kalxx17

[kalxx17]

You could stick it in again .

[kalxx17]

Jannick is a terrible father, but..

I hate Jannick to bits, he genuinely sucks as a father & person and I wish we got to see James trod all over his dead, cracked open face.

But also I find him intriguing, was he really so brainwashed by the Steward ways that he was willing to just throw away his own son & pretend he's dead? It's likely.

What his actions stem from

But also, I wonder how much insecurity he holds within himself. He failed his steward test, which is why he became a janissary. His insecurity really shows when he pushes all his children (adoptive or not) to fit the standard of a "perfect steward" just to fill the void in his own heart.

Also the alcohol on his desk (which James found after the Hall had been penetrated). It's against the rules to really indulge in alcohol, though of course he was a janissary so it didn't really matter. But I like to go on about the idea that Jannick was actually an alcoholic & he uses the thing that's forbidden for Stewards to make himself feel better. As if he's trying to convince himself that being a janissary was a better thing anyway. Maybe also as a means to prove to himself that he doesn't lack self-control even when he's drunk (since control is something trained heavily into novitiates & stewards)

Jannick's death

That's why I'm glad he died to Marcus's shadow.

In the end, his efforts were in vain & he still died to the one thing he tried his hardest to avoid: lack of control. Best of all, the shadow of his own adoptive son.

Jannick's death is also a metaphor of self consumption in my opinion. All the things he tried suppressing comes back to the surface and kills him, and in his final moments, he finally had a chance to see what his abuse really did to his children mentally.

The backlash from being raised by Jannick

I'm banking on the idea that Marcus only turned so soon was because becoming a shadow was his greatest fear. Where was this fear likely instilled within him early on? Jannick. Because Marcus was so desperate to remain in control & so worried about turning, he ended up turning too soon.

The concept of turning into a shadow seems to be a symbol of mental instability. Marcus was probably so consumed in his fear of turning that it ate at him until his mental health finally faltered and succumbed.

Marcus's shadow being the one to kill Jannick is a nice touch. It's as if Marcus finally had had enough & is pushed to a mental state where he just unleashes all his frustrations and turmoil onto Jannick.

Similarly, it may depict the failure of Jannick's own mental health as he finally dies in the hands of his own creation: a monster created from Jannick's own insecurity and self-loathing.

Conclusion

So, regardless of his struggles, Jannick is still a shitty father. I enjoy bullying him because it feels as if I'm finally knocking some sense into my biological father after years of keeping it to myself. Jannick's like a little punching bag ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ plus what he did to James was stupid & unethical in equal part.

[kalxx17]

No end and no escape

(Anharion for a color study)

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Imagine Sarcean holding one of Anharion's magic hands because Anharion's chastity vows were in the way of explicit hand-holding

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The Stewards and what they represent

A few weeks ago I made a post where I expressed my opinion about the Stewards being a representation of religious trauma. In this post I will be going into a more further and in depth explanation on why I think this.

! Spoilers for dark rise and dark heir !

1 - The stewards being a cult:

The definition of a cult is "a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object." You could apply this term to the Stewards who devoted their lives to serving the light and more so the Lady. Everything they do, all the rules they've enforced its all for the Lady. They start their morning off with a chant dedicated to the Lady, they end their day with a chant dedicated to the lady.

It goes beyond just chants, cult leaders typically set rules for their followers. The reason is obviously to assert leadership and keep the control. The main rules the Stewards have are;

You must participate in the morning chants

You must take a vow of celibacy

You must sacrifice yourself when the time is right

Now, lets breakdown how these can control the Stewards and links them to a cult;

Morning chants - In cults, chanting is a mind-altering practice that can be used to break down a person's defences and make them more susceptible to cult ideology. Cult leaders use chanting to direct their followers' emotional and psychological attention to a specific ideology or person - In this case the light side and the lady. This can be dangerous because it can re-wire how the brain works.

Celibacy - Celibacy is the act of one restricting themself from entering a relationship that could be romantic or sexual - in a way, it's abstaining from sex. Cults typically promote the idea of a romantic/sexual relationship being taboo as a way to keep its members from devoting themself to anyone but their cause.

Self sacrifice - Yes, I know. The reasons the Stewards do this is because of the shadow living within them, but dark rise is one big metaphor for all sorts of things (Homophobia, racism, etc...) and so, I believe this act of self sacrifice is more then something for the fantasy plot. It represents how self sacrifice in cults work. Self sacrifice in cults is usually associated with identity fusion - a psychological concept that describes a deep sense of belonging and oneness with a group. This can be the result of intense collective experiences, such as drinking from the steward's cup which of course ruins the drinker's life.

Additional points:

Cults typically wear uniforms - Stewards wear their white/grey/blue uniforms

Cults isolate their members from the outside world - The Stewards are quite isolated from society and only go out when necessary. Their first reaction to Will is enough.

Abuse - Cults typically abuse their members - James. Enough said.

2 - Attempting to destroy anything different then their morals/Brainwashing

Would this really be a Juvive post without the Novitiate trio? This time, I'm going to use them to explain how fast a cult's opinion can change.

When Will and Violet are spending their first day at the hall, Emery and his friends are the only three people - Novitiates more specifically - who willingly talked to Will and Violet. The duo is usually seen with them and the three explain their traditions to the two. The time skip from chapter 14 to 15 is two (?) months, and during that time I want to bet money Will and Violet continued being Emery, Carver and Beatrix's friend.

Of course, it all goes to hell when Violet is outed to be a lion. When the army of Stewards corner Will and Violet, Carver is in that crowd. Yes, he's a Steward. Yes, he's following duties. Sure, but he didn't even try to rebuttal the higher powers? Didn't try to stand up for Violet? Carver knows Violet and Will are good people, his friends are friends with them- HE'S friends with them. All this is to say that Carver changed his opinions faster than the speed of light.

Why though? How though?

Simple, brainwashing.

The ideas of the Stewards were being jammed into his head since he was young. He's been training to be a Steward for years. He was taught lions were terrible beings. His opinion was not even his own, it was the Stewards. It was forced into his mind. If you don't believe me, brainwashing is defined as the process of compromising someone's freedom of choice and action by altering their perception, motivation, or behavioural outcomes. 

Makes sense now, right?

3 - Leadership

Jannick.

Actually, that's not enough. He deserve more.

3.5 - Jannick.

I hate this fucker.

You can associate this guy with being leaders of the cult. A cult leader is the leader of a group that requires unwavering devotion to a set of beliefs and practices - The lady and the light side in this case. Cult leaders are often described as pathologically narcissistic, and may be narcissists.

Let's break him down:

Jannick:

Called his son a "catamite" in front of hundreds of people - Shows lack of empathy which is a trait narcissists have

Implied that he pushes/pushed all three of his sons to the absolute limit and pushed them to be perfect. In the book he does show that he had a desire to be a Steward - Shows both need for admiration and envy, two traits shared with narcissists

"That thing is not my son." - Shows arrogance and just being a dick, arrogance is a trait narcissists have

While the Elder Steward is technically the leader of the Stewards, Jannick seems to have more power and influence over certain things.

Wrap up

In summary, I do believe the Stewards represent a more deeper meaning then what has been shown to us. They're a metaphor. A metaphor for a cult and religious trauma.

Thank you so much for reading. Take care you yourself, ok?

[kalxx17]

Sarcean: *exists* The Sun King: nope, not happening; to the time-out corner you go *tosses him into the oubliette*

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HOW IS HE SO ETHEREAL

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[kalxx17]

the most difficult part about writing mlm fanfics is having to specify which person "he/him/his" is referring to. (SarcAnha, Wames - I'm staring at you)

[kalxx17]

Daily reminder to take care of yourself <3

And drink water <3

[kalxx17]

Looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you: Will, Visander, Devon

Looks like they could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll: Cyprian, Tom

Looks like a cinnamon roll, is actually a cinnamon roll: Katherine, Philip

Looks like they could kill you, could actually kill you: Violet, Justice

Sinnamon roll: James

Tries to kill you by giving you too much cinnamon rolls: Elizabeth

[kalxx17]

They're my characters, therefore they've signed a contract at birth stating that they've consented to be my puppets & stress toys.

[kalxx17]

I'm simply obsessed with them!

[kalxx17]

my whole life, all anyone's ever wanted was to possess me

[kalxx17]

Imagine having your book used in a school curriculum. To have your story be the object of hatred & resentment amongst the students who have to study your work is depressing tbh. Though, there will be that 1% who enjoy studying it I guess.

[kalxx17]

the way will and james are both of the mind that the other has never done anything wrong in their lives ever while the people around them are like, "dude, he literally killed people."

[kalxx17]

I hope Violet and Cyprian had some time to catch up and relax before the storm🥺💔

Final couple who won 4th place on the best couple polls!!! ✨✨

Thank you for 300 followers on tumbler!!! 🥹��

(they got 4% on tumbler and 0 VOTES ON TWITTER💀 ) but I think they deserve to be second place with Sandy and Philip🥺💕💕!!