#but that does not make the parallels any less apparent | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zeroducks-2 · 8 months

Note

This is quite random sorry but has Dick ever acknowledge (or as close to it) that a lot of things that Bruce did to him are abusive? (this is for a fic I’m trying to write)

Yes and no!

Dick knows Bruce is an assholes and WILL yell at him to stop being an asshole, or at least he used to. Dick would call him out on his BS and wouldn't let him get away with a lot of things, but this was once upon a time, before they rebooted everything and erased decades of character development. The closest he gets to that post reboot is after Forever Evil - everyone thinks Dick is dead, and Bruce wants people to keep thinking that, hence he forces Dick to join Spiral and become Agent 37.

Dick is, as you can imagine, not thrilled. He yells and fights and Bruce beats the everloving shit out of him in a very upsetting sequence, where Dick is half naked and Bruce is wearing most of his gear while he keeps hitting him to the point of leaving him bleeding on the floor of the Batcave.

Dick begs and tries to appeal to everything he can including the "things can never be the same between us after this", to which Bruce essentially replies that it's a sacrifice he's willing to make. Ha. I say that this is especially upsetting because Dick went through a horribly traumatic experience during the events of Forever Evil, in which among other things he was tortured by Thomas Wayne Jr AKA Owlman, who wanted to turn Dick into his own sidekick after losing his Talon. The way Bruce beats and humiliates Dick is drawn in a way which creates a clear parallel between Thomas and Bruce's actions towards Dick, in a way that suggests they're "not that different after all", but this narratively goes nowhere and I don't get why they fuck they even came up with that. But anyway.

All of this gets forgotten soon enough. Despite his own warnings Dick forgives Bruce after a very short time, pines for home and tries to communicate with Bruce in any way he can because he "misses his dad", which to be honest made my guts churn and my bile rise after Bruce nearly beat him comatose. Essentially the story forgets Bruce did all of that and so does Dick, but for the brief time Dick was allowed to be aware of it and angry about it, he was indeed aware that he was being abused even if he never used the word abuse.

This is the case for lots of stories in which similar instances happen, as I mentioned before especially pre-reboot. Dick does call Bruce out on his bullshit - especially if Bruce is being an abusive asshole to someone else, since Dick is way more prone to defend other people than he is to defend himself, like here

or here

But despite being obviously aware that there are issues in the way Bruce does things, to put it mildly, he never uses the word "abuse" (which is sort of a prohibited word for DC standards, kind of like "rape". They're way more likely to say non consensual than rape because it's a less upsetting word apparently).

There is an instance of this post reboot, and it's during a conversation Dick has with Tim. I believe it happens in the Pride comics of 2022, but I don't have the panels on hand at the moment. Basically Tim asks for advice on how to please Bruce, being the man demanding and prone to bad moods, and Dick flat out replies "I spent a very big part of my life trying to please him, and I left when I realized it was impossible" which to me is so interesting since it's the textbook reaction of a former Golden Child who fell from grace and became a Scapegoat (please note that tumblr's definition of Golden Child is completely arbitrary; golden child doesn't mean "good kid", it means a child who the parent holds to the highest standards, on which there are the biggest expectations and the strongest pressure regarding everything the child does. Sometimes a parent lives vicariously through them and perceives them as an extension of themselves, but not necessarily. If you watched Encanto, Isabella is the Golden Child of the family).

Something similar happens during Nightwing's run from the 90s.

Dick lives in Bludhaven and at this point he's gone essentially no-contact with Bruce. Tim, being the new Golden Child, is trying to reel Dick back into the toxic dynamic because he genuinely thinks it's going to be good for both Dick and Bruce.

I'm pointing this out not to fault Tim in any way, he's just a kid what does he know, but to show you that indeed yes, Dick is aware that he's been abused otherwise he wouldn't have left, he wouldn't be on a no talking basis with his parental figure, and he wouldn't reply to Tim that he spent so much time of his life deluding himself into thinking that Batman actually needed him. Of course this also goes nowhere and their relationship isn't allowed to grow or heal (things are just conveniently forgotten after a while), but as I mentioned, Dick knows what's up.

That being said, I believe it's also worth noting that many many times Bruce abuses the fuck out of Dick and Dick doesn't really acknowledge it, just takes it. Sometimes he doesn't have the spoons to fight back, sometimes he thinks he deserves it, sometimes he just doesn't know how to react because Bruce strikes like an unprovoked viper (this happens especially when Dick was still a kid but already a Titan). A very good example of this is what happens after Jason's death.

Bruce doesn't tell Dick that Jason died. When Alfred offers to let him know, Bruce says "I will handle it", and he doesn't. Then there's Jason's funeral and Bruce doesn't tell Dick about it, again Alfred offers to inform him, Bruce says he will handle it. He doesn't.

Eventually Dick finds out for collateral reasons and has an emotional breakdown in front of the other Titans, which are powerless to help him. For reference, this is how he reacts when he has definitive proof that the boy is undoubtedly gone, if there was any doubt that Dick did care about Jason.

So Dick goes to the grave with Kory but then decided to confront Bruce alone, and Bruce, in the abusive feat of the century, blames Dick for not having showed up to Jason's funeral, despite having refused to 1: tell him about Jason's death AT ALL, and 2: refused TWICE when Alfred very gently suggested to inform Dick.

Dick of course argues that he didn't know anything, and so Bruce reacts by gaslighting him, telling him they he never cared about Jason and in fact he was angry that Bruce adopted Jason and not him. Which is not true, Dick just wanted to know WHY Bruce adopted Jason and hot him. Oh and also punches him in the face when Dick tries to argue that Jason was an untrained kid. Please note that when all of this happens, Dick is hurt and can barely stand on his feet, having one of his legs in a cast.

Cherry on top, Bruce explicitly saying that he never should have had a partner and never will again, essentially "our partnership up to this point meant nothing".

In this instance Dick is too neck-deep in his own self guilt to see that he's been through a sequence of extremely abusive behavior, and never really faults Bruce for that, using the easy-coming rationalization that Bruce was in pain, suffering for Jason's death, couldn't see reason etc etc (quick PSA: someone suffering isn't entitled to abuse and gaslight anyone. And even if we really want to enable Bruce cut Bruce some slack because he was grieving, it doesn't make his behavior any less abusive. Regardless of the reasons why, the way he acts here is very damaging towards Dick who in turn did nothing to deserve it, and is grieving Jason too).

See, the problem with Dick and Bruce is the sysyphean nature of comicbooks. Dick is doomed to be the original Golden Child who falls from grace, becomes the Scapegoat, but ultimately can never be completely free of the clutches of the relationship he has and had with Bruce, for better or worse. And since he can't ever truly get out and can't ever completely be independent, the abuse end up getting downplayed. If Dick never truly gets away from Bruce it's because it's not that bad, isn't it? Nay, it's because Dick cant. He is quite literally not allowed to, same as Bruce is not allowed to truly grow from his mistakes and learn to treat his former partner, sort-of-child and dear friend with the respect and love he actually feels for him, because despite all of this and because this is fiction, Bruce does love Dick more than it can be put into words and would set the world on fire for him. But, alas, he also is doomed to keep treating Dick like shit and never really learn from his mistakes.

So again, the answer to your question is yes and no. Dick is aware of how much of a difficult person Bruce is. He's aware of the domineering aspects of his personality. But he will ultimately brush it off in the name of the good that there is and there was between them, and he will keep answering Batman's call every time, because he's not allowed to ever truly grow apart from him. It doesn't matter how much he gets angry and how much Bruce hurts him, they're indissolubly tied in this dynamic and unless there is a huge shift in the way DC execs handle things, I don't see how this dynamic can change in the foreseeable future. Sadly enough, because I'd really like to see something new.

#long post #I tried to be as exhaustive as I can but of course I missed TONS of other instances which could have been used as examples #I hope you can make use of my analysis anyway #good luck with your fic btw!#feel free to leave me a link for it once you're done - no pressure tho!#and thanks for asking ♥#my asks #my meta #Bruce Wayne #Dick Grayson #cw abuse in fiction

240 notes · View notes

francesderwent · 4 months

Text

since apparently in 2024 I’m just saying stuff

I do not want fictional characters to go to therapy.

therapy is a great way to begin to see yourself more clearly, to pinpoint the ways you’re self-sabotaging and make changes which will allow you to strengthen and deepen your relationships. and obviously, we here at redemption.com want to see our favorite characters do that. after a while a character with no self-awareness starts to grate; we usually want them to figure out what they’re doing wrong and have some positive forward motion.

however. therapy is not the only way to have these epiphanies about yourself, or the only way to learn a new way of living, trusting, being a friend. sometimes a series of coincidences will put you in the one situation which will throw a mirror up in front of you and allow you to see and recognize yourself. sometimes you meet just the right person at just the right time who will love you in such a specific way that you’ll realize how wrong your old understanding of love was. it’s less purposeful and less sustained a method of growing than therapy is, it’s more of a winding road with occasional lightning strikes.

and I don’t know how to explain why I only ever want to see characters growing in this way, except to say that when they aren’t, then precisely what you’ve failed to create is a cohesive story. at best you have a story going on while the character privately sorts out their issues at the same time, with themes and climactic moments occurring in neat parallel. (I think Ted Lasso does something like this in season 2.) at worst, you don’t have any story at all, you have a character study in the form of a soliloquy, which happens to be delivered to a therapist. (a lot of fanfiction is like this.) it might be a very good character study! but it’s not a story.

it seems to me that fiction should be a window into the way we can learn from our experiences in the world and from our relationships with others, by being open to seeing ourselves anew and being open to change. and I’m not saying I want all the supporting characters to therapize the protagonist. I’m saying I want my protagonist to listen to the supporting characters and glean the truth of what they say as if they were a very good therapist—even if what they say is delivered in an incomplete way or in the middle of an argument. I don’t want an oracle to appear and point-blank tell the protagonist their fatal flaw. I want the fatal flaw to become exquisitely, inevitably clear in a moment of terrible dramatic irony, when the knowledge seems to come too late. and personally, I want this to happen always in the most dramatic way. I do not want my friends to reach rock bottom in order to start learning and changing. I do, sometimes, want to see fictional characters reach rock bottom. why? well. because there’s a story there.

I don’t just want to see characters changing. I want to see a story about characters changing.

#‘Carmy belongs in therapy’ I am biting you I am biting you I am biting you #he belongs in the restaurant because that’s where the story takes place!!!#’oh he needs to go to therapy and sort himself out before he gets in a relationship’ ma’am this is a STORY #the relationship is WHERE and HOW he will be sorting himself out!!! (or not!!)#‘he’s causing harm to everyone around him because he hasn’t healed his own damage’ he sure fucking is because. that’s the story #in which cate tells stories

114 notes · View notes

drconstellation · 4 months

Text

Taking Things At Face Value

This post is dedicated to all those Ninas out there, who are "just enjoying the show."

I have been pondering an problem that had come up for a second time in another meta I'm writing (I left it out of an earlier one for clarity) regarding acknowledgement of identity and faces in S2, but when you keep running into the same road-block, you have to tackle it head on. Then I ran into the exact same problem a third time here, and the beginnings of this meta has sat in my drafts file staring at me for several weeks while I've been doing other things. But finally, finally, the answer has come to me, while being kept awake by a passing thunderstorm at 1.30am.

MRS SANDWICH: You're a good lad. CROWLEY: I'm not actually, either. But thank you.

Let's start with this exchange between Crowley and Mrs Sandwich, after Crowley has led all the Whickber St shopkeepers out of the ball to apparent safety. She calls him a "good lad," and he denies it, but thanks her anyway, and gives her a charming smile. We all know Crowley hates being called 'nice' and the last time he did something 'good' he got dragged down to Hell for punishment, so it seems like an odd thing to happen.

But the thing is, while Mrs Sandwich is complimenting his actions, he is responding about his appearance - that is neither 'good' (i.e. he is a demon) or a male human (i.e. he is an supernatural non-gendered entity.)

At this point you might be going "yeah, yeah, we know, we get that! Move along op..." but this matters, as you soon will see. We should also note that neither Crowley or Aziraphale judge Mrs Sandwich for being a brothel madame (how Aziraphale does not know this when her shop is just over the road from his I will never fathom, but there you go) and Crowley is actually quite charming all-round to his parallel character (prostitution and demons going hand-in-hand - er, not literally. But they went out the door as the vanguard arm-in-arm, though.)

The Metatron turning up at the bookshop in person is the next scene on the cards. Firstly, archangel Michael doesn't recognize him, but Saraqael obviously does.

Now, I know I'm guilty of saying that Michael may have had their memory adjusted at some time, but I'm going to suggest something else at this point. Saraqael knows who this is, because they have just had a fresh reminder from watching the recordings of Gabriel with Crowley and Muriel. And Saraqael is a pretty smart angel, so lets give them some leeway on this one. But for Michael, well, they are in the same situation as Aziraphale. They have only seen the Metatron as giant floating head without a body, so don't associate him with this appearance before them, and also because he has a beard.

Just before you jump on me and say "But he had one in the recordings!" yes, yes, I know. Two things, though, I want to bring to your attention: angels are not supposed to have facial hair,* and he doesn't have any in S1 (I checked!) and he also makes the comment "This calls for much less attention, though." Yeah, well a giant head floating through the streets of Soho would be quite a sight, wouldn't it, even though they had already been treated to the view of Gabriel's royal rear-end. Aziraphale had only met him once before, as a giant floating head in S1E4 who had had to introduce himself, so we could surmise this is Michael's problem as well, even though they were at Gabriel's trial. This is backed up by a tumblr ask/answer from NG as well, where he said "I think because they normally see him as a giant floating head, and not as a little man in a raincoat."

MICHAEL: Um, and who are you? METATRON: For Heaven's sake. And I mean that most literally. You don't know me? Well, uh, what about you? Demon? Do you know me?

Demon. That is what the Metatron chooses to call Crowley in that company, and we know in hindsight that he knows Crowley's name - as does Uriel, and Gabriel. Even Muriel learns it. But they don't use it, at least not in S2.

Even more notable is that the archangels don't deign to him give the respect of using his chosen name at all. He's not not even their enemy at this point - he's beneath their notice altogether, even though they are in the same room. Only Aziraphale seems to acknowledge his existence, instinctively trying to reach out to him as he passes by.

To Nina, people are coffee preferences.

To Mrs Sandwich, they are desires that need servicing.

So then question I had, and that stopped me, was why did both Crowley and Gabriel question Beelzebub about their new face?

It stood out to me because you don't normally make an obvious comment about the change of actor for a character, and to do it twice - !! You can't ignore that. No meta writer should ignore that. There is a trope term for this, actually, called "lampshading," which means to intentionally call attention to an incongruent situation within a story before moving on, but in a show where nothing is an accident, this seems a bit trite to me. Eventually I realized that this was the whole crux of the problem to me - that while we all too readily take things at face value, its not the faces that really influence us, its our internal values.

In the case of Beelzebub, Crowley recognizes the demon, their power, and their identity via the flies without any doubt; he merely comments on the change of exterior appearance. In terms of value, he knows straight away he's dealing with someone dangerous, no matter what they look like. Gabriel, on the other hand, is judging the book by its cover, and because he doesn't recognize the new cover, he needs proof of which demon he's dealing with, or maybe if they are even a demon at all.

"Bravo," says Nina, "Just enjoying the show." She's already seen a few that week, not to mention just in the general flow of life as a shop owner involved with customer service. If you've had any sort of life in a customer service role I'm sure you've got a few stories you could tell of things you've seen or experienced as well! I know I can.

The conversation between Nina and Crowley after Aziraphale walks away is amusing for all the assumptions Nina makes about them based on what she's observed that week, but also because Crowley tells the truth every in every reply to Nina, and yet she still has no idea what he's really saying. But her judgements, based on her experience and values, still manage to drop the proverbial ton of bricks on his head so badly he slinks off to sooth himself with some alcohol while he thinks about it instead of catching up with Aziraphale to continue being the angel's nameless shadow.

This problem with judging people on previous experience and not on who they actually are is everywhere in S2.

It's Ennon treating Aziraphale, an angel he's never met before, as a slut.

It's Elspeth judging Aziraphale on his accent.

It's Mrs H. giving a powerful demon a blistering tongue-lashing because she thinks he's a just simple human black marketeer.

It's Crowley refusing to call Gabriel "Jim" because he believes Gabriel is faking it.

...and so on. These are just a few examples. I'm sure you can spot a few more.

Which brings us back around to the meeting of the supernatural Councils in the bookshop in S2E6 and Crowley's "invisibility" to the other angels and demons gathered there. A demon to the archangels, an arch-traitor to the demons, why would they want to acknowledge him? Once he restores Gabriel, he becomes rank-less and faceless to them because they don't need him any more - its basically an act of celestial racism.

Nina and Maggie don't really know any better, they still think Mr Crowley and Mr Fell are just, well, "partners." OK, so maybe they've been doing some weird shit the last few days manipulating things in the neighbourhood but they're still obviously a couple a group of the two of them in their human eyes - and neither do they seem to care that they seem to be mlm, either. No judgement there.

A number of times I've seen ops say they've been watching GO with family members who are seeing it for the first time, and the family member thinks they are just "close friends." Why? Because they haven't seen S2 and the kiss? Because they haven't verbally said "I love you" to each other? Do they really need to say that to prove their feelings for each other? Is that just your values creeping to the fore?

And where did you get your values from?

Sometimes you need to stop and question why you think what you think. I'm not just talking about religious indoctrination. Some expectations put on us by by society at large can be insidious. Expectations around how gender should act, the life purpose of a gender, your worth to society if you don't meet certain unspoken standards, age-related behaviour, social norms around alcohol consumption, the way they dress, what someone eats, the way they eat it, that you must be seen to be productive, or busy...take your pick for whatever is prevalent around you at the moment and for your culture. Just start by noticing, and being aware.

Yes, it is pointless, because demons and angels all come from the same angelic stock. There was a bit of a disagreement at one point and they split into two groups, and judgemental labels got applied to them. They are both still bureaucratic horrors. Which ever side wins the final battle, humans still lose.

Mortal humans all look the same inside, too, if you take their face and skin away and take the societal labels off them. We forget that about ourselves all the time.

There doesn't have to be any wibbly-wobbly timeline stuff going on to explain things. What ever happened to the concept of Occam's Razor? The simplest answer is usually the correct one. And that was what I realized in the middle of the night - the cliche I had used to title this was the answer. It's about being aware of those ingrained, instinctive, judgmental values that you don't realize you've learnt, and looking past the faces that you meet.

*oh lawdy, I'm giving strength to all of you who want to believe he is a demon then, aren't I? But do demons have facial hair either?

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #crowley #mrs sandwich #nina and maggie #job minisode #1941 minisode #the resurrectionists #aziraphale #beelzebub #gabriel #taking things at face value #lampshading #value judgements #wibbly wobbly timey wimey #occams razor

77 notes · View notes

lurkingshan · 2 months

Text

Cherry Magic Episode 10

They tried it again this week with adding another restriction on this show, but we shall persevere! The rest of the episodes are apparently going to be behind a paywall on Viu on air date, and then become free access the following day. The upside to paying the small premium membership fee is we can finally see Tay Tawan in 1080p as god intended (and pro tip: there do not seem to be any screen limits, buy one account and split it amongst friends).

With all that figured out, we got to another excellent episode of this show! Big, big relationship growth for Achi and Karan this week, as they learned that hiding their real feelings and desires from each other doesn't help them (and gave us an A+ forehead kiss parallel). I loved the nuance of it all, too—Karan was lying about sitting outside Achi's house every night and trying to hide how sad he was about Achi missing Loy Krathong, but he also genuinely had no anger toward Achi about it and was just trying to make things easier for him. And Achi was telling Karan he wanted the practice time apart (honestly, horrible idea boys, your time together is precious) while secretly hoping Karan would come see him anyway. In relationships, you can't claim to want one thing while secretly hoping for another and expect that to pan out for you.

And I love that Achi did realize that, and that he does trust Karan even despite these little white lies, and that this time, he had to step up and be the one to make the grand gesture to make sure Karan knows he loves him and will miss him. Roping in the office gang to help pull off the surprise was a fun turn of events, and I love that his confidence has grown enough that he can ask for that help without being embarrassed. They're going to be fine through this separation, and when they are back together I look forward to the show addressing the elephant in the room, because when they were walking together on their date I couldn't help but notice that they would have been holding hands were it not for the barrier Achi's powers present. They need to be able to have intimacy while maintaining privacy and mental space, and we know what needs to happen to get there!

I also loved the Jinta/Min story this episode, and that we got to see Jinta do a much less dignified version of Karan's pining. The plot about fans shipping Min with his dance partner was new and felt like exactly the kind of thing that would come up in his career, and that Jinta would flail over. I like that Min saw exactly what was going on and called him on it. The irony of Jinta being the one who can read minds but Min being the one who actually understands everything happening between them is delicious. And Jinta showed up for him in a big way after his loss by not only affirming how he sees Min, but showing Min that he still has fans who feel the same way. Excellent boyfriend behavior from our friend Jinta.

As for Rock and Pai, it looks like we'll be getting our final answer there next week, but given that Pai continues to be uninterested in romance and focused on her work and her hobbies, I don’t think it will go the way Rock hopes. He is barking up the wrong tree (his instincts for romance are clearly NOT strong, given he had no idea Achi and Karan were a couple), and I am hopeful that Pai will tell him so next week.

#cherry magic th #cherry magic thailand #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

54 notes · View notes

chemdisaster · 7 months

Text

short fic about last life scar and tcd scar meeting because i'm kind of insane about the idea

"So what's your deal?"

The grimy and unkempt young man in front of him straightens up from where he was going through his chests—which Scar is very cheesed off about, by the way—and stares at him, but gives no other indication that he heard the question.

Scar shrugs and sits down on a barrel already previously subjected to the Great Rummage, slightly kicking his feet.

"I mean. You show up here and immediately try to kill me, then you figure out that I'm not a zombie—duh—and now you're trying to steal my diamonds, which I've already told you you can't have. So yeah. Little confused over here."

Silence.

"You know, I'm starting to think you might be a zombie, with how much you suck at making any sound other than grrr and uggg."

More silence. Then—

"I'm not looking for diamonds. I need a gun."

The word diamonds is spat with such derision that it makes Scar teeter between affront and awe—does he not know what diamonds are? That must be the only possible explanation, for Scar cannot imagine someone understanding the full power of the shiny rocks and choosing not to seek them out—especially in a place like this.

"I don't—I don't have a gun," he stammers, wondering not for the first time what this strange man is on about. That he can understand at least—he maybe wouldn't mind a gun himself, if he's being honest—but everything else about the whole situation eludes him.

"Well, what do you have then? Ammo, food, maybe a med pack?"

"Uh, I have chicken," Scar says and flinches as the other crosses the room in three big steps to stand in front of him, holding an arm out expectantly. Sighing, he reluctantly forks over half his chicken—actually half, because this guy looks like he needs it and also he's not sure if he would get slaughtered for trying to swindle someone with this amount of obvious murderous urges—and watches as at least a quarter of what he gave away is immediately gulped down.

"Wow."

Weird-and-apparently-starved guy wipes his mouth on his sleeve, "Fuck you."

Oh-kay. So he can swear.

In the ensuing lull of silence, Scar takes a moment to discretely look the intruder over again, as well as make note of his voice. Somehow gritty, yet rather high, it sounds weirdly similar to his own—in fact, the owner of it looks weirdly similar to him—that is, if you ignore the short, tangled hair and general lack of personal hygiene.

What he mistook earlier for an inability to sit still turns out to be paranoia, as, the moment he's done eating his food, his beyond-bizarre doppelgänger proceeds to circle his hut at least three times, checking every entrance and exit and eventually blocking them all off with a single chest-level block.

Apparently even that odd practice leaves him unsatisfied, however, as he then swivels around and demands, "Is this place safe?"

"Uh, depends. Mobs don't come here often and my friends aren't dangerous—most of the time," Scar amends. Then hastens to add, "Usually." Pause. "Sometimes. I'm really not sure. It—fluctuates."

He knows what he sounds like, but the man's seen worse—clearly—so he doesn't call his words into question.

Suddenly Scar is struck with a thought—does—does this guy have friends?

He doesn't ask him this, however, and instead decides on a more neutral approach, "What's your name?"

The guy gives him a long suspicious look.

"Scar."

Scar blinks.

"No, my name is Scar."

"Well, pick another one, then," this new—this Scar says, but it's the least threatening thing he's said so far, judging by the slightly lighter tone of his voice. Scar—the real Scar, and doesn't that sound crazy?—does wonder whether his doppelgänger-twin-alternate self?-whatever is coming to the same conclusions as him—but if he is, either he's not bothered, or he's very good at hiding it.

His own lack of surprise surrounding the revelation that this is him from some kind of parallel universe makes him wonder less. Maybe because he's a wizard, and therefore supposed to be used to all kinds of strange phenomenons.

Maybe he's just tired.

Other him swings his arms around for a bit and then slides down to sit on the floor with his back rested against the wall, all his previous energy gone so fast that it would make one wonder whether it had ever been real in the first place.

"It's cold up here," he says, with the air of someone long used to the chilly weather—or his own helplessness against it.

After a moment's hesitation, Scar joins him on the floor, making sure that their arms are a sufficient distance apart.

"You have an issue with the cold?"

"No. Just would've thought that maybe in another life I'd have settled somewhere else. Somewhere warmer."

A pang of pain shoots through Scar's chest. He looks away. He was about to ask this him where he was from, but now he's not so sure he wants to—he'd rather not have those same questions be directed back at him.

He wonders what Grian would say. If he could see this other version of him that's clearly suffered more than the both of them combined. What kind of joke he would make. If he would have anything to say at all, or if he would go straight for his sword.

If he would hesitate before deciding which one of them to use it on.

"Your friends try to kill you?"

Evidently, the other him has no compunction when it comes to bringing up things Scar would rather not think about—

"Yeah, well, they're not—they're not really my friends," he admits, suddenly feeling very small. "I just said that to look cool. And also because they were, or at least I think they were, but lately we haven't been talking and they only ever come 'round here for resources, so—"

He shuts up.

Other him hums, but thankfully has no interest in digging further. The wind makes a searing noise as it rushes in and out of his hut, past the one-block barricades, and Scar wonders once again what the point of making such a stupid defence even was. He doesn't ask, however, even though he probably should, to get back at this prick for reminding him of things he spends the whole day thinking about, anyway—

A long while passes before he opens his mouth again.

"I miss them."

"At least you have someone to miss."

The muttered remark should sound accusatory, but it's not. It's bitter, the kind of bitter that comes with understanding exactly what kind of feeling you are talking about. The kind of bitter that says I've been where you are and I've been worse and I'm glad you don't know what that worse is like. It's one short sentence, and yet it speaks volumes as to what must have happened in that weird place that had zombies and guns but not diamonds and was as cold as a lonely hut atop an equally lonely mountain.��

Scar is well aware that this weird other version of him could kill him in the blink of an eye. But he sighs and leans into him, accepts the warmth of physical contact and the emotional warmth that neither of them will ever admit to needing.

#gtws #gtwscar #goodtimeswithscar #gtws angst #worddisaster #tcd scar #gtws tcd #the crafting dead scar #last life scar my beloved #last life scar #last life gtws #ll scar #last life #last life smp #llsmp #trafficfic

104 notes · View notes

heliphantie · 9 months

Text

It's not symmetrical or perfect But it's beautiful, and it's mine

Some long ramblings about Isabela under 'read more':

I originally didn’t use to be interested in Isabela, brushing her aside as yet another emancipated princess character, but with time, I figured she’s more dimensional and distinctive character of her kind, and possibly, most multifaceted one next to Bruno. More than that, the two, as opposite they look on the surface, have enough things in common for him to have more rapport with her than with Mirabel, as movie seems to suggest.

First of all, magnitude of their powers. All of original triplets have got gifts that surpass any others in the family, outright divine in nature – abilities of healing, conduct the weather and foreseeing future. While out of third generation, Isabela has got an ultimate divine power – of bringing life out of thin air, and in accordance with her emotional state no less. Thus, her powers also require thorough control, which may be another hidden reason for her always needing to keep herself straight. And it’s apparent too, bearers of greatest gifts are also under hardest pressure, with Bruno and Isabela even visually (in the sequence of “Dos Oruguitas”) indicated to be most subjected to.

Second thing is, external and internal presentation. Out of all characters, the two have the most conflict between public perception and genuine expression, and an array of different facades in case of both – from impassive and contemptuous to caring and heartful. We don’t get to see any objective view of Bruno’s behavior in the past, but from how he’s perceived in retrospect, it appears he used to give off impression of distant and uncaring to people around him, which could’ve been simply an effect of his professional duty, including acting impartial to the events he gets to witness as local oracle and avoiding personal interference with anybody’s fate (just my conclusion, anyway). Which is rather similar to Isabela’s acting around people – pleasant, but not extremely intimate, more like performer than participant, and impression of egoistic, haughty person she leaves on Mirabel. (Did encounter with and insight of real Bruno give no clue about what her sister’s situation would be? It’s not a Mirabel-bashing article, but she’s one dense protag, I must say…) In that, they’re two people in family who appear to bottle their feelings and maintain the constructed façade the most of all (“So much hides behind my smile…”). In addition, as parallel to Isabela’s built image of conventional feminine “perfection”, Bruno has his own invented persona of Hernando, which seemingly serves as “perfect”, and more stereotypically masculine version of himself. (Their natural selves are, of course, still properly feminine/masculine, just of more subtle and nuanced variety.)

And what is fundamental trait shared between two: the extreme selflessness and devotion, and sense of responsibility, being prone to self-sacrifice with long-lasting consequences and openly declaring their willingness to give it all for the family. Which also slips into coming to well-intended, but misguided, and even hurtful in perspective, decisions: no, making yourself a traitor in the eyes of your relatives, never getting rewarded for your good will, while for noble reasons, is not going to bring family together, and neither does confining yourself to lifetime of fake love relationship (and hell knows how suppressed discontent seeping through would manifest itself in the end of things… Mariano dodged a bullet, also not deserving such misery). Anyhow, willfully getting your freedom cut short for the rest of your life for the sake of wellbeing and benefit of your loved ones is tremendous sacrifice (and yet again, it’s such a short sight on Mirabel’s part to take confession of that sacrifice lightly, beside of not realizing she is a case of Isa’s predicament, what with approving a proposal behind her sister’s back). And that’s where Isa is deconstructing Disney rebellious princess archetype even before her breaking out: unlike Jasmine or Merida, she actually holds her family in priority over whatever carefree life she could lead, and makes mature move, total opposite of pampered princess Mira thinks she is. It should be said, marriage is not something exactly forced upon Isa, but rather silently accepted on the assumption she does return affection of would-be fiancé. While Isabela seemingly doesn’t have the same luxury as Jasmine to reject suitors left and right (it doesn’t seem there’s a lot of options…), nor fiancé in question is as obnoxious as any of Jasmine’s, or, say, Gaston, she definitely has enough authority around the town to deem any suitor unworthy of herself or make her own choice, so she’s not that submissive in that situation as it may look. (And nothing indicates any of older Madrigals were forced into arranged marriage, which makes me think that is not entirely in Alma’s hands to decide on whom or if her children going to marry.) It appears, based on observation of similarities between Alma and Isa being possible reason for her singling the granddaughter out as her favorite, Alma might just have been projecting her own perfect romance on the young couple, being convinced they’re destined for each other just as she and Pedro were, and have to make up for her own abruptly cut matrimonial bliss, not taking in account Isa doesn’t have to be her carbon copy. Note that, entering marriage, Isa is not simply getting what she (presumably) wants, she puts herself in a role of next (after Julieta, most likely) matriarch, a head of family, a ruler of town, accepting huge responsibility, quite an opposite of effort-free fairytale life.

Which brings me to connection between characters affirmed in the movie itself: what was exact output of Bruno’s words – either prophetic or not – for Isabela? She is the only one, whose prophecy wasn’t appearing to fulfill itself, and she doesn’t comment on it even in the moment of honesty. We never get closure on that issue, let alone any conversation between two (because poor Bruno was denied of opportunity explaining himself properly by his kind relatives…). One answer that seems to be likely correct in context of Bruno’s reputation: because his vision always undoubtedly becomes reality, promise of the dreams coming true was taken for granted, and Isa considered that, as long as she goes with the flow and doesn’t take the initiative in deciding for herself, she obtains happiness by default. So, she’s basically another princess in waiting for the miracle (hm…) until she gets to break free on her own, which is consistent with modern trend of Disney subverting and defeating their own fairytale standard.

But other possible interpretation is: what if that promise, while leading to wrongful and harmful conviction, was giving her strength to follow her path and assigned duty, vested with faith she, by doing right thing, eventually will become a master of her life and achieve fulfillment. (And probably, it makes sense for her to think Mirabel, revealed being linked with imminent destruction of miracle, somehow also leads to her miraculous destiny being dissolved with no hope left.)

Worth noting, it brings up a parallel with classic story about destiny – and also another one of Disney fairytale standard – tale of Sleeping Beauty, blessed with magical gifts and cursed with ominous future, outcome of which tale being basically the same as Encanto movie: fighting future is dangerous, some losses are inevitable, but what’s matter is what we learn and take from it to improve even more distant future. Also, there’s even visual parallel – Aurora’s two-colored in funky manner dress as result of fairy godmothers fighting over its color, and Isabela’s multicolored holi’d dress, I wonder how intentional it was.

And one another minor and not instantly obvious connection, not clearly visible in the movie: both Isa and Bruno may be “brains” of the family! Some concept arts depict Isa being something of a bookworm, and while you have to be really observant (or peek at production art), there’s hints in Bruno’s environment he’s one himself – in addition to some books in his hideout, there’s drawings on the walls showing doodles of rats in casting of stage plays of Shakespeare’s tragedies and “Don Quixote” (both are not exactly light literature).

And while Isabela being an intellectual isn’t something directly stated in the movie, it’s still part of her development and isn’t contradicted by anything on screen. Though she probably may give preference to non-fiction on the topic of biology. Speaking of nerdy inclinations…

One last (rather tangential) thing worth of discussion: abandoned Bubo storyline and its connection to ultimate version of story. For the aspects that justify it being scraped for good: first, as I stated above, her being actually loyal to family, instead of trying to elope, makes for all more powerful presentation of her character. Second, is unfortunate implication of her being driven to person simply because he understands her (which is valid on its own) rather than because she likes him for his own qualities and personality. But it may be just lack of context for single scene, otherwise dynamic of two people with connection to nature and such contrasting behavior and appear is pretty endearing. (Official source states the storyline is written off so Isa in the end does not “defined by a man”, but then, Mirabel is treated like hero and she’s “defined” by two men, given she’s in need the word of Bruno on what action to take, and if we take literally statement that she was “send by Pedro” to save the family…) So while I appreciate her ending as more independent and decisive person, I still like how concept of that relationship speaks of her personality, and it did find its way in final version, even if in funny way, by replacing man with cactus:) Even as brief moment leading to big reformative number, having her admiring the “imperfect”, peculiar creature gives evidence of her carrying deep fondness for unconventional forms of beauty, fascination for irregular, whimsical (as opposed to what she’s assigned for - Mariano, while having his own depths and not entirely flawless as well, kind of dorky in his own way, is simply that – conventional and too ordinary for Isa to spark interest). And considering that trait of her was maintained through the variations of story, it seems more than plausible she may develop profound fondness and connection with her eccentric (and definitely “fish out of water”, as Bubo is described) uncle, which makes it a loss that the story didn’t even tipped toe into interaction between the characters. (And it’s hard to overlook, Bubo’s personal and even physical traits also seem to transfer into final version of Bruno, so the character’s concept wasn’t entirely lost either.)

On the final note, bunch of random musings about the character of Isa, that neither here nor there:

Speaking of unpredictable nature of gift and popular parallel between Isabela and Elsa: may it be that Isabela had to teach herself to regulate her power for pretty much the same reason, given connection between emotions and outcome, and inability for child to properly control it? Even in suppressed state, Isa’s powers have dangerous side to them: we see her being able to use vines to restrain people, making flowers grow from every surface, and later she creates carnivorous plants and just unleashes botanical chaos all around the town, not to mention that her negative emotions resurface itself as plants that unsafe for handling. Between Alma’s worried notion that Isabela got “out of control” and Bruno’s reluctance to face her (which he only partially admits to be for the fear to meet Alma), there could be something that young (and simply not being in existence yet) Mirabel might not knowing about full effect of Isa’s power when unbound and under emotional affect.

And one aspect that felt conflicting to me for some time: as for type of person with “green thumb” she’s supposed to embody (and more prominent “child of nature” image with which her character was conceived at first), Isabela acts rather violently, shown destroying her creations, plucking roses out of her flower bed, ruining topiary and such. But considering she’s not simply nature lover and expert (who she seems to genuinely be), but embodiment of nature itself, like Pepa is an embodiment of atmospheric forces, it’s organic for her to having embraced its destructive side as well, as part of death and resurrection circle. /So she’s a bit of like Stitch, with equally creative and destructive inclinations at one because of immense abilities she’s packed with:)/

I definitely have a little more to say, and contemplate, about the character… but some of it going too far into speculative and fanfic-y territory, so it’s a topic for another time. And sorry for all incidental Mirabel kicking:) – I have things to say about her too, but in its own turn.

#encanto #encanto fanart #disney fanart #isabela madrigal #bruno madrigal #ramblings #lot to say about isa #phantieart #phantie ramblings

82 notes · View notes

santacarlatourism · 1 year

Note

May I please request Kevin Khatchadourian, spending time together headcannons? I love your work so much, it’s genuinely under appreciated! Take your time ! <3

Aw, I'm glad you like my writing, tysm!!! here are some headcanons <3

⮞ one of the quotes in the book is "kevin was a shell game in which all three cups were empty" and i think about that a lot and i think it applies here. the version of kevin you're getting can vary wildly, depending on how he wants you to perceive him, and there's not necessarily a rhyme or reason for the choice he makes.

it's likely if he's voluntarily choosing to spend time with you, though, that you get something closer to his authentic self. and i think that makes him question why you're choosing his company. you're not like lenny-- some loser who idolizes kevin and is easy to manipulate.

so it creates a cycle. he keeps spending time with you to figure out why you like to spend time with him, and the more time he spends with you the more curious he is about why you keep spending time with him.

⮞ you're still initiating most of the hang outs because kevin is not interested enough in most things to suggest anything.

⮞ tell him you need to grab something at the mall and ask if he wants to run over with you. he'll agree and he'll hate it.

however, you spot a sporting goods store and suggest you two dip in there, aware of kevin's love for archery. this... somewhat alleviates kevin's mood. archery is one of very few things kevin has an interest in, and as he peruses the equipment you can probably even get him to explain some of the sport to you and answer questions like what makes a good bow, are there different kinds of string, etc.

the more specific your question is, and the more they build off of previous answers he's given you, the more you seem to really be listening... well, the less likely he is to ask if you're stupid in response to one of them. and, admittedly, the more likely he is to decide that perhaps this trip was worth it.

don't get any ideas about buying him anything though, as a friendly or romantic gesture. something about that, especially so early on, is too easy to kevin. it's too transparent what your motivations are, and he'll stare you dead in the eye, "what, you want to buy me a little surprise just so i'll like you more? my parents can buy me this shit. doesn't make them special either."

gift giving, with kevin, should come much later, where he's less likely to see it as you initiating some sort of bribe or transaction.

⮞ i think i maybe mentioned this in another post, but i think a lot of hanging out with kevin comes down to parallel play more or less. he's on his computer doing his own thing, reading his copy of robin hood, outside shooting arrows, etc. and you're nearby, doing something. and while he looks like he's paying no attention to you, he's analyzing the situation. why isn't he as bothered by your company as he is by frank's, eva's, celia's, or even his ostensible friend lenny?

eventually, kevin realizes that the reason for this is that when he's with you, he feels like he does when he's alone. by this i mean... to some extent, kevin's actions with everyone are performance. this is the case with both franklin and eva, with his sister and with his peers.

but when he's with you he feels as himself as he does when he's utterly alone. except, perhaps, less bored.

this is where, if it hasn't already, kevin's interactions with you take a turn. his fascination grows beyond why you enjoy his company-- all though it's still a question-- and more on to you as a whole.

⮞ he starts playing hot and cold more. he wants to know how you react when plans with him fall through due to him cancelling last minute. do it back so he can be surprised by how displeased he is. it's going to be apparent he's testing with you, playing with you, but not necessarily why.

he may start suggesting hang outs here, but be warned, they're things he thinks you'll hate. he's curious to see if he's right, if he knows your tastes that well. but he's also just as curious to see if you're willing to put up with something you hate for his company.

while out you notice he's not enjoying himself either, and call him out on it. you ask if he even likes this activity. "nope," he'll respond, with a little smirk. you roll your eyes.

but honestly? he grows to find that he enjoys reveling in his contempt for people in your company more than he enjoys doing it alone. your sarcastic agreement with his snide remarks, the little light swats you give his arm when he's just far too harsh.

⮞ before you and kevin are really dating, people around you would have just grown to assume that's what was going on because your hang outs and time together had grown towards increasingly romantic activities in part because those were things you two simply hadn't done together yet.

in person or on the phone, kevin mentions to franklin that he's taking you to the movies. franklin teasingly tells his son not to do anything he wouldn't do and kevin freezes for a moment, realizing the implications, but it's not going to be clear how he feels about them for awhile. but it makes sense, kevin supposes: if you two are going on dates then you are, by default, dating. he's not too perturbed by it: dating isn't the same sort of romantic commitment as a relationship.

but even when it develops into a formal relationship much of the way he interacts with you is the same. for kevin putting a name to it is more so just to officialize what's already been going on for awhile. To keep you from getting any ideas that you can just easily dip out without warning at any time. Similar to dating, by the time it becomes a formal relationship you two will arguably have been in a relationship for awhile.

⮞ once kevin realizes he actually enjoys your presence and perhaps even likes you as an individual, he becomes more indulgent at times. he may show you how to fire a bow, or walk you through some of his computer knowledge so you can get your own to work better. share some knowledge with him in return-- if you know him well enough to know what he'd actually value learning.

#kevin khatchadourian x reader #post: hcs #by santacarlatourism

336 notes · View notes

happyinjection · 1 year

Text

X-Playing Cards and Cartomancy

High Card takes a lot of ~stylistic inspiration~ for its X-playing cards system from the standard 52-card deck and related card games, but it never occurred to me until someone pointed it out that the French deck was also based on tarot cards, precisely the minor arcana! (media usually make parallels from the major arcana so it took me longer to connect the dots)

More elaborate explanation under the cut...

1. The abilities and meaning of each suit

To be frank this one is obvious enough from the beginning, both the standard deck and minor arcana have 4 suits, and each suit (hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs) symbolizes emotions, wealth, creativity, and will, in that order! I think the description of each suit’s abilities fits quite well with its original symbolism.

It’s also interesting to note that the spades is associated with military/nobility. I can see that with Wendy, given that her father owns a dojo, but Finn...? Yeah, so I guess we know what’s coming.

2. Correlation between the five main characters and the interpretation of their respective card in minor arcana

Note that I’ve never dabbled in tarot reading before (I know someone who does, but asking them a favor especially for cracking anime lore is embarrassing, so no), and this is all based on a quick Wikipedia search, please bear with me.

I see a lot of... similarities, but you decide.

2 of Swords/2 of Spades (Finn): Intuition, balance, calmness, it’s also related to the justice and judgement card of major arcana (making moral decisions, essentially carries the same meaning). In general, 2 in tarot represents opposing forces, seeking balance and peace of mind, then moving forward from an inner struggle once they find it.

5 of Cups/5 of Hearts (Chris): Grief over past events, inability to see the bright side in any situation. 5 card symbolizes tragedy in all suits... it either means loss, defeat, or betrayal, but the meaning is somewhat brighter when reversed, and I think it’s the only card to do so? Tarot cards generally have better outcome when upright. Its major arcana counterpart, the hierophant, can represent a role model.

7 of Pentacles/7 of Diamonds (Leo): Success, commitment towards work. In reverse position it also means bad investment haha. 7 in general represents not only determination and self confidence, but also overcoming challenges in the “survival of the fittest” sense.

1 of Swords/Ace of Spades (Wendy): Conquest, triumph, a great force in everything, so it can either mean victory or disaster. In tarot 1 symbolizes beginnings, potential, and early stages of endeavor. I like the sound of that!

3 of Wands/3 of Clubs (Vijay): Achievement, optimism, fresh start, partnerships. It’s a calm card? 3 in general represents communication and interaction, also influence over partners in friendships and work. It can mean facilitating creation, growth, development, and growth as well.

3. Original design of each suit’s King card

Okay so this one is one of the less important details but it’s just too interesting to pass up. Apparently the visual interpretation of the Kings is like this:

...sounds familiar, huh?

I just want to appreciate Ebimo aka HC character designer, it seems that she really did her research right lmao.

Another interesting point is the King of Hearts is sometimes called the “suicide king” because he appears to be “stabbing his own head” in his card due to mass production error, but it’s hilarious to me.

4. Correlations with the major arcana?

The 52-card deck we have right now have nothing to do with the major arcana, but we can still draw lines between some of the cards and figures in the Fourland folktale?

The Magician card, for example, fits right with the role of the Mage from whom X-playing cards’ abilities originate. The Magician represents manifestation of desire and one’s potentials, and the card illustration itself show all four of the suits symbols (cup, sword, coins, club). Meanwhile, there is also The Fool card, sometimes called to be the Joker of tarot, as it can be the highest or lowest trump. The Fool represents a “protagonist” or just “humankind itself”, which I think fits right with the role of the boy-king.

Let me know what you think!

#highcard #high card #finn oldman #chris redgrave #leo constantine pinochle #wendy sato #vijay kumar singh

106 notes · View notes

yellowbluemoonshine · 1 year

Note

What’s funny to me is that MHA’s Shoto Todoroki/Momo Yaoyorozu was the supposed “canon” ship for the characters involved. Especially before it became (increasingly) apparent that their “canonicity” is HIGHLY unlikely. Yeah, it’s easy to assume that the pair are “supposed” to be together due to their looks and socioeconomic status. However, I think Todoroki/Yaomomo will likely struggle to function as a “healthy, romantic couple” (much less resolve conflict in a healthy way). During the exam with Eraser Head, their behaviour/attitude toward each other were very telling (in my opinion). Given Kohei Horikoshi’s writing style, he’ll probably come up with some bullshit adjacent to “wiping tears with money.” Doesn’t help that neither Todoroki or Yaomomo have enough differences to balance/contrast each other.

This coming from someone who doesn’t mind the pair platonically. (No offence to the non-toxic fans. 👈💅)

(Response to this.)

Agreed. No hate to shippers though. I actually do understand the idea, yknow, two beautiful smart rich kids together, they would look perfect together but i personally always find it as forced and superficial.

First of all, as you mentioned anon, they dont have 'the balance'. Usually, if two characters are 'parallels', their similar sides may lead them to understand and relate each others while their opposite sides may lead them to attract, challenge and even balance each others. That kind of pair always works. Because thats actually how most healthy partnerships works, whether its romantic or platonic.

For example, Shouto and Izuku are both abuse victims which is why they can relate and they would rather trust each others than trusting an adult or any autoharity figures while Izuku's expressive and anxious nature match with Shouto's calm natures. Or Shigaraki and Toga. Toga's positive nature balance Shigaraki's hatred while their bratty monstrous side make them relate to each others.

Ironically Shouto and Momo is opposite of this.

Their similar side is that they are both airheaded, rich, beautiful kids with amazing quirks. They are both sheltered kids, this is why their similar side would limit their worldview. Because neither of them does know nothing about being an outcasts or common people. They live in their own world. I think both of them need to see outside of world of their own. But neither of them seems to realize they even need to develop that side of them. This is why this doesnt work. Even their opposite sides, such as Shouto's being abused child while Momo never experienced that. She is naive. There is no abuse in her world. No pain. She wouldnt understand the signs or other things. For example, Ochaco is similar to Momo about this. She isnt abused but because of her family's sitution and all, she notices when people are in pain but Momo isnt. Not blaming her though since thats how she was raised. But this is why their relationship doesnt work. Momo and Shouto cant balance or challenge or really relate each others as characters is why i dont ship them.

Though, i wouldnt be surprised, if it becomes canon because Momo is the only 'female student' he seems to really interact with and Momo repeatedly said she trusts 'Todoroki-san' or how she appears randomly each others arc, such as how happy Momo looked for Shouto on license exam from background or how Shouıto randomly starts talking for Momo at class a vs class b arc. These are actually my problem with this ship. Because it isnt earned.

As you said anon, Aizawa is the one who noticed Momo was having problem and thats why Shouto helped her. Not because he noticed that she was having trouble. And he gave her courage by saying he voted for her.

Look, i do understand why Momo would admire Shouto. He is the best, strongest student in her class. Who wouldnt be happy, if class best student said they trust you to win the match and i do understand why Shouto would trust her abilities since she is smart and very good at making plans. But thats it.

Why would Momo trust Shouto to the point she would go against the rules to save Bakugou? I mean, we know Shouto is kind, trustworthy as audience but Momo doesnt know that?? He never showed that side of him to her. She knows nothing about him. She puts him on high regard since the beginning even when he was Earlyroki, just because boy looks perfect but Shouto needs someone who wouldnt view him as perfect. I would rather to see this as just some admiration or small attraction than actual love. It makes more sense that way.

Compare this to Iida, Izuku, Ochaco, Shouto group. Group trust Izuku because he broke his own body to help people, to help Ochaco, to help Shouto, to help Iida but what did Shouto do for her to trust him that much? Nothing.

Also the scene when Shouto speaks for her of all people is kinda laughable to me. Like, Shouto, you know nothing about Momo. You guys dont even talk at all. You wouldnt know how she would feel or think. It would makes more sense if it was Jirou who said that since 1- they interacts a lot 2- at usj attack, she saved her and Kaminari. Wouldnt it makes more sense Jirou to speak for her, like how much smart she is or show she feels lack of confidence sometimes and all.

I keep saying it feels forced and superficial because they trust each other's abilities and thats why they trust each others but as person, they are strangers.

Well, lack of interaction between kids in class1a is one of the issues with writing. Especially between female-male relationships. This is why 'gay' ships seems more makes sense lol since author doesnt really bother to develop others (especially female characters). But i think some of those relationships still feels deep and makes sense, while those two doesnt. And it isnt well build at all. Though, just as i menitoned at first, because of their dynamic, i still wouldnt like it. Its like shoujo manga romance, kinda innocent cool handsome rich boy x pretty rich girl dynamic, to me, its undermines both of their characters because they are more than this.

During the story;

Momo is hardly part of main plot. She is beautiful. She is talented. She has parents and friends who uncontionally loves her. She is smart. She is good girl. She seems to interacts with Jirou and others. Her rivalry with Kendou is interesting. She hardly even talk with Shouto.

Shouto is one of the main characters. Story focus on his relationships with family the most. His main hero partners are Izuku and Bakugou. His best friends and only people he seems to prefer to hang out is Izuku and Iida. And he is literally experiencing one of the most important events in his life during the story. And yknow what? Momo is not part of it. She is just there with others.

- - -

Though, it is always fun to explore different ideas or ships and thats why i was kinda interested in some analysis. But yknow, when you read some posts, you feel 'its reachin'. Thats how i feel about Todo//momo, Kacch//acho and Bakugou/Aizawa posts.

Like when two characters existing in same scene or wearing similar clothes or just standing side by side, some fans immediately look for making it look deeper than it actually is. (Though, you might say this is the case for every ship but some of them at least makes sense.) This is how i feel when i read comments about todomomo. It feels a lot like kinda crack ship in canon while it treated as it is better than that.

Another biggest example of this is Uraraka vs Bakugou. People like the idea of Bakugou trusting Uraraka so much that they ignore the fact that she is the only person he asked 'are you sure?' before the match, or how he thought it was Izuku's plan or we all know the only reason Bakugou is serious when it comes to matches ebcause he couldnt care less if others person gets hurts. People really think that romance would fix the problem with Bakugou. Especially, of all characters, its Ochaco. It doesnt make sense emotionally intelligence girl like Ochaco who was raised with love to fall in love with abusive guy like Bakugou who calls people with nicknames and constantly being rude to them for no reason, instead of kind boys like Izuku, Iida or Shoutoo respects who her as person since the beginning. Only girls who would date with toxic guys are whether they are naive or most likely they are abused at home. Ochaco isnt either of them. And Bakugou already has someone whom he naturally bond, it is Kirishima. Which is why even though i dont personally ship, i think kiribaku makes sense.

And with Bakugou, i dont know. I feel like fandom is kinda protective of his character. You cant make posts about it without being 'anti'. Like, certain part of the fandom treats them as just people who wants Bakugou to suffer, despite the fact that %90 of the 'anti bakugou' fans has problem with writing. Most posts less about 'hatred for character', more about 'writing criticism'. I mean fandom is very comfortable with cricitising Izuku for every single mistake he does, they cant do that with Bakugou too? Izuku becomes copycat for copying Allmight but when Bakugou does, it is cute. Izuku gets hate for telling Shouto, he is kind for forgiving, even though he clearly didnt mean to say not forgiving is unkind while Bakugou shouts at Fuyumi for no reason and he gets away with narrative and fandom. It is really weird how much narrative (and fandom) overlook Bakugou's abuse towards Izuku and the fact that Bakugou has big plot armor.

Recently, i realized there is similar problem with Aizawa and Endeavour too.

Or Someone's comment about how Bakudeku is simiar to spinnaraki. Yeah, i kidna see the parallels but except yknow, Bakugou abused Deku while Shigaraki never once judged or looked down on Spinner and they actually bond because they both feel empty, not forced connection such as 'you two need to learn from each others'. I would say it looks more like Dabi-Spinner dynamic since Dabi is kinda jerk to Spinner but boy still admires Dabi for his power and all, though at least Dabi isnt really bully to him specifically and Bakudeku dynamic is a lot simişlar to Koutaro-Shigaraki dynamic, Bakugou is literally parallels with Endeavour but its not mentioned enough. So yeah, Bakudeku is another forced relationship and worse, it is toxic.

- - -

Basically, Todomomo ship feels forced, unearned and, mostly empty. Supercifical. This story isnt even really about romance whether Shouto or Momo's character isnt about romance at all but in stories, romances can happen but yknow, if its gonna happen, it should be well written. In their cases, well, its not. I would prefer them as good hero partners than as romantic couples.

#anon ask #platonic todomomo #bnha analysis #bnha ship meta #bnha ship analysis #mha meta #anti kacchaco #anti kacchako #anti bakudeku #yaoyorozu momo #todoroki shouto #bnha criticism #writing criticism

88 notes · View notes

vickyvicarious · 7 months

Note

With Lucy gone now, and Van Helsing saying that they found a diary she had just started, it reminds me how she had started it right after Jonathan had his own sealed up. And that he has not 'spoken' since the wedding or written since his escape. While he was silent, Lucy was starting he own story. Now her own voice is gone, too.

Both of them ill, but while Jonathan was beginning to move out of the bed after his rock bottom and slowly gaining some weight, she was moving to the bed and shrinking. He started his married life, learning to live again, while she was dying close to her own.

I'm answering this together with another ask I got shortly afterwards, talking about very similar things:

It's fascinating how much Jonathan and Lucy's life stages contrast. Even their beginnings and ends, with Jonathan starting out as a poor orphan who could not even dream of ever acquiring a great fortune, and now getting a large inheritance, and Lucy starting out rich and now dying disinherited!

You both (if different anons) are so right. It's super interesting. Both of them are interrupted right at the start of a new phase of life by Dracula, who preys upon them before they can get married. They both encounter three 'suitors' who hope to 'kiss' them, but Jonathan's are the nightmare version who wish to prey upon him while Lucy's are all honorable men and true friends to her. Jonathan's ability to see himself in the mirror is removed and then we get Lucy talking about how she looks at herself in the mirror. All throughout his time in the castle, the parallels between them tend to lean towards Jonathan having the worse and Lucy the better side of similar situations.

But then Dracula leaves Jonathan behind, and goes to Lucy. And then all the comparisons start to flip. Jonathan escapes, Lucy doesn't. Jonathan is recovering as Lucy is getting worse. Jonathan is reunited with his love and gets to have his wedding, while Lucy is barely able to spend any time with Arthur (most of it when she's asleep) and dies before her wedding. Lucy's mother hides her illness from Lucy and keeps distant from her, denies her comfort, removes her medicine, disinherits her. Jonathan's boss steps into the role of a father, tells him he doesn't have long left to live, gives him training and trusts him with responsibility even as he's recovering, makes him his heir.

There's other stuff too, less straightforwardly positive/negative but very impactful. As (one of?) you say, Jonathan doesn't speak when Lucy does. His journal ends before hers begins. And Jonathan is isolated when Lucy is surrounded by allies and friends. It's not total isolation, not after he escapes the castle - but he still is kept apart from the main plot, and so is Mina once she joins him. It is only now when Lucy has died, and thus left the side of her companions, that Jonathan sees Dracula and the Harkers are introduced back into the main plot/begin to hear from the other main characters with van Helsing's telegram to Mina. Lucy closes her eyes in death, and Jonathan's eyes are opened (not fully yet, but with him having seen Dracula, and Mina reading his journal, then it seems apparent they will be back in the thick of things).

And I'm not going to mention all the spoilers, but a couple reversals currently popping into my head are:

Lucy is turned into a vampire and tries to get her love to join her/tries to prey upon him. Then she is killed by him instead. Jonathan's love is (nearly) turned into a vampire and wants him to kill her, but instead he decides he would rather join her.

Lucy preys on children as a vampire, in some of her final waking acts. It's a dark inversion of the motherhood that might be expected in her married life. Jonathan ends the narrative by relating that he has a child who he and Mina are raising lovingly.

#dracula daily #jonathan harker #lucy westenra #dracula daily spoilers #only under the cut #anonymous #replies #lucy/jonathan parallels

33 notes · View notes

10blue10 · 6 months

Text

The Hidden World Themes

(Rediscovered this on my computer and decided to dust it off and post it here on Tumblr XD)

The intended themes of HTTYD: THW, as far as I can tell, are about maturing, letting go, accepting change and standing on your own. These are all good themes and I agree with them in theory. The problem is the way they were handled. I’m sorry, but if the themes have gotten mixed up with implications about segregation and ‘otherness’, romantic vs platonic relationships being portrayed as a binary or one better than the other, and looking for a quick fix solution to avoid problems rather than face and solve them…then something has gone very wrong. I’m sure many of you may insist that Dean didn’t intend for these implications to be in the movie, but they are there regardless. If anything, the fact that Dean apparently didn’t notice or dismissed these issues with his script makes him more culpable, not less. Furthermore, does a franchise based on the premise ‘Vikings who ride dragons’ really need to be realistic? I’m not expecting a play by play of how history would change, but when you put dragons, or any supernatural element, in the ‘real world’, that changes things by definition. ‘Realism’ means addressing typically ignored consequences, not ‘copying’ reality (I recommend Overly Sarcastic Productions ‘Trope Talk: Realism’ for a more comprehensive exploration). That’s what reality TV is for. As I was saying…

Theme One – Coming of Age Dean wanted HTTYD to be Hiccup’s coming of age story, but he also projects onto Hiccup, and therein lies the biggest problem with the movie (and really the franchise as a whole). It revolves entirely around Hiccup, to the point that the other characters feel like NPCs, and Dean is simply ‘playing’ as Hiccup. Snotlout, the twins and even Fishlegs are all portrayed as being way more immature, irresponsible and ignorant than Hiccup ever was, but their complete lack of development is used for ‘comic relief’ (and I use the phrase very loosely). They don’t actually matter, because this is The Hiccup Show, aka The Dean Show.

What gets me is the fact that the movie seems to equate ‘coming of age’ with “get married”. Right from the start Hiccup is told he should marry Astrid, and then at the end when he sends the dragons away he’s rewarded for this ‘mature’ decision by… marrying Astrid. Something that was going to happen anyway, because of course it was. There was no way the franchise wouldn’t end with a Hiccstrid wedding scene. Let’s give the ‘coming of age’ arc to Snotlout instead, shall we? After all, he’s had development before regarding his dad Spitelout, so we can run with that. Instead of flirting with Valka (eww), we can have him be overly competitive towards Eret, to the point it’s affecting missions. Snotlout blames Eret for leaving Ruffnut behind, and Eret asks what Snotlouts’ problem with him is. To which Snotlout responds that he’s jealous, because Eret is tall, strong, handsome (wait what?), talented… even Spitelout likes him more! So Eret tells Spitelout that if he really said he prefers a complete stranger over his own son, he’s a shit dad, and then he punches Spitelout in the face. Because who among us hasn’t wanted to see Spitelout get punched in the face? Seeing this would give Snotlout the courage to stand up to his dad later in the movie. / Theme Two – With Love Comes Loss Oh boy. I get it; Dean was going for a classic ‘if you love them, let them go’ message and used this flashback scene to foreshadow/parallel it. But Stoick and Hiccup’s situations are completely different! 1) Stoick thought Valka was dead. It’s not like she decided to go and live with dragons, and he respected her decision to do so. They were separated by something outside of his control and he had to come to terms with that. 2) Stoick didn’t expect the other men on Berk to give up their wives because he’d lost his. Now then, who shall we give the ‘with love comes loss’ arc to? How about Valka and Gobber, who are also mourning Stoick. Perhaps they both unintentionally put pressure on Hiccup to be like his dad, trying to vicariously have Stoick with them through his son, if that makes sense. We could replace the flashback with a scene of them worried about Hiccup. One thing leads to another and they realise that they’ve been so focused on wanting Stoick back in some way that they haven’t just mourned and reminisced together. / Theme Three – Embracing Change “Look at you, embracing change. I’m proud of you” – says Astrid, to… I’m sorry, who? Hiccup? As in Hiccup ‘changed the whole of Berk’ Haddock? Hiccup ‘first Viking to ride a dragon’ Haddock? What the fuck? This line is stupid and makes no sense. Actually a lot of Astrid’s lines are stupid and make no sense, but I won’t get into that. The point is, Hiccup is the last person who needs to learn to ‘embrace change’. In fact, let’s just cut this theme entirely. There’s such a thing as having too many themes crammed into one story. / Theme Four – Stand/Fly on Your Own

Now for the theme that even the marketing played up. Hiccup thinks he’s nothing without Toothless, so he needs to let Toothless go. That’s the only way for him to stand on his own… or is it? Yes, in real life circumstances change, friends and even families drift apart, and people should be able to ‘stand on their own’ as independent individuals, absolutely – but we do this all the time without having to cut off ties to those we care about. There are hundreds of people in healthy, balanced relationships who still have friends beyond their significant other. ‘If you love them, let them go’ is a nice sentiment, but to me it applies better to unhealthy, imbalanced relationships i.e.: a parent who can’t deal with their child growing up, or an ex-lover struggling to accept that their partner has moved on.

As a real world example, if someone is dependent on another (often a romantic partner) for self-worth, the solution would not be to have them cut ties with their source of affirmation. It would be better to help them find self-worth within themselves, so they can ‘stand on their own’, without having to rely on another person’s approval or support…but that other person can still be there. So let’s address the Buffalord in the room; Hiccup’s apparent dependency on Toothless. For the sake of argument, we’ll assume he is too reliant on his best friend as a source of self-worth. The issue that needs addressing isn’t his reliance on Toothless, it’s his lack of self-worth without the dragons. Sending the dragons away didn’t need to be the ‘solution’ to this problem. He and Toothless had an equal, healthy partnership, shown through their matched missing limbs, similar personalities, and the way they treat each other.

HTTYD1 gives us a perfectly valid reason for why Hiccup would associate his self-worth with Toothless and the dragons. After all, if it weren’t for training Toothless, he would have stayed an outcast in his own tribe. People tell him “You’re nothing without your dragon”, but these people are usually the villains. As in the ones he has no good reason to listen to. If he believes them on some level, then that means neither he, Stoick, Gobber or Astrid ever addressed the issues that led to his lack of self-esteem and his need for an emotional crutch (which ends up being Astrid). That is the real problem, not his friendship with Toothless. If we want to give Hiccup an arc about ‘standing on his own’, let’s pick up where the second movie left off and have him still be torn between his duties as chief and what he actually wants to do with his life. At the end he understands that he doesn’t need Toothless or the dragons to define himself with, but he wants to keep studying and rescuing the dragons regardless. He chooses his own path rather than trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, thus culminating the arc of individualism/self worth that started in the first movie. I’ve also come up with a parallel negative arc for Grimmel that can tie into this ‘rewrite’, but that can be it’s own post, since this one is long enough as it is. So, how would you guys improve on the themes in THW?

#Thw criticism #httyd thw #thw rewrite

23 notes · View notes

joysmercer · 3 months

Note

please share some of your thoughts on the repercussions of nini leaving!!

ok it's less repercussions and more like a bunch of thoughts lol but:

firstly, it was a bit random? like LA is where the music scene is but throughout season 2, the thing holding nini back was ricky (/his desire for control/stop change), not SLC in general. there was no point in time where she was like "i need to get out of this town." so her being like "i feel more free in LA!!!" felt a little off to me, because that wasn't really a sentiment she had shown before. but if olivia was leaving the show and couldn't commit any more time to s3, they did the best they could i guess.

it's extremely...weird that she didn't tell anyone she was leaving; miss jenn was the only one who knew she was even considering it! and she left before curtain, presumably without coming back to salt lake! idk if i were kourtney or ashlen or ricky, i would be a bit hurt by that lol. but also, the fact that she wasn't there but all of them still had so much success in the show (personally professionally etc) is also so telling. her arc was done; she changed and changed others over her two seasons. it was the right time for her to go.

the lottery card is my favorite thing that came out of her exit, because it really does symbolize ricky growing up. his first love, his oldest friend, quite literally helped him complete his childhood goals and move forward. he initially thought he didn't get one at all, only for jet (a "mini-ricky" in so many ways) to find it for him and gina (his "future") to tell him to open it. i also like that she apparently asked him to hand out cards for hsm3 opening night—glad that they're more in touch than just following each other on social media, and that he's really taken on her old role of being the heart of the program.

but, like i said, i wish she had given him and everyone else the cards personally and the og squad got one more night together. they left an open-ending for her so olivia could come back if she wanted to in s4, but it translated to less of an open-ending and more of like "that was it?"

(on the other hand, there is something poetic and final about her not seeing ricky open it. her being there may have dampened that effect a bit. in an ideal world, i guess she'd hand out cards personally but leave the lotto ticket in ricky's room for him to find afterward, his last gift of his birthday.) (but then gina wouldn't be the one to tell him to open it, which was also so important and symbolic) (so idk) (anyway)

gina and nini's juxtaposition throughout the show really came to a head at the end of season 2 (and throughout nini's exit). in many ways, they had opposite trajectories: nini was the lead for the first time and gained the confidence to believe in and fight fore huge success, which eventually led to her spreading her wings and moving away; gina needed to learn that she doesn't need to be front-and-center to have an impact, which eventually led to her putting down roots and making her own little family for the first time. and connecting the two of them is gina's brother, someone gina barely knows but who was such a catalyst for nini. it's also really interesting that jamie's offer is the reason nini leaves and what allows gina, slowly over the first two seasons but quickly in s3 and 4, to really take on a position as ricky's closest confidant (instead of nini). the whole love "square" between nini, ej, ricky, and gina is so fascinating because there are parallels in every direction; history repeats itself again and again with those four, but each time, different choices are made and different paths are taken, until, by the finale, everyone is exactly where they're supposed to be and it's hard to picture any other ending for any of them. and that started with nini taking that first leap and saying goodbye, before ej had the courage to, before ricky got over his fear of it, before gina even knew what was coming. that was the catalyst, whether or not anyone realized it or not.

#asks #anon #high school musical: the musical: the series #hsmtmts #c: nini salazar roberts #s3 fic prep #s4 fic prep

13 notes · View notes

andreafmn · 8 months

Text

Bound | Chapter 3

Word Count: 4.2K Warnings: implied/reference SA, torture, murder, bodily harm

Summary: Rosalie always carried the resentment of not being able to fulfill the image of the perfect family she had in her head. But the universe had set out to grant her everything she could've hoped for in the most unconventional way and in the form of a witch. Can their love withstand the promise of forever, or will Rosalie and (Y/N) succumb to the grapples of time?

A/N: well, we continue with Rosalie's revenge. Still one more chapter to go for the murder I am sure we are all waiting for. The next chapter will also be from Rosalie's "POV" since I want to show the parallel time frames for both the reader and Rose, and there's a time frame when nothing important is happening for Reader, but it does for Rose. I literally made an entire timeline to make sure things add up. Anywho, hope y'all enjoy! Also, I want to say to any and all survivors of SA that you are not alone and what happened to you is not your fault, it never will be. I hope you have healed or are healing. And if you ever just need an ear to listen, I am here. 🤍

<- Previous | Next ->

It was astounding how different two lives that were connected could look so different in the same time span. Whilst (Y/N) basked in the presence of her best friend, in their love and closeness, Rosalie was going back to the Cullen residence after taking the lives of two men, with no knowledge that the witch that would change her life was less than four hours away. Had life turned out any differently, that was the closest their souls would have been to meeting. So close, yet so far.

Alas, neither knew of the existence of the other. Not yet, at least.

The blonde was angsty with revenge. Her veins itched with the need to rid the earth of those demons, to make sure no other woman ever fell victim to their claws. Her entrails churned and tightened. She needed them gone in order to finally sit with her thoughts, to allow the weight of everything that had happened to her to sink down her body.

“So you really killed them?” Edward’s voice broke through the silence of the room Carlisle had designated as hers days after the murders. “News is spreading about a psychotic killer that took the lives of the Hubert brothers. Essentially tortured them both without spilling a drop of blood. And apparently, some men have been receiving threatening letters from this killer.”

“What do you want, Edward?”

“Don’t you think it’ll serve you better just to move on? Killing those men will accomplish nothing in the long run,” he said. “Even if you think you’re ridding the world of these monsters, they will be replaced by three more. That’s the world we live in.”

“Just because you can hear my thoughts doesn’t mean that you know me,” she spoke through gritted teeth. “If you’re here to stop me from going through with my plan, then I will save you time. Carlisle could not get me to desist, and you certainly would not be able to.”

“I’m just saying, Rosalie. It won’t help you in the long run to take their lives. You’ll live with them in the back of your mind for eternity. It’s not an existence you’d want.”

“This is already an existence I don’t want, Edward. And their faces are already embedded in my head because of what they did to me. They took everything I hold dear. They took everything from me! The least I can do is take their lives. And I certainly don’t need a morality course from you.”

Edward’s words died in his throat at that moment, and Rosalie was thankful for that. The last thing she wanted was to listen to a man who thought he was better than everyone around him because he could hear their thoughts. It didn’t take long for her to figure him out. He believed he was above scrutiny. He was arrogant and entitled. And he made it all that easy to get over the fact that he did not find her attractive –not that she’d let him know. It was the thought that would protect everything she really felt.

“Well, then. If that is all, I will ask you to leave,” she smiled. “I have better things to do.”

Rosalie had nothing to do, in reality. As she let fear fester in the other three men, she did not know what to do with her days. She couldn’t leave the house because she was meant to be missing. She felt no desire to do any of the things she loved. Not even work on the 1928 Series 341-A blue Cadillac Carlisle had bought her to fix up. The only thing she could do was grow the fear inside the surviving monsters. To make sure they were sleeping with one eye open as they awaited their reckoning. Once that was over, she truly did not know what she would do with her life after.

What Rosalie did know was where Ulysses Levitt lived.

The boy came from new money, but he thought he was larger than life. Everyone in town knew where his family’s money had come from, and it wasn’t through the most legal of methods. Still, they were untouchable. Their money and their reputation made sure of that. They were safe from humans. Safe from the law raining fire down on their house and their businesses. But it didn’t protect their child from an immortal beauty dressed in the finest clothes. It didn’t keep him from becoming the next name on her revenge list.

It was still morning, but it was a cloudy day in Rochester, New York. The darkness in the sky cloaked the rains of the sun, allowing her to walk freely through the streets. Ulysses’ apartment was in the town center. And where it was usually bustling with people, barely a soul was walking the streets. The town was still reeling from the murdered Hubert brothers, the case too important to fall into the pile of cases that littered the station. There was too much money and too much influence surrounding these murders, and they needed to be solved so the people of Rochester could sleep in peace at night.

And they should have. But they did not know that the danger that lingered in their city was directed onto a very specific group of men –boys. Death had kissed the eyes of five men and had given Rosalie the power to execute Her will. If others got in her way… well, every war has its odd casualties.

Ulysses was her prey, and she was ready to go hunting.

In a sense, she pitied him. The boy had spent his entire life trying to belong. Old money mixed with new money like water and oil. It didn’t matter how much money his family had. It would never be enough to gain the same power the other families had. So, the boy –only a few years older than Rosalie– had done everything he could to fit in with the world around him. And when the events of that night were taking place, he had gone along with what his friends had told him to do. He had ravaged her body without her consent. Still, the Levitt boy was the only one of the five who had not even been able to look her in the eyes when the deed was done. He was the quickest to finish and the first one to go. And she remembered that grain of mercy.

But he had still done it. Ulysses Levitt was still the worst kind of monster.

She would grant him the same amount of mercy when it came to his death, though. Rosalie would grant him a quick and clean death. Well, with a hint of taunting. What fun would it be to simply kill him? His death would be swift, but that had nothing to do with the foreplay.

She wasn’t surprised when she found his apartment to be locked. An anxious Ulysses was talking to his father on the phone, asking if he had heard anything regarding the Hubert brothers’ killer. Telling the man that he was terrified about the threatening letters he had received and how he feared whoever had sent them would be true to their word. Unbeknownst to him, she was standing right outside his door. Granted, they were looking for a him, and they were looking for a human. Two things she was not.

Rosalie granted him the decency to end the phone call. For him to promise his father that he would call Mrs. Levitt later in the week. That he would go home on Friday for a family dinner. Things he would never get to do. But there were so many things she couldn’t do either. Not anymore. Because of him and his friends.

Just like him and the Hubert boys, she would no longer be able to have dinner with her parents. She wouldn’t be able to take a stroll outside in the daytime, feel the sun warm her skin, or even breathe the fresh air. She wouldn’t be able to plant roots in any city she would live in. And she would never be able to have children or grow old –what she had wanted most in the world. Well, that and her beauty. The only thing she would have for eternity.

But it was starting to taste bitter. Her beauty had gotten her everything, and her beauty had taken it all away. Still, she couldn’t dread on that just yet. Not until her job was done.

When Ulysses hung up the phone, she knocked softly on his apartment door. The sound of the wood echoed deep inside her ears. She covered the peephole with her hand in case he decided to look through it and ruin the surprise. But a man like him had no fears. At least, not ones he knew of.

“Hell… oh,” he choked. His eyes grew big, all the blood draining from his face. “Wha… how…?”

He tried to close the door on her, but just by reaching her hand out, Rosalie stopped it. She wanted to laugh at how scared he looked. He tripped going backward, scrambling on the floor for something to defend himself with. “What’s wrong, Ulysses?” she smiled sweetly. “Cat got your tongue?”

“Y-y-you were dead,” he stammered. “We… you were dead.”

“And I still am,” she said. “Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy, nor do you see a ghost. I can confirm that I am very much here in your presence.”

“B-but how? If you are dead, there’s no way you could be here. It’s not possible.”

“There are so many unexplainable things in this world, Ulysses. My new and improved life is one of them,” she grinned, though the words tasted bitter in her mouth. She hadn’t improved. She didn’t even want that life. But, it gave her the upper hand. It gave her just enough power to end the ones that had given Doctor Cullen no other choice but to turn her into what she was –for her body not to be a waste. “But I won’t bore you with those details. We have other things to attend to… well, we is too many people. I have other things –people– to attend to.”

“You killed Andre and Buck,” he gasped silently. “It was you that murdered them that night. And the letters… oh my god, the letters were from you too.”

“Guilty as charged,” Rosalie chuckled. “And after I am done with you, John and Royce will get what’s coming for them.”

Ulysses kept silent for a moment, his green eyes staring into the crimson red of hers. His heart had steadied, and his breathing was no longer sporadic. Somehow, being faced with inevitable death was calming him. “I deserve that,” he said. “So did the Huberts, and so do John and Royce. What we did to you was unforgivable, so I won’t stand here and apologize. I know what I took part in, and I know just how despicable my actions were. If someone had done that to my sister, I would have gone to the ends of the earth to make the ones who had done it pay. But, can I just ask for one thing?”

“And what makes you think you are deserving of a last wish?” she questioned. “I surely did not receive that commodity.”

“I know I am in no place to ask anything of you, nor do you have to grant me this request,” Ulysses responded as silent tears fell down his cheeks. “But, my mother, she’s sick, and I know it will kill her to find me here. All I want is to write her a letter. Tell her I’ve left town too ashamed of where our family has made its money. When she calls tomorrow, and I don’t answer, she will surely come here and find the letter. Then, I ask that you hide my body where she will never find it.”

“Why should I grant you this? What convolutes you into believing that you deserve that?”

“I don’t.”

His candor took Rosalie aback. All he wanted was to ease his mother’s pain because a runaway son was better than a dead one. And the look in his eyes, the way they pleaded without any more words, twisted something inside her. Maybe she was pitying the boy. Maybe she wished she could have done something like this for her own parents. Maybe it was the fact that he truly seemed to repent for his actions, unlike the empty apologies of Buck and Andre.

“Alright,” she asserted. “I will grant you that request. For your mother’s sake.”

With a sad smile, he scurried to his phone table. It took him maybe a minute or two to scribble down what he needed to say. Her eyes followed him as he packed away clothes and papers to make the lie even more believable. When he was done, it truly seemed like he was ready to journey out of New York rather than to the afterlife.

“Okay,” he sighed, tears still streaming down his eyes. “I’m ready.”

Rosalie stepped forward, closing the distance between them. She placed one hand on the back of his head and the other on his jaw. The coldness from her hands seemed to make him shiver, but other than that, he was as still as a statute.

“May your god have mercy on your soul, Ulysses,” she whispered, her eyes trained intently into his.

“Amen,” he seemed to say before the cracking of his neck filled the air.

His body fell limp onto the floor, thudding against the wood. But it was done. His green eyes were now empty, and his chest no longer breathed. Wherever his soul was sent to, she wished it a safe voyage.

The mere thought made her want to burst out in laughter. How she was wishing him a pleasant trip into the afterlife after what he had done. Even more, how she was fulfilling his last wish so that his mother could die with the hope that one day her son would come back. Those were the kinds of ironies the universe seemed to like to play.

It wasn’t hard to disappear his body. Dirt in the cemetery had recently been overturned, and it was easy enough to lay his body to rest there. The name on top of the grave would not be his, but at least he had been buried. No family to sob over his corpse, no missing posters littering the town, no one to mourn over. It was clean. It was easy. And it was much more than he deserved.

Rosalie discarded the suitcases in a garbage pile she walked by a week later on her way to the Cadillac Hotel, where John Harris was probably nursing a glass of whiskey in his room, packing his bags to head back home to Atlanta. Unfortunately, he would not return home to his money and family. He wanted to leave his mark in Rochester, and she would make sure it was a corporal statement.

Getting into the hotel was easy. As the day transitioned into night, more and more people trickled into the bar, hoping to settle their nerves while a killer ran free in their city. Unknowingly, that same killer walked amongst them in a place they thought they were safe in. And they were, technically. There was only one man amongst them who should have been trembling in his shoes, terrified of all she could do –all she would do.

She spotted him across the bar, trying his luck with a couple of girls not much older than her. And it irked her that he was not as scared for his life as he should have been. But they were paying him no mind. Thankfully, in there, they were safe. He was alone, and there were too many people around to reveal the monster that lay dormant beneath his skin. After they said no too many times and laughed in his face, he left his glass on the mahogany counter and headed for the elevators.

Rosalie thought she would lose him, but his scent had already permeated her nostrils, and she could hear the gears of the elevator clanking to a stop on the third floor. She sped up the stairs, quick enough to see him sway into room 314 and hear him lock the door behind him. Not that it would help him in any way, but he would open the door willingly.

The vampire ensured the coast was clear before she knocked on his door, standing just out of sight from the peephole.

“Who is it?” he called from the other side.

“It’s Clara,” she spoke in a higher pitch of voice. “Thought I would take you up on your offer after all.”

“I knew you’d change your mind,” he chuckled. “You girls always do.”

“Well, I couldn’t give you the wrong impression of us Rochester girls.”

“Sounds good, darling,” he said as the door clicked open. “Hel…”

His voice died in his throat as Rosalie pushed him inside. She sped until his body slumped against the armchair, and the light could hit her face. “Hello, John.”

“You’re… you’re… not…”

“I’m not Clara,” she grinned deviously. “Luckily, she was able to escape your disgusting claws. You get me for the night instead.”

“No, no, no!” John stammered. “You’re dead. I saw you… on the street. You were dead.”

“I’m honestly getting tired of people saying that,” she laughed dryly. “I am dead –in a sense. My heart is not beating, my lungs are not breathing, and my appetite… well, let’s just say it’s out of this world.”

“W-what do you w–want? I’ll give you anything,” he pleaded. Tears fell down his eyes, and it made her scoff. “Please, I am a good man.”

“It’s hard to say with all those clothes on,” she grinned. “How could you ever measure the caliber of a person with a simple look? Especially when your vision is shielded with so many pieces of clothing.”

“I’m sorry I said that,” he cried. “I was drunk and off my head. I promise I have never done anything like that before.”

“Somehow, I highly doubt that, John. See, you paint me as the type of man that takes what he wants when he wants it, regardless of who you hurt. You take, and you take until you are satiated and leave others to deal with the aftermath of your actions. You took everything you wanted from my body and left me there to rot on that street.”

“And I know how wrong it was of us,” he rambled. “But we were drunk out of our minds, and we weren’t thinking straight. We should have come back for you. At the very least, we should have left you at the hospital.”

“You shouldn’t have touched me in the first place,” Rosalie spat. “You should have let me go home to my family. You should have allowed my marriage to go through. You should have let me have the life that I deserved. Instead, you took everything from me.”

“Then, tell me what to do to fix this. Please, I know I can fix this.”

Rosalie smiled, unable to shed tears of anger. There was something he had to do, but it would not spare his life. No. It would only gift him with a few seconds more. “What you will do is pick up that phone,” she said, pointing at the ivory-white device. “You will call your pal, Royce. And you will warn him that someone is coming for him. That somehow, a man found out what you did to me and is picking you all off one by one. You will tell him that he should hide. To burrow himself in the deepest corner he can muster. And then, you will hang up.”

“And after, will you spare me?” John questioned, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.

“Oh, John, of course not,” she laughed melodiously. “But I’m saving Royce for last, and I want his death to be delicious. At least make my death count for something.”

“W-what if I called the police instead? They will tear down this door and stop you.”

“I’d be long gone before they even had a chance to step foot into the hotel. And you’d still be dead as well as Royce. Because, thanks to your brutality, I have become faster and stronger than any human in existence. I am invincible, John. Something I wasn’t that night. So, pick up that phone and call your friend before I lose my patience and snap your neck earlier in the schedule.”

With trembling hands, John lifted the receiver from the stand, rotating in the number she dictated. She could see the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead; she could hear the way his heart beat frantically; she could almost feel the way his bones rattled inside his skin. It was an addictive feeling. The power she had over him, and she didn’t even have to move a muscle. All she required was the way she looked and the words she spoke. Maybe that was why they had done it. Simply because they could.

“Oh, hello, Mrs. King,” John said as the other line picked up, panic deeply laced into his words. “Yes, it’s John. I just had some quick words to say to Royce… I did hear about the Huberts. Such a shame… I didn’t know that Ulysses ran away… Yes, maybe one day… Yeah, I don’t have much time. Is Royce there…? Of course. Thank you, Mrs. King.”

Rosalie listened to every syllable he spoke, making sure he did not step out of script. She wanted to terrify Royce King with an invisible threat. She wanted him to feel like he was being watched –like he was being hunted. She wanted him to cower into despair, even if only for a few hours. She wanted him to feel weak.

“Listen, Royce,” John’s voice spoke again. “I don’t have much time. But someone found out about Rosalie just like we thought… I don’t know how, but they are picking us off one by one… He tried to get me tonight, man… Listen, just… you have to hide, okay? Find someplace secluded and stay there until shit dies down… Ulysses didn’t leave, Royce. He’s dead… Just hide. Tonight!”

The receiver hit the base with a loud pang, and John’s gaze fell back on Rosalie. The devilish smile she wore made his insides shiver; she could perceive that much. He looked frail and weak. Nothing like the monster that had ravaged her body without her consent. The creature that had used fangs and claws to take from her something that she was not giving.

“Good,” she applauded. “It’s nice to see a man that can follow instructions. Now, John. This won’t be messy, but it will be rather slow. And I’ll tell you exactly how I’m going to do it.”

“God, please, just spare me. Royce is the one that you want,” he begged, falling onto his knees before her. “He’s the one that should have protected you. Please, just let me go back home.”

“Do you think I can go home, John? Did any of you spare me and grant me the mercy of going home?” she asked through gritted teeth. “You didn’t. No. You took my life into your hands and watched as, minute by minute, it drained and slipped from your fingers. And that’s exactly how you’re going to go, John. I will wrap my cold, dead hands around your throat and cut out your life source until there is nothing left. I will look into your eyes until your soul leaves your body. And I will make sure I am the last face you ever stare at on this earth.”

John scrambled backward on the armchair. The piece of furniture clattered onto the ground as the man made a futile attempt to escape to his balcony. There was nowhere he could go. No one he could call.

“You can’t do this!” he wailed. “Not to me. You can’t do this to me!”

“Don’t you get it? The time for clamoring is over, John. Now, say your goodbyes to the world.”

In an instant, Rosalie stood before him. Her pale hands wrapped around his neck, just as she had described. He tried to claw at them, to hurt her enough to run. But his nails were met with stone-like skin –impenetrable. He could not even move his head at the grip she held him with. Only his arms and legs could reach for a desperate attempt at freedom. Something that would never come.

She knew it hadn’t taken long. But time seemed to have slowed as she watched the colors change on the man’s face. Her fingers barely squeezed, but his skin turned an array of reds and purples until it finally paled. And she swore she could tell the second his soul finally left his body. His eyes turned lifeless right before her own. They had emptied themselves, confirming the void that had been created inside of his body. There were no more pleas, no more tears, no more anger. He was simply another body. And just like he had done to her, Rosalie left his body on the ground for someone else to find.

He wasn’t the death that would satiate her. No. Royce was on his way to dig his own grave. He just didn’t know it yet.

Next ->

My content will always be free, but if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can leave a tip on any of my posts or buy me a coffee to support me and my love of writing If you’d like to be tagged in this or any other story: click here Make sure you have my notifications on so you know every time I post!

Taglist: @winter-soldier-101 @zheezs14 @a-sifu-hotman @byelannie @sunflowerleii @dyslexiccatterpillar @blackbluerose666 @slutforsainz @kortniec696 @xcastawayherosx @bluebirbnamedjay @sirenheadenby @andreiaafaria @bluetreecloud20 @sunshine2894 @valejewel @mushroomelephant @swidkid @skyesthebomb @esposadomd @nocturnalherb16 @rosalie-whitlock

@avis15 @honeylovemoon @wonieeee @baebeepeach @krazyk99 @klf1999 @sl-ut @adaydreamaway08 @toomanythoughts33 @sugasthreedollarkookie @fandomonetwo @fruitylilfuck @honeywxter @haroldpotterson @kaita11 @gangstalicious06 @uwunuggetchan @elijahssuit @multifandomreader73 @ellabellabus07 @blackloveangel13 @euphoria1992

@saltedcoffeescotch @lowkeysaurus @zealouscookierebeltrash @sleepilysworld @laylasbunbunny @american-satanes @cevans-winchester @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @jstarr86 @coquita @ilikepunsbeth @itsmytimetoodream @laury-blackbeak @unstablekay @midnightmisses @magical-spit @ratsys @hopexargent @druigsluver29 @fresita1218 @unicornicopia1 @the-house-of-rose-and-ember @nessaasstuff @simon-e-mallory

@fandom-simp-aleksandra @isybella2408 @cinffy23 @second-daughter-of-clexa

@urmomsfav-stuff @evattude @cerejinha @the-irish-princess @alyeskathewave @heartfilia01

49 notes · View notes

hughungrybear · 21 days

Text

Get to Know Me Tag :)

I was tagged by @telomeke in their post here. Thanks for the tag! 🥰

do you make your bed?

Yes. To be fair though, I am not a messy sleeper 😅. Let's just say that, in less than a minute, I can make the bed I slept in look like it hadn't been slept in lol 🤣🤣🤣

what's your favourite number?

I was born on the 9th day of the 9th month. Imagine how obnoxious I was back in '99 lol. 😁

what is your job?

Let's just say I'm fortunate enough to have an occupation that lets me do experiments, mix nefarious things, obtain spectacular (fail) results, and get paid while I'm at it 😅

if you could go back to school, would you?

I often describe myself as an infinite learner. So, while it's true that I can learn things outside of uni, there are still some things that I want to comprehend in an academic setting. I mean, how else can I get my hands on a Scanning Electron Microscope, spectrophotometer, and the like?? 😅

can you parallel park?

Yes. Curiously, my parallel park is better than my reverse parking lol.

a job you had that would surprise people?

Not a job, but most people are surprised when I tell them that I used to be a competitive cheerleader/dancer 😅😅😅 Apparently, I don't look "perky" enough lol. Another thing that also surprises other people is when I tell them I used to do theatre and even played the Virgin Mary in a school play back in high school. Again, my resting bitch face is working against me 🤣🤣🤣

do you think aliens are real?

I'll believe when there is definitive proof that there are. And before I get dragged into the mud, the same goes with religious stuff. I might have played the role of the Virgin Mary in a school theatre, but I am agnostic, at best lol.

can you drive a manual car?

Yes. I actually prefer driving manual cars to automatic because I tend to get bored easily and shifting gears helps me focus lol.

what's your guilty pleasure?

I usually drink unlimited amounts of long black coffee during the day and drink beer mixed with vodka before bedtime. But I will prolly live happily ever after if somebody gives me unlimited access to some tasty chicken nuggets lol

tattoos?

I would want some but I don't like needles lol

favorite color?

I like reds, yellows, and blues.

favorite type of music?

Depends on my mood. There are times I like heavy metal. Other times I would prefer classical music. However, I do like The Beatles so their music is always somewhere in my Spotify playlists.

do you like puzzles?

Yes. I used to do cryptograms and logic puzzles while commuting to my uni.

any phobias?

Does fear itself count? 😅 No, the worst that I feel is anxiety. However, I could always convince myself to face whatever it is that is giving me anxiety. For example, I might not like needles, but I can still get my vaccination with little fuss lol.

favorite childhood sport?

Running. I just like getting from one place to another as fast as my legs could carry.

do you talk to yourself?

If I am alone, yes. I even address myself in the third person 😅

what movies do you adore?

I listed some of my faves in a different tag game here.

coffee or tea?

Definitely coffee but my GP is on my ass for having low blood pressure so I am slowly migrating to green tea 😅 😅 😅

first thing you wanted to be growing up?

Pretty sure I wanted to be a librarian because (1) I'll be surrounded by books, (2) I will be able to hear myself think since libraries are quiet, and (3) it's almost guaranteed that I will be (mostly) left alone 😅 😅 😅

Whew. Tagging @dribs-and-drabbles, @lost-my-sanity1, @imlivingformyselfdontmindme, @waitmyturtles and everybody who sees this and wants to play this game 😊

#tag game

14 notes · View notes

goodqueenaly · 2 years

Text

Here’s me never realizing how perfect (in a perfectly twisted way) the Lannister origin myth clashes with that of the Casterlys.

In the Casterly legend, the key theme is mercy. Corlos son of Caster had every reason to kill the lions that dwelled in what would become Casterly Rock; not only was he “a huntsman” by trade, but this lion (and presumably its mate too) had been “preying upon the village's sheep”, a danger to the survival of the community (since not only would the villagers presumably rely on the sheep for wool and possibly food, but a predator attacking a flock could just as well go after the shepherd tending it). Yet while Corlos could easily have recognized the same about the lion’s cubs (and probably did), and enjoyed a temporary physical advantage over them, he nevertheless refused to kill them too. Corlos would not sentence these cubs to death for the sins of their parents, even if their very nature suggested they would pose a danger to his community; the moral good of showing mercy to the innocent outweighed the practical, even legal good of eliminating a threat to the larger world. This choice is the source of the Casterlys’ divine reward, mercy confirmed as literally more precious in the eyes of the (specifically old) gods than a mountain of gold.

Yet in the Lannister legend (no matter which version), Lann succeeds not from a higher good superseding right but from apparently purely selfish desire violating right. Lann takes Casterly Rock not because of any reported tyranny or evil committed by the Casterlys, or out of any reported sense of personal justice; indeed, Lann is specifically noted to be an outsider to the Westerlands (either as some proto-Andal or a grandson of Garth Greenhand), someone with neither investment in nor claim to rule of the Westerlands. Likewise, in every iteration of the Lann myth, Lann succeeds out of a violation of the natural and/or right order. In sneaking into the Rock (thereby consciously avoiding the mutually protective mandates of guest right) to set the Casterlys against one another, Lann disturbs and upends family unity. In introducing vermin or lions into the Rock, Lann injects wildness into what was by then a human, domestic sphere. (Importantly, in the case of the lions, Lann does not do so to return the place to its former animal occupants, but to secure his own seizure of the Rock; where once Corlos had used lions to demonstrate his mercy to the innocent in spite of their deadly pedigree and his own (and his community’s) potential danger from it, Lann uses lions specifically because of that menacing character against the apparently innocent Casterlys.) In raping the Casterly daughters, Lann very obviously violates (in every sense of the word) the young girls involved, using crime (either in the clear sense of the rapes themselves or the patriarchal, needless to say no less disturbing Westerosi sense of stealing Lord Casterly’s right to sell his daughters’ virginity as he pleased) to insert himself into the ruling dynasty.

This contract becomes especially interesting in the context of the modern Lannisters, especially in the conflict between Ned and Cersei in AGOT. Ned is certainly not the only character who has prioritized mercy to the innocent (see, say, Davos and his argument that the life of one boy is worth “everything” against the fate of a kingdom, or Daenerys and her refusal to kill the child hostages of Meereen even in the face of the terrorist attacks of the Sons of the Harpy). However, that Ned himself consistently makes this choice is evident; his protection of baby Jon, his dilemma with the direwolf pups (itself a neat zoological parallel to Corlos’ decision with the lion cubs), and his stalwart refusal to condone the assassination of young Daenerys all speak to this point. This facet of Ned’s character is at the heart of his warning Cersei to flee before he revealed the truth of the incest to Robert. As Corlos was willing to slay the adult lions for the threat they genuinely posed to his village, so Ned’s sense of justice and loyalty to Robert compelled him to reveal Cersei’s (and Jaime’s) actions to him. Yet as Corlos stopped short of killing the cubs out of recognition of their innocence, so Ned decided to give Cersei (and, more specifically, her children) the chance to escape Robert’s wrath. Ned had every reason to believe that Robert, once presented with this (true) accusation against Cersei, would quickly and violently rid himself not just of the wife he despised (and regularly abused and raped) but also the children who would be no more to him (and the rest of the realm) than than spawns of incest. Even though these children might well cause political trouble for him and/or the realm later - they as (illegitimate) pretenders in exile, he as the man who treasonously let them go - he makes the choice, as Corlos did, because they are innocent lives and thus worth saving, not guilty for whatever crimes their parents may have committed.

Cersei, in turn, reflects her mythical ancestor in this conflict. As Lann had had no right whatsoever to the Rock before deciding to seize it, so Cersei and her children had no legal right whatsoever to the Iron Throne; she knew more than anyone else that these were her extramarital children by her Kingsguard brother, at best in the eyes of the law bastards with no inheritance claims and at worst abominations to be destroyed. Yet as Lann twisted natural order in order to put himself on top (literally, as master of the Casterly Rock mountain, as well as politically), even stooping to crime to realize his ambition, so Cersei uses unnatural, indeed illegal methods to secure her seizure of power. Cersei upset the expected loyalty and service from squire to the knight he serves by having Lancel assist in Robert’s murder, turning the king’s trust in this relationship against him. (That Lancel was a Lannister like herself may itself create a parallel between Lann loosing a lion on the Casterlys and Cersei loosing a Lannister lion on Robert.) It was Ned who enjoyed, as both regent and Hand, the power to rule in the immediate aftermath of the king’s death, and consequently it was Cersei who orchestrated an illegal military coup to name her legally illegitimate son king. While Cersei certainly did not know about beforehand, or in the moment condone, the murder of Ned at Baelor’s Sept (that was Joffrey’s doing, influenced by Littlefinger), moreover, the crime was nevertheless a gross violation - the murder of a man previously promised clemency, on the sacred ground of the center of the Faith - whose repercussions Cersei is still feeling in the story now.

#asoiaf meta #casterly rock #Lann the clever #house lannister #house casterly #eddard stark #cersei lannister

222 notes · View notes