum and won’t take it too far if her reputation is on the line.

Sabrina having agency? Hello??

The subtilization of Marinette’s crush on Adrien. Like, hello, she has a lot of shit going on! She doesn’t have time to be swooning over her classmate all day! Yet another thing that makes her more believable.

TIKKI AND PLAGG CHOOSING THEIR OWN HOLDERS. Fuck Fu. Kwamis are literal eldritch gods, why wouldn’t they have a bit of agency?

The entire sequence of Marinette saving Fu. A clever way to have Fu meet the holder while still having Tikki be the one who chooses. Also way better storytelling for him to not intentionally put himself in danger to find a holder, makes the whole thing more organic.

The addition of the rule that the Tikki and Plagg only awaken when there’s a miraculous-level threat. Gives actual purpose to the role of the Guardian, imo.

Unpopular opinion but Tikki’s personality change was great. Once again, literal eldritch God!

Not to harp on this, but once again, the kwamis still having some level of control and AGENCY even when their holders are transformed. Tikki being in Ladybug’s yo-yo and actually guiding her was cool af and WHY WOULDN’T SHE BE ABLE TO DO THAT???

Ladybug and Chat having more general abilities BUT not having their special abilities right away. The sequence where Chat caught the invisible bullet? Cool af. And Ladybug NOT having the reset button right away really raised the stakes and honestly just felt right. It was really rewarding and triumphant when she used it towards the end.

The earrings/ring glowing as a way to communicate when one of them is not transformed. Such a good and cool idea.

Adrien and Marinette frequently hanging out together in a group with Alya and Nino without it being weird!!! Jesus!! Let the kids be kids!!!!!

Gabriel Agreste being less of a piece of shit.

Chat Noir’s “You’re my sidekick!” To, “I’m your sidekick!” progression. Followed by Ladybug’s, “we’re partners!” Immaculate.

Marinette gaining confidence as Marinette from being Ladybug AND ALSO SPECIFICALLY from her partnership with Chat Noir. LET THE SUPERHERO CHILDREN HAVE A MEANINGFUL AND UPLIFTING PARTNERSHIP FFS

Speaking of, LADYNOIR HANGING OUT

LADYNOIR PLAYFIGHTING

Ladybug liking Chat romantically maybe before the 5th fucking season? Making Chat’s first confession less cringey bc she actually really likes him back and totally wants to kiss him? Being internally conflicted ab it?

Marinette confessing right after she gently lets Chat down for the first time, literally perfect angst set up

Adrien BEING ABLE TO STAND UP TO HIS FATHER. Fuck Sentiadrien.

Gabriel being capable of feeling human emotions

Identity reveal

New collaboration with Loft & Amnibus was announced for Digimon Adventure!

Details about exact merch will follow soon, but the tweet states that the concept was decided by keeping the idea of 25th Anniversary in focus but the art itself is flower + wedding outfit themed. The collab will start in June which is considered a good month for brides in Japan and so we see many wedding themed anime illustrations get released during this time every year.

Now it is time for another certified Ayushi breakdown 🫡

Taichi and Agumon are seen holding Edelweiss, with a pattern of the flower drawn beautifully on Taichi's shirt as well. Edelweiss in Japanese Language of Flowers (Hanakotoba) is meant to symbolise 'cherished memories/大切な思い出' and 'courage/勇気', while in Western Language of Flowers it's meant to symbolise 'noble courage' and 'daring' - both of which are apt for our best leader 🧡

Yamato and Gabumon are seen holding Alstroemeria (Lily of the Incas, Peruvian Lily), and while the flower motif is not drawn onto his clothes, Yamato's coat's breast pocket is decorated with the flower as well. In Hanakotoba, Alstroemeria is meant to symbolise 'persistence/持続' or 'longing for the future/未来への憧れ', while in Western Language of Flowers it's meant to symbolise 'friendship' and 'devotion'. All meanings are apt for him imo, but especially persistence and longing for the future are very representative of his arc from the first series till Kizuna.

Sora and Piyomon are seen with Pink Carnations, with the neckline of Sora's jumpsuit lined with a bunch of the flowers. I personally love the visual of Sora in this pink jumpsuit, it plays into her slightly tomboyish yet extremely gentle personality so well! In Hanakotoba carnations symbolise 'innocent and deep love/無垢で深い愛' and pink carnations specifically symbolise 'love of a woman/女性の' 'passionate love/熱愛' and "beautiful gesture/美しいしぐさ'. In Western Language of Flowers carnations symbolise 'fascination' and love'. All meanings are pretty accurate for Sora, but red carnations are used to symbolise Mother's love in Japan so it would've been nice if they threw in a mix of red and pink to hint at her relationship with her mother!

Koushiro and Tentomon are seen holding Violet Sage, which at first glance I thought was Lavender. The flower pattern is also visible on his waistcoat and bowtie, which ties together his outfit very nicely! In Hanakotoba, Sage seems to have many symbolisations, 'respect/尊敬', 'wisdom/知恵', 'good home/良い家庭', and 'family love/家族愛'. But Blue (Violet) Sage specifically signify respect and wisdom. In Western Language of Flowers, Sage symbolises 'esteem', 'wisdom' and 'domestic virtue'. Again, a perfect choice for Koushiro, I personally would prefer to believe that they picked this not because of his crest but because of 'good home' and 'family love' since that part of Koushiro's arc in the first series was probably the most impressionable aspect of his character.

Mimi and Palmon are seen holding baby's breath, with Mimi's dress covered in a pattern of it. Even keeping my bias towards Mimi aside, this is possibly one of the prettiest outfit of hers till date, it genuinely looks like she's about to walk down the aisle as a flower girl for a very happy couple! In Hanakotoba, Baby's Breath or Kasumisou, symbolises 'pure heart/清らかな心', 'innocence/無邪気', 'kindness/親切', and 'happiness/幸福'. In Western Language of Flowers it symbolises 'everlasting love', 'purity of heart', and 'innocence'. All meanings apply to Mimi to the T, but they're also very apt for the whole wedding theme of the merch which makes this particular outfit + flower choice my favourite from the lot.

Jou and Gomamon are seen holding Violets or Sumire. I honestly struggled to figure out the flower for a while, at first glance I thought it was Periwinkle but since that was not mentioned in the Hanakotoba reference anywhere, I searched other people's interpretations and settled with Violets. His tie also has a cute pattern of the flower, and it makes me wonder if Koushiro and Jou went shopping for their outfits together! In Hanakotoba, Sumire symbolise 'modesty/謙虚', 'sincerity/誠実', and 'small happiness/小さな幸せ'. Depending on the colour, the symbolism can change in Hanakotoba, and purple Violets specifically represent 'fidelity' along with 'love'. In Western Language of Flowers it symbolises 'modesty' and 'faithfulness'. This is as Jou as a flower can get lol.

Takeru and Patamon are seen with White Gerberas. Like Yamato, Takeru's outfit doesn't have a pattern of the flower, but the Gerberas themselves are pinned to his suspenders. In Hanakotoba, Gerbera symbolises 'hope/希望' and 'always moving forward/常に前進'. White Gerbera specifically are used to symbolise 'hope' and 'honesty/律儀'. In Western Language of Flowers it is meant to symbolise 'cheerfulness' and 'beauty'. All meanings are accurate for Takeru, no comment needed!

Hikari and Tailmon are seen with Sunflowers. I personally feel that Hikari's outfit is a little too much compared to the rest, just the sunflower belt would've been enough but they added that extra line at the hem and it's kind of an overdose. In Hanakotoba, Sunflowers symbolise 'I gaze only at you/私はあなただけを見つめる', 'adoration/愛慕', and 'worship/崇拝'. In Western Language of Flowers, it symbolises 'adoration' and 'false riches'. I understand that they wanted to go with a bright or perky flower for Hikari but something like a Pink Aster which symbolises patience or Cosmos which symbolises harmony, peace etc. might suit Hikari better given the overall theme of the illustration. The only miss in the otherwise perfectly depicted theme and art!

So anyway, Hazbin Hotel. I watched some of the new series, I have a lot of thoughts, but I'll TL;DR:

In my honest opinion, its biggest weakness is that it feels utterly directionless, scattershot, and inconsistent. It feels like the series hasn't evolved past "I put a bunch of disparate childhood OCs in the same place together" and hasn't figured out any coherent theme or thesis statement to make as a narrative. This applies to both the writing and the art direction. Characters feel like they come from vastly different settings/genres and so do the plot points explored from episode to episode. In general it's really hard to get a read on what the series has to say, overall.

other comments:

this has been the most ineffective use of swearing I have ever seen in writing

genocide as a plot point and handled like that in the show... yeah this was really poorly timed. obviously this wasn't done on purpose, but not a good look at the moment considering irl situations

Adam is highly underwhelming both design and writing wise

I like the TV head corporate magnate, but imo he's not really suited for this setting. He feels more like a sci-fi cartoon villain to me

Alastor supposedly being black and/or creole is not well portrayed. There's also cultural appropriation issues with his character but everyone has talked about that already

the characters supposedly being from different cultures and historical eras is poorly handled, e. g. I can't really believe Angel Dust is an Italian mobster from the 1940s because practically all of the characters strike me as modern and American

overall this show is so SO americentric and I'm kinda not vibing with that

Astrology Observations No.17

*just my opinions, only take what resonates

-Combine your Venus and rising for something you love to do and how you do it. I like to travel somewhere new (Sagittarius Venus) and start completely fresh (Scorpio rising)

A Leo Rising, Libra venus may like to be the center of attention in a new relationship and may be inspired to create with new love; a Cancer Venus, Virgo rising may really decompress by organizing their home; etc

-How come so many comedians have sun conjunct Mercury?? I’m guessing the charisma you gain when you speak from the placement and also being able to like cleverly convey what you mean. (Also heavy Sag placements bc ofc. But also a lot of Virgo/Gemini/Scorpio placements as well)

-Aquarius suns are more competitive than Leo suns imo. I think when Aqua suns compete they often ride on their intelligence so that ups the stakes for them.

-Leo suns have a very like specific approach you gotta take if you’re gonna critique them though. They’re sensitive and they are not going to take criticism from just anyone. They get sensitive about personal experiences over general competition compared to Aquarius suns imo.

-I think out of all the signs either Aquarius or Scorpio suns are the most proud of their sign. (My mom used to compete with me to name Aquarius characters and celebrities and throw Capricorns she didn’t like in my face. When I was like 8. It was too much lol)

-I think Leo suns pride typically themselves on pop culture knowledge to some degree (like keeping up with critically acclaimed films and shows)(I think this applies to Leo Asc and moon as well)

-Wherever Pisces is can highlight where you need to take care of your mental health.Pisces moon can indicate being very emotionally affected by your family and general environment. Pisces Venus can indicate being affected by your relationships and friendships. In general Pisces/Neptune means a detachment but also being vulnerable to illusions and energies other than your own.

-Capricorn can show where you need to find the strength to stand up for yourself. Capricorn moons have to defend their emotionality. Capricorn suns have to defend their sense of self. Capricorn Mercury may find themselves in several debates over things they believe in.

-Sagittarius can show where you are attractive to foreigners* (meaning people you travel to/that are outside of your culture) Sag Asc/Sun/Venus or Sun/Venus in the 9th house could point to being charismatic and attracting friends when you travel.

-Chiron hard aspects (conjunct, square, opposition) to moon can make you a very private person

-Saturn in Cancer could indicate trouble with an emotionally unstable father or father figure

-Virgo placements (Sun, Moon, Rising, Mercury, Venus, Mars) don’t just like to complain, they need to complain to blow off steam by highlighting all the little inefficiencies of life. Sometimes it’s worse to offer a solution to their complaints (I’ve definitely done this before lol)

-I think Aquarius suns like having unpopular opinions on popular things. Aquarius moons will go for more obscure/underground stuff. Gemini/3rd house moons or 3rd house Jupiter or like Gemini/Virgo mars can go super deep on those topics. (Ex. My Aquarius moon dad showed me indie movies when I was younger but when I showed him and my siblings Everything Everywhere All At Once and called it artsy and didn’t understand it lol, but like with my partner with Virgo mars we’re watching 10 movies from an obscure surrealist 60s Japanese director for fun.)

I am of the DPxDC belief/headcanon that any variation of Danny who grew up poor in Gotham during his formative years before moving to Amity Park would not be friends with Sam without friction at first. It makes things more interesting and imo allows for more exploration of different themes plus character growth for Sam that she doesn't really go through in canon.

(this doesn't only apply to a DPDC au where Danny grew up in Gotham poor, but it was the first thing that I thought of where this might happen considering my Childhood Friends au.)

Now Sam's a compassionate girl, it's one of her defining character traits, but so is her hypocrisy and judgy-ness. She's the Not Like Other Girls' girl. This is in part of the show's narrative framing that makes her out like this, unfortunately though its still showing how she is as a character since its consistent enough to be part of her character description. There are also times where the show's depiction of her activism makes it look like she's performative about it. All of this makes her dynamic with a Danny who grew up poor in Gotham very interesting.

Anyways, Sam is aware of her privilege to an extent, but still has her blindspots - glaring ones, in some cases. Her self-righteous attitude would not go over well with a crime alley kid Danny. He'd like her, at first, but then she'd do something to make him mad - personally I think her judging people for not being vegan would annoy him the most, or at least would be the breaking point for him, because it was only recently that his family started actually being able to consistently put food on the table at all, good food nonetheless. And being vegan is expensive.

Any other behavior he noticed from her he'd slowly stop tolerating - her judging conventionally attractive girls and automatically assuming they're vapid and shallow for being feminine. Her anti-capitalist beliefs start coming off as superficial at worst, and Danny would eventually figure out that Sam either came from a family that was well off, or that she wasn't aware if her family was experiencing financial struggle.

He would still be friends with Tucker, but since Tucker imo is still friends with Sam, they'd still run into each other often enough to butt heads. Sam's got a nasty habit of refusing to take responsibility when she's wrong, but when Danny is arguing with her, and counterpointing her with stuff she can't retort back at without compromising her own beliefs, then forces her to start reflecting on herself. Especially when Tucker eventually starts siding with Danny and agreeing with him.

Does sam genuinely care about her beliefs and philosophies? Survey says yes. However that doesn't mean she's not ignorant, and she definitely is at times throughout the show (like when she released the purpleback gorilla thinking it 'wanted out of its enclosure' despite the fact that it was endangered and in an urban area) and I think it'd be a real fascinating dynamic between Danny and Sam to explore.

This isn't Sam hate btw, nor am I trying to make her out like "the worst person ever" bc she's not, i wanna make that explicitly clear. Sam Manson has a lot of positive traits about her but she also has an equal amount of negative traits that I think should be explored, she is not immune to the character development.

while it’s perfectly fine to have your own headcanons that are non-canon compliant — by all means, go wild. recognizing pieces of yourselves in fictional characters can be a very healing and validating experience. this is nonetheless a casual, well-intentioned reminder that gale, in fact, does not have bpd.

bpd is a pervasive pattern of instability affecting interpersonal relationships, self-image, and mood. the disorder is marked by impulsivity beginning in early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. a diagnosis requires at least 5 of the following 9 criteria to be met:

Fear of abandonment

Unstable or changing relationships

Unstable self-image; struggles with identity or sense of self

Impulsive or self-damaging behaviors (e.g., excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).

Suicidal behavior or self-injury

Varied or random mood swings

Constant feelings of worthlessness or sadness

Problems with anger, including frequent loss of temper or physical fights

Stress-related paranoia or loss of contact with reality

source: [x]

i highlighted the criteria that do apply to gale in one way or another in a pretty purple.

i personally believe that it’s rather harmful to equate his relationship with mystra with her being “his fp”. she is a deity, his goddess, and the source of his powers, who is in in full control of the magic he wields.

gale: mystra commands all magic. salvation, if such a thing exists, is hers to bestow or withhold.

gale has been effectively groomed and conditioned to serve and revere her at every turn since early childhood. imo this comparison really undermines a lot of crucial points in gale’s story that deal with his overall trauma and abuse. after all, you wouldn’t call shar sh*dowhe*rt’s fp either.

gale doesn’t revile mystra, nor does he commit benevolent deeds solely motivated by the secret hope that she will somehow notice and take him back. when you meet gale in the game he has already fully come to terms with the fact that he has been abandoned by mystra with no hope of reconciliation whatsoever. he also had some very fitting lines in ea regarding this topic that i'm sad haven't been repurposed in the full release in some way.

gale: [the tadpoles] don't know that some things are impossible. they don't know that... they don't know. player: what is impossible about what you're being shown? gale: forgiveness. gale: it is mystra i see. and yet it cannot be her. there was a time when i would have believed - but no longer. gale: suffice it to say she would not bestow upon me the favors promised in these dreams. that is how i know they are delusions.

he has already reached the stage of acceptance. moreover, gale only starts to realize that mystra might have been in the wrong for requesting his death once the tadpole squad & tav speak some sense into him. and even then he doesn’t ever show that his emotions regarding mystra are anywhere along those lines. he is instead rightfully angered that she only saw value in his death, after he had been worshipping her loyally for years.

gale: i worshipped mystra loyally for years, and in that time she granted me the barest sliver of the power i was ready to wield. gale: even with the fate of the world at stake, she had little more to offer me than the means of blowing myself up at a more convenient time. she's done nothing to help us.

gale: you abandoned me in my hour of greatest need. i had no obligation to help you in yours. gale: because you had no right to ask that of me. you cast me out, remember?

gale doesn’t display rapid changes in mood either. he is a character who is generally very composed and has been known to remain nonchalant even in the face of utter horror. tim downie himself even commented on this once. source: [x]

the only instance i can think of is his sudden switch from resigned-to-death to utter-eye-sparkling-enthusiasm once he spots the crown of karsus. apart from crucial story reasons that i won’t touch upon in this post, i’d also like to add that it’s a rather common phenomenon for people who have just barely survived a suicide attempt to suddenly be filled with zeal and unbridled energy. he doesn't display impulsivity without thorough consideration when it comes to its acquisition either. he considers this a golden opportunity and is positively enthusiastic and elated that this might prove an alternative to him ending up in a cloud of netherese smoke. nonetheless, he knows what he is doing. evident in him actually succeeding in ascending in one of his endings.

gale: this is no passing whim, trust me. if i can obtain that crown, it will affect us all. it is not a decision i'll take lightly. gale: it's our future that i'm thinking of - we can't rely on anyone else to do it for us. gale: for now - we've learned all we can.

neither are his relationships that we do know of (namely elminster, tara, and morena) frequently changing. they are marked by years of mutual respect, care, and consistency. there is nothing unstable about them. while it's important to note that his relationship with tav is still in its honeymoon stages during the main game, there is no inclination of any push-and-pull dynamic between them whatsoever.

gale isn’t preoccupied with keeping up some sort of benevolent act in order to win (back) affection — he genuinely IS a good person and he proves this at every turn. moreover, to have a tressym become your familiar you must be of Good alignment.

(taken from tumblr user galedekarios's post.)

there is never a moment where his ideals or alignment suddenly change. in fact, i’d argue that he and wyll are most consistent in this regard when compared to the rest of the companions. gale makes his moral standpoint very clear from the beginning on and also explicitly states that he believes that in order to survive this entire ordeal it would be selfish of him if he wouldn’t be willing to compromise on his morals. this isn’t a sudden bout of ✨muahahaha wizard hubris✨ that he barely contained to hold in before, this is yet another act of selflessness — it is what he’s willing to do for the group and subsequently, the welfare of faerun.

player: i love unsavoury things. don't feel guilty on my account. gale: that's good to know. although i should say i do what i do out of a sense of utility and pragmatism, not a love of the unsavoury. gale: we're up against the greatest threat faerun has ever faced. i don't mind getting my hands dirty if it gives us a better chance of surviving. gale: whatever advantage i can gain for us. i will. and i refuse to feel guilty for it, no matter how much mystra's chidings might echo in my skull.

this is him, once again trying to be useful in whatever way he can. to give them an advantage, a slither of hope against seemingly impossible odds, so they might make it out of this in one piece. gale wouldn’t approve of those actions under normal circumstances, but their predicament is as far from any definition of “normal” as it can get.

gale is no fool, he realizes this is essentially about survival. he knows that he has no option left other than to tolerate, which is why he can be convinced to not immediately depart tav’s company even if they choose to commit atrocities. this is no character flaw of his or him displaying a previously dormant openness for cruelty, this is about recognizing the necessity.

player: you don't stand a chance alone. you're free to go. i dare you. gale: gods damn you - you're right. few things are more powerful than the will to live.

gale: i thought the orb to be the greatest of my sins, but i see now that there are darker depths to which i might yet sink. you may be content to sink into that abyss, but i assure you - i am not.

gale doesn’t lead a split existence. he has a very strong sense of identity. he knows what he wants, what he doesn’t want and he isn’t shy in expressing his boundaries either. which he has especially shown when it comes to his relationship with tav. i originally had intended to touch upon this in another post entirely but: i firmly believe his entire Gale of Waterdeep™ persona is more of a performance than him struggling to find a sense of identity and trying them on for size. it is an intentional decision to separate gale dekarios from the great wizard of waterdeep, to create distance and make sure his family name remains untarnished in case things should ever go sideways.

gale: i agree. and on the plus side, if i get myself into any truly cataclysmic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.

there is also a deep-rooted feeling of unworthiness and his firm belief that love and praise are conditional resources that he will only be granted through his talents alone, naturally. presenting himself as gale dekarios, the man, would mean highlighting his shortcomings and very human flaws, while distracting from the aspects of himself that are deemed praiseworthy, the ones that actually matter: his magical prowess.

i personally believe that part of the beauty of gale’s story is him realizing just how “little” it takes for him to be truly content. he gets his happy ending, with someone at his side who truly sees him, understands him and unabashedly commits to him. they worship and adore him in return — and it is well deserved. he isn’t reduced to be constantly and restlessly searching for some unattainable ideal to fill the gaping void within himself. he doesn’t secretly thirst for more power still or believes that in being with tav he is settling for something. instead, he is finally happy to just be. be and be accepted. teaching a class of unruly wizards and coming home to his spouse each day already fulfills him.

gale: that's how i feel with you - content. it's a rather unfamiliar feeling, i must say. not something gale of waterdeep ever craved.

even if he doesn’t pursue a romance with tav, he reaches a realization of “oh, it appears i am not irredeemably flawed and only able to reach true redemption through my own death. what i needed was actually with me all along.” throughout their journey and through his friend's support. i think that’s a very powerful and comforting message. he is very well capable of finding peace within himself.

devnotes: his default state is that he returned to waterdeep and became a professor of illusory magic at his former school, blackstaff academy. general vibe here is that this is a gale who's found peace with himself - he's a great teacher, one his students are mostly in awe of.

to repeat myself: sharing your headcanons is all in good fun, nor should you ever be discouraged from doing so. this is your personal tumblr experience, after all. but i personally think we should be mindful of unintentionally perpetuating negative stereotypes, such as narcissism being a general indicator or being deemed a classic depiction of bpd. i think we can all agree that the continuous longing for acceptance, connection, praise, and approval is something we all have in common deep down, regardless of whatever disorder we may have. [insert victoria justice meme here]

gale may be many things to many people, but he is no entitled narcissist.

Unpopular opinion: parts of the cr fandom are really dismissive/ reductive of Travis’s characters. It feels like it’s due to Travis being seen as THE cis het man of the group, and by extension his characters must be heteronormative and bad, despite the fact that you could have queer interpretations of his characters. At the very least, Travis’s characters explore masculinity and the different ways it might look. It’s like the people who are all “ew men are gross and shitty” and act like that’s an absolutely normal reaction to a man just existing.

So this is another one in that I agree with the initial statement, but I'm actually not sure re: the reasoning why. I think it's possible but I could not tell you for sure.

I used to, again, think this was people carrying through Campaign 1 elements well beyond the point where C1 had ended, and so Grog having an intelligence of 6 was being applied to Travis; and this definitely does come through to an extent when people treat Fjord (objectively as smart as Beau without her circlet) as stupid or act shocked that Chetney is the brains of Bells Hells or that he can play a Cerrit, Fjord, or Nathaniel. However, again, I think this is one of those opinions that pops up among people who weren't around for Campaign 1 (or early enough in C2 to be exposed to it regularly) so I don't know if that's the case anymore. It could still be - it could be that Approved Fandom Opinions get passed down even when the logic behind them has long since been lost; that's a really common thing in institutional memory. But I can't say for sure.

I also have in the past credited it to, as you said, people assuming his characters are the cishet guys and then writing them off. That's still possible - I've seen both Fjord and Chetney called "token straight" despite considerable evidence of bisexuality, and they also paradoxically are both commonly headcanoned as trans while still getting called "token straight," which sort of ties into a post I would need to find from someone else from quite some time ago about which cast members are granted agency by the fandom in their choices vs. which are assumed to be the victims of circumstance. And I do think that there are people in fandom who have decided men are icky or whatever, and I used to think this came from a place of bigotry and a slide towards t*rf ideology but I now do genuinely think it's just idiots who don't grant interiority to characters outside their own limited understanding.

But I think it's also useful to consider a few things, most of which I've brought up before:

Travis is extremely offline. He is not here to entertain your headcanons; he has been politely but openly dismissive of some (imo, really fucking dumb) fanon/fan theories. I think the cast frequently talks about how it's their table, and I think that's valid and correct, but Travis is one of the players who lives it the most. He is playing this game with his friends, and he'd like it to be a good story, but if you don't like it, he is not here to make you like it. I think that really fucks with the parasocial connections some people desire with the cast.

Travis's characters tend to examine masculinity as a performance but also the general performance of the self, and the fact that you cannot in the end control how you are perceived entirely, and I think that really unsettles people who have equated presentation with reality and are again, looking for external validation of the self.

Travis can play it big but he's often extremely subtle, especially with his more serious characters, and he's not as easily quotable out of context as some others at the table. I think because he is a lot more naturalistic than dramatic at times (Chetney notwithstanding) and isn't as pithy and quotable in his characters as many of Taliesin's PCs are, and a lot of the strength is in the delivery, he gets overlooked despite being very good with words on the fly.

And finally: this would be a whole post on its own but people are still very foolishly wed to this idea that pressing the big red button in D&D is Wild and Chaotic and haha Big ADHD Man when it's actually how you play D&D if you're not a coward; the button is where the story is stored, and a lot of Travis's strength is that he is extremely good at understanding what the GM wants and supporting it with sufficient grace that it's only visible if you know what you're fucking doing.

My last post about bloodweave was pretty negative (though necessarily so imo) so I wanted to talk about the little things about the bloodweave dynamic that I DO like and want to see more of in fic (under the cut).

- the orb means Astarion can't start their relationship transactionally. Gale can't give Astarion blood, and also can't have sex with him (and presumably would refuse casual sex anyway). How would the relationship develop without Astarion being able to rely on the give-and-take, forced instead to just trust Gale will watch his back? Astarion isn't a plans guy, I imagine having to come up with something on the spot (considering none of the other companions are reeaaaally an option either) would lead to a lot more emotional vulnerability as he tries to take a route he has much less experience with. Not to mention that the flirty and standoffish front isn't exactly going to endear him to Gale, who approves of the capable, loyal, and righteous. How long can Astarion pretend to be invested in Gale's wellbeing before it becomes true?

- they both have bad ascension endings, but different natural outcomes. Gale is considered the more morally upstanding one, but in their solo states (without the player's influence) Gale will go through with ascension and Astarion won't. Would they goad each other on? Gale disapproves of Astarion's ascension, using arguments that could apply to himself about the personal sacrifice and loss of the soul. Would Astarion flip them around, become defensive? Their dynamic could mean the power hungry character ending up discouraging the pursuit of godhood, or the two of them hurtling over the edge together. Or, maybe, Astarion encouraging Gale to ascend and having to trust him to return.

- they're the party members with the most life experience, and they're also both pretty well-educated (even if Astarion's law qualifications may well have expired by the events of the game). He spent his time under Cazador sewing (like Gale in his Baldur's Gate epilogue) and learning languages (of which Gale knows four). They have enduring common interests beyond their circumstances. Gale can help Astarion rediscover the latent nerd potential he lost when he died, and lord knows he would love to pick his brain for a first hand account of the mid-to-late 12th century.

- Astarion recently regained hope for his future when the tadpole freed him, Gale recently lost all of it. While act 1 is a continuous series of positive discoveries for Astarion (tadpole frees him from cazador -> ceremorphosis is held off by the dream visitor -> tadpole can be controlled), Gale's life gets worse with time as his treatment stops working. It's a dynamic that could give Gale hope, force Astarion to practise empathy, or put them completely at odds.

- Astarion's all-encompassing desire to reclaim his life could be inspiring to Gale. Moreover, I imagine seeing just how passive Gale is about his death would infuriate him. To have so little regard for his real, mortal, free life? It's a great source of angst, and also a great starting point for Gale to start wanting to live again. Because after learning about Astarion's past he would agree, he'd recognise how much value a mortal life was supposed to have. He'd think himself ungrateful or impolite for entertaining the idea of throwing it away when Astarion would give anything to have what he had. This would lead to guilt, and potentially self-loathing, unless someone was there to help pick up the pieces.

- If Astarion meets Oblodra before Gale's act 2 romance scene, (or for a fanfic plot, just before Gale is confident enough to confess) they most likely won't have sex until the graveyard scene in late act 3 (or the post-ascension equivalent). It means that rather than the fuckfest we so often see from bloodweave fics, the relationship is almost entirely a slow-burning, emotionally intimate affair. I'd really love to see that play out, the progression from semi-horny yearning on both parts as the orb keeps them apart, to two love confessions that are followed by the both of them experiencing non-sexual intimacy for the first time in years. I doubt Mystra was one to hug her chosen, after all, or hold their hands.

I just love a bg3 ship that forces the characters to take different actions than they do in canon. It makes me feel like I'm developing a broader understanding of the characters, you know?