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Sometimes, I'm disappointed in myself how easy I fall for the same tropes every time. 🫠

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Aurora Cycle Poetic Essay Series Pt 1 - Tyler Jones

Aurora cycle fandom, I have left you to dry, I'm so sorry :( I got busy again and could only focus on one hyperfixation at a time, truly an awful place to be. But now, here's my new series to apologize, that will be in eight (maybe more) parts - "Poetic Essays". There will be one for each character, and will essentially be long-ish rants about the symbolism and writing of each character!! (My title for this is trash, I know, but it's past midnight rn pls forgive)

As always, this is my own interpretation of the character, so if you don't agree PLEASSEEE tell me about your thoughts, I'd love to hear em!! Now, first and foremost, the Goldenboy :)

(Spoilers for the trilogy below!!)

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Tyler Jericho Jones shares his middle name with his beloved late father's first name, the name of a city that - biblically - was won by hours upon hours of walking and hard labor by a large group of people, all combining every part of their energy and strength into their cause to win their city back. Although exhausted, they eventually found victory, and never gave up or faltered. The way that both Tyler and his father mirror this is not small or intended to be. A war hero, who spoke often of how he missed his family and worked tirelessly towards a cause, eventually reaching his victory - at a heavy cost. In Jericho's case, this cost was his life. And Tyler, who longs to be his father's son, is doomed to repeat this cycle. Even the cost is the same, with the alternate version of him once again paying the ultimate price for victory, and leaving his child behind to carry out his mission for him after he is gone. (Not to mention how they both fall in love with a Syldrathi woman that they are pulled apart from)

The themes of having a "cycle" is one of Aurora's strongest. The books are even named the Aurora Cycle. Auri talks about it in the Echo, with her sister Callie. Kal and Saedii carry and break the cycle of love and abuse from their parents onward. Zila carries the cycle of heartless logic and emotionlessness from the people that killed her parents. Finian breaks the cycle of self-hatred that lives in himself. But Tyler's relationship with his own cycle is one that he - unlike every other character, save for Kal - is aware of. Unlike Kal, however, he makes a conscious effort to make sure that this legacy continues. The ring of his father - one that loops, around and around - is something he keeps on his neck at all times. The symbolism of carrying his father's ring - a never-ending structure of unbreakable metal - around the most vulnerable place of his body, being his neck, is a subtle but incredibly beautiful one. And Tyler accomplishes his goal, although in a way that costs him. He pictured continuing his father's legacy as a shining, golden future. Instead, his close friend was the one carved into gold, after her sacrifice, which he can only gaze upon with one eye after his best friend and lover carved the other from his face, while an alternate future of himself bleeds out on the floor of a diamond, almost the exact way he would've on the floor of a reactor.

Tyler Jones is a charming, charismatic, "Goldenboy", who's own mind is the glowing yellow sun. Funnily, his father is described as being the same. Tyler was always, always fulfilling his father's legacy. He just didn't know that he was on a different spot on the cycle, on the ring, at the beginning. He was already there, just waiting to walk forward and into the bloodied shoes of Jericho Jones, and keep the cycle he holds so dear alive.

Meanwhile, Tyler is also continuing past legacies forward much more successfully that previously done in our world, too. Tyler Jones fits into the exact same category as Captain America, Captain Kirk, Superman, Prince Charming, Harry Potter, Atticus Finch etc etc etc etc... able-bodied, neurotypical, straight (?), white men who save the day. An easy character trope that has been thrown into the forefront of media for as long as anyone can remember, safe from any representation or diversity, and seemingly, the perfect "Ken Doll" of fiction. But Tyler stands out from these selfless, idealistic men in a very specific way - he's self aware.

When, in his very first chapter, he talks about missing the draft, he immediately acknowledges it's a stupid thing to worry about. Almost any of the other characters above would justify their worries, at least a little, try and save some dignity. Tyler doesn't. He barely even bothers defending himself, immediately acknowledging, I have no idea why I'm thinking about this, I'm about to die and that's my focus? How stupid.

He's also flawed in a way that others aren't - when he pushes forward despite being tired, it isn't prettily mussed hair and a single f-bomb, more of a "sexy caveman" era, one could call it. He mentally breaks down, gets gravely injured, lashes out - he's human in the face of his trials, rather than unrealistically stoic. These real flaws, combined with his complex inner mind, charm, morality, honesty, generosity and intelligence just make him incredibly lovable. The fact that he also has very nerdy interests on something as strange as ships - the most twelve-year-old boy thing to focus on - is also quite sweet.

Now, here's part of the essay where I just list random things about the character that I like.

The scar on his eyebrow is actually, like, a real scar?? It isn't like scars in every other story where it has some tragic backstory to it, "oh I was fourteen and ran into gunfire to try and save a civilian" type stuff. Nah, Tyler has a permanent scar just because a crappy kindergarten chair got hit on his head. Much more realistic and actually, dare I say, much more attractive.

His tattoo is the most drunk, random bar night, ahh why not tattoo ever. Oh, you got drunk for the very first time and decide to get a cheap tat at a bar of what's basically your school house color? Sick man

DIMPLES SORRY I JUST I GET WHY EVERYONE IN THE BOOKS LOVES EM SO MUCH I LOVE DIMPLES

Has a weird obsession with clean boots, which is the 2380 equivalent of wanting your white Nike airs to stay white. He's such a teen boy

Despite knowing he's attractive, he gets so excited when someone (cough saedii cough) thinks he's hot - like bro turns like a flower to water, it's actually quite cute! "Yeah, I know I'm hot, but pretty war criminal girl thinks I'm hot too? Awww, shucks!"

Him and Kal - idc if it's platonic romantic whatever, just...their friendship!! The way their fathers were enemies and they're brothers!!! The parallels between the two!!! The way they start of fighting and then a full Disney Channel "maybe you're not THAT bad", moment!!!! My boys

I like gentlemen. Tyler Jericho Jones is a gentleman.

He loves his sister so much, he's so protective of her in the most brotherly of ways :') I love their bond in general

In the same way, SUCH a younger brother. Like, he full on pouts when Scarlett teases him, like pack it up lil bro

In the same way, I love how he cares for Auri the way Scarlett cares for him :( the two of them are so siblings so besties and I wished we talked about it more

He just has such a golden heart :( very cliché, but I genuinely just love human characters who's faith in people and in kindness doesn't falter! It's so inspiring, y'know, like his heart makes him being a leader so believable.

And that's the first of the essays done!! I hope people like this and I didn't type away long past midnight for no reason!! Even if they don't, I ADOREEE Tyler, and I think he's just such a sweet, beautiful boy who I desperately want to talk to.

MWAH

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"Believe it or not, this ship has an unnatural number of attractive men and women on board. You'll fit right in. And fit in with the cranky immortals, I suppose."

-Dorian Havilliard, Empire of Storms (2016)

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Lou Lou (aka my Lou Shayla💔)

Lou Lou was truly one of my favorite characters from “Sunrise on the Reaping”. I also see her as a nod to the Black girls/women and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)— ppl who usually go missing and no one, especially the government, usually notices.

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One of the most heartbreaking lines I've read in a long while

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Happy International Asexuality Day!!! 🖤🩶🤍💜

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Deserved Jinora her tattoos?

The question if Jinora deserved her tattoos is one, we find surprisingly often while scrolling through discussions of TLoK.

Some people say she is probably one of the most powerful (air) bender we saw in both shows, while others consider her extremely weak. To be able to answer this question we need to define what a master is. The words "master" and "powerful" are often switched/mixed in this conversation.

A master is someone who is able to performe all the bending techniques flawlessly, while a powerful bender is able to blow unusual strong shots (like Meelo, who was capable of defeating many equalists at the age of 5).

Have we ever seen Jinora performing a powerful shot? - No! She is a calm and controlled bender, all her strong blows were made by a group.

But the tattoos are for mastering the element (all 36 techniques), not for being powerful. So, did Jinora master airbending?

We never really saw much of her bending, but when, she moved and acted very controlled (age 10/11!). Kai said, that she can do everything her father can (can do it - not having the same power while doing it).

From this point of view I'd say Jinora definitely deserved her tattoos!

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THANK U

Don't know why, but I in my head Lae looks quite similar to Jinx (Arcane).

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EvErY dReAm HaS a MeAnInG:

TONIGHT I DREAMED THAT A FEW YEARS AGO TAYLOR SWIFT AND DONALD TRUMP WERE DATING AND NOW TRUMP WANTS TO SUE HER BECAUSE SHE DREW HIM DURING THEIR RELATIONSHIP A PICTURE AND HE DOES NOT LIKE IT NOW!!!

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Don't know why, but I in my head Lae looks quite similar to Jinx (Arcane).

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Elide: *exists* Manon: Mine! Lorcan: Mine! Aelin: Mine!

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Saphira to Eragon when he almost got laid: NO! NOT UNDER MY WATCH! I DID NOT CONSENT

Thorn to Murtagh: Maybe your problem is that you're fucking bitchless

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Tag yourself I fear I'm Kaz 😬

saw this template on twitter and I HAD to make it w them

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my favorite copypasta

right after I drew this, I went to an event and saw someone who looked extremely similar to the Tyler I just drew. The hair and jacket were exactly the same... I am taking this as a sign to post it. Though I am not very confident in the art

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It's so weird watching or reading a character again on who you crushed once.

Like, you immediately remember what you thought of them 7 years ago and start to giggle, then you look at them again and suddenly realise - wtf why are you a minor?! I could be like your mom!

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I didn't need my heart in one piece anyway

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Imagine how hard it must have been for Haymitch' friends, Burdock and all the other ones, when he returned. The happy boy, who was crazy in love with the "weird" girl, who helped his ma and always seemed to be in a good mood, came back broken. So broken, nothing left to fix. And this sixteen years old child lost himself finally in alcohol and just, never recovered.