#which while potentially POTENTIALLY PARTIALLY valid

[twobigears]

waking up to Facebook drama over the agility judge who was attacked by a dog in the ring over the weekend, and just….fuckin yikes.

[directdogman]

A few words about the upcoming Olandy route!

First of all, want to quickly apologize for the relative quietness on my part as of late. I'm still in the middle of an international move right now and I'm officially on the final bureaucratic stage before I can physically pack up and complete the move. I've gotten quotes from moving companies, found a good service for Salvage's transport (which was a challenge in of itself) and now I'm just waiting for the final legal paperwork to process. Combined with my recent stint in hospital (my heart did something zany) and preparing for an upcoming merch campaign whose launch month was decided at the start of the year, you may see why I'm behind my own schedule. I can however confirm that work is still on-going... just slower than I'd like. However, I've taken this partial hiatus in production to think over the route and make sure it'll be as conceptually solid as I can make it.

One concern I'd like to address because I've seen it mentioned a few times is the fear that the route may veer into fan service territory in terms of characterization/scene content and I'm hoping I can put those fans at ease. I understand these concerns. The very concept of an Olandy route does seem kind of rife for this sort of thing. The thing is though, the idea for an Olandy route was a cut concept from DT's basegame, when I thinking of ways to double up characters in order to have more three-way dialogue scenes.

Obviously, given that a whole route was cut from the game, this idea ended up in the same nether-sphere as the other potential route ideas, like the Fusco route. But, this was an idea that I considered long before the Olandy ship gained popularity and that's why I was eager to tease the idea after release. I get many requests for routes with characters like Harry, Peter, which would undeniably sell well, but that I'd really have to headscratch to think of a way to make work. My point is, I'm only interested in ideas that I'm confident in.

Would Randy and Oliver completely work as partners? There's points for and against it. Do they have a strong/unique dynamic? Definitely. Randy is someone who looks to others for comfort/confidence and he's not good at dealing with things alone or without guidance. Oliver is confident in himself and very much a pack animal, who loves receiving validation/affection and feeling useful. This roughly explains why they veer towards each other even without considering stuff like romantic/behavioural compatibility.

As for the route itself, my main goal with their dynamic is to give an honest exploration of each character and to show a side of each not seen in their route, while also staying consistent to who they both are. It's important to note that this isn't just a Randy-Oliver route, but very much a Randy-Oliver-Gingi route. You shouldn't worry that the route will be sappier or more romantically heavy than the other routes as I'm actually including an option to play the route completely platonically and both options won't be too dissimilar outside of certain dialogue lines from both characters.

The key thing here is that I'm writing the route just like any other DT route and my main focus is having fun scenes where the characters talk about themselves in order to compare and contrast the differences/similarities between each character within the trio. There are scenes where Oliver is serious and confides in Gingi. There are scenes where we see Randy's insecurity/cowardice paint him in a bad light.

The DLC will also not replace either of their routes, and will instead aim to emphasis traits + backstory each character has that's kind of implied subtly in each of their routes, but not specifically outlined, to give you a more well-rounded view of each character. So, my goal is certainly not to flanderize, but quite the opposite. I want to give a deeper view on each character that's consistent with previous characterization, by further explaining why each character is the way they are and providing more context to stuff mentioned in Randy/Oliver's main routes. Oh, and advancing Gingi's character further, akin to in Roger's route.

(And before you ask, yes, I do have a similar plan for Karen later on, but I have a very specific idea of where it makes sense to put it as it's a much more involved project than a simple DLC. It will definitely take longer to pull off. But, her day will come.)

So, yeah! Obviously Roger's route took care to display the datables in their cameos with the nuance they have in the basegame. From Randy's impurity (willingness to be part of a con), Oliver potentially freaking Gingi out and being unsure of himself upon meeting it, Karen cracking a spontaneous joke (and it not landing), etc. It's important to me that I don't flanderize these characters or reduce them to their outermost traits.

I'm still not 100% confident in the route draft, but that's a given. I never am. But, I can say, I'm really excited for people to see the character stuff I have in mind for Randy, Oliver + Gingi, particularly what's revealed about both in the heart to heart in the good ending. You have a rough idea of what to expect from the route as per previous routes and while this one won't be nearly as large as Roger's route, I still wanna make it the best experience it can be for you all. Thank you! :)

[electricbathsalt]

Things I want to talk about/touch upon/see people mention more but cannot compile individual coherent posts about:

1. The fact Pops’ daughter apparently had a “falling out” with Pops (over her marriage??) that caused her to completely abandon the yakuza and maybe also cut contact with Pops (the dude is suspicious guys)

2. The fact that in the Overhaul-LOV initial meeting, Chisaki had to have intentionally chosen not to kill Mr. Compress.

3. The idea that many of Chisaki’s thought processes at least partially stem from his time in AFO’s facility. And of course, Pops.

4. How much Chisaki seems to lack a proper reaction to any sort of pain (He was beat to a pulp by Mirio & Midoriya, exploded himself, & got his arms cut off and I’ve never heard him so much as yelp) while still complaining about how overhauling himself hurts?? Yet he doesn’t show it.

5. (Highway scene) How Chisaki only screamed once the realization he wouldn’t be able to ever wake up Pops sunk in (isn’t confirmed but. I’m convinced).

6. The fact that there’s absolutely no way Chisaki wasn’t negatively impacted by being raised in the Yakuza. It’s simply inherent.

7. The blatant disregard Pops had to have had for both Chisaki and Eri’s well-beings to have designated Chisaki as her caretaker.

8. The endless amounts of potential for Chisaki & Dabi/Touya dynamics post-war, platonic or otherwise. (Multiple fics with this premise in my WIPs, lol)

9. The fact Chisaki seems practically incapable of holding a grudge. Like, think about it; is there a character you can say Chisaki genuinely, wholeheartedly hates and wishes the worst upon. You know what—what IS his opinion on Shigaraki/the LOV these days??

10. Realizing that in the initial Overhaul-LOV meeting, Chisaki literally just tone-matched them. Look:

Mr Compress says all that, and then Chisaki later explains:

Which, once you break down what Mr Compress said/how he said it, and what Chisaki said/how he said it… blunt statement of facts. Mr Compress told Toga how faded out the Yakuza have become with no sugarcoating, and Chisaki took that and said. “Well. Yeah.” But then when Chisaki did the same thing (blunt but true & valid criticisms of the LOV/Shigaraki’s leading skills (bc let’s be real, he was an ass leader at the time in terms of actual planning and execution)), the LOV got pissed. He pointed out all the relevant flaws and mistakes in Shigaraki’s leadership and then said it’d be better if he was the leader because he actually has a plan, and they got pissed at the mere prospect of serving under somebody else. Do you realize how much the story would’ve been altered if the LOV didn’t decide to just start attacking Chisaki here?? 💀 Sorry I’m exceptionally passionate about this bc the fandom gaslit me for a while into believing Chisaki was the one starting shit here 😔 but then I read it (a long time after I'd watched it in the anime) and was like. "what. he didn't initiate literally any of this shit. and everything he's saying is true??"

There’s probably more I could add to this but it’s getting long enough lol.

[thistlerock]

Im very fond of soulmate AUs but I've never been a fan of the "you spend your whole life waiting for the ONE and you HAVE to date or you're weird" it feels iffy to me (I mean I'm arorace so maybe that's it). I enjoy "oh you're on the same wave length, if you meet you for sure will have a deep emotional connection with this person but who knows what it'll entail. And maybe you'll never meet but that doesn't mean your life will be any less fulfilled". It's more of a,,,you were born under the same star, lol? But yeah I wanna write a few fantasy high fics with that concept.

I'm partial to (temporarily) mirroring markings on each other's skin soulmate AUs but honestly I'm not super sure what to do with this one. But I'm throwing up ideas because I can't just stay silent, I'd explode.

Listen. Listen. Sandra Lynn and Gilear are soulmates. Being inherently compatible doesn't mean you can't fuck up. The two have a genuine connection and she loved Gilear but she was never 100% sure that she was in love with him, and monogamy maybe wasn't right for her either but she was ignoring all those doubts and complex feeling in favour of going for the safe and easy life that society expected and that would, short term, definitely make her happy. It'd make Gilear happy, too. (The possibility of living an immortal life without a partner by her side might have scared her more than the possibility of that partner not being the right one.) Both of them later find new happiness in their respective partners, and they're on okay terms but they never restore the closeness they once had. Which is okay, certain mistakes can't be undone even if they're forgiven, and certain relationships just won't be restored. But yeah complex feeling about this and how sometimes soulmates don't mean forever.

Branching off of this, Fig. The divorce causes all the problems with Fig it normally does, but it also makes her write off the idea of soulmates completely. True love doesn't exist type deal (which I agree with. Feelings can change and you have the potential to love anyone, and anyone has the potential to be loved. But for a teenage girl that might have previously romanticised the concept of it this realisation can be upsetting and lead into the other extreme, which is that love in general can never be sincere. Which hey, is a sad outlook.) She tries to replicate the feeling for validation with faces that aren't her own but eventually finds someone that loves her for her and becomes comfortable being the person she is. Ayda happens to be her soulmate but they'd love each other regardless of that.

(Ayda's past incarnations have had varying soulmates. The ones she has records of never met theirs and she really was in the "why would I have one in the first place" mindset. Who knows about the Aydas that came before her, It's so far in the past that I don't think it matters.)

(Idk if Jawbone has a soulmate and if he does idk if he has met them. But I don't think that matters much they're not on his mind.)

Less romance related take on soulmates are Fabian and Riz I think! Fabian is in denial at first because Riz is a loser (not that Fabian isn't a loser lmao. But Riz is like, a social loser.) but Riz immediately decides this is his GUY. This is his best friend. And Fabian does too honestly but it takes him a while to get over being a shitty teenager and be open about it. The whole sophomore year stuff. I do think Riz is aroace and I have my. aro-spec thoughts about Fabian so this can go either "just" best friends (I don't want to de-value purely platonic relationships they're SO good and important and shouldn't be placed below romantic ones all the time) or venture into more queerplatonic territory. Which I also really like with those two lol. But they're a package deal with a deep connected and care for each other greatly :)

Gorgug hasn't met his soulmate and he truly does not care. He has all the time in the world, and if he never meets them that's fine too? His parents are definitely soulmates but being raised by them I think it'd truly be so hard to become insecure about societal expectations like that. This is covered somewhere in the sex and relationship folder probably. Gorgug is such a guy. Zelda, Mary-Ann, Squeem, Unit, Ragh(??). Everyone wants him. He's mostly up for it. SUCH a guy.

Oh! Also. Lucy and Kipperlilly were soulmates. Just, cause, yeah. I think Lucy has so much shit to work through in therapy and this might be #1 on the list because, like, yeah.

Oh also non-romantic soulmates Adaine and Aelwyn,,,they're so important to me. They're so important to each other too. For a really long time Adaine thought something must be wrong with her for her soulmate to treat her like this, something must be wrong with the world for the stars to align only to promise her cruelty. They're okay now. Aelwyn of course felt deeply guilty for everything she was doing but also shoved said guilt so far down she barely felt it. Their relationship is already perfectly articulated in canon I don't have much to add to this, I just wanna write them softly rebuilding their relationship I love them so dearly.

[shallowseeker]

hey what if jack got Really mad at castiel using him as an excuse to stick around. it feels SIMILAR but not quite the same as sam using him to open up a portal. like legitimately i think jack would feel a bit gutted at the idea that someone who made him feel safe enough that he promised cas anything so he'd stick around, only cared about him (AT FIRST. I Can't Stress This Enough.) because it gave cas an excuse to stay on earth. the whole "jack made us a family but he's gone now"

Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I love this view that Cas’s initial reaction to Jack… was tangled up w/ his own identity crisis.

The fodder for potential family baggage is just… Nnnngh!!!!

(Aside// love the idea of this fight: that Jack himself wasn’t what made Cas stay: it was what Jack signified at the time.)

///

Faith in the future:

In 12x19, it reads to me like Jack’s existence validated Castiel’s faith in something bigger than himself, which, after so much doubt/crisis/vulnerability, made him feel strong again.

To Cas, Jack became a symbol of the Future. But at his lowest point, instead of hoping for a better future, Cas clung to Jack as proof that everything was unfolding as it was meant to—as a symbol of Fate.

Looking positively towards the future ISN'T necessarily a bad thing, so long as it doesn't swing too far into positive nihilism, and like I’ve said before... hoping for Big Things(TM) from your child is a common metaphor for parental struggle.

But it does mean that in those early days, Castiel’s devotion to Jack was wrapped up in what Jack represented as much as who Jack actually was.

///

Strong again:

And that vision of Cas’s in the 12x19 script—man. Cas doesn’t just see a world where Jack brings peace to the Winchesters. He sees himself transformed. Jack gives Sam freedom, gives Dean peace, and gives Cas a sense of power and purpose again. Cas is standing there shirtless and imposing, protective as an angel should be, while Dean is in extreme close-up, saying thank you.

Whether you interpret it as explicitly sexual or not, there’s an undeniable intimacy in how it's framed.

The through-line of Cas’s strength runs all the way from not being able to find the boys in prison (First Blood) to Ishim (Lily Sunder…) to Ramiel (Stuck in the Middle with You). He doesn’t want them to protect him. That’s anathema to Cas.

He wants a win for Dean… and for himself. This one of the few chunks of time that focuses not on what Cas does, but on how he is seen… and he’s seen by Dean. That’s significant to me.

///

That pesky brainwashing:

And Jack’s brainwashing capacity, whether you think it was Jack’s subconscious or Chuck’s interference, adds even more stuff to why Cas was so immediately, fervently devoted.

I think that if Jack ever came to realize the truth of THAT, even partially, it would hurt like mofo, don’t you?

omfg he didn't really love me he doesn't really love me etc (Note/edit: It's implied here that Jack had no idea.)

///

We do actually get a glimpse of Cas and Jack fighting in 14x02:

JACK: It wasn’t a risk. CAS: To—to go out there alone? Jack, you have been on the radar of every angel and demon and power broker in creation since the day you were born and I’m sorry, but you’re not exactly yourself. JACK: Weak and defenseless, you mean. CAS (teeth gritting): I mean that the possibility of capture is real, yes.

It nice, because usually what we see is Cas being stern with Jack, and Jack listening silently, eyes downcast.

Respectful.

But here, when Cas berates him—Jack chafes, stepping up into Castiel’s space, eyes flashing.

Jack is frustrated by being viewed as “stupid."

So, Jack throws a barb: that he wanted to see his real family. The way he spits those words echoes Dean in 5x21—when he looks Bobby in the eye and says "You’re not my father."

If Jack REALLY wanted to hit Cas where it hurts, though:

CAS: You’ve been on the radar of every angel and demon and power broker since you were born!

All Jack REALLY has to do and turn around and say that maybe Cas was one of those power brokers.

This would be fertile ground for a fight that reveals too much: Jack charging Cas with being a power broker, and Cas accidentally revealing that acting to protect Jack wasn’t 100% of his own free will at first.

The devastation on Jack’s face is immediate, and Cas scrambles to reassure him—"It’s my choice now." 

But the damage is done.

I think this could create a deep fracture in their relationship—one that’s not easily mended.

Now that I think about it, this might be a more realistic way for the Big Fight(TM) to begin between the two of them.

[lightningant]

Hi!! Just finished reading Venom and Valor (amazing so far!) This is my first ever approach to Tomarry, since it ain't really my thing but their dynamic in your fic seemed to good to pass up, and it didn't disappoint 🤭 My question for you is this: personally, why do you think Tom and Harry work/would work as a couple?

Thank you 🤗

I think they're contrarian in ways that don't typically conflict - Tom is eager to dominate when resisted, and Harry digs his heels in and refuses to move when demeaned. This makes for great material in romance, as you get the impression they'd get along great if Tom gave up his contrary attitude, but it's doubtful he'd ever change that much, and that auto-generates conflict.

I do think that Tom needs someone who doesn't think much of his obsessive megalomania. Harry's arc is about understanding Tom in a really intimate way because he doesn't buy into his mythos and is the only one who can understand him in that way. I find it so compelling he asks Voldemort to repent before their duel, as he doesn't believe this could ever happen, but if it did, he would not have to die. Harry wouldn't kill him. Harry very patiently banters with him, treating him not as a Dark Lord but a man who has done enormous harm.

So the fact of the matter is, Harry believes at least partially in redemption. If Tom showed signs of a lack of commitment to villainy, Harry would be responsive to it. Harry also knows him well enough to know when Tom is bullshitting. Harry's values are too strong to be corrupted or bent; he's like a self-appointed Voldemort Warden.

And yeah they really would get along. Harry gets mad at the same things Tom does. Harry is eager to prove himself, though it's in regards to his passions, not fields he's challenged. Harry is very utilitarian and Tom will have his undivided attention so long as he has something Harry needs. They're both nosy and love gossip. They both tend to keep their heads down and coast when left unattended. Neither think much of authority, but both appear to yearn for validation and unconditional love. They're both highly driven, their personalities counterbalance one another, they're foils, they're unempathetic and standoffish but have opposite reactions (Tom dismisses people on the whole while Harry isn't conscious of the distance and is friendly when approached), Tom carefully curated his masks while Harry is kind of irritated by social performance. Harry would encourage Tom's passions and Tom would encourage Harry to apply himself.

Most importantly, Tom works himself up into truly MANIACAL obsession and plotting when challenged, while Harry is a low simmer who worries problems like a lose tooth and impulsively jumps on whatever seems like it will resolve the issue. The potential for mutual obsession which doesn't clash cannot be underestimated.

You see how they slot together, and how their traits compliment one another, and how their individual natures can create instant romantic conflict. Delicious.

I think their relationship would involve a lot of petty arguments that don't escalate because Harry hates arguing but also get them yapping at each other for hours because neither want to drop it. Harry takes Tom being slighted seriously but he dislikes when people have drama with each other and will keep Tom from fixating (so long as he doesn't get roped into it...Harry needs a Ron for a reason). Tom would appreciate Harry's passion even if he barely tolerates the quidditch. They are simply cute your honor.

... I'm not saying I'm necessarily against their relationship being highly toxic. I was simply asked how their relationship works. We got seven books on how their relationship can fail on truely cataclysmic levels. I love toxicity and I love drama etc

[ahyesthesufferingoftvteens]

You know I don’t think Kaidam shippers really explore the more unhealthy side of Adam and Kai’s relationship…which is disappointing to me because it sounds like something that would be really fun to explore?

This is a long post, so I’m gonna put the rest under the cut, for those who are interested in hearing me out:

Like in most depictions I see Kaidam as this very cute and fluffy and wholesome ship. Which I absolutely love, and I think Adam and Kai can be like that!

Then I look at the canon material and we have:

- Adam infantilizing Kai. “Very cool, Kai!” Has the same energy of your mom cooing at a shitty drawing of herself that you made for her when you were four.

- Kai pushing Adam away and barking back when Adam tries to control the situation and force Kai on the back-burner. OR when Kai very obviously states that he wants to be left alone and Adam doesn’t respect that request and tries to fix a problem that can’t be fixed in that moment.

- Adam and Kai both having trouble regulating their negative emotions and potentially getting explosive, which once resulted in Kai getting thrown across a forest. Wowza.

- Kai having a strong need for attention and validation that Adam does not notice as an obvious sign of trouble at home and something that Kai needs to talk about and get help with. Instead he interprets it as, “ugh, he’s being annoying again,” and reacts according to that perception.

- Kai outright hinting that Mira and Adam never really…hung out with him before he was invited to their team? And likely still didn’t while he was in their team? He was very likely brought to training sessions but that was it. They’ve never even been in his house before The Hollow Life. Adam very likely did not see Kai as a part of his circle before everything happened.

- Adam saying things that are insensitive to Kai and then not taking Kai’s resulting insecurities seriously and very obviously treating them as something he can quickly fix with a few words, which hints that Adam sees Kai as shallow.

Like, Adam and Kai’s friendship is fucked up. Toxic even, I would say. On one side we potentially have undiagnosed ASPD and OCD, and on the other side we potentially have undiagnosed HPD/BPD and AuDHD. This is a recipe for some DRAMA.

But the fact that no one has ever explored how this shitstorm of a relationship can evolve into something that’s actually healthy (as far as I can see) is sad because the POTENTIAL is INSANE.

Like, just imagine this…

—————

Kai confesses he likes Adam. Adam, who doesn’t take Kai’s feelings seriously, thinks Kai is shallow, and subconsciously views Kai as lesser probably thinks to himself “Awwww he’s a baby bi! You know what? I’ll date him for a little bit. It’s his first guy crush, he’ll be over it in a week. Besides, I’ll be giving him an example of what a good boyfriend should be like!” And meanwhile Kai, who is definitely very into Adam and desperately wants Adam to like him, is trying very very hard to impress and please and help Adam.

Then the PROBLEMS start coming in and Kai sticks it through anyways because he does genuinely like Adam, and he wants to be better for Adam, he just wishes Adam would actually try to be better for him.

So then this relationship lasts for longer than Adam anticipated, but by this point he’s too in deep, and he’s probably starting to actually like Kai back (but he likely doesn’t understand that yet because Adam strikes me as autoromantic with the occasional exception. Romantic feelings? What are those?), so he just kinda lets the relationship continue while not really knowing what to do about all of it.

That is, until Kai SNAPS. Accuses Adam of never actually liking him (which is partially true) and playing with his feelings (which he did) and then when Adam confirms these assumptions Kai breaks up with Adam and blocks his contacts.

And THAT is when Adam realizes he fucked up big time and that the way he views Kai is wrong, and also that he really likes Kai now. This is the funniest part of the story: Adam begging and bargaining with Kai for WEEKS before Kai even considers talking to Adam again. Kai’s first request is the most daunting: Go to therapy, Adam.

So Adam does that despite his protests, because god forbid he loose Kai again. He gets therapy, and works through some of his shitty behaviors. He’s much more self-aware than he was before now. Kai is working through his own issues as well.

More time passes, and Adam and Kai are finally hanging out again. This time Adam tries his damndest to hear Kai out, and Kai is no longer as explosive, but he’s very firm on his boundaries and doesn’t let Adam walk all over him. They start dating again later down the line (happiest day of Adam’s life) and now Adam has a story to tell his grandchildren about how he nearly fumbled the bag with his husband.

—————

This is a gold-mine to me. The sauce is impeccable. Every relationship can have issues: the goal is to work through them together as a team!

Let me see relationships that don’t work out at first but then with dedication the two meet in the middle and are finally deserving of each other!

Let me see relationships that aren’t perfect 100% of the time but are still absolutely great!

Let me see relationships that sucked and the two work their things out, but decide to remain friends because that just works better for them!

Let me see complicated relationships! They’re so fun to read!

…Also this scenario I wrote out is also great potential for Reekai (Sorry. It’s my OTP. I gotta rant about them). Like if you branch off after the break up and Kai starts hanging out with Reeve (who probably ALSO dated Adam once and would understand Kai’s strife.) you get the very funny concept of “Adam’s exes keep dating each other.”

In this scenario, after accepting that he lost Kai, Adam would probably be somewhat proud of the fact that he set Reeve and Kai up…until he remembers that he did so by being a trash boyfriend. Then he’s kinda down on himself until he quickly picks himself back up and strives for the future.

And I mean, who knows? Maybe in the future Reeve and Kai could consider letting Adam date the both of them once they’ve deemed he’s worthy.

There’s a lot of directions this can go guys. The Hollow kids and their relationships with each other are messy! Let’s talk about it!

[ruins-of-tragedy]

I finished XO Kitty yesterday. And AGHHHH.

(Spoilers for season two ahead...)

I understand that Min Ho is the better love interest. They made sure to build him up like an overpowered protagonist who can never be defeated.

However, did that absolutely have to happen at the expense of Yuri?

We are way past character annihilation now.

And forget about being a good choice for the titular person. They have discarded the sapphic love interest not only as a potential option but also as a decent character.

Yuri Han is just a shell of the person she used to be. She has been turned into a bad girlfriend, a bad friend and a badly written plot point in general.

When Kitty asks her to get in contact with Jina, Yuri just straight up lies. She knows it's important to Kitty, yet she doesn't come clean about never having reached out to her mother. Until she is confronted about it.

I get how she is having issues with her mum. Being any form of queer is never easy. But she could have just told Kitty about not wanting to do it in the first place. Giving a reason for it is not compulsory.

At the end of the day, this feels like a lousy excuse to cook up drama on the part of the writers and cover for easily avoidable deceit.

Especially since Yuri continues to lie about having sent a non-existent email, even after Kitty apparently 'pesters' her over it; because it obviously matters to her.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The whole cheating thing and Yuri's subsequent treatment of Kitty and Juliana is definitely not the best.

Considering these people are some of the pillars Yuri's season one persona is built upon, it's devastating to watch them shatter without any valid exploration whatsoever.

Throughout season two, her only redeeming interactions occur due to Dae and Alex. And the ones which involve Alex are stretching it a little.

After everything that has gone down, Yuri convincing Jiwon to give Kitty a chance is appreciated but not nearly enough.

And maybe they are breaking down Yuri to build her back again. Her ending up 'poor' may hint at that. They want her to be a better person first and what not.

But so far, this feels like an extremely partial setup that never really cared about the sapphic love interest. Especially because they have been portraying season two as a showdown between Min Ho and Yuri.

Just take a look at the thumbnail for the trailer of it-

Min Ho is infallible in the face of Yuri's faults.

While Yuri's character was off taking a sabbatical, Min Ho was out there winning hearts and making an impact.

Essentially, Yuri now seems to have been a shallow attempt at checking the box of token queer representation. Also getting sapphic viewers to tune in to build tension for the show was an added bonus.

Don't even get me started on Juliana and Praveena. Every WLW character was sidelined or discarded within the first five episodes. Thankfully, they didn't have existing backgrounds to ruin as well.

How Juliana and Kitty managed to become buddy-buddy without ever really interacting on screen still confounds me.

Also, I understand music doesn't have to have an identity based on sexuality. It can be appreciated by a wide range of audiences. And I am bound to agree.

However, with everything that has already occurred, using Chappell Roan's song for Min Ho and Kitty when there is not only a lesbian love interest for her but also sapphic women within the same vicinity... It screams disrespect in the face of such a context.

At best, these actions are tone deaf. But after the abrupt assassination of all the WLW folks, it has now developed into stabbing an already festering wound on the back.

This is my fault, to be honest. For entertaining the possibility it would be a fair play between characters of great potential.

One of whom is a legitimate lesbian.

Why do I ever expect anything better? This is a freaking Netflix show.

My only complaint now is, if they were always planning on doing Yuri dirty like this, introducing her as an option was never necessary.

I am sure there are other ways of exploring bisexuality. Spitting on sapphics in the process is not required practice.

Even if Min Ho was forever the end game, destroying Yuri as a whole to assure that is just plain garbage. There are better ways to make it happen. This was not it.

The writing for Yuri is obviously lacking and leaves a little too much to be desired. And it's pretty apparent they added her into the love constellation for the #views.

With season three's status up in the air, Yuri's fate has been sealed well. They didn't even give her a fair shot. And I don't think they ever will.

Love that for me. I got played hard.

I have deleted this post once already.

And another time, Tumblr did it for me because it wouldn't save the draft for whatever reason.

My excuse for the first one was I don't want to spread unnecessary vitriol.

I am now realising this is not that. And it's extremely important to share with the world.

If not for anyone else, then for me.

@lgbtpopcult said it best; western media gives straight girls love stories, and gay girls "representation."

It may not be the rule, but there are very few exceptions.

I am done.

(Also, this is not an attempt to erase Kitty's bisexual identity. I just think they did a terrible job of portraying the same. And that occurs while putting down WLW people.

Katherine Song Covey is not straight, I am aware. But a lot of the fanbase for the show is.

They now have a wonderful love story to witness, while people like me suffer from heartbreak on the sidelines.

Out here holding funerals for characters whose potential they have mercilessly executed. Pun intended.

Cheers.)

[utilitycaster]

Sorry for the incoming wall of text, but this is something I've been thinking about a lot in light of c3.

After seeing the post you reblogged about Trent, I was wondering: what are your thoughts on how CR in general seems to portray the intellectual pursuit of arcane magic (ie wizardry) as inevitably leading to corruption and potential world-ending consequences? The Age of Arcanum (in particular Aeor and Vespin Chloras, especially in light of how they were both understood/portrayed by Brennan) is the most blatant example, but in modern Exandria we've got Ludinus, Delilah, and everyone associated with the Cerberus Assembly generally being up to nasty shit, Vasselheim banning arcane magic only being portrayed as more of a justified overreaction rather than an injustice (given that it effectively bans sorcerers from the city), Essek being willing to re-ignite a war for the sake of knowledge, Vecna in general, and everything about the way the League of Miracles are written in Tal'Dorei Reborn.

Even wizards like Caleb and members of the Arcana Pansophical are portrayed as "one of the good ones" at best--Caleb I imagine at least partially because he's a PC and Liam was approaching from a slightly different angle than Matt, and the Arcana Pansophical are still portrayed as well-intentioned but elitist at best. You'd be hard-pressed to find a truly "good" high-level wizard in CR, while corrupt and elitist ones abound. The whole thing feels vaguely anti-intellectual to me (I don't think that was Matt's intention, but it is telling that the closest thing Exandria has to a "good" knowledge-based organization is a religious organization that doesn't seem to trust wizards in general).

I feel like you are reading things into the portrayal that I personally do not, and I also feel that the whole Wizards Vibe is directly discussed in Campaign 2, with this line from Yussa: "At a certain level of arcane practitioning, morality becomes a bit ambiguous..."

The thing about wizards is The Hubris Is Part Of It. Like if a wizard isn't kind of an arrogant prick, even if they're also a genuinely good person, they're not very fun, and also why wouldn't you be arrogant if you're a wizard? Other people have to get magic from pacts and deals and worship or sheer luck, and you worked for it and built it piece by piece yourself! I think some of it is that wizardry attracts a certain type of ruthlessly ambitious person. I also think that it's notable to consider wizardry vs. general scholarship; a lot of the scholars, notably the Cobalt Soul and Grim Verity, are portrayed very positively, and even smaller institutions that perform both arcane and general research like the Vellum Steeple and Starpoint Conservatory and Aydinlan Seminary and Marble Tomes Conservatory, are like, closed off and snobby at worst, which isn't even imo anti-intellectual so much as a valid critique of access to higher education.

I would also note that pretty much all Evil World-Destroying Wizards who had that intent come from two sources:

The Age of Arcanum's flying cities are generally portrayed as places that fed into wizard egos and led them to believe the world was theirs to conquer, but even then, the Raven Queen pre-ascension, Patia, Laerryn, Cassida, and even Vespin all in the end come off as deeply sympathetic people who, when the chips were down, tried to do what they believed was right but did not always have good judgement. None of them were evil nor malicious. There were plenty of selfish and horrible wizards (Vecna, the various wizards of Avalir and Aeor who prioritized their safety and power over those of the people of their cities), but we've seen a lot of really shitty fighters or warlocks out there too.

The Cerberus Assembly, a body cultivated specifically by Ludinus Da'leth from its inception, which means someone like Delilah, Trent, or Vess can thrive; I think the issue with Delilah was frankly the optics more than Ludinus having a problem with her (and even Vess had a bit of a too-late redemption, realizing that unleashing the Somnovem would do untold damage, and tried to stop it unsuccessfully; and I'm not sure Trent had any plans for the world, simply for hurting people). And even then, much of the assembly either fits the Yussa "morality is ambiguous"/hubristic and dickish but not evil, or is straight up neutral or good. Like, Oremid Hass is probably not a great guy but as far as I know he was just kind of a hardass with his students and a huge cat person.

Like, it feels you are really selling short the generally benevolent Arcana Pansophical wizards (Allura, Eskil, Drake); the many wizards of the Kryn Dynasty (of which we only specifically know Tuss Waccoh and Essek Thelyss); Yussa, who makes weird choices but does not harm people, and of course Caleb (and Lyra, while we're at it) to try to make an argument that doesn't make sense.

As for Vasselheim, I've always found that in-world the arcane magic rule was kind of...inconsistently applied. Like, it never really came up in Campaign 3, and they had no real issue with Allura, and Lyra and Zahra presumably are fine (and I'm not sure why, to be honest, you're mentioning sorcerers to me, the Sorcerers are the Rogues of the Casters Person, particularly since we straight up don't see sorcerers discriminated against in Vasselheim - Gilmore was totally fine and indeed appreciated in his assistance). It always felt like something that kind of got semi-abandoned in the lore and only came up to point out that Scanlan was being kind of a dick (which often he was)(affectionate).

So I guess what I'm saying is I feel you have standards for "good" that I think might be exceedingly high, or at least higher than I'd set them, as well as are conflating arcane prowess with the only form of intellectual pursuit. You are entitled to this reading, but it's really not one I remotely share.

[franklyimissparis]

who’s who in “let ‘em in” by wings (1976)

and some other thoughts on the song

prefacing this by saying that paul himself has changed his own interpretations and offered many explanations up for each name mentioned in the song! i don't necessarily think there's one right answer about what's about who - paul is known for writing about multiple things at once and having many layers of inspiration behind his lyrics. i will mostly be focusing on the names paul lists off within the song, in the order they appear, starting with:

- sister suzy: suzy was linda mccartney's alter ego within her own band, suzy and the red stripes which was active at the time this song was written. paul has stated on many occasions, including in “the lyrics”, that sister suzy is a reference to linda.

- brother john: a lot of articles reference brother john as being john eastman, linda's brother, while others reference john lennon. paul himself said it could be either. but if we're being honest, the first person paul's gonna think of when someone says “john” is lennon, hands down.

it's worth noting the use of sister when describing linda, paul's wife. while it could make sense in the context of the line brother john being john eastman (john and linda being actual brother and sister to one another), i think it's valid to examine the other potential meanings as well, particularly if we think of brother john as john lennon. it places paul's relation to them both as, firstly, familial and implies an equality in the roles they've served within paul's life. starting the list of people with linda (placing her as the most important as the lot) and then john second is interesting as well. we've seen countless examples of paul and john both comparing their relationships with their wives to their relationships with each other and i think it's striking that paul does this here, whether consciously or not.

(nowadays, paul's brother and sister in law via his wife nancy are actually named jon and susie, coincidentally enough.)

- martin luther: paul writes in "the lyrics" that this is about MLK which i'm sure it partially is but also there is an account of the other three beatles jokingly calling john "john martin luther lennon" in the early days though i couldn't find a solid source for this. there is the infamous 1985 hunter davies quote from paul's off the record phone call with him where he called john “martin luther lennon" but that was obviously years after let 'em in and in a massively different context (though potentially this could suggest that it’s a comparison he’s mentally made before but that’s a bit of a stretch, evidence wise lol). i’ve also heard people say martin luther could potentially be a reference to george martin as well, which is possible. others have speculated that this is a reference specifically to martin luther and the 95 theses (“knocking on the door" i.e. nailing the theses to the door) which paul says may have been true on an unconscious level but wasn't purposeful.

- phil and don: the everly brothers, one of paul and john's earliest and biggest influences as young lads. they were heavily inspired by the everly brothers when they performed as their duo, the nerk twins. they also referred to themselves as the foreverly brothers on other occasions.

- brother michael: paul's brother mike, unsurprisingly. though paul also states in “the lyrics” that this might have been a reference to michael jackson as the timing works with paul and linda meeting the jackson 5 around the same time as well but i think realistically he probably mostly had mike mccartney in mind with this one.

- auntie jin: paul’s real and favourite auntie from liverpool. saw one very rogue take that it’s meant to sound like ‘antigen’ but, quite frankly, i think that’s a bit horseshite.

- uncle ernie: in “the lyrics”, paul mentions that he has a cousin called ian who was sometimes referred to as "ern". but also states that at this point he was just playing with words and sounds and this probably wasn't his intention. previously, paul has attributed the line as a reference to keith moon, who was close to the mccartneys in the 70s prior to his death and played the character of uncle ernie in the film tommy (1975). it also could refer to ringo starr as well, as he voiced uncle ernie in the LSO's recording of tommy. ringo himself referenced let 'em in ("someone's knocking on the door/someone's ringing my bell") in 2003 in the song "english garden" which suggests that, at the very least, he felt as though there was some connection to him there.

- uncle ian: like previously stated, paul has mentioned his cousin ian as potentially inspiring this line but personally i think uncle ian could be a reference to paul himself. "ian iachimoe" (meant to phonetically sound out "paul mccartney" backwards) is one of paul's many pseudonyms, thought to have been created around 1966. he signed the lyrics of paperback writer with "yours sincerely, ian iachimoe" and it is also said that in order to distinguish themselves from the rest of his mail, paul would tell his close friends and family to address letters to ian iachimoe so he would know to read them.

paul referred to "let 'em in" as the musical equivalent of a "stocking stuffer" in “the lyrics” which i'm sure it was in his mind but me and my tin hat will be reading deeper into it as usual! this song reminds me quite a lot of “call me back again" in the sense that i think (subconsciously) it may be a bit of a poke at john to get in contact with him.

it's important to note that the album was written/recorded/released around the time of the infamous “it isn't 1956 anymore” incident where, according to john, paul kept showing up at the dakota with his guitar after sean was born without calling ahead. john would let him in but would be a bit put off about it until one day he gave paul a bit of shite for it and paul took it quite personally. while the actual incident is noted as happening in april of 1976 (according to the beatles bible) if it's true that, as john says, this happened a few times there could have also been some tension with paul appearing at john's in the prior months before paul recorded the song in february of 1976.

paul has spoken of the song as reminiscent of a typical party in liverpool where there's sort of a constant stream of family and friends coming through the door - this could be something paul is nudging john to remember (especially with the references to their teenage musical influences and acquaintances and paul's family members that john himself once knew personally.) something along the lines of "oh come on, john, you've gotta just let people into your life, you can't shut out the people who love and miss you. this is how it used to be with us, don't you remember those days?" ... but that's just my interpretation. anyway sorry this was so long but i just thought i'd share in case some of you hadn't heard all the possible interpretations of the lines :))

[cabeswaterdrowned]

Blue feeling ‘used’ by her family for her power and Gwenllian validating that feeling (which also has an implication imo of Glendower potentially using his daughters power to make himself and his magician friends more powerful) while Blue is at her angriest at her mother for leaving… I so wish this was followed through on in the next book and we got Blue and the 300 fox way women talking about this and her feeling her feelings there but… I guess other stuff was going on for everyone. And I understand that once she got Maura back (while grieving Persephone and pre emptively grieving Gansey) Blue was probably too happy about that to be mad (and also I think Gwenllian is spinning a valid grievance Blue has to be something that could turn her against her family, so I would have found it interesting if she partially succeeded a little more)

[hivemuthur]

Made a comment but going to have to say more because HOLY HELL Nat!!! “Lips where lips were” was INCREDIBLE but good lord SINFUL 😭. I think I made a request some time ago about pathetic/ kinda switchy Viktor (dancer one) but in my head it was not in a sub way, THIS is exactly how I imagined when asking. I completely agree with your opinions about his character being infantilized and mischaracterized. When I see people say that all I can think is have we seen the same show?? When I think pathetic I think more so desperate, like desperate to touch, to give, desperate for reciprocated desire and enjoyment partially as a need to feel desired. Giving and often emotionally involved where switchy dynamics can occur.

Anywayyy—Seriously seriously seriously I see your writing improving so much through each post and you are keeping Viktor Nation alive. As much as I love the smut it’s barely what I look forward to, I genuinely enjoy the story and build-up so much. I cannot believe I get to read Regency Era Viktor, panty sniffing Viktor and apparently gothic au Viktor fic (one of if not my FAVORITE genres plus Viktor??) which I have yet to read and am so exited for, and I get these all one lifetime. I know I can’t say I was born in the wrong generation. To think while my grandmother was milking a goat at my grown age I am here waiting for more Viktor content. Should I be ashamed? Eh. Anyway, sorry for flooding your inbox and blabbing, I couldn’t keep this to myself. I should probably do some good deeds rn so I don’t go to hell for writing this and enjoying reading these fics so much 😔 was thinking of going anon with this post but you encouraged me to be shameless so here I am 🤲🏼

YES, DESPERATE. I find shame, desperation, yearning, pining, touch starvation - ugh, all those tropes are incredibly hot. I come from a place and a generation where kinking up sexual shame is a very valid way to beat it and I know some people enjoy their partners being embarrassed and helping them beat that embarrassment, sooo yeh... that's how we landed on Viktor being all blushed up :v

And as I said, I don't think he wouldn't switch! Being a sub is actually fun, doesn't mean you have to be a pathetic whiny bitch (but if someone enjoys being one that's also totally okay, humans are cool like that, I just don't think it checks out with Viktor). And I'm speaking from experience here, being more on the sub side, but enjoying control occasionally.

There are so many layers to dom/sub roles as well, between the extremes of master-slave, sadist-masochist we have a variety of overlapping practices to try out. And I am saying that with full understanding of problems that bdsm communities have, I have encountered some, but was lucky enough to avoid trouble because people around me were vigilant, which I am of course grateful for. Generally, it's a very interesting topic, very underdeveloped in literature, but that's because stupid people come and ruin the fun (I'm talking mainstream lit here). Also, can potentially lead to very fruitful explorations of self and ultimately healing of parts that need it and when you know yourself backwards, you are basically unstoppable :')

And ayyy, thank you so much! I've been reading some Henry Miller recently so I'm surfing that tide, hehe :v I actually think reading porn created with love and passion and without having anyone suffer, and then engaging with the author is a deed good enough in itself, it's infinitely better than watching porn with unrealistic bodies in it. This is my way of saying your sins have been cleansed. I am also adding you to my official list of people converted from a path of shame, I will put it in my resume :v

[borderlands-confess]

I really think TFTBL should've given you more romance paths :(. Sasha is great and all, but it's really upsetting to me that if you didn't pick romance options.

(WHICH! While the romance itself was directly avoidable through choices, romantic scenes were not. The flower scene anyone? It was just so uncomfortable to sit there through that and Fiona's questioning. Plus a lot of times if you didn't pick romance with Sasha, you're directly picking selfish behavior on Rhys' part. It's like. Euhhhh why can't I just care about her PLATONICALLY! And she never really was given character aside from the romance, but that's beside the point)

It would've been nice to be given another option at least. Maybe not Fiona, since mechanically that'd be very hard given the fact they're the two main characters. A romance option with Vaughn might've been cool, or at least just one of those "wow you're my best friend, but what if there's something else?" Silly thought paths we all go down y'know.

Ideally I would've really liked to have been able to romance Holojack. and okay, before you go "wowww another rhackie eughhh" HEAR ME OUT.

Holojack manipulates Rhys throughout the game. This is fact. For most of the game, they're on the same playing field when it comes to a level of power— Rhys even coming out higher, actually. Since he has autonomy. Holojack uses Rhys' idolization of Jack to his own personal gain (to be validated in his identity as Jack) and his gain related to his goal.

A very large untapped potential of manipulation was emotional. It was already stated that Rhys is a fanboy more than just a casual fan of Jack. I know the fandom over-exaggerates it a LOT, but hey, he even seemed a little stoked when telling the story of how he met Jack once.

Him being alone with Holojack the way he was most of the game would make him feel special. Having Handsome Jack all to himself. (Because obviously he never does separate Holo from Jack, which I do feel directly plays into his downfall later on.) He'd be giddy about that.

You could say "oh well he's just straight ok" shut up, look at him. He likes men, okay. At least partially.

Holojack is smart. Being incorporeal, the only device Holo has is manipulation and wit. He also has access to Rhys' mind and thoughts (I'm pretty sure? I might just be mixing fic up with canon for this one. Correct me if I'm wrong)

It's inherently a Jack trait to either accept flattery or grin and bear it when it comes to more uncomfortable adoration. It's especially one Nakayama would've programmed for Holojack.

So, it's completely in the realm of possibility for Holojack to find out about small feelings Rhys might have on Jack/him, take them for partially for validation, and then emotionally manipulate Rhys.

It would have really amplified a lot of the emotions when it came to the death scene.

It also would have given Rhys a new parallel to Jack! Therefore making the choice more impactful when Rhys decides not to go down the same path. Jack had been lied to and double-crossed by friends and exes in the past, and Rhys would've had a romantic relationship along with a platonic one that would've double-crossed him.

Plus, it would have given a lot more individuality to Holojack. Anthony Burch 100% intended for Holojack to be a separate person outside of Handsome Jack— he is a brilliant writer, especially if you look at his DnD work. I'm not sure of his complete involvement in tftbl, but I do know he worked on the characters, and I do know he would NOT have been so sloppy with Holojack's character as to make him a complete 1 to 1 with Jack. That's even shown in the game with several inconsistencies in Holojack's memory. (I can even make a whole ramble on that if anyone would want?)

Anyways, TLDR; Holojack would've been a very good 2nd romance choice in tftbl.

.

[mcginnlawfirm]

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[lunar-and-ardent]

Let me just talk a little about a queer, non-canonical Winx Club ship I feel weirdly passionate about - Layla/Aisha and Stella. They're pretty much opposites in practically every aspect, and yet it's more of a "two sides of the same coin" situation than "two different worlds".

As far as I know, we don't have an official ranking of the most important planets of the Magical Dimension, but based on how Solaria and Andros were shown in the series and what we know about them, it's easy to assume that they are most likely in the group of the most important kingdoms of The Magical Dimension (this on its own is material for a separate post). And both Stella and Layla are the only daughters (or children in general, for that matter) of their respective rulers.

Both were met with huge expectations, though it's clear that their upbringings were pretty different. In one of Stella's memories, she goes to something that looks like a pretty normal school in a rather casual, although neat, attire, while Layla was homeschooled, and in her memories she is always shown in this dress in which she looks as if she was deeply uncomfortable and almost suffocating. It is clearly stated that the red-haired girl (I don't remember if she had a name) was her only friend, but she had to move away, and they never met again. Both Stella and Layla struggled as children and were shown as rather withdrawn, with Stella being the stereotypical girl with glasses, unnoticed by her first crush, and Layla being unconfident and having practically no contact with her peers. Quite similar children, but one had some space to grow relatively normal (Stella at school with, I assume, average kids), while the other had much less room for being a child. Plus, after the divorce of her parents, Stella lived with her father, and with her nonchalance about ruining the experiment room in Alfea, I'd assume she was a daddy's daughter.

We both know that, as they got older, started sneaking out: Stella for parties and Layla to the village of pixies. It can be read partially as teenagers' things, partially as them relieving the pressure, with Stella seeking the validation of other people (I mean, she was a stereotypical ugly kid with complexes and her parents divorced; I guess it would be kinda weird if she wasn't at least a little of a people pleaser) and Layla just running from it all and wanting independence. Come to think of it, Stella's arc as a monster in the third season is actually pretty well-thought-out, because as a kid she was pretty much just there, and as a teenager became prettier and more confident (maybe some "fake it till you make it" tactic was there) which made her more popular, so it's only fitting that she was scared people like her only for her beauty.

The more conservative approach of Layla's parents shows again with the arranged marriage thing, while Stella quite easily left back the fantasy of marrying a prince, and, as far as we know, there was no pushback from her parents about her dating Brandon (maybe there was some in the comics, but I'm not sure + they pretty much have their own canon, changing multiple times till it disappeared almost completely - which, again, is a topic for a separate post).

Stella fits the classic blond princess stereotype, and Layla fits the rebel princess stereotype, but they are not as different as one can think. I simply find their differences and similarities in their upbringing, fears and personalities pretty interesting, as well as how much they both learned from each other and how much more they could learn. They aren't the only interesting relationship in Winx (and interpreting them in relation to Musa would also be a treat), but there is something about them that makes me weirdly passionate about them. Potential that wasn't fully used.

[lilacstarryskies]

SCENARIOS OF R+L from an anti r+l elia fan trying to defend and understand them

Now i did go on a rant about whats wrong with the rhaegar-lyanna relationship, and thats what i believe the strongest, there is some discrepancies and possible other scenarios that could have happened, especially since we know essentially nothing truly about robert’s rebellion. Let’s explain my thoughts on possible situations that could’ve occured.

1. Rhaegar needed an “ice women” in order to fulfill a song of ice and fire and hell with the wights.= Okay, so I do understand this, however I just think that this scenario undermines the fallacies of prophecy which is such an intergral part of asoiaf. Dany is so clearly imo the Promised Prince, meaning Rhaegar’s mission to create one was unnecessary. When it comes to this belief, I think Rhaegar believing this, making Jon and candidate for tptwp is a complete red herring, to show how the knowledge of prophecies does not mean that everything will run smoothly. And when it comes to this situation, there’s numerous smaller diverging scenarios too!

a. Lyanna and Elia were aware of Rhaegar’s beliefs and were in support= I don’t really think this makes much sense. If Elia and Lyanna were both aware, surely Rhaegar could’ve also told people other than a 14 year old and his wife, possibly involving Rickard Stark who literally would be in charge of the Night Watch where the wights and long night of winter would occur from. It feels more likely that he told Elia snippets, as shown during Dany’s vision of Aegon Vi’s birth, and left, seducing a willful young Lyanna with tales of love, never speaking of his true intentions, yet ultimately failing in his goal. Perhaps he could’ve fell in love with Lyanna during their travels and time spent in the TOJ, in a “forced proximity romance” sort of thing, yet I feel like if Lyanna was aware of any potential danger to the North, as much as I critique her, she would’ve told her family, after all they could be murdered by wights at anytime since she has great love for her family, so leaving them, while she was aware of upcoming calamities, makes Lyanna in this idea seem even worse than I think is most likely.

b. Rhaegar needs an “ice women” but doesn’t inform Lyanna= This just makes Rhaegar look like a worse man in regards to Lyanna. Adding onto how I personally feel the stark-targaryen ice-fire combo is just a red herring for Dany as the true ptwp, if this is how he envisioned the prophecy, he still has blame. While he takes Lyanna intent of saving the world from doom, the existence of Jon (i love him but…) is completely unnecessary in the context of the prophecy. With this scenario, which feels more likely to me, Lyanna is portrayed as most likely a girl who was seduced by Rhaegar spinning sweet tales of love, perhaps involving prophecy talks of “icy starks” and “hotd-blooded fiery targs” yet didn’t tell her the full prophecy,and he tragically pushed her, a young girl into a fate of death. Which gives the best perception of Lyanna I think personally and is what I believe occured (though Lyanna would still have partial blame for her circumstances), but makes Rhaegar a cunning man who seduced a fourteen year old for his own goals, even if he believed that could save the world and causing her death, away from the comforts of her home, bloodied and with her brother and father murdered.

2. Rhaegar and Lyanna genuinely fell in love during the TOH, and bonded in natural love= This perception just makes them feel extra selfish to me. Duty is such a big them within ASOIAF, while so running away from duties and Robert’s future wife is kinda valid, Rhaegar as the heir to such a tumultuous King, would be strongly aware of his duties. As heir to a controversial King, Rhaegar should be very diplomatic, engaging in politics, engaging with nobles+smallfolk and being involved with his family, so him running off is very selfish and worse than if he did so to “save the world”, since he is running away from his responsibilities which are so vital to the Realm.