#HDM metas

[kirjavas]

never not thinking about iorek byrnison eating lee scoresby's dead body, so as not to let it rot but instead allow it to sustain an old friend on his journey. and how this act fulfilled lee's dying wish to help lyra by giving iorek the strength to go on and find her. thinking about consumption as a form of love, loving someone in their entirety and wanting to eat them whole but also love and grief being something you carry inside of you that guides you forward

[peetapiepita]

You know how I've been complaining about Everlark and Silverparry deniers this past year. They've been bugging me a lot.

Today I saw a tweet about people being anti-romance these days and harping on the writers whenever the main characters have a romantic relationship. It's getting ridiculous.

I'm now struggling to remember if that was a thing 10/15 years ago when both fandoms were more active. I honestly can't remember because I wasn't on as many platforms as I am now and the ones I had been on seemed very romance-friendly as far as I remember.

On tumblr, I was mainly just THG/Everlark-focused 10 years ago and I honestly don't remember any Everlark deniers coming my way at all. Was it really the case or was it just me living in a bubble?

People today saying Everlark never had romance/they should be just friends are so weird to me as well. I was convinced they were just trying to be different but their persistence is weirding me out. Why does two fictional characters having a romantic relationship disturb you so much? Why are you hell bent on denying what the writer wrote in her books?

I don't know. I'm just really confused. Would love to hear your experience and opinions on it.

[findmeinthefallair]

Isn't it amazing that they never met before this scene, they know they're on opposing sides at first, yet this heated exchange...broke both of them? And it's because Lyra coming into their lives as a beacon of hope in such a bleak landscape, already began to shake them and changed them at a foundational level. Right under their noses. Even if they couldn't really put that into words yet.

Their daemons do something we've not seen up till this scene: initiate physical contact to soothe them. And it is received for once because Lee and Marisa have chosen to be vulnerable. Hester, who has probably been silenced too many times with a quip from Lee, is heard at a deep emotional level for once. Marisa's nameless daemon, who she physically abused on a regular basis, chances it by reaching out his hand and for once isn't shoved away.

[hatters-workshop]

How do you reckon theatrical plays work with daemons in Lyra's world? I know they don't have movies in the same way we do, but I would imagine they have some kind of performing arts. Like I imagine characters in stories would have set daemon shapes, do you reckon there are like... daemon costumes for actors whose daemons don't match the character's shape? Or like daemon... make up? Fur dye? For if someone has something close, but say your cat daemon is white but it's mentioned in the narative that Hamlet's is a black cat. I imagine kids whose daemons don't settle til later into puberty would be very popular in acting circles, as their daemons could change to match the characters' for longer. Maybe children performing as older characters is common in a similar way to how men used to perform on the stage in female roles in the past, so that they can match their daemons to the character's. Or maybe media that is written specifically to be a play has character's daemons left a little vague, like generally feline shaped, or canine, or bird, so that it's left a little more to artistic interpretation for casting. Maybe there's much-talked about versions of certain plays bringing new aspects to the roles by casting someone with one daemon shape vs another, like someone playing Lady Macbeth with a grass snake vs a viper etc. Casting calls put out for people who have certain shaped daemons and an interest in performance.

Or maybe there's daemon swapping (though obviously not touching, though maybe there's ways of faking it, like how we have ways of fake kissing or slapping or stabbing etc in plays in our world, or maybe it's just standard costuming for actors to be covered from the neck down so there's no skin contact) where an actor will be on stage but another person's daemon is performing the role of their character's daemon. Maybe there's a special hidden spot built into theaters, either behind or under the stage for their human to be so that the daemon can move freely around the stage but not tug at their tether, and likewise for the human actor's daemon to hide. But imagine, daemon actors, performing in their own right! Maybe there's a kind of prestige to a play having one or more actors performing with their own daemon as is? Like people celebrating how perfect they are for the role?

[therealslimshady]

Hey guys, now that we are closer then ever to the Percy Jackson show coming out, can we all make the executive decision to use the tag #pjo tv whenever we're *explicitly* posting about the show?

Adaptations are always going to be different then their source material, and it would be a real shame to lose the original fandom in a sea of excited posting about the show. It sounds tragic, but it's what's inevitably going to happen unless we all decide on a tag now before the show comes out

(Here are some examples of how the tag could be used #pjo tv #pjo tv annabeth #pjo tv criticism #pjo tv s1ep4 #pjo tv spoilers . Etc etc. This would also mean NOT using the pjo tag for the show. That would solely be used for the books)

Anyways, can't wait for the show, and can't wait to see how the fandom booms even bigger! I just hope we're still able to keep something of what we have now in that future

[regardstosoulandromance]

I am watching HDM s2e5 and oooh boy when Marisa and Mary meet and Mary immediately assumes Marisa has a doctorate and is and equal and starts asking her about her work and just the look on Marisa’s face!!! No one takes her seriously unless she’s intimidating them!!! And Mary living the life she could have had she not been trapped in the patriarchal hellscape on her own world!!! There’s that inkling there that she wanted to be a scholar and she wanted to study science but she had to claw her way there by marrying well and gaining power in the church and oooooh boy there’s so much subtlety in that scene.

[bruisedconscience]

Daemon Test for SHAWN SPENCER

A dæmon (day-mun) is a type of fictional being in the Philip Pullman fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials. Dæmons are the external physical manifestation of a person's "inner-self" that takes the form of an animal. ... Dæmons are usually of the opposite sex to their human, though same-sex dæmons do exist. 

Pinniped

Your daemon would take the form of a pinniped! Those who have pinniped daemons are cheerful and imaginative people who know how to work hard and play hard. They are known for their boundless creativity and often have their head in the clouds, excelling exceptionally at one area of their life.

Sea lion

Your daemon would take the form of a sea lion! You are an imaginative and talkative individual who does best when they have a creative outlet. More so than others with pinniped daemons, those with sea lions are deeply emotional and struggle when bored or isolated. They are open-hearted and enjoy work that feels like play.

When deciding on your daemon's appearance, consider the pattern of your daemon's coat. A darker-colored sea lion may indicate someone more private and reserved, while a lighter-colored sea lion may indicate someone more open and gregarious.

This seems like an immediate great fit!!

Originally, I was hesitant about giving my muse a predominantly water-based animal, but then I read that sea lions can be outside of water for more than 20 days at a time and can run twice as fast as a man can!! So…

This girlie is now perfect!! I haven’t come up with a name for them yet, but if I do, I’ll update this post :)

[kittymattress]

not me monitoring the notes of that book poll to see who also loves HDM and scrolling through their blogs to maybe glean some fresh thoughts about the story from what they've posted about it

[lordeasriel]

Just thought I'd drop in an idea I haven't seen anywhere else about a possible connection between HDM and BoD. We know the rose oil allows the user to 'see' Dust, but it's never mentioned in HDM. We also know that Asriel somehow got hold of a "special emulsion" that allowed him to photograph Dust. This got me wondering whether the special emulsion is made with the rose oil. What do you think?

Hallo Anon!

That's actually a very neat connection and if I had to guess, I'd say this is on the "very likely" zone of the Canon spectrum.

Though the roses' property have only been scientifically proven 5 years after Asriel's presentation, I think it's a reasonable thought to suggest the special emulsion would share some of its properties with the rose oil, if not being the actual same thing! Asriel could have had some experiments that lead him to the oil itself or he mimicked the effect using something different and either way, I think it connects very seamlessly to the plot.

I like this idea a lot, anon, thanks for sharing!

[cozcat]

mary malone and her daemon + love

It's been a few dates, and lovely though they have been, it is still only a few, the first she's been on since– since before.

He likes her too, and he says as much in soft chirrups and fond words she can only hear as she slips into a state of consciousness she now finds as easily as breathing, and she'd feel like she's gone mad were Will not able to see him too, but the part of herself that does not have a name is as real as the blood in her veins.

She's known it for a while now, but it strikes her anew: no matter how much she loves someone, no matter how much they love her, there is a part of herself that she can never share with them, and it is a lie she cannot avoid living.

[three sentence fic meme]

[appretiartis]

The thing that hurts the most about The Secret Commonwealth is that we spent so much of The Golden Compass learning that being separated from your daemon is traumatic and horrible and how the church wants to sever kids from their daemons and how Lyra barely escapes it and then... She and Pan get estranged from each other on their own volition. The Magisterium gets what it wanted, anyway.

[kirjavas]

lyra and her death: on overcoming mental illness

tw: mental illness, depression, suicide mention

after rewatching all of his dark materials, i wanted to touch on something i noticed in the final season that i hadn't picked up on before, and that is how lyra's journey to the land of the dead reflects her mental health.

in the secret commonwealth, lyra is likely dealing with depression as well as recovering from her trauma of separating from pan, which has clearly taken a toll on their relationship. and i think there was a deliberate choice to bring this character arc forward into season three of the show, when it wasn't really there in the books. the amber spyglass highlights the theme of loss of innocence and and moving away from childhood, which was made even more explicit by lyra being an older teenager in the show. this was also depicted by a more obvious change in lyra and pan's relationship that we didn't see in the books until the secret commonwealth. the two of them argue much more than usual in the first few episodes, and they don't seem to be on the same page, particularly when it comes to the land of the dead.

since lyra and pan are one being, this shows us that lyra's mind is divided and she is not at ease with herself as much as she used to be—a feeling that is very natural as she awkwardly transitions from child to teenager. but i also think it goes deeper and may reflect a level of self hatred we haven't seen from lyra before. she's always been sure of herself and this is reflected by how much she loves and cares for pan. but in season three she becomes more dismissive of him and guided by a different part of her that is leading towards roger. there are obvious parallels to be drawn between her and mrs coulter, who in contrast has gone from abusing her dæmon to becoming more allied with him. mrs coulter's treatment of the golden monkey represents her discomfort with herself/her soul, but when both their intentions match that is when their relationship is healthier.

in the land of the dead, pan and will both seem to be afraid/cautious of the idea of death, whereas lyra shows no fear in summoning her own death and making a journey she may never return from (cue an incredible shot of lyra's death standing between her and will... till death do us part anyone?? but i digress).

it's really interesting how this slightly different dynamic kind of sets up their inevitable separation, as the episode foreshadows that there will be a heavy price to pay for bargaining with death. rather than it coming as a complete shock like in the books, it feels like a punch to the gut with the realisation that lyra and pan are no longer on the same path (and haven't been for a while). lyra chooses roger, a symbol of childhood, but ironically she also chooses to grow up in leaving part of herself behind.

i might be reading too much into these scenes but i think there's a strong suggestion that a part of lyra wants to die—perhaps to join roger, perhaps because her guilt makes her feel like she deserves it. later on, lyra's hallucination of pan and the scene with the harpies only emphasises this. the harpies target the thoughts at the back of her mind, telling her that she has ruined the lives of those she loves and she is in the land of the dead only to soothe her own guilt.

i also strongly suspect that upon freeing the ghosts, some part of lyra was healed knowing that she helped roger. she seems to bring a bit more of herself back after she reunites with him, in taming the harpies and telling stories. ultimately i think this accomplishment gives lyra enough strength to make another devastating sacrifice when she is separated from will forever. i honestly don't think she could have done it if she hadn't had the closure and relief of completing her mission to make amends with roger.

like... GOD. lyra is such a tragic character and i both love and loathe the show for introducing some of these elements. bring on the book of dust adaptation.

[peetapiepita]

Peeta Mellark & Lyra Silvertongue Comparison:

Lairs, Manipulators, Silvertongues, Sunshine Personality, Reserved Deep Down, and Falling for the Carer.

I said I was going to write about their similarities and today is the day!

First of all, Peeta and Lyra are both blonde. (I'm just kidding.)

The actual first point, Peeta is described as having a silver tongue and Lyra is literally named because of her silver tongue. That's the biggest similarity they have. They're both very charming and convincing. It's like a superpower they have.

They're both very good lairs and manipulators, too. Peeta can lie to a whole nation with a straight face and they'd believe him. Lyra is again, literally named because of her good lying skills and she sometimes can't stop herself from lying.

They both started lying and manipulating people because they didn't have a loving home environment growing up. Lyra was an orphan raised by college staff and she had to lie a lot to get what she wanted. Peeta was in an abusive household and had to lie a lot to just survive.

They both have very outgoing personalities and seem to get along with everyone. But they actually only open up to a few people. Lyra couldn't really trust anyone in her life until she embarked on the journey to the north and met Iorek. Peeta couldn't trust anyone until he had Katniss and Haymitch as a found family. Even then, he reserves his "bad side" from them and only shows them his helpful and sunny side. Deep down, he's so far from the exterior of this super sociable person.

In both of their relationships, their SO is a reserved person who terrifies everyone else, but Peeta and Lyra fall for their SOs first because they're drawn to their tough and caring personalities.

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

i'm 16 years late to complain about this but it's fucking criminal that the dw team got lucky to film in this gorgeous contemporary style building aka the senedd / welsh parliament (and they knew they were lucky to get it) and they completely butchered the exterior shots with that ridiculous neoclassical/deco front.

[hatters-workshop]

So we know that in the His Dark Materials series we have the concept of a Death, which is a humanoid form which appears before you when you are dying/dead to take you to the land of the dead. The people of some worlds seem to be aware of them, judging from how casually the people in the suburbs of the dead talked about it, and I took it as it being similar to a daemon to them. But people from other worlds can see their own death when they accept it/welcome it. We've also seen that seeing a death doesn't mean you definitely die/stay dead.

We also have the stories from the witches. That their goddess, Yambe-Akka, appears to them when they are about to die. What if the idea of a death got translated through the lens of a goddess, by a witch who accepted she was dying, and saw a person offering to guide them into the afterlife, and then for whatever reason didn't actually die. So that witch tells her loved ones and clan members, about a smiling person welcoming her and offering to take her on, and the name springs up (maybe it means something in one of the witch's languages) of Yambe-Akka, and the story spreads and builds.

So basically, my theory is, a witch from Lyra's world saw their Death and accidentally created a whole goddess' lore around it, and ever since, whenever a witch has died, she's seen her own Death and thought it was her goddess.

[kirjavas]

this but also

lyra and will's love being enough to bring dust back into the worlds. mrs coulter's love for lyra and her and asriel's devotion to each other being a catalyst enough for them to make the ultimate sacrifice. mary's truthful story of experiencing love guiding lyra and will to discover their own feelings, enough for them to find the rest of their story together. balthamos and baruch dying apart as an act of selflessness that was enough to protect two children. familial love, romantic love. self love. platonic love. whilst love wasn't enough to conquer the loss, the story also gives us hope in that loving one another is something to live for even if it ends in heartbreak. the love didn't save everyone but it still matters that it was there.....

the lee scorseby “you love her but thats not enough is it” line is also like at the very heart of the story. the fact that mrs coulter loves lyra doesnt stop her from treating her cruelly and it doesn’t stop lyra from rejecting her. the fact that lee loves lyra doesn’t stop him from dying and leaving her. the fact that lyra loves pan doesnt stop their separation. the fact that john parry loves his wife and his son doesnt stop him from leaving them and it doesn’t bring him back. the fact that will and lyra love one another doesnt stop them from being torn apart. love never conquers loss in hdm the way it usually does especially in kids media and thats what makes the ending so jolting and devastating because you keep believing until the last second before will closes the window that there's going to be a happy ending, because how could there not be, they're in love…. but then they lose each other anyway