#esp if utilities are included

[snuffalufagus]

anyways saw a place for rent for less than 2k it was like 1.8 smth n my hope in life got restored a bit after the utterly disappointing visa discoveries

[milfygerard]

Where did you get four months? They were very much together at the Grammys right before her tour started.

Not Physically! And not seen at a party with her! If you look a the pr removed timeline (multiple breakup/falling apart songs recorded for and then cut from/bonus tracked for midnights esp YLM hits different and dear reader, the lover house packed up/burning imagery in the visuals that likely took at least over a month if not more time to create considering the complexity of the tour, the end of the Lavender Haze and Bejeweled MVs implying a breakup as well as the Karma vid that was likely filmed pre-tour around jan-feb which includes a visual reference to the breakup, the fact songs from TTPD was being worked on before midnights was even released) It's far more likely they broke up at an unconfirmed time likely before or around the release of Midnights, possibly earlier considering how private they were as a couple.

I also want to note that if this is the case, i am not at all begrudging taylor for this. I fully think that keeping the breakup under wraps until the eras tour was about a month in progress, allowing for the tour (and midnights as an album) to stand separate from personal strife or potential PR drama, as well as giving her time to grieve and at least start to recover. I'm not always a fan of her PR and her death grip on the narrative but in this case it was necessary for her to not just for her sanity's sake but also for her art and her career. PR work and creating relationship narratives is just another part of her job and her art, it doesnt make her "fake" or anything it just makes her an image conscious celebrity which she has always been.

Unless Taylor or some reliable source close to the situation releases a tell all with exact names and dates, we'll likely never know, but I think its important to take Taylor at her word that she is artistically a narrative builder and professionally a shrewd marketer, and that her public persona and its story is as much apart of that as her writing and songs.

[genericpuff]

Hey, so I really love Lore Rekindled, and the art is one of my favorite parts! The style, the coloring, the background, all of it is just so… smooth! I don’t really know how to describe it. Recently, I’ve been trying to replicate it, and I was hoping you would give me a few pointers. What brushes do you use for line art? How do you decided what to line, and what to leave blank? What about coloring brushes? Do you use smudge brushes? Whats, like, the step by step process? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to! But any tips or answers would be great!

Ah thanks so much!!!

Here are the brushes! They're .abr brushes, so they should work in Photoshop, Clip Studio and Procreate :) (they don't work in Krita or other software that utilizes PNG brushes though, sorry ; ; )

There's also a tutorial included with that file that breaks down my process layer by layer! That said, there are a couple things that have changed in my process since doing that tutorial:

I mostly use the Hard Square Pastel brush now for all of that 'crispy' lighting that often happens along the edges of characters' shoulders and heads, such as seen here:

I now do an extra step of applying a 'blur' layer, where I essentially merge all the layers into a new layer on top of everything, set it to Overlay, and then Gaussian Blur by about 60%. This is how I get that 'dreamy' look that's been present in a lot of the more recent episodes!

It's subtle, but really effective in making the glow effects and deeper colors really pop!

As for the more nuanced stuff like lineart, it's kinda just something I do by feel! Sometimes I'll shade something in and realize the lineart doesn't need to be there, so then I'll go in and erase, other times I have to be a bit more excessive with it esp if two similar colors are up against each other. I'm actually trying to use less lineart going forward to get more of that authentic LO look but it's hard, I'm very used to doing lineart-heavy drawings so it's forcing me to draw in a way that I'm not used to! 😆 I usually always start with flat colors first though, meaning I start by 'shaping' out the character poses and then lining them in afterwards!

You can see an example of this process in my END OF PERSEPHONE time lapse here:

I also usually stream work sessions of Rekindled over on my Twitch, but I'm currently on hiatus from streaming due to technical difficulties (OBS just... decided it was gonna stop working, sigh). Go give it a follow anyways tho so you can be notified when I start streaming again! I'm thinking in the meantime until I can get my Twitch going again I might start doing some screen sharing sessions in Discord. So keep your eyes peeled for that if you ever wanna catch me working! I'm always happy to talk about and demystify the process <3

[drowsyr]

top ten stobin halloween costumes:

10. barbie and ken. well actually ken and ken bc there was some miscommunication over who was going as who (steve figured robin was going as barbie bc Girl and robin just wanted to go as ken and figured it would be a better costume if they swapped dolls and then did not communicate this to steve) however nobody knew who they were supposed to be bc there was no iconic ken outfit at the time

9. garfield and odie. just made up of dog/cat ear headbands, yellow/orange shirts, and new name tags on their family video vest. lazy perhaps

8. jonathan + argyle. universally panned by the party bc neither of them had long enough hair to effectively be argyle. esp bc robin went as argyle and had just recently gotten a buzzcut in a panic the week before and the funky patterned pants and button up combo artfully curated at the salvation army could not compensate. however steve’s costume included constant comments abt the smiths, the who, the clash etc which did go over especially well with nancy and argyle

7. marty mcfly. steve tried to convince robin to be the love interest from the movie but only got as far as saying love interest before robin interrupted and asked if he even knew her name (he didn’t and neither did she) and said her dad already had the vest so she should get to be marty mcfly!! at which point steve was like ugh fine. and thought about admitting that he could ask dustin for a lab coat to borrow or ask max to steal one from the science lab but didn’t bc he couldn’t stand the thought of wrecking his hair to look like doc brown. so they just ended up both going as marty mcfly. dustin was doc brown

6. luke and han solo. actually accidental they independently showed up to a party while having a minor fight and realized they were still in matching costumes. drunkenly cried in the upstairs bathroom and made up. this was pre robin’s haircut and was one of the Incidents she gave as evidence for why she needed to cut her hair

5. batman and robin. robin was able to successfully bully steve into being robin. done before robin-with-pants became recognizable so they settled on green-dyed denim shorts (a lovely contribution from the goodwill). robin strangerthings had a fully decked out utility belt lovingly rendered in cardboard and acrylic paint by will with oversight from max. max herself has gone as batman as well (and wonder woman obviously) and used the same utility belt.

4. luke and leia. only successfully coordinated movie costume. this was post robin’s haircut so she went as luke and steve went as leia. obviously went as the classic versions to match even more.

3. their dnd characters as portrayed in an epic six week campaign run by erica sinclair the summer of 1987. caused chaos in the party who had not known about said campaign at the time of it being played and were only slightly devastated by the fact that they hadn’t been informed. only erica and dustin knew who they were dressed as but erica was thrilled :)

2. butterfly + caterpillar. robin dated an art/sculpture student while in college who was really into papier mache. she made them overly elaborate costumes to model for a final project + and they took them back from her dorm after the brutal breakup brought on by a disagreement over joan jett. steve was the butterfly and robin was the caterpillar. they were theeee most inconvenient costumes to wear to a party but they got a lot of compliments and it was a great story to tell people

1. each other obviously. repeated at least four(/“five”. it’s disputed) times, including twice in one year when they were trying to hit as many costume parties as possible in one week. they still argue that the year where halloween was just on a tuesday and they swapped name tags for their shift totally counts. this is not one of the four times.

[doyouevenshipbr0]

u know what. im in the mood to piss ppl off. heres my ranking of the 10 strongest waterbenders in atla and lok (not including avatars, and im not including anything from kiyoshi or yangchen’s era. i havent read those hehe. sowwy. strictly going off the shows).

now im doing this bc waterbending is by FAR my fav form of bending. and in MY OPINION!!!!!,,, people overlook some pretty important facts and feats and decide based more on who their favs are. this is my opinion anyways so im sure i inevitably did that too! but anyways. here we go.

10 strongest waterbenders:

honorable mentions: kya- listen. she is my GIRL. and also she is very strong, but at the end of the day, shes a healer. she has very little combat experience, and she was up against some real monsters in tlok. and shes known to be a great healer, but we dont even see that much of that. for this reason, she cant be top 10:/. eska and desna- they are GOOD. and their synchronized waterbending is super interesting. unfortunately i just kinda think everyone else in the top 10 is stronger. and i feel like the reason they are so strong is because they’re a unit. if they were separated, i have doubts.

10. tonraq- right off the bat im wondering if im going off biases LOL. but i love him. i love his style of bending. he is arguably my fav waterbender to watch waterbend. but unfortunately, in most of his fights, he’s kindaaaa getting worked (im on s2 of lok rewatch now. so i may be forgetting some stuff. but the big fights that stick out for me are him vs unalaq where he gets worked and him vs zaheer and korra where again, he gets kinda worked.) very clearly strong, but does not have all that much to show for it in the show. but he fights with all the big shots for a reason, and he led the water tribe army or something like that. so. hes good.

9. huu- i honestly don’t remember a whole lot of him, but swamp style of water bending is super interesting, and he clearly does it the best. i know we dont see a whole lot of him, but i cant overlook that he is THEE swamp bender.

8. pakku- obv. hes a member of the white lotus and was the master waterbender of the northern tribe. a slayer for his time but i do think he is outclassed by most waterbenders we see in tlok. cannot deny his strength tho. he was the goat at one time for a reason!

7. hama- as far as we know, she is the first blood bender. aka the strongest aspect of waterbending. she is a LEGEND. but again, i think she was a master for her time, but would have trouble holding her own in modern day bending esp without a fully moon.

6. ming hua- the way she uses waterbending as an extension of herself is clearly masterful. and i feel like we never see anyone utilize waterbending anything like how she does. unfortunately, she cant be any higher bc we dont see any extraordinary sub-water feats (healing… i think???? don’t remember lol. bloodbending, spirit healing). but clearly, she was an insane threat to everyone around her.

5. unalaq- so like. MAYBE he should be 4, but i really hate him lol. but i cannot deny he is an EXCEPTIONAL waterbender and pretty much no other waterbender (that we see in s2) can even TOUCH him. hes got the spirit healing, and hes got the skill. somethin somethin vaatu vaatu. idk. i hate him and i dont rly like this season lol. moving on.

4. katara- ok. she was the best in atla. no ifs and or buts. HOWEVER. she gets outclassed in lok and i think we know why. BUT. she was a complete prodigy as soon as she started training with pakku. there was no extension of waterbending that she could not do. she clearly thrived learning waterbending how she did, in such a fast paced, high pressure, and high stakes situation, and thats not even HER PRIME! she was waterbending for under a year when we see her. and we still got the greatest waterbender of that time. there was no one like her, and no waterbender could hold a candle to her by the end of atla. and once again, was only 14. only waterbending for a year. whos doing it like my sis?!

3. tarrlok- unfortunately for katara, the bloodbending family, without a doubt, outdoes her. bloodbending without a full moon? done and done. sorry! i believe katara COULD bloodbend outside of a full moon given the extensive training tarrlok and noatak were given but unfortunately, we will never know, so i cannot in good conscience put her any higher than 4. tarrlok was a master waterbender in itself and pretty much a master blood bender.

2. yakone- he bloodbent. a whole courtroom. with his mind. we dont see anything else from him, and we really dont need to. sorry. it is what it is.

1. amon- he bloodbends with his mind. and learned to take away someone’s bending ability with blood bending. katara, the best healer in the world, could not restore korras bending. granted, she was probably going about it wrong, but the point is, she couldnt do it. taking away someones bending with bloodbending just takes the cake. that aside, even in a combat setting, when he wasnt even trying he was wooping on all other benders of all kinds bc he was controling their movements w his mind. imagine him openly using waterbending AND having his mind control technique?! he would be unstoppable. im ngl i dont love how lok handles waterbending/bloodbending in general. i kinda think they made it TOO strong with little reasoning). also we do see him do an awesome lil water tornado at the end. so. not that we needed that, but its a cute lil cherry on top to his waterbending. hes the strongest waterbender. sorry!

want to finish this by saying had katara learnt to bloodbend outside of a full moon, she would be number one. and i do believe she could have learned. but she didnt. so she cant be first.

[cherubofthenight]

nurturing my natural self (part 1 & 2)

Disclaimer: I made this, like all my other posts, for myself, but if you are reading this, I'm not a doctor, and this is basic researched knowledge. If you realize that you need help, please seek a doctor!

True beauty starts from within, and it shows on the outside

Signs your body need attention:

Acne, BO, dry skin, bad breath, excessively oily skin, brittle hair, bloating & rashes are signs that your body needs attention from the inside. Instead of masking these issues, work to improve your diet, hydration, and fitness levels. When your internal health improves, it will reflect outwardly in your appearance.

- regular doctor, dental & gyno visits: crucial for maintaining overall health

- hydration: aim for 8-10 glasses of water a day to flush toxins, support digestion, hydrate skin & overall health

- Balanced diet: Focus on whole foods (chicken, fish, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds), healthy fats (walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, avocados), and fiber (oats, beans, lentils). Reduce processed foods, particularly sugar and fried items, which can lead to inflammation.

- Regular Exercise: helps reduce stress and improve circulation, digestion, and overall energy. Exercise helps detoxify the body through sweat and supports glowing skin.

- mindfulness: hormonal balance, skin health, and digestion

- Adequate sleep: Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep each night to allow your body time to recover, heal, and regulate hormones.

- Gut health: incorporate probiotics through foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kombucha to balance gut bacteria. digestive enzyme supplements or eating enzyme-rich foods like pineapple and papaya to support better digestion

- Detox & Cleanse: support liver health by including leafy greens, lemon water, and green tea in your diet. A healthy liver helps clear skin and prevent body odor. Reduce toxins by limiting caffeine, alcohol, and smoking, which can lead to dehydration, dull skin, and bad breath.

Strengthening Your Body and Your Confidence

If you’re not happy with your body, don’t just try to cover it up or pretend it doesn’t bother you—focus on making changes. This boosts the way you look and the way you feel. When you put in the effort to improve your natural self, you'll naturally attract people who appreciate that same commitment to self-care.

- Calisthenics: comes from the Greek words ‘Kalos’ meaning beauty and ‘Stenos’ which translates as strength. utilizes body weight to build strength, flexibility, and endurance with little to no equipment. It includes exercises like squats, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and planks.

- Yoga: ancient indian practice that connects the body, breath, and mind through physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation. Yoga improves overall health, increases flexibility, and maintains a balanced metabolism, helping to prevent injuries. ps: esp good for my scoliosis.

- Pilates: low-impact exercise method focused on core strength, flexibility, and overall body awareness. developed by Joseph Pilates, it emphasizes controlled movements, proper alignment, and breathing techniques. pilates exercises can be done on a mat or with specialized equipment like the Reformer and are often recommended for injury rehabilitation and enhancing athletic performance.

Listen to your body:

If you feel pain during an exercise, stop doing the movement. It’s important to only work within your physical limits to prevent further injury. - healthine

SEE PART 2 FOR MORE

masterlist

[tau1tvec]

Hello, hope you're doing well!

I don't really know where else to ask this, so sorry if this is annoying. I have seen your beautiful TS3 posts and It's making the craving I've had to play it for months even stronger lol

The problem is, no matter what I do I can't seem to get it to run without major lag/stuttering. I have a fairly decent computer with 16gb of RAM, and have followed all the steps I've seen on forums (Nrass mods and MCcc for cleaning up a save, lazyduchess' smooth patch etc.) and no matter what, it stutters. Sims 3 was my first sims game, so I know the usual amount of lag to have and what it's doing now isn't the usual normal amount; I can tell for some reason it's struggling to run smoothly and at the point it's at it's unplayable :(

Do you have any more tips that I could possibly do to get it to run? I feel so nostalgic for it :'(

Having a good amount of computer memory helps for sure, but the biggest help when it comes to games and smooth performance is your GPU memory, and the type of drive you’ve got the game installed on.

For The Sims 3 I think the minimum spec used to be 2gb, but I like to think these days 4gb-6gb GPU would be a better soft entry for it, esp if you plan to play with all packs, CC, and possibly an HQ mod. For storing the games files, I highly recommend installing it on an SSD ( Solid State Drive ), it’ll load things like objects and textures a lot quicker ( so long as it isn’t CC ), and you’ll get less pop ins, and waiting for stuff to render properly.

Now if you’ve got everything above, and are still getting lag without CC. Make sure the game recognizes your card, if this hasn’t been done the game isn’t properly using it. It would’ve been a step included in that one Steam Community tutorial I linked. The other thing is, esp if you’ve got a more powerful GPU, is to force fps ( frames per second ) to cap at 60 fps. This is so crucial bc The Sims 3 doesn’t have Vsync, it’s old as hell, if you’re running a brand new card, you’ll be pushing astronomical frame rates which is risky, and you’ll need to cap this through your GPU’s settings app, but doing it will save your GPU a lotta stress, and also stabilize The Sims 3’s performance, or any game for that matter.

Now if you’ve got everything above, and are still getting lag with CC. Especially if you’ve got a lot of it, there are ways to mitigate this. Try looking up tutorials on how to merge CC, and then to minimize load times, try using programs like Bulk Rename Utility to remove any spaces and special characters in CC file names. You want less than 100 files in your entire CC/mods folder, merging will help achieve this if you’ve got a lot of CC. I’ve got almost 30gb of CC, and my game takes like a minute and a half to load to menu.

Lastly just be sure your settings are set for your rig specifically, and honestly, even if your PC is powerful, things like high detail trees, and super water isn’t necessary, those settings will look fine ticked down a bit.

[puella-1n-somn10]

Thought: The name of Mallow's late mother is 'Aina.

I am a little busy w/ exams rn to fully articulate it, but the name of Mallow's family restaurant is literally called "'Aina's kitchen", and, of course, nobody from the family that we know of happens to have that name, save for her deceased mom who was left nameless. I know that Bulbapedia stated that it is Hawaiian for "meal", but not only do I really not trust that site for when it comes to the SM anime especially, but 'Aina happens to actually be a name that exists in several other cultures irl including Hawaiian.

Laying them out as a sort of quick example- in Japan, the name comes from a combination of "love" and "greens/vegetables", while in Scandinavia it simply means "forever/eternal". It is also an uncommon name in the Arabic language, as well- coming from the word "'Ain", meaning "Eye".

Hell, I'm going to have to drag Bulbapedia by their ears for this one, because, in the Hawaiian language, 'Aina means "the land that which feeds/provides"; symbolizing Mallow's affinity for the grass type and the whole reason why she and the rest of her family keep its operations going- to provide delicious meals for the people. It's all about the symbolism, ba-bey! (And this shit only took me one Google search...)

Now, I know the name might not refer to anyone specifically - as is the case with many restaurants irl -, and Mallow's mom is far from the only unnamed character present within the anime- but you can't tell me that a character that integral to the plot and Mallow's development as a character remained unnamed throughout the entirety of anime's development cycle! Perhaps she was given a name amidst the writers, perhaps she wasn't- and I'd be stumped if the latter case ended up ringing true because of said contributions to the plot and the implications of her reincarnating into Mallow's shaymin.

On top of that, we did see an unnamed character being given a name later down the line- 'Anela, who was simply dubbed as either "old lady" or "shop lady" in the captions depending on the episode. So, who knows? Perhaps if the writers weren't so worried over trying to catch up to the events of USUM, maybe we would have seen all these story elements that were presented to us be finally utilized within the overarching plot, and I guess some of these lesser-appreciated characters would have been given the spotlight and identities for themselves if that wasn't the case- but now is not the time to mope over missed opportunities, esp with how well the anime has wrapped everything up and sent us off on our journey with Ash and Goh on a high note.

Pour one out for Lana's and Sophocles' parents; I remain bitter over the latter especially because of how many times they popped up in the story and they STILL didn't receive their own names!

[ramenheim]

About prev reblogs: I have never seen TME used to complain about & demarcate cis men's behaviours.

Despite the term ostensibly lumping together *almost any gender configuration that isn't binarily trans woman*, the only times it's used recently is to complain about (trans) ppl that get lumped in with cis women (as intersex ppl trans or otherwise are *never* factored into this dichotomy anyways), including cis women themselves.

I have never once seen it used to delineate trans women from cis men, even as it gets used to delineate cis women's experiences from trans women's experiences. I have only seen /haphazard/ acknowledgement of non-binary experiences included in TMA, but only really as an afterthought or when it's framed as the precursor to 'fully realizing trans womanhood'. I've only seen intersex folks brought up if they elect to use the terms TME/TMA for themselves, with bizarro interrogations into 'how' they were raised/had their genitals 'corrected' only once they individually disagreed with the terminology or had a confounding opinion in a public discussion.

It is regularly used to delineate trans men from trans women; but its users almost uniformly deride any attempt by trans men to coin a term to describe their own unique combinatory transphobia that isn't TME; again despite TME literally just supposing to mean 'transmisogyny-exempt'.... so why would it be used to discuss trans men's *unique* experiences with hatred directed at the fact that they either "are/aren't (real) men" by anyone who wants them to suffer?

It's been *changed* into hastily recycled AGAB terminology bc of wider recognition of the flaws with /that/ but without the driving flaws of that **tool for analysis** ever being fully addressed; and therefore has gotten subsumed into the 'new euphemism' for the Innie vs Outie false dichotomy as its usage became more widespread.

I think it still is a useful discussion tool ONLY when it's viewed *as a tool* and not some inherent marker of identity. It is DEFINITELY just bigotry when used as a NOUN that has negative behaviours ascribed to it, esp in the context of complaining about trans men** as a whole homogenized group, instead of highlighting individual behaviours/belief systems for the harm they contribute to against TMA trans/nb ppl.

Young queers really need to stop swallowing the tradcath radfem juice of "Women Pure + Good & Men Bad + Evil" [**that tumblr feminism has always had a problem with] and acting like you aren't being a transphobic shitheel by adding the word Trans in front of it-- & This is ESPECIALLY a problem when non-trans "Allies" do this, as it sets up trans women for failure whenever they make a mistake/can be reframed as 'being a cause-traitor' since women are punished more harshly for any percieved failure of Righteousness, AND allows them further to enact their unbridled transphobia onto trans men (& enbys/genderqweirdos) and pass it off as 'being an ally to trans women'..... despite them just being extremely transphobic (+ misogynistic + homphobic + intersexist) & then hiding behind """"TMAs"""" as a negative PR meatshield.

TL;DR if you are using TME to mean (nc)AFAB in vent posts, just have the guts to fucking use that as the word & see how it reads then.

(**since transmasc & transfem do not imply either a 'starting' or 'finalized' gender state; they are personal adjectives in and of themselves. Please do not warp them into new innie vs outie binary divides).

[**see related: the raw ass treatment of 'AMAB enbys' on here and in similar online/irl "feminist" environments. (Which was one of the driving factors behind the original TMA/TME coinage & is where I still find useful inter-trans discussions utilizing it as a term; importantly I don't think the term should stop being used altogether!!)]

[qfitpac]

Tips for sharing your ao3 fanfic with the world

Part 1: ao3 mechanics

So you wrote a fanfic. Or made some fanart. And you want to post it on Ao3 and you want people to see it and read it, and maybe kudos/comment, and maybe even read your other stuff too. What do you do?

(This is kinda qsmp specific but can be applied to any fandom if you want. This is specifically to explain what Ive found to be the best ways to share your fic with people, so no info on archive warnings, ao3 rules/guidelines, etc)

Let's assume you're starting from 0. No subscriptions, you don't have fandom friends to boost ur numbers, nil. There are 3 main ways that someone will see your fic: in tags, on your user page, and linked on another website.

Tags

Tags are essential but it is possible to both under and over utilize them and both can affect your reach. People tend to avoid fics with 100 tags that take up their entire screen, or fics that have like 2 tags where they don't know what's going to happen in there.

Popular tags get more traffic but people tend to be more picky: when you're looking in a tag with 15 fics, you may as well read them all even if it doesn't sound like exactly your thing. In a tag with 1500, you're a lot less likely to give every new fic a chance. If you only tag with fandom, character, and pairings, people may skip over since they don't know what they're getting into. That's why more specific tags are important.

If you have too many tags, such that they take up an entire phone screen or more, that may be a turnoff to some people. If you don't know where to start, choose your tags like this:

Fandom

Main characters (I go by "do they have more than one speaking role)

Main pairings (if a ship is mentioned in the background like once, I tend to not tag it)

Tone/genre (angst, fluff, smut, crack, etc)

Situation (café au, canon compliant, fix it fic, prison, pwp, etc)

Maybe a funny custom tag (eg "don't ask me how they got in prison ok just go with it")

Now when people are searching through bigger tags they can find yours more easily: in the qsmp tag, an angsty prison fic, with fitpac as the main pairing. That narrows it down a lot more than just using general tags.

Although ao3 does include people's real names in their character tags, it doesn't have to be this way. When entering a character or relationship tag, write it out the way you prefer and hit enter. It will still (eventually (ty tag wranglers)) be included in that main character tag, but it will not be displayed with their full name. I usually do something like FitMC (QSMP). Note that capitalization depends on the very first person to use that exact tag. If typing FitMC changes to fitmc every time you post, that's why. This same principle works for relationship tags as well.

User page:

The second way ppl might find your fics is via your user page.

A quick authors note at the end of your fic like "don't forget to check out my other works!" (and maybe even a link to one) can help you share your Fics with more people.

"But lev!" I hear you cry. "This is my first fic! Why would anyone visit my user page at all?"

Well, although ao3 is not specifically a social media, there is one place where users interact: comment sections.

"Uh, lev, I'm not going to go self promote in other people's fics?" I hear you say. Well first of all, thank GOD, and second of all, you don't have to.

When you're reading, esp in the fandom you write for, leave comments! Compliment people, give second kudos, point out lines you love and moments that move you. Fandom is a community and by participating positively in that community, the more likely people will engage positively with you in return. I've found some great authors just by looking in the comments on my own fics.

Linked on other websites:

The third main way ppl might find your fic is via links on other websites. As much as it is disrespectful to self promote in other people's spaces, don't let those feelings follow you to your own space. Your own account or blog is the PERFECT place to self promote. Post a link to your fic! Post MANY links to your fic! (over time, perhaps) Tag for qsmp fic, fic recs, pairing, and characters. You can also use a personal tag (mine is #levlies fic)

People might just scroll by a link, so make sure to add something to let people know that oh, this might be something they'd like to read. A short excerpt, a tag list, or a summary can all be good options although if it's getting to be long, consider paring down or adding a readmore.

If you're part of fandom discords that have a channel for fanfic or for self promo, don't hesitate to send a link there as well.

If you keep promoting your fics, people who like your fics will be more likely to stick around to see when new updates are posted. You can even make some friends!

*****

Part 2 will be about summaries and authors notes. Part 3 will be about comments. I'll edit this later to link them (or follow me 😶)

[metamatar]

I'm actually curious about what you think about 'space colonization.' I don't think much of it, bec A) we haven't even settled Antarctica yet, how will we settle Mars? B) unless you are imbibed with the spirit of malthus himself, what utility does living horrid lives on mars hold for anyone?

Usually this discussion is super annoying to have with people, especially space nerds. They start frothing at the mouth and the whole affair becomes very off-putting.

There's two questions in this, one is about what the term colonization invokes and what space colonization really means when rhetoric hinges on that, esp on notions of justice. I used to not think much of this in the past, bc aliens are not real yet for the impact of colonization on subject populations that is most relevant to real world colonization discussion to come in play. But the critique is imo able to draw out interesting things. Including impacts on humans. This is useful (stuff about curiosity and the moon missile are still iffy to me, see notes for why.)

The second question is, should we devote resources to help humans start living off earth? Other people have written more eloquently abt the way the extremely high risk pipe dream for the benefit of the few being sold by Musk et al is presented in direct obstruction of attempts to fix climate change. Really dangerous distraction when presented as a meaningful alternative to climate mitigation. So, um most future astronaut missions are a waste of people's time. Asteroids and pandemics and aliens and all the other thought experiments that suggest urgent intervention to colonise Maars will always need us to address that most people live on Earth.

Now rambling below.

Tbh I'm skeptical of space exploration itself, forget colonisation, when people sell it as AMAZING FOR ALL RESEARCH FOREVER in general bc most of the useful material science stuff we got out of it you could have got if you just gave material scientists money? Nobody really wanted to give material scientists money before they could put a flag on the moon with it. So yeah, I completely understand the sentiments of the anti space exploration crowd bc of the long role NASA, SSSR/Roscosmos have played in functioning as the prettier face of Defence Budgets. Rocket science is barely science, it is engineering.

Should space exploration be abandoned because it serves little use to human wellbeing in the same way as a new generic antibiotic that bacteria can't resist? No. It may serve some use, and plenty of people derive use from the joy of abstract mathematics and poetry and other things that are not saving the world as well as antibiotics. I don't think its inseparable from the military industrial complex, but for now its so wrapped up in it that I don't see much point in being mad at the minority of people who hate space exploration and think we should not do any of it till we fix the world. I am an engineer who finds kerbal space program fun and dog-eared my biography of kalpana chawla obsessively. So I am not a very fair observer, etc.

[notveryfish]

Hey! Whats your process with your art studies? What do you tend to look for when doing them , how do you utilize the reference? Stuff like that… basically how are you improving? just wondering bc i’m at a standstill with my art right now but can never seem to get any use out of references….. and you seem to look like you know what youre doing haha

hello ! in terms of my figure studies, it's partly to expand my muscle memory with drawing&understanding forms, especially arms and legs at different poses & angles, this is helped by shading aswell bc limbs r really irregular its a pain. i also try to break the reference down into a 'skeleton'(?) to practise constructing poses, right after doing figure drawings i usually try to draw some fullbodies from imagination, to exercise what ive learned. my proportions are off a lot too so im trying to improve that lol

reference sites that i use include sketchdaily for timed drawing, i draw from life as well instead of only drawing from photos because theyre pretty different

while drawing under a time limit i try to exercise more line confidence although i often fail at that haha, but its very important for effective simplification, im inspired by emilyamiao 's life drawings because you can tell she really knows the structure of the human body and cloth forms even though she only uses a few continuous but accurate lines. all in all accuracy is key imo but retaining the 'life' of the reference is also essential

for faces i try to capture likeness while also stylising them a lot, the forms of the face are also really fun to shade, i recommend drawing an asaro head at different angles and then trying to draw someone's head over that. (i use an app called headmodelstudio for that, also referenceangle.com is great for peoples heads at different angles, wide variety in features!) you could try to paint the face, or map the planes, or simplify it to a line drawing, or study at different lighting environments...etc...the face is ur oyster

i dont do environments much (i need to) but in those cases i try to match colours without using the eyedropper and practise my painting,line of action has an environment study tool that looks cool

@mpekamitzii s sketchbook is a big inspo too! she does some really great creature stuff. for example u can see her process of understanding the anatomy of horses in this post, drawing in action from different angles, breaking them down to the skeleton and then applying that, also making notes on her observations its very cool

all in all studies are really a case of practise makes improvement so recently i've been trying to do some every week! it also helps to go out of your comfort zone, maybe do a landscape or go traditional, focus on one particular thing to study, esp if you feel stuck in a rut. the important thing is to take at least something away from doing them and apply that in your own art

[horizon-verizon]

If Rhaenyra wasn’t a Targaryen, people would have no problem calling her incompetent, stupid, paranoid, hating her for being spoiled, feminine and refined, and shipping Daemon with GNC Nettles, a dark-skinned, foul-mouthed, filthy, and clever bastard peasant girl who managed to tame a dragon and rode into battle (unlike Rhaenyra).

Rhaenyra was foolish and cruel when it came to her ruling decisions. Instead of sending Joffrey into the field, utilizing his young dragon’s quick speed for reconnaissance against the fled Hightower-Targaryens (or even sending Addam Velaryon to do so and leaving Joffrey as the rider in the Dragonpit), Rhaenyra instead planned a lavish induction ceremony to name him Prince of Dragonstone (using the city’s precious resources strained by war and winter for a party, exactly like Sansa in TWOW, and flaunting her obviously bastard son as the center of it). Instead of offering the Green lords, including the leaderless and ironborn-harried Lannisters, pardons to end the war, Rhaenyra openly awaited the day she could display the heads of the Green leaders as traitors, ensuring that the pro-Green lords would never surrender to her. Convinced that all her new dragonriders were determined to betray her Rhaenyra ordered the arrest of the loyal Addam Velaryon, heir and probable son of Corlys; the decision lost her not simply a dragon and dragonrider, but her most powerful lordly ally and Hand, half her army and her entire remaining naval force. Having concluded that Nettles and Daemon had become romantically involved, Rhaenyra ordered Lord Mooton to execute her while she and Daemon rested at Maidenpool, ordering her bannerman to murder a guest (in defiance of anciently and sacredly held guest right), an innocent (in defiance of the Father’s justice), and a young woman (in defiance of the rules of chivalry). It’s only half a joke to call Rhaenyra “Maegor with teats”; Maegor had fallen specifically because, through his cruelty and anti-Faith policies, he had lost the respect and fealty of lords and smallfolk alike, and Rhaenyra did the same.

Alicent did not force her to make these decisions. Neither did Aegon II. Rhaenyra was a dumb and a cruel woman on her own merits. Let’s hold her accountable and take responsibility of her actions. Unprepared to rule, convinced that her bloodline and her father’s decree alone were sufficient to ensure her rule would not be challenged, Rhaenyra failed to assert herself in the admittedly patriarchal society of Westeros. Vindictive to her enemies and foolish to her allies, Rhaenyra was simply a poor queen.

Anon responding to this post and those it links.

*EDIT (5/31/24): Rhaenyra suffers from really bad sexist writing on GRRM's, not just the maesters', part and it undermines his own point.* And no, she doesn't need to be necessarily "moral" like Dany to be a deserving ruler for what happens to her/her kids to be wrong. Don't let GRRM's bad pathologizing motherhood nor your own possible biases deter you from the seeing & valuing the point he's trying clumsily to make!

The point of her story was to highlight how no matter how good or evil or morally ambiguous a person you are, if you are female, you are subject to losing a power men are just granted. Or usurped. And this is inherently wrong. Rhaenyra chose to go to war rather than give up. This is valuable, and it is the point. Visenya was not thinking "for the realm" or for the benefit of smallfolk or outside of her family, yet she as so many fans bc she was not passive or restricted by "madness". She has less sexist writing.*

A)

1.

Guiding you to this post.

(But if you're able: POST #1, POST #2, POST #3, POST #4, POST #5, POST #6, POST #7, POST #8 – esp Section B, C, & D too)

2.

You: "Instead of sending Joffrey into the field, utilizing his young dragon’s quick speed for reconnaissance against the fled Hightower-Targaryens (or even sending Addam Velaryon to do so and leaving Joffrey as the rider in the Dragonpit), Rhaenyra instead planned a lavish induction ceremony to name him Prince of Dragonstone (using the city’s precious resources strained by war and winter for a party, exactly like Sansa in TWOW, and flaunting her obviously bastard son as the center of it)."

So Rhaenyra was "selfish and cruel" for NOT sending her single-digit-aged son out on a dangerous mission (even reconaissance can and have gone wrong) after his older brother Lucerys had already been killed on a diplomatic mission by his own blood purist, entitled uncle.....anon, I mean this respectfully--are you okay?

"or Addam Velaryon"

No matter the person on this reconnaissance mission, NO ONE KNOWS WHERE AEGON AND HIS KIDS WENT BESIDES THE HIDDEN LARYS!

They went in different directions and Larys specifically does this to divide Rhaenyra's riders/any lookers she sends and make it that much more difficult for her to be assured of her kids and her own safety from any incoming green invaders. To stretch her resources thinner than they already are, which include dragonriders. going after them on dragonback is more of a waste of time and opens her up more to already-mentioned invaders. Try again, let's see what you can come up with that is so much better than what she did already? (sending people after them assumedly on horseback but are not her actual prime defenders or children).

"flaunting her obviously bastard son"

And what would you have her do? Stow away her kid like a bad secret after years of treating him as if he was a person above being a possible bastard? Treating her own son humanely instead of how Alicent would treat any of Aegon and Aemond's bastard kids? Be like a Jaehaerys I 2.0 and abuse/neglect her own kids? Anon, plz, after I block you, stfu. And don't have children or babysit.

"Rhaenyra instead planned a lavish induction ceremony to name him Prince of Dragonstone (using the city’s precious resources strained by war and winter for a party"

Anon speaks of this [at the end] ("Rhaenyra Triumphant"):

**[12/7/23] And Aegon was building two massive GOLD statues of his dead brothers AFTER he killed Rhaenyra and went back to an even more impoverished KL. This is the same Aegon who made a party out of Luke's death when Aemond came back from Storm's End, has always been drunk (leader material?), SAd maids, raped a 12 yr old, ignored his duties in his contemplating his marriage to that Baratheon girl...**

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

No, as I already said, not all that wise--or really I will correct myself--altruistic. Nor does it reveal her to be the worst or deviant from her crop, so to speak. (Nor was it winter in the "south"/KL until Aegon III's first years of reign.) It is likely she:

felt that while there was no moneys from the royal coffers, she herself would still have money from her time at Dragonstone

Corlys might have been able to lend some money...Joffrey is still his grandson who he would have continued to be aligned with/use for his own ambitions as that's the whole reason why he allowed a Targaryen-Velaryon marriage b/t her and Laenor

there was still enough food and articles of clothing left behind in the castle's reserves for a party and show of power to solidify her and her sons' places to courtiers aka, the nobles both supporting her and those who might not...after all it is the nobles who have enabled her usurpation -> it's when she had to flee KL that she actually had to sell her crown and thus indicating some lack of private funds, not before

It's not as if she and her sons were poor as heck BEFORE she had to flee KL. Yes, she should have thought more about how the smallfolk viewed her as well, and to that, I'd also say to place any other person in her family in her position and they'd do the same. Alicent only wouldn't because she had already crowned Aegon. BUT WARS ARE EXPENSIVE, and after she runs out of her own private funds--even if she had just gave it up getting food for the KL commoners:

she would have the same problem as before after she gave her remaining private funds for food: no money to continue feeding them, esp with what I am about to say....

Aemond burned down one of the major suppliers of food in Westeros' "south" regions: the riverlands and esp their farmer's villages and fields....(so we are blaming rhaenyra for doing what many people would have done anyway, and for something her brother did that he didn't have to do? Sure, Rhaenyra is THE bad guy here)

the Tyrells remained neutral in the bulk of the war because their lord was a child (the Reach seems the number one supplier of grains, vegetables, and especially fruits) and the Hightowers were their "neighbors" who probably would have also tried to block their hypothetical efforts to send food and supplies to Rhaenyra in KL. Even if the Tyrells didn't declare neutrality and fought for her or tried to support her and tried to send food and supplies to her AND even demanded monetary compensation for some reason -- if Rhaenyra gave up her Dragonstone $ to feed the KLers, she'd have no way to pay the Tyrells declared for her and thus no way to feed the commoners. And whether or not the Tyrells demanded compensation, again, the Hightowers would go after them or try to block their wagons of food and supplies.

Do you think she wouldn't have a lavish coronation or investiture with all the ceremonies for Aegon if there was s full-on winter happening so as to take power from Rhaenyra? If not, you're joking yourself, because the whole point of her leaving Viserys' body to rot and pressing the council to name Aegon was to steal time from Rhaenyra and give Aegon the seeming legitimacy right to the throne. When Alicent had the opportunity, she flaunted Meleys' head in the streets of KL, causing several crowd members to try to flee for the gates in fear of retaliation:

This was also a display of dominance to legitimize Aegon's rule in the eyes of a certain public. It tipped the scales of public confidence in Aegon's ability to protect them against the greens, esp after Aegon almost died and was unable to perform his everyday--much less military--duties when he got his disabling burns, unable to get out of bed and having to let Aemond become his Prince Regent. There was an immediate effect proving my point.

Sure, Alicent had more money to expend, a possible surplus, that Rhaenyra did not but bc of those circumstances, she neither had the need to hold back on public displays. And in lieu of the usual highborn-aristocratic ignoring smallfolk needs, she neither had the intent nor concern for any smallfolk needs. If we want to talk about morals or ethics, she'd always prioritize her son's and factions' ambitions or maintenance of position over them...remember that she never performed any sort of noteworthy enough deed for the smallfolk for it to be even recorded in any text. And if we want to talk about strategy, well...she scared the commoners so much she had to lock the gates to prevent the hysteria and movement of bodies from getting to a point that could have gotten really out of hand. Of course, good that she got those gates closed, but displaying the dragon head knowing as if this would bring some the same sort of assurance to KLers as it probably did to her in the same ways and levels was not...wise so much as an aristocratic habit with negative consequences.

So again, why is Rhaenyra made to be the worst person of this bunch when she herself decides to quickly name her oldest remaining son her heir and publicly so, even more so because he is suspected as a bastard so she could give him a stronger claim.

3.

You: "Instead of offering the Green lords, including the leaderless and ironborn-harried Lannisters, pardons to end the war, Rhaenyra openly awaited the day she could display the heads of the Green leaders as traitors, ensuring that the pro-Green lords would never surrender to her."

**[5/31/24] This is what anon refers to ("Rhaenyra Triumphant"):

In this event, Rhaenyra is deliberating with her war council the next course of action for not the green supporters, but her brothers.

Corlys is the one who says they should pardon every single one, including Rhaenyra's brothers who both were offered terms of surrender and safety but both flouted them with Aemond killing her son and Aegon--2x--calling for her head and calling her a "whore". Reminvder, Aemond killed Lucerys and Aegon threw a feast for it BEFORE Blood & Cheese. Nah, they were never going to give up even before Aegon's son, Jaehaerys', death.

Another reminder, Jaehaerys I let go one of the men who helped Maegor, and Alaric Stark resented him for it for a long time since the same guy killed his older brother or was responsible for it in a coup. This man, , was also sent to the Wall, similar to Corlys' suggestion...when he should have been killed bc he repeated his treacherous actions. With the context of a war the couple still had to fight, it's not a surprise nor totally unjustified that they both said they couldn't spare traitors. HOWEVER:

DAEMON is the one to say they should go full scorched earth, total annihilation, saying they should destroy all the Lannisters, Baratheons, etc:

“And what of my half-brothers?” Rhaenyra demanded, when the Sea Snake put this plan before her. “What of this false king Aegon, and the kinslayer Aemond? Would you have me pardon them as well, they who stole my throne and slew my sons?” “Spare them, and send them to the Wall,” Lord Corlys answered. “Let them take the black and live out their lives as men of the Night’s Watch, bound by sacred vows.” “What are vows to oathbreakers?” Queen Rhaenyra demanded. “Their vows did not trouble them when they took my throne.” Prince Daemon echoed the queen’s misgivings. Giving pardons to rebels and traitors only sowed the seeds for fresh rebellions, he insisted. “The war will end when the heads of the traitors are mounted on spikes above the King’s Gate, and not before.” Aegon II would be found in time, “hiding under some rock,” but they could and should bring the war to Aemond and Daeron. The Lannisters and Baratheons should be destroyed as well, so their lands and castles might be given to men who had proved more loyal. Grant Storm’s End to Ulf White and Casterly Rock to Hard Hugh Hammer, the prince proposed…to the horror of the Sea Snake. “Half the lords of Westeros will turn against us if we are so cruel as to destroy two such ancient and noble houses,” Lord Corlys said.

Not Rhaenyra, the one who makes the final decision. RHAENYRA EXPRESSLY DECIDES [above pics]:

Rhaenyra decided to steer a middle course. She would send envoys to Storm’s End and Casterly Rock, offering fair terms and pardons after she had put an end to the usurper’s brothers, who were in the field against her. “Once they are dead, the rest will bend the knee. Slay their dragons, that I might mount their heads upon the walls of my throne room. Let men look upon them in the years to come, that they might know the cost of treason.”

So anon is misinforming. She said to kill her brothers (one a kinslayer and the other the guy who usurped her and threw a party celebrating Lucerys' death), not the lords who supported them...unless they decided to keep fighting. She is doing exactly what anon says she is not doing!

This is another instance, too, where Rhaenyra shows a will that is not just subservient to Daemon, btw.

And Daeron nor his uncle, Lord Ormund Hightower were going to give up bc both had a direct interest in Aegon being king. More than anyone else! Why? Because this was their opportunity to support their closest blood (Otto, Ormund's uncle and thus Aegon's first cousin once removed) to have influence from the throne itself. The Hightowers would this have the most power over every other Green supporting lord, esp since the Tyrells were sitting out for their own protection with their lord just being a baby...Again, read the pics!**

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

The greens were the ones who usurped her in the first place and by how they took the funds from the royal treasury in order to weaken her for future invasion, I'd say that they were determined to win or die. Aemond would never go down without a fight, mother or not, Aegon had sworn to kill Rhaenyra after she crowned herself twice AND received multiple burns from his attempts to actually fight. After Helaena's death, I doubt Alicent would ever want Rhaenyra alive (again, if Alicent hadn't usurped Rhaenyra and turned her kids against her, her kids and grandkids would all be still alive bc what lord can seriously destroy or threaten the Targs with all their dragons outnumbering those the first 3 conquerors had?! And no, Daemon wouldn't do shit because he only ever targeted a green after Luke died He never initiated a fight, and seemed to just ignore them before Viserys died. Very confident in his own skills).

And once more, Rhaenyra already offered her siblings the chance to surrender, blaming Alicent and Otto for their treachery. Even her brothers. The belief that Daemon would go against her completely comes from the belief that he did not recognize her authority, follow her lead, or have a very strong or respect-full bond with her, and honestly there is no evidence nor suggestion of such a thing.

Otto is the one to offer Dalton Greyjoy a seat as master of ships on the council, the greens basically the ones first to want and invite him to join the war:

("The Blacks and the Greens")

HERE is a post on the greens, the blacks, and Dalton Greyjoy. Otto was the one to think of inviting the ironborn to fight for the greens. If the greens hadn't invited Dalton to join the Lannisters would be less aggrieved. And if the Lannisters didn't want to be so exposed to the ironborn, they either shouldn't exist (bc the ironnborn are going to be themselves regardless of who rules or who asks them over, really, but the invitation made the invasions number more than they would have been by directing Dalton's interests and giving it license) or they should have not joined the greens in usurping Rhaenyra in the first place. So sad, too bad.

**[5/31/24]

leaderless and ironborn-harried Lannisters

Who said they were leaderless? Is Joanna Lannister not enough of a leader for you? She was actively leading armies in the official name of her child-son! And she was fighting against the ironborn that not only Rhaenyra, but the greens enlisted....what time would Joanna have to come to Rhaenyra's defense or Aegon's defense when Joanna couldn't even ensure her own lands defense.**

You: "It’s only half a joke to call Rhaenyra “Maegor with teats”; Maegor had fallen specifically because, through his cruelty and anti-Faith policies, he had lost the respect and fealty of lords and smallfolk alike, and Rhaenyra did the same."

Rhaenyra gets this moniker not because she was actually cruel for no reason other than to be cruel and careless or is taking unnecessary supplies when she already has enough herself (ahem, The Hightower lord who allowed jis army to clear Lady Merryweather's castle even after they got her bid of support just before they go to Tumbleton). She gets it because the coffers, again, are empty and taxed the Kinglanders for many exports, imports, and executions to refill it. Which the greens stole and dispersed much as they did Aegon and his kids. Please, come up with a better way for Rhaenyra to refill these coffers, anon. I mean, I won't be waiting because next time you try to send me something about this, I'm ignoring it and blocking you, but you have that option elsewhere. Since apparently you, under the exact same conditions she was under PLUS having lost two kids, would still be an "excellent" and clearheaded leader. Maybe ask a scientist to make a dimension-travel machine so you can prove it. Or ask Jaehaerys I what he would do if he had no money and was tasked to refill it (he never had this problem, ever), since he's seen as the most intelligent ruler Westeros had by both people in text and most of the vocal fandom.

Yes, it put a lot of pressure on Kingslanders, these taxes and probably the party. But how did this all begin? Did it really need to get here, but for the green's ambitious misogyny? Again, I refute all Daemon-kills-greens and lords-are-actual-threat claims.

You: "Convinced that all her new dragonriders were determined to betray her Rhaenyra ordered the arrest of the loyal Addam Velaryon, heir and probable son of Corlys; the decision lost her not simply a dragon and dragonrider, but her most powerful lordly ally and Hand, half her army and her entire remaining naval force."

I wonder when I ever stated that this wasn't a mistake, mistrusting her own riders after a couple betrayed her? I both see it that way and can see how, if we had a POV, it would be easy to see her twisted rationale to be that the rest of the bastards are as ambitious as Ulf and Hugh, eager to leave behind bastardry with their own castles. Again, twisted and shows she didn't know these others well enough for her to be spitting such things, but I'm also not going to ignore that it's more than likely that she never would have been here, paranoid and vicious if misogyny didn't exist.

You: "Unprepared to rule, convinced that her bloodline and her father’s decree alone were sufficient to ensure her rule would not be challenged, Rhaenyra failed to assert herself in the admittedly patriarchal society of Westeros."

Again, I don't think she'd be a horrible ruler like Aegon would have been (he does not face misogyny or any sort of discrimination and never will, so what's his excuse?!) if she hadn't been usurped. Mediocre maybe, but not terrible. She became tyrannical, she wasn't always.

By your way, Rhaenyra's so-so rule as a Queen is equal to mediocre kings and male heirs' rule in terms of societal acceptance and assessment. And according to you, her paranoia and how it came to be is exactly the same as how male King's or heirs' paranoia, cruelty, etc developed (let's say Aerys II and Aegon IV) who do not come up against the already hostile-to-women environment and ploy of ambitious lords sing said misogyny). Okay sure.

B)

You: "Rhaenyra was foolish and cruel when it came to her ruling decisions." [your basic argument, repeated over and over]

If you hate Rhaenyra for weaponizing misogynoir/being racist and sexist against Nettles, you're valid and correct for hating her. Her past doesn't erase those things. But to act as if her past also means nothing, doesn't tell us anything or really matter as to how she became a tyrant is ridiculous, self-contradictory, and pointless because you read the text and now you wish to ignore the plot altogether?! To act as if she is so different from everyone around her, morally deviant enough from everyone else of her time to be claimed as "The Evil" before her retaking King's Landing is blind-talk.

And look, it's not anyone's fault but your own that you can't see the true evil(s) in the ASoIaF world/story are not the Targaryens -> the complicated but passionate members and their dragons. You had the wrong idea if you think you're going to get me to concede on that. The Targs rather reveal everything wrong with Andal/FM patriarchal feudalism and its prioritization of power for power's sake by becoming its thematic mirror (what happens when feudal lords have dragons?!), yet still, even producing a few members who see the wrongs and actually try to fix them. More than what any other Andal/FM descent lord/lady has tried to do for the last thousands of years.

To hate and assign blame to the Targs (& Rhaenyra) for everything that makes the Andal-FM Westerosi society wrong or chaotic when:

Andal-FM society's many injustices and inherent, systematic flaws stem from their own development before the Targs ever came to Westeros. While the Targs assimilated in order to stay in power and definitely assimilated/adopted many Andal-FM customs & practices instead of working to change/abolish them in each generation for more altruistic purposes, the Targs are also not the lords' parents no matter the feudal idea of being a "model" to your subjects. If this system has the monarch and nobles share power (as happens in a feudal monarchy), then the responsibility for change also rests on the lords themselves. And there are limits to what the lords are willing to sacrifice or risk to stay in said power. The Targs are not more nor less evil than those lords for acting similarly.

the other side of the hate towards the Targs is their supposed refusal to "respect" those same laws and customs towards succession, gender roles, behavior, etc or follow them to the letter to be "better" rulers. So which is it? The Targs are the enemy of the good and poor, vulnerable Andal-FM Westerosi nobles and smallfolk (argument of them being too disrespectful and culture-destroying colonizers/tyrants) -- OR -- are they not progressive enough to lead the Andal-FM Westerosi into a better world? (argument of them being a plague on Westerosi)

this is a feudal, monarchist society and Andal-Westerosi are not exempt from trying for power and being violent, even having tried in the past to marry into the Targ household to have dragons themselves (Lannisters and Rhaena). The Targs themselves can be and have been manipulated by other house members.

some have tried to argue with me that Alicent is a better ruler/queen for Westeros. Alicent. Alicent, who herself comes from a background that wishes to subjugate anyone who is not legitimate, pale, aristocratic and male. Alicent, who is a heavy-duty blood purist who never looked out for other women. Not a one. Never herself pushed for policies making any person's life better. Even seizes power from another woman entirely for herself and her house's patriarchal prestige and power by using the status of her kids being Targ scions and dragonriders themselves to obtain more power. Apparently, because Alicent is more strategic, her traditionalist-Faith-driven misogyny and proven attempts to suppress female autonomy don't matter in the assessment of her leadership, but it definitely matters for Rhaenyra (the person Alicent purposefully targets) ! Same for her kids, but even worse as all are mentally checked out, more entitled, actually violent and rapists for no reason, or too lazy.

It's not about Targness and people loving Targs, it's just that the Targs incidentally happen to be the people in power that everyone else wishes to borrow or steal power from.

No matter who Rhaenyra was before King's Landing or after, Rhaenyra was "vulnerable" to this due to her gender's inequitable access to higher positions of power in Westeros. Because it was never about her character for the lords/the greens/Alicent, it was about her gender.

You try a person long enough, they are more likely (not definitely, LIKELY) to bite back or use any chance to gain back power. Though like Alicent, Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron in performing blood purist hate (or at the very least using blood purity) Rhaenyra was never a tyrant before King's Landing and the greens' usurpation, nor was she without self-control nor untrusting even with her being impatient and impulsive.

*EDIT* (8/21/23):

THIS is a great post by @mononijikayu about medieval queens, female rulers, the history of how women in leadership positions were made and seen as threats to the very structure of social "order", and contextualizing Rhaenyra thru Empress Matilda. I didn't even know about Matilda's husband being comparable to Rhaneyra's Daemon! PLZ READ!!!!

Excerpt:

just as much, along with these fictitious portrayals, more lies are depicted. these women are considered vixens that cause havoc to men by shifting them into desires and danger. through the written word, we see how women are cast in roles of villains in men’s lives. it is because by their conclusive thoughts, women are the only creatures that are able to turn ‘good honorable men’ into despicable creatures who do shameful, deplorable acts for the sake of women’s pleasures.  [...] it is within this narrative that ancient chroniclers declare that women were in fact the doom of men. if they were not able to control the dangers posed by the wiles of women, then the foundations of the mighty society they had built would be up in flames.  [...] as i mentioned, these factors of community are written down and preserved. and with that, the example of the ancients were the foundations by which medieval society built itself. the same concepts continued to cause the same issue within society and that was the exclusion of women from participating in the bigger picture of community and state, much so with governing states in their own right—without judgment or disapproval. 

[redundantz]

What are your thoughts on how the characters were written for stampede? You sounded kind of :/ about Meryl at one point.

Hello! Yeah it was a bit of a rollercoaster for me personally. ⚠ STAMPEDE SPOILERS ⚠ BUT they really pulled it together in the end i think (for the most part) Since we now know for sure this is a prequel and where its now going after the finale it puts more perspective on things. I have OG Trigun brain so take my own opinions with a grain of salt. I think if people enjoy this new series on its own merits thats wonderful. HOWEVER I still think the series has severe pacing issues and we miss a ton of important character moments imo. And I wish we got to see more interaction with uhh actual humans. After the first 3 eps and then the one with Rollo we basically dont interact with any other humans who live on the planet and its so weird. (also my god we need more fun time in this show was a depression speedrun istg) Have a graph of my emotional journey:

Vash: oh man haha this one is tough. now that the season is over and we got a HUGE payoff with him so I am very happy now but yeahhh. Some parts I was like wow this is Vash he's perfect. But then as the episodes went on I was getting so frustrated. Because he just would stand there giving everyone UwU eyes and not do anything. Especially for his flashback with Knives. Which I understand it was "shock" but he basically stood there with a blank expression the whole time and it was so...??? Being a pacifist didn't mean he is a limp noodle and doesn't take action. Like don't get me wrong he did have a few moments where he fought Livio and the Badlads but that was about it. I think a lot of my frustration might be because he kept using hand to hand combat compared to using his gun which I am used to. again though, they really brought it back in the end 10000% and brought it into perspective so I can forgive some of the previous stuff. Meryl: She was made more cutesy and naïve. Which definitely got on my nerves here and there. But I was okay with it for the most part ( im not immune to cute lol) They got the most important part of her character where she is touched by Vash's convictions, and his love for humanity. She didn't start off jaded and roughened by the planet this time so I think it has a bit less impact in that regard. But I think the best thing they did for her is she is basically the stand in ambassador for humanity and its strength of character. Wolfwood: I don't have to much to say for him personally. but dude needs to have some fun. First ep with him was pretty great but after that was just a lot of angry yelling and nasty looks. Like...for awhile I couldnt even see how him and Vash are friends besides the fact that Vash is nice to him. Him and Meryl almost had more nice moments than both of them. I LOVED finally getting to see more of his backstory though esp with Livio that was so great. But I really wish we got to see how much he cares about kids and him interacting with them. All we would get is NOT THE ORPHANAGE!! but we never get to see it in action really. Besides him giving Zazie a lollypop that one time and the flashbacks but those only included Livio for the most part. Roberto: NGL I loved him he was cynical and grumpy LOL I was pretty offput at first because it felt like he was replacing Milly. I dont think he wasnt really utilized to his full potential though. Especially because he dies later. I feel like we didnt get enough time with him or character moments. I think it could have made his death hit harder. Also just a shame that he was just there to further Meryls arc. But i think he was meant to mirror Meryls drive to help against his pessimism. Milly: millyseason2millyseason2millyseason2!! That's the main group anyway. Thank you for the ask!

[patrocles]

new pet peeve: people comparing the starks rarely marrying outside the north to targcest. there's a huge difference between marrying someone from the same country/culture as you, and marrying your sibling. and even then, there's not much to suggest the starks are ideologically opposed to marrying outside the north, brandon/ned didnt see anything weird about marrying cat, for example. it seems to be out of convenience/proximity tbh, esp given the other kingdoms they marry into are the closest.

anon, bestie, when i saw those posts i swear to god i went temporarily blind for a second.

i cannot believe that marrying within your culture/country THE BIGGEST GEOGRAPHICAL PLACE ON THE MAP is being compared to brother-sister incest THEY SHOULD HAVE LET TWITTER DIE TBH

everything you said tho is completely correct

unlike the targaryens, the starks dont prioritize racial superiority as a pillar of exceptionalism, in fact they are the opposite but are the strict upholders of the law— not finding loopholes based off the perversions of one patriarch. not to mention there’s no way they could even find a way to justify it because their blood is everyone’s blood.

they don’t utilize brother-sister incest as a means of strict misogynist control over the women of their family, that also allows for the early sexualization of them and likely a hotbed of grooming and molestation like we’ve seen with the targaryens GENERATIONALLY.

and if we’re really being serious, the concept of targaryen incest is very likely absolute bullshit because if everyone on valyria has dragon-riding magical blood there would be zero reason to enforce strict incest for the Point of keeping that blood ~pure~. like westeros, they probably married within noble families. and after the deaths of the dragons there definitely was no reason to keep up with it.

but comparing that to the starks marrying other first men families is laughably fucking stupid. especially when they’ve never been opposed to marrying southern families— we’ve seen a westerling show up, royce, one of torrhen’s daughters married an arryn, and cregan and jace had plans to betroth their future kids together, and of course now the tullys. not to mention looking at the family tree they marry into all the families of the north including the clans, not just one or two top families. (but never the boltons which is hilarious)

and also the first men don’t prioritize racial superiority and magical otherness as a hard and fast rule— that’s ONLY the targaryens. what binds them, culturally, is their belief in the old gods. not that their blood has super magical properties that must be preserved and untainted???

the fact that this even needs to be explained makes me feel like i’m going crazy

[agnesmontague]

speaking of movies, i think about The Menu on occasion even now and it kind of makes me want to die but in a very lowkey way. just a soupçon of despair, as the chefs would call it, bc it was literally this close to making a cogent point but just kinda stumbled drunkenly to the end. having Voldemort Chef be a lone genius instead of a cult leader (with followers that openly resent him?) would probably have made so much more emotional and narrative sense bc you can't do a Class Critique if you treat a certain subset of people like NPCs (esp when that subset of people is a suicide cult scheduled to die from the start AND the most racially diverse group in the film, whoops)

to be clear i'm not interested in a defense of this movie bc i don't care enough about it to be invested in either direction, but i am somewhat more interested in slotting it into this post-Parasite 2020s tapestry of "eat the rich" media that includes parasite, triangle of sadness (which i cannot watch), the menu, and yeah probably also squid game; class critique is hot these days bc filmmakers caught on that economic malaise can make for resonant bangers but i don't think the director of the menu knew exactly how to utilize that theme