#because it's so!!! aggravating

[rawliverandgoronspice]

Have you watched three of BatGames' rant videos about ToTK? I'm curious what you think about them

I'm sorry I had never replied to this ask!!! My brain was full of worms for my defense (it's a bad defense I know I'm sorry).

I have seen two out of three! But I pretty much agree with what I've seen. I would have liked to see the whole ideological shenanigans touched on, but it's a really *really* niche critique after all (unfortunately), so I, yeah. I think he paints a really good portrait of what did bother me otherwise, and even helped me formulate things I knew bothered me but I hadn't truly addressed in my head yet.

I'm not always super fond of all the theory stuff he does, but we're on the same wavelength when it comes to TotK's shortcomings!

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

The way we discuss prophecy in fandom is genuinely fascinating. GRRM spends so much time showing how different characters have different interpretations of the same thing based on their own cultural contexts. He says that prophecy is tricky to navigate through multiple characters, showing that even the most careful practitioner can get almost everything wrong and fall victim to their own fallacies (see Mel). So tell me why the main takeaway for large parts of this fandom is “prophecy stupid, it doesn’t matter”. My brothers and sisters in R’hllor, GRRM didn’t invent multiple characters (three of whom are main POVs!!) who can see the future for this to be the conclusion. This is a FANTASY series. Please I’m begging, let us be serious 🥲

[ricky-mortis]

S1 Pulp Musicals Gang my beloved

[rhaenin-time]

No, House Targaryen is not inherently "doomed" by the very same flaws (and themes) that doomed the civilization that they left.

No, they're not fated to succumb to the Doom that they survived specifically because of the foresight that set them apart from everyone else who perished. Not only would it be terrible, simplistic writing, it would also endorse a terrible, simplistic worldview.

People choosing to make House Targaryen a representation of and thematic successor to not just the civilization that they differentiated themselves from, but the power structure that they chose to leave, literally divested from, and actively worked to prevent from rising again in another form... really rubs me the wrong way.

Why isn't this projection and generalization done for any of the families that come from the cultures that are not coded as other? Why is it only the family that's been separated from their cultural context? Why do the other families each get to be unique, complex manifestations not just of different aspects of their cultures, but of their own specific histories?

Why is the foreign degenerate family both a representation of everything wrong with the culture they come from, and a scapegoat for everything wrong with the system they assimilated into? How is it they represent everything bad about what they left behind, and also everything bad about the land they came to? Even though all those flaws are not only shared by the system as a whole, but are flaws that predate their arrival, that they were punished for resisting, and that they are demonstrated to be incompatible with. Why is it always both?

It just rings so familiar to the way so many people view the other in real life. Because the Targaryens are overtly, and intentionally written as the other. It's the reason so many people identify with them, and it's the very same reason that other people vilify them. They're not just the in-universe other to the 'default' culture established in the text, but they're also given characteristics that we, the reader and audience, can recognize as other and even sometimes anathema to Western Christian culture.

Perhaps the old tales were true, and Dragonstone was built with the stones of hell

A Storm of Swords, Chapter 25, Davos III

I want you to ask yourself: Why is the idea of "fire and brimstone" evil?

To paraphrase the annoying people that love to cite Ramsay when they feel like it: If you look at a morally complex family surrounded by other morally complex families in a morally complex world in a story that's famed for seeking to challenge your underlying assumptions, and think that their association with fire and brimstone is meant to signify their singular satanic evilness, rather than say... challenge that very Eurocentric assumption, you haven't been paying attention.

This vilification mindset where the Targaryens are the singular evil of Westeros is so common to people who seem to want to consume ASoIaF without engaging with the criticisms of the Eurocentric worldview of history at the heart of it. And they end up using the convenient “others” to project all the wrongs of that world onto so they don't need to examine it any deeper.

This is the part where I so often get crucified!

This is the take that so often gets me crucified for "trivializing real world bigotry" in an attempt to "moralize interpretations of fiction" by an onslaught of people with troubling ideologies who then ironically steer the onslaught to moralizing their interpretations of fiction in a way that seeks to either mask or justify their troubling ideologies.

The worldbuilding of ASoIaF is an almost unparalleled projection of the Eurocentric worldview. That's what makes the world feel so rich. That's why GRRM and even the readers and audience are able to craft so many details that feel intuitive. But that also means that how you choose to interpret that world is often driven by underlying biases and ideologies that relate to that worldview — especially if you're not willing to challenge them the way George RR Martin does and encourages you to do.

It means that certain potential biases and ideologies people might balk at outwardly expressing in the real world are recontextualized in a way that feels more comfortable to indulge in.

There are countless examples from countless parts of the narrative. Honestly, you could fill books on the matter. But the one I'll point to right now is how the vilification I pointed out earlier is so emblematic of how the Eurocentric worldview often seeks to project their own flaws onto the other or choose scapegoats for systemic issues.

It comes from the same place with how someone pointed out that the baffling bastardphobia that would have medieval peasants giving the side eye is so often people jumping at the chance to “cosplay” as bigots who base their arguments in misogyny and bio-essentialism. Because it's an acceptable channel to indulge in that mindset in a way that they'd often otherwise question, or at least hold back from expressing out of caution.

And there I go again. "Moralizing fandom" for pointing out that fandom is so often used as a 'safe space' to build communities that share and spread troubling ideologies that you're not allowed to criticize because those ideologies have been 'appropriately' decontextualized from their real-world parallels, even though those parallels are still very much there.

But the problem is that it's impossible to simply 'channel' bigotry and leave it in an 'acceptable' space, because bigotry doesn't work like that. It's not a static object you can carry around in your pocket to play with when you think it's safe to do so. It's a blight. A living poison that feeds and grows and spreads. And if you give it a 'safe space' and continue to feed it with 'acceptable' fuel, it will always find its way out.

[hxhhasmysoul]

idk what is with this fandom... the same people who hate sukuna and are oh so sad about gojou, also buy into what sukuna said to yuuji in this chapter... i guess maybe sukuna displayed gojou's level of comeback so they latched onto it. what can yuuji possibly do? how can sukuna be even defeated if gojou failed and kashimo failed.

since the beginning yuuji's shown superhuman physical abilities. plus amazing tactical sense and superhuman speed at which he learned things, especially all things jujutsu. but his most impressive and consistent ability has been his super reinforced soul capable of caging sukuna. and that soul did its job without him knowing how to influence it. now he's been given guidance. he also practiced by ingesting more cursed objects containing souls. he also showed that he can possibly soul swap.

also since the beginning sukuna has shown incredible superiority and detachment towards everyone. except for yuuji. he was ready to mock praise and tease everyone to get more entertaining fights out of them... except for yuuji. yuuji he bullies, diminishes him, tries to break yuuji's spirit. that smells like worry, maybe fear, definitely an attempt at psychological warfare. yuuji irks him, unsettles him.

jujutsu fights are about strength and cursed energy output etc, and so on, but they are also about compatibility as mentioned by gojou and nanami and mahito. also they are about planning and strategy. about understanding jujutsu and the soul, so yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. but also being able to understand your opponent as much as possible, their motivations, their behaviour, their techniques. this is why kenjaku and sukuna bested gojou because they both kept the fight on their own terms. kenjaku by not picking a physical fight at all and making it all about intrigue and cunning, sukuna by exactly tailoring his strategy to his opponent. this is also why gojou lost because even though he knew about the compatibility he didn't think that mattered in his case because he was him, he was gojou satoru, the strongest.

yuuji can win where those two lonely losers failed because:

a) he always performs best when he's fighting alongside others and he's not going in alone. being oriented towards others is the core of his character and it has always been like that. he's bested opponents stronger than him while learning and adjusting during the fight and the presence of others only spurns that on.

b) he's clearly going in with a plan, considering who he's going in with. and he mentioned before that he had a plan how to save megumi. he's been preparing for this. unlike some who decided to wing it...

c) he has a unique understanding of sukuna. and there's also been some hints that there's more to his connection to sukuna, some heian backstory. it's also possible that gojou was right and some of sukuna's technique rubbed off on yuuji, likely sukuna's true technique whatever that is. or at least yuuji has some understanding of it that he could use against sukuna.

d) there's something about yuuji that even sukuna senses and doesn't like. and one thing we can safely say about sukuna at this point, he's got expertise when it comes to these things.

e) yuuji was made specifically by kenjaku to imprison sukuna, and kenjaku is another expert in their field.

f) sukuna has ruined yuuji's life, has made yuuji question himself constantly, has given yuuji so much trauma and guilt, has taken so many people from yuuji. including megumi who yuuji might still hope to save. yuuji is uniquely biased against sukuna and uniquely motivated. gojou and kashimo had no emotional investment in sukuna apart from "senpai notice me i want to be one of the cool kids like you" and "senpai notice me i want to ride the belly mouth" respectively. yuuji has so fucking much more emotional investment. for him it's super personal on so many fucking levels.

this is why yuuji stands a chance against sukuna. this is why his win will never be an ass pull or main character magic. he's been meticulously built up as a character throughout the manga. if someone pays attention to the story, none of what i've written here is shocking to them.

[sinnbaddie]

I don’t understand why Kishimoto never added Kakashi having thoughts about Gai when he died in the pain assault. It’s like he doesn’t want his relationship with Gai to have depth but then adds all these interactions and feelings that show how much he means to Kakashi.

He thinks of his dead friends and family, he thinks of Konoha 11, but he doesn’t think about his longest and biggest support? Not even a passing thought?

Might Gai is Kakashi’s best friend and rival, he isn’t a nuisance to him and he doesn’t think he’s less than him. Their relationship has substance and evidence to show how much they care about one another, im sick of Kishimoto and his constant need to diminish it then prop it up and then diminish it again. How can he be so inconsistent with relationships and character writing??

[mrgaretcarter]

It's really physically painful to me how willing people are to overlook even the possibility of romance between women in fiction and also how much they simply do not admit that they have this resistance, and I know, I know, that's how it always is, I know that even in real life people will see pictures of women literally kissing on the lips and still say they seem like very good friends, and yet it never stops being so incredibly frustrating because it's so pervasive even from people who would consider themselves open minded or allies

[marlynnofmany]

I tell myself that someday these will be valuable collector's items, instead of just an annoying printing error.

Remember that "black hole between the pages" glitch? I found more copies at the bottom of the box with it. Time to print out more little ~collector's item~ leaflets with the missing text. Sigh.

[binah-beloved]

What if

Binah decided to cradle/bridal carrying you (or perhaps this is already how she carries you when she picks you up)

it's how she usually carries you

it's easy for Binah, with her strength. she simply walks over and places a hand on your back, the other arm sweeping your legs from the floor so you're cradled by her alone. sometimes you wrap your arms around her neck, or grip her shoulders with your hands for balance. other times you simply lean against her chest, too exhausted to move, and Binah's grasp tightens a bit to support you in such a weak state. her heart thumps steadily, soothing you as Binah lets out a quiet sigh and gently presses her cheek against the top of your head without a word

once, this was a sign of injury or illness. until Binah decided that she'd like to carry you whenever she pleased, as long as it made you smile. she begins picking you up and carrying you around at the end of the day, when the numerous books and papers have chipped away at your mind and you only want to snuggle up with her and sip some tea. it's the perfect position for her to settle you in her lap or on the couch, lacing her fingers with yours as you bury your face into the feathery collar of her cloak, nuzzling against the Patron Librarian of Philosophy

you once called her your Patron Librarian, and Binah couldn't help but chuckle and gently stroke your hair, dubbing you her assistant librarian

[thatswhatsushesaid]

a very thoughtfully worded but nevertheless objectively incorrect take in the jgy tags: exists

me, bravely putting on my PJs and bedtime socks and going to bed instead of pedantically ‘well actually’-ing op:

[rawliverandgoronspice]

behold: my least favorite string of words in the entirety of Tears of the Kingdom.

[sineskwelaa]

i thought it was funny

[sesamenom]

six geese a-laying, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS! four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree

-

on the day 5 poll for what to do with the rings, "THROW IT AWAY" won at 30.9% as of drawing this, so great choice everybody! The authorities (manwe's pet geese) have been alerted and the rings have been disposed of.

now, for a totally unrelated question......

[quinloki]

Canon Characters vs OC vs x Reader

Disclaimer: This is just my two cents, and my perspective on things, and I'm not trying to lay down the law for everyone. I needed to just put this to words though, in order to sleep.

I was thinking about this because of a post I saw, and some, we'll say, kind of useless comments associated with the post. Mean-spirited stuff.

Normally, in one ear and out the other, but the vibes just kicked me off down a rabbit hole of sorts an I wanted to try to put some of my thoughts to words.

First, some style vibes:

Canon x Canon Canon/Canon stories are, to me, like reading an episode of that show. I'm sitting down in front of a TV or whatever, and I'm experiencing the story As A Viewer. I like this style because I don't really have to expend much energy and I just kind of roll with whatever's happening. Generally some sort of 3rd person perspective.

OC x canon OC/Canon stories are like being on a carnival ride. I'm sitting in a car on a roller-coaster, and maybe the OC is sitting next me. I'm experiencing the story more deeply than strictly canon stories, but my connection with the OC is no deeper than say, my connection with Katniss Everdeen when I read The Hunger Games. Sometimes 3rd person, sometimes first person.

Reader x canon Reader/Canon (or Reader x/ OC) is like putting on a VR helmet. I don't get much physical input about the "Reader OC" because I'm experiencing the story through their eyes. I don't expect the reader to be me, but there's a bigger feeling of immersion to be had. Some description might happen cause it's relevant to the story, and it's still a type of ride, I can't jump the rails on the roller coaster, after all. (Even with a VN you still follow the tracks). Sometimes first person, sometimes second person (I'm partial to 2nd person perspective, but that's just me).

I love Fan Fiction, I love it. All of it, and man even more than anything, what I love is that I'm going to dislike 80% of it. Because that 80% was written for someone who is not me. (Hell, that number's probably closer to 99% if we're looking at ALL fandoms, but I digress).

Second - The VENT:

What got me the most in the post that prompted this, was someone saying "Bring back the Mary Sue OCs!" and then they went on to describe something more detailed, and I just -

Look, respectfully, fuck you.

The point is, you're not going to be happy no matter what. Whether it's "mary sue" OCs, or x readers, or alternative universes, or a ship you don't like, you're going to find something to be unhappy about.

Cause people have been bitching about all styles of fan fiction since the first "You've Got Mail" chimed in 1991. And until 1998 and ff.net you really had to hunt for it, and until 2007 and Ao3 the idea of tagging a fic for any reason wasn't really a thing. Every click was a surprise! \o/

I just have seen the same song and dance a dozen times. It's exhausting. People become okay with OCs and decide x readers are the enemy, and before that OCs were *all* Mary Sues and cringe and people who made OCs were the enemy, and before OCs people who wrote even a little OOC were the enemy, and people who wrote AUs were the enemy, and you can write fan fic but it HAS to be Canon Compliant, and everyone MUST be in-character at all times - "They would not fucking say that" was the enemy.

Look, just please - please - in any capacity, stop it with the "All X style of story telling is crap" mindset. There's over a dozen different ways to do x readers alone. I know 20 x reader writers and I don't think any of us have the same style, preferences, or vibes.

I've had a lot of comments along the lines of "I thought I hated x readers, but I really loved this." on a few different fics I've written. Sometimes it's not the style of the fic, sometimes it's the style of the writer, and my Brother In Christ - you're going to have to read some awful shit to shuffle through the thousands of writers out there to find the vibes that resonate with you.

Ostracizing entire swathes of fan fic because you need something to be "The Enemy" so you can lift up something else, and then bitching you can't find anything new to read seems like a personal problem.

And I know y'all are scrolling by TONS of posts that don't interest you, every day, as a matter of course. So don't give me that "clogging up the tag" BS, because we deserve to be here same as anyone else in the fandom.

[jaydethepirate]

fym nuh-uh?🤨

[hanzajesthanza]

this looks like a long time but initially it said 1 MONTH 15 days