#i don't want it to go that into the overbearing parent route

[duck-takes]

I could see Drake Mallard having moments where he thinks about putting a tracker on Gosalyn because of the dangers of both him and her being heroes.

After thinking about it, though (or after a lengthy incident), he decides against it. Either that, or Gosalyn decides to hold onto a tracker, but one she can turn off whenever she wants to. Maybe one she can activate when things go south.

!!

[lindszeppelin]

I have a lot to say, so buckle up lol:

I definitely feel a break up is coming for Austin and Kaia. The abrupt change in Austin's attitude towards her has been very noticeable. Even people who like them together, I've seen talk of them starting to notice a negative change. Some are holding on for dear life but, I think we all know the writing is on the wall. No idea when he'll do it, but Austin will for sure be the one to end it. He just seems so done with it all and her. She did all this stuff with the paparazzi for her book event. An event no one really knew about or cared for. If people went it was for the play itself or if they knew Kaia was doing some interview afterwards, they went to possible see Austin. She did all this and got no real payoff. The only thing her calling the paps the last 2 weeks did was hold off the break up rumors. That's what she wanted. But all it did was upset Austin.

Like I said earlier in the last week alone, he's grown very cold and distant towards her. If he's acting like this towards her in public, I imagine in private, there's no love either.

I think the only time I've seen Austin appear genuine with Kaia was the night of Cannes (literally two years ago). In general, that night was huge for him. A huge moment in his career. A 12 minute standing ovation. Praise from everyone. His family got to be there, who he hadn't seen in years. I think it was a lot of emotion. A weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders because the movie went over well.

He and Kaia were still in the honeymoon stage of the relationship that night. I won't lie, I noticed how much Austin was into her that night. During Baz's speech he was seen grabbing onto her hand, kissing her hand. He was smiling at her and gave a wink. He was smitten. Sure, they played up some it for the camera's on the red carpet. But Austin was happy. The after party they were dancing together, taking pics, etc. They seemed genuine.

But that was shortly lived because then they were getting papped all the time. I think that's when a lot of people started to notice what this really was. She jumped from Jacob Elordi to Austin in a matter of weeks. She told the press she was in love with Austin after only dating a couple of weeks. I saw the game Kaia was playing. I think Austin was slightly naive getting involved with a girl like Kaia and her family. Unfortunately, this relationship has come back to bite him. Kaia is clingy and self absorbed. She has to be the center of attention all the time. He's seen it first hand. At one point her parents kept medaling in his relationship. He's too grown to be dealing with overbearing parents. But this is why you don't date a nepo baby 10 years younger than you. She still relies on mommy and daddy for everything.

Austin went the cliche route in getting with a model once he broke out. Kaia was perfect to be his arm candy during award season. In fact she was referred to as arm candy at the Oscars in 2022. That's all she's been for him. Austin went for the complete opposite of Vanessa in every single way. As much as I didn't like Vanessa, she was in love with Austin. She loved him with every fiber in her being. Their love shined through anytime they were together. But her career was dying down, while his was finally taking off. She wanted to settle down and start a family. He wanted to work. I believed that was the final breaking point in their relationship. On top of other problems they were having. So getting with a girl younger with no ambition, or rush to have kids and marriage was appealing. Until it wasn't.

Kaia's lack of ambition has been her downfall. Her book club and interviewing isn't going to save her here. Austin sees things clearly now. He even went to the press to talk about how much her lack of ambition bothers him. Given the way she's been behaving the last few weeks, she knows it's coming to an end. She's acting desperate and pathetic. It's her own fault.

Beautiful anon, this was an amazing read. And you detailed everything so perfectly! I do agree that Austin will be the one to end it with her. There is no way Kaia will ever be the one to let him go, he is a valuable commodity to her career and persona as this bookish quirky girl. And it gets her foot in the door for more acting jobs etc. She knows she'd lose that forever if she let Austin go. Austin putting his foot down and choosing his happiness is the way it has to go. And when the time is right, he will.

I too think that him getting with Kaia was initially a choice that to him at the time seemed like a good one. I mentioned before that him turning 30 a few short months before meeting her was probably also a reason why he went after a girl 10 years younger than him, who didn't have anything going for her. And I think it's so true that after a hard breakup, you go for someone who is the complete opposite of your ex. That's a common thing. So I get it. And he was probably okay with it and was interested in seeing where it went, but then once he got to know this girl he realized he made a mistake. And it's not always easy to admit to yourself that this is a situation you need to get out of. Her parents and Kaia and her brother seem so overbearing that no doubt they backed Austin into a corner. Lest we forget that in January this year her parents ran to L&S with an exclusive that they don't want Kaia to continue with him unless he commits. Like...be so for real. Pressuring a man to commit to your 22 year old daughter is a tough sell, especially when said man does NOT want to be with her in any regard.

His demeanor towards her these last few months is detached, but more so especially in these last few weeks in NYC. She is sucking every single bit of clout from this man before he leaves her, and she is also panicking. But it's not her I feel bad for, she brought this all upon herself. I have no sympathy towards her. It's Austin I feel bad for. And he deserves his happiness. He deserves a chance at a real love and future marriage with his forever woman when he eventually meets that person. It's not easy to breakup especially when it's clear Austin really wanted this to be a quiet split with no fuss, but since she's making it complicated and she's clawing onto the walls for dear life, he has to fight for his right to be happy. Kaia deserves to be happy too don't get me wrong. I might not like her, but she deserves to be with somebody that enjoys playing the Hollywood game and likes to be papped often and loves that life. Austin is not that man. The sooner these two free themselves from this situationship and find better partners for them, the sooner they can be happy.

[outisgivingpac]

PAC: Your Impact on Other People🌱🦋💞

Today I'm excited to deliver a pick-a-card reading with the most popular theme in the last poll 🤗 Thank you all so much! In this PAC, we shall look into what lasting impression and influences you gave to people in your life.

If you find this reading helpful or entertaining in any way, you can support me through Ko-fi or simply by liking/reblogging this post. Check my pinned post for personal readings, and feel free to send me requests. ☀️✨

My Masterlist

💖Pick the pile/image you feel most drawn to💖

Pile 1. Pile 2. Pile 3.

In the first part, I would focus on your impact on strangers and acquaintances; people who don't know you so well. In the second part, it involves your friends, family and loved one; people who are in your close circle.

Pile 1

The impact you have on strangers and acquaintances: King of Wands, King of Cups

Group 1, to most people who come to know you in public, you gave them a lasting impression as a charming and charismatic individual. You come across as someone who know who you are and what you want ("someone who has their shit together"), without appearing arrogant and overbearing. The thing is, while asserting yourself and your needs, you always leave space for others to express themselves. If anything, the way you treat yourself with respect and boldly go after your goal inspire others to do the same. On a more specific note, I also see the images of you take over the unnamed role of an organizer when your group of people going out. Like you would ask for everybody's order in an restaurant and go tell the server/cashier what you guys want ("Sorry but he asked for no pickles" kind of thing haha). If you're a leader at a workplace, thanks to you, people feel like their work has meaning, personally and interpersonally. They would go out their way to make sure your common goals will be realized, so that you won't have to shoulder all the responsibility during difficult time. 🥺

The impact you have on friends and family: The Sun, The Chariot

With your loved one, you shine through with the same compassion and warmth, but even more brightly. Cliche as it might sound, you're their pride and joy; hanging out with you put a smile on their face. You inspire them to have a more positive outlook on life, and to seek for happiness in the little things. On the other hands, when they're in trouble, you could offer them your insight and bring clarity to their situation. You taught them how to keep up with a long term goal, as something not just requires resilience, but also the ability to adapt to changes. On the other hand, you could be that one friend in the group who has a driver license and/or a big car, that people feel like they could go anywhere with you behind the steering wheels. You could also be the one who knows a lot of niche but nice travel destinations/routes. I feel like your close relationships experienced a lot of their first with you. First time going out of the city, first time going scuba diving, first time trying certain food etc. And of course, you could also be someone's first kiss, or your parent's first child. It could be clumsy or awkward experience, but it has a "before and after" effect. People think fondly of the memories they share with you. Comparing to your public self, you allow yourself to be more stubborn and argumentative with your close circle. And they find it endearing as well. 😊

Pile 2

The impact you have on strangers and acquaintances: Two of Swords reversed, Ace of Swords reversed

Oh wow, before starting, I must say you have such a cool, fierce and sorta "untouchable" energy. You are someone with a sharp mind. You might not talk much or be the loudest, but the arguments you put through when it's called for always stun people, for how keen your observations and logics are. The impact you leave on the general public is: you make them think twice before speaking and develop critical thinking lmao. Because, if they do speak and spread hatred and misinformation, you won't hold back your voice to call them out and hand their ass back. On the other hand, you lend your voice and inspire the underdog. The onlooker who would want to speak up and defend themselves and their community, but couldn't find the courage and/or the mental energy to do so. The only downside to this is, people could find you too opinionated. Some would feel so intimidated by you that they would hold their tongue whenever you're in the room lol. Even when you view it as harmless and non-personal discussion, people could take your counter points personal and take a run from it. 😅

The impact you have on your friends and family: Death, The Emperor reversed

Among your close circle, you also bring in the similar elements to your relationships as described above. However, your impact runs deep; it won't be exaggerating to say you walked in people's life and changed their world. It could be the advices and influences you give them. But it could simply be how you chose to live your own life that, with or without your awareness, changed other people's way of thinking. Such changes always come with an ending. Due to your impact, some shredded their self-limiting belief, or their attachment to a certain place or people. You could have challenged some authority figures, letting them know they are not as "mightier then thou" or in control of other's and their own's life as they believed. On the other hand, you inspire some to reclaim their rights to take space and have more autonomy in their decisions. Either cases, you're a ground shaker. Many people feel deeply grateful for you and the experiences you gave them, some even long after you left their life. Surely, you could make some enemies along the way. But, "hatred is the most sincere form of flattery"; who can say one lives their life "right" without earning some nemesis? 🗡️

Pile 3

The impact you have on strangers and acquaintances: 10 of Cups, 5 of Cups

For people who picked this pile, your energy is quite complex that I hope you would sit with me as I go through every aspects one by one. On the most surface level, you're someone who wear your emotion on your sleeves. People can tell right away if you're happy or miserable at a time just by looking at you. Your mood will seep through the way you dress and hold yourself, and people can gain updates on your life easily through small talks. As it goes, you can just mind your own business, but you might attract a lot of jealousy. Some people would compare themselves to you and evaluate how they are doing in life, by looking at you. They could have false impression, which leads them to have false expectation and values with their own business. I won't be surprise if you have secret admirers as well. Some would look up to you and carefully follow your steps. They hope they would avoid all the traps and missteps, and ripping the same success by doing so. Since you seem to be someone who won't shy away from taking risks and trying out new things in life, people would turn to you and your opinions to see if certain directions is rewarding or a big thumb down. Lastly, you could be someone who make (acquaintances) friends quickly and have a wide circle of people. However, only a few can come forwards and form a relationship with you beyond the surface level. This naturally can cause certain sense of disappointment and regret. If you're extra active and big on social media, look out for parasocial relationship. Though I feel like many would have their fantasy shattered and shred their colored-glasses once they meet/see you out of the usual context. 😂

The impact you have on your friends and family: 8 of Swords reversed, 8 of Cups

For those who are in your closer circle, their relationship with you could be described as liberating. You are the go to friend when someone needs to get out of their mind! ("Up you go, ladies! No more crying, no more whining!" quoting Bacchus). You could be sitting there eating chips, listening to your friend's rant and then dropping a single question/comment and they would have an "Aha" moment. I can also see you dragging your friend out of their rut by inviting them on a trip or to an activity. Anyhow, you are quite spontaneous, people could drop what they were doing to follow you. One sentiment that you help them process is: how the way that it's always been done is not necessary the only way. People get attached to things because it's all they know, or because they have invested a lot of time, money and emotional commitment to it. You kind of knock it off for them, pointing out how those things no longer make them happy, and that it's okay to turn around and take a new path. Thanks to you, a lot of people become more fearless.💪

[marveloustimestwo]

How would yandere peter parker react if May finds out his obsession with the reader?

Warnings: Yandere themes, talk of kidnapping, stalking, and murder throughout.

I think it would depend on how much May figures out and what her reaction is to it.

In Peter's perfect world, both May and Tony would be accepting of his behavior and even enabling (aka a yandere-verse).

However, I'm going to go the route where Peter's behavior is very much looked down upon (as it should be in real life).

If May found out everything about what Peter's been doing, it would be a very difficult situation for Peter.

It's very hard to play off the number of cameras he has in your room, the pictures that he took of you while he was stalking you, and god forbid if May found you after Peter had kidnapped you.

Like any normal person would, she freaks out and her first instinct is to help you.

I like the idea that for the added drama if she finds you kidnapped, May manages to get you somewhere safe and away from Peter while he's out doing something.

After that, though, or if she's only found the pictures and stuff, I believe May would want to talk to Peter before anything else.

Peter is her nephew. He's the sweet boy who she's practically raised since his parents died. She hopes that maybe because of that relationship she can talk him out of whatever delusions he has, especially if he hasn't kidnapped you yet.

But no matter how gently May might approach the situation, Peter will always react with a sense of terror.

Sure, he might be a bit obvious in his obsession with you sometimes. He can be a bit too clingy, seems overly willing to please you, tends to gush about you a lot, and you might see Spiderman a bit more than the average New Yorker, but he's never messed up to the point someone has found out about all of the illegal shit he's done.

But here May is providing him proof that she knows all about what he's done.

Under normal circumstances, Peter would have killed anyone who had found out this much of what he's done. He's killed for far less when it comes to you.

But this is May, one of the few people in his life that Peter would have trouble with killing.

I think Peter would go along with whatever May is saying so long as she doesn't report him to the police.

He'll pretend to be better. He'll throw away all of the pictures he has of you, make a show of getting rid of the trackers and cameras, and even agree to room searches.

But Peter really just wants to throw May off his tracks. Now he just knows to be more careful.

And this is all in the case that May didn't find you. Just the photos and cameras.

In the case that she did, though, I still don't think Peter would kill her unless he absolutely had to.

He'd much prefer to hold her somewhere else. He can't kill her but he also can't have her go to the police either.

But if it comes down to choosing to keep you with him or being caught with kidnapping, Peter will choose you.

He's very distraught about killing May, and afterward, you'll have to deal with a very distressed Peter for a long time.

You honestly don't know which you dislike worse. The overbearing, clingy, and affectionate Peter, or all those combined but with him constantly crying and needing comfort.

[princess-of-the-corner]

no yea the Sirens and the Bats would be on relatively good terms (even if Bruce does side eye their way of doing things sometimes) and Bruce is a good parent in comparison to Audrey and Andre obviously but i kinda see him as a bit stubborn and just a bit overbearing as a parent so someone telling him that one of his kids needs some space and to be alone for now and that he can't solve the problem himself like he normally can with his vigilantism is kinda killing him. I just think it'd be fun if the Sirens messed with him a little and played keep-away with Chloé because they are respecting her wishes on not wanting to meet her bio dad + all his kids just yet but they're also kinda convincing her slowly that it's a good idea to do so. bonus: she does meet all the batkids individually, but as their vigilante selves (lmao maybe that's what'd tip her off about their identities)

Wait no this is funny because I'm imagining like.

Bruce's usual way of dealing with kids with issues is the vigilantism. Which like. It's not his /first/ choice ofc but they all just kinda sprint headfirst into vigilantism so he's like 'let's make sure they don't get killed!'(well. For the most part. Think a few died and came back).

But here he somehow doesn't know that Chloé was a Hero before. Maybe it's the common trope of 'media blackout means anyone outside Paris doesn't know about their Hero/Villain situation'. Maybe it's known and there's public knowledge that Queen Bee was a child, but because she's underage her name was kept out of the media so he doesn't know Chloé = Queen Bee?

So he thinks she's finally a somewhat normal kid! Still has some issues but like. She didn't grow up in Gotham. Her mom was normal(though a massive bitch). Surely she has little to no background in combat and Hero/Villain stuff, and no interest in being thrown into vigilante training! So unless she decides for herself that she's gonna go the vigilante route, Bruce is just going to try and help her in a totally normal parenting way!

He is both relieved and concerned when she runs away and ends up with the Sirens and wants to go vigilante.

[backjustforberena]

Mothers of house Targaryen are interesting and seem to span all ages. Helaena for example having her twins at 14, where Alysanne had children 'far past the age for it'.

Aemma is said to have suffered multiple miscarriages before finally giving birth to Rhaenyra at 15 years old, while Rhaenys had her first two years prior at 18, her second at 20.

Do you think Alysanne and Jocelyn had a lot of input in those first years of Rhaenyra, Laena and Laenor's lives? Do you think Rhaenys, still in good standing with everyone, was close to Aemma then or trying to help her much younger cousin when they had babies the same age?

Or was she left to just figure things out on her own?

Thinking of Aemma, Daella, Gael, all of them are painful, and all lost very young and because of their babies.

Wow! Big ask! Thanks for sending it in. You're right, they do seem to span all ages, and motherhood seems to span all kinds of styles as well, even when the mother remains the same. So Alysanne was very different, depending on the child. There's a wide range of numbers as well (number of babies), within the family tree and a wide range of recorded stillbirths/miscarriages etc. All down to different reasons or no reason. Some have heaps of children, others have one. Some are apparently very fertile, others are not. Some are largely successful, others are not.

To me, I don't particularly subscribe a pattern or any grand theory to this - the narrative does what GRRM wants and needs it to do. If there needs to be a succession crisis, you're going to have Rhaenys be an only child. If you need there to be less Targaryens, then suddenly everyone is being less productive. If you need a woman to die young, the best way to do that is in childbirth. If you need a woman to be tragic, then the easiest way to do that is to give her tragic experiences. I don't think it's that deep. I may be wrong. But that's where my head is at.

But anyway! That's not what you asked. Back to what you did ask: do I think Alysanne and Jocelyn had a lot of input in those first years of Rhaenyra, Laena and Laenor's lives?

No. I don't. Certainly not any sort of... overwhelming impact or extraordinary impact, and nothing pressurising or overbearing that would make any set of parents do something different or be forbidden to do something with their own child, if that makes sense? I think they were just grandparents/great-grandparents. Unless Rhaenys/Corys or Aemma/Viserys specifically asked for something, I think you leave them to it.

Especially Alysanne, though I know she'd dote on them accordingly, it makes me think of Boremund and Jocelyn. When they were born, Alysanne had little to nothing to do with their upbringing, until Rogar brought Jocelyn to court and asked. With Aemma, we don't know that she wasn't brought up in the Eyrie until she was "old enough" (yeesh) to marry Viserys. So, despite those all being born of close relations and, in those cases, born into tragedy, Alysanne does not do anything exceptional. With Rhaenyra, Laena and Laenor, they have living, breathing, capable parents and are surrounded by people willing to help.

Second question: do I think Rhaenys and Aemma were close when it came to children? I hope so and I certainly adore fanfiction that goes down this route. But again, it's hard to say because we have pretty much zero information on Aemma's childhood so we don't know how much they interacted before it all hit the fan.

And, when Viserys and Aemma are wed (93 AC)... Rhaenys is at odds with her family. She would be wed and on Driftmark and freshly disinherited (her father dies in 92 AC) and concerned with her own children when Aemma starts her journey that consists of many miscarriages and a dead son before (?) producing Rhaenyra in 97 AC. Aemma and Viserys consummate the match in 95 AC.

By the time Rhaenys is free enough or reconciled enough to give any advice, Aemma would have had all the advice she could stomach, I imagine. There's nothing Rhaenys can specifically give her that wouldn't have been told to her by midwives or her grandmother or others within the Red Keep, which is where I presume they live.

[crymeariveronceagain]

yo river hey!! i'm just. a little confused and trying to understand your opinion here (if you don't have the time or energy to explain it to me, that's all good! just feel free to delete this ask!) Please know that this is not coming from a judgemental or arguing kind of place in my heart, I just want to know your perspective fully and truly understand. (again, hope that's alright!)

So, Turning Red--to me--was not a story that truly focused on the period aspect, but used it as a topic instead to crutch on the way that Mei was growing up and apart from her mother.

She comes from a family of generational trauma toward a matriarchy, and from some of my friends who kind of share that culture, it's apparently very common for Asian parents to have quite high standards for their kids because of this.

And not only that, but Ming is vicariously living her life through Mei, kind of trying to make sure that she lives up to those standards that were placed in her head all her life. So when she goes and finds Mei Lee, and assumes that she just got her period, that does not come off as?? I dunno uncaring to me? She freaks out a little, but ultimately goes and gets multiple packages of different types of feminine products to support her daughter.

She wasn't really that calm truly, but I found that to be played off a little bit as comedy. Like just as a "oh man! what a huge stepping stone in my daughter's life that I really don't wanna mess up!" However, I can also definitely see where you're coming from with her being uncomfortable with it. I think I started my period when I was eleven, and my mom was able to calmly explain it to me.

But ah. it's not always like that. Like my grandma? Never told my mom what was happening. School for her? Never even taught it. My mom got her period when she was nine in a snowstorm at her dad's house.

She thought she was dying!!!

I'm not saying that is even close to an appropriate response to a girl getting her period, especially when it's on the younger side of the spectrum like that. But I also kind of factored in that the little panic was mostly to play off of the small rush of panic that usually comes with first getting your period. When I had my period the first few times? I cried. My mom was there the whole time and consoled me, but it was still scary for me!

And not to excuse Ming's later actions either. Like going to school at stalking Mei and showing pads to her entire eighth grade class was literally so blown out of proportion. It was really inexcusable. But (please please please correct me here if I am being wrong)

But isn't that kind of the point?

Ming's character is overprotective to the point where she's really overbearing on Mei's life choices. And if it were only her period, then it would be different, but that's the theme of the movie. It's the fact that now that she's thirteen, Mei is now really fighting to become her own person. And because of their lifestyle, their cultures, their beliefs, Ming is trying to pull back at that.

Mei wants to hang out with her friends (who Ming doesn't approve of,) she wants to start to have crushes on boys (which Ming things is completely out of proportion,) and she wants to go to a concert (that Ming does not think is worth her time.)

The entire point of the movie is Mei and Ming's battle as Mei matures at what they want their relationship to be. To extreme forces tugging at one another building tension until the very climax of the movie. And I can definitely see where the representation of periods in general was not the way it should have gone, but I guess I'm asking that if, with the characters, should it have gone the calmly explaining route?

In my view it was just kind of that rising tension, that starting point, that culmination of the curse and Mei's frustrations with her mother shown in a huge, sloppy, embarrassing way, that made the viewer--my mom and I at least--cringe. Because that's the start of the time where Mei starts to rebel, and honestly she should! Ming was really invading her privacy there.

Not to say this movie is like. The pinnacle of children's cinema. It was alright, it had a lot of issues like you said, but it kind of felt like to me like Ming's reaction was not justified, but necessary for the plot to move forward and the characters to begin their arcs of development, and to find a healthy relationship full of trust.

Was the period representation the best? Not even close. Was it realistic and even relatable for more than one age demographic, and made logical sense in the movie? To me, yeah.

But anyway, like I said please feel free to correct me on any parts that you disagree with, this is just my opinion, and feel free to tell me yours! (But also this ask is. Really long. So please don't feel obligated to do so anytime in the near future.)

Hope you have an amazing rest of your day/night!

<3 Hey Tobi!

I agree with everything you say here! It's definitely intended as a story about parental pressure and living vicariously through your children. I'm not denying that at all.

It's a lot about the mom's pent up issues, and her own faults and problems. The story is definitely a 'coming of age' story in the most obvious way. It's about becoming your own person, and in this case, a young woman. I understood that completely when watching this.

Also! Getting your period is scary! Especially when it happens younger than most other people, and you're not prepared! It's scary as heck!

However, the thing is, for me, I can't see this just as a story, because it's not. Like, it is, but really, this was marketed to kids. The story was sold to ten year olds. And not the ten year olds from 2002, the ten year olds of today. It was marketed to both boys and girls, and the younger the kids are, the more likely that this is going to be their first experience with such topics as periods, or even puberty. Because of that, when writing this story, it's not just about the story. It's about the message, who you're selling it to, and why.

Now, I can find a bunch of articles that state how Turning Red was pushing for "period positivity" and that's just not what I got from those scenes. Especially if you're looking at it through the eyes of a ten year old who has very little idea what's happening.

I completely agree that the mom definitely cares about her kid, but. Look. The mom is so nervous about it. I understand that it was played up for comedy, but it's not good. She's visibly horrified because her thirteen year old daughter is going through a normal bodily change. In my opinion, that's not how we should introduce kids to the concept of periods, through the image of a terrified mom rushing around and embarrassing her daughter a ton. She exclaims things like "IT'S TOO SOON!" and then uses horribly nuanced language to make every adult in the room visibly cringe. I read fanfiction, I know exactly "petals" are. It made me screech. Audibly.

I'm pretty comfortable with talking about periods, and I'm way more open about it than my parents are. But that's because I've been taught that it's normal and something like, 99.9% of women are going to experience.

But the thing is, I'm an adult. I know things about being an adult that a ten year old doesn't.

But I was ten like, eight or nine years ago, now. I kind of remember it.

What you're going to do, as a nervous kid going through puberty, is remember everything you've learned about periods from everywhere. For me, I remembered the tiniest excerpt of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, that I'd read. It was one of the few things that actually talked about periods. I also remembered what my mom had said.

Now, if I was a little girl, and I saw that movie, I would look at the sheer embarrassment that radiates off of Mei and her mother, and watch all the uncomfortable situations that happen possibly because Mei got her period, and I would immediately think, "Is that how all parents react?"

If I was a little boy, watching that movie, having the knowledge of female anatomy that most little boys have, I'd probably think, "Wow, this is so embarrassing for girls. I better never talk about it, because it's so embarrassing!"

Know why?

Kids are stupid. And I mean this as someone who loves kids, who wants kids, who loves and respects kids as people, and wants them to be treated with dignity. There are limits to what children have the mental capacity to understand.

Kids will believe everything at face value, because they don't have the mental processes to perfectly separate reality from fiction, yet. This is why kids are so imaginative, because for them, much of their lives is imaginary. And this doesn't go away quickly.

While most ten year olds can distinguish that fairies and monsters aren't real, explain to them how a movie set in a modern-esque world, about things they normally hear about, isn't entirely based in reality? It becomes a lot harder.

A main part of the movie is centered around how extraordinary Mei's transformation is. Will little kids be able to tell that "The red panda" is literally just a giant motif for the theme of puberty? No. Because kids haven't taken English classes yet. They're still learning how to spell "It's" and "its" properly.

So what they're going to see is a story about normalcy and reality that's infringed with the fantastical. And like, that's all fine and good, but what the "period positivity" pushes is the idea that it is embarrassing.

Kids can't process the idea that the red panda is symbolizing puberty as a whole.

This was marketed to ten year olds. Know how I know? My ten year old sister was the one who convinced us to watch it. She was the only one in our family who was excited to watch it. Because it was marketed to her.

That, whether we wanted it to be or not, became the first experience my sister had(our family so far has tended towards getting our womanly weeks at around 12-13, so my mom waits to give the talks until about age 11 or so) with topics of periods was that movie.

What's her takeaway going to be?

A movie isn't just a movie. It's a message. Same thing with a story. This is something I have to think about a lot when writing, and especially when talking about more mature topics(for instance, in my works, things like twisted family dynamics, abuse, bullying, trauma, etc.) I control the narrative. I need to make sure that in my writing, I'm not glorifying something horrible. The mood that a scene gives off, and the effect it has on the emotions of the viewer is entirely purposeful and intended.

My problem isn't with the scenes itself, I suppose, really. It's with the reaction to them. If you're going to name scenes as normalizing puberty and periods, then how about the scenes actually do what they said they were, instead of making a joke about how uncomfortable and awful it is to get a period? Like, why not write the exact same scenes, but just make the period a source of less embarrassment, a thing that doesn't even have to be discussed all that much because it's just normal. Instead, we get tenseness, nervousness, embarrassment, and just. A lot of things that little kids never ever ever want to have to deal with.

Through Turning Red, the writers wanted that awful feeling of discomfort, of terror, to be what the viewers felt when they discussed periods. And that's what I disliked about their discussions of periods. If it had been a scenes with a calmer people, less tense music, mood, and writing, less embarrassing situations, maybe I'd think it did what people said it did, and normalized periods.

But it didn't.

It simply taught a crowd of young kids that periods are embarrassing. And that's my problem with it.

Well. One of my problems with it. I have a lot of issues with Turning Red. One of them is the plot itself, and the way the story is told. Another of them is the sexualization of minors. And then it's this period thing.

I agree, it was most definitely not the pinnacle of children's cinema(that is and always will be Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro{It could also be argued that Disney's Alice In Wonderland is pretty high up on the charts, since you can sit down even the most frisky kiddo in front of it and they will be transfixed and not move for the entire movie}), and I agree, that the movie was a lot about the mom and the daughter's relationship, as well as just a general coming of age story.

However, the metaphor of the red panda was definitely about periods, about puberty, and what not.

And it just felt so horribly cringey.

Even though I watched this movie nearly a year ago, I can't get over their sloppy depiction of it.

It's just not what should have been done.

[discet]

What exactly happened between Marcy telling Anne and Sasha she was moving and her getting on the Infinity Train? Did she run away by herself? Did she not believe Anne telling her they wouldn’t drift apart?

So I have been thinking about this and am going to tweak my first draft I did of this under the cut.

So first we get a montage of the girl's friendship. Some of the happy bits and some of the toxic bits, but a focus would be how Marcy always, emotionally speaking, puts herself second. Never made a fuss, never complained, even if she was hurt by some errant comment about her interests or being left out of something. These bits are interspersed with Marcy's parents becoming more demanding, overbearing, and critical of their daughter (this is the big difference between Train!Marcy and AWIW!Marcy).

Then we finally get to Anne's birthday, and Marcy finds out she's moving. She doesn't say anything that day not wanting to put a damper on Anne's birthday. Besides, she has research to do.

That Friday she talks to the girls afterschool, meeting by their old playground. She pitches them the plan, bus routes and train routes, places to stay. It's not a good plan mind you, they’re thirteen, but that's not what its really about. It's an emotional bid. She never asks for anything from either of them. Never complained, never asked for anything, she just needed them to put her first this one time.

And its not a fair ask. But it still hurts when they turn her down. It hurts when Anne sets aside the materials Marcy prepared and Sasha doesn't even look at them. It hurts when Anne gently tries to console her and Sasha doesn't say anything cause she's too afraid of breaking down crying. Cause even though they love her, and even though they want to help, all Marcy can see or hear is that the two most important people in her life telling her that they could live without her. Like she always feared.

And maybe Anne's assurances would be enough on a different day when they would all have time to think it over. If they had time to make plans for calls and stuff they can do over the net. If Marcy could see Sasha putting together plans for the best last two weeks in LA. When Anne would research cheap ways they could visit each other.

But that day? That day Marcy returned heartbroken to her house, where she saw half of her room gone. Anything her parents deemed childish donated or thrown away while she was at school. And its too much.

That night she packs a bag with a change of clothes and a number of tools and when she goes to open her bedroom door the train is there to greet her.

We also get shots of Anne and Sasha in their rooms when the train appears, but don't move to board. But Marcy does.

And then its 4-5 years later

[pokemoncreepypasta]

My Shining Star

[STORY SOURCE]

Up until some recent events, I used to be an aspiring shiny hunter. Technically I was pretty good at it, too, at least by encounter standards. But even though I was great at finding my fair share of shiny Pokémon , I’ve never been able to keep any of them.

The first one of these shiny Pokémon I found was by a random encounter. I’d gotten lost in Rock Tunnel after forgetting to bring Flash, and spent so long in there that I ran out of Repels. Just as I was giving up hope that I’d be able to escape on my first run, she appeared.

I knew about shiny Pokémon, but hadn't ever thought I'd encounter one of my own in the wild. I was unprepared, and after a moment of staring in surreal wonder, I concentrated on figuring out how to catch her with my limited supplies. Thankfully it wasn't very hard, and soon I had my first legit shiny.

I normally wasn't creative with naming my Pokémon, but I wanted her to have a special name. I asked my mom for help, and she suggested "Star." I liked it, but the name itself seemed short and boring, so I added a couple stars to the ends to give her name a little flair.

I was beyond excited to put my first shiny into my team, and plowed through the rest of the cave. She was the light at the end of the tunnel, and I had to get out to the nearest PC, because I knew a shiny baby Cubone was waiting for me to adopt her.

I quickly fell in love with the little green dinosaur, and soon she was the shining star of my team. I used her more than my starter, and neglected the rest of my party a bit in the process, but still made it through the game alright. Setbacks didn't matter when I had a shiny.

Lots of time and multiple trips through the Elite Four later, I proudly turned ★Star★ into a level 100 Marowak. She was the first Pokémon I ever raised to level 100, and I couldn't have been prouder of her.

It had been a couple years, and I was starting to feel unsatisfied with just ★Star★. I was itching for more, and felt like I probably should have found some other random encounters by now, with all the time I'd spent playing.

Feeling inspired by all the shiny hunter videos I'd been binging on YouTube, I decided to start taking up shiny hunting. I was feeling ambitious, and decided to go straight to hunting for a shiny legendary Pokémon. I was a weird player who didn't really bother going after the birds or Mewtwo in my HeartGold, since I planned on transferring up my legends from my LeafGreen. I decided to rework ★Star★'s moveset for capturing legendary Pokémon.

The moveset I settled on was Bonemerang, False Swipe, Stone Edge, and Swords Dance. I decided to keep her moveset mostly offensive because she was still a member of my team, and not just a shiny-catcher. I planned on replacing False Swipe with Aerial Ace at some point, but I never got the chance to.

I decided to pick Mewtwo as my target. Lots of people find green shiny Pokémon overbearing and unattractive, but ★Star★ made me fond of them. Plush, Mewtwo was awesome, and I thought the two of them would look great together.

I spoke to ★Star★ aloud, saying, "Are you ready to do some shiny hunting, ★Star★?"

"★Star★ let out a roar!"

I thought she was just as enthusiastic as me.

I made it to Mewtwo, saved my game, and started the tedious process of soft resetting.

I’ll spare the details of how long it took, but eventually I came across the sparkling green Mewtwo.

I led with my team's Ampharos to paralyze it, and switched to ★Star★.

I remember being very lucky with this fight at first, with Mewtwo being fully paralyzed every turn.

I used Swords Dance to fully buff ★Star★'s attack stat so False Swipe would do as much damage as possible.

But even though I swore that I had chosen to use False Swipe, ★Star★ proceeded to use Bonemerang.

Shocked, confused and distressed, I watched as ★Star★ mercilessly beat the shiny Mewtwo down, knocking it out in one hit with her increased stats.

I felt crushed and dejected as I went back to the overworld. I blamed myself, thinking I had misclicked the wrong move and killed the Mewtwo myself. In my wave of disbelief, I absentmindedly talked to ★Star★.

"★Star★ is green with envy!"

I decided to go back to square one and start over.

A dozen thousand resets later, I saw it sparkle again and I was shaking with anticipation. Part of me felt twitchy and paranoid, like I should have used my Master Ball right away.

I decided against it because I wanted to hunt the birds later, but decided that if the Mewtwo seemed like it would run low on moves, then I'd use it as a last resort.

I probably should have listened to my guts though, because the same thing happened all over again. I knew for certain this time that I had chosen False Swipe, but the game purposefully made ★Star★ use Bonemerang. I saw it completely clear.

After seeing the Mewtwo go down a second time, I just cursed and slammed my desk a bit. I glared accusingly at my Marowak.

I decided to put my shiny hunting on hold. I used an Escape Rope to leave, and decided to place ★Star★ in the PC, quarantining her in an empty box for a time-out.

As I dejectedly hunted for a third time, I thought to myself what was wrong with my game. I wondered if it was just glitchy, or if I was misinterpreting the situation. I decided to convince myself that it was a mistake on the game's part; otherwise I wouldn't have been able to handle killing the Mewtwo twice in a row.

Finally, it sparkled one last time. I decided not to screw around while reclaiming this shiny. I had hunted it twice before, and decided to just use the Master Ball on it.

I had earned this.

After the initial rush of finally obtaining the shiny, I decided not to nickname it until I thought of something good, and watched as it got sent to the PC. I excitedly saved my game, and made my way out of the cave and to the nearest Pokémon Center.

But when I got there, the Mewtwo wasn't anywhere to be seen.

I shouted curses in confusion as I scrolled through every box in a state of denial. Where did it go, what could I have possibly done? I thought of all the ways I couldn't possibly messed up, did I have an evil hacked Pokémon from the GTS that deleted it, was this actually a bootleg game and Nintendo's anti-piracy revenge was to delete my legendary?

After a few minutes of searching, I gave up. My Mewtwo was gone.

I scrolled back to ★Star★'s isolated box and looked at my only green shiny in mourning. Obviously it wasn't something wrong with just her, but the game itself. In a game as glitchy as this, I was seriously worried that I might lose her, too.

After looking at her for a bit, it seemed like she might've been looking at me? I wasn't sure if she was supposed to do that, but in a game that was acting up like this, I didn't doubt it.

I took her out of the PC and put her at the front of my party to talk to her, to see if anything else was up.

"★Star★ nodded slowly."

She only did more random friendly things after that. Quite chipper for someone whose life might be threatened, I thought.

I decided to trade her over to Platinum for safe keeping. I wasn't sure what to do about the rest of my Pokémon on HeartGold, but ★Star★ was the most important one to me right now.

As I traded her over, I noticed that her eyes were red now, instead of the green I was just looking at. I was off-put by this inconsistency, especially with the recent events surrounding her. I forced myself to brush it off, however, notice I could do about it.

Even though I had an unfortunate experience with my HeartGold, my thirst for more shinies still persisted. Maybe it was the fact I had lost my shiny three times that I really had to fill the void, now.  A couple weeks later, I found out about a method of shiny hunting called chaining, and wanted to try it out. I felt a little more at ease, since if you accidentally killed a shiny with this method, the chain wouldn't break, and you could keep going. Plus, Platinum should've been fine.

I chose Route 208, as it had a good selection of Pokémon for me to choose from. I wasn't picky, so I just started chaining whatever Pokémon I liked until I got a decent chain. I heard that the shiny odds max out at a chain of 40, so after that you can just keep resetting the radar until the grass sparkles.

I landed on Roselia, and sent out my shining star Marowak.

I started with False Swipe, since I wouldn't need to buff up ★Star★ for a LV. 19 Pokémon.

"★Star★ used Swords Dance!"

Oh no.

I panicked as memories of the last incident came flooding back, and how it had started out with her disobeying. Not giving her a chance to kill it, I frantically switched to the items menu to start throwing PokéBalls instead.

(Name omitted for personal reasons.)

I had plenty of them, so I stared throwing Ultra Balls, since they had the highest odds. At least one of these would probably work.

" blocked the Ball!"

"Don't     !"

I tried throwing one, but it failed, as if I tried using it on a trainer's Pokémon.

I had no idea what in the world was going on, what could be stopping me from catching a wild Pokémon? Was my Platinum glitched out too? Was I cursed??

I tried using different balls, but nothing would work.

Eventually, I ran out of PokéBalls to throw. I'd failed the shiny.

Frustrated, but not enough to kill the Roselia, I fled the battle.

I had no idea what to do after that, and was exasperated. I wanted to berate myself, and that I should've tried test catching a normal Pokémon in Platinum first to make sure it was going to work okay. But really, how was I supposed to know that was going to happen? And always, conveniently when I was in the middle of hunting a shiny. I thought of berated my parents instead, if they had bought all my Pokémon games for me on eBay.

Was it really my games, thought? I don't even know if you can trade Pokémon from fake games. Was it my DS could it have been hacked? Can you even bootleg a DS? I tried going to the Internet for answers, and read some Reddit and random Pokémon forum posts about glitches and bootlegs for an hour, but gave up without finding a real conclusion.

So, I'd given up hunting for some time. But, I hadn't gotten tired of Pokémon. I bought Black for myself, and played through the story just fine.

I found out you could get a Shiny Charm if you completed the Pokédex. That made me excited, until I remembered my past luck. Was it worth trying again?

Shortly after transferring up all my Pokémon, I decided, yes. It was. I went for the hatching method this time, since the Pokémon ends up right in your party afterwards- no catching, no PC transfer. It would be my final test, and if THIS didn't work, I would officially give up on ever getting nice things.

Foreign Ditto in hand, I went to work. I went for a shiny Flygon, since they were one of the best looking, and it'd be a nice addition to my competitive team.

One long hunt and a really late night later, eyelids barely able to stay open, I saw it.

I'd never seen anything more beautiful.

Skipping the nickname, I rushed to immediately save my game, wasting no time. I checked my party to see my Trapinch was still there, and chalked it up as a success. I was an official shiny hunter now.

Since ★Star★ was level 100, I figured she could battle for my baby Trapinch until she could hold her own in battle. I only wanted to take her up a few levels, so I could personally train her afterwards. Just raising her immediately into a Flygon would be too soon.

I attached an Exp. Share to her, and started running around in the tall grass. After a little bit of grinding, my Trapinch made it up to level 8 before I accidentally stepped into the thick grass and triggered a wild double battle.

Knowing the wild Pokémon were too strong for the underleveled baby Trapinch, I wanted to flee, but I first noticed ★Star★'s sprite as it asked me what to do.

The end of her bone facing the wild Pokémon was no longer symmetrical, being sharpened at the end of it. I'd seen her sprite enough times to know it wasn't supposed to look like this.

I tried to flee, but it failed.

"★Star★ used Swords Dance!"

"The wild Pidove is watching carefully!" 

"The wild Patrat is watching carefully!" 

"Trapinch is watching carefully!" 

★Star★ had started using moves on her own. Stunned, I tried to switch out.

"★Star★ can't be switched out!"

Giving up, I told ★Star★ to use Stone Edge on the Pidove, and told the Trapinch to use Bite on Patrat.

"★Star★ ignored orders!" 

"★Star★ used Bonemerang!"

I gasped as she struck my Trapinch instead.

"★Star★ is green with envy!"

As soon as I read that text, it hit me. This wasn't any ordinary friendly fire.

"Trapinch fainted!"

It finally allowed me to run, so I immediately tapped the button and rushed to my party to see the damage.

My Trapinch was gone.

I tried resetting to bring her back, but it was hopeless. My shiny new baby had been murdered.

Connecting all the dots in my head, I realized the reason I'd failed every encounter was because of ★Star★.

My grief and fear quickly turned into outrage. I couldn't believe she'd done this to me. She'd made me suffer hunt after hunt, just to take every shiny away from me.

This was the source of my games acting strange, and I knew there was only one way to correct it.

Feeling rash, I rushed over to the PC and hovered over the "Release" option for a few minutes.

"★Star★ was released."

It hurt to let her go, but I didn't want my game behaving strangely with her around.

"★Star★ came back!"

"★Star★ will never leave you."

But she refused.

Resorting to desperate measures, I did the only other thing I could think of.

I traded the stubborn Marowak over to my nearly empty White version that I never got around to playing, and deleted the save file.

"Deleting all saved data... Don’t turn off the power."

"★Star★ will n"

Sayonara, ★Star★.

After deleting the save file, I thought things would start working like they should. Sometimes, I'd replay other Pokémon games just for the fun of it, hoping I'd find other shiny Pokémon with ★Star★ gone.

Almost comically, I somehow thought it would be a good idea to go full circle and try hunting on HeartGold for a shiny starter. I had heard from other shiny hunters that it was an easy hunt, and it was, only taking a few days.

I affectionately named him "Chico."

My first step into the tall grass, and...

"★Star★ is green with envy!"

I had never been so unhappy to see a shiny.

I guess she's been out in the wild all these months. And looking at her sprite, I can only wonder what she's been up to. I wonder how she feels to see me again?

Oh, no.

“Can’t escape!”

"★Star★ used Bonemerang!"

"Chico fainted!"

Of course, Chico was no match.

The game froze after I blacked out.

I figure it was because ★Star★ killed my only Pokémon.

"The save file is corrupted. The previous save file will be loaded."

My save file, corrupted with the loss of my starter's data, brought me back right to this spot that I was all too familiar with. Through frustrated tears, I begrudgingly went to pick a normal starter so I could play the game normally.

“I dare you to love again.”

And I’ve never found a shiny since.

[redstainedsocks]

o h niceee questions mmhm. 6, 12 and 15 for Jasper pls? and then whichever questions Alex most wants to answer, and which one he least wants to 😏👀😁 thank uuu my love,, u know I love The Boys

Thank youuu

Jasper:

6. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?

"Um," he looks around the room that's his prison. "This? Accepting this. It was the only way to... survive, and keep my mind, well, together. But it felt a lot like giving up. I didn't--I don't--want to give up."

"Before this? I suppose letting my mother go and be who she is, learning that she wasn't ever going to really be my mother. Not the way other kids have parents. And letting myself be, uhh, unhappy about that and not fight it."

12. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? (on vacation or permanently!)

"Home. I want to go home." He fiddles with his hands for a moment and then goes still, smiles and sighs, as though trying to engage with the 'game'. "I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights, that would be very enjoyable. And, for a time, me and a friend had a long, uh, road trip planned. Yeah, we were, we had planned out the whole very long route. All the way through South America. All on our own. I don't know if, it's hard to know if we would have ever done it but I did enjoy planning it."

15. Do you play any instruments?  Which ones?  How long have you been playing?

"I can play the piano, a little bit at least. My Grandmother always said I had piano playing fingers and she wanted me to try it. I started when I was around six years old, I think. And I was okay! I liked it pretty well. We couldn't afford a piano but we got a small and cheap electric keyboard so I could practice. There was a small cafe near our apartment that had a real piano though and they liked me, so I got to play on it sometimes.

I always wanted to try the electric guitar though, I thought it would be cool." He stops and laughs a little, lost in the memory. "I knew a guy for a time, he played in a band. Let me try his guitar. I wasn't good at it." He grins and shrugs. And then looks wistful. "I guess it's piano playing fingers all along. My Grandmother was always right about things like that."

Alex, the ones he wants to answer:

16. Describe your perfect day.

He closes his eyes and a small smile slowly brightens his face. "I'd wake up slow, and then grab some quick coffee in my flat before heading out to pick up a smoothie and a bagel from the little health food shop on my way to work. Wouldn't go to work though, I'd go hang out with some friends, do something fun together like... like indoor rock climbing or laser tag. And then stop off for lunch somewhere way too expensive for a normal day. I'd like to go see a film in an empty cinema, whole thing entirely to myself.

In the evening maybe drive out into the countryside, lay a blanket out somewhere and look at the stars. It'd be nice to do it with someone, but I'd do it alone if I had to. Just to be out in nature. It'd be summer so the evening would be long and warm. I'd go home and fall right to bed... but what makes it perfect is knowing you don't have to get up for work the next day."

He opens his eyes with a grimace. "No job... like being here, only, much less shitty. Never thought I'd miss my job, you know?"

1. Who makes up your family?  How close are you to them?

I've got a little sister, she's cool. We get along but we're not in each others pockets all the time, we hang out every couple of weeks. Usually before or after stopping at our parent's for tea. Mum and Dad are still together, both a little overbearing, I try not to give them too many details about my life. A few cousins on Mum's side of the family, and my grandfather. We all like hanging out but we never talk about much, I don't know if that makes us close? We live nearby each other, but it all feels a bit, I dunno, superficial? Sometimes?"

And the one he doesn't:

23. Have you ever had a crush on someone?  Do you have a crush now?

He looks pointedly anywhere but Jasper. "Yeah I've had 'crushes' before, haven't called them that since I was like seventeen, though. Had a few relationships, only one was actually serious."

He glances across the room. "But now? Nope, slim pickings right now. It's not something I have any space to think about. It's a pointless question."

He refuses to say anything else

[apprenticeofcups]

Im not sure if this is meta, but- do you think there will be a shift in Lucio's and Morga's relationship if all does go well and he plays a significant part in defeating The Devil and saving the realm? As in- once he finally does something courageous and right in her eyes, will she be willing to accept that he's changed and willing to trust him? Like, I don't know if there will be a complete reconciliation considering how both of them are- but what do you think would change post Upright?

I think a shift is inevitable, although I don’t like speculating, so I don’t want to guess at what it might look like. I do think, however, that Lucio finally getting Morga’s approval isn’t necessarily where a reconciliation lives for them.

For one, anyone with overbearing parents can tell you the idea that all Lucio has to do to fix his relationship with his mother is “finally do something right” is...incomplete. Their relationship is strained for a number of reasons, on both sides. A lot of Lucio’s atrocities came out of wanting his mother’s approval (or frustration with his inability to get it), but the catharsis doesn’t come from finally getting it - it comes from realizing he doesn’t need it, just like he doesn’t need the approval and adoration of all of Vesuvia, just like he doesn’t need to be immortal, and so on. His problem isn’t that he never meet his mom’s expectations, it’s that he’s been basing his worth on his ability to do it, and when he falls short of the mark, he lashes out. At Lucio’s age, at this stage in his life, “Are you proud of me, Mama?” isn’t the question he should be asking - he needs to find the validation and motivation in himself to think, try, work, and so on.

In the same vein, Morga’s issue isn’t that her son wasn’t good enough or honorable enough - it’s that she was focused on his being worthy of her affection (and honor in their tribe, and so on), instead of raising him. At this point in the game, she’s not angry with Lucio because his incompetence is making her look bad - she’s angry with herself for focusing on the wrong things when he was growing up, and she blames herself for how he turned out. And similarly, her catharsis won’t come from seeing that he’s Good Now and finally meeting all her expectations - it’ll come from seeing he can, and is committed to, change.

We’ve already seen a little of both in his route - telling Lucio things like “you don’t need to be a hero” and “I know you’ll do the right thing” has a profound impact on him, freeing him of the pressure of filling out your image of who he should be, and reassuring him he’s enough on his own. And the more Morga sees of him apologizing and stepping up to help out Nadia et al., the more she softens around him - and relaxes in general, honestly. I don’t think Morga doesn’t accept that he’s changed - I think she’s excited he’s trying. And while I think it would go a long way in a reconciliation scene for her to say she’s proud of him (just like it would go a long, long way for him to say he’s sorry), there’s more to it than that. ☕

[marshmallowprotection]

Man, I love the Choi twins so freaking much, but when I truly imagine myself in the MC's place, I can't help but question my ability to handle some of the things they go through, especially in Saeran's route. I have ADHD, and from that RSD, which is basically when my brain goes, "Even if it wasn't actual criticism/rejection, here come the tears anyway!"

I honestly think I do a very good job and turning my ADHD into something positive; I make jokes out of the quirks that it comes with, and sometimes I don't even have to try, because things like bursts of rapid-fire questions only for me to answer them myself all within one breath tends to elicit laughter on its own.

But RSD, my emotional sensitivity, I hate it so much. I hate it; I hate crying in front of others. I don't even like it much on my own. I don't care how much people say my feelings are "valid" because sometimes they aren't! Sometimes it's really a stupid thing and yet the tears come anyways even though I don't deserve to cry over that, I don't need to, it's not something to cry over.

...I don't work well under pressure. Under time limits. I freeze up, my brain goes blank. I literally cannot think well until I'm calm, and staying calm can be very difficult. I just... I'm not sure I'd be good enough, strong enough, for either routes, and I know it's not really a big deal, but I can't help but feel a little... disappointed in myself.

I have a better chance in Saeyoung's route; my determination to help him, my stubbornness, could be enough for me to pull through, but I'd probably be so damn hesitant and nervous after his cold demeanor sticks around. Even a quiet, level, but cold, statement such as, "We can't even be friends" would probably bring the tears and UGH I hate it. I hate it I hate it I hate it.

Saeran... that's a special case. And, again, I know it's not a real situation, but I can't help but think about it, and I'm sorry I'm ranting like this, but it just kinda got to me and I needed to write this out kind of in depth. Thank you for reading this far...

Due to a friendship in my past -- my first best friend -- I think I would struggle with him a little. Not so much during his route, although the ADHD and RSD would make that difficult, too. Man... I wouldn't give in, not at all, but you can bet 100% that I would cry at least a little every damn time Suit Saeran came in to verbally torment me. Literally none of what he says would actually hurt me, but just because they're harsh words... And I wouldn't put it past him to actually reach into my insecurity of my ADHD making me annoying and overbearing, because I likely would've mentioned it to Ray once or twice or a million times lol.

But past that, GE Saeran seems to be heavily emotionally dependent on the MC -- no surprise there, but I... My friend. She was like that. Different issues, though: depression, anxiety, self-harm, and eventually suicidal thoughts.

I carried all her secrets, all her problems. I was in middle school. I was eager that someone would trust me so much. I was certain it had no impact on me.

And then it did. And it still does. I took on an... unfavorable habit. I still do it on occasion -- and I do small versions of it everyday. It's a terrible and destructive coping mechanism, but I... I like it.

We had a fight. I told her parents everything. They got her help. I'm happy for her, always still worried about it, but we're not friends anymore. I couldn't take it.

Ever since that, I get cautious around people who show similar behaviours to her -- thinking, I can't deal with a repeat.

Saeran isn't exactly a repeat, and I'd still want to be there for him 100%... but I'm afraid of how it might affect me. I don't know what would happen. Maybe I'd accidentally end up distancing myself from him, or maybe I'd fall back into the position of taking all of his burdens onto myself, as much as he would let me...

I realize Saeyoung would likely also be a little emotionally dependent as well, but I still think I could handle that a little better... maybe... Geez. It's not a big deal now, but... I mean, people like that -- people who are or get emotionally dependent -- exist. And if I meet someone who I really like, platonically or otherwise, and they end up being even a little emotionally dependent, I fear I would unintentionally distance myself, and end up losing an amazing relationship... This is why, I believe, the thing with the Choi twins affects me so much. That, and I know I would really want to help them, but I would struggle with so much feelings of inadequacy... No, I'd struggle with emotional inadequacy itself...

Sorry for this long post, but thank you for reading... ^^"

[417]

There can be a true catharsis in writing out your feelings so I hope that you feel a little better now that you’ve gotten it out. The fun thing about games is that it is allowing you to range outside of your comfort zone and put you on a playing field where you can click things that you may feel too nervous or unsure to do in your actual life! It’s good that you can find comfort in these characters, as well, and I totally get where you’re coming from. 

Here’s the thing, yes, there are hard times emotionally with both of them but do not think for a second that they wouldn’t stop themselves in the middle of what they are doing if you start crying or get upset. Neither of them wants to hurt you or make you cry. They’re both fully aware by the ends of their routes that they’ve got a lot to work on. 

It’s not easy. But, coping and learning how to deal with your trauma in a healthy way takes time. Realistically, the events of the game should happen over a much longer period and that would make it easier to put yourself in the situation and deal with as it comes. Especially with Ray’s Route, specifically. Because there is such a drastic change in his feelings. Falling in love and playing with the line of what he knows and what he doesn’t... that’s a whole thing. 

Yes, to an extent, he leans on his MC. I’ve talked about that before. He’s going to lean on them a lot. He won’t mean to do it but he’s only ever lived his life in the sense that he can please others and do for them. Everyone gave him a reason to be alive and to exist, and now that he doesn’t have that, he doesn’t know what to do and that’s hard. That’s going to be a battle in itself but he’ll get better in time with therapy and positive support from everyone. However, that can be exhausting, so that’s something to take with care. 

Saeran knows that he needs to work on himself and he’ll apologize and work with you when he does that. You just have to be gentle with him and be honest about how exhausted it makes you feel. He’s willing to work with you and take care of this. He wants to get better. He wants to fight for his health. But, Rome isn’t built in a day. If you love him and he loves you, he wants to make this work. 

Saeyoung is hard in the sense that yes, he loves you and he would do anything for you. His issue is that he can be skittish and paranoid. In the events of the SE, he and his brother still have to live with the fact that their father is still out there and could still hurt them. He’s not going to push that fear onto you specifically but it will show in what he does. He sleeps with his back to the wall. He needs to double-check when you go out alone on CCTV. He watches over you and he can get really scared. 

It’s not smothering, per se, but it is something that he needs to work on and very well acknowledge that he is doing. It’s not healthy for him to live like that, but the fear is warranted so that’s hard to fight. He, just like Saeran, understands that he has a long road ahead of him to get better... but he wants to, and the willingness to be ready to fight for yourself is the first step in the long battle. If someone isn’t willing to fight, then it’s not going to work. 

With your own fears, I think they would both be happy to help you work on your own fears and help you in your own battle. Support systems are important, and the Choi boys want you to feel safe and loved too. Fear is fear, but love is love, and it’ll be okay. If you find comfort in them, don’t fear that things would spiral out of control, there will be hard nights, but it will be okay. At the end of the day, you’ve got someone that cares about you as much as you care about them.

It’s about being willing to be honest. 

Being honest is hard, but you have to acknowledge it. It’s something that the three of you can work on together, no matter what timeline this is. Like, to give you a personal example, even though I love Saeran, I would have a hard time myself being there in the physical form. One of my triggers is loud voices, and I would have an issue with Suit Saeran as well even though I tend to try to rationalize anger and fear to combat my anxiety. I can’t control the fact that I cry when people scream at me, though. 

But, I do control how I let it affect me afterward and that’s a part of my personal battle to cope and to heal... and knowing that Saeran is just fighting so hard to control himself and he feels so twisted up, well, I have faith in him even when he is angry and lost. That’s me though, I have faith in people. It’s just good, to be honest with yourself and know that you can find comfort and rationality in that love. 

[walkingspiral]

I've been looking forward to this my entire life: finding someone who completes me and getting engaged and planning the wedding. yet somehow ever since the engagement I have been less stable than I was before. i'd been doing so well for so long.

Yet lately I seem to get more defensive, more upset, and have more rainy days than before. I'm trying to work on it, I don't want to be this way and I know if affects those around me.

I don't know why I'm so impatient, why i feel threatened when his parents overstep: I've always known they were overbearing, and I've always known there is a chasm of culturally differences in how involved its appropriate for the parents to be. I can not be OK with that and still accept it as my reality. Things will never be perfect and all things considered the situation is still very good. So why are their remarks bothering me so much more?

Why is it bothering me so much more how he is dragging his feet on moving to the other place? It's going to feel weird once we are there. I'll regret having pushed to go there, and we are inevitably going there anyways since it is bigger than our current place and it is the only route that makes sense. Why am I feeling all these things?

I know I had losing control, and maybe the problem is it feels like in both the above situations I am losing control: his parents are asserting their control over aspects of the wedding I thought would be mine, and his lack of commitment to a date to move apartment leaves me without being able to plan and make decisions until it happens.

It is a lot of uncertainty and a lot out of my hands, and I'm not good with that. But it is all going to be OK and I need to not ruin it for myself by complaining. It will just leave a slightly bitter taste when the times I am hoping for actually come.

[thoi2020]

Hello it is 🧑‍🎄! My apologies for not sending messages consistently and punctually. Happy Christmas Eve! I hope the past few days have been kind to you! Don't worry about late responses, I do not mind at all.

And no it's not mean, it's okay if nobody is particularly "skilled" at gifts! Do you enjoy giving presents more or receiving them?

Regarding new year's resolutions, I too am a bit of a procrastinator, so I don't blame you about not thinking ahead. My problem usually is that I spend too much time daydreaming about the future while neglecting the things I should be doing in the present so that I can reach that specific future... But I digress.

I believe I'm the same about memory and the days bleeding into one, and I found that journaling does help! However, formal journaling isn't the only way to document your day. I think sometimes, instead of forcing yourself to conform to one method of documenting your day, maybe allow yourself to be spread across platforms and places? I now learn to retrace my days by looking at my photos, screenshots, Instagram stories, Discord messages and so on. But I will say that recording the present is invaluable, if not for your future self, for your current self! Introspection is so important and it is something I too want to dive deeper into.

Good luck getting into a good college! Do you have any colleges or subjects in mind? I can imagine studying is hard, but know that the entirety of Bitch Pack has your back! Even if this is not a formal resolution, it is indeed a goal that is worth working towards, and we are cheering on you all the way.

Getting more sun is so important! Is it sunny there in winter? I hope that even if it is not sunny, you can still go out for 30 mins a day, because being cooped indoors for an extended period of time might not be healthy. I presume it would be good to at least go out and get a change of scenery, don't you think?

My apologies for this ask being very long-winded, I hope you don't mind! I do not mind at all if you have long replies. To be honest, I think you might be able to guess who I am, but that's beside the point.

Is your cousin with you and your family now? I hope you are having a good week. I'm not sure if you have a Christmas holiday (I'm happy to hear you do not have exams on Christmas day itself, but unsure if that means you get time off or not necessarily), but either way, I hope you can have a good time. I know I am not properly answering your questions, but what is your ideal way of spending the new year? Do you usually spend it with your family? Would you prefer to spend it differently?

I also do want to say this: I am not the best at keeping up with my friends, but I see that it can be hard being in your family. I want you to know that I hear you and I'm really sorry. I know your parents can be strict and overbearing, and I know college might be an escape route of sorts for you. Know that you are loved and cared for, okay? And I wish you and your brother nothing but the best this Christmas 🧑‍🎄

hiii omg it's ok i completely feel u!!! i'm glad to receive this itself pls dont worry <3 i'm going to divide my answer in paragraphs so it's easier for u to read!

i prefer giving presents! i love the process of deciding on something and like. the excitement of wondering what they'll think of it, and if i am lucky enough to be around when they open it! january of this year, a friend of mine sent me the video of her opening my present and i go back and watch it every now and then, the joy is just that contagious! i LOVE receiving them too, though... another unparalleled joy tbh! it does leave me with the "oh there's no more new ones anymore" after opening them, u know? so that just ever so slightly sours it for me, but not that much!

alsooo that is SUCH a mood,,, ure literally like me for real... it's ok, perhaps this year we can both work on it a lil bit! any improvement is still improvement, right?

that's soo true,, i love ur thought process on this!! i want to work on taking more pictures- of me, of my day, etc. i think it will help me feel better about myself too (and maybe teach me a thing or two about posing properly lmaoo😭)

and aaa thank u so much!! i do actually, i'm aiming for IITs, which are like, the most prestigious engineering colleges in the country, there's quite a few, spread out over the country, but there's a lot of competition so it's pretty hard (at least for me haha)... as for subjects,, that really depends on how well i score, my first choice is comp sci engineering, and second is aeronautical engineering!

i agree! LOVE getting the sun,, we've been getting it quite a lot these days (at least compared to most of december) but i'm afraid we'll lose it soon bc it rains a lot in january... dont know how i'm going to make it out of bed on those days lol... we will see <3

oof my cousins did not visit, my grandma (mother's mother, she doesn't live with us) has covid so we all decided to cancel plans bc of that. but yes, i do have the day off! going to a christmas party in the evening tomorrow!

and as for my ideal new year's day... i think i'd just like to have a chill day full of stuff i enjoy doing. like i would want to wake up early and watch the first sunrise of the year, go for a walk, have my favourite breakfast... things that make me feel New and Shiny and Fresh and Blank Slate, u know?? i do spend it with my family which is... not bad at all, not really, but it's also not my ideal. i think that'll change as i spend more time away from them, but currently, for all 18 years of my life, i've spent NYD with them in pretty much the same way, so u can see how i'm dying for some change, right?

i'm just at a stage in life where i'm getting a bit weary of them and just like. years of missing out on friendships and the fun that comes along with it has started weighing a bit. i had started to resent them for it, thankfully i learnt and don't anymore, but that doesn't change how much i'm burning to get out of here and feel like my own person. this rlly ties into what u said at the end, about college being an escape route, and yeah it really is one for me at this point. i want to have friends and be affectionate with them and maybe even have a romantic relationship with someone without my parents bearing down on or judging me... fingers crossed x

aaa this got quite long, (thank u for saying u dont mind 💞 and also neither do i, love it actually!), i hope u have a lovely christmas and new year 💕

[sage-nebula]

What do you think of the direction the Pokemon anime is taking on Lusamine? They are trying to make her more sympathetic and she don't seen to be abusive. I feel conflicted because will they are whitewashing the only female villain, they are also going into to the USUM route without the unfortunate implications.

Well, first, before anything—I mean no offense, but I just feel that you should know for future usage that “making a villain out to be a good person” is not the correct use of the term “whitewashing.” 

“Whitewashing” is a very specific term which relates to portraying a character of non-white ethnicity as white in adaptations of the original work. So for instance, the characters Katara and Sokka were whitewashed in the live action film adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, because although they have dark skin in the original cartoon, they were played by white actors. The character Yagami Light was whitewashed in the recent Netflix film adaptation of the series Death Note, because although he is originally a Japanese character, he was portrayed by a white actor and his name was changed to Light Turner, and so on and so forth. “Whitewashing” applies specifically to the depiction of race (and sometimes culture) within media adaptations, and doesn’t at all refer to the heroics or villainous traits present within the characters. Again, I don’t mean to call you out on this or attack you or anything even remotely close to that, but I just thought you should know for the future, since there are some reactionary people on this website who might get a little more volatile about it, even though it’s just an honest mistake on your part.

As for the actual content of your question: It’s complicated.

First, before anything else, it needs to be said that Lusamine is still abusive in USUM. Gladion’s line about how he was “an ornament to [his] mother” is still in tact, as is all of the verbal abuse she hurls at Lillie and Gladion right there on screen when you confront her at Aether Paradise. I actually transcribed this while playing through that scene last night, so I can share that now:

LUSAMINE: “A gifted young trainer like [player] … and they bother with someone like you? How disappointing. […] My … you do say such imcomprehensible things. Calling me mother? I don’t have any children! Certainly not any wretched children who would run off and reject my love! So tell me how you’ll save that pokémon. What can you do, Lillie? You failed to convince me to listen to you. You don’t even have the strength of a trainer. The only thing that you’ve ever done on your own is steal someone else’s research material! It’s so terribly unattractive. But know that my fathomless love will save even someone like you … when I protect this entire world from darkness!”

The very first thing the player witnesses Lusamine saying to Lillie, her daughter, is that it’s disappointing that the player has “bothered” with someone like Lillie. The fact that Lusamine takes the time to point out that the player is gifted hammers in the point that she feels that Lillie is not. By saying that the player is a gifted trainer bothering with Lillie, Lusamine is—in essence—saying that Lillie is not worth their time. She is not good enough for the player. She is worthless. Given that this is the first thing we witness Lusamine saying to Lillie—and that this is the first time they’ve even spoken in person in some time—we can see right off the bat that she’s an abusive mother.

But she doesn’t stop there. When Lillie tries to defend herself by saying that she doesn’t need Lusamine’s approval, and that she will save Nebby, Lusamine says that she says “incomprehensible things”. This ostensibly applies to everything Lillie just said, but Lusamine decides to drive the nail in further by disowning her (and Gladion, though not by name), saying that she doesn’t have any children, and that the children she does have by blood are wretched children who rejected her. Even if you wanted to argue that Lusamine is just lashing out in anger and rejecting those who she perceives rejected her first, the truth of the matter is that Lusamine is the adult. She is their mother. She is supposed to love and support them, and do the right thing, which she has not done. She treats them, as Gladion tells us, like objects and possessions, and when they don’t behave the way she wants them to, she throws them out and blames them for how poorly she treats them. This is emotional abuse.

And again, she doesn’t stop there! She continues to berate and belittle Lillie right in front of the player character, to the point where Lillie ends up bowing her head in shame and hurt. She blames Lillie for her own refusal to listen to or acknowledge Lillie’s concerns, saying that it’s Lillie’s responsibility to convince her rather than her own responsibility to listen. She insults Lillie for not being a trainer, and calls her a thief (while at the same time reducing Nebby to an object, calling him “research material”). She then goes on to call her unattractive, and to say that she’s going to save someone like [Lillie], once again pointing out that she sees Lillie as the lowest of the low without directly saying that. All of this is verbal and emotional abuse. All of it. It’s extremely realistically written, something I can say from personal life experiences with my own biological mother, and it is high-key abusive.

And then, shortly after that, we get:

HAU: “:Daughter? Son? Wait … you all are a family?!”

LUSAMINE: “Perhaps once we were … sweet Hau. But those wretches beside you left me.”

She straight up once again says that Gladion and Lillie are no longer ones she considers family, and calls them wretches on top of it. (Note that, despite the fact that Lusamine says this to Hau, Hau still calls her “a good person” later. Have I mentioned how much my opinion of Hau has plummeted by this point?) Despite the fact that her intention now is to save the world, and despite the fact that she has moments where she does things like call Gladion “a sweet boy” for seemingly worrying for her, it’s more than evident that Lusamine is every bit as abusive toward her children in USUM as she was in SM. If anything, Lusamine changing her tune only when her children seem to care about her is even more indicative that she’s an abuser. Abusers will act nice and sweet toward their victims when their victims “behave”; it’s when they start to “step out of line” that abusers bring down the hammers of pain, and that’s exactly what Lusamine is doing here. Oh sure, she’ll act like a sweet, caring mother if her children are doing what she wants them to do, but the second they try to think or act for themselves she declares them wretched traitors that she wants nothing to do with. Considering the last conversation I had with my own biological mother ended with her calling me a traitor because I got out of her house (and me saying I didn’t have to listen to that, and her saying I did, and me saying I didn’t before I hung up the phone), yeah, that’s all very familiar to me, and it is absolutely abusive.

So make no mistake: Lusamine is still an abusive mother, and is still the most realistically written abusive parent that we’ve had in Pokémon to date (far more so than Ghetsis, whose dialogue makes him sound more cartoonish than anything). Even though the anime is clearly looking to adapt USUM, that shouldn’t affect the fact that Lusamine is an abusive parent to Gladion and Lillie, because she is. The only real difference is that here it doesn’t seem as if her abuse is being blamed on Nihilego toxins; instead, it’s just being handwaved and treated as though it isn’t abuse at all (along with Lillie’s experiences pre-canon being erased, since we no longer have the, “… you left me alone with Mother. She became so bad after you left!” line that she delivers to Gladion on Poni Island in the original games). And honestly, that’s kind of even worse, since now the fandom’s awful behavior of ignoring / downplaying Lusamine’s abuse and excusing her because she’s a woman is being validated by Game Freak themselves. Disgusting.

With all of that said, I would argue that Lusamine’s behavior still carries shades of emotional abuse in the anime as well. It’s clear from the few interactions that she has with Lillie that she doesn’t actually respect Lillie’s autonomy or agency very much at all. She ignores Lillie’s personal space, and handwaves the fact that Lillie is upset being hugged and cuddled by her. She also completely disrespected Lillie’s wishes regarding her old clefairy, treating Lillie as though she was an ignorant child and evolving the clefairy despite the fact that she knew Lillie wanted to raise the clefairy as a clefairy, rather than as a clefable. Whether Lusamine was right in that it was illogical to raise a pokémon in a pre-evolved form simply because it was cuter that way or not is irrelevant. The point is that she railroaded over Lillie’s wishes and boundaries, and she seems to have a habit of doing so. That said, you’re right: That is far less overt than the emotional abuse she hurls at Lillie and Gladion in the games, so it does seem as though they’re treating her as though she’s just an oblivious, overbearing mother rather than an actively abusive one in the anime.

As for how I feel about it? Well … I would think that would be obvious.

I’m livid at the way Lusamine has been handled in all forms. I was so, so excited to finally have a female Big Bad, and I had so many high expectations for her. Game Freak and TPCi have successfully ruined and destroyed every last one of them. In USUM, which the anime is clearly taking its cues from, she’s not even a villain anymore; she’s an antihero at best, because although she clearly abuses her children and is willing to sacrifice Nebby, her decision to sacrifice Nebby is not one borne out of selfishness, but rather is one borne out of perceived necessity. If Necrozma comes over to this dimension, he’ll steal the light, and presumably everyone and everything there will die. Lusamine is taking the tack that sacrificing one life is worth it if it means saving billions. That’s logic that can’t be easily argued with. It’s an ethical dilemma, and ethical dilemmas often don’t have hard line right or wrong answers. (Often, but not always. There are some “ethical dilemmas” which aren’t ethical dilemmas at all and do have hard line right or wrong answers.) They’ve completely stripped her of her villain status, presumably because in their minds women just can’t be villains. (And by “their” I mean “Game Freak’s”, because remember, the anime staff did have Hunter J back in DP.) It’s upsetting and infuriating both on the basis that I really wanted a competent, dangerous female Big Bad for once, and also because she’s still a blatantly abusive mother in the games, and that’s just treated as if it doesn’t matter. I guess, in the eyes of Game Freak (and a large part of the fandom) abuse just doesn’t count or isn’t that bad if it comes from one’s mother. What a great fucking message to send. [/s]

Anyway, I’m not happy about it, but there’s also nothing I can do to change it. So long as Alan is left out of the Team Rainbow Rocket arc coming up (or at the very least, if he’s involved, he doesn’t have his character assassinated), I don’t have it in me to get very worked up about it, emotionally.