#this anon has the power

[vigilskeep]

a quick guide to dog lords, telling your arls from your teyrns, and generally how ferelden works

okay, this isn't quite what anon asked for, by which i mean not at all, but unfortunately they activated my interest in some of my favourite lore. it should hopefully contain a lot of the relevant stuff and i’ll try to branch out to less fereldan specific information in other posts!

okay, let’s start with the hierarchy. there’s four kinds of noble in ferelden

royalty: you know who these guys are. except for during the orlesian occupation, ever since ferelden became one kingdom, it’s been ruled by the theirin family. which i think is for 388 years, i really hope that’s right, i got out a calculator

teyrns: these are super powerful lords, basically banns so powerful that other banns swear fealty to them. they’re second only to the king, who is essentially just the most powerful one of them. there used to be a lot of them, but with one dynasty in power for so long, that kind of opposition has been eroded away. there are only two remaining: the couslands of highever in the north, and the mac tirs of gwaren in the south

arls: these are extra special banns. they answer to a teyrn or king and hold a strategic fortress for them. we know of six—amaranthine, south reach, denerim, redcliffe, west hills, and edgehall—but i’m unsure if that’s because they are only six or because there are unnamed others

banns: these are your common or garden noble, the lowest ranking and most common. this is your local lord type. they seem to vary the most in power, though, with some banns having big speaking roles in the landsmeet

but i kind of should have written that list in the opposite direction. what do i mean by that? well, in your standard medieval hierarchy, and in a lot of the rest of thedas, power comes down from the king, who lets you hold the land. but in ferelden, most of the land is owned by freeholders: commoners, well-off enough to own their land but still not by any means nobles.

how does that work? well, let’s say i’m a freeholder.

i own my land, but thedas is a rough place. if i want to keep my land, i’d better swear fealty to a bann. i’ll pay him a portion of the goods produced on my land, and in return, he’ll protect my land from anyone wanting to beat me up and take all my goods... and also, you know, not beat me up himself, as he probably would if i didn’t have any bann looking after me. it kind of sounds like he has all the power, right? like a medieval protection racket? it’s certainly how he gets his power and wealth

so i, freeholder harker, have signed up with bann jeff. it makes sense, because he’s the closest to my freehold, and i want soldiers to actually get here in time if i’m in trouble. that’s why my family has been swearing fealty to his family for generations. it’s just how things are done

but the thing is: i hate bann jeff. maybe he takes too much of my harvests, maybe he sides with a different freeholder when we go to him with a dispute, maybe his men don’t mind their pleases and thank yous when they come for my goods. i’m well within my rights to say fuck bann jeff and leave him. especially if there’s another bann nearby who would be perfectly happy to take my goods instead and treat me right. and the less freeholders bann jeff has, the less resources and men he has to make a fuss about it with. if bann jeff pisses off enough people, he might not have any freeholders left at all. and where will his wealth and power come from then? maybe soon he won’t be a bann at all

of course, bann jeff’s family might feud with the family of the bann that stole me away for a few hundred years. but that’s hardly my problem, is it? “courting” someone else’s vassals is apparently the biggest cause of conflict within the bannorn

anyway, this isn’t just how banns work; it’s how all power theoretically works in ferelden. there are no serfs/“unfree” men. every peasant has a right to go where he will and choose which freeholder he works for, just as every freeholder has the right to choose their bann, and banns who swear to teyrns can break away. (the latter is probably less common because a teyrn could fuck you up. i’m guessing you’d have to get the king’s backing about it to survive that.) and even the king answers to his lessers in the landsmeet, the super ancient gathering of nobles where law is made, which can override the king on any matter of law. (but they’re not going to do it if the king is really popular or powerful, because. you know. there’s a limit to all things called common sense and they would prefer not to get squashed about it.) but generally, everyone who holds power in ferelden has to curry favours with their so-called lessers in order to keep their goodwill.

everywhere else in thedas thinks this is weird as hell, by the way. having to court the approval of those beneath you? even the king having to do that? wtf? but the level of freedom means everything to fereldans. it’s their highest ideal and they’re really proud of it.

(the people who really don’t have a voice are what the ttrpg calls “low freemen”, which according to its handbook, consists of criminals, prostitutes, and elves. they still have the right to freedom of movement and to be paid for their work, but they’re not going to have freeholders and banns seeking their favour and speaking for them, and they typically have to resort to bribery for entrance to cities, their homes are bought and sold by others on a whim, things like that. ultimately it makes their position incredibly vulnerable to abuse, as we see in the games. i’m sure we’ve all played the tabris origin. there’s a reason the potential boon to get a bann for the alienage is so wild.)

so, let’s say you made it, everyone loves and/or tolerates you, and you’re a noble. what good does that do you and what can you do? firstly, you have a voice in the landsmeet, which is super important and means the king wants your goodwill and advice. more generally, you have three basic functions of a noble: raising taxes/tribute, commanding soldiers, and dispensing justice. nobles are expected to live off the wealth provided by their land and it would be hugely looked down on if they did work instead, with exceptions for, like, military careers and the chantry, which are respectable for their status. they raise militia from the commoners when necessary, and they also have trained soldiers or possibly knights (see postscript) in their service. that means you can protect your land and you can win glory and spoils when the kingdom goes to war, it also means you’ll be expected to provide those men when your liegelord calls for them. and lastly the law is their responsibility. remember how in the awakening dlc you had to make judgements as the arl of amaranthine? like that! the smaller scale you are, the smaller scale it’s going to be. in turn, if you want a dispute sorted by a higher power, you have to go up to your liegelord, maybe a teyrn or the king, or if you can’t get one of them, a more powerful bann or arl in the area. possibly the chantry would be an alternate option? if it’s just about finding someone you will both listen to, which is usually the main issue

some privileges other than the standard “power over those beneath you” that you can typically expect to belong to the noble class, even if it’s not specific to dragon age: the right to carry a sword, the right to have a coat of arms, the right to precedence on formal occasions and a special seat up front in your local chantry... sometimes niche ones, like fabrics and clothing that are only permissible to wear for people of a certain rank, so it distinguishes them. you can expect favours from/common class interests with your king, you would expect to be given a trial or treated chivalrously if things did not go your way, depending on era you might be captured for ransom in battle rather than killed outright, you probably have exemptions from certain royal taxation... etc. etc.

that’s what i have! i hope these are some helpful fundamentals and that anyone who has more knowledge than me on any aspect feels welcome to contribute it

P.S. as an aside, i’m a little confused about the fereldan use of knights. they definitely exist as lesser nobility, but i don’t understand how they fit into the hierarchy. a real knight was typically a vassal who held land from his liegelord and fought for him in exchange. i... don’t know how that works in the context of land ownership mostly going upwards. they’re definitely around, anyone addressed as ser is a knight, you have the knights of redcliffe and people like ser jory and ser cauthrien. (someone in an order like the templars has the rank of knight and gets ser and everything, but is not a noble.) as a rule of thumb i think generally they’re probably just members of noble families with that dedicated military training and no greater title to lay claim to? i’m basing that on stuff like nathaniel howe being sent as a squire to his mother’s cousin, a chevalier; if he’d completed that he probably would have been a knight unless/until he inherited his father’s place? i don’t know. i’m making this up. and on the other hand, there’s very little distinction in fereldan between your regular noble and a some kind of warrior class, which is why i struggle to see the purpose. (there are also inexplicable career soldiers who are not knights. what the hell is funding that upkeep and armour, buddy. you and whose land ownership? this is why you were fighting the darkspawn with your whole arms out, aveline. stop trying to imply ferelden has a standing army you can go off and join. yes i see you carver lore. i will not buy it.) ANYWAY, because knights are more prevalent in certain areas, i do wonder if it’s an import from the long orlesian occuption, based on the knightly order of chevaliers? i don’t fucking know. worth chewing on

#dragon age #ferelden #dragon age: origins #sorry to anon for asking specifically what your exact question was #and then going off on one anyway. that is my bad. if anything is not answered here let me know #and to anyone who has noticed the probably obvious things i missed pls be gentle #god this is so fucking long AGSHSJSKKS i thought i was being brief i dodged powerpoint... anyway #i just couldnt get to grips with what a noble can do until you know what different kinds there are and where there power comes from and. #well here we are

[stealingyourbones]

Broke: danny has the worst luck in gotham. Woke: gotham rolls out the red carpet for the ghost king. All the public transport runs on time, he finds a winning lottery ticket worth $500 laying on the sidewalk, all the criminals' guns jam when they try to target him. Batfamily thinks he has luck powers. Bespoke: GK danny so powerful his mere presence burns away half of gotham's curses and makes every shade in the city visible to normies. Panic and chaos reign supreme.

Danny: simply chillin in Crime Alley

Danny: Sees the ghosts of Martha and Thomas Wayne. Talks to them about how proud they are of their son.

Batman: fully frozen on a nearby rooftop too scared that this is a hallucination or he’s been gassed and this is fake.

#danny phantom #dp x dc #dc comics #writing prompts #dp x dc prompt #bones replies #this is truly fucking wonderful I’m- #anon #Gotham in general being like ‘hell yeah ghost king finally someone of power let me show off’ is just SO GOOD #your brain has so many wrinkles my friend

[0vergrowngraveyard]

Tails has recordings of pretty much every single time Sonic has done something extremely embarrassing or stupid, such as tripping and falling, or running into walls or signposts.

It's a pretty good "bargaining chip" when he needs Sonic to do something (He threatens to put it on auction on EBay sometimes. This tactic is really effective because Sonic KNOWS he'd do it.)

This video recording is over 20 minutes long, and it has so, so many of Sonic's goofs that it would ruin him the moment it was leaked.

oh absolutely. tails has so much blackmail on his brother and it’s all shit that could destroy his public image

#anon ask #once sonic tried to blackmail tails back and the kit pretended to post the video #it was just an edited image but sonic still freaked the fuck out #when it comes to blackmail. sonic rarely has power over his little brother #miles tails prower #sonic the hedgehog #unbreakable bond #the brothers ever

[beanghostprincess]

Sanuso with vampire Sanji not only has "I'll do what you can't do and you do what I can't do", but also "I'll feed you and you feed me"

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod-

I love this. So much.

So I am not the biggest fan of writing Vampires AUs. I LOVE reading them but I don't think it's my style of writing?? So I never do. But-- But THIS??? Changing my life, honestly. Considering things. Thinking thoughts.

And it's extremely easy to make a plot for this!!!!!! The Vinsmokes are a family of vampires but Sanji is the only human thanks to Sora. Etc etc etc. Wano happens. Don't ask me WHAT happens but SOMETHING happens and Sanji starts slowly turning into a vampire. Worst time of his life for a variety of reasons (from not feeling human to being scared of hurting others and also all the bad things that come with being a vampire. Except for the sun thing because. Well. I want him to be able to be under the sun. Let's just say he's a mix between Vampire and Human).

It'd be so good to see Sanji starving because he refuses to drink blood and he wants to hide this from the rest of the crew. But Usopp inevitably finds out, of course, and he offers his blood to Sanji. And I am. Losing it because now I want to write a super homoerotic bloody scene in which Sanji is refusing to drink Usopp's blood because he doesn't trust himself but Usopp won't stop walking closer and closer to him saying that if he doesn't trust himself it's fine because he trusts him instead... And he says the whole "You cook for us all the time, so it's just fair. You feed me, and I'll feed you. Now drink before you are the first vampire to die out of stubbornness" thing.

I mean, vampires are like. Inherently romantic and erotic so this is just. Woah. Having a million thoughts. I need a MOMENT.

Also??????? Usopp being THE Vampire Hunter™ of the crew??? Imagine Thriller Bark Usopp x Vampire Sanji I am LOSING IT. Brain isn't braining. Maybe I die.

Putting aside the obvious nasty emotional bloody sex these two would have, Usopp would be,, So sweet to Sanji. Because he absolutely hates his situation and he isn't sure if he is ready to tell the others yet. Usopp is always offering him his blood and staying with him when he can't sleep and-- Adding little bat Sanji here??? Can Sanji turn into a bat??? Please yes yes. I want little bat Sanji to be the cutest thing and Usopp just. Loving him. His little bat boyfriend 😭 Usopp knows so many fun facts about bats while Sanji is like. So angry at first bc he has to learn how to change back and fly KJEJFJEFEKDJFNWLEKFNW They're so silly.

When Sanji doesn't feel human Usopp is always there to remind him that he is still himself after all. And Sanji is always scared of hurting him but also-- Have you considered Sanji only turning into a bat bc Usopp is even clingier with him then and he gets pats from his boyfriend? And he's always being so gentle with him too.

They mean the world to me!!!!!!!!!!! Vampire AUs my beloved!!!!!!!

#THEY'RE AJHHWDJQWJKDNQKJWDNQWDNQWDNQLWKN #i want to write this #ANON I HATE YOU YOU GAVE ME INSPIRATION TO WRITE AND I HAVE SO MANY WIPS ALREADY #jk i love you for this #also the whole aesthetic looks so good on them #okay but sanji making actual dishes with usopp's blood then what #and he tastes other blood like. once. bc chopper has them just in case they need a transfusion. and they don't taste as good as usopp's #the power of love makes blood tastier #i know nothing abt vampires actually just cliché stuff but i love this #one piece #black leg sanji #usopp #sanuso #ask-bean!

[ahappydnp]

We talk about heart eyes howell but phil's eyes were literally sparking when he saw dan with the slit

bro is radiating glee for that slit

#anon ask #its because phil felt the shift in the air the moment they once again matched. their power has been fully restored

[inkykeiji]

okay but you can't tell me daddy dazai isn't GREAT at aftercare. he can take you apart and put you back together again and he loves to spoil and coddle you too. <3

with you, yes, absolutely 100%!!!! he would be the fucking sweetest and he’d already have multiple potential care plans in place before you even begin the scene, each tailored to a specific outcome—the ways he thinks you’re most likely to react by the time the scene is over, with a few of them branching out into sub-plans based on what turns the scene may take as it develops. each aftercare plan is attuned to what he knows your specific set of needs will be by the end of him fucking you into the prettiest shattered shards of yourself. if the session ends up being purely psychological torture then you can bet your ass he’s got a whole novels-worth of words of affirmation written on the walls of his skull, just waiting to be spoken to you. if the session is more physical in nature then he’s prepared with your favourite nutritious snack + a bottle of water + first aid materials. if it’s any combination of both he’s prepared with whatever percentage of each he believes must be met; various aftercare blends each customized to that particular result.

afterwards, after he’s sure your initial, instinctive and most immediate needs have been throughly dealt with and resolved, it’s whatever you further need—your favourite comfort film, or cozy cuddles beneath fluffy blankets with him and your most cherished stuffy, or tender kisses scattered across your marred skin and mangled limbs, gentle lips so healing, so loving as they skim across your body, each stamp of them against your flesh leaving a soft, small blossom of warmth in its wake; whatever it is, whatever you want, he is more than ready and willing to give it.

i genuinely believe that like, 97% of the time this man is fucking brutal and sincerely, severely sadistic in the bedroom; loves teasing you to the point of tears and then far beyond that, staining his name into your skin through deep indents beneath all 32 of his teeth and splats of broken blood vessels beneath his fingertips, can be downright fucking cruel when he wants to be, when the mood strikes him (and takes genuine delight and pleasure in it all)—and as such, being a god at aftercare is a must, when it concerns you, anyway.

with akutagawa tho?????? eeeeeee probably not

#listen i just think akutagawa brings out the absolute worst in him #just this extremely sadistic extremely power starved side of himself #that he can get under control if he *wants* to but he doesn’t really want to #because with aku he doesn’t HAVE to #because with aku he can let that side of himself completely loose and know he won’t lose his sub #because no matter what happens akutagawa will come crawling back with tears in his eyes and pleads on his tongue for dazai’s favour and prai #praise #this has been sitting in my drafts since april tenth anon i am SO sorry #it got lost >.< #but here u go!!! <3 #dazai x reader #dazai osamu x reader #dazai smut #inky.dazai #have a wonderful saturday anon bb!!! #stay safe and don’t forget to hydrate!!! #inky.bb #clari gets mail

[sunriseseance]

Hi, I’m so sorry this ask is long and probably messy but I saw you talking about Allison and Klaus and I’ve been thinking about them a lot so here’s something:

I’ve seen a lot of people hating on Allison at the end of season 3 for making a deal with Reginald and “getting Luther and Klaus killed” when she clearly didn’t know that was gonna happen and there’s no way she would agree to do that.

Like they specifically have a problem with her making a deal with Reggie but, what do they think Klaus was doing? Do they think he was too stupid or too naive to make a deal? Is it not a deal if they don’t shake hands? Because I think Klaus was playing his own game and they just fell for the “I’m hanging out with dad because he’s nice now” act.

Reginald tried to use both of them to get the others on board with his plan but that didn’t work because, despite everything, they still respected their siblings decisions. Allison could have rumored everyone and be done, but instead she committed the crime of… actually talking to them and maybe putting on a fake smile? Klaus could’ve been very manipulative and insistent, enough that Lila told him to back off.

In the end, Luther got killed because they weren’t willing to go that far and Reginald had to find another way.

Yep yep yep. I think you are 100% correct. Allison clearly did not know what she was agreeing to, and she risked everything she could to undo the harm.

People have been falling for Klaus's shtick since the first week after season 1 came out. He says he is just a carefree silly who doesn't know better and can't do anything and the fandom says "yep!" or "I can't believe the writers would do this to him" instead of looking at the incongruencies as deliberate choices for them to examine. This is regrettably not new.

I think it is worth SERIOUSLY questioning why people are so charitable with Klaus and assume the absolute worst possible of Allison. Because you have hit the nail on the head. They are extremely similar characters, who have almost 100% the exact same flaws, and yet one is the fandom darling and the other's tag is about 80% people talking about how much they hate her.

#the umbrella academy #klaus hargreeves #allison hargreeves #tua meta #HOW FUN to use that tag again thank you anon!!!!!!!!!!!! #I missed out on s3 meta because I was doing chemo for stage 3 cancer #so it is nice to get back into it. #also: I am going to hear about Allison sexually assaulting Luther #1. she stopped. She realized what she was doing and she stopped. #2. Klaus has issues in that department as well #which is natural!!! They were child trafficked soldier billionaires and both used their charisma or LITERAL POWERS to get what they want #Of fucking course they are messed up in that way #She stopped. She is not an irredeemable monster. She is a person who went through THE WORST THING POSSIBLE and had some nasty reactions #Get the fuck off her ass

[teabutmakeitazure]

Best picture. Childe having his phone struck between his ear and his shoulder talking about bodies that was supposed to be burnt. Wearing a cute apron (something with "Best Hubby" or something like that written there is hilarious). And dealing with one boiling thing in the casserole, two flying pan and while watching the cake in the oven is not burning. All this while you tried to study in the sofa. And even with all this, he still find a paranormal way to tell you to not stand up to take the chips in the cupboard. Not good for your health and dinner will be ready soon enough. I'm sure this guy have eyes behind his head for that. Or prophetic power at this point.

He looks like a mother gossiping on the phone while doing so except that he isn't a mother (yet) and is in no way gossiping. Sometimes hearing his phone calls makes you wonder whether you are allowed to be hearing all that. Didn't he say you'd have to be assassinated if you learnt of sensitive information? Why are you still alive? Most importantly, what level of attention span does he have to be balancing a phone call about a serious issue like an improperly disposed body, two frying pans, something in the oven, and your every movement. You haven't even gotten up yet and he's already called out to you amidst his conversation, telling you to stay seated since dinner is almost ready. Sometimes he even throws an orange over his shoulder to land perfectly in your lap without looking. That occurrence alone makes you respect him and not get too antagonistic with him.

#childe: *throws an orange over his shoulder behind his back to land in your lap* eat healthy #reader: what level of sorcery is this?? #normal people have 5 senses while he has like 8 #he couldnt rizz up reader with his looks and wealth so he uses his paranormal powers #ask #anon #childe brainrot

[hella1975]

hiiii haha. hello. exceptionally awkward introduction bc idrk how to start something like this so let's just jump right in. im taking a break from this account for a bit. i know i said i wanted taob out before halloween and currently im fine sticking with that deadline, but if i decide i need longer away then i will take longer away. every time ive reassured people that id never abandon a fic and updates will always come eventually i never once considered that my writing and ability to feel safe and comfortable on this site would be actively taken from me, so im not even going to apologise. i dont want this either and more importantly i dont fucking deserve it. i dont know what it is in the past year, if ive hit a certain amount of followers or 'popularity' that's made it so the natural ratio of positive to negative interactions must in turn go up, but there's been a serious uptick in weird asks for me. the annoying part is that a very small amount of them are actually objectively mean and hateful, the rest are just weird and invasive from people who seemingly dont realise that's what they're being. ive reached a point where i dont care if the intentions are good. it's not my job as a 20 year old tumblr user of all things to defend the morality of someone who couldnt even bother to come off anon. unfortunately, after blocking only one or two anons, the weird asks have decreased substantially, which says all you need to know about the fascinating and exhilarating lives led by these people, but ive also gone on to turn anon asks off entirely. this is something i actively fought against doing and had to be pushed into by my mutuals (who have been the coolest people on planet earth during this entire thing). turning off anon was a big deal to me even if it sounds silly. i felt betrayed and like id been backed into a corner because it was so vehmently something i DIDNT WANT that to feel like i had to do it anyway for my own mental health??? that sucks. so even though ive 'fixed' the problem, im still kind of reeling and uncomfortable every time i come on tumblr. i hope it's just something i need time to ease because i'll truly be devastated if this becomes 'ruined' for me. tumblr exists as the only place in the world where i am honestly every facet of myself without shame or hesitation; losing that would be insanely harmful to me. and to the people who cant appeal to the actual human behind the post, let me put that in words you can understand: we wouldn't get any more writing 😦😦😦 riots and fires and sirens, i know. so yeah. to anyone who has sent me an anon ask and you're now wondering if you were part of the problem, im firmly of the belief that you'll know if you are. when i say 'weird asks' i dont mean 'you sent me a para about your personal life just to vent or ask for advice' or 'you sent me a really deep emotional compliment about the impact me and/or my writing has had on you' - i love asks like that, so much that i put off taking a break and turning off anon solely for the joy they bring me. im sorry that it might feel like you're being punished too bc of the actions of what in reality is a HANDFUL of weird people, but this is what i feel like i have to do to feel safe and not go insane every time i log in. love you guys, hopefully ill see you soon x

#seriously another shout out to my mutuals #id particularly like to say thank you to boom who's always right there for me no matter what's happening or how insane im being #and also everyone in our little discord that wound up having to make a whole new channel for venting #bc i was there so often like 'today's weird ask isssss.... telling me about my cupsize!! rip them to shreds!!!' #hannah and theo especially being there and pushing me to finally turn off anon. war is truly over #and of course rori bc the shamelessness u show when hating on my anon asks has been genuinely really cathartic #sometimes u really do just need a rottweiler mutual to tell random people online to kill themselves 😭 #okay weird oscar acceptance speechcore gratitude over. i do just rlly love my mutuals #like i went three years not telling anyone about the worse side of internet popularity for fear of looking spoiled and ungrateful #so for the first time to open up about it and be met with outrage on my behalf and people saying in fact it's MORE fucked up #than i initially realised bc ive grown desensitised to it is. yeah cathartic i guess #they are singlehandedly reassuring me of the good this cursed app still holds #so everyone thank them and send them flowers NOW #okay im done i think. see you guys soon. i truly do want to come back asap bc like i said i NEVER EVEN WANTED TO FUCKING LEAVE #SOME ASSHOLES JUST HAD TO PUT GRENADES ON WHAT I ASSUMED WERE VERY UNIVERSAL AND OBVIOUS BOUNDARIES #if you're reading this like 'ohhh fuck i defo sent something invasive lately. i thought it was a joke/we were friends' #then 1) we arent friends if you're on anon. it immediately creates a power imbalance where you know me and any necessary context #but i have no idea who you are or how much you know about me. that's already a fucked dynamic #and 2) I HOPE YOU FEEL BAD. LIKE GENUINELY I HOPE YOU FEEL AWFUL AND HAVE A GOOD LONG LOOK AT YOURSELF #okay i think that's all. ta-ra lads??? how tf do u end something like this #ive queued this to reblog a couple more times throughout the day

[lemonhemlock]

The truth about Alicent Hightower: why is she so disliked?

https://youtu.be/t9HjamrAMfU?si=QpoUMPQQSuTWmovz

I found this video on YouTube. I didn't watch the video, but I did read the comments, and many of them were negative toward Alicent. I want to know your thoughts on this video.

The comments are negative towards Alicent because the creator's request for engagement consisted of asking her audience to share why they disliked Alicent. Though I do feel inclined to enquire myself: why are you asking me to react to this video if you haven't even watched it?

Many of these talking points I have already addressed in my lengthy meta posts over time:

There is a conflation of Alicent from the books and Alicent from the show. Show!Alicent was not sent to comfort Jaehaerys and is more innocent and trusting that book!Alicent because she is younger.

Alicent is hated by many viewers for "seducing" Viserys. The creator says she doesn't and denies that people blame her for that, but they do. It's an easily-verified, observable reality and, thus, a strange thing to even say.

Jace/Helaena is not an advantageous marriage for the greens.

"Why was Otto spying on Rhaenyra?" It's literally his job. "He deserved to be fired". It's literally his job to be spying on everyone and report the information back to the King.

The Hightowers are faced with the fait accompli that Aegon will not be named heir. They went into the marriage fully believing that Alicent's sons would overtake Rhaenyra in the line of succession, as was the social norm.

It ultimately comes back to what I was talking about these last few days. This is the result of a conflation of several factors:

ignorance about what medieval social and economic arrangements actually were (what is feudalism? what is manorialism?);

stubbornly clinging to the notion that Westeros is an absolutist monarchy and that "the King's word is law";

downplaying the bastard issue, i.e. refusing to acknowledge how concerning the division of the marital estate was to inheritors and blaming it entirely on misogyny-fueled sex-negativism;

having no concept of what common law is or how it functions.

People can't let go of this image that Westeros is a capitalist modern state with an authoritarian leader (the King). And dragons. (It's Russia, basically. The dragons are bears).

Most of TB's discourse contains some combination of the above, which is why, honestly, at this point, if people are so invested in still talking about this, I would truly suggest a primer in medieval history, because this is getting ridiculous. These reasonings are just not rooted in a tangible basis of reality and trying to engage with them is like fighting windmills.

In the same vein, I wish people would stop bringing up the point of Alicent misunderstanding that Viserys changed his mind on his death bed. I get it, you think it's a dumb argument, but, lo' and behold, it's actually lifted straight from real history and, to the shock of thousands of Twitter users, it worked. What now? Stephen of Blois truly is crying in the afterlife because you think this little trick of his lacks realism. 🤦‍♀️

#they don't understand how much modern institutions shape their daily lives #institutions which are totally absent from westeros #it doesn't even have a parliament #'pass a law' pfffff #anti rhaenyra targaryen #anti team black #alicent hightower #there is also the refusal to accept that rhaenyra has any power over her own situation #and that she also could have made better choices both for herself and for the realm #'what was rhaenyra to do?' renounce being heir! or be smarter about it! #girl pick a struggle fr #ask #anon #also. like. you have to laugh at OP's characterization of rhaenyra being groomed by daemon during their night out in town #& then coercing criston into sex #as 'her living her best life'

[craycraybluejay]

You said in tags once that pedophiles and child predators aren't the same, can you explain why? /GEN

For the same reason that people with any kind of attraction to anyone ever aren't all rapists/don't all pursue romantic/sexual feelings that could or definitely would hurt the other person. Because paraphilias are simply the morally neutral state of experiencing attraction and rape/grooming is Not That. Because people *choose* to hurt others, but not what they feel. Because a good majority of child sexual abusers aren't even pathologically/paraphilically attracted to children, they *just want to hurt them because they can.* Because they're dissatisfied with something in life, or want a punching bag, or want to feel powerful, etc etc.

It's not really different conceptually from physical abuse. Do people do it because they have icky feelings about liking blood or violence? No. They do it to feel powerful. Sexual abuse is not about sex but about power. Hope this answers your question. I've answered it a good million times on this blog but eh I'm in a generous mood.

#anon response #pro para #girl imagine if ppl blamed randomass sadists for me getting beat up as a kid #like. no. thats not how that works. if they got off on hurting me in a literal sense they mightve been a little nicer ab it. #honestly its just flat out offensive to equate thoughts and feelings with abuse #regardless of someone's pathology you can always choose to do good and always choose to do evil #what you do with that ability is up to you. but rather than focusing consequences on random 'freaks' maybe focus them on #'normal people' who decide to covertly abuse their kids. or the priest who got tired of being godly and did some fucked shit #it is not the freaks you should fear but those who put on a face of normalcy while treating others like garbage and hurting people #also mostly those that are self aware know how to Be Good so to speak and im saying this broadly ab all 'dangerous' thoughts #ppl who know they can get triggered into violence will usually avoid sais triggers. ppl who spiral out of control during an episode will #have someone watch over them or find some way to offset any possible damage #even for people in whom some sort of harm is an instinctive reaction and not a conscious decision #steps can be should be and are taken to minimize problems and recover from anything that needs it #i trust a big 3 paraphile easier than an unstable person in power with no self awareness #because ive met both and only one has ever seriously hurt me. guess.

[pinkeoni]

“How would they reveal Will’s powers in the final season. There’s no setup or foreshadowing and it would come out of nowhere.”

The show, since episode one: This little boy is a WIZARD who CASTS MAGIC SPELLS. In this episode we put him in a little wizard outfit to really hammer in that point.

#was saving this for later but im recieving some… interesting anons that i will have to answer #one nice with genuine questions the other one…. #stay tuned ✌️ #will byers #will byers has powers #stranger things #byler #<- target audience

[pippuns]

i unironically think lbh would get along with baozi baby lqg, as long as he does not monopolize shizun. and we all know that fighty baby prefers sj more anyways LMAOOO. brawling brothers 😤!

all those years doing shen yuan's job and taking care of the other disciples gives luo binghe unmatched baozi wrangling skills. truly, the protagonist's halo can defeat all.

#luo binghe #liu qingge #svsss #shen yuan #mu qingfan #shen jiu #''why can lqg carry cheng luan with no problem'' #the answer is that even though he has been deaged his core is completely normal #so we have this insane battle obsessed toddler with the strength of a peak lord #(and none of the skill or practice with this power) #ive been looking for an excuse to say this. this is the excuse. #anon ur so big brain for this btw im having so much more fun with evil accomplices baozi lqg and lbh #lbh tells lqg to call him ''shimu'' (martial uncle's wife) because lqg is the only one he can get to listen to him about this #sy isnt his shibo but he's also a toddler for now so. yeah. #baozi lqg

[presiding]

How you'd rewrite Dishonored death of the outsider if it was fully fledged game with 10 missions? (like Dishonored or Dishonored 2)

Oooh!! Enrichment in my enclosure - thank you for asking! Thinking about a total rewrite was a great exercise. Fair disclaimer: I haven’t read the books & their canon-status can’t hurt me. To me, the Dishonored games stand out due to their immsim design philosophy, and thinking about some of the industry reasons for DotO’s departure from that, if I could make a standalone game with ~ten levels I would, but with the same budget I’d also happily make two DLCs made slowly over a longer timeframe with greater attention to detail.

Game structure

Finding Daud // Billie’s past

The fate of the Outsider // Billie’s future

Game story

Setting & Characters

Billie: What has Billie been doing since she’s returned to Serkonos? Knowing the Dreadful Wale will sink, she’s sold it for scrap & has set up an agency in Lower Aventa. She’s something of a detective/odd-jobs man (& assassin when it suits her). Business is booming, life is good. I think a long-running implication that she's becoming Daud in some ways would make for an interesting subplot.

Karnaca: a city that unfolds. In the first levels, Billie feels like a forgotten woman, a ghost slipped through the cracks, but as levels progress there are hints & references to how her past actions have affected others & shaped the city

Alignments: Witches, gangs, religion, industry; missions for clients who can’t necessarily pay their way. Missions that allow the player to explore/understand Karnaca in a deeper way.

Daud: Billie is unsure if Daud again will bring her any closure. She’s been thinking of him since her time with Emily, and his name keeps popping up.

Deirdre: the charm is a more functional heart, similar to Jessamine, as well as her own character design. Perhaps she doesn’t see Deirdre until she chooses the powers, or until she’s in the void (see next point)

First arc: Finding Daud // Billie’s past

Powers: the Outsider offers Billie powers even though her life is finally, actually good, so she’s pissed off. A choice - she can take them, or play no powers mode.

Breanna Ashworth is this arc’s villain - she wants Delilah back, and knows that Daud has banished her before, wants to know how he did it. Grief & desperation has changed her, and she no longer has her high society veneer. The remnants of the Karnaca coven, now powerless, have stolen from the Overseers to arm themselves to the teeth, and to neutralise Daud’s powers, in addition to black bonecharms.

Billie’s in a race against time against Breanna to find Daud, but by the last level it becomes clear that Breanna *has* found Daud, and has been torturing him for information about the void. Her dynamic with Billie is complicated by their past.

I think betrayal would be an interesting theme, so maybe one of the levels gives you the option to ally yourself with Breanna under false pretences.

Second arc: choosing the fate of the Outsider // Billie’s future

Delilah is the core villain, but she’s obsessed with killing the Outsider so she can take his place, having been violently ripped from her perfect world in her own painting by Breanna (who meant well), & knowing the Empire doesn’t hold her interest... but a perfectly mouldable void & infinite power does take her fancy.

As remorseful Daud is obsessing about preventing Delilah from taking power, Billie’s doing some detective work and learns more about the Outsider (he’s not showing up and monologuing - she’s finding this out herself. A level idea could be a raid on a ‘haunted’ houses where the void is thin)

Delilah succeeds in taking the Outsider's place, leaving the Outsider dead or mortal depending on if you are able to save him. Delilah has split her soul from herself before and she’s very much clever enough to learn the Outsider’s name to render him mortal.

Daud knows he’s dying, though, and it might be an ultimate sacrifice to save both Billie’s life, and the Outsider’s.

So during the final battle, there’s an option to make Daud the Outsider, because Daud wants Billie and the Outsider to have a shot at a normal life, and his life was forfeit in his own mind…

… or, reluctantly accepting the Outsider’s help, Billie finds a way to cut the void’s access to the world, rendering Delilah an all powerful god over a dead & silent world.

Because of the past/present focus of this you could even have levels set in the past - missions with Billie & Daud. Perhaps Billie as POV character, and Daud dropping by the way that Billie did in Knife of Dunwall. That’d be neat.

A heap of ideas here, hope there was something you liked :)

#dishonored #death of the outsider #daud #delilah copperspoon #billie lurk #the outsider #i dont know why you asked me this but i love that you did. thank you anon! #i wanted to stick to the topline ideas rather than dig into what the levels could look like #and you'll notice i mostly avoided the things introduced in doto. ie plot points & new characters #because none of them really pass the fandom test to me. i just dont see anyone obsessed with things from that game #and i could write an entire separate essay about cults in videogames & morality #i want billie's choices & life to have felt like it has meaning and made a difference #and i wanted the game to feel like it was more about billie even if its also about power & the fate of the world #and though i dont love where they went with the outsider & daud in the game. i do love having really high stakes

[merakiui]

I'm glad your bday went well :D!! Always very nice to hear. So so sweet of everyone. Also glad you're doing alright woooo!!!!

Ough I love catboy Floyd that's so good. Honestly thinking about it Floyd really would be one of those strays with like a bite taken out of his ear and stuff he's going through it out here 😭. but also it reminds me of that "if you're cold, they're cold. let them in your home" joke people make about silly creatures, cryptids, etc. I'd let Floyd in, catboy or not tho,, the silly goose. Could never go wrong ever actually. Totally not.

Riddle so would chase him away poor thing </3 but I see omg :0 I don't actually think I've heard that vocaloid song... I'll have to give it a listen soon !! But ough I love catboy fish <33

That's so exciting w/ the tmdg stuff though! I can't wait to read it when it's posted :D!!! I should go through your tag or something for it on here and see what you have shared because I have caught very little I fear 😔

Yeah but no the vision is just Like That sometimes. I'm sure it's a banger though.

- :3 anon

Omg catboy Floyd with a bite taken out of his ear,,,, AAAAAAA T^T I'm adopting him in a heartbeat. He can live happy and safe from now on. <3 that meme is so perfect for him. Nothing will ever go wrong when you bring the sweet stray catboy into your home. He will definitely not get unhealthily attached and develop separation anxiety that compels him to be glued to your side at all times. Definitely not. :) he will be a normal, sane catboy (he won't). "Ah, it's a wonderful cat life" is a very catchy song!!! I hope you'll enjoy listening to it. It's a fun concept for our beloved catboy eel!!! >w<

And The Vision has such a grip on me... orz it truly is Like That sometimes. I couldn't help getting carried away with this story. It's just such a fun plot!! I had to write it unrestrained!!!!! Thank you so much for looking forward to it!! It will indeed be a banger. >:D I've posted a lot about it throughout various months, so I hope you can enjoy the previews I've posted in the meantime!!

#twisted chit chat #:3 anon #the next time i decide to write a jade fic i'm going to think very hard about the concept and if it works as a oneshot or a mini series #jade has the power to give me lots of inspiration to write in-depth stories (looking directly at dru and tmdg)

[the-monkey-ruler]

How many forms of the 72 changes could cultivated animals/yaoguai handle? You said that the heavenly soldiers could only handle a limited number.

I don't think I said that they "could only handle" like it's not a requirement.

It's more like an observation. And this is my PERSONAL take based on these observations

Overpowered (Wukong and Erlang) - 72 transformations

Powerful (Highest rank soldiers/runaway heaven yaogaui)- 36 transformations

Strong (Most celestial solider/Demon Kings) - 18 transformations

Impressive (training immortals/stronger earth yaoguai) - 1 to 2 spells

Common (most yaoguai) - humanoid body

Weak (cultivating yaoguai) - cannot speak

We see that Wukong having 72 transformations is considered unusual. On the level of like a once-in-an-immortal-lifetime kind of genius that happens once in a million years. The only other person we see with this same power is Erlang Shen who is considered the best fighter in all of heaven and the only man that can go toe-to-toe with Wukong. I cannot stress enough how powerful Wukong is as a demon and how he being able to single-handling take on all of heaven is something very unusual and a massive threat within himself.

So from that we can easily assume since only the two most powerful characters in the novel have the 72 transformations have this kind of power that this is not common and that other demons shouldn't not be able to have it. Personally I think that no one else but Wukong and Erlang have this level or even come close.

Then we see what is the next level with is the 36 transformations. This is what we see that Zhu Bajie has. Bajie who was the Canopy Marshall of the Reeds, who was in charge of 80,000 men alone and only answered to the Jade Emporer himself because he was so highly ranked. From this observation, we can assume that Marshalls or other extremely high-positioned celestial soldiers have the 36 transformations. Pretty much every powerful celestial that isn't Erlang Shen himself.

I would argue that only MAYBE some Demon King could have 36 transformations, but this is highly unlikely as most yaoguai cultivate through eating humans and not through proper training under a teacher. There could be leeway that perhaps heaven-runaway animals that claim to have cultivated through heaven-means could have this power. This makes it so that maybe 5 Demon Kings out of the nearly 30 could have this level of transformation, and especially the ones that have said they cultivated because they gained knowledge in heaven, not just ran away. I would say this is like Yellow Wind Demon, Yellow Robe Demon, Golden and Silver Horned Kings, Scorpion Demon, and Bull Demon King.

And last is the 18 transformations. This is what we see what Sha Wujing has and he was a Curtain-Lifting General, which is a slightly higher position but we can assume to be closer to the common celestial solider power-wise. This is what I believe that most celestial soldiers have been able to master and is the standard. And what I think that most Demon Kings are able to master as well. I would find it impressive if Demon King could gain a human form, let alone master other spells. I would say this is like Black Wind King, White Bone Demon, Singled Horned Rhino King, Nine-Headed Insect, Jupiter's Rival, Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, and White Deer Spirit.

We see only higher rank demons like Generals able to perform maybe one or two transformations and that was to escape combat. Only Demon King seem to have one to more than one spells. Or we see that some demons are able to master serval spells I would but they are not powerful as Wukong is easily able to overpower them. I say these impressive demons are like Tiger Vangarud, Tiger Immortal, Elk Immortal, Antelope Immortal, all Eight Tree Spirits, all Seven Spider sisters, and Iron-Backed Grey Wolf.

As for normal everyday yaogaui that have cultivated on their own I would say that they are not capable of transformation spells at all. Most demons we see on this journey are underlings and we see none (that I remember) perform any spells. Just that they are able to cultivate by eating humans to understand language and gain a humanoid body takes all their accumulated power, and they are under a teacher to learn more, they are following a demon king to serve. We see this like Sly Devil, Wily Worm, Hill-Pawing Tiger, Sea-Lolling Draong, Going and Coming, and Springe Grace.

And demons that are still cultivating and cannot speak like the Python Demon.

#anon ask #anonymous #anon #jttw #journey to the west #sun wukong #xiyouji #ask #erlang shen #yaoguai #immortals #zhu bajie #sha wujing #monkey king #I'm not trying to power scale please don't take this as that #This is more what I can remember who was showing like magic spells verus just being very strong #And also like comparing if they are kings or earth born or from heaven or had training or learned or ate humans #a lot of different rules #And having transformations doesn't mean you aren't powerful still like Nezha doesn't transform but he still has great power #But he ascended because he died and like didn't really cultivate himself so he kinda special #also a lot of demons could have expectations #depending