#it's not really a meta or that well written so I apologise

[katy-133]

Why Spy and Sniper are opposites (and why they understand each other)

(A Team Fortress 2 meta.)

I had this in my drafts half-written for a while and then felt motivated enough to finish it up after seeing @gobbogoo's excellent meta about the professionalism aspect of Sniper and Spy's relationship.

I love foil characters. In my mind, what can make a foil compelling is when the two characters are opposites in many ways, they are also, at their cores, the same in the ways that really matter. When you get right down to it.

Mechanics (Or Far vs Close)

Sniper and Spy were literally made for each other.

In-game, Sniper and Spy are designed to counter each other. The Sniper vs Spy Update introduced multiple weapons for both Sniper and Spy that were designed to undo specifically the Spy and Sniper classes. They were introduced day-by-day in a comical, "Your new toy may counter mine, but now my new toy counters that!" fashion. Sniper's Razorback shield prevents Spy backstabbing him. Spy's Ambassador allows Spy to kill Snipers wearing a Razorback, and so on.

When you play as Sniper or Spy, different gameplay styles emerge from their different strengths and weaknesses. Sniper works well at a distance, behind the rest of his team, because his primary weapons are long range. Spy works well close up because of his ability to instantly kill with backstabs. And Spy's disguises can be more convincing if he's where the enemy team is, so he works well when he's ahead of the rest of his team.

Dirty vs Clean

Sniper roughs it with his (Cosy Camper) backpack and his camper van. Spy wears Louis Vuitton suits (or rather, "Louis Crabbemarché"--TF2 universe's counterpart), as mentioned in The Naked and the Dead comic:

Sniper urinates in mason jars and throws them as a weapon (Jarate). Spy has a special knife (Your Eternal Reward) that kills so cleanly, it instantly removes the body. Spy calls Sniper "filthy" as an insult in-game. It's something to cast scorn over, to Spy.

Spy: "You disgust me, filthy jar man!"

Alone vs Together

Sniper loves his job as a sniper for RED (and BLU). His job makes him stronger when he's at a distance from his team. Therefore, while he's not totally isolated from people, he doesn't mind being alone. He works well like that when he's working.

Sniper: "I love this job. Sunshine's free, bullets are cheap, and everybody's got a head."

Spy's Rally, an alternate Meet the Spy audio recording (as I wrote before), illustrates how Spy values teamwork and believes that it goes against the natural order of life.

Spy: "Disorder, the natural state of nature, is cheap to create, costly to overcome. [...] Nature abhors a team, gentlemen. And together, we bold few, we unnatural brothers, are going to seize Mother Nature by the throat."

Sniper finds strength in being alone. Spy finds strength in being together.

Out of vs In the Spotlight

When there was a irl figurine of Sniper being sold, Valve's blog released a post written by Sniper ("Well, Now I'm a Statue", 11 December 2012). He explains that he hates that his happened, as it goes against his wantiness to stay out of the spotlight.

Sniper: "It probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that a professional assassin like myself tends to be… discrete about things. We keep to the shadows. We avoid the spotlight. We don't host bloody dinner parties, is my point, and we don't make big bloody statues in effigy to our bloody selves."

Despite being an operative who has the ability to literally turn invisible, Spy has a flair for theatrics. He likes spectacle. In Expiration Date, when Scout apologises to Spy, Spy wants him to repeat "You're better than me," line over the PA system so that all the other mercs hear it.

Inexperienced vs Experienced in Romance

Sniper is never shown to have experienced romance and it's possible he never did. Sniper, despite his character being inspired by Crocodile Dundee, an adventure romance comedy, doesn't have a love interest. Sniper's "kangaroo wife" line is a made-up insult by Soldier.

Soldier: "I will send my condolences to your kangaroo wife."

In Meet the Sniper, we see him call his parents when he gets access to a payphone. His parents whom he sends postcards to (we see this postcard in the Sniper vs. Spy update). And it's his parents that the Administrator threatens the safety of to keep Sniper in line. It's his parents that are Sniper's priority of keeping protected. Not a girlfriend.

As essayist Kayla explains in a video meta about the mercs' past relationships, Sniper grew up in Australia, where (in the TF2 universe) the country's culture and people value large muscles due to Australium metal exposure giving Australians super-strength, as explained in the Catch-Up comic:

Security locks are punch-based (as Saxton Hale demonstrates to Miss Pauling in The Contract comic). Kids are expected to get into fist fights with each other. Meaning that Sniper is "not attractive by conventional Australian standards" in the TF2 universe (again, observation by Kayla in the video meta).

Spy on the other hand, is characterised by his past relationship with Scout's mother and it's one of the few things we know about Spy's past. Spy has an in-game line about liking his romances "in groups of six." When Scout needs advice on asking Miss Pauling out on a date, he goes to Spy for help (keep in mind, Scout doesn't know Spy is his father at this point). He has a reputation among his team that he is experienced in romantic relationships.

Spy: "I like my teams like I like my romances: in groups of six."

Where Sniper and Spy are Similar

Being Discreet and Valuing Secrets

In the TF2 comic The Naked and the Dead, we find out that Sniper knows that Scout is Spy's son. By this point, Scout doesn't know (or is heavily in denial about it). We know Sniper knows because when Sniper and Spy come across Scout dying in a hallway, Sniper leaves Spy to have a private moment with Scout, when Spy tells Scout that he's his father (or rather, Tom Jones is his father, because Spy can't bring himself to tell the whole truth).

Sniper is discreet in leaving them alone, because he never explicitly says that he knows (or what he knows) in that scene. It's mainly left unspoken. He only says one word, and Spy knows what's he's going to say. And Sniper chooses to leave because he knows that this secret is important to Spy and Scout.

Spy ability to be discreet and valuing secrets inherently comes with his job. His disguises only work as much as his ability to act like the person he's pretending to be. Spy also values the secret of his identity so much that we don't ever see him without his mask. The SFM model of Spy mask less (where we see he has hair) is a fan-made model that the fandom has collectively accepted. It has not been shown in any official Valve works. In Meet the Spy, he's always wearing his mask in the various Top Secret photos. There's also a Miss Pauling contract line for Spy in-game where she tells him that he should wash his mask. He canonically doesn't take it off.

Miss Pauling: "Spy, just between you and me, you should really wash that ski mask. Like once. There's visible stink lines coming off that thing. Anyway, I need a favor."

Kinda ironic, since Spy values cleanliness.

Are Both Willing to Put Themselves in Danger to Save One Another

Despite their differences, when they're on the same team (or even when they're still on opposite teams but have come together against a greater enemy, like in Mann vs Machine), Sniper and Spy can work together to save each other.

In the comics (The Naked and the Dead), Spy gets shot in the leg and is about to be killed by Classic Sniper (from the first Team Fortress game) while trying to infiltrate a building to save his team, but is saved by Sniper.

To do this, Sniper had to run up several flights of stairs, break down a door, crash through a window, scale the side of a building, and then climb silently into the room Spy was in. While naked and bleeding. Sniper was willing to put himself at great personal risk to save Spy.

They Both Experienced Loneliness Just Before Joining RED/BLU

I imagine that, one day, Sniper and Spy will figure out that they are not so different. If they knew about each other's pasts, they would notice a certain similarity.

Sniper's backstory (his description on TF2's website) is that he was a "tracker of dangerous game" in Australia. He would have spent a long time on his own, in the wilderness, isolated from people. He lived on a farm with his parents, not in the cities. In the comics (Blood in the Water), Sniper explains that he grew up with kids who wanted to fist fight, while he would climb up trees out of their reach and throw stones at them. He didn't fit in.

He calls his parents in Meet the Sniper, but they don't like the line of work he's in. Which upsets him, because he wants their approval.

Spy's backstory is that he had a love, Scout's mother, and ran away from her. We don't know the details of why. But we do know that he and her are still on good terms. Spy and her are seen together in Valve's promo animation for the Second Annual Saxxy Awards:

Spy appears to still love her, as at the end of Meet the Spy, he takes one of the photos of them together. Notably, the most chaste photo of the pile--it's of the two of them holding hands, walking away together.

I think that's insight on what he would have wanted in another timeline. But he ran away on his own, leaving a woman he loved (and still loves) as well as his baby son. He left his family.

This is what their lives were like before the Gravel War.

It's also worth noting that they both joined RED/BLU. They all chose a line of work that many would not, and this gives us insight into their character. Whether it was for the money, or for the chance to fight, or to combat loneliness, both Sniper and Spy found themselves working for RED/BLU.

In Conclusion

Sniper and Spy are opposites in many ways, but when you get right down to it, their cores are the same.

#team fortress 2 #tf2 #storytelling #my text #character development

[elvendorx]

Alright, discovering your meta after YEARS outta the loop with the HP-verse, please forgive my ignorance. I'm curious why there's so much interest in Lily and Regulus being friends? I just don't get it. A lot of your reasoning of them being from families with the same sibling structure makes sense but that could be applied to a Lily and Sirius friendship as well but there doesn't seem to be much interest in that pairing. It makes more sense to me that Lily and Sirius would eventually bond over not being especially close to their respective siblings--evidence that they were friends is the letter found in Grimmauld by Harry, and there's no blood supremacy down that path as there would be with Regulus. It just seems like Lily's ideological friction with Snape would be repeated with Regulus and wouldn't necessarily beget more growth from either character. So please, help me understand as a long lost HP reader, what I'm missing. Thank you!

Hi! No need to apologise, I'm fairly out of the loop HP-wise because I generally stick to circles of things I like - so I'm very interested and quite surprised to hear that there's a lot of interest in Lily and Regulus as friends?? I filter out James/Lily, James/Regulus and Sirius/Remus so if it ties into any of those (I mean I know jegulily is a thing which is why I filter the first two when I'm looking for regulily) then I just won't have come across it because that's not my angle.

Firstly, I would say don’t worry about not getting it. The HP world is huge and the fandom is huge so there’s a niche for like, everyone. I pretty much exclusively revolve within Marauder era stuff and there’s still so much within that sphere that I don’t get and don’t like. A lot of it is about filling in gaps and looking at potential rather than anything concrete and that 100% goes for Regulus and Lily interacting. It’s the potential for it to go either way and it’s a new perspective to “test” these two characters through while being plausible enough because they have people in common and were around at the same time.

Lily/Regulus is speculative whereas Lily & Sirius is a friendship we know existed positively, so I completely agree that Lily and Sirius would talk about their families and their siblings. I do think it's interesting that Sirius barely talks about Lily even though we have that letter from Lily to Sirius, and I also wonder quite how close they were. I think it’s assumed often that they were very close, and I absolutely think that Lily and Sirius liked each other and respected each other but I don't know if we have enough to completely persuade me that they would be close friends without James as a link. One of the main motives of Lily’s letter is come and see James he misses you. But I’m not refuting that they were friends or close or anything, I think it’s interesting to wonder where exactly their friendship falls as it always used to be written as exclusively very very positive.

From what I remember of gen marauders fandom, especially jily fandom, Sirius & Lily was fairly common and Sirius was "Jily's biggest shipper" or whatever, when really I don't think Sirius actually gave a shit lmao. He doesn’t care at all when Lily rejects James in SWM. I don’t think Sirius would emotionally invest himself in any potential relationships, especially on behalf of the person who isn’t James lmao. Also I remember a lot of fics where Sirius gave James shit for treating Lily badly (by like having another girlfriend because lily told him to fuck off again and he was supposed to know that she secretly liked him, idk jily is not my bag) or something when actually Sirius was James' biggest enabler, thanks.

Again I don’t know how much of lily&regulus and lily&sirius is actually around these days but I’d guess that if there is more lily/regulus, it's because there's no tension with Sirius and Lily so there’s less room for speculation whereas with Lily and Regulus there would definitely be tension and friction, and there are lots of gaps to be filled, more room to explore without being entirely disconnected from the characters and world that are familiar to us.

I think maybe Lily/Regulus occupies the space between Lily & Snape's friendship and Lily & Sirius', if that makes sense? They both provide the basis for Lily tolerating Regulus, as a less than morally sound person. I can’t remember if I mentioned it in the other ask about Lily/Regulus but Lily has a pattern of tolerating “horrible boys” (James, Snape, Sirius) and overlooking things where she wants to so I don’t think she’s as black and white as to completely dismiss Regulus straight off, she almost seems to do it on a case by case basis so she is susceptible to bias (talked about it a bit here).

The ideological friction is a huge part of the pairing, and again I think because the friction isn't there with Sirius but it's very much there with Snape, Regulus provides a kind of middle-ground where Lily's reaction can be explored. We know enough about both characters to speculate without being prescriptive, there's room to play, room to explore, but there's recognition there. Lily could go either way with Regulus - her relationship with Sirius could play a part in her treatment of him, is she sympathetic because it's her friend's younger brother, or does she see him in the same way she sees Snape? Does her sympathy with Regulus create tension in her friendship with Sirius? Lots of potential, if potential and character dynamics and character studies are things you’re interested in (which I am, so they work fantastically for me).

We have Regulus  whose turnaround with Voldemort and the Death Eaters is very short (so is Snape's, really, he was only 21 when he changed sides) but we don't see Regulus' allegiance to Voldemort in detail whereas we do get unsavoury aspects of Snape in detail which maybe just makes Regulus more palateable. We see a pretty conclusive end to lily and snape, it’s a situation she’s tired of, she’s voiced her concerns and things don’t change, so I think there’s a lack of respect element to that more than just ideological, it’s personal as well. Whereas Lily and Regulus don’t have that history and often by the time they interact Regulus is “redeemed” so she doesn’t have to fight with an ongoing ideological difference, more a historical one and whether she can really trust that he has changed (full accountability for the teenage death eater tho, pls, I don’t vibe with a forced into it Regulus but I do vibe with the small reasons that built up to him making the decision to join that weren’t purely admiration of Voldemort). But also there are a lot of muggle regulus/lily things which are based on their characters rather than the canon plot.

I don't think there's much more I can say without repeating my previous post about Lily & Regulus - it's the potential, more than exact details. I like both characters individually which is why I'm drawn to them together, plus they're both linked closely with james&sirius who are my favs always, but I'd say most lily/regulus enjoyers I've seen are more commonly from the snape side of things?

But I'm very intrigued by the fandom norms around this - what is the lily/regulus goss? Has Sirius & Lily as background besties dropped off? lmk because i stay in my j/s circle and i make liberal use of filters and blacklists so I know nothing about wider fandom (probably for the greater good of everyone else on the internet).

#ask #thank u :)

[erenaeoth]

10, 14, 19, and 21 for the meta writer asks >:)

thank!

10. How would you describe your writing process?

Organised chaos. I'll usually have one idea. Then let it grow for a bit. If it excites me, I'll start writing. I usually know what sort of length story it will be before I start writing. If it's going to be a multi-chapter story, I start planning once I've got enough of an opening down that I think I'm not going mad and it looks like it might actually be a plausible idea. Then it's a case of playing off sketchy plan against spontaneous writing, interrupted far too periodically with research ventures that take up far too much time for very minor throwaway sentences. Eventually I finish it and I'm really pleased. Then I come back to it the next morning and can't believe I let myself think this was good. I clean it up for a few days and at some point I'm happy enough that other people are allowed to see it.

14. At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

Either immediately, so that it's partially what inspired the story, or about a minute before I post the thing. Some story titles just write themselves and others I've agonised over and still think they're pretty bad. Black Ice was like a triple pun and catchy, came up with it very quick. Sparrow in Winter included the main character's nickname and was about his fragility during the hardest period in is life - also pretty spontanous. Zen Gardens of the Heart. no. I'm still wondering why i went with such a pretentious title. Took me months. i wanted it to be about cultivating love so i guess thats vaguely what it sounds like but im still salty about the title that took me so long to get to and its still kinda lame.

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

SO MANY THINGS. Probably my biggest bane is "slightly". Now that I've let you know, you're going to see it everywhere. CRINGE. I always have to go back through and edit some of them out. The trope I can't get enough of though is grumpy brothers who'd actually do anything for each other. I seem to flit between fandoms just writing about that. I will not apologise for this. They're also all gangsters. Not going to apologise for that either.

21. What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

My large (and largely abandoned) fantasy story began life as a webcomic. There were some things I lost as I moved it from comic to text only, but they're very minor compared to what it gained. And I'm also thankful to no longer be writing, drawing, inking, and watercolour painting a page every week. Some of my stories are homages to some film genres, like Black Ice was a homage to HK crime movies, and my upcoming story Killing Hawk is a homage to Korean gangster and crime tv dramas, which means I think they could maybe adapt to those mediums because they already drew from them. In general though, I think written fiction does best in the art form it was originally intended to be. I certainly think lots of the things I hope a reader would take away from my writing doesn't just boil down to what would be there in a visual adaptation of it.

#meta writing meme #writing

[alinaastarkov]

Motherhood - Arya, Daenerys, Brienne and Sansa

So this is in response to an ask I got and it ended up really long so I thought I would post separately. I’m not great at writing proper metas but this is my poor imitation of one at least, so here goes.

Motherhood and children are key parts of Arya, Brienne and Dany’s arcs. They all act as mothers to other characters in their stories and seem to have a natural maternal instinct that you normally don’t find in female characters who are gnc because men usually just can’t write strong women. Ususally female characters get the choice between children or having skills, but Brienne, Arya and Dany get both in their arcs. On the flip side, Sansa on the outside is a prime candidate for motherhood - she dreams of having children, is romantic, traditionally feminine, etc. But GRRM deconstructs these tropes by almost making her not very maternal at all.

Sansa outwardly conforms to patriarchal gender norms but she doesn’t take joy in or have the instincts of a mother. Her dreams were usually limited to marriage and not much beyond that. She’s growing out of her superficial desires, obviously, but she always thought about romance and being a lady, and having babies was a part of that because of the society she grows up in. She never wanted to actually care for children, she was just told that was an essential part of a “happy ending” and so she bought it. Her dreams about children were only ever about babies. She wants the fantasy, not the reality of raising kids. We can see with her behaviour with Sweetrobin - though it is improving - she really doesn’t have those motherly instincts and disdains the truths of having to care for someone younger.

It was more than Sansa could stand. "Robert, stop that." Instead he swung the doll again, and a foot of wall exploded. She grabbed for his hand but she caught the doll instead. There was a loud ripping sound as the thin cloth tore. Suddenly she had the doll's head, Robert had the legs and body, and the rag-and-sawdust stuffing was spilling in the snow. Lord Robert's mouth trembled. "You killlllllllled him," he wailed. Then he began to shake. It started with no more than a little shivering, but within a few short heartbeats he had collapsed across the castle, his limbs flailing about violently. White towers and snowy bridges shattered and fell on all sides. Sansa stood horrified, but Petyr Baelish seized her cousin's wrists and shouted for the maester. - Sansa VII, ASOS

Robert's lip quivered. "I was going to come sleep with you." I know you were. Sweetrobin had been accustomed to crawling in beside his mother, until she wed Lord Petyr. Since Lady Lysa's death he had taken to wandering the Eyrie in quest of other beds. The one he liked best was Sansa's . . . which was why she had asked Ser Lothor Brune to lock his door last night. She would not have minded if he only slept, but he was always trying to nuzzle at her breasts, and when he had his shaking spells he often wet the bed. - Sansa I, AFFC

Alayne understood all that well enough, but it meant that the burden of getting Sweetrobin safely down the mountain fell on her. "Give his lordship a cup of sweetmilk," she told the maester. "That will stop him from shaking on the journey down." "He had a cup not three days past," Colemon objected. "And wanted another last night, which you refused him." "It was too soon. My lady, you do not understand. As I've told the Lord Protector, a pinch of sweetsleep will prevent the shaking, but it does not leave the flesh, and in time . . ." "Time will not matter if his lordship has a shaking fit and falls off the mountain. If my father were here, I know he would tell you to keep Lord Robert calm at all costs." "I try, my lady, yet his fits grow ever more violent, and his blood is so thin I dare not leech him any more. Sweetsleep . . . you are certain he was not bleeding from the nose?" "He was sniffling," Alayne admitted, "but I saw no blood." "I must speak to the Lord Protector. This feast . . . is that wise, I wonder, after the strain of the descent?" [...] "Just give him a cup of the sweetmilk before we go, and another at the feast, and there should be no trouble." "Very well." They paused at the foot of the stairs. "But this must be the last. For half a year, or longer." "You had best take that up with the Lord Protector." She pushed through the door and crossed the yard. Colemon only wanted the best for his charge, Alayne knew, but what was best for Robert the boy and what was best for Lord Arryn were not always the same. Petyr had said as much, and it was true. Maester Colemon cares only for the boy, though. Father and I have larger concerns. - Alayne II, AFFC

In the last quote she says she has “larger concerns” than Robin’s health. All these characters are forced into motherly roles, even if they don’t like it at first, but Sansa is the only one of them who never actually feels that instinct to care for the child over other concerns. Not all people have motherly instincts so this is not a bad thing, it is simply a truth about her character. She does not have the connection to motherhood and children that others do.

Brienne, Arya and Dany on the other hand don’t conform to gender norms but they don’t disdain traditionally feminine women and all have super maternal instincts. Motherhood and children are an important part of all these characters’ arcs. With Dany, it’s blindingly obvious, and Brienne and Arya have this on a smaller scale, but they all care for and protect people like mothers. Sometimes this means being forceful to ensure they listen and are protected, but all mothers do the same.

The fire leapt from one house to another. Arya saw a tree consumed, the flames creeping across its branches until it stood against the night in robes of living orange. Everyone was awake now, manning the catwalks or struggling with the frightened animals below. She could hear Yoren shouting commands. Something bumped against her leg, and she glanced down to discover the crying girl clutching her. "Get away!" She wrenched her leg free. "What are you doing up here? Run and hide someplace, you stupid." She shoved the girl away. - Arya IV, ACOK

They found Gerren too, but he was hurt too bad to move. As they were running toward the barn, Arya spied the crying girl sitting in the middle of the chaos, surrounded by smoke and slaughter. She grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to her feet as the others raced ahead. The girl wouldn't walk, even when slapped. Arya dragged her with her right hand while she held Needle in the left. Ahead, the night was a sullen red. The barn's on fire, she thought. Flames were licking up its sides from where a torch had fallen on straw, and she could hear the screaming of the animals trapped within. Hot Pie stepped out of the barn. "Arry, come on! Lommy's gone, leave her if she won't come!" Stubbornly, Arya dragged all the harder, pulling the crying girl along. Hot Pie scuttled back inside, abandoning them . . . but Gendry came back, the fire shining so bright on his polished helm that the horns seemed to glow orange. He ran to them, and hoisted the crying girl up over his shoulder. "Run!" - Arya IV, ACOK

"Mostly just roofs," Arya admitted, "but some chimneys were smoking, and I heard a horse." The Weasel put her arms around her leg, clutching tight. Sometimes she did that now. [...] "If we see any leg potion, we'll bring it," Gendry said. "Arry, let's go, I want to get near before the sun is down. Hot Pie, you keep Weasel here, I don't want her following." [...] "You leave Weasel alone, she's just scared and hungry is all." Arya glanced back, but the girl was not following for once. Hot Pie must have grabbed her, like Gendry had told him. [...] Lommy and Hot Pie almost shit themselves when she stepped out of the trees behind them. "Quiet," she told them, putting an arm around Weasel when the little girl came running up. [...] "She ran off when she heard you coming," Lommy said. "You made a lot of noise." And Arya thought, Run, Weasel, run as far as you can, run and hide and never come back.  - Arya V, ACOK

She would make much better time on her own, Arya knew, but she could not leave them. They were her pack, her friends, the only living friends that remained to her, and if not for her they would still be safe at Harrenhal, Gendry sweating at his forge and Hot Pie in the kitchens. If the Mummers catch us, I'll tell them that I'm Ned Stark's daughter and sister to the King in the North. I'll command them to take me to my brother, and to do no harm to Hot Pie and Gendry. They might not believe her, though, and even if they did . . . Lord Bolton was her brother's bannerman, but he frightened her all the same. I won't let them take us, she vowed silently, reaching back over her shoulder to touch the hilt of the sword that Gendry had stolen for her. I won't. - Arya I, ASOS

Arya with Weasel is such a strong example of her motherly instincts. Even though Arya is only 9/10 herself, she takes it upon herself to care for others even when everyone else is telling her not too. Like every other mother, she forces Weasel to do what’s best for her, protecting her even if it makes Weasel upset for a while. At least she’s alive and safe. And she’s good at being motherly too. Eventually, Weasel is actively seeking out Arya as her protector, clinging to her leg, and Arya holds Weasel so casually and naturally, it’s pretty much automatic. And her attachment to her “pack” throughout is just an extension of this because she is always “at the head”, the leader, the protector, the mother.

"They will not hurt me," she told him. "They are my children, Jorah." She laughed, put her heels into her horse, and rode to them, the bells in her hair ringing sweet victory. She trotted, then cantered, then broke into a gallop, her braid streaming behind. The freed slaves parted before her. "Mother," they called from a hundred throats, a thousand, ten thousand. "Mother," they sang, their fingers brushing her legs as she flew by. "Mother, Mother, Mother!" - Daenerys IV, ASOS

Dany had left a trail of corpses behind her when she crossed the red waste. It was a sight she never meant to see again. "No," she said. "I will not march my people off to die." My children. "There must be some way into this city." - Daenerys V, ASOS

Safe. The word made Dany's eyes fill up with tears. "I want to keep you safe." Missandei was only a child. With her, she felt as if she could be a child too. "No one ever kept me safe when I was little. Well, Ser Willem did, but then he died, and Viserys … I want to protect you but … it is so hard. To be strong. I don't always know what I should do. I must know, though. I am all they have. I am the queen … the … the …" "… mother," whispered Missandei. "Mother to dragons." Dany shivered. "No. Mother to us all." Missandei hugged her tighter. "Your Grace should sleep. Dawn will be here soon, and court." "We'll both sleep, and dream of sweeter days. Close your eyes." When she did, Dany kissed her eyelids and made her giggle. - Daenerys II, ADWD

The motherhood part of Dany’s arc is pretty much undeniable. She is the mother to dragons, mother to all her people. She calls them her “children”, they call her “Mhysa” and their care is her primary concern. As seen in the last quote, she agonises over not protecting them well enough, she worries constantly that she is putting them in danger when all she wants to do is keep them safe. Missandei reminds her that she is their mother and she is protecting them as best she can, and like Arya and Brienne she acts motherly in a more personal sense here, making Missandei giggle. Without a doubt, Dany is the best protector her children could have asked for. Motherhood I’m sure will only become more prevalent in Dany’s story going forward.

So far he had been true to his word, and Brienne had been true to hers. Podrick had not complained. Every time he raised a new blister on his sword hand, he felt the need to show it to her proudly. He took good care of their horses too. He is still no squire, she reminded herself, but I am no knight, no matter how many times he calls me "ser." She would have sent him on his way, but he had nowhere to go. Besides, though Podrick said he did not know where Sansa Stark had gone, it might be that he knew more than he realized. Some chance remark, half-remembered, might hold the key to Brienne's quest. - Brienne III, AFFC

Brienne had been betrothed at seven, to a boy three years her senior, Lord Caron's younger son, a shy boy with a mole above his lip. They had only met the once, on the occasion of their betrothal. Two years later he was dead, carried off by the same chill that took Lord and Lady Caron and their daughters. Had he lived, they would have been wed within a year of her first flowering, and her whole life would have been different. She would not be here now, dressed in man's mail and carrying a sword, hunting for a dead woman's child. More like she'd be at Nightsong, swaddling a child of her own and nursing another. It was not a new thought for Brienne. It always made her feel a little sad, but a little relieved as well. - Brienne III, AFFC

One of the women was very old, one was heavy with child, and one was a girl as fresh and pretty as a flower in spring. When Meribald took them off to hear their sins, Ser Hyle chuckled, and said, "It would seem the gods walk with us . . . at least the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone." Podrick looked so astonished that Brienne had to tell him no, they were only three marsh women. - Brienne V, AFFC

"Podrick has never harmed you. My father will ransom him. Tarth is called the sapphire isle. Send Podrick with my bones to Evenfall, and you'll have sapphires, silver, whatever you want." [...] Brienne felt the hemp constricting, digging into her skin, jerking her chin upward. Ser Hyle was cursing them eloquently, but not the boy. Podrick never lifted his eyes, not even when his feet were jerked up off the ground. If this is another dream, it is time for me to awaken. If this is real, it is time for me to die. All she could see was Podrick, the noose around his thin neck, his legs twitching. Her mouth opened. Pod was kicking, choking, dying. Brienne sucked the air in desperately, even as the rope was strangling her. Nothing had ever hurt so much. She screamed a word.  - Brienne VIII, AFFC

Brienne is similar to Arya in terms of motherly instincts. She maybe begrudges her responsibility to Pod at first, but she recognises that responsibility straight away and takes it on nevertheless, protecting him, teaching him, encouraging him. Pod meanwhile seems to love Brienne, taking pride in being her squire, wanting to be at her side at all times. In the end, honour, quite possibly the most important thing for Brienne, is sacrificed to save Pod’s life.

It’s another deconstruction of classic fairy tale characters. Motherhood is associated with protection, and so the gnc women in the series taking on protector roles of the more traditional sense (ruling, wielding a sword, knighthood, etc.) are also mothers at the same time, and the classic princess is what she would realistically be like - superficial and largely without those instincts. It’s another reason to think Arya/ Brienne/ Daenerys will end the series with children of their own.

#asoiaf meta #my meta #this one kind of got away from me #but here you go anyway #daenerys targaryen #arya stark #brienne of tarth #sansa stark #motherhood #acok #asos #affc #adwd #it's not really a meta or that well written so I apologise

[hacash]

ted lasso thoughts 2x07

ok. ok. ok let’s do this. ok.

OWCH.

ngl, this one was hard to watch. Nate has been my favourite main character from the get go and it is brutal to see him as we are - both because how he’s been treating other characters (Colin’s face when he insults him! Will’s hopeful little smile when he suggests the ‘Wonder Kid’ shirt!) and because it’s so obvious that what’s fuelling this behaviour is nothing short of some obviously crippling self-esteem issues and anxiety. 

And how many people want to slap Papa Shelley in the face right now? Your son gets on a national paper and you can’t even acknowledge it?

There were so many heartbreaking little moments that I think are showing the cracks - Nate spiralling when he sees one negative tweet, pulling a face at the craft box, the ‘you don’t inspire, you do the job’ clearly projecting from himself - and the fact that people just ain’t seeing the problems….argh. It’s so understandable and makes so much narrative sense that Nate would go from victim to bully, but that doesn’t make it easier to see. That being said: we’re in the dark forest, we knew it was going to hurt, and I’m willing to bet the show knows precisely what it’s doing.

Also that last scene being all off-screen? Damn fine directing.

Seriously, I have so much Nate meta atm and it keeps on coming, so apologies to my followers for that.

I’m massively revisiting my ‘rewatch Colin’s scenes for sheer entertainment value’ policy after this (but hey, we always have him rapping in 2x06) but that was fully mitigated by the apology hug. I personally didn’t see this as a ‘Nate publicly pressuring Colin to forgive him’ scene so much as a ‘Nate making himself vulnerable in front of the whole team and opening himself up to public reprisals from an entire team of footballers’ scene, and Colin’s grin and immediate cuddle with Nate definitely sold it for me.

Higgins and Rebecca took a back seat today, but the jazz scatting was hilarious. And I love that Higgins is now comfortable enough to take the piss (gently) out of Rebecca’s relationship fears. (Also ‘my marriage is the oxygen that gives me life?’ SIR.)

The smoking room and Higgins bringing along a pipe was a thing of beauty.

Oh TEDDDDD. Those therapy sessions were so good to see - even if I maintain that I would actually like, you know, to see some of the actual therapy and get a full breakdown of each of our characters’ deep emotional problems - but there’s so much you can see in Ted’s avoidance, his anger, his flight-or-fight responses. There’s a lot to unearth here, and we’re just scratching the surface.

For a character who I was fairly neutral on initially, Sarah Niles was fantastic in this episode - Sharon doesn’t change, exactly, she’s still the same professional, skilled therapist, but the subtlest changes in her voice and manner show that she’s here for Ted, that she’s providing a safe space. And I love how she provides a few glib phrases - ‘the truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off’ ‘to be your mentor, I also sometimes have to be your tormentor’ - for Ted because if there’s one thing he likes, it’s a bit of wordplay. The woman knows her audience!

Roy and Keeley’s argument and make up was really well written: it was great to see Keeley as more than the ‘fixer’ of sundry problems but dealing with her own stuff, and that bath was super fucking hot. I do think Keeley could have apologised to Roy for discussing their issues with pretty much everyone but the cleaning lady, but all in all it was a lovely storyline.

Also never has the phrase ‘he’s here, he’s there, he’s every fucking where’ been more appropriate.

‘Will, do you think you could take my name off my shirt and make it bigger?’ OH JAMIE. Even though he’s changed so much, I’m so happy that in other ways he really really hasn’t. And who had ‘Jamie inadvertently fixes Roy and Keeley’s relationship’ on their Ted Lasso bingo this week?

That scene with Sam and the boys checking his messages was pure *chef’s kiss*. I love that we have a little core crew now (Sam, Dani, Isaac, Colin, Jamie, Richard, Zoreaux, Jan, and Bumbercatch) with…uh something of a hivemind and about one braincell between them. Also how very dare Jamie and Rebecca not acknowledge Ratatouille as nothing short of cinematic poetry.

Still worried about Sam and Rebecca though!

ETA: how could I forget Trent Crimm: The Independent blatantly checking in on Ted?? I was beginning to miss this man and his beautiful hair.

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #the little things

[redspiderling]

Just found your blog and I'm so happy that there's someone out there putting together all the ways that Black Widow is an amazing character, I didn't know even half of what you wrote about before reading it. New Nat fan here. I'm looking forward to your Black Widow movie breakdown so much I cannot possibly say. Thanks for all the effort put into your metas!! God I want more heroes that deal with women's issues (even if human trafficking and systemic abuse of women shouldn't be just a 'female' issue)

Hiii!

Why, thank you! Yeah, I've been going at it for quite a while. If you look through my MCU Breakdown tag, I think I've written meta for most MCU films with Natasha (the three parter for AoU almost made me break my laptop, I was so pissed off- I apologise in advance for the obvious rage), so you can have a go with them until the Black Widow Breakdown (part 1) is up :)

I know I'm writing a lot of stuff in my notebook about the film, but everything I say feels inadequate. Before I went in to see it, I already knew that it was a good film from some friends who’d already seen it, and I knew that Cate is an amazing director; and in the 2 years since the announcement I'd analysed to exhaustion the reasons why Black Widow would be a decent movie. But honestly, nothing prepared me for just how much I'd like it. They ticked all the boxes and then some.

I'm writing down quotes from the creatives as well because Scarlett and Cate especially, have offered incredible insight into their process in interviews, and I feel it's really important to showcase just how much thought, and work, went into this film. Scarlett has been literally working on this, on and off, for 10 years. And I just love that of all the stories they could have told, all the angles they could have looked at the film and the character from, they chose this.

I'm beyond impressed, and grateful, that this film managed to come out of Hollywood and reach so many people. Yeah, the meaning of it went over the head of most men, but who cares about them. This film gives a brilliant message to women and girls, and it's a persevering one. Most MCU films will be practically unwatchable in a few years- mostly because of cliche storylines that have nothing to offer but outdated visuals, but this one will endure, and it stands on its own! You can show Black Widow to your sister/daughter/niece/friend, and ignore the rest of the MCU and it works!

Anyway, welcome to the convent! We used to be a very depressing lot, but this film has certainly uplifted us xo

#asks #arionette-ette #Black Widow #have I spoiled anything? #no right? #I can say I liked it no?

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

From the writer meta asks, want to do 4 and 6?

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

Probably I'm most proud of my book inserts in general, because it takes a real finese to just add your own original character into a book that's been out and in the zeitgeist for 16 yearsand not change the overall progression of the story. Most of them were written on the fly as I was reading, just sprinkled in to keep her treading water with the rest of the siblings, but some of them required a lot more thought. Specifically my decision to have her join the family during Edward's vigilante phase was a decision that was controversial to me even before I read Midnight Sun, the concern being whether Ada's presence would undermine the sadness of Esme and Carlisle because of Edward's departure. I had no idea that Edward's return would be described in such detail in Midnight Sun, so I was sweating bullets as I was reading it, trying to figure out how I would be able to squeeze Ada into this poignant recollection. And I think I carried it off pretty well.

The following contains direct quotes from Midnight Sun, blended with my own original writing and character. For clear delineation, my additions are highlighted in purple:

♧Page 355♧

My father was following close behind her now, catching up with his longer stride.

There was nothing but a desperate hope in his thoughts. No judgment. Not yet.

And then there was the shock of Ada appearing behind him. Unfamiliar, but lovely in her way, with her coppery hair. Her eyes were more golden than mine at that point, I realized with a pang.

"Edward!" Esme shouted with an unmistakable ring of joy in her voice.

And then she was upon me, her arms wrapped tight  around my neck, her lips kissing my cheek over and over again. Please don't go away again.

Only a second later, Carlise's arms encircled us both.

Thank you, he thought, his mind fervent with sincerity. Thank you for coming back to us.

"Carlisle... Esme... I'm so sorry. I'm so--"

"Shush, now," Esme whispered, tucking her head against my neck and breathing my scent. My boy.

I looked up into Carlise's face, leaving my eyes open wide. Hiding nothing.

You're here. Carlisle stared back at my face with only happiness in his mind. Though he had to know what the colour of my eyes meant, there was no off note to his delight. There's nothing to apologise for.

Ada kept her distance as my parents--our parents?--converged on me. She was happy to see me, though shy. Her thoughts were nervous, frightened that I would disapprove of her.

This is Edward? Will he think they tried to replace him? What if he hates me?

Esme reached out to Ada, encouraging her to come closer.

"Edward, this is Ada," she said, her voice brimming with happiness. "She's come all the way from Europe, from France. Ada, this is Edward!"

"Hello, Edward," Ada smiled, offering her hand tentatively. I reached out and held it, as I responded kindly, "Hello, Ada."

The shock of a new addition to my small family was overshadowed by the warmth in Ada's eyes, the undeserved admiration, the odd familiarity. My face appeared in her mind alongside two other young men--her human siblings, long dead. She already thought of me as a brother, and she was as happy to meet me, as eager to know me, as Esme and Carlisle were to have me back. Esme put her other arm around Ada, and Ada, in turn, put her arm around me.

Slowly, hardly able to trust that it could be so simple, I raised my arms and returned my family's embrace.

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

I don't have much experience writing narrative from anyone's perspective but Ada's, although I'm experimenting writing from Cem's perspective, which is tough becauseI'm still sort of building his personality, but enjoyable. And of course I've dipped my toes into Bella, Edward and Jacob's POV's writing my inserts for the books.

From a non-narrative perspective, I haven't actually written for her yet, but I know I'm going to enjoy writing Jeannette. She's got a wonderfully relaxed personality, which is partially why Ada finds it so easy to talk to her. In some ways, Jeannette is still more like a sister to Ada than Alice or even Rosalie.

#twilight saga #twilight renaissance #twilight oc

[fighterkimburgess]

Fun Meta Asks For Writers

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23

Oh this is gonna be long!

1. Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

I’m gonna divide this into the current multichapters I’m actively working on, as well as the oneshot that has invaded my brain (sorry Morgan!)

This Wasn’t Supposed To Happen - my Sylveride fic, where they’re raising Matt and Gabby’s son after their unfortunate deaths. I’m currently working on chapter 16, and we’re in angst central. It’s a lot of fun to write the angst. I love showing this what if, and getting to explore Sylvie dealing with this huge responsibility.

The Three Of Us - Burzek fluff. I’ve the epilogue half written, and if you think there was fluff this chapter just WAIT. It’s a fluff bomb.

Class of 2006 - this is a prequel to Thank God For Hometowns. It’s the high school years of Kim, Erin, Sarah, Jay, Kevin, and Kelly going from starting high school in 2002 and graduating in 2006. It starts with Kim and Erin saving Sarah from high school bullies their first day, and ends with Kim and Jay saying goodbye as he leaves for boot camp and she prepares to start college. It’s amazing finally getting these headcanons I’ve had for ages down on paper. I’m about halfway through chapter one.

Thank God For Hometowns - After Kim goes through a tragedy that means she’s lost almost everything she moved back to her hometown and in with her Aunt Trudy. When Jay’s too late to save his wife and the army tries covering it up he’s forced to retire with his best friend Mouse, and they move home. What happens? I’ve the fic fully plotted, and ridiculous parts of chapters written. There’s so much love and healing and I adore it. It’s the best idea I’ve ever had and I cant even apologise for that.

And on the oneshot front, I’m working on one called Sacred Child. Kim grew up in a cult, and she escaped the day she turned 18, leaving her best friend and the boy she was supposed to marry that day behind. When child abuse is reported from the cult - and Kim recognises the voice as Adam - she has to fight her demons to go undercover to save girls from going through what nearly happened to her. Even her own sisters.

2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project.

There’s three big scenes in Thank God For Hometowns. The first is when Voight asks Kim to take over as Chief of Police in Appleton. The second is when Jay calls Kim out to a car crash and they discover the sole survivor is a six year old girl. And the final one is a really emotional one between Jay and Kim talking about the things they’ve recently lost in their personal lives.

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Oh god so many!!!! The biggest one is I’ve always had an idea of a fic with Kim and Trudy after the miscarriage. The way she was with Kim after the engagement ended? I think they definitely had a long conversation, and I’d love to write it. But I’m pretty sure it’s going to kill me to write.

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

The Sad Solo Adam Smut (this is completely explicit but I ADORE this paragraph so much.) from Fearless chapter 3.

Instead his tv was off as he undressed, his cock rising at the memory of the sex he could have had that night. He lay back, fisting himself slowly, images in his mind blurring together. Emma’s face morphed into Kim’s, and then he was lost in memories of their last night together, the night they’d made their child. He moved faster and faster, remembering the feel of her around him, her breathy moans and sighs as she bounced on him. Adam’s release hit him like a freight train, spurting onto his stomach and chest as he breathed out Kim’s name like a prayer. He got up and cleaned himself up, before lying back in his lonely bed and falling asleep to dreams of holding her.

8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Definitely. I love crackships taken seriously (I’m reading one fic that look I will take how much I love this ship TO MY GRAVE), I love angst, I love found family. It’s a thing.

11. What do you envy in other writers?

The way they write inner thoughts and surroundings. In particular @kim-ruzek’s ability to do inner monologues and @sylvies-chen’s ability to build a scene. I wish I could do that so well.

15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Summaries. Titles I can usually get from song lyrics, but summaries are painful. I tend to do the good old fashioned three paragraph format for tradpub inquiry letters.

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

So many. So, so many. I’m just gonna go with unintentional for this not even sorry.

Nadia was almost a boy.

Kim was going to transfer out of Intelligence when Jay was undercover instead of revealing the pregnancy. I had it plotted that she changed her number and moved before he got back and just ghosted him, and even wrote about 2,000 words of it.

It was originally supposed to be a joke that Will was Kim’s babydaddy because she wouldn’t reveal who he was.

Al wasn’t going to come back

Kim almost accepted Adam’s proposal

Originally Jay found out he was a dad because Kim got into a car crash and was unconscious. Which tells you how long I was plotting this fic for because it was before the Walton storyline even happened.

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

TOO MANY COMMAS. I need to get better at not using them.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

I always try to put in foreshadowing. I’m not always great at doing it cleverly but in my multichapters there’s always something.

22. Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

Yup! Mostly because there’s never enough Burzek fic around. There’s a lot I want to change, and I want to completely rewrite fearless, but overall I’m still so proud.

23. What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Prey. I came up with that…god? Maybe back in July? It’s been on the long finger for forever but I love it anyway and it’s getting worked on slowly.

#cíara answers

[remmammie]

Hcs where Aqua accidentally ends up on Earth via a Lane Between? I know that she’d be pretty disoriented

I just love making these meta Earth ideas! 😄

Words cannot express how much I adore Aqua; not only is she extremely relatable, she's so well-written and such an amazing character... My queen until the end, it's always a delight to write for her (and you too, Symmie, of course.)

Aqua's Experiences on Earth HCs

Aqua is a very dutiful woman, so I don't think there's much reason she'd be away from people unless it was due to her duties as a Keyblade Master. So, when she gets randomly pulled away to another world by an unknown force, Aqua gets the sense that something is very wrong with the balance between light and darkness in this new world.

First, she breathes a sigh of relief that, where she lands, there are humans like her who speak the same language - it makes her life a lot easier.

Secondly, Aqua comes to the realisation that...wow, this world is so much different than any other world she's ever been to: huge buildings with blinding flashing lights and vehicles much larger and much differently shaped than her Keyblade glider. And, weirdest of all...absolutely no one recognises her Keyblade itself.

Sure, she gets a few...weird looks from some older-looking people and people dressed in luminescent uniforms, but no one really comments when strangers in other worlds may have freaked out.

Some youth calls out to her about something called "cosplaying" so she finds the nearest library (which she quickly comes to adore during her time on Earth,) and discovers that she can fit in perfectly here without people knowing her real identity.

She discovers such wonderful literature thanks to the many libraries of the world: plays, novels, newspapers, online blogs (of which the computers took her a minute and a request to the IT department to figure out how to use.)

Instead of leaving straight away, Aqua wants to explore this new world, to make sure no darkness is trying to snub out the light. She spends her nights using public transport and nervously talking to strangers about this world. She normally gets...mixed reception - people look at her rather strange when she asks about the mysterious lumps of metal on wheels.

Procuring money was difficult for her too. She tries to use munny first, of course, but is glared at by a acne-ridden young man behind a counter. Trust me, she leaves in a huff when he tells her to get out with her "doll's house money." Still, Keyblade magic can do many things, including making this new kind of currency. (She quietly apologises to Master Eraqus for inadvertently "scamming" these poor people - she doesn't have the time to get a job!)

Aqua finds a whole lot of joy in observing as young children come home from school, swinging large, heavy bookbags and smiling at their friends and carers: it reminds her of when she and Terra were young with their Master.

Being the kind soul she is, Aqua often approaches some more melancholic-looking children and hands them some extra money she's made - she doesn't really need it anyway, and seeing those little faces brighten up makes her day.

When Aqua finally decides that it's time for her to leave, she finds she...doesn't really want to. She has found so many beautiful moments on Earth and has so many things she wants to show her friends that can't fit in her pockets! She decides to bring pack some gifts for Terra and Ven, and has copied down some recipes from human baking books to bake for them. Of course, she was also quick enough to take some photos on her Gummiphone.

#kingdom hearts aqua #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts headcanons #kingdom hearts fanfic #kh aqua

[ravelights]

Is Inko Midoriya abusive?

I've seen this argument get tossed around a lot, and I'll admit some people have very convincing arguments, but I think most people can agree that there always something off about those claims.

So if I can add my two cents into the whole: "Inko not doing something about Izuku bulling" Or "Inko is abusive/neglectful because she wasn't there for Izuku" ect, argument, here it is:

Inko Not Abusive, She Underwritten.

I just want to preference this by saying: Inko isn't and is not meant to be an abusive parent/character. She's not an antagonist of the story, and she's not someone that Izuku must either get away from, or do whatever's going on with the Todoroki fam. I'm sorry, but if people are seeing her as an abusive parent in the story, they are not reading it right.

What she is, is a realistic parent, that has been underwritten.

I think the problem when it comes to these debates, about whether or not Inko is a good parent, people tend to think of it in the story context. This is fair, especially when we start talking about Fanfic and Meta-analyses, people would want a in story explanation for her actions.

What the audience sees is that Izuku got bullied for several years and Inko did apparently nothing, but the confusing thing is that this doesn’t line up with her as a character. We seen that she’s more than ready to go up against All Might of all people and pull Izuku out of school because he kept getting hurt.

We also know that even though she not completely on board with Izuku being a hero, she still gives her all to support her son, even when attempting to pull him out of UA she said that Izuku was allowed to go to another hero school. She just didn’t want her son at UA (which seem justifiable, given several events)

We also see that despite her worries she still protects her son, and they have a good relationship, in no way has Izuku ever been resentful towards her, which you would think he would be, if Inko was abusive/neglectful in the story. Izuku is a good person but he’s not a pushover, if Inko was abusive in anyway Izuku would make it clear that he doesn’t like her.

The worst we seen Izuku act towards his mother was disappointed about one moment when he was four, when she apologised for him being quirkless. Which we later see her apologising for when she gives Izuku his first costume, which he wore and even when given the opportunity to change designs, he doesn’t.

Most of the time it pretty much typical teen “Mum, I’m fine” response to a nagging/worried parent, which is pretty realistic because I think most people sometimes get annoyed by their parent, especially when they are teens. And I’m curtain everyone has one moment with their parent when we felt as if they didn’t handle the situation as best as the could have.

So, what’s going on, we have a character who apparently did something (or nothing in this case) that could been seen as abusive/neglectful, but it seems like the exact opposite of what Inko would do as a character. Realistically if Inko was a good parent she would have done something about the bullying.

In the real world, yes.

But MHA is a story, not real life.

I think people need to step away from the Story perspective and start looking at it from a Writing perspective.

Let me explain, Inko is a side character in the story, but she in a very unique position because she is the protagonist mother, which in most Shonen’s is pretty damn rare, most of the time they are dead or missing. But she still a side character, and on top of that she is a female. As much as I love Hori writing, world building and character arcs, his biggest weakness is how he treats his female characters. Although he has gotten a lot better in the recent arcs, and is better than some anime out there, he still has room for improvement.

And Inko is very justifiable, underwritten, she had about one and a half major moment in the whole of MHA. That being when All Might beg her to intrust her son to UA and when Izuku was diagnosed quirkless, that’s about it, everything else has been moments with her that really don’t last more than a couple of pages, at best.

But Inko's Izuku mother, shouldn’t Hori at least show she tried to do something? Hypothetically yes, but the truth is he hasn’t, and it’s probably because he has just not thought about it, or it’s going to be brought up later. There are a million different things happening in MHA right now, with way more central characters and plot points, and the bullying thing happened all the way back in chapter one to about three.

Also, there is also the whole Izuku being bullied throughout middle school. Because it’s barely mentioned throughout the whole manga. We have moment where it’s been mentioned but it’s sort of been forgotten by Izuku and the Manga. It just starting to pick up again now and it more with Bakugou arc, because Bakugou was the bully, and is trying to atone for what he did, it doesn’t really involve Inko at all.

Because Inko is a side character, who purpose is to show that Izuku is still just a kid, that has a worrywart mum. That was literally said by Hori himself in an interview:

(Mama Midoriya Is the GOAT (greatest of all time), You can’t pick a favourite character in My Hero Academia because everyone loves them all. However, everyone loves Inko Midoriya. What was the inspiration behind her character?

KH: Well, first and foremost, I wanted Deku to be like any other kid. Not like every man, but every kid. So, I wanted him to have a kind of worry wart mum. And my own mother is a bit of a worry wart.)

Also, Izuku had to have an underdog story, meaning he had to have a rough beginning at least, him being bullied at school and being quirkless was his rough beginning. It was to show his progress to where he is now, aka someone with a powerful quirk and friends.

I saw this with Rei as well when a lot of people got kind of mad that Shoto ended up apologise to her when she the one that threw boiling water on his face. But then as we got deeper into her background of the event, we see that Rei was horrified by her actions, apologising and trying to cool Shoto burns, and people perspective on her changed.

We might get more about Inko when Hisashi eventually shows up, especially if it turns out he's All For One. But for now, she just plainly underwritten, with like three basic character traits.

So Tl;DR: Inko isn’t an abusive person in the story, she underwritten character that has been given little thought to when it comes to major events in the story. Because of that people have filled in the gaps of what it must be, AKA abusive/neglectful, when in reality she just written as a realistic mother in the beginning and then basically getting next to nothing afterwards.

#Bnha #bnha meta #inko midoriya #izuku mydoria #mha #rei todoroki #kohei horikoshi #Bnha Writting #hisashi midoriya

[mcmoth]

I realised I'm kinda really late for an intro post, but, better late than never, so? Uh...

Hello, welcome!! 💚

My name around these parts is Eshi (she/her), and I mainly post meta/analyses of the characters and story, occasional art, and the few scarce fics and drabbles, if I ever want them on my blog instead of just my ao3.

I DO NOT support cc!Dream btw. Just as a quick disclaimer before anything, I need that man Gone. My current remaining interest in the dsmp is purely for the characters, story and nostalgia.

Some specifics:

I've been in the fandom since the start of the smp!

(For context, most of these points were written back in DSMP's heyday, and have only been slightly altered - if that clears up anything lmao. And I don't feel the need to rewrite it entirely yet as I haven't been active enough to change the status quo of this blog, so to speak, yet, so!! There you go)

As you'll find out quickly, my main focus is c!Tommy. I love the other characters, too, however, I simply find him to be the closest to my heart, the most familiar :>

I do not frequent twitter, tik tok, reddit, and wherever else besides youtube and obviously tumblr. Thanks to my friends who are for sending updates on that (as... cursed as they might be sometimes).

Obviously I love cc!Techno and miss him greatly like we all do, but most of my posts were made before his passing, so you will still be able to find posts critical of c!Techno (and c!Phil here). So if those upset you, probably best to not root too deep into my blog and block the respective tags ;^^

Really critical of c!Dream as well btw. But that should be obvious coming from a c!Tommy main, idk what a c!dream apologist (or a cc!dream stan, for that matter) would even do here.

That said, I apologise if I ever upset anyone with my rambles. I generally try to keep this blog positive, but some things I just don't feel positive about, and I don't always succeed in expelling that well. But I do want to be truthful in these opinions, and I adore having civil discussions. In any case, feel free to block me if needed. Others' comfort comes before my block men thoughts, please take care.

As for my general opinion on every character - everyone is gray, but gray is a gradient. Noone is blameless, and I want everyone to be happier.

And for my final point - I am... kinda inactive a lot, for personal reasons. So I really apologise if I don't answer your ask, I promise it's not against you or cause I don't want to, I'm simply really bad at juggling my time and focus. I might get to everyone eventually. But for now, sorry for that, and thank you for any interaction <3

Oh, and I want to say: Please don't be afraid to ask me to tag something!! And also, feel free to spam like and reblog it does not bother me at all ^^

And... that should be about it. Have a pleasant day or night y'all, byeee <3 ✌

#intro post #my own post #personal #i hope this isn't too long :') #idk who even reads these but i guess if someone new find my blog or something??? this is.... a summary ig

[sugarbabywenkexing]

Sorry to jump in, but loving this discourse and I have to say that the way they have made Wen Ke Xing process his trauma is really well done. As the anon and you mention, he's completely dissociated himself from the he who suffered trauma, Zhen Yan, and that also ties in with the gaps in his memory (I know they use the Water of Lethe as a way to explain) - All this is what many victims of trauma do actually experience. And even when you think about who Wen Ke Xing is as a character, he's almost a foil to Zhen Yan.

And oh my gosh, yes! When he kneels to Zhou Zi Shu, the symbolism was so darn powerful! It would have been powerful at any other moment, BUT that they chose to do it when Wen Ke Xing has his mantle of Chief of the Ghost Valley on AND in front of the ghosts... Holy heckers, the writers need to be applauded.

I honestly cannot recall a better written, more multidimensional character and like, that it's not only Wen Ke Xing, but multiple other characters? I just wish I knew more about Chinese culture and symbolism because quite a bit is going over my head, which is such a disservice to this drama.

No need to apologise, feel free to jump in at any point! You're so right, and that point about Wen Kexing and Zhen Yan as foils is blowing my mind.

Since reading Lymond I've gotten more used to symbolism going over my head, but I'm so with you, I know there's stuff I'm missing so I'm trying to read as much meta as I can find. Thank you again to the Chinese fans who are sharing so many interesting ideas with us, I really appreciate it.

#asks #michin--yeoga #word of honor #wen kexing #meta #trauma discussion

[books-and-dragons]

Hello! I’ve been following you for awhile now and love your headcanons/writing. I’m writing a thing where Akira and Goro swap bodies occasionally. There’s no real rhyme or reason to it (besides checking the calendar and making sure it’s not a big plot relevant date like sending a calling card). I’m going for more of a serious, tense tone than a funny one. More Akira finding out about Goro’s activities as Black Mask and Goro realizing he can frame Akira for Okumura’s death if he could just (1/?)

asdfg anon never apologise for a long ask oh this is concept hilarious to me-

also i’m super sorry for the delay and if you’ve written this in the meantime please let me knowww i’d love to read it!! <3

i can see your conundrum ngl! i mean, yaldabaoth is a v valid power to point the finger out here, if it’s of any assurance! it wouldn’t really feel like a cop-out at all bc it makes sense!

if you’re wanting alternatives, though, you could potentially play on the wildcard side of things? for akira, at least, we see the meta-verse crossover into reality for him- there’s an argument there that it would be the same for akechi! as such, you could play with rules of wildcard/shared cognitive experiences, even drawing this in as a trigger for when they switch bodies

equally, although i’m less certain for how this could be implemented in the real world (although personas assist with confidants, strengthening the bond/cognitive perception of relationships, so maybe something along these lines) you could utilise the personas of loki and even arsene? given that loki is of mischief and has the ability to change forms, and arsene is a master of disguise and trickery, these are themes which could lend themselves well to that of switching bodies

i’m sorry that’s all i can think of so far- hope it helps in some way! and best of luck with the writing!! <3

#ask #sorry for the delay anon!! hope your writing is going well for you! <33 #also this is a super interesting concept! best of luck! #p5 #anon

[mybg3notebook]

Additional Scenes:

Death protocol and comments on dreams

Disclaimer Game Version: All these analyses were written up to the game version v4.1.104.3536 (Early access). As long as new content is added, and as long as I have free time for that, I will try to keep updating this information. Written in June 2021.

In these “scene posts” I will explore the scene of the title looking for the information in the dialogues. What I will be looking for is how much Gale “lies”, how much lore is provided, and any extra detail that may be of our interest to highlight. At the end of these posts there are summary points for those who don't want to read the whole post.

Additional disclaimers about meta-knowledge and interpretations in this (post) while disclaimers about Context in this (one).

Protocol Scene

After skipping all the annoying protocol, we can reach to the most important part of it: the comments afterwards.

Gale: [...]I assume you have some questions for me. Only fair to warn you I've precious few answers to spare. I apologise if it sounds thankless. It's just that some secrets simply cannot be revealed. 

[If Tav used the tadpole successfully before] Tav:[perception] I've seen the darkness inside of you, remember? I already know. [success]Gale: You don't know. Not really. But after all you've done for me, I do suppose I should be at least a little bit forthcoming. [Failure] Gale: There is no knowledge in a glimpse of darkness. My secrets are still my own. 

Tav: [persuasion] I brought you back to life. A few answers is the least you can spare me. [success] Gale: I... I suppose that after all you've done for me, I should be at least a little bit forthcoming. 

Gale: Tell you what, I will answer one question that you may have. To the best of my ability. If I can. 

Over and over and over Gale is very explicit that he has secrets he can't or doesn't want to share. This is why the “great betrayal” concept in the revelation scene feels so cheap in my opinion. Gale never denied that something very wrong was happening with him. He certainly opens a bit more once he is brought back to life and tries to compromise in saying something more. We can clearly see his resistance to it. 

Tav: I simply want to know what it is you're keeping from me Gale: I'm dangerous. Not because I want to be, but because of... an error I made in the past. [before gale speaks of his loss] It makes me dangerous – even in death.  You brought me […] [after gale speaks of his loss] I told you how I sought to win the favour of Mystra. I did this by trying to control a form of magic only one wizard ever could. I failed to control it. Instead it infested me. It makes me dangerous... even in death. You brought me […]

Tav: Why did your projection say that many lives depended on your resurrection? [before gale speaks about artefacts] Gale: Because it was the truth, and the truth is a great motivator. I'm dangerous. Not because I want to be […] [after gale speaks about artefacts] Gale: When I told you I needed powerful magic to keep my condition under control, I didn't tell you why. Well, here is part of the why: I'm dangerous. Not because I want to be […]

[After using the Tadpole successfully] Tav: the darkness inside you, what is it? Gale: It's magic from another time and another place. It is something that is beyond me, yet inside me. That makes me dangerous... even in death. 

Tav: Actually, nevermind. If it makes you this uncomfortable, I won't insist.  Gale: That's... well, that's very kind of you. If the roles were reversed I don't know if I'd have your patience.

I mean... really... No matter the conditions, the context or the option picked, Gale can't be more repetitive about three facts: he has secrets, he is really dangerous, and there are 'catastrophic' consequences if we don't help him with the artefacts. None of them are a lie. This is also why I think the party scene is very unpolished: it doesn't acknowledge the fact that Gale already said a lot to some Tavs who explored and pushed Gale to speak, and the scene is presented as a conflict or a “betrayal” when there was none, specially for the case of Tavs who pushed Gale to speak. In either case, Tav is aware of what's happening with Gale: they know everything in broad strokes, or they respect his privacy and know little but they know that what Gale hides is a very dangerous secret. This is why I think calling Gale a manipulative or coercive character is very misunderstanding.

Tadpole Dreams

Dream 1

Gale feels well and healthy despite the terrible symptoms that Tav and their companions shared the previous night. However, Gale is a pragmatic person: this is not just luck and he makes it clear in his opinion:

Gale: What I saw surpassed the vivid. The voice was too true, the touch too tantalising, I can tell you felt the same. Sought out in the night by.... what? An illusion, or a promise? […] let's agree that at the very least there was the lure of a promise. The touch, the kiss, the everything... Did you relented or resisted? […] The dream wasn't just about power, it was about desire. […] It was an expert, this apparition. First the seduction, then the spurning, then that teasing souvenir. 'You are not ready, I will return when you are'. That's what I was promised. We have some restless nights ahead of us. 

For players who pushed Gale to speak during the Loss scene, it's easy to suspect the person he is dreaming about: Mystra. The relationship with Mystra can be guessed during these comments after the dreams. We know that the dreams represent our companions' desires and wishes for power, and they have, in most cases, a sexual connotation. When Gale speaks about the kiss, we can assume that, same as what Shadowheart explicitly said, he slept with his dream person. So, if the player gets the Loss scene before the second dream, Tav will be quite aware of Gale's relationship with Mystra. Again, this is never acknowledged in the 'revelation' scene. 

Dream 2

In the second dream, Gale is darker and bitter. 

Gale: Good morning. I'm sorry, but I'm not in the best of moods. I tire of these dreams. Dreams. The word implies desire, but we're being played for fools. These are nothing but delusions. 

Tav: I recall you being a lot more enthusiast after our first collective dream

Gale: I never said I'm not among the fools.

Tav: The power we're given is real, and there's no denying that.  Gale: It’s not because they’re real, that they don’t deceive. Give it candy and a child stops asking questions.

Gale: These dreams are too good to be true, and I can tell you why. Because their promises are perfect, and in perfection lies their flaw. It's the tadpole reading our every desire, but they don't read between the lines. They don't know some things are impossible. They don't know that... They don't know. 

Tav: Gale, who is the apparition in your dreams?

Gale: She's... It doesn't matter. I just know her to be unreal. 

Tav: What's impossible about what you're been shown? Gale: Forgiveness

3- Tav: I'll leave you to your ruminations.  Gale: Remember: these are nothing but delusions. Don't let the illithid's close readings persuade you of good intent. 

[If Tav can guess it's Mystra after the Loss Scene] So it's Mystra you see. Of course it is. 

Gale: I... why, yes. Clearly the tadpole isn't the only one who can read me like a book. It's indeed Mystra I see. And yet it cannot be her. There was a time when I would have believed - but no longer. I told you that I lost her. Lost her favour and lost so many of the powers I took for granted. What magic I can still weave is met only with undercurrents of disappointing silence. Mystra has not changed her mind about me. That's how I know our dreams are delusions.

[If Tav cannot guess it's Mystra] Tav: [Persuasion] Come, you can tell me. We're among friends here.  [success] Gale: Very well. It's Mystra I see. And yet it cannot be her. There was a time when I would have believed - but no longer. Things were different once, between the goddess and me. But things have changed. The parasite has plans for us [...]

This scene, for those players who can be lucky enough to trigger (it has the lowest of the lowest priorities), removes part of the apparent “shadiness” in Gale. He repeats clearly that he dreams of Mystra, which should immediately make aware the player that this has sexual connotations since these dreams are about desire and power, and Gale also expressed this in the first dream about the kiss. We also discover that what Gale desires the most is not power, but forgiveness. This is why I personally see him as looking for power not as a means but as a goal: Gale wishes to save himself, to remove the “orb” from him, and to be “one with the weave”. The more powerful he would become, the closer to Magic and the goddess he would be. 

However, Gale is a pragmatic, realistic character as we saw in the Ceremorphosis scene: he won't lie to himself. He is very aware that forgiveness is beyond reach. He may have believed it be possible when younger, but he repeats once more that this concept we saw in other scenes: he is aware that whatever he had before is over.

Summary:

During the protocol scene Gale explicitly says, once more, that he has secrets. 

He explains that he is dangerous, even in death, despite not wanting to be, reinforcing the idea that his consumption of artefacts prevents something very 'catastrophic' from happening.

If the protocol is triggered after the Loss scene, he will explain that an old magic 'infested' him.

During the comments after the dreams we learn that the dreams represent desire and power with sexual implications in most cases (if not all).

After the second dream, Gale expressed his scepticism about the dreams. He knows his dream person cannot be Mystra.

We learn that his most intense desire, reflected in the nature of the dream, is forgiveness, not power. Let's remember these dreams can't be fooled. They show the deepest desire/wish for power of the dreamer.

If this scene is triggered after the Loss scene, we learn that Gale is always aware of Mystra's disappointment because he can sense it in the Weave every time he casts magic.

This post was written in June 2021. → For more Gale: Analysis Series Index

#bg3 meta #bg3 gale #gale #gale of waterdeep

[orionsangel86]

Saz, please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to rain on your parade but please please be cautious! I am just like you in that I took a break away from the SPN fandom when I suspected Cas would permadie. I came back after IT happened. I really did for a while convince myself it would all be ok but now I'm not so sure and as someone who struggles with mental health, I can't risk it. You don't have to reply, I just wanted to say this. I truly hope it all goes well in the end :)

Thank you for your message nonny. I think I'm still riding on a high from it all but I do get the concern. Not that long ago I was terrified we wouldn't get a good ending. I do understand people still feeling the way I did. I would never belittle those feelings as they are totally understandable.

My leaving fandom was never because I thought Cas wasn't gonna be in 20. It was confirmed to me back in like February that he would be in 20, so I've never doubted that. It’s interesting that they are being all smoke and mirrors about that info now because Misha confirmed in a M&G at the start of the year that he was back in 20 so no matter how much he backtracks, that will remain the truth. My issue was that they wouldn't treat him well, or that after his death in 18 we'd only see him as a flashback, or that he would be dismissed as an irrelevant side character.

For my own part by confirming Destiel all that is changed. There is still a slight fear if I am totally honest with myself that it will be unrequited and Dean won’t textually confirm his love - but this fear goes against EVERYTHING. It goes against EVERYTHING Supernatural has been building on for Dean’s own journey, completely separate to the journey Cas has been on. So I have to cling on to that.

If it doesn’t go the way we want, if Cas doesn’t come back and Misha’s appearance in 20 is some weird plot point unrelated to Destiel, then I will indeed be horrified, angry, upset, and probably react to Supernatural the way I reacted to Game of Thrones - by pretending it never existed.

Right now though, I am focusing on the logical path of the story, and the meta that has guided me for all these years which has proved that at least 1 big theory we meta writers had was correct: Castiel is in love with Dean. The other big theory that everything in the show has been pointing towards since day 1, is that Dean is bisexual, and returns Cas’s love. Right now we have been validated on one point, I don’t see any reason why we won’t be validated on the second.

I will say this though, if anyone comes across my posts now, and thinks I am being smug or obnoxious, or criticising people for being negative, I do want to be clear on something - I am well aware that I became negative and left fandom spaces to try to supress my love for the show as a defence mechanism, I’ve been doing it all year. I do not judge anyone who still feels now the way I did then. At all. Even though the canon Destiel confirmation has reignited my love for the show and my faith in its ending, I can understand the aprehension and lack of trust. I also hope that those people wouldn’t see my positive posts as an attack on them because honestly? They are more a coping mechanism for me. Each and every post I have written and reblogged since Destiel went canon has helped steer me back on the path to positivity. It’s just something I needed for myself.

The only people I suppose I am angry with, and judging harshly, are those who aren’t fans at all, and who want to spout their opinions having never watched the show or knowing very little about it. Those people I have zero time for and I am absolutely not apologising for any offence I may have caused them.

I am still being cautious. I am celebrating the victory that we meta writers were right. The validation of being right has been fantastic. That doesn’t mean I’m NOT still nervous and anxious about how it will all end. I will keep guarding my heart  until I know the outcome. I’m not watching season 15 anyway. As much as I am celebrating, I haven’t watched 15x18, and I won’t watch a single episode of SPN until I am reassured that it ends the way we need it to.

#supernatural #destiel #castiel #destiel is canon #fandom wank #asks

[sometipsygnostalgic]

in your opinion what are some story decisions the final two Distant Lands episodes could do that would be really shitty and you don't want to see

Do anything that reverts character development for the sake of conflict.

The final season toyed with this - the Gum War, done entirely to (falsely) tie in with the graybles1000+ apocalypse, was done at the expense of PB's character (mostly) and without any thought for the majority of the cast, only Finn really getting anything out of it. They decided the meta point about how everything happens in cycles we are doomed to repeat was more important than setting up realistic motivations. Like, why go to war with Gumbald when it's far more rational to assassinate him or turn yourself in, things she has done before? Why does Gumbald want to bother with war when his tech is so advanced that he can apparently kill everyone immediately? And why would a war, where everyone in Ooo is on Bubblegum's side because she patched things up with them, result in global catastrophe??? Surely the conflict will be confined only to this battle, and yes there'd be deaths, but more war? Probably not. Who would dare challenge the winner??? It seems nobody's arguments are that strong - PB's arguments for going to war are not fleshed out, while the anti-war arguments offer no alternative solutions and just say "war is bad, don't do it", which has a response as simple as "Wtf else am i gonna do? Die???" And I get they wanted to set it up so Finn's solution would be the only way to solve the conflict, but really???

The finale itself is tightly written, about as well done as it possibly could have been given the circumstances (though part 2 could have had much better dialogue), but season 10 before that point was troubling. I wouldnt have liked another 13 eps dragging out this plot point, mind. It was already bad from the episode "Seventeen".

What could they donij Distant Lands?

Well they already dodged the biggest bullet of all - fucking up Marcy and PB's relationship. This is something they could have done so easily. I was very worried when Marceline drove away that theyd spend the rest of the special arguing, but actually, they immediately felt bad about upsetting each other, and apologised in their next interaction. It was never going to break their relationship, and I appreciate that so much. I also appreciate that the conflict which caused their initial breakup was so well handled - they were both immature, troubled, and not ready yet. They're very different people by the start of the special, with the ghosts of their former selves haunting them in the glass kingdom.

Distant Lands could fuck things up by having peppermint butler not be compelling like his former self, or by having finn and jake fight and stop talking over a contrived reason.

Or it could try to write a scene in the future that hurts the present.

#adventure time