#seek similarities brain mode

[batri-jopa]

Look at these cats and their human versions series by Gerrard Gethings (gezgethings on Instagram):

#if you know my art (my ''zoomorphic fanart'' especially) #then you know how keen I am about well shown resemblence between human and animal face expression #and the series of cats and dogs and their human versions by Gerrard Gethings are my most favorite!🥰 #cats #anthropomorphic #zoomorphic #anthropomorphization #zoomorphization #cat face #instagram #seek similarities brain mode

[transmutationisms]

do you have any insight on roman and incest? i know that in succession, business = fucking and at some points all of the sibs talk about fucking their dad as in one upping him business wise, but ceirtain comments roman makes are obviously different. i've been rewatching s3 and he joked about repetedly entering his mother's vagina at ken's birthday, in that same episode he tells shiv that she's mad logan doesn't want to fuck her anymore bc he's fucking roman now... also when he tells her she can be his sexy secretary when he takes over, and many more examples

and this last episode when he was listening to that edited video of logan over and over, i know i'm not the only one who thought he might start jacking off... i guess my question is do you think roman has any actual incestuous desires? and if not, why does he say these things? is it attention seeking? trying to make people uncomfortable?

first of all, the jacking off undertones of that deepfake scene were absolutely there on purpose. i mean, what logan is 'saying' in that clip echoes the sort of dirty talk gerri used to provide, and the reason for that is because the whole driving force of the roman-gerri affair was him getting her to say things that logan used to say about him. gerri was always a daddy proxy for him; it was always about him jacking off to the way his father verbally degraded him, but then combined with gerri's willingness to serve as an actual business mentor for him, something logan would never do because he was frankly just disgusted at roman as a general rule.

which is to say: yes, roman has some genuine incestuous desire for his father, to the same degree that anyone else with a negative oedipus complex does. and this is central, i think, to the critique of the nuclear family that runs through succession. these psychoanalytic complexes are products of that family structure, which is itself embedded within the capitalist mode of production. roman's subconscious desire to fuck/marry his father is, the show suggests, just a more overt manifestation of the standard dysfunction that inherently plagues the social form of the family. it's elevated because of the degree of control logan asserted over roman, even well into adulthood, and the way his wealth and corporate power created that dynamic. but the suggestion here is not that the roys are uniquely incestuous or that roman is intrinsically a pervert; it's that family structures, which are capitalist structures, create this type of psychosexual (under)development. it's freud if he slayed (was friends with wilhelm reich and gilles deleuze).

i don't think we have any textual reason to think roman has incestuous desire for his other family members. he talks like that for a handful of other reasons. with the caroline stuff, he's partly just responding to shiv and logan accusing him of wanting to fuck her (logan does this because he thinks roman is a pervert but can't consciously face the fact that he's, like, gay for real, so his catholic brain goes straight to He's A Boy Who Wants To Fuck His Mother; shiv makes these accusations partly for similar reasons of seeing roman as dirty / perverted / abnormal and having no other explanation, and partly because she's deflecting from her own glaring caroline issues).

with the shiv stuff, this is sort of central to their relationship—that they both make crude sexual comments to each other. it's part of how they negotiate that rivalry-camaraderie thing. it's almost cute. also, most of these comments are so off-base that they're not actually bothered by them; it's noticeable when one of them actually crosses a line (like shiv saying "some day you're actually going to have to fuck something").

overall roman's relationship to his own sexuality is fraught, partly because of logan's homophobia and resulting surveillance of roman's sexual expression, and partly because of roman's relationship with his body. also, like his siblings, roman grew up in the middle of the sexual violence corporation. he doesn't really know how to think about sex in any way besides as a violation, and this is reflected in how he talks about it. he uses incestuous or sexually crude jokes as a way to deflect from certain emotional intimacies, to present himself as disgusting so that he can pre-empt other people making him feel that way, and as a way of conveying his sense that he's at the bottom of the hierarchy and is emotionally, physically, and sexually vulnerable.

#you eat me i eat you

[power-chords]

apologies if you've explained this already, but tumblr search is trash, so I have to ask... why the obsession with michael mann, how did that start?

Oh, man. It’s a long story! In the early days of the pandemic I got a call from my favorite rock musician that he had read a short essay I’d written on his solo album, and he wanted me to contribute a piece to his band’s forthcoming box set. Dream come true obviously, couldn’t say no, so I immediately buckled down on the research end, which for me involved a deeper dive into said musician’s love of film. Mann was on the list of suspects alongside more definitive entries like Coppola and Scorsese, but that turned out to be a happy accident of misreading. (Major shout out to Adam here, by the way, because without his guidance I would have been working with a much more meandering home-brewed syllabus.)

I enjoy movies like any properly adjusted American but they don’t tend to put a spell on me the way music does, or make me want to disassemble the whole contraption piece by piece like a good written story. And Mann’s work was the first time I’d ever encountered films that could have the same effect on me as music and literature. They were hypnotic and enchanting and propulsive, like my favorite records, but they also suggested this dense subterranean architecture of potential meaning, obscured from immediate view but very much there and carefully, deliberately encoded. In other words, these films were like texts imploring (really, daring) you to interpret them.

That’s Mann’s methodology in a nutshell, basically — it’s a seduction gambit, and on me it worked spectacularly! It tapped into my grotesque hedonic animal brain and sparked an intellectual curiosity as well. For me that combination has a narcotic quality that’s hard to explain, but I have an addictive personality. And the more I watched his work, the more it ensnared me like The Footage.* (“WHAT is going on? What is this film doing to me??” Etc.) You have to understand I have no prior experiential basis for this, so as far as I’m concerned it’s witchcraft. By the time I turn in my piece for the box set I have this collateral situation developing, ha ha, oh no, and here I am three years later.

Initially I had wondered if Mann had been an influence on Dulli, but it turned out to be a case of convergent evolution. Or something akin to it. I think they’re just similar in terms of what subject matter they’re attracted to, maybe in their modes of perception and how they make aesthetic/narrative sense of the world. And there is some part of me that keys into that sensibility — whichever part precedes organized expression, maybe even conscious comprehension — and finds it cathartic and liberating and all that good stuff. (I’m a Safety First adrenaline junkie these days so I try to limit my habits to art and pop culture.)

And then he and Meg Gardiner co-wrote an actual book which provoked further investigations, escalations, whatever you want to call them. It turns out that the abyss really DOES stare back into you in the form of numerous spooky historical coincidences. I’m like afraid of Heat 2 at this point because the more I go trawling around in there the more it becomes an eldritch object, LOL. I’m the closest anyone has come to living the film Jumanji, let me put it that way. But the experience has been a blast. And I feel fortunate to have found yet another creator on par with Dulli and Townshend whose work I will be able to take with me and return to over the course of my life, and seek shelter in in that way.

*EVERYBODY READ PATTERN RECOGNITION BY WILLIAM GIBSON!

#I’m sorry that is the most abridged possible version lmao #michael mann

[ex-mortis-evie]

!!CW!! Trancey language, full dork mode.

So one thing I do wanna gush about for a moment is the pleasures of trance, if you don’t mind.

See, pleasure isn’t necessary just a sexual desire, especially for me.

I’m not driven by pleasure when it comes to trance, yet what drives me personally is the discovery and wonder behind the theory of trance.

That can be seen as a sort of pleasure in its own right, but even then I don’t see it quite the same.

Yet, pleasure is still an important tool of a hypnotic encounter, and not simply for erotic or kink reasons.

Yes, sexual pleasure can be used to elevate an experience and drive someone mad with delight, however it’s not all that’s present within those circumstances.

Pleasure in general though is important simply due to its nature within our minds, we seek pleasure in any thing we may do. It’s hardwired into our brains.

Using that hardwiring for trance is where the real best parts of trance come to fruition, being able to access the pleasure centers and manipulate them for whatever the experience you’re creating requires.

It’s why some seem adrenaline, the pleasure receptors in our brain hook onto the chemical of adrenaline and embrace it as something to seek.

Pleasure within trance is a pretty similar concept, that empty euphoria creating this dizzying sensation of pure delight and emptiness that can only really be recreated by alternative measures.

Though within trance, the real speciality comes from the way this pleasure is turned on it’s head.

Want to use it for an erotic trance where you pump nothing but arousal into someone? Easy peasy.

Want to redirect those pleasure centers to connect the rushes of dopamine to something using hypnosis? Totally doable.

Want to tweak those same pleasure centers ever so slightly to increase the feelings of certain emotions or desires? Always possible.

Pleasure is an important motivator in our lives, and it’s important within trance to use it as we need it.

Take it from me, I personally love using pleasure and connecting it with different things like im mixing wires up on a electrical panel, moving and twisting the wires around until the brain is strung accordingly, for whatever desire I or the subject may aim for.

It’s why trance is so commonly associated with pleasure, after all. They go hand in hand due to the parts of the brain being manipulated at the same time, creating almost a double buzz within the confines of the mind, if that all makes sense.

Anyways, apologies for the ramble, I was pondering it a lot last night and here I am waking up and pondering it more.

Anyways, stay cool!

#hypnosis #hypnotism #brainwashing #mind conditioning #mind control #brain drain #hypnotized #hypnok1nk #covert hypnosis #hypnosub #hypnodom #hypno rambles

[eveenstar]

Slenderverse/Creepypasta headcanons

Greetings! This post will explain the canon I created to work with within this blog. You can check out my works in here (link will be added later). Enjoy!

TW: Topics such as cults, limbs being chopped off as well as heavy mentions of mental illnesses will be mentioned. Beware, NONE of this characters are real. This is merely my interpretation of them.

HINTS: Prowler, Mary, Doctor Crow and Saint Matriarch are my original characters. Don't steal them.

If you have read my dating headcanons, you already had a sneak peak into how this universe works. In this post, we will go deeper into SlenderMan and his proxies, as well as other creepypastas.

First off, there is no Mansion in this AU. It's every man for themselves. However, there are several safehouses for the proxies that are marked with the Slender Symbol, so maybe it's for the best if you run as fast as you can if you ever find yourself in one. They don't take kindly to strangers.

SlenderMan hunts for people every 20 or so years, and he hunts for them in large groups. It's always when his older proxies get on their 40s, maybe 50s, that he seeks for younger folks. The sweet flames of fear and rebellion slowly dissipate as the years go by, and Slender needs those strong emotions to survive. Said emotions that his older proxies do not carry anymore, at least not in the same extent as younglings do.

Proxies age but said aging gets progressively slower in their 40s. SlenderMan still keeps them around to prolong their suffering. The misery of those souls keep him entertained and strong.

Due to this we have 2 generations; the original ones and their "legacy". Legacy proxies are people selected to replace the original ones, and often they are very similar to their personality. They're not exactly copycats, they still have their own "art".

There are 3 stages that come after becoming a proxy; the first one is called incubation and it's when the Slender Sickness settles in. Loss of memory, coughing, sleep deprivation, nightmares, hallucinations, aggressive mood are all primary symptoms that can easily be mistaken for some other illness. In severe cases, a fever that makes you feel like you're going to die takes place. A proxy who suffered from this was Prowler, whose fever worsened the hallucinations that came with the sickness, and led to the death of his best friend.

The second stage is depersonalization, also called the proxy state, and some people never leave this stage, such as post-MH Masky and Kate "The Chaser". At this phase, you might not remember what you did during the time your brain was split in two self's. This can last for days, weeks, months or years (in severe cases). Like I said, it is often that some proxies never leave this stage. The more time it passes, the chances of your real self to return decrease drastically.

And the last and most rare is the third stage, called convalescence. It takes a lot of an individual's determination and mental strength to get to this phase, for it is when they have complete control during their proxy state. They are themselves 100% of the time, and prime examples of this are Hoodie, Toby and Mary. It can take years or months depending on the individual's self preservation. People in this stage have accepted their fate and no longer fight it, because they believe there is nothing left to come back to.

Except Mary, who managed to become the first proxy of her legacy to run away and survive.

There is a hidden stage, but I wouldn't call it a stage personally. SlenderMan has control over his proxies no matter which stage they are, and if he deems necessary, he can possess their bodies to "Kill Mode" and absolutely nothing will stop them in this state of mind. Fires, bullets, or even stabbing/cutting can slow them down but they will stop at nothing until their objective is complete. It is extremely hard to kill proxies but not impossible.

I already said this, but SlenderMan feeds off strong emotions, especially negative ones. It's what keeps him alive. This is why he always goes after younglings whose lives were unfair to them; that fire which burns inside them attracts him like a moth to the moon.

Now, on the matter of creepypastas, they have absolutely nothing to do with SlenderMan or his proxies. They are just serial killers who could have been proxies if SlenderMan had caught them. That doesn't mean he hasn't met some of them, which he has - examples being Jeffrey and Helen a.k.a "The Bloody Painter" - but Slender let them think he had let them go, while stalking them through the woods or even sending his proxies after them.

Moments such as Helen drawing Prowler, who was unaware the painter had noticed his stalking. Or Mary facing off Jeff in a convenience store, which costed a lot of damage to the store owner.

Or Hoodie meeting off the notorious cannibal, Eyeless Jack. Said encounter almost costed Hoodie his life, had Masky not arrived to save him from the creature.

So, as you can see, proxies and creepypasta's do not go well together. They're like ice cream and meat.

But not all creepypasta's are serial killers, we also have the hauntings, such as Sally or Ben. Sally is a vengeful spirit so beware her kind and playful demeanor, she might just turn you into one of her eternal best friends.

Ben is a hard ghost to get rid of, but not entirely impossible. If you're lucky and you haven't ran out of time yet, a local witch might help you with protection spells and a throughout cleanse.

I should explain this better; Creepypastas have subclasses. The serial killers, the hauntings, the cryptics and the Higher Beings such as Zalgo or Saint Matriarch.

The cryptics are creepypastas who are hard to identify what their real species are. Infamous SlenderMan, Laughing Jack, Jason the Toymaker and Eyeless Jack are part of this section. They are all highly dangerous and most encounters end up with the affected person's death.

L.Jack and Jason have preferences; young children or teenagers are their area of expertise. They will kill any adults who get in their way or find themselves some place they should not have found. Eyeless Jack prefers adults due to their fully developed kidneys.

Now we must also talk about Zalgo or Saint Matriarch. Some witches work with Zalgo, but he is not for the faint hearted. He's a fairly dangerous and powerful demon, so beware. He doesn't care for creepypasta's or proxies, and none of them are stupid enough to summon him. This Prince of Hell just minds his own business.

Saint Matriarch is a sensitive issue. She belongs in both cryptic and Higher Beings subclasses due to the simple reason that no one is 100% sure of what she is. Her cult will tell you she's a goddess while outsiders consider her a cryptic. Her cult is, however, dangerous to anyone they consider is helping creepypasta's or works for SlenderMan. They have support of ex-military on their side.

Doing a quick rewind to the creepypasta's, they also fight between themselves if they find another one in their hunting zone. For example, Doctor Crow and Eyeless Jack share a similar pattern of hunting for victims (Except the part one is a cryptic while the other is a perfectly looking doctor).

There's also those creeps who simply hate the others. Helen absolutely despises some creepypasta's, like Jeff, because of how messy they are. They could never make art out of murder like he does. Nathan will always hate them because of what they are; murderers with no moral code or dignity.

With all of this said; some creepypasta's are easier to face than others. Killers such as Liu and Nathan are fairly light to deal with, since they won't kill everyone in their way and can easily pass as a normal human. Then we have killers such as Vince the Toymaker or Jeffrey.

Careful with who you trust. You never know.

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

#creepypasta headcanons #creepypasta x reader #slenderverse #masky headcanons #slenderman #proxies x reader #eyeless jack headcanons #jeff the killer #bloody painter headcanons

[kiatheinsomniac]

Could I request AC Shay finding out that reader is his daughter, maybe during combat and then him realizing? Maybe reader had disappeared when the whole Davenport homestead attack happened or something. Please and thank you!

☾ ⋆ﾟ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 / 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: Shay Cormac

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: canon-typical violence, unhappy ending

｡･:*˚:✧｡ shay cormac

♡ Shay had done everything in his power to look for you once he was recovered enough to leave the couple who had treated his injuries.

♡ once he became a Templar, he used all of their connections to look for you but they couldn't find out what had happened to you when the brotherhood turned on him

♡ he was equally as heartbroken as he was filled with rage when all of his efforts were fruitless. It was obvious that they had moved you elsewhere so that he wouldn't find you and he was set on getting you back, no matter how long it took.

♡ sometimes his search for you had to be put on hold as the timing of his missions as a Templar became of utmost importance and yet he never gave up on his search for you, it would always be picked up again and he would chase whatever lead he could find regarding your whereabouts.

♡ it would be decades until you ever saw each other again though. It was 1776 and you were in Versailles with your adopted father Charles Dorian. You had left for a few minutes to grab a plate full of snacks for yourself and your little brother Arno to share, only to find him missing from the spot that he had promised your father he would not move from. Instead, Charles was in his seat.

♡ finding the situation odd, you made your way towards him as he appeared asleep and it made you worry for his health but someone else beat you to it and there was a scream as he fell to the floor, dead.

♡ the shock kicked your brain into detective mode and your eyes went to all the exits in the room, finding that while all the other guests were now crowding around your father, one man was leaving the room and striding away from the growing ruckus.

♡ with your heart hammering in your chest, you followed him and paused only to grab a sword that had been placed on display on the wall if he was indeed the killer. Your confrontation had taken you by surprise, testing your fencing skills that Charles had insisted you undertake 'to teach you discipline and grace befitting of a lady'.

♡ you quickly found yourself outmatched by this older man's skill but, just as a blade emerged from his sleeve and poised over your throat, he froze as his eyes locked with yours, uttering your name in a whisper of disbelief, looking at you as though you were a ghost.

♡ this man knowing your name had only terrified you more and you felt sick as you began to see the similarities between his face and your own. Charles had never hidden from you that you were adopted, you had been told that you had been born in the British-American colonies and there was some disaster that separated you from your father who his allies did not know how to find.

♡ you suddenly lost all heart to attack him as your heart was filled with conflict. You had precious few and faded memories of your father and here he stood in front of you: with the blood of the father who had raised you on his hands.

♡ you hissed for him to get out of your sight before you went to seek out Arno.

☾ ⋆ﾟlike my work? why not: 

∘ buy me a coffee? ∘ join my taglist ∘ consider following/reblogging

🏷️@gojohater101 @daddyadler @veryfancydoilies @fischchenlein @writing-noah

#shay cormac x reader #shay x reader #shay #shay cormac #assassins creed fanfiction #assassins creed fanfic #assassins creed #assassins creed x reader #assassins creed rogue #assassins creed rogue x reader

[notbecauseofvictories]

hi Sarah! loved your breakdown of your year in books -- I don't think I was able to finish a single book this year, so I wanted to ask if you have advice or tips for getting oneself to read more? (specifically I have problems with jumping from book to book without finishing any, as well as just having the time/energy/brain to read; my job is pretty heavy on reading and assimilating info, and I'd assume yours is similar, so your perspective on that aspect especially would be much appreciated!)

I think if you want to get back into reading---not in an "eating your vegetables" way, but to genuinely rediscover something that brought you joy---the key is to play on easy mode.

By that I mean: there is a reason I can blow through pulp horror, romance novels, and YA books in a couple hours when a real, thoughtful novel written by an author in command of their craft takes days to get through. Those books are easy! They are designed to be easy. They are shaped to go down smoothly in an airport or an afternoon, and---sure, maybe you can feel guilty about that, but more importantly, you are reading them. And the more “easy” books you finish, the more practice you’ll have in sitting still, in paying attention---in finishing at all.

For whatever reason, it’s easier to pick up a meaningful book and commit to it if you know you’ve already finished a lot of very silly books first. (If I knew anything about exercise, I might compare it to endurance training. However, as I am someone who loves books and bread, my knowledge of how the human body performs miraculous feats of strength is nonexistent.)

Or maybe your easy mode is audiobooks! Those are still books, they absolutely count. So are graphic novels, or comics. I struggle to get through a full-length nonfiction book, but I’m wild for longform journalism---that’s reading too! The more “easy” writing you find and read/listen to/view, the more you build up that internal muscle and the more you’ll be ready (and eager!) to reach for more.

And if that doesn’t work, if you’re still struggling to motivate yourself after giving yourself permission to seek out whatever is easiest and most fun....join a book club. Rather than try to muster up your own internal initiative, outsource! Make other people hold you accountable, and the looming meeting guilt you into reading whatever the book of the month is. This genuinely works---I have read a lot more interesting books as a result of joining a book club than I ever would on my own.

So there’s no one strategy. But I strongly suggest picking whichever one gets you reading---and whatever form that takes is in fact the right one.

#from the bookshelf #making brie en croute and reading my next book club pick so I'm feeling very fond of all the ways we stumble into reading

[blood-orange-juice]

Hey! I stumbled across your account by accident and I’m curious on what your general take is on Childe (since each language’s VA brings something new to the table). I agree with the (c)PTSD take and often wonder if he might also have ASPD (I say this as someone with antisocial tendencies myself). Anyway, I hope things are going well!

-📀 anon (I’ll probably come back later lol)

Hey. :)

I hope you like walls of text because this turned into a wall of text.

He's a variation of the "came back wrong" horror trope, so a huge part of his behaviour is just some kind of taint/possession/curse (now confirmed in Fontaine's storyline) which you can't really diagnose.

There was a thread started by another psych professional where we still tried!

Personally, I think he doesn't quite fit the antisocial personality disorder profile. - has an aversion to lying and is horrible at it (you know, that thing ASPD brain makes so much easier to do) - shows zero interest in social status or having power over others. People with ASPD usually play social games on par with an average person, although one could argue that they only do it as a source of fun and safety and he has other sources of fun and safety. - is very loyal and, for all his self-centeredness, seems to give others a lot more than he gets in return (although can be argued that he just has too much resources on his hands and really doesn't do that much) - is far too trusting (but also in an unusual way, so it can be interpreted as carelessness) - has that weird "I'll give others the things I never got myself" thing going on (I think ASPD to-go compensatory mechanism would be something else) - shows zero social aggression, it's either 0% ("too polite for his own good" mode) or 1000% (jumps straight to physical violence). I think people with ASPD are generally better with more nuanced agression towards people. But also maybe it's a form of damage control. Or maybe he just never had to learn how to express aggression in socially acceptable form (he's usually the scariest person in the room anyway). - in his character stories it's stated that he used to be a very timid and anxious kid, and it's usually not the case with ASPD kids.

Any of these traits *could* be seen in a person with ASPD and can be explained but all of them in a 20yo guy with pretty horrible life experiences and no access to therapy? I doubt that.

I also think he's a character study on "how can good people end up doing horrible things" and having ASPD would ruin the whole point of his character.

Also it would actually be much easier for everyone inluding himself if he has more ASPD traits. At least half of the terrible shit he does stems from misplaced loyalty, not lack of morals. He might have negative traits of ASPD but not the perks.

My personal headcanon is that he has a dissociative personality type (not a full-blown DID, but a similar way of dealing with trauma by locking away/suppressing parts of himself and shifting between them in different situations), his background fits very well, and the way he deals with relationships, trust and aggression also fits (and it's very easy to write someone like this when writing PTSD, it just happens naturally). His particular brand of chipperness fits too.

But also if you *want* to headcanon him as an ASPD, it's a very good choice too! Low empathy, seeks excitement, doesn't care what others think of him, doesn't adhere to social contract, is fairly cruel, bases his loyalty and ideals on pretty surprising things that have nothing to do with human connection. (it's also questionable whether he seeks human connection in general, can be interpreted both ways)

#childe #tartaglia #rinn talks to people #psychoanalyzing characters

[brzatto]

Hello again! Since I started watching season 2 of the bear I've been building up some thoughts regarding the overarching plot and characterisation. I haven't been able to share my ramblings with anyone else, so I hope it's ok to share them with you. It's been a while since I've been this disappointed by the direction a show has taken. :(

I mentioned before on one of your posts that I saw Carmy as asexual, or at least not seeking a physical or romantic relationship with women. In season 1 I was so happy that Sydney was kept as a colleague/friend, which carries into season 2. I was legitimately hopeful to get just one show where the main character doesn't have a contrived romance storyline. I feel they always just derail the main plot for meaningless character interactions with terrible dialogue, with male and female characters never being allowed to just be friends. When Claire was introduced I audibly GROANED. Manic pixie dream girl has entered the chat.

The scene in episode 6 where Richie and Mikey are saying how in love Carmy is with Claire, how amazing she is, how hot she is—it felt like they were trying to convince me and not Carmy. You and others have said before how Claire just exists to be a love interest, and every scene with her does nothing except try (desperately) to solidify that. I feel like I'm being repeatedly beaten with a bat that has "Claire is nice so you should like her" written on it. The scene where Richie is legitimately upset that he messed up the generator and is worried Carmy will dismiss him—why was Claire laughing at that? I thought she was meant to be nice? That's what every character keeps telling me... Every scene with her drags, every character that mentions her name suddenly causes the scene to shift to focusing on Claire. It's like Claire is the centre of the universe and is pulling in and crushing everything with her gravitational pull.

When Carmy kissed Claire in episode 5 it made me lose hope for his characterisation. It was like I was instead watching JAW's character from Shameless. All nuance thrown out the window for a rushed relationship with no chemistry. His journey to heal from his traumas and come to terms with Mikey's death sidelined to make way for boring shot reverse shot talking scenes with Claire. Carmy doing restaurant business? Nah, let's watch him and Claire have some boring dialogue during a car journey.

Hater mode activated: Claire as a character is boring, shallow, and only added because "hur dur boy must like girl". Despite what her character was supposedly introduced for, I think her introduction just caused season 2 to waste time on meaningless fluff that actively made other characters worse by association.

I have 3 episodes left to watch but I'm feeling pretty low about this season. I shouldn't have expected an asexual main character because I just set myself up for disappointment, but the bear really had me thinking it wouldn't do something this lame. I'm still carmrichie for life though, your fics are keeping me hanging on. Sorry for such a long and depressing ramble in your inbox. ❤️

P.S. The scene with Richie and Mikey confronting Carmy in episode 6 really gave me vibes of Carmy being closeted and feeling pressured about his friendship with a girl (similar to what you previously said about the monologue in s1e8). I also got vibes of Richie trying to hide his own insecurities with women by being vulgar in this scene.

hi! <3

if i’m being honest i agree about everything :/ and i hate saying that this show’s disappointed me because all of my friends know just how much this show means to me and the steel grip it’s had on my brain for the past year since the first season first came out… i feel like i’m partially the problem because my expectations were probably too high + the shift between s1 and s2 was very drastic and i’m honestly not a huge fan of change either. i’m not sure exactly what i expected from s2 but the demo and remodeling of the beef felt very rushed to me… like the restaurant was undergoing very significant changes but all of that felt like it was put on the backburner in favor of focusing on the characters. and obviously a show will focus more on individual character storylines than settings (and i actually did really enjoy some of the growth we got for our side characters, sydney marcus tina and richie’s episodes were all amazing and i loved that sugar’s presence was much more prominent this season) but like you said the claire plotline with carmy felt very out of place and ooc… it just felt extremely weird for carmy’s character to make this jump from s1 where we see all the emotional trauma he still suffers from being so attached to mikey, how he uses the beef as a distraction for his grief but obviously those two things are deeply intertwined for him and by obsessing over the beef day and night carmy still remains entrenched in mikey by extension—there’s still so much about carmy’s trauma in relation to mikey that’s been left unaddressed and imo he still largely lacks closure and i was expecting that to be fleshed out properly in s2 but instead he spent all of it being infatuated with a girl we were introduced to for the very first time this season.

can i say something actually. ik the creators and both jaw and ayo have all said that there won’t be any romance between carmy and sydney but i feel like they actually will be endgame and the creators are just trying to throw fans off so they won’t expect it LMAO or at the very least the way the writers have set up the storyline leaves it open as an option if they do change their minds and decide to go that route eventually. i’ve said before that i don’t ship them but i think there is a genuine and undeniable bond between carmy and sydney, although i enjoy their relationship platonically their dynamic and relationship has waaayy more depth than whatever carmy and claire are supposed to have going on… and i hate disliking female characters for being bland and stale because 9 times out of 10 it’s never their fault that they’re written that way, but seeing how realistic, grounded and likable our other female characters are (sydney, natalie, tina) it feels like there’s less of an excuse for her to be that way. she feels like a generic self insert pulled out of a x reader fanfic 😭 i immediately got the romantic vibe from her and carmy even from the season trailer but seeing what we’ve been told about carmy’s character i was sincerely hoping that i was misinterpreting it and she was just his cousin or something lmfsodoajaoaj and it felt so cheap and tacky for them to pull the “actually she’s his estranged childhood friend and he’s always had a crush on her!” card in e6. i also agree with what you said about that conversation sounding like carmy being closeted while richie and mikey tease him… also was kind of put off by the way they were talking about her tbh especially considering the fact she’s supposed to be carmy’s age and we know they’re both significantly older? i’ve also actually never considered interpreting it as richie overcompensating in that scene since he was still with tiff at the time (who i actually loved… i have my beef with carmy and claire but i would stand by tiff and richie until the end of time actually) but now that you mention it i think that makes sense too… much to think about

i can’t remember if i’ve said this before in another post but i also really disliked how love triangley they framed all of sydney’s interactions with carmy in relation to claire… i understood the purpose of other characters instilling this seed of doubt in her about her partnership with carmy and whether or not she was capable of trusting him, really trusting him, but i feel like there were multiple moments of unnecessary tension between the three of them and like you said, i’m so tired of contrived romance subplots in shows where there’s a female and male lead. i love carmy and sydney as individual characters but the possibility of their relationship being romantic just genuinely does not compute with me in my brain… that being said though it genuinely was very wild to me that everyone involved in the show made it clear on multiple occasions that there was no intention of sydney and carmy’s relationship going in that direction, just for them to introduce some random white girl this season just to give carmy a love interest. like? this season was longer than the first one and they still weren’t able to flesh out carmy and claire’s relationship and dynamic the way they did with him and sydney in s1, they felt so incredibly rushed and it was ABSURD to me when carmy openly admitted to liking and even loving her because those are things that feel like they should be so monumental for someone like him, who is supposed to be emotionally traumatized and romantically inexperienced—it was honestly strange to me hearing him tell even richie that he loved him and you know how i feel about them so. anyways you pretty much summed up my feelings towards claire and her plotline perfectly, and i genuinely wish that weren’t the case but i feel like that plays a part in why i find myself so incapable of rewatching this season t_t and i know objectively the point of the plotline was to show that carmy actually isn’t at a place in his life where he’s capable of maintaining a healthy romantic relationship/balancing it with his work but it still just felt strange to derail from the whole grief theme/mikey plotline for that when i was expecting them to delve even deeper into that this season instead.

i’m assuming you’ve finished the season since sending me this—just in case you haven’t i’ll refrain from talking about anything else that might spoil you but i will say that the one thing they absolutely did correct this season was e7. i’ve been dying for a richie centric episode and that gave me everything i could’ve asked for, it was so so gratifying seeing richie find his niche like that and i’m so excited to see what else the series has in store for him. this season wasn’t all bad but i was admittedly disappointed by a few things—nevertheless all that being said i did actually genuinely enjoy how the season ended and where it left off; that felt a lot more like s1 to me and i’m eager to see how they’ll pick things back up between carmy and richie specifically next season… hopefully s2 is just a product of middle child syndrome and s3 will blow us out of the water

#sorry for answering this late i’ve been crazy busy lately and i was waiting for the chance to sit down and reply to this properly 😵‍💫 #and of course i don’t mind! i love getting long messages in my inbox tbh #thank you for sharing your thoughts with me 🤍🤍 #been meaning to give my thoughts on carmy and richie’s interactions this season as well… that’ll come later #ask

[hopepaigeturner]

Benedict is the Bridgerton's emotional support animal. 'nuff said.

Did I get tumblr just so I can respond to this @murielstacy post? Possibly...

Is my English Literature brain hyper-analysing stuff? Perhaps...

Am I procrastinating my preparation for my masters? Absolutely! But here we go!

"It's an essay for another time but I think that after Edmund's death, Anthony went into duty mode whilst Benedict went into jokester mode." (@murielstacy)

100% AGREE! And this post is, hopefully, that essay.

But I want to go one step further and argue that after Edmund's death, while Anthony ensured that the family survived within society, Benedict ensured that his siblings survived emotionally/mentally.

I believe this is something they hint at in the show, but I would love it to be teased out as it can link with some of Benedict's anxieties/conflicts in his book. I am going to be focusing on the show portrayal of Benedict more than book, but I'm sure you'll see some similarities...

But first: Evidence.

Benedict is a caring boi.

Throughout the show, (particularly S2), Benedict is shown to be a character who can deal with/provide emotional support.

Already the lovely @sophiamariabeckett has done a really in-depth review of Benedict's poem here.

But generally, the poem showed was that Benedict is ready to be in love, he is actively seeking it unlike Anthony who does the complete opposite at the beginning of S2.

It also shows that Benedict is quite expressive and in tune with his emotions. Anthony bottles his emotions inside, but Benedict expresses them, whether through his conversations with Eloise or through poetry. Poetry is a form of expressing emotion/thoughts of the mind onto a page, even if said poems are never spoken aloud.

So, Benedict is open to emotion, attuned to them and capable of understanding them. We can say that Anthony is a very analytical person while Benedict is an emotional one.

In S2e5 Benedict meets Tessa. Initially, Benedict seems to be attracted to her beauty. But when they have a conversation, he discusses her art leading to pronounce she is “ingenious”—here, complimenting her intelligence rather than appearance. Benedict is showing her a level of respect, treating her as an equal artist even if her title or gender do not pertain it. (I could do a whole another post about Benedict respecting women).

The scene continues. While his approach to modelling is over-exaggerated and flirtatious, he does not hesitate to fulfil Tessa's wish--the wish of a stranger. Perhaps some might interpret Benedict's eagerness as a ploy to attract Tessa, but I think it mainly shows that he is comfortable/experienced with letting others use him for their needs.

More importantly, this entire interaction highlights that Benedict is capable of understanding Tessa's motivations, showcasing his empathy. Tessa does talk about her motivations but interestingly, it is Benedict who spells them out himself; "So, you works as a model as a way of learning form the lectures...". This demonstrates Benedict's ability to put himself in someone else's shoes and understand their motivations/emotions behind their actions. AKA He is being empathetic.

Overall, Benedict's is willing to engage in emotions, is empathetic and respectful as well as willing to fulfil other’s needs.

2. Benedict and Eloise's Relationship.

Benedict’s relationship with Eloise highlights how his qualities, stated above, play out with his siblings.

Take the Bridgerton’s entrance into the Lady Danbury’s ball in S2e1. Initially Benedict seems to be mocking Eloise with that, somehow hilarious, imitation of a cow. (Although we should notice it distracts her from her nerves for a moment). However, as soon as the young Lord approaches Eloise, Benedict’s jokey demeanour drops and he immediately finds a way to remove Eloise from, what would be, a stressful/uncomfortable situation. Benedict might joke to Eloise about her ideals and opinions, but when it comes to it, he deeply cares for her. Benedict not only jokes with his siblings, but he also provides escape or refuge.

Again, in the final episode we see this deep love mixed with that selflessness I discussed in the point above. When they are on the swings, Benedict listens to Eloise without any jokes. And when she laments about going to the ball, dreading the gossip and whispers, Benedict instantly offers to accompany her.

Now remember, at this point Benedict is feeling crap. He has just been told that his acceptance into the academy was based on his name, therefore our lovely self-deprecating boy is thinking that all his work, all his friends and his sense of belonging was based on a lie. He is not an artist; he is nothing more than a Bridgerton. He feels worthless, crushed, demoralised. But as soon as he sees Eloise is also struggling, he offers to aid her.

He does not have to go to the ball, unlike Eloise, he could easily go to his club and drown his sorrows, but because Eloise needs him, he will shelf his own feelings and prioritise hers.

With Eloise we once more see Benedict’s selflessness and his ability to perceive other’s emotions—even if that means ignoring his own.

QUICK NOTE: Concerning the other siblings there are many short little moments that show the same care for them. In season 1 there are background interactions with the others. Most notably in S2, when Anthony lashes out in S2e8, Benedict defends Colin. But I would love the writer to expand on this next season, I’d love to see his relationship with Francesca and other siblings—not only Eloise

3. Benedict & Anthony. AKA Benedict is Anthony’s emotional support animal.

Ok, ok, the title is a joke, but I think a lot of the fandom sleeps on the bond between Anthony and Benedict. A bond that showcases most explicitly their roles post-Edmund’s death.

Anthony Bridgerton is a very closed-off individual, who does not like to discuss, interogae or reveals feelings and emotions. He hates accepting or seeking help because he believes it is a sign of failure. But who is the one person he confides in? Benedict.

Who is the one person to whom he voices his initial irritation about Kate while they are shaving? Benedict.

Who is the one person who he goes to for poetry advice? Benedict.

Who is the one person he visits when everything is crumbling around him in episode 7? Benedict, even though it is during a party.

The only person Anthony allows himself to turn to is Benedict, not his mother, but Benedict.

Let’s look at a couple of Benedict’s actions with Anthony.

S2e2 Benedict and Anthony Poetry scene:

Anthony barges in and demands Benedict’s help, not seeming to listen to Benedict’s protests. Benedict’s conversation with the cartoonist concerned Benedict’s interests and even Benedict’s future. But Benedict still leaves the conversation to help Anthony.

S2e6 Bridgertons reactions to Edwina running out of the church.

While ultimately oblivious to the true issue at hand, Benedict instantly tries to reassure Anthony numerous times. He is ultimately the one that recognises and suggests that Anthony needs to be alone. He helps Anthony escape from the clamouring cacophony of his family.

S2e8 Anthony brings Kate home after the accident:

Obviously, the characters in this scene are focusing on Kate’s health. Everyone is asking after Kate, worried about Kate etc. Who is the ONLY person that asks after Anthony’s state of mind? Benedict. Who is the ONLY person that tries to follow Anthony out of that room while Anthony is basically on the verge of a panic attack? Benedict.

I could do a whole separate post about these two boys and their bond, but I think these examples show that before Kate, Benedict was the one Antony relied upon. It also shows that Benedict accepts such a role, and like with Eloise, will prioritise Anthony’s wellbeing.

So, this is why I believe the claim that Benedict helped support his siblings emotionally after his father’s death is not so far-fetched. The potential is utterly there, the writers have portrayed Benedict as an empathetic, emotionally astute caretaker, who selflessly helps ensure his sibling’s wellbeing even if at the expense of his own.

SO WHAT? Benedict is emotional, Benedict is romantic it doesn’t mean anything…

But let us wind the clock back to 1804, the days/weeks after Edmund’s death:

Post-death we have Anthony trying to keep the family afloat; balancing chequebooks and tutors and tenants and the estate. An Anthony who is also trying to deal with his own grief about his father, the one person he was closest to. He does not have time for children to knock on his study door, he has no time for games or reading stories.

Post-death we have Violet Bridgerton who falls into a deep depression, barely able to get through a family dinner let alone capable of providing the emotional support for her children.

Post-death you have six other children all under the age of 12 who must navigate their way through grief and work out how they are to live in a world without a father.

And you have 16-year-old Benedict. An emotionally astute, empathetic boy, who changes from being a big brother to being the big brother. A big brother who, like all the Bridgertons, loves his family.

I do not think it is too much of a stretch to believe that Benedict filled that gaping emotional support for his siblings. Anthony might have to keep the door shut, but Benedict does not. I think it is very plausible that Benedict spends these formative years, (remember he is merely 16) making sure his family smiles, making sure his siblings cope with their grief, and helping them learn how to function/be without their father. He reads stories, listens, comforts and supports because he is the eldest now, it is his duty. Not to mention in the rare moments Anthony reaches out, he goes to the one person he knows will always listen and never let him down—Benedict.

So, picture a young boy, now a grown man, who has spent years shouldering his family’s emotional burdens; being the sole confident for Anthony; and putting his own wellbeing second.

Is it any wonder that Benedict has no idea who he is? Is it any wonder that Benedict merely sees himself as a Bridgerton and nothing else, when for years his focus was purely on his family? Benedict has not had time to prioritise his own grief, he has not had the space to work out who he was, what his identity is, in a world without his father because he was ensuring everyone else did.

In a way, he is like Anthony. Both, due to sacrificing for their family, have neglected being their true selves. Therefore, we could argue that Benedict might share some of the similar insecurities that Anthony does; an inability to truly be himself, the need to keep a facade amongst his siblings; an insecurity about his worth, a worth that is validated by society and his family.

All us viewers know is that he is emotionally available, soft boi who would take on any pain, any burden for those he loved.

But all Benedict knows, is that he is a brother, and he is a Bridgerton.

Sound familiar book fans?

FIN

Yeah…I’m just really passionate about this (if that was not obvious). If anyone has read any of my fics you’ll see these ideas very prevalent in my characterisation of Benedict. I hope this is something they highlight further in the show, especially in the run-up and in S4. I could probably do a part 3 of how this would link with Benophie.

Or I’m just a bit barmy and has just spent a ridiculous number of words for nothing—up to you! Let me know what you think. My degree was in English Lit so my brain is now hard-wired to analyse stuff, so if you like this stuff and want to see more—let me know.

Thanks for reading my little spiel!

#bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #bridgerton family #anthony bridgerton #eloise bridgerton #family dynamics #an offer from a gentleman #give this man his Sophie!!! #emotional labour is still LABOUR #our soft boi needs more appreciation #bridgerton analysis #show analysis #the word count slipped #a little #a lot #sorry not sorry?

[batri-jopa]

"I did think you looked at me angry and gentle both together."

Maurice (1987) dir. James Ivory

And Then We Danced (2019) dir. Levan Akin

#sorry I had to #yeah the reason of anger is different... is it though? #maurice hall #maurice 1987 #irakli #and then we danced #და ჩვენ ვიცეკვეთ #atwd #james wilby #bachi valishvili #gay movie #I really don't know what's with that cigarette thing #seek similarities brain mode

[filamints]

gordon: 1, 10, 14. tommy: 20, 48. benrey: 36

this is so so so fucking LONG IM SORRY i just got excited to talk so now i wont shut up. it will be readmore'd to save ur dash

gordon:

1) What does their bedroom look like? Like a shithole, mostly. All his life, its always been too cluttered with junk in a haphazard stack of piles. If he lives in one place too long, eventually every inch of wall space gets coatings of posters and papers and sticky notes. Its overwhelming visual stimulus.

Take his tendency for all those behaviors, and mix them with post-canon agoraphobia and depression, and the stacks of magazines and games get stacks of garbage on top. Door dashed takeout containers pile up, endless empty bottles of beer and bottom shelf vodka, bags get stacked in towers by the door for when he get brave enough to leave his apartment to sprint to the dumpsters (not nearly often enough).

The apartment he's currently is was only supposed to be short term, off site housing set up by Black Mesa before the new compound dorm/apartments were finished and he could move there. He at least started with a pretty clean apartment fresh from that move, so most of the current mess is honestly just nesting in depression trash now that his next move has been obliterated off the face of the earth. The only thing different about his bedroom vs the rest of the house is that's the room with the bed in it, a box spring and mattress directly on the floor, the frame leaning against a wall behind unpacked boxes, never assembled. Pull yourself together, man. (This will happen eventually at least)

vv More below because all of my answers are this long. vv

10) Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such? CHRIST hes got brain problems. He has had ADHD all of his life of course. Hes also has anxiety & depression, look at him. Hes aware of those at least. The one hes not aware of, at least preResCas, is bipolar disorder. ADHD was an easy diagnosis as a kid, visible from the outside. The anxiety & depression troughs are what made him seek out meds in college. But it can be hard to see the bipolar cycles from the inside, especially with the neat and easy depression diagnosis right there obscuring half of it. He just thinks every time he hits his unstoppable stride that hes 100% over his shit and hes gonna get better and hes fucking unkillable untouchable unstoppable.

And then he falls off a fucking cliff and he can look back and beat himself to shit that he should have known better, this happens every time and this time the hell is just gonna last forever as punishment. Repeat for a good decade of his life.

Post canon, add that agoraphobia mentioned before here, as well as a good dose of PTSD. Between being tracked by the military, every time hes seen the fucking sky for the duration of canon he will shortly have bullets or missiles raining down on him, and general paranoia that he is still a wanted man, 'going outside' is just too much. (He even states in canon that he has ptsd from the grenades and even soda cans look too similar and freak him out lol) I feel like he would also be very anxious about the dark after Black Mesa. He had been sleeping in random rooms still brightly lit, and the dark was always bad news with the most heavily damaged sections of the compound + he got his hand literally cut off in the dark. He has to go pussy mode and sleep with lights on or nightlights at least and he will beat himself up about being a child for it endlessly. Speaking of that incident again, grabbing or restraining his right arm will also send him into a meltdown. This is a fun fact that he will learn about only in the most embarrassing bedroom meltdown over toy handcuffs.

14) Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.) And on the non-mental end, theres the hand. Although reattached to his body, its still not perfect. Most days its not too bad, a bit slower and less sensitive. But sometimes it acts up, pins and needles, weird aches, grip strength weakness, a kind of lag in input that leaves him dropping things or breaking them. Particularly at night, it tends to hurt. Touching the skin around and on the reattachment scar really skeeves him out for a long while, the location of physical touch doesn't quite map with where his brain thinks it should be, like his nerve map is slightly to the left of where it all should be.

tommy:

20) Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them? Not an illness persay but it did take quite a while for him to get the autism diagnosis. A lot of the symptoms that stand out at weird in boychilds get glossed over in girlchild, not speaking is just 'being shy', the tiptoe walk is just 'high heels walking', etc. Especially as a girlchild in the foster care system. It wasn't until like, late middle school that was figured out when the social aspects and meltdowns made paying attention to the symptoms inevitable, looking back it was Very Obvious.

48) How do they express love? Certainly not verbally, lol. If we are going by the typical love language categories, its more on the 'quality time' side. He's the type to like parallel play type activities. There's also gifts, but its food gifts 90% of the time. Very good at memorizing people's preferred orders at any given restaurant or coffee place and will pick you up your favorite treat. :)

benrey:

36) What makes them feel guilty? Not gonna lie, he's very hard to make feel guilty on account that he doesn't view most of what he does as either wrong or at least not his fault. I think it takes up until the boss battle for him to even get he did something wrong and feel bad about it. Because it was unintended, there really wasn't any guilt for him. I think to make him feel guilt, whatever he does would have to have a very visible and understandable detriment to someone he cares about, and if you want him to feel guilty without telling him why he SHOULD be, his involvement better be obvious.

It seems funny, but i think he would have a lot more genuine guilt over something simple and cause/effect like knocking over and breaking a glass or eating someone else's food in the communal fridge as opposed to something more abstract, like someone getting hurt as a consequence of something else that he did but genuinely thought was harmless.

#answers #hlvrai

[sixpillarsofgenesis]

OKAY SO:

Some XBC3 thoughts because my brain will NOT LEAVE ME ALONE about them.

LANZ

I think, given Lanz’s aptitude for being assigned TWO healer classes (plus Soulhacker, which can turn into a healing class if you’re determined to), could have been a healer had he not decided to barrel headlong into sacrificial tank mode.

What would that have meant? Healer Tank! To the best of my knowledge, none of the healers in the game are particularly durable combatants, and at least one character does have the ability to manifest a shield that heals upon impact. (Zeon’s Deflector Shield, to be specific)

As such, it’s entirely possible that Lanz could have gone full ham into Guardian Healer if he wanted to, a niche specialty that could have still fed into his sacrificial tendencies. (High aggro, constant use of Regen to restore lost health, consistent abuse of blocking, etc.) I do hope that we see that someday, if not in Lanz, then in another character through the DLC.

EUNIE

A late-game sidequest actually mentions that Eunie only ever learned enough healing to ‘get by’, which implies that Healing, unlike most other roles, does not have to be determined by the weapon that they use. (This does make sense, since Eunie is shown working as an Attacker early on, and in her previous life, she was a sniper like Mwamba.)

But, what if Eunie had gone all in on healing? What would she have looked like? Would she have gone into strong debuffs like Taion? Would she DPS heal on hit similar to Teach? She learned Field Skills, similar to Joran, but she has more affinity to Tanks like Monica and Ashera, both of whom have various skills that are useful for Eunie.

But what if Eunie was a Defender instead? This is mostly based on the fact that Eunie has two classes that encourage counterattacking - Ashera’s Returning the Favor, and Monica’s Come an’ Get Me, both of which return damage to the enemy.

Ironically, this actually makes Sena the better Oroboros candidate for Eunie.

NOAH

Turns him upside down; shakes him.

What the hell do we do with you, sunshine? Noah, of all three Kevesi teams, seems to be the most suited to being an Attacker. He could probably do just fine as a Healer, or a Defender, but for him, it’s not really a priority, not in the way it was for Eunie or Lanz. Noah fits in his niche as an Attacker, and not in the conventional way. He’s a tactician, a planner. He’s fast enough to come up with plans on the fly, and he has the ability to maintain his cool even under fire.

Additionally, he’s capable of restraint of firepower, an option neither Healers nor Defenders have, being focused on Healing and Defense, obviously. Option and recommendation: Defender evasion tank, if he had to pick an alternate.

MIO

Why is this girl not a healer? Answer me Monolith Soft, you cowards. Yes, Nia is probably her mother. NO I DON’T GIVE A SNUFF MAKE HER A HEALER YOU COWARDS.

I will not be taking criticism.

TAION

Taion tanks more than actual tanks in his cutscenes. Explain to me that, you cowards. Also, Taion holds heavy responsibility towards other people, to the point that he blamed himself for a plan of another person’s making. Also, a Defender has a good idea of everyone’s status, despite Taion’s quote of how healing duty is the best monitor of a battlefield.

Defender Taion you cowards.

SENA

The Girl With The Gall! … I will never understand why she did not pick up a flute in Miyabi’s absence. Given Sena’s tendencies to mimic that of the people she often envies and considers to be more worthy of Mio’s attention, I’m genuinely surprised she didn’t try, given how hard she tries to seek approval in all the wrong ways. If not an offseer, Sena’s desire to protect at the cost of her own life fits the Attacker Profile, especially since she is so reckless in defending herself.

#Lanz Xenoblade #Eunie Xenoblade #Noah Xenoblade #Mio Xenoblade #Taion Xenoblade #Sena Xenoblade #Xenoblade Chronicles 3 #xx4. text #[random ramblings] #[maybe Meta discussion?]

[otaku-tactician]

Im a bit late but for the ship ask earlier, yariyumi or lancer/archer?

Thank you!!! That's ok, I don't mind. I am glad you asked. also epic Sakura pfp btw!

Yariyumi/ Lancer x Archer (rotating them in my brain like a microwave fr!)

What made you ship it?

This is a good question. To be honest, from the very first fight they had I thought they were really cool; but didn't quite understand the parallels between them or the nuances to their rivalry (I even initially came into Fate by mistaking Cu and Archer for Tohsaka Rin's parallel boyfriends...yes I used to think Cu and Archer were 2 versions of the same guy from different timelines). But one thing that struck me was the symbolism of Cu's spear that pierced the heart, and Rin's Pendant, that brought Emiya back to life...and somehow gave the two guys a rematch as servants within the same timeline that he dies as a teenage guy... (I am confused now XD)

To understand the rivalry between them a little better, I read many posts online and I just love how they interact! The way how they clash over ideals concerning heroism, how Archer goes full sass mode (and stops holding back) whenever he hangs out with Cu; and overall...it is always a joy to watch these two interact. (And being obsessed with both of them helps!)

2. What are your favourite things about the ship?

EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, I am not sure. Maybe their battles and banter. I love how Archer goes out of his way to compliment Cu during the heat of battle, and how he gets under his skin; I greatly enjoy watching the sparks fly between them. In other words, it's all about the inherent eroticism of battle for me. Also the whole red/blue, fated rivals, bi4bi etc etc stuff surrounding them...even their outfits look a bit similar. And there is something EPIC AF about how if one of them is in a holy grail war, the other will be bound to follow soon (most of the time).

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

There are probably many, yes... But there have been things I've misunderstood about Yariyumi as well. I do think the biggest unpopular opinion would just be me believing that actually, these two guys do not hate one another in canon, and get along incredibly well (this can sometimes be a hotly debated facet of the Archer/Lancer debacle). The other things that come to mind was ancient tumblr discourse on who would top and bottom, I personally think I don't mind either way.

Also this may be a super unpopular opinion, but sometimes I wonder if Archer purposely seeks Lancer's attention at times (like when in HA he goes out of his way to acquire a higher quality fishing rod than Lancer, and gloat about his superiority the entire time; even challenging him to a fishing match). I dunno, it just feels to me like Archer has a strong admiration for this guy- probably a mutual one as well, with how Lancer gets frustrated that a bowman as skilled as Archer is completely lacking in a sense of pride.

#asks #thank you #personal on fgo #i could talk about yariyumi for 1000 years

[morrak]

Untitled Wednesday Library Series, Part 78

Or Untitled Wednesday Library Sequence, I guess, pending your mode of consumption and opinion on the matter.

In mind of @bubbloquacious et al., another old math thing, where ‘old’ is taken generously to mean ‘from 1963’ and ‘math thing’ indicates ‘George B. Thomas, Jr.‘s Calculus and Analytic Geometry, published by Addison-Wesley, in the third edition’.

The How

I truly have no idea how I came by this, but I’ve had it since at least early high school. My maternal grandmother sometimes gave me books after working estate sales; my best guess is she gave it to me as some kind of ill-conceived nerd trinket.

NB: The name Stewart Teague is crossed out and replaced by Gerald Ockert, who got this used from Michigan State’s bookstore. In the back of the book was a schedule for school teachers seeking M.Ss and M.A.Ts dated ‘65–‘67, which I presume he finished because this PDF contains his name twice, the second time preceded by Dr., having moved from Portland public schools to a state posting. Since that document is for awards from a traffic organization, I have to assume he’s the same Gerald Ocker who published on traffic patterns at Texas A&M in ‘87, which would explain the relocation closer to my grandmother. Huh.

The Text

Nothing especially unique. Math textbook. Pretty, at least, and at least kind of does what it’s supposed to; I poked through the first chapters in my early teens and got like a month’s leg up on eventual calculus classes, then promptly fell back onto pace. The early exposition is a little different than current textbooks, but it’s still calculus.

The Object

Addison-Wesley did a lot of similar academic publishing, all of which are exactly the right size and shape and color to ping a little cluster of neurons somewhere in a dusty antechamber of my brain. Chunky. Magazine-like paper. Nice blocky printing and a smattering of illustration styles, but nowhere near the variety of a more recent counterpart. The use of serif subheadings is interesting, but otherwise it’s comfy and familiar to poke through.

Incidentally, the slightly off-square glued fabric of the cover is a thing that used to bother me about a lot of similar books, but I’ve done more than my fair share of fabric lamination — mostly linen like this — in recent years and now I think it’s very charming, actually. Relatable. Adhering and stretching fabric is just like that, as it turns out.

The Why, Though?

Eh. No real reason. This is the part where I usually say something about trig/log/exponent tables, though; those still count as a reason if I’m reaching.

I will say this is the earliest example of double-lined table borders in my collection, which I guess is something.

#images #untitled wednesday library series

[liskantope]

While I'm thinking about yesterday's topic of personality traits so striking and immutable-appearing that I'm tempted to think of them as genetic or entrenched from very early in life, here is another personal example.

[Content warning: food, as it relates to anxiety.]

All my life I've heard of people describing eating as a way for them to cope with anxiety or depression or difficult feelings (hence the expression "eat your feelings"). I don't really relate to any variant of this, but let me focus on eating out of anxiety specifically, because in that regard, I feel like my tendency is as far polar opposite as it's possible to go.

I don't think I've ever talked about this much on Tumblr (even though I was quite active on here during the years when it was causing me the most trouble), but for as long as I can remember, I've known my appetite to drop precipitously at the slightest presence of a certain emotional kind of anxiety. It's kind of hard for me to overstate how pronounced this has always been and how far it reaches: in some way, nowadays that I've run into my share of (capital-A) Anxiety, I can say that Anxiety feels almost equivalent to a feeling that my stomach "closes" (I don't know what other word to use to describe this mostly-psychological sensation) and will not entertain the idea of admitting food.

The concept of feeling the urge to eat brought on by anxiety is so incredibly foreign to me that I have a hard time wrapping my brain around it. And it's honestly quite hard for me to imagine this ever radically changing in me. I suppose that a certain kind of therapy could make it milder (nowadays I don't consider it to have any real detrimental effect on my life and so wouldn't seek therapy for it), but I just can't conceive of anything short of some sort of much more drastic medical intervention turning me into a human who falls anywhere close to the "eats to deal with anxiety" side of the spectrum.

At the same time, I suspect that those with a particularly pronounced tendency to crave food or the act of eating when they're dealing with anxiety (which seem to be a more sizable portion of the population, or at least I hear more about them) feel a similar way, like they can't conceive of what it must be like to be Liskantope, and they can't imagine what could be done to push them to the realm of the opposite trait.

I've always kind of assumed therefore that this trait is genetic or somehow otherwise innate (before anyone suggests that I'm straying close to eugenicist beliefs again, it's not at all obvious to me which mode is more advantageous or "exceptional" or anything), just because of how immutable and core to my personality it feels. As of the past few days, with the whole discussion about my last post where I suggested that something was genetic because it feels hard to change, I'm beginning to question that kind of assumption: maybe this is just a matter of being near one pole of a very continuous spectrum where genes have some influence but still allow for a ton of wiggle room, I don't know.

I will say that the trait I was discussing in the previous posts -- the ability to deliberately choose what to believe fully knowing that it isn't based on evidence -- seems different in that I can't conceive of being the other way in the more fundamental sense that it renders the very definition of the word belief incoherent for me. At least I can firmly understand on an abstract, conceptual level what it means for anxiety to lead to the urge to eat.

#anxiety #food cw #personal #eugenics