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revolutionsingingintherainnn · 28 days ago

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your desi reader fics make me feel so seen 🥹 can I request an oscar x desi reader fic? maybe of them like watching a bollywood movie together bc I just know he’d ask a gazillion questions bc it doesn’t make sense but they’re not meant to follow logic bro just enjoy 😭

Just Pure Feeling -`♡´-

☾ op x desi!reader ༊*·˚

☾ fluff ༊*·˚

masterlist ☾☼

It was a cozy evening in your apartment. The low thrum of the ceiling fan and the smell of dinner you'd just had clung to the air. You sat cross-legged on the couch, surrounded by cushions in every colour imaginable, with the warm dimming of fairy lights softening the room.

Oscar was staring at the TV screen, seemingly befuddled; he had somehow found himself snuggled next to you. His usual biting wit and calm demeanor seem to have deserted him utterly.

The film? Ah, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham—one of your favorites, the great family epic of love, drama, and much else more.

You glanced over at him, trying not to laugh. He was taking this whole Bollywood thing very seriously.

"Okay, so… let me get this straight," Oscar said, pausing the movie just as a dramatic scene of Shah Rukh Khan running across the airport flashed on the screen. “Why does he look like he’s running through a storm of rose petals?”

You laughed, taking the remote control from his hand and played the movie. "It's a Bollywood film, Oscar. It's not about the logic. It's about the emotions".

He blinked twice, eyebrows furrowed in incomprehension. "He's just… running? Like, why is he running in slow motion? And what's with the over-the-top background music? No one does this shit in real life".

"Oh, trust me. It's all part of the charm," you said with a grin, squeezing his arm. "It's the drama, the flair, the passion. It's what makes it special."

Oscar shook his head, still processing what he'd just witnessed. "But why is everyone crying so much? Like, for a movie that literally means 'sometimes happiness, sometimes sadness', I've only seen sadness till now. And why is everyone wearing these elaborate outfits for literally every occasion?"

"Because they're expressing their feelings, Oscar! Emotions are bigger than life here. And don't even get me started on the fashion—it's a cultural thing. The more bling, the better." You laughed at his confused expression. "You'll get used to it. It's about the spectacle."

He furrowed his brow, not satisfied. "Spectacle? The movie's just one melodrama after another! A huge family reunion, and now everyone's hugging… Did he just turn away from his family for years over a misunderstanding?"

You bit your lip to hold in a chuckle. "Yep. That's what makes it Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham — sometimes you have happiness, sometimes sadness. It's all about the grand emotional journey."

Oscar gazed at the screen a few more seconds, his eyes wide. "Okay, but how do they have the energy to sing and dance in the middle of a serious conversation? Like, how does that happen?"

"Bollywood logic," you shrugged, as if that explained everything. "People break into song in the middle of a heartfelt discussion. They could be talking about how to solve world peace, and suddenly it's a dance number. It's magic, Oscar."

He rubbed his temples, clearly trying to keep up with the plot, but at least, he was trying. "But… they just lost their son in a family feud. Why is there a dance number in the middle of a tragedy? This makes no sense!"

You laughed so hard that you had to pause the movie for a moment, clutching your stomach. "Because, Oscar," you said, voice still bubbling with laughter, "it's a Bollywood film. It's a rollercoaster of emotions. You go from crying your eyes out to dancing in the rain in the blink of an eye."

Oscar blinked again, his eyes flicking between the screen and you, as if trying to make sense of it all. "So, what you're saying is… it's not supposed to make sense?"

"Exactly. You're supposed to feel it."

"Well, I'm definitely feeling something," Oscar muttered under his breath. "I just don't know what it is."

"Good!" You smirk at him, flicking him lightly on the shoulder. "Now stop overthinking it and enjoy the ride."

Oscar sank back into the couch with a heavy sigh, surrendering himself to not knowing anything. And yet, you could see the curiosity in his eyes amidst the confusion. "Fine, fine. No reasoning. Just.. pure feeling. Got it."

As the movie played, you snuggled closer to him, feeling his arm instinctively wrap around your shoulders. You felt him press a soft kiss on the top of your head.

"He's so pretty," You murmured at one point.

"Who? The actor?" Oscar asked immediately, sitting up a little straighter.

You hadn't realised that you had said it out loud, but you supposed that he was going to find out eventually.

"Shah Rukh Khan. He's so pretty," Your eyes were glued to the screen as you watched the actor go through his motions.

"You sound like you're in love with him," Oscar laughed, "Thank God, you're not, huh?"

You didn't respond, not wanting to lie to your boyfriend.

"You're not, right?" Oscar emphasised.

"Uh huh, sure. Of course I'm not, that'd be," you paused, sighing sadly, "stupid,"

Oscar shook his head. He didn't know what to say. His girlfriend had a crush on an actor that he was pretty sure had a wife and kids.

You had to admit, this was one of your favorite ways to share your world with him—watching him slowly come around to something so deeply ingrained in your culture, even if he couldn't fully grasp it yet.

A few moments later, when the screen changed to a song-and-dance number, Oscar let out a short laugh. "Alright, so, now they're all dancing on top of a moving car. Got it. Makes perfect sense."

You snorted. "Exactly! That's the spirit!"

You sat there side by side, watching the drama on the screen, but in the midst of it, something much more important was going on: the two of you were creating a beautiful little moment of your own. Not one that had to make sense, but one that simply existed, full of laughter, love, and the warmth of a shared experience.

And, hey, if Oscar cried at some point during the film, you were not supposed to know that. The usually emotionless man had lost the war with a simple Bollywood movie, and may have finally shed a tear or two.

And as the credits rolled, Oscar turned to you with a mock-serious expression. "Alright, I think I'm ready for the next one."

You grinned, already planning your next Bollywood movie marathon. It was clear that Oscar had a lot more questions to ask, but you had no doubt he'd be enjoying the journey every bit as much as you did.

"Get ready for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge next," you said with a mischievous glint in your eye. "It's even more dramatic."

Oscar sighed dramatically, sinking into the couch. "This is going to be a long night."

And you wouldn't have it any other way.

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okay, im ngl, i like this op x desi!reader way more than the previous one. i think i'm getting the hang of writing oscar a little bit. let me know if y'all like this one! this is my prompt list, so y'all can select a number, give me a driver and i will write it as soon as possible! i also have a google form for a taglist if anyone's interested! you can sent in your requests here :)

taglist: @imlonelydontsendhelp ; @greantii ; @anamiad00msday ; @maketheshadowsfearyou ; @nocturnalherb16 ; @justaf1girl ; @peterholland04

#f1 #formula 1 #formula one #f1 imagine #oscar x you #oscar piastri #oscar x reader #oscar piastri x reader #oscar piastri x you #oscar piastri x desi!reader #op x reader #op x you #op x y/n #op x desi!reader

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ganondoodle · 3 months ago

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saw a few posts talking about ganondorf and while i dont want to uh .. risk having to argue with strangers ... i cant shut up entirely (you know me)

(in my opinion that is probably missing alot or just not as well read as a lot of others since i really just say what i feel instead of knowing what im talking about-)

its kinda hard to really talk about him bc hes so .... steeped into tired old stereotypes and harmful tropes with intentionally so little else, if anything, that you almost always end up playing into them if you just take what canon tells you (and alot of people love defending it too :/ )

to what degree is it really his character and what is literally just some things that were decided he does to make it clear hes the one note evil guy, to justify whatever horror is done to him and overshadow/bury what anyone else has done, to not think about maybe he had a point bc look how much bad stuff he does! if you made him fight for the freedom/sovereignity of his own people against an oppressive hyrule he would be in the right- so ACTUALLY he opresses them violently and selfishly even WORSE and then wants to murder everyone tm that dont bow to him bc thats what evil people do! and hyrule is justified in taking them over in turn bc their rule wont opress them :)

its like a game of trying to one up whatever hyrule did with something more bad tm bc otherwise it gets hard to justify killing him over and over

im not saying hes not allowed to be prideful, selfish or violent of whatever, but you gotta know that all of that IS one of those ways that is supposed to make it clear how evil tm the desert guy is; it doesnt matter what hyrule has done bc look! ganondorf is so much worse! and im sure hyrule had their reasons :)

hes never actually allowed to interact with his own people, hes isolated/alienated from them and their culture constantly, hes their king yet he .... violently takes over "free" gerudo villages (what? what for?? what does "free" even mean? they werent following him? their king?? were they .. allied with hyrule, who are good tm, which means they were living in paradise aka "free"? (bc they are good ones tm bc they rejected their evil one in a hundred year man king ruling violently over only women .. *cough*)), yet hes never seen fighting alongside his own people (the most is them .. silently serving him in what, one scene??) and then he drops them the second he has evil MONSTERS to fight for him instead and orders them to kill every living thing or something bc thats obviously evil, he doesnt even care about his own people! how evil! why would he do that? idk, hes the sole, selfish violent evil man opressing his own people, who are all women! that what they do! and WE need to free them from HIM (and they should be thankful to us for it and try to attone for ever having birthed him in the first place) (or he is the reason tm why they suffered/were wiped out and he is literally the sole survivor of his people, bc he doesnt care about ANYONE but himself)

i dont mean he has to be a goody two shoes character (you can be an ass and still do good/be in the right btw) bc more often than not what that actually means is being allied with hyrule bc those are the designated good guys and being on their side makes you automatically good (eugh) but do you rly want to just ... play along with all the propaganda?

imo, aside from being obviously racist, thats also so boring? does selfish, violent evil man king with no people (bc hes not part of them or fighting for them, hes always presented as the worse oppressor) and nothing else to him that only wants to murder bc ... idk evil? sound interesting to you? (to the point that the ONLY time we were shown literally any sort of vunerabillity, end of ww, that theres people trying to argue he was trying to to manipulate you even there?? what for? why? are you trying to reject literally the one glimpse we are allowed into his perspective qoq)

why do alot of people reject the idea so much to consider he actually cared about them, how maybe that prideful and selfish look is just a facade, or even a fabrication? violence that had to be met with violence, not for any sort of selfish reasons, but for his people and was met with a fight he could not win yet kept fighting on, perhaps losing himself more and more in the process, or a lie told so often that it became reality, if someone has nothign left to lose, if all was taken from them, maybe even blamed on them, why not play into what you where made out to be, you cant convince them otherwise anyway its the reason hes never shown to have done a single nice thing, never seen non angry/smug smiling, how he has no one at his side unless he forced them, how he is not allowed to be human even a little bit, never shown being anything but a boring ass trope personified, hes less a character and more a big bundle of racist tropes that fights you at the end (sorry) while looking epic so trying to meaningfully analyze him just by what we are told and shown in canon will always fall kinda flat or end up playing righ into every shitty trope

that is my opinion :I

#ganondoodles talks #zelda #ganondorf #ganondoodles rants #yeah it got longer again #im not that well versed with words but maybe i got my point across #i will never not ask why and question everything #i didnt want to get into all the specific tropes bc .. its so many #this part:#or a lie told so often that it became reality -if someone has nothign left to lose -if all was taken from them #maybe even blamed on them - why not play into what you where made out to be- you cant convince them otherwise anyway #that part is what my demise boils down to btw #also this isnt meant as a response to anyones post #but i saw quite a few gan themed ones floating around today so i had to open my mouth again #possibly a mistake ... will be ready to delete if necessary

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the-poets-might-disagree · 10 months ago

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how Denis Villeneuve built Paul and Chani's love story in Dune Part Two – from beginning to end

In their first romantic scene together Chani goes after Paul into the desert because she knows he won’t last on his own. By this point in time she already starts to fear for him- she knows he is brave and a good fighter, but she also knows it’s not enough. „You sandwalk like a drunk lizard!” We see her teaching him the sandwalk. This is when their melody is first played in the movie, this time it's quiet yet, merely an introduction. He is proud enough to say he knows how to sandwalk, but wise enough to admit he has a lot to learn from her. So he listens.

And listens and listens, earning her trust little by little. „You know I’m the only one who believes you’re gonna make it ’till the summer”. There is a scene here when you can’t even hear what she is saying. Instead it’s their melody playing still, while we see Paul’s (all smitten) face watching her, just explaining things to him.

Second important scene is when during the first fight, Chani’s life is in danger, and Paul jumps on her without a doubt in a split second, to protect her life with his own. They share a quick meaningful look before they get up from the ground. There are no questions left in her after this.

Third. In the tent after he was named Usul and Muad’Dib. Paul speaks chakobsa, with a proud look written on his face, and there are many people present, but it's all for her. He wants to be one of her people so badly, he does everything he can. And it's working, Chani is watching him speak as if he invented it. When Stilgar invites Paul to join him, he looks at her. Chani is nodding and so he gets up. It’s always her approval he is looking for. Everyone is hugging Paul and it’s Chani’s turn. We see their faces slowly touching, her lingering there for a moment.

The fourth one is when she gives in. We see them sitting together, watching the sunset. Her telling him about her name in the prophecy. „Your blood comes from dukes and great houses. We are not like that. Here, we are equal.” „I’d very much like to be equal to you.” She is smiling back at him „Maybe I’ll show you the way.”. Their first kiss- the melody returns for the second time. A little later she is shown leaning on him, literally. He has earned not only her trust, but her love, too.

This is when his nightmares start to kick in. He knows he can’t go south. At this point she starts to wear blue, which in the fremen culture (in the books) means a woman is pregnant – was changed in the movie to be the symbol of being in love or being taken.

We see their only love making scene. They are just laying there on each other, but she cannot turn her thoughts off. „There will be trouble.” „What are you talking about?” „The way they are looking at you. They worship you now.” She fears what is to come for him, but he reassures her. „I’m no messiah”. She then warms him about the stories his mother is spreading. During this scene their melody returns for the third time, programming our ears and brains to connect it to their intimacy and bond.

When Gurney appears, Chani thinks he is not to be trusted. Paul says "he is family" and as soon as he does she gets up to help him. It's the small things that tell you at this point that she will do anything for him, as long as it is the right thing to do.

Paul telling her about the Atreides atomic arsenal in the tent. How it could change everything. This is when we first see him being slightly intrigued by power. "You promised me you didn't want power". Paul switching it back on her with "no matter what I do, you still don't trust me". He is offended and tells her that he is fighting for her people, no matter what.

When they visit the arsenal you can see how scared she is. Paul is confused, but proud of his legacy- even if it is one that is big enough to destroy their planet. Their differences keep growing. He keeps having nightmares about losing her.

The final conflict in him is people pressuring him to go south, but he says he cannot, because he is afraid of the fundamentalists. Chani is the moral compass still, and she emphasizes he is right to be afraid of them.

"The world has made choices for us." Sounds like the beginning of a goodbye. We watch their last intimate scene together before it all changes irreversibly. "If I go south, I might lose you." "You will never lose me, not as long as you stay who you are". Tears rolling down his face. He knows already how much he is about to give up. She has no idea. "I will do what must be done". We see their goodbye kiss.

He drinks the water of life. She is furious but she runs to his rescue. She refuses to do so, but compelled by the voice, she saves his life- as it was written in the prophecy. When he wakes up she makes sure first that he is feeling well, then she slaps him and leaves. He emerges with a facial expression that is pure evil. At this point we know he is innocent no more and has switched to his dark side, the one that gives into power.

"She'll come to understand. I've seen it." He is so sure he can do whatever, and he'll still have her by his side... But when he arrives to speak at the gathering, Chani is the only one who doesn't kneel in front of him. He is still her equal in her head.

"I'm pointing the way!" as he shouts we can also see a switch in her. He's losing her. She's not looking at him lovingly at all anymore as she realizes it's her worst fear becoming reality in front of her eyes, and he is not the person she fell in love with anymore. She's angry, she loses hope, she's disappointed. Is about to give up on him.

When they go into battle, she still wears the blue scarf, not on her head anymore but on her arm. Still there with her, but barely.

The final scene. Everyone's gathering. He orders Gourney to bring the prisoners and then stops for one last moment before it's all about to go down. He looks behind his back. Chani's standing there, keep looking at him while he is about to walk up to her. Her facial expressions are childlike, showing how devastated and afraid she is, but she says "this isn't over yet" as if she was still hanging onto something. "I want you to know..." he says but he is looking at the ground, afraid to look her in the eye "...I will love you as long as I breathe". They lock eyes. It's his final moment to confess his everlasting love for her. Pain is written in his eyes. He knows it is goodbye, but she still has no idea what's about to happen. She sighs and swallows, furrowing her brows. No answer.

The prisoners arrive. Chani lifts her head up, trying to collect herself and stand proud. When he tells the emperor he is about to take his daughter's hand in marriage, we see Chani's face immediately. Her jaw drops. When he says "we will rule together", she is literally breathless, her eyes darting. She bites her lip before she looks up in disbelief. Straightening her pose once again, wanting to maintain her dignity.

Before Paul and Feyd-Rautha start their fight, Paul sneaks one last look at her to gather his strength. The music stops. We can only hear the knives and breaths during the fight. When he's on the ground, he can't help himself and looks for her. "She's your pet?" asks Feyd-Rautha. Chani shakes her head, visibly disgusted. Feyd-Rautha starts walking towards her, so Paul gets up immediately. This is when he knows he is going to end this man. But he gets stabbed and looks for her with fear in his eyes. Chani holds her breath in disbelief and her eyes widen.

He can barely breathe anymore, but he wins the fight. Chani is relieved, and gasps for air herself. Paul turns back to her, before he talks to the emperor. Her face lights up, showing how special he makes her feel in this exact moment, but in a second, her gestures return to the childlike frown that shows how betrayed she feels. Paul demands the emperor to kiss his father's ring. He does, the music starts again and the whole room gets on their knees.

Princess Irulan, Paul and Chani are the only ones left standing in the room. We hear their melody return, and build into something that is a lot bigger than them, and it's meant to break our hearts with the bittersweet sound. It was all about them leading up to this moment, and now they are no more. Irulan takes a look at the two of them, and realizes it all. Chani is shattered. Paul is not facing the Princess, but watches Chani leave (this is the last scene she is wearing blue), refusing to be a fool like everyone else. He shuts his eyes. He's never been in this much pain before, but he cannot show it. With her, Paul's last pieces of humanity leave, too.

#ive come a long way since ive called their love bs #this post took me bawling my eyes out four different times at the movies at the final scene #dune #dune part two #chani x paul #paul x chani #denis villeneuve #paul atreides #chani kynes #mine

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danco110 · 1 month ago

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Aetherdrift spoilers ahead (just my reactions to part one of the planeswalker’s guide). Angry uninformed rant stuff, too!

- They went really in-depth into the Grand Prix details! Avishkar history, too! Now that’s writing I can get behind - the little tidbits, the background, the extras, that sort of thing! Sound familiar? *theatrically points to self*

- So, Gastal is just Mad Max world, right? A white mana-line nightmare��I know which way the wind is blowing, judging from their description and aesthetic, but I hope the Endriders don’t get written as villains; I’d hate to see a Max parallel as a villain.

- I know they’re probably putting the b-side spotlight on GP Aspire (“some events, teams, and interactions,” yeah whatever) but cmon; one main race and six sideshows afterwards - coincidentally lining up with the main story chapters, five regular b-sides, and a janky sixth. Coincidentally.

- Since Muraganda Petroglyphs works with creatures with no abilities, the funniest thing they could do, is make the Muraganda leg of the race just…completely regular jungle off-road racing. No cheating from Winter, no producer-added obstacles to spice up the race, just…nothing.

- AHA! I’m vindicated on writing Amonkhet’s Anointed as keeping some sentience, if Zahur is any example to go by! But dang, for as much of a 180 as the article suggests the plane has taken, I’m very curious to see how they recovered - from both the Hours and the Phyrexians. Mayhaps…I was right about the Eternals coming back with sentience as well…?

Negatives:

- On the topic of 180s, it feels a bit…reductive? To Amonkhet, to go straight from recently post-apocalyptic - surviving in the desert, undoing and unlearning generations of manipulation and cultural…stuff - to apparently fully recovered, at least enough to host a thing like this. You know, it’s kinda like seeing the before and after pictures but nothing in-between. Even if the background in part 2 is good, I would’ve loved to see at least a side story chapter or something between HOU and now, about a recovering Amonkhet. And I hope I’m wrong, but I somewhat doubt they’d put a more serious chapter in even the b-sides of “funny haha racing set.” Sorry for the bitterness, I just love Amonkhet, and I really hope it isn’t done dirty here.

- I’m seeing…just a mashup here. This is an even more subjective point than the others, but it doesn’t…feel as good to me as the other blends they’ve done so far. Like, Ixalan was great, WAR was good, but idk, this concept just ain’t hittin for me. Maybe it grows on me, we’ll see.

- I know some folks were joking about it being Wacky Races but…that’s literally what it looks like it’s gonna be. Starring Winter as Dick Dastardly and Loot as Muttley. But, with not nearly as much cartoonish charm (Sorry Loot, you just look weird)

- What, no Kamigawa nezumi team? The Reckoners are a biker gang (I’m pretty sure?) for cryin out loud! That might’ve also given us a good follow-up on Nashi and how he’s doing given…yknow, recent events?

#mtg #aetherdrift

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noirandchocolate · 5 months ago

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For no particular reason at all (*coughIjustgotengagedmyself*), I've been thinking about Yiga Clan marriage proposal headcanons, and so I will share them today!

Clan members propose with ruby jewelry. For them, rubies are not only color-coordinated with their masks and traditional uniforms and outfits, but are highly symbolic. For one thing, they're the color of blood. The blood they and their ancestors have shed due to their betrayal by the Royal Family and the rest of Hyrule. The blood they hope to shed in achieving revenge and justice. And most importantly, the blood that binds all members together as a Clan, and that will bind the specific couple together as a family. For another thing, rubies in the AoC/BotW/TotK world have some heat and even fiery properties when utilized by those with magical talent. From a practical perspective, that means a jewel can literally warm the wearer up even just a bit on a cold night in the desert (or the Highlands, or anywhere else), if needed. From, again, a more symbolic perspective, the fire the gems are associated with is both the fire of the Clan's fervor toward their goal, and the fire of passion and love between the giver and receiver!

"But KidK," you might ask, “Rubies are valuable gemstones. Where does the Clan get them and why wouldn't they be selling or trading them for food and other supplies, since they're a marginalized and impoverished community in relation to the other races/groups of Hyrule?" The answer to the first part is, well, they live in a cave complex under a mountain range, and in Hyrule gemstones are just kind of found in rock formations all over the place. They find them, just like Link does in BotW etc. They’re rare! It’s not easy! In fact, going on a little quest to find a ruby to be made into one's proposal jewelry is part of the custom! But they do it—and that in itself is a part of showing the recipient how much the giver cares!

As to the second part of the question... Hey. It's cultural and the jewelry usually isn't that big or ostentatious--it's stuff that can easily be worn under a uniform or disguise. Everybody's not walking around with huge honkin' gems all over them. The custom has developed over millennia and it has all the symbolism I just said. Practicality sometimes takes a backseat to that kind of thing, and this is one of those cases. Plus, there's always the fact that in dire straits, a person with a ruby ring or necklace or such, out on a mission could always sell it. Or the Clan could pool such items as resources. I want to say the latter has probably happened at least a few times in the group's long history. But this is not something done lightly; like an Earth human in poverty having to pawn an engagement ring, it is...sad, to put it lightly, if such a thing becomes necessary.

Additionally, proposal jewelry and the gems set in it can be reused! Sometimes the quest to find your ruby is just keeping your grandfather's ear cuff to give to your sweetheart! Heirlooms/ancestral items are very important to the Clan in general, and this kind of thing is no exception. Again, it’s about showing care and commitment; using a family heirloom might be “easier” physically and time-wise, but it shows the giver wants to welcome the receiver to their family, and would give them something precious to do so.

All that said! In more recent times, Yiga who are for one reason or another unable to find their own rubies can always ask Master Kohga! Because. His father, back when he was his own mother's Right Hand, obtained a pretty big stash of them somehow (theft) and later doled them out to those in need while he was Master, and our current Top Banana is happy to do the same with what's left of the supply. He has tried to add back to the hoard when he can, too. The man loves love, and loves the Clan's tradition, and will help out a lackey in love whenever possible!

The proposal jewelry can really take any form but as stated, it's usually on the small side just so it can be easily worn (and concealed when necessary), especially when the recipient has a more martial role in the Clan. Small rings, earrings, tighter armbands with a jewel inset, things like that. Kohga's father gave Mama Hotaru a choker-style necklace with a larger ruby as its centerpiece, and later, after he became Master, had the jewel etched with his official insignia (you know, the Eye with the three horns on either side, like TotK Kohga put on his battle mech). And similarly (to honor his parents) but more over the top (because he cannot be stopped)...well. I'll invite you to look at this art by my girlfriend @purpledemonart and see if. Maybe you notice anything. That might make a little more sense after reading this far into this post.

ENOUGH ABOUT THE JEWELRY!

Either member of a partnership can propose to the other; the Clan doesn't Do divided gender roles.

What's more, the Clan has pretty much never cared about the sex and/or gender of who anyone wants to marry. (They really very don't consider it a big deal. They don't even have labels for sexualities like we do. They just kinda...live, and love who they want and try to find partners compatible with their attraction and who love them back. "Oh, she only likes women? All right, looks like I a man don't have a chance." Even for a Master, there isn't any pressure to produce a blood heir through a heterosexual marriage, since adoption or otherwise passing the title to a non-child relative or unrelated person is incredibly normal.)

There also isn't any one tradition about what you have to do to propose, like there's no "get down on one knee" Thing. Proposals are as varied as the people who make them! Some will be casual about it and ask over dinner at the dining hall, some will be a little more planned and take their partner up on the cliffs to ask as the sun sets, some might yell the question in the middle of a sparring match, some ask in song or poetry! Bringing your and your partner's families together for a meal and asking in front of everyone is popular. But really, anything is fair game.

HOWEVER! The traditional words used to ask are, "Would you join your soul to mine?" And the traditional acceptance is, "May our souls be joined." This hearkens back to the Ancient Sheikah, who used these same words. I headcanon that spirit and soul as concepts are incredibly important to the Sheikah and Yiga, and the way the question is phrased alludes not only to a partnership for the duration of one's life, but a bond that will transcend into the next. May our souls be joined. May our journey continue even beyond death. May we be linked forevermore.

The word Yiga use for "fiancé/e" is "intended"! As in, "My intended is so handsome," or, "Intended, would you lift your mask so I can kiss you?"

Following the proposal, the couple must wait at least six months for their wedding. This tradition was meant to prevent people from recklessly getting into marriage, and to promote general cohesiveness as many customs dating back to the Yiga Clan's early days tend to. Once partners are engaged they can get their sleeping space assignments within the Karusa Complex changed so they're sharing or alongside each other, they can get their task assignments arranged so they can work together or have breaks at the same time, or if they're due to be sent out of the Valley on a mission, they can go together if at all possible, etc. The idea is to allow a couple to spend more time together and make sure they really want to. Y'know. Join their souls. Marriage is not treated lightly! For spiritual reasons, to make sure partners are compatible and unlikely to break up and cause fractiousness between themselves and/or among family and friends, to also make sure both parties really are fully on board with the idea, historically there’s been lots of reasons.

My primary focus is on the Age of Calamity branch of the timeline, so as one last headcanon, I think that after Astor showed up in the Valley and kicked off the Clan's involvement with bringing about/assisting the Calamity and then later fighting against it, pretty much nobody wanted to propose to their partners because no one was sure what the future would hold (except Astor claiming to, but he kept his cards close to his chest and of course didn't deign to speak with random Yiga lackeys in any detail). Even though the Yiga had for centuries believed Calamity Ganon would destroy their Royal enemies and Hyrule as a kingdom would fall, it was never completely certain what kind of world would result after that goal was achieved. Sure, they thought it would be a time of wonderful freedom and revenge for them, but basically, people weren't really thinking so much about romance or kids when there was a conflict ahead--even if they thought they'd be on the victor's side. And then…well, if you’ve played or watched you know what happened. But now! That the Calamity has been vanquished with their help and the world is rapidly changing for the Clan...one sign of the hope they feel for this strange and unexpected future is that people have been going searching for telltale red glints in the rocks and caves of the Highlands and beyond...

I also have a TON of headcanons about actual Yiga marriage ceremonies but I'll make a separate one for that when I get some more time to write it out!

#legend of zelda #age of calamity #yiga clan #kidk headcanons #kidk says stuff #the art i linked is from april but the event that precipitated it happened in february. these headcanons have been kickin' around in here!#now’s just when I’m finally sharing cause…well a couple reasons #((*coughcountsixmonthsfromfebruaryhackcough*))#master kohga #sooga #yiga husbands #kinda!#banana bread

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mochinomnoms · 4 months ago

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Hey Hi Hello

I'm not sure how the situation about mushroom picking looks in the other parts of the world, but in Poland it's a very popular activity for many many people. What I mean by that is that if it was raining, and it's spring or autumn - going for a walk to a forest with a reactive dog is nearly impossible, because the condensation of mushroom pickers is astonishing. (sometimes summer too, I know people who are going EVERY SINGLE DAY (my grandma) from April/May to November). By astonishing I mean every 3-4 meters is someone looking for shrooms. The roads leading through the woods are suddenly turning into a single lane because of the rows of cars standing on the sides of it. The culture around picking mushrooms is very strong in general - it reminds me of a sect somehow lol. Generally it's one huge gatekeeping when it comes to precise locations - especially with older people. Besides the fact that there are truly thousands active fb groups around picking mushrooms - almost every single one of them has one most important rule - sharing the precise location publicly is FORBIDDEN. If you do that then it's off with your head for you.

I remember going mushroom picking with my grandma when I was little and she would LOSE ME ON PURPOSE so that I wouldn't know where does she find the most 🤣. From what I've heard from friends , it's not that uncommon apparently.

It's a sport truly, people are not going for a nice walk here, it's a competition, it's a ride or die - if you don't bring back home at least 2-3 kg of shrooms then were you TRULY mushroom picking ??? (It's a hyperbole, however seeing people coming out of the forest with literal buckets full of shrooms is not an unusual sight lol).

Living in Poland equals living with mushrooms - after some time you develop like a sixth sense of what shroom is edible and which one is not (however it's important to check either way, also these fb groups are super nice for that, these people are always ready to help you out to identify the shroom). The knowledge about shrooms is on a high level - there's a big chance that if you would come up to a random person and show them a picture they would be able to identify the shroom almost instantly.

If you're going for a normal walk and see a shroom? YOU MUST PICK IT, IT'S A TREASURE. Then you send a picture of it to a family group chat and everyone is proud (and a little bit jelly but shh). At this point I (and many people I know lol) carry a special material bag in my pouch I use for walks with my dogs - in case I come across a shroom I'm ready, and I don't have to deal with the guilt of leaving one behind because I'm physically incapable of taking any more with me haha.

Truly a mushroom kingdom.

In conclusion - imagine Jades reaction to that information 🤣

Hope you're having a fungistic day 🍄

~ 🦭

That's super fascinating to me because I live in a desert, so mushroom picking isn't a thing out here as much as just hiking in the valley. Here, it's a thing in the summer for tourists to ignore the caution signs and heat advisory and die on the desert trails. Most of the time they vastly underestimate how intense the trails are along with the 110+ degree weather and don't bring enough water.

I think Jade would like our trails out here, though, a different kind of challenge compared to the ones he's become familiar with on Sage Island. I do wonder the type of biome the island takes place on, I'm assuming the island and environment in gen is western euro inspired. Plus, foraging in the desert is a whole different type of deal!

For your mushroom picking though, I think Jade would really love it, not only is the (presumably) plentiful mushrooms a dream, but being surrounded by other people that also are as enthusiastic to go mushroom picking is phenomenal! A new vacation spot for him, for sure.

#mochi asks #🦭 anon #twst #twisted wonderland #jade leech

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darth-jess · 1 month ago

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Which couple from another text, narrative, and story most reminds you of Anidala and why?

This prompt was posted by @skywalkr-nberrie in our lovely Anidala Forever Support Group.

This took me a while to think about, and it was SO HARD. Partly because there are so many great fictional couples that share similarities, but also because let’s be honest… there really aren’t many couples (at all) that can live up to the epic romance of Anidala.

But I finally settled on another of my favorite fictional couples as a great comparison to answer this question.

Paul Atreides and Chani Kynes from Dune.

(The book, please read the book, not the movie. The movie does a decent job, but the book is far better.)

Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family, is thrust into a treacherous power struggle over the desert planet Arrakis, the sole source of the galaxy’s most valuable substance, spice. Betrayed by the Emperor and other rival houses, Paul allies with the natives of Arrakis– the Fremen– and masters their ways so that he can embrace his destiny as their prophesied leader. Paul often struggles against his destiny, because he has visions that his actions will lead to the deaths (and genocide) of billions across many worlds (which is exactly what happens), but he also cannot escape it.

Chani Kynes is a Fremen warrior, and becomes Paul’s confidant and guide to the ways of the desert. She helps him navigate Fremen culture and helps him adapt to life on Arrakis. She is a grounding presence for Paul, supporting his transformation into the prophesied leader.

Paul and Chani fall in love and are married according to Fremen custom, but this marriage is not recognized by the Imperium. Because of the political situation, it becomes important for Paul to enter a political marriage with the Princess Irulan, daughter of the Emperor– which makes Paul the next Emperor of the known galaxy. He hates doing this, because he only wants to be with Chani, who officially (in the eyes of the Imperium) becomes Paul's concubine– but Paul only ever sees her as his true wife.

The Princess Irulan becomes jealous, because Paul never “goes to bed with her” and he is only ever with Chani. So she ends up poisoning Chani so that Chani cannot get pregnant. This makes Chani so upset, so she uses the powerful drug spice to counteract the poison. This allows her to get pregnant, but she uses the spice so much she ends up overdosing and Chani dies giving birth to twins. This devastates Paul, blinding him both emotionally and literally, then he wanders out into the desert in his grief to die.

Paul and Chani, like Anakin and Padmé, share a love that knows know bounds. Both couples share a love that is pure, and unwavering, all consuming and never ending. Both couples are surrounded by people and circumstances trying to pull them apart, both Anakin and Paul are deeply surrounded and troubled by prophecy. Both Chani and Padmé die in childbirth to twins. Both couples would do anything for each other, even destroy themselves– which they all do.

In the end, death is the only place where both couples are able to be together in peace.

Also, yes, George Lucas was absolutely inspired by Frank Herbert's Dune. You think it's pure coincidence that spice is also a drug in Star Wars? That Luke and Anakin came from a desert planet?

#dune #Paul x chani #anidala #anakin x padmé #star wars #couple similarities #dune and star wars #anakin skywalker #padmé amidala #Paul atreides #chani kynes #anidala prompt #anidala forever support group

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verdemoun · 10 months ago

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jumping ahead in the timeswap au because i am the captain personally i headcanon jack not making it to 20. i think life had well and truly defeated him and he was too tired to keep running, and he ended up hanged for ross's murder.

side tangent a) imagine the emotional devastation the VDLs in modern era would feel reading that. there's a grainy photo/sketch and they can almost tell what jack looks like, how much he looks like john, how old he already looks at 19, and then there's the noose sitting on his shoulders waiting for the trapdoor to be pulled. the article portrays ross as a poor elderly man of honor killed by jack marston, outlaw, a dangerous sociopath

side tangent b) john and jack being reunited. john really struggling not to be angry because he wanted/expected so much better for jack: knowing he was never an ideal father (or even a good father) but how much he didn't want his son to be like him, how clear he had been to never become an outlaw. then, the grief. it's only been 3 years but being able to see how much those three years have changed jack, physically and mentally, just by the way he carries himself and that dead, destroyed look in his eyes. jack struggling not to be angry for a lot of the same reasons because at 16 he was left taking care of abigail as heartbreak and illness killed her, and a ranch they could barely take care of together. jack realising his mom, dad and little sister got to play happy family in current day without him.

well now that that's out of the way: dues-ex-isaac morgan

isaac morgan deciding jack marston is his personal responsibility. sure, the whole recipe of staying in a house for a few weeks slowly learning about the current day slowly works for most VDLs, but isaac understands that not only is jack 19 (a teenager) but the culture shock isn't quite as severe going from 1914 as it was 1899.

isaac throws rocks at the window until jack sneaks out his first night in modern day. he forces a helmet onto his head and gives a vague warning that 'it's going to be faster than a horse', before setting off at very illegal speeds on his motorbike

jack immediately loves it. it's very much what he needed: the adrenaline, feeling like he's rebelling, seeing the chrome and crowds of city as a blur become more and more recognizable in outdated suburbs until they're pushing 100mph on the highway

isaac strategically takes him out to the desert, because the desert really hasn't changed that much, and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. they lay down and trauma-bond about how fucked their lives have been (isaac, who experienced the timewarp like a child moving house and had to teach things to his 19th century mother, jack, who grew up in the chaos of the VDL gang with his mother as the only constant: deadbeat dads taken to the metaphorical extreme).

'there's only two things you really need to know: you can't buy alcohol until you're 21 and cigarettes are actually really bad for you' 'cigarettes are BAD??????'

isaac introduces him to cliche teenage emo music through a dodgy bluetooth speaker. jack marston actually listens to music for the first time

arthur getting a frantic phone call from john saying jack snuck out

charles offering to help track them down, because they immediately know isaac is involved

charles and arthur finding a drunk isaac and jack air guitaring to mcr in the middle of the desert

isaac and jack are instant best friends. instead of the coddling most of the gang do when something is new and initially intimidating, isaac laughs at him and it's honestly more comforting. like yeah, traffic lights take a hot second, but jack does feel dumb for not realising that the changing lights and loud beeping meant it was time to walk/run.

isaac literally doesn't hold his hand unless he has to, meanwhile jack has had months of living alone as an outlaw in 1914. they balance each other out in the worst ways. isaac will say they shouldn't walk through a dark alley and jack is like pfft if someone tries to mug us i can take them

their hangouts go from jack bookworm marston helping isaac study at college to isaac being the one calling his dad because 'heeey we might be in jail' in 3 hours. all parental figures involved are going grey with stress

#rdr2 timewarp au #isaac morgan #jack marston #john marston #arthur morgan

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blackswaneuroparedux · 1 year ago

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Anonymous ask: What do you think of the new Indiana Jones movie? And of Phoebe Waller-Bridge?

In a nutshell: From start to finish ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ is watching Indiana Jones being a broken-down shell of a once great legacy character who has to be saved by the perfect younger and snarky but stereotypical ’Strong Independent Woman’ that passes for women characters in popcorn movies today.

I went in to this film with conflicted feelings. On the one hand I was genuinely excited to see this new Indiana Jones movie because it’s Indiana Jones. Period. Yet, on the other hand I feared how badly Lucasfilm, under Kathleen Kennedy’s insipid woke inspired CEO studio direction, was going to further tarnish not just a screen legend but the legacy of both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. The cultural damage she has done to such a beloved franchise as the Star Wars universe in the name of progressive woke ideology is criminal. The troubled production history behind this film and its massive $300 million budget (by some estimates) meant Disney had a lot riding on it, especially with the future of Kathleen Kennedy on the line too as she was hands on with this film.

To me the Indiana Jones movies (well, the first three anyway, the less we say about ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ the better) were an important part of my childhood. I fell in love with the character instantly. Watching ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (first on DVD in my boarding school dorm with other giggly girls and later on the big screen at a local arts cinema retrospective on Harrison Ford’s stellar career) just blew me away.

As a girl I wanted to be an archaeologist and have high falutin’ adventures; I even volunteered in digs in Pakistan and India (the Indus civilisation) as well as museum work in China as a teen growing up in those countries and discovering the methodical and patient but back breaking reality of what archaeology really was. But that didn’t dampen my spirit. Just once I wanted to echo Dr. Jones, ‘This belongs in a museum!’ But I happily settled for studying Classics instead and enjoyed studying classical archaeology on the side.

I couldn’t quite make sense why Indiana Jones resonated with me more than any other action hero on the screen until much later in life. Looking like Harrison Ford certainly helps. But it’s more than that. I’ve written this elsewhere but it’s worth repeating here.

‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ is considered an inspiration for so many action films yet there’s a very odd aspect to the film that’s rather unique and rarely noticed by its critics and fans. It’s an element that, once spotted, is difficult to forget, and is perhaps inspiring for times like the one in which we currently live, when there are so many challenges to get through. Typically in action films, the hero faces an array of obstacles and setbacks, but largely solves one problem after another, completes one quest after another, defeats one villain after another, and enjoys one victory after another.

The structure of ‘Raiders’ is different. A quick reminder:

- In the opening sequence, Indiana Jones obtains the temple idol only to lose it to his rival René Belloq (Paul Freeman). - In the streets of Cairo, Indy fails to protect his love, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), from being captured (killed, he assumes). - In the desert, he finds the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, only to have it taken away by Belloq. - Indy then recovers the ark only to have it stolen a second time by Belloq, this time at sea. - On an island, Indy tries to bluff Belloq into thinking he’ll blow up the ark. His bluff fails. Indy is captured. - The climax of the film literally has its hero tied to a post the entire time. He’s completely ineffectual and helpless at a point in the movie where every other action hero is having their greatest moment of struggle and, typically, triumph.

If Indiana Jones had done absolutely nothing, if the famed archeologist had simply stayed home, the Nazis would have met the same fate - losing their lives to ark’s wrath because they opened it. It’s pretty rare in action films for the evil arch-villains to have the same outcome as if the hero had done nothing at all.

Indy does succeed in getting the ark back to America, of course, which is crucial. But then Indy loses the ark, once again, when government agents send it to a warehouse and refuse to let him study the object he chased the whole film. In other words: Indiana Jones spends ‘Raiders’ failing, getting beat up, and losing every artefact that he risks his life to acquire. And yet, Indiana Jones is considered a great hero.

The reason Indiana Jones is a hero isn’t because he wins. It��s because he never stops trying. I think this is the core of Indiana Jones’ character.

Critics will go on about something called agency as in being active or pro-active. But agency can be reactive and still be kinetic to propel the story along. It’s something that has progressively got lost as the series went on. With the latest Indiana Jones film I felt that Indiana Jones character had no agency and ends up being a relatively passive character. Sadly Indiana Jones ends up being a grouchy, broken, and beat up passenger in his own movie.

Released in 1981, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ remains one of the most influential blockbusters of all time. Exciting action, exotic adventure, just the right amount of romance, good-natured humour, cutting-edge special effects: it was all there, perfectly balanced. Since then, attempts have been made to reproduce this winning recipe in different narrative contexts, sometimes successfully (’Temple of Doom’ and ‘the Last Crusade’), usually in vain (’Crystal Skull’).

What are the key ingredients of an Indiana Jones movie? There are only four core elements - leaving aside aspects of story such as the villain or the goal - that you need in place before anything else. They are: the wry, world-weary but sexy masculine performance of Harrison Ford; the story telling genius of George Lucas steeped in the lore of Saturday morning action hero television shows of the 1950s; the deft visual story telling and old school action direction of Steven Spielberg; and the sublime and sweeping music of the great John Williams. This what made the first three films really work.

In the latest Indiana Jones film, you only have one. Neither Lucas and Spielberg are there and arguably neither is Harrison Ford. John Williams’ music score remains imperious as ever. His music does a lot of heavy lifting in the film and let’s face it, his sublime music can polish any turd.

This isn’t to say the ‘Dial of Destiny’ is a turd. I won’t go that far, and to be honest some of the critical reaction has been over-hysterical. Instead I found it enjoyable but also immensely frustrating more than anything else. It had potential to be a great swan song film for Indy because it had an exciting collection of talent behind it.

In the absence of Spielberg, one couldn’t do worse than to pick James Mangold as next best to direct this film. Mangold is a great director. I am a fan of his body of work. After ‘Copland’, ‘Walk the Line’, ‘Logan’ and ‘Le Mans 66’ (or ‘Ford vs Ferrari’), James Mangold has been putting together a fine career shaped by his ability to deliver stories that rediscover a certain old-fashioned charm without abusing the historical figures - real or fictional - he tackles. And after Johnny Cash, Wolverine and Ken Miles, among others, I had high hopes he would keep the flame alive when it came to Indiana Jones. Mangold grew up as a fanboy of Spielberg’s work and you can clearly see that in his approach to directing film.

But in this film his direction lacks vitality. Mangold, while regularly really good, drags his feet a little here because he’s caught between putting his own stamp on the film and yet also lovingly pay homage to his hero, Spielberg. It’s as if he didn't dare give himself away completely, the director seems too modest to really take the saga by the scruff of the neck, and inevitably ends up suffering from the inevitable comparison with Steven Spielberg.

Mangold tries to recreate the nostalgic wonder of the originals, but doesn't quite succeed, while succumbing to an overkill of visual effects that make several passages seem artificial. The action set pieces range from pedestrian to barely satisfying. The prologue sequence was vaguely reminiscent of past films but it was still a little too reliant on CGI. The much talked about de-ageing of Harrison Ford on screen was impressive (and one suspects a lot of the film budget was sunk right there). But Indiana’s lifeless digitally de-aged avatar fighting on a computer-generated train, made the whole sequence feel like the Nazi Polar Express. Because it didn’t look real, there was no sense of danger and therefore no emotional investment from the audience. You know Tom Cruise would have done it for real and it would have looked properly cinematic and spectacular.

The tuk tuk chase through the narrow streets of Tangiers was again an exciting echo of past films, especially ‘Raiders’, but goes on a tad too long, but the exploration of the ship wreck (and a criminally underused cameo by Antonio Banderas) was disappointing and way too short.

The main problem here is the lack of creativity in the conception of truly epic scenes, because these are not dependent on Ford's age. Indeed, the film could very well have offered exhilarating action sequences worthy of the archaeologist with the whip, without relying solely on the physicality of its leading man. You don't need a Tom Cruise to orchestrate great moments but you could do worse than to follow his example.

Mangold uses various means of locomotion to move the character - train, tuk tuk, motorbike, horse - and offers a few images that wouldn't necessarily be seen elsewhere (notably the shot of Jones riding a horse in the middle of the underground), but in the end shows himself to be rather uninspired, when the first three films in the saga conceived some of the most inventive sequences in the genre and left their mark on cinema history. There are no really long shots, no iconic compositions, no complex shots that last and enrich a sequence, which makes the film look too smooth and prevents it from giving heft to an adventure that absolutely needs it.

And so now to the divisive figure of Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

It’s important here to separate the person from the character. I like Phoebe Waller-Bridge and I loved her in her ‘Fleabag’ series. She excels in a very British setting. I think she is funny, irreverent, and a whip smart talented writer and performer. I also think she has a particular frigid English beauty and poise about her. When I say poise I don’t mean the elegant poise of a Parisienne or a Milanese woman, but someone who is cute and comfortable in her own skin. You would think she would be more suited to ‘Downton Abbey’ setting than all out Hollywood action film. But I think she almost pulls it off here.

In truth over the years Phoebe Waller-Bridge, known for her comedy, has been collecting franchises where she is able to inflict her saucy humour into a hyper-masculine space. I don’t think her talent was properly showcased here.

Hollywood has this talent for plucking talented writers and actors who are exceptional in what they do and then hire them do something entirely different by either miscasting them or making them write in a different genre. I think Phoebe Waller-Bridge is exceptional and she might just rise if she is served by a better script.

In the end I think she does a decent stab at playing an intriguing character in Helena Shaw, Indy’s long lost and estranged god daughter and a sort of amoral rare artefacts hustler. Phoebe Waller-Bridge brings enthusiasm, charm and mischief to the role, making her a breath of fresh air. She seems to be the only member of the on-screen cast that looks to be enjoying themselves.

To be fair her I thought Waller-Bridge was a more memorable and interesting female character than either Kate Capshaw (’Temple of Doom’, 1984) and Alison Doody (’Last Crusade’, 1989). She certainly is a marked improvement on the modern woke inspired insipid female action leads such as Brie Larson (’Captain Marvel’), or any women in the Marvel universe for that matter, or Katherine Waterson (’Alien Covenant’). Waller-Bridge could have been reminiscent of Kathleen Turner (’Romancing the Stone’) and more recently Eva Green, actresses who command attention on screen and are as captivating, if not more so, than the male protagonists they play opposite.

To be sure there have been strong female leads before the woke infested itself into Hollywood story telling but they never made it central to their identity. Sigourney Weaver in ‘Alien’ and Linda Hamilton in the ‘Terminator’ franchise somehow conveyed strength of character with grit and perseverance through their suffering, while also being vulnerable and confident to pull through and succeed. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character isn’t quite that. She doesn’t get into fist fights or overpowers big hulking men but she uses cheek and charm to wriggle out of tight spots. She’s gently bad ass rather the dull ‘strong independent woman’ cardboard caricatures that Marvel is determined to ram down every girl’s throat. If Waller-Bridge’s character was better written she might well have been able to revive memories of the great ladies of Hollywood's golden age who had the fantasy and the confidence that men quaked at their feet.

What lets her character down is the snark. She doesn’t pepper her snark but she drowns in it. All of it directed at poor Indy and mocking him for his creaking bones and his entire legacy. It’s a real eyesore and it is a real let down as it drags the story down and clogs up the wheels that power the kinetic energy that an adventure with Indiana Jones needs. ‘The grumpy old man and the young woman with the wicked repartee set off across the vast world’ schtick is all well and good, but it does grate and by the end it makes you angry that Indy has put up with this crap. I can understand why many are turned off by Waller-Bridge’s character. As a female friend of mine put it, we get the talented Phoebe Waller Bridge’s bitter and unlikable Helena acting like a bitter and unlikable man. But it could be worse, it could be as dumb as Shia LaBeouf‘s bad Fonzie impersonation in 'Crystal Skull’.

I would say there is a difference between snark and sass. Waller-Bridge’s character is all snark. If the original whispers are true the original script had her way more snarkier towards Indy until Ford threatened to leave the project unless there were re-writes, then it shows how far removed the producers and writers were from treating Indy Jones with the proper respect a beloved legacy character deserves. It’s also lazy story telling.

Karen Black gave us real sass with Marion Ravenwood in ‘Raiders’. Her character was sassy, strong, but also vulnerable and romantic. She plays it pitch perfect. Of all the women in Indy’s life she was good foil for Indy.

Spielberg is so underrated for his mise-en-scène. We first meet Marion running a ramshackle but rowdy tavern in Tibet (she’s a survivor). She plays and wins a drinking game (she’s a tough one), she sees Indy again and punches him (she’s angry and hurt for her abandoning her and thus revealing her vulnerability). She has the medallion and becomes a partner (she’s all business). She evades and fights off the Nazis and their goons, she even uses a frying pan (she’s resourceful but not stupid). She tries on dresses (she’s re-discovers her femininity). Indy saves her but she picks him up at the end of the film by going for a drink (she’s healing and there’s a chance of a new start for both of them). This is a character arc worth investing in because it speaks to truth and to our reality.

The problem with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character is that she is constantly full on with the snark. Indy and Helena gripe and moan at each other the entire film. Indy hasn’t seen her in years, and she felt abandoned after her father passed, so there’s a lot of bitterness. It’s not unwarranted, but it also isn’t entertaining. It’s never entertaining if the snark makes the character too temperamental and unsympathetic for the audience to be emotionally invested in her.

I think overall the film is let down by the script. Again this is a shame. The writing talent was there. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth worked with James Mangold on ‘Ford v. Ferrari’ and co-wrote ‘Edge of Tomorrow‘ while David Koepp co-wrote the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ (but he also penned Indiana Jones and the ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, and the 2017 version of ‘The Mummy’ that simultaneously started and destroyed Universal’s plans for their Dark Universe). I love the work of Jez Butterworth who is one of England’s finest modern playwrights and he seemed to have transitioned fine over to Hollywood. But as anyone knows a Hollywood script has always too many cooks in the kitchen. There are so many fingerprints of other people - studio execs and directors and even stars - that a modern Hollywood script somehow resembles a sort of Ship of Theseus. It’s the writer’s name on the script but it doesn’t always mean they wrote or re-wrote every word.

Inevitably things fall between the cracks and you end up filming from the hip and hoping you can stitch together a coherent narrative in post-production editing. Clearly this film suffered from studio interference and many re-writes. And it shows because there is no narrative fluidity at work in the film.

Mads Mikkelsen’s Nazi scientist is a case in point. I love Mikkelsen especially in his arthouse films but I understand why he takes the bucks for the Hollywood films too. But in this film he is phoning in his performance. Mads Mikkelsen does what he can with limited screen time to make an impact but this character feels so recycled from other blockbusters. Here the CIA and US Government are evil and willing to let innocent Americans be murdered in order to let their pet Nazi rocket scientist pursue what they believe to be a hobby. But to be fair the villains in the Indy movies have never truly been memorable with perhaps Belloq, the French archaeologist and nemesis of Indy in ‘Raiders’, the only real exception. It’s just been generic bad guys - The Nazis! The Thugee death cult! The Nazis (again)! The Commies! Now we’re back to Nazis again which is not only safer ground for the Indy franchise but something we can all get behind.

However Mads Mikkelsen’s Dr. Voller, is the blandest and most generic Nazi villain in movie history. At the end of World War II, Voller was recruited by the US Government to aid them in rocket technology. Now that he’s completed his task and man has walked on the moon, he’s turning his genius to his ultimate purpose, the recovery of the ‘Dial of Destiny’ built by Archimedes. Should he find both pieces of the ancient treasure, he plans to return to 1930s Nazi Germany, usurp Hitler, and use his advanced knowledge of rocket propulsion to win the war. In a sense then he was channeling his inner Heidegger who felt Hitler had let down Nazism and worse betrayed Heidegger himself.

So there is a character juxtaposition between Voller and Indy in the sense both men feel more comfortable in the past than the present. But neither is given face time together to explore this intriguing premise that could have anchored the whole narrative of the film. It’s a missed opportunity and instead becomes a failure of character and story telling.

Then there are the one liners which seemed shoe horned in to make the studio execs or the writers feel smug about themselves. There are several woke one lines peppered throughout the film but are either tone deaf or just stupid.

“You trigger happy cracker”- it’s uttered without any self-awareness by a black CIA agent who is chaperoning the Nazi villain. Just because white people think it’s dumb and aren’t bothered by it doesn’t make it any less a racial slur. If you want authenticity then why not use the ’N’ word then as it would historically appropriate in 1969? The hypocrisy is what’s offensive.

“You stole it. He stole it. I stole it. It’s called capitalism.” - capitalism 101 for economic illiterate social justice warriors.

“[I’m] daring, beautiful, and self-sufficient” - uttered by Helena Shaw as a snarky reminder that she’s a strong independent woman, just in case you forgot.

“It’s not what you believe but how hard you believe.” - Indiana Jones has literally stood before the awesome power of God when the Ark of the Covenant was opened up by the Nazis, and they paid the price for it by having their faces melted off. Indy has drunk from the authentic cup of Christ, given to him by a knight who’s lived for centuries, that gave him eternal life and heal his father from a fatal bullet wound. So he’s figuratively seen the face of God (sure, he closed his eyes) and His holy wrath, and has witnessed the divine healing power of Christ first hand. And yet his spews out this drivel. It’s empty of any meaning and is a silly nod to our current fad that it’s all about the truth of our feelings, not observable facts or truth.

For me though the absolute worse was what they did to Indiana Jones as a character. Once the pinnacle of masculinity, a brave and daring man’s man whose zest for life was only matched by his brilliance, Henry Jones Jr. is now a broken, sad, and lonely old man. Indiana Jones is mired in the past. Not in the archaeological past, but in his own personal past. He's asleep at the wheel, losing interest in his own life. He's lost his son, he's losing his wife. He's been trying to pass on his passion, his understanding to disinterested people. They're not so interested in looking at the past. He remains a man turned towards the past, and then he finds himself confronted by Helena, who embodies the future. This nostalgia, this historical anchoring, becomes the main thread of the story.The film tries to deconstructs Indiana Jones on the cusp of retirement from academia and confronts him with a world he no longer understands. That’s an interesting premise and could have made for a great film.

It’s clear that the filmmakers’ intention was for a lost and broken Indiana to recapture his spirit by the film’s end. However, its horrible pacing and meandering and underdeveloped plot, along with Harrison Ford’s miserably sad demeanour in nearly every scene, make for a deeply depressing movie with an empty and unearned resolution.

By this I mean at the very end of the film. It’s meant to be daring and it is. There’s something giddy about appearing during the middle of siege of Syracuse by blood thirsty Romans and then coming face to face with Archimedes himself. The film seems to want to justify the legendary, exceptional aura and character of Indy himself by including him in History. Hitherto wounded deep down inside, and now also physically wounded, Indy the archaeologist tells Helena that he wants to stay here and be part of history.

It's a lovely and even moving moment, and you wonder if the film isn't going to pull a ‘Dying Can Wait’ by having its hero die in order to strengthen its legend. But in a moment that is too brutal from a rhythmic point of view, Helena refuses, knocks out her godfather and takes him back to the waiting plane and back to 1969. The next thing Indy sees he’s woken up back in his shabby apartment in New York.

I felt cheated. I’m sure Indy did too.

After all it was his choice. But Helena robbed him of the freedom to make his own decisions. She’s the one to decide what’s best. In effect she robbed him of agency. Even if it was the wrong decision to stay back in time, it’s so important from a narrative and character arc perspective that Indy should have had his own epiphany and make the choice to come back by himself because there is something worth living for in the future present - and that was reconciling with Marion his estranged wife. But damn it, he had to come to that decision for himself, and not have someone else force it upon him. That’s why the ending feelings so unearned and why the story falls flat as a soufflé when you piss on it.

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ feels like the type of sequel that aimed to capture the magic of its predecessors, had worthwhile intentions, and a talented cast, but it just never properly materialised. In a movie whose pedigree, both in front and behind the camera, is virtually unassailable, it’s inexcusable that this team of filmmakers couldn’t achieve greater heights.

The film was a missed opportunity to give a proper send off to a cinematic legend. Harrison Ford proving that whatever gruff genre appeal he possessed in his heyday has aged better than Indy’s knees. He may be 80, but Ford carries the weight of the film, which, for all its gargantuan expense, feels a bit like those throwaway serials that first inspired Lucas - fun while it lasts, but wholly forgettable on exit.

I wouldn’t rate ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ as the worst film in the franchise - that dubious honour still lies with ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’. Indeed the best I can say is that I would rate this film at the benchmark of “not quite as bad as Crystal Skull”.But it’s definitely time to retire and hang up the fedora and the bull whip.

For what’s worth I always thought the ending of ‘Last Crusade’ where Indy, his father Henry Jones Snr., and his two most faithful companions, Sallah and Marcus Brody, ride off into the sunset was the most fitting way to say goodbye to a beloved character.

Instead we have in ‘Dial of Destiny’ the very last scene which is meant to be this perfect ending: Indiana Jones in his scruffy pyjamas and his shabby apartment. Sure, the exchange between a reconciling Indy and Marion is sincere and touching. But that only works because it explicitly recalls ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’. That's what Nietzsche would call “an eternal return”.

I shall eternally return to watch the first three movies to delight in the adventures of the swashbuckling archaeologist with the fedora and a bull whip. The last two dire films will be thrown into the black abyss. Something even Nietzsche would have approved of.

Thanks for your question.

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val-the-protoss-simp · 1 month ago

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I ONCE AGAIN FORGOT ABOUT THIS DAMN BLOG

CURSE MY ADHD AAAAAA

ANYWAY

Part three of this ask, the Nerazim

Part 1/3 the Tal'darim

Part 2/3 the Khalai Part 3/3 the Nerazim <- you're here

Anar. The oldest of N&N babies. Nothing much to say about them aside from that they're a reclusive phase smith (or the Nerazim equivalent to one) They’re good at what they do and they know it, which can lead to them coming off as rather arrogant and full of themselves. They also have your average "oldest child syndrome" and tend to parent their siblings, who are adults and literally hundreds of years old in most cases, which once again is something that often makes them look patronising.

Elyon. A very underdeveloped character for now. I keep putting their writing off because I don't feel like I can portray their story adequately just yet. Yet. They're half Khalani, half Nerazim, the oopsie baby of Zhakul and Tali and because of this mixed heritage, they struggle to “decide” who they want to be in a world where the Nerazim and Khalai society haven't really integrated yet. In a world where not many mixed protoss exist just yet, they fel like they don't really belong in either society and grow up shy and reclusive because of this.

Their end game was to become an Alyssar. Because this little bean is, like, so hungry for knowledge. You know how humans are inherently hungry for money? Elyon’s like that, only with information. Anything is fair game, from knowledge about botany, philosophy, terran theater plays, the way plasma based engines work, molecular structure of a sandwich, etc. They don't necessarily want to do anything with it, like become a doctor or a politician or even a scholar, they just want to have it, to know, to understand. Eventually a few centuries down the line, they move their ass to Ehlna and join the other Alyssar.

You could also argue it's a coping mechanism. Elyon will live for centuries, like all protoss, but their terran family won't. The grief that strikes them when Jake passes away (and Zhakul's visceral reaction to it) as well as the horror of seeing Harper get older and older in front of their eyes while they stay young, frightens them. So they occupy their brain with other things just so they don't have to think about this, and learning about crop rotation and quantum entanglement seems to be the thing!!

Elyon also keeps their cords uncut despite frequently feeling the societal presure to do otherwise. This is mostly because it's the only way they get to feel close to one of their fathers, Talizun, who is a previously mangled zealot currently enlosed in the shell of a dragoon. They especially begin to rely on this bond after Jake's passing.

Nanzak. A very tall, very lanky middle-aged protoss lady. (middle-aged for THEIR standard. So she's like 600 years old) Very quiet, reserved, may come off as cold, unfriendly or even mean to others, but really she just likes her peace and personal space.

She's a performer and a dancer originating from a nomadic tribe deep within the midnight deserts of Shakuras. I really like the idea that a sense of family and tribes is very strong within certain Nerazim communities and Nanzak comes from one. The desert tribes have a different outlook on life, which then takes shape in their customs and culture. She'd be considered sort of an outsider in the more urban areas, mostly because she sticks to her tribe's customs and doesn't want to mitigate it whatsoever. She's proud of who she is, very secure in her place in life and society and if someone doesn't like it, that sounds like a them problem.

She's absolutely and irrevocably in love with her short husband, who she has like seven kids with (something very usual with the the protoss, since most have like two to three offsprings in life IN TOTAL) Speaking of-

Narzul. As mentioned previously, he's Nanzak’s short husband and a complete opposite of her when it comes to personality. He's social, loud, kind of a joker, open and curious. Also quite clumsy compared to her (everyone is clumsy compared to her)

He's a very skilled medic who was travelling all over Shakuras in his youth to quench his thirst of curiosity and that's how they met. They've been together for like four centuries now, have seven kids and are absolutely that couple in public that is way too comfortable with PDA. You know the one. He also absolutely will start talking about his wife and how much he loves her and how cool and perfect she is every chance he gets and won't shut up for hours. Your fault for asking.

After Haven and Shakuras boot up their diplomacy programme, he eagerly joins as the protoss's designated medic. Mostly because he's very very curious about terran medical science and wanted an excuse to to eagerly study it. Now he can do that while there's also so many terrans running around that he can talk to about their whacky boddies?? It's like a dream come true! (he WILL ask about your bowel movements nearly every morning buckaroo you better get used to it) which eventually leads to him being curious about different aspects of terran culture as well.

He also has a role as a sort of an emotional anchor (???) during the time Zhakul is expecting Elyon. This is an unplanned baby that neither Zhakul or Jake feel like they're ready for and are lowkey (highkey) panicking about it, especially Jake, who doesn't feel like he could ever be an adequate father figure to anyone ever. Narzul helps midigate that in a way only a wise old man that's seen it all can do.

Ulzea. The one thing I can say about her is that she’s very pink in my head. And that’s about it fjdvikjbvf

Funny how she’s existed for about *checks watch* fourteen years and there’s barely anything to say about her (even her name, Ulzea, was recycled from a different character that I renamed last year) This is because she was never really a person to begin with. I make it no secret that this entire AU is based off of my frequent daydreaming from when I was a teenager trying to cope with an unfavourable family situation. The thing with daydreams is that they make for an excellent distraction and are a good tool for coming up with ideas, but they make terrible stories when they’re put on paper, namely because of their overly long, complex and often nonsensical narratives that are more aimed to the be self-gratifying to the daydreamer rather than be fully realised, balanced stories.

But I digress. Ulzea is a victim of this. I think the best way to describe her would be that she’s to Zhakul what Vorazun is to Artanis during the events of LotV, that being that she acts as an exposition dump whenever he needs to listen to some Nerazim lore. Ulzea is worse than Vorazun, given that Vorazun is still, you know, a character of her own with her own personality and growth and so on. Ulzea never had this.

The reason why I never talked about her is because she’s essentially been written out of Zhakul’s story because of this. She was more of a narrative device for me to arrange my headcons about the Nerazim rather than anything else, which I achieved by having her dumping this information onto Zhakul, who only just got to Shakuras after living with terrans for some sixteen years and had no idea how to be a protoss. She’s just no longer needed as a character because Zhakul learns of his heritage in a more organic way, but recently I’m thinking about bringing her back if not for any other reason that she’s pretty (also because Zhakul just. Needs more protoss friends who are close to his age)

Uszadar. One of Narzul and Nanzak’s several babies. He lives in the more rural parts of Shakuras, specifically around the crater where the Xel’laga Temple is situated, but due to his lifestyle tends to be mostly nomadic.

I have a terrible habit of fixating on small features and details in media that regular people don't tend to give a shit about, which is also a case here. I love the kakarus. I have loved them since I first played Brood Wars at the ripe age of six. They were my favourite critter in the entire game and stayed as such to this day as well. I always envisioned them as, like, flying mounts for the protoss because kiddie me was obsessed with dragons, dragon riders and the 2002 Dinotopia miniseries that featured the skybax. So big flying lizard-thing mean alien ride too, yes?

Anyway, the joys of having my own AU means I can do whatever I want, so I say the protoss ride kakarus. It's mostly something done in the more rural parts of Shakuras because the more urban areas just use modern technology for the transport of cargo, people and messages. At this point it's the equivalent to how us humans keep horses. Something that used to be widespread and important for the function of society is nowadays mostly a hobby. Uszadar is mostly on the practical side of things, still utilising kakarus for transport and to reach the more rural parts of Shakuras, as well as doing conservationist work for the species, preserving their natural environment as well as studying them both in the wild and in captivity.

Meaning that, yes, he's a horse girl.

Zeredar. Once again, this is one of Nanzak and Narzul’s babies. She was originally gonna die during the second invasion of Shakuras but then my friends convinced me to let her live (boo) so she continues to unleash herself on the rest of the world. I see her as someone with a very dry sense of humour, which often makes her come off as rude or mean. She’s also the kind of person who can keep an absolute deadpan expression while telling the most hilarious joke you have ever heard. She’s also very dramatic and sassy, something she gets from her mother.

Funnily enough, however, I also see her as a fairly cheerful person, similar to how her father is, despite what her sense of humour may suggest. It’s a bit harder to see this side of her, you have to get to know her better first, but under all that sass and sarcasm, she has a generally positive outlook on life and people, doing what she can to see the best in everyone and everything. She’s very proud of her work and is confident in it's quality, similar to her oldest sibling, and is also a very confident person overall.

The injury she suffered during the invasion doesn’t slow her down one bit and she continues to find beauty and happiness in her life regardless of it.

Zhakul’s mothers

Yeahhhhhhh…they don’t have names ifgvidhvvd

I’m pretty sure you can see a trend by now aaaaaaaaaa

They’re just as old as him, turning 14 years this year, but unlike him, they're are barely concepts. Which is fine in the case of this particular story, given that it’s not about them and they more or less exist so Zhakul can have certain aspects of his backstory set in place, like that he’s related to Vorazun through one of them, or that he eventually decides to walk in their footsteps as an elite member of the Matriarch’s personal Shadow Guard.

They were fully dedicated to their duties and very happy as only a couple, never intentionally trying for a baby. Which is partially the reason for why Zhakul is born when they’re fairly old, being in their early 700s. They both loved him very very much and would happily claim that the few years they got to spend with him before their untimely deaths were the happiest years in their long lives.

Both of them die a few months before the events of WoL. With the zerg invasion beginning anew, many protoss colonies were evacuated as a safety measure, including the one they were escorting. This was during the time the Dominion was kicking its Hybrid Program into overdrive and needed, um, material, to be able to build these guys from. I see you know where this is going. The ship on which the protoss were being evacuated on got seized by Dominion secret forces, resulting in a great loss of life, which included both of Zhakul’s mother.

AND SPEAKING OF-

Zhakul!! My baby, my little innocent bean, precious cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure. Oh, how good it feels to torture him-

Um. Anyway.

This is the oldest OC I have. Period. He was conceptualised in summer 2010 when Wings of Liberty first came out and I played through the campaign for the first time. I fell in love with this game all over again, and came up with Zhakul as a way to organise my thoughts on it because I just could not stop thinking about it. Many things in the AU changed, he mostly remained the same. From the day I first imagined him up until now, he underwent very minor design changes and very small changes to his overall story. This is because he is perfect and has no flaw-

The only other character I can think of that I am more attached to other than him is Jake (who is also nearly as old as Zhakul) who he is essentially attached to the hip to and an integral part of his story, just like he is in Jake’s. They meet shortly after Zhakul is rescued by the Raiders from Castanar, where he was held captive and experimented on. The story of how the Raiders dumped him on Haven is a bit long and I think I already spoke of this on this blog anyway (???) He then integrates into terran society and becomes a part of Jake’s family, almost being like his adoptive brother but not really because he’s an alien being raised by humans. Still, he’s loved just as much by them.

He continues to suffer from terrible anxiety and rather intense ptsd episodes from when he was held captive and experimented on, which was something his terran family did their best to help him with, but there’s only so much therapy made for humans, by humans, can do to help an alien, not to mention when said alien struggles with trauma as heavily as Zhakul does. This eventually results in him severely hurting Jake in one of his episodes by slashing his chest open, after which he panics and runs away from Haven to Shakuras.

(How does he get to Shakuras? No idea. Its been a plothole for the past fourteen years.)

There he gets a bit of a culture shock because he’s been living with terrans for the past sixteen years or so and has no idea what it means to be protoss. Essentially, he’s a terran in protoss skin and I remember that one of my favourite things to think about was how confusing his learnt mannerisms would be to everyone else (like how protoss tilt their head instead of chuckling meanwhile us humans do it when we’re confused. I imagine this lead to quite a few SituationsTM)

A lot of stuff happens here. Zhakul originally only ran away for the sake of running away but eventually figured out the protoss will surely be able to offer better help than terrans? So he gets it into his head that he will go to whatever equivalent of therapy the Nerazim have and then come back to Haven, because more than anything he yearns to be with his family and with Jake. A lot of things happen here, namely events that include Dal and Tali, showing that him that he cannot deal with his issues by burying them deep inside him and pretending they’re not real, but rather by admitting to himself that they happened and learning to accept it and let go.

A lot of Zhakul’s story is about trauma, coping with it and about healing from it. About learning that your past does not define you as a person and that it’s on you to decide who you are, not other people. The past cannot be erased, so why continuously dwell on it? Mistakes are made, relationships are broken and lost, but being forever attached to all of this and pondering how it could have been different is pointless. What you can do is learn from it, change your future, put effort into being the best version of yourself that you can be, for the sake of yourself and those around you.

He does eventually come back to Haven to make amends, but what happens is once again long and convoluted and more focused on Jake rather than him, because the gremlin human also needs his own character arc. They end up leading a pretty interesting life together, full of adventure and other various shenanigans, but writing about that would end in a much longer essay than this is already. Anyway, Zhakul is my baby and a personal favourite, the One That Started It All and my favourite punching bag.

#I legit forgot about these posts as soon as I landed back in the UK like thre weeks ago #Because of course I cought fucking covid while I was visiting home and that kinda left me not thinking about anything #Also the reason why I traveled in the first placed started to get under my skin too which once again left me feeling “meh” about everything #Up until like a few days ago #So yeah. I'm back. We're done with this finally dfvihdbhvb #This post makes me think about how much I wanna rdesign Zhakul's mothers #Their designs are so old and I feel like I can do much better here #Zeredar's injury comes from a baneling btw #I'm also thinking about renaming some of the siblings because while I thought ending all their names with “dar” was cool at first I'm-#-having second thoughts now #Elyon also need to have their design looked at too #I also need to finish the other four kids N&N have #And name Zhakul's mothers after one and a half decade #AAAAAAAAAAA #Starcraft #protoss #protoss oc #Nerazim #my art #original character #artists on tumblr #Anar #Elyon #Nanzak #Narzul #Ulzea #Uszadar #Zeredar #Zhakul

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kay101kim · 2 years ago

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dating neil perry <3 (latine version)

warning(s): none:)

pair: neil perry x gn!reader

one shot or hc: hc

note: i got the idea from this post, so thank you so much!! im mexican so it might seem like i mention mexican culture more like music and food (its what i know!), but i do try my best to be inclusive since latin america has such rich history. this is me trying to write within the time period of the 50s/60s <3. let me know if you wish a more modern version, enjoy!

-neil is a love at first sight kind of guy, he literally saw you laughing all giggly and couldn't stop smiling himself

-your friends teased you by singing piel canela by los panchos, "me importas tú, y tú, y tú, y solamente tú~"

-and as you kept laughing, all red, neil finally got the courage from his friends even though his heart was all smushed by your angelic smile

-when he was finally determined to ask you on a date, that man was calm, cool, and collected which made you even more nervous as he approached your friends and you

-he'd give you those puppy dog eyes and you'd immediately melt before a word is even said

-once neil asks you out, it seems a crowd cheers somewhere beyond and neil can only chuckle sheepishly at his friends' reactions

-you guys begin dating and neil finds your culture fascinating! (in a good way lol)

-he'd want to know all the holidays, celebrate with you, to hell with his dad and his rules (he loves you too much <3)

-when he experienced latin music for the first time he would never go back

-he'd buy so many vinyls from different genres and constantly ask you to slow dance in the living room like the love birds you two are

-neil is the type to slowly get into the groove of things to dance cumbia, bachata, salsa

-oh but he will learn and surprise your whole family! it makes you kinda jealous when your primos are there watching him

-but he reminds them of you by giving you a kiss

-you'd hum some songs and be very surprised when he comes along singing the lyrics (maybe not perfect, but it’s so cute)

-it made you realize just how much he is trying to understand you who are, your language, which is so important to you

-you call him 'mi amor' (my love) and he would always ask what that means but you didn't want to say

-it basically means you love him and that was scary

-but imagine him singing cien años by pedro infante? it'd be the first time you'd say 'i love you'

-he alternatively says i love you and te amo because he loves you sooooo! much

-you'd giggle and say "yo tambien te amo, mi amor"

-he would always have cute nicknames like 'my darling' or 'my angel' but then he started using 'cariño'

-only when you two were alone because he was afraid his pronunciation wasn't too well

-you have no idea who he learned it from, but it made you tear up the first time you heard it from him

-his favorite part about being with you is the food, like at one point he'd just be like 'fuck it!' and make tamales with all the women

-his favorite desert is arroz con leche because i said so!

-he can’t handle spicy food, im sorry yall but i have to be accurate, the white genes </3

-curse words/phrases in spanish? he would know them all because your primos would tell him to say [x] and he'd do it without question lmaoo

-obviously you would not stop it because its kinda hilarious, but you would eventually inform him on what the words/phrases mean

-overall he'd get along with your family like they might call him 'guerrito' but he wouldn't mind

-neil would be surprised by the amount of spanish covers from english songs and vice versa, but it really opened his eyes to a new world

-he loves you, your culture, language, food, music, and everything else that comes with it

-sure, sometimes he doesn't understand what you're saying but he makes sure to study real hard and eventually become fluent in spanish

-his favorite part is when you sing to him (or listening to a song), something soft like cielito lindo :( and you watch him fall asleep as you stroke his hair

-neil perry is the best boyfriend fr <3

#neil perry #dead poets society #neil perry x reader #dead poets society x reader #dead poets headcanons #dead poets fanfic #dead poets fandom #x reader #x y/n #x you #kay 101 kim

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isnt-it-pretty · 8 months ago

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I found your Cyrus ask/post and really liked anon’s and your thoughts on it

Going onto my own projections lol, I always thought Cyno’s story parallels immigrants to an extent. He’s a desert dweller, but he’s basically been raised in the Akademiya. He’s Othered there because of the prejudices against the desert, but he’s Othered in the desert too due to being the General Mahamatra. He knows the desert, but from what I remember it’s implied (I think since the Sumeru archon quest?) he doesn’t quite know it as much those who actually live there, like Candace

One admirable trait of Cyrus at least is that he has a soft spot for children, and we see that when he’s willing to pretty much drop the case of the threat letter once he finds out it’s a 16-year-old responsible

So I think your take is very consistent of what we already know of Cyrus. Arguably, it’s still not the best outcome, because good intentions doesn’t mean it’s for the best. I honestly think he felt responsible for Cyno, as someone who was involved in implanting the fragment in him and seeing how it resulted in his sickliness. I also think seeing Cyno suffer was possibly half the reason why he ended the experiment and took him with him

But that’s me giving him the benefit of the doubt. Cyrus himself admits at the end of the SQ that he’s “not a good person” and that Cyno has reason to hate him. Like you said, he doesn’t give his reasons, so we’re left to basically guessing his thoughts that ultimately he’s a pretty enigmatic character. It doesn’t help that he’s not the most honest about them. He seems to be pretty emotionally-constipated and very avoidant in fact, and that bites him in the ass when he tells Cyno about Hermanubis but is not willing to get into any depth. Cyno even calls him out a little by the end of the SQ, when he clearly wants to talk to Cyno about something but ends up giving him “non-answers”, so he’s definitely not perfect

Either way, to that anon: you’re valid if u don’t like him. I was a little surprised at how much MHY went into Cyrus’ character, making him flawed enough to be justifiably disliked. It’s not something I expected from a NPC, but it’s a good direction from a story-telling standpoint (in that, I can see how this can be set up for conflict, but that’s my angst fanfic-loving heart lol cuz I doubt MHY will release a third SQ)

I'm glad you liked it! Here is the post referenced.

Cyno very much feels like somebody adopted outside of his culture (same with Kaeya), and he shares a lot with immigrants as well since the desert is basically treated as a seperate nation. He reminds me a lot of people who adopt children from Kenya or China (or other African & Asian countries), or indigenous children adopted outside of their communities, and then their roots are ignored and they're treated as the same as their family, even though they aren't.

I don't think there's any parents, adopted or otherwise, we know of in Genshin who are the idealisitic perfect parents. Kaeya's birth family is its own tangle, Crepus instilled a hero complex so strongly into Diluc that Diluc is now embittered and angry, Jean and Barbara's parents split up abd each took a kid (I mean seriously, what the fuck?), Kaveh's mother had severe depression and left him behind to build a life in Fontaine, Arlecchino is a mess for the Hearth children, Alice isn't the worst but she still left Klee for literally years, Dehya's father was a bandit, Diona's is an alcoholic, Kojou Sara's is a traitor, Wriothesley, Shenhe- you get the point. (Fischl, Bennet, and Yoimiya's parents are admittedly pretty good.)

Genshin has no problem giving us characters with complicated parental relationships. It's nice that we get to see Cyno still associating with Cyrus when so many other characters are estranged.

Cyno definitely deserves some straight answers though, and I think he'd get them eventually. Give it a few days to cool down and then go sit with Cyrus, listen to some tomato rants, and ask hos questions.

I'm too much of a baby to write or read arguments between Cyno and Cyrus 😭

#genshin #cyno story quest spoilers #cyno #professor cyrus #cyno & cyrus #cyrus posting

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scaredpigeons · 2 years ago

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Reincarnation Theory; an attempted breakdown on Alhaitham and Kavehs relationship that will never come to fruition because Hoyoverse are cowards— by Pidge.

When I finally got my hands on Alhaitham, I was ecstatic. Not only because damn, I finally get to play as this hunky, genius know-it-all pretty boy who would surely never give me the time of day if we were in the same room, but because attaining his character in game gave me first class tickets to learning more about him.

Up until his release as a playable character, we didn’t really know much about Alhaitham. He seemed cocky and aloof, sure of himself and had the knowledge to back up those attributes. It was honestly a little frustrating to see a character who acted so much like one you’d want to hate, but you simply just…. Couldn’t. Because seriously…? He’s not wrong. Dig a little deeper, and a lot of players found his actions and personality type to be extremely autism coded, and honestly refreshing for a lot of neurodivergent players like myself, so used to never seeing “undesirable” personality traits in characters who are designed with the intention for you to love them.

Working on building up Alhaitham to be my main Dps was entertaining, and in doing so I ventured more into the desert, learning more and more about the mysterious King Deshret and his seemingly abandoned society.

The symbolism found within ruins and relics had me jumping to conclusions so quickly. Rushing to message my best friend and fellow genshin impact enthusiast, Kier, to tell them of my theory.

Alhaitham has to be a reincarnation of king deshret! There’s so much symbolic mirroring in his design, his constellation, everything! Even if he isn’t, he has to have something to do with this ancient society, I mean c’mon, look at him.

And Kier, ever the seemingly nihilistic critical thinker brushed me off.

I’ve not payed much attention to the desert lore so far, they’d said. It’s sort of boring and white washed, and I’m focusing on the archon quest line right now. But whatever you say, kiddo.

Of course being in the throes of a questline involving the dendro archon herself, and the questionable nature of the beloved scaramouche becoming a playable character, (I could write a whole essay on the problems of that story’s narrative alone, but I shall save that for another day) was enough to distract me from this thought process, but then he arrived.

Alhaitham’s story quest caused every cyno x haitham shipper to do a collective and dramatic record scratch, because who was this stunning blond bombshell and why is he so hot despite nagging at our boy?

Kaveh stole my heart immediately. One look at that little open back panel on his shirt and I was done for. And as the drip marketing started, and the leaks were sucked up the fans straws like a sugary drink on a hot summers day, I went digging.

Alhaitham has multiple voice lines dedicated to his flamboyant roommate, and several that mention him in passing. They have matching animations for when they are standing idle in game. Their signature dishes mimic foods from each others referenced cultures, even items within their Teapot gift sets are representative of each other in some way. For a game that so seemingly discourages relationships between adult playable characters (in favour of keeping an open ended relationship with the beloved traveller of course,) these two are seemingly more connected to each other than any two characters we’ve seen before.

So with my theory that Alhaitham is a reincarnation of King Deshret, that would make Kaveh the goddess of flowers, yeah?

That was my initial thought too, until I looked deeper and found the mirrors.

Mirror symbolism is extremely important to Alhaithams character. He is literally named after a prolific contributor to our understanding of vision, optics and light— Al-Hasan Ibn al-Haytham, born around a thousand years ago in present day Iraq. Alhaithams elemental skill and burst involve mirrors of dendro energy, which fly off and bounce off of each other when his burst is activated, much alike to how light bounces off a mirror.

Alhaithams character story lines mention that despite their seemingly tedious relationship, he really respects Kaveh and his intellect. Kaveh helps Alhaitham to look outside of his comfort zone, and Alhaitham helps keep Kaveh’s feet on the ground. He says they are excellent mirrors of one another, and takes their relationship as an opportunity to observe and learn things that he never might have without him.

Here’s where my blatant romanticism comes out to play. What if Kaveh is not the goddess of flowers, but the reincarnation of King Deshret himself? What if the two deities wanted to be reincarnated as perfect mirrors of one another, while still retaining qualities the other loved so dearly?

KD was very clearly an architect himself, the ruins and buildings of the desert are no small feat, which is what drew me to the idea that perhaps Kaveh is the king. Kaveh is an extremely skilled architect, literally known as the ‘light’ of his darshan. KD naturally would retain that love and devotion for aesthetics in design. But he loved the goddess of flowers, so why not reincarnate as someone she might love? Someone thoughtful and emotional, someone who cares, someone beautiful and full of life.

The goddess of flowers loved KD as well, for his undying will in his search for truth, for his strength, intelligence and ability to lead. Hell, she sacrificed herself just so he could get closer to his goal. But of course, she’d not be able to be rid of some of that care-free nature, that free will that lead her followers to love her so, hence her reincarnation into someone that Deshret would have loved, a person who dedicates their entire being to the truth, to the pursuit of knowledge, even if that means seeming self absorbed in the eyes of others (when in reality he’s only going to put effort into what is interesting to him, such is his own use of that free will.)

The GoF still roams the sands for her love, even though she’s not a fan of the sands that destroyed her in the first place, (Alhaithams ascension materials are found deep within desert caverns, “*tsk* there’s sand in my shoes”

And the mourning king still searches for his flowers that represent the love he lost so long ago. (KAVEHS ASCENSION MATS ARE MOURNING FLOWERS????)

Of course, this theory may change and grow as we learn more about Kaveh, as at the time i am writing this, he is still locked away in Hoyo’s basement. But rest assured, as soon as i get my hands on him i will take another deep dive into the lore behind these two morons, and we can further discover how connected they really are.

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