#also for real I am trying very hard to be respectful about the degree to which I fancy the absolute pants off Jess | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kenmaiii · 1 year

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MOOVEEE IM CURIOUS!! please do tell why you think each of the boys would flop in dating I'd love to hear an indepth! like as a huge levi fan I'm extremely patient with him as is because same hat with stuff he goes and struggles through but just know I have to put my foot down because he'll eventually be too much and won't accept we definitely got some unhealthy dynamic going on down the line

YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE ANON. kind of a coin toss here tho cuz I think every character in any property should have flaws to some degree! Even if they are a 'perfect' character bcuz no one can actually be entirely 'perfect', but its like. a double edged sword with OM cuz thats either admitting that the writers kind of did their thing for once OR is it just that they completely fumbled in approaching these flaws properly

and reminder this is not me saying they wouldnt have ANY good dateable qualities at all, just pointing out why you'd look at one of them and think Hm. This Is Kinda. Not As Fun As I Wouldve Thought.

BUT YEA. WHY I THINK CHARACTERS WOULD FLOP AT DATING U

LUCIFER: oh boy where do i start. I dont know about the rest of you but I fear that this old man is way TOO strict and domineering most of the time. (not always.................. of course. he has a silly side for sure but good lord...) 😒 like I am nawt trying to date a prison warden can you ease up off me a bit sir... I know the game has taken more care to editing his dialogue in a respectful way but my gawd does this guy demand things from you so much. Like VERY demanding in not tolerating certain things from you, literally it's his way or the highway and you have GOT to do it right too or else. he's like that with everyone sure but with the MC? dating? yeesh! I think if you are the type that doesn't like being told what to do or being talked over you'd get annoyed with him very quickly.

Like the writers unfortunately nailed having someone be so prideful to such blazing smoldering degrees that it ended up overshadowing a lot of his good parts. Getting him to admit things/wrongdoings is so very hard. He's VERY emotionally constipated as hell on top of that. I know he can actually set aside the time to say things to you while being genuine. occasionally. rarely. but he's way more likely to mainly ONLY be open while DRUNK. and while i think its kind of cute as a trait somewhat, are YOU willing to wait for him to be extremely real mainly when he's too drunk to possibly remember every time.

Speaking of getting drunk though he's also like- ridiculously horny a lot which?F?DSf is a bonus if you like that but it can come across as him being overly pushy in many many cases. but once again i can acknowledge the writers/translators have been better at adding in clear consent to choices. 👍🏿 Another thing is that you'd have to deal with him always being busy and overworking himself. and constantly. And as someone that also has very questionable sleeping/eating/overworking habits you are going to have a very hard time getting through to him about this bcuz he puts way too much responsibility on himself AND he has a tendency to forget that he hasnt slept/eaten. It would be a very nasty combo if youre ALSO like that (even if he would scold you for doing the same and take care of you)

Also he cares about them sure but he's most definitely always gonna be complaining about his brothers and Diavolo to you constantly. Are you ready to sit through that. More than usual that is.

Speaking of the brothers being a package deal they will most definitely interrupt any peace and quiet you and the eldest both rarely get, like the mood will just nawt be right im sorry.

Oh and if youre not a dog person I cannot imagine how you are even going to tackle time with him and a giant three-headed demon dog bcuz that would also have to be your baby by default. Walks must be absolutely something! Like I love dogs but really think about it. An actual life-sized Clifford. But a demon dog. I do not have the strength to deal with regularly sized dogs even

MAMMON: he was one of the slightly higher ones on that 'worst to date' poll (nowhere near Luci or Belphie ofc), but it was only people listing about money problems or going 'Ha. imagine sharing a bank account with that guy. it'd be drained so fast'. And yea sure I hear that. u-u All that guy really needs is someone to properly manage and limit his funds and advise him really (but I mentioned before that Mammon shouldnt just be limited to money or material valuable like the writers always do. His fatal flaw is his greed! and greed can encompass many things not just material (There's power, love, friendships, food etc).

His flop when dating you, I would think is being too overprotective and possessive of your time. As much as I love him he DOES overstep quite a bit with the 'being your first'. Sometimes he simply does not consider YOUR feelings on situations and schemes first. Though that's a flaw of most of the people in the devildom have by law of the Main Character Curse™. You must be put into situations I get that -w- But like I said yea he really does have a really big problem with possessiveness and always wanting your time and attention. Which- could get tiring if you're not in the frame of mind to deal with clinginess or possessiveness! Because I totally get that it's a lot for some people.

Harking back to the money thing though I genuinely dont think it'd actually be a SUPER DUPER MAJOR problem with your relationship? He's shown to be quite considerate on that aspect when it really comes down to it. Like he HAS worked a couple extra shifts at a job in canon just to save up and buy gifts before. And he's literally a highly sought after model! And surprisingly good at math when he has the opportunity (though it def still has to relate to him positively $$$) so he could stack his dough pretty normally. He just needs someone to keep an eye on his funds + other sources to balance out his Greed more! 😅

Somehow he manages to be both capable and completely hopeless also which is very impressive! You would have to help him out with a lot of things since he IS used to being spoiled, in a way. He does get treated very poorly by a lot of the characters BUT he clearly still has very lavish tastes and was both a very high-ranking angel AND demon so combined with greed he's used to the good stuff (thus me thinking he's fairly spoiled still- so he will expect a lot of you lowkey) Also I know I said he's well capable of finding his own source of income but he IS canonically bad at saving... and added with the thing above ^ well... If you've watched Abbott Elementary at all he WILL be the Tariq to your Janine, sorry!

TBH.. I cant really think of any other flaws atm besides over-asserting himself to your time and attention

LEVI: grabbing you by the shoulders- THATS IT THATS EXACTLY WHY ANON!!!! his flopping is mainly coming from the fact that he always puts himself down so very much!!! his head is literally his biggest enemy! its natural for people to have insecurities or doubts about things. and that can be especially heightened in relationships; whether platonic or romantic! but oh mein gottness does that guy put himself down so much.

I also struggle with the same things (believe it or not Levi was my wife for a good while like he used to make me teehee giggle like crazy so i get it i relate heavily). But at some point you ARE going to feel a bit drained or tired constantly hearing negative things about someone you care about and love! Supporting and providing reassurance or denying the negative stuff is a given, and can go on for as long as time would permit! But at some point you have got to start believing in yourself a little more and serve cuntress or something, Levi!

If levi was able to work on believing himself more and being more confident (which he has shown himself to do in quite a few cases) I think it can flop a little less!

His gaming time might cut quite a bit into your romantic time as well, especially if youre not the type thats super into gaming. Also considering that this is definitely his first real relationship (compared to the others) and not an ingame one I feel like there would need to be a serious chat at some point over ideals and expectations that he's picked up in game. Or how things possibly work irl. I must be honest, while it is cute for him to get so excited or irl achievements and progress with you he does unintentionally compare that to his gaming experiences quite a bit (even out loud in front of you). Not babying him or shaming him but it's still nice to talk about the things you expect or want relationship-wise and I know he'd be out of his depth with that.

his only other flaw (to some, not me 🤔) might be his avid infodumping and explaining of shows/anime/games/manga IF you arent interested in hearing about that a lot. What else do you guys have in common that you can relate with I suppose? A very minor thing though as I think many of us like a little infodumping nerd as long as they arent being pretentious about it! ^_^

<- she is not going into detail on Rurichan since there's too much debating on if its weird or simply his special interest/comfort character. them artists (especially in the anime) really keep trying to set him up tho..

SATAN: oooh boy. I recognize that Satan's character (ignoring Nightbringer) is for the most part stuck in a limbo of constantly having ties to Luci and his insecurities around that. Not necessarily a flop since I do believe that he would confide in you about it a fair amount buttttt he definitely loses points for constantly bringing up Lucifer. -100 EXP

People are always making him out to be extremely angry at the drop of a pin, which yea does get angry about things, but also he? don't be getting angry all that often? especially when he gets his little annual pockets of character development? angry and annoyed occasionally sure but its not his ONLY trait. now if he's raging 24/7 and could barely have a convo with anyone that'd be red flag dating flop city! but since he is not we can slide him further down the least to being less of a dating flop with you. (we're ignoring the NB version of him btw)

Now an actual flaw I can actually point out is he's also quite selfish... but he can surprisingly own up to it most of the time. sorta. kinda. well-

and to a degree he definitely seems to be lacking in awareness in certain social aspects. He's just a silly guy on the spectrum like most of his brothers tho: he gets a pass. Plus he's a socialite he's got a lot of fun connections, what does it matter that he can meow on command in the middle of this fancy dinner. Sure the other guests are looking at us weird and he's a little bit of a freak but he can meow-

His biggest flaw is being funny actually. That pisses me off stop making me laugh ✋🏿🙄 and if you hate him making cat puns i suppaws that would get under your skin too

ASMO: Asmo's insecurities are gonna get the better of him every now n again also, so while he's not quite in the same self-deprecating league as Levi, he definitely needs a lot of reassurance and compliments to stay grounded. So if that's not something you can keep up with it could prove to be a lot considering he's so obsessed with himself. Just like Mammon he has a lot of possessive tendencies, but it comes out in interesting ways unlike Mammon's ig. He's covertly silly with it since he'd say it with a cute smile on his face. He's a little insane also. I think it's just cuz the version of Asmo I have in my head is drenched in blood I hope you understand. Something isn't right up there (affectionate) so you would also have to get used to the most insane things being said with a smile. Not a flaw to most people of course but to ppl that are normal... well... it would be a lot

But Imagine youre dating him, you walk into his room and you see him quietly mumbling to himself in a ring of mirrors to cheer himself up. I'd be like hey um. Do we need to talk about this.

And to finish it off he does have a quite a bit of selfish moments considering he loves to put himself first (common theme with the ppl in the devildom hm...) and a lot of times where he gets unreasonably angry! But to be fair I love selfish angry characters IF they fit the right boxes, so I cheer whenever he gets like that bcuz I love studying him 🔍. Dealing with it in real life tho well... hm. who's to say how one would handle that! He's still my little sweetie tho and he would eat up the romancing and wining & dining and know HOW you need to be loved, there's just the other things to deal with when it comes to dating him!

BEEL: he's on the LEAST likely to flop while dating you scale honestly cuz he's literally just a chill sweet guy when he's trying his best. I think his only problem would be in not understanding you sometimes. Im sure he listens but will he really GET everything. Bcuz there are a few moments in game where Beel seems to be a lot more internally insightful even if he's not as vocal about his thoughts. And he's clearly very considerate abt the people he cares about, but ultimately there's a lot he just wouldn't get unless you sit down and clearly explain it to him. Bcuz otherwise it could come off as him not caring or being indifferent since he's pretty nonchalant. Blunt at times but still, easy-going and fairly perceptive.

And he's very much also a guy that just charges into things, though it's kind of a give-or-take thing. He is equally the guy that worries and stresses about something in silence if it's serious enough or he does not dwell on something for too long at all- which! could possibly be something that annoys you as once again, it could come off as him seeming too nonchalant or unintentionally dismissive. Or well. the things he charges into might have to be something you talk him out of. You're gonna hear shit like this on the regular and he's gonna wonder why youre staring at him funny

Another flaw is his sin i supposeeeeee but i'd rather not just dumb him down to guy who eats a lot cant stop eating food food food yknow -w- but well yknow. just how much WOULD his sin get in the way of things, bcuz it seems to consume him in a way thats wayyyy more intense than any of the other brothers sins interestingly enough

You'd have to deal with Belphie by extension too since they LOVE having the twins as a set that simply cannot be separated...... That also means having to always be dealing with Beel babying Belphie even though that man is very well GROWN. -100 EXP

he's crazy for saying this kinda thing all casual like also. do that in private man ☝🏿

Belphie: Sorry I have to bring it up again even tho i know ppl are dead tired of hearing about but i STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL think there shouldve been an actual proper talk and the appropriate amount of time given abt the killing instead of them moving right past it and MC being like 'it was just a lil oopsie we all have our bad days teehee ^-^'. if i got into a relationship with someone that tried and SUCCEEDED in killing me in this little magicverse i'd be like um. can we idk. talk about this in depth. You're not gonna kill me again in the future somehow right. Right?

Also I see and understand people saying that quality time, words of affirmation and acts of service are very clearly things Belphie likes since he's constantly asking to be around you/hear our opinions on things and ask if you need help with things (even tho he can be kinda lousy at helping out honestly -_-) but he also has a problem with demanding things of the player.. not quite in the same way as Lucifer, but it's close. Like if I do not want you to head over to my room to sleep together (literal sleeping) then why are you inviting yourself over? 🗣️📣📣📣📣LISTEN TO MEEEEEEE & STAY IN YA ROOM❗ ❗ ❗❗

He's a spoiled brat also! Like actual brat! Youngest syndrome is so very real with him, so if you're alright with being the main. well. person that has to do nearly everything then good'onya. I cannot imagine getting this dude dressed AND lugging this dude to classes all bcuz he wants to sleep in a little more ☝🏿 GET UP but if youre into being the main caregiver then shrugs

-10 MILLION POINTS DEDUCTED for being funnier than me also. thats a mistake no one should ever make ☝🏿

DIAVOLO: well. you see. so. there's. well. so um.

I do think he has a bittttt of an issue with choosing to completely overlook things. Diavolo is on a very thin line to me as a character bcuz I do think he is silly and fun at times and not 'AS' quick to read the room... and really is just essentially like... experiencing things for the first time and causing unintentional chaos because he's been so tied to his duties all his life but he's also like? Still very grown, smart and capable of quiet observation of others. (gestures to NB currently)

I feel like he would be analyzing you all the time whether you realize it or not (for good or bad). He's just a lot more observant about things than you realize so while he WOULD use this for good to spoil you he would probably be reading into you as a person way too much. But in a lowkey manner. Not manipulatively per se just,,, I think you are still mainly like an intriguing pet to him at times, or something to study and take note of. Like he really just does whatever the hell he wants for his own pleasure. He made an entire fake beach and sun just cuz he wanted a beach day yknow what the hell. I get it but how did he do that. What other powers do you have

Impressing you could come off as belitting you unintentionally (not always but sometimes). OKAY WALK WITH ME HERE- for example. That one scene from Ouran High School when Tamaki is making a big show of trying 'commoners coffee'. I know what youre saying ur sayin 'But Carly that sounds more like something Mephisto would do' nonono I shake my head. Mephisto is not going to make a show of trying it he'll just outright be recommending YOU a specially made blend of his tastes to put YOU onto better things FIRST. Diavolo's DIVING IN first though. Dia would absolutely think it's some great big fun adventure to try 'normal' human world tea or coffee and comment on it. But like, if i was sitting across from this big hulking guy complimenting tea I drink normally in a 'Wow, so this is what humans drink. How inspiring.' I'd want to shake him since it unintentionally sounds like im being belittled -_-. Give me back my damn instant blend! ❗ ❗ He's thinking he's bonding with you and trying something from your culture (which yes he is), but does it warrant such grand showboating and amazement. It's just tea man. Just silently enjoy a cuppa instead of patting yourself on the back for being brave enough to try human tea </3

Or. Or. demanding your time on his schedule at the wrong times. He's The Prince why wouldn't you wanna drop everything and have dinner with him. 'Oh,,, you're busy 👉👈 oh what a shame.👉👈 we (Barbatos) prepared a nice lovely dinner! 👉👈 However, I suppose its quite alright if you do what you need to do. 👉👈 Eating alone tonight, be safe 👉👈' And then he sends a picture of the meal with eye emojis, do you get what im putting down

One big flop for certain tho is him always being oh so busy. Like sit there and really imagine it. Dating a royal is already something but a Prince? Soon to be King? thats a lot of responsibility to juggle I know it'd get crazy balancing attention and schedules.

Also lets be real yall he's so used to being babied quite a bit, mainly by Barbatos. Barbatos is tough on him at times for his own good sure but he more-so spoils him still (hypocrite that he is!). are you ready to unintentionally be compared to that in terms of being able to care for Diavolo. Barbatos won't technically be competing with you either but as his main caregiver he'll still be inserting a lot of himself between the two of you. Also, that man is lowkey needy and has some lingering childhood issues you will have to be very careful with talking abt and comforting him for once he gets to a point to actually open up about it- so be mindful of these things

Also he's insane. But if you're into insanity it's probably whatever.

BARBATOS: I know I am '''''''''barbatos ceo''''''''' so i have been very very very delusional about him but aside from being so very 'malewifecore' i'd place him on a scale of 1 -10 at a 8.5 (1 being worst mostl likely to flop partner ever, 10 being best). Looking at his character he's very much set on keeping a very decent distance between him and the player for quite some time so i think dating wise there's just so many things he'd never properly open up about. Or it'd take so very impossibly long.

I remember reading his wiki one day and seeing this ^ (which btw theres a lot going on there.) so I feel like, even if he did really like you, he would most definitely always prioritize his work to the royal family first so.... he might potentially? be on the fence about further pursuing things with you even at one point??? Not to say that he isn't caring and attentive but I think he would greatly struggle with balancing his openness and affection towards you. And we must keep in mind that just like Mammon he ALSO has the Greed sin. He is a lot less likely to show it around others but he is very secretly possessive and makes it known occasionally so if you have problems with that it'd be interesting finding a balance with him. Secretly he 'will he or wont he' dude internally. But yea I've always thought it's so interesting that he'd say he just gives up. Makes you wonder and think more... but yet he wants to be bound by his lover. Very conflicting right? Which explains his struggles with desires and duty very well!

More on his duties though he's gonna overwork himself like crazy and it would be so tricky making plans or spending time together. Also he lowkey has insecurities about ONLY being tied to the butler role, much like how Leviathan will always bring up being a shut in. Like you are more than that cmon -_- youre gonna make MC feel bad! He must still be reassured a fair amount!

Something is also terribly wrong with him. but if you are insane like me you find that fun. Like oh he's tortured people? God forbid women do anything in this economy 🙄

Actual in person dating though <- she would be perplexed by his mysterious unnerving ways

SIMEON: Simeon definitely high on the scale of being a good partner so he's A LOT less likely to flop on this list. BUT, he definitely seems to hold back on sharing his opinions or opening up about certain things with himself quite a bit. 😮 And I feel like he might be the type to try and keep the mood content and peaceful so it would be a bit hard to talk about the unpleasant things. He CAN talk about unpleasant things, dont get me wrong, but I get the feeling he'd be good at dodging certain things and saying what you feel like should be said. Especially if he isn't particularly ready to talk about something YET. Big emphasis on the YET. I imagine as his partner, if you are aware that he's constantly being a bit dodgy about certain topics constantly you would feel some way about it since it's easy to recognize when he's doing it. This isn't to say he's manipulative or a dishonest character, but I find that it would take a long time to really get to his core even if things are genuinely sweet and easygoing between you two.

Also its a genuine pet-peeve for some people to deal with others that arent all that tech savvy? If you show him a meme on your phone he's gonna grab the whole thing, not get it at all, say 'who is this?' in confusion, try to zoom in and when he taps the screen it's gonna switch to a different picture/app and he'll be like 'What happened to it :(' which I think is hilarious and cute; but once again, could be something that genuinely annoys ppl, and annoyances over little quirks DO build up over time! Still adore him tho mwah

SOLOMON: Something is wrong with him. 🚶🏿‍♀️ That's his flaw. 🚶🏿‍♀️ Like something is just deeply wrong with him and he's way too casual about it. 🚶🏿‍♀️ He's literally that post where it's like 'yea something happened to your boyfriend and he came back all wrong. yea. sorry. we don't know what happened.'

If you're the type that stresses about things or worries a lot or finds that very easy-going people annoy you then well... Solomon will annoy you.

Im not saying he's not going to be attentive to you because he's shown to be very active and forward in a lot of ways, but I'm talking more along the lines of unintentionally dismissing things. Like for me personally I need a bit of guidance and structure and direction and if I don't see that I will be forced to take the lead. Just depends on how you are as a person really!

Let's get the most obvious thing out of the way though he can never cook you a fancy meal. Not everyone can cook we all have our different strengths that is for certain but if you don't tell him straight up, or constantly You're Going To Have To Eat His Food.

He may or may not be the reason you constantly get into situations also, in between Levi's games and Diavolo's chaos, Solomon is pretty much the main reason so many situations happen in events!? fhskfs I think that would increase in dating him even if he does actually do his best to look out for you in his own way.

But he's also like. Just a guy to me. Which is crazy because besides the mental illness + genuinely being playful with the MC, there is surprisingly a lot to him that is just. not touched on writing wise. or not explored. so I can admit there are other things that aren't coming to mind really. He's just there to me.

Apparently he's very forgetful with important dates also so if thats something that bothers you then well </3

MEPHY: of course in comparison to the others we do not know AS much abt Mephisto but looking a mile away you know his elitism is his main flaw. He would be very uppity with you and not realize whats wrong with that per se, even though he's so quick to call out the rudeness or impoliteness of others

his main flop is that he's going to be dramatic as hell at some point whether intentionally or not. he is definitely the guy to tell you he's fine while he's visibly shaking fists clenched trying to act unbothered when he really wants to complain to someone. He may very well go running to Satan or Dia for advice regarding the two of you if he really needs a second opinion without directly consulting you. So yes, those guys will also be privy to your business by extension. I know Belphie's also in the anti-luci league but can we really count on him for advice when Satan is most definitely the more dependable choice? anyways

Mephisto is also literally the image of the boyfriend walking with his girlfriend looking back at another girl. But the other girl is Dia. He's looking back at Dia sorry... that's his childhood buddy. He's so obsessed with that guy.............. You're gonna hear him going woe is me a lot over losing his buddy to his duties and the Prince always having his attention on Luci.... it just is what it is :/ Me personally also I just feel like I would get into mini arguments with him a lot. he is my rival and my bestie in my mind that I want to strangle whenever he opens his mouth

Like he is a BRAGGER by nature. And if you do not like people that brag about the littlest things he is going to get on your nerves. And since he also seems to come from a royal/rich background he is most definitely spoiled and parades through life with the expectation that others will treat him with appropriate amounts of respect. And due to his riches he could indirectly insult you at some point no matter what your financial status is, he may unintentionally make a comment that's in poor taste. Like if you take him to your favorite hole in the wall restaurant for a chill date he's going to say things even if he doesn't actually mean to come off as prudish.

He'd make an effort at least if youre getting him to try new things and he's not necessarily THAT uptight. He gets involved with things and has fun still!.... sometimes! But in reference to what I mentioned about Dia earlier with the whole commoners coffee thing this is another example to compare. Dia trying a burger for the first time would be like: "Ah! So this is what it's like to enjoy something this simple. The taste is rather interesting but I quite like it! Perhaps I will ask Barbatos if he can add this homestyle method to our regular menu :D" Whereas Meph is taking bites with his knife and fork like: "Hm. They really ought to improve the production cost and quality for these things. Oh, No I never said i disliked it, I'm merely making a note of something. Not bad though."

RAPHAEL: once again in comparison to the others we do not know AS much about him compared to the 'main' group. so im going off the little that i have witnessed in game and trying my hardest not to confuse that with fanposts but... He's so terribly blunt and unaware of things. He's a bit similar to Beel in that regard that he dives first into things and seems rather uncaring or dismissive about something due to his bluntness. But he's like BLUNT blunt, like blunt to the max even. Like this is crazy to me. how is it that LUCIFER is saying you're too much for him.

So he would most definitely struggle with being way too blunt towards YOU... it would take awhile for him to ease up on that I believe.

I'll be honest he kinda just. Sits there quietly really. I imagine trying to talk to him can feel a little bit like dealing with a brick wall, because I think it would be hard to understand what's going on in his mind at times, not to mention being tied down with his strictness.

And not to mention his sense of justice and penchant for casually mentioning violence seems to completely overpower him at the flip of a switch. I mean if you're cool with him threatening to use his spear on people that annoy you then so be it.

I don't know really, he's just so neurodivergent to me so i cant really call him a flop for that he just exhibits so many of those traits, it's just something you'd have to work on with him or get accustomed to

-ONE BILLION TRILLION POINTS DEDUCTED FOR LIKING SOLOMONS FOOD THO 100000000000000 EXP

THIRTEEN: once again in comparison to the others we do not know AS much about her compared to the 'main' group.

but she is most def on the LEAST likely to flop at dating you end of the list, cuz she quite LITERALLY is upfront about liking the player a lot more quickly than the others. she's literally so cute and just minds her business until OTHER people bother her peace. She does have tsundere-like qualities sure, but if you're direct with her she does eventually come around to expressing why she does what she does. And I don't think she would ever mess with the length of your lifespan just bcuz the two of you have a little disagreement or something. To someone else though for fun, sure:

that aside tho i can't particularly point out any major flaws in the moment i love her so bad. someone would have to sell me on it, but also why arent you supporting womens wrongs hm? 🤨🤨🤨🤨

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sibyl-of-space · 14 days

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Well I was possessed to try and make more progress on my Ghost Trick ROMhack this evening because I really and truly am so close to finishing it, and after spending 3 hours being annoyed I can confidently say that I maybe sort of kind of made some slight progress.

I've been really digging into the chapter.xml file because I think it holds the key to telling me some things about how the game handles progression. This is important because the 2 remaining sprites I have not been able to update using the scripts I've done so far both seem to be updated via how the game handles progression [they are updated at the same time during a certain key reveal] - so if I can learn how this database update mechanic works, I might be able to learn what is telling it which sprites to use, and then finally finish this thing I have had ""almost"" done since before I went back to school and got a whole ass masters degree.

Things I have figured out with respect to the chapter.xml file:

- it definitely does have the ability to flag or indicate database progression/updates, because by some shenanigans I tested, I can force it to load the same scene from different "chapter select" buttons and doing so will cause the database to reflect different points in the story. because the scene is identical I know this is almost certainly not flagged by the scene itself or by the stage root file (generally if it were that I'd expect the stage root file to load a different scene altogether along with a different game progression state) ((suppose I shouldn't totally rule it out but anyway..))

- individual stages also have the ability to flag database progression/updates obviously though because sometimes new info is added mid-stage, but there is SO much more code in the stage .xml files that testing and isolating it with the chapter.xml file seems Much Easier

Things that walled me from making more substantial progress with the chapter.xml file:

- I got to a point where it seemed that the process of exporting, decompressing, and recompressing resulted in a crash when the game tries to load any chapter beyond 3.

- Turns out this was completely unrelated to any changes I was making and was caused by probably the emulator cacheing something weird and/or me not properly saving the changes made upon reinsertion in crystaltile and/or the compression algorithm not liking that I renamed the file and/or any number of small little things I was not being careful about. This resulted in about an hour of rigourously testing specific changes in the chapter.xml file being rendered completely useless because all these crashes I experienced were caused by something else.

On the plus side, supreme annoyance aside, I have some strong Hunches that should be able to be confirmed next time I have some time to sit down and test them properly. I have no clue if these will lead me to where I want to go but they should at least further my overall understanding of the game which will, EVENTUALLY, VERY EVENTUALLY, lead me to what I'm looking for. Which has been just the biggest pain in my ass but so it goes.

(I'm trying not to think too hard about the very real possibility that progression stuff needs to be tested by looking at the data in the save file itself; this will be the inevitable next step if chapter.xml bears no fruit.)

#leo tries modding ghost trick #omg a romhack update no way #dw its because im procrastinating on my other game yknow the one im building from scratch

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canmom · 9 months

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Feel free to ignore considering it’s a very messy topic. Why do you think SFF communities (especially book communities) attracts so many bad faith actors?

my apologies anon, I took a minute to answer this one.

I think the most parsimonious answer is that they don't, especially, it's just that bad faith actors are basically everywhere. like, is it really true that there are more bad faith actors in SFF than in say, music? film? 'literary' fiction, or other genres like crime or erotica? i think if I was as immersed in any of those worlds as I am in SFF, I'd know about just as many stories of petty cruelty, exploitation, bizarre dramas...

still, some speculations about factors playing into it, that aren't necessarily specific to sci-fi.

the thing about SFF is that it's a subculture, and one that's pretty niche. not quite as niche as like, BASE jumping or something lol - most bookshops around here will have an SFF shelf, and obviously SFF films and games are almost as mainstream as entertainment gets - but for dedicated sci-fi fans it's seen as a sort of refuge of 'people like them' (generally some variety of autistic nerd archetype), and there is a lot of anxiety that comes with maintaining that.

this sort of attitude is commonly associated with the old guard of reactionary fandom - the infamous Puppies - but I think by now we've seen that the current overtly queer/progressive/whatever you wanna call it generation is just as capable of lashing out at perceived intruders. (for an obvious example, this kind of sentiment was a major factor in the Isabel Fall incident.)

besides that, what are people fighting for anyway? what are the 'stakes' of scifi/fantasy fandom? intuitively, they're tiny. but...

within any niche subculture, it is possible to achieve a certain degree of fame and influence. if you can play the rhetorical game, you can establish yourself as a microcelebrity/tastemaker, promote your friends and make a show of casting out the enemies, and set up the rules of the discourse... in your small bubble. until sooner or later the wind changes and you get knocked off the pedestal, anyway. so part of it is just people wanting to rule an insular little fiefdom.

but then there's also like... 'being an author'. SFF lit is not especially popular these days. you can't really make a living from short stories anymore (too few magazines that pay, too hard to get in, too little reward). however, if you get very, very lucky, make the right connections (probably at Clarion), you might just be able to get some novels published, and maaaybe they will find an audience and earn out their advances... and if everything goes perfectly, you might just manage to make a reasonable middle class sort of income.

and that's not nothing! especially if other forms of work are inaccessible. i have a friend whose circumstances were changed very dramatically when they got a big advance on their novel. but ultimately I don't think it's about that, nobody would sensibly try to become an author for the money, it's an obviously terrible gamble.

however, within the subculture, being a published author is a still big deal. it's a sense that you've 'made it', people will look up to you, or resent you if they don't feel you deserve it. there is a strong divide between 'authors' and 'fans' that structures interactions between the two. I don't get the impression that this is actually very fun for the authors, but it's easy to see that from outside and think "I wish I was worthy of that kind of respect too".

much the same applies in other fields - for example animation. maybe it pays shit and demand insane hours with zero job security... but for the fans, you come to have immense admiration for the 'real animators' and want to feel you could be their equal one day. and people are willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of that idea of accomplishment, even if it's still very unlikely.

so with all that in mind... science fiction authors are usually science fiction fans. there's not really any other reason you'd write it lmao. so could speculate that for the ones who have 'made it', the situation is still precarious, or seems like it. there's little guarantee you'll get published again if a book doesn't sell. and you depend on a good reputation to stay in the game. so you have a bit of power (enough to go to your head) and fear of losing that power and sense of accomplishment... that's probably sufficient to motivate a whole lot of horrendous behaviour that would seem incomprehensible from outside.

none of this is really specific to science fiction/fantasy. but then I don't think SFF is really all that unique.

#sff

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gentlebeardsbarngrill · 2 months

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I'm a bit surprised how many people are against the UK billboard! I did donate, but I never expected this billboard to have the same effect or visibility as the Times Square one... And of course, I also don't expect it to have real impact on whether we get picked up or not. I thought we might get a few news articles about it in the UK and a morale boost from it.

I understand the concerns about the fundraiser transparency, of course. I don't know how other fandoms have done these fundraisers, whether they've been better at organizing them... There's certainly a lot to learn!

I've seen some people suggest that we shouldn't buy another billboard because... we already had one? I was just reading about the Wynonna Earp campaign and apparently they bought over 250 billboards between s3 and s4 when the show ran out of funding (I also found a Twitter thread with pics of 100 Times Square billboards they bought). If they had that many, then how is 2 billboards for OFMD overkill?

This fandom gets hate for the campaign no matter what we do, even for just tweeting about the show... Isn't visibility exactly what our campaign needs, though? Are we going to tone down the campaign just so we don't get harassed? I don't really see the point in trying to protect the fandom, when the only way to really do that is to completely shut up about the show. And I certainly won't be shutting up about it :D

Anyway. These are just my thoughts on the subject. I'm very curious to see the new billboard! We'll probably learn a lot from it, from how it affects the fandom and how the press reacts to it (if they do)... And of course, how DJ reacts to it.

OMG IM SO SORRY ANON! Yesterday blew up and I never got a chance to get back to you!

I'm with you-- I'm sure there is always something more to learn! I had read the transparency policy a few times right before it was announced (cause I was asked to put it up on my repository), and it seemed like it was pretty straight forward-- but obviously some things needed to be clarified! From what I've seen on the Save OFMD Crew Discord since then, they're working on taking feedback and are going to be updating it to make it more clear.

I also saw that there was a vote going on about leaving the website the same, and I think that passed, but dont quote me on that.

HOLLLY SHIT 250 billboards!? WOW. Well I'm glad they found some funding, jeez! And hey-- it worked right? I think they got their renewal, or at least they're getting a finale.

I respect your thoughts on the subject and I really apreciate you reaching out and expressing them! It's good to hear multiple points of view on it. I definitely agree that there's always going to be someone mad about the fandom. It's just hard I think for our friends who have been around and probably have PTSD from all the hate by this point. I think that means we, the folks still able to do it, should be the front liners on all this and help fight that hate back.

I offer this freely-- if I have the time, and you are running into problems with hate inside the fandom, hit me up. I enjoy being a polite menace and talking through things with people. I got my degree in International Studies/Relations so I have a lot of experience with talking through things-- and I'm more than happy to help if I can!

I am excited to see what happens with the billboard, come good or bad. Thanks anon for writing in, and so sorry again for the delay!

Sending love <3

#ofmd #our flag means death #billboard #hoist the ads #asks anon #asks

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zawescource · 3 months

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Actor, author, playwright and new mum Zawe Ashton adds another string to her bow: supervillain. As she joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she tells AMAZING about her love of poetry, getting physical on the set of The Marvels and the unwavering support of her own parents.

Zawe Ashton is no stranger to playing the antagonist. From her very first film role as rude schoolgirl Bianca in 2009’s St Trinian's 2: The Legend Of Fritton's Gold, to playing the intimidatingly cool Violet “Vod” Nordstrom in four seasons of student sitcom Fresh Meat and – more recently - as the rejected Julia Thistlewaite in 2022 period drama, Mr. Malcolm’s List, Ashton has a knack for taking on characters who appear unlikeable on paper… and making audiences fall in love with them. However, for her latest role as Dar-Benn in The Marvels, she had to go full villain.

“Very little can prepare you to have to embody an antagonist at this level, in a Universe that is literally not known to anyone – like our Space - and to make it real and impactful,” says the London-born actor, a new recruit to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “There's something deeply humbling about having to return to the sandbox; you have to go back to the playground and that was something I was not expecting. You have to indulge in adult play and it’s surprisingly vulnerable. I know that there are gamers out there, there are cosplayers out there, there are adults who have managed to keep that level of childlike play going and I respect it so much. There's a self-consciousness that can take over if you are not careful. Trying to react realistically to a laser coming towards you is not something I’d done since I was seven years old, and I had to get to that level of childlike confidence to just delve into the imagination. Once that was all clearer, the villainous elements came so much from the physical world, with costume and hair.”

For 39-year-old Ashton, adult play will likely become a more frequent fixture in her life, thanks to her most exciting new role – as a mother. She welcomed her first child in 2022 with fiancé Tom Hiddleston, her co-star in the 2019 revival of Harold Pinter's Betrayal on London’s West End, later transferred to Broadway. “What has genuinely surprised me about motherhood is how much I don't feel ready to talk about it,” she laughs. “And this isn’t to shut down the conversation. I have gained so much insight from public people who have this incredible candour and this disarming, relatable dialogue about it very early on, but it's something that I am just dedicating time to absorbing. I’m listening rather than expelling energy. That genuinely has surprised me, because it's something you want to shout from the rooftops about; it's the most unparalleled, most important role in my life. The surprise has been how quiet I want to be about it. Maybe that's also me as a writer and this is something that will come through the pen at some point.”

Ashton attended London’s Anna Scher Theatre School from the age of six and was a member of the National Youth Theatre, before getting her degree in acting at Manchester Metropolitan University, but writing has always been significant in her life. She won the London Poetry Slam Championship in 2000, becoming the event’s youngest winner, at 17. “I may have been knocked off that pillar long ago, but in my head I'm still the youngest,” she laughs. “I love poetry. I had not written for a really long time; during the pandemic I lost a huge chunk of my creative soul when it came to putting pen to paper, which was really scary and was clearly the fallout of being in survival mode and feeling quite fearful. People's attention spans just went all sorts of different ways, didn't they? It was very hard for me to read, and it was very hard for me to write, which is very strange for me.

“More recently, a friend of mine from drama school who I used to do open mic nights with in Manchester – I used to perform poetry and she used to sing - asked me to write a poem for her wedding. I had a few moments where it was really tough, but I did it. I love her and I'm so happy for her, and being inspired enough to get a poem out and read it aloud really opened the floodgates. So, weirdly enough, I've been writing a lot of poetry recently and found a new love for it. I will always continue to use poetry as a way to understand the world. It's just so much part of who I am.”

For Zawe's full interview and shoot, order your copy of AMAZING issue 4 now. The Marvels is out now.

#zawe ashton #interview #in: amazing #2024

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turnertable · 10 months

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can I say something controversial after we just got done celebrating miles and Alex reuniting?

I think Milex is a cute ship, it is, they are an adorable pair. their chemistry is very sweet and they are like soulmates you can tell, be that platonic or not in y'alls opinions. I personally don't ship it (always been a mattlex girly myself, platonically talking). I do feel at times y'all do focus on the wrong thing with Miles and Alex. some of you lot love defending Miles and how he doesn't deserve to just be associated with Alex but please and I beg you, tell me truthfully you know Miles from his solo work and not from TLSP. there's few of us, I think Miles is great and his music is good, I saw him before AM live FFS but no I wouldn't know Miles without Alex. It's just a thing that will always exist and it's unfortunate I know but it's true. I also think documenting and cherry picking at specific moments that have literally no correlation at all to milex romantic moments and making them oddly sexual is fucking odd. like I'll give you the d, I wish you would: that's an innuendo, that's funny and you can make that sexual cuz they did. they act like an old married couple at times. the lentils joke about their bad habits for example, it's cute and domestic. it's fic material. I understand that, trust me but like sometimes they are just on coke and giggling like little boys over like bringing bread and crumpets to the studio and that's not an allegory for fucking each other (an actual real post someone made). please it's odd and fetishism of two men who are straight. I understand that being gay is still a taboo subject for some people from more oppressive countries and maybe at 14 when you found AM, milex was your first introduction to shipping culture and men being shipped together, that would be exciting to you. However the nuances of that is that it can cross a line to a degree where you aren't respecting the two real people. I was in the Dan and Phil fandom before they came out and we had an era called 2012 where Dan especially was on the defense constantly to a point where it was a taboo to us to talk about but through time, that defense became more empathetic with them coming out. we all grew up and that behaviour from when we were kids was not ok anymore and that frustration was valid. I have many straight friends who have felt that pressure to be part of the LGBT community in order to not be shamed and on the flip side, I don't even need to tell you how hard it is still for lgbtqia people to want to hide in the closet with all the problems we still as a society have to face.

what I'm trying to say is, these are straight men and it's ok for straight men to be affectionate with their friends, I know it may still be frowned upon in some cultures but we wouldn't have am without a close bond between the lads. we wouldn't have TLSP without miles and Alex being best friends. i don't think milex is wrong, plz do what you want, draw your porn art if you want, write fics upon fics but plz just think about why this makes you so happy and understand the true consequences on what you say because you could be upsetting the gay community around you by being elated that miles can kiss his friend on the cheek. let boys love each other platonically or not, it doesn't matter. If Alex or Miles came out tomorrow, I'd support them, it's just something to think about.

Plus it's ok for teenagers and younger people to see what the boys do and want that, that's valid and I hope you have fun. There's a point where you may realise that something you said was a kid that you don't agree with and that's part of growing up, I know (hence the dnp rant). I see this now as an adult and think of that as crossing a line by prying at someone's sexuality cuz that's not mine to know and I don't know that person in real life. However if you are like a long time monkeys fan in your late 20s, early 30s, please consider what you're doing and re-evaluate what this means to you because maybe it's not just Alex and Miles that make you feel this way and that's not healthy: that's a parasocial relationship you've held for so long you don't know any different.

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jangmo-othewarrior · 11 months

Note

DMC Questions Anon here!

Before you read this next question:

I was informed that it would be a good idea for my questions to be answered with a specific tag so if people wish to block it they could. Please tag your answers to any question I send you with "dmc questions anon" and I think that should work.

If you wish to be taken off the list, ask. If somebody wishes to be placed on the list, ask. If your anon asks are off and you wish to participate, just make a post answering the question you see going around.

Remember you do not have to answer every question, so please don't feel pressured to do so.

Please also remember to take as long as you need! Do not rush yourself, this is supposed to be a fun activity and I don't want anyone to feel stressed out by trying to rush to answer questions.

Now onto the actual question:

How would you rank the 5 games in the Devil May Cry series? (By story)

Separately, if you want, how would you rank extended material? (The DMC1 Novel, The DMC3 Mangas, The Anime, The DMC2 Novel, Deadly Fortune, Before the Nightmare, and Visions of V, all of which can be found (along with other stuff) here: https://originaldmc.github.io/DivinityStatue/Downloads.html)

If you wish, how would you rank all of it together in one big list?

DMC QUESTIONS ANON!! :D

Okay, I'm gonna do everything together, but i will preface this by saying i have a lot more exposure to some things than others, thus I will have varying degrees of 'much to say'.

DMC 5

I'm definitely biased for this (it's the one that got me into the franchise) but I digress.

FAMILY THEMES BABI MY FAVORITE THING

I just adore the main cast so much u do not understand. So much hype shit happens with em too, it's great. The characters are simultaneously over the top but also very real? Like Dante is the wacky woo-hoo pizza man but also horribly in control of his emotions and how to express them.

The Vergil reveal was so obvious but I dont care. It's good. The depths given to his character through V and Urizen are VERY good.

And NERO- lord everyone in this family has trauma

Also SDT was introduced in this game I'm sorry but no piece of DMC media will be able to top this because of it.

2. DMC 3

is anyone surprised

I love the bois so much, with their stupid catchphrases and horrible family dynamics. it's so weird looking at them like

I was nighteen once. I wasn't like them but I was nighteen.

Also the THEMES once again center around family, especially with the addition of Lady and Arkum. I also love this cast SO MUCH

except arkum fuck arkum all the homies hate arkum

Literally the only reason this is lower than DMC 5 is because no Nero, Trish or Nico. That's it.

3. Visions of V

i haven't talked about him much but I would also gently hold V (and by extension Vergil)

Really I just love this manga because of how much is shown and revealed through it. Everything is really visceral and hits so hard.

Literally everything in this manga stabs u in the feels especially the final shit GOOD LORD

but it really is tied with #4 because it can't really stand by itself? It needs DMC 5 to be whole, in a way.

4. DMC 4

I really wanted to put this above VoV but my DMC 5 bias shown through in the end IM SORRY

also yeah Sanctus as a villian is dogshit, i agree

and some characters REALLY needed more screen time (see: Credo, Angus, KYRIE) but also this game has the Shakespeare scene so....

also I just love Nero and his teen angst can u blame me

But GOD did Kyrie need more screentime

5. Before the Nightmare

Wow the DMC 5 bias strikes again, huh.

IDK man I just love the prequel shit. Like, Nico and Nero meeting is so fucking funny

Also Lucia makes an appearance for the first time since DMC 2 so thats cool

It also expanded the lore on how devil arms work through Balrog which I am SO thankful for.

Also Roc Goldstein exists now and everyone should know about one of the ONLY GOOD DADS in DMC history

Really the only other one I give my full respect to is Sparda, and he died when his kids were like, six. (Dante and Vergil r getting there tho, give em time.)

6. The Anime

Look Patty is the only reason this is so high I love her and if u look at my previous posts u can tell I love her and Dante's father daughter relationship u can pry it out of my cold dead hands

Also the lore with Sparda's apprentices, demon smoners being a thing, and the introduction to Morrison is very nice.

But also Lady was WAY off the mark almost the entire time, and the plot with Patty only really took center stage towards the end so :(

ALSO THEY DIDNT EVEN SHOW DEVIL TRIGGER IN FULL I WILL NEVER FORGIVE CAPCOM FOR THIS INJUSTICE

capcom if u put Patty in more shit I will forgive you (maybe)

7. DMC 1 novel

This novel is weird because it was written before almost all of the other shit so Canon often either ignored it or bent over backwards to avoid it until the DMC 5 era

But I like it. All of the new characters r very good and I love them all.

Grues death STILL hits me in the feels so hard.

Dante has lost so many parental figures ya'll

One of the only reasons it's so low is because of Gilver, the fuck

He made NO fucking sense for the longest time until the timeline rewrite and the retcon that he's a Vergil clone.

That fits his character so much more bur looking at him as Vergil makes no fucking sense. Everything about his character contradicts what we know about Vergil, even back with only DMC 3 as a reference.

Despite those issues, i am very happy we are seeing some rep for this book in the games and other media. U do not understand the screech I let out when Grue's daughters were shown years later.

8. DMC 1

is this sacrilegious?

Yeah the gameplay is good and it was a hallmark of its time but also Dante is as stale as cardboard here I'm sorry

Like his plot is the most uniform and overdone revenge plot I have ever seen and his relationship with Trish....

it's funky in this game, let me tell u. Thank whatever higher power exists that they leaned more towards siblings in later installments because I would be pulling my hair out otherwise.

But the quips r also really good and all of the Nelo Angelo stuff is my favorite part of the plot, so I guess that evens out?

This game was a very good launching point for the rest of the series except u know what

Also fuck mundus all the homies hate mundus he sucks

9. Deadly Fortune

Uhhh yeah it's just.... DMC 4 again with some things changed?

Honestly the reason this is so low is because of my preferred way of absorbing story is through video games than manga.

It's okay. Not trash or anything. It's just alright

10. DMC 3 Mangas

They're ... fine? I guess.

Like the first meeting between the twins in YEARS is very good, but also the manga is unfinished and all...

So I'll just leave it at that.

11. DMC 2 Novel

Gonna be honest I've never read this one.

So I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt

12. DMC 2

Yeah remember when I said Dante was cardboard in DMC 1? Yeah now he's silent, emotionless cardboard.

the villian is bad, the location is okay i guess, really the only saving grace for this games story is the concepts it introduces

Demon civil wars? Artificial demons created by people? Those are cool concepts! So cool that one was reused in a much better game, but I digress.

Honestly the story is probably one of the least sacrilege parts of DMC 2, and it still isn't the worst piece of DMC media based on story. That goes to our surprise contender....

13. DMC: Devil May Cry

DMC questions anon did NOT ask for this, but I'm putting it here so that everyone understands that this games story and characters are SO BAD that I'm putting UNDERNEATH DMC 2

But what can I say that hasn't been already stated?

Vergil is so far out of character he's basically an OC and his turn around at the end makes no fucking sense

Donte is an asshole who has functionally abandoned what made Dante likeable in ANY GAME

The plot itself is the most rehashed 'the government is evil and we must resist it' plot EVER

Even the new shit they added for this game doesn't even fucking work well.

Having demons that look like angels be the antagonists is much more interesting that just having angels and having them do NOTHING

Kat is literally the only thing that I don't have a super negative opinion on because she was NEW and I hadn't watched them fuck up a character I love. They just made a mediocre one at best

Needless to say, I utterly despise the plot of this game with my entire being.

Thank you for the question, DMC Questions Anon! I'm sorry I went a bit off script, but I hope it was at least entertaining.

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xirae · 4 months

Text

Thinking of myself as a “gaylienated” individual lately. What I feel bad about is that so much of the alienation stems from living my comfortable suburban life. Tbh no one has ever said anything about it to me, don’t even think I’ve read that much criticism about it online, but I’m very aware that even though I’m not The Rich, the privileges come in fast. Growing up in a family with money to exist is just huge. We don’t vacation on a yacht but we vacationed. To have something so precious as the ability to travel, and then to say things that it felt empty and barren induces a lot of guilt. Internet is imo very on the “suburbanites and similar classes are closer to everyone else vs the 1%” and it’s true and I’m never going to come at someone’s throat for it, but ime it has material benefits not everyone else gets. it feels difficult to communicate the severe alienation and dissatisfaction those benefits still produce. So now things like advertisements on tv, the rare occasion I watch it, make me feel insanely guilty. And then it’s like when I have friends who are trying to be upwardly mobile and I’m thinking “it’s not what you think it is, it’s not worth it” I feel so obnoxious even though I think the scars and emptiness are real

Tying it into GAY-lienated , a lot of my disconnect from gay culture is bc of suburbia. Bc when it comes to drag and ballroom, a lot of the sayings goes these cultures were created from necessity, from the hard life of being poor, often also racially marginalized in a big city that actively criminalizes your existence. It’s never going to be a culture I can fully be a part of. For me hyperpop felt like the first “queer” culture that resonated so completely and so honestly and so naturally, and now it’s been completely, but now it’s in its death throes and I’m not even where the music is at anyway. IE Fraxiom and Alice Longyu Gao are having a show omgggg but it’s in Chicago. I need to live in a CITY to be connected to a music or club scene it feels like, which adds even more complications and class dynamics

Tbh like survive gays figure it out, but it’s the ones who still have some sort of social savvy to them. And a lot of them have hobbies that kind of straddle weird - they like Nintendo, shonen, stuff like that. Stuff that definitely was weird, and is still weird in very normie circles, but I still consider not as far down the iceberg as I am persay. I think a lot of these have been normalized to some degree, and these interests are way easier to connect to others with. I still respect the Nintendo gay but I feel like I experience a form of alienation the Nintendo gay does not. Tbh, being an artist or critic is an extremely alienating experience. I don’t think a lot of ppl would find a movie like Fassbinder’s Chinese Rouelette very fun, cold intellectualism is NOT in. And I don’t blame ppl, but sometimes it feels like the gays of yore were more particular, intellectual, and brutal in their tastes in a way that’s missing today. But I could be wrong, what do I know, im a gaylienated individual.

Just sucks being the Noise Music hyperpop Cold Intellectual Artsy Freak bc I just can’t penetrate other gays for the life of me. It’s too unique for its own good. Where is the world where ppl are weird and artsy and intellectual for its own sake and it’s not a culture cut off by necessity and survival?

#personal

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cathkaesque · 1 year

Note

End of year meme: 1, 16, 19, 42

Hey!!

1) "First things first, did you have a good year?" - Goodness me it's been a really really intense year but definitely one of my best. I've been doing work that is everything I am passionate about and I've been able to make real contributions. I've spoken with workers living in shanty towns working miles and miles of strawberry farms for supermarkets. I've been hosted by the Honduran government and met peasants being evicted from their land. It is one thing reading about these things and another seeing it for yourself and meeting people who are at the sharpest end of the system. It makes you see through a lot of bullshit. I've finally gotten on HRT and it's been everything I've hoped it would be and more. I've finally begun feeling like myself and it's wonderful! It's had it's lows too (there was a horrible time in August where I was very sick with covid, it was 40 degrees, my friend was waiting 9 hours for an ambulance for his sick uncle, and the Tory leadership contest was debating what defines a woman. Just felt like the absolute end of the world yknow), and it's been hard work. I've been doing lots of very difficult things (managing a huge project all by myself, trying to win strikes in other parts of the world, and all doing it with the endocrine system of a 14 year old girl) but I've never been so confident in who I am, what I stand for, and what I can do. It is brilliant feeling.

16) "What food did you try for the first time?" - I broke my vegetarianism for the first time in a decade while I was in Honduras. I wanted to be able to accept people's hospitality and I've had a potential celiac diagnosis hanging over me so I've been wavering. Some of it was nice, a nice locally caught fish and some really nice chorizo barbecued by the Vice Minister of Agrarian Reform (I live a crazy life). But I know I'm not missing anything, it's something I can totally live without, and it made me very ill lol. My vegetarianism has been reaffirmed!

19) "What was one nice thing you did for yourself?" - Honestly like, it has been very intense this year, I haven't had much time to sit still and look after myself. But I got lots of cute, nice clothes, and I made sure to rest when I could. And also like, taking these opportunities that were offered to me. I so nearly didn't go to Honduras because I was deep in covid when I was asked to go and felt like I needed to focus on my other work. Luckily I was offered a second chance to go when someone else dropped out! A wonderful opportunity.

42) "What are you most proud of accomplishing?" - It was like right at the beginning but the Azura strike is my biggest achievement. I wrote quite a lot about it on tumblr at the time I collected loads of photos and statements from the struggle which you can find here.

But basically there was a really serious case of union busting at a tomato farm owned by a huge Moroccan agribusiness called Azura. Azura was openly flaunting the law by docking union members pay for attending union meetings, ignoring the Labour inspectorates demand to negotiate with the union, and beat up and then sacked the union delegate leading the branch. The workers went on strike from the beginning of December until the middle of January. On 2nd January, Azura's actions led to the death of a worker called Sabah Dinar in a car accident on the picket line. They then sent G4S thugs to beat up the rest of the workers. They used a hosepipe on their tents at 3am.

A statement from La Via Campesina was drawn up demanding intervention from supermarkets for circulation. I sent it to every supermarket press officer, CSR team and regulator - I found their personal company addresses using rocketreach so it didn’t just get lost in the ether. I found document from Azura for international customers claiming that they respected union rights and paid well. At the same time, workers from other farms joined the picket line for a big demonstration against Azura. My emailing resulted in 3 British supermarkets intervening and demanding Azura negotiated with the union. This won them everything the workers were asking for - the sacked union members got a lot of compensation and Sabah’s young children are now getting their education paid for by the company. Azura’s human resources team both at the farm and national level were sacked for their role in this. And now Azura is negotiating with FNSA on a whole range of issues. It was an extremely well coordinated effort between the FNSA and LVC unions in Europe organised in a very small amount of time and my actions were key in resolving the situation positively.

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beautouslysandy · 11 months

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idk if you still do matchups but here is mine, it’s for outer banks, and it’s anonymous bc I am a 🐱. :

I’m on the shorter side for girls, like 5’3ish, but everyone else in my family is TALL ASF so im a fast walker. I have light brown straight hair and curtain bangs (that take far too long to style), hazel eyes, fair skin, and my cheeks are always flushed so it always looks like im blushing when im not (most times).

My friends tell me im very funny and outgoing but deep down I am very sensitive and emotional- I’ve just found ways to hide it. I’m an extremely loyal friend, and I’ll defend a friend even if I don’t agree with what my friend said or did. I’m very shy and quiet when I meet people at first, but once I’m comfortable it’s hard to get me to shut up.

Im always listening to music, and i swear one of my super powers is knowing the lyrics to every song. I stay up late making playlists and reading books. I randomly get outbursts of energy where I can run 5 miles no problem and feel like running in circles around a room, but I’m also constantly tired and always sleeping.

I laugh really hard at stupid things, like videos with animals or the impractical jokers show.

I don’t think I’m clumsy, but apparently I am because I always have something wrong with me. Like if I don’t have a third degree burn on my arm than I have a broken finger and if not that than I’m limping. Like I always am going to the doctor to either get a cast or medicine for an injury.

I’m very good at talking my way into and out of things, but I don’t do it often bc I get anxious.

Also random fun fact: EVERYBODY is convinced I smoke 🍃 when I don’t. Im told its because I’m very calm and can hide my nervousness well- I think its because I could get hit by a car and still be calm and collected, I’m just very zen at all hours and I don’t know how.

This is probably tmi but it’s kind of fun to debrief!!

honestly i think we would be good friends if we knew each other in real life! just a little fun fact about me, i am told I have a very loud personality meaning i am extremely outgoing and stuff haha.

it is fun to debrief! glad you enjoyed it!

hope you like your match up!

OUTERBANKS:

john b, one hundred percent. i think he likes having some calmness in his life, he has got quite the chaotic life. and he loves loves having a short girlfriend, he definitely will tease you about it every now and then but you he is just joking. anybody else though, they won't see the day of light ever again. i think he would find your sparks of energy very amusing. he always gets super worried when you get hurt, he warns you that you should be more careful. he has successfully caught you a few times preventing you from getting hurt, a few times. he probably loves that you are so calm, like said before. it’s nice to have something calm and dependable in his life. i think he loves making you laugh so he will say really idiotic stuff just to hear that laugh he loves so much, it makes his day to see you happy knowing that he is the reason you are. you guys probably watch those try not laugh animal version videos on youtube and just sit there cackling like a pair of little kids. he likes to help you sometimes with your hair and at some point he has mastered it but that is in the fair future (sorry john b). i think his favorite thing about you are your personality, it’s super important to him that his significant other has a good personality that he loves and you provide that. he respects your loyalty as he is as well, i think he is comforted with the fact knowing you are super loyal to him. when you first meet the group they are confused on why john b and you are together as he doesn’t really go for shy girls but once you break out of your shell and the true you shows, they understand. he loves to play with your hair, he loves it when you get flushed to the face because he thinks it’s adorable.

little drabble/skit

“hey, sweetheart, oh are you doing your hair?” john b said peering into your room.

“yeah.” you said looking at him though your mirror

“want some help? i am a professional.” he said with a chuckle as headed over to you to give you a kiss on the cheek

“yes please, i need some professional help.” you said laughing

“okay, then. prepare to be wowed.” he says as he starts to style your hair, five minutes in and he has already burned his finger two times

“ahh, shit!” he exclaims

“burn your finger, again? want me to do it?” you ask with a sympathetic smile, you grab his hand and kiss his finger

“thanks, babe. i wanna do this for you, you do a lot for me…it’s the least i can do.” he says with a smile

“okay. just let me know if you want me to take over.”

he nodded and then went back at it

ten minutes later

“ahh, shit!”

#outerbanks #outerbanks x reader #john b obx #john b routledge #john b imagine #obx3 #obx x reader #safe haven #obx netflix #obx

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quillyfied · 2 years

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I think I take issue with a write-off labeling of Izzy as an abuser because of a couple of factors: 1. It erases Ed’s agency in his own story (and subsequently ignores that what they have is a toxic as hell dynamic that is TWO-SIDED), and 2. More of a philosophical wondering of if a person who is a textual part and subtextual victim of a culture of abuse is an abuser in the classical sense, or something a little more complicated, and wondering if we even have the right vocabulary for this. (At least, I certainly don’t. Personal aside that I’m not an abuse victim, but am working on healing from long-term emotional damage done from the messy business of someone else’s baggage cutting into mine and making mine worse without either of us really understanding that’s what was happening. Maybe that’s driving my interpretation here and maybe that’s wrong but wanted to speak my piece about it regardless.)

Initial point of order that has to be addressed in order to dig into both points: as far as Izzy is concerned, he’s fallen down the weirdest rabbit hole of his life. He’s probably the only person present who might have had any kind of sympathy for Chauncey Badminton’s little breakdown where he declares he’s ended up in Backwards Land. Like most people, he seems himself as the most rational person there, a realist, a pragmatist. And to a degree, he is; he attempts to take charge with ship repairs and maintenance, he tries to get the man who’s supposed to be in charge to come up with a game plan for running from the Spanish navy, he does everything he can possibly think of to get Ed—the pillar on which he’s decided to build his life, for better or worse (yes that’s absolutely a nod at David Jenkins calling Izzy’s storyline that of a jilted spouse)—away from this influence that as far as Izzy can tell is turning the most feared and respected pirate of the seas into even more of a liability than he was before, and worse, an OPEN liability. Izzy runs around trying so hard to squeeze even an ounce of what he sees as proper respect from the crew of the Revenge, trying so hard to keep Ed’s peculiarities stuffed down and Blackbeard’s image preserved, that he contributes to a life that was already smothering Ed half to death. Izzy can see that, can see the results of how bored and unpleasant Ed is, he just doesn’t understand it, the same way Stede doesn’t understand why Ed is so complacent and even cheery about throwing Blackbeard far away that he shaves his namesake completely off. In a lot of ways, Stede and Izzy are foils for each other, rivals in a very real sense with similar goals and very different methods and schools of thought for achieving them. I could derail this entire train of thought down THAT rabbit hole.

But to keep on target, what I want to also establish is that Blackbeard as a legend is important because for Izzy and for Ed, Blackbeard is protection, prestige, and a hella wobbly, hella dangerous precipice to be balanced on, an act to be meticulously maintained. Ed slips even an inch, they’re all done for, crunched and ground up back into the violence machine that is piracy and left for the sharks. Crew doesn’t respect and fear Blackbeard, doesn’t immediately follow orders, doesn’t know in their bones that one wrong move will see any unfortunate crew member maimed or worse in the name of compliance? The ship goes down, authority breaks down, utter chaos ensues, the whole crew, captain and all, dies. Motivation like that doesn’t NOT make Izzy abusive, but context is important. Izzy doesn’t do any of what he does to and for Ed just to hurt him. In Izzy’s mind, he’s protecting them both. Again, not saying this absolves him or makes him not as bad, because Izzy assuredly is in the wrong, particularly when it comes to his final gambit to snap Ed out of his funk and he awakens a Kraken instead; it was a piece of calculated cruelty designed to be a reality check, an ultimatum of pretty dire proportions given Izzy’s loyalty and the lengths he’s willing to go for that loyalty. But more on that later.

First point I want to address: labeling Izzy as abuser and Ed as victim in a traditional sense takes away most, if not all, of Ed’s agency in his own story. Ed is the captain. Ed holds the authority, between the two of them, to get stuff done. A note about the relationship between captain and first mate, which I’ve picked up from observance of a wide variety of fiction sources: the captain makes the plan, the first mate executes the plan. The captain says where they’re going, the first mate communicates to the crew what they need to do in order to get the vessel to its destination. The captain gives an order, the first mate sees it through. It’s delegation. On a particularly well-oiled crew, the first mate oversees the crew and gives orders as they see fit to maintain equilibrium while the captain is busy with administrative or personal business. A captain and a first mate are supposed to be a team, voices of authority presenting a unified front to the crew. An order from the first mate is an order from the captain or as good as, unless the captain themself says otherwise.

So when Izzy lists off the things he’s done for Ed, the ways Izzy has done his best to manage a questioning and bloodthirsty crew while his captain essentially mentally checks out, Izzy is right in that he’s going above and beyond for Ed. And Ed’s boredom with it all doesn’t absolve him of his responsibilities as captain, or from the pressures of being captain, as he illustrates for Stede so thoroughly when they swap clothes. Ed absolutely is dismissive of Izzy’s feelings, teases him almost like an angry chihuahua by having it all in hand and not telling Izzy a thing about it (keeping in mind that if Ed had shared it earlier, Izzy could have corrected the date mistake, and they could have figured something else out sooner. This is not a blame game, just a statement of fact). Ed is the reason Izzy stayed on the Revenge (“I need you here.”), and ultimately too the reason he leaves it (“Bonnet…done something to my boss’ brain.”). Ed is the one who gave Izzy his marching orders, above all loyalty to his captain, Ed is the one who made a plan and backed out on it (“The plan is very much alive. He promised me.” And all that follows), and Ed is also the one who chooses to see Izzy’s betrayal of Stede as a betrayal of himself as well (keeping in mind too it wouldn’t have been, if Ed had left with Jack as planned. STILL not a blame game, STILL stating facts). I don’t think it’s unfair at all to say that Ed is emotionally as bad for Izzy as Izzy is for Ed—and about to get worse, with Ed going full tilt in the opposite direction and burying himself in the anger and violence that are as much a part of Ed as they are of Izzy, as they are of anyone who’s spent their entire adult lives working to the top of the pirate food chain.

I see Ed and Izzy’s dynamic less that of victim and abuser and more as a couple who came together for necessity and that worked for a while but now the relationship is going stale and restrictive, and while one of them is outgrowing the relationship, the other is desperately clawing at anything he can to stop things from changing. Because, as Izzy says, the only way to retire from piracy is through death; there’s no graceful bowing out of being a legendary pirate, and if the captain’s been stabbed, the first mate is about to see worse (see too how Izzy tried to appeal to Black Pete for help during the mutiny, having made him first mate, but Black Pete shrugged him off by saying he never formally accepted the position. First mate is supposed to have the captain’s back. Always). This is also why Izzy threatening Ed is such a huge deal; it’s a massive betrayal of their dynamic from Ed’s perspective, and from Izzy’s it’s a last resort to save both their skins. The rub being, Izzy might not be entirely wrong in being afraid that if Ed embraces his softer side so completely (debates about whether that’s what he was doing and was healing, or if he was just mimicking Stede to try and mitigate his hurt notwithstanding), it’ll kill them all the next time a ship with proper weapons tries to make a pass at the Revenge when her crew is like this.

So Izzy makes the threat, wraps himself in his unerring loyalty to his captain by making an appeal to whatever latent survival instinct Ed might still have in him—you’re Blackbeard, you protect us, and if you won’t, I’ll kill you (fine print: before you can get us all killed). Ed decides to react to it by not only going back to the way things were, but likely going back to it in such an opposite-swinging extreme that the Kraken is probably even more of a danger to himself and others than Edward was. No one made Ed do any of what he does when he’s the Kraken. Izzy never so much as made a suggestion of any of it. Izzy is just as responsible for the consequences of the Kraken, in my opinion, but its birth and actions are all Ed’s. We were told as an audience from the beginning that those were the sorts of things Blackbeard was famous for doing, that he’s capable of some truly heinous acts. He’s top dog pirate for a reason. Piracy is an ugly profession.

Which dovetails nicely into my second point: is Izzy an abuser for being stuck in an abusive cyclical culture? That, I don’t know for sure. Maybe. But calling Izzy an abuser just seems to me to be walking away from the whole second half of the equation: the fact that he’s STUCK there. But Ed tried to get out, and Stede was making his way in it without getting stuck! Fair points. But remember that Izzy sees himself as the only one in this situation with any sense of perspective or pragmatism. Things don’t work in the “real world” that Izzy lives in the way they do on the Revenge. And he has a point! Look at how hard Stede struggles in the first few episodes when he butts up against real pirate culture; it almost kills him, and he has to be saved by “real” pirates from his own mess. Izzy and Chauncey have the exact same thought, though: whatever weird magic the Revenge seems to hold in her boards, it’s a fluke. The real world doesn’t work like that. And Izzy isn’t going to let his captain, his meal ticket, his protection, and frankly everything he’s worked for for the past untold years, destroy himself on the rocks chasing mermaids. Ed’s going back to the real world kicking and screaming if Izzy has to drag him back himself. And he tries. And, eventually, he succeeds. So he thinks. Season 2 will tell the extent of his follies. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, what the Kraken is about to give us, I fully believe, is unchecked rage and hurt and violence on a scale that doesn’t take into account any level of loyalty or service. Izzy Hands got by for years on “managing” Edward; there is not going to be any “managing” of the Kraken.

And when the dynamic is that sickened, I don’t think calling Izzy Ed’s abuser is really true, any more than it would be to call Ed Izzy’s abuser. They’re hurting each other, yeah, quite a lot, but that’s just the world they live in. As Calico Jack said, “they’re all just in various stages of f/cking each other over.” Calico Jack is manipulative; Izzy is a traitor. Hornigold, by the sounds of him, was a captain who was an abuser; Izzy is a first mate using the only tools he knows to protect himself and his captain, because he refuses to believe that Bonnet’s little fantasy world will ever do anything other than make himself and his crew and whoever is stupid enough to stick around dead. Crucially, I want to make it clear that it doesn’t mean Izzy is RIGHT. But he is JUSTIFIED, based on the logic of his understanding of the world. And that’s what makes him SO DANG INTERESTING. And why boiling him down to “Ed’s abuser” is just…too simplified for everything going on here. Certainly there are ELEMENTS of abuse, but a toxic dynamic doesn’t automatically mean one of them is the evil holder of power and the other is a helpless innocent. They hurt each other, and they need each other, and you can’t simplify a dynamic like that without doing them both a huge disservice.

#our flag means death #took several times to post this bc paragraphs 2 chonky whoops #anyway back to my point #i am not so much an izzy hands apologist as i am an izzy hands analyst #con o'neill didn't give us a beautiful soundtrack of swear words for people to flatten the nuance of his character like this #'izzy is an abuser' tired #'izzy and ed are two toxic crabs in a bucket who keep dragging each other down' wired

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