#LIKE I'M GENUINELY MAD AT HER BUT I HAVE TO RESPECT HER COMMITMENT

[ceaselesswatchersspecialboy]

Do the twins ever get attached to stanfraud? Does bill get attached to them too? what is their relationship like? and what is their immediate reaction to finding out everything was a lie -- first impressions? GAAHH I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS i'm ur biggest fan bro

Thank you so much!! It really means a lot that people are enjoying my madness this much!

It’s funny because earlier I was actually doodling him and the twins!

He absolutely gets attached and they get attached in return. While their initial introduction to him is very rocky, they come to enjoy his quirks and unusual interests, especially once Dipper puts together he was the author, and he regularly supervises them on adventures, mainly because Stan asked him too, but also because it’s strangely fun. He will repeatedly claim he hasn’t gone soft to Stan, but then Stan will find him fast asleep with the twins curled up against him, or he’ll catch him helping the twins in their respective Dipper and Mabel’s guide videos. He also likes Mabel Juice! Mabel won’t take his suggestion of adding eyeballs though. Alas.

His feelings towards them are made complicated by his own denial. He doesn’t like the idea that he’s changed much at all, and these new doubts he’s experiencing about his original plans are not thoughts he’s willing to entertain for long. He gets snappy when Stan tries to reassure him it’s okay that he cares, because he doesn’t care, he’s just… playing a role. That’s all. It’s all one big lie. He can do lies. But that doesn’t really explain the genuine panic he experiences when Dipper and Mabel are in danger, and how quickly he jumps in to protect them nor does it explain the fuzzy feeling in his chest when Mabel knits him a sweater.

He’s not the same as he was thirty years ago. That’s a fact. And thirty years was once just a blip for him, but this has felt like he’s lived a whole new life.

And on the flip side, Dipper and Mabel care a lot too. He’s off-putting and he’s strange and he says some things that imply he may have committed murder and gotten away with it, but they like being around him. It isn’t always perfect, same as it is with Stan, but the rougher patches don’t tend to last, and they reconcile by the end of the day (although, Bill is usually incapable of saying sorry verbally and shows his apology through actions instead).

Dipper for one hasn’t really had anyone he can just ramble about nerd stuff with. Bill can actually keep up with Dipper, and they both find themselves enjoying the debate they have about inter dimensional travel, or what sort of haunting would be the most annoying to deal with. Dipper does sometimes catch his uncle looking at him strangely though, almost as though he’s seeing right through Dipper and looking at someone else, but he blinks and the odd look is gone, so he must have imagined it.

Bill does sometimes push Dipper’s buttons, of course, and never gives him direct answers, usually making him look for the answer himself, or read between the lines, which Dipper comes to appreciate as it, so he claims, trains his mind for mysteries. They have a very fun back and forth, honestly. Dipper thinks Stanfraud is the coolest despite all the annoyances, and he really does try his best to impress him.

Mabel meanwhile is just her usual bundle of energy, and charms her great uncle by involving him in her unhinged hijinks, and showing him the art of glitter bombing. She meets him where he’s at! Even though he can sometimes be a little extreme, even for her, she pushes herself out of her comfort zone, mainly because of what Stan told her, about how Ford lost his mind while alone. Well, she can’t have that! She makes a real effort trying to understand him, and why he thinks the way he does.

He also weirdly gives her some good advice whenever Pacifica tries to bring her down, and Mabel is both comforted and inspired by how weird he is, even in his old age. He never lets anyone shame him out of it, and he encourages Mabel to just “Be weird! Your fleshbag life is short! Why waste it caring what lesser skin puppets think?”

Bill unknowingly allows both Dipper and Mabel to feel more comfortable in themselves because of how unapologetically ‘him’ he is.

Sorry if this is messy, by the way, I’m just writing my thoughts as I go along.

Anywho, I think all of this makes finding out everything was a lie very hard hitting for them. Mabel tries to rationalise it, that sure, maybe he wasn’t really their Grunkle, but he still loved them like he was, and they loved him like a Grunkle, meanwhile Dipper reacts very negatively, because he really thought he had found someone like him, someone he confided a lot in, and now he thinks he made the wrong choice, that he was an idiot.

And Stan lied too. He admits the biggest mistake he made was not telling them, but it’s too late for that now.

The one bright side, if you can call it that, is Stan and Bill do tell them before they get Ford back. They think they’ve finally found the way to do it, and Stan wants the kids to know before they try it, give them time to process.

Okay I’ll end there for now! Thank you so much again!

[merinathropp]

okay here's my massive and hugely late Wicked movie review in case anyone is still interested alksdjalskdjaldk bless you all for your patience

Glinda - 11/10 no notes I am besotted. I was so wrong about Ariana Grande, she was pitch perfect and melted into the character. She played Glinda with all the nuance she desperately deserves, she was SO MUCH MORE than just a mean blonde girl, she had a sort of 'spoiled rich girl innocence' and genuine sweetness in everything she did. And the RANGE!!!! Her expressions during No One Mourns get the award for First Thing To Make Me Weep, there was SUCH pain and bitter resolve underneath her composure. Ariana the woman that you are.

Fiyero - I feel like Fiyero is a character who only works if you make him a bit camp and silly and absolutely commit to The Flynn Rider-ness of it all, and Jonathan ABSOLUTELY DID. He was outrageously charming. Love that he flirted with girls and boys and even members of staff, really drove home the whole 'scandalous reputation' thing. Equal opportunity Fiyero Flirting. What a time to be alive.

Elphaba - Okay this is where things get complicated. I really struggled with Cynthia's Elphaba. I totally respect that she wanted to take the character in a different direction, making her more vulnerable and soft-spoken and sad.

It just didn't work for me, because it stripped Elphaba of all the things I love about her in the show: her fierceness, her rage, her explosive nature, her terrible temper. I just adore how messy she is. And I missed that in the movie.

I've seen people talk a lot about how Cynthia's Elphaba is 'internal' - she doesn't let her emotions show, she keeps it all on the inside. Again, this was a choice that really bugged me. So many classic Elphaba Reaction Moments were reduced to Cynthia just...looking?? It drove me mad.

Her vocals were out of this world. She looked absolutely stunning. But I just can't connect with this new version of Elphaba as much as her stage counterpart.

Sets, Props & Costumes - GORGEOUS. A literal feast for the eyes, this is a sumptuous movie and I kept wanting to pause the frame just to take in all the little details. Everything felt so distinctly Ozian, all the bizarre textures and fabric choices and steampunk Victorian vibe...ughhhh obsessed.

Screenplay - I think my overall take for this section is: The additions they made were fun, but if I'd been in charge, I would have prioritised completely different things lol.

With the 3 hour runtime, I guess I just assumed they would put all that glorious extra time towards Gelphie and Fiyeraba? Especially because there are SO many juicy cut scenes from older versions of Wicked (e.g. workshops, San Francisco tryouts), and this was an amazing opportunity to bring some of that stuff back.

But instead, we got like...A Sentimental Man dance break, more dialogue with the Wizard, a big action sequence with Elphaba and Glinda escaping the guards, a new song about the ancient sorcerers of Oz, loads of Pfannee and Shenshen dialogue etc.

Again, I don't think any of this stuff was bad! But I wish the extra time had gone towards expanding the character relationships rather than like...The Wizard Will Dance For You Now lol.

(Not to mention they cut some of Fiyeraba's dialogue - a BIZARRE choice, I scream into the void etc, these two have such limited time together already, Why Would You Cut More Of It)

Misc Things I Loved - Galinda and Elphaba's new little 'signature wave' for each other, based on their Ozdust dance. Destroyed me emotionally every time they used it.

- Popular was a MASTERCLASS in adapting a musical theatre number to screen, I was so worried it would be Too Much but they pitched it just right. It was hysterically funny but still sincere, Galinda was very much 'kid who's had too much sugar at 3am' and she was so DRAMATIC and silly and sweet, I'm besotted fjhakjsdhaksjda.

- ALL THE CHOREOGRAPHY. Bursting with energy, highly musical. I found myself wishing the camera would slow down / zoom out a bit, so we could enjoy it more fully.

- Doctor Dillamond actually saying to Elphaba that she has a friend in him, and gently offering her one of his hooves to so they could 'shake hands'. My friend and I were both like 'we did not expect to get emotional about the goat professor, yet here we are'.

- Fiyero 'yeah I ate grass as a child' Tigelaar. he absolutely did. not a single doubt in my mind.

- The Wizard, trying to convince Elphaba to join him: uhhhh you can even bring your...friend...with you! (I was literally like HAHAHA HE GETS IT oh no. he gets it. oh no. I just loved that he seizes immediately on the one thing that might sweeten the deal for Elphaba, which is having Glinda with her.)

[barblaz-arts]

Ok I lied, one more Hazbin character ask.🙏

Thoughts on Lucifer, Carmilla, Rosie, and Adam?

Lucifer

I love love love him. Terrible dad tho! Lmfaoo

Genuinely think Charlie let him off the hook too easy for all the neglect imo. It's kinda weird how most of the fandom suddenly thinks he's a great dad. He's okay at best, tbh. Just because he has a gorgeous singing voice(Jeremy Jordan is the fuckin BEST man) and a silly personality doesn't mean everything's swell. I hope the second season further tackles this. I remember someone saying before that Lucifer resembled a dad who accidentally had a baby as a teen and doesn't actually know how to be a father and I haven't forgotten about how accurate that is. Still tho! Great character! I'm not even exactly mad about him being popular, just a little bothered by how he's viewed by most people. I hope the show has him do more than sing a musical number to EARN Charlie's forgiveness

Carmilla

I love her, even if the way her character is written is a little, um, how do I say it? Weird? Doesn't make sense sometimes.

Like how she's a demon Overlord who sells weapons but has a line that goes "I always thought that I would keep blood off my face". So does that mean she's never killed anyone before? Or maybe she swore off killing at some point? If she's only ever taken a life to protect her daughters, what sin did she commit to get her to end up in Hell, with her daughters no less. I have my speculations, but with how little we know about her, speculations don't change the fact that Carmilla is a strangely written character. She has some moments that are just questionable choices from the writers too. Like, how they had Carmilla point out how obvious Vaggie's nature is, making Charlie's feelings of betrayal look a little stupid on Charlie's part. Or how Carmilla sang to Vaggie that she should focus on love and not revenge, even though all Vaggie has ever thought about is protecting Charlie while never showing any signs of even thinking about getting back at Lute. Such a strange character. I hope she makes more sense next season when we get to see more of her, because I truly do love her. If this is never tackled though and I just happen to be overthinking, it's fine. I still like her anyways.

Rosie

A really sweet lady for a, um, cannibal. I can never get behind the fact that she and the other characters eat people RAW though! No matter how beautiful she is, the hotness factor is knocked down as long as you don't clean, cook, and season your food, maam. Nasty.

I hope we see more of her relationship with Charlie though. People keep talking about how Carmilla and Vaggie are similar, but I feel we should talk about her similarities with Charlie too. Throughout the show Charlie is ridiculed and given no respect by her people because of her sweet nature and jolly disposition, but here Rosie is being all those things and yet has a whole town to lead! I hope them meeting is set up to have Charlie learn even more from her.

Adam

Oh man he vexes me lol I don't completely hate him, because he has some funny moments, and kickass songs, and the OG Broadway Beetlejuice voices him, but he's suuuuuch an asshooooole. He's not even the kind of villain that you still like to see and romanticize even when he's evil. At least to me. I think my brother explained accurately why. He hates Adam in fact, and that's because his attitude and personality is too accurate to incels that you can see in real life. I enjoyed him as the first season's villain, but I do NOT want him coming back somehow as a sinner like others want. I want him to stay dead. It's Lute's turn to be the new big bad. I still have Pentious if I want more Alex Brightman anyway.

[mikaila-orchard]

Anduin still gets more respect and dignity than Sylvanas ever did and I'm still mad about it.

Aight, the new WoW trailer stirred up some old animosity that I have to get out lest it fester.

The problem I've had with Anduin for the past few years is something that isn't even strictly his fault, and is just symptomatic of how shitty the writing staff is. In theory, Anduin is an interesting bit of flavor for the Alliance. Someone who was raised in a very turbulent time in the Alliance's history, gone through some shit when he was too early to handle it and is plagued with self doubt because of it. All of this complimented by Velen's vision of Anduin's future going down two very different roads.

Alas, the problem is in execution. Because what we are left with in practice is a character who goes through comparatively less than other legacy characters (Thrall being raised as a slave, Jaina losing her home and loved ones regularly and Sylvanas with fucking everything) but who, by the time Shadowlands rolls around, insists that he is the one suffering the most and everyone else needs to get over themselves. And that wouldn't be so bad (hell, in Shadows Rising, it's kinda treated as a genuine character flaw) but that's not the case because WoW treats Anduin like the moral barometer of the franchise for many years now.

There are multiple examples of this throughout, but the biggest culprit is all across BFA and Shadowlands, where Anduin is made to understand the hardships that Sylvanas and the Forsaken have suffered, most of it by the Alliance's hands, and just shuts it down with "Everyone suffers, stop hiding behind your trauma and rise above it," and because BFA is framing him as the hero and Sylvanas as the villain he gets away with it. In the fucking Sylvanas book, he has the gall to say Sylvanas had a better life than him because she knew her mother and calls her selfish for committing suicide. And of course the book frames Anduin as being in the right about all of this because they decided Sylvanas holding him captive was the time they would even allow to let her reach out to someone and hope they understand her. The deck was always stacked against Sylvanas and in Anduin's favor in terms of audience sympathy.

But then, what happens in Shadowlands? He gets dominated by Zovaal, stabs the Archon (doesn't even kill her), maybe kills a bunch of unnamed npcs off screen, and fights his friends. Not a single tally to add to his body count while he was a puppet. And when he is freed from Zovaal's control, he doesn't lose his support system, he doesn't lose the respect of his loved ones or his people, and he's not put under pressure to just be okay again.

AND YET!

He still goes on this self imposed exile of his, and has been on it for over half a decade at this point, because he is just too haunted by everything he's 'seen and done'. Things that we as the audience don't really see. So in practice, the justification for all this on screen angst is so painfully weak. And yes, there's no wrong way to respond to trauma and there never will be, and Anduin's trauma responses are far from unrealistic.

But compared to Sylvanas, Anduin is giving a great deal more respect and dignity by the narrative for, comparatively, much less. Sylvanas was enslaved and forced to murder her countrymen (onscreen too, we MADE HER DO THAT in warcraft 3) and when she was finally freed, she had no support system besides her rangers and Nathanos, she was feared by her former homeland who only accepted her help out of desperation and was hated and distrusted by enemies and allies alike way before she might have done anything to deserve it. The game even leans into the idea that the Sylvanas who suffered all this trauma isn't the real Sylvanas and we just needed to restore her soul to have the pure pious ranger general back (barf). And she still has to toil away in superhell because the writers were too chickenshit to fully backpedal on the deliberate character assassination the sexual predator on staff forced upon her.

"Oh, but M'Kay! That's the writers fault, not Anduin's! You can't blame him for all that."

Maybe not but a lot of the issue here comes from the fact that so long as the people who enabled this inequity of care remains on staff (IE fucking GOLDEN) this won't stop. So what choice do I have but to loathe the byproduct of this fuckery when it's being shoved in my face like this? What other way could I possibly interpret this disparity other than as misogyny?

[creatingblackcharacters]

hello!! (and welcome back!!!!)

i have a question about how to properly write a scene in a fanfiction i have

so, it's a zombie apocalypse thing, and theres some level of fantasy racism against a white character. he gets turned into a zombie and then turns back, and everyone is pretty wary of him sometimes, but for the most part they just kill zombies and dont actually have an issue with HIM, but he considers it wrong to kill ANY zombies (which i fully disagree with as a zombie media enthusiast, they literally kill people)

so, i'm going to have one of those scenes where the white character goes to the Black character with 'oh, you could NEVER understand how this feels!', EXCEPT, the plan is that the Black character (Juliet, and the white guy is her boyfriend Romeo) gets kind of angry after hearing him say this to her all the time and pretty much goes 'Romeo, i'm a Black woman'

i was wondering how to properly write this scene, and to show that Romeo is completely in the wrong for acting like Juliet wouldn't understand the racism she's been going through her whole life (because i am SURE that some people would think 'wow thats so fucked up of Juliet to be mad at him when hes just talking about his experience')

in reality i don't think Romeo would do this but disappointingly he somehow ended up like that in the series because i write it with someone else. but i feel that this scene would be important to include even though i would honestly like to completely change so much of what we've done with Romeo's character

thank you!

Of course you would name your characters Romeo and Juliet lmao. Okay so admittedly this will be biased because I am stunned at the audacity of your co-writer for putting you in this situation. But there are two things I personally would do, maybe both, maybe one or the other:

1) remember how I've said before that the mark of a genuine ally is how they respond to being approached with their racism? If you think this is an unironic reflection if your co-writer's beliefs, you need to stop and tell them that you are uncomfortable. Period. I'm not going to sit here and roleplay microaggressions. No. And if they don't want to change, then I would simply no longer write this story. Just because they want to write racism and call it romantic doesn't mean that you have to participate.

2) if you want to commit to the bit, you can always show what would actually happen in this situation with a Black character with self respect, which is Juliet dumping him. 😊👍🏾 I can't imagine being in the zombie apocalypse and letting somebody be racist during. I don't have time for that. and I'm already making time for a romance? With a zombie? That treats me microaggressively? Nah. I could be doing anything else at the moment. Survival is key, I risked it, and you think that's how you'll do me? Unacceptable. Let them write out of that one 🤣 no happily ever after without a genuine apology and reflection 🤣

Jokes aside (well, theyre not really jokes) you're asking how to reflect the Black woman's experience with racism in your story. And if that's not something you're confident in writing, something that you've studied, read, listened to, and have a grasp on, I wouldn't do it at all. In addition to how this story is supposed to be a romance (I assume, given the names) racism isn't romantic. Hiring a Black sensitivity reader could be key at this moment as well.

As I have said before, I'm always iffy on fantasy racism anyway, because it usually reveals that people don't actually understand what real world racism is and how it functions. I don't know how well you and your co-writer have written this story. But if your white zombie Romeo really is experiencing "zombie racism", then it stands to reason that he should be able to recognize racism when it's in front of him, and he should be checked for that.

[librarycards]

asking this not as a gotcha, but genuinely for perspective, as i respect how much you've read and wrote about antipsychiatry. so, i was committed in a psych ward as a teen, and the help i received there inspired me to pursue becoming a pediatric psych np. there's a lot about the system that angered me, but the good nurses i met there had an impact on me. i've also had a rough time finding the right prescribers for meds as an adult, and i've considered working primarily in medication management- to be the attentive resource that i wish i had years ago. i see you've answered someone who aspired to be a therapist- but would my goal be more likely to hurt than help, in this system? i intend to be critical, and not spout shit like ODD as a legit diagnosis; rather, my main goal would be to recognize how a kid's home is affecting them, as having that safer space away from my own home helped me realize the context of why i was that way. but plenty of people claim to have the best intentions, and then become abusive once in these positions of power, so perspective would be very appreciated. thank you

hey anon - thanks for this message. i've answered similar ones a few times before (1) (2) (3), but here are a few thoughts:

honestly, most good/good-intentioned people don't last very long in highly abusive institutional environments. my current therapist started out in a residential ed treatment place, and left to start a private practice because she couldn't stomach the abuse she faced from her superiors, nor the abuse she was expected to inflict upon residents. i have disabled/Mad friends who have gone into social work and/or psych-focused medicine. i do not know of any who have stuck around in psych ward/other high-control settings. it's a painful, demoralizing job even for people without lived experience, never mind for those of us who have been through it as patients.

the ones that stay often harden. there are always exceptions - there were a couple of staff in each of the places i was that were truly special people, not because of the institution but in spite of it - but most of the staff i encountered, from psych nurses to house parents to psychiatrists to social workers - were sharp and cold. maybe you won't become this, but either way, you'll have to put up with it.

and that's the fundamental problem, imo. even if you preserve your own code of ethics, you will not only be structurally limited by the regulations and demands of wherever you work, but you will also be in an atmosphere at best apathetic and at worst actively hostile to the autonomy and well-being of patients as such. you will have to choose between standing by at times of injustice/violence, or risking your job. we both know what happens behind those locked doors.

at the same time: these units will not close if you choose not to work there. people will not stop needing medication management; kids will not stop needing support amid abusive family/home situations. at the same time, it is in practice extremely difficult to effect real change for kids experiencing abuse - hard to get kids out of abusive homes permanently, hard to find non-abusive foster families, impossible to effectively support traumatized young people in these times of transition given the piss poor systems we have.

whether you'd be "hurting more than helping," while a fair question, is beside the point. i'm not entirely sure it's possible for anyone within these institutional strictures to 'help' in a long term sense at all. BUT, you would certainly make peoples' lives/stays in the hospital less painful in the short-term, even if you're pulling your hair out with frustration at the intransigence and needless cruelty of your colleagues. while you're considering what to do in career terms, i think it's also worth considering leadership positions where you can be a safe, supportive adult for young people without the expectations of the institution - a scout leader, coach, theater director, etc. (these are also not mutually exclusive with actual careers ofc) if you wanted to focus on the medical space, patient advocacy is also an option.

overall, i don't want to uniformly tell you "don't ever go into that", because, as i said, the position will exist regardless and i would prefer Mad kids to have as much access to compassion as humanly possible in a profoundly cruel system. but i also want to make clear that the violence attendant to that system will not be escapable for you, nor will you be able to move through it without perpetuating some of your own. think carefully about what you're able to tolerate.

[rebelumbrella46]

HOTD 2X02 "Rhaenyra The Cruel" Thoughts!

Green Side:

Aegon: Tom's performance as Aegon was exceptional, allowing me to sympathize with his character throughout the episode. I could deeply feel Aegon's pain and rage, especially in moments where he needed comfort and was denied. Alicent’s inability to provide motherly solace was striking; even Cersei, in all her madness, was a more nurturing mother. Aegon's inadequacies as a king are clear—he’s young and impulsive. One of the episode's standout scenes is Otto reprimanding him, realizing the monumental mistake he made in thinking Aegon could be controlled. Aegon will never be as pliable as Viserys. This parallels the frustration Daemon feels with Rhaenyra, who, ironically, exhibits the patience and indecision that mirror her father.

Otto: Otto is a character I love to hate, and the actor’s portrayal this episode was a highlight for me. His regret and frustration with Aegon’s choices were palpable, showing that karma is catching up to him. I also appreciated the subtle grief Otto displayed when speaking of Viserys, indicating a complex mix of respect and genuine care despite his actions. The scene where he dismisses Alicent’s attempt to seek solace was particularly telling—it highlighted a pattern where comfort is consistently denied, first to Alicent and then by her to Aegon.

Alicent: Alicent was insufferable this episode; I found it impossible to empathize with her. She continually makes the situation about herself, oblivious to her children’s suffering and unable to provide them with any comfort. As someone who has read the books and knows how her story ends, all i can say is that the Gods for more cruel that they are, wouldn't take it out on an innocent child for the crimes you have committed and in the end the punishment would be ten times worst.. a very fitting end if they decide to go for it.

Aemond: Aemond had a brief but significant moment where he confessed his feelings over the incident with Luke. This scene showed a level of remorse that sets him apart from Daemon, particularly in this episode. Aemond’s awareness of the pain his actions cause to others and the brewing rivalry between him and Daemon were well portrayed.

Helaena: Helaena, my poor sweet child, continues to be a character I deeply care for. She doesn’t seem to appreciate the public’s sympathy, as if she knows the whole situation is wrong. And knows these people could so easily turn on her, i'm pretty sure she saw it even. The citizens of King’s Landing have long been depicted as some of the most unsavory characters in the history of Westeros. Their actions and attitudes throughout the series often highlight their fickle and ruthless nature. This is why, every time I recall Daenerys burning the city, I find it difficult to muster any sympathy for them.

The brief encounter on the stairs, where Aegon denies her comfort, reinforces the pattern of emotional neglect seen throughout the episode.

Criston Cole: I have to give immense credit to the writers for their incredible work in depicting Criston Cole. With each episode, my hatred for this character grows exponentially. Kudos to the actor as well, who is doing a marvelous job. But honestly, every time Cole appears on screen, all I can think is: "How much longer until this guy meets his end? Hopefully, it's a very horrible one.". His manipulation of Arryk, sending him to his death, was disgusting.

What’s even more infuriating is Cole's blatant hypocrisy. He projects his own shame and regret onto others, acting as if he's on some moral high ground. His self-righteousness is maddening, especially given his own shady actions. I found myself wishing Otto would expose him in front of Aegon—reveal how, while Aegon's child was being murdered, Cole was with Alicent, another person whose hypocrisy drives me mad. (Like Aerys "the Mad King" kind of mad, wanting to see them both burn)

Despite showing guilt for his actions, he repeatedly makes the same mistakes. The only moment Alicent gained a bit of my appreciation was when she reminded Cole of his betrayal of Rhaenyra’s trust for his absolution last season.

i truly don't want to see anymore of Alicent and Cole intimate scenes.

The decision to name Cole as Hand of the King is a boon for Team Black, as he is likely to make poor decisions and counsel Aegon poorly, ultimately working in their favor.

Black Side:

Rhaenyra standing up to Daemon was a powerful moment. Their confrontation, though painful to watch, was necessary. Daemon’s actions have deeply wounded Rhaenyra, and his lack of remorse is entirely in character. His abrupt departure leaves Rhaenyra in a position where, despite knowing he loves her, she can no longer trust that he will remain by her side.

I'm interested to see what his reaction will be next episode when he finds out that Rhaenyra was almost killed on her bed right after he left her to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Rhaenyra’s concern and regret for Helaena were touching. I believe she would welcome Helaena if she ever chose to leave the Greens. However, I was uneasy about Rhaenyra sending Baela instead of Jace. While I understand her reluctance to risk her heir after losing a child, it felt dismissive of Baela's well-being, who we have to remember is still Rhaenyra's step-daughter.

Baela and Jace: The brief scene where Baela confesses her occasional hatred for Daemon was surprising but added depth to her character. Jace reminiscing about Harwin and Laenor was a nice touch, evoking memories of characters I miss, including Luke.

Rhaenys: As always, Rhaenys remains my favorite character on Team Black. Her knowing look at Daemon, recognizing that only he could have orchestrated such actions, was telling. The quiet moment between Rhaenys and Corlys, reflecting their mutual support despite not being Queen and King, contrasted sharply with the dysfunctional relationships of Viserys and Aemma, Viserys and Alicent, and even Rhaenyra and Daemon.

Mysaria: Mysaria was another highlight for me. Her decision to speak truth to Rhaenyra and return her kindness by saving her life suggests a budding alliance. Rhaenyra needs someone as cunning and insightful as Mysaria to advise her.

The Twins - Arryk and Erryk: The twins' final fight was heartbreaking. Although I wish we had seen more of them this season, their confrontation poignantly illustrated the perils of war and how it harms even those not directly involved in the conflict.

I’m looking forward to seeing Daeron, who was finally mentioned. I can’t help but think he might be the only salvageable son of Alicent, likely because he grew up away from her and Otto’s influence. I’d love to see more of Rhaena and am eager to meet characters like Hugh Hammer and Adam. The brief return of Seasmoke was a pleasant surprise—I missed seeing him too!

Overall, this episode was much stronger than the last.

Rest in peace little Jaehaerys.

P.S: Don't think i didn't see Visenya's and Vhagar's mention this episode, on the book Rhaenyra opens. My favorite Conqueror and targaryen woman. I cannot wait for The Conquest Prequel. So excited

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

Hello I'm wanting to participate in the bg3 matchup please, if it's closed I'm sorry. I'm gonna do my tav (my pfp), thank you ^^ Name: Nixie Stormchapel Age: 27 Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Pansexual (Monogamous) Class: Sorcerer (Storm sorcerer) Race: Tiefling (Mephistopheles) Background: Sailor/Criminal (Pirate) Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Likes: Rum, jewelry, her "crew", kids/animals (secretly but not so secretly), whale blubber, a good erotica, the sea, her ship the "Dazzling Pearl". Dislikes: Pirate hunters, slavers, racists (especially against tiefling), people who don't respect/tip barmaids, people who don't know how to take a joke, scurvy. Hobbies: Pickpocketing, map making, singing sea shanties, drinking rum/tea, building model ships, and reading pirate erotica. Feats: Became a pirate captain after slaying a kraken that killed the former captain, "successfully" made out with a siren and survived when she ripped out her spleen, has freed hundreds of slaves from ships. Fears: Getting scurvy, adds lemon to her daily diet to avoid it, like adding it to rum/tea, her food or just eats it like one would an apple. Letting her "crew" down, constantly worries about their wellbeings but is to prideful to admit this fear. Personality: Is very charming and witty, loves to socialize, is always seen smiling or making jokes and can be a bit flirty but when she gets mad it can be pretty unsettling since it's so rare. Bonds: Tends to compliment people a lot, usually to get what she wants but if she likes you she means it genuinely, also loves to give gifts, like the treasures she found. Is loyal to her "crew". Ideals: Believes freedom to be the upmost of importance, the sea was freedom to her. When she was a pirate captain she not only pillaged other ships for loot but freed slaves being transported via sea. Faith: None Flaws: Has a bit of a drinking problem, but rarely gets wasted due to infernal blood, also loves shiny things, can't resist the shiny, so she often steals stuff under people's noses. Has a mouth of a sailor, no filter once so ever. Strength: 14 Intelligence: 12 Dexterity: 10 Wisdom: 9 Constitution: 13 Charisma: 17

A/N: Because you @lilly-pad02 didn’t specify a gender preference, just that your Tav is Pansexual and monogamous, I’ve given you one of both below. For your matchups, I think Gale (Male) and Karlach (Female) would be best suited to you. 

☸ Gale would be a great match for your Tav, Nixie! He’s always excited to learn more about the world, especially about lands, cultures, and magics from far away. He’d love nothing more than for Nixie to regal him with all the tales of her and her crew’s grand adventures on the high seas. 

Gale has made it very clear that to him, the most important thing in a partner is personality and commitment, not looks. He’s not against dating a tiefling, or a halfling, or even a mind flayer! He thinks Nixie looks amazing. She has this strong, adventurous aura about her which intrigues him greatly. 

Gale may be a bit intimidated even by Nixie’s outgoing demon and sailor mouth, but that just becomes another one of the things he loves about her. He thinks it's very admirable, Nixie’s choice to save slaves from their slave ships, to grant them freedom. Gale knows freedom is not something to take lightly, it's a treasure, and it should be protected accordingly. (He’s also a little teensy bit intimidated by her sorcery, being a wizard and all, but he keeps that tidbit to himself.)

Gale’s home is in Waterdeep but he’s not against joining Nixie for one or two adventures on the high seas every year, so long as he can come back to his tower now and then to check in on Mrs. Dekarious and his old friends. On that note, Tara adores Nixie, for getting Gale to finally come out of his shell. Although the tressym may have a habit of making a passive-aggressive comment or two about the pair finally “settling down” lol. 

Knowing that she wants to avoid scurvy, Gale takes it upon himself to find all the recipes he can that include lemon or orange, promising to make them for her. He loves cooking and is more than happy to adjust his ingredient list to suit her needs. 

The both of them are constantly in pursuit of something more, something greater- a trait they admire in one another. They encourage each other in the best of ways, all while understanding that even though they're committed to one another, they’re committed to their unique goals as well. 

Overall the two of them work great together! Their goals in life and love align just perfectly! Thanks to Nixie’s travels and Gale’s teaching, they become one of the best-known couples in Baldur’s Gate. Bards and poets alike write songs and prose dedicated to their relationship. It’s very safe to say they’re basically couple goals. 

❂ Karlach would also make a good match for Nixie! She’s just as loud and adventurous and always down for a good time. Plus, Karlach is a tiefling as well, so she gets the discrimination that can come with the horns and tail. 

Karlach and Nixie together are like the life of the party! They’re both so compassionate, even though their lives haven’t always been easy. Karalch admires Nixie so much for her rebellious spirit, choosing to free the slaves on slave ships she and her crew come across. Karlach herself was a slave once, and she would have given anything for someone like Nixie to come and rescue her before she was dragged to Avernus. 

A date between the two of them involves A LOT of rum drinking. And singing. And karaoke. (Do they have karaoke in DnD? Well, whatever, they do now!) 

So long as Karlach’s infernal engine gets fixed, I could see her enjoying a life spent mostly on the high seas. She’d love feeling like part of a crew/family and getting to stay by Nixie’s side. Just promise to keep the rum stocked for the journey, throw in a pirate’s hat, and Karalch’s on board!

The two of them are a fierce couple. They become well known as renegades, especially amongst other tieflings. In fact, they sort of become tiefling legends- being hailed as heroes for freeing many of their people from slave ships and never being afraid to punch a racist in the nose. 

With the two of them together, there’s nothing they can’t face!

[sexybabystevie]

I agree with what you said about b/lers viewing the Duffers as their friends and allys and therefore watch the view in a different lense and make it out to be this carefully thought out masterpiece that it simply isn't. Like they forget Stranger Things was supposed to be only one season, b/ler wasn't a thing. Yeah, they queercoded Will but not with the intention to have him pine over his best friend. Plus, like you said, Will is more of a plot point than a real character, esp in s1. In s2, he also wasn't much of a character he was again a plot point, and we never saw his real personality on screen. In s3, he was almost nonexistent, and that's sad, but I genuinely don't think the Duffers know how to write him. So his stans have to rely on the crumbs they are given and then delude themselves into thinking this is all part of a big love story bc that's easier to admit than the show being not that great and Will being a flat character.

Similar with Steve, we also only get crumbs and make the best out of but we can see the Duffers as our enemy because we have no problem to admit that they are shitty writers when it comes to characters. Like we never delude ourselves into thinking he is the main character and the Duffers know what to do with him and the lack of information is this big twist we will get paid off in the last season. I don't think he will die, narratively, it doesn't make sense, especially with Dustin involved (who is arguable one of their faves) so I'm thinking we get a shitty end for him (aka St/ncy). Like I still have hope for Stobin best friend shenanigans in the big city after s5, but it's only slim. I don't trust the Duffers that much, and like you said, b/lers whorshipping them is setting them up for failure if their "clues" turn out to be false.

For b/ler to happen, m/leven had to break up for sure in s4. Like Mike's monolog is a pivotal point in s4. And even if b/lers say he was lying, well that makes it everything worse, because El thinks he loves her. M/leven breakup has to be handled with care in order for b/ler to start.

I hate when ppl say st/ncy = m/leven and j/ncy = b/ler, and they view this as something great. Objectively speaking, the st/ncy breakup was so messy and unfair to Steve that I don't get why people want El to go through the same thing. Because the foundation of j/ncy was cheating and not them being a cute sweet couple, star-crossed lovers style. Every time people joke about the Wheelers not saying I love you to their respective partners bc they fancy someone else I want to puke because it's not a cute parallel and the other person in that relationship is lied to which is horrible. Plus, it already makes b/ler about 3 completely different characters that have nothing to do with it. There should not even be the want to compare relationships because everyone is different. And I need people to realize j/ncy getting together was done in such a disastrous way you don't want that for your couple.

Sidenote people who get mad at Steve stans for giving him trust and abandonment issues after Nancy are not getting the severity of what emotionally cheating does to a person. Steve wasn't aware of problems, Nancy told him she loved him a day prior, and then it all came crashing down. Plus him not committing to anyone because he is scarred from that experience is valid and it's an explanation for his behavior in s4. It doesn't make Nancy a bad person, but her actions hurt him, and he should be allowed to feel that way, especially if she was his first love. If El went through that with Mike, I also think she would develop trust issues (on top of her already abandonment issues).

Anyway, I think b/lers are in this secluded bubble, and if things don't go exactly their way, it will break them, and I'm actually scared. Like even in s4, I had witnessed complete meltdowns over b/ler, and I need everyone to chill bc we talk about two 14 year old kids. Especially when older people (mid twenties and up) are overly involved in shipping children, I get this weird feeling. There's nothing against ppl going into fan spaces, but it's weird obsessing over the love life of two children in such an intense cult-like way.

response under the cut again! <3

yeah, i honestly don't even know where this entire narrative about stranger things being a secret love story started, because the primary theme has always been friendship and the power that people have when they come together platonically. it's bizarre to me too, because i've been in this fandom for years (not always on tumblr, some on instagram or whatever) and b/ler just kind of massively grew up out of nowhere. i'd seen maybe one or two people before talking about it during previous seasons, but there was just this huge uprising of the b/ler community after s4 (which sort of makes sense but is still a little odd to me that they came up out of nowhere? i also don't remember previous b/lers being this exhausting to deal with). anyway, yeah, it all pretty much comes down to the fact that they all believe that the duffers have been hinting at this for years (which, hindsight vision is 20/20 so that's not really a valid point tbh) and fully believe that they're getting this picture perfect endgame.

honestly, i think another thing people are neglecting to think about is all of the stuff that we have to wrap up in 8-9 episodes. there is SO much going on now in this show that plot holes are pretty much guaranteed, not even considering the possibility of b/ler becoming canon. i'm honestly not really sure what they think is going to happen - the show will just take an entire shift into being solely about mike and will JUST to resolve the possibility of b/ler happening? i'm not even trying to be bitchy and put these people down or something, it's just crazy that people think that the show will take this massive shift in direction or that they'll just add in a whole new plotline when we probably won't even have enough time to satisfyingly and properly wrap up everything else.

also, there are so many characters that i think the duffers just don't know how to write or what to do with now. jonathan, will, erica, probably dmitri and murray now that they've basically joined the giant cast. and the sad thing is that fans come up with plotlines and stuff all the time for their fics or just for silly posts online, but the duffers just seem not to know what to do with most of their characters ever. (cough cough st/ncy s4 revival for NO reason).

the setup for b/ler just ISN'T there, like you said. yes, there are a few cracks in the foundation of m/leven's relationship, honestly, but that's not enough to wrap everything up and end AND start a whole new relationship in 8-9 episodes. whether b/lers want to realize it or not, b/ler is NOT the main plotline. defeating the upside down and vecna is. those are just obvious facts, and therefore this is the priority when it comes to things that have to be addressed and finished by the ending. maybe, if we have two more seasons to go instead of one, or if this was a show with 22-26 episodes per season, i could see where s4 was the setup, but it just isn't. we don't have the time to focus on it.

mike's monologue may have been a lie, who knows, but again, like you said, this is just... bad??? like why would you want that. there are already parallels between the whole st/ancy = m/leven thing at this point, but that was so messy and it's still not resolved to this day, and that was from s1!! again, we don't have the time to reenact all of st/ncy's breakup with m/leven because it was a disaster. and also no one ever knows how to hold fair accountability over people, so i'm 100% certain that that happening would lead into people shitting on el even more than they do already and blaming her for everything.

also a small point that's been in the back of my mind lately that i want to point out, as a queer woman myself, is that this ship would not be so popular if it was two girls/women instead of two boys/men (speaking in terms of actor ages since they're adults now). it's a thing that happens where everyone LOVES mlm rep and shits on anything wlw because theres always some bullshit reason to hate seeing a wlw relationship portrayed in the media. i know this isn't a primary issue but it still upsets me so much because it's so obvious, just from the treatment of robin and her literal canonical love interest vickie!! there's some fucked up misogyny in all of this, and also in the way that everyone will throw el to the side, putting this idea onto her that she either doesn't like guys so she can't possibly like mike or that she just is basically "too traumatized to know what love is" and i'm so tired of it. i'm SO tired of it.

back to the st/ncy = m/leven thing, i REALLY appreciate you pointing this out, "Every time people joke about the Wheelers not saying I love you to their respective partners bc they fancy someone else I want to puke because it's not a cute parallel and the other person in that relationship is lied to which is horrible." because that's exactly how i feel. it's not cute or funny, it's immature and deceitful. and yes, they're all children/barely adults at this point, but still. it's not some parallel that you should be happy about. i've been in that situation, i've been the steve harrington of the st/ncy & j/ncy love triangle, it's not fun. it hurts, someone is quite literally saying they don't love you (or perhaps worse when they CAN'T say they love you because they don't) and it's traumatic and everyone yet again ignores that.

j/ncy's getting together WAS chaotic and messy and honestly i'm not even surprised that they're falling apart in canon right now because you can't start out like that and then expect a good, happy, fairytale ending. it just doesn't work that way. everyone's mad about them having issues and raged about them being "couples goals" and the "best ship of the show", whatever, but honestly it was quite literally just someone cheating and lying to try and escape a relationship she didn't want instead of having proper communication. and i get it, it's hard to do that, but the show and the fandom never hold nancy accountable and always blame steve for everything, so i'm honestly annoyed with it. seeing all this mess, how could you possibly want that for your ship?

LOVE your steve sidenote there, because you're so right. everyone ignores the fact that steve has trauma, both from nancy and the upside down (seriously, how can we agree that EVERYONE ELSE except him has UD related trauma but he doesn't?? i don't get it). and i get it to an extent because the duffers ignore it just as much, but still. for some reason steve fans adding onto his character with realistic things is just a horrible thing to do, despite the fact that will fans have to do this as well and it's fine when they do it. i don't know how any of the st/ncy fallout was 100% steve's fault, and i will defend it until the very day that i die, honestly. the show has a narrative, and then it was to equate being popular and being a jock to being a villain, so they tried to make the audience take nancy's side and sympathize with her. which, again, is fine, but don't go and attack other people for wanting to see from multiple perspectives here.

i quite literally saw a post the other day that was like "the people who go and add all this stuff to steve's character are so annoying because none of that would happen in the show." well sweetheart, it's not happening in the show because the duffers don't care and also don't know what the hell they're doing lol.

"Plus him not committing to anyone because he is scarred from that experience is valid and it's an explanation for his behavior in s4." THIS. why are we all just glossing over this??? the pining after nancy again for old time's sake, the serial dating that never develops anything intimate - some people for some reason think it's just "proof" that he truly wants/belongs with nancy, but no! it's literally him being afraid to commit to anyone again, and honestly i don't blame him. and like you said, it doesn't make nancy a bad person, but honestly i just wish canon would at least have them talk about it so he can have actual closure or something for once. that's the best ending for him i can think of - st/ncy closure and stobin platonic besties forever.

absolutely agree with getting the weird feeling about shipping two children. it gives me an odd feeling too, honestly. which, i'm not taking it too seriously, it's just a little weird. other than that, they definitely are in their own little bubble of delusion and when that bubble inevitably pops, i'm not even sure what to expect, because it is a little scary. they attack anyone who disagrees and are genuinely so rude for no real reason, so who knows what they're gonna do when they realize that they don't get this happy ending that they've manufactured? honestly this is just another solid reason that i'm glad it'll take a while for s5 to come out.

[freeblooms]

yeah I'm sure she never looked her collaborator and friend, Todrick Hall, in the eye even when she did his nails before he, a gay man, won alongside her for a song they made about calling bigots overreacting morons. Hell, she gave him the mic to accept the award himself. Ask her friends, Phoebe Bridgers, Muna, her openly queer backup dancers, the trans man from her Lavender Haze music video, idk ask any of them and the many lgbt people she's friends with I can't remember off the top of my head if she makes good enough eye contact for you. I dunno what crime people think she committed just for being a white straight girl, but jfc. Many, many of her fans are lgbt. there's so much love for her from femme lgbts all around the world and in her actual concert crowds where they feel loved and supported. And God forbid yeah she has a lot of female fans. We all know how much respect is given to people when their fanbase is female. Pretty sure people get upset about that on this here tumblr but it doesn't count when it's Swift, because she's too much fun to pull out of a hat and hate on command. She has a good heart and has done more charitable things than is ever talked about, giving away millions towards disaster relief and food banks and towards her touring crew, down to the truck drivers, towards lgbt charities and campaigns, which you might know if you actually knew anything about her that isn't just the same rehashed 2016 misogyny I'm genuinely sick of. yes she uses a fucking private jet but so do thousands of other rich fuckers nobody knows the name of, who DO have the option of flying commercial but don't. trust me I hate that fckn jet too but that's not what this post is about so go get mad somewhere else, I'll be there with you. But she's a better person than most who has also had to deal with more misogyny than most so pls just move on and find something more productive to make fun of than a popular woman who tries her best and shows up on your phone more than I know you'd like. I'm sure she'd also prefer not to show up in your life, but she doesn't have much control over that, does she? maybe stop bringing her up and you'll see her less! just an idea. you know, algorithms and such. good lord.

[le-panda-chocovore]

You can hate her all you want but the reasons I hear of hating her are lame. Let's be honest half of you hated her at first because she slept with Caitlyn. And like- Why the fuck is that a problem ??

CAITLYN declared martial law and took over the government to be a fucking dictator (because of Ambessa's influence, but still) CAITLYN dumped Vi in a dark alley after fucking HITTING her CAITLYN let Maddie in her bed in her room and then promptly ignored every single opportunity Maddie offered for her to stop this madness CAITLYN wanted to kill Jinx so bad like have you SEEN her bloodlust and rage ??? SHE WAS THE MONSTER ATM CAITLYN consciously and actively committed war crimes to take her revenge AND SHE FAILED

Caitlyn is a fucking adult woman who is allowed to choose who to fuck and who to date. What's so bad about Maddie here ??? Because she stepped into your ship ? Oh come on aren't we over that ? Every single fandom has the same exact problem and it's pissing me off. Maddie has been nothing but nice and cute during the whole of Act 2, respectful even.

And sure maybe that was a facade, maybe she was a spy all along and you know what ? You can hate her for being fake, it's fine. I don't, and it's fine too.

Or maybe she was genuine and she switched sides when Caitlyn went back with Vi. Maybe she was hurt and mad and she took her rage on Caitlyn. Of course, being cheated on isn't a reason to brutally execute someone, but we're in Arcane and we'll be hypocrites to point out her bad actions and forget about the other characters' ones. Most characters in Arcane are total pieces of shit or had been at some point, but sure Maddie's the only one who deserves to die and whose death makes everyone happy.

You know I don't care that much, I'm not up to a debate on whether it's okay to hate on her or not. She's fictional, do whatever you want. As I said it's okay to dislike her, she is a bitch, sure. Everyone else is too. Viktor started a sect with mentally ill and addicted people and tried to brainwash the entire population with his powers. I like him anyway.

Anyway, don't pay much attention to me, I'm just frustrated to see so many "We all hate Maddie" videos every day, but I don't care that much about defending her. I like her, is all. I think her betrayal was an interesting plot point and adds depth to her character. I don't hate her death no, it was logical, and yes deserved too. But many other deaths in this war weren't and she's just a corpse amongst others.

Started writing a comment on a TikTok hating on Maddie then realized when I clicked on "Send" that it fucking doesn't matter what people are thinking about her and that I'm just throwing myself in a wild wolf pit by doing this so I deleted it

I don't have the energy to get 100 notifications of people whining and protesting that she is a bitch or whatever

[schmope-is-dead]

GOD. I KNOW THIS IS JUST PERIOD EMOTIONS OR WHATEVER BUT DO YOU EVER JUST WANNA GO APESHIT. DON'T YOU WANNA GO CRAZY

[paintingraves]

AITA ? I (40M) bought a condo one of my friends (43F) wanted to buy with her boyfriend (36M) to get back at her for hurting my best friend's (50M) feelings.

This is a bit lengthy so bear with me.

I have a prestigious job in the medical field and I am head of department in my specialty. I met my best friend (G) years ago when he bailed me out of jail (another long story). We work in the same place, under the supervision of our boss (C) who is also a close friend of mine.

Now G and C have a bit of a history. They met in medical school, from what I know they shared a night together, but G was kicked out of uni so it never became more than that, until they found each other again years later and she offered him his current job. They are always flirting, always pushing each other's buttons, and they are clearly very attracted to one another, but a lot of things prevent them from acting on it.

First, their respective positions - she's our boss - and also the fact that my best friend is, to put it plainly, an asshole who avoids emotions and vulnerability like the plague. Given his history, it makes sense, but he's never tried to work on himself, instead preferring to hide behind drugs, booze, and, lately, prostitutes. So he wasn't exactly relationship material, but things changed last year.

First, they got closer. In a very emotional moment that I won't disclose here, G ended up at her place and they kissed. They immediately agreed to pretend like it never happened, despite the fact that they clearly both have strong feelings for each other.

Next, G's drug addiction got worse. Much, much worse, to the point where he hallucinated an entire night where he went through detox in her company, then they had sex, and she left early the next morning. Yes, I wish I was making this up. He was weird the next day, and he ended up shouting for the entire hospital to hear that they slept together. She got understandably extremely mad at him for putting her reputation at work at stake in such a humiliating way. That's when he realised how bad things had gotten. He came to me, and with my help, he went into rehab.

He spent a few months there. When he came back, he'd changed. Not radically, but he was off the drugs, he was seeing a therapist regularly, and he seemed genuinely commited to working on himself and trying to be a better man, to lead a better life. In his own words, he was "tired of being miserable." He moved in with me at the advice of his therapist, and he tried to distance himself from work for a while. He quit, he tried other activities, but eventually he came back because he loves this job.

I could see he was also still interested in C, but she was very guarded. I encouraged him to try to show that he'd changed, because he had, and I knew she also had feelings for him. But things came to a head when we went to a medical conference she also attended. The reason she was so distant with him was also because, as it turned out, she got into a new, serious relationship while he was away, with a man (L) who used to be G's friend. Obviously, it was a blow for G. And for me as well, because I didn't know about this, or I wouldn't have encouraged G to pursue it.

Anyway, life went on, and after a while C started talking to me about buying a condo and moving in with L. I was still a little put out by her behaviour towards G. She called my ex-wife, who happens to work in real estate, and found "the condo of her dreams".

So I called my ex-wife, visited the condo with G, and impulsively decided to buy it before she could.

We'll be moving in shortly with G. He seems happy, and I'm happy to be doing this for him. Hopefully he can move on, and it may teach her a lesson.

So, Reddit, AITA ?

Edit, in answer to a few comments:

- Yes, we met when he bailed me out of jail. I was going through a rough patch and ended up doing something stupid that got me arrested. He bailed me, a perfect stranger, out of jail because he said I was "the most interesting person around." We've been best friends ever since.

- The price for the condo was around 250,000$. I paid 3/4th of it using most of my savings, and I don't regret it one bit. He paid what was left, in an exceptionally generous display (for him).

- L was a private investigator G hired to spy on me (long story) at a time where I wanted to get away from him. They became sort of friends, but we hadn't heard from him in a long time before finding out he was in a relationship with C.

- C cares for him, but she is also at a spot in her life where she wants stability. She is a single mother with a daughter to care for, and she wants to be with a man whom she can rely on. What with G's history, I can't blame her for not acting on her feelings.

It doesn't mean I can't be mad at her for hurting him, though.

Edit 2:

Yes, G and I are close. He's the only person who truly gets me and doesn't put up with my bullshit. He's the worst and the best friend I've ever had.

Edit 3:

Stop asking me if I'm in love with my best friend. We're both straight, we've both been in very commited, serious relationships with women. He doesn't see me that way, no matter how many gay jokes he makes.

Edit 4:

C found out someone had bought her dream condo, and was pretty mad. I won't lie, I acted all chagrined on her behalf but I feel pretty damn good about it.

[charmixpower]

It's such a tragedy that Riven is the only guy thats gotten a character arc

I love my idiot so much because you get to watch him become a better person and he's soooo important. He's just trying his best to be as good of a person he can be and watching him get better is something that can be so personal

And then you have the other guys

Sky is in DESPERATE need of a character arc. Like man's only got iced out during the end of s1 and then said sorry. That's all. He has multiple people tell him the correct course of action, and he ignored all of them because I genuinely think he's terrified of interpersonal conflict and he did the equivalent of hiding the vase he broke instead of fessing up. The narrative pretty clearly shows that Sky's engagement with Diaspro was both arranged and was likely made when they were very young. Like he didn't want to deal with the consequences of disobeying his parents or pissing off Diaspro, because as seen in s2 and s3 they both took that so well, and he didn't want to leave the person he actually cared about nor hurt her....so he did nothing. AND THATS A FLAW!!! A PRETTY HUGE ONE!!!! Dude acts like a guilty 5 year old anytime consequences are even mentioned, he's so majorly possessive in s2 he makes s3 Riven's and Nabu's actions look down right sensible. Riven's crimes, that are all his own and he wasn't manipulated or influenced into committing, include: Being a chauvinist prick, being a asshole to his squad, the golden kingdom subplot jealous rage, not believing Musa when she said something was up with his bike. Sky's crimes include: Lying to everyone including the person he's (trying to be) in a relationship with, debatably cheating, being in the trees with binoculars like a fucking weirdo (over calls too, sir, your making s1 Riven look mentally stable), and general dickary about Avalon in s2 before he and Bloom were even dating and before they knew Avalon was evil. In conclusion? None of these characters know what a stable response to anything is, and the ladies aren't excluded from this. I'm looking at you Musa acting like Riven personally belongs to her all though out s1 and s2 before they were dating (and getting big mad, or smacking people because of it), Aisha thinking breaking and entering is an acceptable way to find out if someone like likes her friends, and Tecna expecting Timmy to attack the Trix (which would of gotten him fucking killed let's be real) and being all fucking grumpy when he didn't. Not a single character in this show understands how to act like a nomral person, AND SKY NEEDS A CHARACTER ARC. I'd say he's on the same level as Riven for assholery, with the difference being that Sky is nice and Riven is not, but I think Sky's actions are worse??? So it balances out. Get this bitch a character arc about learning to be KIND instead of NICE and fucking STAT. I'd eat that shit up tbh. Make Sky go though reflection and work too please, preferably in s2 and s3 so to show that realizing your a bad person is a lot slower when you're not in the middle of a terrorist plot after waking up from manipulation/mindcontrol and shown an illusion of you as a monster

Seeing Sky become a kinder more respectful person would make my day. His good boy status from the characters that don't personally know him doesn't bother me all that much, because it shows that Sky has a way of coming off as a....good boy, but that additude from people who know him is very annoying actually. Just hit him with the angst stick until he fucking acts right, just like the narrative did with Riven, please I'm begging you. I have the perfect stick to start beating him with too, it's gonna be great—

"But Rus!" You say annoyed that you haven't been able to get a word edge wise in this whole time. "What about Timmy?" Yeah, for Timmy to have a character arc the narrative would have to acknowledge that he changed in any way. I'm dead serious. You remember in s2 when Timmy got this sudden burst of confidence and started giving orders to the guys, you remember how in s1 he could barely hold a conversation, you remember how in s2 all the guys treat this event as it's completely normal Timmy behavior? Timmy's character doesn't grow, it just changed in logical order. It is less that he became more confident over the course of the show, and more like the writers wanted him to be more confident but decided that he wasn't worth the screen time of letting him grow into said confidence and learn to love himself, so they just made him more confident as the seasons went on. That is not a character arc, that's character hopscotch. If the show would allow Timmy two seconds of screen time to show off him learning to be more confident that would be very sexy, thank you

As for the rest of them? Nabu is fucking dead, and s4 scrubbed away all his flaws to make it extra sad tm (in reality just making him hella annoying and preachy, I miss my dumbass from s3 that couldn't talk his way out of a paper bag), so he's not in the show long enough in s3 to have an arc and s4 doesn't have the balls. For Helia to have a character arc the show would have to bother remember he's there, give him screen time, and acknowledge his personality, and lol like that's ever happening. I don't think the writers even have flaws for Helia written down somewhere to even have an arc about. Brandon on the other hand is perfect and doesn't need an arc, his only crime is simply being too sexy and likeable, and having women throw themselves at him with increasingly disastrous effects

Come onnn, Riven shouldn't get all the fun of realizing he's a terrible person and learning to be better. Let Sky enjoy the grueling process of change as well :)) and then give Timmy and Helia a littol arc too. As a treat. All you have to do is make that scene in s2 about Timmy learning to take charge and.... acknowledge Helia's existence

[polycyclic-aromatic-homocarbon]

I'm actually livid about this and I've lost a lot of respect for this prof, which makes me sad because I liked her a lot up to now. But this was just malicious and terrible test design. Like I get that tests are difficult sometimes and as a student, it's my responsibility to ensure I'm familiar with all the content, which I know I hadn't totally done and I expected there to be a few questions I couldn't answer and I'd just take that L. But reasonable and good test design would suggest that if you spend 20% of class time on this particular topic, it should make up roughly 20% of a test. It should definitely at least be on the test. Moreover, if you explicitly tell your students "you need to know all the names and structures for intermediates and all the enzyme names for glycolysis," and you spend so much time talking about the specifics of glycolysis, you, as a prof, should know that students are going to focus on studying that. Because that's scary and overwhelming, that's a lot of names and structures and you have to get them in the right order. Same goes for naming everything in the TCA. Those are HUGE topics and hugely important to metabolism and we talked about them extensively. If you tell students to know all the names, they're going to focus on that hugely daunting task. To then not include anything about those processes and instead ask strange questions about NAD+ precursors and the name of a transport protein and to have the big, long answer question not involve discussion of those processes isn't making a difficult test, it's genuinely cruel. Like that is quite literally some "ha ha gotcha" shit.

On top of that, we were explicitly told "you don't need to memorize numbers except these ones." And then she asked about a different number. That was just straight up lying. Like. You lied. What the fuck.

I'm not mad that I lost a couple marks on detail questions I didn't study well enough. I expected that. I'm mad that the prof hit us with a bait-and-switch. I cannot fathom how you can possibly think it's ok to do something like that. It's disrespectful and it's bad teaching and I'm actually really really mad about it.

It also makes the test an even worse assessment of our understanding of the course. Tests are already flawed to begin with but when your test excludes literally at least half of the content up to that point, you're not even giving us an opportunity to demonstrate the full range of our knowledge, especially when you mislead us as to what parts are going to be most important. This was a test out of 34.5 marks. Each mark is worth 2.89%. Fair and effective ("effective") test design would dictate that something worth 2.89% should cover about that much course content. Instead, something that was on literally one slide was worth this 2.89% and content on dozens of slides was worth 0%. That is not assessing my knowledge of the course content, that's assessing whether or not I committed every single slide to memory. This test is even less reflective of my knowledge and understanding than tests usually are and that's horribly unfair.

Biochem midterm this morning. 😬

[box-dwelling]

I have thoughts and feelings about 2-2. I'm just about to enter the day 2 trial so let that colour stuff and spoilers for the 2 decade old game I'm only now getting round to playing

First, I am very impressed with Pearls writing as a character. Its nice to see a character who fits into the kid sister trope be so genuinely likeable and cute. I'm so used to being annoyed by characters like her but there has not been a second where her presence hasn't been welcome. She's cute as fuck. The way she talks probably helps a lot, as does Nick being genuinely good with kids and knowing how to work with her. But despite talking honestly in a more adult way that half the other characters in this case, she never doesn't feel like a kid. Just an eloquent one. A part of that is how sheltered she is, another is what a genuinely good job her sprite animators did. Just A+ character, I hope to see more of her.

Second, is that the cases premise works really well on building on the last game. I did have the question of what would happen if a spirit committed a murder while being channeled last game, one I found so interesting I was literally writing a fan fic on the concept before I started playing. It's nice to see how well it's flows from a naturally asked question. I find this series is very good at making me critically analyse the world and then rewarding me for it. That's just good mystery game writing. Again A+

Nick telling Pearl to channel so she doesn't see the trial is cute as fuck. It puts more legitimacy to him being a good dad which I know will pay off in aa4. Just genuinely sweet

Dr Hotti being gross is weird but also it felt good to have Nick also be grossed out by it. My guy chugs respect women juice.

My one actual problem is that I called that shit very very quickly. It was very clearly Morgan and the game became at points about getting Nick to say the right stuff to prove it which is a limitation of the genre and mechanics. When I don't know what the fuck is happening having Nick just wildly accuse stuff feels fine but when I actually have figured it out way too early it's frustrating to go through and try and find the right evidence to get nick to say what I'm thinking. It's an issue with adventure games in general, just one that I think I first properly felt in this case.

Psylocks are a good game mechanic, I don't have much to say but I do like the mechanic.

Because I'm obligated, I like the Narumitsu stuff. It's minor but it's feels realistic to have Nick so fucking mad at Miles. It makes sense.

Franziska is great. I love how smug she is. I am also gay and she is very hot. I don't have much to add that hasn't been said. I'm looking forward to seeing how she deals with losing. I am also looking forward to her character growth in general. Great base concept. I also like how much people comment on how insane it is she became a prosecutor so young. As someone who has some similar trauma related to that I'm really glad to see it being called out as probably not healthy.