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siren-theories · 5 years ago

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Maddie Bishop's treatment by the writers in Season 3

(tl, dr: Maddie deserved better this season) SPOILER WARNING: This post includes spoilers up to and including Episode 308 “Till Death do us part”. I apologise to the readers for - after a long hiatus - not writing another analysis post first. But I felt the way Maddie was written in Season 3 deserves its own post. So let us take a look at the the way Maddie was written in Season 3, the inconsistencies with her earlier established character traits and the possible justifications for this treatment of her by the writers.

I. Introduction

I generally do not like to post about a show which has not finished its current season. That is because a lot of developments only make sense in retrospect and only then the viewer can know why the writers decided to emphasize certain developments. As such, I am usually trying not to write episode reviews and engage in wild speculation about what will happen next episode. I much prefer writing after the end of a season.

Looking back on all the shows I have seen in my life, there are only a few that come to mind that had a great third season. The West Wing and the Wire are the prominent examples that come to mind.

(Shameless West Wing Plug. I so miss this show and its intelligent characters, especially in the current political climate).

Other shows meanwhile go completely off the rails (like Andromeda, which never recovered from its Season 3). So in general I tend to be very forgiving to shows entering their third season, not expecting much. Thus I would usually not write something like this.

But: I worry about the treatment of a character I feel very protective of, the chracter who is my favourite character in the show: Maddie Bishop.

(Vivat regina.)

Her being my favourite character might be surprising to the reader considering most of the posts on this tumblr are about Ryn (and to a lesser degree Ben), while I have written only sparingly about Maddie. But that is simply because Ryn and Ben are more interesting characters to analyze. Emotionally, they tick the "lets root for them" box for me, despite - and because of - their character flaws. Those flaws always add to the story in a fascinating and dramatic way.

But Maddie Bishop I RESPECTED right from the start. This is in no small part because I always felt drawn to her analytical, logical, scientific side. In cheesy terms, I felt a bond with her because I could easily think of me acting the same way she did in many situations. For me, she was easy to emphatize with, easy to like and very easy to root for.

But this season has been hard to swallow in some respects.

In the words of the Godfather:

(Tremble in awe of my awesome MS Paint skills)

Note that this does not apply to all of Maddie's actions. In fact, the vast majority of her actions this season are no big deal to me and fit her character. Many of the actions Maddie seems to catch a lot of flak for on other parts of the internet seem perfectly justifiable to me as they do not go against the core traits of her character.

I have no issues with many major decisions Maddie made this season, including but not limited to:

She is totally right to re-evaluate her relationship with Ben. Everybody should probably do so when their boyfriend confesses that he let somebody intentionally drown. (It also is not the first time they have broken up. One breakup per season seems to be the norm with those two, not the exception.)

Her hiding the fact of Ryn being her girlfriend to Robb was the right and logical choice. Most people do not talk about their sexuality in face-to-face situations with strangers. Let’s remember that they all agreed to hide their relationship even when having dinner with Ben's family...so why would people expect Maddie to refer to Ryn as her girlfriend to strangers?

I am also okay with her deciding to pursue a relationship with Robb. Even though I view him as a giant waste of screentime he seems like a good guy in total. (I really hope his introduction pays off in future seasons because right now it feels as if he has taken double or triple the screentime he should.)

I could go on but I feel the point has been made. What I am however definitely not okay with are the instances where Maddie acts like a complete idiot. Those show a massive failure to respect established character traits by the writers.

Because one thing Maddie Bishop is not is an idiot.

She probably is the smartest character on the whole show. And she is definitely not a hypocrite - in fact, her strong moral core is what made her that great of a character in Season 1 and 2.

Let me just highlight a few situation this season where I disliked heavily how Maddie was written.

II. Revealing the secrets of the Sirens and their existence to a total stranger ?

“Remember this big secret people are literally getting killed over? I wonder if I should talk about it to this guy I met for a few coffees...not like letting other people knowing about it has ever hurt somebody....Ian? What is an Ian?”

Over the span of a few days, Maddie does the following in Season 3:

Reveal information about the Sirens to a total stranger, even going so far as to show him secret Siren history in the cave

Bring a complete stranger into the maritime laboratory (what exactly could have been her thought process here, what did she hope to gain by this?)

Doing the above despite being repeatedly warned not to do so

I can live with Ben being an idiot and refusing to heed warnings until it almost kills him because that is who his character is - somebody who lets his emotion, empathy and character flaws get the better of him at times despite his good intentions. Him taking stem cells is thus consistent with his character and at the very least a justifiable writers decision. To a lesser degree this also applies to Ryn and her total lack of impulse control. Ben and Ryn making bad decisions it is very consistent with their characters - and yes, this even applies to making stupid decisions. (For Ryn, agreeing to work with the military in Episode 207 “Entrapment” is but one example).

But this is NOT Maddie and never was.

The Maddie from previous seasons was so very invested in keeping the secret that she hid it from her own father in Season 1. This led to the awesome scene between her, her father Dale and Ryn In episode 107: “Dead in the water”.

She hid this secret from her own mother in Season 2 (heck, she even hid her relationship with Ryn from her). She hid Ryn from her best friends, her former boyfriend and her coworker. And yet, suddenly some stranger from outside town waltzes in and within the span of a few coffee dates she goes and spills the beans to him? After being explicitly warned not to do so? Without even being in a relationship with Robb at that point and knowing next to nothing about him? If you had held a gun to my head and forced me to pick somebody who would be dumb enough to just reveal the secret of the Sirens to outsiders, Maddie Bishop never would have been my answer.

I could see Ben “Bad Judgement” Pownall and Ryn “No brakes on this train” Fisher doing so. I expect Xander and Calvin to be trash at keeping secrets because that is consistent with their past behaviour. But Maddie? No. Not Maddie. Not the girl who hid her mother’s addiction from the world as best she could. Not the woman who was okay keeping Ryn a secret from her own father. And not to a total stranger.

This is Ben-level stupidity. Actually, it is worse than that. Blabbing about the mermaids to a total stranger without being under any kind of duress is by far the most stupid thing any character has ever done in this show. It risks not only Maddie herself, but also the Sirens as a species. It is even worse than Xander telling Nicole about Helen's family burials at the end of season 2. It is irresponsible and completely outside Maddie's established character traits and her past actions. It is unbelievable.

III. Killing is different when my (animal) girlfriend does it

Besides turning her into an idiot, the writers also turned Maddie into a hypocrite in stating Ryn letting Ian drown is different than Ben doing the same. Nevermind the fact that Ryn has actively killed people (and probably will continue doing so).

(Why is it different when two people react exactly the same?Because.....reasons. The best reasons. People tell me they are the best reasons. My uncle went to MIT and invented these reasons. Big brain time.)

So the writers had Maddie claim it is different when Ryn does exactly the same thing as Ben. It also is okay for Ryn to kill somebody who was no real threat to Ryn (or Maddie with Ryn being there). Remember when Ryn killed the drug dealer in Episode 205? Ryn was toying with the guy throughout the whole fight and clearly enjoyed killing him in a brutal manner. She even grins during the fight once she realizes the guy has no chance against her.

And yet, Maddie was okay with this. But it is not okay for Ben to let somebody drown who was a) a homocidal maniac who used his car as a deadly weapon, having attempted to run Ben over twice previously b) somebody who could not be trusted c) who had just kidnapped a drugged-up Ryn.

I cannot remember when I ever groaned in frustration at anything Maddie had done or said throughout the course of the show. This must have been the first time and it is especially jarring in response to the following scene in 206:

(Ryn does not. The writers might.) As I said above, I am more than okay with Maddie evaluating her relationship with Ben, what I am not okay with is her immediate declaration that Ryn killing people is different...because she is Ryn? And I hate how it has one particularly ugly implication - that to Maddie, Ryn killing people is just what she does. The conclusion to be drawn from that is that Ryn is indeed a predator/animal first to Maddie than a human being.

And this is obviously inconsistent with Maddie's earlier actions.

First, she did not mind somebody eliminating threats before. She was okay with potentially having to hurt people in order to defeat the sonic cannon in Season 2. She was “willing to fight” to protect Ryn and her species. And several times Maddie carried loaded guns and was ready to use them herself in the series.

She also always believed in Ryn's humanity. I am sure the many scenes between Ryn and Maddie in Season 1 and 2 are fresh in everyone's mind. Suffice to say that Maddie has always believed in the humanity of Ryn, starting with the car scene between the two in Episode 102 or the trust scene in Episode 103, which I have linked below.

youtube

(and where did this dynamic go btw?) Which ties in neatly with my next point:

IV. The Marginalization of Maddie regarding Ryn and Ben

Let me start by saying that breaking up the trio to focus on Ben/Ryn (and probably continuing to focus on those two) is not something I want to critize from a storytelling perspective. Final judgement on the storytelling will be reserved until the end of the series. As this issue is inextricably linked with “shipping” preferences, I think at this point I have to explain where I stand on the issue. I would prefer Polymarine as I think it really fits the characters best...but I can live with Ben/Ryn. This is in no small part due to Eline Powell and Alex Roe doing some of their greatest work on this show playing off each other. See for example how in Episode 306 they improvised with her hair sticking to his body after a hug and turned that into a tender gesture...great impromptu acting without breaking character. If the writers want to explore this (or any other) relationship further I can respect that decision from a storytelling perspective because I think the payoff will be satisfying to me as a viewer. Even though I feel it would have been better to explore Ben/Ryn in the context of Polymarine I begrudgingly accept the right of the writers to tell the story the way they want to.

And If nothing else it leads to stunning visuals - image credit to @crayonboxhearts, more gifs from this scene at the link.

But I dislike the way in which the writers set it up and executed it this season because (as outlined above) it sacrificed some of Maddie’s core character tenets and had her acting out of character.

Having the trio become a duo on its own in an organic way without the above would have been preferable IMO. There were enough angles the writers could have chosen to facilitate that in a believable manner. They could have focused on the connection Ryn has with Ben, they could have had family reasons...et cetera pp. And they also could have used some of the issues Maddie has in her own past to justify a breakup. All of this would have been (IMO) preferable to what we got.

What we got was something that felt as if it was written to check some boxes to set up the future plotlines and in doing so marginalized Maddie with regards to her importance to Ryn, Ben and the overall story.

Granted, the show tried to show Maddie and Ryn's feelings for each other and they spent some time showing Ben moping after her - but in light of the significant strides made in the Ben/Ryn dynamic these scenes feel more than a bit hollow.

And anybody who has watched episodes 308 could just see the role of Maddie as it relates to interacting with Ryn and Ben getting smaller by the minute. Ryn and Ben now have their own little circle, one which only seems to include Maddie on the periphery. Nowhevere was this stronger on display than in Episode 308, with Ben and Ryn making lifelong promises to each other.

Ryn: “I will live on Land. With you.” Ben: “On land. You mean, stay human?” Ryn: “Yes. Here. Together. Human.” Ben: “What about Hope?” Ryn: “She can be with us. As a family.” Ben: “I can’t ask you to do that.” Ryn: “It is my choice. When it is time, I will be human with you.”

Notice how Maddie was not even mentioned once during that conversation? And yes maybe it would have been a bit weird to include her in the dialogue . However this is not an isolated incident. Later on Maddie is not even in the same frame when Ryn and Ben actually exchange a wedding ring and make a “til death do us part” promise. Let me repreat this: They are exchanging wedding vows and Maddie is not even in the frame.

(Yes, technically not wedding vows, but only due to the circumstances surrounding them - the sentiment and meaning was there. FFS, she is even wearing white).

And sometimes it is something as simple as Ryn in 308 kissing Maddie on the cheeks and Ben straight on the lips.

There could not have been a more clearer message than the contrast here. And this was clearly intentional on part of the director considering these frames followed each other immediately.

And then of course we get the followup scene on the docks where Ben is literally standing in the middle between Maddie and Ryn, before turning and following Ryn, both leaving Maddie behind. Observe the contrast between that scene and the pier scene in Episode 203.

203:

308:

(Ngl,seeing her standing alone there in the dark hurt) And some of that can be viewed as a logical development of Maddie no longer being in a relationship with Ben (and whatever kind of relationship Maddie has with Ryn, it is clear that Ryn is not staying at Maddie’s place at all). Siren has always been about the relationship of the main characters within the tight-knit circle and it is clear that at this point in the story Maddie is not part of the inner circle anymore.

V: Maddie’s role in the story

And if Maddie would be doing something else, something central to the story of Bristol Cove, something that would valiate her character and make her essential to the plot in other ways, it might be enough for me or at least end up softening the blow. But is that the case?

The side characters that have the closest connection with her (Dale and her mother Susan) have not even appeared once this season. And we had Xander replace her in her role as the gun-carrying backup which Ben calls first when stuff goes down in episode 306. So far there has not been a critical “Maddie moment” this season that was absolutely essential to the plot. She figured out the reason why the pool was not working in Episode 307 but it was Ben who came up with an actual solution to the problem.

(A caveat: Ben usually is the one who figures out solutions in the show (cf 208) so I might just be overreacting here.) But what exactly is left of the crucial role that Maddie had at the start of this season? Is she still as important as the other two main characters with regards to story development? I really hope the Finale will make me look like a fool for even asking that question. But I hate having arrived at a point where it even is a question once can ask legitimately.

VI: Previous acts of plot

This is not the first time the writers have decided to ignore established character traits in order to tell a certain story. I have written before how it made no sense for certain storylines of Season 2 to play out the way they did in Episode 214 and 215 - except in the context of them serving the overarching plot.

Specifically, Ryn not knowing Ben's last name despite living together for weeks and months and suddenly going haywire after hearing it made little sense. And yet it was clear why it had to happen - because the writers wanted to tell a specific story. (A longer argument for what happpened and why can be found in the middle of this post if you do not want to take my word for it.) They wanted to do so because it led to great payoffs for the viewer:

1) We had an awesome discussion between Maddie and Ryn in Episode 214

(Remember how emotionally intelligent Maddie was in that situation? Where did scenes like that go?)

2.) It led to several great scenes between Ben and Ryn and also provided further justification for Ben’s choices in 216.

In retrospect, the plot contrivances of 214 were done by writer's fiat to setup a scenario that would test the relationship of the trio. This created more drama and paved the way for a satisfying payoff at the end of Episode 215/216. In doing so, the writers allowed character inconsistencies and plot contrivances to steer the story towards a predetermined outcome, to the detriment of character logic and past character developments.

And we can see a similar trend developing here. The end goal of the writers seems to have been the rock scene between Ben and Ryn at the end of Episode 308.

And if you assume this to be the end goal in the current plot development...if the goal was to focus on Ben and Ryn...then there needs to be a breakup. Because huge parts of the storyline (stemcells, them going swimming, them making promises to each other etc.) do not work with Maddie in the picture.

But was it necessary to sacrifice parts of her character and have her acting in a manner inconsistent with her established traits in order to do so? (Maybe they had to rush it because of lack of episode time, but then why waste so much time on Robb and Helen’s ghost stories?).

And there is another problem: The success of this plot development will heavily depend on whether it will fit the personal preferences of the viewership. As I said above, while I would have preferred Polymarine I can live with and enjoy Ben/Ryn or Maddie/Robb.

But for die-hard polymarine and Maddie/Ryn shippers, I feel the results might be somewhat different. And this is only made worse by Maddie being unfairly treated by the writers in order to facilitate the overall plot development. I suspect many Maddie fans (regardless of their shipping preference) will have been disheartened about how the writers made Maddie behave this season.

I know I was.

VII: The parallels between Episodes 108 and 308 - and why they worry me

And there is another meta-reason why I am deeply worried about Maddie and her role going forward. And this has to do with the way in which Siren’s previous ten-episode season has been set up. In Season 1, it was Episode 108 that cemented the character development happening in that season. Episodes 109 and 110 served to defeat the big bad of the season and to introduce temporary setbacks that had to be solved at the start of the following season before the characters returned to the dynamics establied in 108.

In short, while Episodes 9 and 10 were exciting, Episode 8 of Season 1 is the pivotal episode of the season. Ryn’s desire to learn and to stay on land, her first steps into human society...all those happened in that episode. There are also strong parallels in the way 108 and 308 treated Ryn’s relationship with Ben, even ending their screentime in the episode with a impactful scene between the two (”Will you sing to me” / “Til death do us part”). Other parallels include both episodes featuring an important event in a human’s life (a wake/a marriage), both episodes involving the whole Bristol Cove community etc.

And like 108, 308 was (IMO) a near-perfect episode in terms of performances, pivotal scenes and dialogue. Just by the sheer number of extras, costumes etc. involved the writers clearly wanted it to be important. And it was important. It greatly drove forward the plot and I personally rate it as one of my favourite episodes of the show on its own for that reason.

But there is one major difference that seperates 108 and 308: Maddie was very much still in the picture (literally) and a plot-driving force in her own right.

And this worries me.

I expect the final two episodes will be about defeating the big bad of the season, as it was with Season 1. Maybe the season will even end the same way as Season 1 - with Ryn being on her own for a bit. Maybe she even goes back to the water for a longer time (or is forced to do so due to circumstances). But I also expect character development in season 4 to largely use 308 as its base.

And now you can see why I am getting concerned here about Maddie’s diminished role. I really hope the writers have not forgotten what a wonderful character they created in her and find better ways to use her in season 4.

There are plenty of options within Siren to give her meaningful screentime again (her spending more time with Xander and Calvin for example would also give more screentime to those two, which I would love to see). But whatever the writers chose to do in the future, I really hope that it does not involve Maddie acting out of character again.

Conclusion:

The way the writers wrote Maddie in Season 3 is not something that I agree with, nor does her diminished role in the central dynamics of the story sit well with me. Did it completely ruin the show for me? No. The mysteries of the sirens, the Pownell family saga, the question of whether Ryn has to permanently return to the sea, her child and the whole Ryn/Ben dynamic kept me entertained - and will do so in the future.

But Maddie being this off-base and not being in the main picture definitely does diminish the show for me - and I think I am not alone in this. When I look at the failed opportunities for her character it saddens me in a major way. Even though Season 3 is still an enjoyable and entertaining season for me, it could have been much more.

#siren #siren freeform #maddie bishop #maddie #ryn #polymarine #character analysis

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teacherintransition · 3 years ago

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A Swift Kick in The Ass

The “Big Leap” or “Teacher in Transition” isn’t just a one time move that won’t ever need re-thinking… DO NOT settle in or rest on your laurels…

This gig only works if you keep challenging yourself…

“He not busy being born is busy dying…”

Bob Dylan

It is almost a year ago that I made the move; THE decision…retirement. It was a frightening series of contemplations that I worked over and over in my mind. Analysis and re-analysis, thinking what success would look like, what failure would mean; seeking advice dealing with the nay sayers that were just in my mind alone. You would not believe the entitlement to intrude that so many people think they have; it is beyond infuriating. “A person should work until at least sixty five… but a teacher is what you are … do you realize how much time there is to fill? … idle hands are the devil’s workshop (yes, I really got that one) … you won’t be able to afford it … isn’t retiring kind of selfish?” My responses followed: 1. What if you don’t make it to sixty five 2. I am a teacher and so much more 3. Yes and I’ll be filling it my way 4. Oh boy I hope so 5. Mind your business 6. Yes … yes it is selfish and we are all due that time. I could easily silence the unrequested advice with some Latin

“…vos manseritis in me, et vivat anima mea subjugale mutum animal,”

Throughout this year, I’ve shared advice regarding the best way to use time during this stage in life. The main points being: discover your loves, your skills and your dreams. I’ve never advocated throwing caution to the wind; well, maybe some, but a plan and goals were always part of the picture. With blind faith, I extolled the rewards of being able to finally pursue the dreams that were put on hold while you worked to pay bills. After a year has passed, I can deliver a verdict… it has been amazing.

Though Covid has altered everyone’s plans, for the most part, I’ve been able to accomplish many of my goals and some I never considered. My blog writing has taken off better that I expected; I’ve created a small online business and have sold more art in nine months than I have in my entire life; I’ve been published; I’ve done volunteer work for a dog rescue organization; I’m part of an international organization that promotes Scottish history; I walked 2 to 3 miles a day; I’ve tutored college students and more than these things have became accomplishments. I’ve read voraciously and during the middle of the summer, I plan to start my storytelling podcast. So, everyone lives happily ever after? …huh? …NO.

This is the trap I’ve fallen victim to recently. A satisfying retirement plan isn’t and cannot be a one and done. Yes, you must always ask yourself, “what’s next!” If you do a couple of great things and leave it at that; all you’ve done is take one more step than the guy who moved from work to the rocking chair. Like any rut or lifeless routine in life, one can easily get trapped if you’re not careful. My dalliance into despair started with a long cold I acquired during our “snowmageddon.” The cold kept me miserable for six weeks… my energy was sapped. The despair was further reinforced by the Covid rescheduling of two trips to Europe that have been in the planning for more than two years. It was the second year that Covid caused this and it was a real blow. Unbeknownst to me, I was allowing these disappointments to be excuses to slow down and feel pity. These are to be avoided at all costs… trust me, when you are the goal setter and your not setting any, things can get dreary quickly.

Without question, the benefits of being your own person can also be its drawbacks. You are in charge of keeping the ship afloat when things go wrong or they slow down. Disruptions can be more jolting when your 9 to 5 isn’t worked out for you. Ideas started slowing down and my mood took a downward turn. I could feel it … less than a year into this and I could feel the gears gumming up. It was apparent that I needed a swift kick in the posterior, the back of my front, the Gluteus Maximus, … I needed a kick in the ass! This kick would be delivered by a 4” 11’ veteran nurse of thirty three years… my wife.

There is always second guessing involved with this gig, can’t be avoided. Early in May, I was approached to apply for an Art teaching job at one of my former places of employment. Yes, I was considering… UNRETIREMENT! I spoke with my wife about it one afternoon and she hastily followed up with, “you want to do what?” Elaboration followed and was met again with, “you want to do what?” with an additional, “why are you even thinking that?” I explained to her what my mood was like of late and that I felt unfocused. Kim patiently reassured me that financially we were doing fine, but more to the point, she shared her observation that she hadn’t seen me so at ease and less stressed in many years and felt I was overreacting. To wit, I overreacted further and set up an interview. It went great, I was on my game, I still had it.

Later that afternoon, we were driving to Conroe to visit my brother and take one of our rescue dogs to a vet. Being quite coy, I revealed to Kim that I had gone to an interview and disappointment filled her facial expression. She asked, “well, how did it go?” “I killed it… it was out of the park!” She didn’t share my enthusiasm but did share some wisdom. She told me that I knew this would be tough making the change going into it and there was bound to be some rough spots. Kim was very aware that I missed my students tremendously, but she also knew how much I had accomplished. We talked on the drive down about things I had planned and that disappointment was inevitable and temporary. She reminded me that it had been a long time since she had seen me happy.

Then she did it … moved in on the power play, “haven’t you wanted to write a book?” Sheepishly I replied, “well, uh yeah … I guess.” For the rest of the drive, we fleshed out the book I wanted to write. I have started writing the book. This task wasn’t even on the radar when I thought of retiring; seven chapters and forty seven pages have been written in less than a week. It doesn’t matter if it’s not a best seller, it’s from my soul which had been darkened a bit the past few months. I knew and my wife knew I had a fire to create and she wasn’t going to let me forget. Ass kicked… in the best way possible.

Setbacks are inevitable and effort can be tough to keep going sometimes, but it’s always worth it. Whether it’s raising your kids, paying the mortgage or helping direct a lost kid, the best things in life are rewarding because of the struggle in accomplishing them. A rocking chair doesn’t require much effort keep the fire stoked.

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realantisepticeye · 4 years ago

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Vision of the past

WARNING - CONTAINS HORRIBLE ACTS.

Marvin was called home by his grandma. She was the only one he trusted, she know about him practicing magic. She loved him and he loved her. His parents on the other had were very religious and had his life planned out for him. They planned for marvin to be the family care taker and to be fisherman. Just like his father. Hey even planned from who he would love. A sweet farm girl down the street.

Marvin rushed into her house thinking something was wrong. His grandma and father were sitting at the table. His grandma was crying as his father leaned in his chair. "So it's true then." His father said. "What's true? What's wrong grandmama?"Marvin asked. He kneel down by her. "Grandmama." He said. His grandma put her hand on his. "I'm sorry my grandbaby." His dad yanked the back of young Marvin shirt causing him to fall back. "Get up...I said get up boy!" His father yelled. Marvin got up and face his dad in the eyes. His father rip the mask off Marvin's face and throw it on the table. His father pushed him to his room. Well what was his room the only things in there was only a thin mattress and a pillow on. All of marvin's belongs were gone. The door slammed shut and locked.

Marvin didn't know how long he was left alone in that room. He didn't even know what caused such a reaction out of his dad. Was it the pagan religion? Being gay? Magic? It felt like hours before his grandma and father came in. "On your knees." Marvin didn't care why. He stood tall, he wasn't going to get on his knees for no man. His father struck him in the face causing him to fall. "What is going on? Why are you doing this?" Marvin asked. His father took out a big knife and cut marvin's shirt in the back. "Repent my grandson please." His grandma begged "repent for what?" Marvin asked. "Repent for your sins you. Your sins again God and this family." His father demanded. "Being gay isn't a sin. I can't help that and magic isn't a sin. You can't say your god do-" marvin was cut off by being whipped with something sharp. "Repent." His father said before whipping marvin again. Marvin yelled in pain. Soon his father was just whipping him. While his grandma date for Marvin to just comply. His grandma stepped in when she thought it was to much. His father and grandma left. Slamming the door behind them. Marvin cried.

Marvin passed out and didn't wake up until what he assumed was the next day. He was hunger. His grandma came into the room and handed marvin some bread she made. It was he favorite banana bread. Marvin scarfed that down with some water. She left the room quickly. His father came in and repeated what he did before. This felt like it went on for days. An endless loop of torture by each time it was worse than the last.

On day marvin hear the family outside. They were saying something about last chance. Marvin's dad came in over his shoulder was a sledgehammer. "Repent sinner" his father said. Marvin didn't say anything and the hammer was brought down, shattering his leg. Marvin screamed. His father left and marvin begged his gods for help, for anyone's help.

Marvin must have passed out because when he woke his grandma and his older cousins were in there. His grandmother prayed over him. The two cousins picked marvin up. They felt so bad for him and didn't want to do this to him. They took marvin out back where his father planned on burning him. Marvin had no strength to fight. He had accepted his fate. His grandma hugged marvin and whispered something into his ear. Before he was take off to the pile. "Any last words to say sinner?" He father said. "Si enim peccator 1'm wanting ut vivat anima mea, et illic te 1'll. Post omnia quæ facturus est peccatum" marvin said. His father was about to throw a torch on the pile when they hear "FREEZE!" Police officers surround them. Marvin breathed a sigh of relief. He was taken off the pile as the matriarch of the family was taken away in handcuffs.

Marvin was taken to the hospital where he had his leg amputated. When he awoke there was a young looking male nurse with short brown hair and circle glasses. "Guten Abend, I hope you're hungry." The nurse put some food in front of marvin.

#marvin the magnificent #origin story

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casspurrjoybell-15 · 5 years ago

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EN of LOVE -LOVE MECHANICS

Chapter 12b - The un-clearness is clearing up.

*Warning: Adult Content*

Eventually they reach Vee Vivat’s house to find the lights on.

Mark Masa thinks that maybe the older boy’s family are waiting up for him, waiting for him to come back home but once inside they discover the house is very quite.

They reach the second floor, without waking anyone up and Vee brings a quietly tip-toeing Mark into his room.

As soon as the lights are on and the door is shut and locked, Vee asks Mark...

“Is there anything going on between you and North?

Vee is showing signs of jealousy because Mark had talked with North at the pub and eventually they had exchanged phone numbers.

“Stop it,” the younger boy replies.

Mark would like to ask Vee many questions like...

‘Have you really broken up with Ploy. How long will this last? How do you feel right now? How do you feel about us?’

But being shy, he doesn’t say anything.

The older boy lays down on his bed and Mark follows, sitting next to him, gingerly on the edge.

“How did you get over Bar?’ asks Vee.

Mark sighs, then turns away because he doesn’t want to see the older boy’s sad face.

“I’m not over him.”

“What does that mean,” demands Vee.

The younger boy looks down at his hands before answering...

“It’s not that I don’t like him any more, I just don’t want him anymore. Bar is cute and cheerful, anyone would love him. However, Gun is taking good care of him and I’m happy when I see him happy.”

“How?”

Vee sounds sceptical and Mark smiles to himself then lies down next to the other boy.

“Do I need to say again why I stopped chasing him.”

Vee looks at Mark speechless, letting out a awkward sound...

“Eh-ehm,” as if he is clearing his throat.

“Trust me Vee, one day you will stop loving her.”

“Thank you, Mark... I know in the past, that I haven’t been good to you.”

Vee rolls over and places an arm around Mark’s waist, pulling him in closer. T

he younger boy doesn’t know why he likes Vee so much... even though he hasn’t been good to him but the heart wants what the heart wants and he can only let it go where it wants to go.

‘With some luck, I might be able to make him forget about his old love.’

They fall asleep like this, more or less hugging each other.

The next morning they wake up to sun rays illuminating the room and Vee’s mother calling her son down to breakfast.

The older boy invites Mark to stay for a meal with his family’ who reluctantly accepts.

Vee’s Father, Mother and older brother, Yue are all laid back, friendly and welcoming.

As his parents were about to leave for work, Yue brings up the Vee and Ploy situation.

“You had better go talk with Ploy and fix your relationship,” Vee’s father sternly suggests.

After breakfast the two boys have a brief talk about how Vee’s father has laid expectations onto his younger son, since he knows that his oldest son, Yue is gay.

Mark is worried that Vee’s family will not except him if they were to become a couple.

They return to Vee’s bedroom and both sit on the edge of the bed, the older boy grabbing both of Mark’s hands, squeezing them gently.

“I wish you would fall out of love with her soon,” Mark shyly whispers, then looks down at their clasped hands, expecting Vee to pull away, but he is not letting go.

“Erase my love for her, Mark. Do it quickly.”

Vee pulls Mark close to him.

“Don’t worry about my family. I believe my happiness is the most important thing for my family. If you are my happiness, then they’ll except it.”

Vee looks Mark straight in the eyes, making him understand that he doesn’t need to worry about today’s conversation.

“Then... If one day you don’t love her anymore, let me know... or... If it is impossible... please tell me.”

“I’m right beside you now,” Vee says and hugs Mark.

He pushes the younger boy’s head onto his shoulder and caress his nape softly.

“Let me be beside you... please.”

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phantasmblessing · 6 years ago

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Cognitive Assessment

BOLD what your muse experiences then tag your mutuals to do the same! Please repost. Do NOT reblog!

Alcoholism. Amnesia. Anxiety. Appetite Loss. Binge Eating. Co-Dependence. Cynicism. Defensiveness. Denial. Depersonalization. Depression. Derealization. Devaluation. Displacement. Dissociation. Drug Abuse. Dysphoria. Emotional Detachment. Flashbacks. Flat Affect. Guilt. Hallucinations. Hypersomnia. Hypervigilance. Hypochondria. Idealization. Insomnia. Intellectualization. Introjection. Isolation. Low Self Esteem. Narcissism. Night Terrors. Obsessive Compulsion. Overeating. Panic Attacks. Passive Aggression. Paranoia. Phobias. Projection. Psychosis. Rationalization. Regression. Repression. Restrictive Eating. Risky Sex. Self-Harm. Somatization. Splitting. Sublimation. Suicidal Ideation. Sleepwalking. Suppression. Thousand Yard Stare. Triggers. Trust Issues. Violence. Whiplash Temper.

tagged by: @vivat--regina like a month ago or something. tagging: [ Steal it if you want it and say I tagged you, I don’t know who’s already done this one. ]

#regarding #[ clearin out the drafts and this was a quick one to get through #tfw your muse actually just Issues wrapped in human skin ]

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kuroshitsuji-scenarios · 8 years ago

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i need more bravat, can you do a scenario or headcanons about him seducing a noble lady at the music hall? i love your writing!

It came out as the longest scenario I’ve ever written there, hope you enjoy!

Sweet, oriental scent of the incensesfilled the hall creating a great harmony alongside slow music playedby an orchestra at the back and golden decorations chosen just forthis certain evening. The atmosphere was vibrant, colourful even,powerful with people’s laugh and excited conversations, full of theiroverwhelming happiness and utopian image of them all gathered theretogether, no matter the class status nor wealth. It could be thisexactly, the main reason why did you decide to attent to thispeculiar place, to see on your own eyes how they can all have funside by side, to check if the rumors weren’t just a lie, and even ifyou wished to reveal it as another bittersweet illusion, you weren’table to fool yourself, not after experiencing it by yourself. TheMusic Hall was certainly something you have never seen before,completely new kind of entertainment which you couldn’t decidewhether to appreciate or not.

You looked stunning, the colour of your hand sewn dress almostradiating through the crowd, hair gracefully pinned up exposing theneck and bare shoulders, which in such circumstances would make youfeel quite too exposed if not the fan held tightly in your hand,covering the lower part of your face so only your eyes were nowvisible, carefully scanning the surroundoings. The purely silverbracelet on your wrist, once cold when you just put it on, now becamewarm from the temperature of your body, shining shyly in the light ofcrystal chandeliers hanging above as you walked through the crowd,passing enthusiastic people and sometimes smiling when their heavyyet pleasurable aura was spreading around and getting even to you.

For a singlemoment, you thought that maybe it was some kind of evil charm, somespell put onto you and every other human in there, considering howunusual this meeting was, however, after noticing a young coupleswirling on the parquet - him dressed in visibly poor, overusedclothes holding tightly a noble lady in dark green dress you latelysaw at the Burberry’s, laughing out loud at something truly amusingwhich the man had to say – you were certain that however odd itwouldn’t be, it was clearly positive.

You almost bumpedat the man standing in front of you, not noticing his presence andbeing too focused on a dancing couple, suddenly realizing that therewas a tiny crowd forming in front of you, as if there was aninteresting attraction happening. Curious, you began to swiftlydirect to the center of their attention, willing to see what could beso fascinating to watch and just when you were about to pass the tallgentelman, the last person on your way to solve this mystery, youheard a vivatous applause. Unsure whether there is really somethingworth such admiration, you clapped few times also and took anopportunity where some people decide to leave the crowd and more wereabout to join in, to quickly move to the first row.

There, surroundedby the many, sat a young man, Bravat Sky, with hair of thecolour of blooming violets, polite smile playing on his lips when hewas eyeing the crowd as if he wanted to chose one volunteer to sit infront of him on now empty chair. Long, dark robes gave him a magicalaura, mystic even, making him emanate with self-confidence andundeniable charm, perfectly harmonizing with the kind gestures of hislean hands and soft voice. If you were to say whom did he remind youthe most, it would certainly be one of those marvelous wizards fromthe fairytales you heard as a child, the one with great power andalluring presence, capable of drawing attention of everyone aroundhim and yet still appear as unreachable and distant, like the dark,midnight sky full of shining stars nobody could ever dream oftouching.

His blue eyes wereglittering, hiding so many dark mysteries behind the clear colour butnot losing the composure of purity and sweet, innocent joy. You couldtell it for sure, the mesmerizing gaze of this man, the fortuneteller as you assumed, was now focused on you, after all, and youfelt like drowning in it.

„What about you,madame?” Bravat mused and the velvet of his voice reached your earscausing you to completely forgot that there was a crowd suddoundingyou, at that moment curiously staring in your direction, wonderingwhether you will accept the invitation or not. „Would you like meto tell about your future?”

You couldn’t denyand you weren’t going to argue, not when you have been lured by himwith such a strength, moreover, the rational part of your mind wastelling you that it could be interesting to see what this man canoffer to you. You may not want to know all your future but there weresome things which wouldn’t harm to ask about and since there was anopportunity, why shouldn’t you take it?

„With pleasure,”you smiled to him and went toward the empty chair, now the anxiousfeeling of being watched by everyone not leaving you for a moment.

„Do not benervous, enchanting lady,” he commented when you took a sit.„Imagine there is only two of us, otherwise my prediction may notbe as precise.”

He winked at youin a playful manner, giving the last sentence some sense of humourand you couldn’t help but feel glad that he was trying to reassureyou a little bit.

There was only ashort pain, a prick of a needle when you allowed him to take yourhand and draw a drop of blood to sink in the golden bowl filled withwater which started to change colours immediately after having acontact with the crimson essence. Focused on the almost unrealaction, wondering whether was it some kind of joke played on you ornot, you noticed the tattoos on his forearms, reminding you ofvarious constalations as well as two on the top of his hands, thosepainted in a shapes of moon and sun. It took him a moment full ofanticipation until finally looking into a bowl himself and letting along, amused gasp.

„What?” youinquired, quite concerned about what could he see in there andalthough you didn’t wholly trust his abilities at the beginning, theperspective of something terrifying being written in your future madeyou shiver, suddenly very certain of the fortune teller’s skills.„What did you see?”

„What a peculiarthing to experience in a lifetime!” he admitted and caused thecrowd to sigh in a manner which only made you even more impatientabout learning the result of this innocent game - just as Bravatexpected you to, enjoying planting the seed of doubt in your heartand watching it bloom.

„Tell me,please, what did you see?” you repeated, now keeping an eye contactwith him, noticing the smile growing on his features. „Is somethingthe matter with my future…?”

Bravat waved hisfree hand as if he wanted to dismiss you, only to giggle adorably.

„Oh no, not inthe slighest,” he answered. „Only if you consider the death ofthe star as catastrophic.”

You could feel theblood running out of your face and your knees becoming weak, such acontrasting reaction comparing to the joyful smile playing oh fortuneteller’s lips. Thankfully you were sitting at the chair in thatmoment, otherwise you could possibly faint.

„Am I goingto… die?” you muttered, not concerned about the whispering peoplearound you, now looking at Bravat with almost pleading eyes, begginghim to tell it was a misunderstanding.

As an answer, helaughed and in any other moment it could even anger you, not now,however.

„Well, of courseyour life is going to end one day, just like everyone else’s, too,but not in a nearby future. Do you know what happens when the starsdie, enchanting lady?”

Slowly, you shookyour head, feeling a little bit relieved after hearing him talkfurther.

„The point is,”he continued „the death of the star is simply but a birth tosomething completely new, supernova, that is, the complete andutter change of all the things you ever knew.”

You blinked,hypnotized by his words and the way they suddenly started to soundway more serious than before, still mesmerized by his bright eyes andnot cutting the eye contact between you two.

„What I amtrying to say is that you won’t die literally, but you shouldkeep your eyes open for your surroundings – not because of thedanger but because of the possibility of changes.” Bravat’s tonewas becoming lower and lower when he leaned to you as if he wanted totell you a secret only to almost whisper to your ear after a while.„You may not know it right now but there will something happen inyour life, soon, something which will change it thoroughly with themere presence of someone new, someone who will know how to take careof your shine and how to carry it so it would be the most delightful,someone who will adore you and hold your adoration dear to the heart,someone who will make you see the stars one cloudless night.”

He was so close toyou, you could sense his smell; sweet and spicy like a secret.

„And thisperson’s adoration, love, will be a death of me?” youwhispered back.

„No, no, myenchanting lady,” he mused quietly to your ear. „I can assureyou, it will be just the beginning.”

#kuroshitsuji-scenarios #kuroshitsuji #black butler #bravat sky #bravat #blavat sky #blavat #scenarios #humans #bravat scenario #blavat scenario #bravat imagine #blavat imagine

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theedinburghreporter · 4 years ago

Text

Observatory House is ready for restoration

Collective Gallery on Calton Hill are set to restore Observatory House which sits just next door. The 18th century house forms one corner of the site and was formerly home to the astronomers who worked in the observatory. It has been let until 2015 by Vivat Trust but now Collective will upgrade the house and create two apartments there which can be let either separately or as one house.

C…

View On WordPress

#Collective Gallery #Observatory House

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dollarblitz-blog · 7 years ago

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