#but like it’s ANNOYING when there isn’t a reason bc then i’m not in control >:(

[mars-ipan]

i keep trying to find a reason for my weird mood i’m in and i just remembered that i don’t need a reason

[nanawritesit]

Choi San Boyfriend Headcanons!

listen, this man is my ultimate bias for a REASON. you are SO lucky if you have him as a boyfriend 😭

he’s a huge fan of PDA. holding hands, linking pinkies, having an arm around your waist, linking arms, hugging, and kissing are all things he’s comfortable doing in public (just pecks on the lips though, not full on making out LOL) he always has to be touching you in some way 🥰

he loves to play with your hair! no matter how long or short it is, he’ll always be running his fingers through it, twiddling with the ends, or ruffling it (if it’s long enough, he’ll even learn to braid it! it’s a very relaxing ritual that both of you love!)

and while kissing, his hands often end up tangled in your hair ;)

san isn’t really into big grand gestures of love… it’s the little things he does for you that let you know he loves you. he definitely has an “acts of service” love language!

he’ll wake you up when he notices your alarm doesn’t go off, brings you lunch while you’re at work, helps you with projects, carries your bag around for you while shopping… he does stuff like this without even thinking

i can’t imagine him yelling at you no matter how angry he might be. he’s very good at controlling his feelings so if he gets upset, he’ll just leave the room to give himself a moment to calm down before talking with you about the situation calmly and rationally

if you ever break a glass or plate of his, he’ll gently reassure you that it’s okay, it was just an accident, and first checks your hands for any injuries before helping you clean it up (cries in childhood trauma 😭)

you catch him just staring at you with a big dopey smile on his face ALL the time. and when you ask what’s wrong he goes “nothing, i just love looking at you.” 😊

he’s the best person to be around when you’re sad. (he is our comforting mountain after all!) he’ll never judge you, and instead just hold you tightly while you cry, whispering little reassurances and patting your back gently… after you calm down he’ll immediately offer to help you with whatever’s bothering you

he’s a big fan of the nickname “baby,” he uses it probably more than your actual name (i’m sorry if you hate it 😟)

“baby, come look at this!” “what’s wrong baby, do you need some help?” “i’m sorry you’re sad baby, everything will be okay.”

every once in a while he’ll let a “my love” slip, and when he’s begging for your attention he uses “honey” in a sickeningly sweet, whiny voice

he’ll never pass up an opportunity to tell you how beautiful you are. even when you’re bare-faced, have bed-head, and are wearing sweats, he thinks you’re absolutely stunning 🥰

you definitely don’t help with his plushy addiction… you buy him one like every week, and soon you both have to buy those nets that hold stuffed animals against the corner ceiling (oh god and if you ALSO love plushies??? your house will be DECKED OUT.)

that definitely wasn’t just a headcanon for me bc i have a squishmallow addiction ahahaha

he tries to act annoyed when you pester him while he’s reading, but he secretly thinks you’re super cute when you’re begging for his attention 🥺

wooyoung is so jealous of you for the longest time… you guys didn’t really get along until san locked you both in a room and told you to work out your differences 😀

which worked, surprisingly 😀 you both came out laughing up a storm and hanging off of each other

now you and wooyoung are besties. you even team up against san sometimes to bug him. he just corners you both and stares at you intensely, forcing you to look up at him to fluster you (he loves his little brats tho 💞)

we all know san needs to hold something to sleep… and i’m sorry if you like having room to yourself when you sleep, but that something is going to have to be you sometimes (cries in starfish sleeper)

maybe not every night, but at least once a week, he HAS to fall asleep with you in his arms

he always lets you lay your head on his shoulder while he does other tasks, in fact, he encourages you to!

like if you’re sitting next to him to relax, he’ll just reach over and push your head down to rest on his shoulder

he loves to paint your nails together 💅🏻 and do face masks!

when he’s away on tour, he’ll stay up all night talking to you if no one stops him (usually hongjoong has to lmaoooo)

speaking of which, he gets all flustered every time the members bring you up… he starts blushing and smiling like a fool 🥺

then he can’t stop himself from rambling on and on about how amazing you are ☺️

he also won’t stop flirting with you just because you’re dating

he’s constantly dropping pick up lines and hyping you up

like if you get all dressed up for a special event, his jaw will drop open and he’ll say something like “hey pretty lil thing, you come here often” 👀

and you’ll be like “san i’m literally your partner” 😑

he shares everything with you, without even thinking about it

snacks, drinks, hoodies… he’ll just hand them to you absentmindedly

at the end of the day, this boy would do literally anything just to see you smile. he thinks your smile is the prettiest sight in the world. he believes you deserve the world and wants nothing more than to give it to you 💞

[phregnancy]

Sometimes I read bottom Dan fic from a few years ago and I'm like "who are these people?" lol. It's like people totally disregarded Phil's personality in order for him to fit the stereotypical mold they'd cast him in. It was the same for Dan tbh. Lbr the only reason why people thought Dan was the bottom is bc he's younger and more outwardly feminine than Phil. The idea that bottom= submissive and top= dominate is flawed anyway, but also...Dan is not submissive. He's quite bossy and controlling. In the past, I'd even say he could be domineering. I don't see their dynamic as even being Dom/sub tbh. It's more of a playful power struggle. Except Dan fights by asserting dominance and Phil fights by being cute and whining until Dan gives in or being an absolute menace and annoying Dan into submission lmao

rewriting this for the third time because my app keeps refreshing </3 but i agree with alllll of this. putting it under a cut because i got way off course and went on a tangent lol

someone recently said that they can tell who of us have been actively engaged in diverse irl queer communities (clubs, bars, sports leagues, activism groups, etc) vs who of us haven’t and i’ve been thinking about that a lot in regards to this. obviously nothing wrong with not engaging with your irl queer communities, some people don’t have access or don’t feel comfortable or simply don’t want to and all of that is fine - but you do have to work harder to unlearn a lot of heteronormative concepts like these and you have to familiarize yourself with queer culture and history (outside of social media). people’s outward presentations of masculinity and femininity have nothing to do with their sexual preferences, and dan has shared that exact sentiment in so many words (wondering if people think he’s a bottom because he’s slightly more feminine, and then discouraging that narrative as a whole). i also think there was a lot of hyperbolizing with their masculine and feminine presentations, because for a long time dan really was not that feminine and phil really was not that masculine. they were both emo nerd boys who played video games and drank too much soda. even now with personas like sister daniel, that really is not the height of femininity in queer culture or drag culture.

i think there’s also something to be said about people’s lack of familiarity with queer culture showing in people’s thoughts on them being in an open relationship and also 2009 bottom dan.

i don’t particularly care about the open relationship discourse one way or another, but a lot of mlm relationships are open. there are studies and statistics on this, gay men are the most comfortable and open to open relationships. if they hooked up with people when dan was touring or even just someone every now and then, it wouldn’t be as shocking as some people make it out to be. i also think there’s a problem with people conflating open relationships with polyamory, and those two things are often very different. people in open relationships tend to be committed to each other, but will sometimes want to have noncommittal sex with other people. polyamory is having multiple committed relationships (romantic or sexual). clingy phil and possessive dan having noncommittal sex with other people wouldn’t change that they’re still clingy x possessive. and if you’re actively engaged in irl queer communities vs online echo chambers you’ll learn this.

i’m getting way off course here lol but then in regards to people thinking 2009 dan was bottoming as a default, that’s been a pet peeve of mine since forever because it shows a lack of familiarity with mlm relationships. it’s extremely unlikely that dan’s first gay sexual experiences were being on the receiving end of anal sex, that takes time to get used to (with yourself and with a partner) and often isn’t most men’s first gay sexual position. they also weren’t together long enough until phil got his first apartment to have dan be familiar enough with anal to take phil’s dick every time he visited. i know everyone thinks little twink dan taking phil’s big dick is so hot, but big dicks can be painful and are something you work yourselves towards. and y’know, who knows what actually went on in that bedroom so much cherry everywhere, but i do think we should dispel some of these beliefs that again are playing into heteronormativity (little feminine dan taking big masculine emo phil)

dan has always been bossy and controlling and he was quite confident with the people he was comfortable around (phil + other youtubers + his audience) and then grew to be a confident person in general. i see them as a real brat x brat relationship with them being bratty in different ways (bossy/teasing vs whiney/pushing buttons).

here’s my last thing (thanks for reading this novel if you made it this far) - there is a difference between knowing all of this, and still just preferring bottom sub dan x top dom phil because you think it’s hot, vs believing there’s no other dynamics that could exist because of heteronormative stereotypes that you are actively playing into. like what you like and have fun! but please work on educating yourself and unlearning heteronormativity. sorry for the spiel!

[peachjagiya]

this is going to have some conjecture but it’s just my little theory lol. so we know since the solo era began, tae and jk were seeing eo and hanging out a lot. so much to the point that they missed eo after being separated for literally just a few days, resulting in jk hopping on a long ass flight just to see tae lol. they had no official cameras around them at all during the break period and were able to live pretty freely and however they wanted. jungkook even said himself that his break was the best and he had so much fun. i think bc he was able to freely be with tae whenever he wanted and however he wanted during that time, he got really used to that. it was quite a few months of jk going awol and when we finally heard from jk again, it was him accidentally being heard singing in the back of tae’s live. after this era of being used to being free/acting however he wanted w tae, i think coming back in front of official cameras w tae stressed jungkook out more than it used to. prior to solo era, they were used to dialing it back and hiding their relationship in front of cameras and other people. as frustrating as i’m sure it still must have been back then, they were accustomed to it and it was expected. however, after a long period of no longer having to do that, going back to smothering your relationship down is probably then ten times harder and more stressful. that is why during solo era i do feel like jk has treated tae ever so slightly differently and a bit “cold” from time to time when the official cameras are on them. i think he’s very on edge when tae is w him in front of bh cameras now since he’s not as used to having to control himself anymore. he seems to be overthinking a bit and being overly cautious to the point that it may come across as slightly blunt/cold. now i don’t think it’s as bad as some ppl make it out to be. some ppl think he’s being overtly rude or mean to taehyung and doesn’t want him there but i think that’s being very dramatic and ignorant of the clear love that jk has for tae. i think in some sense, yes, maybe it’s possible jk would rather taehyung not be there w him in front of official cameras. but i don’t think it stems from jk disliking tae or being annoyed by him at all. i think it stems from him being anxious about how his interactions w tae could come across if they’re not super careful and he’d rather not have to be overly careful. or have to have the staff cut out a million things if they can avoid it.

taehyung obviously seems to be much more comfortable and doesn’t really give a fuck anymore. and it’s totally fine/valid for both of them to feel different levels of comfort in front of the cameras. i don’t think taehyung sees it as jk being rude to him or anything like that. he surely knows jk better than any of us ever will and if taehyung ever felt mistreated i doubt he’d be so down bad for jk lol.

btw this isn’t a criticism on jk at all, i completely understand why he’d act like this. he doesn’t need to change how he acts to appease people. there is no doubt in my mind that he loves taehyung to pieces. and taehyung definitely knows that. it’s just a simple theory about why things have felt a bit different in solo era in official footage and the reasoning behind how i think that developed :)

I think you're right on the money, actually! The increased freedom created by months and months of no cameras had to feel good and had to strengthen their resolve to protect what they have.

I maintain his supposed coldness is just him being mischievous with Tae, energy matching with Tae's dry humour.

But I mentioned yesterday that even out couples, even heterosexual couples, who have no need to hide anything, want to keep their secrets about how they are in private. It's perfectly natural to lean into safer ways of communicating. So multiply that by ten with a lot riding on it and all this pressure and cameras? You're so right, I think!

It's kind of like... You spend years wanting to have a Twinkie and then you eat a Twinkie and you love twinkies so much, they're everything you ever dreamed they'd be...

Then someone says "you need to only eat lettuce right now" and takes your Twinkies away but they put this box of twinkies right there in front of you?!

You're gonna get irritated and maybe be like "fine I don't even want a Twinkie then. *irate lettuce munching*"

..... Know what I mean? Tae is the Twinkie. That's what I mean.

ANYWAY. AHEM. I suspect we're probably not going to see anything overly affectionate or lovey-dovey in Jeju. But also remember JK particularly is not always that good at keeping his poker face and their affection and love usually shines through in little actions. I bet there'll be some low key sweetness.

Thanks anon! 💜

[rebelcharmings]

🪞🫶💕📍 RAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

hello gummy !!!!

🪞 which character is most like you and why?

oh this is a tough one right off the bat…. i’m probably gonna go with lizzie not Just bc she’s my fav character but actually there’s probably a good reason for that . i also kinda have a temper i try to control. and also my fav colour is red. yea see we’re practically the same person. also i like to be dramatic just for the lols

🫶 otp?

ohhh if you’ve seen enough of my posts u already know this . DIZZIE. AKA DARING AND LIZZIE. AKA THE ONE CANON SHIP THAT HAD SOO MUCH POTENTIAL BUT DIDNT GO ANYWHERE!!! if you’ve read the wonderlandiful world book you’ll especially understand where i’m coming from. literally even a snippet of it is in my header. it’s just sooo!!! idk!! i like the drama of everyone expecting daring to be with apple or at the very least a “Proper Princess”.. but here comes this wonderlandian princess who threatens to chop people’s heads off and there is just . Hearts in his eyes (pun intended). he’s completely smitten. and lizzie is just like Ugh this guy again but secretly finds him intriguing and likes the fact he likes Her for Her. my fav ship dynamic. obviously not biased but i think it’s the best out of the daring ships mainly bc i cant personally imagine cerise being attracted to men and i already told my thoughts on darabella.. i have many more thoughts on dizzie i should probably make a post on that.

this ship is just so criminally underrated there’s rlly not enough fics on this. i have soo many unfinished dizzie fics that will hopefully one day see the light.. who knows

💕 any other character dynamics you like (family, friends, ships)?

oh u already know what i’m gonna say. CHARMING SIBLINGS!!!! the books especially portray their dynamics so well. which is why i have a bone to pick with fics or interpretations where dexter or darling, specifically dexter, get rlly annoyed at their brother or daring is rlly condescending bc while dexter mayy be a little tired of being in his shadow they all still love each other!!! daring and dexter playfully wrestle, daring laughs as darling swings on his arm like a monkey bar, daring is proud of “dexter” suddenly improving in hero class and reassures him later that he knows this isn’t his thing but he isn’t going to hurt him while jousting…. i also find it entertaining to read about dexter and daring shooing off all of darling’s suitors, it’s nice to see how protective they r of her. and that one diary entry of darling remembering a memory of the three playing in the mud and then running away into the forest, making fun of their mother. it’s so cute . so good.

i reckon my love for this sibling dynamics and most sibling dynamics in media is bc of me being an only child and projecting bc i’ve always wanted siblings like this but anyways…..

📍 favourite eah location?

ooh interesting question . is it weird to say the castleteria LOL. i’ve always wanted to be in those american school type cafeterias and the different levels in the castleteria just seem even more fun. so that or the study lounge bc i’m a Nerd and like to study in environments like that.. i liked to study in my high school’s yr 12 study room especially when it was quiet, but it was also Just as fun to just chat about anything with friends and other classmates

[iamafanofcartoons]

Rabbit aka PhonyMangaka Debunks Hbomberguy’s “RWBY is Disappointing Video” and explains why the Critics are wrong about RWBY.  Part 2 of 2

Insert Monty Fight Here Spends a bit talking about how the animation and the writing of the show is set up between Monty, Miles, and Kerry.

Kind of hard to tell if he likes the general idea of it, because he's using an example of Ruby vs Roman and the Club thugs.

Seems positive

Alright so a problem he listed out was how disjointed the scene of the two teams getting the relics and "Running to live another day towards the cliffs"

But it just cuts to another fight were the teams have to engage with the Deathstalker and Nevermore.

And he got it very wrong

He claims it doesnt connect, but Ruby clearly says "make it back to the cliffs" and you can obviously see that's what they're going to do.

It's the deathstalker and the nevermore that are clearly chasing them that they are forced to fight. Just didnt pay attention?

"Character arcs tend to start and stop...  Weiss was annoyed at Ruby being made a leader...  During the test Weiss said she was going to be nicer."

I do agree with this somewhat.

The Weiss racism plot was mostly offscreen, and I would have liked for the friction between Ruby and Weiss to have lasted an extra episode, but I'm not too hung up on it.

However, this reading can be a bit surface level.

Yes, Weiss agreed to be nicer to Ruby however that was done bc SHE thought she'd be made leader bc she believes she is better than Ruby both bc of her age and her status as the heiress of the SDC.

So no, it makes perfect sense why she's annoyed, it's just dishonest of you to really paint that picture when all it takes is just watching episodes that aren't even 15 minutes long.

And another thing is. It's not that Prof Port told- her to just "stop it" as he puts it.

He basically dresses her down and shows her how childish and unreasonable she is.

Weiss does let her feeling's and headstrong way of thinking get in the way of her, but it's not like she WOULDN'T reconsider her ideals/values. This is the same- person that was okay with Blake being a former terrorist in the end despite the things that the White Fang did to her family and her social life growing up.

"All Weiss needed was a man in a position of authority to tell her off"

If Glynda did the same, the same thing happens??

Like yeah...

This is the same person that wanted to call the police and trusts them to do their jobs, of course Weiss listens to authorities and values their opinions moreso over her peers.

"Her character arc is about her dealing with her abusive and controlling father so it- comes across as gross that they would let this happen."

.......................

Are you seriously comparing Professor Port to her Father??

Is that what we're doing?

That makes literally 0 sense lol?

Miles and Kerry talk about how they view RWBY as cool kids and not just female- mcs.

And the reason why he brings up those clips is to basically... idk call them a hypocrite because they made jokes about Yang?

He mentions the time Miles tweeted the Yang vs Tifa fight and says "My money's on the hot one" and also Kerry saying "Yang is the happy joyful on  Everything you want in a girl."

So basically using those two instances were they

1. Promote a Deathbattle video so they can get more views.

2. Have to explain who each character is on the team RWBY

Also please credit who you use for fact checking!

https://youtu.be/EmHM_0Mfe3g

That video was from  @NerdCaliber  from way back in 2013, not a bad interview and even if it was from way back then, i suggest giving it a like!

He now goes into Jaune and the Jaune arc. Which ok, once again I admit that a lot of people do have it's gripes with it. Gripes I can-

Very much understand.

If this volume was longer, and the episodes were too, I very much do believe that so many people wouldn't be so upset by it as they are.

The writing for Jaundice isn't bad either.

It's about a kid who gets bullied because he's weak but tries to deal with it on his own, despite the fact that he very much DOES need help.

We get to see his struggles and with the pep talk from Ruby and with him ACTUALLY standing up for himself in the end, it isn't as simple as "kill a monster that's threatening the bully and that's how you solve it"

As hbomberguy puts it.

It's

"You have to find the inner strength within yourself to stop being a doormat and stand your ground."

Jaune stands his ground, he gains that confidence, and he tells Cardin to never mess with his friends ever again.

He was determined and the facial expressions really hammered home to Cardin that Jaune isn't going to fold to him or his team anymore.

For the last time, I agree that it's weird to put it in the middle of an already short volume with very small run time.

Honestly RWBY SHOULD have had more to do in this Volume-

That I think could have been spent with Weiss's racism and her preconceived notions about the White Fang and those in it as well as just Faunus in general be explored in seeing how she deals with it.

That WOULD have been better and I admit to that fully.

"Penny and Sun just appear... Nothing you could have cut to establish these characters."

Tbcf, Their introduction is fine.

Sun hopping off of a boat that he illegally boarded?

Just Sun things.

Penny getting knocked over for standing in the middle of an alleyway?

Just Penny things

Like he said. it's the last two episodes.

They can be built upon more in the next few volumes.

It's like saying "Why is Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury are in the last episode.

Surely you couldn't have cut an episode or two to introduce them" those are ACTUAL side characters.

JNPR actually has importance over any of the tertiary cast.

Says things I agree with, like production being disjointed.

Don't really agree with the sentiment that the show isn't cohesive.

If anything, I feel like the volume is just too short. If CRWBY were to redo it today Most of the complaints would be nonexistent, obviously of course.

But that's what happens when you have more than when you first started out with.

"Lets not assume this is author self insert wish fulfillment... It's just really weird you picked Neptune... gets into love-triangles with female characters that you write... Just feels weird."

Like... Just say you think it's author self insert wish fulfillment.

That's obviously the picture you're painting.

You're literally not doing ANY amount of nuance to even dictate that you think differently.

The pussyfooting is just lame.

Like also implying Kerry is a creep because "Neptune hangs out with Yang" going back to that old interview were he calls Yang "anything everybody would want in a girl" with then a cut of him saying "she's 17".

Bro just stand your ground and call him a creep.

Because that's LITERALLY what you're trying to get at, at worse or Calling in his behavior as questionable at best.

Both of which, is so demented.

Considering it was Monty (the guy you're dedicating this video too btw) told them which character they'd voice.

Raises points about naturalistic exposition in regards to the prom and how it's all about prom (ignoring the B plot with Yang and Blake too I might add).

Major complaint though is that he feels like there's no plot going on... Which is the actual point?

The "plot" is being halted because Yang basically getting Blake to stop overextending herself with the White Fang and to chill out.

They're still KIDS, much like how Ozpin told Glynda.

They can have a moment where they're embroiled in small scale drama of love triangles and prom.

Besides, the end of the episode is still a thing, where the CCT is broken into and Ruby discovers a certain shadowy figure in that room.

Things are still happening.

The prom was a great excuse for the protagonists to chill for ONE night before a mission and the antagoinsts-  to do some dastardly devious machinations.

Claims Ruby fell into the plot, ie Mount Glenn, but also conveniently ignoring the worldbuilding (the same thing he harps on about earlier in the video) that explains Elder Grimm and what happened to the people of the settlement.

And the narrative reasons is that it's an old decrepit settlement, so of course their would be sinkholes.

Though, it's moreso a flimsy defense so yeah I could see why he wouldn't like how that happens.

But it also bugs me that he never mentions what happens BEFORE Ruby fell.

I don't really see the need to really complain about "it has a working rail system?!?!?!"

I mean yeah?

We don't know how long they've been planning this sort of invasion, but with all the material they gathered and the helping hands around them.

It's not farfetched to think- They could get it working.

Especially since the railroads weren't really messed up.

It's just, a nothing complaint imo.

And it definitely is organic??

Like what's more natural than

"Hey uh theres a bunch of terrorists and Roman Torchwick getting on a train leading to Who knows where. How about we board it and try to stop them?"

I mean that's a pretty damn good reason to get on the train.

One thing I can say about hbomberguy.

He will praise the ever living fuck out of Monty and Shane's animation.

(deserved mind you).

But will leave no room- for Miles and Kerry to even BREATHE.

This man has his foot on both of their necks and just keeps applying pressure like, damn dude

"It's objectively an awful song."

YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH THERE WILL BE NO CAFFEINE SLANDER AT ALL YOU VILE BEING!!

IT'S ONE OF THE BEST RWBY TRACKS AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR YOUR NEEDLESS MUDSLINGING!!!!!!

Also, if we REALLY wanna talk about side casts...

CFVY, depsite how fucking cool they are, are the literal definition of a side cast.

They came in, kicked ass and took names like fucking bosses.

They didn't need a whole biography before they came and what is it with people- mainly critics and youtubers, who believe every single person in the universe needs whole entire episodes and dialogues to understand every single character in existence.

Like damn maybe we should give Tock a backstory too

"Who is this guy, what are his-"

Bruh it's not THAT deep

"That's the story????"

Huh???

The... The story is that they "stopped" whatever plans that the White Fang and Roman have cooked up.

Like, this is all a set up for the end of Volume 3 where the complaints you're bringing up DO have consequences.

Because of the Grimm invasion- Atlas is allowed to bring in it's robots and even more of it's warships...

Know what happens next???

Exactly.

It's bread crumbs.

A domino effect.

Where things are leading up to the bigger picture.

"There is no build up for Velvet to put away her weapon at Coco's request bc-we haven't seen it".

No it's to keep the audience in suspense/garnering hype to what exactly Velvet's weapon could be. It's not supposed to be revealed just yet, but later on in the story.

It wasn't meant to be a joke or a play on OF a joke.

It's just a story beat/reveal.

"It doesn't feel right to speculate."

But spends a minute and a half speculating that Coco and Velvet were supposed to have bigger roles in the story because of how long and how much effort it took to rig her and fan submissions too.

Uhhh... Maybe that's just... How rigging- goes???

I'm pretty sure there were efforts similar that went into RWBY, JNPR, Sun and Neptune, Neo, etc.

Not everything has to be this big/large grandiose purpose you're trying to place on these characters.

And even if they were, ideas and plotlines DO get scrapped many times   Through production, either because it doesn't fit, or because they wanted to do something else entirely.

But this is ALL speculation.  You and me both are doing that.

He ends off this segment by saying that this was all production and execution angle and how the fights are great and everything else sucks and how it's mismanaged and poorly connected.

Even though I've gone through his "connections" and just found that he wasnt paying attention to most of the scenes and the dialouges is both funny and frustrating.

"Two full seasons of teething problems" yeah that's true.

I mean yeah lol, not gonna fight that there.

Are... We really comparing this too Jojo's??

Oh.. We are?? Aight then

And now we're comparing it to Cowboy Bebop.

just about the first robbery scene and characterization and things like that...

But... Have you ever considered that... maybe, just maybe, they were doing two different scene. If you're going to sit here and try to rag on- RWBY for "not understanding how the robbery scene works."

Then that sort of point can be used across every single piece of media that has a robbery scene in it. And even then you still were able to get basic things out of her "it's not much" and??

You still have about, 9-   volumes worth of content to get to know more about her.

"It's all coincidence driven story."

There isn't just one way to write a story bomber. literally, if you want to watch Cowboy Bebop so much then go rewatch it.

These shows set out two different types of vibes.

Not- Everything is 1 to 1. Just a lot of nitpicks mainly.

Nothing really substantial is said here besides just ranting about Ruby's lack of characterization. Blank Slate, making a stab at her for liking books.

Like, I dunno man, it's just cumbersome at this point.

So remember when I said it's going to be a 2 parter. I lied.

I only got through 27 minutes today and I'm already tired of this video.

SO part 3 tomorrow and that should be the end.

Goodnight Night City!!

https://twitter.com/PhonyMangaka/status/1654286207021457410

[venture-through-the-mist]

Warframe Stuff…Because Why Not?

So, seeing as this page is definitely turning into a Warframe-specific blog (not that I hadn’t completely intended for that to happen, but that’s beside the point lol), I figured I’d post a little bit of a Warframe-specific introduction, to go along with my main one. I’ll probably try and update this somewhat frequently with any new links/posts/etc that I come up with, just so it’s easier for people to find things on my page.

Featured/Frequently Used Tags: warframe; lotus warframe; warframe spoilers; mist’s writing

For right now, I won’t be sharing my IGN, but that’s more because I don’t really tend to friend or chat with people that I don’t know well, so I don’t want an influx of random messages or requests lol.

Mastery Rank: I’m currently MR 17, though I’d probably be higher if I hadn’t spent my first 3-ish months as a Warframe player absolutely refusing to craft or use any Warframe other than my starter. Seriously…my second frame was Excalibur Umbra…I did not build a second frame until I played The Sacrifice quest, and at the time, if I could’ve avoided it, I would’ve.

Main Warframes: I’m a Mag and Saryn main at heart. Mag was the frame that I started out with, and I absolutely fell in love with her gameplay. I got into playing Saryn due to a friend’s recommendation for Steel Path, and honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy her gameplay as much as I do, but I actually find her quite fun to play.

In general, I tend to enjoy the crowd-control frames or the ones that can do a ton of damage super quickly. I don’t usually enjoy support-type frames as much, but that’s just because my gameplay style tends to be more ‘Shoot/stab first, ask questions later’. Other frames that I like but aren’t my mains include: Gyre, Dante, and Revenant. Titania’s fun too, though I’m not nearly good enough to play her without bashing into every single wall on the map.

Although the frames listed above are ones that I like, I’ll never criticize or fault to someone for liking another frame. My view on the game is very much along the lines of “there’s a playstyle for everybody, and there’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ Warframe”.

Main Weapons: I absolutely love using the Nataruk. I really enjoy bows for whatever reason, and so this has been my go-to ever since I completed The New War. For melee weapons, I quite like the Harmony, but honestly as long as it isn’t a Glaive-type weapon, I’ll probably enjoy it (learning the Xoris was…more of a struggle than I’d care to admit). I never really care that much about my secondaries, so usually I use whatever.

Other Game-Related Info: I play on iOS! When I first started back in October or November of 2023 (I think, at least), I was genuinely shocked at the quality of the game and the fact that there’s so much content, with it still being free to play. The app is definitely still a little buggy, but that’s to be expected, and it still runs better than the vast majority of other mobile games I’ve played.

I tend to enjoy a little bit of everything the game has to offer. One week, I’ll be super into farming Duviri stuff, the next I’ll be focused on Railjack (as annoying as it is to me, I’m still trying to get Sevagoth). Or maybe one day I’ll be cracking relics nonstop and then switch to working through the Steel Path. I never really know what I’m going to do on any given day lol. I’ve been really enjoying running Netracells lately, not that I’m that good at them. I don’t usually play the Conclave, but that’s mostly because I can never figure out how it actually works (and…also partially bc I don’t like Teshin).

Now for the ‘fun’ stuff! I’ve been writing little things for my Operator since I started playing, and so sometimes I might post some things here relating to her or my Drifter. I also have an AO3 account, so I’ll post any fanfics on there as well.

Characters: Mag (Operator); Lēna (Drifter)

A lot of what I write has to do with exploring the relationship dynamics between Lotus and my Operator, Mag, especially as they—and the other Tenno by extension—become more of a ‘family’ after The New War, however, I have also written some more Lotus- or Mag-centric fics that don’t dive into that dynamic. I’ve also written a few that explore the dynamic between Lotus and my Drifter, Lēna (no, that does not involve shipping them, that’s just not my cup of tea lol). In general, I don’t tend to write a lot of shipping stuff, I like to focus on platonic/friend/familial relationships lol (I like to read that sort of stuff, I just don’t write it for whatever reason).

My Writing: AO3 or mist’s writing

Ongoing Series: Petals May Wilt (But We Can’t Let Them Wither)

My ask box is open for any questions/comments/etc, so feel free to send something in, and I’ll usually answer it as quickly as I’m able to!

[mskinkyafro]

THTH/LITG VENT…if I want to even call it that. Mostly about THTH. With LITG it’s whatever.

(Please don’t come at me with some bullshit, this is me just getting shit off my chest. If you don’t agree, just scroll pass. Pls and thank you).

There’s this strange sentiment that I’ve seen from the audience on mainly the subreddit (the cesspool I know 🥴🤷🏾‍♀️😭) and what why say about certain characters and how they perceive them. And I find the logic flawed and weird.

For some reason 👀 they pretty much “uplift” for lack of a better or almost excuse one characters more consistent and horrible treatment as “well they are upfront and you know who they are” vs “this other character is pretending or fake, and that’s the worst kind of person”.

But not the person who has been harmful….or insulting…since day one? Okay…

And I take it as the latter are not allowed to exist and can’t possibly be as multi dimensional vs their counterparts. Instead, nope they HAVE to be a liar and fake and that’s worst.

Which is…just strange.

I can at least scream this in a void and not be harassed or gaslit as if I’m always making this a race issues. Bc believe me as long as I’ve been playing, I realize it will always happen but damn it just hits harder this time around bc I feel like the black characters can relatively do minimal damage and they still find a way to twist it to them being public enemy number one.

And all it is, is “moving the goalposts” or just the upholding black characters to different higher standards.

And I’m sorry, I’m a black woman, I’m gonna always look at media with my own lens and is not always about intention. It’s still a matter of there’s bias that some have subconsciously that make it easier for you to perceive these characters a certain way.

Like with THTH, I have no problem being upset with Julian bc of his hypocrisy with spending the fund. That’s fine, I get.

But even before that, the something about him I can’t stand or his just so annoying (given) but it’s like, they latch onto one like thing and just salivate at the chance to pounce of the character when they do something “inherently” wrong. And then that’s all the are. Or they aren’t allowed to be more than just that.

But before Sean’s small moments of backstory are revealed if you even earn it, you got people talking about, “clearly he has Been through something, I can /want to fix him”.

But Julian has been adhering to Sean’s relentless attacks and bullying and when he gives it just as bad back. (Whether it’s right or wrong, that’s a consequence Julian should have to pay for. Just like Sean, however Sean hasn’t been held accountable for.) Or for his incessant spending, there’s no curiosity to his own trauma or why he is this way. No he isn’t afforded that empathy. And it’s literally just crazy.

And now we are seeing them slowly shift their sites for Gigi. And blame this black woman for the actions of two GROWN ASS men.

Why didn’t she get in between two grown ass men? Why didn’t she do more? Why is she not sticking up for Sean during this moment of vulnerability? Why is she not coddling Sean’s irrational insecurities or taking iniatice and controlling Julian’s crush on her. Why hasn’t she spoke up for her said, friend.

Like with her not telling Sean not to speak or treat Julian a certain way, at first I fell into a trap of, damn she ain’t being that great of a friend to let your man talk to your friend any kind of way but then I realize, she’s in the middle of her journey. She will get to that realization. But at this time in her plot or arc, she doesn’t see it.

And that’s the gag, we allow characters like Sean to maneuver their arcs and journeys and give boosters and understanding to their redemptions. (Which I’m firmly believe he is written to not have one. Just like Justin or even non romanced Antoine in S2. The realize too little too late)

But Gigi and Julian, nope. No grace, no wiggle room, and they are no dimension. And it’s just funny to watch over and over.

Idk I’m just over it.

[muskratcactus]

ok so little rant here

I really don’t understand the people that hate gina. I believe their reasons are that she is quote unquote: -selfish -stupid -annoying So I’m gonna delve into each of these things and debunk them because I’m fucking tired of people hating on her and she’s my comfort character so let’s get into it #1-SELFISH We’ve seen Gina on multiple occasions be generous and nice. I think that selfishness is a trait that everyone possesses as well so it’s very prevalent in other characters too. I also think that she has sort of a ‘persona’ she likes to play up, and this goes right into it. Gina, for example, at the beach house, fully could have just got Amy drunk and moved on, but she helped her and gave her various things, etc. #2-STUPID Again, with the persona. We can clearly see she isn’t stupid. She knows how to control her finances, takes advanced classes, and shows to be adept at cognitive thinking. I’m really fucking tired of people thinking she’s stupid. She is not. Stupid. She’s whimsical, not a lunatic. #3-ANNOYING PERSONA. You can clearly see that insults are things she does with her friends too, so I interpret it as a love language for her. Also she never goes too far and accepts when she does, apologizing.

ok so now you have no reasons to hate gina linetti you’re all just jealous bc she’s the Paris of people

[detransed]

hi i understand this isn’t a rant or advice acct or anything of the sort & if this is annoying to u feel free to delete it but i feel like i have to hear a radfem perspective on this bc everyone around me has convinced me i’m selfish or unfair. i recently stopped taking my birth control because i felt it was doing more harm than good. i’m considering switching the brand or upping the dose or however it works but for now i’ve decided to stop it altogether. i told my boyfriend that we’d have to use actual protection from now on unless i start a new one bc neither of us are ready for a baby and i don’t want to even risk anything and he didn’t answer my text and left me on seen. when he got home i asked him if he was mad and he told me that i should consult him before making decisions like that bc he feels that it’s unfair to him because condoms are uncomfortable and he hates wearing them and now that we’re a serious couple decisions like not taking the pill are things we have to agree on together. i told him that i felt like that’s an unfair thing to say to me bc i don’t make him come to me before going to the dr and getting new medicine or anything like that but he said that this is different bc it effects us both. i can kind of understand where he’s coming from but i still feel like as a grown woman i should be able to do things like that without asking my bf for ‘permission’ like i’m 16 and he’s my mom. i asked some of my liberal & conservative friends and they all agree that i should have talked this out with him before doing it bc it will now effect our sex life & intimacy negatively and that’s an important part of relationships. they also said since i’m only 19 and that this is my first serious relationship that i don’t understand that the choices i make in my life will effect the both of us. i genuinely feel like i’m going crazy and i might be i’m in the wrong here but i really don’t think i am. i feel i should also mention he’s very liberal and is pro-abortion and agrees w my body my choice and stuff like that. he’s sort of giving me the cold shoulder now and is being less affectionate and is texting/calling me less which is smthn he does when i’ve upset him but i rlly feel like i haven’t done anything wrong here.

Hey anon no need to apologize at all; trying to help women as best I can online is what this account is all about. That goes to anyone else reading this as well <3

This is going to be quite blunt but: your BF only believes in “your body, your choice” as long as you are doing what he wants. A women does not and will never need her BF’s permission to go on or off birth control. That is a complete violation of your bodily autonomy.

He expects you to put up with the physical and mental side effects of birth control 24/7 so that his sex can be, what, a little better for him? Wearing a condom is the minimum a man can do. What he is doing by giving you the cold shoulder until you acquiesce to his demands is manipulative and bordering on emotional abuse. I would take this a big red flag. Now, many radfems will say you should dump a man at the first major red flag and honestly I agree with this perspective but this is some advice if you do want to continue the relationship : Make a list of every side affect you experienced from birth control and how often if affected you. Read it to him and ask him honestly, is his “discomfort” from condoms worth you going through that? If he says it is, you will have to break up with him . Do not give in to using BC because of him, it will only be the first in a long line of concessions you will be expected to make for him. If he is reasonable and apologizes and says he did not understand, then your relationship can continue.

TLDR: You did NOTHING wrong by going of birth control. Your boyfriend is being unreasonable and sex feeling a tad better for him is not worth your health

[ssaalexblake]

This week on STP.  Soap Opera: Picard commences.

(imagine me staring an 100 yard stare) 

Not even gonna go there. If I wanted to read this type of plot, I would go read it where it belongs... In a fanfic. Eh. I am withholding judgement for now under the technicality that assumptions are not canon and i’m not sure if i’m being generous to the writers for giving them the benefit of the doubt or if i’m grasping at the last few straws i have, but here we are. 

Mostly, as somebody who isn’t even a tng lover i feel bad for what is apparently being done to beverly here like damn, really??

amanda plummer aced every second of screen time she had, kudos! Was legit threatening and nice visual references, also. 

Michelle Hurd also has me by the Neck. Raffi’s been mistreated so bad. This never should have been a thing she was told to do for very valid reasons. Also, in a vaguely introspective way i’m like okay Section 31... The people working for it probably aren’t the kind of people all steeped in starfleet principles. Which is why Raffi can’t do it. She is too principled of a person. 

Honestly thought the computer handler was threatening Raffi with that comment about another body. Was legit surprised she just managed to turn the screen off. 

The convo with the ex annoyed me because like, from the character exploration they did with Raffi last season there are canonically a few good reasons her family aren’t in contact with her that are legitimately a ‘her problem’ kind of thing. This is not what happened here and i felt they unintentionally leant into some uncomfortable sexist notions when doing it. And they could easily have made that less infuriating by just leaning on last season’s work instead. But then again, from the ex’s clientele it looks like he’s not like... The Most Moral Dude Ever? Actually... going back to S1 and Raffi’s son being on hyper-futuristic-capitalism-neon-hell-planet does actually speak to certain implications i’d not thought of until this. So fine, sense was made, but this is one of those things that’s more annoying for being Mostly fine but needing tweaking imo than something just straight up annoying that i could just write off easily.

Anyway, Raffi’s problem is she is genuinely a very good person and can’t stand to watch this shit without trying to help or fix it. Which while noble, doesn’t negate all her issues, but it sucks to see her get kicked down for being the only one who cares. I feel so hard why she was so Furious with Picard in S1 now. This is a sucky story to watch but yeah yeah it works with the context of the rest of the show, which I can’t say necessarily about a lot of other things in nostalgia bait s3. Standing ovation for our last remaining new character standing. May you remain standing till the very end. Preferably with Seven. 

riker: why are you avoiding this???

picard: avoiding what???

me with fingers in my ears: yeah, avoiding what????

i next to never agree with picard (I tolerate him mostly) but sometimes he has his moments and the denial was one of them.

anyway, i think we can conclude that Shaw’s issue (aside from being a snide little butthead) is that he’s not meant for command. Not even in an insulting way, but somebody who can’t own their own decisions (blaming seven for the orders He gave, no matter how clear she was about her own feelings or the situation was out of line bc He still gave the orders) and then goes on to look the happiest he is the whole episode when an admiral forcibly takes control of his ship probably is not suited for the big chair. 

i feel very bad for laughing at the head thing. 

[majoringinsarcasm]

Instagram comments are the worst but the amount of Americans who are so against trains bc

The government will control it (bitch did you forget where we live)

It would cost way too much money (that we do have they just say we don’t)

They personally live in the middle of nowhere (which means it’s a bad idea bc They can’t use it but also nobody said get rid of All cars)

And I’m. I’m so fucking depressed bc I can’t go anywhere without a car. I still haven’t learned to drive for several reason. And only being able to be at home or work has ruined my brain. If I had a train YES EVEN ONE I NEED TO BE DRIVEN TO THE STATION OF I could just travel. Visit ppl and places. In a safe way that isn’t costing me money for gas every other day.

“Imagine if a train gets stopped you’ll be there for hours” getting home from a busy airport has been a joke for years. You cut down on your own stress related to driving by having alternatives. Having more options to move independently is never a bad thing

“Public transport sucks so trains would suck” it’s bad bc it’s underfunded and managed poorly. Also not every city or neighborhood or town is built with public transport in mind. I would have to walk an hour away from my home just to get to a bus stop. At my old house it was right around the corner. Buses are not suddenly evil bc I don’t live close to one. The structure is bad bc we live in a CAR DEPENDENT SOCIETY

“If there’s traffic I can just take a side street or go an alternate route. If a train gets stopped you’ll be stuck for hours” and people who live in train heavy areas learn to deal with this. Also the subway exists in America which is already a form of train. Are you gonna tell New York and New Jersey to shut that shit down??

I would rather be able to relax and close my eyes or draw and watch the scenery go by than be stuck in a car I had to operate for a long time. Short trips to places yeah use a car. Nobody is saying get rid of them.

Or maybe these people see “we want trains all over America” the same way they see bike lanes as being annoying and in the way. Because god fucking forbid people want to travel safely. They sometimes have to ride in the street bc not every road has a sidewalk

Like. I feel so stupid reading those comments and it only makes me angrier when I’m reminded how helpless I am due to lack of transport that isn’t a FUCKING CAR THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY A NOTE ON BY THE WAY

“They would use your tax money to pay for the trains. Why would I pay for something I’m not using?” My tax money is already going to places I don’t want it to you stupid fucking moron. You idiot asshole. I would love for the money I’m not gonna get either way actually go toward SOMETHING GOOD

[atopvisenyashill]

@tracing-rivers thank you for your thoughtful reply, i love the way you described jaehaerys bc that really is how he comes across, you put it very succinctly. he’s not so much “gray” the way say, maekar, is shown to be in the dunk & egg stories where he will do shitty things for understandable reasons, or like the tyrells in the main series, who will do good things for kinda shitty reasons, there’s just an odd, stark line in his behavior wrt the realm vs his family that is incredibly jarring to read.

but imo, jae is at best a mediocre king and at worst just as useless politically as like 70% of the targ kings. he builds a dirt road instead of a stone road even tho valyrians can make fused stone with dragons (i know it’s a stupid thing to be annoyed at but twoiaf mentions the black fused stone literally a dozen times and this man doesn’t even try to replicate that??? it’s potentially likely that balerion has even made that stone before like george PLS!!), he has to be talked around to giving the smallfolk clean water & abolishing prima noctus by barth & aly, the only marriage alliance he makes that makes any sort of sense politically is aemon/jocelyn, all his enemies are complete idiots he defeats easily so he doesn’t have any impressive military wins either.

some of that can be chalked up to grrm’s lackluster understanding of battle and economy (no shade i also refuse to understand the economy) but the fact that we have no main characters give their opinion on him besides mention him as “the conciliator” really makes me wonder if jae’s lackluster everything is partially on purpose. i don’t know if he specifically meant to imply that jae rapes his daughters, but he certainly makes it clear jae sexually abused aly & i am suspicious of how all three of the Good Kings (jae, daeron ii, and aegon v) start with admirable intentions but seem to go super sideways at the ending of their reign & what that means for The General Themes of the main series and for dunk & egg.

i try to compare it to the way other patriarchs and other kings and rulers are treated by the narrative and when you hold the way jae is written up to the likes of our mains, imo the structure of his story seems to fall more along the lines of “asshole patriarch brings about the ruin of his house due to the way he mistreats people” a la tywin, all three viserys kings, walder, balon, and robert rather than with “a well meaning patriarch fucks his house because he refuses to deal with his own weird traumas” a la ned, davos, aegon the dragon, and probably egg & daeron ii. not as extreme as tywin or balon maybe, more along the lines of the viserys’ and stannis; men who experience trauma as young boys and instead of dealing with it, they make it the entire realm’s god damn problem.

[which isn’t to say that the weirdness in jae’s writing can’t just be grrm trying and failing at moral grayness bc he spends like a hundred pages telling us that daemon was both good and bad but daemon’s goodness is more informed and heavily subtextual/accidental than anything grrm wrote him doing lmao. sure, i love to post about how daemon wants to be a targaryen bride and how his pursuit of rhaenyra (and laena and nettles) is just as much about him working through his grief over his mother’s death and his confusing attraction to viserys as much as it is about his own attraction to rhaenyra and desire to be in control at all times, but like, obviously george did not write daemon as a bisexual genderfucked menace with an oedipal complex ya know. i’m aware some of this is just my personal reading of the text lollll]

patterns of abuse with jaehaerys

this post made me deeply depressed and i reread f&b which was my first mistake.

tldr i’m making the argument that jaehaerys definitely sexually abused saera and alysanne, and likely viserra and gael, and also i hate this man. if you disagree and want to say so *nicely* that’s cool but if you hardcore love jae and don’t want to hear criticism, maybe just scroll past bc i’m not nice to him at all (obviously, i’m accusing him of csa lol).

breaking this down by each woman, so there’s 6 sections: saera, viserra, daella, gael, alysanne, and alicent.

saera targaryen

If she were the king’s firstborn, or better still his only child, she would be well content. Instead she finds herself the ninthborn, with six living siblings who are older than her and even more adored. Aemon is to be king, Baelon most like will be his Hand, Alyssa may be all her mother is and more, Vaegon is more learned than she is, Maegelle is holier, and Daella…when does a day go by when Daella is not in need of comfort? And whilst she is being soothed, Saera is being ignored. Such a fierce little thing she is, they say, she has no need of comfort. They are wrong in that, I fear. All men need comfort.

that’s septon barth’s opinion on her and barth is always right. simply put, she’s a deeply neglected child who acts like a brat to get her parents attention because she’s learned the only way they’ll pay attention to her is if she’s causing a problem.

Before she was eleven, she was stealing wine and ale instead. By twelve, she was like as not to arrive drunk when summoned to the sept for prayer.

The king’s half-witted fool, Tom Turnip, was the victim of many of her japes, and her unwitting catspaw for others. Once, before a great feast where many lords and ladies were to be in attendance, she persuaded Tom that it would be much funnier if he performed naked. It was not well received.

stealing alcohol at 10 and being a committed alcoholic at 12 is not normal behavior. it is a sign of something deeply at wrong at home. also, the way she kind of, sexually humiliated tom, someone who is too “innocent” to even realize she’s sexually humiliating him…gives me the ick re: how she views sex.

Saera had learned the art of getting anything she wanted from her father: a kitten, a hound, a pony, a hawk, a horse (Jaehaerys did draw a firm line at the elephant). Queen Alysanne was far less gullible, however, and Septon Barth tells us that Saera’s sisters all misliked her to various degrees.

i don’t like this. nothing wrong with giving your child gifts (see ned going above and beyond to get arya not just instruction on how to fight but also a specific style that would gel with being smaller than your average opponent) but in conjunction with “jaehaerys ignores saera unless she’s pressing him for an expensive gift which he immediately gives her and alysanne doesn’t get why he caved so quickly” its an alarming dynamic.

also speaks to how isolated saera specifically was, that the only siblings that like her (aemon and baelon) are usually out and about, and there’s a clear wedge between saera and her sisters, even viserra.

The screams were coming from Tom Turnip, who was lurching helplessly in circles trying to escape from half a dozen naked whores, whilst the patrons of the house laughed uproariously and shouted on the harlots. Jonah Mooton, Red Roy Connington, and Stinger Beesbury were amongst those patrons, each one drunker than the last. They had thought it would be funny to see old Turnip do the deed, Red Roy admitted. Then Jonah Mooton laughed and said the jape had all been Saera’s notion, and what a funny girl she was.

again with sexually humiliating tom.

it continues with her friends. it’s not unusual for a 15 year old girl to want to fool around with other 15 year olds but alys and perri are all guilt ridden and upset and alys is with child. it reminds me a lot of cersei sexually abusing taena in affc. when she’s caught (now, mind you, she’s been marched in front of her parents sitting on the throne and not brought to them in their private rooms. she’s being treated right off the bat as if she’s guilty of a crime and not guilty of being a shitty teenager):

“She went from denial to dismissal to quibbling to contrition to accusation to justification to defiance in the space of an hour, with stops at giggling and weeping along the way,” Septon Barth would write. “She never did it, they were lying, it never happened, how could they believe that, it was just a game, it was just a jape, who said that, that was not how it happened, everyone likes kissing, she was sorry, Peri started it, it was such fun, no one was hurt, no one ever told her kissing was bad, Sweetberry had dared her, she was so ashamed, Baelon used to kiss Alyssa all the time, once she started she did not know how to stop, she was afraid of Stinger, the Mother Above had forgiven her, all the girls were doing it, the first time she was drunk, she had never wanted to, it was what men wanted, Maegelle said the gods forgave all sins, Jonah said he loved her, the gods had made her pretty, it was not her fault, she would be good from now on, it will be as if it never happened, she would marry Red Roy Connington, they had to forgive her, she would never kiss a man again or do any of those other things, it wasn’t her who was with child, she was their daughter, she was their little girl, she was a princess, if she were queen she would do as she liked, why wouldn’t they believe her, they never loved her, she hated them, they could whip her if they wanted but she would never be their slave. She took my breath away, this girl. There was never a mummer in all the land who gave such a performance, but by the end she was exhausted and afraid, and her mask slipped.”

What does Jaehaerys ask after all of this? “Have you given any of these boys your maidenhead?” Her response:

“True?” said Saera. It was in that moment, with that word, that the contempt came out. “No. I gave it to all three. They all think they were the first. Boys are such silly fools.”

Now mind you, Alyssa and Daella have both died of childbirth recently and her parents are mad she had sex as a 16 year old bordering on 17 year old, and not the fact that she like, at best peer pressured her besties into having sex and now one of them is pregnant. jaehaerys has only asked if she’s still a virgin.

“I will be married,” the princess said. “Why shouldn’t I be? You were married at my age. I shall be wedded and bedded, but to whom? Jonah and Roy both love me, I could take one of them, but they are both such boys. Stinger does not love me, but he makes me laugh and sometimes makes me scream. I could marry all three of them, why not? Why should I have just one husband? The Conqueror had two wives, and Maegor had six or eight.”

i keep trying not to give my opinion and just lay it all out but the thing is i’d just be reposting the whole scene because it’s just filled with so much weird sex stuff. if you don’t remember it, go reread it. it doesn’t feel (to me) like regular “george is bad at writing sex” vibes but “george is purposefully trying to skeeve you out” vibes but i am willing to admit i could be wrong and he really just doesn’t understand what he wrote.

anyways remember how i said saera acts out to get attention from her parents? all she’s done here is act out, her “crimes” are basically nonexistent; beyond how alys feels about being pregnant, saera consensually had sex with boys around her age who aren’t married, and then blithely compared herself to some asshole relatives. if your teenager idolizes dick cheney that’s probably worrying but not a crime! this is not how jae treats it however.

When the princess heard his words, she rushed toward him, crying, “Father, Father!” but Jaehaerys turned his back on her, and Gyles Morrigen caught her by the arm and wrenched her away. She would not go of her own accord, so the guards were forced to drag her from the hall, wailing and sobbing and calling for her father.

The king was angry and unyielding, for his shame was deeply felt, and he could not forget Saera’s taunting words about his uncle’s wives. “She is no longer my daughter,” he said more than once. Queen Alysanne could not find it in her heart to be so harsh, however. “

saera tries to escape.

This time the princess was not allowed to return to her own chambers. She was confined to a tower cell instead, with Jonquil Darke guarding her day and night, even in the privy.

Princess Saera watched from the window of her cell. Jonquil Darke, her gaoler, made certain that she did not turn away.

that’s as her dad is murdering stinger btw. is he a creepy 19 year old? yeah. but like, making your 15 year old watch you murder her 19 year old trust fund baby stoner boyfriend sure is something.

so then they sent her to the silent sisters where she’s beaten all the time and has to pray all the time and she runs away, becomes a sex worker and literally never looks back.

The truth did not come out until a year later, when the former princess was seen in a Lysene pleasure garden, still clad as a novice. Queen Alysanne wept to hear it. “They have made our daughter into a whore,” she said. “She always was,” the king replied.

“You need her as a Dornishman needs a pit viper,” Jaehaerys said. “I am sorry. King’s Landing has sufficient whores. I do not wish to hear her name again.”

but before we move on, let’s look at one more related ick, when saera’s sons show up to the great council:

From Essos came three rival competitors, grandsons of King Jaehaerys through his daughter Saera, each sired by a different father. One was said to be the very image of his grandsire in his youth.

after her drinking, acting out, and jaehaerys’ focus on calling her a whore, explicitly pointing out that one of her grandsons looks just like jae is a choice. i know they’re super inbred. it’s still uncomfortable in context.

viserra targaryen

alysanne makes no sense here but i’m just gonna quickly explain instead of lay it out or we will be here all day bc viserra’s engagement is completely nonsensical. theomore manderly is old, ugly, has a shitton of heirs, and viserra clearly doesn’t want to marry him. also if she wanted to be queen, why is she going after baelon, aemon is still alive. anyways jaehaerys is no help here, then she goes to baelon for help, but she’s also super drunk.

Frustrated, Viserra next turned to her brother Baelon in hopes of rescue, if court gossip can be believed. Slipping past his guards into his bedchamber one night, she disrobed and waited for him, making free with the prince’s wine whilst she lingered. When Prince Baelon finally appeared, he found her drunk and naked in his bed and sent her on her way. The princess was so unsteady that she required the help of two maids and a knight of the Kingsguard to get her safely back to her own apartments.

she gets drunk with some friends again, goes riding, breaks her neck. i wanted to point out this pattern of drinking and acting out at a young age. as well as this pattern of targaryen daughters who aren’t “meant” for a brother and are promised to men who are old and with heirs

daella targaryen

i wanted to add daella because her getting married at 15 makes as little sense as viserra, and her match to a old man with several heirs is equally nonsensical. but also this:

“I would never marry her,” the boy said, in front of half the court. “She can barely read. She should find some lord in need of stupid children, for that’s the only sort he will ever have of her.”

where did vaegon get that mouth.

Daella was not clever, even her septa had to admit. She learned to read after a fashion, but haltingly, and without full comprehension. She could not seem to commit even the simplest prayers to memory. She had a sweet voice, but was afraid to sing; she always got the words wrong. She loved flowers, but was frightened of gardens; a bee had almost stung her once.

Jaehaerys, even more than Alysanne, despaired of her. “She will not even speak to a boy. How is she to marry? We could entrust her to the Faith, but she does not know her prayers, and her septa says that she cries when asked to read aloud from The Seven-Pointed Star.”

The queen always rose to her defense. “Daella is sweet and kind and gentle. She has such a tender heart. Give me time, and I will find a lord to cherish her. Not every Targaryen needs to wield a sword and ride a dragon.”

so daella is 12 at this point.

Her sixteenth nameday was fast approaching, and with it her womanhood. Queen Alysanne was at her wit’s end, and the king had lost his patience. On the first day of the 80th year since Aegon’s Conquest, he told the queen he wanted Daella wed before the year’s end. “If she wants I can find a hundred men and line them up before her naked, and she can pick the one she likes,” he said. “I would sooner she wed a lord, but if she prefers a hedge knight or a merchant or Pate the Pig Boy, I am past the point of caring, so long as she picks someone.”

i just don’t like this. other “simple” targs are not required to marry, like vaella and aelora, two of daeron ii’s grandfaughters so i don’t get why daella is pressured into marrying before she’s even of age. at least jae 2 forced rhaella and aerys because of a prophecy? what is jae’s reasoning for so sexualizing his daughter?

gael targaryen

this one is definitely a reach but i’d like to point out that this is basically all we know about gael:

Princess Gael, a sweet, shy child of seven, became the queen’s constant shadow and support, even sharing her bed at night.

and our information on how she dies is so shady:

A sweet-natured girl, but frail and somewhat simpleminded, she remained with the queen long after her other children had grown and gone, but in 99 AC she vanished from court, and soon afterward it was announced that she had died of a summer fever. Only after both her parents were gone did the true tale come out. Seduced and abandoned by a traveling singer, the princess had given birth to a stillborn son, then, overwhelmed by grief, walked into the waters of Blackwater Bay and drowned.

how does gael get pregnant by a traveling singer when she never leaves her mother’s side? why doesn’t anyone in court know gael got pregnant and killed herself until after aly and jae both die and how was this even found out?

am i implying that jaehaerys sexually abused all four of his daughters? yes because he literally sexually abuses his own wife.

alysanne targaryen

“I am forty-two years old,” she told the king. “You must be content with the children I have given you. I am more suited to be a grandmother than a mother now, I fear.”

King Jaehaerys did not share her certainty. “Our mother, Queen Alyssa, was forty-six when she gave birth to Jocelyn,” he pointed out to Grand Maester Elysar. “The gods may not be done with us.” He was not wrong. The very next year, the Grand Maester informed Queen Alysanne that she was once more with child, to her surprise and dismay.

he uses the birth that killed their mother and that is condemned by rhaena and alysanne as reckless and cruel of rogar to force on her. that birth.

at this point as well, he had abused saera and daella, then they’re gone, then viserra starts drinking and dies, then jae marital rapes aly into having gael, giving him access to another young girl to abuse…i’m aware this is a very uncharitable reading of him but…

alicent hightower (and kind of alyssa targaryen)

Ser Otto’s precocious fifteen-year-old daughter, Alicent, became his constant companion, fetching His Grace his meals, reading to him, helping him to bathe and dress himself. The Old King sometimes mistook her for one of his daughters, calling her by their names; near the end, he grew certain she was his daughter Saera, returned to him from beyond the narrow sea.

saera is the one he fixated on yet again but notable that he’s fixated on his daughters as he dies and not his sons, despite jaehaerys turning to drink after aemon died bc he was so upset.

He announced his intention to wed Lady Alicent of House Hightower, the clever and lovely eighteen-year-old daughter of the King’s Hand, the girl who had read to King Jaehaerys as he lay dying.

The Hightowers of Oldtown were an ancient and noble family, of impeccable lineage; there could be no possible objection to the king’s choice of bride. Even so, there were those who murmured that the Hand had risen above himself, that he had brought his daughter to court with this in mind. A few even cast doubt on Lady Alicent’s virtue, suggesting she had welcomed King Viserys into her bed even before Queen Aemma’s death. (These calumnies were never proved, though Mushroom repeats them in his Testimony and goes so far as to claim that reading was not the only service Lady Alicent performed for the Old King in his bedchamber.)

i know it’s just mushroom being a perv but a rumor that 15 year old alicent “serviced” jaehaerys existing besides rumors that he mistook 15 year old alicent for the daughter he last saw when she was 17 - and viserra was 15, gael 19, and daella 15, all around alicent’s age and all died before age 20. all the targaryen girls that weren’t born “for” a brother exit the narrative after some sort of sexual abuse that centers around jae, as teenagers; daenerys was born for aemon, alyssa for baelon, and maegelle for vaegon before they both fucked off and maegelle was too pious (and too old). this idea of being “for” a brother leads directly to alyssa’s death before 30:

“You were made for battles, and I was made for this. Viserys and Daemon and Aegon, that’s three. As soon as I am well, let’s make another. I want to give you twenty sons. An army of your own!” It was not to be. Alyssa Targaryen had a warrior’s heart in a woman’s body, and her strength failed her. She never fully recovered from Aegon’s birth, and died within the year at only four-and-twenty.

and alysanne being “for” jaehaerys is how he excusing sexually abusing her into a risky pregnancy. essentially what i fear is that because saera, daella, viserra, and gael aren’t “for” someone, jaehaerys gets it into his mind that that are for him. even without him raping them tho, that subtext is there! he is entitled to saera’s virginity and calls her a whore multiple times, even decades after she’s left, and murders her boyfriend in front of her. he claims a weird sexual ownership over his neurodivergent daughter daella and his alcoholic, depressed daughter viserra, and we get zero information on gael’s pregnancy or his reaction to it. but jaehaerys deciding his daughters are “for” him certainly has a basis in canon just judging from the erratic and worrying behavior of his younger daughters.

jaehaerys is a creep and i hate him and i don’t know how much of this is on purpose (like, will aegon vi or dany find out jaehaerys was a shady pedo and it shatters their world? will dunk and egg find it out and it affects their plot somehow? did george just put it in there to make a comment on power and monarchy and misogyny, similar to aegon iv raping the bracken women? or is just there for window dressing creepiness, like “i will pepper in the fact that jaehaerys is sexually obsessed with his daughters” thing?) or if george just made jaehaerys sexually obsessed with his daughters on accident?

on the one hand, it seems out of character for george. he romanticizes drogo thru dany’s eyes but it’s clear he’s meant to be seen as a creep (dany talking about being pregnant followed by “she had just turned 14” is sickeningly jarring for a reason) and also, drogo dies bc of his own pride. sansa doesn’t like any of the old dudes touching her; she is at least marginally freaked out by her wedding night, the unkiss, and lf & dontos taking liberties with her, and rightly. the story that’s told about the mountain raping a girl and making the father pay him is meant to disgust us. the walk of shame is a harrowing chapter to read, because whatever cersei’s crimes, this sexual humiliation is not something she deserves. on and on. yes, we all hate the way arya is sexualized in the mercy chapter, but crucially, she’s not blithely and happily seducing these pervs, she’s going hard candy on their asses. is this just messy set up for something like that?? i think, given how little dany knows about her family’s crimes that somehow learning jae sexually abused (and maybe even impregnated) his own daughters after she herself experiences sexual abuse would be huge. the same goes for aegon vi learning that sexual abuse runs rampant in his family tree; would he empathize with saera hiding out in essos to escape the sexual abuse of her father, see some of elia and his own plight in her? in gael?

or did george really just. not realize how sexually obsessed jaehaerys was with his daughters?

idk how to end this. where’s the winds of winter george i need answers.

[sugarbutts]

ok so my brain is on HYPERDRIVE at the moment  consistently feeding me only the MOST ANNOYING bits of songs and mixing them up and playing multiple songs at the same time and randomly shifting pitch and bass boosting and it sounds like a shitpost remix and I can’t turn it off bc trying just makes it even more chaotic and I just. this isn’t stuff you can google. is this something that neurotypical people also experience. when I try to mention this to people they always seem absolutely baffled that I have no control over what goes on in my head and that my brain apparently fucking loved to torture me for no reason. what is this. is this ADHD? is it ADHD?? I’m pretty sure this is ADHD

now if you’ll excuse me I need to go find something to try and focus this mental energy into preferably while listening to the same song on loop for 6 hours on end

[lesbegays]

.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

So I (finally!) bought a pair of really good noise cancelling headphones, and it has changed my life! It's the fanciest thing I've bought in years, so to recoup some of the cost, I’ve researched & written a little essay based on my experiences with extreme noise sensitivity.

Hypersensitivity to sound is something I’ve dealt with all of my life, but I only recently found out it's medically known a Hyperacusis. (Please note this is a separate condition from Misophonia.) If you consistently struggle to cope with noise, the info below could be helpful! I’m including a link to my ko-fi, and I will be answering questions in the notes.

(skip to the bottom to read fun facts about my tax return and/or street organs vendettas!)

DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional, this is based solely on my experiences as a patient, and on what I have read and been told by professionals. Please notify me if you have corrections or concerns about accuracy!

BACKGROUND: Sensitivity to sound is a common type of sensory issue. While anyone can experience such issues (most people, for example, might be bothered by loud music in a crowded restaurant), some people are more sensitive than others, to the point it becomes a quality-of-life aka a medical issue.

If you consistently struggle with environmental stimuli that other people aren’t bothered by (background noises, bright lights, certain textures and tastes, etc), to the point it causes daily discomfort or limits the environments you can be in, I recommend reading about Sensory Processing Disorder.

SPD and sound sensitivity are both super common in autistic folks (like me!), but allistic (non-autistic) people can experience them too. Weep, ye prisoners of mortal coil, for none are safe, nothing sacred, not in this thy most accursed tomb of human flesh!

Anyway.

SOUND SENSITIVITY or HYPERACUSIS: Noise issues are particularly difficult to navigate in a world that is increasingly...noisy. The relatively new phenomenon of constant overhead music in restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls etc—all of this means that public spaces are increasingly inaccessible to people with auditory issues.*

As a kid, nothing quite triggered sensory overload/meltdowns for me like the constant exposure to noise I couldn’t control—the background chatter of other kids in the lunchroom, the constant noise in public spaces, being trapped in the car with the radio on.... I had so many fights with my siblings about the car radio, and who got to choose the music.**

But it’s not just loud sounds that are the problem. As an adult who lives alone and works from home***, I’m lucky enough to be able to avoid loud environments most of the time. This does wonders for my general levels of anxiety and discomfort. But even in a mostly controlled environment, I still experience problems. Because part of sound sensitivity is that even normal or quiet sounds can feel loud and intrusive. Here are some “normal” sounds that can cause me discomfort (ranging from annoyance to outright pain, depending on the day):

refrigerator/AC/ceiling lights humming

dishwasher/washing machine noises

ceiling fan making that damn ceiling fan noise

faint sounds of traffic

riding in a car

other people having a normal conversation in the background

someone talking to me in a perfectly normal inside voice

Unfortunately, even in a “controlled” environment, many triggering noises can’t be controlled. And many parts of life can’t be lived in a controlled environment. This presents...some incredibly freaking annoying problems. Luckily there are solutions!

Sorta.

There are sorta some solutions.

They are imperfect, but they help.

TREATMENT: And now I have something rather shame-faced to admit. In all the years of managing my symptoms, it never once occurred to me to see a hearing specialist for my issues with sound. I wasn’t even aware that treatment options exist, because none of my other doctors mentioned it. Instead, I’ve spent years finding my own coping mechanisms and tools, with help from therapists and psychiatrists, but without ever consulting an audiologist/ENT. It was only while researching this post that I found out that was even an option, holy shit.

So it turns out I am going to be making an appointment with my local ENT practice. shit.

Apparently treatment options include sound/acoustic therapy, systematic desensitization/exposure therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, sound machines, and other options that I had no idea even existed, goddammit.

MANAGEMENT: In the meantime, here are my current coping mechanisms. I’ve relied rather heavily on hearing protection, which is very useful when used in moderation. Unfortunately, it can cause its own problems: it’s important not to overuse hearing protection, because in the long-term this can increase your sensitivity. So again: a useful tool, but be careful not to overdo it.

With that in mind, here are some of the coping strategies I’ve used over the last decade to manage my symptoms. This is not a perfect system and you should contact your local ENT clinic for better, long-term solutions, but in the meantime here are some tips I use to just get myself through the damn day:

Regularly spending time in a quiet controlled environment, to allow my nervous system to decompress.

Wearing earplugs, (I use two different grade, depending on the level of noise prevention I need), and always carrying an extra pair in case I need them unexpectedly. I bought a 50 pack for $7 and put spares in all my bags and jacket pockets.

(I mostly use Mack’s Ultra Soft, but there are so many types and materials and brands, including foam, silicone, wax, custom moldable etc. Even if you have trouble wearing things in your ears, you might be able to find something comfortable.)

Similarly: hearing protection earmuffs, the kind used in gun ranges and on construction sites. I bought mine online for $10. they look like normal wireless headphones, so I've never gotten comments when wearing mine in public (other than “cool heaphones” bc i added skull glitter stickers).

Sometimes I wear the earmuffs on top of earplugs, when life is just too damn LOUD.

Listening to music w/ earbuds or headphones is a great way to balance out background noises, especially if you can find soothing playlists that help you concentrate. Also useful to put in just one earbud when you need to pay attention in class/at work.

Pro tip: if your hair is long enough you can wear wireless earbuds without anyone knowing.

White noise, rain noises, ocean noises etc can be helpful! Some people like whale songs although personally this activates my primal fear response

Active noise cancelling headphones: the reason I wrote this post to begin with—I finally bought a pair! As in, a really good pair! As in, a depressingly expensive pair with noise cancelling technology that actually WORKS, holy shit. I probably need to wear them a little less at home (bc overprotection causes problems in the longterm) but they have absolutely transformed my ability to go out in public and i never ever want to take these suckers off again please take a power screwdriver and nail these to my head, bury me in the sweet sweet shroud of silence. holy canoli and cream puffs I want to marry form a civil partnership with these headphones. Plus they have a bunch of features, like being able to control the level of noise cancellation, so I can hold a conversation or be aware of some ambient noise for safety reasons.

Oh, and also they play music I guess?

Sorry sorry I promise this post wasn’t supposed to be me shilling for Big Electronics. I’m just excited, I’m an excited flabby little ball of expired flubber. ANC headphones aren’t a perfect solution, and I still sometimes wear earplugs underneath, and I will always be uncomfortable some of the time, but for me it’s been a big step.

Unfortunately the cost of good quality ANC technology means this isn’t an option for everyone, and the (much cheaper) gunshot protection earmuffs I mentioned earlier still provide an impressive amount of protection and bang-for-your buck (maybe even an equal amount of protection, if you can find ones that fit well). But if noise consistently prevents you from enjoying public space and life in general, and you’ve already tried earmuffs & earplugs and find they don’t offer enough comfort/convenience/protection, and if you’re in a position to save up for a one time non-necessity purchase of $150+, noise cancelling headphones are an option to be aware of. (Please always check the return policy so you can try before you buy. I ended up buying and returning 2 pairs before finding what worked best for me. And please look for a retailer that offers an extended warranty. You want those motherforkers to last).

There are cheaper options available, including some under $50. The ones I tried didn't work as well as my hearing protection earmuffs, but some people report good experiences, so that is something to consider. it's always good to know your options! Passive noise canceling is another affordable alternative.

Medication: A final tool in my toolbox, which for me personally has helped as much as every other method combined. Like, a lot, it’s helped a lot. It turns out some anti-anxiety medications can also help sensory issues. There’s not much research on this, and I only discovered it firsthand when a medication my doctor prescribed for anxiety ended up significantly helping my sensory issues. I no longer need medication for anxiety, but my psychiatrist still prescribes that same medication off-label for my sensory stuff. Ask your psychiatrist to research your options (they will probably have to do some digging to find relevant research, but you deserve to know all your options, even the obscure ones). Fyi, the medication I use is in the benzodiazepines class, but there are other options for those concerned about dependency or side effects.

(I'm also told anti-anxiety supplements may be helpful, though I haven't tried this yet. If you're on prescription meds, always talk to your doctor about contraindications before taking anything over-the-counter.)

So there you have it, my main coping strategies for sound sensitivity! They are not a replacement for medical treatment (except that last one which is in fact...medical treatment), but I find them helpful and I hope some of you will too! I’ve struggled for a long time, and I’m very pleased to have reached the point where I can just do things in public. Eating out in loud restaurants? I can do that now, and even enjoy it, holy shit! I can comfortably travel in cars for hours at a time, and walk around shopping malls and grocery stores with overhead music, and, and —and just exist. It is so so freeing, to feel like maybe, after everything, you are actually allowed to just exist in a world that wasn’t really designed for you.

Again, be careful not to overuse hearing protection—the goal is to allow you to be less uncomfortable and to function better, but if you find you are becoming more sensitive to noise, it is time to dial it back a notch. Or maybe consider listening to music (at a reasonable volume) to block out background noise instead.

*(This also includes people with hearing loss and related issues, btw. While that’s not my area of knowledge, I would welcome it if any of my HoH followers want to share their experiences.)

**A sign of sensory issues that parents often miss is when a child complains about music being too loud—but has no problem listening to their own music at high volume. This is because music that is already familiar to the listener (and that the listener enjoys) is much easier for the brain to process, since it knows what pattern of sounds to expect. Loud music that they get to control can be soothing for people with sound issues, especially when it blocks out background noise and sensations. This is why repetitively playing the same songs can be a helpful form of stimming.

***(working on this blog, actually. since it’s my only source of income, my 2020 income tax return literally lists my occupation as ‘Tumblr Blogger.’ Oddly, my parent didn’t feel this achievement was worth including in the holiday family newsletter.)

bonus fun fact: Charles Babbage aka “father of the computer” may have been autistic and hypersensitive to sound. He definitely had a huge problem with public noise pollution, and spent his later year waging a war on street musicians (and organ grinders in particular).

(bc like, yeah. screw organ grinders.)

Sometimes when I’m out in public and the overhead music is particularly unbearable, I’ll take a moment to look up to the sky and scream out: “HE TRIED TO WARN US! THE FATHER OF COMPUTERS TRIED TO WARN US!!! we should have listened, sweet heaven we should have listened!”

except i don’t scream it, i say it very quietly under my breath

(i have issues with noise)

so yeah that is my short essay. and here is the ko-fi goal

k ciao i gotta go pick out glitter stickers for my headphones