#and it does lead her to think some very Unfair and Mean things about people she otherwise loves and cares for deeply

[calypsolemon]

deeewd the With Your Voice au is YUMMERS!!!! I live for the Jaya angst. I’d love to hear a little more about Kai in this au! :>

Sure! I believe I've mentioned already that Kai is going to a university on the mainland in this au. This is something he had planned for a long time, and was in fact part of Nya, Kai, and Jay's future plans after Jay and Nya got married. They would have moved out of Stiix together to a bigger city so they could all focus on education / better job prospects. Jay's death threw a wrench in things, and since they lost a significant source of income they could no longer follow through with those plans exactly, but the ball had already been set rolling and Kai ended up going alone, with Nya helping fund his tuition.

This is actually a source of discontent within Nya and Kai's relationship. They were both equally impacted by his death, but Kai (similarly as to his canon reaction to Nya's death post-seabound) decided that moving forwards with their plans was the best way to honor Jay. This isn't to say that any of this was easy or that he's coping that much better - he didn't really have much time to process or mourn before he was thrust into a college environment (otherwise their window of opportunity would have closed). It's also not like Nya's job covers living expenses for both of them, so he still has to work part-time AND go to school. Regardless, he clearly thrives better in a city environment than he ever did in Stiix. Nya knew this would be true - this is why she insisted he go even though he would have offered to be the one to stay behind. Still, she can't help but be bitter when he visits and tells her about all the things he's been up to, the friends he's made in school, the successes he's had in following a career path he's actually interested in, and she's........ well, you know how things are going with her.

[aftonfamilyvalues]

how women on here are reacting to the boxing situation is the final straw for me with radblr tbh.

like imagine this scenario for a second: people are making false claims about you that you not only can easily disprove with a simple, uninvasive test, but you've ALREADY DONE said test in the past so you'd just need to ask them to publish the results. you can debunk these claims with the same amount of effort required to push a button.

but you don't. you have Literally The Easiest Option In The World to prove you're right and you don't do it.

and yet because women have created their own OC for this guy in their heads who is a female with androgen issues they'd rather defend their self-made blorbo as a way to peacock about how "yes all women" and/or "not racist" they are than do 2 seconds of research and critical thinking to realize "hey maybe this situation that fits literally all the criteria for the dude being a male, including the fact that he's been previously disqualified from competing in the women's league TWICE yet shows up for the Female Olympics anyway, means he's actually just a liar and cheater"

i'm open to having some sympathy for him if his parents (tried to*) raise him as a girl but like. he's a fucking adult. he took a sex test. he knows who he is now. he's making his own decisions. one of these decisions is choosing to hide who he is.

*idc how misogynistic his parents are in believing "no vagina??? but no penis. no penis = female. because female = non-male.", if they knew he had a male-specific dsd that coloured how they raised and treated him, even if they tried to hide it. the act itself of hiding it from him and trying not to raise him that way makes their treatment of him already inherently different from how they'd raise him if he were actually female.

link here

im going to try to go about this in the most respectful way possible.

i cant say i agree with everything youre saying here. theres still a lot of misinformation about this and i cant say a slatz tweet is very satisfying for me given the racist and homophobic things ive seen from her. but, if what you say is true, that this boxer is an intersex male who was assigned female at birth, i think its completely unfair to treat her entirely as a man. the community tends to regard itself as a place for intersex women too, those with this particular dsd were not spared misogyny just because they unknowingly had xy chromosomes. learning they are biologically male with a dsd doesnt mean they have a desire to completely restructure their lives and identity around being men, i think thats kind of insane to expect.

that being said, i think there needs to be a reevaluation of fairness in sports and how intersex people fall into it. what advantages or disadvantages do intersex women carrying a y chromosome have over those that dont? what male charactistics (bone density, for example) still exist in these women? do they pose a danger to other women in their sport? what about other intersex conditions? at what point does it become unfair? unfortunately it could lead to their exclusion, and if that happens will there be another place for them? theres a lot to consider and things will have to change as we learn more. its not really a black and white situation in my opinion.

[myfairstarlight]

Good day friend! I've been really enjoying your takes for bridgerton this season :D Would love to hear your thoughts about part 2, particularly Colin's character portrayal if you're at all inclined!

Well hello there dear, thank you!

And what a coincidence, because Colin's portrayal, always the polarising topic in this fandom it seems, has been on my mind ever since I finished watching part 2... I shall ramble here then! I hope you do not mind a long answer, dear reader, for my last analysis post was not a quick read indeed. And I will now also stop trying to sound like Whistledown.

So, overall thoughts? I think he was handled mostly brilliantly, actually. And thus still despite the pacing issues (but that's an overall issue I have with the show, not specific to this season). Controversial take, already, so let's break it down a bit.

I will try to organise my rambling, but this is pretty much my immediate thoughts after watching the season. Perhaps I'll make a more organised and proper post later, adding Penelope's side, like my friends to lovers love letter, but we'll see! So:

Colin's journey to self-love

Because just like Penelope, though we arguably see it less, Colin has his own journey to loving himself because the thing with Colin is that he's still so insecure. Yes, he's more himself in part 2 now that he realised he's in love, he no longer tries to pretend to be someone he's not, but he still struggles to prove himself, and we see it in those last two episodes, when the truth is truly out. People are harsh on him for being so caught up in what Whistledown wrote and constantly celebrating the idea that LW might meet her demise, almost like a child who just got some sweets, but as we've seen in his discussion with Eloise after the reveal, it's because Whistledown calling him out at the beginning of the season for his new persona poked at his biggest insecurity, and he's still stuck on that, even more so now that he learns Penelope was behind the words, the one person who always made him feel seen and in this case, made him feel too seen. To me, him bringing up Marina so insistently was him grasping at straws, clinging to the one thing he knows for sure was unfair so he does not have to face the fact that what Penelope wrote was the truth (sidenote, was a little disappointed they did not have Penelope say she did try to talk to him about Marina but he literally did not listen and did not care that Marina loved another). He is still trying to find who he is and for a moment, he thought he had it, thanks to the very person now making him question everything all over again.

And oh boy does he not cope well.

Hero complex and what it means to be the man of the house

Colin has a hero complex. That's news to absolutely no one, unless you have not paid attention, so I won't make a list of the instances in previous seasons again. But we see it right away in e5 as he stands up for Penelope in front of Portia, then constantly shielding Penelope as soon as Cressida is involved. Penelope even thanks him for it, telling her no one has ever stood up for her of the sort, which fuels his hero complex. In fact, it is Colin's protectiveness that leads him to learn Penelope is Whistledown since he followed her out of worry, and that leads him to the realisation that she may not need him as much as he thought she did (and in his mind, perhaps she even just pretended to need him, to love him). And that, along with discovering that secret, shatters him. His whole sense of purpose, the one thing he thought he could for sure provide? Gone, just like that.

Even more so later when he learns she may be richer than him lol

So he overcompensates. When Cressida's blackmail is revealed, he does not listen, he jumps on the opportunity to prove himself, to protect his wife even if he's still mad at her, no one can disrespect her and his family so blatantly. As the man of the house, he needs to do what he must. And then he fucking fails and makes things far worse. And you know what? How satisfying it was that for once he failed, arguably when it was the most important for him, to remind him that hey, don't get on your high horse, listen to your wife and your family, don't try to handle everything on your own! (A lesson that Penelope also has to learn at the same time! That's marriage baby!) I like that he gets humbled twice, by Penelope and Cressida, the person he loves most and the one he despises so, yet they both throw the truth at him - he's privileged, as a man, and as a Bridgerton. He gets to question himself, travel to his whim, be even reckless like he just was because he will always have unconditional love from his family, but Penelope had to hide a part of herself to be able to do something she likes, meanwhile Cressida has to resort to questionable means to avoid getting married off to an old man. They do not have the luxury that Colin has to just do things. And it pains him to face that.

I've seen the sentiment that part 2 has Penelope be more assertive than Colin, with the dynamic shifting again when it should not, and while it is true she is the one who seeks him out more, it makes sense, she is seeking his forgiveness all throughout the last two episodes. I love her, but you cannot argue she is not at fault here and Colin deserves to be upset and a bit withdrawn as he deals with the conflicting feelings suddenly assaulting him. Yes the entrapment accusation hurt especially since he was the one who couldn't keep his hands to himself, but with his history after Marina, it makes sense that's what his hurt mind decides to focus on that, to justify the fact he's still so upset (It does bother me he never apologises for that comment though, at the same time Penelope doesn't hold it against him. They, or the writers, probably forgot about it.) But I would also argue that him being so troubled, is a proof of love, he even says so to Eloise "you are lucky you've never been in love" because if he wasn't, this would be much easier to deal with. Despite it all, he loves her, he chooses her, he will protect her, he must. He decides to sleep on the sofa to still stay close to Penelope despite the fact he could just sleep in one of the empty bedrooms. He still reassures her during their wedding, with one look encouraging her to walk more confidently down the aisle, and he holds her oh so tenderly when they dance at the wedding breakfast. He's so upset, but he's still so much in love. Of course, unlike part 1, there's no urgency or desperation on his part, there's no Debling threatening to take Penelope away, or him trying to earn back her favours so of course suddenly his displays of love feel less outward. But again, they're arguing, no he will not forgive her so easily, and that's a good thing, yet he's still here to support and protect her, and that says so much because again, he could just leave, that would have no consequence to him as a man. And in kind, Penelope makes an effort to do better as well, no longer witholding any secret from him, and he sees that.

And deep down, he understands Penelope, we see it when he confronts Cressida and perfectly described why Penelope became LW without her telling him in such words beforehand, because he's had similar struggles, he just needs to admit it, and be okay to show this vulnerability with her.

Colin's writer struggles and jealousy.

Now, I must admit, this was the weakest and a bit disappointing part of his arc to me, which is why I'm writing it last. I wish we could have had more time exploring that, and not just being told so (hopefully in s4? Assuming the writers won't pull a Kate and Anthony and constantly have them leave for no reason). This, however, adds to the previous part and Colin's struggle to provide, be the man of the house.

Here his wife is, an accomplished writer, even if under a pen name, who may be richer than he, oh how it must have deepened his insecurity. After all, if he cannot provide protection, or financial stability, then what good is he to her? What good are his silly journals when compared to that damn column that has all of Mayfair on a chokehold?

And yet.

Is it not telling and precious that he kept all of Penelope's letters? And that they're the catalyst of reminding him why he loves her so much, and how her love for writing and her cleverness shine through and that it is unfair of him to expect her to give it up when he himself aspires to be a writer? Writing is what brings them together truly, the same way writing letters to each other was the precursor for him realising his feelings as well. He is at peace then, Penelope is Whistledown, and she shines with her pen, and Colin fell in love with her quill, long ago, he was just overcome with grief to realise Whistledown held the same brilliance.

And sure, Penelope does not need him to provide, but she loves writing so much, and it inspires Colin in his own writing as well. And I also think it's super cute that he was going through a writer's block until Penelope told him she's loved him for years and suddenly the gates were opened (granted, this was before the reveal but now imagine post-reveal, as he struggles to edit and write, Penelope comes up beside him telling him he's doing well and boom, he's determined to write again).

But, back to the topic at hand, most importantly... he offers her love and support, even through all this battle, he unconsciously kept caring for her, and that's what Penelope craves, just someone there for her.

And that? That Colin can absolutely be, and he will proudly take on the role of her husband rather than "the man".

So I think this about wraps it up! Colin is the definition of a sensitive man trying his best to tough it up, a third son who struggles to find a place in this world. But he found a woman who does not need him to be what he is not, the one woman who will love him not for what he can provide, but for who he truly is, kind and incredibly empathetic. The one woman who fell in love with him because she made him fall off a horse and instead of yelling because of a bruised ego, he laughed at his own expense.

And I just think Colin Bridgerton is neat.

Also as I hit post it's 2AM for me so if some of this doesn't make sense, that's why, don't hold it against me, thank you dear one <3

[supernovasilence]

Narnia headcanons: characters + how they take being sick

Peter: baby. Absolute needy baby. He's sick and he's miserable and everyone needs to feel sorry for him and take care of him. Will put on a good face in public because he knows the High King has to project strength and security but with family and friends he's just absolutely Suffering. The only time he's stoic is when he's seriously injured and doesn't want to scare his siblings (but then they're scared anyway because they can tell it's serious). Also so bad at not scratching scabs, bug bites, etc. All his siblings learn how to automatically say "Peter, don't scratch" whenever he has something they know he's going to pick at.

Peter: *absently starts picking at a scab*

Edmund, chucking a pillow at him from across the room without looking up from his book: peterdon'tscratch

Peter, indignantly: I wasn't!

Susan: the only one of the lot who acts halfway sensibly when sick. As long as she has a good supply of books and tea she will settle down and rest, though she does have a tendency of ignoring when she's starting to get sick. Running Narnia is a full time job; she can't afford to rest today, but tomorrow, or the day after, things will be quieter, and then ofc they never are. The others learn to watch when she starts getting extra snappy, because it means she's feeling bad and muscling through it, and they need to take some of her work off her hands so she can be convinced to go rest

Edmund: Thinks he'll enjoy the chance to lie around doing nothing but gets restless within a day, and then is grumpy and sulky. Like Susan, has a tendency to push himself when he starts getting sick, making it worse in the long run, except he's better at hiding it

Lucy: goes back to running around doing stuff the instant she starts feeling better, and then is worse again the next day. This happens every time and she never learns. Her friends/family make sure at least one of them sits with her when she's sick so they can make sure she stays in bed (imagine Mr. Tumnus playing her lullabies and telling her about all the magical sights and scenes they'll go see once she's better but that means resting first or the Beavers chattering away to her or Susan reading to her or Edmund telling her increasingly wild tales about what's supposedly going on in Narnia without her and occasionally physically sitting on her out of purest duty as an older sibling (Lucy: I can murder you without leaving this bed!) or Peter insisting he has to leave the busy everything that wants the High King's attention right this moment because he has an important matter to attend to and the important matter is cuddling his little sister and promising she can get out of bed soon or poor confused Caspian distracting Lucy by letting her teach him the rules of those hand-clapping games (a 30-second wikipedia dive also leads me to believe rock-paper-scissors would have made it to Britain by the 1940s))

Caspian: probably that one person who never gets sick. Even when a bug's going around and everyone else is hacking and snotty and miserable, he's fine and everyone hates him. The few times he does get sick, it's randomly in the middle of summer when no one else is sick and he hasn't gone out in the rain or done anything differently than usual and no one gets how he's sick now. Caspian is quietly melodramatic and just. resigns himself to death. Guilt trips people into taking care of him almost as much as Peter, except that he's not actually trying. Peter finds it very unfair people are sympathetic to Caspian and not to him

Eustace: whiny whiny baby and hypochondriac that convinces himself he's dying. Is lucky the internet has not been invented yet because he would end up on webMD, certain he has everything

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

The whole discourse about the privacy/secrecy/support thing has been sitting with me for a few days (I mean other than it always does to a certain degree) thanks to all the excellent discussion happening and I know I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said a million times before, but I think what we're seeing and what we're going to learn (e.g. from TTPD) is that it wasn't just the support issue, but how it was shown/handled.

We've all gone out of our way to show that introversion =/= lack of support. Someone can be shy, reserved, etc. and still show up for their partner, whether in public or at home. To chalk any of the differences up to the clash between introversion and extroversion is unfair to folks who count themselves among either tbh.

@thisisctrying said something the other day that hit the nail on the head about how if that support had been offered in private, there very well may not have been a Joever to begin with, or at least not at this point in time. (Sorry for loosely paraphrasing, and for namedropping you! Long time listener, first time poster.)

If this were a case where the "shy" partner said, "I am really uncomfortable with the spotlight personally and do not want to court it, but I will support you in your ambitions and offer you whatever you need to make them happen and make the glare bearable," I suspect that would have gone a long way to making Taylor feel seen and comfortable in pursuing her goals in the way that she now has. Again, that might have been more akin to the balance that seemed to have been struck around 2019 from what we can see, but even speaking in a general sense, there are lots of couples out there, celebrity or not, that have similar approaches where there are highly driven people and busy careers involved.

(A famous example being Dolly Parton's marriage. Tbh I know next to nothing about her and Carl, but she's always heralded as an example in this regard, because her husband is famously uncomfortable with the spotlight and hasn't accompanied her to public events in decades, but she's said that she never minded that because that was always work to her, and what was important was that he supported her in pursuing all her career goals and basically ensured she had a place to call home to return to at the end of the day.)

We're kind of in a brave new world with her current relationship because it felt like, at least at the start, we were maybe watching her figure out her boundaries in real time as to what she was comfortable with or not and adjust accordingly. Like so many have said, I fully believe the extreme privacy thing was initially driven by herself and her experiences in 2016, and she needed that quiet time to recover from all of the things and figure out how to exist in the world again.

Stating the obvious, it seemed like eventually privacy was equated with secrecy, turning the relationship and the celebrity into the elephant in the room and something to never be spoken of to the outside world. People are free to choose whatever works best for themselves and their relationships, and for some the separate public lives might work, but the “kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath” theme is all over her work and it’s clear that it’s a sore spot for her, because she’s been made to feel shame just for the life she leads so many times in the past.

What I’m trying to say is that it’s pretty obvious something Not Great was happening behind the scenes, which didn’t just amount to “she wanted to be a public celebrity and he wanted to be a private hermit.” (Also, in case anyone forgot, this is a person who also chose a public-facing career who also has to engage in press for it, but I digress.) As her career reached new heights post-folklore, if she had the support at home to do all the things without judgment and with encouragement, and in turn offer the same support to her partner, she may have very well lived just fine with that, not unlike Dolly Parton’s case.

By reading between the lines in all the press since, as well as comments on tour and general ~vibes~ with TTPD teasers, it seems like one of the issues was that that was likely not the case. There was all the stuff that we saw — the reticence to acknowledge each other in the media (particularly on one side), the lack of public support even at events at which they were both in attendance for their respective jobs, the great lengths they went to not to be photographed together at events they attended yet no problem taking pictures with other friends and coworkers, the jobs that separated them, the withdrawing from the public even for work accomplishments, etc. Which could all be manageable if a couple chooses to do so together and are not inherently a sign of trouble in themselves.

But what we’re seeing now I think is a reflection of the things we weren’t seeing then, and it seems to indicate some very deep hurt. (I know, call me Captain Obvious.) And like so many have been saying, it feels likely that that part of that hurt is rooted in that very lack of private support where a person would expect it from their partner. Obviously as a Taylor fan blog I’m going to be more inclined to understand her side of a story, but tbh, it’s also because… this is sooooooo common, and something I’ve experienced in my friend group. (@taylortruther is right when she says most breakups are the same one way or another lol.)

One partner is resentful of the other’s success, or resentful that the other’s priorities begin to evolve as new experiences unlock new goals, or feels the other’s ambitions are not worthy of pursuit, and coupled with perhaps their own struggles in the same domain, it’s easy to see where that can chip away at the other partner’s morale and faith in the relationship. I know I’m just speculating here, but I also don’t think it’s totally unfounded. (Again, because a) I’m picking up what she’s putting down and b) it happens to sooooooo many women even among us dull normals.)

With all the pointed mentions about how much Taylor feels supported in her current relationship and how she in turn loves to offer the same show of support to not only her partner but other loved ones, how she’s stepped out more in the last year to a whole host of events, how she’s mentioned feeling like she locked herself away for years and she’s just proud of her partner and happy she can show up for him even if the chaos around it is unsettling, it paints a picture of what perhaps was happening before last year.

To feel like you’re all alone in carrying the weight of the relationship (or burden of it), of twisting yourself into knots to accommodate the other person’s boundaries (or insecurities) but not feeling reciprocity for your own has to be so painful. (The idea that it may have been even darker and to have a partner not only be unreceptive to your own needs but even perhaps resentful/dismissive/belittling of them is even more painful to think of. I guess we’ll find out when TTPD comes out if that was the case, too.)

At a certain point, that lack of acknowledgement will force your hand to be able to reclaim yourself. And it feels like the further removed Taylor in particular is from it, the more she moves from being sad about the life she felt she gave up by leaving, to angry at the life she felt she was giving up by staying. Especially being in a relationship now where it seems like everything comes much easier, where she can be open about the person she’s with and show up for them, all the stuff that seemed as challenging as climbing Mount Everest in her past is nothing more than a molehill at best in her current life.

TL;DR: I don’t think it’s privacy that inherently spells doom for a celebrity relationship like this; it’s the mutual support and respect that does. If Taylor had felt that in the later years of her previous relationship, I think we could be seeing a different, though not necessarily unfulfilled, person right now in 2024, who’d be happy on tour but whose personal life would look a little different. But it seems like by losing that support she lost parts of herself, and we’ve seen her reclaim that in spades in the last year, and perhaps to degrees she didn’t even realize she could from before all the Bad Stuff started happening in her young adulthood.

I know this was extremely long-winded and unnecessary, especially about total strangers we only know through scraps fed through the media, but I just always bristle at this idea that issues like these boil down to “personality differences,” as though one person wants to live in a city and the other on a remote island, or some shit like that. The whole support (and gender tbh) issue is one that’s just very close to my heart because again, I have seen it play out with so many of my friends in long term relationships and marriages and I just think people in relationships (and women in particular in some circles) deserve better than to feel like they’re being, well, tolerated.

[fungalittleweirdo]

ROTTMNT 60s AU !!!

UHHHH JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE WHILE I'M STUCK IN DENIAL ABOUT MY WRITER'S BLOCK

raph

please this man has SOUL

he sings in clubs in new york, he has a record coming out in '67 with his band Raphael and The Digg

his brothers didn't feel like joining the band, so it's up to some talented musician girls he met without a trained main vocalist (digg, with prairie dog, honey badger, and groundhog)

they're super popular in harlem and they make it to charts

raph meets other motown records signees and they always find he's the gentlest of giants

he and his band DESERVES a grammy

leo

he's a surfer !!!

he loves competing in surfing tournaments in long island

the boy's a legend, other surfers think he's a fish at first

if he didn't have separation anxiety for his brothers (a post-kraang headcanon) he would have gone to the west coast where the real competitions are (they never feel like leaving new york for very long)

for now he's happy surfing the coast of long island

he loves when todd surfs with him, his favourite part is the lemonade he gets afterwards

donnie

donatello is OBSESSED with the space race

he managed to hack nasa for rocket blueprints

he got caught and they asked him if he was a communist but there was no found evidence that proved he was so he was let go and his name was cleared

he managed to improve the blueprints he got his hands on and built more efficient rockets, then he used computing tech to make his very own battleshell

he has a super-powered telescope he nicknamed shelldon

donnie predicted the states would win the space race in 1965 because it had something to do with the war, i myself don't know how he used that data point to draw a conclusion

mikey

mikey is such a hippie he has mugshots of his charming smiling face framed to prove it

very anti-war, very pro-civil rights movement, pro-dope and lowkey anti-united states government

he was at the stonewall riots !!!!!

he not only fought for human civil rights, but for mutants too, so that he and his brothers could be acknowledged as citizens

humans turned into mutants are already citizens, but the mistreatment they get is unfair and mikey chose to be a leading pioneer for mutant rights

leo (hesitantly) opened portals for mikey in the south so that he could stand with people of colour in their trying times

misc notes !!

lou jitsu was popular in golden age hollywood, he won many accolades for his films until big mama made it look like he was signed to stay in the battle nexus

jupiter jim films are actually westerns, his name is junebug jim instead

big mama is a big mafia boss woman regardless of the era she's in, though her battle nexus is televised for all ages

instead of becoming criminals, mutants follow mikey's lead protesting for mutant/yokai rights and new york is the first city to acknowledge it

the turtles' beach parties are insane, there's always some people other than the siblings lingering around at midnight

april is the best reporter out there, she reports on the turtles' exploits all the time and she makes mad BANK over it (successful 60s black woman slay)

the foot clan is a cult a lot like the manson family, the turtles hate their guts

baron draxum does the same thing he always did, brood in his lab trying to destroy the humans (that is until mikey gets through to him)

sr. hueso's run of the mill pizza is still the turtles' favourite pizza spot, though the establishment is beachside because he's on good terms with his brother, who mainly does imports

casey jr. is a star hockey player, he also avoids the draft because he's from the future, so the government doesn't have his records

but cass protests against the war with mikey whenever she can, she's also anti-war

donnie also managed to be the first mutant on the moon by his own means, it's been a childhood dream since he saw laika's launch in sputnik 2

aight that's all i have for now, i hope you enjoyed !!

[princelylove]

My Prince,

If it would be to your liking, would you share your personal intelligence rankings, which you spoke of in the tags of a previous request, to the court?

Thank you, Your Highness.

Intelligence is classified by your ability to apply things you already know and the skills you already have. You can be bright but slow, or a quick thinker but lack experience. There's many things to take into account when talking about intelligence. This may not make sense, as I am a bit loopy from switching meds recently.

Loosely:

Giorno is obviously at the top. I think it's criminal that his intelligence is listed as a B on his stats. Giorno doesn't slack in any of the things I understand intelligence to be, he applies absolutely everything he has and somehow never misses. Giorno spent his entire childhood figuring social etiquette out the hard way, he's hard wired to figure out what to do and not to do as quickly as possible. To Giorno, survival means being the best of the best. Has he always been absolutely perfect? No. Has he always bounced back? Yes.

Trish is fairly young, it's a bit unfair to put her up against grown men. She takes after her father in many ways- one being how clever she is. She may not understand stands yet, or why she couldn't just stay home and never go out again, but she's very quick to adapt. Trish did well in high school, she had a high gpa and did lots of extracurricular activities, which just means that she's a hard worker. Her ability to adapt and her natural curiosity is what leads me to believe that she's on the higher end, it's just that she lacks experience pre canon. Post canon, she's a force to be reckoned with. A Trish that understands how to fully use her stand, how to do what her father did and make someone disappear entirely, and how to manipulate the public so they think her kidnapping victim lovely darling is on tour with her is a very dangerous Trish indeed. If this is strictly pre-canon, bump her down to the middle-lower end.

Some people may not like Guido being in the top three, but I'm fairly firm on it. Guido's a quick thinker and has managed to stay alive for this long. Does he understand things like infections and germs? Not really. Could he, if you explained it to him? Sure. Guido's street smart- he never went to college, but he reads a lot. He's a curious guy! If something interests him, he'll look into it. He's got great instincts and a ridiculous amount of luck, which isn't intelligence, but often will help him figure out what's going on. He checks for Sale's shadow under a truck, he yells at Narancia for not telling him the stove was on and it wasn't safe to fire his revolver. He knows what he's doing, even if it seems like he's just fucking around until something clicks. That's kinda scientific theory, isn't it? Fuck around and find out? Yeah, he gets it.

Pannacotta... the author Her Highness does not believe in IQ tests, as most people who claim to have a high IQ got it off of some online test made to stroke the quiz taker, but I believe Pannacotta is very intelligent. He's just not socially intelligent, which bumps Trish and Guido above him. He left behind his prissy, rich lifestyle in favor of being homeless for a little while before Bruno found him- he's left behind most manners and forgotten most unspoken rules. In this case, Trish and Guido outdo him. What worth does purely academic intelligence have if you cannot apply it, and it has nothing to do with the situation? Pannacotta is intelligent, but he isn't creative enough to apply what he has. Who makes a vaccine on the spot like that?????? If he wasn't so in his head all the time, he'd probably be a lot scarier. I mean, who thinks to put capsules in things you're not supposed to be touching anyway?

I think it's a bit silly to put Bruno so low when he is, in fact, an adult with a fully developed prefrontal cortex. I don't think Bruno is unintelligent at all, he's a man of average intelligence for his age. He's only so low because everyone above him is not average, even if they pretend to be. An older, more mature Pannacotta would have him in too many categories for comfort. Guido has him in reaction time and blind instinct, and while some may argue that isn't intelligence, it's applying what you've got. Bruno can be a little slow at times mentally, but never in combat. He pauses to make decisions that would take Giorno a split second. He makes mistakes that, although he makes up for later on, he still makes in the first place. He's formidable- he has experience and knows how to use it, but he's not very creative.

Narancia's not all there all of the time. It's not fair to say Narancia's stupid because he isn't good at math or academics in general, you can be smart and have weaknesses. But not Narancia. He's a little lacking. He doesn't try to make up for it at all, but he's figured some things out that he definitely shouldn't have before, saving him from dead last. Narancia has some crazy instincts, but he doesn't really know what to do with them. Instincts don't equal intelligence, but it helps. He'll take credit for anything you're willing to blame on him- FUCK yeah he figured out you're trying to escape 'cause you left some shit on the table. (He felt it in his tummy and got anxious that you're leaving him.)

Leone went through some schooling, but he barely passed. You could always argue that he was too depressed to do his work, but I personally don't believe so. Leone's slow and prone to picking the hard way- not because he's a masochist, but because he's been living off of going "Well, one of these is right." for the past three years. He's just happy he finally got a stable job. His instincts are terrible, his reaction time is shit, he has very slow realization in general- the list goes on. Does that mean you're getting off easy? Nope. He's still taller, and stronger. Doesn't take a lot of brains to pin someone, especially when it's muscle memory. Leone can bump himself up over Narancia eventually, but only because Narancia is emotionally stunted. You have him in the emotional maturity (aha. Leone and emotional maturity?) category, and what else? Get a grip. Leone knows how to do more- makeup and cosmetics is a skill, so is media literacy- but Nara's got him in reaction time, realizing that dots do in fact connect, and learning how to put you in your place at a faster rate.

[evewasheretoday]

More Heathers (Movie) Hadcanons!

Heather Chandler:

Chandler doesn't really know how to feel about Veronica. The brunette IS smart but is it worth having her around with them when she keeps dragging their name through the mud?

She hates her at times and loves her another.

Chandler may or may not say it out loud but she has a grudging respect for Veronica. The brunette doesn't hesitate very much to grab any opportunity being served to her. She knows what she wants and she knows how she can get it.

If Heather couldn't come to school for some reason then she'll have someone else ruling Westerberg high for a bit in her place. Out of all the other Heathers, Veronica would be the one she picks.

Now don't get her wrong, Mac and Duke are wonderful but neither of them could really lead people. Mac doesn't lead, she follows people. Duke can lose track of herself when she's given all of that power. But Veronica? She wouldn't be like those two. She trusts her more with ruling in her place than the other Heathers even if she can be misled by the wrong people at times.

In some way or another, Heather can see a little bit of herself in Veronica. They share some things in common whether they like it or not.

Heather Duke:

It's not a secret that Duke envies Chandler but she isn't the only one.

Duke envies Veronica too. She envies her for a lot of things. I mean, imagine working your way up for most of your life to be at the top while someone other than you doesn't even have to try just to get there? She had to go through many things for Chandler to accept her as an equal (not really) and Veronica just gets an instant pass? It's unfair and completely stupid to her.

While Duke does envy Veronica, she admires her too. It's the same with Chandler. She admires how the brunette can be completely independent with the group or not. She admires how Veronica can have the balls to go against anything Heather wanted.

There are times where she's jealous of Veronica and the only way she can get rid of that jealousy is to remind herself that Heather needs them both for different reasons.

Just like the mythic bitch, she doesn't know how to feel about Veronica either.

She can see them being friends one moment and the next it's as if they're just coworkers working for a big evil corporate.

Veronica would probably throw her out a window if the opportunity was ever given to her, right..? Mac and her would definitely do that if it meant saving their own skin from Heather's wrath.

When you're friends with Chandler, nothing really needs a label unless it's something important.

There's a lot of time she ends up ranting to Veronica and usually it's about Heather but sometimes it's about other things too.

She doesn't mean for it to happen but sometimes she ends up venting to the brunette. She tries a lot of times to stop it but it happens anyway. Veronica is the only one who would actually listen to what she has to say, Chandler would just make fun of her and brush it off while Mac would probably just offer her stupid words. Veronica wouldn't give her any false reassurance about anything and maybe that's a good thing. She's done her fair share of keeping her hopes high for anyone.

Heather McNamara:

Mac thinks her and Duke are friends. They are but it just doesn't really feel like that. It's more like they're two completely different people working for the same boss. Coworkers or business partners.

She's tried to be closer with Duke before but the girl always closes herself off and shuts down any attempt she does.

She really wants her and Duke to be genuine friends even outside of their clique and Heather but it seems impossible.

When Veronica joined them, she wanted to be close with her too and have something outside of what they had but the brunette was different. She wasn't closed off like Duke but every time she got to know her more and felt like she knew her better, Veronica would do something unexpected and it would throw her off. Make her question if she ever really knew her that well. One second the bluebird is empathetic and the next she's completely disconnected with people.

With Veronica, she doesn't hesitate to call her friend but can you guys really be friends if only one of you knows the other?

She vents to Veronica a lot of times, that shouldn't be a surprise. Veronica doesn't really judge (she does but she just keeps it to herself). She's like a small safe space for her. She can talk about things she wouldn't talk about with Duke or Chandler. Things they might find stupid or silly to even talk about.

Heather doesn't know about it and she doesn't have to but Veronica and her hang out at times without her or Duke. Just the two of them.

Veronica Sawyer:

She writes a lot in her diary, that's not something the Heathers don't know about but she writes other things too. She writes poetry. She's not exactly good or bad at it, it's just something she does at times when she feels tired of putting every word from her head into her diary. Oh and because it would hide what she actually meant. Poetry is art, it's free for interpretation after all.

She might not admit it or accept it but she has a talent for manipulating people. Chandler sees it. There's no doubt the other Heathers see it too.

She's conflicted with how she should feel with the Heathers. Look, she wants to believe that they're just misunderstood teenage girls but they're not. They're exactly who they think and say they are. There's nothing deeper going on the surface.

With Heather, her relationship is like a light switch. Believe her, she really hopes she's just delusional but the mythic bitch actually isn't fully made of teflon. She's not just some sort of demon disguising herself as human. She's actually human herself. Heather could deny it all she wants but sometimes she's good and Veronica can't decide if that's something she should be celebrating or panicking about. Every time Veronica thought she was good, Heather would say she's doing it for her own benefit and their own image or she would do something completely opposed to that the next day.

At least with Heather, things seem more fine. The girl doesn't make her think she's made out of complete teflon like Heather does but that doesn't mean things are any better with her. She confuses her just like Heather but in a different way. One moment she sees her as this vulnerable teen girl who might be misunderstood and the next she's just this power hungry ruthless girl who knows what she wants but not how to get it. She's human for one minute and the next she's like a complete robot made to be served or disconnected from everything.

Things are a bit more clear with Heather but they're not any better than her relationship with the other two Heathers. She's just like Heather and Heather, she confuses her too. She CAN be good but she chooses not to. She wants to speak up for herself with the other two Heathers but it's all the same, she chooses not to. Veronica wants to say she's more human than the other two Heathers but she's not. She can be just as cruel as the other two can be.

Overall, her relationship with all of the Heathers is complicated.

She can't decide if she wants to be with them or without them.

With Heather, she can't decide if she wants to kill her or herself but it's probably more of the latter.

[adarkrainbow]

Do you think the way people talk and discuss Walt's "Classic Three" (Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora) is accurate or close to what happens in the movies? I mean, they are always referred as excessively passive, weak, only interested on their looks (vain? superficial?), useless, beauty being their only good quality... And I ask myself, when was the last time these people watched the movies? Snow White negotiated her stay in the house, Cinderella survived a life of pure abuse & orchestrated her own escape from the tower, and, while not very much is shown about Aurora, she was about to sacrifice her personal happiness for the kingdom's sake (something Philip didn't have in mind)that takes courage! They don't wield swords but they are much stronger that they appear, and while I get some of the critique, I hate the "strong only means kicking butt" idea, like, it's incomplete, and superficial, and it can be reductive & dangerous (for the girls, and for the boys too!)

I have talked about this before in many posts, and others have talked about this way better than me, so I'll try to break down my opinion in a quite short and concise way. And as usual, you probably won't be surprised to find me again, neutral on those topic.

On one side: people are unfairly criticizing and judging too harshly the "original trio" of Disney movies. This has been explained by many people on this website, so I won't expand on this too much, but indeed, there is a mixture of superficial viewing of these movies, of not-contextualizing them, of projecting modern-day values and expectations over nearly century old pieces, and of a general need to criticize and rant about everything (especially big corporations and the "classics" of culture - whenever something becomes a classic, a backlash awaits). Cinderella is a much more surprising and strong character than you'd expect. These movies do teach the idea that being strong doesn't mean simply kicking everybody and proving yourself to be a lone wolf (especially since there's a strong focus on friendship in those stories). The whole "the prince kissing Sleeping Beauty in her sleep is rape culture" is ridiculous ; especially since in the Disney version it was made to be a true love kiss, between people who were in love, and the whole context was the breaking of a curse ; AND the actual rapist-origins of the story are from a 16th century Italian fairytale nobody knew about until the Internet dug it up in the 2010s. Even today many people who invoke the rapist-story are unable to tell you who wrote it or where it comes from, because they just latch onto the idea "Oh yes there's a rape story." and that's it, no more research for them.

Heck, Sleeping Beauty is even surprising for its time AND for the Disney criteria by having elderly, non-attractive female leads who do more than the actual male hero and ultimately are the true focus of the tale - the fairy godmothers. Same things with Snow-White - to make the dwarfs the equal of the titular Snow-White, even more to focus more character development and screen time on them rather than the princess, and to give them unique characterisation and treat them as people rather than plot-props... This was BIG, this was not something usual, and this was a game-changer. Overall - I say the same thing for fantasy literature - a lot of the "new" or "modern" twists people expect from today's fictions are awaiting you in the past. Everybody complains about traditional fantasy not having POC main characters or not having strong female lead that is not sexualized - Earthsea had all those by the 60s and 70s, and it was just as influential on fantasy as Lord of the Rings or Elric.

However... Recognizing that a lot of the criticism is unfair and overblown, and that the backlash is ignorant and caricatural does NOT mean we should just blindly worship and naively accept those movies as untouchable, sacred relics that cannot be criticize. If there is a backlash, it means there is a reason for such criticism to arise in the first place, and we must identify why - to give back the problem in its proper proportions, and not in the exaggerated state we are offered today.

So... The other side - why is this Disney trio not fitting our modern world?

And the answer is very simple. They are heroines of 17th and 19th centuries tales, that were adapted for an early 20th century American mindset. They are bound to age or be unfit for the 21st century. Placing them back into context allows us to understand how great, good or groundbreaking they were in their time - but it does not mean they hold up to modern-day characters. Some elements of the Disney movies aged better than ever, some are still resonating today, and this is what gives them an "out-of-time" feeling. Yet... yet there is a reason why the "Disney princess" had to evolve and had to change herself to fit a new audience. Why did the characters of Rapunzel and Elsa of Disney had such huge success and were beloved by the masses? Because they were answering early 21st century needs, society and expectations, the same way the original trio did for their time.

A character like Aurora of Sleeping Beauty couldn't work today because she literaly is a paper-thin character that does nothing throughout the story and is truly more of a MacGuffin than anything. Oh yes she speaks, has a song, has feelings and emotions - and there is this very progressive idea of having Aurora be unhappy and traumatized by discovering her princess heritage, which aged very well! But the rest? She is a baby ; then she sings about being in love ; then she cries about not wanting to be a princess ; then she sleeps ; then she is married. The story is done and moved by the interesting characters about her, but not by her - Maleficent wants to destroy Aurora, Philip wants to save Aurora, the fairy godmothers wants to protect Aurora... I do not recall which feminist created this theory, but there is the test of the lamp. If you can replace a female character by a beautiful lamp, this is bad for you. And unfortunately Disney's Sleeping Beauty "succeeeds" at the test of the lamp, since Aurora's massively passive involvment in the story makes her a perfect fit. The king and queen create the most beautiful lamp you ever saw ; Maleficent angry curses the lamp to be destroyed ; the fairy godmothers are tasked with keeping the lamp safe ; later the prince discovers the lamp in the woods and wants to have it for his living room, so he plans to return later ; meanwhile the fairy godmothers return the lamp to their rightful owners the king and queen, while Maleficent captures the prince who returned in hope of taking the lamp ; etc etc... It does not change the story one bit.

Another, even more obvious example, of the "age" of those characters - Snow-White. Disney's Snow-White is the very embodiment of the "50s housewife" cliche, and thus was a perfect fit for this first-half-of-the-20th-century American society. In the Grimm story, the little girl enters the house, takes the food, goes to sleep, and upon meeting the dwarfs they make a bargain of chores in exchange of protection. In the Disney movie? She cleans the house all by herself, without asking anybody, just in hope it will please people. Which is a very "fairytale" move... But still is perceived badly as just the typical idea that "A good girl cleans up the house, that we ask her or not". The fact Snow-White also acts as a mother figure for the dwarfs despite being a teenage girl is... yeah it is questionable and there's a whole baggage of the girl existing as solely a future mother and a housekeeper-in-training. Let's not even talk of the infantilization of the dwarfs just because of their small size despite being clearly much older than her...

So yeah, I always take a neutral stance on things (except for a few stuff), and this is no exception. There is an unfair treatment of the original Disney princesses, definitively, and people are misreading the original movies... But when we take a critical look we also have to recognize that these characters were designed for a given society and a given time, and that now they made their time, we do not need them anymore and we can move on to other characters while fondly remembering them or taking inspiration from them. Erasing these characters would be stupid and absurd - but it is just as stupid and absurd to try to cling onto them constantly and to try to make them fit everywhere and anywhere (yes I am taking a jab at Disney and their perpetual recycling and their favoritism of remakes over new movies...).

.

[mermaidsirennikita]

actually i do have anecdotal proof that bton made historical market works. And its the fact that i have friends who did like the show, tried to read the books and realized they were ENTIRELY white(even tho the reprint covers obvs lean toward show cast) and then got mad that historicals are all racist. And i cant even correct them in time to tell them its just that bton is a 2 decade old not exactly top tier series 😭😭😭

Honestly, the thing is that there ARE indeed racist historical romances! And the reality is that for some readers, the fact that historical romance primarily has white wealthy landowning heroes (who probably get their wealth by exploiting people) means it'll be a hard stop for them.

Do I think this is at all the reason why MOST people aren't reading it? No. Do I think it's pretty hypocritical to put all of that on historical romance then pick up books about your friendly neighborhood rich redneck who's definitely not MAGA even though he sounds very MAGA, or billionaire romances, without holding them to the same standards? ... I do. I get where the mental block comes from, and it doesn't mean we shouldn't critique historicals. But I think it's an unfair standard to hold one part of romance to and not the other.

The reality is that there are, and have been, historical romances about people of color, usually written by people of color. As many as there should be? Absolutely not. Did those books get a boost when Bton came out? If they did, I haven't really seen it. I've seen more of a presence, but I also think that we were seeing more of a presence begin before Bton. I'm sure Bton resulted in some books getting picked up, but I don't see much follow-through on that promise in tradpub. Which isn't surprising.

And I'll also say... there are plenty of historical readers who absolutely want the white Jane Austen fantasy out of these books, and they are vocal, and they certainly don't make much of a case for newer readers joining the crowd. So that's not very helpful.

But I've heard about a lot of readers who pick Bton up as an entry to historical romance, and they're a) disappointed by the rep not mirroring the show when the covers do b) not into some of the problematic aspects of the books.

... Which I get, but I also must say.... Are we just gonna ignore the fact that season 1 of the show had That Scene? I do sometimes get a little surprised by how much people pearl clutch over pretty innocuous scenes in the books (like, for example, the recent "Michael pressured Francesca into marrying him by baby trapping her" thing, which... is not how that went down.... and cherry-picking quotes from that book doesn't make it what went down lol; and that is undoubtedly the Bton book where the heroine had the most sexual agency, and it's really not close, so to see "Thank God the show is so much better about consent" being slung around during that convo when the show depicted the a white woman raping her Black husband and then blaming him for it... and never apologizing................ was A CHOICE!) but I get that it can be be jarring. The books have some problematic content. Some it squicks me out, and I have a pretty high tolerance for older books.

And then, the reality is that a lot of classic historicals that people who have been reading the genre for years loooove are older books. Not all the content has aged well. I think that for many people who love historical romance and loved those books... they either grew up on them and therefore are used to it, OR they eeeeeased into it and now kinda forget the initial surprise they may have felt. So we're recommending books that aren't entry level to people who may need entry level books. It's not something I would really hold as AT FAULT for, but it does lead to this idea that the subgenre is one thing when it's many things.

Like... I think a perfect series for people who want to get what they liked out of Bton is Adriana Herrera's Las Leonas series. And I don't think we're really giving that series, or others like it, the flowers it deserves.

But also there are books the same age as Bton that I think would be a lot smoother for readers to get into.

*shrugs*

[princesssarcastia]

i have no personal or professional experience with OCD or psychology so I can't speak to whether those things can contribute to this specific mentality. but setting that aside;

i fundamentally disagree that the ONLY way you can hold the mentality of, "i am personally responsible for the bad things done by politicians I voted for," is by having some kind of moderate to severe mental illness. I don't agree that it's inherently unhealthy. I don't agree that it automatically leaves you unable to meaningfully navigate through life. I don't agree that it's always dysfunctional. I don't agree that it always means you won't take action, or that you will be unable to substantially change things when you do take action.

in fact, I find that assertion to be kind of insidious! because you cannot abdicate responsibility for the things your government does in your name. you CANNOT. especially when you are one of the people who said, "yes, this is the person I choose to lead us." if you put someone in power then the things they do with that power ARE your responsibility.

I personally believe that we are responsible for each and every thing our leaders do in our name, from our local county sheriff on up to our president. I believe that I am responsible. Because if I am not responsible, then who is?

Obviously our leaders themselves are responsible for the things that they do and say. But when we elect them, we become responsible for the things they do in our name, with our permission.

(Frankly, even though it's wildly unfair, I also believe we are responsible for the things that our leaders do in our name even when we didn't vote for them, but that's a separate, more depressing, much longer conversation involving political theory.)

I'm assuming the person who wrote this is an American who votes for Democrats. I'll also assume that more than a few people who follow me can also be categorized as such. So if that applies to you, let me ask you this: do you think that the people who voted for Trump in 2016 are responsible for the things that he did? And let me tell you: if your answer to that question is no, I kind of don't believe you.

If Kamala Harris is elected, it is inevitable that she will do horrible things in our name. It's our job to take responsibility for that by punishing her for it politically and electorally—I'd say legally, too, but obviously that's a pipe dream, because no American president has ever been legally punished for the horrible things they've done.

The same way that Trump did horrible things in our name, and the same way that we punished him for that politically and electorally and, fingers crossed, legally, though I'm not holding my breath. Did I vote for him? No. Am I, as a person living in America, as an American citizen, still responsible for the things he did? Yeah. Yeah, I am. At the very least, it was and is my responsibility to stop him if i can, and mitigate that harm and remove him from power after the fact if I can't.

My local elected officials, like local elected officials across America right now, are trying to further criminalize homelessness. To make it harder, if not impossible, to exist in the place where I live if you don't have housing. It's despicable. I'm doing my best to try and stop it. These officials are doing this terrible thing in my name! I voted for some of them. I didn't vote for others. But I am responsible for all of their actions, because they're my leaders. What they do with the power I give them, willingly or unwillingly, is my responsibility.

And further, because I'm feeling a little bitchy tonight: the idea that I could feel that way in order to justify my own moral cleanliness is darkly amusing to me. You know what a person would actually have to believe about their leaders in order to still be able to claim that their hands are clean?

They would have to believe that the hold no responsibility for the things the leaders they voted for do once they're in office.

[akanesheep]

Now that Nightbringer is out, and we’re a few chapters in… I keep wanting to put some thoughts in writing, and then a new chapter will drop and I end up getting one question answered, while gaining several others… I’ll try to keep speculating to a low and just discuss how I personally felt while playing.

Spoiler warning now, as I’m going to be discussing events that take place through the latest release.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the change of the battles to a rhythm game, as I’ve always been bad at them. But I’ve adapted pretty well, although I’m a perfectionist, and will waste time and precious AP trying to get the best score possible XD

Now onto the story…

It seems odd to feel genuine heartache, frustration, etc. but that has definitely been the case.

Tossed backward in time to brothers who didn’t know us, and in fairness, don’t know themselves at this point in time. It’s been so strange to see them like this. Barely out of Heaven, minds between angel & demon. Both familiar and unfamiliar. To become strangers to those I’ve grown to know so much about. How unfair. Solomon arrives with one or two pieces of information, but what made me so curious is why couldn’t we go to Barbatos? Why is Barbatos so hostile to Solomon? He says he doesn’t remember, which I don’t wholly believe. He’s hiding stuff, which I really dislike, no matter how much I adore him.

As for the brothers, my heart breaks. Satan in his uncontrolled anger phases, Mammon wanting so hard to be a responsible ‘big brother’. Levi struggling with his self worth even more than before. He’s using different words most of the time, but we know his meanings better than just bashing himself for being a ‘stinky otaku’… the lack of Normie, but still our lovable otaku. Lucifer shaken, rebuilding himself in private while putting on the front of a cold hard ass to his brothers. Providing them the structure and stability they require to move forward. It’s the hardest role in the family, and he stepped into it naturally. As it was his role before their fall. I love that despite everything, he never hesitated. He never regretted his decision. He knew it was the right choice even if it caused pain. He does show moments of brief regret about the brothers fall, especially when Levi & Asmo on separate occasions had their moments of lamenting their situation, or missing the Celestial Realm. Even though each of them personally bears no regret for having followed Lucifer, all of the brothers, Lucifer included, are going through grief and loss. And we have a front row seat.

I was surprised at how long it took for us to even hear the name Lillith. The very end of chapter 10, Belphie is the first to bring up her name. We already know the story, of course, as well as Lucifer’s secret. In the original timeline, we knew about Lillith before Belphie, and in the fallout of chapter 16 we learned about Lucifer’s deal with Diavolo. At the end of Nightbringer chapter 10, it’s revealed that we are human, and the beginning of Chapter 11, where we get the near repeat of Belphie’s anger and grief inflicted upon our poor lil body. Solomon saved us and took us to 13’s cave.

If the lead up to this point was lamenting the loss of of ‘our’ brothers. This chapter was about the pain of us ‘betraying’ them. I cried, a few times… they were so hurt and the whole time I was wanting to tell them everything.

At the Fountain of Wisdom, Solomon pushed for us to choose humanity over everything else. Honestly, it pissed me off. It felt manipulative, like he was actually saying ‘choose me over the brothers’. I might be the only one who took it that way though. XD

The grimoire was the simplest choice for me. It wasn’t even a thought. It was going into Lucifer’s hands. All other things aside, I don’t think it’s right to control people, especially those we care about. (But that’s a personal history I won’t get into ;3) Declaring a promise to ‘protect’ them is pretty spot on for me too, which led to the events of chapter 12.

Unconscious me getting sweet visits from all 7 brothers was touching. Especially seeing that Belphie, having calmed down from his initial outburst, realized that it didn’t matter that we were human, that blaming all of humanity for the fact that Lillith ‘died’ wasn’t right. The benefit of being able to engage with him before he had thousands of years to let that stew inside him, his anger, frustration, grief, and guilt, hadn’t solidified into the cold murderous intent of the original story. His outburst this time was loud, angry, and hot. He hadn’t planned it. Therefore, it wasn’t as hard to dissuade him. A solid threat from Solomon resolved the better part of it, as well as the quick exit. It allowed thought, reflection, and time to calm down and see things properly.

On one hand, it’s good to see him face his grief differently, but on the other it’s hard to see the brothers collectively face it. Aside from Satan, who doesn’t have the personal connection to Lillith, it seemed that the brothers were coping with their grief by distraction. Her name seemed taboo to bring up. It could be said it was that way in the original story, but to a lesser extent. Some of it’s reveal was incidental to your getting to know the brothers, getting to know your environment… but this time, it was an intentional omission. They simply weren’t ready to talk about it. (Although, in Lucifer’s case in both stories, he simply feels it isn’t any of your business)

Nightbringer is a strange character. He calls himself a demon. Yet he could use the Ring of Light. That he even had possession of it is odd. Although it isn’t like we know how Lucifer came into possession of it right? (If I’m wrong on that, please let me know) He’s obviously playing some kind of game involving a much bigger picture than we can see, and are currently oblivious of. I’m starting to wonder if the voice that spoke to us when we were unconscious following our obtaining the Ring of Light from Solomon was actually Nightbringer. I’d originally thought that perhaps it was Michael, but given where things currently are, Nightbringer seems to be the safer bet. When he spoke to us in the latest chapter he tells us it’s our happiness he seeks. He also mentions something about scales being out of balance, as well as bringing night. But to where? Devildom is perpetually dark. The human realm? Likely no. The celestial realm then? What scale of balance is he referring to? Our personal balance? The balance of power within the three realms? If he’s seeking our happiness, it wouldn’t seem he would then seek to upset our personal balance of things. I had a thought on this, which perhaps if it related to the three realms, it could be he wishes to cause a more direct balance within the human realm, as while it already is a balance between light and dark, it is decidedly leaning toward the celestial realm. Is he seeking another war between the angels and demons? One that would lead the celestial realm out of it’s perpetual light? Or is this a more subtle thing. Does he simply wish to somehow magnify the mixing of the three realms? Like a super magnification of Diavolo’s plan of peace? Could it even be an attempt at rebalancing the harmony of the brother’s lives? To return the happiness and joy that was lost to them when Lillith died? The line talking about what MC in regards to the brothers gave me that thought. Are we there perhaps to prevent some past event from happening? (Like a ‘Back to the Future’ type of thing?) Whatever it is, MC and the brothers, are absolutely key.

This would beckon the question of ‘why?’ Who does this plan of happiness benefit? I mean, aside from ourselves. But what does it cost? That is what is to be revealed I suppose. Solomon obviously knows things and isn’t talking. For the first time, I truly find him suspicious, as opposed to mischievous. It’s fun, I suppose, to get to enjoy the domestic aspect of living with him currently… and seriously, I love this awkward aloof man. I’ll do a write up on that soon enough… but it’s safe to say from my personal perspective, that I’m very suspicious of his actions.

How intrigued are you guys about Barbatos? Why can we not go to him with the story of what is happening? If nothing else to explain where we are from and seek assistance in returning to our proper timeline? The red flags for why could be in the persistent insinuations that Barbatos may well indeed be Nightbringer. From the opening, which is clearly narrated by and talking about Barbatos, and the card which shows his scary wide smile over a set of scales while he plays with the puppet of a king… it’s hard to ask, but is Barbatos responsible for Diavolo’s father falling into his sleep? Is he now, or was he then, controlling the royal family, including Diavolo? Or could he also be connected to Nightbringer in a similar way to Solomon? I personally can’t see him controlling Diavolo in either instance… perhaps this story given in the intro is something which Barbatos did in the human realm at the behest of Nightbringer? …again, we’ll have to wait and see.

I wonder if the brothers can feel us in their past… like are they sitting there and suddenly remember they had an attendant named ‘MC’? Do they realize that it’s you? Do these new memories you’ve made pop up in their minds 3,500 years in the future? Is it distressing or comforting? I want to hug them all. Both past and present… -sigh- chances are that feeling isn’t going anywhere.

My sole ‘complaint’ if that’s what it can be called, is the appearance of Simeon and Luke. They aren’t exchange students yet, as RAD still doesn’t exist… but ‘poof’ here they are… way too early, and under no well defined explanation. (Or at least to me…) it seems a bit contrived. Like the devs had to keep them involved because they’re dateables, even if the story doesn’t support their appearance… I say that as if my angel husbando and my child are unwelcome… that isn’t the case, I just wish the events surrounding their sudden appearance made more sense. Maybe I just missed something in the story?

What does everyone think of the story and game this far? I, for one, keep flying through each chapter as soon as it is released, and wait anxiously for the next chapter. It’s quite compelling thus far… and I’m excited to see where it goes.

[horizon-verizon]

The amount of Aemond x oc I've found ( which is basically self-insert) is so funny... Like really what is so special about this character? A bullied incel ? We have seen thousands of these characters, Mommy's boy? Also we have seen thousands of these characters, Anime Villain? We have them in every anime...

Literally there is nothing deep or complex about his character, he is made of tired troops without any subversion or nuance . He has a hot actor playing him and this is what get so many people dickriding his character and claiming that he is and will always be a victim. People just need someone that will wet their pants so they will start excusing the actions of a character that embodies rotten ideologies that oppressed women for so long.

Oh ... Poor Mewmond..

We can have many “mommy’s boy”, “bullied incel”, “anime villain” characters, I think, and still have a good story, have them act out heir roles sufficiently, etc. 

Problem with Aemond having his popularity is that people try to separate HotD from Fire and Blood/ASoIaF...

...and then argue for its legitimacy, how the original bones of the story doesn’t matter because apparently HotD’s story is “better”. And because it is “better”, it is then the only “real” story of the Dance. 

But then some/many argue that it does stay faithful or faithful “enough” that we don’t need to argue for how it doesn’t make sense in many ways. 

As if HotD’s world, rules, and entire social systems and structures (you know...those things that set up, define, and create the pressures/obstacles for characters and present stakes to us, ultimately characterizing the meaning and urgency of the entire story and its arcs).

The writers let Aemond off the ethical hook because they don’t really wan tto understand how a boy could be as selfishly entitled, classist, blood purist, and misogynist from the age of 10 and grow up a worse man and that be it. (Yes, even younger children can be misogynist, racist, etc. Ideologies don’t just mushroom at age 18.) And because they don’t believe or understand this, they think that Aemond is this helpless little thing who’s only trying to prove himself, instead of a loveless, violent maniac (his canon self). 

The male writers especially don’t want to really think or believe or be confronted with such a phenomenon, because -- and I am musing after my read of xenonwitch’s reblog HERE --  they’d have to reflect and maybe admit to some behaviors they performed in their youth, or things they said or let happen. 

With Aemond (and all the greens except Otto and Helaena), we’re encouraged to empathize more with him than we are with Baela, Rhaena, Jacaerys, etc. and the Kids Are Cruel trope centers him rather than, say, the actual vulnerable: the V boys (rumors of bastardry) and the girls of a man continuously exiled who just arrived seemingly for the first time in their lives. We spend more time with Aemond then we should, time/development spent usually on the protagonists....which is Rhaenyra, the blacks, and their children.

The whole story line of Aemond getting bullied (which is not at all canon) and then risking his life to claim Vhagar by daring to go out and claim her on his own at night (without the show focusing on how he’s doing this while the girls’ mother was just buried and how canon him would have hated them just for being on Rhaenyra-Daemon’s side). We’re encouraged to see him, then, claiming Vhagar as a very good thing when really it foreshadows the violence that will occur later one. All that power in a perosn who is supposed to be evil and abusive....that scenes actually should have been designed to make us feel dread, not hope, pride, etc. And like with Alicent, from being a boy with no dragon and losing his eye in an “unfair” moment after finally taking a dragon (after he was supposedly bullied and suffering character/“underdog”) we’re lead to feel more for him than the younger boy who would have had a grown woman cut out his eye. But since he becomes a sort of “momma’s boy” (again, not canon) he also becomes her protector, a role that Daemon fulfills for Rhaenyra. Which, with no scenes to show how their relationship developed due to jump cuts, uncomfortably compounds the feeling that Alicent and Aemond are too close.

Nice moniker for him, btw.

[sporksaber]

I'm gonna talk about that hp au because it lives in the back of my head like a stray cat that's wandered in and you cant get to leave.

So dumbledore dumbledied. Why? Because he's annoying and I dont want to deal with him. How? Idk, a curse with a ten year delay of smthn. Mcgonagall is head mistress now. (also, shes fifty-ish. We're ignoring the fact that jkr aged her up after the movies were cast and that she is bad at math in every adaptation and interview since.) She became headmistress the year prior to harry getting to school.

Mcgonagall isnt about to let any of the bullshit dumbledore allowed slide. So the teachers are going to be a bit different and when students have problems theyll be dealt with properly.

So, the crux of this au, harry is sorted into slytherin. He didn't sit with ron on the train, and didnt think to ask to not be slytherin. The hat asks what harry wants out of howgwarts and while harry can't verbally answer the hat is like, got it. Puts him into Slytherin. (Above all his wants, there was a stronger yearning for the ability to make his own way. To not just have but to create safety and family and win against the people pushing him down.)

His first year is fairly eventful. Quirrel is there and so is Snape. This time though, there is no Voldemort and the philosopher's stone isnt in Hogwarts. Quirrel is just a regular piece of shit wizard nazi.

Harry has a very visceral reaction to the things the slytherin students will say, so he doesnt get along with them. Snape is also an asshole, so he doesnt get along with him either. Draco is very much pulling pigtails the entire year because he wasnt properly socialized as a child and harry has pretty eyes.

Durring that year Harry gets in trouble a lot. He'll talk back to snape for being unfair and discriminatory, he calls out quirrel for being straight up wizard racist (as quirrel isnt possessed he is more assertive), he argues with his housemates be it draco or the occasional upperclassman who is causing trouble.

He's also not good at school. Harry's hatred of studying in the original was never explained (i think jkr didnt want to do the extra world building). But in this he is just very much behind his year level. He's never had help before, nor a safe environment to learn in.

This leads to him finally getting to talk to mcgonagall (I love her so so much). She sits him down like, you're not in any trouble, have a cookie, I just want to talk about how you're doing. Harry has not a clue what to do. She talks to him about each class, asks if he made any friends, asks about slytherin.

Eventually it gets to the point that he kind of breaks down. Hes like, "I just dont understand. Everything's so amazing, I love being here, but some people are just so meanm"

She asks what he means and coaxs him to tell her all about snape and quirrel and the other students.

Mcgonagall takes a moment. And then she apologizes. Shes heen headmistress for just about a full year at this point and it seems she had some oversights.

She puts quirrel and snape on what is effectively probation. Quirrel is told that he will not be asked back the next year and any slip up will lead to immidient termination and being reported to the ministry.

Snape has been a teacher for ten years at this point and looking back mcgonagall knows that he has always shown signs of this problem. He is told to fix it or she'll let him go.

She also asks one hermione Granger if she'd be willing to tutor some peers. Harry begins to catch up on his classes.

The year comes to an end uneventfully. He has one more big spat with malfoy that leaves them having detention with mcgonagall. They clean and sort plaques in her office as she does some paperwork. She answers questions and gives anecdotes about what they find. She matches each of dracos snarky complaints.

Harry goes back to the Dursley's that summer. (One last oversight from mcgonagall.)

Year two: where the actual part that lives rent free in my head is.

Harry meets the one and only Luna Lovegood on the train. Luna is wierd and nothing she says makes sense, but harry is used to that by now so he thinks little of it. He rather likes her, shes fun to talk to. He hesitates to tell her he's a slytherin but she doesn't care at all about it.

[queenaeducan]

Gale + 5, 8, 12, 19!

What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Would That I by Hozier. It's not the only song of his that deals with break ups/new love that I have on my Gale playlist, but I think it's my favourite for him in a romanced playthrough. The imagery of the current love as fire setting wood to the tree of his past relationship pairs nicely with "With you I forget my goddess." The fact that it's nature imagery in general works well with Ophelia. I like to think of it as a controlled burn to help the forest flourish. To my knowledge it's not the exact intended meaning of the song, but it's what I get from it.

What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I don't go for six pack Gale, but I like to think he lost weight during his year in the tower and only starts to put it back on through the game and beyond.

What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Gale is an incredibly sweet person whose flaws lead him to some pretty dark places. He is quite eager to help and make himself useful, whether it's making dinner or almost all of his greetings being some form of "how can I help?" whether you barely know each other or you're the love of his life.

I do think there's an ugly side to that. He doesn't do things just to make himself useful, but because he wants recognition. He wants to be thought of, to be remembered. There's a small section of A Study of Hands I enjoyed writing after his resurrection in Act 1, when he's glad to have caused Ophelia grief because it gives his life (and death) some semblance of meaning:

Ophelia’s face is a stone mask, aggressive in its impassivity. A trait he typically admires, and takes as good cause to heed her wise counsel, feels suddenly cruel. Unfair? Oh, most certainly. But a crueller part within him took heart when it saw how her eyes were puffed with tears. It wanted her to weep for him. It wanted to know he will be missed.

I think, as much as fear of a godless death motivates his suicide mission, he's also motivated by the desire to go out in such a way that he'll be remembered.

So like, is there something admirable in how he wants to be useful? That he wants to become a god to help people? Yes, but there is performance in it as well, and performances are done with the desire to be recognised. There's a selfish side to it that's a little ugly but very interesting!

And I think that darkness/pettiness is sometimes forgotten and that is what I don't like. Although reading back over what I wrote I think I mostly just wanted to talk about it rather than discuss its place in fandom.

How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like?

Like with Solas, I like most of his relationships just fine. Do I think they're all good for him? No, but that's why I like them.

For example, I find his relationship with not just Mystra but Elminster a little questionable. I don't go with the interpretation that Gale met Mystra when he was still a child, but he does canonically know one of Mystra's Chosen from a young age (I don't want to look up the letter rn, but it was six or eight when he met Elminster). It's just a deeply weird situation. Mystra's Chosen are a little fucked. I'm not sure how much of it is intended canon (specifically on larian's part) and what was inherited from DND lore, but it's just like. You look at it and go "this is weird right???" because, well, it is weird.

While Elminster disagrees with her charge for Gale to die, he also won't really budge beyond that to any more meaningful criticisms of her. And while I think he's right that "fuck Mystra" is as deeply unwise a philosophy as listening to her in regards to her plan for the Orb, the particular line he spouts speaks to his own shortcomings as Chosen.

But like I said, I think it's interesting and wouldn't say I don't like it on a narrative level. I do wish it were more consistently written I guess?

[clare-with-no-i]

Hi Clare! Would you consider theogony James to be a bit patriarchal, considering ancient greek society ? I'm curious about your thought.

hi hi hi! thanks for the question.

so I think it's sort of unavoidable that theogony James has some 'patriarchal' (I would probably tend to use a diff descriptor because patriarchy is to me very much a system and a theory, not so much a personality trait but I do absolutely get what you're saying) values – although I still have trouble grasping a lot of the social norms or larger sociological trends that historians have articulated about Ancient Greece, it would be both naive and plainly ahistorical to say that it was a society that allowed for women's liberation as we understand it today. so there are absolutely moments where James falls into the trappings of the Classical Athenian value systems, because to write otherwise would be to take both myself and the reader out of the setting. for example: he is – although often involuntarily, impulsively – territorial over Lily in a way that I try not to write as romantic but rather just a consequence of her being his wife, and therefore legally his property; he doesn't discuss matters of war with her because he thinks it would be overwhelming to her sensibilities as a woman. he is both comfortable with and actually repeatedly leaning toward violence at times that would be deemed inappropriate today (and rightfully so). throughout the story, we see both James and Sirius regarding non-Athenians outside of their inner circle with a sort of derision that betrays their belief in/desire for Athenian cultural hegemony and imperial growth.

that being said, it would be a betrayal of James's character to have him be 1) flagrantly irredeemably sexist or 2) a person that does not question the aspects of society that he finds problematic or unfair. in canon, he's a privileged wealthy charismatic boy with a respected bloodline; he could easily just ride out the war without getting his hands dirty. but he doesn't! he chooses to actively participate in the dismantling of a neofascist system, and he loses his life because of it. because of this, I found room to write him with parallel traits in theogony: he was raised with two strong maternal figures whom he respects and reveres; he objects to the harsh practices of banishment which brought Sirius to his doorstep; he reckons with the way that war perverts and corrodes perception of other cultures. one of the most telling moments along that vein comes in the battle of plataea chapter:

"Much, much later, James would learn the truth of it—that neither Darius nor Xerxes were sent from Tártaros to torment the Greek people, that no Persian man is lesser than a Greek just because he obeys the order of his king. That all of these kings are just men, plagued by desire and standing atop it.”

I think as well, and this is just me being self indulgent, I have no desire to write a romantic lead who has any interest in denying his partner rights, which means that I take whatever liberties I feel are appropriate to make him a person worth rooting for and a character that (at least in the abstract) resembles the James Potter we love from canon. I have written him to be more progressive in some ways than is probably fitting for the era, but one of the things I fall back on is that being born into social and financial privilege gives a person the freedom to live their own values. given his family's status and his own position as a general of the army, he can afford to skirt around some social barriers that other people may not – we see this throughout the story often through Lily, who is of course getting a very sanitized version of Athenian life as a result of James's various birthrights.

so there you go! tl;dr is yes, but only in the ways I can't bring myself to mitigate because of a commitment to (some semblance of) historical accuracy, lol.