Tumgik
#they deserve to have futures that aren't defined by death
illusivesoul · 9 months
Text
Why Rendon Howe is evil
This is a little theory thats been going around in my head for several days.
Rendon Howe. Evil personified. Probably one of the most despicable and hated characters in the Dragon Age series. One of the characters thats most easily defined as being just plain bad and evil, with good reason. Even in the game itself no one likes him (with 1 exception that I'll mention later in this post)
Tumblr media
In the game, we really aren't given many reasons as to why he is the way he is and why he does the thing he does beyond saying he's evil, power hungry, and like he himself says as he dies, "I deserved more!" But recently I started to become curious about him to try to find out what had made him become like this, cause I prefer villains to have some complexity that goes beyond just "He's evil just because".
Rest of the analysis under the cut.
.
My main theory of why I think Rendon became "evil" is cause he may have suffered brain damage due to his injuries while fighting against Orlais with Maric and his rebels. My first thought for this came cause historically, Henry the 8th of England suffered several brain injuries during sporting events, and its believed that his injuries led to him having a severe personality change, which led to him become more radical, tyrannical and murderous.
After the death of his father and the Howe family joining the rebellion, Rendon joined Maric's forces and became close friends with Bryce Cousland, future Teyrn of Highever, and Leonas Bryland, future Arl of South Reach. The 3 of them fought together in the Battle of White River, which was the worse defeat the rebels suffered in the war against Orlais, and only 50 of the initial thousand soldier strong fereldan army survived.
Rendon was very badly injured during the battle, and Bryce and Leonas had to dragged him away to safety as the rebel army was crushed by the orlesians. Bryce was injured in the arm while trying to save Rendon from a chevalier. They got Rendon to Redcliffe and stayed with him for a month while he recovered before leaving to rejoin Maric and the rest of the rebel forces. While Rendon recovered in Redcliffe, he was tended to by Leonas's sister, Eliane, until he eventually recovered months later. He eventually proposed to her and they got married.
And here is the first bit of evidence we get of Rendon's attitude and behaviour completely changing after that battle and his wounds. From the wiki: "Leonas had become concerned by the changes in his friend's behavior since the battle and attempted to prevent the marriage." And some other quotes from Leonas that we get to her in dao: "Rendon Howe was no friend of mine. The boy I knew... died at the Battle of White River" and "That he didn't die years ago is the only thing worth mourning here." Leonas cut all contact with Rendon after he told him that he was only marrying his sister for her dowry and connections.
This goes back to what I mentioned earlier about the one person that seemed to care for Rendon. That person is Bryce Cousland.
Bryce and Eleanor were the only people that attended Rendon and Eliane's wedding, and even though Rendon was treated as a pariah by almost everyone in fereldan nobility, Bryce still maintained a friendly relation with Rendon, and seemed to have an almost protective attitude towards him, which contrasts greatly with how Leonas feels about Rendon. And this is where I came up with another theory about why this is. I believe that Bryce feels personally responsible for the injuries and near death that Rendon suffered during the Battle of White River and feels that he is somehow obligated to look after him. I can only hc why these could be, but maybe Rendon got injured while protecting Bryce, or maybe Bryce's actions during the battle led to Rendon's injuries. Maybe that's why Bryce seems to have keep pushing for the friendship that he once had with him, even though he clearly no longer was the same person. Cause Bryce felt responsible for the way Rendon had turned out.
Its possible that Rendon was just always like this, and those months he spent recovering just made him become super resentful against everything and everyone, but I do believe that the near death injuries he suffered during that battle, including possible head injuries and brain trauma, led to his personality changing and to him becoming the sheer villain we see ingame.
And to finish, a bit of background as to why Rendon would have hated Bryce even despite of this, here's a bit of info about them and about the relation between Highever and Amaranthine.
Tumblr media
Rendon's father, Tarleton, supported Orlais during their occupation of Ferelden, and was eventually hanged by the Couslands before the Howes officially joined the rebellion. Adding the fact that Highever was once part of Amaranthine before they rebelled to gain their independence and annexed a good part of southern Amaranthine after winning their independence war, it adds some context to how Rendon could have seen this part of his greater vengeance against the Couslands and Highever for killing his father and taking away land from Amaranthine.
TL,DR: Rendon Howe suffered grieveous injuries during the war against Orlais, including possible brain injuries which may have led to a complete personality shift and to him becoming the person that we see him being in the game.
186 notes · View notes
wandering-koyote · 3 months
Note
Im using this chance to scream about my mortal kombat hot take that turned into a rlly long ramble (only loosely related bc its about two normal humans lol):
Everyone says Cassie and Jacqui shouldn't have been in MK11, since Cas has had the main character spotlight in MKX and Jacqui has the personality of cardboard, while Takeda/Jin are more interesting. HOWEVER I actually think they deserved to be in the game 500% more, but that Netherrealm completely fumbled them. Jacqui more than Cassie, like horribly so.
Both really need something 'unique' about them, and MK11 was that chance, but instead Jacqui is just. A plot device really. She only exists to support other character arcs and be a borderline macguffin for Jax to have motivation- her own damn tower ending is her dying to further someone else's life. MK11 should've given Jacqui something to define herself a bit more in the story! Some kind of plot!! Cassie's story is sorta interesting, but Sonya coming back kinda dulls the impact of Sonya, yknow, dying. Hanzo's death is more impactful since his character arc was just wiped, Sonya doesn't get that. The whole "you're my mom who just died but not yet because you're from the past and im really conflicted about this" angle was, as my dad who watched me play said, "really fucked up" (in a good way imo), but they really only confined that to one scene. If you're gonna go at that angle, put ur whole pussy into it babe!!!
Takeda/Jin have more than enough to separate themselves from their parents, so yeah Cassie and Jacqui really needed an extra game to grow. Unfortunately they didn't, they're just kinda static. So im delving into personal story ideas!
Cassie would've really benefitted from gifted kid syndrome- girl just killed a god and saved the world, mk11 shouldve rlly leaned into the idea that shes pulling herself apart to try and keep being the main character. Kid of Johnny and Sonya, god killer?? Make that shit keep her up at night. Make her take charge in every situation where the older characters aren't there, make her self sacrificial, make her want to be the hero not because she wants that fame again, but because earthrealm is notorious for crumbling without someone to protect it and she cant bear to have anyone else shoulder that weight. She did it once, she can take it again. Then make Sonya die doing exactly what Cassie's doing, sacrificing herself for the mission and for Earthrealm.
Then she comes back, younger and a little less hardened. I think it's infinitely better if we flip the whole "ur my mother" thing- make Sonya conflicted that this is her child who is writhing in agony over her mother's death and Sonya isn't sure what shes meant to do. Everything screams to go and comfort her- its her DAUGHTER for crying out loud, but how would Cassie react? Would it only make things worse? What the HELL did her future self do to make Cassie look at her with such mixed emotions? It's mentioned a few times that present Sonya valued work heavily over her family, and that it got worse and worse over time, so i think it should culminate in a scene where Sonya from the past tells Cassie that her future self was wrong- the mission isnt everything, and she has family she needs to look out for. I think it'd mirror the Johnny's well too, since old Johnny literally beat the shit out of younger Johnny because he refused to take his (future) family seriously.
Jacqui on the other hand? She just needs her own damn arc. Keep Jax becoming a bad guy, thats fine imo, but touch on the mother's death and Jacqui's feelings about it. Her damn MOTHER died and the story is completely "ohhh jax became a bAD GUY ABOUT THIS" and I don't even think Jacqui gets to like, I dont even think her death is mentioned around Jacqui at all. I think just adding a few scenes between present Jax and Jacqui would fix a lot. Have the two not talk since her death; Jacqui really wants to talk about it, acknowledge what happened and try and heal, while Jax is ignoring her attempts and distancing himself (depression) and simultaneously trying to protect Jacqui. Replace the Kronika and Jax scene with a scene of the two in a fight, Jax trying to tell Jacqui to leave the military and dodging any conversation about how badly theyre both hurting, while Jacqui is pissed that he's shutting himself off and is basically regressing her into a child as a way to cope. Jacqui leaves in a huff, and Jax alone going "please, i just want to protect my little girl", queue the clicking of the grandfather clock stopping the tears freezing midair. Dont even show us the conversation, just hard cut away- the fight tells us everything we need to know about why Jax is doing what hes doing. I think that ALONE would help with Jacqui a lot (we've acknowledged she has feelings about her mom's death and that she has a conflict with her dad going on now), but going further you might be able to replace the cassie/raiden scene with JACQUI instead. Have Jacqui be upset that Jax is so deep in grief that hes joined the bad guys, and that she cant even tell what type of person her father is anymore. Is he the father that pushed her on the swing when she squeeled 'higher!', who hugged her so gently with his metal arms, or is he the man he is now, joining with criminals and thieves and murderers in the name of her 'protection'? Is that who he's always been? Have Raiden tell her that it doesnt matter who her father is, but who SHE is. Is she the type of person who give up on her dad? Or will she look him in the eye and tell him "I love you despite everything" and fight to save him?
Jax and Jacqui should reconcile before the boat scene entirely so they can get a plot beat to just talk. Too much action for a pause in the boat scene. My timeline of events is iffy but maybe this can happen at the Tiara scene- iirc Cetrion LITERALLY threatens to kill Jacqui and Jax is STILL on Team Kronika after this. CMON. Have Jax switch sides and attack Cetrion when she tries killing Jacqui- Past Jax is a bit iffy to me as an addition to the scene, he doesnt rlly add anything. Have Jax snap out of everything at the realization that its not the military putting Jacqui in danger, its HIMSELF. Have him admit hes wrong, and the two finally get a moment to grief (even if briefly bc the world is dying again). Have Cetrion note this interaction too. Whens the last time her mother ever hugged her like that? When was the last time they grieved the loss of Father? Even MENTIONED Father? Is Kronika even her mother beyond just the name? Hot take but have Cetrion try and betray Kronika at the end of the plot because of this moment, and Kronika goes "lmao no" and absorbs her essence anyway.
VERY LONG ASK I KNOW BUT I NEED TO GET THIS IDEA OUT!!! It also adds a layer of theming around family and love, something thats vaguely there in MKX and MK11 but its like. Hidden and an afterthought. Jax protect Jacqui bc shes family. Cassie is grieving the death of a family member. The villian is the mother of two other villians and kills one and discards the other. Cassie and Jacqui deserve better thats my message im here all night folks
Yesss! The family themes need to hit hard! This is why I’m sad they rebooted when we could’ve had more familial growth, but maybe we’ll get it in the next few games 😭
I don’t have much input because I agree with so much (if only I could ring up NRS and get you hired)! BUT IM POSTING CUZ YOU COOKED FR FR AND NEED RECOGNITION 🔥🔥🔥
15 notes · View notes
ohhalefire · 1 year
Note
002 pleeeeeeease for Sterek!!! 😍
Omg this one's gonna go DEEP into this, so buckle up~ Under the cut because this answer is ENORMOUS. And I think I wrote a minific at the end there?
When I started shipping them: Oh, probably somewhere around the release of Abomination? Like, I saw their chemistry before then and thought it was cute, but that's not enough to make me start actively shipping a pairing - I have to get emotionally invested in the way they come together within the confines of the plot for that to happen. Even then, it wasn't like, my be-all-and-end-all, true-OTP, ship-to-end-all-ships ship until all the way to Derek's death and evolution. That look back that Stiles did? That ENDED ME and now I have never looked back ✨
My thoughts: Thoughts?! THOUGHTS?! This question has just casually asked me to write a novel 😂 tl;dr I loved the way Stydia came together (y'all know we stan Stydia on this blog here, too!), but honestly, if that relationship didn't stay stable long-term - and as much as I love them, I'm not sure it would - I imagine Sterek's eventual coming together in Stiles' like, mid-to-late 20s being a relief of long-held pressure, like a dam breaking. Somehow, Stiles and Derek seem stable together, like they could hold up each others' broken parts.
What makes me happy about them: See above. They seem like exactly the right people to support each other in dealing with their exact traumas. They both feel alone in very specific ways - and together, they don't have to be.
What makes me sad about them: That the writers (and/or the showrunner, and/or the network, etc) chickened out of, at the very least, explicitly using the word "bisexual" in referring to either of them, because, uh. That's clearly what was happening onscreen. 😂
Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Okay, so. This is absolutely petty. But tbh, I look for correct and/or deliberate use of punctuation? 🤷‍♀️ I'M SO SORRY TO EVERYONE. I just both read and write in a very rhythmic, musical cadence inside my head (maybe it's a musician thing?), and a lot of that rhythm in written content is defined by punctuation. If it's off in some way, I often find reading sort of... disorienting? It's like my eyes can't relax as I read. Even something emotional, deep, thoughtful, well-plotted or well-paced will still be sort of unsettling for me to consume if there are repeated, consistent errors in it. That said, incorrect punctuation used on purpose for the explicit reason that it affects the rhythm of the words is somehow fine? I AM SO SORRY i really don't wanna be that snob, but 🫣 obvs i fuck with punctuation for like tumblr jokes or whatever but that cadence my brain reads as almost a different dialect and also we do this for like one sentence at a time so it's not as bad
Things I look for in fanfic: That it's complete, doesn't have too many background friendships that aren't canon, and hopefully that it punches me in the chest with that sweet, sweet emotional pain 🧡🧡🧡
My wishlist: I just want a fully canon-compliant future-fic that gives them the ending they deserve? 😂 Most of the fics I've read that have come out since 2017 are AUs, and while I love me an AU, what my soul really desires is like, a well-resolved, plausible way for them to come together in-universe. Of course all of this gets thrown out the window once the movie drops and we'll all need to start again with all our headcanons but whatever
Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Stiles with Lydia, obviously. Derek... Derek only has Stiles and Paige, and Paige is dead. So like. He'd have to get some character we haven't met, I think, to be truly happy without Stiles.
My happily ever after for them: Lying in bed, morning light streaming through the window in god-rays, catching the golden dust in the air. Both are awake, on their sides, looking at each other but almost afraid to touch, despite everything that's happened to get them there. Quietly, haltingly, as if unwilling to disturb the moment, they begin to talk through every missed connection, every "almost", every misread moment of longing since the very beginning. Together, at the same time, they work to help each other understand: I've wanted this for years. I just didn't believe I deserved you. And they have a lifetime ahead to convince each other that they do.
Send me a fandom/ship/character and I will tell you...
7 notes · View notes
astrovagrant · 4 months
Text
zari thots and things abt her worldview that will make me look iasip-level insane if i go into it:
1. relationship to art as a mangled reflection of self-worth (the need to be discrete and immutable amd objective and have pre-determined context - because her relationship to and conception of "art" is FUNDAMENTALLY flawed due to a few critical factors - as opposed to interpretable, multi-lateral, shifting both in form and meaning. prism. shifting colors. why are you trying so hard to be black and white.)
VERSUS
2. concept of change or evolution being both the driving force/thing she's holding onto and the flail she keeps herself in line with. stability is both a luxury that other people get but not her (bitter), but also if she fails, if she doesn't grow, if she refuses to take opportunities as they come, then she deserves what she gets. because she doesn't have a choice. and she's made her peace with that* - the caterpillar turning to goo before something else can kick and gnaw its way out of the wreckage. she needs to be powerful. she will do what she has to to get there.
*lying to herself but not in a way where she's cognizant that she Is lying. bc there IS nothing else. there can't be.
and then there's the... has never set a boundary that's been respected so never knows how hard to react to things she doesn't like and opts to wanting to Never look like she's out of control or vulnerable. there's the So So scared of so many things but pain and death aren't among them - related to (2.), but the earnest belief that she won't learn until she's suffered, that it's an integral part of the process, that she'll deserve what happens if she makes a mistake - ESPECIALLY if she makes it more than once.
and then there's the other things - that rules should be sidestepped, loopholes slunk through, but you can't break or evade a system if you don't understand it. that nothing in nature - magical or mundane - "doesn't make sense", it's instead her knowledge of it that's flawed. that she doesn't understand what people mean or feel when they discuss love. that there's a version of herself she needs to work towards who is unaffected by the world, and is merely an objective observer of it, a recorder, an analyst. that her needing other people is only a physical reminder of her weakness - that one day, maybe if she's perfect, maybe if she's powerful, maybe if she's what she needs to be, she can exist completely on her own. and she can complete her Goal on her own, and then she'll be free! on her own. because she has never planned for any kind of future outside of The Goal.
she is patient inside her goal and shortsighted outside of it - why bother? all of her passes over the whetstone are intended for one final shape and purpose. may that at least always be Her Own and not her being a pliant agent of someone else. please. she's spent far too long being Pliant. existing because someone else allowed it - needed to use her for something. she just wants to belong to and be defined by herself and no one else, and to owe nothing to anyone, even if it's only for a brief moment.
that's not how it works, of course - life isn't just this narrow hallway of pre-defined and singular loneliness, holding no one's hand and thinking you're better for it. but maybe she'll learn that too.
0 notes
stalwartlaw · 1 year
Text
Best Brain Injury Lawyers in California
Tumblr media
Traumatic brain injuries, and similar injuries, are devastating. Selection of which lawyer to hire to defend you or a loved one in Brain Injury Litigation is a serious affair. If you've suffered a brain injury, you need legal representation from someone well-versed in the medical and legal subtleties of brain injury litigation to get the specialized care and financial compensation you need to heal and make plans for the future. Your chances of winning your case and receiving the treatment and money you deserve significantly increase if you hire a skilled litigator who is caring and understanding toward you and your loved ones but who is fierce and unyielding in court. You must have confidence in the law company you hire to help you and your family weather the storm.
Stalwart Law Group has extensive experience in traumatic brain injury litigation and is well-versed in the life-altering repercussions our clients confront due to their injuries. We make it our business to learn about you and your loved ones so that we may provide representation uniquely suited to bolstering your situation legally and personally
WHAT EXACTLY IS A BRAIN INJURY?
Whether regulating our breathing, heart rate, capacity to wake up, or even how we feel about ourselves and the world, the brain is the most powerful organ in the body. When the brain is injured, it can't repair itself very well and usually stops working correctly. Due to variables such as injury severity, brain plasticity, brain area, and even brain hemisphere, it is impossible to predict the outcome of any patient who has had a brain injury.
In the United States, around 2 million people have brain injuries yearly.
Examples of such things might be– 
Non-congenital, non-degenerative, and non-traumatic brain injuries, all of which are acquired brain injuries.
Electrical shock, near-drowning, chemical exposure, neurotoxic poisonings like lead or carbon monoxide poisoning, stroke, and infectious diseases like meningitis and encephalitis are all examples of non-traumatic acquired brain injuries.
Acquired brain trauma can result from a fall from a great height, an assault in the workplace, a gunshot wound, or even participation in a contact sport like football or soccer.
Some of the possible deficiencies that may be gained along with the damage include:
Language barriers, both verbal and mental deficiencies in the recall
change in one's ability to smell or taste
Symptoms include ringing in the ears or diminished hearing,
Vision impairment, Coordination, and balance problems
lack self-regulation, whether, of feelings, actions, or both
Disrupted reasoning
Sequencing issues; trouble arranging ideas logically
Inability to recognize one's strengths
Affective disorders, such as depression and anxiety
Brain death is defined as the inability to breathe on one's own.
DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH BRAIN INJURIES
Coma is a state of unconsciousness caused by brain damage that lasts longer than 24 hours. The coma may lead to a minimally conscious or chronic vegetative state.
Consciousness issues aren't the only thing that can go wrong after a brain injury.
Caused by brain enlargement and fluid accumulation, increased cranial pressure. Brain cells are already vulnerable, but swelling and fluid accumulation can worsen the situation by cutting off oxygen and nutrients. Surgery, anti-inflammatory medicine, and a shunt to drain the extra fluid are common treatments for this potentially fatal condition.
The lack of oxygen-rich blood reaching the brain results from low blood pressure.
Because the brain regulates body temperature, an injury to that area might cause the patient to run dangerously high fevers, especially in the initial few hours after the accident.
Long periods of bed rest can cause pneumonia by preventing the body from clearing the lungs of accumulated toxins.
Infections
Injury to the brain's protective membrane, known as the meninges, can lead to infection if the fracture or cut is deep enough. Further brain damage and other organ damage might result from an infection spreading across the body.
Clots in the blood vessels, including DVT and other thrombosis forms, form when people don't move about enough. Pulmonary embolus is a potentially fatal complication that can arise when a clot travels to the lungs—pressure sores. The inability to walk around for an extended time during healing might lead to skin breakdown. This condition is medically referred to as bedsores or pressure ulcers. Infection is an additional risk when dealing with pressure ulcers.
Post-concussion syndrome
Symptoms of a concussion include drowsiness, headaches, memory loss, and sleeplessness.
Seizures that start up after a person has sustained a head wound are called post-traumatic epilepsy. These fits typically manifest in the first few days after an accident but can persist for months or even years afterward.
Lowered hormone levels can lead to hypothyroidism, other illnesses, and hormonal shifts, which might affect the injured person's libido—lack of feeling or paralysis of the facial muscles.
Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders are more likely to develop in those with this gene.
The Role of a Los Angeles Brain Injury Lawyer.
Hiring an attorney isn't just about improving your compensation chances. Your attorney will become a trusted advisor and close friend throughout your legal troubles. An expert traumatic brain injury (TBI) claims attorney in California will protect your rights and ensure you receive fair compensation for your case. During your claim in California, Stalwart law group can help you in numerous ways.
The process of assembling medical records attests to your brain injury's nature and severity.
Determining who is liable for your losses and damages.
Your economic and noneconomic losses are valued at fair market value.
Resolving a claim with an insurance company by negotiating a fair settlement.
Providing evidence of the life-altering effects of your brain injury.
Taking the matter to court to seek adequate compensation.
Our lawyers are prepared to do whatever is in your best interests, from researching and locating the top California brain injury doctors to treating your condition to taking your case to trial. You should get in touch with a knowledgeable California brain injury lawyer as soon as possible after suffering a brain injury so that you can receive individualized services and outstanding representation.
0 notes
panharmonium · 3 years
Text
@dreamersscape​ - in response to your notes on that other post, oh my gosh, YES, i didn’t even write anything up about Guy, but he really was a HERO in these episodes.  You described it so well - his way of taking care of Kakashi is clumsy sometimes, but it’s in such a pure way that it doesn’t matter.  
I remember thinking something along the same lines after I finished Season 10, when I saw that episode where Kakashi is about to be named Hokage and Guy challenges him to a footrace - I loved that one so much, because it was right after Kakashi and the kids got back from that horrible confrontation with Sasuke, and I remember I felt terrible because Kakashi was coming back from a situation where he a) discovered the real history behind what happened with Itachi and the Uchiha clan, and b) thought he was going to have to kill his own kid, and then before he even has a chance to breathe, the village is like “someone needs to step in as hokage we’ve nominated you,” and he doesn’t even want that job; it’s the last thing he wants to do right now, but he feels like he has to do it, and I just wanted someone to ask him “hey uhh are you okay” - and then Guy showed up!
And like you said, he takes care of Kakashi in his own kind of clumsy, sometimes shortsighted way - he doesn’t understand what’s happened, and Kakashi doesn’t confide in him, either, but Guy still literally checks him all over from head to toe to make sure he’s not hurt, and then he challenges him to that stupid race, which turns out to be the best possible thing anyone could have done.  Kakashi has FUN; he’s LAUGHING; he tells Guy, “This was just what I needed.”  
Guy may not be the friend who always understands everything, or with whom Kakashi necessarily wants to have deep, spill-your-guts conversations about his innermost thoughts, but that’s not the only kind of friend a person needs!  Sometimes you need somebody who will just BE THERE, and who will work to cheer you up whether you talk about your problems or not.  Guy’s particular type of caring is perfect for Kakashi, who doesn’t necessarily open up to people and who would really be in trouble if “sharing your problems” were a prerequisite for people trying to help him - Guy is so determined and passionate about being a good friend that it doesn’t matter to him if Kakashi is as unreceptive as a rock; that just spurs him on to greater heights XD
Guy takes care of Kakashi like this, basically:
Tumblr media
and Kakashi just has to deal with it.  It’s good for him.
38 notes · View notes
placebogirl7 · 3 years
Text
Kinoshita: Ren's assistant and "voice of conscience"
I decided to make an analysis about one of the most underrated character in Nana (also because he doesn't appear that much) but who I appreciate so much. Prepare yourself for a very long post to read because my beloved Kinoshita deserves it! ;) Kinoshita has been introduced as Ren assistant: his role is to drive Ren home when he's too tired, to remind him his schedule, to help him with whatever he needs. Kinoshita is also a big fan of Ren, so he's excited to have the opportunity to work with his idol. When we first see him in the manga, he's driving Ren home after a long day work. He's fashinated about Ren's expensive car and when Ren tells him that it's just a car and he doesn't matter about apprearance unlike Takumi, Kinoshita says to him that he's very talented and rich but he's not ambitious despite this. He also says that he let Takumi have control even his music and that it's when he plays punk music that he gives is best. Kinoshita is firmly convinced that Ren soul belongs to punk and that's the kind of music he should do. Probably in the old days he would have been a huge fan of former Blast! XD He sees the potential of Ren and he's aware that Takumi is "suppressing" it asking him to write songs more suitable for Reira's voice (which is definitely not punk).
Tumblr media
At first Ren laughs about Kinoshita's words, because they just seems the words of an excited fan, but later he realized that maybe those words werent' that stupid. In fact, during a talk with Takumi, the latter says something that immediately make Ren remind of Kinoshita. Takumi basically confirmed what Kinoshita himself said before: Ren shows his best when he act like a rebel punk and he plays punk music. Can we just spend one minute looking at Ren's face expression in the last image of the panel below? He's smiling, but there's a sad expression on his face after he realized that Kinoshita's words were right. I think in that moment Ren realized what he had left behind and the fact that he's not free as he was in the past. He has to play the role of Trapnest's guitarist and he can't be anymore just Ren Honjo. Suddenly Takumi's kingdom was not so bright anymore compared to his own one little kingdom he abandoned.
Tumblr media
So we can say that Kinoshita is the first one who really realized Ren's real potential and he has no fear to tell him directly.
Another thing that I appreciate about Kinoshita is exactly that he doesn't have fear to tell what he thinks and he has the courage to do it even about Takumi. Despite his evident bad attitude, nobody in Cookie staff has the courage to rebel against Takumi: they just wait for hsi orders and obey to them even if they don't agree. But one day, while talking to Ren, Kinoshita finally expresses what in my opinion is the thought of everyone: they are just little soldiers at the service of Takumi. He respects him and he recognize that he's an excellent business man, but he's not good when it comes to treat people in a decent way. He lacks of empathy and of other things on a human level. Even if Ren doesn't seem to appreciate this, I think Kinoshita was totally right and also I love how he feels at ease to confess to Ren his thoughts and opinion: he doesn't seem to simply consider Ren as an idol or a person he has to take care of but as a sort of friend to whom he can feel free to talk.
Tumblr media
Later in the story, Kinoshita starts to re-evaluate Takumi after he found a solution to stop the scandal between Ren and Reira. He understands that Takumi actually cares about the band and its members and he carefully thinks about everything to avoid bad situations or loss that may bring damages to Cookie Music. Also, he doesn't see himself anymore only as Ren's assistant (like he has done until that moment) but he starts to see himself as a "vassal" of Trapnest, embracing Takumi's vision that he had criticized before. Ren is very happy to know that, look at his smile.
Tumblr media
And now let's talk about Ren's drug addiction and how Kinoshita reacts to that. Of course Kinoshita knows about Ren's problem but he also knows he can't do a lot to be helpful. When Ren tries to get rid of all the cocaine he has but then starts to suffer from withdrawal, while they are driving to Cookie Music, Kinoshita notices that Ren doesn't feel good at all and tries to convince him to go to the hospital instead of going to work. Ren won't listen to reasons and yell at him to bring him at Cookie Music (knowing that Narita will give him drug). In the end Kinoshita obey to his order, but since he's really worried and not satisfied he later decided to call Takumi and inform him about Ren's conditions. Despite he doesn't like Takumi, he knows that he's the only one he can ask for help because Takumi has something he lack of: the power to find a solution even to the most complicated things. The binomial hate-admiration that Kinoshita has for Takumi is evident from the beginning to the end of the serie. I won't put images of the above mentioned scenes because Tumblr allows you to put only 10 images per post and I need to reserve the space for other images of more important scenes, but I'm sure you all remeber both the scenes I mentioned.
Another thing I want to point out is Kinoshita's vision about Nana and Ren's relationship. We can say that he has always been very considerate about their relationship and he never doubted even for a second that Nana wasn't sincere about Ren. He had understood from Ren that they truly loves each other and he sincerely wanted them to stay together. The little panel below is an example of this: Nana and Ren were having hard times and they rarely met each other. They had just found a new house but they couldn't spend time together in it and Kinoshita seemed to be very sorry because he saw how much Ren needed to stay with her.
Tumblr media
Another scene were he demonstrates he cares for Nana and Ren's relationship is when Search publish that scandalous article and all the media start to talk about this, inventing fake things. Ren doesn't say a word and Kinoshita encourages him to do what he want, telling him that if he wants to spend good words about his girlfriend in front of the reporters, he won't prevent him from doing it. He says to Ren "follow what your heart tells you to do", which is the same thing that Yasu himself had told him in the bathroom during the Trapnest Vs. Blast show, when they spoke about Ren's drug addiction and Nana's hyperventilation attacks. Again, Kinoshita is acting like a supportive friend to Ren and not only as a mere assistant. When Ren refuses to do it and defines his old band members and friends (including his girlfriend) "old thrown away partner", Kinoshita seems shocked by that reaction. I personally was shocked too when I read it, because Ren really acted like a jerk in that moment. He put his career and Trapnest above his love and realtionship and friends, acting like Takumi would have acted, and so for Kinoshita (who in that moment still didn't appreciate Takumi for this) it must have been disappointing to see him acting in that cold way towards his lover and friends who were being accused.
Tumblr media
Later, while Trapnest are in London, Ren realises that he acted like he didn't care and he reminds of Kinoshita's words (exactly like it happened when he told him he gave his best when he played punk music).
Tumblr media
When Ren and Nana separate and Ren refuses to go fetch her because he feels ashamed to meet her and tell her about his drug addiction, Kinoshita takes the initiative and decide that if Ren needs to be encouraged to go to Nana, then he will be the person who will encourage him. He knows that Ren needs Nana and he hopes that reuniting with her could help him to feel better and convince him to stop taking drugs. While they are in Ren's car driving towards Cookie Music and Ren is talking about this with Hachi on the phone, Kinoshita asks him where Nana is in that moment and when he answers "Osaka", Kinoshita immediately change direction and starts to drive towards Osaka.
Tumblr media
Again Kinoshita brings out his rebel side and affirms that he can't do what the staff expect him to do or follow Takumi's orders: he's convinced that he's doing the right thing (and he was definitely doing it in my opinion). He blames again Takumi and his way of handling the situation, knowing that what Ren needs is professional help and a break to recover, but Ren suddenly brings out the reality of the fact: he's not disappointed by Takumi or the staff, he's disappointed by him, his own hero, the idol he estimates so much. Kinoshita doesn't know what to answer, he doesn't want to hurt Ren and probably he doesn't want to admit to himself that Ren is right. In the last scene of the panel below, Kinoshita's expression is very sad because he realized that there's nothing he can do anymore to help Ren. He did his best but he failed. I think it must have been hard for him to realize that.
I think we can make a comparison here: Kinoshita has always idealized Ren exactly as Nobu did. They both saw Ren has an invincible hero, a perfect creature to admire and they wish to be like him, but then they realized that not all that glitters is gold and that Ren wasn't as perfect as they saw him. He was actually more fragile then them and they feel powerless because they knew they couldn't do anything to help him. When you idealize a person so much and then you discover that person isn't as you saw him/her, then you feel disappointed and that's what happened to both Kinoshita and Nobu.
Tumblr media
Last but not least, after Ren's death Kinoshita tries his best to complete what Ren has left incomplete. His thoughts aren't for Trapnest's future or Cookie Music or for his work: his thoughts are for Nana, just like the last thoughts of Ren were. Kinoshita's mission is to be a sort of "emissary" who has to bring to Nana the feelings Ren was going to express her, his last words, his thoughts for her. The scene below is so sad but I love it, it's one of my favorite in the manga. Looking at Kinoshita crying while saying that "Please, accept it" breaks my heart evry time. He's literally begging Nana to take that present which Ren wanted to give her but didn't manage to, he wants Ren to be happy wherever he is in that moment, knowing that his wish has been fulfilled.
Tumblr media
So, after all this recap of Kinoshita's moments, I think we can say that he's not only a mere assistant for Ren, but he's also a friend. His feelings for Ren are sincere, he doesn't praise him because he wants to keep his work, he praise him because he sincerely admire him. Kinoshita knows Ren needs and try to help him as much as he can, not only with his work but even more with his personal life. And if we consider all the times he has said something and Ren hasn't taken him seriously, but later realized how much he was right, we can say that Kinoshita's role in the story is to be Ren's "voice of conscience", that voice we all have inside us that says to us what is the right thing to do (but we often ignore it like Ren did). Kinoshita is a sort of mixture between Yasu and Nobu: he gives Ren the same advices as Yasu would have given him and he admire him like Nobu did. I think this is a good thing for Ren, because now that he's not a member of Blast anymore he doesn't have much time to see his old and true friends (not that Naoki and Reira aren't his friends but...well, in my opinion they can't be compared to Yasu and Nobu), so having Kinoshita near is like having a part of his friends with him all the time.
I hope this super long post hasn't annoyed you and I hope now we can all love Kinoshita together because he deserves a lot of love for what he did ♥.
Nana Week 2021 Day 1 Prompt: side character
56 notes · View notes
aotopmha · 2 years
Text
Attack on Titan season 4 part 2 episode 12:
This material is the reason why I'm confused about people being confused about Eren's motivations.
It literally spells out everything.
All Eren can focus on is all of the bad he has experienced.
He sees the racism of the regular people of Marley.
He sees the racism of the league that's supposed to be there to protect Eldians.
He thinks about his father's memories when talking about ice cream of all things.
And above all, he sees his mother's death.
He hones in on all of the bad under the influence of his father's memories, Paths and his own feelings.
He sees the future he creates, which with every little step feels more and more inevitable, but also the smiling faces of everyone he loves.
This is the most obvious, clearly defined motivation you can have to me.
That's the choice he saw and that's the solution he's chosen.
To the point of painful contradiction: Ramzi and co aren't all that different from the Eldians, but Eren still chooses to potentially kill them to protect his friends.
This genocide is fuelled by personal trauma and bonds between friends.
The episode omits a few scenes from the chapter, but I think they'll probably be added or recontextualised later, probably even in the first episode of the final part of the final season.
I think the best part of this episode is that it balances out making Eren the victim just as much as making him the current villain.
As said, I think all of the feelings behind him are really clearly defined and understandable, just as much the fear and horror on his enemies' faces is understandable.
So the stuff with Historia is still the most confusing to me.
Everything up to the pregnancy statement is pretty clear: she loves her friends, but the outside world is full of innocent people that don't deserve death just like Eren's mother, the innocent people of Paradis and her friends, so she opposes Eren.
The pause tells me you can read it in the way that Eren convinced Historia and she got pregnant to oppose the 50-year plan to support Eren's to protect everyone that way.
But the presentation in the anime supports the most likely version I see it as, too: that Historia decided she won't let herself be used to become a Titan and not perpetuate the Titan cycle by becoming pregnant.
I think this contains a really wierd thematic contradiction, but that's the clearest answer I have with how little we get to see Historia's perspective.
Also, Eren absolutely was at least semi-threatening her. It's extra wild to see people see that as a romantic interaction.
To me the scene really clearly still has zero romantic framing, too.
All of this said, as an adaption, I think this was mostly really good and as an episode overall really good also.
I just find the questions Eren's character asks and connects to really interesting.
This is also the finale of this season and overall I'd say it was really good, too.
It improved much more of the material than it took away from it, but I think the final stretch might just benefit from the time between this and the final part of this final season the most.
I really hope that they'll really look at the remaining chapters and think about a few pretty important additions in the time between here and then.
But yeah, I still stand by AoT being a very interesting work even with all of the issues I ultimately take with it.
15 notes · View notes
foxymoxynoona · 2 years
Note
i know lone blue egg is a romance but like a part of me wants rana to find someone better. jk is so mean. hes so oblivious, poor rana. the line that he was outside her smile now hurt so good. he deserved to feel bad this chapter imo. I love this fic btw hehe. like sincerely cant wait to see how it ends!
I love when I write things that hurt so good 😁
Jungkook is at a moment in his life where he may have to face something incredibly difficult: the death of a dream. The end of an expectation about his future. The abandoment of a plan. It's easier for all of us who are watching, even without any insight directly into Rana, to look at this all and think do it! take the leap! But it's much harder in the moment to trust that throwing away the plan you had for your life --no matter narrow it might seem to someone else-- will pay off. Especially once we learn a little more in the last chapters about where that plan comes from.
That's not to say the way he thinks and talks about her is acceptable. He's mean! He has built up a pretty thorny little shield to protect himself, but so far it's really only hurt himself. How he responds to hurting someone else will be a very character defining moment for him...
Anyway, you aren't alone in your take! Everyone is very angry at him haha.
5 notes · View notes
stetervault · 4 years
Note
Hello! Do you do rec lists? Would you be willing rec some Steter fics that aren't the most common/popular ones? If not, no worries!
Technically this isn’t a rec-finding blog lol but I do make rec lists sometimes if someone asks and I have the time and I feel like it. Here are some (I think?) less known Steter fics, oldies that people may have missed or forgotten (Idk how well I succeeded, I just picked a bunch that have significantly less reads/bookmarks than the really big fics):
Fear (Doesn't Mean I Can't Fight) by azerblazer
Peter is the damsel in distress, the Sheriff is the hostage, random unnamed hunters are the bad guys.
Stiles has a bat, a hoodie and a willingness to do anything to protect those he's loyal to.
Bring it on.
A Lean and Hungry Look by kototyph
The woods aren't the only place you find wolves.
You're Mine, Valentine by orphan_account
In which Peter decides to court Stiles, and does so by leaving him hearts.
Bloody ones.
Zodiac by Green
"You know, Taurus and Libra make a good match," Peter says with a sly smile.
Stiles looks away. "Yeah. I looked that up, too."
Surviving Peter and the Zombie Apocalypse by Nopennamesleft
Its the end of the world and Stiles has run out of luck. He saves a werewolf from certain death. Will they begin to rely on each other to survive or will the wolf just eat Stiles for a midnight snack?
He Is A Villain By The Devil's Law by neglectedtuesday
Stiles’ lungs are burning, blood is pumping through his veins and he’s pretty sure that if he stops running then he’ll just keel over into the gutter. But God does he feel alive. The sirens are wailing, loud and clear. Just one more block. One more block. Stiles ducks down an alleyway, the bag full of bank notes swinging behind him. It hits his side with a dull thud. The alley smells like cat pee and yesterdays trash so Stiles breathes shallowly through his mouth. He continues walking down it until he reaches the end. It opens out onto the street. He stops just shy of the exit, waiting. He waits a bit more. Then he kicks a can lying idle on the ground. He whips out his burner phone, punching in a number.
“Where the fuck are you?” Stiles growls, “Where’s my goddamn getaway car?”
“Change of plans Stilinski, you’re gonna have to get away on your own. Also ditch the phone.”
Fascinated by lemonstiles, migratoryslashfan
Stiles pontificates over Peter's naked body.
Night-blooming Flowers by imriebelow
Peter always gets what he wants. Stiles learns to live with it.
None of These Things (Are Happening) by Horribibble
After years away, Stiles returns to Beacon Hills just in time to put Isaac's insides back where they belong.
It's cute how people think he's trustworthy.
-
Peter can smell the violence inside him, the urge to do something grand and possibly cataclysmic. It’s there—mixed with a balance and natural calm, but in the undercurrent, it’s there. He has seen things beyond the scope of Beacon Hills’ petty horror show. He has learned things.
The Terrible Things We Do (For Love) by rospeaks
Being a demon, he’s seen some of the pretty nasty things that humans are willing to do for love. Things that, were he still alive (and human), would make him hesitate to be in a relationship with anyone lest his partner start getting some funny ideas. That said—
"This seems a little desperate for a kid your age," he says to Stiles.
Spin, Sweet Clotho by ChuckleVoodoos
Oh, it’s a beautiful thing to watch, the way they dance around each other, spun in sugar and glittering glass. Like a fragile little fairytale, a tender rosebud just waiting to unfurl. It makes Peter sick.
Because love is a fairytale, and his dear darling nephew does not deserve a happy ending.
whisper by tricksterity
Stiles was tired.
He was done of people pushing him and his pack around. They’d already lost so much and he was damned if he’d let them lose anyone else, especially to this psychopath who had no reasons for what he did other than he liked it.
And that’s when the whispers in his mind grew louder.
Remember Darling, All the While by Sang_argente
It was fire, ice, electricity. It was the first kiss, the last kiss, and every kiss inbetween. It was lips parting, tongues sliding, hearts beating.
Impress Me by ToAStranger
Their new English teacher has gone missing.
Falling Upward by moonstalker24
There is nothing quite like flying. There is a calm and a peace found in the sky that cannot be found on earth. All the chaos of the world is below you and there is no sound save that which the propeller makes as the engine turns it. You are free and unfettered and the clouds are close enough to touch; all you need do is stretch out your hand to grasp them.
Stiles takes Peter flying after he gets out of Eichen House.
Sweeter Than Gingerbread by taylorpotato (Stetallison)
The saying goes that lovers who commit suicide together start their next life as twins. Perhaps that's why Stiles and Ally feel the way they do about each other.
The Shadow Effect by Mysenia
What was the fun in being a twin if you couldn't trick a person or two?
Deep under by Sashaya
There's a reason Stiles knows so much about drowning. He'd rather not remember why...
All the World's a Stage (but the light design is subpar) by BonesOfBirdWings
Peter Hale is a successful Off-Broadway actor, and Stiles is a stage lighter who literally falls into his life.
Peter smiled at him. "Thank you, Stiles. But should I take this to mean that you don't want a meatball sandwich from Banh Mi Saigon?"
Stiles' mouth dropped open. "You - I - Yes, I want! Oh my god, you do the best apologies! Can you piss me off more, please? I accept all future apologies enthusiastically!"
Peter chuckled. "I'm sure that won't be a problem, dear boy. I've been informed that I'm an asshole by a very reliable source."
Stiles beamed. "But you have good taste in food, so things balance out?" he ventured.
Peter threw back his head and laughed. Stiles' grin brightened in answer.
The D.C. Backroom Deal by septima_sum
Stiles is a regular prostitute with moderate life goals – until his current client makes him an offer he can’t refuse.
Strange Duet by BelleAmante, thiliart (thilia)
The past three years have been a series of shocking, or not so shocking, successes for 2018 Tony award winner and two time Grammy nominee, Stiles Stilinski. You don’t typically find classically trained opera singers singing alternative folk rock to crowds at Coachella. Nor do you find indie singer/songwriters winning best actor awards at the Tony’s for their Broadway debuts. Stilinski has made it his lifetime habit to defy and exceed all expectations.
-or-
A Steter fic loosely based on Phantom of the Opera
Hold Me Down by sneksonaplane
Waking up in Peter Hale’s bed was weird. Waking up in Peter Hale’s body was even weirder. Stiles had been disoriented and confused when he’d found himself in a plush, king sized bed in an unfamiliar bedroom instead of in his own room (and seriously, why did Peter even need a king sized bed? Why would anyone need a bed that big?) It had all come back to him when he’d glimpsed the body he was inhabiting, one that was shorter but more defined than his own, and older, and kind of hot.
OR
The one where Stiles and Peter swap bodies, Peter relives his adolescence, Stiles suffers, and then suffers a little less when he discovers Peter's fetlife profile where he's listed as a submissive seeking a daddy.
It Was A Dark And Stormy Night by Guede
This is a ghost story. It’s not straightforward.
Put My Faith in Something Unknown by Twisted_Mind
He doesn’t know how long he sits there, suspended between thought and action, unable to feel. At some point, he becomes aware that there’s a hand on his face. A warm palm cradles his jaw, and a thumb brushes across his cheekbone tenderly.
The Rest of Our Lives by mia6363
“I don’t know, as a kid I watched a lot of movies, you know? And at first I figured like… I’d be on some great adventure that would take me away from it all, you know? Like Indiana Jones comes around and is all, ‘Hey Stiles, buddy, come with me we’ve got to go save the world.’ Then… you and… everything happened… then I just… I figured I’d die before I was eighteen.”
Enemy Action by pprfaith
Once is chance, twice is coincidence and three times is far too many bodies on the ground.
Buy Me a New Pair by Julibean19
"I don't practice law much these days."
"And why is that?" Stiles asked, wondering why a handsome and presumably successful lawyer wouldn't want to continue working.
"I've been drawn away by more pleasurable pursuits," Peter said, lips quirked upward as he spoke.
Tale as Old as Time by wynnebat
The one in which Lydia's got better things to do than be Belle, Stiles is a much more likeable Gaston, and Peter is a beast but not quite beastly.
The clothes make the man by FeelingsDusk
The trick to sneaking into a building where you shouldn’t be is to make it seem to all eyes like you should. Stiles has been doing this since he was a little older than toddler and he wanted to get back his Batman action figure from the evidence room in his dad’s Police Station.
(Spolier alert: just like back then, Stiles gets caught.)
Smile Like You Mean It by NinaRooxx
After sulking about the changing weather over the autumn, Stiles notices that despite the weather getting colder, Peter’s wardrobe isn’t changing at all.
Swing by ShippersList
Stiles wants to fly.
Angels, Devils, and Peter by Triangulum
Everyone has an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. They give advice, help guide their human through life. They tempt, they listen, they offer help. Everyone has one of each. Everyone except for Stiles.
OR
Stiles and Peter are murder husbands.
love and madness by sinequanon
Peter and Stiles haven’t seen each other in months when the alphas ask them to meet up to look over an abandoned house. Now, they’re going to be seeing a lot of each other for quite a while to come.
Not This Again by RebaK1tten
There's a rumor that the last episode of the show will have Peter getting killed, again. Perhaps to give him a redemption arc or something.
A Light at the (Near) End of the World by ladyoneill
The world he grew up in has ended in a supernatural war that devastated the human population. A survivor, Stiles lives a solitary, quiet life in Wales until there's a knock on his door.
Through Space and Time by MaroonDragon
When Stiles pulls the body of Peter Hale into his ship, he doesn't expect him to be alive. He also doesn't realise he might have gotten more than he bargained for.
His Color by SushiOwl
“Darling, have you been carrying a throw-away comment I made in your mind for almost four months?”
Stiles’s face felt like it was one with fire now.
After You by FlyAwayMeow (rjaejoo)
It’s true that sometimes what you want the most, you can’t have and that you’ll miss what you once had all along when it’s finally gone.
After breaking his engagement to Chris, Peter heads to New York to start over. He meets Stiles, a young author at his publishing house who helps him piece his confidence back together. When tragedy strikes, he discovers how to finally let go of his past and have the family and future he's always wanted with the pieces already in his life.
Looking After You by Slayer_of_Destiny
Can Peter be a chance for Stiles, can Stiles be a second chance for Peter? When Peter offers Stiles a relationship will the younger man take the chance with the werewolf?
Maybe We Both Are by lavenderlotion
The first time Stiles lets his fingers brush against Peter he wasn’t expecting the response he got. They were sitting on Stiles bed researching something. Or, they were researching. Now they were just talking. They did that a lot these days, just talked. They also ate together a lot. Or got coffee.
these words bear my scars (paint your love on my skin) by WindyRein
One day butterflies and childish codes change to I'm sorry you're meant for a murderer and he won't realize for years how much that changed his life.
Before you let go (and the light takes you in) by Issay
Stiles makes one last errand - goes to leave flowers on all the other graves. Fuck, so many graves. The grief is as endless and as inescapable as the sky.
He goes home and there is a thing wearing his father's face, waiting for him in the kitchen.
The Lady of Lightning by kiranightshade
"Those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside"
Can You Use Lube For That? by AlreadyBoss
“You think your what is haunted now?” Surely he'd misheard. There was no way-
“My vibrator,” Stiles answered with alarming sincerity.
Well. He hadn't misheard after all.
Pianist Envy by Bunnywest
Stiles is the piano player.Peter can think of other things he'd like to see those hands do.Shame the guy's straight.
Everything You Deserve by Areiton
You think about it. More than you should, you think about it. About what would have happened, if you had bitten Stiles instead of Scott.
Home by Ragga
Don't be like him, they would say, and then add, or else you get burned.
Unable to bear the whispers any longer, This One left. He forsook those who forsook him, left him bear his scars alone, the scars he bore for his herd. It was better to be alone, stay off the currents, than swim with those most undeserving of his loyalty. So mote it be.
That is, until he met That One.
Lord Peter by Therapeutic_Steter
Peter rung out the rag before gently placing it on his mother’s head, reaching over to feel his father’s equally flushed features.
“Such a good boy,” his mother said, patting his arm with what little strength she had remaining. His father smiled softly at him even as his fell unconscious. Peter pushed back the lump in his throat, smiling shakily for his mother before venturing out into the living space.
knit me together by nezstorm
Peter asks Stiles to stay the night after a really awful day.
Warriors by CinnamonLily
Peter is ten years old when humans discover Azure, a planet not unlike Earth. From there on, he wants to learn everything about their new neighbors and the planet itself. It takes him over twenty years to get to Azure, but when he does, it's so worth it. His anthropologist heart is happy, and a new acquaintance in the form of an Azurian called Stiles might just make the rest of him happy, too.
197 notes · View notes
wazafam · 3 years
Link
Since its inception, Hollywood's relationship with Black stories has been dysfunctional. From the overt racism of D. W. Griffith's Birth Of A Nation (1915) to the systemic racism faced by actors like Hattie McDaniel, the Golden Age of Hollywood was, generally, a terrible time for Black people and Black stories.
RELATED: 10 Historically Accurate Movies To Watch If You're A History Nut
In recent decades, Hollywood has begun to tell more Black stories, especially after the success of movies like The Color Purple and miniseries like Roots. Nonetheless, Hollywood still has a ways to go, as it often leans on stories of slavery when telling Black stories. In recent years, Hollywood has shown signs of growth, understanding that Black people are not defined by slavery. Luckily, there are endless stories in Black history that can be told on the screen.
10 The Benin Wall
Tumblr media
Long before The Great Wall Of China, the Benin Wall existed. Built in 1010 AD, the wall was built by the Benin Kingdom, a West African kingdom known for some of history's greatest art, culture and bronze work. The wall totaled 10,000 miles and is thought to have been built to protect the Benin Kingdom from Ijebu warriors from the west. A moat was also constructed around the outer wall and the wall was just 3,000 miles short of the Great Wall Of China.
In 1897, the British destroyed the wall, killed many Beninians and stole the kingdom's art and bronze work. The Benin Wall was "the world's largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era." A retelling of the history of this magnificent feat and its ultimate demise would be well worth watching.
9 Shirley Chisholm
Tumblr media
Before Michelle Obama, Maxine Waters and Stacey Abrams, there was Shirley Chisholm. The first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, Chisholm represented New York's 12th Congressional district for seven terms between 1969 and 1983. She was also the first Black candidate to run for U.S. presidency backed by a major party.
RELATED: 5 Ways Gladiator Was Historically Accurate (& 5Ways It Wasn't)
Chisholm's work paved the way for countless Black politicians in the U.S., including Barack Obama, who would win his presidential campaign. FX's Mrs. America explored Chisholm's effect on American politics during the 70s, but this topic could definitely be explored in more depth.
8 Black WWI & WWII Soldiers
Tumblr media
History has done a formidable job of erasing the contributions of African, Black American and Latino soldiers that participated in World War I and World War II. These soldiers, such as the Tuskegee Airmen, faced massive racism as they fought for their countries, or for their colonizers. In many instances, they were abused by the very same country that they risked their lives for.
"Father of African cinema", Ousmane Sembene, released Camp De Thiaroye in 1988. Co-directed by Thierno Faty Sow, Camp De Thiaroye depicts the real-life events of the Thiaroye massacre when the French army massacred African soldiers for demanding their pay. Despite the discrimination they faced, Black soldiers displayed bravery, resilience and strength in both wars and it's a topic that could be explored in several Hollywood movies.
7 Black Explorers
Tumblr media
In 1,000 A.D., 500 years before Christopher Columbus, Ile-Ife, a city located in South-West Nigeria, was paved. Ruled by a woman, the decorations used originated from Ancient America. Columbus himself, in a journal entry, wrote about the Native Americans telling about "black-skinned people [who] had come from the south-east in boats, trading in gold-tipped spears."
Furthermore, ancient skeletons of Black people that predate Columbus have been discovered in Central, North and South America. Other explorers, such as Vasco Nunez de Balboa, also recorded finding Black people in America when they reached the continent. This subject is untouched in Hollywood, thus far, and is ripe for a historical drama.
6 George Robert Carruthers
Tumblr media
George Carruthers invented a camera that took the first images of space. A brilliant physicist, the National Society of Black Physicists notes that "his work has been instrumental in the fields of astrophysics. Dr. Carruthers is considered the inventor of the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph. He also invented the camera that took the first images of space. His work has been instrumental in the fields of astrophysics."
RELATED: Hidden Figures: 15 Quotes To Remember
Carruthers also made contributions to the U.S. Navy and space program. He also partook in the development of the first moon-based space observatory, carried unto the moon by the Apollo 16 astronauts. His ultraviolet camera/spectrograph enabled scientists to observe Earth's upper atmosphere from the moon. With all the movies about space made in recent years, Carruthers' story would be a fascinating one to see played out on the big screen.
5 Sylvia Elizabeth Mathis
Tumblr media
At a time when 40 out of 85,000 FBI agents were women, Sylvia Elizabeth Mathis became the first Black woman to become an FBI special agent. Two other Black women had attempted the four-month-long arduous training course but had been unsuccessful.
Mathis began training in 1976, after earning a bachelor's degree in Political Science at New York University and a Juris Doctor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, a year earlier. The FBI credits Mathis, who "helped pave the way for future African-American women leaders … who dedicated themselves to protecting the nation, even as they blazed a sometimes challenging trail in the FBI. Many would love to see her rise in the ranks portrayed in a biopic.
4 Queen Candace Of Ethiopia
Tumblr media
Ruling over what is, today, Ethiopia, Sudan and parts of Egypt, Queen Candace of Ethiopia was one the world's fiercest queens and warriors, known worldwide for her military tactics and war leadership. So formidable was she that in 332 B.C., Alexander The Great refused to invade Ethiopia, fearing defeat and not wanting to tarnish his reputation at the hands of a woman.
RELATED: Cleopatra: 10 Historically Accurate Films About Famous Women In History
Queen Candace also fought against the Arab incursion in North Africa, securing victory for the Africans, many of whom still lived in North Africa at the time. While many depictions have been made of Cleopatra on screen, albeit mostly inaccurate, Queen Candace's story has never been told and deserves a movie.
3 Sojourner Truth
Tumblr media
Sojourner Truth was the first known Black American suffragist. Born in New York at the turn of the 19th century, Truth was an illiterate reformer and wandering preacher. Supporting herself through menial jobs, Truth campaigned for women's rights and suffrage.
She was known for being a good orator and is best remembered for her speech, "Ain't I A Woman?" one of the most defining speeches of feminism to date. She would eventually meet with President Abraham Lincoln, soon becoming "the world's best-known human rights crusaders." She is well-deserving of a biopic and there are many current Hollywood stars that could do her work justice.
2 Marsha P. Johnson
Tumblr media
Marsha P. Johnson was a controversial LGBTQ+ figure. A gay drag queen, Johnson was an activist, calling for the full rights of gay men in the U.S. He was one of the leading figures of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and during his last years, Johnson also became an AIDS activist. As a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and the co-founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R), Johnson gained a reputation for being a happy, welcoming figure in New York.
Nevertheless, a life of anti-gay abuse wreaked havoc on Johnson's mental health. He began to develop signs of schizophrenia and was forced to perform survival sex on the streets. Ever since his mysterious death in 1992, the police ruled his case a suicide. His friends, however, have claimed that Johnson was not suicidal. The police have been accused of refusing to investigate the death of a gay Black man because of their prejudices. Johnson's life deserves the attention of a filmmaker who would look into the controversial events surrounding his death, while celebrating the accomplishments of his life.
1 Sylvia Robinson
Tumblr media
Before Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Straight Outta Compton, Sylvia Robinson produced the world's first-ever rap commercial single, Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang. "The Mother Of Hip-Hop," Syliva Robinson began her career as a record producer after she created All Platinum Records with her husband in the late 60s. Her life work would play out perfectly on the big screen in a music-filled drama.
Robinson also wrote music for musicians before she launched her solo career. Her 1973 song, Pillow Talk, reached Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1979, Robinson decided to produce a rap song and single-handedly changed world music with that decision. After creating the Sugarhill Gang, Robinson signed Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. Robinson was such a prolific producer that her record label earned 26 golds.
NEXT: Disney's Mulan: 5 Things In The Movie That Were Historically Accurate (& 5 Things That Were Not)
10 Historical Black Stories Hollywood Can Tell That Aren't About Slavery from https://ift.tt/3sRTSfK
0 notes
it-begins-with-rain · 6 years
Text
Master Plot Types
For my writing references posts, click HERE.
**From the book “20 Master Plot Types and How to Build Them” by Ronald B. Tobias
Most stories are a combination of 2-3 of the plot types below.
1. Quest
The protagonist goes off in search of something extremely important to him or her.  The story is about the character who makes the search, not about the thing they are searching for.
Often, the quest comes full circle and sees the hero return to the place they began, but something is changed about them. Generally it is an increase in wisdom, but may also be a physical change.
2.  Adventure
Protagonist journeys to a new and strange place or event. Unlike quest, the story is as much about the journey and places as it is about the protagonist. Usually, the hero is going to search for their fortune but finds love instead.
3.  Pursuit
In this plot, the chase is more important than the people in the chase.   The pursuer should have a reasonable chance of catching the pursued.  Make sure the chase is highly motivated and there is real danger if the pursued is caught.
4.  Rescue
The Hero will rescue a victim from the villain but the focus of the story is often on the hero's pursuit of the villain. The natural progression: separation, pursuit, confrontation, and finally reunion.
5.  Escape
Your hero is confined against his will (often unjustly) and wants to escape.  In this case, the hero is the victim. The natural progression:  imprisonment, initial attempts to escape fail, new plan is made that is also thwarted, and finally, the actual escape.
 6.  Revenge
Your hero has a moral justification for vengeance and seeks retaliation against the antagonist. The natural progression:  normal life, a crime against the hero, normal channels fail to resolve it, plans for revenge, pursuit of the antagonist, the confrontation, apparent failure that requires improvising, final revenge.
7.  The Riddle
This one challenges the viewer to solve the riddle before the protagonist does. The core of your riddle should be cleverness: hiding that which is in plain sight. You set up a mystery, provide clues and misdirection, and finally give the solution, explaining the motives of the antagonist and the real sequence of events (as opposed to what seemed to have happened).
8.  Rivalry
This plot pits the protagonist against the antagonist in a power struggle.   They are equally matched and as one's power increases, the other's decreases. This plot is all about who is superior.  As they both struggle to prove their superiority, the protagonist faces moral dilemmas. Usually, the antagonist will instigate the action by making a move to gain superiority over the protag.  Through a reversal of fortune, the protagonist slowly regains his position to become an equal adversary.  At that point, the two square off for the final confrontation.
9.  Underdog
This plot is similar to Rivalry, except that the protagonist is not matched equally against the antagonist.  The antagonist can be a person, place (ocean), or thing (bureaucracy), and clearly has much greater power than the protagonist.
10.  Temptation
This character plot depends largely on morality and the effects of giving in to temptation. 
Usually, you establish the nature of the protagonist and the nature of the temptation.  Show how the protagonist struggles over their decision to avoid the temptation, then have the protagonist give in.   Once the short-term gratification is over, the pain and consequences set in.  As the negative effects of the temptation surface and increase in intensity, the protagonist fights to avoid responsibility and punishment for the act.  
Finally, after much internal and external conflict, the protagonist reaches some kind resolution.
11.  Metamorphosis
 This plot is a magical one.  It usually begins with a curse that is generally cured by some type of love -- either parental, romantic, love of others, or love of God.   This is about a transformation back to humanity through love.  
Usually, the protagonist begins with a life bound by rituals and prohibitions.   We see him in the state of the curse.   The antagonist, (who often ends up being the love interest) should act as the catalyst that propels the protagonist toward release. As they work to resolve the curse, their relationship evolves.  They move toward each other emotionally.  Finally, the terms of the release are fulfilled and the protagonist is freed from the curse.
12.  Transformation
 This plot deals with the process of change as the protagonist journeys through one of the many stages of life.   It concentrates on the nature of change and how it affects the protagonist from start to finish on one specific change.  
Usually, it follows this pattern: Transforming incident that propels the protagonist into a crisis, starting the change.  Then, we watch the protagonist experiencing the effects of transformation, concentrating on their self-examination.  As these effects and self-examination build, there is a clarifying incident which represents the final stage of the transformation.   Now, the character understands the true nature of the experience and has experienced a significant change in their life.
13.  Maturation
This plot is about growing from a naive life to a more experienced life.  Often, it is about the process of going from child to adult.  
Usually, you start by establishing their naive state.  Create an incident that challenges her beliefs.  The character often rejects the change.   But as more evidence / experiences pile up, she is forced to go through the change in a gradual way. She doesn't accomplish adulthood all at once, but each small lesson brings upheaval and then more understanding.  In the end, she makes the change, but pays a price for it.
14.  Love
The key to a great love story is the obstacle.  The characters want the love, but can't have it for some reason...at least, not right away.  The lovers are ill-suited in some way -- different social classes, aren't physically equal, or some other reason they "shouldn't be together."   Success doesn't come easily.  Love must be proven by dedication and stick-to-it-iveness.   Your characters should be appealing and convincing.  
Usually, one lover is more aggressive at seeking the love than the other.  The aggressive partner is the seeker, who completes the majority of the action, while the passive partner (who may want it just as much) waits for the other to overcome the obstacles.  
Take your characters through the full ordeal of love.  They must be tested and prove they deserve the love they seek.  Love is earned, not a gift.
15.  Forbidden Love
This love goes against the conventions of society, so there is usually an explicit or implicit force exerted against the lover.   Of course, the lovers ignore that and pursue their hearts, usually with disastrous results. 
Usually, you start by defining the relationship and the taboos that have been broken.  We see how the world responds to them and how the lovers handle it.  As the social and psychological realities of their affair become clear, the affair may start to dissolve or come under great pressure to dissolve.  
The final act will take the lovers to the end point of their relationship and settle all the moral scores.  The lovers are usually separated, either by death, force, or desertion.
16.  Sacrifice
This plot has a strong moral dilemma at its center.  The protagonist is playing for high stakes and a sacrifice must be made at a great personal cost.  They should undergo a major transformation during the course of the story, moving from a lower moral state to a higher one, with events forcing their decisions throughout the story.  
First lay an adequate foundation of character so the reader understands who is about to make this sacrifice. Make the motivation of your protagonist clear so we understand why they would make such a sacrifice.  Finally, the protagonist must give up something of great value in order to accomplish a higher ideal.
17.  Discovery
This plot is more about the character making the discovery than it is about the discovery itself.   This story is often about having to reconcile past versus the new present for the character.  "You were, you are, you will be" is how the story is delivered. The characters are searching to understand something fundamental about themselves.  
Usually, the character is already on the cusp of change.  We get a glimpse of the main character's "former life," but quickly move into the present and future.  A catalyst forces a significant change and the character moves into the crisis.   Revelations are made along the way in proportion to the events of the story.   The character is being forced to look at their life for real and take stock of who he or she really is.  In the end, they emerge much wiser, although often, they do so only just before dying.
18.  Wretched Excess
This plot is about the psychological decline of a character, based around a character flaw.  The decline needs to evoke sympathy, otherwise no one would watch such a story.   Every action of the plot relates to character, exposing more and more of who this person is and why this decline is happening.  
Usually, it starts with how he is before events start to change him, then how he is as he successively deteriorates, and finally what happens after events reach a crisis point, forcing him to either give in completely to his flaw (tragedy) or recover from it.
19.  Ascension and 20. Descension
 These two plots occupy different positions on the same cycle of success and failure.  One deals with the rise of the protagonist and the other deals with her fall.   Both have the same structure, so I'll speak of them as one.  
This plot revolves around one character and one character, only.  She is the Sun and all others are part of her solar system of planets that feed from that Sun.  So your main character must be so compelling and strong that she can carry the entire movie. She is strong-willed, charismatic, and unique.  
At the heart of the story is a moral dilemma that tests this character and is the foundation for the change of her character.  
Usually, you show who the character was before the change, then show her progressing through successive changes as a result of events.  The character traits that ultimately caused the final condition (either success or failure) of the character must be there in the "before" state.   So the reason for the rise or fall exist in her character.  But events do bring changes in her nature as she takes this ride from one extreme to the other.  
There are rises and falls along the way to keep this story interesting. 
17 notes · View notes