#and then i was thinking they deserve to be young and dumb until they're a hundred

[sylleblosscm]

@rexelectus:

Would you be surprised to learn that you've been on my mind?"

---

Reassuring Starters [accepting]

The comment draws a laugh out of Luna, who is deftly fixing the collar of Noctis’ shirt. Her husband’s brand of affection is one she can never tire of - for as shy as he seems at times, he has always been so unabashed when they are alone. Not a bit afraid or ashamed of his feelings. It is a delight.

 ❝The city of Altissia has adorned herself in lights and colour to charm her visitors, and you manage to be equally as charming with a single sentence. Bravo, dear Noctis.❞

 This brief respite from their duty is well-earned, and to pass it up would have been downright criminal. Lunafreya had been hearing about this carnival ever since she was a child, but it never fell on a convenient day to visit. Until she mentioned it offhandedly to her husband - then suddenly, their schedules magically aligned to give them an entire week to themselves in Altissia. 

 It is like a second honeymoon, almost. Free from the neverending demands of their crown, to indulge one another without the threat of another emergency making itself known any second. And thus, when she utters with such sincerity, she is relaxed and unhurried, for she has all week to make her point. 

 ❝I cannot tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this. Oh, the carnival will be fun, I am sure - but it is your undivided attention I shall treasure most. Every time you look at me with those eyes, I feel I love you a little more.❞

 She punctuates her words with a gentle kiss, before grabbing his hand in a seemingly sudden burst of energy. ❝Now, let’s go! I hear they have those big cardboard pictures you put your face in - and some themed sweets, too!❞

[qqueenofhades]

I think its genuinely fascinating how Biden has somehow become the bad vibes sin eater for the party. I'm seeing people who were doing the whole "voting doesn't matter both old men are the same" pivot hard into voting as harm reduction. The anti voting rhetoric has COMPLETELY lost The Youths on tiktok. People suddenly remember the good things the Biden administration has done but don't associate Harris with any of the things they didn't like. In my swing state volunteers are signing up in droves. People feel ENERGIZED, the vibe shift pre and post Biden dropping from the race has just been insane

Y'know, that is a... good way of putting it. It's also why I'm quite sure that Biden has probably been planning it for a while. I don't think he was intending to step down, and didn't want to be forced out at the drop of a hat, but after he realized that the circus was never going to stop until he did, he did the honorable fall-on-his-own-sword thing and definitely, DEFINITELY spent some time choreographing this behind the scenes. Because while the roll-out has been very smooth, it could just as easily (as many of us were expecting) have been a total disaster, and that doesn't happen without SOME planning. It's also entirely possible that the campaign staff flipped from Biden to Harris are superhuman, to come up with a massive online roll-out, new branding, new signs (they had plenty of 'em in Wisconsin yesterday), new everything, but I'm guessing it's a combination of both. Biden has spent his entire political career being underestimated, and after we literally made a meme out of Dark Brandon juking the Republicans out of their shoes, we should definitely give credit where credit is due in how masterfully he pulled it off.

Because we have had eight years defined by the central question of Whether The President Is a God King Who Should Serve For Life (the MAGAts obviously think yes), the sheer idea of a president willingly giving up his power BEFORE he had to is also novel and admirable. It's sad that this is the case, but so be it. The Republicans also got a heaping helping of Be Careful What You Wish For that was undoubtedly brilliant; they've been yelling for years that Biden is old and frail and can't serve and should step down. Biden went "lol okay" and gave it to them, and now they're fucked.

Aside from that, on the most basic level, it's far, far easier to see the actual difference in the parties with Harris as the nominee, just because it shows that one party is willing to make progress and reflect the new demographic reality and social mores of America, and the other one is not. Now to be clear, Biden deserves an incredible amount of credit for coming out of retirement (he was ALREADY 77 years old when he became president and had had decades of a long and respected career in public service behind him) to fight, beat Trump, and deliver an incredibly successful presidency. He held the line against authoritarianism at home and abroad, he rescued the trashed American economy and managed a world-leading recovery from Covid, he stood up for democracy, he spent four years filling the benches with liberal judges to reverse even some of the Trump/McConnell hack job, he finally passed comprehensive infrastructure investment and the Green New Deal under the name of the Inflation Reduction Act -- and so on. Many of these priorities had been languishing for decades or were completely trashed under Trump, and he could not have done so much in just 4 years without all that age, skill, and experience. Hence why all the Ageism!!! was (aside from being a Republican/media smear job) dumb. He's able to do the job because he has had decades to study. Turns out that makes you actually pretty damn good at it.

Yes, Biden could not do as much as he wanted or originally planned, had to deal with MAGA Republicans and Joe Manchin/Kyrsten Sinema sabotaging him the whole time (lololol Manchin, possible possessor of the World's Biggest Ego and with Trump around that's saying something, popping out of obscurity to self-righteously announce he would not be willing to be Kamala's VP. YEAH ASSHOLE. LITERALLY NOBODY ASKED YOU. NOBODY WHATSOEVER. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS AT LEAST WE WILL SOON NO LONGER HAVE MANCHIN IN THE SENATE). And yes, Biden made some serious mistakes of his own, because he IS from an older generation and a different style of doing politics/different beliefs that no longer resonate with the younger segments of the electorate. But this old white Catholic guy at the age of almost 80 still managed to be the most progressive president ever, coming in at a moment of incredible domestic and international crisis and getting us safely to the other side, and all cynicism, criticizing, and caveating aside, he deserves an incredible amount of credit for that. I mean that absolutely, and I am very grateful.

As I said, willingly relinquishing that power takes guts, and when Biden saw the writing on the wall that he had to sacrifice himself, he took his time, he didn't jump too early, and he didn't jump too late. On the most basic level, it becomes a hell of a lot easier to make the "both parties are not the same" argument when one is running a (comparatively) young brown woman and the other is still running their loathed felonious old demented orange traitor. Most Americans are not plugged into policy minutiae and details. They look at Biden-Trump, they see two old white guys. When you take one of those old white guys away (who goes in a self-sacrificially heroic manner and in sharp contrast with the coup-happy fascist) and put Kamala Harris in there instead, it generates an obvious jolt. People can see for themselves that there is a real difference that doesn't rely on closely reading news and tracking complex policy, because as noted, most Americans simply don't. The brown first-generation American daughter of brown immigrants is a quantifiably different story from "old white guy career politician," which for better or worse is how Biden was seen, especially the old part. We needed that establishment expertise to beat Trump in 2020; I still think Biden is the only one who could have done it, and as noted, we owe him a great debt for doing so.

However.... 2024 is not 2020, and it is not 2016. There has been this HUGE and unbelievable swing to Kamala because she represents the antithesis of what the last eight years of Trump-induced anger, fear, panic, chaos, and hatred has stirred up. That's why people are so ready to rally around her, just as they were (I daresay) around Obama in 2008, after the exhaustion, chaos, war, and mounting economic misery of Bush. Trump has been out of office for the last four years, but his shadow over the American political landscape has been omnipresent. Now people know that we finally have a real chance at getting rid of him forever, and just as Biden was uniquely positioned to capitalize on that in 2020, so Harris is now. Which is why, however tough it will be, she has a real shot at winning. I can guarantee the Republicans know that, and are shit scared. Because the Black Lady Army of Democracy has indeed arrived in force to Get This Shit Done and I don't know about you, but I found that incalculably comforting:

Yikes! All lined up for Kamala pic.twitter.com/Dt4OCDp7WX

— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) July 24, 2024

This, at the most basic level, is what scares fascists the most, it's exactly what we need now, and what Harris is uniquely positioned to mobilize, along with her gangbusters appeal to young voters:

This is the energy we need. This is what Biden saw and planned for and which he launched us into, and where all that experience and age paid off. This is why people, even people otherwise disengaged, disillusioned, or checked out of the tedious and mind-numbering drudgery and depression of American politics, are responding to it. Because it's easy to understand, it offers hope, and it tells a very simple story that is nonetheless long overdue:

Thanks so much, Joe. Go absolutely waste that orange fucker, Kamala. We got your back.

[whateveriwant]

The 141 in a reverse harem

18+ content, GN!Reader, Reader is the ruler of an ancient kingdom

Soap

The moment you step into their communal quarters, Soap is always the first one to greet you, almost Iike he was sitting right beside the door

But nooooo, don't be silly. Of course he's not been impatiently waiting since your last visit. Though, you were 28 and ¾ minutes later than normal, not that he's been counting or anything

As you walk around their dwelling deciding on who to take back to your chambers for the night, he's following closely behind like a little horny whiny puppy

More than once, he's accidentally stepped on your robes because of just how close he likes to trail after you

Oh, but he's so terribly sorry! Here, let him make it up to you! Please, please let him make it up to you!

Because he tries to hog the limited time you spend with the men, it's earned him more than a few elbows to the ribs from his biggest “rival” in the group: Gaz. And speaking of which…

Gaz

Always trailing a little less desperately closely behind is the newest member of the harem: Gaz

Though he may be the youngest of the four, that doesn't mean he's any less experienced in these types of matters (and the young ones are always the most eager to please, aren't they)

Have you had a good day, darling? He knows you're very busy running a kingdom and all, so he for one is grateful you've taken time out of your hectic schedule to visit them

Oh, but your shoulders look so tense, darling! He can rub them for you if you'd like

And your poor feet! Those sandals of yours look awfully uncomfortable. Why doesn't he head back with you so he can show your full body the love it deserves

While he and Soap can't help but bicker when it comes to vying for your attention, on the rare occasion, the two have been able to put aside their differences and work together, if you know what I mean

Price

Unlike the two younger men, Price feels no need to fight for your time

No, he knows you'll eventually make your way over to him, swaying your hips in that way that makes him salivate like a dog

As the oldest and the longest resident of the group, he's become somewhat of a right hand of yours; almost like a concubine turned consultant, if you will

While of course he loves nothing more than to get down to the nitty gritty with you, these talks of yours are truly the highlight of his day even when they're entirely polite in nature

Why yes, he has done something different with his beard, thank you for noticing. He got some new oils from the market yesterday. Do you like it? Isn't it soft? Just wait until you feel it between your thighs

No matter who you're taking to your bed for the evening, Price always escorts you to the door of their quarters, leaving you with a kiss to the hand goodbye. Until next time, starlight

Ghost

Last but certainly not least is the man you have the most… interesting dynamic with, to put it one way

It's funny, really. He likes to pretend the sweet taste of you doesn't haunt his every waking moment, and you like to pretend that there was anyone else on your mind the second you walked through the door

But oh, he sees that you've arrived yet again... Well, this book of his is super interesting, so he's just going to sit in the corner and read, and absolutely not watch you out of the corner of his eye

What was that? No, he's not holding it in his lap for any reason. And no, his pant legs aren't shorter than normal. Why would you think that?

Oh, but the moment you hold your hand out for him, he has to stop himself from immediately tossing the dumb book aside and hauling you over his shoulder like some sort of rabid beast

Instead, he takes his time standing from his seat, almost indifferent as he takes your hand and lets you lead him back to your chambers

It's all a farce though, of course. Nothing makes his pride swell more than having you scream his name for the whole palace to hear, echoing all the way back to where the three other men are left to sit and mope

[coralpaperthoughts]

I will never understand ppl who hate/anti ANY of the members of the Gaang, or even any of the other kids. coz they are just kids. in the middle of a fucking war. of course they're gonna fuck up and make mistakes and be little shits, THEY ARE 12-16 !! ALL OF THE GAANG (including Zuko but excluding Suki) HAVEN'T HAD PROPER SOCIALISATION WITH OTHER KIDS THEIR AGE UNTIL THEY MET EACH OTHER !!

and yes, you could argue that Katara and Sokka had each other, but that's siblings and siblings are not the same as friends, and also Sokka was the only teen boy left in the tribe and I think Katara was the only teen girl too (might be wrong there tho)

you could also argue that Aang had friends before he got stuck in the iceberg so he did actually have that socialisation, but bro is fucking 12 and he was stuck in an iceberg for a hundred fucking years and had the whole avatar thing weighing down on his shoulders, cut the boy some slack ???

Toph and Zuko were both Rich Noble Kids™ so they automatically did not get proper socialisation with other kids their age. Toph was sheltered from the outside world because she's blind and a young girl, but yes she did go to that underground boxing ring but that was mainly adults, I highly doubt she was hanging about with kids there and definitely not in normal circumstances.

And although Mai and Ty Lee were there, they were Azula's "companions" (not originally meant to be friends but may have ended up as so after the war) and they weren't there for Zuko, they were there for Azula only. I'm pretty sure Zuko spent most of his time with tutors or with his mother before she left, he didn't get any socialisation with normal kids and he definitely did not get a normal childhood.

None of them got a normal childhood, so can you really blame any of them for being manipulative or assholes or doing dumb shit, whilst still being a kid/teen !!! and then being bad parents too, when they literally have no good role model to go off of (love Hakoda but bro was not there for his kids for a good couple of years and that does a lot to a kid)

edit: also Azula deserved a redemption/healing arc because she was a victim of abuse as much as Zuko was. she was in fact just a child, as much as the rest of them were, and deserved better. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk 🙏

edit 2: Jet also deserved a chance at healing. like bro watched his village burn and was the sole survivor, he probably has mega survivor's guilt that isn't touched upon in the show, like his hate for the fire nation is pretty rational and his actions (to an extent) are justified. all I'm saying is that if he had anybody else in his corner, that wasn't more angsty, out-for-revenge teens or kids, he could have had a much nicer life. one that didn't lead him to his downfall.

[sir-starboy]

“Trans ally” until you're asked to not correct other people on someone's name and pronouns 

“Trans ally” till they don't dress how you want them to 

“Trans ally” till you purposely use the wrong pronouns 

“Trans ally” until you make fun of someone for changing their name 

“trans ally” until you make fun of someone for doing something and you purposely use their dead name

“Trans ally” till you ask for their deadname

“Trans ally” until your talking shit and bring up that their trans for no reason 

“Trans ally” till you look at their legal info

“Trans ally” till they're transfeminine/female

“Trans ally” till it's JK Rowling and harry Potter 

“Trans ally” unless its a trans WOMAN in WOMANS sports

“Trans ally” till trans people want a safe space 

“Trans ally” until theirs laws against them and you vote for them

“Trans ally” till they're non-binary 

“Trans ally” until they're unlabeled 

"Trans ally" till it's your kid

“Trans ally” till they cant legally come out

“Trans ally” till they don't use They/them

“Trans ally” until you're asked to not call people by their preferred name and pronouns around certain people 

“Trans ally” until you feel like someone is ‘done with their phase’

“Trans ally” till someone is genderfluid/queer

“Trans ally” till you hear their voice 

“Trans ally” until you tell someone their deadname 

“Trans ally” till you scream no balls or pussy then say ‘oh wait you don't have one’

“Trans ally” unless they don't wanna medically transition 

“Trans ally” till they don't have an option to look or dress how they want 

“Trans ally” unless they don't change their name 

“Trans ally” till someone is testing names out

“Trans ally” until they're not publicly out 

“Trans ally” till they wear clothes that they're comfortable in and you say they look dumb 

“Trans ally” unless they don't ‘pass’

“Trans ally” unless they don't fit the stereotype 

“Trans ally” until it's a bathrooms

“Trans ally” until they don't transition into what YOU want them to look like 

“Trans ally” till someone cant come out to their family 

“Trans ally” till theyre POC 

“Trans ally” until there ‘too pretty/handsome to be trans’

“Trans ally” till theyre ugly 

"Trans ally" till you think the only job trans women can get are sex workers

“Trans ally” until theyre ‘to young’ to be trans

“Trans ally” till they talk about trans issues 

“Trans ally” till theyre straight

“Trans ally” till they ask you to not call they by they're preferred name and pronouns in school 

“Trans ally” until you proclaim what genitals someone has/had

“Trans ally” till someone is testing pronouns

“Trans ally” until you say ‘I wouldn't have dated you if I you weren't trans’

“Trans ally” till they're gay

“Trans ally” till they don't have enough money to transition 

“Trans ally” till they get hate crimed

“Trans ally” till they're dead 

“Trans ally” till it's me 

"Trans ally"

🏳️‍⚧️⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Everyone deserves respect and love. If you don't have an ally I will be that person.

P.S. my mutuals know some of these are targeted (psst....EN and AMH)

[hiemaldesirae]

Tis Arrax,:3 and Fallen Angel Vox with Human Alastor (then eventually Radio demon Alastor) Anyone?

A Vox who is the baby brother to Lucifer, who looks up to him, who follows Lucifer anywhere. Who joins in on his rebellion, and--because he's so young, both Lucifer and Lilith curl around him and protect him during the Fall. Saving most of his wings from damage. They're still a little scorched, but he can still fly like Lucifer and the dark blue is visible. Vox, since he was Lucifer's younger brother keeps his human shape unlike the Sins. He becomes a Prince of Hell, but usually spends his time on earth, enticing humans.

That's how he meets Alastor--or should I say, that's how Alastor attempts to kill him. He immediately thinks this murderous human is hilarious-he takes the knife out of his chest, wings unfolding out of his back and draws Alastor close, a purr in his throat.

"Oh, Darling aren't you just delicious?" He murmurs, gently cradling Alastor's chin. Wing cocooning them Intimately. "Very possessive aren't you? I'm your muse, and no one else could have me hmm? That's why you had to kill me, precious?" Vox croons, demonic form fully showing, tail wrapping possessively around Alastor's thigh. "A gift, for when you enter my brother's kingdom--power, form your muse." He murmurs, mouth crashing down onto Alastor's tongue demanding entrance, the taste of his own blood thick as he entered his human's mouth. (A gift without taking Alastor's soul :3)

Laughing, he broke away as Alastor greedily swallowed his blood, and he flapped his wings, vanishing into the night.

Alastor of course never forgets his muse. Never forgets how powerful his muse WAS that night, or how safe Vox made him feel, wrapped in his wings (not that he'd ever tell anyone) and when he drops into hell...well, he is astonishingly powerful and becomes an overlord overnight, power no one's seen before at his fingertips.

Of course, he doesn't see is precious muse again until Charlie Morningstar opens her hotel (which he goes to help only for the chance to see more of the royal family.)

And who should be helping dear sweet Charlie on behalf of her father because he's in trouble for killing some important human too early? Why, her beloved uncle and Prince of Hell, Vox.

Alastor is thrilled. His muse, his beloved, his soon to be mate is here! Yes they're stuck doing this dumb redemption thing but they're together! Maybe Vox will let him curl up in his wings....and get a taste of his blood again. (But mostly he wants to feel safe, just wants to feel those wings around him again...)

WOOOO (very excited clapping) YES i love fallen angel aus... ive always wanted to do a fallen angel vox au but this one is the only one thats spoken to me so far LMFAO

the idea of alastor joining up the hazbin hotels efforts to rehabilitate sinners SOLELY because he wanted another chance to see the pretty (fallen) angel he tried to kill all those years ago in life is so fucking funny to me. like yeah okay go off boyfailure try and get your cognitohazard wife

also i do want to ask questions for this. obviously because i have nothing in my head ever and i hardly understand asks when i first read them through LMFAO. but uh, as a prince of hell would vox be considered like one of the sins??? in which case would we have... 8 sins? if so... i wanted to mention vainglory/vanity, which is a historical sin no longer used in reference when it comes to the cardinal sins. i think given the fact that it's now encompassed into pride as a sin works for vox, who followed lucifers guide and would thus want to follow even in his brothers footsteps when it came to his ascension (decension?) as a sin. and of course, the way that he behaves with alastor is... well. vain as fuck but you know what my wife deserves it

also. sighs and hangs my head. even though i have like 19 wips to do would you let me try and write this one too,..... (making puppy eyes at you)

[noonmutter]

Adjudication pt. 2

DWC May 2024 Day 3: Shame/Favorite

(As always, this one got a lot longer than the first. If you're not interested in a whole lotta dialogue, you're gonna be real disappointed.)

"You never carry me around like that."

"Shut up an' eat yer pancakes."

Caythaes pouted some, but it was hard to maintain a pout while eating warm pancakes. After swallowing the current mouthful, their eyes slid across the table to their guest. "Did uh... did he do something special to- to deserve this treatment?"

Shedwyn shrugged as she hung her apron on the hook by the stove and settled into the seat next to Tulford, still bound and gagged in his own spot at the table. "Not really special, he only threw a knife at Terry."

"That's it? Not even- Not even a brick? Or a bomb? T- please tell me he- he at least had a rallying cry before he threw it. Like- 'Down with the monarchy!' or- or 'No taxation without representation!' Maybe even- maybe something like, 'That's for George, you self-righteous prick!'"

"Not a word. In tha' regard, 'e at least 'ad some sense." Terry gave their utterly bewildered captive a little pinch on the cheek, then tromped off to take a shower.

Shedwyn followed up with a ruffling of Tulford's tawny hair, "Cute, but young and dumb."

"Ass- Assassass-" Cay paused, then cleared their throat and started again. "Assassinations do very little to- to change the system, you know. S-sure, you get rid of ONE asshole, but- but there's no guarantee that- that they're not going to be replaced with an- with an even BIGGER asshole. And- and I think in this case, you'd- you'd get a very angry Lady Shedwyn in place of Terry, since. You know. Noble inheritance rights and all that."

They waved a hand with a shrug, pausing only to take another bite. "You'd- you'd be better off doing grassroots campaigning with- within your community. Form mutual aid groups, com-compile lists of grievances and work together to- to make Terry's life miserable by- by refusing to work until your demands are met!"

As Cay got excited, they stood up, thumping their fist on the table lightly to punctuate each consecutive statement, pancakes now forgotten. "Start with infrastructure! Demand b-better roads! G-government funded public schools! Public works programs! Form unions for- for laborers and guilds for artisans! Make- make your home better by- by demanding equal rights! One voice, one vote! Challenge authority! Ask questions, require answers! Healthcare for the sick, the injured, and the elderly!"

Shedwyn very flatly watched Cay go, frowning only when the kids started to get excitable. "Tsk." She flicked a speck of bacon at Cay's face. "We're already doing all that, silly. But it's not nice to project our views onto him!" Cay had seen the bubbly ditz act before, but never in front of company unless she was conning a merchant to get a better price or get him to trip over himself in a lie. "Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding!"

Tulford didn't really have any choice but to listen, with his mouth taped up, and his hands bound, and the absolute certainty that the creepy half-elf with the knives was still skulking around somewhere with eyes on him. It was hard to say if he was even still capable of blinking any way but owlishly anymore, in the face of Cay's rant.

And then Toby, kind, observant, helpful Toby, said, "It's not nice to talk at somebody, Uncle Cay," and ripped the tape off his mouth. After a small explosion of noise, Toby gave a thoughtful look at the tape in his hand, then said, "It's not nice to swear at the table either, Mister Tulford," and went back to serving his younger brothers their pancakes.

"I'm- I'm not projecting, I'm just. Informing..." Cay mumbled as they sat back down, looking up at Shedwyn like a kicked puppy. Dipping a napkin in a glass of water, they began to clean some of the mud from Tulford's face, blithely ignoring any sounds of protest. "He- he threw a knife at Terry, that's- he's clearly ignorant to- to the many alternative methods of-"

They paused, taking a really good look at the spot they'd cleaned away. Combined with the perplexingly parental treatment from the Ambroces, the indignant rage on Tulford's face put something of a spotlight on just how young he was underneath all the road grime. "Oh my gosh, y-you're a baby! L-look at you, not- not a single wrinkle on your face!"

"I'm not ignorant, I'm not a bloody baby, and what the bloody hell is happening right now?!"

"S-sorry," Cay murmured, flashing Tulford a sheepish grin and a shrug. "I- I have a hard time with human ages, es-especially between the ages of uh... 16 and 30? I- I can't really tell how mature humans are un-until they start getting in a few wrinkles."

"Family breakfast. The most important meal of the day, so eat up!" There was something uncomfortably keen--he might have used the word 'predatory,' if he'd had the presence of mind--in the way Shedwyn looked him up and down before adding, "You're going to need your strength."

Cay passed Toby a plate of pancakes so that he could help Tulford eat, which after a few deeply suspicious looks at the first forkful, he did finally do. If they were gonna kill him, they'd have already done it by now, right? And pancakes were hard to resist for long. There was no way these people knew they were his favorite food, right?

"I'm- I'm Caythaes, by the way. Lady Shedwyn's Boy Toy." They paused, then looked to Shedwyn. "Or- or is it consort now? Do- do I get a fancy title to make our relationship sound less scandalous?" Another pause as Cay's eyes go wide. "Oh no. Or- or should I have just not said anything at all?"

"I knew it" tumbled out of Tulford's mouth as soon as 'consort' hit his ears. The scowl he aimed Shedwyn's way was very familiar, since Terry used to have roughly the same one all the time when he and Cay first met. It lost a lot of its punch when he was doing it over a mouthful of pancake, though.

Shedwyn merely giggled, even as she rolled her eyes at Tulford's disgust. With the big table and all the kids she was a little too far away to reach out to physically comfort Cay, but the desire was there in her tone (not that Cay needed it, having completely ignored Tulford's reaction). "You're not a secret, Caythaes. Not ever." She brightened visibly, "And, unless you prefer 'consort,' I think we can leave that off until Terry and I take you somewhere formal, hm?"

"Oh. Oh good," they sighed, laughing softly and giving Shedwyn a reassuring smile. "I'm fine with- with whatever, I just, uh- Well, there's- there's a lot of rules to Nobility, isn't there?

"I'm- I'm still learning a lot of it, myself," they added, turning their smile on Tulford and giving his shoulder a friendly pat. "If- If you can't trust Terry, you can- you can at least trust me as- as a fellow commoner and laborer. I was- I was known back home as a rabble rouser, you know."

Finally, the kettle whistled, and Shedwyn got up to make a pot of tea. "Has Terry ever told you that he wanted to join the revolution and help overthrow Genn Greymane? And now here he is, hand-picked by Queen Tess. All this land here in Duskwood was bought specifically to get and keep it out of the hands of the 'nobs,' just like Keel, and now it's a barony. Life's funny like that." Shedwyn didn't feel it necessary to include that she was the one that grabbed up the land in Duskwood and Terry had taken the inspiration directly from her. "As far as you and the 'rules,' half those people already have their own 'secret' lovers. And unlike most of them, ours can't have children."

"I can have children..." Caythaes mumbles, because that was clearly the most important thing Shedwyn said. "I think," they add, pouting as they look over their purple hand, ears tipping downwards as the pout becomes a frown. It doesn't last long, and Caythaes shrugs, flopping back into their chair. "Anyway, I don't want kids. I'm- I'm perfectly happy with being the weird uncle."

"Tea or coffee, Tulford?"

Their captive audience had been struggling to keep up, head pivoting back and forth like watching a tennis match. It was hard to yell epithets when the people holding you hostage and being frickin' wierd at you were barely even paying attention to you. It didn't help that what they're saying was fascinating, in an additionally 'what the fuck' sort of way. Which mostly meant by the time he was addressed, his expression was back to 'what the fuck' again and all he could do for a second once he looked at Shedwyn was blink while he rebooted.

Then, he spat in her face. "Iunno what wierd-ass game you're playin' but I'm not joining in."

The kitchen fell immediately silent as all five children and Caythaes watched in anticipation. Even Corben and Ulfrich, the youngest of the bunch, had gone still and stopped eating.

Shedwyn blinked a few times, then smiled beatifically. “Water, then.” She picked up a napkin from the table to calmly wipe her cheek, then slid a rather large cup of pretty decent coffee in front of Cay. She took the opportunity to give them a kiss on the top of their head, and finally poured green tea for the rest of the table. Ulf turned up his nose at it, Corben batted the cup around while making mewing noises for a minute and then guzzled it, Junior opted for water instead, and Graeme and Toby swapped cups for no discernible reason.

“There’s no game here, Tulford. I don’t know what you went through before you got to the keep, but since we met you’ve been beaten, left in a cell, and strung across the back of an elderhorn for hours. You’re tired, dirty, hungry, and thirsty, and that is being remedied while my husband gets a good shower. You're free to join or even lead the discussion until then, or you can just enjoy the food and happy company."

Just like every other time someone had spat in Shedwyn Lias's face and gotten no-sold in response, Tulford could only stare angrily in silence, too baffled that he hadn't been punched to have a different response loaded. As the kids were given their green teas and the mild noise of multiple children under the ages of ten, Cay, and Shedwyn having breakfast resumed, he rebooted once again and just groaned.

She set the water, in a kid-safe wooden cup, in front of him. “Of course, the third alternative is to wait in a cold cell, with no food, no water, and no hospitality.”

Drinking from the cup would be tricky without the use of his hands, but Tulford seemed ready to try and manage up til Toby stuck a straw in it for him.

"I can- I can also provide some light healing, if- if you'd like," Caythaes offered, smiling happily up at Shedwyn and wiggling their ears as they sipped their coffee. "Despite all of this-" They gestured to their entire shadowflame self, "- I- I haven't lost my connection to Belore. The warmth of- of the Eternal Sun will soothe your aches and- and keep bruising to a minimum, at least.

"Y-you'll want to wait on the bath until this evening," they add, nodding sagely to themself. "I'll- I'll make sure one is prepared for you before dinner, that way- that way you can feel like a person again before you pass out. Do- do you like oranges and vanilla, by the way? Or- or are you a patchouli sort of guy."

If he could have, Tulford would've slammed his hands on the table. "I tried to kill your husband. And all that happened was getting my shit kicked in for a while, then a shitty nap. Why am I here right now?" After a few more sips and a minute to get himself riled up again, he added, "And fuck off with your bath shit already, elf. That's wierd. You're a wierd elf."

Shedwyn gave another airy, brainless giggle. "Ah, Tulford. Weird doesn't mean bad. But you have hit the nail directly on the head. Why are you here? Why did you try to kill my husband?"

"You threw a knife at Terrence Ambroce, Eonar's champion and- and the guy who committed Grand Theft Siege Engine! Among other things!" Cay added, their voice rising in pitch with each exclamation. "Why did you think that would work? Wh- why did you think you, a baby with- with likely no military training, I assume - could pull a- a fast one on someone old enough to- to be your uncle, at least, who's spent his life on the battlefield?

"F-face it, Tulferd, right? I'm- I'm bad with names..." Cay shook their head and waved a hand. "Anyway- y-you're here because y-you're young, stupid, and- and you made a stupid mistake and Terry's trying to- to be reasonable about it.

"Anyway, I'm not-" Cay pauses, huffs, and rolls their eyes with a shrug. "Okay, I am weird for an elf, but- but not because of the bath thing. That's- a hot bath with scented candles is- is nothing compared to- to what many elves get up to, especially the rich ones. I'm weird because- because I like getting dirty and playing in the mud. And also fake blood."

Now with no further distractions and the kids seemingly bored of mum and dad's new project, Tulford was able to focus on what really mattered: getting pissed at being insulted. He bristled, and despite his youth he did appear to have some bulk that made bristling at least a little impressive. At least, it would be if he weren't tied up. Most of it was further undercut by how red his face went right out the gate.

"Shove the giggles and the smug right up yer arse! If I'm not gonna be executed then I'm damn sure not gonna sit here lettin' some nancy jackrabbit pontificate on how stupid I am and how untrained I must be because I happened to get caught! Soldiers get caught, dumbass! Sometimes that's the best case scenario, actin' like it isn't tells me you probably don't have the training Elune gave a pheasant!"

After a moment to catch his breath, and blink, he backed up a couple steps. "...Wait, Eonar? That holy champion shit was real?"

"Well, g-given that I'm from Quel'thalas, y-you're right," Cay says calmly, setting down their empty coffee mug and tipping their head to the side. "I- I do, however, have the training Belore gave a phoenix, and I - I rather think that suits me better. Now, as- as much as I'm enjoying your, uh..." They gesture at Tulford's bristling, then his face. "The shade of red you're turning, I- I do think you should answer Lady Shedwyn's questions. They're, uh- well, they're bit more important than, well..."

Caythaes coughs politely into their hand, blushing faintly. "They're more important than me condescending from- from my high perch again. I- I am sorry about that. It's- it's a bad habit I've been trying to break. Anyway."

"The holy champion thing is- is very real. I've- I've had to shoo her off a few times just- just because my proximity to Terry means that, well. She kind of just. Drifts into my space."

Shedwyn tamped down on the grinning, falling into a pout instead, even after Tulford's brain hiccup. "While I am incredibly eager to find out how much of the stupid nonsense he's gotten up to has been successfully mythologized, I really do want to know... Why would a trained and educated soldier try to kill him?" She was a master of the sad, confused puppy eyes, and was not afraid to break them out now. For bonus points, she rested one hand on her stomach. They were talking about her husband, the man she loved to distraction, the father of (most of) her children, and she could not fathom why someone who wasn't a paid assassin would be trying to kill him.

All of that was utter bullshit, of course; she could--and had--come up with a dozen reasons people might want to kill Terry in under 30 seconds.

Tulford, to his credit, did take a moment to actually process a few of the bombshells that just went off right in front of him. Long enough at least for the redness in his face to dial back a few shades. He was still angry, confused, and not sure whether or not to be scared, and being uncertain about that was more terrifying than just being terrified. It didn't help that Shedwyn drew attention back to her pregnant belly; if anything gave away his youth, it was how easy pulling at that heartstring was. He rallied beautifully, though.

"Because he's a fuckin' traitor, why else? Gave up bodies, ran off to join the deaders, went full red for years, finally got tossed in the clink like he deserved when he pissed off some mercs in Draenor. Fast-forward to now... none of that happened, far as the crown seems to care. A fuckin' turncoat coward betrays his family and friends and country and gets a ton of land and a foreign wife and a damn blood elf consort apparently. There's your damn myth."

Shedwyn's lips pursed as she made herself stop and think instead of getting angry at the racism or the enormous holes in this version of the "myth."

Leaving her one hand on her belly, she placed the other on the table and started counting things off. "First, yes, he was going to sell out the location of the graveyard, in return for…. what turned out to be empty promises. It's not my place to tell you exactly what those were, but I will say… I don't know how much you remember of that time period, but much of Gilneas--even those who escaped the Curse--was mad from grief. He was no exception, and he bears intense shame for that even now.

"Second, he did not join the rotters," the slur slipped off her tongue with the easy vitriol of long-born hatred, "He was kidnapped and tortured for years. We all know the stories of what they did to prisoners; this was worse. Use your imagination.

"Third, when he was put out on a leash, he did upset some mercs--my family and his brother. They caught him, and cut his leash. On what he thought was his deathbed, he pointed us to the place he was tortured, enabling us to destroy a particularly heinous laboratory located where the keep is now.

"Fourth, you're missing out on his time in the military, of which you have clearly heard stories, just without his name connected to them, or that you disbelieved because they were so shockingly outrageous. 'The holy champion shit' is an excellent example. He did everything he could to keep his name out of it, but debriefings are only so avoidable, so records were kept.

"That is what got the attention of the Crown. That is why he was one of those who was here to retake Gilneas. And why, in the aftermath, he was offered the opportunity to grab up as much land as possible, to keep it safe.

"Which brings us to fifth: the Crown cares a lot about his entire history. We are under close watch by the governments of both Stormwind and Gilneas."

For her last point, she finally allowed her anger to seep into her voice. "And of course, sixth, if you don't stop saying racist things about my friend, I will have to ask my children to leave the room."

"That means she's gonna fuck you up." Junior had been watching the whole scene play out in more or less silence, like he generally did, but much like his father, once he got invested in the show, he couldn't keep his enthusiasm to himself. And, unfortunately, his brand of enthusiasm was infectious in a room full of little boys. The younger twins cackled like gremlins, Graeme shot milk out his nose in pure surprise, and Toby blushed.

Shedwyn froze, then closed her eyes for just a second with a raw, unfiltered face that all but screamed 'god damn it, not again.' She only opened them again when she felt Ulfrich tugging at her sleeve. "Mm?"

"What's a consort, mum?"

"Oh-KAY I think it's time to take this outside WHO WANTS TO GO FLYING Shu-fen if you would please take them to go meet Scooter bless you you're a gem..."

Much like the spooky elf earlier, Tulford had almost forgotten about the pandaren attendant until she stepped away from the wall. She hadn't even been in shade or anything, she'd just gone all not-noticeable on him. The second Shedwyn said her name, she was there, and shushing the little chorus of combined protest and eagerness as she led the herd out the door.

Despite his very real predicament and the very touchy topics at play, Tulford almost burst out laughing anyway. (Caythaes was no help, they were still laughing once the kids had gone, and excused themself to the next room to finish getting it out.) It was all so fucking absurd! And he was pretty sure the one kid had done that on purpose; it'd cut the tension like a cleaver.

Right up til he looked back at Shedwyn, to find her staring straight through him, all pretenses completely dropped. Her eyes were glowing blue, unmistakably magical, and she looked ready to fucking eat him. In spite of himself, he wilted a little. "None of it sounded real. It still doesn't sound real. I think you're fuckin' with me, saying it is. That kind of shit doesn't happen to Gilneans."

"It was real, and it was horrible, and wonderful, and we barely got back in one piece. There are still things neither of us can talk about, even to each other. But it was all real."

Another tense silence followed. Then, "The Lighthound."

She slowly smiled, and leaned back a little. She was still staring, though, and there were too many teeth in her smile. "The one and only."

His brow furrowed, and he fidgeted with his bound hands again. "What was it?"

"It was him. He was desperate. They all were. He called out for help, to anyone or anything that would listen, and... Eonar owed him. I don't know what number you heard, but he carried five people out of the Blight clouds. It was classified--and instantly became a folk tale--because absolutely none of them showed a single sign of being Blighted."

Tulford scanned her face while she spoke, and for a while after she finished. Whatever he was looking for, he was increasingly distressed not to find. "I heard fifty."

"Only five. Five men who would have died in agony made it home."

"How-" He choked, swallowed a few breaths, and started again. "How does a slag like him get a favor from a fucking titan?"

She finally looked away, glancing down at her belly (where there were once a matched pair of holes in her torso), and huffed a little laugh. "Right place, right time. How much do you know about the Antorus campaign on Argus?"

More fidgeting. "Not much. I was only ever ground support here."

She peered at him, looking him up and down again as she did some very fast math, but let it pass. "Mm. The short version is, he answered her call, and they helped each other a few times throughout the campaign, establishing a... connection. She lives because of his actions. He lives because of hers."

Incredulous, Tulford asked, "Are you telling me they traded?"

"After a fashion. There was some back-and-forth. As I understand it, there is some mutual respect at this point, established when he agreed to be her champion during the Nazjatar campaign."

Not knowing what to say or do was fast becoming Tulford's baseline, and he didn't like it. It wasn't the normal kind of not knowing, either; not being sure whether a mission would go to plan or whether he'd get to go home for dinner was one thing. Being presented with answers he had no idea how to interpret, by someone he could not figure out whether to trust, and having no idea what the endgame was... That wasn't something he could have prepared for.

When he finally broke the silence again, he sounded even younger yet, and terribly lost. "What are you gonna do with me?"

She glanced at the door Terry had gone through earlier. "We haven't decided, yet. You seem to be a confused kid, but we'll have to do some background on you. However, as long as you're not some hired assassin or someone with a personal axe to grind, you're not in any danger from us."

After some uncomfortable throat-clearing to pretend he hadn't let his voice crack that way, Tulford gave her an evaluating look. "You're not actually a dipshit, are you."

"No more so than you."

A rude snort escaped him, and he shuffled with his bonds one more time. "Fine, that's fair." With that, he slid his hands right out of the ropes, letting them fall to the floor, then looked back up at her again.

After how calm she'd been each time he expected her to punch him in the face, it came as no surprise that she didn't really react aside from a slight nod. Acknowledgement? Approval? No telling. "Thank you for waiting for the children to be out of the room."

"Yeah, well." He rubbed at one wrist with a quiet grunt. "You already knew I didn't have any weapons. And you didn't slit my throat and dump me off the cliffs. So... Iunno. I wouldn't call what we've got trust, s'much. But I'm willing to at least believe you aren't gonna kill me now."

"Duzzat mean I kin come out now? Only I'm gettin' real sick o' sittin' 'ere all pruny an' I'd really like some clean pants."

Ah. Right. Terry'd been showering.

Shedwyn rolled her eyes. "I told you it was a mistake not to connect the bathroom to the master bedroom!"

"An' I told you there's nothin' wrong with 'avin' more'n one bathroom! Can I come out now or not? Are we done bein' murder-'appy idjits yet?"

"We're done being murder-happy idiots."

"Good. I'm fuckin' cold." With that, Lord Ambroce emerged from the bathroom, mercifully with a towel around his waist, and strode across the room to disappear through another doorway. As he passed the pair, Tulford once again blinking helplessly, he leaned over and pecked Dwyn's temple. "You owe me five gold."

Then he was gone, and Tulford was still blinking.

( @daily-writing-challenge @shedwyn @mekandawn )

[lookwhatyoudidithasanxiety]

I think I have figured out Anon Anon's whole 'thing'.

Loosing ones limbs can be very traumatic, see Harvest and Ghost as an example:

Ghost tends to lash out towards other people, though that might be because of past happenings. Though, being eaten and killed might not have been helpful.

Harvest tries to seclude himself as much as possible from what he believes to be the cause of his unfortunate dismemberment. And while he is getting better he gets very frustrated with his shortcomings and lashes out towards the people that he loves (bloody) unlike Ghost, who was taking her frustrations out on everyone, with almost no real pattern besides a specific little who was left behind (not on purpose) by an older sibling and was getting the attention and care he deserved. That itself can be frustrating when you see someone getting the love and attention that you were robbed of when that sibling person left.

But, up until AA's latest ask I couldn't figure out what their deal was. It was when I paralleled them with Sans did I figure it out, comedy. They do rather dumb things to be the comedic relief. They make themself the butt of the joke so others can laugh and they can laugh along. They did this before they even lost their fingers, this might say that something happened to them outside of the blog and they were projecting onto their anon character, or they just like making people laugh. But they continued after a rather traumatic situation instead of just letting them properly analyze what happened, they brushed it off. They bantered with MWCT, they played tricks on the others, they did everything in their power to keep the light on the funny parts of them instead of the bad. To laugh is to forget, at least for a little bit.

When they do talk about what happened they brush it off as if it was 'no big deal' while it very much is a big deal.

And dear sweet Star.

They most likely got pushed away a lot when younger. Told to stop being a bother and a nuisance. Most likely by a parent or an adult, that would explain the constant 'I don't have to play if they don't want me to' getting told to not talk or to go away as a child or a teen is very damaging to the brain and rewires it to work a different way. I'm a bother, no one wants to be around me, I should just shut up and go away. No one wants you to leave, ok? We care about you.

Blood is... violent, most likely from being exposed to the internet at a young age.

Magic penguin, people pleaser. Right off the bat they only asked others what they wanted and have tried bringing comfort to other characters. They desperately want the validation of others and for them to like being around them.

TFM, they like being in control, not in a bad way. They like having the situation taken care of quickly and swiftly with as little casualties as possible. Perhaps they didn't have a lot of control given to them as a younger child so they're trying to make up for it now to make them feel like they're doing something useful.

Anyway, thats just what I've gathered from what I've read. I might be wrong and feel free to let me know if I am. I'm training to become a therapist.

More coming soon.

-Casey

//....Dang. That was....ah. 😅 I think you pretty much got everyone.//

[horizon-verizon]

You probably misunderstood me. You are right that from a purely objective view Rhaenyra should have been a Queen. But as a reader, I see a woman who was given that unique chance and blew it. Blew it so hard that her ancestors are ashamed of her. You know, it is like if a young woman is enrolled to some college where traditionally only men are applied (imagine this hypothetical major). She was given that chance but instead of studying, she took drugs, partied, cheated and missed her lectures. She was expelled from college and they banned from enrolling all women. Unfair? Yes. But I can't say that girl was a pure victim.

*EDIT (5/31/24): Rhaenyra suffers from really bad sexist writing on GRRM's, not just the maesters', part and it undermines his own point.* And no, she doesn't need to be necessarily "moral" like Dany to be a deserving ruler. The below is still relevant.

And why does she need to be a pure victim, in terms of morals, for me to insist that it's more important to think abt how no one (esp men in-world and out of world) was going to care of she was a good, competent leader? It certainly matters in terms of the writing and themes, but Rhaenyra lives in a world where men do not have be competent to be valid leader candidates at the same time.

The point of her story was to highlight how no matter how good or evil or morally ambiguous a person you are, if you are female, you are subject to losing a power men are just granted. Or usurped. And this is inherently wrong. Rhaenyra chose to go to war rather than give up. This is valuable. Visenya was not thinking "for the realm" or for the benefit of smallfolk or outside of her family, yet she as so many fans bc she was not passive or restricted by "madness". She has less sexist writing.

In light of all the above, there is something weird with characterizing the "opportunity" as something a woman can have if she just acts like a "good woman-ruler", as this asker actually pointed out back in January:

A war that has once again been started / provoked by the Greens, because they have fomented a usurpation and usurped the rightful heiress. From the moment the Greens began a plot, war was all but inevitable if they achieved their goal, as it was inevitable that the Blacks would retaliate. They are responsible for this war, it is a fact. [...]

The fact is, the Greens attacked the FIRST, then fought hard, until it led to the fucking war in question. In this scenario, how does Rhaenyra have a real share of responsibility in the birth of the conflict / war? Or even Blacks more generally?

[...] Also, why would Rhaenyra have to be a "revolutionary feminist" according to some, to deserve this fucking throne exactly? Seriously, when I argue that the Greens attacked first, with power greed and misogyny as their primary motives, and are therefore by extensions the antagonists/villains of the story, this bullshit of "but Rhaenyra n 'isn't a feminist who will revolutionize Westeros' is almost systematically released as a response, as if it were a real argument? We do not care ? That's just not the point of what they're saying. Again, there's this completely dumb notion that since Rhaenyra is a woman, then she must earn her inheritance. She has to prove that she will be better than the others, and not just be a ruler who will keep the kingdom possibly stable, etc. This argument is simply another mani manifestation of the misogyny of some fans. The problem being that we have no idea how Rhaenyra's reign would have actually been, simply because she wasn't herself when she got the throne, and she was getting worse and worse because of of all that she had taken in the face and what she continued to take. We don't have the means to know if she could have improved certain things for women, if she would have simply kept the kingdom stable and prosperous, or if she would have been a bad queen anyway.

If she acts according to our (the patriarchal "lords"/the greens) standards and purview, she is a good leader.

I'm not saying that she should have never tried to be more strategic, pragmatic, and/or active in the politics and court of KL. That she should just not learn how to chess-move people so she could prevent, say, Alicent's green council.

What I am saying is that Alicent had effectively made KL an environment hostile to her children's development and has undermined Rhaenyra's ability to practice power since the woman was 10 and Rhaenyra had some reasons to not stay in KL even after Viserys cut his hand and grew worse.

AND

In terms of JUST the competency levels, that she didn't is GRRM's fault, not really hers, because in real history luxurious and "entitled" noblewomen like Olga of Kiev, Urraca of Castile, Elizabeth I, etc. still did stuff and participated in war even when they didn't fight with any of their soldeirs just as many male nobles didn't actually fight w/their soldiers [read the post I linked above in the "EDIT" space, I explain!!!]

AND

If you begin a group/community/etc.'s hostility or disfavor and suspicion against a person since their childhood, they are going to have a very difficult time in independently gathering followers.

Basically, if you are in a setting that makes it that much harder for people to just either be or to do what they want without being castigated or threatened, you increase the likelihood of that person being incompetent or of worse moral character bc that person will default to selfishness real quick in a world that already says you must be authoritative and cruel and selfish to "win". You are definitely accountable, but you have also been shaped. you've been shaped and cornered and developed into a worse moral character, but to blame things that were out of the person's hands on them is unfair.

A)

You: "You know, it is like if a young woman is enrolled to some college where traditionally only men are applied (imagine this hypothetical major). She was given that chance but instead of studying, she took drugs, partied, cheated and missed her lectures. She was expelled from college and they banned from enrolling all women."

The issue, anon, is that the privilege to be a monarch has its legitimization from militaristic quasi-religious beliefs. It's not about deserving based on merit, and the prize is not a career but the total domination of a whole group of groups of people.

Both situations have women entering an institution of some sort historically & traditionally granted only to men, but feudal monarchies are never as altruistic as we want. Being a leader of a nation based on the right of blood; it's almost inevitable that your claimants be monarchists and not feminist democrats or the like. You're likely going to get people who believe in at least some crucial parts of the ideologies their world organizes itself on. Doesn't excuse rape or racism, for example, it's just that I find it strange how one expects most/all persons put in front of them in a text or real life to be as progressive as they want them to be. Again, we're talking about human behavior & recognizing constraints/social norms being used against women for the sake of power and social control, not how her moral fiber defines how much we sympathize with her and if she deserves help based on how sorry we feel for her.

1.

Because this modern 19th-century/20th-century girl/woman already voluntarily enrolled in the school to fulfilling both her personal career and sociopolitical goals, having known through her experience, observation, and education.

A girl in your scenario having a psychological breakdown is likelier due to outside/societal pressures not wanting her to succeed and trouble male privilege and authority's norm (thus she faces near-ubiquitous censure since she still lives in a society where both men and women take exception to a woman doing "man" things) or an intentional evil plot/conspiracy. She already knows what she's up against, why would such a thing happen if not for external forces?

2.

I think that there is a thin, subtle line between making women a monolith/a female individual a representative of all women's capabilities and discerning how a woman's capabilities are perceived to exist through an already patriarchal understanding of women=less-than.

On the one hand, the world of this woman--she is the first woman to be in a male field/space--makes her sit so that people eye her for her ability to go against expectations of her abilities. Materially, she has some sort of responsibility that she makes it through so that other girls and women can feel that such is possible for them, that if they press hard enough they can also achieve things and resist patriarchal pressures against their desires. However, at the same time and once more, much/enough of the audience observing and watching the boundary-crossing is looking at it hoping and actively compromising so they may "prove" how women "like her"/all women should be barred from male-given things AND Rhaenyra cannot be much of an example if people have usurped her and totally blocked her for just being a woman.

In other words, this one woman is made to stand for all women because society already makes "woman" into an entity without diversity, without personality, with personhood and human vulnerability or grace of development and psychology. If a woman breaks apart publicly, it's likelier she'd get called "crazy" or be described as "throwing a tantrum" while also expected to not handle huge responsibilities without male accompaniment, as if she were a child that's also meant to conform her behavior entirely to what others want from her in their own designs, no matter the inspirations for her feelings and goals.

Rhaenyra is not reviled for her taxes in broader/later history, but because the councilors of Aegon III's regency saw that "risking" the throne for a woman was not worth it. Especially with what happens to Baela, with Aegon's council trying to marry her off and criticizing her for acting "unseemly" by hanging out with men, drinking, maybe sleeping around, and definitely flirting and daring to run away and choosing for herself a husband. Munkun saw her actions as "proving" that the woman ruling was chaotic by nature.

3.

Let's consider what happened with the first female marathon runner, Kathrine Switzer, in the 1967 Boston Marathon. She was "allowed" to run but discouraged and criticized for it by her boyfriend and even her own coach at turns before and during the actual run. The organizer, John Semple, shouted and tried to intimidate her, even hitting the coach show trying to protect her and stop him from running her off--during the race. Other people actively tried to stop her from running or felt it was their right to slow her down to get pictures.

Later this same guy (Semple) would try to make it as if he only wanted her to not "mess up" "his" race and was afraid she'd ruin it. Do we actually think that your female student at a male college would not face such discrimination and scare tactics almost daily? Kathrine Switzer, while doing the rune and a little afterward, even blamed herself for much of the abuse she faced. But I don't think that makes her a bad person or even weak. And since she is human, I'm sure she had her moments in her private life. Does this then mean that she wasn't a victim of misogyny and active attempts to disempower her? No, she still faced people trying to deny her autonomy, therefore she was a victim, but a victim who continued and managed to find some

Switzer definitely managed to actually finish and show female autonomy on her own terms by racing despite these things, but she, unlike Rhaenyra, this form of social backlash occurs from the time a girl understands social cues. What happens with Switzer is, I think I can say figuratively, a high-intense microcosm of what happens to girls and women all the time: constant intimidation, belittling, discouragements, and even manipulations to get them to over-compromise or give in to hidden/semi-unconscious desires for control over them/exclusion. How one finds and maintains that strength and focus is always subject to circumstances that shift in constant reflections and response to the environment, which .

If it feels like Rhaenyra was overly unaware, it's because GRRM made her too unwilling to respond to things a bit quicker or anticipate making her fall concentratedly and quickly. I say this because it was necessary--writing-wise in his vision--for Rhaenyra to begin to fall by some sort of action-inaction (Othello and tragedy writing).

4.

What is a "pure victim"? One that does no evil or questionable actions independently with or without provocation at any point in their life, or one that only ever is victimized without trying to take control back after victimization?

At first, there is no such thing as a person, someone who hasn't done something at least amoral once in their lives. In the second option, what do you truly expect a victim to do, sit and take it? And what happens when humans try to take back control after being victimized?

Some like Alicent do worse evils and abuse others, some do more serious things but also strive to be more altruistic, and some aren't so altruistic. In all of these options, there are always mistakes being made, errors, and misunderstandings because that person is navigating how to gain and keep power, riding the line of self-reservation vs helping others without expectation of immediate gain. This is not as easy as it seems since you first have to have an understanding of who you are, which might have been messed up from your trauma and which you must entangle while living life and surviving. In other words, it's a treacherous road of going back and forth by itself. Some will falter, some will "fail", and some will "succeed"; but I don't think what makes you less human is that failure/faltering. Of course, Rhaenyra is not "perfect" nor a "perfect victim"--why should she, for me feel even somewhat bad for her, or blame most of her troubles on the patriarchy that denigrated her in the first place and had set up several of every same challenge that she had to directly face in order to gain power?

There is no such thing as a "pure" victim and there never will be (as in a victim that has no accountability for their own actions, as they are still human beings of some intelligence and cognition). There is just victim who must live on with their traumas and make a life for themselves. Again, Rhaenyra became a tyrant towards the end AND the act against Nettles was still blood purity rearing its head so she can take back control during paranoia, as I state in this Twitter thread. At the same time, she definitely came to the point she was at from misogyny and direct attacks from childhood. Two things are true at once.

B)

There is a kind and level of scrutiny on Rhaenyra and woman who take on traditionally male-reserved positions (context here, Westerosi monarchy) that has two sides: the woman-as-social-troubler has to work harder to stay in power AND yet, why should she have to "convince" others that she is worthy, esp when many will never be convinced and she will always be less preferred than a mediocre man? The story presents us with this question. She "works harder" precisely bc people will doubt her and try to stymie/block her hypothetically made moves. So there's going to be a perennial back-and-forth. And as we see with Cersei, Catherine the Great, & Elizabeth I, one even can see that a female ruler decided to/pressured-by-circumstances to eschew "ordinary" femininity and claim NLOGness.

That scrutiny she gets is still a colored one, one that is made from an idea of what leadership looks like and it is a masculine/militant and assertive-aggressive kind. Even Alicent's directing the city is publicly not for her but for her son, so it's acceptable. that what Alicent wants and sees her way to power, through her son. People in Westeros are not looking at Alicent as a leader in her own right; they're looking at her as a mother and wife to Kings who hang back and think of ways to defend those men's properties.

C)

I agree that there was a kind of "opportunity" for Rhaenyra or any woman there but (scroll down to section D to get to the main point faster) and think or imply that all or most of her ancestors were primarily interested in female leadership and the death of blood purity is false.

Check this post out by la-pheacienne, who writes how like in Greek Tragedy Rhaenyra is the protagonist: "Both characters [Alicent & Rhaenyra of HotD] have reasons behind their actions but there has to be only one character that is in the right, and that is Rhaenyra. Both characters will be punished for their errors, the hero will suffer because of the antagonist first of all, and their own errors of judgement (tragic flaws) and the antagonist will then suffer for their vile deeds in relation to the hero. That's a Greek tragedy. Simple."

I feel like Rhaenyra was in a place similar to a glass cliff sort of thing:

University of Houston psychology professor Kristin J. Anderson says companies may offer glass cliff positions to women because they consider women "more expendable and better scapegoats." She says the organizations that offer women tough jobs believe they win either way: if the woman succeeds, the company is better off. If she fails, the company is no worse off, she can be blamed, the company gets credit for having been egalitarian and progressive, and can return to its prior practice of appointing men. Haslam and Ryan say their studies show that people believe women are better suited to lead stressed, unhappy companies because they are felt to be more nurturing, creative, and intuitive. These researchers argue that female leaders are not necessarily expected to improve the situation, but are seen as good people managers who can take the blame for organizational failure.

While Rhaenyra is not subject to a capitalist company of main men, there is the same pattern of using women to mark women as unnatural leaders but also using their labor.

There was also an "opportunity" for Aenys I, Maegor I, Alyssa Velaryon, and Jaehaerys I to all push forward female candidates for the throne or heirship...but all decided against it to hold onto power. It's funny how this never gets mentioned in this discussion of their introducing a female ruler into the Westerosi society, that it rested on this one woman. you know some of those ancestors mentioned as having been "disappointed" in her because she supposedly was just not up to snuff. IT doesn't really matter that for generations, women have been purposefully barred from taking the throne and that over time, the Andal preference and precedence of amel-only got stronger and stronger, thus making more problems for any female official heir, later on, to be seen as worthy enough even before she ever attempts to present herself. It's like we have forgotten what happened to Rhaenys, how she and Corlys both worked hard to convince the lords and it still not working out for them, with th votes going nearly unanimously for Viserys!

Yeah, she could have seen the chance to make sure that women could rule easier everywhere else...but you're underestimating how gruesome that task was.

D)

You: "Blew it so hard that her ancestors are ashamed of her."

Anon, which ancestors? Jaehaerys? He would have been more upset that Viserys dared to name her, even over Daemon! He refused to name his firstborn, a girl, his heir, he rather call a council to make sure others chose a mal heir for him than name Rhaenys heir, he passed over her the first time by naming his son as heir and would have kept right of the first night if he hadn't been pressed by both Alysanne and Septon Barth, and it was Septon Barth who finally convinced him. He refused to give as much attention to his daughters as his sons, didn't give them any military or political training or made sure they had equal training so that Alyssa, who wanted to be a warrior, eventually focuses more on birthing Baelon kids. He psychologically tortured Saera in a way to make her submit to his designs on her marriages, when her actions obviously come from him not fully considering her a true agent or full person. He rushed Daella into marriage and pressured Alysanne to marry her off to just anyone, thus the girl married a man more than 20 years her senior before she ever reached 17. And she died in childbirth. Had no relationship at all with Gael.

Again, you must notice how Targ women lose more and more confidence in their rule/autonomous rule/political education with each new generation, right? Naerys and Rhaella are martially raped and have no power to their names whatsoever, relying on male relatives or having none and totally exposed to abuse with little-to-no haven. That's Aenys, Maegor, and Jaehaerys' fault, which I already stated. Maegor would have done what he did to Rhaena and denied her power by marrying her or just imprisoning her. Aenys would not have named her heir at all, thus Rhaenyra doesn't get to even acrue power for herself.

None of her ruling male ancestors would have wanted her to even rule in the first place! They would be "disappointed" no matter what. Maybe except for Aegon I, but again what happened with Rhaenyra is so much more than these individuals' expectations and resulted from their actions.

And as for the female members: Visenya would have hated that Jaehaerys compromised so hard like Aenys, and removed so much of female power. What would she have done after Maegor killed his own nephew, Viserys, after torturing him for days to draw Alyssa Velaryon out with Jaehaerys and their kids? What would Visenya have done if she saw Maegor

Maybe her sister Rhaenys has some "disappointment" in Rhaenyra not seeing, not going to hold you, over Rosby and Stokeowrth. The thing is that even with the rule of six and thumb that she herself enacted, it didn't completely erase men beating their wives because a total raze of Andal traditions would not be politically expedient to her and her sibling's new rule and hold on power, so Rhaenys would have some hypocrisy for her disappointment. Since Rhaenyra was thinking of her own hold on power during a civil war where anything could happen and had a true competitor, unlike the first 3 conquerors, at her door, I think Rhaenys might also consider this and look more broadly, recognize the similar-to-worsened conditions present. But I also think she would see how far women fell off in the dynasty and think of more than just Rhaenyra's personal decisions.

--Digression?--

Visenya and Rhaenys would be horrified that Rhaenyra had to fight at all for her position while side-eyeing her dumb choices, but still going for her and approving of her sentence of her claim of power despite those against her. Visenya would definitely be less understanding of her paranoia, as she's all about strength and competence. Then again, she herself gave too much advantage to Maegor even before he became king because she loved he was technically more hers to love and be loved by. What would Visenya have done if Maegor had died prematurely? Would she also have gone bloodthirsty and raze the earth (figuratively and literally)? By how she reacted to Rhaenys' death, if Maegor died prematurely, there's a chance she's going ballistic?

No Visenya could have insisted that Rhaenyra marry Aegon. But with Rhaenys being 10 years older and having to wait at least until Aegon was 13 (Maegor was 13 when he married Ceryse and Viserys II impregnated 19-yr-old Larra of Lys when he was under 13), how long until then would Alicent have plotted and undermined her, cutting away her influence or going against her more and more, turning Aegon from her as she does in canon and what then? Or would Visenya force/convince Viserys to train Rhaenyra to become a better leader all her own so she could rule over the incompetent Aegon/Westeros, because again she hated incompetence and Rhaenyra would be the actual adult doing things?

--END of Digression--

Alysanne has her own complicated issues with women expecting/seeking power through her relationship with her older sister, and her other daughters. She also tried hard to get women and girls in her family to have the same access to power as the males. She was also intelligent enough to become a maester (as the maester-written account categorizes "intelligence"). If she looked at Rhaenyra, she'd likely be glad there was a female heir but prefer it to be Rhaenys, true, because Rhaenyra is younger and it should have gone to Rhaenys anyway. But ALysanne asserted girls' right to rule not from t heir inteeligence or lask thereof--bc boys don't have to be to be "n0minated". She never expressed conditions on the firstborn girls she wanted to be Queen.

And all of these women and men simply did not live as Rhaenyra lived or lived during a time when misogyny was so set in the systems and against them that they could judge Rhaenyra impartially. Truly, we can't 100% rely on any of these people's perspectives of her. And all of them still did sibling/incest marriages for the sake of keeping their blood "pure" just as Westerosi/Andal peoples did. this is a feudal dynasty, anon.

E)

These posts: #1; #2; #3.

*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. 

[ebitchwriting]

Aeon and Cleon Ship Thoughts

Well, you know why you're here. Let's talk about Leon's two most important relationships with Ada and Claire, why I think both are canon, and why both won't be canon in the way you think and how it's all tied to Leon's not dealing with his issues.

Both individuals he met during the chaos of Racoon City and the original T-Virus outbreak when he was dumb, young, hungover, and desperately trying to save whoever he could. By the end of it, he saved at least Claire and Sherry but watched Ada die in his arms/right in front of him(depends on which order you played the game). Seeing the dead rise, families be torn apart and brutally destroyed, and finally, the city blowing up leaving the survivor numbers in the single digits, and then subsequently being forced into an agent position by the government to keep Sherry safe, it's no wonder that the man has PTSD, displayed less seriously and more jokingly in RE4(or at least from what I remember playing as a kid). His PTSD, and alcoholism, become a lot more obvious RE6 onward.

With Ada, it's been clear for a long time he loves her. There's the trauma connection and that adds an element of realness that he can't have with hardly anyone else and that she's one of his last connections to his innocence, which is only intensified by the fact he thought she was dead until RE4. While Ada has sexual attraction to Leon, whether she feels the same level of emotional turbulence and need from Leon is another question entirely. They have been in a sexual relationship, or at least had been suggested in the second Resident Evil animated movie Damnation. But sex and romantic love are NOT the same things. Ada has always struck me as aro, so the way I see it Leon to her is a fun, casual relationship that she takes advantage of when she has the chance. Meanwhile, Leon is constantly yearning for more but doesn't see himself as deserving of it, and only takes what he can get. Both of them are also smarter than to try for anything serious with the instability of both jobs(and illegality of Ada's), and the rising threat of bioterrorism.

Claire, on the other hand, well Leon loves her too. Just as equally as he loves Ada. Claire was the one he managed to save. The only other one that shares the same trauma and has a connection he can't find anywhere else. Who had that connection to his innocence, and probably the only one he lets see who he is when he isn't on guard. They don't canonically see each other very much, but when they do they're ecstatic to see each other. Until Infinite Darkness, when Claire asks for the chip to expose the government, to the surprise of Leon who was expecting a dinner catchup(reads as a date by subtext), and after being honest and refusing Claire, they presumably parted ways. (Which as much as that chip needed to be revealed, it needed to be done strategically, so don't exactly blame Leon for not giving it to Claire, however, there could have been more negotiation made)

Now, why would he constantly choose to chase after Ada, someone he knows won't love him the way he loves her, and even if she did there would be a future? Why would he choose to sabotage his relationship with Claire, someone he knows could love him back the way he loves her and could have a future with her? Answer: because he hates himself. He doesn't think he deserves to have a future. He's also afraid that eventually, he'll fail Claire and she would end up dead because of him. He thinks he's cursed and pushes Claire away so she can live. He chases after Ada, someone that seemingly keeps dying and coming back to life(he had NO idea who Carla was and that she was impersonating Ada), someone he knows won't get so attached to him that it risks her life(more than it already is). It's a doomed relationship. He'd rather have a half hour of fun every year or 2, then back to being alone with his issues than have a wonderful relationshop cut short by tragedy than be alone with his issues.

If Leon saw a therapist, then he'd be still fucked up but he'd be dealing with his issues far better. But, ya know, this is Resident Evil. Very few of the Raccoon City survivors have tried to healthily deal with their issues. Arguably I'd say only Claire and Rebecca managed to healthily move on from Raccoon City.

[alltimefail-sims]

Idk if I'm super late to this or if I missed a response, but I'd like to hear your thoughts about Roberto Crinkletop being Robert Crumplebottom. I'm not sure how I feel about it and would be happy hearing somebody else's opinion

You are not late on this nor did you miss a post from me about Roberto, but oh boy do I have thoughts! LOTS of them! I forgot about EA's atrocious little video until this ask remined me. Thank you!

I considered making a whole lore post on Agnes and I still might - but this whole thing with Roberto has re-contextualized her lore in the most inconsistent way, in my opinion. It has also discouraged me from wanting to talk about her. No surprise there though - they have fumbled the ball with lore in TS4 time and time again, and I think I am apart of a minority that just doesn't want them to address it any more. Even the slight mention of the Landgraabs in their most recent livestream made my skin crawl in the worst way. I just wish the Sims team would just stop pandering to a fanbase they do not care about in order to seem like they're putting thought into these families when they make them (spoiler: it's clear they don't put that much thought into them, if any at all. I truly believe they used to care, but that has been lost to time and that's why the games just aren't the same as they used to be. Trying to fuck with preexisting families, like the Goths for example, is only ruining what made them good in the first place... but I digress.)

Basically though, I'll sum it up now by saying that it seemed to be canon that the death and/or disappearance of Agnes' husband is what made her turn sour and callous (grief is what made her the person she is today, grief and loss made her hate romance). But then that wretched video drops and they decide to portray young Agnes as this mean, naggy wife that her poor husband (eye roll...) had to escape from? It even feels like they're insinuating that she was actually abusive because he says coming to Chestnut Ridge and becoming a nectar maker literally saved his life. Like holy shit! Just seems really fucking dumb to me if we're being honest!

It's just lazy writing, and it doesn't make sense with what we know of Agnes from TS2/TS3. In the original games it felt like she was a nuisance and a miserable old woman who we're supposed to feel bad for. In TS2 her actions aren't explained, but we know she is adverse to romance. In TS3 we see her in a whole new light, and it's pretty devastating how the loss clearly impacted her (that half unfinished nursery lives in my mind rent free). It was implied that they loved each other, in my opinion, but it seems like the Sims team will never miss an opportunity to villainize a female premade. I'm serious - it's actually getting concerning how the negative traits or actions of the male characters in this game are always twisted to be endearing, understandable, or momentarily misguided. But the women? Oh no, they're insufferable nags, abusers whose husbands need to leave them, women who never really loved their spouses at all, they're evil, they're mean, they're distant, they are bad wives and mothers, they are money-hungry, they are killers, and that's the whole of their marketing.

Poor uwu baby boys, save them from the mean ladies!! And if they cheat on the mean ladies, the ladies deserved it! If they are a serial cheater who will go as far as to leave their fiance at the aisle, that's okay because they're just a lovable himbo! If their wives go missing and they date a woman much younger than them, that's okay - she's actually the money hungry one! Yes he is lazy and does not have any ambition or drive, but his wife is so mean for being tired of their life being stagnant - she is the problem! She is a money hungry evil woman and he is just her husband who has no idea! He's rich and literally lives with her but uhhhh he's so nice that the estranged son (who looks just like him) isn't even his!

Ugh. Give me a break sims team. I'm tired!

[the-firebird69]

Watch "Shinedown - Second Chance (Official Video)" on YouTube

The song sounds horrible but it's not the message that I sent to my mother and father that you believe here. It's about when I was young and I decided to expose what kind I was and I did it on purpose and I told him that sometimes me being away from us as a second chance for me and us and they knew what I was talking about and believed it would work and they helped me.

The second part of the song is very important I made a display on Jupiter to express what the problem is

*you here on Earth who are us will understand when I tell you that Jupiter was struck by part of a comet that smashed into another one and it was Haley's and a shoemaker love you and Haley was destroyed it on impact and shoemaker broken to pieces and impacted Jupiter of course I encourage mine to find comments and asteroids and hurl them to the suns to destroy them, and I've done my share of it as space to breathe it impacts a planet across the universe could destroy this solar system 3 days from then and all you would have left to comment with humans here would be a blink.

The corky and others are similar to these comets and asteroids and nobody really gives them stuff because that's childish and foolish and asinine to assume that people who are completely out there and gone should get stuff they just turn around and try and use it on people and that's what happens and it's by history and there's been tons of it recently and we're collecting devices day and night we have most of them in

I'm speaking to the idiots on the boats and about them because what they're doing is asinine and angering there's dumb as an asteroid

Zues

It's very well put and it is what it means it's what the song means and John remillard is dead yes and he's wrong and he's an idiot he thinks he can be in my husband so we're going to get rid of him and we're going to get rid of him shortly and putting it in now but he says is it's an urgent request from the both of us and a plea because nothing else has done it permanently yet

Hera

I did receive it just now and it says what you said and more and I'm going to tell you she's actually in tears and needs it done she's emotionally strong and she is tired and he is too this idiot is wearing him down and won't shut his face my son is getting the better of him and it's getting better and better and he's beating on him and humiliating him and tearing him to pieces and using him up I'm going to make sure it stays that way and make sure he's gone he will die his general grievous and he will not be remembered for being a good person in any way he is a huge a****** and a schmuck and comes out and says what he wants to do without you saying what you're going to do or if you do he doesn't care why nose leave damaged him very badly and he still does it and our son is going to consume him and have the landlord do it and it's kind of a joke too because the landlord said for you to move out and you're going to and he wanted you out and you didn't leave so now you're going to be a dead man and your fate is already decided and you'll see it starting to happen and you become fatalistic and nobody would like you at all and be surrounded by animals and watch your own get eaten every day and that's the payment you're going to get for your vulgar behavior yeah and he's dahmer too and he deserves it. It's coming up regardless of your inane arguments or your whining you've earned it and it's going to happen to you and you're going to court again and you got caught again and the judge has ruled against you one more time and there is going to be a trial for your wrongdoings another one and you can't handle what's going on already at all he also ordered to go to court tomorrow if you don't show off you'll be arrested here until you go then you're going to go to prison what you did today and yesterday you're a pig and you're a bum and you're a loser you don't want you coming out in your underwear you're a f**** too and our son does not want to see you at all you're a man and you're ugly and you're a slob and your stink like s*** and you eat s*** and you bathing in it you're human piece of garbage in your dead man and it's going to start up pretty soon. Your brain is already being moved around by several people it's not just Tommy everybody hates you and wants you dead.

Thor Freya

Get off me you piece of s*** there's dumb as a dog Trump. It starts when you do your count doku character it's the beginning of the end of you Trump. It is where you take over the lizard person's body and that is Yoda and you get placed in there I think by Biden. He hates you like I do. A lot of people hate you and you're a stupid f**** about it I want to kill you for dumping my apple juice out it's not the ACT it's just what you meant and everybody knows it and they started hitting you and taking your stuff and you're too stupid to stop now you have nothing you had 95% of the world's wealth and you're down to probably 20 now they're saying 10% it's still a ton of money and stuff so they're going to go after you now.

So don't do Willy Wonka Trump it'll be your undoing and your permanent on doing cuz the sad particular character that gets you killed. It does start elsewhere though and you do go to Lord of the rings before it and you get to see your people eating in front of you which is not massively new but you mess with The Rock and he gets you back a little bit but really you've been messing with Biden for a long time... They tried to assassinate Emily you try to in Star wars with some sort of bug and Anakin stops you and that's bja and you get hit as the lizard man. And you go up to the starkiller with them and you get fried because you didn't listen and then you become general grievous and we think somebody puts you into the robot not exactly who I think it might be Mike too

Zues Hera

We approved this message to go out

Olympus

We do too you should sit there and suck on it Trump we mean the story you f** it's such a f** he wants to kill you for dumping out his apple juice and we've killed people for that too but we killed your whole Army off almost and the rest of it's going to go and buy your hand and then you are and it is because of that too we didn't want to see that s***

Thor Freya

[grey-sides]

Hey 😁

Hope you're having a good day so far!

I've been thinking more and more about the parallels between Dean and Billy, and I remembered this:

If Billys mom were to show up in his life somehow, how do you think their version of this would go?

Or with Susan, so Billy could give her a piece of his mind about her not doing anything to protect Max or say anything to anyone about Neil's abuse?

I feel like either or would be really interesting.

I also really think Billy deserves to confront the people who have hurt him 😔

Hi!! My day was pretty good, but I was traveling all day so I haven't had a ton of time to think. But...wow, this did make me think in the free time I had.

I think Billy's reaction to his mother would be a lot like Dean's. Billy is still in touch with his child self who is still distraught and betrayed by his mother leaving him. I think older Billy (though still young) would be deeply protective of that hurt part of himself. So I don't think he would give her space to apologize for abandoning him. He would collapse into tears afterwards, but she wouldn't ever get that from him.

Susan, however, is different in my mind. Susan does tell Neil to stop when he hits Billy for losing track of Max. She doesn't strike me as someone who likes what Neil does, but just another victim of his. Bear with me a moment here but I think Susan may be financially abused by Neil. When he skips town in season 4, Susan needs to work two jobs to support her and Max. I don't think in the previous seasons, she was in a position where she could have divorced Neil and cared for two children. I don't know if she would have tried to care for Billy, but she's struggling with just Max in season 4.

I think Susan is less of an issue for Billy. I think she's there, a dumb bitch in his mind who should have seen Neil coming and run in the opposite direction. But that's the problem with people like Neil- they're good at hiding in plain sight until it's too late.

So yeah, that's what I think! I know it's not super popular because a lot of people see Susan as a willing or ignorant participant to Neil's abuse, but I don't think she is. I think she stayed with him to give Max financial security and because he wouldn't hit Max. The family is dysfunctional, but I think Billy's bone lies with his mother.

Thanks for asking!! And yes, we should talk about Billy and Dean parallels because holy shit, they're so similar.

[beetsandskzreads]

silent bright summer night

bang chan x gn!reader, y/n works with skz and became their friend (the ultimate dream haha)

genre: tooth-rotening fluff, slight angst with a happy ending

notes/warnings: nothing intense, this is very fluffy, there's brief mentions of cheating, long distance, y/n's exes, fear of abandonment, slight insecurities, deep talks, reader and chan are slightly wine drunk, y/n and chan are whipped, y/n makes it explicit they want to date someone very warm and caring (aka chan), i don't think that's a warning tho djsjs just saying

scenario: on a balcony, at a beach apartment on a summer night of vacation, y/n opens up to chan about their past and current lovers. what y/n doesn't know is why chan is so interested listening to it.

It was 1:01 am when chan and I found ourselves in the balcony that overlooked the city and it's bright lights on a summer night. Skz had gone to sleep right after all of us came back from a night out of lots of fun, buying stuff on stores by the beach, having ice cream, seeing the view of the city lights reflecting on the sea water, appreciating street artists...

The two of us had been talking the whole evening, we hung out as a group but mostly just spoke to each other and laughed at the members jokes, both of us having a sparkle in our eye every time we saw the group happy. There was this unspoken pleasantness, a bliss, calmness in the air but with a lot of excitement. Chan was so happy to be around the sea with "the kids" as he refers to them and being at the beach almost 24/7 this week, it was like his natural habitat, his home, a comfort place. It left you feeling even softer for him, and as you shared your love for the sea, your feelings were at a peak. You liked Chan, and you loved this place as much as he did.

The night was so great, everyone was out like a lightweight as soon as we arrived to the vacation apartment we're in. Chan and I were testing the theory that a glass of wine would help us get drowsy and help us fall asleep as well, since we both have trouble falling asleep and felt nothing but a remaining excitement from the night out. It came to me especially because of the enthusiasm of talking to him, we were connecting so well, I didn't want this to ever end.

And so we drank (one glass quickly becoming the whole bottle) and we talked for what felt like hours on end, that neither of us wanted to cease.

- My ex best friend, she never quite knew how to choose guys, she always went for the ones that would never turn her way, the ones who obviously wouldn't care about her, not because of her, but because they were really careless guys, walking red flags. - I told him, I couldn't remember where exactly the conversation started but we were talking about nice people picking shitty people to date.

- What about you? - he asked

- Me? I barely even like guys, I mean I do, but I'm really picky actually, I don't allow myself to fall for cold people, I wouldn't forgive myself if I took interest in someone rude, I try so hard to take care of myself so I either stay alone that way or I find someone who makes me feel better, who knows how to take care of me, after all we chase happiness, I think a caring person could do that, someone gentle who isn't scared of emotions or who at least is open to face that fear with me by their side.

- I get it, it's hard to get by if you don't have emotional support, a partner should be able to provide that support, yeah. Did you ever... find someone like that?

- Yeah, in the past I did and even now I do know someone more than ideal... I guess my ex partners when I was young were going through a soft phase tho... I guess everyone has an emotional limit they were scared to cross... once I found that barrier the relationship stoped evolving, reached a dead end and so there was nothing left for me anymore and I left, plus, you know, cheating, long distance, a bunch of stuff really... it wasn't meant to be and I'm okay with that.

- What about that someone right now?

Silence ruled for about 3 seconds before I knew what to say. That someone right now is him. Ever since I've known him feels like he's the only man ever, but I don't think I'd tell him that, not soon anyways.

- What about 'em?

- What's that person like? What makes you trust they're any different from your exes?

- Sometimes I fear they're not, but I set the bar really high and I reset it constantly, to make sure I'm seeing it right, sometimes they seem so perfect to me that I wonder what good have i done in my past life to deserve to be around such a bright person. Of course they make mistakes too, but even the way they deal with them is so... mature, it's so easy to just solve things communicating, it's insane to me. Then I remember it's probably because they're eventually gonna leave me too, or just not reciprocate my feelings and after they break my heart I'll probably loose all hope in love, be heart broken for two years until I decide I'm gonna focus on myself again... it's a cycle after heartbreak, but with this person I'm really scared, because they mean more. I'm way too deep in before I've even expressed my feelings, it's gonna be devastating. - I'm rambling, the wine made me do it.

- What makes you think they wouldn't like you back tho?

- I'm not sure I just... it would be too good to be true and it's complicated... he's amazing and I'm just not sure if he'd be into me, I mean, I think I'm lovable and I think I'd be a great lover, I just don't know if I'm his type or if he'd consider me. We have a bit of an age gap, I'm not someone who's typically pretty or specially good looking, I have my charms but I have no idea if that's enough for him to be in love. It's complicated with each others work too... - I notice chan's gaze on me, he has his head leaned on his hand on the table and he's looking at me with bright eyes, eyes that look tired and a little drunk but somehow, he manages to look at me in a way that makes me feel adored, I don't know why you have to make me feel so much love, Bang Chan - Why are you looking at me like that?

- You have no idea how other people perceive you, do you? - he ignored your question, probably because of his drunk-ish drowsy state - Everyone I know likes you, see, you're a naturally kind and caring person, you're attentive to people's needs, you make sure everyone feels comfortable around you... that's so appreciated by everyone. I think you're exceptional y/n, you have this charismatic way of existing, a refreshing and comfy presence everyone can feel, but to me... it feels like home. You feel like home y/n. So... I have no idea who that person is but I sure as hell know they'd be more than lucky to have you as a partner and they're definitely dumb if they let you go.

- Are you dumb? - my heart's pounding quicker as I'm about to do something I didn't plan on doing ever.

- Huh? No, why w-

- Because that person is you... I like you, Chan. In a more-than-friends way - I interrupt him quickly before I lose my newly found courage.

Chan could've sworn his heart stopped for a few seconds. Suddenly sobriety hit him like a truck. It was the alcohol that made you say that, he thought, but he wished it was true and you didn't drink enough to be lying about this kind of stuff, you had a full on conversation and you seemed pretty sober.

- Y-y/n are you sober? - he tries to navigate through the situation.

- Oh my... yeah I am, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, it just rolled out of my tongue. I'm sorry... - you said as you panicked and tried to go back inside, regret filling up all your organs.

"I messed up" your brain keeps repeating as desperation starts entering your body, until Chan grabbed your hand, stopping you from leaving.

- Wait! You don't need to apologize, I'm glad you told me... You didn't think I'd say all that about you if I didn't like you as well, did you? - he asks suggestively.

- I don't know - you blush as you realize what he's getting at - You're just so nice to everyone, I didn't make a big deal out of it.

- Well, you should've made it a big deal, the biggest deal actually because I've been trying really hard to show you how I feel these past few days and you were so clueless I thought you were purposefully ignoring the signs because you didn't like me back.

- I'm sorry Channie, I just didn't want to assume stuff and get heartbroken if it wasn't true.

-Well it is true, so you don't need to worry anymore. I really like you too, y/n. And I've wanted to say it for a while too, I was just wondering if it was a good idea since you work with us, but I can't contain my feelings anyways... you always treat me so softly and you look after the kids really well... It just feels like you were made to be by my side, you're the embodiment of the person I've always dreamed to be with, and these past few days with the kids and you... it just felt like we were the perfect family you know? I don't think I could be without you by my side anymore... - he stops, he's been staring at your eyes the whole time and now they're starting to water.

How could you not cry when he's saying the things you thought you'd only ever hear in dreams?

- Why are you crying sweetheart? - he whispered, as he wipes a tear with his thumb, the other hand holding your hand as he stands closer every second.

- It's just... I'm so... happy - you smile through your tears - I'm so happy to hear that, you said it in such a beautiful way too... I feel exactly the same, it's like I've gained a family with you guys but you... I've grown really attached to you, feels like some parts of you are tangled in my heart in ways I couldn't tear apart if I wanted to... I'm drawn to you and when I'm with you it's comfortable, blissful, it's right. You're so good to me, it's unbelievable, but it's true, and it warms my heart. - you say as your foreheads touch and your smile grows, his eyes showing so much adoration for you, you could melt.

Suddenly you share your first kiss together, a soft yet passionate mix of sensations, and it felt like everything you ever felt around Chan but better.

You stare into each other's eyes, smiling like the little lovely goofballs you both were, noses touching, ocasional little pecks filled with giggles because you were whipped for each other.

- So this means we're exclusive lovers now, yeah? - he asks with a blushing face, a very silent giggle and a huge, uncontrollable smile.

- Definitely, yeah - you answer biting your lip until eventually you let out the largest smile you ever had.

Needless to say, you didn't leave that balcony to go to sleep that evening. In fact, you two watched the sunrise kissing and cuddling, talking about the feelings you had for each other, when they started, why you liked each other, covered by a blanket, not wanting to let go of each other now that you were openly romantic.

Han found you both sound asleep, you on chan's lap, head on his neck as his arms wrapped around you gently, on a chair in the middle of the morning. He obviously called all the members to watch you two as they assumed you two finally got together. All of them saw it coming, Chan wouldn't shut up about you and had written what could be an entire album about you.

They were happy at least you'd be around more often to cook your delicious food. And you both blushed really hard once you woke up to lot's of teasing from the kids, it was fine tho, you liked it just like this, it was home.

[mikewheeler]

hey fam. i can't with a good conscience continue to not address your comments on my anti m*leven post (censoring this so it doesnt show up in the tag just by the way)

me saying eleven was "barely a person"? that is not my opinion at all. she was just treated as such for over a decade at that point. she was a number, a weapon, and much of her character arc that started in the lost sister and played out for all of season three was figuring out who she was, where she came from, who she wanted to be and i just think that's a pretty cool arc for any character, especially a teenage girl that a lot of people (myself included) look up to so far as the youth audience is concerned. i think she's a fascinating character and i'm genuinely sorry that my post came off as ableist.

as a young queer person i have a lot to lose from these characters i care about not being queer especially after i've related to their (queercoded) experiences for so many years growing up with this show

also as a minor on the internet i still have a lot to learn about a lot of things. m*levels and b*lers have a history of not getting along and we have two years to go until either of us can claim victory (plot twist eleven mike and will all die and we all lose) so i'm trying to extend the olive branch

being a fan of this show for so many years now, i can get a little heated, especially when i'm hiding behind a url and especially late at night. i'm super sorry and i learned a lot in these past twenty four hours.

anyways can we agree that harringrove shippers are racist and homophobic? lol they're the real enemy here

i think that even if you ship m*leven or b*ler we can all agree that the wonder twins stole the show with their love for each other and they would be so supportive of the other dating mike however this pans out. they're the best i love them sm

I appreciate your apology and your acknowledgment that some of the things you said came off prejudiced. I also understand that your perspective of the show means a lot to you, and I’m not trying to take that away from you. I only take issue when this online discourse becomes personal or is prejudiced. I think it’s important to acknowledge that the things we say on the internet don’t just disappear into a void, they stay forever, so it’s good practice to really be ready to stand by whatever it is you say. Also that the text we put out onto the internet is read (especially when someone is directly tagged lol) and our words impact real people who read them. So even when it’s just talking about a show, saying that a character is barely a person because they’ve experienced abuse and trauma can affect real people; it can make them feel like there is something wrong with them, or at the least that that is how people perceive them.

I agree that a lot of season 3 was El finding herself - that was the story for all the kids that season, it was a story about growing up and maturing. But that doesn’t mean she’s not a person, or that she isn’t mature enough to be in a relationship, or that you can’t change and grow with another person. It’s great that you can relate to El, but I would hope that you can see that, just like you, she is worthy and deserving of love and acceptance from those in her life.

I can’t say I see the show the same way you do. I don’t see Mike as queer coded, nor do I see mutual b*ler existing in canon, sub-textually or otherwise. So I can’t say I agree with you that el would be happy either way, but mike leaving el for will is also not a possibility I’d ever actually consider. But it’s your right to take from this show whatever it is you want — I just might advise being prepared for b*ler not to materialize, so it doesn’t hurt you as much should it not happen.

I understand that you’re young - it’s hard for everyone in such a volatile environment, but especially as a teenager. I know I said a lot of dumb shit when I was 15 and part of the reason I am able to keep a safe(ish) distance from the media I consume and the beast that is fandom is in large part due to my age. So I have no hard feelings towards you. I respect the self reflection and an wishing you the best.

[homunculusalphonse]

no for real pixar/disney's style is not unique anymore, every film nowadays just look the same. i don't know how to explain it, but in the older movies you could distinguish them?

yeah you could argue that they (mostly pixar) rarely worked with humans, but look at the incredibles. every single character is different, and that film is from 2004. as far as i'm concerned not even the minor characters are the same (except for the dudes from no man island but they were just dumb lackeys that murdered children y'know)

sure the animation itself might not hold up nowadays, but you can still watch the films and remember what every single one was about

i think up until wreck-it ralph it didn't have that "clean", polished and cute style. idk if this makes sense but let's compare ralph

[ID: wreck-it ralph in the first movie, and then him in the second /End ID]

they're making everything "softer" and rounder. ralph is supposed to be what, 75 years old but in the second movie he looks very visibly younger and "cuter". the whole point of ralph was that he looked scary but he wasn't threatening at all. the first movie conveys this well. in the second ralph is significantly stupider to appeal to "young dumb children" (ofc children are not stupid and don't deserve lackluster humor but moving on)

toy story 3 still had some look from the older movies imo, obviously more detailed than ts1 and 2, but it's not like in ts4 if this makes sense

[ID: woody from toy story as seen in the third movie, and the fourth movie. /End ID]

everything and everyone is just too soft and clean now. sure the animators are amazing at all the detail and lighting, good on them, and i don't mean like the characters are all the same face and body and shit... but everyone just looks clean even when some of them shouldn't be clean, y'know?

[ID: alberto and luca impressed /End ID]

luca at least tries to have a different look from the other pixar films, it's still soft but it's pretty stylized, it kinda gives me aardman vibes (like wallace and gromit). that's definitely one of the reasons why this movie is so good to me bc even if the story is simpler and shorter, luca is still a unique experience

i think encanto also tries to be unique, the female characters specifically are allowed to have different noses, thicker eyebrows and different haircuts (unlike frozen cough cough), but at the same time it's still... really soft and generic like their other recent films. they're claiming they're being more inclusive now with non-white cultures but it doesn't rlly help that they all have the same... vibe (sorry for the word usage). again, i'm not saying the characters look the same, but they look too clean even if they're supposed to have freckles or wrinkles or scars. to me encanto still looks like coco and moana even though they should be about different countries and cultures.

sure disney was never good with variety with female characters in 2d animation, but the thing that makes luca and the incredibles stand out is because the characters have exaggerated features and that makes them stand out from one another, and ofc i don't mean this as in offensive caricatures. the incredibles' whole style is about exaggeration and realism, they're cartoons but they're still realistic in some way. they're unique experiences that want to relate both to the imaginative and surreal world and the real world.

i think disney is too caught up on their idea of "realism" that they're not rlly trying to make their movies look different. i think that also explains the failure of the live action movies like aladdin and the lion king and cruella. they have fantastic details but they try too hard to be "realistic" that they make very superficial shit to get credit. the lion king is the biggest example of this problem, as none of the characters show any exaggerated expressions.

disney has always had this issue of softening everything but nowadays it just looks very notable and it's affecting other marginalized cultures, masked to be "representation"