Bill 58 (page 36)
Added 2021-09-19 10:54:48 +0000 UTCThat feeling when you both need to be cared for, but neither person is strong enough to hold the other up.
Comments
Ashley S. You are not in the minority with me and I have some of the same life experiences here irl as Song does and I don’t comment a lot when things go down the “Song should be better” road. Please know you aren’t alone in your thoughts and thanks to Whiteley for making such great characters. ♥️
pyracantha
2021-09-20 13:03:57 +0000 UTCI don’t think you’re in the minority at all Ashley! And your connection with Song brought about a very important and informational discussion that would not have happened otherwise 💕
Whiteley Foster
2021-09-20 00:05:44 +0000 UTC¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idk, something about the way Song gets demonized (el oh el) anytime he makes decisions folks disagree with or that hurt Mansa just doesn’t sit right with me. Mansa’s feelings are 100000% valid and I don’t begrudge him of them, but the privilege/burden of being readers is that we do have more of the story, we do know (some of) what Song is going/has gone through, and that is where my issue is. Idk, I’m clearly in the minority on this and I’m just being over-sensitive, so I’ll stop.
Ash S.
2021-09-19 23:44:05 +0000 UTCUnless there was a comment I missed, I only saw people make the true statement that his actions *are* currently hurting Mansa, not that he did them purposefully. As far as the "toxic" claim goes - yes, that is definitely a stretch, when you have the whole picture involved, but note that Mansa doesn't have this picture. He does not know the details of what Song has been through with Elon, so in his eyes, this is, well, it's more than reasonable for him to be angry/disappointed in Song right now. And I don't think it's too far off for the audience to be a little angry with him either. It's a complex situation and we have yet to see how it plays out.
yorick
2021-09-19 21:55:18 +0000 UTCSong is a survivor of abuse- emotional, mental, physical, possibly sexual, and whatever “taking advantage of his ability to hex items, etc” would qualify as. It doesn’t excuse getting drunk on an important night (in an attempt to cope after being cornered out of sight in the shadows by his abuser, mind you), but holy hell does it make me side-eye everyone vilifying him, calling him selfish and toxic and purposefully hurting Mansa, as a survivor of abuse myself. A handful of pages ago most of us were gathering pitchforks and lighting the torches to hunt down Elon for how terrified and traumatized he left Song- to see some folks lowkey turning those on Song now is honestly kind of infuriating. Rant over, sorry Whiteley et all.
Ash S.
2021-09-19 21:39:30 +0000 UTCCommunication is so very much not their strong point. Aigh. :(
Ashfae
2021-09-19 20:57:02 +0000 UTCWhen you’re triggered you don’t always think logically. I’ve done some really stupid shit before when I’ve been triggered because my brain told me that was literally the only option. It takes a long time and a lot of therapy to break those patterns. It’s not an excuse, but it is a reason and I think it’s important for those with trauma to be forgiving of themselves when this happens. Your brain goes offline and you do what you need to do to get safe in the moment. The key part is, once the blind panic has passed, to recognize that XYZ is not a healthy coping mechanism and take steps to ensure you don’t need it in future. Everyone fucks up, some more spectacularly than others. I think it’s how Song chooses to handle this that will be the most important part. I can barely deal with my shit and I have a trained therapist with all kinds of science and research to help. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been in a pre-psychological studies society!
Katy Werlin
2021-09-19 20:36:43 +0000 UTCTHANK YOU FOR WRITING COMPLICATED, IMPERFECT CHARACTERS.
Sarah Pizano
2021-09-19 18:39:37 +0000 UTCEver heard the phrase “I love you but I don’t like you right now”? I’m pretty sure that’s Mansa.
Linnea Dodson
2021-09-19 18:34:14 +0000 UTCPoor Mansa 😭😭
Atelerix
2021-09-19 18:26:23 +0000 UTCTraumatized people slip into old patterns of behaviour easily. I agree on the work Song has to do on himself, and the work both have to do in their relationship. But I'm afraid Song's options of behaviour are quite limited at this point. He was triggered, so he responded, as Arianna already pointed out, in a way he was accustomed to, which was a freeze/flight into booze, rather than having the option of "a million ways" to handle the situation. Which is, all in all, very unfortunate, considering Mansa's additional problem. See how easily Whiteley has us involved in conversations about relationships and mental health! Well done! 😉
Telda
2021-09-19 18:17:06 +0000 UTCThere are a lot of mistakes made by Song and by Mansa in this story. They both have reasons but reasons are not the same as excuses. They’ve got growing to do, that unfortunately will not happen immediately. Song leaves in just a year and a half, there will be tears in the coming months. This discussion is amazing an there are some awesome points, just please be kind 💕
Whiteley Foster
2021-09-19 18:04:16 +0000 UTCTraumatized people don't get to act however they want because they're traumatized. There were a million ways he could've dealt with this. He has a close friend and a partner there to confide in and lean on; he chose instead to get sloppy drunk and act out in front of his partner's coworkers, who already find him unsavory because of his partner. I love Song as a character, but as a partner, he's a bit toxic. He has lots of work to do on himself, and I'm afraid that's still a long way off.
Susan B.
2021-09-19 17:20:50 +0000 UTCI do find Mansa's hesitation understandable, even though it hurts to see. When someone you love has hurt you, and they throw out an "I love you" before you've worked through the problem, it's hard to just automatically return it like you usually would. Of course Song tried to drunkenly do some of that work, but Mansa wasn't ready for it, and I think that's okay too. It's all sad, but I have so much sympathy for both of them right now. 💜
Engliiish
2021-09-19 16:48:39 +0000 UTC😭
rippingoffmyface
2021-09-19 16:09:06 +0000 UTCWhere is his medallion? 😢
Clare
2021-09-19 15:13:15 +0000 UTCI don't like how Mansa froze a bit before saying "i love you too".
YamiKakyuu
2021-09-19 15:03:39 +0000 UTCOof, your description of this panel hit me right in the feels. 💔
litlgreenleaf
2021-09-19 14:11:27 +0000 UTCThat's the moment when both of y'all just float, holding hands so you don't drift apart like otters. and you rest so u can get your strength back
Michelle Garcia
2021-09-19 13:05:32 +0000 UTCIt's not fair of him to pass his pain onto others as he did either. Having a reason for acting out doesn't mean he didn't hurt those he loves, especially when he never clued them in, and that can be selfish. It's a hard point in the story for them, and they're both struggling.
catididnt
2021-09-19 12:52:09 +0000 UTCOh Mansa, still working for the man when they’re shafting you but it’s a displacement activity right now, I realise that. I still hold that the chat they need is best left for now. Cuddles would have been best for them IMO but it’s their ship, they gotta work out how to sail it 🙂
Nicola Coxon
2021-09-19 12:40:46 +0000 UTCWait fuck I just realized that the “love you”, “I- I love you too” here mirrors the one in the Proposal 😭 when Mansa’s half asleep and says “love you” and Song is the one who hesitates because he’s about to leave 😭😭😭 Whiteley is this on purpose my heart is breaking 💔💔💔
Darius Crawford
2021-09-19 12:39:23 +0000 UTCI agree with Ashley. Like is Song handling his emotions effectively? No. are his coping mechanisms unhealthy and rather disastrous? Yes definitely. But Song is a very traumatized person who just got triggered in a big way, and his reactions are completely understandable, if self-destructive. He reacted to a terrifying and traumatic situation in the way that he knows how. Song was probably thrown back into the mentality of isolation and fear that he felt when he was with Elon. Reaching out to his loved ones probably felt incredibly dangerous to him in that moment, especially since Elon encouraged that mentality during their interaction. So Song felt he had to deal with the fear and pain he was feeling on his own. Not to say that Mansa should have to put up with this and shouldn’t feel hurt by Song’s behavior, because he has every right to feel that way. He also had an extremely distressing conversation and is now dealing with the threat of losing their home. But the people who are really being selfish and hurting our boys are Elon and the High Council. Mansa and Song are both just being forced to deal with the shit sandwich they were collectively handed at the party.
Darius Crawford
2021-09-19 12:33:03 +0000 UTCI mean he had to deal with his extremely abusive, manipulative ex cornering him in a spot hidden from sight and then being abusive and manipulative and touching him without consent, but sure, he was being “selfish”.
Ash S.
2021-09-19 12:02:07 +0000 UTCCOMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER GODDAMNIT 😭😭😭😭😭
Ash S.
2021-09-19 12:00:02 +0000 UTCBoys, boys, boys. *sighs*
Res Judicata
2021-09-19 11:54:39 +0000 UTCSong has the saddest face and the saddest ears and it’s shattering… I’m starting to bend my thinking from being mad at Song for running away for 4 years to thinking it might have been a more ‘right’ choice. Sometimes you do need to walk away from ‘routine’ to grow. Not saying ghosting Mansa was ok in any way… but I feel like he’s going to come back more confident and overall make their relationship better… despite the guilt and pain ❤️❤️❤️
JillianVolts
2021-09-19 11:45:03 +0000 UTCThat little hesitation Is breaking my heart😞💔
Marta
2021-09-19 11:32:31 +0000 UTCSo far the story we have seen/know is coming is “Song is emotionally devastated, acts out in fear and panic, hurts Mansa.” These boys have GOT to communicate like grownups.
Linnea Dodson
2021-09-19 11:31:41 +0000 UTCI have to be honest- I'm so angry at Song right now. To get sloppy drunk at the biggest night of Mansa's career is so selfish. I love the boy, but fuck, Song. You couldn't have waited until you got home??
Neil K.
2021-09-19 11:27:13 +0000 UTC😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Darius Crawford
2021-09-19 11:05:13 +0000 UTCoh darlings, they really needed each other tonight, but sometimes life is just cruel like that 😔💔
sick_pineapple
2021-09-19 10:57:56 +0000 UTCThey both look so exhausted 💔
Naomi
2021-09-19 10:56:51 +0000 UTC:'(
Vala
2021-09-19 10:55:48 +0000 UTCOuch 💔
Katharine Wallin
2021-09-19 10:55:47 +0000 UTC
