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theonceandfutureking6481 · 3 years

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BBC's Merlin Season 1 Episode 1: The Dragon's Call Analysis

*SPOILERS- FOR THE WHOLE SHOW*

So I just re-watched episode 1 of Merlin, The Dragon's Call and I thought I'd post my thoughts here, since this is the kind of thing I always wanted after I watched Merlin for the first time. Sorry, it's quite long!!

This episode is great fun to watch but also really interesting from a thematic perspective, as it introduces all the key characters and many key themes that continue throughout the show.

Setting it up as subverting traditional telling's of the legend

The wonderful thing about Arthurian legend is how many ways you can tell it, there is very little canon, it's whole point is that it has been reinterpreted time and again to say different things, be that as it may there are traditional elements which tend to remain constant and Merlin keeps some of these but many it takes out and it sets that up here.

The introduction is like a fairytale, "the young warlock arriving at the gates of Camelot", feels very much like the introduction to a fairy tale. This is on one hand telling us that this is a story we know like any fairytale, but the very fact that Merlin is young shows us that it is going to be different.

On the side, I love the line "A boy that will in time father a legend", because there's just this wonderful gap between the audience and the characters (as there is throughout the whole story), we know that Merlin will do great things, we know that Arthur will too, they are stories we have heard (tying again into that fairytale esque introduction), and its wonderful to know that, to see Merlin and know that he is destined for greatness.

Introduction to characters:

I haven't got a specific section for Merlin here, but its sort of strewn throughout everyone elses.

Morgana:

If you know Arthurian legend you will know that in many (even most) versions of the story Morgana is a villain, so her introduction here is both scary and fascinating. She is so clearly not a villain, and you wonder (if Merlin stays true to this element) what is going to change and happen that she will become one. I knew from the start that Morgana would become a villain (I had heard a lot of spoilers), so it was especially tragic and interesting to watch her character arc because I always knew. Interestingly she is immediately set up in alliance with Merlin, even though they barely interact. We know that he is a sorcerer, and her first lines are oppositional to Uther's stance on magic, she out of everyone in Camelot seems the most likely ally. This is the start of what becomes parallel character arcs, Morgana and Merlin are both fighting for magic to become legal but they end up going about it in different ways, and one is the main villain, the other our hero. They are the same and yet opposites, and the setting up starts from here.

Arthur:

Arthur appears quite simply to be a spoiled bully, not exactly what we expect from the King Arthur we know and love. The position he starts in though is important for a key element of the story which is Merlin and Arthur creating a better world in many ways directly oppositional to Uther's teachings, based on love, kindness, willingness to put others first and respect for others. Uther's world is one where strength is rewarded and he is (in a more adult way than Arthur) a bully, as we learn later he is someone who takes his anger and fear out on others, who takes advantage of his position to hurt people even those he loves. Uther can be a good king, but not when it asks him to make sacrifices of his worldview or things that really matter to him. Uther teaches Arthur some important things but there are many things Arthur has to unlearn, and these bullish tendencies, and lack of respect for others inherent in them are one of them. We do however see Arthur's inherent nobility and goodness in this episode. When he lets Merlin go because even though he's an idiot "he's a brave one", it shows us how Arthur respects what people do rather than who they are. Uther wouldn't of let Merlin go (though to be fair Uther probably wouldn't of picked a fight with a peasant), he would have thought that the law had to be upheld no matter the individual circumstance. Merlin attacked the prince that is definitely illegal but Arthur respects his courage (even though it came at the cost of his humiliation), and there is something different to Uther in that, even good.

Merlin and Arthur:

This episode aside from setting the tone for the more hilarious aspects of Merlin and Arthur's relationship establishes some other interesting things about what they are going to be to each other in this version of the story. Traditionally Merlin is Arthur's teacher, often tutoring him as a child, obviously this doesn't happen here but they retain that element of teaching here. Kilgharrah literally says that maybe it is Merlin's job to change the fact that Arthur's an idiot. Merlin challenges Arthur from the start, willing to criticise him and treat him as an equal (which Arthur actually appears to love), and we see perhaps what Merlin is going to teach Arthur and the more noble elements of Arthur's character that Merlin's going to bring. It is also only within the context of his interactions with Merlin that we see Arthur's best side (at least in this episode). Merlin shows Arthur that he has to treat all people with respect, Arthur recognises that Merlin is brave and full of qualities that Arthur himself admires. When Merlin saves Arthur's life you can see Arthur re-evaluating everything he thought he knew about him, there is a respect there.

Arthur's Mum Igraine

She's not a big part of this episode but she was mentioned and I think its interesting how she's represented. In many ways her representation is highly simplistic, she falls to the fate of many fairy tale mothers in being dead before the story begins, she's a plot device. She is presented (not outright but implied) with all the stereotypical virtues mothers are ascribed with, the woman who's trying to kill Arthur this episode talks to Uther about how hard it must have been for Arthur to grow up without a mother. It's not a huge scene but its an insight into Arthur's character, he was brought up with all the hate and bullishness of Uther without a mother who could have taught him love and kindness. As we later learn Igraine's death triggered the great purge, her loss very much symbolises the loss of love within the kingdom, both in what Arthur's like at the beginning as well as what Camelot has become under Uther's leadership.

Gwen (and Merlin):

She is wonderful and sweet and interestingly (especially for an audience that knows Arthur is going to marry her one day) a servant. It is interesting that the two people who become in the show (and we know as an audience will one day be) closest to Arthur are servants.

The thing about Arthurian legend is that typically its very much set within a context of Medieval feudalism, which means stringent social barriers. The code of equality inherent in the idea of a Round Table is equality among nobles, the code of chivalry is a code of honour for knights not for ordinary people. It's a reflection of the social realities of the era that inspires much of the aesthetic of Arthurian legend as well as the era in which most key tenants of the legend were formed. In making Merlin (Arthur's teacher & (in this show) best friend/soulmate) and Guinevere (Arthur's wife) servants, this show is changing this idea for one more reflective of our own times. It is about absolute equality of all people, and as I've said already the inherent value that every single human being has and the individual capabilities for nobility and goodness and everything the Knights Code admires. It thus sets the tone for what Arthur is going to represent, not just the ideal of knighthood and courage but the ideal of kingship for all people and the ideal of the world that matters to every person.

The self reproducing nature of love and hate

This is an idea which I've always viewed as the main theme of Merlin, the idea that hate begets itself, as does love. This episode is a perfect encapsulation of that theme which recurs again and again. Uther kills a man who is innocent (in the sense that he didn't actually hurt anybody) and the man's mother seeks vengeance and in doing so kills more innocent people because she hates Uther enough that she doesn't care who else she hurts to get at him. This happens again and again in the show, but what this show does that I love is turn it into a main theme by depicting the reverse. Arthur and Merlin are great because they act against this world of Uther's creation, they act with love and compassion and respect for all people, the ends rarely justify the means and most importantly, especially when their actions seem morally grey, they are always motivated by their love for others (not fear or hate- unlike Uther and any number of villains). Uther is the main villain of the show precisely because it is his actions that create every other villain they encounter, Morgana sums it up nicely and somewhat ominously (given what side she ends up on)- "the more brutal you are the more enemies you'll create". Uther views that brutality as strength, but it is the weakness at the heart of his kingdom, it is what makes Camelot a worse place it is what puts everyone he cares about in danger. Essentially the plot of the first episode sets up the cycle of violence that Uther started, though it doesn't set up Merlin and Arthur as breaking it it does set up the idea of equality and respect for all people that Arthur will learn and is essentially opposed to the brutality and cruelty and hate represented by Uther.

Fun non-analysis things

It mightn't seem like it but I do actually watch Merlin for reasons other than copious analysis of themes. It is a highly enjoyable show with characters and relationships (Merthur but also just generally the wonderful representation of friendship and loyalty) I love, and its actually really funny.

Gwen saying "Who'd want to marry Arthur" is peak comedy because we all know, well you.

The weird set up in Gaius' first scene as him being bumbling and slightly insane (in the mad wise old man sort of way), there is literally no carry through, he's not even like this in the rest of the episode, but its hilarious so who cares.

Merlin and Arthur's whole exchange is the funniest thing and Arthur had every insult coming. Also this is exactly how you set up enemies to lovers.

All the writers names begin with J? It's just something I notice every time the intro credits roll and it's just funny (Julian Murphy, Johnny Capps, Jake Michie and Julian Jones)- also two Julian's, I mean what are the chances?

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #king arthur #arthurian retelling #arthurian legend #morgan le fay #morgana pendragon #guinevere #gwen pendragon #uther pendragon #love and hate #merlin analysis #merlin duty #merlin goodness #Igraine #the adventures of merlin #bbc arthur #emrys

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13eyond13 · 3 years

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I'll try to keep it short because you're very kind but I'm becoming annoying... I actually like Soichiro. It's his morals I cannot stand. In fact, in line with his, I like Matsuda's and even Light's variations more, even with all the darkness they entail, because they're more critical. I adore L and find him relatable, but I'm not so sure if I'd like him as a person in real life, and yet I again like his morals more than Soichiro's. I still think Soichiro is generally a better person than any of the others. I still dislike his morals the most. When I say at the opposite end of Soichiro in the moral spectrum is where Near stands I'm not talking just about my personal liking, but as I interpret their views on morality. Maybe there's some detail of the manga I'm forgetting (I truly have to reread it), but Soichiro didn't seem very critical about... anything, while Near states something like "even if god came and told me this is good and this is bad and this is The Truth I'd still consider and come to my own conclusion". I like that. I care less about someone getting a moral with what I may consider a degree of grey if they do that. I myself have very strong morals that nonetheless have degrees of grey; strong doesn't mean pure. My grey and someone else's grey might be very different. But I've developed them, not accepted them blindly. Near of course, Mello, L, and even Light and Matsuda do this, but Soichiro generally doesn't. And I dislike that greatly. In fact, I think I'd find him kind in real life, and likeable, but I'd not really like him because I can't really bring myself to like someone like that even when they're kind and compassionate and good. I'm already talking more than I intended but I'll try to point out what bothers me of his attitude.

Soichiro is very very anti Kira, but he's working for a government with the death penalty and he doesn't seem to consider that even for a moment. For him, that the government does it is justifiable but monstrous if a person does it. He doesn't really have a justification, it's just like that because it's as it is. He's very against L's methods, buy L uses people who were going to die anyway at the very moment he uses them either way because of the death penalty, because of the government. From a government pov, if the government were to do what L does, it'd be something terrible. From an individual pov? Not so much. It's ugly, but it's beyond himself whether that people die or not, and his decisions are easily justifiable from an individual pov: they're going to die irrevocably, that very day at that very time, and he is using what he can to solve a very complicated case that is taking many lives, and he even might use the moral support of "I'm giving the prisoners the chance of choosing, with the potential reward of lifelong imprisonment instead of death". And again, while a government doing that is terrible, it's not as terrible for a person. L is a private detective, an individual. People can be fallible. Governments shouldn't. What L does might be justifiable, if ugly, for a person, but it would be unforgivable for the government to do. But the government lies on L and it's L who takes the slander of the rest of the Task Force. And that's what Soichiro doesn't see, and that's what bugs me. Soichiro sides with the government and the laws no matter what, no matter if they're terrible and are actually the cause if indirectly of the terrible things L is able to do (I'd have to reread to be completely comfortable affirming this, but Soichiro's attitude towards the government reminds me a bit of Mikami and Misa to some extent).

Soichiro hates Kira, and hates and criticises L's methods and his ruthlessness, but doesn't even consider for one moment the problem is not L. The problem is not the 24 yo boy/man, the problem is his government, that has the dead penalty and actually let's a private detective carry on with the investigation and do as he pleases (and I'm not even taking into consideration how L's upbringing and the lowkey if fun exploitation he was subrmited to have most probably influenced if not determined the way he acts in these cases, because while it's intriguing it'd feel like justifying L out of pity, and either way Soichiro doesn't know that; but I mention this because L's entire past at Wammy's, like the other children's, is another very terrible move from governments and adults in responsibility positions). The problem is Interpol, the governments in general, blatantly saying L is ruthless but not even setting rules when working with him. And I think it would actually have been very easy to stop L doing those things. Just change the rules of the game, tell him beforehand there are a few things he can't do. It's a game after all. Of course L would still exploit the moral and legal vacuums of the rules as he pleased, as one does when playing anything, but the government wouldn't have given him totally free way.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining myself very well. Years ago in a class I talked about the difference between personal vengeance and the death penalty. I feel this is similar. A person is fallible. A government should be able to stand over licit murder. L manipulating people to prove a point is ugly. A government doing that or letting someone free way to do whatever is terrible. L does whatever, and as an individual is not so horrible as it is that the governments internationally actually let him do whatever even knowing beforehand without setting rules. Soichiro sees this and it doesn't even cross his mind for a moment to criticise the government he's working with. Also, he considers his morals the best, which makes sense in a first person pov (why support x morals if you don't think they're the best? I'm not critisising this), but he's very... imposing about them, while as I say not being precisely the most critical thinker. That Soichiro is like this, morally (I'm not even talking about the policeman aspect though that's so often talked about in the fandom), makes a lot of sense to how Light ends up being Kira, and with how Matsuda thinks and acts. And I find that very intriguing, but I can't stand Soichiro's simplistic morals and his better-than-you attitude even though he's a generally good person. That's why I dislike his morals the most (of course you don't have to agree!). I don't stand by Near's morals either, but I like his "god could come and tell me and still I'd doubt" attitude. It's what makes gods mad in basically every mythology, but I love that kind of thought process. I'm very much like that too.

I'm so sorry this is so long. I tried to cut, but I got the impression it'd make it even less clear or more difficult to understand. Or maybe the lack of clarity lies precisely on how repetitive and long this is. I'd like to think English not being my first language has to do with this, but honestly the problem is most probably just me. I hope I made the point understandable enough, though. And thanks for your patience. I really liked that post of Near someone sent as an opinion and how you replied! Very interesting takes on both ends.

Hi again! You have some very thought-provoking points about it all, and don't worry, your English is excellent.

I loved Near's stance about these things as well, and that's something that really bothered me when growing up about some authority figures and institutions being really totalitarian and silencing of doubts or stances they deemed too negative or incorrect to voice aloud. I value having freedom of choice and the ability to think critically about everything immensely. Maybe it's because I went to a very strict and sheltering and weird little school as a child that tried very hard to indoctrinate me with a specific worldview, and always shamed and silenced anyone who disagreed or questioned them or felt like an outsider or wanted to have a different point of view. I remember relating the most to Matsuda on the task force when I first watched the show as a teen, because he was always speaking up with his devil's advocate questions or confusions. The way Soichiro and the others usually yell and scold and shame him for this bothered me a lot, because I wanted them to discuss things openly so I could see all the different sides of the arguments more clearly. Actually, I think this is a pretty culturally similar thing between Japan and Canada (where I am from). There's a strong emphasis on doing what's best for the entire group instead of just yourself, and being too controversial or outspoken or individualistic about certain things is often taboo and frowned upon as a big social faux pas. It's possibly quite a bit stronger pressure toward obedience and conformity and politeness in Japan in certain ways as well, but I don't know for sure as I haven't lived there myself.

I think Soichiro had a bit of nuance and flexibility with his morals and his stances in various instances throughout the plot, and to me he seemingly tries hard to see things from other angles during complicated moments in what must be one of the most difficult situations he could possibly face as both a police chief and a parent. But it's true he never seemed to doubt that upholding the laws already in place and the way his government punishes the convicted were the "correct" ways society should function. I think this series would be a really interesting one to discuss in a class that talks about stuff like justice and the death penalty and law and ethics and such for how many of these things it touches on in an entertaining and thought-provoking way!

#soichiro #near #matsuda #ask #anon #p

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jakattax · 5 years

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That is a very interesting point to raise and I definitely see on a daily basis a growing discontent towards ceremonialists like myself who adhere to the originating texts and carry out a traditional evocation, traditional meaning magician in circle, lengthy rites, usually the demon bound to a specific area for safety and containment. I’ve been recently called out on these methods as to some they are deemed harmful or disrespectful to the spirit at hand, as if they have they have kinship or compassion or even a degree of familiar friendship with spirits, in particular demons and most prominent with the 72 demons of the ars goetia. So much a rising anger and general distaste of these methods that even the word ‘Solomonic’ has been censored as if it’s a crass and vile insult, used only you wish to invoke the vengeful ghost of King Solomon. To say of demons are well meaning or not is a completely different debate, as spiritual entities we can’t really categorise or place any notion of human emotions or feelings unto spirits, as a whole we can’t invent their own motives or desires because it’s something we as humans won’t be able to comprehend. Can demons be deemed ‘good’ and ‘helpful’? Absolutely. Can demons not deemed ‘wicked’ and ‘unhelpful’? Again absolutely. There is no wide generalisation of such petty morality as good or evil in the mind of spirits or demons, they just can’t be registered on a scale, they are unquantified, immeasurable, neither white or black and not necessarily grey either. As magic is the highest form of natural science and philosophy, it’s the job and duty of the Magus to explore these areas and not just to form a consensus because someone in the Internet said so. What is deemed the Solomonic method of evocation, the formula and method which the vast majority of magicians have used for centuries is naturally the most appropriate and by far the safest method to achieve evocation. As I said that demons are morally ambiguous spiritual agents, they’re still a force from hell and being such their inherent energies tend to focus more on the wild and deceptive side, not necessarily ‘evil’ at all, just an aura of uncontrolled, feral power. And in a setting in which the Magus and those around him/her can be exposed to this is not ideal, as incorporeal beings they can effect your surroundings, body, mind and soul in a negative way. The ‘Solomonic’ method (I don’t really like labelling any form of spiritual ritual evocation as Solomonic in nature but I’ll use it for the sake of brevity) ensures that this can’t happen, it ensures that the magician is safely contained within the circle and that the demon is safely contained within the triangle. Yes there are spells in the Goetia such as the black handled knife, Greater Curse and the Curse of the fire in which the Magus places the sigil (the symbolic and physical representation of the demon) into a metal box and hands it over fire, thus in effect burning the demon until it relents into obedience, and yes these measures can be perceived as extreme. However in a ritual setting your never going to be guaranteed 100% success regarding who or what you conjure, you could spend the entire ritual in the hopes of contacting say Buer and you get a spirit which you either can’t identify or may be masquerading as Buer or may be a completely different demon of the Goetia altogether. What are you going to do then? Ask it nicely to go away? Demons do not respond to kindness and good intentions, if a demon is being unruly and uncooperative you simply must take these measures to rid yourself of it. Usually the knife of black handle will suffice, but the whole reason why these spells and curses against the demon exist is that they work in repelling the spirit. A demon cannot feel bad or be injured or wounded, a magician certainly can, a magician could die if they screw up a demonic evocation, these curses send the demon away, don’t be concerned about the feelings of a demon because they have little concern for you.

However under the right circumstances and when the evocation is carried out in the proper manner with the Magus showing due respect, veneration and adherence to the text, these complexities don’t happen; the demon is summoned safely, the Magus is safe, the request is given, you achieve or fail, Depart the demon and job done. No ‘harm’ done to the demon and hopefully no damage done to the magician through the operation. That’s as easy as it is. Read the book, follow the instructions and do the magic. The ars goetia, well in fact the entire Lemegeton is one of the few ‘complete’ traditional grimoires and as a system of magic it is in its entirety (well the ars notoria is a bit fuddled) and it is functional, practical and workable. Yes there are definite obstacles and hurdles such as the many tools you require and yes it ideally needs a prolonged period of study devoted to it, but once fully digested it is a relatively simple grimoire to work with.

And I think that’s where the modern problem of ‘boo you enslave demons!’ lies; in a nutshell it’s idleness and a lazy attitude to practical magic.

I don’t watch or interact with anime so can’t possibly comment on their representation of Demons or a western ceremonial magic evocation, and it’ll be impossible as a human to comprehend if there is a demonic agenda or conspiracy at work, for all we know there is, however I lack both the scholarly and practical knowledge to exposit further. However to address my prior point of laziness in magic; I’ve been on tumblr for over a year now, so I’m still new I know, and I joined because I understood that out of all social media platforms this one was most alive with the occult and magic. Before I joined tumblr I was very hermetic in my 10 odd years of magical study and practise so this is all relatively fresh to me. And I’m still constantly surprised and occasionally upset by the sheer amount of inaccuracies, deception, falsehoods and errors regarding some methods of magic. As a student of ceremonial magic with a dash of Alexandrian and Gardnerian Wicca with some traditional English witchcraft knowledge obviously I don’t know everything about every method and path of magic. And the constant thing which pops up the most is this modern attitude that magic is both simplistic and quick. That intent is all that matters and if you brush your hair you’ll get good fortune and if you drink water Persephone will give you a boon (I’m just using gross exaggeration here not specifically calling any one out. Well I am really, just no one in mind) and just this attitude that anything can be achieved with a bright attitude and a mindful of hope. Wonderful if your a happy go lucky existentialist and a very good way to live your life, but not in magic, not in ceremonial magic or evocation. Demons and spirits require hard work to get into contact with, it’s by no means a necessarily easy procedure as it demands time, effort, devotion and restraint, just like anything in life it gets easier with practise but it remains a long and arduous process. A sigil alone is not enough, the sigil is a demons written signature, it’s calling card, having one drawn on the ground is not enough to get a response. It may turn a head or get its eyes on you in conjecture with other factors but alone it’ll achieve nothing. There also seems to exist this feeling that demons can be companions, even friends and I’m not even going there because it’s laughable. I’m sorry but it is, your either deceiving others with your claims, deceiving yourself or just plain delusional if you think Baal has your back and is your personal chum. Obviously I’m being quite critical over the notion of demonolatory, again a relatively new term to me. As a core principal and philosophy of actual worship of a demon is just a bad, I’m running out of fancy words so I’ll just say bad. I think this attitude of magicians being the bad guys is a hodge podge of how everyone wants magic to be easier, so everyone skips the proper evocation techniques and those who do them are labelled ‘elitist’ just because we actually, you know, do the work. It’s not elitism in the slightest, it’s just that if you want the magic in the text to work you need to put in the work 🤷‍♀️ simples. And I certainly feel that maybe in the eyes of pop culture demons have become somewhat...cutesy. Look at poor Stolas for example. I think it’s this systematic dumbing down of demons in combination with a lazy attitude to magic that puts this idea into some people s head that demons are A: easy to contact and B: will be my friend. Naturally this is dangerous magic as your willingly opening yourself up to coercion and influence, you become blinkered almost and the ‘Solomonic’ methods are designed to counteract all of that, to secure the integrity of the magician so it’s he/her in control and not the spiritual force.

I’m losing cohesion now so I’ll wrap up. Yes this modern attitude of “Boo! Nasty S*lomonic magician hurting demons!” Is in this odd crucible of idleness, misinformation, pop culture attitudes and a lack of understanding of the core principles and working of ceremonial evocation, again in particular to the ars goetia. It is hard to deconstruct in its entirety and this is all just speculation and conjecture on my part. Obviously as a ceremonial magician I will always champion the ceremonial magic methodology, they haven’t changed or evolved (much) over the centuries for a very simple reason; it works. So don’t fix what isn’t broken.

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rubyredsparks · 5 years

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Blossoming Souls Ch. 8

Relationship(s): Romantic Logince, Moxiety; Platonic every other relationship

“Tags” for the whole story: morally grey!deceit, Deceit, Remus, Thomas as a character, Romance, Minor violence, someone’s potty mouth, Foul language, Minor homophobia (it’s not that bad), Miscommunication (this one is though), Friendship

Chapter Summary: Dress up Logan time! Also, Roman gets a kick in the ass by a good friend.

Roman was humiliated.

And because of that he was hiding in Noble Joan’s rooms instead of Leo’s this time. Because he had decided an upgrade in hiding was the best decision in his twenty-three years of life.

“Roman, what the fuck?” Joan asked, staring at Roman’s body hidden in the blankets. “Care to tell me why the hell you’re hiding in my bed?”

Roman made a noise to try and answer them. He had hoped that he said ‘Nothing’, but it came out more as a ‘Nfmhm’.

“Doesn’t answer my question, dude.” They sat on the edge of the bed, hand hovering over Roman’s leg. “Are you sick or...?”

Roman uncovered his head, “I’m fine,” before immediately covering his head with the blankets again.

“Right, someone who’s fine would definitely hide their head under the covers like a baby,” Joan said dubiously, crossing their arms.

“Exactly, so leave me alone,” Roman said, trying to burrow under the covers even more.

“No can do, Princey,” they said, patting his leg. “The welcoming ceremony for your Prince Intended is tonight, and I think your valet is beside himself with worry trying to find you. No doubt you’re needed for a fitting.”

“Ernesto needs to cool his jets,” Roman muttered darkly.

“So do you,” Joan said, hands wrapping around Roman’s legs before yanking him clear off their bed.

Roman shrieked, trying to save himself from falling, but only succeeded in tumbling off the bed, tangled in blankets.

He glared at the Cheshire grin on Joan’s face, wanting nothing more than to punch their grin off their face.

Instead he slumped against the bed frame, blankets secure around his shoulders. A petulant pout was on his lips, and his shoulders hunched in as he vainly hugged himself in comfort.

Joan’s smile slid off their face, and Roman felt a small sort of happiness for wiping that shit-eating grin off their face before his black mood settled back.

“What’s wrong?” They asked, sliding down next to Roman, shoulder to shoulder.

“I messed up, Joan,” Roman admitted quietly.

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

“No, Joan, I sincerely, seriously screwed up.” Roman took a deep breath before explaining to them what he did.

They whistled lowly when he finished, fixing him with a slightly impressed and disappointed look. “Wow, you did fuck up.”

“Joan,” Roman whigned, hands shaking their arm slightly. “You’re supposed to cheer me up, not agree with me.”

“When did I ever agree to that?”

“When you agreed to be friends with me,” Roman answered promptly.

“Well, damn, can I get a refund?” Joan snorted at the pathetic look Roman gave them before knocking his shoulder with theirs. “Relax, I’m pulling your leg. No need to get your panties in a twist.”

“My underwear is just fine, thank you very much,” Roman muttered.

“You know what I mean,” Joan said. “So you royally screwed up, what are you gonna do about it?”

“Hide in these blankets ‘til the day I die.” Roman said, already trying to burrow his head back into the covers.

“What, no. That’s not what I- Will you take those damned blankets off your head?” They wrenched the duvet off Roman’s head as he whinged and half-heartedly tried to reach for them back.

“Stop acting like a child, Roman.” Joan said sternly. “You’re the Crown Prince. You were coronated just a few months ago, and now your Intended is here. You have to welcome him here, and you can’t blow this off like you did these past few weeks.”

“I know, Joan, I know.” Roman scowled, running a hand through his wavy hair and cursing when he tugged at a knot.

“But how can I show my face to him after I lied to him for days. Not to mention having him find out via gossip and not me.”

“That’s your problem, not mine,” they shrugged, pulling them up much to the Prince’s protests. “Maybe do something to make it up to him. Flowers or some shit. People like flowers.”

They ushered him toward the door, pulling it open as Roman perked up, head tilted and hair falling in front of his eyes in thought. “You really think so?”

“No clue,” they pushed him out the door. “Goodbye and good luck,” and promptly shut the door in his face.

Roman blinked.

Then blinked again.

This was the third time that a door slammed in his face. This was becoming a habit.

But first, “Joan! Come on, Joan! Help me!” He pounded on the door furiously, hearing the muffled laughter behind the wood. “I can hear you laughing, you bastard!”

“Your Highness!” Roman paled as he heard Ernesto’s high pitched wail. He could hear the pounding of footsteps, and his feet were running before his mind could catch up.

Nothing against Ernesto, but his scrutiny and high regard for prim and proprietary could be so exhausting day in and day out. The man only talked about work, and made jokes about buttons.

Buttons, for Lady's sake. Could anyone get anymore dull?

“Your Highness!” came the screech again, and Roman quickened his pace.

His head was ducked, looking at his scurrying feet. Years of practice making it easy to weave in and out of servants’ ways as he tried to outrun the unusually quick valet, rounding the corner.

“Oof!”

He was met with a hard chest. Papers and books flew into the air, cutting through Roman’s face as he was met with startled blue eyes and a familiar cross face.

“Your Highness, thank you so much for creating this mess.” Prince Logan’s icy tone wasn’t hard to mistake, and Roman winced at that jab.

Hurriedly, he crouched down to gather all the loose leaf papers, carefully putting them into the inside of one of the books he picked up. Meticulously making sure that whatever papers he picked up did not have any creases in them.

Lady only knew how Prince Logan would react to his papers creased and folded.

Handing them back to Logan, he tried for a smile against the cold glare sent his way. “I’m sorry about that, My Prince.”

Logan didn’t respond, merely sidestepping him and walking away.

“Your Highness!” Ernesto’s voice was much closer this time.

Roman cursed, setting forward to run again. He could make it up to the Prince next time.

At the Welcoming Ball Ceremony.

Where they were to be announced as Intendeds.

Hopefully, Logan will be able to forgive him by the time they reach the altar.

Roman subconsciously brought up the icy glare, the cold blue eyes that bore into him and the sneer on Prince Logan’s lips. Beautiful, kissable lips.

Then again… he winced at the memory, maybe not.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don’t understand.”

“Your Highness, please,” a man with platinum blond hair sighed, exasperated. "Must I explain again? Your attendants have informed me that you haven't any formal clothes for the Welcoming Ball tonight. It's my job to tailor and fit you into proper clothes for the ball. Which is in a few hours now, might I add."

"No, I understood that. What I don't understand is why I need new clothes. I have formalwear."

Logan watched as the man, who was slightly taller than him, rested both hands over his face, letting out a long sigh and mumbling to himself.

He looked up again, and Logan's memory tickled with the name Tan, and said, "Well, your Highness, your attendants came to me and said that your formalwear was well…. How can I say this delicately?"

Tan looked him up and down, eyes scrutinizing and brow raised, "Your style is too simplistic. It lacks colour, style, basically everything.

"Now with my help, you're going to look gorgeous." Tan pulled out racks of clothes out of seemingly nowhere, and to Logan's embarrassment, the other attendants in the room started to strip him to his boxers.

Logan was bare to the world, and while Tan clicked his tongue, he hadn't made Logan stand naked in the room.

"Now what colours do you look good in," Tan mused, a finger on his lips.

"His Highness looks good in blue!" Someone chimed, and Logan whipped around to see Patton's beaming face.

The man was still dressed in casual wear, but the sheen of sweat could clearly be seen and bits of grime and dirt speckled his body.

But the smile on his face outshone the sun.

"You too, Patton?" Logan groaned, burying his face into his hands and feeling his face run hot in embarrassment.

Logan barely noticed as attendants started to take his measurements, and he allowed for his body to be moved this way and that.

"Highness, I'm just looking out for you!" He pouted, lips twitching, betraying a smile.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "You're the one who told Tan about my quote on quote 'lack of formalwear' aren't you?"

Patton at least had the good grace to look a little guilty. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe."

Logan sighed, "It's alright, there's nothing to do about it now."

A loud smack startled them, and the two turned to Tan. There was a wicked smile on his face as he slapped the measuring tape in his hands.

"Oh, we're about to do something about it," Tan promised, diabolical gleam in his brown eyes.

Logan had never felt more like an experiment in his life. Tan had poked and prodded him with so many needles and tight clothing that Logan felt like he would burst with uncomfortableness.

He stood there-- like a porcelain doll-- being twisted and turned and forced to show off his body under Tan's critical gaze.

The man was merciless, putting him in outfit after outfit with barely space to breathe in between.

He would hem and haw at each style, stalking around him with eyes like a hawk.

After what felt like weeks of being stabbed and clucked at when he moved even remotely in the wrong direction, Tan finally clapped his hands, giddy smile stretched across his face.

"You look fantastic, darling."

Logan looked down, and. Wow. He had been expecting something fancy, reams of gold and silk or curlicues of lace.

But this?

This was not what he was expecting.

He was cloaked in blue, of course, Tan had taken note of Patton's comment, fitting it into his design.

It was a deep, luscious blue, the petticoat trailing nearly past his ankles. Black lace outlined the hem and edges with elegant patterns of Wysteria sewn into the fabric.

His tunic is sheer black, cut and angled to show off his chest. Logan balked at showing so much skin, but seeing Tan's evil eye he chose not to protest.

Hands reaching up to adjust his tie before falling limply at his side. There was no ascot or tie around his neck, making him feel oddly naked without it, lost without his shield.

His pants, fitted as they were, ran down his legs, just on the edge of too tight, extenuating his legs and other features.

All in all, he looked….

"Gorgeous."

Logan looked up sharply at that, spinning around to face the speaker. The word was spoken tenderly, reverent and breathless.

By a man he was angry with.

Prince Roman of Eiehde stood in the doorway of his room. He slowly walked inside, mutters and heads bowed from the servants as he got closer.

The Prince was wearing white, laced in golden fabrics. A sheer, white skirt that seemed to be sewn into his coattails trailing his legs.

Gold epaulettes on his jacket shoulders with red and gold thread sewn into the front covers of the jacket with little aster blossoms in the fabric. A red sash trailed from his right shoulder to his hip. Medals were pinned on his left jacket, right above his heart.

His pants were slack, mesh, fluttering about his legs in something akin to a dress. His hair tied up in a loose ponytail, disobedient brown-red curls flying about his face.

All in all, a very gender-ambiguous style of clothing for the Prince of Eiedhe.

"Your Highness," Logan said carefully from atop his pedestal. "What are you doing here?"

The anger he felt for the Prince wasn't as high as it had been earlier that day. It simmered in his stomach, the lie like lead.

Something flashed in the Prince's eyes that Logan couldn't decipher, but he could swear that it was pain and hurt in those red-brown eyes.

Roman straightened his back, his feet positioned scant few inches away from Logan. He held out his right hand, left fisted behind him resting on the small of his back.

"I am here to escort His Royal Highness of Aowhea, Prince Logan, to the Welcoming Ball."

Logan clenched his jaw. With that formal wording, Logan couldn't refuse lest he cause a scandal for refusing.

The two were of near equal status, but Logan was the guest here. Refusing would be an insult and a half that would mean tense conditions on his return.

He knew that he had to accept the hand that the Prince was offering.

Daintily, he laid his hand atop of Roman's, suppressing a wince when he closed around it, and with Roman's help, stepped down from the pedestal.

Stepping down was a mistake. Logan was stood next to the man, and he could feel the heat emanating from the man himself.

Bringing back memories of their first meeting and subsequent… sleepover and cuddle session.

Fighting down a blush, Logan looked up at Prince Roman, instantly disliking the height difference between them. It was only a few inches at most, but he was still forced to look up at the man.

The close proximity was near stifling, but not so horrible.

Roman's hand was hot, warming his own. And reminded him that they were still holding hands but surprisingly Logan found that he didn't want to let go.

His hand was dark against Roman, a stark contrast. He could feel the calloused blisters in the hard worked skin. Roman's hand practically enveloped Logan's, his hand feeling small and dainty.

It was overwhelming, different and awkward.

"Shall we take our leave?" Roman's low timbre reverberated within him, and Logan was close enough to practically feel the vibrations.

Logan barely suppressed a shiver, taking a moment to collect himself. "Yes… let us do so."

"Your Highness, wait."

Both men turned to look at Patton, who was holding up a light red and gold piece of fabric.

Patton smirked, fixing the ascot around Logan's neck. "There, now you can go. Bye bye, have fun!"

Logan rolled his eyes, but felt his heart stutter at the implication around his neck.

Roman raked his eyes over him, dark and dangerous. "Well?"

Logan nodded silently, the once protective piece of fabric choking him.

---------------------------

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#blossoming souls #my writing #chapter 8 #logince #moxiety

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natsubeatsrock · 4 years

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Should our heroes forgive?

Well, this was also bound to happen.

I have touched this question a few times now talking about Gajevy and more recently Endeavor. I've felt as though it deserves more time than I've given it for years and, since the aforementioned Endeavor ask last year already got those juices flowing, I figure now is as good a time as any to get to this.

I'm grateful that one of the big conflicts between Fairy Tail characters and fans is that the characters are too forgiving. That sounds weird to say on both ends. Consider that forgiveness is generally seen as a good thing and that this is considered a major problem for readers is weird to describe to people outside of the Fairy Tail fandom. On the other hand, 'gratefulness' feels a bit too condescending of a word to describe feelings towards an issue many people have with this series.

Consider though that, for all the issues that people do have with Fairy Tail, this is among them.

Mashima's women all look basically the same.

Side characters get a couple chapters of development.

No one important stays dead.

They're too forgiving.

Sorry but one of these things feels out of place.

Of course, I am not without bias in this discussion. As I've said a few times before, I am fairly pro-forgiveness. I'm a sucker for even halfway decent redemption stories. I love to see characters come to see that they aren't defined by the worse things they've done. Part of that comes from being part of a religion whose greatest theologian started out by killing some of its earliest followers.

However, another part of that comes from not really having to forgive people for or be forgiven by someone of anything seriously. I haven't been involved in some major crime or abuse. I was bullied multiple times growing up, but it was never anything life-threatening. Heck, some of my bullies ended up becoming my friends later on in life. My family life is fairly average compared to what I know others deal with. I live a fairly normal life for a suburban middle-class American male in his twenties.

This shapes my own perspective on how I view terrible acts being forgiven. To harken back to the Endeavor example, I don't have as much of a connection to how bad it feels to be abused as an actual victim of child abuse does. I can imagine what it may be like, but I can't have that experience. So, seeing their story play out brings up different emotions for me than it might for an abuse victim. Where I may be more apt to see Endeavor be forgiven, I can understand someone else not wanting him to.

However, what makes forgiveness in media an unbearable topic to deal with is that people treat every slightly morally grey act as not worth forgiving. Last month I talked about Scar in Brotherhood and I'd get people being fine with him not forgiving the state alchemists for everything that happened. I don't agree with his plan to kill the people trying to help with restoring the Ishvalan people, but I get him still harboring resentment towards them, even after the dust of the series events settles and the truth is made known.

At the same time, people say that Lucy shouldn't have forgiven Minerva for "Naval Battle" at all. They made up almost exactly a year after it happened and, despite being the only interaction between them since then, Lucy should be able to pick up that there's been some change in both Minerva and the entire Sabertooth guild since then. Part of the reason it happened at all was that their guilds were competing against each other. But people have a problem with them making up and I can't sympathize with that complaint.

I've said that a good redemption arc is marked by a character recognizing they did something wrong and making an active effort to change. I stand by that, but that's more than just a matter of how we view the character who is seeking redemption. This is part of what should be at the heart of a good story of forgiveness. A character seeking forgiveness should recognize their wrongdoing and try to change. A character forgiving does so acknowledging the wrongs committed against them but chooses not to harbor resentment against them for it.

Notice that the action taken place by the person forgiving is about resentment. This isn't to say that forgiving someone doesn't mean their actions aren't punished. It's possible to forgive someone and seek out justice for the ways they've done wrong. People on both sides of the argument regarding forgiveness will do well to recognize that.

Of course, this isn't to say that both parties have to agree. What I find interesting is when only one of these elements is present in a narrative. That is to say, someone is seeking forgiveness from a resentful person or someone forgives someone for committing evils without malice. The focus is usually on the willingness or unwillingness to forgive. About the only way to screw this up is to make the reasoning behind either seem arbitrary or insufficient.

And here's where we get into what I think the reason behind a lot of people's issues with forgiveness. Many times that forgiveness is employed as a potential element, it ends up being played out in a similar vein. The reason that they're able to forgive a person is that "they're a better person than the person they need to forgive." There's definitely an argument to be made that this is at the core of forgiveness. However, it ends up being played out in such a simplistic way that it's hard to feel anything good about what's taken place once you've seen it happen enough times. Not to mention, characters who are bad don't happen to automatically be unpopular.

Now, if you have a character who isn't willing to forgive someone who doesn't regret what they've done, you have the makings of a revenge story. If you want to do this, consider that you have to do two things: make it believable that our main character wouldn't forgive someone like the person they're trying to get revenge on and make it clear that the target would rather fight back than forgive. A lot of what I've seen teases at the idea of this type of story without setting up either well and ending with a similarly bad ending previously described. (I won't get revenge on you because I'm better than you.)

Though, now we're starting to get into a different topic altogether. To bring the topic back to its main focus, forgiveness depends on the type of character you've set up. Are they the type of person to forgive and why? Would they be willing to make an exception and for what? Is this a setup for positive or negative character growth? These are the types of things that matter in determining whether a character should forgive or not.

There's a reason why John Wick doesn't treat the death of his dog the same way Katara treats Zuko after the ordeal with the Southern Raiders. And there's a reason it makes sense for her to forgive him even as she doesn't forgive her mother's killer, in the same episode no less.

Though, as a Fairy Tail fan, I do have two pleas to writers. If you make your villains sympathetic and recognize their need to be forgiven of their actions, make sure that it's clear that they recognize their own culpability. Also, if they start working towards becoming a good person, don't cut that short and make them question if they ever had the chance to be a good person. I don't want to get into more stories where these things happen.

Clearly, I've been hurt before.

To be continued...

#not fairy tail month: crisis on infinite fandoms #our heroes #this one was likely the first one i write #it's very ft heavy #the next one was written alongside it

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