#but i needed to vent this shit somewhere

[snarkythewoecrow]

dont really care if anyone agrees but sometimes you just see a take and idk, need to pause and breathe, to stop yourself from stepping in the pile of steaming shit

but i will say this, yes, i do write fanfic for the fun, because i love the characters and media associated with it, and i'm sure a lot of others do the same, because why else do it?

but i SHARE my stories with the fandom and community, with readers, with other humans, because i want to be part of a community, to engage and see the joy my writing brings, to feel like part of something fun and special

and all these hot takes that writers are not entitled to engagement, idk, but it's giving me not so good feelings, which to put simply, in a general statement, they can fuck all the way off

sure, not everyone has the spoons to engage every day, every time, and hey, yeah, sometimes that kudos button can be too much, but if we all tried to remember that this is a community and did our best to interact when we could, that would go a long way

you can reply to existing comments, saying something like "^^^THIS" in reply, allowing you to interact with other readers, because this is your community, too, or you can just leave an emoji, and that's not to say you have to comment because it can be hard, but hitting the kudos if you can is a damn nice token, too

but the point i'm getting at is, the thing i saw that pissed me off and i've seen too much, is that whole bullshit where writers shouldn't act entitled to anything, as if since we are already writing this shit for ourselves, we should just share it and we suck it up if it feels like we're just shouting into the void

but here's the thing, i'm not posting because i want X number of this or that, i just want to see the things enjoyed, to feel part of something, and feel connected to all the other weirdos obsessed with my current thing

and radio silence, topped with seeing post after post of how writers should essentially sit quietly and take what they receive yet continue to share even when they feel alone?

as said earlier, that shit can fuck all the way off

so yeah, my probably less than a hot take, readers aren't entitled to fics as writers aren't entitled to comments or kudos, but without community and engagement, without kindness, the soil might as well be made of salt

[sttoru]

aita for blocking a friend bcs they dont reply to my messages or reply very late (like a whole day after) even though theyre clearly online, playing games, chatting w others etc 🤥 ?

[venriliz]

why is the concept of showing empathy for drug/alcohol addicts so hard to understand for some ppl? v.v they suffer too sis, that problem has to come from somewhere and i bet most of them would rather not be addicted in the first place. some people don't know what nuance is i swear. am i crazy for having empathy with addicts??? i don't think so.

[no-truce-with-the-heroes]

i can't believe there's still people out there who genuinely think Ochako would "kill Toga on sight" at this point

like, okay, there's the anime-only people who aren't aware of manga developments or are actively avoiding spoilers, and of course there's all the people who clearly stopped giving a shit ages ago (yet somehow still feel completely secure making blanket declarations about a franchise they no longer keep up with???)

but even then, and even if you're not a shipper or just don't like the characters-- how can anyone have ever believed that makes any sense ever? like we're not even talking self-defense apparently? just "on sight"? who do you think Ochako is, the Punisher in pink?

like i don't think i'm especially media literate myself, but-- how is it possible for people to be this bad at reading where a narrative is going?

because of course that's exactly what the Togachako plotline was leading up to, clearly the ultimate endpoint of developing Toga Himiko as a sympathetic villain important to Ochako's heroic actualization was a teenager unquestioningly enacting the extrajudicial murder of another teenager

that's exactly what MHA is all about, right? that's the sort of person Ochako is, the kind of hero that she wants to be? that's definitely good storytelling and not at all inane or grotesque? ugh

[yarpharp]

Okay so I was beginning to tell myself that DA4 is not gonna be as bad of a trainwreck as the reveal trailer was. I really was. But then I finally just watched the DA4 gameplay trailer and like....

Alright Varric I respect your desperate need to convince Solas not to be a dumbass. I really do. I would do the same with more cussing. But also DO YOU WANT TO DIE IN THE INTRO SEQUENCE? And why is your hair black but grey???? Dude you are strawberry blonde what is this shite. Gimme going-grey-with-a-hint-of-red. And where is your chest hair, old man???

The character models are so... Valorant blender smooth. I keep seeing Battle Royale designer vibes and it's very strange. I know that is industry standard by this point but still... where's that Bioware stylization?? Secondly: the iconic DA design style is SOOOO muted in this. Where are my angular and pointy Tevinters? I got some of it, but like viciously sideways. Why are the demons so fuckin weird? They don't even look like the demons from the LAST THREE GAMES. They look like Bioware was running on a tight schedule given to them by EA at gunpoint and decided to cut the models down to save on time. Which... Yikes. Yikes my guy.

The dialogue wheel is janky. I know this is still supposedly pre-launch but... Did they really just slap the old UI with a different visual style? Bro you had TEN YEARS. And also, who the hell wrote your dialogue? And when was Varric ever that close to Solas? They respected each other, sure. But best bros? Solas is notoriously introverted. People made jokes about it. This is some fake news.

Thirdly, I'm a little puzzled by the hyper drama of the Arlathan forest ritual shite. I am aware the stuff behind the scenes in the comics have been talking about shit happening in the forest, but... Okay, correct me if I'm wrong: Solas raised the Veil at Skyhold. His theoretical resources to raise said Veil were his orb and the central locality of said castle. Cool shit. What the fuck are these statues? Are they supposed to represent the gods? If so, what the fuck are you doing USING THOSE, SOLAS? AND ARE THOSE FIGURES EMERGING FROM THE HOLE IN THE VEIL SUPPOSED TO BE THE CORRUPTED EVANURI?? WHY ARE THEY DESIGNED LIKE A FUCKIN HYLICS 2 CHARACTER? (no disrespect, I love Hylics 2) I just... I recognize that Solas is desperate to fix his wrongs and theoretically save everyone from the Evanuri (because if the theory the elven gods are inflicted with the blight is still true, then yeah ya gotta kill the source of the blight) so he's seeking out dangerous shortcuts, but... Idk man. Idk. I am just sooooo skeptical of this. This has so much more obvious "EA has its paws on a franchise and proceeds to ruin it" energy. I am sooooo skeptical.

My positive opinion? Solas looks great. Did he fuckin growl like a wolf when he smashed Bianca with his glowy eyes? Yes, yes he did. Are the landscapes awesome? Yes. Is the companion programming still janky even in the new game? Yes. Is that floating building a magical panopticon?! Possibly, and that's fascinating. Are the voice actors the same? Can't quite tell, because I can hear voice mixing happening to their voices so either they aren't the same VAs but they're tuning them to sound close or they are not putting full effort into the VA shit until release. Am I an EA hater?

Yeah, but that's because I have been burned too many times to believe EA won't ruin a glorious RPG franchise. I'll try to stay optimistic, but I am struggling.

[kaiserkisser]

today is such a stark contrast to yesterday in how much i fucking hate today (vent/rant in tags bc i forgor to do it on my vent one)

[stabbyfoxandrew]

i want to crawl under my desk and go to sleep

[bueris]

okay maybe I should seriously reconsider my path in life and sell my soul to marketing or journalism instead

[safyresky]

Scrimbly Jacqueline 19/20: I gave her a cloak. bitches love cloaks! (i'm bitches)

I also drew her staff! She has one, too :)

This nearly became Sorceress-Warlock Jacqueline from THIS AU. Didn't feel like drawing that fit tho so it's just regular canon Jacqueline, lol. (but picturing the scars and the eye patch she doesn't actually need but wears for the aesthetic was a FUN mental image at the beginning of the week! then the horrors persisted and I went WHO HAS THE SPOONS. NOT ME)

Drawing the whooshy cloak was fun. Colouring it was even MORE fun. I was going CRAZY last night trying to find a post I made where I described Jacqueline's staff?? I COULDN'T FUCKING FIND IT AND I S2G I READ IT THE OTHER DAY. LIKE EARLIER THIS WEEK. So hopefully my visual memory served me WELL and I don't find the post and go FUCKING EH at a later date, lol.

this scrimbly was very much a scrimbly lol. I think it took me like 10 minutes to doodle. I'm having a LOW ENERGY WEEK. Feelin burnt out af and dreading the weekend! Woo! Almost DIDN'T scrimbly! Thinking this week's little down spin is gonna push back Frostmas crossposting which is SUPER RUDE bc like. THE AESTHETIC. UPDATING ON THE UNLUCKY DAY. BOO!

RIGHT. DANI RANTS ASIDE, WANT SOME CS LORE/FACTS? BC I GOT SOME! WOO:

All four Frosts would pass the warlock test--the question is, do they fully embrace it? Fino does. Fiera does but like, second to the summer sprite training. Jack learns what's useful/what he wants/needs to. Jacqueline was FINE not warlocking, she's good with the snow, BUT Jack keeps nagging her to at LEAST take the test and when she passes it he's like c'mon. c'mon. warlock training. you know you want tooo I could teach youuuuu

She holds off for a VERY long time then gets schemey brain a couple of centuries down the line and goes for it. It's spoilery and I do want to keep this one close to my chest, BUT:

Essentially she learns that she has something someone needs/wants back and she can only do that by getting into the Warlock training! She uses this to try and bring two estranged people closer and when it doesn't go well she hits Jack up after hours and is like "so my plan is going. hmm. bad. let's start warlock training?" and Jack's like YEAH LET'S FUCKING GOOOO bc A) he told her so. B) he;s been wanting to get her started with the warlock biz for YEARS! AND out of ALL THE TEACHERS SHE'S COMING TO HIM (well. unofficially) and C) he is also enjoying the tea from her little scheme and about the two people in question, lol.

Anyway, enjoy the scrimble! Next week is some prohibition fun ft. Winter, I THINK. I'll have to check my notes 🤔🤔🤔

(and yes the heart clasp and pink in the staff are bc Dite)

[savage-rhi]

Magenta kinda?

[kairithemang0]

remembering that one time when i was like 13 and i really didn't want to talk to my friends about my issues anymore bcs i thought they found it annoying so i went and found a "venting discord server" (yeah i was that desperate) and then i posted my vent and they banned me for not spoilering the word school

[dirtytransmasc]

Hi!!!!

Do you have any hcs for how Alicole would try and solve and argument with the kids? Like, their dynamic (especially Aegon with Alicole cause he’s the oldest) is just so interesting and I’ve always wondered how an argument/disagreement would play out with them

ooh, tasty concept.

with arguments amongst the children, they try and get them to take a step back. they'll each take a kid (or two if it involves all of them) and give them a hug or something of the like, easing the tensions, before helping them come to some sort of compromise or agreement.

when it comes to non petty arguments that every child has, the source of issues amongst the kids is the following;

with Aegon they have to settle his need to compensate for feeling as though he is lacking. he tends to pick on his siblings when he's feeling down on himself. so it's a lot of affirming words and hugs while also chiding his cruel behavior. he's definitely hard on himself about being cruel as well, he doesn't like being mean it just sorta comes out of him when he's not in good spirits about himself. he shoves his siblings away over little things when he's upset which only makes him feel worse in the long run. the whole situation makes it hard to parent, as it's not right how he treats his siblings at times, but it's also awful how he feels and how it presents itself. there's typically long talks after the fact. Aegon's usually in his dad's arms, more often than not, while he mom comforts him.

with Aemond it's cooling his temper and frustration, deep breaths and grounding. they remind him that he can't let every jab get a rise out of him, that he always had them to turn to when he needs help, that he's not alone to handle his anger. they try and learn more and more each time, what triggers his anger, what helps him calm down, what to avoid, etc. sometimes he needs to just be held other times he needs a moment alone to breathe. they also try and help him learn how to self regulate and also make his siblings aware that he's getting upset prior to him lashing out (they also talk to them about it).

with Helaena, arguments tend to be because she thinks so differently from her brothers. not only is she a girl in a house of boys, but also because she's autistic (I was the autistic 'sister' in a house of boys for most of my life, it definitely brewed some unique arguments, and I'm gonna project god damn it), their ways of thinking and doing are so different sometimes that she just loses it. so with her, they let her talk, they let her ramble and decompress until she can ground herself, then they have to try and explain the boys point of views, how they see may not be the right way, nor is hers, neither are, but they have to learn to agree. then it's hugs and kisses and talking it out, before they go back to hashing it out with the boys.

Daeron's the most agreeable with the siblings, very adhd coded in my mind (so I'm going to project my brother onto him cause they're very copy pasted in my mind) so when he gets into an argument it's because he's going too fast, too passionate, and/or too much. so again, like most of their children, it's grounding first talking later. like Helaena, they have to explain that the way he is isn't bad or wrong, but that's sometimes we need to slow down, take a breath, cool off, and than continue.

with arguments they take their kids separately, normally separated into different rooms and they visit them together. depending on the exact situation they may just offer hugs and softness, or they'll play a slight game of good cop/bad cop, though they're careful with it. the goal is to solve the problem, not slap a bandaid on it. they tend to each kids needs before handling the actual issue at hand and then being them together to find a solution.

they can both be soft and stern in their own ways. Cole is typically softer on them, as he gets to their levels, takes them close while talking, but he has a stern voice and makes it clear he's willing to put a foot down if need be. while Alicent tends to be a bit more formal and stereotypically authoritative, sitting at the table with them, even if she holds their hands in hers and pulls their chairs close so she can stroke their cheeks.

normally the kids can make right up, or at least come to peaceful terms, but if it doesn't, cause kids can hold grudges like no one's business, Alicent and Cole are forced to remain wholly neutral which is much harder than one would think. most of their fights that lead to grudges are very childish so it's really just waiting for them to crack and realize it was a stupid argument. this is made easier when they don't get involved, so they just laugh amongst themselves where the kids can't see them, and try and keep face in front of them (they can smell weakness and betrayal. send help. a 4 kids household isn't easy). they definitely have moments where they wave the white flag cause one of the kids accused them of siding. the "get along" shirt is also an active and well worn member of the family (Aegon and Aemond share it often)

this video is very much Aegon and Daeron. they feud often. they're either acting like Aegon is a second dad to him, or they are actually going to war and have been sworn enemies for generations, fighting a battle to honor their forefathers (Alicent and Criston are so tired). speaking of Aegon being a second dad, he definitely oversees a lot of arguments between Daeron and his friends... does he understand little kid drama? no. is it entertaining as all hell? you fucking bet, he wants to hear all about what little James did at daycare.

when the kids are arguing with them, which with the way they run the house is pretty rare, but not impossible, they first take a step back for themselves. they will never show anger or cruelty towards their kids, so they make sure they're ok before they even think about talking to their kids.

talking will always be their goal, they never want to use threats or punishments to get what they want from their kids, and they have different ways about it. because their kids know how their household works, that things work on their time, and that just being open and honest, they really just need a day or two to themselves, if the reason for arguing isn't time sensitive, and then they can just take it out.

Aegon is sulky, he just closes himself in his room or flees to a friend's house (which they let happen so long as he leaves a note, leaves his location on his phone, and checks in every few hours) if its really bad. he'll drag himself back to the kitchen table in 48 hours tops, wanting nothing more than for his mom and dad to love him again (they never stopped).

Aemond is just frustrated past reason, so he'll go out and fence with his dummy or just something physical, then he's more willing to listen to reason.

Helaena normally had a boundary or nerve pushed, which was normally accidental, either cause she was already frustrated with something or something changed and it just put both parties in bad positions. space is all she needs.

Daeron is a bit of all the above. he's sensitive, though hard to cross, its often more about other things, something his parent did just broke the camels back, so a long run brings everything back to reason.

Alicent and Criston care so much about their kids, every argument they have with their kids, typically one-sided as they refuse to truly yell, breaks their heart whether or not they did anything or not. they never plan to punish their kids for arguing, they were kids once and they know that its good that they feel safe enough to stand up and fight for what they believe to be true, that they feel safe to shout and disagree with them. they would rather that over anything else, cause they know their kids trust them.

while they aren't permissive with their kids, their are rules and hard limits, they don't count arguing as something to be punished, and their kids don't tend to strand into punishable territories. so resolving a fight is a long talk at the kitchen table, no man's land so to speak, where all parties air their grievances. the problem is discussed, apologies are said on all sides, and sometimes it doesn't always end in a hug, but it does end in feelings being soothed and bridges mended. no one walks away with hard feelings.

they're not perfect, but they make it work, and because they've put so much time and effort into making their home safe and sane, the whole family in therapy, making active efforts to be nothing like their first "home" true arguments are far and few between, and when they happen they're equipped to handle it. Alicent and Cole are such good parents, their kids love and trust them, theirs so much space to talk and negotiate and handle issues early on that there typically isn't any reason to fight. I think that's what makes them such a good family, cause its so hard for me to picture them actually fighting outside of petty things.

[fridayyy-13th]

i am feeling So Many Things at the moment but mostly i just feel like a disaster

[blcssom]

flew 6+ hours across the country to attend my cousin's graduation and none of my family took time off or wants to spend any time with me soooooo i guess i'm just gonna spend the trip in my hotel room????

[kunikisss]

oh man i really do wish i was mentally healthy and stable and didn’t torture myself with my own thoughts & actions that progressively make my life worse. i will continue to never visit a mental health professional ever

[kruxton]

having a Night. havent been alone w my thoughts in a while and im not liking it