where-theres-smoak-2

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Something I go absolutely feral over when it comes to paulxchani is how chani is always stroking/playing with paul's hair, I mean I don't blame her look at those luscious curls:

It does something to me though that she does this either to comfort him or when she herself is feeling worried or anxious as a way to calm herself.

But I think we can confirm that chani's love language is running her fingers through paul's hair.

#paul x chani #paulchani #chani kynes #paul atreides #chani x paul #dune #dune part 2 #dune part two #dune part 2 spoilers #dune part two spoilers

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can i just say i love how anytime paul uses his nerd brain to seem like he has preconceived knowledge of how the desert works everyone else is soooo impressed but the one time he tries it on chani with the "🤓☝️ um actually sandwalking is-" she just kills him with her eyes until he shuts the fuck up

#chani kynes #paul atreides #dune part 2 #dune part two #dune part 2 spoilers #it was a great moment loved her reaction

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Fair warning this is a totally random post. But does anyone else feel like this room here really needs a railing?

I just did a post analysing this scene and I kept getting distracted by how unsafe it looks. I mean one missed wet floor sign and someone is going to go flying off into paradise prematurely.

Hold on a sec let me just...

There now everyone is safe and Paul can launch his holy war without having to worry about any freak accidents. 👍

#i don't even know what this post is #think i may need a nap lol #dune #dune part 2 #dune part 2 spoilers #dune part two

[where-theres-smoak-2]

chani’s anguish when she shouts “you’re insane” at stilgar because the love of her life just died. paul just died and all people care about is the lisan al gaib, some story made up to manipulate her people and her life. she doesn’t care about putting faith in some story because all her faith was in herself and the people around her, including paul. and they killed her faith. they killed part of her by forcing her to ressurect the man she was mourning. everyone cares about the lisan al gaib but chani cares about paul and that was used against her like a weapon

#paulchani #chani x paul #chani kynes #paul atreides #dune #paul x chani #dune part two #dune part 2 #dune part 2 spoilers #this whole scene just broke me i felt so bad for chani

[where-theres-smoak-2]

So in my next episode of I just can't stop talking about Dune part 2, lets talk about the ending scene, specifically about the positioning of the characters during the duel and kiss the ring scene, because I think there's some really interesting symbolism there.

At the start of the scene we see everyone enter the room and take their places and what is interesting is the characters are in groups with each representing part of Paul's journey. The best image I could find of where everyone is positioned is this wide shot where everyone is bowing to Paul towards the end of the scene:

It's not the best image but you can just about make out that on the left, where the blue arrow is pointing, you have Chani and the Fedaykin, then in the middle along the back wall, where the orange arrow is, you have Jessica, Gurney, Stilgar and the fundamentalists and then finally on the right with the black arrow is the emperor, irulan and the bene gesserit. Three separate but important groups.

Just before the emperor enters, Paul approaches Chani and we get that exchange, 'this isn't over yet' and 'I'll love you as long as I breathe." To me its really interesting that this final showdown starts with Paul directly in front of Chani, looking at her, with his focus on her. Another interesting detail is that when the emperor enters Paul does not immediately turn to face him, in fact he stays looking at Chani, lingering on her, even when he first begins to speak his focus still remains on her. It is only when he says that the great houses may be curious to hear his side of the story that he begins to move. Again it's interesting that its when he is talking about 'his story' that he moves across the room and that story or journey is visually set out for us. He starts with Chani, expressing his love for her, the fedaykin are also there, the people who took him in and accepted him as one of their own, they very much represent the path that he had chosen for himself. The path that he then steps away from.

Paul begins to approach the emperor and as he does we see him walk past Jessica, the mother that he followed south, whose footsteps he followed in when he drank the water of life leading to him becoming the kwisatz haderach, Stilgar the man who was constant in his belief that Paul was the Mahdi and who became teacher to him, helping him learn the ways of the fremen, Gurney who is a connection back to his identity as the son of Leto and the house Atreides, and the fundamentalists who became the army that he was able to control in order to overthrow the emperor and who will also fight the holy war.

Finally he arrives in front of the emperor and his daughter, the final obstacle in his way, his way of getting vengeance for his father's murder and, through his marriage to Irulan, the title of emperor of the known universe. Of course the emperor isn't going to give up his throne easily which is when we have the duel between Paul and Feyd and once again their positioning throughout the duel is interesting.

At the start of the duel Feyd is positioned here:

You can see he is standing in front of the emperor and irulan, who are outlined in the grey box. Also if you turn the exposure up:

You can make out the bene gesserit there as well in the black circle. This is a visual representation of what it is Feyd is fighting for, he is fighting on behalf of the emperor but his end goal is that he wants the emperor's throne for himself. The way he gets there is the same way paul would, marrying the princess. The bene gesserit being there also shows how they are on Feyd's side, they know how to control him and so would rather have him as emperor and as a prospect for the kwisatz haderach than paul. So in the shot above we have Feyd, and then a visual representation of what he is fighting for but also everyone that is depending on Feyd winning this duel.

The same can be said of this shot here of Paul where you can clearly see Chani (in the blue circle) and the fedaykin behind him:

Like Feyd, Paul's ultimate goal is to be emperor, however whilst Feyd wants the throne for his own selfish reasons, I think for Paul his motivations are that he wants to protect Chani and the Fremen. Paul has seen multiple futures thanks to drinking the wol and he wants to guide them down the one where all his friends and loved ones live. But once again we are being shown a shot that represents what Paul is fighting for and the people whose fates are depending on him winning this duel.

So at the very start of the duel, the two sides are clearly set out and we know what the stakes for each side are. I also like how they are both almost standing guard over the side they are fighting for, like a shield protecting those behind him.

As for Jessica, Stilgar, Gurney and the fundamentalists I do think its intriguing that they are kind of separate in this scene, they way they are position makes it seem like they are almost an audience in a theatre watching to see how it plays out. I did wonder what significance this might have as they do still have stakes in this fight. But I think, and I could be wrong this is just speculation, I think it might be because even though they have stakes in the who wins the fight their fates are already sealed. I think at this point irregardless of who wins they will still unleash a holy war on the universe, the only difference would be whether Paul is actually leading them or whether they are doing it in his name as an act of vengeance for his death. Whereas the emperor, irulan and the bene gesserit's fates still depend on whether paul or feyd wins, if paul wins they lose their power, if feyd does they can control him and stay in power. Chani too I think her fate is dependant on who wins once Feyd takes notice of her, if paul wins she has choices, stay or leave (and she choses to leave) but if feyd had won you can bet she would have been taken by Feyd as some kind of prisoner of war or pet for him to play with. But like I siad that is speculation on my part.

Throughout the duel itself there are also some interesting positions and symbolism going on. For example at first when they are fighting and are evenly match they maintain their positions of Paul being in front of Chani and the Fedaykin and Feyd in front of the emperor etc. However if you watch closely whenever it appears like Feyd is getting the upper hand on Paul and like Paul may lose its whenever Paul is on the side of the emperor. When Feyd knocks him down, Paul is in front of the emperor and lands pretty much at the emperor's feet.

I interpreted this as showing Paul's downfall, showing how he lost his way, it was his pursuit of revenge against the Harkonnens and the Emperor, his desire to claim the throne, that pulled him onto the darker path he is taking. It's again that visually representation of what Paul is going through emotionally/internally. We are seeing him being pulled and pushed away from Chani and the Fremen and that life that had made him happy and being, quite literally, thrown onto this path of becoming emperor and starting the holy war.

It can also represent the emperor's and Feyd's on desires to see the House of Atreides quite literally brought down, laid at the emperor's feet and defeated. It's like we are getting a glimpse of what one potential outcome/future could have looked like, Paul defeated.

Another way you could look at this is that when Paul is kicked to the floor, Feyd is now in between Paul and what he is fighting for, his motivation for fighting. I mentioned earlier that to me their positions at the start of the fight were like they were guards, well now Feyd has broken through that shield and is a direct threat to those Paul loves.

Paul falling down at this position also means that he is now directly facing Chani and the path he's left behind. It is as Feyd approaches Chani, a looming threat getting closer and closer to her, that Paul finds the strength to get back up and continue the fight. Seeing the threat to Chani makes Paul move away from the emperor and towards her and Feyd. I think this shows the shift in Paul's motivations and what is keeping him fighting, what is giving him strength, at first he was fighting to get revenge and the throne or at least I think that was his priority, there were other reasons too but in the moment it was his wish for justice that was driving him, but here it shifts to wanting to protect Chani from a more immediate danger, I said in another post that at this moment dying is no longer an option as it will leave Chani vulnerable to Feyd if he does which is something Paul will not let happen.

Another interesting moment is that when Feyd stabs Paul he first drives him backwards, back towards the emperor, so similar to when he is kicked down the first time, we have this imagery of Paul losing and him standing with his back to the emperor and the bene gesserit, the people who have been the cause of his suffering, and who represent this path of becoming the kwisatz haderach, the madhi and the holy war etc. When they are closet to the emperor, Feyd pushes the knife in deeper.

But then Feyd flings Paul away from him and Paul stumbles back so that he is once again standing with Chani and the Fedaykin at his back. As Feyd menacingly approaches him to finish him off, instead of focusing on the incoming threat Paul looks to Chani, to get a reminder of why he is fighting, why he is doing this and to draw strength from her. When he finally defeats Feyd it is again when he is standing closer to Chani.

I just think its really interesting that during this duel whenever Paul is at his lowest we are shown him on the side of the room with the emperor, bene gesserit, the people who are seeking to destroy him, and then when he is at his strongest and at his moment of victory in the duel he is standing on the side of Chani and the Fedaykin, the ones who give him strength and who he loves.

Once he's pulled the knife out we see him once again look to Chani, all of these looks to me make it very clear that she is his motivation behind his actions, he's doing it for her, he's doing it all because of that vision he had of her death, to keep her alive, which is really heartbreaking because its his actions to keep her safe and alive that are breaking her heart and that ultimately cause her to leave him. But I digress.

After this look to Chani we then see him repeat the same journey we saw him take at the start of the scene. He starts close to Chani and the Fedaykin, crosses the room passing Jessica, Stilgar, Gurney and the Fundamentalists and arrives before the emperor. Only this time he completes the next step, making the emperor bow and kiss his ducal ring.

When everyone else in the room bows, three stay standing, Princess Irulan, the woman who is his key to the throne, Chani, the woman he loves, who taught him the ways of the fremen and the desert and Jessica, his mother who fuelled his legend amongst the fundamentalists and trained him in the ways of the bene gesserit allowing him to become the kwisatz haderach. Not only is it symbolic that its these three women alone that remain standing but their positioning is again really interesting.

They are each a point of a triangle. Triangles have alot of symbolism and often represent three sides of a whole or a cycle. There's religious connotations to it too with the triangle often being used to represent the holy trinity in Christianity. Some meanings that I think could be relevant here though is the cycle of birth, life and death. Jessica representing birth, she is his mother but also she orchestrated the 'birth' of the kwisatz haderach in the south. Chani I think would represent life, she was the life he chose for himself. Then Irulan would represent death, she's the key to the throne and the Paul we knew had to die in order to become the man he is now. She represents the death of his old life.

Another meaning is beginning, middle and end, its similar to the life cycle triangle but this one is a reminder that everything has a process, there's the start, the journey and the end. I think this ties in well with what I was saying about how Paul merely crossing the room showed his journey throughout the film. So too does the positioning of each of these women in his life. Chani was the start of his journey, where he learnt from her, where he fell in love, then he drinks the water and becomes the mahdi, represented by Jessica and it ends with Irulan and him becoming the emperor.

Triangles can also represent protection, power and strength which I think each of these women provide Paul in their own unique ways. They can also mean creation which you can argue that each of these women contributed to who he is and has become, in a way they are the ones who have created him.

What is ironic is at this moment as the emperor is bowing, Jessica communicates with Mother Mohiam and tells her she chose the wrong side to which Mohiam replies there are no sides. I just found this kind of funny considering the room is set up into three very clear sides.

But anyway, moving on, after the emperor and everyone bow we then see Paul, yet again look back to Chani, even after everything he still can't completely let go of that link back to who he was, the life where he was happy and loved as a man and not a prophet. But then Chani walks away severing that last link. Paul keeps his eyes on her until she is completely out of sight, then he half turns, looking down and closing his eyes so that he is front on with the fundamentalists and Jessica. It is at this moment that Gurney tells him that the great houses are refusing to honour his ascension. Paul then turns his back to Stilgar and facing Irulan and the emperor, he looks to the floor and takes that final step when he says lead them to paradise, unleashing the holy war from his nightmares onto the universe. His only hope now being that the fundamentalists believe in him enough that he is able to control this war in his own favour. I think its significant that Paul turns his back to Stilgar, the friend who became a fanatical follower, and looks down to the floor at this moment of declaring the holy war. It's indicative of his shame, of his pain and shows how much its hurting him to make this choice, so much so that he can't look at the fremen as he gives the go ahead.

Honestly I could be looking into this way too much but on a rewatch of the scene I just found it all very interesting the way it was all laid out and how Paul navigating the room seemed to reflect his own personal journey from Paul Atreides to Usul Maud'dib the fedaykin to the Lisan al gaib to the emperor of the known universe and how that is reflected in the people around him.

#dune #dune part 2 #dune part 2 spoilers #dune part two #dune part two spoilers #paul atreides #paul x chani #paulchani

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the title of the last song you listened to is the epitaph on your tombstone

#guilty as sin? #haha geez what did i do? #😂😂😂

[where-theres-smoak-2]

They don't know how you've haunted me So stunningly I choose you and me … Religiously

#paulchani #paul x chani #chani x paul #paul atreides #chani kynes #dune #dune part 2 #dune part 2 spoilers #dune part two #dune part two spoilers

[where-theres-smoak-2]

@mcuchallenge April | LIGHT [insp] @paletmblr event xxxi | Fav pairing: Loki x Sylvie

#loki #sylvie #marvel #sylki #lovedaggers #i love this #so gorgeous

[where-theres-smoak-2]

“rhaenyra scammed house Velaryon” that’s correct. it was ONLY rhaenyra. no one else was involved. as we all know, laenor, famous haver of heterosexual sex was totally able and willing to give rhaenyra trueborn heirs but his bitch wife actually kicked him out of the bedroom whenever he tried :(. and he was so upset about them not being his biological sons and wanted to speak out about it but rhaenyra was actually holding a gun to his head everytime he was onscreen so he couldn’t :((. so when you make posts about the Velaryon boy’s parentage be sure to only mention rhaenyra!! she is the sole culprit behind this terrible crime.

#pro rhaenyra targaryen #laenor velaryon #pro laenor velaryon #team black #pro team black #anti team green stans #anti team green #rhaenyra targaryen

[where-theres-smoak-2]

I feel like a bit of a fool for missing this, but when Paul tells that leader in the war council scene 'in your nightmares you give water to the dead and it brings joy to your heart' I thought he meant the guy was giving corpses water to drink and was thinking yeah I'd be embarrassed about that too, what a nonsensical thing to do, dead people don't get thirsty.

But then I remembered how the fremen don't cry for their dead as it's seen as giving/wasting their water on the dead. So the guy wasn't giving the dead people water to drink in his nightmares, he was crying for them and the fact that he could cry for those lives lost brought joy to him.

#dune #dune part 2 #dune part 2 spoilers #dune part two #dune part two spoilers #paul atreides

[where-theres-smoak-2]

I know this is a long shot, and I have no idea how Messiah is even going to be handled onscreen in regards to the time jump, but I'd love a scene of Paul wrapping up his own wounds from the end of Part 2. Because one, you can't just injure your main character That Much and then never follow up on it in any way.

But more importantly I want that emphasis on how alone he is. I need the narrative to keep acknowledging that. Despite being so important *in theory*, he isn't protected, he isn't cared about. He's a thing to be in awe of and be terrified of. So having him alone, injured, taking care of himself in private with nobody watching him or following him...and then having him drag himself back to his feet to go commit more war crimes immediately after showing him in a deeply vulnerable and lonesome position would be. hm. something.

#dune #paul atreides #dune part 2 spoilers #this could be interesting #heartbreaking but interesting

[where-theres-smoak-2]

I don't get these posts I've been seeing saying what has rhaenyra ever done to prepare for the throne/ prove she'd be a good ruler. Like did you watch the show?

In the first episode, before she is even named heir, she is cup bearer to the king, meaning she was present during small council meetings, observing and learning how the kingdom is run and governed. In ep 6 we then see that she has a seat on the small council and is actively taking part in the running and governance of the Kingdom.

She marries laenor, the son and heir of a powerful house, securing their alliance and providing her family with a powerful navy. Whilst also fixing her own father's political blunder in the process.

She has many children creating a line of succession (and no it doesn't matter that some of them are bastards as its just a rumour and can't be proven so long as laenor is claiming them as his.) We also see jace, her heir, learning high valyrian because he believes a good king should uphold the traditions of their house, we see rhaenyra guiding him in this, showing that not only has she been preparing herself to rule but she has also began preparing the next heir for his rule.

She spends many years ruling and governing dragon stone, which is traditionally given to the heirs of the iron throne as a practice run and specifically to help prepare them to rule.

I've seen comments saying that she should have done more to secure alliances with the other houses so they'd support her claim. But here's the thing with that one, how do you know she didn't? There were large time jumps between various episodes, we don't know what she was doing during those time jumps. For all we know she was inviting lords to dragon stone to maintain relations or visiting/sending other members of the family to visit other houses. I mean she seemed pretty confident and knowledgeable about who was and wasn't likely to support her claim during the council meeting in 1x10. Also those houses had already sworn oaths to her and those oaths don't have an expiry date.

I honesty don't know what more you wanted her to do. I think the show made it very clear that she spent literally pretty much her entire life preparing herself for the throne.

Meanwhile all we saw aegon doing is jerking off out windows, drinking excessively and harassing/r*ping serving girls. But sure rhaenyra is the one that should have done more to prepare/prove herself.

#hotd #pro rhaenyra targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #team black #anti team green #house of the dragon

[where-theres-smoak-2]

and i'll still see until i die, you're the loss of my life.

#sylki #loki #sylvie #loki x sylvie

[where-theres-smoak-2]

This poll left me conflicted because on one hand springmouse is really cute and adorable, all the names here are cute and/or pretty, but I personally don't think I'd be comfortable using a ship tag that incorporated desert spring or sihaya seeing as chani hated and rejected the name so much. But then springmouse is really cute and adorable.

But anyway a ship name must be decided so vote, vote, vote.

Also there's a discord server I made 2 months ago for them, The Spring's mouse server so if anyone wants a link, feel free to DM me!!

#Paul x Chani #chani x paul #PaulChani #ChaniPaul #dune #paul atreides #chani kynes

[where-theres-smoak-2]

- Some shared feels -

#loki #sylvie #sylki #marvel #mcu #fanart #not mine #these are so adorable 😍

[where-theres-smoak-2]

I just can't get enough of these moments. For me I really do think these are the moments they fell in love with each other, the best part is all the other person is doing is talking, such a simple thing, yet you can see the other just getting lost in them, their attention is completely locked onto the other. It's like their whole world has contracted down to this one other person, they've become all that matters in that moment, their other half.

I feel like its a case of he fell first, likely because he already felt a connection to her because of his dreams, she took a little longer because of her distrust of outsiders and because of his connection to the prophecy she hates, but when she does fall its just as hard as he did.

#paulchani #paul x chani #paul atreides #chani kynes #dune #dune part 2 #dune part 2 spoilers #dune part two #dune part two spoilers #sorry for the crappy gifs I've only just started making them myself and I'm still perfecting the art lol

[where-theres-smoak-2]

I was thinking, after his duel with feyd, paul must have new scars where he was stabbed, one on his side and one on his shoulder. I've also seen a few posts pointing out that after the duel, paul is left to pull the knife still in his shoulder out himself. No one approaches him to offer comfort or care for his injuries, which honestly kind of breaks my heart.

One thing I personally would really love to see in dune 3, provided chani and paul do make up (which I reckon they will), is a scene where chani gently traces and/or kisses his healed scars, a little much needed comfort for the old wounds he suffered. But that's probably just wishful thinking on my part and not likely to happen, still a girl can dream.

#paulchani #paul x chani #paul atreides #chani kynes #dune part 2 spoilers #dune part 2 #dune part two spoilers #dune part two #dune 3