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lifeinperpetualreview · 2 years

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Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Over the last two nights, I've finally gotten around to watching Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothee Chalamet, & Armie Hammer and directed by Luca Guadagnino. I don't know what kept me away for so long, it has all the ingredients of a film I'd love: a star-crossed love in a foreign summer haze.

Oliver (Armie) a 24-year-old student of Elio's (Timothee) father comes to visit their family for the summer, in their beautiful Northern Italian home and slowly come together in a passionate and tragic summer romance.

To start with, I don't think I've seen a more visually stunning film. The 80's styling and colours, the Italian-French countryside and faded lighting & aesthetic, the beautiful vivacious colour of the fruits, food and water, and the nostalgic music and dancing. Luca Guadagnino really created one of the most beautiful sets I've seen in a while and the French/Italian-speaking aspect really helped romanticize the plot. The whole film also just revolves around the masculine form, from all the classic statues being recovered & studied, to Elio's shirt at the end, the boisterous rough and tumble that goes hand in hand with their love and even their physical forms - such a visually contrasting image created by the strong, very typically masculine presence of Oliver making Elio feel smaller, dainty, and young. Then there's the filming - some of the shots are phenomenal, including this amazing long take.

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The writing is also flawless, both characters are so well detailed and again contradict in so many ways. Olio feels outwardly more anxious although it seems to the audience it is clear that he wants Oliver. Oliver seems like a confident, self-assured man but actually is covering up some deep-rooted fear of connection and is initially very torn by his desire for Olio. The two characters both feel very deeply about everything and like having intellectual conversations, meaning you're also thrown into thinking about some of the fundamental questions they ask each other e.g. is it better to speak or to die? There is also a wonderful moment towards the end of the film where Elio's and his father are having a heart-to-heart after Elio's sadness at Oliver departing and he tells his son:

"Just remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once, and before you know it, your heart’s worn out. And as for your body, there comes a point when no one looks at it, much less wants to come near it. Right now, there’s sorrow, pain; don’t kill it, and with it, the joy you’ve felt.”"

I know a lot of the writing was lifted from the original book by André Aciman but the screenplay was also beautifully adapted for the cast to shine, specifically Chalamet.

Of course, the final piece of the puzzle is the incredible acting, every actor & actress in this film was phenomenal. From the father delivering those lines, to the intense physicality of Timothee & Arnie in their scenes together, to the closeness to Elio and his parents, it was a true masterclass. The final scene is a 3-minute shot of Elio processing the information his former lover is getting married, and you watch him in the firelight reflect on the physical and emotional warmth of the summer just gone, feeling every single element of the heartbreak alongside him.

The only negative for me is quite a big one, in the book, these characters are definitely supposed to be a lot closer in age. The fact they cast someone that looks much older than 24 (he looks older than me now and I'm 28!) to star across Timothee who has always looked younger than he is means that it gives a bit of a predatory feeling to the film that is just very hard to look past. Elements that are very common in relationships, playfighting, power struggles, and occasionally being too drunk you throw up on yourself are definitely part of growing up, but when it feels like a much older man is pulling Elio towards that life, it definitely perpetuates the horrible and unfair stereotype that gay men are predatory.

Overall an 8/10 for the experience, picking up a -2 for the casting and a little bit of the length.

#luca guadagnino #timothée chalamet #film #tvandfilm #cinema

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nataliaphantomhivesblog · 3 years

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In the end of it all, Monaca Towa was still a child.

To start this off, this isn't my usual Black Butler posts but ive been meaning to talk about Danganronpa for a hot minute, so please bear with me! Second, this is solely my opinion and before anyone wants to attack me please read thoroughly first. Thank you:)

(Spoiler warning for Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls and Danganronpa 3)

Also, before we dive in I'm going to list some trigger warnings:

Physcological abuse

Physical abuse

Manipulation

P*dophillia

Suicide attempt

Violence (?)

Childhood trauma

Please take care and read at your own risk<3

Hello there Danganronpa fandom! Today I will be talking about Monaca Towa (as stated in the title) and how people often minimize her trauma and sometimes forget the fact that shes still a child who got heavily manipulated by Junko too.

Monaca is seemingly very amiable and caring, because of her charming personality, all of the Warriors of Hope love her and try their best to keep her happy and go along with what she wants. However, it's slowly revealed that she is actually manipulative and cunning behind her friendly facade.

Monoca is a character that is cruel, manipulative, and extremly unhinged. Many of her actions cannot be excused or justified, but you can understand where she's coming from.

Monaca's Backstory:

She was born an unwanted child by both her father and her mother. Monaca's mother was supposed to take care of her but instead abandoned the child soon after her birth. Because of all her actions, Monaca saw her mother as a completely selfish and pathetic person. Monaca's father thought of giving her to an orphanage but instead took her into his family.

However, Monaca was always unwanted and everyone else felt uncomfortable around her. Every time Monaca smiled or joked, the others looked at her coldly, as if she didn't deserve to laugh. Every time she spoke, the others turned silent. His older-half brother thought of her as an alien, not part of the family.

She was also physically abused to the point that she pretended to be seriously wounded for them to stop as a result.

Monaca also attended Hope's Peak Elementary School and was part of the "trouble-makers class" along with Nagisa, Masaru, Jataro, and Kotoko.

Along with her fellow abused classmates, she planned a group suicide; however, Monaca never had any plans to commit suicide in the first place and was planning to let the others die as a prank.

The group suicide was stopped by Junko, who took the kids in and manipulated them by treating them with kindness and love.

Monaca then helped Junko mass produce Monokumas for the Tragedy by using her position as a representative of the Towa Group.

She lied to her father and the other adults in order to produce the Monokumas, telling them that she wanted to create futuristic robots that could be domestic helpers and emergency aid workers.

Due to her separation from the family and her genius, her family decided to give her leg room to do what she wanted as long as she brought in profits to the company, and didn't delve too deeply into her plans.

Things to keep in mind about Monoca's backstory:

She was emotionally and physically abused from a very young age.

She started to pretend to be paraplegic because she was finally treated with some kindness and she could have more control over people.

She convinced Nagisa, Jataro, Kotoko and Masaru to commit suicide.

Out of all the Warriros of Hope, Junko took the most intrest in Monoca due to her position, meaning that she was the one who got used and manipulated the most.

How Monoca's mindset works:

The moment she got physically abused to the point that she had to fake her injuries to make her family feel bad was the moment she learned that through sympathy from others comes power. Due to her families neglection and abuse, she started to quickly pick up on things in which benefited her yet hurt others.

She started to use manipulative tactics on her family to gain control over them. She then started implicating these tactics with the Warriors of Hope.

When Junko got into the picture, everything changed for the worst. Junko was the only person in Monaca's life who showed her affection. Even though deep down Monaca knew Junko only cared for her as a means to use her robotics genius for the Tragedy, Monaca didn't care, and happily helped out Junko with her plans if it meant being loved and appreciated in return. At the heart of it, despite all her horrific acts, that's a very child-like thing to do, right? So when Junko dies, Monaca's entire reason for living basically disappears.

AI Junko via Kurokuma may have planted the idea of a successor in her head, but in Monaca's mind it's a way to get her big sis back, and very specifically chooses to mold Komaru into becoming Junko's successor. That's for a big reason, Monaca doesn't want to become Junko, I'd say she actually just wanted her big sister back who would love and appreciate her again, and hence tried to make someone else take on that role initially. Once again, that's the mindset of a child.

Monaca's relationship with the Warriors of Hope:

The Warriors of Hope are a group of children who are extremely resentful and hateful of adults, regardless of whether or not they were involved in their rough paths.

We all know that the Warriros of Hope are extememly tramutized kids. Masaru had alcoholic parents who physically abused him, Jataro was physcologically abused to the point he bealived he was so ugly that if anyone saw his "repulsive" face they would die, Kotoko was r*ped multiple times by disgusting p*dophilic men (not to mention, Monaca's brother was attracted to her), and last but not least we have Nagisa who had pressuring parents who wanted to raise him as the child prodigy and expirimented on him constantly.

Monaca used the Warriros of Hope's trauma against them, manipulating them to the point were they had to do her bidding completly.

As much as I hate to say it, Monaca truly saw them as pawns. Although there are some instances where she openly declares her care for the Warriors of Hope, it's likely she does that as a form of emotional manipulation.

If anything, she probably did see them as equal in the beginning but then when she started to gain control over her own family, she started to do the same with the Warriors of Hope as a way to protect herself from getting hurt, then again this is my baseless assumption.

Her dynamic with Nagito:

Monaca was amused by Nagito's strange behavior and contradicting beliefs and appeared to be somewhat annoyed with him at the times. However, the two appeared to at least seemingly respect each other in some way, as they treated each other somewhat formally as allies.

Her dynamic with Nagito is one of the most intresting ones. Obviously I think that her being rasied by Nagito was potentially a dangerous thing, considering Nagito's goal was for Monaca to become Enoshima's successor. Monaca seemed to agree with this goal, but Nagito's constant rambling about hope and despair made Monaca bored and feel embarrassed about the whole thing.

She claims he made her an adult in a way, as she grew up in the mental sense and became more cynical and apathetic, not really caring about anything.

In the end, Monaca found Nagito creepy and annoying, but she also appeared to get closer to him during their time together, while originally calling him just "Mister Servant" in UDG, she later refers to him as "Big Bro" in Danganronpa 3. I do think their dynamic was sort of soft and I would've loved to have seen more of it. Honestly the concept of Nagito being a soft brother to Monaca warms my heart, and the wasted potential will forever anger me.

(If any Danganronpa fanfic writer or any writer in general is reading this post: if u could be so kind and do a PLATONIC Nagito and Monaca prompt and tag me in it, I would love you forever!!)

My opinion on Monaca:

I think that Monaca was a very well-written character who deserved more than what she got in the end of Danganronpa 3. She was abused, mistreated and belittled by her family. If anything, I see her as a completely misguided little girl. If she actually had a positive authoritative influence in her life, she wouldn't have turned astray.

A lot of people disregard Monaca's trauma and forget that at the end of the day, Monaca was a child who the moment she was born, the people who were supposed to love her were unwelcoming.

Don't get me wrong though, there is no way in hell I will ever justify or condone the things Monaca has done. If anything, I just think that she alongside the rest of the Warriors of Hope should've been properly taken care of.

Also, if you dislike/hate Monaca thats 100% valid! She did a lot of inexcusable things and its alright to hate on her. I personally love her character but I know she is not everyones cup of tea.

If you read all the way, I'm actually surprised! Thank you and I hope you enjoyed<333

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pedropascalssimp · 3 years

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The beauty in everything.

Boba fett x reader

Request: A thought about a one shot where Boba would show his face for the first time to his mate. Like, he has been with her for a long while but he was terrified to loose her because of his appearance (because he's older than her and because of what the Saarlac did to him) (We're post-Mandalorian)

Warnings: mild language. Slight angst. Fluff.

Tags: @anilynworlds

The sun's setting was always something you admired about tatooine, the way the blue sky would turn orange and pink, the beautiful twin sun's touching the horizon while coloring the sky in beautiful hues. It was calming to watch, something most people overlooked about the horrid planet was its beauty. They saw tatooine as a place full of sand and thugs and creatures who either scurried away or tried to kill you. People saw tatooine for its rough exterior, how it could sometimes be unfair or cruel. But You saw tatooine for what it really was, another planet with a beautiful nature. Sure it was hot and did attract horrid people, but it's sunsets was always the most beautiful of any other planet, the night sky as well.

It was always so clear, showing off the stars and planet's above more vibrantly and more brighter then most systems. But like said before, most people over looked this about the planet making them think it was horrid and just another unbearable planet. But you liked it, so much that you even found a home here with the love of your life, boba fett.

Perhaps your love for watching the sun's set is how boba knew how to find you, that and he's known for being the best bounty hunter. You've known boba for years, he drifted into your town on your home planet one afternoon looking for a bounty, his beskar turning heads and keeping people at bay. No doubt out of fear, for the green beskar harbored many weapons and the man wearing it was more then skilled when it came to fighting. But as everyone saw a dangerous mandalorian who could kill a man with a glare, you saw beauty in the way he held himself with grace. And whenever you heard him speak? You was drawn to the modulated accent. It was deep and addictive, once you heard it you never wanted words to stop rolling off his tongue, whether it be threats to someone who got on his nerves or simple small talk. Anyway you was happy to hear him speak. And luckily for you he found you to be the most gorgeous woman in the galaxy.

Needless to say after attending the once stranger's injury during a brawl and late night talks in your former home, you and the mandalorian in green armor formed a bond, one that brought you two closer, love blooming between you two.

"of course I find you out here admiring this place" a slight teasing tone was heard to the voice you've grown to never get enough of. Turning your gaze from the setting twin sun's you look over your shoulder from where you stood on the stone balcony to look at boba. His armor on.

"I didn't expect you to be back this early? I thought you and Fennec wouldn't be back until midnight?" you say as he walks over to lean on the railing as you do, his warm gloved hand resting on the small of your back. His touch sending a warmth through your body making you feel content.

Smiling up at him, looking into the t-shaped visor always void. "we managed to make business short, I wanted to spend more time with you I suppose" boba watches with a fond grin as a smile blooms on your face at his words. Although the man wasn't good with showing much affection, he always tried for you. Because you deserved the galaxy, your heart made of gold making even the bounty hunter feel soft around you. You was such a loving creature and it was only right you got love back.

"you suppose? We both know you've missed me" you poke at his tummy, not surprised when he doesn't even move a muscle. "I missed you" you add softly and decided to watch the last of the sun's set. The dark blue mixing in with the remaining orange, you smile softly at the sight.

Boba admires you, heart feeling funny in a unfamiliar way. Boba knew it was something to do with the way you made him feel, loved. But it became a unfamiliar feeling after the only person he loved was killed. But you managed to make this dark hole in boba fett brighter each day with your smiles, giggles and jokes he never really found amusing but still laughed.

"I missed you too princess" he said, his face falling a bit behind the helmet.

You was so beautiful, the way your y/c/e's sparkle when admiring something - even him. Yet... You was also so... Young. Boba was a hardened man who killed more people then he could count. Some for credits others in cold blood, he has definitely seen some things in his days, yet... Here you was. A beautiful sight for sore eye's, an angel among the sands of tatooine standing by his said and sleeping in his arms at night. Boba didn't deserve you, someone so beautiful and still so young. Boba was known for being many things, but insecure wasn't one of them. Not until he met you. Boba thought that he wasn't good enough, his scarred face enough to scare a grown man, which is why boba never let you see his face. And he was older, something he lacked to tell you. He always thought that a young beautiful soul like yourself didn't deserve to be with a old rugged man like himself.

But he didn't know that you knew that he was older, you could tell. The man told so many stories about his past that you could easily pick up he was older, his beskar scarred yet freshly painted and you knew it must have seen long years among its journey. But you didn't care about his age, you loved him for who he was, a tough grumpy affectionate man. A tender lover with a gentle touch. Boba was everything you could ever want, he was the only soul in the galaxy that could ever own your heart.

"are you okay?" you ask, his silence and stiff muscles enough to make you concerned. Your eyes landing on him, his visor already trained on you. "boba?..." you softly say and press a palm against his helmet, where you'd think his cheek would be.

"how come you've never asked to see my face?" he asks abruptly, almost sounding angry. You stare at him with wide eye's at his sudden question. A little furrow in your brows as you give him a little smile.

"because I see how hesitant you are about letting me see you... I don't want to pressure you into something you don't want to do" you say and watch how he leans into your touch. "besides, I don't have to see you're face boba to love you... I already know that under all this beskar is a beautiful man" you muttered with a calm expression, voice truthful.

And with how you looked at him with those eyes, boba knew that your words was nothing but true. You gazed at him as if he was something as beautiful as the stars above, it sent his heart into a content flutter of love. Something he'd never admit to anyone but you.

"I'm afraid that if you see what hides under it you'd think otherwise..." he spoke with emotion, fear, vulnerability. Something you've never heard laced in his voice, and you then grab his helmet in both hands and give him the most loving look you could muster.

"boba my love... I could never think otherwise, you're so beautiful to me. Everything about you has me drawn to you... You're voice, you're rare humor and snarky comments" you laugh a little and it tugs at the man's heart, "I love how even though you're known for being the galaxies most feared bounty hunter you're such a tender lover, how deeply you care about those you love....You're beautiful to me no matter what" you felt tears fill your eyes at the realization that boba hid himself from you because he feared you'd leave him if you didn't like his physical appearance.

"even if I'm scarred?" his voice came out quiet and barely audible, but you heard and offer him a genuine smile. Nodding at him while his hands grasp your wrists resting on his helmet.

"I'll love you no matter what" you tell him.

"even if I'm older -

"even if you was 90 years old and looked like a fury bantha!" you laugh at the thought and his chuckle makes you feel triumphant.

"you can take it off... But I'm not beautiful" he whispers, letting go of your hands that rest against his helmet. Heart skipping a beat at his offer you only gape at him, this makes him sigh, "please princess... I want you to see The man you love... The one you claim to be beautiful" he nearly spat the last part out.

Smile gone at how he degrades himself you gently lift the helmet, moon out as the sun's descended the sky. You slowly lift the beskar, heart beating in anticipation. once it's lifted you feel your heart flutter, eye's adoringly admiring his face. Landing on his dark brown eyes before roaming his scar's, his adorable nose and slightly chapped yet gorgeous lips. You dropped the helmet and let it hit the stone floor of the balcony as you rest both palms on his soft cheeks. His eye's locked on yours with slight shock.

Boba saw that sparkle, the sparkle you get in your eyes when you admire the twin sunset. The sun's beauty always captivating you, and that look was in your eyes as you looked at him.

"boba...You're eye's are so pretty. You're beautiful, more then I could ever imagine - you're so handsome" you gush over the man before you, his dark brown eye's locked on yours.

"you're eye's most not be working properly girl, you find beauty in everything you look at" boba tried brushing your compliments off, stubborn as always and not wanting to except your truthful words.

"they work just fine all have you know -

His lips on yours cut your words short, your lips moving together in a slow languid dance. Unhurried and peaceful, as if time stood still. You wrap one arm around his neck as your other still cups his cheek, his arms wrapped around your waist. Minutes felt like hours as he pulled away, a small smile on his lips. Yours wide.

"I love you y/n..." he muttered with his accent coming out unhidden. It sends your heart into a fluttering mess, not only because his natural voice, but because that was the first time he uttered those words.

You felt tears of joy sting your eyes. "I love you too boba... My beautiful bounty hunter" you say with a fond smile. He chuckles and placed his forehead against yours, swaying you both in the moons light.

As you and boba stood in each other's arms, staring at one another with pure love. It was then boba realized that he truly did love you...

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#pedro pascal #din djarin #the mandalorian #star wars #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal imagine #the mandalorian imagine #the mandalorian x reader #baby yoda #mando x reader #din djarin x you #din djarin imagine #din djaren #boba fett imagine #boba fett x reader #boba fett #boba fett x y/n

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alphardblacks · 3 years

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alphard black, the brightest of stars in the noble, ancient house of black — his story, in a post.

alphard was born in the may of 1927, in the month of springs last darling, marking hope for the winters end, to pollux and irma black. he had an elder sister, walburga, and a younger brother, cygnus. he was sorted into slytherin house in the september of 1938, with tom riddle.

on the way to hogwarts, he befriended the said young tom riddle. he was quiet and silent, and he seemed unfamiliar with the ways of the wizarding world. it was alphard who educated tom on the great wizarding families - something his parents had instilled in him from a young age.

it didn't take long for the young alphard to find his way. with his elder sister in the year above at school, he did his best to maintain his image. however, he soon shed it to play for slytherin in the quidditch team. his tastes were more active than academic.

one of the acquaintances he kept throughout hogwarts was tom riddle. as the boys became older, they became closer. he told tom of the history of the wizarding world, and the noble families, though he himself had no care for the subjects the strange boy wanted to explore so much.

when tom attends a quidditch match begrudgingly, he sees alphard in a new light. he's fascinated in ways men usually were not fascinated with each other - he had never known an emotion like it. it seemed as though alphard felt the same, but they kept it secret.

alphard finds that by his final year at hogwarts, he has fallen deeply for tom. and tom realises that being with alphard is the closest he would ever feel to experiencing love. alphard didn't worship tom the way the others did. they were equals. but alas; they could never be.

but toms heart grew darker and his ideas for the future became too much for alphard to bear. each day he was less of the man he loved. alphard confronts tom about this, and in a rage, tom tells him they can never be together regardless, because of society, so he will not change.

alphard leaves hogwarts to take part in the war effort, to distance himself from the wizarding world that tom was infiltrating and slowly disrupting. whilst the other soldiers discussed their future wives and children, he could only think of the life he would never have with tom.

alphard was involved in a battle that left him injured, and news spread to his family that he was dead, including tom riddle. this loss is what makes tom snap, and his spree of killings worsen. by the time alphard recovers, the pain of what tom has done is too much to bear.

when he returns, and despite his family's wishes, alphard never marries. he could never live a lie with a woman and could never live in happiness with a man. he never has children but adores his nephews and nieces - particularly sirius and regulus.

living with the blacks was terrible for sirius and regulus, and if it hadn't been for uncle alphard, they would live their lives in uncomfortable solitude, with suppressed personalities in order to be deemed "proper". with alphard, they were free, and for the first time, happy.

walburga detested her boys being around what she deemed "muggle activities". alphard, being in the war, had picked up much of these, and showed them to his nephews. the nephews would visit him over summer and inspect his medals, whilst he told the in awe pair his war stories.

a core memory for the boys was alphard taking them to muggle london; buying sirius his first record from a stall, showing regulus muggle books like treasure island. he takes them to see movies, and the boys were too giddy to stay silent, though had to remain proper at home.

often, he would find the boys in their room at his estate, battling with sticks and pretending to be "spartacus". regulus particularly enjoyed their re-enactments of "a hard days night", where he would play ringo and pretend to drum for hours.

and as a young child, little regulus had been inspecting alphards hogwarts memories when he smashed a photo of him, and a young man, side by side. of course, as he always did, sirius told him to run upstairs, often taking the blame to spare his little brother from the rod.

fear filled sirius' heart, thinking of his punishment when alphard has turned the corner to inspect what happened. "i'm sorry uncle alphard!" he blurted out, too used to his mother and fathers cruel ways, and their punishments.

however, the emotion on alphards face was not anger, but worry. "did you hurt yourself? there's glass everywhere ..." for the first time sirius had experienced, alphard looked at him with a smile, and ruffled his hair. "don't be sorry, my boy. it's easily fixed."

tears filled the child's eyes, and he hugged the man tightly; he had never heard those words before. he had never hugged anyone before. his uncle embraced him tightly, protectively, and sirius knew that he would never be unloved so long as he had his uncle.

when sirius was sorted into gryffindor, he was full of terror. but his monthly letters from uncle alphard were full of encouragement; encouragement that made him accept his difference to his family. he questioned his family and their beliefs.

but when sirius matures more, he starts noticing that his feelings for his friend remus were changing. not friendship - something more. something strange. he knew that even the muggles didn't accept this sort of thing. he was broken, just like the picture. what would he do?

he and the marauders had snuck firewhiskey from a teachers office and in the heat of the moment, he kisses remus. he's in shock when moony kisses him back. when the firewhiskey wears off, he feels mortified that he would do such a thing. his family would hate him.

he's utterly terrified. one summer break, he lets it slip accidentally to alphard. he knows that this would be the end of his happiness with his uncle, and he would be sent away. his uncle merely smiled, and told him he couldn't be fixed.

because just like him, he wasn't broken.

and with this, sirius has fully bloomed into his true self. no longer does he sit and let slytherins talk ill of muglgeborns. he challenges his family. he challenges his mother. he becomes everything that alphard is proud of, and walburga detests.

when sirius is kicked out, alphard welcomes him with open offers and arms, though his nephew had flew the best and grown up; going to james instead. dear little regulus, on the other hand, is distant and colder, and alphard worries deeply for his dear nephew.

due to sirius' boisterous nature, his mother worsens her destructive attitude on regulus. he falls in with difficult crowds. no longer is he duelling as spartacus, but learning curses. the only drumming beat was his terrified heart when he was first recruited.

tom riddle is still a looming threat, and alphard knows it. he's still believed to be dead and he doesn't want to reach out. when sirius joins the order, he supports his nephew - they're the only hope. he would rather see tom destroyed than the evil man he had once loved.

despite all this, alphard still holds deep feelings for his former lover. deep feelings he could never let go of. as if he clung to the hope that tom could change.

until, during dinner, one night, he sees a dark mark on his little nephews arm that makes his blood run cold.

alphard and his pleading with regulus to get away from tom is the final push for the boy. he implores regulus to choose a better path, he is not a bad person, and he is not a death eater. this is what drives regulus and his sacrifice for the locket. uncle alphard was never wrong.

alphard blames himself for the loss of regulus. his little nephew; the baby boy he once held when walburga detested the sight of her 'sickly' little baby. he's a broken man. the beloved boy he had once loved like his own son was no more. because he couldn't protect him.

meanwhile, peter tells voldemort of his plans to betray the potters. that sirius would be perfectly set up, and even his uncle couldn't support his case. voldemort freezes when he hears the name; the name he hadn't heard since he went by "tom". alphard was alive.

for a moment, peter sees something flicker in toms eyes. even bellatrix notices the beat in the conversation. all those years he had grieved for alphard in the most wicked way. rage consumed him. he would destroy the potters, and the wretched black nephew alphard loved so dearly.

the broken alphard sits, in solitude; writing his will and leaving his fortune to young sirius, in the hopes that the fight would continue on. he knew he was destined to end this way. no happy ending. he pays one final visit to a former friend.

his former lover.

"all those years wasted, fighting opposite sides - and here we are, having precious few moments back. we could've ruled together, the two of us. i wanted you by my side.

goodbye, old friend."

if you've made it this far, thank you for reading my rambling headcanon on alphard black. three cheers for the best uncle in the world, and remember to stan tomphard.

(thread credit: narcissariddles on twitter)

#harry potter #alphard black #tom riddle #tomphard #serpentstar #wolfstar #remus lupin #sirius black #regulus black #harry potter headcanon #headcanon #marauders #all the young dudes #atyd

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permian-tropos · 6 years

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Ok, my issue with TLJ is the cynical-ness of it. It's written in a way that pokes fun of SW. Like, "all of this is so silly, isn't it. Wink, wink." I don't like how it took the focus off Rey. Ahch-To was filmed from Luke's POV most of the time. I'm not saying TLJ is a bad movie bc it's not! I just felt like I'd been slapped in the face w the fanboy-ness (the ego-ness) of it all. I know you'll break my whole argument down, but maybe I need that.

Can’t help but feel like I’m some kind of TLJ s&m dominatrix now like “this movie made you feel bad and you should be grateful” lmao

TL;DR: As I experienced it, the movie is actually super sappy and in love with the sincerity of Star Wars just like TFA but taking its own route to convey it. instead of TFA, it’s framed to first appeal to and then sway the minds of an imagined cynical audience, and that audience might actually be 12 year olds and if so, that’s as it should be.

A point about the cynical-ness – it’s interesting you’re talking about the poking fun at SW, since the other way people have called it cynical would be in its depiction of failures and loss. To that, I would argue that it only seems especially dark because the end of the story hasn’t come yet. Which… the movie actually addresses in its story, the “hope is like the sun” line is kind of nudging the audience like “hey the heroes are in a bad spot but they’ll win in the end, don’t forget that”.

It would be patronizing but… this movie is meant to be seen by 12 year olds as well as adults so maybe it’s okay that it’s kinda blunt about some things? Star Wars actually draws in a much younger audience than I think other PG-13 level movies do. Hiding all the messages in subtext isn’t fair to them so I think people get tripped up with TLJ thinking that it’s not saying exactly what it seems to be saying, and just communicating that message on a myriad of levels.

Like as someone who has written so many metas about TLJ – a lot of my analysis boils down to “I don’t think the movie is hiding its message very much, it’s kind of all right there, but there’s also a lot of extra layers enhancing it”.

When the movie goes, “this is so silly, isn’t it?” (and also it doesn’t do that nearly as much as I’ve seen in some franchises) I sort of imagine what a 12 year old, having grown up in this cynical age of deconstruction of sincerity, and also being right at that age where you might look at your younger childhood loves and think “so silly”, would take from it. I don’t see them being so hurt or offended. They aren’t nostalgic for the OT yet. Their nostalgia fodder is being formed as these movies are coming out. Actually I remember being 12 and being oversensitive to people bashing sincerity – because all my peers were 100% in love with cynicism and I was well uhhh neurodivergent and at a different stage of emotional development.

Older people have a very different relationship to their childhood, often longing for the simplicity of it, or cherishing the joys. But you have to have some distance to really see that. Many movies for a pre-teen or young teen audience are about reminding them not to be too cynical, while showing an understanding of their sense of cynicism. They’re about telling kids “hey I get it but don’t rush into adulthood too fast”.

The Last Jedi concludes on sincerity, really bluntly. Rose saving Finn is about rejecting the nihilism of “the only way to prove you care about a cause is to die for it” – this isn’t true, and it’s why Holdo’s sacrifice isn’t the same. Holdo is deliberately trying to save the fleet, but the First Order, when you think about it, has cornered the Resistance on Crait whether they blast open the doors right away or besiege them for days. Finn’s sacrifice would actually just delay the inevitable and that’s not worth dying for. And “saving what we love” is this deeply sincere message.

Poe getting to save the Resistance by noticing the vulptices are leading them towards the exit is super sincere, that’s so freaking corny, it’s unreal. Cute animal friends save the day.

Rey and Finn’s reunion is CORN HEAVEN it’s literally every run-into-your-beloved’s-arms scene (actually my first association with it is how the movie Madagascar parodies that trope with the zebra and the lion whose names I am not going to bother to remember). Rey lifting all those rocks is sincere, Luke mocks her earlier for claiming the Force is about that but guess what? It is about that! And it looks awesome and it saves everyone’s lives. Leia telling Rey “we have everything we need” is optimistic. It’s saying they’re not going to wallow in their losses. They will keep moving forward, they will take strength from failure, not despair.

Luke starts off the film thinking heroism is meaningless. He ends the film doing exactly what he said would be absurd – walking out with a laser sword and facing down the First Order. He starts off filmed with this shroud of overcast shadow around him, and ends with his face illuminated by nostalgic callback to the twin suns of Tatooine. Yoda even encourages him to remember his youthful dreams and desire for adventure – stop being such a cynic, Young Skywalker, I know you’re still that boy who stares at the horizon.

And of course, the entire last scene with the slave kids is painfully adoring of Star Wars and its importance to kids. It’s wretchedly corny. I’ve said it elsewhere but the slope of the floor, leading up to a field of stars, actually parallels the slope of the opening crawl. That’s how meta the cinematography went. It went there, it poked that fourth wall. The movie ends with a promise that any little child who loves Star Wars is as special as the saga’s heroes, and that’s actually the most sappy thing in the Whole Entire Saga.

So the movie basically argues with a hypothetically cynical audience. And if it feels weird, like it’s assuming you’re cynical (which is insulting because no, you unironically adore Star Wars, thank u v much)… I suppose maybe give the movie a fair shake and remember its most important audience is 12 year olds, who have all their little quirks and emotional hangups. No matter what this movie means to you, it will never ever compare to the place it will hold in the hearts of its preteen audience. That’s how Star Wars is supposed to be.

I have no idea the consensus on this film from 12 year olds but I really hope they don’t get overwhelmed by 20-somethings pressuring them to hate it.

Side note on “Ahch-To was filmed from Luke’s POV” – I’m pretty sure it’s the opposite?? people ran into this before where they thought the movie was siding with Kylo and showing his POV when he’s never the POV. Do people just have it backwards? Please okay I feel weird breaking something so simple down but…. the character that is being stared at a lot by the camera is the Object. The character who you presume to be doing the staring is the Subject and POV. Rey is the subject and Luke is the object. Rey is the subject and Kylo is the object.

The fact that the two leading white men of the movie are almost always Object is, I think, actually a point of confusion, because that’s not how it ever is, but it’s how it is in TLJ. They’re not being favored over Rey, we’re seeing her perception of them, so she’s even closer to the audience than they are. Except for the Luke and Yoda scene, nearly everything from Ahch-To is from Rey’s perspective. She seems invisible because she’s actually omnipresent. It is highly unfamiliar to have a woman seem invisible for that reason, but this is a thing I’m super confident about.

Rey is POV, as she should be of course, and actually she is more POV than in The Force Awakens because Finn gets that role a lot more and he gets that role when he’s with her. We’re probably actually used to Rey-as-Object despite thinking of her as the protagonist because she’s framed like that in TFA. I’m extremely pleased that Episode 9 will have Finn and Rey in an adventure together, but it wasn’t even that bad to have them apart for one movie because it let us get to know Rey on her own terms.

I could honestly go through the whole sequel trilogy and break down who is POV in what scene and make some kind of infographic lmao would I actually be that extra TM??? who knows

#my post #asks #the last jedi #well I'm kind of honored that you decided you WANTED me to break down your argument lol #hope I did a good job on that

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