#not pro otto but i kinda get what he was going for i think

[daylander1000]

Will rhaena ever confront corlys for his treatment of laena's children in your fic? That guy needs to get someone to yell at him about how he treats his family.

Even vaemond in the show, the guy was his bro who helped him in his travels and fought beside him and all he does is complain that he deserved it for being too greedy, when he was just trying to save his home? How can that be greedy? I think vaemond grew up there too right?)

I also don't understand how laenor was ok with his (elder) sisters kids being usurped by non-velaryons. I thought he loved laena. That guy confused me a lot, i don't even think he loved the strong kids that much to give up driftmark for them if he wanted to escape with his boyfriend the first chance he gets.

Love your fic so much by the way ❤️

Thanks for the love. Back at ya. 💕

I think the problem with Corlys and Laenor and the Velaryons in general is that they're not really meant to be characters, just background plot devices no one thinks about for more than 0.2 seconds. If you look at them for 0.3 seconds, they fall apart.

I can't go too much into plans for swhhw without getting into fic-spoilers, but this is a justice fix-it fic, so trust that there'll be some by-his-own-petard-hoisting for Corlys at some point. Justice for Laena, Rhaena, Baela, Rhea, Vaemond... I don't know if I'm doing a confrontation scene tho because it's like Rhaena hardly knows him? He's not been visiting her in Pentos or Dragonstone. I kinda want her to treat him with the same disregard he shows her.

In the show, Laena was sort of a hostage on Pentos. Laenor's sort of a hostage in KL. Rhaena's sort of a hostage on Dragonstone and Rhaenys has Baela on Driftmark. No one ever really takes any action to protect them, help them, love them, look out for their best interests, etc. They're not allowed to look out for themselves or each other either. Hell, they're not even allowed to see and speak to each other. Each of the Targs just get to have one. Like house pets. Or worse house plants.

Or house cacti rather that no one ever waters. That's the level of development hotd gave them imo. They're really loyal house cacti.

Daemon's like "Mine died. It was kinda annoying."

Rhaenyra's like, "I know, right? Help me get rid of mine, I don't want it anymore."

He's like, "Fire works. Excellent Velaryon remover. But I have two more..."

She's like, "Well, Jace and Luke can have them. Velaryons are very loyal and can be handy to have around. Very useful. If it can bear a cup, it can bear a child."

And Rhaenys is just like, "Well, mine is actually a borrow from you, remember? Wasn't using it anyway, so sure, take it back if you need it."

So I'm Team Vaemond 4eva😅. Fluent in Valyrian, but unc chose to speak High Facts.

He lost the argument to Team Alternative Facts, but at least he said something.

Laenor... I can rationalize him by thinking that everything he's done since Joffrey's murder has been under duress. That's how he makes sense to me.

I mean, I doubt it was his idea for an immediate wedding while his boyfriend's blood was still being mopped up. He's sort of in the Criston situation imo. Yes, he's a man, with a much higher social position than Criston and a dragon... but can he truly say no to his father, Viserys or Rhaenyra?

I mean, what happens to him the minute he decides to say out loud that those children aren't his and that he dgaf? In the one episode we saw of their adult relationship, he's just being gaslit and taking jabs with no fighting back. We saw Rhaenyra pull rank on him when he just wanted to take a break from the shitshow and constant negging. What happens if he tells Daemyra he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in exile? Is he afraid of the Divorce Rock™ being re-activated? 🤔

Corlys is in a vastly different situation and is just a horrible brother, father and grandfather. Like, I have him even below Otto and Viserys.

Viserys is a horrible idiot, but he still believes he's protecting at least 1 child and that the rest might be more or less fine in his batshit Legoland version of reality.

Otto clearly underestimated how shit Viserys was going to be. Probably thought, "Dude still plays with Legos. Not a drunkard, murderer or wife-beater. Relatively decent compared to most Targs and Westerosi lords in general. Kinda sickly, might die soon. Perfectly harmless and controllable."

In normal Westerosi circumstances when you have no inheritance of your own, getting your daughter married off to a supposedly kindly/soft/spineless king can be considered a good move for her security. I mean, how was he supposed to know that Viserys was going to descend into overt tyranny and become the "I'll have your tongue cut out" guy? Probably didn't expect Rhaenyra to take up Daemon's Heir for a Day energy either. Probably didn't expect her to become an "I want this ten year old who just lost an eye tortured" type person.

He's not Tywin. He can't do a Castamere on House Targ. So yeah, he put his daughter in a bad situation but he's right there with her in it at least, kinda, trying as best as he can to get her out alive, risking his own neck too. I feel like he'd be the only one of all the old fathers to confess that mistakes were definitely made and he definitely saw it going differently in his head. He has no dragons, no banners, no power other than his Hand job which can be easily taken away the moment he gets out of line as Viserys demonstrated. Like, Aegon is his best option and only hope. If your life depends on Aegon stepping up, you are not in a good place and I know you are crying in the shower.

But Corlys has a navy, a dragon through Rhaenys, is lord of the richest house, and seems to be actively trying to throw all his children and grandchildren onto a Targaryen pyre for no clear reason other than a desire to serve them up as tribute.

Even Rhaenys, the actual Targ, is like, "Maybe we should stop sacrificing children and give Driftmark to Baela so she has a home?" And he's just like "Naw... Fuck them non-Luke, non-Jace kids."

He's just the worst to me. If you take people's motivations and beliefs into consideration, their options, what they're working with, their goals, he's just indefensible. I cannot think of a single possible defense for Corlys. Not one.

Dude woke up from a coma, heard his brother had been murdered and thought "Vaemond had it coming. Lemme go bend the knee real quick anyway."

This is the character the showrunners used to pat themselves on the back for their diverse casting.

So I really really really hate Corlys. Like in a meta way. Cannot put into words how much of a disappointment watching him was.

Definitely getting his just rewards in swhhw.

Now that I've written this out, I actually want to kill him off.😅 You make a good point. If Vaemond deserved to be beheaded for his greed then surely Mr "I will sacrifice my children for likes" deserves worse.

[lunar-insanity]

PKMN Black 2: PSYCHONAUTS EDITION

Hoooo so hey remember when I first put out the sketches for Emboar!Helmut and Levanny!Bob?

Yeah I finished the rest of the team! I also had the idea to like little “Trainer Journal” entries so those will be down below.

First up! The first two members of the team: Helmut and Bob!

These two are def one heck of a duo. Emboars are already hard hitters but Bob was also one of the powerhouses on the team. I also just... I like fire as an emotion signaler? So Helmut get flamin brows and colourful fire! Bob took a couple tries to get right but I’m real happy with how he came out.

Next is Cassie and Compton

Cassie being an Excadrill is more circumstance. I told my friend that I’d be finally playing through all of Black 2, and he asked if he could suggest a mon. He suggested Excadrill, and I found a female one, and thus, she’s now Cassie.

And boi Excadrills really are terrifying. So she ended up being Powerhouse #3. Now Compton! Tiny tiny fluffy boi. Compton was never going to be a part of my battle team, but it felt wrong to leave one out. So Compton became the Minccino you get from the first Hidden Grotto. If we were in Kalos he would 100% be a Meowstic.

Next is FOOOOOORD

One of my rules for this game was that I wanted to use poke’mon I never had, mostly. I needed a flying type, and I was suggested Sigilyph. So congrats Ford! You are officially the ONLY Psychic type on the team and one of the weirdest poke’mon.

Now we start getting to the big ones. In Size

LUCY! Y’all know Jellicents are bleedin huge? So, She and Cassie are the ones I took the most liberty with in terms of design, like shrinking down that head and turning most of the fluff into her headscarf.

She and Ford are also one of the more fragile team members. Given the chance, they can deal with things, but for tricky fights, the 3 hard and tanky hitters will take the brunt of damage.

And last but not least.

Otto

HE’S FUCKING HUGE

I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW BIG ELEKTROSSES ARE HOLY SHIT. So... yes I raised a Tynamo as soon as I got to Chargestone Cavern. Yes it took a long time. I needed an Electric type xD

These were real fun to make ahahah! Now then, I will leave you with their heights all stacked together, and the journal notes under a cut.

Enjoy!

{Trainer Journal}

Bianca and Professor Juniper wanted me to do something extra along side filling up the Pokedex. Apparently the Pokedex has all generalized data and not much on variations and mutations that could happen naturally. So they asked that I keep an eye out on my journey. Not a problem!

{Helmut}     =Tepig

-So far so normal. He is pretty new to the world after all. He has taken a shine to the Sewaddle I caught a little while ago. Does not like the Azurill... I mean... I kinda get it. Little gal is real angry.

   =Pignite -First variation. According to the Dex, Pignites have these curl designs and straight bands, but Helmut’s got like... leaf cut outs and the bands are like... arches. His fire’s weird too. It’s got green and pink in there sometime. 

-Second variation. We just got a Drilbur, and I named her Cassie. Helmut’s really friendly so he bounced on over to her. Aaaand pretty soon after I think I saw more orange in his fire. I thought it was weakening but nope, just can be a more orange fire. Weird.

-Random note: Helmut saw a beanie in Castelia. He rocked the Bug gym, as I expected, so I figured why not. Thank Arceus they had one that was fire proof. Pros: He’s happy and immediately bounced over to Bob to show him. Cons: He will not take it off anymore. 

- Third Fire. Got a Sigilyph, and now his fire’s got blue and green in them now. Professor what does this mean.

   =Emboar

-FIRE HIS DAMN FIRE IS A RAINBOW. -Does not have the large curly designs on his chest. Instead it’s more leaf patterns. He’s also way more hued in colour than most Emboars.

-Do Fire types’ fire normally react to their emotions like this? If he’s with Compton, his fire turns purple sometimes. It also turns purple when he’s stressed. It dies down if it’s blue, and it tends to be green and pink around Bob.

-Also Helmut definitely has a crush on Bob. And I think it’s reciprocated. I am worried about their typings but wow it’s cute.

-Helmut’s eyebrows are on fire.

-It seems like Helmut’s really influenced by the team. They each gave him a new colour for his flames, and I think he’s building a small psychic resistance. Not a lot but it’s there.

-I don’t think there’s any way to replicate this kinda of variation. Helmut’s always been sensitive to his surroundings. Might just be a him thing.

{Bob}    =Sewaddle

-Little guy took a shine to Helmut really quickly. Woulda figured the type matchup wouldn’t let that happen too well.

-His attacks aren’t... totally inaccurate but I’m a bit worried. It’s not too bad right now but seriously no other Sewaddle has this issue as far as I’ve seen.

-According to the dex, the only difference between males and females is height. We’ll see dex. We’ll see.

   =Swadloon

-Glasses. He needed glasses. What- how- Professor did you know some mons need GLASSES???

-He’s made his own by using twigs he got before we left for Castelia and is using the harbor water as lenses. I am taking him to an eye doc for proper lenses.

-Now that he can see his own reflection in windows, he keeps scratching at his chin and face. I wonder what he’s thinkin.

//He wants what you humans call a beard// -FORD GET OUT OF MY NOTES

   =Levanny

-Shit. Ford was right. Good for him then.

-His leaf hood looks a bit more like a mane hahah. He looks good, got a tie, his legs have faint stripes (Makes me think of plaid stuff) and he has a flower tucked on his chest. Helmut gave him flowers so he seems to just switch them out.

-He’s taller than an average male Leavanny. Thicker too. Just as fast though.

{Cassie}    =Drilburr

-I’m concerned about that giant hole in the sewers. Ah well, caught a Drilburr. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except some slightly loose skin at the top. Like a Purrloin.

   =Excadrill

-... Okay... That pattern is WILDLY different than normal Excadrills. Where’d the yellow come from? Helmut??

-The loose skin makes more sense now. She can flip her top drill up and down like a visor.

-Thinner than most Excadrills, according to the group.

-Clay has an Excadrill, so I asked to compare. Wow males are WAY tinier than males. Also the visor helmet thing is apparently singular to Cassie.

{Ford}

-We were out in the Relic Castle desert, and I kept coming across Sigilyphs. And then we came across one that looked... Like it had a moustache?? T’was also bigger than the others. Turns out it’s because he’s male. I call him Ford now.

-He’s pretty grumpy

//Oh like the Swadloon ain’t.//

-The grumpy eyes are on the body as well. Mismatched too. They’re also green instead of blue like normal ones.

//Not a word about the eyes.//

-Sigilyphs are weird.

//Why you-// (the ink scribbles to the edge)

-I KNEW IT! FORD OUT OF MY NOTES!

//IT’S MY JOURNAL ENTRY I DESERVE TO WRITE IN IT//

{Compton}   =Minccinno

-Okay so... This little guy is beyond skittish. I didn’t even dare to fight him. No way, nope, bad time. I’m just gonna leave him alone. -Scratch that he got even more anxious when we tried to leave. I am at an impasse.

-Okay so Ford and Cassie managed to make him calmer. Good. Maybe we can get out of here now.

-Nope he’s latched onto Cassie. Okay buddy here’s a ball.

-No way I am letting him be a part of the main battle party but he could be nice to have around. He’s got a cute bowler hat too.

-I got to check his tail. It’s more curly than normal I think.

-I may let him fight a bit, just so he doesn’t fall behind the team too much. In case there’s bad situation.

  =Cinccinno

-Well he certainly poofed out. His white fur is all poofy and curly instead of straight.

-He’s... really well versed in berries and teas. Made some good stuff. -How is this mon better at cooking than me. He’s cooking from now on.

//For the best.//

{Lucy}   = Frillish

-I spotted her back in Virbank ages ago but I couldn’t surf. Moment I could, I had Ford fly us back her to find her. What do you know, she was still there.

-So normal Frillish have a collar around their neck. This one has a hood apparently. I wonder if she’ll keep it. 

- Eyes are a teal green instead of red.

  =Jellicent

-... 

-PROFFESSOR

-Wildly different from normal Jellicent. No huge head for one. She did keep the scarf hood, all that fluff that is normally there turned into that. She’s super flowy.

-She’s got little... dashes in her hood, almost looks like raindrops.

-Man the dex entry. I can see how.

-Ford quit making goo goo eyes with the ship sinker.

//No.//

-Great I have two of them now.

{Otto}   =Tynamo

-This little guy annoyed Ford for a good while before I chucked a quick ball at him. Now the two are getting along pretty well.

-Seems to have more fins than a normal Tynamo.

-The EXP share is going on you buddy boi.

  =Eelektrik

-THE FACE! HAHAHAHA!

-The spots aren’t circular. Looks more like a toddler drew them on.

-Definitely has more fin frills than normal. It almost looks like a mullet.

-He found goggles. I don’t know where but he did.

-He got chewed out by Compton after he messed with the food. I think he was trying to experiment.

  =Eelektross

-SWEET ARCEUS ON TOAST

-HE’S BIGGER THAN EVERYONE HOLY SHIT.

-Antenna is... jagged. More like a thunderbolt. The fin there is spikier too. Makes me think of a thunderbolt. As if he wasn’t electric enough.

-The spots turned into a swirl on his big fish mitts. Looks cool.

-Blue eyes rather than red.

====================

Out of all of them, Helmut had the most changes. I wonder if it’s because he went through the whole adventure compared to the others. But he was also way more sensitive to the world.

Maybe that’s his mutation. Almost like Eevee but not quite.

How I ended up with such a bizarre team I don’t know.

Wouldn’t trade ‘em for the world.

[eolewyn1010]

3 seasons of Charité - upsides and downsides

Includes spoilers for all three seasons!

What I like about Charité, season 1:

- Ida is a relatable and stubborn woman, and while I think the protagonists of the newer two seasons are written better and more interestingly, she makes for a good central character

- Behring is great to watch, complex, enthusiastic, arrogant, passionate, desperately forlorn, sweetly encouraging, irascible, honest, and I’m always torn between loving and hating him with all my heart

- he also stands in for how badly society was suited to handle people with psychological issues back in the day

-  actually, none of the characters are simple or one-sided; expectations are often subverted – Behring is not heartless, but he can’t just be “saved” either, neither Koch nor Virchow are as benign as they seem at first, Tischendorf is not the sweet young Prince Charming who’ll give Ida the dream life she deserves, Hedwig is not a brainless little floozie with no deeper thoughts or feelings, neither Therese nor Martha are all the strict boss ladies they want to be, Edith is not just a snotty bitch etc.

- medical history of that time, a blunt look on methods and circumstances

- the rivalry between the doctors; it’s fun to watch them passive-aggressively piss on each other

- the staging of the Tuberculin scandal was really effective, with all the hyping, the downfall and the consequences

- we get sweethearts! Stine is a sweetheart, Else is a sweetheart, Therese is a sweetheart, Dr. Kitasato is a sweetheart, and most of all Dr. Ehrlich. I like kind people, ok? Especially in a setting where so many people are asses

- the music is atmospheric and quite nice

- despite two options of marriage, the female protagonist remains single and gets to focus on her career, even in a time and setting that’s not supportive

- I’m having a blast with Minckwitz – he’s such a bitch, I love it

What I hate:

- the lesbian dies for no good reason

- did our main character really have to be a tragic, left-all-alone orphan in debts? Would you like some cheese with that whine?

- the big, hammy speeches get on my nerves after a while

- my sweet lesbian Therese dies, awfully, of frickin’ tuberculosis

- say what you will, Ida and Behring could have made it work; I think they would have been good for each other. Kinda disappointed

- Else Spinola deserved better

- poor Therese dies, thinking that God punishes her for being in love with Ida

- those weird slo-mo shots between scenes don’t serve any purpose

- what’s with the random fortuneteller scene? What was that good for?

- THERESE DIES! We go with f***king Bury Your Gays??? F*** YOU!

_________________________________

What I like about Charité, season 2:

- Anni and Dr. Sauerbruch – different than with Ida, we get two focal characters who aren’t presented as doubtlessly morally good. On the contrary, Anni starts out as quite the happy-go-lucky little Nazi follower – and then we get all the character development; hell yeah!

- Anni chooses to keep and raise her disabled baby herself, come hell or high water; damn, she fights for that kid. And Martin is positive disabled representation, too – thanks for giving me a handicapped veteran who’s not a bitter, drunk wreck just whining about what a cripple he is! He’s got a grip on his life, and the leg only ever comes up on three occasions; it doesn’t define him

- Otto, Martin, Doc Jung, Margot, Maria Fritsch and Kolbe are more clearly positive characters, but they aren’t one-sided, either – like, Otto plays that bright sunshine, but there’s so much seething in him. My sweet baby boy

- same for the negative characters, because they aren’t flat either; Artur, de Crinis and Christel are super interesting, all different levels between quiet, only semi-aware compliance and full-on, not-so-blind fanaticism. Gawd, those shitheads, but they’re fascinating to watch

- all them relationships – Margot-Ferdinand, Otto-Martin, Otto-Anni, Artur-Anni, Margot-Doc Jung, Ferdinand-Doc Jung, Anni-de Crinis, Bessau-Artur, Martin-Christel, Otto-Christel, Anni-Martin… there are so many interplays, so many dynamics that influence each other! SO many layers!

- the acting is better, I think; the characters altogether feel less wooden, much more human than the first time around – perhaps because it’s not 19th century manners anymore now, I dunno; I’m getting really emotional over shit, and I love it

- incorporation of the political and social situation into the hospital setting – much more than in the first season, the state ideology influences the way the doctors can do their work, and many of them do their best to still hold onto their duty when everything around them falls apart, which is beautiful

- power struggles between the characters in charge and ideological / political nuances are more subtle; nothing is black and white

- but there’s nothing subtle about the presentation of Nazi crimes and how many people actually just went along willingly – that cold bluntness is just what that subject needs

- interactions with patients are better this time; they’re more now than passive, pitiable creatures who quietly die their way, they’re characters with their own minds and drives (Lohmann, Magda Goebbels, Hans von Dohnanyi, even Emil)

- the music is even better than the first time around, I love it – so gentle most of the time, but it can also really help to build the tension

- we get a very sweet, functioning queer romance between characters who consist of more than “well, they’re gay and it troubles them”, and they both live – THANK YOU for learning your lesson; there was no good reason to have the gay character die, so Otto and Martin get a happy end. Was that so difficult?

What I hate:

- Yrsa von Leistner is so effing random. Who the hell wrote this? If you can’t incorporate a character properly, why bother including them in the first place?

- the passivity and anonymity of the disabled children – why didn’t Artur or Anni ever get to perceive one of them as a person? That girl Traudel for example, Anni could have talked to her

- there’s a slight tendency to “I’ll just tell the character next to me” exposition – Artur when he and Anni wake up together that one morning (why wouldn’t Anni know yet what he’s working on? That long-winded explaining sentence just came off as awkward), Peter Sauerbruch to Margot about the Dohnanyis and Bonhoeffers

_________________________________

What I like about Charité, season 3:

- I’m all pro ProPro! Honestly, that man is a treat, both how the character is written and how the actor carries the situations and interactions he’s in. He’s arrogant and narcissistic, but he’s also principled, insightful and caring, unpolitical in a smart way and honest in a quiet way, and he gets how people are, and his mentorship of Ella, how he supports and encourages her and also bluntly gives her the dressing-down she needs, is a thing of beauty. And that she has to earn his attention first

- I have a personal soft spot for the scene where ProPro is doing his sports and going jogging while talking with Ella, and then just has her run along. That man’s hilarious, I love him

- Ella’s spirited, and while I don’t love the protagonists of this season as much as those of the second, she’s still great in her own right – the dedication to her research, the strength with which she handles the shit that’s thrown at her

- everyone’s so snarky!

- the wider focus on medical history and research; we see a lot past surgery now

- everyone’s taking shit in stride – staff is running off to the West? Ok; rest gets double shifts. We don’t have a senior doctor on the ward this morning anymore? We do shit ourselves. An illness we’re not prepared to treat anymore because, actually, there should be vaccination enough? We’ll make do. I love that spirit

- positive disabled representation! Rapoport’s daughter actually interacts with people, is presented as a person, has dreams and strengths and can handle her issues – yes, please!

- we get an intersex character, not for long and the story isn’t treated with the care and attention it should have, but props for the effort, I guess

- the setting allows for Ella to focus fully on her work and passion, not really giving much on romance and marriage without that seeming out of place – Ida’s conversations most often revolved around a man, Anni was considered a Nazi role model for being married and a mother, but Ella, while the relationship with Kurt is an option, never prioritizes this and never needs it

- personally, I’m smelling threesome subtext between Ella, Kurt and Alex Nowack – that may just be me, but I like it

- how everyone handles situations, how the changes happening in the country are incorporated into the world the characters live in, how they are able to cope with stuff and make decisions, in the end even without shifting blame

- even more so than in season 2, I really like how human the patients and their relatives are, that interacting with them in the right way is made an important part of the doctors’ work, even when some of the patients are asses

What I hate:

- people are mumbling – it’s not dialects, it’s not accents; they’re mumbling. They never were in the first two seasons

- the cancer stories were really no favorite of mine; what’s with the teary melodrama and the sudden gory shock value? Come on, Charité, you can do better. Presenting the human side of everything has always been the strength of this series, so why going so overboard now?

- I dunno, the crime cases ProPro investigates don’t seem to be incorporated that well? I suppose they’re there to establish his main field of pathology, but they spend a lot of time on that “Biter” case, and I’m not sure why

- would have been nice if Inge Rapoport had gotten to interact a bit with important characters other than her husband, Arianna and Kraatz – she’s a lovable, strong female character; why keep her so one-sided?

- what’s with the black’n’white painting? You showed us how conflicted and nuanced people under the Nazi regime could be; why now the clear line between “those people are good” and “that one sold his soul to the Party”?

- you show us an intersex person, introduce her as a character, make us sympathize, show us her hindrances and possibilities – and then she’s just gone? What about her treatment? Positive development? Making Kraatz’ interactions with her a counterpoint to his interactions with Doc Rapoport? What WAS that?

[randombubblegum]

i dont want this to come off as rude bc i dont have anything *against* it at all (i am very pro shipping, especially with awsten bc of the pocast) but i do kinda wonder what the thought process behind shipping aws and otto is. mostly bc of the whole thing with otto's girlfriend being awsten's ex. idk if i'm just being too obsessed with realism (which i do have an affinity for, so it's possible) but it just seems like they'd have a really weird irl romantic relationship because of it.

hi anon!! this doesnt come off as rude, dw!! let me preface this by saying im ALSO obsessed with realism; you can see it in every fic i write, every Lore Piece i bring up, and every time i like cross-check a video and analyze it lol. i have a detailed timeline in my mind for basically every ship/band i like, parx included. and i think thats good! to me, the fun of liking a band or an rpf fandom is the three-dimensional, authentic relationships between people, however you interpret them.

(under a cut because this got long-ish lol)

im not going to lie; i dont like the gr*ce thing. i dont! i think its extremely shady, and even outside of the relationship with otto and/or awsten i think her public behavior online has been abhorrent for years. the more i learn about it/the way she acts and has acted the more strongly i feel this way. i wont get into it further right now, and i dont want any messages telling me why i should feel X way or Y way instead. i hated the whole situation so much it nearly stopped me from getting into parx at all when i first found out about it. THAT is how much i hate it, and when things are publicly aired (not leaked, aired) on the internet it is everyones right to form their own opinions about them.

that being said, for the sake of this ask, let me take off my rpf goggles for a second. the relationship between awsten and otto runs SO deep. they met when awsten was 17 and otto was 18 and have stayed close for more than a decade. the chemistry they have is immediately evident and obvious!! watch any clip in the many many videos in my awtto moments tag or look through my awtto tag or the awtto tags of my friends or ANYTHING and i think youll see!!! i really do!! its clearly a very deep friendship that i think can easily be interpreted as romantic, which is why i like to :-)

when the whole Thing happened, it was the fall of 2015. waterparks wasnt big enough at that point to be unable to bounce back if, say, their drummer got kicked out. the fact that awsten has made several public (shady, but like, thats his right i think) negative comments about his ex and the situation, but never about otto, says something to me. actually when the whole thing went down someone asked him on ask.fm if he and otto were fighting and he replied something like “me and otto are tight, always have been, always will be. nothing will change that” (i cant link bc theres no way to search beyond scrolling all the way down like a madman sorry BUT ITS THERE). all this is to say, an awtto reading of the situation actually makes MORE sense to me instead of less: if otto werent really, incredibly special to awsten, more so than a normal friend, i FULLY believe this would have ended in a. a broken friendship b. a swift kick out of the band c. a fistfight or d. all of the above.

obviously we will never know the whole story, nor is it ours to know. but i dont think awsten “writes 2 albums and several demos about ONE relationship betrayal” knight would just suck it up and let this slide if he REALLY harbored any ire for otto. no other explanation makes as much sense to me as “otto is really just that special to him” personally. youd kinda think theyd have a super weird FRIENDSHIP relationship irl too, right?? but they dont seem to!

in conclusion, i want to say i totally get the mental block youre facing right now. i was there too, like i said!! im not gonna be like “SO ALL OF THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE TO SHIP AWTTO BYEEEE” but i hope it clears up my thought process for you a bit <:-) i really appreciate the kind and respectful way you worded this and rock on with the pro-shipping stance, i agree!!! especially with the podcast yo!! if you have questions or want to talk more in-depth off anon i promise to keep it totally confidential. thanks for ur ask!!

[junker-town]

2021 NBA player rankings, Nos. 40-31: Some of these young guys will be awesome, but which ones?

Save for two choices, there aren’t a lot of proven NBA options on this section of the list of the 101 best players in 2021.

You’re always going out on a limb when asked to predict the 101 best NBA players in four years. A lot changes in four years. Just look at our (mostly off) predictions four years ago for the 100 best players today.

Picking out which young players emerge in the future and which don’t amount to a lot of guesswork. Consider this the section of the list where our panel of 10 puts some serious faith in their abilities to evaluate young talent.

Eight of the 10 picks in this section of the list are currently 23 years of age or younger. Some of us will look very smart. Others ... not so much.

40. Otto Porter

Age in 2021: 27 (8 seasons)

CHRIS GREENBERG: Good NBA contracts aren’t payouts for past performance. They are investments in future success. Otto Porter signed a max offer sheet from the Nets this summer, which the Wizards happily matched. He also was close to receiving a similar offer from the Kings.

Maybe those were bad offers.

But maybe Porter is just going to keep on developing into one of the most versatile and impactful players on one of the NBA’s best teams. With improvements at both ends of the floor through his four seasons, the 6’8 swingman averaged career highs in three-point shooting percentage (43.4), total rebounds (6.4), assists (1.5), steals (1.5), and points per game (13.4) last season.

Those numbers won’t set the world on fire four years from now. But this kid is still just a kid. He’ll be 27 in 2021, and one of the best 40 players in the league.

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: Porter has improved every year he has been in the league, and those are the type of players I’ll always bet on. Top 40? Sure, maybe. We’ll get at least one currently productive wing who bursts out Paul George-style in the next few years, and I’m rooting for it to be Porter.

MIKE PRADA: Bold, but I love it. I definitely would rather have Porter and his upward trajectory than several players picked in this range.

TOM ZILLER: I think this is a solid pick. He’s already a top-100 player, defense matters, and the Wizards should be solid if the band stays together.

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39. Zach LaVine

Age in 2021: 26 (7 seasons)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: That ACL injury really sucked for LaVine, whose superhuman athleticism was the linchpin of an improving offensive repertoire. Still, I’m confident he’ll bounce back from his injury and, at worst, be a marksman from three and an above-average athlete. In Chicago, he’ll get enough touches. He just needs to rehab.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: I took someone with an ACL history way higher (stay tuned) but LaVine’s production is really tied up in his athleticism, so this is a dice roll.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I didn’t love LaVine pre-injury, and think this is way too high for him considering the injury.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: I’m a strong believer that a player’s environment and on-court situation play a large role in their success. The guy got traded to Chicago. This feels a bit too high.

RICKY O’DONNELL: Love watching LaVine play, but he needs to improve as a playmaker or defender to justify this.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Prove the haters wrong, Zach.

KOFIE YEBOAH: Zach, please stay healthy. The league needs you. I need you.

BULLSBLOGGER, BLOG A BULL: Well, if the Bulls were internally worried about not building around Jimmy Butler because he was merely a top-15 player instead of top-5, great work by them now potentially having a single top-100 player in four years. Better hit on these lottery years I guess.

(Spoiler alert: no other Bulls made this list).

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38. Gary Harris

Age in 2021: 26 (6 seasons)

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Harris and Nikola Jokic are going to grow up together in Denver and it’ll be a beautiful thing. Harris was a top-10 three-point shooter last year and is only improving. Plus, he’ll only be 26 in 2021! His growth between his first two years and his third gives me hope.

Everyone else’s reactions

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: This feels like one of those picks you make when there are five seconds left on the clock and you don’t know who to pick, but you see a name you recognize as one widely considered promising. Gonna pass.

MIKE PRADA: Love this dude, but No. 38 is borderline All-Star level, and I’m not sure he’ll ever be that good. I’m surprised there was this large a discrepancy between Harris and Jamal Murray (No. 63).

That said, I really love this dude’s game and look forward to him getting more attention now that the Nuggets are gonna be must-see TV.

TOM ZILLER: He’s a good shooter, but he’s not going to be the second-best Nugget in four years, is he?

TIM CATO: I could see Harris getting this good. I’m not saying it’s likely, but I could see it.

MATT ELLENTUCK: We picked Gary Harris ahead of Harrison Barnes, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Kevin Love and Eric Bledsoe. Oh man.

MIKE PRADA: Harris is already better than all of those players except Love (and maybe Bledsoe), and he’s still quite young. Y’all gotta watch more Nuggets games.

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37. Skal Labissiere

Age in 2021: 25 (5 seasons)

TIM CATO: This pick’s meaning is twofold. First, what’s the point of this exercise if there isn’t a really dumb pick for NBA Reddit to laugh at? I am always looking out for the people of the internet. This was for you.

That said, I truly believe Labissiere has top-40 player potential four years from now. Why not? In a league that has become obsessed with unicorns, Labissiere has all those same tools. He’s an athletic 6’11 with scoring touch, and his jumper is silk. It’s a matter of time until it stretches out to the three-point line, something that will complement his icy post turnarounds beautifully. There’s much Labissiere must improve on, but give me his potential over picking another 32-year-old who may or may not hold up.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: I have no emotion toward Labissiere’s current pro team, but as a recovering Francophile, I support all Haitians in the NBA. Skal is very exciting. Good pick, Cato. I support you.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Skal looked great for the post-Boogie-era Kings. This is a really good pick.

AKIS YEROCOSTAS, SACTOWN ROYALTY: Skal looks like a diamond in the rough of a very bad 2016 NBA draft. In 2021, he could be a two-way force for the Kings if he continues to develop well.

MIKE PRADA: I was all set to go way out on a limb and take Skal somewhere in the 50s based on a few decent games against tired and/or tanking teams ... and then Tim did it 15 picks higher than even that. This will look either brilliant or extremely foolish.

TIM CATO: “This will look either brilliant or extremely foolish” is the future title of my autobiography.

KOFIE YEBOAH: Can I write the prologue?

MATT ELLENTUCK: See my last Gary Harris reaction. This is such a weird pick. I’m not reading that book even if you’re right about Skal, Tim.

TIM CATO: At least I didn’t pick (redacted) fourth overall.

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36. De’Aaron Fox

Age in 2021: 23 (4 seasons)

KOFIE YEBOAH: I swear this kid can teleport. From watching him play in a high school tournament in Raleigh, to playing in Kentucky, and now making it to the league. De’Aaron Fox will use his teleportation powers to terrorize teams in transition and beyond. I know people are willing to bet against his jump shot for the time being. Hopefully, he gets that down so I can look back at this time capsule, drink a beer, and smile.

Everyone else’s reactions

AKIS YEROCOSTAS, SACTOWN ROYALTY: Given that De'Aaron Fox will be just 23 years old in 2021 with his best years ahead of him, I think most Kings fans would be ecstatic if he was already in the top 50 of NBA players. The speedster evokes John Wall, and if he can get anywhere close to that, the Kings are in good shape.

MATT ELLENTUCK: De’Aaron Fox might’ve been my favorite college player to watch last year, but this feels WAY too high for him. He’ll be 23 years old. I think he needs more time before he’s a borderline All-Star.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: De’Aaron is fast as a Fox and will learn to control that speed in four years. Finally, a good pick by Kofie.

KOFIE YEBOAH: Finally? Kristian, I hope the Knicks miss the playoffs by one game every season for the rest of their existence.

CHRIS GREENBERG: These teleportation powers you note make him sound like a likelier member of the X-Men in 2021 than a top 40 NBA player.

MIKE PRADA: Two Kings in the top 37? That’s not what I expected when we started this exercise.

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35. Michael Porter Jr.

Age in 2021: 23 (3 seasons)

MIKE PRADA: Kinda surprised a textbook elite unicorn for a new generation who’s been near the top of the 2018 high school class throughout fell this far. Y’all are too scared to pick high schoolers.

Porter would be the perfect new franchise player for the Nets because ... oh yeah, never mind. Whoops.

Everyone else’s reaction

TOM ZILLER: We’re not too scared to pick high schoolers. Some of us have picked high schoolers in the past and been burned! (In 2011, I wrote that Shabazz Muhammad would be a top-100 player in 2015. Welp.) You have also picked high schoolers in the top 100 — hell, the top 20! — and been burned. The difference between us is you keep walking back into the fire. Bad Prada!

RICKY O’DONNELL: Porter might be considered a center by 2021 the way the league is going.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Pass on all high schoolers on this list.

KOFIE YEBOAH: No LaMelo Ball for you Kristian?

34. Josh Jackson

Age in 2021: 24 (4 seasons)

MATT ELLENTUCK: I still think Josh Jackson should have been in strong consideration as the top pick in this past draft, and I definitely would’ve taken him ahead of Jayson Tatum.

I’ve watched Jackson’s game since high school and have consistently been impressed by his basketball smarts and unreal athleticism. That knowledge, coupled with his dominant final few months at Kansas, sold me on Jackson as an impact player from the jump. His shooting is a real concern, but it’s obvious what his role will be as a playmaker and do-it-all small forward.

Everyone else’s reaction

TOM ZILLER: Stay tuned to find out if the entire first round of the 2017 NBA Draft gets picked in this exercise! Dibs on Tony Bradley. (The thing is: KUZMA got picked so you can’t even tell if I’m joking.)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: The Suns better be good in 2021 if Josh Jackson’s a top-35 player, AND we haven’t gotten to Devin Booker yet.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I stand by this pick almost as hard as I do my Covington one. Jackson will be a STAR.

DAVE KING, BRIGHT SIDE OF THE SUN: Jackson profiles as a difference maker in the same vein as Draymond Green today and Tayshaun Prince back in the day. He’ll do all the winning things that allow scorers like Booker to score.

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33. Draymond Green

Age in 2021: 31 (9 seasons)

RICKY O’DONNELL: Draymond might be the best defensive player in the league. He’s also incredible with the ball in his hands, as evident by him finishing top-10 in the league in assists each of the last two seasons. He’s never been super fast and he certainly has never had great size. Somehow, he still is the most impactful center in the league. I don’t expect that to completely change by the time he’s 31 years old.

Everyone else’s reactions

GREG THOMAS, GOLDEN STATE OF MIND: Draymond doesn’t just excel based on pure athleticism, he excels on his innate basketball IQ. This enables Green to read defenses better and play more efficiently. He has helped lead the NBA into this small ball stretch-5 era and he will continue to evolve as a high IQ player. Draymond is a mainstay at the top and will be the force to reckon with for years to come. He will continue to outsmart and outhustle players that are more physically gifted than him.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Dray Dray is the most versatile defender we’ve ever seen, right? I’m curious how much of that versatility takes a hit as he ages.

TIM CATO: This is another one of those, “Either he’s higher, or he’s lower, and this is an average of the two,” picks. Green could blow up, fall off the map, and be out of the NBA by 2021. That’s conceivable. It’s just as likely he’ll remain the same defensive savant while maybe even improving his offensive game a little bit. When we’re talking about Draymond, a slow decline just doesn’t seem likely. It’ll be sharp and sudden, like a kick to Steven Adams’ nether regions.

TOM ZILLER: I don’t understand why we consider Green a boom-bust player. He doesn’t rely on athleticism — more his motor, brain, and intensity. Doesn’t that age well? I think Green will be fine into his mid-30s.

CHRIS GREENBERG: I’m torn on this one. Is Dray really succeeding without athleticism? That would suggest he’ll be fine for years, thanks to his basketball IQ and skills. Or is he leveraging every last bit of his relatively meager athleticism to maximize his basketball IQ and skills? In that case, losing even a single step could see his impact drop off a cliff.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Draymond is a top-10 or so player right now. His talent would translate to any team. I still don’t think we respect him nearly enough. He will still be GREAT in four years, so I’m offended by Tim’s reaction.

TIM CATO: My reaction was more a testament to his off-court (or even on-court) volatility than any decline in his game. But also, come on — he clearly relies heavily on athleticism, just not in the prototypical areas we think of it like 40-yard dashes and leaping abilities. His lateral movement declining would be a huge blow to the player he is.

KOFIE YEBOAH: I think four more years of Draytness is pretty reasonable. Anything after that, I can’t see.

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32. C.J. McCollum

Age in 2021: 29 (8 seasons)

ZITO MADU: The second and more chilled half of the Blazers buddy-cop duo has a similar career trajectory. McCollum can shoot and score. Last year he finished just outside the 50-40-90 club (48 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from the 3-point line, and 91.2 percent from the free throw line) while averaging 23 points per game. He’s only 25. His future is bright.

Everyone else’s reactions

DAVE DECKARD, BLAZERS EDGE: McCollum may turn out to be the most underrated player on this list: phenomenal offense, great attitude, could end up in the conversation with the league's best guards.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Better than Bradley Beal. (Can the league make 1-on-1 contests during the All-Star break? McCollum vs. Beal is the first game I want to see. Then JaVale McGee vs. Marvin Bagley.)

MIKE PRADA: This is a good pick.

One question: Will C.J. have his own team by now? He’ll have just finished his four-year deal, and while he gets along well with Damian Lillard off the court, you wonder if one or both will get wandering eyes, or if Portland will break the duo up itself in an attempt to become a more balanced team.

I hope they stay together because it’s fun watching their tag-team act, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re on different teams by 2021.

TOM ZILLER: My only concern for McCollum is that Portland’s defense is going to continue to be a sore spot and it eventually means the end of the backcourt duo. I’m not sure he has the same level of success with a lesser point guard.

MIKE PRADA: I actually disagree with that. I think he’ll be better individually away from Lillard because he’s good enough to be the lead dog in a backcourt. His team will probably be worse, though.

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31. Jabari Parker

Age in 2021: 26 (7 seasons)

TOM ZILLER: Parker is a silk-smooth scorer already, despite always getting injured. I have high hopes, still. Between picking Brogdon No. 71 and Jabari, I may also be overcompensating for the choice I made at No. 1 overall. Stay tuned.

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: Taking a dude with a twice-torn ACL in the top 35? That’s bold, Ziller. I wish Parker the best, but I’m afraid he’ll never be the same.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: A twice-torn ACL, man. I can’t get jiggy with this pick.

MIKE PRADA: Also think it’s an open question whether he’s even a positive value-add player if healthy. I love watching him play, but it’s telling that the Bucks fared better without him three years ago and survived just fine when Khris Middleton returned this season.

RICKY O’DONNELL: The NBA will be a better place if Jabari can stay healthy.

CHRIS GREENBERG: Agree with Ricky, and rooting for Ziller to be right. And, heck, Shaun Livingston has taught us not to count anyone out.

KYLE CARR, BREW HOOP: ​If Jabari can recover from his second ACL tear and show that same explosiveness he had this past season, I think he can easily be a 20+ points-per-game guy. His defense will be in question, but minimal improvements will do him wonders.

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INTRO | FULL LIST | TOP 100 OF 2017 | HOW WE DID IN 2013 | SNUBS | 101-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1 | THE CASES FOR NO. 1