Tumgik
#also loving the flies buzzing around lem too
lemueladeliers · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media
Chapter 18 | Page 27
3 notes · View notes
findmyrupertfriend · 6 years
Photo
Tumblr media
Strange Angel - “Evocation of the Elders”
(This is a recap/review of the eighth episode of Strange Angel. There are spoilers, so proceed with caution! Catch up on the rest here.)
Richard is on a date with the bewitching Marisol! It’s a movie date for The Wizard of Oz, and Richard is simply beside himself like an inexperienced teenaged boy. He eyes Marisol’s hand on her knee and tries to sneak an arm around her, but he loses his nerve. Next, he makes a move for her hand, but she reaches for her popcorn before he can make contact. He makes one more attempt, reaching his hand out very cautiously. Suddenly, Marisol grips his hand and sighs, as the scene in the movie changes from tense to relief.
After the movie, they sit in a taxi outside her apartment. The meter clicks loudly while the taxi driver clears his throat. Marisol talks about the movie and how Dorothy was really a player, like her roommate...who, by the way, works nights and is not at home...Richard looks uncomfortable and begs off since he has the big D.C. trip scheduled for the next day. Marisol clears her throat and bids Richard goodbye. She’s obviously hurt by the snub, and the taxi driver doesn’t fail to notice the whole exchange, either.
Richard returns home to find Jack waiting for him. By this point, Jack knows he was not invited to D.C., but he is surprisingly supportive and encouraging to Richard. Jack rationalizes his lack of an invitation to D.C. because Richard has a security clearance from the propeller team. Jack proposes Richard use their rocketry proposal, even though Professor Mesulam indicated the military was interested in “a more practical application.” Jack dismisses this and insists General Braxton has interest in rocketry. He hands over their rocketry proposal and does his best to build up Richard’s confidence in his own presentation and salesman skills (the very skills Jack has in spades).
For whatever reason, Jack mentions he is surprised Richard is actually going to fly in an airplane to D.C. At first, I didn’t know if something happened in Richard’s past, or if it was just a comment on Richard’s low-risk tolerance. Later, I believe it’s clear the statement was a comment on how averse Richard is to risk. The scene ends on a bittersweet note, with Jack envious, but still encouraging Richard to take a chance and use the rocketry proposal.
The next morning, Jack wakes up in what is becoming his more permanent sleeping quarters - his garage. He reads from his Thelema book and steps outside in his pajamas. Flies buzz noisily around white, full milk bottles left on Ernest’s porch. I guess Jack isn’t banished completely from his house, because next, we see he’s inside making more of a mess than a real breakfast. Broken eggshells litter the stove, yolk seeping out. Jack flips a burned omelet and offers it to a disinterested Susan.
Susan: “I’m not hungry.”
Jack: “Are you gonna keep this up forever?”
Susan: “Please don’t do that.”
Jack: “Do what?”
Susan: “Act like I’m the one who’s being unreasonable.”
Of course, Jack doesn’t want to give up Thelema, but Susan cautions that the military will scrutinize him. Jack begs for forgiveness, but it doesn’t seem like Susan thinks she can forgive him. Their argument (although it’s a pretty low key argument - almost like Susan is beyond caring at the moment) is interrupted by a phone call. Jack answers and tells Susan someone’s car broke down, and they need a ride to work. He also tells her he will be working late.
It’s all lies, cause Jack is really talking to a very drunk and out of sorts Ernest. Ernest is calling from a pay phone at the beach - Point Dume.
Jack: “Where the hell have you been?”
Ernest: “I don’t know, but there’s a shitload of water.” (pause) “Jack...Jack are you with me?”
I find this an interesting question because I think Ernest means it in more ways than one. I feel like Ernest is pleading with Jack a little here.
Jack: “I’m right here.”
Ernest: “I think I might...I was thinking maybe I ought to take a swim.”
Jack: “No. Now, you listen to me.”
Ernest drops his phone, and Jack calls out to him. Ernest gets back on the line and asks Jack if he can bring a light, presumably for the unlit cigarette hanging from Ernest’s mouth, before dropping the phone abruptly.
Meanwhile, Richard is on a plane to D.C. talking to a gentleman who has certain, uh, ideas about air transportation - that it’s “black magic.” Richard tries to provide a scientific point of view, but it is interrupted by a loud noise coming from the airplane that terrifies him.
Susan’s at work, stamping collection notices that contain words like “abomination” and “lying lips” with OVERDUE in bright red letters. She decides to call Jack’s work, feigning an emergency. She fights her anger and disappointment as she speaks. She knew Jack was lying to her.
While Susan comes to grips with this revelation, Ernest is on his search for truth. He stands before the shore, walking towards the waves crashing loudly. He is only shown mid-chest up and from the calves down, but it is intimated that he is naked. (Damn - would’ve been nice to see more, but I suppose that wasn’t the purpose of the scene.)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Jack arrives at Point Dume and finds the empty pay phone. He runs and calls out Ernest’s name. After he finds Ernest’s clothes on the sand, he becomes frantic. Finally, Jack spots Ernest in the water.
Ernest: “Jack Parsons! Come, brother, be baptized with me!”
Looks like Marisol didn’t spend the evening alone. She’s at the lodge with Alfred. He helps button up her clothes, and they discuss Richard. It seems Marisol feels her power in seeing the effect she has on Richard. Alfred becomes concerned and warns Marisol gently.
Alfred: “Do not be misled by this illumination. Pursue your will unfettered. Help our friend discover his. But do not interfere with the will of another. As our Master reminds us, collision is the only crime in the cosmos.”
Marisol: “You’re preaching again.”
Alfred: “I am telling you to be careful.”
Marisol: “Why? Who was ever careful with me?”
Well, now! Marisol is an impertinent one, isn’t she? But I do like how she is challenging Alfred.
They are interrupted by The Minder, who tells Alfred something is urgent. That something is Susan. She pushed past The Minder and is inside the lodge, calling quite loudly for Jack. Alfred tries to reassure her that Jack is not there. Susan is angry and regards the congregants in the room.
Susan: “You can save your assurances for these lemmings. These rats, crawling into people’s homes, poisoning husbands and wives against each other.”
Alfred clears the room to speak to Susan.
Susan: “I’m not afraid of you.”
Alfred: “Clearly.”
Susan continues to ask for Jack, and Alfred continues to insist he is not there. Alfred draws closer and questions why Susan is really there. Susan is uneasy and grips her wrist tightly. Alfred notices right away and asks if Susan is in pain. Her anxiety is further heightened, and she threatens to call the police. Alfred grabs her hand and places his other hand on her wrist. Susan becomes very still, as she’s in shock. Alfred lets go of her hand, and she hurries off.
Jack is still at the beach with Ernest. It’s dark outside, and they sit around a campfire drinking.
Ernest: “The ocean doesn’t care who you are. It just holds you down. Shows you how meaningless you are. My eyes are open now. We don’t spin the wheel. The wheel spins us.”
Ernest is having a crisis of faith in Thelema, and Jack tries to comfort him.
Ernest: “You really think the Grand Magus hocus pocus is going to make all your wishes come true? Well, where’s mine? I did everything that was asked of me. Where’s my heart’s desire? My destiny, my will?” (pause) “Look at me. Look. What do you see?”
Jack: “I see a man who misses his wife.”
Ernest laughs at this, coughing and sputtering.
Ernest: “You see a fool. And I see one, too.”
Jack: “This’ll pass. All right? You’ll get back on your feet. Your path is waiting for you.”
Next, their conversation turns to Richard. Ernest tries to make Jack see that Richard is actually his enemy, but Jack does not believe it.
Ernest: “I wish I knew what to say to make it all better. But I don’t have the answers. Nobody does. Not Alfred. Not the Agape.” (Jack tosses Ernest his cigarette lighter.) “Not even the Great Beast himself.”
Ernest finally lights his cigarette and then studies the lighter. The combination of the light from the campfire and the cigarette lighter playing on Ernest’s face and hands is really beautiful. It’s reminiscent of the scene where Jack lights Ernest’s cigarette on the hill behind their houses. A lovely violin plays in the background, adding to the moment.
Tumblr media
Ernest: “Truth is Jack, we’re all alone.”
Jack: “No, we’re not.”
Jack answers with such a surety, causing Ernest to look at him closely.
Jack: “It was you, Ernest. You showed me my true path. And now, I’m standing on the edge of my destiny.”
Ernest continues looking at Jack, then shifts his gaze downward before looking up once again.
Ernest: “Means a lot that you came, Jack.”
The scene ends with another beautiful, wide shot of Jack and Ernest around the campfire.
Richard has arrived in D.C. He’s awestruck by his luxurious hotel surroundings and awkward with the hotel staff.
Jack and Ernest are on the road now, still drinking cause the road goes on forever, and the party never ends! “It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing” plays on the radio. Jack starts to put a damper on things by talking about Susan, but Ernest puts a stop to that.
Jack: “Susan’s gonna let me have it with both barrels when I get back.”
Ernest: “Oh, no, right now all we have is the open road, the good music, the good booze, and no earthly obligations. Don’t start on all that bullshit.”
Jack: (smugly) “She wouldn’t leave me.” (pause) “What if she leaves me?”
A bit of foreshadowing going on here???
Ernest: “Then you’ll apologize and she’ll forgive you, and you’ll both go on.”
Jack: “I sleep in the garage, Ernest.”
Ernest: “Whew!”
Oh, I really love how Ernest’s voice sounds when he does this - almost like he’s telling Jack how fucked he is! Ernest is about to get on his soapbox...
Jack: “She says I can’t come back to my own bed until I give up Thelema. Even now, after all it’s done for us.”
Ernest: “There is no way to live honestly with a woman. In fact, I reject the entire institution. Marriage is false. Tyranny of the so-called free society.”
Jack: “There’s the Ernest I know. Seemed like you were done with all that.”
Ernest: “Hell does that mean?”
Jack: “Nothin’. Just last night you were…”
Ernest: “You never had a moment of doubt?”
Jack: “Settle down.”
Ernest: “I was tested, Jack. It was a test.” (shouting) “Do we shrink from our destiny and become small like other men, or do we ascend? I ASCEND!” (smiling) “I’m goddamn ascending right now!”
Jack: (laughing) “Can you keep your eyes on the road while you’re ascending?”
Ernest: (happily) “Yes!”
Jack decides to snooze, and Ernest gives him a look of contentment. He hears a plane flying overhead, and the gears shift again in Ernest’s mind. Ernest changes course and chases after the plane. (Look at those eyes 😍)
Tumblr media
Susan is still looking for Jack but doesn’t find him in the garage. Instead, she finds the Thelema book and a hand-drawn picture of Jack’s father, Marvel.
While Susan looks for Jack, Richard looks for some confidence. He practices his speech and pauses to call Marisol long distance. He has a hard time speaking at first, but then the words fly out of him. He’s searching for validation and reassurance. He knows she can give it to him, and she does. Richard brings up the other night in the taxi and admits he didn’t know what to say or do. At this, Marisol builds him up, likening him to the Wizard from the movie. At first, Richard is puzzled.
Richard: “But the Wizard is a fraud.”
Marisol shakes his comment off.
Marisol: “You know what else I was thinking? I was thinking: if he wanted to take me inside, right now, I wouldn’t be able to behave myself.”
Richard’s eyes widen, and his mouth falls agape.
Marisol: “Well...good luck, Mr. Wizard.”
And with that, Marisol hangs up the phone.
Susan is still searching for Jack, or rather, for more insight into Jack. She visits his mother and looks through photographs. Susan is flipping through them at a pace faster than Ruth likes, and she comes across a picture of Marvel. Susan shows Ruth the hand-drawn picture of Marvel and tells her she is worried about him. All of this unnerves Ruth, and she denies that Jack is anything like his father.
Ruth: “Marvel Parsons was born with the devil inside him.”
After Susan mentions that Jack did not come home, and she doesn’t know where he is - Ruth has a biting piece of advice.
Ruth: “You’re a woman, aren’t you? Give him a bed to be in. And for heaven’s sake, the first thing a wife ought to know is where her husband goes at night.”
After insulting and blaming Susan for Jack’s issues, Ruth promptly asks Susan to pick up rotting fruit that has fallen from the trees. It seems Queen Ruth has hurt her back, and the people housing her can’t be bothered. Ruth also provides some snotty remarks such as all the rotting fruit “brings the vermin” and not everyone deserves to have property. Lovely woman that Ruth is. Maybe the rotting fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree?
The green grass is littered with fruit, decomposing in the heat. Flies buzz greedily while Susan crouches down to pick up the rotten fruit. Suddenly, a pair of barefoot feet appear. Susan’s eyes travel upward to see a young Susan, dressed in white, with an orange peel in her mouth. Susan drops the basket of fruit, and the image disappears.
Richard arrives for his meeting, and the gentleman at the desk is not impressed with him at all. There are dozens of men waiting to give their own presentations as well. Once Richard is called in for his meeting, he hurriedly prepares the overhead projector. A large number of military men surround the expansive conference table and continue talking, ignoring Richard for the most part. General Braxton is in the audience and makes it clear that Richard needs to be quick. The men are anxious for their lunch. Before Richard begins, he faces the overhead projector and whispers to himself.
Richard: “I am the Wizard.”
Once Richard turns around to face the group, he tilts his head with confidence and speaks authoritatively. He reaches into his briefcase and grasps both of the proposals - the one on rocketry and the other on jet propulsion. However, he only pulls out one - can you guess which one it is? Hint: Jack won’t be happy.
Ernest’s truck is parked near groves of orange trees being picked by workers. Ernest runs through the grove, and Jack follows. Ernest has a sloppy, silly run, with his arms bent and elbows crooked out, while Jack runs like a robot. They find a red two-seater airplane, and Ernest just hops right in! Ernest coaxes Jack into hopping in with him and starts monkeying around with the controls. Jack panics and realizes Ernest is going to fly this plane with him in it!
Ernest: “Richard’s not the only one who’s gonna get to fly.”
Jack’s panic increases as Ernest starts to take off, but he becomes joyous soon enough.
Ernest: (pointing towards the sky) “Yeah, Jack! We’re going up there!”
Jack’s panic has turned into pure joy and excitement. Ernest takes Jack closer to the stars in the little red plane. When Jack and Ernest return home, they are both still on a high, joking about the stunt Ernest pulled - pretending to not know how to fly an airplane. As they exit the car, Ernest pauses to take a look at his house before he and Jack part ways.
Richard waits for Jack on the porch, and Jack cannot wait to hear how things went in D.C. As Jack whoops with excitement, Ernest enters an empty house. He quietly looks around for a moment. Meanwhile, things are getting louder outside at Jack’s house, once he realizes Richard did not present the rocketry proposal.
Jack sits and buries his face in his hands. When Richard shows him a check payable to the JATO Group for $20,000, Jack thinks all is not lost.
Jack: “Okay, we can still fix this. We can put some of this money towards our real goal.”
Richard: “No, Jack. For the first time ever, someone other than us believes in our work. We can’t betray that.”
Jack: “I was the one who believed. I was the one who never wavered. And what do you do with that belief? You sold it to the highest bidder!”
Jack has been holding it together all this time, but now he is losing his shit on Richard. He crumples up the check and throws it. Richard has about had it himself.
Richard: “Are you out of your goddamn mind?!”
Jack: “I’ve never been clearer, Richard.” (pointing at Richard) “I see you for what you really are.”
And Richard shows him who he is. He puts the knife in and twists it.
Richard: “They were never gonna go for your preposterous ideas, Jack. Why is it you think Braxton and Mesulam sent me to D.C.? Hmm? They needed someone they could trust to give a sensible presentation that was relevant to the state of the world. An actual scientist, not someone who believes that they can will things into existence.”
Jack: “I don’t expect you to understand.” (pausing) “You can’t. It’s just not in you.”
Richard: “You sound like a lunatic.” (points to Ernest’s house) “You’ve been spending too much time with that lunatic.”
Jack: “Don’t bring him into this! He’s done more for me in the last 24 hours than you’ve done in the last 15 years.”
Richard: “You’re delusional. Everyone sees it but you.”
Jack isn’t giving up. He’s got his own knife to twist.
Jack: “Who sees it? Huh? Hmm? Who sees it? Your esteemed colleagues? You crunch numbers, Richard, and call them ideas. You’re not a visionary. You’re a fucking calculator.”
SICK BURN!!!!!!
Richard: “You know what I think, Jack? I think you’re pissed about the money because I’m the one who got it. It happened in spite of you, not because of you. And after all this time and after all of your grandstanding and your flailing in the dark, I am the one who made it real, not you. Me.”
Well, Richard is feeling himself, ain’t he? I bet he’s ready to go grab Marisol and fuck her silly now, he’s feeling so big and powerful...but not so fast…
Jack: “You didn’t make it real. You made it small.”
Jack leaves Richard on the porch to blink for all eternity because he just got owned so badly. Jack decides it’s time for another drink and opens up a cold one from the fridge. Jack walks into his hallway, pausing, as does Ernest, in his own house. 
Tumblr media
He still has Jack’s cigarette lighter from his father. He sits on his bed in his empty room and lights it. He places a hand over the flame. The flesh starts to burn, as Ernest breathes heavily and focuses on chanting. He grimaces, squeezing his eyes tight before he moves his hand away from the flame. His deep inhale is like a loud hiss. As his breathing calms, he looks down at his hand, wedding ring still on his finger. Then he closes his eyes and looks upward, still concentrating.
Susan returns to the lodge to confront Alfred about her wrist. Alfred professes he was not aware of her wrist issue, but that he merely pays attention. As Alfred continues speaking, Susan becomes less angry and more uneasy.
Alfred: “I notice when a person is uncomfortable, holding something inside. Memories, desires, regrets. These things manifest in our body. They live in our bones. They make us restless. They cause us pain.”
Susan: “I don’t believe in any of that.”
Alfred: “The truth doesn’t care if you believe in it. It simply exist whether we want it to or not. Most of the time, we don’t.”
Alfred invites Susan to sit down and inquires about her pain, which she says is gone. He leans in and asks again.
Alfred: “Are you in pain?”
Susan: “I don’t know. I suppose I was. My wrist was. I type a lot at my job. At times it’s bad. Excruciating, in fact. It was yesterday, but...then you put your hands on me and…”
Alfred: (quietly) “Yes?”
Susan: “It went away.”
Alfred leans back in his chair now and studies Susan carefully.
Susan: (frowning) “What exactly are you doing?”
Alfred: “Did you come here for your husband?”
Susan: “Yes, I told you I was looking for Jack.”
Alfred: “Did you come here for your husband?”
Susan: “He didn’t come home last night. I have no idea where he is.”
Alfred: “He’s not here. You know that.”
Susan: “I do know that, but I thought that maybe you might…”
Alfred continues pressing Susan, repeating his question twice. He pulls his chair closer, leans in close and stares straight into Susan’s eyes. Susan’s mouth twists and her eyes are full of fright and sadness. She is in pain, and it’s not her wrist.
Susan: (whispering) “No.”
Alfred: “Why are you here, Susan?”
Susan: (shaking her head) “I think...I think something might be wrong with me. I need to be fixed. Can you do that?”
Alfred is still staring at her and replies with a simple “no.” Susan begins to cry and puts her face into her hands.
Alfred: “Because you are not broken.”
Susan stops crying and looks up at Alfred.
Damn. It’s getting good, and I’m still rooting for Susan. Poor girl needs some relief of her own, and holy hell Alfred has a sexy voice and manner. I’m quite interested to see how Alfred will help Susan release some of her angst and come into her own self. Too often she is treated as an afterthought and belittled by the people surrounding her.
And while I’m not sure where is the flame between Ernest and Jack, I can see they are forging a deep bond. They care for and are there for one another. Maybe Richard used to be that friend to Jack when they were growing up, but now Ernest is Jack’s BFF. Only two more episodes to see where things go, and IMDb was WRONG! Rupert is not in just eight episodes. It lists nine as of right now, and I’m hoping it’s really all ten.
One other note: I bet Richard finally pops his cherry with Marisol. Wouldn’t that just be our luck? We see everyone BUT Ernest having sex. 
18 notes · View notes
madaboutasoiaf · 7 years
Text
Canon Arya Stark: Kindness and compassion
I could have chosen from quite a few scenes for this prompt. I thought about writing a detailed meta with a number of examples but others have covered quite a lot of the scenes over the last day, which is great. So I’ll just focus on one of the best examples, the one at Stoney Sept, because it’s a favourite.
In the market square at the town’s heart stood a fountain in the shape of a leaping trout, spouting water into a shallow pool. Women were filling pails and flagons there. A few feet away, a dozen iron cages hung from creaking wooden posts. Crow cages, Arya knew. The crows were mostly outside the cages, splashing in the water or perched atop the bars; inside were men. Lem reined up scowling. “What’s this, now?” “Justice,” answered a woman at the fountain. “What, did you run short o’ hempen rope?
We’re told straight away that these men have committed crimes, and that the crow cages are their punishment. There’s also an indicator straight away that it isn’t the normal punishment. The sentence is usually hanging, a quicker death, and the scene with the crow cages is not a pretty sight, a hard experience for Arya and not just because of the condition the men are in.
“It was the Mad Huntsman caught these wolves.” Wolves. Arya went cold. Robb’s men, and my father’s. She felt drawn toward the cages. The bars allowed so little room that prisoners could neither sit nor turn; they stood naked, exposed to sun and wind and rain. The first three cages held dead men. Carrion crows had eaten out their eyes, yet the empty sockets seemed to follow her. The fourth man in the row stirred as she passed. Around his mouth his ragged beard was thick with blood and flies. They exploded when he spoke, buzzing around his head. “Water.” The word was a croak. “Please... water,..” The man in the next cage opened his eyes at the sound. “Here,” he said. “Here, me.” An old man, he was; his beard was grey and his scalp was bald and mottled brown with age.
Arya is confronted with the knowledge that these are Stark men. She has witnessed and experienced terrible things by now, especially on the way to Harrenhal and during her time there. She has a good idea of what goes on with the fighting, but these men being “wolves” understandably shocks her, because Robb is her brother, he’s fighting on the side that is right. She has learned with Roose Bolton that not all Northmen are the same but this is something entirely different.
“Whose men were you?” she asked them.At the sound of her voice, the fat man opened his eyes. The skin around them was so red they looked like boiled eggs floating in a dish of blood. “Water... a drink...” “Whose?” she said again. “Pay them no mind, boy,” the townsman told her. “They’re none o’ your concern. Ride on by.”“What did they do?” she asked him. “They put eight people to the sword at Tumbler’s Falls,” he said. “They wanted the Kingslayer, but he wasn’t there so they did some rape and murder.” He jerked a thumb toward the corpse with maggots where his manhood ought to be. “That one there did the raping. Now move along.”
They are Arya’s concern. She can’t move along. She’s a Stark of Winterfell, and these are Stark men. Arya takes this very seriously, as we saw with the captured Northmen at Harrenhal. If they are her father’s men, Robb’s men, then they are her men too.
She looked at their filthy hair and scraggly beards and reddened eyes, at their dry, cracked, bleeding lips. Wolves, she thought again. Like me. Was this her pack?
They are not like Arya, of course, but that doesn’t stop her feeling some kind of responsibility, even if they don’t know who she is and she could just walk away. Nobody else is intervening. These men have been in the cages for quite some time. They might have committed crimes, but this isn’t justice, it’s torture, and Arya can’t walk away, even if she’s distressed and furious about what they have done.
How could they be Robb’s men? She wanted to hit them. She wanted to hurt them. She wanted to cry. They all seemed to be looking at her, the living and the dead alike. The old man had squeezed three fingers out between the bars. “Water,” he said, “water.” Arya swung down from her horse. They can’t hurt me, they’re dying. She took her cup from her bedroll and went to the fountain. “What do you think you’re doing, boy?” the townsman snapped. “They’re no concern o’ yours.” She raised the cup to the fish’s mouth. The water splashed across her fingers and down her sleeve, but Arya did not move until the cup was brimming over. When she turned back toward the cages, the townsman moved to stop her. “You get away from them, boy - “She’s a girl,” said Harwin. “Leave her be.”
They are dying, but she gets them water anyway. Her action prompts action from those with her. They didn’t agree with the crow cages, but it’s Arya who shows these men mercy, who shows them compassion before they die.
The bars were too narrow to pass a cup through, but Harwin and Gendry offered her a leg up. She planted a foot in Harwin’s cupped hands, vaulted onto Gendry’s shoulders, and grabbed the bars on top of the cage. The fat man turned his face up and pressed his cheek to the iron, and Arya poured the water over him. He sucked at it eagerly and let it run down over his head and cheeks and hands, and then he licked the dampness off the bars. He would have licked Arya’s fingers if she hadn’t snatched them back. By the time she served the other two the same, a crowd had gathered to watch her.
Arya has a strong sense of justice. She doesn’t do it to save their lives, she knows they’ll die for their crimes, and they do. This is such a good example of Arya’s kindness and compassion, even when her actions here anger others who are threatening action against her and those she’s with.
“The Mad Huntsman will hear of this,” a man threatened. “He won’t like it. No, he won’t.” “He’ll like this even less, then.” Anguy strung his longbow, slid an arrow from his quiver, nocked, drew, loosed.
The men still died in the end, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of Arya’s actions. This is a perfect example to show that Arya is not merciless as some in the fandom accuse her of being, and that her ideas of justice are not violence for the sake of violence. Arya hasn’t forgotten Ned’s teachings, and she knows that this isn’t right, and she cannot help but act and that’s exactly why I love her.
149 notes · View notes