#at least it is relevant for the first season

[numberonetacostan]

Me and my friends joke about this all the time, like, if the II contestants aren't immortal anymore, there are a few people on the list who need constant care to not die. First, obviously, Balloon. He can so easily be popped. It seems like most people have gotten over his season 1 attitude, so I don't think anyone would do it on purpose. But all it takes is someone to be a little too forgetful or careless, and he's gone forever. Two, OJ. He can shatter from stress. And he's glass, so I imagine he's pretty fragile. Three, taco. Oh, she's dead so fast, I fear. She's one anxiety attack away. I feel like now that she knows she can die from stress, she'd be a lot more willing to go and look for help if she feels stressed or scared, against her pride. Four, Test Tube. I think it's more likely that she has some sort of reinforced glass, though, considering she holds literal acid. And oh my god lightbulb. She shatters SO MANY times. All it takes is for someone to not look where they're throwing things for her glass to shatter. As a more minor one, Box seems very accident-prone. She keeps getting caught in water and falling down high places; I seriously doubt it won't happen again.

(this is assuming what ever the Prime Shimmers gave them ISN'T a recovery center. I know that's a pretty popular theory)

Hi Moldy!!^^ Welcome back, and thank you for sending in an ask!! :]

Yeah some of the contestants are kind of fucked? Like when Suitcase was telling Balloon that they weren't helpless, I was sitting in the cinema like "I love your girlboss attitude and confidence but he is a balloon" and then I cried some more but that's not relevant to this ask.

But speaking of Balloon!!! He can never go outside again. I have a Balloon that's months old, but that is because it has been in a closet for months. Balloon will have to go back in the closet to survive :( </3. But yeah!!! He's so very vulnerable to literally everything.

I'm putting OJ and Taco in the same spot here, because I'd (in a biased manner, of course) argue that they're the two in some of the most danger because they don't really need anything external to die!! If they spiral too hard, it's over for those gay bitches!! Balloon could at least stay nice and safe in a closet, but at literally any moment OJ or Taco could just fucking snap. At least OJ has his boyfriend, Mepad just fucking died. Taco has earned a couple crash outs after all the bullshit she's been through, I just hope they're not fatal for her.

Testy, I think will be okay, since whatever she's made up is strong enough to hold whatever wacky science liquid is in her, like you said. And she can probably invent something to keep her glass from cracking. Maybe OJ could even get in on that action too!!

Lightbulb... oh dear sweet lightbulb... yeah she's definitely at risk too. Though Painty would certainly be keeping a very close eye on her after having watched her die and all that. Lightbulb is well protected!! And since she's made of glass, Testy could help reinforce her too :)

We have already seen Box eat shit time and time again both alive and as a corpse. She is so accident prone and must avoid all bodies of water and steep hills at all costs. Though, with all that's happened I'm sure she'll be very careful.

(As for what the Shimmers gave them!! Yeah, it could be a recovery center, but as for my thoughts at least, that seems a bit... boring? Obvious, maybe? The crew has mentioned that they're probably not gonna bring Mepad back because it would take away from the emotion and depth of his original sacrifice, and it feels like it would be a similar case for the Shimmer machine. Yeah, it could be a recovery center, and it's not as though I'll be disappointed if it is, but it would negate some of the depth of the sacrifice Mephone4 and the contestants made, yeah?)

[lol-jackles]

Tbh we can fight all day about what “fans” were saying about who’s “stealing the spotlight” cause what matters now is who’s making better moves and that’s jensen. Y’all are so stuck in the past, writing essays abt what fans were saying from 10+ years ago and what your fav was doing 15+ years ago like who the hell cares????. Jared is simply not relevant anymore and he hasn’t since like the early 2010s. Jensen, who’s still stuck at B-C list is at least keeping his name in the public eye by going out for more diverse roles. Jared is relentlessly trying to force one specific image onto himself by going out for these roles that give nothing to his filmography and keep him from staying popular. You can come up all the ways to say Jensen is not taking good roles but cmon even you know that’s not true. Before he was on the brink of fading into irrelevance but he was fortunate enough to get the Soldier Boy which practically saved his career. What has Jared done of any real significance in the last 5 years since spn ended but a dog shit cancelled cw show and now a new formulaic doctor show (still texas centered)

Jared makes more money than all the SPN actors put together, yes that includes Jensen, during SPN and post-SPN.  I say Jared is still relevant because he's able to command nice salaries from CBS, which includes his executive producer title.

Not surprised to see the "2010" fixation.  Readers, I'll explain later.

So have you chided the AAs and Hellers for being stuck in the past?  No?  Yeah I thought so.  Though to be fair the AAs are always rewriting history so you would have some difficulties telling AAs to stop getting stuck in the past because which past? The 15th AU version or the delusion found in the 8th dimension?

It's always the same pattern with people like you when the silent majority isn't being silent, and then you won't say squat to the loud obnoxious fringers.  It reminds me of the "nice" Destiel shippers who keep telling non-shippers not to engage with hellers and to just stay quiet.  It's easy to see that the agenda of the "nice" shippers was to make their ship appear relevant because silence gets interpreted as agreement.

Readers, you know why AAs are so fixated on the 2010?  Because they thought season 5 was the turning point of Supernatural becoming Dean-focused and Jensen will finally get the spotlight and be on his way to a Marvel red carpet career while Jared is relegated to the has-been category.  Except that didn't happen.  Season 5 foreshadowed the season 10 debacle and the following respective season return to Sam-focused/Bi-Bro leaning formula and save the series.  

Jensen's career trajectory would have been fine without Solder Boy.  He got the Big Sky role and debuted Beau Arlen in May before Soldier Boy's debut in June.  It was Big Sky that helped him land a guest/recurring role on Tracker.  What Jensen has going for him is he is a good networker.

As always, you AAs are projecting your worst quality onto others.  As usual, you pretend that Jensen has all of Jared's best qualities, including his career.  Remember when AAs tried to claim that CBS first offered Walker to Jensen?  Yeah that was funny.  Spoiler alert, that's not how the industry works.

[demonslayedher]

What even is Kimetsu no Yaiba canon???

Good question, that's why I've done all this digging. But I've also been asked a lot about what officially released material is and is not considered canon. I am but one nerd on the internet and no authority on that and my attitude is that you should take and pick what you want to use in fan work, because it's yours. However, in a lot of my fics I love trying to stick to canon, and that also means trying to incorporate a lot of official material that Gotouge did not personally provide.

So instead of saying "this is canon, that is not canon," here is my tier list. This is especially relevant when you have two officially released materials that contradict each other. The manga has been self-contradictory too, so if you sweat too many small details, your fan work will never get done.

God-touge Tier: Content Penned by the Gator 1. The actual manga chapters, for this may be all someone has ever followed in the Shonen Jump magazines, and therefore they have no other context 2. All other material published in the 23 volumes, including Taisho Secrets, 4-panel comics, and expanded epilogue chapters 3. The two official fanbooks (also referred to by the fandom as under names like the databooks or encyclopedias), which are widely available in Japan, and (as I understand) have been at least partially translated into an official English version 4. Additional material provided for special events, like the Gotouge gallery and Mugen Ressha movie booklet for early showings (these have included Taisho Secrets not printed elsewhere)

Extremely Influential Tier: The Ufotable Anime Content 1. Ufotable's interpretation of the manga (except in cases when it contradicts Gotouge material, though these are slight, like animating a scene in the wrong season) in the TV episodes and movies as they first aired, including filler scenes based on but not found in Gotouge material (like the paper airplane contest) 2. Additional content Ufotable added later (like extra scenes for when the first arc was re-aired on Fuji TV) 3. Filler content only loosely based on the manga (like the Rengoku special)

Also Very Highly Regarded Tier: Official In-Universe Spin-Offs On the Same Shelves at Japanese Bookstores (none written by Gotouge) 1. The Tomioka and Rengoku Gaidens (except in cases when it contradicts Gotouge material, like how Rengoku got that hair color) 2. The light novels 3. Novelizations of the manga Like High-Quality Fanfiction: More Ufotable and Shueisha Content 1. Drama CDs produced by Ufotable (often just little side stories and character exploration, not major stories) 2. Kimetsu Academy, a.k.a. the official AU Spin-Off, and by extension, the "Total Concentration Drill" books that are a spin-off of the Kimetsu Academy spin-off 3. Additional art books and design books (though these are usually very careful to not introduce anything new, and merely reflect content already shown elsewhere) 4. Sometimes I am really tempted to put the Rengoku special all the way down here

Official material which I do not consider to have any baring on canon whatsoever, but which are simply fun and nice: 1. Any form of live stage performance (the musicals, the voice actors reading from scripts, concerts, the Noh adaptations, etc.) 2. Galleries like Zenshuuchuu-ten (though these usually stay entirely based on material already introduced in anime canon) 3. Tie-in collaborations 4. Any form of official sanctioned parody created by someone other than Gotouge (like the 4-panel comics compiled into a volume with the Gaidens) 5. Commentary from the directors, voice actors, etc.

Unofficial material which is fun for expanding on things but has zero baring on canon, nor should it have any influence on what the aforementioned officially sanctioned creators do with it: 1. Books that nerds have published with Kimetsu no Yaiba analysis while teaching fun facts about the Taisho period and demons and such (this is a bit of a trend in Japan, and maybe other countries have publications unabashedly capitalizing on the KnY trend) 2. Fans who create meta and headcanons 3. Fans who create fanwork out of love for the series, regardless of whether or not they stick to canon Things that make me say "nope" 1. Low-effort articles and videos that get the facts wrong 2. Fans who spread rumors by claiming something is canon, but that something is reflected nowhere in the aforementioned top four tiers 3. Anything AI-generated

[thelostgirl21]

OMG! It's never ever even remotely crossed my mind that "A Little Sacrifice" could have been written by Essi!!!

I was a bit confused re: why you said that you'd just realised it was Jaskier that had written the song, because I was like "Well, who else?"

She's a bard, too, so it could have been her!

Then again, I didn't know there was a short story called "A Little Sacrifice" and *actual mermaids* in The Witcher's lore while watching Season 3.

Hence why I initially believed this was a song that Jaskier had written to process his feelings for Radovid, and was almost disappointed finding out that it wasn't about him, but about an upcoming animated movie.

But then, I saw the ending of "Sirens of the Deep" and went "Wait. It doesn't match! So it is about Radovid!"

At the very least, to an extent.

Hence all the headcanons about Jaskier having written a first version of the song after the time he'd spent with Geralt in Bremervoord, and then continued working on it / modifying it to suit his own love story with his own Prince, later on.

About Geralt, makes a lot of sense, actually!

I mean, to Jaskier, Geralt is the one that appears to be sort of "otherworldly". A fantastic creature filled with ancient powers and... hair. Those stupid, stupid hair.

*Spoilers for Sirens of the Deep*

And now, I've just realised how funny it is that they came from the coast, reached the mountains to avoid Yennefer, FOUND Yennefer, and then, when Borch died, Jaskier basically went "Yeah, this idea was shit! Let's return to the coast! Go back to Essi, and look at the two local sirens frolick/fight for a little while, yes? "

One thing I also loved is that Sirens of the Deep sort of confirmed that one of Yennefer's appeals, as a partner for Geralt, is their shared cynism and pain over basically watching the world around them go through all these cycles - witnessing people with human lives having such short memories and repeating the same mistakes over and over again (feels especially relevant now) - while they are basically powerless to change, or truly influence them.

And it can thus be deduced that allowing himself to fully and openly acknowledge how attached he's gotten to Jaskier, and how much he appreciates having him as a life partner or "travel companion", would only bring more pain and loss down the line.

Because unless he's killed by a monster first, Jaskier will continue to age. H4 times at least 4 times 10... And he'll be 5 times 10, 6 times 10... Hopefully 7, 8, and if very very lucky 9 times 10!

But, even before then, he might slowly find it harder and more exhausting to accompany Geralt on his travels and monster hunts, dodge attacks, etc.

One mistake, or one moment of him being unable to come to his aid, is all it would take for Geralt to lose him.

In the story I'm currently trying to finish writing, there's a moment between Radovid and Geralt where he openly acknowledges that he feels relieved knowing that Jaskier now has someone to grow old with... someone that will be able to provide him with more comfortable means of transportation, good food, protection, and softer sleeping arrangements whenever Jaskier wishes to hit the road, amongst other things, tok!

(OK, and now I'm laughing thinking about Geralt traveling the path by carriage with an 80 year-old-bard, flanked by a small private royal army carrying delicious food rations and luxury camping equipment, because the husband of the King of Redania still needs to be where the action is to compose a proper ballad!)

But yeah, I guess that's why, despite how I fully acknowledge the absolutely heartbreaking and unfair impact Geralt's outburst and rejection had on Jaskier, I also can empathize with Geralt's own fears and inability to properly deal with loss at that moment.

His mother abandoned him, Renfri chose revenge over him, the woman he loves - and that he felt could understand his struggles more than anyone else - just abandoned him, too, and Jaskier will inevitably die and leave him behind whether he wants it or not. It's all too much to handle.

It's easier to leave Jaskier now, than eventually be abandoned by him, too. That way, he can pretend Jaskier never would have.

And, just as I believe that Jaskier's happy that Geralt has Yennefer now - someone that shares his almost immortality and can help him carry those burdens - I genuinely like to think that Geralt would be happy that Jaskier would have Radovid to share his shorter life with, while being able to appreciate and fully value the passage of time.

"Life's too short, do what or who pleases you, while you can," is a sentiment that Radovid can better grasp, understand, and share than Geralt.

So, even when Jaskier was attempting to connect with Geralt and comfort him after having watched Borch fall to his death, he was sadly putting emphasis on the difference between them.

Jaskier's life is too short. Geralt's life has already been too long. Watching Borch fall to his death only brought into sharp focus that people keep dying and leaving him.

Whereas it gave Jaskier a sense of urgency to not miss any moment of his too short existence.

And now, by saying that, Jaskier is sadly reminding Geralt that even if Jaskier hasn't fallen to his death alongside Borch, he'll still be dying and leaving him soon.

Yennefer and Radovid sort of allow Geralt and Jaskier to better handle those differences, because they aren't each other's only love nor source of support and companionship.

They can more fully appreciate the time they share, despite knowing that they might be forced to go on their separate ways, accompanied by a single one of their partners / travel companions (Yennefer for Geralt, and Radovid for Jaskier), for a little while.

Re: Radovid and Season 3, you've just reminded me of something else, too! Radovid knows ALL of Jaskier's songs, right?

So, he would quickly spot any change that would have been made to it, right?

Imagine Radovid catching Ciri singing "A Little Sacrifice" at some point, suddenly hearing lyrics he isn't familiar with, listening to it to the very end, and then excitedly going, in full 'fanboy mode': "Oh my Gods, Jaskier! You've added more verses to your song, and they are brilliant! But wait. I thought Agloval's transformation went well, and he immediately took to being a merman like - well, a fish in the water? What do you mean 'If he sinks to darkest night? I don't underst - "

*Cue him noticing how Jaskier has increasingly started blushing.*

"Oh! Oh... A-hem, yeah... I mean, my swimming was pretty shit..."

*Cue Jaskier blushing even harder.* "Shut up. Your swimming was fine, the currents trying to pull you under sucked!"

Poor Ciri is trying to figure out what's suddenly going on, and Geralt is just going "Don't worry, even I can never tell if they're frolicking or fighting."

@thelostgirl21 your post made me realise that... Jaskier did write A Little Sacrifice. Now my head is spiraling into subtext from every side. I can't keep up lol

For if your goal be paradise

A life with your true love

Ponder all your wants in life

And make a little sacrifice

[eternalwanderer-stories]

Usually, Jinx is compared to Harley Quinn – you know, firearms, insanity, sick codependent relationships and all that sort of thing. Jinx in LOL even got the nickname "Harley Queen of Runeterra" (and maybe for the game version it's even fair to some extent, but I still don't like it).

But to me, Jinx has a lot more of the Joker in it. And it's not about the madness itself or the love of sophisticated and spectacular traps, but in some aspects of the philosophy of his behavior.

In the 2008 film "The Dark Knight", the Joker utters one of his legendary phrases (if you haven't watched the movie or forgot about this fragment, then you can watch it here):

Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it!  You know, I just, do things. The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon’s got plans. You know, they’re schemers. Schemers trying to control their little worlds. I’m not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how, pathetic, their attempts to control things really are.

And it's actually so much like Jinx.

______________

Do I really look like a guy with a plan?

You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it! 

You know, I just, do things.

Interestingly, even in the League of Legends itself, Caitlyn has this voice line when she first meets Jinx: "Is there a point to this madness, Jinx, or is it just a channel for your pain?

Jinx's psychological trauma has become a determining factor for almost all of her actions. It cannot be said that Jinx has no purpose at all in her actions (if we are talking about specific actions like stealing a stone or going to help save Vander), however, globally, among the many important figures like the Piltover Council or Silсo, who have a very clear plan and prospects for its development, but Jinx is really like that dog running after the car. The desire for love and for its mechanical gadgets to work is not a plan per se, but rather it is an unrealized natural human need. Jinx is unpredictable and impulsive – you really can't predict what a girl might do at any given second. Moreover, impulsive action always comes to the fore, and its consequences and causes seem to fade into the background.

This is and the shot at the girl-firelight who looked like Vi, and this is the explosion of a bomb in her hands on the bridge during a fight with Ekko, and the decision to steal a stone after a failed mission with shimmer, and the decision to arrange an ominous "family dinner" in the last episode for Vi, Silco and Caitlyn, rocket launch into the Piltover Council building – all these are impulsive actions caused by a specific trigger. Jinx doesn't know what she will do with the consequences of the action she has committed – she has a trigger and just do the thing.

She, like the Joker, can perfectly cope with thinking through her clever traps and she has succeeded in creating her weapon (as a certain planned actions), and yet "I just do things" is actually always at the center of everything.

The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon’s got plans.

You know, they’re schemers. Schemers trying to control their little worlds.

The Piltover Council has plans. Silo has plans. Ambessa has plans.

Big and Important People have their grand plans and try to control their own worlds. Piltover is busy researching Hextech and developing trade with the help of new technologies, Ambessa is trying to strengthen her position to protect her family and to get her hands on weaponized Hextech, Silсo is trying to achieve independence for Zaun, simultaneously developing the use of shimmer in various directions.

The Main Pieces on the chessboard, protected by pawns, determine the course of a large and intricate game, each in its own world.

I’m not a schemer.

I try to show the schemers how, pathetic, their attempts to control things really are.

But there is one hand that just knocks down the entire chessboard, breaking the course of the whole game. From the most important pieces to the small pawns, all plans are destroyed, the whole course of the game is turned upside down.

The kids sneaked into Jayce's apartment to steal something valuable - Oh, the friendly company of Powder, sandwiches and explosive crystals has a surprise for you.

The kids ran to rescue Vander – Hooray, Powder's bomb finally worked!

Silco planned an important shimmer delivery – Well, we know how it all ended.

Firelights trying to sabotage the shimmer supply – Receive backfire.

Piltover decided to use Hextech for his own purposes – Well, you've already lost one stone.

Jayce wanted Jinx arrested – Get ready for war, man.

Vi and Silco wanted to establish a relationship with Jinx – Get a crazy dinner with the whole family at the end.

Piltover has made an important decision regarding the Zaun and using their own technologies – Congratulations! But it's too late, catch the Jinx rocket right in your face.

Jayce and Viktor have come to a final decision about their research the hard way – It's great, but Jinx rocket is still flying at you.

All plans – from small to global – were destroyed. The difference between the Joker and Jinx is that the Joker is well aware that he spoils all the plans of the schemers and consciously assumes the role of someone who shows how pointless all this is and can be destroyed at any moment. Jinx does this unconsciously (but even if she is aware, it is only partially). Jinx doesn't assume the role of an "agent of chaos". Jinx, as the true "jinx", is the very agent of chaos, its source of embodiment and is its natural essence.

Could Piltover control her? — no.

Could Vi and Vander control her? — no.

Could Silco control her? – no (of course, he influenced her as a father figure and mentor, but has Jinx ever been an obedient daughter?)

Primordial and uncontrolled chaos that no one is able to curb.

Schemers can make their plans as much as they want, but there is always someone who will show how ridiculous and pathetic their attempts to control something look.

All plans will eventually be destroyed.

Because of Jinx.

[anoant-haikyuu-dump]

Ukai doodle with the chunky brush

[sammygender]

i do genuinely think s7 is decent but even if it wasn’t it’d be like crack to me considering it’s an entire season essentially centred around sam’s trauma. it’s the closest we ever get to the show properly genuinely acknowledging the things it puts him through. which is ironic considering it’s also before many many other things he goes through!

[seaweedstarshine]

Hi! Long time no yap but I've been really bothered by this thing and I know you're just the person I can go to with this (even if we don't always end up agreeing at times).

I got into a tiff with someone in a comments section of a post that was about Amy (Which character do you think deserved to become a villain? or something similar). They brought up Amy's abuse of her boyfriend. I may have tried to defend Amy (key word is tried. I am officially rubbish at debating) but then I may have said something? Because they said that I (and apparently a lot of other fans) was excusing Amy's abuse because of her trauma. It got me stumped because isn't young Amy's treatment of Rory rooted in her trauma? Did I miss the memo where we separate trauma and abuse? Am I missing something?

That statement bothered me a lot because if there's one thing I never want to do it's defend an abuser. So here I am, humbly asking and hoping to clear the muddy waters.

Your really confused and disturbed moot, Tia 💌

TIA!!!!! Thanks for the ask 💌 , and I send you all the hugs.

Discussion of abuse, trauma, ableism, infidelity, and unhealthy relationship dynamics beneath the cut.

(First off… while I really appreciate your faith in my explaining skills <3 <3 <3 my passion for traumatized characters and mentally ill+neurodivergent rights doesn't make me especially qualified to fully clear muddy waters especially not knowing the full context, but I feel you, and what follows is my informed perspective!)

Speaking generally first, harm done in media is best examined by the impact on the audience, with a different lens than harm done to real people. While relatable experiences in media can be useful and validating and incredibly important, you can’t be “defending an abuser” when the abuse is fictional. It's actually normal for traumatized/ND/mentally ill people to project onto mentally ill villains, when villains are the only significant representation for those stigmatized symptoms in a media landscape that excludes and demonizes us simply for existing. RTD can't stop people who hallucinate from reclaiming the Master's Drums and projecting onto the Master, for example — 90% of the best Doctor Who psychosis fic by psychotic authors is about the Master, whether RTD likes it or not. It's not true crime.

(This is speaking generally. Amy Pond is very much not the Master.)

Abuse is a behavior, and there can be many reasons for it, but reasons based in trauma don’t make it not abuse (some forms of generational trauma can propagate abusive parenting styles, when the parent thinks abusive parenting is normal, or lives entirely vicariously through their child). This absolutely should not be taken to mean trauma correlates with abusive behavior; rather that abusive behaviors from traumatized people are more likely to present in specific ways.

Abuse is also a targeted behavior, based in control — not consistently displayed C-PTSD symptoms as seen in Season 5 Amy Pond through many aspects of her life. Mental health symptoms don't become abuse just because they hinder one partner from meeting the other partner's needs. Any life event can do that.

Without knowing the context of the arguments, this is the aspect of their relationship I've seen you talk about before (which I also feel strongly about), and what I assume is what you were debating? So, here I will talk specifically in regard to Season 5.

We all know Amy — she's never attached to Leadworth because she never wanted to leave Scotland, no steady therapist because none of them stick up for her, can't stick with one job yet her first choice is a job that simulates intimacy because her avoidant behavior (a known trauma response) isn't sustainable to her wellbeing. Rory knows her fears of commitment stem from her repeated abandonments, it’s why he’ll always wait for her, and it's why he blames the Doctor “You make it so they don't want to let you down.”, who apart from having caused a lot of her trauma, has actively taken advantage of her being the “Scottish girl in the English village” who's “still got that accent,” because he wants to feel important, so yeah, I think interpreting Amy's issues (and how Amy and Rory transverse them) as Amy abusing Rory indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of their relationship, as well as a misunderstanding of the (raggedy) Doctor’s role in Amy’s formative self-image (which of course she works through in Season 6, but I am sticking to Season 5).

Abuse is always based in control. That just doesn’t fit here. While Amy's detachment from her real life includes things like calling Rory her “kind of boyfriend” (which she is upfront about to his face; differing commitment levels isn't abuse, though it can be a relationship red flag for both parties IRL) — her Season 5 disregard of Rory’s feelings occurs only in response to the fairytale embodiment of her trauma. It's never a response to Rory; it's a response to the Doctor, who stole her childhood and led her by the hand to her death. She cheats on Rory with the Doctor in her bedroom full of Doctor toys, drawings, models, she made from childhood to early adulthood.

(And yes, like many repeatedly-traumatized people, Amy is prone to being sensitive and reactive. Take her “Well, shut up then!” line in The Big Bang; but given Rory responds to this by hugging her, clearly he doesn’t take it as her actually dismissing him. He knows her better than that.)

And by no means do I meant to imply this is fair to young Rory, poor Rory, who's left struggling with the feeling that his role in her life is in competition with the role of her trauma (aka the Doctor). But not every unhealthy relationship dynamic is unhealthy because of abuse. Labelling Amy's treatment of Rory in Season 5 more accurately isn't the same as excusing her harmful choices — but making mistakes is part of being human, Amy's mistakes are certainly understandable, and she works through them out of love for Rory.

If there's one thing to say about Moffat women, it's that Moffat allows his female characters the same grace that the male characters *coughTENcough* have always had, to hurt and struggle and make realistic mistakes and overcome those mistakes and to heal without being demonized.

Amy isn't perfect, but she is a fully realized character, and her story gives us a resonant depiction of childhood trauma.

[lovecolibri]

How DARE Brennan bring 12 Brooks back to hurt us! At least the Great Bullfrog wasn't killed but OOF this whole scene is Bad Vibes, and that Wizard Keen Eursolon was talking to gives me the heebie-jeebies.

[dennisboobs]

watching ap bio past season 1

[butcharyastark]

rewatching black sails as a silver stan is very fun bc its like whoo cheering foreshadowing the narrative etc. rewatching black sails as a max stan is very unfun bc its constantly like plot i hate relationship i hate scene i hate character i hate for wayyyy too much of her screentime.

[thekittenkait]

me, watching the preview for next week's black pean episode, crying: please don't give sera a girlfriend please dont give sera a girlfriend please don't give sera a girlfriend

[h-i-raeth]

"Time And Hearts Will Wear Us Thin" Please!

From this

it's still technically wednesday

Obviously that’s no longer an option, and now he’s set a precedent for romance rather than no-strings fun. It doesn’t take casual sex completely off the table, but it does mean he has to be careful to be clearer about expectations, and girls are more likely to be offended by a lack of romantic interest. It’s one thing to be just not looking for anything serious, and another to not be looking for something serious with them, specifically.

It’s what makes Billy appealing. He’s a bad idea in a violent package, but he’s clearly into Steve on a physical level, and he’s just as clearly not about to expect romance from him. He’s also unlikely to ask him well-meaning questions about shit Steve can’t hope to give any real answers to. And he has backed off of the kids, since that night at the Byers. 

Not exactly a glowing endorsement, but enough of a sign of humanity that Steve thinks they can make a no-strings arrangement work.

So two months after his second brush with real, honest to god monsters, Steve decides to do something about the sexual tension between himself and Hargrove.

[keepthedelta]

okay it's kinda specific but is there any brocedes fact that is often overlooked but you think that is essential (or perhaps gives a new approach) to the lore?

that's such a good question. i have several, i hope you don't mind

the first one is the "he'll always be my best friend in my heart" quote. i've seen a lot of people use it as a very earnest declaration etc. (or if they believe in the nico is obsessed with lewis shit as a sign of that) but it was actually nico making a joke when he was doing commentary (on the italian comms i think). he was asked a question about lewis and jokingly/sarcastically said "in my heart he'll always be my best friend", and then immediately clarified that it was a joke (maybe recognising the narrative that would be spun around it). i know this seems kind of anti-brocedes but i do think it is essential to the lore that people recognise nico is not a weird as fandom likes to make out. he's absolutely weird, and he's definitely not normal about lewis, but he's not obsessive, and he feels comfortable enough making jokes about them. when you contrast that with lewis who either refuses to say nico's name in conversations where he is the most relevant person (the better teammates than max interview) or brings him up unnecessarily and then panics about it (grill the grid), i think it changes the dynamic of who is yearning, who is "over it", who is winning the idgaf war (it's neither of them but the difference is lewis lost by playing and nico is open enough about giving a fuck that he's not pretending to play). i am biased, but i also think that if you look back at them during their careers, lewis was always weirder about nico than nico was about him, although again, neither of them can truly be described as normal about each other.

then there's nico beating lewis in the 2004 f3 series that they shared. the narrative of brocedes describes it as lewis always beating nico, lewis being the one to win and nico always being slightly behind. and largely this is true. but in 2004 they were both competing in the 2004 f3 european series, albeit for different teams. neither of them won, but nico narrowly beat lewis. now they were in different teams and nico himself has said that some teams had better cars and equipment than others and that made a difference in the end result. but, nico still beat lewis. he had nearly double the number of dnfs/dns (6 to lewis's 3) and triple the number of wins (3 to lewis's 1), finishing highest of all the entrants who eventually made it to f1 (nico himself, lewis, adrian sutil and robert kubica). but nico himself barely seems to remember this. the narrative of lewis always being better, always beating him, is something he seems to have internalised, even though it isn't quite true, or at least, not as true as people make out.

my third bit of lore is that mclaren wanted to sign nico for the 2008 season. following the drama of fernando alonso (affectionate) and spygate, mclaren had an open seat and ron dennis wanted to fill it with nico. he even offered to buy out nico's contract from williams, but frank williams viewed nico as their best hope and refused. the driver that eventually ended up replacing fernando was heikki kovaleinen, nico's gp2 rival and 100% finnish to his 50% (yes nico's national identity crisis does come into this). lewis ended up winning the championship that year. heikki took only 1 victory, and while i think lewis would have beaten nico, i think nico wouldn't have been a doormat for him like heikki, and would have won at least a couple of races, which would have allowed felipe massa and ferrari to succeed. in many ways i think an argument can be made that nico not getting that mclaren seat really helped lewis to win his first championship, in the same way that if lewis hadn't gone to mercedes, nico would have won three, or if nico had stayed, there is a very real possibility that sebastian vettel would have won 2017. their presence and their success dooms the other, and it always has.

my final thing is that they are the most successful teammate pairing in f1 history. it kind of links back to the last one, where the fact that they are each as good as they are hurts the other one, unlike a lewis and valtteri line up or a michael and rubens line up where there is a distinct number one driver and the other one is to be sacrificed for him. but, even though both of those pairs were together for longer (nico and lewis aren't even in the top 5 longest teammate pairings), it takes more than a number 1 number 2 driver lineup to be the most successful. it takes nico and lewis, who are both number 1 drivers (don't come for me on this, nico would have flattened the likes of valtteri, rubens, or mark webber and you know it). although they were only teammates for four years (and one of those was a sebastian vettel/red bull dominance year) they achieved more pole positions, front row lockouts, wins, podiums, and 1-2 finishes than any other pairing in f1 history. they were utterly, utterly dominant, and that's why they hurt each other so badly. they were the dream team, the absolute best f1 could come up with, but they weren't just competing as a team, they were competing against each other, and only one of them could win

[dendroseelie]

sweet distractions | alhaitham x reader

alhaitham doesn't appreciate being disturbed while he's trying to work and if you don't stop bugging him just because you're distracted, he'll simply have to take matters into his own hands and take his own sweet revenge.

word count - 2k+

pairing - alhaitham x reader; afab!reader

warnings - smut (mdni), oral sex (f!receiving), does this count as public sex lol? i think so

author's note: took longer than i wanted because i got super busy with irl stuff but here it is!! hehe :3 smexy time with alhaitham and as always, i would love it if you leave your thoughts :)

masterlist

request here | rules

When you agreed with Alhaitham to have a late-night study session in a secluded corner at the Akademiya’s grand library, you didn’t think you would be in this position. Three hours ago you both had your noses buried in the books and now, well - Alhaitham had his nose buried in you.

Assignment season was in full swing at the Akademiya. The dreaded middle-of-the-semester workload had students consuming way too much caffeine and staying up way too late. You were not immune to this. This week you had already turned in a total of ten assignments and you were working on your eleventh one which you had to turn in tomorrow. You had been putting this one off the longest as it was for the module you disliked the most. You couldn’t help but leave it for the last minute, something rather unlike you.

Alhaitham had kindly offered to keep you company - that is, study at the same table in the library - for the night as the two of you worked on your separate tasks. The first hour or two went by in relative silence before you started getting antsy. You hated this assignment, I mean who would in their right mind write five thousand words about “The Cultural and Socioeconomic Effect of Growing Radishes instead of Carrots”? You weren’t even sure it was relevant to what you were majoring in, let alone studying. It was frustrating, You generally weren’t the kind to slack off and not put in effort into the work you turned in. You were someone who cared about the quality of assignments you turned in and what you were learning. But this damned paper… What could you possibly write about radishes and carrots that could be invigorating to read? 

You sighed frustratedly, pushing away the books you had gathered earlier as if it would make your assignment magically disappear. Your mind felt completely numb after working on this for hours at a stretch - one could only read so much about root vegetables.

Alhaitham, on the other hand, was completely engrossed in whatever he was writing about. His unwavering attention to the task at hand made it seem like it was interesting…But, well, you were not finding your own task very appealing. At least, not as appealing as the sight in front of you. Alhaitham was clad in a cream-coloured shirt, his sweater thrown over the back of his chair. His brown pants complimented his long legs and his shoes were halfway kicked off. By some miracle, his headphones were off today. His thin-rimmed glasses were perched upon his sharp nose and you couldn’t help but admire how the few strands of his ashy hair fell over his forehead. You almost wanted to reach out and tuck them back in place.

“Quit staring you creep.”

You feel your face flush, gaze immediately flickering away. You clear your throat. “I wasn’t staring.”

Alhaitham’s lips curve into a barely-there smirk. He looked smug - somehow, that pissed you off and charmed you just the same. “Sure, darling. You absolutely were not staring holes into my skull just now.”

“I wasn’t!” You insist indignantly, eyebrows bunching up into an ingenuine frown.

He still doesn’t look up from his assignment as he continues working. “Whatever, Y/N. Get back to your work and let me be in peace too.”

You scowl at his steady focus. You were mind-bogglingly bored and here he was, writing away - his sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms, hair falling over his eyes just… so perfectly.

You try and turn your attention back to your work, you really do. But it was all…Alhaitham’s fault - him and his insufferably, stupidly handsome face. You try to continue writing your assignment, highlighting how switching between carrots and radishes will essentially affect culinary practices and in turn, affect the culture in the long run. But. But Alhaitham’s lips pursed between his teeth, the pink tips of his pale fingers, the rings clad on the length of them, the slow blinks of his gorgeous green eyes…were so much more interesting. So much more inviting.

It truly was as if you were captivated; eyes following the smallest of his movements like a kitten learning to hunt. 

Alhaitham’s deep sigh and the clatter of his pen as he drops it pull you out of your trance. You return his sharp gaze with a blank gaze, blinking dopily. “Okay Y/N, what’s up with you? What’s got you so distracted tonight?”

“You,” you answer, only half-consciously.

He arches his brow, a thinly veiled simper stretched on his lips. “Me?” he enquires, voice dripping with a teasing lilt.

You flush at his words, internally cursing yourself for your loose lips - but also him, because that was also his fault! 

“What? Cat got your tongue, darling?”

You roll your eyes at him, huffing. “Don’t bug me!”

“Bug you? I’m not the one gawking at you instead of working.”

“I was not gawking!” You protest - uselessly at that because it only makes Alhaitham chuckle cockily.

For a few seconds, Alhaitham watches you carefully, eyes taking in your flushed cheeks and your short breaths, and your tongue peeking out to wet your parted lips. He slowly tilts his head to the side, eyes drinking in the sight in front of him like a predator studying its prey. Then he smiles wolfishly. Your heartbeat stutters.

Alhaitham stands up from his seat, stalking toward you. His arms cage you in as you lean back against the chair. “What is it, hmm?” He bends towards you, words spoken softly right into your ear. “Finding the sight a little too distracting, perhaps?”

“N-no.”

“Really?” He asks, his hand coming up to tuck your hair behind your ear, trailing down the side of your cheek. His thumb brushes over your lips. “I could help, you know? Ward off the distractions… You just have to admit it.”

“Th-there’s nothing to admit,” you fumble over your words, tongue staggering at the feeling of his lips trailing the path of his hand like a phantom of his touch.

You swear you can feel his tongue on your ear as his fingers find their way into your hair. “Sure about that, darling? I could simply satisfy you, have you twitching in a much more interesting way.”

A sound somewhere between a whimper and a moan escapes you as Alhaitham places a wet kiss to your jaw, teeth grazing the side of your neck. He has the audacity to laugh. “Hmm, maybe I should also get my revenge for how you keep distracting me…What do you say?”

At your soft words of consent and a nod, Alhaitham does not waste a moment before his lips press into yours. His lips are softer and more pillowy than you had imagined. And… well you had imagined it embarrassingly often. His mouth coaxes yours open and the kiss turns sloppier, messier in a way that has you whining into the heated press of flesh.

Alhaitham’s hands shift down from your neck to the dip of your waist, grip squeezing. He nips at your lips before breaking apart, a line of spit stretching from your mouth to his. Both your eyes seem to be glassed over, minds a little too cottony.

He presses another fleeting kiss to your lips before he mutters, almost as if in a stupor. “Taste so sweet…”

He shoves the books on the table to the side, before yanking off his glasses. His grip on you is strong and unforgiving as he pulls you up from the chair and perches you onto the table. He presses wet kisses down the expanse of your neck. “I need you to be quiet for me, darling. Can you do that?”

You nod. Words seem to have left you. Alhaitham’s hands skim down the fabric of your dress as he kisses you, ghostly touch leaving goosebumps in its wake. His hands massage the soft flesh of your thighs, the skirt of your dress riding up as he stands between your legs.

His kisses are feverish over your skin as he slowly sinks down to his knees in front of you, between your limbs. “Remember to be quiet, okay?" He instructs you, as he props your legs over his shoulder. We don’t want anyone coming down to this section.”

A breathy agreement later, Alhaitham is nibbling at your thighs as he nears where you need him most. He follows his bites with a lick of his tongue and simply this has you trembling in his hold. Before you know it, his fingers are hooking on the elastic of your underwear and tugging it down in one, swift motion. The cold air that hits your core barely has a moment to make you shiver before his lips are on you.

What a sight to see indeed. Hours ago the two of you were occupied with your books and assignments. Wouldn’t one agree this kind of preoccupation was much more welcome?

He had you seated on the edge of the library's opulent mahogany table while your skirt was bunched up around your hips and your legs were thrown over his shoulders as he diligently ate you out. His tongue was skilled in its movements, swirling over your sensitive nub in a way that had you twitching. His palms had your thighs in a vice grip, fingers flexing over it as you shook under him.

Your vision swims. It’s as if there are sparks under your eyelids, your own personal star shower that Alhaitham has brought right to you. At least, that’s what his mouth on you feels like; an experience ethereal and cosmic enough to have you whimpering his name like a prayer. Reverent echoes of ‘Alhaitham’ bounce off the bookshelves and back within the sanctity of the moment. Alhaitham hums, acknowledging your pleas, the sound sending shivers through you. If your whispers of his name were a prayer then what was he, if not a deity on his knees, consuming nectar so divine that it could rival the heaven’s ambrosia. 

“S-shit Alhaitham,” your voice comes out high pitched, sounding nearly unfamiliar to you.

Alhaitham nips you in response before he looks up from between your legs. His mouth is glistening — from spit and your arousal, and the mere sight of it has you clenching. “M’not done, sweetheart. Be good and let me finish, hmm?”

He dives back in before you can answer, his tongue prodding at your entrance in a manner that has you grabbing a fistful of his hair. Alhaitham’s hands tighten around the supple flesh of your legs, pulling them apart as you close your thighs around him. He groans, mouth still on you, and the vibrations of the sound hit you straight in the core. The feeling of your impending orgasm only grows as his finger joins his ministrations, the cold press of his rings urging you on. The knot in your stomach keeps tightening and tightening until a particular curl of his tongue and the bite that follows it sends you over the edge. You thrash in his hold as your orgasm washes over you, biting the back of your hand to curb the wanton moan that escapes you.

Alhaitham is still lapping at you, helping you ride out your high until you finally push his head away out of over-sensitivity. He presses scattered kisses to the inside of your thighs, before he looks up at you, a Cheshire grin resting upon his lips. “Doing okay?”

“Huh…? Shit.” Your words are thick with the lingering pleasure, your mind fuzzy and your eyes hooded as you raise yourself on your arms to take a peek at Alhaitham who is still on his knees. His fingers knead the flesh of your hips, the feeling of it grounding and comforting. “Yes. Yes, I’m okay.”

“You sure?” He chides cheekily. “You still look plenty distracted to me, Y/N.”

“Fuck you,” you whisper, voice still breathless. Your cheeks are burning and your heart is still racing from the exquisite taste of pleasure that he brought to you. He had made a mess of you with just his tongue, and you couldn’t help the anticipation that shot through you at his suggestive insinuations. 

Alhaitham’s smirk deepens and he arches his brow. “Oh? I'll be so honoured Y/N, but are you sure you want our first time to be on the library table?”

author's note: phew okay guys this is actually the first time I've written smut like this so I'm a bit?? I'm not sure if it's up to standard but I tried TT would love and welcome any constructive feedback you may have :) most of all though, i hope you enjoyed!

[sleepystargaze]

Why You May Not Relate to Vi's Choices in Season 2

Vi is an adult who was parentified as a child, and her actions are largely influenced by the lasting psychological effects.

If you aren't familiar, parentification is when children become caregivers in their families and take on responsibilities that are inappropriate for their age. These responsibilities are often beyond their capacity, either because they lack the knowledge or the emotional maturity to perform these adult roles.

In Vi's case, she was largely left to care for the well-being of her siblings in the place of a consistent parental figure. And likely even before they lost their parents, Vi was left to care for Powder when her parents could not. The show literally starts with Powder in the care of Vi. Which can also explain why Vi was very deeply affected by the loss of their parents, while Powder was not, since Vi would likely have been her primary caretaker.

In adults, this generally can results in:

difficulty functioning independently

a greater risk of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse

difficulty setting boundaries: generally neglecting oneself to satisfy the needs of others

trouble relinquishing control

feeling a need to be a peacekeeper

tending to be a "fixer"

There are other things, but the ones above are the ones relevant to this discussion and they constitute a significant majority of the signs in adults. So, with this context in mind, let's take a trip down memory lane.

Inmate 516

Humans don't exist in a vacuum, but Vi lived in the closest mental equivalent of it with her time in Stillwater. I don't think it's a stretch to assume the Vi that Caitlyn meets is much more emotionally grown than the young teenager who was dragged off by Marcus.

The one thing I've gleaned from the show about Vi's time here is that she has this Schrodinger's Powder thing going. She tells conflicting stories to Caitlyn and Jinx, but neither seem like a lie. She believed, or "knew", her sister was dead but persisted with the thought that she'll get out and return to Powder some day.

So, to survive her years at Stillwater, the only thing keeping her going is this idea. Her own self-preservation is reliant on this feeling that she could return to not only Powder, but also the way things were. She still wants to take care of her sister. And honestly, it's only further reinforced by Vander's last words, "Take care of Powder."

Enter Caitlyn from stage right, detective extraordinaire, bearing the sole evidence that Powder is, in fact, alive. Vi's daydream becomes a reality and she wastes no time shooting any shot she can to get out of Stillwater.

A Little Walkabout with a Piltie: Part 1

Gather round ladies and gentleman, here we have our top hits under the "trouble relinquishing control" category, featuring:

"Too risky": a tale of avoiding bathyspheres.

"Don't you wanna blend in?": There are easier ways to get people out of their clothes, but I guess forcefully throwing clothes you just stole off a stranger 5 minutes ago works, too.

"We're here because I'm hungry.": Not the best first date, but at least the food was good.

And a fan favorite, "You're hot, Cupcake."

Jokes aside, all of these actions are meant to maintain control over Caitlyn. This is Caitlyn's investigation, Caitlyn released her, and Caitlyn is an enforcer. All things that should give her control, but Vi is not having any of that knowing Powder is out there. Thing is, though, the result would likely be the same if she did let Caitlyn have more agency. Afterall, they are looking for the same person. The only thing she is gaining by doing these things is the control itself.

A Little Walkabout with a Piltie: Part 2

Well, our favorite redhead runs off to get stabbed and has to be nursed back to health by Caitlyn. Here, we have a significant dynamic shift. Caitlyn tells Vi she has a "good heart." Right before Vi passes out, she hears Vander telling her the same echoing in her head. When she wakes she sees:

Vander and her mom, Felicia, were Vi's major caretakers growing up. When Vi becomes conscious to her surroundings, she's met with Caitlyn caressing her face. Suddenly, Vi is associating these people's care for her with Caitlyn. It is exactly at this time that Vi begins opening up and allows Caitlyn to act as a caretaker.

Flash Forward to Tragedy

Well, we all know what happens, but the major takeaways here are Caitlyn has suddenly lost a parent and Vi has realized she can no longer help Jinx, she cannot "fix" her.

Caitlyn is no longer in a position to care for Vi in the way Vi needs, and Vi needs someone to care for. The roles in their relationship have suddenly been reversed. When Caitlyn opens up about the void her mother left, she says, "It's all coming apart."

Vi tells her "We won't let it."

If Caitlyn needs to keep things together and needs to feel control in her life again, then that is now also what Vi needs.

The Grim Truth of the Matter

Honestly, the most harmful thing for people who were parentified as a child is the fact that it becomes extremely difficult for the person to prioritize themselves over others, especially the ones they love regardless of if those loved ones treat the parentified adult fairly or not. You would be amazed the degree to which a parentified individual will let themselves turn a blind eye and forgive and sacrifice themselves.

I think a lot of people found Vi's story arc dissatisfying in season 2, because a lot of it relied on other people and her making seemingly uncharacteristic choices. Like her purpose in the show was solely to help other storylines. The sad truth is, parentification creates a severe lack of sense of self, and I think this is the biggest hidden battle for Vi throughout season 2. Who is she when she isn't acting in the interest of others? What needs to happen for her to let all of that go? How do you show that?

It doesn't feel great, because at the end she's only at the beginning of her healing journey. And if you have trouble relating to her struggles, you probably can't relate to the struggles of parentification, yourself. It's hard to understand the effort required to let go, and by the end, Vi has. I think my favorite representation of this change is how she has less bindings as the story progresses until, by the end, she has none. She has finally unburdened herself and is learning to prioritize her own needs, and now she can finally begin to properly heal.

No, it's not the most satisfying ending for a character arc, but not all major wins end in thunderous applause and fanfare.