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#i wish we knew more about agathas backstory
torotornottorot · 3 months
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Books read in 2023:
The secret life of bees (Jan 6) 4/5 (probably would have enjoyed it more when I was younger. Great overall but still the mammy stereotype. Don’t like it when poc women are portrayed as ~divine creatures~ we are just normal people and we just wanted to treated like normal people. Nothing more, nothing less. Too flowery and cliche at parts but still good overall.) 
I’m glad my mom died (Jan 15) 5/5 (funny and thrilling. Reading this would probably help a lot of people with toxic parents think through their own trauma) 
Evil Under the Sun (Jan 17) 4/5 (simple and entertaining. Not a masterwork of literature but satisfying nonetheless. A bit slow to get started but great overall) 
The hunting party (Feb 4) 4/5 (found hard to get into it/get invested because of unlikeable cast of characters but stil high rating for unexpected ending. I was bored a few times in the beginning and middle parts but it really picked up in the end and made up for it. Would make a great movie) 
Sparkling cyanide (audiobook) (Feb 20) 3/5 (good to listen to while doing other work around the house. Probably not worth it to take separate time out to read) 
Last bus to Woodstock (Feb 24) 3/5 (hated the main detective and how he went about the investigation eg. relying on instinct and chance discoveries. But the side characters were super interesting and the ending was unexpected. Would have liked it better if inspector Lewis was the main character. No decent female characters. Only wh*res or the "shrill wife." But the crime itself was interesting and I liked the writing style). 
And then there were none (audiobook) (Feb 26) 5/5 (Omg. I was in thrall throughout. My favorite Agatha Christie book I’ve read so far. I actually thought there had to be a supernatural explanation lol) 
The dark remains (feb 26) 3/5 (not bad. Just boring. Can tell it was written by a dude. Not one interesting character despite being set in the gang world. Very cliche type of noir) 
The Falls (Ian Rankin) (March 1) 4/5 (great buildup but disappointing payoff. Loved the concept of the quizmaster. Very likable the main detectives and very interesting plot. Sustains you throughout despite being so long. But yeah. Didn’t quite like the solution to the murder) 
Wire in the blood (March 22) 5/5 (excellent. Gory but excellent. What a plot!) 
The distant echo (March 30) 5/5 (omg. If someone asks me what’s your favorite crime fiction book I’d say this one! Very suspenseful and unpredictable loved it loved it loved it!!!!) 
The Guest List (April 13) 6/5 (this surpasses the distant echo. This actually made me feel things. The amount of gasps I gusped could have powered the state of Texas for a year. Absolutely loved it. ) 
East of Eden (May 15) 100/5 (what kind of genius do you have to be to write such a book?  
In Cold Blood 4/5 (May 30) maybe bc I already knew the story, I kinda had to force myself to finish this 
Macbeth 5/5 (June 14) iconic 
Northanger Abby by Val Mcdermid 4/5 (June 17) fun modern retelling. Expected a crime and twist but it was faithful to the original. Enjoyed reading. 
Gone girl 6/5 (June 24) omg her mind. Will definitely read more by her. Wish I hadn’t seen the movie before so I could have been fully surprised. Liked the ending. 
The Pearl (5/5) (July 3) not a page turner but a good depiction of reality. Very sad. 
Age of Vice 3/5 (July 7) great beginning but I didn’t like the ending. I think the author tried to put too many stories and perspectives in one. That whole bit of Sunil was unnecessary? It just slowed the story down at such a crusial moment. And Sunny’s backstory with Vicky too. I don’t think it was necessary to have an unbelievably tragic backstory for every character and he already had his deal with his dad. Some things are never clarified like what happened to his mom, his true relationship with Vicky. Why Ajay agreed. Ajay turns out of be such a loser in the end. Maybe it’s “realistic” but lots of things that happen in this book are not realistic so I don’t know why only the ending has to be realistic. I wish I could have followed Ajay’s journey to a good ending. 
Milk fed 2/5 (August 12) only read bc of booktok. Good seeds here and there. didn't realy like it.
The club (5/5) (august 19) excellent, gripping. A bit longer than it needed to be though. 
The grownup Gillian Flynn (4/5) (October 19) great short story. Great writing. So engaging. Perfect length for getting back into reading 
Emma by charlotte Brontë and another lady (5/5) (Nov 2) love. Mr. Ellin needs to be played by Simon Baker in a movie. 
A room of one’s own by Virginia Woolf (Nov 11) (1000/5). This has been on my to read list for ages. I see quotes from this everywhere and every time I’m astounded by how she just she gets it and knows exactly what to say to express it perfectly. The essay was everything I imagined it would be. Forever grateful to that Destiel fanfic for introducing me to this. 
Villette (4/5) (Dec 29) lovely 
Girl, interrupted (5/5) (Dec 31) made me ponder about a lot of things. Her youth was really kind of stolen from her. Made to freeze just like that painting. what is the right thing to do? What is helping and what is hurting? What does “crazy” even mean? I think I tend to be very judgemental about this kind of stuff. But this book made me realize that people are people even if you do not understand why they act a certain way. They feel the same as me. 
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genlirema · 7 months
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Character ask meme:
Eusine
and Morty !!
Character Ask Meme (Accepting)
Eusine
What I love about them: God I wish I had even half of the drive & ambition (and energy) this man has to chasing his dreams he’s like Sonic but less cocky and more free-willed & i don’t think I can remember any other Pokemon character being this excited over just the slight chance of achieving their goals c’:
What I hate about them: It’s been a long while since I played SoulSilver but I didn’t find him creepy/stalker-like at all like the fandom likes to assume…? So I don’t really hate him for anything ._.;
Favorite Moment/Quote: Still cry over the fact that he congratulates you if you successfully catch Suicune. Man could’ve said nothing or told you off for crushing his dream but he decided to thank you instead for the chance to meet Suicune what did we do to deserve this man ;-;
What I would like to see more focus on: I do find it kinda weird that only Suicune gets the focus and not any other Legendary Beast…? We don’t get any context for why Eusine is only focused on Suicune specifically instead of the other two so that might’ve been cool to see i guess ._.; (I mean we kinda sorta got a special episode with Raikou I think but idk I don’t think that counts)
What I would like to see less focus on: Why did they make Eusine yell at Ash. I mean…I get why (kid basically claimed to see the gay chicken god but Eusine wasn’t having it) but why c’: (he never yelled at the player in-game so I see the anime Eusine as very ooc)
Favorite pairing with: Morty x Eusine! (Sacredshipping) but sometimes Jasmine x Eusine too (I think it’s called Simpleshipping…? Kinda basic if you ask me :P but still cute ^-^)
Favorite friendship: Guzma & Steven Stone. Guzma cuz of my oc phase (where basically my oc was friends with a bunch of Pokemon characters & became a crime-fighting team i dont care if its cringe shut up). Steven because I can see these two accidentally/coincidentally running into each other a bunch of times for them to eventually meet up & eventually become travelling buddies.
NOTP: …nobody ships him with Suicune right? …Right?
Favorite headcanon: I still like to think he’s a waterbender who learned from his uncle (which is the dude in Celadon City that can only be accessed through Surf). I mean…it gives further context for why he’s searching for Suicune specifically, plus I doubt any of his Pokemon know Surf either & it’d be kinda hard to chase a water deity if you don’t know how to use Surf yourself ._.;
Morty
What I love about them: He was the only male Ghost Gym Leader until the shy guy kid from Galar came along & stole his title :c in all seriousness tho I think he has the best character design out of all the Ghost Type Gym Leaders, even the Gen 4 design wasn’t too on the nose (like Agatha or the shy guy kid again, yeah yeah I know his name but i never played Sword/Shield so i’m not using it) or too obtrusive (Fantina…) Also his voice actor’s AMAZING and very underrated I wish people knew about Andrew Rannells more :c
What I hate about them: The Gen 4 design was still kinda pushing it as far as Ghost Gym Leader aesthetic goes & I still like his Gen 2/Anime design better but that’s just me :/ (also he killed my starter on my nuzlocke run when i was 11 ;-;)
Favorite Moment/Quote: I love the part in the anime where Ash asks: “wait you can talk to/understand Ghost Pokemon how?” And Morty just immediately answers “Practice.” (Also again thank you Andrew Rannels for the way the line was delivered I can’t do it justice but it’s like he saying “uuuh how do you do anything Ash huh?” xD)
What I would like to see more focus on: I don’t really see much of a problem with how he’s portrayed in game and/or the anime actually! True, more screen time and/or backstory is greatly appreciated for his interest in Ho-oh (at least in game, the anime is fine) but for what we got, I’m glad we had a Gym Leader who actually paid attention to/studied the mythos of the region for once instead of just being generic miniboss no. 14 (it might’ve been kinda cool to see his clairvoyance used more like in the manga but idk how that would work ._.;)
What I would like to see less focus on: idk he doesn’t get much screen time so there’s not much i can say about him that wasn’t needed…? Unlike Eusine, Morty’s initial attitude towards Ash (dismissing his claims about rainbow birb) made sense for his character (because he didn’t yell at him) but I guess if anyone was going to give Ash a hard time it should’ve been Morty, not Eusine. (Though this would’ve made for some annoying/petty/unnecessary drama so I can’t complain ._.;)
Favorite pairing with: Eusine (Sacredshipping) & Steven Stone (Knightshipping I think…? idk the pokeship list is a mess) Morty & Eusine both hold a special place in my heart for being the first Pokemon characters I liked (and for fueling the oc dream team I mentioned earlier) but I can also see some chemistry with Steven too! They can be chill together c:
Favorite friendship: uuuh does frenemies count cuz I still think Yellowjacket (Guzma x Morty) is the best Guzma ship I’ve come up with yet, platonic or otherwise (though I see them more as frenemies than lovers) I can also see AZ & Morty being close friends too…? idk i just want my top two favs to be buddies & share stories about their history and legendaries together 🥺
NOTP: I used to see Falkner x Morty EVERYWHERE on deviantart and it was very yabai 😬 (though hopefully that’s changed now…? It was less about the characters themselves & more about how they were portrayed…shota…)
Favorite headcanon: because I have been sucked into a new fandom hell I like to think Morty is Keito Hasumi’s uncle and I’ve been meaning to recreate my old dead rp blog just to write about their dynamic but he basically taught Keito everything he knows about music (and possibly magic) and was basically Keito’s second dad (since his real dad is probably too busy working as a monk) and no this totally isn’t just another way for me to put two of my fav characters together whaddya talking about (also the fact that both of these characters have the voices of an angel seriously go look up Andrew Rannells and Yuichiro Umehara right now they are too good for this world ;-;)
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elia-de-silentio · 3 years
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Recap on the Book (+ a theory on Atsushi)
The Book is an element that received little attention compared to the character drama in Bungo Stray Dogs, but it's actually the element instigating it, as the thing almost everyone desires. This time, I want to make a recap on it, and take a look on an interesting theory regarding the connection between it and Atsushi.
The first one to mention it is Fitzgerald. He describes it as pretty much Aladdin's lamp from the original fairy tale: something to make all wishes come true, in his case the resurrection of his daughter. Appearently, Atsushi is the 'guidepost' to the Book, and that's why there was such an hefty bounty on him at the start of the series. Whatever that means, we are all still waiting to know.
It also mentions that it is 'impervious to fire and all abilities'.
But Fitzgerald was in cahoots with two other amiable fellows who were after the same thing: Fyodor Dostoevsky and Agatha Christie. While the latter has not appeared since except for Dead Apple, the former has given us new infos on the prized Book.
He too wants to use the Book, but in his case, the goal is a little more lofty: he wants to recreate the world, one without the 'sin' of ability users. So, the Book's powers aren't limited to just bring back the dead, they really have a reality-altering scale.
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(translation by @akai-koutei)
At the start of the Decay of Angels arc, Chief Taneda gives Ranpo a few more informations about our object of interest.
It is in the hands of the government, and it has been studied, via a single page extracted from it, that holds the same power as the whole Book (like a Death Note).
Moreover, we find the first limitation to the power: 'the written content must conform to the rules of karma'. In other words - and we're going deliciously meta here - it must have narrative consistency, unlike the 'real world' in which accidents of any kind and without any meaning happen all the time. Of course it does! If a book had inconsistent plot development and characterization, wouldn't we all be complaining about bad writing?
Lastly, it's suggested that it was created by an ability user, which set its rules to prevent excessive and senseless destruction.
This rule begs the question - do Fitzgerald or Fyodor know about it? 'A girl suddenly springs back to life' doesn't have much narrative consistence, and neither 'all Ability users suddenly vanish'. A way to work around this limit would be rewrite history itself: Fitzgerald's daughter never died/Abilities never existed in the first place. It would erase the timeline in which these events would be impossible, and create another in which they have consistency.
This would also be the reason for the initial plan of the Decay of Angels, using the page to depict the ADA as terrorists ... but before that, they had to 'create' their crimes by killing relevant people that had spoken against the Agency, giving them plausible actions and motives.
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It also fits with the Sky Casino: a building that was woven back in time with a complete backstory, instead of just popping out from nothingness. Still, this also show us that there's no need for the details to be absolutely accurate: Dazai managed to figure out that the building had been written from the Book because the 'top secret' details of its creation didn't exist in the first place. Still, these details are ones that do not 'disturb' the flow of a story: it's a freaking flying casino, who is going to think about the funds? Just enjoy the story!
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But then we find an outstanding exception: Sigma. A whole human being brought into existence by the Book, without any past that he can remember. He appeared three years ago, in a desert, with only the clothes on his back and a train ticket. No backstory from him.
How was this possible? It's not very narratively coherent, a person popping into existence.
Well, we must consider that we know only what Fyodor says about it. He might be withholding information from Dazai and the audience, or even lying to confuse his opponent; or maybe he doesn't know the answer himself. He recruited Sigma, likely after hearing about his Ability, but did not create him personally.
Maybe Sigma's 'parent' actually did have a backstory and purpose planned for his 'character', but for some reason, they weren't received. Or maybe they knew some trick to circumvent the limitations of the Book. Maybe the government was experimenting with it, and for some reason someone was like 'hey, let's see if we can make a person pop out in the desert, without anyone being around to check if it happens or take care of the eventual human being!'.
Yeah ... this part is rather confusing. I look forward to an explaination on Sigma's origins.
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The last time that the rules of the Book are mentioned, is to show us a way to circumvent them. Fyodor had written that 'no police officer will believe the Agency's innocence' ... but he didn't factor Tachihara in. As a member of the Hunting Dogs, he is a police officer; but during his infiltration of the Mafia, he acquired this second identity. He is an officer, and at the same time, he is not. As soon as he inquires other mafiosi on the matter, he becomes clear to him the ADA's guiltlessness, in which he couldn't believe when talking with the othe Hunting Dogs.
And Ranpo in later chapters used a similar strategy, bringing his proofs to a group of journalists to make the masses think; and in turn, this divided the police between those who still obeyed the rule and those who adopted a new perspective.
The human ability to put ourselves in other points of view is the uncontrollable variable that can break the Book's powers.
(By the way, I wonder if that was actually Fyodor's plan. He seems too smart and well-informed to not take this possibility into consideration. Considering that the clashes among the police resulted in riots and chaos; and he commented earlier, talking to himself, that he didn't create the 'perfect' plan his colleagues required because that would be boring ... maybe this is his own plan to undermine Fukuchi's power and get him out of his way, to be the one who will actually puts his hands on the Book?)
After that, an interesting comment was made: the Decay of Angels planned to use the Book 'the next full moon'. It's uncertain if it's because it can only be used in this time frame, or if it can be just be found (in both cases, the Book has another rule that limits its use)
The last time any piece of the Book made an appearence, it was with Fukuchi dangling the famous page, and the possibility of rewriting it, in front of Atsushi and Akutagawa; but that was also the first sound defeat for the Shin Soukoku. Fukuchi still has the page, and now our hopes reside in Tachihara, currently about to face him.
Then, there is supplementary material: the BEAST AU. I haven't read the light novel or manga, so any information I can provide is from the wiki and @looking-for-stray-dogs 's summary.
In this AU, Dazai has managed to obtain the Book, but thanks to his Ability, he retains his memories even in different universes. But didn't Fitzgerald say that the Book is immune to all Abilities? Or only those which try to destroy it?
Still, Dazai used the Book to create his own pet universe - kind of like Fyodor wants to do, but with a much more personal goal: creating a universe in which Odasaku lives. This appearently can happen only if he never becomes Dazai's friend.
However, the definition of 'make what is written in it into reality' is not exact: it is more like a 'container' for every possible universe in existence, and what is written in the pages will not 'rewrite reality', but 'call forth the universe in which it happens'.
Think of it like Michelangelo's ideas about sculpting: the statue is already in the block of stone, the artist merely brings it out.
Beast!Dazai then mentions another clause: if three or more people know the truth about a world created by the Book, the stability of said world gets compromised, and it gets higher possibilities of ceasing to exist. Which is pretty much what is happening in the canon manga.
And this is all we know insofar. Is it enough to make theories? Of course! Anything is enough to make theories!
One I've seen circulating, and that I really like, is 'Atsushi is a creation of the Book'.
Supporting it:
• Atsushi is considered so valuable because he is a 'guidepost' to the Book; it would actually make sense that someone created by the Book mantained some connection to it.
Contradicting it:
• There already is someone who was for sure created by the Book: Sigma. And he is already in the Decay of Angels: if all sentient beings created by the Book mantained a connection to it, wouldn't that mean that they don't need Atsushi? Instead, not only they are still looking for tiger boy, but Sigma needed to threaten and use his Ability on Taneda to find out just where one page was.
Solution: maybe Atsushi was specifically written to be a 'tracker' for the Book, while Sigma wasn't?
Supporting it:
• Atsushi doesn't have any certified past, someone threw him on the streets without giving him anything that could lead back to a birth family. And appearently, nobody noticed someone had a suddenly missing child, or tried to investigate on the abandonment of a toddler.
Contradicting it:
• Who the hell creates a supernatural being that can lead to an even more supernatural book and then throws him in the trash?!
Solution: who the hell creates a supernatural being who can exchange informations and throws him in the desert?! Whatever the keeper of the Book is on, it can't be legal, or even well-cut for the matter.
More seriously, we are told that Atsushi's parents abandoned him, but it was the Headmaster that said it, and he's not the most reliable guy around. Atsushi not only does not have any proof for that, but he also has a faulty memory due to trauma: if he forgot Shibusawa, what else could he have forgotten?
Supporting it:
• The Book can appearently be used - or maybe retrieved, the phrasing is a bit ambiguous on that - under the full moon. Atsushi's Ability is called 'Beast Beneath the Moonlight', and he himself is called a 'weretiger', derivated from 'werewolf', a creature that has a traditional connection to the full moon.
Contradicting it:
• It might be a coincidence?
Supporting it:
• Shibusawa took a very specific interest in him, even going to the point of torturing him to make the 'Beast under the Moonlight' manifest
Contradicting it:
• Shibusawa was obsessed in finding the 'ultimate ability'. The fact that appearently Atsushi has it does not mean that it is related to the Book, or even that it is an objective statement.
Supporting it:
• Fyodor took a very specific interest in him. He was the one who directed Shibusawa to him, as far as six years ago, when Atsushi likely hadn't manifested his Ability. So, how did this rat, who is very interested in the Book and probably spent a lot of time finding ways to get it, know about him?
Contradicting it:
• Dazai appearently knows nothing about it. Considering how smart and careful he is, it would be expected that he did his research on why everyone was so fixated on the Agency's newest recruit. Instead, he looked genuinely shocked when he's told about Sigma's birth. So, whatever Atsushi's connection to the Book is, it's not of that kind. Moreover, Fyodor hasn't had a single interaction with Atsushi insofar. Wouldn't be more logical trying to somehow secure his willing cooperation if he needs it? From his side, Atsushi doesn't seem to know how he looks like (when he thinks about him, the face is always obscured), nor he acts like he vaguely recognize the name before - something that instead happened with Shibusawa
Possible solution: maybe Dazai isn't God the All-Knowing for once in this manga?! Or maybe he was lying to keep a margin of advantage. And Fyodor rarely acts in a very direct way, usually putting other people and convoluted plans between himself and anyone who could be involved. Sending Shibusawa to Atsushi might have been such a case.
Contradicting it:
• Fukuchi has no problem attacking Atsushi. The whole Decay of Angels's plan put the life of Tiger Boy in danger multiple times. An odd thing to do, if they goal is something that can be reached only through him.
Possible solution: they know he has regenerative abilities on a nearly Koro-sensei level? I admit, I'm not very sure on this point.
All in all, I think it's a very plausible theory. And do we want to talk about the drama character development it would bring about? Atsushi already questions his right to live, how would knowing that he had been created for some purpose decided by someone else impact his worldview?
In conclusion, I think that the Book is a very interesting, mysterious element, and I really look forward to see if it will be used, by whom, and why Atsushi seems so connected to it.
Thanks to anyone who bothered to read my ramblings!
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A comparative analysis of The Worst Witch episode 1; 1998 vs 2017
(That absolutely no one asked for but you're getting anyways)
I loved the 1998 Worst Witch as a kid and I read all the books and had a whole phase where it was my favourite thing ever so I was curious and decided to watch the new Netflix show. Overall it was pretty good but felt geared towards a younger audience than the 1998 version, or maybe it's just because it doesn't have the same nostalgia for me.
So between the 2 versions, the 2017 one actually gave a lot more detail to Mildred's backstory. It's super clear that she's from a non-witch family and that she's admitted to the academy at the end even though she doesn't have the same background as the other girls. In the 1998 version there isn't any of this. It starts with Mildred walking through the woods on her way to orientation and it's not until later in the episode that it's even mentioned that she's there as a scholarship student from a non- magic family. (I honestly wasn't even aware of that until I rewatched the episode. Or if I knew that I had completely forgotten). One of the things in the 2017 version that made it seem like a 'younger' show is Mildred's mother which I didn't actually love that she was there as a character. Literally at the end she's just totally ok with sending her daughter to live at the academy and learn magic, which she didn't even know about before that day. And when stuff like that happens in shows, like when adults act or do things that are just not how it would go in real life, it makes it seem geared toward a young audience in a way that I'm not a fan of. I don't know if that makes any sense.
Mildred and Maud both seem really sweet in the 2017 show and I liked them. They seemed much more independent and older in the 1998 show (they probably were older actually which is why the 2017 show has a younger feel overall) so it's kind of hard to compare them. In the 1998, they show how all the first years have kind of become friends immediately, like when they sneak out to help Mildred practice her flying before the test, where as in the 2017 we don't meet any other students other than Mildred, Maud, and Ethel. Enid was always my favourite in the 1998 but she doesn't come in until a bit later in the show so I don't know about the 2017 version of her.
I am not a huge fan of 2017 Ethel. In the 1998, it was clear she was the mean rich girl character type, and in the 2017 she seemed young enough that her attitude is something she'll just grow out of eventually. She seemed too much like like she was trying to be the best to impress everyone, as a motivation for being mean, as opposed to just being Like That. And it was really obvious that they were trying to push a comparison of Ethel to her sister which I didn't like. When Ethel goes up to meet Miss Cackle and HB, Miss Cackle just talks to Ethel about how great her sister is and like. That's not something Miss Cackle would do. During the written test, Miss Cackle is so helpful to Mildred by telling her to do what she does best and to focus on that to help her along, which is what she should be like. There is no way Miss Cackle wouldn't act the same way towards Ethel and I didn't like that she was so out-of character for that conversation that it seemed forced.
Another thing I want to mention is the teachers. I was actually impressed by the teachers in the 2017 one with how much they resemble the 1998 teachers. You can tell that they wanted to stay true to the original in that way. Miss Hardbroom seemed slightly less strict in the 2017, but I think part of that is because she wears a lot more makeup than in the 1998 so she just has a different look slightly, but she was still portrayed really well I think. I know it was central to the plot in episode 1, but I wish they hadn't brought in Agatha right away. Honestly, 2017 Miss Cackle and Agatha give off BIG Mr. Benedict/ Curtain vibes. That's all I'm going to say about that. Miss Drill didn't have a huge role in this episode, but I loved how in the 1998 she was a stereotypical hard-core gym teacher. Like, she had a similar aesthetic to Sue Sylvester in that she's always wearing gym clothes, if that makes any sense. And it was funny how she always just randomly had some piece of gym equipment. In the teachers lounge in episode 1, they're all talking and she's just standing there lifting weights and then later on she's holding a badminton racket for no apparent reason lol. Anyways... my point is that I sincerely hope they didn't change this aspect of Miss Drill in the 2017 show but I have no idea since I have only seen the one episode.
Between the two versions, you can tell that the 2017 show took inspiration from the 1998 in small things that I thought was cool. In the 2017, the spell Mildred does is levitation and in the 1998 they're shown in the classroom practicing a levitation spell on Mildred. And then there's that frog in the pond that most likely came from the episode in the 1998 where Mildred is transformed into a frog and befriends another frog who she still talks to after she's human again. So I thought that was cool.
In terms of aesthetic, the 1998 show gets a 10/10 and the 2017 show gets a 6.5/10. The original show is set in a secluded old castle, filled with old castle things and it looks very traditional in a way you would expect a witch's castle to look like, using only candles for light etc... The 2017 academy isn't secluded which I don't like. Mildred can literally see the castle from her apartment window, but I do appreciate how they added in the bit about invisibility to explain why no one can see the witches flying. (I'm wondering though if Mildred can see the witches why she never saw them before that one day. Maybe that's explained later though idk). And the castle is much brighter with more colour and seems more modern. I think this was done to make it seem more whimsical and child-like, but the thing is that I much preferred the Old Castle vibes to the Refurbished Old Castle vibes. A lot of the girls in the 2017 were wearing bright modern clothes which is fine, but I really thought it took away from the 'witch' aesthetic that the 1998 show had. I'm aware though that they get uniforms that look almost the same as in the 1998 version so that might help with the witch aesthetic a bit.
Also, the 2017 intro title sequence definitely isn't as good as the 1998 intro. The background music in the 1998 is so nostalgic for me and I love it, so it's not even comparable to the 2017. That's all I have to say about that.
I also found out that there was a sequel to the 1998 show called Weirdsister College that came out in 2001 and was 13 episodes. It follows Mildred after she leaves Cackle's with a new group of students. And? Ethel kind of goes goth? Canonically? The first episode actually gives more details to the world the show takes place in which was interesting. Cackle's Academy is in a really secluded area so there's no problem with them flying on broomsticks and doing magic and all that but Weirdsister College is in the middle of the city so it's a bigger issue for them to have to hide everything from non-magic people.
At the moment, I'm probably not going to keep going with the show because I feel like I have too many shows already going on. But I'll probably watch a few more so I can see Enid, since she was my favourite. I might come back to it later once I've finished watching some of the other shows.
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wackiekebab · 3 years
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okay. its time. it’s time for my last lot of thoughts. Wandavision...Episode 9. I have many questions and an overall opinion in this brain of mine so strap in get ready to hear the slamming of my keyboard multiple times because boi do i have thoughts. spoilers of course.
so. the show is over now and I have to say while I have enjoyed the show as a whole, I was mildly dissatisfied with the ending. 
to be honest i was expecting more of a pay off with the whole “Scarlet Witch” thing. I understand this may come in later movies but I kinda thought that we’d see a bit more of her power here. 
The fight with White Vision was mildly underwhelming. I got the feels again during their conversation but also...the fight was so...quick.
If I’m being totally honest I was hoping that Wanda would be set up to be the next main villain and just completely loose all her shit. Because as much as I want to see my girl be happy...I love seeing her actually USE her power. 
But on the other hand...they never quite establish her as continuing to be a hero though...I mean...all of Westview hates her now...and we all know how quickly and wide spread opinions can be. I can actually kind of see her still becoming sort of a villain for a little but not permanently. The whole “You’re destined to destroy the world”. 
I think just overall this finale left me with way more questions than answers and I don’t feel like ANYTHING has been wrapped up. Which...again...I understand this whole show was basically one big marketing strategy to get people to continue to watch Marvel movies...
I thought the Skrulls would have more to do with it...in a “they were there the whole time doing something” kinda way but...instead it was clearly setting up for another movie. 
I really liked the Scarlet Witch outfit. With the headress and everything. I grew up watching the Wolverine and the X-men TV series and that was my first introduction to her character and I was always a massive fan of just her overall...well everything...even though she wasn’t exactly a major character...It was really exciting for me to see her in he MCU after...yk...not seeing her in the X-men movies...so honestly I really liked the whole “That makes you the Scarlet Witch” thing and the outfit. 
I liked seeing the kids use their powers but I wish they’d done it more
Vision once again with the feels trip omg. And the end. I can’t believe Wanda has lost him 3 times now.
Monica using her powers but once again I which she’d done it more. Also I wish they’d addressed it more. They were just like...yep. she has powers now. Yep. 
White Vision....where did he go??? I thought...that he had like...re-become Vision but...apparently not...so...where is he?? what is he going to do with he new found memory?? Will he have changed colours again when we see him?? And Vision didn’t tell Wanda that White Vision had regained his original memories, did he?? idk man I’m...confused.
Who was the person in the Witness protection Scheme????? Was it Ralph?? because lets be honest...Ralph Bohner is the dumbest name I’ve ever heard?? 
I’m also super disappointed that he was just cast for the reference and not...yk...Actually Peter Maximoff....
But I am optimist and I do dearly hope that we will see him again actually as Quicksilver
I’m happy that we will potentially see Agatha again because I really like her as a character and as an actress and I hope Marvel doesn’t just forget about her. 
But also just...I thought we’d get more of a backstory on her...like how did she learn her “forbidden magic” for example. And more of like...a motivation than just “I want your power”. Idk i just...thought she’d be a complex character and they were setting her up for complexity not just another character we see for 5 minutes then never see again.
Also Hayward...kind of a bummer how he went down. I’m mean I’m not saying that I love that Darcy hit him with her truck but also...was just very...eh. Kinda wanted Wanda to ruin his shit. 
I suppose...to conclude..
I had a good time watching this show. I came in expecting to question reality a little and to laugh a little and also to see the Multiverse introduced but...whatever. But instead I felt way too many feelings, cried, laughed, been wholly unsettled and thoroughly bamboozled. 
I suppose a small part of me knew that that show wouldn’t end with all it’s loose ends tied but...I guess I hoped that it would tie most of them but leave like one or two and then open maybe one in an end credits scene...not like...leave the entire thing open. But I guess that’s a little on my own expectations. 
But...Overall. I enjoyed myself watching it. So it’s going my books as a good show. 
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flutteringphalanges · 4 years
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Summary:  “Am I in Hell?” Agatha’s voice was hoarse, a hint of fear in her tone. “That depends on your definition,” Dracula answered. “Perhaps.” His fingers felt cool against her burning skin, the fever raging through her body. “If you’re going to kill me, then do it,” she mumbled. The count chuckled, gazing into her eyes. “On the contrary,” he smirked. “I’m going to save you.”
((In which Dracula cares for a gravely ill Agatha))
Characters: Agatha Van Helsing/Dracula
Rating: M
Read on FFN and AO3
A/N: A little shorter than usual. I think I have a stomach bug, but I wanted to give you guys something! Thank you for all of your support! Feedback is greatly loved and appreciated! If you ever want an explanation about something after you read a chapter, my author’s notes at the end in my AO3 and FFN docs tend to have them! Hope you enjoy! -Jen
                                                Chapter Eight
Agatha was bitten by a snake once. Searching for eggs in the chicken coop, no older than six. When she slid her hand under her favorite hen, something clamped down. Sharp, needle like teeth burying themselves into her skin. It burned. Ached. And she screamed so loud one might even go as far to claim the entire town heard.
But in reality, it had mostly startled her. The bite nonvenomous. A black snake. The young girl watched as the tiny droplets of blood oozed from the bite marks. Such a curious sight to behold. A wound on flesh from mouth. As she watched it slither away, too quick for her father to catch, she couldn't help but wonder if it'd remember her taste. Liked the scent of her blood. Agatha, of course, would never know.
Agatha's eyes widened in shock as she felt Dracula's fangs dig into the sensitive flesh of her neck. Fueled off an adrenaline rush, she kicked herself back, slamming against the headboard as the vampire eyed her in a mixed expression of confusion and lust. Blood glistened off of his teeth. Coated his lips. Her blood. He'd bitten her. The bastard had actually bitten her!
"Agatha?" The Count began before she rammed her feet against his chest. It did nothing. "You seem upset."
"Upset?!" She panted holding a hand to her throat. "You BIT me!"
Dracula was silent for a minute, watching the fuming nun with keen interest. He then sat back almost as if nothing troubling had occurred. This only seemed to fuel Agatha's rage further. Not only was he acting so passively about this, but his lack of acknowledging the situation entirely was frustrating. Furiously so.
"If you are concerned about turning, Agatha, I can assure you that isn't going to happen." He spoke as if those words meant something. "If I wanted to change you, you'd have been dead long ago."
Her fingers ran down the indents in her neck. The pain had faded away leaving a cool, almost numbing feeling. It was almost...pleasant. Despite this, she frowned. Angry at him. And maybe, maybe just a little bit disappointed she made him stop. But she didn't want him to know this. Why had he done it? What were his intentions? She remembered Jonathan Harker. His former "brides" in their boxes below. Why hadn't he killed her too?
"Are you in pain?" And there was genuine concern in his tone.
"No…" What was that about not letting him know? "No, it...it doesn't hurt. Not anymore." Agatha looked at him, her eyes no longer holding malice. Only interest. Needing. "Why?"
"Because I didn't want it to." Dracula answered simply, reaching for the hand that covered the mark. "My plan isn't to make you suffer, Agatha." There was a quick flicker of a smirk on his face. "Most of the time."
Before she could react further, he leaned forward and licked the spot where his fangs had struck. Smooth, with purpose, a shiver ran down Agatha's spine as he drew back. She began to feel that familiar ache stemming from her core. Heat rising in her like the night fevers she vaguely remembered upon her arrival to the castle those many weeks ago. Ignoring them, she quickly slid out of the bed.
"I should wash up." Agatha told him quietly, knowing that if she didn't, she'd regret it later.
There was a bassin of cool water along with a cloth in the bathroom. Agatha didn't bother to warm it over the fire as she began to scrap the gore from her body. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, the icy liquid dripping against her skin. But it was something. Something other than the almost feral emotions she felt back in her bedroom. She couldn't help but wonder if he was still in there. Waiting for her. Or perhaps watching her from the shadows. Was it so wrong to think that she wouldn't much mind if he was?
The former nun gazed down at the murky liquid. With the lack of mirrors in the castle-courtesy of Dracula, it was hard to capture sight of her reflection. Maybe if she asked he'd give her one. It'd be the least he could do. Exhaling heavily, she dropped the soiled rag into the bucket and ran her fingers through her hair.
As she took a few steps outside of the room, she was surprised to find a nightgown nicely folded at her feet. Peering around, Agatha picked it up somewhat unsure. Was the Count being genuinely caring at this moment or did he have an ulterior motive? Slipping it on, she made her way back to the bedroom. Fresh sheets. No sign of the slime or mess from their actions. It was almost irritating how he fluctuated with generosity.
"You sure do think about Abraham Van Helsing don't you?"
Agatha stiffened at the name as she turned to see Dracula standing, now dressed, in the doorway. He was eyeing her in slight amusement as he stepped inside, his gaze not breaking from hers as he moved in close.
"The first time I tasted you, I can't say I really gave your backstory as much thought as I did." He smiled, but the former nun didn't return the favor. "When you cut your finger?" Dangerous territory. "He was rather hard on you."
"Don't bring him up." Her voice was cold.
"I'm truly not trying to start something. But after what we just did. That tiny mouthful of blood. I finally see where it comes from. What makes you you." And he was grinning. Smiling as if he just learned the best news in the world. "I think I'm finally beginning to figure you out, Agatha Van Helsing."
Confusion. Almost hurt. Anger. After what they did. What he did. What she gave him. Together. Now such an intimate moment was turning into this vampire's delight of a discovery?! Christ, she'd begun to trust him. Like an imbecile. Gave way into her emotions. A fool. An absolute fool.
"So this was all it ever was to you?" She asked in a low voice. "A game?" Hadn't it always? "Nothing more than a chess board where we knock each other's pieces off?"
His laughing began to fade. "I certainly didn't imply any of that." Dracula's voice was cool. "I was merely bringing up the fact that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Wrong response. Terrible answer. "I knew Abraham Van Helsing, and though he raised you to do what he couldn't, something in you changed." When he reached towards her, she recoiled instantly. "Agatha Van Helsing, I think you might have feelings for me." And once more the smile reappeared. "In a good way."
"Fuck you."
A strong word. A hateful sentence. After they literally had sex-or nearly until he bit her, things were fine. They were co-existing and she'd begun to accept that. Accept everything. But now suddenly, out of the blue he brought up her grandfather. The man who hounded her for years to be the vampire hunter that he was. A task she'd failed. That she'd pushed aside. And he had the audacity to remind her of it. And play with her emotions. It was true. It had always been true. Count Dracula was nothing more than a monster.
"Burn in Hell." The bite mark began to sting on her neck as she said it. "You should've let the fever kill me when you had the chance."
"Agatha…" But she ignored him. The sound of her name on his tongue bitter. "Agatha, don't be foolish."
She was storming out of the room with purpose, blocking out the sound of his voice. Why was she so upset? Christ, she was acting like a little school girl. Heart broken. Betrayed. Abraham was right. He was always right. The bruises from training. The endless nights of identifying what was needed to ward off vampires. Her childhood taken from her. All of these years and she'd thrown them away by sleeping with a vampire. Not once. Twice. Letting him devour any integrity she had built up as a nun.
"It's raining," Dracula called after her. "I am quite sure you don't wish to be struck by lightning." When she still didn't reply, he huffed. "I apologize for ruining the mood. Again. But how about we discuss things without you being swept away by a flash flood?"
"Oh, I'm not going out of the castle." She snapped back. "I'm going to go sit on the balcony. The sun will be rising soon and seeing as you will burn into a crisp, I can be alone." At least, she certainly hoped it'd stop raining by then and the clouds would dissipate. "And then I'm leaving for good." Before killing him first.
"You keep saying that and it has yet to happen," he countered. There was a pause before he quickly added. "If you need anything, I'll be in my study for a few hours before the morning." She shouldn't have given him the last word. Wasn't that how fights worked? "Agatha?"
But she had already thrust the heavy doors to the balcony open. Almost instantly a heavy spray of water hit her directly in the face. She coughed, the liquid burning her nose and throat from swallowing it wrong. With a grunt, she slammed them behind her and took a seat on the ground. Agatha pulled her knees up to her chest, just barely covered by the outcrop of the roof above.
How in a matter of minutes had passion turned to fury? Agatha inhaled and watched the water run through the crevices of the stone. She'd failed her mission. Time after time again. Failed her grandfather. The late nuns of St. Mary's Convent. Jonathan Harker. And Mina. Dear, sweet Mina who had relied on her all along. Glancing towards the sky, she made a promise to herself. It was time to push it aside. Everything aside. And do what she was bred from a young age to do. Kill Count Dracula.
Thunder rolled overhead and the vampire slayer eyed her healed hand, studying her now functioning knuckles. She thought about the stake she had handled just hours earlier sitting down the steps on the table below. Agatha smiled, her brain and her heart competing on what was the truly right decision. In her head Abraham Van Helsing's dying words repeated in her mind.
"...Finish what I couldn't…"
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theleagueof13 · 4 years
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Why I Don’t Care About Tristan/Yara’s Death
Okay that was clickbait but I didn’t care about Yara because... why would I? She has no personality, she doesn’t even speak, and there was no backstory as to why Tristan felt uncomfortable as a boy and wanted to become Yara. It was mainly for cheap shock-value?? And Tedros doesn’t even mourn her, or show any regret that he could have saved her. But like, it’s fine, right? As long as Soman keeps referencing Kiko’s crush on Tristan in every book, it’s FINE, right?
No.
Since there’s No Labels In The Woods, it’s impossible to tell if Yara is trans or gender-fluid or whatever. Usually, when someone is transgender, it’s not polite to say their “dead name”, which in this case, is “Tristan”. BUT, the name Yara is never mentioned beyond AWWP, and she’s addressed as “Tristan” later on??
For the purpose of this post, I’ll use Yara when she identifies as a girl, and Tristan when he identifies as a boy, so just know that they’re the same person.
The problem I find with Yara’s death is that it doesn’t serve a clear purpose. Her conflict is that Yara so desperately wanted to be accepted for her identity that she had no choice but to be Evelyn’s little pet in order to attend School for Girls. However, the readers never knew that Tristan was dissatisfied with his male appearance until the very end, and Yara was never developed to be her own standout character. Therefore, we didn’t have time to root for her, and she was easily forgotten in TLEA and the Camelot Years.
Anyway, even though she was brutally murdered by Aric, it doesn’t undercut the fact that she backstabbed Good, and her gender identity does not make her inherently redeemable.
Now here’s a theory that should’ve happened in canon but never did:
Yara was actually a double agent, working for Evelyn AND Yuba.
During Tristan’s time at School for Boys, BEFORE Sophie and Agatha’s return, he is directed by Yuba to find out what the FUCK is going on. He is an outcast and feels insecure in his own skin, especially when every “noble prince” he used to be friends with has turned into a feral rat. So, he agrees to do this if it means that Good and Evil will be restored to its former glory and everyone stops acting like idiotic pigs.
Then Tedros comes into play. And Tristan has a crush on him, because... Trisdos. Although Tristan still suffers from gender dysphoria, his infatuation motivates him further to continue spying on Tedros for Yuba (since Tedros was the leader of School for Boys before Aric came along).
But Tedros, whose daddy issues and self-doubt have hit HARD at this point, is spiraling. Tedros is so haunted by betrayal and revenge that he is blind to his budding feelings towards Tristan. Yes, there’s Tagatha, but just let poor Tedros explore his sexuality. 
Imagine Tedros and Tristan kissing “accidentally” in the moment. 
Aric’s bigoted henchmen find out and start beating Tristan up for “being a girl”.  They leave him by the border bruised and half-dead. 
Of course, Evelyn Sader swoops in. She allows Tristan to become Yara at School for Girls, in exchange for her undying servitude.
Aric claims that Tristan took off on his own. Tedros thinks it’s because of him. 
Yara follows Evelyn’s commands, planting tricks for Sophie and Agatha. She realizes along the way that Evelyn is a villain, but she’s in far too deep and she can’t give up her life as a girl, the life she’s always been denied.  
Every three days when the potion wears off, Yara secretly returns to the School for Boys to become Tristan again and leaves clues for Tedros. Of course, this is all in vain, as the clues are never found because Tedros is locked in the dungeon.  
We could see Tristan/Yara’s struggle with loyalty, gender, sexuality, etc. 
Aric becomes Captain and Filip enters the School for Boys, and suddenly Evelyn’s demands are more and more urgent. Yara can’t sneak off, during the most crucial weeks before the Trial, when Tedros is being tortured, when Telip is getting closer and closer...
Eventually, Evelyn finds out Yara’s hidden allegiance to Yuba and burns Yuba’s hideout down not only to send a message to Agatha, but to doom Yara to a permanent gender switch after three days.
In the Trial, Yara takes a hit for Tedros and sacrifices her life to save him. In her last moments, Yara would revert back to Tristan — the form she despises and the only way Tedros would recognize her. Tedros would finally see that Tristan loved him, and he would come to regret his hatred and ignorance when he is alone with his thoughts in Galvadon.
Logistical Inconsistencies:
- The AWWP timeline is so incorrigibly convoluted and messy, I can’t even think about it. Just pretend it works for the sake of the headcanon.
- Yara doesn’t have a chapter. All she needs is ONE chapter to explain her perspective and wrap up the backstory.
- Yara can’t speak. In my headcanon, she can speak, and she’s friends with a few girls even if she’s a little weird. This would increase her love for sisterhood and compel her to stay at the School for Girls. For all you Yiko/Kara shippers out there, your wish has been granted.
- Yuba has a finite supply of Merlin’s “gender bent” potions. He should have more, I mean, come on. 
- Filip being Filip for only three days, because there is NO WAY that Tedros and Filip would bond so quickly.
- The entire concept of Telip. Don’t get me wrong, I love Telip. However, it’s another excuse to call back Tophie, and a FAILED, STRAIGHT relationship is not the best example to portray Tedros’ bisexuality. It’s just that considering their history, it’s clear that Sophie is simply trying to get Tedros back for herself, only masquerading as a boy. It doesn’t sit right with me. There is no gender commentary within Sophie becoming Filip, it was a mere plot device.
The reveal at the end when Tedros kisses Filip and he turns back to Sophie wouldn’t solely be for drama anymore. Over time, Tedros could accept that he did, momentarily, have romantic intentions with boys (Tristan and Filip) and he wouldn't just blame it on how “Filip looked like a girl in the dark”, which was plain bullshit. I mean, kissing one boy is a mistake, kissing TWO is not. 
It would also show Tedros the difference between Tristan and Filip, between Good and Evil, and push him further to take Agatha from Sophie. After all, Tristan DIED for him, and Filip was lying the whole time. 
Instead of Filip being the cornerstone of Tedros “coming out” to the readers, Tristan should’ve been. 
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stilitana · 4 years
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so i listened to this embarassingly quickly but let’s chalk that up to the self-isolation/working from home and leave it at that
wolf 359 reactions under the cut (spoilers):
firstly, that soundtrack was so good and i’ll be listening to those piano pieces forever
this show demonstrated the eternal power of the agatha christie principle: gather a ragtag cast of characters who’ve all got beef with each other, and trap them in a small space together. cue the instant tension and inevitable weighty revelations.
i adore that amid all the drama/action, there were so many moments when the writers let the narrative breathe a little and just allowed the characters to talk to each other, and play games with one another. the word games were delicious. these were often moments of levity and good character building, but they also all moved relationships forward or revealed something new, so don’t ever let anybody say that having chill little funny moments is useless narrative fluff. these were the best moments.
empty man cometh might be my favorite. am i alone now? and memoria were also just...so good. a lot of the mini-episodes were excellent as well, especially all the character ones. variations on a theme might be my favorite of the shorts.
normally i’m impatient and skip anything i perceive as extraneous to the central narrative, and come back to it later--im so glad i didn’t, the live episode was hilarious. ashamed that i even tried to skip change of mind because i was so impatient to see what was happening, but i felt too bad so not even five minutes into the next ep, i went back and listened to it, and that was the right move...it was so good.
every single character was fantastic. every single one. they were all complex--even the less central characters had at least a moment or two where they struck a different note, showed another side of themselves. kepler was the stand out on this front for me. i didn’t care at all about the si-5 crew when they first came in--i was actually annoyed and expected to hate them all, which is a risk you run when you introduce a bunch of new, influential characters so late in a story. they made it work so well. first i came around to maxwell, then jacobi, and finally (tbh it was his swan song) i was like, okay, kepler was a great character. they made him sympathetic without trying to retcon anything to force me to pity him or think he’d been good all along or anything. cutter and pryce were less human, so their redeeming qualities came more from being interesting. i think the voice acting plays a lot into this--cutter just on paper wouldn’t be half as fun
really impressed with how this same thing played out with lovelace--she went from this sort of mythic, predeceased character, to an antagonist, and finally to being such a central character to the crew that you could hardly imagine them without her. poor writing could have easily made her kind of character unlikable. i think characters like her often get short-changed and written as one-note action hero types who crash in and upend the narrative just to give the plot steam and provide friction. instead, she’s as fully fleshed out as the main characters, and seamlessly becomes one of them.
rip plant monster...i loved you :,(
so, the antagonists were multifaceted, and so were the protags. this could have also easily been sloppy. with eiffel especially, lazy writing would have made the reveal of his backstory super cheap, out of left field, and made you feel like you never knew him at all and leave you unable to reconnect. instead of going the route where the writer for some reason thinks they have to make their plucky protag gritty, the reveal of eiffel’s backstory doesn’t change him at all--and why should it? it’s his backstory--it already happened. instead, it only forces him and minkowski to have conversations they probably needed to have anyway, and fleshes out the reason he’s even there in the first place. on this note, it’s not ultimately his backstory that eiffel has to confront within the story as a major flaw--the backstory was a mistake in the past he’s been dealing with for years by the time we meet him. i love what they chose to do instead so much more: what he had to deal with was his current, present day behavior--how he effortlessly disrespects and belittles the people closest to him without even trying. the key there is, without trying--he has to make a decision to start. (”that’s the thing about you, eiffel--you try. you try really, really hard, and then--you stop trying” that was such a good interaction...god.) i could go on and on about how this was such a satisfying tack to take but i’m trying to cut it down. glib bastards like eiffel are so often a sort of male wish-fulfillment character where they get to say whatever the fuck they want without consequence, be lazy, be careless, and still come out on top, and still seem lovable, because hey, he’s funny. eiffel doesn’t get off that easily, and he’s a much better character for it, and so are all the others, for actually demanding better for themselves, because they know they deserve it, and because they all actually care about each other, so when they confront him, he doesn’t just shrug it off--he tries. (it takes him a minute. but he tries.)
hera broke my heart a million times i love her so much. she had so many complex inner conflicts that weren’t just boiled down to some dumbass bs like “boo hoo am i human.” her personhood is a given for the sorts of conflicts she has, as far as feeling inadequate, feeling unappreciated, like an imposter or a less-valued member of the crew. her and minkowski arguing was excellent and allowed them both a chance to be childish because hey, eiffel shouldn’t have the monopoly on that.
death was a serious thing. human life was highly valued, and its loss was never made light of. not even for antagonists (kepler, hilbert) or, in the most extreme case, pryce, who eiffel chose to make a sacrifice to defeat rather than just kill her, the one principle aside from doing as little work as possible he stood his ground on the entire story. team what’s wrong with handcuffs indeed...i just really loved that the main lead was a pacifist and that this line of thinking held sway in the narrative. it was really refreshing (i don’t think it should be--there’s just a lot of bad writing out there especially when things edge into the action genre) to see this stance on nonviolent conflict resolution wherever possible, because yeah, most people have a really hard time ending another person’s life...no shit. minkowski makes that call and deals with the fallout for the rest of the show--she’s not done dealing with it by the end, it’s going to be something she takes with her. sometimes eiffel’s passivity was depicted as a weakness, but he ultimately did diffuse a lot of situations and gave other characters the space to consider their options. i do think that sometimes the narrative’s insistence on eiffel’s dual pacifism/incompetence shifted the burden of action onto minkowski and lovelace and i’m not sure how i feel about that. i think where i’d have to look is comparing how pryce and cutter are dealt with--yeah, im willing to buy that minkowski wasn’t willing to trade all of her memories so that she wouldn’t have to kill cutter. but was she the one who had to have a body count as a conscious narrative choice, or were we just determined to maintain eiffel’s status as the sort of goofy, “innocent” one? or was that something minkowski was determined to preserve--because that’d be really sad and complicated and say way more about her than it would about him.
dear listeners. i loved everything about the dear listeners. it was everything i ever wanted from aliens trope-wise.
didn’t really get the total significance of surrogates or decima virus. those were the only two things that felt sort of hasty because the stakes suddenly went from “the lives on this space station” to “life on earth as we know it.” but apocalypse averted so whatever, the aliens just want music
i am conflicted about the fucking. amnesia. memory was SO important throughout, and questions of identity and personhood, and this is the only reason that amnesia ending didn’t enrage me. if i think about it more i’m sure there will be a lot to unpack with what’s being implied here
this has gotten REALLY long so im going to stop now and finish mindlessly entering data into excel. in short: i loved it 
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hovercraft79 · 4 years
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School’s Out
Chapters: 1
Word Count: 4, 103
Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Rating: Teen
Warnings: mentions of smoking cravings, alcohol, difficult mother-daughter relationships
Summary: Somehow, Ada Cackle managed to survive her first year back at the Academy in almost twenty years. She wished she could say it had been a success, but she doesn’t like to lie to herself. Her mother didn’t hesitate to mention she hadn’t even managed to make any friends. Feeling adrift, she turns to the mysterious woman residing in Darkwood Cottage – the only person even more tied to Cackle’s than she is. 
Notes: This continues the story I began during last year’s challenge. If you haven’t read ‘Hello’, this one might not make as much sense to you.
In my head, this should be a trilogy of trilogies when it’s done, hopefully filling in a lot of Ada and Hecate’s backstory. Above all, it’s the story of two witches who meet, grow, and learn together; deal with crises large and small; and maybe even fall in love.
I’ve kept everything within canon (though I did keep the 13-year age difference between Ada and Hecate, there’s certainly room for Ada to be older than that). If you notice anything that I missed feel free to let me know. This is using the ‘Last Day of School’ prompt.
I started this fic on my last day of school this year, so of course, the title is ‘School’s Out’ by Alice Cooper.
As always, I owe Sparky my thanks for her editing skills – especially after dealing with the monster of ‘An Uncertain Spring.’ I can’t believe she’s still doing this for me, either.
Hecate stood at the edge of the woods, watching another class of graduates fly away for the last time. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed. Hard. Five years, over and done with. Somehow, they managed to both fly and crawl at the same time. As the girls disappeared from view, Hecate realized they were the last of the girls who would have been students with her. Next term, none who knew her would be left. She told herself she was glad of it, but it rang hollow, even to her. With a curl of her fingers, Hecate transferred back to Darkwood Cottage.
-----
Ada waved as the last girls took to the skies. Summer had finally arrived, bringing an end to her first year back at Cackle’s. Her fingers itched for a cigarette, but her mother had insisted she quit. Thirty-five years old or no, sometimes it was easier to just give in. She wished her jangling nerves would get on with it, though. Feeling too edgy to transfer, Ada trudged back to her mother’s office.
 Alma peered at Ada over the top of her glasses. “That’s the last of them, then?”
“The Feverfew twins were the last to depart. I don’t know how two girls can possibly accumulate so many things. It will be a wonder if they manage to make it home with everything.”
“Two of everything,” Alma said, nodding. “They’ve never had to share.”
“Lucky girls.” Ada gave her mother a knowing look. She and Agatha had regularly been forced to share: clothes, toys, books. Why have two of anything when one will do?
“Spoiled, if you ask me.” Alma signed the last form with a flourish and put her pen away. “Is everything ready for the end-of-term staff party? Will we have a full complement?”
“We have a room booked at The Red Cauldron down in the village at seven. I believe they’ve included karaoke as part of the package.” She could only imagine the size of the bar tab that would be needed to get her up on the stage.
“I’ll pray Miss Gullet doesn’t get into her cups again this year. I don’t think I can take another performance of I Touch Myself.” She shuddered at the memory. “I’ve invited Mrs. Drill to join us as well.”
“As far as I know, everyone is planning to attend,” Ada said, trying to change the subject. “I didn’t know whether I should invite Miss Hardbroom. I did.”
Alma paused for a moment before shrugging a shoulder and carrying on with tidying her desk. “I doubt she’ll attend, but it was kind of you to invite her.”
Ada frowned. “Isn’t she usually included? She’s sort of like staff, isn’t she?”
“I’ve never thought so. More like an independent contractor, or a local farmer, I suppose.”
Pouring a cup of tea, Ada watched as her mother focused intently on organizing her desk drawer. Ada recognized the sign that Alma didn’t really want to discuss it. “What does she do all summer? Miss Hardbroom?” She schooled her voice into an artificial casualness. “How does she fill the days?”
“I’m sure I don’t know,” Alma replied, just as casually. “How she spends her days is her business, not mine.”
“Out of sight, out of mind… is that it?” Ada said, allowing her voice to fill with Tone.
“Hardly,” Alma fired back. Ada bristled, but Alma pinned her in place with a pointed finger. “Before you get your broomstick bent out of shape, tell me, daughter, what are Geraldine’s plans for summer? Or Gwen’s? No?” She leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers in front of her chin. “Go on then, I’ll make it easy for you. Choose any kitchen witch you please and tell me her summer plans.”
A shame-faced Ada opened and closed her mouth several times before throwing her hands up in defeat. “I don’t know.”
“Why not? They’re your coworkers. You all live together in the castle. You should be friendly, if not friends. What on earth do you talk about at meals, then?”
“I don’t know,” Ada repeated. She fought the urge to fidget. How was it possible that her mother could still make her feel like she was eight years old and sitting on the naughty step?
Alma sent a thin stream of magic into her teacup, warming it back up. “Well, maybe you’ll know this, daughter: how do you feel when I ask you about your summer plans? After all, I’m your mother as well as your Headmistress. Certainly, I’ve cause to know your general plans at least, but you’re still cagey about them, nonetheless. So how do you feel?”
Ada gave the question some consideration before she answered. “Like you’re dipping your spoon in my cauldron. It’s not your business.”
“Aye – except sometimes it is. That girl, Hecate, that you’re so worried about, has nothing she can truly call her own save for her time, a few personal possessions, and her privacy. I’ve no care to take any of those things away from her.”
Remembering the hundreds of bottles and jars in Darkwood Cottage, Ada wondered what her mother’s definition of ‘a few’ possessions was. Speaking of the cottage… “Couldn’t you give her Darkwood? Sign it over to her? Then she’d have something of her own, a home, at least. It’s not like the Aca—”
“I can’t.”
“Of course, we can. We don’t even need it. It wouldn’t cost us a thing.”
Alma shook her head. “I can’t. It may not cost the Academy anything, but Hecate? She would lose everything. She can’t leave the grounds.” Ada stared blankly at her mother. “Och, use your head, child. If I give her the cottage, it’s no longer a part of Cackle’s Academy.”
“Oh…” Ada said, deflating. “I didn’t think of that.”
“Neither did we when we tried it.” Alma took her glasses off, letting them dangle from the cord around her neck. “Look, Ada, I know that you don’t trust me, because of… well, because of how I dealt with your sister. You don’t think I’m willing or able to do right by this girl. But Hecate is not Agatha. Her mistakes were born of loneliness, not malice.” She sipped her tea. “I’d also like to think I’ve learned from my own mistakes. But if you need to make me the wicked witch, so be it. I’ve resigned myself to the part.”
“I’m sure you’ve done your best.” Ada shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wasn’t used to this much introspection from her mother. It didn’t sit well. “I just can’t help but think that she has to be so lonely.”
Smiling sadly, Alma nodded. “I’m sure she is.”
“There must be something we can do…”
“Try making friends with her, Ada. Frankly, it sounds like you could both use one.” With that, Alma put her glasses back on and returned to tidying her drawer. Ada knew the conversation was over.
-----
She was trying, truly she was. Loathe as she was to admit it, Ada knew her mother was right. She didn’t really have any friends here. After her conversation with her mother, Ada had been ashamed to say she couldn’t even name all the kitchen witches with certainty – she never knew if she was speaking to Maria Tapioca or Maisie Tapenade. Trying to ‘make friends,’ Ada was now into her second hour of listening to Mrs. Coriander and Miss Bat gossiping about the latest scandal in the Magic Council. Surely, Ada thought, I deserve a cigarette after this.
Just when Ada thought she couldn’t take any more, Hecate Hardbroom materialized right inside the kitchen door. She took a slight step back when she realized Mrs. Coriander wasn’t alone.
“Forgive my interruption,” she said, placing the back of her hand against her forehead and bowing slightly. “I simply wanted to…” She waved a thin hand and a gallon of milky liquid appeared on the table. “I’ve finished the supplements for the familiars. I expect the litters will be due soon.”
“At the full moon,” Mrs. Coriander said. She carried the jug into the walk-in cooler. “The usual teaspoon mixed with their food?”
“Yes.” Hecate looked uncomfortably at Ada and Miss Bat. “I didn’t expect to run into you, Miss Bat. I would have thought you would be out enjoying your summer break.” No one mentioned that everyone knew Miss Bat spent her summers searching for Mr. Rowan-Webb.
“Soon, dear, soon.”
Ada stepped closer, smiling brightly. “We thought we might enjoy a picnic supper down by the lake this evening. Would you care to join us?”
Hecate blanched. “That’s kind of you to offer, but… I don’t wish to intrude.” Her mouth moved into a tight line that she probably meant to be a smile. “I really shouldn’t leave my work.”
“Ah, well. Perhaps another time.” Ada pushed away from the table. “Speaking of work… I’d best get back to it.” She bid the rest of them good afternoon. Mrs. Coriander made her excuses a moment later.
“How about you, Miss Hardbroom?” Gwen blinked up at Hecate, waiting. At the edge of her vision she could see Hecate’s fingers nervously rubbing against her thumbs. When she didn’t get an answer, she waved a hand and pulled a stool up to the table, gesturing for Hecate to sit. Once Hecate had settled on the stool, Gwen leaned forward. “Do you know what the best thing is about getting old?” she whispered conspiratorially. Hecate shook her head. “You get to give people advice, whether they’ve asked for it or not.” She leaned back and waved her hands in the air. “And you youngsters just have to listen! It’s wonderful!”
Hecate bristled a bit on her stool. “I’m hardly a child, Miss Bat.”
“Certainly not. In fact, you’ve grown into a brilliant witch and a lovely young woman.  And I’m going to give you some advice anyway.” She reached out and took Hecate’s hand in her own. “Whatever happens, you have your whole life ahead of you. Perhaps you’ll find a way to release Miss Moon soon. Perhaps not. Either way, it’s a foolish witch that turns down an offer of friendship.”
“I don’t want Miss Cackle’s pity,” Hecate said, pulling her hand away.
Gwen tutted her disagreement. “Pity? What pity? All I saw was another young witch inviting you to join us for dinner. If anything, you should be the one to take pity on Ada.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Look around, dear,” she watched Hecate looking at the kitchen in confusion. “Not here, the Academy. Ada may be a bit older than you, but she’s decades younger than anyone else. Would you really leave Ada to the likes of her mother? Or Miss Inkwell in the library? Or me, for Merlin’s sake?”
“Surely Miss Gullet would make a more appropriate companion.”
Gwen clutched at her chest and gasped. Hecate rolled her eyes at the dramatics. “Hecate Hardbroom! I’ve never known you to be a cruel girl. I wouldn’t believe you capable of such cruelty!”
“W-what?” Hecate stood, eyes wide.
Leaning forward, Gwen motioned for Hecate to lean in as well. “Miss Gullet may be younger,” Gwen whispered, “but we all know she’s bloody awful company. I can’t believe you’d abandon Ada to that.”
Hecate leaned back, irritated and a bit guilty – she didn’t like Geraldine Gullet in the least. Still, to risk opening herself up to another person, even Ada Cackle who’d been nothing but nice…
“Think on it, dear. We witches live a long time; don’t spend all that time alone.” With a pat on Hecate’s knee, Miss Bat ambled out of the kitchen. Hecate stayed on her stool for a long time, thinking.
-----
Astragalus… eyebright… neem… Ada needed to restock those ingredients first and foremost. As much as her mother had gone on about the high standards of Cackle’s potions program, Ada had been shocked at the state of the potions cupboard. Disorganized, untidy, and poorly stocked, it had taken Miss Gullet only a year to create utter chaos. Ada had managed to muddle through her first year with it in this state but feared she would spend all summer sorting it.
An itch of magic let her know someone had entered the lab.
“Ada?” Alma called from the doorway.
“In here,” Ada called back, hastily exiting. She didn’t want her mother to see the state of the storeroom.
“What is this?” Ada’s mother held up an over-sized leather tome. “This arrived in today’s post. I’ve not ordered a new copy of Thornapple’s.”
“Perhaps that would explain why it wasn’t addressed to you,” Ada said sweetly. She took the book from her mother, admiring the tooled leather cover. “It arrived sooner than I expected. Splendid! I feared it would take half the summer to get here.”
“You ordered that? Without checking?” Alma pursed her lips and shook her head. “It’s not in the Academy budget. You’ll have to return it.”
Grinning smugly, Ada held the book close. “Good thing I didn’t use Academy funds then, isn’t it? Be happy, Mother, I’m taking your advice.”
Alma’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What advice?”
“I’m making friends.” Ada hefted the book in her hands. “Let’s hope I haven’t forgotten how.” While Hecate Hardbroom certainly intrigued Ada, she also recognized how valuable it would be to have someone she could talk to who didn’t work for Cackle’s Academy.
-----
 Darkwood Cottage appeared below Ada. She turned her broom to land a respectable distance away. The last time she’d been to the cottage it wasn’t even spring, really, but the gardens had already been in bloom. Now, in early summer, the gardens thrummed with life. Tidy rows of vegetables lined the back of the cottage while flowers and herbs rambled across the front. She could see Hecate working at the side of the cottage. The scent of roses wafted up to meet her before she even touched the ground.
As Ada dismounted her broom, Hecate hastened over, removing her gardening gloves and wiping her hands on her work apron. “Well met, Miss Cackle. How may I help you today?”
“Please, call me Ada,” she said, returning the greeting. She closed her eyes, breathing in the rich scent of warm earth and sun-kissed herbs – and the roses! The floral, slightly spicy smell was even stronger on the ground. “I’d love a tour of your gardens. It’s all so magnificent!”
Hecate blushed and looked down at her worn leather gloves. “If you’d like.” She led Ada around the cottage, pointing out the different microclimates she’d created and discussing the various spells involved. Ada had been impressed with the spell Hecate created to increase the amount of sunshine her plants could receive so deeply in the woods. She also enjoyed watching as the reticent woman grew ever more animated as she talked about her plants.
“I just can’t get over it – combining a basic weather spell with a moving spell! How marvelously clever!” She couldn’t get over the number of varietals Hecate managed to grow, from aloe vera to zedoary. While she examined the delicate leaves of a common wormwood, a sudden thought popped into Ada’s head. “Why don’t we purchase our potions ingredients from you?” It hadn’t occurred to her when Hecate had helped her replace the nettles for the spring Imbolc luncheon, but she’d paid regular bills to Goodcharm’s Apothecary Supplies. A cloud passed across Hecate’s face, blink-and-you-miss-it fast. Luckily, Ada hadn’t blinked. “It makes no sense for us to use Goodcharm’s.”
“Miss Gullet prefers it that way.” Hecate’s voice and face had both been schooled into a careful neutrality.
Ada stood, hands on her hips and frowning. “That makes no sense. The ingredients would be fresher, shipping costs would be eliminated,” she waved a hand over the garden. “Quality is indisputably higher.”
“I believe the issue is me,” Hecate said, coloring again. “Miss Gullet does not care for me.”
“Well that’s something we have in common.” Ada moved into the shade of the cottage. The magically enhanced sunshine blazing down on her black t-shirt and jeans was getting uncomfortable. “I offended her when I declined her offer to mentor me.”
Hecate winced. “Oh dear.” The corner of her mouth twitched upward. “I corrected her about a potions ingredient. She wanted to grate burdock root when the instructions clearly recommended crushing.”
Ada let out a long, low whistle. “You win.” She wiped away a bead of perspiration that trickled down her temple.
Hecate’s easy posture jerked into rigidness. “Forgive me, Miss Cackle, I’ve forgotten my manners completely. Would you care to come in and cool off? It’s a bit warm for tea, but I’ve made a pitcher of strawberry-basil lemonade.”
“I’d love to!” Ada smiled brightly and followed her inside. “And I do believe it was me who showed up unannounced – again – and requested a tour. I should apologize for my own lack of manners – and for throwing off your plans for the day.”
Hecate ushered her into the sitting area, a small space in the living room filled with what Ada recognized as cast-off furniture from the Academy. Ada made herself comfortable while Hecate disappeared into the kitchen. She scanned the room, still marveling at the impressive collection of ingredients. Impossible as it seemed, the room looked to contain even more jars and bottles than it had during her last visit. Perhaps that was due to two extra tables being squeezed in under the windows.
Hecate returned, floating a tray holding a pitcher of pink lemonade, two glasses and a plate of biscuits in front of her. Once they’d settled in with their refreshments, silence fell. It only took a few minutes before it started to feel uncomfortable.
Ada nodded towards the tables. “I see you’re preparing to brew some new potions. May I ask what you’re planning?” She took another sip of her lemonade. Sweet and sour balanced one another perfectly while the basil added an earthy note that was simply delicious. A splash of vodka wouldn’t hurt it, either, she thought. “This is wonderful – it really hits the spot.”
“Thank you,” Hecate said, smiling shyly. Normally, she enjoyed it at the end of her time outside. She turned to look at the tables before answering Ada’s question. “I’m about to start on the inoculations for the kittens. They’ll need to be ready by the time the kittens are six weeks old.”
“I didn’t know you made those.”
“I try to be of service.” Hecate set her biscuit back on the plate. “I do what I can to… lessen the burden of my confinement.”
“You aren’t a burden,” Ada insisted. “In fact, that reminds me of why I came today.” She summoned a wrapped package and placed it on the coffee table in front of Hecate. “I wanted to thank you properly for saving my skin at Imbolc.” Hecate looked at the package as though it would scald her if she touched it.
“I can’t… This really isn’t necessary…” Even as she protested, a slender finger traced the edge of the blue ribbon.
Ada couldn’t help but notice the reverence in Hecate’s touch. She wondered when Hecate had last been given a simple gift. “You can, and it was. Go on then.”
Curiosity finally won out and Hecate picked up the package. If Ada expected her to be the type that meticulously opened gifts, she was wrong. Hecate ripped the paper off with abandon, dropping the scraps to the floor. She didn’t even bother to untie the ribbon, she just sliced it away with a thin stream of magic. Once the box had been revealed, Hecate slowed down, carefully removing the lid and unfolding the tissue paper inside.
Her head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise. “Thornapple’s Advanced Potionry? Miss Cackle… it’s very thoughtful… and – not that I’m not grateful! But… it’s too much.” Despite her words, Hecate’s eyes roamed over the cover with anticipation. Lifting the book reverently out of the box, she breathed in the scent of leather and inked pages. “It is beautiful.”
“Indeed. And it’s yours.” She leaned over and opened the cover of the book, revealing an inscription thanking Hecate for saving the day last spring and for everything else she does for the Academy. “As the girls say, ‘no backsies.’ The book is yours. I thought we didn’t need to be going back and forth with the one copy in the library. Plus, since it belongs to you, you can make whatever notes you like in it.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Hecate whispered. She looked at Ada with shining eyes. “Thank you.”
The silence descended again as Hecate read through the first pages of her new book. This time it sat a bit more comfortably around them.
Mission accomplished, Ada finished her lemonade, wondering where they would go next. She still doubted that Hecate would be inviting her over for tea – or that she’d accept an invitation from Ada. Her eyes kept wandering over the potions stores, finally coming to rest on the tables. Hecate hadn’t started on the kitten potions yet, but a slight metallic tang in the air told Ada that another potion was brewing somewhere. She remembered the lab behind one of the bedroom doors that she’d seen the last time she’d been here. An idea began to form.
“I wonder, Miss Hardbroom, if you’d could use a laboratory assistant to help prepare the potions for the kittens? Many hands make lighter work, as they say.”
Hecate tore her eyes away from the book, slightly alarmed. “That’s kind, but I couldn’t ask Mrs. Cackle to cover the expense, and… I’m not an appropriate mentor for a student.”
“I disagree with you on your second part. I think any student would be lucky to have you as a mentor. As for the first, it’s not an issue. I’m offering up myself. I’d be honored if you’d allow me to assist you this summer.”
Hecate’s eyebrows practically disappeared into her hairline. “B-But… you’re the Potions Mistress! You’re going to be the Headmistress in a few years!”
“True enough. And I am a good potions teacher, as well as a good potioneer in general. Very good. But I’m not so full of myself that I can’t tell when I’m in the presence of a great potioneer. I’m offering a trade, Miss Hardbroom: my labor for the chance to learn from you. Who knows? Having someone else to bounce ideas off might even help you with your own projects.” Ada leaned back on the sofa, willing Hecate to say yes. “What do you say, Miss Hardbroom?”
For her part, Hecate had every intention of saying no, and was about to do so when she remembered what Miss Bat had said. Ada truly did represent a chance for a friendship with someone who wouldn’t disappear in a few years. Plus, not once in a single interaction had Hecate looked into her eyes and seen pity. “I… I… I say you should call me Hecate.” In a single motion, Hecate set the book on the sofa and rose to her feet. “I usually run four cauldrons at once,” she said, moving to the tables.
Ada tried to tamp down her enthusiasm as she scrambled to her feet to follow Hecate. “That’s impressive.”
“It’s necessary to get everything finished on time.” Hecate folded her arms across her chest, her brow furrowed as she tried to work out what she wanted to say. Finally, she nodded, more to herself than to Ada. “I start early in the morning. I don’t care for chatter, and I expect things to be done in a certain way.” Closing her eyes, Hecate took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m not an easy person to be around, Miss Cackle. You may regret your offer.”
“I understand, but regret and I have long been acquainted. I can’t live my life worried about the next time our paths might cross. When shall we begin?”
Hecate studied her a moment, weighing the sincerity of Ada’s offer. “Very well. Give me a few days to finish up with my own project and get things gathered. Monday morning? Just after sunrise?”
Ada swallowed. She’d thought early meant eight o’clock, not sunrise. Nonetheless, she’d asked for the opportunity. She held her hand out, holding it until Hecate grasped it with her own. “Monday morning, then,” she said, shaking Hecate’s hand. “I’ll see you then.”
Hecate stood in her doorway long after Ada had disappeared over the trees. She hoped she hadn’t made a terrible mistake. Again. 
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scarlet--wiccan · 4 years
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can we get rid of the demiurge/sorcerer supreme of all reality stuff too? chthon can go and s****** can have him! oh and set too. i mean, "demiurge" is for billiam what "reality warper/omnipotent/nexus being" is for wanda and you're right that it makes things unbalanced for the twins. (and oh my i agree with everything you said about natalya!! and agatha teaching her magic would make sense considering agatha always knows more than she lets on and lets be honest they probably knew each other)
Well, Agatha and Natalya definitely did know each other, it's just not clear what kind of relationship they had. Agatha indicates in SW that she'd always known who Wanda's "real" mother was, but kept it secret for... reasons, and Natalya's spirit recognizes Agatha when they're on the Witches' Road. Beyond that, there's no indication of what history they had together, which is one of the many loose threads at the end of the series that I wish had been picked up in a later book. I'm curious if Marvel cut the series shorter than Robinson had initially expected, or if he and his editors were intentionally leaving hooks that could be built on down the road. Either way, there's really been no further development of this new backstory, and I doubt there will be until Wanda and/or Pietro get a solo ongoing. I'm still dreaming of a Maximoffs + Minimoffs team-up series.
I know I've said this before, but I believe that a lot of people, readers and writers alike, have misconstrued the Demiurge as something Billy is, rather than something that he does, or rather, will do. You're absolutely correct that it was inspired by Wanda's depiction as someone who can create and transform entire realities. Just like Wanda, however, that level of power is not Billy's natural resting state-- it is a potential for a specific action, at a specific instance, and that potential is what makes him such attractive prey for Mother, a reality parasite who deals in narrative meta, and Loki, a living mythform for whom symbol=power. I know that sounds kind of wanky and subjective, because it is. That's just how Gillen writes, and I know it's not for everybody, but I get a lot out of it. Most of the time. Sometimes.
Anyhow, the idea that Billy is some sort of god-in-training, or that it even makes sense to call him "the demiurge" in the present day, is actually something that emerged in the years following Young Avengers. It was Al Ewing who first suggested that Billy change his nome de guerre to Demiurge in New Avengers, which I believe came out a year or so after YA finished. One of the early arcs in that series was a brief and reductive story about Billy getting possessed by an inter-dimensional chthulu monster called Morridun, so if you wanna talk about writers copy-pasting ideas from Wanda onto Billy...
So, to your point, I agree that it shouldn't get brought up as often as it does. It doesn't have any real bearing on the character outside of the factors which motivated the plot in Young Avengers-- Billy's potential makes him a target for very specific types of magical predators, and America is motivated to protect him because her home world's existence depends on Billy realizing said potential. I think that it served a useful and interesting purpose in that book, but I also think that the story is well-enough self-contained that this concept didn't need to continue following the character. I feel that the more interesting development to take away from YA is that Billy had to contend with the fact that his present style of spell-casting is unsustainable-- it's basically brute force of will, which limits his growth and leaves way too much room for error. He was getting magic lessons from Loki, which should have done for Billy what studying with Agatha did for Wanda-- making him a more mystically skilled character who can contend with other magicians as a peer, not a novice.
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I was deeply affected by Wayward Son. I loved the book but there are a lot of scenes that have stayed with me since I finished reading it and listening to the audiobook. I want the backstory, to fill in the gaps, to know more about those moments that transfixed and viscerally affected me. I’m trying to process them through writing. It’s why I wrote If Only I Was Sure and A Sky Full of Stars. Both of those fics lightly touched on or referenced events of Chapter 17 of Wayward Son but this fic delves into that brief flashback more fully. This was difficult to write. But I had definite ideas of how I thought this scene went and I needed to get them out of my head. I’m still not over this book. Thank you for reading and I hope you like it. This was written as a birthday gift for @krisrix who endured many conversations about these scenes from me and who provided insight and support for my head canons. 
Also I had quite a few thoughts about word choice, magic, and intimacy while I was writing this so expect a meta from me on that topic in the next day or so. 
Why Can’t You See
Simon
I’m sitting on one end of the sofa and Baz is at the other end. He’s got his laptop out and he’s frowning at it while he taps at the keyboard.  
I’ve got my book open but I can’t say I’ve gotten much reading done.  
I’d far rather look at him.  
I savor looking at Baz. Like this. When he can’t see me watching him, when my eyes can roam over him at will, can take in the sight of him freely without having to meet his answering gaze.  
It’s easier this way.
After . . . after everything I just wanted to keep Baz close. I couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from him. It physically hurt every time he left the room. I wanted to hold his hand, feel the chill of his palm against mine, craved the sturdy sensation of his arm around my shoulders. It made me feel safe.  
It made me feel real.  
But it was bloody awful when he left to go back to Watford, to finish out the year.  
There was never any doubt in my mind that he’d go. I’d have fought him if he’d tried to stay away.  
I would have.  
Watford is in his bones, his blood. It’s the last place he saw his mother.  
It’s the last place he was . . . well, he thinks it’s the last time he has truly alive but I think that’s rot. He’s as alive as anyone.  
The only thing that made my days tolerable, kept me from going mad each week, was knowing that Baz would arrive on Friday night.  
Every Friday night.  
Baz would come and he’d sit with me, let me lean into him and not expect me to say anything, not expect me to do anything other than exist.  
I’m still existing. Barely.
It all feels like a dream sometimes. Or a nightmare. What happened. The end of the Humdrum. The end of the war.
The Mage.  
The end of me. Of magical me, I suppose. I’m still here, but I’m pretty much a shell of what I was. Of who I was.  
I’m empty. Of magic. Of power. Of purpose.
It’s like I’ve changed places with the Humdrum. Now I’m the empty one.  
I don’t know how to fill the hole left in me.
I don’t know how to be like this.  
I go to class. I do my school work.  
Well, some days I do my work.  
Some days I don’t do anything at all.
What’s the point, really? What’s the point of getting a degree? It’s not like I’m going to find a job, looking like this. Being like this.  
With wings and a tail and mad sword skills but not much else.  
I don’t know. I try not to think about it but it doesn’t work that way for me anymore.
I can’t stop thinking.
Mostly I think about Baz. About us. About what he means to me.  
I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I mean, I love Penny, but this is different.
This is a fire in my soul.  
And I want him.  
Baz is too far away right now. He’s just on the far end of the sofa but it could be a million miles away as far as I’m concerned.
I want him closer.  
But he’s got work to do for class and so do I. I can’t help stretching out my legs and tucking my toes under his thigh, though.  
It helps me believe this is real.  
To feel him—solid, present, a slight chill to him when I make contact. He doesn’t fade into mist when I touch him.  
He’s real.  
And somehow, he’s still mine.  
Baz turns my way now, a soft smile brightening his face.  
That’s the smile he saves for me.
I never knew this side of Baz Pitch. I never knew the tenderness that lay hidden beneath that finely curated façade.  
Not until Christmas. Not until after .
I smile in response and then drop my eyes back down to my book. There’s only so long I can let him look at me like that.  
Like I’m more than I am.  
I’m not.  
Not anymore.  
And I can’t face that in his eyes. I know that if he looks long enough, if he really looks, he’ll see me.  
Me. Simon Snow. The washed-up failure of a Chosen One.
A Normal with magical parts. A weird freak of a hybrid who doesn’t belong in the magical world and is far too odd for the Normal world.  
I don’t fit. I don’t fit anywhere.
I thought I fit with Baz. There are moments I think I still do, moments when we’re soft and it’s just the two of us and the world fades away.  
Baz still thinks we fit. That we match.  
We don’t. Not anymore.  
(Maybe we never did)
But we certainly don’t anymore, no matter how hard I wish it.
No matter how hard I try to make myself fit.
There are moments, moments when Baz looks at me—when I see the love shining in his eyes, feel the touch of his skin against mine, feel his fingers in my hair, his lips sliding against my own—that I think maybe. Maybe it’s enough.  
But then I remember.
And I know it never will be.  
It will never be what we had . I’ll never be able to be with him that way again. I don’t mean be with him in a sexual way.  
I mean, I do mean that, in a way.  
Sharing magic is intimate. It’s the most intimate experience I’ve ever had. I can’t help but imagine how sex would deepen that intimacy—how magic would enhance it, strengthen it, intensify the moment.  
Not that I’d know.  
Baz and I haven’t had sex. Not really.  
Not yet.
But I’ve thought about it. Not going to lie about that. I’ve thought about it a lot.
I have moments when I think I’m ready to take the next step, to move to the next level with Baz. When I want it so much.  
And then I think there’ll always be something lacking. It will never have that intensity without magic.  
Because I’m not magic.  
I can’t give that sensation back to Baz. He was giddy, exhilarated, drunk with it that night in our room. It was the most enchanting, mesmerizing thing I’d ever seen.  
It was beautiful and we shared it. Together.
I’d gladly relive that moment over and over.  
But it can’t ever be like that again.  
That’s what I’m afraid of.  
That no matter how good it is, it will never measure up to what it could have been .  
With magic.  
And in that moment, Baz will see what he’s missing. He’ll see me for what I am.  
Less.
Lacking.
Broken.  
I don’t want to be seen that way. It’s better not to be seen at all.  
But I still want. I want him so much.  
Kissing Baz is like completing a circuit. It makes me feel whole. Like I felt when I shared my magic. When I inexplicably trusted him with it, with me .  
When Baz trusted me back. Trusted me enough to let me push my magic into him. I didn’t ask. I didn’t really think. I just did it.  
I did it because it felt right.
I didn’t know what could happen. I did it anyway. And he let me do it.  
Every time. I just reached out and touched him and pushed until the magic poured out of me. I let him take what he needed.
My magic felt stable when I was with Baz, when he was directing it, when he was with me that way.  
He’s still with me, but not like that.  
It’ll never be like that.  
It’s like having a dud firework. There’s a spark but it never goes off. You never get the glorious ending you’re expecting.  
I’ve no experience with any of this. It’s not like I really know what to expect.  
Not that Baz does. He hadn’t even kissed anyone before last Christmas.
So I suppose we’re a match of sorts in our inexperience.  
I’d kissed Agatha, of course, but that was never even close to what I felt when I kissed Baz for the first time. Or the second.  
Or every time since.  
I didn’t really think about sex when I was with her. Not the way I do with Baz. I don’t know—maybe I was too caught up in all that was going on to let myself think about it.
Maybe I was too worried I’d go off.  
Maybe I just wasn’t attracted to Agatha the way I am to Baz.  
There is no question I’m attracted to Baz. I’m just as much of a moron as he always said I was, for not realizing sooner.  
For not seeing that there was so much more to my obsession than just trying to figure out what he was plotting.  
Wondering what his hair felt like or appreciating his muscular thighs definitely had nothing to do with plotting .  
It was well gay, is what it was. I can see that now. And I’m fine with it. I am.  
It’s the one thing I’m sure of, how much I love Baz.  
It’s the only thing that breaks through the static in my head. It’s what gets me through the day.  
Loving Baz is what’s keeping me afloat.  
Everything about him. His voice, his scent, the way he says my name, the smile he saves just for me.  
I love touching him. I love running my fingers through his hair, feeling his skin against mine, making him sigh that way he does.  
Watching his eyes go half-lidded with pleasure, his head tilting back, hair mussed and tumbled. Because of me. Because of what I’m doing to him.  
I can do that. I can make him feel good. Sometimes it’s enough to distract him from focusing on me.
There are moments that I touch Baz and I don’t want to stop. I want my hands to speak for me, to say the things I can’t. To show him the love that’s in my heart, that burns in my soul.
I don’t want him to stop touching me then, when I feel like I could go off from the sensations he brings to me, that I could go supernova.  
But I can’t do it. I pull back. I can’t feel the flames of my magic licking under his skin and I want to.  
I want to.  
But it’s not there and all he’ll see is me looking back at him, blank and empty. And I can’t do it. I pull away, retreat into myself.
I’m not pushing him away. I’m just pulling back.  
Sometimes it’s more than that. Sometimes I do recoil from his touch. It makes me feel too much. It’s as if he’s cracking me wide open, seeing every part of me. All that’s hidden.
The broken parts.
That frightens me.  
There’s not much that scares me, really. But seeing the reality of myself reflected in Baz’s eyes does.  
I know it hurts him when I pull away. I see the distress. The concern. The way his touches turn feather light, tentative, cease completely. How he retreats.  
There’s never pity. Not yet, at least.
I want to touch him now. I want to tuck his hair behind his ears and pull his face to mine and snog him senseless.
I want to touch his body, warm his skin, light a fire in his veins, make him feel my love—every pounding heartbeat of it.  
Let him know he is the centre of my world, even if my lips can’t speak the words.  
I would cross every line for him. If I could.  
Baz stays over some nights. I usually sleep better when he’s here. I don’t have as many nightmares.  
Nothing calms me like the sound of his breathing. I missed having another person in the room the first few weeks after we moved in.  
I wanted to tell him. I wanted him to stay. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and imagine we were back at Pitch Manor. Back when things were good. When things were magical.
When I was magical.  
He does stay, some nights. He’d stay every night if I asked him but I don’t.  
I think that would be too much. Too much for me.  
The more he stays over the more . . . the more we experiment. Take small steps to being more intimate.  
Slowly.  
Very slowly.  
With me setting the pace.  
Each time he stays we get closer . . . closer to something. And each time my anxiety ratchets up higher and higher and I pull away and we take a few steps back.  
And then I want him so much and things heat up again and I just can’t do it. It’s not his fault. It’s me.  
But I know he thinks he’s doing something wrong.
I don’t know how to tell him that everything feels right and everything feels wrong and I can’t tell the difference sometimes.  
Not until I do. And then I have to stop.  
I look at him right now and it makes my chest ache.  
I want him to stay tonight.  
I want him.  
Read the rest at ao3.
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littlemisssquiggles · 4 years
Note
Oscar loses control of his hidden powers because of Ironwood testing on him or something. Oscar ends up just like Agatha from Paranorman? Agatha was mistreated because of her powers and ended up being very vengeful , so imagine Oscar being pushed to the edge and just,, snapping. Ruby has to talk Oscar down from this state. idk im not good at writing but i do think it would be an interesting idea
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Ironically enough anon-chan,I’ve pondered a similar concept once upon a time. Considering that Oscar’svoice actor: Aaron Dismuke was formerly the voice of Alphonse Elric from theoriginal Fullmetal Alchemist (before Brotherhood) one thing I’ve been curiousabout is whether or not the CRWBYWriters might introduce elements of Oscar’s story inspired by FullmetalAlchemist.
One idea I’ve talked aboutbefore is one where Oscargoes on a journey inside of his mind in an effort to find Ozpin and bring himback. However upon discovering Oz, Oscar is saddenedto see that the old soul has no desire to leave his isolation from the team. InsteadOz forces Oscar out of his own mind. My rationale for the possibility of amoment like this is for the obvious homage to the moment in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood where Ed finds Alphonse’s human body--- hair long fromyears without grooming and skeletally thin from lack of nutrients - sittingalive before the second Gate.
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However before Ed couldmove further and make a run for his brother, he is restrained and dragged backto his own gate by shadowy black hands. In that moment, Ed begs Al to returnwith him, however the soulless body only responds that he cannot leave withanyone who isn’t his own soul. This later prompts Ed to make a firm vow that hewill return someday to retrieve Al.
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This was a moment I was hoping to seemimicked in RWBY for Oscar and Ozpin’s relationship, especially now that Oz haslocked himself deep within Oscar’s mind. I was hoping for a Journey to Oz subplot for Oscar’s story where he enters a deep sleep, divinginto his own mind on a quest to find the reluctant Oz.
It is on this journey where the audiencegets a visual insight into Oscar’s mind; accompanying the young farm boy as herelives not just the memories of the remaining Wizard’s lifetimes who weren’tpresent in Jinn’s recollection of Ozma’s story (such as the Hermit, the King ofVale and Professor Ozpin) but also Oscar’s memories too.
If not the other Wizards then I would at least likefor a Journey of Oz subplot to reveal more about Oscar---such as his past with hisunknown family (like his aunt from V4). My concept for this Pinehead headcanon of mine was that Oscar is forced to relive his pastthrough his own repressed memories in order to reunite with Ozpin again. Sofans get to learn more about who Oscar was growing up through the cherished memoirsdocumented in his mind.
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I like the idea of Oscar actually attempting twice to get Ozpinto return. The first time he relives most of hismemories from birth to present day, inclusive of two memoriy that reveals twoevents unseen from the audience--- the moment that finally convinced Oscar toleave home back in V4 and happened to him after he suddenly went missing in V6.
Back during V6, there was theorycirculating around the Pinehead community that premised Oscar making a desperate attempt to reconnectwith Ozpin after running away from the Cotta-Arc residence. I actually think this is a pretty neat idea. It would be cool ifOscar tried to get in touch with Oz for some kind of consolation and guidancefollowing his fallout with Jaune.
Of course he’s met with silence; to which Oscareventually gives up and decides to find his own way of dealing with the issueon his own. I like the idea of Oscar trying to reconnect with Oz during hismissing development back in V6 and this actually being what prompted Oz to comeback in a way.
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Like perhaps Oz had locked himself pretty far inside Oscar’s mindat first. But upon realizing that Oscar was trying to reach him after goingthrough his own heartache with the team, this is what kind of makes him stepoutside. He of course doesn’t communicate with Oscar or make his presence knownto him. But it’s enough to make Oz concerned for Oscar. 
So he basically comesslightly out of isolation but stays close enough so that he ensure that Oscaris okay, in a way. I’d like to think that even in wallowing in his own anguishand self-resentment, Oz still can’t shake that side of him that’s paternal and nurturing in nature---having lived lives as both a parent andmentor---both caretakers of young minds.
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I’d like to think that Oscar’s missingdevelopment from V6 sparked Oz to step outside of his solitude for the firsttime since he locked himself away. Again, he remains isolated enough that Oscarcan’t detect that he’s there but still close enough that he can keep a watchfuleye on Oscar. Y’know just in case the boy might need him while simultaneouslythinking he might be better off without him. Like it’s almost like a reflex ina way with Oz behaving like an emotionally exhausted parent who wants nothingmore than to be alone yet they still can’t help but instinctively stay closeenough to protect their kin if needed; if that makes sense.
Anyways, returning to my headcanon,Oscar finds Ozpin in this memory however when Oscar pleads for Oz to come backwith him, Oz refuses. He even forces Oscar out of his own mind, but not beforeOscar makes a solemn promise to bring Oz back.
Despite a saddened Oz stubbornly tellingOscar that he won’t return and there’s nothing he could do or say to change theold soul’s mind, Oscar, determinedly tells him that he will bring him back nomatter what it takes. This is the kind of moment I wanted to see done for theBoy with Two Souls as a nice call back to Fullmetal Alchemist.
The second time Oscar goes in search ofOzpin, he is surprise to uncover that Oz had returned to his tower ofisolation---making things more difficult for Oscar by hiding himself deeperinside Oscar’s mind in a place where Oz believed Oscar would never dare comelook for him.
Not because the journey would be toughbut because it would be too painful for the young boy. One of my long-standingtheories for Oscar’s backstory is thathe suffered a very traumatic event which resulted in the loss of a close familymember who Oscar loved dearly---possiblyhis mother or father or perhaps both parents. I’m still clinging to the idea that Oscarwas originally raised by a single parent prior to living with his aunt with hisdear ole dad now being my number one choice.
Rather than dealing with the heartache and grief thatcame with losing a close loved one and the life he had previously, Oscar suppressed both the memory and his true feelingsdeep inside his mind
, refusing to face it. In asimilar fashion to Ozpin, Oscar supressed the truth and pain that came with hisown past. I like the idea of the two sharing in the loss of loved ones; blamingthemselves for their untimely deaths and feeling as if they had both failed anddisappointed them in some way. 
I like this idea just as much as I like the ideaof Oz making himself at home behind this particular memory of Oscar’s. It’s theone he related to the most with him. Not to mention that it’s the one he knewOscar wouldn’t dare enter past cause he knew, ever since the two first bonded,just how much the young boy did not wish to face this pain.
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But unfortunately forOscar, this was where he needed to go to find Oz and unbeknownst to Ozpin, hehad completely underestimated Oscar’s resolve to bring him home.
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So pretty much the thought is that Oscar must face his most painful repressed memoryin order to find Oz. Just as how our heroes forced Oz toface the truth of his past---in a way, Oscar has to do the same. Face a memoryand truth to his past that he forced himself to lock away since he didn’t wantto face it.
But Oscar goes through with it anyways for Oz. Andfrom going through this ordeal, not only is Oscar able to finally find closurewith the forgotten misgivings and feeling of anguish, grief and guilt from hispast mistake, but it also helps him to better understand Oz leading to the twosouls finds acceptance with one another for the first time since they werepaired. That was my idea for Oscar and Ozpin subplot. Will we actually get thatfor V7? Probably not.
But regardless, I am curious to see howthe Writers resolve the tension between Oscar and Ozpin. I’m not sure if theCRWBY Writers plan on having Oscar andOz merge for V7 or if their intent is to drag this outfor several more seasons.
I mean, I actually believe narratively that V7 would be the perfect chance to have the two souls mergewith Oscar accepting Ozpin as a part of him.
Since V5, it has been foreshadowed that Oscar isn’tthe one to change with the Merge. It’s Ozpin. Ozpin is destined to become a part ofOscar. As a matter of fact, my belief is what will visually happen during theMerge is that Ozpin---the current version of Ozma’s soul---will ultimatelycease to look like his former self and instead, Ozpinwill change to look like Oscar.
After that, he will become a part of Oscar with him inheriting all of hismemories and at long last, Oscar will be whole. The two souls will become onemind. And that one mind will be oneperson and his name will be OscarPine.
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That’s pretty much my idea with that.I’m starting to wonder if Oscar’s story for V7 would involve him and Oz withthe Merge at all. I mean, I’d like for Oz to still be around in the story longenough for him to reconcile things with everyone else. 
However at the same timeI don’t want things to return to what it was like before with Ozpin constantlyeclipsing Oscar’s screen time and development. If these two are meant to mergeand be one person, do it already so Oscar can be one complete character who canthen begin the next chapter of his character development as Ozpin’s successorin Ozma’s Cycle.
Because as much as I like Ozpin as a character, Ihonestly feel like his presence has been a hindrance to Oscar’s progress than acomplement and that’s mostly due in part to how poorly the CRWBY Writers havehandled these two together. 
Rather than striking a perfectbalance between both souls, their individual stories and theirshared storyline together, it feels as if Oz had been riding coattail with theWriters often using Oscar’s face to push his development while Oscar’s owngrowth gets subdued and ignored most of the time. 
It’s part of the reason whyI’m in denial of the Writers’ promise for Oscar development for V7 given histreatment in V5 and V6, especially after Oz was taken out of the story.
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But anyways, enough about that. That’snot really what I’m supposed to be answering anyway. Going back to what I wassaying before about the CRWBY drawing inspiration from Fullmetal Alchemist, Ihave another idea Pineheadheadcanon I pondered about before which sort ofties into your idea about Oscarsnapping from his mistreatment by Ironwood.
Here me out with this one. For the Fullmetal Alchemist fans in the FNDM, do you rememberthe Mannequin Soldiers or the ‘ImmortalLegion’ from Brotherhood?
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The ImmortalLegion were an army of mannequins that onceinjected with liquid Philosopher’s Stone, will attack without fear of death orharm. And to add another layer of tragedy to these beasts, they wereadditionally fuelled by victimizedsouls.
You can kind of guess where I’m goingwith this, right? We know the series had mentioned that Atlas has been conductingexperiments in order to learn about aura scientifically. If this is somethingthat Atlas does then what’s stopping someone from abusing this type oftechnology and research?
As far as we know, Penny Polendina was the first artificial lifeformto produce an aura so one can easily deduce that Pennywas a by-product of those same aura experiments. The only successful one, that is. So, that being said, I repeat the question again. What’sstopping someone corrupted from using this same research to build themselves anarmy of artificial beings powered by aura?
Why am Ibringing this up, you might ask? Wellin the V7 trailer, Ironwood mentioned something about ‘needinga new approach to stopping Salem’. We alsoknow that Penny was originally the first of her kind created to protecthumanity as she told Ruby back during the events of V2 if I’m rememberingcorrectly.
I’d also like to believe that followingwhat occurred during the Vytal Festival, Ironwood probably discontinued hisresearch on aura after what happened to Penny, his first and only successfultest subject from the experiment. 
My hunch is that Penny was a robotic replicacreated from one soul---the harnessed soul of Professor Polendina’s deceaseddaughter. I’d like to think that Dr. Polendina once had a young daughter whowas terminally ill and one her death bed as a result of incurable disease.
My theory is that Penny was born as ameans for Dr. Polendina trying to salvage and preserve what was left of hislittle girl. Penny, by my theories, was possibly Dr. P’s daughter’s secondchance at life for it was her aura that brought this lifeless robotic puppet tolife (I’d also like to think that the Relic of Creation also had a hand in thisas well).  
My hunch is that after successfullyreviving Dr. P’s daughter in the form of Penny, the doctor probably wished todiscontinue his research on aura but it was actually Ironwood who insisted onhaving Penny train to become a huntress for the military. Given how protectivePenny described her father to be, it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case.
While Ironwood probably wished to expand theexperiment, Dr. P simply wanted his daughter back. A daughter he was forced tosee die twice.
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I’d like to think that after whathappened to Penny, out of respect for Dr. P and his loss, the scientist madeIronwood promise that he would never resume his experiments. At least, not withPenelope’s soul. My theory is that, although Penny’s robotic body gotdestroyed, her aura---her soul was still salvaged.
It makes me curious if for V7 we’ll be seeing what anaura looks like when harnessed. Like picture Penny’s soul being kept in somekind of containment jar. Like Dr. P holds Penny’s soul in some kind of jar ashis way of still holding onto his daughter’s life. He doesn’t want or trust Ironwood and his military to use Penny like they did ever again, but at the same time he’snot quite ready to let her go yet. As a grieving father, Dr. P is still dealingwith accepting that Penny is gone and may never come back. And I’d like tothink that this can tie into Ruby’s reservations over Penny’s death andPyrhha’s.
Not sure if the CRWBY Writers are going to have Penny rebuilt and return for V7and the Atlas Arc. But regardless, I think it would be interesting to see Ruby,as the closest thing to Penny’s best friend in the series, deal with her ownmisgivings over losing Penny by bonding with her father. It may even lend to her further development as a Silver Eyed Warrior. But who knows, y’know?
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Keeping all that in mind here, what if…Ironwood,in his desperation and paranoia, gets the brilliant idea to use the researchgathered from the creation of Penny to create a full-fledge army of advancedrobotic soldiers who, similar to Penny, possess the abilityto produce an aura.
Since Salem is an immortal, the notionwould be to create an army that matches her invulnerability. By creating anarmy powered by aura, Ironwood would be able to command his own army ofsoldiers who can’t die in combat. Because they are machines, they can easily berepaired in the face of damage and since these soldiers will be powered byaura, even if the soldier’s mechanical body is destroyed, the aura used to fuelit will remain in tact and could potentially be salvaged and implanted intoanother body for reuse. That’s the idea. Ironwood even goes as part as to this hypotheticalarm of his as the, quote unquote, ‘ImmortalLegion’.
Again, see where I’m going with this,folks? I like the idea of Ironwood making the decision to resume development onAtlas Aura Experimentation as his solution to ultimately figuring out a way tostop Salem. In another version of this headcanon, I painted the impression ofIronwood believing Oscar’s soul to holding the key to stopping Salem once andfor all and was willing to subject the young boy to painful experiments inorder to prove it, even if said experiments could potentially kill Oscar.
In this alternative to that sametheory, I’m going to paint another picture. Imagineif…Oscar is Ironwood’s golden ticket toachieving his Immortal Legion. While Penny provided James with the buildingblocks to construct his army from, at the end of day Penny was only one soulcapable of powering only one robotic body.
I’d like to believe that one limit to auraexperimentation is that while the soul can be harnessed and placed into anotherbody, replicating it is impossible even by scientific means. Even if Ironwooddesired to forge an entire army from Penny Polendina’s single soul, he wouldn’thave been able to achieve this goal for two reasons. One because Dr. P wouldn’thave consented to him using his daughter’s soul in such a manner and secondly,it’s impossible for one’s aura to be surplused as a power supply since auracan’t be copied and no single soul is powerful enough to achieve such a feat. …Orso…Ironwood believed.
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My theory is that in the event of Ironwooddesiring to manufacture an army of immortal robotic soldiers powered by aura,it would be Oscar’s soul he uses to fuel his Immortal Legion. Let’s not forgetthat Oscar may be his own person but he isn’t just one soul either. He is aculmination of his own soul and the souls of all the past Wizards that camebefore him in Ozma’s cycle. Technically by my understanding, Oscar is aura gold mine---the perfect source to fuel Ironwood’s Immortal Legion as hewill come to soon see.
So by my headcanons, Ironwood basically tricks Oscar into becomingsome kind of battery for his army designed to combat Salem. Oscar is kidnapped and forced into undergoing a painfulexperiment that practically rips his soul apart and used it to power awaken anarmy of robotic soldiers powered by Oscar’s soul but all programmed to obeyIronwood.And one of Ironwood’s first orders of business is to use his Legion toattack the JNR_QRWMBY when they become a threat to his schemes. Our heroesstage a full on assault against Ironwood and his military in the hopes rescuingthe captured Oscar. However what the huntsmen discover waiting for them is fardeadly than what they imagined.
The Legion prove themselves to be anexceptionally resilient and formidable foe. Since Atlas is known for its mightand technological advancement, I like the idea of Ironwood creating his Legionto be self-repairing. Like imagine something along the lines of the Legionbeing made from nearly indestructible metal combined with some form ofnanotechnology that results in the machine being able to instantly repair anydamage to its body on the spot in real time as its taking damage.
So even if an opponent aims for the machine’s limbs,the technology infused in its body enables it to easily regenerate and repairparts on the fly as quick as it takes damage. Like something straight out ofclassic Terminator.
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Another justification as to why theLegion prove difficult for our heroes to fight is the idea of RWBY and JNRbeing very reluctant to attack the army since, at the core, the Legion is Oscar.
Since the Legion are powered by Oscar’saura, this makes them connected to him in some shape or form so essentially anymajor harm dealt to the robotic army could potentially cause a chain reactionthat can mortally harm Oscar and none of the heroes were willing to take thatrisk.
So our heroes have no choice but todisarm the machines without destroying them. Fighting their way as a means ofsurviving long enough for, let’s say someone smart like Dr. P to figure out away to dispel the entire army and free Oscar.
At some point during the rescue mission, everyone getssplit up somehow. Let’ssay Ruby, by some means, winds up on her own separated fromthe others while huffing it, trying to outrun a pack of Legion hot on her tail.To add another coat of inspiration from Fullmetal Alchemist, y’know the part ofthe story with Nina, that’s pretty much a meme right now? Y’know how Nina wasturned into a talking chimera by her father and the way in which Ed and Alfigured this out was when the Chimera Nina spoke to Ed and called him ‘Big Brother Edward’.
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Well…picturethis. Ironwood manages to corner Ruby on abridge suspended over a deep canyon. On one side stood Ironwood leading a packof Legion and on the other side a dead end. Not even Ruby’s semblance would bestrong enough to save her since she was too exhausted from fending off theother Legion in her wake.
Ironwood then orders the Legionaccompanying him to kill Ruby. At first Ruby does well enough against theoncoming Legion by managing to dodge their attacks by knocking them off thebridge. However Ruby on her own is no match for both the Legion and Ironwoodwho immediately blindsides her.
With only one Legion remaining, let’s say…Ironwood orders it to killRuby for her insubordination (because atthis point he’s gone off the deep end). However instead of obeying his commandlike before, the lone Legion prepares its weapon to fire at Ruby only tosuddenly freeze.
It’s mechanical red eye starts to shifterratically; flashing between red and a familiar shade of green; as if therobotic beast was warring with itself.
Ironwood screams his orders to killRuby again at the machine and for a second time, his demands are ignored. 
Then ina static robotic voice, the Legion speaks. It says “…Ru…Ru…by…”
Even though it’s clearly a machine imitating a humanvoice, the manner in which it says it immediately lets Ruby know that it’sOscar in there---Oscar’s soul speaking to her through the machine. I mean itwouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard Aaron Dismuke voice a human voice comingfrom an artificial body, now would it?
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Anyways the deviant Legion---that Ishall hereby dub Oscar-Bot---speaks again. 
He says “…Ru…by.Must…not…hurt…Ru…by…” Oscar-bot then looks directly at Ironwood and says “…You…will…NOT…useme…for THIS!”
So basically, Oscar-bot ends upprotecting Ruby from Ironwood. Like after it hesitates to kill her, an infuriatedIronwood forces Oscar-bot out of the way by putting a bullet in the machine’shead. Ruby screams Oscar’s name as the lifeless machine falls to the floor.Ruby cries over this while Ironwood sort of mocks her for it. As Ironwoodprepares to give Ruby her own shot of death, something incredibly unexpectedhappens.
Despite being shot, the Oscar Bot comesback online. The Oscar Bot then tries to stop Ironwood from harming Ruby.Y’know how in Terminator, we have that badass moment where Sarah Conner puts severalshots in the evil Terminator. Well picture something like that where Ironwooddares to harm Ruby but Oscar Bot is determined to protect her.
Ironwood naturally busts a couple ofcaps in Oscar-bot but no matter how many times he shoots at the robot, it justkeeps coming. I like the satire in a moment like this since Ironwood equippedhis Immortal Legion with all the tools to combat Salem and keep coming back asmuch as she could. And now his own creation turns on him and it’s theenhancement that he built into them that’s keeping him from destroying it,basically.
Ironwood eventually shoots at Oscar-bot until he runsout of bullets. By this time, Oscar-bot is already in front of him, toweringover the General. Ruby watches on in amazement as Ironwood tries to fight therelentless Oscar-bot, throwing punches and kicks at him. But the machinedoesn’t go down. The stubbornsoul fuelling its body wouldn’t let up as he was determinedto prevent Ironwood from harming his beloved red rose.
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Eventually Ruby uses the distractionprovided by Oscar-bot to assist him. Let’s say, while Ironwood is about to pummel Oscar-bot when Ruby grabs herweapon and fires a shot that…I dunno…blasts Ironwood’s robot hand clean off itshinge. As Ironwood turns to glare at a cheeky Ruby, smirking as she lowersCrescent Rose, Oscar-bot suddenly strong arms Ironwood, suspending him off theground.
Now picture an unintentionally comical moment where Oscar-bot takes Ironwoodand literally tosses him off the bridge. Ironwood survives, of course, masterfullygrabbing onto a ledge with his human arm. However up on the bridge, this providesa chance for Ruby and Oscar-bot to have a small bonding moment. Oscar-botkneels before Ruby while she in turn slowly touches its face, sort of caressingits metallic cheek.
You know how in the Lost Fable,Jinn described Salem as being able to immediately recognize Ozma’s soul, even when in the body of another, based on their unbridledlove and devotion to one another? 
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 “…Call itmagic or call it something stronger, but in that moment, the two knew exactlywho it was that stood before them…”
I think it would be touchinglysweet for the RosegardeningRosebuds to have this similar parallel to Fairytale in which Rubyis able to automatically recognize Oscar’s soul even when inside another body that isn’t his own. Not even science can mask the true strength of an unbreakable bond,especially when the love shared between is powerful enough to transcend it.
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So in the event that Ironwood does infact use Oscar’s soul to power an army of aura-infused machines, I’d like tobelieve that regardless, the growing connection Oscar shares with Ruby as partof their close friendship (and potential romance) will be what thwarts thisscheme. Ironwood would underestimate the bond these two smaller, more honestsouls share because when it comes to Ruby Rose, Oscar can’t be tamed. Orsomething like that.
I also really like the idea of Ruby notneeding Oscar-bot to confirm that he is Oscar. She already knew since shealready sensed that it’s him in there powering the machine. As the machinerests its head against her chest, Ruby gently whispers Oscar’s name, promptingit to look up for the two to lock eyes.
And in the same robotic voice frombefore, Oscar-bot replies, “…Ru…by.Ruby. Ru…by…protect Os…car. Oscar protect Ruby. Safe.”
Ruby then smiles through tears ofrelief as she hugs Oscar-bot. 
My RosegardeningPinehead headcanon is that Oscar will admit to Ruby thatpart of the reason he enjoys her company is becauseshe makes him feel safe. I also like the additional detail of Rubyreminding Oscar a lot of the beloved relative he was very close to in his past. Before, this person was the one person in the world capable ofmaking Oscar feel most at ease since he trusted them the most. He also lovedthem more than anything in the world.
Oscar strikes me as the type where love and trust go hand in hand for him. I’d like to think Oscar isn’t the type totrust very easily but when he does, it paves the yellow brick road to straightinto his heart that leads the way to him learning to accept and love youunconditionally.
I also like to believe that Oscar isthe type where if you manage to successfully earn his trust and tame his heart, the adoration and devotion that comes with it is unyielding andeternal. Not to mention surprisingly playful and affectionate cause I’d like tothink Oscar becomes more relaxed, easy-going and open once you’ve fully gainedhis trust. Like this side of him is not for everyone. It’s only reserved forthe people he loves the most since he trusts them the most.  
And this is how I believe Oscar will soon come to seeRuby. She is more than just his friend. She will be his closest confidant. Theone he trusts more than anyone else and the only one able to calm him down.Make him feel secure and at peace. The one he loves. That’s my hunch.
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I know you talked about this going badand Oscar snapping anon-chan. Does this headcanon kind of feed into that? I mean it kind ofdoes in a way---yes, no, kind of. At least, it could potentially lead into away where Oscar snaps on everyone through my Ironwood’s Immortal Legionconcept. It can also go a different route where Oscar doesn’t really snap butinside shows more strength and morality as a human being.
I’d love to go more into that further.However…I think I’m going to end things here and reserve that for its ownPinehead headcanon post. This response is already too long so I’ll reserve it’scontinuation for a new theory post since I really like this Oscar-bot and Immortal Legion idea going on here. 
In the meantime, I hope I at leastanswered you as always anon-chan. To you and anyone who read through all of this, please let meknow what you guys think of the ideas I shared here. You folks always pick mybrain for my thoughts so I wouldn’t mind hearing your thoughts on my thoughts.So let me know, cool?
~LittleMissSquiggles(2019)
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treeofonelife · 5 years
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Recently it came to my (scarcely existing) attention that most people think it is bad to love on obscure minor characters in stories. I have never understood why, because...
These characters were written by someone, and if they have enough recognizable characteristics to be likeable (despite they have very little role and dialogue), then you can bet there was effort put in writing them. Laconic is one of the hardest things to write. This means they were worked on by somebody, loved by somebody, and somebody out there (the writer) wishes their care for the character would be shared by others (the fans).
There is no shame in being in for more than big buff serious heroes. These guys need love; they have it bad already with not being The Hero themselves!
Please Do Love on minor characters, because if it becomes something bad or viewed as wrong, writers will stop putting cool, three-dimensional, interesting characters in those minor roles, and then who will we love on? (Please appreciate the logic bomb with ample amount of rotten tomatoes. Thank you. I like tomatoes.)
So here is a brave, but not full list of many minor and often-overlooked characters whom I absolutely love; both in games and literature:
Lord of the Rings
Tom Bombadil
Fangorn (Treebeard, the elder ent)
Bregalad (Quickbeam, a younger ent... by ent years, that is!)
Harry Potter
Gilderoy Lockhart
(and many others, but I believe nearly every minor character gets some love from that fandom)
Aion
Kaoranerk (An inventor shugo who lived in the very Abyss; he said his wife left him because he was too obsessed with his experiments. Sad, sad shugo, nyerk!)
Gestanerk (It seems he is some crime lord at first, but soon it turns out he is an abused enslaved shugo, like all the others around him.)
Hamerun the Bleeder (The mad asmodian smuggler. He provided a rather anticlimactic boss fight, but I wish we knew more about who he is - allegedly even the elyos had some more info on him!)
Lumiel, the Lady of Wisdom (I won't forgive her inventing mechas in a fantasy world, but I wonder if she really turned out to be child-bodied...?)
Freyr, one of the high priests of Asmodae (You walk up to a fellow Named This Way, you know he is the cleric trainer and one of the high priests… The fella is stanging in a central place in the main leaders’ hall. Annnd… he wears a very cheap leather armor, and nearly calls you "dude" or something alike. Gotta love him.)
Diablo III
Covetous Shen ("You try to give a young man some advice, and he assumes you are the Xiansai god of thieves...")
Captain Haile ( "They're all dead and we're not, I call that a win, eh?" Fun fact: you can even find his kids in Westmarch; they are both brave and know how to fight, despite only being around 6 and 12! Yes, they survive, don't worry. Just do your freaking job as a hero, and they'll be fine.)
The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind
Ahnassi ("Ahnassi listens, Ahnassi hears.'')
Galbedir ("Have you been helping Ajira with the bet? Go ahead. I have many tricks of my own. Even you and Ajira together can't stop me from winning.")
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
Gin-Wulm (The master smith in the Imperial City - he is humble, but expects dedication if you want his knowledge. He values his art, and expects you to value yours, too.)
Thumindil (A sailor in Anvil harbour without any quest involvements. He seems to have contracted greenspore at some point though, if we can believe the relevant experiences in Morrowind before that: he shows the symptoms of it with almost medical-book-grade accuracy.)
Thadon (No-one would have guessed that. lol )
Tall-Trees-Falling (The Shivering Isles is home to some really strange people, full of dichotomy...)
Ushnar gro-Shadborgob (“He is on this one's Most Feared List”; from Crucible)
Gan Luseph (The castle healer in Bruma. He is better at Destruction than Restoration, and he isn't very proud of that. This becomes a neat Checkov's gun at the siege of Bruma, where he acts as a backup battle mage!)
Althel (The scout and archer at the fortress of Vitharn. The only one there, who cannot be blamed for their failure in any shape or form. We don't even ever see her alive, but still gotta love her!)
Gaia Online
Brennivin  (I feel for the guy, being foreign and all), and Radio Jack
Ian (and Rufus)
Old Man Logan,
and Agatha.
In my own stories
Caleb Kay (I have honestly no idea what I like on him. I've even tried to kill him off to make sure he doesn’t re-occur just because I fell in love with the character, but even that didn't work. I'm hopeless. I simply love this guy for some indefinable reason, sadly. Maybe it is something with me and crazy obsessed old scientists looking for answers to questions that nobody asked...)
Claude Weller (His aging and mental regress gets used for measuring time by another character once. Minor character status doesn't get any worse than that, trust me. Might as well dye his armor red, and forget his name. And yet, not only he lives to see that happening (because writer loved him enough for that...), but he even reoccurs, and has his own stories and bits of background and lore! He was planned to be an rp character first, before I have realized I am discarded from the rp community here as much as anywhere else.)
Vivain-Sul (Does he even count as a "minor" character? He only exists to die in the story, and yet still has half a page of backstory and more lines of dialogue than any rp-able oc i have ever written about, I think...)
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justfinishedreading · 5 years
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Last month I watched the film A United Kingdom (2016) and realized how little I knew about the history of Botswana. In fact, I realized how little I knew about the history of almost all countries. We’re always so immersed in our own culture that we’re oblivious to the intricate and epic history of others. After the film I thought about a book from my adolescence, a bestseller at the time but one which I’d never got around to reading: The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I ordered a copy that night.
Now Alexander McCall Smith is a white dude, so I’m already failing my newly created goal of trying to read more fiction by authors of colour, however on the plus he does have experience and knowledge of a part of Africa: he was born in Zimbabwe, raised there until the age of 17, and co-founded and taught at the University of Botswana. It is very clear when reading The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency that McCall Smith has a love for Botswana, for its people, their mindset and way of living.
The other reason why I wanted to read this book was because I’m a fan of the detective mystery genre, I will forever love Agatha Christie and I’ve recently discovered the solid brilliance of P.D. James, and the cool cleverness of Scandinavian writers. But Africa isn’t very commonly associated with detective fiction which made The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency all the more intriguing when it was first published. It isn’t an Agatha Christie novel; there isn’t a big mystery that is solved at the end of the book, instead it follows maybe a dozen small cases, each usually resolved within a few chapters. But like Miss Marple, Philip Marlowe, Inspector Adam Dalgliesh, there is a strong yet vulnerable detective: Mma Ramotswe.
Mma Ramotswe is a black Botswanan woman in her early 30s, she is intelligent and capable. When her father dies and leaves her an inheritance she decides to invest in setting up her own detective agency, with her as its only detective. She is physically described as a large woman; her weight is commented on occasionally throughout the book but always in a positive light. This comes partly from the fact that many African countries are more socially/culturally accepting of the larger female figure. Historically in our own western world there was a time when society viewed thinness in a negative light, that’s not to say they were pro-obesity but a skinny woman was viewed as someone who lived in poverty and starvation, a woman with a fuller figure was seen as someone of wealth and leisure. Certainly, that is not the case now, but it’s interesting to see how society’s concept of beauty changes with the passing of time, and we as individuals should try to reject the idea of one universal standard of beauty, be it thin, fat or the many, many forms inbetween.
Speaking as a larger woman myself, it is such a relief to read a book in which the protagonist is large, clever and proactive, her weight is not something to be used against her. In the western world obesity is the latest “bad habit” to crusade against, once we covered smoking, (and heaven-forbid we tackle alcoholism!) we moved onto obesity. Health problems related to obesity are a real issue and there should be support and ways of prevention set up for those who want it. However there is a culture of body shaming which is not helpful or effective in a positive way. Body shaming only does two things: it makes the shamed feel more unhappy and it’s likely to worsen the problem, and it allows the shamer to feel confident and smug.
There’s controversy over whether plus-size models should be featured in magazines and shown as role models. One side believes this is promoting obesity, it is sending out the message to children, teenagers and adults that it’s okay to be fat, specifically unhealthily fat. That is a dangerous message. I understand what these people are trying to say, but in response I’d say that people who are obese, and others who are fat, and others who are just a little overweight, EXIST in the world, and therefore have a right to be represented in culture and media. The same goes for people with disabilities, and shockingly we’re still not including enough people of colour as well.
Time has already shown that a culture that only represents one idea of the “perfect” body type does NOT help the mental or physical health of that society as a whole. For decades the images of beautiful white woman have bombarded our world and instead of obesity going down, it has gone up. Now there’s various reasons for the rise of obesity; lifestyle, change in leisure activities, work, transport, food etc so I’m not suggesting it’s all down to the “evil” media, but my point is that hiding overweight women from us hasn’t helped prevent obesity and therefore there is no reason to exclude those body types -or any body types- from public view.
Which leads me to my final point on the subject: one way of thinking is that if there’s something about yourself you hate, then you should change it. I think that loving yourself is much more important, and beneficial, in the long run, than focusing on hatred and change. That seems like a very general statement but what it comes down to is that we take care and look after that which we love. If society wants to promote health then we have to promote self-love first. Nobody has ever willingly invested time and effort in looking after something they hate.
But back to The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Regarding the mysteries Mma Ramotswe has to investigate they aren’t murder mysteries, they are the mysteries of everyday life, e.g. a woman thinks her husband is cheating on her, a father thinks his daughter is dating a boy without his consent, a head doctor at a hospital believes one of his doctors may be a drug addict, another woman thinks her husband has stolen a car. What struck me the most about The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency wasn’t the things that Mma Ramotswe had to investigate but the way she investigated them, she’s resourceful and bold, she takes matters into her own hands. It shocked me how little involvement the police had, in a few occasions I thought this would be the time to contact the police! And then I realized how we in the western world are so dependent on our police force for everything, while in some countries like Botswana people might be more inclined to take care of things themselves.
This independence is one of Mma Ramotswe’s most inspiring features, she’s in her 30s but has no intention of marrying (WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD), she married early on and that ended very badly. Part of me wishes she didn’t have to have such a sad backstory; we don’t need to give a character a tragic past in order to be emotionally invest in them. But now I realise that it’s important to show how people overcome past hardships and live past that. Similarly, I disliked how a new potential love-interest was introduced, why can’t Mma Ramotswe stay single? Why MUST she marry? Society is so obsessed with romantic relationships. But then it hit me; that instead of having a strong, clever, independent woman stay single – she is so head-strong of course she will remain unmarried! Thinks the public - it is much more important to see that it’s possible for a man to stand by her side and accept her strength, intelligence and independence, to see him not feel emasculated by it.
(Side note: Unfortunately Homosexuality is still illegal in Botswana so this novel focuses very much on heterosexual relationships). TEXT CORRECTION - I’m happy to amend this, on 11th June 2019 same-sex sexual acts were finally decriminalized in Botswana! 
Overall this novel is very good from a feminist point of view, my only criticism, and this may come as a surprise, is that it is very consistently hard on men. It felt like the number of dislikeable men greatly outnumbered those that were respectable. Feminism isn’t about man-hating, it’s about equality, so if I were to read more books from this series I’d like a touch less man-hating and a sprinkle more of women-causing-trouble.
Review by Book Hamster
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shaymcsudonim · 5 years
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Crack SVTFOE Theory
OK, so this has been rolling around in my head since the start of season 3. Most of it is conjecture, but I feel the need to type things out, just the same.
Time Travel Season 4 theory below the cut.
I’ve only seen the episodes, so any extra information/word of god was not taken into account.
All right, so SVTFOE has a history of giving us little-to-no backstory on its antagonists, and that could simply be part of its writing style, I get that. Not everything is spelled out in explicit detail. We have very little idea of how Star and Ludo first became archnemeses, for instance. It couldn’t have just been the wand, because she just got the wand, and I’m pretty sure she and Ludo knew each other before the first episode. 
Then there’s Toffee and his complete lack of anything resembling a concrete motivation.
And now Globgore and him being stuck in a crystal with a mysterious backstory. 
Heck, even Glossaryck (morally-neutral entity who came from who-knows-where) and the Magic High Commission have no real info given on how they came to take the roles they now have. Heckapoo seems like the magic DMV, and Omnitraxus seems like an auditor of spacetime, so they might be more lawful than good, but Rhombulus seems primarily concerned with protecting people, particularly from being eaten, even if he is somewhat overzealous about it. 
For the first two seasons, everything built up to Battle for Mewni, and gaps in the lore could be attributed to foreshadowing, that would be resolved in the third season.
Except... that didn’t happen. Battle for Mewni was great, and Puddle Defenders rivals Mathmagic and Collateral Damage as my favorite episode of the series, but it gave us very little actual information. Ludo’s character arc was great, don’t get me wrong, and the subtext on propaganda was top notch, but Toffee apparently went batshit insane when no one was watching. He stopped Ludo from killing Star, even though she was the one who ultimately defeated him. Heck, he spent probably a year hiding in the realm of magic, only to get his body back and promptly die. 
It didn’t make sense.
And even before that, the Moon flashbacks. Just in terms of writing logistics, ‘show don’t tell’ is a pretty major one, and we weren’t shown any shots of Moon’s mother, or of Toffee prior to his killing her. If things had gone down the way Moon thought they had, the writers should have shown us what happened, rather than merely telling us about the aftermath.
Then the story veered into Eclipsa being the main villain, then not, and just a whole lotta relationship drama.
It could just be writing apathy, knowing that the show was going into its last season, but I don’t think so. It feels like there’s a twist that has yet to be revealed, a hidden dimension to all of this.
Maybe there’s not and I’m reading too much into it, but hey, I was right about Pink Diamond, maybe I’m right about this too.
Anyway, my theory is ‘time travel.’
Ever since Father Time was introduced in Freeze Day, I’ve been itching for there to be a time travel plot, so this is most definitely wishful thinking on my part, but that doesn’t meant it’s not true, just that I want it to be true.
Toffee’s last words were something like, “You think you’ve won? Only I know how this all turns out!”
Which struck me as odd, because he didn’t gloat that much when he was in the magic dimension, and his prospects were much better. He almost seems more enthused and optimistic when he’s inches from death than when he was literally made of magic. Which, who knows, maybe he was just punch drunk, but the phrasing still seemed odd.
What if there’s was some Doctor Who/ Girl Genius ‘I saw the future so I know things will eventually be like X’ prophecy at work. 
I had mostly written it off as WMG, until the first episode of season 4.
And the Beach Day photograph happened. An exact example of the ‘snapshot of the future’ prophecy. 
Since it was mentioned in the first episode, it’ll probably be a major theme of season 4. They’ve referenced it once already, trying to recreate it (and I’m incredibly worried about Tom asking why he wasn’t there. That seems like foreshadowing. I really hope he doesn’t die). 
IDK how many of you guys read the Girl Genius webcomic, but early on, there’s a scene where a future version of the protagonist, Agatha, is seen through a rip in time by one of the (then) antagonists, Bangladesh. Bangladesh wouldn’t have been able to find Agatha without seeing her through the rip in time. We also knew that, at some point, Agatha would find some sort of time portal/time machine. That was a set in stone aspect of the narrative. The story couldn’t end until it had happened. Even in the midst of the Mechanicsburg arc, we knew, in the back of our minds, that the story couldn’t end without time travel. It wasn’t winding down, it was still winding up.
That’s what this SVTFOE season 4 feels like to me. It’s just a hunch, but assuming that somebody in the narrative did have knowledge of the future, and had been working to bring about some glimpse of the future that they saw at one point?
My money would be on Toffee. 
He just seems, incredibly apathetic and uninvested in what he’s doing, and I find it hillarious that he might be working off a checklist.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, the guy killed Lekhmet, he’s no misunderstood cinnamon roll, by any means. 
But I do think that Toffee gained knowledge of the future at some point in his past, possibly from Star and Marco going back to Eclipsa’s time to find out more about Globgore and what happened to Shastacan. 
Possibly Star and Marco will meddle in other affairs shaping Mewni’s history, or just making Star and Ludo meet in the past and become enemies.
I realize that all this is quite the reach, but until I get more data, it’s my working theory.
We’ll see what happens
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jenmedsbookreviews · 6 years
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Today I am delighted to open up the #booklove once more to celebrate the launch of Sandra Imrie’s new book, Connectedness. Happy publication dat Sandra and thanks for visiting my blog. Here’s a little more about Sandra and her books.
About Sandra
Sandra Danby is a proud Yorkshire woman, tennis nut and tea drinker. She believes a walk on the beach will cure most ills. Unlike Rose Haldane, the identity detective in her two novels, Ignoring Gravity and Connectedness, Sandra is not adopted.
Author links
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest
Connectedness
TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, ARTIST JUSTINE TREE HAS IT ALL… BUT SHE ALWAYS HAS A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
Justine’s art sells around the world, but does anyone truly know her? When her mother dies, she returns to her childhood home in Yorkshire where she decides to confront her past. She asks journalist Rose Haldane to find the baby she gave away when she was an art student, but only when Rose starts to ask difficult questions does Justine truly understand what she must face.
Is Justine strong enough to admit the secrets and lies of her past? To speak aloud the deeds she has hidden for 27 years, the real inspiration for her work that sells for millions of pounds. Could the truth trash her artistic reputation? Does Justine care more about her daughter, or her art? And what will she do if her daughter hates her?
This tale of art, adoption, romance and loss moves between now and the Eighties, from London’s art world to the bleak isolated cliffs of East Yorkshire and the hot orange blossom streets of Málaga, Spain.
A family mystery for fans of Maggie O’Farrell, Lucinda Riley, Tracy Rees and Rachel Hore.
About the ‘Identity Detective’ series
Rose Haldane reunites the people lost through adoption. The stories you don’t see on television shows. The difficult cases. The people who cannot be found, who are thought lost forever. Each book in the ‘Identity Detective’ series considers the viewpoint of one person trapped in this horrible dilemma. In the first book of the series, Ignoring Gravity, it is Rose’s experience we follow as an adult discovering she was adopted as a baby. Connectedness is the story of a birth mother and her longing to see her baby again. Sweet Joy, the third novel, will tell the story of a baby abandoned during The Blitz.
Amazon UK ~ Amazon US
Childhood Sweetheart Favourite book from childhood
Little Women by Louisa M Alcott. I guess, like so many women writers, I was motivated by Jo March’s determination to write, despite difficulties and opposition. I was quite sweet on Laurie and couldn’t believe he preferred Amy who I thought vain, superficial and spoiled. I still have my old Collins hardback, the sort with fragile thin paper; I love these books which make reading seem so special. Despite all the remakes, I still prefer the 1949 film – with Peter Lawford as Laurie, June Allyson as Jo and Elizabeth Taylor as Amy – I guess because it’s the one I watched as a child.
First love The first book you fell in love with
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. I still love the series and have all the audio books on my iPod. Actually the first book of the series which I read was Pigeon Post, a present from my parents, and of course after that I collected them all. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read them, always wanting to be a more imaginative John or less flaky Titty. I love their independence, their adventurous spirits, their bravery, their ability to make friends with whoever they meet.
Biggest book crush The book character you’re totally in love with
Adam Dalgliesh. Long before television detectives had to be emotionally challenged alcoholics or depressives, with more problems than their victims, PD James created this wonderful, sensible, poetry-writing, literature-quoting detective with a vulnerable side. One of the last gentleman detectives, Dalgliesh features in fourteen novels written over a period of 46 years. He seems unsurprisingly ageless, a mentor to his crime team, watching, observing, analysing. His inscrutability has a lot in common with Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot though Dalgliesh lacks the grand flourish, that would simply be too out-going for him.
Weirdest book crush Well… duh
Researching art and artists for Connectedness, I found myself drawn to Tracey Emin. I had enjoyed reading her weekly column in The Independent newspaper between 2005 and 2009, so was pleased to find these articles collected in My Life in a Column [Rizzoli]. Her anecdotal tales of her working week, her inspirations and frustrations, her victories and mistakes, gave me an insight into the practical world of a modern artist like no formally-written memoir did.
Hardest break up The book you didn’t want to end
It’s a series, rather than one book. I wish Elizabeth Jane Howard’s ‘Cazalet Chronicles’ would never end. What a master she is of unassuming quiet stories, making you care so much about the three generations of this wealthy family living through the Second World War. The lives of everyone are changed forever but particularly the women in the family; matriarch the Duchy; daughter Rachel and daughters-in-law Sybil, Villy and Zoe; and granddaughters Polly, Louise, Lydia and Clary.
The one that got away The book in your TBR or wish list that you regret not having started yet.
I could be predictable and say War and Peace, which is still on my bookshelf and on my Kindle. But instead I’m nominating Haruki Murakami’s IQ84. I’ve been a huge Murakami fan since first reading Norwegian Wood but the hardback edition of the trilogy is sitting on my to-read shelf. I’m not sure why I don’t pick it up: its length, perhaps [the trilogy is 1300 pages], or the reviews ranging from 1* to 5*.
Secret love Guilty Reading pleasure
Harry Potter. All of them. I listen to the amazing Stephen Fry read the audio books and tend to start with The Philosopher’s Stone and listen to them back-to-back. Why? JK Rowling has created a magical world that feels fingertips away from my own, which I could possibly join if I were Muggle-born. It has everything; good v evil, great fight scenes, wonderful characters to love and hate, and Rowling is so good at the detail and the planning. No fact is included in the early books that does not have relevance in the later books. Stay alert and spot them all!
Love one, love them all Favourite series or genre
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy and now The Book of Dust. Ostensibly for children but which, like an iceberg, both disguise hidden depths of philosophy, thought and backstory enough to satisfy any adult reader. Pullman is excellent at plotting and character. We root for his people in a world not unlike ours, shaped slightly differently and running in parallel, so it is easy to imagine ourselves there. Like Rowling, Pullman is a master storyteller; many adult novelists would do well to read and study him.
Your latest squeeze Favourite read of the last 12 months
The best novel I’ve read in 2018 to date is The Heart’s Invisible Furies by Irish writer John Boyne. It is rare for me to give a book a 5* rating [my usual rating is 3] but I knew quite quickly when reading it that this would be a 5. Honest, sad, laugh-out-loud funny, touching, with paragraphs I just had to read out aloud to my husband. It is about being true to yourself, the need for honesty in relationships, and the power of love. It is the life story of one man, Cyril Avery, but also of a country and its attitudes to sexuality. The story starts in Goleen, Ireland, in 1945; a country riven by loyalty to, and hatred of, the British, at the same time in thrall to its Catholic priests whose rules were hypocritical, illogical and cruel. Cyril narrates his story, starting with how his 16-year old mother was denounced in church by the family priest for being single and pregnant.
Blind date for a friend If you were to set a friend up with a blind date (book) which one would it be?
The two novels I give most often to friends are The Light Years, the first of Elizabeth Jane Howard’s ‘Cazalet Chronicles’ and The Penguin Complete Novels of Nancy Mitford. Both are wonderful books to take you to another world, away from the stress of contemporary life and into the lives of a group of people who you come to care for.
Greatest love of all Favourite book of all time.
An impossible question to answer so I am going to nominate two [if that is allowed]. Both by Jane Austen. A predictable answer, I know, but I cannot lie and choose something else just because other people have chosen Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I love the wit, the observation, the sumptuous descriptions. And then I remember Austen’s circumstances, moving from place to place, dependant on others, watching, writing quietly, and I wonder even more at her achievement. None of the Bronte experience of group supportive writing around a large table. Jane was on her own, without feedback.. Could you do it?
Thanks Sandra. Some great choices in there. I really just get on a read some more of the classics. I’m a very naughty reader. Hope all goes well with your book launch. Don’t forget folks – order links are at the top of the page.
Have a fab day everyone and keep spreading the #booklove.
Jen
  Book Love: Sandra Danby @SandraDanby Today I am delighted to open up the #booklove once more to celebrate the launch of Sandra Imrie's new book, 
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