#and I mean like executives the financial guys

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

also like. on the topic of pokemon development. wild as fuck changes and incredibly hectic and stressful changes to the game creating a chaotic and messy dev cycle is like, the furthest thing from new in the franchise. the thing is- gold and silver were like, delayed. they were allowed time to actually fucking finish the game, because if you look at the leaked builds the game would Not be finished at it’s planned release date. like, even more than stuff like scarlet and violet. the 1997 demos are. i mean one really cool and i am sad some of the pokemon did not make it in rip my boy koonya i hope his design is recycled for a psychic type regional Meowth form or something. but it also shows how sometimes game development can be hard as shit and drastic changes happen way more than we could ever realise. and i think if you look into gold and silvers development it makes what’s happening with the modern games a lot more understandable. these are complex games with a lot of finicky design decisions that likely have to have drastic changes done if something doesn’t work out but unlike with gold and silver they couldn’t just delay the game for two years anymore. bc they’re not “just” one of the hottest nintendo properties they are literally factually the top dog franchise in the world that rakes in so much and is so pivotal stuff like gold and silvers delays just… can’t happen anymore.

[yuwuta]

hi 👋 bsf upstaging bf with choso???

ok i’ve gotten asks for pretty much every other jjk boy on this subject and i want to say something as an overarching theme: all of them ain’t shit. not a single one of them. there’s a scale, some (gojo) are worse than others, but in general, none of them really give a fuck, if that means upstaging, sabotaging, or straight up kicking your boyfriend to the curb so that they can be your boyfriend instead then so be it. but they’re not shit, NONE OF THEM!! but there is a hierarchy and different methods of execution and all that, so here’s where they stand 

president and ceo of not being shit: satoru gojo

why would satoru care about your boyfriend? in any and all universes, he is raised in a world where consequences mean nothing to him. so what if he’s a little rude to this guy? so what if he buys you a ridiculously expensive birthday gift that might be seen as romantic? so what if he offers to take you on a vacation that happens to overlap with your boyfriend’s birthday? the worst that will happen to satoru is nothing; the world bends to his whims, never the other way around.

it’s a combination of complete self-confidence + trust in you + getting joy out of bothering people that earns him this number one spot. he’s confident in every sense of the word, so he doesn’t see your boyfriend as a threat. even if satoru didn’t love you romantically, he wouldn’t see a boyfriend as a threat to your friendship either, because he has no doubts in himself—and to the second point, he doesn’t have any in you either: you’ve proven your loyalty to satoru, proven that even when he pisses you off, you still love him, even when you’re dating somebody else, you still make time for him, even when he’s being shitty and stubborn, you don’t kick him to the curb, you just pinch his ear and bring him back down to earth. he’s always chosen you, but you’ve always chosen him, too, so again, what’s to fear when a boyfriend is added to the equation? nothing, because satoru knows this guy can’t earn or replace the loyalty you’ve given him. 

and to top it all off, he likes watching your bf grind his teeth. he likes watching this guy have to hold his breath, because what can he say without sounding like an ass—he won’t ask you to tell satoru to fuck off because he hasn’t done anything wrong. treating your best friend to fancy dinners and exotic getaways and designer clothes is just nice when you have money—your bf would be pretty shitty to deny you that. and he’d sound insecure, too. and satoru knows your bf doesn’t have the balls to confront him, and even if he did he’d lose. it’d be embarrassing. so, satoru wins. he always wins. satoru engages in psychological warfare, and he has the physical strength, social power, and financial security to back it up, so he, literally, can never lose. and, sure, having your bf around is annoying, but it’s so much fun to watch other people lose that he lets the guy stick around for a while. you’ll get tired of him and run back to satoru eventually, and he’ll confess this time… hopefully.

vice president: kento nanami

if you expected kento to be lower on this list, think again, because he is just as bad. he’s only second place because he’s not as overt, nor does he wish to actually taunt your boyfriend like satoru would. for kento, you’re just his number one priority. you always have been, ever since you came into his life; it was confusing at first, for him to care so much about you beyond an objective sense of responsibility, but overtime he came to realize that he way he wants to take care of you is different. he doesn’t just want to ensure your comfort and safety physically, he wants to make sure you’re taken care of emotionally, he wants to bear your burdens for you, not just help you through them.

kento is a good friend, a trusted confidant, a reliable person overall, and over the years, he’s inadvertently raised your standards. casual situationships and relationships where you’re not the priority become unappealing when you’ve had someone by your side for so long who’s treated you better than that. if your best friend can buy you flowers, and make reservations at new restaurants, and drive an hour to pick you up in the rain, and cook for you when you’re feeling sick, then why would you tolerate anything less in a romantic partner? these things are the bare minimum to kento, but most other men fall far below average; it’s hard for them to compete where they cannot compare. 

so when you do accept a partner, kento is skeptical at best. he knows that what he does for the people in his life isn’t necessarily special, but he doubts that your boyfriend is capable of doing even that—and even if he does meet the standards, he’ll be outclassed anyway. because kento is a good person, but he’ gotten really good at how to be good to you. your boyfriend might get you flowers, but kento already knows your favorites. your boyfriend might send chocolates, but he doesn’t know which ones you’re allergic to, and the brand you prefer; kento does, which is why the ones he bought for you are gone within the week, and the generic box sent over by your boyfriend was re-gifted to satoru. when you voice your doubts about a date your boyfriend mentioned wanting to plan, kento feigns interest, and then innocence when he asks if you’re busy a few days later, if you’d like to help him bake something instead—something he knows you’d much rather do. the short version is—kento knows you, and he uses it to his advantage. he uses the knowledge gained during your friendship to outclass anybody in your dating pool, and he does it so smoothly that it hardly seems intentional or harmful, but it is. which is why he’s just as bad, if not worse, than satoru. 

treasurer: megumi fushiguro 

there’s actually no au in which megumi isn’t shit because no matter how you square it, he gets it from his daddy. whether he’s raised by just satoru, just toji, or some au where he has them both in his life—the common denominator is that they’re there. if megumi ever did confide in either of them about hating your boyfriend, both satoru and toji would offer the same advice: “can’t you just get rid of him? what’s he got on you?” which is absolutely not how you should parent a child...

megumi might have his doubts about his personality, but he’s never been insecure about his appearance. it’s hard to be when he looks like that, but also when he’s had either toji or satoru (or god forbid, both) in his ear his entire life. he might have some fucked up attachment issues and skepticisms about the general population, but he has a very secure view of himself. so, to start, he’s not impressed by your boyfriend, and is honestly a little offended that you think this guy is objectively more attractive, or that you’re more romantically/sexually attracted to him that you are to megumi—or even, any of your other friends. he’d rather you start dating nobara or yuuji, at least he could live with that because those are pretty people, but your choice in boyfriends… he’s not trying to be mean but you could do better. you’ve done better. 

secondly, megumi…. doesn’t care about him. at all. he’s not like satoru in that it brings him happiness to tease your boyfriend, he’s not like kento in that he skews your standards in his favor to nudge your boyfriend out of the picture; megumi literally does not care if this guy lives or dies. your boyfriend could drop dead and megumi would be like damn… that’s crazy… and move on with his life. which is a wild view to have of your best friend’s partner; and it also drives said partner to madness because why the fuck won’t your childhood friend acknowledge his existence?? but again, megumi doesn’t care that his apathy towards your boyfriend bothers him—megumi doesn’t see him, doesn’t know him, doesn’t care to know him, and it drives a wedge in your relationship. 

thirdly, megumi is, canonically, a bully to people he doesn’t like. if your boyfriend gets angered enough to the point of confronting megumi, or whining to you, then it’s inconsequential to megumi to hurt him, and he won’t hold back. also on the reverse side, if there was a situation in which your boyfriend was getting hurt or needed help, then megumi is not helping. he’d probably just watch, or join in. 

after a while, megumi grows past apathy into exhaustion. he thinks you should do better, he thinks you should know better, he thinks he’s better. and he is. he’ll show you that. (also, he is most likely to try to seduce you into infidelity because he doesn’t care about your boyfriend, so you’re single to him). 

first secretary of not giving a fuck: yuuji itadori 

jealousy is something that yuuji used to feel guilty about, guilty enough to drive him to confiding in satoru/nanami about his feelings and seeking advice for how to deal with it, because he thought being jealous meant that he was being a bad friend to you. but neither of his mentors are shit, so yuuji learns to adopt the age old mantra: all is far in love and war. 

he’s better than satoru in the sense that he doesn’t antagonize your boyfriend, he’s better than kento in the sense that he doesn’t outwardly outclass your boyfriend’s efforts, he’s better than megumi in the sense that he does care about people outside of his immediate circle of friends, and as long as your boyfriend is a human, then yuuji will care about his life; but in all other senses, yuuji is surprisingly neutral, and in some cases, actually worse. 

yuuji has two things to his advantage that he absolutely abuses: his likability, and his strength. when it comes to likability, he can just play the friendly, nice guy card. wrapping his arm around your shoulder, twirling you around in a hug, pinching your cheeks, playing with your hair, laying on your lap—he’s just yuuji, he’s just being friendly, he’s just being nice. it’d be pretty shitty of your boyfriend to tell him to be meaner to you, no? ^.^ yuuji is also sneaky with this in that he uses it to say otherwise mean things under the guise of a friendly disguise, and people rarely think otherwise of it. (“it’s fine if you go to the club with us if your bf doesn’t want you to. it’s not like you’re gonna marry him” “are those boxes giving you trouble, man? not surprising, haha!” “you guys didn’t break up yet? aw... i mean... well, no i meant that, but come on, let’s take shots!” all said with a smile that looks like this 😇😇 on his face)

in terms of strength, it’s an unbeatable challenge for your boyfriend—because even if he gets pissed off at yuuji being too close to you, too affectionate with you, too sweet to you, what’s he gonna do? because he certainly can’t beat yuuji in a fight—he couldn’t even beat yuuji in a race, he couldn’t even beat yuuji at mario kart, so there’s nothing for your boyfriend to do but shutup and wallow.  

second secretary: yuuta okkotsu

does he need an explanation… does mr. “how rude, this is pure love” need an explanation… does mr. “i will kill itadori yuuji myself” need an explanation… does mr. “i won’t let sensei kill his best friend again, [i’ll do it myself]” need an explanation… hasn’t he already proved himself as the single most loyal and contently insane person on the planet… 

once you have yuuta’s loyalty, you have it forever. not even for life, because he’d find a way to transcend space and time to protect you in the next one. even if, for some reason, you didn’t want it anymore, you have it; yuuta’s love is final sale, no exchanges or returns. the only reason he’s not ranked to be worse than megumi or yuuji is because yuuta has one grave disadvantage: he is not normally confrontational, and is the definition of anxious LOL. he’d feel bad if he didn’t make an effort to get to know your boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean he has to like him...

yuuta might know that he has feelings for you, but he’s honestly content with a platonic relationship if that’s how you choose to express it towards him. if you want to be friends, then he’s your friend; your love is that pure and vital to him, that he takes it in whatever form he gets it. he’s desperate for you in a way that has him completely at your whim; he doesn’t need reciprocity to love you, just knowing you, and knowing you accept his love is more than enough. keeping him around as friend, keeping him in your life, keeping him in your mind—that’s all yuuta could truly ever want. so, even when you have a boyfriend, it stings a bit at first, but as long as you still have the same amount of room in your life for yuuta, then he won’t do any harm to this guy. 

unless: (a) your boyfriend makes it difficult for yuuta to have access to you, (b) your boyfriend outrightly ticks yuuta off, or (c) the worst option, your boyfriend does something to hurt you or make you sad, then he’s off yuuta’s radar completely. he won’t confront, and he won’t intervene. but if any of those conditions are not met, even for a second, then your boyfriend is as good as gone and there’s little anyone, yourself included, can do to stop him. 

honorable board members: choso kamo, toji fushiguro, toge inumaki

everything about choso is on sight. it takes one wrong move, the slightest misstep, even a breath out of place and he will end your relationship and your boyfriend’s life if he has to. choso does not play when it comes to the people he loves, he won’t stand for you being hurt or mistreated in any way. there’s no subtle psychological warfare, there’s no shovel talk, there’s no blame game: choso sees something wrong, and he takes it upon himself to correct it. your partners have one chance to treat you right, or they’ll wish they hadn’t met choso to begin with.

toji doesn’t really chase people, but you have always been the exception. he hates to admit it, but he’ll follow you anywhere you go, not caring for whoever else you decide to bring along. if the journey of your life is a car ride, toji always calls shotgun, and he doesn’t really care who else gets in the backseat, until they ask him to get out of his—then there’s a problem. and he’s never once felt bad about turning some guy into a hitchhiker. 

the greater good should be thankful that toge takes a voluntary vow of silence, because if he said even half of the things that were on his mind, the world might, quite literally, be set on fire. toge doesn’t care—not like megumi, him not caring isn’t apathy towards the life or death of other people, he just doesn’t care what reaction his actions pull out of people. you’ve told him it’s annoying when he pinches your cheeks and steals your boba, but that won’t stop him from doing it, esp not when you look so cute when you’re angry. yeah, he knows people get annoyed by his pranks, but that’s whatever. he knows your boyfriend hates when toge’s around you, but he doesn’t care. if it brings toge joy, he’ll do it. honestly, even if it doesn’t bring him joy, he’ll do it because he wants to. he’s not immune to consequences like satoru, he simply doesn’t care about them! he’ll just deal with it, he’s got a high tolerance for it—your boyfriend, however, seems like a weakling, so toge will simply outlast him. he’s outlasted all the others :) 

[thebeast-dennis-etcetera]

Man, Myth, Legend

You waited and waited and waited some more until Jethro’s voicemail began playing.

“He thinks he’s so clever,” you grumbled to yourself as you sent him a text. Not like he would respond back but at least your two cents was thrown in there.

It was bad enough he made you stay behind with Tony instead of joining him, Ziva and McGee to his HOMETOWN. But now he wants to ignore your calls too? Granted, the calls would have only been you pestering him with all kinds of questions but nevertheless, he should still pick up the phone. What if you were in danger?!

“C’mon Probie. Let’s see if Abby has anything for us,” DiNozzo stated while walking by.

You locked your phone and huffed in annoyance before joining him in the elevator.

“You can stop calling me that Tony. I’ve been working with you guys for like a year now.”

“I know. But I just love how much it bugs you.”

You rolled your eyes at his teasing and followed after him once the doors opened.

Abby gave you two the rundown on the blood analysis before McGee’s face popped up on her screen.

“Gibbs has a father!”

You ran over with Tony while they gave all of you the much needed info on the Gibbses. Jethro had told you he grew up in Stillwater and wasn’t exactly the towns poster child but he never really spoke more than that, let alone about his father.

“I’m coming. I’m leaving,” Tony stuttered.

“Well you’re not going without me,” you added.

“Not unless you’ve found a way that people in town might have thought Ethan LaCombe was alive,” McGee answered right back.”

————

You and Tony sat in the Bullpen, throwing different questions each others way as you wanted for your next orders.

“So do you think he like got ran out of town and that’s why he hasn’t been back?” Tony asked, tapping a pen against his mouth in thought.

“I don’t know but I wouldn’t put it past him if it were true. Do you think his high school girlfriends still live there?”

Tony gave you a puzzled look which you quickly defended.

“I mean I’m just curious since most small town people don’t really move out past their county.”

“I doubt he’s dinner dating with any of his past flings probie. Plus, how is it you don’t know anything about Gibb’s past but you two are together?”

“You know he doesn’t talk much. Especially about his past. It was like pulling teeth when I asked him where he was born!”

As if his ears were burning, your phone began ringing as Jethro’s face popped up on your screen. Making a face for Tony to be quiet, you answered.

“Oh, look at that, you know how to call people all of a sudden.”

“I was busy. Talking with people,” he justified.

“People like your dad? Or the townspeople? McGee said you’re already ruffling feathers.”

“Well McGee needs to stop gossiping. I talked with Chad Winslow and his family. They’re hiding something. I want you and DiNozzo to get a search warrant together for blood samples and financial records.”

“Uh. A please would be nice.”

“Please. Honey,” he charmed, making you smile like a school girl. You’d do anything for him if he added those words afterwards.

“Much better. I’m assuming you won’t be home tonight?”

“No. We’ve got a lot of work to do here and I don’t see anyone being cooperative any time soon.”

You silently pouted but Jethro knew you like the back of his hand.

“Don’t pout. You, Abby and DiNozzo can come tomorrow afternoon. We’ll need help executing those warrants once they’re approved and Abby will need to examine the blood quickly.”

You beamed with excitement, catching Tony’s attention. You both said your goodbyes and Tony came over to give you a high five.

“I’m driving though. You suck at obeying the speed limit,” he established.

“That doesn’t count! Baskin Robbin’s was closing in 10 minutes and you encouraged me!”

————

We pulled up to the scene of the crime as smoke was still slowly coming from the wreckage. Thank God no one was in the car when it exploded. Jethro hasn’t even been in town more than 2 days and people are already trying to blow him up!

You gave McGee and Ziva a greeting before following Tony in the little store. It was stuffy and warm but the place was cute with all the natural lighting and small town vibes.

You and Tony saw an older man standing behind the register whom you could only assume was Jethro’s dad based on the eyes.

Just as Tony went to introduce himself, Jethro came from the back and interrupted. As they both talked, you made your way over to the counter.

“Hi, I’m Y/N.”

“Jackson Gibbs. Leroy told me about you but he left out just how stunning you were,” he flirted as you two shook hands.

“I see where Jethro gets his charm from.” you two chuckled together before Jethro came over looking displeased.

We took the rental to Jackson’s house as he led us to the garage where the most beautiful Dodge Charger sat.

“That’s right. I said we.”

You hopped in the backseat as Jethro peeled out onto the street like a bat out of hell, passing the shocked faces of the team and sporting the biggest grin on his face.

At the Winslow house, Jethro advised you to stay behind with Senior.

“Fine by me. Someone’s got to tell me what the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs was like as a kid,” you jested as he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

You sat on the porch steps with Jackson as he started the conversation first.

“I’m glad Leroy found someone again. You know after Shannon and Kelly, I thought he’d never find love again. But you seem to make him happy.”

“I try. And he makes me happy. It hasn’t been years but I think we’re good for each other.”

“I just don’t understand how you two even came about. Someone like you, so beautiful and elegant should be dating someone similar. Like that DiNozzo guy.”

You laughed at the thought of you and Tony together.

“Jethro is much more sensitive and approachable than people think. And Tony? No, he’s far too..rockstar for me. Jethro just has that personality that grounds you and uplifts you at the same time. I’ve never felt it with anyone before.”

“Spoken like someone truly in love,” he stated with a smile.

You blushed at the thought and you two continued talking until it was time to leave.

Back at the store, McGee and Abby went over their findings as you stood next to Jethro, your hand brushing against his. You saw a small smirk appear on his face as he listened.

It wasn’t long before you guys had enough evidence to arrest Nick Kingston and his 2 accomplices and telling the awkward news of Ethan being Emily’s brother. You all stayed the night at Jackson’s place as he told you all stories of his great adventures before leaving the next morning.

“You’ve got a good one here Leroy. Don’t let her go,” Jackson praised to his son as he looked at you.

“Oh I don’t plan on it.”

You gave Jackson a farewell hug as he gave the Charger keys to Jethro and stuck your tongue out at Tony when you were the chosen passenger.

In the car, you pulled him in for a kiss and smiled. “I like your dad. We should come see him again soon.”

Jethro just shook his head and smiled before driving off.

[queen-haq]

Fic: Grudgingly Yours (Part 4)

Fic: Grudgingly Yours (Part 4)

Summary: You are a general surgeon, working in a hospital that’s slowly sucking the life out of you when one day you’re given the offer of a lifetime.

A.K.A  - An arranged marriage fic :)

Pairing: Billy Russo x You

Rating: R

Masterlist (contains links to my other stories and this one)

Chapter 4

You bit down on your bottom lip, looking at the project plan for the next few weeks. Ideally you would have loved to open a hospital but that was beyond your current means. As a compromise, you made the decision to go with an urgent care clinic in your childhood neighbourhood. There was a lot of administrative red tape to get through before you could even begin working on your plans and that’s why you’d engaged two of your closest friends for help. Jacintha was a marketing executive for a healthcare company, and Ritu was a financial analyst, and they were the perfect people to guide you towards your goals. The three of you had accomplished what needed to be done today, and were taking a break now.

 “Any more pizza left?” Ritu asked.

 You peeked through the boxes. “Nah, we finished it all. I can order more?”

 “No, I had too much already,” Ritu said, drinking her glass of wine.

 Jacintha was scrolling through her phone, her feet up on the couch. “There’s no one here that’s even remotely interesting,” she grumbled. “Everyone’s either ugly or a fuckboy.”

 You laughed. While Ritu was happily married, Jacintha was single and on the lookout for fun dates. Except her friend had very high expectations and there weren’t that many men that met her standards. “Maybe you should venture outside Manhattan,” you offered.

 “I’d rather shoot myself than date a guy from Jersey.”

 “My thoughts exactly.”

 Hearing Billy’s voice, you turned around to find him standing at the entrance to the room. Dressed casually in a maroon jumper, black jeans and signature leather jacket, he appeared amused as his eyes languidly took in your friends. When you’d seen him earlier today he was heading out with another woman – so why the fuck was he back and interrupting your night?

 Irritation surged through you. You’d made up an excuse about Billy being busy when Jacintha had inquired about his whereabouts, but now he was here and that meant you had to put on a show for your friends. “Thought you were gonna be gone all night, honey.”

 Both Ritu and Jacintha watched him curiously, with Jacintha taking the lead in approaching him. “Glad you made it home, Billy. Didn’t think we were going to meet you today but I’m glad you’re here.” She reached out to hug him, and you noted how Billy returned the hug with enthusiasm. “I’m Jacintha, Y/N’s would-be maid of honour –“

 Ritu scoffed.

 “- if you hadn’t gone off and eloped with her,” Jacintha continued, sticking out her tongue at Ritu.

 You rolled your eyes, watching as Ritu made her way towards Billy.

 “Only way Jas would’ve been maid of honour is if I turned it down.” Ritu extended her hand out to Billy. “Hi, I’m Ritu. And we need the complete story behind this whirlwind romance. Y/N’s being way too tight-lipped about the details.”

 His response was a gorgeous smile. “I don’t know what lies she told you, but eloping was her idea not mine.”

 What the fuck? Spotting the wicked glint in his eyes, you knew he’d thrown you under the bus on purpose. Asshole!

 “Come on, Billy. Don’t lie to my friends,” you teased, sauntering over to where he stood. “They’re gonna think I didn’t have a wedding on purpose.”

 Jas frowned. “Did you elope just to get out of picking a maid of honour?”

 You put on a fake smile. “Look what you did, sweetheart.”

 His voice was nauseatingly sweet. “Just being honest, love.”

 “So tell us about yourself, Billy,” Ritu prodded.

 “Like you guys didn’t google me?” Billy fired back.

 Jaz confronted him with a raised eyebrow. “We did. What we found wasn’t great. Definitely not the kind of guy who deserves Y/N.”

 “Okay. That’s enough.” You walked over to Billy and grabbed his hand. “Can we talk alone?”

 Dark eyes bore into your soul. “If you insist.”

 You dragged him away, leaving your perplexed friends watching after you.

 Once inside the spare office room, you closed the door behind. “Why are you here?”

 Billy cocked his eyebrow, smirking as he strut toward the couch. Sitting down, he regarded you with amusement. “Last time I checked this is my place.”

 “Wrong. It’s your grandfather’s and he gifted it to both of us. So you can shove that bullshit.” You glared at him with hostility. “We had a deal. You stay out of my way when I have people over.”

 He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

 Exasperated, you crossed your arms. “Do I harass your dates when you bring them home?”

 “My dates don’t take over the entire place.”

 “Upstairs is your area, downstairs is mine. That was your rule!”

 “That Jacintha’s cute.”

 Irritation surged through you at the abrupt change in topic. “Don’t hit on my friends.”

 He cocked his eyebrow. “Figures you’re the jealous type.”

 “I’m not jealous, you moron. I just don’t want you creeping on them.”

 “Tell me something. That whole scene during dinner, standing up for me, bitching out the old man, that was all an act, right?”

 “What are you talking about?”

 He leaned forward. The smile from before was now replaced with a somber look, his dark steely gaze holding you hostage. “You planned it, didn’t you? Plotted with him so you’d look good to me?”

 “What makes you think I care enough to do that?” You held his stare, challenging him back. “Whatever issues you have with your family, it’s none of my business. I only stood up for you because I fucking hate bullies. I already told you that. But if you don’t believe me, I don’t give a shit.”

 His eyes remained on you, unwavering and hostile, staring at you intently. “Let me see your phone.”

 You scowled. “No.”

 “Why not?”

 “Why should I?”

 “Because I want to prove something to myself.”

 “How’s my phone gonna help with that?”

 “Let me worry about it.”

 “Go fuck yourself.”

 He smiled. “Show me your phone and I’ll keep my distance from your friends. That work for you?”

 “Fine.” Taking out your cell from your back pocket, you approached him. You unlocked the screen and handed it to him. “Here. Have your fill.”

 You regarded him cautiously while he scrolled through to look for any incriminating conversations between you and Alistair. There would be none, just a whole bunch of missed calls from the old man since the night of the dinner party. And a vague text message where he threatened you.

 “You’ve been ignoring his calls. Alistair won’t like that.”

 “He’ll get over it.”

 “He’s dangerous when he’s crossed. And you pissed him off by standing up for me.”

 “I can take care of myself,” you huffed, grabbing your phone back from him.

 “You have to be so flippant about everything?” Billy asked.

 The fake concern in his tone was infuriating, like he actually cared about you when it was the farthest thing from the truth. “Don’t pretend like you give a shit about me.”

 He cocked his eyebrow. “Is that what you think? At least with you I know what I have to deal with. If he takes you down, I have to worry about what he has planned next. That’s the only reason I’m warning you.”

 “Whatever.” You slipped your phone back into your pocket. “Now, please get the fuck out.”

 “Who’s Calvin?”

 You froze. Of course the fucker noticed all the text messages from him. “None of your business.”

 A cold smile curved Billy’s lips. “Boyfriend? He seems to be, texts you a lot.”

 “You jealous?”

 “Keep dreaming, sweetheart.” He leaned forward and picked up a random magazine that was on the coffee table. His voice was casual, deliberately calm when he spoke next. “Just curious about how your boyfriend feels you marrying me for money. Calvin okay with the golddigger lifestyle?”

 “He lets me make my own decisions.”

 Billy’s voice reeked of sarcasm. “Sounds like a real man.”

 “He is.”

 Billy scoffed.

 “Why are we even talking about this? I don’t butt into your business, do I?”

 “Oh, you didn’t tell Gwen we were married?”

 You rolled your eyes, remembering the blonde from a few weeks ago. “That was once. You’ve had other women here since then and I haven’t bothered them.”

 His intense, lingering stare remained affixed on you, making you feel unexpectedly self-conscious. You were in jeans, an oversized t-shirt, and wearing no make-up. It was supposed to be a casual night in and you’d dressed accordingly, but you weren’t prepared for Billy to give you the kind of look that speared right through to your soul. His stillness made you nervous, making you feel like he was plotting your death or something. You preferred it when he espoused hateful rhetoric instead. “Anything else?” you prodded. “Or can I go back to my friends?”

 “Do whatever you want.”

 Despite the insolence in his words, his voice was a husky, throaty drawl, smooth like whiskey, like he was trying to seduce.

 Or maybe you were just being an idiot.

 Without saying anything else, you turned around and walked out.

 ***

 Upon returning to your friends, they surrounded you immediately.

 “What’s going on?” Jas asked.

 “Nothing,” you replied, trying to maintain your calm exposure.

 “You’re lying to us,” Ritu piped up.

 You started stacking the empty pizza boxes. “What do you mean?”

 “That’s not how newlyweds act!” Jas accused.

 “Why? Just because I’m not all over him in front of you guys? That doesn’t prove anything!”

 “None of this makes sense. You elope with a guy none of us even knew you were dating, supposedly because the two of you are so madly in love, but that’s not what we saw just now. You guys looked like you hate each other!”

 You ran your fingers through your hair. Shit.

 “Tell us what’s going on. Are you in trouble?” Ritu asked.

 “Whatever it is, just tell us. We’ll help you.”

 Guilt surged through you as you stared back at your best friends. They were genuinely concerned and worried about something happening to you, and there you were lying to them. You sighed, taking a seat.

 Then you started telling the truth.

 ***

 A week later you walked into the penthouse suite, your feet aching in the stilettos you were wearing. Jas and you had gone out to dinner so she could give you notes on the prenup. Even though you’d reassured her multiple times that your lawyer had vetted it thoroughly and negotiated the best terms for you, she wasn’t convinced and insisted one of her contacts, a prominent divorce attorney, review the details. The lawyer did have some feedback but ultimately agreed it was a good deal. Finally Jas was convinced you hadn’t lost your mind with this deal, and the two of you went clubbing after. You were used to staying up all night from working at the hospital, but the whole heels thing was new to you.

 Sighing, you undid the straps and threw the shoes aside, groaning with relief when your feet hit the ground. As you started walking back to your room, you cut through the living room only to find Billy sound asleep. You stopped for a second, simply watching him. Not sure why he was even downstairs, but there he was on the couch, in a black razor tank and jeans, sleeping on his side. There were a couple of empty beer bottles on the coffee table. He was facing you, hair ruffled, eyes closed, one arm tucked under his head and the other splayed on his side. Watching him as he laid there, you had to admit he really was a beautiful man – as long as he kept his mouth shut. You usually liked them stocky and broad-shouldered, gym guys who you knew could lift you without much trouble, but Billy was lean and toned. Not that he wasn’t muscular, he definitely was, but you doubted he could pick you up. Or that he’d want to. You saw the women he slept with, you were definitely not his type. And you had no interest in being one of them.

 You sauntered past him and headed for your room.

 An hour later you were freshly showered and dressed in a silk robe, eating Greek yogurt in the kitchen to satisfy your late-night hunger cravings when you heard a crash coming from the living room. Worried, you quickly marched towards the noise. Upon entering the room, you found broken glass shards from the beer bottles atop the coffee table and Billy on his knees, one hand gripping the edge of the table while the other was clutching his chest.

 His skin was flushed, slick with sweat, eyes stricken with panic. He looked like he couldn’t breathe, as if he was dying.

 Immediately you switched to doctor mode. Rushing, you sat down next to him. “Are you hurt? Bleeding? What’s going on? Talk to me,” you ordered, keeping your voice normal and calm so as not to agitate him further. With an expert touch you examined his hands to make sure he didn’t cut himself - he didn’t - and swiped the beads of moisture from his forehead.

 His breathing was ragged, he didn’t speak, a wild expression on his face matching the far away look in his eyes, like he was somewhere else at the moment.

 You started rubbing his back, hoping the physical contact would tether him to reality. “Billy, you’re fine. You’re okay.” Repeating yourself over and over again, you soothed him, stroking his back, caressing the hair on the nape of his neck, your other hand covering his chest where his heart resided.

 It took a while for his heart to return to normal speed. The entire time he was locked in your embrace, pressing into you, squeezing you tightly like his life depended on it.

 After a short while, Billy finally spoke. “It’s hot. I’m hot.”

 Voice husky, body warm to the touch, you realized he needed some air. “Do you want some water?” You attempted to move away but he grabbed your hand that was on his chest and held it in place.

 “No. Just need to take this off.” In one quick gesture he pulled off his tank and threw it aside. You tried not to stare at the wounds on his chest, burn marks and lashings, like he’d been tortured. They were fully healed, a few years old from what you could tell, but the scars remained, forever haunting him. Your heart ached, realizing he must have gone through sheer hell to survive that.

 Your fingers caressed his chest. “You should get some sleep.”

 Billy finally met your gaze. The emotion in his eyes made your stomach clench with anxiety. There was no anger, no contempt, just raw, stark need for something you didn’t understand. His dark eyes were crystal clear, no cloudiness in them, like he was seeing you for the first time.

 And then suddenly he stood and lifted you up, carrying you over to the couch behind you both. He sat back on the cushion, you straddling him, one arm encircling your waist while the other hand fisted the back of your hair.

 Eyes locked on one another, breaths trembling, you swallowed audibly as you waited for him to say something, do anything. But he didn’t move, didn’t speak, only watching you.

 Minutes passed, every second feeling like an eternity.

 Your heart was pounding in your chest, so loud you worried he could hear it. Could he? Could he see how he was affecting you? That your nipples were hard and your pussy wet from grinding down on his jeans? That his heated skin pulsed through you like a vibrator and you felt every brush, every stroke, every touch of his fingers strumming you like a guitar?

 You didn’t know why you did it, why your fingers curved around his throat, why the other played with his earlobe. You were teasing him, taunting him, daring him to make a move. To take you.

 Electric jolts ran through your body when he unexpectedly moved in closer, the top of his head brushing against your mouth, his lips blowing soft air on your neck as he inhaled you in. “You smell so good.”  

 Wetness pooled between your legs, your body taut with tension. Your arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders, holding on tight. Did he know what he was doing to you? Was it a ploy? How could he sound so desperate and vulnerable and still be playing you?

You didn’t understand, because you couldn’t think. How were you supposed when his erection was nudging your thighs? There was no fucking escape from him, he’d ingrained himself in you completely. Wrapped around every inch of you, next to you, under you, all-consuming solid presence of his body overwhelming all of your senses.

 “Will you stay with me?” he whispered, soft, gentle, making your heart pulse the way your body did. “Help me sleep?”

 There was nothing else you could say. “Yes.”

 You couldn’t turn him down, not the part that was trained to heal patients, nor the woman in you that was utterly exposed to someone who was begging for help.

 And so when Billy cradled you in his arms and maneuvered you both to lay down on the couch, his hand squeezing yours as he pressed a warm kiss on your temple, you simply closed your eyes and let the warmth sweep over you.

A/N - Um, thoughts? 

[kingsmoot]

Oh it's definitely a lot of speculation! I am fairly certain the timelines line up that GRRM was openly supportive of the S2 writing before the "cut 2 episodes" directive and that his fallout with Condal began sometime after, though. It's also true that Condal's original statement about the cut season tried to frame it as a "creative" decision rather than a financial one. It wasn't until later that I think Hess(?) admits that it "wasn't [our] decision".

GRRM definitely didn't go as hard as he could have but I think the way he kept teasing the post and the fact that he followed through with it is already really bad on it's own. GRRM seems to think it's a noble cause and that he's "saving" the show, but the reality is he's whipped up a frenzy of hate as a means to bully the writers. I understand his frustrations as the author, and I get that he helped Condal get the job but... It's Condal's now! To accuse him of having "no plan" while he is likely in the midst of petitioning for a bigger budget to actually accommodate his plan, after he's already had the rug ripped out from him last season, feels really cruel. It's hard to extend empathy to George when he's extending so little to the person HE picked to handle this adaptation.

I also agree that GRRM probably talked to Condal the most and that's likely why he's the target of his ire. But idk... GRRM has a lot of experience working in television and it feels like he should be more understanding of Condal's position. He gives passing mention to the constraints of writing for television, but it still feels like he expects Condal to have the same creative freedom of an author rather than a showrunner. GRRM was supportive of S1 and at least supportive of the untampered plans for S2 - so to turn on Condal so severely is just baffling.

GOT ended a failure and Execs need results to feel that ASOIAF properties are worth the continued investment- and even that isn't enough, given S1 was a massive success and the budget still got cut. GRRM's resistance to making big-picture sacrifices is why he ~can't~ be a showrunner. He CAN and SHOULD make creative suggestions- in his capacity as an Executive Producer. But the showrunner (Condal) has every right to reject those ideas if they do not make commercial sense. It's not all about creative integrity- it's show business, and it's Condal's job to consider both. Cutting characters and combining storylines is the most common way that this manifests!

Sorry to rant in your inbox about this... I took a break from socials post-season because the hate was so bad and I was just starting to poke my head back in when this dropped. As someone who really enjoyed S2, I'm... exhausted! But it's great gossiping about it with people who aren't just using George's post as further fuel to keep shitting on the show.

Hope your foot is okay<3

oh, please don't apologize!! this is interesting and a topic that i want to engage with, i appreciate you coming to my inbox!! (and thank you, my foot is fine now, i just hate medical procedures and wanted a distraction while waiting around being anxious at urgent care)

and yes i agree with everything you've said, i was just chatting with my friend @intomyth about how if nothing else (and there is a LOT else) it is irresponsible of george to point at one single person in front of his rabid fanbase and say definitively "i'm mad at this guy about this adaptation. the things i'm mad about are his fault." because, like... show AND book fans have proven over the years that they will create targeted cyber harassment campaigns over nothing (like twitter accusing liv of sleeping her way into this role just because they are rabidly misogynistic chronically online alicent antis who have lost all sense of decorum and perspective and do not perceive olivia cooke as a real human being with a job that she does well and not the evil bitch hag queen of westeros who stole rhaenyra's throne since none of that is REAL!!!) so i cannot imagine the kind of harassment they will concoct when they feel like they are raising their sword and shield in george's defense and with his blessing.

all in all while i can try to understand and/or speculate on george's personal feelings, i think his conduct was inappropriate. i don't personally agree w any of his "criticism" of the show in his blog post (bc it wasn't actually criticism...) and i think publishing it at all was the wrong move. it was rude and unprofessional and most of all strange.

and i am ALSO exhausted, dude!!!! i loved s2.1 - 2.5 and thought 2.6 - 2.8 were a total bust but at the end of the day... hotd is fun tv. that i like watching. in my free time. which i (like most working adults) have little of. the vitriolic hate tornado that has been built up around the dragons and incest show is very strange to and uncomfortable for me. do you guys watch tv like your life depends on it because someone is like... threatening you? is this how you earn your rent money? are you being forced by clandestine and inescapable circumstances to watch a show that makes you so angry it's permanently altering your health record? what gives, dude? what happened to watching tv because it's fun and you like it?

[sgiandubh]

Fractured logic

Anti lore:

'He could act JAMMF only during Season 1, after that he went down the drain. He can't act.'

'His business projects will last as long as his mommies will still be able to buy his booze.'

Ok, Mordor. Let's suppose you are right. But then please explain me like I were 5, why on Earth would *** consistently keep signing employment contract upon employment contract with such an untalented, tactless, borderline stupid (this is the bright impression we are left with after reading your musings) guy?

A media production company like *** is not a charity. I am absolutely sure that they would have had no problems finding someone else to play JAMMF, if the financial results were so abysmal as you seem to suggest, without a single shred of evidence. Or cancel the show altogether: after all, few series have had OL's lucky longevity.

What would be the secret? The mommies, who also hungrily support his business projects? Then why would a major spirits distribution company, such as Southern Glazer's, even consider the idea of partnering with a middle-aged wannabe TV actor, whose only credentials at serious business are a handful of bottle signing events at liquor stores around the US? I mean, you can't reasonably believe a battalion of aging fans, many of whom dutifully followed the circuit, is enough of a sales argument to even draft a business plan, let alone a distribution contract? Surely Southern Glazer's is not a charity, either, huh?

I know, I know. The outside world, where all of us pay taxes and have jobs, is sometimes a very complicated thing to grasp or understand. Both *** and Southern Glazer's mean big business and that comes with all the corporate trappings, not just the interns you love to bash on Tumblr (interested to know if you also behave like that at your respective workplaces: I would happily fire you on the spot /end of shipper fanfic). That is a world of executives, analysts, legal teams, Sales & Marketing departments and, above all, multiple in-house decision-making and vetting procedures. Do you sincerely believe all these people are sinister cretins, or are you simply unwilling to admit you have no experience of or knowledge about the way these things really work, in real life?

Considering your POV, it is a thing of wonder S can read, write or responsibly sign a business or legal document. And yet, here we are: the man works. He has multiple projects. Some of them will be successful, others could also fail: that's just a matter of statistics and probabilities. Such is life and it's fine.

Kindly explain that paradox to me. I am waiting.

[danidandandadididan]

cro headcannons?

guys as much as i’d love to give you headcannons on Croatia again keep in mind that till now the headcannons i had were mostly based off of the existing knowledge i had from being from those areas, Croatia is more complicated as i literally have no connection to it other than like, Dalmatia.

either way

faggot

he’s trying to be central europe appreciate the effort

White as hell thanks to Ilija for keeping the turks out

He slit his throat with a Srbosjek later

Vuk too

he still has like at least 5 of them and isn’t afraid to use them

says that Herzegovinians are cunning and sly but he’s worse

incredibly charming though

pretty face

Kaj kaj kaj kaj kaj

He probably hates every single person that dares border his glorious nation 

he in fact thinks everyone else in ex yu (except like.. slovenia) is a neanderthal that needs to be publicly executed

like everyone else he also has a feeling for music (we call it sluh???? i don’t even know if english has a word for it) 

probably plays piano

desperate for validation but he’s kind of a pussy

prefers Ilija over Vuk actually, since they were both part of the Austrian empire at one point in the Ottoman period, and the chances of them sharing a home isn’t unlikely 

which is probably why Ilija fought for him as well during the Mlada Bosna period 

literally a supermodel both physically and national wear wise

cannot pronounce Č for the life of him

instead of fighting for freedom he kisses his occupiers and honestly its smarter that way

Violently sadistic but it isn’t apparent 

Homosexual but his standards are way too high so he basically never dated anyone

smells like roses 

has a specific product for every little thing each time he showers, specific products for his skin, hair, everything, while Vuk uses a 31 in 1 which doubles as toothpaste and motor oil

very literal like everything he says he means literally 

sudoku fan

Him and Herze would NOT like each other

overdresses for unimportant things

he looks as if he walked off of a runway while at a grocery store 

Rich Bitch

abandoned Enis like twice to collaborate with the serbs, wether it’s Vuk or Ilija

i do see him being a top tho

actually didn’t always hate Monte but like, after WW2 they’ve been getting on each other’s nerves historically, politically and financially 

Same goes with Ilija and Vuk technically, even worse cuz he betrayed them like twice

Vuk probably doesn’t care anymore but Ilija never moved on and still hisses whenever he sees him 

isn’t actually short at all

ok enough

[strayheartless]

Things heard in the Land of Departure part 3:

1 | 2

Aqua: you have until the count of three, and then I’m wrapping you both in duct tape.

Xion: hypothetically, if I were to, say, illegally smuggle a certain blonde haired nobody with mysterious memory powers out of radiant gardens… how likely do you think it is that I’d be pursued by the law?

Terra: extremely… why?

Xion: you may want to be wilfully ignorant of the blonde girl in my bedroom then…

Roxas: *to riku* do you think your going grey because of excess stress? Or are you just naturally that ugly?

Sora: I would like to preface this by saying that I asked Terra, who said no. So, then I asked Aqua who… also said no. But then, I asked Riku and he also said no, but in that way that totally means yes.

Riku: I really didn’t…

Ven: I just gunna hot diggity dog my way out of here and hope for the best.

Riku: I am not often proud of my acts of violence, but there is something so funny about watching Roxas get knocked on his ass by a wind spell.

Sora: “expect the unexpected” I’d rather unexpect the expected to be honest. The unexpected is getting predictable.

Kairi: I told Ven about that time I jump scared Riku so bad he fell out of a tree, and he tried to reassure me that I wasn’t to blame. Like I wasn’t fucking proud of that shit!

Roxas: I could do that yes, but the thing is, I have my heart set on being a hinderance!

Isa: sometimes I come out here just to think… but mostly I come out here to rehash arguments that happened five years ago.

Xion: I’ve had enough! When you come to write my eulogy say “she was nice, but she was shit at executively functioning.”

Ven: Vanitas can be labeled as many things: my darkness, the evil twin… the strange creature under the bed you take pity on but absolutely would beat to death with a lead pipe if it were to venture father into the room. The list is endless really.

Terra: what’s nice about getting to work with Riku as an equal is that I don’t have to stress about fucking up, he does that all in his own!

Riku: hey!

Kairi: Do you ever think about how human life is so fragile, you could end it instantly and never feel a single thing?

Everyone else: *takes a huge fuck off step back*

Riku: Being someone’s most important person is exhausting. I could decimate whole planets sephiroth style and Sora would still be like “he’s just a little guy!”

Aqua: Do not tell Sora that! mainly because he's impressionable, but also he's dumb as a brick.

Terra: when arriving in a new world there are three things you must remember: 1. respect the world order; 2. always respect the authority of those you are lending a hand to; and 3. There is a certain financial limit we expect you to adhere to when atempting to bribe local law enforcment to 'forget' what they saw Kairi just do.

Lea: Isa is the ‘moon’ to my ‘sun’, the ‘sky’ to my ‘land’, the ‘irreversible fuck up’ to my ‘realised he was evil in the first week’, the ‘I can fix him’ to my ‘let me brake his face with this chair’!

Isa: I said I was SORRY!

Lea: *mumbling* yeah well, love you too.

Sora: I don’t cry, I leak occasionally, it’s a hazard.

Riku: please get help.

Roxas: we are literally begging you.

[joesalw]

Just went through the r/SwiftlyNeutral and saw a post about her firing her manager back in 2005 and him suing her and her parents in 2008. Holy hell. The audacity of this woman to make herself seem like she came from this humble background when in reality her daddy bought her a record deal AND HIRED BRITNEY SPEARS' MANAGER. There's a court doc attached to the post.

So basically they hired Dan Dymtrow who shopped her to major labels and invited execs to see her perform at the Blue Bird Cafe. He hired consultants to help her improve her skills, educated her and her family about marketing, branding, imaging to 'help develop a satisfactory press kit to present to music industry executives and for press/media coverage'. Got her A&F deal, scheduled meetings in New York and Nashville with major record companies. "Due in significant part to her young age, not one major record label would even meet with Artist before Mr. Dymtrow agreed to represent her".

In 2004 he had a "press-package" sent to Scott Borchetta (who was the Executive Vice-President for Universal Music Group at the time) and invited him to see her perform at the Blue Bird Cafe and sent her demo to him. After that Borchetta left UMG and started his own label. He told Dymtrow that he wanted to sign Taylor. Dymtrow "worked closely with Borchetta to ensure that Artist would get the most favorable record contract terms". In July 2005 Scott Swift told Dymtrow that he was terminating his contract and a few weeks after Taylor signed with Big Machine (they fired him to avoid paying him I'm assuming). Before he was fired, he was pursuing Creative Artists Agency "CAA" to represent Swift. In June 2005 they offered to sign Taylor as their client and the contract was signed after her manager was fired (his contract was officially terminated in August 2005).

In about May 2005 Scott Swift began to systematically and wrongfully discredit Dymtrow's efforts and interfere with management, created a division between his daughter and her manager. Prior to firing him, her father requested and obtained Dymtrow's goals and plans for his daughter's career and contacts he was relying on. In July he demanded Dymtrow to draft NINE different business plans to chart her career for the next five years. The following day he asked him about WHO OWNED ARTIST'S MASTER RECORDINGS(!!!). That was before the deal was even signed.

The story she's selling is completely re-written. They hired a top industry manager with lots of contacts in the industry, nosed out his plans and a list people that can help, fired him without paying. They knew about her possibly not having the ownership of her masters even before the contract was signed. The lawyer that represented her when she was 13-years-old is currently the Global Head of Artists at YouTube Music. Just scums.

After his contract was terminated, Andrea and Taylor had a dinner with him where Taylor told him that she didn't want to fire him and her father made her choose between him or the manager *ew*. Her father also threatened to cut-off any financial support related to her career if she didn't fire the guy *again,ew* which Andrea confirmed.

Someone mentioned that the skeletons in her closet will fall out on their own and I think that's true. Her own fans (former fans?) will be her downfall. I mean, I found this in a supposed Swiftie Reddit sub. If this kind of stuff gets more traction she *may be* screwed.

.

[theburialofstrawberries]

my problem w glass onion is that it said 'idea smart but guy dumb', when whatever janelle monae scribbled on that napkin looked incomprehensible. if you want to extend the musk metaphor, hyperloop travel in a modern urbanizing world is a dumb idea, fully automated driving is a dumb idea. there’s simply no reason to give alpha ANY credit....there are better ways of satirizing elon musk’s success than ‘he stole a good idea’ (namely, focusing on all the dumb desperate idiots comprising the international financial class looking to get rid of their surplus capital SOMEWHERE like hot potato because the capitalist machine needs to be keep running!)

and I lied I have 2 problems. see, at the executive level, andi would have been raking it in. you’re telling me she lost all her money in the court case to live in some modest sympathetic suburban home where she pours her own guests tea? you’re telling me the edward norton character didn’t settle quietly so as to not frighten the stock market and instead controversially carved her out in a public court? i mean her implied complicity in all of the klear stuff up until the moment of signing the big deal + her estrangement from helen (who seems to bear the general burdens of a working class life but does not seem to have gotten an assist from her sister) + her hanging about these assholes makes her a total asshole to me. I get why helen wants to solve her murder, I get why its important to establish andi’s intellectual property in order to establish motive for the murder, I just don’t understand why that last is supposed to be cathartic. again, the burning mona lisa, very cathartic. but am i supposed to feel emotional about backstabbing venture-capitalist legislator-buying weirdos stealing each others bad ideas and having public cat fights over their shitty start up, just because one of them happens to be smart and have a fabulous sense of fashion 

[10-honglazia-24]

Thoughtless: Part I

Story: Seonghwa x Reader

Part Content: sfw, mellow

Summary: You and Seonghwa have been friends since you were young children. Your parents were the wealthy CEO’s and Executives of Entertainment Agencies in Seoul and you had become quick friends in the rather lonely industry world. Only becoming closer as you got older. But one trip to the Maldives changed everything for you and just when you were finally able to move on from the past, everything comes back to haunt you, along with some new developments you never would have imagined…

Branches danced in the wind with the slow breeze. The pastel and bright colors of the flowers attracted the attention of butterflies and a few bees here and there. The large park was a serene place in the city, built around a large homemade pond in Seoul. It was one of the more peaceful places that almost had you able to forget all of the bustling city life that was only minutes away.

“So I heard you’re going on a trip with this guy?”

“Hm? Oh- Yeah it’s just for some poster shots in the Maldives while we’re on vacation.”

You and your friend had been gazing up at a billboard on the side of one of the large building that could be seen from the bench where you two sat. It was a boy, about 17 years olds, same as you and your friend. He had been coming up in the modeling world. Your parents had become close with his lately and were planning to make some kind of financial deal or the other. You didn’t really care to get involved in all the details of their work when it came to things like that. But you did have to admit- Going to meet a currently popular model of the same age that was being promoted on one of your parents’ building felt like a pretty good win.

“Kang Yeosang, huh…”

You look to your friend and give him a certain smile. “What’s the matter, Seonghwa? Afraid of some competition?”

Seonghwa gave a somewhat sheepish smile and shook his head. “I’m not really interested in all that I told you already.”

“Right, right- You wanna pursue your own thing.” You nodded, taking your attention back up to the billboard. Seonghwa’s attention though was still on you.

“Didn’t YOU say you didn’t want to be a model either?” He counters.

“Well- I like art. I wanna be a model but not like all of this. Not that I wouldn’t mind it but yknow.” You shrug. “Maybe just for fun!”

Seonghwa shakes his head at you. “Modeling for fun? You’re so weird…”

“Well I can’t see it as that serious of a career…I mean- I see so many of the girls I know smiling and having fun with some of their work…I just want something that makes me happy like that yknow? And they don’t even have all these huge gigs like- Well.” You gesture towards the billboard with Yeosang.

“But you’ve been doing small shoots already…And you’re going all the way to the Maldives for one with this guy.” He was obviously stating the obvious, but you really didn’t have intentions of making anything big out of this shoot.

“Ah-!” You held up a finger towards his lips. “I’m going on a VACATION to the Maldives. His parents and my parents want us to do the shoots.” Seonghwa takes your finger from his lips with an awkward smile.

“Whatever you say- Just- Have fun I guess.”

“Aren’t you going? Your family always goes..?” You tilt your head to the side, giving him a more than concerned look. You could tell there was something on his mind. He was never able to hide his emotions well- At least not with you. “Seonghwa-“

“My parents have been fighting a lot lately. Something about the vacation and work. They said there’s too much going on for us to tag along.” His words were obviously wounded, and it was obvious it was more than that with how he refused to look you in the eye. You couldn’t help but frown.

“Well- We can always call! Facetime, I can still ‘take you with me’.” You chuckle and you can see the small smile break through his lips.

Now that you think about it, it had never occurred to you to actually ASK Seonghwa about the trip. Whenever your family made plans like this, it was just so natural that him and his family were included. There wasn’t one time you could think of where you left the whole country and Seonghwa wasn’t with you and your family. He was always there, since you were kids. You were still young now, but since you two had met in elementary, you kind of just- Stuck together.

Your parents had met during a conference and each of you had been brought along to the hotel. Their weren’t very many kids your age, or even kids around at all. So naturally the two of you had been drawn to each other. Your mothers had immediately gotten along and your fathers were businessmen at heart. And you two? Just busy little kids where one was always ready to see the other. Seonghwa was the first and true friend you had made in all the boring and single-child life entertainment industry madness.

“Seonghwa !”

You both look up upon hearing his name to see his father. Standing at their private vehicle, snatching the door open and looking a little more than disgruntled.

“I guess I see what you mean…” You mutter as Seonghwa quickly stands up from the bench, turning to give you a wryly smile.

“I’ll let you know if I hear anything worth telling.”

“Well yeah, you better.” You stand up after him now, going to give him a hug, but his arms are around your waist before you can even place yours around him. “G-Geez!”

“I’m gonna miss you.”

Your arms are hesitant at first, going around his shoulders to hug him back. He hugs you even tighter in that moment and you can’t help but hug him back just as tight as his arms are around you. Honestly , it was one of those bone crushing hugs people exaggerated about, but you weren’t going to give him ammunition to make fun of you.

“Seonghwa, seriously, it’s not like I’m moving to the Maldives. We can call everyday or something, okay?” You began to sway with him for a moment, hearing him mutter something but you couldn’t quite make it out.

The sudden sound of a shrill horn was the only thing that interrupted the embrace. His arms dropping from around you and yours pulling from around his shoulders. Unfortunately, Seonghwa wasn’t mirroring your vibrant grin, no- He looked completely dejected…Was he- Crying? Or about to?

“Seong-“

“I’ll see you when you get back.”

He says quickly, and he’s swiftly making his way to his family’s vehicle.

And there you stand. Wondering what in the mixed emotions could have been going on in your friends head. All you could do was frown as you watched their vehicle pull away. Unable to see anyone through the tinted windows. Perhaps he was just upset about whatever was going on with his parents. You didn’t like to pry, but you knew eventually he would tell you. He always told you. There was nothing Hwa had ever been able to keep from you.

“Honey! Come on, we need to get ready for our flight in the morning!”

You hear your mother call to you and sigh. Seonghwa really left you with a sour feeling and until he he told you whatever was REALLY going on you were only going to worry.

[drunkenskunk]

Time for more Drunk Skunk Lore

So, I've just been reminded that tomorrow is father's day.

I don't speak to my father. I mean, I don't speak to any of my family, and haven't for just over 4 years. But my father in particular is an asshole. He's a real piece of work. I will forever be ashamed of myself that it took me so fucking long to cut them both out of my life.

Like, the man freely admitted many times over the years that he was "socially liberal and fiscally conservative." Which is just Blue No Matter Who Liberal code for "I think the problems of this world are very bad, but the causes of all those problems have been very good for me, personally and financially. But I don't want to admit that out loud. So I'm conflicted!"

When I think about my father - something I try not to do as often as I can - I think about three specific moments that really encapsulate the man. These are by no means the only things he ever did (go ahead and search through the #drunk skunk lore tag if you're in a particularly good mood today and would like to ruin it) but these three moments will probably give you the best grasp of the kind of shithead he is.

The first that springs immediately to mind was the time I tried to explain the concept of the Fuel Rats to him. For context: in the video game Elite Dangerous, there is a player run organization called the Fuel Rats. Their mission is simple: if you're playing the game and your starship runs out of fuel anywhere in the galaxy - and, for reference, Elite Dangerous is meant to be a 1:1 to-scale recreation of the Milky Way - you can contact the Fuel Rats, and they will come to your aid, and fill up your gas tank, free of charge.

"So what's in it for them?" I remember my father asking, after I explained. "It's not like they're really doing this for free. There must be some kind of incentive. So what are they getting out of it?"

This went on for several minutes. I kept trying to explain, and he just couldn't grasp the concept. He could not wrap his head around a person - much less a group of people - deliberately operating at a loss, simply because it was the right thing to do. It wasn't possible for him to conceive of a scenario where someone would do something for someone else that wasn't inherently transactional.

Then there was that one time I tried to show him The Business Card Scene from American Psycho. Because I thought it was funny, and I knew that he was an executive himself before he retired, so I thought he might also find it funny.

He watched it... and then he looked at me, like I'd grown three heads. He didn't understand what was funny about it. He didn't know what the jokes was supposed to be... because for him, it wasn't a joke. That was just the kind of thing that would happen all the time between executives at his job.

Another time I remember was when my parents and I were at a restaurant having lunch. Can't remember where, but it was a place with TVs everywhere, and Office Space happened to be playing. It was the part of the movie where the Bobs were interviewing people, to try and figure out who they could fire.

This prompted my father to share an anecdote when something similar happened at his work. His office hired someone to go through the list of everyone working there, to see who was "superfluous," so they could downsize. And it all culminated with a meeting where my father, his boss, and the "efficiency expert" were going through all his findings. And once all was said and done, and they had the list of who they were going to fire, my father's boss nodded, looked at the guy, and said "You've done good work here, but there's one more name we need to add to that list. Pack up your things, you're fired."

I was horrified by literally everything he had said, but he just started laughing. He thought it was hilarious. That was a funny anecdote for him.

How the fuck did it take me 32 years to realize he was such a shithead? I really don't know.

The signs were all there, if only I had bothered to look.

[sugurushimura]

Hi! I was curious about the family dynamics between the Yotsuba members and their parents, more specifically Higuchi and Hatori (since he's the illegitimate son of the Yotsuba CEO). What do you think their relationships with their parents are like?

ooh, i have a lot of thoughts on this, particularly hatori.

hatori's father is yotsuba dainosuke, president of the yotsuba group, and he had him out of wedlock, like you said. we don't know any information about hatori's mother or home situation as a child, but we do know that he uses his father's position to his advantage within the company, according to htr.

i've seen this interpreted before to mean that hatori blackmails his dad, but imo it's more just a case of nepotism. L didn't seem to make his profiles of the yotsuba guys that in-depth, so if he knows about hatori's parentage, it's probably not a well-kept secret. i also just don't think hatori has it in him to outright blackmail someone on his own -- he'd get way too nervous and probably feel really guilty. besides, the other yotsuba guys seem to have low opinions of hatori, and i imagine the way he attained his job is part of that. of course, higuchi and namikawa also have dads who work for yotsuba, but it's okay for them to do it since they're not bastards! they're just going into the family business!

my personal headcanon is that hatori was raised by his mother with financial support from but no physical presence on the part of his father. yotsuba is probably married and might even have children with his wife (i like to think he has a daughter), and i doubt his wife is very happy about hatori existing in the first place. plus, i just... don't think yotsuba is a very caring person. hatori wasn't meant to happen, and yotsuba never wanted to be his father. any consideration he took for his son was out of obligation.

by the time hatori's adult life rolls around and he decides he wants to work for yotsuba, his dad has had enough time to think on things that he feels kind of bad for neglecting hatori so long. he hires him as a way of slapping a band-aid on it, but he isn't really that interested in hatori as a person. their relationship is professional and very awkward. on yotsuba's end, he feels sort of bad about the whole thing but is also kind of annoyed that hatori made him look bad by asking for a job at his company.

hatori... mostly just resents yotsuba for his lack of presence in his life, but a part of him will always want his father's affection and approval after he was deprived of it for so long. he's never going to get it, though -- certainly not his affection -- and he knows that. a professional relationship is the closest he's going to get to a father-son bond, and it stings, but he still works with the man. part of this is because, subconsciously, he wants to be near to and loved by his father, and part of this is because he wants to be normal.

his entire life, he's been something of an outcast because of his parentage. his main interests (literature and ceramics) are artistic, and his hair (bleached, imo) is unprofessional, and yet he works as vp of marketing for a large company. he wants to be normal! he wants to be accepted by the people who have rejected him all his life! he wants to be like them! it's because he's been denied normalcy and the perceived community it brings with it for his entire life, entirely due to his parentage. yotsuba certainly didn't intend for that to be the case, but he also doesn't care enough to mitigate it, because he barely knows hatori and doesn't really want to know him. it's a sad state of affairs for poor arayoshi, and he knows it, and he resents his father for it.

my thoughts on hatori's relationship with his mother are less in-depth. she hadn't wanted a child, imo, and being the single mother of a wealthy executive's son comes with social stigma that she probably blamed hatori for without meaning to. i don't think she was cruel to him, but rather distant. they're on decent terms in hatori's adulthood, but they're not close. part of the reason he doesn't really resent her is because, compared to yotsuba, at least she was physically there for his childhood. he probably also has a step-father with whom he isn't close.

higuchi also has big issues with his father, but they're different in nature from hatori's. i've always imagined higuchi jiro as a strict, severe man -- not purposefully cruel, but often aloof and unforgiving. he made his expectations for kyosuke -- academic and social excellence, exceptional skills in the workplace -- very known, and likewise made his disapproval known when kyosuke failed to meet those expectations.

kyosuke was never an awful student, but he went through spurts of apathy, and when he did care, he still only did moderately well. he had friends, but none of them really liked him or were loyal to him. his work performance was just barely subpar. for a more loving father, all this might have been fine, but jiro only tolerated it with obvious dissatisfaction.

similarly to hatori, i think higuchi both resents his father and aches for his approval. the fact that he has never been able to stand on his own without his father or live up to the standard set by him grates on him constantly for his entire life, as does the fact that, imo, jiro seems to prefer namikawa... which, come to think of it, yotsuba does too. hatori doesn't have Debilitating Higuchi Jealousy Syndrome, though, so he kind of just deals with it, meanwhile higuchi wants to chew on namikawa and shake him around like a dog toy.

i actually think kyosuke's resentment for his father and frustration with being funneled into a professional job reached a boiling point after he graduated high school, when he decided he didn't want to go to college and bought a plane ticket to america without telling anyone. he spent a few weeks wandering around new york before he ended up in a fight, got arrested, had to call his dad to bail him out, got shipped back to japan with his tail between his legs, and ended up in college anyways. i hope to elaborate on this in a pretty extensive higuchi fic i've been formulating in my head for a while.

again, my thoughts on kyosuke's relationship with his mother are less fleshed-out. i headcanon her as significantly younger than jiro and nursing an awful alcohol habit. this habit and her dissatisfaction with her marriage led her to be distant and at times mean-spirited towards her son. he's definitely internalized it, but he hasn't ever really stopped to think about it, whereas he constantly fumes over his relationship with his father.

...i've kind of gone on for a while, so i'll keep the rest more concise. if you'd like to hear anything about any of them in particular, let me know and i'll be happy to elaborate! pretty much all of this is just headcanon, haha.

namikawa's parents both treated him pretty well as a child. he was raised with affection and consideration, and while he was expected to go into the business world or a similar profession, he was never pressed into it against his wishes. both of his parents really love him. however, his mother has always kind of stepped all over his father, and she's probably having an affair that he's too scared to do anything about. witnessing this as a child led namikawa to view the world as a very "use or get used" place and is part of the reason he's... the way he is: he doesn't want to be the type of person to get used, so he has to use instead. ironic, considering he's ultimately a pawn in kira's game. anyways, namikawa respects his mother but secretly looks down on his father. he cares about them both to some extent, but not as much as they care about him.

ooi's biological father was a second-generation nigerian immigrant in the technology industry who died when ooi was a child. he was a good, gentle parent who cared about his son a lot. his mother was an incredibly strong, compassionate woman who was raised in rural japan and had an incredibly close relationship with her son. she remarried soon after her first husband's death in order to give ooi a father and a stable financial situation, and her second husband is the man referred to as ooi's father in L's profiles on the yotsuba group (and the one whose family name is ooi). ooi's stepfather is a tough, military sort of guy, but he gets along well with ooi, who more or less sees him as a father figure. he's also got a younger half-brother who he's taken under his wing.

mido is the only yotsuba to ever discuss one of her parents in canon! higuchi asks her to call her dad up and ask him to get sakura tv's kira program taken off the air. her reaction is to say no and look incredibly annoyed about it, but this is probably because she hates higuchi and doesn't want to help him (besides, it's a stupid idea). i also happen to think she doesn't get along with her parents. they put an incredible amount of pressure on her to succeed from a young age, and as a result she's very much a burnt out gifted kid. she resents them for it. they're also generally aloof and cold, especially her father.

takahashi has a good relationship with his parents. they're both decent people, although their relationship as a couple goes through phases of good and bad, and eiichi probably inherited his womanizing habits from his father. i don't have much thoughts on it beyond that, honestly... i also think eiichi has an older brother.

shimura's parents were never married, and his dad left his mother before suguru was born. in fact, he pretty much disappeared off the face of the planet, probably to another country. shimura's mother, meanwhile, was an unhealthy woman both physically and psychologically, and she took a lot of it out on him. their financial situation was also pretty dire, and since she had a difficult time keeping a job, he had to work from a young age. she passed away when he was in college, and his feelings about her are never really resolved. his closest familial relationship is with his maternal aunt, who used to visit and help out sometimes when he was a child. they still talk from time to time.

kida's parents are both biology professors. imo they worked in human biology and exposed their son to some of their work when he was a child, which has led him to be sort of desensitized to blood and stuff like that. i think he appreciates the access he was given to their work, honestly. outside of that, though, his parents were very strict, especially academically, and had rigid social expectations for masahiko -- his mother was more concerned with his academic performance and his father was more concerned with his social performance. unlike mido, though, kida doesn't really realize this wasn't great for him and has a great deal of respect for his parents, even if they aren't close. he's very concerned with living up to their expectations -- which, for the record, he does, so they're pretty cordial with him as an adult. they probably wouldn't be if they knew he was gay tho :/

and there you have it! i hope this wasn't too rambling for you, haha. again, i'd be happy to elaborate on any of these or chat about them with you! thanks for the ask!

[sad-leon]

Hello! I hope you're having a good day!

So many people in my life seem to be going through something right now, and I just wanted to give you an opportunity to share anything you might be going through. Good or bad, as specific or as vague as you're comfortable with. Or feel free to ignore if you'd rather not. No pressure at all!

I hope things are going well for you! But if not, I'll be sending prayers your way if you're comfortable with that!

I am... not.

and i haven't for a long time

I'll preface this entire post with a warning: THIS IS A VENT POST the only tags will be trigger warnings

I thinks i've said it once or twice, but I started school this year. This is my first year in college after taking a gap year and also telling everyon i wasnt gonna go. I know jack shit about what im doing and its fucking exhausting. Theres so many things that i feel like I should know but dont because all the college information given out in my highschool was geared toward the college in that town specifically, which is not the college im going to.

I've also moved. im entirely on my own, physically and financially. I just met with my job and am starting very soon which is not good because my sleep schedule is all wrong. I may be switching jobs soon, but i can't just quit becuase, like i said, im on my own.

and those are only the big two. lets speedrun this. my anxiety, my autism, i need new glasses, my feet hurt more than i think they should, im a system, my eating disorder, my aversions that make it hard to drink the water up here, the burnout, the exhaustion, executive dysfunction, i also likely have adhd which mean rsd. im touch starved and touch adverse

those are just what i can think of off the top of my head

but all of this had been leading to what might be a pretty nasty breakdown and soon.

im so fucking tired all the time and that makes it hard to draw, but thats one of my only ways to relax. i like playing mc, but i get bored easily and also i cant sit at my desk for long becuase it feels like my head is too heavy for my neck. it hurts. everything hurts and my job doesnt help me at fucking all.

i was able to draw tsob while dealing with most of my issues becuase all i had to worry about was work. looking at my current schedule, i can find the free time. the issue is using that freetime to draw and not just sleep or dissociate. finding home is very dear to me, but drawing it the way i am can be exhausting and i dont want to start hating it, so i just.. dont draw it most days

i stress constantly about how i appear on my blog becuase i want so badly to do this right. i want to be good at something, like, as a person, not just as an artist. but i hate myself too much to believe in any progress i make.

i know its the rsd mostly but i see groups and i feel gross. its not as bed now (any of you beans that have made it this far, ily /p) becuase i found a community i can actually interact with, but it still comes up, especially because i've moved away from all my irl friends and its so fucking hard for me to make them in the first place. like.. actual friends, not just people i can work with at school

if i keep going i'll probably talk myself in circles, so ill stop it here. theres a lot more but im not going to ramble about my suicidal, intrusive, or sh thoughts on this blog. this is a post to inform you guys of the state of mind im in. im lonely and sad and its all building up to a massive breakdown.

im not going to be leaving tumblr or giving up on my comic, but i probalby wont update as often as i did tsob. i just dont have the energy.

i also will probably post some of my traditional art cuz i gotta fill up a sketchbook for my animation class, so that also takes away from the time i use to draw digitally.

im so tired

[horizon-verizon]

Rhaenyra did not fight for the Seven Kingdoms, but for her own position as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Her character remains obstinately stuck in a routine, and never left the conception of hereditary royalty; she s the kind of monarch who believes that a country has duties towards its sovereign, but the sovereign has none towards his country. Her character deals only with her personal rights, but never with the public good, how the war impact the smallfolk, or the means of developing commerce, navigation, or the military power of her country. We don’t even know if she encouraged companies, merchants, financiers, before the war broke out, or how she wants to rule the Seven Kingdoms.

*EDITED POST* (10/26/23):

Check this POST and this POST out for additions/changes.

Assuming that we're talking about original!Rhaenyra, I don't see how this marks her as different from most monarchs or heirs? And if we can't find a trait that makes her different (in terms of aristocratic desires) then can you really argue she'd be worse? And did she actually go out of her way to harm smallfolk before the Dance, before the usurpation, before her kids died?

A list of monarchs that Rhaenyra wouldn't be too different from: her own father, Aenys, Aegon and all of the greens also show no thought to the smallfolk in any special projects or proposed laws for the public good, as Aegon V did. Even Jaehaerys didn't want to either abolish the right of the first night or to put more attention to giving KL a better water and sewage system. His wife, Alysanne, convinced, insisted, and pressured him on both accounts!

We don't know what the greens planned to do (and I can say with full confidence that they'd be even less likely to even think of all that you list we don't know Rhaenyra would do), the text gives us nothing. But going off of what happened immediately after Rhaenyra died, they didn't appear to plan anything for anyone other than themselves.

With that, she'd be better than the alternative: any of the green children, Aegon (a rapist and can't keep his temper under control unless others make work of convincing him), Aemond (another rapist and genocidal maniac), Helaena (would never be even considered since she female and discouraged/kept from true governing, thus not giving much confidence that she can rule), and Daeron the guy who somehow couldn't stop his men from raping and killing slews of townspeople despite having a dragon and actually ordering another town but here's because he thinks that his nephew's death was all the lady's fault, thus showing more callousness than most fans expect from him. For goodness sake, Aegon (II) gathered people to execute along with the Shepherd despite him already having the Shepherd to just make an example of him!

So why single out Rhaenyra for being similar? Why does she have to "prove" herself more to you, anon, not the lords. To you? Why are you dictating that she must provide a stronger moral character than her already comparatively morally-bankrupt rivals? What do you have against Rhaenyra?

I have said this multiple times:

LINK #1

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Some would argue that because Rhaenyra is a woman and she's already in doubt unfairly, that she needs to prove to these doubters that she deserves the throne so that she can actually, "objectively", "earn" the throne. A few things wrong with this idea:

It's actually not objective at all, how these lords and whomever evaluates who should sit on the throne. The very idea of men-only or male primogeniture--along with the reality of patriarchal privileges--comes from ideas about masculinity, womanhood. Little-questioned military control most of the population. And who defines or shapes what is good or evil, for whose interests? The aristocratic men are allowed to have that authority. Since most feudal/monarchial men feel other men can be the only ones to lead forces or direct others and that women are weaker in body and mind, they will always question the validity of a female leader. It is not rational, therefore it can be never be objective. In the story, Rhaenyra is not repudiated because she is a bad ruler or they think she would become one, but because she is a woman. That's all.

with all that energy spent on "earning" or "proving" herself by doing public good (and do more than most male monarchs ever did), Rhaenyra or any woman would not have to work harder to even become and stay a ruler, thus have that much more room to even think about doing "public good" and how. Exactly when would Rhaenyra be even implementing as you suggest after she takes KL, when again she has to concentrate on defeating her usurpers, grieving her 3 dead kids, having no funds because the treasury was stolen, having the greens west and south, and several rioters against her? Even if she had plans? How would she be able to implement them?!

Once again, the greens, even after taking back KL, did nothing to do as you say Rhaenyra should have done. Just create more chaos by trying to go after ALL Rhaenyra supporters and threatening the lives of Aegon (III), Alyn, and Baela, burning people alive, etc.

(if you, as a royal dynasty, want to maintain your semi-absolute power and keep it as absolute as possible) who gets to be heir is and never should have been determined by the lords and make it seem that it was their choice -- this is one of Jaehaerys' many mistakes, and make no mistake HIS goal was to keep absolute power for the Targ dynasty, not to engineer some sort of meritocracy or constitutional monarchy or give power to the people at the cost of the royal family

if you make one person have to "earn" the throne while allowing other heirs be just invested as heir by the monarch's say-so (as is the point), then you have worked to further undermine the word of a monarch AND the heir (again, in the interests of an absolute monarchy who wishes to keep the throne in the family)

If you want a Targ queen for the people, look to Alysanne, Rhaenys I, and Daenerys Stormborn. The last the best of them all, who exclusively thought of rulership as equal to actually protecting EVERY single person under their rule. Funny how I can count only one male monarch who is anything like these women: Aegon V. Even so, why are you so insistent on the women having this responsibility over the men?

But you also must acknowledge that women in general should not be exclusively made into defenders or definers of morality and social conditioning while men are allowed to do willy nilly with their willies and have little-to-no accountability.

Rhaenyra's personality and interests developed from her social circumstances, especially her having to--as I called it in other posts--"self-determine" her rights and value as a person/heir against the repudiaters who repudiate her based on her gender alone. We need to remember this, it is so crucial to understand her character as written or suggested! It is her strength and her flaw, her vulnerability and motivation (aside from that Targ-Andal aristocratic pride that actually buttresses the other part).

Yes she has entitlement and pride. She's a princess who grew up having much more than others and with a heritage of conquerors and dragonriders. Aerea, Saera, Rhaena, Viserra, Alyssa, Alysanne, all these women had that pride but we see them all as very different people nonetheless. Show me who would also not be similar, and does not the human population have psychological variances (personalities) as well as its physical?

Yes that Targ-Andal blood purity is there, but once more how does this make her worse or different from her male counterparts (except Aegon IV, II, Aerys II, she's objectively better than these guys)?

Either way, Rhaenyra wasn't a terrible choice of a leader until she started losing kids and being betrayed.

She doesn't have to be your favorite woman, your favorite Targ, nor even your favorite Targ woman. There are many morally and better written examples, or more deliciously mysterious ones. But I wouldn't make the mistake of thinking she was evil and totally unfit for the throne based on this misplaced take that she had to be the exception on account of her gender or how others would pressure her to be better, therefore she should not have won and ruled.

You fall into the near?-sexist trap that way, where because she is a woman who came into power she needs to prove to those around her that she is "better" than all other paat and present candidates WITHOUT at least acknowledging or addressing the granted & possible realities that made her who she was and came to be. WITHOUT tracking that process of her becoming a tyrant and making as if it came out of nowhere, that she "freaked out" and went "crazy" with no prompt that could affect others in her peace even if not in the same way. WITHOUT considering that those circumstances are not totally unique and share elements of misogyny and misogynist ideology that people should at least acquaint themselves with. If she doesn't excel and be a moral champion, then all her suffering or all that was down against her meant absolutely nothing, means nothing, we should ignore her human development, and she is the actual problem...the only problem.

*EDIT* (8/21/23):

THIS is a great post by @mononijikayu about medieval queens, female rulers, the history of how women in leadership positions were made and seen as threats to the very structure of social "order", and contextualizing Rhaenyra thru Empress Matilda. I didn't even know about Matilda's husband being comparable to Rhaneyra's Daemon! PLZ READ!!!!

Excerpt:

just as much, along with these fictitious portrayals, more lies are depicted. these women are considered vixens that cause havoc to men by shifting them into desires and danger. through the written word, we see how women are cast in roles of villains in men’s lives. it is because by their conclusive thoughts, women are the only creatures that are able to turn ‘good honorable men’ into despicable creatures who do shameful, deplorable acts for the sake of women’s pleasures.  [...] it is within this narrative that ancient chroniclers declare that women were in fact the doom of men. if they were not able to control the dangers posed by the wiles of women, then the foundations of the mighty society they had built would be up in flames.  [...] as i mentioned, these factors of community are written down and preserved. and with that, the example of the ancients were the foundations by which medieval society built itself. the same concepts continued to cause the same issue within society and that was the exclusion of women from participating in the bigger picture of community and state, much so with governing states in their own right—without judgment or disapproval. 

[incarnateirony]

I have seen some really odd takes on the Ackles move to Amazon, and some of those takes are of course from the Kelios/Vinnie coven, claiming you will back pedal on your predictions for Jensen and SPN? Honestly, I don't see a conflict. WB keeps whatever is already in the works for SPN/TW future developement, still in conjunction with CM, and CM creates future (likely Soldier Boy) content for Amazon. Sounds good to me, but they hate on Jensen and hate to see success. Thoughts?

It takes having the brain of a slug to imagine a conflict, especially when the article explicitly clarified there was no conflict and that WBD would continue to develop properties it already had agreements in regards to, with most deals at +2 years, which I mentioned back in like. Fuckin. December or some shit.

This is the same news as I mentioned raising flags in late February. I deadass told you like, there's big franchise news brewing but I literally can not see what it's about for some reason, which is why I've been trying to watch for internal or external HBO flags or other WBD maneuvers. Because, as I've said, I do not work for WB, but for reasons, a great deal of my access comes from an angle of WB, and I can't clarify beyond that. Just take off your shirt and spin under the peachtree, okay?

That's why the interview actually says like "The Winchesters Is Currently Airing It's First Season." Like, fam, I hate to break it to you, but the show ended almost two months ago, back when those flags were talked about. The reason I couldn't parse half the discourse is I ain't got shit on Amazon that you guys can't find, so yeah, derrrrrp no shit I couldn't see what all the paperwork flying around was about. I'm a leaker, not omniscient, jesus christ. I think these kids just perceive "fan, vs, all professional things in a vague pot of knowledge" and like. That isn't how it works.

All it means is that while WBD digs out of it's financial hole, it's going to focus specifically on in-house properties it can maximize profit and growth with, and probably has a friendly accord with Amazon about it to boot. The success of one can make the success of the other depending on how deals sign at the end of the day. Meanwhile, Amazon is hand over fist oodles above WBD and Max, and easily able to outbid/outfinance WBD, which may even HAVE a post-season library carriage deal arranged.

Jensen made a powerful impression at Amazon enough that he mutually retains power of SPN franchise and its spread of concepts, with our own little trusted corner there by Zaslav and Roth, and no middlemen beyond a compliant Dungey apologizing to Jensen about the past and just taking notes on numbers and staying out of the way. Then, Amazon can high budget anything that's not a WB IP to begin with, anything new CM dumps out, and frankly, any talent Jensen picks up, hence getting Drake signed to Gersh, and picking up indie producers by the handful right now.

Like this is actually moves beyond this fandom's ken. Not only has Jensen moved us up over the last 2 years where he basically has executive authority for at least a few more years with Supernatural Franchise, as long as its content retains success ongoing; but he's moved himself up in the world into being highly competed for globally, and is using his infrastructure to pull everyone up around him. Whether that be Berlanti and Misha's current co ops with him unspoken to the public, or talent and actor First Looks. Drake is about to be plastered all over Amazon, just you watch, and everyone else Jensen is adopting slowly.

Jensen hit The Top in WB almost 2 years ago now, or at least had all the deals signed that would land him there once mergers stopped shaking everything. People just didn't understand what the fuck he was genuinely building professionally. So now that he's at the top of WB and SPN there with him, he isn't settling, he's just moving further up the media tree than WBD alone can give him, hence Amazon, and that same engine he used to climb WB, he's now using to elevate everyone in it with him into brighter careers with greater reach and media leverage.

It's optimal positioning. Don't let the same idiot trolls whine you into even considering otherwise. They don't understand what's happening now any more than they've understood the last several years.