#therefore: if you’re trying to manipulate someone

[obstinaterixatrix]

this falls into ‘if everyone would just’ venting so don’t take it too seriously but it severely irks me when people are addressing a specific problem from a specific population and do so in a completely ineffective way, you’re not talking to the people this relates to you’re talking to yourself. that’s fine but effective rhetoric is understanding an audience and tailoring your argument to what is most effective against them, not what would be most effective against you. pathos, logos, ethos, whatever the fuck. all communication is manipulation and you are not putting nearly enough effort into manipulation.

[nayatarot777]

A Lot of You Have Subtle/Covert Control Issues, And Here’s Why:

One thing that I’ve noticed about a lot of people is that they have control issues that are given a pass and overlooked. Especially in relationships and friendships.

When we think of ‘control issues’ in the context of connections, we think of someone telling another what they can and can’t do, or what they can and can’t wear, or who they can and can’t speak to. Those things definitely fit into that category, but those are OVERT forms of control issues. Read through some of the following points and see if you can relate to any of the more subtle ones:

Refusing to accept people for who they are (positive or negative) and therefore opting to try to change them for better or for worse - instead of choosing to change YOUR behaviour and whether or not YOU continue to deal with them.

Thinking that you have the power or influence to change someone into a ‘better person’ and refusing to give up despite them not being receptive to that, nor even asking for your help in the first place.

Trying to force people to love and care for you. Instead of just choosing to love, care, and focus on yourself. Thinking that if you do ‘this’ and ‘that’ for them, or if you stick around them long enough, then they’ll eventually treat you like you want to be treated.

Refusing to change what YOU accept in terms of disrespect (when you definitely could if you wanted to), and instead trying to force someone to respect you. THEY DON’T WANT TO. Simple.

Trying to “fix” other people constantly (people who most likely never asked for that/don’t want that in the first place) while barely fixing anything about yourself.

All of these scenarios are just examples, but they all include someone trying to change someone else instead of choosing to change themselves, and their OWN behaviour, and their OWN standards.

So, this is my question: If you think that you don’t have the power nor the influence to change yourself into who you want to be, what makes you think that you’re powerful enough to change someone else into who you want them to be?

Please recognise your control issues. People who struggle with these types of things - covertly or overtly - are people who feel out of control in their own lives so they try to control someone else’s life. And that energy repels people. Because hardly anybody ever asks for someone to impose themselves onto them like that. Doesn’t matter if you think that you’re doing it to make someone “better”. If they don’t WANT to be a better person, then leave them to it. You don’t have the right to force someone onto a path that they don’t want to be on. Just like nobody else would have the right to do that to you.

There’s a reason why we have free will. To control ourselves. A lot of you shame manipulative people due to the way that they impose themselves on another person’s free will and mindset. However, I can guarantee you that if you relate to doing any of the things listed above, you attempted manipulating someone’s mind and behaviour - even if it was for something ‘good’ or ‘better’ - whether you realised it or not. Manipulation is something that humans do consciously and subconsciously all of the time. My question is, if you’re willing to try to manipulate someone’s behaviour for better, why not put that energy into yourself? Or at least someone who has directly ASKED for your help with that?

Please, everyone, stay in your lane and control YOURSELVES 💀.

[spacerockfloater]

Why the fuck does Laena Velaryon, who is canonically younger than Rhaenyra Targaryen in the show, look like a fucking 20-year-old in episode 5 while Rhaenyra, her elder, still looks fucking 13? Why the actual fuck did they change the YOUNGER girl’s actress and made her look older, but it’s okay for Rhaenyra to continue looking like a preteen? I’ll tell you why.

They’re trying to distract us from the fact that creepy ass Daemon is courting a 14-year-old. A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD. Rhaenyra is 15 in episode 1 and Laena is 12, meaning they have a 3 year age gap. Then, Viserys tells Rhaenyra that she must marry since she’s 17 now, making Laena 14, maybe 15 at best. So they obviously can’t afford having Daemon thirst over a child again, therefore this is a shitty attempt to cover up the fact that Laena still is a very fucking young child.

HBO what is this? Why do your casting choices indicate that you’re trying to use some kind of ageist technique to manipulate your viewers? Why are the supposedly good guys, Rhaenyra and her children, portrayed by very young actors? Is this to show how innocent and pure they are? Why are the characters who are supposedly evil, Aegon and Aemond, or the character for whom we shouldn’t worry too much about since she’s just a tool for Daemon’s story line to develop, Laena, portrayed by obviously older actors even though they’re all supposed to be kids? Because the youth = good people and old = bad people analogy is fucking gross and lowkey paedophilic. Not to mention how weird it is to make all the black girls in the show look like fucking grown ups. What kind of racist bullshit is this?

I can’t understand HBO’s decisionmaking for the love of me. Like, on the one hand, it’s so obvious that they’re forcing Daemon and Rhaenyra down our throats, to the point that I actually laughed out loud when the show runner said “he doesn’t get why people like Daemon”. Like, my guy, you MADE the show. You made him look like an appealing, dangerous, sexy, strong, victorious and mysterious man, so what do you mean you don’t get the appeal? On the other hand though, most of the actions that they allow Daemon to perform are so horrifying that it makes it impossible for a sane person to stand beside him and defend him. Like, they try to sugarcoat that he’s an abusive piece of shit yeah, but they somehow don’t shy away from the fact that he’s terrible? Are they doing both of these things on purpose? Are they trying to challenge the viewer, to show us how abusers, despite being openly deranged, still have their way of dazzling their victims, the average person, and hypnotising them with their charm? Is Daemon doing to us (and by us I mean you Daemon stans, not me, stay safe though) what he’s doing to Rhaenyra and Laena? Are the show producers testing the average viewer’s intelligence and ability to recognise an abuser? Will there be a lesson to be learned?

I would like to hope so but I highly doubt it, because while one could support this theory by arguing that changing Laena’s actress is an attempt to mask Daemon’s degenerative nature a bit so that it isn’t completely obvious that he’s a bad man, someone else could counter this argument by saying that we’ve already seen Daemon groom a minor so this wouldn’t be something new. We’ve seen him do much more violent crimes actually, so why shy away from the fact he’s a groomer when we are already aware of this? Idk man, I really want to think that HBO is trying to make us see that Daemon is an evil person, but then indirectly glorifying him constantly makes me believe they just want people to root for him.

P.S. I may anger a lot of people by saying this, so I’ll make myself clear by stating that I love and greatly respect actors who specialise in portraying evil characters, because doing so and not losing yourself is a challenge (*cough* Leto *cough*) but if done correctly, it’s a true showcase of one’s talent and hard work. Lee, De Niro, Hopkins, Bardem and Rickman are just a few to name. However, Matt Smith has never rubbed me the right way. No hate to the guy, I don’t even know him, but I’ve seen him play the villain in three separate occasions (HOTD, Last Night in Soho, Morbius) and I just get these weird vibes, but I usually told myself it’s just my imagination running wild. However, I recently found out that Smith claimed that Daemon is a loyal man who loves deeply and that his “heir for a day” brothel feast was his way of honouring Aema, which really disturbed me for obvious reasons. I don’t know if he said this because he’s trying to defend his character and by extension himself, or if he just wants to promote the show, or if he doesn’t understand Daemon or if he funnily enough has fallen victim to his own character’s charm and I don’t care because it is a dangerous thing to say. Painting this character, the arrogant, obnoxious, self serving, people slaughtering, wife murdering, backstabbing, abusing, grooming, lying, manipulating, war criminal of a man, in such a positive light while being a man yourself, knowing that most of this character’s supporters are young impressionable women who just find him hot, makes me lowkey wanna cover my drink in his presence, I don’t know.

[krisluxxeeempress]

HOW DOES YOUR PERSON FEEL ABOUT YOU? PICK-A-PILE ...

Pile (1) : Cut The BS

Cards:  Hanged man (reversed), Knight of Swords (reversed), Five of Wands, Sun, Two of Cups. Seven of Cups (reversed), Queen of Swords – at the bottom of the deck.

I live for the energy like this!  “Your person” has some ego issues rooted from insecurity- unbeknownst to them. There is so much to be said about your person which leads me to my next point. Your person feels like you see right through them and & they’re feeling shooketh that you had the audacity to call them out on it- Judge Judy style. They are mad (5 of wands) because whatever charm, innocence, or victimhood energy they try to exude doesn’t effectively manipulate you- like it does for everyone else. Due to the Leo influence with the Sun, I feel like for some of you who picked this pile- this was someone you just met, or barley knew. This is someone you were dating or talking to, regardless, the energy is new or surface level. Now as we know, the majority of people wear mask 24/7, especially when it comes to who they are dating and or getting to know i.e. impress. Emphasis on “as we know”. “Your person” didn’t think you’d know or be aware that they were presenting themselves as someone they are not. This is someone who projected their lies upon you. They were not being honest about their past failed relationships or their current dating status and worse- their sexual history. Therefore, if you told them for example, you haven’t been dating- they didn’t believe you. For those rare folks, you told them you’ve been abstinent – and they didn’t believe you. If you told them, you are a homebody- they didn’t believe you. If you told them that you’re looking for a committed relationship- they believed this and had intentions of taking advantage of your desires. This person had intentions of carrying out a fling, a situationships- friends with benefits, if you will. Meanwhile, you were clear (Judge Judy vibes) about wanting something more committed. Underneath the 7 of Cups (reversed) and Queen of Swords cards therein lie the 4 of Wands and 7 of Swords. Personally, I view the 7 of Swords card as the Devil and 7 of Cups all in one. (they’re one of the same) Let’s think about something for a moment. Home should be a safe place, correct? Imagine being home and someone is lurking outside your home with intent on robbing you…

Of course, if this is unbeknownst to you- what do not know cannot hurt you, but does ignorance prevent/ protect you from a lurker who intends on following through to rob, steal, kill or abuse you? NO.  I presented that analogy to confirm your Judge Judy energy in relationships. You are cautious and refuse to be that unknowing person who allows people into your life, bed, home, heart, and legs (4 of wands energy) - who have bad intentions for you in which are hidden. Again, you know people walk around with masks, constantly playing a role- a character. It’s gotten so bad that people believe they are who they pretend to be. Amazingly, the Two of Swords and Page of Wands are underneath the 7 of Swords and 4 of Wands. “Your Person” thought you were oblivious, unknowing, and blind. (they may wear glasses which would be symbolic for this person being blind but projecting that onto others- anyway)

I pulled more cards from the Kipper Oracle deck and two cards appeared. “The Official Person” which is equivalent to the Emperor and “The Lovers Card” (reversed) came out.  “Your person” may be older than you and truly thought they had an advantage over you. They are used to dealing with other “pages”, and assumed you were just another one they had under control. This is where the jokes kick in because they underestimated you. They thought you were dumb, desperate for a relationship and willing to fight/ compete for their affection. (their Sun) Meanwhile, you are The Queen of Swords (man or woman). In English, you are intelligent as hell and knew exactly what kind of person they were. They exposed themselves, unknowingly. 

(I love it here!- GOTCHA ) But back to my analogy, this is like you being in the comfort of your home and whoever is lurking outside thinking they’re going to successfully rob you, actually ends up getting exposed at the last minute when they realize their being recorded or you have weapons or barking dogs. Some of you have a strong intuition or mind and see through the facades people portray.

(Now, to clarify though it’s not necessary because you already “peeped the scene”.)

 For laughs and giggles, let’s clarify the Hanged One (reversed) and the Knight of Swords (reversed) that’s hiding behind the Sun. Okay, the Eight of Wands, Queen of Pentacles, Ten of Wands, and the Queen of Wands came out. I think these Queens are one of the same. (not different people) For me, this means that this person was unaware (hanged one reversed) that a lot of you have been on a Self-Love (Queen of Pentacles) journey (Eight of Wands).  Another thing, they weren’t aware of (hanged one reversed) about you was that you’ve been through a lot (Ten of Wands) to become this strong, no nonsense and confident person (Queen of Wands- male or woman).

The joke continues because the King of Swords came out and the card is positioned looking at all the cards that I just clarified with the Queen of Wands and Queen of Pentacles. (The energy just abruptly stopped) The King of Swords is Aquarius energy and the abrupt stop in the reading indicates for me, someone who is dumbfounded. Imagine the face of someone who you just BEAT OR PROVED WRONG. They just sit there looking dumb, silent, and baffled. (This person (has realized that they LOST AT THEIR OWN GAME) The reading has finished, however, I’m not done dissecting this. I feel like you came across this person to teach them a lesson. According to Vedic Astrology, Saturn is in Aquarius, and this explains why this person came out as King of Swords with energy of abruptly stopping. Another reason I feel you came across this person was because this was a test for you. It feels like watching a play and then the scene cuts off. AND SCENE.

In conclusion, this person was just a person. They were never intended to be a permanent figure in your life. You taught them a multitude of things – like not everyone Is the same and shouldn’t be treated as such (whether they learned the lesson is solely on them) but you were tested on being able to stand your ground, remain confident and intellectually sharp but also on your ability to make accurate judgements on people’s character.  Energetically, I feel you passed your test especially if you’ve picked this pile.

There is Capricorn, Aquarius, Leo, Aries, Cancer, Libra, Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces energy present.

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Pile (2) : Self Sabotage

Cards:  Six of Pentacles (reversed), Eight of Wands (reversed), Three of Wands (reversed), King of Cups, Hanged One. King of Wands and Justice (reversed) – at the bottom of the deck.

I had to shuffle twice for this pile. The first spread that came out did not make any sense. I wasn’t surprised because the 8 of Swords appeared. Immediately, I knew I didn’t want to be bothered. So, I decided to shuffle for a new spread. This may be symbolic for how you are feeling, thinking and or moving at this time. If someone brings confusion, stress, or annoyance – you are throwing the entire situation away. ZERO TOLERANCE. (YASSSS, SLAY) But let’s get down to business.

(mind you, I’ve started shuffling now)

Your person views you as mature and they are currently in their thoughts about you. (I pulled two cards from the Kipper oracle deck and “Mature Woman/Man and “Thoughts” cards appeared) This pile may be a continuation to Pile 1. Anyway, your person is thinking about how mature you are. This is important because people only have this train of thoughts about a person when they, themselves, are immature. And or, they are used to dealing with immature people and you’re different. With much consideration of the King of Wands and Justice (reversed) at the bottom of the deck, I am led to believe that this person is immature.

This person is selfish, unfair, non-committal and emotionally unavailable. The Six of Pentacles (reversed), The Eight of Wands (reversed) and the Two of Wands (reversed) indicate that this person doesn’t give the same energy they take from others.  The situations they engage in especially in  relationships- never go the distance. The reason this person is thinking of you as mature is because you made it clear that you require someone who wants to “settle down”. You are the one who wants a long-term, committed, fair and peaceful relationship and they knew they weren’t going to offer that. They know you are not the type who will engage in flings which is exactly what they’re offering. I wanted to clarify the King of Cups and sadly, the 3 of Cups appeared. This person really is a player. I feel that there were three other men/ women in this person’s life that he may have hurt on a profound level with their non-committal behavior. Even if they were in a long-term relationship with these men/women- they refused to commit completely. An example would be like refusing to have children or get married etc. This person likes the IDEA of relationships but is never emotionally invested. ( they like to playhouse, emphasis on the word PLAY)

He/ She hurt the men or women he was in a long-term relationship with and he’s using the pain he inflicted upon them, AS HIS OWN- to justify why in the current moment he cannot commit to a relationship with you. At a core level, he using others pain to justify why he/she acts like a King of Wands w/ Justice (reversed) person. In English, act like an immature non-committal player from the Himalayas. The Queen of Swords, Six of Wands and the Knight of Cups appears for further clarification, and I feel like the Queen of Swords is the same “Mature Women/Man” that came out in the Kipper Oracle deck. Basically, “your person” knows you know. It’s like you’re a psychologist and you have dissected their behavior and concluded that they are “hurt” ( childhood wounding) and unfortunately, hurting others. They feel like you have judged them- accurately. They consider you a Tower moment. It reminds me of the energy in the beginning where things were confusing, and I felt that you refused to deal with anyone who brought confusion, annoyance, or stress to your life. You pretty much threw them away and this has caused them a Tower ( Ego Death). It’s like others tolerated their non-committal energy mainly due to their desperation, insecurity, or familiarity. Whereas, when you came along it was giving A STRONG HELL NO, BYE. They view you as the star card- DIFFERENT, AUTHENTIC AND UNWILLING TO TOLERATE BS. I wanted to see more about the cards Justice (reversed) and King of Wands, and the Ace of Cups appeared. This person is thinking about you, reflecting on their behavior, their past and realizing -FINALLY, that they need to heal. In other words, move on from the past and whatever cycle they keep repeating because of it. It’s like they are being disillusioned because of you, talk about a TOWER. Yup, the Nine of Wands is here. In conclusion, this pile is about someone who didn’t treat you right or give your situation a fair chance. They are realizing that they are still holding on to pain, fear, and insecurity. They also are coming to terms with how selfish they are because they were like this in their previous relationships, especially the more serious ones. “Your person” is experiencing a Tower in their life- thanks to you.

There is Capricorn, Scorpio, Cancer, Aries, Leo, Libra, Aquarius, Pisces, and Virgo energy present.

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Pile (3) : Divine Feminine / Divine Masculine

Cards: The World, Seven of Cups (reversed), Four of Cups, King of Wands, Four of Pentacles (reversed). Magician (reversed), The Ace of Swords and Seven of Pentacles- at the bottom of the deck.  

Your person feels powerless currently. There has been a disconnect and they feel like you’ve moved on. If you selected this pile, you may be a homebody and career oriented- I cannot tell if this is new energy, or you’ve always been this way. Nevertheless, a lot of you have moved on and redirected your focus on yourself- hobbies, passions, work but basically staying busy. Your person feels like they do not have your attention whatsoever, which makes me think that they’ve been trying to do things to get your attention. You are not reacting, responding, or reaching out to them.

Honestly, this person may have triggered you into some productive energy. It’s like you see the light about this person or about relationships in general and rather not focus on them at all. When you are genuinely disinterested in relationships and focused on yourself is when you are the most attractive and abundant. “ Your Person” wants to “come back” or try again. If you’ve been in this single and productive energy- I just see that you’re very attractive to others because you’re not interested or not paying attention.  I pulled more cards, and they further confirm that “ your person” is concerned because they know you are high quality and know others view you in the same manner. The last card out is The Star, period. In most cases, the only way to stay true to yourself is to remain by yourself and I see you in this energy strongly at this time.  Keep your standards high.

There is Aquarius, Leo, Libra, Gemini, Sagittarius, Aries, Virgo, Pisces, Capricorn and Cancerian energy present.

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IF ANY OF THESE PILES RESONATED PLEASE CONSIDER "HEARTING" OR REBLOGGING MY POST.

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[drakaripykiros130ac]

So, now I read insane posts that Mysaria becoming Rhaenyra’s lover makes perfect sense in terms of how the White Worm managed to manipulate her in the book.

Excuse me????!!!

So, the only possible way to manipulate someone is through a sexual relationship?

Maybe for people with one or two brain cells max.

In actual canon, the Dance had been chipping away at Rhaenyra’s mental health since the moment it started. Because first she lost her father (with the Greens covering it up and not even letting her see him), then she discovered the snakes stole her throne, and then she lost Visenya. These three in one blow. Not long after, Luke had been murdered.

At this point, Rhaenyra was not only physically incapacitated (the miscarriage did some damage and she was not allowed to ride Syrax for a long time), but mentally as well (she lost a father and two children).

Then, as the Dance progressed, she remained isolated at Dragonstone, not mentally capable of leading the Black Council and her husband could not remain there and be by her side either, (because how else were they to win the war if no one actually left the island to gather support)? Rhaenyra and Daemon did not have any quarrel. The Queen could not leave Dragonstone, and Daemon had to go, secure Harrenhal and ensure the support of Great Houses.

Then came the Battle of the Gullet, where Jace died. His death is what broke Rhaenyra for good. She was never the same after she lost her firstborn. Afterwards, she lost Viserys too (she believed he was dead).

And I do not recall Mysaria being at Dragonstone at all during this time. She helped Daemon with Blood and Cheese, but she came in the picture and became the Mistress of Whisperers only after the Blacks took King’s Landing.

After the Fall of King’s Landing, Daemon had to leave again, because the war had not yet been completely won. And so, that was when Rhaenyra was left alone with Mysaria advising her in King’s Landing.

Nowhere is there any indication whatsoever that there was anything going on between these two. And Mysaria, very easily, took advantage of Rhaenyra’s emotional state (and her Consort’s absence) in order to turn her against Daemon. And let’s be honest…it’s not some big achievement. Between Daemon’s “questionable” actions and Rhaenyra’s mental state, it was very easy for Mysaria to get the job done with just a few whispers.

Stop trying to defend a shitshow of a scene, which the showrunners themselves admitted came out of nowhere and was not scripted (therefore, intended for queerbaiting purposes alone).

Nothing like shipping Rhaenyra with the woman who literally tips her over the edge and destroys her life, right?

I repeat, girl on girl action is easy to find online. It’s not that rare. If you’re that desperate, find a decent site, a quiet space and work out…whatever you have to work out.

[6lostgirl6]

Can you do an Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen one) Yandere Headcanon, please?

Hello, dear! I was already in the middle of writing this but went ahead and added your request so you would be notified!

Yandere!Hannibal Lecter HCs

TW: Mentions of Murder, kidnapping, Cannibalism 

Honestly, Hannibal would be a terrifying yandere to have obsessed with you. 

I would classify him as a possessive and manipulative yandere in which he will do anything in order to have you and keep you away from others. 

You are the first person to make him feel things that he’s never felt before, he couldn’t allow you to slip away from him so easily. 

Similar to Will, he wouldn’t be a delusional yandere.

However, he wouldn’t feel any sense of remorse or guilt for how he feels for you. 

He would attempt to court you naturally, while simply kidnapping you isn’t that far off the table, he prefers to have you naturally fall for him without any unnecessary extremities.

He is an expert at hiding his true intentions and emotions. Especially during the time in which he was the Chesapeake Ripper and playing the role of a respectful colleague and full of generosity as a therapist. 

The subtle changes he would have are practically unnoticeable, however it would still be there.

For instance, if someone was being incredibly rude to you, his mask would slip a little bit. His eyes would grow a little darker and his posture would tense slightly. 

Hannibal wouldn’t be the type of yandere that would kill his rivals, at least not all of them. He would at least frame a few of them so it would throw off his pattern of only people you’ve spoken with being killed. 

You just happen to have a poor choice of friends or something. 

Hannibal’s love language is gift giving and quality time.

As an attempt to court you, he sends you invitations to dinner at his residence and sends you gifts that he knows you would like. 

If you were a former patient of his, he would refer back to his notes of things you liked and disliked mentioned in previous sessions and use them to his advantage.

He has an excellent memory though, he likes to reminisce on the times where he has gotten to know you on a personal level. 

 However, if you constantly reject or deny his dinner invitations in an attempt to court you, he will follow back on his initial idea of kidnapping you.

As seen in the show with Miriam, Hannibal would not be against using force when it comes to kidnapping you, especially if you try fighting him. (that scene was horrifying)

Like the gif above, when he would finally knock you out, he would stroke your hair while resting his chin on the top of your head because he finally feels at peace that he has you in his grasp. (that part was not horrifying)

Hannibal would want you to feel comfortable living in his home quickly and efficiently. 

You have free reign around his home but you’re permitted from going outside and the kitchen.

He has a security alarm, therefore he would be notified if you tried sneaking out of the house along with cameras.

He doesn’t want you in the kitchen because he doesn’t want you to potentially hurt him and yourself. 

Every night he would cook for you something very special, but he would have human meat in it.

You wouldn’t even know about it because he knows that if you discovered his eating habits, all the process he would make with you would dissolve and your feelings for him would regress. 

For your sake, do not question him about it because he will tell you since you were the one that wanted to know after all. 

Taglist:

@patient1666074

[lesbiansforangusmcdonald]

Ok, finals are over, so now I can FINALLY post my Pepe Sylvia theory about Porter actually being evil that has been ruminating in my head ever since I saw season 2! (spoilers for s2 of fantasy high, obviously)

(sorry if someone’s talked about it before and I couldn’t find it, but like WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS BEFORE S3!)

Ok, so I noticed something when Ragh talked about the first time he saw Kalina in episode 4 of season 2 (“Heartache on the Celestine Sea”). He says that he saw Jace talking to some elven woman (who is revealed to be Adaine’s mom, Arianwen) and to “someone he couldn’t see. I just assumed somebody was invisible.” This is most likely Kalina, as Arianwen was there to get the Nightmare King’s crown and Kalina could have been helping her do that. However, this is important because, since Ragh could obviously see Kalina later on, this is a point in time when he couldn’t see Kalina.

Then Ragh says that after he saw that, Jace and Porter came to talk to him, and “Porter did some barbarian healing with me.” This seems normal enough, as Ragh had just been in a huge fight, but Ragh stipulates that “I didn’t feel that injured, honestly.” So this line already makes it seem as though Porter may have had some ulterior motive for healing Ragh.

Then, Ragh says that as he was walking home after this, he was approached by Kalina, who threatened to kill his mom if he said anything about seeing Arianwen at the school.

(the clip of the scene is here, if you wanna watch it, edited slightly for clarity)

So this makes me think that Jace and Porter knew Ragh saw Arianwen at the school, knew he would probably tell the Bad Kids about it, and Porter intentionally passed Kalina to Ragh through healing in order to ensure his silence.

AND if you’re thinking this may be a bit far-fetched, I’ll remind you that Landren Leir, the cleric of the unnamed goddess who infiltrated the elven Galicaean church after the fall of the unnamed goddess, also passed on Kalina via healing of the high-elven clergy, which she was then murdered for.

But in order to pass it on to Ragh at all, Porter must have been infected with Kalina as well, so here are some of my theories of what that could mean;

1. Porter had no idea he was infected and was just trying to heal a student.

I mean, totally possible, right? From most of the other angles, Porter seems like a decent guy; he supports Fig in barbarian class, he’s part of a community at his local gym, and he did get sucked into a palimpsest when Kalvaxis/Goldenhoard was trying to take over the school — why would that happen if Porter wouldn’t have been opposed to what Kalvaxis/Goldenhoard was doing? And there are plenty of people who are infected with Kalina and never show any symptoms, and therefore never know. It could have been totally innocent. BUT it’s just a little too convenient, isn’t it? Ragh sees Arianwen at the school, and then right after he’s “randomly” infected with Kalina? It just doesn’t seem like a coincidence.

2. Porter knew he was passing Kalina onto Ragh, but wasn’t aware of the full plot to steal the Nightmare King’s crown.

I mean, also possible, right? Maybe Jace put Porter up to it, maybe he knew more than Porter did about the whole situation? Porter wasn’t initially mentioned as talking to Arianwen, maybe Jace just manipulated Porter because he knew that Ragh would trust Porter as his teacher. BUT I think that it would be kind of weird for Porter to be in the school, be infected, be around all of these other people who are in on this wider plot, but they don’t get him involved. Maybe they thought he wouldn’t go for it, thought he was too nice, but I’m not sure. I mean, I think this theory has more merit than the first one, like it’s possible, just would be a little weird.

3. Porter was in on the plot to bring back the Nightmare King.

I mean. Like I know this may not be another Loose Duke situation. But it’s possible! Like, he’s in the right positions! He works at the school. He has the trust of some of the bad kids. He didn’t openly support Kalvaxis or anything he did. Maybe their larger organization (which they do hint that there are more people throughout the world that want to bring back the nightmare king throughout the campaign) thought that he should lay low and hold onto the trust of the bad kids, just wait until the right time to strike. Again, the fact that he would knowingly put a student, one of HIS barbarian students, in such serious danger, in order to protect the larger interest of bringing back the Nightmare King, does not stack up well against him.

So, do I think that Porter will end up being the big bad of season 3, or even the elusive season 4? No, probably not. BUT I do think that he’s sus as fuck and we need to stay on our toes, because he could turn out to be more of a threat with the right opportunities.

[lavenderarts]

LRB I’m being so deadass when I say I’m happier and safer and more secure in my relationships for deciding to live by the idea that things that weren’t said to me outright were not said and are therefore not my damn problem. For the first time in my 28 years of life I know people I have never had an argument with, EVER, because when something is going on we talk about it instead and it doesn’t become emotionally heated and hurtful. Like I try to look back and think of a time my best friend hurt my feelings and there just. isn’t one. For the first time, I have no laundry list of grievances I can never address because all the people in my life refuse to tell me when I’ve upset them and expect me to never get upset with them and lash out at me if I ever need something.

I’ve spent my life going from one abuser to the next with no one to truly support or look out for me or tell me I deserved more, I felt like an emotional dairy cow — I was always expected to lavish care and attention onto my ‘friends’ and never get mad at them and just accept it when they lashed out at me for things beyond my control or mistakes they never told me about. I was supposed to take it and continue to nurture, to solve all their problems unendingly, because they were going through a hard time or struggling with unmedicated mental health issues or simply didn’t know how to behave yet so it wasn’t their fault; and if I ever had a need in return I was tossed in the garbage because I was not allowed to want support or care. Do you know how crazy it feels to go from 2 decades of that to suddenly being faced with someone who is proud of you for setting boundaries? To someone who earnestly celebrates your accomplishments instead of getting bitterly jealous that you’re better at something than they are? To someone who defends you when you’re not around and won’t allow people in their life to disrespect you for the sake of keeping peace? To someone who you know, without a doubt, will be in your life forever instead of feeling your grip on a relationship slowly slipping away and everything spiraling out of control around you because your usefulness has run out and you didn’t get the memo you were no longer wanted?

It’s insane. You can just decide, anytime you like, to stop doing the emotional labor of divining other people’s feelings via magic. You can set a standard that people either tell you when an issue has come up so you can properly apologize and work out a solution together or they can solve it themselves, but you won’t be taken to task for problems you weren’t informed existed. And you can simply remove people who don’t follow that from your life. Obviously you can’t be mean and uncompromising — you have to hold yourself to the same standard you’re demanding, and you have to be honest without being insulting or manipulative. You’re being honest for the health of the relationship, not to be unkind. You can still intuit; if I think I might’ve hurt someone’s feelings you can literally just ask. You can say “Hey, I feel like I might have upset you earlier, did I? If so I’d really like to apologize and talk about it a little bit” and that’s not inappropriate. You’ll come across people who REALLY do not fucking like that and will try to make you feel like you’re demanding or dramatic or weird for it — I did, and getting told that I’m “too much” for expressing my opinions confidently and wanting honest communication in my relationships almost broke me — but you aren’t. You’re making a choice that is right for you. People aren’t obligated to stick around if they can’t understand and respect that choice.

I don’t act like this because I don’t trust people, it’s the opposite: I trust other adults to handle their emotions like adults and be able to assess if my friendship with them is worth the discomfort of an open conversation every now and again. I trust my loved ones to tell me if I hurt them and allow me the opportunity to apologize and modify my behavior. It’s because I trust people that I require this level of frankness, and if that trust is broken and I’m not confident it can be repaired, we go our separate ways. Easy.

You can just do all this. You’ll find people who fuck with it. Stop being a fucking doormat and find people who love you, not just how you serve them.

I can’t thank my friends enough for loving me and being willing to be honest with me. I never want to go back to how alone I felt, and being supported and cared for by you makes me sure I’ll never have to.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

So, do you remember that you once wrote about reader!Goddess who was humiliated and therefore manipulated both sides to bring about Ragnarok? It occurred to me that in this continuation type scenario (taking into account the plot of the "main God" that they want to revive in the manga) they need the reader's help to search for information or something.

And though she first mocks them for needing her after they metaphorically kicked her out (more like isolating her) she eventually agrees to help. At one point in the trip she feels nostalgic because she hasn't lived with someone for so long in eons and she feels warmth from being with them, even though she knows that they only tolerate her. And talking to someone (Maybe Sasaki my Sun I love him) tell him;

- "They think I like to fight but... it's not true, sometimes I lose my patience and vent but... I've never enjoyed it. I'm not bad, I don't know why I bite..."

(God those dialogues make me cry, I took that phrase from the movie Isle of Dogs) And they can hear. What would be your reactions/thoughts? I want some angst and comfort!

PS: I read that you liked Hogwarts Mystery, do you write for that fandom too?

-With the looming threat of an old deity trying to be resurrected, the warriors of Valhalla needed to do something before they were all wiped out.

-Any information they could find, they gathered, trying to get any scrap they could, to not only prevent the resurrection, but what to do if it were to happen.

-Hermes hummed quietly into his hand that was covering his mouth, “You’re not going to like this.” Eyes, gods and humans, turned to him as Hermes was looking between two different papers, “There is one who knows more about this threat, as she was one who helped defeat it last time… Y/N.”

-Eyes went wide, hearing that you, the Great Manipulator, that many were calling you, despite others being sympathetic towards you, were the key to preventing Valhalla from being destroyed.

-Many voiced their opinion on not relying on you, not willing to trust you, but both Brunnhilde and Zeus agreed that you were their only hope, and if you didn’t want to risk your home being destroyed by this threat, you would help.

-You were stunned to see all of them at your door when you went to answer the knock, your eyes quickly narrowing, preparing for a fight, thinking they were there for revenge, even after they all but isolated you from everyone else, leaving and abandoning you, “And what do you all want? Come to laugh at me before being alone again?” your bite was deserved, but when they didn’t respond, you calmed, curious as to their reasoning to being at your home.

-Brunnhilde’s eyes were focused, serious, “Y/N, we need your help.” You were cautious, but you agreed to hear them out and you heard the name of a deity you had even forgotten about, your eyes going wide, “Someone is trying to bring that bastard back?”

-The venom in your voice was surprising, hearing your anger, as Hades nodded, “Yes, and we’ve learned you were one of the gods who helped defeat him last time. We need your help.”

-You inhaled deeply, your hands coming to your hips before you nodded softly, “Follow me.”

-You led the group of warriors down deep into Helheim, where this beast was sealed as you spoke with Odin and Hades, “If the seal is weak then this is a serious threat, but if it is weak, we can strengthen it now and make is impossible for it to break out or for anyone to break it free.”

-This did make sense, and you heard a few behind you, Poseidon being the most vocal, “And how can we trust you on this?”

-You turned your head, your eye piercing into him as you saw other gazes, many filled with the same anger and distrust, not believing you, “Because I’m the only one here who fought it, I helped seal it, and I’m the only chance you have to protect your precious Valhalla.”

-You didn’t even try to hide the venom in your voice, as you were still bitter yourself for what they did to you all those years ago and here recently, turning you into the bad guy. Many flinched at your tone, something you didn’t see as you turned back around, hearing your anger.

-Many felt guilty, now, for what they did to you, seeing you being so bitter and guarded, as they were the ones who made you like that, and those who sympathized with you, believed you weren’t in the wrong, as you were just a heartbroken woman.

-The staircase winded down and down, going deep into the underworld, and soon you found yourself walking next to one of the humans, Kojiro, the first who managed to defeat a god, “Lady Y/N… I-” you turned your heard to smile softly up at him, showing him that you were a soft and gentle person, “Don’t- you don’t need to apologize for something you didn’t do.”

-He sighed softly, looking defeated before he tried again, not willing to give up just yet and he went to speak, but you beat him to the punch, surprising him with your words, like you had read his mind, which you hadn’t, he was just a little easy to read with things like this, “I don’t like being like this- I don’t like being mean. I’m not a bad person, but this is the only way I feel safe.”

-Eyes went wide as heads turned to you, the gods around you, hearing this, hearing how broken and soft you sounded.

-They remembered when you used to be so happy, overflowing with natural beauty as you smiled, spreading joy wherever you went.

-Then they remembered how you wept at the altar, being left alone, collapsing to your knees, sobbing into your hands after the love of your life had run off, abandoning you.

-The anger you showed, once they told you what they had done, trying to play it off as a harmless joke, was a dark day in Valhalla, as while you were always happy and sweet, you were just as vengeful and cruel, and that day many of them knew your fury.

-There were many regretful glances sent around amongst the gods, they were the ones who made you like this. If they hadn’t been jealous of the human who took your heart, if you would have been happy, would you still be like you were before, happy?

-As you reached the bottom of the stairs, you saw the thrashing beast of a deity, trying to get free of its shackles, the magical seals were faded and barely glowing.

-Many were stunned to see the beast right there and some of the humans went to attack, thinking it was about to break free. You held an arm up, keeping them back, “Don’t waste your energy. It’s unkillable.”

-You lifted a hand and snapped your fingers, and a rush of energy left your body, flowing over all of them as the seals started glowing brightly, being renewed, and strengthened.

-The beast roared loudly, “LET ME FREE!! I will have my revenge on you damn gods!!” you weren’t impressed, your hands coming to your hips as you started over, your heels clicking beneath you.

-It looked up at you, snarling darkly before you kicked him hard, stepping on his head with your heel, grinding down only slightly as you looked down at him, a dark, intimidating aura surrounding you, “I made you my bitch once. I’ll do it again. Do not try me.”

-Now whining like a kicked puppy, comical tears in his eyes, he backed off and you turned to the gods, “Nobody will be able to free him- why are you all staring at me?”

-Loki immediately was on his knees before you, holding one of your hands, “Step on me like that too!” you rolled your eyes, a sound of disgust leaving you, as you walked past him and the other, muttering under your breath, “Why do men keep asking me that?”

-Loki was quick to chase after you, begging you and you called over your shoulder, “If someone doesn’t come get him, I’m going to hurt him!” which caused a scramble to get to Loki, many of them not wanting to incur your wrath.

-They needed to fix things with you, because they wanted you on their side, know how powerful you were- they made an enemy with you once, there wouldn’t be a second time.

And to answer your question, not so much Hogwarts Mystery, but I've been playing Hogwarts Legacy, and while I haven't written anything for that fandom, I don't mind doing so.

[coolerfox]

I’m playing TGAA 1-4 case and I can’t find the words to explain how i feel but this. THIS. this is just so so so good i-

this is just brilliant actually. Ryunosuke (and me by extension) just won our first trial in England. We got Mcgilded acquitted even though we knew deep down that it wasn’t right. He betrayed our trust in him and we didn’t have the evidence to prove that. That "not guilty" verdict felt so bad, i genuinely wanted to turn off the game bc of how unfair that was. We got a probably guilty guy technically free. What feels even worse is that if you’ve played all the others AA games before, this is such an especially painful situation bc with Phoenix, Apollo, Athena and even Edgeworth every time you defend someone, they are innocent and you are right to trust them from the beginning, you never doubt for one second that the defendant might be the criminal (except for the matt engarde case). we implicitly trust everyone we defend, it’s a status quo if that makes sense.

Ryunosuke doesn’t know what to believe in anymore, he doesn’t know if he can be an attorney anymore. He’s in a new country, he doesn’t know anything about, in a new system he hasn’t learned to trust and the first person he fights for turns out to be a manipulative as hell. How could he trust himself to defend anyone anymore ? what if they’re like Mcgilded ?Ryunosuke lost that trust in himself to do the right thing and therefore lost the trust in others too. He can’t trust that system, it is rigged especially to those in power, able to play with the rules, especially rich people like the Mcgilded.

So having Sholmes telling him this, reminding him of the words of Kazuma felt like a slap in the face, like a wake up call. You can’t know for sure if someone is guilty or not, however you can choose to believe in someone and trust yourself to have made the right choice. Ultimately if you’re wrong, it’s like Sholmes said, "an elementary error of judgment" and anyone can make those, it’s only human.

And isn’t that what relationships are all about? You trust your friends, family, lovers etc to love you and be there for you. That requires to trust yourself to trust them. Maybe people will betray you, maybe not, you can’t know that, but you can’t blame yourself for trusting someone, if they betray you it was a lapse of judgement and that can happen, you can only learn from that error and try to make better judgement next time with the other people you will meet.

[auseyre]

Watching Charlie spend the first three episodes tweaking and trying out different behaviors to figure out what Babe wants, what will keep him interested, and therefore keep Charlie around him, is fascinating. Yes, he’s manipulating Babe, even though it’s for a noble cause, and yes, he does fall in love with Babe pretty quickly and his actions become genuine. Still, it’s also just the perfect reminder that Charlie was also an abused child whose only chance for any type of attention or affection was to please Tony. 

And the great irony of the Charlie/Babe/Way situation is that the thing Charlie figured out, the thing Babe wants most in the world, is just for someone to love him and take care of him, the one thing that Way spent 10 years convincing him he couldn’t have. 

Way’s whole schtick was “Yeah, I love you, but nobody else does or ever will without wanting something.” Which equated to “you’re lucky to have me.” Why would Babe ever mess up their friendship, shooting for a romantic relationship that might not even work out when it could lead to him losing the only person he had? 

On the other hand, Charlie constantly hyped Babe up. He pushed the narrative of how amazing Babe was and how Charlie was the lucky one. He approached him from the beginning with the idea that he was open about wanting something from Babe and what he was offering in exchange and so, all the extras, the tenderness, caretaking, felt like it was something he gave freely because he thought Babe was worth it.  

In other words, Way might have had a shot if he hadn’t spent 10 years negging the shit out of Babe. But I guess when you get constantly told what a super special Alpha you are, some of that arrogance gets internalized. 

[spacerockfloater]

"He thinks it's shocking to her. But she doesn't just get shocked, she gets excited by it. …I think what it's saying there is that young women want sex as much as young men." — Clare Kilner, House of the Dragon, S1 E4 "King of the Narrow Sea" Director on Daemyra’s sex scene in the brothel

I feel the need to address this statement because the liberal feminist undertones it contains upset me.

Like, what? Rhaenyra is obviously his victim. The fact that the director said this scene is meant to show us that young women want sex is so insane, because 1. Daemon is no fucking young man, he’s 34 and 2. this is the same fucked up rhetoric rapists have been using since the dawn of time, the “she wanted this officer!” card if you will. Daemon is not trying to teach Rhaenyra about bodily autonomy and agency, he’s using her and shaping her to what he wants. Removing the blame from Daemon, the known killmonger and abuser who is coercing this young girl and wants to damage her reputation so he can get the throne, and promoting it as empowerment and freedom for the young woman, is peak liberal feminism.

We came such a long way and fought so fucking hard for women to claim their positions in society as leaders and to become emancipated, only for patriarchy to use our own thirst for liberation against us and lure us beneath the boots of men again under the pretence that sex/ sex work/ plastic surgery and every other activity that benefits mostly men will set us free, when in fact it is slowly ruining us and guiding us back to our own prisons, just like it ruined Rhaenyra and the chances she was given. And we’re not even batting an eye! In fact, 90% of the fandom is wholeheartedly applauding her for it and this is so embarrassing!

I personally find it really important to recognise manipulation when we see it. Hollywood is a patriarchal construction. There is nothing liberating about sleeping around with men and this is not to slut-shame anyone. As women, we simply can’t thrive in a society that men run by giving them everything they want, while knowing that we are still not gonna be respected afterwards, even if this act is as pleasurable for us as it is for them. You do not become powerful by riding a dick while feeling that you do it for yourself, because frankly, men do not care about your feelings, they only care that you’re riding their dick. The idea that sex with men can be empowering for women is wrong. You can never gain power in a situation where you have to sacrifice something or satisfy someone else, because this means that your power is granted to you by the person who receives the pleasure and therefore goes as far as that person is willing to allow it to go. We can’t win that way. Rhaenyra didn’t win that way.

Rhaenyra being introduced to a world of carnal lust, infidelity and selfishness is neither empowering nor liberating. She is Daemon’s victim who is manipulating her so that he can get everything she has. This relationship is not consensual because the imbalanced power dynamic between them does not allow it to be. Rhaenyra is just a young impressionable woman, wooed by a much older man who is manipulating her, so she follows the path he’s showing her in hopes that he’ll love her back, only to find him years later waiting for her to die in childbirth while she calls out his name, pressuring her to go to war even if she doesn’t want to and grabbing her by the throat when she tells him that the fate of the world is more important than what Daemon really desires: power.

[devourable]

i have delinquent brainrot rn shhfiwhikshwwh

i wanna know how the little groups of yanderes would react if their darling only liked one of them

i’m altering this a bit to darling having a preference/showing favoritism rather than exclusively liking one because it otherwise defeats the purpose of them being polyamorous :v

♾️ polyam!yanderes x biased darling

the delinquents all have varied reactions. mattias whines and cries about how you’re unfair and how he loves you the most/loved you the longest and therefore deserves the most attention + will literally pin you down to keep you from going to them, begging you to just let him show you how much he cares. aaron subtly sabotages the schedules of whoever you like more than him while also just so happening to always be free for you so you have no choice but to spend the extra time with him. judas constantly stalls you when you have set plans for someone else (“you didn’t do all your chores? let’s do them together” “you didn’t eat yet. i don’t want you filling up on junk, sit down while i make you something”), and if/when that fails, he takes a page out of mattie’s book and physically holds you until you give up and hand out with him. dominic tries his best to buy your love — bartering the pricier things he knows you want/need with quality time with him, even if you promised that time to someone else. alternatively, the three who aren’t preferred by you will sort of team up to try and even the score and get you to like them just as much.

the mermaids have the most actual infighting and will target their aggression at one another while rivaling for your attention. they’d never hurt each other and are generally fine with sharing, but when you take more of a liking to one of them over the others? expect a LOT of sabotaging to try and get you into their clutches. you like tomila? good luck fending off the besotted mermen someone directed to her because it’ll take her hours to get them to leave her alone. prefer kallisto? uh oh, seems like she forgot it was her turn to babysit their pod’s fry during your date! you’ll have to wait for their parents to return to spend time with her. lyonesse is your favorite? have fun watching her fight off sharks and other hungry predatory sea life. they must’ve caught wind that a vulnerable human was in the water… but it was totally a coincidence! your life with them will become so hectic that you’ll probably lose track of who you preferred in the first place.

the alt kids are the most respectful of one another when it comes to you. as much as they love you, they care about each other too. it’d be borderline abusive for them to selfishly deprive each other of your presence, even if you did like one of them more! so when you start showing a deeper interest in one of them over the other two, they’d go out of their way to try and include their other partners anyway. if it means they have to trick you, manipulate you, punish you — anything along those lines to get you to realize that you love them all equally, they have no problem doing it. they can be patient! you just need a little extra time to realize how good you have it with all three of them adoring you. you agreed to be with them all, and you’re going to love and be loved by them all.

[stromuprisahat]

Regarding Nikolai. it’s insane how the author and the fandom close their eyes and baby him. When he SA Alina, pushed her in a carriage so she could react, and then immediately gaslit her to think out was okay. He’s the one who actually used her and manipulated her to and succeed in getting the Ravkan crown. but the worst crime he has is the one where right after Genya tells him his father* and king is a rapist…..Nikolai rewarded the king. Nikolai covered up the king’s crime, made sure he received no trial at all, that no girls received justice, and to rub salt in the wound he gave the King a full expense paid retirement vacation with a “life full of luxury….safety” and even let the king choose where he would retire..oh sorry…LB calls it “exile.” So the King who never wanted to rule the nation, only wanted a life of luxury and attacking girls…gets a life of luxury far far away where he has no care or worry and he is free to attack any and all servants I’ve had in his luxury retirement. Leigh Bardugo should have re-read chapter 11 of ruin and rising. Rich white savior born with a silver spoon that manipulates, SA, and uses Alina go get in power let’s his father figure who literally SA’d genya and other girls go free and rewarded.

*father figure - publicly his father privately not really the bio dad And I call BS on the R&R proclamation that Nikolai didn’t know the king was a rapist. Nikolai was raised in the same halls, if the king’s reputation was so well known like LB keeps claiming it was in RoW then Nikolai would 100% know about it before he left for the military.

I have a problem with understanding Nikolai's actions.

It's caused by his moral alignment.

I simply cannot grasp how can someone put rules, established by other humans- therefore possibly faulty-, above preventing possible injustice. (Yes, I'm true neutral.) How can "a good" person be stopped by immaterial concept? If he believed there's some higher power, eventually judging all human actions, but he's an atheist!

What makes it more complicated, is his seeming moral flexibility. I'm not even halfway through Siege and Storm, and he doesn't seem bothered by lying, stealing, manipulation... is a piece of paper truly such a difference? Nobody wrote down rules about particular situations, so he can do whatever he pleases?

A bit of a hypocrite, isn't he?

... As he was helping me back into the coach, he slipped his arm around my waist. “Please don’t punch me,” he whispered. Then he yanked me hard against his chest and pressed his lips to mine. The crowd exploded into wild cheers, their voices crashing over us in an exultant roar. Before I could even react, Nikolai shoved me into the shadowy interior of the coach and slipped in after. He slammed the door behind him ... I turned on Nikolai and kicked him hard in the shin. He yelped, but that wasn’t nearly satisfying enough. I kicked him again. “Feel better?” he asked. “Next time you try something like that, I won’t kick you,” I said angrily. “I’ll cut you in half.” He brushed a speck of lint from his trousers. “Not sure that would be wise. I’m afraid the people rather frown on regicide.” “You’re not king yet, Sobachka,” I said sharply. “So don’t tempt me.” “I don’t see why you’re upset. The crowd loved it.” “I didn’t love it.” He raised a brow. “You didn’t hate it.” I kicked him again. This time his hand snaked out like a flash and captured my ankle. If it had been winter, I would have been wearing boots, but I was in summer slippers and his fingers closed over my bare leg. My cheeks blazed red. “Promise not to kick me again, and I’ll promise not to kiss you again,” he said. “I only kicked you because you kissed me!” I tried to pull my leg back, but he kept a hard grip. “Promise,” he said. “All right,” I bit out. “I promise.” “Then we have a deal.”

Siege and Storm- Chapter 11

This isn't gaslighting. It's another kind of manipulation, if anything. He's playing it down, but in his case I'd say it isn't caused by some malevolent intentions, but different view on the matter. He's playing a part. While he isn't repulsed by the idea of kissing Alina, he didn't do it for his personal enjoyment, but to cement their union in eyes of the people.

Alina, on the other hand, doesn't intend to become anything more than her own private person. She views the kiss only as a transgression against her.

Nikolai is a people-pleaser, who obviously displeased Alina. While he might be manipulating Alina so he doesn't have to deal with her anger, it might also be an attempt to make it better. Children often do this. I did a bad thing, but if we both agree it wasn't SO bad, it will get better.

His swift reaction outside the carriage was about preventing Alina to ruin the image he just painted. It's not hard to figure out she's quick to anger and much slower to think. He already tried to introduce her to the concept of being a public person. When pure theory fails, apply more practical approach?

This is another example of Nikolai "The Diet Darkling" Lantsov in action. Collar Alina to take over her world-changing abilities to end wars is absolutely despicable, while mere kiss to use her status of Living Saint for run on position of power's possible to overlook, because Nikolai's motivations are noble. I guess that's the difference between Royalty reaching for the Crown and serf reaching for the chance to live.

The rape confrontation feels weak and unsatisfying, thanks to NIkolai's lack of spine, or fixation on Ravkan law, depending on your POV. Apparently he acted according to their legal system. I have a half-written post on this, but since we're on the topic, I agree it's one on those examples, when law guarantees neither justice, nor prevention of future crimes, so instead of cheering for Nikolai's fairness, we're left upset with his decision.

“You will write the letter, and tomorrow you will leave on the Kingfisher. It will take you to Os Kervo, where you’ll be seen safely aboard the Volkvolny and across the True Sea. You can go someplace warm, maybe the Southern Colonies.” “The Colonies?” the Queen gasped. “You will have every luxury. You will be far from the fighting and the reach of the Darkling. You will be safe.”

Ruin and Rising- Chapter 7

Sure, it's exile, loss of power and prestige... but how is luxury a punishment? How is relocation to a peaceful place instead of constantly warring Ravka a punishment? And most importantly- how does it prevent the rapist from raping more servants? Or other helpless, young destitutes?

It's like sending a serial killer on a paid vacation, weapons of choice included.

[geomimetry]

AL-AN’s colors

Alright so I’ve been trying to make understanding AL-AN’s colors as easy as possible for me, so I’ll start with color coding his lines in the fabricator base. I’ve decided to only use the final version of the game for this. The colors in Robin’s lines also indicate AL-AN’s color as she says them.

Before data transfer begins. Robin commences data transfer. AL-AN stretches. AL-AN: It has been some time since I last stretched out in so many dimensions. Like waking from a dream. AL-AN picks Robin up with his levitator arm. Robin: Whoa! Hey. AL-AN waves back. Robin: You’re really not in my head anymore? AL-AN: There are some remnants. (Pause.) Would you like your memories of me removed as well? Robin: Are you kidding? No way. You still owe me the end of your story. AL-AN: I told you I must return home. To assess. Repair. Make amends. Robin: Tell me more. AL-AN: When the bacteria escaped, it was my fault. I disobeyed the directive from my network. (Pause.) AL-AN stares off into space. Robin: Oh no... AL-AN turns green and teleports to the terminal. AL-AN: We noticed that a species of leviathan young produced an enzyme that is efficient against the bacteria. I thought if we incubated Sea Dragon eggs, we might expedite their hatching. I was not wrong... Robin: But... AL-AN: It would appear that Sea Dragon parents are stronger and more motivated than our facility was rated to handle. Robin: And the bacteria got out, infecting everything. How many survived the outbreak, back home? Are they still waiting for someone to bring back a cure? AL-AN: I do not know. Robin: Can I help? AL-AN: The fact that I withheld this information does not concern you? Robin: It was certainly manipulative. But I’ve also made my own share of mistakes. I’m still committed to helping. AL-AN: I accept your help. Find me at the Gate when you are ready. In te meantime, I must prepare.

The colors used are as follows: Purple Cool pink Green Warm pink with hints of orange Blue Saturated neutral to warm pink Orange

I'll get into what I think the colors mean in a second, but first let me preface it by saying that I could have gotten some of the colors wrong as the lighting conditions change in the scene. I also want to mention that I don't think the emotion behind a color varies from Architect to Architect. They seem to value efficiency, so having to learn the color-emotion combinations of each Architect would not be ideal. Therefore, I think this color chart applies not only to AL-AN, but to every Architect.

Purple seems to be a sort of stand-by color, as well as a color between some of the color shifts (not apparent in my color coding above). It could possibly mean there is no consciousness currently inhabiting the vessel. The in between shifts of purple could just be a product of two colors blending together as they shift from one to the other.

Cool pink seems to be a neutral color. AL-AN is not feeling any specific emotion strongly enough for it to show. It is possible that AL-AN could suppress his feelings somewhat, resulting in this neutral color.

Green seems to signify a heavier processing load and analytical thinking. He turns green as he mentions the need to assess the state of his homeworld. He turns green when he notices or remembers the terminal and what his next step for now is. What's perplexing is that he turns green when stretching too, but this could be explained by the fact that AL-AN is getting reacquainted with an Architect vessel after having been in storage and in Robin's mind for a long time. He is also waking up the facility from what seems to be a low power mode as well as powering on the robotic arms. I believe this would need some processing power. Furthermore, it does make sense that Architects would predominantly use green in their work in this case as they seem to value information and knowledge.

Warm pink with hints of orange gives me the impression of fondness and companionship. He turns this color when first looking at and interacting with Robin in his new body, before the weight of his past mistakes crashes into him again as he tells her his story.

Blue looks to me like joy or possibly amusement. He turns this color when waving back and when Robin speaks to him. He could be happy just for that, or perhaps because he is happy he is no longer limited to her cerebral cortex and can now start making real progress in returning to his home and making amends.

Saturated pink could mean embarrassment. It makes sense when applied to the part where he talks about the accident being his fault. The embarrassment he feels after waving back and hearing Robin ask if he's really not in her head anymore could be because he does not know what the gesture means, that he's a bit embarrassed by the awed reaction from Robin, because there is a bit of an awkward silence at that moment, or because of the fond and joyful feelings he's having at the moment. And then he's only feeling embarrassment as he talks about what he thought was his foolproof solution regarding the incubation of the Sea Dragon eggs. He remains embarrassed from there on out—for not knowing the extent of the damage he caused back home, for withholding crucial information about him. It could be a reason for wanting some space from Robin, telling her to meet him at the Gate when she's ready. Though perhaps he simply needs time to prepare or is only giving Robin time to prepare and his suggestion is unrelated to his embarrassment.

Orange seems like anger. He turns orange after admitting that he disobeyed the directive from his network, which he is probably angry with himself for. Orange shows up only once in this entire scene for a very brief amount of time, and I feel it makes sense in case it does signify anger, as AL-AN does not come across as someone who is easy to anger.

This is how I interpreted his colors anyhow. Some emotions we didn't get to see being represented by a color, like sadness, grief, fear, and love, or perhaps I am simply wrong in my assessment. It's possible these emotions have their own colors, but will need to exist outside of canon.

TL;DR Purple — Stand-by. No consciousness inhabiting the vessel. Cool pink — Neutral. Green — Processing. Analyzing. Warm pink with hints of orange — Fondness. Companionship. Blue — Joy. Amusement. Saturated neutral to warm pink — Embarrassment. Orange — Anger.

[traumatizedjaguar]

The fact that someone can go an entire friendship with you, deceiving you and manipulating you, the weight of that comes crushing down on you. It causes trust issues, makes you scared what else could they have done that you’re unaware of, gives you anxiety about future relationships and worst of all, it makes you realize they didn’t love you. They aren’t even hurt by hurting you. They don’t care how antagonistic they are they excuse it. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, so therefore you aren’t hurt.” Just bc you’re not affected by certain kind of emotional abuse, doesn’t mean others aren’t.