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tomakeitbeautifultolive · 4 years

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Defending Jon Snow’s Honor

Re: "Jon Snow is Trash": Because if you accept the season eight depiction of Jon Snow as credible, then you might as well admit that Daenerys was mad all along.

Disclaimer: This is not a defense of Jon Snow's actions in season eight, but a refutation of his portrayal.

To begin, we must confront the elephant in the room: In season eight, the character of Daenerys Targaryen was butchered both literally and figuratively. It was such a brutal and heinous maiming of her character that by the end of the series, it was impossible to suspend disbelief and accept the inane and illogical choices of the writers.

But when you then turn around and insist that Jon Snow has always been "trash"—it's no different than the people who insist Daenerys has always been mad. The hit job on Jon Snow was, admittedly, a bit more subtle. But it was a hit job nonetheless. Do not let two talentless writers convince you that Jon Snow, at any point in season eight, acted within the bounds of his established character or even within in-universe show logic.

Because he didn't.

And no, I won't put any of this under a cut. Let the sheer length of this post serve as proof, itself, of just how dirty David Benioff and D.B. Weiss did Jon Snow.

The Real Jon Snow

While the writing on Game of Thrones suffered the further the story strayed from the books and from its original creator, George R.R. Martin, season seven—for all its faults and imperfections—still seemed to follow the natural progression of the story. Everyone still felt more or less in-character, particularly Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.

So, that's where we'll start. To me, season seven Jon Snow is the rough culmination of exactly where I believe his story arc will lead—and it's a great season to help showcase his qualities.

Regardless of any personal preference for characters, in season seven, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen are equals. She is a queen and he is a king.

When they meet, she appeals to her power and her claim by inheritance in order to convince Jon to bend the knee. Of course, it was never going to be that easy. Jon's a stubborn man and he has no reason to put his blind faith into well, anyone.

It is only upon revealing her true nature—her selflessness and willingness to use her power to help others—that Daenerys earns not only his respect, but his heart.

To say that "Jon Snow was always trash" is an insult to Daenerys and her judgment.

Dany's love for Khal Drogo was born of adaptation, to make the best of a situation she never asked for. Unlike Jorah Mormont, Jon's devotion to Daenerys had nothing to do with her looks. Unlike Daario Naharis, Jon's devotion to Daenerys had nothing to do with her power or status... and everything to do with who she is fundamentally. Jon Snow pledged to fight for Daenerys based on the content of her character rather than her beauty.

Further, Daario Naharis really stood face to face with Daenerys Targaryen, the Mhysa, and said "fuck the people". Meanwhile, it is Jon Snow's mysterious scars that prove he and Daenerys harbor similar ideologies—demonstrating that Jon is willing to stop at nothing for his people—even if it requires giving his own life.

Many have called Jon Snow "stupid" for exactly this, completely missing the point that there are qualities that deserve to be held in higher esteem than self-preservation or cleverness.

Compassion.

Self-sacrifice.

Humility.

Dignity.

Honesty.

When Jon Snow declares his loyalty to Daenerys in the Dragonpit in front of everyone—this is yet another moment people like to point to as "stupid", yet...

"I'm not going to swear an oath I can't uphold. When enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies."

Jon Snow's integrity is more important to him than lying just to save his own hide. After all, he tried that once before, and the only thing it resulted in was heartache and regret. Jon Snow more or less asserts that a life wherein he must pretend to be something he isn't—isn't a life worth living.

This is as profound a revelation as it is bold.

Whether or not you agree with his convictions... Jon Snow's moral foundation is as unyielding as Valyrian steel. It is no wonder that this was the man who ultimately won the heart of Daenerys Targaryen. A man whose favor cannot be bought or exploited.

One fundamental change in Jon Snow's character from page to screen, however, is his ambition. This emphasis on his reluctance in ruling becomes an unfortunate cornerstone of season eight. But if Jon Snow's book counterpart—the one who dreamt of becoming Lord of Winterfell, of conquering and leading men into glory—lacks this hesitation, and instead, takes leadership so seriously that he only celebrates becoming Lord Commander with one gulp of alcohol... then what impact could his ambition have on the story?

Upon learning that Jon is Rhaegar's son, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that he'll suddenly start vying for the Iron Throne. But if Jon Snow pledges himself to Queen Daenerys in the books, then we have every reason to believe his word is as good as gold. Jon is not a man who takes his oaths lightly. Nor is he a man who is easily manipulated.

Jon Snow deciding to swear fealty to anyone is momentous.

Take, for instance, Stannis Baratheon. Jon's 'father', Ned, pretty much died in support of Stannis' claim to the throne, so he approaches the boy and appeals to Jon's deepest desire—the first thing he can remember wanting—to become a Stark.

All he had to do was say the word, and he would be Jon Stark, and nevermore a Snow. All he had to do was pledge this king his fealty, and Winterfell was his. All he had to do ... was forswear his vows again. And this time it would not be a ruse. To claim his father's castle, he must turn against his father's gods.

This is not an easy decision for Jon Snow. He spends a great deal of time considering the offer from just about every angle one can. Admittedly, it's hard to showcase deep internal reflection on a television show, so we didn't really get to see that process for Jon on screen. But it's always been apparent that two men of privilege—David Benioff and D.B. Weiss—struggle in writing from the perspective of a bastard. Fundamentally, they cannot fully inhabit Jon as a result, because they've never experienced a lifetime of unprovoked contempt, resulting in an unfortunate lack of depth in Jon's translation from page to screen.

Even so, we do get some insight into the depth of Jon's character in season seven when Theon Greyjoy says to Jon:

"You've always known what was right. Even when we were all young and stupid, you always knew. Every step you take, it's always the right step."

In turn, Jon replies:

"It's not. It may seem that way from the outside, but I promise you, it's not true. I've done plenty of things that I regret."

So, by the time that Jon must decide whether or not to accept Stannis Baratheon's offer, he does so with the consideration of future regret. It is in a reflective moment that Jon decides that his greatest desires are not worth the moral expense.

And so, Jon refuses to betray his father's gods, and remains a Snow.

The Kinslaying Problem

Speaking of gods... Way back in his wildling heyday, Ygritte recounts the tale of Bael the Bard to Jon Snow, in which she reveals a curious detail:

"The gods hate kinslayers, even when they kill unknowing."

While you could make the case that this foreshadows Jon as a kinslayer regarding Daenerys... considering it was their kinship that drove a wedge right through their relationship in show canon, it's safe to say season eight Jon knew full well he was kin to Daenerys when he killed her. So what else could this quote mean?

The "kinslayer who kills unknowing" probably won't refer to Daenerys at all—but the mysterious figure known in the books as the Night's King, of whom all records have been destroyed, his very name forbidden.

But... Old Nan insists we do know his name. At least one of them:

"He was a Stark, the brother of the man who brought him down."

Keep in mind that it's Bran she tells, not Jon. And her words even echo the kinslaying element between these mysterious and legendary figures in and around the North.

Interestingly, one of the most prominent kinslayers in the story is the one who, in season eight, ultimately convinces Jon Snow to murder his queen. And somehow, it takes virtually no effort on Tyrion's part to persuade Jon Snow to commit not only regicide, but kinslaying (whatever happened to "The man that passes the sentence should swing the sword"?)

This may mean nothing in the show, but in the books it's reiterated over and over again we're told how accursed such an act is. And we have a pretty good example that it might be true. Rickard Karstark warned Robb Stark prior to his execution by the Young Wolf's hand:

"We are kin, Stark and Karstark. Old gods or new, it makes no matter. No man is so accursed as the kinslayer."

And we all know the fate that befell Robb Stark.

The Incest Problem

Speaking of kin... let's talk incest! While there's no question that on earth, discovering you've been copulating with your aunt might be a cause for surprise... In Westeros? It's not even considered incest. No, not even in the North, where we're given two examples of uncle-to-niece pairings:

"In Westeros incest is only applied if father lays with daughter, mother lays with son, or brother to sister, and the children of such unions are considered abominations. The views regarding marriages between an uncle and a niece (or an aunt to a nephew) might differ between the Faith and the old gods. In the north, Serena Stark had been wed to her half-uncle, Edric, while her sister Sansa Stark had been wed to her half-uncle Jonnel Stark."

In the original draft of the story, Jon was supposed to have a romantic relationship with Arya Stark—his cousin by blood, but who, for all he knows, is his sister. Seeds of this are still scattered in early chapters of ASOIAF, as illustrated by the sheer tenderness of their relationship in A Game of Thrones.

For years, Arya Stark was the only woman who treated Jon with respect. It's no wonder that his feelings for her have always bordered on romantic (and let me make a clear distinction here—I said romantic, not sexual). Considering that it was George's original plan, it's pretty safe to guess that being a willing participant in an incestuous relationship is not necessarily out of character for Jon Snow, as was predetermined by the man who created him.

Jon Snow is a polarizing character for people who love Targaryens and hate Starks—and vice versa. Whether or not you like it, Jon Snow is a Targaryen. And thus, the Doctrine of Exceptionalism applies to him, which states:

"The Targaryens wed brother to sister as the Valyrians had always done, and as the gods had made them this way, it was not for men to judge."

While the show canon did next to nothing with Jon Snow's true Targaryen lineage—never forget that the entire reason David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were given the rights to Game of Thrones was that they could correctly answer the question "Who is Jon Snow's mother?"

An incestuous scandal was the best that the lackluster show writers could come up with. And to then accept that the only reason George R.R. Martin penned this central plot twist in his medieval fantasy story exclusively to create some modern-era incest drama is, frankly, insulting.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are creatively barren. As barren as... um, Daenerys apparently?

To further exploit the show's lack of logical reasoning—it turns out that, yes, according to show canon, Daenerys was barren the whole time. While Jon doubted the validity of Mirri Maz Duur's claims... he was wrong. And Daenerys was straightforward with him that their union would produce no offspring. And apparently, despite all the wasted dialogue used to foreshadow, she was right.

This means that even within the boundaries of the show's broken logic, the anti-incest angle never held water.

So... if season eight Jon Snow's rejection of Daenerys is what ultimately causes her to "snap", yet it's unlikely that book Jon Snow will feel the same strong aversion about their relation... will she "snap" at all?

The Execution Problem

When it comes to the 'old way', Ned Stark has taught his sons well, Jon Snow among them:

"We hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die."

When Jon encounters Ygritte, he can't bring himself to kill her despite the command to. She reminds him of his sister, Arya—the girl he loves the most in all the world. And so, he asks Ygritte to yield. Jon Snow, simply reminded of a girl he loves, cannot bring himself to kill Ygritte.

Later, we directly witness Jon applying Ned's logic to his execution of Janos Slynt. After advising Janos on how best to achieve a quick death, he says:

"If you have any last words, now is the time to speak them."

"Please, my lord. Mercy. I'll … I'll go, I will, I …"

No, thought Jon. You closed that door. Longclaw descended.

Like his father before him, Jon advised Janos to speak his last words. And upon hearing them, deemed him fit to die.

This is Jon Snow's execution style.

We see it repeated even in season six when he executes his murderers:

"If you have any last words, now is the time."

Patiently, he waits for each of his four murderers to speak before letting them hang.

This is Jon Snow's execution style.

Alternatively, we see another style of execution when it comes to Jon Snow's own murder, as carried out by Alliser Thorne. Let's just go ahead and refer to this style as dishonorable and cowardly (two qualities that we've now established that Jon Snow does not possess).

Jon Snow was led, unarmed, into a false sense of security—where he was then cornered and stabbed in the heart by his enemies, left lying in a pool of his own blood.

The change in Jon Snow's execution style to suddenly emulate the way in which he was murdered is a cold-blooded betrayal of Jon's character.

But back to Janos.

On the surface, Jon Snow made a snap decision to execute Janos Slynt for disobeying a command—though if we're being honest, it was more-so because Janos was an entitled and sniveling Lannister loyalist that couldn't be trusted, or, a clever political move to ensure Jon’s future safety as Lord Commander.

Jon then severed the man's head as he cried and begged for his life.

You expect us to believe that this man...

...would be bothered by the execution of attempted murderer and traitor, Varys? A man who openly suggested they collude and commit treason?

While the above gif looks a little more like the Jon Snow we know, it’s not. Especially considering the writers tried their hardest to make us believe Jon Snow is incapable of dishonesty and lying, even by omission, he neglects to tell Daenerys of Varys’ treasonous ways. He cannot lie to his siblings or to Daenerys about his Targaryen identity, yet he can omit a very troubling piece of information regarding one of the allies of the woman he loves and is pledged to. What?

Further, compare the execution below with the above gifs of Jon Snow's two executions. He even shows more satisfaction in the deaths of the lives he’s taken than Daenerys did. Varys surviving means Dany’s life will forever be at risk. Not only is Varys an oathbreaker, but he attempted regicide by poison. Having Jon Snow judge Daenerys for this action is a blatant double standard that makes zero logical sense.

And speaking of attempted murderers... Let's discuss Randyll Tarly.

Randyll Tarly is no stranger to Jon Snow. Sam told him all about his father way back in episode four of season one:

"You're almost a man now, but you're not worthy of my land and title. Tomorrow, you're going to take the black, forsake all claim to your inheritance and start north. If you do not, then we'll have a hunt, and somewhere in these woods your horse will stumble, and you'll be thrown from your saddle to die. Or so I'll tell your mother. Nothing would please me more."

So, you're going to tell me that Jon Snow is suddenly perturbed by the execution of a man who both threatened to murder his own son and who betrayed his liege lord?

To fight alongside the Lannisters, no less?

According to the books, this is what Jon Snow thinks of the Lannisters:

"It's death and destruction I want to bring down upon House Lannister, not scorn."

And in case you missed it, this is how Jon Snow punishes those who betray their liege lords:

Maybe you’re itching to argue that it’s Dany’s execution style that is the problem. That perhaps, 'death by fire is heinous and cruel! Beheading and hanging and punching someone to death are all "merciful" deaths!' Because, stupefyingly, that's a popular argument for those that (also stupefyingly) defend Randyll Tarly.

That argument might work if not for the fact that Jon instructed his men to launch flaming arrows at the Battle of Castle Black, thus using fire as a means to kill.

The Arya Stark Problem

We've already discussed Arya Stark a little bit in terms of her deep bond with Jon Snow... but in order to truly show how out-of-character their reunion was, we need to backtrack a little bit.

Upon gifting her Needle, Jon and Arya have this exchange in the books:

"And whatever you do..."

Arya knew what was coming next. They said it together.

"...don't ... tell ... Sansa!"

Not only do the pair have an understanding which excludes their sister or trusting her with sensitive information... when Arya is caught with Needle later on, this happens:

Arya chewed her lip and said nothing. She would not betray Jon, not even to their father.

And when Arya attempts to shed her identity at the House of Black and White, she can't bring herself to part with Needle, because:

Needle was Jon Snow's smile. The Many-Faced God can have the rest, she thought, but he can't have this.

Arya Stark refuses to part with the physical representation of Jon Snow's smile.

For the most anticipated reunion in the entire show, it fell flat. Don't get me wrong, it was exhilarating to see Jon Snow and Arya Stark embracing after being apart for a decade—and Kit Harington and Maisie Williams did their absolute best with the poor dialogue they were given.

But this was not the reunion of two characters who survived some of their toughest challenges by merely recalling the memory of the other. Jon and Arya shared a bond that nothing could tarnish—not even time. A bond that no one—not even their fellow family members—could penetrate.

The nerve of the writers making Arya Stark, one of the cleverest characters in the books despite her age, say that Sansa Stark is the smartest person she's ever met? No. For one, Arya Stark did not need to live as a bastard in order to empathize with them—which means that even as a little girl, she possessed wisdom that is years ahead of her elder sister's.

Much like Jon Snow, Arya Stark is not a character who is easily persuaded by the opinions of others. Which is why she and Jon are close at all—she never once believes the stigma attached to his bastardy, because it's so blatantly obvious to her that his character simply doesn't fit the rhetoric.

I'd be willing to bet that Jon's incredibly loyal sister would trust his judgment in pledging himself to Daenerys. And I won't for a minute believe that the girl who said to Gendry...

"I can be your family."

...would suddenly regress into intolerance, particularly not at someone else's behest.

I won't believe for a minute that the girl who said...

"The woman is important too!"

...would turn around and suggest that the woman who provided her armies, dragons, and resources to save the North should then be discarded afterward.

I won't believe for a minute that the girl who makes allies and friends everywhere she goes would turn around and argue that allies aren't important.

I won't believe for a minute that the girl who named her direwolf after the warrior queen Nymeria, the girl who said...

"He killed the slave?" That did not sound right. "He should have killed the masters!"

...wouldn't at least give the person she loves the most in all the world, Jon Snow, a few minutes to explain why he supports and believes in Daenerys.

Lastly, there is absolutely no reason to believe that Arya Stark would ever betray Jon Snow. It is an insult to one of the purest and tenderest relationships in the entire series to suggest otherwise.

The Winterfell Problem

Even on Jon Snow's AWOIAF Wiki page, he is described as "quick to sense a slight", as well as observant, "a trait he developed on account of being a bastard".

Yet, during the feast following the Night King's death... Jon Snow is suddenly portrayed as oblivious all in service to the plot to alienate Daenerys. Jon Snow's sudden disinterest in the woman he spent season seven so intently studying was both frustrating and compromising to his character traits.

After all, the most impressive leader Jon Snow has ever witnessed followed him into his homeland to save his men for nothing to gain (and in fact, to sacrifice her own men and resources), not just for the man she loves—but because it's the right thing to do.

The writers really expect us to believe that this man, who turned Janos Slynt's insubordination into an example of what happens to men who openly disrespect him and his orders...

...is going to suddenly sit idly by while his own people make a fool of him by disrespecting his chosen queen, and by extension, him.

Don't let the writers believe for an instant that he would stand for it.

Taking a step further back, what in seven hells was going on during that battle?

The betrayal to Jon Snow's character is the most glaring during episode three of season eight, in which the writers really decided to sideline the most talented and quick-thinking swordsman in their cast (next to Furdik—who, by the way, was also sidelined).

Jon Snow conveniently forgets virtually everything he learned from defending the Wall in season four and reclaiming Winterfell in season six. The King in the North who travels all the way to Dragonstone for not only dragonglass, but in hopes of gaining the help of the queen and her armies is really going to let one of those armies gallop head-first into the army of the undead with metal weapons? Jon Snow is the first character in the show to learn that regular weapons don't work against wights!

And while it may not be Jon Snow's fault that the trebuchets managed to make it to the front line of all places, he certainly would've pointed out the flaw in that decision. As well as the placement of the trenches—which physically severed the troops from the safety of the castle upon retreat. Retreat, if necessary, would be a priority for Jon Snow especially, as he, above everyone else, knows that every fallen man means one more undead soldier they must deal with.

And speaking of the trenches...

To add insult to injury, the writers really decided to add a shot of Jon Snow sitting idly next to the trenches on top of Rhaegal, a dragon that he was just using to light the dead on fire, as Melisandre struggled to light them with magic:

What? You mean this Jon Snow?

The Jon Snow that once used his quick-thinking to discover that fire kills wights... doesn't think to use dragonfire to light a trench on fire? Come on.

And since when has Jon Snow ever balked during battle? Of all the characters, he's one of the few who actually understands what the Night King is, how big his army is, what the odds are, and what it's like to be in the midst of not only battles—but ones that are going really poorly.

Yet at Winterfell—the place he fought so hard to reclaim and that he reluctantly went south to rally support for in order to protect it—he suddenly has no idea what to do? He's historically one of the most quick-witted and innovative fighters in the entire show, if not the most.

And speaking of battles...

"We find our true friends on the battlefield"

Whether or not you agree with the writers' choice to have Sam attempt to persuade Jon to commit treason against his queen... I just cannot accept that Jon Snow willingly turns away from his oldest friend in a moment like this:

Even in the most hopeless of situations, Jon Snow won't hesitate to save someone he loves. Like when he tried, against all odds, to save Rickon.

Even with complete strangers, Jon Snow has shown his gallantry.

As well as his aptitude for forgiveness.

Whether or not Samwell Tarly offended Jon, he would never leave him to die. Their principals may no longer converge the way they once did... but never forget that when, in the books, Chett suggests Thorne should kill Sam for being weak, Jon speaks up on Sam's behalf:

"Lords are gold and knights steel, but two links can't make a chain. You also need silver and iron and lead, tin and copper and bronze and all the rest, and those are farmers and smiths and merchants and the like. A chain needs all sorts of metals, and a land needs all sorts of people. You can't hammer tin into iron, no matter how hard you beat it, but that doesn't mean tin is useless."

The Night King Problem

Speaking of the battle for Winterfell... By denying Jon Snow the climax to his story arc—squaring off with the Night King—and instead, granting that honor to Arya Stark (who has no relation to anything happening north of the Wall in either book or show...) it disrupts the natural conclusions for both characters.

Jon Snow and the Night King had unfinished business—at least, that's what all those long and intense stare-downs seemed to indicate. Even in the books, the only POV chapters that mention the Night's King are Jon, Bran, and Sam.

Kit Harington was very gracious when trying to explain why he would've liked to get the killing blow:

"I was a bit pissed off, only because I wanted to kill the Night King! I think I felt like everyone else did, in that it had been set up for a long time, and then I didn't get to do it."

But even in all his graciousness, Kit points out that it's been set up for a long time. And you know what George R.R. Martin has to say about changing your plan mid-stream:

"If you planned your book that the butler did it and then you read on the internet that someone has figured out that the butler did it and then you suddenly change in mid-stream and it was the chambermaid who did it? Then you screw up the whole book because you've got this foreshadowing early on and you've got these little clues you've planted and now they're dead ends... and you have to introduce other clues and you're retconning. It's a mess."

Yet... The fact that Jon Snow vs. the Night King made sense was exactly why the writers chose not to do it!

"We hope to kind of avoid the expected and Jon Snow has always been the hero, the one who's been the savior. But it just didn't seem right to us for this moment."

Sure, Arya Stark killing the Night King "subverted expectations" (I'm so sick of typing those two words together at this point, but it's impossible not to do when trying to discuss season eight)... but at what cost? The cost of any emotional impact.

Just like virtually everything else in the last season.

(As an aside, if the writers really felt Arya Stark was the right person to land the killing blow, they should've had Jon lose the swordfight and before the Night King is able to finish him, his ride-or-die sister comes flying out of the darkness to save his life. The audience gets what they were promised and Arya still gets to be the hero in a way that not only makes sense, but fits her character…)

Of course, the showdown with the Night King was not the first major plot point that was teased over the course of the series to be ultimately robbed from Jon Snow.

Nor would it be the last...

The Prophecy Problem

To claim that Jon piercing Dany's heart with a quick sneak attack has any resemblance to the legend of Azor Ahai is a gross oversimplification. Let's take a look at what the legend actually says:

"He summoned his wife. 'Nissa Nissa,' he said to her, for that was her name, 'bare your breast, and know that I love you best of all that is in this world.' She did this thing, why I cannot say, and Azor Ahai thrust the smoking sword through her living heart. It is said that her cry of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon, but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel."

Yes. Daenerys was stabbed in the heart. That is the only similarity her season eight murder bears to the above legend.

Where was the declaration of love? Where was the permission asked? Where was the consent given? There was no cry of anguish and ecstasy—there was a gasp and a gurgle. Dany's life was not given in exchange for anything, it was simply taken. There was no transference of courage or strength—just a quick and (troublingly) unimpactful "shock" death.

Of course, it's important to point out that Azor Ahai is never even mentioned in the show. And while The Prince that was Promised was mentioned (as late as season seven)... So far as show canon goes, this prophecy meant absolutely nothing in the end.

That makes two of us, Kit.

Jon Snow (and Kit Harington) Also Deserved Better

Aside from George R.R. Martin, the man who knows Jon Snow best, Kit Harington, was overcome with heartache, disbelief...

...and frustration upon reading the treacherous turn his character took in the season eight script.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss completely neutered Jon Snow's character.

Figuratively and well, maybe literally? Year after year, they have shown themselves to be petty and spiteful with various cast and crew—from Kit Harington to Ian McElhinney to Alexander Siddig to George R.R. Martin, himself.

Remember that stupid dig at Jon Snow's penis size upon his resurrection? Just a dumb joke, right?

Or was it?

It was sure important enough for them to go on record with major publications and clarify that, no, it wasn't just a joke, but canon! Pay very close attention to how it's worded:

"He just had the look. The brooding intensity; the physical grace; the chip-on-the-shoulder quality that we always associate with extraordinarily short people.

There has to be some downside to being Kit Harington, right? It's impossible not to like him. Maddening. The one thing we can do is saddle his character with a tiny pecker."

This isn't about Jon Snow's penis. It's about taking Kit Harington down a peg. Not only did they give Jon Snow a canonically "small penis", they had to give Daenerys lines about how he's "too little for her", to poke fun at Kit's height. You know, because he's apparently "extraordinarily short".

Utterly juvenile.

Much like with Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow's cleverness far exceeded that of the men who were in charge of writing him—and they failed to replicate it. And so, the further Jon Snow strayed from his creator, George R.R. Martin, the further his IQ dropped until, by season eight, he was reduced to a bumbling idiot shouting at dragons and saying little more than "muh queen". Why? Because if you're actually an idiot, you cannot write a clever person.

As for the books, Jon Snow's true fate remains to be seen. And for as much as I don't want to get my hopes up for a better ending, I cannot ignore that Jon Snow's foreshadowing just doesn't point to futility, and that if it does—George R.R. Martin sure put in a lot of work to convince us otherwise.

As the man, himself, recently said:

"People know an ending—but not the ending."

It is as much an insult to Jon Snow to have Daenerys descend into spontaneous madness as it was for the fans who loved her. Over the years, Jon has proven himself to be a great judge of character—and this was the man who assured Daenerys, in her most vulnerable moment, that she does deserve to be the queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

After all, there’s just no denying their similarities as characters:

"From the very beginning, Jon and Daenerys' stories have paralleled and contrasted each other, with both starting from a position of weakness and insubordination before ascending into leadership roles. Both had to maneuver their way through the difficulties of power while maintaining their sense of justice, and in doing so, had to face many hard decisions along the way. Both were mocked, attacked, and betrayed for doing the right thing. Both reached their low points and were figuratively reborn at the same time, both coming out stronger as a result." -Brandon Jacobs

If you loved Jon Snow prior to season eight, you were never wrong or misled, nor was your judgment unsound. I hope that, somewhere in this post, there was at least one example that reminded you of why Jon Snow was able to win your heart in the first place. Writers who don't understand the most fundamental qualities of a character should not be given the power to rob you of your love for them.

I am willing to bet that like me, and like all of Jon Snow's fans... you know him better than the two men who were granted the honor of writing his television canon. An honor they proved in season eight that they never deserved.

Please do not grant these two incompetent writers and poor storytellers the power to turn you against one character while praising the other, especially when both were ruined beyond repair or recognition.

Forgiving Jon Snow as a character ≠ condoning what he did in season eight, just as forgiving Daenerys Targaryen ≠ condoning mass genocide.

Like Daenerys, Jon Snow deserved better.

#jon snow #game of thrones #meta #jon snow defense squad

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katsidhe · 3 years

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Hello as a long time silent lurker with post notifications on, and someone who has been very into the minecraft roleplay for about 9 months, I am oh so incredibly intrigued on your thoughts! I hope you don't mind if I ramble a little. Sam (both minecraft and spn, but in this context the minecraft one) is one of my favourite characters because he's so incredibly complex. The prison story has sparked so much discussion and conflict in this fandom, so I would love to hear your thoughts if you want to share!

oh noooooooooooo don’t enable me. (Jk <3)

I’m putting this under a read more for those of you who don’t want to be inflicted with my minecraft roleplay brain worms. I would apologize but I think we’re well past that.

So, like, full disclosure that I am pretty new to dsmp and am surely missing out on big ol swathes of Essential Character Content, etc etc. But I do know the basics, and I’ve (naturally) watched all the Torture Box Content, because I mean come on, that’s my brand.

k so First of all, THE most essential part of any media: x-coded y girl. Dream is a textbook Cas-coded Sam girl. Sam (Minecraft) is a Cas-coded Dean girl. Quackity is a Dean-coded Sam girl. I’d say Tommy is Dean-Dean. Techno is, hmm, Cas-Cas. Okay, important part done.

Minecraft Sam is very fun! I find it absolutely delightful that he clings to moral high ground while torturing and starving a prisoner. And at least from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of room for interpretation as to the level of guilt and involvement he actually feels about what’s being done to Dream. He goes back and forth between justifying the treatment as something Dream categorically deserves, and justifying it as a means to an end. Whether that end is the book itself, or whether it’s Quackity’s cooperation/satisfaction, or whether it’s some twisted and bloody sense of justice and duty, seems to vary wildly. On top of that, of course, is the irony that Dream was the one to give him this commission and this job in the first place: in every respect, it’s a duty to Dream (to punish him; to secure him; to uphold his rules) that Sam’s fulfilling. Dream isn’t the only one to suffer from Sam’s inflexibility surrounding the entire concept of Dream: Tommy and Ponk do too.

And yet it’s not the inflexibility that ends up hurting Dream the worst: it’s the gaps in that rigidity. If Sam had kept the prison operating as apparently originally commissioned, it would be inhumane but just about bearable: hardly the level of absurd, over-the-top war crime that it’s reached by now. His choice to begin starving Dream in earnest seems to have been mostly an emotional reaction, after Tommy’s death. (Ironic, too, that Tommy also suffered the result of this choice.) And this is fine, because it’s not active: it’s passive, something that’s happening by inaction. Same with giving Quackity specially made weapons and total carte blanche.

The level of trust that Dream has in Sam’s sense of duty is also fascinating. Even as late as the most recent stream, after the guy’s been permitting him to be tortured for months, Dream appeals to Sam’s need to keep Dream static, in one place as his prisoner, in order to save his life. Incidentally, I do think that convincing Sam to keep Quackity from straight-up murdering him is the only concession Dream was actually hoping to win with that conversation. because like, food and a courtyard visit? after a jail break? Like hell is Sam going to grant that, even before the stunt he and Techno pulled, and Dream knows it. I think that the rest of that conversation was just to deflect, and keep Sam from questioning Dream more sharply about whatever he and Techno have planned. Bringing up Tommy and letting Sam go off on his predictable diatribe about morality and just desserts seemed similarly strategic: Dream knows what Sam thinks about what kind of treatment he deserves. He’s had months to figure it out, and it wasn’t exactly rocket science to begin with.

Anyway, that trust is the same reason Dream appealed (unsuccessfully) to Sam when Quackity first showed up: it devastated him to realize that he’d miscalculated the degree of Sam’s willingness to set aside his duty in this one particular way. Quackity in general represents a HUGE blind spot in Sam’s otherwise completely rigid inflexibility: so huge it’s almost baffling, given what Sam was ready to do to Tommy and Ponk and Ghostbur. But Quackity represents a loophole Sam badly wants. He badly, badly wants some good old-fashioned vengeance, without dressing it up with any pretensions of procedure or justice, but he can’t allow himself to actively act on those impulses—or else he would be Bad, and he can’t have that. He has to believe himself to be Good, and he wants to indulge himself with Dream’s suffering anyway. So he explains that, actually, Dream’s treatment is Dream’s own fault. It’s hilariously deluded.

Which brings me to Quackity, because what makes Quackity fun is that he’s actually NOT hilariously deluded—not about this, at least. Unlike Sam, he’s not laboring under the insane mental acrobatics necessary to convince himself that torture is Good Actually. He knows that what he’s doing is terrible, but he owns it: he’s fine admitting that he enjoys it, that he’s doing this for personal gain and personal vengeance and not for reasons of high-minded civic duty. He’s justifying the torture with brutal simplicity: Dream has hurt him and Dream has something he needs, done and done. He seems to be a firm believer in vengeful and disproportionate retribution, just as with his whole Butcher Army thing. To which I say, neat and fun! I also really really enjoy the power dynamic between him and Dream. Dream is someone who commands respect and fear and power, who could murder Quackity with one hand tied behind his back if they were on equal footing, and who probably barely spared him a thought as a threat. Quackity lives in terror of the thought of Dream escaping and wreaking his vengeance. And Quackity is trying his very best to wrestle that power away from him.

He seems to be pretty unpracticed and ineffective at torture, too—like, yeah, I get this is Minecraft and props are limited, but torturing someone long-term with an ax and a sword is going to be more than a bit unwieldy. and did he even bring in health potions his first day? It’s pretty telling and hilarious that Sam is the one who offers the shears, a far more practical choice of tool. Not to mention that the entire premise of his interrogation gives Dream massive, massive incentive to never give Quackity anything. Quackity straight up admits to Dream that the information he wants is the only reason he’s letting Dream live, which is utterly counterproductive if he wants the book sometime this year. Functionally, he needs to torture Dream not merely into admission, but into suicide. And as the days and weeks and months pass, he’s still got nothing to show for it but growing vindictiveness, paranoia, and frustration. By the time of the latest stream, he’s completely lost the plot—his threats don’t even make sense, his violence is ineffective and unhinged and indiscriminate. He’s lost all leverage and he’s needlessly (re)made a powerful enemy in Technoblade.

So, like, characters like Lucifer are fun because they’re good at torture. Characters like Quackity are fun because they’re bad at torture. But that doesn’t much matter. He doesn’t need to be particularly talented, or strong, or skilled to make Dream’s existence hell: the bare facts of the situation are more than enough for that. What does he learn, over the course of these visits—what skills does he hone, what kinds of violence does he discover that he can stomach? What depths of ruthlessness and creativity and hatred does he discover within himself? What threats does he make that he finds himself following through on before he’s even thought through the implications? It’s a learning curve, for him and Dream both. They’re learning each other, they’re learning the corners of this little hell together. Dream wasn’t expecting him to be capable of this degree of hostility or violence. Quackity is sick of being underestimated.

Which brings me finally to Dream. My general and hastily-gleaned impression of the fandom gives me the distinct impression that there is somehow a school of thought convinced Dream’s earned this treatment? Which baffles me. not only in how its absurd extremity (daily torture in a tiny box for literal months, jesus fucking christ) isn’t something even the most terrible villain could earn, but also in how Dream himself strikes me more as a morally gray fallen/falling antihero type than anything else. I was honestly completely prepared to find him to be a straightforward Bad Guy pre-prison, but that’s not at all my impression. He’s clearly got people and things he cares about and wants to protect, and big picture goals he’ll ruthlessly sacrifice anything to advance (ahem Cas-coded Sam girl). Really, it’s more that roleplays don’t tend to lend themselves easily to those types of narrative classification: nearly every character is a POV character; consuming the content from every perspective is nearly impossible. There aren’t super neat ways to sort antagonists and protagonists in essential terms, only in their relationships to one another. In terms of manipulation, war crimes, power-grabbing, and general destruction, practically everyone on the server is guilty to some degree or another. Dream’s treated Tommy pretty damn terribly, but that hardly makes him unique. What does make Dream unique is that he’s been singled out for near-universally-agreed-upon confinement (which oh so conveniently aligns with him being held as a tool, for information). And that’s neat!

…Look, tldr I just like it when people are in torture boxes. more media should have torture boxes, they are good and fun.

#not spn #anyway nonny I would LOVE to chat more about this tbh #suicide mention #torture #dsmp for ts

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tea-at-221 · 4 years

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The TJLC Debacle: 3 years out from S4 and counting; the copyright mini-theory; so much salt I’m bloated; but in the end, there is peace (I love you Johnlockers)

Ugh, don't even talk to me about Mary.

Don't even talk to me about the way Mofftiss have said they're sick of responding to fans on the subject of Johnlock. Of how they've said they're "not telling anyone else what to think or write about them" (as if they could stop us; as if they even own Sherlock themselves. Do keep reading, because this point becomes much more relevant and in-jokey later on). Don't even mention how they've bitched and whined incessantly because--god forbid--fans got *really really* into their show and emotionally invested.

They're so eager to discount all the beautiful little moments they wrote as accidents. And Arwel, who planted all those props, continually demonstrates that he's on their side (a not-very in-depth-analysis of his Instagram account and the way he interacted with fans towards the beginning of the pandemic showed as much, but I think maybe he’s grown a bit wiser and quieter since at least in terms of Johnlock and all things elephant-related. I don’t know for sure because I stopped looking.)

Anyway--they'd actually prefer for us to celebrate our own intelligence, is I suppose a charitable way of looking at it: our ability to make connections between things in the show; our metas on symbolism; our insightful fanfic; etc., and denounce them as the bad writers that they ultimately are.

More under the cut.

(This post may be of interest to you especially if you came to the fandom a bit later: multiple links to things of relevance/quotes/explanations appear both within and at the end of this entry.)

Because what makes a writer good?

Well, an ability to make people feel an emotional connection to their work, for one. I know this is just my own perspective, but if not for Johnlock, all my emotion about the show would evaporate. There wouldn't be much else there. Other people might get something, but I wouldn’t. Is some of the writing witty and entertaining regardless of any inferred/implied Johnlock? Yeah but, eh, a lot of shows have some good writing and I just don’t give a damn about them.

What makes a writer good?

Not making promises to the reader/viewer that they'll never keep. Plot holes, leading dialogue ("There’s stuff you wanted to say...but didn’t say it.” “Yeah”) never followed through on, puns that are apparently, I suppose, unintentional (e.g. "'Previous' commander?" "I meant 'ex'").

Uh, not writing continual gay jokes that aren't actually pointing toward the inference that people are making them because there's actually something going on there under the surface. (How about just don't make those jokes ever.)

Not being, apparently, oblivious (? questionable) to the queerbaiting they're engaging in *as they’re writing it.*

Acting like their LGBT audience is in the wrong/the bad guy, instead of choosing to remain respectful in the face of dissent. Instead it's just, "we never wrote it that way" / "We never played it that way."

A lot of those other mildly witty shows don’t actually blatantly drag their most passionate fans face-down through the mud the writers themselves created. Imagine that.

I'm not even a fan of Martin Freeman anymore, for the way he handled the whole thing (getting angry, the comments he made about how the fans made Sherlock “not fun anymore”...apparently Martin’s packing up his crayons and going home?)...no offense to anyone who is still a fan of his. I don’t make it a habit to drag him. I do to some degree understand his frustration with having the whole situation taken out on him--he’s just an actor in the show--but I simply wish he’d remained as cool and professional about it as Benedict Cumberbatch instead of pointing at the fans. You’re pointing in the wrong direction, mate.

What also irks me at the end of the day is this: the subsection of people who legitimately responded badly to the TJLC/S4 debacle and went above and beyond to harass the writers and actors/actresses on social media are *few and far between*, but we've been lumped in with them by what feels like...everyone, Martin included. TJLCers/Johnlockers (not the same group, but often treated as such) have been made to look like a bunch of rambunctious, immature, demanding children time and time and again in the wake of S4.

They'd rather, what, suggest John was so in love with Mary? THAT was the relationship they wanted to uphold in that show as so significant and...what, a demonstration of how honorable it is to respect your heterosexual relationship despite, you know...ANYTHING?

Yeah sorry, I don’t believe in that. John’s text-based affair, whether a disappointment for some as to his supposed character, was a very human reaction and I kinda sorta feel like I would have reacted MUCH more strongly than that had I been John. But nope. He stayed with Mary and was *ashamed* of his wandering eye. Ashamed that maybe he wanted to be admired by someone. I can’t think of a scene, off the top of my head, where Mary ever interacted with John without belittling him in some way--if not with words, then with consistently patronizing glances.

The message here is that heterosexuality is not just acceptable, but VALUABLE, however it manifests--but god forbid anyone see a queer subtext. (Why are lgbt+ writers some of the very WORST offenders where this is concerned? And they defend it! Is this childhood nostalgia/Stockholm Syndrome of the very fondest variety or what? Gay angst is all they got if they got anything at all, so it’s still good enough as far as “representation” goes?)

They really want to tell the story of John as so emotionally/mentally fucked up that he surrounds himself with unstable people time and again. They never give any reason *why* he might do that (which they could have done even soooo subtly), or delve into his past--just, apparently it's okay to assume that Sherlock's comment about "she's like that because you chose her" is exactly that.

No. Sherlock and Mary are NOT the same. Not...*remotely*!

Mary is underhanded and evil. She lies. She manipulates. She schemes. Her “love” is based on selfishness, and her assumption that John is a simpleton and hers to mold. She's in it for herself.

Sherlock hides. He prevaricates. He feels. He loves John. He does fucked up things in the name of love, but always for the benefit of those he loves. When he screws up, which he obviously does, it’s painful to us as the audience because we see that it is painful for him when he recognizes and regrets it.

I have never seen Mary regret anything. Those crocodile tears at Christmas? More manipulation. Inconsistent with anything else we were shown about her as a character.

To even think for a SECOND that people could ship Mary and John and mentally condemn John for cheating on Mary AFTER SHE SHOT HIS BEST FRIEND...as if marriage is the be-all-end-all free pass in which every sin must be forgiven until the end of time...as if John broke any covenant with his wife beyond those she broke from the very moment she walked into his life *with an entire fake past.* Is just. Well. It's asking us to accept gaslighting as healthy, loving, normal, *preferable* behavior, so...given the source that message is coming from, it's all a bit meta.

THAT. Is insanity. Maybe Mofftiss are the sociopaths.

How these men could write characters they themselves understand so little (or tell us they understand so little because their emotional maturity has yet to surpass that of the average three-year-old’s), I will never know. I can only imagine that they have absorbed, by osmosis over their lives, real and nuanced human behavior...then churned it back out again in their writing unaware, a bit like psychopaths who teach themselves what "normal" people do so that they can pass as psychologically sound in regular society.

Remember, we *are* talking about men who do these sorts of things:

Moffat says that Sherlock is celibate and that people who claim he's misogynistic when he does things like make Irene Adler imply she's attracted to the detective (even though she's a lesbian) are, ironically, "deeply offensive" (despite lines like "look at us both" in Battersea. We aren't your therapists, Moffat--we don't care what you meant, we care what you said, and what you *said* was clear. *Implying* it does not let you off the hook).

Gatiss has proclaimed that "I find flirting with the homoeroticism in Sherlock much more interesting" than the idea of ever making a show addressing LGBT issues. (That link is to a reddit forum, and I can't find the original interview anymore, but I assure you I had seen the actual article myself ages back and can't find it online again now along with some of the Martin quotes I wanted to link to. And nevermind what Gatiss has done with LGBT shows/issues since--my focus here is on what he has said, versus what he and Moffat have since claimed regarding their queerbaiting.)

Here’s a transcript of this screenshot:

"...many people come up and say they didn't realise." Despite this lack of public awareness, being part of the gay community is clearly important to Gatiss: "The older I get the more I want to give something back. I mean, I keep meaning to do something." When asked if he'd be interested in making a series about gay issues his response was enlightening:

"No, I don't think I'd make a kind of gay programme. It's much more interesting when it's not about a single issue. And equally, I find flirting with the homoeroticism in Sherlock much more interesting. Of course this reflects the grand picture of everyone's strange make-up; there are good gay people and bad gay people. I wouldn't like to make an issue film around the culture of being gay."

Instead Gatiss' interest seems to lie in making a drama where sexuality is, if not mundane, part of the wider framework: "I'd quite like to do something about a quite happy, ordinary gay person who's just incidentally gay. For example, a three-part thriller for ITV where the lead character just happens to be gay; when they finally go home, say 45 minutes in, and they had a same sex partner. That to me would be genuinely progressive. It wouldn't be a three-part gay thriller for ITV. It would be that this character just happened to be gay."

--End article quote.

And instead, who is canonically gay in the series? Well, Irene Adler. The innkeepers at the Cross Keys. And perhaps most notably, the *villains*, because that's a helpful trope: Moriarty and Eurus are, in S4, both implied to be at least bisexual.

Any character should be able to be any sexuality, this is true. But can we have some main characters, the good guys, give some good representation? Can't we start making that the standard, rather than the villains and the background characters? Because so far, that is the exception and not the rule.

Writers need to be aware of the damage they are perpetuating. We are not quite in a world yet where any character should be able to be any sexuality but isn't, yet we have no problem with saying the villain is LGBT+ or looks different/functions differently than much of the viewing audience.

"Male friendship is important and valid, not everything has to be gay"--this is a popular point with casual heterosexual viewers (and, to my chagrin, some of my LGBT+ friends) who don't fully grasp what "queerbaiting" is, often even when it's pointed out to them.

The lens of heterosexuality is real. My first time through watching BBC Sherlock, I didn't see the Johnlock at all. I had to look for it and read about it. When I saw it, the lens was lifted for me, and it changed my life and the way I view things forever (and for the best).

But back to my point about how little Mofftiss seem to understand their own story/most ardent fans, and then on to my other theory: in S4 it must be that they dropped their “psychopaths emulating empathy” act and indulged in their own "insane wish fulfillment" by doing away with all of the meaning, continuity, and sense. Right?

So, here’s the alternate theory. One which is not, please remember, in their defense.

Remember that S4 is what Mofftiss are *happy* to have us believe is what they'd do with these characters, given the chance to do whatever they wanted. I repeat, in Moffat’s own words: “Insane wish fulfillment.”

Okay I get it, this pasta has been over-salted.

Without further delay: MY COPYRIGHT RESEARCH THEORY THAT EVEN I DON'T PUT MUCH STOCK IN AND WHICH DOESN’T MAKE UP FOR THEIR CRUELTY EVEN IF TRUE

Part of me also raises an eyebrow at S4 as perhaps an example of the effect of the Conan Doyle estate on any modern production in the US. While it’s true that all of Sherlock is part of public domain in the UK and has been for quite a long time, Gatiss and Moffat still talk about it being partially under copyright. Specifically, the last 10 stories. I’m supposing that this means that because Sherlock airs internationally, or due to whatever contract the BBC has with the Doyle estate, they are still limited by the copyright as to what they can “publish”.

The Doyle estate is known for being a pain in the ass when it comes to abiding by copyright law as everyone else knows and practices it. They’ve tried to argue, for example (in 2013 and, much more recently, with the advent of Enola Holmes), that because Holmes and Watson were not fully developed as their final selves until the conclusion of all 10 stories still under copyright, then perhaps the characters themselves should still be protected, basically, in full.

It’s true that certain elements of the remaining stories are still under copyright here in the US (Watson had more than one wife--uh huh, we have that to look forward to, Johnlockers; the Garridebs moment is still under copyright--yeah, I’m getting to that too; and Sherlock didn’t care much for dogs til later so that’s not allowed either, fuck off Redbeard), but the estate’s problem in 2013 seemed to be based around a fear that *gasp* some day--if not right now!--anyone could write a Sherlock Holmes story in any way they pleased, changing the characters however they wished to and giving those characters “multiple personalities.”

See the following excerpt from the Estate’s case:

“...at any given point in their fictional lives, the two men's characters depend on the Ten Stories. It is impossible to split the characters into public domain versions and complete versions.”

(Click for full transcript.)

Obviously, by this point, that’s been done in multiple iterations. So I dunno. Their argument was *more* than muddy to begin with--they just grasp at straws to stay in control, it seems.

But okay. Backing up: wasn’t there sort-of a Garridebs moment in S4?!?? you cry. Yep. But imagine this: the Conan Doyle estate taking Mofftiss to court to argue that they depicted the Garridebs moment--a moment still under copyright--in The Final Problem.

Did they, though? Did they really?

The fandom cried out about the ridiculousness--the utter disappointment--of that moment when it was shown. It was not what we would have expected/wanted. We didn’t see John injured, Sherlock reacting with tender outrage to the good doctor’s attacker.

Instead we saw some ludicrous BS that was as bad as the clown with the sword-gun-umbrella. More of that.

I think Martin probably found that it was easy to produce real tears when he thought about how fucking terrible the S4 scripts were.

Ahem. Yet, this all seems very Mofftiss-flavored in terms of humor.

I can all-too-easily imagine them saying, “HA. We’re going to show some of these supposedly copyrighted things--and if they take us to court, they’ll be laughed out of the room.” Could that explain some of the overall S4 fuckery?

Sherlock wasn’t supposed to like dogs til later stories, as previously mentioned-- is that why Redbeard pulled a “Cinderella’s carriage” and transformed into a pumpkin (Victor Trevor)? Hmm. Sigh.

It...doesn’t actually appear that the estate has any qualms about taking laughable stuff to court, I mean...*shrug.* They have the money to do it, and money is the name of the game, because you’ve got to pay for rights (cha-ching sounds).

Yep, it does seem that the estate is open to the copyrighted materials being made reality, but who knows for what price or with what caveats. The BBC isn’t, so far as I’ve ever heard, known for throwing money around. Early Doctor Who would be so much less entertaining if they’d had any sort of budget. (And in fact, more of the older episodes would exist, but apparently the BBC--in part to cut costs--reused some of their tapes.)

My bottom-line bitter is this: Mofftiss do like to amuse themselves. To please themselves and no one else, as they’ve shown time and again. Sure, they could do whatever they wanted with S4...and they did...but they were also cruel about it, and that’s what I’ll never forgive them--OR the BBC--for.

A lot of fans gave up after series 4. I was very nearly one of them. I was angry, like just about every other Johnlocker and/or TJLCer, but I was really truly heartbroken. I couldn’t look at fanfiction. My days were full of bitterness and I keenly felt the lack of the fandom outlet that had become so essential to my mental well-being. I didn't know how to overcome the disparity between TJLC and what the show actually was. I didn't know how to separate the things I loved so much from the shitty writers and the way the BBC handled things with their whole response letter (that atrocious, childish blanket response they sent to everyone who complained about S4, not just the Johnlockers/TJLCers. Related to your complaint or not, if you filed one post-S4, this was the response you got). I still boycott BBC shows/merchandise, just by the way.

I tried to link to the blanket response letter but the link didn’t want to work (it’s an old reddit post; I had difficulty finding a copy of the letter elsewhere though at one point it wasn’t so hard...Google is weird these days y’all...tell me it’s not just me) so here’s a screenshot:

Transcript:

“Thank you for contacting us about “Sherlock”.

The BBC and Hartswood Films have received feedback from some viewers who were disappointed there was not a romantic resolution to the relationship between Sherlcok and John in the finale of the latest season of “Sherlock”.

We are aware that the majority of this feedback uses the same text posted on websites and circulated on social media.

Through four series and thirteen episodes, Sherlock and John have never shown any romantic or sexual interest in each other. Furthermore, whenever the creators of “Sherlock” have been asked by fans if the relationship might develop in that direction, they have always made it clear that it would not.

Sherlock’s writers, cast and producers have long been firm and vocal supporters of LGBT rights.

The BBC does not accept the allegations leveled at “Sherlock” or its writers, and we wholeheartedly support the creative freedom of the writers to develop the story as they see fit.

We will of course register your disappointment.

Thank you for contacting us.

Kind Regards,

BBC Complaints Team

So how about that? *Did* they “register our disappointment”? We can actually check that. The BBC’s website has a monthly summary of complaints received. So what did they receive in January 2017, the month S4 aired?

Huh, what do you know. Sounds like that blanket response was exactly the “fuck you” it came across as.

But the show--the FANDOM--had filled a need in my life, and so I had to own that and make it mine, or just...let something in me die: something that felt like an actual vital organ. I had to decide that these characters mean something to me beyond what anyone else tells me they should. I had to accept my own perceptions as truth, as I do with everything else in my life. I had to overcome the idea of canon as law (BBC Sherlock isn't canon anyway; ACD is canon. BBC Sherlock is, in the end, badly written fanfiction--or--worse?--decent pre-slash fanfiction distorted by consistent lies and the hazing of the LGBT audience, topped with the dumpster fire of S4′s incoherent nonsense).

I had to take the good and throw away the bad, just like anyone else who chose to stay. The good bits of the show...dialogue, yes. Plot points, yes. These awful writers did write some good stuff sometimes.

They just broke all the unspoken rules of what not to do to your audience. And then did and said everything they could not to apologize, and to justify their own failings. Which, in the years since I began shipping queer ships beyond any others, I have unfortunately experienced more than once.

So, my vulnerability has been yeeted into the vacuum of broke-my-trustdom: no one can tell me what things should mean to me. I will decide.

I decide that all of the FUCKING AMAZING writing in the Sherlock fandom is a staple in my life that makes it worth living. And that that's okay. And takes precedence over anything the writers or anyone else associated with the show could ever say or do.

Johnlock can not be taken away. It doesn't belong to them. It never did, even if they brought us to it. It belongs to us. To the group of amazingly creative, brainy, empathetic, resourceful, vibrant, resilient people who make up this fandom.

So thank YOU, all of YOU, for giving me Sherlock, Johnlock, and TJLC.

I am SO SAD for those who never found a way to make peace with this fandom again. Let me just say that I understand that inability entirely.

I am fortunate that I found the ability in myself to cling to the joy (something it has taken my whole life to be able to do). I hope others will who haven’t yet but wish they could.

Let Mofftiss and whoever sides with them stay angry and bitter and vicious, always looking over their shoulders for anyone who dares to whisper about subtext.

I’m proud to be part of what they’re whispering so angrily about.

Thanks for sticking it out if you made it this far. I know this was very self-indulgent and rambly.

Articles of interest:

A Study in Queerbaiting (Or How Sherlock Got it All Wrong) by Marty Greyson

“We never played it like that.” - Martin on Johnlock

Henry Cavill on the Enola Holmes lawsuit

More on that--and by the way Sherlock isn’t allowed to like dogs

The way Sherlock creators told fans Sherlock & John aren’t gay is so rude

Especially for those new to the fandom who may not know the distinction between TJLC and Johnlockers and want to know more about TJLC's evolution/what it is/meta through the years

Moffat's view on asexuality, offensive to me in particular *as* an asexual person (same article where he claims he isn't misogynistic): "If he was asexual, there would be no tension in that, no fun in that – it's someone who abstains who's interesting."

Yet he says Sherlock isn't gay or straight and that he's trying to keep his brain pure which is a "very Victorian attitude"

(Nice historical research there, Moff--actually the Victorians were sex-positive).

Sherlock fans were robbed of the gay ending they deserved

Benedict Cumberbatch has lashed out at his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman over his negative attitude towards fans

BBC complaints January 2017

Martin Freeman: 'Sherlock is gayest story ever'

From 2016: UNPOPULAR OPINION: "Sherlock" Isn't Sexist or Queerbaiting; It's Actually Trying to Stage a Revolution

Queer-baiting on the BBC's Sherlock: Addressing the Invalidation of Queer Identities through Online Fan Fiction Communities by Cassidy Sheehan

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multifacetecl-archive · 3 years

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@hereticlord has reported : 💋 — FOUR TIMES MY MUSE THOUGHT ABOUT KISSING YOURS AND THE ONE TIME THEY ACTUALLY DID . / OPEN .

001 .

“I’m mad at you,” Apple said with a small huff, eyes narrowing at him as fingers worked on wrapping the bandages around his injured arm. They were sitting in the grass, or rather, he was while she sat on a fallen tree to give her a slight height advantage to make her work easier. “That was careless, and stupid, and just because—” A deflated sigh escaped her then, knowing she was wasting her breath; he won’t change. This will be part of his life. And she didn’t want him to change. She just worried. A lot. It was simply in her nature to do so.

He teases her, as he often does, and Apple finds it is hard to stay mad at him. No, she didn’t want him to change. Never. She accepted him, every part of him, even the parts that make her twist with anxiety. “Come here,” she chides, hands catching his face and tilting his head up to face her. Her eyes scan his features, gauging the damages done; a small bruise against his cheek, something she can easily tend to. A few cuts here and there, but they’re not too bad.

Her eyes fall on the split of his lip, and she tutted her tongue. Except, her eyes linger longer than she intended to, and she felt her cheeks burn red when he catches her.

“Try to go a few days before I see you as a patient again, will you?” She said, pushing him away playfully.

002.

Apple absolutely loathes unnecessary violence, which was what made their relationship — whatever it was — rather ironic. While she lived a pacifist lifestyle, to the best of her ability anyways, he had chaos and the urge for battle coursing through his veins; she can’t figure out if it was simply because he loved the adrenaline, or if it was something deeper than that. But she kept her comments to herself, unless it was violence done in her name.

Though, admittedly, Childe had plenty of reasons to worry — how many treasure hunter camps has she walked into, throwing herself in danger, for the act of healing. Knowing that they can just as easily hurt her as easily as she trusted them.

“Childe, I can’t breathe,” Apple protests, arms held out at her side before fingers moved to his shoulders and she shoved gently at him. He was holding her so tight, it was almost as if he was afraid. The idea of anyone worrying about her well being was beyond her, which was so hard to believe, given how beloved the traveling doctor was to most. But she comes from a place where . . . People hated her for the reasons the people of Liyue adored her. And it was the opinions of home that leaves her damaged.

He finally releases her, ruffles her hair, and she pulls back and looks up at him. Heart hammering in her chest, she smiled at him, catching his hand and holding it to her chest. “Let’s get out of here, okay?”

003.

She never forgot the way Childe held her that day at the domain. The color of his aura when he found her, bound, amongst a bunch of hoarders despite her pure intentions of helping them. That was simply in her nature, it was her legacy. Her dying right. The history of her people has taught her that she was nothing but fodder to the Gods. A being meant to sacrifice themselves to the beasts that once terrorized Teyvat and bring peace to their slumbers so the people of the world can have one less catastrophe to behold.

Bone Witches were made with despair, revenge, and self-sacrifice. She was made by the woes of her fallen sisters, centuries in the past, to uphold their heavy burden once more. Sometimes she dreams of a woman from centuries ago, crying over her, pitying her poor great granddaughter whom she tried to save from her same fate.

Apple never learned the meaning of self-preservation until that day. It never, ever, ever occurred to her that she was seen as someone cherished and precious. Cared for enough that they would cling to her in such a way. Sure, anyone else would have saved her, but it was a matter of morals, not affection.

Pacifistic ideations aside, there’s a small sense of pride at the look of shock that comes from the archer. Electro sparks and hops off of her blade, the hirichurl that had charged at her sent flying into the cliffside. She will fight, rather than accept her fate. Rather than fear and wonder if she will one day meet Death like she has not been tempting him and silently hoping to be relieved from her responsibilities.

She had forgotten the rush of adrenaline when her metal sings with every strike of sword. When they’re done, the electro swordswoman practically throws herself at him. “Did you see me? Bet you never thought I can do that, huh?” She sing-songed, arms wrapped around his neck. She pulls back, and their faces are inches apart.

She’s forgotten what it looks like to have someone proud of her.

004.

“Did . . . Did you see . .. ?”

Apple’s voice wavered, and it was clear that she was fighting back the tears that threatened to pool in her coppery gaze. Her back was turned to him, shoulders stiff and raised as if she was trying to recoil into herself, like a turtle in its shell. It was a stupid question, of course he did. Why else would he be here? Have followed her? Most people here were good at minding their own business, even when something like that happens for everyone to see.

“Stay away from him, you — you monster! I thought we saw the last of you! You’ll curse us, you should have joined your sisters!” The words spoken from the woman from her home village stung more than the slap across her cheek and the soreness of her back from when she was shoved into the moat of water. She had thought the little, lost boy she was helping looked familiar. She could tell by his clothes that he was of Inazuma origins, but she didn’t think that he was the grandson of one of the elders of her village that had, almost literally, chased her out of her own home.

Not that would have stopped her. Knowing it’d end up like this, she would never leave a boy to wander by himself through Liyue harbors, with its maze like design.

Turning to face Childe, the sight before him was absolutely heart breaking. Her lips were curved in their usual smile, still filled with warmth and care and love. But she was crying. Tears flowed from her eyes, even though they were clenched shut in a desperate attempt to keep them in.

“Please tell me you didn’t see. You didn’t hear. I don’t want —” . . . I don’t want you to hate me, too.

Apple remembers sobbing then, as he pulls her in silently. She’s grateful he doesn’t comment on the show that was so graciously provided to the citizens of Liyue. Just offers her the comfort she needed to hear, and was too afraid to ask for. When she calmed down enough and he offered to treat her out to help lift her spirits, all she wanted to do was kiss him.

Even if she meant something to him, and not in the way he did to her, it was all she could think about the rest of the night. But the many sweets she indulged on was enough.

005.

To say that Apple knew no fear would be the farthest thing from the truth. She knew fear. It was not in the form of her own well-being, though that was something she was starting to work on. But it was in the form of the well-being of others. The people she cared about. Deeply. She knew fear in the form of failure. In the form of abandonment. One would think that, someone who was as pure - hearted as she was, would harbor a hatred for those who were meant for darkness—willingly or not. One would think that she would side herself with the good, and yet, here she was.

The chaos and havoc is thick in the air, it was almost nauseating to someone who was so sensitive to auras and the dark. She picks her way through the masses of bodies, hands clutched to her chest, as her eyes scan the corpses around her, steps hasty and almost timid.

Apple is no stranger to the dead. But if there was something she feared: it was this draw she seemed to have to them. Her vision glows, and her hand rises to cover it, clenching it tight in her grasp. “Don’t—” she whispers to herself, mouth dry. Dark magic churns in the pits of her stomach, calling out to the bodies around her.

Bone Witch, the souls of the dead call out for her, and she does her best not to answer. All it would take to raise an army of the dead is to raise her finger in the air and a rune for its namesake to be drawn in the air. The Foul Legacy had left her an army to her disposal, if she so wished.

“There you are . . .” Came a breath of relief when she finally catches up to Childe. Though . . . She wasn’t sure if that is who she should call him. She is unbothered and equally unfazed by the gore that stains his skin, or the inhuman glow of his hypnotic gaze.

It’s voice is almost hypnotic as It speaks at her. Speaks her name in a voice that was both Childe’s but not at the same time. Like an echo in a cave, the voices fill her brain. “Do you hate me too?” It seems to ask, mocking her with the words she was afraid to speak that night in Liyue.

She surprises It with a small laugh, hand moving to stifle the sound with the bend of her knuckle. It’s a little funny to her, and she knows she shouldn’t laugh. Her hating him . . . Would make her just as bad as her people. Who hated her for something she could not control. Apple understands now, why she has this draw to him. Felt a likeness she has never felt with anyone else before.

There’s more confidence in her steps as she approaches, though a small falter of slight annoyance that size is, as always, an obstacle. But, she makes do and stops before It. Fingers find the fabric of their scarf, and she pulls them down. The kiss is rather gentle for something filled with havoc and blood, and when she pulls way from It, copper on her tongue, her eyes locks with Its purple.

“Never,” she answers it, soft and sweet. She can never come to hate him, no matter what side of him stands before her.

#hereticlord #( apple : answered )#( bone witch : traveling doctor / genshin )#death tw #[ i tried to like. impliment your hc's and such at the end uH ]#[ this was fun to write tho !! ]

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diepower · 4 years

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THE BIG BLEACH HC MEME centering around politics, repost & fill out! For anyone who wanted to explore those aspects more, considering it played a big role in the story. Some things may be unknown to your Muse, just think in WHAT IF then & well, have fun and take your time!

BASICS

Name: Meninas McAllon / / / Age: 1000+ years / / / Gender: nonbinary woman Race: Shinigami / Quincy / Hollow / Fullbringer / Visored / Human / Other Currently lives: (verse dependent) Soul Society / Hueco Mundo / Silbern / Living World / Hell Exact Location: again, verse dependent, but Silbern in general and then Squad 12th’s basement in her CFYOW verse... haven’t quite ironed out all the details of her post-canon AU beyond that it’s set in the Living World, though Group(s): Wandenreich, Shinigami (specifically Squad 12 and not by choice)

QUESTIONS

- Would your muse consider themselves more: GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL ? - Would your muse consider their group more: GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL ? - How does your muse think others see them: GOOD / EVIL / NEUTRAL ? - How does your muse think others see their race: GOOD / EVIL / NEUTRAL ? - How does your muse think others see their group: GOOD / EVIL / NEUTRAL ?

- Is your muse considered a threat: YES / NO ? By whom?: Soul Society - Is your muse powerful: YES / NO ? Could they be considered OP: YES / NO ? - Did your muse any crimes: YES / NO ? - Does your muse think they are doing mostly the right thing: YES / NO ? - Would society think the same: YES / NO / MIXED OPINIONS ?

- Does your muse think they are treated unfairly: YES / NO ? - Does your muse feel understood from others: YES / NO ? - Is it important for them what others think of them as a person: YES / NO ? - Would they welcome death: YES / NO ? - Will they ever find peace: YES / NO ?

01.0. Do they fully stand behind the group they are part of? YES / NO. Why is that? Explain: To Meninas, the Wandenreich are a means to an end; a way for her to be placed in a position where she might exact her revenge on Soul Society for the deaths of her parents during the original Quincy genocide 1000 years prior. In addition, being recruited into the Wandenreich also puts her in a closer position to Yhwach himself, whom she firmly believes is equally responsible for the deaths of her parents due to his ineptitude as a leader and “god”. She has no loyalty to Quincy as a race, and only greater purpose is to become the Strongest of all Quincy (not even particularly the “Strongest Quincy”, as she prefers her fists over traditional Quincy techniques). She is exclusively motivated by her own personal sense of justice, and will do whatever she must to attain it.

02.0. Do they like as things are in Soul Society? YES / NO. 02.1. Is there anything they would change? Explain here: Soul Society is a corrupt government body that uses methods of fear, torture, and suppression to uphold their very self-serving ideals of justice. Already armed with this perception, Meninas also sees this firsthand while captive to Mayuri Kurotsuchi and must personally carry out such tactics firsthand. While she doesn’t in the fullest capacity know how to change Soul Society because the root of evil is much deeper than anyone would think, she believes that a number of practices and traditions and captains ought to be destroyed; torn out, root and stem. She also hates the nobility that control many of the policies and buy their way into the Gotei ranks. Those who fight and do the work have earned their place at the top, those who do nothing and hoard their wealth while watching those at the bottom suffer have no place in policy making, regulation, or enforcement.

03.0. Would they ever actively try to bring change (in general)? YES / NO. 03.1. Is your muse more: passive / active ? Introverted / Extroverted ? 03.2. Does your muse care more about: others / themselves ? 03.3. Do they trouble their mind over a lot of problems, others? YES / NO. 03.4. Do they mostly involve: the world / everyone / themselves / comrades / friends / family / elderly / kids / teenagers / home / workplace / strangers / souls / humans / quincy / shinigami / nobles / fullbringer / visored / hollows / espada / arrancar / (former) boss(es) / pets / animals / zanpakuto spirit / enemies / partner / lover(s) / soul king / god / other…(add more) 03.5. Name (up to) three which are the most on their mind (optional, adding names): - her parents in that her original goal was to get revenge against yhwach and soul society for their roles in the Quincy genocide; she cannot remember their faces anymore, but its her memory that they existed at all that drives her actions - bazz-b in that she and him have an established partnership and plot to commit deicide together, and have been keeping this partnership going for the better part of the last 1000 years under the guise that they’re a very messy and very stupid pair of lovers with a loud and destructive relationship. a long time ago, she swore to help bring about the future of the world he envisioned, and her loyalty has not shaken. - the other femritters- giselle in particular being as young as she is, and meninas harbors a strong guilt for recruiting her into the wandenreich (despite being under orders from yhwach). though on the surface their relationship is rife with bickering and light-hearted contempt, she specifically tries to watch out for giselle. - the nobility (not for any particular race, just in general) as she despises those who claim dominion over the others due to circumstances of wealth or fortunate circumstance without actually doing anything to aid the suffering of those below

04.0. Do they think frequently about politics? YES / NO / SOMETIMES. Why is that? Explain: Most of Meninas’ thoughts are politic-focused, although this perhaps isn’t something she herself is aware of, if that makes sense. Most of her thoughts are “it seems to me that this is the way the world is, where it ought to be this other way and I will help to shape it in that image with my own two hands”.

05.0. How do they feel in their current location, more: POSITIVE / NEGATIVE / NEUTRAL ? 05.1. Why is that?: This goes for pretty much all locations/bases in her life after leaving her childhood home at the age of 12- she doesn’t regard anywhere as home as much as shelter. She doesn’t like Silbern, but grows used to it over time (hence the neutrality), but is miserable while trapped in Soul Society.

06.0. Does your muse have any goal: YES / NO ? BIG / SMALL ? 06.1. Does it involve anything world-changing: YES / NO ? 06.2. If goal or not, any future plans? Share here: She despises the class differences between the weird racist blood purity and nobility schemes of the Quincy to Nobility in any of its forms and greatly begrudges those of high noble status. While she does a good job at hiding this disdain while residing in Silbern and around large numbers of Quincy elite (in wealth and breeding), she resents most of them for what they are. Her young life was shaped by the perception of a person’s worth in the world ruled by pedigree and wealth, and she as a result that a person’s worth is dependent on how useful they are as a tool or object to others. She wants to live in a world where those currently at the bottom stand at the top, and those in power are beneath their feet. As far as plans, she’s spent her entire life living with the purpose of revenge, and acting as a tool or an object. Meninas struggles to reconcile this way of life with any dreams for living in any normal capacity.

07.0. Does your muse know about the original sin of soul society*: YES / NO ? * curious? Read about it here. 07.1. If they knew, would it change their views on Soul Society: YES / NO ? 07.2. More: POSITIVE / NEGATIVE / NEUTRAL ?

08.0. Who is the worst person in their eyes?: Yhwach, Yamamoto, all of Soul Society 08.1. What should happen to them? Execution (quick / slow death) / Imprisonment / Stripped of their powers / Torture / Repay for their sins / Pay a Fine / Social Work / lose their loved ones / Exile / other… (add more). 08.2. Explanation: Frustrating as it is that she can’t force Yhwach to watch his loved ones die because she believes he lacks the capacity for feeling in that regard, she wants him to die quickly and without much thought. No power-stripping, no long drawn out torture, just something to end it all. Soul Society should be stripped of its powers to recognize the cruelty of their dominion and ideals imposed upon all realms.

09.0. Thoughts on the Quincy Massacre if they knew: POSITIVE / NEGATIVE / NEUTRAL ? 09.1. Would they be alright with such thing happening again: YES / NO / INDIFFERENT ? 09.2. Would they try to prevent it: YES / NO / DEPENDS ? 09.3. Explanation: Regardless of how self-focused her goals may appear, she doesn’t want to create a world where more children have to go through what she did.

10.0. Would they ever switch sides: YES / NO ? 10.1. If yes, What could bring them to do so?: - 10.2. Would they create a new one: YES / NO ? or join a current one? If so, which: Meninas is now and forever on Meninas’ side.

11.0. Does your muse follow a certain moral code*?: YES / NO / GRAY AREA ? * (ethics) A written, formal, and consistent set of rules prescribing righteous behavior, accepted by a person or by a group of people. 11.1. What does it involve?: discrimination based on real world (not manga world) issues like racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc shes not a good person but shes not a piece of shit 11.2. What does it NOT involve?: shes cool with murder, torture, manipulation, plotting to kill god. very much “the end justifies the means” for the sake of her ideals

YOUR MUSE’S VIEWS / OPINIONS ON THESE GROUPS ?

Central 46: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: corrupt government that doesnt actually go out on the front lines and have no fucking idea what theyre talking about

Four Great Noble Clans: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: she hates rich people and also its their fault the world is the way it is

Royal Guards / Gotei 13: positive / negative / neutral . ━ because: corrupt military upholding their own self serving ideals of justice and righteousness. its hubris that makes them call themselves “shinigami- death gods”. theyre not gods, theyre pathetic people in places of power

Fullbringer: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: truly doesnt care

Visored: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: theyre shinigami AND hollows so extra disgusting

Espada: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: hollows are poisonous. she is not a fan

Quincy: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: the mission is cool, the culture and weird blood purity bullshit with noble lineage is fucked up. she only isn’t completely spiteful because being a quincy herself affords her more power to become stronger, and she loves her parents. overall, she doesnt feel the same loyalty to her kind that others do

YOUR MUSE’S VIEWS / OPINIONS ON THESE (IMPORTANT) PEOPLE ?

Aizen: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: cool that he wanted to revolutionize SS, lame that he relied on hollow power, lamer still that he lost. also, she doesnt like men who talk too much.

Yhwach: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: she sees his ineptitude as a leader and failed god figure just as responsible for her parents’ deaths as soul society. his hubris as a god is just as deplorable as soul society’s itself, it just so happens hes the one who gave her more ability to get her revenge

Mayuri: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: the daten already described him as disgusting, esp detailing his torture on subjects he found to be particularly interesting. Meninas especially hates him after becoming his prisoner in CFYOW following the war. he performed surgery on both her and candice, claiming to have filled their bodies with bombs in order to force them to comply. he took a special interest in the unique state of meninas’ body and muscle density, and as such, there are a number of other “experiments” she underwent at his hands. on top of her being forced to execute soul society’s “dirty work” at his behest in exchange for her life... she hates mayuri

Kurosaki: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: she thinks its disgusting that soul society relies so heavily on a child’s power to be a strong military force, even worse that the wandenreich and yhwach himself sought to take control of that power. despite this, she doesnt hesitate to attack him with the intent to kill for the sake of acheiving her own ideals, and shes also bothered by ichigos apparent blind faith in soul society (from her pov)

Soul King: positive / negative / neutral. ━ because: she thinks the soul king is a testament to soul society and the nobility being disgusting and cruel. and thats all i got bc i still have to do 3 more of these for wildly different viewpoints and my brain is running low on juice

CONGRATS, you managed till to the end, now tag your fellow bleach partners!

TAGGED BY: @zombiequincy thank u hela TAGGING: idk anyone whos wearing socks i tag u

#MEME / ANSWERED #HANDS OF THE DIVINE ; A SELF MADE CREATION / HEADCANON

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rosalind-of-arden · 4 years

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Sword and Pen Reread, chapter 3

Khalila chapter! With some Santi awesomeness and a couple tantalizing Wolfe tidbits.

Ephemera: Archivist sending out spam mail to anyone who might side with him.

Archivist’s throne is very old and made of wood. Not especially fancy. Or comfortable.

Receiving Hall: a vast marble space with lotus columns marching into the distance.” One automaton: a two-story Horus statue. Throne is on a gold platform on the backs of gold sphinxes. Seven steps up to the throne, four braziers at the platform corners that burn herbs. Some kind of passive cooling in the design. The room is fig enough to hold tens of thousands of people.

Archivists have always been elected by Conclave.

Conclave consists of thousands of Scholars, tens of thousands of librarians and staff - and this is just those in Alexandria, not counting those working outside Alexandria and anyone who sided with the former administration. So that makes a fairly democratic election - has it always been that way? Probably not?

Not clear if High Garda counts as part of the Conclave or not.

The crowd is parting for Santi and it’s promotion time! This is just such a good moment for him. In Smoke and Iron, he didn’t even feel he could give orders to his own company because he gave up his position to rescue Thomas. He’s got to still be hurting from Zara’s betrayal. But this whole time, the packs has survived in part due to the loyalty he inspired in the High Garda. All the friendships and connections that he built over a 20+ year career have gotten him here. And here’s the payoff. He’s not only restored to his former position, but promoted to the top of the High Garda.

The first two members of the new Curia, Murasaki and Santi, are people who, in one way or another, refused to participate in the old administration’s corruption. They’re both respected for being good at their jobs and they both get along well with the people who work with them. That’s the kind of leadership the new Library chooses right after throwing the corrupt Curia out.

Santi’s oath: “I swear to serve the Great Library with body, mind, and blood for as long as it pleases the Archivist. I swear to defend it against all enemies, within and without. I swear to uphold the laws and covenants of the Great Library, and when ordered to direct and lead the High Garda in battle. I swear to protect knowledge and its servants wherever they may be threatened.”

I am totally writing a fic in which Santi gives Wolfe a modified, more personal version of this oath. When? It’s hectic for a while after they run in Paper and Fire, then Santi’s injured... maybe in the camp after Philly? Or later, after they rescue Wolfe in Smoke and Iron, before the battle? Or maybe they did this ages ago - they might not want to get married, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have sexy, sexy loyalty oaths.

Another thing that needs to happen in fic? Wolfe and Santi borrowing the throne room for some roleplay. You know Santi would enjoy kneeling with Wolfe on that throne.

Lord Commander’s promotion is voted on by the captains of the High Garda.

“Partner for years, though I don’t believe they have formally married.” A few things here. First, this is an insight into how relationships are viewed. Wolfe and Santi, as we know, think of each other as partners and lovers; those are the words they use to describe their relationship, and they seem to use those terms interchangeably, with equal weight (they might use “lover” more? don’t have digital copies to search it). Khalila, however, feels the need to clarify that they are “more than that” when Saleh asks if Santi is Wolfe’s lover. So there’s an increased degree of respect for a long-term partnership, and Khalila wants to make sure Wolfe and Santi get that.

But also, notice Khalila’s qualification that she doesn’t “believe” Wolfe and Santi have formally married. That means they could very well be married and not have told her, or anyone else. Khalila’s the fucking Archivist’s assistant now and she’s known Wolfe and Santi for over a year, so by the standards of our world, it would be really weird for her to not be 100% sure whether Wolfe and Santi are married. Could be a bit of rhetorical humility on her part, sure, but it also implies a certain level of privacy. Is that an indication that Alexandrian culture treats relationship status as something private in general? Or a sign that Wolfe and Santi are unusually private about the details of their relationship?

And also, “formally married.” As contrasted with what, informal marriage? Which would be common law marriage. So we can say common law marriage is an option in Alexandria, and given how long they’ve been together, there’s a pretty good chance that Wolfe and Santi are common law married. But if they are, they’re not saying so.

And, yeah, gay marriage as a legal thing in Alexandria is totally confirmed.

So put all this together, and we have a bit of a social hierarchy of relationships. We might have a higher expectation of privacy surrounding relationships. Or we might just have Wolfe and Santi, within this system that’s totally open to gay marriage, being rather queer in how they define their relationship. They’re 100% committed to each other, but they’ve opted out of formal marriage, they keep their relationship private, and they call each other lovers even though they could use language that implies a higher level of commitment.

Wolfe talked to Santi while hallucinating in prison. Wolfe was even less ok there than we saw in Smoke and Iron. This wouldn’t be his first time hallucinating Santi - he did it in Rome, too.

And Saleh heard it. If Saleh heard him, so did others there. Wolfe is not going to be happy about that when/if he finds out. Santi is going to be worried as fuck if he finds out, too.

Saleh is worried about Wolfe. Maz, do something with this please.

Wolfe isn’t there for the big oath-taking ceremony. Yes, hunting the ex-Archivist is important, but is there more to it? Consider his discomfort with the Scholars in chapter 1, and his later discomfort with the Curia. Would he be comfortable standing there with all these people who did nothing when he was taken and swearing loyalty to the Library with them? Or even Murasaki herself - she said she knew Wolfe, well enough that she was worried she would be targeted when Wolfe disappeared. And as far as we know, she didn’t do anything to help him. He might feel the same about her as the rest of the new Curia.

High Garda captains take their oaths individually. Scholars, librarians, and soldiers take oaths as a group.

The Alexandrian Merchant Council is a political organization of some sort that Murasaki has to meet with. For those looking to develop Alexandrian politics more.

Oath for Scholars, librarians, soldiers: “In the name of sacred knowledge, in the eyes of every god in every corner of this world, I swear my allegiance to the Great Library of Alexandria. I swear to protect the knowledge of this world against all enemies, within and without. I swear to nurture and share such knowledge with all who wish to learn. I swear to live, teach, preserve, study, fight, and die in this cause.”

Khalila worries that Eskander might not be planning to swear allegiance to the Library. She’s also worried he has too much power. Post-canon conflict potential?

Murasaki says the Library will protect the Archives “as we have for three thousand years.” Just in case we needed yet another number to throw around when discussing Library timelines.

Cleaning and catering services are based in the middle level of the Serapeum.

Career servants get silver collars.

The ambassadors are in the “Seventh Great Room.” Its a big room with windows and lots of seating. Just for an idea of the capacity of the Serapeum for meetings.

#sword and pen reread #the great library #long post

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arcanacouncilrp · 5 years

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“ If you have been wronged, this may bring you relief. On the other hand, if your actions caused pain to others, this serves as a warning. ”

Upright: Reality, Honesty, Clarity Reversed: Obscure, False, Unethical Astrology: Libra ♎︎ Element: Air 🜁 Power: Enhanced Senses

Faceclaim Suggestions: Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, Aishwarya Rai, Indira Varma Name: UTP Gender: UTP Age Range: 46-50 Years with Council: 21 Council Role: Strategic Advisor

FIRST - Justice parted the plum curtain before them to stride into their study, where advisors awaited to update them on recent political shifts and skirmishes. They drew their sword from their back and laid it on the desk beside their war map. The advisors did not flinch. That was Justice’s way—they were prepared for every situation, no matter how dire. They had sworn solemnly to uphold this duty, to set an example for the people of the world, since it was laid at their feet by The Ancients themselves. By their scales, the challenge of their position weighed equal to its importance. It was more than a simple call to rule with iron, though. Justice was not as quick to draw their blade as some might think. They scrutinized every detail, every map, every plan, looking for weaknesses or hidden meanings; little escaped their hawkish eyes, for they knew battle could not always be the answer. Or they did in the beginning, anyway. Even Justice could not forever avoid the veil of deceit and hypocrisy being drawn over their eyes.

FROM THE WORLD’S JOURNAL - Being a leader is hard enough before you throw magic into the mix—I admired Justice for taking on such responsibility. They did well with it for a time. My respect lingers even now, even knowing how steep their descent was. It is no easy thing, judging humanity for what it is and working to elevate it beyond that. I worry that such a position in itself attracts the power-hungry, so I have done my best to encourage each incarnation to cooperate with the other Councilors like a team, as was intended at the start. Some have been receptive, some less so. This one, even less than that; they believe they are meant to be in charge of a team, rather than one of its members. They have many redeeming qualities that I have been proud of and tried to nurture, at least. They may be quick to assume but they never commit to a judgment without proof. They are blunt, but fair, and they work harder than anyone at what they do. Their devotion to the Council has helped me with new recruits. I refrain from giving them more responsibilities only to reinforce us as a family, not an army.

NOW - You have your priorities, and you always have. When you were first recruited to the Council, you were adamant they couldn’t pull you away from your work. You’ve always been exceptional at what you choose to do, and you work damn hard to be so, too. You didn’t build that success for nothing. As years have gone by, though, the Council began to matter. You found you could be exceptional to them, too, and it made a difference. You have always enjoyed being respected, which helps a great deal in choosing where you focus your energy. What’s not to like about people looking up to you? You want it to stay that way, too, so you strive to make yourself invaluable. Some might say—rarely to your face, unless they’re very brave or very obtuse—that you can be abrasive, holier-than-thou. To you, that’s the reaction weak-willed people have to ambitious people who can compartmentalize. If you make a good leader who gets the job done, who cares whether you were all fun and smiles? That’s not what you’re here for. You’re here to lead, no matter what it takes. After all, who better than Justice for that?

Connections

THE MAGICIAN - You saw yourself in them; it was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. You thought your stoic calculated process was one of a kind until you saw them in action. Unfortunately, they saw themselves in you too. They were asking you questions, following you around, showing interest in your personal life —eventually you caved. After all, so many are intimidated by you, why not show a little compassion to someone who shares your boldness and ambition? Admittedly, the pair of you could be an impressive pair when it came to a change in leadership, but you dare not say so aloud. People might accuse you of things.

TEMPERANCE - You know you need them on your side if it comes down to a campaign for power on the Council. You’re interested in the politics of it, not starting a fight. Their abilities could come in handy to keep tempers from flaring up and, if you’re being honest, you know you’re not necessarily good at diplomacy. They seem more concerned with their work and their tech than anything else, but that’s no problem for you. It means they’re not competition and they’re more likely to defer to your authority when it comes to decisions. At least, that’s the way you’ve thought of it. Your relationship is purely business, but you’re willing to go to certain lengths to maintain it.

JUDGEMENT - You know exactly how vital it is to get them on your side, but hell, they’re so annoying. So stubborn, so holier-than-thou, so unwilling to bend even long enough to hear you out. Yet you keep trying! You can’t help it, really. You want them in your corner because they’re intelligent and outspoken, and having that kind of support at your back is crucial. But… They definitely have an overblown sense of their own mind, in your opinion, and it makes them incredibly difficult to work with. When you aren’t butting heads with them, you’re trying to make them see reason. Someday it has to work, right?

#new lsrpg #lsrpg #new rp #original rp #skeleton rp #supernatural rp #magic rp #o #justice

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lowat-golden-tower · 6 years

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Hey have you read homestuck? I'm trying to decide godtiers for the sides and thought that maybe you could help?

I have indeed read the Chaos Devil’s spawn of memes. Back in its hey-day I was eyeballs deep in that fandom, and yes, I was actually a source for classpect information at one point. I went and sifted through my old sources (god bless @dahniwitchoflight tbh) and tried to puzzle this one out.

Now note, I am very rusty with all of this and honestly the classpect system can be dissected any number of ways. So this is purely my interpretation.

With that said, shall we get to it?

TL;DR Version (for explanations and thorough analysis, check under Read More):

Thomas - Mage of BloodLogan - Witch of LightPatton - Knight of HopeRoman - Maid of Heart (ha)Virgil - Rogue of DoomDeceit - Sylph of VoidRemy - Heir of Breath (hi john)

So first I went and took a look at possible classes. I decided to include Thomas, Remy and Deceit along with the sides just for the fun of it, and surprisingly only one of them actually lined up with a single class and no other (the rest have many that could work).

Remy is a Breath player. Hands down. Nothing fits the sleepy rebel boi like Breath. Breath players can be disconnected, apathetic and indifferent. They’re detached, obsessed with liberties and freedoms and independence. They seek flexibility. If that isn’t Remy, then I don’t know what is. He shares these qualities with Virgil, actually, but I decided Remy exemplified the class far more.

Now for Remy’s class, I found four to be appropriate, so it was a matter of choosing the best. Heir, Mage, Sylph or Knight; after much deliberation I finally decided on Heir. Mages tend to have a dichotomy with their aspect I don’t see for Remy, Sylphs are too obsessed with pushing their aspect onto others, and Knights tend to use their aspect as a shield for fear of lacking in it. None of these suit Remy like the Heir, true naturals of their aspect who often don’t even need to actively seek it out. Usually they have problems getting stuck on one thing or another, and Remy does seem to have troubles with adapting. (Poor Thomas.)

Remy is an Heir of Breath. (Like John Egbert!)

Let’s go with Deceit next. He has the next lowest number of associated aspects after Remy, with just two: Rage or Void. In the end I found Rage to be too extreme of an aspect for Deceit, at least for the moment, with so little information known about him as a character. Ironically, he shares the Void association with Virgil, but I feel it is definitely more appropriate for Deceit. Void is infinite possibilities, its indifference and confusion, secrets, doubts, irrelevance. All things Deceit either is or does. The other sides would like to see him as irrelevant. He creates doubt and confusion through deceit, hoards secrets, and sees the bigger picture of things which is what prompts him to be deceitful in the first place. Creating something from nothing just because? Sounds like Deceit.

Now class… haha, oh boy. This was not so easy. About two-thirds of the classes for this aspect could apply to Deceit. So I had a lot of comparing to do, to narrow it down. Mage and Bard are two classes that I really struggled with, honestly. I feel like Mage of Void would suit Deceit if he became the truly despicable person we all know he could be, as the embodiment of deceit itself? While Bard of Void would apply more to “sympathetic Deceit,” a reformed Deceit who didn’t want to be the villain but was made out to be. And yet… Sylph of Void. Oh, Sylph of Void just screams Deceit, they are masters at hiding things and will happily do so, and make others do so.

Yeah, this one was really difficult. At the end of the day, I feel Sylph is the happy medium between Mage and Bard. They’re meddlers. They hide things; their actions, their motives, themselves. A Sylph of Void in particular would not be good working with others, making them feel useless, meaningless or insignificant. They’ll talk over others and shut them up. No one ever knows how much they’re hiding, or what they have up their sleeve. It’s all fitting.

Deceit is a Sylph of Void.

Let’s go with Thomas next. He’s tied with Logan for the most associated aspects at three. Space, Heart and Blood. In the end, I went with Blood. Heart just screams Patton to me far more, and Space feels more like Roman (but I’ll decipher those two when I get to them). No, Blood definitely feels like our Thomas. All about bonds, commitments, dependency on others and others onto you, taking responsibility and upholding promises. Our Thomas has an enormously strong bond with his friends, and even with the community he’s created. Not to mention his sides. :)

But now, what class for our creator? I narrowed it down to Mage, Maid or Knight, but in the end settled on Mage. Knight seemed just a little too insecure for Thomas, at least in this stage of his life. And Maid was a little too submissive, a bit too much of a doormat for relationships. No, Mage suits Thomas best. Tied down to his obligations; commitments to fulfill, promises to uphold, connections and bonds to maintain. They try to support the people they’ve bonded with, friends and family alike, and work hard to maintain those bonds.

He’s Mr. Dependable, or tries to be, but he often wonders about giving up a few of those obligations, of getting some more freedom and having fun. He fully feels the strain of all that responsibility. This even applies to his sides, each of whom he cares for and tries to keep stable, including their relationships with each other.

Thomas is a Mage of Blood.

Who next? Let’s go with Logan. Yes, finally digging into the main core of the sides. (He’s also my favorite.) Now due to Thomas taking Blood, that leaves Logan with Light and Mind as his possible aspects. Those of you familiar with Homestuck will understand why, as both are composed of a form of knowledge; having it, seeking it, stealing it, what have you. Now, Light also has a bit to do with luck, but that’s why I’m going to pick apart the threads and dissect them to figure out which suits Logan better.

Now for starters, Mind is the opposite of Heart, which I said suits Patton a lot. Hell, we have an entire video titled “Mind vs Heart” via Thomas, about how Logan and Patton are opposites. Nonetheless! I wanted to look at Light as a legitimate contender. Mind is reasonable decisions, it is logic, it’s rational and driven by pure thought. It can be impersonal, apathetic and indifferent; all things Logan has been, though he’s working on it. He gives equal weight to all options, not favoring any, no matter their moral siding. It is supremely Logan as any aspect goes.

Now Light, those with this aspect are knowledge seekers. They want to understand things. They take multiple sources of information and turn it into something useful, something usable. Scholars and researchers dedicated to knowledge for knowledge’s sake. They go after it with an intensity that might put off others. At their best, they are resourceful and driven. At their worst, fussy, pedantic and insensitive. HOO BOY if all this doesn’t sound like Logan too. And in the end…

Obvious a choice as Mind might be, I think Logan is indeed more Light. Perhaps in the beginning, when he was just Teacher, he could have been Mind. But he’s opened up so much more, revealed to us his quirks and eccentricities. He isn’t cold, unfeeling fact. He’s a rush of enthusiasm and a spark of joy and always thirsty to learn more, more, more to the point he can be blinded by his own desires. Yes, Logan is most definitely a Light player.

Class-wise, it was surprisingly hard. Few of the classes suited Logan all around, with the closest being Witch, Sylph and Heir. Now, we already have the latter two. I was trying to avoid doubles of the classes and aspects. Heirs are already gifted with a huge heaping helping of their aspect, they naturally gravitate to it. Their challenge is to not get stuck on one thing; to learn to change and adapt. Very Logan-like. Sylphs, as I mentioned, are meddlers, which is also very Logan-like. Witches, now… Witches control their aspect. They manipulate it. Think of Jade Harley, Feferi Peixes, Damara Megido; all witches who could utilize and abuse their aspect with a snap of their fingers.

Logan embodies logic, and knowledge; he loathes luck, probability and superstition. There have been times where he used his knowledge to come out on top, to try and expose others’ flaws, and he’s willing to see how some knowledge can be subjective. He often disagrees with the others on what they consider meaningful and important, and replaces it with his own views. He’s a know-it-all, he has an ego, and honestly he’s a little attention seeking. But he can also manipulate the information at his disposal, all the data Thomas has learned, to glean more from it- even if it wasn’t correct, or useful. This has also been shown in canon. Thusly, my conclusion…

Logan is a Witch of Light.

Let’s go with Virgil next. Now, like I said, I’m trying to avoid doubling up here. Remy is far more suited to Breath, and Deceit is more suited to Void. That leaves Virgil with the aspects of Heart, Rage and Doom. (I’m sure all of you saw the latter two coming.)

After reading further into Heart while looking into Thomas, I’ve decided it really doesn’t suit Virgil like I initially thought. Which gives us Doom and Rage to compare. Now Rage is unconditional hate or fear, refusal, rejection, skeptical criticism, doubt, negativity, despair, Getting the ‘Red Light’ or a Hard Stop, just absolutely no. That is Anxiety, and Virgil, to a T. Everything is going to turn out wrong. Don’t be fooled by peace and success, it can all go to Hell in a second. Nothing is “fine,” nothing is “okay.” But it’s not always fierce and lashing out, it also creeps up on you, paralyzing you, ensnaring you in a cage. It’s anxiety.

Doom on the other hand is harming, it’s all about control and limits, negativity, withdrawal, caution, but it’s also acceptance. It’s a little less extreme than Rage, more caution than outright disbelief and denial. Like Deceit with his classes, I get the distinct notion Anxiety was a Rage player, but once he became Virgil he settled firmly into the Doom aspect instead. He suffers, but with that suffering comes wisdom and empathy. He isn’t a healer or a fixer. He’s there to tell you something is wrong, but it’s okay, he’s there to suffer with you. He can be kind, but at his worst he can also be bitter, resentful and fatalistic- traits we saw far more in his earlier appearances.

So, Virgil is a Doom player. For him, I see Heir, Seer, Sylph or Rogue. Yet again, we already find ourselves with an Heir and a Sylph. Virgil sure does have a lot in common with Remy and Deceit, eh? So let’s focus more on Seer and Rogue.

Seers are shown knowledge of their aspect, and need to figure out how to apply that knowledge to the relevant situations. Virgil, seeing all the doom and negative consequences, and attempting to apply them where necessary; as anxiety does. Rogues, on the other hand, have problems coping with their aspect. They often think they can’t handle it, and they give up. Very defeatist. They’re supposed to come to terms with their aspect and own it.

And that, right there, is the key. Virgil initially being embittered by all the bad he saw in the world, the dangers, how no one ever wanted to listen to him or thought he was overreacting. Hyper-focused on if he can handle this job, if he’s really doing the right thing and being effective. Hell, there’s an entire video about Accepting Anxiety and I feel like it’s that video where Virgil would truly start to come into himself as a Rogue of Doom.

Rogues of Doom have trouble coping with rules, limits, obligations and responsibilities. They may think they don’t have the proper structure for it, or that they can’t handle it, or don’t deserve it. These are all doubts and fears Virgil tells to Thomas, as his anxiety. He constantly worries and frets over them not being good enough. He acts like he doesn’t care about not being accepted by the other sides, but in Accepting Anxiety it’s shown he really does. It eats him up inside. He feels repulsive to them, unnecessary and too pessimistic to be helpful or healthy.

Is it really futile to chase this desire? What if you stop, and regret it for the rest of your life? How do you know for sure this is necessary? Is it worth the sacrifice? Anxiety is uncertainty and questioning yourself, and that’s precisely what a Rogue of Doom does. They’re avoidant.

Once Virgil realizes he is important and is needed, he can step up and embrace those doubts and fears. He can use his pessimism and caution more constructively, to help Thomas and guide him, perhaps even pulling burdens and fears from the other sides to help them out as well. He, like all rogues, starts out selfish but has the capacity to become one of the most selfless classes. And through the progression of Sanders Sides, we have witnessed this growth.

Virgil is a Rogue of Doom.

That leaves us with Roman and Patton. I’m going to save Roman for last, because I feel like he’ll be tough. So let’s take a look at Patton!

I’ve already stated Heart suits him very well. However, we proved Logan didn’t fit the obvious, so let’s also look at the other aspects he could be associated with: Life and Hope. Hope and Heart are also aspects which could be associated with Roman.

Hope is unconditional love, confirmation, harmony, acceptance, naive optimism, belief and positivity. Everything is going to be okay, someway, somehow. It’s warm, accepting and open arms, lots of hugs, lots of “I’m here for you’s.” It’s a drive pushing you forward against all odds. Life is also positivity, growth, energy, recklessness and liberation. They’re always concerned for others and are deeply empathetic. They often put others’ needs before their own. At best, they are great caretakers, listeners and nurturers. At worst, they can prove to be passive-aggressive and pushy because they think they know best.

Heart, meanwhile, is irrational impulses, instinct, emotional, feelings, biased opinions, empathy and passion. It’s the soul. It’s who “You” are. It’s irrational and driven by pure feeling. There may be no justification for how they feel, but gosh darn it, they’re gonna feel it a whole lot anyway! Focused on morals, on what they view as “right,” and they show favoritism to options in this way. Very strong moral compass and, well, Patton is Thomas’ Morality.

So… yeah. This is indeed a tough one. I think it’s safe to say Heart and Hope trump Light here, and that Heart can most definitely suit either Patton or Roman. So to solve this, I decided to do a quick check to see if Roman would actually be a Heart player.

I’ve already crossed out Hope for him, as that is most definitely more of a Patton aspect. Fitting as Time is, I crossed that out as well. I feel it’s just a little too focused on the endgame and the “end of things” for Roman. He enjoys the story and the journey as much as the conclusion. Then I looked to Space, which is all about creation- but Space players are also patient. They pick and choose their battles, they take things as they come. That… is not Roman. Thus, in the end, I have decided.

Roman is Heart. Patton is Hope.

I’ll get to Roman’s class later. Let’s get back to Patton, now that we’ve established he is a Hope player. I narrowed down the classes to Knight or Page for him. Knights hide a fear of perceived fundamental failure with their aspect behind a shield of confidence and obvious effort. They’re supposed to learn that they are, indeed, enough and take it down a notch. Thanks to the nostalgia videos, we’ve seen this does, in fact, fit Patton. Pages, on the other hand, start with a lack of their aspect that they try to overcome with obvious overcompensation. They need to keep at it, even through the failures, to become the strongest of all player classes for their respective aspect. This also sort of suits Patton, but…

I’m gonna go with Knight of Hope. I really don’t see Patton lacking the aspect, even if he would try to overcompensate. He aligns more closely to Knight in that way, I find. Good at exploiting his own optimism and positivity, a great motivator and positive force. Great at instilling hope to get things moving along, a fantastic driving force sitting firm in his beliefs, even if occasionally he wonders if its enough. Is he being positive enough? Happy enough? Is he motivating the others the right amount? He piles and piles on the optimism, the joy, the good vibes even when he himself feels low. He welcomes and accepts new people and ideas, though he doesn’t tend to waver on his beliefs and ideas unless shown a “more real” alternative. And when he fails, he feels it intensely, as if he led everyone else astray. The moment he discovers one of his beliefs is false or truly harmful, he’ll drop it like it’s hot.

Patton is a Knight of Hope.

And last but not least, we have Princey. Roman, whom we’ve already determined is a Heart player. So half our work is done. Now to discover his class....

Out of those remaining, Maid or Page would be the most suitable choices. Maids of Heart start out relying on others to tell them what to love or hate. What to feel strongly or passionately about. They may even rely on others for their sense of self. Think a young Roman, a young creativity. Thomas turning to Disney, to Broadway, to his friends and parents and teachers for inspiration. Hell, Roman almost religiously follows Disney, believing all dreams will come true, princes are heroes and villains are irredeemable. I imagine these impressions being made at a young age.

As he grew, Roman would need to start relying on himself for that direction. He would need to look into himself, who he really is, and only take those outside forces as possible influences rather than the end-all, be-all. No one can tell you who you are except you. No one can decide what you love or hate. Roman creates his own sense of self, finds his true passions and then follows them, leading Thomas along this path. He’s an absolute force to be reckoned with when it comes to these passions, i.e. Disney. It’s infectious. Others get caught up in his own enthusiasm and excitement. Very Roman.

Pages of Heart, on the other hand, try to overcompensate for their lack of the thing rather than rely on others to fill the void. They act irrational and impulsive based on their instincts, which often leads to wrong decisions and interpretations. They try to act caring and empathetic to the point it comes off as insincere. Overemotional, open and honest to the point of giving away far too much information. They go overboard, they become obsessed with their passions. Super affectionate, over dramatic in their emotional displays. They blow everything out of proportion. Driven by strong desires, wants and needs. They need to learn how to be balanced.

As you can see, both of these classes suit Roman to a degree. However, I feel Page is a little... too extreme. I don’t believe Roman overcompensates that much, and he certainly doesn’t go to great lengths to be affectionate and caring towards the others. In fact, sometimes those emotions can be stunted, particularly with Virgil or Logan. No, I see Roman as a Maid. I see him as being inspired by the world around him, and then taking that inspiration and owning it.

Roman is (a) Maid of Heart. (Ha.)

#forrestwyrm #thomas sanders #sanders sides #homestuck au #logan sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #roman sanders #deceit sanders #remy sanders

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minrcrafter · 6 years

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SavvyTech RP [Modded] {Factions} {1.12.2} {Serious Roleplay}

Overview:

(Mods remove if this isn't allowed)

Savvytech, the working in-dev name, is the combination of a community-written curated lore, Semi-serious post-apocalyptic role-play environment and a 1.12.2 mod-pack, all functioning under the same name. Focusing on tech-based mods with a sub-theme of large-scale combat and industry, we are just opening to the wider public now from our test groups and are seeking to expand the player-base through advertisements on several forums, with staff more than eager to answer any questions available. We are by no means a professional team, like those operating for several years without major issue, but we are a passionate one, and I personally emphasize a community-staff communication and relationship above all else, building our foundation on a strong open-communique between any players and staff. If i had to capture the essence of what makes our focus unique, its the following adage, which i try to run all facets of the community on.

"The player has an equal if not inferior obligation to uphold and maintain the rules and regulations of the community to the staff/administrator/owner, who has the superior obligation to ensure that the services provided are satisfactory to the player, and available sufficiently to the community."

Disclaimer: To this effect the server, discord and community are all run strictly along guidelines which are consistent with the Mojang EULA, Curseforge guidelines and an active staff team who consistently ensure that the community remains free of any toxicity, uninterested parties and otherwise players detrimental to the experience/community.

Role-play:

I personally come from many years of DND campaigns and 'serious' Minecraft RP servers, and this can be seen in my tendency to write in-depth lore, character applications and the general seriousness of tones in the Roleplay context. However this isn't so necessarily enforced, and light-RP is the general norm among players. Both the discord forum and the server are open to those wanting to RP , within the relevant channels on the former, however it isn't forced in gameplay or the discord.

Setting:

The year is 2319, almost 300 years into our future and man kind has been blasted by a catastrophic

thermonuclear event. The present takes place almost 80 years after the bombs fell, proceeding waves of bio-weapons, radioactive release and toxic decay. The world we knew is gone, but there is a hope... Mankind left the seeds to its rekindling in many places, hoping that with redundancy would be an assured immortality by design. The nature of conflict however, is that it is not always so rational, or intermittent. From the sky drop great iron men, the scions heralding the return of the long dead gods of science and logic, upon the ground, and indeed beneath it are the twisted remnants of a society leveled by atomic fire and contorted in the death-throes of a radioactive contagion - Mutants. On foreign worlds, civil wars and similar apocryphal endings have met the seeds of man, and we know look on to the final moments of an interplanetary golden age, will humanity fall that final step into the abyss, or will they grasp onto a thread, and pull themselves once more from this grimdark into the light again?

With a standing Wiki, and over 20'000 words in curated and canonized lore, the focus extends beyond the will of the writers with an open submissions system, adapting and canonizing elements suggested by the community, with such extensively written branches of lore as a race of sentient mutant Mermen in the pacific ocean, the 'city of blood' - housing ancient cybernetic vampires, Cosmic entities of unimaginable power stemming from an energy rift in what was the UK, and thousands of words of adopted lore regarding factions of player design and import.

The Fundamental focus of the server and story-line and arc is the factions emergent in this post-apocalpse world, with a total of 6 'canon' spots for factions, four of which have been successfully written and filled with submissions open for the final two, these factions will dictate the precise nature of the story arc and themes presented with the emergent politics and their reactions to various events and developments in the global arc, the story is for the most part, written by the players. Currently the following factions have entered the fray :

The Ghost Legion:

A remnant of something once greater, this neo-soviet empire of space stations and vessels in orbit around earth has begun landfall in the hopes of recapturing their mother planet, they come with the iron will and singular focus of the red nation, and intend to subjugate all of man in an attempt to bring us back from extinction.

The Collective of Mercurial Researchers:

A desperate escape, a city of genius's and prodigies and a battered stripped-down cruiser hull, these are the base elements, what remains is the story to be told. The CMR are the survivors of the Prometheus Research base who made it back on a last ditch decades-long attempt to escape their slowly frying research station. Many expired on the journey hope, their ship systems slowly failing and causing power outages in cryopod life support, but those that did make landfall intend to rebuild with the democratic vision of the pre-bombing world, combining a drone security force and data cores housing schematics for thousands of experimental designs.

The Hive-Mind:

A collective of sentient robots living in the converted remains of an underground city-made-bunker, they live a benignly-racist isolation from their creators, following their logic-dictated religion of Alpha-Binary Stationlism, they hoard knowledge and artifacts, trading with any outsider willing to do business, but have thus far been spared of attack because of a cultured bacterial contagion which infects their surrounding region. It absorbs thermal energy exponentially and used it to reproduce, cocooning kinetic projectiles with a spongy exterior and dissipating energy discharges. It also is fatal to many breathing organisms, growing inside their longs as it slowly absorbs and lowers the internal body temperature.

The IAAF (Imperial Autocratic Australian Federation ) :

Once a series of military bunkers, the federation is the military heavy-weight of the remaining Terran peoples, forging a war-machine from advanced mechanized walkers and artillery, and boasting several distinct pan-Asian conquests outwards, they are not to be trifled with. Despite this, their soviet tendencies and imperial rule have caused a cultural and somewhat technological decline, resulting in a reliance on analogue, but inferior technologies to more forward-looking peoples.

Important Information:

The Discord server containing most important information, rules , lore and communication channels :

https://discord.gg/BwqNhvx

The Server IP :

Play.retg.net:27747

The Technic Mod-pack Link :

https://www.technicpack.net/modpack/savvytech-alpha-test.1272875

State of Development:

The server and mod-pack are both in an Open Beta, pending official release with the canon map, however steps will be take to ensure any bases, items etc are not lost in the transfer over, so as to provide a continuity of play. The lore is being openly written and expanded on, and the staff team has available vacancies, although i'll only accept applications on discord via a DM. As of the moment, the official release will also see the finalization of all canon factions, and the implementation of the main story line, right now, the story is entirely emergent to the actions of factions and the individuals of said factions. Modpack updates occur on a nearly monthly basis, consolidating major changes over having continuous, minor updates.

IF you any have questions, feel free to hop on discord and ask :D

Whilst i understand this isn't strictly FeedtheBeast, the modpack and practices of the community are completely compliant to the stipulations of FTB, as far as i'm aware anyway, and in the future i intend to port this modded pack to either FTB or Twitch, or both dependent on where i'm at , at the time.

Thanks for Your time ladies , gentlemen and non-binary individuals,

Sincerely, Blockaxe333

#Minecraft servers #minecraft

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vosueh · 6 years

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Lapis and Peridot: abusive power + control

So out of curiosity in light of Raising the Barn, I was brushing up on power and control in abusive relationships, and I came across this interesting diagram:

These are tactics used by abusers to obtain power and control in their relationships. When used together, it creates what’s known as a climate of fear– and, with this, the victim will feel like they don’t have an equal voice in the relationship.

First off, I strongly believe Lapis was holding onto a sense of power over Peridot that she was at least somewhat aware of, leading to Peridot’s hesitation to voice her own wishes. And I’ll like to break down and illustrate the major tactics she used that unambiguously gave her power and control in her and Peridot’s relationship, because apparently there’s still debate on whether or not Lapis is an abusive character.

(mind you, not all tactics have to be used in a relationship, but considering I cover half of them below… I’d say it’s more than enough)

1st; Using Privilege

“We’ll find some remote spot in the universe to hide out in.”

Privilege in relationships is usually defined by the abuser making the important decisions in a relationship (without care to consult their victim or their victim’s wishes), and taking on the role of the “master of the castle”. Lapis obviously exerts this over Peridot, and holds her own wishes and thoughts at a higher value.

It’s all but blatantly stated that Lapis has a very high sense of privilege and entitlement. From the very beginning, she knew she deserved better than being trapped in a mirror. Even with her interactions with Jasper in The Return, who at the time was her superior-by-default, she was very resistant to Jasper pulling her around, and tugged her arm straight out of Jasper’s hand because she knew her own sense of value. She was complying as an informant (to an extent), but made it very clear she had a sense of dignity she was going to uphold; she acted like she was almost offended by Jasper pulling her by her arm. So, saying Lapis is a gem who naturally feels entitled and privileged is an easy deduction to make.

This behavior is clearly extended to her life with Peridot at the barn. From day one, she acted like her wishes trumps Peridot’s, as if she had a sense of privilege that Peridot didn’t. Upon discovering that Peridot lives at the barn, she completely dismisses any entitlement Peridot might have to live there and tries to get Steven to vouch that the barn belongs to her, not Peridot. Despite, mind you, that Peridot was there before her.

P: “This is my new home away from Homeworld!”

L: “No, it’s not! It’s mine! Right, Steven?”

Thus, she’s always been holding a sense of privilege over Peridot, regardless if that was purposeful or not. Either way though, it contributed to a toxic atmosphere, that fed into Peridot’s inability to voice herself in their relationship.

2nd; Using Pets

A lighter point, but one worth going over.

Lapis makes it clear from the get-go that she’s bringing Peridot and Pumpkin. And while that may seem obvious, the implications beneath are a bit dark; Peridot probably felt that if she were to tell Lapis no, then Lapis would’ve probably taken both the barn and Pumpkin. Hell, If Pumpkin would’ve been in the barn before Lapis lifted it (or even anywhere else that wasn’t cowering behind Steven), there’s no reason why she wouldn’t have just taken her too. After all, she quite literally took everything Peridot have, and based on how dismissive she was of Pumpkin “not knowing better” when Peridot mentioned she didn’t want to leave either, there’s no doubt in my mind she would’ve taken Pumpkin too.

Having Pumpkin there to begin with was a contributor to the stress, whether or not either one knew. Because indirectly, it added a weight to Peridot’s projected loses; not only would she lose Lapis, but denying her warranted a chance of losing Pumpkin as well.

3rd & 4th; Minimizing, Denying, and Blaming / Emotional Abuse

The one I wanna focus on here, in particular, is blaming (and the emotional abuse behind it). Instead of respecting Peridot’s wishes when she finally voiced them, Lapis instead pushes blame onto Peridot, which if wasn’t purposeful was at the very least unempathetic and selfish. She was essentially guilt-tripping Peridot by shouldering blame onto her, and there are two instances that I feel really highlight this.

L: “But… No! Why are you telling me this now!?”

P: “Because… we’re about to leave?”

L: “Isn’t that the worst time!?”

P: “…Yes.”

The first response Lapis had was to get upset about Peridot’s timing. Instead of saying something more understanding and sympathetic, she lashes out for Peridot voicing her wishes, which negatively conditions Peridot to be even more likely to stifle her voice in the relationship.

P: “There are many things that I should say… But they would upset you, so in general I just… don’t say those things?”

L: “Peridot, that’s lying!”

Peridot openly admitted that she doesn’t voice certain things (opinions, wishes, ect.) because she doesn’t want to upset Lapis. That, right there, should’ve been a red-flag in Lapis’ head that something is wrong with their relationship if Peridot doesn’t feel comfortable with saying things that might upset her. But instead of being concerned for a second that Peridot is scared or fearful of upsetting her, she instead gets upset and lashes out. The very behavior Peridot expressed fear about is the very one she’s first to use. Not to mention the blaming is back again; she accuses Peridot of lying (which was a low-blow considering Peridot basically expressed she felt coerced to go along with Lapis’ wishes regardless of her own) and raises her voice, only reinforcing that what Peridot did not only upset her, but angered her.

There’s no pleading ignorance here. Lapis is purposefully dismissing Peridot’s feelings by making herself seem like a victim of betrayal. That this isn’t about Peridot feeling scared to voice her feelings and opinions to her, that this is instead about Peridot’s bad timing and lying.

5th; Conclusion And Deliberate Punishment

After everything Peridot just expressed to her, what does Lapis do with this newfound knowledge?

Punish Peridot and reinforce that she should be afraid of upsetting Lapis.

She took Peridot’s home. Turned her back, no goodbyes, no “this isn’t your fault” or “I’m sorry you felt like you had no choice”. Perhaps leaving would’ve been fine, and then maybe I wouldn’t see as many of her toxic actions as purposeful, but the fact she felt the need to take everything Peridot owned was only a reinforcement that she doesn’t care how negatively this is going to affect Peridot. She has expressed zero concern for the imbalance Peridot acknowledged in the relationship. And, if you thought for a second that she may have just thought that she cared about the barn more than Peridot and therefore deserved to keep it (which although unlikely, would still go back and fall under privilege and entitlement) just remember what she said earlier:

L: “There’s no need to get so emotional!”

No matter which way you slice it, this line hints that Peridot is more emotional over the barn that she is (not to mention this is another line that showcases she’s been stifling Peridot’s voice on purpose, but I digress). Lapis seemed like she would’ve left in a heartbeat– but, it’s Peridot who constantly reminded her of all their things, all of her things, that hold sentimental value. And not once does Lapis go “wait you’re right, wow, how could I forget our meepmorps!” or any such thing. Everything extra she agrees to bring along is just because Peridot used them as a reason to stay.

She knows how much the barn means to her. She knows how much sentimental value it has to Peridot. And if Lapis herself didn’t care all too much about bringing these things in the first place, then there’s only one reason she would’ve.

Punishment. She was directly punishing Peridot for not coming with her. She was punishing her for speaking up, for upsetting her– which ironically, was the very thing Peridot told her she is afraid of doing.

There’s no denying Lapis is a toxic individual. But don’t think for a second she left her control issues behind after Malachite; Lapis seeks control and power in almost every major relationship she’s had. And with the tactics she’s expressed in Raising the Barn, there’s no denying that Lapis is still holding onto abusive tendencies to get that control and power over others in her life.

(Side note: while this was an upsetting and tragic episode in terms of story and meaning, I am very happy we had this episode. Lapis never fully expressed any kind of healthy growth from the Malachite situation; she merely cast Jasper off, and faced practically no consequences for her months of abuse. However, next time we see Lapis, the first things the show would have to address is her toxic tendencies, and thus make the first step to drastic positive growth for her character. So while her actions were awful, I still have faith she will not only return, but that this will set the ball rolling for her to heal as an individual and learn how to hold healthy relationships with others.)

#su spoilers #steven universe #lapis #peridot #raising the barn #abuse mention #the last post i made while i was drunk so here i better explained myself #don't get me wrong i love lapis guys #shes a terrible character and thats what makes her intresting #but it's good to analyze while shes such a terrible character to begin with #abuse

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cyberneticpeoplespolis · 6 years

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Marxism and Privilege Theory

Privilege Theory and Marxism don’t get along. Just look at any one of the several thousand think-pieces on how identity politics is ruining the left, or driving people to the right, or alienating the white working class. Not only do these arguments frequently conflate a very broad set of both liberal and radical ideas, but they also often miss the point about what draws people to Privilege Theory in the first place.

Privilege discourse is not some liberal conspiracy to muddy the waters around class warfare, in fact the majority of people I’ve known who talked about privilege were very genuine about wanting to emancipate themselves and their friends from intersecting oppressions. The problem was that their only experience of Marxism was through some equally earnest “Anti-Identitarians” who were worried that focusing on identity would lead to movements that succumb to infighting and a lack of focus on class consciousness. What is instead needed is a constructive dialog between Marxism and Privilege Theory, without compromising on our critique of its fundamentally liberal and undialectical nature.

Is Privilege Theory Materialist? A good starting point for understanding privilege theory is to look at what makes it appealing as a means of understanding oppression. It is no coincidence that Social Privilege entered mainstream discourse in the aftermath of a crisis - the 2008 GFC. Use of the common terms of Privilege Theory skyrocketed between 2008 and the early 2010s - a time when material analysis was desired by oppressed people to explain their post-crisis situation, but the preceding two decades of socialist retreat meant a dialectical understanding of oppression was unlikely. Critics of Privilege Theory who point out its lack of focus on material reality miss the point: Privilege Theory became popular at this time precisely because oppressed people sought a material explanation of poverty and repression, and the language of liberal sociology (ie. separate categories of race, class, and gender privilege) was a much better means of understanding this reality than other areas of liberal thought. From the outset, Privilege Theory took on the appearance of a radical force - precisely because of a radical focus on material reality. We cannot afford to make the mistake of thinking racialised and feminised oppression and the ‘lived-experience’ of this is somehow outside of materiality.

Accurate but Limited

To put it in Marxist terms: Privilege Theory offered an accurate view of a select area of the superstructure. This window into the superstructure is often particularly focused on the most oppressed people in society and their intersecting identities. The interrelationship between people and forces within this window may be very accurately described - and the conclusions we can draw from these relationships may be very valuable points of introspection and critique. However problems start to build when Privilege theory is presented as a holistic understanding of oppression. It accurately describes the relationship between people in that select area of the superstructure, but how do we fundamentally change these relationships? How did these privileges arise and who granted them in the first place? This is usually where Privilege Theory has to be stretched beyond its intended scope. A snapshot of the superstructure cannot meaningfully engage with the base. The other issue is that Privilege Theory starts from oppression and works backwards. Privilege becomes an additive process, and the discourse is firmly centred on the question of who has privilege. A better way of understanding this would be a subtractive process - starting from a historical point where all humans were equally privileged, and looking at how they were then deprived of it. The question then becomes “Who took our rights away?” rather than “Who has more rights than us?”

Critics of Privilege Theory again miss the point by attacking it for unfairly victimising the white working class. The problem is not that it makes an enemy of white people or men, but that Privilege Theory has no clear enemy. We are left disconnected from the base, floating in a void where all that is left to do is introspect or examine interpersonal relationships. This is important, but without a clear historical agent that stripped free people of their rights, we are unable to effectively direct blame for oppression. Another consequence of the disconnect from the base, is that Privilege Theory presents as holistic truth a reality that is extremely specific. In striving for accuracy while attempting to create a unified theory of oppression, Privilege Theory has succeeded in missapplying lessons learnt in a specific, often US-centered context, to the whole world. There is not one universal white privilege but rather an infinite number of mutations of the superstructure that act to uphold colonial institutions, and ensure a stratified labor force. These oppressions arise in order to maintain the base - the material relations of society - and they can continue to transform and mutate into new forms of oppression as long as capitalism survives. In this sense, Privilege Theory is trapped on a stopped clock, it is unable to mutate along with the systems of oppression it critiques, as it doesn’t engage with the forces that drive that mutation.

The question becomes: are we always victims of history? Or are we agents who can transform it?

Irony and Catharsis

Since Privilege Theory has no clear enemies, this must be reconciled with the unjustness of oppression. Every adherent of Privilege Theory knows that someone is to blame but the only real conclusion they can draw is that Privileged people form a sort of oppressor class in their own right. In this way, being less oppressed by the ruling class becomes the same as directly profiteering from the misery of oppressed people. This conclusion has an aspect of material analysis to it because of the very real wage difference between a Privileged and an Oppressed person, but out of sight is the surplus value of both these people’s labor being siphoned off to the Virgin Islands. Concluding that Privileged people are an oppressor class usually comes with a degree of cognitive dissonance. Usually the adherent of Privilege Theory knows a couple of decent cishet white men and they become exceptions to the rule. This conclusion also contradicts bourgeois morality by acknowledging the existence of an oppressor class or structural inequality, and we can see the conflict between Privilege Theory and the forms of bourgeois morality that preceded it in online discourse every day (in hashtags like #notallmen). Privilege Theory alone can’t overcome bourgeois morality because it can’t transform the material relations that created it, and at the same time, the conclusions of Privilege Theory are too repugnant to bourgeois morality to be reconciled with it.

For these reasons, the conclusions of Privilege Theory often take the form of irony. It’s within irony that we can often see the most radical conclusions of ideology. A degree of distance is required between a person and their ideology in order for radical conclusions to be reconciled with morality, and Privilege Theory is no exception. It’s common in progressive spaces to hear “kill all men,” or “kill all hets,” or “kill all whites.” Generally this is an ironic joke, a cathartic bonding moment between oppressed people where they can signal to each other that they are unrestrained and free. The reason this irony is so cathartic is because it touches at the material conclusions of Privilege Theory, without suggesting that a person would actually follow through and violate bourgeois morality. Therein lies the radical potential of Privilege Theory as a whole - imagine if this cathartic, anti-hegemonic energy was directed at transformation of the conditions which enable both bourgeois morality and the structures which oppress all of us?

Since privilege theory cannot provide a class enemy (a group that creates a system of relative deprivation, rather than one that merely passively experiences privilege), it cannot transform the base, and so it cannot overcome bourgeois morality. The most radical thing it can provide us is catharsis, which is valuable to survival but not victory.

What use is Privilege Theory?

If we acknowledge that Privilege Theory is rooted in a genuine desire by oppressed people to analyse their oppression materially, it becomes clear that what we need isn’t complete rejection but a constructive dialog that can overcome limitations of Privilege Theory, while taking into account the need for intersectional understandings of oppression.

Privilege Theory is a relatively modern phenomenon built on a political adoption of the language of liberal sociology, but it is frequently conflated with the more radical tradition of intersectionality by leftists who see the limitations of the former and wrongly reject both. As Sharon Smith claims in A Marxist case for Intersectionality, there exists two types of intersectionality; a Postmodern Intersectionality founded on undialectical understandings of power, and a Black Feminist Intersectionality that arose from Marxism. Advocating for an Intersectional Marxism is not only a way to build on understandings of Privilege Theory, but it also offers analysis that is more true to the lived experiences of oppressed identities than either Privilege Theory or Class Reductionism. Constructive engagement by Marxists with focus on the Intersectionality of the Black Feminist tradition leads to something beyond Privilege Theory: a transformative rather than descriptive system.

We can’t afford to completely reject adherents of Privilege Theory as ‘Liberals’ or ‘Identitarians,’ nor can we offer imprecise criticisms of liberal ideologies that fail to see the reason behind their appeal. Complete rejection will at first appear to be a dog-whistle for reactionary values. Believers in Privilege Theory are also right to be suspicious of Marxist rejection of their thought when so much of Marxist ‘anti-identitarianism’ is genuinely reactionary, and constitutes a desire for a simpler time when there was a mythic, homogeneous white working class to organise within, dispensing with the need for understanding complex oppression.

Socialism is a redemptive process that seeks out useful aspects of bourgeois thought, and makes them transformative theories through the application of the dialectic. In the process, bourgeois ideology is both redeemed and preserved through its synthesis with the transformative qualities of Marxism.

We need constructive dialog, leading to redemption, rather than complete rejection.

#marxism #privilege #male privilege #white privilege #feminism #intersectionality

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inamindfarfaraway · 3 years

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My My Hero Academia Ocs 3!

More Quirk and corresponding side character ideas for Unsung. The characters should really come before the Quirks, but that’s my creative process for you.

Spines - Transformation - the user can extend their head and body hair into long spines and bristles that can be fired as projectiles and grow back abnormally fast, although overuse will result in longer and longer gaps and eventually permanent baldness

User - Akio Yashima, the Pro Hero Porcupine and Class 1-D’s strict, irritable, deadpan, but wise and efficient form teacher who does care about his students’ welfare deep down and turns out to have a knack for recognizing when they need help, and is touchy about his receding hairline; has learned to limit his adrenaline production and control his responses to it because goosebumps can trigger his Quirk with hazardous or at least inconvenient results

Tardigrade - Transformation - the user can willingly enter a state of cryptobiosis wherein they are immune to the effects of radiation, oxygen deprivation, extreme temperatures and pressure, thirst and starvation

User - Iemochi Suda, an aristocratic boy and science fiction geek in 1-D with three pairs of arms and symbolic pig motifs, easygoing, hopeful, innocent, inquisitive but fundamentally complacent (his talk outweighs his action), and totally unafraid, has a mad scientist’s hamminess and brilliance and little sense of practical or emotional self-preservation, a top student, several teachers’ pet, even Udo’s, and an apologetic snitch, respects and trusts in rules and authority figures above himself, casually greedy and wasteful of material goods and knowledge alike, unhesitatingly, unconditionally protective of and faithful to his friends; fascinated with the possibilities of science and technology and all too happy to follow his parents’ plan that he inherit and expand the family smartphone company, but ashamed that he can’t ever seem to have an original idea of his own; Goto’s best friend who couldn’t care less about his image, to Goto’s bewilderment, he and Goto are each other’s voice of reason in different situations, him encouraging him to unwind, and have complimentary academic drives; a huge fanboy of Inácio Pedreira

Salinity - Emitter - the user can produce sodium chloride in crystals of different sizes, control it, and detect it in food and organisms, but overuse depletes sodium in the blood and high quantities of salt must be eaten to use the Quirk regularly

User - Emiri Wakimoto, the dynamic, optimistic, passionate, overachieving, overbearing class representative of 1-D, a girl with black hair and inherited mutations of red eyes, fangs and bat wings (ironically salt is sometimes believed to ward off vampires), who always tries to foster cooperation and productivity despite the challenges, but can be bossy and deaf to other voices and is far more dependent on groups to define herself than she’ll admit, fundamentally a giver, secretly not as poised as she acts and pressured to uphold her role as a paragon of idealism and leadership to her classmates and her arc revolves around maturing into that role for real; has grown to hate the taste of salt after eating excessive amounts of it raised her blood sodium levels dangerously high, causing her to faint from hypertension and inspiring her interest in nutritional health and desire to be a doctor, now carries a backpack of healthy snacks and a water bottle everywhere, exercises regularly, is a vegetarian, highly critical of the capitalistic food industry (sensing the added salt in everything will do that) especially for fraud and environmental damage, the fittest of the class; also interested in archeology and lost civilizations; Goto’s other best friend, her meticulous approach and positive attitude balances out his spontaneous and negative ones, and they bond over their experience with expectations and nerdy ancient interests, though she’s popular among the whole class besides the bullies

Pause - Emitter - the user can stop time in the surrounding area and move around within a tight ‘bubble’ of continuous time two metres in diameter for as long as they can concentrate on it, but the bubble is immobile and they cannot see or hear anything outside it because the air, light rays and sound vibrations are frozen, not to mention the bubble has a limited air supply

User - Kin Hattori, the stoic, taciturn, isolated vice class representative of 1-D who’s sworn off his Quirk due to being traumatized by the sudden loss of sight, hearing, and movement it causes as a young child, willing to be considered Quirkless, having panic attacks when he tries to activate it, and envying heroes and Department of Heroics students (or anyone else with Quirk privilege) for their supposedly innately better Quirks, but has his own Quirk-based prejudices due to taking his experiences as proof that some Quirks are nothing but harmful; only talks when he feels he absolutely needs to, responsible, philosophical, agnostic, consistently does well in all his classes but doesn’t excel in any, surprisingly upstanding, nurturing and attentive once his icy shell thaws, ecstatic to no longer be alone; an aikido expert because he got bullied for his ‘Quirklessness’ and decided to learn self-defence, but found a real appreciation for the martial art’s discipline and tradition; a slow burn love interest to Nozaka and friend to the other protagonists, who help him realize that his trauma doesn’t define him

Mouth Shifter - Transformation - the user can acquire the jaws, teeth and/or mouthparts of any animal, but overuse causes severe aches and temporary speech impediments

User - Tani Nozaka, the rebellious, mischievous but benevolent and amiable class clown of 1-D, who while her pranks can get out of hand and her mouth can be faster than her thoughts truly wants to spread happiness and laughter, believes that humans are basically good, actively opposes the bullies and has no tolerance for the mistreatment of innocents, wishes to help the joyless Hattori and is in a sense the class’s moral compass, wants to be a comedian; a nominal Shintoist from a much more devout family struggling to balance her religious upbringing and increasingly secular lifestyle, but getting back in touch with her spirituality, attaining greater mindfulness and sensitivity, and mending her family bonds turns out to be key to improving her relationship with Hattori and previously subpar performance in school; Goto’s third friend, challenges him to leave his comfort zone and defends him from external threats, becomes something of a playfully annoying sister to him; but also a good friend to Pedreira, who’s much more likeminded with a chaotic, fun-loving side and strong sense of justice that accentuate hers and shared issues about being ‘seen’ by their distant family

Crocodile Tears - Emitter - the user can control tears, firing them as hardened beads or liquid jets or even choking people with them, and willingly activate and deactivate the lacrimal apparatuses of themselves and others, but overuse causes sore eyes and difficulty controlling their tear flow

User - Kaoru Murata, the resident bully, worst student and biggest outcast of 1-D who loves making his victims cry, not necessarily through his Quirk, is rude, underhanded, violent and prejudiced against Mutant Quirks, has a ‘might makes right’ power-centric morality and will harass anyone he deems a threat or who simply rubs him the wrong way, cannot imagine a beneficial application of his Quirk and clings to bullying because he knows it’s the only thing he’s good at, resigned to a poor future; emulates and echoes his toxically masculine, emotionally abusive single father, a member of the Creature Rejection Clan, to feel connected to him; nobody, least of all him, knows how he passed the entrance exam; turns out he’s much cleverer than he acts and is subconsciously absolutely desperate to at least give himself the opportunity to move up in the world, hence why he can never bring himself to do something that would actually get him expelled

Blinkers - Emitter - the user can selectively amplify and reduce the interest of others, making them focus solely on something or blocking it from their minds completely, and everything in between, represented by the subject of attention or ignorance gaining a white or black aura, respectively, and the user’s irises changing the same colour, but overuse causes migraines and trouble concentrating

User - Tomomi Oyakawa, the other antagonistic student in 1-D, a manipulative, ambitious drama queen bee who uses her Quirk to stoke her ego and humiliate unfortunate classmates or get them unnoticed and excluded, but has used her Quirk on her clique so much she’s paranoid they’d abandon her should she stop and is dependent on it to function, her entire self worth tied to her popularity; genuinely values her childhood friend Shirayama, treats her with respect, hates Murata because of his bigotry toward her and other mutants and even feels for her romantically but is reluctant to act on it, assuming she only spends time with her for using her Quirk to manage the negative effects of her ADHD; plans to study psychology and go into marketing

Owl Head - Mutant - the user has just that, the round, feathered head of a Ural owl that they can rotate 180 degrees and gives them the bird’s vision and hearing, and their speech is littered with owl noises

User - Aoi ‘Shira’ Shirayama, not the brightest girl in 1-D, quite foolish, impulsive, gullible, and oblivious in fact, her ADHD not helping her marks, but a star gymnast and softhearted friend to everyone despite being Oyakawa’s unwitting accomplice and has a massive crush on her, gradually grows a spine and establishes herself as her equal; loves fashion and wants to be a model to increase the fashion industry’s inclusivity of noticeable Mutant type Quirks

Aero - Emitter - the user can manipulate air to cast winds, sense movement, lift themselves, and create vacuums

User - Kozakura Reizei, a lazy, uprincipled, prickly, vastly enigmatic but clearly troubled older girl who was expelled from U.A.’s hero training course eighteen months ago in her first year following an incident where she reacted badly to a mean trick and accidentally sent a classmate to hospital in excessive self defence, was tried for grievous bodily harm with lower culpability, moved to a juvenile detention facility, and given a chance to restart at U.A. but forbidden from heroics and with mandatory counselling sessions, now embraces her delinquent label and operates a contraband smuggling ring in the Gen. Ed. Department, never speaks of why she aspired to be a hero; looks down upon and ignores most of the others, when not sowing discord to keep the faculty off her back and amuse herself, but takes Hattori under her wing early in the year and is oddly protective of him, having figured out his Quirk and promised to keep it secret, which slowly comes to border on possessive blackmail the lower she sinks into immorality; the main antagonist of Goto’s story in class

Resonance - Emitter - the user can synchronize the frequency of their molecules to the frequency of any vibrating solid or liquid matter, including organic matter, and channel those vibrations into any other matter they touch, but cannot stop their own body vibrating during though the Quirk prevents them being harmed by it and channelling a very high frequency and/or for a long time makes the user tremble uncontrollably and have trouble keeping their balance; they also have a heightened sensitivity to vibrations and can seismically communication with animals

User - Etsuko Noguchi, a sweet and plucky but timid and comedically unfortunate minor character in 1-D, a talented origami folder and fan of magical girl anime and manga who cosplays as her favourite characters and original personas and draws fan manga; doesn’t become a magical girl-style hero because she doesn’t want her escapist hobby to be spoiled by tough responsibilities and violence

Saccharine - Emitter - the user can produce sucrose, and by extension glucose and fructose in crystals of different sizes, control them, and detect them in food and organisms, but overuse depletes sugar in the blood and high quantities of sugar must be eaten to use the Quirk regularly

User - Daichi Wakimoto, Emiri Wakimoto’s moody older brother in 3-F and at first glance her opposite in every conceivable way except their interest in biology, specializes in expanding off of and integrating his technology with heroes’ anatomy, physiology and Quirks, so tends to develop more personal relationships with his clients than most Department of Support students, but otherwise mostly keeps himself to himself, an all or nothing kind of person, regularly alternates between hyperactive and jittery and drowsy on a sugar crash; supportive and proud of his younger sister, but can’t help but resent her charm and popularity, unaware of how hard she works to maintain it; Riiha Okano’s friend and ex-boyfriend (neither acknowledges it, but it’s obvious she befriended and dated him out of pity); has inherited mutations of pink eyes, fangs, and stubby, slightly translucent white vestigial bat wings

#mha ocs #mha original quirks #me? not being bothered to write a full bio and instead using semicolons like CharlesDickens?#it’s more likely than you think

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ipreferbeinganonlychild · 7 years

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The complexity of the relationship between Ramsay Bolton and Theon Greyjoy (Thramsay)

The relationship between Ramsay and Theon is dysfunctional and honestly pretty horrible in most ways, yet I find it very fascinating because of its complexity, meaning that I believe there is way more to it than just horror, torture and manipulation.

I have never written meta before, but I really enjoyed the process. I hope you like it!

Word count: 2,009

Ramsay and Theon quite clearly have many differences, but I also find that they have many similarities, which define their relationship. By similarities I mean the similarities in terms of what they both wish to achieve in life and how they cope with their issues. It is my opinion that they both to some extend have an identity crisis going on, which creates a very interesting dynamic between them. To get to the root of that, we have to take a look at their childhoods. Since we get much more detailed descriptions of both their childhoods (especially Ramsay’s childhood) in the ASoIaF books than in the show, that’s where I’ll gather my information from. So let’s start with Ramsay.

The start of Ramsay’s life wasn’t exactly merry and joyful as he was born of rape. Roose Bolton was out hunting one day when he discovered a peasant girl washing clothes in a river. He then decided to rape her and since her husband, the miller, wasn’t too content with the idea, Roose hung him and raped his widowed wife beneath the tree where he was swaying. A year later the peasant girl came to the gates of the Dreadfort with a baby in her arms seeking help from Roose, because her dead husband’s brother had stolen the mill from them and now her and her son had nothing to live of. At the time, Roose Bolton was married to Bethany Ryswell and had a trueborn son, Domeric, and he didn’t exactly want to deal with a bastard son and a useless peasant girl, so he let them into the castle with one single intent: to kill them both. But once he looked at the baby boy he couldn’t bring himself to do it because he saw that the baby had his pale eyes.

Roose let both mother and son depart unharmed and made sure they got the stolen mill back. Every year Roose would send a bag of stars to them, which Ramsay’s mother paid for with her silence; she was to never tell Ramsay or anyone else about who his father was. So Ramsay grew up in poverty with the ‘small folk’, he didn’t get an education, didn’t learn about honor, nobility or about courtesy, which explains his blunt and fearless nature.

But Ramsay was a difficult child and after a few years Ramsay’s mother went back to Roose to get help with raising him. Just wanting her gone, Roose gave her a servant, a terrible one, named Heke. Yet because he smelled so bad everyone instead called him Reek. Quickly, Ramsay and Reek became inseparable. Roose says that he isn’t sure if Ramsay corrupted Reek or if Reek corrupted Ramsay, but honestly I think they had pretty bad influences on each other. “No one could stand to be near him, so he slept with the pigs … until the day that Ramsay’s mother appeared at my gates to demand that I provide a servant for my bastard, who was growing up wild and unruly. I gave her Reek. It was meant to be amusing, but he and Ramsay became inseparable. I do wonder, though… was it Ramsay who corrupted Reek, or Reek Ramsay?” Roose Bolton tells Theon in ADWD (chapter 32). “The boy [Ramsay] is a sly creature by all accounts, and he has a servant who is almost as cruel as he is. Reek, they call the man. It’s said he never bathes. They hunt together, the bastard and this Reek, and not for deer. I’ve heard tales, things I can scarce believe, even of a Bolton.” Donella Hornwood says to Rodrik Cassell in ACOK (chapter 17).

Although Ramsay grew up lowborn he secretly always knew about his father and his right to live in a castle. “She disobeyed me, though.” Roose says, talking about Ramsay’s mother. “You see what Ramsay is. She made him, her and Reek, always whispering in his ear about his rights. He should have been content to grind corn”, he further says in ADWD (chapter 32). So Ramsay always knew he was worth more than everyone around him, he always knew that some day he would be granted the power he deserved. And somehow he eventually came to live with his father at the Dreadfort just like he wanted, where he made sure to kill Roose’s only trueborn son in order to become his only heir (at least that is what everyone including Roose believes, and personally I believe it too)

Contrary to Ramsay’s upbringing in poverty, Theon grew up on Pyke as a prince until he was 9 years old. He was privileged, but his older brothers used to beat him up for being weak and his father Balon Greyjoy never really approved of him. Under those circumstances Theon became insecure already from boyhood. However, he always had to keep the insecurities concealed to not be perceived as weak. In order to contradict the picture of him being weak Theon had to constantly prove himself worthy to his family. After Greyjoy’s Rebellion Theon was taken away from his family to become Eddard Stark’s ward at Winterfell. With the Starks he wasn’t really accepted either; he was an outsider, not a true member of the family.

So both of them had messed up childhoods filled with disapproval and non-acceptance from the people around them, which obviously affected them and caused massive amounts of insecurities. Disapproval has a huge negative impact on a child’s life, causing their similar identity crisis.

The two of them have equal ways of dealing with their issues; the first one being that they simply deny the horrible facts. Ramsay knows that he was born of rape, yet he has convinced himself that his parents’ relationship was very romantic, that they fell in love with each other instantly when they met. In chapter 32 in ADWD Roose asks Theon, “Has my bastard ever told you how I got him?”, where to Theon replies, “Yes, my… m’lord. You met his mother whilst out riding and were smitten by her beauty”. “Smitten?”, Roose then says, laughing. “ Did he use that word? Why, the boy has a singer’s soul… Though if you believe that song, you may as well be dimmer than the first Reek.” Furthermore, Ramsay denies the fact that his father doesn’t love him. “Reek has been with me since I was a boy. My lord father gave him to me as a token of his love”, Ramsay tells some Dreadfort men in ADWD (chapter 11). Obviously that is not true. As it was described earlier, Reek was given to Ramsay and his mother because Roose simply wanted to get rid of them. Also, Ramsay denies the death of his original Reek, which is why he simply replaces him with Theon.

Ramsay also desperately tries to compensate for the fact that he isn’t a trueborn Bolton. Exactly that is why I think he is so enthusiastic about flaying, as it is the Bolton custom. He overdoes it, desperately tries to show his father that he honors and upholds the family traditions in order to gain his accept and approval.

Similarly, Theon has convinced himself during his time at Winterfell that his family back at Pyke missed him utterly. During the years the image of his return to the Iron Islands has become more and more romanticized. When he actually returns to Pyke, he discovers that his father still disapproves of him and barely even sees him as his son. “It is as I feared. The green lands have you soft and the Starks have made you theirs”, Balon says to Theon in ACOK (chapter 11). So similarly to Ramsay, he compensates for the unapproval. Theon has to prove himself worthy to his father, and he attempts to do so by betraying Robb and taking Winterfell.

But Theon’s siege of Winterfell completely backfires on him and Ramsay’s attempt to prove himself a Bolton does not work, at least not for the first many years. They both fail their attempts at gaining their father’s approval. Roose eventually grants Ramsay the Bolton name and makes him his heir after Domeric’s death, but he still constantly reminds him that he is a bastard (meaning that he still disapproves of him) and that he is not entitled to the life he has at the castle. “All you have I gave you. You would do well to remember that, bastard”, Roose says to Ramsay in ADWD (chapter 32).

Another way both of them cope with their issues is through arrogance. It works as a shield, concealing what lies beneath. They both act coldly towards other people and they commit heinous crimes, however there is one BIG difference between the two: Ramsay completely lacks empathy for others and Theon does not. Deep down inside Theon cares for others, Ramsay really doesn’t. Personally I think Ramsay was born with a tendency to psychopathy, DNA has a say in those cases and Roose doesn’t exactly possess much empathy himself. It obviously damaged him even further throughout his life to never be approved of, respected or accepted by his parents. He was always last in line, always just the bastard. In addition to that, Ramsay is also clearly a sadist; he fully enjoys watching people suffer. Theon doesn’t enjoy inflicting pain on others. Those are the biggest differences between the two of them.

As I wrote just before, Ramsay can’t accept, doesn’t want to accept Reek’s death, so he needs a replacement and he specifically chose Theon. I have a theory why: Ramsay is pretty smart after all and he figures out that the reason Theon took Winterfell was to impress his father, so just like Ramsay, Theon does things in desperation to gain his father’s approval. Theon reminds Ramsay of himself and his issues, so Ramsay must change him. It is symbolic. Theon represents the sensitive aspects of Ramsay, the parts of himself that he is in denial about, so he breaks him down, ruins his identity by making him fully believe that he is a worm in human skin and by stealing his name. And he molds Reek into his own twisted version of a ‘friend’ so that Reek can give him the approval that Roose denies him.

I’ve thought about it and I think there is some symbolism in the aspect of flaying as well. Whenever Reek misbehaves Ramsay flays him, he removes parts of him. The skin Ramsay removes is symbolically the masks that Theon has been wearing all his life, he has never been true to himself, he has always pretended to be something he is not. And when he finally escapes from Ramsay he is a broken man, but he is honest. For the first time in his life he is true to himself. This is taking it far, I know, but I think that Ramsay in a twisted way helped Theon truly realize who he is because he brutally broke down his walls and removed his masks.

So Ramsay and Theon have had huge impacts on each other’s lives. Their relationship is based upon horrible deeds and manipulation, I’m not debating that. But it is my opinion that some positive things have come out of it, yet mostly when it comes to Theon. Theon will be able to recover from the terrible things that have happened, but I believe that Ramsay is damaged for good. His lack of empathy and his love for inflicting pain on others as well as his need and love for playing with people characterize who he is and I don’t believe that will ever change.

#meta #my first!#thramsay #thramsay meta #ramsay bolton #theon greyjoy #reek #got meta #game of thrones #got #game of thrones meta #gotdaily #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #my posts

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bellabooks · 7 years

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3 Things TV Can Teach Gaming about Queer Storylines

Even though television had a head start on the first generation of video games, these two art forms have found themselves on an even playing field within the last decade. Graphically, games may have evolved a bit slower over the decades but, that didn’t stop them from leaving as much of a cultural mark on the world as popular TV shows. Motion capture technology has allowed games the ability to deliver cinematic experiences in a far more immersive setting. One thing that is truly holding back major video games from exploring a range of gender and sexual identity, is the production process. In many cases, big name game developers can take two to four years to produce one title, and that’s if they’re lucky. Television shows take far less time to produce and thus, have done more to advance stories of the queer community by simply providing more of them over time. This is not to say that games have not attempted to include queer characters at all. In fact, indie game developers have been leading the charge in intersectional diversity for years. The only time queer characters come close to being the sole lead of a multi-platform gaming franchise is if it’s a massive RPG and you get to create your own avatar. While these kinds of games are enjoyable, they do not provide the same definite representation that a game with a set protagonist does. If we look back at the Tomb Raider reboot we can see a clear example of an opportunity for representation that was missed. In a 2013 interview with Kill Screen, Rihanna Prachet stated that she wished she could make Lara Croft gay, and went on to make very clear points about representation beyond including more female characters in games: “Whenever anybody talks about a need for more female protagonists I say: “There’s a need for more female protagonists, but there’s a need for characters of different ethnicities, ages, sexual orientation, ability, et cetera.” We are very narrow when it comes to our characters.” This interview gave many fans, including myself, hope that the reboot would establish Lara Croft as queer, especially with Lara spending the first game rescuing her best friend Sam, whom she clearly had a deep connection with. Since this interview, we’ve had one more installment of the reboot that side stepped Lara’s sexuality entirely. This didn’t make the game any less enjoyable but the complete disconnect from the events of the first game was not unnoticed by fans. Not only was Sam nowhere to be found in game, her Wiki page stated that she was in a mental ward. Now with Pratchet leaving the post of lead writer for the third installment there is not much hope left that we may see a queer Lara Croft anytime soon. It’s my belief that if major game developers studied three key factors of how queer storylines have been handled well (and poorly) on TV, they may be more willing to consider writing queer protagonists. Maybe even some that fall under that “et cetera” category Pratchet was talking about nearly four years ago. I find that most forms of mainstream entertainment relegate any serious exploration of gender identity to the fringes. Independent filmmakers, indie games devs, premium or non-cable TV networks. Billions, a Showtime original series, is introducing the first major genderqueer supporting character in a drama series. The character’s name is Taylor, and will be played by Asia Kate Dillon, an androgynous actor that identifies with they/them pronouns. In 2016, the now canceled MTV show, Faking It, featured many queer characters within one plot. It also had the first intersex character in a supporting role on a TV show. There are far more examples to pull from in television these days, with many shows including at least one queer character and sometimes even multiple queer storylines and once. It seems like an odd thing to dwell on because nobody ever says “look at all these hetero people in my plotline” but if we really think about the number of mainstream shows or movies in recent years with more than one or two queer protagonists who aren’t in a relationship with each other, it’s not as common. A current instance of this is Orange is the New Black. While not without its faults, there are a range of queer identities throughout the show. This does not make it exempt from failing its audience by killing off queer characters in misguided ways or failing to uphold a character’s sexual identity, however. Piper, the main character of the show, is clearly established as a bisexual woman through her various romances and yet, is never referred to directly as a bisexual. She is often referred to as a “former lesbian” “dyke” and so on, but she never corrects anyone. Oddly enough, the best onscreen conversation about bisexuality didn’t happen in a show like this, it happened on a now canceled show that aired on ABC family, Chasing Life. In episode seven of the second season of Chasing Life, Brenna Carver attends an LGBTQ club meeting and her bisexuality is brought up. The conversation that ensues showcases many of the most common misconceptions that bisexuals face. The conversation Brenna has reminded me of the conversation Krem in Dragon Age Inquisition has with the Inquisitor if they choose to have drinks with Iron Bull and his crew. The primary difference being that once the conversation is over in Dragon Age Inquisition, Krem turns back into NPC set dressing and in Chasing Life, Brenna is still a full-fledged member of the plot. Krem’s presence in Inquisition was incredibly important, but the impact he would have had if he had been a romanceable party member would have been astounding. Many people probably wouldn’t scoff at a trans male character like Krem at the helm of a major video game plot. Adding queer characters to a story is as important as actually utilizing them within it. It would also be ideal to include more than one queer character, to increase the likelihood that a queer character might end up alive at the resolution of a story. They often end up in shows or movies where “anyone can die” and due to the low number of queer people present, usually take the entirety of the stories queer representation with them if they get killed or written off. When this happens, it creates a bitter fan base and usually leads them to stop watching a show or seeing a filmmaker’s next 90-minute dramedy. It’s simple: don’t write queer storylines like an episode of Highlander. There can be more than one. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in the closet knows the depths to which one will claw at any scrap of positive representation they can identify with, even if that means reading into things only they can see. Often we are forced to create our own worlds within the restrictions put forth by the storytellers. Games like Final Fantasy XIII, while widely regarded as the most unfavorable game in the franchise, is also considered being the queerest one due to subtext. This is the result of the seemingly over-affectionate nature of characters Vanille and Fang. For those who didn’t pay too much attention to the development of the game, like me, you probably were unaware that Fang was first developed as a male character. This could explain why the relationship between Vanille and Fang reads as romantic. Intentional or not, if Fang had remained a male character, it’s highly likely that we wouldn’t be having debates over whether or not her and Vanille were a couple. We can only imagine the impact that game could have had if the relationship between them had been at the forefront. This “close female friendship” phenomenon is a very common form of subtext. A TV show notorious for subtext of this kind is Rizzoli and Isles. Ending in 2016 after seven seasons, plenty of beards and a hefty amount of queerbaiting, our heroines found themselves relaxing in a bed planning a trip to Paris together. Completely normal non-romantic behavior right? Let’s put things into perspective here. Bones, a show that has been on air since 2005, featured almost the same dynamic, a cop and a medical examiner working together with a rag tag group of scientists and detectives. The difference being that the heterosexual relationship between the two lead characters is acknowledged and fully actualized with them going on to marry each other in season 9 and even have children. Bones got to marry her quippy lovable detective friend, while Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles were constantly being bounced around to romantic storylines severely lacking in chemistry in order to deflect from the fact that they were perfect for each other. Had the relationship been made explicit it would have been the first major network detective show of its kind to put a queer female romance at the forefront. The resolution of the hero’s journey often relies on martyrdom or some other form of doom and gloom to wrap up a story. This is never more true than for the queer individual. If it wasn’t, then the Bury Your Gays Trope wouldn’t exist. It is very real, and self-explanatory but if you truly don’t know what it is, you’re one Google search away from being fully briefed on the topic. I’m one of those people who love a great ambiguous ending or twilight zone twist at the end of a story, but when it comes to queer characters, I would take riding off into the sunset over death any day. Games like The Last of Us provide us with Ellie, a queer supporting character who ultimately rises to equal footing with her male counterpart Joel but, her story is still rooted in tragedy. Many responses from showrunners have been that death is just part of the show and if we want to be treated like everyone else we should except it. Sure, that might make sense for Game of Thrones but not for shows like Last Tango in Halifax, which grew in popularity between 2013 and 2015, due to its inclusion of a genuine late-in-life coming out story and romance between two women. In the finale of the third season, Caroline marries her pregnant live-in girlfriend Kate, only to be widowed within 24 hours. Kate gets into a car accident off screen and dies, and a little piece of every fan rooting for them dies too. These types of “sudden death” storylines occur across television and film far too often. At a certain point, it stops being about just one character. Each new death rubs the salt deeper into an already open wound, a wound that constantly throbs with anger. An anger rooted in the fact that queer people have been around as long as there have been stories to tell and yet, we still live in a world that consistently fails at replicating our experiences. It’s 2017, and the only shows where there are well established queer female romances that will most likely not end with one of them dead are featured in shows like Wynonna Earp and Supergirl. Everyone involved in the creation of these two shows including the actors, has openly stated that they are invested in the characters that make up their queer representation, treating them as they would a heterosexual couple. SyFy even created an entire section of the Wynonna Earp website dedicated to the relationship between Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught. Games have the unique ability to sidestep the restraints of having to seek out crowd drawing actors or shooting in expensive locations because they can literally mold characters out of polygons and build their worlds out of code. This uniquely positions them to create something we have never seen before, someone we’ve never seen before. As Rhianna Pratchet put it: “Exploring something about what it means to be a gay character, bisexual character, transgender character, in games, that would create some interesting stories.” I couldn’t agree more http://dlvr.it/NKvGm1

#ACTION #ADVENTURE #Television

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