#he doesn't need a reason to doubt her nor any of them. he just does due to their uncertainty about everything

[bread-wizards]

I think that Orym actually does doubt Imogen, but this isn't a thing that is unique to Imogen. Orym doubts all of them to an extent, because paranoia is something he struggles with (and this is continuously reinforced by the story).

It's not a 'good' thing that he should never get over, nor is it an immoral character flaw that proves he actually hates Imogen. However it's also not something I think he can get over as long as the threat of having to possibly fight his friends exists.

"I have all the faith in the world in you guys, all of you. And I have also spent time thinking how to neutralize each of you."

[dalliancekay]

Aziraphale, misogyny and the female character treatment

I don't know if anyone wrote a post about this but I see from time to time comments to this end - that Aziraphale is treated like the female leads in films often are, obviously especially romantic films. So I'm gonna try to point how I see this. I welcome further insights of course.

Say we take a basic premise of a romantic film: A girl is wooed by a bad boy for example. And she is a good girl, from a good, proper family and everything so she refuses his advances. This goes on through his various ploys to entertain and romance her, do things for her etc etc and frustrates us as the audience because we can see the bad boy is actually good, her family is oppressive and holding her back and that she (deep down) cares for him (if only she was brave enough to admit it to herself) and so we want her to open her eyes and say she is actually in love with him cos her life will be so much better should she (finally) give in and run away with him.

Familiar? Reasons Aziraphale is not her and the analogy does not fit (but that I so often see in metas and takes about her):

Aziraphale always knew her family is shit. Or at least longer than Crowley did. She was already anxious in Before the Beginning about what she thought Angel!Crowley could and could not say or do without getting into trouble.

She knows Crowley is good. She never doubted him. Whatever he says or does or pretends to do or must do for his job. Aziraphale knows he's inherently good and would always do good if he can.

She knows she's in love - I mean we can argue about when each realised this and also when each realised the other loves them back just as fiercely, but they both know. And they both love. And they both long to be together. Aziraphale is not ashamed of her feelings nor hiding or suppressing them for fear they are wrong or immoral or other BS like that.

Aziraphale doesn't need to overcome her love for her family/employer and finally make the leap to be with Crowley. They simply can't leave their bosses without punishment. Neither of them. They live in a dictatorship with nowhere to go. And just because Crowley experienced both sides, doesn't give him some huge insight that Aziraphale completely lacks. Both places are awful. Their separation isn’t about fear of societal judgment (or Aziraphale's unwillingness to give up Heaven, being seen as good, being an angel - and to what end, to Fall? I really don't know what takes like this want from her, it would not work anyway), it’s about survival in a system that won’t let them be together.

Aziraphale doesn't want to change Crowley. She never did. She asked for Crowley to come to Heaven as an angel because that was THE ONLY option she had for them to be together in any capacity at that point. It was NOT an attempt to “fix” him—it was a desperate bid for a way they could be together at all.

One thing I don't see as much anymore is the call for Aziraphale to change. Obviously she's pretty but she would be prettier if she lost those century old clothes maybe and started listening to something made after 1950? Be more cool to match Crowley? Less stuffy?

These kind of film premises are already pointless, offensive and make me roll my eyes, but to stick them all over Aziraphale and huff cos she doesn't do what the clever sexy man in dark clothes and sunglasses says she should - well that makes me angry.

And so do takes and mischaracterisations that ignore Aziraphale as silly, her worries as pointless, sometimes excessive - maybe she's just hysterical, you know? The one time she shows more emotion, in F15, she is so often completely ignored in her obvious distress just because Crowley is trying to confess his love at the same time and seemingly 'not getting through,' because Aziraphale is not reacting the way everyone expects. So many takes that always assume Crowley is right, no matter what. Even when he calls Aziraphale an idiot. If Crowley says that, it must be true. No matter that the book spells out in Terry's voice that the angel is extremely clever.

Aziraphale’s charm lies in her kindness, her love for books and knowledge, her whimsy, and her quiet courage. These qualities don’t make her naive—they make her resilient. She often hides how she truly feels, hides her grief, her pain, her true desires, hides what she really thinks; always always to protect herself and her beloved. She is often forced to say stuff she doesn't mean. Again. To keep the one she loves and their fragile relationship safe. But where people seem to catch on with that on Crowley's side, they don't with Aziraphale. She is fierce when pushed and will defend the defenceless (humans) and the ones she loves (Crowley) to her last breath (whether she needs to breathe is irrelevant right now okay).

She loves her bookshop. She built this home, full of knowledge for herself and her demon and you can take this HC from my cold hands. That she was forced to leave it, only emphasises how little choice she had in Final 15. Good Omens has two main, equal characters; who are both gorgeous and complex and deep and neither is right or wrong or in need of saving or learning some huge lesson to get to their goal and be together. What needs to change is the world, the system they live in. And they will change it. P.S. Just to add, many, many (if not all) bad takes on Aziraphale are also bad takes on Crowley. They mischaracterise and misunderstand just how deeply and unconditionally he loves Aziraphale. How he adores her and understands and accepts her just as she is. He does not expect or want Aziraphale to change in any way. He knows why they are not together. And it's not Aziraphale's fault, it's because of circumstances, not because of her choices. Crowley would never ever want Aziraphale to suffer, he wouldn't expect her to come back from Heaven saying how sorry she is for what happened, how stupid and blind she was and how he was always right. That's just not going to happen. ------------------------------------------ @tenok I simply must highlight the awesomeness you put in hashtags!! EVERYBODY please read:

Thank you sm for this!!

[cherry-romper]

When You're Injured

+ Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Marco, Jean, Connie, Sasha, Levi, Erwin, Hange, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Porco, Pieck, Zeke

Eren; • Emotional. Tends to get overwhelmed by worry. Eventually, that stems into anger, and he lashes out at everyone as a projection of his own guilt. He feels guilty for not protecting you. • Will spend more time trying to convince Levi or Erwin to let him avenge you instead of being with you. • If he is with you however, he cries silently to himself (either genuine tears or just on the inside). Of course, he's worried for you and if you'll recover but the reason he's sad is because he doesn't think he's good enough. • Got you flowers though, picked them himself. He also made sure you were getting the best care. • Didn't realise that he was pushing people away from you by not allowing anyone else but the nurses in the room. • Does more harm than good really, but it all comes with good intent so you give him the benefit of the doubt.

Mikasa; • Protective and worried. • Sleeps by your side and cares more about your health than her own. • She forgets to eat sometimes and is reluctant to leave you alone, just in case. So, she asks for someone, mostly Armin, to wait with you while she washes up and gets some food. • She's worried but not too emotional about it because she knows you'll heal soon enough, so she doesn't act much different. • Works out by your bedside instead of leaving. • Insists on feeding you herself to make sure you actually eat the food.

Armin; • Bless his little heart, he's worried sick. • Will read to you even when you're asleep and holds your hand the whole time. • Panics if you groan or move, he thinks you'll drop dead any second. • Gets scared when the nurses do examinations. He's always afraid of bad news. • Doesn't stay with you all the time. He leaves during the day to rest and wash. He also using his alone time to cry about being too weak to save you. • Blames himself, for some reason, and insists that if he were as strong as Reiner it wouldn't have happened.

Marco; • Calm about the whole thing. He's just grateful you're alive. • He knows the next few months are going to be hard but he's willing to care for you every step of the way. • Worried, of course, but is confident in your strength. He knows you'll pull though. • Buys the most expensive flowers and changes the water nearly everyday so that they stay alive for as long as possible. • Sits by your side and talks to you, even when you're asleep, so you don't feel lonely. • Lets the nurses do what they need to do because he knows that you're in good hands. • When you get out the infirmary he buys the nurses flowers to say thank you for keeping you alive.

Jean; • Doesn't let anyone see that he's worried sick about you and acts like he's fine. He's scared people will tease or bully him for it. • He cried a lot. Doesn't let you see him cry, nor anyone else, but he does it a lot. Marco found him though, crying behind some bushes, and comforted him. • After that he was more open and didn't care what people thought and stayed with you until he was forced to leave. • Holds your hand and rubs his thumb on the back of it. He even traces the lines on you palms. • Draw things for you. For example, he'll draw you a dog he saw in the street or he'll draw something silly like Connie and Sasha as stick figures to make you laugh. • If he has to leave while you're asleep, he'll leave a little note saying he'll be back soon.

Connie; • He's left in tatters. He goes into auto-pilot and doesn't really act like himself. • He becomes a rollercoaster of emotions. So, somedays he'll be really motivated and trains extra hard so he can protect you next time and other days he'll just sit by your side, staring blankly out the window. • He cracks jokes from time to time, even if you can't hear them and tells you stories of what's happening while you're stuck in bed. • Refuses to let himself cry because "a real man wouldn't cry" but crumbles anyways and cries into you arm. • Asks Sasha what to do while he waits for you to get out. She recommends he spend as much time with you as possible and just be grateful you survived. She makes sure he's okay while you can't be there for him.

Sasha; • Unsure how to handle the whole situation. She panics a little but once the nurses reassure her that you won't die she settles down and lets them do their job. • Brings you food, even if you can't eat anything solid. If you don't want it that day she eats it for you. • Would bring you flowers that she picked herself from when she was out hunting. • If you're well enough, she'll lay on the bed with you and cuddle you; whether it be platonic or not, she just wants to make sure you're okay. • She doesn't really baby you, but during the recovery period she does everything for you. No matter how tall you are, she doesn't let you reach for anything or go to pick anything up. She does it for you. • She kinda oversteps sometimes and refuses to let you clean, even if Captain Levi ordered it. If he forces you, she'll argue with him. She doesn't care about the repercussions, she just wants you to rest and heal as fast as possible.

Levi; • No different to how he normally is. • He's calm and collected. Of course, he was worried at first but knew that the nurses would take good care of you. • Some days he stresses though. If your condition dips or if you're struggling, he'll be a lot harsher on the cadets. • Doesn't cry because he knows his tears are useless, but does sit but your side until he needs to leave on duties. • Brings you tea he made himself and always makes sure you're comfortable before he leaves. • He's fine with other people seeing you but still has security posted at your door. • You're given your own room because he doesn't want you catching anything else while you're in the infirmary.

Hange; • Panic followed by calm followed by more panic. • Treats your wounds themselves. Its not like they don't trust the nurses, they just wanna make sure you're okay. • Brings you a little titan doll to keep you company when they're not there. Which you found to be a bit ironic. • Keeps the spirits as high as possible and always tells you stories or jokes to make sure you're entertained. • Their duties are still priority, as they knows you'll be okay, but they always makes sure to visit you when they have the time.

Erwin; • You take over everything. • He's terrified of loosing you. He's lost too many close to him already and even if he is reassured multiple times that you'll be okay, he's not shifting from you side. • Your room becomes his new office for a while. He does his work by your bedside, everyday without fail. • Sometimes you'll wake up and see him asleep in the chair, papers scattered on the floor from where he's dropped them. It warms your heart but also pains you to see that he doesn't care for himself. • When he wakes up, you tell him to take care of himself and refuse to let him anywhere near you until he does. • He was a bit dramatic and wrote you a eulogy. He thought everything was over. He sat and cried into his papers as he wrote it because he genuinely thought he was going to loose you.

Reiner; • Broken. Completely broken. • Cries everyday until you are better. He only lets you see it though and tries to act okay for the others because he knows they look up to him. • Is incredibly dramatic and tells you his secret. He didn't think and just kind of said it without noticing you were conscious. To be honest, you didn't really take it in when he first said it due to drowsiness so you forgot by the time you fell back to sleep. • Has a crisis. Fights with himself about who he is and who he wants to be. After talking with Bertholdt he came to the conclusion that he just wants to be there for you, no matter what, even if it means taking you with him. • Holds your hand and doesn't let go. He's scared that if he does he'll loose you. • Flowers. Daily. Fresh ones too. • He makes sure you're clean and fed. He even gives you his portion of food.

Bertholdt; • Worried about you, but fights with himself over it. He has a voice in the back of his head telling him he shouldn't be worried because he shouldn't care about you. So he just cries in the chair next to you, fighting his inner demons. • He isn't with you often and tries to distance himself because of the mission. • During the period where he refuses to visit, he finds himself asking the others how you're doing. After a while, Reiner just tells him that he needs to visit you himself because "you never know what could happen." • This leads to him buying you flowers and apologising for not visiting sooner. You tell him its okay and from then on he never leaves the room. • Falls asleep upright in his chair but ends up with his head on the floor and his feet hanging off the back of the chair.

Annie; • RIP to anyone who agrees to spar with her that first week. • Visits you once or twice for about an hour a time before leaving and taking her anger out on someone. • Reiner had to convince her not to change into a titan and attack in case you were lost in the carnage. • Not really used to the whole emotions thing. She deals with it her own way. • Brought you flowers but had no idea how to keep them, so they died quickly. She ended up getting annoyed at that too so you had to explain to her that its the thought that counts.

Porco; • Blames himself for no reason. He wasn't even there when you were hurt and still thinks it was him. • Goes through a million different scenarios wherein he could have saved you from being injured. Pieck had to convince him to stop before he hurts you further. • He's already rude enough as it is, but when it gets 10x worse when you're bed bound. • Sat by your side until you wake up. • Refuses to let anyone other than the nurses in the room with you, even then he doesn't fully trust the nurses. • His emotions get the best of him.

Pieck; • She's worries internally but has a calm exterior. She knows you're in good hands with the nurses, so there's no reason for her to be afraid. • Sits with you on the bed. If you're well enough she'll curl up at the end of the bed. • Bought you flowers. She went out and picked them herself. She arranged them in the vase so that when you wake up, you see your favourite flower first. • Feeds you herself. • When you first get out of the bed, you're both on crutches and laugh about being as useless at walking as each other. • You sit on the floor together instead of going to meetings.

Zeke; • He goes through the stages of grief even though you're not dead. • Denies that you're hurt. Refuses to believe you'd let yourself be injured. Convinced himself that you shouldn't have been out there in the first place, and then gets angry that you ever decided to join the army. • Has the WORST anger stage even. Throws an absolute fit. Breaks things, shouts profanities at the top of his lungs, drinks and smokes like doesn't have organs. His office is completely trashed. • He then tries to convince his superiors to take you off the squad; if he had his way it'd be the army altogether. He's certain you're not ready for the outside world, he just wants you protected. • His depression stage is just him sitting beside you. Unable to move, even if he wanted to. He's unsure if his brain won't let him move, or if he physically can't. He cries until tears won't fall anymore. • Finally, he accepts that you never wanted to get hurt, it was just a series of unfortunate events. Realises trying to take you out of the army, against your wishes, was a mistake. He feels horrifically guilty for how he acted and says sorry to everyone it affected, including you're sleeping form.

[nthspecialll]

The complexity of love

Abigail and John has, as we all know, had a very rocky run leading up to the fairly happy family we know them as in 1911 with John giving up everything he had to save them, and sadly that rocky run was majorily John's fault. (Dont worry this wont just be me bashing in Johns head with a bat)

Throughout the first few chapters we can see Abigail desperately try to get John to put in an effort, if not with her, at least with their son, growing up as an orphan she most likely knew how much it sucked missing parental love, and wishing the best for her boy.

While Abigail does show aggression, such as calling John a fool and hitting him, it isn't without reason.

Abigail is heavily reliant on John due to the lack of rights women had back then, and also had in the gang. Being one of the only people in the entire camp not to do crime or working any job that earns her more than just a space in a tent and food on the table, she needs someone else to help her as she has no income. This is most notable when she reluctantly asks Arthur for five dollars because she is literally unable to clothe her son. Those five dollars should be coming from John, the camp does not give more than food (barely, she can several times be heard complaining that Jack is hungry) and shelter, clothing is not included in that, nor is any type of entertainment like fishing equipment or books.

It is also quite clear that Abigail cares for John, deeply, she is constantly checking up on him, telling him to rest, to be careful and take care of himself, while he just shuts her down "being in the sun is good for me, however talking is not so much." There is also when Molly comes to her for advice and Abigail admits to unfortunately relating to Molly and Dutch's relationship, being reliant on a man who does not want you, yet still loving them.

And it isn't just with Abigail, who is sacrifing her own love and feelings to try to give her son a father, that John is neglective, it is also with his son whom he is so absent with that it brought Jack to tears.

Whether or not John actually doesn't believe Jack to be his, it mostly seems like a dodge of responsibilites but to an extreme that it feels like more. John has been with the gang since he was twelve, that is ten years of his life that he had spent with the gang, not a day without them when he suddenly runs off because he has a son? He is willing to give up everything because of a child? While it is a huge responsibility, he has been taught from the day he entered the gang that being together is strength, being alone is weakness.

I doubt it was just the pressure put on him that led him to neglect Jack.

John and Abigail's relationship actually has several parallels to John's own parents, his mother being a prositute and his father being her "well I don't know what he was to her," similarly to how John doesn’t exactly know what he and Abigail are. Some sees them as nothing while others sees them as married.

When it comes to the one parent that John did have left, his father, he likely didn't have much of a good relationship with, telling Jack that he "wasn't missing out on much" when he said he wanted to meet John's pa, who died and left John to fend for himself.

John can also often be heard saying "I don't know much about fathering!" that seemingly being his biggest worry when it comes to his family. Him being afraid of repeating his own father's mistakes doesn't seem like the biggest reach to me, do I think it is the biggest cause? No, I do think it is the big new responsibility, but I do think that fear was laying somewhere underneath it.

I do also think that in late chapter 3/early chapter 4 that while he was trying so hard not to become his father, he had become his father, being negletant and a poor father. That realisation together with the fear of loosing the one family that seemed to stick while the other (the gang) crumbled, could have been what kicked him into action.

John being an overly good father in chapter 4-6 only for him to loose that again in the time between chapter 6 and 1907, I would count as John having tried to overly compensate in 1899 for being a terrible father for all those years, but when everything calmed down he kind of fell back into his poor habits.

Abigail had for years desperately tried to get a regular life, to get a home and a safe place for her family but John keeps ruining it so she leaves (full post on that here). That was once again the kick John needed, suddenly realising he is back in 1899, completely failing his family and being a poor father and husband.

In 1911 the family has had their life for four years, growing their ranch, harvesting, taming and selling horses and other farm animals and they grow close, except for Jack and John. Jack is not at all that close to John, worried about getting close to him because he might leave again. Those times that John thought he was doing the right thing, Jack thought he was being left behind and that is understandable.

John "left" when Abigail was being kidnapped in 1899, he was not there, he kept constantly leaving during the timeskip, always coming home with another mess for them to flee, he was missing when Abigail and Jack left, he was missing when he went hunting for Micah and then he was missing once again when out killing Javier, Bill and Dutch. He was never a reliable person for Jack who constantly had to care for his mom on his own.

Jack was very much kept in the blind about a lot of things, literally asking John if he is a murderer, not completely knowing, so clearly what John did while gone was not something Jack was told. Thus he was left in this constant battle between "trust him, he is here now" and "don't trust him, he will leave soon," leading to a very complicated on and off relationship.

(Tags: @pinescent-and-gingerbread @photo1030 @nescio7 )

[leggerefiore]

Very interesting question: In the hypothetical yandere relationships, how are the kids affected by the dynamic?

Do some of the kids realize that their father is unhealthily obsessed? Does having kid(s) make some of the men better or worse at respecting boundaries? Do some of the kids simply not exist in the yandere relationship?

I've definitely talked about this before I think that was solely about the train kids... Still, I do find the concept fascinating.

cw: yandere, kids, ect ect, unhealthy relationships

Erin... is somehow blissfully unaware. Presumably by any point in which yandere Ingo has gotten to the point of having a child, he feels that his partner has entirely accepted everything. There is a veneer of normalcy at play, and he even takes his partner out. Erin really doesn't know. It never gets spoken... Why traumatise someone who did not ask for any of this, after all? He would be mortified if he learnt the truth though... But... Really, at the point where Erin exists here, there is an almost normal relationship at play. Honestly, a kid probably turns away most of Ingo's more aggressive behaviours.

Inka and Emma, unfortunately, will be aware. Inka sees her father's behaviours as horrifying and uncomfortable, and it is likely the divide in their relationship. Emma... manages to rationalise everything. It was love. She will tell herself that over and over again... Much like her namesake, she will likely end up the same way. Inka... May find herself displaying some of the behaviours but will be so disappointed in herself that she stops. Emmet does not really change too much... He still is the overly possessive type who is scared to let his partner leave the home.

Lenie… Lenie would be aware. She can read her father better than anyone else. She knows everything about him. But, she would also fail to see the issue. Her feelings… She always idealises her parents' relationship. It is true love to her. And, she is her father's child. Though, she does make Cyrus have the revelation that they need to allow her healthier experiences in life… Boundaries are allowed as he feels, and his partner finally gets to do more activities outside more. Really, she improves everything. She even advocates for Cyrus to tone any more worrying behaviours for her other parent.

Clover would not know. This poor girl is more unaware that Erin about some things. That, and, N is not a bad yandere. He is clingy and possessive at his worst. He does not understand his own feelings. Besides, the only thing that would mke him act out is if his partner were in danger. So, really, Clover has no reason to know. N… Is confused about boundaries. When set, he already would likely respect them. He just… gets a little pushy and unaware himself. Really, probbaly the most "healthy" yandere, here.

Regan and Cordelia… While they are both young, they are mostly unaware of what their father is like. He is busy all the time, and they assume their other parent being locked away is for their own safety. After all, it is not like they are unaware about kidnappers and assassins targetting them. But, they diverge as they age in their awareness. Regan learns the truth of the matter… And he is, rightfully, horrified. It sounded more like a historical act than a mordern display. He feels disgusting about his own existence for so long. Though, he mostly is amazed by how genuinely convinced his father is about his actions. There is no doubt. Not one bit. Cordelia… is never told, nor does she seek the truth. Like Lenie, she idealises their relationship. It is pure romance to her. She wants something similar. Even if… That likely would not end well. Lear… Doesn't change much. He becomes more responsible, but he never really stops being how he is. Nothing will make him doubt his actions.

Ohi'a… is a bit ill at the truth the matter. How his father, someone who remains seemingly righteous, shifted to do something like abduction and hostage-holding… He never really sleeps well after learning the truth. By the time he is born, there is not doubt stockholm syndrome at play. They may seem happy, but everything that happened to get here… He ponders why this is something that had to happen. Likely, he disappears into his work to never return in any way but phone calls. Nanu genuinely softens a bit with Ohi'a around. It is hard not to. His son's reaction does not surprise him. It was how he felt about himself, but never enough to have the push to actually stop what he was doing.

Nero and Morrigan… Oil and water about the situation. Morrigan… understands. She desperately understands. Nero despises. He hates so much what he sees. His father acting like his other parent was some kind of possession. He feels unwell that he came from such a scenario. Even worse, he feels, when Morrigan defends it. She always adored their father, and it only made sense that even here she would fail to see his faults. Kids only make Grimsley realise he has to be more aware of his actions. Boundaries are more likely to be respected in front of them, and less likely when alone.

Poor, poor Astrea. Her existence must be with how her father wishes to coninue the legacy of the ancient Sinnoh people. Though, the era she lives and the place, unfortunately, stories of forced marriages and relationships were not uncommon. Not to mention arranged marriages between parties that were otherwise uninterested in the other. By the time she is born, Volo likely has come down from the extremes he was at over the denial of Arceus and his partner being chosen over him. But, she can tell. Her plan… It was simple. She would break this cycle with her own hands an hopefully her own descendants would continue that legacy. Volo likely never can truly respect boundaries as a yandere, Astrea changes very little.

Prisma… Prisma would know. She knows everything about her father. His time with Team Plasma - Everything. So, yes, she would know. Her father speaks so methodically about the whole situation that it almost disturbs her. There is affection underlying it all, but when turns to speaking about how he strengthened their bond through his own means, she feels even more lost. Though… Prisma would always struggle to get away from the thought. She can see how her father's trained front breaks for her other parent… Fully ready to fall to his knees and gain their adoration. She struggles to fully understand this situation. Colress… Never really respects boundaries. His curiosity is unyielding.

Araceli and Laureano do not know. Their father is simply too subtle. He just… is possessive, but he is far too busy with his three jobs to be a proper yandere. Arugably, their other parent could just leave, but… Who Knows.

[rei-ismyname]

Uncanny X-Men #11 review

X-Manhunt is upon us, as everyone drops what they're doing to pay attention to almost everyone's least favourite mutant - Charles Xavier. The team dynamic is getting stranger as Rogue puts the 'danger' in Danger Room, Logan grows ever wider, and The Podcaster asks the X-Men for help.

Maybe the Podcaster is a mutant who can sense plot points

Yet another X-Book introduces a confusing dose of Space Bullshit, as Xandra, Xavier's Shi'Ar Empress daughter, is attacked by rebels. That's pretty much a Tuesday for her and it's the only kind of plot she's ever used for. Chuck's terrible parenting is the last motivation I expected for his escape, but cosmic Marvel is experiencing upheaval of late so I guess it's as good a reason as any. I'd think that Jean/Phoenix could and would solve the issue instantly, but as we'll see Xavier is not thinking clearly. Or maybe he is and this is all a trick - the narrative is not interested in answering these questions right now. It doesn't really matter that Xavier has only met his daughter once, nor is it explained why she cries to him for help. Deathbird, as usual, fails at everything she attempts. Strange that she's her only guard.

I wouldn't think prisoners crying would be a noteworthy occurrence in this hellhole, but Chuck having a heart attack would remove Graymalkin's reason for existing. I assume he's feeling the strain of telepathic communication across the galaxy plus watching his daughter's attack in real time. The Podcaster's character continues to be baffling - in a better book I'd speculate on the implications of her flat, cackling villainy.

The whole reason Xavier is locked up in the first place is because he won't keep his brain to himself. Scurvy usually keeps him locked down, but Scurvy is recovering from the thrashing Chuck gave him during the Raid. If they have the ability to sedate him/use power dampeners, why don't they use them all the time? Obviously the plot couldn't happen without it but it makes these clowns look even more incompetent than usual. He casually freed himself during the Raid and chose to stay and they've been letting him use his powers this whole time?

The imaginatively named Secret Alliance has succeeded in capturing Xandra, and she's a powerful enough telepath to contact Chuck across the galaxy but that's her best shot. Sure, he's not getting there very quickly though, unless Lila Cheney is around. Charles Xavier IS a terrible father, no doubt about it, and he admits it every so often. He never actually does anything different though, so I guess this is growth? Maybe.

Checking in with the team whose book this is ... hold up, that is the thickest Logan I've ever seen. A secondary mutation perhaps? Anyway, it looks like we're doing the makeshift Danger Room thing with the kids again. I'd love for the events of the last two issues to be discussed in some way, but that's not really how Uncanny rolls. Sure, the kids need training since they want to be doing this X-Men thing but they've just had a protracted fight to the death with killer robot dogs. Deathdream nearly died. Rogue is thinking they need to be hurt more for unexplained reasons, and I strongly doubt anyone has ever thought the Danger Room is fun. Maybe Scott.

Moonbeam orders Gambit to blow Jitter up, knocking her down and bringing fun time to an end. Really not selling Rogue as a leader here - WTF is this meant to teach anyone? Poor thing starts crying and at last a member of this team calls Rogue out, briefly. Rogue explains herself by rattling off a wiki entry on 'X-men villains' including Omega Red - who really shouldn't be there.

Sometimes, when I'm playing an RPG like Fallout or Elder Scrolls and I'm bored I'll save the game then just go to town blowing shit up and killing people. Or if I'm looking for exploits/messing with engine physics I'll just interact with objects in odd ways. That's kinda what this feels like, a random act of violence just to see some explosions. Rogue exists in a narrative and genre where suspension of disbelief is required, but I can't suspend it for this. Is Gail Simone the RPG player, maybe? It's her world. I have no idea, but it's incredibly jarring.

Ember is definitely side-eying Rogue

Training is over and nobody learned anything. Jubilee calls it and uses Cyclops as an insult. Oookay. I'm not going to bother dissecting that. This lot hate Cyclops for reasons unknown and if it hasn't been explained by now it never will. I accept it, I just think it's weak characterisation. Jubes and Kurt's disapproval is overshadowed by Ground Bear and Gambit agreeing that it was a good idea. I have to laugh at this - it's just so ridiculous. The X-Men aren't the same characters from issue to issue, let alone any kind of continuity with previous runs. They do things for reasons and everything works out fine.

No time for any character exploration - The Podcaster has sent a plane to pick them up and calls requesting help like the friends they're not. Why not? I'm not taking any of these characters seriously anyway, may as well have the X-Men collaborate with someone who threatened to blow up their town. Someone who enslaves and tortures mutants in what used to be their house.

Also, this is a thing that happens. A guard at Graymalkin just blows his family away. Not sure why a Graymalkin jackboot would shoot Sentinels, but it makes as much sense as anything else. Sure it's probably linked to the 'virus' that's going around, that's probably linked to Xavier. Or maybe it's something else entirely. This book doesn't exactly reward or incentivise speculation, so I'll just wait until they beat me over the head with it.

I was just thinking this issue could do with Sarah Gaunt in it. She's been quiet for an entire arc. Xavier asks her to free him and while she still hates him she does it anyway. I guess those comically large chains she was bound with in Raid on Graymalkin do nothing, as she can come and go as she pleases - or destroy all his restraints without moving. Doesn't matter, Chuck is out of his chains now. Nothing new about either character here and Sarah went from 'fuck you' to 'sure, I'll help you' very quickly.

Xavier opens his door to find his X-Men there to help him. It's the Uncanny team but he sees them as a warped version of the O5. They're here for ... I don't know why they're here tbh. The tumor mentioned by Scurvy is apparently a thing, I'm just not sure what these folks are meant to do about that. That he's hallucinating is new. I feel like the sedative would have been enough to sell it, though I have been saying that Xavier is going to die for a while now. Rehabilitation through death, it's a Xavier classic. Tumours are already mutations so I don't know what a mutant tumour is meant to be. Maybe The Avians are related to The Shi'Ar after all.

Chuck starts barking orders like the good old days, listening to no-one and blasting Rogue when she tries to reason with him. Not sure what the X-Men's motivation is here.

'Goblin?' Really? Xavier is acting very differently to how he does in NYX or Storm. I mean, he's imperious and manipulative but he seems lucid in those books. Rogue lampshades her previous desire to free him at all costs while thinking that they're here to keep him in prison. Again, it's bizarre that Graymalkin has no other means of dealing with this guy, and The Podcaster called the team least aligned with her goals. Maybe she doesn't have Cyclops' number.

Xavier certainly has the Uncanny team's number, thrashing them easily and bailing. He's not concerned about the tumor right now (in fact he doesn't believe it despite already knowing) - he's all in on Xandra. That the tumor is eating his telepathic control comes out of nowhere and isn't explained. This mystery box approach is very on brand, but at the end of the issue not much has actually happened.

'With a terminal tumor sending his telepathy haywire, Charles Xavier has escaped Graymalkin! Answering a psychic distress call from his Shi'Ar daughter, the X-Men will have to grapple with blah blah blah, nothing will be the same again.' There's all the context you need to read the next part of X-Manhunt, and the Uncanny X-Men weren't a big part of the book. What little did happen will surely be forgotten, making issue #11 very skippable. From The Ashes was very committed to keeping the individual books separate from each other, yet the second crossover has just begun.

Feels like trying to have it both ways and just resulting in neither getting enough page time. I've accepted that this book is not trying to be more than a fun time, but I have to wonder how sustainable it is. As other, better books are getting cancelled it's difficult to not be a little disappointed. Hopefully when this Xavier nonsense is wrapped up we can get back to The Outliers being arbitrarily blown up. In the meantime, at least it looks good - wide Logan and all. :)

[rewrittenmha]

USJ Arc

The stuff with the reporters goes the same. But I like to imagine that instead of just shooting them away, Aizawa loses his temper with them a little because the press agitates him. He also isn't fond of them recording his students because, y'know, I'm trying to make him somewhat decent in this.

I'm actually gagging at Aizawa telling Bakugou to stop wasting his talent because wtf I don't remember that

Aizawa scolds Bakugou for not being mindful of his quirk and Izuku for injuring himself, similarly to canon. He also berates Mineta for abandoning his teammate and being lazy. He commends Momo, Todoroki, and (to her surprise) Uraraka for their well-earned victories. Though, he does tell Uraraka that her combat needs work.

Aizawa allows 1A to vote for their class representatives like in canon. But unlike canon, Izuku votes for Yaoyorozu, which gives Yaoyorozu three votes and Izuku two. He thought about voting for himself like everyone else, but decided against it because he doesn't picture himself as a ready to be a leader. He remembers Yaoyorozu detailed plan and thinks she would be a better fit. But he's surprised that he did get two other votes (from Uraraka and Iida respectively).

The rest of the episode/chapter goes the same. Iida successfully deescalates his panicking peers and Izuku acknowledges that he's better to help lead their class. So Yaoyorozu remains 1A's representative while Iida becomes the vice representative.

(One thing I find interesting about Izuku's actions in canon is that he voted for himself, but didn't think he would win and is nervous when he does. He doubts himself as a leader, which isn't wrong. Izuku tends to let a lot of things pass him by. But we see in the USJ- and the provisional licensing exam- that he has no issues taking charge. I think this is for two reasons: a) he's way more likely to act if someone's in danger or needs help and b) he waits for someone to look to him to lead. Tsu and Mineta needed him to tell them what to do, so he easily steps up. It's basically leading his peers through a dangerous situation versus controlling/directing a group.)

The USJ trip doesn't undergo any major changes, I would say. Most things are still the same.

Tsu watches how Izuku easily takes charge, plans, and gets Mineta to start whining and wonders why he gave up being vice rep, only for him to start muttering which creeps her out. She remarks that he has no issues navigating people through danger, but notes that his social skills need work. Izuku stumbles a bit, but internally acknowledges that she's not wrong.

With Bakugou and Kirishima, instead of blindly admiring him, Kirishima actually clashes a bit with Bakugou. Because he feels as though their actions were what gave Kurogiri the opportunity to scatter them before Thirteen could suck him in. Bakugou refusing the acknowledge that leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He tells Bakugou that he likes his strength and grit, but that his attitude is immature and "unmanly." Bakugou snaps at him that he doesn't care what he thinks goes after Kurogiri since he's where the villains are coming from. Kirishima still follows after him partly because he thinks Bakugou is right to attack the warp villain and partly because he thinks they should stick together.

I don't feel the need to change everything else. EXCEPT regarding Tomura when he goes on the spiel that All Might calls out as bullshit, he doesn't confirm that it is, nor does he deny it.

I think that Tomura DOES actually believe that to some degree, because those are things that AFO has told him. I think he's just repeating what he's heard, which is justification for the things AFO has done/endorsed. However, I do think that All Might was right calling him out as craving violence. Tomura at this point is an overzealous child. He doesn't have a goal other than kill and destroy hero society.

But- at least for this story- he doesn't know why hero society is corrupt. I wonder if that will change soon.

(foreshadowing)

Notes:

I struggled so hard with this arc, which is why there aren't major changes to it. But there also aren't too many issues with it, in my opinion

If you can't tell, I'm still deciding whether or not I want to redeem Bakugou. But I still think either way that Kirishima should be put-off by his rotten attitude, even if he does admire his tenacity

I never noticed until I reread, but Izuku really did inspire Mineta in this arc. I've noticed Mineta's early characterization wasn't nearly as abysmal as he was in the middle of the series. Horikoshi even made a note about not overdoing it with his pervyness (he failed)

Izuku is a very awkward bean, so I have no qualms about not making him rep or vice rep. I think it's a testament to his character that he can take charge during a threat but totally clams up in front of people

I love Iida, but let's be real Momo was robbed of her presidency. I think Iida's a great rep in canon, but this was the start of Momo getting screwed

I was gonna change Momo, Kaminari, and Jiro's fight, but I decided against it because I don't want to turn Momo into a Mary Sue. Her freezing and being unable to think on her feet is something I really wanna get into

I'm very excited for the Sports Festival :)

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 23

*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

----------

When Yor says goodbye to a very grateful Olka, the latter leaves her with some heartfelt parting words: she'll be praying that Yor and her family can find peace and happiness. Yor is taken aback by Olka's gratitude, which is understandable. Being an assassin is an unappreciated job, since most of it involves simply killing your victims and then disappearing without a trace. Her assignment with Olka may have been the first time a client expressed such sincere gratitude for the work she does. Not only that, but Olka having Yor hug Gram while telling her that she's the reason he has a future, is probably the first time she was able to so plainly see how her work can mean the difference between peace and tragedy for a family in need.

Despite the fact that Olka had repeatedly reminded Yor that her family is just for show, she's obviously realized that Yor sees them as much more. She can't openly tell this to Yor, so perhaps she chose these particular words of farewell as a way of getting Yor to really think about how much her family means to her…in the hopes that one day she can also leave the horrors of the underworld behind to pursue a quiet life. Olka's words may have struck a chord, as Yor seems very deep in thought while she and McMahon watch Olka's raft disappear into the distance. When McMahon notices how melancholic she looks, he reminds her not to get sentimental since they're both just foot soldiers. But ironically, almost immediately after, he tells her that she should meet up with Loid and Anya as a reward for her hard work while he takes care of any further incidents.

McMahon's history with Yor (if any) is still a mystery, but despite his stoic demeanor, maybe he too realizes that she truly enjoys being with her supposed "cover up" family.

I've seen discourse surrounding the idea that Yor's preference of "traditionally feminine" roles – wanting to be a wife and mother – is a sign of weakness and submissiveness. In addition, as @connoisseursdecomfort discusses here, some people only see one aspect of her character instead of the whole picture, and paint that in a negative way. To quote Connoisseur's post:

"Endo doesn’t want [Yor] to be just soft and sweet and sexy and strong. Like any other human, she is very self-conscious when she doesn’t fit in, and all of these discussions really show how realistic it is for Yor to feel insecure - she is too muscle-head and strong to be feminine in the eyes of the Asian readers, but too sensitive, gentle and ditzy to be masculine. She is not created to fit any standards, and therefore deemed a failure in every reader who sought to make another exemplary woman of this modern age. She has to be perfect, but she will never be."

If by "ditzy" people mean she's naïve about many things, then yes, she is, but there's a reason for it that anyone who's paid attention to the series can easily see: since she had to raise her brother since childhood, she wasn't able to pursue a proper education or gain the kind of real-life knowledge most people who live "normal" lives do. If by "ditzy" they mean she's too nice or polite…why is that a bad thing? While her low self-esteem makes it hard for her to stand up against people who insult her directly, she doesn't hesitate to attack anyone who threatens her family, nor does she hesitate to kill bad guys on her missions. So why is being nice to people who are not a threat to her a bad thing? Since when does having a brash, cocky attitude equate to strength, while being polite and nice to others by default, along with the very human displays of vulnerability and self-doubt, equate to weakness?

In my opinion, anyone who feels this way about Yor – that the only personality trait she has is "ditzy," or that it's somehow anti-feminist for her to desire the peaceful life of a wife/mother instead of something grander – is missing the whole point of the series. I discussed earlier that Endo does not portray Yor's profession as something glorious that she enjoys doing. It's dangerous, ugly, and morally ambiguous, but she does it out of desire to protect her family. Not only has she been doing it since she was a child, and thus was never able to experience a "normal" life, but it's a job with very little appreciation or acknowledgement. So after living with Loid and Anya, people who appreciate her for who she really is, don't force her to act certain ways nor expect anything in return, why should she be ridiculed for desiring peaceful days with them instead of living only in the cold, thankless underworld? Loid never forced her to remain his wife and Anya's mother after the interview – she chose to stay, at first for her own benefit, but she soon realized that being with them makes her happy. Is it "submissiveness" that someone who's been thrust into a dangerous, unforgiving life as an assassin since childhood now finds comfort in the traditional role of wife/mother with people she loves? Submissiveness is blind obedience, where you live a certain way by someone else's choice or even by force, and that's not the case here. There's no rule that says being a strong woman necessitates a complete rejection of feminine roles and values. A strong female character isn't necessarily one that's filled with self-confidence or tomboyish brashness…if anything, having no inner turmoil for them to overcome makes them a weaker character in my opinion. She's not throwing anything away for "a man" by choosing on her own to stay with Loid because he's always kind and considerate to her. As we saw at the end of her epiphany, she didn't even have to choose her role as a wife/mother over her role as an assassin – she decided to keep being both, but it's her love for Loid and Anya that made her resolve for remaining as Thorn Princess even stronger than before.

What's even more amazing about Yor's character is that, even when she understands that she doesn't need to be an assassin anymore – that no one needs financial support from her work, she still makes the most unselfish choice. She could have ditched her Garden work completely to pursue the life that truly makes her happy, which is being the wife/mother of the Forger family. After knowing how selflessly she's lived her life up to this point, pretty much sacrificing her well-being for Yuri's, no one would blame her if she decided to finally choose what's best for her now. But instead, she chooses to continue her unselfish way of life…even if it means sacrificing her own happiness yet again, she will continue this dangerous line of work, because preventing tragedy from befalling her loved ones or the world in general is more important to her than her own personal happiness. Having such unwavering selflessness, in addition to being a kind and patient mother, encouraging wife, and deadly assassin who still retains her humanity, Endo has done wonders making a character both cute/sweet but also a total badass who's strong on the outside as well as the inside.

Continue to Part 24 ->

<- Return to Part 22

[raayllum]

Time to be wonderfully self indulgent and talk about a scene comparison I've wanted to for a hot second (while pointing very decidedly to This Post for posterity's sake).

So let's talk about the hostage exchanges for Callum and Rayla in 4x09 and 5x08, shall we?

First, let's look at the scene setup.

In 4x09, Rayla is very much the aggressor and pursuant, and the one who — initially — has more power. She has her sword up to Terry's throat, neither him nor Claudia have strong reason to think she wouldn't go through with it, and she explicitly threatens Terry's life precisely because of his importance to Claudia. This is similar as to why Finnegrin threatens Rayla (though there are differences, which we'll get to in a moment), so both elves start out as the aggressor in each scenario.

However, there is soon a shift. Callum's "deal" happens because he escalated violence against Finnegrin (the infamous punch), a tad more similarly perhaps to how Rayla is only threatening Terry because she believes Claudia and co. are a threat to the whole world. Now to be fair, Claudia is only threatening Rayla's parents because Rayla is threatening Terry, but we can assume she had the realization of their connection to Rayla a while ago and has been sitting on it just in case she needed leverage, given that she doesn't seem to need a second to consider. I also think we're inclined, typically within the show, to see the person offering up Options / a choice to make as the one who holds more power in the immediate situation (i.e. Karim's whole sun seed for Janai debacle) even if it may be 60-40 the way it is here.

Not a huge power imbalance, but enough that people are being pushed into corners, and that's exactly where Claudia and Finnegrin attempt to do, and arguably do more successfully, to Callum and Rayla respectively.

We've talked a fair bit about Claudia, so now I want to talk about Finnegrin, simply because he gets a whole episode of corner backing, and therefore there's more stages.

The first stage is Finnegrin attacking Callum as an individual — "Look at you: slave to your friends, your loyalties, your pride. I can give you your freedom though" — and it's the least effective, as Callum never budges or shows any real hints of budging even under torture. However, Callum's admission that he has indeed done dark magic before ("I did one spell. One. I had to, to save my friends") gives Finnegrin the tools he needs to create the next prong of his approach.

Stage two is attacking Callum through his friends, and is far more effective. This is why he sets the hand cutting challenge, and Callum buys into it, i.e. the idea that he has to choose, over the idea that Callum could conceivably offer up his own hand instead. This is not to say that he wouldn't — there's little doubt in my mind that Callum wouldn't have seriously considered if not outright done the chain spell up on deck if Rayla hadn't tried to intervene, since as Finnegrin correctly assesses, "They would do anything for you, so clearly you'll do anything for them" — just that his own hand didn't occur to Callum as an option the way it might've to someone like Rayla.

The third stage, of course, is the one that's most interesting to us, simply in how Callum's "hostage deal" differs from Rayla's in both its construction, their assumptions, and their responses.

Claudia: One thing I don't know though — if I threw the coins in the lava, would it release your spirits? Or would they be trapped in some kind of eternal burning agony? Let's trade. You let him go... and I'll give you the coins.

Finnegrin: The cave is for his protection. This way, he lures us a leviathan but doesn't get eaten. The one getting thrown into the sea serpent's hungry mouth is your elf girl.

Claudia's offered deal is different from Finnegrin's in a few ways.

1) Claudia's deal is explicitly stated in not just the text, but the scene itself ("Let's trade") meanwhile Finnegrin, unlike the two stages prior, does not offer Callum any notion of freedom this time around. Even though neither ends up being a fair deal regardless, the setup of said deal is different. Rayla is being legitimately offered; Callum is making a (desperate but understandable) assumption.

2) Exemplified in a drabble I wrote in which Finnegrin was bluffing, I think it's worth noting that the peril Rayla's parents were in was much more apparent. They were completely defenseless, Claudia was already holding them over the lava, and just one quick throw would be enough to potentially leave them in an "eternal burning agony" (which sounds worse than death by sea leviathan to me; at least that decidedly ends at one point). Rayla could see and hear all this. Callum, by contrast, did not see Rayla tied up, or in distress, and Finnegrin had no proof other than his word. That's not to say Callum was wrong to believe him — he'd just watched Finnegrin torture her, and Finnegrin was very much not bluffing in canon — but that normally Callum is a bit more skeptical and wants a bit more proof in regards to things, and this was a time where emotion really pushed him forward. The immediate consequences of however Rayla responded would be seen with her own eyes, where it's unlikely Callum would've even known precisely when Rayla had died/been eaten with any of his senses or knowledge; it's arguably the one 'mercy' that Finnegrin provided him.

3) And as stated, both Claudia and Finnegrin end up being disingenuous. It seems likely that Claudia always intended to trick Rayla, even if she'd let Terry go, given that while we don't see her slight of hand in general on screen, it doesn't seem like it would've been possible for her to take the coins back out again and switch them before tossing the pouch. That seems like a one and done type of thing earlier on. Finnegrin, of course, takes Callum to task for his assumption ("Oh my poor lad; that deal was no longer on the table") and given his choice to feed Rayla to the sea leviathan anyway, I don't think Finnegrin was ever telling Callum about his plans in order to get him to give up the info. I think it was just supposed to be a punishment, plain and simple, for the literal blow to his pride.

But now for the difference I think everyone clicked on this meta for, realistically, are the choices that Callum and Rayla made in response to the offered Deals.

When Rayla's parents lives are on the line, she considers, but ultimately refuses.

She does not partake in the deal. Rather, she escalates her own refusal of it by pushing Terry to his knees, says so outright — "I'm not making a deal with you!" — and looks up at Claudia, watching and waiting to see how she responds. Claudia as wholly tossed the coin pouch, and Rayla is seeing it arc down towards the lava, before she finally releases Terry to go and try to save her family.

Rayla does not fold the second her parents are verbally threatened, or when there is a possibility of getting them back. Despite her wanting to stop Claudia and Viren, the bigger issue is ultimately letting Claudia escape > actually keeping Terry away from her as an ally/helper. It is only when her parents will burn to death in front of her eyes that she relinquishes her stalemate in an attempt to save them.

You can argue that Rayla going back on her refusal means she made the same choice as Callum in 5x08, and that's fine; it's your prerogative, it's your interpretation, it's cool beans.

However, that doesn't ignore the character beat that Rayla at least refuses upon the first possibility of a threat. Claudia directly threatens three of Rayla's loved ones, and Rayla doesn't budge and verbally/physically refuses to give Claudia what she wants.

And Callum does the same with Finnegrin under torture... until Finnegrin threatens Rayla. The second Callum realizes that Rayla is in danger, that she will or might be killed, Callum folds.

The parallel response here would've been Rayla letting go of Terry the second that Claudia said she might throw the coins into the lava, but Rayla doesn't. And Callum does, even though as he said earlier ("I'm not going to help you murder the Archdragon of the Ocean") this makes him complicit in murder.

And this is where Callum's assumption really bites him in the ass, because he assumes that Finnegrin is still operating under the terms of their previous deal ("Told me something I wanted and now she's free as a bird") even though Callum isn't asking for his freedom, but Rayla's. But Finnegrin's pride is wounded — this was always meant to be a straight up punishment, not enough form of coercion — the wick of his anger lit, so it makes no difference.

Rayla refuses Claudia's deal when thinking it existed, only to find out it didn't. Callum agrees to Finnegrin's deal only to find it out it no longer exists. He gave Finnegrin what the pirate wanted and it isn't even going to save the person he gave it up for.

Both failed exchanges — or in Rayla's case, a failed rescue — end in defeat and devastation: Rayla sobbing and letting out a scream of anguished frustration, and Callum laying on the floor in despair, totally sideways from how much he's pulling at his chains.

I don't think I have to say much else as these scenes and comparisons basically speak for themselves. Neither choice these two make is necessarily the right or wrong choice — for Rayla, her inability to put what she wants first could've resulted in her parents' deaths and has caused herself and others a lot of suffering; for Callum, he understandably wanted to protect a loved one at all cost, even if that left him exploitable and unsuccessful amid Finnegrin's ire, and gave the pirate a dangerous piece of information.

However, I do think that although Callum's choice spells an ominous future (and that Rayla's foreshadows the uncertainty of what she may do when Callum is, inevitably, possessed again, and their futures collide), it's worth examining it as his biggest, more positive difference from Viren, and that's what my next post will be about — so stay tuned if you like.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Exactly, I don't know how it would benefit in any of the 2 cases of Blake to put Taylor in the front row of all that. First, it is giving JB the reason for everything that he said about Blake about Taylor and second, it is using your friend in something that has nothing to do with it or thinking badly, unless they want to use Taylor to divert attention from them and put it on Taylor because I don't think that both Blake and Ryan don't know the magnitude of fame and public opinion that taylor has and how easy it is for gp to hate taylor the truth is I hope this is not the case but I do not see the benefit of putting taylor in any of the cases that blake has I do not understand the motive of blake and ryan with taylor honestly, I mean let's say that taylor was a witness to something about any of the cases so if taylor needed to be called and be involved but really in this case taylor does not a witness to nothing and she would not benefit Blake's case if not the other way around.

With the disclaimer that I don't know any of these people nor am I privy to any of their private lives and I'm just a girl on the internet shooting the shit, I think the generous read of the situation giving them the benefit of the doubt is that they are extremely worried that this case is about to careen off a cliff and are trying to bank some goodwill back in the public eye.

It's not lost on me that JB's PR team is the same one that represented Johnny D*pp (and is co-owned I believe by Scooter B so that's a whole other layer), and their very transparent smear campaign outlined in the legal documents has been followed to the letter and continues to be. So I do wonder if they're worried they might be facing an Amber H*ard situation, where it doesn't matter what kind of evidence they have, the court of public opinion is going to damage their case regardless. Again, this is just me speculating. So there may be a bit of panic setting in to get ahead of anything more damaging that may come out of the subpoenas, either legitimately or just by how it's spun by JB's team.

Again, the generous read to me is that they don't really understand how this makes Taylor like she's feeling used. I can see a scenario where they and/or their team sees these stories as nothing but positive fluff for both parties, being a win-win. E.g. they had a rough patch, Blake showed contrition for her mistakes and apologized, they're besties again. It sounds completely innocuous on its face. But it disregards what seems to be the fact that Taylor does not want to be mentioned about this, at all, full stop. It's very obviously because she has been trying to protect her peace since she got off tour and has the right to stay out of the limelight to live her life, especially when this case does not concern her at all. But at this point I also would not be surprised if that's also the legal advice she's been given to distance herself from the implication.

So I could see Blake or her team being like, "no harm, no foul, Taylor comes out looking great in this [and by extension so does Blake] so there's no problem." Which, if all parties agree to, then fine. But it seems like Taylor very, very much does not see it that way. And whatever private pleas she's made to her and her team to stop involving her have been ignored, so she's using the last soft warning she can in public before a firmer statement needs to be made. And that one imo is going to be washed in legalese and not friendly and will draw a line in the sand that may be less recoverable.

Blake is in a very tough spot, and unfortunately this mess is distracting from her very valid legal case which is a separate issue. She seems to be leading with her PR concerns, instead of her legal concerns, and I think that's affecting her and her team's ability to think about the long game of the case vs. the short term pain of whatever they're worried about her image. I wouldn't be surprised if she maybe hoped Taylor would offer a more public show of support, at least by tacitly letting the fluff stories fly by, but I imagine on Taylor's side a) it goes back to ignoring why this is hurtful and b) now that there are even further legal concerns (like the subpoena), is putting her in an increasingly more precarious position. They seem to have a fundamentally different view of what the major concerns are over their approaches.

It all really really sucks.

[nutcasewithaknife]

Let's talk about Li Xiangyi and Control!

Thank you to @istgidek1234 for putting up with three weeks of screaming and also more-or-less co-writing this with me <3.

Short disclaimer before diving into it: This is going to be part 1 of a 3 part series, one for each of liansanjiao. It’s hard to think about control and MLC and not realise that all three are fighting to take control of their own lives. They all do it differently for different reasons but it is a crucial, defining feature for each of them. It inevitably makes their relationship with each other a delightful heartbreaking combination of understanding but also never really seeing each other. 

For now, let’s begin with our protagonist.

Li Xiangyi, wunderkind beyond compare who crashes and burns and then walks away. Li Lianhua, a man determined to bury his past self and become a whole different person, a ghost haunting its own end. And yet! Neither Li Xiangyi nor Li Lianhua can exist without trying to stay in control in any given situation. This is me trying to slot together the pieces of how and why he’s like that.

[WARNING: long, long post ahead].

As Li Xiangyi, the world makes him its Hero. He goes with it, but he has his own standards of what he as a Hero must do. He creates and leads a whole new sect, befitting this image. But it's not just a generic Really Good sect, is it? It has purpose. The Sigu Sect is built to ensure the coexistence of the Empire and the Jianghu, to ensure justice in the latter without sacrificing its independence. Li Xiangyi does something far more nuanced than the Hero Figure ever needs to do - he looks at a system that needs fixing and decides he should be the one to do it. He's taking control of the story people fit him into by making it fit his own sense of righteousness, goodness and honour.

He may be doing that through a Sect, but he makes himself the keystone. Remove him, and it all falls apart. He makes decisions on the fly without consulting the people involved (not telling Shan Gudao aka his co-sect leader and founder about the treaty) because he is sure that he knows what's best. Imagine the kind of constant control he must have needed to maintain over any situation to be able to make such an impact on the politics of this world. But he doesn't stop being the one in charge. And most people just let him, see it as his natural place, so it's all good! He is stretched thin across a dozen different responsibilities, but they can never get the better of him, because he is Li Xiangyi.

It looks like arrogance, and to an extent it is. But it’s also more. Is it his reluctance to trust the abilities of anyone else more than he trusts himself? Is it habit? He grew up being pitted against his brother as proof of his Master's worth, the love he has known has always been tangled up with this burden of expectation, which he never fell short of. He is always the best. He is adored for it. A teenager who has never known defeat before, exalted by the world! Of course he went along with it, moulded his sense of self and worth around it. He has spent far too long defining his worth by living up to the expectations of those who love him. But that sort of adoration is always fickle, always conditional. 

The thing about never losing is that you don't stop to consider what happens when you do. When the burden grows too much to stay under his control, it's because he has lost for the first time. Qiao Wanmian leaving hits him hard, I think, because he was doing so much! He was meeting every expectation of who he should be, was it still not enough to have her love? There is anger and doubt. He alone decides on the treaty with Di Feisheng. And then Shan Gudao is killed, Li Xiangyi is betrayed, and it's the last straw. Losing for the first time in such a terrible way makes him furious, at himself and at those who he thinks betrayed his trust. He doubles down. He tries to seize back the control he's lost - all by himself as always - because it's the only way he sees to fix anything. He does it when dealing with betrayal and grief and rage the likes of which he's never known. The only way to fix the grief unraveling him is to get his brother’s remains back at any cost. And it ends in a massacre of thousands.

Li Xiangyi thinks that his blunder was the arrogance in believing he could fix the world in any way. His answer is to walk away. He has caused enough harm to the world as Li Xiangyi, so he will no longer be him. He no longer can, not with this poison in his body and with how badly he's let everyone down. The poison limits his abilities and makes him terminally ill. He can no longer rely on or control his own body the way he always has been used to. Those first few years must have been awful, while he was still learning how to live in this new state. It’s no wonder he finds some peace in shaping his immediate environment, in building a new life. He cooks, gardens, has a home he builds and looks after, has Huli Jing. He also gives himself a new direction, a new purpose - to put his past to rest, to repent in the only way he can. 

Knowing is also a way of being in control. If Li Xiangyi's tool to keep control was the power and authority of the hero figure, Li Lianhua's are his lies (the biggest of which is his innocuous presence, his uselessness beyond being a physician). Li Lianhua loves to stick his nose into things and find out the truth, and he is good at it. These lies are his new weapon, stronger than the sword up his sleeve now - he uses them to stay in control of the situation. To decide who is allowed to know what. He also puts them as a shield between everyone who tries to come close, because he himself is one of the things that nobody is allowed to know.

It is while becoming Li Lianhua that the change happens - he goes from meeting every expectation to dodging even the potential of one more doggedly than ever. He must shape the rest of his life alone and make it his own and nobody else's. He will be Li Lianhua, no longer burdened by the world's expectations. Just his own. All that he expects from himself is deeply personal - find Shan Gudao's body, bury him with their shifu, and die. It is only right that he has nobody at his side - he let down every single person who had once loved him. Nobody else should bear this burden with him, because it is his and his alone.

And then come along Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng. One doesn't give a flying fuck about the lies and the other knows him well enough to see right through most of them. Fang Duobing is at first annoyingly naive, overzealous to do good (like SOMEONE used to be), then endearing, and then dangerously forgiving and caring. He is the most lethal attack to Li Lianhua's self-imposed isolation because he has no expectations, and isn't the slightest bit intimidated by Li Lianhua or Li Xiangyi (re: @potahun’s meta on lxy being a burden because he is just too good). He's the first who talks about Li Xiangyi as a person, not a legend. There's no getting rid of him, but Li Lianhua will be Li Lianhua. He lies and hides and dodges and lies again, well aware that he's hurting him each time. But he will keep doing so, because love always comes with expectations and he refuses to live up to those.

And then, enter Di Feisheng! The only one he considered trusting as an equal before it fell apart. Also the bearer of the revelation that the past is much more convoluted that Li Xiangyi knows. The past, which was the one thing Li Lianhua has seen as a permanent fixture, a mark of his failure, just got worse. He was manipulated. His Shixiong orchestrated all of this expressly for his downfall. Instead of alleviating Li Xiangyi's guilt, it makes it worse - had he been a better leader and known better, he may have avoided falling for it. Had he not been the person he was, maybe his brother wouldn't have become the man he is today either. 

And as before, the more things spiral out of control, the more Li Xiangyi doubles down. He knows better than to try and fix the world this time, he has long decided that the thing he can control is his own life, away from the legends; he needs to know what the truth is, so he can decide what his end should be. But the more he learns, the worse it gets, because his entire life - the people he was closest to, his own identity - is being reshaped. The entire goddamn story is his attempt to have some measure of control of his past, present and future - of his story - while everyone and everything is flying right in the face of it. He distances himself from the legend of Li Xiangyi so he can live as himself. He copes with the past by trying to cut it off and by taking charge of his future, but guess what! The past is a living, growing thing of the present, long out of his control - he knew nothing of Shan Gudao’s hatred. Nothing of his heritage. Nothing about the brother he'd lost. This rogue past is also twisting his present and future out of his control.

Towards the last few episodes, we dare to think he's starting to learn how to share the burden. That he might be letting Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng be a part of this, he is trusting them and himself not be alone all over again. And then! The fucking Styx flower!!!! This excellent meta by @angryteapott really explains it the best. Once again he makes a decision alone, in the name of ensuring that everyone that matters to him stays safe. He knows Fang Duobing will fight it and Di Feisheng will probably commit regicide if he gets wind of it. He doesn't even consider working out an alternative, and makes that decision for everyone's good, because he knows best and the others are better off not knowing.

He will die. So what? Di Feisheng will be forced to move on and find a purpose beyond Li Xiangyi. Fang Duobing will be heartbroken, but he is meant for better things than a life of following Li Lianhua around. He himself can no longer live a carefree life as Li Lianhua, because the world has hijacked his story once more and he barely knows what the truth behind the stories is anymore. He had a brother he lost. He is the lost prince. It was just one story after another. Is it really any surprise that being in charge becomes more necessary when all of his past has been a lie?  As @istgidek1234 put it, him throwing himself into every issue that comes his way is a way of finding his agency and taking control of his narrative. He is lost, and he doubles down. Li Xiangyi, Li Lianhua need to die and he is too tired to build another life. And so he leaves, to choose and control at least his end.

But, well. As any of the people he left behind would tell you, he doesn’t know jack shit. Li Xiangyi's mistake 10 years ago wasn't trying to fix something unfixable. It was trying to fix it all by himself. In his attempt to tie up the strings of the past, Li Lianhua makes the same awful mistake. He presumes, he keeps everyone out of the loop, he decides for everyone who loves him because he knows better. He is so arrogantly presumptuous! But isn’t it more? It’s also the fear that his very presence will hurt them again. That any attachment will come with strings that will make him into someone he is not once again. He must remain unattainable. He's so caught up in controlling his story that he tries to untangle it from everyone else's. But he can't. Leaving means they will simply carry him forever in their grief. Over and over, the story tells us that for those who really love him, losing him is the greatest pain. Over and over, Li Lianhua decides that he knows better, they will be better off without him. 

There is, of course, the more meta reading of the ending (check out @redemption-revenge's amazing post about it!). The one where Li Xiangyi is simply closing the chapter titled Li Lianhua to begin another, away from the gaze of the world and beyond the shape of this story. Maybe that’s a version where he lets himself be found by Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng. Where escaping our scrutiny allows him to be vulnerable enough to accept their companionship without too much of the lies and presumption, where he can find and make peace with himself and live. 

[crackinwise]

Look, here's why "Teen" CAN'T be Billy (and it'd make me extra pissed off if it is.) Spoilers for Agatha All Along and Marvel comics!

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Billy is a Scarlet Witch fanboy first and foremost. He's also a shameless nerd for all the Avengers, like Kamala Khan. Making his introduction be as an Agatha fanboy, even just as a con, is maddening. Why need her or help her get powers back when he'd know how dangerous she is to Wanda and himself by extension? He's already extremely strong on his own. Why nerf him?

For Billy to be here in search of Wanda, it means they would have majorly skipped his origin story. He had a new family he was born into and a team, adventures, love, all before he AND HIS BRO went to find Wanda. Hell, he thought she was dead like everyone else for a while.

Billy got Wanda back with FAMILY help. His brother Tommy. Uncle Pietro. Grandpappy Magneto. (I do understand the MCU won't let us have the last two.) A family quest to find family being turned into a Halloween Wizard Of Oz journey with an enemy would give me a migraine. They re-imagined House Of M so recognizably with Wandavision, so why would they fumble Billy's comics here?

There's no reason Billy's name or story would be forbidden to Agatha. Who would have made that spell? Why? Would she even recognize him when his last name is very different and family life has no connection to Wanda at all? I doubt he keeps blabbing to her that he's Wanda's son if he's really pretending to be Agatha's stan. (There's another theory of who Teen is that makes more sense for his name to be hidden, but his comics aren't in my wheelhouse.)

When Teen said a spell in the first episode, it was some Latin mumbling instead of his will. Billy in the comics, at least when he's still young, wills things to be in order to use his magic. He says what he wants like a mantra, out loud in plain words. I know the MCU might have nix'd this since he didn't do it in Wandavision either, but I still have hope they'll give it back. It shows how powerful he is, like his mother who could change all reality with an errant thought.

If the boyfriend calling was Teddy, that means they also skipped the couple growing closer on their team and the whole Skrull/Kree prince thing by this point in the timeline, and I'm just already so mad it's taken this long to even get one HINT of Teddy in the MCU, so if they really made his introduction be a neglected phone call I'll scream. He did stay home and worry and cover for the twins while they searched for their mom, but that's AFTER they'd established themselves as heroes and Teddy had his own family crisis. (They should have introduced him in The Marvels, I'm—)

No red in Teen's color scheme nor any resemblance to young Asgardian or Wiccan costumes. It's the weakest argument but the wardrobe dept usually gives us something. Billy had the color scheme in Wandavision and got to mimic his Wiccan costume besides (not the ugly galaxy pajamas they have him in nowadays). There's a promo poster that DOES have Teen in red with a headband, but it still seems off to me. Seems like a trick.

Granted, if Teen is really who most suspect to be another character close to Agatha, he doesn't have that color scheme either and I'd completely understand why...

Now stop making such smartass posts in the tag casually calling Teen "Billy" until we know. Because not only are you raising my blood pressure, but it's disrespectful to people who like to avoid untagged spoilers and you may just be setting them up for no reason. It's rude.

[darkangel1791]

Random Thoughts on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:

I am aware that every line in every scene is there for dramatic and/or comedic purposes. So there's no need to point that out. It isn't that I didn't get the point or the joke. This is also nothing against Amy Aquino, who plays Dr. Raynor. This is just an opinion piece based on the reality that the show wants us to accept.

Trigger warnings for mental health and mental health treatment, and power dynamics.

From an actual standpoint of mental health and therapy, in 2024, Dr. Raynor is a terrible therapist.

So many reasons! Let's start with when she said to Bucky "The government wants to make sure you aren't gonna (mimes stabbing people)". A therapist, of all people, would always use their words! Always! Bucky communicates verbally, so the therapist must also. If she was afraid to say it to Bucky then she shouldn't have brought it up. Also, if she hasn't caught on yet that Bucky's major problem is that he was a killer and that haunts him, Bucky should have a different therapist. So she shouldn't have approached such a sensitive topic in such a flippant way. That would just make him shut down.

I think this plan about making a list and making amends with the 3 rules was something she put in place as part of his treatment plan. Doesn't seem like the sort of thing Bucky would come up with on his own, and I doubt that the government would condone him making contact with former Hydra members or families of his victims unless it was part of a sanctioned treatment plan, at least. That shows that as a therapist, she is results driven. If a results driven therapist asks if you're having nightmares, they will next want to know what you are doing to alleviate the problem. So Bucky most likely says no because he knows she doesn't actually care about the nightmares. They have probably already had that conversation once. When Sam asks the same question, Bucky says "All the time," without hesitation. Also, if she was any kind of a therapist, she would have asked enough questions to know that Bucky isn't having nightmares, he is having flashbacks, which is a different mental process.

"Give me your phone." No, absolutely not! That tramples on so many privacy boundaries, it is unreal! It is also a misuse of power, and the power dynamic, because what if he says no? She has the power to tell the government that he is a dangerous psychopath and get him locked away forever.

But, after invading his privacy in this way, she uses the information she gets to criticize and mock him? No. That is doubling down on the abuse of the power dynamic.

"What do you want now?"

"Peace."

"THAT IS UTTER BULLSHIT!"

Ummmmm, no. If a client is lying to the therapist, or to themselves, you deal with it in a completely different way. Yelling is never okay. Telling a person with mental health problems that you don't believe what they are saying, calling them a liar, is not treatment. She gives no context for why she thinks that is a lie, or why she thinks Bucky would lie to her. Or why she thinks that he would lie about that subject.

Finally, the notebook thing is absolutely passive aggressive. "You don't talk, I write." That is psychological manipulation. I can only imagine that whatever she writes is used in the weekly report she sends to the government. What if she writes that he is being uncooperative? The parole is revoked, he gets locked up. So she is putting him in a situation where he is forced to say something. But not about his true problems, nor will it be truthful information. We see that he lies to her when describing what he did to cross the most recent name off of the list. Which, of course he does! Along with that, step 3, being forced to identify yourself as the Winter Soldier and by name as who you are now, is incredibly dangerous and puts him in a very vulnerable position. That entire thing is completely out of whack with good, safe, mental health treatment.

I'm sure I have left things out, but this is long enough already. I'll do another post on the second session that we see.

Again ymmv, your mileage may vary. Meaning that these opinions are mine alone. They do not invalidate yours, or anyone else's who has written or spoken on the subject. No offense is meant. Your view of the subject is valid and I am not trying to negate that view by expressing my own.

In closing, when you first enter the office of a therapist, take pictures of, or write down, the information on the credentials they have displayed. If there are no credentials displayed, ask why and what their credentials are. If your therapist ever makes you feel threatened or ridiculed, don't go back! Ever! And report them to whatever organization their displayed licenses are from.

Dr. Raynor was a terrible therapist pt. 2

[fayesemblemring]

Unprompted and unorganized Lavender Mint rambles here we go

This is, without a doubt, the biggest project I've ever tackled, especially when adding Bloody Mint to the mix. Given my overall struggle with committing to long-term projects I'm really suprised myself I've kept at it for more than a year! Granted, in a really inconsistent way, but still!

That said, I am painfully aware of my limits. Meaning that to get any chance at actually finishing it, I've been employing Occam's Razor since the very beginning. Or in other words, if it's not needed or doesn't add anything truly meaningful, it gets cut.

The route? Irrelevant, since Bernie can be in every house and the story is about her relationship with Rhea. So the route is deliberately ambiguous and her classmates never named, because it's not about them. Heck, part of the reason Flayn and Cyril got a more prominent role is to give Bernie some more people she could properly interact with.

The story starts after Ch4 of 3H because there was no need to show the previous chapters. Also it felt like a perfect starting point because since it was just after the Western Church fiasco it would be when Bernie is scared of Rhea the most.

While this is sort of a retelling of 3H it was never supposed to be a novelization, meaning that I skip ahead liberally if I feel writing something doesn't add anything meaningful. Sure I could have written the fight with Miklan before he turned into a Demonic Beast, but what would have been the point?

I've employed something that I'm sure there's a proper academic term for, but in my ignorance I've called Enforced PoV- meaning that if neither Bernie or Rhea see it, it's not there. Why write Bernie's deaths followed by Divine Pulse if she's not even aware of them? (because yes, realistically Bernie died a couple of times already) Neither Bernie nor Rhea see the Flame Emperor talking to Thales, so it's not gonna get written. This was again, mainly because of minimalism, but coupled with their heavily personal PoVs I feel it adds its own charm!

Fun fact, since again, neither LM nor BM will ever feature a PoV other than Bernie and Rhea, I've been considering a small sidefic with freaking Kronya as the protagonist. Because the idea of writing her slowly going insane trying to kill Bernie would be really funny.

Abyss and the DLC in general got 99% cut. I haven't played nor care about playing the DLC in general, I feel it makes the writing even more needlessly contorted and Yuri's existence would derail the plot and dynamic between Bernie and Rhea by a lot. So... let's just say Abyss still exists and leave it at that.

If there is one compromise I'm not happy with, is that I'm mostly still sticking to canon even when I'm not exactly thrilled about it. In this case I'm talking about Rhea getting damseled and put in gay baby jail for the entirety of timeskip. I really don't like it, but changing it would require rewriting the entirety of the war phase and no, thank you. The fic is never gonna get finished if I try that.

By the way adding it here since I doubt I'll find an organic way to write it in the actual fic- the cell Rhea gets put in is the same Edelgard was in when she was a child. Because she is just that petty.

Speaking of Edelgard, the villain Edelgard is a tag in the fic for a reason. I'm trying to have her characterization be more accurate to her JP self (so, more cold and ruthless and openly evil as the Flame Emperor and after her reveal) and in general, sympathy towards her is toned down by a lot. Especially considering our PoVs. And no, Bloody Mint will not be more sympathetic towards her despite being a CF sidefic. If anything, it will be even more harsh. My biggest complaint about Edelgard is how both the writing and the fandom at large treat her with kid gloves despite the horrific shit she does and is complicit in every route as well as how ridiculed she gets treated for uwu factor (the rats, the portrait)... so my portrayal of her is an attempt to hit two birds with one stone. Speaking of, there's a scene during timeskip between her and Rhea I can't wait for you to read :D ...but considering my pace, we'll both have to wait. A lot.

Since I'm not sticking to one particular route in LM it means I get to pick scenes and moments liberally between the three. So Hegemon Edelgard and Shamballa are both very likely to be there, as well as Arianhod getting nuked. Still unsure about Nemesis, but Rhea going berserk will absolutely NOT be there because I hate it so much. Same with the whole "she gave her blood and Crest Stone shards to her super secret church members". I hate it, it's massively OOC with Rhea's chronical secret keeping and let's be honest, it's just there to excuse having other enemies to fight.

Since Rhea is out of commission for the entirety of war phase it will likely be considerably shorter than the academy. Current plan is one chapter for during timeskip and one for after it, but I'll probably need a second one for it.

Indech's paralogue is likely to be featured, but I don't want Bernie to get the Inexhaustible. I know it works with her Crest, but come on. He gave that bow to Leonie. No, I want the two to have a conversation (with Bernie being blissfully unaware he's talking to her sort-of ancestor blood donor) and Indech giving her something more... personal. A lucky charm, maybe?

It's really ironic given how much I give 3H crap for falling victim to one of the most ridiculous cases of scope creep I've ever seen, Lavender Mint went through a similar journey. Originally it was just a support idea between Bernie and Rhea, then I got the idea to turn it into a proper fic, then its scope expanded to span through most of 3H's plot, then I got the idea for BM and the Kronya sidefic. Heck, my current outline is for 18 chapters, but it's likely it's gonna need more to avoid the timeskip, war phase and epilogue chapters being ridiculously long.

That said, one thing at a time. I intend to start properly writing BM only after I've finished LM and post it one chapter a week only after I've finished the draft at the very least. It'll be wild to have a consistent upload schedule for once, shame I already jumped the ship with LM... (you don't understand, I NEED instant feedback!!!)

The Kronya sidefic will hopefully be a small oneshot that I'll start writing only after she dies. Call it a small bonus or something, I still don't even have a name for it and only a few scattered ideas.

Originally "Lavender Mint" was a placeholder title inspired by the two's hair color, but I ended up liking it so much it became the final title! Helps that it follows a very similar structure to 3H's route names. Bloody Mint merely followed after it since, you know. It's going to be a lot darker by its nature as a CF fic.

Bloody Mint exists because I wanted to explore Bernie and Rhea's bond at it worst like LM does at its best. Not in the "Rhea was EVIL all along!!!1" but in the, "both of their mental states are deteriorating as their allies and friends either betray them or die left and right"

That said, something I'm really excited for BM is writing Bernie's dynamic with both her former classmates as well as the Blue Lions. She never switches classes in that fic, so there is some sweet (more like bitter angst) potential at both her "friends" doing a 180 and becoming unrecognizable to her and Bernie and the Blue Lions being wary of each other.

Lavender Mint exists for quite a few reasons. It's partially wanting to explore a dynamic I just got an idea for one day and that absolutely NOBODY ever tackled (and let's be honest if they did it would likely be ripe with Evil Rhea nonsense), part a character study of two people who are treated respectively as a Joke and the Devil, part a spite fic in the sense I wanted to explore the things I actually loved about 3H while changing/discarding the parts I hated.

By the way, regarding Bernie. I mentioned most of my ideas for her in the LM Bible, but not much for my end plans for her. Despite loving Bernie I find myself agree with a lot of criticism about her, mainly the writing and most of the fandom treating her as either a joke, Shy Smol Waifu who gets saved by the protagonist, love or both. So a large focus of LM was treating Bernie and her trauma seriously, let her properly react to the world around her, finding people who love her and treat her respectfully but at the same time not treating her like a little kid. She does need to grow up and take on the responsibilities she was handed tasked to, but she's not alone in learning to do so. It may seem strange considering the fic's premise, but Bernie won't get "saved" by anyone in particular, not even Rhea. Rather, she gets a support network! Flayn is her best friend and a huge comforting presence, Cyril helps her stay grounded and Rhea is... well. A lot of things, including her therapist in all but name. She is what kickstarts the entire plot, after all! She's the one who helps her to finally start healing, what makes her connect to the others albeit indirectly, one of the very few adult figures she can actually confide to as well as who inspires her to take her responsibilities as a noble seriously and stop running away from it all. Kind of accidentally, but still. Anyway, thing is- I want Bernie to confront her family on her own. Well, not completely on her own, but- she's going to do most if not all the action. So many works have someone (usually her lover) save her from her father and beating him up for abusing her and I feel the best thing to cement her personal growth would be precisely to not. Do that.

Speaking of, Bernie's parents are seldom present, but boy do they haunt the narrative a lot. Again, trauma taken seriously so of course there's the usual stuff with her father, but also additional trauma from her basically getting kidnapped into Garreg Mach by her mother. So yeah, actually acknowledging THAT in addition to abandonment issues.

In a more concrete sense, I want good ol' Greg to be a more realistic abuser. So unlike in several fics I'm not making him so exaggerately evil he's almost funny but also not using his Hopes characterization for the most part. He's... normal, at least for the outside. You wouldn't notice the red flags unless you knew to look for them, which of course plays a HUGE part in Bernie's paranoia.

Her mother is instead more of an enabler. She does sorta care about Bernie but also she will never confront her husband over his behavior. You know, Adrestia sexism and shit. Not to mention that regardless of her intentions for forcefully sending Bernie to Garreg Mach... how would she ever interpret that gesture with anything other than "she abandoned me"? So yeah, both her parents are a bit more realistic and toned down compared to the most common portrayals, but still REALLY toxic and abusive, if not more given how insidious it is.

Struggling a lot to write Bernie's dynamic with Cyril. I know it can work and has a lot of potential! I'm just... finding it really hard to properly portray him as anything other than the straight man, I want their friendship to be two-sided and most of all, I don't want Cyril to be the Token Black Friend. ...but god Cyril is deceptively hard to write. I'm hoping I get an Eureka moment like I did for Flayn the other day otherwise future chapters are gonna be Hard.

Readability is and always been a huge focus of mine when writing, especially after I found out I have ADHD. Meaning clearly spaced paragraphs, new lines whenever something meaningful happens, line breaks every new scene or PoV change... I've stopped reading so many fics just because they weren't formatted properly so I want to make sure mine are as readable as possible.

That said, I noticed my writing feels very... minimal? Okay, maybe that's not the correct word. Direct, maybe? Anyway what I mean is, it doesn't have a lot of descriptions or flavor. I felt self-conscious about it and heck, I still do. Sometimes I feel I write like a caveman. But at the same time I feel like it helps me keep a better pace and things clearer? I avoid "he said, she said" like a plague if I can help it so that gets cut during long dialogues as long as it's clear during talking, since there's not a lot of fluff it's probably clearer what's happening but at the same time... I really wish I was better at descriptions, something feels missing.

[daenerystargaryen06]

I was rewatching Game of Thrones...

I was watching Game of Thrones with my friend, and was just reminded that the ending really had no sort of cohesive thought put into it.

Let's start with the North becoming independent.

So, the North going independent really was a dumb decision. It is assumed that winter is still going, I don't think winter would suddenly just end that fast even with the NK having been killed. The North being independent would mean that other Kingdoms would have no obligation to send them resources, food, or men when needed. Meaning if another Kingdom were to suddenly attack the North, they can't call for help from other areas to get more men, and a majority of their men were assumed to have been depleted after the war against the dead. Sansa mentions that she has no resources to feed Dany's army when they arrive (and pretended as though she didn't even know when they were coming, even though Jon had sent her a letter about it); and the glass gardens within Winterfell were likely destroyed from two battles occurring- so where does Sansa plan on obtaining food to feed her people, especially during winter? Not even Bran has an obligation to send her help, and even if he wanted to, he himself likely doesn't have the resources to do so. Highgarden had been sacked previously by the Lannister's, and gold is needed to be spent on rebuilding King's Landing (or apparently focused on building brothels, as Bronn suggests). So how exactly does Sansa plan on ruling her people and getting them through the coming winter, when she has no experience with ruling and the few scenes shown of her looking after Winterfell while Jon is gone, she barely does anything?

Not to mention the fact that considering the North obtained its independence, what's to stop the other kingdoms from declaring for their independence as well? Yara Greyjoy will likely be the first to declare for independence, considering Dany had promised her independence when they allied together. What is also to stop Yara from going after the North? Jon Snow was the one to kill her sworn Queen, and was barely given any sort of consequence for his actions, and the Starks were left in power. As mentioned, the North's armies have been depleted likely from the battle against the dead, and winter will likely be there as well, which means that they can't really afford needed resources and men on fighting against the Ironborn should they decide to go after the North or pillage from it.

Another contender likely to go independent is Dorne. In the show, it was mentioned that Dorne had pledged itself to Dany's side. I doubt they will want to follow the Stark's due to the same reasoning as Yara Greyjoy had- Jon Snow killed their Queen, hardly got any reasonable consequence for it, and the Stark's were left in power. That already leaves two areas independent from the crown. When the other people see Dorne and the Iron Islands go independent, what is to stop them from doing the same? War will likely start because of these independences (Westeros had warred amongst itself before Aegon the Conqueror united the lands). Neither Bran nor Sansa will have any men, supplies, or resources for these wars. And who is to even say that people would want to follow behind Bran being their King? Unlike previous rulers, Bran has no showing for why he should be respected and feared as a ruler to keep others in line, except for the fact that he can see all that goes on. Which isn't really going to stop people from rebelling when he has no actual backing to him; limited men and limited resources. Highgarden, as well, is probably going to be f*cked over from having Bronn as their Lord. Bronn has no experience ruling. His only actions showcased throughout the entire show was fighting, and going to brothels. Already as Master of Coin he is showing he has no concept for ruling and utilizing things wisely, considering he wished to focus the coin on rebuilding brothels of all things, over anything else. Also, what is to stop the Citadel from feeling slighted by Bran and his decisions as King? Samwell Tarly being made maester, when he didn't even finish his training in Oldtown, had stolen valuable items from the Citadel, and has two children with Gilly. The Citadel likely will rebel as well, or refuse to involve themselves with the Crown, considering what Bran had done.

Overall, when you truly put logical sense into the show's ending, it was a shitshow all around. Nothing made sense. And when you apply actual thinking and reasoning to it, you realize just how screwed over Westeros is going to be from this ending. It was said that G.R.R.M plans for Bran to be King, but from the way D&D did it, the ending made no credible sense and had a lot of errors within it as a whole because they can't seem to write a cohesive and good ending without plot holes, character assassination, and stupidity.

I really am crossing my fingers for the books, if they're ever going to be released, because the finality of the show just is... horrible. I would have taken Dany being Queen (even if they had made her 'mad' in the show) over this mess.

[gwenllian-in-the-abbey]

"You told me it was our duty to hold the realm united against a common foe. By naming me heir, you divided the realm. I thought I wanted it. But the burden is a heavy one. It’s too heavy. If you wish for me to bear it, then defend me. And my children." 

Episodes 8

What is your opinion on this speech?

Rhaenyra is absolutely correct that Viserys divided the realm when he named her heir, despite telling her it was her duty to hold the realm united, and that he placed a heavy burden on her shoulders and didn't do a whole lot for her in terms of practical support. I think it's interesting that the show chose to highlight how neither Rhaenyra nor Aegon particularly want to rule. I think for show!Rhaenyra, it makes a good deal of sense. I always got the sense that if Viserys had disinherited her, show!Rhaenyra's pride would be wounded, but she would probably be at least a tiny bit relieved. It's that same pride that won't let her just admit that it might not be worth it, that maybe she'd rather just step back (and there's a cut dialogue with Daemon in which she voices these doubts to him and he immediately shuts her down saying she's weak like Viserys... hm!). In light of this, it isn't particularly out of character for show!Rhaenyra to be considering the peace offer Otto delivers (book!Rhaenyra is another story, she has no doubts and does not give a fuck about keeping the realm united, she wants to win, period). She has a good life on Dragonstone, her kids are out of the public eye and aren't facing accusations of bastardy, and Daemon has his dragon hobby to keep him occupied. She doesn't need the throne, and if it's not actually that important to Viserys, then he should just say so. If he really wants her to be queen and has a good reason for it, then do something. She has a point.

That said, if Rhaenyra doesn't want the burden, she can give it up at any time, and if she actually does want to be heir, she's not doing herself any favors either. She is the one who stayed away, who went to Dragonstone and was absent from court while the green council built up their power base. And while yes, Dragonstone is the official holding of the heir to the throne, most heirs split their time between King's Landing and Dragonstone because it's important for the heir to learn the workings of the realm and to make connections and alliances. Dragonstone is only a few hours away on from King's Landing on dragonback, and it's a relatively small holding with only a few villages, so it's not as if it requires its prince or princess to be in residence at all times. Aside from that, Rhaenyra also had three bastard children and put them in the line of succession, which she knew was going to cause problems (and in this, Viserys did offer her a ton of support, including allowing his own son's maiming to go unpunished and Vaemond to be killed to maintain that lie). So it kind of goes both ways. Rhaenyra acts like she doesn't really care all that much about being heir beyond the validation it gives her, that she is the favorite child, the one he chose, and Viserys stubbornly keeps her as heir but does nothing to shore up her claim or mitigate the threats against her, and it's divided the realm despite Viserys insisting the realm must remain united, so what are we actually doing here? I liked this scene, I think it reveals a good deal about show!Rhaenyra's mindset.

I think if done well, the show can have Rhaenyra really spiraling due to grief and rage, going from feeling like she should preserve the peace and that maybe it isn't worth it, to feeling like she has to win out of spite (and I think this can apply to both sides. You have Otto and Rhaenys giving Alicent and Rhaenyra similar speeches in the trailer) and a desire for vengeance. I don't... hate this? But the show has to stop giving Rhaenyra the chosen one rightful heir halo and admit that she doesn't go to war for the good of the realm, but for her own very personal reasons.