Royal Pains brain rot got me writing a thing.
"you're better off without them"
Rich and Brooke observe another Jake and Chloe break up, once again trying to urge them that they're better off apart- despite knowing that it won't work. No matter how much it hurts.
“You’re better off without her.”
Rich sits across from Jake.
Jake’s tears have long since dried and they sit in silence, the only sound is Jake’s ragged breathing. It’s always bad when they break up, but Rich is always there to piece him together.
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
Jake sniffs and shakes his head. “No.”
That’s always the answer. But Rich always knows what’s running through Jake’s head, anyway.
It’s routine, by now.
They break up. Jake calls Rich. Rich is by his side almost immediately. Jake is crying (and he hates that he still cries over her but goddammit it still hurts every single time). Rich sits with him.
Rich sighs.
“You can’t keep doing this, dude.”
Jake doesn’t respond. He doesn’t look at Rich.
Jake knows that Rich is right, but he doesn’t want to let her go.
It’s intoxicating.
And he knows its not good for him but he can’t stop. Her claws are dug too deep into his shoulders, he can’t imagine them not.
He can’t remember what it’s like to not be in her grasp.
Rich didn’t expect Jake to respond.
“You’re better off without her,” he tries quietly.
“I’m not.”
Rich frowns.
“Jake…”
“I’m not. I need her. I need her, god, Rich. I need her.”
Rich is silent for a moment.
“I don’t- I don’t know what to do without her. I can’t just let her go.”
“She hurts you. You go back to her and she hurts you all over again. And it breaks you every time.”
“It doesn’t.”
Rich knows that Jake doesn’t want to hear this. He’s tried this conversation before.
“Jakob, you’re not good for her. She’s not good for you-”
“Who are you to decide what’s good for me and what isn’t?” Jake snaps.
Rich doesn’t flinch.
He doesn’t shy away from the glare that’s turned on him.
“Your friend.”
The word pains him.
“I care about you too much to watch you destroy yourself like this.”
Jake turns away from him.
Rich knows that this is the end of the conversation for now. But god, he wants to talk more.
He wants to plead with Jake to let her go.
He wants Jake to see how much he’s destroyed himself over her.
He wants Jake to see the damage they’ve done to each other.
He wants Jake to see that he’s right there in front of him.
He wants Jake to see what they could be.
But Rich knows he won’t. So, he’ll continue to piece Jake back together as carefully as he can.
“Do you want me to stay?”
There is no hesitation in Jake’s nod.
Rich hesitates, his hand moves forward to take Jake’s.
But he doesn’t.
If Jake noticed the small action, he doesn’t say anything.
“I’ll stay.”
======================
“You’re better off without him.”
Brooke sits cross-legged on Chloe’s bed, watching as she paces around the room.
She’s on edge. She can see the tears building up in Chloe’s eyes but she doesn’t know if she’s going to scream or yell or cry.
She’s been through this before.
And she knows Chloe.
She knows to treat this situation like she’s walking on eggshells.
“Chlo?” She speaks softly.
Brooke knows that it’ll snap Chloe out of her head. Brooke knows that Chloe’s attention will zone in on her. Brooke knows that she’s going to be the recipient of every horrible thing she has to say about him. And Brooke knows she will sit here and take it.
Chloe will take it out on her, and she will let it roll off her shoulders because it’s better than Chloe taking it out on anyone else.
And it’s better than Chloe running back to him.
As predicted, Chloe’s venomous glare turns to her.
“I hate him. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him so fucking much. He can fucking rot in hell for all I care. Why should I care? He’s nothing but a fucking prick.”
Brooke nods idly.
Starting with yelling.
Brooke listens as Chloe spouts off every insult she’s ever used for him.
And she agrees, because she doesn’t want to make it worse by saying she’s wrong about him.
Chloe screamed and she yelled and half the things she said weren’t true.
And she could never truly hate him.
She was wrapped around his finger and she liked it that way.
He was always there to make her feel good,
Feel wanted.
His rough lips on her neck and his careful touch,
She could never get enough of it.
When she was the centre of his attention, it was intoxicating.
She felt wanted, needed, complete.
It wasn’t healthy, god it wasn’t good.
But she just couldn’t help herself.
She couldn’t remember a time where Jake wasn’t all hers.
Brooke watches as the tears well up in Chloe’s eyes.
The crying step will come soon.
Chloe collapsed on the bed next to Brooke.
Brooke carefully wrapped Chloe up in her arms as she cried.
Brooke wouldn’t say anything as Chloe cried.
She wouldn’t comment on the tears.
Instead, she just held Chloe as her heart ached, listening to Chloe curse him out again and again.
Brooke knew the words she said could switch Chloe right back to screaming at her.
But they were words that Chloe needed to hear.
“You’re better off without him, Chlo. You don’t need him. You don’t need his attention to make you feel better. You’re more than enough without him.”
“You just- You don’t understand, Brooke. I need him! I need him, but god I hate his fucking guts.”
“Chloe, you destroy him and yourself and everyone around you when you’re with him.”
And Brooke knew what it was like to destroy yourself for someone else.
“We’re supposed to be together, Brooke! He’s mine, I’m his. That’s how it’s supposed to go. That’s how the story always goes. We’re good for each other!”
But Brooke’s words were true, and Chloe knew it.
Chloe wasn’t ready to admit that.
Of course, Brooke knew that.
But she would keep waiting for the day Chloe realised that she didn’t need him.
She would keep waiting for the day that Chloe would open her eyes and see what was right in front of her.
Maybe Chloe rejecting her would hurt less than watching Chloe try to hold herself together after every single breakup.
Until then,
Brooke would hold Chloe as she cried, listen to Chloe as she screamed, and watched as they would get back together and destroy themselves all over again.
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hey, so people need to be aware that youtube is now (randomly) holding basic features for ransom (such as being able to pin comments under your own videos) in exchange for Your State ID/Drivers License, or a 30 Second Video Of Your Face.
not to pull a "think of the children," but No Actually.
I've been making videos as a hobby since 2015 (and I've had my channel since middle school), I was a minor when I started and I'm not sure I would have understood the kind of damage something a seemingly simple as a video of your face can do.
this is a Massive breach of privacy and over-reach on google's part No Matter What, but if they're going to randomly demand a state ID or license then they absolutely should not allow minors to be creators.
google having a stockpile of identifying information on teenagers is bad enough, but the Alternative of recording your face and handing it over to be filed away is Alarming considering it opens the gates for minors who Aren't old enough to have a license.
and yes, there is a third option, but it's intentionally obtuse.
a long wait period (2 months), with no guarantee of access (unlike, say, the convenience of using your phone's cameras for either of the other two), with absolutely No elaboration on what the criteria is or how it's being measured.
it's the same psychological effect that mobile games rely on. offer a slow, unreliable solution with no payment to make the Paid instant gratification look more appealing (the "payment" in this case being You. you are the product being offered).
and it's Particularly a system that (I think intentionally) disadvantages people who don't treat their channels like a job. hobbyists or niche creators who don't create regularly enough or aren't popular enough to meet whatever Vague criteria needs to be met to pass.
markiplier would have no problem passing, your little brother might not be able to. and while Mark's name is already out there there's no reason why your little brother's should be too.
something like pinned comments may seem simple, you don't technically Need it. but it's a feature that's been available for years. most people don't look at descriptions anymore. so when there's relevant information that needs to be delivered then the pinned comment is usually the go to.
for my little channel that information is about the niche series I create for. guides on how to get into the series, sources on where to find the content At All (and reliably so). for other creators it can be used for things Much More Important.
Moreover, if we let them get away with cutting away "small" features and selling it back to you for the price of your privacy, then they Will creep further. they Will take more.
Note: I have an update to this post here: [Link]
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you know what boils my blood.
over the last 2 weeks, i've seen countless patients walk into my urgent care center, symptomatic for so many things, refusing to get tested for covid and flu, citing that they don't want to knowingly bring it to their holiday tables. i had a patient tell me, verbatim, "i don't want to test for covid, because i don't want to be the asshole who brings it on a plane."
i understand that - i understand that holidays are times where people look forward to meeting loved ones that they might only see once a year, or where they get a break from the hectic back and forth of their lives.
but here's the thing - whether they get tested or not, they will bring whatever they have to their holiday tables. it's pure recklessness to know that you're sick, and walk into someone else's house spreading the disease.
today, january 2, i saw 91 patients, many of them who have tested positive for covid and flu. many of these patients are the same ones who didn't want testing 3 days ago, until their events were over, and now, they will have to reach out to everyone they know to let them know that they were positive because they were showing symptoms well before their event.
the next week or two? we're going to see many, many more, all people with symptoms that started around christmas. these are the only two viruses we test for rapidly in our office, but they are potent and can be fatal in many people.
so here's why i wrote this post, and maybe it's a little late, but - if you care about your loved ones, please get tested if you know you're sick. it doesn't have to be at a clinic if you don't want it to, because the over-the-counter tests work just fine too (if you test within 5-7 days of symptom onset). just...please don't try to run from the knowledge that you might have covid, because immunocompromised people, elderly people, people with co-morbidities like asthma, pregnancy, diabetes, etc...many of them may not recover. and they may not be sitting at your holiday table in the future because of it.
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Learning that fans hated Applejack and called her "boring" is crazyyy to me because I genuinely, unironically believe AJ's the most complex character in the main six.
Backstory-wise, she was born into a family of famers/blue collar workers who helped found the town she lives in. She grew up a habitual liar until she had the bad habit traumatized outta her. She lost both her parents and was orphaned at a young age, having to step up as her baby sister's mother figure. She's the only person in the main gang who's experienced this level of loss and grief (A Royal Problem reveals that AJ dreams about memories of being held by her parents as a baby). She moved to Manhattan to live with her wealthy family members, only to realize she'll never fit in or be accepted, even amongst her own family. The earlier seasons imply she and her family had money problems too (In The Ticket Master, AJ wants to go to the gala to earn money to buy new farm equipment and afford hip surgery for her grandma).
Personality-wise, she's a total people-pleaser/steamroller (with an occasional savior complex) who places her self worth on her independence and usefulness for other people, causing her to become a complete workaholic. In Applebuck Season, AJ stops taking care of herself because of her obsessive responsibilities for others and becomes completely dysfunctional. In Apple Family Reunion, AJ has a tearful breakdown because in she thinks she dishonored her family and tarnished her reputation as a potential leader –– an expectation and anxiety that's directly tied to her deceased parents, as shown in the episode's ending scene. In The Last Roundup, AJ abandons her family and friends out of shame because believes she failed them by not earning 1st place in a rodeo competition. She completely spirals emotionally when she isn't able to fulfill her duties toward others. Her need to be the best manifests in intense pride and competitiveness when others challenge her. And when her pride's broken, she cowers and physically hides herself.
Moreover, it's strongly implied that AJ has a deep-seated anger. The comics explore her ranting outbursts more. EQG also obviously has AJ yelling at and insulting Rarity in a jealous fit just to hurt her feelings (with a line that I could write a whole dissection on). And I'm certain I read in a post somewhere that in a Gameloft event, AJ's negative traits are listed as anger.
Subtextually, a lot of these flaws and anxieties can be (retroactively) linked to her parents' death, forcing her to grow up too quickly to become the adult/caregiver of the family (especially after her big brother becomes semiverbal). Notice how throughout the series, she's constantly acting as the "mom friend" of the group (despite everything, she manages to be the most emotionally mature of the bunch). Notice how AJ'll switch to a quieter, calmer tone when her friends are panicking and use soothing prompts and questions to talk them through their emotions/problems; something she'd definitely pick up while raising a child. Same with her stoicism and reluctance at crying or releasing emotions (something Pinkie explicitly points out). She also had a childhood relationship with Rara (which, if you were to give a queer reading, could easy be interpreted as her first 'aha' crush), who eventually left her life. (Interestingly enough, AJ also has an angry outburst with Rara for the same exact reasons as with EQG Rarity; jealous, upset that someone else is using and changing her). It's not hard to imagine an AJ with separation anxiety stemming from her mother and childhood friend/crush leaving. I'm also not above reading into AJ's relationship with her little sister (Y'all ever think about how AB never got to know her parents, even though she shares her father's colors and her mother's curly hair?).
AJ's stubbornness is a symptom of growing up too quickly as well. Who else to play with your baby sister when your brother goes nonverbal (not to discount Big Mac's role in raising AB)? Who else to wake up in the middle of the night to care for your crying baby sister when your grandma needs her rest? When you need to be 100% all the time for your family, you tend to become hard-stuck with a sense of moral superiority. You know what's best because you have to be your best because if you're aren't your best, then everything'll inevitably fall apart and it'll be your fault. And if you don't know what's best –– if you've been wrong the whole time –– that means you haven't been your best, which means you've failed the people who rely on you, which means you can't fulfill your role in the family/society, which makes you worthless . We've seen time and time again how this compulsive need to be right for the sake of others becomes self-destructive (Apple Family Reunion, Sound of Silence, all competitions against RD). We've seen in The Last Roundup how, when no longer at her best, AJ would rather remove herself from her community than confront them because she no longer feels of use to them.
But I guess it is kinda weird that AJ has "masculine" traits and isn't interested in men at all. It's totally justified that an aggressively straight, misogynistic male fandom would characterize her as a "boring background character." /s
At the time of writing this, it's 4:46AM.
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