#and she thinks SHE’S being selfish??????

[fish-arent-real]

I wanted to vent about this so let's do it here. I am so angry about this. There's a lot of folks in the comments saying "don't blame the people, blame the Republicans". Don't worry, I AM. They actively chose this. But that doesn't detract from the fact that CHOSING not to vote in this election (and I mean chosing, this isn't including people who were unable to for whatever reason) is selfish and privileged. I don't care if you didn't like Harris, I don't care if you didn't morally agree with everything she did. She's a politician running for president, OF FUCKING COURSE she has blood on her hands too, I hate it too! But if in the face of an election that's going to decide the rate at which we decend more into fascism, you decide your moral highground comes before that??? It's telling for sure. One cantidate is aiming at dictatorship and wants to kill and destroy the lives of millions of people, while the other is someone who you don't like politically but would uphold some some of stability for this country even though she's just another shitty president in this fucking dystopia. And you look at that and think we can AFFORD for you to just go "no, i don't really like either". When it comes to fascism... deciding to not participe in this was SUPPORTING fascism. You chose to look away and not participate when there are people, probably in your lives, who deperarely voted because their lives depended on it. And you are prioritizing being uncomfortable with a candidate over the lives of real people. I'm not putting all the blame on you for the results, that would be absurd, but you HAVE see how privileged and just SELFISH it was to just step out of this election. We don't all get the option to just "not participate".

[rosieofcorona]

Mythal, Solas, and Lavellan (An Analysis)

Please be aware that this post contains spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, so now is the time to click away until you have finished the game. All opinions shared here are just opinions, and are not intended to be presented as fact. 💕

So, this is sort of an abridged version of what could be (and may someday be) a more in-depth analysis, but I just want to offer a different perspective on the Mythal vs. Lavellan discourse when it comes to Solas’ love and loyalty. I've included a lot of supporting evidence from the game, and wanted to share some of it for your consideration: I want to start in the Lighthouse, for the folks who are upset that we didn't see Lavellan amongst Solas' memories. I think this is for the best, all things considered. The regrets we see in the Lighthouse are all of Mythal– taking a form for her, letting her mold him, doing things he thought were “monstrous” at her request, however well (or ill) intentioned. To me, Solas regrets Mythal nearly as a whole. He loved her, certainly, but I think it’s very apparent that he wants more than anything to close that chapter of his life and move on, which he cannot do without confronting the mistakes of his past. From my view, it’s an excellent sign, actually, that Lavellan is not among the great regrets of his life. He says to Rook that he regrets being selfish with her– but he “cherishes” his closeness with, and his love for Lavellan “more than [his] victories.” The same cannot be said of anything on those walls in the Lighthouse.

That same closeness with Mythal– regardless of whether it was romantic, platonic, familial– hurt him, over and over. Everything he did in service of that love, he regrets. He does not cherish it, at least not in the same way. I think I would’ve been offended, frankly, if Lavellan had been on those walls beside her.

Moreover, he acknowledges Lavellan’s goodness, and doesn’t really do that for Mythal, at least not here. Yes, in Trespasser, he said that Mythal was the best of the Evanuris, but we know it’s a low bar to clear. Does that mean she was evil? Not necessarily. But he also says to Rook that all the Evanuris “were monsters, in their own ways,” and moments later tells them, by contrast, that Lavellan “is a good woman.”

I don’t think it’s his love for Mythal (or even his loyalty to her) that keeps him away from Lavellan, either. He cannot in good conscience give himself what he wants most without first fixing what he broke. He doesn’t want to bring down the Veil anymore, not really. He even acknowledges the Dalish as "our people," to an elven Rook (Lavellan's influence?), and says it was a "privilege" to help them again. He says in the final confrontation that he is compelled to bring down the Veil at this point because otherwise, he has failed and wronged and harmed people for nothing– Lavellan among them. He says, more or less, that he has to see it through, has to bring back “the world [Mythal] wanted,” or else all the suffering he’s imposed has been in vain. That reads to me as a sunk cost fallacy more than an act of great loyalty. 

If we’re talking about what Solas wanted, by comparison, we see it in his codex letter to Lavellan– he says, outright, “I could have…even put my plans aside, and simply stayed with you as Solas…which is what I wanted.” His desires do not match Mythal’s, and in fact are the opposite. But again, how can he allow himself to have his own way when he does not yet feel he has righted his wrongs? 

Here we wade into murkier waters (as this could be a more personal interpretation than what was actually intended), but I think it’s fascinating that in Solas’ memory of manifestation, he tells Mythal, “I will always follow where you go.” I think this may be his original regret. I think he wishes he would’ve followed his heart (both in the moral sense, and later, the vhenan sense), rather than pledging himself to another being that “broke him,” as Mythal herself admits to doing.

And speaking of vhenan, my final note: Mythal is never anything but Mythal, to Solas. Even when she calls him “love" in his memories, he does not reciprocate. He refers to her as nothing besides her name. Lavellan is always given the title of Vhenan. He has not called her Inquisitor since before Trespasser, and even then it was because he was trying to create distance, to avoid hurting her further. But ultimately she is his heart, and he wants to follow her, and Mythal is the only thing stopping him– not because he is holding onto her, but because she is in his way.

[pawberri]

My most hated counterargument to the idea that therapy is useful is:

"Therapy is totally individualistic. If you say that you're scared of climate change or racism they'll tell you to stop being scared and solve it internally."

Because you know... while this CAN and DOES happen... it doesn't encompass all of therapy. You know what my therapist tells me to do if I talk about oppression or systemic issues? Volunteer! Get involved in my community! Actively push back on the isolation and hopelessness I'm feeling by Doing Something About It. Plus, even if I tell my therapist "I'm freaking out about climate change" and she says "take a deep breath and remember that the world is not literally ending at this minute", that isn't more selfish or individualistic than posting on tumblr about how you shouldn't get treatment ever because suffering is inevitable. Especially in times like these, getting the help you need to be able to take action and be a part of your community is not shameful. Severe mental health issues that completely derail your life are also not the only or inevitable reaction to these things happening.

I think it annoys me so much because it assumes there are no leftist therapists, no leftist therapists of color, no leftist therapists of color who experience poverty, etc etc. It assumes that the whole scientific field is disinterested in itself and making itself better. I promise you that whatever question first pops into your head has been presented and debated and expanded upon by people whose entire life revolves around it. I read studies all the time that show how forming community around an oppressed identity and participating in activism helps mental health and hopelessness. Yes, the world is full of systemic suffering, but NO, the only solution is NOT to give up and give in. Therapy can genuinely be what you need to survive and get out there and make change, and it's as valid as any other form of medical care. Don't listen to any stupid disengaged therapist who tells you just not to care and disconnect from the world completely but also don't listen to anyone who discourages you from getting help on that basis. That is not the only kind of therapist that exists.

[strwberri-milk]

Hello! Can I request an angst Sylus x reader ff where the princess reader and Prince Sylus are in an arranged marriage and he really hates her also because of the rumors her fake friend made. The reader is cold on the outside but a very loving and sweet inside. During their 1 ½ year as a married couple, Sylus didn't acknowledged her as his wife but she does as her husband. One day, tables turned....Sorry for my English 😭

urgh i think you're wanting a fic from this which if i were to do this it would hoenstly end up being 5k</a long fic for which i aim 40k words for minimum and i mean this with all the kindness of my heart - i do not have the energy to do that for free so i hope youre okay w the typical hc style im doing!! also i changed some of it bc i dont see sylus making judgements of people based off what hes told

Sylus had long given up on the idea of doing things for himself wholly. He didn't have the ability to do things for just himself, selfishness the last thing on his mind with the status he owns. That's why he didn't object too much to being married - even if it was to someone he doesn't know.

Your first meeting was all business. He didn't mind at all but everybody in the room could feel the temperature drop by a few degrees. The two of you set out the terms of the marriage cleanly, coming to an agreement in very little time. To him it seemed that the two of you are on the same page, making things that much easier.

To respect your boundaries the two of you sleep in separate rooms. He's always busy, going off to meetings or sitting in his office reviewing the immense stacks of paperwork he has. Despite that, you try your best to find ways to include yourself in his schedule.

The servants always make room for you when you pass by, allowing you to go as you please while whispering about what might happen if they didn't. You pay it no mind, knowing that you've always been seen as intimidating. All it did was secure you a perfect match in Sylus, so you couldn't really mind. You learned quickly what his daily schedule looked like, finding the smallest gaps to insert yourself simply by delivering refreshments or news that other staff begged you not to do as it was below your station.

Sylus was a little surprised at first but he took it well, greeting you politely and thanking you whenever you came in. He understood it as you trying to keep appearances with your marriage, despite it being very clear to everybody involved everything was just for politics. He allows you your vice, sometimes even making small conversations with you. He didn't think you had any ulterior motive with how brief and impersonal the visits were.

He learned later that you began baking the pastries for him through the grapevine. You didn't tell him yourself, worried that he'd think you were trying to buy his affection while all you really wanted was just a way to be closer to him without intruding. He thanks you by buying a new set of clothes for you, a short, yet sweet note of him thanking you for thinking of him.

He doesn't seek you out still, not until he hears you've come down with a terrible illness that the physicians can't quite place. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be fatal, just incapacitating. By now the staff have begun to warm up around you, quietly speaking amongst themselves about how much you miss being able to see Sylus . You've admitted that you know Sylus doesn't see you as his spouse but you think of him as your dear husband, even if your relationship is slightly more than that of acquaintances.

He comes to visit you, sitting by your bed and just. Talking. He doesn't address the fact that you're sick - you've heard it too many times at this point - and just tells you about his day. Asks you about yours, what you want to do next week and if you'd be wanting to spend some time with him. The way your eyes light up makes him regret not reaching out to you sooner but he has a feeling he's got more than enough time to make it up to you.

[multipleoccupancy]

Theo had been hoping she would not ask about the prom and he did do a genuine stall by taking a sip of his coffee as he debated if he had a way out of explaining or if he really should just tell her if it might help her understand why he would be protective of her in the future. "I...uh, got dumped four times in one night." He gave a little huff of a laugh at his younger self, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck and not quite able to look to Violet. "I stayed though and ended up with a new girlfriend." He gave a little grimace and then chuckled, "the other four threw the ice water over me. That was deserved," he acknowledged but he did seem to drift into the memory for a moment, his smile fading.

They had not known how poor he was and that the suit was rented from a funeral home, that he was cycling back from the prom, that the trailer was freezing cold and he had struggled to get warm again. He didn't blame them but he did think about how selfish and foolish he had been and the disappointment in his parent's faces when he had tried to explain what had happened quite terribly.

Her audible sigh rekindled his smile when it came, she deserved to find someone some day who would treat her well and he didn't doubt she would find someone. He just didn't think it was going to be while she was fourteen in any case. He smiled wider and nodded as she made the connection, "like me and your mom," he confirmed warmly. He had certainly settled and felt at his happiest at home. It was hard that it was not necessarily the same for Violet given how she couldn't even sleep without being in danger.

"I'm sure there's some boy out there in the big wide world who is running around being a troublemaker who will one day spot you across a road, on a train or something and will instantly settle." He had not realised it had actually already happened, just not in their timeline.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

While Violet was certainly not going to admit that to her dad, Theo had told her that from what he knew, Bill could be trouble. But was he 'four girlfriends' trouble? She hoped he wasn't! Not that it mattered, anyway. Bill was in another timeline, she was never going to see him again. Since the Horned One loved to torment her, she doubted he would ever send her back to this timeline, which she had enjoyed so much -despite all the dangers. No, he much preferred sending her to the ward, or to the evil timeline.

"What happened at the prom?" she of course asked, curious to know how he had managed to appease four angry girls -Violet knew that girls could actually be a lot scarier than boys. "Did you go alone, then?" Or had he somehow managed to find a fifth girlfriend to bring to prom?

She let out an audible sigh of relief when her dad told her that no, not all boys were like that, and some boys were good. While she was in no hurry to date right now, she still wanted to find someone nice eventually.

"Like you did, with Mom," she pointed out with a smile. Would she ever be someone's dream girl? With her timeline travel, a great old one and a cultist harassing her, and monsters following her around, she was starting to doubt it.

[traegorn]

hi, i'm reeling from everything today. was wondering your opinion on the "blame" for this result. i've seen fellow leftists say it's because harris abandoned her base and catered to right-wing voters. but i've seen exit polls say that they think harris is too extreme, and i don't think the third-party voters can account for the margin between her and trump. i see people saying it's discontent against democrats + biden, while some seem to think it's about harris and her lack of policies specifically - which doesn't make sense to me, since she explicitly outlined a lot of her goals as president.

i also think that her being a black woman *does* have something to do with this, especially amongst the demographics that voted against her more (white men + women).

but yeah. where do you think the democratic party is going to go from here? is it a misinformation, political literacy issue? a specific distrust of harris, or distrust of the left??

and obviously you must be going through it as well, so feel free to reply with "how the fuck should i know" haha. hope you're doing ok :(

The only people to blame in an election are the voters.

The people who voted for Trump, the people who voluntarily didn't vote at all, and the people who voted third party are responsible for Trump's win and in that order.

Trump told everyone who he was loudly and regularly, and we live in a two party system. We knew he had support, and that Harris was the only other option.

Anyone who chose not to vote for Harris was making the conscious decision to allow a second Trump presidency, and I don't care about any excuses. The folks who voted for Trump got what they (at least think they) want, and the folks who didn't vote on purpose or voted third party chose their own selfishness over saving real lives.

But it doesn't matter who's fault it is. We are where we are, and we have to move forward and fight from here.

I'm going to fucking live, and I'm going to try to help save as many people as I can along the way. I hope you're with me.

[still-searching-for-something]

What gets me is not that Donald Trump won. It's that he won the popular vote. It's that a majority of American voters said, "Yes, I want this guy as my president."

They deliberately, knowingly decided the fascist, felonious, antidemocratic candidate who'd organized a coup attempt and got away with it needed the presidency. No American voter doesn't know who Trump is. They have no excuse. They knew he stood for antidemocracy.

But he also stood for a stronger economy! Lower gas prices! Cheaper groceries! Lower taxes!

And most Americans decided those things were more important to them than democracy. They've, as a majority, decided democracy < convenience.

"But the real problem was voter turnout and apathy!"

Okay, so then most Americans--85.7 million--either voted for the fascist or couldn't be assed to lift a finger to save democracy, compared to 68 million. 55% of Americans either deliberately chose cheaper groceries over democracy or were too pathetically lazy to give a fuck either way. Much better. It's a human choice to make, to vote for their wallet than their grand abstract ideology, but it's one that hurts all of us, including them, including Ukraine and the EU (and Palestine, for the record!) and all future generations to come. It's a selfish, short-sighted decision that betrays a deep rot in our priorities.

I thought we understood that sometimes, we have to take a hit as a nation to preserve our democracy and our freedoms. Is the same nation that took rationing during the Second World War to defeat the Nazis and the Japanese Empire? That lost hundreds of thousands of men to put down an illegal, treasonous rebellion?

And today, we've decided our rights can be exchanged for cheaper eggs, milk, and butter?

"Oh, Harris ran a bad campaign. She tried to appease everyone which pleased no one. She didn't appeal to the right demographics on the right issues. She dodged questions, she was entitled, she was--"

Yeah, I don't care.

In fact, I agree with you, but frankly, the economic policies and foreign policies and immigration policies and social policies of either candidate are completely fucking irrelevant if one of them doesn't adhere to the basic democratic rule of accepting that democracy's validity and existence. If a vote for one candidate threatens the democratic health of that nation, and a vote for the other--regardless of what other consequences it may have--doesn't, then morally, you have to vote for democratic one.

Is that unreasonable? Maybe. Yeah, Democrats should have run a better campaign more focused on the bread and butter issues people care about. Like Clinton said, 'It's the economy, stupid!' Democrats had a responsibility to run the best campaign they could have, given the stakes.

But that still doesn't justify a vote for antidemocracy. Call me crazy, but I think a vote for authoritarianism is unreasonable. "They were a little patronizing and I want to shave a few bucks off my grocery bill, so I'll vote for the fascist!" is still an unhinged and indefensible conclusion to arrive at, regardless of how valid your claims of being hurt at the cash register or being patronized are.

I've lost any and all faith in Americans. I honestly thought we were better than this. I really did. And I don't know how or if a democracy can function if a majority of its electorate are willing to sacrifice democratic norms for short-term benefits.

Fuck Republicans and every single person who voted against democracy because their grocery bill was too high. May you get exactly the kind of government you deserve and voted for.

[roseofhybrids]

there's something I've been thinking about recently, and tonight seems like a good enough occasion to talk about it

back when I was in therapy, every session my therapist would ask the same question

"What is something you're looking forward to this week"

The first time she asked that, I just figured it was a part of getting to know me as a new patient. Building rapport and trust and such. But when she repeated it every time I spoke to her, it made me wonder why she'd ask that specific question every time

Well, after thinking it over for a while, I think the reason she asked that is because it's really important to have something to look forward to regularly in life. Even if it's something small, as long as it's something you can find a little joy in See, nearly every time she asked me that, my answer would be that I was looking forward to my weekly DND game. It wasn't something too grand, just me and a few others messing around for 2 hours on roll20. But I felt happy when DMing for them, it wasn't much, but it still something that brought a little bit of fun every week

I feel like that's a critical part about staying alive on the day to day. Your life doesn't have to be filled with every day excitement like you're living a wealthy influencer lifestyle in order for you to carve out a bit of happiness for yourself

Like I said, it can be something small. Maybe it's DND games, maybe it's seeing the new episode of a show you like air, maybe once a week you let yourself order a pizza or eat out, maybe you and some friends get together to a watch a movie. Could even be that you just set aside a few hours where you can do something you like, literally anything as long as it brings you some enjoyment. Just a bit of time when you don't have to be productive and working and worrying about everything

I know the idea of doing something just for yourself can feel selfish, like you're wasting precious time. Especially with everything that's going on in the world, it can make you feel guilty for letting yourself find joy when some many others are suffering and in danger

Take it from someone who spent the latter half of their schooling dealing with dysthymia, self harm, and constant panic and anxiety attacks. Feeling nothing but misery 24/7/365 will help nothing. Depriving yourself of any positive emotion day in and out will fix nothing. All it will do is land you in either the grave or a mental hospital, and you certainly won't be able to help anyone from either of those places

If you want to help others, you'll have to be able to support yourself first. And that means not letting the stress of being alive build up to the point of crushing you under its weight. Take an hour or two every few days to let yourself truly breathe and relax. Think of it as fortifying your self for what's to come. You'll need some way to maintain your strength through the storm if you ever want to see the other side of it I'm not saying to ignore the bad parts of life, just don't ignore the good parts either. Even if you have to make those good parts with your own hands Eventually, the world will get better. But that will take time, so you will need to work to ensure you are around long enough to see it

This week, I'm looking forward to the new Dandadan episode, and going to get my new dog his name tag This month, I'm looking forward to making Thanksgiving dinner and getting to have some turkey and pumpkin pie Next year, I'm looking forward to starting a project that I've been thinking about for months

What is something you are looking forward to?

you don't gotta tell me it if you don't want to, just make sure you have one

[iichfilwypj]

why, why, why | percy jackson

ღ percy jackson x daughter of hypnos! reader ღ warnings: ANGST (shocking tbh we know it is not gonna last) ღ wc: 646 pt 1 - pt 2 - pt 3 - pt 4 - pt 5

He carefully opened the door, trying not to make a sound. As he stepped further into the room, his eyes immediately found her, lying asleep so peacefully. She was curled up in the bed, the blanket draped over only half of her body, and the lamp beside her illuminated her face brightly.

Oh God, this was agony. The worst kind of pain he had ever felt.

She was so close, yet so far away. He knew she didn’t like him; the past few days, she had been distant, pulling away. A part of him, the selfish part, wished it was something else, like her damn period or something like that.

He stared at her; it became more difficult with each passing moment. He approached slowly, avoiding the mattress where he slept on the floor, and sat on the bed beside her waist. 

He thought it was impossible, but up close, she was even more beautiful. 

But she wasn’t his.

He quietly switched off the lamp and glanced at her once more. He couldn’t pull himself away just yet.

He noticed something in her hand, clenched against her side. The moonlight revealed it—a locket. He smiled faintly as he recognized it. He had given it to her a few months ago on her birthday. She had never worn it, and Percy found himself wondering if she didn’t like it.

"I really loved this gift, Percy." Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She looked at him with bloodshot eyes, and in his gaze, she saw only despair. She frowned. “Are you okay-?”

"Tell me why," he said abruptly, his voice rough and shaking. She looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion and concern. Her hand reached out toward his face, but the moment her fingers came close, he intercepted it and pressed it tightly against his chest. "Why don't you see it? Why don't you feel the same? Why?"

The words hung in the air, raw and desperate. 

She had no idea what to say. Should she apologize for not being able to express her emotions? For closing herself off and distancing from him? For fearing that he wouldn’t love her the way she loved him?

That was no excuse. The boy standing before her looked like he was on the verge of falling apart, like he might shatter if she stayed silent for another second. 

She began to bite her nail, trying to ignore the intensity of his gaze. But she couldn’t for long, as she suddenly felt a gentle hand on her chin, lifting her face so her eyes met his. "Dreamy, I—"

He seemed to be in pain, his eyes filled with an emotion so raw that it made her heart skip a beat. She could see it in the way his brows furrowed, his jaw tightening as if the simple act of speaking was causing him distress. 

He was close to losing it. He wanted to tell her everything inside him. He wanted to say that he liked her –no, that he loved her. That he was in love with her, obsessed, whatever the word was. That he couldn't live without her. 

Percy loved her, deeply loved her, in a way that made her feel whole. But she wanted more.

And she waited, her breath caught in her chest, thinking that in this very moment, the thing she wanted was going to happen.

But instead, she only received an embrace, a soft kiss on her forehead, and a final look from him. He stood there for a moment, his eyes filled with a sorrow she couldn’t quite understand, and then he spoke, his voice quiet, distant. “I’m going to sleep.”

And with those words, he turned away, leaving her in the silence, alone with her own aching heart.

hi :) do i like this? NO I HATE IT NO ME GUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA i want them to kiss and love and all that but i don't want to rush it! anyways stay tune ;) ahre ni se si se dice así JAJAJA

[quarterlifekitty]

Cw: hybrids, blood, mentions of getting sheared lol. I included a picture of an animal with blood on it, but the animal is NOT injured.

Ngl I’ve been really into @moondirti ‘s sheep girl AU and I just remembered the existence of anti-wolf collars and uhhhhhh…. Thinking about a hybrid AU where sheep!reader is in a flock guarded by Pyrenees!König. This could work with so many of them, but I thought of him first.

He wears the traditional collar to defend him from wolves. He fights them off to keep you safe. You were the runt of your lambkin, back when he was still just being trained, and he bonded to you right away.

He follows you everywhere. Chases you anywhere. Hates that he gets worried sick when you curiously wander off.

He’s ended the lives of more predators than he can count. He tries his best not to do it in front of you. But you’ve seen it once or twice. He’s come sprinting when you’ve bleated out for him— a ways from the rest of the flock and being advanced upon by a lone wolf. It tried to tear him apart by the neck, but the collar protected him. You were found by the Shepard, pressed close to his body while his fur dripped with still-warm blood.

His heart and cock ache at the sight of you. He knows he isn’t supposed to feel this way— sheep and their guard dog often bond very closely, but not as close as you have. Despite your size, you’re a very pretty, prized thing. Your wool grows quick and full, the crimping dense and curly, with a lustrous sheen. (Uhm not to be size kink on main but maybe she’s a babydoll sheep heeheehee). You’re not just common stock— the owners will want you bred and full of lambs of your own come spring. They’ll pick out their best ram— maybe even one from another ranch— just for you. He can already see how the rams in the flock nuzzle and huff at you affectionately— a preamble to how they’ll lock horns over you once the breeding season starts proper. König puzzlingly replicates some of this behavior, maybe even unconsciously— he just yearns so deeply to be close to you.

He watches with great interest when you’re sheared. Your lanolin stems your bleeding before it can begin when you get nicked, but he licks the wound anyways. Keeps you curled with him when the wind is blowing fierce in the valley and you don’t have the wool to keep you warm.

He struggles deeply with his sense of duty. You’re a thing of value to the humans. He was born to keep you pristine and safe so they could do with you as they pleased. But he can see and hear— the way you wrinkle your nose and bleat with discomfort when being crowded by the rams. You never do that with him.

He’s only ever known loyalty. He was given a purpose from the moment he could stand a bark, and it isn’t something he takes lightly. But he’s starting to think he’d throw it all away if you only wanted him to.

There’s something about you that makes him wish more than anything that he’d been born a selfish, greedy beast instead of a noble one.

[swiftlyticklish]

Adding on to this:

I’m glad people are holding her accountable. Just because she’s a star in the music world does not equate to her being a good person. She does surface level things to keep her fans happy. But the minute you ask her to step in for the ENTIRE nation, she disappears to the MAGA crowd

She plays both sides because she wants the most fans and the most money. Deep down, I think she couldn’t stand having a woman be in more of a spotlight than her. If Kamala had won people would be screaming her name for years. She would be the front headline and not Taylor. Really, a selfish move on her part

@taylorswift

If Kamala Harris does not win this election, I hope you realize how much of an impact you made in a negative way. You have the power and the platform to change the future for the better for generations to come. Yet you decided to attend your “boyfriends” football game and hang out with guys who abuse people, are homophobic, racist and MAGA idiots who are selfish

You are showing the world that you don’t give a fuck about anyone but yourself. You get richer while your queer fans and women supporters suffer just because you refused to open your damn mouth

Why are you scared of being seen with Kamala Harris but you’re fine with being seen with the Kelce’s? Accepting gifts from the right wing extremist Hunt family?

Pennsylvania is a key swing state and yet you decided to do nothing.

And to all you hetlors going after Karlie, just know she did way more to help marginalized groups than your beloved princess. She fought for you while Taylor walked around touting her MAGA ties the night before the fucking election. And not just any election. This election is going to shape our lives for YEARS. So when shit hits the fan, just remember, Taylor hid when the country needed her the most.

[justkillingthyme]

honestly i agree with your fags on the post abt randall. even tho im not a fan of him i think ppl are too hung up on his actions as a teen versus the issues with him in the actual present day story. it would be interesting to see more of your take on him bc i agree hes one of the more complicated cases even if my opinion on him is pretty negative

Cracks my fucking knuckles. I want to preface that my take on Randall is heavily influenced by someone else and that I haven’t played MM in forever. I’m going off my shit memory and vibes here.

Randall, as a teenager, is incredibly emotionally immature. He’s reckless, selfish, doesn’t take other’s feelings into consideration, etc. That much is true. Personally I think he has audhd which contributes to his lack of awareness on other’s feelings unless there’s an outright display. He’s passionate and wants to display and get others into his interests. He drags Hershel along on adventures, gives him puzzles, etc. We don’t know enough about their relationship to say exactly how this all started or anything, but Hershel notes in his journal that he does actually like adventure. Even if Randall is forcing him to come along, it’s not entirely one sided.

Hershel has his own problems with self expression and his identity, none too helped by The Trauma. He seems pretty weak willed, backing down when Randall presses, but we do see him speak up for Angela. He is capable of saying no and being stern, but he does usually go along with what Randall does. Because he likes it. He likes adventure and puzzles and exploring.

At first going to Gressenheller was a tribute to Randall’s lost future, but if he truly hated it, he wouldn’t act the way he does in the present.

I think Randall has a tough time with boundaries. Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile. That, I believe, can also be attributed to his childhood. (Disregarding conflicting information), Randall is an only child that grew up in a wealthy household. His father seems to be somewhat cold with him, and his mother (at least during MM), seems to be coddling in the way Angela and Henry turn out to be. He grew up with Henry as his best friend. Henry his servant who isn’t allowed to do anything but what Randall wants.

He’s got a one track mind, and everything else gets pushed to the side. Other people included. He doesn’t consider that Angela might be upset with him until she’s breaking down and comparing Randall to her brother. Even then, he comforts her just enough for him to return to his task. Hershel calls him out here, because he’s being an ass. Henry stepping in de-escalated the situation, but I don’t think he was planning on actually stopping post-Akbadain. Impulse control is at an all time low at 16-18 years old, and he hasn’t stopped attention seeking behaviors. Adolescents also have a personal fable, the belief that consequences won’t apply to him. He thinks that he will be the exception.

This again brings us back to his father. A good portion of Randall’s desire for greatness stem from feeling insignificant. He wants to prove himself, whether that be to his father or others in town, not mentioning that Dalston feeds into those feelings. His feelings on Henry (that his father likes Henry more) are totally fucked, but it’s just how he perceives it. He wants to be worth it, and he wants other people to see him as worth it.

I think even if he got out of Akbadain alive, the glory wouldn’t be enough for him. Once you attain your goal you’re always going to be dissatisfied etc etc. He’s the kind of guy to always want more.

I’m going to put the present day stuff in a rb I think. This was pretty long already

[joons]

okay no wait, I'm so curious your thoughts on the elvis mythology! I'm trying to think of an example haha. anyway, thank you for that food for thought. your takes on elvis are so interesting and kind of a different perspective than I normally see

Thank you! That means a lot because I do love going into his psychology and thinking about how he thought about things. And I love being able to engage with Elvis stuff from all different angles!

I can think of a few - like there will be people who were close to him who make such absolute statements about him: he refused to wear blue jeans, he hated eating fish, he loved eating peanut butter/banana/bacon sandwiches, he was afraid of germs, he wouldn't sleep with women who were mothers. But not all of those are true for him 100% of the time, or they seem to be big outliers where no one else has reported anything like that. And as you read more, you can see moments where he behaves differently than these big eccentricities that people pin on him, and you have to think about why that might be. You pick up little clues that you can put together to figure out what he meant. Did he have an almost pathological dislike of blue jeans because they reminded him of his childhood poverty, or did he just tell one of his band members that because he had made a brusque joke about the guy wearing blue jeans in front of a bunch of people and wanted to find a way to apologize without apologizing? Was he covering up behavior he was ashamed of, or was he revealing the real shame that drove him to look his best and make sure his entourage looked their best too? Did he actually have an aversion to women after they had given birth (unlikely, since he had relationships with several mothers), or did he want to give Priscilla a reason for avoiding her that she couldn't work around, knowing that she always went overboard trying to change herself to get his attention and getting rid of things she thought were coming between them (his spiritual books/Larry Geller/etc.)? Was this just one of a long line of excuses he made for not truly being in love with her and not wanting to try anymore? Did he actually eat the same sandwich every day, or did he just make a big deal about it one time because it was Lisa's birthday and he wanted to fly her somewhere special? And the other stuff he did eat every day, did he do it because it was one of the few things in his life he had control over, and could extract comfort from, or did he do it because, as he told Larry, he wanted to make himself sick of it so that it would no longer be a temptation? And how much of these conversations are either hearsay or someone putting words in his mouth to absolve themselves of something that bothered them?

The long and short of it is that people have sometimes reported things he said or did without any surrounding context, or it gets stripped away when it's reported elsewhere, and we are left with these moments that don't make sense or tell us anything about him unless we see how he dealt with them throughout his life, around different people, and see him as a whole person and not the Elvis Image that he tended to embrace when it suited him and resent when it hurt him. A really great moment that I think shows how Elvis tended to approach things is reported by Steve Binder, where he said Parker was telling Elvis absolutely not to do something, and Steve felt like Elvis just kind of shut down and mumbled "yes" until Parker left, and then Elvis' eyes flashed and he turned to Steve and said, "Fuck him," and did what he wanted to do. He was a people pleaser! A huge one! He valued loyalty above honesty. He was willing to lie to people he cared about if he felt that it would avoid a confrontation, and sometimes that tipped into a selfish "I want to do things my way," and sometimes that tipped into a selfless "I want them to have everything I can give them." And he waffled between those extremes because of his own low self-esteem and loneliness. I'm! Screaming! About this! At all times! He is an unreliable narrator, he's such a bubble of emotions that pops with the slightly scratch, he's so complex that you are not sure if he wants the bubble to be an opaque shield or a transparent boundary that you can slip through. He was testing people all the time to know if he could trust them with his heart without expecting him to be the Elvis Image, telling them things that were an invitation and a challenge and an insult and a declaration of love all at once, and so much of the problem we deal with now is that people are still completely uninterested in these depths. I???? Love him??? And the things he can help us learn about ourselves??? Just by trying to see him as he really was????

I don't know, I just get very overwhelmed!!!!

[dinarosie]

Still, to appease the more radical purebloods and future death eaters, Snape must have internalized some of that anti muggleborn propaganda that Voldemort was spewing and the hatred his Slytherin friends were spreading. Although I'm aware that majority of the wizarding society held some superiority over muggles and I even believe many of the so called good purebloods (like the Potters) were condecensing to muggleborns sometimes, tho unknowingly, there is a difference between quiet prejudice with no ill intent and the radical bigoted beliefs that some of the wizards held. The death eaters clearly believed that muggles were human sickness and muggleborns were no better and Snape was around that rhetoric every day and later became part of its circle. I always just saw Snape as a selfish person who tried to gain more power and a sense of belonging and he was insecure enough to believe many of the bigoted beliefs that was part of Voldemort propaganda or just the overall hardcore prejudice. He called muggleborns mudbloods even when he was Lily's friend. I always imagine him as someone who would dismiss Lily's feelings about slytherins and even gaslight her about Voldemort's propaganda and her worry behind anti muggleborns rhetoric. Like he downplayed it while participating in it at the same time. We can see this with any real life prejudice existing in our world. Many people who are homophobic try to create reasons for disliking gay people and when gay people complain about their hatred, they just downplay it, make it seem like its not that big of a deal or just continue with their excuses. I can see Snape being like that. And even if his reason for joining death eaters had nothing to do with violence and hatred, he became part of it anyway and being part of something like that influences the way you think especially if you wanted to be part of it. He also became part of it during the time the violence was already known and that certainly did not stop him so he must have had some prejudices or highly ignorant beliefs towards muggleborns.

It seems like you're very determined to apply a strictly logical, real-world mindset to a fictional, fantasy world. I get that imagining a Severus Snape with deeply ingrained, extremist, anti-Muggle biases would make more sense in a real-world context and may feel more "realistic". But that wasn’t the point of Snape’s character. This is a story, and not everything needs to follow real-world logic exactly. Even in reality, not everything unfolds as expected. Snape’s character is, in many ways, an exception—he surprises audiences frequently and makes choices that don’t always align with his past actions or logical expectations. Some of these contradictions seem deliberate; Snape has to exist in this gray area for the story to hold its depth and ambiguity.

So, while Snape does associate with future Death Eaters and, at times, seems to justify their actions, that doesn’t mean he fully internalized all of their views or intended to act exactly like them. Lily did a similar thing, in a way: she mentions that she often tried to excuse Snape’s behavior or overlook his mistakes. But we wouldn’t conclude that Lily agreed with or had adopted Snape’s beliefs. Another example is Peter Pettigrew, who is almost Snape’s opposite. Peter was sorted into Gryffindor, the very house that upholds Dumbledore’s ideals and values. He surrounded himself with people destined to be future Order members, yet look at what he became. Peter didn’t just reject his friends’ beliefs; he betrayed them completely and was loyal to Voldemort for years, even plotting his friends' deaths and stayed loyal to Voldemort for years afterward, to the point of risking Harry’s life for Voldemort's return.

I don’t deny that Snape held biases and some prejudiced views, whether as a teenager or a young Death Eater. But, as I mentioned in my previous post, there’s no solid evidence that he was an extreme racist, a torturer of Muggle-borns, or someone who delighted in the idea of “cleansing” the wizarding world.

As a personal opinion, I also feel that comparing real-world homophobia to anti-Muggle sentiment in the wizarding world isn’t quite the same. Muggles and wizards have a long, tumultuous history, and at one point, Muggles persecuted wizards to the extent that they had to hide their world to ensure safety and survival. This isn’t a distant past—Hagrid even mentions in Philosopher’s Stone that Muggles would likely exploit wizards if they discovered their powers. So, while homophobia is irrational and baseless, anti-Muggle sentiments in the wizarding world, however wrong, are somewhat rooted in historical fear and survival. It’s no surprise, then, that the wizarding society hasn’t fully let go of its anti-Muggle biases, even after the wars.

[syndrossi]

Jon and Daemon arriving right behind one another is a juicy scenario I hadn't even considered.

Angst potential is definitely off the charts, especially with how it plays into Jon's curse to never know his mother, other than through stories (Lyanna) or his original counterpart's memories of Rhea. And Rhea herself is in a complicated place as a mother. I could easily see Jon hardening his heart to her memory, a bit like Resonant!Jon tries, because of what she did both with him and the twins--though I'm sure original!Jon doesn't fully let him, since she would have been a constant presence in his secret life until his kidnapping.

Honestly, even that is complicated. I'm sure Volantis's tactics included convincing him that his mother did not care to find/rescue him, and that his father clearly did not want him at all. And they had ample examples to drive that home. Perhaps they even pointed to the twins, after their birth. "See? She already replaced you." For younger Jon, especially.

Absolute agony, of course, for Rhea when she sees that he's alive and not dead like she'd been led to believe by whatever fire had been conjured to cover his disappearance. Had she known to look, how differently might things have gone? I like to think she found some peace at least in being able to give him his birthright, and his apparent love for siblings he had never met.

Very wtf for Jon though, to be sure. He's already rolling with all the punches that have been thrown his way since waking up. I think he judges Rhea and finds her wanting--Ned hiding the circumstances of his birth and raising him as his bastard came from a place of love for his sister and for Jon. Rhea hiding him away had come from a place of selfish (paranoid) fear that she might be replaced. To the outside eye, it would seem like she had not wanted to relinquish power.

Daemon's pain and confusion puts all others to shame, of course. Talk about punch after punch after punch. He has twin sons! Wait, three sons. Teens? No, one teen, two younger. This one--had been kidnapped? But now safe, with a dragon. The other two: definitely kidnapped, likely by the same bastards who took his firstborn, and BOY HOWDY does Daemon want to get to burninating Volantis. Gather up the dragon posse, incinerate the Triarchy's forces and fire a few warning shots over their Free Cities, then continue on until Volantis is leveled and no longer able to threaten his children again.

But who is available in that moment for his wrath? As you said, not Rhea. He has to be gentle for Jon's sake, to let her pass in silence as he seethes. And then in walks Allard, all but cheerfully whistling at his successful maneuvering. (I mean, he did care for Rhea and wasn't glad that she died, but what a nice inheritance to salve that sorrow!)

I think you're right. I don't know if it occurs to Jon in the moment, still reeling, but definitely after he's had some time to think things through after. When they're in the eventual debriefing with Viserys, and he wants to know how Jon knew that the twins were in danger, he has the brightest yarn to spin about the evils of Allard Royce...

I like to think that Jon pushes for him to be allowed to take the Black. Allard Royce was ambitious, but he didn't commit any actual crime, and he is no threat at the Wall.

Uuuugh but going back to Jon and Daemon and the twins now. New siblings, surrogates for Dany (Rhaegar) and...hm, himself, I suppose in little!Jon (Baelon, with Daemon getting his way). Daemon also has so much more power with Jon as an ally with Rhaegal? Like, where he has to bow and cater to Viserys's every whim and mistake in Resonant, he and Jon can just...do things. They have the carrying capacity for the twins, the might of Runestone as a refuge from which to protect their family, and dragons. Jon hears about what Crayne threatened his little brother(s) with, and he's organizing the man hunt himself across Essos, pulling Jaehaerys-style "threatening you with dragons but not actually threatening you...you hope" maneuvers to secure the cooperation of the other Free Cities. It especially helps if they did singe the Triarchy cities just a little.

Jon also protecting the shit out everyone, including Daemon, who keeps trying to be his protector and restore some of his shortened childhood to him. Jon finding it much harder to put down his sword vs Baelon, who's not strong enough to wield it and is dealing with eight-year-old emotions and limitations. Jon understanding Baelon in a way that no one else can. Seeing pieces of Dany in Rhaegar and missing them both somehow. Daemon...being like no one he's ever been close to in his life, pure intensity and warmth, more like the Free Folk than he'd ever dare tell someone so proud of his dragonlord heritage.

On the topic of what Viserys does when he has the political headache of a severely ascendant Daemon with three prophecy children... I think he cuts his Velaryon losses, possibly. Jon's dragon makes up for the loss of Vhagar, and the twins' hatchlings will only grow. So a scandal is made about Laenor's "bastards" (aka Corlys's bastards), the marriage annulled, and Viserys gets his Rhaenyra-Daemon match to both cement his loyalty and achieve future prophecy babies (he thinks/hopes) of their shared line.

Plus it would be plain cruel to skip over Daemon for his son, given Daemon's feelings for Rhaenyra and vice versa.

Jon meanwhile could be offered as a match for Laena, but it will depend on how House Velyaron feels about what happened with Laenor. Maybe Viserys eases the sting by offering to have the Crown dissolve her betrothal to the sealord's son? I could definitely see Jon being quite into Laena, given her own fire, and since he was nineteen before, a woman of twenty-three doesn't seem that old to him.

The ultimate loser in all of this is Otto and House Hightower, if Viserys gets all the things he wants, which means Otto will be doing his best to sabotage everything he can without kicking off the Dance early, which he can't afford because he has no dragons.

So I have another "what if" prompt that is very out of left field. Jon gets brought back as his 14 year old self in the 8 year old body (same as Rhaegar) only he's not the only version of himself that the got Summerhalled. They managed to grab 19 year old war vet Jon who is transported into the actual conception child Rhea and Daemon would have had. Rhaegal and Ghost come with (he doesn't get an emotional support twin so he gets 2 service pets to compensate). He's the one who stops in and saves the twins and inadvertently helps sell Daemon's fiction that the twins are true born because he is literally an older version of Jon.

This ask predates Restoration AU, I think, which is funny because it's sort of a reverse Restoration AU? Two Jons but in Resonant era, and one of them the same age as Winterfell!Jon in Restoration, while the other is the nineteen-year-old vet version.

I don't think the math quite works out for 19-year-old Jon to be the consummation baby of Daemon and Rhea's marriage unless he's a few years younger in the Dance era, and Daemon wouldn't have abandoned a trueborn son (nor would early marriage Rhea have hidden him). Maybe it works if he's 14, aka born 3 years into Daemon's marriage with Rhea, when she was much more embittered against him, though again we have to handwave that Rhea was willing to hide an actual trueborn son when Jaehaerys himself was still alive!

The logistics of Rhaegal suddenly appearing in the world would certainly be...interesting. Vet!Jon would have to be pretty clever with his explanation there! Once the Volantis shenanigans are known to him, maybe he can claim that he was kidnapped by them as a child and only recently escaped/returned to Westeros.

[daily-airimomoi-vitamins]

[Oh my god]

[oh my. god.]

[Those photos]

[The photos on the ground. Who knows how long ago. The first time you came to the back]

[The names you didn't know you did]

[Those faces, filling you with painful nostalgia]

[Those people]

"Min...ori.."

[You choked on your own tears. Tears? nono why were you crying?? no no stop that]

"oh..ohh my god.."

[Those eyes]

[The pharmacist's eyes]

...

[your tears stopped]

You..remember, don't you?

[you were shaking]

[you coward]

[in an attempt to spare yourself, you've hurt the people who needed you the most]

[you selfish coward]

"y-you...h..her.."

I must say, I'm quite envious of you. Being able to remember your origins...where you came from..

[the pharmacist trailed her fingers along the bar table]

..why you're here.

...It was never meant to be like this. You were never meant to remember but you were and so was I and I don't know what I'm remembering but it hurts and..gaah...

..damnit this hurts.

[She covered her face with her hands, running her fingers and pulling through her hair]

[Her hands were shaking]

[...but you're a coward.]

[you can't do anything]

[....you're feet slowly stepped backwards towards the door, your breathing heavy.]

[you hadn't taken into account just how big things were. Because of you, you selfish prick.]

[Minori was dead. More More Jump could've stayed together, no..]

[you could be surrounded with the people you love]

[stop please I don't want to think about this right now stop stop stop]

[you left them]

[you wouldn't know love if it were standing right in front of you.]

[just...just out of reach. On the edge of death you let your love dance and still she it is gone.]

"You...k..kept me..here..? To...'help'..me? Y..you.."

[...you didn't have the guts to face her. Not anymore. The real you is gone. She's dead...gone. You killed her...]

[...You killed her when you met Atoji Higan. When you told her your name and she gave you a new one.]

[..When you considered the unthinkable and let her take your place.]

...Coward.

[huh?]

If you're gonna leave, do it. Run, like you always do. Don't be so caught up in this, so cowardly that you can't run, even if you wanted to.

[She approached you, eyes dim, narrowed]

You. You would rather stay here and die, wouldn't you? That's what got you into all of this in the first place. You wanted to stop your feelings, shy away from your responsibilities as an idol, as a friend.

[Her voice started to break, her finger pointing towards you]

You left them. You ruined everything. You couldn't even be a coward properly! You chose this life and you couldn't even keep it.

I-Its your fault, Peachy- No no fuck!

[The pharmacist grabbed at her hair, gritting her teeth, her arms practically shaking]

s-stop it shh..shut up..shhut up..fuckk gah-!!

..Y-...You ruined everything.

nono you didn't peachy, I'm sorry, please don't go

if you had just stayed.

please don't leave me

if you hadn't had been so.. selfish..!

I did this all for you, was this not enough?

then maybe you'd still have a chance to live! But nooo, you had to throw it away...how ungrateful are you!?

...you...you've done it..you've gotten what you wanted..

Are you happy now? Hm?

"I-I'm n-"

This took more out of everyone else then what it did for you.

In an attempt to rid yourself of a burden, you provided everyone around you with tenfold.

..

[Clap. Clap. Clap]

Congratulations.

[Clap. Clap. Clap.]

[The door was right there, why didn't you run?]

[...because you were scared.]

[what would you even do then..? After all this damage you've caused, wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to go back? It'd be better for you stay and hide here. For everyone, right?]

[What...what were you even planning to do, when you figured this all out? Who on earth were you planning to tell?]

[...you want to move on.]

....

[you need to move on]

[The door was right there.]

[Now that you've decided to be a coward, you only have two options left for yourself. You feel like you weren't even choosing for yourself. A puppet controlled by the hands you made for yourself...maybe it was you, the entire time...]

[The death of your personification of grief, should she be considered as once a living thing as well?]

[...her.]

[and yourself.]

[...so you did know how to fight, huh? Just in all the wrong ways.]