#but for some reason as a child I expected to have to negotiate in one or be in one at some point????

[look-at-the-stars-tonight]

I thought hostage situations would be a bigger problem in my life as an adult

[lucysarah-c]

hello! hope ure doing well!

i have a qyestion, do you think levi would be the typw to show affecrion to his partner infront of his kids?

and do you think he'll ever be too occupied with their child (considering his childhood and the fact that he wants his kid to have a good life), he'll end up neglecting his partner?

also! i absolutely adore your account! i love how you write levi! keep it up<3

Hi, dear! I'm doing just fine! How about you?

I hope you weren't expecting headcanons or a one-shot about this, haha. It's because my requests are closed, so I don't mind answering questions, but I'm not taking requests. <3 I hope you understand!

Let's start from the beginning because I have a tendency to ramble. I think Levi would be an affectionate partner in front of his kids to a certain degree. He would like to have an overall lovely household, but he's also Levi. Probably his kids would notice his affection toward his partner in subtle ways, like being the one who makes breakfast for the household since he wakes up first, especially on special occasions like Mother's Day. I can 100% picture Levi kissing his partner's neck while they are finishing some tasks before bed and hugging them from behind. His kids might notice this from the stairs as they are "supposed to be asleep." Maybe Levi would even slow dance a little bit, you know. He wouldn't get too handsy because you never know when a kid might come running down because they threw up or something like that. Maybe he would always remember to buy something on his way home that he knows his partner likes.

I feel like Levi's affection would be more subtle than perhaps other partners, but his kids would absolutely know they love each other.

I gave a lot of thought to the second question, and I think my overall answer would be "no." I feel like Levi, if he had the chance to choose (like if there were contraceptives in the SNK world), would like to be a father when he truly feels he could be a present partner and father. I dare to say that's non-negotiable for him. If for some reason mistakes happen, he and his partner would consider if they have the time and money (kids are expensive) to be parents. After that, I think Levi would do his absolute best to be present in both his child's and his partner's lives. I mean "overall" because which couple hasn't lost a bit of touch with each other while having kids? I think it's a regular issue, and if Levi's partner brings up that they feel less "noticed," Levi would make an effort.

I 100% believe that if Levi notices you two have your hands full with one kid and he can't pay you attention, he won't have another.

Thank you so much for this ask! It was so fun to think about! And thank you so, so much for saying you like my content and for supporting me. <3 It means a lot!

Have a lovely day!

Lots of love!

[blackpilljesus]

As more women decide to not have children or reproduce, a popular talking point is that maIes will rape and kill us all for refusing them. For starters, this says it all about how everyone is fully aware of maIe evil & female oppression. If it was a tiny minority of maIes that are abusive as many pretend, then this wouldn't be the kneejerk response. The idea that maIes will protect us or not hurt us if we comply is a trap. They will hurt women & girls no matter what we do. This is said to shift the blame of their actions from them to women.

One crucial thing to understand is that maIes already mass rape and kill women & girls even when women partner + reproduce with them. Subconsciously we know this given the measures we take to navigate this world. Most times women are killed it's by maIes they know, in many cases it occurs when women want to leave or have left but it also occurs when women are in relationships because if maIes cant find a reason to hurt women they'll create one. They'll accuse women of cheating, bc food wasnt cooked properly, bc she got pregnant, etc. Speaking of which, murder is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women & its typically done by their partner. MaIes rape women just after they've given birth. It can take months to years for womens bodies to heal but doctors say "6 weeks" as its unexpected that maIes will "wait" longer than that. So obeying doesnt stop maIe violence, it's just an excuse to justify their terrorism. There is no reforming the system nor is there getting by peacefully so long as we do what maIes want because their intention is destruction no matter what. MaIes lied & claimed women will be protected but it's slavery. MaIes dont protect women and neither does the system so dont buy their threat.

There are several cases where maIes have raped & killed women despite having a partner and children. Wayne couzens had a wife & kids yet still raped & killed Sarah Everard, lewis haines killed Lily Sullivan despite having a wife and child. The toybox killer, and ted bundy had partners yet they still raped & killed other women. Many maIes who rape prostituted women have wives & kids at home. This takes me to my next point: terrorists are never content. It doesnt matter how much you give bc all they want to do is take. They want to constantly reaffirm their beliefs, security, and entitlement to the world so they'll keep causing havoc no matter how much you obey. There's a reason why developed nations do not pay ransoms nor do they negotiate with terrorists in many cases because when you give into these peoples demands they do not go away. It may keep them at bay for a bit but they will only return with bigger demands and will be willing to cause more harm and damage. The same thing applies to maIes & their terrorism. Giving in wont stop their violence or change them. At first short term they're kept at bay (if theres other women they abuse in their vicinity) but long term it wont work. Women have loved, served, fucked, provided labour, reproduced with, and birthed maIes for millenias. Women have given everything to maIes and what did they get in return? More violence, more demands, more destruction we're all familiar with this. No amount of submission has changed maIes for the better.

What's actually dangerous is women trusting + living around maIes, we're expected to just rely on how they wont hurt women but believe me maIes gain a power trip from the strength differences between the sexes. Even if they dont actively hurt women, the threat lingering in the air alone is a power they enjoy. So dont be paralysed with fear or think our refusal to interact with maIes is a cause for their violence. I wont deny that it's scary but this isn't just about us. It's about the future, the world our offspring are coming to. Assuming maIes get everything they want, it'll never be enough they'll keep plundering for more so at some point we need to put our foot down regardless of the cost.

I want to conclude this by recommending reading this post. The key point is

Opting out is for the select few who want to do nothing with heterosexual nonsense even if the price of doing so is death because partaking in their drivel is death, physical and spiritual, and if they really did care about distancing themselves from it all that much they would know that death is the least you will be willing to put up with.

I've noticed that most women who bring up the possibility of maIe retaliation are still seeking relationships with maIes in their lives so this seems more like another excuse in the end. The concern for maIe retaliation is real, especially among newer separatists, 4B, wgtow etc but the seasoned ones realise it doesnt matter and if deəth is what it takes to not be associated with maIes and their systems then so be it. Hell even the average woman would take another option or death if they were pre-faced with a situation where they have to be around maIes but there's no other woman to occupy them. You might wonder what the point is as the outlook is bleak; which is what the final part of this series of posts regarding the popularity of single childfree women is about - legacy & steering life with purpose.

Part 1

Part 2

This post is part 3.

[lace-coffin]

Hello 🤗 I was wondering what kinda rules do you think Asa would have set for one of his pets? I imagine he'd be really particular about them giving him respect and being submissive, but do you think he has a concrete set of written rules or more of a general guideline of what he expects. Idk of that made sense lol.

What rules does Asa have for his pet/SO? (NSFW)

Asa Emory x gn!Reader

Trigger warning for power/bdsm dynamics and general Asa Emory things.

Requests are open!

This is a super fun ask omg! I love love love talking abt what kind of dom Asa is so I’m so happy with this request!

Honourifics- honourifics are always to be used when addressing or replying to asa. Sir, master are used regularly. If you really want to rile him up then daddy or Mister work prefect, the perversity of it doing something animalistic to him. Calling Asa God or “my God” will draw out his more sadistic egotistical side, tell him how you’re only committed to him, your life is in his hands and you’re nothing but the ground beneath him. Lave over his heavy leather boots in worship.

Collars and marking- collars are worn daily, taken off at night so you can sleep comfortably and not risk choking (he wants to be the one doing the choking ; ) ) if you’re uncomfortable with a full collar then a daytime collar can be worn, usually a chain of some sort with your name tag and return information on it. “Cricket, property of The Collection, if lost return to Asa Emory”

Respect- disrespect will not be tolerated, talking back or lashing out will end in punishment, it depends how severe the offence was. Ignoring him or muttering a rude comment under your breath might earn you a single slap to the ass to correct you in the moment. Having a smart mouth the whole day will have worse consequences and may require a scene to be planned and negotiated prior.

Scenes - your BDSM relationship with Asa is a 24/7 dynamic, this means all the planning and communication comes with it. You use the traffic light system, green for good/continue, yellow for slow down or take a break and red for stop. Asa would never do anything you don’t want or consent to, he may be strict and domineering but your safety is key to him. If your mouth is restrained or you’re not feeling up to speaking in sub space then there are non-verbal safe words in place for you to use.

Clothing and inspections - all clothing is to be approved by asa before you get ready for the day, you can either pick out an outfit on your own and have it approved or let your master choose one and lay it out on the bed ready for you. He’s more than happy to aid you in getting dressed, loving the sense of dependancy you show him.

Bodily inspections are done once a week, Asa prides himself on keeping you in the best physical health he can, this doesn’t end at just an ordinary checkup however. Slipping on his latex gloves (unless ur allergic!) and prying your holes open, delving his fingers into you as your squirm against them under the guise of checking you’re healthy. Filthily commentating the entire time. “Look at that pretty pink hole, stretched open all for me”

Scheduled meals and bedtimes - Asa likes routine and can get antsy when running behind (totally not me projecting my autism onto him) this transfers over to your routine too. Lunch and dinner (and dessert < 3) are served at the same time every day, asa expects you to be ready and waiting at the table. A strike will be added to your chart if your late. Three strikes and a punishment will be given. Sir will decided where you dine everyday, if you’ll be joining him at the table or eating on the floor from a personalised bowl. Breakfast isn’t at a set time, he knows the amount of sleep you get/need will fluctuate so he’s happy to let you sleep in until you feel ready to get up.

Bedtime is usually also at a set time, around 1 am, he knows you’re not a child and won’t make you sleep early but still wants you in bed at a reasonable time, usually ushering you into bed at 12 and giving you an hour to read or to watch videos. Usually you either share a bed with asa or sleep in your kennel/cage, sometimes in a combination of the two you sleep at the foot of the bed.

Language- Asa discourages the use of swearing but he won’t punish you for it, he might give you a stern look but that’s the extent of it.

Chastity - your sir has a dainty key hanging on a chain around his neck at all times, your body is his as is your sexual pleasure and your genitals. Chastity devices are worn until he decides it’s time to play, attempts at touching will result in punishment, he does however like the desperate look on your face as you rut against the fabric of the sofa like a pathetic mutt in heat. He won’t let you know that though. Sometimes he’ll bring you to the edge of orgasm, panting and whining as your body shakes, only to remove his hand/cock or toy and slide the device back on. The pitiful cries and “it’s not fair”s from you after are even more beautiful than seeing you cum in his mind. Don’t lash out or act out after otherwise the time spent without release will be extended just to spite you.

Relating back to food and drink Asa expects you to drink a minimum of 500ml of water or juice a day, he knows 1-2 litres is unrealistic and doesn’t want you needing to pee constantly. He’s happy as long as your hydrated, if you have particularly bad days with fatigue or depression he’ll help you drink by bringing the straw to your mouth as he holds you. Medication needs to be taken at the correct time, both your alarm clock and Asa’s watch has an alarm set on it so you don’t miss it.

Whilst Asa can be sadistic most of his rules are for your wellbeing along side your obedience, only wanting the best for you whilst you’re under his control.

I hope u like this!! Was literally so fun to write! I love this chunky bug man and ungodly amount <3

[melorambles]

i've been trying to figure out how to reconcile the antivan crow lore from origins with what we're seeing from veilguard and i think i've got some ideas:

the crows aren't a united organization with a training manual, there are base requirements and tests to pass, maybe a more universal initiation rite (probably getting put on the rack for torture resistance training like zevran talked about) in order to become a crow, but the specifics are decided by each house

and each talon is responsible for a handful of houses. maybe they've each got areas of control too, so they're getting into territory scuffles with each other, maybe stealing contracts and promising recruits from each other.

house arainai is under the sixth talon, and their methods are some sort of survival-of-the-fittest meets quantity-over-quality meets monkeys-with-typewriters. They don't care how many potential recruits they lose, because the ones who survive have the (grit? will to live? whatever it is people like that justify themselves with) and eventually something brilliant will happen. (and zevran happened.) They're more brutal, and much more prone to violent internal coups. Maybe they're also less discerning about what contracts they take and for whom. Everyone is functionally out for themselves, and take whatever contracts might give them an advantage over their competitors.

house dellamorte is obviously under the first talon, given the name we'll even go so far as to say house dellamorte is one of, if not the oldest, crow house. they've got a sort of elitism to them, maybe some snobbery. they're professionals, they have standards. They're not common cut-throats and bounty hunters. they have contract negotiators and they aren't getting out of bed for anything less than the annual income of a ferelden village.

house dellamorte are also much more discerning about recruits, but more careful and less wasteful in their training. If a recruit isn't going to make the cut, they always need more people to mix the poisons, make the weapons, repair the armor, spy for information, etc. This increases the loyalty to the house and lets them look down on 'more wasteful' houses. not that their methods are much better. all the crows are training and abusing child soldiers, its just that some are getting fed better than others and some are at more immediate risk of death all the time. but it gives members of the house more ego-based in-fighting, rather than survival based. they're not scrabbling for power to get to the top of the pile, they think they're the best already and why shouldn't the best be in charge. (just a generalizing of the different reasons for political infighting, individual characters would have individual reasons)

each house/talon-ship(? someone come up with a better word for that or its going to stick) polices it's own. its supremely embarrassing to have another house step in and clean up your mess. so, of course everybody is always looking for weaknesses in everybody else. houses and talon-ships may ally with each other, but the strength of those alliances varies. We're talking assassin politics here, make it complicated, bloody, and messy.

so in origins, we're learning about the crows through zevran, who came up from the bottom of one of the harshest houses. zevran was literally bought by the crows, tortured by them, feels no true loyalty to them, and was literally ready to escape via death. and in veilguard we're seeing the crows through lucanis, who is essentially the ivy league gentry. lucanis was raised in the family business, with the personal attention of the family matriach who had impossibly high expectations (and he could explain away her treatment of him with the death of their family and her wanting him to survive, which does not justify how he was treated) he was more worried about not living up to than anything else. If rook is played as a crow, they're coming from a house closely allied with house dellamorte, so they presumably have similar standards.

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

So i was jus yk thinking and i jus thought what if we had red hair like shanks.. like not related at all it could be dyed or natural don't matter, but how would he react to seeing someone he doesnt know with the same hair color as him?

(Idk i feel like he would a lil happy n shi🤭)

Shanks headcanons?!?!

SHANKS HEADCANONS ✨️weeeeeee✨️

Also Shanks was at least like eighty percent of the reason that thirteen year old me dyed my hair red for the first time and it remains my prefered hair color to this day.

Silly and fluffy and SFW

Shanks (OPLA or anime) X Reader

Ugh his smile fucking kills me 🥹🫠❤️💀

Shanks grabbing Benn Beckmann's shoulder and pointing excitedly at you in a tavern in some port town or other, "Beck—look, look—"

*not even batting an eye* *just rubbing his temples and gritting his teeth* *tone of voice as if speaking to a small child* "Yes, Captain, other people have red hair."

*big stupid grin* "I know, isn’t it beautiful?"

*exhausted sigh* *literally so tired someone give this man a vacation*

Literally so happy, he revels in the little things and lives in the moment.

Let's face it, his whole shtick is hair color, it's in his nickname, it's in the name of his crew, he one hundred percent believes in redhead supremacy.

Basically turns into a giddy teenager about fellow redheads. Same-hat vibes, or that spiderman meme.

Any shade of red, from orange-ginger to deep red to burgundy, it's all just beautiful, and he will go out of his way to either befriend or flirt with any redhead within shouting distance.

Honestly does not care if it's dyed or not, actually kind of an honor if it is dyed because it means you're a redhead by your own free will and he just thinks that's so neat.

But if he's drunk enough that his brain-to-mouth filter is gone, then he's definitely going to ask you if the carpet matches the drapes. He fully expects to get punched for it (whether by you or Beck is as yet unknown), but he can't help it, he's just curious.

If you respond to his flirting in kind, he's going to want to keep you. Not kidnap you or anything obviously, but he's very persuasive and there's a fair chance it's going to work and you're going to be the newest redhead among the Red Hair Pirates.

Your new nickname is Little Red, this is non-negotiable.

He will constantly be playing with your hair, running his fingers through it, cuddling up to you and just burying his face in it, reveling in how bright and fiery it looks when the sunlight catches it.

If you do dye your hair, then Shanks is going to offer to help; but he has no idea what he's doing, it's going to be a huge mess, hair dye literally everywhere, and there's a good chance it's ultimately partly (mostly) an excuse to end up in the shower with you.

[greenleaf4stuff]

Of Convenience 4

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience")

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage AU, 4th snippet. The freshly wed husbands have a little dispute about how to enter negotiations with the approaching Lindon army. Thankfully, Celebrimbor can convince Adar of a less aggressive approach than the one he’d originally planned for. Maybe Galadriel will even thank him for it.

I actually wrote part 2-4 in one sitting, so this is the last one of that batch. I have ideas for two or three more parts, already wrote some of that and got a bit more lined up to post but – I am flying by the seat of my pants with this fic/collection of snippets tbh. However, it’s been great fun so far! Not fully convinced yet that I’ll be able to bring this to a meaningful end, so no promises, but we’ll see what happens. Thanks again to everyone who has commented so far, you people are lovely! <3 (Also, check out this lovely chapter 1 addition by @plotdesigner right here, it's from Adar's POV)

"You are not sticking Galadriel in a cage!" Celebrimbor exclaimed. He didn't care that he might come across as agitated – with all that had happened to him in the last few weeks, he had a right to be as emotional he wanted to be, in his opinion!

Also, his new husband – it was still making his head spin, to use that term when referring to Adar – threatening to stick one of his best friends into a cage and then dramatically reveal her as his captive while Lindon's army charged at the uruk’s forces was an idea that warranted some hysterics. Not just in his specific situation but in general.

Adar looked quite unimpressed. "It will ensure that the army stops their attack, leaves my forces unharmed, and sends one of their leaders to listen to my proposal."

He made it sound so reasonable, when Celebrimbor could find nothing reasonable about the other's plan. The smith sighed and ruffled his own hair in frustration.

"A proposal that they will reject because you put their best commander in a cage and placed her in harm's way!" Why did he feel as if he were talking to a child? Was this how Gil-Galad felt when he argued with Celebrimbor?

The smith certainly hoped he wasn't wearing a mirror of the expression Ereinion so graciously bestowed upon him every time they had a dispute. The one that practically dripped of disappointment.

"What show of good will could they possibly expect after something like that?!"

Adar seemed taken aback more than anything else. He studied Celebrimbor critically, as if trying to figure him out, before he walked and sat down in the improvised throne in the middle of the tent they were in. He seemed...tired, all of a sudden.

Well, too bad for him, because Celebrimbor felt ready to continue arguing his case.

"And what guarantee do I have, otherwise, that they will not simply try and overrun my children before I get a word in?" the uruk spat. "Elves are not practicularly fond of listening to 'orcs' when my kin try to reason with them. They'd rather attack first and ask questions later."

"Funny, I should think the elves see it the same way in regards to the uruk," Celebrimbor replied, then held up his hands in supplication as Adar threw him a baleful glare in lieu of a verbal response.

Sighing, the smith tried a more delicate approach. "You can take me and Galadriel to the front with you. Have us walk up in front of the army, so Gil-Galad and his forces can see us. They won't attack their own people, or those who are by their side."

Adar looked sideways at the smith, but at least it didn't seem as if he would dismiss the idea outright. Celebrimbor decided to consider it as progress.

A loud exhale of air through Adar's nose and the uruk leant forward, bracing himself on his elbows on the table before himself. He fixed the smith with his gaze. "So the two of you can run to safety, once the attack starts, leaving me and my children vulnerable? I don't think so."

"I meant what I said," Celebrimbor cut in, and this time, he truly was getting heated. He stepped right up to Adar's side, slammed his hands on the table, and leant into the uruk's space as he continued. "When we took our vows. I will uphold our marriage, and our alliance. I still intend to save those I consider my charges. I will not abandon you, nor will I abandon a chance for a peace between our people, even if hope is a resource we have preciously little of at this time."

Adar had slightly widened eyes, but otherwise, nothing about him betrayed any kind of emotion. Slowly, he leant back, until elf and uruk could stare each other straight in the eyes.

There was a long beat of silence, and Celebrimbor almost felt himself falter in his conviction, until-

"You do mean what you say," the uruk confirmed. He sounded...wondrous, almost. Celebrimbor would have been insulted if not for the fact that he, too, was surprised by how much he wanted to believe in this peace, this alliance. "You would not betray this arrangement even if you were given the opportunity for it."

"Yes," the smith replied, simply, and allowed himself to soften. He leant his hip against the table to better face Adar. "I intend to see this through to the end. Which is why I am asking you to trust me, and let me help you with your plan. Let Galadriel and me join you at the front as you greet Lindon's army. Bind her, if you must, though I'd ask you strongly to reconsider that option. She won't do anything that could put me in harm's way. She wants Sauron dead as much as you do – and I."

"She and I both have a good relationship with Gil-Galad, and his herald, Elrond, who might accompany him. They will be wary, but they will listen to our words and agree on a temporary treaty at least, to discuss how to help Eregion. We can work from there I believe."

He wasn't a politician, at least not a natural one, but he knew Gil-Galad and Elrond. None of them had as much hate for the uruk as Galadriel had held, and even she was currently trying not to cause trouble in the camp. It would take time, and Celebrimbor would have to remain close to Adar's side to make sure none of them tried an ill-fated 'rescue' attempt on his behalf, but the smith was positive that they could find a solution. They had to.

It felt like so more than just Eregion and Mordor were at stake here. Especially with the foe they were up against.

Another moment, and then, to the smith’s great relief, Adar nodded.

"Very well. But you will get some armor fitted and wear it before we do this – just to be safe. Might be these elves will not deliberately attack you, but accidents are bound to happen when tempers are enflamed."

To the smith's surprise, this did not sound like a ruthless warlord contemplating that, as long as he was alive, Celebrimbor would do as a husband even if he was hurt. Or even that the chances for negotiations were better if he was in good shape once the elven high king saw him.

No, judging by how much Adar already let Celebrimbor get away with in terms of talking back at him, how he let him roam freely about his tent and the immediate vicinity (even if he was accompanied by guards at all times, for multiple reasons), didn’t bind him and hadn’t even put Galadriel back in chains again, well.

Maybe Adar truly did not just care about Celebrimbor’s wellbeing because it would yield him better results, but because he wished for the smith to be - and remain - unharmed.

Whether out of simple, common decency or some kind of genuine care for his new husband, that might remain to be seen. But it was a start. One that Celebrimbor could work and live with.

[hell-heron]

Show VS books - Theon's choice

So, I was hoping to post this for show VS books day and also to have time to rewatch the show to factcheck my impressions, which was not possible as my streaming service failed me, so I welcome any corrections about what I am writing. (Please no insults or like. Objections to the general concept of comparing an adaptation to its source material or of sharing critical thoughts about things you don't like. I think these are fine and fun things to do, if you disagree, just do not read this lenghty tome).

Still, I wanted to talk about the way Theon's choice between fighting with his family and remaining loyal to Robb is framed in the show, even before taking a very obvious Stark-goggles view the way it did in the following seasons. In my opinion, the show handled the ACOk storyline very movingly with great acting and some great writing, but still fell into the trap of conveying a certain amount of "shouldn't it be a no brainer to pick friend who values you over bio family that hates you?" in ways that in many cases weren't the writing's fault as it was impossible for a TV show to convey the same nuances as the book, but in some other cases might have been avoided. Here's how imho:

Theon swearing fealty to Robb explicitely, everyone's favorite bugbear. Not one I am particularly attached to, because really I think Theon's situation of being sent, while technically a hostage, to negotiate an alliance with his father and being refused remains legally ambiguous and kind of unprecedented whether or not he swears specific words of fealty. If he didn't swear it in the books, did he not effectively do it by arranging an alliance with Robb anyway, even though he couldn't know whether that alliance would really work out, meaning it was always a conditional loyalty? If he did, is it really binding/something he had a choice about? Still, it gives a very different impression to the casual viewer.

General less established worldbuilding on the taboo of kinslaying and taking arms against family which is just inherent to the medium of short-season TV show VS enciclopaedic saga and couldn't really be helped

Not seeing Theon's inner thoughts on the matter of family, another thing which can't be helped, which show his attitude as more nuanced as he's very aware and critical of the toxicity of his father and brothers but still has an expectation of being welcomed. Thus the hint that he remembers being loved and valued as a child even in a broken dysfunctional way and so reasonably expects to be again on his return

Ditto re: Theon's thoughts on the political situation of the islands which he does have an understanding of and feels a sense of duty to improve, mixed with the desire for glory and being a hero to his people

Starting with some things that can be helped: absolutely 0 sense of the Islands as being in a crisis, destroyed, in poverty, or being damaged by Robert and Ned's host or having somewhat substantiated desires of revenge, besides the deaths of Rodrik and Maron.

Actually expanding on this point bc the show chose to not get to any extent into what the relationship between Theon and his brothers was like. In the books, Theon remembers being abused by them and only expresses a desire of revenge when it helps justify himself to his family, developing a frequent theme in the books that vengeance is often very much not a simple and natural feeling but selfish and weaponized. The show understandably doesn't get into this sort of thematic/psychological analysis, so why not use the deaths of Theon's brothers as something that has a bit more weight in his choice? It was not difficult or time consuming to add some comment about their childhood or about mourning them etc, not as difficult as doing some of the other stuff I mention on this list lmao. It would have built more sympathy for him.

Theon is apparently getting no official welcome besides his sister's initiative to seduce him (Its possible Balon sent Yara and Yara independently decided to seduce him, but it meshes kind of weirdly with the way she lets Theon in on his own and then makes her cinematic entrance in the middle of the conversation) in the book, while Theon is unhappy with Aeron due to his desire to have his parents welcome him instead and Aeron's change and attitude to him, he's objectively a perfectly good person to send to fetch the heir, as a close family member and a priest with great authority and respect.

Theon has no one who loves him on the islands, no mother, no Dagmer, no childhood friends he finds he can't quite connect with again, no Wex, no men who choose to remain loyal to him at Winterfell. Wex is particularly interesting because, while some interpret the offering of a disabled bastard squire as a sign of the ironborn noble families's disdain for Theon, I think it's actually a fairly normal feudalistic exchange of favors. After all Theon is asked to take Wex on as a squire as payment for his horse, so certainly with the understanding he's doing the Botleys a solid by giving an opportunity to a boy who would otherwise not be allowed many, and Lord Botley later champions Theon's claim against Euron. So this little detail could have been a helpful shorthand for Theon succeeding in developing some kind of relationships and loyalty on the islands which he could think he might have developed if he had time and proved himself

Theon in the show is given a ship for his diversion raids while Yara gets 30 ships that appear to be the entire deployed force (??), which is a lot more extreme than "Victarion gets the whole fleet, Asha gets 30 ships, Theon gets 8". The book arrangement feels like an insult to Theon but is reasonable for someone who was never a captain before and who's unknown to his father. The show arrangement is a lot more of an open insult that doesn't really allow us to understand Theon's hope to improve his standing.

Probably couldn't have been helped, given the tight timeline of the show, but: book Theon gets a shining military success, though one of modest proportions in his victory against Benfred Tallart's sortie, before he undertakes the mission to Winterfell, which makes the plan seem somewhat less dumb. Also taking Winterfell being his own idea rather than it being pushed by show!Dagmer shouldn't have huge weight in this but it does make his choice seem more motivated (by his own rage and revenge, for his own political aims) and less pathetic

Moving the pivotal execution of ser Rodrik so early after Theon's taking of Winterfell undercuts the slow descent into despair and violence that Theon experiences in the books. We're supposed to think Theon made an irremediably wrong choice when he burned the letter to Robb, rather than having several chances to stop himself on the path to becoming a child murderer which he for various reasons doesn't take.

While Alfie and for once imho the writing as well do a great job of conveying Theon's pain and trauma for what he went through at Winterfell, it was evidently chosen not to focus or even explicitely mention outside the worldbuilding videos (iirc) how Ned would have been expected to execute him and his fear of that. Skipping the Beth parley is obviously a factor in this (which I will never understand, btw, it seems so perfectly made for TV...) , but even the very beautiful emotional moments that were scripted to replace it just focus on other things. The dialogue with Master Luwin for example has Theon associate fear with the walls of Winterfell, in a line so good I frequently forget it wasn't in the books, but still there's a writing choice to center a fear that comes from a sense of intimidation and inferiority towards the people who defeated his family rather than the material reality of being constantly up for execution. That completely recontextualises the situation and his relationship to house Stark

The matter of Theon's men loyalty to him deserves some expansion in general because like... GRRM, for all that we tease him for the "what was Aragorn's tax policy" line, does invest much time and attention in portraying in detail the choices of all his leader characters, their popularity and relationships with their followers. So even Theon whose leadership skills are not very important gets the sketch of a nuanced political situation. We know that Theon leads his men into several missions before Winterfell, that he's able to convince Dagmer to support his plan to take Winterfell and that his men follow him in this high-risk mission, that he punishes them for fighting over plunder and for committing rape, that he has some of them killed and that he executes Northmen to give them a semblance of justice and is haunted by both, that he doesn't feel like they would keep the secret of the murdered boys' identity, that they grow restless and ambivalent during their time in Winterfell but still do their duty, that one of them specifically takes issue morally with him using Beth against her father and wishes they could just have an open battle, that he offers them the chance to surrender rather than die with him and they are reluctant to refuse it but most do it. There was never going to be anything like that in the brief plotline of a minor character, obviously, but needing to simplify, was really "they knock him out and hand him over to the enemy" the best simplification? It was for the theme they wanted to convey, which is that there was a right and a wrong choice obvious from the start and that poor Theon, understandably and tragically, chose wrong.

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #53 – Binti by Nnedi Okarafor

This is one of those works that has been vaguely on my radar for years and years now – I have entirely lost track of the number of places I’ve seen it recommended as some of the best or most original science fiction of the 2010s. So when my hold finally came in on it, I went in more or less blind – which was, frankly, a fatal mistake. I bounced harder off of this than I have very nearly anything I can remember – if it was any longer I probably wouldn’t have bothered finishing the story. I got the whole trilogy as a compendium, and I’m certainly not going to force myself through the rest of it. Which is a shame, because there are plenty of original ideas in there, but (to me, at least) it’s an absolutely brutal failure of form and execution.

The story follows the eponymous Binti, a prodigy and savant in mathematics and the quasi-magical ‘harmonizing’ – creation and manipulation of electric currents. At age 16, she received accepted into the planet-spanning Oomza University and, despite the clear disapproval of her family and her people’s traditional isolationism, she runs away from home and aboard an interstellar transport to take her away. But when the ship is attacked by the Medusae – an alien species with a grudge against the university – a personal keepsake that turns out to be a powerful ancient relic allow her to survive when every other passenger is slaughtered where they stand – and eventually even communicate with the aliens who have seized the ship. She learns that they attacked as part of a plan to steal back their leader’s stinger, and convinces them to let her be their ambassador and attempt to get it through negotiation with the university administration instead. After she proves her willingness to argue on their behalf, they agree – and once they arrive at the university, the administration does as well. Both she and the young Medusae she forged something of a friendship with are welcomed as students, and she has to reckon with the dramatic changes being tested and healed by the medusae caused in her. Fin.

That is much more of a plot summary than I usually write for these things, but I guess my first big issue with the story is just that that’s basically everything that happens in the book? This feels like it could be quite easily cut down to a tight, compelling short story – or else expanded into a full novel, with enough space to give things time to breathe and allow for foreshadowing with more subtlety than a sledgehammer to the face. As is, the story feels both kind of meandering and like the plot beats are a first draft that never had the space to go back and add any real interest or surprise to them.

Which would honestly have been far more forgivable if not for the prose. This is shelved as young adult but in terms of sentence complexity and the way things are phrased it honestly feels closer to middle grade? Or, at least, every sentence was very simple and very explicit and direct, in a way that I quickly found clunky and then intensely grating to read. A friend described it as reading like it was translated from a different language, which doesn’t seem to be the case but I honestly wouldn’t be at all surprised.

Everything is also just thematically very convenient, I guess? Not even that the random relic Binti found in the sand as a child and keeps as a good luck charm turns out to be a hyper-advanced technological plot device, but that for unclear reasons the otjize dye that she (and the very real Namibian Himba ethnic group she’s a member of) use to plait and colour hair is to the Medusae a miraculous panacea which heals scars none of their own technology (capable of creating interspecies hybrids and inducing mutations with a single injection) could touch. Which is a level of thematic bluntness that’s just much more fitting for a children’s story than what I went into this expecting or hoping for.

I could go on, but there’s not really any point – to be positive, the worldbuilding hinted at is intriguing and evocative like absolutely everyone says it is. The whole reading experience was just a terrible failure of marketing, I think – I can’t recall the last time I read a book I ostensibly should have liked that is quite so forcefully Not For Me. Which is odd, because I actually quite enjoyed the other novella of Okorafor I read. But then, Remote Control was written six years later and for an adult audience.

[kaneaken]

ehem, if I may humbly do so,

I wanna request a fluffy Childe and zhongli (poly if possible, but separate is fine too) where their s/o is overworked and hasn't been seeing both of them for a while and they get clingy and devise several methods to cling to their s/o and get them to stop working

basically clingy! childe and zhongli

author's note: Hiya, thanks for your request! I'm not super good at writing poly, so I did write them separately (hope that's okay <3) my second time writing zhongli, so I hope I wrote him okay (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠) enjoy :)

content notes; gn!reader, bullet format, lowercase for bullets

CHILDE ♡

work, work, it always seemed to separate you and childe

especially childe with his work in the fatui and all

it always felt like he was working

but one day, by some miracle, childe found himself with free time

yet, you were working away in your home office

now, he finally understood how you felt whenever he was sent away for work or was too drowned in paperwork to spend time with you

he felt like a kicked puppy when you first turned him away from your office

'you'll distract me too much' you had said

distract? childe would never (yes he would)

what was his solution?

sitting outside your office door until you let him

every single time you opened the door, there he was, plopped on the ground reading a book or fiddling with his bow

he could take it, he could handle you trapping yourself in your room without letting him inside

yup, he's fine! it was just a test of his patience, which was finished sooner than you could finish your work

"Honey, I brought you a snack!" Here he comes again. You appreciate Childe, very much, but not when he keeps popping into your room while you're trying to finish work.

You watch as he puts a warm plate of food in front of you with a big smile on his face.

"Oh, thank you. You didn't have to.."

There was silence. Was he just going to stand there? Despite having his eyes closed due to his big smile, you felt him staring you down. What did he want? He leaned in a bit closer with that smile that was, honestly, freaking you out a bit.

"So... Do you need something else? I've really got to get back to work."

"Can't your loving boyfriend stare at his amazing partner without reason?" Childe opens up his eyes and gives you a look. A look he gives you for a reason. He wants something and he definitely does not look like he's willing to negotiate. But, neither are you.

"I'm really sorry, but I need to get this finished as soon as possible. I promise once this is all done that I'm all yours, okay?"

There is a pause before Childe sighs. He actually gave in that easily? Now, that was a surprise. You were expecting him to put up more of a fight.

"Just one hug before you go back to work?" Childe asks, opening up his arms, "Please?"

You let out a sigh before letting him wrap his arms around you. You give his back a small pat before turning back to your desk. At least, that's what would have happened if Childe didn't have such a strong grip on you.

"Uh, Childe? I need to-"

"You can take a five minute break, dear. It'll be good to look at something else, something more handsome," Childe says, picking you up and carrying you away from your office.

"Childe! My work-"

"Can wait, but I can't."

ZHONGLI ♡

now, zhongli is more understanding and patient

you have an important assignment from work? that's alright. he'll leave you be so you can concentrate

unlike childe, zhongli spends his time doing other things rather than waiting for you like a sad puppy

he reads, does some of his own work, or sips some tea

now, this is all just a facade.

at first, yes, he was adamant on letting you work in peace

however, as time continued to pass, he found himself passing by your room and checking in more and more

and he didn't even realize he was doing it at first

he needs a book to read. oh, what a coincidence! your room is right next to where he stores his books, so he should check in

he forgot something in your room. oh, well, he better head over and grab it and check in while he's at it

he found a beautiful flower. it reminds him of you. he should give it to you and check in on you

the tea he brewed tastes divine! he should bring you some and check in on you

"Um, Zhongli?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"I don't think I can fit anything else on my table.."

Zhongli looks over at your desk and notices the stacked tea cups and plates in the corner.

"Ah, apologies. I hadn't noticed how much I had brought you." Zhongli leans over you and grabs the tea cups and plates. He places the warm cup of tea down in their place. You thank him and sip on the tea.

"Dear?"

"Yes?"

You place the tea cup on the table and look up at him. He has a warm smile on his face as he looks at you.

"I hope it isn't too much to ask, but would you mind taking a small break?"

"Ah, I don't think I can.. I really want to finish this soon.."

Zhongli extends his hand to cup your chin. He takes some time to observe you before sighing.

"My dear, breaks are essential in not burning yourself out. A small one would do wonders for you and I bet it would help you feel more productive once you take it. However, if you do not wish to, I will not force you."

The way he looks at you, the soft, calming way he speaks... It all makes it harder to say no to him. A break sounded nice. You had been staring at your papers all day and your hand kinda hurts from writing so much.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt, but it has to be a short break."

"Of course."

Zhongli helps you to your feet and leads you out of your room. You could've sworn you saw his smile become a bit brighter when he led you away.

[watermelonsloth]

Itachi and the Uchiha Massacre

This might be one of the most controversial posts I’ll ever make.

I find myself very undecided about how I feel about Itachi’s role in the Uchiha massacre. It fills me with the same moral indecision and disgust of the trauma olympics (aka the comparing of “who had it worse”). Every time I try to come to a consensus, I immediately doubt my conclusion and question whether I’m giving Itachi too much of the benefit of the doubt or I’m not taking his circumstances into account enough. It’s like asking if him being a child outweighs him killing children. And that makes me uncomfortable.

On the one hand, he did something very very very bad. He killed an entire clan of people, including who knows how many innocent civilians and children. He then proceeded to psychologically torture his seven year old brother with the memories of him doing so. Prior to being met with this specific conundrum, I would’ve said without hesitation that this is a black-and-white situation with Itachi being solidly in the wrong. Even if he wasn’t the only perpetrator, he still would deserve much of the blame for being one of the executors of such an abhorrent act.

I cannot stress enough how terrible the massacre would’ve been in practice.

However, and this is where I might lose a few of you, as more information is revealed, one question nags at my entire fucking central nervous system. How much of a choice did Itachi really have?

To understand the full circumstances, first you have to understand that the context falls under two categories: who Itachi is (and his perspective) and what position he was in when he made the decision he did. First, who he is:

Itachi grew up in a militaristic village that normalizes violence, especially violence being used to solve problems.

This village has also normalized putting the village’s survival over oneself and one’s friends/family.

He was alive to see the very end of the third shinobi war and the nine tails attack, two events that have solidified his belief that war is the worst thing ever and should be prevented at all costs.

Hiruzen, Danzo, Kakashi, and Shisui encourage his belief that war should be avoided at any and all costs. Three of them are authority figures (see the Milgram experiment for why that’s relevant) and one of them is his first and only best friend.

He is a very introverted and closed off person. He’s so closed off that not even his immediate family can read him. Because of this, his inner circle is very small (meaning he has a very small support network).

He grew up with a strict, authoritarian father and entered the anbu at a young age, meaning he grew up being expected/pressured to obey those in positions of power without asking questions.

He’s an introvert who’s scared of conflict and keeps his head down.

Second, his actual position when he was told to kill his clan (I might be missing some, so feel free to add any others you remember.):

He was thirteen. That is a child in grade 8. That is the age of most genin.

Tensions between his family and village are implied to have been rising for a while and are now at the point that, for whatever reason, negotiation is deemed impossible.

Tensions are so high that if the village doesn’t act soon, the Uchiha’s coup will spark an all out civil war.

The Uchiha clan has little to no chance of winning the conflict and will likely have most (if not all) of its members killed in it. Plus, the conflict would’ve also resulted in many casualties on Konoha’s side as well, including civilians, children, and shinobi who had nothing to do with what was happening.

Tensions between him and his father are extremely high as well with the two of them being implied to regularly argue.

His best friend, possibly only friend, died by jumping off of a cliff in front of him after giving him one of his eyes and left the responsibility of handling the entire situation to him.

He’s being suspected for the murder of said best friend (and was flat out accused of it in front of his younger brother by three adult police officers) and is suspected as being more loyal to the village than to his clan, making him even more of an outcast to his clan.

He's aware that his best friend was attacked and mutilated by Danzo, one of the village leaders and his superior. If he wants any action taken against Danzo, he’ll have to fight a solo, uphill battle against all of the village leaders and risk losing all sway over the Uchiha situation (which would still be a ticking time bomb) in the process.

If he doesn’t want to fight a two sided war or lose what little power he has in the situation, his safest option is to follow orders while pushing for a plan where casualties are minimized.

Did Itachi have other options? Yes, I’m not gonna pretend that genocide was Itachi’s only choice. But a lot of people seem to forget how difficult or flawed a lot of his alternatives would have actually been in practice.

For example, I’ve seen a lot of people throw around the idea of Itachi just grabbing Sasuke and leaving the village. First of all, the massacre still would’ve happened, Itachi and Sasuke just wouldn’t have been there for it. Second, Itachi would’ve had to remove Sasuke from the village without being caught by the village or the Uchiha clan when he was under the scrutiny of both. Itachi is a good shinobi, but I don’t know if he’s that good. Third, how would he even get Sasuke to go along with him? Itachi may not have been close to his clan, but Sasuke loved his clan. Yes, Sasuke also loved Itachi, but it’s a pretty big stretch to say that seven-year-old Sasuke would’ve just gone along with it, especially when he wouldn’t have been able to understand the true scale of the situation. (Itachi would pretty much have to kidnap Sasuke for this plan to work.) Fourth (and similarly), people don’t tend to like uprooting their entire lives to leave the home they grew up in, even in emergency situations or when it’s the objectively better/safer option. Itachi and Sasuke, who were both raised to be “lay down their lives” loyal to their home, would’ve been especially averse to this idea. Fifth, even if they got over all of that and got out of the village, Itachi would have to raise his younger brother alone at thirteen years old while being on the run from a world power with no protection in a world where they’re at risk of being killed or getting the attention of creeps like Orochimaru simply for having kekkei genkai. It’s not like Itachi had outside contacts (beside Obito but Obito would not have helped them even if Itachi trusted him enough to trust Sasuke’s life to him) or there was a benevolent nation to take them in. Even if they managed to one day settle into a peaceful life, it would’ve taken years of fighting to survive before they’d have gotten there. Cool fanfic idea, but making Itachi slightly more innocent isn’t a solution.

The idea that Itachi should’ve just told the Uchiha clan what was going on and got help from them is similarly short sighted. The Uchiha clan were the victims in this situation, but they weren’t perfect angels either. Itachi was not close to, or particularly well liked by, his clan. Save for Shisui (who is theoretically dead in this scenario) and Sasuke, he had no emotional connection to the clan, only vague respect and a waning sense of responsibility towards it. And even if he did go to them, Itachi telling them what was happening would’ve just sparked a civil war, the one thing Itachi was desperate to avoid and the thing that would’ve gotten them all killed.

So…

What was the point of all this?

I’ll admit that I hoped typing out my thoughts would somehow end in me settling on an opinion, but right now I’m still just as undecided and significantly more depressed. Because, like, it’s just a depressing, shitty situation where there were victims and perpetrators and Itachi who just so happened to be both. Maybe trying to ask if Itachi is either “good” or “evil” is asking the wrong question. Maybe the entire discussion about how moral Itachi is as a person or all of the other choices he could’ve made is missing the point.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

The right to bodily integrity, like all human rights, is non negotiable.

It cannot be applied just in-part, or in some areas, or to only certain members of society.

It cannot be superseded by any religious faith, nor by the wish of a parent, women’s preferences, or by cultural expectations.

The right to one’s body, belongs to the individual.

No “ifs” or “buts”, no asterisks, and no compromises.

Much of the modern world has come to understand this when it comes to girls’ bodies, as FGM continues to be criminalised and rightly punished, falling out of favour, and slowly into the history books.

In most countries FGM is universally illegal, no matter the extent, or context.

Even just a prick is forbidden, because really, the extent of violation needn’t matter, if that procedure is being done on an unconsenting baby.

But not for boy babies.

And I don’t care what people say about circumcision’s so-called “medical or hygienic benefits”, because the medical benefits are virtually non-existent, and we don’t cut off body parts to avoid cleaning them.

Do we cut off our head to stop us getting dandruff?

What about lopping off our feet to rid the world of athletes’ foot?

I mean, why not go the whole way, and cut off the whole penis, if you’re not a fan of cleaning it?

The fact is, there are very few good enough reasons to remove half the nerve endings of a baby boy’s penis, as well as its most sensitive parts.

There is no reason to subject a boy to the risk of erectile dysfunction, desensitisation, PTSD, sexually transmitted disease, or even death…

No reason to tie a baby boy’s limbs down, and as he screams, slice away at his penis, without anaesthesia.

Nobody’s first few days of life should be welcomed by that, and no journey of parenthood should begin with child abuse.

So when will we treat circumcision with the same universality as FGM, where we say “no”, regardless of the severity, scale, or context?

When will a boys bodily integrity supersede religious faith?

When will we give our boys the same rights as girls?

When will we ban infant male circumcision?

-

National medical organisations against circumcision: https://circumcision.org/circumcision-policies-of-international-organizations/

--

https://sci-hub.scrongyao.com/10.3149/thy.0401.71

Baby boys can and do succumb as a result of having their foreskin removed. Circumcision-related mortality rates are not known with certainty; this study estimates the scale of this problem. This study finds that approximately 117 neonatal circumcision-related deaths (9.01/100,000) occur annually in the United States, about 1.3% of male neonatal deaths from all causes. Because infant circumcision is elective, all of these deaths are avoidable. This study also identifies reasons why accurate data on these deaths are not available, some of the obstacles to preventing these deaths, and some solutions to overcome them.

[edutainer2022]

@astranite About the PROM PROTOCOL from this thread . It's a Sky and Star headcanon very dear to my heart. I'm so glad you found it! 💙🧡

The PROM PROTOCOL is a story I really hope to write out some day. But if I never do, the general outline is as follows: think the Kansas farmhouse front porch, around past midnight. There's a figure on a porch swing - Jeff. Waiting up. Steps crunch the gravel and stop to an abrupt halt by the porch. Scott hasn't been expecting Dad to wait up for him like this. Scott is past his curfew.

The party had been a long and ardorous negotiation - Jeff was weary, because springbreak and highschool seniors (and juniors) usually equals underage drinking and recreational edibles or pot, or who knows what else, especially if somebody's college freshman sibling is doing the chaperoning. Scott was adamant and made a good case of being the most responsible and reliable sixteen year old in the history of ever - youngest President of the class, Prom King nominee, Team captain and projected valedictorian at the graduation (early graduation for him, because he worked his a** off over summers taking extra AP credit and got early admission to Yale), consummate big brother. Besides, he promised to take Stacey the Girlfriend to THE springbreak party. Surprisingly, Virgil and John chimed in on Scott's side with a good case too - he deserved a night off, as big brother had nearly run himself to the ground the years Mom was gone, while Jeff buried himself in grief and more work. Jeff doesn't enjoy thinking back on the boy's translucent pale face on the hospital sheets and the drip of IV in the deafening silence. Jeff gets the reasoning, but he's not ready. Not ready for Scott to be growing up and leaving for college (John soon to follow, skipping a class the genius his ginger is), not ready for things to change, not ready for the boys not needing him soon, not ready for Scott being serious to take up his Ivy League degree parallel to the AirForce program.

Anyhow, this one time Dad conceded and is now sitting up on the porch, waiting for the eldest to be back past the curfew, minutes away from rising up Kyrano to start a state-wide search and rescue. But Scott is walking back. WALKING. Jeff is absolutely certain the boy left in his car to pick up the girlfriend and then drive her back home. And to ensure there would be no succumbing to peer pressure to drink at the party. Jeff is ready to rain thunder and lightning, assuming that's what happened - drinking, smoking, something irresponsible.

But Scott is shivering in his windbreaker, hands deep in his pockets, face visibly stricken with tears. He walked all the way from the town to the farm in the middle of the night. Somebody's college freshman brother home on a break being far more alluring to the Prom Queen nominee is what happened. Vicious and biting, and humiliating words happened. First love crashing and burning in an instant is what happened. Scott was shaken too much and couldn't drive. So he walked all the way home.

Jeff manages to coax the boy up the porch, on a swing and into his lap. Quiet, hot tears are back. So help him, Jeff is not ready. That was to be Lucy's area - nursing bruises, kissing away booboos and heartbreak. Jeff is not ready. He wants to tell his boy there will never be pain and betrayal again. He wants to make sure there isn't. Ever. But he can't. Jeff wants to keep Scott and his brothers safe from any danger of the world. But he's not sure he can reliably ward off more heartbreak. So he just holds the crying child on the cusp of adulthood and wishes his wife were still there.

Scott is still grounded - he didn't call Dad to pick him up, and walking alone at night was very dangerous. He'd be grounded till the Prom (Jeff is not cruel enough to let the school have no Prom King). That's where the problem is, unexpectedly. Scott's not going. Stacey the ex girlfriend now has that college freshman as a Prom date to show off. Everyone would know he was dumped. He has no date and doesn't have the heart to go anymore. Jeff really, really wishes Lucy were there. He's out of his depth.

That's when the rustle on the porch roof happens and a lithe, agile form slithers expertly down to the rails. John. John, who too is not asleep. John, who was probably stargazing past his bedtime or too lowkey waiting up for his biggest brother. John would go with Scott to the Prom. John is graduating next winter, so will miss his own Prom - nobody will ask questions. That dries the tears, at least, and has Scott sit up from Dad's lap. John HATES social anything. It will be loud, and flashy, and crowded, and LOUD. John would be uncomfortable. Scott can't have that. Exactly! Everyone knows the Ginger Tracy hates that kind of scene. And everyone knows Scott always has a posse of little brothers. So, if Scott is too upset, or not having fun, or overwhelmed - nobody would bat an eye that he had to take the "ginger weirdo" back home. John is calm and completely logical - clearly he had it all thought through. But what if Scott is having a good time and John is uncomfortable at a big party?

That's when more rustle on the porch roof happens and a bleary eyed Virgil parcours down too. Jeff is more or less resigned that bedtime is just not a thing that day, apparently. In THAT case, Virgil is going to the Prom too. Everyone know his two brothers are graduating early, so they won't be around for his Prom. It's a sound cover up. If Scott is enjoying himself, but John needs to leave - Virgil would accompany him home and make sure he's not overestimulated by the noise and the crowd. And Virgil would still have his own Prom to go to next year, if he wanted a big ole party. And thus - The Prom Protocol is born.

In the end, it's a huddle on the porch swing - Jeff holding Scott curled up in his lap, John leaning into Dad's side, and a semi-asleep Virgil draped over Scott's still shivering form for warmth and comfort. Still, Jeff is not ready. Amazed by the bond his boys share, but not ready to let them go.

[i-is-surrounded-by-idjits]

I love the GoT series, especially for its historical accuracies (I could talk about them for daaaaaays), but I get really annoyed with the age gap debate with ships without taking into account the historical setting (especially Sansa Stark and Sandor Clegane). this has annoyed me to the point where I am writing a book to address the social construct just to tear it down.

In the past noble girls were married early. Not usually as soon as they had their first period (although legal), this was usually delayed until 16-18 years due to negotiations (it was a trade deal). However, most nobles would be married before they turned 20, unless they were undesirable for some reason (this could be appearance, family scandal, illness, physical health, disability, or personality), and they would quickly become known as spinsters - we think of spinsters being unmarried woman past middle age, but in the past, this could be used for an unmarried 25 y/o. Reminder that 'paedophile' refers to the attraction of prepubescent children (by UK law this is under 13).

Women married early for biological reasons; they have a short fertility period (while some men can keep fathering sons for decades; think Walder Frey). From first blood to menopause, a woman had to be married off as quickly as possible to ensure they had the best chance of providing as many children as possible. Menopause is currently between 45-50 yrs (with some biological variation), but in the past, this could be as early as 35 - unclear due to natural variation, but health and hygiene contribute to fertile health and the decline would be noted as the end for many noble women.

Men sometimes married later, usually for education, status, or military reasons. So one could expect a man not to marry until in their 20s (of higher social standing). Commoners skew the statistics, as they would marry at any age, and usually more love-matches (no need for social staus debates and political marriages), however, common men would be expected to have a job in order to provide for a wife and family, and so would sometimes be older, but the

If a man needed a wife, say windowed at 30. Guess what, they'd start at the beginning looking for a teenager. There was no point marrying an older woman (if there were any that were unmarried, that is). Widows were often off the cards if they had children as they would still belong to their dead spouse's family, and the social 'undesirables' would still be undesired by a man seeking their second or third wife. For example, Æthelred the Unready first married Ælfgifu - she was 4 years younger and perfectly normal. She died aged 32. His second wife Emma, was 18 years younger (aged 18 at the time) - a much larger age gap and unseemly by modern standards, but Æthelred would not have married a woman in her 30s whose fertility could decline shortly after marriage simply to marry someone closer to his own age.

Childhood and teenagers are relatively new terms. In the past, they were better defined as prepubescent and of marital age (postpubescent). Meaning you were considered almost adult once you could reproduce. To view historical fiction by modern standards, laws, and norms, is a mistake. One should understand the history to better understand the subject material and fictional writings it has inspired.

The best way to understand this is to understand why marriage was invented: to produce legitimate heirs. This is why infidelity was viewed differently for men and women - a man is unfaithful, it is a distraction and a sin, but bastards have no claim. A woman is unfaithful, this brings into question the legitimacy of her existing children, and she has wasted almost a year providing someone else a child. Not such a big deal now, but childbirth was also dangerous; they could literally die due to an affair... even before the husband found out about it. Therefore, ensuring the bride had enough time to produce children was essential. Bear in mind that during the Middle Ages, one could get an annulment for infertility in many countries (and still can) - as this is a breach of the marriage contract.

P.S. - This is historical thinking. I am pro same-sex marriage and believe this should have been legalised when marriage changed the definition to a declaration of love (circa 18th century)... but that's a religious debate for another time.

Back to the topic; Sansa Stark would not see age as an issue really. Although she hoped for a love match (and thus naturally inclined to someone near her own age), socially, she would see nothing wrong with Sandor Clegane based on age. Clegane would have had issues with any attraction until she reached 'adulthood' (before her first period) as this would have been considered immoral, however, once deemed an adult, this no longer poses an issue legally. Lysa was 21 years younger than Jon when they married - she protested this based on age, but realistically she only protested as she had hoped to marry Petyr.

[not-poignant]

Are Sebastian and Alex going to learn about bdsm and safe practices/negotiation? Or do they keep fumbling around and doing what they're doing?

Hi anon,

People who learn about BDSM don't necessarily practice safe practices or negotiation.

And there are elements of negotiation in this story! It's not a black and white 'they're not doing this in a paint-by-numbers sort of way and therefore it doesn't count' situation, y'know?

They are two characters in their mid-20s who live in a tiny town, one of those characters is dyslexic to the point that he can barely read, and the other's method of doing things has worked for him all his life (or so he thinks), they don't have any reason/s to learn about BDSM, and it's not likely that either of them ever will.

That also doesn't mean that they can't enjoy their kinky sex life.

There has been a lot of discussion already, and there will be more and more going forwards. It might not be at the level most people want, but Sebastian has certainly obtained consent (more than once), offered and then insisted on debriefs and post-sex discussion, explained to Alex how to communicate if he hates something, and made it clear that what he likes is unusual and sadistic in nature. It's also clear that Alex likes being pushed, i.e. - not being forced to give consent in every circumstance when someone can take control and give him what he wants anyway. That's actually pretty common in some people with a child abuse background who become people pleasers.

If you want negotiation + safe practices at a certain level, you'd have to completely remake Alex's character into someone who can magically be a functional, communicative, healthy human being, and he's not that. Alex is getting better at communicating (that's how we go this far in the story in the first place), but if you expect this story to end on Alex being a perfect human who can do Instagram-level kink negotiation, then no, this isn't the story you want, anon.

If you look deeper and don't expect cookie cutter kinds of dialogue, there has been ongoing negotiation in the story since the early chapters. When Alex makes it clear through physical response and then verbal that he doesn't like yelling, Sebastian stops yelling. When Sebastian makes it clear that he has complicated feelings about hiring his ex-school bully as a cleaner, Alex makes it clear that he doesn't share those complicated feelings, especially in light of the pay rate. Sebastian consenting to Alex being his cleaner makes it clear that those terms are acceptable to him.

When Alex tries to undervalue himself, Sebastian makes it clear that he's not comfortable paying someone less simply because they value themselves less. When Alex then takes that pay, it's a form of consent to Sebastian's attitudes. Their relationship has been an ongoing negotiation since the beginning, and that's how they've grown closer. If you're used to only looking for very obvious signs of negotiation, it might be easy to miss the non-verbal and subtle forms of negotiation that are happening.

For example, it might not seem like it, but Sebastian - many chapters ago now - talking about how he likes control in the bedroom and that turning Alex on long before they'd ever shared anything sexual together, is a form of communication. Alex learns he likes the idea of it without it ever been forced on him, and Sebastian wouldn't have that conversation with someone he didn't trust (for example, Alex in the beginning of the story). They had to have trust to have that conversation, Alex had to have trust to ask Sebastian questions about it in the oblique way he did, and they had to share a common comfortability have a conversation in that direction in the first place.

In A Stain that Won't Dissolve, these things don't look like a psychologist's version of: 'Okay, what do you want, and this is what I want, and here's where we meet in the middle' - a lot of life doesn't look like this (but if you want that, I've written that in Falling Falling Stars - it still has dubious consent though, lol). Both Alex and Sebastian have poor communication on their side, and it's a growth story for the two of them.

But no, I have no intention of Sebastian ever learning terms like 'subspace' or 'RACK' or anything like that. A lot of people in the world, especially prior to easy access to the internet, figured this stuff out on their own and many of them made it work even without the rigid or codified structures of the world of BDSM (and some of those people went on to invent the world of BDSM that we take for granted today).

It's the kinks that make you kinky, not the knowledge of an acronym or the world it engenders.

There's also no reason to think that Sebastian has access to a healthy education about BDSM there, it's not like Elliott was practicing much healthy BDSM in my other Stardew fic, The Wind that Cuts the Night, :D Elliott knew all about safe practices, negotiation, and BDSM, and chose to ignore a lot of the safe stuff over messing around more dangerously.

The fumbling around is the point, basically. Growing up is messy, and dubious consent is hot (for some of us), and there are many ways we communicate with the people around us, especially when it's two guys in a town the valourises machismo and stoicism over emotional openness, and one of those guys was beaten by his father over not being macho and strong enough which makes him exceptionally resistant to communicating clearly even about basic subjects and needs.

That's the part I actually really love about this story.

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

3 caught my eye:

Chapter 28 Bitter Reunion

Chapter 36 Hearthside Chat

And the one I’m most interested in because my fluffy romantic heart is hoping for some sweet zelink:

Chapter 63 You’re My Hero

Thank you for the ask @mistresslrigtar! A big spread! I'll try to do them all justice.

Overworld Chapter 28 - Bitter Reunion

This chapter is following Link and Marela as they're headed to Zora's Domain to get the Zora's Armor that Marela made when she was younger so Link can proceed to Nayru's Temple. It follows a conversation in the previous chapter, Overworld Chapter 27 - Ebb & Flow, that Link and Marela had about some of their respective backstory stuff, but Marela's is more relevant to this chapter as it's the first time she's been back to Zora's Domain in a while and this meeting will require her speaking to her aunt and ambassador of the Hyrulean Zora, Natuma.

It goes. About as well as expected.

There are other beats in this chapter, like some teases at Link's past and the acquisition of the Zora's Armor itself, but the conversation with Natuma is the big beat of the chapter. It's very much Marela overcoming her fears to help with the quest, but also as a beat for herself in leaving behind her past as both a former priestess apprentice and as a child of nobility bound by station. And it highlights part of her skillset to the team, and that is as Zelda's chief socialite and gossip starter. Marela negotiates the Armor out from Natuma by using status against her. And it's her particular cunning that makes her such an asset to the team!

Overworld Chapter 36 - Hearthside Chat

Jumping ahead to the Din's Temple arc, it is at this point that Zelda is traveling with the main party for a bit so she can see one of the temples firsthand. Following some building tension between the princess and hero, the party stops in an inn beneath Death Mountain to rest since it's too dark to continue on that night.

What proceeds is a fireside chat with the inn's keepers, Khadla and Constant, around a meal that Link makes for the group. Some preview at the troubles in the region, questions about the two innkeepers, and Link definitely not getting flustered about Zelda complimenting his cooking. Sorry, Robin, we're in disguise. Man nearly chokes himself shoveling a rice ball in his mouth to avoid thanking her properly.

And then he goes and sticks his foot in his mouth with that end bit.

This was a really cozy chapter to write! Good food, warm atmosphere (proximity to volcano not included), cute warm fuzzies with the duo as their dancing around totally not accepting that they like each other. It also managed to give me the set up for a "jelly donut" joke, which is always a win. The name then is very literal in this case, they are chatting around a hearth. But a good comfort food chapter none the less!

Overworld Chapter 63 - You're My Hero

Unfortunately, not Zelink. But yes for sentimental absolutely! This chapter is when Link finally gets to tell his family about being the Hero, both the act and, now that he's drawn the Master Sword, the truth. It is a recovery chapter from Overworld Chapter 54 - Uprooted for him too, a first attempt on this conversation that goes terribly wrong and leads to a fight between him and his father when Link can't explain what happened and what the act was.

The name was picked for Floan, Link's sister, who is over the moon about the news because she's 10 and her brother's the Hero and that's the coolest thing since ever. Lance, his dad, on the other hand, is having I think a very real parental reaction (or as best as I could emulate) to finding out his son is tasked with the very dangerous (and not necessarily survivable) task of saving the world. And considering the terms in which he found out, very mixed emotions on it.

Floan and Lance are integral to MoaH as motivators for Link. They're the reason why, even after Link is actually for realsies proven to be the Hero and it's not just an act, they chose to keep the story going to keep the two identities separate. His family are just people. Lance is a retired mercenary, disabled and working as a florist. Floan's ten. They can't respond to the world in the same way Link or his companions can, and they're part of what he's fighting for to protect. The Zelink in MoaH is a fun plotline, and they absolutely defend each other. But his family was there first and they remain a core of who he is. He needed them to know.

Thank you again for the ask!