#Production Part Approval Process

[careereducationsuccessnow]

Take a look at this post… 'What's Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) and What specific challenges does Elements of PPAP address? '.

http://careereducationsuccessnow.blogspot.com/2024/05/whats-production-part-approval-process.html

[imrovementcompany]

Ensuring Quality in the Automotive Industry with PPAP

The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is used in the automotive industry to establish confidence in component suppliers and their production processes. Developed by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), the PPAP process has become the de facto standard for automotive suppliers. The PPAP process involves five key steps: Design and Development Approval: The supplier must submit the…

[tendebill]

little update for the fella :3

[dduane]

I just received a copy of a book I've been very much looking forward to by a favorite author, but the quality of the book itself is... not great. Cheap paper, weak binding, even a weird illustration of the main character on the cover that I'm having trouble believing the author approved. Obviously, I don't want to leave a bad review on Amazon or GoodReads or anywhere, as I'm 100% certain the content is as excellent as her other work. But how can I best let the publisher (Baen) know I'm disappointed without threatening to never buy her books again? Because, well, if this is the only option, I'm gonna keep buying them even in my disappointment.

Well, the first thing I thought when I read this was "Wow, I'm really glad I don't have anything in print from Baen at the moment except a couple of anthologized short stories." :)

As for the rest of it, let's take it point by point.

Adding a cut here, because this will run a bit long. Caution: contains auctorial bitching and moaning, painful illustrations of cases in point, and brief advice on how to complain most effectively. (Also links to paintings of cats.)

Cheap paper: This has been an accurate complaint since well before COVID—and it's often been worse since, with supply chain issues also being involved. That said: one way publishers routinely save money on printing books, especially the bigger ones, is by going for thinner/cheaper paper. I remember one of our UK editors going on at great length and with huge annoyance—during one of those late-night convention-bar bitch sessions—over how the only way they could get some really good books published (because Upstairs insisted on reducing the per-copy production costs) was by reducing the paper quality to the point where you could nearly read through it. Sacrificing decent text size(s) also became part of this. Nobody in editorial was happy about the result: but there wasn't much they could do.

Bad bindings: Similar problem. Sewn bindings used to be a thing in paperbacks... but not any more: not for a good while, now. These days, it's all glue. Even hardcovers are showing up glued rather than sewn. Don't get me started. :/ (This is why I so treasure some of the oldest paperbacks I've acquired, which are actually sewn.)

Crap covers: I've had my share of these—though my share of some really good ones, too. And one of the endless frustrations of traditional publishing is that the writer routinely has little or even no influence over what the cover will look like... let alone how much will be spent on it, or (an often-related issue) how good the execution will be.

There are of course exceptions. If you're working at the, well, @neil-gaiman -esque level or similar in publishing, a lot more attention is going to be paid to your thoughts. You may even be able to get "cover veto" written into your contracts, so that if you disapprove, changes will get made. But without actual contractual stipulations, the writer has zero legal recourse or way to withhold approval. (And I bet even Neil has some horror stories.)

The normal workflow looks like this. After a book's purchased, its editor and the art director discuss what it's about and what the cover should look like. The art director then hires an artist and tells them what to do. After that, the artist executes their vision and gets paid. It is incredibly rare for a writer to have any significant input into this process. And as to whether or not they approve of the final result, well... the publisher mostly just shrugs and goes back to eyeing the bottom line, muttering "Who told them they get a vote?"

Now, I've been seriously lucky to occasionally be an exception in this regard. In particular, my editors at Harcourt (when Jane Yolen and Michael Stearns were editing Harcourt's Magic Carpet YA imprint) would ask me what I thought would be a good idea for the next Young Wizards cover, and I'd think about it a bit and send them back a paragraph or so about some core scene. They'd then talk to their art director, and after that send their notes and mine to Cliff Nielsen (who started doing the covers for the hardcover and mass-market paperback editions of the series in the mid-90s) or to Greg Swearingen (who was the artist on the digest-format editions). And the results, by and large, were pretty good. ...I also think affectionately of the UK artist Mick Posen, who insisted on seeing pictures of our cats before painting the covers for the Hodder editions of The Book of Night with Moon and On Her Majesty's Wizardly Service (the UK title for To Visit The Queen).

But this kind of treatment is a courtesy—not even vaguely suggested in the books' contracts, and very much the exception to the rule. And for every writer who's midlist, there are times when the luck runs out. For example: one time I wrote a book that was an AU-Earth-near-future fantasy police procedural, thematically pretty dark—dealing with issues of abuse of megacorporate power, institutionalized bigotry, and (explicitly) attempted genocide. And the cover, done by an artist who's a good friend and some of whose fabulous art hangs in our house, came out looking like this. It was... let's just say "not ideally representative."

So I was glad, when my local workflow allowed it, to recover the current, revised version of the book with something at least a little more apropos. But the original cover's not the artist's fault. He did what the art director told him... as a cover artist must do to get paid, and (ideally) to get hired again. At present, that's how the system works.

...So. You've got a badly-built and -presented book on your hands. How best to make your feelings known in some way that might make a difference down the line? (As you make it plain that you'll keep buying this author's books this way if you must.)

First of all: when (as part of my psych nursing training) we were taught how to complain most effectively, we were told that the first and most basic rule of the art is this:

Only Complain To Someone Who Can Actually Do Something About Your Problem

So I salute your desire not to waste your time taking the issue to the reviews on Amazon, or the pages of Goodreads... because they can't do anything. The odds that anyone from production at Baen is reading the comments there strike me as... well, not infinitesimally small, not being hit-by-a-meteorite-while-in-the-shopping-center-parking-lot small... but really low.

So: write to corporate.

In your place I would go online and rummage around a bit to find out who's on record as the publisher at Baen. I would then write them a letter on paper. And I would lay out the problem pretty much as you laid it out up at the top.

The tone I think I'd choose would be the more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger approach. I'd say, "I write to comment about your recently published book by [X Writer], whose work I love. I have to say, though, that I don't think the cover on [X Book] is terribly representative of the quality of the prose inside. And also, the construction and production quality of the book itself was a disappointment to me because [here spell out why].

"I'd really like to see [X. Writer's] books succeed with you, and I'd like to buy more of them without wondering whether I was going to be disappointed again. But if this is typical of how they're being produced, I'd also be concerned that the state of these books is setting up a situation in which the author's sales will be damaged, and you would stop publishing them... which would really be a shame. Whereas on the other hand, better production quality could keep previous purchasers coming back and buying, not only more books by this author, but books by others whom you publish."

This phrasing, as you'll have seen, walks a bit wide around the issue of your further purchases, while directing attention toward the bottom line... which will routinely be what the publisher's looking at from day to day. And—being, one has to hope, in possession of the wider picture as regards what's going on with their production costs—maybe they can actually do something about it.

Anyway, nothing ventured, nothing gained, yeah? It's worth a try. All you can do is hope for the best.

And finally: please know that I admire your commitment to the author: whoever she is, she's lucky to have you. It's a terrific thing to have readers who'll willing to spend the time to hunt you down, and who're willing not to judge a book by its cover. :)

[horse-girl-anthy]

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Gender in Context

beneath the cut, I discuss the RGU's portrayal of gender in the context of 1990s Japan.

in Ikuhara's interview with Mari Kotani, he stated that in traditional Japanese society, "prince" meant "patriarch." the same is true in Western societies--there was a time when a prince would be an heir to a royal line. by 1997, this meaning had died out of large parts of the world. even the association between princes and traditional masculinity was fading. Saionji, the weakest, most pathetic man in the show, is a parody of historical Japanese masculinity, with his kendo and his blatantly regressive beliefs about women.

in RGU, prince may still mean patriarch, but in a far more subtle fashion. Ikuhara and Kotani discussed the changing expectations for men in the latter half of the 20th century--it became gauche to fight over a woman with one's brawn, so instead, power struggles were played out in the arena of looks and sex appeal. one can see this reflected in the character Akio, whose power as a prince arises from his ability to turn "easy sensual pleasure based on dependency" "into a selling point with which to control people."

Akio has his moments of showboating masculinity, but when preying on Utena, he operates by making himself seem non-threatening and soft.

not only that, but he purports to want to allow students to express their individuality and thus approves of Utena's masculine form of dress. this is a front--by the end of the show, he's telling Utena that girls shouldn't wield swords. thus, through Akio's character, the show argues that traditionalist patriarchy in Japan isn't gone, but instead has only been papered over with false progressivism.

with all that said, there seems to be more to the character. he's taken the family name of his fiance, Kanae, and whatever material power he has in the school is dependent upon her family. in Japanese society, this is considered a humiliating position to be in, something that only a shameless man would do. the show never gives the audience any insight into how Akio feels about this--is he unbothered entirely, or are his actions against the Ohtori family an expression of his repressed anger? does he harm the children under his care to compensate for his humiliation?

this aspect of Akio's character may seem irrelevant in light of the larger, immaterial social forces at work in the show. however, I would argue that it was included for a reason. Akio, despite his status as ultimate patriarch of Ohtori, is in fact a highly emasculated character, to the point where lead writer Enokido even said that he is driven by an infantile mother complex.

to explain why Akio was portrayed this way, we have to discuss Japanese history. the nation suffered a major defeat in WWII and was forced to accept whatever terms the United States laid out for it. for an examination of how the Japanese have never truly processed those events and have plunged into modernity with reckless abandon, I recommend Satoshi Kon's Paranoia Agent. to sum it up briefly, in a very short period, the nation regained its economic footing, and by the 1980s had the largest gross national product in the world. this economic boom may have allowed Japan to maintain a sense of sovereignty, dignity, and power, but it was inherently fragile.

the infamous "bubble economy" lasted from 1986 to 1991. during this time, anything seemed possible; financial struggles appeared to be a thing of the past, and capitalist excess reached new heights. the ghosts of this period can be felt across Japanese media; for instance, think of the final shot of Grave of the Fireflies (1998), where the two dead children look down on Kobe, glowing an eerie green to imply its impermanence. the abandoned theme park from Spirited Away (2001) is explicitly referred to as a leftover from the previous century, when many attractions were built and then tossed aside in a few short years.

the bubble popped in 1992, leaving an entire generation feeling cheated. the bright futures they'd been promised, which had actually materialized for their parents and older siblings, had been lost to them overnight. economic crises are often accompanied by gender panics. to quote from Masculinities in Japan, "The recession brought with itself worsening employment conditions, undermining the system of lifelong employment and men’s status of breadwinners in general. The unemployment rate was rising, and although it never reached crisis levels, men could no longer feel safe in their salaryman status. Their situation was further complicated by the rising number of (married) women entering the workforce."

with this in mind, Akio's character can be taken as a representation of masculinity in crisis in 90s Japan. he's forced to rely on women for his position in life and has failed to save his only relative, Anthy. he tries to escape his misery through hedonism, perhaps an allegorical representation of how men tried to maintain their old standard of living after the economic bubble burst.

but of course, Akio is not the main character of RGU--the story is about girls. mangaka Yamada Reiji discussed the series in the context of the 90s, stating the following:

while I opened this essay by discussing the prince, the same points could be made about the princess. despite the increasing irrelevance of royalty, princess is still an important concept. how does it relate to the socioeconomic landscape of the 90s?

in Yamada's view, RGU is full of relics of the 80s; for instance, the figure of the ojou-sama, an entitled young woman who never lifts a finger for herself. during the economic bubble, it was increasingly common for women to be entirely taken care of by the men in their lives. Yamada names Nanami as a clear ojou-sama type character: she weaponizes her femininity, demanding to be rescued, doted on, and served.

however, by 1997, the ojou-sama could no longer expect to get what she wanted. from the 80s to the 90s, the percentage of women in the workforce increased around 15%; it was no longer viable for most women to be "kept" by their families. as the men experienced the humiliation of not being able to provide for their wives and children, women were undergoing a disillusionment of their own.

Yamada blames Disney for creating the ideological structure which led women astray. obviously, the company is known for its films about princes rescuing princesses. in Yamada's recounting, during the 80s, the company was infiltrating Japan through its theme parks as well; across the country, Disneylands were opening up, and people were buying into the escapism the corporation offered. Japan, as America, became a country of eternal children. its people were waiting for a prince to appear and save them.

but fairy tales can't stave off reality forever. Yamada claims that RGU embodies the rage of young women who woke up one day and realized that they had been raised on a lie. this anger pervades the work from beginning to end.

though RGU was created in a particular social context, its lessons can be extrapolated to any time and place. as the first ending tells us:

I hope this essay helped provide more context for the series. thanks for reading!

[munsonsmixtapes]

Better Late Than Never

Eddie x fem!reader

Summary: a bathroom counter make out with your husband, Eddie

word count: 1k

The bathroom counter was cluttered with various makeup products and brushes that you had been using to get ready for the night. You were always so caught up in perfecting your looks that you barely even noticed when you had made such a mess until it was time to clean up. Maybe it was unfair to the person who you shared the bathroom with, but he hardly minded.

Eddie, your husband, was sitting on the counter next to your sink, watching you like he always insisted on doing any time you got ready. He claimed to find the whole process fascinating, loving the techniques you used to apply everything. He was always there to give you feedback and hype you up no matter how crazy or weird of a look you were doing. He was your number one fan no matter what.

You grabbed your eyeliner pencil that had been sitting on the counter next to Eddie and gave him a smile as you did so. The smile was returned, love clear in his eyes. He reached for your hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it before letting you have it back.

You applied the eyeliner to your upper and lower lash lines then pulled down your bottom lid to line your waterline. Eddie always found that part particularly fascinating; how it always seemed to make the whole thing come together. Especially when it all smudged after a full day of wearing it.

Maybe he liked it so much because he wished he could wear it. He wanted to, and had even wanted to ask you to help him apply it, but he could never get the guts. He had recited his vows to you in front of a whole church full of people, but couldn’t ask for a little liner? Why did it scare him so much?

You turned to him and he hadn’t realized that he had been so close until he noticed that your noses were almost touching. You could see him eyeing the pencil in your hand and knew exactly what he was wanting. You weren’t sure why he wouldn’t just come out and say it. You wouldn't have judged him. In fact, you thought that men wearing eyeliner was hot.

“Do you want some, honey?” You asked, and he just nodded.

“Please?” He asked and you moved to stand in between his legs. He grabbed hold of your waist and you took the eyeliner and slowly lifted it up to his left eye, giving him a chance to back out if he wanted to.

“Close your eyes,” You instructed and he obeyed, closing his eyes. You slowly and gently lined the top lid, rubbing it with your finger to give it the smoky look. You thought that would look the best with his eye shape and color. You then lined the bottom lid, doing the exact same thing before moving to the other eye, trying your best to make them look somewhat even.

“Waterline too?” You asked and he just furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn't up to date on the makeup terminology so he honestly had no idea what you were talking about. “Here,” you pointed to the spot on yourself and he nodded enthusiastically.

You lowered his bottom eyelid and moved as quickly as possible since it was his first time and you knew it could feel uncomfortable. You then lined his other eye then pulled back to examine your work, nodding to yourself in approval. You grabbed your mirror from your makeup bag and handed it to Eddie so he could see for himself before moving out of the way so he could get a better look.

He let out a gasp at his reflection, moving the mirror every which way to see it at different angles, his mouth agape. He couldn’t believe how good he looked, how hot. He knew that you were good at doing makeup, but you had truly outdone yourself. You made him look like the rockstars he had always looked up to, the ones he aspired to be just like. Now that he had a little taste, he was going to have to ask you to do it for him everyday.

“Darling,” he gasped again. “I look hot.” He set the mirror aside so he could see you again and beckoned you forward with his pointer finger. You stepped between his legs once again and he rested his hands on your waist, pulling you closer before wrapping his arms around you.

“I agree,” you nodded. “But I always think you’re hot.”

“Babe, do you have a crush on me?” He teased and you just rolled your eyes.

“Eddie,” you chuckled. “We’re literally married.”

“Just answer the question, y/n.” He pulled you closer to him, his lips right by your ear.

“Yes, Eds, I have a crush on you.” Sometimes he was so ridiculous, but you couldn’t help but love him. He made it so easy.

“Don’t say that too loud, my wife might hear you,” he whispered, making goosebumps rise on your arms. “Now give me some sugar.”

You pressed your lips to his in a quick peck and tried to move away, but his arms only wrapped around you tighter. You let out a laugh at how childish he was acting. He didn’t play when it came to your kisses. If he had it his way, he would have kissed you forever.

“Eddie,” you laughed. “We have to finish getting ready.”

“One kiss and I’ll let you go.” You knew there was no getting out of it, but you didn’t mind. Not at all.

“Needy,” you replied, leaning into him, wrapping your arms around his neck. His hands rubbed along your back as his face inched towards yours.

“Very.” His lips slotted between yours in a gentle kiss which was typical to expect when he had asked. Those kinds of kisses were always filled with so much love, as if he was trying to show you exactly how he felt with his lips.

His arms tightened around you as he licked into your mouth. You let out a laugh as you pulled away, Eddie trying to chase your lips as you did so.

“Eddie,” you chuckled. “We’re going to be late.” You both were supposed to be at Robin’s in twenty minutes for her birthday party and now you were definitely going to be late. She shouldn’t have been surprised, though. This was very like you and Eddie since you had become a couple all those years ago.

You had become the kind of couple who couldn’t keep their hands off each other. But only behind closed doors. When in public, the most you would do was hold hands. Over time, your entire friend group had become aware of your inability to be able to keep your hands to yourselves and made fun of you for it. It had become a joke between all of them and you had let them laugh because it had been true, after all.

“So?” He pressed another kiss to your lips. “Everyone already assumes we’re going to be late anyway. Why not take advantage?” Another kiss, this one lingering.

“Eddie, we can’t fuck right now,” you rolled your eyes.

“No one said anything about fucking, darling. I just want some kisses. Can you do that for your hubby?”

“If you never refer to yourself as my hubby ever again.”

“Consider it a deal, sugar.” He pulled you in for another kiss, taking no time to swipe his tongue along your bottom lip. You opened your mouth, letting him inside. His tongue roamed around, roughly scraping against yours. His legs wrapped around your waist, causing the two of you to be chest to chest.

Eddie leaned into you, his hands moving down your back only to go up your shirt and underneath your bra. He lifted your shirt over your head, setting it next to him before removing his own. His lips pressed to your neck then moved down to your shoulder, moving the strap of your bra to give him more access.

“So pretty,” he mumbled against your shoulder. “So so pretty.”

“You’re the pretty one,” you replied and his lips moved back up to yours.

“Let’s agree that we’re both pretty, okay?” You supposed you could agree to that. Although, you liked having the little argument about who was prettier. He was always going to win that competition.

“Sounds good,” you replied, moving your hands to his hair, pressing your lips to his once more. Your fingers pressed into his scalp as you licked into his mouth and he let out a moan as you grabbed a fistful of his hair.

“So good, baby,” he whined, his legs wrapping tighter around your waist. You backed away and he removed his legs from you. He then leapt off the counter and you took him by the hand to lead him to your shared bedroom. You were so going to be late to the party.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Jesse Singal

Published: Jun 27, 2024

In April Hilary Cass, a British paediatrician, published her review of gender-identity services for children and young people, commissioned by NHS England. It cast doubt on the evidence base for youth gender medicine. This prompted the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the leading professional organisation for the doctors and practitioners who provide services to trans people, to release a blistering rejoinder. WPATH said that its own guidelines were sturdier, in part because they were “based on far more systematic reviews”.

Systematic reviews should evaluate the evidence for a given medical question in a careful, rigorous manner. Such efforts are particularly important at the moment, given the feverish state of the American debate on youth gender medicine, which is soon to culminate in a Supreme Court case challenging a ban in Tennessee. The case turns, in part, on questions of evidence and expert authority.

Court documents recently released as part of the discovery process in a case involving youth gender medicine in Alabama reveal that WPATH's claim was built on shaky foundations. The documents show that the organisation’s leaders interfered with the production of systematic reviews that it had commissioned from the Johns Hopkins University Evidence-Based Practice Centre (EPC) in 2018.

From early on in the contract negotiations, WPATH expressed a desire to control the results of the Hopkins team’s work. In December 2017, for example, Donna Kelly, an executive director at PATH, told Karen Robinson, the EPC's director, that the WPATH board felt the EPC researchers “cannot publish their findings independently”. A couple of weeks later, Ms Kelly emphasised that, “the [WPATH] board wants it to be clear that the data cannot be used without WPATH approval”.

Ms Robinson saw this as an attempt to exert undue influence over what was supposed to be an independent process. John Ioannidis of Stanford University, who co-authored guidelines for systematic reviews, says that if sponsors interfere or are allowed to veto results, this can lead to either biased summaries or suppression of unfavourable evidence. Ms Robinson sought to avoid such an outcome. “In general, my understanding is that the university will not sign off on a contract that allows a sponsor to stop an academic publication,” she wrote to Ms Kelly.

Months later, with the issue still apparently unresolved, Ms Robinson adopted a sterner tone. She noted in an email in March 2018 that, “Hopkins as an academic institution, and I as a faculty member therein, will not sign something that limits academic freedom in this manner,” nor “language that goes against current standards in systematic reviews and in guideline development”.

Not to reason XY

Eventually WPATH relented, and in May 2018 Ms Robinson signed a contract granting WPATH power to review and offer feedback on her team’s work, but not to meddle in any substantive way. After WPATH leaders saw two manuscripts submitted for review in July 2020, however, the parties’ disagreements flared up again. In August the WPATH executive committee wrote to Ms Robinson that WPATH had “many concerns” about these papers, and that it was implementing a new policy in which WPATH would have authority to influence the EPC team’s output—including the power to nip papers in the bud on the basis of their conclusions.

Ms Robinson protested that the new policy did not reflect the contract she had signed and violated basic principles of unfettered scientific inquiry she had emphasised repeatedly in her dealings with WPATH. The Hopkins team published only one paper after WPATH implemented its new policy: a 2021 meta-analysis on the effects of hormone therapy on transgender people. Among the recently released court documents is a WPATH checklist confirming that an individual from WPATH was involved “in the design, drafting of the article and final approval of [that] article”. (The article itself explicitly claims the opposite.) Now, more than six years after signing the agreement, the EPC team does not appear to have published anything else, despite having provided WPATH with the material for six systematic reviews, according to the documents.

No one at WPATH or Johns Hopkins has responded to multiple inquiries, so there are still gaps in this timeline. But an email in October 2020 from WPATH figures, including its incoming president at the time, Walter Bouman, to the working group on guidelines, made clear what sort of science WPATH did (and did not) want published. Research must be “thoroughly scrutinised and reviewed to ensure that publication does not negatively affect the provision of transgender health care in the broadest sense,” it stated. Mr Bouman and one other coauthor of that email have been named to a World Health Organisation advisory board tasked with developing best practices for transgender medicine.

Another document recently unsealed shows that Rachel Levine, a transwoman who is assistant secretary for health, succeeded in pressing WPATH to remove minimum ages for the treatment of children from its 2022 standards of care. Dr Levine’s office has not commented. Questions remain unanswered, but none of this helps WPATH’s claim to be an organisation that bases its recommendations on science. 

[ Via: https://archive.today/wJCI7 ]

--

==

So, there are 6 completed reviews sitting somewhere, that WPATH knows shows undesirable (to them) results. And they know it. And despite - or perhaps, because of - that, they wrote the insane SOC8 anyway. And then, at the behest of Rachel Levine, went back and took out the age limits, making it even more insane.

This isn't how science works, it's how a cult works.

When John Templeton Foundation commissioned a study on the efficacy of intercessory prayer, a study which unsurprisingly found that it's completely ineffective, it was forced to publish the negative results.

So, even the religious are more ethical than gender ideologues when it comes to science. This is outright scientific corruption.

[theoutcastrogue]

"The majority of high-tech patent lawsuits are brought by patent trolls—companies that exist not to provide products or services, but primarily have a business using patents to threaten others’ work. Some politicians are proposing to make that bad situation worse. ...

The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, S. 2140, (PERA), sponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) would be a huge gift to patent trolls, a few tech firms that aggressively license patents, and patent lawyers. For everyone else, it will be a huge loss. That’s why we’re opposing it, and asking our supporters to speak out as well. 

Patent trolling is still a huge, multi-billion dollar problem that’s especially painful for small businesses and everyday internet users. But, in the last decade, we’ve made modest progress placing limits on patent trolling. The Supreme Court’s 2014 decision in Alice v. CLS Bank barred patents that were nothing more than abstract ideas with computer jargon added in. Using the Alice test, federal courts have kicked out a rogue’s gallery of hundreds of the worst patents. 

Under Alice’s clear rules, courts threw out ridiculous patents on “matchmaking”, online picture menus, scavenger hunts, and online photo contests. The nation’s top patent court, the Federal Circuit, actually approved a patent on watching an ad online twice before the Alice rules finally made it clear that patents like that cannot be allowed. The patents on “bingo on a computer?” Gone under Alice. Patents on loyalty programs (on a computer)? Gone. Patents on upselling (with a computer)? All gone. ...

PERA’s attempt to roll back progress goes beyond computer technology. For almost 30 years, some biotech and pharmaceutical companies actually applied for, and were granted, patents on naturally occuring human genes. As a consequence, companies were able to monopolize diagnostic tests that relied on naturally occurring genes in order to help predict diseases such as breast cancer, making such testing far more expensive. The ACLU teamed up with doctors to confront this horrific practice, and sued. That lawsuit led to a historic victory in 2013 when the Supreme Court disallowed patents on human genes found in nature. 

If PERA passes, it will explicitly overturn that ruling, allowing human genes to be patented once again. ...

“To See Your Own Blood, Your Own Genes”

From the 1980s until the 2013 Myriad decision, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted patents on human genomic sequences. If researchers “isolated” the gene—a necessary part of analysis—they would then get a patent that described isolating, or purified, as a human process, and insist they weren’t getting a patent on the natural world itself.

But this concept of patenting an “isolated” gene was simply a word game, and a distinction without a difference. With the genetic patent in hand, the patent-holder could demand royalty payments from any kind of test or treatment involving that gene. And that’s exactly what Myriad Genetic did when they patented the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene sequences, which are important indicators for the prevalence of breast or ovarian cancer. 

Myriad’s patents significantly increased the cost of those tests to U.S. patients. The company even sent some doctors cease and desist letters, saying the doctors could not perform simple tests on their own patients—even looking at the gene sequences without Myriad’s permission would constitute patent infringement. 

This behavior caused pathologists, scientists, and patients to band together with ACLU lawyers and challenge Myriad’s patents. They litigated all the way to the Supreme Court, and won. “A naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated,” the Supreme Court stated in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics. 

A practice like granting and enforcing patents on human genes should truly be left in the dustbin of history. It’s shocking that pro-patent lobbyists have convinced these Senators to introduce legislation seeking to reinstate such patents. Last month, the President of the College of American Pathologists published an op-ed reminding lawmakers and the public about the danger of patenting the human genome, calling gene patents “dangerous to the public welfare.”  

As Lisbeth Ceriani, a breast cancer survivor and a plaintiff in the Myriad case said, “It’s a basic human right to see your own blood, your own genes.” "

[warningsine]

Notice how Helena uses "I" instead of "she" and how Milchik gives her the soft sell.

Combine this with:

her embarrassed "My dad forced me to recite the 9 rules as a child and I did not like it then" admission in front of a camera.

James basically thanking her for risking her life for the company and lying about it. He "cried" about the suicide attempt, and yet he didn't even contact his daughter, since he's telling her this now at the gala as an aside to the event. In terms of family emergency time? Too fucking late. Is this the only time Helena's seen him since then? Not to mention how he didn't want to take responsibility and blamed it all on his daughter's alter ego.

And you'll get a more nuanced interpretation than the "Helena pure corporate evil, Helly R. good rebel" binary one.

Despite doing that cruel "I'm a person, you're not" presentation and being determined to see the process through even after Helly tries to commit suicide, there's some part of Helena that must know that this is messed up.

Sure, she's complicit and not a hapless victim, but she's also a product of her upbringing. Stripping her of her privilege, heritage, cult-like brainwashing/indoctrination and Shiv Roy-like desperation to win her dad's approval gives you Helly.

They are the same person under different circumstances.

There are no contradictions between the fundamental makeup of her innie and outie.

The version of herself Helena brings inside Lumon questions everything and demands accommodation and answers, because she is used to getting what she wants as a privileged woman.

What changes her is the different context she's given.

Helena is a wealthy and powerful woman who gets what she wants; Helly is a powerless woman who is often being tortured. It makes sense that her traits—stubborness and determination among others—and the fundamental sense of "I deserve to get what I want" are present in Helly.

But also make no mistake: they're both prisoners. Helly in a more literal sense, Helena in a figurative one—a prisoner in her family and the role that was imposed on her.

A willing participant that benefits from a controlling system is not free from the harm or influence of it. Acknowledging Helena's abusive circumstances doesn't take away from her as an antagonist, it makes her story more compelling.

Helena's self-serving qualities are more a matter of nurture than nature, because Helly shows caring and compassion as well as rebellion and independence. Helly is like a very young version of Helena.

All of the outies' emotions leak through to some extent.

Helly's "Well, that's a given for me [that I'm an asshole out there]" is a pretty safe assumption to make based on Helena's video, but it also oozes self-loathing. Helena taking it out on Helly does too.

Ultimately, I think this happens on a figurative level to a lot of people who undergo an—emotionally in this case— abusive upbringing. Rejecting their most vulnerable parts and imprisoning them. It's a survival mechanism, and helps them feel like they have more control over their out of control personal life. But, in a way, it makes them more out of control once they get into the real world.

Their inner, imprisoned parts find ways to make it so they can't ignore them. We definitely saw that with Helly threatening to mutilate herself and attempting suicide.

There are consequences to denying and imprisoning any part of ourselves over the long term.

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS after goodness knows how long, Knox Commissions are finally Open!

There are 5 Slots Available for this run. [August 17th 2024.] If things go well I hope to open more in the future!

If you'd like to see more examples of my art feel free to scroll through my art tag #KNOX ART (me)

[T.O.S below cut]

Terms of service

01 - General Terms

• Prices are subject to change based on demand.

• I have the right to reject any order for any reason.

• I may not respond to e-mails/messages or do commission work on Sundays.

• Do not share my personal/legal information (my legal name etc.) with any third parties. If you do you forfeit your right to the commission and you will be blacklisted from ever commissioning me again.

02 - Payment

• The currency accepted is CAD or USD and can be paid through PayPal, or Kofi.

• Commissions can be paid either 100% upfront or split 50% upfront and 50% after sketch approval.

• Don’t send me any payment before I have agreed to give you a slot and requested you to send me the payment.

03 - Process & Delivery

• ​The time it takes to finish your commission varies 1 week - 3 months depending on factors such as health, the complexity of the commissioned piece, other work, and personal matters.

• Once the piece is finished you will receive the full-resolution image. Note that there is no physical product.

04 - Revisions

• You get 3 rounds of changes on the commissioned piece included in the price.

• A fee will be added if you want something changed on the final drawing - unless a misunderstanding from my side has been made.

• If you wish for me to change something in the drawing you have previously approved, I will charge you a fee to change it. The amount of the extra charge depends on the change you want me to make and is usually based on an hourly wage.

• If your reference is unclear to start with, changes will come at an extra charge.

05 - Copyright & Usage

• I, "Knox" (the artist):

• I reserve the right to cancel and refund the order at any time for any reason.

• I retain all copyrights over the commissioned artwork.

• I will NOT claim the intellectual property (IP) of the commissioned artwork (your characters are still yours, etc.)

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• I reserve the right to post the commissioned artwork online, in my portfolio as well as in publications such as art books.

• You (the customer/commissioner):

• You may upload the commissioned artwork on any website and social channels.

• You may NOT make profits from the commissioned piece (reselling, redistributing, uploading to POD-services, making prints for selling, using in a monetized youtube channel thumbnail etc.)

• You may NOT alter the commissioned artwork without my (the artist's) consent.

• You MAY be allowed to sell the artwork if it is a part of an Adoptable. Please discuss this with me (the artist) prior to paying for the artwork though.

• You retain the rights to the intellectual property (IP).

• You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for commercial purposes.

• The following is considered copyright infringement:​

• Reproducing/using the copyrighted artwork commercially - means making money off it in any way not excluded from these terms.

• Claiming the artwork as your own

• Altering the artwork without my consent (making changes by hand or through AI generation etc.)

• In some cases, the commercial rights to the image may be purchased.

06 - Cancellation & Refund policy

• The buyer is not allowed a refund once I have started working on the commission.

• If for any reason I am unable to start your commission you will receive a full refund.

• If you cancel your order before I started it, you can get a full refund.

• The kill fee for cancelling the commission after work has begun is 50% of the commission's price. The client then receives the work as is.

• If the buyer wishes to cancel the commission after the work has started, the buyer can be issued a refund but agrees to pay the kill fee.

Paypal specific:

• If you are getting a refund, do not request a Paypal chargeback. I will transfer the money back to you myself.

• If you request a Paypal chargeback at any point when you were not allowed to ask for a refund you will lose all aforementioned rights to the commissioned piece and I will have the full right to profit further from it in any way. I will decline the chargeback and supply Paypal with our conversations in which we talk about the commission as evidence that I have completed work for you. Furthermore, you will be blacklisted for commissioning me again.

By commissioning me you acknowledge that you have read through the Terms of Service and agree to abide by the terms stated as well as accept the outcomes stated if the aforementioned terms are violated at any time.

[i-amm-mj]

Convenience - Katsuki Bakugo x Reader - Angst

Part 2 here!

You just rejected Katsuki Bakugo´s marriage proposition after 3 years of relationship in front of a full restaurant... The reason? You know he doesn´t love you, at least not as much as you love him.

And you know that because he mentioned twice that he hasn´t contemplated marriage on his short-term plans. The first time he mentioned it, you both were having breakfast. He said he didn´t want to get married, not before he got to the Top 3, and right now he were the fourth, but his agent and the press have been pressuring him to get married and start a family because Deku, the Number Three hero already did, which was helping him to get the approval of the citizens. “There´s nothing better than a man of family to protect civilians” they had said. 

You are sure Deku got married because he wanted to. Everyone noticed how in love he was with his wife when he started to cry after seeing Ochako in the beautiful dress you and the girls helped her choose. And you are sure of what Katsuki thinks too... You know him too well to know that the explosive blonde would never waste the opportunity to compete with Deku and show him that he was better than the “fucking nerd”... and as a girlfriend, you were good with it. You admired Katsuki and were proud of him for being so compromised with his dream. You just never thought that he would use you to achieve it and it hurted you... it hurted you so bad that when he kneeled in front you, you started to cry, but not because of happiness, your crying was a product of sadness. 

In other conditions, Katsuki proposing to you would have been the happiest moment of your life and you would have accepted him without any doubt. You really wanted him to be the man next to you at altar and the father of your children, but it seems that to him you are just a ladder to help him escalate the ranking, and you were not going to take it. You had dreams too, you wanted to do things by and for yourself and he didn´t considerate that at all... so you just left the restaurant without saying a word and headed straight to your apartment to cry even harder to your bestfriend... 

“Are you sure you are not overreacting?” your bestfriend asked through the phone “I mean... you´ve been together for 3 years now...” But no, you weren´t overreacting, you heard him yourself, but you didn´t want to remember the second time he mentioned it and his hurtful words. 

It was one week ago, when you finished your shift and headed to his office just like any other day. His secretary had gone home a few minutes before so there weren´t anyone to announce your presence. When you were ready to enter his office you stopped, there were voices coming from it. You recognized Kirishima and your ex-boyfriend´s.

“C´mon, man” Kirishima said “It´s not that bad. The press said that i look ridiculous in swimsuit and haven´t take it so seriously, they say shit all the time about everyone” 

“Those fuckers have been up my ass for four months since that nerd and Ochako got married...” Katsuki groaned “They even dared to say that marriage could help with my image of an asshole”   

Kirishima laughed “Yeah, that could be true, but you can´t force yourself into a marriage, can you?”

“Not with her at least” he murmured. Was he talking about you? You felt the pain in your chest but tried to ignored it, Katsuki would never talk about you like that, wouldn´t he? 

“Of course not! You couldn´t do that to Y/N” Kirishima protested. 

You then knocked the door, panic crawling your skin at his words: He was talking about you... and you didn´t want to know the rest. Your brain was processing. Did you really hear that? No, it was not possible. You have been together 3 years, he must love you. He wouldn´t say something so crude. You were in denial, yeah, he was just chatting with his best friend, it was just and inocent conversation between two legally single men, the type you would have with your best friend too.  

Ten seconds later he let you in. You fixed yourself and put on the best smile you could offer. 

“Hi, honey” you said “You ready to go home?” When he heard your voice, Katsuki got up from the chair and a grin appeared on his handsome face, matching yours. 

“What´s up, pretty girl?” he walked towards you and gave you a kiss on the lips “I´m ready when you are ready” 

You were now laying on your bed. Remembering. Crying. It was really hard to know that Katsuki Bakugo didn´t love you that much. And you really didn´t get it. You were sure of his feelings for you for a long time now, but all this happened so quickly that it didn´t give you time process it. You weren´t sure why Katsuki would do this to you... 

[hoshiko2000]

So with production for Good Omens Season 3 officially halted, it does look like cancellation may be on the horizon. Because yeah, I really don't think Amazon would 'pause' production on a show this lucrative if there wasn't serious discussions currently going on about 'if' and 'how' it should continue. A production shuffle-up - ie. Neil Gaiman getting booted and new staff being put in charge - is certainly a possibility. But it is important to remember that this will still be a show that is written by him and very intrinsically linked to his brand. And whether fans or studios will still have an appetite for it considering this fact is something that has to be seriously considered.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that as disappointing as it would be, cancelling Good Omens season 3 may be the hard but right decision. And, frankly, if season 2 is anything to go by, we may not be missing out on too much to be honest.

But on a serious note, I do want to use this news as an opportunity to share my own thoughts on the situation, which I will do under the cut (and as is probably obvious, there are trigger warnings for references to SA).

Despite Neil Gaiman's works being a massive part of my content here on this tumblr - and yes, that is something I am very aware of- I've not posted about the sexual assault allegations up until now for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I'm a working adult in my 30s; tumblr is very much a place I come to chill, I'm far too old (and frankly, tired) to get involved in discourse or heated fandom debates (not that those are the correct terms to use to refer to rape allegations but you catch my drift). But the other reason is that these revelations have honestly devasted me, in a way that I'm still processing and doesn't feel like an exaggeration to describe as grief, a feeling I'm sure is echoed by many other people.

Neil Gaiman's works have been a massive part of my adult life, and while I know it sounds like a cliche, they have gotten me through some incredibly difficult times. Coming to terms with the fact that such beautiful, thoughtful, empathetic novels and series have been written by a rapist has been incredibly difficult.

What has also been incredibly difficult to come to terms with is the fact that the incredible queer representation that has drawn so many of us to his television works in recent years was, in hindsight, indisputably a grooming tactic. And yes, grooming is the right word.

The grooming of communities is not something that is often discussed but is absolutely a thing. Predators groom victims to gain access to them, and they groom the people around both the victim and themselves to make it seem unbelievable when the victim later comes forward. And this can happen parasocially too. In the case of Neil Gaiman, he groomed his fanbase by constructing a calculated image as vocal a LGBT ally, drawing in queer fans and creating a smokescreen of apparent empathy and kindness to cast doubt on the future allegations he likely knew would inevitably catch up with him.

I really want to stress - particularly for younger fans - that no one is stupid or somehow culpable for having been fooled by Gaiman, for having supported his works previously, and for continuing to support his works now. I myself have no intention to leave the fandoms I am already a part of, and I genuinely do not believe anyone is under any sort of pressure or obligation to do so. The separation of the art from the artist is a very tricky subject and not something that can ever be done entirely. And if I'm honest I'm not really sure how to navigate this myself, or what this is going to mean for me in the future.

But to get back to the subject of my blog, yes I am planning to continue reposting content related to Good Omens and Dead Boy Detectives. However the latter differs drastically in that the series was not actually written by Neil Gaiman and is effectively an author-approved spin-off of one of his works. Good Omens on the other hand I have more complicated feelings towards, and at this point I am not sure how I feel about future series being made, with or without Gaiman's involvement.

I'm sorry if this post is a rambling mess, it has taken me a lot of time to build up to being able to share my thoughts, and while there is a lot more I could say I will stop here. But on a closing note, let's just be kind to each other. This situation is awful, lets not make it any worse. Give space for the victims, give space for the fans, and give space to people to continue to enjoy fandom spaces without making assumptions about where they stand on these allegations. It is a hard time, but things will get better, and these fandom spaces will continue to be a positive place for people to exist online. Lets keep it that way.

[lotties-ashwagandha]

ABUNDANCE

lottie matthews x gn!reader x van palmer, 971 words

you finally decide it's time to move in with them, and relish in the newfound domesticity blessing your relationship.

When you agreed to move in with Lottie and Van, you hadn’t anticipated how strenuous of a process it would be. It had all seemed so straightforward in your mind, but as you stood in front of half a dozen boxes strewn across the floor, you realized how exhausting it was. 

You had just finished with the bedroom closet. You smiled softly as you looked over your work – it had taken forever, but you had managed to find a balance of the closet space between the three of you. It helped that you had a walk-in closet, that you lived in a house that was suitable for the three of you to live comfortably together – your good fortune in that did not go unnoticed. 

You began to stack the empty boxes on top of those you had yet to unpack. It was getting late, the rest could wait until morning. You had spent the entire day anyway even getting your things from your apartment to your girlfriends’ residence within Lottie’s wellness center, which was so far removed from the rest of society that the trip had accounted for much of the day. You were indescribably exhausted. 

“You need any help with that?” Van asked, approaching you. She had been in the bathroom that was attached to the bedroom, reorganizing to make room for everyone’s things – skincare products, toothbrushes, shampoo. Everything in the house was being reordered for your shared comfort. 

You shook your head in decline. Van ignored you, taking the box you were holding and stacking it on top of the others. She knew you were capable yourself, but above all she wanted to make you feel at home – as if you hadn’t spent so much time here anyway before moving in. It was part of why you had all decided that this be your permanent residence, that since the house was so far from your old apartment you would stay with your girlfriends for days or weeks at a time before going home, and it had always led to the most pleasant memories for the three of you. 

Van surveyed the boxes for a second before leaning into the closet to examine your work. 

“It looks nice,” she smiled, and you could see that she was as joyful as you were that you were in the process of moving in. “Lottie still has half the closet space, but I think we expected that.” 

“She has so much shit, it makes you and I look like we own one shirt each,” you agreed, resisting a laugh. “Where is she, anyway?” 

“Lottie? She’s in the kitchen. She wanted to try to make you dinner for your first official night here.” 

“God save us all,” you joked. “We should call the fire department, have them here just in case she almost burns the house down again.” 

She laughed. “I don’t think the authorities would approve of anything she does here, fire or no fire. We’re in league with a walking safety hazard.” 

You agreed, and the two of you decided to go check on her. 

When you found Lottie in the kitchen, she had just started pasta noodles on the stove. She was trying at the creation of a sauce, various random ingredients littering the countertops as she began to meticulously dice a tomato. You came up behind her, looping your arms around her waist and looking over her shoulder to watch her work. 

“Van says you’re a safety hazard in the kitchen,” you said with a teasing smile, which grew when Lottie shook her head in annoyance. 

“She’s just saying that because she’s disappointed no restaurants deliver this far out, and I wouldn’t have let her call for delivery anyway,” Lottie said. She put down her knife, wiped her hands on a nearby kitchen towel, and turned around to face you. Her expression was loving, filled with a peacefulness that spread to you instantly. “I want this to be special for you. I know you used to stay with us a lot before you moved in, but this is still big.”

“This is special,” you assured her. “Just getting to be here with the two of you is special enough.” 

In response she kissed you softly, and a sense of home rushed over you – this was where you were meant to be. This was where you were safe, where you would always be welcomed, loved, cared for. 

Van’s voice filled the kitchen – she shouted that the pot on the stove was boiling over, and you and Lottie pulled away from each other instantly, startled. 

You looked to the stove in terror, but the pot was fine. The water wasn’t even boiling yet. 

“That’s not fucking funny,” Lottie snapped at her, and sighed as she leaned against the kitchen counter to sulk. She turned away when Van tried to kiss her, but after a second try from her Lottie relented, and afterwards seemed consoled. 

You watched the exchange contentedly. You craved this domesticity with them, and at last you were able to be a part of it long-term. 

You and Van began to help Lottie with the pasta. The two of them attempted to banish you from the kitchen at first, claiming that this was their treat to you, but when you kept pestering them about it they finally allowed you to help with menial tasks like retrieving ingredients, throwing things away, and whatever else you could occupy yourself with doing that they deemed small enough for the meal to still be a sort of welcoming gift from them. 

When it was at last finished, the three of you sat down at the dining table, and life became complete in your togetherness. The end had come of your aloneness, and in its wake you were blessed in the abundance of their love. 

[palmtreepalmtree]

I solved one of my several problems this morning.

I'm at the point where I just don't understand what's going on with the government. All of a sudden this month all the usual stuff we do to get our cases approved in a timely manner are not working. I have two cases that have only one or two days of adjudication left, and we haven't heard a thing. And this is after expedite requests and follow-ups.

The cost of this process more than doubled in April of this year, and since then the quality of service has dropped significantly. Usually I'm helped by the ability to name drop some major companies and talent that will be harmed if the cases don't get through, but recently it seems like the government just doesn't care.

If you're instinct is to say that big companies and famous people should not be able to throw their weight around to get special service from the government, I get where you're coming from. But when my cases are delayed, film/tv productions are delayed, and that costs the studios millions of dollars. These productions represent the jobs of hundreds of U.S. workers. Every time the government makes it harder and more expensive to produce movies in the United States, there's a good likelihood that next year they'll go to Canada or the UK or just about anywhere else -- places where there are no unions and the workers have no protections. And that equates to thousands of US jobs lost.

I know what part of the internet I'm in, so I know there's not a ton of sympathy for the major studios around here -- no doubt there is appropriate criticism to be leveled at them about top-heavy compensation and trying to squeeze customers on an old business model. But I've watched contacts disappear from my emails this year as productions have slowed, and the studios have tightened their belts by laying people off in the hundreds and thousands. Those are real people who had jobs before and don't have them now.

In the least, this is one area where the U.S. government should not be making it harder for them to do business here. There is no upside to not approving a work authorization for a well-known actor and his stunt double in time for them to get to set. No U.S. jobs are being protected by slow-walking and obstructing these cases. For every work authorization I get approved, there are hundreds of U.S. workers getting geared up to make a movie.

Anyhow, I gotta go sit on hold for another hour with the U.S. government.

[kollux748]

A Bond of Ice and Fire

(Jacegan ABO-fanfic idea rewrite)

(I finally learned that there’s a “read more” option so I don’t take over your fyp with this long-ass timeline fic…)

Set-Up Details:

ABO Westerosi dynamics

Most dynamic presentations occur around the age of 10-14. The earliest recording of a presentation was actually Aegon the Conqueror, at the age of 8 as an Alpha.

Valyrian Alphas and Omegas are rare; a class where the old Valyrians would (with magic at the time) change their sexes accordingly to match the ideal parts of their presentation (Alphas with cocks, Omegas with cunts).

The change is most painful for a male Valyrian Omega, as it often involves castration and months-long process of the body developing a female productive system. The change often made it easier for male omegas to handle birthing.

In regard to politics and power…

Alphas and Betas typically hold the positions of power; where Alphas are seen as leaders and wise protectors, and Betas are their advisors.

The Hand of the King is typically a Beta-held position. They provide an even mind that may sometimes think clearer and have more patience than their Alpha lords or King.

Omegas scarcely hold such positions. It is oft only after they are married to an approved Alpha that they are recognized and uncontested as a leader. Female Omegas are deemed less than optimal for leading, while Male Omegas tend to be reluctantly accepted.

Dorne is of the few that do not see Omegas as such weaknesses; all designations are given a fair chance.

True/Fated Mates

A sort of “you know when you know” feeling at the time of mating. Commonly occurs in Alpha and Omega pairings, which are the most desirable and admired bonds. Rare in Alpha-Alpha, and Omega-Omega pairs. Almost non-existent with Betas; it is often believed by the Faith and bigots that Betas are deemed unworthy of such a distinction.

It is most evident when biting mating glands. When the bonding is true, nothing is secret between the mates. They feel as if they are “one flesh, one heart, one soul”; which is where that phrase from the Septon’s blessing originated. It feels otherworldly, an experience that one would dare to compare to be of the final paradise, or even greater. If one was to ever be unfaithful to their true bonded mate, they would feel a great pain in their soul reflecting that of the unforgivable infidelity committed.

There is very rare chances that a person might have more than one true mate, and experimentation is often avoided considering that should particularly an Alpha’s soul reject a bonding, they’d tear apart their attempted mate. One such example of an Alpha having multiple mates is Sharako Lohar.

Unfortunately, amongst higher-borns, finding one’s true mate is next to impossible due to the restrictions of status. While true bonds are well-respected and treasured, status matters more to most. As such, those who may have found their true mate in a mere commoner go without them. This particularly true for Targaryens, considering they oft tend to marry within the family.

Valyrian Alphas:

Baela Targaryen (b. 116 AC - presented at age 12, mid 128 AC)

(Notable) Alphas:

Viserys I Targaryen

Daemon Targaryen

Rhaenyra Targaryen (presented at age 12)

Rhaenys Targaryen

Aegon II Targaryen (b. 106 AC - presented at age 12)

Aemond Targaryen (b. 110 AC - presented at age 10)

Joffrey Velaryon (b. 117 AC - presented at age 12, early 129 AC)

Cregan Stark (b. 108 AC - presented at age 11)

Harwin Strong

Simon Strong

Criston Cole

Alyn Velaryon

Alysanne Blackwood

(Notable) Betas:

Corlys Velaryon

Laenor Velaryon

Larys Strong

Otto Hightower

Addam Velaryon

Valyrian Omegas:

Jacaerys Targaryen (b. late 114 AC - presented age 13, early 128 AC)

(Notable) Omegas:

Alicent Hightower (presented at age 12)

Helaena Targaryen (b. 109 AC - presented at age 10)

Daeron Targaryen (b. 114 AC - presented at age 12)

Lucerys Velaryon (b. late 115 AC - presented at age 11, late 126 AC)

Laena Velaryon (presented at age 12)

Rhaena Targaryen (b. 116 AC - presented at age 12, mid 128 AC)

Arra Norrey (b. 112 AC - presented at age 12)

Sabitha Frey

Non-presented/Children:

Jaehaerys II Targaryen (b. 123 AC)

Jaehaera Targaryen (b. 123 AC)

Rickon Stark (b. 128 AC)

Aegon III Targaryen (b. 120 AC)

Viserys II Targaryen (b. 122 AC)

(Late 114 AC): Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen gives birth to Jacaerys Velaryon (Strong). Aegon II Targaryen has (age 8) and Aemond Targaryen (age 4) dote upon their young nephew despite Alicent’s reservations towards them bonding with their future rival for the throne. Viserys I Targaryen sits with the babe on the Iron Throne and tells him “One day this will be your seat, lad” and he has him share a wet-nurse with Alicent’s own babe Daeron Targaryen. Alicent is wary due to Jacaerys’ plain features (lack of silver hair or purple eyes). Harwin Strong visits him in secret every now and then, and stays by Princess Rhaenyra’s side as much as is publicly appropriate of his station.

3-4 months/moons pass, and rumors have grown loudly, telling of Rhaenyra’s infidelity towards Laenor due to Jacaerys’ looks, originating from a few maids and knights in service of Rhaenyra. Although she adores her firstborn, Rhaenyra is heavily agitated and upset by the rumors, though she soon learns that she is with child again. In the hopes that this new child will bear the colorings of a true Targaryen, Rhaenyra considers ridding herself of Jacaerys. After one particular blowup with Alicent, she decides at the dead of night to pay one of her maids heavily to take Jacaerys away from the Red Keep, and pays the Kingsguard men who were guarding Jacaerys’ nursery for their silence. Jacaerys’ bonded hatchling, Vermax, leaves with the maid and her precious cargo as he refuses to part from the babe. The maid goes to a brothel on the Street of Silk, which is about the last place anyone would think to look for a babe, abandons Jacaerys in a random room. This room turns out to be the occupancy of Lady Mysaria, the proprietor of the certain brothel.

Ser Harwin Strong learns of the treachery later in the morning and begs Rhaenyra to allow him to find and keep the babe at Harrenhal, to raise him as his own in secret. However, it is too late and Jacaerys is lost to them. While Rhaenyra is in depressing turmoil over her grave decision, Ser Harwin raises the alarm and the Red Keep is sent into turmoil as Viserys I demands his beloved grandson to be found. Lady Mysaria hears of the Kingsguard searching for a babe and his dragon, but knows that she could be accused of stealing the young Prince and killed for treason against the crown; for who would listen to the cries of a common whore?

Weeks pass, and the royal family and Ser Harwin mourn the loss of their youngest. Alicent suspects Rhaenyra, despite her visible grief, plotted the loss of her child to hide her affair but she cannot speak on it to anyone but her father and Ser Criston Cole.

(Late 115 AC): Lucerys Velaryon is born. Viserys increases the guard on his rooms, and Ser Harwin Strong is assigned his sworn shield. Rhaenyra is warned by Ser Harwin not to abandon Lucerys too, otherwise he would bring them both to ruin with his reaction (telling Viserys or Alicent that the rumors of Jacaerys, and now Lucerys’ parentage were true. Harwin would be put to the sword immediately, and Rhaenyra would lose her inheritance as heir to the Iron Throne at the least. At worst, she would also lose her head). Rhaenyra soothes him, telling him that she would never dare again to rid herself of any of her sweet children. Aegon takes a liking to Lucerys, however Aemond is wary of getting attached to another babe.

Rhaenyra takes permanent residence on Dragonstone a few months after Lucerys’ birth due to her and Alicent’s dangerously souring relationship.

(119 AC): Vermax, having grown as a free dragon and being the unknown cause of the missing sheep, lives hidden away on the beach of King’s Landing. Jacaerys (age 5) makes nightly visits to him. Jace takes his first flight one night in the summer, albeit saddle-less. He learns to wear gloves after having various cuts from clinging to Vermax’s scale and neck spikes. They sometimes fly as far out to Driftmark and Dragonstone, but never close enough to be seen by anyone or any dragon. Vermax expands his hunting ground to nearby lands across the bay, where he may be less discrete in his hunt for food, and his taste palette grows to include wild game.

At the brothel, the Blue Pearl, Jacaerys is known by most of the working prostitutes as Mysaria’s son and in shared secret, the lost Prince of the Red Keep. He works around King’s Landing during the day for spare coin to buy new clothes and food, and during the evening he is either confined to his bedchamber with the door locked or stays the night on the beach with Vermax. Mysaria dislikes the thought of Jacaerys witnessing the depravity of the brothel during the night, especially when the oath-breakers of the Kingsguard men and the Gold cloaks come.

(120 AC): Ser Harwin Strong is removed as Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Lucerys’ sworn shield after a confrontation between Ser Criston Cole and him at King’s Landing. He is murdered by fire at Harrenhal with Lord Lyonel Strong. Larys Strong inherits Harrenhal. Aemond Targaryen presents as an Alpha.

Laena Velaryon dies in childbirth and her funeral is held on Driftmark, along with Ser Laenor Velaryon who was killed by his companion Ser Qarl.

Joffrey Velaryon, at age 3, is named heir to Driftmark.

Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen marry by the Old Valyrian tradition in the Spring and do the dirty on the beach (bruh, that’s wild though that she moved on so fast to Daemon after Laenor and Harwin’s deaths).

Aemond Targaryen seizes the opportunity to claim Vhagar and is taken on his first flight. Jacaerys and Vermax happen to be flying overhead near the shores of Dragonstone when Vhagar surprises them, and in his fright Vermax loses balance (experiences turbulence) and crashes onto the beach. Aemond has Vhagar land so that he can check on the fallen dragon and encounters Jacaerys for the first time in years, though he does not recognize him. Aemond being only 4 at the time Jacaerys was named does not remember his first nephew’s name.

Aemond apologizes to Jacaerys for scaring him and Vermax, and they resolve to be night riding friends when he learns that Jace lives in King’s Landing and takes nightly flights around Blackwater Bay. Aemond returns to Driftmark while Jace stays on the beach of Dragonstone for the night, allowing Vermax to rest a bit after his crash.

Upon his arrival, Aemond is confronted by Lucerys, Baela, and Rhaena, and loses his eye by Lucerys. In the morning, the Targaryen-Hightower family leaves for King’s Landing.

Aemond slowly recovers from his injury and learns how to navigate with one eye. A few months pass before he feels well enough to anxiously meet with Jacaerys on the beach of King’s Landing. Jace was upset that Aemond never came in those months and resigned that his new friend had forgotten about him. That upset turned towards the people who dared to hurt Aemond once he explained the reason for his absence to Jace.

Aemond teaches Jacaerys High Valyrian, starting with simple greetings and dragon commands. Vermax and Vhagar forge a bond liken to that of a grandma and her hyperactive grandson. Since Vhagar is too big for the dragonpit, she is Vermax’s constant companion on the beach of King’s Landing. Vermax likes to climb on top of Vhagar, and sleeps on her or under her wing at times.

Aegon grows curious of his brother’s nightly disappearances, but Aemond does not want to tell him of his only friend for fear that he will steal Jacaerys and turn him into another one of Aemond’s bullies (as he did with Lucerys and their own youngest sibling, Daeron). Although, most of their source of torment originated from Aemond lacking a dragon…

Rhaenyra gives birth to Aegon III Targaryen in the Winter.

(121 AC): Alicent finds out that Aemond has been sneaking away at night to the shore of King’s Landing and questions him, though he tells her that he is simply enjoying his possession of a dragon after so many years without. Sensing he is withholding something, she has the twins Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk follow him one night, and they find out about Jacaerys. Alicent has him seized the next night he and Aemond meet, much to Aemond’s dismay. Vermax tries to protect Jace, but he and Vhagar are kept back by a few dragon-keepers.

Alicent meets Jacaerys, and comments on his features, recognizing some of Rhaenyra’s traits in his face. With Otto’s support and much to Aemond’s content, she decides to foster Jacaerys. The first step is to re-introduce him to Viserys, who is very delighted to reunite with his first grandson. He has a letter written to Rhaenyra about Jacaerys’ reappearance, however the raven is never sent and the letter is burned. A letter from her is forged by Alicent and read to Viserys by a maester, saying that Rhaenyra wishes for Jacaerys to be raised in the Red Keep and to be given the inheritance of Harrenhal for his troubles. Larys Strong is pressured by Otto Hightower to relinquish his lordship over Harrenhal so that Jacaerys may have it with no contest, and Viserys grants the request of his beloved daughter, despite the rumors that may rise.

“King Viserys I Targaryen and his Queen Alicent Hightower hereby recognize Prince Jacaerys Targaryen, son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen of Dragonstone, Heir Apparent to Dragonstone and Harrenhal.”

Viserys likes to steal Jacaerys away to his bedchamber and talk to him about histories and architecture while working on his diorama. Alicent is relieved that Viserys is distracted by his grandson; that Jace can keep his attention and provide him company while others scheme unbeknownst to Viserys.

To Aemond’s relief, Aegon and Jacaerys’ “friendship” (which is non-existent because Jacaerys does not like Aegon due to him being a lecherous drunk half the time their in company with each other) does not evolve into bullying him. Jacaerys likes to spend more time with Helaena, but he enjoys Aemond’s company most often whenever he is not otherwise occupied by Viserys, or the maesters who teach him how to be a proper prince and well-educated, future ruler. Helaena and Aegon occasionally join Aemond and Jacaerys on flights around King’s Landing; Vermax, being the smallest of the dragons, dances in the air around Dreamfyre, Sunfyre, and Vhagar. Tessarion is still too young to bear the weight of Daeron, so the young prince enviously watches them until one of the riders (most of the time it’s Helaena or Jacaerys) takes notice and lets him on their dragon to fly with them.

After Helaena and Aegon’s twins are born, Jacaerys keeps Helaena company in the nursery. He loves to hold them in his arms and they in turn adore slobbering his curls in their mouth. There is a small moment of conflict when Jaehaera’s first word is calling Jacaerys “dada”. They have to shove Aegon into the babes room because it becomes clear Jacaerys is visiting and holding them more than their own father is.

Jacaerys is set to move into Harrenhal when he is ten-and-three so that he may transition into being the Lord of Harrenhal when he comes of age at ten-and-six. Until then, he will be educated by the maesters (and Viserys in history), trained in weaponry by various knights and Aemond, and assigned Viserys’ cupbearer during the council meetings.

On a rare occasion, Jacaerys makes his way down to the Street of Silk and visits the Blue Pearl. Mysaria is thankful that he is no longer living in the brothel and he did not mention having been raised by anyone, lest the King or Queen send their Kingsguard for their heads.

Dragonstone and Driftmark remain ignorant of Jacaerys’ presence in the Red Keep.

(127 AC): At the beginning of the new year, Jacaerys bids farewell to King’s Landing and takes residence in Harrenhal, where he immediately begins to plan out reconstruction and renovation of the damaged castle.

Cregan Stark has held lordship over Winterfell for over a year now with his mate, Arra Norrey, after overthrowing his uncle and three cousins.

Viserys’ health begins to decline in late Summer, but he invites his daughter Rhaenyra and her family on Dragonstone to King’s Landing for a celebration and merriment with Alicent and her sons. Much precaution is made by the Greens to make no mention of Jacaerys, and Viserys believes that Rhaenyra does not need any updates on her son as he has sent letters (that have all been never written or were burned), though he does come close at one point concerning the renovation of Harrenhal. The mention of the largest castle in Westeros causes Rhaenyra to flinch, thinking of it only as the scourge that took her one of her true lovers.

After the festivities end with Viserys needing to be taken to bed, a fight breaks out between Aegon, Aemond, Lucerys, and Joffrey, and causes Rhaenyra to send them back to Dragonstone. Fueled by the toasts of reconciliations, Alicent thinks to inform Rhaenyra of having found Jacaerys, but holds her tongue when remembering that he was gone because of her in the first place.

(128 AC): In Spring, around the third moon of the year, Jacaerys falls ill due to presenting and transitioning as a Valyrian Omega. Castellan Simon Strong sends word to King’s Landing, having no knowledge of what ill Jacaerys suffers. Aemond Targaryen goes to Harrenhal with a few of the Red Keep’s maesters with more knowledge of the Old Valyrian histories and traditions. He oversees the protection of Jacaerys whilst he is vulnerable for nearly 6 months/moons. During this time, he meets Alys Rivers and feels interested in pursuing her once Jacaerys is well.

Within the 6 months, Arra Norrey gives birth to Rickon Stark, but sadly dies in childbirth.

Lady Baela Targaryen presents as a Valyrian Alpha while residing in Driftmark under Princess Rhaenys’ care. Daemon and Rhaenyra hold a feast when she arrives on Dragonstone to celebrate. Lady Rhaena Targaryen presents as an Omega a couple days after.

In late Autumn, Lord Corlys suffers a grievous injury in the Stepstones that causes turmoil over the inheritance of the seat of Driftmark. Vaemond Velaryon openly contests against Prince Joffrey Velaryon for the claim to the throne of Driftmark and Lord of the Tides. Larys thinks to use Prince Jacaerys to support Vaemond Velaryon’s claim, however with him still weak and recovering from his transition, he cannot come to King’s Landing in time for the petitioning and provide proof to back Vaemond’s claim that Rhaenyra has committed adultery. Vaemond Velaryon is beheaded after insulting Rhaenyra and confidently claiming her sons to be bastards.

During the petitioning, Rhaenys announces her acceptance as the grandsire (mother) of Baela to betroth her Prince Lucerys. Rhaena’s hand is open for marriage on the condition that Prince Joffrey Velaryon does not present as an Alpha.

Unbeknownst to Viserys, no one of Dragonstone and Driftmark know that Jacaerys is the heir apparent to Dragonstone, which would mean Lucerys would properly be the heir to Driftmark, and Joffrey heir to Harrenhal, should Jacaerys permit it so.

It is this missing information that causes quite a stir of confusion when Viserys announces that Prince Lucerys is the unquestionable heir to Driftmark.

(129 AC): Joffrey Velaryon presents as an Alpha and his official betrothal to Rhaena Targaryen is announced. Lucerys and Baela reside on Dragonstone, preparing to be the future King and Queen of the 7 Kingdoms, while Joffrey and Rhaena reside on Driftmark.

While Prince Jacaerys is visiting King’s Landing, he witnesses the trial of several knights of the Kingsguard who have been declared to be oath-breakers (their vows of chastity being forgotten for the whores of the Street of Silk). Viserys offers the dishonored men two options: death by the sword or serving up North at The Wall in the Night’s Watch as repentance for their transgression. A majority of the accused chose the Night’s Watch. Having heard Viserys’ tales of the North, Jacaerys wishes to go to the North with them. Viserys is hesitant to send his favored grandchild so far away, still haunted by his disappearance so many years ago; however, he relents it as an experience every Targaryen should have at least once in their life. Viserys tells Jacaerys to meet with the Warden of the North, Lord Cregan Stark at Winterfell before proceeding to the Wall and has a raven sent to said lord as the escort leaves King’s Landing.

As Jacaerys and Vermax escort the party of dishonored and their keepers through the Riverlands to the North. They are offered rest at a near-completely renovated Harrenhal before going further. Vermax only ends up eating two of the company of 22 ex-Kingsguard men.

Upon their arrival, the company is greeted by Cregan Stark and other lords of his host. Cregan offers to the weary, exhausted, and cold men of the escort to rest in the castle while he takes the oath-breakers seeking repentance to The Wall. Only Jacaerys is interested in continuing up North, as a Prince of the Targaryen dynasty should. Before they are to leave, Cregan has Jace change into thicker clothes appropriate for battling the Northern chill; noting that even with the heat of his dragon and the blood in his veins, the prince was shivering like a leaf in the wind under the cover of Vermax’s wing.

Vermax is notably irritated by the cold, and his temper grows worse the more North they head to Castle Black. As they arrive, Jacaerys does not think to land Vermax yet, seeking to see beyond the Wall. All who take notice of the rare sight of a dragon in the North watch as said dragon flies closer to the Wall until Vermax suddenly shrieks as if he was struck, and veers away to land a few kilometers away from the Wall.

After having a brief visit to the top of the Wall and upon returning to Winterfell, Cregan and Jacaerys discuss various histories and traditions of their cultures, as well as partake in hunting, feasting, and training together. What was originally thought to be a brotherhood fostering turned into something else the longer Jacaerys stayed in Winterfell and bonded with Cregan. Despite the bitter cold, he could not find any desire to ever leave Winterfell and the Lord Stark behind. Jacaerys is not alone in this feeling; Cregan discusses his feelings regarding the prince with many of his lords who are close friends of his, including Lord Cerwyn, who suggests Cregan to follow his heart and jests for him to be careful not to hurt this dragon, or else others may follow and burn them all to the ground.

Cregan decides to officially begin courting Jacaerys in the summer; writing to Viserys I for his permission and blessing to do so before he hails Jacaerys with beautiful custom trinkets, weapons, and clothes; as well as bountiful meals of game provided for he and his ill-tempered dragon that resides in the crypts below Winterfell. He also opens the doors to his private life to Jacaerys, including getting to know his son, Rickon.

Viserys delightedly agrees with the marriage and the people residing in the Red Keep bear witness one of his last few great fits of joy and happiness. For several nights, Alicent is subjected to Viserys’ reciting of Aegon the Conqueror’s dream, the Song of Ice and Fire.

Jacaerys is embarrassingly oblivious to Cregan’s way of courting because in the South, at least with the Greens, courting is not practiced. Aegon and Helaena did not go about courting, rather they were betrothed and kept separate until the day of their marriage. He resolves to start giving Cregan small gifts of his own, whatever he can think the lord would like, which greatly pleases Cregan. That is until one day—it is now approaching Autumn, Cregan has been courting Jacaerys for a whole two months now, though he believed Jace was knowingly reciprocating the courting—Jacaerys asks Cregan innocently why he is honoring him with so many gifts, and the question renders a few eavesdroppers (including Lord Cerwyn) speechless as Cregan, confusingly astounded, answers “I’ve been courting you…my prince.”

Suffice to say, Cregan Stark and Jacaerys Targaryen mate under the Heart Tree of Winterfell a few nights later, after preparations for a wedding feast are complete—to take place before the actual wedding because bonding tends to take a while…several days in fact. At the time of the exchanging of bites, Cregan and Jacaerys discover they were bonded by fate; a true bond.

While Jace and Cregan are preoccupied in their days-long mating, the castellan of Winterfell takes the liberty to write to King’s Landing of their official mating. Viserys I expresses his congratulations and wishes for the newly bonded couple to come to King’s Landing; to hold a tourney and invite all the kingdoms and their houses to come and celebrate the true bond of a Prince of the Targaryen dynasty to the Warden of the North; a pact of Ice and Fire sealed by love and fate.

Unfortunately, Winter is looming over Autumn’s end, and the North must finish their preparations for it with unbroken focus. As such, the festivities in King’s Landing are postponed until Spring.

In late Winter, around the eleventh month, Jacaerys visits the maesters after a particularly bad day of not being able to keep down anything he eats, and is informed he is with child (has been for 2 months/moons now). Although delighted by the thought of having another child, Cregan grows increasingly troubled with worry that he may lose Jace to the Old Gods in the throes of childbirth, just as he did Arra.

(130 AC): In the second moon—as Winter subsides from the North—, King’s Landing is in a slight chaos preparing for the tourney and other various wedding celebrations for Lord Cregan Stark and his beloved true mate, Prince Jacaerys Targaryen. Preparations include the cleaning of chambers for the arriving Lords and Ladies, and other representatives.

Jacaerys is four moons with child, and Cregan would rather them stay in the North comfortably until he gives birth so as to not risk putting a strain on his body, but Jace is stubborn and wants to ride Vermax to King’s Landing anyways. And that is how Cregan ended up as the first and only North men of the century to ride a dragon. Jacaerys’ pregnancy has also caused both Vermax and Cregan’s protective instincts to ramp up, so naturally any perceived slight or attack towards Jace is responded with either a near biting of the head or with Ice shoved in the face.

The protection detail only worsens in Jace’s opinion when he arrives in King’s Landing and sees his Green family for the first time in months. Being so far North, the envoy of Winterfell are the last few of the great Houses of Westeros to arrive in King’s Landing.

This is the first time Rhaenyra sees her lost son, and she is visibly shocked by his name and his faces that reminds her so of Ser Harwin Strong. She longs to reach out to him, to hold that beautiful boy that was hers, but not hers anymore, in her arms—to whisper, shout, scream a thousand and more apologies for her impetuous abandonment.

Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys are also shocked at the reappearance of their first claimed grandchild, and resolve to speak to Rhaenyra after the welcoming is finished.

Viserys is ecstatic over Jacaerys’ pregnancy, yet another celebration in the festivities. Alicent, Aemond, Aegon, and Helaena congratulate Lord Stark in their own ways before doting over their beloved step-grandson/nephew. Helaena remarks that pregnancy is not terrible, but it wasn’t fun for her, but Jacaerys is taking to it quite well.

The grand feast is a show of great splendor. Game of all kind are provided, and some of the Northern men remark at having never seen so much bountiful harvest in all their life. Viserys insists for Jacaerys and Cregan to sit with the royal family at the high table. Due to the occasion, Viserys has Jacaerys sat directly to his right, instead of Rhaenyra as would be customary. Cregan is sat between Rhaenyra and Jacaerys. Viserys especially enjoys speaking with Cregan the entire dinner and suggests for the Lord of the North to visit his chambers in the next few days so that he may share his diorama with him.

Later in the night, Rhaenyra manages to pull Jacaerys aside, although he is not thrilled to be in her presence. A small quarrel of words breaks between them.

“Did you think I would have dark hair, mother? When you took Harwin Strong into your bed, did you think I might favor him, or did it not cross your mind?”

Nothing Rhaenyra says soothes the fire raging in Jacaerys’ heart, and his angered grief causes Cregan to look for him and intervene before he loses control of his emotions, which is not good for their unborn child. They retreat to their bedchamber where Cregan can go about soothing Jacaerys with cuddles and kisses, while listening to him rant about Rhaenyra’s audacity to ask for forgiveness after all this time.

Lucerys and Joffrey question Rhaenyra about Jacaerys while the hosts of Dragonstone and Driftmark are gathered in one room. Corlys and Rhaenys tell them of their older brother who was lost to them a year before Lucerys was born. It shocks both brothers; where Lucerys begins to feel ill, Joffrey asks why they were never told they had an older brother. The answers come variously: “It brought too much grief to our hearts.” “I didn’t know when to tell you.” “It never seemed to matter. We thought he was found by the Stranger.”

The matter concerning the succession of the Iron Throne, Dragonstone, and Driftmark is discussed between the adults in the room (Daemon, Rhaenyra, Corlys, and Rhaenys) while Baela and Rhaena are asked to escort their betrotheds away. Rhaenys reminds them of Viserys’ odd comment that is now not so odd to them: Lucerys was the unquestionable heir to Driftmark. It meant that it was Prince Jacaerys Targaryen who was the heir apparent to Dragonstone, Rhaenyra’s true heir to the Iron Throne.

A Stark will sit on the Iron Throne.

Corlys, ever grasping for placing his house, his blood in the succession line for the Iron Throne, is seemingly frustrated as Jacaerys is no longer claimed as a Velaryon before the people of Westeros, rather he is only recognized as a Targaryen. Jacaerys in position as the Lord of Harrenhal, unofficially Lord of House Strong, only makes matters worse as it casts speculation that Viserys underhandedly recognizes him as the son of a Strong. This causes the shaking rift between Corlys and Rhaenys, and Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra realizes that the Greens—Alicent—have known about Jacaerys for years and kept him a secret from her. At this revelation, she storms through the castle to find her ex-friend, and Alicent and her shame each other for their actions, neither giving the other true forgiveness. Before leaving the argument, Alicent tells Rhaenyra that she has no one to blame but herself.

For her adultery that she does not lay claim to fault for.

For her ridding of her own babe that she does not lay claim to fault for.

For having two more children of the same nature as him.

“Did you ever think that perhaps his anger lies in that you abandoned him, only to turn around and have two more plain-featured bastards just like him?”

The tourney commences the next morning with Jacaerys bestowed the honor of the Queen of Love and Beauty. Cregan and Jacaerys are sat with the royal family, this time separate from Viserys. Jacaerys sits between his mate and his estranged brother, Lucerys. Despite their circumstances, Lucerys decides it is best to get to know his newfound brother and his lord husband.

Jacaerys has mixed feelings about Lucerys. On one hand, he has gained four younger siblings (Lucerys, Joffrey, Aegon III, and Viserys II) whom he feels drawn to connect with. On the other, Lucerys is the reason Aemond is known as “One-Eye” and he is Rhaenyra’s claimed heir to Dragonstone, although this last part is really only acknowledged by Rhaenyra and Daemon. In the eyes of the majority, Jacaerys is the only legitimate of Rhaenyra’s bastards who holds claim to her titles and inheritances.

Jacaerys goes back and forth from conversations with Lucerys and Joffrey to Cregan the entire tourney. At some point, he begins to fall asleep from his spent energy and its effects on his pregnancy. Cregan carries him to their chamber to rest on a proper bed, and Aemond takes Jacaerys’ seat to warn the brothers, mostly Lucerys, to stay away from him. Lucerys does not understand why, as they are brothers by blood—which Aemond remarks that unlike them, Jacaerys is legitimized. They are not worthy of calling Jacaerys “brother”.

Joffrey, as quick to anger as his sire was, proceeds to start a brawl amongst the royals by punching Aemond in his missing eye, which halts all other activities in the tourney in favor of watching the princes of the realm scream and fight. In private, Viserys admonishes all of them for embarrassing the royal family in such a way. Never has the kingdoms seen the Targaryen dynasty as shattered as they are. He punishes all four (Aegon, Aemond, Lucerys, and Joffrey) by refusing them to participate in the remaining festivities for the day and denying them dinner.

Jacaerys is not seen the rest of the evening either as he is having a rare day of peaceful slumber that Cregan does not want to wake him from. They are provided a basket of dried meats, cheese, and bread for when he does wake up in his hunger.

The next day, Viserys, Jacaerys, and Cregan are not in attendance among the royal host as the addled King managed to grab hold of them passing his chamber. Jacaerys learns of the Song of Ice and Fire, which Viserys believes to be the child or future descendant of Cregan and Jacaerys. Cregan is familiar with the prophecy, as it is a tale told from one Stark to another. His own father beckoned him before his deathbed and recited it to him.

“With your true bond, House Targaryen and House Stark will forever be tied together. Your children of ice and fire.”

Jacaerys and Cregan find more meaning to their fated bond, a marriage of love and duty that is often lacking one or the other in royal marriages.

They take to relaxing under the Weirwood Tree in the evening, skipping the tourney viewing of the day, so that they may delight each other in a different climate than the cold they fell in love in. For one, Cregan much appreciates being able to see Jacaerys in less thicker clothes than the furs he must pile onto the shivering dragon at times. The clothing of the royals and other high-borns of the South are far more extravagant than Northerners like Cregan are used to. He admires to fine fabrics, styles, and jewels that accentuate Jacaerys’ beauty in the lovely Spring.

At the end of the tourney, a grand feast is held to celebrate the champion who upheld Prince Jacaerys’ honor as the queen of love and beauty throughout the battles. This honor belongs to that of Ser Davos of House Blackwood.

Jacaerys and Cregan are requested by Viserys to stay in the Red Keep until Summer’s end, though Cregan is slightly hesitant to do so in consideration of Winter preparations, as usual. Still, his wits cow-tow to the desires of the feeble old man who happens to be his grandfather-in-law and King. Part of it is driven by the strain the pregnancy and travel are putting on Jacaerys, and by Summer’s end, their child should be born.

The downside is that Rhaenyra and her family were also invited to stay at King’s Landing until then, meaning there was more opportunities for Rhaenyra to upset Jacaerys with her very presence, and Daemon constantly glaring at them didn’t help any matters. Daemon plots how to get power back into his own lineage. It is bad enough that his daughter Baela is clearly no longer to be the future Queen of the 7 Kingdoms, lest he find a way to rid the world of the complication that is Jacaerys Targaryen and his hulking mate, Cregan Stark, who walks around King’s Landing with a Valyrian sword on his back. His most effective plan would be to send Jacaerys into early labor, effectively causing him to lose the babe and potentially his own life in the process. The biggest problem standing in Daemon’s way of going through with it is the constant presence of either or both Cregan and Aemond in Jacaerys’ vicinity, ready to dispose of any potential threat to his health.

Jacaerys finds himself not wanting to hold onto his grudge against Rhaenyra for the rest of his life. Cregan advises him to either try his relationship with his birth mother, or set the boundary for them as a Princess and Prince of the realm, nothing more. Rhaenyra gladly accepts the former route and they have a great emotional dump on each other that results in Cregan and Daemon finding them cuddled in each other’s arm with red eyes and puffy cheeks. The relationship between her, Lucerys, Joffrey, and Jacaerys grows strong, while Daemon sulks about none of his plans being able to be implemented (not without the support of Rhaenyra, who would never let anyone harm a hair on his pretty head).

“I cannot forgive you for abandoning me. But I do not want to live with this haunting me until my dying day. If you are willing to respect me as your son, I will claim you as my mother in more than name.”

Jacaerys goes into labor in the sixth month of the year on the 25th day. Cregan finds that he’d much rather face the threat over the Wall than to see anymore of his mate(s)—Cregan is having flashbacks to Arra’s birthing of Rickon—in such pain during birthing, but he dutifully stays by his sweet prince’s side and gives him the support and strength he needs through their bond. Rhaenyra sits on his other side, comforting him and herself as best she can (running her hands through his sweat-soaked hair, holding his hand, whispering endless encouragements and reassurances to him).

Outside of the labor chamber, Aemond and Helaena anxiously pace around each other while Alicent prays to the Faith of the Seven, specifically the Mother for Jacaerys and his child. For once, the princes of the realm gathered do not fight, for they are all preoccupied by the occasional loud cries of labor.

A few hours pass before the babe is born completely, much to the relief of the royal family. A couple of maesters had been bodily thrown out of the room by Cregan after suggesting they perform the more intrusive and defiling surgery on Jacaerys when they had grown impatient and worried the babe was stuck; Aegon had spat a mouthful of wine onto them (some also spraying onto Joffrey and Daemon, much to their displeasure) as Rhaenyra’s loud remark of “sniveling cunts!” followed their leave.

The babe is a girl named Alysanne Stark, firstborn of Cregan Stark and Jacaerys Targaryen. She is brought to Viserys, who revels in her grey eyes and dusting on dark on her head.

(131 AC): As soon as Spring begins anew, Jacaerys and Cregan return to Winterfell with their newborn daughter. Rhaenyra leaves for Dragonstone with her family following their leave.

3 year old Rickon Stark takes to his new sister with jubilance and adores her in the cradle. Winterfell has their own celebration of the birth of Lady Alysanne Stark, which is wilder than the royal stiffness of King’s Landing, much to Cregan’s comfort of the familiar chaos that comes with the Northmen.

In the third month, Viserys I Targaryen dies. Prince Aegon II usurps Princess Rhaenyra as the King of the 7 Kingdoms, and under the advisement of the Dowager Queen Alicent and the Hand Otto, he offers Rhaenyra the title of Queen of Dragonstone, and to legitimize her sons Lucerys and Joffrey so that they may hold the titles and inheritances of their claimed and birth fathers. Lucerys would be officially acknowledged as a Velaryon, and heir as Lord of the Tides to Driftmark. Joffrey would be named Lord Strong of Harrenhal upon his coming of age, as Prince Jacaerys Targaryen lives in Winterfell and has chosen to reside permanently by his mate’s side as the Lord Consort of Winterfell.

The war of ravens begins, and Cregan has received several letters from each side as his silence to both of them continues. Jacaerys remains conflicted in joining the war, as he is beloved by both the Greens and the Blacks now. Rhaenyra sends Lucerys to the North to personally speak with the non-responding Lords and Ladies of the great Northern houses, while Prince Joffrey is sent to Storm’s End.

Prince Aemond was sent by the Greens to the North nearly a week in advance, as the House Baratheon declared for the Greens after arranging a marriage between Prince Aemond and Lady Floris Baratheon by ravens. Aemond is treating at Winterfell when Lucerys arrives on Arrax. Cregan and Jacaerys are deeply troubled at having both of them in the North, in Winterfell, considering their troubled relationship.

Cregan and Jacaerys decide that the North and the ever-looming threat beyond is far too important than a war of succession, especially since Viserys assured them that their marriage assured the Song of Ice and Fire to be true. As such, they send Aemond and Lucerys back. Jacaerys begs both their forgiveness for not being able to choose between who he loves more, but ultimately his loyalty now lies in the North with his Lord husband.

“I will not fight you. I came here as an envoy, not a knight.”

“You came here as a craven and a traitor. I will have your eye or your life, Strong.”

As they leave, Aemond confronts Lucerys about his daring treason and chases him through Winterfell to their dragons. Jacaerys notices the sudden ill atmosphere and sees Arrax fleeing above Winterfell with Vhagar tailing him. Worried, he rushes to ride Vermax to ensure they don’t harm each other as they are both messengers.

Cregan has a group of men saddle up with him quickly to follow them, to provide ground support should it be necessary. Lucerys loses control of Arrax above Winter Town, and Arrax turns around to attack Vhagar when she comes too close to him. Both Aemond and Lucerys attempt to regain control of their dragons while Jacaerys tries to help by flying Vermax around Vhagar, reminiscent to their old days when they danced in the sky.

Cregan witnesses as Vhagar breaks through the clouds and lunges for Arrax. Before her jaws clench down on the white pearl dragon, Vermax bulldozes into his side, sending the frightened dragon with Lucerys crash-landing into the snow a couple kilometers away from the outskirts of Winter Town. Meanwhile, Vhagar bites into Vermax’s right wing, tearing it off while Cregan and Aemond watch in horror as the emerald dragon free falls to the ground, his scorching blood melting inches of snow below him, painting what’s left in dark red before he crashes.

Jacaerys, having neglected to tie himself down to Vermax’s saddle in his hurry to meet Vhagar and Arrax, is thrown a couple feet from his mount and rendered unconscious by the rough landing. Aemond desperately lands Vhagar to check on his friend, but by the time he reaches them, a distraught Cregan has Jacaerys cradled in his arms. He draws his great sword at the sight of Aemond, and Lucerys a few feet behind him, and demands for them to leave Winterfell at once and to never return, lest they wish to taste his steel.

Vermax is carefully guarded by trusted men and fed a decent amount of game as he heals. At night, fires are built around him to provide him more warmth until he can move himself to the hot spring pools. When he wakes, Jacaerys regularly checks on him. He falls victims to morning sickness and dizzy spells again a few weeks later, with his and Cregan’s second (third, counting Rickon) child, Sara Stark.

Neither the Greens nor the Blacks gain Lord Cregan Starks support, and a few other Northern houses stay neutral with the Warden of the North.

(Late 131-132 AC): News of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s death is announced, and Jacaerys travels South with Cregan to retain order of King’s Landing. Despite their lack of involvement in the war, they received information regarding the events transpired and the ever-rising death toll.

Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax were felled in the Battle of the Gullet.

Joffrey Velaryon dies attempting to ride Syrax away from the Dragonpit

Daemon and Aemond Targaryen die together in the God’s Eye, which is on the shores of Harrenhal.

Aegon II Targaryen is poisoned by his own council, and Helaena Targaryen commits suicide in her grief.

The remaining Blacks wish to crown Jacaerys as the King of the 7 Kingdoms and Cregan as his Prince Consort, however in his grief, he abdicates the throne to his young brother Aegon III. Cregan accepts the (temporary, in his intentions) role as the Hand of the King. Cregan puts traitors (regardless of alliance) to the sword (the Hour of the Wolf), while Jacaerys mourns his broken family with Alicent, Jaehaera, and Aegon III being the only survivors.

Lord Corlys is condemned by Cregan as a traitor, along with Larys Strong. The Blacks contest Corlys’ impending execution, as he played a role in ending the war however devious his route was. It is only after Alysanne Blackwood confers with Jacaerys, and the prince expresses his desire to end the killings and return to Winterfell, that he is convinced to spare the Lord of the Tides.

Prince Jacaerys Targaryen and his Lord husband return to Winterfell and greet their three children. The Winter Fever hits Westeros, taking Alysanne and Jacaerys’ unborn child when he falls ill. Jacaerys is lucky to survive, and it takes him nearly a year to recover fully from the sickness.

By his death in 158 AC, age 44, Jacaerys has given birth to 11 of Cregan’s children, at least two of them twins. The maesters report the cause of his death unknown, but he suffered from eclampsia (seizures and coma) and slept to his death. His daughters and sons spent their days watching him wilt away either weeping by his bedside or busying themselves in hunting and training as outlets for their anger towards the Stranger (born of their Omegan parent’s religion) for having them suffer so. Vermax bonds with Jacaerys’ gentlest daughter, however, he remains bound to the land having lost his right wing at the start of the Targaryen War of Succession.

Cregan Stark passes in 160 AC at the age of 52. It is said that he fell ill in mourning Prince Jacaerys’ passing and could no longer bear living without him.

Credits:

[thankskenpenders]

MORE behind the scenes Sonic info and other tidbits from the BumbleKast as I continue to get caught up. These range from September 2022 to early December. (This means there are spoilers for Frontiers in here.)

They're doing episodes even more often now, so I've got a lot to catch up on and I'm sure most of y'all do too!

1. The IDW comics are, in fact, canon to the games now. Ian was a little coy when first asked about it, saying he "would not argue against it" if people said the IDW comics were canon to the games now. "I have made it clear that the comics follow the lead of the games, so… as long as there's no contradictions anywhere, we're good." So, yeah, come on. The comics are canon.

2. Ian apparently pitched another idea for incorporating Sticks into the IDW series last year that was once again shot down, although he says this only makes him want to dig his heels in and try harder. (I'm assuming most of you are already aware of her shout out in Frontiers, confirming she's out there, somewhere...)

3. If Surge was a streamer, Ian thinks she would just grief people on Fortnite

4. On the October 7th, 2022 show, Ian says there is a behind-the-scenes answer for how the depiction of Silver's future in '06 can fit together with Rivals and Rush... but he can't talk about it right now.

It's hard to convey his tone through text, so just imagine he's saying all this with a big, defeated shrug:

"Here's the thing. Working on something else, I actually did get a straight answer, and it was... frustratingly simple. And, it's like, 'That works. [sigh] Okay!' No, I can't get into it - that's all private work stuff - but maybe it'll come to light eventually. But... there is an answer. And it works. And I kinda feel dumb for not thinking of it."

I honestly have no idea what this could be if it's something Ian hadn't considered, because he has talked about popular theories and readings before, such as the reading that Blaze was transported to the Sol Dimension at the end of '06. Maybe we'll hear about it in the comics, since Silver and Blaze are both back right now, or maybe they'll be the subject of a TailsTube episode.

5. Froggy is not sentient in any way he really is just a frog

6. Unrelated to Sonic, Ian was asked "who is best pony" and he said Fluttershy. My longest yeah boy ever dot jpeg

7. With Surge and Kit originally being pitched as purely synthetic beings before Sega suggested they be cyborgs instead, Ian says they would've struggled with whether or not they're even real, as opposed to the end product where they struggle with not knowing who they were before Starline modified them

8. When the female cast of Archie Sonic stopped getting drawn so busty all the time that was, in fact, a very specific editorial mandate from someone at Archie. Sega, on the other hand, has never cared.

9. Now that we're back to Classic and Modern being part of one nebulous timeline and the divide being more of a branding thing, Ian explicitly confirmed that the Classic-themed IDW Sonic comics are set in the past of the mainline IDW Sonic comics. They're set sometime after the events of Mania, and before all the Modern stuff. Just don't think too hard about it

But hey! If it's any consolation, this now means all the Classic characters like Mighty, Nack, and Honey are out there off-screen in the world of the regular comics, even if the casts are remaining separate for branding reasons for now. It also means Shadow is out there being held in a pod in a maximum security off-shore military prison during the events of all the lighthearted Classic comics lmao

10. Ian reiterates yet again that he's still pushing to try and get the Freedom Fighters back in some capacity where he can (as are others). He also says that he's pushing for them to return as a group rather than requesting individual members because he believes that's the best shot at getting any of them through Sega's approval process.

(I can't remember when the last time this came up was, but Ian has also implied that he thinks their best shot is to return as Classic characters since their one game appearance is Spinball.)

11. Ian outright confirms that the forward-looking character arcs in Frontiers are reflective of what he would like to see out of the main cast moving forward in the games. Not surprising since that's, like... the whole point of those arcs! But nice that he wants it to only be the beginning.

Ian does also say, however, that he's not guaranteed to return as the writer for future games since he's still a freelancer, but to editorialize here, I don't see why they wouldn't want him back for the next project.

12. On the subject of Amy's characterization in Frontiers, Ian personally pins her general seriousness mostly on the fact that she's the companion for the first island, where the mysterious and somber tone Sega wanted for the story is being established and Sonic is still trying to figure out what to do. He says that she'd probably have been more bubbly if she was interacting with Sonic on the second or third island, after he starts to get his bearings. I hoped this was the reason why she felt a little dry compared to Knuckles and Tails, so it's nice to hear this isn't the new direction for Amy or anything.

13. While "officially" Sage's name is just an anagram of Sega and a reference to her wisdom, Ian seems to be cheekily implying that it's also a nod to the annual Sonic Amateur Games Expo. Hell yeah.

14. When asked to clear up some Frontiers lore from the Egg Memos, Ian explicitly confirmed that some of the Ancients left the Starfall Islands and went on to devolve into the Chao as we know them today over the course of tens of thousands of years. He says, however, that this doesn't mean that Ancients and Chao are literally the same species, comparing it to the difference between humans and australopithecus. But yes, they're related.