#young royals and the three act structure

[loren91]

Young Royals and the three act structure, Part one

Seems like there was some potential interest in a full three-act story structure analysis, so I’m taking this opportunity to indulge myself by going full nerd. I’m going to attempt to make the argument that limiting the show to three seasons is actually perfect for Young Royals, by highlighting the pattern the story follows.

A few things to keep in mind before we start.

This analysis is not about the characters deep inner emotional lives. We are not here to pass judgment on their actions. We are simply identifying the beats of the story in a neutral and objective manner, for the purpose of analysing the structure of the story.

As you will notice, the points I have identified are all from Wilhelm’s perspective. That’s because he’s the point-of-view character, the main conflict is shaped by him and his emotional state. He’s the protagonist. Each subplot however, will follow the same pattern and has its own purpose, but I’ll get more into that another time.

I’ll be referring a fair bit to Lindsey Ellis’s video essay on the subject, because I like how she describes the structure pattern in sequences. So I’m gonna borrow some of her language. Also, note that the examples she uses to describe the tree-act structure are all feature films. Since Young Royals is a series, it’s gonna divert slightly from her description. But that’s what is so great about this structure, it’s flexible. It’s not meant to be set rules, but rather guidelines to help keep your story relevant and engaging all the way through. If you find this stuff interesting, I’d highly recommend watching her videos!

The three act structure is absolutely not the only way to tell a story. There’s many different formats that works just as well! It’s really about finding what structure works best to tell your story. The three acts however is the most common format you’ll find in more commercially viable works, such as Disney films for example.

And finally, I’m not a writer, but an animator, and I have studied film theory/structure. I’ll do my best to motivate the plot points I’ve identified, but if you’re a proper story expert and disagree with me, I’m happy to discuss!

Okay, let’s get to it.

A three-act structure is constructed of just that, three acts, and roughly looks like this. Essentially, a beginning, a middle, and an end. Or the set up, the confrontation, and the resolution. These acts may vary in length, act two usually being the longest and act three usually being the shortest. But what truly defines them is the tension of each act, meaning what drives the conflict forward at that point. A story will have a main conflict yes, but that conflict will take on many forms depending on where we are in the story. Lindsey Ellis describes each act as consisting of multiple sequences, and defines each sequence by its individual tension as well. Though all points of tension should always stay related to the main conflict! So the main points we’re looking to identify in the story are the main act tensions and the main sequence tensions. 

Let’s go through season one of Young Royals and talk about each story beat.

Act 1

Act tension - Wille has to attend Hillerska.

Sequence 1

We start with the Set up/Hook. The purpose here is to establish the world and the protagonist along with their internal conflict, such as their flaws and/or desire that makes them feel incomplete - The way Wilhelm’s character is introduced informs us that he is royal, but struggling with his role, because royals have set rules to follow.

“Why can’t I decide how the hell I want to live? I want to live a normal life!”

The thing that sets the story in motion is the point of attack. Something happens that is outside of the protagonist's control/knowledge - That would be the royal court deciding to send Wille to Hillerska without his permission. This gives the protagonist something to react to.

Sequence tension is established - Wille does not want to go to Hillerska. The rest of episode one reinforces Wille’s discomfort at the school.

Next, we get to the inciting incident. An event that disrupts the status quo, and our protagonist has to get involved - The initiation party, particularly when Wille and Simon almost kiss at the end. This leads him to acknowledge his attraction toward Simon and become more proactive in his pursuit of the boy. 

The sequence tension is resolved. Notice how in episode two, Hillerska is no longer the main focus for Wille, but Simon is. The seeds for what will become the central conflict have now been planted. The conflict is usually driven by character motivation. This is where we can consider the protagonist's Want vs Need. The want drives the main tension - Wille wants to be with Simon. But we’ll find want he needs later on in the story.

Sequence 2

The purpose here is to build up the creation of the main tension of the story. The main antagonist can also be established here -  August keeps getting on Wille’s nerves. Especially when he’s trying to hang out with Simon.

That’s our sequence tension - Wille is working to befriend Simon, but August keeps getting in the way.

The end of the sequence sees the first major plot point, the Lock-in. Where our protagonist makes a decision that changes everything. Usually, something they can’t come back from - In Young Royals that would be the first kiss. Wille and Simon’s relationship has fundamentally changed. The main tension is now established.

Act 2

Act tension -  Can Wille be with Simon, despite him being a prince?

Sequence 3

At the start of this sequence, the protagonist has most likely achieved some kind of milestone or learned something - He’s definitely like that.

To keep the story interesting, writers will add so-called pinch points in between the bigger plot points. These usually act as reminders of the antagonist or the pressure our protagonist may feel - Wille feels he needs to break it off with Simon because a prince is not supposed to be gay. As we established in the set up, royals have rules. 

Sequence tension - Can Wille deny his feelings for Simon? Queer pining ensues.

Sequence 4

The purpose of this sequence is to build up towards the midpoint. We see the protagonist making attempts to achieve their goal - The want never changed, Wille still wants to be with Simon, despite the pressure. Wille invites him to spend the weekend with him.

Sequence tension - Wille is trying to prioritise his new relationship with Simon, but August is still being annoying.

Then the midpoint hits. A major disruption, either from a character action or a force of nature. Can be positive or negative, just something that changes the aim of the quest without resolving the main tension - This time it’s literally halfway through the season. End of episode three, Erik dies and Wille becomes the crown prince. Everything has changed.

Sequence 5

Everybody has to adjust to the new world order after the midpoint disruption. We’ve reached another pinch point - Again we are reminded that royals have rules, and Wille makes another attempt to follow those rules. By embracing his new role, he breaks up with Simon once again, then sort of pursues Felice and joins the society.

Sequence tension - Wille adjusting to his new title while mourning his brother.

It’s common for subplots to advance around this time - Like Simon giving August the drugs to sell.

Sequence 6

Another plot point, where our protagonist may stop and reflect. Maybe have a heart-to-heart with another character, and perhaps make a decision - This is where we see the football field scene and the end of episode four. Wille reaches out to Simon for help, reconnecting with him. This leads them to pursue a relationship once again. They are put in a false sense of security. They are finally together, thinking all is good. BUT, we in the audience know that August has the video of them and the writers keep reminding us of him and the threat he poses. Even if Wille and Simon don't know it yet.

Sequence tension - Can this happiness last?

Sequence 7

(Here’s where the story leaves the classic structure for a bit, and adds an extra sequence for some more drama, as filler. In theory, they could have skipped this sequence and gone straight to the video being released. This part is mainly here to give motivation for August’s character, making his actions clearer)

So we are essentially given another pinch point, a reminder of antagonist or pressure -  August tries to break them apart by telling Wille about the drugs, which leads to the music room fight. 

Sequence tension - August is becoming more hostile.

Wille saving Simon from being framed for the drugs is more related to August’s money subplot. And the Lucia hug scene is mainly there for character building purposes. I’ll talk more about that stuff in part two.

The plot has advanced to the culmination of the main tension. The crisis that serves as build-up to act three - August releases the video. At the end of act two, the protagonist faces their biggest challenge yet. They’ve hit their lowest point - The aftermath of the video's release and Wille is totally lost. 

Act 3

Act tension - Can they save their relationship after the video?

Sequence 8

Begins with the protagonist making a big decision that creates the new act tension. The tension in act three will be different, but still related to the main conflict - Wille and Simon talk in the locker room, where Wille says he won’t do the statement. 

Sequence tension -  Can Wille avoid making the statement?

We’ve reached our last major plot point, located at the end of the sequence. Sometimes known as the twist in the third act - And what a twist, Wille does the statement anyway. This narrows down the tension further, to focus on a more character-driven intimate place for the next sequence.

Sequence 9

Sequence tension - Can they be together despite the statement?

Climax, the last big fight - Simon tells Wille off for being selfish and breaks up. Wille also finds out that both August and his mother betrayed him. The protagonist’s need has emerged from this journey and is now clear to us - Wille needs to decide who he wants to be. The want and the need should be different from each other, but still connected. Wille wants Simon, but in order for that to happen, Wille needs to break out of this cycle of self-preservation and stand up for himself against the royal court.

The climax will most likely lead to some kind of character growth - Wille is now pissed because he’s lost everything and realizes how corrupt the royal court is. As Lisa so beautifully put it, “A flame is ignited in him”. Hugging Simon in public is a display of his character growth.

And finally, Resolution. The point where the story is usually wrapped up neatly, but if left ignored, you get a cliffhanger - Which is exactly what happens in this season. Nothing is properly resolved at this point. Resulting in an open ending/cliffhanger.

Oof, that was a lot. How are we all doing? So these are the main beats of the plot. Makes sense? Let me know if you need any further clarification 😅 I was gonna get into how the rest of the show fits this format as well, but that’ll have to be in a separate post. Here’s part two! 

#young royals #prince wilhelm #young royals analysis #young royals season 1 #film theory #story structure #story analysis #young royals and the three act structure #wilmon #simon eriksson #august horn #my meta #my analysis

[fatehbaz]

In September 2022, the Australian High Court upheld a law that effectively allows “preventative incarceration,” or the imprisonment of people even after their sentence has been served, based on whether or not a court thinks the prisoner might be at risk of committing a future crime.

Indigenous people make up 4% of the population of Western Australia, but 40% of the state’s prisoners are Indigenous.

At Western Australia’s Banksia youth prison, 75% of incarcerated youth are Indigenous.

Australia allows for the imprisonment of children as young as 10 years old.

---

Excerpt:

Casuarina prison is a sprawling, concrete jungle on the southern outskirts of Perth, Western Australia (WA). It is a maximum-security, adult facility, home to people who may never leave its confines. However, on July 20, the penitentiary “welcomed” a new cohort of prisoners: 17 kids under the age of 18, who had been moved from the Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Center to Casuarina [...].

When current WA Premier Mark McGowan was elected in 2017, his Labor party promised to lower the rate of Indigenous incarceration in the state, which is the highest in the nation. First Nations people are 16 times more likely to be incarcerated in WA than non-Indigenous people, a number that has only risen despite the promise of the government.

Dr. Hannah McGlade, a Noongar academic and human rights lawyer, isn’t surprised by the state’s failure to uphold its promise. “Our government cares little for Aboriginal lives,” McGlade told The Diplomat. [...]

In the past month, the Australian High Court upheld a law designed to keep the worst offenders in prison indefinitely, even after their sentences have been complete.

Known as the High Risk Serious Offenders Act (HRSOA), the legislation was challenged in Australia’s apex court when Peter Garlett, a 23-year-old Noongar man, was imprisoned after stealing AU$20 and a necklace while pretending to be armed. Despite this being his first adult offense, when his sentence was up, the Western Australian government asked the High Court to keep Garlett, now 28, in prison.

The court agreed, effectively paving the way for preventative incarceration in Australia.

Though five of the seven High Court judges upheld the constitutional validity of the HRSOA, many academics, lawyers, and activists who deal with the lives of First Nations people inside the legal system on a regular basis, note that this will only further trap Indigenous Australians in the carceral system. Garlett had been in near-continuous detention since he was 12, and this became the rationale for keeping him in prison beyond his criminal sentence.

One of the judges even hypothesized that the law could “potentially lead to the imprisonment of one seventh of the entire prison population of Western Australia for offenses that they have not committed.” [...]

“This is a crystal-clear example of an indirectly discriminatory law: one that is not discriminatory in its express terms but is discriminatory in its practical effect.” [...]

Though Indigenous people make up less than 4 percent of the state population, nearly 40 percent of Western Australia’s prison population is Indigenous. That is particularly troubling given the horrific record of Australian prisons. Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991, over 500 First Nations people have died while imprisoned in Australia. In 2020-2021 alone, 13 prisoners died in custody in WA – five of them Aboriginal.

No custodial or police officer has ever been found criminally responsible for any of these deaths.

The structural forces pushing Indigenous people into Australia’s prisons start early. In the Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Center, three-quarters of the inmates are Indigenous. Despite its mandate to rehabilitate people for their eventual release, reports show some of the prisoners receiving as little as five hours of education a month. In April, the state’s prison watchdog outlined a series of “cruel, inhumane, and degrading” treatments in the facility’s Intensive Support Unit. Children have reportedly made suicide pacts due to their treatment, with some being kept in isolation for 23 hours a day. [...]

Penglis and McGlade point to the age of imprisonment in Australia being only 10 years old as devastating. [...]

---

Text by: Dechlan Brennan. “How Western Australia Criminalizes Indigenous Children.” The Diplomat. 7 October 2022. [Italicized first lines/heading in this post added by me.]

[inawearyworld]

free if you truly wish to be: chapter iv

shit goes DOWN. as y'all have probably gathered. bc. yknow. the plot of the movie. but first there's a song yayyyyyyyyy

2023!wonka x oc, this chapter ~2.5k

god, i love musicals.

(edit: realized after posting that i was looking at the wrong page of the screenplay while writing this and therefore royally screwed up the song structure of a world of your own but it’s fiiiiiiine)

once again, thank you mat for that interview taking a typical one-dimensional dahl villain and letting him be a more complex character. also i should probably throw a content warning on this one for depiction of a slightly abusive relationship

but i promise everything's gonna be okay soon-happy new year everyone!!

part three fic masterlist part five

While going through a time of personal growth involving trying to unravel one’s identity from that of one’s rich and powerful husband, it often happens that there are advantages to said husband being wrapped in worry over a new business rival-and, therefore, spending far more time at the office.

Wren’s favorite advantage at the present moment was that she was the only one to watch the mail come in.

Deep purple stationery was the signal she looked for-and steadily received, then returned with her own emerald letters-every day. The notes included scrawled updates regarding the operation to allow the earnest young chocolatier his day in the sun, anecdotes about the group of launderers that supported it (who she’d snuck out to meet often enough that they now felt like a second family), tales of a mysterious orange man, and exchanges of advice, witticisms, and Shakespeare quotes.

The handwriting was inexperienced, and there were more than a fair share of spelling errors toward the start of their correspondence, but she didn’t care a whit.

We’ve got the shop, Willy had written one day. For now, the task is digging through its decrepit debris and designing its decoration. (The credit for those words goes to Noodle-she says hello.) There are so many possibilities, I barely know where to start.

Start with the “why”, Wren wrote back. That’s what I always do. If there’s a piece I’m struggling to sing and I lose motivation to practice, I go back to the reasons I love the piece, even all the way back to the reasons I love the arts in the first place. Maybe there’s something in there for your shop-what made you want to share your chocolate with the world? (And hello to you too, Noodle!)

My dear Wren, came the reply, you’ve just given me the best of ideas.

He told her then about his mother and the inspiration she provided. Wren would be lying if she’d said a tear hadn’t fallen onto that particular letter.

As for how to keep him safe from the Cartel, police, and every other corrupt authority, Wren did her part by becoming Florence again whenever necessary. She acted less suspicious around her husband, leading him to be less secretive-although the gain in information was miniscule, it was better than nothing.

Felix’s rages would range anywhere from tittering, jealous rants to scheming monologues during which his whole being seemed to take on a lower, darker, more calculating tone. She’d listen carefully to all of these, tactfully calling out anything that might get him to consider he was wrong, but that had little to no effect.

Plan B, then, she’d realized, is all I can do.

So, whenever Felix seemed particularly incensed or just on the verge of coming up with how to destroy his rival, Florence would swoop in with wine and dark lipstick and a low-cut dress. She’d endure being his caged pet songbird, his doll, his perfect plaything, only because she had the growing feeling that things were about to change.

If Willy’s shop becomes successful enough to be completely undeniable, maybe the Cartel will finally acknowledge him as an equal. Maybe I’ll finally be seen as an equal, too. Maybe things will finally be truly fine.

So, night after night, she’d sit on her husband’s lap, twirl his tie, and kiss his neck until he’d forgotten the name of Wonka.

The same could not be said for her.

~

Due to just how glamorized she always had to be while in public, it didn’t take much to come up with disguise enough to be able to visit the new shop on its opening day.

With a fluttering sense of hope, Wren approached the fourth building of the Galeries Gourmet, blending in seamlessly with the sea of soon-to-be-wonderstruck passers-by. She cast a few nervous glances to the window of the Fickelgruber office, at which the man stood in his usual stance. There was no chance, though, of his recognizing her trademark ginger flame amongst the crowd; it was safely tucked under a dark, low-brimmed hat.

This could have set her mind at ease, but the fact that he looked even more smug than usual as he surveyed the ground below him made her nervous.

Did they plan something?

She was distracted from this worry by a sudden flash of color at the long-empty shop’s door. Willy Wonka stepped through, looking more himself than she could have ever imagined. He addressed the crowd with a flourish, and she marveled at his ability to combine showmanship with authenticity.

He took a skeptical older man’s arm, leading him to the shop’s entrance, and began to sing.

All at once, the shop transformed before all of their eyes, flooding with color, and the music settled into a sparking pulse that thrilled Wren to the core.

Willy grinned, fully in his element, and the doorway went dark. Gloved hands presented chocolate wonders as their creator sang them into existence. When he lit a match, the store seemed to come alive, and Wren gasped.

If his letter was anything to go by, the sight he had created was an homage to his childhood on his mother’s boat, brought to life in a way nearly too beautiful to be true.

Willy and the other man danced up a bridge of sorts as his song continued, proudly offering his shop as a world for each of his customers to call their own. Overtaken and lifted by the enchanting environment, Wren squealed with the rest of the crowd and ran into the shop, ripping the hat from her head and allowing her auburn curls to tumble freely down.

She threw her head back and laughed aloud. Her lack of makeup, and plain blouse and skirt replacing the usual emerald-colored finery, gave her assurance that she wouldn’t be recognized here; this was the closest thing she’d experienced to liberation in a very long while, and she relished it, along with the sweetly simple soar of Willy’s voice across his song.

When she looked up at him again, he was sitting on the boat that floated on the circling chocolate river, and she noticed he’d already been staring with a sideways grin. As the bassline that came from nowhere launched into a rollicking chromatic vamp, he tipped his hat to her, and she gave an enamored wave.

The second verse passed, and suddenly he’d reached her, extending a hand which she took without a second thought. He helped her onto the boat, then pulled her alarmingly close, but before she could say a thing about it, a cloud of smoke appeared around them.

Wren blinked and realized that she and Willy were now at the base of the massive chocolate tree in the center of the shop.

“How did you-”

But he only smiled and started to dance his way up the tree.

“A world of your own,” he sang, then gestured an invitation straight towards her.

This’ll be easy enough, she thought, nearly bursting with joy.

“A place to escape to,” she continued, running farther up the tree to meet him in the middle. His expression filled with awe upon finally hearing her sing, and they began a whirling back-and-forth.

“A world of your own-”

“-where you can be free!”

“Wherever you go, wherever life takes you…”

“This is your home,” she sang to him, twirling herself into his arms and beaming with pride. He’s found it-he’s created it.

“A world of your own,” they finished. He looked at her for a moment, seeming struck, then kissed her hand and disappeared through the branches of the tree to continue with the song’s bridge. She let out a dazed and happy breath, taking a moment to let her gaze roam the shop from her perch in the chocolate tree.

She didn’t know what would happen next, but she’d be damned if she wouldn’t let herself enjoy this moment.

~

What did happen next was…as an understatement, not what any of them had hoped.

She wished she could say it was a complete surprise, and she wished she could have done more to stop it. The candy started having disastrous effects, the customers understandably balked, and it was clearly not Willy’s fault in the least. In a blur, the shop was in ruins, and Wren sat in shock with the little group who’d worked so hard to make it magical.

The candyman himself was devastated; not just by the massive setback, but by the absence of his mother’s spirit. Wren and Noodle sat by his side, but Abacus ushered them up. It broke Wren’s heart to think of leaving him like this-if the truest and most trusting dreamer on Earth can be broken down, where’s the hope for the rest of us?-but she somehow still felt she had to follow the group out.

She felt a hug around her waist and a held-back sob, and looked down to see Noodle clinging onto her. Wren immediately knelt to her level and hugged the girl close, finding it hard now to keep back her own tears.

“Terrible shame what-”

“Florence?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes, her breath dropping to the floor.

Slugworth had spoken first, a smooth and practiced opening to what would have turned into a gloat. The voice that had interrupted him was genuinely shaken and clearly belonging to her husband.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Noodle, who nodded. “You can go, you shouldn’t have to see this-”

“Florence,” his voice came again, at a loss. She took a breath, stood up, and faced him with tears in her voice.

“Hi, Felix.”

Silence.

Slugworth looked with growing puzzlement between the woman and the girl, and Felix could only stare at his wife with dawning realization.

“You’ve been working with him,” he said simply, every usual quirk of inflection having vanished.

For a moment, the wash crew surrounded her in an attempt at a shield, and she heaved a breath to keep back a sob-of fear, of gratefulness for these friends that had become family over the past weeks, of everything suddenly crashing down.

“I’ll be okay,” she said quietly to the wash crew and perhaps to myself. “You all should go. Like you were going to. I’m sorry.”

They didn’t move.

She looked at Piper, whose worried hand was on her arm. There was an unspoken vow of protection between the women in that moment, but Wren’s eyes pleaded, so Piper nodded sadly, took Noodle’s hand, and the group left.

Wren was almost afraid to look at Willy, but she did; the boy was staring at the old chocolate bar in his hands, looking as if he could barely process a thing.

The sympathy in her gaze must have been far too obvious, because she suddenly heard footsteps, felt a hard grip on her wrist, and gasped in pain as it was yanked up and backwards.

“Darling,” Felix hissed with a sinister edge, though his voice was breaking, “I don’t know how or why this betrayal-”

“Betrayal?” she finally cried out, breaking free from his grasp as Willy rushed between them. “You lot have just poisoned dozens of innocent people, all for a business rivalry, and I won’t-”

“If you want your family not to starve, you had better lower your voice,” he barked.

Every speck of air seemed to leave the room.

“...My family?”

“I may have been distracted enough for the past weeks to ignore the mail that came in and out of our house, but I had not always been that blind. I thought your compassion to be an incomprehensible gesture, but I let it slide. When I felt like it.”

…They haven’t gotten everything I’ve sent.

They haven’t-

“In fact,” he continued, “it served as what was almost a pleasant reminder of the truth. For your family, for your stupid dream, and for your sweetly dependent soul-you need me.”

“If you knew I was poor, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because it’s the same way for me!”

This was the peak of what had been a building explosion, and this was the moment in which they both remembered there were other people in the room.

“What?” the four besides him breathed, almost in unison.

“Oh, you heard right,” Felix launched into speech, the characteristic gestures starting to work their way back into him. “I came from nearly nothing, just the same. But I did what I had to do to climb to the top. I cast them all away, left my old life behind completely, and I suppose it was a foolish hope to think my wife would do the same. But she-but you-you are nothing but a guileless, deceitful bleeding heart.”

“I…”

Tears blurred her vision.

“I am…genuinely sorry that you felt you had to hide your past, but that doesn’t excuse trying to make the rest of the world match your insecurity and fit your little chocolate mold. And if that makes me a bleeding heart…I’m proud of the title.”

For a moment, the man looked as if he would allow his wife’s words to affect him.

Then his face, normally so expressive, turned completely cold.

She’d lost him.

She’d never truly had him to lose.

But she looked at Willy, and she thought of the wash crew, and she realized she finally had a truer support system. And if she could try to start over, find some other way to earn money to send to her family without interception, and some other way to reach the dreams that felt so far away at the moment, she knew Felix would be wrong: she didn’t need him.

After a long silence, Slugworth cleared his throat.

“Get her out of here. We have business with Mr. Wonka.”

What?

Her and the younger man’s eyes widened, and they grabbed each other’s hands on instinct, but a small number of policemen came around the corner of the shop door at Slugworth’s order. They clamped hands on her shoulders and dragged her away from Willy as the Cartel stood silently and watched.

“Wait-wait, no, I-”

“Wren-”

She struggled, fought, kicked, but was forced into the backseat of a police car-

“Let me go, you corrupt bastards-”

“Wren-”

“Let me-”

“Just drop her somewhere in town,” Felix said coolly. “Somewhere that isn’t my home.”

“WREN!”

The car door was slammed, and the last thing she saw was the Cartel advancing on a dazed Willy, opening a suitcase of cash.

All she could do was scream, and the scream turned into a cry.

They did indeed drop her somewhere. She burst out of the car the second it had stopped, and the officers drove away without a word.

Sick with worry and trying to regain her breath, she looked around, almost fainting with relief when she saw the laundry building. Piper, having heard the commotion, stood outside, and they looked at each other for a moment before Wren fell sobbing into her arms.

This is not over.

#fiytwtb #wonka movie #wonka 2023 #wonka #willy wonka x reader #timothée chalamet #timothee x reader #timothee chalamet fic #timothee chalamet fanfiction #timothee chalamet #wonka x reader #timothée chalamet x reader #wonka fanfiction #wonka fanfic #mat baynton #mathew baynton #mathew baynton x reader #mat baynton x reader

[sea-dukes-assistant]

A photographer says he once had to ask Prince Philip to remove 'The Joy of Sex' book from his office.

Photographer Julian Calder said he once had to ask the late Duke of Edinburgh to remove a book about sex so it wouldn't be in the shot.

Calder, a portrait photographer who has captured the royal family through the years, reflected on his time working with Prince Philip on the latest episode of Hello Magazine's "A Right Royal Podcast," which aired on Wednesday. 

"I once did a portrait of Prince Phillip in his office. And he was standing there, and I was quite young at the time," Calder said.

"And I'm looking through the lens, and I thought 'God just behind his right ear is a book, 'The Joy of Sex,' and I had to say, 'Prince Philip, should we move that?' And he laughed, and he got his equerry to come and move it," he said. 

Calder added that it would have looked "stupid" if nobody had spotted the book during the photo shoot. 

Philip's reaction will be no surprise to those who knew the royal for his famous sense of humor. While the duke's role was filled with formalities, he was often heard cracking jokes during various royal engagements. 

The royal's friend, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, described Philip as "straight to the point" and as having a "wicked sense of humor" during an interview with BBC Breakfast after his death in April 2021, The Independent reported at the time.

"The Joy of Sex" by Alex Comfort sold more than 12 million copies after it was first published in 1972, according to the author's obituary published by The Washington Post on March 29, 2000. The book, which featured illustrations of sexual acts, was structured as a traditional cookbook and had three sections: "Starters," "Main Courses," and "Sauces and Pickles," according to The Washington Post.

The original cover showed an illustration of a naked man kissing his female partner, with the tagline: "A Gourmet Guide to Lovemaking."

The book was updated by sex expert and relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam in 2011. 

Philip was married to the late Queen Elizabeth for 73 years before he died at the age of 99 on April 9, 2021. The duke was the longest-serving consort in British history. 

The couple kept their relationship private and rarely showed public displays of affection during their marriage.

Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. 

(source)

Me, at Sea Duke, while removing the book:

#Prince Philip #working for Sea Duke #I then did *cough*research*cough* #it's my duty as his fucking assistant #reposting as text because the original got hidden or some shit #THEY FUCKED

[geotheraider]

Zutara Week 2023 - Day 4: Jewel

Note: This prompt response takes place in a museum and is mostly written on a plaque for the exhibit.

Behold! The Jewel of Agni. 

Once thought lost to time and civilizations, the pure ruby Jewel of Agni is symbolic of Fire Nation strength and perseverance. This particular crimson gemstone’s origins lay within the belly of the very volcano that once formed Caldera city. Belched out in a great inferno, this jewel would eventually rest just south of the mainland.

Its many natural facets are intricate. Some have claimed to see the visage of Agni himself within the reflections, if inspected closely. Flames periodically dance within the gem, and reach their apex of activity during the summer solstice, and cease entirely on the winter solstice. Each major facet holds deeper meaning.

The Cloven Facet, located at the top left and is identified by the fracture running through the cut, signifies the fractured history of the Fire Nation, and how once we were once separated into warring tribes prior to unification.

The Sun Facet, located at the very top of the gem is near perfectly circular, and signifies our connection to the ultimate power above.

The Twin Facet, located along the right side of the gemstone is identified by the twinned crystal structure dominating this portion of the jewel. It portrays the nature of Fire Nation histories to wish for a partnership with one nation more than all others, acting as a twin during times of triumph.

The Flame Facet, located front and center is self explanatory. Shaped like a striking fireball, it shows the strength we all have within ourselves.

The Dragon Facet, pictured in the painting below, was lost in 35AG, to damage caused by an earthquake. It signified the glorious companionship our nation formerly had with the dragons. Hopefully one day in the future, we will once again rejoin their kind in union.

This sizable gemstone will be on display here, in the Grand Azulon Museum, until the end of summer, whence it will make its first journey outside the nation in over a century. You can see it at its future exhibit in Ba Sing Se’s Kuei Institute for gemology for the six months it will be on loan.

“As far as explanations go”, Zuko thinks aloud, “That’s roughly all correct.” 

A gemstone is preserved back in the royal palace, hidden beneath a floorboard in Fire Lord Zuko’s private quarters. It was gifted to him upon completion of his training with the Sun Warriors as an act of good faith, along with a golden egg shaped jewel that the young man could swear almost felt alive. He had commissioned a pendant be made that would allow the real Jewel of Agni to be placed within.

The museum exhibit certainly got one thing wrong. The Jewel was not fiery, nor was it even a ruby. The pure sapphire blue gemstone resides within the pendant Zuko plans to gift his future wife as part of their engagement in three weeks.The museum can keep the false gem; he and Katara will know the true history.

If you like my writing, check out my other works over on AO3!

@zutaraweek

#zutara #zutara week 2023 #zutaraweek2023 #zuko #katara #geotheraider writes #atla #zuko x katara #zutaraweek #zkweek2023 #zkweek #avatar fanfiction

[lady-jane-asher]

Jane Asher and Gawn Grainger as Juliet Capulet and Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” presentation while being on tour in the USA, 1967. Part 2. 🩶

Previously posted pictures with my old username, updating it with the new one.

Old Vic Brings First Spoken Drama to The Music Center. By Cecil Smith. Los Angeles times— March 5th, 1967.

It seems a curious bit of scheduling to have the Bristol Old Vic in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of The Music Center, opening a three-week season of Shakespeare Tuesday night.The company is doing the first spoken drama ever performed in the new complex and it arrives on the threshold, the very eve, of the twin openings of the new theaters designed primarily for drama next month. Not that the spoken word is a stranger to the Pavilion. Some of the more interesting musical plays produced there, notably "Fiddler on the Roof," have been as dependent on their dramatic as on their musical structure. And if the Pavilion is fundamentally a music hall, still the verbal music of Shakespeare can be as stirring and compelling as any instrumental or vocal music ever devised. No one plays this music better than a British ensemble and among the great companies of England the Bristol Old Vic is considered one of the best. No less an authority than Sir Tyrone Guthrie says it is among the world's finest acting companies and that its managing director, Val May, is an immensely vital force in the English-speaking theater.

Suited the Action

Sir Tyrone suited the action to the word by staging the production of "Measure for Measure" that opens the BOV season here. May directed the production of "Hamlet" that enters the repertory Thursday and the "Romeo and Juliet" that will open next week. The three plays will rotate through March 25. The Bristol Old Vic was initially formed in 1946 as an offshoot, a sort of farm club for London's justly celebrated Old Vic. When the latter was melded into the British National Theater three years ago, the BOV became an independent entity.

It is supported by an annual grant of 40,000 pounds from the Federal Arts Council, plus a grant from the city of Bristol and its thriving box offices in two theaters-the legendary Theater Royal and its new Little Theater. But even in its days as m the outpost of the London company, the Bristol Old Vic had an individuality and a spirit all its own. I remember when the parent organization was in the Philharmonic on one of its tours some years ago, I asked John Neville, who was playing Hamlet, what his plans were after the tour, and he said he was leaving the London company to return to Bristol. I asked him why. "It's more adventurous, more experimental, more daring and," he smiled, "more fun."

Although the BOV is only doing Shakespeare on this first American tour under the sponsorship of S. Hurok, the Bard is not its primary product in England. The company is known as an innovator, launching new plays and new playwrights, trying new areas of stagecraft, new methods and new approaches. It was in the vanguard of the new wave of British drama that spawned Pinter, Shaffer, Osborne, Arden, Wesker, and others. It was the first company to produce an English version of Erwin Piscator's "War and Peace" (later staged with immense success in this country by the APA) and it first provided a stage for such plays as "A Severed Head" and "The Killing of Sister George." ⠀⠀⠀

The company has a vigorous acting school and training program that has a spawned a legendary crop of stars, among them Rosemary Harris, Peter O'Toole, Dorothy Tutin and Paul Rogers. m Although the concentration is on youth, many an established star has played at Bristol, including Wendy Hiller, Moira Shearer, Pamela Brown and Neville.

The Hamlet of the current company is one of England's brightest young stars, Richard Pasco. He's little known in this country, though he was in the movie "Room at the Top" and played Broadway with Laurence Olivier in

"The Entertainer." Pasco, who also plays the key role of Angelo in "Measure for Measure," told a Times correspondent in Bristol recently that he sees Hamlet as "a fish out of water." "He's plunked right in the middle of all this political intrigue and violence and that's what he hates most— violence," Pasco said.

He approves director May's decision to set the play in the Napoleonic era-"lots of conspiracy and blood around in those days." Pasco said his first West End job as an actor was in "Hamlet"-playing Fortinbras to the prince of Paul Scofield. He feels Scofield saw the character as "an angry young man." "Yet," said Pasco, "he's really pretty cool. He likes to think about things-in a world that likes to act. Not that he's unable to take care of himself—he learned that as a soldier. But he's a scholar who knows that violence only leads to more violence. It's not in his nature to do the things that have to be done.

That's the terrible part." Pasco was the original angry young man—he played Jimmy Porter in the English Stage Company's famous production of "Look Back in Anger" in 1956, which launched the new wave of British drama. Most of his career has been in classical repertory though he's also starred in British television and movies. He joined the Bristol Old Vic in 1964 for its first tour of Europe, which extended as far as Israel.

Famous member⠀⠀⠀

Actually, the most famous member of the current troupe is its Juliet, 20-year old Jane Asher-particularly with the miniskirt set. The fame that preceded her had nothing to do with her acting but her fan magazine reputation as the girl friend of Beatle Paul McCartney, which has brought out swarms of teenagers on the cross-country tour. In proper repertory fashion, she balances Juliet with the tiny role of Julietta in "Measure for Measure." There are other players quite celebrated in Britain among them, John Franklyn Robbins, Frank Barrie, Madge Ryan, Frank Middlemass, Gwan Granger, Barbara Leigh-Hunt. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

But as in the National Theater, the Comedie Francaise, the Moscow Art Theater, one goes to see an ensemble, not an individual. This is a new wrinkle in this country but with the success of such ensembles as the APA, ACT and others, it's gaining momentum. There's an immense sense of pride in the Bristol company and in its homebase theater, the 200-year-old Theater Royal in cred Eritain on a heater where Sarah Siddons played and Edmund Kean, William Charles Macready, Jenny Lind, Henry Irving and Ellen, Terry-the ghost of Mrs. Siddons is said to stalk its stage.

Some feel it prophetic that the Blitz, which levered much of Bristol, spared the theater. Val May accompanied his players to this country and stayed with them through their highly acclaimed New York openings, then returned to Bristol to prepare his spring season, which includes such varied offerings as "The Hostage," "The Taming of the Shrew," Galsworthy's "Strife" and Pinter's "The Homecoming."

Among three new plays to be produced is one by American author Robert Rich, "Message from the Grassroots," a play about Malcolm X with an all-white cast.

Dr. Guthrie met the troupe in Philadelphia to brush up his initial staging of "Measure for Measure," that blackest of black comedies, which was much condemned in Victorian England for its outspoken attitudes on sex and morals and its cynicism. Dr. Guthrie told me later he was quite pleased with the production and it was greeted in Philadelphia, Boston and New York with warmth and a goodly share of critical hosannas.

The play is out of Shakespeare's middle period when he was at the height of his powers, written at about the time he wrote "Othello," after "Hamlet" and prior to "Lear." Although labeled a comedy, it is quite a serious work and tragedy is narrowly averted and then only through good fortune. It's easy to see how it shocked the Victorians, dealing with the stern enforcer of a Viennese law holding fornication illegal and punishable by death.

When a young man gets his girl with child, he is sentenced to die, and his sister, a novice in a nunnery, offers her own chastity in exchange for her brother's life. What particularly upset the Victorians was Shakespeare's straightforward appraisal of humanity, as when he has the wry Pompey ask the young governor if, to enforce the law, he plans "to geld and spay all the youth of the city?" Eras change. The candor that delights one age shocks another and can delight a third. But what endures is the essential truth in the poet in his evaluation of man for all his vice and folly.

When he has Angelo say: "They say best men are moulded out of faults, and, for the most part, become much the better for being a little bad," it's downright comforting.

#jane asher #the beatles #60s #beatles girls #actress #lady jane asher #something about jane asher #model #beatles women #redhead #red hair #1960s #1967 #romeo and juliet #beatles girl

[baublecoded]

“Fontevraud was founded by Robert of Arbrissel, a hermit whose charismatic preaching attracted a following of mostly women of all social classes, including members of the high nobility as well as prostitutes and beggars, and which, in about 1100, he was required to regularize. The community at Fontevraud became the special concern of the counts of Anjou, and the community remembered not only Robert as its founder, but them also. The structure of the monastic community was distinct. It was a mixed house with both men and women living in it, but was unique in that the women were dominant. The men were not monks but canons regular who laboured on the nuns’ estates and acted as their chaplains, in order that the nuns might enjoy the rituals of the monastic life. The men lived in one part of the monastery, while the women lived in several cloisters, separated by function and by class. It was the aristocratic women who ruled. When it came to the decision-making process, in the world of Fontevraud, it was class that mattered, not gender. The community followed the Rule of St Benedict, and by the time that John is said to have been a member of the community, it was still being strictly observed. No other monastic community, whether long established or part of the new movements in monasticism of the twelfth century, had a structure in which religious women governed religious men. Like other orders that succeeded in the twelfth century, Fontevraud attracted imitators, and thus became the mother house of a large number of dependent communities, including, after the accession of Henry II, three in England. The community had a special place in the hearts of the Angevins, and under Henry II Fontevraud took on the character of a royal mausoleum. It was here that Henry was to be buried, to be followed by his son, Richard the Lionheart, his daughter, Joanna, queen of Sicily, and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine – her grandfather had had a hand in supporting the founder of Fontevraud, so the community had Aquitainian connections that satisfied Eleanor. John, in the company of his sister, Joanna, had therefore been placed in a matriarchy for the purposes of learning his letters.10 Quite when he entered Fontevraud is difficult to say. He certainly could not have been there in his teenage years (nuns did not teach teenage boys), and it is unlikely that John had been placed in the community as an infant (nuns were not in the habit of wet-nursing babies). In 1170, aged three, John had been handed over to the care of his eldest brother, the Young King, for him to promote and support, so we can suppose that John was not at Fontevraud until after that time. John emerges from the records as an individual in about the year 1177, so the simple deduction has to be that John’s time at Fontevraud occurred between 1172 and and 1177. But it would be wrong to see this period in John’s life as one during which he was abandoned. On the contrary, he was at the spiritual home of the Angevin dynasty, nurtured by women who would have been friends and relations of his own family. There were few better locations for a boy to learn the basics of his literate education even if it was an unsuitable place for a boy to learn how to fight.

[…] John was the recipient of a privileged education, the best that his world could give, and in a place that he could recognize as home. He may have been denied his mother’s attentions (she was in prison from 1174 after her capture by Henry II during the revolt she led against him) and his father, too, must have been a distant figure, but none of that was unusual. Where John’s education did stand out as different was in relation to his brothers. […] John, on the other hand, missed out on the rough and tumble of knightly instruction. Until the age of ten, John was given an education more like that imparted to his sisters, Eleanor (b. 1163) and Joanna (b. 1165), than that provided for his brothers.15 John, therefore, was perhaps more cosseted and more softened than his elder brothers. He certainly approached the world differently from them. When the contemporary commentator Gerald of Wales came to describe the boys, he thought that John was less prepared in martial affairs than any of his elder brothers. This did not mean that John was destined for the Church: legitimate children were far too valuable for the purposes of diplomacy. Henry only directed his illegitimate children to ecclesiastical appointments (three of his four known bastards went into the Church). But it might explain why, of all his brothers, John was the least martial and the least successful in dealing with other men.”

— Stephen Church, King John: England, Magna Carta and the Making of a Tyrant

#king john #historian: stephen church

[arwen-winchester]

About ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ from the lore perspective

This - probably extremely poor-attempted - quick analysis contains spoilers from the books’ version of the witcher lore by Andrzej Sapkowski and latest Witcher-verse abomination from Netlix

So you’ve been warned.

Let set the stage of the drama.

ACT ONE: 

The entirety of ‘The Witcher’ saga is a story based on relations between races and relations beetwen them.

(In one word the book’s version story is about racism)

 At the beggining these said races are mostly gnomes, dwarves, elves and human. In the books there are always unicors - but about them later.

Gnomes and dwarves were - as was said in the books - indigenous inhabitants of the Continent.

I’m gonna talk about monsters in further part of this analisys or maybe in another note.

ACT TWO:

Elves originated in ANOTHER WORLD. Before the Conjunction of the Spheres elves were able to travel between worlds. How? Enter unicors. Elves couldn’t open Ard Gaeth - The Doors/Gates of the Worlds - on their own. To do that they needed help. And unicorns had the ability to easely open/close those Gates. 

At this time there were one single tribe of elves. During the Conjunction elven abilities slowly faded and they devided themselves in to groups or tribes! Aen Seidhe had stayed in the Continent world. The other tribe had become Aen Elle - which later turned into The Wild Hunt.

For regaine the ability of between-world-travelling elven scientists created Hen Ichaer, The Elder Blood. The Elder Blood’s the genetic material ceated by mixing of the genes of elves and unicorns.

ACT THREE:

Conjuction of the Spheres

This huge cataclysmic long-lasting event brought elves, human and monters into the Continent. This event forced elves into magical science experiments with the mix of the genes of elves and unicrorns (Hen Ichaer) and brought people and other creatures into unending war. And human to create first monster hunter known as The First Witcher

ACT FOUR:

THE BLOODLINE

Far before the main story there were four important caracters in the books. The Elven mages -  Aen Saevherne - Avallac’h, Auberon Muircetach, Shiadhal and Eredin Breacc Glass. All of them were injected with genetic mix that turned later into The Elder Blood, Hen Ichaer.

Two of them - Shiadhal and Auberon Muircetach - had a baby girl, Lara Dorren, first in line of ‘Lara’s gene’, a natural born carrier of powerful magical genetic material. Lara was supposed to marry Avallac’h, but she’d fallen in love with human mage -  Cregennan of Lod.

Their doughter was Riannon, born with the last breath of her mother, adopted and raised by queen Cerro of Redania. She was queen of Temeria during Falka’s uprising. Mother of Fiona (only survivg childand first queen of Cintra with Lara’s gene) and Amavet (father of the next Cintra’s queen). Foster mother of Adela, Falka’s bastard doughter.

As a result of many generation of Royal Family of Cintra princess Cirilla was born.

Fun Fact: The Lara’s gene is active in the female-only-line. Males could be carriers, but the gene is inactive and became extinct in two, maybe three generations. The grandparents of princess Cirilla were Calanthe (with barely exinting activator in her genetic material) and Roegner (who in this case was the carrier of almost extinct remnants of the Hen Ichaer genetics).

ACT FIVE:

Creation of the first Witcher

The people responsible for creation of The First Witcher were Alzur and his lover Lylianna, renegade mage from Temeria and sorceress intrested in mutation. They’d tried to create monter hunter but failed multiple times, most of the were spectacular. The First Witcher was a young orphan boy adopted by said mage. That boy was put into a series of magical Trials and Changes. And this time it was a success. the key element of the witcher cretion was youth.

And now crème de la crème - the comparison of the Lore and ‘Witcher: Blood Origin’

1. There was no clans in the elven society. They were devide into classic society structure. And ther’re the first occupiers of the lands that previously belonged to gnomes or dwarves.

2. Ithlinne was  Aen Saevherne (The Knowing Ones) - a high-born and elven powerful mage. Not a peasant girl working in the inn in the middle of nowhere in far north of the Continent.

3. The First Witcher were createed out of a young orphan boy with magic and a lot of mutagenic herbs, not an adult elven-male warrior and other-worldly monster’s heart.

4. WITCHERS ARE STERIL!!! That means they cannot have kids. And the show impled that Eile and Fjall’s child was conceived after him changing into the witcher.

5. The elves travelled between worls WITHOUT monoliths. this addition to the main show was the most outrages thing ever happened in the fantasy plot.

6. In the main show Vesemir needed special magical flowers, Ciri’s blood and Tris help with incantation to even attempt to create that mutagenic potion and in the ‘Blood Origin’ all they need was two mages and monter’s heart

TL;DR: The showrunners of the Netflix’s Witcher-verse graduated Stephen Moffat’s Show Writting University. And in comparison to other Witcher’s properties this is the biggest pile of dragon shit I’ve ever seen.

#the witcher #Witcher: Blood Origin #netflix witcher #know the lore

[the-good-spartan]

Spartan Social Structure: Part Three – Spartan Women

It may seem strange to remove Spartan women into a social grouping of their own – they were, after all, of Spartan blood too; however, their existence was so entirely separate to the homoioi, that there’s really no other way to approach them.

They might usefully be viewed as second class citizens – though I must emphasise I use this term in no way to suggest a value judgement upon them, or that this should be taken to mean that they weren’t respected by the men around them; I speak only in the sense of a patriarchal, hierarchical structure which absolutely placed the homoioi above every other Lakedaimonian.

Modern scholarship around this particular topic is vexed by interpretations reached via a modern feminist lens, with the result that we very often find an entirely skewed view of Spartan women as liberated (in the modern sense), free to do as they pleased, going so far as to support the notion that Sparta was, ultimately, a secret gynocracy.

For example, and summing up this view, Christensen quotes Simone de Beauvoir, who wrote that, in Sparta women:

"… underwent the burdens of maternity as men did war: but except for this civic duty, no restraints were put on their freedom."

I have tried here to give a more balanced view of historical probabilities by focusing on the primary sources rather than modern perspectives; consequently, I’ve used a lot more direct quotes than usual.

The Privileged Women of Sparta

When academics speak of the privileges accorded Spartan women, they are usually referring to comparisons with Athenian women, and by that yardstick, Spartan women did enjoy certain privileges; most notably, the ability to own property and to participate in physical exercise. Cartledge even suggests that they were granted an education in parallel to the agoge, though this is pure speculation, and Ducat resoundingly states his opinion that it’s nonsense.

We can be fairly certain, though, that girls did receive some form of education, even if it wasn’t in line with the agoge. They were raised at home with their mothers, but perhaps had a system of mentorship on the same pattern as the agoge, if Plutarch is to be believed:

‘Sexual [pederastic] relationships… were so highly regarded that respectable women would in fact have love affairs with unmarried girls.’ [Lyk 18]

They played some sports as you will see below – though which sports, whether with the boys, whether naked or in short tunics, are all controversial, realistically unanswerable questions – and they participated in sacred dancing and footraces on behalf of various gods.

Perhaps we might view their girlhood as being blessed with some form of freedom which their Athenian counterparts didn’t enjoy; but this probably ceased at marriage, which occurred between 18 and 20.

But before we get into that…

What did the Ancients say to Make us Think Liberation was Even a Possibility?

More than usual, it’s super important to remember that our sources were written by cultural outsiders, who acted from a variety of motivations:

1. To reinforce the social norms of their own city-states, particularly around the need for monogamy and social control of ‘their’ women by means of using ‘Spartan women as a cautionary tale’;

2. For comic or dramatic effect;

3. In defence of Lykourgos’ Laws.

The possible exception to all these men being outsiders is Xenophon, who (we believe) sent his two sons through the agoge during the 4th Century BCE, and perhaps had some first-hand experience of the Spartans at home – but that is by no means certain.

Plutarch, for example, in his Sayings of Spartan Women, reports the young royal girl, Gorgo (future wife of the famous King Leonidas), speaking up when invited to do so by her father, King Kleomenes:

‘When the Milesian Aristagoras was urging Kleomenes to make war against the Great King in support of the Ionians and was promising him quantities of money, and also adding more to meet his objections, the king’s daughter Gorgo said, ‘Father, this miserable little foreigner will ruin you completely unless you drive him out of the house pretty quickly.’ [Sayings of Spartan Women, Gor. 1]’

Kleomenes took her advice, and this story is often held up as an example of feminine empowerment; however, what Plutarch doesn’t include from the original story in Herodotus, is that the historian had already told the reader that Kleomenes ‘was not quite right in the head, to the extent that he was almost a lunatic’ [His. 5.42].

Aristotle, in his Politics, claimed that Spartan women enjoyed such total freedom that they defeated even Lykourgos, the Lawgiver himself, in his attempt to curb them:

‘…it is said that Lycurgus did attempt to bring them under the laws, but since they resisted, he gave it up.’

He claims that, unburdened by constraint, they lived totally at their ease:

‘…And this has taken place in [Sparta], for the lawgiver wishing the whole city to be of strong character displays his intention clearly in relation to the men, but in the case of the women has entirely neglected the matter; for they live dissolutely in respect of every sort of dissoluteness, and luxuriously.’

It is on his say-so that anyone believes that Sparta may have been a gynocracy:

‘…in the time of their empire, many things were controlled by the women; yet what difference does it make whether the women rule, or the rulers are ruled by the women? The result is the same.’

[Selections taken from Politics, 1269b-70a].

From quite a different source, and a contemporary, Classical one, Euripides in his play Andromache, has Peleus complain about the sexual license of Spartan women:

They leave their houses in the company of young men, with bare thighs and loosened tunics, and in a fashion I cannot stand, they share the same running-tracks [dromoi] and wrestling places [palaistrai] with them. After that, is it any wonder that you do not bring up women to be chaste?

[Andr. 597–601, trans. D. Kovacs.]

Aristophanes, in his comedy Lysistrata, gives the Spartan woman Lampito a forward, vigorous character, in line with this idea of their immodesty:

LYSISTRATA Welcome Lampito!/Dear Spartan girl with a delightful face,/Washed with the rosy spring, how fresh you look/In the easy stride of your sleek slenderness,/Why you could strangle a bull!

LAMPITO I think I could./It's from exercise and kicking high behind.

LYSISTRATA What lovely breasts you have!

LAMPITO Feel them for yourself with your tender fingers... /I feel as though I’m an altar-victim.

[I’ve taken the liberty of translating the Scotch dialect the original translator irritatingly gave Lampito.]

Xenophon in On Spartan Society, supports these claims only so far as to say that:

‘In Lycurgus' view, by contrast, clothes could be produced quite adequately by slave women, whereas in his opinion the production of children was the most important duty of free women.

So in the first place he required the female sex to take physical exercise just as much as males; next he arranged for women also, just like men, to have contests of speed and strength with one another, in the belief that when both parents are strong, their children are born sturdier.’

Being freed from sedentary activities and participating in sporting or group activities can give girls a feeling of control over their lives, provided they enjoy it; however, this is to overlook the fact that there were almost certainly those who didn’t enjoy sport and would’ve preferred to weave. They had no choice whether they participated or not.

Plutarch gives us the fullest picture, though I place his information last because, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, he was writing more than 500 years after the Classical period, and through a Roman-era lens and we don’t know how reliable his sources were. He should always be taken with caution.

‘First, [Lykourgos] toughened the girls physically by making them run and wrestle and throw the discus and javelin. Thereby their children in utero would make a strong start in strong bodies and would develop better, while the women themselves would also bear their pregnancies with vigour and meet the challenge of childbirth in a successful, relaxed way.

He did away with prudery, sheltered upbringing and effeminacy of any kind. He made young girls no less than young men grow used to walking nude in processions, as well as to dancing and singing at certain festivals with the young men present and looking on.

On some occasions the girls would make fun of each of the young men, helpfully criticizing their mistakes. On other occasions they would rehearse in song the praises which they’d composed about those meriting them, so that they filled the youngsters with a great sense of ambition and rivalry. For the one who was praised for his manliness and became a celebrated figure to the girls went off priding himself on their compliments; whereas the jibes of their playful humour were no less cutting than warnings of a serious type, especially as the kings and the gerontes attended the spectacle along with the rest of the citizens.

There was nothing disreputable about the girls' nudity. It was altogether modest, and there was no hint of immorality. Instead, it encouraged simple habits and an enthusiasm for physical fitness, as well as giving the female sex a taste of masculine gallantry, since it too was granted equal participation in both excellence and ambition. As a result, the women came to talk as well as to think in the way that Leonidas' wife Gorgo is said to have done. For when some woman, evidently a foreigner, said to her: 'You Lakedaimonian women are the only ones who can rule men,' she replied, "That's because we are the only ones who give birth to men.'

[From Lyk 14]

But Were They Really Liberated?

Liberation necessarily requires the ability to choose one’s own path through life – whether to work or make a home, the ability to take part in the political system, whether to marry or not and who, and most importantly, to have full bodily autonomy. I’ll try to address each of these points below.

Women’s Work

There’s no evidence that Spartan women did any kind of manual labour – the helots are attested doing everything from nursing babies to weaving and everything in between. The only task, beyond the requirement to produce children, which Spartan women are attested doing, is whatever we might understand ‘managing a household’ involved.

I can’t imagine there was a great deal to do, beyond managing the helots themselves and perhaps taking care of any religious obligations, and it’s worth mentioning here that it’s highly likely that households were multi-generational. A newly married couple probably lived with the husband’s parents (certainly that’s where the marriage took place) and, if he had any, his brothers’ families – so we might imagine that this task was shared between many women.

Political Exclusion

Spartan women were precluded from taking part in the political system, as everyone who wasn’t homoioi was, unless we choose to give some credence to Aristotle’s suggestion that they had undue influence over their men.

However, Aristotle’s basis for this belief is problematic. He says:

‘It is true, therefore, that at the outset the freedom allowed to women at Sparta seems to have come about with good reason, for the Spartans used to be away in exile abroad for long periods on account of their military expeditions, both when fighting the war against the Argives and again during the war against the Arcadians and Messenians …’

[Pol 1269 again]

[Dates of these engagements in order: Argives: ~546BCE; Arkadians: primarily against the Tegeans, which included the infamous Battle of the Fetters ~550 BCE; Messenians: presumably he means the Third Messenian War, ~464 BCE, though he may be referring to the much earlier Second, which was in the 7th century BCE.]

This idea is spurious – let me explain as briefly as I can.

Spartiates, according to the Laws, were required to live in Sparta at all times when they weren’t on active service elsewhere. The gerousia, the board of 28 elders (who weren’t the kings) were all beyond the age of military service so they would always be in Sparta. The gerousia was instituted very early on and was almost certainly in place during the 6th century.

Only one king was permitted to march with the army at any given time, so there was, in theory always one king in Sparta (except during the times there was only one king at all, of course). This was current from the end of the 6th C BCE (~506 BCE.)

Men who had more than three male children were exempt from military service and would’ve remained in the city at all times, too – though this is often argued to have come into currency only after the Great Earthquake of ~464 BCE.

Those who marched out with the army would only have been a portion of the military-aged men. The army was selected by bouai (age groups), and only some of those groups were called into service for any given campaign. It was never the case that all the men of military age were sent from Sparta at once.

Though Aristotle is talking about the 6th century BCE, common sense tells us that some of these elements must still apply. There’s no version of reality in which all the men old enough to do so march out to war, leaving a city with only the women to take care of things. It simply never happened.

What’s more, there’s an issue with this claim of them being absent for an extended period of time – and it crops up in a lot of talking points, not just around women. During the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides tells us the longest duration of the army’s absence from Sparta was 40 days, and this occurred in two campaigns.

There’s a good reason why campaigns couldn’t be much longer than this, and that’s the difficulty in the provisioning of food. Twenty days appears to be the outer limit of what could be brought from Sparta. If this was an issue in the 5th century, there’s no reason to suppose it was easier a hundred years earlier or more.

Anyway – This is the long way of saying that Aristotle is wrong. Women were extremely unlikely to have been left to their own devices for long lengths of time.

Marriage and Children

Women were betrothed in exchange for a dowry, and her husband was chosen by her father or male guardian.

To quote Aristotle again:

‘… He [ie. a woman’s (explicitly) male guardian] is allowed to give an heiress in marriage to whomever he likes; and if he dies without having made directions as to this by will, whoever he leaves as his executor bestows her upon whom he chooses.’

[Aristotle again, from the Politics.]

Even once a woman was married, she wasn’t protected from being given to other men without her consent – and the emphasis is always very obviously on the production of children.

‘[Lykourgos] observed, however, that where an old man happened to have a young wife, he tended to keep a very jealous watch on her. So, he planned to prevent this too, by arranging that for the production of children the elderly husband should introduce to his wife to any man whose physique and personality he admired.

Further, should a man not wish to be married, but still be eager to have remarkable children, Lycurgus also made it lawful for him to have children by any fertile and well-bred woman who came to his attention, subject to her husband's consent. And he would approve many such arrangements. For the women want to have two households, while the men want to acquire for their sons' brothers who would form part of the family and its influence, but would have no claim on the estate. For the production of children, then, he made these arrangements so different from those of others.’

[Xenophon OSS]

Referring back to my initial definition of liberation, I think this makes quite clear that women didn’t choose ‘whether to marry or not and who,’ and it’s equally clear they didn’t have anything approaching full bodily autonomy.

Freedom?

In summary, I don’t believe that Spartan women were liberated in any sense that we would recognise as such today. Their privileges, assuming they weren’t all invented by Athenians, were small, and soon gone.

If we wanted to follow the path to a utopian ideal for them, we would have to take these sources at more-or-less face value, while ignoring a couple of really important points.

The ‘liberated and empowered Spartan woman’ as she appears in the ancient sources is a construct of (mainly) Athenian men with a vested interest in reinforcing their own marital norms, social behaviour and patriarchal authority - directly in contrast to Sparta.

The Spartan women in these texts are deliberately designed to be Other – to be despised and derided, as the Other always is.*

Also, to come out of this exercise with anything like a liberated Spartan woman before us, we must engage in serious cherry-picking, ignoring those sources, particularly around eugenics, plural marriages and ‘wife-loaning’, which make it absolutely clear that women were in no way in control of their lives or their bodily autonomy within marriage.

~~~~~~~~

[*For those who aren’t familiar with the terminology related to post-colonialism, Othering is a key tenet of the theory of Orientalism. I studied post-colonialism pretty extensively as part of my English degree – it is very applicable here in Australia, but the theory is useful in studying history at least as much as literature.

Orientalism, amongst other things, posits that the centre of power (sometimes referred to as Mother, or the Centre - in this instance Athens), knowingly, deliberately creates a distance between itself and the periphery (the Other or the Periphery, in this case, Sparta) by developing an image of them as lesser, not-like-us, and essentially bad and wrong. There is very often no necessity for this to be true – it must have just enough truth in it to be believed by the audience.

In modern times in the west, we can see this play out in rhetoric around Muslims, the Middle-East, and closer to home for me, the Aboriginal peoples here in Australia.

You can find more about this theory in the work of Edward Said, particularly his book of the same name, Orientalism. It’s not an easy read (theory never is), but definitely worthwhile as an approach to understanding how the centre of power denigrates those on the periphery.]

#I'm posting this before the planned section on the hypomeiones #because I have to stop tinkering with it #I have spent far too much time on this #ancient women #sparta #spartan women #ancient sparta #ancient history #ancient greece #lakedaimon #orientalism

[jbaileyfansite]

Old Jonathan Bailey Interview for South Downs (2012)

At the time of the interview, Jonathan Bailey was appearing as Jeremy Duffield in South Downs, which is part of a Double Bill with The Browning Version playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre until July 2012. “They’re two gems that are quite simple but also great writing, two brilliant stories that are really moving, that are told, I think, touch wood, really well.”

Jonathan has many television credits to his name including playing the lead role of Leonardo da Vinci in BBC1’s Leonardo. He has also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing Prince Arthur in King John.

Jonathan took some time out from his busy schedule to answer some questions about himself and his career. Enjoy!

You were born in Aylesbury Vale, Oxfordshire. What was it like growing up there? I was born in a village called Benton in Oxfordshire and it was typical village life. I went to the local C of E Primary School, and grew up with my three sisters, Mum and Dad. It was good that you could just have friends in walking distance at that sort of age and basically just make mud pies in the street. It wasn’t however particularly productive for performing arts.

What memories do you have of performing in school productions? I remember one role where I was playing a raindrop in the story of Noah and his Ark. I also remember playing a shepherd in the nativity when I was about four.

Where did you train and how did that prepare you for a career on the stage? Well I didn’t go to drama school. I started acting when I was really young, about seven in The Christmas Carol at the Barbican in London. They sent out the casting director to the suburbs to find cast and I remember singing ‘Where is Love’ in the church, not really aware of who it was for, and my parents definitely had no idea. After that I had an agent and came within the structure and the rules of not missing school. I managed to do either a play or a little bit of TV during the summer holidays. I was super lucky. Although I think drama school is really important I don’t believe there’s a right or wrong way of becoming an actor. If I hadn’t had the experiences of working with other actors at a young age I don’t think I would have gone to drama school as those opportunities enthused me and made me passionate about drama. I learnt quite a lot on the job and was able to take risks when playing parts. So yeah I didn’t go to drama school but everything worked out okay.

You have numerous television credits to your name including Channel 4’s Campus, BBC3’s Pramface and BBC1’s Leonardo, where you play the lead role of Leonardo da Vinci. What has been your favourite television role to date and why? I have just got back from Cape Town where we have been recording the BBC’s Leonardo. Playing Leonardo da Vinci himself is very special. There’s also a lot of cool stuff to do such as artwork on stage, fighting with weapons etc. So actually it’s a bit of playground as the props and the sets they created are excellent.

What do you like most about recording in front of a camera? You can do the take again and I like that you’ve got downtime in between. I quite like the idea that you get to do it and then it’s there and you can’t really do anything about it. On stage if you do something wrong you can’t make it right for that performance but you can make it right for the next performance. I quite enjoy that.

Where did you make your professional stage debut and what was the role? Well, on paper it’s playing Prince Arthur in King John for the RSC, and that was when I was about 15 I think. I think that was the first time that I was totally aware of what I was doing.

How would you describe performing in the RSC? It was great. Everyone was so on top of what they were doing. I remember it was quite physically challenging. There’s also a lot of work vocally and I remember having bits of plastic in my cheek to try and get the pronunciation right. The company of people all work together as a unit and it was a great experience.

Following a successful run at Chichester, South Downs is transferring as part of a Double Bill with The Browning Version, to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End. What can you tell us about South Downs and about your character Jeremy Duffield, and how he fits into the storyline? Both the plays are set in Public Schools. For the Browning Version, Terrence Rattigan wrote about his time at Harrow. Dave Hare was asked by the Terrence Rattigan Estate to write a play to be performed alongside The Browning Version as a Double Bill. South Downs is based on his time at Lancing College and culminates in an act of kindness by a student’s mother. John Blakemore is set apart by the fact that his forefathers hadn’t gone to public school and he doesn’t come from a typical public school family. He is a scholar but he refuses to conform as he considers the environment of the public school to be just a game. There are rules of a very strict hierarchy with the prefects essentially running the day to day matters of the school. Basically John goes to the housemaster with a problem and that’s just not the way the game should be played. A prefect is brought in, Jeremy Duffield, the chap I play, to sort out this precocious boy. John is really suffering and he’s questioning things like why he’s not allowed to wear a CND badge, when everyone else is allowed to wear a crucifix. He’s also considering why his friends all just shut up and listen in class when they don’t fully understand. Jeremy tries to protect him, and fight his corner but the big act of generosity comes from Jeremy’s mother within a conversation and then it sort of plays out nicely.

South Downs is written by David Hare and The Browning Version by Terrence Rattigan. What unites these two plays and what sets them apart? Well they fit together because of that act of kindness. South Downs is from a boy’s perspective. The Browning Version is from the master’s perspective and how the master doesn’t get the respect that he deserves.

How do these two plays compare with your own school days? I think the idea that boys will be boys is an interesting one in South Downs and there’s so much detail. The fact that David Hare based the characters on his school days makes them so real. They’re so typical to anyone who has been to a public school. But for me, specifically similarly to John Blakemore, I had to get a scholarship to go to the school my parents wanted me to go. But there were many differences in the way that the public schools were run in the early sixties where for example there were no locks on the bathroom showers and boys were often forced to swim naked. These things just wouldn’t happen now.  But I think I can relate more to the character and the situation and the feeling of going into a school where you haven’t grown up with the boys that otherwise would have grown up together and gone to prep school and that initial feeling of being an outsider and having to fit in and find out who you are.

There are many plays and musicals to see in the West End, why should theatregoers come and see these two plays? These two plays have some incredible performances and so it’s theatre at its best where people are working hard and they’re putting on plays that are essentially laid quite bare. They’re two gems that are quite simple but also great writing, two brilliant stories that are really moving, that are told, I think, touch wood, really well.

You have a range of roles on your CV including for the RSC, CBBC, regional theatre and the West End. Do you have a particular career path in mind or is diversity the key? I think diversity is the key. I haven’t reached the time yet where I would say yes or no to anything, everything needs to be considered.

The forthcoming run at the Harold Pinter Theatre ends in July, what plans do you have for the remainder of 2012? I’m going to be filming a new comedy for the BBC from the writers of Sherlock before Christmas, that’s been commissioned. So that’s going to be quite hard marketing that whilst in a play. It should be a nice challenge and there is a play that is in the pipeline and if that comes off I’ll be really excited.

What would you consider to be your strengths as an actor? I really enjoy the moments where something goes wrong and I need to improvise and that gives me the ability to act as a ‘safety net’.

What do you like to do away from the stage? I recently bought a mountain bike, so some cycling, walking, going to Cornwall, surfing. And I’m also studying a course with the Open University because I didn’t go to an arts school. I had a place in it which I decided to surrender having deferred twice.

What message would you like say to your supporters? Come and see the play and experience it and see what you think.

Source

#jonathan bailey #jonny bailey #interviews #interviews:2012 #south downs interview #theatre #south downs

[loren91]

Young Royals and the three act structure, Part two

Here we go again! Last time we spoke about how season one is constructed within the three-act structure. If you haven’t read the previous post I’d recommend you do so, because I’m not gonna explain each plot point again. Now we shall look at how this applies to the rest of the show, and based on that make a small prediction about season three.

So now that we’re all up to speed, let’s get to it!

I wanna take a moment first to consider Wille’s Want vs Need in regard to season two. The Want hasn’t really changed - He still wants to be with Simon. Although we are now aware of his Need, because of how the previous season ended, his struggle now is more about how to get there. Essentially, coming to terms with taking accountability and committing to his values. Consider where he’s at the start of the season, compared to the end. In episode one he calls his mother and literally blames her and the court for everything. Missing the point that it was his own lack of communication that drove Simon away from him in the first place. He’s not ready to take accountability yet. That’s why he can’t have what he wants. In the end though, in episode six, that’s exactly what he does. He admits he was in the video with Simon, to correct what he did wrong. The emotional journey he’s been through this season pushes him to actively make decisions based on his own beliefs, not letting the crown manipulate him anymore. Wille has become fully aware of what he Needs.

We continue our structure analysis with season two. And I gotta be honest for a second, I struggled a bit identifying some of these beats. They’re not as grand as they were in the previous season, making the structure a bit less obvious. The way I see it, the second act this time around is veeery long. But once again, if you disagree with me, let’s chat!

Act 1

Act tension - Can Wille and Simon resume their relationship?

Sequence 1

Set up/Hook - Since this is season two, we already know most of the characters and there’s no need to go deep about what is plaguing Wilhelm, we know what happened last season. But when we catch up with him, it’s clear he’s had a terrible Christmas. He’s sad and alone in the castle, doesn’t speak to his mother, and is very angry at August. Then he returns to Hillerska.

Sequence tension - What’s gonna happen when Wille and Simon reunite?

Point of attack - Wille is eager to be around Simon again, but Simon is trying to avoid him and even asks for space.

Inciting incident - Wille finds out about Simon’s date with Marcus.

Sequence 2

Sequence tension - What is Wille gonna do with this new information?

Things are moving rather quickly here because again, this is the sequel, there’s no need to linger on the set up. So we are immediately faced with the first major plot point, the Lock-in - Wille calls the royal court and blames them for everything that’s gone wrong so far. He also makes the decision to actively fight them, by threatening to renounce the crown. This also establishes the royal court as the main antagonist for this season. August is still an antagonist, but no longer the main one. The main tension is also established.

Act 2

Act tension -  How will he win Simon back?

Sequence 3

The protagonist starts this sequence having learned something new - Simon is making attempts to move on. Wille responds with petty anger. Then we get a pinch point - Jan-Olof shows up to remove Wille from Hillerska. Demonstrating the royal court's power. 

Sequence tension - Can Wille stand up for himself against the crown?

Sequence 4

The build-up towards the midpoint - Felice advises Wille to be around Simon as much as possible, to keep trying, and that he does. Like bargaining with Simon about having a secret relationship, helping Simon get a spot on the rowing team, and confronting him about his relationship with Marcus.

Sequence tension - Is Simon actually moving on?

And here comes the dreaded midpoint once again - Wille sees Simon and Marcus kiss. He now believes he’s lost Simon forever. What we could call “A false defeat”. This changes his aim from winning Simon back, to attempting to move on himself. 

Sequence 5

Wille is trying to adjust to this new reality where he can no longer hope for Simon to come back to him. We could identify two pinch points here. One is the locker room fight, where Simon admits he can’t accept Wille's title. And the other is when Simon shows up at the ball with Marcus. Both of these remind Wille of the fact that he can’t be with Simon. 

Sequence tension - Can Wille let Simon go?

Again, some subplots advance here - Sara and August’s relationship intensifies.

Sequence 6

Starting with a plot point, a moment of reflection for our protagonist - Despite Wille’s attempts to let go, Simon runs after him at the ball. They end up kissing.

Sequence tension - They still love each other!

Wille is overjoyed by this turn of events, and for a moment believes that they can be together again.

Sequence 7

Just like last time, Young Royals drags out the drama by adding an extra sequence here. A pinch point - Another reminder of the royal court's power. Kristina telling Wilhelm that August is next in line to the throne after him. Their argument in the music room could also be accounted for here.

Sequence tension - Wille is starting to realise how much his title affects Simon.

Wille’s offer to give up the crown could be more considered as a character-building moment, rather than a plot point. And Simon’s decision after this is more of a plot point in his own storyline.

The crisis that serves as build-up to act three - August threatens to report Simon for the drugs, if he reports August for the video. Wille reacts very strongly and takes it as a personal attack. 

The end of act two, where the protagonist faces their biggest challenge yet - The aftermath of the field scene. Wille is alone again, Simon isn’t talking to him, and his title has badly hurt Simon once again. On top of all this, he has to do the speech. 

Act 3

Act tension - Can Wille do the speech?

Sequence 8

Here the protagonist will make a big decision - Though perhaps is more Simon making the decision, to have a secret relationship.

Then we have the last major plot point, the twist - Despite the fact that Wille absolutely does not want to do the speech, he does it anyway, because he can’t let August be rewarded. 

Sequence 9

Sequence tension - What is he gonna say in this speech?

The climax - Wille stops, considering the contents of the speech, and disagrees with it. He decides to admit it was him in the video. 

Resolution - The smile they share I guess? But it’s still an open ending since this monumental decision leaves us with many question marks. Preparation for season 3.

The show obviously consists of so much more than just these beats, like subplots and character-building moments. The purpose of these things should be to strengthen the characters, as well as add more depth to the main plot. Take our beloved fish scene as an example, it doesn’t really do much to advance the plot. But it’s a very good moment for solidifying Wille and Simon’s relationship! Which is important to keep us, the audience, invested in their story. 

Subplots are quite interesting and tricky to get right. They tend to follow the same structure as the main plot. It’s also common for subplots to cross paths with the main plot as well, and sometimes even fundamentally affect it. However, since the main plot should always focus on developing the protagonist, you shouldn’t let any of the other character’s arcs hijack it. But you also generally don’t wanna keep the two narratives completely separate, because then the subplot might end up feeling forced and meaningless. A great example from Young Royals is the drug plotline between Simon and August. Let’s break it down real quick.

Act 1 - the deal

Set up/Hook - August approaches Simon. Clearly, they are not friends. Inciting incident - August asks Simon to get booze for him. Lock in - Even though Simon initially declined the offer, he eventually agrees to help August.

Act 2 - the money issues

Pinch point - August returns and now asks for drugs, despite being late with the payment. Midpoint - Simon learns August can’t pay him back because August is broke. Pinch point - Simon gives August more drugs to sell, so he may pay him back. Crisis - August threatens to frame Simon for the drugs after the party. (The plot lines cross and affect each other)

Act 3 - the threat 

Climax - Wille manages to convince the others to frame Alexander instead. Resolution - Simon is safe (for now)

The reason why I don’t account for Simon going to see his father here is because I’d argue that them reconnecting is its own subplot, more related to Simons relationship with Sara, than it is to the August situation. It’s also an unresolved plot line still. Micke showing up at Lucia I suspect to only be their crisis point, or maybe even midpoint? Depending on how the rest of it plays out in season three of course.

Another neat trick writers may use with their subplots, is to parallel the main plot, either to highlight the themes of the story, or to explore alternative outcomes. For example, the Sara and August plotline at times resembles Wille and Simon’s plot, for very good reasons. Like how August and Wille are from similar backgrounds, yet they’re very different people. Especially at the end of season two. By that point the emotional journey August has been on, falling in love with Sara and reflecting on his wrongdoings, you’d assume he would have learned something or displayed some kind of character growth. But nope. Instead, he doubles down and causes further intentional harm to the people he’s already hurt. While Wille, in the same episode actively works to redeem himself to Simon. This is meant to strengthen Wille’s position as the protagonist we should root for, by comparing him to August, who remains to be an awful person. So even though it may feel like season two is giving more screen time to the secondary characters, that still has a purpose for the overall narrative.

Young Royals in general like to use their secondary characters to highlight the overall theme of the show. As @darktwistedgenderplural pointed out to me, widening the view of Wille’s Want vs Need to the want of being loved for who you are, and the need to be your most authentic self, we find that the same principle can be applied to all the five main characters. Despite all their journeys being unique, their wants and needs remain universal. They are all there to strengthen the theme of the show.

So what was the point of all this rambling? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the story consists of exactly three seasons. The way I see it, since the three-act structure can be found in every element of this show, each season is also meant to represent one of the acts. Season one is the set up, season two is the confrontation, and season three will be the resolution. If we try to map out the entire show that we have so far in the structure format, you can quite quickly find the pattern.

Season 1

Set up - Wille is sent to Hillerska where he meets Simon and falls in love. Inciting incident - The video is released. Lock-in - Wille does the statement and Simon breaks up with him.

Season 2

Pinch point - The royal court proves to be a major obstacle to Wille getting what he wants. Midpoint - Wille and Simon kiss at the Valentine’s ball, proving they still have feelings for each other. Pinch point - The royal court is still trying to manipulate him, making him do the speech. Moment of reflection - Wille considers how much his title affects Simon and chooses to come out.

My theory is that at the start of season three, we’ll get to the Crisis point of the over-arcing plot. Where our protagonist will face their biggest challenge yet and be at their lowest point before the climax. And hopefully, we’ll get a proper resolution this time around! (Something more than a cliffhanger at least, please and thank you)

So even though it’s sad that our lovely little show is coming to an end, I think it’s worth looking at the bigger picture here. The writers clearly intended for it to have three seasons so that we would have a satisfying story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. There are so many examples of shows that self-sabotaged by running for way too long and not being able to keep consistent quality. But the Young Royals team got to stay loyal to their story and tell it in their way, and I think that’s beautiful.

Young Royals is a love letter to storytelling, and you can’t convince me otherwise ❤

#so that was basically a free uni lecture #hope you enjoyed #young royals #wilmon #Prince Wilhelm #simon eriksson #young royals analysis #august horn #young royals season two #Film Theory #story structure #three act structure #story analysis #young royals and the three act structure #my analysis #my meta

[patheticbatman]

Choose Your Own Adventure

Snow White - 02

(Sorry guys this is a more mundane one, it’ll pick up soon) Part 1

You decide to not wait for the Huntsman to be called to kill you. While you do spend the rest of the day cleaning the flagstones - you’re very glad you’re back in your young body again, this would be hell on your back in a couple years - you spend the evening after dinner getting ready.

Marianne noticed that you seem a little quiet, but doesn’t bug you about it, merely sliding you an extra tart for dessert. Already, you’re planning to give her a raise once you’re queen again. She was always kind with you, and acted more like a mother than Stepmother ever did.

Once, when you were little, you asked your Papa why he didn’t marry Marianne instead. You had no idea about class at the time. He merely chuckled and said, “You’ll understand when you’re older,” and ruffled your hair.

Now that you were older, you understand what he meant but did not agree with it. Even before you found out your husband Florian was infertile, you had been toying with the idea of democracy, like how the ancient Romans had.

Obviously, you admitted to yourself, you weren’t ready or interested in losing all the privileges of being royal, but considering that Stepmother had gotten rid of all the nobles with claims on the throne years ago, there was really no reason to try and keep it on. So upon your death, your country was to become a democracy.

Though you were merely in your 30s, the constitutions and experiments with roles were already going on. Some jobs could easily be converted - Royal Postman could become Federal Postmaster and so on - but others had to be created or the terms severely altered.

The dwarves had helped a lot. As they were expatriates from underground, they helped you communicate with the Dwarf King, and you both came to an agreement that creatures (dwarf, human or otherwise) would fall under your country’s laws and protections if they primarily resided on the surface, and would fall under his jurisdiction if they primarily resided underground (basements not included). While the use of magic was still waning dramatically, you were very happy to be able to protect all your magical and nonmagical citizens.

Sufficed to say, it was hard and tedious but rewarding work.

When you went to sleep last night, you had just finished drafting a proposal for a public education budget - if every person in your land was to be able to vote, they needed to understand the choices they made. And you had just sent off letters to some colleges for advice on structure. You groaned, thinking about all the paperwork that would need rewriting. At least you could preempt that sneaky accountant Mr. Smythe - he had pocketed 300 gold before you noticed that the numbers did not add up.

That night, you gather food and plan out exactly what you want to do. If you’re going to avoid your death, take down Stepmother and become queen again, you have to set yourself up for success.

(This will be the only time that there’s three options. One is early certain death)

#Snow White #Disney princess #Disney princesses #Snow White cyoa #Disney princesses Peggy Sue au #Snow White Peggy Sue au

[misfithive]

“But other people have written about the 3 act structure and how things could play out if you are curious or nervous about what could happen. “

Do you have any link for that?

yes :) Three act structure by @loren91 https://www.tumblr.com/loren91/722485173450571776/young-royals-and-the-three-act-structure-part-one?source=share

@tvmicroscope talks a lot about the metaphors and how we could see that play out in s3. the suitcase one is my favorite but all are interesting

if people are trying to totally go into s3 blind then don't read

#misfit answers asks

[myweightlosstrainersblog]

[jungk0oksthighs]

To Be Damned | The 7 Deadly Sins 

Chapter 1, Adjustment 

Pairing - jungkook x reader

Genre - angst, slow burn, eventual fluff, smut

Word count - 7.5k

multipart series, multimember series, college au, fantasy au, demon!jungkook

Warnings - mentions of alcohol, pot, light swearing 

It was the final day of September, four weeks deep in college and you were finally starting to adjust to the lifestyle. It was nice to have a distraction, to take your mind away from everything wrong with the world - even if only for a few hours per day. It was nice. College was structured much better than high school ever was, and you found comfort in the unfamiliar faces of strangers, you were no longer that girl who’s mom and grandma died in that fire. You were just a girl.

When October 31st comes round it will have been two years since your mom and grandmas passing. A sick, sadistic joke that their lives were claimed by death on the evening of Halloween. It felt like it happened only yesterday, you remember clear as day receiving that devastating phone call from your father, telling you to get to the hospital immediately. Of course life being as unfair as it is, by the time you and your younger brother Jay made it there, it was too late. No goodbye, no explanation, no nothing. Your mom had been visiting your grandma to drop off some groceries when the whole house set ablaze. Firefighter officials were baffled, they couldn’t depict the source of the fire despite countless experts trying their best to give you and the little remaining family you had a shred of comfort. Of course there were no answers in the end, no comfort, no explanation. It was a classic tale of an unsolved mystery, at least that’s how most people would describe it, it must have been an exhilarating conversation starter for those who weren’t directly involved. 

For you, it was a nightmare.

Still by some miracle you got the grades you needed to be welcomed into Thornheart college, something you’d had your heart set on for a very long time. Your mom had been a history major there too, having somewhat of a fascination with the local folklore, dating right back to the alleged witch trials. Attending the same institution she did, studying the same subject, it made you feel close to her during difficult times.

Jay had been a royal pain in the ass recently, completely acting out and spiralling straight into his friend’s sheds to smoke pot every single night, and when that didn’t numb his pain – alcohol did. He used to be such a good kid, there were only three years between you both so you’d always been close. But that’s the funny thing about grief, it makes you push people away, even the people who love you the most. The last two years had been a disaster for your brother, and you were the one left to pick up the pieces. Your dad worked away a lot on business so 9 times out of 10 you were the sole adult in the home, and boy was it mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting.

“I’ll have a latte please, skimmed milk, 2 shots of espresso and 2 shots of sugar free vanilla syrup.” You watched the young barista struggle to fit your order on side of the coffee cup, he probably thought you were a picky millennial and you guessed that were true. Perhaps you just liked your beverages to reflect the rest of your life. Complicated.

You were ten minutes early to your morning history lecture, even though most seats were vacant you slumped down into your usual spot – right at the back of the classroom, closest to the window that looked onto the main sports field yet furthest away from the other students. It’s not that you were unsocial, in fact you were often described as an outgoing, free-spirited person. Fun to be around. It was the simple fact that you actually wanted to learn, history had always been your favourite subject and you didn’t want any distractions.

“Is this seat taken?” A low, sultry yet polite voice asked, earning you to snap your head away from the window.

Of all the available seats in the room he had to ask if the one physically right next to, practically on top of you, was taken. Smiling through the unexpected social anxiety you shook your head, winning your fellow classmate to sit down beside you. You’d seen him on campus a few times, and remembered him from the local bar a few weeks ago. He’d introduced himself to you as Jungkook, before you’d cut him off and threatened his friend who’d gripped your wrist as you walked by their table. Asshole.

Generally speaking you didn’t think very much of the male race, you’d had a couple of flings in high school but nothing ever serious. Truth be told men annoyed you, their presence, the way some of them felt entitled to women, as though women owed them a damn thing. You just didn’t care for healthy relationships, or any kind of relationship, you were the kind of girl that went home with a guy after the club and never called him again. And let’s be honest, that’s what most guys would’ve wanted anyway.

In your peripherals you could see Jungkook staring in your direction, something he did often when the two of you crossed paths, subtlety wasn’t exactly his forte. Most girls would welcome his gaze with open arms, or open legs, he was a very handsome guy. He was a little older than you, you figured, maybe mid-twenties, he was well over 6ft and as muscular as a Calvin Klein model, he did not look like a typical history major. On the days you’d seen him wearing short sleeves you’d noticed his arms were covered with tattoos, his knuckles and fingers were also littered with faded black ink, usually accompanied by silver rings. At a glance his hair was black but whenever the sun hit it you noticed it was a rich chocolate brown, the same colour as his eyes, his big, dark, mysterious eyes that were still looking you up and down.

“I’m sorry about my friend grabbing you the other night.” He finally spoke, his thick neck and sharp jaw dancing smoothly to his words. Fuck. He was so hot.

“Do you always hangout with such assholes?” You finally locked eyes with him, his smile now wide and clearly amused by you.

“They’re alright once you get to know them.” After what felt like an eternity Jungkook eventually looked away, reaching for his laptop that was sitting patiently in his bag.

“Either that or you’re just as much of an asshole.” You smirked, it was easier to give him a hard time than it was to be nice to him, he was trying too hard to be your friend and coming off as a little desperate for your approval, obviously other people’s opinions mattered a lot to him.

He laughed off your childish remark, not willing to entertain it and changed the subject completely, “I never got a chance to fully introduce myself at the bar, you’re Y/N, I’m Jungkook.”

“I know. Have you just moved to Thornheart? I haven’t seen you around before.”

“Yeah, I’m somewhat of a fan of the local history here, heard they had an excellent college programme and decided to enrol. Are you from here?” His gaze was curious and kind, you would’ve never expected someone like him to be so polite, most of the guys on campus were typical fuckboys to say the least.

“Born and bred.” You sighed into your coffee, now cool enough to enjoy.

Class flew by in record time, you had always loved to learn and your new professor’s teaching style was very easy to follow, which you were grateful for. At some point during your morning lecture an assignment was given, it seemed simple enough, write an essay about one of the legends centred in the town of Thornheart – your speciality. You knew straight away you had an angle most other students wouldn’t, your mother had researched the witch trials that took place in the town, you were certain you had books at home others wouldn’t. It was a personal perspective, something different for you professor to read.

“What’re you doing for lunch?” Jungkook asked, each syllable stitched with hope.

“I was just going to go sit in the library, I already have lunch with me.” You were honest, excited to get stuck into this essay and didn’t want any distractions, no matter how good-looking they were.

“Mind if I join you?” He was pushing his luck now, you had to give the guy credit he was very persistent.

“Actually I’m gonna map out this essay, so… I’d rather be alone.” You flashed him an apologetic smile before rushing out the classroom, not daring to look back him in case he was disappointed.

 Even though you’d mapped out the majority of your essay at the library, as soon as you got home and sat down at your computer your brain went totally blank. You’d been staring at the screen for what felt like eternity, feeling mocked by the blinking cursor and empty word document in front of you. Having hit a mental block you unlocked your phone, smiling down at the unexpected yet welcomed Instagram notification.

Jungkook.97 requested to follow you.

You accepted the request and jumped straight into messaging him.

Are you stalking me now?

A breathy chuckle escaped you as you clicked on his profile to follow him back, his feed was full of artsy pictures, mostly selfies of course, the occasional outfit picture and workout post. He was into boxing and weightlifting, you noted, his frame suddenly making much more sense to you. From what you could gather there was no girlfriend, no family posts… He didn’t even have that awkward teenage phase that everybody else did, he’d looked the exact same for four years.

Something like that. Are you busy this Friday?

This guy did not know how to quit, in fact he was getting ballsier and ballsier by the second, resorting to sliding in your DM’s to ask you out. 

Afraid so.

You did promise your friend Lisa you would go to her party this Friday, you’d been so busy with college that you hadn’t seen her properly in what felt like forever. She was also a student, majoring in photography, and she was amazing at it—one of the reasons her social media accounts had so many followers, that and the fact she was an absolutely stunning human being. The two of you were best friends in high school, along with your friend Jackson who was now working as a mechanic, deciding to skip further education entirely. You were looking forward to catching up with them, so excited in fact that your outfit was already hanging in your wardrobe ready and waiting to be worn.

Are you busy every Friday?

Rolling your eyes you couldn’t help but smile to yourself, Jungkook was being downright needy at this point. Surely could have his pick of the girls, he was gorgeous, had that tall dark and handsome thing about him, yet it was comical – and a little embarrassing how bad he was at this. Maybe he didn’t get as many girls as you’d expect from someone like him.

I’ll let you know.

 “Where have you been?” You quizzed your brother Jay who was slumped over the dark kitchen countertop, his eyes  bloodshot and hooded, it was painfully obvious what he’d been doing. Still, you gave him the chance to lie anyway.

“Just been out with some friends.” Jay didn’t lie, but he didn’t tell you the whole truth either, he didn’t have to, everyone in a ten mile radius would be able to smell the pot that clung to his sweats.

“Okay...” You decided you weren’t going to make a fuss over Jay smoking a bit of weed, besides, it’s not like you’d never done it, you’d be a hypocrite to call him out.

You missed your mother’s maternal wisdom, she would’ve known what to say to him to force him to clean his act up. Jay had always been a mommy’s boy, that’s why her death had taken such a toll on the teenager, sure you had lost a parent too, but for Jay it was more than that. He lost his best friend that day. You empathised with him deeply but detested the fact the responsibility of getting him sober now fell to you, your father was out of town on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for a few more days. However scolding Jay and getting him sober could wait until another day, right now you had an essay to write.

“Do you want me to cook you anything before I head upstairs? I’ve got a history essay I should really start.”

“What’s it about?” Jay was raiding the food cupboards himself for something to eat, “And nah I’m good, I’ll just make myself a sandwich.”

“Local folklore, urban legends, witches, demons, vampires, werewolves, that kind of thing,” You watched on in horror as Jay started putting peanut butter and jelly beans onto four slices of white bread. “You know mom loved that kind of stuff, she used to tell us stories about the Thornheart witch trials when we little.”

“Yeah I remember, do you think she actually believed in any of that stuff?”

“Does anybody? I don’t think she did, I just know that she was really into the idea of it.”

“Is that why you’re majoring in history too?” Jay turned to face you, he had big bright eyes just like you, similar facial features and a platinum bleached buzzcut. He’d always been the trendy one.

“No I-, well maybe? I’ve always liked history, but I guess that’s cause mom taught us so much about it.” Your grandmother was the same, having taught your mom practically all she knew of the spooky stories surrounding the town. People loved to talk about it, it was eerie and mysterious, and up until the fire that killed them both it was the only thing worth talking about in the town. Nothing ever really happened in Thornheart.

“I’m gonna head up.” You pointed to the ceiling, your little brother nodded in exchange.

[Instagram: 2 new follow requests]

thv and j.m, or as you recognised them – Jungkook’s friends Taehyung and Jimin. A coincidence? Or was Jungkook talking about you behind your back...?

Taehyung was the sleazebag that put his hands on you at the bar and his Instagram feed stunk of cheap perfume and one night stands, if that was possible. All his selfies were blurry, you assumed it was intentional, perhaps an attempt to be artsy. And there was a new girl next to him in every other post, each one faker than the last. Influencers, models, adult entertainment girls, you name it and he’d slept with it. He was attractive sure, in a painfully obvious off-duty model way, and it was evident that he knew it too. His almond eyes were dark with arrogance, his perfect skin dripped with sex appeal, without even talking to him you knew that he would be incapable of holding a sentence together without forcing some kind of smutty double entendre. You didn’t follow him back, having decided that you really did not like him.

Jimin however seemed nice, his feed was quieter than his friends and mostly consisted of travel pictures and workout content. He was ripped, you noted, his biceps barely contained by his shirt – perhaps that was intentional, it did after all get your attention. Scrolling back two years you were shocked to see that Jimin once had dyed orange and pink hair, it did suit him, but it was such a different look to the now mousy brown locks that framed his face. What was it about Jungkook and his friends? None of them had seemed to age much, if any over the years, and they were all…well, beautiful.

While stalking Jimin’s Instagram a suggested account popped up, another one of Jungkook’s stupidly well-preserved and annoyingly attractive friends. Hoseok. His account was private, unlike the others, you spotted your brothers Insta handle in Hoseok’s “followed by” section that displayed your mutual friends. How did Jay know Hoseok? He seemed too old to be hanging out with a teenager.

Lisa: Hey! Are you still coming to my party on Friday? In serious need of girl talk!

Girl talk sounded great.

Y/N: Don’t worry I’ll be there!

 Like most parties the air was filled with a cocktail of thick cigarette smoke and fruity vape clouds. The music was loud, loud enough to make the wooden floor pulse to the beat of whatever dance track was playing. You showed up alone, wearing tight black leather trousers, strappy black heels that flaunted your white toenails and a black strapless bustier, a little daring for you but you wanted to look good for the photos – Lisa was a photography student after all, there was no way you were escaping being photographed. Your hair was set in a sleek, straight ponytail with an endless amount of hairspray as you wanted your makeup to be the star of the show. Nude glittery eyelids, strong feathered brows, long eyelashes and a glossy lip. At the risk of sounding arrogant, you knew you looked good.

Lisa was nowhere to be seen, as to be expected given that it was her party. A lot of people knew her, and not because she was a demanding person that needed to be known, but because she was genuinely likeable. Alongside college she was also a paid ‘Tiktoker’ her account had almost 300K followers and it was all centred around her photography, showing behind the scenes footage of all her serene images. A lot of people knew her through social media, which would explain the amount of unfamiliar faces dotted around her family home. You’d known Lisa since you were a young girl, your mothers were old school friends right up until the fire, Lisa’s mom was like a second mother to you, or at this point – your only maternal figure.

Heading to the kitchen you poured yourself two drinks, a shot of vodka to ease the nerves, big crowds had never really been your thing. Then you created a makeshift sex on the beach cocktail with what you had available to you – no cranberry juice, so you replaced it with some red kool-aid you’d found. Tasted okay, and it was definitely going to get you to the level of drunk you needed to be to socialise.

“Y/N!” Lisa’s squeal pierced the thick air, “You came!”

“I said I would be here, and here I am.” You pointed toward your body, hands tracing the incredible outfit you’d opted for.

“You look amazing!” Lisa’s smile was akin to a Cheshire cat’s, ear to ear as her bright doe-like eyes scanned the finer details of your look. The hostess was wearing a glistening white dress with matching bedazzled silver boots, everywhere the light hit she glowed. Her style was similar to that of Ariana Grande, her social media followers would often compare the two.

“So do you!” You shouted above the music, “So what’s this girl talk we need to be having?”

“Okay, so!” Her little body was bouncing with excitement, “I’ve met someone! And he’s really sweet, he’s super nice and oh my god he’s the sexiest—”

Your mouth fell open in utter shock, Lisa deserved to be happy, she’d been shit on far too many times by lowlife ex boyfriends and it was about time she met someone decent. You were happy for her, genuinely, you just hoped she wasn’t wearing rose-tinted glasses and that he really was worth her time.

“I invited him here tonight!” Lisa clapped excitedly, “So please make sure I don’t say or do anything stupid, you know how I get! I reeeaaaally like him Y/N, like a lot. Like, a lot a lot. We’ve been facetiming every single night since he introduced himself in class.”

“He’s a photography major?” Your brow quirked, “Where is this mystery guy and does he have any friends I can borrow for the night?!” It was a joke, except, well maybe it wasn’t.

Lisa did have a bit of a habit of falling for people too fast, it’s partly why she’d been hurt so many times in the past, she was too kind and liked to see the good in people until they crushed her. Beautiful caring girls were hard to come by, she really did have it all, you’d always envied her a little for that. But even you had to admit you’d never seen her this ecstatic over a guy, it was nice, refreshing, and well-deserved.

“I told him he could bring a few friends, so you never know.” She winked, guzzling the rest of her drink in an instant. “Okay I think I see him, please be nice, Y/N promise me you’ll be nice!”

As the music got louder you drew a halo above your head with your right index finger, laughing at your now suddenly nervous best friend. Lisa had confided in you many times when her heart had been broken, you knew all her weaknesses and how badly she wanted to find happiness. Of course you were going to be nice to her new man but if he turned out to be anything less than perfect you’d be disappointed.

Oh no. Oh no no no no. 

You recognised the small group of men immediately, thanks to your little Instagram stalking session the other night. Jimin, Seokjin, Namjoon…and Taehyung. Scanning the crowded room you looked to see if Jungkook had joined them, a pang of disappointment hitting you hard when you realised he was nowhere to be seen. Judging by shit eating smirk on one particular member of the groups lips, you knew exactly who Lisa was waiting for.

“Do not tell me your sexy mystery man is Taehyung.” Your eyes were wide, brows raised expectantly after delivering the most uninterested eye-roll you’d ever provided.

“What did I just say about being nice,” the group of men had reached your conversation, “Hey Tae I’m so glad you came, this is Y/N, my best friend. Y/N this is Tae.”

“Pleasures all mine Y/N, nice to meet you…again.” His voice was oozing seduction, dripping with sex and heat and lust, you saw exactly why Lisa was so attracted to him. His eyes flickered between you and your friend, his tongue swiping his bottom lip before he extended his hand to you.

Before you had a chance to respond, not that you particularly wanted to, you felt a sudden large presence behind you. Hot breath lingered on your neck just below your ear, your senses overwhelmed by the strong smell of expensive cologne and toothpaste.

“I thought you were busy this Friday?”

A quick glance behind you was all you needed to confirm the owner of that deep, sultry voice. Jungkook smirked, his gaze drinking in your revealing outfit excruciatingly slow, before finally making contact with your face. Fuck, he was so hot. Painfully hot. He too was wearing all black, a fitted muscle t shirt that left nothing to the imagination, ever curve, every bulge, every dark tattoo was on full display. Ripped black jeans clung tightly to his thick thighs, flaunting his Greek god of a body.

“Busy being here.” You tilted your head, looking up at him through thick eyelashes. While you outwardly appeared to be unbothered by Jungkook’s arrival the truth was you were actually happy to see him, and somewhat flustered to see him looking so good.

“Taehyung invited me, I didn’t know you’d be here.” Jungkook was still painfully close to you, his breath warm on your face as he spoke loud enough to be heard over the music, “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Yeah Lisa is my best friend, kinda had to be here.” You didn’t miss the way Jungkook watched your mouth move as you spoke.

“She seems nice.”

“She is,” you gushed, “Far too good for the likes of Taehyung in my opinion.” You didn’t care to check if he was still stood nearby, the chances were Lisa would’ve dragged him off somewhere by now.

Jungkook didn’t say anything, just laughed, biting down on his lip as gestured to the kitchen counter behind him. “Can I get you a drink?”

“No thanks, I’m all full.” You lifted your makeshift cocktail, there was something wildly entertaining about toying with him like this. It was obvious he wanted you, and you wanted him. But boy were you making it difficult for him.

Out of all of the girls at the party – and there were plenty, there Jungkook was stood talking to you, flirting with you, offering to pour you a drink. You were feeling pretty good about yourself, he really knew how to ruffle your ego and entice you, but you weren’t giving in to the burning sensation in the pit of your stomach just yet.

“I will do a shot with you though.” Your smile was bright, playful, as you walked over to the collection of glass bottles, swaying your hips just enough to draw attention to how great your ass looked “If you’re up for it.”

Jungkook laughed, flashing his perfect teeth as he shook his head in what seemed to be disbelief. “Yeah I’ll do a shot with you, I only drink vodka though.”

“Vodka happens to be my preferred drink.”

The two tiny glasses clinked as you yelled bottoms up, both of you throwing the liquid back as though it was water, neither pulling a face of discomfort at the afterburn in your throat.

“So how’s the essay going?” Jungkook asked, he really didn’t know how to talk to girls and it showed.

“You’re really asking me about college work at a party? You’re joking, surely.” You laughed, perhaps a little too hard. It was nice of him to take an interest but it was Friday night, you wanted to be wasted making bad decisions, you didn’t want to be talking about assignments.

“Yeah you’re right, I guess I just wanna know your opinion on it.” Jungkook poured himself a drink, grabbing your now almost empty makeshift cocktail and refilling it without having to ask.

“My opinion on what?” You grabbed your fresh drink, giving him a quick thank you before you started sipping.

“Y’know the old Thornheart legends, witches and whatnot.” Jungkook took a sip from his cup, “I’m kinda fascinated by it all, and who better to ask than someone who’s lived here their whole life. I bet you know your stuff.”

Well he was right about that part, you did know your stuff when it came to the local history, thanks to your mom of course. Alcohol and grief were never a good mix but the mere memory of her had you downing the full drink Jungkook had freshly poured. In the distance you could see that you friend Jackson had just arrived, he was probably searching for you and Lisa.

“I’ll catch up with you in a bit, my friend just got here I need to go say hi.” You explained, offering a small confident smile before pushing your way through the crowd to get to Jackson. Your friend pulled you into a warm embrace, his blue shirt smelled of cigarettes and washing detergent.

“Ready to get fucked up?!” Jackson roared, he’d always been a party animal.

“Absolutely!”

 When you woke the next day your head hurt bad, your entire body ached and vague memories of chugging competitions with strangers made you want to die of embarrassment. You’d spent the entirety of the party with Jackson, the two of you undoubtedly the most intoxicated people there. The night was a bit of a blur, you managed to catch up with Lisa and thankfully avoided Jungkook and the rest of his friends. You didn’t see much of them after your brief exchange in Lisa’s kitchen.

100% charged. Thank god you’d been sober enough to plug your phone in.

[Instagram: Jungkook.97 sent you a message.]

[Instagram: Jungkook.97 and 181 others liked your post.]

Did you get home safely? 

What was with this guy? Most men would’ve given up by now, but clearly not Jungkook. He’d even liked the picture you’d posted with Jackson and Lisa last night – taken by Taehyung. Upon further inspection you noticed that the pic was blurry and Jackson was barely in frame, some photographer, you thought. At some point in the night Jungkook’s friends Namjoon and Seokjin had followed your account too. Groaning at the tiny screen you figured you should at least respond to your new stalker:

Sure did

Aside from the occasional bathroom break and water bottle refill, you didn’t leave bed for the rest of the day. Everything was comfier and warmer when you were hungover, the fleece lined covers were especially kind to your sore muscles. After some painkillers and some weird low-calorie breakfast bar you’d found in the cupboard, you decided to get an early night.

 It was Tuesday when you next saw Jungkook, three whole days since Lisa’s party, and your body had only just started to feel fully recovered. He was sitting in his new spot, the seat next to yours at the back of the classroom – even when nobody was looking he was effortlessly handsome. His outfit consisted of an oversized white hoodie and grey sweats, tied together with white sneakers. It should be a crime to look that good in loungewear, you thought as you made your way to your seat, at a glance he looked like he could be on day release from jail with what he was wearing, yet somehow he pulled it off.

Slumping yourself into the chair you offered him a brief smile, truth was you weren’t feeling great as you’d barely slept the night before in an attempt to get some of your essay done. You too were wearing loungewear, chocolate brown leggings and a hoodie of the same colour, styled with a cream gilet and matching trainers.

“Good morning Y/N.” Jungkook chuckled, “Here. You look like you need this more than I do.” He handed you a Starbucks to go cup, steam swarming the air that surrounded it.

“Is that your way of telling me I look like shit?” You laughed as you took the coffee from him, your fingers grazing his ever so slightly. “Thanks.”

“You look great, I like your outfit. You just seem tired is all.”

“Mmm.” You nodded, “Bullseye.”

“Something keeping you up at night? Boyfriend troubles maybe?” His dark eyes watched for your reaction carefully, cautiously scanning your features as you smiled.

“Not quite,” a shaky breath escaped your lips, “I was up all night studying.”

“Ahh… So, no boyfriend?”

“No boyfriend.”

As you took a sip of Jungkook’s coffee you grimaced, what kind of person drinks plain, black, unsweetened coffee. It was strong too, it tasted like one million espressos poured into one cup. Looking out the window you saw a group of dancers making their way across the field, you recognised them as dance majors as soon as you clocked their matching sweatshirts. Jungkook’s friend was with them, the one you hadn’t seen around until now, Hoseok.

“Hey isn’t that your friend? I recognise him for your Instagram posts.” You pointed to the group crossing the field, to which Jungkook laughed, genuinely humoured.

“Are you stalking me now?” If you had the energy to blush you sure would’ve, now he was using your own words against you, touche. “But yeah I know him, he’s just enrolled here too.”

“Ahh… I think my brother knows him, Hoseok, right?” While your question was innocent enough it made Jungkook visibly tense, his jaw clenched as his brows knitted together in confusion.

“How does your brother know him?”

You shrugged, truth be told you didn’t actually know if they were more than social media mutuals, that was the beauty of the modern world – you could be close friends with people you’d never even met. Scary when you really thought about it, how a person could pretend to be anything they wanted to be and hide behind their laptop screen.

“They follow each other on Instagram, I’m not sure how well they actually know each other.”

“What’s your brother’s name?”

“Why? Gonna stalk him too?” It was a good thing you amused yourself because Jungkook didn’t seem to get the joke, his features were stern and he looked to be deep in thought. “Has Hoseok just moved here too? Come to think of it I’ve never seen him around before either.”

Actually, when you really thought about it, you had never seen any of Jungkook’s friends around until recently… It’s not like they had forgettable faces you would’ve known if you’d seen any of them previously. But you hadn’t, not once, not at all. It made you uncomfortable to think about, why would a group of friends all move to Thornheart at the same time? Surely all seven of them weren’t blown away by the college campus, there were much better schools out there. The town as a whole was mundane, there was no real reason anybody would move here unless they were forced to. As your brain worked over time, you couldn’t help but open your mouth again.

“Have you all just recently moved here? Now I think about it, I’ve never seen any of you around here before now.” Curiosity lingered on your breath, along with the bitter taste of black coffee.

Jungkook was visibly taken aback by your question, for the first time since you’d met he seemed almost nervous, like he didn’t know what to say. Normally he was so calm and collected, confident, maybe even a little arrogant. Still he flashed you a small grin and tried to explain himself, not that any of it made sense to you.

“Yeah actually, we uh-, moved here for college mostly, but there’s this old friend of ours, she, uh-, she was last seen in Thornheart so we’re kind of hoping to reconnect with her too.”

“You all moved here, all seven of you, for some girl? Why not just Google her and find her that way, like a normal person.” As much as you tried not to sound jealous, your efforts were futile. You knew Jungkook, you’d seen his friends – and if they were all looking for the same girl, she had to be something special. She was probably perfect, the dream girl that broke into their thoughts when they’d reach for their sock drawers in the early hours of the morning.

“She doesn’t have any social media, it’s…complicated.” Jungkook pulled his phone from his pocket and started typing frantically, you assumed he must’ve left the stove or the iron on at home from the amount of speed and determination his thumbs were punching his screen with.

“Sounds it.”

During class all you could think about was Jungkook’s old friend and what you imagined her to be like, you tried not to obsess over it you really did, but you were buzzed from the obscene amount of caffeine the coffee had provided, thoughts in overdrive. Was she an ex-girlfriend? No, she couldn’t have been, not if all seven men were looking for her… Unless it was a Snow White and the seven dwarves kinda situation, but instead of cute little miners in coloured hats she had…them. All of them. A Polyamorous relationship maybe? And when he said ‘old friend’ did he mean a girl he’d met in kindergarten or high school? What if they went on a boys trip to some sunny island and met her there? But at the end of the day, however they met her, and whoever she was – was none of your business.

The professor reminded everybody that the essays were due by the end of the week, you sighed, deciding you were going to dedicate that afternoon to getting the majority of it done. In fact, you were just about motivated enough to sit in the library all afternoon and power through it. A quick glance out the window and you immediately regretted that decision, the heavens had opened and it was pouring down. It was at least a 30 minute walk to the library, maybe the essay could wait until tomorrow, you thought.

“I can give you a ride if you want.” Jungkook’s large hand dug into his sweats, pulling out a set of silver car keys. It took everything inside you not to let your pride get in the way, realistically you knew his car would be warmer, and more to the point drier, than a long walk to the library.

“I’m going to the library though… I need to get stuck in with this essay before I end up missing the deadline.” You admitted sheepishly, packing up your things ready to leave.

“I’m heading there too, need to do some fact checking. I’ll still give you a ride home when we’re done there if you want.”

“Thank you.”

Jungkook looked up to you, his gaze curious as his head tilted ever so slightly to the left, similar to a confused puppy. 

“I owe you one for this morning.” You smiled, sliding his plain black coffee across the table. The two of you were sat in the central library surrounded by dusty old book, a smell that you’d grown accustom to like over the years.

“Thank you.” He took a sip of the burning hot beverage, a relieved breath leaving his pierced lips. “So is the library an appropriate please to ask about your essay?”

“What do you wanna know?”

“What legend have you decided to write about?” His attention shifted from his shiny, pristine looking laptop as his eyes fixed with yours. Had he always been so intense? You wondered, it was akin to a starving child looking at a Big Mac meal, while seemingly friendly it was a little intimidating. 

“Witches and demons, I’m not big into vampires and werewolves and well I think demons are more relatable.” You admitted.

“How so?” His eyes flickered with something indescribable.

“What could be more relatable than soulless beings, and the witches they pissed off? It’s the ultimate example of feminism, women getting their own back and taking away shitty men’s souls.” You laughed, noticing that your classmate didn’t seem amused. “What have you gone for?”

“The same actually. The tales of the witch trials here have always fascinated me.”

“Ah,” You breathed, “Same here. My mom and grandma used to tell my brother and I stories about them all the time. How the witches were exposed by travellers and killed, but one witch survived and cursed them to an eternity of misery.”

“What’s your take on it? Do you think the witch was right to do what she did?” Jungkook’s irises were fierce yet his features soft, you couldn’t help but find it comical how you barely knew the guy yet here you were, word-vomiting about local folklore. At least he seemed interested in what you had to say.

“Okay I’ll humour you,” You closed your laptop, gifting the boy your full, undivided attention. “So if the legends were true, and 7 travellers exposed the witches for what they were to the locals, I’d say the witch that cursed them had every right to do that. I mean, it was a dick move to expose them? And what would they gain from it? Obviously they were all selfish assholes who deserved everything they got.”

“Is that so?” Jungkook drank you in, stare flickering between your eyes and lips. He seemed curious, more serious than he had been previously. “Do you think witches and demons are scary?”

“I think witches and demons are made up.” You snorted, he was far too invested in this conversation, hanging onto your every word.

“Hypothetically.”

“Okay…” You nodded, “Hypothetically, I think demons would be scarier than witches. They have nothing to lose, no humanity, no emotions, nothing. And if the legends were true and demons looked like the rest of us…I think that would be the scariest part, knowing anyone could be one of them. They could be your family, your friends, boyfriend…They could be reading your mind every second and you’d never know.”

“Demons can’t read minds.” He laughed, baring his perfect white teeth. “There’s no documentation that supports that anyway. Although I did read once somewhere that the seven men, the seven original demons…They were gifted, all of them practised magic before they transitioned…Not quite Edward Cullen mind reading gifts or superhero strength but they were magically inclined.”

You watched him, dumbfounded, it was as though he believed every word that escaped him. It was interesting, being able to discuss something so niche with someone who loved history as much as you did, but the way he spoke…He almost sounded fond of the demons, it was a little too eerie for your liking. Not to mention the fact he was blatantly incorrect – you’d read through every document, every paper, had your nose buried in every book centred round the Thornheart witch trials and not once had you ever read that the men the witch cursed were magically inclined.

“Where did you read that? I’ve never come across anything that implied the men were gifted.” You stated matter of factly, eyes narrow, inquisitive.

“Uh, I can’t remember, but that would be one hell of a story right?” Jungkook’s eye contact was strong, unworldly strong, it was like he was staring through you if that were even possible. Suddenly you felt uncomfortable and cold, and not due to the old air conditioning in the building.

Sleep didn’t come easy to you that night, your body lied there attempting to get some kind of rest but your thoughts ran a small marathon and selfishly kept you from drifting off. Around 90 minutes into lying lifelessly in bed you gave up, unlocking your phone for a mindless scroll. 1AM, brilliant.

Lisa had posted a selfie online, her features soft, round and kind akin to an angel, you immediately liked it – along with five thousand others, including Taehyung you’d noticed. It wasn’t uncommon for Lisa to post a picture like this when she was feeling down in the dumps about something, wanting validation in any form without needing to ask for it, you silently hoped she was okay.

Scrolling down further you saw the familiar scene of the library, two coffee cups sitting patiently on a white table surrounded by heaps of vintage literature. Your shoulders were in the background of the picture, face hidden behind your laptop screen. It was Jungkook who’d posted it, with the hashtag #studydate underneath. Double tapping the image you sighed, reminded of how uncomfortable he’d made you feel during your “study date” – It wasn’t even a date, you mentally argued.

Even though you too were excited and a little fascinated by urban legends, myths and local folklore; there was something about the way Jungkook acted in the library that made you feel on edge. He was hanging onto your every word, listening to your opinions a little too hard, and the way he spoke of the fictional beasts was almost…Familiar. Perhaps Jungkook was one of those guys you see on the news trying to sell their souls to lose their virginities, in other words, he was a freak. That couldn’t be it, there was no way Jungkook was a virgin, he was far too good-looking to not get girls, though you’d never really seen him bother with other members of the female species. Just you.

Jay had posted, you were notified. Your brother barely used his socials, you couldn’t remember the last time he’d posted at all. Normally he was slumped in a shed somewhere, too high to reach for his phone. You gave into curiosity, clicking on his profile. 38 seconds ago, a simple snap of two pints of beer in what looked like a very extravagant living room. Weird, who’s house was that? It wasn’t yours, and most of his friends lived in their smoking huts at the back of their parents’ houses. 1 person tagged, Hoseok.

So Jay and Hoseok were actual friends? How did that happen?

#jungk0oksthighs #jungkook x reader #jungkook x yn #jungkook x y/n #jeongguk x reader #jungkook #jeongguk #jeon jungkook #jungkook ff #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook series #jungkook smut #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook college au #jungkook reactions #jungkook scenarios #jungkook fantasy au #bts fic #bangtan fic #bts series #bts college au #bts x reader #bts x y/n #bts x yn #jungkook college #jeongguk ff

[baiwu-jinji]

Chinese Animation Recommendation List

This is a list of Chinese animated series that I personally enjoyed but which are lesser-known for Western audiences, and they mostly belong to wuxia/xianxia/fantasy categories. I hope whoever reads this can find something of interest from this list too! :)

1) 百妖谱 Fairies Albums (season 2 currently airing)

Fairies Albums is about the journey of a peach fairy, a baby monk and a snake demon, and the stories of other humans and demons they witnessed and involved themselves in along the way. The animation of this series may seem simplistic and there’re no exciting fight scenes, but it’s the story that really grabs my attention, and season 1 made me tear up basically every other episode. Fairies Albums is essentially about the emotional bond between people, and between humans and demons. The demons in Fairies Albums are, in a sense, purer creatures than humans, and act as a mirror to the good and evil, the greed and desires of the human heart.

2) 少年锦衣卫 Young Imperial Guards (2 seasons, both aired in 2017)

Young Imperial Guards is set in Ming Dystany (1368 to 1644 AD), much of the show is grounded in actual history and there isn’t really any fantasy element (but it doesn’t lack imagination, the Ghost Street in the show is just as colourful as the Ghost City in TGCF). The series has been praised for its smooth, well-paced and deft storytelling. Young Imperial Guards is quite typically about the bildungsroman of a bright but rash noble-born young man and the loss and political turmoil he faced (and there’re other interesting storylines). I feel like the show is structured around the long-standing dichotomy of the imperial court and “jianghu” (the martial arts world) in wuxia stories, and the choices that the characters make is often about which side they fight for.

3) 画江湖之不良人 The Degenerate: Drawing Jianghu (4 seasons complete, season 5 in production)

This is the show that Western audiences don’t know about but which I keep gushing over on my blog :P The show is set in the aftermath of the fall of Tang Dynasty - China became war-torn and fragmented, but the warlords and ambitious politicians saw it as a golden opportunity for themselves to rise up and grasp power. The main character turns out to be the last of the royal bloodline of Tang Dynasty (surprise surprise), and he needs to decide whether to face or evade the responsibilities and destiny of a royal family member.

This may sound a bit clichéd so far, but The Degenerate: Drawing Jianghu is so much bigger than the struggle of the main character. The show has long been praised for creating a wide array of interesting and memorable side characters, and their diverse and colorful personalities greatly added to the richness of the show. The overall tone of the first three seasons is quite dark and gritty, and doesn’t shy away from the cruelty of politics, of war, of jianghu itself, and especially the cruelty and tragedy of blighted and twisted human nature.

The first three seasons of the show sometimes tend to get lost in its own complexity and it’s a bit of a marathon to watch them all, so it would also be a good idea to watch season 4 only. Season 4 was written and directed by a different team and it's the best season so far in terms of animation and storytelling. (Season 5 and 6 are both out now and great!)

4) 少年歌行 Great Journey of Teenagers (season 2 currently airing)

Great Journey of Teenagers is adapted from the novel of the same name, and I definitely have a quarrel with the official English translation of the title, because the original Chinese title is a lot more poetic and should be something like “Song of Wandering Youth”...Some would say that it’s a case of the adaptation being superior to the source material, and it’s overall a good show with interesting characters, emotional depth and some quite unexpected humour.

The show is about a group of young people trying to find their place in the martial arts world, about their friendships and romances, and the love stories of the older generation. And more importantly I feel like overall the story is about...trying to hold onto the people you love - sometimes one succeeds with it but sometimes one inevitably fails (ok this is my very personal interpretation).

5) 罗小黑战记 Legend of Hei (season ongoing, currently on hiatus)

Legend of Hei is probably the most beloved Chinese animated series of the recent decade, and it’s the story of a little cat demon’s adventure in the modern human world. It’s created by a very small team and as you can see from the poster, the animation is very simple, but at the same time the director of the show pays a lot of attention to narrative and visual details, and that’s partly what makes the show good. Legend of Hei is imaginative, heart-warming, and funny, witty and quirky in a very refreshing way. There’s also a movie of the same name that serves as a prequel and a manhua series (which I haven’t read but should).

6) 眷思量 Island of Siliang (season 1 currently airing)

The animation of Island of Siliang is simply gorgeous, and for me that’s the main reason to watch this show. The premise of the story is that the gods who’re punished for their misdeeds are banished to an island called Siliang, where they’re trapped and live and age like mortals. The gods only have a chance to leave the island once every 500 years.

The pace of this show is pretty slow and the mysteries surrounding the island and its inhabitants are unfolded only bit by bit, which means that season 1 is only the very beginning. We have to wait for future seasons to learn more.

7) 天宝伏妖录 Legend of Exorcism (2 seasons complete)

Legend of Exorcism is another beautifully animated show and it’s adapted from the danmei novel of the same name by 非天夜翔. The story is set in Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD) and it’s about the love story between Li Jinglong, a smart and conscientious army official who apparently doesn’t have very good luck, and Kong Hongjun, who’s half human and half demon and very cute and bubbly. The show deals with some serious themes of war and politics but overall it’s pretty light-hearted. If you like this show, you might also want to check out another animated series called Dinghai Fusheng Records, which is adapted from another danmei novel by the same author.

8) 两不疑 No Doubt in Us (season 1 currently airing)

No Doubt in Us is about an emperor and an empress who, by some magical mishap, swapped bodies with each other. The couple originally didn’t get along, but learned to appreciate each other more after they literally had to put themselves in each other’s shoes. So the show is ultimately about their love story. No Doubt in Us is unrealistic on so many levels besides the body-swapping part (man I wish politics in ancient China were this cute), but it is really fun and goofy and quite hillarious, and it has an interesting premise. So watch this show if you want light comedy with some court intrigues thrown in.

9) 雾山五行 Fog Hill of Five Elements (season 1 complete, season 2 in production)

Like Legend of Hei, Fog Hill of Five Elements is created by a very small studio, and the first season is really short with only three episodes. But it is a labour of love (I put the OP of the series here because it’s just beautiful). Fog Hill of Five Elements is essentially about the conflict between the human world and the demon world, and the consequences that humanity incurred when they immorally take advantage of the demons.

10) 灵笼 Ling Long: Incarnation (season 1 complete, season 2 in production)

Ling Long: Incarnation is a post-apocalyptic science fiction series and it's often been hailed as god-tier by Chinese viewers. The animation is great and the story gets darker and more and more interesting as it progresses. The worldbuilding is complex and thorough and we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg in season 1. What I love about this show is that it eventually goes beyond the “humanity fighting against apocalyptic zombies and monsters” narrative that pervades sci-fi of this kind, and it’s ultimately about bridging and merging the human and the monster and using such hybridity as a way to survive and understand the post-apocalyptic world. (ah I feel like I’m writing an academic essay here because I study science fiction...)

And finally,

Where to Watch Them:

I believe all the shows can be watched for free on the animezone247 website , but the quality of the English subtitles can’t always be guaranteed.

Fairies Albums, Legend of Exorcism, and No Doubt in Us can all be found on the official YouTube channel of Bilibili (although I think you have to pay to watch the first season of Fairies Albums). Season 2 of Great Journey of Teenagers is on the official YouTube channel of Youku Animation. These should all be easy to find on YouTube. I’m pretty much a computer illiterate, so I bet people can find better places out there to watch these shows haha.

#chinese animation #legend of hei #legend of exorcism #no doubt in us #dinghai fusheng records