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amporella · 2 years

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The validity of jock/quarterback Stan has served as a heated argument in the South Park fandom for over a decade. Years later, despite the popularity of such a portrayal diminishing, the discussion continues, often begging the question; Why doesn’t Kyle receive similar treatment? Is it because he’s legitimately less ‘jocky’? Or is it something else?

To answer this question, we need to turn back to canon. In this meta, I’ll be doing just that. There are a few subquestions we need to answer, all of which I’ll be going over individually;

Is Kyle equally as athletic as Stan?

Is Kyle equally as interested in sports as Stan?

Does Kyle have interests that are more formative than his interest in sports?

Let’s dive right into it!

Okay, I lied. We’re not diving right into it.

Firstly, a disclaimer; this meta piece is not an attack on jock Kyle, nor on a less jocky portrayal of Stan. Rather, it serves as a defense for jock Stan and nerd Kyle, as well as the fan-creators (both current and past) who choose to portray the characters in such a way. Everyone is entitled to their own headcanons and portrayals, regardless of canon basis; as such, I intend not to discourage alternative portrayals, but to instead facilitate understanding of why Jock Stan and Nerd Kyle were such formative interpretations, and how those portrayals do have extremely solid reasoning within canon.

And secondly, for clarification; I use the terms ‘jock’ Stan/Kyle and ‘nerd’ Kyle throughout this essay due to those terms being commonly used throughout the fandom.

For the definition of ‘jock’, I’ll be using Oxford Language’s second definition; “an enthusiastic athlete or sports fan, especially one with few other interests.” This definition is where I draw the questions I posed above from.

For the definition of ‘nerd’, I’ll be using Merriam-Webster’s first definition; “a person devoted to intellectual, academic, or technical pursuits or interests.”

In the way I’ll be using them, neither term is intended to be offensive; rather, as apt descriptions of the interests and talents Stan and Kyle have.

Okay, now we can get started!

Athleticism

The obvious first place to look for evidence of each character’s athleticism is in the episodes in which they actually play sports (most specifically football for Stan and basketball for Kyle), so let’s start there!

We’ll begin with Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride, a Stan-centric football-centric episode, and one commonly cited as evidence for jock Stan. For our purposes, the relevant parts of the episode lie in the homecoming football game between South Park and Middle Park; a football game in which Stan plays as the quarterback. According to quite a few people in town, Stan is not only good, but the best quarterback South Park has ever seen.

The fact that this episode takes place in Season 1 is notable; it shows that Stan’s skill at football was both an intended part of his character from extremely early in his development, AND that it was formative enough to be the focus of the first Stan-centric episode in the series. Stan appears in three episodes before this one, as well as Jesus vs Frosty and Jesus vs Santa, but Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride is the first episode that Stan gets the spotlight; and in the process, it serves as an episode that introduces key character traits that follow him throughout the series. The Stan traits that Matt and Trey wanted viewers to take away from this episode were that he’s open-minded, loves his dog, values masculinity (or ‘butchness’, as he describes it), and is REALLY good at football. This character trait is present throughout the entirety of the series, which I’ll elaborate on further later on.

However, Kyle also plays a role in this episode; when Stan doesn’t show up in time, Kyle’s elected quarterback in his place. Stan also tosses the football to Kyle near the end of the game, and Kyle scores a touchdown; this implies that while Kyle’s skills aren’t deserving of the recognition Stan gets, he’s not half bad at football. So, what about basketball?

The jock Kyle equivalent of Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride is Season 9′s Mr. Garrison’s Fancy New Vagina, in which the relevant parts include Kyle trying out for the all-state basketball team and going to great lengths to achieve his goal. The details of how he goes about this aren’t particularly relevant, other than to note that if he was willing to undergo surgery, he must have been committed. During this episode, we find out a few relevant things about Kyle’s interest in basketball; that he’s the best player in his school, that he loves basketball, and that he wants to play for the Denver Nuggets one day.

Notably, while he’s the best basketball player at South Park Elementary, he isn’t good enough to make all-states. I won’t be delving deep into why he didn’t make the team (due to him not making it being the setup for an episode that’s in extremely bad taste, in multiple ways), but it’s worth considering as it’s the only real situation we have in which Kyle is pitted against people outside of South Park. Another point of note is that while Kyle is talented at basketball, he’s never shown on the South Park Cows basketball team; this contrasts Stan’s prominent role on the football team, as well as Kyle’s own participation there.

However, Stan and Kyle’s participation in football and basketball respectively aren’t the only evidence we have in-show of their athleticism; the two of them both participate on several different sports teams, as well as engage in other activities indicative of how athletic they actually are.

For the purposes of this argument, many of the sports the two of them participate in can be disregarded; if both characters are on the wrestling team in equal positions, it can’t be used as a point towards either of them. However, there is one relevant sport in which both of them participate, but take on notably different roles; baseball.

Baseball has many different positions, and they vary quite significantly in difficulty; commonly assumed to be the most difficult are the pitcher and the catcher. Stan serves as pitcher on the South Park baseball team; this implies that Stan, despite having no enjoyment for baseball as a sport, is good enough to be chosen for what is arguably the most difficult position on the team. Kyle’s positioning (behind and to the right) of Stan indicates that he’s the second baseman; it’s a fairly demanding position, but doesn’t come anywhere close to the difficulty of pitcher. This alone doesn’t indicate that Stan is athletic in a general sense rather than exclusively in sports, but other things do.

Consider the episode Asspen, in which Stan is challenged to a ski race from a far more experienced skier. He’s tasked with racing him down the fictional mountain K-13, which is described as being extremely dangerous; a character in the episode informs Stan that 35 people have died going down it. It is also important to note that skiing is a very physically demanding sport; Stan’s successful training throughout the episode already implies significant athleticism. During the ski race itself, he’s not notably fast, but he successfully avoids the obstacles and completes the race; a feat which, as we know from the episode, is not in any way easy. This indicates a pattern; Stan is recognizably good at athletic activities in general. This pattern continues down to the littlest details; in The Wacky Molestation Adventure, Stan effortlessly swings down from a tall pole to meet Mark and Linda, while Kyle walks instead.

Kyle, on the other hand, does not display the same pattern; compared to Stan-centric episodes, in which Stan is often given opportunities to display athletic prowess, Kyle-centric episodes beyond Mr. Garrison’s Fancy New Vagina rarely involve sports at all. This could indicate that while Kyle is equally as athletic, he just isn’t given a chance to show it; however, it’s worth noting how much more of a role sports and athleticism plays in Stan-centric episodes.

So, what can we conclude from all of this?

Both Stan and Kyle are good at their respective sports, but Stan is either objectively more athletic or has simply had more opportunities to demonstrate it. Their differing participation on the baseball team seems to clarify that it’s the former. Therefore, we can answer our first question; no, Kyle does not seem to be as athletic as Stan.

Interests in Sports

Stan and Kyle are both comparatively excellent players on their respective teams, but in order to determine whether Kyle’s athleticism is as formative to his character as Stan’s is, we need to delve deeper. Kyle is good, but how much does he actually care? Does he display consistent interest in sports, and in basketball in particular? How does he stack up against Stan’s interest in sports?

To determine this, let’s start with Stan, so we have a point of reference to go off of for Kyle.

Stan loves football; he has a passion for the Denver Broncos, in particular. His love of football (and even sports, in general) is obvious simply from entering his room; he has two football lamps, a John Elway poster, a Broncos sticker, a South Park Cows banner, and two pieces of baseball merchandise - despite that not even being the sport he’s most interested in.

Stan’s decked out room isn’t just a one-time design choice, either; when Stan moves to Tegridy Farms, he still has a Denver Broncos clock on his wall. His interest in sports hasn’t waned; the Broncos are still important to him, over twenty seasons after his interest in football debuted.

Matt and Trey haven’t forgotten about Stan’s interest in the Broncos recently, either; in the most recent special, The Streaming Wars, Stan has a Broncos backpack.

We have evidence of Stan’s interest in football from Season 1 to the most recent South Park content released, but his interest in football isn’t even limited to then; in Post-Covid, the first topic of conversation Randy brings up is the performance of the Broncos. And Stan’s response implies that he’s still following them, forty years later; even when Stan is down and depressed, barely able to show interest in anything at all, he still cares about the Broncos.

Stan loves the Broncos, obviously, but more specifically, he loves John Elway; it’s clear throughout the show that he idolizes him. Stan’s idea of an important individual is John Elway - in Mecha-Streisand, he doesn’t take Barbara Streisand seriously because she doesn’t know him.

His parents and friends are obviously aware of his fixation on Elway, too; he receives Elway-themed gifts several times throughout the show, once from his parents and once from Gary Harrison.

Stan idealizes John Elway; it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he wants to be like him, given his skill and passion for football. The first two instances in which Elway is brought up are in Season 1, but All About Mormons takes place in Season 7; Stan’s idolization of him holds strong for several seasons.

He doesn’t seem to have as much of a passion for other specific Broncos players, but he still stays up to date on both their and the team’s performance; in Trapped In The Closet, the scientologists distract Stan by asking him about the Broncos’ record; Stan knows the answer immediately.

In Guitar Queer-o, when given the opportunity to meet a player from the Broncos, Stan is absolutely thrilled, and while Kyle seems excited too, Stan’s the one who follows up. Not only does Stan instantly recognize him, but he also knows his performance off the top of his head. Stan’s mention of his dad’s opinion also implies that he’s had conversations about the Broncos at home before, further supporting the idea of him holding a genuine interest in football.

Stan’s also the first kid to step up and take a leadership role in multiple different sports; when playing football with his friends in Raisins, he lays out the game plan, and when Pip doesn’t know how to play dodgeball in Conjoined Fetus Lady, Stan’s the first kid to step up and explain it to him.

It’s obvious that Stan’s interest in sports (football, in particular) is multifaceted and consistent; he has a preference for a favorite team (and keeps track of their performance), he idolizes a specific player, he decorates his room with various sports-themed decor, he takes an instinctual teaching role in sports-related activities, and he continues to hold a flame for football from age eight to age fifty. Football is the only interest of Stan’s brought up this consistently, over such a wide period of time. Clearly, there is evidence for Stan being an enthusiastic athlete and sports fan, as our definition of ‘jock’ specifies; what about Kyle? Does he have equal enthusiasm for basketball?

(Before we continue on, credit to M-Arkham-Ill on DA for the screenshots of Stan and Kyle’s rooms, and @/hachichimitsu for her thread on jock Stan, which I pulled a lot of these moments from! Go check her thread out!!)

Okay, back to Kyle; we started with Stan’s room, so it seems reasonable that we look first to Kyle’s room for evidence of his interest in basketball.

Kyle DOES have something basketball-related on his desk; it’s a little trophy, implying that he won something or other. He also has a basketball in his closet, as well as a golf club; that being said, it’s highly implied that the club is more for his Stick of Truth persona than for actual golf. However, the rest of his room isn’t nearly as swamped with sports-related decor as Stan’s is; in fact, there seems to be another theme in his room that overpowers sports. But we’ll come back to that soon!

So, Kyle’s room indicates less of an interest in sports than Stan’s does, but does his interest in basketball throughout the rest of the series make up for the difference?

The next time in which basketball is mentioned specifically in relation to Kyle is in Cartman Finds Love, a season 16 episode. The seven season gap between these episodes is already notable; it implies that Kyle’s interest in basketball is used as needed. Stan’s interest in football, on the other hand, comes up even when it could be replaced by something else; when comparing these instances, Kyle’s interest seems to be plot relevant, while Stan’s interest is character relevant.

Back to Cartman Finds Love. The reason basketball is relevant in this episode is that it serves as a common interest between Kyle and Nichole; based on Kyle’s response to this realization, Nichole liking basketball is a great thing. This, at the very least, confirms that Kyle is still interested in basketball by season 16.

Cartman Finds Love puts us off to a great start, but after that, it’s much more difficult to look for episodes in which Kyle’s interest in basketball becomes relevant. To my knowledge, there are no more scenes in which basketball is brought up for Kyle in the same way football is brought up for Stan. There are several instances in which all of the boys play basketball, but if they’re all doing it, we can’t really use it as Kyle-exclusive evidence. Similarly, at the end of Post-Covid, all four boys go to a Denver Nuggets game as Heather Williams’ special guests; Kyle doesn’t seem any more excited than the other three. After season 16, Kyle’s interest in basketball seems to drop off.

Once again, let’s sum up our findings; Stan is extremely enthusiastic about football, and that enthusiasm spans multiple aspects of the sport. Kyle, while maintaining his interest in basketball to an extent, doesn’t have nearly as many instances in which he displays that interest. So, let’s refer back to one of our questions; is Kyle equally as interested in sports as Stan? Again; the answer seems to be a no.

Other Interests

So, we’ve gone over Stan and Kyle’s sportiness in canon, and come to some conclusions; Kyle seems to be less athletic than Stan, as well as less interested in sports as a whole. We’ve also come to another conclusion; Stan’s interest in sports is a HUGE part of his character, and it dwarfs the large majority of his other interests. This makes Stan our textbook definition of a jock; he’s an enthusiastic athlete, an enthusiastic sports fan, and sports is his primary interest. Kyle participates in sports, and likes them, but I’d hesitate to call him enthusiastic; that being said, Stan does set an incredibly high standard for an in-show sports fan.

Now, we’re going to switch gears a little bit, and shift from Kyle’s interests in sports to Kyle’s interests in other things. Part of the reason I wrote this is to justify my interest in nerd Kyle; based on canon, is that a valid interpretation of the canon? Is Kyle devoted to intellectual and academic interests?

Let’s go back to that image of Kyle’s room, and back to the theme that I mentioned earlier; the theme in Kyle’s room that outnumbers his basketball trophy is academics! He has a picture of Einstein on his wall; a figure with obvious connotations towards innovation and intelligence. He has a solar system model and a globe on his desk, and we can tell that the solar system model is too small to be the costume he wore; therefore, it seems like it must be a school project. He has a calculator and pens as a permanent fixture on his desk; when viewers look at Kyle’s room, they’re supposed to notice that his room is massively themed towards academics. Almost to the extent that Stan’s room is themed towards sports!

Such a trend continues in Post-Covid, too; when we get a good look at Kyle’s study, the first thing that stands out is the huge amount of books he has. He also has a basketball trophy - the same one that appears to be present in his room as a child, implying both some level of importance and that trophy was the only one that he’s ever won for basketball - as well as his solar system model. Kyle’s interest in basketball is still present here, but barely; in fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that, since nothing else related to basketball is present for him during the specials, that Kyle kept his trophy more for the reminder of winning than his love of the sport. Kyle has always been a character that thrives on validation, and such a concept would apply even more in Post-Covid, where it’s implied Kyle hasn’t ‘won’ anything or felt victorious in a very long time. Keeping a trophy just for the sake of it being a trophy would not be out of character. The same can’t be said about his books.

Kyle’s room isn’t the only indication that he leans more towards the academics than the athletics, either; consider the following scenes.

In The Tooth Fairy’s Tats 2000, Kyle gets very into philosophy after finding out the tooth fairy isn’t real; he develops the undoubtedly intellectual desire to learn. He tears through books to try and find out what he’s looking for, which is a characteristic we rarely see in any other character; Kyle refuses to brush off things he doesn’t understand; instead, he seeks further knowledge and understanding. His desire to learn more about philosophy continues beyond this episode, too; in Kyle’s closet, there’s a book titled ‘Space-Time and Quantum Theory’.

Another instance of ‘nerdy’ Kyle behavior is in Follow That Egg, in which he’s one of the students most passionate about the project; he is incredibly insistent on getting an A, while Stan doesn’t seem to care less.

He cares deeply about his academic performance, and more than that, he actually admits to enjoying academics; he likes studying. He even says that it’s part of who he is; his love for academics and intellectual pursuits composes a core part of his identity.

He’s even one of the finalists in the South Park spelling bee, being the only kid from South Park Elementary who makes it to the final three. His academic pursuits drive him; he strives for good grades and recognition of his intelligence, and he goes so far as to genuinely enjoy the process. His passion for academics is matched by few other kids in the school, and he most certainly trumps Stan in both his intellectual interests and performances.

Furthermore, Kyle is one of the more tech-savvy kids; a passion that certainly constitutes technical interests. In The Snuke, Kyle delves deep into searching for the suspected terrorists; he only needs brief guidance to understand how to effectively research, going so far as to cross-reference accounts. In Bass to Mouth, it’s revealed that he knows how to track IP addresses. He’s naturally skilled (and even devoted) towards technical pursuits, meeting yet another qualification for our definition of a nerd.

Even Kyle’s tendency towards speeches paints him as an intellectual; his role, especially in early seasons (including the pilot episode) is to say what he learned that day. He’s constantly on a quest for knowledge, a trait that separates him from the other boys. Similarly to Stan’s love of football and animals, this is the trait that the viewers were supposed to take away from Kyle in one of the first episodes; Kyle was meant to be the smart, self-aware kid out of the group from the very beginning.

This is even supported by the commentary for An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig, in which Matt and Trey have this to say about Kyle’s intelligence: “We decided in this episode that Kyle would kind of be the good student... he would kind of be the guy who got As, and stuff. He's not a dick about it, but he just is smarter than the other guys - school smarter than the other guys."

Okay, let’s recap one more time. The interest that’s most frequently brought up for Stan, even in situations where it’s unnecessary, is football; this implies that rather than being something to move the plot along, football is key to Stan’s character. Basketball (and other sports) do not behave in the same way for Kyle; instead, academics does, with Kyle almost always being the character who engages in intellectual, academic, and technical pursuits out of the main four. His interest in academics is also much more widespread than his interest in basketball.

From all of this information, we can draw our conclusion to our third question; yes, Kyle does have interests that are more formative to his character than basketball and sports, with those interests being academic.

We’re done analyzing canon; now, we need to decide what all of the above actually means. Is Stan a jock? Is Kyle a jock? If Kyle isn’t a jock, what is he?

The first question is the easiest to answer; absolutely. Stan fits every criterion for being a jock, bar none. No matter what term you prefer to use in place of jock - sports fan, athlete, quarterback, etc - Stan meets the qualifications.

Our second question is a little bit harder. Is Kyle an athlete? Yes - but not as talented as Stan is. Is Kyle interested in sports? Sure. But is he enthusiastic? Probably not; he rarely, if ever, displays interest in basketball beyond the two episodes where such an interest serves as a plot point. Does he have few other interests - or, in other words, is basketball his primary interest? Also, probably not. Kyle isn’t the sporty kid of the group - Stan is. Kyle’s primary interest goes beyond sports. Putting all of this together, I would have to say no; Kyle does not qualify as a jock, or at least the definition of a jock that we’re using above.

So, what is he? This question is simpler than the second one - he’s a nerd! His interests are primarily intellectual in nature, and he has a skill and a passion for academics matched by few; while many of the kids in South Park are notoriously bad at school, Kyle meets academic challenges with enthusiasm. In situations where the boys need someone with technical skills, Kyle almost always steps up to the plate; he knows far more about technology and how to use it than the average kid in South Park does. Similarly to Stan and being a jock, Kyle meets every qualification for being a nerd.

Does this mean the two of them will necessarily stay that way? Definitely not. There are thousands of possibilities for how the two of them will turn out; maybe Stan dives deeper into board games and becomes a nerd, or Kyle grows increasingly enthusiastic about basketball and becomes a jock. It could happen, and it’s an entirely valid headcanon. It’s even entirely valid to portray them differently as ten year olds - there’s no rule saying you have to adhere directly to canon!

But even if they do change in the future, or even if they’re portrayed differently, that doesn’t change how they actually appear in the show, and that doesn’t change the fact that when people choose to portray Stan as a jock and Kyle as a nerd, they are drawing directly from canon; they are simply having the characters maintain the interests they had in their youth. And that’s not a bad thing. It’s not an interpretation deserving of the constant criticism that it receives, either; the reason jock Stan and nerd Kyle became so popular (and stayed so popular for quite a while) was because it stays close to their canonical interests. It works directly off of what we see in the show, and in every fandom, canonical interpretations are always most popular.

Let’s go full circle, and answer the question I posed at the beginning one final time (albeit worded differently for clarity):

Why isn’t Kyle portrayed as a jock as often as Stan is?

The answer; because, at this point in the canon, he isn’t one.

(Thanks to @/allymumu for the title image, and thank you for reading!)

#south park #kyle broflovski #stan marsh #meta #south park meta #i did the thing

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greenslug · 2 years

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i self ship with piccolo so actually he cuts his nails so we can bone /hj also i love ur blog so much <3 i really don't know where the idea that he's 100% asexual came from!! like sure namekians can reproduce asexually but who said they can't reproduce sxually too yk?? i wish we knew more of the nitty gritty biological stuff about them but alas dragon ball is for kids and honestly i don't think toriyama has really thought about that kind of stuff very deeply anyhow lmfaooo

personally i think piccolo has both parts (i believe it's called intersex!!) namekians don't seem like a race with a very high libido however i'm sure he has one, but prioritizes self control (we see him meditating a lot) the only thing we can assume about piccolo from the anime/manga is that he doesn't really understand love (the scene with krillin and 18 after the cell games when he says he doesn't understand love and in dbs when vegeta tells goku that saiyans are attracted to strong women and piccolo says 'I finally understand!") but i always got the idea that nobody has ever really approached piccolo romantically since he looks a bit scary so he never got a chance to understand romance 1st hand. gohan also said that piccolo's very shy in dbfz so i think if someone ever started blatantly flirting with piccolo he'd be super shy and clam up and probably stumble on his words. piccolo definitely gets embarrassed easily but he puts on a tough front! i think piccolo is a bit misunderstood by fans because we don't see much of his personality beyond his stoic attitude.

big agree!! i wish we knew more as well but at the same time i love how open ended piccolo’s character is; you can basically imagine him acting a variety of ways because of the character development he’s had, and since the inner mechanisms of his being haven’t been fully explained, his sexuality and such is totally up for interpretation; you want him to be asexual and not at all interested in sex? fits! you want him to be secretly infatuated with the concept of having a human partner but just super reserved about it? that works too! sexual deviant that’s secretly had a ton of flings and one night stands? who knows, not me, but it can be!

his character is extremely versatile and i love it; i also believe the same as you about his libido & about him getting embarrassed easily, especially later on in dragon ball like the later seasons of z and in super. if he had a human flirt with him i feel like he’d be very thrown off

#piccolo #dbz #dbs #piccolo x reader #piccolo headcanon #greenslug headcanon #greenslug bs #greenslug answers

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yusuke-of-valla · 4 months

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From the perspective of Persona 5 Royal as a standalone story I'm not necessarily against the ambiguity of what exactly happened with Akechi. I actually like it, there's lots of room for interpretation! The Third Semester had a sort of dream logic to it which fit well with how the cognitive world was bleeding into reality. I like the idea of Akechi being a sort of Schrödinger's cat. Is that actually Akechi or just Joker's mind playing tricks on him? If he survived, how? Was that Akechi or was it not? Will Joker and Akechi ever meet again or will they simply remain individuals who changed each other forever only for their paths never to cross again, with Joker forever unsure of Akechi's survival or even what happened to the boy he cared about enough to change reality? The open-endedness of Akechi's story as it relates to Joker isn't bad to me.

However it does cause a lot of problems for any Persona 5 game that happens afterward the 3rd semester which by its nature needs to have a canon answer to all of this if they want to bring back popular character Akechi (which is probably why Strikers apparently takes place in the timeline of the OG Persona 5 and not Royale). And the similarly "are they actually brought back to life or merely mental constructs?" question that the other back-from-the-dead loved ones in the 3rd semester raise are far easier to brush aside since their status as dead is never in question with incentive to bring them back for a later instalment of the series. I personally don't have much faith in Atlus explaining it in a compelling way that makes sense though.

Honestly, if you ask me everyone acts like Akechi is dead because Joker believes it. His wish is predicated on the belief that Akechi IS dead which is the information Maruki is acting on and the world then shapes itself to accommodate and with his memories so fuzzy, why should Akechi believe any different? Not to mention how Akechi's cognition of himself and the world might also have an impact on the evidence, Maruki's own perception, and his conclusions. But the choice still matters because Joker and Akechi were willing to make that choice even if it resulted in Akechi being dead, not necessarily that it ends with Akechi dead.

Yeah, basically. As a stand-alone story it's fine, and my issue with Akechi's death being a cop out is more along the lines of "by the fucking FOURTH fake out death (fifth if you count Joker's), it starts getting really annoying" than it being bad conceptually

But the problem is it's part of a series that has Spin-off games that continue the story, and like they should have known people would expect a follow up come Royal.

So really they shot themselves in the foot with that final cutscene because while I do find it annoying that people will go "where's Akechi?!" At every new thing, I don't think it's unreasonable for people to, you know, expect the very deliberate dangling plot thread to get addressed? From a very deliberate standpoint, why would you show him the way you did if it isn't supposed to be a sequel hook (because yeah the blocking of that shot is very deliberate "hey look at this")

It's not like this was originally gonna be stand alone story and then it got unexpectedly popular so you made a sequel, and now have to answer a question so plot can happen

Idk maybe it annoys me so much because to me at least it's SO blatantly stringing fans along I'm kind of offended on principle. Like you made your bed fucking lie in it, don't dance around it like cowards

#this is probably another case of alto can't turn off writer brain so I'm more interested in the decisions the authors make than this being #a coherent thing in and of itself #alto replies #persona 5 critical

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florence-nomachine · 6 months

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it's very valid to not like the movie!! i have a pretty mixed reaction to it personally. i appreciate this movie because it made me feel like i was 8 years old again too afraid to watch my favorite youtubers playing in full screen, and the cuter moments (even the part where they built the fort) made me smile. i also very much enjoyed matthew and josh being on my screen, and matthew's portrayal of william is giving me motivation to write. however, given it's a pg-13 movie where i was expecting something more on the horror side (i am also a gore movie enjoyer so this is just me personally). i was also disappointed by the fact that mike didn't turn out to be michael, hank didnt turn out to be henry, and a part of me was hoping abby would turn out to be lizzie.

also just wanted to pop in and say chaos theory is one of my favorite william fics, and i absolutely adore tnp and follow the updates religiously!!

Thanks for bringing in your perspective! It was certainly very nostalgic in parts (the Balloon Boy gag especially) and the actual experience of being in the theatre with people who were fans was fun and I could feel the excitement. I LOVED Mike’s expressions with Abby like he really was a tired dad trying to do his best😭💛

I’m glad that you’ve got motivation to write, even with William’s lack of screentime. Less is more in some cases, so it’s going to be fun to see how you and other people interpret him!

I saw a random comment on Reddit who had the same thoughts about the gore, and whilst I didn’t mind *that* much, it definitely would’ve been cool to see some full on guts! I also liked how William didn’t hesitate to stab his daughter, he really doesn’t gaf as he should 💀

Mike not being Michael killed me in a way (😭), and I feel really strongly about it - The game lore arc has such a stronger, compelling dynamic about a family torn apart by their own fathers’ ego/evil, and it kind of baffles me why that was all dumped just for Mike to be a random guy, with Vanessa as the offspring? It clears up her story, but I think it hurt the tragedy of Mike (even though he still lost his brother, and blames himself). I would’ve been fine if they were half siblings, even! And it just opens so many weird questions about William, and how/why he kept tabs on Michael specifically…

No Henry is kind of sad for Henry fans😭😭 But I see why he wasn’t there. THEY SWERVED ME WITH HANK THOUGH!

I could just be putting my own feelings before rationality (likely since it’s a media we’ve grown up with), but for all this build up, it felt really anticlimactic.

Also, thank you for being a reader of my works! 💛💛It always means a lot :))

#I think mixed is definitely the word #thank you for sharing!!#this is how you do it guys btw #discussion #florence_nomachine #florence talks

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megaderping · 2 years

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Late Night Fandom Frustrations

Honestly, sometimes I worry about how aggressive parts of the Undertale and Deltarune fandoms on tumblr and twitter can be in terms of like.... just general fandom climate surrounding certain characters or views on things. Obviously, it’s hardly a problem exclusive to UT/DR, but it still bugs me a lot. Mostly in terms of more innocuous things like just enjoying characters like Asgore or Berdly, some people will get really up in arms about it. The moment someone casually mentions liking Asgore, you get the same people jumping in and going “he killed kids” like the fans of the character don’t already know that...? It is possible to like a character, while acknowledging their flaws, and it bothers me because it feels like there are weird double standards at play at times. Because Asriel gets all this love and positivity, but he also at one point actively killed people (albeit it wasn’t his first choice when he became Flowey and he only started doing this when he was unable to make meaningful connections and got bored and curious, and he is a very complex and tragic character). But I’ve had friends get harassed and literally stalked for just... drawing cute Asgore art and being told it’s “woobifying him”. And I’ve seen people on twitter just try to talk about Asgore get jumped by people repeatedly tearing into the character and it’s just... it’s okay to dislike Asgore, but it’s just rude to go into a space where someone just wants to have a chill discussion and start spewing flames. And, obviously, it goes both ways. I’ve seen people who like, say, Berdly heckle and pester people who have expressed they don’t like him, aren’t interested in debating it, and just want to left alone. And I think if someone makes clear boundaries, that’s not up for debate. And bashing another character just to elevate a fav isn’t good either- e.g. the “Toriel is just as bad as Asgore” crowd. But also like... another issue I have is the way some people get really aggressive about certain choices or interpretations being the only valid ones. I’ve mentioned it before, but Frisk being Toriel’s child is a big one- the choice is in the game, it’s very sweet, and it leads to a nice resolution with Toriel and brings things full circle, but Toby also included places to go. Calling Toriel mom is an option, and a valid player choice, but so is not calling her mom. Folks can accept neutral routes and no mercy and stuff, so why is it that this one specific choice is held as the only one that matters?

When people push it as the only valid canon and anything contrary is Wrong, it just bothers me because this is a game full of so many choices and routes. A pacifist run can have you be kind to everyone, or you can be rude the entire time and still get the pacifist ending, along with everything in between. And it’s just confusing to me why when so many other choices and routes are acknowledged, Frisk being Toriel’s kid is treated as ironclad rather than just a preference. Places to go opens up a lot of really interesting mysteries- like where Frisk WOULD go, what sort of unfinished business they might have, and why they would come to Ebott.

It’d just be nice if more people in the fandom were open to that, y’know? Or at least acknowledged that however much it IS a popular choice, not everyone has to make that choice or have it be canon to their content. Likewise, a fanwork doesn’t have to treat Frisk as siblings or even friends with Chara or Asriel. It can be cute! But I also think, like not forgiving Asriel, there’s room for Frisk not wanting to build that kind of familial bond.

But it’s not just that. I see it to a lesser extent with things like Gaster interpretations due to the popularization of the years of collective fan lore. If someone wanted to make a Gaster that doesn’t resemble Mystery Man, I feel like it’d get a lot of unfair backlash, and that’s really sad. Likewise, I think the choice not to forgive Asriel is a valid one that isn’t explored that often (but if fanworks do explore it, I’d be curious to see!)

Just... blarg. Sometimes it feels like there’s too much of a push toward only one way of engaging with Undertale’s story and characters.* * No, I do not agree with using he or she for canon they/them characters. I won’t harass people over it, but I personally do not like it, and I consider that different from actual, in-game choices, before anyone tries to argue that here. But at the end of the day, I think it’s good to just... be chill with each other. If someone is being toxic or gross, then yeah, block and stuff, but sometimes people just have different favs or prefer different in-game choices and that’s not the end of the world.

#dorkvents #undertale #discourse

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direwombat · 1 year

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That anon again. Thank you for listening to my rambling. And if it matters any, Joseph gets plenty of chances to Suffer during my dep's canon. Because we're (plural because this is all from an RP verse my best friend and I have where she plays Joseph and a 'John fucker' GFH while I play my dep and John) bitches like that and can't let the Seed boys get away with being the worst without suffering for it. (1/?)

A major theme of Joe and Dep's relationship is 'be careful what you wish for' since he spends a good early portion of things wanting to change her to fit his whims (for her 'own good' of course), but oops, he gets attached to who she is but by the time he realizes it, his actions are already responsible for her having begun to change for the worse. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, Joseph. Now suffer. And I'm rambling again, but I had another question to ask. Two actually.

First: how did you first get comfortable with sharing Syb with the rest of tumblr? I ask because part of me is tempted to do this with my Dep, but the other part of me is scared of being perceived and judged for my dep, my interpretations of characters, etc. Two: With Augustine becoming Faith, did Joseph specifically pull this to punish Syb? Because I'm getting big 'you took my family member, now I take yours' vibes. And it sounds about right and petty and fucked up enough for Joe. (3/3)

f;lakdjfaldfkj that's TOTALLY FAIR i sure as hell don't let jacob off easy either fal;dfjkadf

and OOF well...to answer question 1: i've been shouting about my ocs into the void of the internet for the past several years (got started in the dragon age fandom, moved to the general dnd fandom, and ended up here) having friends already on tumblr/in the fandom space to share ideas and bounce off of certainly helps. it's for sure scary!, but tbh? the more you talk about them the more curious people will get. at least that's been my experience. and then of course, engaging with other people who have their own ocs, rb-ing their art/fic/sending asks for ask games and prompt lists are a great way to kind of find your place in the fandom/community and make friends! And to address your fear of being judged for your dep/interpretations of characters, i'll just say this: fandom would be boring if everyone had the exact same interpretation of the characters and it's ok to disagree with an interpretation as long as you're not a dick about it, yk? And, just like people irl, everyone's deputy is different and adds to the fandom!

my advice: do whatever you feel most comfortable doing. make your characters in picrews and do those uquizes! I normally open tag, so if you see one from me that you like! tag me! this includes wip wednesdays/whenevers too if you ever feel brave enough to share any writing you have! BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, you are your oc's number one fan! if (god forbid, and i've never seen this happen personally) someone doesn't like them and has the gall, the sheer audacity to say that to your face? block them. have fun with your oc is what i'm getting at. they're your little barbie/bratz/whatever doll that inspires the most nostalgia for you. we're all just playing little games, telling little stories and dressing up our personal blorbos however we want. :)

as for question 2:

ahh.. poor sweet Augustine. So, Augustine is a park ranger who was on duty at the Whitetails Ranger Station the night of the Reaping and was injured in a pretty nasty fall. One of his coworkers (another oc, Shaw) is one of Jacob's Chosen (who spent a lot of time undercover as a civilian), and after hearing that the Deputy escaped, he essentially lets Jacob know that they have a piece of leverage against her. He's sent to Joseph to heal, where he's very subtley and slowly indoctrinated into the cult. He keeps Augustine hidden from Syb and he also keeps it secret that Syb is the one causing misery to the Cult/newfound family Augustine has found himself welcomed into (as much as he and syb love each other, they're not perfect and uh...there are some abandonment issues there). anyway, i'm still kind of ironing out the details of it all, but essentially, after john and faith are neutralized (john dead and faith/rachel safe and getting clean) jacob and joseph are like, "alright, time to use our secret weapon." Syb knows they have Augustine at this point, but she's under the impression that he's a prisoner, not a member of the cult.

So they meet up on neutral ground (i'm thinking tanami island) only instead of a loving and wholesome reunion, Syb finds out that her brother drank the kool-aid and Augustine finds out that his sister is the one causing the "unnecessary" violence plaguing the Project (which also, Joseph is very careful to shield Augustine from the actual violence, and paints the Project as a much more peaceful organization than it actually is). Anyway, cult tactics win over in Augustine's head and he turns against Syb, and given the power vacuum in the Henbane and his *ahem* closeness to Joseph, he's offered the mantle of Herald/Brother Faith. And. Yeah. It's definitely a method to punish/break Syb, and it's also a way to reward Augustine for his loyalty. Even she wouldn't kill or arrest her own brother. That reunion with her brother is the beginning of Syb's breaking point, and everything after that is just her slipping into misery, helplessness, and despair. everything about this is exploitative as hell :)

#faldjkfadf i'm sorry this got so long. again i hope i answered your questions #i've been in fandom (both actively and lurking) since 2011 and i have very few fucks to give #which makes sharing 'cringe' things like ocs and x reader fics SIGNIFICANTLY easier #but i also understand that's not an easy thing for everyone #but genuinely: fuck what other people think and have fun

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magic-can · 4 years

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!!!

#magiccan’s thoughts #off mortis ghost #went to her fanwiki page bc I needed a good art ref and I thought this was really cool #I love Mortis Ghost he’s such a chill guy #I decided to start watching the livestream he did for the game’s 10th anniversary (yes ik I’m 2 years late to that whole thing) and he just #seems so laid back and nice #and I love how open he is to fans interpreting the game however they want #(and honestly I think that was intentional on his part #as I was replaying the game recently all I could think of was the many different theories and perspectives on this game #and I couldn’t decide on which one I agreed with #while at the same time coming up with my own theories #the game is so vague but that’s not a bad thing in this case #in fact that’s part of what makes it so great imo)#but yeah. I hc Sugar as trans now #off sugar #off sucre #off game #off by mortis ghost #rpg maker #rpg maker games

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wickedcriminal · 2 years

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hypothetically, if a person knows almost nothing about loz, would they understand/enjoy lu?

juuust hypothetical question, not that your spamming looked fun or anything

Of course, hypothetically! 😌

So in general, the fancomic and fandom THRIVES on the hypothetical interaction between the Links from each Zelda game. This means it might be confusing without actual game context at first!

But worry not! I went into LU with only a few games under my belt, but learned a GREAT DEAL about the other Links, games, and lore through osmosis! The fandom is very passionate about the lore and really loves to tell their stories! You get to know the boys really well really fast.

I'd definitely recommend browsing the comic, though it would help to start at the archive in the bio. Jojo (the fancomic's author) constructs gorgeously drawn comics that really lets you get to know the boys on a surface level, and the fandom can help provide the rest. Knowledge of the games definitely adds flavor, but a skim through the Zelda wiki or a question thrown at me or the other fans will clear it right up, no YouTube longplay required.

If you wanted the BARE basics, though, just to test it out, here's a bit of information about LU as a whole.

In Zelda lore, Link the Hero is always reincarnated, so all nine Links in the story are technically the same person, just from different points in time and brought together by magic portals. They're looking for an entity called Dark Link, which is a recurring bad guy in the franchise. Dark Link (Dink) is infecting monsters with black blood so that they're stronger and more dangerous.

The Links in the comic (we call them the Chain, because links in a chain, geddit) call each other by occupation (like rancher, smithy, traveler, sailor, etcetera)

The fandom, however, calls them by their hero titles. There are nine Links. Using the picture above, from left to right, they are Warriors, the captain of the royal guard, Wild, the amnesiac champion, Four, who's actually four people in one body, Hyrule, a wandering mage, Time, the retired time traveler, Twilight, an actual werewolf, Wind, a tiny pirate, Sky, the Goddess's boyfriend, aaaand

Legend. Despite his 'average nobody' spiel they actually call him the 'veteran' because he's scary experienced and honestly, what HASN'T he seen.

I actually made a funny post here going into more detail about who each Link is, and it seems to be received as helpful? I feel like it's a little all over the place though so I'll probably make another one

Personally, I believe the main appeal of Linked Universe is character study and lore digging. Jojo gives us details in the comics that we really delve into with our own headcanons, fic, and fanart; give it more nuance with our own interpretations. The fanfic in particular for this community is phenomenal, exploring even the tiniest details in the lore and how it would affect a certain Link and their relationships with the other Links. An example is Twilight with Time, who are blood related. Another is Hyrule and Wild, who both have open world games. Four and Twilight both have an interesting connection to shadows. Etcetera

All in all, Linked Universe offers a fun and interesting gateway into the rich expanse of Zelda lore! There's a lot of focus on found family, if that's your cup of tea! It's definitely mine!

#linked universe #ask #long post #linkeduniverse #not to get long winded buT #I LOVE THIS COMIC OKAY #I NEED TO RAMBLEEEEE

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 3 years

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TOH Coven Headcanons

Plant: Plant witches are much like they’re chosen discipline, patient, sturdy, when knocked back down they come back up again season after season.

Just like plants, they have a variety of jobs as herbalists in tandem with the Healing Coven, chefs with the Potion Coven, and coming up with natural weapons and defenses in the jungle of the Boiling Isle. Plus contributing knowledge of the fauna and new discoveries.

They are one of the foremost experts of poisons, love perfumes, etc. and so there is a black market for their expertise as well as a black market for rare and exotic plants though there are societies that are working to keep those plants for science and research.

Illusions: Illusionists are very sociable, like to be in front of a crowd, many are entertainers or work with special effects and such on crystal ball with the Bard Coven. Some have joined companies in making virtual reality games. They also make the best parties/clubs that are like a masquerade/moulin rogue/funhouse/great Gatsby combo.

Though they do gripe about being looked down on as all style and no substance, they do tend to lean to being overly concerned with the appearance/aesthetic of something and forget about the function

Make great con people, what with the whole deception. Big fan of false fronts, and distracting with the right hand while using the left.

There are some forbidden spells like ones that are pre-cursor to the Grom monster and hallucinatory/insanity spells available on the black market. Belos has a supply of his own illusionists to use these in the conformatorium on any dissidents so when he releases them, their accusations against Belos’ civilized orders will be dismissed as crazy talk.

Bard: Bard are the creative backbone working with the Construction and Illusion Covens in filling galleries with art, clothes, and entertainment. And as Raine demonstrated, they bring protest art.

Bards are talented, creative, ambitious, introverted (some), outgoing (some), mad geniuses (debatable), and sometimes all in their heads. But most of all dedicated to whatever craft they choose.

Since they are sometimes just dismissed as artists, they can sneak in anti Belos themes, and motifs into their work and make witches think about the regime they are living in. However, Belos also employs his own bards to spread pro Coven and pro Belos propaganda.

Bards not only can bewitch the audience with their music, but in battle, can disorient them, and deafen them (much as Raine did) and as a classic, cause uncontrollable dancing.

Beast keeper: Beast keeping witches are compassionate, fierce, empathetic, and at times, feral, when some of them get tired of the oppressed society they live in and retreat with their animals in the wild without human interaction for miles.

Just like the plant Coven, beast-keepers scour the Boiling Isle to study and collect knowledge of beasts in their natural habitats as well as bring them back to tame.

Not only do the beast keepers make pet shops and zoos, they also work on the Boiling Isle as defense against rogue beasts that sometimes venture from the wild into towns.

It goes without saying that there is a mythical animal black market among the upper classes that a dedicated group against beast abuse is trying to curb.

Beast keepers also help train palismen and as conservationists since the increasing population build new houses verging on animal habitats.

Healing: Healers tend to be homebodies, they’re compassionate to their patients but also no nonsense when they need to be in order to keep their infirmaries in line.

Though it goes without saying they’re are some that develop a god complex when there is the fate of witch’s life in their hands. And shadier ones will sometimes only help if their exorbitant fees are paid.

Not only do they run the hospitals, heal broken bones and such, but they also work as “mind healers” for trauma, PTSD and other mental illnesses in need of therapy.

The healer Coven also works with the Beastkeeping and Abomination Coven in creating aids for those with disabilities.

Potion: Potion witches are inventive, curious, quick to grasp complex formulas, have a mind for memorization and tend to be multi taskers.

Potions is one of the most diverse and most censored with guidelines to prevent performance enhancement and/or would infringe on someone else’s rights (illegal potions like love/mind control/death/increase energy/increase strength/etc.) Though the enforcement of those guidelines can be waived away with a well placed bribe.

Potions also tend to be a risky business since one needs wealthy backers to fund your experiments in new potions and you need willing participants for your potions or else one can drink them all themselves and hope the results aren’t fatal.

Potions work within almost every Coven from dyes/paint for Construction Coven, medicine for beastkeeping and healing, growth for plants and more.

Oracle: Oracles have a slight tendency to be control freaks, what with their ability to see the future and thus have expectation for how things should go. However, they also can be objective and open minded as they are more aware that the future is open to interpretation and change.

Their balls cannot only see the future but they can scry and see a witch’s current whereabouts and see bits into the past.

It goes without saying, master oracles can summon tremendous power to see the whole past coming from a witch’s possession. Or help control someone’s future but these spells are advance and require great amounts of energy and access to ancient texts.

With their abilities to see past, present and future, they make great stock estimates, judges, historians and have a booming business for the superstitious and overly cautious that want good luck charms to prevent dire fates.

They are also the owners of most of the casinos, cage match betting rings and lotteries.

Construction: Construction witches are disciplined, loyal, hard working, creative and not afraid of hard labor. They can work as house builders and sculptors/jewelry makers to erecting forts, defenses and participating in grudgy games and cage fights.

As Dana said they are sculptors and artists themselves so they can be seen working in tandem with the Bard Coven.

But with their ability to traverse difficult terrain and manipulate it, make them excellent adventurers and artifact finders. In fact, they and the Plant Coven often hold camps to teach witches how survive in the wild.

Construction also makes up a good bunch of Belos’ toughest guards alongside Abomination.

Abomination: Abomination witches are witches with iron wills who stand their ground as they bend and mold their creatures to obey their every whim. Like Darius and Alador, they are creative in thinking of new ideas to bring more potential out of their servants

It is one of the most profitable covens with plenty of opportunities as it acts as the industrial backbone of the Boiling Isle, providing countless servants, disability aids and weapons for battle.

Abominations take a great amount of energy from the witch as not only do they have to bring out this goo out of thin air at times, Abominations are slow and unable to think for themselves so the witch has to do both for it, and use more energy to make it bigger and do more complex orders.

#the owl house #toh #my hcs #my headcanons #headcanons #abomination coven #healing coven #beastkeeping coven #plant coven #bard coven #potions coven #oracle coven #construction coven #illusion coven

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xo-alie-xo · 3 years

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CLEAR QUEERBAITING IN THE SCHOOL OF GOOD AND EVIL BOOKS 😒

So as a kid, I've read the SGE books and was a huge fan of them.💖 I was a teenager when the first book came out and I started shipping Tagatha....but towards the end, I started LOVING Agaphie?? Like....Agaphie was extremely interesting and so damn layered. I was sooo surprised and mindblown when Agatha kissed Sofie on the LIPS! 😘 Shocker! The best way possible. 🙌🏼 Completely subverted fairy tale tropes.👏🏼 Good loving the Evil. Evil sacrificing for the Good. A Princess and a Witch! I thought it was one of the best fairytale books ever.🧙‍♀️👸

Then, I heard there were sequels. And I read them as soon as they came out for Agaphie. But they never discussed what happened. Like am I supposed to believe a straight girl kissed a girl on the lips in the heat of the moment to show her true love?😅 I was willing to ignore that thinking maybe Agatha wasn't open about her feelings.🤔 And then Sofie was a boy called Filip and Tedros canon fell for him. So Tedros is confirmed Bisexual. Good for him.🤗 Then, Tagatha. Tedros and Agatha was cute. I was like okay, maybe Tagatha is just a plot device like Tedros and Filip. 🤨

But then, Soman went and made them canon SISTERS? INCEST MUCH??🤢 I was pissed with the queer baiting. They didn't have to do that. He could've just progressed with Tagatha. But he made biological half-sisters kiss on the lips?🤬 I'm sorry but that's really weird. Sure, there are some cultures where women embrace with a quick peck, but that's certainly not what happened with Agaphie. It was a True Love's Kiss?? ❤🤧

It could've just been a forehead kiss. Like Maleficent with Aurora. That would've sufficed too.💁‍♀️ But he made them kiss on the lips at the end of the first book and queerbaited the audience? Whyy? He's in the LGBTQ+ community I know, but Queerbaiting is still not right.🚫 He of all people should know that. A POC being racist towards other POC is still racism. Just like how you can be gay and homophobic. 🙄

So, the next sequels came out and I was still interested in reading them to see how the hell he managed to incorporate the half-sister storyline. But it was never mentioned again and Sofie and Agatha never spoke about it. So, it had no relevance to the plot. 😑

Basically what I see is two girls who are polar opposites subverting the fairytale tropes with their romantic love. True love is even if you turn enemies and fight, you can never hate them. Hurt? Yes. Hate? No.💕 But having to move on with heteronorms because of their homophobic community who also shamed Agatha because she looked different. The sad reality in many places.😞 They are also canon bisexual, so Agatha moved with Tedros and Sophie stayed single. Okay, cool. But Soman said, "Nope. I'm gonna make them kiss on the lips, but they are sisters (although they didn't know it at the time AND the sister plot never had an impact on the story so it wasn't relevant). SISTERS SO NO HOMO. Cut the bullshit please.😤🤬

I really hope they changed this awful queerbaiting in the movie. Because people WILL ship them. 2022 will be much more accepting of Queer storylines than early 2010s. But only to find they are sisters who kissed on the lips. Okay, when did this become Game of Thrones?🤣 The audience will feel like they got queerbaited and will be pissed. And bad reviews for an otherwise well written book/movie. So Paul Feig, please fix this huge HUGE error.🤦‍♀️

So dear Paul and Netflix, either:-

1) Let Agatha kiss Sophie on the forehead and establish the sister reveal EARLY ON.👩‍👧‍👧 Because it never changed the plot later. Not really a spoiler alert. So, similar to Maleficent kissing Aurora on the forehead.

2) Make sure someone makes them believe they are sisters, commenting on how close they are and how much they deep down love each other.😍 But only to reveal they are NOT SISTERS. So, indirectly saying not all best friend relationships are "SISTERLY" aka homophobics discrediting wlw.💁‍♀️ And let them kiss on the lips as normal. Because it is normal for two non-straight girls to kiss on the lips.👭😘

But they move on with someone else because they also love Tedros. Good for them. Cuz bisexuality is very much valid.

😁✅

You don't need a label. But don't make them sisters. It's like how Barbie diamond castle handled it. Obviously the two girls were literally dressed in the end in the Lesbian and Bisexual flags, let go of the boys and a chance to live in a Palace so the girls can return to living together in their comfy cottage.🏡👭 Mattel couldn't officially make them canon due to the heteronorm culture at the time, BUT AT LEAST THEY DIDN'T MAKE THEM SISTERS.😂😂 So, it was up to the audience to interpret however they wanted. And when I grew up and got educated, I realized what it was. Romantic love between two women. Aww. 😍

I'm a straight girl who was PISSED at the no-homo-irrelevant-sister-plot in SGE. Because I support the LGBTQ+ community. You can imagine the outrage you will receive from the LGBTQ+ community.

Please don't queerbait in 2022 unless you want to be cancelled or called out. And then no hopes of a sequel due to critisism. If you want to represent an LGBTQ+ plotline, that's fine.🏳️‍🌈 But do it right or don't do it at all! 🌈

#agaphie #agatha x sophie #sge #school for good and evil #school of good and evil #sge movie #school for good and evil movie #agatha #Sophie #Tagatha #Netflix #queerbaiting #lgbtq+#sofia wylie #sophia anne caruso #paul feig #barbie diamond castle #Maleficent #sophie x agatha

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eponymous-rose · 3 years

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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E127 (March 2, 2021)

Tonight’s guests are, of course, Ashley Johnson and Marisha Ray!

Marisha, on her thought process behind the date: “It was a fascinating study on designing something with another player in trying to navigating how to do that in a way that makes sense and wouldn’t be too metagamey or overly scripted or anything like that. I had a bunch of ideas thought out, then I just typed it out and sent it over to him, and then he interpreted it as such.” Liam had ideas, but Marisha wanted him to keep the details a surprise. The theme of “let’s start over” was the leading motif for the design. Three acts: pre-game cocktails at the Nestled Nook, picnic in a field of Xhorhasian wildflowers, and then close it with after-dinner drinks and hot tub at the Steam’s Respite. And the very last thing was “and all the cats were dogs”. Brian: “What was his response to that?” Marisha: “He texted me and was like, ‘Are you serious or is this dog thing a joke?’”

Ashley is asked what it was like to know it was coming but not know the specifics. “For both of us, I don’t think we thought it was going to be right then. I think because it’s been so long in the relationship between Beau and Yasha and it felt like such a natural progression for the two of them, and they’re both awkward together. I think there was something to just being thrown into it.” She spent time thinking about what things Yasha would talk to Beau about on a date. “We got to maybe one of them. It was just so fun! Exploring romance in D&D can be super weird, especially when you’re streaming. But it felt like that’s where our characters were going. There was that excitement of trying something that is out of my comfort zone, and I think so much of Marisha was part of that, as being the initiator as Beau, where I was like, okay, this is where it’s going it. Let’s do it, let’s see what happens!” She mentions how “fun and freeing” it is to trust your improv partner in something like this.

Marisha: “I just wanted Beau to be a fuckboi!” But she highlights that it’s hard to deny the deeper connections that come up in D&D scenarios. “They’ve been with each other through so much that it’s difficult to deny when those bonds start to happen.” She texted Liam in a panic before the game. “What do I wear? And he said, ‘In the game or in real life?’ Both!”

Marisha was expecting a Sam curveball at some point. “My/Beau’s reaction of ‘I love you!’ was pretty accurate. She does care! She’s not just a troll trying to ruin our shit.”

Marisha on Yasha liking dogs: “I clocked that shit when you bought a dog figurine.” She keeps notes about all the members of the party when they reveal things like that.

Ashley has started taking more detailed notes, partly to play catch-up for events she may have missed earlier. “Turns out, notes are very helpful and can help you in your RPing!”

Favorite parts? Marisha: “The fade-to-black moment at the very end, and I think it’s because Ashley’s eyes--maybe this is going to get weird--we had this moment where we were in the hot tub at the end, and I looked over and was like, ‘hey’, and you looked over and were like, ‘hey’, and I was just dead. I will never forget the look on Ashley’s face. There was just a pure moment.” Ashley: “That’s so funny, because I was going to talk about this one moment with Marisha. It’s just clicking into the scene and clicking into the moment.” Marisha talks about how the moments associated with the game have real, tangible emotional connections. Brian highlights that the emotional side of things is what you remember the most after the campaign is done.

Character thoughts on Kima? Marisha: “I was like, step on me! Please! Both of you! We’d be friends.” Ashley: “It’s also that nostalgia that feels so good at the table. These characters we know and love are still living and breathing and happy together and just kicking ass. For Yasha it was an amazing example of a relationship that works in this world, and something beautiful that these people who are different but are connecting. It was a lot of-- it was cool. I think Yasha’s a very big fan of Kima and Allura. When she gave over the sword, Travis texted me and was like, it’s the Holy Avenger. Looking it up and talking about it, it was like, holy mackerel, this sword is insane. But there’s going to have to be some conversations had to attune with the sword. But I like that Matt presented that challenge, that this isn’t necessarily in your class, but let’s do some RP and see what happens.”

Where’s Yasha at with the Stormlord right now? “I’m curious to explore that more, but knowing that the Stormlord was the first person to bring her back to her own will, of pulling her out of whatever was happening with Oban and the Laughing Hand for however long. It’s also weird to see the relationship that the clerics have, and I think Yasha’s still figuring out how to be her own person, but also... not serving somebody, but still trying to figure out that relationship with her god. But again, he saved her from a very, very dark place, and I think that’s something she values and holds on to.”

Cosplay of the Week: An amazing Essek! (Blushingvioletcosplay on Instagram)

How is Beau handling the Eyes? “All the theories! It’s hard for it to not feel like a ticking time bomb. I always have to try and separate my theories from Beau’s theories. That’s acting and shit. I, Marisha, am very interested if I can somehow utilize this to our advantage. Beau, also interested but simultaneously terrified that it might be a bad idea and I might just get further initiated. When it comes to Matt, you know there’s always something more lurking underneath all of this. As players it’s kind of our job to navigate that.”

How about Yasha? “I think it’s one of the things that didn’t really come up in the date, which is funny, because it’s something I was thinking about. Me as a player, that’s something I’m extremely stressed about. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We kind of got into it, but I think the fact that Lucien was listening, and the Eyes, I think it made me as a player as Yasha very nervous about interacting with Beau, because I don’t know what they’re picking up on. There’s so much we don’t know, and Lucien is so confusing, and the Eyes, and with Matt... we don’t know! It’s a point of extreme concern for Yasha, especially someone that she has feelings for and cares about, it’s an extra level of I don’t know what this means and I can’t lose this person, but I need to protect at all costs.”

What was it like for Beau to discover that Dairon and the Soul not only listened but took action? “That moment was so deeply powerful. Honestly, I was just as taken aback as Beau was. I never in both mine or Beau’s thought process did I think Matt would take action in that way, or that would ever be handled. And I think that’s what makes it so emotional. You condition yourself to think these things just happen, so much so that they permeate your D&D game. So rarely do abusers get held accountable for their actions. What was powerful about it was that he was, and other people cared. That alone was so emotionally impactful, and I was completely thrown by it. I feel like I had to walk away from that situation kind of unpacking those things. What does that say, what does that mean? Same thing for Beau, where the cycle of abuse has happened repeatedly to her with no repercussions to anyone who’s causing it. It’s why she’s always had a weird tenuous relationship with the Soul. It throws you into these layers of reconciliation and thought. I didn’t think this was going to be addressed. What does that say about society? So many different layers to peel back. It all speaks to so many real-life experiences that happen every damn day to so many people. There’s not many examples in media of abusers getting handled, and especially not in a way that’s not some sort of device to motivate somebody.” She highlights how rare it is that the abuser was handled without pulling the victim into the mess. I’m definitely not doing what she’s saying justice with my speed-typing.

How is Yasha feeling about solidifying her identity as a protector? “Putting together this character and starting to play as her, there was a part of me that wanted-- when I work on characters, you go through the list of questions you have as an actor, what’s your motivation and all that stuff. But I very much wanted to see if I could have a character that doesn’t necessarily know what their purpose is, because I feel like a lot of people feel that way. I think when we see movies or TV shows, there’s always a character who says, I know what my purpose is. I wanted to explore what it meant to not know what that is. I left that open with Yasha, and I didn’t want to set that for her, because I thought that was an interesting thing. I still like that idea, but in the conversation with Beau and knowing the date was coming up, there were a lot of internal conversations I was having of how is Yasha feeling in this moment. At the end of the day, I feel that’s a very solid purpose for Yasha in this moment, of all I can really provide is protection - and of course she can provide more than that. But now I’m just, yeah, I think protection for her is the best way she knows how to describe her purpose.” Brian: “And once we arrive there, the goal is to find a greater purpose, to be of service.” Ashley has tied in Yasha’s protectiveness with her grappling with loss.

Fan art of the week: A second amazing Essek! (by Saturday_sky)

Thoughts on the amulets: set-up or bad luck? Ashley: “I thought they were a set-up!” Marisha: “I think [Astrid’s] an opportunist. But I think it’d be much more convenient if anyone other than her killed Trent. To what end, I don’t know.” Ashley: “Me, personally, how I interpreted her crying in that alleyway, I felt like she was crying because of a betrayal. But I don’t know! I think she definitely cares for Caleb.” Marisha: “I also got betrayal tears. That felt like guilt-crying to me.” Brian: “I don’t like any of this.”

What prompted Beau going full assassin? “If they were to get in and out and I could have jumped over that tower without killing that guy, I would have.” She didn’t have a lot of options as a monk and not a rogue assassin, but needed a quick and quiet way to get him out of the way. “I went through so many ideas in my head. I thought of an idea to dump all of the ball bearings under him, then light fireworks” to try to get him to fall off the edge.

Is Yasha’s hope for Molly still alive? “Yes. I think that because Yasha has been on the other end of doing terrible things under someone else’s influence, she has a lot of forgiveness for people. At this point, of course, it’s hope that he’ll come back or have some type of recognition of his life as Molly. There’s a lot of questions. I don’t think she’ll ever give up on him.” The only moment of hesitation was when Lucien was cool with Gelidon leaving with Beau.

How are they feeling about their odds? Ashley: “I feel really great about the ideas that the group has to get out of tricky situations. This one I’m nervous about.” Marisha: “I agree. We have our little side player thread, minus Matt, and I don’t see how we’re getting out of this without some sort of compromise that’s not necessarily in our favor. I think we’re going to get out of it, but I don’t think we’re going to get out of it completely.”

Ashley didn’t tell Brian about the date after the episode ended, but wound up blurting it out right before he was about to watch the episode for Talks.

#long text post #critical role #critical role spoilers #talks machina #talks machina spoilers

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