#Let her be ambitious!

[whateverthought]

"I am Blood and Fire. Driftmark must pass to Salt and Sea."

Says the grandchild raised on Driftmark. Which twin was made Ward again? Hell, depending on when she left, how soon after her mother's death, she was in that Castle with Corlys! And when he disappeared, she was there with Rhaenys ruling! And don't get me started on how she doesn't even mention her sister!

What she should have said was, Why would I pass over the Iron Throne? Heaven Forbid she have any aspirations for herself!

[the-badger-mole]

A is for Ambition

I was having a conversation with a friend on the discord server I'm on about Azula, and this point came up about the sexism surrounding the way she was treated both by the canon reducing her actions to mental illness and by fandom tropes reducing her actions to her traumas. While I strongly believe that both her mental health and her past traumas had a hand in Azula's development, I think a lot of her character and actions (most of them, in fact) can also be attributed to her genuine ambition.

Ambition isn't bad in and of itself, and I think there is a version of Azula that could have used that ambition productively. But she didn't, and narratively speaking, that should be okay. What bothers me most about the idea of a redemption for Azula- and I know I've talked about this before- is that it doesn't take all of her motives for the choices she made into consideration. I don't like the way that dismissing her actions as the result of mental illness and abuse robs her of agency and reduces her to being a puppet. If there was one thing Azula was not, it was a puppet. Frankly, the dismissal of Azula's actions as a result of her mental state and upbringing smacks really strongly of misogyny. As if Azula in her natural state would be devoid of the ambition that made her so deadly. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think all or even most of the people who want to redeem Azula and use her mental health and relationship with Ozai as an easy way to do it are misogynist, but I think the fact that those were presented as reasons to factory reset her and make her a loving supportive sister for Zuko did come from a misogynistic place. And it didn't start withing the fandom.

As a society, we have a problem letting women be villains without explaining it away somehow. There are scores and scores of stories of women who turned evil (or more accurately turned anti-hero) because she was scorned by a man, or abused, or otherwise hurt, usually by a man. Or she turned evil as a result of something happening to her child (obviously not the case here). Then there are the genre of women who turn evil because they feel threatened by another woman. There isn't a whole lot of space for a woman who wants to do evil things simply because they benefit her or because she enjoys them. The best example of a female villain who was in it for the love of the game that I can think of is the original Maleficent, and then they decided that making her more complex meant giving her a tragic backstory a la a very thinly veiled date rape allegory. There isn't a lot of space for a female villain who cursed a baby because she needed to remind these uppity humans who they were dealing with.

Azula was almost definitely abused by Ozai- and possibly even physically abused- but that wasn't all of her motivation. I would go as far as to say that wasn't even most of her motivation. Azula was a ruthless, cunning, ambitious girl, who enjoyed what she did. If there is going to be any redemption of her, that needs to be acknowledged first. But really, does she need to be redeemed?

[luck-of-the-drawings]

EDYN TIDESTRIDER, CHALLENGER OF THE UNDERSEA, RIVAL OF THE DEEP. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR BROTHER WAS CHOSEN TO BE A WEAPON OF THE GODS? HOW WILL YOU UNDO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO HIM?

[melljam]

oh,!! oh dude!!! her design is so cool !!!!.!.

[card1gan]

margaret beaufort you will always be biblically accurate alicent hightower

[yardsards]

Forever mourning that we would’ve had a scene in the finale where the protagonists apparently reach a resolution with Odalia on some level??? It got cut so Camila could take her place and hell yeah more for Camila, never gonna apologize for that. But man it’d have been nice to have both. The Odalia-Collector storyline set up in CotH was evidently going somewhere there but in the end the finale was already extended ten minutes past the usual mark.

Also yes plsss on the twins! Emira my dearrrrr you were molded into the new Odalia into the next showman matriarch while your sister was meant to become the next Alador the next moneymaker!!! What are your thoughts what if we had a storyline about you being your own person!!! I have to acknowledge that there’s always someone who’s going to have to take the fall for another character to shine at this point in the story but man.

i'm actually mostly happy with how things ended with odalia. i really like that amity never forgives her and continues to go no-contact with her. far too often, media does a "but they're your PARENT, it would be wrong to cut them out of your life" message, and having that be the dominant cultural narrative can be really harmful to victims of parental abuse. so it was VERY refreshing to see a story that said "this character going no contact with her abusive parent was the right choice"

that said, i think there could have been a way to give odalia's storyline more of a resolution without tossing that down message down the drain.

see, you know how i've complained before about how making odalia a full-on villain really undercut her storyline as just an abusive mother. how it accidentally kiiinda had the implication of like "the abuse on its own wasn't enough to cut her off. she had to be willing to kill literally her entire race in order to earn that." which i don't think was intentional.

i think it would have been cool if the resolution to her arc was like. she's no longer a full on villain. she helps our protagonists and makes up for her involvement in the big plot. she's technically on our side now... but that still doesn't make up for the abuse, and amity still is better off without her in her life.

i'm imagining a scene of like, after odalia helps the gang with the collector in some way, she talks to amity. says something like "i will admit that you were right, for once. helping with the day of unity was a poor business decision on my part." and maybe even a "these months with the collector have shown me you weren't such a bad daughter" perhaps followed by a pompous "so i will forgive your little outburst at the factory and accept you as a member of my family again" (despite, y'know, being the one who got cut off)

so amity goes off on her. says it wasn't about the day of unity. or, at least, wasn't JUST about the day of unity. that it was about the years of being treated like a puppet rather than a person (cue some kind of clever shot of the collector's puppets). she says that he friends have shown her what real love is supposed to look like, and her time with camila has shown her how mothers are supposed to treat children, and that none of odalia's actions have matched that. so she says that no, she will not be allowing odalia to be her family anymore.

and odalia doesn't understand, just keeps arguing that she only did these things because she wanted what was best for her family. and so amity leaves.

-

AND YESSS THE TWINS. like. i get it. the show had a lot going on and not a lot of time, of course the protagonist's girlfriend's siblings aren't gonna get that much time dedicated to them. but man. i love me a fucked up family and i want to know more about those two so bad. emira especially. like her twin brother (who, up to that point, had exactly as much relevance as her) got his own episode subplot and she got nothing! and like she interests me for all the reasons you said AND like. she seems to be odalia's favorite (perhaps tied with edric, perhaps even above him) but she seems even more cynical about BOTH of their parents than amity does. AND LIKE she's got eldest daughter syndrome despite being a TWIN! she seems to feel responsibility for looking after her brother who is the exact same age as her! i need to know what's the deal with that dynamic! god the fic ideas and headcanons i have about her that i never got around to writing/finishing

[skyefeys]

me when the dgs track hits that tonal shift right before the refrain

[mollywog]

When the Stars Align

RegencyLark Part 1 | RegencyLark Part 2 | RegencyLark Part 3

She needs to find a husband. She came to the conclusion within an hour of Peeta’s return.

After she’d seen him, she’d wandered the streets aimlessly, unable to return to his home, for that’s what it was; his. She’s been living on Peeta’s charity these last two years, though that’s not entirely true. She’s been managing the estate in his absence which must count for something.

She’d only come to town this year for Primrose’s debut season, but now she’s glad of it. She’ll need to begin her search immediately, so she changes direction towards the Odair house to speak to Finnick on the matter.

~~~

As a child Katniss had assumed her life would always be an endless string of golden days; Her parents were hopelessly in love and she had the most perfect companion in her sweet little sister. Though they weren’t rich they lived comfortably and most importantly, they were happy. But then at eleven her father had died and she’d watched her mother die a slow and agonizing death from a broken heart. Their modest house was entailed to a distant cousin who was only fourteen himself with a mother and three siblings to support as well and Katniss’s days had faded to a dull gray hue while the Everdeen sisters had mourned their parents and struggled to adjust to their new lives.

Then her God-father, Lord Abernathy, had discovered their situation and invited them to live on his estate as his wards, and while their days had brightened to a rosier glow, Katniss could never forget the hollow look in her mother’s eyes in the weeks after her father’s death as she slipped away from them. Katniss would not allow that to happen to her. She knew she must marry one day, but she swore to herself that she’d never fall in love.

Luckily, she was friends with Finnick Odair; a staple of fashionable society and as such a collector of confidences. When she’d told him of her resolve, he’d been determined to assist her; To not love a husband was one thing, but to not respect him another.

An Earl was much more than the unexceptional daughter of an unknown gentleman could have expected, but they both had trusted Finnick’s judgment in the matter. He’d introduced them at a ball and though many found Graham Mellark’s reserve off-putting, she’d seen the practicality in the man who spoke directly to the purpose or not at all.

He’d called at Abernathy place the next morning where they’d shared tea in companionable silence and within the month they were married.

The first few weeks of their marriage, however, had been painfully awkward. Katniss might have begun to second guess her decision, had it not been for her new brother-in-law. Peeta began visiting frequently and seemed to always know just what to say to lighten the mood and put them both at ease. She realized she had never heard her husband’s laugh before his brother had visited. It had been Peeta who had given her hope that her marriage wasn’t a mistake, but beyond that, she’d enjoyed his company on its own merits. It wasn’t long before she had considered him among her closest acquaintances.

But then Graham had died and despite her careful planning and arranging she’d crumbled, because in the end, she had loved him in her own way. It wasn’t a desperate, wild, romantic love like her parents, but one born of familiarity, friendship, and mutual support.

Worse still, along the way she’d lost Peeta as well and although he’s returned in body, she will not allow herself to believe that they can ever be as they once were.

~~~

“I’m in need of a husband,” she announces as soon as the drawing room doors close behind her.

Finnick doesn’t seem surprised, appraising her over his cup of tea before speaking, “This is sudden.”

“Peeta- eh. The Earl of Bakerston has returned home.”

He nods his head, “then this seems an easy solution. You already hold the title, already live on the property and know the estate, you are both unattached, and last I saw, you are both mad for one another.”

She jerks back at his declaration, before she begins shaking her head, the force making her dizzy. “No. No, no, you are mistaken, we are friends… or we were friends… but that was long ago. I have not had a single word from him in two years!” She begins pacing the room and the words begin tumbling out, “oh Finnick, I don’t know what to do. He just… left. I know he had every right to do it. But oh, how I needed him. No, I am certain that he hates me. He would not have gone otherwise. Yes, he was mourning his brother, but so was I! Would it not have been natural for us to find solace in one another?”

“Only too natural and likely why he felt he must put distance between you two.”

Even in her grief she’d known how improper it was for her to ask Peeta to hold her as she’d fallen asleep. She’d asked too much of him. She was not his responsibility and making herself so had driven him away. She hazards a glance in Finnick’s direction to see if he knows the truth of it, but he’s wearing an impassive expression. She shakes her head before continuing, “And now he’s come back, to claim his dues, find his own countess and sire an heir. I have no legal right to any of it. I am at his whim, he could toss me out at a moment's notice. There’s no room for me in Bakerston any longer. Nor at Abernathy house.”

“He has told you this?”

“No, his arrival took me by surprise. I have yet to speak to him.” Oh, she was a coward.

“Ah, yes. That sounds correct.” She scowls at her friend but he waves a dismissive hand, “Sit down, lest you wear a hole in the rug.”

She sinks down on the sofa, “so will you help me?”

“Katniss, I am still not convinced my assistance is necessary. You really should speak to him. Unless you plan to uproot to Abernathy house in the interim, you’ll be sharing a home.”

She makes a distressed noise in the back of her throat. Surely he would take the Earl’s room right beside her own. The idea of sharing a wall feels… intimate. The act of an Earl and his Countess, not a man and his dowager burden. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Perhaps she could have her things moved down the hall?

“Katniss, I know your reasons for seeking an uncomplicated match the first time, but now that you’ve weathered the worst and come out the other side, would it not be better to take your time and marry for affection? You will not need my help for that.”

She rubs her temples. She was relying on his continued understanding on this front. She wonders when he’s become such a romantic.

He sighs , “well if you are determined, I will only ask that you speak to Peeta before I lend my services.”

It seems a fair enough price, she’ll have to speak to him sooner or later anyways, so she nods, “consider it done, but ready your recommendations, for I am certain I’ll be in need a husband before the season is through.”

[atuats-sidechick]

Young Rangi *mid training*: Mom, I think... I have a crush...

Hei-Ran: Hmn, and?

Rangi: A crush on a girl... what should I do?

Hei-Ran *correcting her posture*: Kill her?

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Sometimes do you ever remember the soupçon of misogyny in the press during the early (and latter) days of Joever and want to bust kneecaps lmao

[vodka-and-ocs]

most disastrous crossover ever

[novelconcepts]

I’m curious to see what you’d do with Taivan and the role swap from the prompt list!

14 - Role Swap

It's a funny thing, what being told you're a slacker from birth will do. A funny trick played on the unsuspecting child. Sometimes, it results in the Natalie Scatorccios of the world: adamantly leaning in, dressing the part, cloaked in the reckless prestige of the burnout. Sometimes, it results in proving the point, making a game of it, making it your own.

And sometimes, it results in Van Palmer.

Taissa has been watching Van for years, curious. The way she bumps elbows with Nat, you'd think they ought to be twin terrors. Grown from the same seeds, watered with the same reluctant care. The same ember of raw potential buried beneath bad luck and worse parenting.

Except where Natalie leans in, armored in leather and nicotine, Van chooses instead to dip into the fire and come out the other side polished as glass. Where Natalie grimaces and rolls her eyes, Van bares her teeth in a snarl that looks so much like joy, it lights something behind Taissa's ribs. Where Natalie leans in, a joint dangling from pursed lips, Van assesses every angle of the cage she was born into.

And sets to work tearing it the fuck down.

Bafflingly, she's always laughing. Laughing, when she scores the highest in every single class. Laughing, when she races perilously from between her goal posts, booting the ball so far downfield, the goal is nearly single-fucking-handed. Laughing, when she crosses her arms over her chest, taking in Coach's advice and Shauna's scowl with the same feverish amusement.

Laughing, when she takes Taissa by the collar in an empty locker room, kissing her until Tai can't imagine doing anything else.

It must be exhausting, to be Van Palmer, she thinks sometimes. To have that GPA, to be the MVP of game after game, to walk the streets of Jersey like God Himself has handed her the map to the exit ramp. It must be exhausting, to house so much ambition in a five-foot-six frame. Taissa, relaxing between her parents in the evenings, can't fathom it. Taissa is content being good enough.

Maybe that comes from growing up with people who ask and answer, who empathize rather than envy. Maybe it comes from a securely middle-class tax bracket. Maybe it's just pure luck of the draw. She's going to be okay, she knows. She's smart. She's talented. She's capable. She doesn't need to kill herself to get out of here. Things have a way of working out.

She tries telling that to Van, and Van only laughs harder. "Maybe for you," she says sweetly, arms bracketing Taissa in the grass. Then she's kissing Tai again, and the conversation is over. All such conversations with Van go this way. A layer of steel behind her smile. A layer of don't-push-it couched in jokes. Fire so hot, it begins to melt whatever dares look too long at the flames.

All conversations with Van go this way. Tai wonders how much weight is on the other girl's back. Wonders how she keeps her head so high. Wonders if she sleeps.

She'll learn, eventually. In the woods, when Van takes the lead so easily, it's almost scary. In the woods, when Van's good-natured sense of humor gathers the others to her like freezing children to a bonfire.

In the woods, when Van raises her head in the dark, eyes blank, teeth bared. Ambition has a price, Taissa realizes. Ambition has a price, and Van's been paying for years.

Exhausting, it must be. She gathers Van close, presses firm lips against her hairline, feels the desperate gallop of her heartbeat. Exhausting, it must be. Van Palmer, the consummate refusal to burn out. Van Palmer, burning so brightly, she might just consume them all.

[moderndayamymarch]

do y’all think when harry first put the sorting hat on it thought “omg why is tom riddle in here too”

[frottica]

glinda ending up basically in charge of oz when that was never what she was after

[ladyloveandjustice]

honestly I have to hand it to qualia the purple for doing the whole 'all the universes want this probably queer girl dead for some reason and the girl who loves her can't seem to save her no matter how much she time loops' and actually coming with a meaningful thematically consistent explanation for it that doesn't just construct this girl as an object to be saved or destroyed rather than just shrugging and going "well. The World just Hates Her. You should Let Her Die. Fate is Immovable and she has no real agency. That's our moral."

[demonbarberofbeepbeep]

hurt/comfort lucy barker save me