#can we value friendships more as a society please

[olderthannetfic]

Quote from a post: "the things created within fandom aren’t real - an individual fic can’t cause actual, material harm to a reader, even if it contains tropes that would be harmful or distressing if they happened in that reader’s real life; an author’s use of certain tropes or interest in certain characters is not indicative of their actual morals and values in real life; thought crimes are not real crimes - but fanfiction is produced by human beings who are themselves products of the societies and communities in which we all live, and these societies and communities all have flaws and failings.

which is to say, those of us who prefer to read male friendships as romantic do need to be aware that, no matter how enlightened on gender and its foibles we think ourselves to be, we are nonetheless influenced as modern humans by a modern tendency to discourage platonic physical and emotional closeness between men - especially straight men - on the grounds that two men having this sort of relationship is inherently queer and, in being queer, implicitly sexual [an understanding of queerness which is another powerful societal influence on our thought, even if we know we don’t agree with it.]"

Okay this is from a big post from a big fandom account here please don't speculate who it is this is not about them specifically and has nothing to do with them i genuinely respect this poster and they are nothing but a supportive space and don't have any anti-nonsense. But I wanna talk about this point that they are making "the society is queering straight friendships" which is something also the anti-fujoshi crowd is saying and honestly I can't agree with that point.

I don't think its us the people who make fandom are queering the relationships between two straight men but the patriarchal system we live under and straight men themselves are doing it to themselves. They can't show love and affection to each other lest other dudes will call them gay not because there are secret fujoshis around that sexualize them. They can be vulnerable period lest everyone calls them whiney like women. I feel like (and most of the things I say here are vibes, not facts) men having close friendships with other men are green flags, and most women are excited to see men who have exact the strong relationship that are portrayed in media.

I'm confused by this talking point to be honest. I also understand that by saying everything I said above I sort of said the same thing as the original poster. In a sense that society is the problem here and we live in a society as we know, but... idk I feel like what they say is "we live in a society where everyone by default is sexualizing male friendships" which sounds like the standard anti-fujoshi talking point to me.

And regarding the point of romantic relationships being prioritized over platonic— I feel like is a complete bullshit to be honest.

Romantic relationships are prioritized over platonic ones across the board. Straight couples leave their straight friends behind when they get further into relationship too! I don't understand this impulse to constantly talk about romantic vs platonic thing when its about queer ships, and maybe there is somewhere straight ship discourse about romantic vs plantonic but its not as big as with mlm or wlw ships.

And honestly even with this take I feel like romantic relationships are also not prioritized but rather are more encouraged. And there is difference between encouraging and actually prioritizing I think.

(I want to add here that I'm not aroace so maybe its a blindspot and from that identitys point of view the dynamics might be different)

In reality I think both are equally hard to obtain and maintain. I always felt like the fandom being so shipping focused was not about people being hellbent on romance but just the fact that good love stories are few and far between both in fiction and IRL and we can't help but try to make something at least remotely good, or interesting or satisfying.

Again, my main problems is: 1) I don't agree that romantic relationships are prioritized to that high degree over the friendships like everyone claims. 2) I don't think that every single person is actually a secret fujoshi waiting to make any straight male friendship gay. 3) Fandoms are romantic ship centric because people just want more narratively satisfying romantic stories that are underrepresented in media (or they don't get to experience it IRL) rather than they are vehemently against platonic ships.

I don't know this hopefully came out coherent.

--

The person who wrote that sounds like a pretentious twatwaffle, and I am so sick of seeing otherwise reasonable people spout that crap. That's been true since the 90s and probably before.

The reality is that Western culture enshrines male friendship as the highest form of affection possible. This goes back to the Classical world. And, yes, they were probably fucking too back then, but the thing that all of the media is about is friendship.

The entire backbone of Western culture is built on the idea that men are spiritually, biologically, inherently more capable than women of this highest form of relationship. Romance is the big thing for women because we're not eligible for The Pure And Holy Friendship Between Two Men.

The epidemic of male loneliness is real, but we haven't gotten any less "Bros before hos". Fandom and m/m shipping behavior are irrelevant to this.

--

Furthermore, fandom has plenty of people who don't focus on shipping.

AO3 was built by slashers, so ship type is a top-level category, and the site obviously signals that it's about shipping and particularly non heterosexual shipping since you can filter out het.

Past sites often had more metadata that wasn't around ships (e.g. FFN's genres that work like bookstore genres) and almost never let you get rid of het. You might have been able to filter in The Gay, but straight stuff was literally unmarked.

~We do need to be aware of~

Bite me.

This naggy phrase is everywhere, and nothing good comes of it.

The only thing we need to be aware of is that Blorbo is great and s/he should be mashed together with Other Blorbo. If that's in gen adventures, you do you.

[koiblossom5]

As a chinese-canadian and a long-time user of xhs (xiaohongshu/little red book) I thought it might help to have some information and gentle reminders addressing the many rules + what kinds of content you can post on the app :)

To start, there's a lot of misconception about being able to post anime content. We aren't averse to Japanese content or media- as a matter of fact, there's a pretty big anime and cosplay community, especially on xhs!

Here are some photos from my trip to suzhou! (dungeon meshi and skip to loafer content was a mythical pull lol)

With that being said, it is disrespectful and offensive to post media and content containing or associating with the glorification/apologia, themes, symbols, etc., of Japanese imperialism and involvement during WWII. This includes AOT, MHA, and many other other popular animes.

Please note that I do not support censorship: I believe that people should have the freedom to post, express, and create media on social media platforms as well as have the ability to watch different kinds of shows - but considering xhs is an app from a foreign country, it is important to contextualize its local policies through historical lens. I strongly implore non-Chinese users to research Unit 731 and the Nanjing Massacre to better understand why certain types of content from Japan are banned and blacklisted in China.

2. There are active LGBTQ+ communities on xhs- and for many queer people in China, where the country's ideologies are still pre-dominantly conservative, social media platforms is one the few safe spaces where they can express their sexuality and/or gender identity, particularly for wlw (or le). It is important to keep in mind that progress in the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the East, specifically China, is at a very different stage compared to the West; please be respectful of the fact that the Chinese LGBTQ+ community has their own culture, their own slang, and their own ways of expression in a country where LGBTQ+ people continue to face legal and social discrimination.

3. When you first create your account, you might be quite daunted by the long, long, long list of rules and community guidelines, specifically the first section, where it states, "1. Values - XiaoHongShu encourages users to post content that aligns with current positive social values. All content posted should:

Adhere to the Chinese Constitution and laws.

Practice the core socialist values. (A list of values promoted by the Chinese government, which includes: prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendship)

Promote patriotism, collectivism, and socialism.

Spread the correct views on history, nationality, state, and culture.

Promote the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation.

Uphold social ethics, professional ethics, family and personal virtues, and respect public order and good customs.

Promote scientific thinking and popularize scientific knowledge.

Advocate a positive, healthy, and progressive lifestyle and social trends."

No, this does not mean the content you post or interact with has to be about praising the CCP or saying, "I love communism!! 🤩". It just means you cannot be comparing Xi Jinping to W*nnie the P*oh (ifyyk).

The point is, try to avoid political discourse or criticism regarding the Chinese government on xhs, especially since xhs is a platform more akin to Pinterest or Instagram, where its more so a lighthearted place for travel tips, recipes, aesthetic fashion and makeup tips and inspiration, cosplay, cute animal videos, productive lifestyle and snapshots of simple life, etc! You can still discuss different things about Chinese culture and society, such as healthcare system, attitudes toward foreigners, income and spending, etc. But please be mindful that there are real people behind the screen; people who are not their government. I promise you, Chinese people are just as capable of poking fun, referencing brainrot, and interacting with non-Chinese people normally 💀.

Anyways, please take the time to review these rules and guidelines, especially since xhs is very strict about implementing them and can potentially lead to your account getting banned. This includes things such as:

excessive displays of wealth (be considerate of others' financial situations)

only sharing scientifically proven information/avoiding misinformation (no pseudoscience)

respecting boundaries (no nudity or sexual/sexually suggestive behavior; you can definitely show skin, but if you're making a grwm video please don't show up in your underwear - even on tiktok I never understood why influencers do that 😅)

etc, etc.

Many of the community guidelines are in line with social norms that are prominent in East Asia, which is understanding that a social media platform is a public space to be shared with others in a civil and respectful manner. And many of these guidelines refer to explicitness as a measurement - (fake) blood is fine, but gore and other such obscenities are not. You can kiss your significant other in a cute video, but you shouldn't be posting each other fornicating (this applies to both heterosexual and homosexual couples). You can swear, but you shouldn't be yelling racial slurs. Honestly, a lot of this is just common sense - xhs is supposed to be a wholesome, inspirational, and chill space!

4. Take this as an opportunity to learn about another culture, another language, and even make new friends! As long as you're civil, kind and respectful, xhs is super fun and entertaining! Of course, it's not representative of the Chinese internet space as a whole; the majority of users are women (so consider using "sis" or 姐 instead of "dude" or "bro" ). With that in mind, please be respectful in your comments - many of the women posting makeup edits or fashion videos are seeking appreciation, not sexual harassment 😅 even if a someone is posting a thirst trap, try to be tastefully humorous! If you're trying to communicate in Mandarin, I would suggest using the simplified Chinese Pinyin keyboard (QWERTY) and start learning the four different intonations of each character so you are able to sound out and type sentences using the alphabetical keyboard!

I hope this was helpful and legible, even if by a marginal amount (if this was actually incoherent, I apologize, I learned English by watching My Little Pony💀), and I hope everyone has a really fun experience on the app!

[toushindai]

Ganondorf is the only sage whose physical appearance changes so dramatically by the use of his secret stone—and not immediately upon gaining it, it appears to be a deliberate use of power—which is interesting. What interests me even more though is the way in which his Demon King appearance takes on subtly more Zonai-like aspects. Specifically his fingernails and toenails grow to points, like we see on Rauru and Mineru (and Link), and his hair goes from half-bound in a topknot to loose and flowing, which I take for a cultural norm among the Zonai given Rauru’s long and barely contained locks and the fact that most (all?) of the clothes we get that originate with the Zonai (the dragon sets, the zonaite set, the archaic set (though we could debate whether that set is “Zonai” or specifically “founding-era Hyrulean” and pick apart which cultural signifiers are which in a post that’s not about Ganondorf), the glide set) feature Link with his hair down.

I’m walking a delicate and nearly contradictory tightrope here because I feel that the heavy Japanese-inspired elements of Ganondorf’s design and his weaponry are a reflection of his sense of alienation from his own Gerudo culture with its more fantasy-Middle-Eastern vibes, BUT it is not to be denied that there are Gerudo elements to what he wears—the gold of his jewelry, the Gerudo emblem on the underside of his robe and in the jewelry on his shoulder. And his hair, I think, combines both that Japanese vibe with the Gerudo look. He keeps his gold jewelry after his Demon King transformation—and this is an interesting contrast with the ancient sages who bedeck themselves in anonymizing zonaite masks even before becoming sages, hey game designers talk me through that choice please—but it’s elements of his own body that he changes to reflect grooming choices of the Zonai.

And I am just thinking about what he feels, exactly, about the Zonai. He scorns the fact that they are regarded as gods, but does not debate—and in fact openly states—that their power is godlike. He is covetous of it, to the extent that he perceives it as being lorded over him, which I don’t honestly feel is an accurate assessment of Rauru et al.’s attitude.

There’s something that makes me sad here. I think that Ganondorf believes, down to the depths of his soul, that not only the right to rule but personal worth is won by being powerful, by being the MOST powerful. And so Rauru’s kingdom, formed through friendship and goodwill, is illegitimate and a sign of weak minds and also how dare the Zonai come in and take over by vibes rather than by force and why won’t they meet him on the field of battle where he can prove himself. While at the same time, his own position in Gerudo society is not earned in the way that reflects his own personal values. What I guess I’m talking around is, I think there’s a part of Ganondorf that wants to be Zonai so that he can be better at using the power the Zonai have than the Zonai are. While also loathing them. While also bitter about the fact that he missed his chance to prove himself against their whole society. Part of him thinks if I were Zonai, I would have what I wanted. And when he gets what he wants, he makes himself just that little more like a Zonai.

[piratadelamor]

skip and loafer ch. 53

shima seems to see romantic love as a combination of different attraction factors, where liking someone as a person (for their personality) can be compensated for other things, therefore your standarts are lower when you're romantically attracted to someone. the way he sees it, the highest form of steem you can have for someone is to like them as a person, where these other factors don't matter and what you truly value is solely their personality.

i think it's interesting how mukai introduces this conversation by building a hierarchy of feelings, where romantic love stands on top of the feelings of friendship and of liking someone as a person, because that's one concept i've been personally focusing on deconstructing in my life. it's precisely by differenciating these types of feelings and putting them on a hierarchy that so many people end up in romantic relationships with people they don't really like, or why so many people drift away from their friendships when they start dating someone.

through everyone else's eyes, shima's feelings are romantic, and he doesn't feel like they are, because romance to him means something else. the lines between liking someone as a person, as a friend and as a lover are blurred. and listen, that's how they're supposed be. to love someone as a lover is supposed to mean you love them as a friend and as a person as well. a friend and a lover shouldn't be too different, and liking them as a person is supposed to be the core of both feelings.

i don't think shima is being innocent, like i've seen so many people saying on twt since the chapter came out. i think he's touching something very deep about relationships in our society that so many stories that focus on romance fail to address. in most of these stories, romance is the final goal. that's where most of them end. that's not the case here. i was already surprised when mitsumi and shima started dating, and even more surprised when they went back to being friends. that's not the usual narrative for this kind of story. because here, it doesn't seem like this hierarchy matters. and i think it's beautiful and i think it's HUGE how both shima and mitsumi value their friendship above everything else. not only them, because friendship is one of the main themes of this story. both as a dynamic and as a type of love as well.

but people have different perspectives on love and how love feels for them. it's different for mitsumi, for shima, for mika, for fumi. the way you're taught about love in your family or as a child in general has a big role on shaping that. we saw the matter of mitsumi having received lots of love in her family and childhood friends being brought up before as an explanation for her confidence. then, on the other hand, that's why we see shima acklowledging this on the next panels:

we know a few things about shima's family and their complicated relationships. shima never realized his little brother liked him because he saw his behavior as coldness or indifference, when he was actually being considerate of the distance shima was putting between them himself. he felt the need to please his mother by acting in order for her to love him, or for him to be worthy of her love, because their relationship was too anchored on exploitation. his father was having an affair, which not only made shima watch the failure of his parents marriage but also perceive romantic love as something superficial (as in "people break up and move on to the next person") and possibily as something that pushes people away. then shima's first girlfriend only liked him because of his looks, and so many others confessed to him without barely even knowing him. how could shima trust his own feelings after all of that? if he spent most of his formative years in an environment of appearences where love was tied to selfishness, interest, volatility, coldness, pain? shima learned to supress all his feelings and be a people pleaser as a survival mechanism. don't get too attached, live up to others expectations, keep your distance, smile and wave, bottle it all up. he is a kid that doesn't know a single thing about love and is scared as hell of it. love feels as if something is about to break.

that's why liking someone as a person feels more important to him. and that's not only the highest feeling he can have for someone else, i think this is the highest form of feeling he thinks someone could have for him too. it's the kind of feeling he thinks his own mother couldn't have, because acting was more important to her than who he actually was. it's the feeling he unconciously doesn't allow others to feel for him, because he never shows people who he truly is. so shima understands mitsumi's words as a love confession back in chapter 41. she didn't say "i love you", she said "that's what i love about you". and he asks her out, not only because he already knows mitsumi is different, so it seems more reasonable to give it a try, but also because he thinks this is how it's supposed to go. this is what he thinks it's expected to give her in return.

when society puts romance on the top of the relationships/feelings hierarchy, it builds an insane amount of expectations around it. i think it's crazy how friendships feel so free while romantic relationships feel so enclosured. they have too many rules. you're supposed to do this, and that, and behave in certain ways. if you start dating a friend then suddenly your friendship dynamic changes. a boyfriend or a girlfriend have responsibilities that friends don't have. it's a weight. i can't imagine a person like shima feeling any other way about a romantic relationship. for him, this is a big, big weight. that's why he puts an emphasis when he says "i thought that i could be a 'boyfriend' too". a boyfriend is a social role. when he phrases it like that, he's using the word "boyfriend" as an outside concept: he doesn't know what it means to him, he only knows what it means for everyone else. and that's not something he can do.

mukai is absolutely right when he tells shima he shouldn't be going out with anyone. shima isn't ready to be that close to anyone, not even his closest friends. i can't even describe how sad i felt when mukai said this to him:

shima is just so, so lonely...

but this doesn't mean that shima's supposed to become ready to be a "boyfriend" on those terms. i just think he's still trying to figure out what all of these things mean to him. and the good thing is that mitsumi is also trying to figure out these things too. the difference between them is that mitsumi is a few steps ahead, because she already understands what friendship love feels like. and when it comes to that, she gave us one of the most special love confessions i've ever seen.

so many people talked about this scene already, but now, in the light of chapter 53, her saying "i really like this person" has a whole new meaning. this is the most honest love shima has ever received from anyone. no romantic confession could top that. no romantic feeling could heal his wounds the way these words from mitsumi can. this is a treasure shima can't afford to lose.

we're taught that romantic love will save us. that it will make us the happiest, that it completes us. we grow up believing that we can't survive without it. what we really can't survive without are our friends... skip and loafer is putting friendship above everything else, but more than that, it is questioning how romantic love is supposed to feel. some people feel it, some people don't. i think most of us don't really know what it is. we think we do because we read enough, we saw enough movies, we listened to enough love songs. i think i felt it a few number of times in my life but everytime i felt it for someone new i asked myself, was it really love before? what is it, really? if i never read those books or saw thoses movies or listened to those songs. would i recognize it? would i know it better? would it even exist?

aren't shima's feelings for mitsumi already valuable enough? big enough, true enough? would they change if he called them romantic? mitsumi has SO much to teach him about love, about himself, about others. their encounter is so beautiful and so rich. we see how much he's changing, how many new things he's finally starting to understand about himself, how many important steps he's taken since they met. is finding romance at the end really the most important thing for their story?

[elysiansparadise]

Hello my sunshine!

I noticed your ask box was open! I'm so happy!

Could you please do an interpretation of Mars in 11H. I have this placement. Thank you.

Have a fantastic day and a wonderful week.

Stay warm and cozy. ❤️

Hello my love, hope you're doing wonderfully. ❤️

Mars in the 11th house

Here we have natives who are more likely to rationalize when something happens that bothers them, they are not usually so impulsive when it comes to reacting and they may want to see things from different perspectives. They are very ambitious people who, once they have a plan or project that they are passionate about, dedicate themselves fully to it and not only think about it, but do something to achieve it. This placement favors those who want to start their own business, as it indicates that they can earn a lot of money working on something of their own or being their own boss. Since I mention bosses, even if they do not like to command, they have leadership skills and ensure what is fair both for themselves and for members of their group or other members of society. They are the voice of those who are marginalized or ignored and many people can feel taken into account by them. They have no problem approaching and talking to other people, in fact some tend to give the impression of being extroverted, but they highly value their time alone and doing things on their own. This is an ambivert placement.

Now talking about friendship, these natives tend to be funny, motivating and supportive friends, they have a curious way of taking care of their friends and they are not initially emotional, but rather take care of them in more practical ways. They may feel more energetic after spending time with friends or a group of people and are sometimes the person they turn to when a difficulty or problem occurs. These natives are those who tell you the truth no matter how painful it is, and honesty is something they value above all things in their friendships. They may attract more friendships with people with masculine energy, protective people, strong temperaments, or people who motivate them in some way. There may be some drama in your circles, arguments, or just having somewhat boisterous friendships. It is very likely that they prefer friends with similar ideas or perspectives in order to maintain a harmonious environment, as they stand out for defending their ideals tooth and nail. They like to defend causes linked to freedom, whether identity or expression, which is why it is a common placement for activists, feminists, people who fight for equal rights or justice for marginalized sectors of society. They have a healthy empathy in which they do not put others above them, but instead seek to understand and support them.

Although these people are open-minded when it comes to meeting many people, it is somewhat difficult for them to open up emotionally, they tend to be really defensive with their emotional world and may feel that they have to appear strong, if accompanied by other aspects of style, it can make them feel difficulty expressing their most vulnerable side. One of the good things about this placement is that they are very firm with their boundaries and do not stay in places where they are crossed or ignored. They would much rather be alone than in bad company and they have no problem with being alone at times. They seek to form friendships with more practical parameters without getting carried away by just feeling happy with the other person. They need friendships in which they feel they can trust and with whom honesty and loyalty is guaranteed, so even if they appear friendly, they remain alert and observant. In the sexual area, these natives are very open and experimental with their partner, they really like to surprise and be surprised in intimacy, and they always make sure not to fall into monotony. They don't just care about their pleasure, for them it is important that their partner also feels pleasure and feels satisfied.

[shibaincubus]

Authenticity

In todays age it's easy to get fed trends stereotypes etc. and we adopt them thinking that they are beneficial to us

We distort ourselves cause it's what everyone is doing and are prone to idolise people and putting them on a pedestal

Looking up to people is not the problem but it gets to a point where it's literally concerning.

࣪ ִֶָ꩜ Girl at this point you are emulating them. Loosing your real beautiful self࣪ ִֶָ꩜

Authenticity=Confidence

You can maxx out everything in confidence but if you are not authentic are you even confident? Or are you too insecure to show your real self.

Emulating someone does not make you that person. You will not get an ounce of the aura they have.

Inauthenticity is like people pleasing

Just like people pleasing we are letting others/society dictate who we are and diminish our uniqueness

You are feeding your energy to other people and you are in they're energy vortex

That's just wasting your energy -> makes you shine less

It's a silent killer tbh and kills your confidence

It's giving servant energy tbh.

Is this what you want??? Is this you???

Ways of inauthenticity

It's a spectrum

Not saying your opinions/pretending to like something

TO

straight up making a persona

Reasons: Fear of Judgement-> Insecurity-> Escapism-> Perfectionism - -> People pleasing and a lot more

We can put this definition into 3 examples

#1 -> You are someone with strong opinions, different mindset than others etc. You want to have a high social status. You feel like your real self is diminishing the chance to get one because it's soo 'different' from others -> "in a bad way"(your thoughts)

-> To gain my status I have to deform myself even if it just makes me insecure and gives me the opposite that I want INSECURITY

#2 -> You feel like your real self is not your highest self so you are trying to chase it in the internet by posting a 'stage self'. The more follower you gain the more dissatisfied are you with your real self.

-> My real self isn't good enough in reality and not even in the internet ESCAPISM

#3 -> You are in a slump, but you don't want to lose your face in front of other people. Even your closest friends and family. So you are keeping up a fake appearance to ignore your feelings and hoping that your problems will disappear

-> I don't want to burden anybody and feel indebted. I should help them with their problems not give them some. It just destroys my cultivated image PEOPLE PLEASING/PERFECTIONSIM

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ─How to gain your authentic self back

Explore yourself Start by diving deep into who you are. Think about your values, strengths, and what really matters to you. Reflect on what you enjoy and what you don’t in different areas of your life, like school, hobbies, and friendships. 

You can keep a journal where you can track every new resolution; ramblings and things you find out about yourself.

Practice Self-acceptance

Accepting yourself and practicing self love can make you more comfortable in your real self. There are countless inspos out there.

Remember mistakes don't diminish your worth. You have to be willing to express who you are without worrying about what others think.

Stand by your beliefs and values, even when it’s tough.

Surround Yourself with Authentic People

Make sure you’re hanging out with friends who encourage you to be yourself. These relationships should feel safe, where you can share your true feelings without fear of judgment. Practice being honest with the people around you. Sharing your thoughts and feelings can strengthen your friendships and help you feel more authentic.

Create Daily Habits

Develop a daily routine that reflects who you really are. This might include mindfulness practices, setting boundaries, or doing activities that resonate with your values.

Reflect Before Decisions

Before making important choices, take a moment to reflect. Make sure those decisions align with your true self so that you can stay true to who you are.

Overcome People-Pleasing

People pleasing and being unauthentic are going hand in hand. They are literally soulmates.

People pleasing is a complex issue that has to be addressed from the root.

To make this post compact, I will not write my stance to people pleasing here because I already did an extensive post with everything you need to know about it

Causes to Solutions

Click me to overcome people pleasing

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ─

Being authentic is reclaiming the it girl energy that you already have. It's a hard journey but 100% worth to complete it to the end

[phoenixyfriend]

I'm having thoughts about the Jedi and romance and UGH

Listen to me

Listen

(This is a shitpost, please do not reblog to argue with me, it's not for that. This is me, an a-spec individual with a lot of feelings on how society affects the things we view as important, venting in stream of consciousness.)

"Missing out on love" isn't something that matters as much when your society isn't amatonormative

"But they aren't allowed to get married" what if they don't want to?

"But they aren't allowed to romance" what if they don't want to?

When your culture is one that emphasizes compassion for all, and the most important bond is that of child and teacher... Don't you think that people might just not think of marriage as something worth striving for?

And from @jebiknights:

Honestly the only reason it bothers Anakin is bc he already met Padmé when he became a Jedi tbh i bet it wouldn't even bother him as much if he hadn't met her and already had visions of marrying her In general though yeah lol, that's one of the things i kind of miss about legends, is they didn't always deal with the attachment/romance/marriage thing well but you consistently had obi wan exes even before satine where they were like yeah we love each other and always will but we have no need or desire to get married or continue this

When the world around you doesn't emphasize marriage and romance and all that, then wouldn't you view cultures that do as a tad odd? Not weird in a bad way, just different.

I just keep thinking about the real world and how so much of the obsession with marriage and so on is a sociocultural thing. You don't want a big white dress because it's a bit white dress: you want it because it is the symbol that your culture has been pushing on you since you were two. Girls are taught to fantasize about weddings and marriage and to like A Certain Look for it, sometimes to such a degree that they can spend decades in denial about things like their sexualities.

And we're unlearning that as a society, people are being more critical of the institution and how they engage with it, are starting to question what it is that our media teaches us, asking 'why is marriage the most important thing in a girl's life, or in anyone's life' and generally moving towards a world where marriage exists but is not treated as a universal life goal

But the Jedi are just. Already doing that. They are already Not Teaching their children 'you should want this.'

And when you aren't pressured into wanting something like marriage... why would you be offended that your community says "you can have that Legal And Religious Status, but not with us. We'll still be your friends, but we as a community are not compatible with that legal and religious status barring a handful of specific and necessary exemptions."

Just

Marriage is not an inherent human/sapient want

Companionship is! We are biologically wired to be social creatures! We are biologically wired to, on the average, want sex, as well! That's how a species continues!

But marriage? A signed sheet of paper? That's not... inherent.

Fidelity and monamory? Sure, maybe. Plenty of species mate for life. But... humans have been proving that's a choice for most of history.

Other species are other things but anyway

Even if we remove marriage, specifically, and go to discuss attachment as being fidelity and exclusivity and devotion to another...

IDK how to talk about this without just going "devoting your life to a single person for companionship, romance, and sex is not only not necessary, but actually kind of mentally draining and a bad way to support yourself, we all need support systems and if you value one person's friendship or companionship more than others, that's not inherently a bad thing, but if you define yourself around each other or start doing shit like Covering Up Major Crimes That Hurt Real Innocent People (or committing said crimes) then. Uh. That's a problem."

[growwithmeastrology]

Saturday, April 20th 2024 Sun in Taurus ♉️🌎 Moon in Virgo ♍️🌎 and Libra ♎️💨

We’re here. We made it to the transit everyone is talking about, the Jupiter and Uranus conjunction in Taurus. It’s the topic of the day so let’s get into how it’s going to affect each rising sign. For a more detailed look at your theme, check out your rising sign first and then sun and moon signs. This energy has been rolling in strongly over the last month and will be active for the next 6 months!

Aries - This is happening in your 2nd house of values and personal money. You can expect a boost in your sense of self worth and a boost of abundance in your bank accounts.

Taurus - Bringing big energies into your 1st house of self, get ready for a total makeover. It may seem like you’re becoming a completely different person right now. Take a leap of faith and watch your dreams take flight.

Gemini - This is hitting your 12th house of spirituality and subconscious. Prepare for mind blowing, out of this world dreams, intuitive insights and revelations that may have you questioning reality.

Cancer - Your 11th house of society and friendship is getting activated filling the next 6 months with new social encounters and exciting adventures. Make a wish, it may just come true!

Leo - You’ll be shining bright as this transit brings fortune into your 10th house of career. Get ready for either promotions, brand new opportunities or recognition in the job sector.

Virgo - Pack your bags and put your learning hat on as this is hitting your 9th house of travel and higher philosophies. Adventure and expansion are helping you break free from the ordinary.

Libra - Get ready for some sexy vibes as this energy hits your 8th house of intimacy and shared money. Explore new areas of passion and excitement along side a partner.

Scorpio - Your 7th house of relationships is getting a shake up. You’re evaluating whether a partnership is holding you back or expanding your horizons. Cut loose of anything holding you back from personal growth.

Sagittarius - Hitting your 6th house of health and daily routines, it’s important to listen to your body and make self-care a priority. You could also see a change in what your day to day looks like.

Capricorn - Get ready as your 5th house of passion, dating and creativity get a jolt of excitement. Some fun and romance are up for you so open yourself up to a little spontaneity.

Aquarius - hitting your 4th house of home and family, get ready for some ancestral healing and breaking free from old family wounds. Let go of any familial patterns holding you back. You could also find yourself in a new home environment all together.

Pisces - Lighting up your 3rd house of communication and short distance travel. Think outside the box, explore new ideas and places and connect with kindred spirits.

If you enjoy my daily forecasts please like, comment, share and consider a gratitude tip in support. 🅿️ PayPal, Venmo or CashApp - @NaliniFlor

Learn more about your personal energies and how the daily forecast affects you! Comment below⬇️ or DM me for a consultation.

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Book 2 Chapter 2 Part 6

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 2: Battle at the Border

Part 6: Crux of Fate

“Please let me make it in time!!” Zeke urged his sacred horse to gallop as quickly as he could. 

The pieces of his horse’s golden chest armor violently hit each other, clanging loudly. 

His five Paladins were not far behind.

Finally, he saw piles of Witch corpses strewn all around him, confirming to him that Alm had indeed gone to Nuibaba’s mansion. Their horses’ hooves crushed the bodies beneath them as they continued on.

-

Zeke had no idea how long ago Alm left the village, as he had passed out on the floor of the hut.

When he came to, he saw the familiar faces of five of his Paladins, all inside the hut with him. “Emperor Rudolf chose the five of us himself, and ordered that we do as you say, Sir Zeke.”

Their words made him cry as hard as he ever had in his entire life, moved by their kindness and friendship. Them being here also confirmed that Emperor Rudolf had known all along that the person with the Brand was Alm, and his order meant that Zeke was to serve Alm.

Zeke thought, ‘Emperor Rudolf, as an extraordinary talent in politics and leadership, must have decided that Alm is the one person who can unify Valentia. He intends to hand Rigel over to Alm. It is most likely that Valentia would become a republic, but regardless of the final form of the new government, the monarchy would be abolished. Emperor Rudolf is probably expecting Alm to become a great leader, both in the best and worst of times. Just as I have always thought, he values Valentia being at peace.

‘And this war is likely a sacrificial operation carried out on purpose to remove the small armies that have come to power across each region of Rigel, and purge Rigel of its corruption. Jerome is the perfect example of one such army. Like a surgeon performing a surgery, Emperor Rudolf has chosen Alm as the best candidate for a successful operation.

‘If all of this is right, then I have no reason to have any doubts. There is nothing more for me to think about. It is my duty to protect Alm until all of this is over. That is what it means to be loyal to Emperor Rudolf!’ This explanation for everything also cleared his mind of the fear that he was living a cruel paradox. He would even be able to hold Tatiana in his arms once more when they one day reunited.

“We march to Fear Mountain!” Zeke ordered his Paladins. He wrapped several layers of cloth bandages around his abdomen to stop his bleeding, then immediately left the village.

-

The decision to call Nuibaba’s mansion as such must have been a bad joke by someone with a terrible sense of humor. Or perhaps it came to be because the people envied him a bit, living a lifestyle free of society’s worldly trappings. Regardless, even if it was meant to be sarcastic, it was still not a good joke in the slightest.

Nuibaba’s abode was not a mansion at all, but a stronghold in every meaning of the word. The summit of Fear Mountain was a very steep cliff, and walls characteristic of a stronghold stood all around it. The passageway built to make it up and down the mountain was made of stone, and looked just like a castle wall. It was so narrow it would be difficult for two horses to pass by each other, and it was built into a very steep incline that led straight to the front gate.

They traveled with Alm as their vanguard; followed by Clive, Mathilda, and Gray atop their horses; and Clair flying high in the sky on her falcon. Behind them, Lukas and Forsyth formed a wall around Tobin, Python, and Delthea. Before them, Nuibaba’s subordinates did not stand a chance. Cutting them down was easy, and defeating them took no effort, but when everyone thought of Nuibaba waiting for them and how much his Medusa spell was to be feared, no matter how simple it was to make their way through the waves of small fry, it was all meaningless.

No one knew what kind of spell Medusa truly was, though that was to be expected. It was said to be such a lethal spell that no one who witnessed it had ever survived to describe it. With its true form unknown, they had even more reason to be afraid.

The prominent theory proposed that it is a mind reversal spell. It reverses all of the target’s values, senses, instincts, and psychology to its polar opposite. Those trying to live will die, and those seeking help will be killed. The spellcaster would then instantly turn to stone, protecting themself from the screams of agony and hell on earth now surrounding them. If world peace could be achieved and maintained, then the Medusa spell would reverse it all, and summon an absolute hell from which none could escape.

‘Absolute hell? Does such a thing even exist? Having control over absolute hell would make Nuibaba akin to a god. Just what kind of Arcanist is he?’ Once they finally tore down the stronghold’s gate and invaded the hall of Nuibaba’s mansion, Alm finally learned the truth.

There were no pillars supporting the high ceiling, making the inner hall a completely wide open space. It was so empty that it would not feel strange if stars started to shine within the darkness of the ceiling. Beneath it was an equally endless floor made of stone tiles. And sitting atop the stone floor on his knees, without even a chair to help support him, was an old man. He looked like a scrap of paper fallen on a desolate road.

“Are you Nuibaba?” Alm asked, more to convince himself than anything. 

The old man did not look at all like an Archanist, much less the Nuibaba of legend. He did not even wear a holy man’s robes, but a simple white, long cloth. The only outwardly trait he had of a religious figure was his bald head, without even a single hair upon it.

However, Alm should have known that a weak appearance does not indicate that a person is also weak on the inside.

“Wind, sweep away my enemies!” Nuibaba suddenly cast an Excalibur spell, without drawing its sigil, nor even moving an inch from his place on the floor. 

The spell sliced open both Gray and Python’s dominant arms; and because none of Alm’s army had any warning of what was coming, none of them could hold their ground.

“Curse you!” Shouted Delthea as she lept out in front. 

Nuibaba immediately noticed that she was a magic Unit, and first tested out the basic Fire and Thunder spells on her. But Delthea was a prodigy so talented she had already mastered Aura, even at her young age. 

He knew exactly how she was aiming her spell, and stayed completely still to judge the distance between them. It was the distance needed for him to be within the target range of an Aura spell.

The sigil Delthea drew was indeed that of Aura. However, she was unable to complete its chant because the words Nuibaba spoke when he opened his mouth for the first time were so unexpected. 

“Cast it! Cast the light that killed your brother!” He said, and every single one of the Knights of Zofia heard him.

His heightened magical abilities allowed him to sense that no one had told her, and she did not yet know the truth - that she was her own brother’s killer.

Everyone looked at Delthea as she became ghostly pale.

“Wind, sweep away my enemies!”

The moment she faltered and failed to properly draw Aura’s sigil, Nuibaba cast another Excalibur spell. This time, she was unable to dodge, and it sliced open her shoulder before she collapsed to the ground. Just as he was about to attack a third time, Clair’s falcon glided through the hall and scooped her up.

Clair wrapped her arm around Delthea’s tiny body, while Delthea grabbed ahold of her falcon’s mane. And Delthea stared straight at Clair as the thunderous sounds of Excaliber’s winds blew around them.

“What did he say? What did he say?” Delthea mumbled multiple times to herself before she finally screamed, “He said I killed my brother!”

All Clair could do was hug her. Huger tight, and tell her to forget what she’d heard. “Just forget he ever said anything!” 

It was a cruel order. Telling her to forget was certain proof that the thing she was supposed to forget about was undeniably true.

Then, from beneath the falcon’s wings, they heard Nuibaba chant another spell. “Light, shine down upon my enemies!”

He was casting Aura. Its shards of light were so scorching hot that they could even burn a falcon’s wings, causing Clair’s mount to crash head-first against the stone floor.

-

“So this is the power of Medusa?!” Zeke thought as he rushed into the mansion. 

Such a statement was far from unbelievable.

In the middle of the room sat an old man who looked as if he was meditating, and scattered around him as if they were garbage he had tossed aside, was every member of the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia. Even Alm was dyed crimson with his own blood.

“He’s breathing!” One of Zeke’s Paladins immediately jumped off his horse to examine the person nearest to him. It was Forsyth. Both his dominant arm and his back were sliced open, and his shoulders were heaving heavily. But he was alive, meaning that Nuibaba had yet to cast Medusa.

“You never see it coming… You move, and his magic will already be waiting for you…” Forsyth said. His face contorted in fear as he passed out, still gripping the Paladin’s arm.

“I will distract Nuibaba!” Zeke said. “All five of you will carry the Knights of Zofia out of here!” He gave his orders, then galloped his horse forward to stand right in front of Nuibaba.

If Nuibaba had acknowledged Zeke’s determination to fight him, he would have at least been the slightest bit shaken. Instead, he simply watched the Paladins carry off the Knights of Zofia as they desperately clung to their lives.

“I have come to confirm with my own body just what kind of spell Medusa is!” Zeke said as his sacred horse, fully adorned in the suit of armor bestowed upon the mount of a Gold Knight, snorted and smashed the stone tiles beneath them with his front hooves. I will survive your magic, so that none will be afraid of you ever again. I will prove once and for all whether or not absolute fear exists in this world. Prepare yourself!” Zeke gripped his horse’s reins.

Nuibaba did not move even an inch. He thought that Zeke was being quite honorable.

Nuibaba had plotted together with Jerome. Based on that, Zeke knew exactly what kind of person he probably was. However, Nuibaba did not ask a single question about why Zeke had switched sides; and now that they were facing off as enemies, he simply stared back, proving his reputation as the proud Arcanist general.

The moment Zeke’s horse took a single step forward, wind blew past them. His cheek was cut for the first time ever in his life. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spurt of blood fly past him. His horse flinched. Zeke pulled his reins to reprimand him for doing so. 

“Do not insult me with a spell like Exaclibur!” Zeke shouted, and took another step forward. 

A ball of light exploded, signaling that Nuibaba had cast an Aura spell. It was a direct hit against his horse’s armor. The grating sound of thousands of light shards scraping against metal echoed through the air. He felt the back of his neck become hot. Half of his uniform’s collar blew away.

“Why won’t you cast Medusa?!”

By the time he spoke those words, Nuibaba was already directly beneath him. Nuibaba raised his head just enough to look at Zeke from the side. His eyes were mocking the Gold Knight. 

The sight of them made Zeke’s blood boil, and so he aimed and stabbed his lance at Nuibaba’s chest.

The tip of his lance felt dull. The moment he had extended it, he realized how reckless his action was. Knowing that he was cornered, Nuibaba must have cast a lethal Medusa spell that would hit him any second now. The reason why his spearhead felt dull was because Zeke feared that premonition.

Nuibaba moved. 

‘Finally!’ Zeke thought. ‘Should I keep my eyes open, or shut them as tight as I can? If I am going to die, then I want to see my final moments.’ He made up his mind, and kept his eyes wide open.

But he saw no sign that Nuibaba had cast a spell, rather, he saw Nuibaba standing up in the air, as if he was flying.

What he thought was not what had happened at all. His lance had stabbed through Nuibaba’s body.

It pierced his chest as easily as it would rotting hunks of fat and flesh, and slid through so far that it went past his waist. The spearhead had even stabbed into a stone floor tile.

“Zeke,” Nuibaba gripped the lance with both hands and stared straight at Zeke, his elderly face not even wincing in pain. “I have only attained the first few steps of enlightenment. The difference between Rudolf and me is like that of the sun and a grain of sand. I was never able to make much progress.”

Nuibaba paused to cough up blood. “Anything other than full enlightenment is meaningless. When I learned that you had switched to Alm’s side, I realized that Rudolf had attained full enlightenment. If he is closer to full enlightenment than I, then I am worldly trash.”

“Why didn’t you cast Medusa?” Zeke asked him again.

“Medusa? I cannot cast such a spell. I am worldly trash. Duma would never bestow Medusa upon trash such as I. I am trash, and I will die like trash. To prove to you how wordly of a person I am, Zeke, I will teach you one thing about life. Never attempt to cast away your love for a woman. Do not abandon in vain the love in front of you to chase your past. After I close my eyes and summon them, turn around. Tatiana and the Zofian Saint will both be behind you.” Those were Nuibaba’s final words before his chin fell. The proud Arcanist army general crumpled around Zeke’s lance like a piece of scrap cloth.

“Sir Zeke!” It was obvious who had called his name from behind him. 

Silque was standing next to him, but he cared not about what she might be thinking as he stared at her. He simply held Tatiana in his arms as tightly as he could.

-

Jerome’s soldiers had Nuibaba’s mansion surrounded. So this was indeed Jerome’s goal all along. If Nuibaba defeated the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia, that would be ideal, but even if he did not, they were certain to be near death when Jerome appeared before them.

Zeke ordered Tatiana and Silque to heal the Knights, then took only his five Paladins with him to the mansion’s front gate, his gold armor glittering as he openly revealed himself and awaited Jerome’s arrival.

“Do any of you have any friends among his army?” Zeke asked his Paladins. 

All of them gave the same answer - that they felt nothing but hatred for every single one of Jerome’s knights.

But it mattered not that none could be swayed to his side. The Golden General Zeke was accompanied by his five fiercely loyal Paladins Rudolf himself had personally selected. Though they were no match in numbers, Jerome’s knights were already no match for them

-

“So there’s no such thing as Medusa.” Forsyth said as he lifted his wine glass. 

Rigel’s border guard had been defeated, and the Rigel Plains were now under Zofian occupation. It was a major accomplishment, one mostly achieved thanks to Zeke’s efforts, but the Knights were relieved that this battle was over all the same. The villagers had been awaiting their return with a huge banquet prepared just for them, and were now showering them with their kindness.

Once the Knights scaled the Dragon’s Maw, known as a natural stronghold characteristic of Rigel’s rugged landscape, Rigel Castle would be awaiting them right before their very eyes, and all they would have left to do is take Rudolf’s head. 

“We turned a fear that did not even exist into a taboo. Perhaps most, if not all, taboos are the same.” Forsyth said.

Python continued, “Medusa was nothing more than Nuibaba’s bluff, and a secret he could not share with even a single soul, or else he would lose all of his power. Maybe Jerome knew that, and used it to blackmail Nuibaba into helping him, knowing that he was still very powerful.”

“I do not think that to be the case.” Zeke said as he cut into the conversation. Zeke was a full-fledged Knight of Zofia now, or at the very least, a heroic general who had declared himself one of Alm’s knights, and vowed his loyalty to his new lord. “I did say very confidently that Nuibaba was unable to cast Medusa. But now I am convinced that he could, and chose not to cast it.”

“Why not?” It was no surprise that question was on everyone’s mind.

“I think he knew Emperor Rudolf’s master plan. Alm,” Zeke said, and shifted his conversation to speak directly to Alm. “Emperor Rudolf is planning to surrender his country over to you, so that you two can restore peace to Zofia and Rigel together. I think that is why he ordered me to serve you.”

‘That’s impossible.’ Was Silque’s immediate thought, but Alm spoke up faster.

“Then why did Rudolf try to destroy Zofia? We can never forget his wicked plot to abuse the sluice. He used it to attempt to destroy the entirety of Zofia’s land. Zeke, your idea is too optimistic.”

If Alm was right, then he had once again lost his reason to serve Alm. But regardless, the moment the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia entered Rigel Castle, they would learn everything. ‘Rudolf will probably embrace Alm when they meet. It is enough for me to just serve Alm for now.’ Zeke thought, and spoke not another word.

As the conversation shifted from Nuibaba to the sluice, Delthea looked down at her feet as the color slowly drained from her face. Even as everyone continued to empty their glasses, the party could not become entirely carefree so long as they were worried about how she was feeling. Nuibaba had told her the one secret they were trying to keep from her, that she cast the spell that killed her brother.

“Cheer up, Delthea!” Clive said, and clapped a hand on her shoulder.

That was the trigger that made everything bottled up within her heart come spilling out.

“Please tell me the truth.” She said, starting out as a mumble that crescendoed with each word until she was nearly shrieking. “Was it me who killed my brother?! Did he die by my hand?! His body had scars on it that could only be caused by Aura. And I don’t remember anything that happened. I felt it, but I couldn’t believe it. Why did I kill my brother?!”

With each word that came out of her mouth, she felt more and more certain in her heart that she had done it. The more she became certain, the more she became aware of just how grave a sin she had committed, and the greater her grief became that he was gone. She started crying as hard as she would have bled if her tiny body was literally tearing apart.

No one could say anything. It would be meaningless to try to comfort her, because what could possibly comfort her? Nothing could bring her brother back. The only option left was to push her to accept the truth faster than she would on her own, but that was also the cruelest option of all.

“Delthea,” Alm stood up and hugged her. “You did not kill Luthier.” He said with full conviction. “The person who killed your brother was the Arcanist at the sluice. A Rigelian we have already killed. Please think of it this way. Even if the sun was to burn up or if rain were to wash away all the forests, nothing would make it any less tragic for those who share the same blood to kill each other. Please find your peace in the certainty that you would have never killed your brother.

“Nuibaba’s Medusa spell was not absolute hell. True hell is family killing one another. So long as Mila’s Blessing is bestowed upon Valentia, there should be no true hell in this world, and no members of the same family should be capable of killing each other.”

Delthea didn’t know what to think of Alm’s words, but they made Silque tremble in utter fear.

Alm was about to become the harbinger of this impossible, true hell he spoke of himself. The moment he cheered with joy that he had brought an end to everything, would also be the moment he killed his own father, realized his fate is to suffer in absolute hell, and learned that he himself would prove true hell had become possible in this world.

Silque could not hold back her tears. Everyone else thought that she was crying because she was so touched at Alm’s gesture to do whatever little he could to reach out and help Delthea.

-

The days before the Knights’ invasion of Rigel Castle passed by quietly. Delthea did not speak to anyone and was silent for a few days, until finally, she told Alm that she had decided to stay in the village and dedicate her life to rebuilding it. 

“You will grow up to become a godmother to all of Valentia.” He said, and hugged her tiny body as hard as he could. 

Silque went every day to see Tatiana, who returned to her hut in the village. Because Tatiana had decided not to participate in the final battle, Silque asked if she could teach her Physic, a high-level healing spell able to heal allies from afar; and Warp, a spell able to instantly teleport Units within the middle of an enemy’s formation. Part of the reason why the Knights decided to spend several long days stationed in the village was to give Silque the time she needed to master those spells.

Zeke was also always in Tatiana’s hut. To the two of them, these last few days before the Knights deployed was a fleeting moment of peace.

Sometimes, he would step out for a bit, and Tatiana would tell Silque stories of her memories with him.

“It was all part of the gods’ will for Sir Zeke to wash up in the village where I live, and for him to save me. I want to dedicate my entire body and soul to him.”

Silque immediately stared down at her feet. Hearing such a candid expression of love made her face turn bright red, proving that she was still a young woman who had yet to experience her own first romance.

“But, there is something that always worries me. And this worry may only deepen my love for him.” Tatiana said. “Sir Zeke lost all memories of his past, but he was probably a high-ranking vassal of another nation. As I nursed him back to health, he often cried out in agony. More times than I can count. But I remember the words he spoke very well. They were often an apology to a queen. Her name is Nyna…”

The moment she said that name, her face clouded over with sadness. “‘I am sorry, but I will not betray my homeland…’ He would say as he became drenched with sweat. When his memory returns, he will also return to his country. Sir Zeke is going to leave me on that day. I am certain of it.”

Silque held Tatiana’s hands to console her. 

Tatiana smiled, touched by Silque’s kindness. Then, she said, “I will stay in the village. As your army marches, even if Sir Zeke’s memories return to him, please do not tell me the truth. Allow me to believe that he left only because he fell out of love with me. Otherwise, I will not be able to completely give up on him.”

[starsarebleeding]

HELLO I want to say something about age gap relationships, because the amount of sanctimonious vitriol they get (often irrespective of how old the younger party is) is, I think, a concerning symptom of something else that's JUST as sinister as purity culture.

Now look: there is & always will be conflict between generations. It's the way of growth and evolution, fine. What's different in current society is that how we conceive of generations is based on marketing tactics.

That is: the grouping of ages helps to create a clearer target audience that corporations can sell to. The more you stay in your generational box, the easier you are to pigeonhole in a boardroom, and the more your consumerism perpetuates the actual hell of capitalism we're in.

This would just be another way to take advantage of you EXCEPT: remember a few years ago when Gen Z waged absolute war on Millennials for virtually no reason? Like yeah fine Millennials are earnest, and goofy and less ironic than Gen Z in their humour, but at the core, we're actually quite similar (or were, at the time, before the alt-right radicalization of Gen Z men -- which is part of my point) in our beliefs and core values of progressiveness. We're also the generations most harmed by capitalism, and most at risk as a result of all the bad decisions made by those that come before us.

Man -- sure would suck if Millennials and Gen Z, both extremely online and therefore globally connected, teamed up to start a real revolution, wouldn't it?

Man, what's this new TikTok thing taking off?

I'm not saying the Millennial-Gen Z war was a conspiracy (okay secretly I am lol) -- what I AM saying is that: the further away we get from interacting with other generations for stupid dumbass reasons like style choices and bad memes, two things happen:

1) we fit more and more neatly into the boxes the ruling class wants us to (this is where the altrightification of Gen Z men fits in: the question to always ask yourself is -- who makes money off of your online presence & content consumption, and what are their motives?)

and

2) we isolate ourselves from learning about the (much deeper) similarities we have with previous generations, and we lose the opportunity to learn from them

So.

When I hear someone saying that "an age gap of 10 years is creepy no matter what" or whatever -- what does that actually mean? Take that to the logical conclusion. Does that mean the younger person cannot be expected to be an adult and hold their own boundaries, regardless of their age? Friendships can be intense and manipulative too, sometimes -- so does that mean friendships that cross generations are also creepy? Wait, does that mean any interaction across generations is suspect and weird?

No, it doesn't, like I'm not dumb I get that the antis are just stressing about grooming or whatever and don't understand the definition. But, for any antis that come across this: no one is saying pedophilia in real life is acceptable. But if you keep raising the age of actual adulthood, not only do you infantilize actual adults -- you are effectively arguing that actual adults should not learn from, connect with, or mobilize with previous generations. You would prefer to force adults into the boxes that corporations have put them in. And that lack of intergenerational learning and exploration is nothing but bad for us.

Only power can be found in generations working together against the ruling class my bros, please don't ruin this for us by creating a culture where younger people feel so weird about connecting with older people that they just don't do it.

[wendytestabrat]

a subtle kyman moment no one talks about

ok i’ve talked abt this a lot before how cartman & kyle have A LOT more in common with each other and are more similar to each other than they are to stan with a lot of moments of those two either gaining up on stan together or selling him out some good examples are “all about mormons” when they made fun of stan for being friends with gary and made all those gay jokes (wow projecting much), the obvious betrayal in “you’re getting old” & “ass burgers” when kyle replaced stan with cartman, & ofc in the black friday trilogy when stan wanted to be on the ps4 side but cartman & kyle wanted xboxes. in fact stan was the first one to initiate not wanting to be friends anymore in “south parq vaccination special”, which goes to show imo that stan is the real outsider of the group at this point and doesn’t feel supported by the other boys in the dynamic. but what i wanna talk abt is that scene in “the pandemic special” where they’re at build a bear and stan has that breakdown and cries and shit bc that was lowkey a kyman moment too but ya’ll didn’t see it. what really stood out to me in that scene was how much cartman & kyle fucking gaslit stan and made him out to be crazy….for you know HAVING NORMAL HUMAN EMOTIONS ABOUT THE PANDEMIC. it pisses me off bc stan is way more rational than cartman & kyle are and he keeps his emotions in check way more often and then puts up with all of THEIR bullshit when they’re constantly acting out and throwing tantrums like a baby in every episode, so it’s like they couldn’t let stan have this ONE moment where he got to express his feelings and act out and do something bad??? even tho cartman & kyle do dumbass reckless immature shit and act on their emotions all the time???? they make him out to be the bad guy for going to a build-a-bear that’s closed and trying to stuff a bear for butters (even tho he was just projecting his own feelings abt the pandemic) with no employees there. like bitch please, i mean yeah breaking into a closed build a bear is a dumb thing to do but cartman & kyle shouldn’t be acting like they’re the saints here bc they’re not and they’ve done WAY worse shit lol. i mean that holier-than-thou attitude can be expected of kyle but it was surprising to see it from cartman too. and there are so many moments were stan goes along with their bullshit when they wanna do something that’s illegal or fucked up, but the one time stan gets the idea to do something fucked up they’re like “noooo that’s wrong”. the part tho where cartman is literally backing up KYLE and not stan and is like “stan you really need employee assistance for this” had me like

bc u would not expect that from cartman considering he’s a sociopathic maniac so if another boy gets an idea to do something fucked up and illegal he would be totally on board LOL like how he was willing to help stan steal the baby cows in s6 but at this point in the series you can see how the chemistry between cartman & kyle has grown so strong to the point that it’s like neither of those two give a shit about stan anymore and wanna support him on anything, when before stan was like the glue that kept the group together and it seemed like cartman & kyle wouldn’t even had been hanging out with each other if it wasn’t for their mutual friendship with stan. i think that goes to show that cartman has developed A LOT and he’s become more similar to kyle and values kyle’s opinion above the other boys when the dynamic used to be more of cartman getting stan & kenny to gain up against kyle. ESPECIALLY that scene in “bebe’s boobs destroy society” where cartman suggests they kick kyle out of the group or all those times when he’s like “ok guys i guess we just have to kill kyle” LOL

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Steven P. Miller, [2/8/2025 10:10 AM] I am Steven P. Miller, Jacksonville Florida USA @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org, TM, ‎Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups..#GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #SPARKERMILLER 904-917-8637 Saturday, February 8, 2025, Jacksonville, Florida USA 10:07:01 AM EST

Steven P. Miller, [2/8/2025 10:17 AM] My Mission Objective:

I want you to know that I am just a man and they will never build a monument in my name. Life is about establishing relationships called friendship and loving others.

Every day of our lives we are given opportunities to show love and kindness to those around us. We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, the internet, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve. If we cannot regard those who are all around us as our family, we will never be capable of loving our neighbor or our enemy.

Pending; Gatekeeper-Watchman International Group is my goal of a Christian-based non-profit organization, that is a faith-based group of associates and friends from all over the world but is not limited to, environmental, social, advocacy, and human rights work. It is my passion that we all can work to promote social or political change on a broad scale or very locally. Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups (#GWIG) seek to play a critical part in developing society, improving communities, and promoting citizen participation all over the world through love, kindness, joy, and various forms of living support. As the founder and administrator of Gatekeeper- Watchman International Groups, my primary purpose is to defend or promote specific causes. As not opposed to operational project management, these organizational groups typically seek to raise awareness, acceptance, and knowledge by lobbying, press work, and activist events and are not limited to donations or outside financial support. Our mission is to accelerate and educate the community and world on the importance of why it's pivotal to empower men, women, and minorities in business globally. When the impoverished are elevated financially, communities, states, and countries prosper, this builds a global blueprint that will alleviate and eradicate poverty and redefine our common cause which is a fair and united democracy.

In this overcrowded online world, do you ever wonder why people spend most of their time googling? or sending a friend request without knowing you? I hope your experience with social networking has been good. And please let me introduce you to a fresh outlook on social platforms. In the beginning, I didn’t understand why people would read and share Posts, Blogs, Tweets, and or Comments when the web is awash with information, advice, and wisdom from people more experienced, more knowledgeable than myself.

As I have grown older, my need to search for quality friends, associates, and companions, immediately discovering that it wasn't easy to do. A relationship with intrinsic value and opportunity is also harder to mobilize because of our change in interests and environment. I have always preferred to choose my friends for myself rather than allowing others to do so for me and this is why I contact others that I may not know and that I find articulate, and exciting because we are communal beings.

I have learned that to introduce social and political change on a broad scale, I concluded that sharing, teaching, and discussing problems head-on and the topics of interest may allow us to focus on a particular subject, unlike the media which recklessly spits out more in shorter bytes than we have been able to chew on as a democracy.

In doing so, I have attempted to connect with people across the world. I constantly search for thriving groups of quality friends from many different cultures’ interests, and scopes of expertise. There, I placed open forums at specific locations and called them Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups. I have intended to ask for prayer, and discussion so that we may encourage others to change the way they gather and extrapolate information while focusing on different perspectives relating to education, employment, social advocacy, and human rights as "Information Specialists".

Steven P. Miller; I believe that we all can work together at promoting change on a broader scale. Likewise, we must all seek different means of sharing our experiences, knowledge, and faith on social platforms if we want to be less cluttered with better resolve. I am also graciously seeking your support and participation in developing an all-volunteer movement. Your contributions and donations, I believe will support our mission to encourage, accelerate and educate humanity on the importance of why it's pivotal to empower the less fortunate who have fallen between the cracks of bureaucracy globally. and when the impoverished classes are elevated financially, communities, states, and countries prosper, and this builds a global blueprint that will alleviate and eradicate greed and selfishness that destroys economic growth and a lack of positive change. Respectfully, From: Steven P. Miller

[fiercynn]

I cannot equate the Hamas attacks to what Israel is doing, and has been doing for years, to the Palestinians - no matter how much people have been insisting that I do so. Not because I ever support the killing of anyone, “innocent” or not, I promise you that I do not support such violence. But because to do so would be inaccurate and dangerous. The systemic oppression of a people, the ethnic cleansing of a people, the genocide against a people, is not the same thing as the horrific actions of those acting violently in response to oppression, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. That does not mean that I am saying that it feels any different to you, my friends who have lost loved ones, who have lost community members, who have been made to feel unsafe by these attacks. But when we decide on a larger socio-political scale that the personal matters as much as, or even more than, the systemic in issues that are clearly systemic in nature, we will always default to prioritizing those who are more valued in society. We will default to humanizing one, and dehumanizing the other. And we will find ourselves signed on to systemic retribution that does not feel that it is responsible for what it does. This is what keeps justifying the violent oppression of millions of people for decades. This is what emboldens people to say that the safety of one people must mean the loss of freedom of another. This is what enables the idea that one population has to prove that they “deserve” their freedom, by insisting on staying meek and silent under violent oppression. This carries the fantasy that healthy, liberal, peace-loving ways of organizing and governing can thrive in a space where people are brutalized every day - and the fantasy that it can exist for their oppressors as well.

- ijeoma oluo on october 16, 2023. please consider subscribing to her newsletter ijeoma oluo: behind the book.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

So apologies if I missed a post regarding this, but what your thoughts on the canon LOV regarding “found family?” Especially in the newer chapters, I’ve seen meta writers different pov’s of how they are a found family, or that they were never one (I think you may know some of them lol.) I know you do many head canons of them being one which I absolutely love reading. The way I see it is in a sense they could be one, but obviously not a healthy one in a way you would see one normally act. With today’s chapter on Toga’s “love” for the LOV, I’ve seen opinions of how that solidified their disconnect, but they also say they cared for each other in the first place. Which I agree, but in a way I find they do have some form of “care” for each other, but since they are all so mentally unstable right now, they can’t really help each other out since they need someone to help themselves first, hence the kids they are paralleled to (if that makes sense?) But I feel it doesn’t take away the fact that they are friends in a way. I would love to see the LOV at the end of the manga be together again, but build a healthy friendship together and truly start to understand each other, because it is Toga’s turmoil right now in this new chapter even though she does care for them. I guess looking back at what I wrote it isn’t a “found family” perspective I’m viewing, but just friends that are to broken to see each other until they are healed. But anyway, what are your thoughts on the topic and new chapter?

I'm currently not in the best condition to be riding this meta, since my right hand is broken and the cast doesn't allow me to properly cry like I wish I could. I'll try to do my best with the voice to text function of my phone board, so please forgive me for whatever crazy mistakes or misspells I'm about to make.

First of all, I think the complications come from what every person believes is the definition of a "found family".

For me the trope doesn't have to be pure or be innocent, you know? A found family is not the "healthiest" version of a family. What it means for me, it's a group of people you decide to stick with because you feel you belong with them. You feel better with them, you decide to take their side for wherever reason instead of your biological family or whatever. In turn, those people's welcome you in. They give you a place among them, they treat you like you're one of them and they value you.

I don't know when along the line people decide found families were only for heroes and "stable" people characteres? And honestly doesn't make sense. Found families started with the weirdos, the outcasts, the ones who didn't belong or felt like rejected by society. It was for the ones who were deemed dangerous, even. For me it is more a villain/anti-heroes trope on its roots.

Important addition: having a found family doesn't erase the importance of the biological family. It's not a game of one or the other, okay?

So, what that being said, let me deep dive in the complex dynamic of the League of Villains and why they are my favorite bnha group <3

There are different levels of affection.

That's a fact.

Among the big kinds, there's romantic affection, platonic affection for your close friends, familial affection, etc. There are the little specifics, like the affection you may have for your pets or for your belongings, or for your favorite movies or foods, that affection you may have for your teachers or for your neighbors... I think you get me.

Toga's struggle comes from not knowing the difference between the affections she feels. She doesn understand the variations in her dinamics with different numbers of the League of Villains and even with different heroes. Of course you can argue that she grew up with her biological family and with her classmate and friends— so she must know, right? I will say no, because her love is (in her mind) tied with her quick. We know she pretty much repressed her quick for all her childhood and for half of her teenage years, until she ran away.

She knows when she's not feeling affection but does she understand that not all her love is the same?

This chapter tell us that she wants to feel as strongly with Tomura and Dabi as she fell with Twice. She was hoping for it, she was upset when she couldn't use the quirks, she's crying because of that. There's definitely affection there. Even when the member's of the LoV weren't mentally stable or good relationships of any type, there's manga evidence that they care for each other. The went out of their way to do stuff for each other that wasn't really justified even if they tried to lie about their intentions.

I've said before that Spinner is the best example, but he's far from being the only one.

The manga paralleled Overhaul and Tomura in the way they treated their subordinates. Overhaul did not care, they were sacrifices to be made for him to achieve his goal. Tomura took it personal, as the League did. Compress and Tomura reacted immediately after Magne died, not just in their defense, something Tomura confirmed when he told Overhaul Magne lost wasn't the equivalent of one of Overhaul's dead men, she was worth so much more. Toga threatened Tomura when she thought he'd treat them like Overhaul treated his people. Jin and Toga want to take revenge on Magne's behalf and corrected Overhaul when he misgendered Magne on purpose or because he really didn't care. Tomura and Compress cut both his arms for it. Every member of the LoV helped ruin Overhaul.

That's just one arc —not even the arc that solely focus on their dynamic, I must mention.

I want you to think about how many mangas create a whole arc to explore the dynamic of the group of villains. An arc just for them, because the heroes has nothing to do with the arc!

My Villain Academia aims to get the readers and watchers to be more invested, more emotionally involved in the dynamic of this group of villains. Direct parallel to class 1A and Deku, to the plus ultra value, to the origin story explanation of the MCs. Twice overcame his greatest trauma to save Toga. Toga was fighting following Tomurq's values and that's the arc that made a Spinner is so close emotionally tomorrow. That arc was strategically made to give greater impact to all that'd later happen in the War Arc: Twice's death, Toga's despair, Mr. Compress sacrifice, Dabi's big reveal, Spinner desperation to save Tomura and Tomura losing control of his own body.

I can continue listing every single evidence that Horikoshi wrote the League of Villains to be a very fucked up found family, but I prefer to invite everyone reading this to re-read the manga and try to see for themselves.

So there's affection between the members of the League? There is, canonically. It's not a take, the manga says it itself. Is it enough to make of them a found family? Following my definition, it is.

Most members were rejected/isolated by society. They decided to join the League, they decided to stay with them, they sacrificed themselves to save their teammates... So listen carefully: the League was a pit of Insanity, but the only member who actively purposely tried to harm his partners was Dabi. Threats were a common thing, yes, but only one person went as far as to use the League and let one of them died and state he didn't consider himself as part of the whole .

Dabi is a tricky case, since he felt affection but he wouldn't let it get in the way of his revenge or his very suicidal, self-destoying fantasy-plan where he gets to punish his father and at some extent himself to death. Seriously, with how similar is his case to Sasuke from Naruto, I'm not surprised the fandom found a way to misinterpreted his whole character. That's another post, tho.

Like I say, we know the League wanted to be with each other, respected each other in their own way, were willing to protect and cheer and listen to each other... They had alternatives they could— no, would have taken if they wanted to.

It's NOT healthy, they were all making it worse. They actively made each other worse. A fact.

They ruined each other.

And I want people to finally get that love can destroy. Genuine love has no morals, it is not a person taking decisions, it doesn't subscribe to your belief system or culture, it has no agenda of its own. Affection, as a sublevel of love, is just the same. You'd do anything for the people you love and I'd do anything for the people I love and we could kill each other, start a war, whatever, all because we held our love higher than others' love.

Back to square one: Toga's affection and quirk.

Twice was genuinely gentle. It was easy for him to feel affection, to consider someone a friend. That was his downfall with Hawks, both loyal to the end to a group of friends or a cause.

That's not Toga's case. She's emotional, she's selective, she doesn't know how to connect with others after so many years repressing herself. She's desperate to become someone else in the sense she's desperate to connect.

As much as Dabi and Tomura connected with Toga, they weren't that close, were they? Their traumas couldn't allow it. Like you said, they were incapable of moving forward, getting closer. On the other hand, Toga's relationships with Ochako and Twice felt personal.

Twice got past the only thing holding him back, cementeing his friendship with Toga MVA. They were absolute best friends, no doubt.

During the War Arc, Toga and Ochako held a conversation that changed them both forever, a leap in their character progression. But even in the MVA arc, Toga's absolute desperation and desire to more like Ochako drove her to achieve a new quirk level.

The League is Toga's found family. Look back at the War Arc and how they worried about her. Look at how Tomura has treated her through the manga, at Dabi cheering her up and burning her old house. That's more than anyone ever did for her, as fucked up as it is. They care about her.

However, they've reach their limit.

There's no much they can improve in their current state. There's not getting closer, not evolving in their dynamic. In the villain path, the only thing left to do is die for each other.

Enter the heroes and redemption, in the sense they all need to heal if they want to ever continue their relationship.

Now, I believe Tsuyu's theory is roughly explained. "Not enough love" could be simply "not enough intimacy / not as personal as it could be". As a demiaro-demiace, I personally hate when people express love differences in terms of more/less. I don't believe in best friends, don't believe that romantic involvement means "being more than friends", etc. It's stupid for me.

I'm not looking forward to the discourse this will generate. The LoV dynamic is my favorite 'cause it's messy and complex and has many layers and grey areas. I don't enjoy when people erase those facts so it'd match their opinions.

Still, I hope this answers your post? This took me way to long to write with one hand and the voice to text function. Sending you all my love and thanks for sending me this!!!!

[witchofhimring]

Hello there.

First off, I'd like to start off by saying Congratulations are in order on completing "🌹Loyalty🥀"👏👏👏🎉🎉🎉🥳🥳🥳. This story, it's writing and characters are so absorbing and with such detailed scenarios that they just pop into your head instantly. The characters created, from our main hero to one of the princess's ladies in waiting, are so distinct and unique that you can recollect them even if they only appeared in a single chapter. There are so many characters that are either morally grey, down right evil or just too good to a fault. This story really invokes you too feel grief, joy, vexation, calmness, fury and heartache for the cast in any situation that they are in. I know I've said it before but I have to repeat myself, this is a gripping and enthralling tale. The wait for the next series is going to have me on edge, especially to wait and see what steps Lady Lannister will take next. Now, I was wondering if I could share a perspective I have on one of your stories themes, if that wouls be alright with your?. ( PLEASE BE WARNED: this post is going to be an extremely long rant and may contain some spoilers of the last few chapters😋. You've been warned 😆😁)

🗡️🌹🥀🐲🖤💚♥️🗡️🌹🥀🐲🖤💚♥️🗡️🌹🥀

In your response to one of my earlier questions to you, I recall you mentioning that one of the main themes to your book is how our wreckless actions and decisions have serious consequences on our lives, as well as on the lives of those around us. In the beginning, I could clearly see this with Aemond. He was careless with his approach to the rumours surrounding him and Lady Lannister, as well as how he handled Ellyn's abusive attitude towards our hero. Now as a result, he's as good as destroyed the only genuine friendship he's ever and will ever have. However, now that I've finished the first novel, I'm starting to see this theme arise in several other characters in the story: the Lady Tyshara, Lady Elinor and even in our hero, Lady Lannister.

🦁👸♥️💰⚜️🏵️🦁👸♥️💰⚜️🏵️🦁💰⚜️👸🏵️

Firstly, Tyshara. Her sole reason for her strong dislike to Lady Lannister is of her marrying Jason Lannister and becoming the new Lady of Casterly Rock. But in Tyshara's young 'naive' eyes, our hero was replacing her mother. With this vexatious reason, she justifies her decision to join and aid Cerilla and the Snake Lady Jenna 🐍 in orchestrating the trial to get Lady Lannister falsely convicted of murder. The consequences of this indefensible act not only affect our hero, who gets ostracised by the court and society, but Tyshara herself. She has entangled herself with the company of Cerilla and Jenna. After spending some time in their company, she starts to grasp that they do not truly value her or her aid. They soon cut her off and discard her solely to cover their tracks. Ironically, Tyshara's fate is similar to Lady L's tale. Another consequence of her actions of that she left Eowyn in Jenna's clutches.

✨⚜️🌹☀️✨☀️🌹⚜️✨🌹⚜️☀️✨🌹⚜️☀️🌹

Next we have Lady Elinor. My heart truly breaks for this character as I found her to be very much the sole backbone and support for Lady Lannister when she was under suspicion in Kings Landing and when all had turn their backs to her. She was the sole person to boldly call out Ellyn for her disrespectful and shameful behaviour on the day of Lady Lannister's nuptials. While noble and satisfying to see, this was a very thoughtless action on Elinor's part. The consequences were dire as I feel that it gave Ellyn an opportunity to not only physically punish Elinor but to emotionally punish and torture Lady Lannister. Elinor's actions led to Lady Lannister losing the only family like member she has at a time where she needed support and kindness. But all it did was cause our hero to lose another supporter and leaving her more isolated than before.

🌹🥀🗡️🖤♥️🥀🗡️🖤♥️🌹🥀🗡️🌹♥️🖤🌹🥀

Finally, the next character who I believe displays this theme is non other than our hero, Lady Y/N Lannister. From start to finish, Lady Lannister's tale is tragic, with all her ill-fortunes and fate being the result of the actions and schemes of those around her. From Aemond and Ellyn to Cerilla and the 'Weed' Lady Jenna. Yet, after completing the story, I can't help but recognise that there were a few incidences where Lady Lannister had a hand in her own down fall as a result of the decisions and actions she made. The first incidence I took note of was her close encounters with Jacerion. It's understandable that Lady L would faintly fall for Jacerion as he was one of the very few people who still cared for our hero in Kings Landing. But their close encounters, their conversations behind closed doors at Harrenhall and High Garden, were enough to draw suspicion or grab people's attention. Especially for Lady L who was the subject and main receiver of the consequences of the previous rumour regarding her as Aemond's lover. Next are her encounters with the Mad Stag Princess Ellyn. Over the course of the book, Lady Lannister has had to put up with Ellyn's abuse but there were times when she spoke back in retaliation. These were when she regarded Ellyn being infertile or when our hero boldly professed how she can easily poison Ellyn to render her infertile. Unfortunately, these bold declarations were what cost our hero her freedom. While I understand our hero's anger, Lady Lannister was still a status lower than Ellyn who was a princess. And so there would be serious repercussions for these words. And even though she was unaware of their schemes at the time, Jenna and Cerilla happily used these statements as well as our heros encounters with Ellyn and Jacerion as hard evidence to convict her of her charges. I would also like to include that I found our hero was recklessness with the letters she was sending to Jacerion, especially with Cerilla being one of the few asked to "send" them. For any woman of her status in that era, whatever Lady Lannister wrote down could have been passed to someone else or interpreted differently. Our hero's rash and injudicious decisions and actions not only cost her her name, dignity and freedom, but it also cost her her little boy. Sadly, I felt that Lady L virtually provided her enemies with the perfect tools to destroy her life 😢😞😢.

🌹🗡️🥀🗡️🌹🗡️🌹🥀🗡️🥀🌹🗡️🥀🌹🥀🗡️🌹

Phew, finished😅. I'm sorry if it's such a long rant but I just had to ask and get your opinion on this, if your ever get the chance. I hope this is an interesting read. I want to say congratulations again on completing your story "Loyalty" and for putting it out there to read. Looking forward to your reply.

🌹⚔️"JUSTICE FOR LADY LANNISTER AND LORD EOWYN AND DOWN WITH JENNA😁🗡️🌹

Hi! Good to see you in my inbox again!😁😊

The theme of self destruction is, as you said, highly prevalent through the story. We see it in Aemond's destructive behavior and in the reader. The readers inability to take control and follow others through unbending loyalty to people who do not have her best interest at heart. The reader does not always think before she acts when angry. Tyshara is another prominent example. She acted with hate through her anger at the reader and in the end she looses her brother. Book two will showcase the readers destructive tendencies. What can I say, I love my messy female characters. 😁

Tyshara is a younger example of the reader. Jenna preys on young girls who do not have anyone else. There is no coincidence that the two girls (reader and Tyshara) had no parents who could protect them. Jenna sets herself up as the one who makes commands. Their tale ends the same, both getting spat out when their purpose is served.😔

Elinor's story is sad indeed. Her desire to support the reader cost Y/n much needed moral support. (Sorry this bit is short, you summed up her story very well.)

Your description of Jenna as a weed is very apt. Actually got a chuckle out of that, maybe it should be her new symbol lol. Sadly the reader gave her enemies just the evidence needed to convict her. Although she could not have seen what the future would bring, many of her actions were reckless. Another aspect is her loyalty, which does the reader more ill than good. She puts herself in danger with blind loyalty. the readers journey will have her confront who, or what, she should be loyal to. Otherwise she is lost.

Thank you for the long rant, I enjoyed reading it.💕

[thehumanrelation]

daily thought :

Why do men seem to place more value on sexual intimacy rather than other parts of their relationships? And why must women struggle with the consequences of their mentality?

Simply put, I believe men struggle to achieve the closeness in emotional intimacy that women can achieve. What got me thinking about this is I started talking to a man who seemed nice and pleasant. We had a normal conversation briefly, however about two sentences in he began trying to discuss sexual interactions with me. It led me to wonder if men are constantly thinking about physical aspects of relationships rather than emotional ones. I am not discussing every man when I say this, however I am discussing most. Women form deeper and strong relationships and friendships. Men seem to struggle in this aspect as I’ve seen male friendships that have been around for over a decade that seem to barely scratch the surface of knowing someone’s humanity. When women love, they love deeply. They dig and search for the inner most part of you. They desire emotional intimacy and understanding with another. Men aren’t incapable of this, but it’s more difficult for most. Why can men not hold a simple conversation without thinking sexually? Why is my humanity not enough to please them? Must I show a sexual side to my being to become enough? Must my identity be overshadowed by my sensuality? Why must society view me as invalid if I am not what is desired of me? These are questions you may find yourself asking about your identity. Please don’t interpret this as me saying women can’t be sexual beings, I am merely saying that they are often greatly emotionally complex with their sensuality. For if my body is a temple, why is it so blasphemous? Why do I defy this world’s god with a body molded with his own two hands? I have no answer for the questions as it consists of content beyond myself. Just know that you are worthy of love despite the people which imply that the only thing worthy is your body. The soul shall always be greater than its vessel.