#Geeky Highlights
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2023 In The Geek Seat: The Good, The Bad, and the Geeky | Earth Station OneEarth
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2023 In The Geek Seat: The Good, The Bad, and the Geeky | Earth Station OneEarth
In this episode of Earth Station One, Mike F, Mike G and their guest Ashley Pauls look back at the geek culture highlights and lowlights of 2023. They discuss their favorite moments, characters, and media, including movies, TV series, and live events, while also reflecting on the loss of two members of their network. The conversation covers the impact of work stoppages in the entertainment industry and the diverse ways people consume media. They share a mix of personal stories, critical assessments, and emotional tributes, ending with a note on taking a sabbatical from the podcast to potentially reimagine its future.
We want to hear from you! Feedback is always welcome. Please write to us at [email protected] and subscribe and rate the show on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, wherever fine podcasts are found, and now we can be found on our own YouTube Channel.
Links The Earth Station One Website Earth Station One on Apple Podcasts The Earth Station One YouTube Channel Earth Station One on Spotify Past Episodes of The Earth Station One Podcast Angela’s A Geek Girl’s Take Ashley’s Box Office Buzz Michelle’s Iconic Rock Talk Show Earth Station Who
Promos Tifosi Optics Earth Station DCU The ESO Network Patreon Unique Crafts by Jenn ESO Network Tee-Public
If you would like to leave feedback or a comment on the show please feel free to email us at [email protected]
#2023 In Review#Ashley Pauls#Best Of 2023#Earth Station One#Earth Station One Ep 741#ESO#ESO 2023#ESO Geek Seat#ESO Network#Geek Culture Review#Geek Seat 2023#Geek Seat Analysis#Geeky Favorites#Geeky Highlights#Geeky Moments#Geeky Reflections#Geeky Trends#Michael Gordon#Mike Faber#Nerd Discussion#Nerd Review#Podcast Episode 2023#Pop Culture Podcast#The Good The Bad The Geeky#Worst Of 2023#Year In Geek
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♪ Falling for the promise of The Emptiness Machine... ♪
Linkin Park | The Emptiness Machine
#// i love that they didn't hold back in using these effects because they already have before!#// glitches pixels and waves#// or maybe it IS actually a reference to New Divide#// but they fit so well for the return because we're in such a technological period#// then again one of the things that most drew me to them is that they were always particularly geeky - and artistically so#// as someone who got into design and coding at age 13 it was SO COOL to me that they were like that (their fan for that too)#// and don't get me started about how this relates to being a virtual reality! inthewidersense#linkin park#Highlighted Artworks#Bits of/from/about Artists
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#absolutely insane development lol#one smile permanently BRAIN DAMAGES local girl#momo is a great character#arguably the most human and well rounded#saved by one person's kindness#menou and momo have a great relationship#and momo is genuinely the highlight of anything she's a part in#love love love this character#so honest and flawed and genuine#and very funny#need to take a moment to say how much i love these books#it's so clear the author loves spies and magic and mecha fiction#and it's all combined here so neatly#such an unabashedly geeky series that clearly has a love of female characters#the way the story and lore unfolds and never contradicts itself is so impressive#nothing feels like a retcon and reading old books i often wonder “....was this planned this far back!?”#ty executioner for reminding me why i love reading#shokei shoujo no virgin road#the executioner#the executioner and her way of life
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BLOOD IT WILL TAKE BLOOD day 10: more lip products! In this case a lip scrub and a lip sleeping mask.
I have used both of these before (though a different scent) and really like both of them. The scrub has a good texture in it but not too rough when giving it a bit of pressure. The lip mask is amazing. It's wonderfully greasy and it feels so refreshing on your lips. I'm actually almost out so I'm glad to get these.
The smell is the same as yesterday's oil/gloss and lip conditioner but more diluted: a spiced sort of sent like mulled wine or hot spiced cider. Although, if the lip mask anything like the other one I have, it's a little waxy on top and so you don't really experience the full force of the smell until you break that up.
I may be keeping the lip mask. I'm almost out of my current one and so really need another one. However, it's not exactly the sort of scent I'd want on my lips before I go to bed (it's super strong) so I'm putting it to the side for now to see if a smell I like better comes along. If I end up with a different one, I'll be passing this one on to my Mom or sister, I think.
#geeky talks#blood it will take blood advent opening#geeky has an advent calendar#i know that you could use the sleep mask as just regular lip balm#but you'd have to get your fingers in it and so it's messy#and i already have lip conditioner and oil#also while i'm super happy to have more lip products#i really do wish that they had mixed up the types of products#so you're not getting four days of blushes/bronzers/highlighters#that all being said that's my main complaint#otherwise i'm really loving this calendar
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Peter places an envelope on Tony's desk.
Tony looks up confused, "huh? What's that for?"
"It's for you," he points awkwardly at the plain blue envelope, held closed with a Darth Vader sticker.
"It's not my birthday kid." He snaps the protective face shield back down as he picks up his soldering iron, sparks flying as he gets back to work.
"I know that I, uh. It's from, it's for. It's yours. I gotta go, see you later Mr. Stark!" Peter hikes his backpack up tighter as he skips out of the lab.
Tony grunts in acknowledgement without looking up, eyes focused on the searing metal in front of him.
* * *
"Tony? I thought you were gonna have dinner with me after Peter left," Pepper saunters down into the workspace in a flattering pair of jeans and baby blue blouse.
"I was. I am. He left like five minutes ago," Tony waves at her without taking his eyes from the computer he's typing on.
"Happy drove him home two hours ago. Come, have a nice sit down meal with me." Pepper wraps her arms around his shoulders from behind, kissing the top of his head.
"I can have a sit down meal. I'm sitting right now, bring the carbonara down here and it'll be a proper date," Tony replies.
"Yeah, you me and your computer. How romantic. Tony, come upstairs- what's this?"
Tony glances up to see her holding a blue envelope.
"Uh, it's the kids."
Pepper flips it around, "it says To Mr. Stark From Peter on the back."
Tony just shrugs and goes back to typing on his computer.
The delicate glue of the sticker is undone under Pepper's sharp nails as she opens up the envelope and pulls something from inside.
"It's illegal to open someone else's mail y'know," Tony teases.
"Tony this- god you are such an asshole!" Pepper smacks Tony on the back of the head with the envelope.
"Ow! What the- what did I do now! I was just joking about the carbonara thing... mostly."
Tony finally meets Pepper's eyes of scorn. She tosses something in front of him with a huff.
"Tony, he even used a Darth Vader sticker. Do you know how adorably geeky and topical that is? You have got to start paying more attention to the living breathing people in front of you instead of your machines. Dinner is ready, please come upstairs."
Tony watches her leave as the clack of her heels fade away with every step. He's not sure what Darth Vader has to do with missing dinner, but he's quick to get up and start to follow.
He pauses before he makes it out the door, turning to finish the last line of code before he forgets the function. He pushes something off of his keyboard to type and press save.
Tony can't remember the last time he looked up from his work long enough to consume solid food. He's so ready to carb-load with some Italian food, turning away from the computer and blue envelope.
Tony's eyebrows furrow. Hm. Darth Vader sticker.
Tony turns back around and picks up the envelope from beside his keyboard.
This must be what the kid was yapping about earlier. Tony sticks his hand inside and finds a card, pulling it out.
"Father's Day it is," the front says in bold lettering with a picture of Yoda crudely hand-drawn with a sharpie and green highlighter. Tony flips it open, "celebrate you we must" is written in the middle of the page.
Below is a message in smaller writing; "Thank you for everything Mr. Stark, we wouldn't be here without you!" with a blob of sharpie that looks suspiciously like it's scribbled out a small heart, then signed "From Peter, Dum-E and U" each name written in their own unique handwriting.
"Friday, what day is it?"
"It is Sunday June 16th, also celebrated as Father's Day in countries such as the United States, Canada, and the UK."
Hm.
Tony stands there and stares at the card for longer than he'd ever admit before looking up at Dum-E.
"You help with this?" he asks, pointing at the card.
Dum-E chirps happily, twirling his claw around.
"Your hand writing's terrible."
* * *
Peter enters the lab slowly, an unsureness to him that's out of character.
It's Wednesday, his usual day for coming over to Tony's workshop. He hasn't heard anything from Tony since Sunday, not that he usually does. Still, the quietness has unnerved him. He's not sure what he was even expecting from his mentor; silence is probably the nicest response he could hope for after embarrassing himself like that.
"Hi Mr. Stark," he greets once he spots the older man sitting next to a complicated tangle of wires.
"Hey kid, can you go to the computer and run the command I have open for me?"
"Sure thing!" Peter says as he dumps his backpack onto the floor and jogs over.
The two get into an easy rhythm and Peter's practically forgotten why he was nervous in the first place when, "hey grab us some sodas will you," Mr. Stark asks him.
Peter walks up to the fridge in the corner of the room when he notices something new.
In the center of the silver metal lies a single piece of paper, stuck to the refrigerator with a plain magnet seemingly scrapped from some old hardware in the lab.
Tony has his Father's Day card displayed like some dorky parent whose kid got a half-decent report card, showcased on a fridge like a toddler's finger painted masterpiece.
It makes Peter so happy he can't wipe the stupid grin off his face the entire time he's grabbing sodas and delivering one to Tony.
The older hums a thanks without looking away from his project, but as Peter turns away Tony's own face contorts into a pleased smile all of his own.
The two share identical smiles all afternoon, hidden behind soda cans and computer screens.
#happy father's day#irondad and spiderson#peter parker#tony stark#marvel mcu#iron dad#irondad#they're a family ur honour!#btw peter got flowers for both May and Pepper on mothers day because hes a gentleman <3#spider man#iron man
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For Artists: My Experience with Commission Platforms and Illustration Agencies
Hi there! I’ve been wanting to compile a list of commission platforms that I’ve personally used for the longest time, and I finally did it! I’ve highlighted the still-active commission platforms in bold and struck those that don't exist anymore so you can jump to the sections that interest you without needing to read my entire story.
Let me start by briefly introducing myself.
I’m Gabrielle, a fantasy illustrator. Since 2014, I’ve been working on book covers and illustrations for publishers, authors, and book subscription boxes. Early on, work wasn’t as frequent as it is now. I had to search for opportunities myself, and even small private commissions were important for building my portfolio and earning some money, which I’d spend on materials, books, and online courses. Like many other artists, I started out by trying my luck with the biggest art community available at the time.
DeviantArt
2009-2018
Once upon a time, there was a virtual haven called DeviantArt. To my teenage self, it was a magical place. I signed up in 2009 and thought I’d never leave!
At first, I created an account just to share my work and learn. I didn’t even think about commissions for four or five years. But when that first inquiry finally landed in my inbox, things took off! My mum swears she remembers my excitement when I got my first commission, but for some reason, I’ve completely forgotten about it. I can't remember what it was or how much it paid. It might have been a portrait of a fantasy character.
Commissions on DeviantArt were fairly frequent, especially considering my cheap prices at the time. I used to offer discounts and post my rates in my DeviantArt journal, or in Commission groups that featured artists either monthly or weekly. After checking out my profile, a client could simply send me a private message and from there, we’d discuss payment, deadlines, and other details, and the platform didn’t take any fees, much like how ArtStation works today. Everything happened through private messages or email, with direct contact between artist and client.
The downside of this process was that there was no dispute resolution system on the platform. I had to handle all issues myself, and unfortunately, problems did arise sometimes: there were clients changing their minds about commissions, asking for refunds after work was delivered, refusing to pay, or just ghosting me. These issues didn’t happen because clients were evil, but rather because I was inexperienced and allowed some to take advantage of my naivety.
However, all that frustration helped me develop my commission process through trial and error (mostly error). And despite the challenges, I can say with satisfaction that most of the commissions I received through my DeviantArt profile were positive experiences.
DeviantArt eventually introduced a commission feature for Core (Premium) users, which came with a platform fee, but I didn’t use it much, and I’m not sure if it still exists.
The real beauty of dA, though, was the connections I made. I was able to meet people, both artists and clients, that I’m still in contact with today, and some of whom I still collaborate with.
I closed my account in 2018 or 2019, but by that time, I hadn’t really used it for a couple of years. The new user interface was a bit of a turn-off for me. I had always loved the geeky, and dare I say cozy, look of the old green and grey aesthetic, with its customisable panels that you could move around and personalise with HTML code... But I digress.
Artists and Clients
2013-2016
While taking small commissions on DeviantArt, I discovered Artists & Clients. It was a nice platform for clients to get things like their D&D characters or groups illustrated for relatively cheap. I think my highest price was $50 for a single character portrait, with the platform taking a 15% cut. I used it for about two or three years before the platform started to change.
As more artists with hentai art styles flooded in, the homepage shifted, and so did the clientele. There’s nothing wrong with drawing naked anime girls, of course, but you can understand that if a client is looking for a fantasy, semi-realistic painting of their female orc character, or a realistic portrait of their spouse, it's more than likely that they won't bother sifting through a sea of anime girls to find the style they want, imagining it isn't here. Let's just say that, at the time, the website took a definite direction that wasn't in line with my genre, but this direction didn't make the different, more realistic art styles stand out either.
Soon, commissions slowed down for me, so I closed my account, but by then I was already working elsewhere.
That said, this platform could still be a useful tool if you’re looking to take on smaller commissions.
DreamUp
2014-2015
DreamUp wasn’t an AI generator back then. It was actually a subsidiary of DeviantArt, where clients could post projects and artists could apply. It was a competitive platform that offered well-paid work–very well-paid. I remember seeing jobs posted that ranged from $300 to $1,200. DreamUp was a very professional platform for clients with a mid to high budget.
I believe I landed my very first book cover commission through this website when I was in my last year of high school. I remember getting the job and going to school the next morning, excited to share the news with my classmates. Everyone was super thrilled for me (we were a really close-knit class!), and I felt like I was walking on air.
Unfortunately, as far as I know, that book was never released, but it didn’t matter because I was moving forward, and fast.
I’m not sure when DreamUp was shut down, but I do know that DeviantArt held onto the copyrighted name, assigning it to something so anti-old DreamUp that it still boggles my mind.
ArtCorgi
Now Artistree
2014-2019
When I received an invitation to join ArtCorgi from its founder, I already had a somewhat consistent portfolio. I was painting portraits and fantasy illustrations, and the clients on this platform were looking for both–your typical wedding and pet portraits, as well as book covers, which were what really interested me. To get to the latter, I had to do the former. Over the years, I’ve painted so many realistic portraits that now I have a strict rule for my own sanity not to do them any more. I have great respect for portrait artists, but it’s just not me.
When I first submitted my prices to the person I was in contact with, she kindly suggested that I raise them... a lot. That was a major step forward in my professional career. I went from charging $50 to $100/$200 overnight. And to my surprise, people actually wanted to commission me at those prices!
From 2014 to 2019, I took nearly every commission that came my way. I never spoke directly with the clients; all instructions and feedback went through my point of contact, which helped maintain a level of professionalism, although now that I’m used to working directly with clients, I’m not sure I’d want to go back to having an intermediary.
Sadly, as with all good things, this chapter came to an end. My point of contact eventually left communication in the hands of someone else, and shortly after, the commission fee changed to, I believe, 30%.
Simply put, 30% is an unrealistic cut for a website like this. For an agent that gets you all kinds of big work in the publishing industry, sure, but since this was not the case I had to stop taking commissions. Despite that, my overall experience with ArtCorgi was very positive.
Today, ArtCorgi joined another platform, Artistree. As far as I can tell, Artistree doesn’t take any fees from artists, with clients covering a small cost instead.
Sketchmob (?)
2016-2020
This was probably the platform I used the most. I’ve lost count of how many commissions I received through Sketchmob. Many. Enough to generate a steady income at the time. With reasonable fees and a variety of art styles available, clients contacted me almost daily. Communication was direct between artists and clients, and payments could be split. The review system also worked very well… for a while.
Once I raised my prices, requests became fewer and farther apart. But by then, I was already working with my own clients.
Is this platform still active? Who knows. The website is still up and the chat feature works, but I’ve seen users complain that money available for withdrawal never arrived via PayPal (the only payment method the platform accepted, if I remember correctly). Personally, I wouldn’t risk completing a job through Sketchmob right now, at least not until they release an update.
If you’ve used the platform recently and successfully received payment within the last six months, please let me know, and I’d be happy to update this section!
Upwork
2017-2019
In 2017, I was determined to break into the book publishing industry. After trying out Fiverr and Freelancer.com with no success (the competition was too fierce for someone just starting out), I decided to give Upwork a shot. The platform looked very professional, and while the process sounded a bit complicated, I wanted to land the interesting projects I saw featured in my category. I really wanted to work with a big client… but big clients didn’t seem to want me, despite having the Rising Talent badge.
In two years of bidding for jobs and submitting proposals, I only landed two projects: a small commission from a private client who actually reached out to me, and another project that I bid on.
Don’t get me wrong, I was ecstatic at the time and truly appreciated every opportunity that came my way. But looking back, I can see why Upwork didn’t work out for me. The platform just wasn’t the right fit for my style and niche, which is fantasy illustration. Graphic design, however, was (and still is) in much higher demand.
The commission process on Upwork wasn’t as simple as on other platforms. For instance, at the time, costs were calculated hourly, which was a challenge for someone like me who prefers working with flat fees (having already calculated my average hours spent on an illustration). From what I’ve seen, this has since changed.
One positive aspect of Upwork is its current 10% cut on what artists earn. I don’t recall if this has changed over the years, but 10% is quite reasonable in my experience. Of course, 0% would be even better, but for a platform as large as Upwork, 10% is fair.
Illustration Agency
2019-2021
By 2019, I had built a solid, consistent portfolio thanks to my personal work and commissions. I had a simple website in place, my Instagram following was growing… I was steadily working toward my goal of illustrating covers for big publishers (which didn't happen until two years ago).
So, when an illustration agency reached out to me one day, I was over the moon. I had always heard that artists were the ones who had to approach agencies, not the other way around.
Well, that should have been my first red flag.
I won’t name this agency because, unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about it. In fact, the word “nothing” perfectly describes my involvement with them. Nothing came of this barely there experience.
The agency invited me to sign up, not on an exclusive basis, but they assured me they’d get me work. That work never came. Once in a while, I’d receive messages saying they were trying to pitch my portfolio to a French publisher or another client, but... nothing.
Please understand that meanwhile I was already working directly with shops and authors, so I don’t believe my portfolio was the problem. The real issue was something I didn’t realise at the time: some agencies do this. They feature talented artists in their catalogue without having actual clients lined up, just to appear more professional and credible to potential clients. Did this strategy work for them? Maybe. I’ll never know.
In 2021, I politely asked them to remove my portfolio from their website, and that was the end of it.
After that, I never actively sought out an agent again. By the time my portfolio was strong enough to approach a serious agency, I just didn’t need representation anymore.
Hireillo
2019-2022
My experience with Hire an Illustrator, or Hireillo, is mixed. At the time, Hireillo was a platform that hosted artists' portfolios, featured artist-submitted news, provided useful articles, resources, and directories of artists and agents. I joined the site hoping to catch the eye of publishers, but I was mostly contacted by authors and one fellow artist for a graphic novel.
Unfortunately, most inquiries didn’t go beyond the first couple of messages due to budget constraints. I did, however, have fun sharing news about my painting process and projects I landed on my own, which were often featured by the website. Additionally, if I had questions about 'complicated' things like copyright, or just needed advice, I could ask the website’s owner and that was incredibly helpful.
Despite these benefits, I didn’t see any real results, which was a little disappointing. The subscription fee was also... odd, for lack of a better word. $5 per week. In the end I just couldn’t justify the cost, so I stopped using the website altogether.
Reedsy
2019-2022
Finally, we come to the turning point.
I remember stumbling upon Reedsy randomly. It wasn’t very well known at the time, and I think it still isn’t. I was nervous when I submitted my portfolio because their catalogue features the best of the best: designers who’ve created covers for bestsellers, THE bestsellers, people who’ve worked on Stephen King covers, or George R.R. Martin's. Designers, editors, and marketers who are veterans. I didn’t have high hopes for my application. So, I was in shock when it got accepted.
I had an introductory Skype call with a representative from Reedsy, who explained how everything worked. Before the call ended, I remember asking if there was a good chance I’d get work through the platform. The rep laughed and said, “Yes.”
A few weeks in, I understood that laugh.
Reedsy has an overwhelming demand for book covers and commercial projects. For every designer there are many more clients. In peak seasons, I was getting requests almost every day. I’m not exaggerating.
Reedsy transformed my portfolio and my pricing structure. Thanks to the income I earned through the platform, I was finally able not to take everything that came my way but be selective and choose only the projects that really interested me.
The commission process is simple: artists pretty much decide how to split payments, what to include in agreements, and the best part, the most beautiful and helpful feature of all, they can request and adjust deadlines. For someone like me who's terrible with deadlines, this feature was a lifesaver. The admins are also very kind and responsive, available via email or chat.
Unfortunately (this is my last 'unfortunately', I promise), my time on Reedsy came to an end for personal reasons. I’ll explain since it’s no secret.
All my images on Reedsy were watermarked with my signature (my full name), which apparently violated the platform’s rules. Why? Because if a client saw my last name, they could contact me directly and bypass Reedsy, which meant the platform lost potential fees. I’ll admit this did happen a few times, but I had the good sense to redirect the client back to Reedsy.
After three years, an admin finally noticed and asked me to remove my full name from the watermark and any text on my profile. It was a simple and reasonable request, but here’s where the problem started. Profiles on Reedsy are public, and images appear in search engines like Google Images, meaning anyone could download my work and use it without permission. Sure, watermarks can be removed, but uploading my work without one in the first place felt like a bad idea. Btw, not only do I use watermarks, but I also use Glaze to protect my illustrations before sharing them online.
Anyway, for this reason, and also because I couldn’t get over the fact that full names were public at the time, something I won’t get into because, believe me, I tried over email, and my reasons went into the void (now, last names are just initialised, like Gabrielle R. Okay. Sure.), I had to close my account–they would have done it anyway because it was already 'flagged'.
Overall, if you’re willing to overlook the last name conundrum, I can’t recommend Reedsy enough. If you have a killer, solid portfolio and a love for books and editorial projects, go for it!
--------------------------------------------
I hope you'll find this useful! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask (: Oh, and here's an old article I wrote in 2020, titled:
Tips to freelance illustrators to avoid being screwed over
Who knows, maybe I'll write another 'article' post in four years!
Instagram - ArtStation - Website - Inprnt - Etsy - TikTok
#art#artists on tumblr#Article#For Artists: My Experience with Commission Platforms and Illustration Agencies#Commissions#Illustration#Design#freelancer#gabrielle ragusi
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How House of the Dragon’s Ewan Mitchell became TV’s most chilling villain [interview + pictures]
He played Barry Keoghan’s geeky friend in Saltburn. Now, the 27-year-old from Derby is riding dragons as Matt Smith’s terrifying nephew.
House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series, is coming to the boil for its second-season finale, a cauldron of Targaryen civil war, court skulduggery and dragon-on-dragon dust-ups. For many, the highlight of this season has been the emergence of a beguiling new villain in Ewan Mitchell’s Prince Aemond Targaryen, who has a character arc that’s more like a zigzag. Spoilers follow.
Aemond lost his eye to the knife of his cousin, Lucerys, got airborne revenge when his dragon, Vhagar, swallowed Lucerys whole and is now on the Iron Throne as prince regent after Vhagar barbecued the king, Aemond’s despised brother Aegon, into a walking kebab. What makes the character, though, is the chilling panache with which Mitchell plays him; an impassive psychopath behind his eyepatch.
The showrunner, Ryan Condal, has said that he was at times taken aback by the Derby-born actor’s intensity. “I sometimes forget to blink,” Mitchell, 27, says with a smile. “I need to just chill out a little bit.” Not if it means losing the edge that defines Aemond, the same contained menace that fuelled Michael Corleone. It’s a Dornish-hot day in Covent Garden. Mitchell is softly spoken like Aemond, with striking blue-grey eyes, but considerably more courteous and less terrifying. His hair, which he buzz-cuts for the show to accommodate a wig, has grown to a tousled mop, dyed a Targaryen peroxide for this publicity tour.
To help him to get into character Mitchell listened to Metallica and Slipknot (“Aemond’s straight out of heavy metal”), while cinematic inspirations included Kirk Douglas’s titular swashbuckler (“with his strong chin”) in the 1958 movie The Vikings, the icily evil android played by Michael Fassbender in Prometheus and slow-walking horror villains such as Michael Myers in Halloween. “That’s the message that Aemond wants to give off: that he has you in his sights and you won’t be able to escape him,” Mitchell says. Sometimes he took it too far. In one scene he stalked into the council chamber, “and [the director] Alan Taylor said, ‘Can you speed up the walk, please?’”
His dragon’s knack of pouncing midair (“She comes up out of nowhere like Jaws”) helps Aemond’s aura, as does that eyepatch, even if it took Mitchell a while to get used to when riding horses. He often kept it on between takes, he says, “because over the course of a couple of hours you develop a headache”. That, in his world, is a good thing because it helps to suggest a “volcano that’s boiling underneath the surface”.
We are increasingly invited to compare Aemond with the show’s other compelling bad boy: his uncle Daemon, played by Matt Smith. Both are spares who believed they deserved the crown more than the heir. “Aemond is a prince who stands to inherit nothing,” Mitchell says. “He recognised, similar to Daemon, that everything he wanted to achieve he’d have to go out and get himself. Daemon and Aemond — their names are anagrams of each other and he definitely looked up to Daemon growing up.”
Similarly, Mitchell was a fan of Doctor Who as a child and Smith was his favourite Doctor. “There is a certain resemblance as well. I remember my nan saying that,” he says. Now, though, Aemond and Daemon are on opposite sides, the former fighting with the “Greens”, the latter, nominally, with Queen Rhaenyra’s “Blacks”. Two men with brutal self-confidence, a sense of grievance and prominent chins … the stage is set for a bloody confrontation, as it was in the original Game of Thrones between the brothers Sandor and Gregor Clegane. Aemond has already said he would “welcome” a chance to test himself against his uncle.
When it will happen, Mitchell can’t say. In preparation, though, he and Smith have been avoiding each other on set. That was Mitchell’s idea, but Smith and Condal agreed that it would help them to keep their grudge-match powder dry. “In the same way that Aemond keeps Daemon on that podium, I wanted to keep Matt Smith on that podium,” he says. “Our stories are very much contained and we shot in different studio spaces, so we never really brushed shoulders.”
Mitchell has also decided not to watch or read the original Game of Thrones. “I didn’t want it to influence me whether it be subconsciously or consciously,” he says, before asking me, “Which one do you prefer, House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones?” It’s hard to say until this show is over, I say, although both are equally obsessed with incest. He looks puzzled. “There was only one Targaryen in Game of Thrones, right?” Erm, not quite but I don’t want to spoil it. He smiles. “I’ll get around to watching it.”
He has certainly steeped himself in the world of House of the Dragon, which was adapted from the book Fire and Blood by the Thrones creator George RR Martin and is set more than a century before the first saga. Mitchell drew Aemond’s family tree when he got the part and can’t hide his annoyance when he briefly confuses Driftmark and High Tide, respectively an island and its castle in the show. “I’m kicking myself,” Mitchell says, which feels typical of his obsessiveness.
What is it about the Midlands that produces actors with such bristling presence? Mitchell, like Paddy Considine, who played Aemond’s father, Viserys, in the show, is a working-class son of Derbyshire and studied at the Television Workshop, an affordable, inclusive drama school in Nottingham whose other alumni include Samantha Morton, Jack O’Connell, Bella Ramsey and Vicky McClure.
“It’s just an amazing platform that champions raw talent,” Mitchell says. “I didn’t necessarily possess the means or the finances to go to drama school — no one in my family has ever done it.” His father’s side is “very much military”, he says, his grandfather having served in the SAS in Malaya and Oman after the Second World War. “He was very stoic; didn’t show much at all.” So that’s where Mitchell gets it from — his friends in Derby, where he still lives, call him “the Iceberg”. “I keep my cards quite close to my chest,” he says and he certainly does when it comes to saying if he has a partner.
After graduating he got his break in The Last Kingdom, the medieval drama series, playing Osferth, a kinsman of King Alfred. Good practice for the sword swinging, horse riding and dagger tossing to come. There was also a small role in High Life, the sci-fi-horror film starring Robert Pattinson, and a bigger one in Saltburn, Emerald Fennell’s remix of Brideshead Revisited, as Barry Keoghan’s geeky mathematician friend — one of the few non-plummy characters. “Emerald would give me something new every single take: ‘Play this one like Travis Bickle, play this one like a serial killer,’” Mitchell says.
• Before Game of Thrones — the story behind House of the Dragon
Like Robert De Niro as Bickle, Mitchell is brilliant at showing vulnerability beneath the menace. He loved shooting the scene in House of the Dragon where a smirking, pre-barbecue Aegon finds a naked Aemond in bed with the brothel worker who has become a mother figure. Aemond’s real mother is Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), whom he, as regent, has just ruthlessly stood down from the Small Council. “He doesn’t want anyone else to notice that he actually really loves his mum,” he says. “Once the war ends he wants to be sat on a Dornish beach with her sipping piña coladas.”
“Horror is definitely a genre I’d love to venture into at some point.”
They may not get that far, although you sometimes feel that Aemond knows how things will pan out — he accepted the regency with a cool sense of inevitability. Condal has stressed the parallels of his story with the Greek myth of the Cyclops, Mitchell says. “He traded one of his eyes to Hades so he could see the day he would die.” Recent events have tested Aemond’s prescience, though, notably Rhaenyra’s recruitment of low-born Targaryen bastards to ride dragons. In the finale “you’ll see Aemond lose that composure”, Mitchell says. “He’s gonna get desperate, and you don’t want Aemond desperate because that’s when he starts to overextend.”
What next? Mitchell won’t say how many seasons of House of the Dragon he has signed up for and we know by now that anyone can be killed off with zero fanfare. He clearly loves movies, peppering his chat with references to Inglourious Basterds, The Untouchables and the M Night Shyamalan film Split, and says he would love to work with Jodie Comer, the Safdie brothers, who made Uncut Gems, and Rose Glass, who directed Love Lies Bleeding. Oh, and “horror is definitely a genre I’d love to venture into at some point.” He would be a natural.
tagging my beloved @assortedseaglass fuck the paywall
copy pasta from The Times
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How House of the Dragon’s Ewan Mitchell became TV’s most chilling villain
He played Barry Keoghan’s geeky friend in Saltburn. Now, the 27-year-old from Derby is riding dragons as Matt Smith’s terrifying nephew
House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series, is coming to the boil for its second-season finale, a cauldron of Targaryen civil war, court skulduggery and dragon-on-dragon dust-ups. For many, the highlight of this season has been the emergence of a beguiling new villain in Ewan Mitchell’s Prince Aemond Targaryen, who has a character arc that’s more like a zigzag. Spoilers follow.
Aemond lost his eye to the knife of his cousin, Lucerys, got airborne revenge when his dragon, Vhagar, swallowed Lucerys whole and is now on the Iron Throne as prince regent after Vhagar barbecued the king, Aemond’s despised brother Aegon, into a walking kebab. What makes the character, though, is the chilling panache with which Mitchell plays him; an impassive psychopath behind his eyepatch.
The showrunner, Ryan Condal, has said that he was at times taken aback by the Derby-born actor’s intensity. “I sometimes forget to blink,” Mitchell, 27, says with a smile. “I need to just chill out a little bit.” Not if it means losing the edge that defines Aemond, the same contained menace that fuelled Michael Corleone. It’s a Dornish-hot day in Covent Garden. Mitchell is softly spoken like Aemond, with striking blue-grey eyes, but considerably more courteous and less terrifying. His hair, which he buzz-cuts for the show to accommodate a wig, has grown to a tousled mop, dyed a Targaryen peroxide for this publicity tour.
To help him to get into character Mitchell listened to Metallica and Slipknot (“Aemond’s straight out of heavy metal”), while cinematic inspirations included Kirk Douglas’s titular swashbuckler (“with his strong chin”) in the 1958 movie The Vikings, the icily evil android played by Michael Fassbender in Prometheus and slow-walking horror villains such as Michael Myers in Halloween. “That’s the message that Aemond wants to give off: that he has you in his sights and you won’t be able to escape him,” Mitchell says. Sometimes he took it too far. In one scene he stalked into the council chamber, “and [the director] Alan Taylor said, ‘Can you speed up the walk, please?’”
His dragon’s knack of pouncing midair (“She comes up out of nowhere like Jaws”) helps Aemond’s aura, as does that eyepatch, even if it took Mitchell a while to get used to when riding horses. He often kept it on between takes, he says, “because over the course of a couple of hours you develop a headache”. That, in his world, is a good thing because it helps to suggest a “volcano that’s boiling underneath the surface”.
We are increasingly invited to compare Aemond with the show’s other compelling bad boy: his uncle Daemon, played by Matt Smith. Both are spares who believed they deserved the crown more than the heir. “Aemond is a prince who stands to inherit nothing,” Mitchell says. “He recognised, similar to Daemon, that everything he wanted to achieve he’d have to go out and get himself. Daemon and Aemond — their names are anagrams of each other and he definitely looked up to Daemon growing up.”
Similarly, Mitchell was a fan of Doctor Who as a child and Smith was his favourite Doctor. “There is a certain resemblance as well. I remember my nan saying that,” he says. Now, though, Aemond and Daemon are on opposite sides, the former fighting with the “Greens”, the latter, nominally, with Queen Rhaenyra’s “Blacks”. Two men with brutal self-confidence, a sense of grievance and prominent chins … the stage is set for a bloody confrontation, as it was in the original Game of Thrones between the brothers Sandor and Gregor Clegane. Aemond has already said he would “welcome” a chance to test himself against his uncle.
When it will happen, Mitchell can’t say. In preparation, though, he and Smith have been avoiding each other on set. That was Mitchell’s idea, but Smith and Condal agreed that it would help them to keep their grudge-match powder dry. “In the same way that Aemond keeps Daemon on that podium, I wanted to keep Matt Smith on that podium,” he says. “Our stories are very much contained and we shot in different studio spaces, so we never really brushed shoulders.”
Mitchell has also decided not to watch or read the original Game of Thrones. “I didn’t want it to influence me whether it be subconsciously or consciously,” he says, before asking me, “Which one do you prefer, House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones?” It’s hard to say until this show is over, I say, although both are equally obsessed with incest. He looks puzzled. “There was only one Targaryen in Game of Thrones, right?” Erm, not quite but I don’t want to spoil it. He smiles. “I’ll get around to watching it.”
He has certainly steeped himself in the world of House of the Dragon, which was adapted from the book Fire and Blood by the Thrones creator George RR Martin and is set more than a century before the first saga. Mitchell drew Aemond’s family tree when he got the part and can’t hide his annoyance when he briefly confuses Driftmark and High Tide, respectively an island and its castle in the show. “I’m kicking myself,” Mitchell says, which feels typical of his obsessiveness.
What is it about the Midlands that produces actors with such bristling presence? Mitchell, like Paddy Considine, who played Aemond’s father, Viserys, in the show, is a working-class son of Derbyshire and studied at the Television Workshop, an affordable, inclusive drama school in Nottingham whose other alumni include Samantha Morton, Jack O’Connell, Bella Ramsey and Vicky McClure.
It’s just an amazing platform that champions raw talent,” Mitchell says. “I didn’t necessarily possess the means or the finances to go to drama school — no one in my family has ever done it.” His father’s side is “very much military”, he says, his grandfather having served in the SAS in Malaya and Oman after the Second World War. “He was very stoic; didn’t show much at all.” So that’s where Mitchell gets it from — his friends in Derby, where he still lives, call him “the Iceberg”. “I keep my cards quite close to my chest,” he says and he certainly does when it comes to saying if he has a partner.
After graduating he got his break in The Last Kingdom, the medieval drama series, playing Osferth, a kinsman of King Alfred. Good practice for the sword swinging, horse riding and dagger tossing to come. There was also a small role in High Life, the sci-fi-horror film starring Robert Pattinson, and a bigger one in Saltburn, Emerald Fennell’s remix of Brideshead Revisited, as Barry Keoghan’s geeky mathematician friend — one of the few non-plummy characters. “Emerald would give me something new every single take: ‘Play this one like Travis Bickle, play this one like a serial killer,’” Mitchell says.
Like Robert De Niro as Bickle, Mitchell is brilliant at showing vulnerability beneath the menace. He loved shooting the scene in House of the Dragon where a smirking, pre-barbecue Aegon finds a naked Aemond in bed with the brothel worker who has become a mother figure. Aemond’s real mother is Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), whom he, as regent, has just ruthlessly stood down from the Small Council. “He doesn’t want anyone else to notice that he actually really loves his mum,” he says. “Once the war ends he wants to be sat on a Dornish beach with her sipping piña coladas.”
They may not get that far, although you sometimes feel that Aemond knows how things will pan out — he accepted the regency with a cool sense of inevitability. Condal has stressed the parallels of his story with the Greek myth of the Cyclops, Mitchell says. “He traded one of his eyes to Hades so he could see the day he would die.” Recent events have tested Aemond’s prescience, though, notably Rhaenyra’s recruitment of low-born Targaryen bastards to ride dragons. In the finale “you���ll see Aemond lose that composure”, Mitchell says. “He’s gonna get desperate, and you don’t want Aemond desperate because that’s when he starts to overextend.”
What next? Mitchell won’t say how many seasons of House of the Dragon he has signed up for and we know by now that anyone can be killed off with zero fanfare. He clearly loves movies, peppering his chat with references to Inglourious Basterds, The Untouchables and the M Night Shyamalan film Split, and says he would love to work with Jodie Comer, the Safdie brothers, who made Uncut Gems, and Rose Glass, who directed Love Lies Bleeding. Oh, and “horror is definitely a genre I’d love to venture into at some point.” He would be a natural.
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the books are so cute because being in both sam and dean's heads really highlight how geeky they actually are. dean is just barely restraining himself from yell-explaining that his eyes are actually hazel (not blue) to a hot girl he just met at a bar while thinking about how the band whose music he's yelling over is covering a live performance from the 70s (& being able to tell which songs come after the other) while sam is only there with him (sam wanted to stay at their inn or whatever and do research) because the bar is built around a tree that's a major landmark for local history and he wanted to see it
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do you do male requests? If u do I have an idea 😄 maybe a one shot where the reader is pinning desperately over clapton, but doesn’t think he’d like someone like him since he’s a bit nerdy. But in reality clapton is also the biggest dork ever and likes him just as much:3
━━ OPPOSITES ATTRACT
author's note: i try to keep all my fanfiction gender neutral, except for smut which i write with a female reader, just because i don't really know how to write good male smut, so seeing as this is just a fluffy fic i made it gender neutral as usual thank you for your request! also i stayed up until the ungodly hours of the morning to finish this so pls dont judge if its shit i did my best
'୧ ‧₊ pairing: clapton davis x nerdy!reader warnings: swearing word count: 2500+ ⋆ ✩‧₊
After you’d reached Junior year at Grizzly Lake High, you’d accepted the plaguing reality in which you were a nerd. With your plethora of knowledge regarding random facts, active participation in the school newspaper editorial committee, and expertise in your pre-calculus class, it’s reasonable to say that you were not a typical, soulless high-school student like the rest of the Grizzly population, and it was something that you’d grown to accept.
Being sort of geeky wasn’t all that bad – you had a close knit circle of friends who shared similar interests, and you were excelling in all your classes, so there wasn’t really a reason for you to have contempt towards your social status, right?
Wrong.
You had one very strong reason, a reason adorned in obnoxiously colored clothes and a reason that you were recently paired up with for a science project.
Clapton Davis.
You’d had the privilege of sitting near him for nearly a year now, thanks to Ms. Hudson’s seating plan which had situated you just a few desks away from him. To state that you stared at him for the duration of most (all) lessons would be a little creepy, but it was hard not to, when the afternoon hit its peak and you were able to watch the syrupy sunlight crease right over his figure like fine silk — how are eyes that warm possible? Is that shade of brown even real?
You’re in far too deep for someone who you’ve hardly spoken a word to, sure, but could anyone blame you? You couldn’t help it– the lingering glances sent from the overcast shadows of your desk, tucked into a corner of the classroom, pining hopelessly, bouncing your knee with repeated, tense motions and scattering love-heart encircled initials all over your paper.
Fuck.
The real kick in the teeth was the fact that Clapton was somebody, at least at this school. He was propped up by popularity and people, effortlessly perched at the head of the social pyramid of Grizzly High, and you certainly were not. Superficial bullshit like this never bothered you in the past, but the fact that Clapton was so comically out of reach felt like a deliberate joke aimed squarely at you, and for lack of better words, it sucked.
It was taxing labor to try and tolerate your complete lack of a chance with him at the best of times, when you were nestled in the back of classrooms, hopelessly admiring his figure, or passing him in the halls and basking in the fleeting smiles you exchanged – but seeing him up close, being a mere breath away from him, hands making contact for abiding moments that spark against your skin… you deem it the cruelest torture of all.
The project you’d been paired up for was relatively simple – creating some predictable poster on mitochondrial DNA, but considering the prospect of working alongside Clapton, it became of far greater interest than it should be, science became a highlight of your timetable, a rarity even for you.
And it’s where you are currently, tense against the stool you’re seated at, knuckles pulsing with a dull ache from cracking them right against the maple wood of the desk — Clapton’s complaining about the point of this whole thing and you attempt to explain the delicate concept of nucleotide composition, while trying not to sound like a complete and utter loser. You’re failing substantially.
“No, so– the phosphate group is part of the main components which are what form the DNA, but deoxyribose–”
“De–what?”
You huff, wiping sodden palms against the plane of your denim-bound thigh.
“It’s not—”
“I can’t focus here anyway. It’s too loud,” he grunts, opting to etch his initials onto the side of the desk with deliberate, harsh carvings of his pencil.
Your gaze swallows up his convex figure. Boredom. Ouch.
“I can just do it all, if you, uh, want.”
His head cocks upwards – it’s a tempting offer. But he’s not a douchebag. No matter what people might insinuate. A gradual smirk tugs downwards at the curvature of his lips, hands stilling their previous motions as he turns up to you.
“No, you don’t gotta do that. Just come over to my place after school or something, you can explain it there, right?”
Your throat clots as though you’ve swallowed mud— your words feel heavy on your tongue and you don’t dare glance upwards from the paper in front of you, in fear of him finding the elation that’s erupting across your guise.
His house? His house? It feels like an elaborate prank – how how how were you supposed to resist him if he was openly inviting you over? Your nails bite into the exposed flesh of your palm, leaving raw crescent marks in their wake. You couldn’t turn down the opportunity, even if every second would be agony, having him dangled in front of you, so close yet so far.
You croak out a weak, “Oh, sure, that sounds good—” it sounds better than good.
But it also sounds worse than it as well. You develop a looming sense of nervousness, forcing your fingers deeper into your skin, choking back a scream of intolerance. What would you even talk about? Sports? Shoes? Or just this stupid project?
He seems to sense your displeasure, because he answers it with a chuckle. “Chill. I don’t bite. Y’know, unless you want me to.”
Cocky prick.
✩‧₊˚
The walk to Clapton’s house went smoother than you anticipated, casual conversation playing on loop as you wind through the bends of each mundane neighborhood that Grizzly Lake has to offer – his house is the same as a thousand others, but you wear a smile and offer lousy compliments anyway, to which he rolls his eyes a little and tells you that it’s nice or whatever.
Maybe he’s picked up on your inherent adoration, maybe he’s just toying around with you. You’re not sure– but his damn hypnotic eyes are distracting you from your purpose– mitochondrial composition. Super interesting.
The pair of you are slumped against his bed, surrounded by sunwashed memorabilia as the afternoon begins to bleed into the evening. Your progress is limited, but you don’t care. Your proximity is the only thing settling in your mind, like dust upon your shoulders and in your throat– you can taste his breathing as it fans across your neck.
Cedarwood seeps into every crevice of your skin – he’s too damn close. You’re not sure you can take this.
“It’s sort of like lego.”
Your voice cuts through the incessant tide of your wandering thoughts.
“Lego?” “Yeah. Y’know— like, okay, the phosphate is the base, and then the sugar molecule connects to that, and then the nitrogenous base is like, your unique pieces, y’know, color, size, whatever, it gives the DNA it’s unique features.”
“Sort of… following?” You grin at the achievement.
“That’s good!”
“I never usually get this stuff, so uh, thanks.”
Your heartstrings tangle into one unfathomably tight knot, and your nerves pulse in sharp bouts beneath the surface of your skin. He’s thanking you. And he’s smiling too, pearly whites seeming near opalescent, but maybe that’s your mind, warped with ecstasy. You wished you had more to talk about though. More to offer. But what were you supposed to bring up, your comic book collection? He’d probably laugh in your face.
“It’s all good. I’m glad I could help you.” His grin widens fractionally.
“I’m glad too.”
A moment’s silence flutters by.
“So uh–”
"Should we-"
You chuckle, a smidge awkward, as your sentences overlap.
“You first,” he tells you, and you shift timidly on his bed, accompanied by the dull squeak of his mattress.
“Just uh… wondering if I should go.”
He appears to tense, just for a moment, as if your words had implications that you weren’t aware of, but it dissolves as quickly as it came and you can’t analyze his feelings in time.
“Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”
Whatever you want. You’re sure he doesn’t want the true answer to that. What you want, what you absolutely want, is mere inches away from you, looking preternatural in the first whispers of a mid-autumn sunset, splayed across his bed with a boyish grin, whatever you want is right there, waiting and daring you to try and take it. You don’t. You can’t.
“Okay. Uh, see you tomorrow then.”
Shit.
✩‧₊˚
The aforementioned tomorrow is so inconsequentially boring that you debate coming home early. You’ve got nothing planned, no important subjects, and every time you pass Clapton in the hallways, greeted with an elusive raise of the eyebrows or a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it grin, it gets harder and harder to ignore the fiery feelings in your body.
You can barely take the spiderwebs of angst growing across your stomach, tangled into your thoughts– Clapton. That’s all you can seem to find threaded into every fissure in your psyche. It feels like every stray thought is the gnawing reminder that Clapton isn’t yours. How are you supposed to focus on physics when those honey-sweet eyes are eternally burnt into the forefront of your mind? You’re seconds away from tearing out your own fucking hair, it’s so unlike you to get worked up by something like this.
Yet here you are.
Here you are, staring emptily down at your worksheet, filling in the answers with ease, wondering how much easier it would be to attract attention if you had more appealing interests. If you knew how to skateboard instead of the elements of the periodic table, if you spent your money on clothes instead of comics. Shit. Shit, you really liked him and he really probably didn’t like you. It stings like a childhood wound, like hydrogen peroxide festering amongst skinned knees.
Fuck this.
✩‧₊˚
The day is achingly slow, boredom clinging to the air and swallowing you whole. Each class just feels like going through the motions, your thoughts are stuck on one thing and one thing only, and you hyperfixate on every previous interaction with him, sourly regretting every word you’ve ever spoken, praying he didn’t think they were as weird as you did.
You want to scream! The schoolbell released you after what seemed like decades, and now you’re shuffling down the streets back to your house, where you can hopefully catch a break from your constant stream of deprecating thoughts, but no.
The roll of a skateboard pounding against the graveled roads becomes audible as it slows behind you, a familiar voice cuts through the silence.
“Going home?”
It's him.
You turn around, plastering a weak smile across your face.
“Uh, yeah. Why?” He inches a little closer, picking up his board and tucking it under his arm. “Can I come over?”
Your stomach snags on itself, an airy sensation spreading across every tense limb. It’s a bold move, but it’s a welcome one.
“For the project?” He shrugs. “Yeah, sure. Also just to hang out.”
You perk a smile at this, for a brief moment, before it melts directly from your face. Clapton in your house? Clapton in your room? You visualize each poster, each stupid certificate your mom made you hang up on your wall— he can’t go in there. You’d die of shame.
“Oh, uh, I’m kinda— busy.” He frowns. “Seriously? C’mon, just for, like, an hour.”
“Clapton—”
“Please?”
It should flatter you, how desperate he comes across, but you’re too worried that after he sees you, like, the real you, presented through your room and your stuff and your interests, that he’ll be weirded out, and scamper away to some cheerleader or something. Still, those pleading eyes work wonders on you, and it becomes impossible to refuse them.
“Okay, fine. An hour,” you mumble, and set off back on your journey home with him following close behind.
You make it to your house, hesitantly guiding him into your bedroom– he doesn’t seem to have much of a reaction. You were definitely overthinking it.
He makes himself welcome, collapsing on your bed with a sigh, laying sprawled on his back with his eyes trained on your ceiling, eye to eye with your collector’s edition Return of the Jedi poster, limited edition, signed.
You tentatively join him.
“You like Star Wars?”
He asks, gesturing to the poster, no teasing present in his tone.
“Oh, uh, yeah.”
“Seriously? What’s this one about?”
You can’t help yourself– he seems properly interested, and even if the question was merely to start conversation you attack it, spluttering eager sentences about the plot and the characters and oh fuck, you’re really going on about it. His eyes have left the poster and he’s rolled onto his side, vision stuck straight on you, he’s probably judging you.
You cut your own sentence midway, feeling the apples of your cheeks redden with embarrassment as you shrink back down to your previously timid self.
“Sorry. My bad,” you mumble, picking a loose thread on your duvet. He notices, faltering a little.
“What? No, come on. I’m invested now.”
You sigh, your eyes drilling holes into your shoes, where they stay staring. “Why? Why do you keep, like, talking to me and stuff?” He sits up so he can join you, shoulder resting beside yours. “What’d you mean?”
Your body feels uncomfortably taut with the suspense of this tangible moment, and you decide that you might as well get this swollen feeling off your chest before it bursts inside of you.
A moment’s silence. A bated breath. You harness whatever confidence you can find in yourself (though it’s pretty barren), and go for it before your thoughts can catch up to you.
“I just– I’m not, like… I’m not like your other friends. And I… I dunno, I… look, I like you. Like, I really like you, and I know it’s stupid, but I feel like you keep on giving me, like, mixed signals– but I don’t wanna—”
“Wait, you like me?”
You let out a begrudging exhale. “I know, it’s stupid–”
“What? You’re kidding right? You’re, like, perfect.”
Your head jolts to him so quickly you’re surprised you don’t get whiplash.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re super pretty, but like– you’re smart, and you’re nice, and you’re funny… you seriously like me?”
You’re barely processing. It feels like you’ve swallowed rose thorns, like every grain of sand has settled in the pit of your stomach, filling you up from the inside out, drying out the cavity of your throat.
“Y–yeah?”
He chuckles, a noise you want sewn into your memory forever. “I like you too. I totally have for ages.”
Your eyes nearly bulge out of your skull. “Are you serious?”
Again, he flaunts that grin that you’ve marveled at for far too long. And it takes you a moment to realize he’s not replying– not with words. But his face is closer than before, and suddenly you could count every freckle, you could name every color in the ring of his iris, and he’s closer still, and only your eyes are doing the talking, and then his soft lips hit yours and everything stone inside you cracks.
He moves gently, as if you’re made of frozen sugar; his hands find your waist, he paws at it slowly, too much, not enough— and then he pulls away.
“That serious enough for you?”
You stammer out a butchered sentence, before roping yourself together, somewhat. “You can’t do that!” You choke, though there’s no malice in your tone, because he can hear your smile, even before he can see it.
“Just did, baby.”
“You’re unreal. This— this isn’t real,” you chuckle in awe.
“Mmm… I’d say it’s pretty real,” he smirks, reaching for your hand and squeezing it for emphasis.
“Why’d you like me?” If you hunt for it, you can still taste the vestige of him on your trembling lips.
“I just said, remember? You’re really generous, and you’re, like, patient with me, when nobody else is. And you’re painfully hot.”
You snort at this. “You’re the hot one.”
“Hey, we can both be hot.”
You giggle, squeezing his hand back, you fall into a pattern. You fade into him.
“Oh my god, I actually can’t believe this.”
He presses a chaste peck to the canvas of your cheek, spreading a ruby flush that’s all for him.
“Believe it.”
And you start to.
masterlist
✩‧₊˚
#clapton davis x reader#clapton davis x you#detention 2011#josh hutcherson smut#mike schmidt fluff#clapton davis fluff#clapton davis smut#clapton davis#josh hutcherson#josh hutcherson x reader
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S&Co Sherlock recommended Vivaldi to John and I Lost My Mind
The fact that our Sherlock Holmes recommended Vivaldi to John so suddenly and apruptly is something SO personal! When I read a transcript of the mailbag episode (thank you @eardefenders ) I could NOT stop thinking about it, and have been listening to his many wonderful concertos since. I work in a church choir and am therefore somewhat classically trained, I have also played violin for many years as a child, and still do at times, so allow me to go on a geeky tirade about Antonio Vivaldi and Sherlock's understanding of John.
🎻🌱🌻🍂❄
In the second mailbag episode, a question is asked "If you could make a Spotify playlist for eachother of your own favourite songs, what would some of the highlights be [...] ?"
John answers with the rockband Elbow, who use orchestra and especially strings in their music. Which is why he recommends it to armature violinist Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock says that he would probably never make such a playlist, as he wouldn't find the task fulfilling, but he has an epiphany and IMMEDIATELY interrupts himself, not even finishing his sentence, and he simply says "Vivaldi". I have not heard the delivery of this line(cause I'm poor ✌), but the fact that the answer falls to him so suddenly and it simply MUST leave him immediately so John hears is delicious characterisation. Sherlock also answers with pop, as John likes popculture (a somewhat less personal answer, but still very considerate).
After another question it is established that Vivaldi isn't even a favourite of Sherlock's. He much prefers Mozart, Bach(I will come back to Bach) and Tchaikovsky. Now Sherlock is a violinist, so there is no way he has escaped the genius of Antonio Vivaldi, like he's escaped pop. And so this recommendation is really because he feels John would like it.
But why does Sherlock think that? What would John Watson, a middle class everyman, like about Vivaldi?
Let me tell you:
When we analyse the symbolic meaning of instrumental classical(in this case baroque) music, we often look at the biography of the composer (Vivaldi gives us a little more to work with, which I will return to). I will start here. Antonio Vivaldi of Venice was taught the violin by his father and was ordained at 25 but didn't work as a priest for long due to illness. He instead became a violin teacher and composer. (Who else do we know that took up a very respected line of work but ended up where his father did? Why John Watson of course!) Vivaldi taught abandoned girls at an orphanage for more than 30 years, and saw immense potential in them and their education. The most talented of the girls stayed into adulthood as a part of their renowned orchestra and choir. He wrote most of his music for these girls and women to perform. He also took the talented singer Anna Tessiseri Giro and her sister under his wing, and Anna became his protégé. What a great guy! Supporting the talents of young women! Of course John would love him.
Going into Vivaldi's musical genius, we have to talk about baroque music. Vivaldi left a huge mark on the late baroque period. Especially the form of concertos which I won't bore you with (🤓), but also the general style of the period. That style is characterised by grand ornamentation (like the baroque in general), driving movement (in rythm) and contrast such as ascending and descending notes. All this produces beautiful an grand pieces. Additionally, Vivaldi used melodic repetition(his critics say too much), which is what gets the new hit pop song stuck in our heads. Something our John is very prone to suffer under. Vivaldi also took a narrative approach to music. Not only through his many operas, but also in his concertos. Everyone knows his Four Seasons, whether you want to or not. He wrote four concertos, one for each season, and for each season there was an accompanying sonnet(which he presumably wrote). These concertos and sonnets depict both the gentleness and wrath of nature, all beautiful. But also people: herders, shepherds, drunk peasants celebrating the harvest and hunters. These are working people that Vivaldi chose to portray. John has a working class background, despite his social climb, he still shares most empathy with these people. Of course he would enjoy a celebration of their troubles and joys throughout the year.
Now back to Bach. A baroque man that Sherlock enjoys. The baroque ends with Bach, that is atleast what I've been taught. All of the period leads up to him. His complicated polyphonic(2 or more lines of melody at once) pieces are iconic and definitive of the period. And who inspired J. S. Bach? Well Vivaldi of course! Bach adapted several of Vivaldi's works and quoted him directly in his own compositions. Bach used bigger orchestras and different instruments (organ and harpsichord as he played them himself) and his works are generally more complicated than Vivaldi's Italian one-melody-centric works, but Bach is the metaphorical student! And Sherlock must absolutely be aware of this.
To me reading the mailbag episode, Sherlock started out uninterested, but the question had him think through his favourites. All complicated and very much not to John's tastes. But when thinking of Bach he went back to Vivaldi, which you must, and he is different. Vivaldi the sick priest, Vivaldi the teacher, the life long supporter of young womens' and abandoned girls' careers. Creative Vivaldi, Vivaldi the storyteller, which John is also. Vivaldi who celebrates nature and the dramatic lives of incredibly normal working people. Vivaldi and his repetitive melodies, although not in Sherlock's taste, fits John's so well. Vivaldi who inspired Bach. John who inspires Sherlock. ❤🎻
Tirade over! Thank you for reading. If you want to listen to some of Vivaldi's work I recommend The Four Seasons and a spot near a window with a suitable drink for the weather in your part of the world. For Bach you might want to look up whether your local church/music school holds concerts or similar events where Bach features, organ is a thousand times better live (if not, stick to his piano or string work).
#sherlock & co#sherlock holmes#dr john watson#My mind is only slightly elated#the brainrot continues#sherlock and co
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When I was at school, there were a group of girls that were quite mean to one of my friends. They’d call her ugly and a lesbian in a derogatory way ( she was actually bisexual but i digress ) purely because they didn’t like her. I think it was because she was quite geeky, and I don’t say this in a mean way I love geeks lmao. But these same group of girls would constantly say they wanted a gay male best friend to hang out with. And I think this highlights how straight girls see gay people vs lesbians. They want a gay male best friend to use as an accessory, to talk about boys with, and feel safe around them because they know a gay male wouldn’t get a crush on them, but they think lesbians are disgusting and assume we would objectify them or something.
Anyway, gay males are more than just an accessory to be your friend, and lesbians aren’t disgusting, het girls need to do better in how they treat gay people.
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Weiss and Jaune = Knight + Queen
Mirror Help me Who am I?
Weiss and Jaune are strong foils (mirrors), who can be analyzed through a specific motif.
They are both Knights (masculine):
And Queens (feminine):
This is made clear also through their respective allusions:
1 -Weiss alludes to Snowhite and plays all the different characters of the story with a specific focus on the Princess and the Prince, which is highlighted since the White Trailer:
Weiss and her inner Prince (Animus), who is corrupted and possessed by her Father
Here, Weiss fights a giant armor, which symbolizes the power her father (the patriarchy) has above her. She is fighting both for her freedom and to get back a possessed part of herself (the Arma Gigas is literally a haunted armor). If she wants to escape Jacques, she has to be her own Prince. In other words, to be crowned queen, she needs to become a knight first.
2 -Jaune alludes to Jeanne d'Arc who was both a maid and a knight. Jaune's story is about him growing into both. He needs to accept his inner maiden to become a proper knight. This is made clear in the Jaunedice's arc (this mini arc really works as Jaune's trailer). There he grows not when he gives in to toxic masculinity, but when he stands up to it:
Jaune performing his first miracle and later on being guided by his Goddess (Anima), who is none other than Pyrrha
Jaune makes progress when he nurtures his most feminine side and shows vulnerability by apologizing and asking for Pyrrha's help. A real man has no fear to show he is also feminine.
In short, both Weiss and Jaune's stories deal with the integration of their feminine and masculine parts, so that they can be full-fledged individuals.
ANIMUS AND ANIMA
Integrating the feminine with the masculine is a psychological process, which is described by Carl Jung with the archetypes of animus and anima:
The animus is the masculine part of a woman
The anima is the feminine part of a man
Each person has naturally both, but society promotes specific gender values and drives people to repress traits culturally associated with the opposite gender. So, to fully be complete a person should integrate the negated parts.
This is the case for both Weiss and Jaune, who are initially trapped in fixed gender roles:
Weiss is the rich spoilt princess. She is forced to adhere to the social role Jacques has chosen for her. She is the Schnee Heiress, which means she should always be classy, perfect and elegant:
Weiss: I'm. Not. Perfect! Not yet...
Jaune is instead the loser boy, who wants to be a knight. He doesn't really fit his gender nor social role. He is a male, but is weak, geeky and odd. He has a legacy of warriors to honor, but can't fight. So, he feels he isn't enough:
Jaune: I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!
Basically they are both trapped in opposite ways. Weiss fits her legacy and stereotype so well people forget there is more to her. Jaune instead doesn't measure up to his ancestors nor to the classical male type, so everybody assumes he is bound to fail. This happens because Weiss and Jaune are victims in different ways of toxic masculinity:
As a girl, Weiss has to obey her father, to suppress her emotions and to be nothing, but beautiful. Think about how Jacques even weaponizes typical feminine traits Weiss has, like her talent at singing.
As a boy, Jaune has to conform to physical prowess and bravado. He has to be big, ripped and cool or else he is no-one. The idea he is not like the other boys is at the root of Jaune's insecurities.
At the same time, Weiss and Jaune are also incredibly immature and project outside the same gender roles they are trying to escape inside. Moreover, they do so specifically with each other:
Weiss: (mockingly) My hero.
This scene summarizes their whole early dynamic. On the one hand Weiss sees Jaune as the loser he is scared to be. She only sees his superficial bravado and misses who he is behind the mask. On the other hand Jaune is attracted to Weiss because he sees her as the perfect princess to his knight. So, he is drawn to the mask.
Even the reason Jaune initially falls for Weiss ties into this:
Weiss: Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!
Weiss here is mocking both Jaune and Ruby, two people she has misjudged and shows no respect for. She is being cold, superficial and rude. Still, Jaune falls for it and believes Weiss's words. He does because they describe Jaune as he wants to be perceived. So, he runs after Weiss and ignores Pyrrha.
In short, initially Weiss and Jaune can't see neither themselves nor others clearly. Luckily, this starts to change at Beacon.
ICE QUEEN AND VOMIT BOY
Sun: Ruby, Yang, Blake… Ice Queen.
Ruby: Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind.
Weiss and Jaune are given nicknames the moment they arrive at Beacon. This happens because they are both childish and self-centered, so they are called out by others. Specifically, their nicknames are light-hearted ways to criticize their perceived self-importance and the archetypes they are trying to emulate. Weiss is called an ice queen because she is acting as daddy's little princess. Jaune is instead jockingly named vomit boy because he tries too hard to look cool. They are still far away from who they want to become and their friends pick up on this. Luckily, giving them funny names is not all RWBY and JNPR do for Weiss and Jaune. Rather they help the two kids grow. In particular, Ice Queen and Vomit Boy develop in two different and complementary ways:
In volume 1 they learn to see who they are slightly better
In volume 2 they become able to see others with more clarity
Seeing One-Self
At the beginning of their stories Weiss and Jaune are running away from who they are:
I'm the loneliest of all.
Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home. How depressing is that?
Both have big families, but feel lonely and misunderstood. So, they hope they can have a fresh start at Beacon, but immediately meet unforeseen circumstances:
By this point Weiss and Jaune are pursuing a superficial dream of heroes and monsters. They figure their most perfected selves beside the "right" patner.
On the one hand Weiss wants Pyrrha to be the "knight" to her "princess":
Weiss: This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable!
She wants someone strong (body) that complements her intelligence (mind). She thinks that in this way she can't fail.
On the other hand Jaune wants Weiss to be the "princess" to his "knight":
Jaune: Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?
He wants someone who is beautiful and looks frail, so he can protect her. He thinks in this way he can appear strong.
Both are wrong obviously. This is why they end up with respectively Ruby and Pyrrha as partners.
Weiss needs to realize what complements mind is not body, but heart. This is why she is paired with Ruby, who lacks physical strength, but has more than enough heart to guide Weiss. Throughout the initiation, Weiss herself has to act as a Knight by saving Ruby from the Nevermore. And later on, she needs to follow Ruby's plan (so Ruby's mind) to take down the Grimm and pass the trial.
Jaune needs to realize a real knight is not physically strong, but is wise (mind) and brave (heart). This is why he ends up with Pyrrha, who is both and challenges him in two different ways. She doesn't fit feminine stereotypes and sees Jaune's value not in his superficial traits, but rather in his willingness to help. Throughout the initiation, Jaune shows this by staying behind to lead others into kiling the Grimm.
So, Ruby and Pyrrha are the ones, who can help Weiss and Jaune grow the most. However, the 2 kids struggle to accept it and enter into a conflict with their respective partners in The Bagde and The Burden and Jaunedice. These 2 mini-arcs are interesting because they do not really add anything to the main plot. Rather, they are episodes which focus on Weiss and Jaune respectively. Once again our wannabe queen and wannabe knight act as perfect foils to each other.
On the one hand Weiss is powerful enough to kill Grimms on her own, but wants to be the Queen giving orders. On the other hand Jaune has gained the title of leader, but wants to be the competent Knight slaining monsters.
In short, they want what the other has and miss what they already are. Why is that so? Because deep down they dislike themselves and can't see they have the seeds for greatness within. They don't need to look outside, but should nurture the inside.
Luckily, they are helped by 2 mentor figures:
Port: So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be.
Ruby: Because it's not just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us. We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you.
Port invites Weiss to grow as a person and Ruby reminds Jaune of his duties as a leader. So, Weiss and Jaune step up for the sake of their partners:
Weiss: Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader. Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have!
Jaune: Don't ever mess with my team - my friends - ever again. Got it?
Weiss encourages Ruby to be a good leader and promises her she will be the best teammate ever. She even aknowledges she has always loved bunked beds and makes a small step in integrating with her inner child. Something necessary if she wants to blossom into an adult.
Jaune fights Cardin for Pyrrha's sake and decides to dedicate himself to his role of leader. At the same time, he accepts Pyrrha's help, so he shows vulnerability. In other words, he starts integrating with his feminine side. Something needed to become more mature.
So, by the end of their first semester at Beacon both Weiss and Jaune have come to understand themselves and their roles a little bit better. Still, they have yet a long way to go when it comes to the way they aknowledge others.
What better chance than a dance to work on it?
Seeing Others
When it comes to the dance, Weiss and Jaune find themselves in the same situation of the initiation ceremony. They are locked into "triangles":
Jaune wants to go to the dance with Weiss, who wants to go with Neptune
Pyrrha wants to go to the dance with Jaune, who wants to go with Weiss
They pursue the wrong partner and ignore another person's feelings. In this way they do to another what they lament it is done to them:
Weiss: All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name.
Jaune: It's Weiss… I'm completely head over heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented-- I mean have you heard her sing? I just wish she take me seriously, y'know?
On the one hand Weiss wants to be seen for who she is, not her name. And yet, she refuses to look earnestly at Jaune and doesn't even recognize his feelings as genuine (recognizing someone's feelings doesn't mean to reciprocate them by the way). On the other hand Jaune wants to be taken seriously, but the moment Pyrrha tries to open up to him, he reduces her feelings to a joke:
Jaune: Oh please, if you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress.
At the same time, both approach love superficially. Jaune has started to really like Weiss as a person, but he is still far from truly seeing the girl in all her complexity. Weiss is instead failing to recognize Jaune's good qualities and is attracted to Neptune's try hard persona:
Neptune: Haven. And I don't believe I've caught your name, snow angel.
The narrative makes it very clear Neptune is just a shallower, but better looking version of Jaune. He is a geek (like Jaune), but calls himself an intellectual. He flirts with every girl that breathes, waaaay more than Jaune does initially. And yet, he looks cooler, so Weiss is attracted by him.
This "double triangle" is solved positively in 2 different ways:
Weiss and Jaune start to display respectively more masculine and feminine traits
Weiss and Jaune learn to see others a little bit better
Weiss plays the part of the knight and invites Neptune to the dance:
Weiss: I know this is a little unorthodox, but… I wanted to ask you something. Would you… like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?
Jaune plays the part of the maiden and wears a dress to accept Pyrrha's late invite:
Pyrrha: I had no idea you were a dancer. Jaune: Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters.
On a deeper level, Jaune confronts both Pyrrha (the ideal self he must aim to be) and Neptune (the past self he has outgrown).
Pyrrha: I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place. Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people. That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me.
He realizes he has hurt Pyrrha's feelings and has failed to see her the whole time. At the same time, he calls Neptune out on how he has treated Weiss's feelings:
Jaune: Do you even care about the girls you're hitting on? How they feel about you?
And finally, thanks to his ideal self (Pyrrha), he is able to give his past self (Neptune) a good advice:
Jaune: Then just go talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves, just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go.
In this way, Jaune shows he has grown more mature and crowns his evening by wearing a beautiful dress and proving he is a great dancer (differently from Neptune).
Weiss grows too. She accepts Neptune's apology and thanks to him, she is able to finally see Jaune for who he is:
Weiss: You said you were embarrassed at first. What made you come talk to me? Neptune: You're looking at him. You got some good friends looking out for ya.
She might not reciprocate Jaune's feelings, but Jaune is still her friend and cares about her as a person, not as a trophy. This moment marks an improvement of Weiss's overall dynamic with Jaune and she starts to see him as a close one, even praising him occasionally:
Weiss: Well, he's certainly improved.
This is a top off for Weiss's growth as a less judgemental person. This process starts with Blake and her prejudice against Faunus and goes on with Jaune and her misjudgement of him.
All in all, Weiss and Jaune's months at Beacon are key for the kids' early development:
Weiss grows through Ruby and Blake
Jaune grows through Pyrrha and his team
They keep walking parallel paths and slowly start to aknowledge each other more. Weiss starts to see Jaune not as a loser, but as a person who is trying hard. Jaune start to see Weiss not as a damsel, but as a talented individual with wishes of her own. Similarly, their relationship with their inner selves improves, as well.
By the time of the Vytal Festival, both Weiss and Jaune are making small steps toward who they want to become.
The Vytal Festival: Unsure Knight and Clueless Maiden
Weiss and Jaune's tournament fights display their better qualities. On the one hand Weiss sacrifices herself for Yang. On the other hand Jaune is able to lead his team well. They are both more selfless with a better understanding of their roles in their teams.
This growth is marked by important moments outside the arena.
Weiss meets Winter, who inspires her to branch out a little. This is the catalyst for Weiss's transformation into a knight:
Jaune notices Pyrrha is off and tries to step into an adviser position. Basically, he tries to do what Pyrrha has done for him. He tries to guide her by symbolically playing a more supportive role. Moreover, he tries to help Pyrrha making sense of maidenhood:
Jaune: I guess… I'm just trying to say that… you've always been there for me… even when I didn't deserve it. And I can tell there's something on your mind, so… I don't know. How can I help?
Obviously, they are both still immature. Weiss is dependent on her father and can barely summon a tiny sword. Jaune is ignorant and isn't able to give Pyrrha the right advice. Still, they both try, even if they meet an unforeseen crisis. The Fall of Beacon.
Weiss manages to step in to protect Velvet. She acts as a real Knight in Shining Armor:
Jaune does his best to stand beside Pyrrha, even in her darkest moment:
Jaune: She's right. Whoever was on that microphone… they're the ones that did this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else.
Despite this, they both fail in the end. Weiss can't save Beacon and loses her new found home and family. Jaune can't save Pyrrha and loses the girl he loves. So, after so much development and growth Weiss and Jaune wake up to discover it still isn't enough. So, the finale pushes them back in the roles they have tried to escape so desperately.
Weiss is brought back under her father's thumb. Jaune is shoved into a locker, forced to fly away like a loser. Weiss is once again daddy's little princess, while Jaune is once again a wannabe knight, who couldn't save the girl.
SNOWHITE AND JEANNE
Ren: Well that embarrassment - that desire to go back and tell yourself not to be so stupid - that just proves you're not the same person you used to be. You're smarter, you're kinder, you're stronger, and you're not done growing yet. None of us are.
The Mistral arc marks a metaphorical growth spurt for both Weiss and Jaune. This development manifests in the volume 5 climax, where their stories intersect:
This scene is a culmination of their respective developments and ties with both their allusions:
Snowhite dies, but is resurrected by the Prince
Jeanne D'Arc performs a mircacle and brings back a person from the death
So, it is clearly very important symbolically, but what does it mean for Weiss and Jaune's characters, specifically?
1- Weiss and Jaune overcome two fake Maidens
Vernal and Cinder are the two fake Maidens of the Mistral arc, as the opening of volume 5 suggests:
Vernal is set up as the Spring Maiden and Cinder is set up as Raven's biggest foe. And yet, neither of them lives up to expectations. On the one hand Vernal is just a red herring, while Cinder isn't Raven's true opponent, but Yang is.
At the same time, Vernal and Cinder are Weiss and Jaune's opponents during the Battle of Haven. Interestingly, they both challenge the kids about their true identities. Who are they really?
Vernal: Let's see what the Schnee name really means.
Cinder: Who are you again?
Vernal mocks Weiss by stating she is nothing outside her name and Cinder sneers at Jaune by telling him he is a nobody. These are Weiss and Jaune's biggest fears. Weiss is scared her only value is her Schnee name, whereas Jaune is terrified of being a loser. In short, both Vernal and Cinder attack Weiss and Jaune's egos and leave them shattered:
Vernal physically breaks Weiss's aura, while Cinder psychologically destroys Jaune by targeting Weiss, just like she did with Pyrrha. Vernal and Cinder's objective is really to reduce Weiss and Jaune to nobodies. And yet, they fail. That is because the self is not found in physical strength or power, but rather comes from inside:
Yang: You might be powerful, but that doesn't make you strong.
In this battle Vernal and Cinder really symbolize Weiss and Jaune's illusory sense of selves. Their ugly personas. This is why they are both fake. Fake maidens masked with strength and confidence. And yet, they are deep down made of lies.
Vernal derides Weiss because of her dependency on the Schnee Family. And yet, Vernal herself has dedicated her whole existence to the Branwen Tribe and even changed her name for Raven's sake. In other words, she has reduced herself to her Spring Maiden persona. She is the one, who is nothing more than a name. And a false one, to boot.
Cinder laughts at Jaune's wannabe hero performance, but a lucky strike by her opponent is enough to derail her. An inexperienced fighter like Jaune grazing her breaks Cinder's whole facade and shows the ugly psychological wounds she hides behind a mask.
This is why Vernal and Cinder defeat Weiss and Jaune, but ultimately fail and actually destroy each other. Vernal dies by Cinder's hand, despite how strong and smart she is. Cinder is unmasked by Raven and falls because of Vernal's final desperate attack, which ensures Cinder's defeat.
Weiss and Jaune instead are reborn thanks to each other. Weiss is physically saved by Jaune, whereas Jaune starts to psychologically heal through helping Weiss. Weiss unlocks a new summon, while Jaune discovers his semblance. In the end, Weiss and Jaune don't need to play by Vernal and Cinder's rules.
Weiss's strength doesn't lie in her individual skill, but in the relationships she has built with others. She doesn't have to survive on her own because she is full of loved ones ready to help her shine. And she can help them too.
Jaune is heroic not because he is a lonely warrior slaying villains, but because he is a good friend always ready to help. His value lies in his wish to protect others. Moreover, he can rely on them when he needs.
Weiss and Jaune's real selves are in their hearts, which are growing stronger. That is why they lose the physical fight, but win the spiritual one. They ultimately succeed, as Weiss's Queen Lancer is key to saving Haven and Jaune's Aura Amp is fundamental in saving Weiss. Weiss protects a Kingdom, while Jaune protects a girl.
2- Weiss and Jaune integrate with their animus/anima
Weiss and Jaune embrace their true selves by reconciling their masculine and feminine parts. Once again this process is conveyed through their allusions.
Our Snowhite dies and is reborn twice. The first time, Jacques (the Evil Queen) kills her psychologically by taking away her Heiress title and imprisoning her in her room (the glass coffin). Weiss is able to escape by developing her masculine side (the Knight).
She successfully draws energy from her animus (her inner Prince) and uses this new found resourcefulness to escape. She leaves behind her passiveness (feminine) and grows more active (masculine). This is why her summon symbolically breaks the window and immediately after Weiss makes the choice to leave.
The second time, Cinder (another Evil Queen) kills her physically, but Jaune (the Prince) saves her. As a result, Weiss wakes up and is crowned Queen.
Becoming Queen in fairy tales means you have reached self-actualization. So, Weiss has become her true self, which is a combination of feminine (queen) and masculine (lancer). The Queen Lancer then symbolizes Weiss reconciling with her anima (feminine part) by making it freer, more genuine and stronger through her animus (masculine part).
Our Jeanne performs a miracle and has a vision. He brings Weiss back from the death in Haven. By doing so he physically plays the part of the Knight in Shining Armor. Still, he succeeds by integrating his animus with his anima. As a matter of fact he lets go of fighting and killing (masculine) and takes up healing (feminine):
Later on, he needs spiritual guidance and finds it in his anima (Pyrrha). So, he has a symbolic "vision" of her in front of her statue:
Obviously, the woman is probably Pyrrha's mother, but it doesn't matter. The whole scene is framed up as aetherial and ambiguous because thematically Pyrrha's soul points Jaune toward the right path. So, Jaune is guided by his feminine side.
Weiss and Jaune's journey in Mistral leads them to face their fears and let go of their personas. By doing so, they succeed at integrating their animus and anima. The end result is that they grow up.
Weiss blooms into a Queen:
Weiss's royal dress is blue (melted ice) and has snowhite-like puff sleeves.
Jaune becomes a Knight:
Jaune's outfit keeps his red details and adds more gold to it.
Upon their arrival in Atlas, they are not Ice Queen and Vomit Boy anymore, but genuine articles.
QUEEN AND KNIGHT
Right now I’m just a bit surprised Cuz I feel just fine And I might just touch the sky
The sun is shining in the sky The birds are smiling so am i I’m kicking ass in every way Think this change is here to stay It’s feeling like a brand new day
In Atlas, our Queen and Knight live their best lives.
Weiss arrests her father and reconnects with her estranged family. She becomes the Queen of the Schnee family. Jaune instead supports everyone, meets the admiration of civilians and is in generally successful. He becomes a perfect Knight in Shining Armor.
Even when the situation gets dire they both maintain a mature attitude. They are not touched by the Divide and their major conflict lies rather with a family member (sibling):
Winter: You're not leaving me. I'm giving you a head start.
Ren: You cheated your way into Beacon!
Winter and Ren oppose Weiss and Jaune out of repression and frustration. And yet, Weiss and Jaune's reaction is of empathy and understandment:
Weiss: Don’t worry, they’re sisters. Sometimes sisters just have very different ideas about what’s right.
Jaune: We’re all under a lot of stress right now. I used to push people away too.
They never doubt their loved ones and when Winter and Ren come around there is no need for apologies. Weiss and Jaune simply welcome them back with warmth.
In short, our Queen and Knight are among the characters who have grown the most, so they often come up with solutions. For example, Jaune offers a way to overcome the Divide from a practical point of view:
Jaune: Okay. Okay… Then let’s go for both. Get Amity up and running and evacuate Mantle.
Weiss is instead the one to state the theme outloud before the climax:
Weiss: Trust is a risk
This development is precisely why they both get to shine in the final battle.
On the one hand Weiss holds it together while her team is in disarray after Yang's fall. Ruby is traumatized and caught up in a fight with Neo, while Blake temporally loses it. Weiss keeps on facing Cinder alone and does her best to protect Penny and the relic.
On the other hand Jaune keeps a level-head and manages to evacuate the civilians only to join the fray at the very end. He reads the situation correctly and kills Penny when there is no other choice.
Weiss and Jaune have grown into who they want to be in the beginning. This is why they are the last fighters standing. And yet, despite all their training and maturation, they still fail. They face an Evil Queen (Cinder) and are defeated when they are at their strongest. Weiss is a true Queen fighting for her home and Jaune is a true Knight fighting for the people. And yet, they are crushed and fall. Just like at Beacon.
Once again, Weiss fails to protect a Kingdom:
Once again, Jaune fails to protect a Maiden:
At the same time, they believe the other can somehow succeed, even if they don't:
Weiss: Maybe… Jaune and Winter were able to get them out, despite… everything… despite us…
Jaune: I don’t know where the others are, but… Weiss will give us time!
Weiss hopes Jaune and Winter (aka her ideal) save the relics. Jaune hopes Weiss can buy him and Penny time, like Pyrrha (aka his ideal).
In short, Weiss and Jaune grow into their ideal selves, but still lose. Not only that, but they keep on projecting their ideals on others. And yet, these others also fail. So, what to do? The only choice is to let go of unreachable perfect paragons.
FALLEN QUEEN AND RUSTED KNIGHT
Weiss: I am a citizen of a fallen Kingdom and an heir to nothing. I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it. I am Weiss Schnee, and I am a Huntress!
NeoCat: You were never the brave knight either! Just more fairytale nonsense!
Weiss and Jaune's journey in the Ever After is about letting go of their Queen and Knight idealized self-images. In this way they can truly accept who they are. This is difficult at first because they are full of self-hate and regret:
Weiss: But it wasn't enough! We hatched a crazy plan that put a whole kingdom at risk, and we don't even know if we saved the Relics...
Jaune: I’m trying so hard to save them… I stopped them from becoming what they needed to be. I was being selfish because I… I wanted the rush of rescuing someone and I got that here.
Still, they both work through it in 2 ways.
They face their traumas again:
Weiss: I am so tired of leaving places in ashes…
Jaune: On that bridge… I was the only one that could do it! I was the ONLY ONE! And I… And now I have to live with that forever… In here or back home…
They change their dynamic with Ruby, who they put on a pedestal.
Specifically, Ruby becomes a paragon for both Weiss and Jaune during the Mistral arc. There, Weiss learns to be emotionally vulnerable with her partner. Jaune instead grows to admire Ruby's optimism and hopeful self.
So, after the fall of Atlas, both Weiss and Jaune go back to Ruby. Weiss lets out all her troubles, while Jaune dives after Crescent Rose and proudly gives it back.
However, Ruby is in no condition to play Weiss and Jaune's hero. This shows and it unnerves them, who grow progressively more irritated with Little Red:
Weiss: Hurry! People are counting on us!
Jaune: I know you may not care about protecting this village, but you could at least help your friends when they’re in danger.
Until Ruby herself snaps at the both of them. Interestingly, it is Weiss's demand that Ruby consoles Jaune, which sets her off. Moreover, throughout her monologue, Ruby calls Weiss out on her dependency on her:
Ruby: What about me? “No time”, right? “Gotta get home!” “Gotta help Jaune!” Gotta find someone who isn’t just going to screw everything up!
And she lashes out against Jaune's hero complex:
Ruby: I’m sorry, is this a bad time? Are we supposed to be mourning Jaune’s make-believe friends?!
She pintpoints both their flaws and then runs away. It is Ruby's outburst, though, which wakes up Weiss and Jaune.
Weiss finally realizes Ruby's pain and empathizes with her. Her words clearly have an impact on Jaune too:
Weiss: Ruby has always been the one to get us through the hard times. We say things like “We believe in you”, “We can count on you”. I know we mean well, but…
They both let go of their idealization of Ruby, which in turns helps them with their own struggles:
Weiss: I think you’re asking too much of yourself. We’ve been telling ourselves that failing means we’re no good. But I can guarantee even the best Huntsmen in history… they’ve all lost. But they were still incredibly brave… and good.
In front of a genial ruby, Weiss and Jaune manage to move forward through each other.
Jaune is spiritually guided and shown empathy by Weiss. Weiss instead starts healing psychologically by helping Jaune. In a sense, this is a parallel and an inversion of their shared moment in volume 5. There Jaune finds himself strong enough to cure Weiss. Here Weiss finds herself wise enough to teach Jaune. Both are in a self-hate spiral, but then realize they are better than they think by saving the other. At the same time, this moment also calls back Jaune's "vision" in Lost. There Jaune is shown the way by a Pyrrha stand-in. Here Weiss steps into the role of spiritual adviser.
After spending the whole volume looking for someone to guide her, Weiss discovers she can be the guide. After spending the whole volume wanting to be the hero, Jaune realizes he is the one that needed help the whole time.
They both learn the main theme of the volume:
Jaune: Maybe that Cat was right… Maybe I just needed to accept it. It’s not a place you go.
They reach acceptance of who they are. Both their good traits and their negative traits. They accept they did their best, but also that they lost. And once they do, they become able to better accept others, as well:
Jaune: I think I get it. This is how we got here, or… why the Tree brought us here. Acceptance.
Weiss: We've done everything we can. Now it's up to Ruby. Whatever happens next… we have to welcome that.
Not only do they let go of their idealized self-images, but of Ruby's too. This is why they are ready to welcome her, no matter what. Strengths and limits, alike.
Thanks to their inner development, they both get to make another step into self-actualization. This growth is shown symbolically in the finale . Weiss is finally able to summon a full Nevermore, which combines all her previous glyphs (so it is symbolic of the self). Jaune accepts Alyx's hand and goes back to his real self through her (he goes from iron to mercury). These are glimpses of who Weiss and Jaune are going to finally become.
SOPHIA AND HERMES
Curious Cat: Looking at you, wise huntress.
Alyx: Maybe it’s time for a change, to be the kind of man you always wanted to be.
So, who are Weiss and Jaune going to be at the end of their journey? It is still too soon to say, but I would not be surprised if they were to become Sophia and Hermes to each other.
Who are Hermes and Sophia? They are the embodyments of a perfected animus and a perfected anima. In short, by the end of their psychological development, a woman should integrate with Hermes and a man should integrate with Sophia. Personally I think (wish) Weiss is stepping in the role of Sophia for Jaune, while Jaune is stepping in the role of Hermes for Weiss. Volume 9 might have given symbolic hints of this.
Weiss is directly associated with wisdom, which is what Sophia means.
Jaune goes from iron to mercury through Alyx and Mercury is just another way to call Hermes. Moreover, one of the symbols of Hermes in alchemy is a stag and well... Juniper resembles one.
Now, this final integration can be romantic (my preference) or platonic/individualistic (if they chicken out). What is sure is that it's going to happen, one way or another. It is just the cherry on top on a animus/anima story.
Snowhite and the Animus
Snowhite is the story of a child growing up. The first step in self-actualization is to stop identifying with the Mother, so the mirror image changes. This transformation generates an inner conflict. On the one hand there is the side who wants to grow up (Snowhite), on the other hand there is the side who doesn't wanna change (the Evil Queen). It is only by conquering the Evil Queen (the shadow), that Snowhite can truly become herself.
And how does she do it? She succeeds through an integration with her animus (masculine side):
The King is absent and doesn't help Snowhite
The Hunter appears and helps Snowhite
The Dwarves give Snowhite a home
The Prince saves Snowhite
As you can see, Snowhite's story is full of male characters and each new one is more helpful than the one before. This is because all these characters are representations of Snowhite's interiority and of her strenghtening animus. It is initially possessed, but then it progressively blooms until it saves the protagonist.
Now, this is just Weiss's story in a nutshell:
Willow is absent and Weiss's animus is possessed (The Arma Gigas she fights in the White Trailer)
Winter helps her and inspires Weiss to pursue her career as a Huntress (After her visit Weiss summons a part of her Knight)
Team RWBY welcomes Weiss and become her adoptive home and family (Weiss becomes herself through them)
Only the Prince is missing and it will probably be Jaune (he already is in volume 5). Wait, aren't all these characters women? Yes, they are because Weiss's fairy tale is all genderbent except her. So, why should Weiss's Prince be Jaune? Because in his case, he is the genderbent one :P
Jaune can be Weiss's Prince (again platonically or romantically) only if he fully blooms into Jeanne first. He can't be a real Knight, if he doesn't become a Maiden.
The Four Stages of Anima
Jaune's journey through the anima is well conveyed through 4 stages, which stand for archetypical female figures. Each one represents a different level of maturity:
Eve is the mother - The boy has no romantic attachment and sees the woman as a source of protection and nourishment
Helen is the seductress - The boy feels romantic attraction and sees the woman as a talented individual, but pays no attention to her spiritual or inner life
Mary is the virgin - The boy fells mature love and sees the woman as a paragon of virtue, but pays no attention to her negative traits
Sophia is wisdom - The boy is ready for a relationship with a woman as an equal partner and sees the feminine as a source of wisdom with no need to objectify the woman anymore
This scale describes Jaune's relationship with the feminine perfectly:
Eve is Pyrrha - she nurtures and protects him as a mentor and Jaune feels initially no attraction to her
Weiss is Helen - she is Jaune's first crush and he grows enough to see her as a talented person, but can't understand her inner world
Mary is Pyrrha - she becomes Jaune's guide and the embodyment of heroism and virtue
Only Sophia is missing and I think she will be Weiss. In general, though, these phases describe Jaune's general approach to women and how it changes. He arrives at Beacon looking for a girlfriend because that is what a man should do, which in itself is a very childish behavior. Then he grows to see the girls around him as powerful individuals, but he can't go behind the surface. This is true for Weiss, but also for Pyrrha, whose struggles he ignores. After her death, Pyrrha becomes an ideal, but she isn't the only one. For example, Jaune believes Weiss and Ruby can save Pyrrha from Cinder and later on he keeps idealizing them. In volume 9, he learns to let go of his idealization and to see others as their own people. He is stepping into Sophia (wisdom).
MIRROR MIRROR
I looked in the mirror And I gotta say It’s been a long long time Since I felt this way
Weiss and Jaune go through perfect mirror journeys, which are about recognizing others to see their own selves and vice versa. This is why Weiss's mirror mirror motif works so well for them.
They don't know who they are (mirror tell me who am I?)
They realize they dislike their current selves (mirror tell me who is the loneliest of all? I am the loneliest of all)
They work to change (mirror I'll tell you something, I might change it all)
They overcome their narcisism rooted in self-loathing (I'm shattering the mirror that keps me split in pieces)
Now that they can see who they are better, the next step is to probably see others more clearly. This is the secondary theme of the volume, after all: empathy.
Ruby breaks Summer's pedestal and as a result she can see herself better. In turn, this makes her able to look at others in a new light:
Weiss and Jaune do the same. They break Ruby's pedestal and show empathy and forgiveness for themselves and her. Still, this is framed as just the beginning. The theme of empathy is probably gonna be explored in later volumes. This is true for both Ruby's arc and Weiss and Jaune's stories.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the next mirror mirror song is a conversation not with the mirror, but with another person? A person that is a mirror, but not because stuck inside it like Weiss in the beginning. A person, who is a mirror because every person can be a mirror of another if looked at with empathy. And this is what beating the mirror really means. Not to look at ourselves through it, but to look at ourselves through others. And to accept them. And to accept us.
#rwby#white knight#weiss schnee#jaune arc#rwby meta#my meta#rwby theory#sorry for this post's lenght but i love their foiling very very much and wanted to explore it fully
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Act 12
Episode 27: My Own Journey Pt.2
Working w/ Maybelle Lace, jujumin-translates, Fea
Note: As you read, you will see that some sentences highlighted in a different color, this is what they indicate.
Pink: Flashback
Blue: Characters are acting
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Vice Principal: Yes, you're Sakuma, right?
Sakuya: Y-Yes! It's been a while.
Vice Principal: My, you're all grown up now.
Sakuya: Is it true that there is a tape of the performance that happened on the day of the fire?
Vice Principal: There is. It's the only incident of its kind that happened at this school, before and since then. I remember it well.
Vice Principal: Watch as much as you like.
Sakuya: ...
Actor A: "Captain, I found a shadow of the ship in the 3 o' clock direction!''
Amadate: “You bastards, I’m going to attack you!”"
Sakuya: ——
Sakuya: (Wow... It's exactly the same as the stage from that time... In an instant the unforgettable impressions of that day are coming back to me.)
Sakuya: (This was the first play I ever saw... The stage looked like an endless ocean.)
Sakuya: (My world expanded beyond me all at once.)
Sakuya: (No matter what kind of person Mr. Amadate is, this play is still irreplaceable and important to me.)
Amadate: "The treasure is right in front of us. Listen up and don't let your guard down—"
Sakuya: (Here it is—)
Teacher A: "There's a fire! Everyone calm down—
Student A: "What? A fire?
Student B: "Really?"
Teacher B: "Right now we will begin evacuating in order so please follow the teacher's instructions!''
Amadate: "You bastards! It's a naval attack!"
Student A: "What?"
Student A: "Are they continuing the play?"
Amadate: "Quickly pull up! Do you remember the steps?
Amadate: “Follow the adults and go outside in order!”
Actor A: "Aye aye, sir!"
Kabuto: Pfft.
Sakuya: Wha?
Sakuya: (Woah, is he laughing....?)
Kabuto: At that time, I thought that I could act out a great play depending on the situation, but... memory is a sloppy thing, isn't it
Kabuto: ...You already know, right? The one who is tormenting your theater company is Keiju Amadate.
Sakuya: ——.
Sakuya: Kabuto is Mr. Amadate's son, right...
Kabuto: We're not connected by blood though.
Kabuto: ...Well, I used to respect him as an actor.
Kabuto: For a long time, I always thought that he had a nice outward appearance, but when I got to live next to him, he was actually inhuman.
Kabuto: I didn't dislike him because I felt like he was more human than usual when he was on stage, when he was playing a role.
Kabuto: However, there is no trace of my father from back then.
Kabuto: ...I will surpass him.
Sakuya: What?
Kabuto: Is that enough? Here, give me your hand.
Kabuto: Take this.
Sakuya: Is this a USB stick?
Kabuto: This will be the key to Mankai Company's revival.
Kabuto: The mark is probably still tight right now, so take your time and hand it over to the general manager. Be careful not to let anyone else know.
Kabuto: It contains data that could be fatal to Keiju Amadate.
Kabuto: I was just thinking of a way to hide it before it got discovered and then give it to the geeky general manager. This was good timing.
Kabuto: By the way, don't let anyone know that you met me here. Young people these days post everything on SNS...
Kabuto: If I'm found out, it'll all be over for me. It seems that he'll erase me from the theater world.
Sakuya: I-I understand. I won't tell anyone
Sakuya: (Mr. Amadate, how dare you even threaten your own son...)
Kabuto: See ya.
Sakuya: What are you going to do now?
Kabuto: I'm sure I'll be able to visit that place soon. I plan to move around here and there until the dust cools down.
Sakuya: Thank you very much!
Sakuya: Right now I'm on a journey to trace my roots.
Sakuya: Thanks to Kabuto, I was able to watch footage of the important play that made me want to become an actor. It was really nice of you.
Sakuya: I had no idea there was a recorded video of it... If I hadn't met Kabuto, I wouldn't have been able to watch it.
Sakuya: Did you come to see the video because you wanted to see your father's last play again?
Kabuto: ...There was one thing I really wanted to confirm.
Kabuto: The fire incident was covered in the newspapers, further spreading the name of the Hyakka Theater Company throughout the country.
Kabuto: There is no doubt that this was one of the opportunities for the company to make a breakthrough as a theater company that regularly receives nominations for the Fleur Award
Kabuto: That's why I was wondering. Was this fire really an accident?
Sakuya: I don't know if you could say if it was an accident or not...!
Kabuto: Are you really thinking that? But it was definitelymy father's orders that set your theater on fire.
Kabuto: Even if he didn't give direct instructions, he wouldn't care about that much in order to achieve his goal.
Sakuya: ...
Sakuya: (That may be true, but I never expected it...)
Kabuto: ...Well, I was wrong.
Kabuto: Father's voice was trembling enough to make me laugh.
Kabuto: I didn't realize it at the time, but when I watched it again, it was obvious that he was upset. I've never seen such a terrible play.
Kabuto: ...After all, my father is also a human being. Therefore, he can be surpassed.
Teacher A: “Next, the 3rd graders take their turn!”
Young Man: "Slow down! Please calm yourselves and follow the person in front of you! Don't run!"
Sakuya: (I see, that young man was—)
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Prev | Next
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Was Hakstol a bad coach or do you think there are just personality/coaching style differences that lead to him being canned (hahaha get it?). Obviously this is speculative.
Both.
It's simple, and it's both.
A shorter Stereanalysis for you, under the cut!
All stats, except where noted, are taken from MoneyPuck.
Dave Hakstol was a Jack Adams finalist last year. Generally, the Jack Adams and its finalist positions are given to those coaches who manage to engineer great one-year improvements in their team (see: Lindy Ruff [NJD 22-23], Darryl Sutter [CGY 21-22], Alain Vigeneault [PHI 19-20]). And often, these coaches cannot keep this level of success the next year and then summarily get canned (see: Lindy Ruff [NJD 22-23], Darryl Sutter [CGY 21-22], Alain Vigeneault [PHI 19-20]). (Trust me, half the Jack Adams candidates are out quick within 1-2 seasons after. These are just the more egregious.)
Seattle caught fire with an unsustainable 22-23 season. This is true. The 23-24 season was also slightly uncharacteristically bad regression from the team. It highlighted:
- They have one of the worst shooting% in the league. 7.68% 5 on 5 is fifth worst in the NHL, only above the actual bottom feeders (CHI, SJS, ANA) and, somehow, FLA. All situations, it's 9.11%, fourth worst (CHI, PHI, SJS are below SEA).
(Interestingly, they are the most blocked team in the NHL, with 30.82% of their shots being blocked in all situations. Additionally, 32.64% of their unblocked shots miss the net in all situations. This is fourth worst in the NHL, with only CAR, VAN, and SJS with more.)
- Tied into the last point, they cannot score. 2.57 goals for per 60 in all situations is fourth worst in the NHL (CHI, SJS, ANA are even worse). 5 on 5, this is 2.11 and fifth worst (SJS, CHI, ANA, WSH).
(Another thing that doesn't help is a 47.52% faceoff percentage. It's only eighth worst in the league, but winning faceoffs helps establish possession, leading to scoring chances.)
- They're also not generating high-danger or medium-danger chances. SEA is third worst in all situations high-danger shots for, at 252, tied with WSH (usual suspects CHI and SJS top the list). They're fourth worst in all situations medium-danger shots for, at 575, tied with DET (usual suspects CHI, ANA, SJS above). Sixth and eighth worst, respectively, at 5 on 5.
- Plus, they go on losing skids. A lot. I counted at least five separate 4+ game losing streaks. 2 were 8-game losing streaks. Outside of the 1 9-game winstreak, Seattle failed to string more than 2 wins in a row all season.
- Running Daccord dry does not help. 23 starts in 25 games is batshit.
There's a few other issues, too. Let's talk about those.
Seattle's success in 2022-23 was strongly due to their ability to "roll four lines". Generally, on a hockey team, your top two lines are offensive. Your third line is a "checking" line that shuts down other teams' top sixes while offering a few goals in a pinch. Your fourth line is an "energy" line that plays short sprint shifts to "disrupt" other teams.
Seattle had one of the best fourth lines last year with Donato-Geekie-Sprong, who were highly effective at their roles plus contributed meaningful offense (27, 29, 46 points, respectively). Seattle got rid of all three in the offseason last year (CHI-BOS-DET, respectively), which considerably thinned out their four-line assault. Replacements such as Yamamoto, Tatar, and Bellemare have struggled and been unable to find lasting success.
Additionally, Seattle's been having trouble developing its kids. When the entire team went through a points drought this year, its new-era star Beniers was hit severely, going from 57 points and a Calder last year to 37 this year. Wright, too, has not had meaningful NHL time yet, which is concerning for a former consensus 1OA. While Seattle's strategy was never to "contend now", and it did not anticipate looking like a solid contender in 22-23, it did not adjust to this newer timetable and thus took a massive step back. This is what got Hakstol canned.
Interestingly, the "character" remarks seem to be refuted by Ron Francis (the GM) as well as Eberle and McCann, all of whom went to bat for Hakstol and said nobody "threatened" not to play for Hakstol if he remained the coach of the Kraken. I'm sure there's some truth to it, but, at the end of the day, Hakstol just did a bad job coaching.
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I had gotten that Michael J. Fox "Rolling Stone" a while ago, and I recently acquired another magazine with an interview with him. It's the January 1988 edition of "Interview."
Here it is in its special plastic pouch. It also arrived carefully packed in three of those sturdy, flat cardboard boxes to ensure it arrived without damage. I was opening it and just kept finding more packaging with every layer of tape I cut through, lol.
First of all, this magazine is huge. Here it is next to a regular-sized magazine (Also featuring MJF that I picked up at the checkout line at a grocery store a few months ago)
Some highlights from the interview, along with several pictures I'd never seen before:
The interviewer mentions being enthusiastically greeted by Michael's dog, Burnaby, before the two of them lead the way through the house. He writes, "I followed as the two pranced down the hall. One of them let out a bark."
I'm telling you. Almost every interview with Michael from the 80s mentions that he would spontaneously get up and just start "bopping" around the room, pacing, sitting in different places, etc. There was an old interview with Meredith Baxter (Elyse on Family Ties) who was talking about Michael and said something along the lines of, "I love that boy, but he just doesn't slow down for a second. He's always in a whirlwind of motion." And she goes on to say that he's always buzzing around wildly on the set and mentions a moment when he excitedly presented her with Christmas gifts that were all unwrapped because he couldn't be bothered to sit still long enough to wrap them.
Makes me think of how, in his new documentary, Still, he mentions how he was never able to stay still. This is very much evident in all these interviews!
Michael, on his perception of himself: "I've always thought of myself as small. Geeky. Ferretlike." What a description.
Can't help but wonder exactly what point of the show that was, where that happened to him.
One of my favorite photos of him! I'd never known where it was from and had also never seen the full image.
This was a very neat find and addition to my collection.
#michael j fox#wait i forgot to include one of the best parts‚ which is that he made the interviewer kiss his dog before leaving
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