Reciprocated Valbar/Leon, because they could both use some comfort and validation – especially Leon before he hits the twink wall he so clearly dreads.
highkey notp
Fernand/Mathilda, even in the apparently canonical one-sided sense that’s really Fernand’s poor attempting at redirecting his feelings for Clive. Just…why? He’s already well-established as a dick at that point in the game; no need to make him even more repugnant.
[softly] don’t notp
Forsyth/Conrad, because someone drew cute art of it once and it’s a surprisingly plausible crack pairing if Forsyth’s thing with Python doesn’t end up satisfying.
highkey otp but i’m scared of saying it because it’s not a very popular choice
I like to think that Fernand and Clive had some youthful dalliances during their adolescence, and that they meant much more to Fernand than they ever did to Clive (who probably didn’t even get that they could mean something). It’s much like how many of us like to imagine how Sigurd and Quan were growing up, with the difference being that Quan lucked into some much better coping mechanisms.
highkey otp and anyone on my tumblr knows it
Forsyth/Python/Lukas OT3, would have more than a few bugs to work out but they’d work out some kind of arrangement.
I’ve had this debate before when I answered an ask meme involving Zelda. I fundamentally disagree with the way some people on Tumblr seem to treat courtesy with regard to tagging, particularly in this case since there is a difference between a NOTP – a personal preference to not ship something – and ship hate – active antagonism toward a ship and the idea that anyone else would support it. I made it clear in my answer that other people are free to ship what they like, and my stated reasons against shipping Ike with women (what I assume this ask is specifically referring to) are lifted directly from canon rather than any visceral hatred I have toward those ships. What I said about Ike/Elincia shippers really only pertains to those who refuse to acknowledge that non-straight readings of him are possible and in fact encouraged by certain supports and his two paired endings and arguably reference back to series archetypes and romance tropes (ex. Marth and Nyna or Roy and Guinivere as hero/princess pairings that are not love interests, or that Ike/Soren has parallels with Sigurd/Deirdre). That’s certainly an annoyance directed at certain shippers, but it’s not hate.
As I mentioned when the issue came up with tagging in the Zelda fandom, I find the idea of character and ship tags populated only with the same universally positive content to be incredibly dull. There’s room for neutrality on these subjects, for criticism without total rejection, for clinical “I acknowledge why people would like this character/ship this pairing but feel no investment myself” readings as well as “I don’t like this character/ship for X reason(s) but it’s fine if you do” ones. If anything I think having a broader picture of what people have to say about these things contributes to more active fandom discussion.
Eh, most of my OTPs in general are probably lowkey by fandom standards, at least in terms of how much love I express for them. I’m going to go with Tibarn/Reyson, because they’re basically canon (I’d argue they have a claim to the power couple archetype slot for Tellius, in the vein of Pent/Louise or Quan/Ethlin) and have a comfortable dynamic that’s actually not very seme/uke-ish despite appearances.
highkey notp
Ike/women, with Ike/Elincia specifically because it has some really loud and obnoxious fans based almost entirely on some short-sighted localization choices for FE9. Of course people are free to have their bi/pan/other headcanons for him, doubly so if they believe that Priam actually is his direct descendant, but I’m not going to ship it.
[softly] don’t notp
Muarim/Tormod, because if these games were released today (and if Radiant Dawn had actual support content) contemporary Tumblr culture would rip this pairing apart. It’s about one step removed from classical pederasty, and in this setting and context I’m completely fine with that.
highkey otp but i’m scared of saying it because it’s not a very popular choice
I read a really good Shinon/Gatrie fic once and found their sexual dynamic rather compelling? That one would be more unpopular because Shinon is an unrepentant asshole, granted.
highkey otp and anyone on my tumblr knows it
Ike/Ranulf, for whatever definition of “highkey” would apply to me – see above.
After grinding my way into the mid-70s and adapting a strategy on YouTube I beat Galdera on my second try. And in the end it really was only that boss fight comprising any memorable experience from Octopath’s last story beat, which the more I think about it makes it something of an outlier in what I know of the genre. How often is it in JRPGs that the final boss is the single greatest challenge in the game, that there isn’t some optional challenge that’s even greater?
There though is the odd truth of it; Galdera is an optional challenge, with the Gate of Finis mechanically handled like any other sidequest. Narratively it lacks weight on any level: Galdera and Lyblac pose only an implied threat to the safety of Orsterra, Kit’s journey doesn’t feel particularly impactful seeing as it’s the culmination of about four brief vignettes spread very thin across the game, and most damning of all none of the playable characters react in any way to the events at the Gate – not to Kit, not to Galdera, and not even to the revelations left behind by the text dumps in the boss rush. They just run in, fight eight retreads of past battles (some more significant than others; Simeon and Darius are fitting, certainly, but who cares or remembered about that random tiger Tressa fought in her Chapter 3?), face off against the fallen thirteenth god in a very difficult encounter with multiple phases and unique mechanics, witness a scene between Kit and the spirits of his parents, and then get thrown back out onto the overworld with a notice that the sidequest has been completed and not even another round of credits or a “Fin” screen. To call it possibly the most anticlimactic ending to a game I’ve ever witnessed would not be an exaggeration.
I understand of course that the Gate of Finis, intricately plotted though it may be to tie together the stories of the travelers, is far from the primary narrative thrust of this game, and based on the closing narration about everyone having their own adventures I believe that the game understands it too. I come away from Octopath believing all the more that the comparison to the Canterbury Tales is the most apt way of thinking about how the game approaches its story. It’s an energy expressed by this piece –
– the eight travelers on the road together, all on the same heading but each keeping mostly to themselves and facing forward toward their individual goals. Their personal journeys they share with each other by telling tales along the way, with the others occasionally interjecting (the party banter and tavern chats) but otherwise experiencing only indirectly. While that requires a mental separation between the story and the gameplay, the latter of which sees all of them working together in and out of combat in typical JPRG fashion, the game’s overall presentation ironically feels more cohesive when viewed in that unconventional light. The Gate of Finis further reinforces this reading with its “diaries” incorporating posthumous narration and other elements no individual character could have been expected to know. There the necessary separation comes between what characters like Geoffrey Azelheart and Yvon would have realistically written about and what information the game wishes to impart on the player to ensure that each traveler feels in some way personally invested in the events of the Gate. That might involve a leap of logic or two in places, but I feel at least that the spirit of the story shines through even in a stumbling end.
Good thing too that the gameplay of Octopath is overall engaging enough to where I could see myself replaying it someday. Even speaking as someone who hasn’t played many traditional JRPGs (Fire Emblem doesn’t count here, mechanically speaking) it tickles my nostalgia for the genre while striking a good balance between intuitive and complex tactics. Some of the story beats and characterizations are genuinely compelling, and as I’ve said elsewhere I like a game that takes risks with storytelling formula – even if it’s not completely successful in execution. I don’t know if Octopath Traveler is game of the year material (however one defines that), but I think it’s earned its reputation as an unexpected hit.
So much for Decadence this year, because realistically my schedule won’t allow for it. On the plus side, I’ll be saving a fair bit of money and an even greater amount of sweat at the expense of likely mediocre (but plentiful) dick.
I lost all of the gaming content on my PC when it crashed in June: WoW, a handful of Steam games, and a bunch of emulated older FE and Pokémon titles. It’s telling that the only game I’ve gone through the trouble of getting back so far is FE4.
Finished the wolf boss and with it the last of the sidequests, and with enough grinding everyone’s now in the low 70s and decked out with endgame equipment (maybe not the most optimally arranged, but when you’re switching jobs all the time that can be a pain to keep up with).
The boss rush at the Gate of Finis is tedious but came with some interesting lore dumps, but then I died to Galdera’s first phase meaning I have to do it all over again. Whose idea was it to put the last save point before the boss rush? So now I’m stuck with the prospect of grinding some more or shuffling around jobs to repeat the ordeal – or I could just watch the ending on YouTube, because to be honest I feel like this game really drops the ball on endgame content. The stories do all tie together in a way that feels impressive, but the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. The re-fought bosses have no explanation to them, Lyblac has the barest amount of setup (and part of that came with tone problems, in that she’s introduced as the object of a hopeless suitor’s affections), and Galdera is the standard sealed evil god that often pops up in JRPGs.
Maybe I’ll get back to the grind and think more about how I want to arrange my final parties, and I can find some more ideas about how to get through the final boss online. I’m just not very motivated to do so. Eh…I’ve come this far.
Cinderella “plot holes” I am tired of hearing about
“Why didn’t her step family recognize her?” Because royal balls were basically the candle lit equivalent of clubbing in terms of both lighting and sheer numbers. Even if they were right next to her, they probably wouldn’t get a good look, especially since it would have started after sundown. Also, she was the help; they probably hadn’t looked at her in years.
“Looking for someone based on their shoe size is stupid!” See above.
“Was he going to have every size seven in the kingdom try the slipper on?” Prior to industrialization most garments were made by hand to fit the buyer’s measurements, including shoes. It’s why poor people only had one pair. It’s a lot smarter when you consider that they would’ve fit her like a glove.
“You can’t run down stairs in heels!” I know this is a misconception resulting from historical revisionism and disneyfication, but high heels were not originally women’s shoes. They were worn by men. Women wore slippers, which were basically ballet flats. So it’s debatable.
“Glass shoes don’t make any sense!” Okay first of all, it’s called the suspension of disbelief, and secondly, they’re gold in every other version but Perrault decided to change them to something else expensive.
“She just went to the ball to find a man!” I know this isn’t a plot hole but listen. As the daughter of a widower Cinderella would’ve been running the household finances and acting as hostess if he hadn’t remarried. By demoting Cinderella to a servant, her step-mother essentially guaranteed that she would never escape the house, because the only way for her to escape and maintain her status was to marry well, and no one was going to marry a servant. It was essentially the historical equivalent of your mom stealing your college acceptance letters out of the mailbox.
this was not an analysis i was prepared for, i’ll tell you that
Technically the original version has them being fur slippers. Which was uh, intentionally suggestive, if you get me.
By popular request, and explanation of the term “Social Justice Calvinism”
Social Justice Calvinism, like regular Calvinism, revolves around the idea that human society is so steeped in sin that, not only is it inherently irredeemable, but almost everyone involved is essentially damned (to hell, in the case of real Calvinism, to … I dunno being bad, I guess, in the case of Social Justice Calvinism).
Similarly to real Calvinism, Social Justice Calvinism allows for a small, elect group of people who are miraculously able to rise above the morass of evil that is human society (in real Calvinism this is due to G-d’s will, in Social Justice Calvinism, this comes as a result of their overwhelming moral superiority).
As in real Calvinism, nobody knows who the elect of Social Justice Calvinism are, but they are identified by certain signs (in the case of real Calvinism these signs include prosperity, in Social Justice Calvinism, these signs are things like using trigger warnings or sharing photo sets of queer people of color).
Like real Calvinists, Social Justice Calvinists tend to shun and loudly denounce much of the society that they see as inherently corrupt so as to demonstrate (as much to themselves as to everyone else) that they are likely to be members of the elect. However, because membership in the elect is impossible to determine, a Social Justice Calvinists are often wracked by guilt and anxiety as to whether or not they are actually members of the elect.
Finally, and most importantly, much of Social Justice Calvinism’s appeal comes from its goal of challenging a corrupt and oppressive power structure, and its hints of moral clarity. Social Justice Calvinism so especially frustrating because the things that are being fought for are so important (see I’m one of the elect). As with salvation and prosperity in real Calvinism, many of the signs of goals and signs of the Social Justice Calvinist elect are actually quite desirable, but unfortunately they come at the price of believing that nearly everyone, up to and including you, is damned.
… wow, everything I’ve ever thought about The Discourse in a neat post. OP you’re a blessing.
we could probably have a long debate about the fact that social justice calvinists come from the US and US society was basically born out of calvinism…
As most of my experience with Calvinist Protestant groups involves specifically their anti-Catholic strain, allow me to add on to this analogy from that angle. Calvinist morality does indeed fixate on communal guilt and self-loathing based on who may or may not belong to the elect, but that’s not to suggest that they don’t see value in a consistent external enemy as well. Contemporary US Calvinists, i.e. evangelicals or “non-denominational” Christians, have their well-publicized indictments against homosexuals and the promiscuous and Muslims and so forth, but the original enemy of their religious movement and one that still occasionally gets brought up in situations where it would be relevant is the Catholic Church. While all of the Protestant denominations that formed during the Reformation and its aftermath did so because of some objection to the Church’s dogma and/or practices, Calvinism was the most influential group to be virulently anti-Catholic, with a legacy that engulfed England before crossing the Atlantic and becoming the backbone of Anglo-American culture.
I bring this up because Calvinists’ antagonism toward the Church is in many ways comparable to the way fandom purity culture can end up treating content creators and others who could be said to have a strong intrinsic connections to issues of representation in media (ex. being LGBT and/or POC, particularly when they belong to the specific group(s) being represented). In both cases canon is treated as if it must be “pure” at all times: pure of pagan elements and anything else not in or of the Bible on the one hand, and pure of any “problematic” representational elements on the other. Both suggest a fear of nuance, that Catholics are aware of and completed unbothered by the fact that much of our doctrine and beliefs come from Church Tradition (some of which indeed borrowed from various pagan religions) rather than Scripture, or that people within a fandom may enjoy exploring darker themes and messier relationship dynamics in fanwork with or without any kind of moral prescription to accompany them. For fandom this devolves into intense pressure on content creators to produce fiction with as few problematic elements and as much “good representation” as possible, because antis and their ilk seem unable to separate fanon from canon or recognize that fanon has its own worth and does not need to be considered inherently inferior to canon.
When this inevitably doesn’t happen because of the harshly punitive nature of purity culture’s moral code (comparable to what I believe is referred to in some Calvinist circles as backsliding), the next move then becomes to declare that everyone involves in the creation of the “problematic” media – and anyone who unapologetically enjoys it – is “canceled.” When it comes to people who feel represented by the work in question and who speak positively of that representation, their opinions and ultimately even their LGBT/POC/other marginalized group identities get invalidated in the same way. This happens even in cases where this invalidation is fundamentally absurd, ex. when a group of mostly non-male fans talks over mlm on the subject of M/M representation. Incidentally, guess which group of Protestant denominations popularized the equally absurd idea that Catholics aren’t really Christians?
This is how purity culture has gone from “I reject your canon and substitute my own [fanon]” to “I reject your authority over your own canon and proclaim my less problematic fanon to be canon.” The resulting cultural landscape all feels very monotonous as well; just as Calvinist doctrine appears remarkably rigid for a religious movement that initially marketed itself on individual interpretation of Scripture, the perfect fandom for purity-obsessed antis would be millions of identical fluffy coffee shop AUs where everyone is queer and POC and no real conflict ever happens and the sex – if it happens at all – is the most blandly vanilla and endlessly repeated erotica ever put to print.
The parameters may shifted just a little to include people who aren’t white and straight (and probably also coffee), but that all sounds remarkably Puritan to me.
Gascon-en-exil: Gallophilic Cultural Posturing 