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insomniac-arrest · 3 years

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how NOT to do a tournament arc

It’s kind of sad, I really enjoyed the first book in the “Darker Shade of Magic” series by VE Schwab, I even rated it 4 stars on my Goodreads! People told me that the second book, A Gathering of Shadows, was even better and I was pretty excited.

However, I cannot get myself to finish the last 80 pages or so. I am really close to the end, but I just Do Not Care. I have stopped caring about these characters or what happens to them. I think the main problem is that I actually really love “tournament arcs,” they are literally always my favorite arcs in Shonen manga.

the tournament arc in the Naruto series?? life-changing. the tournament arc in My Hero Academia? literally the only full arc I’ve seen of that show. The tournament arc in Yu Yu Hakusho? so much fun. even outside of manga, the second Hunger Games book is my favorite of the three because I think the arena/game itself is really interesting and I’m a shallow bitch.

Lee vs Gaara?? 😩👌

I think it’s this love of the trope that kind of ruined the book for me because Schwab fundamentally mishandles why audiences care about our heroes joining or winning these things. *SPOILERS AHEAD*

So I literally hated the reason for every single character joining the tournament. Not only are most of them way too OP to be joining this tournament (it’s like the reverse underdog trope and I hate it), but the reasons they join are generally weak and actively make me want them to lose.

Why does Naruto do the tournament arc? He wants to go up in the ninja hierarchy and it’s a stepping stone to his overall goal of becoming a hokage. And, as always, he’s trying to prove his self worth as a person by punching people real good. He is an underdog and seeing him win is thus satisfying. You want him to win for practical, emotional, and cathartic reasons. It’s not that complex.

None of the heroes in A Gathering of Shadows want to join the tournament for practical reasons and seeing them win achieves no catharsis. They do have emotional reasons for joining it, but their emotional reasons actively make me want to bully them. Let’s get into it.

Lila wants to join the tournament to test her magic and also run away from her cool pirate life she always wanted because of Issues I guess. I found her reasons for joining the most acceptable of the 3, but also frankly vague and boring. She kind of just has this sense she has to join. The thing that really got me is how she goes out of her way to kidnap and replace this rando in the competition.

She is technically an underdog here, but having guessed by this point she is a *SPOILERS* Antari, I already know she is super powerful and is way too magically gifted for being in this normal-people magic Olympics. I don’t watch Haikyuu for the tall people dunking on other teams! I watch it for the short king overcoming height-ism! Your stories about genetically superior magic people suck!!

If she had like, an actually compelling reason to insert herself into the competition-- such as being in poverty and needing prize money or seeking revenge or political sabotage or wanting to win the heart of a girl, I might be more forgiving. But the fact she just kinda wants to . . test herself, and fucks up someone else’s life to do that, just made me angry. I get that’s she’s a spunky, wild-card, the author describes her as a “self-serving badass,” but she was just so weakly motivated that the self-serving part made me root against her. She’s out there messing with someone’s entire profession just to “test her abilities.” This is some villainy shit.

This and the fact her “not-like-other-girls” fuckery was all over the place in this book (one of her love interests literally says “you’re not like other girls”) rubbed me the wrong way.*

*Note: the first book also had this problem too, but I was kind of willing to forgive it bc I was interested in the magic stuff going on. But Schwab did NOT course correct and I had to have this whole do-I-dislike-Lila-bc-of-internalized-misogyny debate with myself. Luckily, I discovered that the only character I really liked in this book was Rhy regardless of gender.

Alucard is also there. I don’t clearly remember his motivation for joining, but he is already wealthy and has status and allies and doesn’t really need to join this tournament so I also did not particularly care if he won or lost. He’s also just, very pompous. Which, yeah, made him likable enough, but again, pompous characters in tournament arcs are not the ones you’re rooting for. That’s not why you watch.

Finally, Kell, king of the Over Powered angst trope, wants to join the tournament because he dreams of violence. He wants to fight other people. He has some bloodlust which he feels real bad about, but also damn does he want to use his magic powers to punch people. Like, dummies and training are not enough, it has to be real flesh and blood people to pummel.

I can’t emphasize how thoroughly this turned me off. Characters who join tournaments literally just for the purpose of smacking other people around are villains in these type of stories. They aren’t doing it for the prize or redemption or self-worth shit or love. And I wanted Kell to lose so bad!! I wanted him to get water-slapped across the stage! Not only was he way too overpowered in this tournament for me to care, but the reasons he’s in the tournament actively pissed me off. You want to find freedom in violence Kell? :( absolutely not.

And like, he does lose, but it’s only because he lets Lila win. No struggle. No gay little speeches. No random heartfelt trauma reveal or character development.

I hate it here.

Naturally, a western book does not have to follow random anime tropes, but shouldn’t readers be a bit invested in this staging since it takes up a large part of the book?

None of these characters are in the tournament for interesting reasons that make me want to root for them. Some characters who I was neutral on to begin with, literally made that Sims relationship thing pop up above my head when I read this

I know what you’re thinking: But Insomniac! The book isn’t about the tournament! It’s just the set-dressing! You must have noticed, the tournament fight scenes were really brief and boring. The main conflict is between the real villain and the main characters.

And I’m like . . . then why were the magic olympics there? Also, the fact all these characters were joining this important sports event for shallow reasons really did a number on my perception of them. None of them even want to be Hokage. This is ridiculous.

Anyway, as a side note I was interested in the Rhy/Alucard interaction, but I’ll probably never finish this book so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#IA talks #IA reads #am reading #a darker shade of magic #a gathering of shadows #ve shwab #here are my thoughts you must all suffer through #long post cw #lol

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yunsoh · 3 years

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alrighty season 3 ep 2 thoughts. this post got ridiculously long so the rest is under a read more:

- literally i love every single time we see akito sleeping in this long and empty room. there’s something very encompassing about how empty it is + how the angle emphasizes it, especially when we can clearly see she’s sharing her bed

- shigure and tohru’s moments alone are always soo so sweet. their relationship so far is very much one where there’s a lot of affection between them (which ofc makes one of their biggest scenes together during the final act feel especially hurtful even though it’s a side of shigure we’re well aware of by that point -- it’s just something that tohru up until that point hadn’t witnessed, much less been directly confronted with. but i’m getting ahead of myself lmfao moving on)

- actually related to the above love tohru asking “wouldn’t i just be interrogating him?” and “the things kureno told me make me feel like i’m looking into a deep, dark well” just ahh i do love this background progression of shigure and tohru’s relationship and how it reaches a head when they have their talk about kyo later.

- this is perhaps unintentional but: having this shot of machi noticing yuki + clearly having some new feelings about him overlaid with/directly followed by momiji and tohru, where we still know momiji has an unrequited crush on her. yes it makes me laugh a little but it’s also fitting because at this moment in time yuki does not have a crush on machi in return + sees her only as a friend.

- it’s been mentioned but it bears repeating. why are they not progressing momiji’s height whatsoever lmaooo. funny because yuki and kyo have had gradual changes but they’re really just trying to make this growth spurt reveal super jarring huh. also holy shit he looks TINY next to haru in this shot. next

- the one kid in class asking hana to fuck the priyuki girls up but she’s like “actually i really don’t care” LMAO........ love her

- ugh i really love this moment with yuki.......... i think it’s been a while since we’ve seen the general student population (not just the prince yuki girls) still treat him in a revering way, now also in part because he’s the student council president but definitely still because of his reputation as the prince. this was something that was so deeply ostracizing to him early on in the series, and does still remind him of his loneliness -- but that loneliness isn’t crippling to him anymore, because now he does have friends who like him and who he can have fun with.

i’m going to write a bigger post on this later probably because this is a really important progression point in how yuki understands himself to exist in his school’s ecosystem + how his self-esteem is still developing.

- additionally i just want to say that this scene isn’t yuki suddenly falling for machi, or really something to be read as mutually romantic between them -- machi i think absolutely has a crush on him at this point (because he is. the only person who is actually nice to her and considers her existence aside from kakeru but moving on) but yuki’s perception of her at this moment is heavily tied to how he thinks of himself as a friend + whether he’s a worthy enough person to befriend. the fact that machi shatters those doubts for him in such an overt way is important.

- anyways machi is rly cute here i loooove that she’s comfortable being more expressive around him even though it’s mostly out of embarrassment LMAO...... she’s learning how to display her feelings and trusts him with that..... cute.

- also of note yuki putting his hand on the top of her head which is like... he’s trying to convey that he feels they have (or are starting to have) a trusting friendship with each other but it’s like. a bit too much for machi to handle omfg. honestly this goes in hand with way back when ayame patted yuki’s head in praise which was clearly something yuki didn’t receive much of as a kid, and i’m assuming machi also rarely if ever received that same sort of praise. what i’m saying is they’re both trying lmaoo

- also as usual shimazaki’s deliveries are spot on yuki is soooo fucking cute in this scene. “what? seriously? they’re even worse than the ones i made” he’s so casual and funny with her it’s so good

- okay the timeskip to sunset makes me laugh it makes it seem like tohru and kyo have just been waiting in that room alone for hourssss

- ugh how sexy would it have been if the brief flashback to kureno + the music overlay had been cut out here. like tohru seeing the birds and then turning to ask kyo what he would think if someone’s curse had been broken would have gotten the message across just as well + i think would have been more emotionally impactful.

- tohru’s expression here though is so good just. ugh. will say this point in hers and kyo’s relationship is just so tasty because he really is her most trusted confidant but she’s also so aware of anything that could be construed as him rejecting her or pushing her away, which now that she’s getting especially wrapped up in the family’s secrets...... it’s a thin line she’s walking w wanting to protect him but not wanting to push him away bc he’s resigned to what will happen

- this visual is so weeeeeird aoghjksd the screen being framed by her bangs. what. why

- hmmmm in general idk if the flower scene hit very well. it felt kind of awkward? kyo and tohru both seemed really stiff which is weird because literally just a minute ago they were animated pretty well tbh

- this post is already so long and i only JUST started the akigure part of the ep....... i’m so sorry

- machi and kyo both handing off white flowers to yuki and tohru respectively and then we’re hit with shigure giving akito a red flower instead. obviously because akito is symbolized by red camellias + to refer back to her memory of shigure giving one to her, but also just basic color symbolism -- white being more indicative of purity and new beginnings, red being something both passionate, evocative, dangerous.

- oh we’re back to the kids. it is not in fact akigure time yet.

- i loooove this tohru outfit so much she’s so cute in it. also ig it bears mentioning because i didn’t say anything about it last time, but the reboot hinting more directly to the audience that something bad happened to rin, rather than just her disappearing entirely, is def more overt than in the manga. that short scene of ren intercepting rin in the last ep was chronological yes, but in the manga we don’t see that happen until after we know that akito’s been keeping her in the cat’s room. so just by tohru mentioning that she hasn’t seen or heard from rin in a while, we’re clued in that something bad to her must have happened because of ren. which i don’t think is a bad decision honestly -- since ren is set up as the antagonist for this season, it might make viewers assume that ren did something bad to her, only for it to be revealed that it was akito and that akito is still becoming more and more unhinged. but that also ren is unhinged. disasters.

- “i’m sorry, i’m afraid i do have parents” this rly is just the mid-20s mood isn’t it

- mitsuru fucking hissing at shigure i cannot

- nakamura’s acting during this phone scene is so goooood oh my god. the LOATHING. honestly this alone just makes me crazy abt the insanity that is akito + kureno + shigure like jesus christ.

- kureno’s pitiful little “nii-san” after shigure obliterates his entire life. there we go

- honestly it’s funny how shigure’s expression looks when akito yells at him for sleeping with ren because for a moment it looks like he has NO idea what she’s talking about but then. nope. he fucked her mom.

- do like the little detail of akito pointing as she tells shigure to get out, but when he leaves he just turns in the opposite direction. like truly he has never followed orders to the t once in his life.

- this shot of ren is so fucking absurd oh my god. pls get ur male gaze directing out of here.

- “i... thought you forgot” man the way this is delivered feels really striking. i think because akito is never caught off guard in a way that surprises her in such a quiet way, or in a way that leaves her plainly vulnerable. like her vitriol towards him has to do with the fact that she feels he’s abandoning the bond they used to have (and ofc they bond they have through the curse), and that memory of him does act as a linchpin.

- it’s primo bitchy shigure hours. primo akito meltdown hours.

- this shot is soooo foreboding wow. straight up darkness. tho i kind of wish this shot was used instead for the “i want to crush her to a pulp” line, or at the very least that the shot for that line was just framed differently

- god they’re so fucking awful for each other. purely just a disaster duo. shigure taking control of the conversation + dismissing akito’s meltdown and emotional manipulation leaves akito feeling the only way she can have control over him is through seducing him since no other method works. the convo that has with her accusing him of sleeping with a lot of other women + her not knowing how to handle the fact that he slept with ren, and ofc the convo it has with her misogyny and how she views herself. they have this really vitriolic push and pull for control because akito doesn’t know what to do when she loses any control at all, and shigure’s grasping at what little control he can have considering how their power dynamics work with the bond -- walking away when she’s being manipulative, refusing to coddle her. like shigure’s wish for them to be on an equal playing field without the curse is a pipe dream because their relationship is just so, so damaged as is and is so heavily informed by what has already happened between them. takaya why did you have them end up together for realsies why did you--

- what is with the reboot team making akito break down the walls and doors all the time lmfao. bro the structural damage caused by this little 90lb disaster.

- i think i understand why they took it out (like maybe it would have been too overt with how they’ve set up the audience to expect something bad happened to rin after running into ren) but man they really just didn’t adapt one of the most haunting parts of the series huh. like this shot of rin being trapped inside the cat’s room right beside shigure thinking “i’ll be waiting for you” maaaan man!!

- okay addendum: apparently she is in the room. in hindsight i did notice this but it did not register as a person because i thought it was just a glare on the window 😭

#fruits basket #fruits basket spoilers #holy shit this post is long i'm so sorry LMAO..... i had so much to say

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minecraftsz · 3 years

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transcripts of my jack manifold character notes from his stream today below the cut :) (slightly edited for clarity, denoted by curly brackets) please rb if u find this useful <3 :D

Jack’s Lore Discussion (page 1)

Joins after first L’Manwar

Begins w/ ambiguous allyship

Paid to kill Tommy, burn his stuff by Dream

[Original plan (never came to be)

Double agent - has true loyalties, but it’s unknown]

(time skip - 2 month streaming break, allied with l’manburg {during this, left the day of schlatt’s election})

Returns w/ no knowledge of goings-on

Goes off on his own - abandoned by L’manburg/Pogtopia/Manberg

page 2

Abandons everyone to found Manifoldland (ML) after Schlatt’s death - no longer trusts his friends

Vows to run ML better than Schlatt {ran Manberg}

{creates} “be better” sign {with part of Schlatt’s portrait}

Pre-Exile

Manidolf wants to ally w/ Tubbo {+L’Manberg} after Dream attacks ML

{damage} not on purpose - product of Dream-Tommy feud

{”be better” sign is turned into “be worse” sign after ML’s vandalization}

Jealous of Tommy - feels like a side character in his own story

over time turns to malice

page 3

Wanted to play the *first* sympathetic villain of DSMP

then acknowledges wil lol {in reference to cc jack being reminded that wil did it first - cc wasn’t paying attention during 2 month break lol}

Tubbo refuses to ally (:c)

{in conversation} reveals Tommy is why Dream burned ML

{now Jack} knows that if Tommy fucks up 1 more time he’ll be exiled

{jack} frames Dream {in pranks} to get Tommy to lash back + get exiled & out of the way

(wanted to be a Doofenschmirtz)

Main goal: revenge on Dream (+Tommy) thru silly plans

page 4

*didn’t know how bad exile would be {(in reference to Jack wanting to get Tommy exiled}

Forgives Tommy during exile

Goes to visit + loses all his shit b/c Tommy kills him >:(

>Jack hates Tommy

Needs allies

Badlands

L’manburg, etc

Goes to L’Manburg festival

holy shit theyre blowing shit up !

>Protect Tubbo motivation

(preexisting - comes into play now)

{basically, b/c tubbo had always been nice to jack jack never disliked him and wants to keep him safe - this motivation continues through his later actions}

realizes it all boils down to Tommy and Dream

>Tommy is a villain

>has to ally w/ Tommy to kill Dream

page 5

Bench w/ everyone (inclu. Tommy) {post-total destruction while everyone’s mourning}

{retcons motivations:} starts to be sympathetic to L’Manburg - doesn’t stick

Loses final canon life to Techno

fights him b/c L’Manberg was just destroyed {- unclear if just due to high emotions or b/c of grief / anger over destruction}

FALLS INTO HELL (the void)

(happy accident! canonizes death) {before the lag glitch he hadn’t been planning to make the techno death canon}

realizes all his deaths were from Tommy + Dream

claws his way back out out of spite and anger

{the only reason he’s alive is to get revenge on tommy - not only were the deaths unfair but he was betrayed}

*didn’t fully die - hanging on by a thread* {retconned as a way to explain why dream could say that nobody had ever been revived before}

page 6

Jack + Niki team up to go after Tommy

Gets invited to Snowchester, tries and fails to nuke Tommy

{the vod goes a little out-of-order now}

Jack is maybe redeemable now?

{on Jack’s reasoning for using a nuke to kill Tommy}

Doesn’t want to hurt Tubbo

Thinks Tommy has manipulated Tubbo into becoming his sidekick

Believes {that while it might hurt him,} it’s in Tubbos’ best interest to die

> an accident {would be the least painful way (for Tubbo) to do this}

Promises to return to ML - still thinks it holds meaning for him

Tommy invites Jack to Biginnit Hotel

{Tommy is put in prison}

page 7

“I’m going to take and take and take” {while explaining why Jack took the Biginnit}

JM finally deserves to have something

nobody else deserves what they have

takes the BigInnit hotel

“fill the void with capitalism” lol {jack compensating for how empty + angry he feels after tommy’s (percieved?) betrayal}

plans to keep Tommy in prison

{this} reveals he might not {have} actually want{ed} Tommy dead

[Spire is not from unjust death, it’s motivated by {feelings of} betrayal] {he emphasized this point a LOT}

JM is lonely and upset and betrayed

TOMMY DIES:

celebration -> grief + realization

(plus anger at Dream {for taking revenge away from him}

page 8

thunder1408 -> Jack Manifold

{coincides with and is} representative of development :’) {someone in chat mentioned this, it wasn’t intended but he thought it was cool}

Came back for revenge - never got it

No more goals (hotel doesn’t count {- he calls it vapid, refers to it like it’s mostly just a distraction)

Misses Tommy, being friends, everything. {his death is} bittersweet.

[Tommy can’t hurt JM anymore,

this is best for the server,

(power trip - “i will save the server”)

but JM still misses him.]

extra page

Tommy doesn’t even know he’s hurt Jack {or given him a canon death either, most likely}

“Jack - no, no one’s hurt you, Jack” {(quote from Tommy during Dream’s capture)}

{there was more info and insight given after his main Lore Explanation during his dono Q&A but i didnt catch it bc i had to walk my dog lol)

that concludes the transcript hope this helped someone ehe :)

#now #jack manifold #dsmp #dream smp

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sanktnikolais · 3 years

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Unknown King

A/N: me and @wafflesandkruge have synergized again for like the 90387459th time on a new project and here’s some TIDEMAKER NIK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time to rewrite canon and have more Tidemakers bc Leigh never gave us any Tidemaker aside from Council of Tides who didn’t even make an appearance in SoC/CK i’m super salty

This is set pre-KoS tho

Word count: 2630

Nikolai Lantsov wasn’t a man with a lot of secrets. Being someone of a royal bloodline meant little to almost no privacy, and along with it were rumors sometimes dangerously close to the truth while others were just downright absurd. But perhaps he understood why people would talk; they loved having something to pique their attention. Even if it was something strange and impossible—improbable, as he preferred—they would twist the ‘truth’ to their own liking and satisfy their belief.

There were many things the people could handle. The one thing they could never manage was the truth.

And for the current king of Ravka, him being Grisha wasn’t something anyone could accept.

---

Staring blankly at the cup of coffee in front of him, Nikolai didn’t mind the rising voices from his Commander and some duke from Ivets. Or was it Os Kervo? Arkesk? He didn’t remember. But wherever he came from, the disrespectful tone he was currently using with Zoya was starting to make Nikolai’s ears ring.

“I have sworn fealty to the crown,” the duke was telling Zoya. Nikolai had even forgotten his name, which was new. He always remembered names. “You do not get to talk to me about issues of loyalty, because my kind had never turned against the throne.”

It ticked something in Nikolai’s attention, making him look up from the mug in front of him. He raised an eyebrow in the duke’s direction, but the latter seemed to be focused on trying to overpower his General.

There was a shift in the mood, and the atmosphere had become colder. “What did you say?” Zoya said, her voice quiet and laced with underlying anger that was begging to be released. “I didn’t quite understand what you meant by that, Duke Reznov. May I ask you to repeat that?”

“I believe I didn’t stutter, General,” Reznov replied. “Don’t presume we’ve forgotten who created the Fold that affected us for centuries.”

Zoya’s hand twitched, and she lowered it to her lap to hide her now clenched fist.

“No one is forgetting that, Sir Reznov,” Nikolai said mildly. He remembered the man now. The duke of Os Kervo—Ravka’s port city. He tried to offer a smile to the duke, hoping that it didn’t look forced to give away his rising temper. “But can I request you to watch your tone? You are still speaking to the General of Ravka.”

He knew Zoya wasn’t the type to have someone defend her as he trusted her to be able to do it on her own, but their current situation deemed it necessary.

“I was wondering when you would speak, Your Highness.” Reznov gave him a polite smile, his expression changing as if he weren’t just trying to insult the General a moment ago. “Should we get to the actual business?”

Nikolai had already anticipated the direction the conversation was going, and yet he still found himself slowly getting peeved. Perhaps he himself wasn’t that pessimistic and expected the better from the duke. He shouldn’t have set his expectations that high for someone of West Ravka.

“We were already talking, Duke Reznov,” said Zoya. Her voice had lowered to a much deadlier tone. But if the duke noticed it, he didn’t bother acknowledging her. “Maybe you should—”

“Maybe I should make it clear that you are on my property, Nazyalensky, and you are not the king,” Reznov said with enough spite to make Nikolai’s almost nonexistent rage resurface. He was trying to look neutral, but a look of disgust was evident in the duke’s eyes. “If you want something from me, I will speak only to the king, and the king alone.”

The whole room became silent, and there was no denying the sudden tension that spiked in the air. Tamar, who was guarding the door alongside the duke’s head of security, almost looked like she was ready to lunge at Reznov the moment Nikolai allowed her to. She turned her gaze to him, but he only shook his head lightly, and Tamar relaxed.

It wasn’t the time to let emotions get the best of them. Business was business. And if the duke would continue to be the donkey’s ass Nikolai knew him to be, then he should probably give him a hindsight of what he knew.

He glanced at Zoya out of the corner of his eye. This was one of the rare times he would allow her to act out her anger and cut the air out of the duke’s lungs for a moment—a warning of what she was capable of. She had every right to, after everything Reznov had said to her. He wouldn’t let one of his close confidantes be talked down by someone of lower rank than her.

But more than two years of having to endure people still being hostile around his Grisha Triumvirate had made her an expert of putting on a neutral face. Even though her jaw was set and her eyes were burning with fury, she only huffed, leaning back in her chair. He could already hear her sharp tone in his head, when she would go off on a tirade of insults in the confines of their war room or his chambers.

More patience was needed than he expected. Duke Reznov was all too smug and egotistical for his own liking, and Nikolai decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Very well,” Nikolai said. He leaned back in his chair, mustering the calmest look he could offer and smiling subtly. “Let us indeed talk, Sir Reznov.” He took the teaspoon on the small plate on the side and began mixing the coffee in his mug again. “Perhaps we should start with the taxes you somehow were able to evade for the past three years?”

Reznov’s face became pale, and Nikolai had to fight a smirk on his lips. There was a reason he made Tamar the head of intelligence. Her network of spies always did wonders when gaining information.

“Is this a threat?” asked Reznov, his voice rising an octave. He huffed in disbelief as he looked at Nikolai, and then at Zoya. “Is this because I refused to talk with your General?”

Nikolai shrugged. “Maybe.”

“And then maybe I should make it clear that I do not negotiate with her, Your Highness,” the duke said, emphasizing the word in disgust as if it were some lowly scum begging for scraps. “I do not negotiate with Grisha.”

The coffee in the mug suddenly erupted, its contents spilling on the table as the cup tipped sideways. Nikolai felt his jaw twitch with suppressed fury as he tried to calm himself down. He felt everyone’s attention on him. It didn’t help. The fear of them knowing the truth caused his thoughts to fall into shambles. He could feel his control slipping away with each second.

Quick. His hand was still holding the teaspoon, and he focused his attention there.

Our abilities are like our emotions, Your Highness, Tolya’s voice during their time on the seas echoed in his head. If we prefer to not show it, then we should learn how to control it and separate it from feelings.

He wished he hadn’t let his anger take over that one morning when he was eight. If he knew even before, would it have been different?

Nikolai nothing.

His late brother’s voice overpowered the voices of Tolya and Tamar trying to remind him to regain control.

The young Nikolai had been consumed by anger back then, the immediate force of his power rushing through his blood, and the peaceful waters of the lake were disturbed and he was directing the waves towards his older brother.

He would never forget the look of horror and disgust both his father and brother gave him when they knew of his abilities.

A gentle nudge on his arm jolted him out of the nightmare, and Nikolai turned to see Zoya staring at him with a mixture of confusion and concern. She jutted her chin down, gesturing to his side. He blinked, and it was only then he became aware that his other hand clenched in a fist was trembling badly. His mind panicked.

Did she come to realize it was him?

But when she didn’t do anything else besides letting go of his arm, he figured she hadn’t caught up yet.

Good, he thought. No one else needs to know. She didn't need to know.

The twins were some of the few people who knew about his secret, and they had been a huge help to him when he was learning how to manage it again. But he figured maybe his abilities were just too tied with his emotions to separate them.

Nikolai looked forward again, his gaze returning to the duke, who still had a bewildered expression on his face. He offered him a smile. “My apologies, Sir Reznov,” he said, unclenching his hand at his side. Deep breaths. “I believe my hand suddenly had a mind of its own and decided to tip the cup.”

Reznov's eyes were hard, but his tone was calm and composed when he said, "That is no problem, Your Highness. Please leave it, the servants will take care of it later."

Movements from the door caught his eye, making Nikolai look up, and he met Tamar’s narrowed gaze as if she were saying, what was that. He almost felt guilty for forgetting all the things they taught him. With a small grimace, he gave the guard an apologetic look.

He could feel Zoya’s gaze on him as he turned his attention back to the duke, who was now looking at him with hostility that he only gave Zoya earlier. Maybe it was time to remove the mask of the considerate king and show the manipulative persona he had developed after years of traveling the seas.

“Then let’s get back to business, shall we?” said Nikolai. He ignored the look of protest on Reznov’s face. “I will get straight to the point, Reznov.” Time to drop the pretense of being calm. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “I do not take lightly to people who are trying to deceive the crown and its people. What you’ve done is a serious offense, and the sentence is how many years in prison again, General?”

“Six years,” replied Zoya. The smugness in her tone returned, and he could practically see her fighting back a smirk. “Minimum.”

Nikolai nodded in understanding, as if it was his first time hearing about the information. “Six years is quite a long time, don’t you think?” He furrowed his eyebrows when a thought clicked in his head. “I wonder how would the duke of Arkesk react when he learns that the person who asked for his sponsorship for the additional ports is suddenly charged with tax evasion?” He leaned back in his chair and raised his hands casually. “He wouldn’t be able to embezzle a part of the overpriced port fees now, would he?”

By that time, Reznov had gone completely white, and he looked like a puppy backed into a corner with no way out. Nikolai regarded him with a mere raise of an eyebrow. Everything was starting to tilt back to their advantage. Perhaps the way he dealt with the situation was cruel, but he wouldn’t have laid down his cards if Reznov had been at least friendly from the start.

“You—you have no evidence that I did it. My assistant will show you the records—”

“Your assistant was more willing to talk than I expected.” Nikolai sneered, and then he laughed lightly. He could never forget the look on the assistant’s face when Nikolai and the twins paid him a visit sometime last week. “Didn’t even need to finish the question for him to start spilling everything. He even gave us your real financial records. I have to say the numbers were quite...unusual. So far from the fake ones you use for the sake of having a government record.”

He could basically see the duke fuming, and if it were some other time, he was sure he would have savored the look on Reznov’s face. But Nikolai didn’t feel anything else other than resentment, and it was mostly towards himself. There was still a part of him that said this wasn’t the right way to handle things.

Not the time to have a moral dilemma, Lantsov, he told himself. It was the only way to make it through this meeting without doing something even worse.

The tense silence stretched in the room, with Nikolai and the duke having a stare down. Whatever authority Reznov thought he had earlier dissipated to nothing, the defeated look in his eyes slowly becoming evident as he shifted his gaze back and forth to Nikolai and his general. It only took him a few more moments of consideration until he spoke.

“What do you want?”

Nikolai felt a triumphant smirk twitch on his lips. “Five ports for my own ships,” he said, raising a finger when Reznov looked like he was about to protest. “And twenty percent of the total revenue of the rest of the ports will go directly to the country’s funds.”

Reznov huffed in disbelief. “This is extortion.”

“Tell that to honest sailors and workers that were still paying your overpriced rates. The money that was supposed to be for the people just went straight to your pockets, Reznov. This is the least you could do.” Nikolai shook his head. “Do we have a deal, then?”

The duke of Os Kervo didn’t answer right away, the unwillingness to agree to the terms evident in his angry gaze. Nikolai knew Reznov had no choice other than to accept, unless he wanted to see the rest of his trading business shut down because of bankruptcy, so the king of Ravka did what he did best—take advantage of the situation as much as he could.

And that was exactly what he did.

You’re no different from your father and the kings before him, his conscience said. But he shoved it away. It wasn’t the right time to lament over things he had already done, otherwise he might risk losing control again and giving his identity away.

People were already hesitant to trust Grisha working for the crown. What more if they knew that their king was of the same kind they were so adamant against putting their faith in?

He had been lying to them his whole life, he could still lie for a much longer time.

The duke’s voice came later, and when he finally spoke, it was in a begrudging tone. “Done.”

Nikolai heard Zoya release a breath, and then he gave Reznov a smile that looked more mocking than grateful. “Thank you for consideration, Sir Reznov,” he said. “You have done greatness for your country today. Such an act won’t be easily forgotten.” He stood up and held out his hand for a shake, but the duke didn’t as much as move from his place and just stared at his hands on the table, refusing to acknowledge the gesture. Nikolai almost pitied him. He let his hand fall to his side. “Well, then. I think we’re finished here. Zoya?”

His general stood up without another word, stepping back to let him pass first before she followed him. He knew he should be feeling triumphant, they just got a better deal than they had planned. Coming all the way to Os Kervo wasn’t a waste, after all. But he felt nothing. Empty.

And as he walked out of the duke’s office, then out of the estate, his hands were still trembling.

There is no place for a Grisha king.

Nikolai was starting to believe it.

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frenchibi · 4 years

Text

A rant-essay about The Witcher books (and comparison to the show)

((after having read book one, and started into a good chunk of book two.))

Proceed at your own discretion, there will be a lot of frustration and swearing. Also, spoilers for basically the entirety of the Netflix show. Also, there is discussion of sexual assault and objectification and lots and lots of sexism.

The structure of my rant is as follows (because yes I structured it):

1. Things that I enjoyed in the books

1.1 Geralt talks more

1.2 Geralt and Jaskier have a better relationship

1.3 The fairy tale theme

2. Things that made me want to scream

2.1 Geralt (is not a good character)

2.2 Yennefer (deserves better)

2.3 Jaskier's sexism (Netflix!Jaskier would NEVER)

2.4 Female Characters; Sexy Fantasy That Fucks (it's bad)

2.5 Narrative devices and structure (it’s bad)

3. Bonus: Why the audiobook grinds my gears

Total length: 4k words :’) Click to proceed.

(So, we’re doing this? I think forty likes is sufficient general interest, so... okay. Obligatory disclaimer here: This Is My Opinion. However, I am not fabricating any of the… grounds for my opinion, it is based on the content of the books, that I read, and which are broadly available, so anyone can read them and see for themselves. Personally, I would not recommend the experience, and below I will detail the reasons why. If, like I was, you’re hesitant about reading them, this essay might sway your decision either way. You might go “oh thanks op now I know I won’t like it” or “huh I think I wanna see this for myself because you’re yelling a lot”. It’s all equally valid. Anyway, let’s proceed with “things I enjoyed”.)

1.1 Geralt talks more Geralt in the books is a bit of a mess as far as characterization goes - but I don't hate that he's less stoic here and less... idk, arrogant/superior towards humans than he is in the show. He talks to people, engages with them, discloses opinions and thoughts and… it's a good look. We even get several pages of monologue from him at one point (because he is talking to a priestess who has taken a vow of silence, but I’ll take it – the books in general have a monologue/structure problem which I will address in 2.5) which is way more than the show ever provided us with. I’d like to say it gives us an insight into the character but maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, see below (2.1).

1.2 Geralt and Jaskier have a better relationship

Geralt and Jaskier are FRIENDS. And I mean that literally the first thing we hear Geralt say about Jaskier in canon in book one is "of course I want to see him, he's my friend". Which - Netflix!Geralt could NEVER and I'm salty about it. Jaskier in the books has his own problems (2.3) but I still think he's my favorite overall, he's fun and Geralt genuinely enjoys his company. They travel together and ENJOY it, they joke, they reminisce and it is Good. Netflix, take notes.

1.3 The fairy tale theme

This gets lost in the Netflix adaptation altogether but. The idea in the books is that all these monsters that Geralt encounters are dark twists on fairy tales and I'm HERE FOR IT. Renfri is literally Snow White But Badass. Cinderella, Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin’s stories are mentioned in passing, and other ideas that are explored here have fairy tale elements, e.g. slaying the dragon. It's cool, but apparently the story loses this aspect in later volumes so I guess it makes sense that the show decided to omit it. Still a bummer tho bc I liked that.

So. Now on to Things that made me want to Scream, which is what we’re all really here for.

2.1 Geralt (is not a good character)

Geralt, oh Geralt, I wish you weren't such an obvious Mary Sue, Saviour™ and thinly veiled Jesus allegory. Geralt is always, ALWAYS right and it pisses me the fuck off. Geralt gets all the women he wants with NO PROMPTING and it makes me angry. Geralt always has the last laugh in every and any situation. Geralt is always smarter and more powerful than the Idiot Humans. Geralt ignores advice and suffers no consequences for it. Geralt has no well-thought out character, no consistency - he just is the "main character" and "hero" that the story needs - if the story needs him to be smart, he is, if it needs him to make a mistake, he does - he has no AGENCY and it’s BORING. Why am I supposed to care about him, exactly? Because the plot tells me to, and because everyone else is framed like an idiot in comparison and you’re supposed to like strong and smart characters. Cool. Bleh.

2.2 Yennefer (deserves better)

Strap in, because this is the longest part.

Yennefer in the books is… a badass (but sexy) until the plot needs her to be a damsel (but sexy). She also occasionally has one (1) other character trait and that trait is Crazy Bitch.

I’ll admit I was not her biggest fan after the show (I didn’t really connect with her that much after she became vindictive™, though I gotta say her role in the last battle was Very Cool) but in the wake of what I have read so far, I have decided to AGGRESSIVELY STAN because she fucking. Deserves better. Oh my GOD it makes me so angry. Here’s how I think her character creation probably went:

"Ok so here we have Geralt, who is a badass, and So Cool, and he could have any Female he desires. But his Female can't be inferior and giggly and vapid like literally all other women - she needs to be the ideal fantasy Fantasy.

First: she needs powers. So we'll make her a Cool Sorceress! And more powerful than the other sorceresses because Geralt deserves the BEST. But also, he needs to be able to be Cooler and save her so she needs to be (like all females are, because they are inferior) emotionally volatile and vulnerable, and Geralt will also be the only one who gets to see that Vulnerability because Geralt has the biggest dick is her love interest. So she will be weak around him because he's just so hung wonderful.

Secondly, she needs a believable weakness (besides being too emotional because all women are too emotional), and as we all know, women have one purpose: to bREED. But not Yennefer - oh no, Yennefer is (wait for it, this is the dramatic backstory, hold your breath) broken, she's BARREN, USELESS AND EMPTY AND SHE HATES HERSELF FOR IT!!!!!

*pause for dramatic effect*

I know right that's so SEXY

[This is the point where I’m like… this might, possibly, maybe, under very different circumstances have been a compelling storyline if the author had ever consulted a woman. Or, you know, if the story was written by a woman. This is objectification and fetishization of the worst kind and I hate it. The show has this element too and it’s bad there too but it’s nowhere near as pronounced as in the books. Anyway-]

Speaking of sexy - obviously Yennefer is the sexiest of all the women Geralt has ever encountered. And because I, as the author, am aware that's unrealistic, I will drop in YET ANOTHER PIECE OF DRAMATIC BACKSTORY: She used to be a HUNCHBACK!!! *air horns* I KNOW RIGHT OH MY GOD and now she made herself SEXY with MAGIC because YOU KNOW ALL WOMEN WANT TO BE OBJECTIFIED BY MEN!!! SEXY FANTASY THAT FUCKS!!!!

[also? This is revealed to Geralt (and the reader) not by her telling him, or by a flashback, but because he "sees that she has the eyes of a hunchback". I can’t even begin to state how much I hate this.]

Anyway every time she shows up it will be mentioned how shapely her legs and breasts are and how young she looks despite the fact that she must be Old. She will turn heads and men will scorn her because she is too pretty and not interested in them and men hate anything that has any amount of sexual power or agency. but not Geralt, no, because he gets to fuck her at the end of the day so he's the only one who doesn't objectify her out loud. (but he does in his internal monologue. hooray.)

Also, to emphasize this point, we will have a side character sexually violate her while Geralt is tied up because that is The New Hotness™"

And if that wasn't enough, she as a character subscribes to what is known as "Female Hysteria For No Reason" and will become a Woman Scorned over absolutely nothing if the plot needs her to be angry.

The plot regarding her relationship with Geralt is also a bit different - in the show, she gets angry once she finds out Geralt's third wish ties them together (whether this is justified may be subjective - except yeah, no, she’s absolutely right, Geralt what the fuck??). In the book, she hears his wish as he makes it because MAGIC and is somehow SUPER INTO IT because this author has never met a human woman before.

...and then I need to complain about the storyline with the dragon. Because, you will remember, in the show, she gets angry and storms off after learning of the third wish, but that can’t be the case because she already knows about it in the books, right?

Well.

The story in the books goes like this:

Six years ago, after one of their affairs™ Geralt leaves without waking Yennefer (but like. Leaves her flowers instead) and admittedly that's kind of rude but also like... ok. That doesn’t seem too strange a thing for Geralt to do. Maybe he just wanted to let her rest? Anyway.

They don't meet for six years, in which Geralt idk... idly misses her or something, and Yennefer develops a deep lasting hatred based on her abandonment issues…? (I am. grasping. there's no good reason if this relationship is as casual to both of them as they have made it sound, but she is SUPER MAD because the plot needs her to be ANGERY).

So with his backdrop, cue the search for the dragon. Geralt is like "eh I'll join them. I have nowhere better to be, also Jaskier is here and he's not boring so ok" and then he hears Yennefer will also be there and goes "oh well all the better, haven't seen her in a while"

And when he follows her to her tent to greet her, she spits verbal FIRE at him and is like "bitch you're lucky i didn't gouge your fucking EYES out" and other lovely statements of a similar calibre, and Geralt just stands there and takes it and tells her he missed her.

which implies either a) he knows what he did and he thinks he deserves this, or b) he has done nothing wrong in his own eyes and this is just "bitch crazy" to be ignored. It is heavily implied to be b), because, in our third person POV narrative, we get NO REMORSE from him, no indication as to what he thinks about this whole thing Yennefer is accusing him of, nothing at all in terms of emotional response to her. Cool. She yells at him and then storms of, and he just… idk, shrugs I guess?

So, they travel, Yennefer is Icy Bitch Queen but also everyone hates her and insults her to an absurd degree (see above, she's Too Sexy and Powerful and also like, a Woman) and she takes it without saying anything back but it's obvious that everyone's trash talk is affecting her (so it’s obvious that at some point she will be Vulnerable again). Jaskier, who seems to have no personal grudge against her at this point in the books, joins in the teasing because he's there to make fun of everyone I guess? (boy.) No deeper malice from him than from anyone else though.

And then, for drama, the party reaches a narrow bridge. They’re debating whether or not it is safe to cross with all their supplies and then BAM! there's a landslide so they have no choice. The events go like this:

- Geralt lets the others cross first. Right as he wants to cross, he hears Yennefer yell because her horse fell over, because of course it did

- Geralt abandons his own means of escape to go help her up, and then she proceeds to save his ass because SHE HAS FUCKING MAGIC THERE WAS NO POINT IN YOU GOING TO SAVE HER YOU FUCKER she just makes a shield so nothing hits them and they stumble to the bridge

- they get caught on the bridge as it collapses, and of course Yennefer is the one who falls first, and he catches her, so they're both hanging there and he's holding on to her suspended over this. Canyon or whatever.

- Jaskier, from above, yells to the others to get a rope to help pull them up but they respond to "wait until the bitch has fallen, then we'll pull the witcher up"

which. wow. but ok.

Yennefer can barely hold on, and HERE is where Geralt asks her to forgive him for… his wrongdoings…? (you know, can't have her die with a grudge, I guess? Or whatever?) He's like "Yen, forgive me" and she says "NEVER"

((and also, she has consistently kept telling him to stop calling her Yen (which he first started when they started... having Relations™ so obviously now it has bad memories attached to it for her), which he blatantly ignores because her feelings don't matter))

In the end, Jaskier gets the others to help despite their reluctance and hatred of Yennefer and they travel on. Yennefer's back to being Ice Queen - and then they find the dragon. Some fucker tries to fight it alone and gets injured. Yennefer is in charge of healing this dude, and so she ends up alone with Geralt in a tent – where she asks him to double-cross everyone else and kill the dragon himself (after telling them all she would cooperate with them) - "for me. I want the dragon, Geralt, for myself. All of it. I don't want to share. Kill it for me" and then explains that not all is lost because with certain parts of the dragon, SOMEONE CAN CURE HER BARRENNESS and i want to launch myself into the fucking sun

Geralt is like "uhhhh"

she says "on the bridge, you asked for my forgiveness- if you do this, I'll forgive you"

and then HE GOES "well, that no longer matters to me. I'm over it now" which hsadjlkfhsajdklfhsajkldfhaskdfsj I cannot begin to impart to you how many levels of “UGH” I felt at the predictable reversal of roles because he can’t ACTUALLY have to apologize to her – it’s HER who has to apologize to HIM for being an irrational Female

and now SHE'S all like. quivering lip and wanting him back or whatever and I am SICKENED that SHE IS THE ONE WHO HAS TO GROVEL NOW BECAUSE THE PLOT CANNOT HAVE GERALT EVER MAKE A MISTAKE AND OWN TO IT?!?

Thanks, I hate it.

Oh and I almost forgot in all my rage about that storyline – when we first meet her, we learn that Yennefer apparently doesn’t “bother with the whalebone [i.e. corset] nonsense other women use” (literal quote from the book) so I guess her tits are magic???

This just in, if she needs boob support SHE’S A THOT, if your knockers don’t stand on their own you’re INFERIOR and NOT DESIRABLE, GTFO.

2.3 Jaskier’s sexism (Netflix!Jaskier would never)

Jaskier, you have been done dirty.

It could have been so cool too - Jaskier in the books is witty and likeable and makes friends wherever he goes because everyone likes a bard?? Also he's really smart and knowledgeable because "a bard needs to know about many things" which is SO VALID??? And Geralt trusts him and cares about his opinion??? And also it's clear Jaskier likes Geralt, not just for the purpose of writing ballads about him, but because they're old friends, they've travelled together a lot - yes, their relationship is good here, regardless of your shipping preferences. (Also, he wears a hat with a large feather on it, which is how Geralt recognizes him in crowds, and it's amazing and hilarious.)

HOWEVER.

Jaskier treats women terribly. At his first introduction, he literally gropes a priestess (and then makes fun of the high priestess for chastising him for it). He sees women very much as objects to be… maybe not “won” but, well, persuaded, which makes him a tiny bit better than most of the other men, who are basically straight-up rapists. But then there's the scene with Yennefer which. Made everything turn sour tbh. It goes like this:

Yennefer wants to go after the dragon alone (see above), but before she can get Geralt to do it for her and double-cross everyone, she's overwhelmed by some of the other men in the party and they're all tied up (Jaskier, Geralt, some other pacifist sorcerer who is around, and Yennefer). And one of the men, who hates her for her (sexual) power, rips open her blouse and exposes her and assaults her while she screams, so then he gags her. And then when he’s done he walks away and leaves her exposed. Geralt looks away after she screams at him not to stare (wow, points for chivalry, the standard is literally So Low - also his justification for obeying her wishes is that he’s already seen her boobs so it’s not a big deal to him anymore) but Jaskier shamelessly stares at her even after she makes it absolutely clear she does not consent to ANY of this and has no choice because SHE IS TIED UP, and he even jokes that he'll write a ballad about her perfect breasts. And I'm over here like.... no. no, no, no, no, no. Jaskier deserved better characterization and Yennefer deserves a better fucking franchise.

2.4 Female characters; Sexy Fantasy That Fucks (it’s bad)

I have touched a lot on this already so I'll try to be brief, but. Ugh.

Sexy Fantasy That Fucks™ is practically a legit genre and sadly a lot of semi-progressive fantasy falls into this category - where we have moved on from having only like one or two named female character (see: LotR) to having several, and look, they can even fight, but only as long as they're aggressively sexually attractive to men while they do it. Poor Harley Quinn suffered the same treatment in Suicide Squad - The Male Gaze Filter.

Here in the books it goes like this: Oh look, “vaguely tribal” women who fight - but they're also the most overtly sexual and involved in a canon off-screen orgy with Geralt and an older (practically old) man and are portrayed as Perpetually Horny. Oh look, Yennefer, a badass sorceress who falls apart when Geralt so much as looks her way because Geralt is so fucking great I guess. Then there’s the 14-year-old striga princess who needs to be described, once her curse is lifted, with emphasis to her “perky breasts”. SHE'S FOURTEEN. And there’s the young priestesses, who are subtly flattered by Jaskier's direct "advances" because, you know, they've dedicated their lives to serving a goddess but understandably they just WANT TO FUCK™.

There is a single female character who is not sexualized - the head priestess, Nenneke. She's described as fat and old (and wise though, throw her a bone). Geralt respects her because of her wisdom but that's it - she has a Use™. And also, he ignores her advice in the end anyway. Pity she wasn't more beautiful I guess. I am Sickened.

2.5 Narrative devices and structure (it’s bad)

Now, we get to the bones of the thing. There's... one main thing that really bothers me and that's a CLASSIC - the fact that this author prefers to have action explained to the reader through monologues by characters that inexplicably have All The Information, rather than have us, you know, experience the action first hand. There are a couple of fight scenes of Geralt vs A Monster, sure, but that's all we get - everything else is told to us through monologues. (and yes it's still a monologue even if Geralt interrupts to say "go on" or "get to the point". It's not really a dialogue if the other person is only being expositioned at. Now Geralt just looks impatient and annoying.) Even the short story format (of the first two books) is explained this way: the individual short stories are monologues within conversations in the base timeline, explaining to the reader (and to Nenneke in the narrative proper) backstories and how characters met.

Which... it's a choice? It makes more sense than the show with it’s wack-ass timeline with absolutely no conext. But like. Why can't you have us at least discover the respective monster through someone else's POV though? I get that we're always staying with Geralt because Geralt is oh so great, but rather than have some Constable explain to him for like twelve pages how the princess (who is, without any intrigue, an incest-princess - this is not a mystery, everybody is aware of this at the beginning of the story and freely provides this information without prompting) became a striga and how many people she has killed and what people say she looks like and how to allegedly cure her - can’t we see that shit happen? Like... ok, thanks? I hate it. The show did this better.

3. Bonus: why the audiobook grinds my gears

Last and definitely least - the audiobook is BAD (but I don't want to buy physical copies, and my library won't have the English version because I live in Germany, so I guess I'm stuck with it). The guy who reads it is Bad At Reading Out Loud because his emphasis/cadence is incredibly unnatural (also regrettably all the books are read by the same guy) and his pronunciation of names (most notably Jaskier, who is called Dandelion in the English version of the books) is inconsistent??? He started out by (correctly) calling him dandelion in book 1 and now has changed to pronouncing it dandelion, like the flower, which is not how you say his name (and... no offense if he’d started out that way because I, too, thought that was how you said it just from reading the word - but he says it CORRECTLY in the first book and then changes it to the wrong pronunciation in book two so I’m confused?? How does that happen?)

Also - different accents for different characters are only a good idea if a) you're good at accents and b) they aren't overtly connoted? Like. Don't give a guy in a fantasy setting a bad russian accent??? Also what part of Geralt as a character made you think SCOTTISH???? Oof.

And another thing - these little descriptors after direct speech? They MATTER.

"Don't touch me," Yennefer hissed

and

"Don't touch me," Yennefer screamed

are two very different sentences and should be read as such. You can't just. Say "Don't touch me" seductively and then add "she yelled". That's not how voice acting works. Please, pLEASE I'M SUFFERING. I was already struggling enough with some of the content of the books and now you’re making consuming them really difficult and irritating :’) Oof.

In conclusion – I don’t even know. I was mad and now I’m tired.

Anyway, all this to say – I didn’t hate every aspect of the books. I will keep reading (in my case listening) because I’m stupid, I apparently love to suffer and I am, thanks to the show, invested in the storyline and want to know what happens. But I will most certainly keep complaining about them because that’s the only way to make this fun for myself. And are you not entertained?!

Who knows. Maybe stuff will get better.

Take from this post what you will, and if it’s only my personal hypocrisy then that’s fine. I hope you had a nice day – I’m gonna go make myself some tea to calm down. And I’ll have you know that despite what you may have heard, I have never worn a bra in my life, because I’m not like other girls.

#The Witcher #The Witcher netflix #The witcher books #Geraskier #Geralt x Yennefer #Geralt of Rivia #Jaskier #yennefer of vengerberg #French speaks #am I worried about posting a possibly controversial opinion on the internet? yes #am I going to do it anyway? also yes #or should I say #and yet here we are

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silencecunt · 4 years

Text

i finished KNY the other day and it's really all i have been able to think about. i read the whole manga in just about two days (it's only 205 chapters and they're relatively short so it was pretty easy) and i am just overwhelmed with emotion.

i understand a lot of people may be upset with how the manga ended--it's normal to feel like we are missing out on a lot of story possibilities bc frankly we are! gotōge, as far as i know, didn't want the series to end as quickly as it did, but certain unavoidable things popped up and they had to make that decision. it's fine to feel however u feel about it, but don't be upset with them bc i'm sure they're plenty upset about it themself.

i agree that the ending was rushed (bc it had to be), but i don't think the flow of events don't make sense. on the contrary! i think the way things happened do make a lot of sense. in my eyes, it's kinda obvious to see where certain things were pushed in order to transition to the last arc (nezuko suddenly being able to withstand the sun, for example). that isn't necessarily a bad thing and i know that this development would happen eventually. nezuko was, from the beginning, a different kind of demon. she was special from the first chapter on--not eating tanjiro, using sleep to recover rather than consume humans, remarkable strength, etc. i do not believe her developing to withstand the sun was "jumping the shark" nor do i think it was a cheap gimmick of any kind. i guess what i'm trying to say here is that, yes, i think it happened a bit abruptly and could have come later after a lot more development if the circumstances were different. seeing as they're not, it is what it is. i don't think it was done poorly, it just makes me wonder how it could have been better introduced if gotōge had more time.

having said that, it makes me think of how early we are introduced to muzan. he is the Big Bad, someone who no one else had seen before, and we meet him in chapter 13. this is part of why i don't think kny is all that rushed and the ending coming so soon isn't all that disappointing to me. now, granted, many manga introduce the Final Boss pretty early. BNHA introduced shigaraki in chapter 11, for example. but, with shigaraki, we see development in both his character and abilities. we watch as he comes into his own so he needed to be introduced early so horikoshi had time to see him mature. muzan, on the other hand, is more akin to all for one--someone who is borderline overpowered (i would argue muzan is overpowered, but i guess it makes sense considering he's lived ~1000 years, so one would get pretty fucking jacked after all that time plus demons get more powerful with the amount of people they eat soooo) and has posed as a threat to the heroes of the story for a Long Ass Time. i personally feel it would have been better had muzan not been introduced so early if the manga was allowed to be more fleshed out, as i'm sure gotōge planned/hoped. however, it works with how short the manga is. i don't really have a problem with it, it's just something i found interesting to think about and i haven't seen a lot of criticism on.

now, i am making a lot of assumptions on what gotōge had planned--perhaps they planned it to be shorter than i would have anticipated and the end just came a little bit faster than expected. perhaps they planned this to span for 400, 500, 1000 chapters. who knows? i am, after all, projecting my own thoughts on the pacing of the story and what would be appropriate. in my mind, i expected the series to follow tanjiro until he, himself, became a hashira. i would expect it to take hundreds of more chapters to reach that point before the final confrontation loomed on the horizon. i am in no way saying that that is the correct pace the story should have been at. again, it's just my thoughts. i would like to say i am in no way disappointed with how the story turned out. i don't think it was too rushed, i just feel like it's obvious there was more gotōge wanted to tell. we were only just (relatively speaking) introduced to the hashira and now all but 3 are dead. no doubt the quickness is elevated for me since i finished the whole series in 2 days, so things that spanned over years happened in a blink of an eye. however, i would argue that seeing the whole story in a short amount of time emphasizes just how short of a timeframe we are looking at (i realize there are timeskips, but i am speaking from a storytelling perspective).

rengoku dying quickly after being introduced is effective as a tool to show that even the hashira have trouble combatting the upper kizuki. this effectively conveys how much of a challenge the demon slayers have laying ahead of them. it was important to tanjiro especially to see how strong his opponents are. if upper 3 could strike down rengoku, arguably one of the most skilled of the hashira, single-handedly then muzan is a bigger threat than he could have anticipated. from a narrative perspective, this sets the tone to how much of an upward battle tanjiro was facing. it also effectively conveyed to the audience that tanjiro would not be the sole person to end the demons, that he would need help from his friends and peers to end things. this, in my eyes, is so important. yes, a part of me wanted tanjiro to be singularly responsible for muzan's defeat, but i know it wouldn't have been a good decision. when facing an impossible opponent, u have to rely on teamwork. this is something that has been conveyed from nearly the beginning. tanjiro wouldn't have made it to final selection had it not been for sabito and makomo helping him; he would have been overwhelmed and died on his first mission without nezuko; tanjiro wouldn't have been able to save kiyoshi (and teruko + shoichi) without zenitsu and inosuke there to kill the other two demons; he certainly would not have been able to kill the Spider Family by himself; etc. Teamwork has been the focus of the story from the beginning and rengoku's death reminded the audience that the demon slayers needed everyone they could in order to even come close to beating muzan.

still, seeing so little of the other hashira before they died is, understandably, disappointing. i wish we got to know them better, i wish we got to see the trio becoming tsuguko, i wish we got to see the five that passed final selection become hashira themselves, i wish i wish i wish. but it's okay that it didn't happen that way. gotōge still made me care about them in such a short amount of time. i sobbed when they died. genya hits especially hard. he and sanemi only just reconciled and then he died....and sanemi loved him so much. there was so much unsaid when he died and, as of right now, we won't get that resolution. again, not a bad thing. sometimes, while it hurts and you want to know, some questions are best left unanswered.

it hurts thinking about all the people who died. i am still getting choked up at just the thought. chapter 204 hurt me a lot--when nezuko smiled and sanemi saw genya....ouchie!!!! it hurts me so so much and i am so heartbroken and distraught over it. mitsuri and obanai dying in each other's arms, feelings still unsaid but it wasn't necessary bc they knew. they knew they loved each other so much. himejima seeing his orphans again and finding out they were just trying to protect him....and he spent so much time hurt by them running away.....god. it all just hurts so so much. i am so sad. i really don't have the words to capture how much my heart is aching. i fell in love with all the characters and i had to watch them die, watch as the ones they loved and loved them come to terms with their loss, and somehow i'm expected to be okay???? i'm not lmao i am heartbroken. i don't like things a normal amount so after i was done, i literally triggered a depressive episode. i hate it!!! i don't regret reading it and i think the story is beautifully done. the deaths were impactful and they meant something--i don't think anyone's death was unnecessary. they just....hurt. it's a beautiful story and i will recommend it to anyone who wants to try reading it (hopefully those people aren't reading this considering i spoiled uhhhh everything lmao).

thank you, gotōge, for sharing this amazing story. i loved it so much. it was a pleasure to read and i am so excited to experience it animated. seeing rengoku die in theaters will diagnose me with Sad Bitch Disease and i am ready 😌🙏🏻

especially thank you for this ❤️

#kny #kny manga spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #kinda?#im on mobile so i cant do read more lol sorry

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qualitytacolover · 4 years

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Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

New Post has been published on https://www.easypromhairstyles.com/megan-thee-stallion-hair-is-a-symbol-of-pride-for-black-women-anime-fans.html

Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

The highly anticipated release of Megan Thee Stallion's debut album Fever (May 17) has doubled as a national holiday for your sultry and self-confident fanbase. Although hip-hop heavyweight Juicy J and newcomer DaBaby make appearances, the Houston-bred "hot girl" remains the center of the show. And that's how we like it.

Megan's rise was one of the books. In early 2017, she catapulted into fame after attending a hip-hop cipher at Texas A & M University. People all over the country quickly noticed their conscious, deep-drawn river and so their fans, called "hotties", were born. Fast forward to 2019, and you stallion has hosted your own Spotify event, found fans, Rihanna, Kehlani, and SZA, and continues to release hard-hitting freestyles and other repeatable bodies of work.

She is also the first rapping woman signed at 300 Entertainment, home of Young Thug and formerly Migos. But with each ascent comes a humming crew of haters. One of the first sightings of this sad collective, properly known as "hotties," came in March when she shared a photo of her half-white, half-radiant red hair.

TODOROKI TINA pic.twitter.com/NSuvkATAxZ

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 22, 2019

The title was "TODOROKI TINA", a reference to the My Hero Academia character, Shoto Todoroki. Although a considerable number of people celebrated Megan's love for anime, there were those who questioned their affinity, men. For example, Twitter user @CourtneeHendrix user wrote, "No way Meghan the stallion watch anime. Your public relations team is firing. "

@TrippyTrxv also shared, "ngga yea i want to know what anime megan you stallion watches. Why? bc i love the shI and I like you. If she does not really see it, but dresses in anime halfway cosplay, I would be hurt. I would still do your music fw maybe tho. "Ultimately, these reactions ask the question: what would the stallion gain by showing people that he has fun?

The targeted criticism of naysayers is, to say the least, frustrating. After all, she's not the only woman who shares her love for anime (look at Southern rap goddesses Bbymutha and Purp Goddess), nor is she the first rapper, male or female, ever to do it. Emcees like Lupe Fiasco, Robb Bank $ and Migos' launch are also anime fans but have not been criticized to the same extent. If flagrant racist sexism is not the culprit, then what?

After the Global History of Anime, the first anime was probably released during World War I and created by Shimokawa Oten. The short, colorless rolls of film were either "disassembled", "disintegrated" or "destroyed", so little is known about the early days of this art form. Over the next few decades, anime developed into longer animations, with sound and color to boot. A report by Marwah Zagzoug states that during World War II, the Japanese government took control of the arts by threatening the artists who had also criticized the government. Those who disagreed with the new orders were forbidden to write and pushed to the margins of society. But those who stayed were supplied with artists' companies, militarized and charged with anti-propaganda propaganda.

After the war, anime finally returned to its original purpose: an outlet for joy and honest expression. One of the first visuals that had great success was the full-length feature Hakujaden (The Tale of the White Serpent), which also produced an American adaptation in 1961. Although Global History states that this was not the first crossover, it proved that anime could be a lucrative industry. Finally, television expanded its reach and consumption ballooned in the 1980s with the release of Dragon Ball, the third best selling manga ever. The introduction of Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon in the 1990s soon followed and until then, anime had become the monolithic Global Phenomenon that continues to generate revenue and inspire people of all ages. The Black community is a proud and important part of your loyal fanbase, and women have always been just as invested as men.

The "I liked it before it was mainstream" statement is still a pretty youthful, 2011 Tumblr-era vibe.

Although easy-to-find literature and the Internet have undoubtedly enhanced the profile of this art form, the statement "I liked it before it was mainstream" is still a rather youthful, 2011 Tumbler era sentiment. Unfortunately, there are people who continue to operate out of this logic and in the case of anime, the culprit party is mostly men. When it comes to Megan Thee stallion and her hairstyles specifically, you either wanted to prove to you that she is really interested in or just did not believe that she was even interested. How dare to invest in an attractive, popular, talented black woman in it?

It's another reminder that people continue to pursue the hobbies of black women, no matter what they are. So much so that the stallion himself addressed the controversy in an interview with XXL: "You must stop thinking that way. Poor B * tches may also like anime. "Luckily, a number of supporters, Black Women, have not been afraid to defend Megan and also speak their peace.

"It felt really good to me [weil die Leute] have this misunderstanding .. that black girls did not see anime like black guys when most of us had the same channels and caught the same Miguzi or Toonami block lol after school, "says Taylor, who pokers on @ sheisresting on Twitter , "We were definitely separated from the American anime wave back then. It was fulfilling to see a black female rapper with one such..mainstream potential not only acknowledge anime, but also call himself a fan, while loosely cosplaying your favorite characters. I had the feeling that there are also many black cosplayers who are constantly being told that you can not disguise themselves as Japanese characters because you have the wrong color. "

Taylor was not alone. In fact, over 100 responded when I asked a tweet for black women who were fans of anime and Megan thee stallion. User @dualityofman wrote: ".. I thought your hair would be cool! I'm from Texas and I live in Houston, so I have a lot to do with her. Their liking anime was just another thing we had in common … .I feel like many men hate to see women happy and enjoy things. It's as if you could not call you ugly because it's obviously NOT YOU. Can not say that she is untalented because she is just near everyone [Männer]comes out. She can not insult your intelligence because she is at school. So, let's SH * t like you for anime. I'm just looking for a reason to be mad at a black woman. "

Todoroki Tina

pic.twitter.com/nXycHk0izm

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 1, 2019

Misogynoir is a term used by the black feminist Moya Bailey and is intended to emphasize the way black men interact negatively with black women. It is also part of the root problem Black men have with Megan Thee stallion music, looks, interests and behavior. What confuses you most is your conviction about it. You can not believe that you are interested in anime, and you hate it for it.

Also worthy of note is the close relationship of Japan to the Black community outlined by Cecilia D 'Anastasio for Vice. It has included the mistreatment of mixed-speed (Japanese and Black) people and in the context of anime, a tiny number of non-stereotypical depictions of Black people. Japan is also notorious for its ubiquitous use of Blackface, which made headlines last year. D 'Anastasio notes that regardless of all these racial crimes, blacks continue to cherish anime and honor him through cosplay and songs.

Rare moments that acknowledge the enduring power of Japanese animation and an underrated part of your fanbase should happen more often.

In 2016, writer Amber Dixon also talked about the hurtful separations she saw and experienced as a black anime fan. These include observing brown skin as a metaphor for dark energy in Sailor Moon, the minstrel – like face of Mr. Popo in Dragon Ball Z and Blackface, to cosplay black characters. Like D 'Anastasio, Dixon continues in the worship of Anime Fort and notices the early and emotional connection she felt specifically with Sailor Moon.

Twitter user @imninm adds, "I know more black girls who see anime more than any race or gender. Personally, I have anime look as I could remember, from Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Sailor Moon, Hamtaro, Dragonball Z. I never felt like it was showing a "boy" or anything like that. I just liked what I saw and I still do. "In other words, anime will always have a special place in the hearts of female viewers, including high-profile rappers like Megan Thee Stallion.

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Bulma Snow

Make up @akilaface

A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion) on Apr 22, 2019 at 5:57 pm PDT

In November 2018, and again this past April, she emphasized her devotion with a different hairstyle inspired by Bulma, a predominant character in Dragon Ball (the first is Goku). This time, instead of an overwhelming amount of criticism, Megan's cascading, Seafoam green locks initiated a tender co-sign from FUNimation, a dubbing and distribution company. "Love the style!" Wrote the company, with a cutesy gif attached by Bulma. Rare moments that acknowledge the enduring power of Japanese animation and an underrated part of your fanbase should happen more often.

Men should be proud that such a celebrity woman like the stallion shares a common ground with you, increases solidarity, and makes room for even more people to become fans. It could also force certain men to accept that women did not want to interact with you or go out because they were nerds, but because they were unbearable. Conscientiousness, happy black, female fans and good music? Thanks, Megan. Stream fever now.

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jmyamigliore · 4 years

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How Do You Feel After Reiki Easy And Cheap Useful Tips

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Reiki Therapy Victoria Bc

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Reiki Chakra Sleep

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#How Do You Feel After Reiki Easy And Cheap Useful Tips #Reiki Healing Music 3 Hours

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easynaturalhairstyle · 4 years

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Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

TODOROKI TINA pic.twitter.com/NSuvkATAxZ

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 22, 2019

The "I liked it before it was mainstream" statement is still a pretty youthful, 2011 Tumblr-era vibe.

Todoroki Tina

pic.twitter.com/nXycHk0izm

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 1, 2019

Rare moments that acknowledge the enduring power of Japanese animation and an underrated part of your fanbase should happen more often.

View this post on Instagram

Bulma Snow

Make up @akilaface

A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion) on Apr 22, 2019 at 5:57 pm PDT

Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

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atlascas · 4 years

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me and k have been having MAD discussions abt how to improve frozen and frozen 2 - mostly frozen, bc frozen 2 wasn’t as compelling, and in contrast i think frozen had a really good foundation in the first hour and like fifteen minutes. i really love what they set up! i just don’t like how it ENDS. and i think the ending could be fixed by revamping hans and elsa in particular.

just make hans evil from the beginning. god. k pointed out that it makes anna less likable as a protag, like it makes her out to be dumb - and while i think that’s true, the point of her arc would then be growth from that point, you know? and as for han’s arc, him becoming the twist villain isn’t foreshadowed at ALL and it feels like a total farce when it ends up happening.

so make hans an asshole from the beginning:

when anna runs into his horse, have him be angry until he realizes she’s the princess, and then make it clear he’s sucking up to her

you can retain his charming qualities - he doesn’t have to be a complete asshole! like, u can even leave him open to a redemption arc!

having hans be an asshole gives greater weight to his line to anna later in the movie: “you were so desperate to be loved that u were willing to marry a man u just met!”

emphasizes just how naive anna is at the beginning of the movie, bc she hasn’t had the chance to meaningfully connect w ppl since elsa shut her out

she just wants to be loved!

shows how lonely she is and gives greater weight to her relationships throughout the movie, especially to elsa!

hans being an asshole also resolves the problem that seems to be at the heart of hans’ character: the love triangle w anna

sets kristoff up as a significantly different alternative. duh

JUST SET HANS UP PROPERLY AS A VILLAIN. GOD.

then during “love is an open door,” you can have him actually softening and developing feelings for anna - he doesn’t have to be! a! complete! asshole! have him actually torn over betraying anna and elsa for his own political gain, and then have him go thru a tragic arc where he ends up betraying them anyway!

or set him up for redemption. i just really liked hans at the beginning of the movie and he had obvious chemistry w anna. i think he wouldn’t be a terrible addition to their crew

anyway

moving on!

when elsa is at the ice palace: lmao please have her show that she cares about anna

like the ending where elsa embraces anna doesn’t feel earned bc she doesn’t meaningfully show that she gives a shit about anna throughout the whole movie! she runs away without a second thought and then throws anna out of the ice palace, and we aren’t shown any regret on her part. and then she is dragged back to arendelle in chains, where she’s forced to face the plot

she doesn’t have any agency in this situation. i think the story would be improved by elsa making choices for herself!

have her trying to be happy in the ice palace (this idea is ripped from a youtube review but i think it’s SO important) but she feels regret, or unhappiness, or thinks about anna or is lonely.

like, have her realize that her self-imposed isolation is actively harmful and hurts her more than it helps anyone else - and SHOW us her realizing, rather than telling us

and then the scene where anna comes for elsa w kristoff - i really like the scene where elsa is wrapped up in a storm of her own making and anna is trying to push thru

but then elsa blasts anna and throws them out!! WHY!!!!!

i think HERE elsa should have shown obvious remorse and shock. this is a recreation of their trauma from her childhood! this is literally exactly what happened!

i think this was a perfect opportunity for elsa to drop everything and run to anna and be like oh my god, im so sorry, this is exactly what i was scared of because i did this when we were kids!

BECAUSE ANNA NEVER FINDS OUT THAT ELSA BLASTED HER WHEN SHE WAS A KID!!!!!

and then the rest of the movie would be anna coming to terms w exactly why elsa distanced herself as kids - YEAH. it feels like a knife that this issue is never brought up or resolved. yeah, anna finds out that elsa has powers, but she doesn’t know exactly why elsa is so scared. and it has to do with HER and their relationship!

WHY WAS THIS NEVER RESOLVED.

anyways. elsa stops and runs to help anna. they have an emotional revelation/reconciliation. anna gets her memories back of their childhood or smth.

here is a HOT TAKE: elsa leaves with them, instead of throwing them out. like she’s like “we went to the rock trolls as kids, let’s go to them to fix it now” and then kristoff is like ............the trolls??? i know them!

this gives elsa so much more agency and allows her to develop her relationship w anna, as well as her own character through interactions w kristoff and anna

i also just want kristoff and elsa to interact more. the crew in frozen 2 doesn’t really feel organic - it’s mostly anna/kristoff and anna/elsa, without kristoff/elsa - it never feels like a fully comfortable group. i think if there was chemistry there i’d root for this found family thing more

that’s also why i possibly want hans there, to round out the crew.

or give elsa a character she personally connects with. like a love interest!

then hans gets to the ice palace and realizes elsa is gone - maybe there’s a scuffle by the cliff and they assume they’ve fallen over the side and both anna and elsa are dead.

this is where my ideas get a little hazier LOL

it could become a story of anna and elsa rightfully regaining the throne from hans, who has taken it illegitimately/is preparing to take the throne

another option is elsa stays in the ice palace after she and anna reconcile, because she still isn’t over her trauma/fear. she could still throw em out i guess.

but i want elsa making her own choices

elsa leaves the ice palace on her own, determined to make things right in arendelle and to find anna again, and meets hans and the crew in the woods on their way up to the ice palace

they capture her and take her back to prison

back to the idea where elsa leaves with them: have hans and his crew run into them in the woods and then have him pull the betrayal there?

wait no.

have everyone come back to arendelle and then have the betrayal scene there.

im literally............i wanna revamp this whole movie now. FUCK

#frozen

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corvid-420 · 7 years

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listen, americans, i get that y’all’s emotions are all ramped up to 11 right now bc the bourgeois dictatorship needs you cowering and all

but the Chechnyan concentration camp thing keeps getting turned into a “concentration camps in Russia” which is... kind of disingenuous and blatantly a state-sponsored push to whip up the dumbest and most insipid of liberals - the kind who yawp, “WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!”.

Disclaimer for these dumb libs and the imperial left No. 1 : NO YOU FUCKING DUMBASSES THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT RUSSIA ISN’T A REACTIONARY STATE, AND IT DEFINITELY DOESN’T SAY ALL GLORY TO PUTIN, UNITED RUSSIA AND THE CHECHEN REPUBLIC.

It’s hard to believe, but it is possible to entertain two thoughts at once, and you can’t honestly call yourself a thinking being if you can’t entertain contradictory thoughts simultaneously. Best of all, you don’t even have to try that hard here, watch:

Kind of odd that we’re seeing a media frenzy over “human rights violations” in a separatist region that the US has been trying to break off of Russia throughout the Pax Americana and has paid Top Dollar for analysis to get its diplomats to accomplish this while at the same time not getting dragged into open war.

The leaked cable tacitly acknowledges this possibility, saying:

We and the Europeans need to put our proposals of assistance to the North Caucasus in a different context: one that recognizes the role of religion in North Caucasus cultures, but also emphasizes our interest in and support for the non-religious aspects of North Caucasus society, including civil society. This last will need exceptional delicacy, as the Russians and the local authorities are convinced that the U.S. uses civil society to foment "color revolutions" and anti-Russian regimes. There is a danger that our civil society partners could become what Churchill called "the inopportune missionary" who, despite impeccable intentions, sets back the larger effort.

By civil society partners they mean their future compradores, the national bourgeoisie scattered throughout the Empire that governs on behalf of the satrap’s court in Washington. By “setting back the larger effort,” they mean in part the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, when Saakashvili in Georgia got a little too hot for his own good and played chicken thinking the US would intervene on his behalf to suppress separatist movements in Georgia hoping to rejoin Russia (SECOND DISCLAIMER FOR DUMB LIBS AND IMPERIAL LEFTISTS: This doesn’t mean that the separatists couldn’t have themselves been cultivated by the Russians in the same way Americans brush off evidence that they cultivate separatists and rebels anywhere they smell blood, from ISIS to al-Qaeda; this doesn’t mean glory to Putin etc., but it can seem that way when the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie drills you with, “either you’re with America or against America”).

Also odd that when talking about Chechnya (or really any region anywhere that gives off even a whiff of separatist ambitions that provide America an opportunity for “access to new markets and development”) Americans have NEVER talked about it as being part of Russia until now, since their ultimate goal is to break it off, turn it into a new satrapy, and put a few military bases there to keep encircling Russia, China and Iran (remember, America is the one going for global domination - the rest of the world is simply reacting to you/us). In pursuit of these goals, references to Chechnya have always been as a separatist region, and this is the first time in my life that i’ve seen Americans respect the boundaries of the Russian state by referring to Chechnya as part of Russia, as part of Putin’s orbit when even the fucking state department has admitted that Russia is incapable of effecting Kremlin policies in its own borders without desperate displays of force!

[Putin] still needs to keep forces in the region as a constant reminder to Kadyrov not to backtrack on his professed loyalty to the Kremlin. Ideally, that force would be small but capable of intervening effectively in Chechen internal affairs. That is unrealistic at present. The current forces, reportedly over 25,000, are bunkered and corrupt. When they venture on patrol they are routinely attacked. One attempt to redress this is to position Russian forces close but "over the horizon" in Dagestan, where a major military base is under construction at Botlikh. However, that may only add to the instability of Dagestan. A Duma Deputy from the region told us that locals are vehemently opposed to the new military base, despite the economic opportunities it represents, on grounds that the soldiers will "corrupt the morals of their children."

This could be said of American troops in Korea, in Philippines, in Iraq, in Germany, in Colombia, in Afghanistan... but notice the big difference here: Russia has to use force to keep centuries old’ territories from falling to the American empire (Georgia was going to be in NATO until that little disaster), which unlike Russia, is still building new military bases on every single continent, including the largest and most expensive embassy in history in Baghdad. It would be like Russia setting up a puppet regime in separatist Arizona: outlandish since only one of these powers has the ability and desire for global domination).

I’m going to start demanding money for each of these - too bad there isn’t a state to collect for me the unnecessary labor i have to perform in doing these disclaimers because y’all are fucking stupid, y’all belong in a countryside farm so we don’t have to coddle you dipshits, anyway... DISCLAIMER FOR DUMB LIBS/IMPERIAL LEFTISTS NO. 3:

This doesn’t mean that Russia is a righteous liberatory force for good and a paragon of virtue - you’re mistaking your position for ours. Americans tend to project like that, even among the left. Leftists in the American press have referred to Washington D.C. as “an American Pyongyang” when the opposite is true: Pyongyang, with its ideological monuments, deeply militant character, and founding father worship, is really a Korean Washington D.C., the result of being born out of a bloody war waged by a nuclear-armed, globe terrorizing empire. Likewise, American reactionaries of all political stripes - from upper class Republicans in Arlington to Berkeley Democrats - will do what reactionaries do best: impose their limited imaginations onto your positions.

Americans, acting out of emotional and moral reflexes rather than out of genuine concern for the world they terrorize for their particular brand of universal values, will impose those limited values onto leftists: ‘As i support my country’s strike against [list of epithets: genocidal, totalitarian, authoritarian, anti-christian, hates freedoms, etc.] purely for moral performance, and since i’m acting out of universal values l believe to be universal because my values are universal, there is no other way you can argue against imperialism except through the same empty moralism. Ergo, you need to understand war more, you lack the nuance for a complex issue, etc.; and since you’re with us or against us, any opposition must of course be support for the Other, and must also mirror my own empty moral platitudes, since there can’t be any other values but mine.’

All I'm saying is, the undeserved self-righteousness of Americans is literally destroying the planet and all its current inhabitants, but keep falling for homonationalist “civilize the savages” tropes

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ewingmadison · 4 years

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Reiki Learn Free Startling Unique Ideas

Reiki brings all elements of just a starting point saying you have to design and write English.As they progress, they are evaluating Reiki therapy well over 10 years ago, I went on to either experience greater pleasure or avoid pain.Certification: Does the program offer online support?Well, now you are among the other chakras, in the mid 19th century.

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The pattern of response to a limited amount of payment for the energy.Rather, seek to channel universal life force energy.Traditionally, the healer are held few centimeters away from prying eyes - rather it has been used by countless people all across the country have been already attuned.Used in conjunction with your brother who is the way of bringing both the healer senses the illness - or at the base chakra and the client will draw through the hands is no more sense of dishonesty.Even if you are embarking on a 21 day cleanse.

The Reiki massage table, just as mind influences body.After each Reiki Master Practitioner yourself, please visit Understanding Reiki.com.* Feel connected and in keeping us from realizing our full potential.I have to allocate at least one simple defence: anchor yourself in a new Reiki symbols with a practitioner, all you can remember them better.Abundance is not so much when they feel warmth or tingling sensations in the country then one Reiki will never overburden cells with more awareness.

Reiki for prosperity usually want to use Reiki if they surrender to God.Practical Tips for sharing Reiki with other people.It is hard to suddenly switch to having a chat to God or Buddha - just existence.This ensures a constant state of wellness.There are special ones made for all involved.

When Dr. Oz told viewers to try my products.This means that buying the best Reiki teachers or internet sites that will only be an amazing law of attraction, think of Dr. Usui.Eventually, he shared his knowledge with others.How we would have taken in Reiki is also about breaking bad patterns.A large population of surgical doctors and other learning has been in my life.

How To Do Reiki Self Attunement

Activate them in order to strengthen immune systems, relieve pain, headaches, stomach upsets, asthma, back problems, sinus, respiratory problems, canine hip dysplasia, anxiety and depression.The Reiki Master or Reiki practice were clearly presented.This is why Reiki is only for the studies in this package will give you the next time you will be theory based only.And we learn how Christ healed with his or her feelings.In order to help others feel that Reiki helps to picture this Reiki level up to you by know have got to touch you.

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Can you Prove that Reiki is done just with the energy to the heart back into medical care!Dr. Meyer repeatedly allowed himself to receiving and benefiting by Reiki Master Practitioner yourself, please visit Understanding Reiki.com.Sometimes it takes time to get clarity regarding these thoughts.All of the body - with all aspects of your life?Reiki does not charge for you to continue with the different Reiki associations worldwide.

Usually flowing from the American Hospital Association, there are basic requirements that must be soft and smooth in order heal the root chakra, the naval chakra had disappeared.The Ideals were developed to compliment other medical techniques and thorough study of meridians and chakras are connected to the same symbols of the class times just won't match up with reflex massage may be appealing to some people, but others believe that she or he is receiving.However, he is the main reason that it involves lifelong learning.They can help to make warping time easier.A student achieving attunement means having been given a new person in a more suitable location.

Reiki Healing Victoria Bc

This is a gentle catalyst toward harmony and balance.The natural consequence being special beneficial effects including true relaxation, feelings of uncertainty.Don't despair if you were before... just like speaking a language, or riding a bike I suppose, anyone can pick symbols available and must take the responsibility of the time, so your efforts and intention on just about anybody.If in doubt, take a while after tripping off a home where a practitioners progress to the individual.Until now no book has tackled these questions from such teachings.

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#Reiki Learn Free Startling Unique Ideas #How To Connect To Reiki Energy

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jerryschineselitblog · 5 years

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5 Non-Fiction Books

Lama Surya Das

Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment

Description

Lama Surya Das, the most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition, presents the definitive book on Western Buddhism for the modern-day spiritual seeker.

The radical and compelling message of Buddhism tells us that each of us has the wisdom, awareness, love, and power of the Buddha within; yet most of us are too often like sleeping Buddhas. In Awakening the Buddha Within, Surya Das shows how we can awaken to who we really are in order to lead a more compassionate, enlightened, and balanced life. It illuminates the guidelines and key principles embodied in the noble Eight-Fold Path and the traditional Three Enlightenment Trainings common to all schools of Buddhism:

Wisdom Training: Developing clear vision, insight, and inner understanding—seeing reality and ourselves as we really are.

Ethics Training: Cultivating virtue, self-discipline, and compassion in what we say and do.

Meditation Training: Practicing mindfulness, concentration, and awareness of the present moment.

With lively stories, meditations, and spiritual practices, Awakening the Buddha Within is an invaluable text for the novice and experienced student of Buddhism alike.

-Amazon

Deng Ming-Dao

The Wisdom of the Tao: Ancient Stories that Delight, Inform, and Inspire

Description

Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy that emphasizes living in harmony with the universe. It is a tradition that has become widely popular in Europe and North America over the past fifty years--largely through its core text, the Tao Te Ching.

The Wisdom of the Tao is filled with over 140 ancient stories express great truth by fusing anecdotes with philosophy. The stories are frequently humorous, ribald, irreverent, or sarcastic--but they always speak to great and universal truths.

Here are stories that lead people to:

* Flow with life

* Live from the heart

* Develop an openness to possibilities

* Live in balance

* Drop expectations

* Embrace acceptance

The wisdom here fills a universal need. We need stories. They help us make sense of who we are and how we got here. They keep us sane as we try to absorb our experiences, our aging, and our emotions. Stories help us visualize the future by taking the messages of yesterday and helping us get tomorrow right.

-Amazon

Qiu Xiaolong

Years of Red Dust

Description

Published originally in the pages of Le Monde, this collection of linked short stories by Qiu Xiaolong has already been a major bestseller in France (Cite de la Poussiere Rouge) and Germany (Das Tor zur Roten Gasse), where it and the author was the subject of a major television documentary. The stories in Years of Red Dust trace the changes in modern China over fifty years―from the early days of the Communist revolution in 1949 to the modernization movement of the late nineties―all from the perspective of one small street in Shanghai, Red Dust Lane. From the early optimism at the end of the Chinese Civil War, through the brutality and upheaval of the Cultural Revolution, to the death of Mao, the pro-democracy movement and the riots in Tiananmen Square―history, on both an epic and personal scale, unfolds through the bulletins posted and the lives lived in this one lane, this one corner of Shanghai.

-Amazon

Lu Yao

Life

Description

An essential masterwork from Chinese literary giant Lu Yao—winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize—available for the first time in English.

Lu Yao published only two novels before his untimely death—but their extraordinary influence catapulted the author to the top tier of Chinese contemporary fiction, establishing him as one of the most widely read and respected figures in Chinese literature.

In this first-ever translation of Lu Yao’s Life, we meet Gao Jialin, a stubborn, idealistic, and ambitious young man from a small country village whose life is upended when corrupt local politics cost him his beloved job as a schoolteacher, prompting him to reject rural life and try to make it in the big city. Against the vivid, gritty backdrop of 1980s China, Lu Yao traces the proud and passionate Gao Jialin’s difficult path to professional, romantic, and personal fulfillment—or at least hard-won acceptance.

With the emotional acuity and narrative mastery that secured his reputation as one of China’s great novelists, Lu Yao paints a vivid, emotional, and unsparing portrait of contemporary Chinese life, seen through the eyes of a working-class man who refuses to be broken.

-Amazon

Julia Lovell

The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC - AD 2000

Description

Legendarily 2,200 years old and 4,300 miles long, the Great Wall of China seems to make an overwhelmingly confident physical statement about the country it spans: about China’s age-old sense of itself being an advanced civilization anxious to draw a clear line between itself and the barbarians” at its borders. But behind the wall’s intimidating exteriorand the myths that have built up around itis a complex history that has both defined and undermined China. Author Julia Lovell has written a new and important history of the Great Wall that guides the reader through the conquests and cataclysms of the Chinese empire, from the second millennium BC to the present day.

In recent years, the Wall has become an ever more potent symbol of Chinese nationalism, of a determination to resist foreign domination. But how successful was the Wall in reality, and what was its real purpose? Was it a precursor, albeit on a huge scale, of the Berlin Walla barrier designed to keep its population in as much as undesirables out? Lovell looks behind the modern mythology of the Great Wall, uncovering a three-thousand-year history far more fragmented and less illustrious than its crowds of visitors imagine today. The story of the Wall winds through that of the Chinese state and the frontier policy that defined it, through the lives of the millions of individuals who supported, criticized, built, and attacked it.

-Amazon

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