#it also emphasises growth which is something i LOVE

[pastafossa]

Hey I just wanted to ask a writer question. I really admire your writing and the amount of work and dedication you put into your stories and characters. You are one of my favourite authors ever. I have been wanting to get into writing and I was wondering how you flesh out your characters? For example you have a character that you’ve thought out, do you have a template that you fill in? Or just write a whole bunch of points about the character in a Google doc? I know that question might not make the most sense but I have a few characters that I’ve given quirks and backstories in my mind but I have no idea how to transfer them onto paper? Like Jane from TRT, is there just a big template or doc where you randomly put points into or some other type of organization? I know it’s not an easy thing to answer on text or even something you might not want to answer but even one sentence of advice is much appreciated :) Thank you so much for everything! I appreciate you. I will also put this into the ask thingy if you want to answer on there instead of PM 😁

I've managed to hammer this out in bits and pieces over the moments I've been more coherent so I think I'll make sense. First, thank you so, so, so much! I honestly love these characters so I'm always happy to hear someone likes it, even if I enjoy the work! 😭

Second - I do in fact have a template in doc form that I use to keep things organized! It's one I've been using since I took a novel writing course years ago by a published author, and in one particular class we went over character development, which is where I learned the template. The way I was taught (and the way I develop major characters) - first, even before filling in the template, I figure out their archetype(s). What story role are they filling? Who will they be a foil for? I like to think of those as your foundation, because every character is an archetype of some kind, and you can use that to build them up. To use Jane as an example, she's an antihero archetype, yes, but I've also pulled elements from: the Unscrupulous Hero, the Sympathetic Murderer, the Combat Pragmatist, and the Ineffectual Loner. Compared to Matt's hero archetype, she's the Lancer. Archetypes can help you if you're struggling to build up from the bottom.

Once I have the archetype, I start filling in the Major Character/Hero template, which roughly looks like this (if you don't fill it all right away, that's fine, because there's a step after this to fill it in the rest of the way). I like this one because I feel like it covers VERY important things that a lot of online character profiles skip, and has much less of a focus on looks (which I find way less important from a writing perspective):

Name: Age: Family History: Career: Physical Description: (include things like scars, notable or unusual features) Preferred Style of Clothing: (instead of listing brands, try to instead describe their style of clothing as it relates to their character - ex: Jane wears upper-end pantsuits in muted colors when meeting clients, because they carry a strong emphasis on professionalism; when hunting things down, she wears what is practical over anything to do with aesthetic) Goal: (every character should have one; what are they trying to do?) Motivation: (WHY do they want that goal?) Big Secret: (if it were Jane, it'd be what happened in Los Angeles; so what are they hiding? Keeping to themselves?) Self-image: (How do they see themselves? Are they confident and secure? Insecure and depressed?) Internal Conflict: (what are they struggling with?) Game: (What's some little game they enjoy?) Pet: (if applicable) Temptation: (what's aaaalways going to lure them in?) Vehicle: (if applicable; alternatively, how do they prefer to get around?) What makes them unique: (our fake post-apocalyptic character we made as a class had his teeth sharpened into points to scare people; Jane is often fidgeting with threads; just anything that stands out) How do they speak: (do they speak very precisely? Use lots of slang? Do they have an accent?) Quote: (What quote sums them up, or what quote do they relate to most? I have an entire folder of these for Jane tbh, and some for Ciro as well) Lesson Learned: (All characters should grow in some way, rather than stagnating. So how do they grow? What do they learn through the story?)

Now, this is something I was encouraged to do after the template, and also something I was already doing on my own. Once you have the template as finished as you feel comfortable with, you might feel like you need to develop the character a little further to fill in the rest, or solidify what you already have. The way you can do that? Write something short with this character. It doesn't have to be anything you need to post; it can be based on a short scene, based on a prompt, things like that. I like dumping them into: humorous scenarios, angsty scenarios, and Action Oriented (TM) scenes. Those really help you get into the meat of the character (aka: how they react to teasing/flirting/jokes; how they react to strong emotion; how they react in situations that might cause panic). Basically, it's your way of introducing yourself to them and becoming more comfortable writing them, because often a character might act a certain way in a cold, rigid template, but behave entirely differently once you drop them into a scene. Alternatively, you might get to writing and realize you need to make an adjustment so that they have better chemistry with the other characters. Writing a new character's a dance, and you're both going to step on each other's toes in the beginning, but once you learn how they move, it gets easier. And it helps them develop and grow as you learn about them!

#writing advice #writing #character templates #this is the template i've used for most of my major characters and i love it tbh #i've tried some other ones and they just don't work for me #i feel like they focus WAY too much on appearance which is fairly minor in the scheme of writing #and not enough on things like goals and motivations and who the character *is* #because that's our job as authors #we're here to show you who these characters are at their base level so you can watch them grow #we are here to dissect them so readers can see their squishy insides #or as the author who led the class said: 'your job as a writer is to cause pain and suffering' #and you can't DO that if you don't know the inner workings #so i've used her template constantly since then because it makes that easier #it also emphasises growth which is something i LOVE #because i hate when everyone just stays the same in a story #ok i think that's everything #been writing this up in bits and pieces over the past two week and was finally coherent for long enough to clean it up a bit #now to keep seeing if i can start write writing again

[rustingcat]

Season

Nature can't be controlled. Kara did try on several occasions, but time and the passing of the seasons can't be stopped. She tried that as well.

The babies' growth was nearly complete, and Kara felt like no time had passed while also feeling like it's been ages. Everything was ready for them, and now with a new room available for them in the house, they even made sure that the new home office doubled as a play room if needed. Of course there was the reason for the addition, the reason being Kara officially moving into Lena's room, their room. 

Their new relationship status sure changed some things, she could wake up next to Lena each morning, kiss her whenever she liked, not feel guilty appreciating her – an act she did not even realise she was doing until she stopped – and just got to be open with her, fully open with her, in ways she couldn't before. But then on many fronts nothing had changed at all, their talks, dates, movie nights, their day to day life felt oddly the same, as if they were part way there and just needed the last little shove, which was probably true if Kara was honest with herself.

There were no major life threatening enemies, no major scandal, no political turmoil – all good things of course, but as the editor-in-chief of a major news company, Kara was bored. She was leaning against the office balcony hoping for something interesting to happen when her special alert went off.

The pods!

Kara was so excited about it that she managed to drop her phone twice while trying to unlock it. Opening the special app they made for the matrix, she saw the notification letting her know that pod number two was ready to be opened.

"Nia! You're gonna be a mum!" Kara may have run slightly faster than humanly possible to get to Nia's desk.

"Um, I know?" She replied in a confused tone.

"No, like right now!" Kara emphasised.

"Oh! Shit let's go!" Nia jumped to her feet, collecting things into her bag in a quick succession.

"Want a lift?"

"Yes, get me there as fast as you can! Oh wait, I need the baby bag."

"Brainy left it in the lab 5 days ago."

"God, I love this man. Okay, take me to my baby Kara!"

"Ahhh! Let's go!" She was practically jumping with pure glee.

Kara really tried to make Nia's flight as comfortable as possible, but she may have gone a bit faster than intended out of sheer excitement. Nia didn't seem to mind. 

The pod was indeed flashing green, both Lena and Brainy were already typing away on the console.

"How…?" 

"Teleporter," Lena answered before Kara could even ask.

"Anything we can do?" Nia asked in a plea.

"Kara, get the baby cart and beds, Nia, blankets." Lena quickly took control of the situation. "Brainy, how are we doing on starts?"

"First Apgar seems to be clean. Blood work is perfect and shots administered and I see no negative reactions. She's perfect."

"Alright, get ready for the drain."

Kara nodded, taking a quick x-ray look at the pipes to see they are properly connected before taking her place. They prepared for that in advance, practicing the events several times just in case. They even made sure the room temperature would be slightly higher than normal so it wouldn't contrast too much from the temperature in the pod. The water got drained slowly, revealing a tiny little light green skinned baby with a shaggy brown patch of hair. Kara collected the infant with the soft towel to drain away the remaining liquid and moved her to the blanket Lena had prepared in advance.

Kara passed the baby to her new mother who was already crying before she even held her. Brainy was not faring better, drying away his own tears on his sleeve as he stood behind his wife and admired his new daughter.

Kara shared a look with Lena. They smiled at each other, both relieved everything went alright, and just very thrilled for their friends. Friends who probably deserved a moment alone.

"I'm gonna make some calls to start your maternity leave," Kara announced as she headed to the door.

"I'll call the national city hospital to register her." Lena lifted her own phone from across the lab door." Just before I go, does she have a name yet?" Lena asked still in a professional tone just as she approached the door.

Nia and Brainy shared a joyful look.

"Nellie. Nellie Nal." Brainy announced. 

Lena exited the room with her just as Kara finished sending the mail to HR. She already had hers prepare in advance as well, along with a temporary replacement she was training.

"I can't believe she's here." Lena dropped her professional in control act the moment she met Kara's gaze.

"I know," Kara nodded, her eyes becoming blurry as she pulled Lena for a hug.

She held her girlfriend tightly, focusing herself on Lena's smell and touch to ground herself. They noticed Nellie's faster development early on, they hypothesised it was due to her Coluan genes, so they knew she would probably be born before the twins, but Kara couldn't help but be a little bit jealous she was here before them.

"Alright," Lena wiped away a small tear as they pulled away from the hug. "I should probably notify the hospital," she gestured to the phone and data pad in her hand.

Kara nodded, and put a small curl behind Lena’s ear.

Lena smiled and kissed her softly before walking away to make the call.

Kara filled out a couple of glasses with water and walked back in the lab, hoping the young couple had enough alone time with their daughter. Nellie was laying on top of her mother as her father prepared a bottle for her. Kara melted a bit at the sight.

Nia noticed her first, smiling as she whispered to her daughter. "Hey Nellie, do you want to meet your aunt Kara?"

And there were the tears again. Nellie was perfect indeed. Eyes closed, the little infant waved her little hand with her even tinier fingers and Kara's heart skipped a bit.

She looked at Nia dead in the eye and announced, "she is the cutest little thing ever."

Nia chuckled and agreed.

When Lena returned they did another set of small tests and sent the happy family home.

Lena pulled her closer that night and promised that they'll meet them soon. Kara couldn't wait.

Read everything in order on AO3

#we're getting to the end #are you ready? #im not #send help #supercorp #supergirl #kara danvers #lena luthor #supercorptober #supercorptober2023 #my art #my fic

[nikethestatue]

This is my opinion in the subject of Elain's gifts.

Elain, more than anyone (other than Feyre) has received all kinds of gifts, and from 3 different men, no less.

We have Graysen's engagement ring

We have Lucien's gloves and pearl earrings

We have Azriel's rose necklace

Graysen's engagement ring--iron, with a pearl--spoke of his essence. He was violently anti-Fae, he was a warrior and a protector. His ring to his future wife was made of iron (to 'protect' her, to 'ward off' the enemy), had an impersonal, token gem in it, and it was something that Elain loved, just like she loved Graysen. Her hold on the ring, which she refused to relinquish, was her tether to her old life, to her old self. She cried for the ring, and for everything that she'd lost when she was Made, and she felt as emotional about it as she did about Graysen's rejection of her.

The steel that Elain was once so dependent on for protection now forges her. She is not the same girl who was Made. She is more like her sister Nesta--we see that in ACOSF. This new Elain, the Elain who was Made, dumped, who saw the death of her father, who was in a war, and who killed the king, has a new kind of softness. A steely softness. This Elain don't take shit from nobody. Not from her sister. Not from the IC. Not from Azriel.

When Nesta lashed out at her, she lashed out right back. She is still emotional about those she loves--she cried over Nesta, but she also wasn't going to put up with any more shit. It's not Elain trailing after Rhysand. It's the High Lord trailing after Elain, flying her back and forth and giving her the scenic flyby of Velaris. This Elain says 'by using me' and this new Elain is ready to go and look for Trove objects. "Find me when you are ready," she tells them.

So when Azriel gifts her a beautiful necklace that she loves, and calls 'beautiful' and when she tells him to put it on her and when she offers him to kiss her--this Elain knows what she wants. And when he says 'this was a mistake' the new Elain returns the necklace. Why? Because she is no longer a weepy pushover who let her family or her previous men put her in the corner. The return of the necklace is a prideful gesture, but also an emotional one. She is sad and upset, but she is not going to beg or cry. She let's him know everything that she is feeling when she leaves the necklace on top of the pile of all of his gifts. To me, this speaks of her emotional growth. She isn't reactive like Nesta, but her reaction is sharp and telling. It will be Azriel who will be groveling this time.

Which leads me to Lucien's presents. And here, we see the absence of emotion. She doesn't...care. She isn't angry or resentful, she isn't hurt or upset. She. Doesn't. Care. She doesn't use the gifts because she doesn't want to give Lucien any ideas--no notion of interest on her part, no notion of 'acceptance' of him or his bond. But also, indifference. It's not like she is using the gloves or wears the earrings when he isn't around. She put them all in a drawer and forgot about them.

And I think that's what's so telling about Elain's feelings: to those she cares about, she reacts. She reacted to Graysen, to Azriel, to Nesta...Lucien, not so much.

And SJM, who built entire chapters around Solstice and Solstice gifts, around gift giving and receiving, definitely emphasises Elain's reaction to all of them.

#elain archeron #elain #pro elain archeron

[theflyindutchwoman]

Given recent discussions in the fandom and because I’m curious to hear others’ opinion… would you want to see a Chenford breakup next season?

All right, let me start with my usual disclaimer : this is only my opinion and it has no more (or less) value than anyone else's. And this isn't meant as a personal attack either, regardless of which side of the equation you're in. I actually enjoyed reading other people's takes on this, particularly the ones who want a breakup, to see their perspective on the subject. It was truly interesting (no sarcasm).

To answer your question, dear Anon, no, I don't want a breakup. Mainly because I feel that so many shows go there, so I'm more interested in seeing Tim and Lucy navigate the ups and downs together.

One thing that attracted me to their relationship was their ability to talk to each other about everything and anything. How, despite their differences and their rocky start, they could always confide in each other… Be extremely vulnerable. And that is what I would love to see going forward. How this shorthand they've developed by working together can translate into their personal relationship. Don't get me wrong, just because they are usually good at communicating doesn't mean that it is perfect. It's not. Even before they became a couple. There are some cracks that became more and more visible as the season progressed. The theme of 'honesty' was their main thread in 5b. The storylines involving Sava & Jake or Isabel served to highlight that aspect. To emphasise how lies, deceit and miscommunication can destroy a relationship. Now it could be used as a foreshadowing… Or it could be used as a warning. Tim and Lucy already have a much stronger relationship, so I choose to believe that this could be a learning experience for them. Learn from other people's mistakes, learn from your past (in Tim's case).

Right now, those moments of dishonesty revolves around one common theme : work. Tim taking a desk job without consulting Lucy first… Lucy doing the five-player trade behind his back… Him trying to lie at first that he wasn't bored out of his mind… Her not saying anything about Primm (as far as we know)… Him not wanting to open up about his fears regarding undercover…  Those are starting to pile up and they're going to need to address it. The sooner, the better. Particularly the undercover talk. This has been a long time coming. It's clear that Tim is terrified but doesn't want to burden Lucy with this. And she can sense it. That last scene in 5.21 was (for me) a step in the right direction where they started voicing their concerns. It's nowhere near sufficient. But they stopped avoiding that topic altogether. Like I said, they can be great at communicating… But they can also be their own worst enemies. They're both selfless when it comes to the other… they're both used to do things a certain way. And now, they need to learn how to do these things together. To talk about these moments that may seem insignificant to them but isn't to the other. To stop making decisions for the other. This is quite new to them : as we've seen in the past, they didn't truly open up to their boyfriends/girlfriends. That's something they are going to have to learn together. And that's okay : this is part of the journey of being in a relationship.

Another reason why I don't want to see that is related to the characters' growth. The thing is, I actually could picture Tim breaking up with Lucy because there is a pattern here. If he got it into his head that he is holding Lucy back, an idea already planted by Noah in 5.16, then yes, it wouldn't be out of character for him to break up, thinking it's the right thing to do for Lucy. Which is not that dissimilar to what he did in 5.02 : sure, they weren't together, but it still felt like a separation. Especially since the end of that scene mirrored so well another one from 1.12… when he decided to divorce Isabel. And if you remember, that was pretty much for that very same reason : he was afraid that being with him would only remind her of her time as an addict and bring her down. So he did what he thought would help her the most and decided to divorce her. So breaking that pattern would be a tremendous character development for Tim (in my opinion). Then, there's the fact that this is something they knew would be coming up at some point. This isn't a new obstacle. The episode before they got together had Lucy go undercover. And Tim, even more so than her, knew what he was getting into when he told her that it was worth the risk. He may not have explicitly said it but the implication that she was worth fighting for was right there. So breaking up for something that they could foresee kind of negates those words. And it would play right into Lucy's insecurities. She was so hesitant because she didn't want to lose what they have. She is finally letting go of the fears that prevented her before from fully committing to a relationship… Her certainty in them is absolutely amazing. So breaking up now would hurt her so much. (I focused mostly on Tim here because I struggle to see a reason for Lucy to break up. At least, not if this is related to her career, be it undercover work or her promotion).

Now, that's not to say that it can't be executed in a beautiful way. Sometimes breaking up can help strengthen a relationship, as odd as it might seem. Sometimes it gets too much and taking a step back can offer a new perspective and a fresh start on healthier grounds. Just like sticking in a relationship at all costs can be very damaging and toxic. I mean, take a look at Lucy and Tim in their last respective relationships… They stayed well past the expiration date. But I, personally, would rather see them work this out together. See them 'fight' and argue, like they've done in the past… that very same thing they didn't do with Ashley and Chris. See them all vulnerable with each other, like they've also done in the past. I honestly think the writers could pull off the angst and drama with this storyline, without having to resort to a breakup. But again, that's only my preference :)

#ask & ye shall receive #the rookie #chenford #lucy chen #tim bradford

[time-is-restored]

btw this might be me swinging a bat at a hornets nest but like. absolutely none of my disappointment from the tl finale comes from ship baiting or any relationships that didn’t happen (though to be clear, i think the tedbecca fake outs were meanspirited and served no narrative purpose - in noted contrast to the season's earlier jamiekeeley fakeouts, for example, which were explicitly there to demonstrate jamie's growth + maturity)

tedpendant is a really fun concept for me, and i LOVE the characterisation + thematic potential there!

but as someone who personally resonated with a lot of ted’s struggles, the idea that ted could leave richmond so… seamlessly, for lack of a better word, really doesn’t sit right with me. the thesis of the shows entire first season - assuming it can be said to have only one - was about how everyone needs the love and support of a community, whether that comes in the flavour of someone who hypes u tf up or someone who will relentlessly call u on ur shit (or, as happened quite frequently, both!).

rebecca, roy, jamie are the clearest examples as the characters with the most screentime: they were all deeply isolated and disconnected from the people around them, and that was making them miserable. the connections they made with the team, the vulnerability they finally allowed themselves to express (the ghost banishing ceremony comes to mind!), and them going on to want *more* out of their life are what made their arcs about *progression* rather than *regression*. without that clear theme of compassion + community inspiring positive growth in everyone who encounters it, there is, frankly, no season one.

my personal favourite scene from season one comes right after michelle walks away from ted, when they’ve agreed to get divorced. ted sits down on the bench looking gutted, and a little shell shocked - and beard sits down with him. hands him the drink, and they sit there together. silent, but together. to me, that scene is an implicit promise from the episode, to the audience: ‘it’ll be okay. it’s going to be hard, but ted isn’t alone, and his friends won’t leave him behind.’

it also makes it clear to the audience that ted isn’t the saintly-giver-of-grace who needs nothing in return, as one might assume on first brush, but rather that he’s Also struggling with his own shit (as is everyone, always, in real life!) and he has something he needs from the people around him too.

and looking at the text of s3, and the conclusion to his arc in the finale, i just don’t believe that he got it. he wasn’t just sad that he was leaving (which would be understandable!), he was completely closed off. unresponsive to the people around him reaching out, borderline confused as to why they were trying so hard!

(side note, while i completely respect the read of ted and trents last interaction being rather rude + ooc on ted’s part, i personally read a different motive into it. for me, it was more like… he didn’t understand where trents enthusiasm was coming from? like, he read that as trent being too invested in what other people think of him, and responded in a way that he hoped would emphasise that ted doesn’t *need* to laugh at everything trent wrote, bc trent Already Knows that he’s done something really cool and kickass, and he shouldn’t value anyone else’s reactions above that. basically, based on his demeanour in the episode, i genuinely don’t think it would’ve even occurred to him that trent was more invested in HIS reaction than he would’ve been with anyone else.)

again, looking purely at the text, the show had already established that ted has really strong depressive + avoidant tendencies, as well as panic attacks (largely triggered by his fear of not being ‘good enough’ in various roles, ie: a father). we saw one area he was able to calm HIMSELF abt these fears (worry for henry, which is a Hell of a choice considering the ending…), but in literally every other heightened moment, he had to rely on his support system to help him make the choices that he WANTED to make, rather than ones inspired by avoidance and fear (ie: confronting michelle abt jake, talking to his mum abt why she was visiting + his dads death).

and to be clear, this is a GOOD THING! we’re not supposed to go through life alone, no matter how bad OR well we’re doing. rebecca and keeleys friendship isn’t worth less for all the scenes where they’re both in good places. if anything, the opposite is true - it’s lovely that they both have someone who want to celebrate the achievements in their life!

and fuck it, we’re sure as hell not supposed to go through life with exactly one (1) person whom we expect to fulfill ALL of our emotional needs at all times either! like, im sure i don’t need to labour my point here, but tying everything to one (1) person in ur life doesn’t make u any less isolated than if u were going it completely alone, whether it’s a family member, a friend, or a partner. i won’t pretend to know the first thing abt what it’s like to be a parent, but i don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that no parent would be at their best if they had absolutely no support/camaraderie/general love provided to them from Anyone other than their child.

so when ted is SPECIFICALLY shown to be in a bad place, over and over again (did he come to terms w his fear to be close to henry overnight???????), and then removed from his community? of COURSE the audience is left feeling unsettled, and like the rug has been pulled out from under them. there was no time in this finale dedicated to how ted would still be in contact with anyone from richmond. no promises of visits, or phone calls - fuck, nothing about emails!! according to the text, we might as well assume this is a clean break (and the maybe-dream-sequence does Fuck All to assure us otherwise. if ted doesn’t go to beards wedding, what WOULD he go to????). and since the show has ALSO completely failed to give us even an IMPLICATION of who/what ted’s support system would be in kansas, there’s… a reasonable argument to be made that this is It for ted. that, after two seasons doing NOTHING but attesting otherwise, the audience is supposed to suddenly believe that ted can (and SHOULD!) pull himself up by his bootstraps, and cope entirely on his own.

that, to me, is a betrayal of the show’s premise. we were promised a show about how, no matter how dark things may get, none of the characters would be left to struggle alone. and then they ended the show with ted alone.

i don’t know. i guess if i had to give this post a tldr; if anyone has any gen fic/meta/Literally Anything in the pipeline, i would absolutely love to be tagged/directed towards it. i’ll be endeavouring to write something myself, as well, but it might take a while before i can return to my WIP, lol.

#this is the most measured version of this post i was capable of fghjskdjhgfdgjhsfd #the least measured one is just the aromantic flag with the ‘we are going to beat u to death’ meme overlaid #look ik this is hardly impartial wrt very small + insular communities like nuclear families #but its fucking impossible to go into media analysis and not bring Anything from ur real life in there w u #so im trying to forgive myself for being a little hashtag Vulnerable + Opinionated on main #in the spirit of what this show could’ve been lol #if not here then where etc etc #Ted lasso spoilers #Ted lasso meta #Ted lasso critical #also just to be clear here im being dead serious abt that last point #im spiritually doing the jamie run to demonstrate to u all how badly i want gen shit #please. p l e a s e . #okay wait last ramble here but. this is also why the lack of information we got on trent was so crushing to me #like ur telling me this man went through the incredibly painful + harrowing process of breaking out of his (comfortable! safe) shell + #cynical journalist persona. came out to someone VERY important in his life. and has done nothing but face the music wrt acknowleding #his past mistakes + endeavouring to be better and kinder. and we never get to know if he has ANY support through all that? at all? #is he dating? what's his family situation like? does he have full custody? any friends from work? any friends period????? #like i can should must and will die on the beard + roy + higgins + colins are trents best friends hill but #its like the premise of the show stopped mattering just in time for him to be left in a legitimately depressing limbo #like 'yes everyone needs love + support bc life is rlly hard. but we're tired of making a show abt that so This Is All Ur Getting #+ screw anyone's personal life that u didn't already see in s1. You Know Enough.' #anyway i love u all this is a very silly show and im gonna go play t.o.t.k for a few hours o/ <3

[fierrochase-falafel]

Bare: A Pop Opera song saga- #1 Epiphany

So I've decided to post some of my 'half-analysing half-raving about every song in Bare: A Pop Opera' posts in here because I can. If even 1 person out there appreciates hearing someone's else's thoughts about this, this will have been worth it, because I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this too. Alright! So my thoughts on Epiphany:

Perfect balance of funny, catchy, Christian and angsty for this musical.

The stagecraft is usually very interesting for this number but my favourite version of the choereography has to be the 2004 Michael Arden version solely because of how much they carry and throw him around. Really emphasises how powerless he is against his peers and the authority figures in his life, and makes his character growth all the more satisfying, where he gains the courage to come out but also to understand the true gravity behind coming out. Also it's just so fun to watch!!! Unfortunately most of the lyric changes were a bit of a letdown, the original lyrics are the best in my book. Personally I found the LA version's choreography rooted in one position, leading to less of a dynamic effect- Payson's Peter had a lot more space and freedom to watch them say their anti-gay Christian stuff than Michael's Peter did which made it feel a bit like a strange fever dream rather than a full-on nightmare sequence.

Speaking of the original lyrics, shoutout to "looks around in gym, it pleases him"- it both makes me laugh and is sung SO well. Also shoutout to "dig down deep and save your soul"- the classic dental alliteration and sibilance to really get the message drilled into your skull the way it's being drilled into his.

Also speaking of the original lyrics! I find it very interesting that the phrase, "loves his female singers, loves to cook" is included. It's gay stereotypes that aren't central to Peter's character in any way- we never see him cook or enjoy cooking, and he references Diana Ross once when high. I see this being interpreted in multiple ways- 1 being that he genuinely does love female singers and cooking and he sees those as being signs of his gayness that he must hide or else he'll be found out, or 2 being that he is being really paranoid that something like him being fairly familiar with who Diana Ross is will lead to people calling him gay- even if it's so small it's almost insignificant, in a toxic environment or with high levels of paranoia, it's perfectly plausible he is scaring himself over the smallest of things. It's just very interesting to me.

The ending of the song-- the harmonies are SO GOOD!!! The overlapping harmonies of "bear the cross" culminating in them chanting it more and more aggressively till Peter wakes up is so urgent and fun to watch while also giving the cult-sense of religion gone too far.

There are so many motifs introduced here, like Matt's motif, the Epiphany motif and the Bare motif (the song). It's always really cool going back and relistening to these with the new context you have, and it means so much more when you do. The more you listen, the more you discover!

#bare a pop opera #bare a pop opera meta #bare a pop opera song saga time let's go #epiphany #remember this is all just my opinion #if you like the la choreography then good for you! don't let me stop you! #posts originating from my brain

[lryghe]

MDZS thoughts; adaptation and change

I may be leaning too much into my literature class roots, but I could (and may end up) writing an essay on how the live action version of MDZS ‘The Untamed’ drastically altered just sooo much to do with everything, including characterisation and my personal favourite to rant about; themes and concepts (if you’ve seen ANY of my other posts, you’ll know I talk a lot about this). I’ll have to remind myself to write ‘show’ or ‘live action’ instead of ‘film’ because my literature class has been studying change through adaption of Jane Austen novels into films and that’s really what boosted me to write this. As a preface, yes, this post will contain spoilers from both the original novel AND the live action show, and if anyone has made a post like this before, please link it to me because I would love to see someone talk about it! 

To begin with, the characterisation is both parts my favourite and my worst enemy in the show. The live action completely changed like, everything to do with Wei Wuxian and his character arc. Both the novel and the show provide an introduction to his character based off his flirtatious ways, charismatic personality, and insane talents, but the more the show goes on the more it delves away from the original Wei Wuxian in the novel, who deals with tremendous amounts of guilt and shame for his actions, while carefully trying to keep up his balancing act, before finally just giving up and having his corpses eat him or whatever. It’s such a stupid thing to nitpick I know, but it's so important to the themes of MDZS (which is something I'll talk about later). Because there's a distinct lack of disgust Wei Wuxian feels towards himself for the atrocities he commits, his character deviates from someone who is working towards self-acceptance and penance for his actions, to an upright genius who has never done any wrong, a victim in everyone else's scheming. But that in itself is doing a disservice to him, because he did bad things, he and everyone in the cultivation world acknowledges this, but he worked past that! He died for his sins, he came back 13 years later and actively fixed his behaviours, took responsibility for his actions, and learned to live with himself. Wei Wuxian’s character development is incredibly important, and to make him some type of sacrificial lamb who has always been the victim eliminates half the premise of the novel. That’s not to say that I don’t like Xiao Zhan’s interpretation or acting though! I definitely think he’s incredible and did so good as Wei Wuxian, but the live action is so messy compared to the novel, so much so that it’s quite difficult to get to the core of the story. 

On the topic of acting, I do quite like Lan Wangji’s live action interpretation, because dear lord, physical cues make it sooo much easier to like him (respectfully though, I am Lan Wangji’s biggest fan). In the novel it’s REALLY hard to move on from the fact that he has no outward reactions or anything to say that isn't ‘Wei Ying!’, but the drama did an incredible job of portraying how complex he actually is. Seeing his minute facial expressions in the drama was so important to his growth as a character, and the illustration of his growth and maturity is only emphasised through the live action (especially when they had the screentime to give him individual scenes with his brother to highlight the fact he’s not just a love interest for Wei Wuxian, he’s his Own Individual Character who is so cool!). 

All of MXTX’s works stick to a central theme; redemption. Just think about it for a second. MDZS follows Wei Wuxian and his works towards forgiving himself for his actions as the Yiling Patriarch while also acknowledging that he was doing what he could to protect those he cared about (and very occasionally, himself), Lan Wangji silently standing by him in solidarity. In TGCF, Xie Lian strives over the course of 800 years to forgive himself and finds solace in Hua Cheng and his unconditional love and devotion. In Scum Villain, Shen Qingqiu’s very existence is defined by the grave (read: pickle pot) fate had begun to bury him in upon his transmigration, spending years attempting to reach salvation after the sins the original Shen Qingqiu had committed, eventually realising that he owed it to Luo Binghe to be better, to stay by his side, to help him find peace with his past actions. And unfortunately, this theme isn’t portrayed very well in the live action. The show places far more emphasis on how Wei Wuxian was always right regardless, meaning there was no need for the guilt and repentance. Of course, he deserves the world, and I would pluck the stars out of the sky should he ask (Lan Wangji Momenta), but it doesn’t erase the fact that this is a vital point to his character! He isn’t supposed to be invulnerable and have an instant happy ending! He and Lan Wangji work like dogs, unravelling decades worth of lies, solving a couple murders, ridding the world of a few serial killers, and so on and so forth before any type of safety is given, any type of redemption is reached. 

Which brings me to another key theme in MDZS specifically. The idea of hard work. “Oh, but lryghe, this is such a reach, what are you even talking about?” LET ME COOK! Please! Nothing in MDZS comes easily, ever, which is great writing on MXTX’s part because who wants a novel where everything goes right every single time, and nothing is ever difficult? Things just so happen to work out for every other one of MXTX’s protagonists, but in MDZS everyone suffers for like, a really long time. I’d say about 15 years specifically (counting the war and its aftermath). Similarly to the novel, the live action delves into the idea of hard work and suffering as part of a process to achieve what you want. All characters are actively working towards what they want, they all have clear motivations, and they struggle, horrifically so in places. This is my third favourite thing about the live action, how it actually managed to bring something salvageable to the table in terms of themes and key ideas. Good for them! 

My all-time favourite thing in terms of the live action adaptation is the physicality of it. The characters are right there, and the acting clearly explains their motivations in places. The costumes are incredible visual cues to their thoughts, which is something we don’t see in the MDZS novel since its all from Wei Wuxian’s perspective. I do have to say though, some characterisation moments does in fact piss me off astronomically. Why did Jiang Cheng have to have some type of tragic romance with Wen Qing? Why was Jin Guangyao the one pulling the strings to kill Yanli? I appreciate CQL so much because of this physicality but it could do without some of it I do think. 

I ended up writing an essay. I’m sorry. If only my literature teacher could see me now... Mrs [redacted because what if I get sued?!], please give me an even higher grade on my next assessment, I deserve it. Also, this one isn’t as well thought out as it could have been, you’ll have to forgive me. I am in fact someone who spends too much time writing these thoughts instead of, oh I don’t know, focusing on my classes. 

Words: 1271 

Reading time: 4 mins 

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs #this entire post is about the live action but im still so hesitant to tag it what if the locals attack me #the untamed #cql #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #wei wuxian #lan wangji #tgcf #svsss #mxtx #i think its pretty clear why the untamed had to make some of these changes and it rhymes with “schmencorship” #wei wuxian meat riders pls don’t attack me

[formulatrash]

Sorry for dropping something non-F1 related in your inbox but you are one of the first people I have ever seen acknowledge that in the harsh light of hindsight, baby Ryan and especially Shane do come across as a bit thoughtlessly dickish and insensitive in their older videos.. And how lovely it has been to see them mature into genuinely thoughtful, sensitive people who clearly value each other and what they’re doing all without needing to call attention to it. Your tags are just a nice little tribute to underrated growth <3

never apologise for putting non-F1 in my inbox tbh. (and sorry for not replying to the rest of the SM asks brain has been on low power mode)

idk what went on at Buzzfeed but the men who've come out of it - Ryan and Shane, Steven and Andrew, the Try Guys - have all emerged as very thoughtful versions of themselves. they're goofy idiots, also but I think it's interesting proof that cishet men, in particular, benefit massively from diversity. once they're allowed outside their regimented boxes they don't freak out, they grow.

Ryan and Shane are particularly sharp because Ryan's easy to point to as a no-homo jock but he was also the one least able to hide his emotions. whether that was excitement that he got to tell people about something or pretty deep empathy for the victims and circumstances of cases, which he often seemed quite distressed about even in the early BFU episodes, to the fear that he barely gets a grip on. he didn't have to get taught vulnerability and there's probably all kinds of things from being (relatively speaking) short and a PoC and coming from two different, non-white cultural backgrounds and working on all those muscles cus he seems like he was probably a bully magnet but when he wasn't scared the frat guy mask did used to slip down pretty fast.

Shane was a much worse, IMO, kinda dick in that he had a real or acted superiority complex in that nerdish self-defensive way where he had to be The Smartest Guy In The Room. he often went way over dismissive into outright rude and was insensitive about real-life cases. I don't mean the thing where he laughed at the woman in the Bellaire house saying her dog had been thrown - tbh, I can well imagine having some weird laughter response that was half-awkwardness and half-panicky there myself, confronted with a serious conversation about something that I don't believe happened and in such weird circumstances. I mean he used to be a bit snipe-y and often excessively cynical in a quite invasive way about the true crime cases and the same in searching for a slam-debunk on supernatural. the kind of guy your friend brings to the pub as their new boyfriend and he spends all night telling you everything you enjoy is wrong and stupid.

both of them obviously always had redeeming features and the flashes of them being dicks were small enough it wasn't actually off-putting. there were a few BFU moments where they'd either get snobby about crime-heavy neighbourhoods or have some weird cop-loving moment that gave me the heebs but also: standard 2016.

every time they got called out for shit, they seem to have learned from it. every time they were pushed to consider other people, they did. it turned out even though both of them had massive on-paper dickhead potential, they only needed the tiniest push to tear through that paper and find something much more interested in not just the world and people around them but who they are and what they really like/want to be.

a really interesting thing, I think, is the contrast between Ruining History and Puppet History. in Ruining History (which I really enjoy, I wanna emphasise) Shane is the smartest guy in the room. in Puppet History, he's at best the weirdest. using the Professor as a weird little blue ballsack avatar means Shane doesn't exactly disappear but gets more space to do his strange little bits as a production he creates, not something about him. it obviously has weird roots in the horrors of the Hotdaga and the determination to keep doing a bit whether anyone likes it or not comes from that standoffish superiority but in Puppet History it becomes a sandbox to play in, not an emotional straitjacket.

something I think about a lot is in the nearly-70th episode they have that bit where Shane fucking books it out of the body chute in Waverley. properly terrified, running up the stairs because of a frog or something and Ryan chose not to put that in the episode because he knew Shane being unflappable and immune to fear was a more interesting contrast to his own terror. idk I have a lot of Ryan And Shane And Masculinity And The Contrast Between Nerds (Stupid And Jocks (Also Stupid) And How To Exist In The Venn Spaces Overlapping In Between that are mostly about some complex relationship to my own identity.

(which is def woman but also Stupid Car Boy)

anyway wow I will stfu but basically: the BFU to Watcher pipeline is a very good model for how to be fellas (considerate)

#non f1 #misc asks #ghoul boys

[grandmaster-anne]

The House of Windsor effect

Horse & Hound | Published 10 June 2021

FROM early childhood our Queen was a horse-lover, but no one could have foreseen the immense contribution she would make to all our riding sports.

Everyone who shares The Queen’s passion for horses is in her debt, none more so than my generation, who were brought up during the deprivations of World War II. It was by no means guaranteed that equestrianism in Britain would blossom in the early post-war years of economic austerity. The lead given by the royal family was a crucial factor in the huge growth of riding as a widely popular sport.

We saw Princess Elizabeth, a stylish figure, as a consummate horsewoman in public, when she appeared riding side-saddle in a dark blue habit, at the 1947 Trooping the Colour ceremony, the first since the war. It was an annual duty she has fulfilled ever since, arriving by horse-drawn carriage from 1987. There was always an element of risk in this parade, emphasised in 1981 when a youth fired blank shots near The Queen, who rode on coolly on her horse Burmese, a black mare who carried her for 17 consecutive years on ceremonial parades.

Her marriage in 1947 to the Duke of Edinburgh brought to the nation a level of glamour and excitement which defeated the greyness of that time. Princess Elizabeth received a filly, Astrakhan, as a wedding present from the Aga Khan, and soon registered her own colours: scarlet, purple hooped sleeves, black cap.

Since her teens, the heir to the throne shared the close interest of her father, King George VI, in thoroughbred breeding and racing, but the wider horse world would also benefit from the future Queen’s patronage. Nearly every major equestrian activity would involve at least one member of The Queen’s close family as breeder, owner, or competitor.

DURING conversations over lunch at Sandown Park before the Horse & Hound Grand Military Gold Cup, of which she was patron, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother recalled to me something of the late King George’s passion for riding and hunting: “They were such happy, carefree days,” she said with a glowing smile.

Our Queen inherited her love of horses and country life from both her parents. As well as a recreation, equestrianism is an important royal tradition, going back to the monarchy’s reliance on horsepower in ceremony and war.

The future King George VI won a pre-war reputation as the most polished horseman of the royal brothers, on the polo ground and in the hunting field. As Duke of York he took a hunting box with his family at Naseby in the Pytchley country for several seasons in the 1930s. In 1931 Princess Elizabeth, aged five, rode a pony to see the Pytchley’s huntsman, Frank Freeman, hunting hounds for the last time. As Freeman’s fox went away from covert the Princess was watching on her pony nearby, held by a groom standing next to the Queen Mother. The scene was captured in a painting by the artist Lionel Edwards.

Princess Elizabeth started riding lessons that year with Henry Owen, groom at White Lodge, Richmond Park, and in 1938 she received more training as a rider from Horace Smith who had a yard at Holyport, Berkshire. His daughter Sybil later gave Prince Charles and Princess Anne their first riding lessons.

Princess Anne remembered later: We were both on a leading rein, and we were towed around a cinder ring, never faster than a trot… I thought it was a most grisly waste of time.”

During the height of the war, in 1943, Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret appeared at a local show in aid of Windsor Wings for Victory Week. It was so relaxed that a runaway lurcher stole a chicken from the caterer’s tent, and sat chewing it under the King’s chair.

Princess Elizabeth proved she could drive as well as ride. With her sister as passenger, she competed in the single private driving turnout class with a Norwegian pony called Hans. The future Queen won the cup, and Princess Margaret drove a Fell pony, Windsor Gypsy, to win a trophy in the utility driving class.

The wartime fixture was the forerunner of the magnificent annual Royal Windsor Horse Show, and an example of the thread of continuity in The Queen’s interest in horses.

Racing provided an excellent opportunity to learn horsemanship through watching her father’s horses in training. Although Flat racing was to be The Queen’s main interest, her first victory was in a steeplechase at a Fontwell Park National Hunt meeting where her new colours were carried to victory by Monaveen, jointly owned with the Queen Mother, and trained by Peter Cazalet.

The Queen supported her mother’s involvement in National Hunt, sharing her triumphs and disappointments, the worst being her runner Devon Loch’s collapse when in the lead of the 1956 Grand National.

I have never seen The Queen happier on a racecourse than when she presented the 1986 Horse & Hound Grand Military Gold Cup to the Queen Mother after the third victory of her horse Special Cargo, well ridden by Gerald Oxley, despite a broken stirrup.

It is part of racing legend that on the morning of her coronation in 1953 The Queen was asked beforehand by a lady-in-waiting if all was well, and replied: “Oh yes, the Captain has rung to say Aureole is really well.”

Four days later, her colt Aureole, ridden by Harry Carr and trained by Captain Sir Cecil Boyd Rochfort, was beaten into second place in the Derby by Pinza. Since then The Queen’s horses have won the other Classics, but a Derby victory is still wanting.

With Lord Porchester as her general racing manager, and Sir Michael Oswald in charge of the bloodstock breeding side, The Queen’s involvement in thoroughbred breeding was intensified. She has a profound knowledge of thoroughbred pedigrees, and her expertise extends far more widely: she has successfully bred polo ponies for Prince Charles, eventers for Princess Anne, carriage horses for Prince Philip, plus Highland, Fell and Haflinger ponies, Arab horses…even a project to produce drum horses for the Household Cavalry.

THE Queen was a keen horsey mother, too. She is in the unique position of being the mother of a European eventing champion in Princess Anne, and grandmother to a European and world eventing champion in Zara Tindall.

Princess Anne’s heavy fall with her horse Goodwill in the 1976 Montreal Olympics three-day event was no laughing matter. The Queen and Prince Philip were present, and I remember them racing round to see if she was all right. The Princess was pretty much unconscious, but remounted and completed the course for the sake of the British team. It was a brave effort because she said afterwards she could remember nothing more of the ride.

We are used to seeing The Queen as a nonagenarian riding sedate horses on exercise in Windsor Great Park, but I recall her as a young woman galloping with great zest on Ascot racecourse. She made these excursions with relatives and friends in her Windsor Castle house party on the mornings before racing. As a press correspondent I reported a hazardous occasion when the royal party galloped under the taut wires of the old-style starting “tapes”. The Queen only just ducked her head in time to avoid what could have been a dreadful fall.

As an experienced, natural horsewoman, The Queen is well aware of the risks, but she has persisted in riding hatless on her private hacks. It was not the custom to wear protective headgear, nor was it readily available, during The Queen’s early life, and her unwillingness to abandon this practice has been respected as a royal prerogative in a long life in which private riding has been such a valuable respite from her demanding public schedule.

When the Prince took up steeplechasing, I recall The Queen admitting to feeling “very nervous” before the 1981 Horse & Hound Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown Park. Prince Charles was riding his new horse Good Prospect in the race, falling at the 18th fence.

The Queen said very little, but there was a palpable sense of relief in the royal box when Charles regained his feet. The Prince’s determination was demonstrated when he rode the same horse the following week in the Kim Muir race at Cheltenham, and survived another fall. He had several wins in lesser chases, and was a bold rider in team chasing.

WHEN The Queen and Prince Philip visited our company’s range of magazines in 1978, then produced at King’s Reach Tower in Stamford Street, next to the Thames, Horse & Hound’s editorial office was the first port of call. In those days, the magazine was published on Fridays, and a royal carriage would come to the offices on Thursday to collect three copies for Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately the antis picked up on this, and Special Branch discovered that they were planning to kidnap the horse and carriage, so we quietly switched to couriering the copies by car.

Around that time, I was mortified by what I call “Horse & Hound’s greatest mistake”. I was invited to tea at Windsor Great Park for a polo cup we sponsored, and she asked me what had happened that week in H&H.

She was referring to a picture we had printed of her riding in a parade, but someone in the production team had inadvertently reversed the picture so her legs were on the wrong side of the horse. I was furious despite not receiving a single letter of complaint, but of course The Queen had noticed. I sent her the original, correct, proof in a frame and she was very good about it.

The Queen’s concern for horse welfare has been another major element in her equestrian life. As patron of the British Horse Society The Queen takes considerable interest in its welfare activities.

Welfare was an element in her decision to invite the innovative American trainer Monty Roberts to display his method of introducing unbroken horses to being saddled and ridden in one session. I was among guests invited to Windsor Castle for this demonstration, where The Queen told me she thought his methods were “marvellous”.

“I have seen an awful lot of ropes and straps being used in the old methods of breaking in a horse,” she said – and some home-bred royal horses were later “entered” to riding by Monty.

Apart from a great deal of fun, what else has horsemanship conferred upon the royals? Prince Philip pointed out the character-forming benefits of riding, as originally expressed by the Elizabethan dramatist Ben Jonson: “Princes learn no art truly, but the art of horsemanship. The reason is, the brave beast is no flatterer. He will throw a prince as soon as his groom.”

The “great leveller” was Prince Philip’s perceptive description of the horse. He wrote in an article for Horse & Hound’s 27 May 1977 issue, celebrating the Silver Jubilee: “Having a family which seems to be equally willing to be humiliated by the horse, I have to live with the expectation that they too will suffer injury and indignity.

“The only advantage of the personal experience of this sort of thing is that I am not surprised when it happens to them, and I am full of sympathy and useful advice for treatment and recovery.”

Prince Philip continued to drive a carriage well into his late nineties. Our Queen is still riding as a recreation – long may she continue to do so.

Pictures by AFP via Getty Images, Alpha, Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images and Getty Images

#queen elizabeth ii #princess anne #princess royal #prince philip #duke of edinburgh #queen mother #king charles iii #queen camilla #article #h&h

[almalvo]

On Finishing DS9...

I have now finished Deep Space 9.

And I am extremely.... utterly....

d i s a p p o i n t e d .

HOW IT SHOULDVE ENDED BASICALLY:

jadzia never dies

there is NO "ezri" because jadzia never dies.

worf gets to redeem himself with being a better father this time

alexander jadzia and worf get to be happy together as a family of four

did i say jadzia never dies?

jadzia never dies.

we get to see some happy rom justice From being nagus

but also wait even NOT AS NAGUS itd be SO COOL to see him be A CHIEF ENGINEER TOO OR SOMETHING CUZ HES EPIC AT THAT AND LOVES THAT STUFF, BEYOND JUST A SMALL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN A PRIOR EPISODE??

quark gets to get some kind of reward and staple growth rather than barely budging from his bartender status since s1e1

quark MORE EXPLICITLY shouldve grown out of his sexism and traditional ferengi ways better than they "had" him in the show - like i get not EVERYTHING has to be "dynamic" but come ON.

wouldnt mind if quark actually gave at least a totally clean pat on the back for rom - but i wont emphasise this too much. even vice versa wouldve been cute...

quark and odo should have an even better friendship now, with at least a DIRECT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO EACH OTHER

odo never leaves

odo and kira stay together, happy and beyond the need for the accursed link - as odo HIMSELF SAID HE FINALLY FELT HE FOUND SOMEWHERE TO BELONG VIA KIRA AND DS9 LIKE IDC HOW MUCH CONNECTION HE FELT WITH THE LINK HE'S LITERALLY REFUSED IT A BILLION TIMES JUST TO COME BACK TO KIRA LET IT STAY THIS WAY GOD DMNNNIT

kiras had so much DEATH around her throughout her life, let her be HAPPY WITH ODO???

the link gets f'cked.

odo decides to GET the link f'cked as he DECISIVELY MOVES ON FROM IT CUZ THIS IS WHAT ODO WOULD DO ESPECIALLY SINCE HE GOT DS9 AND KIRA LIKE WHAT WAS THE POINT???

the founders LITERALLY KILLED 800 MILLION + LIVES FROM THIS WAR THEY SHOULD GET FAT F'D TO DEATH WTF

female changeling shouldve died - BARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT

Vic Fontaine should've gotten his own permanent holo-suite so he can live his life continuously.

keiko should have gotten ACTUAL STUFF TO DO (not even just ending)

o'brien never leaves ds9

o'brien and bashir should be better friends now TOGETHER ON DS9 especially after that kind of confession from bashir when in Sloan's mind

maybe through o'brien bashir can find happiness in not necessarily having a "boyfriend" relationship - same goes for quark and odo

BENJAMIN SISKO DOES NOT GO OFF INTO PROPHET REALM/BASICALLY DEATH UH NO NO NO

YOU CANT JUST LEAVE JAKE, WHO HAS ALREADY LOST HIS MOM, TO NOW LOSE HIS DAD TOO, EVEN IFFF KASIDY IS THERE NOW LIKE WTF???

the long awaited gul dukat vs ben sisko end-showdown was a LET-down - there should've been 20 MINUTES TO IT AT LEAST INSTEAD OF LIKE 2 SECONDS???

there should have been a real engagement between kira and gul dukat where kira gets some DAMN JUSTICE FOR HERSELF AND BAJOR

SAME WITH KAI WINN - kira shouldve HAD HER WAY against kai winn besides the passive alternative they went with - not saying violence and fighting is necessarily always the better kind of ending but let's be real this was deserved bro ugh.

the ending conflict SHOULD NOT EVER EVER EVER have been THAT EASY with a single linkage making the female founder just "oop nevermind im done with war lets go be happy together and stop killing people hahaha no biggie" LIKE BTCH WE NEEDED TO SEE THE END OF THE JEM'HADAR OR LIKE BETTER YET MAYBE EVEN A LEGITIMATE INTERNAL IMPLOSION OF AN UPRISING OF THE JEM'HADAR REVOLTING AGAINST ITSELF AND THE VORTA AND THE FOUNDER LIKE WE BEEN SEEING THEM HAVE THIS CAPACITY AND DEFECTION IDK IF THIS WAS A DEVELOPED ARC THIS SO COULD HAVE WORKED - the cardassians took this role instead, which i dont mind terribly but man ugh

the ending was so STUPIDLY rushed like WTF IS THAT - idc if there were network issues or conflicts or paramount exec disputes or cancelation - makes me so sad it ended like this like HORRENDOUSLY rushed

the ending flashback montage of each character in ds9 only featured clips from MOSTLY the later 2 MAYBE 3 seasons, NOT very well comprehensive through seasons 1-7 - but main issue is that IT IS NOT EARNED. NOT. EARNED. WITH SUCH A HAMFISTED SHORT AF ENDING.

i know you can complain and be like "well at least this show GOT an ending, unlike unfinished TOS cancelation at S3" but like bro ds9 got a greenlight for an ending 25th episode so why structure the arcs to be this long and drawn out and have almost next to NO pay-off ugh

ALSO TOS GOT A WONDERFUL CONTINUATION IN THE CINEMATIC SEASON AND ENDING IN STAR TREK VI

WHY TF IS E V E R Y O N E LEAVING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

NO ONE LEAVES.

ONE BIG HAPPY DS9 FAMILY.

In conclusion, Deep Space 9 did not have a canonic ending,

and F u, Berman.

#what a HORRENDOUS ending #all characters were done dirty #extremely rushed #idc if it is because of possible cancelations or execs or paramount or whatever #what is this fat BS. #this is a T E R R I B L E ending. #nah #i am 100000%%% ignoring this ending. #ds9 DID NOT end this way. #nope. #f the canon #this aint canon no more #disgusting #wtf #ds9 what you leave behind #ds9 #deep space nine #deep space 9 #star trek #almalvo #i hate all of this. #all of it. #zero chance of redemption. #this episode does not exist. #so pointless. #the ACTUAL ending is: #nobody dies #nobody LEAVES #i got through 7 seasons for this. #this ending never happened.

[hurremshiv]

What are your thoughts on Safiye?

I think Safiye was an awesome and interesting character and we should have seen more of her life.

I think that Safiye was a really interesting character. It's very easy to characterise her as someone solely motivated by her own power, but she does also genuinely care about her children. As seen by both her reaction to Fahriye's death and her rescuing baby Iskender when Mehmet III took the throne. It's not explored as much as it could be, but Safiye is a deeply traumatised person and it's clear that the massacre when her son took power affected her deeply. This doesn't mean that she didn't use her children as a way to get power, but there's a lot of complexity to her there.

Her relationship to other powerful women is also very interesting. She admires Hürrem even though she never met her. And the version of Hürrem that she looks up to is very telling: her power, influence and ruthlessness. Something which is only one facet of who Hürrem was. Her core humanity was also always a significant theme for Hürrem. And while she hid that from others, she never tried to lose it altogether or give it up completely. Meanwhile her humanity is something that Safiye feels the need to bury far deeper than Hürrem ever did. Warmth, fire, love and passion were all key to who Hürrem was. Whereas Safiye boasts that her heart is an 'expensive stone'. Colder, less moved by emotions but worth more (in her view). This reflects how so much of Safiye's original identity has been lost. And that's not entirely her fault either. Mihrimah was using her in her scheme against Nurbanu. And because of this Safiye had to lie about her past: saying that she was a Baffo and a Venetian when really she was Albanian. So her whole identity as 'Sultana of Sultanas, Safiye Sultan' is something that she's built from scratch. And these experiences honestly make it understandable why she's such a girlboss rights activist. Because her whole sense of who she is is so tied up in that. So it makes sense that she's the most regal Sultana. I'm glad that the show writers made the use of her historical correspondance with Elizabeth I, and I'm glad that it fit so neatly into this aspect of her characterisation. And I think Elizabeth the cat fits this so well. Because it highlights this and also adds the associated connotations of royalty that a cat inherently has (they're related to lions, and cats just have an inherently regal air to them).

She's also a deeply tragic character in her own way. The series opens with her having had to bury her true identity, (by implication) having suffered at Nurbanu's hands and lived through the cull of the heirs. And her death scene is framed as tragic and is probably one of her most humanising ones in the whole show. The point about her self-created identity gets emphasised by the fact that she dies as she takes the ring off her finger. Showing how dependent her identity and self-perception were on her status. And her whole speech to Kösem about the significance of the ring adds to this. And it shows how she also views the Sultanate of Women almost as a Dynasty in and of itself. Which emphasises her more regal attitude than hte other Sultanas as well. Which comes back again to that theme of how she has constructed her identity. And I'm glad that all of this was touched on because it gave such a sensitive approach to her death that I thought was very appropriate.

Finally, I do think she was somewhat done dirty because a lot of her life and therefore character growth happened between the end of MY and the beginning of MY:K. We never see her evolution from the concubine who's essentially a pawn in Mihrimah's power scheme to the powerful and ruthless Sultana she is in MY:K. I think there would have been a lot of complexity to explore there, and the fact that never got to happen did her a disservice. We were robbed of a Nurbanu vs. Safiye show.

#safiye sultan #magnificent century: kösem #magnificent century #answered #illusorybeing

[theskyexists]

But actually NO. The whole point of that encounter, of the guy-ness of that encounter is that it is full of potential - here is a girl and she's amazingly beautiful and SUDDENLY THERE, doing something intriguing. She's interesting - more importantly - maybe she likes HIM. The possibility of being liked is attractive in itself i think. Which is extra potent as a guy meeting a girl bc duh. It being a faint and growing surreptitious and persistent hope is also appealing and much more gay. But it being a clear and natural possibility is very straight and can also be really powerful - IF the dynamic is interesting i.e. the hook is believable, the characters are worthy of each other (they are both powerful in some sense...) I could not recreate that for my scene though... And what is it that i do not like about its implementation here? The assumption that it is instantly natural maybe - but that is also enchanting. Mismatch in looks and subjectivity? But maybe the second thing is actually necessary. The first thing COULD be intriguing. In this case it's just me finding them both eh but dude worse. A mismatch in looks could be great (but I dislike how it is generally implemented, as women are so often only allowed the power of their feminine looks and being desired) A mismatch in subjectivity could make the object more powerful or mysterious.... Or sweet. That is not the case here. That is certainly not recreatable. BUT a tension between outward mystery and power (self-control,maybe even danger, admiration is an important basis for love) and internal ... flusteredness/desire AND tension with resentment. I've overemphasised pity. Which is rarely good to start with... Taking her seriously is important...

Yes I DO think it is very powerful to emphasise instant attraction in a romance - on both sides. It's only better if it is not acknowledged or not recognised or twisted by other emotions. This can be perfectly twisted with an assumption of NATURAL (masculine-feminine) possibility but prevented by its impossibility of propriety, only to be twisted by GAY impossibility (gender role trouble, resentment), which through cultural alternatives is actually not that impossible at all (discovery), though still impropriety, trumped by the surreptitious growth of feelings !!!!!!!!

Yes. Kuyi should interpret her flustered feelings as a response to roko as danger, desire over what she cannot have turning into pain (in three different ways in a row), the flinch after a horrible life, quiet fury over feeling powerless, jealousy, desire to hurt, confusion over positive emotions, (still rationally collecting observations?) acting against her conscious thoughts.

Roko should interpret her flustered feelings as a confusion, as anti-characteristic, and does not recognise her feelings,but it needs that fresh SPLASH of INEXPLICABLE attraction which is actually quite explicable. They are mostly positive feelings. inexplicable tenderness, admiration, intrigue, surprise, OBSESSION, relatively unconflicted.

#tianze #my stuff

[molly-timmins]

Her Heirlooms in my Garden

Corban Estate Arts Centre

4th November - 11th December

I'm involved in a group show that opened this week at Corbans art center.

I exhibited alongside:

Quishile Charan

Cora-Allan

Debbie Harris

Hollie Ryan

Ashleigh Taupaki

Exhibition text:

Gardens cultivate connection. They are sites dedicated to the growth of flowers, fruit, plants and often, spaces created and maintained through hours of physical labour and love. They provide not only produce that is shared amongst families and close communities, but also hold enjoyment and treasured memories for those who frequent them.

Her heirlooms in my garden includes works by a group of contemporary artists who explore gardens specifically as spaces for maternal connection and the sharing of intergenerational knowledge with their Mothers, Aunts, Nanas and Grandmothers. Through embroidery, textiles, ceramics, painting and mixed media, the artists in this exhibition tenderly share their personal experience as the recipients of the flowers and precious heirlooms cultivated within the garden.

My own reflection of the show:

A tenderness can be seen throughout each work in this exhibition. Quishile Charan's Phool (Flower) is a first example, welcoming the viewer to a broad sized embroidery hung by bamboo. A collaborative element is hinted at with it's scale and craftsmanship, which is revealed to be through wahine close to the artist including her Aaji (Grandmother.) The hand-dyed yellow border coloured by onion peels collected by many loved ones, and sensitivity to the thread, places a value within this artwork as a celebration of women both close to the artist, and those who have stitched similarly in the past. The small, laborious stitches have not been rushed or upscaled to 'fill' the space for the exhibition - instead, the work shows an unfinished project to be worked on over many years. The empty space speaks just as powerfully as the stitched areas, because atop the carefully prepared surface is to become a journey for Charan who describes her 'textile landscape' as an 'ongoing exchange of care between myself and the ones I hold closest.'

Cora-Allan cherishes the memory of her nana in Heirlooms from her garden on Hiapo. An unfinished piece of tivaevae stitched by her nana is interwoven amongst drawings of flora from Niue. The maternal relationship of gardening and craft is highlighted, with the collaboration honoring the passing of knowledge between generations.

Ashleigh Taupaki also honours the intergenerational relationship with her own grandmother, depicting three of her floral hats alongside bronze casts of flora that are edible natives.

Debbie Harris and Hollie Ryan both depict floral arrangements in their sculpted forms.

Harris' ceramic flowers are installed in a planter box, highlighted both the similarities and differences between the shiny artworks and real botanics. An alien obscurity appears in some, with tall forms dripping in bright glaze crowned with a petal arrangement. Other sculptures emphasise the natural formation of a flower, appearing in a naturally grown shape despite it's surreality.

Hollie Ryan's beaded works apply a more naturalistic depiction of floral forms, with moments capturing the flowers essence very convincingly. The use of beads creates glittery idealisation, or decoration, which places referenced flower in the same context. Copper woven through the glass beads allows for bends and curves, with clever inclusions of unopened buds and naturalistic leaves. There is a tension between the representation of something facing inevitable decay, and it's immortalisation in such a decorative display.

My own work uses embroidery to depict archival photographs of my grandma's glasshouse and garden. Two of the works do this as a direct translation onto linen, whereas the third captures the colour palette of 'Bromeliad and Orchid Glasshouse 1971' in abstracted marks. In that work, dense groups of repetitive stitching aims to blur the colours, resulting in a painterly, impressionist effect which moves with reflection of the light.

Gran was a bromeliad grower, and a painter. She passed away the year before I started making art, and the work I make today tries to resurrect this lost connection. Stitching her bromeliad tree that I remember running around as a child, and the glasshouse that mum knew in her childhood, is a way to spark a bond with my grandma about our common passion for art and honour her memory. 

Her gardening legacy is carried down through my Mum’s bromeliad nursery and luscious gardens, and much like the intergenerational teachings of gardening from mother to daughter, I seek to find parallels of the craft of stitching taught with the same tenderness. 

Relating to my masters:

This has been a great group show to be part of, celebrating wahine who are depicting gardens and craft in their work while honouring the women before us.

The work that I presented relates strongly to my Sanderson exhibition earlier in the year, however the core ideas have shifted within my MFA work. Where this work focuses on intergenerational teaching and ideas around craft and feminism, I am now focusing on viewing the garden as a broader concept and how this stands within contemporary Aotearoa landscape. Although my own heritage and relationship with bromeliads informs many aspects of the work, I am now stepping away from personal anecdotes being clear to the viewer.

A big change is that for my MFA I am now focusing on paint as a medium as opposed to the inclusion of embroidery and textiles. It is helpful having this embroidery experience as research however, as some of the ideas in relation to art-world hierarchies and feminism certainly overlap with my current research. I see it as an ongoing thread in which one idea leads to the next, so I'm sure I will return to embroidery in some capacity soon.

#artwork #install #semester 2 #text #gallery

[theflyindutchwoman]

Hi! You know something I never really got? And maybe it’s just me since I don’t have anyone to talk about this show 😅 but I never understood why Tim suddenly wanted to drop the bet in 4x07. He was all in, even going along with the woman’s flirting so Lucy wouldn’t get a chance to win. Mayhaps with the whole Nolan almost dying he thought there were more important things to worry about but I don’t know, it wasn’t really all that clear. Maybe you have a take on it?

This is also how I understood it. As you mentioned, up until Nolan's run-in with that serial arsonist/killer, Tim was all-in : he was the one who asked for a rematch when Grey called their first competition a tie. Or was trying to bribe Nell to get a leg up on Lucy despite mocking her antics (as if she didn't learn from him).

I believe that Tim's decision to call off the bet was intended to showcase his growth : this is why there were a couple of callbacks to the Roundup from s1 (starting with the reference to Nell). So that the contrast would highlight how much he had changed. Back then, the competition mattered so much to him because he was stuck in the past in some way. But that was no longer the case by s4. He was moving on. He was healing. And as much as he still loved a good competition, some things mattered more. The reasoning behind his decision was that 'Police work is too important to turn into a game'… which was very similar to what Talia used to say : 'This is why I don't play. 'Cause it's not a game'. Lucy's reaction, asking him 'since when did [he] become the noble one here?' was a way to emphasise that growth.

But I agree with you, it probably would have been clearer and less confusing if we had seen the precise moment that triggered this change of heart. Was it Nolan's abduction that reminded him of Lucy's? Was it when they were all beside themselves once they realised his disappearance? As it is, Nolan's part almost felt like a different episode : we didn't get to see the team's reaction until the very end, at the hospital. Had we seen their perspectives, it probably would have been easier to connect Tim's decision with Nolan's fate. Even a longer conversation in the hallway with Lucy could have worked. There was just a little something missing to make all of this slightly more natural.

#ask & ye shall receive #the rookie #chenford #tim bradford #This episode was on my rewatch list for today hence my little delay in the answer dear Anon #But I'm always happy to talk about the show so don't hesitate ;)

[everythingsouthasian]

My Liberation Notes further emphasises my bias towards side characters/secondary MCs in a well-written story. While Mi-Jeong is definitely the lead, most relatable to the audience, I cannot wait to see how her siblings' stories unfold instead... And Mr. Gu, of course.

Mi-jeong is a very layered character, feels trapped in the rigmarole called life and has a visceral need to get liberated, that much is evident. But her story, at least for now, ends there. She is, at the moment, only showing growth in her scenes with Mr. Gu. Neither her lone friend, Hyeon-a, nor her colleagues or family, add any value to her storyline in the present narrative (I know, I know, we’re only 4 episodes in).

Ki-Jeong & Chang-Hee on the other hand, there’s mystery still around them. They have that big chaotic energy(TM), more character to their personalities, and are more flawed than Mi-Jeong. Of course, there’s also the one subjective trait—stronger performances from Lee El & Lee Min-Ki respectively. 

Now, I’ll be honest, I’ve never liked Lee Min-Ki in the few series that I’ve watched of his (well, one really, that I dropped because I was turned off by his flat acting), but here, he surprisingly brings Chang-Hee to life. This is the first time I’m actually seeing him act and act well, and that comes as a pleasant surprise. It makes Chang-Hee more endearing to me. I also relate to his low self-confidence and just general social anxiety. He wishes he were more approachable, but doesn’t know how. I actually don’t find him to be obnoxious, but more like that stuck-in-the middle sibling, who is trying to find himself in (and a way out from) a brazen elder sister and a mature/moody younger sister sandwich.

Coming to Lee El, she is the most compelling to me, to be honest. She has a MAGNETIC screen presence that I don’t see in the other two. I think the only one who matches it, is Son Seok-Koo (interesting trivia, they’ve acted together in another series, although I don’t think they were paired in it). She is full of herself, judgmental (he is your best friend’s younger brother and a single father, you don’t want to get into this), doesn’t read the room well enough, which often lands her in trouble, keeps whinging about love and men, wants to look pretty (don’t we all?), and wants something to happen to her for once. Hidden under these antagonistic traits is a pure heart that does not want to intentionally hurt anyone or think ill of anyone, it just wants to beat. It’s the little things the writers have done right with her character that make for a fascinating watch.

I want to see how the other two siblings get on, more than I am interested in Mi-Jeong. Then there’s Mr. Gu, who warrants a whole post for himself <3

#my liberation notes #kdrama #meta #yeom ki jeong #lee el #yeom chang hee #lee min ki

[cassianandfenrysaremyboyos]

I'm thinking about the Azriel chapter and I'm not gonna lie it's disappointing, this is a character I adore and thought better of and it's not what I imaged him to be. I can't condone his behaviour, but it's also only a tiny snippet of his thoughts and not the whole of who he is. And I have to trust that we're getting this small specific perspective of him for a reason? And I think some of the words Sarah uses are interesting. Like it's interesting how Azriel thinks about how the cauldron chose three sisters, two of them for his brothers but not one for him. And that's where the issue arises with Elain because the entitlement and the idea that he deserves Elain purely because of that is gross. But the idea he has stems from something much deeper. Which is that he wants what they have, he wants the mate, the connection. Rhys and Cassian get to be with their loves. Feyre and Nesta choose them. But the person Az loves (Mor) doesn't choose him and I think he knows will never choose him so he channels that energy towards Elain in an unhealthy way. And I think this behaviour points to Azriels jealousy, yes but moreso his insecurities and fear.

Fear of being left behind, of being left out, of no one ever loving him.

He has deep seated insecuritues that affect his self worth and what he thinks he deserves. The whole chapter really emphasises his own self loathing, especially in the way he thinks of his own scars/his hands as being dirty.

And his thoughts towards Lucien in particular are another interesting choice because they scream insecurity. I think Az see's how decent Lucien is, how good a male he is, as well as the mating bond, something he wishes he had to match his brothers, and he's threatened by it. He puts on this brave face like he's not scared of anything but when you remember that Az spent his formative years being abused, being told he was nothing and no one, and the one thing he had was his power. His thoughts towards Lucien kinda make sense, in that him lording his power over Lucien is the one thing he can grab hold of and say this is something I'm good at, because he doesn't think he has anything else of worth.

But instead of dealing with all these feelings, he focuses on the instant gratification of his desires for Elain as an avoidance technique of sorts, to avoid actually dealing with and processeing his emotions, his jealousy, his fear, his feelings for Mor, how he views his own self worth, his feelings of inadequacy, his childhood abuse, and how they all influence his ideas of love, relationships, intimacy ect. Things which deep down he longs for but doesn't think he deserves? So as much as I don't like his thoughts in this chapter, it's hopefully a starting point to propell his growth forward and finally deal with his feelings and break free of his toxic thinking and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Like I think that the way he thinks about Elain is inappropriate and I'm not trying to justify it at all because I can't, I'm just trying to consider Sarah's reasonings for his behaviour?? and that he's thinking about Elain at all, and his happy thoughts towards Gwen at the end of the chapter could indicate him starting to accept that Mor is out of the picture and be a first step forward idk.

This Azriel chapter really only makes any sense if Sarah is going to expand upon Az's story in more detail and give Azriel his own journey in one of the next books. Like this only makes sense as a starting off point for his character to grow. Otherwise the chapter is pointless and leaves Az at a low point which didn't make him look great. But I know he's more then what this snippet gave us.

#idek what this is #just rambling thoughts of me trying to process what's been done to my az and why #azriel #acosf #acosf spoilers #a court of silver flames