#Dictator downfall stories

[hotnesia]

Dictators Imprisoned by History Records: Execution as the End of a Brutal Regime

Focus Hotnesia – History records that great power often ends in emptiness. Dictators who once ruled with an iron fist and oppressed their people often meet a tragic fate. Execution becomes a painful end for many tyrants trapped by their ambitions and crimes. This article will explore the stories of some infamous dictators who were sentenced to death and the impact of their rule on…

[theweeklydiscourse]

God forbid you ever criticize the lack of consequences Bakugou experiences in MHA, or suddenly you’ll find dozens of Bakugou stans pouring into your mentions to make a speech about how cruel you are for forcing him to eat cement. They’ll act as though “consequences” inherently involves throwing him into the dungeon or putting him in detention for 100 years and then moan about how him facing consequences would only perpetuate a cycle of abuse/discrimination.

Listen, it’s not really that much of a consequence if the “consequence” in question isn’t directly connected to his current or past bad behaviour. “Oh but his scars!” “When he died that one time!” “His guilt for getting kidnapped” None of those are related to his bullying, and in my opinion, that makes them insufficient as consequences in an arc about changing for the better.

The consequences I would actually like to see could be as simple as: Izuku feels sad/mad because of what he went through, or certain characters reflect on how Bakugou’s past impacts their perception of him. More introspection on the victim’s end is needed, Bakugou doesn’t necessarily need to be pilloried for the arc to be satisfying.

[chaos-in-shibuya]

The stranger in my bed

Human Sukuna x fem/afab reader

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒: Ryomen Sukuna is a feared tyrant, left wounded after a failed assassination attempt. When you find him, you have no idea who he truly is. To you, he is simply a stranger in need of help. But as you tend to his wounds and his identity comes to light, tensions rise.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒: heian era au, fluff, tyrant Sukuna, detailed mentions of blood and wounds, caregiving, treating wounds, wholesome Sukuna???, oblivious reader, minor-paced heat (not exactly a slow burn), bickering, first kiss

𝐖.𝐂: 3.8K

During the Heian era, Ryomen Sukuna’s name echoed through the land, a symbol of both salvation and destruction. To some, he was a fearless guardian, a necessary evil who protected his people through fear. To others, he was a bloodthirsty tyrant, a dictator who ruled with an iron fist. Stories of his violence reached far and wide, stretching beyond Japan’s borders. Whether true or false, these stories fueled the image of him being a ruthless monster. Without Sukuna’s knowledge, his tyranny had sparked the flames of rebellion inside the hearts of the oppressed.

A group of rebels, united in their struggles, set their sights on Sukuna’s downfall.

At the crack of dawn, they attacked with deadly precision, a hail storm of arrows aiming for the heart of the man who had long plagued their land.

But Sukuna was no ordinary man.

He managed to escape death, but not without injury.

One arrow hit its mark, and he stumbled into the forest, clutching his side as blood stained his kimono.

The chill of the winter morning air bit at his skin, his breath coming in ragged pants as he stumbled through the snow.

His strength was failing him, the relentless cold only worsening his agony.

His vision blurred, and before he could stop himself, he collapsed.

The snow crunched beneath him as his body fell limp, his blood painting the ground in scarlet streaks.

The great and terrible Ryomen Sukuna, once untouchable, had fallen farther than anyone had ever thought possible.

You had been walking through the woods, taking a shortcut back to your cabin after a quick run for some herbs from a neighboring village, when the sight of a blood trail against the pristine white snow stopped you in your tracks.

Your gaze followed it until it led to a man.

A stranger, one you hadn’t seen before, lying there on the ground, his chest rising and falling faintly.

“Sir!” you exclaimed, rushing to his side.

Kneeling down, you examined him with growing panic.

An arrow was sticking out from his side, blood seeping from the wound and soaking his clothing.

His face was as pale as the snow beneath him, his features twisted in pain.

His eyelids fluttered, struggling to stay open, scanning the forest with paranoia.

“Who did this to you?” you asked, your voice urgent but soft as your hands hovered over him.

His eyes finally locked onto yours, sharp and filled with malice.

“Be gone,” he spat, the words dripping with venom despite his obvious weakness.

He tried to swat your hands away, but his movements were sluggish.

“Don’t touch me,” he groaned, trying to sound commanding, but his strength had abandoned him.

His arrogance, however, hadn’t.

Your eyes widened at his reaction, but you remained calm, inhaling a deep breath as you figured out the next course of action.

“You can complain all you want,” you replied, your tone firm as you ignored his protests, “but I’m not leaving you here to bleed out on the snow.”

Sliding one of his arms over your shoulders, you lifted him up with difficulty, your legs trembling under his weight. “Come on,” you said through gritted teeth, “my cabin is just a few steps away.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed, attempting to pull away.

His voice carried the same threatening tone as before, but the aggression of his words was completely outshined by his obvious vulnerable state.

“Focus on not dying,” you snapped, adjusting his weight as you dragged the both of you through the snow.

When you finally reached your cabin, you pushed the door open with your foot and led him to your bed, laying him down as carefully as his deadweight allowed.

You wasted no time.

Kneeling beside him, you carefully opened up his kimono, revealing more than you expected.

His chest was broad and well-defined, muscles rippling beneath his skin.

The dim light of the room highlighted the scars that covered it.

So many, each one a mystery you couldn’t quite understand.

You frowned, fingers brushing over the marks, wondering what kind of life had left him like this.

His abs flexed slightly as you carefully touched him, and for a moment, you couldn't help but notice how his body looked like it had been carved from stone.

You caught yourself staring for a little too long at the sight of his body, and quickly shook your head, snapping your focus back to the task at hand.

His wound needed your attention.

“I’m not some helpless fool,” he growled, his voice rasping.

You ignored him, slipping away to grab some supplies.

A clean cloth, a bowl of water, and a bottle of alcohol.

Returning to his side, you soaked the cloth and pressed it gently against the wound, cleaning away the blood.

He flinched, his body tensing under your touch.

“This is going to hurt,” you warned, wrapping your fingers around the arrow. “I’m sorry.”

Without waiting for his response, you pulled the arrow out in one swift motion.

His scream tore through the cabin, raw and guttural.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes squeezing shut as sweat droplets formed on his forehead.

“You’re making this worse,” he hissed when the pain subsided slightly.

“Right,” you muttered, rolling your eyes. "Bleeding out on the snow sounds way better than my help."

Even though he continued to complain and glare at you, he had no choice but to let you stitch up the wound.

As you worked, his breathing eventually steadied but the sour look on his face never left.

"I don’t need your help," he muttered one last time, his voice quieter now, but still laced with defiance.

"And I don’t need your gratitude," you replied evenly, tying off the final stitch. "But here we are anyway."

His crimson eyes bore into you with disdain, but you simply sighed and stood. "You’re lucky the wound wasn’t worse. You’ll need to rest, though."

Without waiting for a reply, you left the room, returning a few minutes later with a steaming bowl of soup.

You sat down beside him on the bed, carefully scooping up a spoonful of soup.

Gently, you brought it close to his lips, watching him closely.

“Here,” you said quietly, waiting for him to part his lips. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. This will help.”

Sukuna’s eyes flicked to the spoon, then back to you.

He didn’t move. “I’m not a child,” he snapped, his tone sharp despite the fatigue in his voice.

You shook your head with a light chuckle. “Good to know.”

You extended the spoon again, your voice warm but firm. “Eat, please.”

He let out a low, irritated grunt but finally opened his mouth, reluctantly accepting the spoonful you offered.

The way his jaw clenched as he accepted it was almost comical, as if the act of cooperation was physically painful for him.

You watched as he ate another spoonful, his movements stiff.

He paused, then took another, slower this time.

“It’s bland,” he muttered, turning his face away with an expression of disinterest.

You blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “It’s supposed to be easy on your stomach,” you explained patiently. “I didn’t want to give you anything too heavy.”

He snorted, his tone laced with sarcasm. “How considerate.”

You let the comment slide, refusing to take the bait.

Instead, you stood, setting the bowl down on the nightstand and placing a blanket over his body “I’ll make something tastier once you’re feeling better. For now, this will have to do.”

Sukuna glared at you, clearly annoyed by your calm demeanor, but said nothing.

Over the next few hours, his defiance didn’t waver once.

Every time you checked his wound, he’d flinch or growl as if your touch was offensive.

When you tried to help him sit up or adjust his bandages, he’d mutter something under his breath about not needing your assistance.

By the tenth time he dismissed your efforts with a scoff, your patience began to wear thin.

“Could you at least try not to act like I’m torturing you?” you asked lightly, your voice tinged with humor rather than frustration.

“I wouldn’t have to act,” he shot back, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

You exhaled slowly, your grip tightening on the cloth in your hand. “You really have a way with words, don’t you?”

He tilted his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement now. “Easy there, you’re sounding annoyed.”

You forced a smile, though it was strained. “Not annoyed. Just questioning why I’m bothering to help when it’s so clearly unwanted.”

The silence stretched, and his smirk momentarily disappeared.

He stared at you, his expression unreadable, before leaning back against the pillows with a low grunt.

“Fine, do as you please,” he mumbled, his eyelids fluttering shut.

You sighed, torn between irritation and concern as you watched him. “I plan to,” you murmured softly, more to yourself than to him, before gathering your supplies and leaving the room.

As you walked out of the room, Sukuna cracked one eye open, his gaze lingering on the door you’d just closed.

For reasons he couldn’t quite understand, the softness in your voice and the tenderness in your actions unsettled him far more than any battle wound ever had.

Why were you treating him like this?

With so much kindness and care, despite his infamy.

Him, of all people.

The next morning, you entered the room to check on him, carrying another bowl of soup in one hand and a fresh bandage roll in the other.

He was awake, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, his expression neutral.

“Good morning,” you said kindly, setting the bowl down on the nightstand beside him.

He didn’t respond, but you could feel his eyes on you as you moved around, arranging your supplies.

You sat next to him on the edge of the bed, peeling back the blanket to inspect his wound. The stitches held on well overnight, and the redness around the area had started to fade.

“It’s healing nicely,” you said with a small smile, dabbing at the wound with a damp cloth.

Sukuna grunted. “I’ve had worse.”

You raised an eyebrow, glancing up at him. “I’m sure you have. But that doesn’t mean you should brush this off.”

He didn’t reply, his gaze shifting away from you to the window.

As you worked, the silence between you stretched, but it didn’t feel as tense as it had before. He didn’t flinch as much when your hands brushed against his skin, and while his annoyed expression remained firmly in place, there was something less hostile about it now.

“Here,” you said after finishing with his bandages, lifting the bowl of soup and holding it out to him.

He eyed it suspiciously. “Still bland, I assume?”

You chuckled. “Probably. But you’ll eat it anyway.”

This time, he took the bowl without complaint.

As he ate, you settled down on the bed, watching him quietly.

“You’re awfully persistent,” he muttered after a few bites, his tone less sharp than usual.

“And you’re awfully stubborn,” you countered, a teasing hint in your voice.

He snorted, a sound that almost resembled a laugh. “You’re really something, aren’t you?” He spoke with his usual sharpness, but this time, it wasn’t as cold.

You raised an eyebrow, not missing the subtle shift in his tone. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

He glanced at you, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Could be worse, I guess. At least you’re not boring.”

With a soft chuckle, you tilted your head. "I’d say I’m doing something right, since you're still alive and complaining."

Over the next few days, a routine formed between you.

You’d take care of his wound in the morning, bring him food, and sit with him for a while, talking about small things.

Your life living in the forest, the weather, little stories from the nearby village.

At first, he barely responded, his silence more dismissive than curious.

But slowly, his mean comments became fewer, his glares less frequent.

Once, you even caught him watching you with an expression you could only describe as endearing.

One evening, as you were tidying up the room, Sukuna broke the silence.

“You’re not afraid of me,” he stated, his voice low but certain.

You glanced at him, pausing mid-step. “Should I be?”

He frowned, his crimson eyes narrowing. “Most people would.”

You tilted your head slightly, studying him. “You’re lying half-dead in my bed, what is it that you want me to fear so bad?” Your voice was light, teasing, but there was a hint of curiosity in your gaze now.

Sukuna scoffed. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?” you asked, leaning forward slightly.

He didn’t answer right away, his eyes scanning your face almost as if deciding if he truly wanted to say whatever it was he was thinking about.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low.

“Who I am.”

A strange silence followed his statement, and you found yourself blinking in confusion. “Should I?”

A bitter laugh escaped him, sharp and humorless. “You’ve been tending to the most feared man in the land, and you don’t even realize it.”

Your brow furrowed, your mind racing to piece together his cryptic statement. “Feared?” you replied.

He leaned forward, his eyes boring into yours, gauging your reaction. “I’m Ryomen Sukuna.’’

Your breath hitched, the realization slamming into you like a splash of ice cold water. Memories of whispered stories and terrified murmurs surfaced in your mind.

Tales of a tyrant whose cruelty knew no limits, whose power was unmatched.

Your gaze darted to his eyes, lowering to the sharp angles of his jaw, until they landed on his scarred chest.

The scars on his body told a story far darker than you'd imagined.

“You…” Your voice was barely above a whisper, your body slightly shifting away from him on the bed.

Sukuna raised an eyebrow “Ah, there it is. Fear.”

But as the silence stretched, the fear he expected didn’t consume you.

Instead, your expression shifted from shock to something else entirely.

“You’re joking,” you said flatly, though your voice trembled slightly.

“Do I look like someone who jokes?” His tone was sharp, his gaze unforgiving.

You stared at him, your mind racing.

The pieces fit together too neatly to deny.

The arrogance.

The way he carried himself.

The near-fatal attack he’d suffered.

It all made sense now.

And yet…

You exhaled slowly, leaning back to where you were sitting before. “Well, that explains the attitude,” you muttered.

His brow furrowed, clearly caught off guard by your response. “That’s it? No begging for mercy? No scrambling to escape?”

You shook your head, a faint smile tugging at your lips despite the situation. “Am I supposed to? You’re still breathing only because I’m here. What are you going to do, kill me with that look?

For the first time since you’d met him, Sukuna looked genuinely stunned.

“You’re either very brave,” he said finally, his voice low, “or very foolish.”

“Maybe both,” you replied softly, meeting his gaze without flinching. “But even if I knew who you were from the start... I probably still would’ve helped you.”

He sat there staring at you, with a bewildered expression on his face, and for once, he didn’t have a sharp reply.

The air in the room thickened with a tension neither of you had expected.

You shifted slightly on the bed, the heaviness of your words lingering between you, while Sukuna remained silent, his eyes never leaving yours.

You both seemed locked in some kind of standoff, neither of you backing down, but neither of you making a move either.

His eyes were darker now, unreadable and intense, while you felt your pulse quicken under the intensity of his gaze.

Finally, he relaxed against the pillows with a quiet grunt, still watching you carefully, as if he was trying to figure out why you weren’t reacting the way he expected.

“You’re strange, you know that?” His voice was low, but there was something softer in the way he spoke.

“I’ve been told that before,” you said, smiling softly.

He chuckled, the sound extremely faint. “I can’t believe you’re so calm after all this. After knowing who I am.”

You shrugged, your gaze not leaving his. “What does it change? You’re still the same man lying in my bed.”

He smirked, shaking his head. “And you still haven’t run screaming for the hills. A miracle.”

“No, just... common sense,” you said, a teasing tone in your voice. “What would I gain by running? I’ve already fed you, patched you up, and made sure you didn’t die on me. There’s no turning back now.”

His smirk faltered for just a moment, replaced by an expression you couldn’t quite place. “You’ve got more nerve than I expected. I’ll give you that.”

“Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment. But I’m pretty sure you don’t hand those out often,” you said with a soft chuckle, your voice light and easy.

You scooted closer to him on the bed, and gently adjusted the blanket around him, your fingers lingering for longer than necessary.

Sukuna’s eyes shifted to your hands, noticing how your touch lingered just a little too long. His body tensed, not out of discomfort but out of unfamiliarity.

He wasn’t used to this.

To someone treating him with such care.

It felt strange.

Unsettling even.

It made him want to pull away but at the same time, he couldn’t move.

It felt like his body was stuck in place.

His gaze returned to your face, the focus in your expression catching him off guard.

There was no fear, no negative feelings toward him that he could detect.

The light weight of the blanket against his chest suddenly felt heavier, almost suffocating, but he couldn’t quite figure out why.

He stayed silent, the tension growing between you.

He felt torn, unsure whether to act on his usual instinct to push everyone away or give in to the curiosity pulling him in.

His voice eventually broke the silence, his tone quieter. “You’ve got to stop making it so easy.”

You glanced up at him, puzzled. “Making what easy?”

“Making me want to stay” he murmured, his gaze flicking down to your lips.

Your eyebrows shot up to your hairline immediately at this statement, your heartbeat picking up speed for a brief second, as you sat there processing his words.

You didn’t move, not at first, and just stared at him, trying to make sense of what he said.

Before you could open your mouth to reply, his hand moved.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, until his fingers gently trailed the side of your face, a featherlight touch that sent a shiver down your spine.

Before you knew it, you were leaning forward unconsciously.

The proximity between you felt magnetic, the way his eyes were stuck on yours dragging you towards him.

His breath was warm against your skin, his gaze never shifting as he leaned in as well.

When his lips met yours, it wasn’t frantic or desperate.

Instead it was slow.

Careful, like he wasn’t quite sure how to begin.

His lips were soft at first, like he was waiting for some signal from you.

And you gave him one.

You leaned into him, hands finding the edge of his kimono, pulling him closer with an urgency that matched the quickening pulse in your chest.

The kiss intensified, the uncertainty between you slowly disappearing with every movement. As his fingers tangled in your hair, you felt the tight knot of tension between you both loosen.

It was more than just a gesture.

That kiss was the release of everything you’d both been holding back, the chemistry finally too strong to deny.

For a few heartbeats, there was nothing but him, nothing but the press of his lips against yours and the sound of your breathings, echoing throughout the quiet of the room.

You pulled back slowly, just enough to catch your breath, your chest rising and falling at the same pace as his.

He didn’t say anything right away, his gaze flickering between your lips and your eyes, like he was trying to figure out if he had misread something.

Or if you were thinking the same thing.

“Stay,” you murmured after a long silence, your voice almost too soft, like you were testing the words.

His eyes narrowed slightly, his face a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

“Not just until your wound is healed,” you added, your voice steadier now. “I mean it. Stay here. No one would even think to look for you in a place like this.”

His lips pressed into a thin line, and you could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

“Whoever shot that arrow at you probably thinks you’re dead anyway,” you continued, leaning in just slightly. “Whoever did that, thinks they’ve won. No one’s coming after you anymore.”

His jaw tightened, and seeing his reaction made you think you had pushed too far.

His hand slipped from your face, trailing down to his side as he straightened his posture slightly.

“As if it’s really that simple,” he murmured, his voice quiet, almost bitter. “You really think I could just disappear? Forget everything?”

You met his gaze, still not giving up despite his unwillingness. “You don’t have to forget. But you could start over. Here. With me.”

The silence that followed was unbearable, Sukuna’s eyes drifting towards the ceiling, clearly lost in thought.

Finally, his lips twisted into a faint smirk. “I didn’t know nursing me back to health included a permanent residency,” he muttered, his voice softer than before, although it carried a teasing tone to it.

Your stomach flipped, but you didn’t let it show.

Instead, you shrugged lightly, a small teasing smile tugging at your lips. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He chuckled under his breath, a sound that felt warmer than any fire.

Slowly, he nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly.

“I’ll stay,” he said, the words carrying more weight than he probably intended.

You smiled, leaning back with a small sigh of relief. “Good,” you replied, your voice lighter, gesturing with your head towards the nightstand. “Now stop talking and finish your soup before it gets cold.’’

He shook his head, but the faintest hint of a genuine smile tugged at his lips as he picked up the bowl.

[rayroseu]

Now that I think about it, maybe the reason why Malleus' Magic is so powerful, because before he was born he was copiously sustained with powerful magicians like Meleanor, Maleficia, and Lilia.

The egg is born through love but only through magic can that egg finally hatch (that's where Lilia exhausted his magic). Maybe a fae's power is determined to how much magic can their parents "exhaust" in making them born(?).

So, essentially, His magic consists of the magic of powerful mages.

1) Meleanor (as his biological mother),

2) Maleficia (her magic was life support while he was incubated),

and 3) Lilia (who hatched him).

So when we fight Malleus, we are not just simply fighting "Malleus" himself, but rather a lethal culmination of Meleanor, Maleficia, and Lilia's raw power.

That's why it feels so impossible to defeat him because we're essentially fighting three powerful magicians at once, it's just in the form of "Malleus Draconia."

All these magicians have high-profile powerful magic, and all of them are faes too. I often assumed that Malleus was rich in magic because he's a Draconia but no, Meleanor used her full magical strength as well but the story didn't showcase her casting some world altering magic like stopping time and encasing human souls inside a magical barrier— Only Malleus did...

Maybe there's really no person who can defeat him as STYX theorizes... Not even Maleficia. While its true she's powerful, but based on this interpretation, she can fight Malleus, but fighting Malleus is also the same as fighting her magic, mixed with Meleanor's and Lilia's (and Levan's even though we don't know how powerful he is).

Levan is Malleus' father but so far the story doesn't imply nor mention any significant magical contribution he did to Malleus. The only thing mentioned in the story about Levan's influence was that Malleus is a kind/gentle person because of him.

I like to interpret he's powerful too! So maybe, its not just Meleanor, Maleficia, Lilia, but also Levan.... if he got the chance to bless Eggmalleus some magic before he lost. So its actually FIVE HIGH CLASS MAGICIANS were fighting against if we fight Malleus ☠️☠️ That's why he's truly "god-like".

I really like the fact that Malleus is undefeatable even by raw power or raw cleverness (like using technology). I know that's still going to be a big part, but its more intriguing for me to how TWST will handle stopping Malleus without obvious offense.

They'll only need to rely on one thing that humans are really great of practicing (more than faes): communication. Maybe the solution may be as simple as talking to Malleus that he needs to stop lol Because really, at this point, thats the most staple choice we have, anything else takes too much time💔😔

Not in the accusing way, but in a kind and understanding way. But, I know that's unlikely to happen knowing how "cringed" NRC is towards displaying kindness (which is often their downfall lol). But remember, the resolution at the fairy gala event? Where everyone was antagonizing the Diurnal Fairies, assuming they'll be stubborn and that they're thieves so they should take the stone without asking them, but then it turns out once they got caught and Silver talked with them apologetically and with understandingly, the Queen understood it and let the stone go...

Maybe Malleus would act like that Queen too?? After all, no one still talks with him about how "indeed, it is painful to suffer and lost, but there's merit in their existence, so we don't need to cut them out of our lives, because even those painful experiences helps us achieve our true dreams." or just a simple "You won't be alone even if Lilia passes away. I'm sure Lilia will be more happy to live his life and live it longer because he'll be remembered by Malleus even if he's just a memory now." or maybe a blunt "The world doesn't revolve around anyone, so Malleus has no rights to dictate how we should live our lives" lol

I feel like Malleus is just a person who never really thinks about other interpretations unless its been said to him... That's why I'm wishing that Book 7 resolves his overblot by not fully painting him as a "catastrophic dark fae" (like what the humans viewed Meleanor), like there'll be a balance between depicting him as a villain but also as a flawed person.

But yes I do agree that the biggest hurdle in defeating Malleus, may not just be his overpowered magic, but also his defiance in believing that he can understand humanity and humanity will understand him 😭😭

[brrmian]

something that so many star wars fans somehow fail to realize is that george lucas always intended for the fall of the republic to be a completely unavoidable tragedy. that’s what makes it such brilliant storytelling.

placing the blame on just one party in the galaxy-wide farce that was the clone wars just isn’t interpreting the story the way its writer intended. neither is saying that all players should be held equally accountable. i don’t think the jedi were at fault for the state of the republic, and (despite the fact that he did horrible things) neither was anakin, on a galactic or governmental scale.

the real villain is palpatine, who shaped the government into a corrupt system by his own hand. the blame for turning a democratic republic into an authoritarian dictatorship (which it was long before it became the empire) under the noses of thousands of incredibly corrupt politicians must be placed entirely on him, and him alone.

by the end of the war, the jedi council recognized that they had already lost the ability to hold onto what it truly means to be a jedi. in their prime during the days of the old republic, the jedi knights were “the guardians of peace and justice.” they’re meant to as diplomats, peacekeepers, mediators, and public servants. when the clone wars began, they were essentially forced into being soldiers, generals, and quasi-politicians by palpatine and the senate. all of those things are antithetical to the jedi’s beliefs, but they had no other choice.

placing even the smallest bit of blame on the jedi for anything leading to the republic’s downfall—and their own—is not only unfair, it’s factually incorrect. the jedi order is a monastic organization. they have no say in the senate and no voting power. saying they’re corrupt, when in fact they were just as conned by palpatine as the rest of the galaxy, is victim-blaming and scapegoating.

palpatine shoved the jedi face first into fighting the war, and pretty much threw the clone army into their laps on top of that. the jedi had no say in the matter, and they certainly had no say in the war itself being started, either. because he controlled both sides, palpatine was able to make the CIS and the republic declare war on each other even though its citizens wanted the same outcome: political independence and survival. if not for palpatine’s schemes, the separatists would have been allowed to secede peacefully, the republic would have continued existing, and the war would have been completely avoided. but that was unfortunately not the case.

so in a galaxy thrown into an unavoidable war by its own secret dictator, with an army of sentient slaves suddenly at their command, and the risk of billions of deaths at the hands of the droid army imminently approaching, what do the galaxy’s official peacekeepers have no other choice but to do? be peacekeepers. why wouldn’t the sworn defenders of the galaxy be out on the battlefields trying to end the war? if they sat in the temple and did nothing, they simply wouldn’t be jedi.

the jedi were forced into a lose/lose situation. every religion and organization has faults, but that doesn’t place any blame on them for the catch-22 they were trapped into falling for. when the clone wars started—and the key point here is that it never should have in the first place—the jedi still needed to be jedi. unfortunately for them, that meant having positions of power not meant for them being thrust upon their shoulders. they couldn’t drop the burden, because that meant actively choosing not to save lives—but the other option, becoming soldiers despite the tenet of their beliefs that dictates they shouldn’t, was no better.

see what a cruel trap palpatine set? it’s like a fish being caught in a fisherman’s net. the net is spread out across the ocean floor, and the fish swim above it, not knowing that the trap is waiting to be drawn in around them from below. in the end, when the net starts to tighten, dragging them closer to the surface, they can’t swim fast enough to escape from the middle to the edge—and to safety—before the net is completely tied. it’s the cruelest kind of trap: the kind that gives you just the right amount of time to think you can escape while being sprung just quick enough to make actually escaping impossible.

in the end, the order actively chose to fight the war because they needed to. there was no other way to continue on as who they were. militarizing the order was not the right choice in a vacuum, but this was not that; this was a situation in which every galaxy-changing choice was the wrong one. the jedi knew they were making a decision that drew them farther away from their beliefs, but it was the lesser of an infinite list of evils, and they didn’t see the walls closing in on them until it was too late.

lucas himself has even said that the order was not corrupt or decaying from the inside, nor did they make a series of bad choices that ultimately led to their own destruction. they were always just trying to do the right thing—but unlike literally everything else in fiction, the jedi order’s death was completely unaffected by any of the choices they made. no matter what they did, they were always going to lose. the fall of the republic wasn’t caused by its defenders choosing what they saw as the least bad choice. it didn’t come down to any decisions, political or not, that the jedi council made with the limited tools that they had. it certainly didn’t come down to one emotionally unstable twenty-three-year-old’s slow descent into insanity, either. the republic and the jedi would still have been destroyed with or without anakin’s unhinged nervous breakdown.

anakin, just like the order, the republic, and the separatists, was taken advantage of by palpatine. even if a person’s choices are their own, they don’t exist in a vacuum.

anakin would have made better choices if not for palpatine, but he didn’t. the jedi order would have kept the peace if not for palpatine, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t. the republic, and democracy with it, would not have crumbled if not for palpatine. not the order, not anakin, not the separatists, and not the republic.

in the end, they were all just pawns in a decades-spanning plan, one that none of them saw coming until it was too late—and by then, it was already irreversible.

[eugenedebs1920]

The balance has been thrown off kilter. The representation is not equal to the constituency. The lust for power has surpassed the duty to protect the Constitution, defend democratic principles, or adhere to the wishes of the people. This has dire implications. This doesn’t just give the illusion of government reflecting the will of the people, it shows the blatant disregard for it.

I’m a liberal. My values are that of equality, that people should feel free to express themselves how they please, love who they want to love, have control of their own bodies. I believe that government is there for the benefit and betterment of society, that government is not that which restricts liberty, but that which enshrines it. I believe that no one is better than anyone else, that the working class should make a living wage, that corporations and the wealthy should pay just as high of a tax rate as a teacher, that leaving this country, and this world in better condition than how we found it, both socially and environmentally, should be a top priority, that science is real, and objective reality is that in which we live, that religion should not dictate policy, nor be forced upon anyone.

This nation hasn’t been this divided in decades. Between the rise of the right wing propaganda apparatus, the unchecked, undiagnosed racism that the Obama years pulled to the surface, the shocking victory of a polarizing, 2nd rate reality tv personality, who brought with him to the oval office not only incompetence doused in narcissism, but not so silent cries of a discriminatory dog whistle.

The absolute failure during the covid pandemic brought the attention of those who would normally not have much political engagement into plain sight. The refusal to listen to scientists and doctors. The stubborn, asinine objections to the simple suggestion of masks. The skepticism of vaccines whose efficacy and safety have been long established. The projection, scapegoating, finger pointing, and denial of objective reality trump exuded was his downfall.

The 2020 election, despite the assertions of fraud and corruption, was found to be, by trumps own cabinet, as well as an independent investigator hired by the Trump campaign, the most secure and free from interference to date. When the “right” disputes the participation numbers, comparing them with previous elections, they would assert that millions and millions more votes were cast in that election than in others. There is a simple and obvious reason for this. Access and ease of participation.

A lot of us were on lockdown in fall of 2020 (not myself, I was an “essential worker” which sounds a whole lot like expendable asset) many were working from home, or unable to work. In the midst of all this was the general election. With social distancing protocols, and suggested limited interactions between people, the public was mailed their ballots, unburdening those who had found it taxiing to engage in their civic duty of democracy. When people were allowed to fill their ballots out with leisure, in their home, then mail their decision out, the participation rate skyrocketed.

This next bit is relatively unrelated but. The 2020 election saw the highest percentage of eligible voters cast ballots, at 62.8%, since the 1968 elections, the average participation rate being between 49%-57% since (shame shame on those not civically engaging). All this voter fraud talk, and non citizen voting is complete fabrication. Even the ultra far right Heritage Foundations investigations found minuscule cases of “suspected fraud” the percentage of these suspected cases being 0.0001%. These pushes for voter integrity, or to secure our elections are simple attempts to disenfranchise voters, a campaign of legalized voter suppression, don’t be fooled.

The fact of the matter is, in this science based world, where the questions of old have been answered, society is more open minded and tolerant, those clinging to the legitimacy of their discredited, fantastical religious dogma, acting in ways in such contrast to the scripture they preach, find themselves losing relevance, and in turn, losing power. So as to retain power the tactics are to cheat and rig the system to where minorities, the working poor, urban voters, women, and the youth will find it difficult to carry out their civic responsibility of voting. This is not a denouncement of spirituality or religion overall, it is a calling out of those who use religion as a sword and a shield to carry out their highly immoral behavior.

I digress…

The pendulum swing from the Obama years, combined with the, to put it nicely, unconventional and divisive rhetoric of the 2016 Trump campaign and subsequent administration has polarized the United States to levels not experienced in many of our lifetimes.

Then there’s the lies. Lie after lie after lie. With special counsel to President, Kellyanne Conway telling a reporter that the fabrications coming from the White House weren’t lies they were “alternative facts”. Post Trump’s presidency an independent analysis counts that Trump had lied, misled, and altered the truth more than 36,000 times. Thats just the first run.

Then you have the propaganda and propagandist. Institutions like Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax, so disattached from objective reality that Fox and Newsmax were held to accountability for their deception to the tune of almost $2 billion. Many of the smaller independent right wing media and podcasters were found to have “unknowingly” taken money from Russian state television and given a list of talking points to spread on the right in order to sew discourse between Americans and distort reality.

Say all you will about the “fake news”, or legacy media, the mainstream media, like they’re profit driven cowards, you could say they’re corporate tools, one could even claim they’re milk toast media, too afraid of speaking truth to power on the chance it would offend their bottom line and upset the almighty messiah that is the capital stuffing their fat pockets. CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, or MSNBC, although some may show an apparent bias towards Democratic ideals, and receive their talking points from corporate overlords, they were not instructed by the Kremlin to divide America.

On the first amendment. In this country you are free to believe and say what you please. Yet some have exploited this endowment granted in the Bill of rights to collapse and crumble an essential pier of a free society bestowed in said amendment. An independent, free, and credible press. Sadly it’s one thing when the president says things like, Jan 6th was a day of love, or Haitian immigrants are eating pets, ect, it’s another to present yourself as a purveyor of factual information, convincing your audience of such, and feeding them an alternate reality. It sews division and animosity, one side consuming lies as truth.

Moving on.

On the left, a well meaning, and justified movement, of holding those who would prey on women without consent accountable for their actions, transformed from the righteous and long overdue pursuit of justice, into a culture of censorship if others opinions offended, or were in contrast to those who held their own ideals as law. The cancel culture had began.

This cancel culture would deny controversial speakers from freely expressing their opinions in universities and at events across the country, it would shame and accost speech or views contentious to their perception, the fight for social justice became eerily similar to that which they opposed, fascist thought police.

The thing about freedoms, rights and liberty is that it must be enjoyed by all to be enjoyed by any. Personally I find Nazis and racism, discrimination, disgusting and unacceptable, yet those pathetic bigots have to be granted the same privileges of free speech as non ignorant citizens of a free society for that right to be given to society as a whole. It doesn’t mean one would have to go along with it, it doesn’t mean one can’t oppose or combat it, it doesn’t mean that Nazis don’t deserve what they get for openly supporting it. It means they have a right to say and express it.

Another unforeseen consequence of stifling viewpoints which may be contradictory to one’s self, offensive or controversial is the limitations of one’s personal growth. By denying and sheltering debate of that which you find fundamentally wrong or that goes in opposition to that which you believe, it causes one’s perspective to become rigid and narrow, unwittingly being that which you decried as intolerant.

The backlash to this, and to the nations first president of color, was the inception of an opposition party with very vibrant tones of racial intolerance. The T.E.A. (Taxed enough already) Party would bust on the scene as a far right movement, raising havoc at town halls and throwing rallies in nearly every state. All this would be perfectly acceptable and even welcomed, but there was an unsettling theme. Rally goers would brandish signs refuting Obama’s citizenship, signs that read, “a village in Kenya is missing its idiot”, some that referenced slavery even some using the N word.

Along with this not so subtle display of racism, Republicans were questioning Barak Obama’s eligibility to hold the office of president as well. His foreign sounding name, and the pigmentation of his skin, prompted some to call for Obama to prove his citizenship, asking to see his birth certificate. Even upon the release of his birth certificate, the skepticism lingered heavy in the atmosphere of general discourse on the right.

One of these voices was a crude, frankly vulgar, insulting, failed businessman turned reality television personality, not particularly articulate or intelligent, but his crass style was relatable and entertaining, the trash that spewed from his mouth was unimaginable not 10 years prior. This was the rise of Donald Trump, who would go on to win the nomination for president as a Republican.

In a display of arrogance the Democratic Party, the only viable choice for progressive thinking liberals in the U.S., disregarded the support for its own unconventional candidate, a Jewish socialist, Bernie Sanders. Instead they nominated a candidate, sadly unconventional due to the sex, but about as establishment as it gets in Hilary Clinton.

Perhaps it’s the young age of the United States, or perhaps it’s just misogyny, but America, unlike much of the world, isn’t willing to elect a female to its highest office. Trump, an adjudicated sexual assailant and known adulterer, exudes misogyny, and sexism. His attacks on Clinton were relentless, unfounded, and inappropriate. In their debate he loomed over her like a caged animal, pacing back and forth. At the end of the day Trump’s victory was a shock, even to the Trump campaign.

The 2016 Trump administration started off slow, and bumbled their way forward. In February, just prior to the election, long time conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away. The sitting president is constitutionally obligated to replace any vacancy in the Supreme Court should it arise, but reptilian alien, turtle variant, Mitch McConnell had other plans.

McConnell popped his head out of his shell to make out of whole cloth, a rule that had never been instituted in the previous 240 some years of this nations existence, claiming that a “lame duck” president didn’t have the right to nominate a justice to the highest court in the land, blocking any attempt to appoint Obama’s nomination. That’s how Neil Gorsuch sits on the court today, and how Merik Garland was given the opportunity to fail the American people and the Constitution four years later.

Newton’s 3rd law it states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If you push against the wall, the wall “pushes” back with the same force. The laws of physics can apply to society as well. When one force pushes, the same amount of force will push back.

In 2018 Justice Anthony Kennedy retired, giving Trump his second Supreme Court pick. Although Kennedy would be considered a conservative, he wasn’t stuck with a closed ideological view, and was often a swing vote for the more liberal justices on the court. The man chosen to replace him, and in which Trump instructed his FBI to forego any sort of extensive investigation, Brett Kavanaugh, who’s past, riddled with allegations of sexual assault and heavy drinking that should have been disqualifying, leaned much farther to the right that his predecessor. The balance of the court had shifted significantly.

In the hype of a global pandemic was the 2020 general election. Americans, and much of the world was in turmoil. People were dying in droves, the global economy was in shambles, commerce and shipping was at a halt, even the essentials like toilet paper was hard to ascertain, when on September 18, the liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away, just 2 months before the 2020 election.

In a shameless move of outright staggering hypocrisy, majority leader, old freezeframe tortuga himself, Mitch McConnell moves at lightning speed, ramming through the confirmation of Trump’s 3rd Supreme Court pick, Amy Coney Barrott, creating a near supermajority, right wing court.

What does any of this recent history lesson have to do with polarization? Equal and opposite reactions.

What’s one of the first major rulings coming from this maga court? Rescinding Roe v Wade, stripping women of their bodily autonomy, to where their grandma had more rights than they did. This court has drastically set environmental standards back, it has weakened labor rights, taken authority over experts in their fields of science, it has removed voting protections, protected weapons of war for any civilian, and in the most revolting show of partisanship and an absurd interpretation of the our Constitution, it gave immunity to the executive branch regarding crimes committed as president of the United States.

Still. How is this relevant to the division in our nation?

I try, with great effort, to emphasize, relate and understand the current “conservative”, slash, right wing perspective. From my perspective, what they say, and what they do, or their voting record, are vastly different things.

They claim they’re for the working class yet stack their administrations with billionaires. They enact tariffs that get passed down to the consumer, raising the price of goods ever higher. They continually vote against raising the minimum wage, against collective bargaining, against protections from hazardous materials, against paid family leave and sick leave, against guaranteed overtime. Yet they vote for restricting lawsuits against corporations. How does that benefit the working class?

They claim to be pro family, pro life. Yet they vote to slash nutritional assistance benefits, they vote to eliminate the Department of education and head start programs, they vote against the child tax credit, they vote to eliminate consumer protection agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the FCC. They vote to eliminate price caps on pharmaceuticals, to slash Medicare and Medicaid, against universal childcare. How does that benefit families?

They claim to be fiscally responsible and good for the economy. Yet 10 of the last 11 recessions have been under Republican administrations. The first Trump administration added a quarter of the OVERALL debt we’ve accrued. They cut taxes for the wealthy and for corporations, yet our tax rate has risen to nearly 40%, offloading the fiscal burden onto the working class. How is that fiscally responsible?

They claim to be for the first amendment but they want the Bible in public schools. They claim to be pro free speech, but threaten universities. They have vilified the press, arrested and deported protesters, they burn and ban books. How is that pro first amendment?

The most obvious example of what is now the Republican Party, but can be categorized as conservative, (although I’m not sure exactly what they’re conserving) or the right wing exuding utter disdain for this country, the rule of law, and the constitution. Their constant assault on the foundation of this republic, votes.

Since the birth of the democratic system, where the people choose their governance through casting a vote there have been those who would seek to sway the odds in their favor. There are numerous ways in which to to this, buying votes with favor or capital, intimidation, fraud, having influence over those who count the votes, but the one most commonly used in the United States is simple voter suppression.

There are several ways to carry out this suppression, even to a point where the act is difficult to notice. After emancipation black Americans were a predominate target. White election officials would enact a poll tax that many could not afford, they had literacy tests, they would insist that they name council members or representatives in full, now it is more prevalently undertaken by adding obstacles and restrictions, making it harder to register, unnecessary documentation, proof of citizenship.

We all want free and fair elections. I think we’d all agree that only American citizens should be allowed to vote in American elections. I can’t tell you how many times I tried explaining this during the most recent election. People will say, ‘You should have to show ID in order to vote!’, the thing is, you do.

In all states, in order to get a drivers license, drivers permit, or state issued identification you have to show your birth certificate. In order to register to vote you have to show an ID when you register. I guess I was unaware that the Department of Redundancy Department was so involved in the electoral process. Migrants and those residing in the U.S. legally are required to possess United States identification from the state they’re in but the number on your state license is linked to your Social Security number which is tied to your birth certificate, which those not born in the U.S. are not in possession of.

The penalties for voter fraud and non citizen voting citizen voting are severe. The act is a federal crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison, fines exceeding $5,000, both civil and criminal charges can be filed, and those who aren’t United States citizens can be deported. Seems like the juice ain’t worth the squeeze to cast a single ballot amongst 150 million votes.

The Republican (right wing/conservative) led House of Representatives just recently passed the SAVE Act requiring a birth certificate or passport, not accepting a state drivers license (ID). Approximately 146 million Americans are without a passport, to put that in perspective 153 million Americans voted in the 2024 presidential election. This would exponentially impact those in the middle middle class, lower middle class, and the working poor. Statistics show that 1 in 5 Americans making less than $50k a year have a passport.

This bill will disenfranchise nearly every woman who has taken their spouses last name as the bill makes no mention of a marriage license or change of name documentation, and if your name on your birth certificate doesn’t match that of your ID then you’re unable to verify.

The bill would void the use of military ID’s as acceptable documentation to register to vote, or cast a ballot. Our men and women who serve our country are often moved from various bases here at home, and many serve abroad, making state issued identification (not that that would suffice anyway) unnecessary or just redundant. Disenfranchising those who fight for our freedom is beyond unamerican.

The Get Out The Vote (GOTV) registration drives are prohibited under the SAVE Act as well. The bill would deny the use of online registration and mail in registration, forcing citizens who wish to register to go in person to their local agencies in order to register.

Voter fraud and non citizen voting is extremely rare, with statistics showing you’re more likely to get struck by lightning than for fraud or non authorized votes to be cast in our elections. The ultra conservative Heritage Foundation claimed to have identified prior to the 2024 election over 1,100 suspected fraudulent votes, yet in fact Only 105 cases come within the past five years,and 488 within the past 10 years. Thirty-two cases are from the 1980s and 1990s. Indicative of its overreach, the database even includes a case from 1948 (when Harry S. Truman beatThomas Dewey) and a case from 1972. In that time frame there have been over 3 BILLION votes cast. It’s a solution looking for a problem and disenfranchising millions of American voters in the process.

This is a blatant attempt to limit voter turnout, particularly those in a lower, or middle, socioeconomic bracket.

I have an idea! Instead of suppressing voter eligibility and participation, how bout enacting policies and laws that benefit the majority of the people? Or maybe they could look out for and protect the largest voting block, the middle class and working poor, instead of cutting Medicare and Medicaid, lowering and trying to eliminate social security benefits, dissolving agencies enacted to protect consumers and workers and giving tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. Meet their desired population with that in which the population desires.

We would all benefit from both parties being strong and possessing conviction. A healthy democracy is nourished through the diplomatic exchange of ideas. Compromise and bipartisan give rise to policy that is more robust and well rounded. Debate bolsters the power of thought.

This current system of obstructionism and hostility only serves those looking for publicity. These people are hired by us to do a job, and that job is to work together for the good of America and its people. We cannot ride a bike missing a wheel. The sycophancy and allegiance to a person and not to the Constitution or the constituency they represent shows a sharp decline in the values of governance.

This nation needs grounded in truth, not falsehoods. It needs bolstered with integrity, not capitulation. We need leaders who project honor, not arrogance. We have to remember, whether liberal or conservative, traditional or progressive, Republican or Democrat, the verb United that so proudly brandishes our nations title involves more than vague admiration. It requires participation, cooperation, civility and respect. For we may not be kin by blood, but it is our shared bond that makes us kin.

[lemonhemlock]

I actually agree with your opinions on dany but don't you think that her fall arc wouldn't work well nowadays ? I think when Martin was envisioning Dany's story in the 90's, it was meant to be something groundbreaking in the fantasy genre and it certainly would have, had all the books been written and published back to back. But I don't think the backlash to her ending in S8 was just because of the execution. Most people just fundamentally believe that Dany as endgame villain is misogynistic.

hmmmm i actually think that having white saviour dany turn megalomaniac dictator is a message we desperate need in these times because it helps deconstruct whiteness and offer a more profound take on feminism than most media we get served today

as you can see from my recent anons, there is a very deep-seated refusal or fear or laziness or idek what to call it from dany/targ stans to engage with intersectionality even at the most basic level! i've brought up this concept so many times that i sound like a broken record (and i don't purport to be any kind of scholar on the matter) but so, so many of them (even when they're well-intentioned!) just cannot seem to surpass this "if also victim how can not 100% right" mentality in regards to dany.

you must be familiar by now with the never ending chorus of bemoaning girlboss feminism and wanting complex & unpalatable women on screen but not being able to stand it in practice when female characters are not perfect. in the books, dany would have the most slow burn downfall arc and a ton of pages devoted to her innermost thoughts and character progression so that you could see exactly how a combination of idealism and entitlement can turn valiant crusaders with a lot of power into authoritarians who need to impose their world view at all costs. how dangerous it can be to believe that you're the repository of truth and justice!

let's also put it this way: think back to the season 3 finale and remember detergent white daenerys surrounded by a sea of faceless brown people in awe of her and calling her mhysa....

... and then you'd have the author tell you that this was supposed to be played straight and there is no subversion at all? those silly monolithic ethnics just needed an aryan princess coming from a long line of blood purity inbreeding to liberate them! how could that be an up-to-date feminism message in 2024? for that reason alone it's supremely out of touch. when has this ever even been a thing? 'white woman bravely frees slaves'. are white women historically known to have fought for human rights concerning other minoritized groups? it would be a pretty condescending message to put in your best-selling book if you ask me

[antivanplumage]

been thinking about merrill again. it's really bizarre to me how many people just. take marethari's word when they interpret her arc. she's seen as naiive and not understanding the consequences of her blood magic when ... she objectively does.

merrill is an incredibly driven and intelligent woman. she's also the only blood mage we see that knows the risks and takes them into account. her view of spirits makes her much smarter than anders, whose first and most crucial downfall was that he still sees the world through an andrastian worldview, which means he didn't see fusing with a spirit as something that could be dangerous.

merrill understands all spirits can be dangerous, without calling them all demons outright, which is a very mature mindset we don't see from many other mages. that's what makes her immune to possession. it's also something that's only spelled out in banter for some godforsaken reason

but despite merrill clearly knowing the stakes and risks to what she's doing, marethari consistently thinks she knows more than merrill. she condescends to her and tries to control her actions through hawke. she acts like merrrill is just foolish and doesn't know what she's doing, but that's just . not true, y'know?

in act 3, merrill asks hawke to come with her because she knows something could go wrong. she wants hawke to strike her down if she gets possessed. she's willing to take that risk and accept responsibility for her own actions, even if it means she dies.

the demon preys on marethari instead. marethari is the one who is susceptible to a demon of pride. it tells her things about the eluvian that we now know aren't true. marethari's downfall is her pride, or her audacity, in thinking she can dictate merrill's life. her final decision is to take the choice from merrill, thinking she knows better, and it's what gets her killed.

i have chosen to pay it for you. that is incredibly heartwrenching for a character whose entire story is about trying to claim her agency and forge her own path for the people she loves.

it's also not nothing that merrill feels like an incredibly autistic coded character. she's ostracized from her clan, and doesn't fit into city society either, but she's incredibly intelligent and curious, and is able to purify a tainted eluvian. forget the veilguard eluvian powerscaling for a moment - that's an incredible accomplishment. the blight is supposed to be irreversible.

but she has trouble understanding society or fitting into it, and she's also not interested in sanding herself down to to do so. a lot of people take these traits at face value and think it means she's stupid or childish, but she knows what's going on. she just refuses to compromise herself.

so, for a character with such meaningful autistic coding to me, whose arc is all about a parental figure trying to take away her agency... it really upsets me that the narrative that survived about her is the one that marethari spread.

[togglesbloggle]

For what it's worth, my opinion on the Teleporter Discourse is that continuity is a suspect idea, full stop.

Useful on human scales, certainly- most of our basic day-to-day thinking depends on models of the world as being made up of discrete objects with some degree of persistence in time. Those models underly the basics of language, of law, of practical morality, and any number of things. And, in turn, those intuitions serve us quite well.

But it must be acknowledged that none of this is actually real:

"By convention sweet and by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention color; but in reality atoms and void."

Down in the subatomic realm somewhere, maybe there's some sort of discrete actually-existing objects that can sincerely be said to persist in time. But that's nothing that particularly concerns us, when we talk about handbags and hand grenades. Our world, the world of human bodies and teleporters, is one in which we use social conventions, heuristics, and imperfect models to tell a story about "objects" that "persist." And it is just that, a story! Nothing more, nothing less.

So of course the teleporter discourse admits no objective solution, because none of this stuff has objective solutions. Just greater or lesser degrees of consensus, more when a phenomenon is familiar to us and well-predicted by the "objects exist" model of the world, less so when things are imagined, hypothetical, and unfamiliar. But ultimately it's exploiting the same kind of ambiguities as the "when does a collection of sand grains become a pile?" type of question- it's an ambiguity that exists in familiar and everyday situations too. And our answers might be more or less useful, but never more correct as such.

...but that's not quite true either, is it?

First, contra Democritus, there is a class of entity that does seem to be both macroscopically relevant and persistent in time, albeit in an unusual way. Mathematical and deductive claims, natural laws, and similar things in that class- entities that don't seem to exist physically at all, but which are nonetheless consequential for our world regardless of whether somebody believes in them. Entropy doesn't exist "by convention". It can and will dictate the limits of your steam engine no matter how many times you tap your heels together and make a wish.

And second of course there's consciousness itself, the whole reason we're having this conversation in the first place. For those of us poor monkeys just doing our best to keep that sacred flame lit, consciousness defies many of our reductionist instincts. People love that "atoms and the void" quote, but they always forget the other half of the dialogue:

The Intellect: By convention sweet and by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention color; but in reality atoms and void. The Senses' reply: Miserable Reason, it's from us that you get your evidence, and yet you try to overthrow us? The overthrow will be your downfall!

Consciousness upends almost all of this; we have to accept the evidence of our senses, but we also have to accept the reality of our senses.

This puts us in a tricky position, because we're caught on the horns of this dilemma- is consciousness more like a handbag, or is consciousness more like a law of nature? And there's no obvious way to answer that question. But I am, at least, pretty sure that reductionism is true of matter, that is, of the world of physical objects.

In other words, I'm confident in the following conditional: if consciousness is a thing that atoms do, then its persistence is as illusory as that of any other physical object. It is only if consciousness is an immaterial process, that it can be said to have genuine continuity.

This leaves me pretty relaxed about teleporters. Either we are material phenomena, in which case this moment is all that we ever truly have- or we are not, and what do we have to fear from the mere dissolution of a few atoms?

[kevin-the-bruyne]

I really had to read with my own two eyes multiple times since this post had multiple people add on to it, bringing it back to my dash again and again, that the drama from Tharn and Phaya's past life did not feel dramatic at all. And somehow that detracts from taking the drama of the present as seriously as the show is taking it. This story is based on Thai folklore? The Naga and Garuda are eternal enemies. The love between a Naga and a Garuda is an insult to the literal cosmic order. Chalothon who was only trying to preserve the natural order has been wronged by their love. The natural order is also referenced several times but especially when the priest was like keep Phaya and Chalothon away from each other, they're destined to be enemies. Not meeting the show halfway to accepting this as part of your lens as an audience is frankly...an interesting choice to make. The next bit is pure conjecture on account of me not being Thai but I'm trying to relate to what The Sign is likely trying to do from my own understanding of Asian folklore and the way we use those stories to build new stories. What is there to get out of this show other than the big fuck you to 'natural order' of things that must be because of the way that they are. Why can't a Naga and Garuda be in love? This must be a concept that people explore under the general lens of forbidden love in Thailand (pure conjecture but also like I don't know how it can't be true). We all have our poorly explained versions of Forbidden Love gone bad; Romeo and Juliet, Ram Leela, Devdas would be some heterosexual stories of Forbidden Love that kind of hand waves around the forbidden part a little bit that I'm familiar with. Devdas (the story I'm most familiar with of the one's stated) and its myriad adaptations is a story about the absolute ways we hold on to class even as it brings about our own downfall.

It's a great pick for a queer adaptation because the reasons why the lovers couldn't be together was so made up and really came down to ONE person (Devdas' mother) who just couldn't let go of class even though everyone else was literally begging for the two to just be together because let me tell you none of you have met a poor little meow meow on the scale of Devdas.

The Sign is bringing the forbidden love between a Naga and Garuda as a parallel of the forbidden love between two men. Homosexuality outside of the legal sphere really does come down to an ideological difference as to what is natural vs not. Homosexuality goes against a natural order of reproduction. And this is true. Two men cannot reproduce, two women cannot reproduce with each other.

The challenge isn't to prove that they can, it's to prove that reproduction isn't the centerpoint of human life, that we have transcended the need for our life to be dictated by this 'natural' order because on principal our societies just aren't built along the paradigm of 'survival of the fittest' where the benchmark of species fitness is its ability to reproduce.

Thai shows including things that have come out of Idol Factory (that produces The Sign) are often socially engaged with LGBT rights within Thailand. Now that gay marriage is legal or on its way to be, I assume a move in the direction of bringing same sex relationships up to the same societal respect as straight relationships would be a natural direction that future screenwriters will go.

The Sign is trying very hard to take the question of homosexuality right to the heart of Thai culture and tradition and talk about it from that lens [this is less conjecture and more paraphrasing what Saint has said about the show in interviews] And I know that you all are capable of meeting a story halfway in respecting its desire to set up the stakes through references of allegorical story telling since y'all have been doing it with Last Twilight and Le Petit Prince. So I don't know even know why I had to make this post but: tl;dr: The stakes of the love between Tharn and Phaya and the forbidden nature of it is set before you even see much of the show just from the fact that Tharn is a Naga and Phaya is a Garuda and as a member of the audience you have to accept that the love between Naga and Garuda is a deviant form of love in Thai culture.

[steviewashere]

It brings a whole new contextual layer to Anakin Skywalker's story when you realize his time as a slave on Tatooine mirrors Ancient Roman Gladiators.

Obviously, of course, the pod racing event takes place in a colosseum (just like the gladiator battles). But also the pod racing event was a high risk, often low reward thing. Gladiator combat was for the sole purpose of entertaining, you were entering that colosseum knowing you'd either die or get extremely injured. Also, considering, Ancient Roman Gladiators—a lot of them were slaves, they were segregated (even in death), they were on the low rung of society's ladder, and mistreated. They were also highly disliked by most of society. And also, some of these Ancient Roman Gladiators were volunteers.

Anakin is a slave—obviously, that's pretty heavily mentioned. He's entered into these pod racing events by his master, Watto, and usually met with the what-ifs if he lost those pod racing events, right? There's also the fact that he was low rung. He was disliked by his competition. He risked getting killed or injured in these races, though didn't have a choice as to whether or not he should enter.

What makes his story so compelling is that his win in the pod racing event from Episode One is supposed to be freedom from slavery. However, since he could not seek the rank as Master under the Jedi's definition and guidance, he also found himself in a penultimate where he was no longer in the harsh conditions of a Tatooine slave, but rather a low ranking individual anyway through the Jedi's watch. He was, up to his death, full of worry and fear—there's the fear that he could return as a slave to Tatooine, that he could fail and remain a slave and not escape with Qui Gon, that he would fail Padme and his children, that he would not be allowed the pleasure of connecting with Padme or his children due to the Jedi Council's beliefs, so on and so forth.

The high stakes of everything being taken from him, that he would ultimately become a nothing in what was supposed to be escape and freedom for himself (and by extension his family), makes him the perfect candidate for a person who would do anything to get what he believes he needs, what he wants but cannot receive from those supposed to do right by him. Which makes his downfall into the Sith order under Palpatine's guidance so much more tragic; he was doomed if he lost in the pod racing event, he was doomed to be stuck under the Jedi's gracefulness, and he was doomed by the Sith when what had become of him ultimately cost him the only thing he desired: Padme and his children. (It's also important to note why Anakin desired only his family and why he sought out the Master rank through the Jedi; he's searching for freedom for not only himself, but his eventual full family, as he could not get that freedom for both himself and his mother; he could decide to remain a slave with his mother, or decide for a life beyond Tatooine and the slave treatment while leaving his mother behind under her guidance; but then ultimately choosing to try and get freedom for him, Padme, Luke, and Leia—even though Padme tells him not to, he is willing to go against her judgement because the last time he went with somebody's judgement, he ended up orphaned and afraid).

It's also interesting to consider his time as a pod racer and knowing the end for his character was essentially the fall into totalitarianism and become a dictator—the same flavor of person that a master falls into (master as in a person who owns a slave, not master as in Jedi; though, arguably, you could find the overlap in master rank in both of these definitions; to own a person, or to own their livelihood and how they live their life so they can become the ultimate Good Moral). Also, just, considering that Ancient Rome was a dictatorship, too. He ended in a position that he tried to free himself from; but he freed Luke from that becoming, even if Luke ultimately disappeared within himself.

There's also Anakin and Obi-Wan's betrayal, the fight in Revenge of the Sith; I mean, like, come on, that's totally a Caesar v. Brutus type of betrayal. Obi-Wan thought he left Anakin to die. And then the whole scene from Kenobi where Vader states that Anakin is no longer in him (even though he is, as evident by Episode Six)—Anakin has performed a betrayal unto himself and has become somebody he would've been shackled under; I would even argue he is shackled and enslaved by himself, even as big and scary Vader, he has become a slave to the Sith, to Palpatine's direction. The true means of escape, the freedom he had sought after his entire life, it only comes to him in the shape of his children; in Luke's living proof that there is such a thing as freedom.

[thechrysanthecandle]

so I just got done watching a Chants of Sennaar playthrough and

[5] But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. [6] “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! [7] Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

—‭‭ Genesis 11:5-7 NLT‬‬

this game really said, "i see your bullshit and i raise you a solid 'nah'" and i'm so here for it. not assuming the devs' affiliation of course, but this game is a perfect deconstruction tool. like the player is actively undoing the damage that a powerful being caused when it put it's own selfish wants and desperation for worship over the well-being of humanity.

Exile used its abilities to foster prejudice and an environment of non-communication in the tower, and by doing so it ensured that it would remain safely/securely in power. after the traveler begins translating the languages and reuniting the floors, Exile begins to panic. it knows that this unity, humans working together for the greater good of all, would spell it's downfall/irrelevance.

“The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

Only in a villain's mind would a united and organized people be a bad thing. In the bible, god took away people's ability to communicate with one another because he knew they would prosper together. but he also knew that this prosperity would mean they wouldn't need to rely solely on him. they accomplish great things by their own powers.

now imagine a villain in a story where their whole schtick is that they purposely cripple and abuse their own children. And the reason they (the villain) do so is because they want to continue being relied on and fawned over. everybody would be calling that character what they are; an abuser, a jealous narcissist, a psychopath.

but because we've slapped the label of "god" over those titles instead, people don't want to admit the truth of yahweh's character. christianity demands we read Genesis 11 and say "that's a father who loves us more than anything" and Chants of Sennaar shows is what that logic looks like played out. it's fucking insane.

and not only is it an analysis of yahweh's decree and actions, but it holds our hand as we actively undo/deconstruct/fix the damage done by it. at the end this game says "humans working together to make life better without fear of a narcissistic dictator is good actually" and i think that's real cool.

i love this game.

[soullessjack]

okay now that maws has officially introduced the evil alternate superman concept into the show I think it’s necessary to point out that across nearly every dc media revolving around Superman going rogue (not including ones where his upbringing is changed) the tipping point for his every downfall is almost always the death of Lois Lane.

Superman The Animated Series - Brave New Metropolis - Lois is doing a story on Intergang and getting too close to exposing them, so they bomb her car. Clark takes this as a realization that he’s fighting a war, and so has to take extreme measures to protect people; these extreme measures include teaming up with Lex Luthor for the sake of his vast resources and establishing a dystopian police state within Metropolis, however it’s important to note that Luthor abused his newfound authority to that dystopian extent, and Clark was genuinely unaware of the city’s true conditions.

Injustice - The Joker tricks Superman into killing [a pregnant] Lois and destroying Metropolis by detonating a nuclear bomb she is strapped to. Superman goes mad with grief and rage, kills the Joker in that infamous fist-through-the-chest-heart-ripping panel, and continues to slowly deteriorate into an amoral dictator over the course of five years. Eventually he establishes a borderline-fascist regime called One Force Earth, ironically intended to “enforce global peace,” but at the cost of the entire world’s personal freedoms (STAS also had an episode about this, featuring Mala and General Zod as the dictators in question).

MAWS is heavily focused on Clark and Lois’ relationship and his status as an alien as elements of his becoming Superman–and given that we’ve already been shown glimpses of the multiverse, alternate Super-tyrants, and an entire legion of Loises who more or less survived their respective Clarks, I think it’s very possible that some of the Soups we see in Mxy’s orb are Supermen who’ve either lost their Loises or their upbringing with the Kents—Supermen who have utterly lost or utterly lacked the very elements that this show emphasizes as being what makes Clark who he is, and I think it would add so much more tension between Clark and Lois and the rest of the world to know that their safety and his sanity basically hinges on this one woman he’s fallen into major puppy-love with.

[atlas7seo]

Arcane Season 2 spoilers***

Bruh I love Caitlyn so much. She has rocketed up to be my favorite. It's really refreshing to see people letting their characters be bad. Like I love me a good redemption arc, but downfall arcs just hit different ya know? She's grieving and her reaction just felt so realistic! You can see how her mindset slowly changes. She knows about how one person can make you form an us vs them mentality. Cait makes it clear to the audience about that effect, but as the act progresses you can see her succumb to the very thing she's trying to avoid.

The most fascinating part is that it feels like the story pivoted where Caitlyn and her mom stand in opposition to each other. In season 1 Caitlyn was more of a moral compass character despite being naive, and her mom was framed more as a ruthless individual especially adding on to the fact that she was on the council. But the way they completely flipped that dynamic is amazing. "They deserve to breathe." Caitlyn heard those words her mother left and still used the Gray in the undercity.

Plus it adds to the narrative about police brutality already existing in season 1, we watch in real time what can make someone with good intentions turn ruthless.

And it's even deeper because Ambessa saw Caitlyn. Council member with the messed up legs whose name i don't remember acted like she wasn't good enough, he wanted to get her out of the way. But literally Caitlyn stood up to Mel. She went behind her back, made hextech weapons, and deployed a team. Ambessa seeing Caitlyn as the greatest tool against Mel makes so much sense.

I love Caitlyn Kirammen, i mean she's kinda a bad cop now/maybe military dictator, but like...she's my fav....

[tziporarosen]

Delicate Flames

CHAPTER II : Sevika recounts a series of events leading to her father's death and her family's downfall. Y/N learns of their family's role in causing Sevika's suffering, including the loss of her mother and Sevika's own mutilation as punishment. Struck by guilt and remorse, Y/N offers restitution, but Sevika rejects it, harboring deep-seated resentment and refusing to forgive. As the tension dissipates, Y/N seeks to understand Sevika's pain, prompting Sevika to share her story of injustice and loss. Through their conversation, a fragile understanding begins to emerge between them, hinting at the possibility of reconciliation amid a backdrop of betrayal and privilege.

MEN AND MINORS DNI

You didn’t get the chance to breathe as your heart fell to your stomach, completely taken aback by the sudden change, her tone, mixed in with your vulnerability as you laid beneath her, completely defenseless. She pulled her fingers out as she got up, standing still as she watched your face go from flustered to ghostly white compared to the yellow musked cement walls. 

“How- I uh, I can explain” you stumbled as you pulled your knees forward as you sat up, shielding your bare chest as your hands trembled discreetly. 

“You don’t have to” Sevika stated coldly, her grin growing as she sat down on the wooden chair facing the bed. “Now I genuinely believe that you were lost, but what I don’t understand is why you had this sewn into your dress” she inquired as she pulled out the dagger from the back of her belt. 

Your brows wrinkle together at her question as you try to process the fast shift in atmosphere. “What do you mean? It’s a family heirloom” you explain unsurely. 

“Family heirloom? Really?” She scoffed out as she stood up before treading back to the side of the bed. Gulping down the harsh lump in your throat, you retreat in fear of the reality in front of you, your fate now locked in her fingertips. “Last time I checked, this was my fathers. He gave this to me, so unless we’re cousins, one of us is lying, and I’m not a liar, "Sevika conceded as she grabbed your ankle, pulling you closer. 

You let out a yelp as she placed the blade under your chin with her hand still gripped on your ankle, trapping you as she leaned in closer. “I’m not lying, my father gave this to me on my 10th birthday” you defend in a stammer, your body frozen at the imminent threat laying above your throat. 

“Are you calling me a liar Y/N?” Sevika asked calmly as she pressed the blade flat under your chin. 

“No ma’am” you mutter, her features blurring as you hold your breath, fearful of moving even a hair. You whimper quietly as her metal hand lets go of your ankle, her eyes never leaving yours. 

“You think your fancy dresses and tea cups hide the evil that you guys commit to the people beneath you?” She badgered in loath, her teeth locked in as she watched you shake your head carefully. “Use your words, Princess,” Sevika taunted. 

“No, it doesn’t” you mumbled, your body cooling down the longer you remain undressed. She remained still on you as she watched you crumble into a silent weep, your confidence completely evaporated. “I’m sorry for what my father did, I really am. We can fix it” you barter softly.

She let out an audible scoff of disbelief as she leaned down to get to your eye level. “You can bring back the dead now? bring back my arm, my family? My reputation? I’d rather burn my other arm off then take your help” she spat clearly, every single word digging a deeper cave in your chest. 

“N-no of course not, but we can do something, I’ll pay” you offer desperately. You didn’t know the full story but you realize how naive you were until now, worshiping the ground your father walked on when he stomped his way to power. The way she is glaring at you makes you want to dig a hole through the bed into the deep cement ground and bury yourself within. 

“Pay? You’ll pay for what? Just so you can shut me up like you shut everyone up that goes against his dictatorship, ruining people’s lives when they are just trying to survive?” She snapped as her eyes flashed into a dark gray, the glisten that usually resided now completely gone. Your features wrinkled as you tried to understand what she was saying, her anger seeming harsh from your perspective. “You have no idea do you?” She snickered as she removed the dagger from your neck, drifting it down to your shoulder. 

“Tell me, so I can do something. I can bring you back, get him to apologize, I’ll give you a title, respect, money, whatever you need to fix it” you sputtered out before you winced in pain as she grazed your skin. 

“You’re not listening, I don’t want anything from you or your scum of a family” she spat between clenched teeth. “What you did, can't be fixed with words, and fancy titles” Sevika commented with a lift of her top lip, scowling at her mock of your promise of status. 

“Then tell me, what did we do?” you rebuked in a plea, hopeful of finding a resolution, even if it's merely leaving with your life. 

“You really want to know?” Sevika questioned sarcastically as she pulled the knife away, yet part of her was surprised, taken aback that someone like you is actually interested in knowing what happened. 

“Yes, I can't find a solution if I don't know what happened” you urged softly, though it came out helpless, as if you needed her to tell you. 

Sevika tapped the heel of her foot on the ground as she sat in the chair opposite you, her bottom lip in between her teeth as she contemplated actually telling you what happened.

****

“Are you insane? Why would you do that?” Sevika whisper-yelled at her brother as she crouched down on the cold concrete floor, her whispers echoing into the hollow brick. 

“They deserve it! You know what they did to father, and now mother is dead because of them” he rebuked in a croaked shout, his words muffled by Sevika's pinching his leg. 

“So you wrote a letter threatening to kill the king?! That’s treason and you knew that!” Sevika snapped, angry that she’s about to lose him as well when she promised to keep him safe. 

“I didn’t do anything though, they’re still alive and well” he defended as he leaned his head to face the ground, realizing his royal fuckup. 

“That is not the point. Now we’re both to be executed before noon” she revealed as she let herself fall back on her rear, glancing up at her younger brother in rage. It’s been only a week since they lost their father after he failed to deliver the swords the king ordered in time, causing him to lose his life under the blade he crafted himself. The pain and anger was still so raw, it hadn't even processed in her mind. Her mothers suicide 3 days ago made it simple for a quick funeral, the couple together for eternity as their offspring’s waited to join them. “Whatever you do, do not say a word. Let me speak'' she warned as harsh footsteps approached the cell, loud keys clinking against each other as they stood up. 

Sevika's heart fell to her stomach as she saw the king standing behind the guards, his shadow appearing as the guards created a path. Biting down her pride, Sevika leaned forward in a bow, quickly pressing on her brother's lower back to force him into a bow. 

“I don’t usually come to visit my enemies, but this is a particular scenario. A whole family, vanished in 7 days, all because their father couldn’t deliver.” He started flatly as he rounded the bowing sibling. “And now, this boy threatens my life, the king that has offered your family a home, food, everything you could ever ask for” he spat as he lifted her brother's chin, scanning his sharp features. 

“Your Majesty, if I may” , Sevika spoke up gently, urging to plead for her brother's life. The king paused his analysis of the boy and turned his attention to the tall Sevika, his height almost reaching hers. Almost. 

“Go on” he permitted in curiosity. 

“What he did is unforgivable and foolish, he’s just a heartbroken boy. He means no harm, and definitely doesn’t pose a threat to your throne or well being. I will punish him, he was acting out of the grief and anger of a 15 year old boy. I beg of you, Your Majesty, please spare his life” she pleaded clearly, each word spoken with sincerity and fear, not of him, but rather the consequences she’s being accustomed to. 

His head tilted in intrigue as he pondered over her words as if, for the first time, he was being challenged. “Let me ask you this, the late king, my father. Do you know how he died?” He questioned calmly. 

Sevika swallowed down as she breathed out harshly, “yes, Your Highness” she muttered. 

“I’m glad you do, now would you like to let your brother know how the late king passed?” he asked with a little grin, reveling in the inevitable unravel. 

“He was assassinated” 

“That’s right, he was assassinated by a man, who was angry, and sad, just like your little brother here. So, why should I risk my life and throne? To spare the life of a scum” He interrogated as he shifted his attention back to her brother, disgust lingering in his tone. 

“He’s a child, he did not mean it” Sevika persisted, her voice gruff with frustration. 

“He didn’t mean to write, ‘I will cut your throat the way you cut my fathers’? Tell me serf, would you spare him if you were in my position?” He inquired, his insult locking Sevika' s jaw. 

“Yes, I would.” Sevika admitted firmly, hoping to use any tactic to save herself and her brother. “I would make an example out of him, show the people that you're not merciless as they see you” she explained, her words trailing off as the king stepped back, allowing his guards to step forward. 

“It's a shame you’re not king” he remarked as Sevika took notice of the change in atmosphere, rapidly stepping in front of her brother. 

“Don’t take him, he's just a child” Sevika pleaded as she let her knees hit the ground beneath her, kneeling for his life. 

“Place her in another cell, it's time” he ordered as he walked away, leaving a fighting Sevika behind, using all her restricted force to fight the guards off, but it was to no avail. Her screams held no power with her hands chained as she echoed her little brother's cries in the distance, fading into the early morning execution. 

****

You inhaled harshly through your nose, betrayal seeping through your veins as your fathers image cracked in your eyes, his gentle eyes no longer holding its delicate lullabies. Sevika's hand instinctively soothed her metal arm as she remembered the pain from that day, the physical hardly compared to the hole in her heart that remained. “He took my arm, said it was so no one in my family can ever threaten him again, made it seem like he was doing me a favor by keeping me alive” she murmured. 

“I- I’m so sorry, I had no idea” you whispered, unable to come up with anything else to say to such an admission. 

“Of course you didn't, how could you when all you could see was luxury and privilege?” Sevika remarked as she glanced down at the dagger on her lap. 

“Did your father make that?” you questioned as your eyes followed her fingers over the dagger. You could feel the danger slowly fade away as she opened up, the room returning to its previous quietude. 

“No, my grandfather did, my father gave it to me when I was old enough to hold a weapon” she explained as a little smile crept up, her smile quickly faltering once you returned a sympathetic grin. Your understanding seemed to hold an opposite effect as she stood up and shielded the dagger in the back of her belt before stepping back. “Storytime is over, get some sleep, I'll bring you back home in the afternoon” she asserted as she pulled the wooden door open. 

Your heart felt as though it could beat again at those words, knowing that she wasn't here for revenge or to harm you, she just needed someone to know. “Thank you” you trailed as she caught one last glance of you before shutting the door gently, leaving you to dwell in your new found truth. 

                  

Your heart jolted at the sudden creak of the door opening, too deep in thought to have heard Sevika’s approaching footsteps. You spent the past few hours thinking as you listened to the banging and shuffling of Sevika’s work, her closeness calming your meltdowns. 

“Let's go” she instructed as she placed a fur cloak on the foot of her bed, her figure casting a shadow over you. Steadily, you raised your body and leaned forward, a sharp pain in your core, pulling you back down on the bed. “What's wrong?” she questioned, a glimpse of concern lingering beneath the nonchalance. 

You groan at the unfamiliar pain before you freeze at the realization. “Fuck” you mumble to yourself. 

“Oh, the princess swears” Sevika taunted as you knocked your head back into the pillow. 

“No, I can't go home like this,” you explained as you scanned your body, purple and red marks trailing all down your chest, and you're assuming up your neck. 

“Oh that, I guess you’ll have to deal with the new tarnished name” Sevika stated with a raise of a brow, the reality of your new found dilemma was beginning to seem like good karma, delivered right to her doorstep. 

“No, you don't understand, I'll never be able to marry, and I can forget the throne while I'm at it” you expressed in slight panic, pondering over your options. 

“No, I understand, trust me” Sevika uttered with a scoff as she raised the fur cloak. “ Now let's go, I have a lot of work to do and I can't work when you're here” she motioned as she watched the panic in your mind seep through your expression. She knew you didn't deserve this, but part of her finally felt in control of her relationship with power, finally holding the upper hand. 

You could feel a sweat reach the hairs on your skin as you glanced up at Sevika, hoping she would change her mind and spare you some pity you certainly don't deserve. “One week, please, I promise I will stay out of your way, I can't go home like this. Sevika, please” you pleaded as you sat up. You could see a glimpse of contemplation in her eyes before it returned to its gray-tainted snowy eyes, denying you of mercy. 

“No, I am not harboring a princess in my house, it's suicide” Sevika justified as she pulls a brown cigarillo from her pocket, lighting it aflame as she nudged your foot. 

“No one will know, please” you pleaded, your brows crunched in desperation. 

“I said no, I'm not going to say it again. Put your coat on or I'll drag you out of here naked” Sevika asserted, her patience slipping into frustration. Part of Sevika was so tempted to let you stay in her bed, having you laid out for her to admire was the temptation whispering in her ears, but she knew that came with a price she was not willing to pay. 

You gulped down the tears that were meant to appear next as you submitted to her request, sliding the warm cloak over your slip dress. Silently, you walked to the front of the barn as she followed behind, contemplating her decision over and over, wondering if she was making a mistake by letting you go.

its been so busy lol, hope you like it, sorry there is no smut in this one since i am also a sucker for a little angst, i hope you are too lol

taglist:

@lesvii

@sevsbaby

@thesevi0lentdelights

[retrowitchy]

Thoughts on snowbaird?

okay so: tldr --- > complicated but also not really

i view their relationship as like narratively necessary and crucial to the arcs of both characters and the overall hunger games story. obviously coriolanus' lost connection with and betrayal of lucy gray dictates the way the story goes and has sort of a ripple effect through the timeline as well. so in that way i can appreciate their relationship and the tragedy of it being the inciting point for a lot of coriolanus' decisions throughout the series and ultimately resulting in his downfall. there's a poetic justice there, a haunting love story that wasn't fated to be, that was destined to be the end of him in a literary circle sort of way.

if we're talking like...fandom terms, though. do i ship them? nah.

coriolanus doesn't really view lucy gray as an autonomous, free-living free-breathing person of her own. he's in constant awe of her, putting her on this pedestal of being something more than human (which is delicious narratively because it makes us feel as the audience that lucy gray really is a mystery, a fleeting moment, a song that disappears) and viewing her as a force that can save him, can help him escape from his misery. in a lot of ways they are textbook male manipulator and manic pixie dream girl (from coriolanus' own point of view). he has turned her into this dreamy angel when really she is just a 16 year old girl doing what she knows how to do to survive and live the best she can. and at the same time he also views her as an object, something he owns, something that he possesses. coriolanus is constantly thinking in terms of loss and gain, and how he can claim and gain as much as possible. claiming lucy gray, her being his, is a huge deal for him, a win. he's conquered the unconquerable. the girl who has charmed thousands, who has left trails of tears behind her, who has eluded the jaws of death is his. he views lucy gray as a win, as a prize. he's so caught up in his pride that he has barely any room to view her as a human person.

to be fair it has been a minute since i've reread tbosas, but the way i've always viewed it is that lucy gray will do what she wants and cannot ultimately be controlled and therefore had all the real power in the relationship, despite coryo having a much more literal power over her. the fact that her disappearing caused him to completely lose his mind just kind of solidifies that for me. snow might land on top, but a bird flying free doesn't really have to worry about that.

i also have some pending thoughts that i need to chew on a little more before i form any decisive opinions about how billy taupe's betrayal might have incited snowbaird in some ways. i kinda think lucy gray might have played up the flirting, the charm, the connection between her and coriolanus for the cameras and the audience, knowing billy taupe would be watching. i'm not saying their whole relationship was a sham- more that she started being extra friendly to coryo to get on billy taupe's nerves, which then led to coriolanus catching feelings and eventually lucy gray feeling something of her own back towards him. good for her, use him, abuse him, lose him! this is also interesting because a games-centric relationship played up for the cameras spiraling into something real? i wonder where we've seen that before. and we all know suzanne loves her parallels.

long story short i think the truth of snowbaird is that they were never meant to last. i don't think there's any possible timeline in which they could. because coriolanus needs to lock her down and lucy gray needs to be free.