*does not qualify as human

The worst part of it is that the new king takes at least part of his harem with him everywhere and it’s so embarrassing. The Counselors of War have never once met with His Divine Majesty without that hulking battle-scarred consort interrupting with muttered growls or scornful snorts. And the Ministers of Finance all flinch at the sight of that fox-faced one, rumored to have been rescued from the gallows because His Augustness took a fancy to his eyes or some such nonsense. General petition days are even worse, with practically the entire harem drifting in and out of the Grand Hall in turns, insouciant and smug like granary cats who know they’ve been given full run of the courtyards and barns.

#BUT THEN

#somehow she’s befrIENDED THE CONCUBINES

#sometimes they follow HER around!! in public!! 

#the king and queen are  s h a r i n g  t h e  h a r e m

-they are vocal about their emotional as well as physical needs (alerting you when they need affection or entertainment in addition to when they need food), demonstrating an excellent example of self care and open communication

- they can enjoy being in a space with you while you’re each doing your own thing, demonstrating the healthy boundaries and separate interests

- they also like learning about what you’re doing and being involved in your hobbies (e.g. sitting on your laptop, cuddling while you read a book or knit a scarf or play a game) 

-they consistently enforce their boundaries. first with nonverbal communication, then verbal (hissing/growling), then violence (scratching/biting) when needed, demonstrating that it’s 100% appropriate to defend your bodily autonomy by any means necessary, even against those you love and depend on. 

Random person at the grocery store: ummm I think its Covid-19

no one is saying those women didn’t deserve to be there. i don’t think a single women’s hockey fan has said that, actually. we’re super pumped that they received visibility like that and are now being compensated and such. no one is that mad that nwhl players are not there. they’ve got games to play this weekend.

the problem is that some, not all, pwhpa members and supporters have claimed nwhl players are beneath them. now, some might be less talented than players like hilary knight, marie-philip poulin, brianna decker, and others who are currently part of the pwhpa and the #forthegame movement. and a lot of the best players just happen to be part of that group. but calling the nwhl a “glorified beer league” and basically claiming the league doesn’t exist is unprofessional. calling the pwhpa a union is a lie.

there’s beef between some players and nwhl commissioner dani rylan and i get that. we all get that. we get that the nwhl isn’t perfect and, for the pwhpa, isn’t a good enough option. we get what the #forthegame movement is attempting to accomplish. just because the nwhl players are doing it differently doesn’t mean they’re going about it the wrong way, and that’s what some pwhpa members and supporters are claiming.

and like i’ve said previously, it’s not all of the players. alyssa gagliardi said there’s no animosity between her and nwhl players that she knows ($). there are plenty of them who haven’t said poor things about the nwhl and the players involved in the league. but top names have, and that’s a damn shame and, frankly, disappointing.

See hi-res version here: patreon.com/posts/33089082