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helloooofandoms · 4 years

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Old Friends

Hisirdoux x reader. Platonic! It had a theme I swear but then I couldn't stop writing. This takes place after Merlin's death but before Douxie and Nari leaves for New York. There's a little timeskip to the present Douxie in New York as well.

word count: 5k

History was not your favourite subject. You loathed it actually, but when the topic of Camelot came around in class you were absolutely thrilled! To you any lesson that seemed like the fantasy shows you watched made you attentive. This wasn't your usual telling of the Camelot tales, the fall of King Arthur and the knights of the roundtable. No, your professor had gone the extra mile of stating that Merlin, a great wizard, was also a key factor in this tale. Accompanied by his apprentice named Hisirdoux. According to him, the Camelot battle was just some side plot that was hiding the bigger story. The fact that King Arthur's sister, Morgana was a sorceress who only wanted to reign destruction. The rest of the class waved it off. Mr Choi was no stranger to conspiracy theories. You always knew there was some truth to your teacher's words. Even if the truth was buried in a few myths it was still there right?

For the whole day you couldn't get the thought of wizards out of your head. It was farfetched but not unbelievable. You knew wizards, witches, and warlocks existed. They had to! The worldwide witch trials were proof of it. Whether or not some of the people were just simple humans and some secretly having power over the arts, there was definitely proof that they existed. Even if the proof was downright criminal. It's just like humans to kill the things they don't understand.

Yawning, you had a lot of time to research the fact that Merlin was indeed present at King Arthur's death and perhaps even beforehand. Your teacher had urged you to go to the nearest bookstore and find evidence to either build your case or deny it. Of course you chose the first. Something was telling you that you'd have no trouble looking for information. Call it a gut feeling. Though you decided to head home first and see what the internet had to offer. Your nearest bookstore wasn't too far from your home. On your way there you couldn't help but wonder about the wizard Merlin and if it was true about him having an apprenticee. Even even storing about Morgana seemed way too good to be true. How cool would it have been to be alive in that era! Watching brave knights and seeing magic first hand. Perhaps they even had monsters-

Your thoughts were cut off by you colliding with something. You stumbled back managing to take a fall. Did you run into a pole somehow? Groaning you opened your eyes to see a hand stretched out towards you. It belonged to a man. One with black hair and blue tips. Hesitantly you took it and he helped pull you up on your feet. Offering you a smile and a pat on the head he apologized. "Terribly sorry about that little lady, you should always watch where you're going." Perhaps it was your fault. You were too focused on daydreaming instead of looking where you were going.

"Its my fault. I wasn't paying attention." You nodded as your eyes darted down to his hand. What an interesting watch he was wearing. It almost seemed as if it was glowing. Looking down at your own wrist you grew surprised and started walking again. "Thank you for the help. I've got to get going." You waved at him before picking up your pace. Your parents weren't fans of you going out into town during the night so you needed to make it home quick before it got too dark out for you to come back to the bookstore.

After your arrival home you spent an hour searching for anything that mentioned this wizard Merlin. You came up empty handed. There was a lot of information about the battle at Camelot but most of it was centered around the King and what he had done. About his knights and even mentioned him having a sister. But there was absolutely nothing to be found about wizards. Sighing you let your head hit your desk. Books would be your only answer now. History required a lot of reading and you were much better processing information given to you orally. It's not that you found books boring it's just that when it came to history it was extremely extensive and there were oh so many details. It gave you a headache and after a while you could barely remember the key details.

Grabbing your house keys you told your father that you wouldn't be out too late and that you would only be going around the block to the bookstore. He was wary at first but as soon as he heard that it was for a school project he relaxed. Ah yes adults and their 'school is everything' mindset. He told you to be safe and you laughed at the comment once you walked out the door. This is Arcadia. The townsfolk might as well be invincible at this point. The amount of damages this place has seen and the way that everyone just becomes immune to it at some point is honestly astounding.

As you swung open the door of the bookstore that was about 2 blocks from your home you smiled as the scent of books hit your nose. A lot of people you knew found the scent suffocating or have told you that it made then sneeze. It didn't bother you at all in that aspect.

The front desk was right ahead and you didn't see anyone there so you took it upon yourself to browse. Who ever was working this shift had to have known a customer came. The door had a little bell that rang when you entered. It was odd that there weren't any alphabetical organization of the books so that meant the workers probably knew where everything was by memory. It would be a pain to fire someone and have to teach a new worker where everything was. You knew for a fact that if you worked here you would be absolutely lost when it came to the whereabouts of any book here.

You were heading into another aisle and stopped once you saw one of the workers. He was on a ladder putting up some of the books. You couldn't see his face but for some odd reason you look familiar. Then you realized it once you saw him reaching to put a book back in place. The weird watch on his arm, that was the man you ran into just an hour ago. What a coincidence that he worked here at the bookstore. "You!" Pointing your finger at him you watched as he screamed and lost his balance. Resulting in him falling off the ladder. You wanted to move and help him but you could only watch in fear as the ladder tipped over as well. It could have crushed him if he didn't move out of the way fast enough. You watched as this man rolled over out of the way and laid there on his back panting. "I've never felt that frightened since I dropped from the sky."

What was he talking about. Nervously walking over you glance over at the ladder then at him. You didn't mean to cause so much harm. What if he hurt his ankle really badly? Or dislocated something. "Sorry mister." You said offering a weak smile and an outstretched hand.

"Not mister." He groaned accepting your hand as you pulled him up. Dusting off his clothes he looked down at you. "Just Douxie." He said before moving to pick the ladder back up. While he leaned it against the bookshelf you wondered why his name had a familiar ring to it. Douxie.... it was quite unique, almost old fashioned. If that was his full name you knew for sure it was at least French in origin. Doux meant soft or sweet in the language. And the -ie ending just made you giggle. His name could be translated to sweetie or softie. Judging by his appearance that was probably not something he would enjoy being called.

"Softie huh?" You chuckled. He turned to walk over to you with a face full of confusion.

"What?" He asked. Douxie was really wondering what had made you laugh. All he did was say his name. He's gotten weird looks before because of it and the occasional "Did your mother really name you that?" But he never saw a problem with it. His name was definitely rare but even he has heard some names that would put his to shame. He prefers going by Douxie instead of his full name because well he was no longer living in the 12th century and well 21st century people can be cruel. Especially kids like you.

"Doux in french can mean sweet or soft. I think it fits you well." You were obviously teasing him.

"It's short for Hisirdoux." Douxie rolled his eyes and tapped his foot. "I thought you would've taken my advice the last time we spoke." He chuckled. "Now then what brings you to my humble shop?" He asked mentioning for you to follow him.

Your feet were moving slowly as you followed him. Your mind however was raging. Did he just say his name was short for Hisirdoux? That was not a common name in any way, shape, or form and if he was telling you he shared the same name with a wizard you needed information about you'd be lying if you said you weren't bouncing around right now.

He seemed to have noticed your current state of excitement and decided to address it. He couldn't recall saying anything that would've resulted in you staring up at him like he saved the universe or something. Granted, he has but it's not like you would've known about it. "What is it?" He asked slowly, knowing that the last time he asked this question it was only met with a silly remark.

"Your name is Hisirdoux?" You asked once for confirmation and he nodded. Clapping you gently gripped his arm. "Are you telling me that you share the name with a wizard that may have been around in the 12th century and may have been involved in the battle for Camelot? Not to mention the apprentice of a wizard named Merlin?!" Your eyes were huge now. Douxie thinks they resembled a chameleon's but that wouldn't be very nice to say to a girl. Besides how did you even know about him. He wasn't in the history books. No, that was just Arthur and maybe a bit of Morgana. Merlin also wasn't involved in too many stories read by humans. The only people that knew about him nowadays were Jim, Claire, Steve, and the other kids that were mixed up in the time travel drama. Anyone else was probably familiar with magic or was someone who knew of his master's death.

Anyway, you knew quite a bit and it could potentially be disastrous if the Arcane order were to find you. The possibility is slim to none but that didn't mean it couldn't happen. He just couldn't let you run around saying that you met a wizard, not that you could prove it, but it would be better for him to diffuse this situation now. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Douxie hummed as he attempted to lean on the wall casually. He accidentally tripped on the broom but managed to settle himself on the wall despite it.

"Oh Douxie I was supposed to tell you that Merlin-" a voice said but came to a stop. You and Douxie looked up to see a a flying cat descend to the floor. You were quite shocked but this had to mean that you were right. No ordinary librarian had a talking and flying cat with glasses. Besides he said Merlin's name too. There was no way he was getting out of this.

There really was no way douxie was getting out of this. Dragging his hands down his face he gave a glare to Archie who immediately stopped flying and instead meowed. As if that would help him. You've already interrogated him and managed to witness his non human best friend who happened to be a familair talking and flying. Maybe he should just resort to answering your questions after all. It didn't seem like you would leave empty handed. Besides he was curious about how much you knew too. Beckoning you to follow him you smiled as the cat brushed between your legs and moved to catch up to Douxie.

He guided you to a table and pulled out your chair before sitting in the one opposite from you. Resting his chin in his palms you stared at one another. He looked tired. There were literal bags under his eyes and- oh he just yawned. Now that you were actually face to face with him you were sort of nervous. Sure he may seem cool on the outside but he was still a wizard who lived this long. Maybe he sacrificed kids for his immortality. Just then his cat nudged his foot and he sat up straight. The guy was totally dozing off. In Douxie's defense he was too busy saving Arcadia to think about regulating his sleep schedule, not to mention the fact that he had like three part time jobs and also needed to continue his wizard studies while protecting Nari.

You offered a smile and he rubbed his eyes. Oh yeah, you were supposed to be having a conversation. Archie jumped into his lap and he gently stroked his friend while he spoke. "As you have somehow figured out. My name is Hisirdoux Casperan and yes I'm a wizard. This is my Archie, he's a familiar and my best friend who can also shape shift. You're correct about my involvement in the war and being Merlin's apprentice but how in the world do you know all of this?" He was curious as to why this kid was sitting in his bookstore at 7pm inquiring about his old life in Camelot.

When you inhaled Douxie had expected a brief response not a full on ramble. "Okay so my teacher started telling us about Camelot and the battle. He said you were there and your master too! That the two of you helped greatly and there was something about the King's evil sister but he couldn't get into all the details because well it's a research project. What kind of research project would this be if he just gave us all the answers, you know? Anyway everyone else thinks he's making it all up but I'm totally going to get the best score because I've actually met a wizard!"

Douxie only nodded slowly to show that he had in fact heard you. Did he understand? A little your words were way too jumbled and he swore he heard something about a sea search? Who knows the main point was that your teacher had told you all about this and from the looks of it the rest of your classmates. Definitely alarming, he was a bit worried that someone else out there knew the truth of what happened. Someone that wasn't directly involved. He just hoped that the information he gave to you wouldn't be used recklessly. By the sound of it the rest of your classmates would rule it off as some piece of fiction and maybe, just maybe your teacher would think it was ridiculous too. The latter seemed the most difficult.

Now it was his turn to riddle off information. He started simply from the beginning about how he became Merlin's apprentice then went on to talk about the battle, how he got his cool staff, Merlin's unfortunate death and what happened with Atthur and Morgana. He left out Nari for obvious reasons and the fact that a few of your classmates may have been involved. You don't need all of those details for your report after all.

You were thrilled really that not only was a master wizard sitting in front of you but the whole story checked out and you were glad you asked for that pen and paper earlier. Not only did you get to witness his magic but it also allowed you to write down everything important. "Its a shame really." You hummed.

Archie had long gone off to take his nap not feeling very up to listening to the retelling of incidents. Truthfully he didn't want to be reminded about Merlin's death again. Douxie had to hold himself together as well when he mumbled out the fact that his master had died. He still blames himself and sometimes he gets nightmares but he shouldn't dwell on that right now. "What is?" He asked watching you scratch down sloppy notes.

Sighing you placed your pen down gently on the paper as your eyes ran over the text before peeking up at the guy before you. "That someone as great as you didn't make the history books."

It grew silent and you stayed quiet as you watched the look of uncertainty on his face. In the past 30 minutes of sitting in this bookstore you've learned that Hisidoux Casperan was probably one of the greatest people you've ever met by chance. He basically saved the world and nobody even knew. He was so...normal. It was difficult to believe he had been alive for 919 years now. Sure he had an extensive vocabulary filled with British slang and words that date back centuries but he fit into the mold of the 21st century so well. You guessed that's why no one was able to find out about his secret. He was great at adapting.

Hisirdoux didn't exactly understand where you were coming from. He's told you the story you wanted to hear. He thought the hero was painted as clear as day. His master Merlin. Even if you didn't pick up on that it seemed a bit farfetched for you to assume that he was the hero of this story. He wanted to tell you that you've got it all wrong. That he had no place in those books your school deemed mandatory. But you interrupted him before he could speak.

"It's alright." You said standing up while collecting your paper. "Even when the years go by I'll surely remember the master wizard. The apprentice who became a legend. I'll write this down someday, that way your legacy won't be lost." You moved towards the door as you spoke and he followed after you. Interested in what you were saying. "I'll call it the Tales of Hisirdoux." A goofy grin made its way on your face. "What do you think?" You turned back to get his response.

Shaking his head with a smile he opened the door for you. "I think it'll be a best seller some day. Just make sure you pass your report first."

"It's a research paper." You rolled your eyes playfully.

"Uh huh.....there's a difference?" Douxie asked trying to blink the sleepiness away as he yawned.

"I can forgive that. Only because you're really old." You teased giving him a peace sign when you bid him farewell and hurried back home. Your parents would freak but hey at least you were being assured an A.

Douxie watched you leave before shutting the door. "What an interesting kid." He thought aloud.

Douxie wrestled with the doorknob to his apartment. He didn't know why they needed so many locks. If the Arcane Order showed up they most likely wouldn't stop to pick it. They'd probably just knock the blasted door down. But Alas, his familiar wanted to make sure Nari was safe from New York thieves, as if he couldn't handle one or two himself. Finally getting it opened he entered then kicked it closed. "Archie did you leave any pizza for Nari and me? You know I'm running low on money and-" he was taking off his shoes when he felt a spike in magic. How did he not notice it before he came in? He was on high alert as he slowly looked up. There was Archie, Nari, and some random girl standing in his kitchen obviously interrupted from their precious conversation.

"Douxie!" The girl smiled as she came charging towards him. Did he know her? Crushing him in a hug he felt the remaining life drain from him in an instant. He was already tired from working at the pizzeria downtown and the subway ride back had him in shambles. Seriously, how could you just allow your baby to wail like that? He would've moved but that would be considered rude and there weren't any empty seats. The last thing he wanted to do was squeeze himself under five other people holding onto one pole.

"Okay okay you're squeezing the daylights out of me." He muttered gently pushing the girl back.

"You don't sound so happy to see me. I mean for someone that's writing a book about your legacy you would think I'd get a hug back or I don't know a hello?" You huffed crossing your arms over your chest and turning your head.

Hisirdoux was beyond confused. With a raised eyebrow and a familiar that was expecting him to say something he took another look at you and sighed. "Alright love, just tell me who you are, why you're in my apartment, and if you're just here to lead the Arcane Order to us don't you think you could have done this earlier in the day to save me the trouble of going to work?" Originally he thought that maybe Nari had gone from collecting plants to collecting New Yorkers but with the magic radiating from you he knew it was a little unrealistic.

It was your turn to be confused. "Arcane Order?" You repeated. Who the hell was that? Glancing down to Archie who was no longer sitting on the countertop but rather brushing past your legs you smiled.

"Hisirdoux, since you're not aware this is y/n, from Arcadia." He spoke as he pushed his glasses back. Nari had soon joined your side as well looking ecstatic to see a new face.

Arcadia? The only kids he knew from Arcadia was the trollhunters gang and that little girl who-

Wait.

You were that little girl?!

You laughed as his sudden realization affected his expression. He didn't have droopy eyelids anymore and wasn't standing like he was about to pass out from exhaustion. No matter how long he's lived he still can't sleep regularly. You sighed internally. Would you end up like him too? "Y/n L/n." You stuck your hand out. "Perhaps I didn't state my name when I pestered you three years ago."

Douxie accepted your hand shake before shuffling over to the couch. You followed him and took a seat as he did. Archie had curled up on his lap and Nari wormed her way beside you. His couch was fit for two people but Nari was smaller than you were so she managed to fit fine. "What brings you to New York y/n?" The wizard asked as he stared at the television. It seemed that after he realized you weren't a threat his tired mood had made a reappearance.

"I'm going to NYU this year and a certain sorceress mentioned that you were in New York so I decided to drop by." You answered. Honestly, you had wished to see Douxie after you turned in your research report but it had been too late. You weren't able to see him on that day or the next. It took a month before you went back to the bookstore and by then he had already up and left according to Claire.

Douxie looked at you with one eyebrow raised as if he wasn't buying anything you said. "Okay fine! I'm not lying about NYU by the way but last year I started noticing weird stuff happening." You looked down at your hands then back up at your friend. He was urging you to continue. "Something dark had been following me around. I have no idea what it was or who it was until it attacked me. I managed to run away at least I thought I did but this thing cornered me. I must have gotten so scared to the point that I blasted it." A yellow ball of light shone in your palm. "I've never done anything like that before and I was scared it would return so I tried my best to read some of those books you left lying around in the bookstore. The ones about magic. When I learned a few basic spells I knew it wouldn't be enough to protect my family so I decided to track you down. So here I am." The glowing light came to a stop.

Douxie was thinking. Something attacked you, something that scared you to the point you unleashed magic you never knew you had. It could only be the Arcane Order but why would they come after you? Was it possible that they already knew about your powers? Dragging his hand down his face he yawned. "How about you get some sleep and we talk about this later?" You suggested.This man looked exhausted. Archie had briefly mentioned that Douxie worked all the way across town from where they live at a pizza parlour during the weekdays on top of another job at a fish market down the block on the weekends all while tackling odd jobs and making sure there was a protection spell around the apartment at all times. No wonder he was drained.

"No no it's okay." Another yawn escaped and you stood up only to grab a blanket and drape it over him.

"Master wizards need their energy." You reminded him as he settled into the couch.

"But-"

"Don't but anything me Douxie. I'll make sure to leave out the fact that you're sleep deprived in the book. Don't want the kids thinking they can do anything without needing a good night's rest." You said using your magic to turn down the television. It was five in the afternoon now, you could just hang out with Nari and Archie until he woke up.

Hisirdoux reminded himself to offer you some of the pizza in the fridge whenever he woke up. You decided to continue your conversation from earlier with Archie and Nari back in the kitchen. "Are you going to ask him?" Nari asked as she tended to her plants.

"I don't know. He has a lot on his plate right now I don't think I want to add more. Besides what if he says no? What do I do then just go back to my ordinary life and hope that thing doesn't find me?" You opened the fridge to help yourself to whatever they had. To your amusement they had pizza. Knowing this family's circumstances it would be best to leave them with what they have but Archie was currently begging you to put him out of his misery. They had been eating pizza for about a month now and no matter the different toppings the smell of it alone was dreadful. Archie was quite glad that Douxie didn't come home with a box today.

"Douxie may be busy but he's not heartless. Now that he knows you're in danger and this may be linked to the Arcane Order the chances of him saying yes outweigh the chances of him saying no." Archie riddled off. It sounded like he was scolding you but you knew he was just looking out for you. Pouting you threw a slice on a plate and stuck it in the microwave for a minute.

"Who's this Arcane Order anyway?" You grumbled. If they even made Douxoe scared then they were a big deal. The wizard was a bit of scaredy cat though so maybe he was just in his head again. You think he would've improved in three years. You watched as Archie stretched out his back and Nari tried to shush you. Weird. Even they seemed to be on edge and well Nari was a literal goddess was she not? And Archie was a cat who could speak! Okay he was a really powerful familiar who took on the form of a feline but still. Grabbing your pizza from the microwave you desperately blew on it.

"A group of very evil people who ate after Nari. Before Merlin died he trusted Hisirdoux with protecting her." Archie said hopping off the counter and onto the floor.

You almost dropped your hot pizza out of shock. The greatest wizard is dead? "H-how long has he been...you know?" You asked as Nari picked up Archie and stroked him gently.

"About 3 years." The girl said with a sad smile. "Merlin gave his life to protect me and it's the last thing I want Douxie to do." She glanced over at his body now sprawled out on the couch as light snores could be heard.

"3 years?" You spoke in disbelief. That meant he would've died around the time you first met him. That was when you realized that he had never strayed from telling the story of Camelot those years ago. He didn't give you the luxury of extra details he kept it simple and straightforward. Not spending too much time on Merlin and Morgana's personalities in fact he would somehow direct the conversation back to you and your childish enthusiasm about the tale. Allowing you to add your own input. You suppose he's been on the Earth long enough to know how to build people's narratives. Besides you wouldn't have noticed it then, you were merely a child. One that had no idea about the mess she was getting into. You took a bite of your pizza and sighed. That cool wizard you met 3 years ago was just a guy stuck in some eternal time loop with his cat and adopted sister. Running from danger while working too many jobs and not getting enough rest. You were seriously contemplating not going to college to help him out.

Okay so what you met some weird wizard three years ago on a whim but now that you had magical powers maybe you could assist him in some way. He wouldn't have to be living on a prayer anymore. You could help him take down those bad guys and then he wouldn't have to stay in hiding like this. He would be safe to roam the world along with Nari and Archie. If he was in your place you think he'd do the same. He is awfully selfless. To the point that you knew he was planning on giving his own life during the Camelot battle. It still chills you to this day to think about it. Maybe you would take that offer the familiar was pushing you towards. Archie and Nari were staring at you worriedly. You did basically stop talking.

With the last bite of your pizza you stepped forward with a grin. "I'll do it. I'll ask Douxie to be my mentor and I'll help him fight the Arcane Order!" You declared loudly. Nari had accidentally dropped Archie when she went to clap. A hiss came from Archie as he was about to mouth her off.

"I'm trying to sleep!" Douxie slurred from the couch. You wondered if he was conscious enough to know what you were saying.

"Sorry master" you chuckled alongside Archie and Nari.

#douxie #hisirdoux casperan #toa hisirdoux #hisirdoux x reader #wizards tales of arcadia #archie #nari #douxie x reader

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fortunatelylori · 5 years

Note

I've been thinking about alliances and what the map could look like with a Jon/ Sansa alliance. Between the two of them they have the map covered as far a who is potentially or who will be left once everything is settled, to rule one of the 7 Kingdoms except for Dorne. As far as we know Elia is still alive and imprisoned. She has a tenuous allegiance with Dany but that's it. Dany has done nothing to come to her aid. If Sansa is kidnapped there is a high probability they will connect. Thoughs?

*Sidenote The Dany/Elia alliance was also formed on hatred. If Dorne is still in play then there should be a stronger basis to make it long lasting. Sure Jon was born in Dorne but he’s a Northerner. He has no allegiance to them.

Hey, nonnie.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this. Yesterday, in the comments section of my D*ny/Cersei comparison post , @blurredblue mentioned that Cersei’s real weakness at this time is that she has no allies left in Westeros. And that got me thinking … That’s essentially D*ny’s problem as well.

They sort of canceled each other out in season 7 on that front when Cersei took all of D*ny’s allies out of play, thus leaving her without legitimacy in terms of launching her campaign. D*ny returned the favor by burning the Tarlys alive, and leaving Cersei without her only true Westerosi ally.

But the burning of the Tarlys was also D*ny shooting herself in the foot because, his crappy parental treatment of his eldest son aside, Randall Tarly was a well respected member of the Westerosi aristocracy with a great military record. Not only that but by burning them alive without a trial and the legitimacy of a crown, D*ny committed a war crime by the laws established in this universe. As we remember from Robb’s campaign, it’s actually not ok or acceptable to kill prisoners of war in Westeros.

But D*ny’s biggest mistake to date is not that. The more I think of it the more I realize that in terms of strategy and diplomacy, her biggest mistake was her treatment of Jon Snow, aka The King in the North. Obviously all of this is predicated on the existence of political Jon in one form or another, which by and large has become, in my mind, the key GOT theory on which the entire Game of Thrones now rests. So for the remainder of this post, we will assume that in fact Jon’s actions in season 7 were politically motivated and that he is not a Northern Fool/cinnamon roll who fell in love with the Mother of Dragons and is ready to give up everything for her, like countless less important male character before him.

The reason why I say that D*ny’s biggest mistake was her treatment of Jon is because, right now, House Stark is THE HOUSE you need in order to control Westeros. Dragons will only get you so far. You need alliances in order to establish a peaceful and successful rule and while everyone is bleeding allies left and right, House Stark, through Jon and Sansa, is racking in the numbers. If she had not been so greedy, if she weren’t hell bent on dominance and submission of anyone she encounters, D*ny would have had a fantastic opportunity to enter a mutually beneficial alliance with House Stark, one established on collaboration not coercion. By dismissing Jon, demoting him, proving herself a fickle ally who is more likely to burn you alive than treat with you, by not entertaining the very pertinent reasons why the North is seeking its independence, she blew her chance at that alliance.

Tyrion, by the way, must share a part in this debacle because he tricks Jon into coming to Dragonstone, is as adamant about Jon bending the knee as D*ny is, albeit in a more diplomatic way and he fails to do his proper research in advance. He thinks Jon is the gullible King in the North and the North is an ally worth having, particularly once their other allies are wiped out, but he doesn’t seem to understand that whoever holds the allegiance of House Stark will in fact hold the geopolitical hegemony over Westeros.

Let’s break it down:

We’ll start with Jon, since he is the titular leader of House Stark, despite his status as a bastard. In season 7, Sansa mentions that the Northern Lords are loyal, by and large, to Jon. We see Lord Glover and Lord Royce of the Vale mention that perhaps they should have elected Sansa as their Queen but the rest of the lords do not join in this conversation. They are, for the moment, holding fast behind their decision to elect Jon as King. Of course, strife is coming because of Jon’s decision to bend the knee but considering that Sansa will most likely support him in front of the Great Council, the Northern Lords will probably stick around. Also, Jon has the Wildlings undivided loyalty.

People could be excused in ignoring the Wildlings since they’re a small group and one that has been brought South of the Wall only recently but the fact of the matter is they’re here now and they’re staying put. On top of that, they were involved in both the demise of Ramsay Bolton and fought alongside the Starks and their allies and are now part of the core group that will save Westeros from the apocalypse. So, unlike the Dothraki who are complete strangers to Westeros, the Wildlings are actually natives of this continent and are intimately involved in the goings on of the realm.

Then there’s the matter of Gendry. This could amount to something or it might not so take that with a grain of salt. But all of the Baratheons are dead, except for this one bastard that rowed his way back to Flee Bottom and has now been introduced back into the plot, fast becoming best friends with Jon and poised to meet his sister, Arya, with whom he might fall in love and marry. That, in geopolitical terms, is the potential start of a lifelong alliance. The fact that the show pointed to the close relationship between Robert and Ned in Gendry and Jon’s first meeting feels like this relationship is bound to pay off in other ways aside from Gendry’s superhuman running abilities. If Jon is to become a political player, he would be well served to legalize his sister’s future husband and install him as the new Lord of the Stormlands, using the good will and strategic acumen he has gained to support his perhaps disputed decision. Because he will need people he can trust in high positions of power and Gendry is just that.

Then there’s the matter of Samwell Tarly. This is another way in which the burning of the Tarlys will come back to bite D*ny in the ass. Because Samwell, the disinherited son of Randall Tarly, is now the only male representative of House Tarly. And with the demise of House Tyrell, the Reach is up for grabs. House Tarly is the only reasonable candidate for this position. Sam would chew off his own arm before supporting the woman that burned his father and brother alive and besides that he’s had “I love Jon Snow” carved across his chest since he first set eyes on the bastard of Winterfell.

So two men that are friends with Jon Snow could, potentially, give Jon access to the Stormlands and the Reach. That’s a start. :))))

But that’s just a small part of what Jon Snow brings to the table because his true value lies in his prowess in battle and he’s about to prove his worth in the greatest war/wars this continent has seen in 8000 years. However you chose to look at it, Westeros is a medieval society that is going through a period where warrior kings are the norm and what people expect from their leader.

We have moved away from this type of worldview but a successful medieval king is a military commander, who is always leading his army from the front lines: prowess in battle, courage in the face of hand to hand combat inspire a type of loyalty and devotion that is hard to discount. That’s what Edward I did, that’s what Edward IV, Henry V, Robert the Bruce and countless other successful warrior kings did.

Jon Snow is going to be spearheading the fight against the White Walkers and by the end of it he will be the military commander that saved Westeros from the end of the world. He will become a legendary figure in his own time. Forget Aemon the Dragonkinght and Florian the Fool, King Jon will be the guy generations of kids for hundreds of years will pretend to be while playing at swords. He’ll essentially be the King Arthur of this universe. And that type of clout and image is hard to come by. If he ends up riding a dragon and riding Westeros of the Dragon Queen and the Dothraki as well, people will be one step away from treating him like a God-like figure. That’s if he’s alive by the end of the story, which I think he very much will.

Then there’s Sansa … let’s talk about Sansa, shall we?

Since about season 2, Sansa’s political importance has been highlighted by the plot over and over again. Yes, yes, she doesn’t wield a sword and she doesn’t have dragons but then again neither did Elizabeth of York or Eleanor of Aquitaine or any of the countless heiresses of the medieval world.

Sansa has been called the Key to the North by Varys for a reason and there’s a reason why Tywin Lannister, Olenna Tyrell and Roose Bolton wanted her as wife for their sons/grandson. To quote Tywin: “Whoever marries Sansa Stark, has control of the North.”

But, since then, Sansa’s importance has only grown. And she is now not only the key to the North, but the most eligible match in the whole of Westeros. Because who ever marries Sansa Stark, essentially gets the keys to the kingdom and geopolitical dominance over the continent.

Let’s start with the North. There are two important factors that make Sansa essential to the North. For one, she is the heir apparent to Winterfell and the Stark ancestral seat, since Bran has renounced his claim. But because D*ny is stupidly generous, she helped Sansa become even more influential by forcing Jon to bend the knee. Jon’s credibility and standing has been jeopardized by this decision. Instead of keeping him as King in the North and marrying him pronto, D*ny gave the keys to the North to Sansa, who has been diligently working to keep the North fed, clothed and ready for the war and who will now have a position of leadership in front of the whole North. If Sansa chooses to support Jon, this can’t be beneficial to D*ny because the goals of the North/Sansa and D*ny’s are bound to collide. So Sansa and Jon’s alliance will come in direct opposition to D*ny’s quest for the throne, whether or not either Jon or Sansa plan on it.

But Sansa’s importance stretches beyond the North. The obvious one is, of course, the Vale. The Vale is a historical ally of House Stark and the North. Robyn Arryn is Sansa’s cousin on their mother’s side and Littlefinger was kind enough to really drive home just how important supporting his cousin was supposed to be for Robyn. He did it for his own motives of course but there’s no reason why Sansa wouldn’t and couldn’t take advantage of that now that Littlefinger is dead. Also, keeping Robyn happy is stupidly easy. Just imagine Jon giving him a ride on dragon back around the Eeryie. The kid will be a fan for life. In addition, Lord Royce is probably writing Sansa sonnets as we speak so the military arm of the Vale is firmly on Sansa’s side.

Then there’s the matter of the Riverlands. Now that the Freys have been decimated by Arya, House Tully is poised to take back control of the region and here is where Jaime really screwed Cersei over. Because House Tully is headed by Edmure, the guy Jaime terrorized and forced to betray his blood with threats of killing his son. House Tully isn’t supporting the Lannisters anytime soon, Edmure probably feels like he needs to atone for betraying the Blackfish (you can see by the way Tobias Menzies plays him that he regrets what he does but feels he has no choice) and the best way for him to do that is by supporting his only other relatives, the Starks, namely Sansa, aka the girl Blackfish said was just like her mother.

Then there’s the Greyjoys and the Iron Islands … Cersei, I think, will hold Euron’s allegiance but Theon Greyjoy is on a quest to rescue his sister and he’ll end up on a collision course with Euron. I’m pretty sure Euron is biting the dust. I’m also fairly certain Yara won’t survive. Now even if you pretend that Theon has no issue with the fact that D*ny does fuck all to help free Yara, aside from giving Theon a boat or two, who do you think Theon, as the only Greyjoy and leader of the Iron Islands, is going to support? D*enerys Targareyen, a virtual stranger he got into an alliance with out of necessity or the family that raised him and that he identifies with, and also feels he has let down in the past. Theon is House Stark, all the way. And if he manages to defeat Euron, he’ll have access to the best navy in the whole of Westeros.

That leaves, as you well pointed out, Dorne … But honestly I’m not sure Dorne is much of a prize for anyone at this time. Nor are Jon and Sansa obsessed with collecting kingdoms, the way Cersei and D*ny are so they’d probably leave Dorne to its own devices unless the Dornish themselves seek an alliance with them. And they’d probably be best served to stay away from Dorne for the time being because I doubt the kingdom is in a good place right now.

As for Ellaria Sand, honestly I don’t want her to make a come back in season 8. Her arc was concluded. Yes, supposedly she’s still alive but what does she really have to bring to the table at this point? Her only claim to Dorne was through her bastard daughters (so not a claim at all as bastards can’t inherit in Dorne anymore than in any other place in Westeros), and the Sand Snakes are dead (I know 2 of them weren’t her daughters but the rest are children and not part of the show). They really did a number on the Dornish plot and went crazy with the laws of succession but in realistic terms, what Ellaria and the Sand Snakes did was a coup d’etat and a pretty stupid one at that. They essentially threw their own country into political chaos and the Dornish, if they’re smart and their history shows they are, should drop Ellaria like a hot potato. There’s plenty of old families in Dorne, just as proud of their heritage and blood as the rest of the great houses of Westeros, so the country at this time is most likely in the midst of a civil war for control. In the future, an alliance with them might prove fruitful because they’ll most likely avoid the whole War for the Dawn and Dance of Dragons that will ravage the rest of Westeros. They’ll probably be able to rebuild more quickly. But Jon and Sansa don’t need Ellaria for that. They can enter an alliance with Dorne’s new leaders based on economical and political interests. They can even seal the deal with a mutually advantageous marriage.

So, that begs the question, if House Stark is essentially running the board as the most influential house in Westeros, if between Jon’s military abilities and Sansa’s diplomatic and political maneuvering, they are capable of not only rallying people to their cause but also unite the whole continent under them, why the hell would they choose to support either the woman whose family killed their father, brother and mother, caused one sister to go on the run and tortured the other or the woman who is going around burning people alive and wants to conquer a war ravaged land with a hoard of rapists and murderers?

Wouldn’t it make much more sense for them to seize power for themselves? And wouldn’t it make much more sense for Jon and Sansa to join their strategic and political advantages in marriage? This is a Ferdinand of Castile and Isabella of Aragon waiting to happen.

Jon actually has nothing to gain and everything to lose by marrying D*ny and the same goes for a potential alliance between Sansa and Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion holds absolutely no power in Westeros, he’s a kinslayer and he brought a foreign queen, two dragons and two armies of foreigners to the shores of his country. D*ny is the daughter of the Mad King, a man so reviled people thought Robert Baratehon was good by comparison, and she’s going around imparting the very popular policy of fire and blood with everyone she comes in contact with. Those kinds of things are not easily dismissed and do not go unnoticed.

Of course neither Jon or Sansa are thinking in terms of geopolitical hegemony at this time nor are they interested in the Iron Throne but between Cersei and D*ny, they will push them to the point where they will have to take action and assert themselves as the new power in Westeros, if they are to survive and thrive. It’s also very likely that their allies will push for them to become king and queen because they’ll understand that Jon and Sansa are their best ticket to a peaceful and healthy future Westeros.

Thanks for the ask!

#jonsa #jonsa is endgame #jon snow #sansa stark #anti-daenerys

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musicfeedsmysoul12 · 5 years

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Elizabeth and the Knights

One of my ‘still planning cause this is a doozy’ stories would be what I want to be a series aimed at kids from 11-19 that like Harry Potter, grows with the kids.

Basically, the story starts with the knowledge that everyone knows King Arthur was real due to the fact that Excaliber was, in fact, a key to all of the pathways the are between worlds. When he died, the Sword was left in the stone, and thus the pathways are open. Given the realms go from Happy Bunny and Rainbow realm to Demonic Spawn of Evil... (yes, one of those is a real title I will be using for my own amusement) it’s a problem. However- the thing is the sword can ONLY be pulled out by Arthur.

Not his kids. Not his wife. Not his bloodline. Arthur himself must draw the sword.

Everyone is freaking out because Arthur is dead, how do we stop this, when Merlin remembers Morgana had placed a spell on her line to cause reincarnation. Given she was Arthur’s sister, this means his soul is just as likely to reincarnate into his line. So they make plans and cast the spell on the Knights of the Roundtable.

The story then goes to Elizabeth Kingsmen who is being raised by her elder sister Victoria as their parents died in a brutal match between the Knights and the denizens of another realm.

(Side note- this is a mix of superhero and magical girl bullshit I had to much fun with).

Elizabeth is a huge fan of the Knights- the various descendants of the Knights of the Roundtable who carry magic in their veins and fight off evil. Not all are reincarnations (some are but not all). At age 11 this magic can begin manifesting and often they end up becoming Knights. In particular, Elizabeth is a fan of the once leader of the Knights the Blue Knight who vanished a few years back.

Elizabeth discovers- through Merlin and the fae- that she is the reincarnation of Guinevere and she is the key to discovering Arthur because according to the Fae, there are signs he reincarnated outside his direct bloodline- which is actually quite common as the bloodlines did spread out a fair bit and while Kingsman is the direct line, they did have many kids in other generations- and they believe she will fall in love with him again. Elizabeth is thrilled and joins the Knights.

So yeah- just... a really weird mess I have to much fun with. Mostly I’m still hashing out characters and plot. I want this to be realistic so like... I’m also researching culture and creatures and disabilities because I am shoving as much representation in as I can.

Characters:

Elizabeth Kingsman- will become Lady G, the leader when she is sixteen.

Merlin- Also known as Mr. M, Merlin has a really weird reincarnation thing. Currently, he is a teacher of magical theory at the school Elizabeth goes to.

Various Fae who have no names yet- the teachers.

Various Boys and Girls Elizabeth gets crushes on and thinks are reincarnations- no names yet.

Victora Kingsman- The older sister of Elizabeth. Works in the morgue.

Chase Drake- the deaf magic user who is the descendant of Lancelot. Currently uses the title White Mage. is also Lancelot’s reincarnation.

Mr. James Lee- the blind math teacher who is the cousin to the current Green Knight who is the descendant of Galahad. Used to be the Green Knight himself. Trains kids from time to time.

Jacob Lee- the current Green Knight.

Muslim Character- Current Knight. Not sure about the color, is descendant of Percival. Female, wears hijab. No name because still fucking researching.

Timothy Clarkson- Uses the title Purple Mage. Descendant of some Knight Kay. Is trans and very proud.

VARIOUS OTHER CHARACTERS STILL IN WORK.

#elizabeth and the knights #original work #elizabeth is bi #victoria is aro ace and this will be stated #she makes gross faces at the thought of anything about sex or romance

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an-ephemeral-blog · 5 years

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Linkspam #7

Top Links

Debunking the Capitalist Cowboy by Nan Estad at Boston Review:

Business schools fetishize entrepreneurial innovation, but their most prominent heroes succeeded because they manipulated corporate law, not because of personal brilliance.

Capitalism, like the United States itself, has a mythology, and for five decades one of its central characters has been the nineteenth-century maverick cigarette entrepreneur, James B. Duke. Duke’s risk-taking investment in the newfangled machine-made cigarette, so the story goes, displaced the pricey, hand-rolled variety offered by his stodgy competitors. This, in turn, won Duke control of the national, and soon global, cigarette market. Repeated ad nauseam in business and history journals, high school and university curricula, popular magazines, and websites, the story has taught that disruptive innovation drives capitalist progress.

The problem? The Duke story is false: mid-century business historians fabricated it to accord with the theory of creative destruction, developed by libertarian economist Joseph Schumpeter. For generations, we have learned from this myth to fetishize entrepreneurial innovation as the engine of capitalism, while missing Duke’s instrumental role in rampant corporate empowerment.

Air Pods Are a Tragedy by Caroline Haskins at Vice:

Even if you only own AirPods for a few years, the earth owns them forever. When you die, your bones will decompose in less than a century, but the plastic shell of AirPods won’t decompose for at least a millennium. Thousands of years in the future, if human life or sentient beings exist on earth, maybe archaeologists will find AirPods in the forgotten corners of homes. They’ll probably wonder why they were ever made, and why so many people bought them. But we can also ask ourselves those same questions right now.

The Cis White Gay Man at a Crossroads by Tim Murphy at Into:

To ally oneself with power and privilege after historically having one’s own inherent gender and racial privilege compromised because of one’s sexuality is extremely seductive. It’s also uncomfortable, to say the least, to know that your new bros are perpetuating cruelties that you know in your gut to be real because, especially if you are an older gay man, you remember such cruelties to the point that your voice rises and breaks when you allude to them.

It can be so uncomfortable that, in the next breath, you deny their authenticity. People who feel vulnerable and unsafe, you say, enjoy playing the victim. Your new status in the world depends on not connecting your own former, or fleeting, suffering to theirs.

Privileged by Kyle Korver at the Player’s Tribune:

When the police break your teammate’s leg, you’d think it would wake you up a little.

When they arrest him on a New York street, throw him in jail for the night, and leave him with a season-ending injury, you’d think it would sink in. You’d think you’d know there was more to the story.

You’d think.

But nope.

Women suffer needless pain because almost everything is designed for men by Sigal Samuel, interviewing Caroline Criado Perez, for Vox:

Sigal Samuel: Can you give an example of a drug that’s been found to be less effective for women?

Caroline Criado Perez: The most shocking one was a heart medication that was meant to prevent heart attacks but at a certain point in a woman’s menstrual cycle is actually more likely to trigger a heart attack. That has to do with the problem of not testing the drug on women at different stages of their menstrual cycle, because you [the researcher] say, “Oh, that’s too complicated and too expensive.” You’re basically saying, “I would rather let women die than have to do a complicated test.”

It Wasn’t Just the Trolls: Early Internet Culture, “Fun,” and the Fires of Exclusionary Laughter by Whitney Philips in Social Media + Society:

Very quickly, I realized that many of the young reporters who initially helped amplify the white nationalist “alt right” by pointing and laughing at them, had all come up in and around internet culture-type circles. They may not have been trolls themselves, but their familiarity with trolling subculture, and experience with precisely the kind of discordant swirl featured in the aforementioned early-2000s image dump, perfectly prepped them for pro-Trump shitposting. They knew what this was. This was just trolls being trolls. This was just 4chan being 4chan. This was just the internet. Those Swastikas didn’t mean anything. They recognized the clothes the wolf was wearing, I argued, and so they didn’t recognize the wolf.

This was how the wolf operated: by exploiting the fact that so many (white) people have been trained not to take the things that happen on the internet very seriously. They operated by laundering hate into the mainstream through “ironically” racist memes, then using all that laughter as a radicalization and recruitment tool.

Other Favorites

Science

Going Critical by Kevin Simler at Melting Asphalt - cool interactive post about criticality in networks

I Got Tenure, But Science is Still Broken by Ryan Abernathey at Medium

From sick role to practices of health and illness by Arthur W Frank in the journal Medical Education

Technology

Google Is Eating Our Mail by Tomaž Šolc at Avian’s Blog - what happens when a private company gets to decide what email is worth receiving

Coding Is For Everyone - As Long As You Speak English by Gretchen McCullough at Wired

YouTube Disabled Comments On Livestreams Of A Congressional Hearing On White Nationalism Because They Were Too Hateful by Ryan Broderick at Buzzfeed News - “Tuesday's hearing was meant to examine the rise of white nationalism and white supremacy and the role social media plays in its spread. Then the comments got hijacked.”

Thinking through ACL-aware data processing by Lea Kissner at the The International Association of Privacy Professionals “Privacy Tech” blog

A Conspiracy To Kill IE6 by Chris Zacharias at their personal blog

History

Liberalism and Jewish Emancipation by Mark Koyama at Liberal Currents - how Jews became full citizens of England

Politics

Is Josh Hawley For Real? by Alexander Zaitchik at the New Republic - A terrifying analysis of the “post-liberal” movement. “Stated simply, the post-liberals reject universal reason as a basis for laws and government. They mourn the institutions, values, and hierarchies that secular rationalism has laid to waste in the name of progress.”

The families funding the 2016 presidential election by the New York Times

Identity politics strengthens democracy by Stacy Abrams in Foreign Affairs

Misc

How to Draw a Horse by Emma Hunsinger in the New Yorker

My Cousin Was My Hero. Until the Day He Tried to Kill Me. by Wil S Hylton at the New York Times

The Untold Story of the Ermahgerd Girl by Darryn King at Vanity Fair

Stoicism’s Appeal to the Rich and Powerful by Ada Palmer at Ex Urbe

What If A City Decides It Can Live Without A Freeway? by Nathanael Johnson - “Inside the push to tear down an Oakland freeway”

Put down the self-help books. Resilience is not a DIY endeavour by Michael Ungar at the Globe and Mail

What Could Have Been by Sophia Steinert-Evoy at Jewish Currents - “I realized: I was watching two Jewish American millennials sing about the crisis of Jewish identity created by the State of Israel on a nationally syndicated television show. But in its subtlety, the performance doesn’t make a statement so much as it opens a line of questioning—starting with What could have been? and leading, perhaps, to: How do we move forward?”

#linkspam

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marcythewerewolf · 7 years

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Some Lord of Shadows Thoughts, In No Particular Order

I think Jace’s name is in this book more than Kieran’s which is obnoxious. Also every appearance of his was prefaced by a multi-sentence description of how gorgeous he was. This did not stop even when he showed up purely to be a dick to Kit. I officially hate book Jace now. He’s drunk the Kool Aid and he’s part of the Shadowhunter establishment and he’s insufferable so thanks for that book. ‘

Shadowhunters are a cult. Full stop. Sometimes it seems like the book has started to recognize this but then it backtracks and goes back to glorifying them. They’re so rich, they’re so pretty! Like, yeah, but they’re also super racist and hugely regressive and directly responsible for the suffering of thousands. Sure, they do some good along the way but so does Salvation Army, they’re still BAD. Look past all the glitter and propaganda and they’re just magical thugs who haven’t gotten past the middle ages and at this rate never will. The Blackthorn kids are better off without them.

Kit is probably the most sympathetic person in the entire book and I do want him to run away and set up a pawn shop in Ohio? Save him from everyone but especially Jace.

At one point his face was described as angular though, which makes me wonder if CC has seen a fifteen year old ever. You do it once, it’s justifiable, but most teenagers have a bad case of the baby face and saying other wise is ridiculous. This cheekbone addiction is getting out of hand.

This book was so ridiculously heterosexual. Like, just such a pervasive case of unfortunate and tragic heterosexuality. So casual. So pointless. Magnus first gets brought up as “glittery”. One character thinks in all seriousness that you only get one dad. Gwyn is painfully straight for no apparent reason when faeries should and previously have been all sorts of flexible. It’s just... bad.

The centurions are all kind of awful and I didn’t bother to learn their names.

That being said, I did like the focus on Diana. She’s beautiful and amazing and brave and I love her.

This is just blatant apologism for what happened to Anselm Nightshade. You set up a situation like that, you deal with the consequences of it, you don’t wimp out.

The kids went to Faerie together and I am glad for that. They did just kill of Iarlath with no fanfare, but now his headcanon bf are chilling together and we got some follow up on Malcolm’s faerie ties so I’m not too mad about that.

“Her old tutor, Katerina.” God, where’s my Katerina spinoff. She has gotten no lines ever and because of that I love her.

I do like anything with faeries very much but it could afford to be a little less fantasy and a little less chaos theory. The rest is just an issue of misplaced expectation. Obviously I like some of my interpretations better (killing girls is so stupid and outdated, an actual curse dooming him to have fifty sons all the time is maybe a twist) but other than that, nice worldbuilding, solid writing.

Faeries! Gosh, I just love them so much. Faeries all the time, that what I want.

The Unseelie King is super interesting. His kids are more trite, but hey, I love them anyways.

On a related note, have I mentioned how much Gwyn just wants his big dumb teenagers to be safe and happy? Kieran and Mark aren’t even twenty and they need to take care of each other and not die. What a quality Faerie Dad.

Some times these kids act dumb but i do not begrudge them it on account of them being children.

The book got good about halfway through, which I appreciated. Kieran my sweet bratty boy, Nene the enigma, the courts, this is some good stuff I appreciate.

What I did not appreciate was the killing off of Arthur. Like, come on. You’ve already done a disservice by magicking up your mental illness, you don’t have to kill him off too. A much more straight forward solution would have used the fact that Malcolm and Annabel were technically married, have his death revive her, then have confused Annabel and her angry zombie husband coming after the Institute, then Annabel realizing what was really going on and turning on Malcolm. Less in between steps. Failing that, ancient aunt they mentioned last book.

Mark, Miach, darling, in fairness, the Seelie Queen’s lover very much did kidnap you. She was kidnap complicit. Don’t be trusting her. She absolutely had Sebastian’s baby.

Memory loss plots are rather boring, but I recognize they do something for some people, so it might just be a cup of tea situation. Enjoy your memory loss then, friends.

The Kieran/Mark/Cristina plot is juicy and I do like that but I want More Diana and Helen and Aline back and Answers first, you know?

One of the downsides of these books being about Shadowhunters is that it always comes down to the Shadowhunter heroes fighting and killing the irrational villainous Downworlder hordes which is Unfortunate. That conflict with Barnabas could have gone so much better.

People need to stop trying to brainwash Kit with this Herondale stuff. People don’t go around calling me by my great-great great grandmother’s name and expect me to sit down and take it. Sure, we’re technically related, but that’s not how convention or basic politeness works. Your name is what you are raised with and more importantly it’s what you choose. His name is Kit and he’s a Rook until he decides, on his own without the constant pressure of adults, to be something else.

As an extension of that? All these callbacks to the other book? They’re getting old and frankly more than a little annoying.

Jessamine died in 1878. Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849. I’m telling you guys, the timeline just doesn’t line up. She wasn’t even born when Malcolm was young and building his house.

Kieran is a very impulsive boy who is already too invested in his Shadowhunter bf and gf. I don’t make the rules.

I tried not to read too much into the Disaster Children literally burning down a church and having a weird intimate moment but they really are a mess. No laws, no holy lands, nothing but family, and nothing comes before family. I’m much more invested in them when they’re tearing down the establishment and making terrible toxic Wicked Powers choices.

AIRMED WAS THE DAUGHTER OF MANNAN. This is basic people. Do your research.

See, the memory loss plots always backfire unless you come clean. Lying never pays, kids.

My Diana theories are more or less confirmed which I appreciate, thank you very much.

I do very much wish they’d at least had the decency to leave bby Morgenstern a bby, that or go all the way and age him a few decades so you had a fifty something year old claiming to be Clary’s nephew. Much better than this cliche storm.

I recognize that Annabel got a short shift in life, but so did Malcolm, frankly. The fact that he gets a life of torment and a horrible death at the hands of one he loved while she gets to wander off and live happily is a little concerning to me. Why do Downworlders not get to be happy? Downworlders, and Arthur Blackthorn, apparently, aren’t allowed to live nice, non-tragic lives, but pretty young Shadowhunters can get away with anything. At this point I would have preferred a disappointing end for Annabel. Get that good tragedy going. The Blackthorn’s clearly have a bad case of the Gothics they need to fulfill.

Oh. OH. There we go. There’s the Blackthorn drama I crave.

My sweet girl, my sweet girl Livvy. She’s coming back as a ghost, isn’t she?

So that’s about five hours. My record holds. The book wasn’t bad, it was just sooooo long. I feel like it could have used a ruthless editor with a really good grasp of the classics to clean things up a bit. Didn’t make me laugh as much, but that might just be a result of my evolving sense of humour. Drama got good nearer the last half of the book. There was some nice stuff in there. Overall, not a waste of five hours, and I’m not mad. Just please, someone de-brainwash these Shadowhunter children. They’re in a cult. Someone needs to tell them that they’re in a cult. Save Kit, he’s getting pulled in as well.

#lord of shadows spoilers #lord of shadows #the dark artifices #long post

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thisisevenharderthannamingablog · 7 years

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6.12 Murder Most Foul

Quite the divisive episode this turned out to be. I admit, I had discarded the theory that they were going to go with Killian as the murderer, and although they obviously will resolve it, I can’t fathom how they might do so without feeling cheap.

That wrinkle aside, this was a far better episode than either of the ones preceding it. (Hell, the inclusion of badass Ruth alone lifted it over that bar.)

In the past: Robert and Ruth face a terrible decision. The twins are sick and will not survive the oncoming winter without medicine they cannot afford. Rumplestiltskin has a deal: give up one twin to be adopted by King George, and both can live. The choice is made by a coin toss. David stays; James goes.

Years later, drunk and broke in a tavern, Robert gets slapped in the face by opportunity when King George shows up. His son has gone missing, and whoever returns him will be richly rewarded. Robert bids farewell to his family, promises that he return to them as his true and whole self, and goes to Rumple for James’ location: Pleasure Island.

In this land of exotic temptation, Robert finds James with some help from Pinocchio. Robert proposes to take him home to his birth family. James does not like George, and is happy to agree, but of course they are intercepted before they can leave the island. Robert’s attempt at defiance avails nothing. James is whisked back off to the palace; Robert is whisked off to be disposed of by some of George’s soldiers.

Killian happens along and kills the soldiers and Robert for Reasons.

In the present: Everyone celebrates Emma’s victory. Later, outside the house, David sees his father’s ghost, reviving his determination to find out how he really died (see 6.03). Snow is not around to urge him to give it up; he recruits Killian into helping him.

Killian, meanwhile, is most concerned with how to ask David for his blessing before he proposes to Emma, and goes along with the plan mainly it seems in order to keep David out of too much trouble.

Meanwhile, Regina comes to reluctant grips with the fact that this Robin is not her Robin but a very different man who really really wants to kill Nottingham and also he kisses weird, and that she may have made a mistake bringing him to Storybrooke.

Zelena shows up just long enough to warn Regina against letting him think that he has any claim on Robyn. Robin steals some “powerful” stuff from Regina’s vault.

While Killian distracts Emma, David steals some magical supplies. He and Killian make a potion to work out where the coin was the day Robert died, giving them the Pleasure Island connection; they visit August. August confirms that Robert was there for James, and that he was sober. He also mentions that he didn’t put all of his own story into Henry’s storybook; there are a few pages he kept back, and if he can find them, they may have more information about Robert.

Charming concludes that George must have killed Robert. He cuffs Hook to a bike rack and goes off to confront his twin’s adoptive father. George admits to having ordered Robert’s death. David gives George a knife and demands that he fight for his worthless life. Killian intervenes (so much for that cuff! Emma probably gave him a key), and a second, more intense confrontation ensues, this one over the question of what man David wants to be. Charming breaks down and abandons his murderous quest.

Later that night, at the docks, David tosses the coin into the water; his father’s ghost is put to rest. Killian joins him and asks his blessing to ask Emma to marry him, which is granted (duh). Ring in hand, Killian heads home, only to be stopped by August, who found those pages of the storybook. Those happen to show Robert’s face... which Killian recognizes as being that guy he killed that one time.

Buzz well and truly killed, thanks a bunch, August.

Parallels: Robert and Charming are both presented as having lost their way, their families in danger of destruction. Both men must face a choice and remain true to themselves. Robert is aided in this by a regretful Rumple, and Charming by Killian.

The title of the episode is a reference to Hamlet, although it’s a bit of a stretch to say the least. They both involve the ghost of a murdered father. (Given what we know about the Underworld, does this mean that Arthur has the phones running again?)

Robert’s ghost says, “Family is everything,” a line used by King George to Snow in 2.03.

The Pleasure Island location is from Pinocchio, and referenced in the page August was typing in the end of 6.11. Pinocchio plays a guide role in both halves of the story -- a reluctant, lying guide in the past, and a more mature and rueful one in the present.

Charming being six at this time, since Pinocchio became a real boy at most a couple of years before the Dark Curse, at which point I would guesstimate Charming was supposed to be around 20, that’s at least a decade of wooden-Pinocchio shenanigans for Gepetto to endure. Yikes.

Representing fate with a coin toss is a very old mechanism. I love when this show gets all classic with its symbolism.

Wardrobe Department:

In Hindsight: The setup represents a bit of a retcon to the twin-trading dilemma as originally given by Ruth back in S2, but I can live with it. George is now responsible for ordering the deaths of both of Charming’s parents, which seems worth promoting him from enemy to nemesis.

We never find out the name of George’s queen -- presumably she had died by the time of the episode’s main action -- but that emphasizes how exclusively this plot is focused on fathers and sons, a theme that will carry through into 6.13 with Rumple and Gideon. “Family is everything” might as well be the theme of the show.

I really liked Robert appearing at Rumple’s place with nothing to pay; it puts the scene on an entirely different footing than their first encounter, and if it does not entirely remove the transactional element -- “You owe me” -- it does alter the resonance. This is not about money, not about anything material, not even about life or death, but about fatherhood in its purest form, the need to protect one’s child. That is a uniquely potent approach with Rumple in this context. (Of course the whole situation was Rumple’s connivance to begin with, but I think that by virtue of Robert being willing to make the deal, Rumple would argue that Robert deserved to be treated that way before.)

Having Zelena show up to deliver a patently obvious piece of information -- since Robyn is not his child by any definition, the entire scene was unnecessary -- seems like it can only have been intended to pave the way for future Robin 2.0/Zelena interactions.

Other than being certain that it will all end in tears, I’m curious what they have in mind for this plot. It was an interesting choice to say the least to place the healing scene in the crypt. Her attempt at a fresh start was doomed from the get-go, Robin wearing a dead man’s clothes in the place that symbolizes death-in-life, surrounded by the towering evidence of Regina’s past and her continued power-hoarding. She might regret the hearts, at least when reminded about them, but she has yet to do anything about it. I hope Sean had fun, anyway.

I liked the repeated shots of David watching Snow’s video on his phone; it really emphasized how isolated he feels. (I’ve seen a fair amount of annoyance over how Snow’s only waking scenes this ep were with Regina, but it fits with my assignment of the Devil’s Advocate role; Regina is currently under the sway of false hope, and it’s Snow’s job to argue with her.) Those moments preface Robert’s first two appearances to David. Can the ghost only appear when David is feeling particularly low and alone?

“The one time I need you to be that guy” - thing is, David, you can’t be “that guy” just “one time”. It was a tough habit to break, and one Killian has no interest in resuming *cough* because you end up doing regrettable things like killing random civilians for murky reasons *cough*. I have seldom been so delighted by a line of dialog in this show as I was by Hook’s that he would try to dissuade anyone who set out on a course of vengeance. This really is the clearest possible marker of the changes he’s gone through, from thoughtless killer to someone who prioritizes others’ healing.

On the reverse note, David was being such an asshole, and I loved it! C’mon, bro, it’s just me, what are you, chicken? Fine, I’ll do it by myself (you loser, you’re not really my friend). It’s all painfully, deliciously adolescent -- he needs a lookout so he can conduct a petty theft! -- and so Back to Pleasure Island we go, to the voice of temptation. I loved all of the Charming scenes in this episode; Josh really cut loose, and it was glorious. (I should also note that I appreciated David’s apology later on for having put Killian’s relationship with Emma in jeopardy; that was a nice, clear touch.)

So Emma does her magic research out in the shed now, and not in the basement/dungeon. Check. That whole scene was golden, even with the undercurrent; turns out nothing is so distracting as full-on honesty. I could watch sunny, smiling Emma for hours. More important than defeating Gideon is that she’s defeated her own fear about her fate. She’s glowing with happiness, ready to enjoy life as it comes, content with her son and her lover. We are on the precipice of the final fulfillment promised by the Hero’s Journey. *happy sigh*

The Science Bros scene was a perfect moment of relative lightness in an episode that could easily have gotten bogged down in itself. Well done, show! See, you can do physical comedy without making fun of people. Amazing.

The bit between David and George and then David and Killian was just SO GOOD I actually don’t have much to say about it? Every instant of emotion was beautifully wrung out of those two confrontations. Moments like this, when we get to see Killian, who faced all of his worst battles alone, being a rock for his loved ones in their moment of testing -- that’s when I love this story.

I also love George, they could have done so much more with him as a villain. Some day I will write that fic (haha). Anyway, since Storybrooke doesn’t seem to have any other place to store long-term prisoners, I assume Isaac is next door.

On to the conclusion.

Hm. Well, if I must.

I’m sooooo tiiiiiiiired of Killian confronting something evil he did in the past, guys. So tired of David in particular throwing “pirate” at him like S4 and 5 never fucking happened. So tired of angst faces and secrets and angry confrontations. This whole situation is a painfully close retread of 6.06, right down to the age of the piratically orphaned boys. At least Killian had a motive for killing Brennan, whereas this setup is so random as to appear both pointless and contrived, so, uh, D- for effort, writers.

As I complained earlier this week, this would have been a Shocking Revelation back in, say, S3, before CS was a solid thing, before they had gotten used to being more or less constantly haunted by Killian’s past.

Really, they should just put a box up on the porch in which people can leave a short form explaining their grievance and their preferred form of restitution: blood, treasure, or saving their life/loved one/sanity please choose only one because episode length.

As it is, we know CS will be fine -- we don’t need the Swoopy Camera of Love Kissing, but I won’t complain about it.

We therefore know that Captain Charming will be fine. This whole “complication” is just wasting time that could be spent on something more interesting or more fun or both, like picking out something other than a plain, standard engagement ring for a fairy tale couple that has such a distinct aesthetic, both of whom have a series-long history of sentimental statement jewelry and one of whom wears a ton of rings, but that would require them remembering that S5 happened, which appears to be against the rules--

Ahem.

Okay. He’s feeling urgent about this. I can see him wanting to get something new, something that doesn’t have a Past because it’s supposed to be about their future. The only place in town that sells EF-style stuff is the Croc’s, which is a non-starter, so it would have to be whatever serves Storybrooke for a modern jewelry store, but even in a town this size, they should have SOMETHING a little unusual. The guy is the standout clothes horse on the male side of the show; he owns forty dark shirts in different but equally subtle patterns; don’t tell me he can’t pick out a ring with some flair.

Anyway. Maybe he’ll pick up something cooler when [spoilers redacted].

In under the wire again, as we prepare for tonight’s episode! I think this next one will signpost Rumple’s final fate in the series, so I am prepared to be interested in what happens even though my emotional investment is zero.

#b watches once upon a time #ouat #ouat 6x12 #anti regina #mildly because she's barely in it

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mysteryshelf · 7 years

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BLOG TOUR - The Last Train: A Tokyo Mystery

Welcome to

THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF!

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF by Smith Publicity. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

About the Book

Hiroshi Shimizu is perfectly settled into his life investigating white-collar crime in Tokyo. But when an American businessman turns up dead, Hiroshi is pulled into a high-stakes search across the enigmatic, maze-like metropolis. The reader quickly learns how close homicide and suicide can appear in a city full of high-speed trains just a step—or a push—away.

From there, celebrated Japanese culture writer Michael Pronko’s, The Last Train: A Tokyo Mystery [Raked Gravel Press, May 31, 2017] only picks up speed. Hiroshi’s mentor Takamatsu drags him out to the notorious and intriguing hostess clubs and futuristic skyscraper offices of Tokyo in search of a possible killer, immersing the reader in fascinating Japanese culture. Hiroshi goes deeper and deeper into Tokyo’s intricate, ominous market for buying and selling the most expensive land in the world to find her.

When Takamatsu goes missing, Hiroshi teams up with ex-sumo wrestler Sakaguchi. They scour Tokyo’s sacred temples, corporate offices and industrial wastelands to find out where Takamatsu went, and why an average-seeming woman could have been driven to murder. It is an intense look at the nuances of Japanese interpersonal relationships and the power dynamics of gender roles and how women—and men, too—are treated in this ancient society.

The Last Train is the first book in the exciting new Detective Hiroshi Pronko series, whose writing has been lauded by Kirkus Reviews as, “an elegantly written, precisely observed portrait of a Japanese city and its culture.”

Interview with the Author

What initially got you interested in writing?

I was always interested in writing. One of my plays was put on in fifth grade. I wrote the whole thing based on (actually, stolen from) Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. I won a prize in eighth grade for a story based on (stolen from) a Twilight Zone episode. I hope I’m not the only young writer who has absconded with some story in their youth? My teachers all through school always encouraged us to write and I always liked that. I worked on the high school newspaper. At college, it was philosophy papers. I never took any creative writing classes, but always read a lot. Writing was always just there, so no “initially.”

What genres do you write in?

I publish in crime fiction and creative non-fiction. In the past, I also wrote essays, editorials, music reviews, art critiques, and academic papers, but now most of my attention is on mystery novels.

What drew you to writing these specific genres?

I was drawn to mystery fiction because I spend a lot of waking hours reading fiction and in some sense, all fiction is a mystery. We wouldn’t keep reading otherwise. What I like about mysteries is the tension between it being highly structured and highly flexible, the predictability and surprise factors balancing in the right proportions. You can pack in all kinds of things into a mystery—cultural customs, passing characters, arcane details, mini-travel essays. I also like the built-in ethical dimension—someone must pay. As for non-fiction, I feel like that was a way to start writing regularly for publication. By writing non-fiction, I learned the basics of writing and could develop it as a habit. I still like first-person essays for their immediacy and thoughtfulness.

How did you break into the field?

One guy I taught with asked if I wanted to write about music for an online magazine. I knew the answer to that one. So, I started writing about jazz. That led to an invitation to write about jazz for The Japan Times (when invited, “yes” again). Then I started writing short personal pieces (imitating the New Yorker but about Tokyo), which led to another invitation to write for Newsweek Japan. Which led to an editor inviting me to publish a collection of my columns about Tokyo in Japanese. Then, two more collections. I put those collections out in English, and then started to work on fiction. So, I wouldn’t say that counts as “break into,” exactly. I’d say it’s more like “chip away at for years.” Basically, it was lucky breaks and baby steps.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

With the The Last Train I want readers to see Japanese society and Japanese people in a fresh way. The novel is more of a whydunit than a whodunit, so I hope readers find it interesting to read about the characters, how they live and why they do what they do. I think the best mysteries delve into the why of crime. Why kill someone? That’s the toughest question around. Thinking about it in story form gives us ideas, in reverse negative, about why we live. I think it’s easy to misunderstand a culture. I do that constantly in Japan even after years. In my novels, I want people to become immersed in Tokyo, to connect to and bring up close the people and experiences that make up this amazing, and gigantic, city. What they take away from that is their own.

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

I learn. I like to have things revealed to me and that happens all the time when I write. It could be an understanding of the world, or of Japan since that’s the setting, about myself or about language or stories. I think we live in stories. Stories are how we organize our lives, how we see the world and see ourselves, so writing is a constant reevaluation of the power of stories. I love that “aha” moment when the story connects in a way that makes me jump and tingle. It’s a pleasure every morning to jump back into the story I’m writing, and through my one little story, I also jump into the larger mystery of how stories create, and sometimes destroy, the meanings in our lives.

What do you find most challenging about writing?

From the practical side, finding time. I teach full-time at university, so the end and beginning of the semesters, the planning, grading, faculty meetings (pure drain) and advising students takes so much energy finding time for writing is impossible. But that’s the same for everyone, everything that takes time conflicts with everything else that takes time. Sometimes, it’s hard to push other things aside and simply not do them. Other things often have immediate payoff, while writing is very, very delayed (sometimes never) in its gratification. It took me a long time to enjoy writing in and of and for itself. But at the same time, to keep my mind always thinking how it can better connect to readers. Writing a beautiful sentence is one thing, but writing a sentence that will affect another person with power is always a challenge.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

Write a lot and write for people to read. I was lucky to have gotten many writing jobs that let my writing be read. And I wrote a lot. At one point, I had seven deadlines a month, plus my full-time university job, research and writing. I managed that for a couple years, and it was excellent training. So, however writers can get traction is fine, but you get traction by having your work in a public space of some kind. That deflates your ego by giving you a good, solid reality check. I think every writer must learn how to focus, to shove the world aside, produce by deadline, work with editors, think about readers. If writing can be said to be “a field,” I tend to think of it as all-encompassing, you get out of it what you put in. I think input is equally important. Garbage in, garbage out is really true. It’s essential to read, and to take in other things like film, art, travel, discussion with friends, all the things that put meaningful pressure on the mind to grow and develop.

What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I read so widely, that’s hard to answer. I like fiction mainly, literature and mysteries. But I also read a lot of literary theory, which, like how-to-write books, I take with a grain of salt, or two or three. I like non-fiction essays and I read a lot for my classes in American literature and culture. I love reading about music, film, art, history, philosophy, both Asian and western. There’re few “types” of books I don’t like in some way.

Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?

I’ve lived in Japan for twenty years and in China for three years. I suppose that’s interesting, though it feels natural and normal to me. I’ve written about that, so maybe that’s writing? I’m addicted to music and run a site about jazz, www.jazzinjapan.com, but I guess that’s also writing…hmmm…so, nothing else, only writing, I guess.

What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?

I love to hear from readers and prospective readers. I put up new info, articles and content on my website. I think I’m connect-able through most online routes. I’ll put all those below. I value the chance to connect with readers, so please do.

www.michaelpronko.com

@pronkomichael

https://www.facebook.com/pronkoauthor/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2793539.Michael_Pronko

www.amazon.com/author/michaelpronko

BLOG TOUR – Till Dirt Do Us Part

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BLOG TOUR – The Last Train: A Tokyo Mystery was originally published on the Wordpress version of The Pulp and Mystery Shelf with Shannon Muir

#shannon muir #pulp and mystery shelf

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