#theyre already passionate about and it seems like an easy choice

[ciderjacks]

being an artist means everyone suggesting u go into an art career or art school and being smart means saying Hell No every time

[popatochisssp]

So your recent chapter in snips and snails has had me thinking. How would other skellies react if their bro started falling for their SO? Would they all be up for polyamory or would some tell their bro to get over it, or they break up with SO as to push them toward their brother. This information is important for my daydreaming

Anonymous: Heyo! Are you doing hc’s right now? If so, what are your ideas for a polyamorous relationship with sans/so/papyrus? I know you mentioned it with FGTC, but how would the other boys do? Thank you and ilysm!!             

Well, the short version of these questions seems to be– “Can I make it work if I want to smooch both brothers?”

And the answer to that question as far as I’m concerned is yes! Ultimately, all skeles would be down for this kind of relationship!

…But some of them are going to have an easier road than others.

Yes, it’s the ‘fells that are on the Struggle Bus, of course it is, those boys have issues.

Undertale:

They’re a great combo!

They already know each other so well and love/respect one another that looping you into their relationship as a romantic branch is the easiest thing in the world.

They both balance the other out really well, to the point that dating them both might even make for a more harmonious relationship than choosing just one: Papyrus won’t shy away from lecturing Sans when his laziness may be letting you down, and Sans knows how to gently point out when Papyrus might be unintentionally talking over you or pushing too hard at something.

There’s no jealousy between them and you’re all grown, mature adults more than capable of navigating a three-person relationship.

Underswap:

Another great choice!

Much like the classic Sans-Papyrus pair, the Sky-Paps match-up isn’t just functional, it’s hyper-functional.

Their brotherly relationship is strong and they’re great at meeting and handling situations as a team, and you’re no different. Most of your time with them will be spent as a trio rather than duos with an odd man out since that’s what they do anyway– you’re just along for the ride! When one-on-one time does come around, they’ll pass you off to the other without hesitation, no jealousy to be found and just a nuzzle on your cheek and an encouragement to have fun.

Even the usually clingy Sky doesn’t mind giving you and Paps space when you want it since there’s no one he trusts and loves more than his (big) little brother, and Paps might actually feel a little more driven to impress and woo you when he sees the lengths Sky regularly goes to. Maybe he can’t one-up his big brother’s efforts, but it reminds him that you’re special and deserving of the attention and he’ll show you so in his own, more understated way.

They balance each other out in so many ways that it won’t ever feel like you’re trying to juggle them to make things work. As long as you love them, they’ll love you right back and your relationship is practically self-sustaining!

Underfell:

You must not be shy of challenges, because you’ve gotten yourself into some rocky waters with this one.

They’ll both agree to this pretty quickly without much fuss– sharing a datemate with their brother, the only person who always had their back underground and would die for them, and vice versa? Of course, there’s no one they’d rather trust you with than their own brother!

They say that, and for the most part they do mean it, but… there are some very well-buried landmines here and you will find at least one of them in the course of this relationship.

For Jasper, it’s bitterness: here’s yet another thing in his life that he’s giving up for his brother’s sake. It’s not Pyre he resents but the situation and how exceedingly unfair the circumstances of his life have been so far. He lost his childhood to raising and protecting Pyre while he was young, and then he had to play his toady and listen to barked orders and snapped insults so Pyre could maintain a fearsome reputation and neither of them would get too severely messed with. And then now here’s this, a datemate he can’t even keep all to himself because you love his baby brother, too. It stings, but he’ll try to quash it down since he loves you and Pyre too deeply to ever want to cause problems for you.

Meanwhile Pyre is masking his own issues, namely jealous insecurity. He loves Jasper, too, and he deeply respects the sacrifices his big brother made for him Underground both in adolescence and adulthood, but…well, it’s not as if he had it easy! Jasper’s initially low HP meant that no matter how strong a fighter he was, there’d always be somebody who saw him as easy EXP, somebody trying to kill them both because they could– that was why he worked his way up to Captain of the Royal Guard and trained so hard to become an efficient, deadly soldier, so that he could be intimidating enough that most monsters wouldn’t even want to try attacking him or somebody under his command. That’s why he had to distance himself from everyone else, even the brother he was trying to protect, just in case someone tried to take advantage of a social connection. He was completely emotionally isolated for a long time, with a lot weighing on his shoulders: his duties, his brother’s safety, his own safety, and Jasper…

Jasper didn’t have to shoulder any of that once Pyre took responsibility.

Pyre knows, intellectually, that Jasper suffered at least as bad for a long time, but emotionally it hurt and made Pyre a little angry to see him socializing freely with the lowlifes at Grillby’s and sleeping openly at his illegal hot-dog stands. Jasper couldn’t have been totally carefree, no one could be underground, but he had the luxury of being very close to it thanks to Pyre’s status, which Pyre maintained at his own expense. And now, it feels like Jasper is taking advantage of him again, casually charming his way into your good graces and seducing you away from him.

He’s fairly certain he’s going to lose you, actually, since he knows that his older brother is the more personable of the two of them and he hates the waiting, he kinda wants to just end it himself and let Jasper have you…

But, same as Jasper, Pyre loves both of you dearly and he knows that abruptly breaking up with you would hurt you, and that Jasper would figure out why he did it and be even more hurt plus guilty over it, so he bites his tongue.

They’re both going to stew in silence over it and are fully committed to doing so for the rest of your natural lives– you’re going to have to mediate this if you want to have any hope of a healthy relationship.

It won’t be too hard to figure out what’s going on with them individually, they’re both very salty skeletons that can mostly keep quiet about the things bugging them, but there’s a lot of snide and bitter quips muttered under their breath that you’re usually close enough to hear and draw conclusions from. At that point, you need to sit down with them and force a discussion; play whatever hard-ball you must to get them to talk, this is too important to sweep under the rug just because it’s awkward and painful.

They’ll be stilted at first and need a lot of prodding to keep going, embarrassed that their datemate is playing counselor for them, but soon enough they’ll start talking on their own. Yelling on their own. Screaming at each other and breaking shit on their own.

They’ve been repressing a lot of emotions for a long time and now that they’re flowing it’s like a tsunami, one you should probably get out of the splash zone of while they get it all out.

You don’t have to worry about them actually hurting each other, there’s far too much love between them for that and once the anger and bitterness is out there in the open, they realize that, too. There’s gonna be tears and broken sobs and fierce hugging and that’s your cue to get back on in there and take care of your boys– they love each other, they love you, and you love them right back, it doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.

Once the dust is settled, you’re theirs for life, no take-backs. You came into their home, showed them love and affection, and helped them get their brother back after years of tension and walking on eggshells: if you think they’re ever going to let you go now, you’re dead-wrong.

There’s going to be days when you almost regret emotionally reconciling them because when they’re not bickering over petty nonsense or competing with each other, they are the most terrifyingly efficient team you’ve ever seen. They’ll casually join forces against you whenever it suits them and you don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell. They love and respect you of course, they’d never hurt or take advantage of you, but the combined force of Jasper’s rough charm and Pyre’s slick cunning means that you’re not often going to find yourself ‘winning’ in your relationship.

On the bright side, your romantic life is positively scorching between these two fiery personalities and the loving passion they have for you is more than enough of a balm on any wounds you might take to your pride. ;3

Swapfell:

Deceptively easy.

At first, they’re both very excited and on-board for this. As far as they’re concerned, there’s no one better in the world to share their datemate with than their own brother, someone trustworthy that they love unconditionally and don’t have to worry about losing you to, since they obviously wouldn’t try to steal you from each other.

And that’s true, because if there’s a problem it won’t be something they did, it’ll be what you did. Or maybe more accurately, what you didn’t do.

There’s really only one way to screw this up, but it’s a hard and fast death sentence for the relationship if you start neglecting Rus or playing favorites with Mal instead.

Rus is a needy guy, not too prone to jealousy but very prone to insecurity when the conditions are right, and Mal is one of the hardest (albeit unintentional) hitter of those buttons. His big brother, the one who’s taken care of him his whole life, protected him and sacrificed for him, Rus thinks Mal is a really cool guy. He’s not surprised at all that you want to date him, but he is surprised that you want to date Mal’s living disaster of a brother, too.

If you’re not careful and spend too much time with Mal or side with him all the time or do anything that could indicate you have a significant preference for one brother over the other, Rus is probably gonna jump to some conclusions and now it makes sense to him why you’re not just dating his brother– it’s ‘cause it’s a pity thing…isn’t it?

Mal is the one you really want  but you or Mal or maybe both of you noticed his pathetic interest in you and decided to toss him a bone. To make him feel better. Yaaaay.

His aversion to conflict means that he’s definitely never going to say anything to either of you, ever, but his 'realization’ (whether it’s true or not, almost certainly not) is painful and he won’t be able to help sulking and shying away from your affection for awhile.

That, for Mal, is as good as an actual, physical red flag. He’s sharp and knows his brother well enough to piece together everything that’s happened in Rus’ self-deprecating skull and as far as he’s concerned, there’s only one course of action from here: he’s gonna try to wriggle himself out of the relationship entirely and push you towards Rus.

Mal loves his baby brother fiercely and since he already blames his failings as a pseudo-parent for the anxiety and insecurity he struggles with, the absolute last thing he wants to do is hurt him by taking his datemate away. It’s a no-brainer to remove himself from the situation if he’s distracting you from Rus, but once it’s progressed to this point, there’s no positive outcome for anyone.

Rus is now convinced he’s the pity-boyfriend and feels awful that you don’t get to be with Mal anymore because he couldn’t hide his dumb feelings better. Mal is upset that he can’t be with you, and a little upset with you for not loving his little brother enough to begin with and making this choice necessary. And of course, you’re gonna be hurting, too, because one of your boyfriends thinks he’s your consolation prize and the other isn’t even your boyfriend anymore.

But of course, that’s the Worst Case Scenario.

To make this work, you just need to be fair about sharing your time and affection, which in healthy polyamory, you should probably already be doing! But if for some reason, you can’t do that, skew slightly in Rus’ favor. Mal can be jealous and selfish but he’s more than willing to make room for his brother’s happiness, and he knows that he’s welcome to edge into yours and Rus’ time together if he really wants– Rus has no problems sharing, he just gets a little upset if he thinks he’s the second choice.

If you put in the time and effort to assure Rus that you’re dating him because you care about him, this actually becomes one of the easiest bro-combos possible. Mal and Rus have a less contentious relationship than the other ‘fell brothers and with less buried anger and bitterness between them their bond is already strong and relatively healthy when you enter the mix.

Your integration is like finding the perfect centerpiece to tie an already-stylish room together. Mal plans all the dates and budgets your time between them in the most efficient way possible, while Rus makes sure you and him still get some time to relax and screw around at home. They work very well together as brothers and as your co-boyfriends with about equal importance placed on each role, so you’ll feel nothing but cherished and wanted between the two of them. Make sure to return the favor!

Horrortale:

Yes, a fantastic idea!

They’re both delighted that you asked and agree to share you pretty much immediately, without even a little fuss.

Slate and Papy are arguably the most codependent of the brothers (understandably, considering their shared trauma of the famine) and they’re also probably the most emotionally open with one another as a result, so if a poly relationship seems like it’s becoming a possibility with you, they’re going to get everything talked out and openly agreed upon for a very smooth transition.

It’s actually…kind of an ideal situation for both of them, in a way? Their issues and insecurities are…well, there’s a good deal of them and they’re both a tad concerned that the weight of it might be too much for you alone. They don’t want to overwhelm you or put too much pressure on you just because they’re a little… ‘broken’ is the wrong word for it, but they’re far from undamaged, either!

But with the other brother in the mix, the same one who’s always been there to support his sibling even before you came along, so much of that pressure is taken off.

Slate doesn’t worry that you’re going to suffer from his dissociation and memory problems because he knows Papy is there with his sharp mind and attention to detail to pick up the slack. Likewise, Papy doesn’t worry quite so much on his bad days that you’re secretly unhappy or would be better off without him because Slate is around, who even with a hole in his skull is naturally charming and very skilled at reading people– if you had any complaints, Slate would know and pass them along so they could make you as content as possible!

The end result is that they both relax and don’t psych themselves out quite as much as they might without their brother, and you get to see them as close to their old, pre-horror selves as they can get. Papy is a little more confident and Slate jokes around more and they both treat you like you make the sun rise every morning because you’re the one that loves them both enough to let this relationship be a thing they can have and that’s so cool.

There’s not a drop of jealousy over you from either of them, especially when they can see first-hand that you’re making their brother as happy as you make them, so this is a pretty harmonious and loving match-up, with a lot of potential for success!

[nighttimepixels]

how do the gals act when theyre super interested in something? or talking about their interest? like i remember askin if scarlet was like amy santiago from b99 when she got excited, u know like kinda goofy but adorable, so ur choice of gal (but pls include twist because im always down for more info on my wife)

Serif: She loses some of that laidback, semi-sleepy air she has usually - her sockets go a little wider, her eyelights brighten... and she starts talking more with her hands. She's absolutely the type to gesture vaguely as she speaks, but it's when she's lighting up and talking about something she's interested in that this habit will lose the restraint. Despite how caught up she can get, too, she's actually extremely good at talking in layman's terms about whatever the topic is!

Vellum: Her volume control definitely goes out the window. On top of that, like her sister, she starts getting animated with her hand gestures - and oh stars, you're interested? You like what she'd talking about? Alright! Time to go do/experience the thing!! .... Hope you didn't have any plans. And also maybe have some significant stamina. Don't worry, she'll make a day of it and you'll get fed a proper meal on top of it. ;)

Sapphire: Prepare for storytelling to the umpteenth degree. When she gets into something, she finds it easiest to relay her excitement by telling stories about her experiences with it (or etc) - and damn if she isn't absolutely stellar at it. Hours will slip by before you realize she's got you caught up in a world painted by her words and immersive storytelling.

Amber: Prepare to get flustered, because when she starts talking about what she's into, she loses a lot of sense of personal boundary. Like her sister she's got a knack for storytelling, but she'll draw your body into it (... less sexual than it sounds... probably). Reposition you, sway you to a beat if a song's involved, cather you to her with your back to her chest as she points out her favorite visuals, stand behind you with her hands gliding over yours as she shows you how to knead the dough of this pastry she loves, all while regaling you with stories that almost steal your attention as much as her proximity.

Crimson: Her voice already has a somewhat rough, sultry timbre to it, but be prepared for that to roll even smoother as she gets excited. Half the time she'll start slipping into too much spanish, too - she'll catch herself with a grin and re-explain, but stars, you're seeing her face light up in a whole new way. Depending on the topic, too, she gets an itch to live it - and more likely than not, she's going to test the waters slyly to see if you're as interested as you seem to be - and if so, prepare for an impromptu adventure into experiencing some aspect of what she's talking about.

Scarlet: No piece of furniture is too obtuse, no conversation too quiet for her to jump up on top of things (quite possibly carrying you with her, depending on how close you are) and start miming and gesticulating. It's a cross between giving a speech, being overall excited, and having too much passion to keep still - if you're reacting even halfway decently, she's going to give up on explaining alone and drag you with her to go experience the thing with her, no matter what it takes.

Pepper: Surprisingly, her voice actually gets softer - if she trusts you. She's so into whatever she's talking about, some of the facade drops, and rather than seeing a confident, slightly infuriatingly self-assured woman, you'll see one with a sliver of renewed gentleness... you'd almost venture to say innocence, if you didn't know what she was capable of. Regardless, her demeanor changes the more she talks about it, and though it's just as passionate, you can see the love of whatever it is behind it if it's something she's truly into. No, she's not quiet, but it's a different kind of voice and tone than she'll use with nearly anything else.

Cinnamon: Her gaze gets a little distant, the sharpness of her eyelights - the same sharpness that belies just how closely she watches despite her easygoing air - it softens, almost hazy as she slips into a smoother voice, a little bolder and more plain, a little less laced with clever wordplay. In a way, she's dropping her guard, just a bit - you won't catch this side of her early in a friendship with her, but if you've known her for a while and she likes you, she'll open up - and somehow, even if you hardly know about the topic, she'll end up drawing you in too. When her gaze flickers back down to you, there's something about the curve of her smile that makes your heart skip a beat, and you lean in closer, entranced by the way she's spinning the stories about the thing.

Blade: It's hard to get her to talk at length about what she's into - she's more guarded than that, and beyond the gardens and her sister, it won't be easy to pick up precisely what she's into... Once you do, though, you're not sure if your heart's swelling three sizes, or breaking. She gets a soft edge to her look, one that makes her look startlingly more like Serif in a way you'd never placed outside of the basic obvious. Her single eyelight glows more softly, and it wouldn't be unlikely - if you're this close already - for her to pull you onto her lap and settle back, quietly asking if you want to hear some stories about whatever it is. If you're not in a place for that kinda cuddling, though, you'll get the rare opportunity to be one of the few she opens up to about something she genuinely likes. The laughs you can get from her in these moments curl something desperately pleasant in you.

Twist: She's the type that's perfectly willing to talk at length about her interests - but it's when you strike gold on something in particular, likely showing either personal knowledge or genuine, clear interest - that you'll really see her light up. Her posture will straighten to her full height, her face will haze in magic - you swear you can see sparkles in the air around her. If it's something hands on, you better bet she'll excitedly, if subtly tentatively, ask if you want to try the thing with her. Please, stars, say yes. If you decline, she won't throw a fit, but you'll see just a flicker of sadness, a flash of something darkly remembered - and she won't open up about that thing in the future, even if your friendship doesn't change in any other way. That said, if you do show interest? You’re going to get to see just how skilled & knowledgeable she is - and get one hell of a cute array of blushes as she lights up and looks to you with her head ever so slightly cocked, waiting to hear your responses along the way.

Glyph: This skeleton woman has a knack for turning any conversation slyly in your direction. And she genuinely likes it - she loves listening to others' stories, and it isn't until much later that people realize they hardly know anything about her. Sure, she'll pitch in the occasional jaw-dropping story about some experience she had, some adventure embarked on, but that's different. You've got to be around her a lot and have a very similar skill and a whole heaping of being a kind and genuine person for her to slip up enough and talk about herself eventually. It helps if you're observant, or salient - her inspiration for some song, perhaps, her favorite place you've noticed her mention, perhaps the stars or fixing up her truck... It's hard to say what'll do it, but you notice she has this cute tendency to look towards the horizon, a fond look on her face, and a gleam to her eye. When her gaze flickers down to you, you swear you know exactly what she's talking about, even if you've never heard of what that thing is - she's got that good of a way with words.

Alpha: Talk about a woman who knows what she's about. If you manage to figure the right things out, you've never had a more engaging conversation - just the right balance of expertise and knack for wordplay and humor that has you engrossed. Her eyes light up, her gestures get more animated - hell, if she can, she'll drag you into experiencing the thing if it's relevant. If not, you're going to lose hours with her, and if you're already her type of person and vice versa, it's going to be a hell of a good time, especially if you reciprocate interest in that topic.

[yvvaine]

A Meta on Madness

Here’s the thing with Targaryen madness. Most weren’t just born raving mad.  They developed it. Some as early as childhood, others well into adulthood; sometimes even instigated by some event (like the Defiance of Duskendale which affected Aerys II Targaryen’s madness). Grand Maester Phycelle even commented how Aerys had been “a good man. such a charmer....” until he became obsessed with his dreams of “fire & blood”. 

It seems that that is the commonality. Fire & Blood. And also obsession. Most of the “madness” starts out as personality traits, like unchecked outbursts and impusliveness. Some form of violence (during said outbursts) develops shortly thereafter. Mixed in is usually a god-like self-image and some personal obsession / quest. Also paranoia. Delusions and hallucinations, for the most part, dont develop all that fast. Theyre “charming good men” with hot heads, and that slowly escelates, little by little until it begins to snowball. Again, some earlier than others. 

But obsession seems to be reaccuring throught all the circumstances. 

They fixate on something (Fire & Blood, religion, beliefs, etc) and take it too far, and the more they do, the more obsessed they become, the more the ‘madness’ seems to set in. 

King Baelor the Blessed was overzealously obsessed with religion and purity, to the point that he starved himself into an early grave because he believed that food is of this world, and the material world is sinful.

Prince Aerion Brightflame, son of King Maekar and nephew of the Prince Rhaegel. Aerion killed himself drinking wildfire, believing it would turn him into a dragon.

Visery’s ‘madness’ (mostly outbursts, paranoia, and cruelty), according to Daenerys at least, was linked/instigated to a somewhat traumatic event; the selling of their mother’s crown. My guess is that he was old enough to be traumatized by the events that sent them into exhile, put all his hopes and dreams into that crown, idolized it, and losing it was kind of the final push. 

Madness ≠ Certified Crazy Person

In fact I dont even really like the term madness, because it denotes that the Targaryen in question is 24/7 insane. And dont get me wrong, some def are. But in GRRM’s world their ‘madness’ is MUCH more subtle than that. Its pathology is almost like a disease. And people can live with the most terrible diseases for quite along while and work around it/not have it effect them. As a Certified Sick Person myself, I know that particular lesson more than quite a bit of people (thanks autoimmune system!) Id say. Look at diabetes! People can live with diabetes and not have to cut their foot off or die (like the olden days) with the right amount of lifestyle and personal choices. But untreated, without proper checks and balances, symptoms get worse, other manisfate on top of one another.  To say they have the “Targaryen madness” is not a black and white issue, because their “insanity” is not as simple as : “that persons obv crazy and that persons not!!” You cant equivicate mid-story/life Daenerys with late-in-life Aerys. Its a cultivation of symptoms over years. Theyre not at equal points in their life to one another; obv shes not blinded by “KILL THEM ALL” attitudes yet. 

Early-in Life Aerys (perhaps a better parallel to Daenerys’s timeline) was: 

“...while not being the most intelligent, nor the most diligent of princes [I wonder who that sounds like? Cough Mereen] he was described as having an undeniable charm. He was generous, handsome and resolute, although somewhat quick to anger. [SOUND LIKE ANYONE. A good heart? Beautiful? Determined and passionate? SOMEWHAT quick to anger?] He was also vain, proud, and changeable, traits that made him easy prey for lickspittles and flatterers.” 

The last part is more up for debate but Dany does think quite highly of herself and is VERY proud. Shes also reminded frequently of her amazing-ness, as well as her beauty, which would bloat anyones ego. And while she realizes the difference between blatant kiss asses (“People used to tell that kind of thing to my brother”) she also prefers those that agree with her or her line of thinking and suck up to her. Shes kinder to those that fall into step and bestows greater favor on them in that moment (even when the person in the room disagreeing is a “friend”). 

“As he grew older, Aerys became increasingly jealous, suspicious and cruel, prone to furious outbursts.”

I think a lot of readers and show viewers see this increasingly “bratty” quality to her character. Even when her anger (toward the slave masters for instance) is morally and technically VERY justified (Personally I hate this POV, as I’m someone whos decided to dedicate my lifeswork to human rights law, so decidely I am not for cruel racist individuals. Moreover, I dont think many people, if there is any at all, who believe in dark!(or just a generally darker)dany are racist and pro-slavery - which is something i see stans misguidedly clapback with often in the face of criticism) her “justice” becomes all she see’s to disastrous consequences, including crucifying those that shouldnt have been.

“My father spoke out against crucifying those children. He decried it as a criminal act but was overruled. Is it justice to answer one crime with another?” - Hizdahr zo Loraq, S04E06 “The Laws of Gods and Men” on Daenerys crucifying his father because of the status he was born into.

She also seems to be developing more and more paranoia. “Betray me and I’ll burn you alive.” (obv betrayal should be punished WHEN IT HAPPENS, but like, shes already imagining scenrarios and felt the need to say something, ie paranoid). The entire beach tantrum and her turning against her ally and HAND Tyrion because she was upset at their(shared) battle failures. And while its great that she doesnt want to be the Queen of Ashes, in her right mind, in moments of anger and fustration she constantly has to be talked down from burning cities. So increasingly more worrisome. 

Shes also increasingly fixated on ‘the iron throne’. As her obsession grows....

Sorta like: Aerys in his youth. 

So while duh, shes not batshit insane like her father was right before the end of his life, people forget, her father wasnt “bad” or “mad” till his later years either. Comparing the two (her father right before he was killed and Dany now) is like comparing a seed to a flower. Same material and DNA. Same circumstances / needs the same to grow (unchecked symptoms like their anger and obsessions). But ultimately different stages in their lives, and as such different consequences and attributes. 

GA (and Stans)‘s Short-sidedness

The “Mad Dany” theory mostly comes from people woh dont neccisarily see dany as stark raving mad like Aerys Burn Them All Targaryen (i know, shocking) but rather see this similarity (past face value cough cough), and see the parrallels between young Aerys the Charming Good But Slghty Tantrum-y Tararyen with Dany now, and made educated forecasts in what that means for future-Dany based on her current arch. The same Dany who is increasingly obsessed with conquering an entire ass continent that shes held up as a symbol and put all her hopes and dreams of ‘home’ into (kinda like the way Viserys did with their mothers crown)  (also a continent that she knows nothing and hasnt bothered to learn anything about). She has no plans on creating a democracy or dispersing power to try to mitigate her faults because shes completely fucking blind to them. She plans on sitting on that uncomfortable ass stupid metal throne and being uncompromising because shes not a Politician shes a QWEEN  #fuckcompromise #fuckdiplomacy #fuckpeace #bendtheknee #ammiright :))))) Meanwhile dancing on really thin ice that could any minute crack under her, and the more it cracks the faster it makes new ones until it snowballs quickly out of hand and suddenly it snaps and kills you. Only shes queen in this scenario with two resusable nukes at her disposal so in this case its not just her but the entire country that drowns.

 Politics is a long game. We - in the real world - choose a leader who is not just best for us in the now, but who will create a better future for our children, and their children, and so on. 

Dany is not a good, stable bet. I originally meant to do a short sassy one liner about this but then I got on a soapbox and started getting all philisophical and now this could literally be my senior thesis its that long. (My apologies!) Im also know where near finished with this so this could maybe be Part One? 

[mizzprouds]

GET TO KNOW: Penny Proud

It’s no secret that Penny is extremely close to her beloved grandma. Often times when she couldn’t see eye to eye with her parents she’d go to Suga Mama’s house for some clarity. Suga Mama always found a way to meet Penny in the middle and provide her with the guidance and wisdom she needed to make the right choice. Suga Mama’s house was also the birth place of her love for music.

Uncle Bobby, who still lived with Suga Mama after his own music career failed, would never know what to do with his frustrated niece when she’d come by looking for a reprieve from her parents. All Bobby knew was music and the way it healed, and so he’d put on his old records and they’d dance around the house until there was nothing but smiles and good vibes.

Growing up in the Proud household was never easy. Penny and her father have never been able to see eye to eye on literally anything, and Trudy could be just as hard to deal with as Oscar at times. Penny often felt trapped under her parents set ways, and there was never any chance of expressing those frustrations out of fear of her parents taking it as disrespect. What her parents didn’t seem to understand was the tighter the leash the more willing she was to pull on it. Penny knows she gave her parents their fair share of headaches with how often she snuck out of the house and disobeyed their wishes, but she just couldn’t help it. She was young and curious. Hell, she still is. She was always a good kid at her core though, and she tried her best. Her dad just never seemed to see it that way. Their fighting turned to near radio silence over the years, especially now that she’s away from home. She understands his feelings ultimately, and misses him of course, but she’s not necessarily sure she wants to be the one to make amends. Or even how to go about it. Penny feels as if she’s always the one bending over backwards for her father and he never once tries to see things from her point of view. She’s a little tired of constantly being the bigger person in their relationship.

Penny and Oscar are cut from the same cloth. Theyre both hard headed, passionate, persistent and stubborn. It’s the main reason why they can’t see to eye to eye. She thinks he’s overbearing, annoying and unbearable, and no matter how much she loves him she can’t change the fact that in the end she can’t stand him most of the time (when she’s not getting her way.). Trudy has once implied that Penny and her father have a hard time with each other because they’re so similar and Penny did not take it well. So, never compare her to her dad. Ever.

Penny is incredibly loyal and forgiving. No matter how many times Djionay, Sticky and Zoey back stabbed her or left her hanging in tough situations she always accepts them back into her life with open arms. She didn’t realize it when she was younger, but having friends who you can’t really rely on has really conditioned her into accepting being an afterthought to people. It took her a long time to unlearn that, and she still falls into the same traps of forgiving and forgetting but she’s working on it.

When Penny first moved away from home she worried about the twins, especially CeCe. She knows how hard it is to be a young girl under Oscar Proud’s roof and didn’t want her baby sister to feel stifled and trapped the way she had. So, imagine her surprise when she visited for the holidays and she found that the twins get away with just about anything. She’s happy her parents seemed to have relaxed their parenting style when it comes to the twins but if she’s being honest she thinks it’s a little unfair, and maybe she’s incredibly annoyed by it. So are the woes of being the eldest.

Uncle Bobby has an impressive record collection, and Penny always has free reign to visit and dive into music history with him. He instilled in her the importance of knowing the roots of the genres she loves, and through him she has a deep appreciation for all types of music. And while she’s a hip-hop, pop and R&B girl It’s important to her that she knows the history of black women in the industry and has studied the work of unsung heroes like Big Mama Thornton and Josephine Baker.

Aside from pop, hip-hop and R&B Penny would say funk, disco and soul music is her favorite as it’s the music her Uncle Bobby showed her the most. And of course, when his career was at its peak he was a funk singer.

Penny’s favorite artists are a reflection of who she hopes to be as an artist, but also the things that surrounded her when she was young. She thinks late 90s & 2000s R&B was the peak of pop culture, and you can still find her incorporating that into the way she dresses now.

When she’d get into a fight with her parents Penny would lock herself in her room, grab her headphones and put on her favorite mix CD. It was up there that she’d practice the dance moves to her favorite music videos and envision her future as a top selling R&B diva. Music was always her escape.

She was admittedly very boy crazy as a teen. Her father wouldn’t let her date but she still managed to find a way to spend time with the boys around time who caught her eye. She had a new crush every three weeks. Now she’s calmed down a lot and thinks boys are a distraction from her goals, but she can still be easily swayed and sidetracked by a pretty smile, so she tries her best to stay away from anything romantic. Her father would be proud honestly.

Penny doesn’t believe in being told she can’t do something. It’s how she finds herself on the football team in high school. And while it started out as a whim and later evolved into having to prove a point, being a football player is one of her favorite things. She likes knowing that in her own small way she’s shaking the culture and making a stand for girls to be able to do the same things as boys. She’s gotten good at ignoring the way visiting teams scoff and underestimate her. And she’s not a petty person (ok she kind of is) but she loves the shock on their faces when she shows that she’s just as good and tough as them.

Penny wants to understand everything there is to about music, the ins and outs of production, A&R work. She hopes to put her talent for writing poetry to use and transition into writing her own songs. It’s important to her that she’s able to understand the creative process on many levels so she can hopefully have more of a say the next time she tries to get her foot through the door. She’s also taking a lot of music business classes so she can avoid getting tricked by a contract.

The decision to switch majors was a scary one for the girl seeing as she’d already completed two years of college under the English major but ultimately Penny feels like it was the right one even if it’s gonna push back her graduation a little bit.

Penny, while focused on achieving her goals, is still the fun loving girl she’d always been. You can’t keep her from a party and she’s easily spotted on the dance floor having the time of her life, or hanging with friends.

Penny has always been understanding and passionate, and she likes to think that she will always stand up for/do the right thing in the end. She’s the queen of the pep talk and long winded speech about what’s right. She’s a leader and doesn’t even really realize it.

music is the easiest reflection of someone and while Penny listens to a little bit of everything her favorite albums are: Toni Braxton’s self titled album, Full Moon by Brandy, B’Day by Beyonce, and The Emancipation of Mimi by Mariah Carey.

[allofbeercom]

Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill – the musical!

Cant imagine what the libretto for a show based on the singers seminal 1995 album might be like? Wonder no more

Twenty-two years after its release, Alanis Morissettes Jagged Little Pill remains one of the defining albums of the 1990s. Reports now suggest that a musical inspired by the record is finally on its way to Broadway. The book (story bit) is being put together by Diablo Juno Cody but it seems unlikely that an Oscar-winning screenwriter can bring Jagged Little Pill to theatrical life with the tact, passion and sensitivity it really deserves. So we thought we would give it a go.

Our musical is called A Love Affair Never is Simple, which is, youll be pleased to note, a little bit mnemonic.

Curtain up!

We open on the musicals protagonist, Mary Jane. Offering the audience its first glimpse of the Jagged Little Pill songbook, Mary Jane sings a reworked version of All I Really Want. She breaks the fourth wall when she sings to the audience (Enough about me, lets talk about you for a minute Enough about you, lets talk about life for a while) before using the song to introduce the musicals main storyline: What I wouldnt give to find a soulmate, someone else to catch this drift. Jagged Little Pill touched on various complex and intense themes but for the sake of flogging tickets on Broadway our story is just about a lonely, cash-strapped person looking for love. During All I Really Want, the line Im like Estella, I like to reel it in and then spit it out is changed so as to no longer reference Great Expectations. I like Estrella, I like to drink it and not spit it out has been factored in as part of a complex endorsement deal with a beer brand.

Here comes the sassy best friend

The doorbell rings! Its Mary Janes best mate Chardonnay who tries to cheer her friend up by belting out a stream of life tips, wake-up calls and trite, homespun wisdom to the tune of You Learn. Sadly, as Chardonnay draws breath in anticipation of the songs big vocal crescendo, she swallows a black fly, chokes and while Mary Jane continues to wait for an already-late ambulance thats now stuck in a traffic jam dies.

Ironic maiden … Morissette in her Jagged Little Pill prime. Photograph: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Enter love interest, stage left

The ambulance eventually arrives and with it comes a handsome man; not the doctor, but the driver, called Hans. Naturally, because this is a musical and we really need to move things along quickly, Mary Jane falls head over feet in love. The pair embark on a whirlwind romance and it even looks like Mary Janes money woes will be over when Hans wins the lottery, but within 24 hours he is dead; attacked by an intruder while cooking, his attempts to defend himself with kitchen implements are impeded when he is only able to lay his hands on spoons.

The funeral

Sadly for Mary Jane the drama is not over yet. As Hanss coffin is lowered into the ground and Mary Jane says goodbye to the man of her dreams she meets his beautiful wife. (The wife happens to be Catholic for reasons pertaining to still-to-be-crowbarred-in song references.) Mary Jane goes berserk, jumping on to the coffin and thundering on the lid while screaming a furious version of You Oughta Know. As she sings it right through, you know shes in pain. In search of closure and as a reminder of the mess he left when he went away Mary Jane chooses to wear a picture of Hans around her neck. But that closure doesnt come easy due to a late arrival at the funeral. Its Hanss identical twin brother. Hes also called Hans. Is this Mary Janes second chance at love?

The wedding

Yes it is. For the musicals euphoric final scene we find ourselves at the wedding of Mary Jane and the second Hans, where theyre joined by Hans 1s widow (shes forgiven Mary Jane; you know how those Catholic girls can be) plus Chardonnays ghost, who booked a wedding singer to sing a song about rain on this wedding day, only to discover that a meteorological glitch has confounded forecasts resulting in bright sunshine, thus rendering the singers choice of song ironic, as well as Ironic, although only ironic in the same way that the ironies in Ironic are ironically not ironic. Mary Jane and her new husband celebrate, meaning that while Mary Jane has still got one Hans in her locket, the other one is giving her a high five.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/alanis-morissette-jagged-little-pill-the-musical/