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ohnobjyx · 4 years

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What are some of the biggest moments/clues/hints that bjyx have something going on?

Part 1

Hi, anon! I have three asks from different anons with related questions, and I think it’s something many are curious about, so let’s get into it! I’m going to make this into a three-post series, with the next two answers linked to this one. I think they are all necessary to get the full picture.

Links:

Part 2 here

Part 3 here

It’s gonna get long (and I’m just starting), so sit tight and get a cup of coffee. Nothing to see under the cut unless b/jyxszd.

Disclaimer: everything is fake fake fake, don’t take it seriously.

Wow. Where to start? There are many things in the bxg group that are going to be counted as “moments” (or candies), but here are the ones I believe the most. Of course, other bxg will offer other “hints” but these are all quite acepted in the fandom from my point of view.

Asking for “the biggest” is quite subjected to personal interpretation, since there’s no regulated consensus of which moments are true and which are not. That’s why I can offer what I think it’s widely accepted among bxg and that, of course, I think are “true”.

1) Interviews + bts videos

In almost any interview, since they started filming CQL, be it solo interviews or interviews they both participated in, you’ll be able to find “candies”. These of course, are much more subjected to personal interpretation and your views on their relationship.

To me, the interviews show that they are much closer to each other (even when they were just filming cql!) than they are to other people. They also gave a strong deja vu, but that’s for a following post.

Some of the best moments from their interviews:

In a solo interview (160 minute special, from 30:08-46:37, here with eng subs), in questions completely unrelated to dd, gg brought up dd in his answers at least six times (I think I lost count somewhere in the middle). If you compare them, when gg is asked about dd or prompted to add more details to his answer about dd, he’d end up rambling on and on, whereas in other questions he’s more concise. In his 16-minute interview, more than half the time (questions actually related to dd + questions unrelated to dd) gg is talking about dd.

There are several instances where both, when asked about “the most beautiful/handsome/looks good in costumes” person of the cast, they answered with lightning speed the name of the other.

“Wear kneepads”. The 9 minute boat video is also a treasure. Candies aside, I think it’s quite telling that they can have a conversation about everything and anything without stopping (especially dd, who was known for only talking about his interests). About the “wear kneepads” phrase, I talked in this post about how Chinese people express their love “differently” (love is love). It doesn’t imply romantic love per se, but... gg cares.

In the sina interview (190714, here with eng subs): they lied so much in this interview that even when I was just watching this interview for the first time I thought their answers were strange.

“Is she clingy?”, dd asks. “She’s not, you are”, gg mumbles (but it has been picked up by the mic). Dd’s face goes blank, but then he brokes into a small smile and says “I am...” (here the post with the video).

There’s a moment in an interview however, that belongs to a whole another category that’s the second greatest hint for me:

2) The “you have a bf” moment

For those who don’t know what happened: in an interview from one of their fanmeetings, the interviewer asked about one of gg’s old phrases (”if I enter in a relationship now, I’ll lose my job”). However, he didn’t remember it and both react very strongly to it. Here is a post with an analysis and a link to the video.

3) The informality

This is a pretty tricky one... but once you watch a few videos of gg with dd and gg with other people, it becames apparent very quickly. They’re so comfortable with each other that hitting and swearing (”are you sick/insane?”) is never taken with offense.

I think there’s an analysis somewhere, about gg and dd hitting each other. Gg hits, but with no real force behind them, and dd either hit him with his long sleeves (when filming) or with great force and speed, but not landing the blows. The few times he actually hit gg by accident, he always apologized profusely, pouring over gg (”where have I hit?”). It left no room to mistake about the good nature of their teasing and hitting.

4) The necklace

There are rivers of ink written about this one. I’ll leave a link to the best analysis I’ve seen here (both the OP and the response make a lot of sense to me).

In summary: mtjj and cp fans started to argue about the origins of the necklace. The company stated that dd had bought the necklace himself (this is the version most of the solo fans believe), but of course cp fans wouldn’t be appeased with such a weak denial, so mtjj started to say that dd should either stop wearing it or explain how he got the necklace.

It’s curious how dd escaped this situation by choosing a third option: he wears it hidden under his clothes. He wears it almost every time he appears anywhere. He even wears it to the sea.

So he can’t explain where the necklace came from, but he won’t stop wearing it either. That, at the very least, points to a romantic gift (from my point of view).

Once you start seeing the necklace, you can’t unsee it. The picture on the left is an older one, when he still wore the necklace openly, but he was still wearing the necklace in a recent photo (yes, both gg and dd has been nominated to the TOP 100 most handsome faces of 2020).

5) The kadian

I was introduced to this concept in tumblr, to be honest. I didn’t pay much attention to it, but when you see a bulk of posts next to each other... there’s a reasonable limit to these kind of things being coincidental.

But then, dd’s post on the 200529, the one about the smile with the colgate ad... that was very much on purpose. And his post on the 200521. Or gg’s posts in recent June: 200605 13:28 and 200612 13:45.

I have an ask about kadian sitting in my inbox, I’ll explain it in more detail in that one.

6) The clothes

Again, I thought at first that this was a coincidence. But then, there’s a limit for coincidences. They have a lot of clothes they either plan to buy the same one in different colours or it’s just the 23rd coincidence that with all of the clothes available in the world, they chose the same one in different colours or just plainly the same. (Here’s a good post with a compilation).

Another fact that convinced me is that many of them are “private” clothes they own, not clothes that stylists choose for them (in which case it’s most likely to be a coincidence, I don’t think they choose the clothes for a photoshoot, for instance). For example, the two sets down below were from photoshoots, so I think they were coincidences.

Going back to clothes they do share, it’s also the fact that gg wouldn’t have access or interest in certain brands and clothes, unless someone with certain interests recommended them to him or got them for him. So coincidental (again) that the only person around him like that is dd.

Or the fact that if one of them is wearing a certain piece the other has worn before (ie the coat), the other one doesn’t appear with it again. Moreover, the coat (left pictures) has been confirmed by the fans to be the same one. They asked the brand about it, and both gg and dd are wearing the same one (since it was discontinued) unless gg bought it 2 years ago and has just decided to wear it (unlikely).

Or the fact that when they appear with the same shirt/trousers, they fit them differently. Trousers are longer on dd, and the line for the shoulders are lower on gg.

Or the fact that sometimes they each wear the upper piece or the trousers of a set respectively (left). Another coincidence, I’m sure.

(Credit of the pictures in the picture).

7) Gg’s songs and his drawings

Gg hides it better, but he still has this kind of gestures. He never fails to remember the lyrics (I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but at the far back of every stage there’s a gigantic screen displaying the lyrics), but if he does “mix them up” it’s just another coincidence that it can get interpreted as a message for dd.

And last, but not least, we have this drawing:

Gg drew this in a program last year. It’s his “ideal life”. So, let’s see what’s in it:

Gg is the figure on the left, with his cat at his feet.

For someone who doesn’t know how to ride a bike, he included one at the right. Curiously, if you observe the shadow it leaves on the sand, the shadow doesn’t match the bike, resembling a motorbike instead.

So, why is a motorbike in his ideal life? It’s maybe related to the person who approaches from the other end of the beach? Does it look familiar?

He could have drawn a clear, tranquil sea. But instead, there are quite a few waves, which resemble greatly something bxg see written quite often (the last one is the first radical that forms the “bo” character in dd’s name).

So many coincidences in this post.

#ask #my post #bjyszd #coincidences #coincidences everywhere

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tsukihimeyfan · 3 years

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Sorting the main cast of AtLA into Hogwarts Houses

I know I’m late to the party because I’ve seen many different people tackle this before, but I feel like it is my civic duty as both a Potterhead and an AtLA stan to put in my two cents, since every single time I’ve seen it talked about people either misinterpret what each House values in their members or pick a House by taking into account only one aspect of their personalities. I want to make it clear that these are my own opinions, which I’m basing on the definitions we’ve gotten of the main traits of each House over the years and the “core values” of each AtLA character, and that I’m in no way am I trying to insult anyone who thinks differently. That being said, here goes nothing!

Let’s start with the easy ones. Namely, the Fire Siblings:

1) Azula is 100%, undoubtedly, definitely, incontrovertibly Slytherin. Just doing a quick rundown of the qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his handpicked students, as stated by the Sorting Hat, Albus Dumbledore and Pottermore: Cunning? Check. Resourcefulness? Check. A disregard for rules? Check. Using any means to achieve her ends? Check. Shrewdness? Check. Ambition? Check. Self-preservation? Check. Pride? Check. An argument could even be made that, as a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family, Azula also kind of meets the “blood purity” criteria. I’m sure most of us agree on this. Even if she does exhibit a lot of loyalty to her father as well as courage and intelligence, there is just no contest. Azula is one of the most Slytherin characters I’ve ever seen outside of the Harry Potter universe.

2) In the same way, Zuko is irrefutably a Hufflepuff. Hear me out! I know that he’s very brave and daring, but when we think of Zuko, what is his most essential trait, what do people tell us again

and again

about Zuko’s character?

He’s a hard worker. And what’s the House of the hard-working?

"You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, And unafraid of toil.”

You guessed it. Hufflepuff. Of course, that’s not the only trait valued by this House that he exhibits. Who is more loyal in the series than the child who got half his face burned off and still did his best to earn the love and respect of the one responsible? Who never faltered in his loyalty even when he was sent away on an impossible mission? Who spouted angry words most of the time yet was willing to let his ticket home go temporarily in favor of ensuring the safety of his Uncle and his crew? That’s right, our boy Zuko. That very loyalty to his father is what unfortunately bound him for the longest time, until he was forced to face what a monster he was and let go of it in favor of more important things, namely his own morals and his loyalty to his Uncle.

He also has an incredibly strong sense of justice, as proven by the above statements, as well as this moment:

and he can be incredibly patient when he needs to be, as seen during The Blue Spirit and the Southern Raiders episodes.

Hufflepuffs are also said to be fair (which he clearly is), dedicated (need I say more?), honest (which Mr. shouts-his-feelings-at-the-top-of-his-lungs and can’t-lie-without-being-obvious-or-glancing-away-and-has-been-found-out-every-time-he-tried of course is) and modest (this one he starts without but by the time he joins the Gaang there isn’t anyone more modest or humble)

As “an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor” , Zuko is the Hufflepuffiest Hufflepuff to ever Hufflepuff and I will die on this hill

3) Another easy one is our girl Suki, whom I’d say is a Gryffindor through and through, even if she is very loyal to her friends.

The rest of the Gaang under the cut.

The other members of Team Avatar are a bit trickier because they all exhibit a pretty even mix of traits from more than one House, but still if we just concentrate on their defining characteristics we can get to an answer.

4) I’d argue that Sokka belongs in Ravenclaw, even though he is of course quite brave and extremely loyal to his loved ones, not only because he’s a strategist and an inventor, but also because, as best stated by Master Piandao:

Ravenclaws most value wit, learning, intelligence, creativity and wisdom (this last one is a bit iffy but I’m sure he’ll get there when he’s older), as well as priding themselves on being original in their ideas and methods. That’s Sokka to a T.

5) Katara gave me a hard time. She’s unbelievably loyal to her friends and family, she’s compassionate, patient, fair, hard working and dedicated, with a REALLY strong sense of justice, so a case can be made for Hufflepuff easily. However she can also be quite cunning when she wants to (most obviously during The Waterbending Scroll, City of Walls and Secrets, The Painted Lady, and The Runaway), she has a lot of ambition (if you count every variation of “I will make the world a better place by force if I have to”), she disregards the rules when it suits her (again The Waterbending Scroll as well as The Runaway) and she can be proud at times, so we could argue she’s a Slytherin. She’s also undoubtedly very intelligent and even quite wise for her age. It took me a while to decide but then I pondered; at her very core, what are the statements that define her? What words just scream “that’s it, that’s Katara”? They are, of course, these two phrases:

The first sounded incredibly Gryffindor to me, and the second is half Gryffindor half Hufflepuff, so it had to be between those two. As such, I decided to look into Gryffindor first. Katara is, of course, astoundingly courageous, but what else? I had to actually look up definitions for the Gryffindor traits besides courage because they all just kinda meant “brave” to me initially 😅, but what I found was:

*Nerve: “one's steadiness and courage in a demanding situation”. Yep. Who’s the most level-headed, steady and reliable person whenever the Gaang is in any kind of pinch? That’s right. Katara

*Daring: “adventurous or audaciously bold“. Yep. I’d say she ties with Toph for boldest in the Gaang

*Determination: “firmness of purpose”. Yep, absolutely. See the above image from the Painted Lady. ‘Nuff said.

*Chivalry: can mean 2 things, one is “sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms”. All of that is true of her (her “arms” being her waterbending), but I found it interesting that to be chivalrous can also mean “gracious and honorable toward an enemy, especially a defeated one, and toward the weak or poor”. I’d argue that this fits her even more. Once again, just take a look at The Painted Lady episode.

*Courage and bravery: they can mean the same thing, namely “the ability to do something that frightens you” and of course that fits Katara, but the word courage in particular has another meaning, which is “strength in the face of pain or grief”...

I’d say she’s pretty good at that. I think that settles it, Katara is a Gryffindor.

Turns out that when it came to the water tribe siblings Bato was right all along

6) For Toph I was split between Gryffindor (thinking of her brash, bold nature) and Slytherin for a while, but after looking into Katara and researching all those definitions I think I have to give it to Slytherin. Of course, Toph doesn’t seem to be very ambitious unless you count “being recognized as the greatest earthbender in the world”, but she is quite cunning. She knows exactly how to use her “poor helpless blind girl” persona to get what she wants, as seen both on The Blind Bandit and The Runaway. She’s also an extremely good actress, being able to play the “reserved and obedient little girl” to her parents for years, and being easily able to pick it back up when it suits her.

She’s also stubborn, proud, and 100% willing to use any means, regardless of laws or rules, to get what she wants.

As for self preservation? Remember that her response when asked to teach Aang, which was crucial to save the world but would’ve compromised her secret, was this:

Slytherins can also “hesitate before acting, so as to weigh all possible outcomes before deciding exactly what should be done “ and my first instinct was to say that it didn’t fit Toph at all, but what is Toph if not a person who “waits and listens before striking”? Slytherins tend to favor Neutral Jing it seems.

Almost forgot that as a daughter of the Beifong family she’s sort of nobility and she technically also meets the “blood purity” criteria.

7) Finally, we get to my boy Aang. He was really difficult. He’s loyal, patient, fair, kind, modest (usually) and just but I can’t really call him a hard worker most of the time.

He’s brave, adventurous, determined and chivalrous but he does tend to get discouraged during demanding or stressful situations (his friends always make it better though)

He’s creative, very wise for his age, and quite smart (except when he’s playing around with Sokka in which case they share one brain cell 😂)

He can even be cunning when he needs to be. If he ever went to Hogwarts, he’d definitely be a Hat Staller like Harry. I heard someone say once that they considered Aang a Gryffindor because he liked to show off a lot, but that’s not really a Gryffindor trait (think of Neville Longbottom, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter and Minerva McGonagall. I think any one of them would sooner Stupefy themselves than go show off their skills in front of a crowd for no reason other than to brag).

Once again, we must pin down what it is that defines him, what his core is. After much thought, I decided it’s this:

It’s his compassion, which he learned from his people, and his desire to value and protect all life. It’s his loyalty to the ideologies of the Air Nomads of which he is the last remaining bastion. It’s his strong moral code, his sense of right and wrong, his wish to make friends and to believe the best of everyone. That’s his center. That is what makes him Avatar Aang. In light of that, I think we can consider Aang, first and foremost, a Hufflepuff.

In the end, Team Avatar is made up of one Ravenclaw, one Slytherin, one Gryffindor (two after Suki joins), and two Hufflepuffs

Ironic, that the House least valued in the Harry Potter universe is the one that houses arguably the most pivotal characters of Avatar the Last Airbender: Zuko and Aang. Fitting, that even in this they parallel each other.

This is already long enough so I don’t think I’ll do Mai, Ty Lee, or Iroh. Maybe some other time.

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goldenkamuyhunting · 3 years

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Do you have an issue with Noda's way of depicting Wilk's moral as gray like the fandom? Espacially with the reveal of the land deed that may ensure a future for Asirpa and the Ainu but wasn't part of his original plan

Hum...

I don't really know what the fandom is thinking in regard to Wilk so I can't really comment on it.

It's also worth to remember that Wilk discovered about the existance of the land deed only a short time before Tsurumi caused an argument between him and the other Ainu rebels that ended up with them killing each other.

Prior to that moment Wilk had no idea the land deed existed and therefore he couldn't include it in his original plan.

It's also worth to ponder if that land deed could be included in Wilk's plan after Wilk learnt of its existance. I mean, at first the land deed is presented as a cool thing.

That land deed exists by 50 years. The Russian warship Kalevala incident whcih signed the end of the tractatives with the Russians is dated 1867.

Hijikata says the deed was signed while he was in the battle of Futamataguchi which took place on the fourth week of May 1869. The Republic of Ezo is disestablished on the 27th of June, 1869 and Enomoto has then the Meiji government accepted the contract.

We know the Ainu gave them half of the gold and retrieved the contract but now we should ask ourselves an important question: why no Ainu used the land deed to claim the land?

When Kimuspu shows it to Wilk we're in 1902, it means that the land deed remained hidden for 33 years despite Kimuspu being still alive and knowing of his existance.

If the problem was the gold, they could have said they spended it all on the land deed and use it. Yet they hid it along with the gold.

Kimuspu says everyone was killed by the Wen Kamuy.

Notice Kimuspu's expression when Wilk and the others see the land deed. It's creepy. We tend to consider the gold as the Wen Kamuy but the land deed was bought with the Wen Kamuy so it can be that it too is a Wen Kamuy.

The land deed is inconvenient for the Meiji government. In order not to honour it, they might have secretly killed Kimuspu's companions and forced him to live in hiding. So Kimuspu didn't try to use it or to have other Ainu use it and that's also why Wilk and the other Ainu didn't grab it and immediately tried to put it to use.

It's possible Ogata himself was sent there to retrieve the land deed as discreetly as possible or make sure no one were to find it, which is why he was fine with killing Wilk.

Of course things might change if Asirpa manages to put together a force that can oppose to the Meiji government. I mean, if Hijikata conqueers Hokkaido, the land deed can be negotiated with him and not with the Meiji government... or Hijikata can use it to give his claims of Hokkaido some legal ground.

in short the land deed couldn't figure in Wilk's previous plans because he had no idea it existed... but he could have ended up figuring in his final scheme as he might have hoped Asirpa, joining forces with Hijikata, would manage to put the land deed to good use.

But land deed put aside, I've no problems with Wilk having a gray morality, this makes him the same as everyone else in the cast, as well as human.

Humans tend to have a grey morality, pure white knights or pure black knights are more a thing of fairy tales.

It's narratively good that Wilk is a character with grey morality, it makes him real.

Of course the downside is that Wilk is no more a perfect idealistic hero.... or a cruel terrorist... but I think most of the fandom knew this already.

Wilk is mostly a man of his time and culture, with a vein of idealism mixed with a machiavellian and utilitaristic approach.

His idea that wolf culture is beautiful because he believes the wolves had killed a wolf because he had no place in their pack as he was sick, and that being a logical creature who cut away any excess kindness and has a functional efficency clearly tell us Wilk is not someone who's defending minorities because he believes everyone has a right to live and be protected.

Wilk's mindsetting is no better than the one of Japan and Russia who would decide minorities have no place in their country and sacrifice them.

He sets on protecting minorities not for some noble feeling but because he BELONGS to a minority and doesn't want to be judged the dischargeable spare.

In fact, when he decides to switch to Hokkaido he easily discharges the minorities on Karafuto even if he knew demanding from them to transfer in Hokkaido might be harmful for them.

In his group of three Wilk is the lest idealistic and the more prone to sacrifice others for his own goal.

Even Tsurumi realized with is the more cold blooded of the group, comparing him to Okubo.

HTo Wilk's credit there's to say Wilk is also willing to sacrifice himself for his goal, we saw it when he took a personal risk to deliver the bomb when attempting the emperor's murder or when he skinned himself to hide.

Wilk is not the sort of man who solely sacrifices others for his goal, he also has no problems sacrificing himself.

But Wilk lacked Kiro's flexibility (Kiro originally was all for prioritizing the Karafuto minorities and, after trying to make a family in Hokkaido he decided to raise all the minorities to equal level) or Sofia's compassion (she has nothing on Hokkaido except the families and the dreams of Wilk and Kiro and to honour them she's willing to fight for Hokkaido as well).

I think a good part of Wilk's mistakes/problems steems exactly from his lack of flexibility from his determination in carrying on his idea, believing his idea is the best.

He's intelligent and probably this caused others to rely on him a lot and helped him to accomplish many things, giving him the feeling he isn't prone to be wrong, but this ended up on coming back to bite him.

He makes an enemy out of Kiroranke, when he could have tried to face him, reason things with him and smooth them over.

He thinks he can keep the Hokkaido Ainu partisans unite and working under him while not being fully honest with them (he doesn't tell them he's a Russian partisan who originally came there to get the Hokkaido Ainu gold for the Russian minorities) only because now he has wholeheartedly embraced their cause, with the result only a couple of words from Tsurumi cause the whole group to explode and people to start killing each other.

He assumes Asirpa will just blindly embrace his goals and methods and become the Ainu leader... and the Ainu will accept her, without realizing Asirpa is her own person and might not be interested in all this (though this was a mistake typical of his time period) and that for Hokkaido Ainu it was really difficult to accept a woman as a leader, never mention one so young.

And so on.

Wilk makes mistakes in good faith, he means well for the people he loves but ends up hurting them, he's human like each of us.

He lives in a world where his rights are stepped over and people often has no other way to be heard than taking up in arms because he doesn't have the options we have nowadays and can't vote for a new president or pacifically protest to have his right acknowledged so most of his choices wouldn't be right for our time period so of course we aren't meant to take his same choices but we should still look at him as a man of his world and time.

A man who wasn't perfect, but a man like us anyway, and that's this what makes Noda a great storyteller, that all his grey characters are ultimately like us, humans.

At least those are my two cents about this.

Thank you for your ask!

#Wilk #Asirpa #Kiroranke #Sofia #Ask #Mesira #Sukuta #Irenka #Ratci #Oskeporo #Enomoto Takeaki #Okubo Toshimichi #Kido Takayoshi #Saigou Takamori

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bthump · 3 years

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I know this is very nitpicky, but what do you think is the level of awareness Griffith has during the stairwell scene? For a very calculated and rational guy like him, it's hard to imagine that he hasn't even tried to decipher where these strong reckless reactions come from. I mean... even king of denial Guts has reflected a bit on it. Enough to ask Griffith about it. I know yoy mentioned in a recent answer to an ask, that you don't headcanon Griffith as pining, so would you say that you (cont)

Would you say that you imagine that he compartimentalizes his thougts and represses to the point that he doesn't aknowledge at least to a certain extent, that his feeling for Guts are more passionate, than what he feels for other comerades. The fact that he fully realises the depth of those feelings once Guts leaves is clear. But Idk the stairwell scene makes me think that he is at least aware, that he has a bit of a crush, but choses to not give it much importance. Curious about your thoughts

hmmm. okay first off I just want to say that I can see multiple possibilities, from full on repression and denial, to recognizing his attraction but not acting on it, to knowing he cares for Guts and wants him as a True Friend(TM) but often downplaying that because he believes Guts sees him mainly as a superior officer. But yeah I do prefer the denial and compartmentalization explanation and I want to go into why, because I think it’s fun to talk about lol.

So the big reason I read Griffith as refusing to acknowledge his feelings to himself is because that’s how he deals with all his other inconvenient feelings, like his guilt and fear and the fact that he cares about the Hawks. Like eg when he tells Gennon that he doesn’t feel a single emotion about him whatsoever, or when he tells Casca that he doesn’t feel guilty over the deaths of the Hawks, I don’t think he’s just lying to them, I think he’s convincing himself too, to the point where he really believes it.

It’s sort of hard to explain how I see this working in Griffith’s head bc it feels v intuitive to me but I know that’s not the case for everyone. So yk it’s not that I think he like, eg makes himself forget that he nearly had a breakdown in a river, but I think he doesn’t ask himself why he nearly had a breakdown beyond maybe a shallow ‘sex with gennon was unpleasant and made me uncomfortable for a couple hours but i’m completely fine now’ and doesn’t think about it afterwards if he can help it.

And when he tells Charlotte he doesn’t have any friends and tells Guts he belongs to him during the second duel, I think he’s telling himself lies/rationalizations he genuinely believes there too. In fact, I think his denial of his own feelings is straight up meant to be his tragic flaw, which is why he’s only able to finally acknowledge them in the torture chamber, after it’s caused his downfall.

In the torture chamber we see him remember the face-off with Zodd and acknowledge that it was an irrational thing to do and wonder why Guts is so important to him, and I think part of the reason the monologue works so well is because it’s the first time we see that kind of self-reflection sans lofty rationalization from him, because before he ended up trapped in his own brain for a year with nothing to distract himself in between bouts of torture he didn’t really ask himself these kinds of questions. If he had, things probably would’ve gone better for everyone.

And like, I don’t think this makes Griffith less intelligent, or negates his rationality in other areas of life. I don’t see a contradiction in someone being able to analyze a battlefield or read other people well but avoiding genuine soul searching whenever possible and lying to himself a lot. I think it’s actually pretty realistic - I don’t think very many people fully understand themselves or their feelings, even really self-reflective people, and it’s very easy to rationalize away inconvenient cognitive dissonance. and I include myself in that lol.

Griffith’s life is kind of a contradiction that would really fuck him up to untangle (he sends people to their deaths to achieve a dream for the sake of assuaging his guilt for sending people to their deaths to achieve a dream), so he doesn’t try to untangle it, he avoids the question and hides behind a philosophical ideal. And his feelings for Guts add to that cognitive dissonance because if he values Guts over the dream, that kind of proves his entire defensive life philosophy is bullshit and his whole life plan is built on a precarious house of cards, so it makes sense to me that he’d avoid examining those feelings closely too.

And you can look at Guts too, who does navelgaze a lot and tries to analyze his own feelings and motivations - when he’s faced with a contradiction (I want to become independent of Griffith and do my own thing solely to gain Griffith’s approval) he actually notices it and briefly questions himself... and then he still puts it out of his mind and continues pursuing his contradictory goal anyway, and manages to stay in denial for 3 days even after learning that Griffith ended up in a torture chamber because he left.

Along those same lines, Guts eg realizes that he kills things because it makes him feel better but he doesn’t make the connection between his irrational urge to fight powerful enemies and his childhood trauma the way the readers can, the King didn’t acknowledge his incesty feelings til Griffith shoved them in his face, Count Slug kept denying having human feelings til Puck went on a tirade against him and he couldn’t sacrifice his daughter, Casca lies to herself about her feelings for Griffith for a long time before finally acknowledging she’s in love and then doubles down on her Griffith feelings when her newer feelings for Guts threaten them until she has a breakdown and admits some things to herself (I mean I find that last one disappointing lol, but it’s also a really straightforward example of someone living in denial of romantic feelings and therefore a good comparison point to show that Miura does this on purpose), etc. So I think this interpretation of Griffith is also consistent with how Miura just like, tends to write people.

Like imo Griffith has moments where he comes close to self awareness and could’ve started potentially reflecting on his feelings and coming to better, more accurate conclusions, and those moments definitely include the Zodd conversation (as well as the river scene with Casca, and “do you think I’m cruel?”) but none of those scenes lead to useful self-reflection because they all go wrong. Casca tries but fails to reassure him bc she’s out of her depth, Guts reminds him of his dream, the King interrupts their conversation and Charlotte reorients Griffith towards his goal so he can move on from that moment of irrationality and refrain from thinking about it further for a while. Even after the duel Griffith tries to avoid self-reflection by fucking Charlotte imo (”take all the sad and frightening things and cast them into the fire” ie hey girl wanna repress some shit w/ me?), and imo his previous ability to do that makes it all the more impactful when it doesn’t work this time and he breaks down.

BUT YEAH all that said I don’t think this is the only reasonable reading of Griffith’s awareness of his feelings lol, it’s just the one I like best and consider the most satisfying and interesting and fun to think about. And honestly that’s partly because I love dramatic irony and have a real thing for characters who lie to themselves, so I’m biased in favour of it too. Nothing about Griffith being good at denial contradicts the idea that he could still be aware of an attraction to Guts (in that case he’d probably just write it off as irrelevant and deny the associated internalized-homophobia-related self-loathing lol until it all pours out while he’s projecting at the King), and he could eg be aware that he irrationally cares about Guts above and beyond anyone else and just doesn’t even try to reconcile that with his dream, ie compartmentalization in another way.

But I think the idea that he only fully admits it to himself in the torture chamber is just very narratively satisfying.

#Anonymous #ask #griffguts #ty for the question and giving me an opportunity to go on about this #a #b #character: griffith #theme: coping mechanisms #theme: repression #ship: griffguts #headcanons #character thoughts #arc: ga

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kitkatopinions · 3 years

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Okay, let’s talk about what I think is the biggest problem with Summer Rose. I don’t think it’s unrealistic for Ruby to react the way she has to Summer Rose and information about her from a character standpoint, but there wasn’t enough emphasis on her throughout the show to make me interested in her and specifically in how Ruby feels about her.

A lot of protagonists have at least one dead parent, and it doesn’t always feature prominently in the story they’re in - instead used as an excuse why the kids can do whatever they want without having to worry about parental figures, or backstory for why they’re the way that they are. But when the parents are treated as more significant, it’s better to make them consistently featured. It makes total sense for Ruby to not talk much or even think much about the mother that she lost when she was between the ages of two to four, but starts to talk about her more and be emotional about it once she gets some down time and during a time of personal crisis, especially as she’s learning new knowledge about what happened to Summer. That makes total sense from a character point of view. But as a viewer, I honestly didn’t care at all about Summer Rose past ‘why is Yang acting like Raven is her mom.’ Her grave was seen during the Red trailer, Yang talked about her in V2, and Ruby talked to her grave to start off V3 (which to me read as an ‘easy way to get exposition and remind everyone of some of the RWBY details’ scene.) And that’s it. That’s very little significance, I was given no reason to think she was going to matter to the storyline at all, I was given no reason to think she was going to matter to Ruby at all. If anything, I thought she might maybe matter to Yang, who clearly remembered her and who the story went out of their way to have talk about her, but then Yang didn’t talk about her mom until six seasons after the scene in volume 2. Which again, makes some semblance of sense from a character point of view, but made me think that Summer was unimportant and made me ambivalent to what was a non-character. We didn’t know anything about Summer past ‘good mom’ and ‘dead,’ for six seasons. We didn’t know anything about how Ruby felt about her mom past ‘talking to her grave one time’ and the knowledge that due to her age when Summer died, Ruby likely only has vague memories of her (if she has memories of her at all.)

Compare that to something like Harry Potter. (Quick disclaimer, as always, I’m not endorsing JKR, just comparing stories.) Time was taken out of the first book to establish not only Harry being an orphan, but Harry’s feelings towards it. Him looking in the Mirror of Erised and seeing not only his parents, but his family told us a lot about Harry’s longing for a family and to belong, and his attachment to the idea of his parents and family clearly connected to him (including through physical features that he’s been put down for having by the Dursley’s.) The first book also establishes connections to his parents through others. Hagrid knew his parents and got him a scrapbook of pictures of them, Snape hated his father, Dumbledore gave Harry his father’s invisibility cloak, and discussed the love spell his mother had made when she died, and told him about Snape and James’ ‘rivalry.’ I don’t remember if there was much connection to Harry’s parents in Chamber of Secrets, but in Prisoner of Azkaban, we start the story with Harry reacting defensively and using accidental magic (tied to emotional outbursts) when a relative starts insulting his parents, and then the whole book centers around the man who was framed for helping Voldemort murder Harry’s parents catching the real traitor, Harry meeting his father’s former best friends, getting yet another relic of his father’s, hearing more of the vague memory of his parents’ death when he’s encountered by the Dementors, thinking he had seen his father save him, etc. And the book tells us that Harry’s light based magical guardian Patronus takes the same form his father’s did. Then, in the fourth book, Harry resolves to face Voldemort head on whether he’ll die or not ‘like his father’ and literally sees the spirits of his parents and is able to talk to them briefly even though they’re dead through the use of a spell. In the Order of the Phoenix, Harry sees memories of his parents through Snape’s pensieve memories and his idealized versions of them (but specifically James) is challenged. He’s greatly bothered by this and seeks out advice and reassurance from his father’s friends. In the sixth book, the Half-Blood Prince, Harry gets a potions book with all kinds of recipes and useful spells written in the margins and starts thinking it might be his father’s, still desperate for a stronger connection to his parents, and at the same time, he’s interacting with a teacher who was fond of and talks about his mother. Consistently throughout the whole of the book series, people talk about James and Lily, we see the impact James and Lily had with other characters, we know how Harry feels about them, we know why Harry feels that way, we see his feelings about his parents start to adjust whenever he learns new information, we see the way their actions affect Harry’s actions.

So when Deathly Hallows rolled around and there were all these big significant moments involving Harry’s parents - visiting their graves, seeing their statue, seeing Snape’s memories, summoning their ghost forms to walk him to what he thinks will be his death - viewers might not be particularly attached to their characters, but we’re still invested, we still care about Harry’s arc with his parents, it’s pay off to a storyline that’s been a central part of the whole book series. Imagine if the only things we had heard about Harry’s parents before reading Deathly Hallows was a scene in book two about how his parents death connected to this wider issue (like the scene in Volume 2 with Yang using Summer’s death as establishing details before talking about Raven,) and a scene at the start of Prisoner of Azkaban where Harry like, talks to the pictures in his scrapbook about how he’s excited to go back to Hogwarts and how things are going with Ron and Hermione (like Ruby’s gravestone talk at the start of volume 3,) and then we still had all the significant moments centered around James and Lily in the seventh book.

It just feels like the emotional depth they’re going for with Summer was a wide swing and a miss because she never mattered to the story before. Summer was a passing plot point, and now that they’re trying to involve her more heavily, it feels boring. It feels like wasting time on something that doesn’t matter all that much when things that have been established as significant were put on the back burner (like Ruby’s relationship with Qrow, a mentor figure and parental figure, or even her relationship with Maria, who took over as a mentor figure when MKEK started to seem to want to diminish and put down Qrow’s character.) For six seasons, the audience had barely knew what Summer could possibly look like, Tai doesn’t talk about Summer, Qrow only mentions her in passing to talk about Ruby’s eyes if I remember correctly, Oz doesn’t talk about her, Yang only talks about her for one scene and that’s only to set up Raven, Ruby only talks about her for one scene and that’s to exposition at the start of a season. The only real reason to think Summer Rose would be significant to the plot at all is the Red Like Roses II song, but lots of the Ruby character songs seem a little disjointed like that. Before volume seven, I was wondering why that song even existed since Summer had so little to do with the plot of the show and specifically Ruby’s character (affected much more by Yang, her dad, her uncle, her team, Ozpin, Penny...)

It’s not a bad thing if they wanted Summer Rose to be important, I actually think it could’ve been good. Ruby feels a little stale at times compared to the friends that have bigger backstories that are gone into more, and her character could use some more interest and some more ties to Salem, so having her struggle with having a dead parent she can barely remember who was probably turned into a monster due to having the exact same power Ruby does is a good concept. But like a lot of things in RWBY, it came too little, too late, and with too little groundwork. Now it feels like they’re trying to cram extra unneeded plot into the story instead of working on what they have, now it feels out of left field, now I’m wondering why I’m suddenly being expected to care about Summer, now I’m wondering why there was so little set up for her importance. I would feel much more emotionally connected to this story plot if it had been featured more prominently. If Ruby had been set up from the start to want to be a Huntress like her mom. If Ruby had talked about Summer to Weiss or Jaune or her team, if she’d had a picture of her mom she put on her wall or something, if she’d talked about how the death affected her early on, if Tai had talked about Summer to Yang more, if maybe Ruby had asked Qrow about Summer when he told them about Oz, “Did Mom know any of this?” if maybe Maria had known Summer or something. I don’t know, I’m not a professional, I just know that they failed to write a story where Summer mattered at all until they suddenly wanted us to feel emotionally distraught over her being turned into a Grimm. Instead, I heard about the Silver Eyed Warriors getting turned into a Grimm and thought ‘maybe Mercury does have Silver Eyes and that’s what’ll happen to his character.’

The emotional depth just isn’t there with Summer in my opinion, and it’s made even worse by the fact that there’s very little we can extrapolate from her character based on her appearance. ‘Ruby, but more subdued,’ and ‘boring,’ are the only two things I can even think about her character design, which is a confusing thing for such a design heavy show that places so much emphasis on individual creativity.

#rwde #anti rwby #rwby bashing #rwby criticism #anti-rwby #anti mkek #contains RWDE content #anti summer rose #not really but better safe than sorry #I am anti JK Rowling btw #I don't support her in any way #just trying to talk about comparisons

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stargazer-balladeer · 4 years

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Songwriter Reader [Phantom Thieves]

anon: ik u got so many p5 asks but um what about the phantom thieves with a songwriter reader? like reader plays piano and sings an orginal; the other thieves definitely KNOW who it is for. It depends if *target* will get it instantly, turn into tomato, or dense and need a forehead flick 👉👈

Characters Included: Akira Kurusu, Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Yusuke Kitagawa, Makoto Niijima, Haru Okumura, Futaba Sakura & Goro Akechi

Note: Don’t worry love, you can request p5 over and over again. No need to be shy :) I’m also very creative with the title :)))) (note: sarcasm). Hope ya’ll enjoy this!!

Reader’s Gender: Neutral

Warning: None

Akira Kurusu

-Oh, he knows the song you are playing is for him. He has the smuggest look on his face. But this boi is so proud of you and is falling deeper in love with you.

-He loves how you can compose a song, play a piano and sing. He is in-love with your voice though, he thinks Kamisama (God) has given him an angel in disguise.

-He’s so supportive of you that he cheers you on if you want to make a career out of this. He’ll be there when you need a shoulder to cry if someone (mainly your parents or the adults) criticize your future. He’ll comfort you as he whisper comforting words in your ear. He’s not allowed to pick fights since he’s under Probation ;-; poor bby boi

-He might help you in composing some songs, but don’t expect much. He’s not really a newbie in the Music Department but he’s not in your level, yet. If you’re willing to teach him how to play piano, he’ll be elated.

-It was a Talent Show in Shujin Academy when you suddenly show up on stage with a nervous smile on your face. He was shook. Why was his s/o there? Don’t they have stage fright?

-It isn’t until you play your first note in the piano when he relax himself, but he was astounded when you started to sing as well! He was surprised yet proud of you at the same time.

-When you finish, he’ll run to you going downstairs and pick you up and spin you around in pure happiness. He doesn’t care if everyone’s watching as he kiss you in the lips, you either super embarrassed or flattered at his action.

-Hey, atleast the whole school knows that you belong to him :)

Ryuji Sakamoto

-He’s confused yet proud that you can compose, play and sing. I can see him being oblivious to the fact that the song is about him. Because he’s not really paying attention to what you’re singing, he’s just watching your figure in amazement. Yeah, someone may need to snap him out or else he’s drooling at the sight.

-Like Akira, he loves how talented you are (sanaol). He full-on support you if you want to make a career out of this. If he ever finds out someone is criticizing you, he’ll pick a fight with them. But if its either your parents or adults who criticize you, he’ll be so mad but do nothing. He’s still just a teenager, he don’t want to end up in jail!

-Don’t expect him to help you though, he has no music abilities whatsoever. He might help you when it comes to writing lyrics, but other than that? Just.. no.

-If you stand on stage with your music notes and piano, he’ll be that guy who cheers the loudest for you. But when you start to play, he’ll shush anyone who’s making a sound.

-He didn’t get what the lyrics has since he wasn’t listening but the melody was good! He’ll congratulate you but when he notices you being pouty, he’ll be hella confused. What did I do?

-Just flick his forehead and explain to him what you sang about, and you’ll have a apple-faced Ryuji :)

Ann Takamaki

-I believe she knew that the song was meant for her, but is still unsure. Please tell this bby girl that the song was meant for her because she might not look like it, but she’s insecure. But when she realize its for her, she’ll have a big and happy smile on her face.

-She’s proud that she has a s/o that is so talented. Be prepared for her countless compliments towards you. If you ever feel insecure about your talented abilities, don’t worry! She’s already here by your side, complimenting you left and right. You can’t help but believe her though, I mean, how could she lie with a face like that?!

-I can totally see Ann knows how to play an instrument, hopefully a violin so you two can play together and have loads of fun! But if she plays something else, like recorder or flute, then you two can still play together.

-She’s supportive towards you, telling you to believe in your dreams and don’t let other people get in the way in achieving your dream. But if she sees you crying because someone is criticizing you, you bet your ass that she’s ready to fight them. No one says that to her s/o without getting away!

-Ann wants to burst into tears when you started to play and sing at the same time, she was already beyond surprise when you appeared on stage, but when you started to play? She just wants to cry because because she’s being too emotional. Makoto has to calm her down as the others sweatdropped.

-Everyone basically knew it is directed to Ann, which made her giddy and embarrassed at the same tme. She’s so proud of you that after your performance, she drags you to spoil you.

Yusuke Kitagawa

-DENSE AS A ROCK :) Like everyone knew it was for him, but he sits there, listening to the music with a content smile on his face. He doesn’t know that the lyrics was for him really :( Poor bby.

-”That was a magnificently beautiful performance you had!”

-”Yeah! And the lyrics is about you!”

-”...”

-”... eXCUSE ME?!”

-He’s very proud that you have something you are passionate about and enjoys listening to your music while he’s painting. He’s glad to have a s/o that is passionate about the art of music. If you want, he can teach you how to paint and you teach him how to play piano.

-He’s interested in learning to play since he believes that if he’s passionate enough, he can learn how to play the piano. I think he’s also interested learning how to compose a song, probably composing a song immediately after you teaching him how.

-He’s also supportive if you want to make a career out of it, because it’s also how he feels with his artistic skills. If someone criticize you, he would be so angry that he goes into a rant about how beautiful your music is and how disrespectful that person is towards you, regardless if its an adult or a parent. He also doesn’t like people using you for their benefit so he shy you away from people like those, who were “seeking talentful people”. Yeah, no thanks.

-He’ll be surprised to see you standing on stage though, and watching you play and sing so animatedly amaze him to no end. Futaba would probably tease him because of his awestruck look on his face while they watch you play.

-Once you finish, you can bet that he will run up to you and rant about how gracious and beautiful your performance was. He wouldn’t realize the lyrics were meant for him until you told him. He became a happy boi after that :D

Makoto Niijima

-She knows that the song was meant for her but she doesn’t know whether to be embarrassed or flattered by it. But she’s so proud of you that she can’t find the big smile on her face, despite her embarrassment. When she walks up to you, her face was so red that she fumbles her words around. Please pull her into a hug and she’ll calm down :)

-She’s proud that your gifted in the music department, and will help you if you need some help. Yes, I can imagine Makoto being good at music, mainly violin or piano as well. You two can play together in the piano as you sing.

-She helps in composing some songs, adding or switching some words here and there. It also helps her relieve some stress as she hears you playing the piano. Sae is also thankful for you if you ever play in their house.

-Makoto is supportive of you, of course. If you want to pursue being a pianist or a singer, she’ll be your cheerleader. But if someone criticize you, she’ll tell them off before telling you off as well to stand up for yourself.

-Makoto almost had an heart attack when she saw you on-stage. Like no joke. She’s sweating and pale white, she’s nervous than you were -_-’ But she means well.

-When you started playing though, she knew instantly that this song you composed was directed at her. She was blushing all throughout your performance. She’s still blushing even when she’s coming near you. Please hug your mommy ;-;

Haru Okumura

-Another girl who instantly can tell that the song you’re playing is for her, but instead of being embarrassed, she’s flattered as she hums along your song. This girl also has no shame in declaring her love for you as she pecks your lips after your performance, watching as your face burst in red while giggling softly.

-This girl has some skills in music as well since her father wants for her to be a perfectionist, and it comes with her training since it requires patience and grace. She can totally play the violin, imagine Kaori and Kousei from Your Lie In April (without the dying part whOOPS--), that’s you two.

-She’s so helpful whenever you suddenly got music block and couldn’t find any inspiration to make music. She’ll drag you outside so that you could be inspired. She even helps you in composing some music, I swear this girl knows so much than you -_-’

-Haru’s also very supportive towards her s/o’s dream in pursuing music as their career and would help them make their dream a reality. If someone criticize your choices, Haru would just pull you away from them. She doesn’t like dealing those who criticize other’s ideals, it’s best to just walk away.

-She would be so surprised when she sees you on stage, she cheers the loudest for you. When you began to play, she listens intently, not wanting to miss anything you do. It’s almost scary for the group as they watch Haru watching you intently with a easy-going smile on her face.

-You bet that she’ll give you a bouquet of flowers (don’t ask where they came from though) and lots of kisses from Haru :D

Futaba Sakura

-The only music she knows is Vocaloid and Anime Openings and Endings. She actually finds classical music to be boring, but when it comes to you, she’ll be excited to hear it. Be proud that you’re an exception :D (if ever you play classical music though)

-Futaba wouldn’t know that the music was directed to her until someone pointed it out or she hears her name in the lyrics, then she’ll be beet red at once (much to the amusement of the group). Futaba would be so shy that it would take time for her to come up to you and congratulate you. So you need to be the one who approach her in this scenario.

-She has little to no idea about composing music like you do. But she’s willing to learn about it, as long as she can see that happy smile on your face. Be aware that it takes patience to teach though, since she can throw a tantrum or two if she doesn’t get it.

-Futaba’s also supportive (I think all of them do, lol) about wanting your hobby to turn into career and cheers you on. She may or may not have also upload a video of you playing piano and singing in YouTube :) If she hears any criticism (DANCE SO HARD THAT IM CAUSING A SENSATION-- *slap*), she’ll hack into their phone and practically make it die and unusable :)

-Futaba practically lets out a shriek when she saw you on-stage, which made her embarrassed since people are starting to look at her. She shrunk into her seat as she watches you in wonder as you take a seat and began playing. The song was relaxing for her as she started to enjoy it.

-it isn’t until Akira (her big bro) tease her about her s/o singing about her. Futaba’s face turned even more red in realization as she buries her face into her hands, wanting to disappear already. (Mommy Makoto is glaring at him for stating that).

-When you approach her after the performance, she could hardly talk. You need to hold her tight so that she could calm down. Poor NEET bby girl ;-;

Goro Akechi

-He’ll know it at once when you started to play, he also has the smuggest look on his face, but not as much as Akira’s though. He’s so proud of you that he wants to kiss you right there and there, but he has a reputation to hold. Opted instead to handing you a bouquet with your favorite flowers in them. But he would also resort to kissing your forehead.

-I can also see him playing the piano, atleast some. Since he rarely has time for himself, so he knew only little about playing. But you could teach him! If you suggest it to him, he’ll be ecstatic that he’s already pulling you to the piano.

-He loves hearing you sing though! He already loves your voice, and you singing? It’s a dream come true for Akechi.

-He’ll also be useful in helping you coming up with lyrics and melodies in the song, he knows a selection of melodies so he’s very useful for you if you get stuck.

-Though at first he’s against the idea of you wanting to continue playing and singing and make it your career, but soon enough, he warm up to the idea of it. He’ll then keep supporting you from here on end. If someone criticize you about it, then he’ll step in and use his sharp tongue to avert their attention to him. In his mind, it’s better if its him being criticized instead of you, so he’ll do just that.

-Akechi would be surprise to see you on-stage though, but when you started to play, he’ll relax and smile. He’ll listen contentedly to your music and singing voice. But he’ll have that smug smirk on his face.

-When you finish, you better expect Akechi waiting for you to get down the stage (hOW DID HE GET THERE SO FAST--?!). He gives you a genuine smile as he gives you the bouquet and kiss you on the forehead. He’s cherishing the moment while he still can, afterall it’s only a matter of time before...

[x] Main Page || [x] Persona 5 Page

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nayialovecat · 3 years

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Hi :) Could you rank the characters of SATIM, from the one you like the most to the one you like the least and tell us why? I love lists :p

My first list! Yay!

Gosh... it's very hard question. I don't like telling kids that one of them is less liked than the other, lol. I'm not able to choose which of the two very liked characters I like more, but I can certainly group them all collectively into several groups with different levels of liking…

The order in these groups will be rather random…

I don't know what determinant should be to assign them... Because there is a difference between the characters I like and the characters that I consider successful making. I think I'll bet on the former, so don't be surprised what categories the characters I'm really proud of end up in.

First category: Beloved characters!

Sammy is definitely here, I don't need to explain why? I omit the fact that his character is quite modeled on myself (and it is quite common that the creator secretly loves to adore himself). But seriously. I love almost every Sammy I meet. This love has no rational explanation, it just exists.

Jack will definitely be in this category too - I love this warm dumpling, his character and the way he combines his pacifist, introverted nature with being Sammy's friend.

I will surprise you, but I'll also assign Bertrum to this category. It's so much fun that when I first saw him in gameplay I had such a "wtf, what is it, what kind of bullshit, why they screwed up the game so much by adding some carousel with a human face". Currently, I cry when I have to go through Chapter 4 and fight him :c He's one of my favorite BATIM characters, along with Sammy - and that's why in the SATIM version he’s simply brilliant! You will love him! Unfortunately, he'll not appear until the second series...

Probably no one will be surprised that Jose Klondike will land my beloved characters - I love the guy, although you don't know why yet. But you'll find out. You'll find out quickly, ‘cause the number of strips with him grows and grows, so I'll be putting them here and there. I am proud of this OC - his history, his determination, his character and approach to life. As if I was in the Workshop as an inky being - I would like to be exactly that character...

Bernard - you don't know him, but he is high in my heart. It’s my way of showing that weaker doesn't always mean weak ;)

After much thought, I decided that Bendy also belongs to this category. I have too much weakness for tragic characters - and Bendy is even a model tragic character (as you will see at the beginning of the second series, when there will be a little more of his backstory).

Gosh, how could I forget to put my favorite three descendants of Sammy and Bendy in this category? This trio is delightful together and separately. I'm so crazy about them lately! Sammy Jr, Henry Jr and Bendy Jr are my favourites :)

Second category: I like these guys very much!

Here will be most of my OC with Cleaner in the lead. It's amazing how the character that arose as an explanation for my laziness/lacks quickly evolved into one of the more liked by me (though still has, and likely will have, relatively little airtime).

Barman must also be here. This guy stole my heart - and it was at the design stage, which is why he got such a unique design (I spent a lot of time on him). I like a stereotypical barman - that's why I just had to throw such a character into SATIM as soon as it turned out that they had a bar there.

All Strikers also land in this category - as the only species of members of the Butcher Gang. Well, how can you not love this cutie? In the SATIM version, most Strikers are sensitive, polite, have a strong sense of justice and, above all, tend to be innocent despite being horrific, murderous abomination. And they are the most sociable of the three.

Movie Club as a whole will also be included in this category, although I don't like all of its members equally. However, as a group character - I like them a lot, my favourite is Sara (probably that's why she got the most time in drawn stripes so far) and Simon (you don't know him yet, that's the one that was dead on the previous strip with this group), also Wallace (first one you met in comic). I like them, although their early appearance upsets my plans for Bendy a bit... but whatever.

Surprisingly - Twisted Alice will also land here. I did not expect that the character I didn't like in game, which I reluctantly drew and who was supposed to be in the comic as little as possible, 'cause I didn't want her in my story - will turn out to be so interesting and quite... cool. I mean, she's a cold, murderous bitch, yes - but I like her backstory, present character and behavior so much (I'm talking about SATIM - in the game she is still an annoying, cold bitch that I hate).

Third category: I just like these.

Here is Brody. Yes. Just here. He is my first OC and I'm really proud of him. Very, very proud. He’s the most polished, I like him - but at the same time (identifying with Sammy) I don’t approve of some of his behaviors and beliefs. Which does not allow me to like him as much as, for example, Barman.

John Dot will land here as well. I like this guy. For someone who was not meant to have any major role, he has grown to become Sammy's religious advisor and is generally quite a funny character.

Fisher, who is my least liked member of the Butcher Gang in the game, ends up in second place here - thanks to the past of one of them (the whole two-piece strip will be about that). The Fishers in SATIM are the "brains" of the Gang. They are the smartest, most cunning and insidious.

Wally Franks - he is and for a long time he will be one of the most enigmatic characters of this comic, but from these narrow premises and traces of its operation it can be seen that he is at least interesting. There will be more about him in the second series, and he will play a more important role at the turn of the third and fourth series. You'll see.

Tom ends up here instead of in the next category only because of his complicated relationship with Sammy, which I would describe in one word as "frenemies". And I really like the idea of communicating with writing board like Wile E. Coyote.

I have a problem with Elena. When I came up with her, she seemed like a great character to me, with the passage of time (and the creation of other OCs) she began to seem a bit... dull. I think I'll have to think about her a bit and maybe change her - maybe not. She doesn't appear until the last series, so I have a lot of time. But I still like the way she speaks to people and her strange relationship with Sammy (she's sort of like his apprentice, only the object of fanaticism has a different one).

Fourth category: Not liked, but not disliked.

Sorry, Henry. In my opinion, Henry is a well-written character, his nature fits so much to him, etc. But somehow I don't know how to liked him. In places it irritates me as much as Sammy. What I like the most about him is that he doesn't cause any problems with colouring and strips with more of him mean less work for me.

Boris - you don't know him yet (he has appeared in the background of one frame throughout the comic so far), so I have no way to relate, but let me put it this way... Boris is the perfect Boris, that super-copy Joey dreamed of. He is friendly, obliging, somewhat cowardly, but overall a great buddy. And like any ideal character - he's boring. Just boring. I prefer dramatic characters, with a past, with problems or at least an interesting, aggressive or funny character.

Allison lands here too. I don't like her in the game and maybe that's why in my comic she came out like this... I won't say that she lacks character or claw, but... not intriguing. This may change, but for the moment she is a character whose role is to be a "strong independent woman" and she has no other role. I think many people will like her because of that. Me not very much. I just don't like this type of character.

I almost forgot about poor Piper. This is a character that leaves me cold. In every Gang, he is more of a taunt object or a servant at everyone's beck and call (in Polish we say: "przynieś, podaj pozamiataj" - I think it should be translate as "bring, serve, sweep"). But for consolation I made Pipers the most various (different hairstyles, clothes, length of the wooden prosthesis).

Fifth category: I hate this one.

Joey. I created a motherfucker that I hate. But I must admit, this motherfucker is well done, you will see...

I guess I haven't overlooked anyone, and even included a few characters that have yet to appear. However, if I missed someone, please ask :)

#asknayia #SATIM #BATIM #spoilers?...#please don't make me tagging all the characters XD #Sammy and the Ink Machine #Bendy and the Ink Machine #my first list

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sailorbadger · 3 years

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Robin Hood episode ranking part 5 (10-1)

Finally, the top 10 of my Robin Hood episode ranking. The previous parts can be found here [link]. If you’ve enjoyed and/or hated my commentary or want to chime in with your own opinion, feel free to comment or send me an ask. So here it is, the top 10:

10. 3x4 – Sins of the Father

Watch 1x6 and then this one right after and tell me these aren’t the same episode. I fought so hard to get this episode to the top 10. At first I was shocked to find an episode in season 3 that I enjoyed this much, but here we are. This episode has the fun feeling of adventure that a lot of season 2 has. I didn’t remember much from this episode before my rewatch, and I was pleasantly surprised. Kate had a lot of potential at this point, and I don’t have much to complain about her besides her terrible braid. Tuck was a great therapist, and I enjoyed his scene with Edmund. The reason why I think this episode is a better version of 1x6 is because of the story of the guest characters. The biggest negative thing in this episode is the Much-Kate-Allan love triangle. But aside from that, I truly enjoyed this episode, and I don’t care what anyone thinks, this belongs in my top 10.

9. 2x7 – Show Me The Money

Marian finding out about her father’s death is one of the saddest things in the whole series. Allan and Robin’s fight is also amazing. Those two things are the highlights of this episode, and together with everything else in this episode they make this a great and fun adventure. Allan works so well as a bad guy, and it’s almost a shame he didn’t get to do this longer. I don’t have a lot to say about this episode other than that I really like it.

8. 1x4 – Parent Hood

In this episode we see for the first time someone dying for Robin. The episode is just very solid, and I originally had this on the number 5 spot on this list. The scene with Roy and his mother is heartbreaking. In this episode the Sheriff is finally becoming the unapologetic villain I love. I wish the fact that Gisborne had a bastard child he almost got killed had been brought up later on. Overall, this episode has always been one of my favorites, and it is the first one from season 1 I included in my rewatch.

7. 2x11 – Treasure of the Nation

I loved Prince John, so of course I’m going to love his mother. The queen is a delightful guest character, and she steals any scene she’s in. The real reason why this episode is this high on the list is Marian’s plotline. I love her and Allan’s interactions in this episode, and it’s great to get the Nightwatchman back after such a long time. It’s a shame that she had to give that role up, because as I said earlier, this is where a part of her character died. This episode also inspired us to have a conversation about how everyone would act like in an escape room, so it gets a few points for that.

6. 2x10 – Walkabout

I want to watch a play that is written, directed, and acted by the Sheriff. He is so wonderfully dramatic in this. Unlike in the season 3 finale, in this episode the idea of Nottingham being threatened is executed a lot better. I like how Allan tries to keep every option open for himself. The scene where Much finds out about Robin and Marian’s engagement is so sweet and touching. (In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love Much and want happiness for him.) This episode also highlights well the differences between how each of the characters approach their cause. It’s obvious that John just wants to do good, but he is unable to view the larger picture. This episode has the right amount of tension, and with a little bit of tweaking, it could have been made into a two-part season finale.

5. 1x7 – Brothers in Arms

When we were watching this episode, my friend was so tired that after the episode finished, I had to answer the question “Wait, was one of them Allan’s brother?”. This episode is the first one where the heroes truly fail, and even though they manage to just save Marian, she still ends up engaged to Gisborne. The scene with Allan and Djaq (and Will, because even though he doesn’t speak, he’s there, and it says a lot about their dynamic) is sweet, and it adds a lot to her character. The necklace storyline is intense and keeps the story interesting until the very end. I had not expected this to end up being the best episode of season 1, but then again, there were many surprises when I was making this list.

4. 2x12 – A Good Day to Die

I love this episode. It’s rare to get an episode where the characters just sit down and talk about their feelings. Allan has his small crisis and ends up switching sides. It’s also great to once more see someone punch him in the face. I love the scene where the Sheriff is practicing his speech like any good villain. Will and Djaq are cute, even if their scene is very cheesy. I wish they had gotten together a few episodes earlier or stuck around for season 3, so that we could have seen more of them together and how it affects the rest of the gang. The highlight of this episode, however, is Much’s speech. The line “just because I love you doesn’t mean I can’t hate you too” is one of my favorite lines in the whole series. It’s a shame that Much gets sidelined in season 3. The characters have to face each other and themselves, and it makes this episode stand out.

3. 2x9 – Lardner’s Ring

I love this episode. It’s the best fun adventure episode this series has to offer. The Fool is a wonderful guest character. Where did he come from? What are his motives? It doesn’t matter, he’s here for comedy and chaos. He’s living my ideal life. Robin’s proposal is very in-character and sweet. There’s so much comedy in this episode, but it doesn’t overshadow the more serious scenes. This episode provided us with a great and frequently used “I hope you’re enjoying it, Allan. I couldn’t live with myself if I were you” WhatsApp-sticker (the line may not be completely accurate since I don’t remember how it goes in English). This episode has everything I could want from a Robin Hood -episode. The only reason why it is not on the first or second place is that there are two episodes that are even better.

2. 2x5 – Ducking and Diving

No placement in this list was as difficult to determine as deciding between the first and second place. After a very long conversation and going back and forth with it many times, this is the end result. Ducking and Diving is a perfect episode. Trying to find the spy is like a round of Among Us. Allan’s conversation with Djaq and final confrontation with Robin are amazing scenes. Robin’s plan of making it seem like the spy is Will confused me back when I first watched the episode, but looking at it now, it’s one of Robin’s better plans. Matilda is also one of the greatest guest characters this show has, I would watch a whole show about just her life. Everything in this episode ties together nicely, and the plot works both in the context of this episode and for the whole series.

1. 2x4 – Angel of Death

If I could only show one episode of this show to someone in order to convince them to watch the entire series, I would show them Angel of Death. And it is exactly what I did when we started this very chaotic viewing (and rewatch for me). This episode has everything. The plot is amazing, and the characters work well. Joseph is a good character. He reminds me of an academic who is really passionate about one thing in his field, only to find out someone has done research on his thesis topic and disproved his whole theory. I like that John is the one to come up with the cure for the poison. But really, Will is the character that shines in this episode. He didn’t get an episode for himself in season 1, so it’s good to see it happen here. He flips completely after seeing his father die, and even though Luke doesn’t get a lot of time in this episode, the relationship between the brothers is portrayed well. Allan’s betrayal also gets a body count, which sets up him having to be unmasked in the following episode. On top of all this, the sheriff is just plain evil, which is fun to watch. This episode is just perfect, and at this point I’ve seen it at least three times in the past few months, and I would still watch it again.

So there we go, the full ranking of all RH episodes. This rewatch was my favorite so far, because I got to watch the show with someone who had never seen it before. I’d like to thank anyone who read this 6000-word essay on a show that ended well over a decade ago. You didn’t need to, but you did anyway.

#robin hood bbc #bbc robin hood #rh episode ranking #this is a long one but I wanted top 10 in one post #I fought so hard to get number 10 into top 10 #idk what my next rh take will be #I kind of want to rant about s3 some more #anyway if someone's reading this send me your takes on my ranking #I'm starved for attention

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intp-energy · 4 years

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Why Raelle and Scylla’s relationship works

So I felt like I needed to get this off my chest because of how some people are perceiving and reacting to their relationship right now. This is a long read, so brace yourself. :)

I like their relationship and while some may feel that their story was rushed or that they don’t have chemistry, we’ll have to look at the characters in isolation from each other.

Raelle. We have to remember that Raelle’s mother died just a year ago. She is still grieving and to be able to find someone you connect with and understands what you’re going through is a rare thing for her. To find someone who can make you feel like you want to live and to live everyday is very difficult if you’re grieving so when she found Scylla, she was thrown a lifeline and was given purpose to continue on. That would develop a certain co-dependence, which I think Scylla was really banking on given her initial objective. We also need to understand where Raelle grew up and how she grew up. Her father is human and in their world, that’s something that’s frowned upon. She was most likely considered weird — so again, to find someone as weird [or as sexy weird] as you, is a rare thing and you would want to cherish and protect that relationship. So when it came to the wedding, despite Scylla crashing it (which, yes, may not be proper etiquette - but remember, their world has different rules. Who knew that you’d have to enter into a contract just to keep a man for 5 years? Scylla participated in the wedding and was beside Raelle when the binding took place, so eventually, it kind of wasn’t really a big deal anymore), Raelle was very bleh about the reactions of Abigail and Tally. She was already very angry at the beginning when she couldn’t bring Scylla, would you really think she’ll be worried about what Abigail thought?

A whole lot of people thought Raelle was very selfish and didn’t think about her unit and that her unit should always be her focus. Apart from the reasons I gave above (being so deeply inlove and connected to another person who you would LIVE for; “I like doing everything because of you.”), we have to empathize with Raelle and figure out what she’s feeling. For me, I think before she met Scylla, she’s basically just forced into the institution that killed her mother and has no choice but to comply “I hate to break it to you, beautiful, but there is NO WAY OUT.” That feeling of helplessness will destroy anybody. Heck, she even wanted to go to the front line as soon as possible, had it not been made clear to her that she will be taking Tally and Abigail down with her. She doesn’t want to be there, but she also doesn’t want to be responsible for Tally and Abigail being in danger. She is still innately a healer, so helping others is a calling — just not a strong enough calling for her to want to live for it, but enough to not make her screw things up for her unit.

We’ve also been shown her family tree and it was a very small one. Having a bloodline that short could be very lonely and could make her believe that she was simply meant to just perish like all of her other ancentors. There wasn’t really a point in continuing, 1) she’s gay and will not get pregnant unless she wanted to, 2) she sees being a witch as somewhat of a curse (remember that she has a human dad, meaning she knows what it’s like to have a “normal” life and not be doomed to answer to a call that will come when you’re 18), and 3) if I were her, why would I want my children to suffer the same fate as our family had, I would rather end the bloodline. She is grieving and if you think it’ll take a mere year to get over someone so close to you, then you have a very good coping mechanism, unfortunately, not a lot of people get that because while you may have a good support system, grieving is still a process. She has no one, she only has her father who is grieving with her. It was meant to spiral.

Scylla. I think I’ve made my point about grief and like Raelle, Scylla is grieving. Her parents were killed and unlike Raelle who used depression as a coping mechanism, she used anger. She may very well have joined the Spree because of anger and because she wants to destroy the institution that took her family. If you have no one, yes, it feels lonely, but it also feels like nothing else matters. It feels like this blind hatred and revenge will somehow compensate for the grief and loneliness that you’re feeling. Maybe it’s also meant to dampen that sadness and convert that into something greater, something worth fighting for. She believes, as a dodger (always remember that she’s a dodger, she grew up with different ideals), that witches should have a choice and that choice is taken away because of the accord made hundreds of years ago. She believes that by joining the Spree, she could save the lives of the witches who were killed and hunted (like her family) because they wanted to be free. At this point, I don’t even want to comment on her redemption arc because we don’t even know which deaths she was directly responsible for. And again, I’m not making up excuses for her, but she truly believes in the cause and may believe that she’s saving more lives in the long run than the number of lives the Spree is taking. When I think about Scylla and the bad things she did, I think about Regina Mills, who took how many seasons to get the redemption she deserves. I don’t see why we can’t give Scylla the same. I don’t even want to go into the rabbit hole that is Villanelle and Eve. If you want to define toxic, that’s the pair, but it’s oh so delicious to watch, isn’t it?

I would like to point out that as dodgers, we know that Scylla would have been a social pariah. That was a very lonely way of living and was very self-deprecating; add the loss of her parents and she’s just a mess. As Helen Graves, she told Raelle that she’s weird, spooky, and generally separated from others because of her being a necro. She was very hopeful though because she wanted Raelle to be patient with her as she opens up. And to find someone who is very much willing to do that, that must’ve felt like she struck gold, but here lies the complication. She has a mission and she starts to question this because she’s developed feelings for Raelle. I couldn’t imagine how it must’ve felt for Raelle to include her and make her feel like SHE BELONGS - first, by introducing her to everybody (even at the wedding), and second, by fighting for her. So her reactions to save Raelle from the Spree is very authentic and it horrifies her because by saying I love you (and I choose you), she basically signed her own death sentence or she’s basically accepting the fact that she’ll be living her life running and not belonging. AGAIN. She was prepared to do it, though, so her decision to save Raelle wasn’t rash. She already developed the connection using the spell she did. When she said that it was so that she could say hi wherever Raelle was, she was essentially saying, so that I can keep the connection even while I’m running or being tortured, whichever the case. That must have been really hard on her - saying her last I love you, knowing she might not see Raelle anymore. So we really couldn’t deny that these two love each other deeply.

Their relationship. Okay, yes, it started as a mission for Scylla and desire (or at least an effort to feel alive) for Raelle, but because of the deep connection they have based on the stuff I wrote above, it makes perfect sense how they’re portrayed right now. Scylla is terrified that loving Raelle may harm Raelle in any way or may mean her own death and Raelle is terrified of losing yet another person she loves. These are two very closed off, very scarred, very deeply emotional, grieving people who found each other despite the circumstances. Of course, they’ll be awkward or sometimes it’ll feel like they have no chemistry; well, they’re protecting themselves from getting burned - they’re closed off and being careful. They are, individually, people who’ve been shunned by the world because of their circumstances. They have very different, mostly difficult, situations and upbringing and their priorities weren’t really supposed to be about love. They weren’t expecting it, they don’t know how to deal with it or act around someone who is getting very close to them - it was NEVER in their plans. Of course, it’ll look rushed, we don’t have a lot of episodes in this season. Of course it’s weird because we’re so used to the dynamic of one bubbly person paired with a broody person. It just so happened that they paired two very complex, very introverted (most likely INTP - check out MBTI if you want to know more) characters - and we’re not used to watching that. We’re used to the chase, we’re used to the giddiness, but the reality is that these people went through hell and are both still going through a lot. And the fact that they’re depending on each other in unconventional ways is something that people see as unusual or even boring. If you step back, it’s actually very beautiful and complex. Even the exchange of gifts was seen as creepy and weird, that’s exactly the point, they ARE weird, they ARE people who other people usually misunderstand. And that’s besides the point that, again, this is a different world. Their customs are different, some of the things they’re used to is different. We’ll have to look at their world in their lens to understand it better. So I do hope that before judging the relationship, fans of the show would sit down and really think about what the characters are going through. This isn’t the feel-good movie you want to watch and just not think about. It is very well-thought of in terms of complexity and world building. This is the type of series that will take you away from your current world and your biases and show you a different perspective and an angle you may not have considered before. Give it a chance, open your mind, and take the journey with the characters.

#motherland: fort salem #motherland fort salem #raelle x scylla #raylla #raelle collar #scylla ramshorn #taylor hickson #amalia holm

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fmdminhee · 3 years

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task. #famedrstask1.

notes: word counts are included with each individual answer! completed for +5 tracker points.

assuming your muse has changed in some way, be it internally or as a result of a change of the external factors around them, how is your muse different? these can be as small as an opinion on a song they hadn’t released previously or as big as a major change in their background. word count: 261.

minhee’s childhood prior to becoming a trainee is pretty much the exact same as before the restructuring. dance prodigy says fuck u crazy dance mom, i’m not gonna be maddie ziegler, and ends up becoming an idol. she started training a year earlier than before though, so she had a slightly longer training process! i think the most obvious change to everyone else is her faceclaim, which is now lee hyeri. buuuut if you take a look at her pages or app or anything else, you’ll see that she’s now a main dancer, lead vocal & rapper, rather than being a main dancer, lead rapper & vocal! this was sort of a selfish change on my part, because i wanted to open her up to some opportunities for solo work that wouldn’t have suited her before because of her position, but that would’ve fitted more along the lines of what i initially imagined for her image than the options actually available to her. she’s also been a lot happier for a lot longer, because instead of debuting with a concept she hated, minhee got to debut in ... an age appropriate group! if you look here, you can see some examples of what i thought of when thinking of minhee’s ideal group and ... yeah, lily lines up with that pretty well. not perfectly, but pretty well. she’s still dealing with her issues surrounding her family, her sexuality and her fear of aging, but for the most part, minhee’s a lot more settled, or even satisfied, in terms of her career.

what does your muse think of their company and their group? word count: 255.

let’s start with lily, minhee’s beloved. she loves her members, she loves the overwhelming majority of their songs, and she’s proud as hell of the legacy they’ve built up for themselves so far. to be honest, sometimes she it just hits her that oh shit, she’s minnie from lily! and oh shit, they’re basically the biggest girl group ever. no one tell her that candy inherited nation’s girl group or that ultraviolet are taking over the world, let her be dumb. no, but genuinely, she can’t believe the scale of what they’ve achieved sometimes. she doesn’t totally feel like she deserves all the love she gets. then there’s the company behind it all; bc entertainment. she wonders all the time if her mother would’ve went along with everything if it was any other company that minhee came home with a callback from. probably not. for that alone, she’s thankful. she sort of dislikes being portrayed as perfect and untouchable -- more silly and down to earth than a lot of her peers under the company, but still. it’s just part and parcel of bc’s status. the reason it gets to her is that she’s very much not that perfect girl next door that the company wants her to be, and she puts a lot of pressure on herself to live up to it. as such, minhee probably doesn’t take advantage of all of the resources being under bc allows her access to as much as she should, choosing instead to just grin and bear it.

is your muse on their first contract or their second? if they’ve renewed, what were their feelings around that at the time and what were their hopes for their second contract? if they haven’t renewed, what are their current thoughts on the end of their eventual first contract? word count: 260.

minhee is on her second contract. she renewed with bc in 2019 for a further seven years, which doesn’t feel like that long of a time. seven years seemed like a liftetime when she signed her debut contract in 2012, but it went by pretty fast for her. finding out what the rest of her members were doing was the most important thing for minhee when choosing whether or not to renew. with lily’s status in the industry, the money she made over the previous years, and the wealth belonging to her family, she felt confident that she’d be okay no matter what happened. a safety net. but her preference was always going to be to continue with the rest of lily if possible. she wouldn’t have forced the issue if the others didn’t want to though ... at least not on purpose. knowing minhee, she probably would’ve been crying all over the place and ended up messing with everyone’s plans like that. maybe she would’ve put out an ad like, “nation’s girl group in search of new agency. must be willing to take in four fully grown women and meet all of their demands.” as for the terms in her second contract, minhee was looking for some more royalties and some reassurance that lily would continue to receive the levels of resources and investment that they were already receiving from the company, as well as more opportunities for her to grow as a soloist. she didn’t want them falling by the wayside. she’s too young to be washed up!

what are your muse’s goals and motivations? word count: 259.

in terms of her career, minhee actually has some pretty lofty ambitions. her top two focuses are solo music and modeling, and they’re basically split an even 50/50. she wants to continue releasing upbeat solo songs, but as for the music itself, aside from some dabbling in lyrics, she’s happy to leave it to the professionals. her primary interest, aside from the obvious performance and promotion aspects, lies in developing her own choreography. for her own songs firstly, but also for lily’s songs, and maybe even others within the company. outside of bc remains to be seen. she’s been really inspired over the years by a lot of the dancers and choreographers that she’s worked with, even from before entering bc, and she’d like to inspire someone else some day too! and modeling ... i can’t lie, minhee just likes looking pretty and getting free stuff, so she’d like to do some more of that.

as for her personal life ... messy as hell! she still really wants to find love but still only goes looking for it with fuckboys. she wants to get closer with her dad and her extended family, but is finding it difficult to pull off while also keeping her mother at arm’s length. she also can’t help antagonising her mother because she’s a dumb brat. i don’t think minhee realises it yet, but she’s slowly coming to a place of self acceptance too. when she does realise it, i think that’s something that will really motivate her to be the best she can be.

what is one conflict, internal or external, that your muse is currently dealing with, has recently dealt with, or will need to deal with in the future? word count: 262.

i’ve talked in depth about minhee’s conflict over her sexuality here, which all still holds true, but i want to take this opportunity to talk about something else very close to my heart concerning minhee that i’ve mentioned once or twice in passing but never explicitly. minhee is autistic. she just doesn’t know it yet. some fun mun trivia is that i’m autistic! but, as is typical for a lot of afab people, i was basically an adult by the time it was diagnosed. you might say, hey sucy, stop projecting on your muses, but i say no! write what you know and all that. it’s kind of ironic though, because not even i realised minhee could very well be autistic until i’d written her for two years, and deciding took me another. and now she has to go through the diagnostic process again in character, smh me. anyways, yeah, minhee is probably going to have it suggested to her pretty soon while seeking some help for her anxiety about aging, and after that she’s gonna have to recontextualise her whole life because it’s truly like a lightbulb moment for a lot of people, myself included. suddenly everything that was weird to you growing up makes sense. it’s kind of a lot to wrap your head around, and would be for anyone, so writing about that for minhee is going to be interesting. i mentioned above that she’s been kind of moving towards self acceptance anyways, and i think this will be a very big turning point for her on that journey.

if your muse has established career claims, what are their thoughts on their career so far? if they do not, how do they feel about not having individual activities yet? what would they like to do in the future, if anything? if they don’t have ambitions for individual activities, explain why. word count: 277.

she does! her individual activities consist of modeling jobs and a couple of variety show cast positions, because i felt that these were the avenues she would’ve been pushed down up until more recently in her career, when her interest in choreographing for herself would’ve really taken off. minhee has really enjoyed her career so far. she feels settled within the entertainment industry, and that type of security is so sexy to her. the less chance that her mother can say i told you so the better.it’s kind of a big difference for her in terms of character actually, but this incarnation of minhee likes being on variety shows! she’s actually confident appearing on them! this is because of the difference in concept between lily and lipstick. lipstick’s minnie’s confidence took a long time to build up. lily’s minnie’s didn’t. she’d like to be on more variety shows in the future, especially something competition based, like dancing with the stars ... or masterchef, for a laugh, because she’d be the first person eliminated. and then, there’s the modeling. as mentioned a couple of questions ago, it’s something she wants to focus pretty tightly on going forward. her favourite brand that she’s been the ambassador for so far is crocs. she loves her crocs. she has, like, five different colours. crocs, please sign minhee again. working with etude house and kloud was pretty cool too though. sometimes she’s still able to swing free beers when she goes out. so, going forward, she wants to continue with those types of gigs, as well as pursuing more solo music and developing her skills as a choreographer, like i mentioned earlier!

#famedrstask1 #yes i did this instead of getting dowoon's intro ready!!! but ... now i'll go do that please love my silly middle child's changelog!!#yep . minhee's now the middle child of my kids that's crazy

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axwalker · 4 years

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Tears in Heaven 8: Revelations

Synopsis: Alexis O’Brien is about to get married but memories of her old life are coming back to haunt her.

Pairings: Liam x MC Drake x MC (TRR)

Warnings: NO ONE UNDER 18 should read this story. This is an 18+ blog.

This story will deal with very dark subjects such as death, severe depression and suicide attempt (among others) if you’re triggered by any of those issues, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS STORY

To catch up: Masterlist

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Word count: 6,495

Songs inspiration: Tears in heaven by Eric Clapton

Thank you, @burnsoslow for being the absolute MVP of this chapter. You helped me find my story back. And, of course for correcting my numerous English mistakes ... 😋 @mskaneko for creating the amazing GIF of Drake and Alexis. @pedudley Thank you for beta reading and your great feedback. I LOVE YOU ALL ❤️❤️!!

Liam adjusted his tie and put on his suit jacket. He sat on the bed next to Alexis, who was still sleeping, and ran the back of his hand over her cheek, careful not to wake her up. He had arrived late from Valtoria the night before, so they hadn't had a chance to talk after Bertrand's party. Since Drake's return, Liam was worried about Alexis and their relationship. She seemed different, nervous, on edge. He hadn't seen her that agitated since she had left the clinic three years ago. To make matters worse, Tom's birthday and that damned conciliatory hearing were taking place soon, only days from each other.

What if it was too much for her? What if seeing Drake brought back her old feelings for him? Maybe he should contact Rashad and ask him if the hearing was the only way to get the divorce. Liam couldn't bear the thought of losing her. After 10 years of loving Alexis, he would be damned if he was going to let Drake ruin their wedding and life together. Not now that Alexis finally loved him back.

Alexis stirred on the bed and opened her eyes. Liam smiled at her.

“Good morning, love." He leaned in to give her a soft kiss. "Were you able to work last night at the coffeehouse?"

Alexis knew that Liam wasn't going to be pleased about her afternoon with Drake. Liam was still jealous of him, and her old marriage was a sore subject between them. But she refused to lie.

Alexis brought her knees against her chin and hugged herself. "I didn't work much. I ran into Drake, and we talked for a while."

Liam stiffened. His eyes narrowed as he spoke to her. "What do you mean, 'you ran into him'? Is he following you?"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Please, Liam. Of course not. It was a coincidence. We just talked."

"About what?" Liam inquired.

"About our jobs, our new lives. Nothing important," she answered, uncomfortable with the questioning.

Liam observed her eyes darting; there was something Alexis wasn't telling him. "That's it?" he insisted.

"Yes, that's it." Drake touching her face hadn't meant anything. Liam didn't need to know about it.

Liam took Alexis's hand. "To be honest, I'm a bit nervous about that court hearing with him next week. I'd prefer it if you never had to see him again, darling."

"It'll be fine, Li. According to Rashad, the hearing is fast. In one week, we'll sign the papers, and then you and I will be able to marry. Don't worry," she reassured him with a smile.

Liam nodded. He took her hand and kissed it. "How are you feeling with… with everything else?" he asked, frowning.

Every year, when her son's birthday arrived, she broke, relieving his last celebration over and over again. Every year, Alexis wondered if she really had been that utterly happy or if her mind was idealizing her old family life. Every year, in the days preceding that date, Liam walked on eggshells trying to avoid the subject. Sometimes Alexis asked herself if it wouldn't be better if he'd force her to talk about her son. But it wasn't in Liam's nature. And she didn't want to burden him even more, so neither of them spoke about it openly.

Alexis tried to comfort him. "I'll be fine, Li. Thank you for everything you do for me. I mean it." She tugged Liam's hand, pulling his body to hers, and kissed him. "What time do you need me to be at the university for the Opening Ceremony?" she asked.

Liam aimed to improve education in Valtoria by creating as many schools and universities as possible. One of Alexis' duties as the future Duchess was to make an appearance on the day of the opening, cut the inaugural ribbon, and smile for the press: a job she hated but did to make Liam happy.

"At 11:00 sharp, darling. And I say this with all the love in the world: Please don't be late. Hana will be there waiting for you. Frantz will take you to Valtoria; he's the best driver there is."

"I can drive to Valtoria myself; I enjoy the road," Alexis said as she stood up and put on her robe.

"I'd feel better if he takes you, love. It's safer. And you'll be on time."

Alexis sighed; she was exasperated but didn't want to start a fight. "As you like. See you tonight at Valtoria for Leo's welcome dinner."

"Are you going to be alright with Milos there?" Liam asked, worried, again.

"Liam, please. I'll be fine." Alexis kissed him before stepping into the shower. "I better start getting ready."

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Hana Lee had been working for the Duke of Valtoria for five years. She was Liam Rhys' right hand. He was the person Hana admired the most in the world. Liam was handsome, intelligent, and worldly but extraordinarily kind and generous. He wanted to improve Valtoria in ways that Constantine, the former duke, hadn’t even imagined. Liam's enthusiasm was contagious; he truly loved his duchy, his people.

Hana would've loved to see him engaged to someone who shared his passion. The future duchess didn't seem very happy with her new role. Actually, Alexis never seemed completely happy anywhere. Hana had heard of her tragedy, like everyone else in Valtoria. She pitied her sincerely, but she wished that Alexis was more involved in her future husband's life. The duke was a formidable man. And his future wife didn't seem to appreciate him as much as he deserved.

Emily Black, Hana's assistant, was waiting for her with a coffee and the guest list for the event. They had been working together for three years, and more than her assistant, Emily was a close friend.

"Is she coming?" Emily's contemptuous expression told Hana that she was talking about Alexis.

"Yes, Emi, the future duchess is coming. The duke told me she'd be here at 11:00."

"She's always late. She's so lucky to have this life and share her bed with that delicious man, and she doesn't even realize it," Emily criticized.

Hana scolded her, "Emily! Please show some respect. That is the duke and the future duchess you're talking about, and there are some things you don't know about Alexis."

"Sorry! I just meant that the great and honorable Duke of Valtoria is extremely hot." Emily giggled. "Admit it, Han, you think so, too."

Hana shook her head, laughing. She would never confess it to her assistant, but she found Liam Rhys much more than attractive.

At quarter to eleven, Alexis came into the university in an elegant burgundy suit with nude heels and soft makeup.

"Alexis might hate to be a duchess, but she looks the part. She's gorgeous," Hana told Emily, slightly jealous. Of course Liam was in love with a woman like Alexis; he would never see Hana as anything else than his loyal right hand.

Emily shrugged. "Yeah, she's not ugly, and maybe today she looks fine, but she's not you. You're much more beautiful and poised, Han. You'd be a perfect duchess," Emily claimed, convinced.

Hana blushed. Making a difference in Valtoria was essential to her. But the handsome duke was her forbidden dream, and she would do anything for him. Including helping his fiancée.

"Ms. O'Brien. Good morning," Hanna said respectfully, when Alexis finally reached them. Emily excused herself.

"Please, Hana, as I told you before, you can call me Alexis. We'll have to work together often," Alexis said. She would've liked to have been closer to Hana. After all, they were the same age, and Hana seemed agreeable and smart. She could make a good friend when Alexis would be forced to move to Valtoria after the wedding. But Hana had always put a distance between them, and Alexis wasn't able to get past it.

Her old self would have been able to befriend Hana. Drake used to tease her because she loved to be friends with everyone she met. But Alexis' new personality wasn't happy and charismatic anymore. It was sad and bleak, tainted by tragedy. Alexis shook her head, sick of feeling sorry for herself.

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Drake woke up in good spirits, almost hopeful. For the first time in years, he would be able to practice as a veterinarian again. He hadn't realized how much he missed his career. Drake had been up all night going through his textbooks, files, and old cases. He was determined to be the best again. Before getting out of bed, Drake picked up the picture on his nightstand and sighed nostalgically. It had been taken two months before Tom's death, on a camping trip. In the photo, Drake had Tom and Alexis in his lap. He remembered laughing at Alexis' silly attempts to make Tom smile for the picture. Looking at it was painful, but the photo reminded him why he kept living, why he was fighting. Tom was gone, but Alexis was still there, alive. He took a cold shower and put on a blue shirt and a pair of jeans.

Before going downstairs, Drake stood in front of Tom's old room. Sadly, he thought that he would have to empty it. It wasn't healthy to keep it as a sanctuary forever. His heart tugged when he realized that he'd have to speak to Lexie about it. On the other hand, it might be a good thing for her to face reality instead of running from it. In any case, he'd have to talk to Alexis; it was a decision that they had to make together.

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After the opening ceremony at the university, Alexis decided to call Olivia and Maxwell. They agreed to meet in a bar downtown for cocktails.

Thirty minutes later, the three friends were sitting in a trendy pub with a dDirty mMartini, a glass of whiskey and a Cosmopolitan.

Olivia took a sip of her martini. She observed Alexis, who was absentmindedly fidgeting her engagement ring. "How are the wedding preparations going?"

Alexis flicked her hair. "Regina is in charge of almost everything. Li and I wanted something small, but the guest list is already up to 200 guests," she said, annoyed.

"In old Connie's defense, a 200-guest wedding is small for him. According to Father, Constantine and Regina got married in front of 500 people," Maxwell said while he stirred his Cosmopolitan.

Olivia arched her eyebrows. "Who cares? The point is that you don't want a big wedding, Alexis. I don't know why you don't say anything. The Lexie I knew would have never taken this shit."

"The Alexis you knew doesn't exist anymore," Alexis retorted.

"Yes, she does. Liam has convinced you that you're weak now and that you can't take care of yourself. But that's not true." Olivia paused to let her words sink in. "Look, I know that he means well. Li is a good man who loves you. And I understand that he's so protective of you, especially after you tried to … well, you know."

Maxwell gasped, interrupting her. It was the first time in three years that they had openly discussed the subject.

"Come on, Max, it's not like she doesn't know this." Olivia turned back to Alexis. "Liam saved your life, and since then, you've been playing these weird roles. You're the defenseless princess, and he's the knight in shining armor. And it suits you both. Liam gets to marry you, and you can finally stop living. You gave him all control of your life."

"What do you mean, stop living?" Alexis asked.

"Last time, Maxwell lectured me for an hour, so I'll try to say this as gentle as I can." Olivia took a deep breath. "You're not living your life anymore, Alexis. You're like a robot. You never talk about Tom. You're in a job you don't enjoy. You're committing yourself to a life that we all know you'll hate. You are with Liam because he makes you feel safe. Because you know he can't hurt you like Walker did. That's why you're with him. Which, excuse me, seems pretty damn selfish to me. You both deserve better."

Max shook his head. "That's gentle, Liv? What the hell!"

Olivia rolled her eyes. “I’m not apologizing for saying that. I just want Alexis to be the strong, independent woman she was before all of this. And for her and Li to be happy.”

“Do you think I enjoy this? Do you think I like feeling like this? I feel like my life ended five years ago. Most days I miss my son so much I can’t get out of bed. I’m aware I’m not the same strong woman that I was before. But believe me, Olivia, I’m trying.” Alexis paused to give herself the courage to say the rest. "You have to respect my relationship. And Liam." Alexis sighed. "Of course, it's not the same passion I felt for Drake when I was 19, but I'm not 19 anymore. My love for Drake almost killed me. The main reason I tried to end everything that day was because of my son, but a big part of me also wanted to die because Drake had left. The heartbreak of knowing that I had lost him forever almost killed me, too. Drake and I are over. That's final," Alexis stated.

"I know you’re trying, darling. And, I'm not saying that you should get back with Drake." Olivia saw that Alexis was going to defend Drake, so she raised her hand. "I get why he left." She squeezed Lexie's hand. "I can't even imagine how he felt when you said those horrible things to him. But I called Drake three months later, I told him how desperate you were, he promised to come back, and then he didn't. So, Drake doesn't deserve you, Alexis. The point is that you shouldn't marry someone you don't love when you're still clearly in love with someone else. Maybe you should be alone for a while," Olivia advised, as she had many times before.

"If you'd been in the cabin that day, you'd understand why he never came back. I broke him, Liv." Alexis' eyes watered. "Of course Drake hated me. I would never forgive myself for what I said to him. Never. But he's part of the past. A past that I'm trying to leave behind. Liam … Liam is my future," Alexis said, trying to convince herself more than her friends.

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Alexis had arrived at Valtoria that afternoon. She was reading in the duchy's library when Leo's eldest son entered the room. Milos was an adorable four-year-old. He was dragging a teddy bear and seemed lost.

Alexis closed her book and took him into her arms. He giggled when she lifted him.

"Hi, Milos! Are you lost, babe?" Alexis asked.

Milos nodded shyly. Alexis spun him around the room, and he laughed. "You like this, don't you, little bean?" She gave him a nose kiss. "You're so cute, Milos."

"I love you, auntie!" Milos screamed happily.

Her heart tugged. Milos' laughter was both blissful and painful. Images of her own son giggling and smiling as she played with him washed over her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she was happy to spend a few minutes with her nephew. The Rhys assumed that playing with Milos was too much for her, so they tried to keep the boy away. Alexis understood. Only one year ago, the mere thought of seeing a boy that age would've broken her. However, now that she was feeling stronger, she liked to spend time with him.

Liam walked in, and his heart sank, seeing Alexis with Milos in her arms. Every time after playing with him, she felt a bit sad and nostalgic. Liam believed that both feelings were a trigger for her. He took the boy out of her arms.

"I'm sure Leo and Amanda are looking for this little devil." Liam grinned at Milos. "I'll take him to them, my love; I'll be back in a few minutes."

Alexis wished that Liam wouldn't worry about her so much. Sometimes, his concern made her feel suffocated. And Olivia was right, she was an adult woman, capable of making her own decisions.

She stood up and took Milos back. “I’m going to be fine, Li. We’re just playing, aren't we Milos?”

The boy nodded happily. “Yes, auntie. I want to draw trees!”

“That is so cool, Milos!” Alexis kissed the top of Milos’ head. “Let’s go look for a piece of paper and some colored pencils.”

“I don’t think that is a good idea, my love,” Liam whispered.

“I do, Li. Trust me. It’s time.” Alexis kissed his fiancé and left the room with Milos in her arms.

Liam watched her leave the library visibly worried. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t think Alexis was strong enough yet.

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A week later, Alexis was getting ready for her court hearing. She looked at herself in the mirror and ran her hand over the dark circles around her eyes. She hadn't slept all night thinking about her son's birthday.

Liam was worried; he thought that seeing Drake was only adding to her stress. But Alexis was relieved to be seeing the only person who understood precisely what she was feeling.

Drake put on a grey shirt and a pair of black pants and went downstairs. As he poured coffee into his portable mug, his eyes set on the calendar glued to the wall. In two days, Tom would have turned eight. The memory of his last birthday was still alive in his mind, almost burning. He was grateful to see Lexie today: the only other person in the world who knew what he was going through.

Alexis and Rashad entered the family courthouse and found Drake already there, sitting on one of the benches.

"Hi," Alexis said shyly, as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Suddenly, she felt like a 19-year-old teenager all over again.

"Hi, Lex," Drake replied, smiling. His heart was beating abnormally fast.

"No lawyer?" she asked softly.

Drake shrugged. "I don't need it."

"Me neither!" she answered quickly. "Liam insisted. Rashad is only here in case we need him. Plus, he's a friend. He's Max's future husband; they're getting married in two weeks, at the beach in Portavira. The ceremony will be beautiful," she rambled.

Drake smiled at her reassuringly. Lexie always rambled when she was nervous. He extended his hand to Rashad. "Nice to meet the most patient person in the world," he said, smirking.

"There's been some talks about making the title official." Rashad laughed. "I'm crazy about him, though," he added.

Drake smiled. "I'm happy for you both; Max is one of the best people I know."

A marshal came out to the hallway. "Mr. and Mrs. Walker?" he called.

Alexis' heart leaped. She blushed crimson red, hearing her old last name.

"It's us," Drake answered with a firm voice and placed his hand on the small of Alexis' back to let her pass. The movement was soft and brief, but Alexis felt a jolt going through her body, awakening every nerve. She blushed again, ashamed of her reaction. Drake noticed it and smiled to himself, hopeful.

They entered a conference room. The judge was sitting at one side of a round table with her assistant next to her. Alexis and Drake sat across from them.

"Good afternoon, I'm Judge Gina Connors," she said, smiling.

Drake and Alexis answered back, so the judge proceeded, "First of all, I want you to know that this is a safe space. Nothing you say in here will leave this room." she paused to make sure they understood. "The purpose of this hearing is to figure out whether or not you can save your marriage. I'll ask you some questions, we'll talk, and at the end of the hearing, I'll leave you alone for a few minutes. I'll give you my assessment, but the final choice belongs to you. If you're not ready to make a decision at the end of the hearing, the court will give you one week to think about it. If your decision to get a divorce is final, we'll agree on the terms. If everything goes smoothly, my assistant, Tess," she nodded at a small woman with red hair and big glasses who was typing into a computer, "will send you the divorce papers in one week. Is everything clear?"

They both nodded. The judge looked at them over her glasses. "Let's start. I'll repeat your complete names for the record. Mrs. Alexis Jade Walker and Mr. Drake James Walker. Is that correct?"

Alexis and Drake answered in perfect unison. "Yes, Your Honor." They looked at each other and exchanged a small smile.

Gina Connors was 58 years old and had been a judge for almost two decades. She had seen hundreds of couples come and go out of her office, and she prided herself on having an impeccable instinct. Something about the Walkers told her that they still had a chance to save their marriage.

The judge read the papers that Rashad had sent her. "So you got married 10 years ago, in 2009. Is that correct?"

Drake nodded. He turned to watch his wife, but Alexis was suddenly occupied toying with her ring. Drake sensed her nervousness and almost reached out to hold her hand, but he restrained himself.

"You have a son, Thomas Scott Walker …" Suddenly, Judge Connors stopped talking. The room went silent while she read the boy's death certificate. The judge lifted her head and saw that Alexis was looking down, trying very hard not to cry. Drake had immediately covered Alexis' hand with his and was rubbing it with his thumb soothingly. Feeling instantly calmer, Alexis took a sharp breath and looked at the judge again.

"I'm deeply, deeply sorry. Most couples have trouble adjusting after the loss of a child, but I can give you the number of an excellent therapist who might be able to help you," the judge advised with empathy. Her chest tightened with sadness for the young, broken couple in front of her.

Alexis talked through the lump in her throat. "Thank you, Your Honor, but that won't be necessary." She folded her arms over her chest.

"In the documents that Mr. Domvallier filed, it's stated that you separated in 2015." The judge took her glasses off and leaned against her chair. "What happened exactly?"

Alexis rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It was my fault."

Drake shook his head firmly. "It wasn't your fault, Lexie."

Alexis raised her hand. "Please, Drake, let me speak. I've wanted to say this for a long time, but I didn't know how." Her eyes watered as she turned to look right into his eyes. Drake's heart broke, watching her struggle to speak. "I'm sorry. I was so angry at life and at our fate that I needed an outlet." Her voice broke, so she took another sharp breath. "But please, Drake, you have to believe me; it wasn't your fault. I don't blame you. I really, really don't. I know how much you loved him. Love him. I know you'd never have done anything to hurt him." Alexis started crying, and Drake couldn't take it anymore. He raised his hand and, very softly, brushed his thumb on her cheeks to wipe her tears.

"Shh, it's fine, Lexie. I know. Don't cry, I know." Drake tried to comfort her, but Alexis couldn't stop crying.

Drake took her hand and squeezed it. "Lexie, you have nothing to be sorry about. I know you don't blame me." Her eyes were still fixed to the floor, so he insisted. "Hey, Lex, look at me." Finally, her brown eyes met his. "I know, baby. Please don't blame yourself either."

The judge observed the exchange silently. After a few minutes, she asked, "What happened next?"

Alexis spoke. "I left our home because I didn't know how to deal with the death of our son. Drake tried to do everything he could. It was my fault.”

Drake shook his head. "Please, Lexie, stop protecting me."

The judge interrupted them. "I'll admit that I don't have a lot of couples in here who fight to take responsibility for the divorce." She gave them a benevolent smile. "Let's make this simple. Who left the marital home?"

They both answered at the same time. "I did." The judge smiled again.

Alexis added, "I did first. We fought, and I left. Drake must've thought that I wasn't going to come back, and he left for Spain." She looked sideways at Drake.

Judge Connors looked at Drake. "Is that true?"

"Yes. It is, Your Honor." He turned to Alexis. "I was a fool. I thought you were gone for good."

The judge nodded. She kept going through the documents. "In June 2015, you were committed to a psychiatric clinic," the judge looked at Alexis, "and Mr. Walker couldn't come back."

Alexis looked at Drake, puzzled. "What does she mean you ‘couldn't’?" she asked him.

Drake rubbed his beard. "Olivia called me to tell me how bad you were. I was desperate to see you, but the night before my flight back to Cordonia, I got into a stupid fight. I was sent to prison for almost a year; that's why I couldn't come back earlier."

Shock. Confusion. Surprise. Anger. Sadness. A mix of emotions invaded her. For four years, Alexis had lived convinced that the person she loved the most in the world had abandoned her because he hated her. Not one night had passed without her reliving the night she had lost him, over and over again.

Alexis was unable to talk. After a few minutes, she looked at Drake, wide-eyed. "You couldn't," she murmured. "That's why you didn't come back, because you couldn't." Her eyes teared up again. "Why the fuck you didn't tell someone, Drake? Max or Li? Someone?!"

"No one could help me anyway," Drake answered. "I wanted our friends to be focused on helping you."

Alexis ran her hand through her hair angrily. "Do you know how many nights I cried myself to sleep because I thought you didn't care? How many times I crumbled because I was sure you hated me?" Her eyes were filled with tears; her voice was trembling with rage. "I would have done anything to help you, Drake." Alexis threw her hands in the air. "Anything. You didn't have to go through that alone. And I would've known that you didn't hate me. It would've changed everything."

"I thought you hated me back then too," Drake replied simply.

"Why?" she asked, almost seething.

"Why what?"

"Why did you have to get into a fight the night before coming back? What was so important?"

Drake knew that he needed to be honest. It was going to be hard to talk about his feelings, but if he wanted a real shot with Alexis, it was the only way. "It wasn't about that. It's like you said, I was so fucking angry all the time that I needed an outlet. I hated myself, Lexie. The guilt was too strong; it became so unbearable that the only way to be able to breathe was to drink and fight. The physical pain made the grief easier somehow. When Liv called, I tried to leave that same day, but there weren't any flights available. I shouldn't have gone out that night; I wasn't thinking straight. I only wanted one drink to take the edge off the idea of seeing you again. But one drink became two and then three and then a bottle. And once the fight started, I lost all control of myself. I'm sorry, Lexie."

- It breaks my heart every single time I look at you. You're hurting me. You killed my son -

Her own horrible words came back, rushing at her. "No one knows better than me what it feels like, Drake. I'm sorry, too. It's just that I can't believe you went to prison. That you had no one there to help you." She paused, thinking about all the things they had lost. Alexis turned to the judge apologetically. "I'm sorry for my outburst, Your Honor."

Judge Connors smiled at her playfully. "I'm a family judge. If someone doesn't yell at a hearing, I feel like I'm not doing my job correctly." She turned to Drake. "Continue your story, Mr. Walker," the judge demanded.

"I came back to Cordonia when I was released, but Lexie wasn't ready to see me," Drake explained.

Alexis shook her head in disbelief. "Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

Drake pinched the bridge of his nose, reluctant to tell the truth about Liam. Again, he decided to be honest. "I came back when you were about to leave the psychiatric clinic, but Liam thought that it was better if I didn't see you. I agreed," Drake said, placing his hand on his chest, "so I went back to Spain."

"You came back," Alexis muttered. "You came back for me. Liam knew how much I missed you. Why did he do that?"

Drake's heart leaped in his chest. Alexis had been waiting for him all that time, and he had failed her. He should have known better. "Of course I came back, Lexie. You were the only thing on my mind all that time. I didn't think about anything else. I tried to be the perfect inmate, so they'd let me out sooner and I could come back to see you. You have to believe me that when I was in prison, I didn't know that you had tried to --” Fuck, it was hard to say. “ -- to kill yourself."

Alexis nodded. "I believe you, Drake." She hesitated before asking, but she needed to know. "And Liam knew? All this time, he knew?"

Drake knew that Liam was Lexie's rock. He didn't want her to feel lost, so he decided to leave the suicide letter out of the story. "Liam didn't know I had been in prison, Lexie. And I'm sure that he honestly thought that it was best for you if we didn't see each other. I believed it too," he answered honestly.

"So, both of you decided for me what I wanted, what I needed?" She was beyond angry.

"We were just trying to protect you."

"From you? You were the only one who could've helped me." Her voice broke again.

Drake's heart jumped at her last words. "No, not from me. From strong emotions. You weren't ready."

Alexis didn't reply. She needed to speak with Liam.

"Well," the judge finally intervened, "after what I observed here today, I don't think you should file for a divorce so fast. I'll leave you alone for a few minutes, but my professional opinion is that you shouldn't make any decisions today. As you know, you can make a request to postpone the decision for a week, or, better yet, suspend the process altogether." The judge stood up and left, followed by her secretary.

Alexis stood up and opened the window. She needed fresh air. Drake stood up as well and cut the distance between them.

"Are you okay, Lexie?" Drake asked, worried.

Alexis nodded. "It's just that all these years, I was so sure of everything. I thought you hated me. I thought Liam was perfect."

Drake shook his head. He had to be very careful if he didn't want to scare her off. He took another step and raised his hand, slowly placing it on her face. "I could never hate you, Lexie." She didn't move, so Drake raised his other hand as well, cupping her face. "I love you, Alexis. Like crazy, like a madman. Even more than 10 years ago." He sighed. "I miss you so fucking much, baby. I miss everything about you. Give me another chance. Give us another chance."

Alexis' heart was beating so fast that she was sure that Drake could hear it. He was only a few inches from her. His manly presence was intoxicating her, making it impossible for her to think straight.

And for a minute, she considered it. She thought about leaving everything behind and running away with Drake. But Liam's image popped into her head. Despite his lie, he had done everything for her. He had saved her; he had helped her to come back to life. She took a step back.

"I'm sorry, Drake. It's too late now. I can't do that to Liam."

Drake took a step in her direction. "You're the only reason I still fight, Lexie." He looked at her, at her flushed cheeks, at her nervousness, at the way she was avoiding his eyes. "I know you still love me too, Lexie."

"I don't." Her trembling voice betrayed her. She darted her eyes to the window. Drake took a step towards her.

Drake took her chin with his hand and raised it to him. "Repeat that looking at me."

Her breath hitched; they locked eyes with each other, both knowing that she wouldn't be able to repeat it.

Drake loved that Alexis was still using the same cherry fragrance that she used when they were together. He smiled, thinking of the numerous times he had inhaled her scent while he made love to her. Drake would do anything to kiss her again. To feel her again.

Drake's eyes turned to her lips. He leaned in and whispered, "I'm going to kiss you now, Lexie. If you want to stop me, just say the word and I will."

Heat rose from Alexis' stomach to her chest. Drake's lips were getting closer, and her heart skipped a beat; the smell of sandalwood was mesmerizing. His large hands were tenderly rubbing her face, but she felt them everywhere. Alexis parted her lips and felt Drake all over her, filling all her senses as the taste of him nearly silenced all her guilt.

Drake's heart pounded in his chest as every breath he took smelled like cherry. He pulled her in, claiming her mouth again, hungry and intense, until her knees gave in. She tasted precisely as he remembered. Her lips felt so soft on his. As his tongue explored her mouth, he decided that he was never going to let her go. Alexis was his, and he was hers. It couldn't be any other way. Alexis got lost in the kiss for a few minutes until Liam's face came back to haunt her.

She gently pushed Drake away. "I'm sorry, Drake. I can't. It's too late now. Liam-"

"I know. You can't do this to him," Drake said, disappointed.

"No, I can't! Liam not only saved my life, but he fought day and night to make me happy again. Liam lied, yes, but he doesn't deserve this. I'm not going to leave him, Drake. I'm sorry." Alexis felt her heart breaking, but she added, "It's too fucking late for us."

"Just one week."

"What?" she asked, puzzled.

"Just give me one week. You can't possibly make a decision right now. Not after everything you just heard. And you can't lie to me, Lexie. I know you're not happy." Drake looked at her. "I'm just asking you to take one week and really think about this. If, in the end, you're still sure that you love Liam and want to divorce me, I swear, I'll sign the papers."

Alexis tucked her hair behind her ears. She couldn't resist Drake’s pleading eyes. "Alright, one week, so we get used to the idea. But that's it."

Drake shook his head no. "You have to promise me that you'll think about everything that happened here today; please, Lex."

"Ok, I promise," she assured him.

Judge Connors and her secretary reentered the room and sat in their chairs.

"Did you reach a decision?" the judge asked.

"We'd like to take one week to think about it," Drake replied. He couldn't help the hopeful tone in his voice.

Judge Connors smiled. Her intuition never failed. "You have one week to reconsider. At the end of that week, if you still want to, you have to come back here to sign the agreement for the divorce," she paused and added, smiling, "but if I'm honest with you, I prefer if I didn’t see you ever again."

She stood up and shook their hands.

They both went out of the building in silence. Rashad was waiting for Alexis.

"Was everything all right?" he asked.

"Yes, Rash, thank you. I'm sorry that you had to come here for nothing."

"Well, I have to verify the divorce agreement. Is it ready?"

“No, it’s not. We asked for one more week,” Alexis replied without further explanation.

Rashad arched his eyebrows. He hadn't known them as a couple, but even after a few minutes with them, their chemistry was palpable. He worried about Liam, though; the duke wasn't going to be exactly happy about the news. "All right, let me know what you decide."

"Rashad, please, don't say anything to Liam yet. I'll tell him in person, but he's in Valtoria today," Alexis pleaded.

"Don't worry, Alexis, I won't. It was nice to meet you, Drake."

"Same, man; give my best to Max," Drake replied.

"I will! Bye, darling." Rashad kissed Alexis on both cheeks and left.

Drake looked at her, unsure of what to say. They were both exhausted. Alexis probably needed time to process everything that she had heard that day. Drake walked her to her car.

"Are you okay, Lexie?"

She nodded slowly. "I am."

"I know you're strong, but this was a lot to take in."

Alexis bit her lip: her universal sign when she hesitated to say something.

"What's going on, Lex? You can tell me anything."

"His things." Alexis turned to Drake as she played with her ring again. "What are you doing with them?"

"I was actually thinking about emptying his room. What do you think about that?" Drake asked carefully.

She nodded with tears in her eyes. "I understand. I don't know how you do it, to live in the cabin with his room still intact." She surprised herself by asking, "Can I be there?"

Drake gave her a sad smile. "Of course. When do you want to do it?"

"I don't know." She hugged herself, feeling suddenly cold.

Drake had to actively stop himself from hugging her as tight as he could. "I thought that we could do this on his birthday. We hate that day anyway. Maybe it'll be less horrible if we're together."

Alexis nodded slowly. "Maybe." She thought about it for a few seconds. "I agree. Let's do it next Wednesday. We'll see each other only for that." She looked at Drake knowingly and he nodded.

She looked for her car keys until she found them at the bottom of her bag. They stared at each other; Drake leaned in to kiss her on the cheek as he brushed her face with his fingers longingly.

"See you Wednesday, Lexie."

She smiled, flustered. "See you Wednesday, Drake."

Alexis got into her car and drove away.

Drake was right; she had a lot of things to consider and think about. But at that moment, she was more furious than anything else. Alexis couldn't understand why Liam had lied to her all those years. She decided to go to Valtoria immediately. Her conversation with Liam couldn't wait another day.

PERMATAG (Drake x Alexis): @ac27dj @twinkle-320 @kimmiedoo5 @marshmallowsandfire @loveellamae @burnsoslow @mskaneko @pedudley @lauzales @debramcg1106 @ravenpuff02 @pug-bitch @princessleac1

TIH: @ao719 @yukinagato2012 @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @cordonia-gothqueen @bebepac @nomadics-stuff @cordonianroyalty @hopefulmoonobject @msjr0119 @forthebrokenheartedthings @bascmve01 @marshmallowaremyfavorite

#axwalker writes #tw grieving #tw child death #tw depression

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itsclydebitches · 4 years

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Why do you like Lore Olympus? I'm genuinely curious because I've seen a lot of harsh criticisms toward the comic, from its inaccuracies regarding its use of Greek Mythology to the plethora of harmful queer stereotypes. I tried reading it myself but honestly, if you took out all the Greek Mythology references and naming, it just seems like another "far older man courts a barely adult woman" love story with bad queer rep thrown it.

Happy to explain! Let’s tackle what’s perhaps the most complicated aspect first.

As a former Classics major I can tell you that there is no “Greek Mythology.” Meaning, there is no singular Greek Mythology that can be referenced and consulted in any uniform way. Which is a really difficult thing to conceptualize in an age of print publications and careful record keeping. Unsure about whether Harry ever cursed Draco with such-and-such hex? Re-read the Harry Potter books to find out. Want to claim that Sherlock was horrible to Watson and frequently insulted him? We can comb through Doyle’s shorts stories and novels, tally every insult, and find out. These are canons and, as messy as the term “canonical” has become with more adaptations and transmedia storytelling, most characters have a set, fixed existence that we can return to and use as evidence. Not so with Greek Mythology. Born of oral storytelling, there are a hundred different versions of every myth, some changes more stark than others. Some of those versions were written down. Then written down again (differently). Then written down again (differently still). Then we realized they were almost all being written down by men and huh, I wonder if that has any impact on how they framed the story (spoiler: it absolutely does). And all of this doesn’t even take into account the issue of translation. Regardless of what Ovid may have put down on the page, you’re going to get a different experience depending on whether you read Melville or Gregory. There’s a reason why everyone was so excited over Emily Wilson being the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English. Her perspective and her experience as a woman by default changes the way she approaches the text. Even something as simple as a single description can have a HUGE impact depending on how it is translated. Take this excerpt from a NYT article:

“The prefix poly,” Wilson said, laughing, “means ‘many’ or ‘multiple.’ Tropos means ‘turn.’ ‘Many’ or ‘multiple’ could suggest that he [Odysseus] is much turned, as if he is the one who has been put in the situation of having been to Troy, and back, and all around, gods and goddesses and monsters turning him off the straight course that, ideally, he’d like to be on. Or, it could be that he’s this untrustworthy kind of guy who is always going to get out of any situation by turning it to his advantage. It could be that he’s the turner.”

Is Odysseus a poor victim turned around by monsters and fate, or is he a schemer capable of turning it all to his advantage? It all depends on how it’s translated and whoever wants to make a case for Odysseus being a “good” or “bad” guy can point to this translation as evidence… or another. Or another. There are just too many versions for anyone to definitely say what these gods and others are “really” like.

I put so much emphasis on this because the biggest criticism I’ve seen leveled against the comic is the characterization of Apollo. He would never rape Persephone! How dare you twist his character like that! Except Apollo isn’t a character that exists in a fixed canon. He belongs to an overwhelming corpus of complicated, contrary, contrasting myths… and yes, in some of those he raped. Arguably. It, again, comes down to translation and interpretation. Take this excerpt from Nancy Rabinowitz’s paper “Greek Tragedy: A Rape Culture?”

Creusa, raped by Apollo years ago, conceived a child and abandoned him… For the purposes of this paper, I have to address the question of whether Creusa was in fact raped by the god. Hermes mixes the terminology in the prologue; he asserts that the god Apollo “yoked the daughter of Erechtheus in marriage (γάμοις)”, but he also says “by force (βίᾳ)” (10-11). Ion later (1524-25; cf. 341, 325) wonders whether Creusa was really raped, or whether she was just alleging that the god took her by violence to cover up an indiscretion of her own – a similar situation could be imagined in our own day, where false allegations may arise from young girls’ fear of confessing consensual relations to their parents. Lefkowitz argues that women tend to cooperate in their seduction by a god. While it might seem obvious that Ion is simply wrong, there is the further implication that though Apollo raped Creusa, she also desired him” (11-12).

So if we’re looking for evidence that Smythe’s interpretation of Apollo is the “correct” one, it exists… depending on what you read and how you choose to interpret it: whether a mortal woman can ever truly give consent due to the power difference between her and a god, whether it was safe to say no, whether she might have lied to protect herself, whether it was something a part of her desired but perhaps didn’t entirely want, etc. It’s that last bit in particular—those difficult questions—that Smythe explores in her comic. Persephone wants to explore her sexuality. She wants a way out of her virgin obligations. But she’s also pressured into sex by Apollo. He doesn’t stop when she expresses discomfort. She doesn’t feel safe asserting herself and telling him to stop. It’s rape, but it’s a far more complicated situation than the rape scenario of “Evil man forces himself on woman in the back of an alleyway” and Smythe treats the tragedy with nuance and respect, even in a comic filled with so much humor.

The people I see most upset about Lore Olympus are those who talk about the gods and their associated mortals as if they’re characters out of a book. They read one version once—or maybe two—and, as is natural in the 21st century, decided that This Is How The Story Goes. Even though every academic would be losing their mind over such definitive statements as, “Such-and-Such would never do this.” That’s simply not how records this ancient, sporadic, political, and downright messy work. So as someone with some knowledge of how Greek Mythology functions, I’m not at all put off by the comics’ “inaccuracies.” Because they’re simply not inaccuracies, just interpretations. Not liking those interpretations is fine, but that doesn’t mean Smythe was wrong for providing them.

As for the rest, I’ll try to limit myself to bullet points:

The age difference between Persephone and Hades is definitely A Thing and I admittedly didn’t realize that was the case when I started reading. I assumed that Persephone, like most of the cast, was hundreds/thousands of years old and just had a child-like personality. I basically realized around the time Hades did that she’s so young. That being said, the issue of age differences changes for me once you reach such insane ages. That’s why I still ship Ozqrow: Ozpin is hundreds of years older than him but at that point he’s going to be older than everyone. Always. Limiting his ships to only those who are close to Ozpin’s age means you can’t ship him at all (unless you ship him with Salem post-grimm pool and… no). It’s a similar situation with Hades. Yes, there are plenty of gods his age that he could date (and indeed he does) but he is always going to be thousands of years older than Persephone. She can literally never catch up to him, so if someone has an issue with the age gap then they have to accept that it will simply never go away. They can never be a couple in which case yeah, then the comic just isn’t your thing.

Really, I think the bigger issue is not the gap itself but Persephone’s age, period. Again though, I appreciate that Smythe treats the situation with a great deal of respect. This isn’t a story of a much older man hunting a younger woman. It’s the story of a much older god who, like me the reader, assumed he had fallen for a slightly younger goddess… and then freaked out when he found out he was wrong. He’s called out for his ignorance. Others are incredibly protective of Persephone. They both try to stay away from one another and find themselves struggling. Which, to be frank, is an interesting dilemma to me. And it’s one I’m more interested in with gods as characters as opposed to humans. Because it feels less predatory to me. A man going after a much younger woman is threatening in part because we’re mortals who have so much to lose, including our youth. If you enter an abusive relationship that alone is horrible enough, but it also means you’ve lost all those years and all that experience to toxicity. When a god goes after a much younger goddess… they’re kind of static. They have eternity stretching out before them. Persephone potentially “losing” ten years to a relationship with Hades just isn’t the same thing as a mortal losing ten years to a relationship of their own. Gods, though they seem quite human, simply aren’t and thus for me questions of morality and what’s ethical in any given situation changes. We have a cast who, when Eros gets upset and murders a whole bunch of humans, Zeus shrugs and says they’ll just make more. Their concept of right and wrong differs from ours and it invites the reader to apply that to every situation: is it as wrong for an older god to go after a 19yo goddess as it would be for an older man to go after a 19yo woman? Many readers may decide it is—to some extent the text decides it is—but the story still possesses ambiguity and invites the reader to grapple with it. That’s compelling.

Connected to this, I like how much agency Persephone has throughout the series. She’s very much a character who defies expectations, particularly when it comes to her sexuality. Far from being a meek, vulnerable woman who is preyed on by Hades, she is making constant, active decisions about her own romantic and sexual encounters. Even if that decision is just acknowledging how unsure she still is: does she want to remain a virgin? Does she want Apollo? Does she want Hades? Is it okay to make out with Ares? Wear this very short dress? Get drunk? Explore a city? Invite this person over? Have feelings for your boss? Persephone is grappling with a lot of questions that don’t have easy answers and the fact that the story gives her the room to do that grappling is fantastic. I’ve spoken before about my dislike of the Strong Female Character—someone who is not just physically intimidating but who also never, EVER hesitates. She knows precisely what she wants and she’s going to take it! Which is a great portrayal of one kind of woman… but I’m not that kind. I hem and haw and am anxious like Persephone. So for me it’s refreshing to see a story that paints uncertainty as strength. She’s allowed the space to be unsure and confused and is never belittled for that.

Honestly I’m not sure what the issue with the queer rep is? Beyond the fact that Lore Olympus doesn’t seem to have any (unless I’m forgetting some. Very possible). Which, admittedly, is far from great, but if I dismissed every story due solely to a lack of queer characters I would limit a lot of my potential media. So for me, personally, that’s not a deal breaker. Taking a stab in the dark, I’ll make an assumption that people are upset about certain characterizations like Eros? Which, fair. But we also have the flip side that effeminate, flamboyant men do exist. It’s another complicated, touchy subject, but there’s a fine line between enforcing stereotypes and acknowledging that those stereotypes often do arise out of something. Some people hate the media image of the queer kid decked out in rainbows. Other people look at their own wardrobe and backpack and go, “Actually… yeah. That can be accurate.” For me stereotypes are primarily an issue given their prevalence. It’s an issue when that’s the only way queer characters are portrayed, but Lore Olympus doesn’t have that problem because, again, it’s focused on het relationships. Eros might potentially be a (non-confirmed?) queer stereotype… or he’s a battle-hardened warrior who also likes to gush about gossip while baking, the sort of complex gender portrayal that people claim to want. It depend on how you approach it. So no, Lore Olympus isn’t breaking any ground with queer rep but, as said, I do appreciate how it treats sexual assault—among other sensitive, relevant issues. It’s a trade-off. No piece of media is going to be perfect. I could say the same thing about so many great stories. The Mandalorian doesn’t have any queer rep! No, it doesn’t, but it is giving us a fantastic story about a bounty-hunter turned dad that challenges a number of Western gender assumptions so… trade-off.

I likewise enjoy that characters call one another out on shitty, toxic behavior without completely losing who those characters are. (Again, supposedly who they are based on the lecture I gave at the start lol). Meaning, it would be kind of weird if Zeus wasn’t a womanizer. That’s what we expect of him, so changing that would likewise change one of the most fundamental aspects of what makes Zeus-Zeus in the general public’s perception of him. But we still have scenes of Hera and others calling him out on that shit, so it’s a balance between modern sensibilities and character expectations.

The characters overall are just wonderfully complex. Persephone doesn’t seem so at first glance, but that’s partly the point: she’s nothing like what everyone assumes she is and it’s those assumptions that she’s learning to push back against. But overall Smythe has a real knack for emphasizing the human (or god) complexity. We hate Eros for helping Aphrodite punish Persephone. Then we feel bad for him because of his sob story. Then we pull back because he’s called out for being a dick and making himself look like the victim. Then we come to the realization that his side of the story was still accurate in many ways and finally end on… he’s flawed. He’s just a flawed person. He’s not a saint. He’s not the devil. He’s a guy who screwed up one moment and did something good the next. Perhaps it’s just me coming out of the nonsense that was Volume 7 of RWBY, but it’s refreshing to read a story where that complexity is emphasized and (most) flaws are forgiven while still being acknowledged.

Overall I just find it to be a fun, entertaining story! lol. The artwork is beautiful. The humor is great. There’s a nice balance between plot and introspection. There are issues with the series, sure, but none thus far have kept me from enjoying the experience of reading it. I fully support anyone’s right to go, “Nope. Not for me.” For any reason. But I also feel like Lore Olympus is a good example of Tumblr’s recent emphasis on pure media: it must be PERFECT. Otherwise chuck it in the bin. Lore Olympus does a lot of the things that people on this site call for. Respectful depictions of assault. Emphasis on mental health. Storytelling from a woman’s perspective. Numerous types of woman characters. Being careful about who engages with sensitive material and how (each chapter that contains such issues has a trigger warning at the start, impossible to miss). Lore Olympus does a lot right… and some things wrong. Which is what we would expect of any good story. So it feels disingenuous of me—if not outright dangerous—to paint it as worse than I actually think it is. I want media to continue to improve, but I also don’t want to scare off authors from even trying because they were raked across the coals for not creating perfection. Smythe, to my mind, is definitely trying and that should be acknowledged.

#Anonymous #rape tw #lore olympus #greek mythology #mymetas

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randomnumbers751650 · 3 years

Text

Sometimes people ask a thing like “how did it get so big?” This is almost like any meme in the internet and sometimes even whatever is in the Top 10 bestselling books of any list. Due to being a historian of economic thought, I’m study the ascension of the idea of the entrepreneur as a hero, how it happened and its consequences, both good and bad. Therefore, I couldn’t avoid Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged. It wasn’t a good experience and I’ll talk more about it under the cut.

I think we all know how much of a controversial person Ayn Rand was. But it worked. She’s one of the most influential writers of the 20th century whether we like it or not. Like, a lot of people say she hates the poor and minorities. It’s even a meme, like there’s a joke SCP that makes everything it comes into contact unnecessarily verbose and one of the incidents was a sticky note written “I hate poor people” that becomes a copy of Atlas Shrugged.

After reading her work, I can safely say these are traps she set up in her own work. Not only that, these traps hide the true problems of her work.

In first place, we need to consider her demographic target. That wasn’t me, if I wasn’t researching, I wouldn’t even bother reading it. Like, I remember I saw in the internet a game called “The Jihad to Destroy Barney” and someone commenting: “because 20-years old thinking they’re funny were obviously the demographic target of Barney the Dinosaur”. Rand knew what her demographic target was, after working in Hollywood for so many years.

One might think that her demographic target was people like her, but it’s wider than that. Through all her book, producers (she doesn’t use the word ‘entrepreneur’, but it’s obviously the same) are the protagonists. Dagny shows her dedication to her railway, always looking for ways to improve it, to hire the best people to work with her, to deliver the best product she can, always treating others with respect. All the producers are people full of passion for what they do. They do not just for the money, they do it to express themselves (but still want/should be paid).

Meanwhile their enemies are the government organs that want to curb them, by introducing legislation to make everything equal, like people are forbidden to be fired, prices are controlled and so on. And they are evil, they are hypocrites who don’t really believe in the altruistic values they spouse or they are too dumb to realize they’re being hypocrites. They are always men in position of power, evil bureaucrats, quisling industrialists, hypocrite union leaders (though the union leader, Fred Kinnan, interestingly is the most sympathetic of the villains, and actually gets away scot free, to the point some think he’s a Galt agent undercover).

Rand aimed for the real life entrepreneur identify with the “heroes”. All the companies have names of their founders in their titles, Taggart Terminal, d’Anconia Copper, and so on. Their enemies show their true faces by naming themselves with abstract titles, like National Union and so on. She aimed the person who ever had to deal with the Health Department, with the Labor Department, who has to fills forms and more forms and say “Wouldn’t the world be a terrible place if it wasn’t for you? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you didn’t have to do all of this? If you just had the opportunity to truly express yourself? Free from the prying eyes of government inspectors? Rejoice, because I have the answer!”

Rand answers this with the Galt’s Gulch – a utopia of freedom, where the word “give” is taboo, while leaving the outside world of looters and moochers to destroy itself. All the producers are gathered to escape the terrible collectivist world around her. Everyone has money and, since they’re all enlightened by the principles of greed and selfishness, the prices are small, even symbolic. Monopolies are good and rivals are always being taken down, and they rejoice with it, both winner and loser, because they contributed to the expansion of human spirit.

When John Galt says “I swear – by my life and my love of it – that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine”, he’s implying all men who belong to this valley. They are not ashamed of taking low jobs, because they know their true power is what they do with their minds and hands. Francisco is shown to be perfect in everything he does, makes one think he’s a Gary Stu, but it’s because, according to the book’s philosophy, if you’re a true man, anything you do you become the best. For this reason, Galt’s Gulch is quite diverse, because it has not only industrialists, but also factory workers and small businessmen who share their ideals. And not only workers, but also artists, intellectuals and others.

This is why I think the argument “this books hates poor people” might not be accurate. The low worker whom Eddie Willers meets in the beginning is actually John Galt in disguise. This I think it’s the most important part to understand why Atlas Shrugged was so influential with small businessmen when published: John Galt is where the Übermensch and the Everyman meet. “Who is John Galt?” Anyone can be John Galt – the same way anyone can be Bella Swan, anyone can be Ritsuka Fujimaru (at least before the 5th singularity), anyone can be Kirito Kirigaya – the idealized self of the entrepreneur.

Thus, one is not born a “man”, but becomes one. Dagny and Hank’s entire character development is to become “men”, to learn to love themselves more than what they create, no matter how passionate they are. This contrasts with Eddie Willers, Dagny’s right hand man, probably the most tragic character of the tale.

Eddie loved the railway just as Dagny. He’s been her friend for so long, and even developed feelings for her. But the book constantly observes that Eddy doesn’t have the capacity to lead something as important as a railway. But he does it nevertheless, dedicating all his resources and passion for the railway. But, unlike Dagny, he doesn’t learn to look for greater things. Thus, he ends the novel stuck in a railway, defeated and probably left to die.

This is controversial, so much everyone still discusses his fate. In the movie adaptation, they deviate from the novel by having the heroes making a point to rescue him from his fate. In Jennifer Burns’s biography, she mentions a letter Ayn Rand received asking about Eddie and she replies that in a collectivist society, Eddie would’ve perished, while in a free one he’d be living okay. Nevertheless, this reveals a truth about that world: not everyone will become a “man”. Eddie would never become a “man”.

Since pity is against Galt’s doctrine, Eddie cannot be pitied. He has to live under the mercy of his Galtian overlords. He has only two options: either worship the feet that trample him, expecting his breadcrumbs fall from their banquet table, or to question his place in the world, thus denying that A is A, and be trampled harder. It really doesn’t matter his kindness, his dedication, he’s not a “man”, and thus has more in common with the looters and moochers than the heroes. Thus, if Eddie ever becomes an obstacle to the productive forces, even if unintentionally, he has to be trampled.

While one might think that I’m being unfair, it should be reminded that Ayn Rand openly advocated the people who were killing Natives during the American expansion to the West were doing nothing wrong. The Natives were actually privileged for being trampled by the productive forces, thus creating the great nation. The same argument can be made for the colonized people and even to the “essential workers” of this pandemic – since apparently people who take this book seriously are one of the most resistant forces to lockdowns and mask mandates, you can guess why.

And this is why Rand hated the environmental movement, because it puts an obstacle to the productive process. Nature can only react with deaf indifference to Galt’s speech. For Rand, this is unforgivable. Would it be surprising if oil tycoons were fans of Rand’s work?

In the end, the producers execute their revenge against the world that rejected them. Galt’s speech caused a lot of disturbance and the last chapters deal with its consequences, with more villains being evil for no reason and more showing how awesome their heroes are. Galt becomes more and more like Jesus, even with a gnostic Judas in Dagny helping him. In fact, in the funniest part of the book, where it comes THIS close from being self-aware, he says to his tormenters, when they asked to cooperate with him: “It took me three hours on the radio to tell me why”. It gave me angry laughter.

In the end of the day, what matters? This is a work of fiction, where caricatures of men and women fight each other. The entrepreneurial process works nothing like described in the book. It takes a naïve view of selfishness, upon saying that if everyone was selfish the world would be a better place, when in reality, if you expect selfishness, it’s what you’ll get.

It’s never explained how they invented their inventions, only that they did it and it’s awesome. The One-Man Industrial Revolution trope is one that I loathe a lot, because it misrepresents the innovation process. It requires so many factors, including government funding – scratch that, it REQUIRES government funding because technologies like touch-screen used to be so risky that no private company would take seriously and government can fund because it doesn’t go bankrupt the same way. Even if we take it as a metaphor, it doesn’t work when you stop to think.

Rand belongs to the same class of writers as Stephenie Meyer and Christian Weston Chandler. But she wanted to influence the world, she wanted it to be more than entertainement, much more. Thanks to her publishing network and appeal to real problems, she did it. This is why the problems of her work require critique. And I hope anyone reading this try to understand better what “relatability” means, this is what relatability can do. Stop trying to look for relatability everywhere, let it just come naturally and if it doesn’t come enjoy the story!

#politics #i'm not revising this #i hope i don't have to think about this book #for a minimal time #it shows correcting a wrong interpretation about a harmful idea #can explain how worse the actual idea is

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