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vvitchering · 3 years

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Did anyone ask me to write a whole essay about how Din’s creed and armor read as a metaphor for asexuality to me? No. Am I going to write an essay about that exact thing right now because I do this literally every time I find a new character I really like? Absolutely.

(Disclaimer: I’m writing this based on my own feelings and experiences with being ace. Asexuality exists on a spectrum and not everyone experiences it the same way. I’ve chosen to interpret the character through the lens of my own asexuality. I in no way speak for all ace people, I’m just one nerd with a dusty English degree, a keyboard, and a hyperfixation)

So I started out just wanting to word vomit some character study stuff about Din because I want to eventually write fanfiction and I never feel comfortable just jumping in until I’ve thought long and hard about how I feel about and understand the characters involved. And then I got to thinking about how relationships are explored in The Mandalorian and something stuck out to me. The show never forces or even bothers to introduce romantic bonds as necessary to their main character’s development. Rather it chooses to focus on Din’s familial relationship with Grogu as the bond that saves Din from his loneliness and aimlessness.

But I want to dig into that lack of romance a little bit and I want to do it through looking closer at Din as a character. What strikes me as interesting is he isn’t presented to us as the typical “lonely hero” archetype you’d see in Star Wars (or anything else, actually) He doesn’t seem to have much personal investment in his profession. He’s a bounty hunter because its a way to hunt beskar and a means of income for himself and his covert. That’s it. He doesn’t have any particular passion or interest in hunting and fighting, it just happens to be that, as a Mandalorian, he’s a trained warrior. Not a TON else you can do with that as your only skillset.

We also establish early on that he’s a lot more sensitive and emotionally vulnerable than he lets on. He bonds with Grogu almost immediately. He doesn’t even hesitate to shoot IG-11 through the head when it threatens to kill the baby. This man saw an unattended infant in danger and said “it’s free real estate” and became a dad.

So we KNOW he has an incredible capacity for compassion and affection almost from the get-go. And that’s reinforced time and time again throughout the show by his willingness to help literally anyone who needs it, regardless of the benefit to himself. So why don’t we ever see a romance?

It’s because he’s Mandalorian. More specifically, it’s because he’s the type of Mandalorian who vowed to live by a creed that prevents him from showing his face to any living being. On the surface, this could potentially cause issues with finding love and intimacy because it physically prevents him from being open with someone else. A relationship with him would mean accepting that you will never See the person behind the armor, and I can see that being uncomfortable for a lot of beings.

If you dig some more into that, it comes down to there probably not being a ton of people out there willing to make the compromises Din would need to comfortable and happy. I believe he’s been burned by this exact situation in the past, judging from his interactions with Xi’an in The Prisoner. Presumably they had some sort of entanglement when they worked together in the past that ended in some bad blood. She belittles him for his dedication to his beliefs, embarrasses him, and plays into Mayfeld’s childish and invasive questions.

We’re only ever given this as an example of a past attempt at some kind of relationship, and it ended, and ended badly, because he was unwilling to ignore his beliefs and boundaries for a partner who mocked him for both.

So it’s really no wonder we get that amazing scene with Omera in Sanctuary. He’s clearly thought about staying with her, someone who has been kind to him and Grogu, and who could maybe come to truly love him. But even she still expects him to simply “pack away” his beliefs in favor of her companionship. The way his voice cracks and shakes, the way he so resignedly (but still so gently) grips her wrists to pull her away from taking his helmet off, that’s a man who had maybe dared to hope for a second that he’d found someone who would respect his choice to keep his face covered. It’s other things, too. It’s his dedication to his quest to both protect and reunite Grogu with his people, first and foremost, but there’s definitely some personal turmoil in that scene as well.

Conclusion: Din is someone who canonically struggles to form romantic/intimate relationships with others because of the creed he’s sworn and the armor he wears. He’s made attempts that have blown up in his face (Xi’an) and while he still allows himself to fall just a little bit for others when they’re kind to him, it’s always with the knowledge that it won’t work out because they see his boundaries as surmountable or conditional (Omera).

If that doesn’t read as an asexual experience, I don’t know what does.

(I also want to talk about ship stuff now so if you’re not interested in me talking about Dincobb you can peace out! Otherwise, you made it this far, might as well keep listening to me ramble lmao)

This entire examination is also to work out why Din/Cobb works so well for me as a ship and it 100% has to do with how the fandom has interpreted and written Cobb in their fanfic. Overwhelmingly I have seen people write Cobb as incredibly understanding and accepting of Din’s choice to cover his face. He totally lacks the expectation that someday his affection will be enough for Din to forsake his creed, which is novel for Din.

Here’s this person who not only takes the time to get to know him as a person, fight by his side, and trusts him implicitly, but he also doesn’t come with the usual stipulation that his love is conditional based on Din’s willingness to compromise his boundaries for him. I LOVE that one of the most popular tropes for this ship is Cobb willingly blindfolding himself so that Din is able to remove his helmet and relax around him without violating his beliefs. I LOVE that there are so many fics where Cobb cooks him dinner, understands that Din can’t eat next to him, and sits down on the other side of a closed door so they can still eat together. Cobb respects Din, respects his boundaries, and Din is able to pursue a more intimate connection with him because of that allowance and acceptance, and on his own terms.

As someone who has always struggled to find a relationship free from the expectation that I must somehow trade my identity and comfort for love, this ship just hits different, okay.

#wow this got much longer than I was anticipating #apparently I felt very strongly about this lmao #no idea if this will even read coherently #but if you're interested in an ace reading of Din Djarin and Dincobb I'm ya girl #this is maybe the most niche meta I've ever written #the mandalorian #dincobb #mine #asexuality

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comradekatara · 3 years

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omg amazing do you have Thao songs you would assign to the gaang+?

instead of answering this ask like i did, for example, the fiona apple one, i’m gonna answer it like i did this ask, focusing on a singular album and the feelings it evokes. i’ve been listening to temple a lot lately so i felt that it made sense to focus on, especially considering its overarching themes.

temple is about intergenerational trauma, specifically between a mother and daughter, and the pressure of the daughter to live out the dreams her mother could not due to the ruination of war. therefore, i feel like it applies to katara in multiple ways: living out the dreams of her mother, grandmother, hama, and other waterbenders and/or women whose lives were lost to genocide, imperialist warfare, and even arranged marriages. but also, as a victim of that war herself, and reconstructing the southern water tribe as the only southern waterbender left, passing on that legacy to her daughter, and to korra, (and her other waterbending pupils, i would imagine,) knowing that they got to have the childhood free of war she had always longed for. i believe that korra would feel that mantle of responsibility strongly, as an extremely privileged kid growing up in a society that was on the brink of extinction less than a lifetime ago, and being mentored by someone who was exposed to the worst horrors of the war firsthand when she was only a child, and spent the rest of her lifetime trying to repair the damage. katara and korra’s relationship just means a lot to me okay....

phenom okay this song can definitely apply to lots of different characters: katara (”when the scorched of the earth / come back by sea”), toph (i know she’s extremely upper class but she’s also a disabled woman and as we see that puts her in an extremely tentative position that forces her into a position of docility and humiliation that she staunchly resists), mai & ty lee (irt their relationship to azula, their families, and the fire nation at large), but it first & foremost reminds me of hama, her overwhelming power, and her unquenchable thirst for revenge after the horrors the fire nation put her through.

lion on the hunt reminds me of azula’s rage & despair when she realizes that ozai doesn’t care about her and was only using her for his own ends, taking credit for all her (evil imperialist conquest) hard work while he just sat on his throne basking in the glory of having finally taken ba sing se. obviously the original context of the song itself is nothing so insidious, but the lyrics “they said I polish and astonish, and so why not me? / and then they said it's complicated and some wah, wah, wah / I made the map and you put you on it, pay me handsomely” really does remind me of that scene in “sozin’s comet” when we see azula’s reaction to ozai discarding her.

pure cinema this song is absolutely fuel for my “mai and sokka become best friends after the war” agenda because it totally resonates with both of them! they both feel like hollow shells driven by fear, a mere fraction of a person, just one incomplete piece of a puzzle. crucially, the difference lies in sokka’s eventual growth, later helping toph and zuko with those same feelings of displacement from their families by finding a new one. despite having loving and supportive biological family members, sokka is a depressed cynic with a fear of vulnerability, and it is the fact that he reaches out to them from a place of understanding that solidifies their respective places in this new family (suki too but she’s a far less developed character). concurrent to sokka, toph, and zuko’s ingratiation into the group, mai continues to feel alienated by azula’s insincerity and fear-stoking, and it is only at the end of her arc that she is able to stand up to azula and act authentically, but once she does, she is finally able to realize that she had true love all along.

marauders reminds me of the tension established in sokka’s relationship with suki in “the serpent’s pass:” how his guilt and trauma over losing yue makes him push suki away out of fear that he won’t be able to protect her. but by promising to protect him in turn, she proves to him that their relationship can be an equal partnership devoid of obligation––that their romance is not doomed despite his misgivings.

how could i makes me think of sokka’s guilt complex when it comes to not being able to protect the people he loves. katara was present for kya’s final moments, but sokka was on the other side of the village when she was murdered, and didn’t know what had happened until it was too late. and then, he considers it his fault that yue sacrificed herself for the moon spirit, because arnook explicitly told him to protect her. her physical body literally died in his arms. and as we see later, in moments such as in “the swamp” or “the serpent’s pass,” even though it was the fire nation’s fault (yon rha & zhao specifically) that kya & yue were forced to sacrifice themselves, he is still plagued by guilt.

disclaim evokes iroh’s legacy with his son(s), the guilt of realizing too late the devastation and atrocities for which he is responsible, and how he considers it his responsibility to shape zuko into the man he iroh should have been, and lu ten could have been. of course, the line “I was once an honorable man” is both incisive & ironic, since honor is an arbitrary construct, and iroh is no longer considered honorable because he developed morals. “I don't believe it's your destiny / to always chase my memory / how could it be insincere / to very clearly disappear” is interesting in this context because iroh clearly wants zuko to assume the throne and redeem the legacy of the fire nation, but in book 2, he’s also perfectly content to open a teashop and close himself off to the world outside the walls of ba sing se, along with his nephew. he knows that he and zuko have a duty to redeem the sins of their family, but there is a very large part of him that would be perfectly content with ignoring the outside world in favor of letting zuko heal. iroh is a complex character, but his love for zuko is never in doubt.

rational animal reminds me of toph’s arc: abandoning her oppressive environment (specifically, her abusive father) and choosing to live authentically: not conforming to society’s standards and limitations for her as a disabled girl (who also rejects femininity). the bridge of “i believe my own eyes” becomes even more powerful due to the fact that toph’s experiences are constantly invalidated by authority figures due to her disability. she is keenly perceptive and empathetic––and not despite her blindness, but, in large part, because of it.

i’ve got something is an extremely zuko song tbh. having the humanity & compassion stamped out of you to fulfill an imperialist agenda only to resist it due to your capacity for caring & overwhelming sensitivity that is impossible to ignore––that’s what it’s all about babey!!!

marrow is actually about all of them because they are all children of war who are capable of being loved and of loving in return! but aang and katara’s genocide trauma and their unbreakable bond over their shared grief and desire for understanding, companionship, and happiness is especially potent, as always.

#posts that are for 3 people one of them being myself #analysis #not tagging every character lmao #finally answered this cause im trying to clear out the inbox #(only 33 asks left to go!)#sorry it took so long #i have questions from february..... oof #anyway this is a hell of a lot of words for a post no one's gonna read #asks #edgarallanhoetry #synthesis #atlamusic

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lambourngb · 4 years

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he’s got a smart mouth but a good heart - Michael Guerin

It’s Day 2, celebrating characters, and much to my own surprise, at the end of season 2, Michael Guerin decided to move into my brain and take up residence. Obviously I still love Alex Manes (He lives first and foremost in my brain since 1x08), but there was something about how Michael buried his own pain about his mother to help everyone in season two that rang pretty true to my own life right now. I didn’t always like what he was doing in season 2 but I understood it.

Anyway, when I find a story that celebrates how complicated he is, I cheer and rejoice- so here’s a few of the stories that I have gone back to again and again.

Truck stop knives and other assessors of childhood @angsty-aliens (13,200) I can’t lie, I love a good trope story, and I especially love a good sci-fi trope story, so this story hits all of my buttons. It takes our two science nerds, Liz and Michael, mucking around, and accidentally creating a version of Michael- but not just any version, but the child who hitchhiked to Fosters ranch, completely over humans and desperate to find his family. The kid who was feral from neglect and abuse... he was the cutest thing and the most mortifying thing that ever happened to Michael to be displayed and shown. This story takes the de-aged trope and turns it on its head, and oh yeah, there’s a sweet backdrop to Michael and Alex getting together.

Implicit Memories of You by @ninswhimsy (3464) - So this is an amnesia story canon-divergent story set after 2x11 basically, where they use the mind erasing drug on Michael. I know, I’m reccing this about Michael characterization, but it’s so solidly him after all the memories are stripped away and he’s acting on instincts, locked in a room to torture Alex with before death. There’s so much going on in so few words, something that Nin is a master at, especially the ephemeral remembrances of his mother that Michael has- oof right in the feels.

Maybe this time (he’ll stay) by @hannah-writes (7700) This is a sequel to one of my favorite stories I recced last year, dealing in alternative timelines where in one world, Michael is lost and alone and has pushed Alex away, and in another world where Alex came home from Iraq in a flagged draped coffin. It answers the question, what about Mikey? Where’s his happy ending? The confirmation of the multiverse means there’s an Alex out there who needs him- and through trial and error, Michael finds him. The world building in both stories is top notch, because for every action, there’s a reaction and reason shaping Michael.

Constant as the northern star by celzmccelz (53,000) - don’t know the tumblr here - This is an Mpreg, and it starts solidly after 1x13 and goes AU from there. But what if in the 100 mile drive home from Caulfield, Michael and Alex share a grief-induced moment of insanity where they fall back into their oldest language- sex for comfort, and then Michael does everything he does in the finale, including turning toward Maria, what if there was a souvenir? Despite the trope of mpreg, this is just how I see Michael, deeply in love with Alex but unable to trust that Alex feels the same depth in return. The friendships in here are also top-notch, from Kyle being a baby-doctor, to Isobel having her own Max-related spiral unable to let go of her brother only to refocus on Michael, to Liz fucking off with Rosa for the first half of the story because she’s caught up in her own grief (which turned out to be canon!). And there’s a whole plot here! With Jesse Manes being the worst.

Leave the light on by @sabrinachill (36,900) - Confession time- I love fake dating as a trope, I know, shocked right? But I especially love it with RNM because Malex are exes by 1x03. Mattie nailed the dynamic of pining and the assumption of unrequited love so well in this story. Although the POV switches here a bit between chapters, (and Alex is fabulous) what I really really loved was how she wrote Michael, in love but convinced that he’s messed up too much for Alex. Aware of his faults but not in a sullen way, but an acknowledgment that he was in a bad place and Alex hasn’t always been the best remedy him in the past. It was a very mature take on the “give me another chance” trope in Malex reunion stories, where both sides had a share of blame. The plot was suspenseful and tight (how do people do that???) with a climax that honestly shocked me! I really enjoyed rereading it while I prepped my rec-sets, and I won’t be surprised if this story isn’t mentioned by everyone doing ‘Creators Week’. It’s worthy of all the love.

Temporary wounds by @prouvaireafterdark (7800) - How many times can I rec this story? Hopefully you’re not bored by my adoration of this Lynne. So even though it’s set post-season 1 with the assumption that Michael/Maria will fizzle out while Alex/Forrest date- it’s actually perfectly set for season 3 (an author who is psychic??). As a rule, I hate jealousy as a trope, but this story has the only type of jealousy I want to see on screen- where Michael wonders what was missing inside of him that Alex didn’t want to be public during their long affair (even with the acknowledgment that Alex was too scared before)- like that type of sad pining is my catnip!

The first who ever did by nostalijinks (33,000) post season 1, but really it also stands pretty well after season 2. There was an interview during season 1 I think that talked about how all Michael really wanted was to be a hero to Alex (the way he stepped in front of Jesse as a kid) but he thinks he failed at it since Alex enlisted. That failure soured him in ways but he never stops trying, for Alex. This is a really well done 5 times plus 1 story, with an overreaching arc of reconciliation between Alex and Michael, starting as teenagers, then as adults while Michael is with Maria, then as friends, real friends, trying to support Alex as Alex dates. The whole emotional journey of maturity that Michael takes here is so well done, where there’s no real villains in the friend group. I just love it. I wish the author had written 100 more like this one, but as a standalone work it’s epic.

The person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger by @iwontbeyourmedicine (25,000) Ly has a very large body of work, that you could spend days paging through on AO3 or tumblr, but this one hits two of my kinks hard- the amnesia story line and true love conquers all. So three fandoms ago I was huge into Steve/Bucky, that iconic moment in Cap 2 where Bucky breaks through the brainwashing has never left me. This story takes my love for that moment, and makes it Malex. Alex gets programmed by his family and set loose on his friends, on the aliens and it’s a shitshow bloodbath since he’s really fucking good at kicking ass. Michael is caught between keeping everyone safe and trying not to hurt Alex, and the tension is just top-notch. I love how it’s not an immediate fix either, the way they circle each other in the aftermath, wanting to come home, but home would be a totally new step for both of them. Just chef’s kiss good at joining action, angst, and romance together.

Into the palm of your hand by @haloud (5900) hal is a treasured friend, so I am admitting some bias here, but we both enjoy talking about how wonderful and sad Michael is and how desperately we enjoy poking at that softness and then wrapping him up with love again... so this story was written pre-shamegate (and if you know what that means, I’m sorry) but it matches my head canon of what the history of hiding does to someone. The internalization of believing maybe there’s a reason behind the hiding that has nothing to do with homophobic townies. Alex has an ex boyfriend come to town, and he doesn’t tell Michael. And omg the journey hal takes us on with Michael’s spiral and Brave Little Toaster act was so wonderful and painful and real. The communication between these two was top notch as they worked through a road bump from the past, and let’s face it, once we get our malex back, these things are going to happen, and it will either tear them apart or bring them closer together- I prefer to believe it will be closer together.

There is beauty in a failure by @jule1122 (2400) There’s been a few Greg and Michael stories to pop up on my radar after 2x10, and this one was one of my favorites. This is a Greg who pulls no punches in exposing his brother’s past to Michael, but also gives Michael the space to work through what he wants. It’s an AU from 2x12, that allowed Michael to break up with Maria for basically the same reasons that Maria used on him in 2x13. The way Michael is able to what he wants and communicate it Alex in the end- so good! We can only hope to see something similar in season 3.

I don’t know what to think (but I think of supernovas) by @queersirius (3900) This story is a delight from start to finish- I mean frustrated cursing turns the console on into a hologram who then takes the most pleasing form to Michael’s eyes? SIGN ME UP for those shenanigans. I fucking loved how Isobel saw it first too. And then the comedy of Alex discovering it? And what happens afterwards? Oh it’s so delicious. Now of course, full disclosure, this light-hearted romp through the feels also inspired me to think up a much much sadder version of Michael building an AI for companionship considering how isolated he ended up being at the end of Season 2 and we all know Michael needs friends, badly.

Innuendo by the Roswell anon (6000) written for @bisexualalienblast the roswell anon is my favorite treasure in this fandom, I could pretty much list all of their stories as examples of some very fine Michael Guerin characterization. This one was one of my favorite post-season 1 fix-it fics though, because it has some of the most real 28-30 year old guy dialogue I’ve come across- from the crude jokes, to the sharply self-deprecating observations- this is Alex and Michael stripped down, all edges but what’s left is fatigue and love. The resolution at the end, where Alex observes that yes, Michael has tried the last 10 years but this is their first chance to try together- to pull in the same direction? It just lays me flat on the ground with how true that is to canon.

Whenever You Want to Begin, Begin by @foramomentonly (3200) - this is a sequel, and the first story is dynamite- don’t get me wrong- but it moves from the hopeful side of an ending to legit Happily-Ever-After here, and I devoured every word. First of all, having Michael turn to photography as a way of self-improvement is fucking genius. Photographers are always at the center of every happy event, but never the focus, and that screams Michael to me, the way he lives on the outskirts of the 9-5 job and literal outskirts of town in his trailer. The other thing is photographers are revealed by their work, and that’s also something I head-canon with Michael just in the mundane- he’s good with his hands, he wants to leave a car better than he found. Anyway, this story is gorgeously written, moves a bit like a really good bottle of wine- heavy but soft, as you watch Michael become Alex’s friend, and even more importantly, Alex becomes Michael’s friend. Fantastic- I’ve read it about four times now since it was published.

#rnmcreate2020 #malex fic #malex fic rec #MALEX FEELS #michael guerin #alex manes #fandom positivity #worship our great authors in this fandom #will this show up in the tags?#probably not with my luck

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aurawithinblog · 4 years

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My Studio Ghibli Movie Run

Anime was never an escape from reality but a dive deeper into it. My

Quarantine did come with its perk if you are willing to indulge yourself in new found favourites. As most of us who are home quarantined we are always on the run for what to indulge upon next. After much of viewing trailers and reading the short bio I decided to go for this Anime movie called 'Only Yesterday' and it left with a feeling one gets after a Murakami book only wanting for more. And it was only then I realised maybe this was what everyone else was talking about when they addressed Studio Ghibli. And thus began my Studio Ghibli Movie run where I was on an adventure to watch every single one of Studio Ghibli movie ever to be made. I started off by watching 2 movies a day for 4 consecutive days but it started having a bad effect on my sleep cycle, So I cut down on my run and sticked with 1 movie a day.. The trio of directors of Studio Ghibli each had their own way of directions however they were on the similar track of providing a movie that would inspire children to be humane and respect nature and tradition in the process of growing up. Studio Ghibli sees the modern world to rob a child of its inborn power to discover the mystic of nature with its power of imagination. Therefore we always see children as being the lead protagonists of their movies who according to the producers are the closest with Nature. Can we ever forget that Nature Rhyme in Princess Kaguya or how Mei and Satsuki from My neighbour Totoro befriended Totoro who returned love with nothing else but love or Haru from the Cat Returns whose one act of kindness to a kitten in her childhood saved her from the brutality of being stuck in the Cats kingdom for life? This reminds me of what Wordsworth stated in his Lyrical ballads 'Nature never did break the heart of the one's that truly loved her”. The interpretations of these migh be multi layered, some might also find instances of the 18TH century Romantic ideology, however the foremost attraction to these movies has to be their non digitilised art. They even quoate it took them a month to create 12 minutes of the movie as they still depend upon their hand drawn art and maybe thats why they work best for the viewers. Studio Ghibli formally came into existence 1985 and was created by Tokuma Shoten who published "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds" in 1985.The locus of the production house Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata who were previously working Toei Animation, but together with Toshio Suzuki founded this production house.Miyazaki named the studio as Ghibli which was the name of the hot air that blew in the Sahara desert. This name was used by Italian military aircraft during the WW2.Miyazaki being an ardent lover of aircrafts named the same signifying a new wind that will blow in the Japanese animation industry. Owing to this love for aircrafts The Wind rises came out telling the story of Jiro the famous Japanese engineer. Human relationships are some of the many aspects these movies emphasis upon, while many viewers may view it as a romance where one finds their better half in the journey or the adventure that they embark upon however we find Miyazaki clearly stating that, Love as for Studio Ghibli never becomes the subject of their movies rather it is showcased in a platonic way where it starts from a strong sense of friendship which in the process may lead to a life time of companionship. Could Jiro ever design those beautiful aircrafts that he states as dreams without the support of Naoko? Could Chihiro have survived the Spirit's world if it wasn't for Haku's dedicated friendship, could little Ponyo ever leave behind her life in the depths of the ocean or her powers if it wasn’t for the love and trust her first human friend Sosuke, or could Taeko from Only yesterday actually understand that the thing that was attracting her to the country life was not just the open saffron fields but the people and warmth that she had never received from her life in Tokyo.The idea of a protagonist and antagonists is very thin in most Studio Ghibli movies, as far as my understanding they never define any character as entirely good or bad rather they make them flexible which has the capacity to evolve. Even the cruellest of the characters are backed by circumstances of past events that made them who they were. Maybe this one feature draws us to their movies where we are left to belief that every individual has an inert innocence in their hearts no matter what life circumstances made them into. Maybe that is what the sea pirates in Porco Rosso signified who nevertheless won the hearts of many or the witch from Howl’s Moving castle or Haru (the maid) from Arriety never were entirely addressed as wicked but we see how these characters turn to a more positive life. As per women always being the lead Miyazaki was asked of his fascination to which he jokingly replied 'I love women' but the movies clearly shows their deep cited respect for women. The leads as Miyazaki stated are ‘brave, self-sufficient girls who don’t think twice about fighting for what they believe in with all their heart. They will need a friend or a supporter but never a saviour. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man’.

Be it Kiki who went out to discover the world on her own or Umi from, From up on the Poppy Hill who looked after her boarding house in the absence of her mother and still joined hands to fight against the demolition of the clubhouse with Shun.All these reasons fall short to describe the beauty of Studio Ghibli but above all what this movies do for us is give us Hope. Hope for a better tomorrow in a already beautiful world which has so much of abundance for the one willing to indulge upon. As for Hayao Miyazaki rightly quoted ‘Life is a winking light in the darkness’ and Ghibli movies are definite representation of Life in all its shade.

#studio ghilibi #ghibli films #anime #ghiblilover #movies #anime movie

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nickelkeep · 5 years

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Queer Representation in MtG

So, after my glorious nerdgasm over Kyniaos and Tiro popping up on my dash the other day (you can find that post here), I had someone message me (the awesome @hyperazraphael) and ask me about other queer representation in MtG. As I mentioned, Wizards still has a long way to go, but I went ahead and looked up all the characters that are Queer, believed to be Queer, and in one case, there is a fuckton of Queerbaiting.

As a friendly reminder, the couple who started it all off:

Kynaios and Tiro

(Art by Will Murai)

Goddess, I cannot get enough of these two beautiful men. The lore behind them, the fact that the Story Lore is that their actual History is forgotten, and people thought them enemies when they were lovers. The new art (above) showing the statues below being built? Ugh. So beautiful.

(Art by Magali Villenuvue)

But my previous post was about them, so let’s move on to the next.

Alesha

(Art by Anastasia Ovchinnikova) Alesha, Who Smiles at Death caused such an uproar when she was printed. She is the first official Transgender character in MtG lore. Her story is very simple. Born male, when she earned the right to name herself, she picked Alesha, and it was accepted by the Khan of her tribe, no questions asked. She even rises to power to lead the Mardu tribe. Her story is beautiful and can be read here: The Truth of Names.

Hallar

(Art by Bram Sels)

Sorry, wish I had more lore on this awesome character. Their card is fun to play though.

Ashiok

(Art by Karla Ortiz) Let me tell you about my Homeslice Ashiok. First and foremost, “Every nightmare is a caged bird that yearns to be set free.” Holy shit, you may think me insane, but that line is beautiful. As is this agender/non-binary character. While the art portrays them as somewhat masculine (I’ll forgive it), in lore Ashiok has been described as extremely androgynous. People who were attacked by Ashiok could not determine their gender. They do fall into the trope of the Villainous Queer, at least that seems where WotC is going with them, but I love them so much!

Yahenni, Gonti and the Aetherborn Race

(Yahenni, Art by Lius Lasahido)

(Gonti, Art by Daarken)

This race literally has no gender. Confirmed. Just listing the two heavy hitters for you here.

Oviya

(Art by Magali Villaneuve)

One of the saddest stories of the plane of Kaladesh. Oviya Pashiri was a revered Lifecrafter. She lost her wife, and “stopped working.” And by stopping her work, we mean she started working in secret to overthrow the goddamned Consulate, cause they’re fucking assholes. Seriously. They make the Empire look like saints. Also, boo to killing Lesbians. Bad Wizards. Bad.

Xantcha

(Art by Mark Winters)

Xantcha has been around forever, first appearing as a Vanguard. She’s Phyrexian, which means at birth, she is born genderless. She’s also unlike other Phyrexians in which she can think against the hivemindish thing they have. Some people think that she should get the title as the first Transgender character, as she went from having no gender to being female, but I will leave that up to the masses.

Lazav (and - fight me - other Shapeshifters)

(Art by David Rapoza)

Meet this regal looking badass. They’re the Guild Master of House Dimir. And Non-Binary. Lazav has pretty much been confirmed as such, so I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that all Shapeshifters are Enbies. They can take on the form of any person, regardless of gender, race, sexuality... Fight me.

Hal and Alena

This is an MtG example in which I don’t have an art or a card, but a story. Under the Silver Moon

While it’s not 100% confirmed, it’s along the lines of Destiel. Read between the damn lines.

Warning on the next one. This is the one that I read as Queerbaiting.

Chandra and Nissa

(Card: Deadlock Trap, Art: Jason Rainville)

As a reminder, Queerbaiting is the practice of hinting at, but then not actually depicting, a same-sex romantic relationship between characters in a work of fiction, mainly in film or television. The potential romance may be ignored, explicitly rejected or made fun of. Really, I don’t want to get into this one. This one is not Canon. I honestly don’t even think there is enough support. If you read stories starting in the Kaladesh storyline, they imply that Chandra has unexplained feelings and attraction or something growing between these two ladies. But it’s never confirmed. And Nissa, who has been Miss “I hate every other race that isn’t elves” is starting to see Chandra as someone she can talk to, but maybe something more too if you squint and cross your eyes.

Look, I’m cool if you ship these two. And if WotC does actually put them in a relationship together, awesome, there’s more LGBT visibility. But we don’t know if they’re Lesbians or bi or pan or demi or whatever. Their sexualities have never even been discussed. But we get fed this:

Chandra shifted awkwardly. "So . . . friendship?"

Nissa blinked. Chandra worked very hard not to stare.

"Yes," Nissa smiled.

Nissa closed her eyes, and took another deep breath, her headache receding. It felt good to confess insecurities. She smiled and looked Chandra in the eye.

"I am thankful for your companionship. You have taught me much about what it means to be a friend, Chandra. It means much to me."

"Right. Yeah." A soft smile returned to Chandra's face. "I want to be a good friend to you."

(From The Writing on the Wall by Alison Luhr)

That’s from an official MtG Story. How do you read that? Serious question. Do you need more context? Nissa asked Chandra and only Chandra to go on a walk through Naktamun with her. And Chandra is having the weird fluffy feelings again. Now how does that read? Any different?

Again, if WotC wants them to go Canon, awesome. Let’s hope they both survive War of Spark.

#not spn #i did make a tiny spn reference though #MtG #mtgcommunity #mtgjudge #mtg art #mtg lore #mtg lgbt #lgbt #lgbt+#lgbtq #lgbtpeople #lgbtpride #wotc #wizards of the coast #Magic the Gathering #we still need more representation #more diversity please

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arnoldjaime13 · 3 years

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Blog Tour- MUSIC OF THE NIGHT by @aford21 With An Excerpt & #Giveaway! @RockstarBkTours

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the MUSIC OF THE NIGHT by Angela J. Ford Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: MUSIC OF THE NIGHT

Author: Angela J. Ford

Pub. Date: February 15, 2021

Publisher: Angela J. Ford

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 262

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org, Purchase a signed copy and receive a bookmark & art print!

Read for FREE with A Kindle Unlimited Membership!

A haunted tower, a mysterious instructor and the lure of the music of the night…

After the death of her father, Aria is left penniless and destitute. To avoid working the streets she becomes the ward of a Count and moves to a remote town called High Tower.

High Tower is a gloomy place with one vivid attraction: the theater. Lords and ladies come from afar to be seduced by a night of unforgettable entertainment.

Many are warned to stay away from High Tower’s dangerous enchantments, but it’s a warning Aria is forced to ignore. Determined to take her life back into her hands, she and the Count make a deal. She can avoid an arranged marriage if she learns to sing for him.

When Aria stumbles across a mysterious man in a dark tower, she begs to learn the power of song from him. Although reluctant, the man agrees to teach her the music of the night. Between midnight meetings and emotional singing lessons, Aria falls in love with her alluring instructor despite his shadowy past.

But something deadly stirs, awoken by the desire of its master.

Evenings reveries become haunted with terror, blood and murder. Rumors claim the man in the tower in behind the madness that haunts High Tower, a truth Aria is loathe believe. For she just gained the desire of her heart.

What she doesn’t know is that her haunted instructor intends to use her for his own purposes...

Music of the Night is a complete, stand-alone novel inspired by Phantom of the Opera. Perfect for fans of dark and steamy fantasy romance.

An excerpt from another character's POV.

Fate mocked me. Ironic, how the dancer I’d admired in the theater appeared on my doorstep. I watched her leave, black hair flying as she spurred the horse down the hill, back toward the flickering lights of the town, back to High Tower Castle and safety. Even though there was no need for concern, I followed her until she crossed the bridge out of my domain. Squeezing my hands into fists, I stood still long after she'd gone, letting the vapid mist sink through my skin, leaving me cold and clammy. It was uncanny how quickly she'd responded to the call. It had been years since I'd been willing to try again, especially after what had happened last time. Still, a flicker of doubt made me wonder if I should proceed with my plan or let matters lie. Nay, it had been too long; it was time for vengeance.

Still musing, I made my way through the silent wood back toward the tower. Although I'd heard the Count sought performers for his theater, I'd forgotten about his new ward. She wasn't what I’d expected. Tall and beautiful with raven hair, gentle curves and those sharp brown eyes, full of life and defiance. I'd tried to frighten her, but she'd displayed her true spirit. Her resolve was unwavering. When I'd pressed up against her, I sensed there was more, a depth of pain or sorrow she kept hidden, yet it lingered under the surface. Which meant she was an ideal student for my designs. Magic needed to cling to a strong emotion to work, and her sorrow would allow me to imbue her with music and magic.

I'd made sure to have her stand in the circle when she'd made the agreement to give me anything. Anything.

An owl hooted in the wood, reminding me of the past, reminding me of what could be if I went forward with my plan. It was her choice, and I had to admit her tenaciousness and lack of fear tempted me. In fact, she'd laughed at the idea of a haunted tower. A smile touched my lips, quickly fading when I recalled what I had to do. Despite my loneliness and longing for companionship, I had to be careful for the situation was fragile. My emotions could not cloud my judgement, and so I banished all thoughts of taking her as my lover. Learning the music of the night would destroy her, but it was a chance I had to take.

Enough blood stained my hands. I had to end it all, take my revenge before he grew strong again.

With a heavy heart, I returned to the tower and opened the trap door. The underground lagoon had once been a mine and a passageway between my tower and High Tower Castle. Back then, a beast haunted the waters, eating the miners who worked there and anyone else brave enough to venture to the watery grave. But the tunnels had since flooded, and the monster had gone to seek food elsewhere.

Kneeling, I pressed my hand against the water and hummed a tune, letting the vibrations roll outward. It was dangerous, calling monsters with the power of song, but I'd set the events in motion this evening, I had to follow through to the hopeful conclusion.

After a few beats I stood, wiping my wet hand on my pants and climbed the ladder back to the warmth of my lair. Straightening, I eyed the spiraling staircase and ripped off the cloth covering my scars. It was time to write a new song, the best song, combining the heights of my musical prowess into something the orchestra would play for me, and I'd sing. Nay. We'd sing. Together.

Grim smile on my face and faint hope stirring within, I climbed the stairs to compose a melody for Aria to sing.

About Angela J. Ford:

Angela J. Ford is a bestselling author who writes epic fantasy and steamy fantasy romance with vivid worlds, gray characters and endings you just can't guess. She has written and published over 20 books

Angela is also a Co-Founder of Booksniffer. A new app for book lovers, plus an effective way for authors to market their books to new readers.

She enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing World of Warcraft with her husband. First and foremost, Angela is a reader and can often be found with her nose in a book.

Aside from writing she enjoys the challenge of working with marketing technology and builds websites for authors.

Angela is passionate about helping indie authors succeed and co-hosts a podcast called Indie Author Lifestyle.

If you happen to be in Nashville, you'll most likely find her enjoying a white chocolate mocha and daydreaming about her next book.

Visit her website for free stories, character art, autographed books and book swag: www.angelajford.com

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

1 winner will win a MUSIC OF THE NIGHT swag pack with an art print, bookmark and a book candle, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/15/2021

Rockstar Book Tours

Excerpt

2/15/2021

BookHounds/@bookhounds

Excerpt/Instagram Post

2/16/2021

Two Chicks on Books/Jaimerockstarbooktours

Excerpt/Instagram Post

2/16/2021

A Dream Within A Dream

Review

2/17/2021

Jaime's World

Review

2/17/2021

Westveil Publishing / thewestveilarchives

Excerpt/Instagram Post

2/18/2021

popreads/_popreads_

Review/Instagram Post

2/18/2021

huskypuppy432/@_huskypuppy432_

Review/Instagram Post

2/19/2021

Lifestyle of Me

Review

2/19/2021

History from a Woman’s Perspective

Review

Week Two:

2/22/2021

The Eclectic Review/the_eclectic_review

Review/Instagram Post

2/22/2021

Stuck in the Stacks/stuck.in.the.stacks

Review/Instagram Post

2/23/2021

Discover Elysian/discoverelysian

Review/Instagram Post

2/23/2021

The Obsessed Reader/obsessedread

Excerpt/Instagram Post

2/24/2021

Moonlight Rendezvous/moonlight_rendezvous

Review/Instagram Post

2/24/2021

Book Sniffers Anonymous/booksniffersanonymous

Excerpt/Instagram Post

2/25/2021

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Review

2/25/2021

Pine Enshrined Reviews/ Pine Enshrined

Review/Instagram Post

2/26/2021

Life of a Female Bibliophile/lifeofafemalebibliophile

Review/Instagram Post

2/26/2021

Books A-Brewin'/booksabrewin

Excerpt/Instagram Post

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dgcatanisiri · 7 years

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Got asked about BioWare fandom and prime numbers... (Also a specific request for Mass Effect on #1)

1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?*

Aside from any crackship... I don’t think any of them is quite at the level of ‘don’t get.’ I don’t care for certain relationships, but I generally can understand what would make someone ship them. It helps that, with the variety of romance options, I can at least get where they come from. Hell, as much as I hate the pairing, I understand where Anders/Fenris emerged from. I firmly believe it has a less than zero chance of being anything more than a hateful unhealthy abusive shitshow, but I understand where it comes from.

I think the closest to ‘not get’ I have is Ryder/Cora, which is really just out of the fact that, despite her being a romance option in the game, I really seriously genuinely feel that she should not have been one, that not only would her characterization be tightened by this no longer being on the table, it would allow her to be more of a rival/antagonistic element to Ryder’s decisions, by not having her developing feelings for Ryder while also not seeming to care for them. Though I’m not sure Ryder/Cora counts as a fandom OTP, since the overall impression I’ve gotten of her as far as fandom cares is a resounding ‘meh’...

Maybe I’d throw in Dorian/Cullen here, but I think what I don’t “get” in this is that people will ship this, but when I express a desire for Male Inquisitor/Cullen, I’m ‘changing his sexuality’ and that makes me ‘just as bad’ as anyone who’d change Dorian to be romanceable by a woman... Yeah, let’s not even go there.

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*

Warden/Morrigan. I just really see Morrigan needing the Warden as a friend more than a lover. At least considering that I’m over here playing male Wardens (because I stand by Morrigan being a bisexual woman and it is bullshit that she’s not a romance option for female Wardens). I think Morrigan is in a place where she needs, first and foremost, someone who wants nothing from her but her friendship and companionship, things she’s never been asked to offer before. Sex, sure, she’d use that as a weapon. But to offer her someone who she can be vulnerable with, who doesn’t want to use her at all... That’s new territory for her. The Morrigan/Warden friendship is a greatly unappreciated dynamic.

3. Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

Not that I can recall. I generally won’t follow someone unless either we share the big ones or they show that they’re respectful of those who disagree.

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*

Not really in the BioWare fandom. As a general rule of thumb, I try and cultivate my experience to enhance my love, not have it undermined.

Though (dis)honorable mention to the Shakarian fandom - I’m a male Shepard player through and through (since, y’know, gay guy, rare chance to play a M/M relationship in video games), but it’s like some of them are TRYING to make people hate the ship, given the way that they’ll push Shakarian to the center of the stage and tear down Kaidan. These are also usually the people who hardcore push this belief that female Shepard and Jennifer Hale are empirically ‘superior’ in every way, too, so they can bite me twice over.

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?*

I think the closest that counts is Dorian, in that I wasn’t thrilled or wowed by his romance in Inquisition, but would probably have given it another go, if not for Trespasser having him declare the relationship would be long-distance, no discussion allowed. After that, the luster wore off of the character for me, and I really can’t stand him, don’t WANT to see him have the cameo that they shot his romance in the foot to set up.

11. Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

I’m going to stick Kaidan in this category - when BioWare themselves is misspelling his name on their official merchandise, I’m pretty sure that counts. Though, as my tag for her indicates, this is an Ashley Williams appreciation blog, and the fandom hates her too...

As for the why... Kaidan is the trilogy character most like me, which is what always draws me in to a romance - let me romance this idealized version of myself with the dashing hero, give me that confidence boost that there’s someone out there who I’d be attracted to who would return those feelings. And Ashley, legitimately, is hated for bullshit reasoning that I will have no part of. She’s fun, badass, and literally doesn’t deserve the hate she gets - if these people who are pissed about her MAYBE killing Wrex REALLY cared about him, they’d do his damn quest and recover his grandfather’s armor.

13. Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

I don’t like Dorian. I think he’s a shallow character with limited (if any) development in Inquisition, who is raised on a pedestal because of the novelty of a gay character of prominence in a media generally devoid of them entirely, as well as a vocal performance that gives him more personality than his writing offered. And his story is a paint by the numbers story I’ve seen a dozen times over that brought nothing worthwhile to the table that hadn’t been brought before, and it only exists to do the emotional lifting to make the audience feel bad for Dorian, rather than genuinely attempting to make the audience care. AND that he’s there first and foremost for the straight female audience to have a ‘pet gay best friend,’ with no care or concern for the gay audience.

17. Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen…

How long have you got? Kaidan in ME1, Alistair, and Cullen as bisexual romances (in Cullen’s case, for all Inquisitors, so I don’t have to give up my Adaars) are the big ones, but I’ve got a list a mile long of things that if I had the power, you BET would have happened.

Though, at the moment, Andromeda DLC is right around the top of the list too...

19. What is the one thing you hate most about your fandom?

Lordie... The utter toxicity. You have to do, say, and choose JUST RIGHT or face a million people coming for your head. And, of course, that ‘just right’ position is impossible to attain. There will always be SOMEONE who doesn’t like what you do in your games and will want to rip you a new one for it.

23. Unpopular character you love?

Kinda the same question as #11, but I’ll give a different answer anyway - Gil is unpopular for understandable reasons. It’s clear his story wasn’t a priority for his writer, and it’s a mess of homophobic elements that consulting actual gay people could have prevented. Still, as a character, I love him. He deserved better than he got, especially when the patches did nothing for him and the cutting of any DLC for Andromeda prevent any kind of authorial saving throw, but I will love him all the same.

And try and fix a lot of these problems through fic.

#dg replies #dg does a meme #leia connor vas serenity #kyogre-blue

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