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m-robinavitch · 2 months ago

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home.

Pairing: Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch x Female!Reader/Slight Original Character (No names or y/n but nickname is angel) Summary: 3 years after the events of Pitt Fest and sedated. a particularly stressful shift has you desperately missing home. Warnings: Angst, mentions of birth, mentions of breastfeeding, brief mention of patient/child death.

“M-Michael?” Tears threatened to spill- you swallowed as his sleepy voice broke through the phone.

“What’s wrong angel?” That tone- the tone in your voice told him something was wrong and he was immediately awake. You were still at work, working on a single patient for the last hour or two and- there was no use. He was only 3.

“I- I know the girls are asleep but- could you just check on them? For me?” Realistically you know they’re never safer than they are now, asleep in their beds with Robby down the hall. But- you needed confirmation. You needed him to tell you they’re fine because you’re thinking of your patient and-

“Of course angel- give me a second okay?” He’s out of bed, putting a shirt on and padding quietly down the hall to your oldest’s room and pushing open the door- quietly, to not wake her. The soft pink glow of her night light dimly lit her room, the sound of the fan, barely above a few decibels but it filled the space with white noise for her. She was safe, warm in her toddler bed with all her stuffed animals at her feet to keep her company while the designated sleeping buddy was in her arms- tonight, like every night, it was the spotted bunny you affectionately named Abbot the rabbit for her uncle and the one who got most of the toys that littered her room, much to Jack’s dismay. Dark waves fanned out over her pillow, unruly like her fathers hair and her other pillow was gently situated at her back, something she’s liked recently as a comfort and it makes Robby smile because you do the same thing oddly enough, if he’s not pressed up against your back then you have a pillow against you to help you sleep. “She’s asleep- Abbot is being strangled in her arms as we speak.” You hear the amusement in his voice- it makes you smile a bit through the tears.

“Yeah?” You picture her- sleeping without a care in the world, no horrors to creep into her life. “A-and the baby?” Robby had shut the door- already walking next door to the nursery where your youngest was. Of course she wasn’t asleep. She was a night owl like you, babbling to herself and gumming at her hand but oh- she smiles and giggles when she sees her dad. Happily flapping her arms for Robby to pick her up and you can hear her- melting your heart a bit and you struggle for a breath because this is the only sound that you want to hear from her. Happiness and love and the way Robby coos at her and he’s picked her up and-

“Our little nocturnal one is awake,” he places the phone back on his ear, whispering still so your oldest doesn’t think there’s a party going on without her. But- the baby will sleep in Robby’s arms now, spoiled with how he refuses to put her down sometimes and almost immediately her eyes get droopy in her dad’s strong arms. “What’s wrong my love?” He asks, sitting in the nursing chair cornered away in her room. This isn’t the first time you’ve called and asked about the girls- after your oldest was born and you had gone back to work, you’d call almost every night for an update on her when you had a moment between patients. But this was different. Your voice was different- Robby knew you had a lot on your mind and sometimes even after all these years it still takes a bit of coaxing to get the words out from you.

“I can’t- I don’t want to talk about it right now,” you couldn’t. You need to hang onto this moment, where you know your babies are safe and nothing has happened to them and nothing will ever happen. Robby understands- he’s had days where he just needs the comfort, can’t find the words yet but your arms were a solace until he could speak about it. He knows the horrors of the world. Knows that life was cruel and now with you and your daughters, he struggles to cope with the idea that some day they’ll be hurt too. “Just- can you do me one more favor Michael?” You whisper, trying to not cry anymore and-

“Anything.” He doesn’t hesitate- Robby would lay down his life for you if you asked. The baby is asleep now, drifted off and making that little sucking motion with her mouth like she does when she doesn’t have her pacifier. Robby gently traces his finger over her face, baby soft skin and wisps of dark curls finally starting to appear on her bald head- thank god. You had joked, slightly worried, that she would be bald her entire life.

“I’ll be home soon- wait up for me? Please?” Of course he will. One of his favorite moments is when you come home and smile at him as soon as you step through the door. “Thank you, I love you.” You tell him, hearing his reply of him loving you more and smiling through the few tears that have fallen. The city was loud, always fucking loud especially in the middle of the night as you walked out the hospital and into the crisp air to get back home to your family. You couldn’t think about work anymore- you had to leave the hospital at the hospital, because if you brought the stress home with you then the girls will pick up on the stress and- they need to know happiness only. They need to only know a world where you and Robby love them and their uncle loves them and they have a hospital full of family back in Pittsburgh that love them and- the world is good to them right now. Where little girls haven't gotten hurt yet. The chill sets in by the time you reach the house, unlocking the door and shivering but sighing into the warmth once you’ve passed the threshold. Robby was waiting- standing in the kitchen with your youngest in his arms, warm tea ready for you to sip on and heat your body. You could kiss him- you did obviously because Robby just does things because he knows you need them, it makes you feel like you don’t deserve him- like you still didn’t deserve him. You almost moan when you take a sip, sighing into the warmth- not just of the tea and your home but the way Robby shows his love for you, how you still feel warm and soft inside when he does things for you just because.

“Let me take a shower, then we can go to bed?” Your body was exhausted- mind still reeling from the shift you had- and you needed to shower before you touch Robby or the baby, but you still placed a kiss to her mostly bald head and one gently on his lips. Stripping yourself of your scrubs on the way to your bathroom, bundling up your clothes to throw into the hamper so you can turn on the shower and- he started a bath for you. It was there, tub filled with steaming water and bubbles and your favorite candle lit in the corner. Dammit you loved that man. He comes to stand in the door- baby starting to stir in his arms because she’s hungry and your chest is sore but you’re so tired and-

“Relax love- I’m already heating her up some milk, but if you want to pump or nurse?” The heat from the bath will soothe the ache in your chest, maybe you’ll pump after but for now you just want to melt into the water and let the day drain from your body. You shake your head- asking him to feed her while you bathe and he nods, another soft kiss but this time on your cheek. You’re not even sure how long you spent in the water but it’s starting to get cold and you maybe dozed off a few times from the sheer warmth and relaxation you felt. Groaning, you lift yourself up from the tub and drain the water and- he left clothes for you. That ratty Saint’s shirt from his residency days and his sweats. He knows you so well. Robby knows you better than yourself because when you’re having these thoughts and moments- nothing but him can bring you comfort. Like wearing his clothes to feel completely enveloped in him- to be able to smell him on you when you close your eyes and feel safe. Even if he’s in bed with you- there are moments you just want to crawl into his skin and nestle your way deep in his heart where you know you’d be safest. But for now this will suffice.

“Better?” He asks, sitting on the couch with the baby wrapped up in her blanket and angrily sucking on her pacifier because she got a bottle and not you- she still ate though. Was full and sated and her chubby hand was clutching Robby’s shirt until she saw you- practically pushing Robby away in an attempt to be in your arms like she’s not at the mercy of whoever is carrying her.

“Much- thank you.” You kiss him again, leaning over to grab the baby from him before she starts to cry and Robby pouts just a bit because she chose you. Your toddler is more the daddy’s girl, the baby probably just loves that the portable milk machine gives her kisses. But you love your girls- you see Robby in them. You see Robby’s frustration on the baby’s face when she gets a bottle instead of you or when Robby attempts to get her to crawl to him instead of just picking her up. You see Robby’s crooked smile in your oldest when she sees her uncle Jack and she throws herself at him or when Robby gives her a bite of ice cream that you definitely did not agree to. Robby’s soft waves of dark hair sprouting from their heads. ‘God I hope they don’t get my nose’ Robby would joke but- you love it, you hope they look exactly like him when they’re older. But Robby hopes they look like you. Like all the wonderful things you see in the girls from Robby- Robby sees your traits as well. The way your nose scrunches up when you’re mad, exactly the same on your oldest when you told her no to the ice cream and exactly the same on the baby when the pureed mush you give her isn’t to her liking. The way your eyes light up when you’re excited, exactly the way your oldest’s eyes light up when she sees her favorite uncle and exactly the same way the baby’s eyes light up when you and Robby come into the nursery to wake her up in the morning. They do have your eyes, color and shape and long thick lashes and Robby knows he won’t be able to tell them no- like he finds it impossible to tell you no.

Robby opened his arm up for you to lay in, you and the baby cuddling up into his side because you both fit perfectly into his arms. Well- almost perfectly.

“We’re missing one.” You mumble, stroking your finger along the baby’s cheek and-

“She’s asleep-” he knows what you want. Can’t ever say no to you. But it’s barely midnight and you want both your babies with you- just a small pout of your lips and Robby sighs while getting up like he wasn’t already thinking about doing it. “I’ll be right back.” He smiles still, walking over to your oldest’s room and kneeling down to rub her back so she doesn’t get scared when he picks her up. ‘Hi dada’ she mumbles sleepily and wraps her arms as best as she can around his shoulders- but not before ‘Abbot’ as she points back to the stuffed animal. Yes, how could Robby forget the damned thing she loves almost more than him. Instantly she’s asleep again- dozing back off in Robby’s arms by the time he makes it back to the couch with you and the baby. He settles back into the corner of your sectional, gently moving your toddler to his right side so you can cuddle back into his left but when she adjusts her position to be more comfortable, your toddler wakes for another moment and smiles at you with Robby’s crooked smile and ‘hi mama’ before settling into Robby’s lap- resting herself on him while you attempt to brush her hair from her face. This was right. This was where you wanted to be every single day.

‘Sleepovers’ you would call them. When you and Robby would bring the girl into bed with you late at night because you missed them and would just watch them sleep between you both. Or you’d settle into the couch with them, like you are now, to watch a movie because you don’t know how long you’ll have these kinds of moments with them. ‘What do you wanna watch?’ Robby whispers to your toddler who’s toying with the ears of her bunny. Same thing she always wants to watch, Winnie the Pooh- which Robby understands in her toddler speak and replies ‘of course you do, how foolish of me to ask’ putting her movie on which has her engaged now. Shifting again in Robby’s lap so she can watch- pointing happily when ‘Abbot’ comes on and holds her stuffed animal up for emphasis. You’ll have to go back to Pittsburgh soon for a visit, Jack has been asking and you’re overdue for a trip anyway. Maybe you can work up the courage to see Frank, if he’d let you.

It hurt. You haven’t spoken to him in at least three years. He hasn’t met your girls. His boys didn’t know your kids. You had spent years with Langdon, asking if you both had kids- would they be friends? Would they love each other as much as you loved Frank? You spent nights crying over it sometimes. You and Robby had moved to New York by the time he came back from rehab, you didn’t visit him during. But- he knew you and Robby got married. He knew you had your girls because you called Abby on Tanner’s birthday this year and- Frank knew. Maybe it hurt him that Robby fully took his place now or that you planned parts of your life without him in it. But it hurt that after 12 years, your best friend and effective soulmate didn’t care for you anymore. It was your fault really- he reached out to you, many times. But- the words he said and the way he spoke them, they weren’t things you could look away from so easily. They hurt you. And Frank promised he’d never hurt you- he swore he’d never break your heart. He was the longest relationship you ever had with someone- and he hurt you. It wasn’t like you breaking up with Robby- no you had got over those, not easily but you did. But Frank? Just the one time was enough to shatter your soul and break your heart. You laid on the bathroom floor for days after, crying and trying to call him. Eventually he blocked you. You deserved it. You didn’t waste this many tears on Robby. Even if you loved him more than life itself- he wasn’t Frank. He needed space. After 12 years- you guess Langdon finally needed space from you.

You still call his mom, just to say ‘hi’ because she wanted updates about the girls and she loved you like her own daughter- she’d mention how Frank was doing. You texted Abby, asking about the boys and she’d ask about the girls- she’d mention that he missed you. You’d call Dana at least once a month- she’d tell you he’s doing good. You’d text Heather, swapping baby pictures- she’d tell you he’s not the same without you. You’d text Samira and hound her about wedding details- she’d tell you that Frank is doing okay but distracted. You FaceTimed Jack last week when your toddler was missing her uncle which you were missing him too- and he told you how Frank asked about you the other day. And Robby got a text today, a lone text from a name and number he hasn’t seen in a few years.

[Langdon]: How is she?

Robby knew who he was asking about. He knew that you both came first in each other's lives for so long that you couldn’t comprehend making room for someone else- once upon a time ago at least. And Robby was angry for you. Robby spent a week laying on the fucking bathroom floor with you, holding you and trying to get you to at least lay in bed with him but you’d scream every time he’d attempt to pick you up. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore- it broke his heart to see you like this. He picked you up, kicking and screaming and fighting him and you were so mentally exhausted that you sank into the bed, crying over another man while Robby held you and kissed your tears away. But this wasn’t his fight. He couldn’t be mad at Frank for the way he coped with his own struggles, he was disappointed but Frank got himself help and- it was in the past now. He’d let you take the lead, Robby would defer to you as to how he can proceed with Langdon. Because all he replied was-

[Robby]: She misses you.

[Robby]: Call her.

Frank sat on the roof, staring at his phone- at your contact and willing himself to call you. He watched the sun start to set like you both did together years ago- laughing about the day while sharing the only water you’ve had all shift or just resting your heads on each other, leaning on each other like you have done for years. He cried. He missed you. He missed you so fucking much and feels like a part of himself has been missing for three years because not even seeing you everyday used to be like torture. A year ago, one night after Abby had fallen asleep he went through her phone, just to see if you’ve sent her anything recent about your daughter and- there was a selfie, you were pregnant again and your oldest was not even a year old but she looked so much like you- he cried. Curled up in bed and cried because his best friend moved on from him. You got married and had kids and- Frank should’ve fucking been right there next to you, like you were for him. He should’ve held your hand when you were scared to give birth the first time- because you did cry, you cried through the pain to Robby that you wanted Frank there. He should’ve held your hand and been there to pass you off when you got married to Robby- because that morning you sat and stared at yourself in the mirror because you ruined your makeup crying and wondered if it was too late to call Frank to be there with you.

After a few hours- you were tired, drained but now in a good way because you had laid on the couch with your girls and Robby finally had to tell you that you needed rest but not before you put your babies to sleep together. Following him into the nursery first, your youngest passed out and her chubby cheeks were smushed from how she slumped herself in your arms. Carefully- after Robby kissed her forehead, you placed her in her crib, brushing a finger down her nose- definitely her dad’s- and turned down the light. One down, one to go. Your toddler was still partially awake, gripping her bunny by the ear when Robby knelt down to put her back to bed and kissed her cheek before you did the same- brushing her wild hair from her face and reminding yourself to maybe start braiding it back before bed. But her eyes got droopy when you pushed her hair back, the same way Robby’s get when you play with his hair. You could relax now- you could breathe knowing that your children were safe and loved and warm in their beds- that if they needed you, you’d be in their rooms immediately. You crawled into bed, Robby doing the same on his side and you gravitated towards each other- your cheek to his chest and his chin resting right on your head, like so many times before and this was where you were both meant to be. Robby doesn’t want to break your peace, he doesn’t want to open an old wound but he wanted you mentally prepared in case-

“Frank texted me today,” He whispered into the darkness, tightening his arms around you when he felt the shift in your body. Oh. Well- you hoped he was doing okay and- “he asked how you were.” That’s all he asked. That’s all he said. He was missing you. He wanted his foot in the door in case you were ready to receive him but you never locked the door. You never shut it on him. It was wide open but you couldn’t step through first- no Frank needed to be the one to reach out. Maybe that was selfish of you but after 3 years you’ve forced yourself in pushing down those feelings of anger, that pain and grief and pushed that energy in raising your girls and being Robby’s wife. But- those things came easy to you. You had to fight every day to not call Langdon- because you didn’t want to know if you were still blocked. And you hadn’t allowed yourself to cry over him in so long, you were busy with your fellowship, with the girls- but you still thought about him. You still felt the absence in your heart left by Frank. You still felt the ache in your chest and the bit of your soul that was gone. Robby knew what was coming. He braced himself for the way your body shook- tiny gasps leaving your chest because the tears finally started to flow. Fuck. Fuck. You buried your face in Robby’s neck. You thought of Langdon and your patient and-

“I’m sorry-” whimpering into his skin, clinging onto him because he was always solid under you- always a rock that kept you up when you needed him. You didn’t have to ask- Robby knew. Robby was able to help you keep above the water, help you stop drowning with whispers of love and understanding a tight hold around you. “Don’t- I’m here. Okay my love? I’m here.” He didn’t want you to apologize. He didn’t want you to feel like it was wrong to need him. So many years you forced yourself to not want Robby- to either shove your feelings down or to go to Frank when Robby was shoving his own emotions down as well. But- Robby was here now. Robby is the love of your life. Robby loved you and would spend however long you needed with him so you could learn to breathe again on your own. He’s making up for all the mistakes he’s made with you. The times he couldn’t be there and for the tears- the hurt he put you through. Robby will gladly, with a fucking smile even- let you cry for Frank again, because you’re his wife now. You’re his wife and the only thing he’s truly let himself be free around and- you deserve relief. You deserve happiness and he swore- took a fucking vow, that he’d do anything to make you happy for the rest of his damned life. He’ll hold you tight in his arms, let you cry, wipe your tears, kiss your worries away. And when you’re done crying- he still won’t let go, he’ll whisper his love for you and ask if you want to go back home for a bit. Because your home right now may be in New York where you live, may be at Bellevue where you work, may be Robby where you love. But it used to be Frank, where you learned and grew.

#the pitt #the pitt fanfiction #the pitt fic #dr. robby #robby robinavitch x reader #michael robinavitch #michael robby robinavitch x reader #robby x reader #dr robby x reader #dr robby x you #robby robinavitch x you #michael robby robinavitch x you #robby robinavitch fic

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heavenlymorals · 1 year ago

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Details that I've noticed about Arthur Morgan-

-He, for the most part, despises male touch, especially if it's overly affectionate. He gets tense anytime a man hugs him and wants it to be over as quick as possible (Jamie, Mickey) and he looks visibly offended when Professor Bell touches him. He even sometimes gets annoyed when Dutch touches him on his shoulder, someone who he considers a father figure.

-On the flip side, he does not mind female touch at all. He even initiates it sometimes (Tilly, the girl at Beaver Hollow). Now one could argue that they were high stress situations, but if Tilly was a dude, he would've just set her free, make a snide remark, give her a gun, and then he'd expect her to help him with the fighting. He is completely cool with the nun giving him a hug and doesn't get offended when Mary Beth touches his hand in their therapy session.

- He seems to be pretty well read. He knows Shakespeare, with Romeo and Juliet, and Icarus. He makes other literary references. This is probably due to Dutch. Dutch is clearly very well read and cultured. However, Arthur seems more interested in practical works like guides then philosophy and stories, given that the only book he has on his tent desk is a plant guide.

- He's great at remembering faces and less so on remembering names.

- He does have an amazing propensity to remember physical features, like how he is able to create amazing portraits of the people he meets without consistent reference. It's incredible and works back to the whole great at remembering faces thing. Same goes for animals.

- He is very curious. He is always touching things, looking at things, critiquing things, and trying to understand how they work.

- He generally refuses to be emotionally open with men and does it only with women- this could be due to the idea of the Cult of Domesticity. I've made a post about it before. Compare him speaking with the nun to Reverend Swanson. Compare him speaking to John about Dutch leaving him to him speaking to Sadie about Dutch leaving him.

- He is very connected or is fond of artistic people. He and Mary Beth talk about their journals. He is fond of Albert Mason's photography and helps him out. He is interested in Charles Chataney's artistic work, even if he doesn't like it or connect with it.

- Since a lot of camp members respond to Arthur's antagonizations with something like "not again" or "I knew I'd be next", it's safe to assume Arthur will go off on people from time to time, regardless if you play high or low honor.

- Does not have a fixed temperament. In some missions, he is more energetic and in others, he is more downtrodden. Very realistic and I fucking love it.

- Has direct eye content at all times- will look anyone in the eye and does not give a fuck. NPCs will look away from him if he stares at them.

- Gets mad when men don't behave like men, especially when it concerns women. He gets pissed at John for not stepping up and being a man to his family. He gets annoyed and even pissed off when asking why Beau couldn't have helped Penelope Braithwaite as she is his woman.

- Given how the camp falls to shit whenever Arthur isn't donating, we can safely conclude that Arthur is the most valuable member of that camp, bar maybe Hosea and Dutch.

- He is very reminiscent of the Dark Romantic, which is really interesting as a lot of times, it can be looked at as the middle ground between Romantacism and Realism, two ideologies that were very popular in the 19th century. I will make a full analysis regarding this later.

- Introverted, but not shy at all. In fact, he's very charismatic and is just as good as dealing with people as Dutch and Hosea (The Riverboat Mission) This 'dumb, mumbling' cowboy thing he's dumbed down to in the fandom is an insult to his character.

- He probably acted like a father figure to Jamie Gillis when he was still with Mary, given the fact that he taught him how to ride a horse. Will probably also make a full post about this later.

- Some people say that Arthur is around 5'10-11. Others say He's 6'0-3. Whatever his height actually is, he's still way taller than the average man during this time period, who was around 5'6. Now imagine that with muscles and armed to the teeth- fucking terrifying.

- Very sentimental. He keeps a photo of his supposedly no good Pa and wears his hat. He keeps a photo of his mother who he doesn't really remember at all. He keeps a photo of his dog, a horseshoe that probably belonged to a dead and beloved horse. He keeps a flower from his mother. Keeps a photo of Mary as well. If he had a photo of Isaac, he'd probably keep that too.

-Arthur died at 36 years old from Tuberculosis if you play high honor. The real gunslinger and outlaw Doc Holliday died at the same exact age and the same exact way.

- Genuinely doesn't give a fuck about movements, social issues, and cultural issues, but does care about individual people.

- I love him

- So fucking much

- 😃

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #character analysis

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bonefall · 5 months ago

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Howdy Bonefall!! Great work wanted to start with that

I'm trying to come with a hyena xenofiction (+ other canid-likes), and I'm struggling with like... Not doing the stupid shit Erins did with the sisters of "in a WORLD where MEN are OPPRESSED". "Actually all the guys are okay with being second class" feels like a cop out, and I don't want to erase such an interesting aspect of hyena hierarchy.

So... I guess I'm going to you sorta for advice? Because you're super cool, and the only xeno worldbuilder I really follow. If you want, feel free to use this ask as a pass to infodump about the sisters instead, instead. Like, your version or the Erins.

Sorey for the long ask bye now

This is a neat question without a totally straightforward answer, but my advice would actually be to look very closely at historical systems with rigid gender roles, and try to understand the role it played in society.

What usually makes xenofiction sexism so rancid is the way that an author states (by assertion or just by subconscious assumption) that their ""natural world"" is bioessentialist, and this is justified because It's Natural. For a clear, STARK example, the Ginga series asserts that male dogs are better than female dogs, just by matter of biology, while also assigning gendered human behaviors (vanity, whininess) to its female characters to make its point.

In Cheek by Jowl, Le Guin points this out as "cheating." The author both describes the world they're writing as "natural," while prescribing their own human biases to it.

With the Sisters, the Erins did this lowkey fascinating thing where they sort of did the reverse. They described realistic, normal cat behaviors, but they're SO repulsed by the idea of not portraying heterosexual, monogamous marriage as ideal that they got scared of their own concept.

Hence the way they've turned on the Sisters, using human values to have the Warriors react with disgust and hostility when they don't have husbands, don't raise kids in nuclear families, send teen males away at 6 months, etc. They're doing the same thing Le Guin pointed out, just in a different flavor.

So-- that's why my advice is to look at societies. If you're anthropomorphizing animals enough for them to consider high concepts like justice and equality, they aren't just working on raw biology. Gender roles can be influenced by sexual dimophism, sure, but look deeper.

WHY do those roles exist? What purpose do they serve to society? Hunting, food preparation, spreading news. Are there materials to be prepared, like clothing or tools? Are there social laws to be taught and remembered?

Are these gendered? How? Why are they divided in the way they are? Are these divisions rigid?

These sorts of questions in humans are not answered purely by biology. Gender and roles are different across cultures and, while most have common trends, nothing is truly universal. Why do Xenofiction writers assume that would be the case for fantasy animal cultures?

Be thoughtful. The phrase "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History" wasn't a victim-blaming call to action for every girl to start 'misbehaving' to appease the historians-- it was to implore people to appreciate the contributions that women HAVE been making since the dawn of time, even within oppressive roles that downplayed those achievements.

And, I would also call for you to do some deeper research on hyenas, because here's a surprise-- the "male oppression" thing is actually an oversimplification!

Exactly like the concept of the Alpha Wolf, it's only partially true but largely inaccurate. Hyena clans are much more complicated than that.

Hyenas are not actually highly sexually dimorphic. Females are only slightly larger on average. In this way, they are quite like humans; we also aren't massively different between sexes.

Hyenas are so intelligent that they have theory of mind. Shenzi is capable of understanding that Ed likes Banzai more than Banagi, and uses that to her tactical advantage. Shenzi knows that she needs to befriend Banzai to have Ed's support, and then both of them will help her usurp Banagi.

Clans are not matriarchal, they are matrilineal. Cubs inherit their mother's rank, just below her. A male cub can massively benefit from staying in his birth clan because of this-- and that does include inheriting his mother's status.

So that thing about "highest ranking male is below the lowest ranking female" is not accurate. That applies to migrant males, not clanborn.

And here's the real kicker; size and strength is almost completely negligible to which hyena wins a fight. It's ALL about SOCIAL CONNECTION. me and the girlies attending the ides of march

Males are more likely to leave their birth clan and females are not. Leave home and your mom won't help you beat up your bullies, and you can't rely on the other males because they aren't family. This is the reason why females "dominate," they don't disperse so they've got family watching their back.

The idea of hyenas being "bizarro world" where the big, mean sex oppresses the tiny, demure sex is just as much a misconception of spotted hyenas as it is a misconception of human beings.

It would make a downright delicious concept to play with, if you wanted to make a deconstruction of gender roles broadly.

(Disclaimer: this post is intentionally discussing sex in a binary way for simplicity in how it influences gender, especially in a historical context. Sex is not actually binary. Even "bimodal distribution" barely scratches the surface of the topic)

#Bone Babble #Bones Gives Advice #Gender

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oceansarepink · 7 months ago

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Stella a “well written” abuser - Are fans giving HelluvaBoss too much credit?

When starving for rep, people will eat anything. The phrase goes, “Beggars can’t be choosers” But is the bare minimum enough?

Talking about Stella with the fandom is awkward. She is deservedly hated as an abuser, but with a passionate hatred disproportionately large to the minuscule amount of story material to work with. We have a silly ‘not divorced yet’ party and a near slap scene, then a very aimless assassination attempt that while interesting, was called off promptly. The emotional impact of the affair is minimal in depth, her background is zilch, her relationship with her daughter is well…there isn’t one to speak of. She’s just evil, but in the same manner the sinner characters and frankly, the same manner our protagonists are. The marriage itself was borne from an outside force exerting inward, she was blameless and powerless in, thus reducing her threat drastically. An amazing representation she is objectively not.

Most fans hate the character because they have developed her moreso in their own imaginations than what we actually have in the show, basically headcanons. Seemingly those alone are why people claim she’s “scarily realistic”, not the writing itself. What’s realistic, relatable, or true to life about a woman in a palace, who throws butlers around and hires assassins while sipping tea?

You ask the fans, “how is she well written?” And they say as if it’s self explanatory “well, she’s well written because she is a woman who is abusive to a man.” The fact female abusers are underrepresented in media is undeniable, but unfortunately this means stellas mere existence alone as a woman, is enough to warrant praise. Standing ovations happen at cons where Bryce Pinkham cites his lines divorcing the character. Despite this conflict being completely shallow. You have to wonder where this cathartic elation comes from. Because it truly isn’t enough to be warranted given the baseline scenes Stella is present within.

Many fans are content if not insistent that she remain one note and pure evil. If she is sympathised with, they fear it will hurt DV victims. This is not necessarily the case. Think of the famous Rapunzels’ Gothel. She uses tenderness and care mixed in with cruelty to keep Rapunzel under control. She projects her own fears of the outside world and obsession with superficial beauty, onto Rapunzel. She has some layers and deceptively “good” traits, but is undeniably an abuser. Nobody defends Gothel.

Furthermore, this worry that DV victims will be hurt if Stella has sympathetic points, gives this webtoon incredible amounts of unwarranted social power. And medrano I think, loves and relishes in that power. She doesn’t have to lift a finger and actually write a character, backstory, arc, relationships, likes/dislikes, a plan of villainy, a dynamic, or a story, the fact Stolas exists, is gay, and is a victim to a woman, is enough. Enough for a grand standing ovation. The standards are too low, fans seem to fill in the cracks with a story they think should be there, and in their minds, already is.

Let me explain with an example

In this scene of Stella and Via, the mother takes her daughter’s phone away. The sole dialogue from Stella to via is “sorry sweetie, no talking to that deadbeat” that’s all. But twitter users started saying - Via cries like stolas does, Stella hates that. Abusers sometimes bully their children for having traits of their victims. So via has to hide her tears so her mom doesn’t abuse her. They imply they have experience with it, which makes Stellas writing is so realistic.

…..That’s intriguing and all. People are allowed to relate and have comfort characters….But none of that is in the show. Stella just took her daughter’s phone. That’s all she did and all she said to her. There was no mention of tears. No mention of acting like her father. Via has no fear of her mom, only irritation. Sadly when someone points that out, they get accused of doubting someone’s real life abuse experience.

What I am ultimately getting at is, you’re giving vivziepop credit for a story and character you created, not her.

#helluva boss critical #stella helluva boss

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musicalmoritz · 10 months ago

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It’s canon Mitsuba’s gay?

I’m gonna use this as an excuse to yap because Mitsuba’s queercoding is either weirdly downplayed by fans or used solely for BL shipping purposes so I want to talk about it through the lens of what it means for his character, role in the story, and relationship with Kou

Yes, Mitsuba is canonically gay

Things don’t have to be explicitly stated in order to be canon, subtext is a major part of media analysis. This is something a lot of fans miss which leads to a misunderstanding of the source material. I do have some credentials for this, I’ve taken two undergrad college literature classes in which the subject of queercoding did come up multiple times. Meaning analyzing queercoding has literally gone towards my degree so I feel like my opinion holds some weight (not as much as that of an actual English major but yk I assume I’ve had more education on it than the general TBHK fandom)

There are multiple ways to queercode a character, sometimes it can be as simple as feminizing a man or masculinizing a woman. Though that method might be a bit outdated nowadays with gender roles becoming less strict, it’s still worth keeping in mind when analyzing queer characters. Another way is through romantically colored scenes with characters of the same sex, or by having them hint at disinterest in the opposite sex. Mitsuba checks off all three of these boxes and then some

First off, Mitsuba is attracted to men. This is made extremely obvious through his relationship with Kou but I’m gonna explain it anyways because unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of fans say they’re just platonic

Mitsuba and Kou went on a date. When this is brought up, fans typically jump to the excuse of “but Kou said it wasn’t a date,” which is where my American Lit class is going to come in handy. One of the major things we learned is that authors have to understand that everything they write has some sort of real world connotation. If you write a scene with a doctor, you have to understand that your readers already have preconceived notions of what doctors represent. You can choose to either lean into that or subvert it, but you have to be aware that as soon as a doctor enters the scene, readers have already made assumptions about that character

The word “date” is clearly being used in a romantic context here. When Kou texts his friends and brother about it, they all assume he’s talking about a romantic date. While in the actual context of the scene, Mitsuba and Kou aren’t quite ready to use such a strong label yet, the romantic wording here is still very intentional. AidaIro would not have labeled this moment as a date if they didn’t want readers to view it in a romantic light, because they understand that their readers are going to associate dates with romance. Japanese censorship is really strict, it’s hard to publish stories with explicitly queer characters unless the series is labeled as a BL or GL. And so Japanese manga writers often have to find roundabout ways to express that characters are gay without outright stating it- such as suggesting that they’re going on a date with a character of the same sex

In the printed volume for Vol.20, there’s an editor’s note that mentions that when Kou and Mitsuba are making plans to hang out at the school festival, it holds a romantic implication for the Japanese audience. Cultural differences are important to keep in mind, to western fans this scene might not raise any eyebrows but for its primary audience, it is confirmation that Mitsuba and Kou are romantic. I also find it interesting that the editor felt this context was important enough to warrant clarification

And frankly, their relationship doesn’t make a lot of sense if it’s solely platonic. Male friendship is something TBHK writes very realistically, the male characters aren’t as touchy-feely with their friends as they are with their female love interests. Yokoo and Satou don’t directly ask Kou how he’s feeling when they notice he’s upset, instead they give him a task to distract him- similar to how men in real life cheer their friends up through quality time rather than talking through their emotions like women do (not every man ofc but a good majority of them). When Teru is down, Akane doesn’t hold him and reassure him the way he does with Aoi. There are no grand declarations of ultimate “friendship” the way you see in fan servicy series like Haikyuu. Instead, he used his and Teru’s rivalry to indirectly motivate him to get his head back in the game. When Hanako is sad, Kou cheers him up by making donuts for him and then giving them to Nene so she can pretend she’s the one who made them. This is a very healthy portrayal of male friendship, and Mitsuba and Kou are nothing like this

Mitsuba and Kou both cry and vent to each other multiple times (the Mitsuba Arc, the Picture Perfect Arc, the Nightlife Arc), and instead of comforting each other indirectly they do things like offering to die for each other. You would never see Akane offer to die to make Teru feel better, nor would you Aoi and Nene or Kou and Hanako. It stands out so much from other friendships in the series, even Kou’s friendships with other characters. That is a conscious writing decision, AidaIro make a point to show Mitsuba as an exception for Kou. It’s worth noting that in the same chapter where Yokoo and Satou cheer Kou up indirectly, Mitsuba attempts to directly have him talk about his feelings

They’re also incredibly possessive over one another, in a way friends usually aren’t. When Kou was in the Red House, he was shown his greatest desires, and Mitsuba appeared in one of these. Kou said he knew Mitsuba would appear, which is interesting because at that point he had already picked up on the house showing him what he wanted. But what does he want? He wants Mitsuba to rely on him entirely, to be completely useless without him. He wants Mitsuba to be “no good without him,” to need him so badly that he begs him to die so they can be together. I’m not exaggerating, these are lines pulled straight from the chapter (paraphrased but still). Later on in the Nightlife arc, Kou breaks down when he discovers Mitsuba has been relying on Tsukasa for life-saving help. As for Mitsuba, he wants to die by Kou’s hands. He says it wouldn’t be satisfying if anyone else killed him, and that he would be happy if Kou were to be the last person he spent time with before he died. He tries to trap Kou in a picture perfect world just like Hanako does with Nene, because he wants to live a normal life with him. It’s also shown in one of the extras that Mitsuba cries when Kou ignores him

They’re also drawn very romantically, again we don’t see Teru and Akane this intimate with one another unless they’re fighting. We especially don’t see Kou this intimate with anyone other than Mitsuba, and while Mitsuba is sometimes clingy with Tsukasa we certainly never see him posed romantically with a woman. This comes back to authorial intent and real world connotations, AidaIro know that male friends aren’t typically this close, and therefore casual affection like this will be interpreted in a romantic light. We see them hold hands/wrists multiple times too, Kou gives Mitsuba a piggyback ride in one scene, and in ASHK they had a classic “pinned against the wall” page

I’ll also mention the AUs, because those indicate a lot about the characters as well. In Hanako-Kun of the Opera, Kou poisoned Mitsuba so he could take him away from the opera house and protect him from Tsukasa. He basically kidnapped him. He also stayed with Mitsuba at the opera house for a seemingly long period of time despite hating opera. Aaaaand they’re childhood best friends in this au and Kou took care of Mitsuba while he was sick

Then there’s the Ghost Hotel, where Kou is a werewolf who takes bites out of mummy Mitsuba during full moons. Despite this, the two appear to be friends and Mitsuba helps Kou out around the kitchen. Cannibalism is consistently tied to romance throughout TBHK, most notably with Hakubo and Sumire but other romantic pairings have cannibalistic moments or official arts. During the zombie mokke chapter, Nene panicked when Akane tries to eat her because she assumed it would put her in a love triangle with Aoi. So yeah, cannibalism in TBHK is directly tied to romance and we see that with Mitsukou both in canon and in this au. Speaking of which, I’m not even gonna get into the symbolism of Kou holding a heart out to Mitsuba. Connect the dots for yourselves

Now that we’ve got Mitsukou out of the way, let’s talk about Mitsuba’s disinterest in women

Remember how I said one of the ways queercoding is done is by having a character hint at disinterest in the opposite sex? Yeah, very rarely are we going to see a queercoded male character outright say “I have no attraction to women.” Instead they say they just never saw the appeal in dating, or that they never had time to settle down. In more obvious cases, we have scenes like Reiner from AOT joking that Ymir isn’t all that into guys

I couldn’t find the second scene but there are TWO extras where the subject of Mitsuba’s disinterest in women comes up. C’mon guys I’m trying not to be mean here but you have to be blind, oblivious, or in denial to not pick up on that. Whyyyyy would they mention Mitsuba not having a crush on any girls twice if it weren’t to suggest something about his preference?? Coupled with his appearance (which I’ll get to later) and relationship with Kou, these scenes carry a lot of weight. Even if those other aspects weren’t included, scenes like this would still indicate he has no interest in women (which would make him gay or aroace, though due to his relationship with Kou the aroace thing is kind of ruled out)

Compare this to a scene where Mitsuba thinks he’s being asked out by a man. He doesn’t say “hmmm nope no guys, I’m cuter than all of them~” he specifically says “I’m not interested in guys with lame earrings.” The way this is worded implies that Mitsuba is discussing a type, though it’s v much a comedic scene and we know from everything else that he absolutely does like guys with lame earrings, it’s still worded in a way that makes him appear queer. If he were straight, they would have had him say he’s not interested in guys at all (like Dazai from Bungou Stray Dogs, John Watson from BBC Sherlock, Finn Hudson from Glee, idk there are a lot of male characters that are explicit straight sorry for the crazy random list). Also note how he teases Kou about it, he knows that Kou is fond of him and doesn’t hesitate to use that against him (like when he was comforting him during the Nightlife arc)

They don’t go overboard with Mitsuba’s disinterest in women because, well, that’s not really necessary. Two scenes is already a lot, and he doesn’t have any romantic relationships with women in canon (even as a crush/a joke scene). It’s rare for TBHK characters to have absolutely no scenes expressing interest in the opposite sex, since the series is partially a romance. But Mitsuba consistently only ever shows interest in one man, and when girls are brought up he’s quick to brush it off. His mom did think Nene was his girlfriend when they met, but this was depicted as a very awkward and comedic scene. Because the premise of Mitsuba having a girlfriend is objectively hilarious

(Due to Sousuke’s young age it’s reasonable to assume he wasn’t out to his mom yet, he’s around the age where most kids are closeted. It’s even possible that Sousuke hadn’t come to terms with his sexuality yet, though it’s still a prevalent part of both his character and No.3’s)

Now let’s move onto appearances. I want to give a quick disclaimer, not all gay men are feminine and not all feminine men are gay. Androgyny is also very common in anime and doesn’t automatically mean a character is gay, but there are cases when it’s used for queercoding. Mitsuba is one of these cases

Mitsuba is a very feminine character, this is addressed as soon as he shows up in the manga. He was bullied for his appearance (and personality), but unlike his personality he never tried to change his feminine appearance. He kept his hair long, continues to wear scarves and cardigans and earrings. No.3 wears these things as well, and I would argue has a more feminine personality since he seems to be more open about his emotions and idk. I struggle to categorize feminine and masculine traits because imo that’s subjective but there are things society deems feminine vs. masculine. The problem is that I really dislike the whole “men are strong and women are emotional” thing but ehhhh I guess I have to talk about it for this. Hmph. But yeah although Mitsuba isn’t exactly the biggest sweetheart ever, he does act somewhat feminine compared to the other male characters (as I’ve said he’s p much the only man in the series who attempts to work through emotional conflicts directly)

Once again we circle back to intent, AidaIro know that a male character dressed in pink with pink eyes and long pink hair is going to raise some eyebrows. Even by androgynous anime standards, it’s a bit much. And good for him, although not all gay men are feminine, some are and that’s also fine. I can’t speak on how well he represents feminine gay men because I’m a lesbian but he does dress similar to some of the feminine gay men I’ve known irl (or slightly less feminine in some cases…I knew this one dude in high school who used to wear corsets to class and he was so badass I hope he’s doing well)

I could get into how Kou is a bit feminized too with the whole housework thing but this ain’t abt him. I will say that Kou is still a very masculine character but despite this his character is feminized in some ways compared to the other men. I’m not really here to discuss whether that’s good or bad, I’m just stating the evidence as it is, you can make your own conclusions as to how you feel about it

So how does being queer impact Mitsuba’s character arc?

When I get around to writing my analyses of all the TBHK characters I WILL be talking more in depth about the queer allegories with Mitsuba’s character but for now I’ll give ya’ll a quick summary. Supernatural characters have been used for years to represent queerness, the same could be said for villains and any character trope that represents a feeling of “otherness.” Sometimes it’s more broad like X-Men, where the superpowered characters are used to represent all types of minorities (though I believe X-Men is more closely tied to race, there are rampant queer themes as well). Then there’s books like Interview with the Vampire that get more specific with it, where Louis denying his “true nature” as a vampire is used as an allegory for him denying his queerness. Well I’m here to tell you that Mitsuba and Louis de Pointe du Lac are in the same boat

Mitsuba differs from the other supernaturals because he desperately tries to hold on to feelings of normalcy. He wants to be a normal human and live a normal human life. He doesn’t want to be othered, to be outcasted from society for something he can’t control. We don’t see Hanako, Tsuchigomori, Mei, or any of the other supernatural characters struggle with this. You could argue that Akane does but his situation is more related to learning to empathize with others than any internal battles within himself. Hanako may have moments of wishing him and Nene could have something more, but that’s more about romance than his identity.

This desire to be “normal” is unique to Mitsuba’s character, and it’s a very queer desire. Being an angsty teenager who hasn’t fully accepted themself yet and hasn’t realized that being queer is not only normal, but a beautiful experience. It’s also so interesting to me that as he’s trying so hard to be normal, it creates a push and pull between him and Kou. He wants to be normal for Kou but he also feels that he’s hurting Kou just by existing, that this could only end bad for him. Oh the inherent guilt of having your first gay crush and feeling like you're corrupting them hist for pining from afar

So, can you ship him with women? Technically you can do anything, shipping isn’t illegal and we all have free will. Should you ship him with women is more subjective, I personally think no!! Queerness is not just a sexuality, it’s an identity that deeply impacts who you are as a person. It shapes your experiences and your view of yourself, and in an allegorical way it has certainly done this for Mitsuba. Yes, bi people are queer as well and this is still true for them, but bisexuality is not Mitsuba’s experience. Mono-attraction exists and that specification is very important to gay men and lesbians. For some people sexuality is fluid and that’s beautiful, but it doesn’t work that way for everyone

Some queer fans don’t care if gay characters are shipped with members of the opposite sex, and they’re entitled to their own opinions. It makes me immensely uncomfortable tho, so please block me if you ship Mitsuba with women. That goes for any ships between canon gay/lesbian characters and the opposite sex. I respect people’s right to have opinions but that doesn’t mean I have to like the opinions themselves, and I don’t have to engage with anything that makes me uneasy. That goes for all of you btw, never let people convince you that you have to put up with shit you hate on the internet lmao, this is not real life babes. Block and move on

TL;DR

Mitsuba is too gay to function

#ask #ask me anything #tbhk #toilet bound hanako kun #jibaku shounen hanako kun #jshk #analysis #queer coding #mitsukou #sousuke mitsuba #kou minamoto #soukou #kousuke #queer analysis #gay #mlm

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blackflash9 · 6 months ago

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I probably shouldn't take a children's cartoon so seriously, but there's something deeply interesting about watching a fandom collectively defend and glorify a character for dwelling in their issues and stagnation while demonizing someone who largely processed their trauma and grew from it.

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samglyph · 4 months ago

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Malevolent write women at all challenge

I’ve spoken before about how while I do personally have some critiques of how malevolent chooses to write some of its side characters, I’m not as overtly critical of its choice to avoid having more women in its cast, nor am I critical of the majority of women dying since as someone who watched most of supernatural at its height and has seen some shit I think it manages to avoid killing its women in ways that I personally find problematic (mostly- like I said, I’m not without critique, I just don’t post it). That being said, if you’re someone who is more focused on wanting women as a focus in the art you consume, I think that’s a valid reason to not want to engage with Malevolent, since it is very much just focused on some guy the whole time. If you want more women in your horror media, why not check out my reading list!

To add to the list, I’m currently reading Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix and oh boy if you want a realistic and kind of judgy and misanthropic female character as a protagonist, do I have a book for you. Also, I managed to snag an Arc of VE Schwabs upcoming book (which will be listed as fantasy but it’s romantic horror trust me) and GIRLS. GIRLS WEVE ACHIEVED TOXIC YURI TO LEVELS NEVER BEFORE SEEN but I won’t say anything else before it comes out (June 10th save the date it’s gonna be good)

(Though uh. Warning. A chunk of these women do die. It is horror after all and we can’t all be final girls)

That all being said, this is a weird ask, right? Like it’s definitely bait of some kind and I’m not seeing it? Oh well.

#malevolent #masked

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fanhackers · 19 days ago

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In Praise of a Classic Text: Understanding Comics - Part II

Last week I posted about Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics - which, among many interesting arguments, postulates that when you look at a realistic drawing of a face, you see another, where when you look at a more simply drawn cartoon image - a smiley face, Charlie Brown, Minnie Mouse - you see yourself. I talked about the implication of that for certain kinds of fan art, and today I want to talk about a second interesting implication - specifically in terms of fannish identification with a character.

Interesting implication the Second: There’s a great book called How To Be Gay by David Halperin - (I did a Fanhackers post about it a couple of years ago) - in which he argues that his gay male students seemed to enjoy coded queer works - e.g. Broadway musicals, Hollywood melodramas, The Golden Girls, Steel Magnolias, Judy Garland and Adele, etc. - more than they enjoyed what Halperin calls “good gay writing,” - that is, “fiction about gay men written by gay men that gave voice to the gay male experience.” As I wrote in my Halperin post (and as I wrote about at length in my article, “Slash/Drag: Appropriation and Visibility in the Age of Hamilton” in Booth’s Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies) this makes perfect sense to me as a fangirl - many female fans find more to identify with in Spock or Mulder or Sherlock or Aziraphale than they do in female characters in serious literary novels who are dealing realistically with the problems that they face. That sounds like…a whole boatload of no fun, to be honest. (Personal sidebar: Do I want to read a serious literary novel about the travails of a female, middle-aged English Professor like myself? I do not. FWIW I basically had to be forced to watch even fluff like The Chair, and only because I knew everyone would ask me about it. I also personally don’t enjoy an academic AU, YMMV. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t find places of strong identification in the TV I watch and the fic that I read - it’s just not straight-up literal like that.)

But I think it’s McCloud who gives us the WHY of this phenomenon when he talks about how realist faces read as “another,” while more simply drawn faces provoke identification. There’s a way in which “good gay writing” - the voice of the gay experience - can feel disappointingly NOT YOUR EXPERIENCE - because of course there is not a single gay experience, and what you are likely to read is distorted by time and distance and age. I see it with my students, for whom the gay experience of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s might as well be ancient Egypt - (or may be less familiar than ancient Egypt, Egypt kind of being its own fandom.) Anyway a lot of gay writing doesn’t speak to their problems or their issues, and while they’re interested in it, they don’t identify with it - and that can be really hard when you’re young and queer and feeling isolated, to feel like you don’t even relate to the people you are supposed to relate to. But in an odd way, the cartoons - the coded figures - don’t go out of style the same way. And they are places of broad identification over generations: We can all be Mama Rose or Dr. Frank N. Furter or sing “I Will Survive” – because it’s a metaphor (for being closeted, for being monstrous, for surviving, etc.) It doesn’t age the same way as, for instance, the novels of Ethan Mordden or Edmund White or plays like The Boys in the Band or Torch Song Trilogy. There’s a great passage in Stacy Wolf’s book, A Problem like Maria: Gender and Sexuality in the American Musical, where Wolf, a lesbian, talks about driving cross-country in a convertible singing, “My Man,” (“Can’t Help…Loving That Man of Mine!”) which, she claims, provoked her to write her book about lesbian readings of the musical. In short, Steven Universe can do work that “good gay writing” cannot–and so can fandom, with its cartoon heroes, animated and live action both.

#fan studies #understanding comics #francesca coppa #fandom and identification

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allpiesforourown · 2 months ago

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Okay, I have some comments (agreement) on three of your posts, so I'll just put them in one ask, lol.

First of all, you are SO RIGHT about toxic yuri. Oh my God. I'm a bi woman and I'm usually more attracted to mlm works like danmei, and a lot of yuri just doesn't do it for me, so I'm just constantly wondering if I've got, like, internalized misogyny? What's the deal here? But then there's the occasional yuri like Madoka and I go absolutely fucking feral and make it my whole personality for months. Like, yes, give me all of the toxic yuri, all of the doomed yuri, all of the girls and women being obsessive and flawed. That's what I like about danmei, really, the obsession and the character flaws and the angsty yearning. But women are never allowed to go crazy or even be a little flawed like that, not even in fiction. Often, it's because creators and audiences alike judge female characters harsher (a reflection of real life, obviously) and so they have to make the female characters "perfect" or they won't be liked. But their being perfect is exactly what I dislike, because it's not realistic, and it's not interesting! So, yeah, absolutely, that's why toxic yuri is so much more appealing, especially compared to a lot of others.

Second of all, you're also so right about Yue Qingyuan. When I first started SVSSS, I thought, "Oh, so he kinda sucks," 'cause he clearly knew about Binghe's abuse but only gave mild advice to SQQ to maybe treat him a little less harshly. But then, he kinda does seem like a really good guy later, and especially with the realization of his tragic background, it's easy to forgive him. But so often the fandom reduces him to lovable idiot who's never done anything wrong and like. He was totally fine with Shen Jiu abusing a child. It's not like he was unaware of it, and while he's not malicious, he was willing to turn a blind eye to it. We obviously know the reason why later, but even so. I do love him, though, but I feel like sometimes the fandom whitewashes some of the characters too much. Like, Shen Jiu had a tragic backstory, but that only explains his actions, it doesn't excuse them. Of course you can love him anyway, but I think if you're whitewashing his character into something he's not, then you don't really love the character, or else you'd love him the way he actually is. And Shen Jiu's abuse of Binghe is very important to, like, everything, because the cycle of abuse is such a central theme. Shen Jiu and his own victim, Bingge, demonstrate how abuse can turn victims into abusers and continue the cycle. Shizun and Binghe (Bingmei) demonstrate how the cycle can be stopped.

Finally, that post you reblogged about social media, and your tags about how you open TikTok, block 50 people, and then leave is sooo true. The danmei fandom, especially artists, are, at least to my knowledge, a lot more active on Twitter than Tumblr, so I go on Twitter to check when I'm bored, and. I open it, I block 50 people while getting mad just the way they want me to, and then I close it. Then I open it again later! I guess I'm a glutton for punishment because seriously. I need to stop.

Anyway, thanks! Keep on fighting the good fight (shizunfucking)!

1. YEAH. Like so many yuri stories are just "they're cutely blushing before mustering up the courage to hold hands" and its just boring. Are they allowed to show any emotion other than uwu puppy love I'm a grown ass woman

2. Yue Qingyuan's cycle of abuse being ignored is so sad like yes he started out as a slave. But he is now the leader of one of the most powerful sects in the cultivation world, and he uses his authority to enable and protect abusers. Why erase such a big part of his story

3. TWITTER IS DEADDD its all blue checkmark engagement baiting with racism and even within the danmei community the people on Twitter will jump anyone who has an opinion they don't like it's so evil there

#shizunfuckers fight on !!#svsss #yue qingyuan #🔆

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mitski-solos · 3 months ago

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gay rep in gaming and in kcd2: A Rant

Ok, I'll try to make this as cohesive as possible, but remember that this is a rant after all, so excuse any possible mistakes or typos.

The gay representation in KCD2 is genuinely the most well-done, realistic representation that I've seen in gaming so far. There are multiple types of representation that I see in games, so let's break down what they are, why they do or don't suck and how exactly the KCD2 Hansry romance is superior.

Type N1) forced mechanical bisexuality.

In most RPGs, or really any games where you choose your own romantic interest, there is no gender-based limit on who can romance who, to allow a fully immersive experiance, tho I feel inclined to point out that this mechanic was introduces to gaming quite accidentally during the early era of gaming, when everything was still pixilated to all hell, they js didn't think to add a code prohibiting same-sex relationships cz developers didn't take their existanse into accaount at all, but then some players discovered it was a possibility and that's how mechanical-bisexuality became an almost industry standard, scince it opens up a wider market for the game without feeling "threatning" to the true consumers which everything was marketed towards(str8 white men).

Now, why do I call it "mechanical" bisexuality, u may ask? Well, bc it truly is just that. Mechanical. No character in that game i truly bi, it's solely a mechanic that's easier for developers and more convenient for gamers.

A good example of that would be Stardew Valley. I don't remember which bachelorette it is exactly, but as you romance them, you meet their ex, and the sex of the ex is the same as that of the player. So if you're male, the ex will also be male, if ur female, the ex will also be female. So no bisexuality for you. But ig you could still count it as "gay" rep, even tho for me even that feels very technical and mechanical, as none of it feels actually gay, there is no discussion or reference to sexuality and the weight of being in a gay reletionship is never brought up even if the setting of the game is on earth and not some fantasy world where being gay is considered totally ok and gay ppl arent treated any differently from str8s.

And well, since I brought up fantasy worlds, let's talk abt type N2) gay rep in fantasy.

This can be very well done or absolutely terrible, depending on the writing and premise, and I feel like we can use Dragon Age as the perfect example for both ends of the spectrum.

So I actually haven't played Dragon Age, so my wording or explanations may not be perfect, but bear with me.

So from what I've heard and know abt the game, the gay rep in old games is great and the way they treat gender is very tasteful and generally well done, at least I've never heard anybody complain. Tho is the newest game, it's... well, let's just say it's not the best. You get this nonbinary character and they spend a lot of time bitching and moaning abt coming out to their mom even tho nothing up to that point has made them feel like their mom wouldn't support them or anything. and look, you may call this good rep cuz oh hey its a real life struggle that they are going thru right? But NO! bc it's the very fantasy setting where being gay is totes cool and ok that i mentioned a second ago and it's not treated the same way as on earth, so taking this character from a utopian fantasy world where even the lable "nonbinary" shouldn't exist bc there is no binary in the first place and projecting this earthly struggle onto them as a sorry excuse for representation feels forced and increadibly boring. Also, some other conversations in the game abt gender were incredibly cringe and also felt very forced, but maybe they were out of context or smth idk but whatever the case may be, it's a separate issue, so let's move on.

type N3) canon gays

So, most of the time, I love all the canon gays in gaming and any media in general.

In gaming, canon gays r mostly in big story games. Like, the first most obvious ones coming to mind would be Ellie and Dina from The Last of Us, or Mileena and Tanya in MK1. Tho those are the only straight up gay gay all up in ur face gay couples that I can think of from AAA games that I've played, so there isn't enough of this type of rep out there. Tho I feel it is the best and most "true" rep in gaming that is the most enjoyable for players AND could be more eye-opening and redeeming for any homophobes playing the game.

So now that all of that is out of the way, you may say, well, aren't Henry and Hans just another case of the so-called mechanical bisexuality? And to that I'll say a very confident no.

Let's tackle Henry's sexuality first. In both the first and second game, he can get with various women, not even mentioning all the trips to bathhouses, and the only men Henry can get with are Black Bartosch and Hans. The sole existence of the Black Bartosch option is, I feel like, an argument enough to Henry's true bisexuality, but if you choose to turn him down, you need to choose an option saying "I prefer women", so some may argue that there! He said it himself! But there is a second piece of evidence in the game that confirms his sexuality to be canonically bi. When you get to Kutttenberg, one of the first side quests you can do is "A Good Scrub" in which you help the new bathhouse owner Betty safely transport her bathhouse wenches from some inn to the bathhouse. While on the road, you can talk to them and at some point they'll ask you if you prefer tits or ass(game of the year type convos am i right?) and u could either staight up answer ass or tits or you could try to evade answering the question, and if you choose the last option, the girl will joking ask henry "are you sure your don't prefer boys?" and that gets Henry INCREADIBLY flustered, he starts stuttering and can't fully deny it and just mutters a quiet, frustrated "fuck" at the end. Yall that's not a reaction of a str8 person, it's a reaction of a queer man that's just been clocked. Don't even try to deny it.

Now onto Hans. We do see terribly little of him and his interactions with other ppl, but there is still very strong evidence for his bisexuality, which is a book that you find under his bed in the Devil's Den, titled "A Collection of Somewhat Bawdy Poems". It's literally just a book with a bunch of homoerotic poems in it, I'm not ever kidding. Here are all of em so you get the full picture:

"My love for you is heartfelt.

You can tell from my unbuckled belt.

My mind is troubled badly

by one question above all:

When will my lover fondly

caress my left ball?

"Love thy neighbour", saith Our Lord.

And I took it to heart.

I started to fulfil His word,

at least in their southern part.

My heart is mourning dejectedly.

Even my hand rejected me!

By day and night I think of you,

I shall love you always.

My heart is faithful, loyal and true,

Though my body sometimes strays.

A knight in battle attire

got into bed with his squire.

Instead of conquering forts,

They played with each other's swords."

That last part I highlighted is literally them ARE YOU SERIOUSSSSS. Now I did see someone on Reddit saying that the book appears in the room before Hans ever moves in, but let's be so honest for a second, in a game as detailed as KCD2, that book being specifically under HANS'S bed is no coincidence, even if it appeared earlier than Hans himself. The devs knew what they were doing. and that book is still there whether you romance Hans or not, so call me delusional if you want, but for me, that's evidence enough.

Now, onto the most important part: why is Hansry so good?

In my purely subjective opinion, I think that if KCD2 was a story game instead of an RPG, it would be a type N3 representation, and Hansry would be the canon couple. Henry undeniably has the most connection and chemistry with Hans. He doesn't interact with Katherine much and it does feel like they're more good friends-at-arms than anything, and at the end of the game, Henry himself jokes that she's too old for him, and ugh don't even get me started on Rosa. Henry literally barely interacts with her, her romance option is so weird to me fr.

I also think that Hansry was planned, or at least thought of and acknowledged by the devs from the very beginning of the franchise. The way they interact in the first game can VERY easily be interpreted as flirting and they're literally your textbook example of the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers troupe. So with the foundation that the first game gives us, their eventual romance is very believable and realistic, it doesn't feel like one of those gay relationships that was never meant to be but was basically "pushed" into canon by fans, ykwim?

So for me what makes their couple such great rep is how even without the gay relationship, they remain queer men, their sexuality isn't purely mechanical. Their relationship doesn't feel flat or forced, like it often happens with optional gay romances. And even without ever acknowledging the weight of their relationship, it feels natural and not like the devs didn't wanna discuss gay stuff yk? Like in early game Henry can literally fuck some girl (i dont remember her name srry:3) out in the open - in a forest, but he specifically locks the door before kissing Hans. After the kiss, Hans looks worried and scared and apologises bc he knows that he, as a man, literally just kissed his dear friend, another man, and he doesn't know how Henry will react to it, and that's why he's so worried. And through these little details, the game acknowledges the weight of their relationship without them ever having to sit down and talk abt it, or the game having to address it, and that's what good writing is! It's refreshingly realistic.

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drksanctuary · 6 months ago

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Was Nico really as significant as queer rep as people make him out to be? Or is it just nostalgia causing them to believe he is a lot more significant than he actually is? It's hard for me to gauge so I was wondering if you have an answer 😅

A lot of queer characters in fandom spaces particularly very popular ones were really only side characters or they were more frequently just presumes straight and no one was ever told otherwise. A lot of the big name fiction out there had characters that you had to create gay subtext for if you wanted any at all. (Which to be fair stems from male authors inability to write good enough female characters that a lot of the people wanted to ship male characters with other male characters because they were the only ones with character development) Nico was for the first time a 1. main character in a 2. Large fandom and was 3. Explicitly specified (not subtextually) as queer. He checked a lot of boxes all at once. Not to mention that the way he was outed, the fear, all of the “bad” things a lot of people say were handled with his character were all things that Millennial queers had to deal with. We didn’t have all the safe spaces or acceptance so that was realistic to a lot of our experiences.

But obviously these are generalizations and they’re based on my observations of what I saw and also colored by the country I live in (USA). So perhaps this isnt true or perhaps there are some nuances I am missing.

Personally, Nico and I came out the same year. It was my favorite book series, Nico was my favorite character and it seemed all of our favorite headcanons (Nico is gay and had a crush on Percy) became true. So it was a absolutely significant to me. I remember screaming with joy when I saw the excerpt and I was texting my partner about it and she was equally excited.

It was pretty big news in the fandom. A lot of fans were excited. And it was a kids book so that was significant in that kids could see themselves in Nico, and it would be validating.

Anyway sorry for the ramble, but I think, to answer your question, it was significant but perhaps was accented by nostalgia of the people who experienced it. It was iconic to us but it may not have been that big a deal to the world at large or even the fandom at large tbh.

I dunno who else you asked but imma tag some other people who were in the fandom back then bc maybe they can offer more insights or helpful opinions?

@avaetin @bvckbiter @aroaceleovaldez (?) @thomas-life @thinkingjasico @gutsybitsies

#nico di angelo #percy jackson #Drk rambles

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literaryvein-reblogs · 6 months ago

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Excuse me, do you have any posts on writing well written female characters/protagonists?

Writing Notes: Female Characters

Conducting research through observation – including self-observation – is the very first step in creating memorable women characters.

We observe the women in our lives. We watch and learn, noticing how they engage relationally with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers.

Creating memorable women characters is much like developing memorable relationships. The only way to have meaningful relationships is to be real:

Be willing to share.

Be honest.

Listen with an open heart.

Love without judgment.

This is all very easy to say and much harder to do.

But it’s what’s necessary if we want to have rewarding and lasting friendships and partnerships. And the same is true if we want our female characters to connect with audiences.

Let your female characters speak to other female characters about something that matters. In doing so, you will make women and girls visible.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before writing from a woman’s perspective:

Why are you assigning a female gender to this character?

Are you just doing it to show how cool and hip and progressive you are?

Are you writing a biting, sardonic social commentary?

Do you want to create a realistic portrait of a woman?

Is there an added level of symbolism to your gender choice?

Let the answers to these questions dictate how you assign gender to all of your characters, not just the female ones.

Using men and women to foil each other can create an delightful dynamic in your story, as long as you avoid stereotypes. Here’s a list of stereotypes:

The delicate flower. She barely talks above a whisper, she’s sad, so terribly sad, suffering from the pain of a mysterious past.

The femme fatale. She’s a sexpot, only wears skin-tight clothes, and has a gun with your name on it.

The crazy girlfriend. She’s also got a gun.

The stay at home wife. She’s wholesome, virtuous, and dependant. Her only will for living is to be a wife and a mom.

The career driven. She’s cold-hearted and she wears designer shoes.

The most beautiful girl in the world. She’s so beautiful that she doesn’t even know it, but every other woman around her hates her.

Stereotypes make a character fall flat.

They deflate what could be an interesting character.

Refer to the Bechdel Test. By no means is this “the end all and be all,” however the test is useful in determining whether you story supports two active female characters who aren’t solely wrapped up in a guy and/or his journey. A story passes the Bechdel Test if it has:

two named female characters

who talk to each other

about something other than a man.

The tool is a great reminder that females, even in a love story, can discuss other matters that don’t include a man or romance.

There is no formula for creating complex female characters.

For that matter, there’s no such thing as a step-by-step approach to crafting compelling stories with complicated characters of any gender.

But we can begin to intentionally reflect on how we think about gender representation in film, television, literature, and other media.

We can think about the people we love and consider how the screen stories they see will impact their lives, today and in the years to come. We all want our loved ones to feel confident and empowered and inspired.

We’ve recommended films, television shows, and books to our family and friends not only because we think they’ll enjoy them, but also because we think the stories will in some way be helpful to them. Our stories can help.

They can make viewers/readers laugh when they feel down. They can help them process their feelings and experiences, escape into a fantasy, or visualize possibilities for their future. The benefits of screen storytelling are limitless.

And if we populate our stories with characters that represent all of humanity, in all its complexity … who knows? Maybe someday this conversation will be outdated and unnecessary.

STRONG CHARACTERS. Come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. Every creator has a different idea of how strength is expressed, but there are a few ways to ensure your audience understands the type of character you’ve created when your focus is on writing a strong female character.

Writing Tips: Strong Female Characters

Creating strong female characters is the same process as creating strong characters in general—they need backstory, motivation, and depth in order to cultivate a three-dimensional profile that makes them feel like believable, real people. Here are some ways to write strong female characters:

Give her complex emotions. Vulnerability and emotional depth are important characteristics for good characters of any gender. A strong woman shouldn’t be written as a one-dimensional trope—she can be a stoic warrior who cries when her best friend dies, or a sweet kindergarten teacher who boxes to deal with her rage. People are complicated and often unpredictable, so giving your female character the same complex range of emotions you yourself experience as a human being is a good way to start writing stronger characters.

Give her multiple kinds of strength. Physical strength isn’t everything—even the most hulking adversary can be taken down by smart, tactical fighting—and a female lead doesn’t have to be a bodybuilder or professional athlete in order to be strong. There are different types of strength that female characters exert. They can have confidence, wit, and mental fortitude. They can be brilliant scientists who stand up for themselves when no one else will listen. They can be stay-at-home mothers who won’t tolerate their spouse leaving a mess. Female characters have their own strong opinions and morality and aren’t just generalized for being women.

Give her female allies. Sometimes writers try to make a female character appear stronger by turning her into a “tomboy” who only has male friends. However, your female protagonist can just as easily draw strength from the women who surround her. Giving your female lead character female friends can help her feel more like a real-life person.

Give her more than her looks. Describe the way your female protagonist looks in a way that informs who she is. Does she have a defining physical feature that is integral to the storyline? Does her body language denote a particular personality trait? Brainstorm ways to avoid or subvert clichés (“she was pretty but didn’t know it”), which can weaken an audience’s first impression of your character.

Characteristics of Strong Female Characters

Strong female characters can encompass many different types of women, with varying opinions on what is considered “strong.” In order to write strong female characters, old tropes and stereotypes (like the damsel in distress or the nagging wife) should be avoided, as they can be detrimental to how your female character is viewed as a whole. If you’re looking to write a strong female character, check out some common characteristics below:

She has her own opinions. A strong female lead will listen to her own instincts and make her own decisions based on her own value system (even villains have their reasons for their choices). She’ll make mistakes, but she’ll always try to learn from them. A strong character isn’t immune to influence, but they have their own thoughts and feelings about their world and the things that happen within it.

She is her own person. Strong female characters don’t all have to be single, independent women. They can be in relationships and care about their partners without being weak or codependent. However, a strong female character has her own identity and trajectory that she follows, as well as her own ambitions and goals outside of her relationship with another person.

She has flaws. Strong female characters have struggles and flaws just like everyone else, but what makes them strong is how they deal with their shortcomings. Even the strongest characters have weaknesses, but that’s what humanizes them and makes them relatable to audiences.

She’s tough in her own right. What makes a female “tough?” The term is subjective. Is toughness just a character’s ability to physically bring down foes? Or can it be her ability to think fast under pressure or negotiate with powerful figures? A stay-at-home mother can be just as tough as a soldier—a woman’s role does not necessarily dictate who she is as a person.

Give her conflicting personality traits. Conflicting personality traits make a character interesting. Balance traditionally feminine and masculine character traits, as well as give your characters several flaws and strengths. Conflicting character traits not only make your female character three-dimensional but also provide for interesting internal or interpersonal conflicts in your story. You can imagine characteristics—positive, negative, or neutral—in pairs of opposites, such as:

Bookish & arrogant

Gossipy & trustworthy

Pensive & uninhibited

Kind & tactless

Empathetic & selfish

Examples of Strong Female Characters

Strong female characters are not flawless and unemotional—they’re complicated, just like everyone else. Authors, along with screenwriters for TV shows and film, have portrayed a great number of strong female protagonists in a variety of roles. Here are a few that are especially memorable:

Buffy Summers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a powerful heroine with awesome fighting skills who can be both tough—even when chasing a love interest—and empathetic—even towards those who have wronged her. She is a three-dimensional character, and she always tries to do the right thing.

Ellen Ripley: Sigourney Weaver plays alien-fighting heroine Ellen Ripley in the film Alien. Ellen Ripley is straightforward, physically strong, and a smart main character—but she also has strong maternal instincts that sometimes drive her decisions. All of those traits coexist with one another without lessening the strength of her character.

Katniss Everdeen: In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, Katniss is a young woman living in a dystopian world, who volunteers her own life in order to protect her younger sister. While sometimes impulsive and susceptible to the manipulations of others, Katniss grows throughout her story arc, becoming a skilled warrior who makes sacrifices to keep the ones she loves from harm. Although she has love interests, most of her decisions are based on survival and not romance—because as long as she’s alive, she can keep her family safe.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Here are some notes and tips I compiled from various sources. It's interesting to see where the authors' advice overlap. Choose which ones work best for your specific story. Hope this helps with your writing!

#writing tips #character development #writing reference #writeblr #literature #writers on tumblr #dark academia #spilled ink #writing prompt #creative writing #writing ideas #writing inspiration #writing advice #light academia #writing resources

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acourtofthought · 5 months ago

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"Why would Gwyn be in the bonus chapter if she wasn't Azriel's endgame??"

I'd like to ask a better question. 🙋🏻‍♀️

Why would Elain be in the bonus chapter if she wasn't Azriel's endgame?

Objectively speaking - SJM has written the interaction with Elain and Azriel to be obviously - explicitly - romantic. They are about to jump each other in a hallway - like... there should be no question that these two want each other romantically.

The interaction with Gwyn - regardless of what people have theorized - is not inherently romantic. Azriel comes across Gwyn while she is training, then indirectly decides to regift a necklace to her (for whatever reason - mates, lightsinger, who cares), then pictures her smile. That interaction I could replace the names with Feyre & Cassian or Mor & Rhysand - and I wouldnt bat an eye. It's a platonic action/scene - regardless of how you interpret the deeper meaning.

Now realistically - if this Azriel POV was hinting at his book next and Gwyn as his endgame ... why would Elain be there???

Like first of all .... why would SJM introduce us to Azriel's endgame ... but start the chapter off with him down bad for ANOTHER WOMAN?

I don't know why SJM would do that... but let's just say that was her plan (for arguments sake). It still doesn't explain why she would use ELAIN.

It's not like them getting hot and heavy in a hallway was buildup for Elain's relationship with Lucien. Lucien didn't even see them - only Rhys did.

So why include Elain, of all people? Why not have it be some random woman at Rita's?

Why go through this elaborate setup of having Elain and Azriel wanting to kiss each other, having Rhysand intervene, order Azriel away -

Like if the end goal was to introduce Gwyn as a LI for Azriel - the first half of that bonus chapter is unnecessary. Nobody was 100% certain Elain & Azriel even wanted each other until that BC. It's not like they were entwined so explicitly on the page before the BC and SJM had to "tie up loose ends".

I'm sorry if this is annoying but one of the things I learned this year from working on my fantasy manuscript and having to cut down my word count - is that every single scene an author writes should have multiple purposes. You can't just add a scene for "drama". That's a telenovela, not a fantasy novel. Every scene has to advance the character arc or set up the plot in some way.

SJM isn't going to waste words writing an elaborate Elriel almost romance situation to end it in a bonus chapter. That's a waste of every single word.

Elain can't be there to just "add angst" for Azriel's arc. Rhysand can't have forbidden them to "add drama".

Like that is not a story.

There is only one way everything about that bonus chapter makes sense and that's to introduce Elain's book, AND cement Azriel as the LI. Gwyn is not there to be a LI for Azriel, she is there to advance the plot of the overall storyline.

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning"

"Where you start is not nearly as important as where you finish".

Elain's portion began the bonus and served it's purpose. To show Az in an unhealthy state of mind and fixating on the wrong things.

Gwyn's portion ended the bonus and will be the thing to set up Az's future. It is the first glimpse into him feeling the right things for the right reasons.

Gwynriels scenes didn't need to be romantic in order to feel right and that's all we really need to understand.

Both females were in the bonus to demonstrate wrong versus right. Unhealthy versus healthy.

#anti e/riel #gwynriel

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hotdaemondtargaryen · 1 year ago

Text

WRITER SARA HESS TALKING ABOUT RHAENYRA AND ALICENT'S RELATIONSHIP IN SEASON 1 AND THEIR MOTHERHOOD FOR VARIETY MAGAZINE.

“I can definitely understand that it’s hot watching complex female characters who have agency and who are trying to navigate the world and understand themselves. Like, that is hot,” nonbinary actor D’Arcy says.

“And is very different from, I suppose, more two-dimensional portrayals of female sexuality.” 

Cooke adds: “I guess what’s alluring, and quite scintillating, is that they all live in quite close proximity to each other,” noting “House of the Dragon” Season 1’s focus on keeping its characters near the Iron Throne in King’s Landing.

“Stealing these loaded looks with someone that you fancy and that’s forbidden, that’s hot. It’s all hot.”

“We had a lot of conversation at the beginning about, is this a feature or a flaw?” Hess says.

“There’s a lot of births, do we want to see a lot of births? My thinking was, every single childbirth I’ve ever seen on television, in any show, in any genre at any time, has always looked exactly the same: the woman lying on her back with her feet in the stirrups and doing the pushing and the baby comes out.”

“In my experience, women give birth in vastly different ways.”

“I thought we should show them all and they be really, really different, separate experiences and not just, now there’s that birth scene and we all know exactly what it looks like.”

FOLLOWING THE BIRTH SCENE IN EPISODE 6, D'ARCY RECALLS SHOOTING A PARTICULARLY REALISTIC MOMENT OF MOTHERHOOD WHEN RHAENYRA FINALLY GETS TO REST AFTER GIVING BIRTH AND IMMEDIATELY GOING OFF TO SHOW THE BABY TO ALICENT:

“She gets in and [her sons] Jace and Luke have gone and got a dragon’s egg and want her to look at it.”

“And I just remember responding, ‘Wow, that looks perfect,’ but not looking at them at all, I was looking in the other direction.

“And that felt like what a lot of parenting is probably like.”

FOR COOKE, THE MOTHERHOOD MENTALITY HIT IN EPISODE 9, WRITTEN BY HESS AND DIRECTED BY CLARE KILNER:

“That moment in the carriage where Alicent’s hungover son asks her if she loves him, and she says it by smiling and saying, ‘You imbecile.’

“Like, it’s so obvious, this is all for you.”

“Everything that I’ve done.”

“Everything that I’ve sacrificed.”

“All the awful things I’ve done in order to facilitate your ascension is because I love the bones of you.”

BUT MOTHERHOOD IS FAR FROM THE ONLY ASPECT OF A WOMAN'S LIFE THAT FEMALE WRITERS LIKE HESS AND WOMEN DIRECTORS INCLUDING KILNER AND PATEL INFUSED INTO THE STORY, WITH MUCH OF THE SEASON FOCUSING ON YOUNG ALICENT (EMILY CAREY) AND RHAENYRA (MILLY ALCOCK) AND THEIR DEEP BOND AND INTENSE FALLING OUT.

“There’s an element of queerness to it,” Hess says.

“Whether you see it that way or as just the unbelievably passionate friendships that women have with each other at that age.”

“I think understanding that element of it sort of informs the entire rest of their relationship… Even though they’re driven apart by all these societal, systemic elements and pressures and happenings, at the core of it, they knew each other as children, and they loved each other and that doesn’t go away.”

Hess continued: “Olivia has told me she believes — and this is her headcanon — that they at some point kissed or made out or had some kind of physical interaction that Alicent’s mother found out about and forbade.”

“And that was Olivia’s head story, ‘Oh, I can’t do that. That’s not right.’ And that’s the background for her in their relationship going forward. I would be 100% down with that.”

COOKE SAYS SHE AND D'ARCY HAVE “DEFINITELY” TALKED ABOUT ALICENT AND RHAENYRA BEING “EACH OTHER'S FIRST LOVE”:

“But when it comes to our iterations of the characters, too much has happened and too much time has passed to probably even recognize those fledgling feelings.”

“But Condal and Hess weren’t “necessarily interested in ever defining” what that love meant in terms of the women’s sexuality.”

“I happen to be a queer woman, but I know straight women who had ‘Heavenly Creatures’ -esque, romantic friendship with their best friend at that age,” Hess said.

“That’s something that I think, probably — I don’t want to stereotype anybody – but it seems to be more a phenomenon with young women than it is with men, probably because whether you’re queer or not, society cares less if you’re physically intimate with each other or hugging or touching each other.”

“You can have sleepovers and sleep in the same bed and nobody cares.”

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