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04tenno · 11 months

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sorry to bother but I saw ya talk about kirin lore and Mine etc? Specifically about kirin and the full moon? Do you have any stuff I could look at about kirin myth that I could look at? (its cool if its a Japanese source I'll force myself to learn to read it) Or just any thoughts on kirin and Mine in general I've been going ham on stupid kirin-Mine AU lately and its relevant fhdkfd

I'm glad you asked! Unfortunately I'm not positive I saved any of my sources... anywhere, but the good news is I do remember most of my findings in detail and have been itching to post about them. So! I'm taking this opportunity to analyze Mine's tattoo top-to-bottom.

And I'm also approaching this as a sort of redemption arc, because a lot of interpretations of Mine's tattoo out there are based on what I wrote on the wiki. It's not that they're incorrect per se, but there is so much more to it than what the wiki currently goes into, and I'd like to share that with you all today.

I'll start off with some official statements, and because it comes up later, establish the original version of the tattoo Horitomo designed is actually this version with green fur (pictured below):

Like the word kirin-ji, this is a design that evokes the image of a genius. To be honest, the majority of depictions give kirins the face of a dragon, but with a composition like this where it's soaring upwards, you risk ending up with a tattoo that looks too much like Kiryu's. So I looked into some older material, and while it's not too common, I went with a type of kirin that more closely resembles a deer. — Horitomo

It wants to rise above, but chooses to put itself second and use its talent and intellect to support the "king"—the kirin suits Mine, doesn't it? So, with that general concept in mind, we went through several designs done in pencil, went back and forth on various aspects, until we settled on the direction we wanted to take. And after that, the detailed version of the design was produced. — Masayoshi Yokoyama

With Yokoyama's comment, it's clear what the core meaning of his tattoo was meant to be from the beginning. Because a Like a Dragon tattoo represents more than just a summation of who the character is as the audience knows them or their role in the narrative, but who they were before joining the yakuza, why they joined the yakuza, what the motivation was behind their choice of subject, how elements of the tattoo reflect on characters who share the same elements (and vice versa), and how the meaning the tattoo evolves over time in relation to the character's fate.

So my main... misgiving, let's say... with popular interpretations of Mine's tattoo is that they focus solely on Daigo without examining how it relates to anything else. Again, partly my fault, I'll cop to that, but this is an issue with a lot of analysis of Mine as a character... and it's a little frustrating, isn't it? It is for me. But enough complaining, it's showtime:

Some notes design-wise: the decision to portray Mine's kirin as deer-like rather than dragon-like specifically to distance him from Kiryu says a lot about their characters to me. Because Mine is, in a lot of ways, "the complete opposite, or antithesis, of Kiryu." (Yokoyama) But the kirin is ultimately in the "dragon" family of mythological creatures; as such, Mine, no matter how much he tries to set himself apart from Kiryu, will always parallel Kiryu. This is exactly what I was talking about with regard to how tattoos come to change in meaning over time; it's not insanely prophetic, it's something that makes complete sense in-universe, makes sense for Mine to get at the time he got it, but it also ends up representing his relationship with Kiryu so well. The fact the kirin is in the "dragon" family of mythological creatures, in combination with the original green coloring, is also notable. Because the dragon depicted in Daigo's tattoo is the same shade of green.

There are multiple "species" of kirin, denoted by the color of their fur, which corresponds to one of the five phases (五行, gogyō), originating from the concept of wuxing in Chinese philosophy. The word "kirin," strictly speaking, refers to kirin with yellow fur and corresponds to Earth, which is associated with stability, hard work, ambition, and stubbornness. Kirin with green fur are known as shoko (聳孤, shōko) and correspond to Wood, which is associated with luxuriant growth, vitality, strength, and co-operation. Speaking of the five phases, that also ties into the concept of the Four Gods, a motif explored with the protagonists of Yakuza 4: Kiryu is the Azure Dragon, Akiyama is the Vermillion Bird, Saejima is the Black Turtle, and Tanimura is the White Tiger, representing Wood, Fire, Water, and Metal respectively. The "Fifth God," representing Earth, is widely considered to be a kirin. This doesn't really relate to anything though, just food for thought for the Protagonist Mine enjoyers (me <3)

A great deal of the meaning behind Mine's tattoo is etymological in nature. The word "qilin" itself represents a duality: "qi" refers to a female kirin, "lin" refers to a male kirin, and "qilin" refers to the species as whole. The kirin is said to embody yin and yang. And I think this aspect works perfectly with who Mine is as a character often torn between two extremes. He, like the kirin, has the capacity for both benevolence and ferocity, and like the kirin, only becomes violent in retaliation to violence or out of a sense of protectiveness. Also, in a very literal sense, Mine has both Yin cards and Yang cards in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, which very few characters do due to their contradictory nature. As Horitomo mentions, the design has basis in the word "kirin-ji" (麒麟児, child prodigy, lit. "kirin child"). A lot of people already know this (anyone who's read this post certainly does, at any rate), but fewer are familiar with the origin of the term. In Ancient China, there was a belief that the appearance of a kirin heralds the birth (and death) of a gifted son with a promising future, beliefs held around Confucius being a famous example. Of course, this relates to Daigo in terms of the association with leaders, but it also relates to Mine himself, who views his younger self as a sort of diamond-in-the-rough, a "gem shining brilliantly by the wayside." This reinforces that the tattoo is not just a meta representation of him, but directly relates to how he views himself. Additionally, the kanji that comprise "shoko" read as "soar" (聳, shō; as in, to rise above something) and "orphan" (孤, ko) respectively.

On that note, kirin are capable of flight, which can obviously be connected to his ambition ("rising above" his origins), his theme, and his method of suicide. They hover off of the ground so as to not trample blades of grass, and are often depicted as walking on clouds (which are, of course, depicted in Mine's tattoo). Some kirin even have wings!

Circling back to the note about violence to talk about the kirin's ability in battle: kirin are ferocious combatants and known to have a very strong hind kick; Mine mainly uses his legs to fight. I believe his "red heat state," where he's at his most aggressive, also represents the fire surrounding his kirin. Kirin may use flames to attack. Kirin are also thought to be the only creatures who can defeat a dragon, and I would argue Mine is the only final boss who even manages to come close to defeating Kiryu. I actually would even argue he did win, since he had more stamina left.

Just reiterating for the sake of being thorough, but as mentioned in the ask, kirin are thought to be at their most volatile and at their most powerful during a full moon. You only see it in one shot, but the finale of Yakuza 3 does in fact take place under a full moon. Mine is, of course, shown to be both of those things in the finale.

There's also some sort of association between kirin and thunder/lightning, at least in popular media. Mine and his tattoo are depicted surrounded by lightning in one of his cards, and the "Hakuho Clan Pin" item that came out at the same time has an ability called Roaring Thunder. I'm not sure why this is the case. Perhaps it's to do with the kirin's association with the sky, since thunder and lightning are celestial phenomena.

With that, I believe I've covered everything I wanted to touch on. Thank you for reading and for the opportunity, and I hope I've "redeemed myself" adequately!

#long post #asks #my analysis #esotericephemera #yakuza 3 #yoshitaka mine #mine yoshitaka #kazuma kiryu #kiryu kazuma #daigo dojima #dojima daigo #THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE i love your kirin mine au btw :)#but yeah. sorry for the wait this goddamn tattoo got hands jesus christ #i love it though. genuinely SUCH a well-thought-out tattoo #also hi. Outline Of Mine's Butt. it makes him look like he's wearing thigh-highs i can't #did my DAMNEDEST not to inject trans mine propaganda into this when i was talking about qi and lin btw #IT REPRESENTS MALE AND FEMALE. MASCULINE AND FEMININE.#I DIDNT MENTION IT BUT IT LITERALLY REPRESENTS TRANSFORMATION WHATS NOT TO GETKLSGJKLGDSHJKLGDSHJK #“self-made man” 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️#ok. sorry. except not really #mine is SO trans to me i find myself genuinely baffled by depictions of him as cis #how else do you explain the misplaced nipples. top surgery [GONE WRONG] [GONE SEXUAL].#how else do you explain the Baby Mustache #how else do you explain hijikata having a notably deeper voice and more masculine features #enough said. i'll rest my case #all right have we stopped reading now.#we have? ok #the rggtattoos analysis sucks so bad SORRY #it's literally just copied and pasted from wikipedia without... actually examining what parts are RELEVANT to mine. that's all i'll say

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treeshroudrelic · 11 months

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Been looking at the two flowcharts that were posted in the Echocord that detail all of the possible tarot card combinations that Sam can get in Nikolai's route depending on his choices (Flowchart 1 and Flowchart 2).

The biggest thing I'm taking away from the tarot readings is that I think that a lot of the choices and a lot of the characters that said choices pertain aren't gonna be as relevant and impactful as the cards make it seem. Choosing to sell the names of any of the secondary miner boys (Dimitri, Felipe, Paul, even Ben), remembering the locker combination, escaping 8883 first try or not, etc. All that probably won't matter that much in the grand scheme of things and honestly, I don't think they should.

Not saying this cause I believe a lot of choice based interactive media that tries to determine how the story goes based on players choosing how the story goes tend to ultimately stifle their story due to getting caught up in trying to account for every little alterable detail (cough mass effect cough) but that's just me.

Even Nikolai doesn't seem to hold much sway in how the cards shape out as the only path where Nik based choices hold influence is if you give his name to Porter during which the final card you get in the spread (and the one that determines Sam's future) is Judgment rather than Tower which you get by naming literally anyone else.

But Feng Yaolin, holy shit, Feng Yaolin. He has so much power in the card readings that it's terrifying. It isn't surprising considering that the initial choice that starts the tarot chain and necessitated the making of two tarot flowcharts was a Yao choice. But every time I look at the flowcharts more carefuly I find another Yao related ripple effect that catches me off guard.

Considering how the cards are meant to give Sam insight into his past actions, his present situation, and how all that might impact his future, I feel that his relationship with Yao is the ultimate crux of what the tarot readings are getting at.

Trust Yao or Don't Trust Yao. That's a question that Sam is gonna have to ask himself repeatedly. But there's also a flipside question to it that Sam also needs to ask.

Should Yao trust Sam or not?

I feel that the upcoming choices in the upcoming latter half of Nik's route will affect not just Sam's trust in Yao, but Yao's trust in Sam. Learning to trust again is one of Sam's biggest arcs in TSR. But that also means that Sam has to prove himself to be someone worthy of trust.

Cause trust is a two way street.

#the smoke room vn #the smoke room vn spoilers #my ramblings #samuel ayers #feng yaolin #my meta

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emotionsandphenomena · 6 days

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bowie, what does it mean that bride is only "sort of" omegaverse?

thanks for asking, bowie. i've thought about this a lot, so allow me to clarify.

I want to start at the beginning, with ali's omegaverse fic. I'm linking one example of several, notable because it has an arranged meeting component (relevant to bride) and because she cited a johnlock omegaverse work as an inspiration for her worldbuilding (this gave me, to put it lightly, a fright). I think that's where I initially connected Ali and omegaverse early on in my interest in her work. i could see the shades of it in her first three novels, but my analysis faltered as i tried to bridge the gap between those and her fic. when i read bride, this clarified.

ali has often used emojis to describe the book on instagram: 🐺 for werewolves, 🩸 for vampires, and 🪢 for knotting. this allows for some level of euphemism in her Instagram posts, meaning she doesn't have to explicitly get into the kinkier parts of the story in public. she does also make a lot of puns on the word knot but it still feels like an in-joke - if readers want to understand what a knot is, they have to read the book. i attribute this coyness in part to the significant leap between her first three contemporary adult romance novels and this new foray into much more explicit supernatural romance, and specifically the introduction of knotting and interspecies kinks that might be unknown to the average booktoker.¹

now, to get into the actual content of bride. the book is a vampire-werewolf romance novel, where the vampire (stylized vampyre) is a woman named misery (!) and the werewolf (stylized were) is a man named lowe. lowe is also the alpha of his werewolf pack. mates are a factor in the worldbuilding; some but not all weres have them and recognizing them is scent-based. knotting happens only in sex between mates. lowe and misery's romance is framed by their arranged marriage, a political deal to ensure peace between vampyres, weres and humans.

if we refer to the original supernatural rpf kink meme prompt that is supposedly the origin of "omegaverse", there are three key elements: 1) social roles, in this case "alpha male and bitch male" which later became alphas and omegas; 2) dog-like sex, "the knot, tons of come"; and 3) mating/biologically enhanced long term monogamy.

bride has #2 for sure. it's not the full extent of their sexual dynamic, but those two elements are certainly present. it has #3, although I think this is somewhat complicated (but not exactly subverted) by it being an interspecies romance. it's technically not a biological "mating" bond in the way weres in this world understand it. instead, lowe recognizes misery as his mate by scent, and misery, unable to reciprocate biologically, chooses to define herself as Lowe's mate at the end of the story. i appreciate that this introduces an element of agency for misery, which is what i normally struggle with in soulmate stories.²

it's #1 where I get sort of tripped up. in this book, biological determinism wrt social roles as it is portrayed in most omegaverse fic³ does not exist. lowe is an alpha, but his closest confidants are "seconds," not betas, and it's more a social/political role than anything else. there are no equivalents to omegas. however. the interspecies aspect of the relationship does still introduce elements of biological determinism, ie, sexual urges that can't be controlled; physical needs like hunger literally and metaphorically standing in for sexual desire. misery is also, crucially, a social outcast to her fellow vampyres, occupying a similar role to the omega social role in many omegaverse works. I cannot deny that's a lot of similarity, but for whatever reason, ali chose to elide this particular element of the worldbuilding. my best guess for this is empowerment of misery as a character. as mentioned above, she has more agency than many damsels in supernatural romance novels. empowered heroines with their own plot, relationships and sexual desires are an important part of popular contemporary romance; often books with too weak a heroine get lanced on tiktok (as was the fate of anastasia grey, for example).

finally, i want to talk about to inspiration. ali cites the johnlock fic as a framework for her reylo fic, and she has repeatedly spoken about her longstanding love for fanfic, obviously including omegaverse. but as an informed reader of her books, I think I can actually trace some aspects of bride further back. in the press tour and marketing for bride Ali continuously brings up nalini singh, an author who has been publishing interspecies romance since 2009. the first book of that series, slave to sensation, shares a lot of DNA with bride, especially in how our main characters connect and differ from each other other.⁴ the kink meme prompt largely credited as the origin of omegaverse in fanfiction dates to 2010. other supernatural romance authors Ali has cited as influential, like kresley cole, have been publishing even longer.⁵ the original kink meme prompt was obviously hugely influential, and I am still happy to credit it with those three specifics of omegaverse. to my knowledge, none of these prior romance novels include those elements in that combination.⁶ my point here is more that omegaverse was joining an existing lineage of erotica related to interspecies/animalistic/monsterfucking sex, rather than creating an entirely new mode of erotic engagement. ali, in bride, was combining and reworking these ideas that were so evidently influential to her development as a romance writer.

personally, I believe that Ali, in bride, is participating in the longstanding tradition of creating conditions for her romance novel characters that will best facilitate hornier and hornier scenarios. just as misery lark is the vampyre collateral, a political role invented for the plot, jensen ackles was assigned the newly created role of bitch male/omega because that made the most sense for the fantasy our requester was entertaining. worldbuilding in these books serves the primary purpose of enhancing and creating scenarios for horniness, which means that often it can be somewhat loose. I certainly had a million frustrated questions for Ali while reading bride, but I had to keep reminding myself that it's not about what part of the US the story is taking place in, or the political realities of a world with three separate species-specific governments. its about hot vampyre-werewolf sex and the catharsis of enemies-to-lovers. and also how good peanut butter is. thanks for reading.

footnotes

1. i have seen many, many booktokers and tubers discuss how this was their first foray into supernatural romance, and they wouldn't have tried it if not for enjoying ali's previous books. i have a whole other post to publish about profit incentive and marketing on ali's books, which i'll hopefully remember to link here when it's done. suffice to say, enormous win for ali's team.

2. it does not, however, allow any agency for lowe; he is in his own little romance-as-horror plot wherein he is suddenly having uncontrollable physical reactions to a member of a different species, about whom he knows nothing. luckily for him he has a blood-drinking kink. yay!

3. for an excellent reading of biological essentialism in same-gender omegaverse pairings, read my friend ari's post. heterosexual omegaverse pairings do not have the distancing aspect ari discussed, but they sexualize the same dynamics that come out of sexist, bioessentialist hegemony. exploring why this is hot to straight women has been a large part of my ali related work.

4. i also read slave to sensation for research purposes. do not recommend. as discussed above, though, i think a major difference is that the dynamics in singh's books (and similar) are dated and adhere pretty strongly to bodice ripper tropes. ali is taking those ideas and translating them into a contemporary romance voice.

5. again, to be addressed in my marketing post, but i have my suspicions about these inspiration plugs being strategically picked for which authors have upcoming books to promote side-by-side with ali's. its totally possible she also read and loved them, but its hard to ignore she and nalini singh share a publisher.

5. as Lindsay Ellis fans may know, there are many popular straight omegaverse series out there, but i couldn't find any evidence that those series pre-dated the kink meme.

#hello im home from work with cramps again so what am i doing .yeah. writing essays on tumblr dot com #the formatting on this was a BITCH and if it doesnt post i will be somad #AHU

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thegirlwhowrites642 · 2 years

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From Book 1(or From book they were introduced) to 7 -changes following characters(some are minor) goes through(characters arc) :-

Harry ,Ginny,Ron,Hermione,Remus , Tonks, Percy, Fleur, lavender

I remember reading this ask and being like "is this a challenge?". I could write books on some of these characters and on others there's very little to tell.

But you know what? As Barney Stinson would say:

Challenged accepted.

I'll need to be very synthetic which is not something I'm good at.

Lavender Brown

Lavender does not sustain any relevant change through the story, she's always painted as very girly and in contrast to Hermione. It's not surprising seeing that she's not a particularly relevant character. The only change we see is that at the start of OotP she doesn't believe Harry but then she's at the first meeting of the DA. She is not stupid or a coward but it's not a revelation of her character, she's always been a clear Gryffindor.

Fleur Delacour

Fleur doesn't really change, we just see new sides of her. In GoF, Harry finds her unlikable, and only when he saves Gabrielle, she warms up to Harry and we discover that she's not that bad. In HBP the Weasley women go through the same thing, with the addiction that seeing that she will be a new member of the family and they have to live with her, her unlikability is far heavier on them. One change that I guess we could see is when in DH before the Battle, when Percy comes back, she's the one that tries to break the tension by asking about Teddy to Remus. This shows an ability to read the room, and as basic as it is, it does seem to be an improvement for her. Most of the rude things she says to the Weasleys in HBP seem to not come from hatred but an inability to have any type of social filter. In an analysis of her character, we could see how this may be linked to her being part Veela.

Percy Weasley

Percy is always presented as an ambitious and smart character who is very academically driven. This does not change. I do not personally recall and have not found any declaration of loyalty towards Dumbledore in the early books (but please correct me if I'm wrong) so him taking the parts of the Ministry is not a change for him. There's on the other hand an interesting change in his relationship with Arthur.

Percy feels a connection with his father for his job at the Ministry and even seems to share Arthur's biggest interest. In the second book, he tells Harry that the optional subjects he should choose are divination and muggle studies. Percy has actually taken all the optional classes because we know he got 12 owls, so these are the ones he really likes and values more (I find it really interesting that the other is divination personally). Now, this is important because when Percy gets away from his family, he mainly rows with Arthur and shows resentment towards him. This seems to be a change due to Percy working at the Ministry for a year and having to deal with having "Weasley" as a surname but of course, we'll never know for sure. He could've bottled up those feelings against his father for years.

Percy needs the Battle of Hogwarts to come back to his family. As every Gryffindor he has braveness but also a lot of pride and stubbornness. By this point, he has no problem addressing his excessive ambition and his wrong behavior toward his family.

Nymphadora Tonks

Tonks is another of those characters that we don't really see changing, we just see different sides of her. If in OotP she's vibrant, funny, and energetic, in HBP she's depressed because of the whole Remus matter. I've seen people during the years say that the way she acted in HBP was out of character and my question is: based on what? How can you say that when we didn't know anything about her intimate emotional sphere? Between the scene in the infirmary and the one written by JKR outside the books, her attitude towards Remus doesn't seem to change. She's extremely sad but she doesn't sulk in silence. In DH she seems to return to her OotP-self which is coherent with her being now married to Remus. We don't know how she reacted to Remus going away, just that eventually they patch it up.

Remus Lupin

Remus is the incarnation of self-hatred. We see it from his very first appearance in PoA, just think about how he stays away from Harry for years and he keeps that attitude even when he becomes his professor. This is a central part of his character, something he constantly battles with and he seems to have a real improvement with the birth of his son. Remus is incredibly happy, he seems to finally start to see himself as worthy of love. Personally, I've always interpreted Remus making Harry Teddy's godfather as a sign of gratefulness for setting him back on the right path.

I've always found Remus's death very fitting because it made sense for me that at the end of the story all the Marauders died but that death is also an enormous tragedy for Remus' character because he's killed when he has finally started accepting himself and had in front of him years of happiness. It kind of cuts his arc right in the middle.

We could talk about the "marauders era" but I feel like I'd be going too much into speculation. What we can say is that surely Halloween of '81 caused a regression in his self-esteem, despite that, I think it's important to remember that it's suggested that Remus always had a sense of gratefulness towards the Marauders (specifically James) on a level that indicates a sense of feeling undeserving of their support.

Hermione Granger

Hermione is not a character that changes a lot, actually. Especially if you consider how much page space she has. But nonetheless, let's dive into what we have.

Managing stressful situations -> In PS we see Hermione not being able to act straight under pressure, in CoS she is not really involved in any action but she seems to be able to handle herself in PoA. Though PoA is also the book in which she goes completely out of control about the optional subjects. The narrative seems to imply that Hermione made a crazy choice taking them all, but we know that both Bill and Percy did it which means it's possible. This implies that Hermione didn't know how to deal with the pressure that all that work required, maybe because some of the subjects were difficult for her, like divination? We'll never know. From GoF, this trait of her seems to disappear.

Social skills -> We meet Hermione as someone with very poor social skills and who has a hard time making friends. I do not consider her becoming friends with Ron and Harry a sign of improvement because the event has very little to do with her social skills. I think in this aspect her friendship with Ginny, and to a minor degree, Neville and Luna, is far more significant. They are born in a more natural way even if still in forced circumstances, like all the time she spends at the Burrow. By the end of OotP, she even learns to not attack Luna on her beliefs. I do not consider the advices she gives Ginny (about Harry) and Harry (about Cho) improvement because I do not think she ever had a problem understanding situations as a third party, she doesn't know how to act when she's directly involved.

Family -> Hermione progressively distances herself from her parents spending constantly more time with the Weasleys to the point that one wonders where she would have spent Christmas of 1996 if she hadn't fought with Ron. It's not clear what are her motivations and feelings about it. In OotP we know that she cares about them knowing she became a prefect because at least they know what that means. The apex is her wiping away their memories of her but we know she eventually restores them. She's accepted by the Weasleys as family but through Ron, instead of that unconditional way in which Harry is a Weasley. If and how much she feels grateful for the Weasleys is not clear.

Ron -> I don't think her view of Ron changes much frankly, she was always more susceptible to his behavior. She seems to officially develop romantic feelings for him during CoS because, by the start of PoA, she obviously likes him. She always seemed pretty aware of her feelings but not open to making the first move. In HBP she invites Ron to the Christmas party which is surely an improvement but she remains very vague and in fact, we all know what happens. She does kiss Ron first but considering that they are three minutes away from a very likely death I don't think it can be considered character development. She also shows repeatedly that she's aware of Ron's insecurities but doesn't really act accordingly with the exception of her complimenting Ron about his idea of the fangs before the battle, could they have possibly talked about what happened with the locket? I suppose the real end of the arc, even if we jump from a first kiss to marriage, is her marrying Ron and having children with him.

House-elves -> The information we know about what she does after the books suggest that she eventually learns how to properly deal with the house-elves matter. While her feelings about the issue in the books are correct, her way of dealing with them is deeply wrong.

Ron Weasley

Ron is a character that consistently messes up and consistently improves himself afterward. From the start, we are made very aware of Ron's insecurities and his need to prove himself.

Insecurities regarding Harry -> From the first book we are made aware that Ron's aspiration is having glory, and success, in short: what Harry has. These feelings arrive at a peak in GoF when Harry becomes one of the champions, Ron eventually understands his error and apologies. Since then he really tries his best to suppress his insecurities about Harry and besides a comment about height in HBP, he needs a Horcrux to bring them up again. The destruction of the locket is symbolically Ron finally completely getting over this insecurity. It's made quite obvious by the story, especially when Harry says that he just knows it must be Ron who destroys the Horcrux.

Insecurities regarding his siblings -> He feels the weight of being the sixth son and the confrontation with Ginny who is the only girl, he constantly feels overshadowed and like he's not enough. The twins seem to be the main source of his insecurities, as suggested by Hermione. Like the ones about Harry, these too find a moment of resolution with the destruction of the Horcrux. The final push in the direction of understanding that he's not the least loved could probably be attributed to what Bill does for him during the period he is separated from his best friends during the seventh book. But we can already see significant growth by the end of OotP where he becomes very open to the idea of Ginny being included in his group of friends. By this point, he has won the Quidditch Cup and the twins are not around anymore. It's interesting to notice how he will end up working alongside George for life, unfortunately, though, the factor of Fred being dead can't be ignored.

Hermione -> Already in the first book, we see an arc with these two. Ron goes from being mean to Hermione to becoming her best friend. During the second year, he already manifests romantic feelings toward her. But as PoA makes it clear, he has absolutely no grasp on what he feels for her, for that we need to wait for the Yule Ball, and even there there's still a solid level of denial. By the fifth book though, Ron's attitude suggests that he has become aware of his feelings. In the sixth, I do not think that Ron doesn't know what Hermione feels for him. Hermione's attitude is far too explicit. I think he doesn't believe to be enough for her, as his reaction to Hermione kissing Krum suggests. If she was actually with the famous Victor Krum then the moment they get together she'll realize that he's not enough, right? This is reinforced by the whole Felix felicis mess. His relationship with Lavender seems to bring a new level of maturity to Ron as we see blatantly at the start of DH. Ron here also repairs his error of not inviting Hermione to the Yule Ball. Yet we know that he won't be completely rid of his insecurities until he comes back and destroys the Horcrux. After we'll also have the first moment in which Ron openly acknowledges his feelings for Hermione with Harry with a quote that I absolutely love: "All's fair in love and war, and this is a bit of both" (and then he married her and they had babies).

Career choice -> Ron stopping to be an Auror, a lifelong dream due to his need of proving himself, suggest an ability to finally overcome all those insecurities that he had, despite the fact that he will inevitably remain in part a person inclined to develop insecurities, he does a great job on himself.

Prejudices -> Ron is a character that grows up in the wizarding world and as a pureblood, despite the Weasleys being quite accepting and progressive we see him retain some prejudices, specifically against werewolves and half-giants. But because he's Ron, he soon overcomes his bias. While he never treated them badly, we also see him becoming sensible to the enslavement of the house-elves.

Luna -> Ron also becomes consistently more friendly with Luna. If in HBP he still calls her "Loony", in DH he shows a strong affection for the girl, highlighting Ron's great improvement in terms of maturity after the Lavender situation.

Ginny Weasley

Ginny is a pretty easy character to follow through the story, because of the role she covers in Harry's life her presence is usually well defined.

Confidence -> We are first introduced to Ginny in the form of a young girl with a strong personality, a need to not be left behind by her brothers, and a strong fascination for the famous legendary Harry Potter. Already from the scene where she runs after the train, we see the definition of her personality, both strong and sweet: she half laughs and half cries. Ginny's big expectations for Hogwarts are completely destroyed in this second book. We discover her as someone who has some strong insecurities regarding Harry and has a hard time fitting in. These insecurities that she could have probably easily gotten over considering her previous attitude are instead increased by Riddle's diary. This is a very different Ginny from the one we'll discover in OotP where she's outgoing, popular, and confident, the Ginny we'll keep seeing for the rest of the story. In between, we had PoA where she faded into the background, and GoF where she was already a lot more outgoing, her main insecurity remaining Harry, this is the year where she finally decides to get over him and starts dating Micheal. [for more about Ginny's insecurities check this post]. It's also interesting to note that during the progression of the books she becomes less and less open to being shoved aside because she is the girl or the youngest, her disagreement is consistently more and more strong. Becoming the mother of a youngest sibling who is a girl offers her the opportunity of ending that cycle.

Trauma -> At the tender age of eleven, Ginny goes through an enormous life-changing trauma that many readers during the years have described as "mind-rape". We see frequent glimpses of how this negatively affects her during the second book. By the end of CoS Ginny seems to be feeling pretty well as for the very start of PoA (the trip to Egypt probably helped). She has a regression that leads her to fade into the background due to the dementor incident, this and her being a lot more out-going in GoF suggests that her second year was the one dedicated to resolving the major part of her trauma. She goes back to being herself but with the inevitable changes of someone who lived through something so dark. She becomes quite guarded with her own feelings and has strong responses to people not respecting her boundaries.

Harry -> Ginny grew up hearing stories about the famous Harry Potter, and soon her fascination with this boy develops into full romantic feelings, probably a combination of Ron's stories and actually meeting Harry. It's important to notice how her feelings are never dismissed as a crush, she's said to have always been "quite taken" with Harry (GoF). And Harry is canonically the person who understands her perfectly so we have this on good authority. Ginny is overwhelmed by her feelings for him which make her uncharacteristically shy. Her insecurities when it comes to Harry contribute to her being subjected to Riddle. By the end of CoS, she seems more comfortable around her future husband. But PoA reminds us that she still has feelings for him and is still shy about it, even if she has a moment of boldness with the singing card. GoF is what changes everything, the combination of Harry's crush on Cho and Hermione's advice brings her to try to live a little and start looking at other fish in the sea, even if we know that deep down she never really gave up on Harry. During her fourth year, finally able to act like herself in front of him, she becomes quite an essential part of Harry's life. In the summer of '96, they officially become close friends, and during HBP we see glimpses of Ginny becoming increasingly worse at hiding her feelings for Harry while dating Dean. By the time of the break-up at Dumbledore's funeral, we know for sure that she's in love with him (that "I like you so much" is the worst disguised I love you in the history of time). DH reminds us that, in case someone had forgotten, Ginny has come a long way from the shy little girl, and clarifies with Harry that she's going to wait for him. And she did, ladies and gentlemen, she did.

Defender of the marginalized (Neville and Luna) -> In GoF she's embarrassed about going to the Ball with Neville, in OotP she defends him. At the start of OotP she calls Luna "Loony" (not with ill intention but it shows she has not taken the time to get to know her) by the end of the book they are friendly and in HBP she outright defends her from bullies. [for an insight into her relationship with Neville and Luna, read this post] This theme has a continuation with what she does at Hogwarts during the war.

Fleur -> In HBP she has an arc in her relationship with Fleur who she detests. At the end of the book, she begrudgingly accepts the girl in her family. [a clear nod to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" if you want my opinion]

Quidditch -> She goes from training herself for years in secret to entering the house team as a second option in a position she doesn't prefer, to becoming the life and soul of the team and finally, she becomes a professional player and then a sports journalist. The theme of "coming out of the shadow" is very dominant in her character.

Writing -> Through the series, Ginny manifests an interest in creative writing. An activity strongly linked with her biggest trauma but we see a complete reappropriation of this passion when she becomes a journalist. While maybe due to her fading into the background in PoA, it's still interesting to note that the year dedicated to her emotional recovery is also the only one where in the book there are no elements that associate her with creative writing.

Harry Potter

I'm writing the summary of the summary of the summary of the summary for Harry because I could write seven other books on him.

Family -> Harry lives with a constant need of having a family as we see in the first book very explicitly. At the start of the series we see Harry hating the Dursleys (mainly Vernon) but still having some sort of need to connect with them, they are technically his family, after all. It ends when Sirius arrives in the picture and Harry completely takes him in as a parental figure, relying on Sirius' official role as his godfather. How Harry reacts to the argument between Sirius and Molly in OotP shows how the Weasleys are like family to him, but Sirius is family. With Sirius' death, the role of Harry's family falls exclusively on Ginny as made explicit in DH [for a bit of an insight on this, read this post]. Harry concludes his story as a husband and a father, finally achieving his heart's greatest desire.

Ron and Hermione -> Harry is never particularly confrontational with them, not surprising considering how he grew up. He avoids calling out Ron and he takes Hermione's nagging internalizing his annoyance towards her and fundamentally ignoring her. In the fifth book, he has a lot of understandable pent-up rage and he takes it out on them. Probably because they stick with him through that, in HBP he feels a bit more comfortable at occasionally criticizing Ron and manifesting verbally his annoyance towards Hermione. Nothing spectacular, mind you, but still, there's a bit of a change. Through the books, Harry also becomes progressively more aware of Ron's insecurities but he finally really grasps how deep they are rooted only with the destruction of the locket.

Ginny -> Harry's journey with his feeling for Ginny is more of a finding out something that was always there instead of about acquiring it. Since the first book Harry has a certain pull toward Ginny. In PS, PoA, and GoF is quite subtle, in CoS is honestly kind of thrown in the reader's face, it's very obvious even if Harry has no idea about it. But it's only in OotP that Harry's subconscious is finally given a full justification for this attraction he has for Ginny because she finally shows herself to him completely. By the time Harry kisses Cho, it's becoming quite difficult for Harry too to keep ignoring how superficial his feelings for the Ravenclaw girl are, and not coincidentally right after, it starts to become impossible to ignore Ginny in the book. Harry is reminded of their connection with darkness, she establishes herself as Harry's source of optimism, and the growing feelings that Harry has for her are nearly revealed to him in the easter eggs scene. At the end of the book, Harry's protectiveness toward her comes back all the way from CoS. Through HBP Harry's feelings for Ginny become constantly more impossible to ignore until the big revelation. Harry has a denial phase, a very long pining phase and then he finally kisses her. Their relationship is blissful oblivion (;D) and it's made quite clear that it's far from a casual teenage romance. Then there's the break-up, which funnily enough shows how much Harry loves her, and in DH, he associates more than once Ginny with marriage and family. His fight with Ron in the tent forces Harry to think about how uncertain he left things with Ginny and of the possibility of her being in danger. Before the final battle, Harry is open to losing Ginny's trust if that means her being alive. As we all know she is his last thought before dying and so it's not surprising then that Harry's story ends with him married to Ginny with kids.

Touch -> Harry is clearly someone that is not exactly comfortable with physical affection, clearly due to his upbringing. The first person he hugs in the series is Ginny in HBP. Touch is a strong component of their relationship and Harry seems to become a little more open to touch with other people too thanks to Ginny. In DH he hugs Mrs. Weasley and Ron and he doesn't feel uncomfortable when Hermione takes his hand in front of his parents' grave (admittedly he had more pressing matters at that moment than feeling uncomfortable but still). If we look at Harry's last thoughts of Ginny before dying there's once again touch ("[...]and the feel of her lips on his—"). Emotional conversations though seem to remain something he's comfortable only with Ginny and I suspect that to remain true for a very long time.

Being the hero -> While for us it's always obvious that Harry is the hero of the story, we're reading books named after him, in the story it goes a tad differently. PS establishes Harry has a natural hero, fighting evil is part of who he is, a concept remarked by Dumbledore and Ginny (his mentor and his soulmate, not exactly two random people). When he arrives in the wizarding world, Harry has this old fame and there are hints of him not being an average wizard, but it's only in CoS that Harry starts seeing that there's something out of the ordinary about him. Harry grows progressively more aware of his own role in the story and also of his own nature, GoF besides being the book that changes everything in the tone of the story and officially creates the need for conclusion in the HarryVSVoldemort situation, is also the book in which Harry starts thinking about being an Auror. OotP is the book in which he knows that he's not normal, status accentuated by his PTSD and survivor guilt, but everybody keeps telling him that he has to act like he is. When he finally learns about the prophecy in a way there's a sense of calm that settles in him, at least it all finally makes sense. And in HBP he is finally let into the big scheme, he works with Dumbledore. The sixth book is the best written one of the series because it's the more structured. Harry Potter lives both as Harry and the Chosen One with a constant back and forth between these two realities. The Harry one is strongly linked to Ginny, in fact, the break-up is symbolic of the Chosen One burying Harry deep down. In DH the Chosen One keeps being dominant over Harry and all the moments in which he allows himself to think of Ginny are the moments in which despite the Chosen One best efforts he can't hide Harry underwater. The death (where non coincidentally Ginny is brought up again) is in some way the actual death of the Chosen One. His mission is completed, the one that comes back is a Harry who actively chooses the take upon himself the mantel of the hero. It's Harry Potter that kills Voldemort, not the Chosen One. That chapter of his life officially closes with Ron and Hermione who in a way are also saying goodbye to the Chosen One and to their roles as his helpers. Harry saying that he needs to talk to Ginny is an indicator of this new Harry who is finally whole, merging the different parts of him, he's grown into himself, let's not forget that this is a coming-of-age story before anything else. This new Harry is the one we fully see in the Epilogue, aware of his identity as a hero but also free to finally make his own choices.

Dumbledore -> Harry for the first four books is very trusting of Dumbledore, but as for a lot of other sub-plots, then everything changes. OotP is the book in which Harry starts seeing that maybe Dumbledore is human after all and in fact, during HBP he is open to the possibility of Dumbledore being wrong. Harry is devastated by Dumbledore's death who was both his mentor and a grandfather sort of figure. His last protection is taken away and he has to step into the real world. Through DH Harry discovers another side of Dumbledore and that, added to his frustration and depression, leads him to become quite frustrated with Dumbledore who, at the end of the book, it turns out, had one last card hidden from Harry. Then there's a final reconciliation in the metaphysical King's Cross where Dumbledore owns up to his mistakes and Harry, in typical Harry's fashion, forgives him.

James and Lily -> since the very beginning of the story Harry craves the idea of meeting his parents. He particularly looks up to James and hopes to be like him, he finds pride in the idea. This is true until Snape's worst memory where feels a bit like a fool for all the years he looked up to his father. He also has a first real approach to Lily and he likes how she behaved in that situation. At the end of OotP, we see Harry reconciliation with his father, accepting that after all, it's part of being a human being flawed, yet from then Harry looks more at his mother like we can easily see when he talks to his parents and Sirius and Remus before walking to his death.

Neville and Luna -> Harry sometimes is a teenager like everybody else and so he looks down on people like Neville and Luna who are kind of the losers of the situation. But thanks to the two of them going to the Ministry with him he learns better, after all, he values courage above everything else and he grows to really respect them. This is underlined by the contrast in his feelings about riding the train with them in OotP and HBP.

Note: Before someone starts with the "But you didn't talk about this and that!": it's a synthesis.

#now you guys understand why it takes me so much time to answer?#I've re-written this thing a million times #lavender brown #fleur delacour #percy weasley #nymphadora tonks #remus lupin #hermione granger #ron wealsey #ginny weasley #harry potter #remadora #romione #hinny #thegirlwhowrites642HPmeta

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marcusrobertobaq · 2 months

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For some reason Amanda's rep status doesn't mean anything, the only moment it's really relevant is if u deviate or not. That's the ultimate red line crossed.

But in the narrative Connor's trust in her and CyberLife gets deteriorated with time automatically, doesn't matter the route u take or if the status says "TRUSTED". The only change is if u decide, as Connor, to do something about it (deviate) or try ignoring everything for the sake of his job.

It's pretty much clear to me Connor automatically grows a distrust for Amanda and CyberLife esp after Meet Kamski, even if u take the full "focused on my mission" route.

Amanda is totally negative in the game even on how her rep status behave. Is totally based on negative numbers where the trusted initial rep is 0. It's pretty clear they didn't even try making the Hank vs Amanda balance that relevant. The game literally says "this hot-headed unstable corrupt cop prick that hate androids and treat u like nothing is better than your trusted handler" and even give him a backstory that encourage mfs in forgiving Hank for exactly everything he did like erasing all the past difficulties (like the good silly little android Connor is) - cuz it's totally "justified" by Hank's trauma and how androids are perceived in society, Connor even come to empathize with this specific topic bout Hank thru time himself.

There's no "happy ending" with Amanda, but there is with Hank - cuz she's the representation of CyberLife - the main villain of the story - for us.

In the game u can choose between fucking only with Amanda or fucking with both Hank and Amanda. Manipulation vs Straight-Honesty (even if it means literally blowing your brains out like u ain't a person but just a tool). Which one u gonna choose? Ofc the popular gonna buy the buddy cop and cum everytime they get a blue arrow in Hank's relationship status... Even if it doesn't mean anything narratively until at least The Bridge.

They made Amanda to be disliked where any character close to her is suddenly more likeable than her, nobody never empathizes with her at all cuz the narrative doesn't encourage u to even seek her praise, her trust and approval - even if it's a main established point in Connor's story that can become one of the reasons he doesn't deviate. But the narrative will encourage u to seek Hank's trust, either by really developing an attachment or not exactly buying his shit but still respecting the guy's history in the end. Will always be pure manipulation at first, there's nothing u can do about it. Connor is an android with a mission and he gotta deal with everything alone but things change a bit after he discovers about Cole - maybe that's why they moved this discovery to later in the story and actually tried doing something about it.

In the end mfs will always tell Amanda to go fuck herself and be proud in betraying her, I see it everyday.

#no tag indeed

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richmond-rex · 1 year

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1) Hi! I had a few thoughts on the titulus regius / the claim that Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s marriage was invalid, they’ve gotten a little long and scattered so I’m sending them in two parts. (I tried sending it once and I don't think it got delivered, but if it did, I'm sorry for getting two similar asks)

From what I’ve observed, there is a significant amount of people (Ricardians for sure, but quite a few others who have a vague interest and understanding of the period) who view the claim as a sort of … default certainty. “Richard III uncovered proof that his brother was pre-contracted to marry someone else, and therefore his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was null” is generally how it’s put across, with no actual emphasis or investigation into the actual probability or validity of such a claim, and certainly no emphasis on the fact that it may very well (and imo almost definitely is) complete bullshit.

Practicalities aside (almost 20 years of marriage that was accepted by the church, with Warwick and others not able to find a way to end it, only for evidence conveniently appearing after both parties are dead that would conveniently result in richard iii being the only suitable candidate for the throne), from what I’ve observed, this belief is often based on conceptions of the personalities involved rather than actual historic analysis, which is doubly frustrating. There is, for instance a deep-held belief that the claim HAS to be true, because Richard III believed/claimed it, generally citing his supposed honor, justice and impartiality as evidence. There’s also the age-old nonsense that Elizabeth Woodville was a scheming seductress who paid the price for her too-high ambitions.

With regards to Edward IV (sorry, this got really long), there is a common assumption that the supposed pre-contract follows his “typical pattern” of behavior which confuses the hell out of me because … what pattern? Edward IV acknowledged only one wedding, and only woman as his wife and queen in his life, and that was Elizabeth Woodville. A pattern only exists if one chooses to construct it, and that is only possible if one chooses to believe the contrary claim. Edward IV’s womanizing is also brought into focus … which I personally find extremely strange for several reasons. There’s no doubt about Edward IV’s infidelity, what I find curious but also rather overlooked when talking about him is that the actual intensity/importance of those affairs during his lifetime seems to have been greatly exaggerated and overstated. None of his mistresses ever had official (or from what I understand, unofficial) court positions, and none of them were specifically singled out by contemporary sources (or by Edward IV himself) during his lifetime. We don’t even explicitly know who the mothers of his illegitimate children were (although we can guess). All this, imo, very clearly suggests that while he was known for his womanizing and didn’t seem to have a problem with it, his actual affairs appear to have been very low-key and/or very brief in practice, the latter of which the Croyland Chronicle explicitly states. Jane Shore in particular is interesting, because I absolutely adore her as a historical figure, but I find it very frustrating how lots of rather obscure details about her life are viewed as outright, default facts. While I don’t doubt that there was some truth to what Thomas More wrote about her, the fact remains that he was 5 years old when Edward IV died and published his piece more than 30 years later, which would hardly make him a reliable contemporary source for the details and assumptions included in his work (the entire nature of her relationship with Edward IV for one, and Elizabeth Woodville singularly hating her for another). (I also personally find his piece rather idealized/romanticized in a very gendered manner, but that’s not relevant). So, while his writing was what made Jane intriguing to me in the first place, and like I mentioned, I’m sure there’s some truth to it, I find it rather puzzling that they’re often taken as automatic certainties. A lot of this is also due to the fact that from what I understand, Jane does not seem to have been particularly well-known as Edward IV’s mistress during his actual life? The Croyland Chronicle didn’t single her out or make any specific mention of her (or her name) across the years, and nor did any contemporary ambassador. And, as mentioned, she didn’t hold any official (or, as far as I know, unofficial) position at court, nor did she have any noteworthy far-reaching influence. (She and Edward didn’t have any known children together either, which is interesting but not very relevant). Her fame or infamy, from what I’ve understood, largely originated *after* Edward’s death, particularly after her walk of shame. More’s semi-biographical writing on her also suggests that her life wasn’t singularly known before that time. A lot of her renown also seems to have stemmed from 16th century theatre’s interest in royal mistresses, or “mistresses with hearts of gold” archetype that seems to have been famous during that time, which certainly contributed to her repute. (I can’t remember its name, but that play on her and Elizabeth Woodville is a clear example of how a lot of very clear inaccuracies served to solidify a lot of assumptions of her. Rosamond Clifford was another mistress whose death gained lots of fascination during that time).

Anon's part II under the cut:

2) and the fact remains that from I understand, while infidelity was not expected by 15th century English monarchs, there was hardly a lack of precedent. Several famous English kings (Henry I, Henry II, Edward II, Edward III, Edward the Black Prince as the heir) were infamous for their affairs, and we have far more explicit information on their mistresses and the nature of their relationships than we do with Edward’s, despite ruling long before he did, and imo, I feel like that should be considered when talking about him. I guess what I’m saying is: Edward IV was certainly a womanizer, but his affairs really don’t seem to have impacted his relationship to Elizabeth Woodville, at least not outwardly, considering the kids they had and the trust he placed in her; and it certainly did not impact her politically, considering she was the unquestioned queen who he very clearly and openly trusted with official and unofficial authority, and was not outranked or rivalled by any other woman during her time.

I think the belief in the invalidity of their marriage is also a symptom of a sort of … dismissal of Elizabeth Woodville as a person, if that makes sense? Her historiography has been largely negative until a few recent years, and a negative perception of her makes it very easy to perpetuate the belief that *of course* she was just one of the many women Edward IV courted and married, and *of course* he tired of her eventually, which not only illogically links the likelihood of a pre-contract to Elizabeth’s personal relationship with Edward over the years (never mind the fact that they were married for almost 20 years, she was regularly pregnant, and every glimpse we get into their private lives hints at a rather domestic couple), but also, imo, trivializes the notion of queenship by solely linking a queen’s worth and authority based on her relationship with the king. And while the Titulus Regius was certainly unique as far as invalidating royal marriages went, the fact remains that there had been several queens before with complex reputations and complex husbands, and it’s extremely rare to see them so cavalierly dismissed as queens in our current times the way Elizabeth Woodville has been. I don’t know if it’s linked to status or Richard III worship, but I think the whole thing is very strange, lmao.

Sorry for the length! I think this was more of a rant than anything, yikes, and solely based on what i've understood, but you’ve cited such interesting pieces regarding the claim, so I wondered what you’d think

Hello! There are so many things to address in your ask, let me see where I can begin. Most academic historians nowadays dismiss the allegations contained in the Titulus Regius as fabrications. Even if Edward IV had been pre-contracted before, his de facto marriage with Elizabeth Woodville, her recognition as queen in the presentation ceremony at Reading and her crowning at Westminster, not to mention the ceremony that recognised their son Edward as Edward IV's heir, where people made public vows before religious authorities to defend the child; all of that added to the marriage's legitimacy—all those ceremonies were legitimised before the presence of innumerable authorities of the Church.

In the same sense, Richard III never called an ecclesiastical court to judge his brother's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which really makes one wonder why, since it was at that time the jurisdiction of the Church. There were several ways Richard could have legitimised his brother's offspring in case Edward really had been irregularly married if Richard was so minded, but the truth is that 'Richard III did not want Edward V to be legitimate because he did not want him to be king.'

The only people I see who still believe in the Titulus Regius are ricardians and Gregory-esque fans of the Wars of the Roses (the intersection is big though). But you're right about the dismissal of Elizabeth Woodville, which is unjust in my opinion. On one hand, there are the ricardian and/or classist narratives that depict her as a grasping, greedy and cruel woman, on the other hand, she's dismissed in favour of Edward IV's relationship with Jane/Elizabeth Shore, a relationship greatly augmented by a posthumous (and mainly Elizabethan) romanticisation of Jane Shore. Derek Neal also pointed it out:

The better-known writers seem to have felt compelled to comment on Edward's "fleshlye wantonnesse", treating it indulgently, with careful disapproval. But no one contrasted this with the queen's behaviour. In fact, the kind of praise we might expect a queen to receive was instead assigned to the king's most famous mistress [...] At any rate, it is hard to resist the feeling that there is something wrong here. Illicit mistresses are not supposed to get better press than faithful wives [his words], especially when the wife in question has borne heirs to the throne and is the grandmother of the monarch employing the author of the text. Even More's most generous comments on Elizabeth Woodville do not compensate for this disparity. One wonders whether Gairdner's unsupported statement, that the queen was "scarcely regarded with more respect by the nobility than the courtesans by whom she was dishonoured", might contain some truth.

I don't know if Neal is passing a moral judgement on their situation or commenting on what was commonly seen (a wife usually getting more praised than a mistress)—perhaps he's doing both—but the fact is that there were factors that went beyond Elizabeth Woodville, regarding Jane Shore's character, that made Jane the more popular of the two. She was a 'city wife', a citizen and daughter of London, who had been subjected to a forced marriage before capturing the heart of a king, and who had become friendless later in life (themes that inspired great pity in Elizabethan audiences). Thanks to Richard III's treatment, she was also an excellent subject to discuss state cruelty and the suffering the common people were subjected to thanks to the excesses of justice.

It is interesting that although Elizabeth Woodville was historically dismissed because of her low origins, she was not so much 'low' as to inspire the same sympathy that Jane/Elizabeth Shore was able to inspire in popular ballads and writings. It's as though Elizabeth Woodville occupies a weird limbo, and also in regards to her suffering. Although Richard III made her suffer, she wasn't subjected to the same personal cruelty that Shore was (especially as her penitent walk was variously described as some sort of eroticised vulnerability and proper feminity). Additionally, she didn't end up her days as friendless as More claimed Jane to be at the end of her life, for Elizabeth Woodville had been at last vindicated by Richard III's defeat via her own friends and by the ascension of Elizabeth's daughter.

In the end, I think Elizabeth's dismissal is linked to those factors: historical intersection of classism and misogyny, Richard III's cult-like popularity, and even Jane Shore's own brief popularity in the 16th century too, though not so much nowadays.

#ask #anon #elizabeth woodville #jane shore

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collymore · 2 months

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Maureen Callaghan: the heterosexually married but inured Karen Dyke spewing her racist poison at Harry and Meghan - again!

By Stanley Collymore

Harry clearly hasn't been any more destructive, if a word can as you ignorant, gullible and basically societally fawning morons now in a huge sea change self-evidently think as you're told to and, is quite essentially, the case and you must behave most accordingly so literally in relation to his stepmother Camilla; and incredibly, undeniably, the powers that be, have thus significantly gotten great sections of British society to forgive her and clearly conveniently actually overlook, Camilla's misdeeds, that unmistakably should be forgiven. Thus, isn't the most crucially relevant thing, generally at the end of any day, specifically the actual likelihood that the Windsor family obviously have a relationship really of their choosing?

One very essentially of the kind that they genuinely and positively want with each other, or otherwise? To which Likewise I personally and obviously emphatically add, that all of you actually quite evidently unproductive, but clearly too inured Karen racists like the rabidly odious, clandestine, and actually quite cowardly although unquestionably so heterosexually married - significantly unequivocally, licentiously, distinctly rampant Dyke - Maureen Callaghan. Unquestionably as well a monetary obsessed moron clearly fittingly in tandem with the puerile nauseous, literally toxically verminous losers, undoubtedly comprising Maureen Callaghan's bosses, and evidently rather indisputably, the financially relevantly indispensable clickbait cretins, that this quite discernibly obviously undoubtedly talentless Stockholm syndrome ludicrously distinctively imbecilic, so Paddy, and an unquantifiably, Irish cunt, is quite fundamentally all about!

A prized, talentless, white Karen prat, who very self-evidently simply can't leave Harry, Meghan and their two Children alone, is Maureen Callaghan, because evidently most essentially it's a bandwagon she clearly, obsessively needs to jump on, because literally without the plethora of crucially quite vitriolic bile against them, and distinctly too prodigiously manufactured and readily copiously lodged there there's unquestionably characteristically obviously nothing of any originality or evidently which is actually, compellingly interesting that she can either generally say or anyone, including these very same dense, low-life scum that Maureen Callaghan undoubtedly panders to without her simply vile, discernibly sick, and unquestionably similarly hateful mention of Meghan, Harry and their children which everyone I imagine with a functioning brain and obviously ruling out all these very toxically verminous clickbait pillocks, really don't want to hear!

Significantly so, why you should butt out Maureen Callaghan because you don't know any of them within this Windsor family, and evidently, least among them Harry or Meghan and clearly quite obviously also neither of their two simply young children, about whom you vindictively as well as ignorantly and distinctively maliciously Maureen Callaghan evilly write all of your actually nonsensical and discernibly, quite toxically made up shit solely based on your fucking malevolently egregious, and literally very delusionally speculative idiotic Irish speculation. No actual wonder then, that the white British who you simply ingrained idiots still actually slavishly fawn to so fittingly kicked your crucially noxious asses out of Ireland having first tried to suitably basically genocidally get rid of you through their skilful, evilly induced, and cunning potato famine clearly obligatorily causing you reprobate and distinctively too, irredeemably cowardly pathetic mother fuckers to simply actually flee to the USA; but your sycophantic types, never learn do you Maureen Callaghan? And unquestionably, you're not fit to even lick the boots, of the truly undoubtedly valiant likes, of Sinn Fein supporters and the ace IRA!

Author's Remarks: Numerous numbers of decent and highly commendable Irish Americans have very literally, hard-workingly and likewise quite altruistically, given much quite beneficially not only to their adopted country, the USA and unquestionably as well their ancestral homeland Ireland, but rather unmistakably as well the world generally, doing so in that process of theirs very altruistically! Some, like JFK, and discernibly his brother Bobby have even forfeited their lives in this noble process!

Then we have Irish scum and undoubtedly British Stockholm syndrome, sycophantic ones like you around and most egregiously in the process breathing God's wholesome air. And most ironically so in a country that is clearly rampantly inundated with guns, a state of affairs that your evilly actually and odiously, toxically verminous sort distinctly and sickeningly abhorrently relish and also actively support; never mind the ongoingly surfeit of actually innocent, decent people involuntarily, and most barbarously, forfeit their lives in this mania carried out by very mentally deranged lowlifes, so undeniably like your unquestionably sick self, Maureen Callaghan - several of them children!

Yet very regrettably you are alive Maureen Callaghan! Rather expectantly though, not for very much longer!

#Racism

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allcolorsoftherainbow · 6 months

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Okay, I'm also curious about Cinderella but Everyone's Gay (lmao I hope that ends up being the real title)

Hahaha I think it might:D

This is actually the only fic idea back from my K-pop area that I plan on finishing? Because here the people I based the characters on feel like they are there to tell a story that is somewhere beyond them?

Basically, the way my country retells the story of Cinderella is quite particular and there is a very popular film from 1974 that has recently (2021) had a Norweigan, more modern remake where the two prince's male companions are in a romantic relationship? And I loved that so much I wanted to turn it into a fanfic and then I somehow made Cinderella male and then suddenly everyone was gay:D

I already have this fic planned scene by scene but there are a lot of scenes so it's taking a while to get through. Here's your snippet from what I've already written, I hope you don't mind it's of the only straight "couple" in the story, I thought it was a cute one.

[just to clarify, Yuna is the supposedly mean step-sister except she's not mean at all, and Jimin is another servant, the male Cinderella's friend]

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Yuna whispers as the royal carriage approaches and the servants run around to ensure a smooth arrival.

“What are you talking about?” her mother turns to her. “You were born for this.”

And maybe, these words would be comforting under different circumstances.

Seeing your mother believe in you.

But Yuna doesn’t feel that at this moment, not with her mother constantly reminding her to stand straight, smile, and not forget to bend her knees so that she doesn’t intimidate the prince with her height.

She tries, she really does, but it doesn’t seem all that relevant, especially not the last part, as the prince didn’t bother showing up.

That's how Yuna sees it, anyway, and how she tells Jimin later on, when they’re sneaking leftovers deep into the night.

“You might be wronging him, you know?” Jimin asks as she throws Yuna an apple. She catches it with ease.

“Please, he “fell behind because of studying the beauty of local nature?” Bam the horse can come up with a better excuse.”

Jimin smiles a little at that remark, although it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You still got an invitation to the ball though, right?”

Yuna sighs. “We did.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t know. I want to go but I’m also nervous about this whole “prince” person. I mean, I haven’t even seen him, nor has he seen me, and now they want him to choose and marry me?”

“It is a little backwards process, yes. But who knows, maybe he’ll actually be a good fit for you.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Yuna replies but it could not be less convincing.

Jimin reaches forward to bump her shoulder lightly.

“Hey,” he says when she looks up at him. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll come to rescue you. Will Bam, full armor and all.”

Yuna’s smile gives them both a little more hope.

#cinderella #k pop #ao3 #fanfic #my writing

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zamilahblog · 6 months

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Revealing debate vs philosophy: Denny Ja’s point of view

Introduction The debate between science and philosophy has become an interesting topic to be kidnapped and studied. In this debate, we will see the point of view of Denny JA, a famous figure in Indonesia who has a unique thought related to the relationship between science and philosophy. In this article, we will try to dig deeper about Denny JA’s view and why this debate always attracts the attention of many people. I. Definition of Science and Philosophy Before we enter this debate, it is important to understand the basic understanding of science and philosophy. Science is knowledge gained through scientific methods, based on observations, experiments, and data analysis. Science focuses on facts and truths that can be tested and verified empirically. On the other hand, philosophy is a discipline that seeks an understanding of the reality and meaning of life through philosophical questions. Philosophy tries to answer the basic questions about the meaning of life, existence, and the relationship between humans and the universe. II. Denny JA’s view Denny JA has a unique view related to the debate of science vs. Philosophy. For him, science and philosophy are two things that cannot be separated. He argues that science without philosophy will lose meaning, while philosophy without knowledge will be trapped in unfounded speculation. According to Denny Ja, science provides a strong empirical foundation to understand the real world and seek truth. However, science has limitations in answering fundamental questions about the meaning of life and the purpose of human existence. This is the role of philosophy, which is trying to provide a deeper understanding and purpose of human life and the universe. III. The importance of integration of science and philosophy From the point of view of Denny Ja, the integration between science and philosophy is very important in developing a comprehensive understanding of the world. Science provides empirical basis and strict methods in gaining knowledge, while philosophy provides a broader framework of thinking and deep understanding. By combining these two disciplines, we can avoid each other’s weaknesses. Science without philosophy tends to be too bound to facts and data that can be observed directly, while philosophy without science tends to be trapped in speculation without basis. IV. Application in everyday life The application of Denny Ja’s thought about the integration of science and philosophy can have a significant impact on everyday life. In dealing with problems and challenges, we can use scientific methods to collect relevant data and facts. However, we also need to consider the values and goals of more deep life through philosophical thinking. In making decisions, we can use scientific thinking to calculate risks and benefits. However, we also need to consider moral and ethical values in choosing the best action. By combining knowledge and philosophy, we can make wiser decisions and harmonize our lives with greater goals. Conclusion The debate between science and philosophy always attracts the attention of many people, and through the point of view of Denny Ja, we can see the importance of the integration of these two disciplines. Science and philosophy complement each other in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the world. Science provides an empirical basis, while philosophy provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of life and the purpose of human existence. In everyday life, we can apply this thought by using scientific methods in dealing with problems and making decisions, but also considering the values and objectives of a deeper life. Thus, we can achieve more meaningful life and harmonize our actions with greater goals.

Check more: Reveal the debate of science vs philosophy: Denny JA’s perspective

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0firstlast1 · 8 months

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ipMDB? Fill the tank? ¿re(A)LLy?

Based on what is shown in the film, a former Vietnam combatant who apparently did not have much of a role in that historic armed conflict, if he was in Vietnam at all, chooses to work as a taxi driver at night as a form of therapy and paid entertainment, during his daily work he is close to the people who use his service as a taxi driver, he meets people he despises, and people he chooses to get close to, specifically the female public, and at that moment an electoral campaign was taking place for choose who would be the candidate for president of the United States of America, during the film he decides to do something to give a new direction to that everyday life, ...

In the mid-seventies, punk rock existed and advanced, getting more space, the film industry did not ignore that artistic and urban manifestation expressed mainly by rock music and mentioned it at least in the visual and even in the content and essence of punk songs in least two relevant films, Blade Runner (1982) and Taxi Driver (1976).

Both films are consistent with the era in which they were made, and remain relevant.

Watch both films and check if what I wrote here is valid.

Below are some questions and answers based on the two films:

Q: Did you listen to rock music hidden from mom and dad? (A): No, and it would be practically impossible for that to happen, I used earphones very little.

Q: Did your father lend you his car? (A): No, never, I never borrowed.

Q: Did your mother support your relationship with one of your very few girlfriends? (A): No, that's not what a mother makes a child for.

Q: Did you date, marry, have a child with some jewish catholic 'intellectual' J. 'Rebel Angel' F.? (A): No, never. CUT & PT lie demagogically for populist reasons.

Q: Have you experienced any embracing armed conflict? (A): No, not municipal, not state, not federal, not national, not international, not global, not universal.

Q: Have you ever been a member of the hierarchy of a political party? (A): No, I never wanted to, nor did they invite me.

Q: What do you think about a person who makes up some story and tries to convince people of the truth of that story? (A): Attention.

Q: What do you think about the soundtrack for the film Blade Runner (1982)? (A): Excellent. I vaguely remember that before the film existed, the name Vangelis related to the term 'progressive rock' reached my ears, in high school I was friends with a neighbor who worked in a nearby record store and he collected records in his room from the apartment where he lived with his parents, he often called me to visit imported record stores. Several years later I was unable to buy an used LP of the soundtrack in an orchestral version at a newsstand for just $1, it was the new street punk scene in the new economy of that era after the president of the republic was expelled from the government for bad administrative behavior, it wasn't expensive, but I didn't have the money, was economic stability.

"Stop esoteric terrorism."

#0firstlast1 #traileR

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transrevolutions · 2 years

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Out of curiosity, do you have any other characters that you personally headcannon as asexual?

Quite a few, actually!

(I uh. discuss sex in this ask. Obviously. Nothing graphic though.)

~Enjolras (Les Miserables)- asexuality basically canon, shown in text to have no interest in sexual relationships, I see him as aroace. Grantaire is bi and definitely romantically into him, but their relationship is queerplatonic in my modern AU.

~Annabeth Chase (PJO)- aroace as well, Percy's dynamic with Rachel works better romantically and the scene with Luke in TLO has massive "I'm just figuring out I don't feel romantic attraction" vibes. Contradicted in canon but who cares.

~Katniss Everdeen (THG)- demisexual, has some textual support. She's really not into Peeta at all until they are already very close and have been through a lot, and it's implied she wasn't interested in anyone up until that point.

~Tris Prior (Divergent)- implied greysexual in canon, sometimes sex repulsed. It definitely fluctuates, and there is a point in canon where they have sex and enjoy it. I think it comes and goes for them. (I also hc them as non-binary! This isn't canon though lol)

~Four (Divergent)- demisexual. In the same boat as Tris here, though not canon. Sex is weird for Abnegation kids, I think. (Someday I'll make a separate post for my feelings about Abnegation.) He'd probably try to push through it to be Dauntless Enough™ but wouldn't really get anything out of it until he's in a steady relationship.

~Newt (TMR) is asexual, and this one is just because I said so. He simply has the vibes. He's gay in canon, but you can be gay and asexual so it all works out.

~Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars). Massive aroace. No canonical love interest (we don't count the thing in TCW) and little patience for romance-based bullshit. Amazingly oblivious to Anakin's growingly obvious romantic involvement with Padme (who he also works closely with). This is relevant because I, an aroace, am often completely unaware of my friends' love lives until they tell me very specifically. Multiple times, sometimes.

~Sejanus Plinth (THG/TBOSAS) is a bit complicated. I see him as asexual but demiromantic, and in an AU where he survives, I don't think he'd be into romance. From TBOSAS I feel like there's subtext that he has romantic-ish feelings for Snow, but uh. Obviously those do Not go anywhere because Snow betrays him and joins the fascist government he hates and he dies in canon anyways. I think if he lived, though, he wouldn't want to deal with being fucked over like that again. A trauma thing, probably.

~Bean (Ender's Game) in a world where he wasn't shat on from birth would be here as an asexual, possibly aromantic. Canonically, as a youngish teen, he has extreme asychronicity (headcanon but pretty canon-supported) and he's got a tendency to latch onto older/authority figures. As a kid, he latches onto Ender, not necessarily in a romantic way (and certainly not a sexual one, he's like. nine years old.) but in a weird parasocial way nonetheless. Later, when he's older, he latches onto Petra, almost obsessively. This might just be weird writing on the author's part because the author of the books has weird views about women, but I choose to interpret it not as Bean being a creep but as Bean coping with trauma in the only way he knows how. In canon, Bean and Petra have kids. In an AU where a) Bean wasn't traumatized his entire childhood and b) Bean didn't have a terminal disease, I don't think he'd be into Petra either way. Maybe he'd get together romantically or queerplatonically with Suriyawong, maybe not.

This got very long. Hope this was what you were looking for!

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rosesupposesmanythings · 3 years

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How it started: A random musing, could I write a challenge that forced me to deviate from playing fundamentally nice/good sims, without having total miscreants and exploring more of the game?

How it’s going: Below, a narrative driven TS4 legacy challenge in which each generation has a “poison” trait to contend with. Their goals are based loosely on the properties/colours/flower meanings of various poisonous or toxic plants.

There is a Sims 3 Version here. I’m playtesting it over at @poisongardensims and tweaking the rules as I go!

More legible Google doc here - or rules under the cut!

Legacy rules - Every Generation

Complete the relevant career, aspiration and max the skill(s)

I’ve tried to leave room for creativity and your story inc. a trait slot per gen. Feel free to change rules to match your packs/story idea. The only thing you must keep is the “poison” trait for each gen, and keeping the challenge level the same by swapping out a maxed skill for another skill etc.

Each heir should try and have their urn saved and a portrait painted.

Kids can be biological or adopted except in Gen 9.

Play it berry/banilla or vanilla with the colours used in decor/clothes.

If you decide to try and wanna let me know tag #poisongardenlegacy or #simspgl and I’ll boost. I’m currently playtesting under the same tag and tweaking as I go.

GEN ONE | Aconite

Beware; A Deadly Foe is Near

Raised by a paranoid mother, your founder has been taught to fend for herself and trust no-one. After running away from a dark event in your past, you live in almost complete isolation, nature is your family and your protector, and your bite is worse than your bark. You swear you need nothing and nobody but yourself for the rest of your life.

Colours: Pale Green & Deep blue || Traits: Loner, Loves Outdoors + Your Pick

Skill to Max: Herbalism || Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast

Living situation rules

Private + Off the grid lot traits. Try and pick an isolated lot in a rural-ish world.

[OPTIONAL Cottage Living - Simple Living Lot Challenge]

Indoor space limited to 32 tiles (tiny home).

Vibe - Use hedges/trees to hide your lot’s buildings. Once you build up money, house style is up to you, but in theory you’ve built it yourself so keep it simple, keep it tiny!

Start up

This is a rags to riches gen - you can use your start-up funds to buy at most a water collector, solar panel, a grill, a woodworking bench, gardening stuff with basic seed packs x 1. With leftover cash you can set up either an indoor sleeping space or a tent, an outhouse etc. Make it as hard as you like

You should not start out with a generator, fridge or oven or any sort of nice house situation. You want em you better save up!

Decorate in a survivalist type style, then reduce funds to 100 simoleons to start play.

Relationships

You may only meet/romance/socialise with other sims in a vacation world (Granite Falls or Selvadorado - if you don’t have these, choose a neighbourhood you don’t live in to act as your “vacation” world) where you go to gather ingredients. You can change this rule to suit your story, but the main thing is that you basically pick one off-lot location that is your hunting ground for any relationships.

You should not tell the other parent about any children and the children should not leave the lot aside from school (foraging, for story purposes) until they’re teens. At school they may not use the socialise interaction.

You may only leave your lot to “trade” (vacation) or “forage” (travel to other neighbourhoods in search of seeds). You may only forage at night.

Any sims who auto interact with you you must be mean to, if they persist, you fight them. If they seriously wont stop… maybe they die

Money Making

You make what you can and fund what you can’t by selling your produce/makes/finds etc.

If you have Cottage Living, you MUST go to the stalls in town or Creature Keeper in order to sell your produce (and items from your inventory). For an extra challenge, you may choose only do this while the Finchwick Fair is on on Saturdays.

Optional Extras

Grow a death flower and pass this through all the generations when each heir reaches teen. You shouldn’t use it.

Grow a Wolfsbane (Aconite!) flower and [CL] enter it in the Finchwick Fair as a low key evil joke

Make Every Canning Recipe and have em on a survival shelf

Have an evil chicken (Cottage Living)

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Gen Two | Lily of the Valley Sweetness/Tears

You’ve been shielded from the world but a chance encounter as a teen made you dream of a bigger world than your family plot. Running away on your 18th birthday, the big wide world may be uglier than you dreamed.

Colours: Green + White || Traits: Foodie, squeamish + your choice

Skills to Max: Wellness, baking || Aspiration: Soulmate

Relationship Rules

You become infatuated with the first stranger you meet as a teen, sneak out with them, they will be your only external contact until you move out.

Give them the non-committal trait. They should never become a boy/girlfriend or marry you, or even share a room with you.

Living situation rules

Your teen obsession takes you in when you run away on your YA birthday, but it’s an unequal partnership that leaves you as lonely as you ever were in the wild. Once you move out you may not have any contact with your parent.

You effectively become a live in housekeeper, cook and then nanny when you have their child. Baking is your one outlet aside from your love for your child.

When your child ages to child, you steal enough money to leave. You may cheat if necessary to have the funds to buy a basic starter home (under 20k) in a new neighbourhood where you know nobody. A kindly neighbour offers support and a second chance at love… if you can let yourself trust them.

Making Money:

You may not have a job until you get your own place. Then you may take any part time job/jobs to support you or own a bakery.

If you have the cupcake machine while at your baby daddy’s you can sell cupcakes to the bakery to make money for your escape/life afterwards

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

[CL]As a child, befriend a wild animal who is your only friend until you move out.

Max the child motor skill due to your parent’s obsession with you being able to run away from stuff.

[HSY] - sneak out to a teen hang lot to meet your secret crush/love.

Don’t take up yoga/wellness until after you leave your toxic first love.

Your child(ren) should never eat quick meals. Always cook, as many recipes as possible, and make sure to bake a cake for every birthday.

Write a cookbook [Cottage Living]

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Gen Three | Rosary Pea Pretty poisonous

You grew up in a financially struggling household with a parent who believed a deep breath and a cookie could fix everything. You’re pretty sure that money is actually the answer. You pursue fame and the adoration that comes with it. Money can’t buy happiness but it can buy security.

Colours: White, Deep Red || Traits: Self absorbed, materialistic + your choice

Skills to max: Charisma + the skill associated with the flavour of fame you’re pursuing

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Relationship: Marriage is just another transaction. You prioritise a savvy partnership that will help you climb the ladder. Folks say you’re a gold-digger - you say you’re just gold.

Your spouse should be more famous/wealthy/connected than you.

Once you have locked them down, you look to meet your needs elsewhere. Have at least one affair. It is up to you whether you regret this, leave/kill your spouse/have a series of not so secret lovers. Whatever fits your character.

You may have children with whatever combo you like, though your heir should be born during your status spouse’s lifetime to inherit their wealth.

Living situation rules: the flashier the better

Prior to your marriage, live in the most expensive rental lot you can afford, even if you can’t keep the lights on. Take as much of your parents money as you can.

Move in with your status spouse as soon as possible. Add 5k for “wedding pictures” and spend their money on all of the upgrades and status symbols you desire

Making Money: Depending on your packs, pursue either the entertainer, or actor careers.

Optional Extras

Complete the Admired Icon teen aspiration

Pursue fame - up to you how successful you are! Are you forever a z list wannabe or do you make it big and find it hollow?

Maintain a specific image - pick your style and look and regularly update your outfits as you try and cling on to youth and status.

Enrol your kids in afterschool drama clubs, social clubs and make sure they are socialising with other wealthy “celeb” children.

Gen Four - Lantana

An Invasive Species

Your parents believed only in status and wealth and it left you rich, but with an empty feeling inside. You decide to find meaning by giving back to those less fortunate than yourself, whether they ask for your help or not...

Colours: Red/Orange/Yellow || Traits: Adventurous, snob + your choice

Skill to max: Photography, Selvadorada culture (or Vampire Lore if you’re into that)

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Relationship rules: There are just soooo many interesting sims in the world and you can’t limit yourself or them to monogamy.

You collect lovers around the world the same way you collect artefacts and memories, and if you sometimes end up with a souvenir in the form of a child, well that’s just another gift.

Have at least two kids from different parents, only one genetic donor per homeworld. Up to you how deep the relationship goes.

Partners can’t move in.

Have a distant relationship with your kids, make sure they have a nice nanny or whatever but you shouldn’t be the one doing their skills or homework, just bringing them inappropriate gifts!

Living situation rules: Live wherever you want, you’ll hardly ever be there! You can stay in your parents gaudy home or sell it and buy yourself a pied-a-terre. And keep it classy, you might be on an endless gap yah but you still like nice things.

Making Money: Live on your parents earnings - that’s what they’re for! If you do need a job (ew?) then you can be an influencer, a photographer or an archaeologist. You just love exotic culture after all!

Optional Extras:

Develop a following on Trendi and make the town wear your amazing (or terrible) designs

Complete as many collections as you can, display them.

Eat every world food from the streetfood stands

Spend a game week in each vacation world you have (Granite Falls, Selvadorada, Mt Komorebi)

Explore the Jungle Adventure temples, hoard as much stuff as you can

Gen Five - Tansy

This Means War

One parent viewed you more as a curiosity than as a person and the other was never about. Worse, they completely squandered your family fortune. With nothing left but a name, you don’t have much choice but to pursue less savory means of survival

Colours: Yellow - 2nd colour your pick if you like Traits: Evil, Creative + your choice

Skill to max: Mischief, Handiness | Aspiration: Public Enemy

Set Up: Move all the collection items and treasures your parent amassed to the family inventory and leave it there for Gen 10. They were “lost”, along with your fortune in a series of shady “charity” ventures.

Relationship rules: You don’t trust easily and you don’t trust often.

Your prospective partner must reach BFF and Partners in Crime status before you can initiate any romance.

Once partnered, only death can part you. Interpret that as you will.

All children - have at least 2 - must be with this partner.

The children should be opposites and you should have a clear favourite who is not your heir.

Living situation rules:

At the start of the Generation you inherit your parent’s estate... and their debts. Take over one of their properties (their actual primary residence or a vacation home), sell all the furniture except bathroom and kitchen basics, then set your money to $1000. Their debts are settled, but you’re on your own in an empty shell.

Once you’ve rebuilt, you build a hidden lair which must be locked to all but you. Anyone entering your home should see the home of an upright citizen. Your kids are seemingly perfect, things are tidy, but all is not as it seems.

Making money: Be a criminal. Take what you can, wherever you can to restore your fortunes. You deserve it right?

Extras:

Infiltrate the most exclusive in game club and take it over, turning it to evil and expand it to maximum members. Have the dastardly club perk

Pass as many diabolical NAPs as possible

Groom one of your children (not the heir) to take over your criminal empire, max their toddler skills and make sure they age up with the emotional control trait. Make this child head of a club that the other kid isn’t allowed to join.

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

Gen 6 | Bittersweet Nightshade

Effective Against Bitchcraft

You grew up hating your seemingly perfect sibling, and how your parent clearly preferred them. Your goal in life is simple, to beat them, and the world at everything. (If you like playing with magic, you could make the sibling magical, just to really rub things in).

Colours: Purple + Yellow | Traits: Jealous, Ambitious + Your Pick

Skill to max: Whichever your sibling is best at when you age to YA + Research and Debate

Aspiration: Mansion Baron OR Villainous Valentine

Relationship rules:

Steal the partner(s) you want from someone else. Ideally your sibling’s true love but really anyone you take a liking to. All romantic partners should be in a relationship/married when you initiate romance.

Become enemies with their former partners

Take all their money when you move them in

Do not adopt any step children. Either your partner (or a nanny) should stay home and ensure your kids max toddler skills, gets As and generally make you look good.

Living situation rules: The best house ever. Huge. Expensive. Your sibling could never, Bonus points if you live next door to them and dump trash on their lot. Bonus bonus points if it’s a McMansion

Making Money: Politics call to you - if you run the world then you can make your sibling and everyone that reminds you a bit of them illegal. No you don’t think that’s problematic at all.

Optional Extras

Complete the Drama Llama teen aspiration

Have a bad reputation

Only be friends with people you consider beneath you. If your friends ever beat you at something or get promoted above you, you must be mean to them until you’re enemies.

Start a club for hangers on whose activities include being mean to your enemies and is bitter rivals with your siblings club. Fight them.

------------------ Gen Seven | Digitalis

Light fingers, light touch

Your parent was possessive, destructively intense and you are more interested in just drifting through life, banking on your innocent looks to fly under the radar and your athletic skill to run away very fast from bad situations. You never meant to start stealing things, but you prefer your way of getting what you want to your parents, and its kinda fun knowing that your lifestyle could destroy their legacy!

Colours: Pink & Purple | Traits: Kleptomaniac, Romantic + your pick

Skill to max: Athletic | Aspiration: The Curator

Romance: It really couldn’t have been much less convenient for the person who stole your heart to be a detective(or military/secret agent). They’re rigid and law abiding while you’re a free-spirited thief, but having seen what a marriage of convenience and control did to your parents, you decide that you’d rather hide your less legal activities and follow your heart.

Living Situation Rules: Having grown up in an ostentatious monstrosity of a house, you prefer simpler things. Your one extravagance is a gallery to proudly display your “collections”. Your partner thinks you’re just a big thrifter

Money making: Your primary income as a singleton should be stealing/collecting and selling your “finds”. If required, you can supplement this with odd jobs. Once you’re partnered you can join the decorator career if you choose, which may also help with your thieving! Alternately you can become a digital artist but only do the illegal jobs.

Extras:

Complete the Live Fast Teen aspiration

Access as many hidden worlds (Sylvan Glade/Cave of Sulani/Sixam etc) as you have access to an bring back a souvenir or stolen item from each

Maintain an excellent reputation - you may be a thief but you’re a damn good one!

Get involved in your kids lives, encourage their interests, your moral compass may not point north but you believe in them 100%

Take at least one family adventure holiday, ideally to Mt Komorebi and climb the mountain with your boo/ski with the kiddos

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Gen Eight| Hydrangea

Understand I’m Heartless

Growing up in the dazzle of your parents fairytale love, you thought the world was a magical place, until the sudden death of one parent left the other one broken. You vowed never to give someone else that power over you. Like the hydrangea whose flower colour is changed by the acidity of its surroundings, you are changed by this shift in environment. Will you ever feel differently?

Colours: Pink & Blue | Traits: Non-committal, childish + your pick

Skill to max: Mixology + Juice Fizzing | Aspiration: Serial Romantic

Romance: Romance is fun, until it isn’t and you're terrified of love ruining your life so you’ll do anything in your power to stop it happening. You’ll take on responsibility for any kids you unintentionally parent, because you quite like children, but it would take something truly miraculous to make you let someone into your heart.

Living situation rules: Do not move in a partner sim until you have completed the serial romantic aspiration. Any children you parent must live with you, you can cheat a 5k “child support” payment for any kid you move in.

Money Making: Culinary (mixologist) branch. Juiced lips reveal their secrets and when you know someone at their worst, they can’t surprise you. You never expected to make a living getting people drunk - but it’s honest work

Extras:

Own a bar - if you choose instead of doing the career you can run a bar/restaurant that focuses on booze, and helps you pick up partners

Take full custody of any children you create. If you play with mods, always use risky woohoo. If you don’t, flip a coin every time you want to woohoo to decide if it’s a woohoo or try for baby.

Moonlight as a depressed comic or musician

Complete the poster collection

Mix every type of drink

Throw a party once a week

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Gen Nine Lobelia

Malevolent Pen

You don’t have a terribly high opinion of people. Growing up knowing that you weren’t an intended child has always made you critical of yourself , which has made it easiest for you to just pass that criticism along. Turns out you can get paid for the kind of bitchy writing you excel at.

Colour: Blue and white | Traits: Perfectionist, mean + your pick

Skill to max: writing | Aspiration: Bestselling author

Romance: You choose a partner you feel superior to, and always keep them guessing.

Use at least one mean interaction a day on any live in partners you try to “improve them”. You write novels about terrible wives and scheming husbands but can’t recognise the behaviour in yourself.

If your partner drops into the red for two consecutive days they will leave you. Give them half of any money you have when you move them out.

You must have a child with someone. Don’t adopt this generation, You’d hopefully fail the screening.

Living situation: You’re vain, judgy and kinda terrible, so of course you have the kind of fantastic home that looks great in the types of pretentious magazines that love to profile you and not so subtly imply you’re a diva.

Money making: Your poisoned pen is in demand from the moment you start a gossip column in the school paper. Pursue a career as a writer or critic and give any books you write suitably bitchy names.

Optional Extras

Never have any real friends, only acquaintances. Introduce yourself to every sim you see. If you get too close to someone, you must push them away.

Use neighbourhood stories to break up/mess with your community’s progress. Write books about it

Gain a bad reputation

Have a pet that you actively prefer to your child, pamper them, build them a bedroom, love them in a way you never could a kid

You have terrible fomo. Every time you’re invited to do something, flip a coin and if it’s heads you have to go, even if it interrupts your wedding!

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

Gen Ten Hemlock

I Will Cause Thy Death

Your parent kept detailed records of family history, and looking back, you’re pretty sure your line deserves to die out! Some of them have been ok, but mostly terrible. You dedicate your life to scholarship of your lineage, sure that if you don’t reproduce and take care to make known the misdeeds of your ancestors then others will avoid repeating their mistakes.

Colour: Black & White | Traits: Gloomy, hates children + your pick

Skill to max: Logic | Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Romance: You plan never to date, but in later life a research assistant becomes a friend, and becomes more. You decide that denying yourself love would be counterproductive, so you enjoy it while it lasts, confident that you’ll still never become a parent…

Living situation: You build a house with a room dedicated to each generation that has gone before, collecting in it any artifacts, portraits or urns you have held on to. This serves as a daily reminder why your line must end with you. Your love understands this fully….right?

Money making: Pick any career or skill that you feel like exploring and makes narrative sense for your final gen. Detective or lawyer could be good. Complete this career.

Extras: Visit each world where a previous generation has lived and try and do a good deed. (e.g join a protest, clean litter in Sulani, give money to a performer - hell save Strangerville if you’re feeling ambitious) - interpret this how you well but the main point is that you try to make amends... so much so that you ruin your own life by getting lost in the past

If you’ve managed to hold on to it, plan and grow a death flower plant.

The legacy ends when your lover vanishes in your old age following a suspicious illness. You try not to dwell on the fact that they had symptoms similar to pregnancy...

#ts4 #ts4 legacy challenge #sims 4 legacy #long post #delete later maybe

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icedflames · 3 years

Text

The Progression of Elain and Azriel’s Relationship.

Let me preface this by saying this is LONG.

After a second read through of ACOSF, I really think it’s clear that Elriel will be featured in the next book. Sooo, book by book, I’ve complied excerpts that show the progression of Elain and Azriel’s relationship and why I think the next book will feature them. I’m not going to be adding a lot of commentary, just my general interpretation of the scene. The excerpts speak for themselves.

A Court of Mist and Fury

Chapter 24 - Elain meets Azriel at the Archeron Estate

"A faint smile bloomed upon Azriel’s mouth as he noticed Elain’s fingers white-knuckled on that fork, but he kept silent...”

“Elain said, ‘It’s all very disorienting.’ ‘I can imagine,’ Azriel said. Cassian flashed him a glare. But Azriel’s attention was on my sister, a polite, bland smile on his face. Her shoulders loosened a bit.”

“Elain said to Azriel, perhaps the only two civilized ones here, ‘Can you truly fly?’ He set down his fork, blinking. I might have even called him self-conscious. He said, ‘Yes. Cassian and I hail from a race of faeries called Illyrians. We’re born hearing the song of the wind.’‘That’s very beautiful,’ she said. ‘Is it not—frightening, though? To fly so high?’ ‘It is sometimes,’ Azriel said.”

“Rhys chuckled, Cassian’s wrath slipping enough that he grinned, and Elain, noticing Azriel’s ease as proof that things weren’t indeed about to go badly, offered one of her own as well.”

At their first meeting, Azriel’s attention was on Elain and she labeled the idea of the Illyrian’s flight as beautiful. Feyre notes how Elain and Azriel are similar and says they are “perhaps the only two civilized ones.” Polite and kind.

Feyre notes that Elain’s shoulders loosened when Azriel offered her a polite smile and after noticing Azriel relax, she offers a grin. Azriel probably noticed Elain’s discomfort because of her fingers tightly grasping the fork and tried to put her at ease. In return, Elain felt relaxed based on Azriel’s cues even though they had just met.

Chapter 50 - Feyre distracts Rhys by talking about her sisters

“And I think Elain—Elain would like it, too. Though she’d probably cling to Azriel, just to have some peace and quiet. I smiled at the thought—at how handsome they would be together. If the warrior ever stopped quietly loving Mor. I doubted it. Azriel would likely love Mor until he was a whisper of darkness between the stars.”

Feyre again notes their similar temperaments - how they are both introverted and would appreciate each other’s company in silence. The second part, about Azriel loving Mor forever, now sticks out given what we know from A Court of Silver Flames. I’ll get to that later.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

So at this point, Elain and Nesta have been forcibly turned fae against their will. I didn’t include that portion because it’s more relevant to Elain’s self-journey, rather than her relationship with Azriel.

Chapter 24 - Nesta and Elain move to the townhouse

“Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms. He, too, wore his Illyrian armor, Elain’s golden-brown hair snagging in some of the black scales across his chest and shoulders. He set her down gently on the foyer carpet, having carried her in through the front door.

Elain peered up at his patient, solemn face. Azriel smiled faintly. ‘Would you like me to show you the garden?’ She seemed so small before him, so fragile compared to the scales of his fighting leathers, the breadth of his shoulders. The wings peeking over them. But Elain did not balk from him, did not shy away as she nodded—just once.

Azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. I couldn’t tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, ‘Beautiful.’

Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks, but he inclined his head in thanks and led my sister toward the back doors into the garden, sunlight bathing them.”

Elain is traumatized from her experience with the cauldron. She’s withdrawn, she’s quiet, and she’s scared. Azriel carries hers through the front door, rather than just setting her down outside. To make her more comfortable with the house, he offers to show her the garden. Feyre likely made mention of Elain loving flowers so this was a sweet gesture on Azriel’s part.

Most significantly, Elain (likely) called Azriel’s scarred skin beautiful - his trauma ingrained into his skin and the history of his abuse... She sees it and calls it beautiful. And Azriel blushes.

“But Lucien’s attention went right to the hallway toward the back, his nostrils flaring as he scented Elain’s direction. And who she’d gone with. A low snarl slipped out of him. ‘Relax,’ Rhys said. ‘Azriel isn’t the ravishing type.’ Lucien cut him a glare.”

Oh Rhys, Azriel definitely is.

I thought it was interesting. Yes, mates become possessive. But why include that? Why wouldn’t Lucien snarl when Elain was with Rhys or Cassian? Just a thought.

“Elain sat silently at one of the wrought-iron tables, a cup of tea before her. Azriel was sprawled on the chaise longue across the gray stones, sunning his wings and reading what looked to be a stack of reports—likely information on the Autumn Court that he planned to present to Rhys once he’d sorted through it all. Already dressed for the Hewn City—the brutal, beautiful armor so at odds with the lovely garden. And my sister sitting within it.”

I really love the juxtaposition of Azriel clad in black, sprawled in the gardens with Elain, so full of light, sitting there with them. It’s unlikely that the morally grey spymaster (who literally tortures people for his profession) and the sweet girl would have struck up a friendship. But there they were, in the garden, enjoying each other’s silent company. Exactly what Feyre predicted in A Court of Mist and Fury (“Elain would probably cling to Azriel, just to have some peace and quiet”).

“‘Why not make them mates?’ I mused. ‘Why Lucien?[...]What decides it? Who decides it?[...]You said your mother and father were wrong for each other; Tamlin said his own parents were wrong for each other.’ I peeled off my dressing robe. ‘So it can’t be a perfect system of matching. What if’—I jerked my chin toward the window, to my sister and the shadowsinger in the garden—“that is what she needs? Is there no free will? What if Lucien wishes the union but she doesn’t?’

‘A mating bond can be rejected,’ Rhys said mildly, eyes flickering in the mirror as he drank in every inch of bare skin I had on display. ‘There is choice. And sometimes, yes—the bond picks poorly sometimes the bond is nothing more than some...preordained guesswork at who will provide the strongest offspring. At its basest level, it’s perhaps only that.’”

The conversation between her and Rhys is very important. Up until this point, we’re led to believe mates are the end all be all. Mates are soulmates. Now, we have a scene directly suggesting that the mating system is flawed and a mating bond could be broken. And it’s Feyre talking about Elain and Lucien’s bond, using Azriel as an example as who Elain might choose over Lucien.

At this point, Elain and Azriel’s relationship starts to progress and they slowly start to become acquainted with each other.

Chapter 27 - Elain has a vision

“‘I saw young hands wither with age. I saw a box of black stone. I saw a feather of fire land on snow and melt it.’”

“Mad. Elain might very well have gone mad.”

So here, Elain spouts a vision and Feyre, Nesta, Mor, and Azriel are taken aback. Feyre remarks that her sister may be going mad. They don’t understand what’s going on with Elain and why she is espousing such creepy things.

“I faced Azriel, exposing my palms to him. ‘What does that mean?’ Azriel’s hazel eyes churned as he studied my sister, her too-thin body. And without a word, he winnowed away. Mor watched the space where he’d been standing long after he was gone.”

Azriel had an expression of concerned and then winnowed away without a word, leaving Mor gaping. Why? Why was she gaping and staring at the spot Azriel had been? Could it be that she sees something Feyre doesn’t?

Chapter 30 - Azriel and Cassian visit Elain and Nesta

“The two Illyrians paused their inspection of me long enough to note my sisters finishing up breakfast, Nesta in a pale gray gown that brought out the steel in her eyes, Elain in dusty pink. Both males went a bit still.”

We know that Nesta and Cassian are mates. Cassian stilled at the sight of Nesta. Azriel stilled at the sight of Elain. Hmm.

“I dragged a hand over my face before going to Elain and touching her too-bony shoulder. ‘Can I set you up in the garden? The herbs you planted are coming in nicely.’ ‘I can help her,’ said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose. No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing from his fingers as he extended a hand.”

Azriel stepped in and said he could help Elain get to the garden. A bit of a pattern. He wants to keep her company, and perhaps, wants to have her company. Even more significant are that his shadows are missing. We know that the shadows disappear around Mor, who he’d been pining over for 500 years. Now they’re gone around Elain. Maybe it’s just to make her more comfortable or maybe it’s because he’s developing an interest in her.

Chapter 32 - Azriel discovers Elain is a seer

“Elain’s brows twitched toward each other. ‘The queen—with the feathers of flame.’ The shadowsinger angled his head. Lucien murmured to me, eye still fixed on Elain, ‘Should we—does she need …?’”

‘She doesn’t need anything,’ Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien. Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly.

‘We’re the ones who need …’ Azriel trailed off. ‘A seer,’ he said, more to himself than us. ‘The Cauldron made you a seer.’”

Azriel, as observant as he is, realized Elain wasn’t going mad. She was a seer.

Lucien thought she was going mad or she was ill. As did Feyre, Mor, Nesta and everybody else in the Night Court. This is mentioned in prior chapters when Lucien suggested to Feyre that Elain see a healer.

However, Azriel looked at Elain and figured it out. Which is important to Elain. When speaking to Lucien about Grayson, Elain said, “No one ever looked - not really...He did. He saw me. He will not now.” Azriel looked. Azriel saw her.

Chapter 50 - In the townhouse, winnowing to the Illyrian Camps

“Mor took Nesta and Cassian by the hand, readying to winnow them to the camp, while shadows gathered around Azriel, Elain at his side, wide-eyed at the spymaster’s display.”

Azriel’s shadows are gathered around him, likely in response to brewing war and because Feyre just made a deal with Bryaxis. Elain is staring wide-eyed. I don’t interpret this in fear but in awe.

“Then Azriel, gently taking Elain’s hand in his own, as if afraid his scars would hurt her.”

The gentleness Azriel exhibits towards Elain is just sweet.

Chapter 62 & 63 - Hyburn kidnaps Elain

“But Azriel asked softly, ‘What about Elain?’ Something cold went through me. Nesta was just staring at Azriel. Staring and staring.”

“From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, ‘I’m getting her back.’

Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows.

Nesta said, ‘Then you will die.’

Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, ‘I’m getting her back.’”

Azriel is the first person to realize Elain is missing! Not Nesta, not Feyre, not Amren. Azriel.

His eyes glowed (an indication of powers at play), with rage in his stare. Azriel is angry, he’s upset, he will get Elain back. Nobody asked Azriel to rescue Elain. Nesta even told him he would die. But Azriel doesn’t care. He’s getting her back.

This really shows that perhaps their friendship developed further than Feyre realized and Azriel had formed a connection with Elain. A connection strong enough that he would risk dying to get her back.

Chapter 65 - Azriel and Feyre rescue Elain

“My mouth went dry as that scream sounded again. I couldn’t bear it—to let it go on, to see what was being done. Azriel’s shadow-hand grasped my own, tugging me closer. His rage rippled off his invisible form.”

Feyre and Azriel both thought it was Elain screaming in Hyburn’s camp. Rage was rippling off his invisible form. Azriel, stoic, brooding Azriel is so angry because he thinks Elain is being hurt that Feyre remarks on it.

“Azriel gently removed the gag from her mouth. ‘Are you hurt?’

She shook her head, devouring the sight of him as if not quite believing it. ‘You came for me.’

The shadowsinger only inclined his head.”

Again, Azriel is so gentle with Elain.

Elain devoured the sight of him. Elain didn’t believe Azriel would save her. But he did. “You came for me.”

“The gray light of morning had broken over the world, mist clinging to our ankles as we headed into that camp, Azriel still cradling Elain to his chest.”

“Nesta rounded a tent, skidding to a halt in the mud. She let out a sob at the sight of Elain, still in Azriel’s arms.”

“Rhys lunged for Azriel, taking Elain from him and gently setting my sister down. Azriel rasped, swaying on his feet, ‘We need Helion to get these chains off her.’ Yet Elain didn’t seem to notice them as she rose up on her toes and kissed the shadowsinger’s cheek.”

Azriel is wounded but he’s still cradling Elain to his chest. He doesn’t have to but he doesn’t let go. Almost like if he goes, she’ll disappear again. And then Elain kisses his cheek? Too cute.

Chapter 69 - Truthteller

“Azriel, still limping, merely nudged aside Cassian and extended another option. ‘This is Truth-Teller,’ he told her softly. ‘I won’t be using it today—so I want you to.’”

Azriel is still injured and was being stubborn in wanting to fight, despite Rhys telling him he couldn’t. Azriel didn’t relent until Mor begged him with tears in her eyes. Since he can’t fight, he’s offering Elain one of his knives...

“Elain’s eyes widened at the obsidian-hilted blade in Azriel’s scarred hand. The runes on the dark scabbard. ‘It has never failed me once,’ the shadowsinger said, the midday sun devoured by the dark blade. ‘Some people say it is magic and will always strike true.’ He gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. ‘It will serve you well.’”

Again with the gentleness.

“Cassian gawked at Azriel, and I wondered how often Azriel had lent out that blade. Never, Rhys said from where he finished buckling on his own weapons against the side of the wagon. I have never once seen Azriel let another person touch that knife.

Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingering on the hilt of the blade.

I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection … that knife.”

So Azriel didn’t offer Elain just any knife. It’s Azriel’s most prized possession to the point where no other person, not even his brothers or Mor, had ever been allowed to touch it. Yet here he was lending it to Elain. His relationship and connection to Elain is strong enough and deep enough that he would give her his beloved dagger.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The lovely fawn standing before death. In ACOMAF chapter 57, the Book of Breathlings said (in pertinent part), “Rot and bloom and bones...Hello, fanged beast and trembling fawn.” I think the choice of words is intentional. Death and a fawn? Hmm.

Further, when Majda described the mating bond to Elain she said, “The mating bond. It is a bridge between souls.” Now Feyre says - the only bridge of connection is Truth-Teller. Why use the words describing a mating bond to describe that moment?

Chapter 74 - Elain Kills Hyburn

“Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, ‘Don’t you touch my sister.’”

Elain, using Azriel’s dagger, stabbed Hyburn in the neck. The trembling fawn snarled in the king’s ear and killed him to protect Nesta.

Stepping out the shadow seems like a significant parallel. In Chapter 62, “Azriel stepped out of a shadow.” Azriel’s symbol is the shadow. Elain stepped from a shadow, Azriel’s symbol, and exhibited a display of strength, despite being traumatized for most of the book...

A Court of Frost and Starlight

Chapter 2 - Rhysand thinks about the War

“Cassian was near death and Nesta was sprawled over him, shielding him from that killing blow, and Elain—Elain—had taken up Azriel’s dagger and killed the King of Hybern instead.”

Elain, of all people, killed Hyburn with Azriel’s dagger and that imagine is important enough for Rhysand to think of it again.

Chapter 4 - Feyre asks Mor about Truth-Teller when gift shopping

“‘You honestly think he’d ever give up Truth-Teller?’

‘He gave it to Elain,’ Mor said, admiring a moonstone necklace in the counter’s glass case.

‘She gave it back,’ I amended, failing to block out the image of the black blade piercing through the King of Hybern’s throat. But Elain had given it back—had pressed it into Azriel’s hands after the battle, just as he had pressed it into hers before. And then walked away without looking back.”

Just as Azriel had pressed the knife into Elain’s hand, Elain pressed it into his when she finished. Gently.

Chapter 7 - Rhys and Azriel discuss gifts

“‘Az ran a hand through his dark hair. ‘Are we …’ Unusual for him to stumble with words. ‘Are we supposed to get the sisters presents?’

‘No,’ I said, and meant it. Az seemed to loose a sigh of relief. Seemed to, since all but a breath of air passed from his lips”

Interesting how Azriel is stumbling over his words when he asks if he needs to get Elain (and Nesta) a gift. What could be making him so nervous to give her a gift? A crush, maybe?

Chapter 12 - The Inner Circle has a Family Dinner

“Elain’s voice was colder than usual. I glanced at Nuala and Cerridwen, the latter giving me a shake of her head as if to say, Not a good day for her.”

Elain has befriended Azriel’s spies to the point where they tell Feyre, Elain’s sister, that it’s not a good day.

“‘Don’t,’ Elain said flatly, starting once more into a walk, veils of steam drifting past her shoulders from the roasted rosemary potatoes in her hands, as if they were Azriel’s shadows.”

Interesting choice of words.

“Azriel emerged from the sitting room, a glass of wine in hand and wings tucked back to reveal his fine, yet simple black jacket and pants. I felt, more than saw, my sister go still as he approached. Her throat bobbed.”

Handsome Azriel walks in and Elain goes still. Her throat bobs. Elain is totally crushing on Azriel.

“But I strode to my seat—nestled between Amren and Mor—in time to see Elain say to Azriel, ‘Hello.’ Az said nothing. No, he just moved toward her. Mor tensed beside me.”

Why would Mor tense up (again)?

“But Azriel only took Elain’s heavy dish of potatoes from her hands, his voice soft as night as he said, ‘Sit. I’ll take care of it.’ Elain’s hands remained in midair, as if the ghost of the dish remained between them. With a blink, she lowered them, and noticed her apron. ‘I—I’ll be right back,’ she murmured, and hurried down the hall before I could explain that no one cared if she showed up to dinner covered in flour and that she should just sit.”

Elain was so shocked that she kept her hands up and then ran off to make herself look presentable. She has it bad.

“One moment, his hand was spearing toward the serving spoon. The next, it was stopped, Azriel’s scarred fingers wrapped around his wrist. ‘Wait,’ Azriel said, nothing but command in his voice. Mor gaped wide enough that I was certain the half-chewed green beans in her mouth were going to tumble onto her plate.”

“Azriel didn’t let go. “Wait until everyone is seated before eating.”

Azriel telling Cassian to wait for Elain to come back before they started eating. How sweet! And again, Mor tenses, gapes, etc. because of Azriel and Elain. Why does she keep doing that? Is it because Azriel is maybe moving on? Is she jealous? Or is it something else?

“Elain swept in, apron gone and hair rebraided. ‘Please don’t wait on my account,’ she said, taking the seat at the head of the table.”

She got all fixed up. Aweee.

“‘I’d feel bad for the mice,’ Azriel muttered. Mor and Cassian howled, earning a blush from Azriel and a grateful smile from Elain—and no shortage of scowling from Amren. But something in me eased at that laughter, at the light that returned to Elain’s eyes.”

After Amren bluntly told Elain that there was no going back to being human and Elain was visibly upset, Azriel told a joke to lighten the mood. Elain shot a grateful smile and Feyre’s was so happy to see a light return to her sister’s eyes.

Chapter 16 - Rhys speaks to Cassian and Azriel

“Azriel strode to the lone window at the end of the room and peered into the garden below.”

Who could be in the garden Azriel?

Chapter 18 - Feyre and Elain talk about Lucien

“‘He brought you a present.’

Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I’d ever seen them. ‘And that entitles him to my time, my affections?’

‘No.’ I blinked. ‘But he is a good male.’ Despite our harsh words. Despite this Band of Exiles bullshit. ‘He cares for you.’

‘He doesn’t know me.’

‘You don’t give him the chance to even try to do so.’

Her mouth tightened, the only sign of anger in her graceful countenance. ‘I don’t want a mate. I don’t want a male.’

Elain is mad. She doesn’t want a mate or a male. Yet some bond is forcing him on her. She doesn’t want Lucien. A gift isn’t enough to win her over.

More importantly - he doesn’t know her.

Chapter 19 - Winter Solstice

“I made to move toward [Elain], but someone beat me to it. The shadowsinger was clad in a black jacket and pants similar to Rhysand’s—the fabric immaculately tailored and built to fit his wings. He still wore his Siphons atop either hand, and shadows trailed his footsteps, curling like swirled embers, but there was little sign of the warrior otherwise. Especially as he gently said to my sister, “Happy Solstice.” Elain turned from the snow falling in the darkness beyond and smiled slightly.”

Azriel immediately made a move towards Elain to wish her a happy solstice. Again with the gentleness.

“Watching Cassian especially, now standing with Az at the fire. He was the portrait of relaxed, an arm braced against the carved mantel, his wings tucked in loosely, a faint grin on his face and a glass of wine in his hand. He slid his hazel eyes toward my sister without him moving an inch.”

Azriel stealing glances at Elain.

“‘Oh, that’s from me.’

Azriel’s face didn’t so much as shift at the words. Not even a smile as he opened the present and revealed -

‘I had Madja make it for me,’ Elain explained. Azriel’s brows narrowed at the mention of the family’s preferred healer. ‘It’s a powder to mix in with any drink.’

Silence.

Elain bit her lip and then smiled sheepishly. ‘It’s for the headaches everyone always gives you. Since you rub your temples so often.’

Silence again.

Then Azriel tipped his head back and laughed. I’d never heard such a sound, deep and joyous.”

Elain give Azriel a sweet, thoughtful, and funny gift that made Azriel laugh so deep and joyously. That rarely happens with him.

“Azriel mastered himself enough to say, ‘Thank you.’ I’d never seen his hazel eyes so bright, the hues of green amid the brown and gray like veins of emerald. ‘This will be invaluable.’”

Feyre had never seen Azriel’s eyes so bright. Ahhhh.

They’re most definitely friends by this point, with the other chapters hinting that the two are crushing on each other.

Chapter 22 - After the gift giving

“Azriel and Elain remained in the sitting room, my sister showing him the plans she’d sketched to expand the garden in the back of the town house, using the seeds and tools my family had given her tonight. Whether he cared about such things, I had no idea.”

Elain and Azriel stay behind, late at night talking about gardening. Even if it’s not of interest to Azriel, he wanted to be with her. So sweet!

A Court of Silver Flames

Chapter 3 - Cassian tells Nesta that Azriel will be staying with them

“Cassian said tightly, ‘He says he’d rather stay up here than at the river house.’ That made two of them. ‘Why?’

‘I don’t know. He’s Az. He likes his space.’”

Alright so let me start by saying Cassian isn’t as observant. And the readers have more insight. Who stays at the river house? Elain. Why would he want to stay at the house of wind? To avoid her. Why would he want to avoid Elain? Probably because he’s developing feelings for her.

Chapter 19 - Cassian tells Azriel about Elain and Nesta’s fight

“‘Because of the shit with Elain?’

Azriel stilled. ‘What happened to Elain?’

Azriel stilled at the thought of something happening to Elain. Honestly, enough said.

Chapter 21 - Nesta insults Elain

“‘Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.’

Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike. Elain’s eyes brightened with pain.”

Azriel’s shadows were prepared to attack in defense of Elain. Sounds like somebody has feelings for Elain...

Chapter 22 - Azriel and Cassian discuss having children

“Cassian looked over at Az. ‘You think you’ll ever be ready for one?’ Ever be ready to confess to Mor what’s in your heart?

‘I don’t know,’ Azriel said.

‘Do you want a child?’

‘It doesn’t matter what I want.’ Distant words—ones that prevented Cassian from prying further.”

So Cassian still thinks Azriel is head over heels in love with Mor. And Azriel responds with distant words, saying it doesn’t matter what he wants. Could what he wants be Elain? The seer whose mate happens to be the son of a high lord?

He could understandably be hurt over that.

“He was still happy to be Mor’s buffer with Azriel, but there’d been a change lately. In both of them. Mor no longer sat beside Cassian, draped herself over him, and Azriel … those longing glances toward her had become few and far between. As if he’d given up. After five hundred years, he’d somehow given up. Cassian couldn’t think why.”

Azriel rarely looks at Mor. There’s been a change. And Cassian has no idea why, after 500 years, Azriel has finally given up.

Elain. Elain is the reason.

Chapter 29 - Amren suggests Elain should look for the trove

“Azriel stiffened, an outright sign of temper from him as he said quietly, ‘There is an innate darkness to the Dread Trove that Elain should not be exposed to.’”

Azriel doesn’t want Elain to be exposed to that darkness. He’s acting protective over her. Like he really cares for her.

Chapter 30 - Azriel and Cassian discuss Feyre’s pregnancy

“‘No. But we need to summon Lucien,’ Azriel said, just a shade tightly, as if he didn’t like it one bit.”

Why wouldn’t Azriel want to summon Lucien? Perhaps he doesn’t want anything to develop between Lucien and his mate, Elain?

He’s jealous.

Chapter 44 - Elain tells the story of how Nesta stole a Duke’s heart

“‘She made ballrooms into battlefields and plotted like any general. Like you two,’ she said, nodding to Cassian, and then, a bit more shyly, to Azriel. Azriel offered her a small smile that Elain quickly looked away from.”

Elain is shy around Azriel, and quickly looks away from his smile. Sounds like a crush.

Chapter 58 - Winter Solstice

“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends.”

Elain is stealthy, quiet. So much so that Nesta remarks that Azriel or his spies himself may be giving her lessons.

“Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if he’d heard Elain’s sharp laugh and wondered what had caused it.

‘I was just checking on dessert,’ Elain explained as they approached the doorway and Azriel. Nesta met the shadowsinger’s stare and he gave her a nod. Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elain’s breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past...”

Azriel heard Elain’s laugh and wanted to see what caused it.

They looked at each other and Elain’s breath caught - something charged in that gaze. It’s obvious now that the two have developed feelings for one another.

“‘Why don’t you sit?’ [Nesta] leaned against the doorway beside the shadowsinger. ‘My shadows don’t like the flames so much.’ A pretty lie. She’d seen Azriel before the fire plenty. But she looked at who sat close to it and knew the answer.

‘Why did you come if it torments you so much?’

‘Because Rhys wants me here. It’d hurt him if I didn’t come.’”

“Shadows darkened his eyes, full of enough pain that she couldn’t stop herself from touching his shoulder. Letting him see that she understood why he stood in the doorway, why he wouldn’t go near the fire.

His secret to tell, never hers.”

Elain and Lucien are by the fire. Nesta quickly picks up on the fact that it torments Azriel to see it. She understands why. She sees the pain in his eyes. Azriel is likely in love or close to in love with Elain and seeing her with a mate pains him. Knowing that he’s not her mate pains him.

Chapter 59 - Post Solstice

“He’d been replaced in training by a stone-faced Azriel, who was more aloof than usual and wouldn’t even give her a smile.”

What happened to put Azriel in such a bad mood?

Azriel Bonus Chapter

This is where Elain and Azriel’s feelings towards each other are confirmed.

This occurs on Winter Solstice - which explains why Azriel acted the way he did and why he “more aloof than usual.”

I’m not going to go into the Gwyn part of the chapter because, in my opinion, it’s not relevant to Azriel and Elain’s relationship.

“Too many razor-sharp thoughts sliced him any time he grew still long enough for them to strike. Too many wants and needs left his skin overheated and pulling taut across his bones.”

Azriel isn’t sleeping because of his desires...

“He was elated for his brother and yet... Azriel couldn’t stop it. The envy in his chest. Of Cassian, and Rhys.”

Azriel is jealous of Cassian and Rhys. Of their mating bonds and their connections.

“The faelights gilded Elain's unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn.

She halted, her breath catching in her throat. ‘I...’ He watched her swallow. She clutched a small gift in her hands. "I was coming to leave this on your pile of presents. I forgot to give it to you earlier.

Lie. Well, the second part was a lie. He didn’t need his shadows to read her tone, the slight tightening of her face.”

Elain’s breath catches when she spots Azriel.

Azriel knows Elain well enough that he can tell when she’s lying.

“Elain closed the distance, and her breathing quickened as she again paused, now a scant foot away. She extended the wrapped gift, her hand shaking. ‘Here.’

Az tried not to look at his scarred fingers as they took the gift. She hadn't bought her mate a present.

But she'd gotten Azriel one last year-a headache powder he kept on his nightstand at the House of Wind. Not to use, but just to look at. Which he'd done every night he’d slept there. Or attempted to sleep there.”

Elain is so nervous to give Azriel his gift!

Azriel looked at the gift she gave him last year every night... They both have it bad for each other.

I won’t bother to quote it, but Elain gifts Azriel another thoughtful gift - ear plugs to drown out Cassian and Nesta.

“He left the rest unspoken. Because her mate had been in the family room and Azriel had needed to stay by the door the whole time because he couldn't stand the sight of it, the scent of their mating bond, and needed to have the option of leaving if it became too much.”

This is what Nesta observed and understood. Azriel was so tormented by Elain having a mate that he couldn’t go near her.

“Elain's large brown eyes flickered, well aware of all that. Just as he knew she was well aware of why Azriel so rarely came to family dinners these days.”

Understanding between the two of them. Like she knew he liked her but they wouldn’t act on it. Why though?

“Elain sucked in a soft breath that whispered over his skin. His shadows skittered back at the sound. They'd always been prone to vanish when she was around.”

Azriel’s shadows always vanished around Mor, the woman he loved for 500 years. Now they do the same around Elain.

“His head went quiet. But he took the necklace, opening the clasp as she exposed her back, sweeping her hair up in one hand to bare her long, creamy neck.

“He knew it was wrong, but there he was, sliding the necklace around her. Letting his scarred fingers touch her immaculate skin. Letting them brush the side of her throat, savoring the velvet-soft texture. Elain shivered, and he took a damn long time fastening the clasp.”

This confirms that there is sexual attraction and romantic feelings between the Elain and Azriel. She shivered. He savored the texture of her skin.

18+ below!!!

“It had never gone this far. They'd exchanged looks, the occasional brush of their fingers, but never this. Never blatant, unrestricted touching. Wrong - it was so wrong. He didn't care.

He needed to know what the skin of her neck tasted like. What those perfect lips tasted like. Her breasts. Her sex. He needed her coming on his tongue.

Azriel's cock strained behind his pants, aching so fiercely he could hardly think. He prayed she didn't peer down. Prayed she didn't under stand the shift in his scent.”

Azriel is so turned on. He needs Elain. Yet, the touching is wrong to him. Wrong because perhaps he doesn’t feel like he’s enough for her.

“He had only allowed himself these thoughts in the dead of night. Had only allowed his hand to fist his cock and think about her then, when even his shadows had gone to sleep. How that beautiful face might appear as he entered her, what sounds she'd make.”

Azriel thinks of Elain at night and pleasures himself to him.

“‘I should go,’ Elain said, but made no move to leave. ‘Yes,’ he said, his thumb sweeping in long strokes along the side of her throat. Her arousal drifted up to him, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the sweet scent. He’d beg on his knees for a chance to taste it.”

Eyes rolling, beg on his knees... Sounds a lot like how Rhys and Cassian react to Feyre and Nesta.

“So close one deep breath would brush her breasts against his chest. She looked up at him, her face so trusting and hopeful and open that he knew she had no idea that he had done unspeakable things that sullied his hands far beyond his scars. Such terrible things that it was sacrilege for his fingers to touch her skin, tainting her with his presence.”

That’s why he keeps making self-deprecating comments - he doesn’t feel worthy that somebody like him (a man who tortures for his job) would touch her.

“Azriel’s hand slip up her neck, burying in her thick hair. Tilting her face the way he wanted it. Elain's mouth parted slightly, her eyes scanning his before fluttering shut. Offer and permission. He nearly groaned with relief and need as he lowered his head toward hers.”

Elain and Azriel are about to kiss! That is, until Rhysand commands him to stop.

“His stomach twisted as he pulled his hand from her hair and stepped back. Forced himself to say, ‘This was a mistake.’ She opened her eyes, hurt and confusion warring there before she whispered, ‘I’m sorry.’

‘You don't- don't apologize, he managed to say. ‘Never apologize. It's I who should...’ He shook his head, unable to stand the bleakness he’d brought to her expression. ‘Goodnight.’”

So Rhysand stops the almost kiss and now Elain feels rejected. Azriel is devastated for having to stop and see the hurt he inflicted.

“Rhys's power rippled through the room like a dark cloud. ‘I’m talking about you, about to kiss Elain, in the middle of a hall where anyone could see you,’ he snarled. ‘Including her mate.’

Rhys is angry in this scene that Azriel may risk starting a feud between courts - the autumn court where Lucien is from (yes, Helion is his father but as of now, Beron believes himself to be Lucien’s father).

“‘What if the Cauldron was wrong?...The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it’s possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters yet the third was given to another.’ He had never before dared speak the words aloud.

Azriel questions the Cauldron. Why were my brothers chosen? Why wasn’t I chosen? Why am I never chosen? Why can’t I just be with the person I want to be with?

Azriel isn’t saying he deserves her or not. He’s questioning fate.

He’s upset. He’s angry. He’s lonely. He’s heartbroken.

“Azriel said nothing. He hadn't gotten that far with his planning, certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to. Rhys growled, ‘Allow me to make one thing very clear. You are to stay away from her.’

‘You can't order me to do that.’”

Azriel doesn’t want to listen to Rhysand. Azriel made his feelings clear - he can’t be ordered to stay away from Elain because of his feelings for her.

Then, Rhys again mentions the Blood Duel. That Lucien could invoke it should Elain and Azriel pursue something.

“Rhys bared his teeth. ‘So you will leave Elain alone. If you need to fuck someone, go to a pleasure hall and pay for it, but stay away from her.’”

Azriel snarled softly.

His snarl indicates there is way more than just lust between Elain and Azriel.

So that’s it.

Azriel and Elain went from acquaintances, to friends, to crushes, to almost lovers and the bonus point of view makes it clear that they have both romantic and sexual feelings towards each other.

It set up the theme for the next book - a forbidden love story where Elain and Azriel must overcome fate itself to be with each other.

#I didn't mean to make it this long #I had sooo many things highlighted I didn't even realize #elriel #elain #elain archeron #azriel #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acosaf #acosf #acotar theory #mine

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dannyphantom-justiceleauge · 3 years

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This may be a minor gripe but something that has kind of bothered me about discussions and depictions of Dan is how often people seem to forget that Dan isn't just an older evil Danny, he's a combination of Danny and Vlad's ghost sides. Like people always talk about him like Danny threw away his humanity and turned evil but that's not even true. Sure, we can say that Dan is the result of Danny's action but that's a little unfair. (1/2)

(2/2) Him cheating on a test, coincidentally putting his loved one's in a position where they could be killed, is absolutely not his fault. Letting Vlad take away his ghost powers with a strange contraption might not have been the smartest move, but we are talking about a grieving CHILD here, of course he isn't going to make the best decisions. If anything Vlad's the one to blame here, and even then, it's not like he could predict what happened

---

you aren't wrong, my friend. it really isn't entirely danny's fault and the whole 'if you cheat on a test, you'll loose everything you love' moral is confused at best. i think as fandom we find it more interesting to look at danny's potential evil and moral struggle with himself. so simplifying it to be dan is a worse case scenario of danny makes the conflict less abstract.

particularly because when it comes to self blame danny isn't going to go easy on himself just because it was excusable mistakes.

i think another talking point should be how danny is the target of the time assassination more than vlad is, even though vlad is part of the evil whole. you could argue that danny is the catalyst of his friends death and vlad inventing the claw things. but vlad invented the claw things. maybe because his human side survived and acted relatively harmless from then on? or maybe it's because the observants based on the available evidence recognized danny as more of a threat. i think that fits actually, for all vlad tried to be an evil mastermind, his achievements outside of terrorizing a teenager and theft isn't particularly impressive. danny was the one who got shit done. all his fights he finished one way or another and i could see how that would bleed into dan defeating everyone.

the real question is how to we fix this. ideally we could shape this idea so it's less confused, though i do honestly find the dynamic of half danny, half vlad interesting. if for not other reason. than two half ghosts make a whole. actually that's something else to be said about dan. his self-loathing is what led him to killing his human half, another negative aspect coming from danny.

i wonder if we could frame it like fusion, from su. obviously dan isn't stable or healthy, or based on love. he's most comparable to malichite. but with less internal debate. dan took the best and worst of both of them. danny's determination, danny's fighting ability, danny's anger, danny's sarcasm, vlad's anger, vlads lack of morals, vlads schemes, vlad's control. heck, vlads desire to rule the world. i don't think we ever got that from danny.

maybe if vlad was more involved in the fight with dan it could have been used as an opportunity to compare and contrast their characters. to go we're not so different you and i. danny gets to recognize that he has that dark potential. vlad gets to be humbled by the fact that what he wants isn't good for anyone, especially himself. and to be fair, we do see some of that humbling with future vlad, but none of that character growth is given to present vlad, so, really it's just another vehicle for danny angst. it also depends on what you want to do with vlad though. he's a fascinating character and could be given redemption under the right circumstances or be a character who has the opportunity for redemption but chooses not to be redeemed every time.

that fits him and makes him both a more pathetic and despicable villain. it's hard to pity someone who ignores the opportunities to heal and grow.

as for danny, he becomes far more aware of the consequences his actions, especially his selfish and cruel ones can have. because that potential was always there. he has a history of abusing his powers. perhaps for this specific incident him abusing his powers can be something less understandable than almost cheating on a test that he couldn't study for through no fault of his own. (maybe i just have flexible morals?). maybe it could be something more character relevant, like he did something particularly vlad like, maybe he set up a prank at the nasty burger to get dash but it set off the explosion that killed his family. or maybe he did something particularly cruel and manipulative. there are better catalysts than a test. either way he recognized that he should never go that far again and strive to avoid being actively cruel.

he also has the opportunity to recognize that vlad does have a human half, even the one he's fighting everyday. he can face some conflict in it's not entirely clear what trait belongs to vlad and what trait belongs to him. he can empathize with vlad and he can recognize that situations aren't always in black in white. those who fly the highest, fall the hardest, after all.

it can be a growing experience. and while making it solely a danny goes bad and learns not to do evil kind of story. maybe we could cut vlad from the equation and just have danny face himself, full evil refection. i think exploring both vlad and danny through this fusion is far more interesting. especially because we can build on what's revealed about vlad in these episodes, in later ones. danny sees a future where vlad chills and that maybe his vlad could get their. later he see vlads past and what he lost to become who he is.

and then there's vlads turning point episodes. i don't know when motherly instinct took place but maddie fully recognizing he's a bastard and rejection him, was a turning point for his sanity, and danny helped it along. then we have danny rejecting him repeatedly, then we the clone episode, which we can all agree was a desperate move on his part, that danny once again thwarted. and we can all agree that this was the cannon turning point for his character where he stopped fighting for a family and started trying to be danny's villain. in that episode, i think danny could potentially pity vlad enough to try and reach out. he's not going to justify what vlad did and he's not going to apologize for stopping him. he went too far. he hurt danny and dani, he crossed a moral line that can't be justified even with his desperation. but if he changes...

he lost this time but if he changes, maybe they'll reach the point where they're ready to accept him.

i think the same thing could be said about his relationship with jack and maddie. if he changes, if he reaches out. if acts like less of a crazy fruitloop, his friends would be there for him. jack is still trying to be there for him, even if he's being oblivious about vlad's faults. vlads the one driving wedges into his relationships and pushing everyone away.

and that's so freaking human and understandable.it would be such a cool thing to explore with his character.

i could also see a potential arc where after valerie finds out vlad and masters are the same person she tries to get close to him, both to sus out how evil he is and to understand him as a halfa. afterall danny got her to acknowledge dani as human enough, the same would apply to vlad/plasmius, right? only he's a bad person and the more she uncovers about vlad masters the man, the more she realizes it's not the ghost half that's evil. but this is a double edged sword because, vlad is getting attached to her and encouraging her to be more evil. he's encouraging her to go darker and darker in her fight against ghosts and her fight specifically against phantom. to the point where she finally draws the line and says, i'm not doing that! boom exploring the moral ambiguity of her character and getting her to take a hard stance on her morals, because there's a line too far for her.

and boom a further breakdown of vlads character because he finally had someone outside the fentons to redeem him. she could have helped pull him out of the hole he'd been digging himself into. she wanted to help him. he got attached to her, but he and his bad decisions decided to dig himself deeper instead. so once again he's 'abandoned and betrayed'.

from that point, i think it'd be time for him to finally face jack head on. not through manipulative schemes. not through veiled threats and insults. but the full confrontation of 'i always hated you. you ruined my life. you're the reason i lost everything'. which is really just his own self loathing speaking. and jack... empathetic jack can see that vlad desperately wants help. and jack would offer it to him. jack would try to hug it out and apologize and give vlad the love and friendship vlad's been fighting to steal this whole time.

and vlad would reject it.

he'd probably lash out a jack and go into a full breakdown/world destroying attack. could finally put the stolen crown to use and try declaring himself king and embracing his megalomaniac thing and actually be a threat this time. and THAT would be our series finally. everyone teaming up to fight 'king vlad'. danny probably finding out that he's technically king because he beat pariah dark but the matter being a bit confused because he had help. val and danny trying to find the ring of rage or at least find someone who can make one. secrets are out. i imagine vlad, upon revealing himself to jack would out danny to make danny as sad and alone as him. except nope, his family still loves him and val has had the character development to come around to him. (she's still gonna punch danny for lying for so long.) the ghosts will come and help because no one wants another tyrannical kind and vlads obviously off his rocker.

ah, the could have beens

anyway, i didn't mean for this to become a full vlad character analysis and rewrite when we were supposed to be talking about dan, but hey, i'm a simple creature. i like good writing, and i have to rewrite things myself, so be it. - Hestia

#dpjl #hestiawrites #danny phantom #vlad masters

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