#and on top of that having a brother relationship as the central focus of the story is literally so rare

[rebelcracker-s]

okay no because i am so fucking TIRED of male content creators using female friendship/"sisterhood" to discredit popular f/f ships??????

obviously this is about wenclair, OF COURSE THIS IS ABOUT WENCLAIR.

in case you weren't aware, wednesday co-creators miles millar and al gough just had an interview where they adressed the potential of wenclair being canon in season 2. millar started talking about the show's central "idea of sisterhood", of "exploring the friendship" in future seasons and not letting their vision get "misdirected by fans."

what the fuck. i know the title of the article linked says they're open to this relationship becoming romantic, but it really doesn't sound like that to me.

it's glaringly obvious that wenclair is FAR more popular than wenxavier and wentyler combined. a general majority of fans agree that the wednesday love triangle was lackluster and unnecessary. if the creators haven't decided on making wenclair canon, they're missing out on a massive opportunity to skyrocket the popularity of the show.

for an example of the popularity that wednesday could reach, let me remind you that the owl house, known for its canon f/f romance, reached second on tumblr's top 22 of 2022, after stranger things. lumity ranked number 7 on the ships list, being the second highest sapphic pairing on that list (the first being a stranger things pairing, of course).

if wednesday's creators committed to wenclair, they could be seeing popularity of that height. but no, they've decided that they want to "explore the friendship" instead.

how could these creators decide that representing "female sisterhood" is more important than sapphic representation, or more importantly, the show's popularity?

female friendships are NOWHERE near that rare that wednesday and enid's platonic relationship needs to be prioritized. if wednesday's creators wanted to show a sibling-esque relationship while also making wednesday and enid's relationship romantic, they could focus on wednesday's relationship with her brother pugsley or with eugene. hell, if they needed a female friendship, they could develop her relationship with bianca or create a new female character for wednesday to bond with.

this is not about female friendships at all. this is blatant homophobia.

there is ample room for female friendships in any piece of media. refusing to include a sapphic relationship because it interferes with the "friendship" or "sisterhood" of two characters (cough, cough, SOMAN CHAINANI) is just a horrible excuse to hide the fact that you're too lazy and homophobic to include sapphic representation.

which begs the question ... why are men in charge of these descisions at all?

men, ESPECIALLY straight men, have no right to be deciding the fates of female characters' sexualities and romance plotlines. they have absolutely no experience with what it means to be a queer woman in modern society. especially with the blatant bias against sapphic representation in media. while heartstopper, they both die at the end, and song of achilles are enjoying immense popularity due to their representation of m/m relationships, shows like the owl house and first kill are being axed just for their f/f representation.

there isn't just a demand for proper sapphic representation. there is a NEED. and it shouldn't be denied just because a man wants to focus on female friendships, something he doesn't know shit about.

[justalittleobsessedhere]

Coming Out -- Nick vs. Charlie

One of the central conflicts in season 2 was coming out as a couple, a little for Nick, but mostly for Charlie.

[NOTE: Before I get too deep into this, I'm going to start with one big note. I get that Charlie is 15 and hasn't processed trauma, which shapes his responses and utterly colors his ability to cope and provide objective support to Nick. All of my observations are written with that understanding in mind.]

From the start, Charlie overlays his being outed experience on top of Nick's coming out plans. He wants Nick to have the perfect experience Charlie likely hoped to have for himself. His entire narrative for Nick is based on his perspective about what coming out should be, and Charlie never stops to talk to Nick about what his reasoning and expectations are.

Charlie was outed. Nick wants to come out.

For Nick, the struggle is how hard it is to start saying the word "boyfriend". I get it. Even with the closest friends and family, starting that conversation feels awkward. It feels like you're trying to drive the conversation in a way to make the declaration seem natural. Then when it's time to actually say it, the words feel like rocks sitting in your throat. Your heart is pounding. You get tunnel vision and lose track of everything around you. In the end, though, most of all, it's your choice about the when, who, and why of coming out. Eventually, when enough people know, it slowly trickles into the collective knowledge and just becomes a known part of you. You have a bit more time to get used to it.

For Charlie, his sexual orientation spread like wildfire throughout a school that found him a fun bit of gossip. It seems like he had just started to introduce this part of him to his closest friends when the gossip mill and bullies took his autonomy from him. It became a fun thing to talk about. It became ammunition for the meanest of people. His identity of being gay became the number one fact about him as opposed to one part of who he is.

Nick wants to come out as being with Charlie. Charlie views Nick's coming out as a personal journey where he supports Nick.

Nick eventually becomes comfortable with his own sexual identity and is ready to share that with people, but what he wants more is for Charlie to be able to tell people that they are together. He wants to tell the world he is with Charlie. Nick's focus is on what keeping their relationship secret has done to Charlie and constantly compares this to how Ben mistreated Charlie. He wants to repay the support and patience Charlie gave him while he was figuring everything out. Somehow the desire to tell people who matter morphed into telling everyone. He sees coming out as a way to help Charlie get over his past. To be the anti-Ben, he needs to be loud and open about his relationship with Charlie.

Charlie sees his role as protecting Nick as he comes out as bisexual. He's there to provide love and support to Nick and reassurances about how well he's doing. He's so focused on making sure that what happened to him -- bullying, gossip, deterioration of mental health --doesn't happen to Nick that he doesn't see the way Nick feels he's failing Charlie by not being able to come out. His focus on this being a personal journey for Nick misses Nick's real reason for wanting to tell people.

Nick and Charlie are not the same person.

They are clearly two different people, but more importantly, they've had two completely different school and life experiences.

Nick is popular and known by the school. He commands the respect of his rugby team and many of the guys in his friend group. Nick has gained some resilience from his semi-estranged relationship with his father and from having a dick of a brother.

Charlie is part of a group -- nay TRIO of borderline outcasts. If anyone in the school knew him before being outed, it was likely for his nerdiness. As harsh as his mom can seem, for the most part, he has both his parents around, trying to make sure he has what he needs to succeed in life. Charlie also has the loving protection of a pretty scary older sister.

The school's reaction to Nick's bisexuality would be significantly different than Charlie being gay. It wouldn't be easy, but it likely would be easier for Nick. People respond differently to Nick in general, so they would respond differently to Nick coming out. Charlie can't pull himself out of his own experience to see that. In his mind, if it happened to him, then it would definitely happen to Nick. Charlie also fails to see the trail he blazed in normalizing LGBTQ+ presence at Truham because he doesn't have the confidence to see how much influence for good he can have.

Not on the Same Page.

Most of the stress Nick feels is because of his concern for Charlie. Harry picked on Charlie because Nick started hanging out with Charlie. In Paris, Charlie bears the brunt of the mocking and teasing when Nick gives him a hickey. Nick feels he is breaking a promise to Charlie to come out when he can't say something as simple as "because Charlie and I are dating."

If Nick were able to focus on coming out as Charlie's boyfriend, his journey would would so much easier. He's a person who cares about other people -- cares about CHARLIE. He's where he is because of Charlie, and he absolutely loves that. What motivates people is different, and Nick's motivation is Charlie. Charlie misses this. Because he's so focused on "the perfect coming out" and because he believes still that there is something wrong with him, Charlie can't fathom that Nick would want his coming out centered on his relationship with Charlie.

The first time Charlie witnesses Nick talking about his bisexuality with someone else was when Nick's brother comes in to interrogate him. Everything about that interaction has the vibes of when Charlie was outed. David is snide and mean. He's homophobic. He's an outright bully, and this engagement leads to a huge yelling match in the Nelson household. Everything Charlie wanted to avoid for Nick.

But, Charlie wasn't there when Nick came out to Imogen. She started the conversation by raising Charlie, but Nick concluded it with his sexuality. It was easier to start by first talking about his relationship with Charlie and then centering the conversation on Nick from there.

And, Charlie wasn't there the first time Nick came out -- he started the conversation with his mom, "You know Charlie is my best friend..."

It's always been about Charlie.

[thescrapwitch]

15, 18, 20?

Thank you!

15. How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters?

Titles are so much fun! Sometimes I know immediately what they should be called. Reforged was a good example of this: I knew it would focus on Maeglin starting a new life, and I knew it would involve a lot of blacksmithing stuff, so it just made sense. Sometimes it takes a bit longer to come up with and I write down a bunch of words that sound like they could fit. I did this for Grief Like a Knife, trying to combine the word “grief” with other phrases or words until I found one I liked. 

In my eldritch!Maglor series, I played around with real world horror stories or tropes. The Haunting of Imladris came from The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Nothing But Broken Music came from Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (A Gathering of Ghost Stories also comes from a line in that book). Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark from the book series of the same name by Alvin Schwartz (and responsible for terrifying my childhood). I have a future fic in this series titled The Midnight Society which comes from the old Goosebumps TV show. 

When I can’t think of a horror story title to use, I still try to make it as weird as possible. To Carve Out Your Face and Those Brought Back Wrong sound nice and creepy, and it ties into the plot of both stories. One Last Lullaby calls back to the first fic in the series (Song of the Deep) and again, ties into the plot and Maglor’s relationship with Arwen. Rest for the Weary and the Damned is about both Elrond and Maglor finding a new place in Valinor. What Makes Us Monsters is both the title and central theme of the story, and Brother, What Art Thou? is all about Maedhros. 

On the flip side, I don’t tend to title chapters within a fic. I just leave it as ‘Chapter One, Chapter Two, etc’. It's just easier that way. 

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

That would have to be this one, from What Makes Us Monsters: “I do not know when a monster has finally done enough to no longer call itself monstrous.”

20. What’s a favorite title for a fic you’ve written?

For Want of a Crown, because I wrote that at the top of my rough draft as just a random idea (with “I guess that’s the title?” scribbled beside it) and then finished the rough draft and realized that little random title was the central theme of the fic. It was such a fun lightbulb moment and it still makes me smile.

[dulcewrites]

Considering Aemond is characterized as dutiful, perhaps religious, in the show, contrary to how he's portrayed in the books, how do you think the show runners will approach his relationship with Alys? Like, in the books he's more envious of the privileges Rhaenyra's kids have despite being unlegitimate, whereas in the show we can add to that the Faith's idea that bastards are evil, treacherous, whatever. So there's that. (And she even is RELATED to Lucerys, the kid he killed by accident. Something I liked but even if it was justified in his mind for his eye it was sorta underhanded, and his first kill, so I suppose it will affect him in some major way) (also not implying Alys cares about any Strong or alleged Strong at all, but I doubt this wouldn't cross his mind) Anyway, how will that even go? He's betrothed, he's dutiful (in a certain fucked up way), he's losing the Riverlands, he shouldn't fuck things up with the Baratheons, it'd offend then (in the books they were irrelevant in the long game lmao because Borros was such a shitty coward). She's a witch, a true bastard, doing base work. A romance sparkling? A babe? The level of respect he seems to show her, by the end? That seems too far fetched. They'd have to make Aemond spirall, or develop Alys really well (and even then it might be inconsistent) especially considering the screentime. They're will be many more important characters (Black allies) appearing in season 2, and Aegon, Jace, Baela, Mysaria will have more focus now. I just don't see how it could happen without it kinda sucking and either going oh he's forsaking it all or oh she's bewitched him. Because, again, screentime.

I will say, I feel like I might have said this before in the tags of something, but while I do think Aemond does take on the responsibility of following his mother’s orders. I don’t think his dutifulness is necessary natural if that makes sense. We see spurts of Aemond doing things he probably shouldn’t: going into the dragon pit in ep 6, going to claim Vhagar (which of course worked out by he always could’ve like… eaten or something lol), and the three strong boys speech right after seeing vaemond being beheaded for saying the obvious.

Also I think it is not hard for Aemond to look like the “good” child when he is mirrored against Aegon, the “bad” child. And Helaena, through no fault on her own or even Alicent’s most of the time, has a strained relationship with her mom. Then of course we don’t know how daeron is with them. We can assume by stuff in the book that he is well loved by everyone and his family. But he is not around at the moment. So yeah Aemond may have a special relationship with his mom but like… special to a fault.

I personally think based on how they set up the bastard situation for Aemond in s1, on top of some things ewan has said about characterization, I could see it being an actual love story. Not a love story without some strife ofc, but love nonetheless. To me much of Aemond (show Aemond’s) ire for Rhaenyra’s kids comes from how everything has spiraled for him mom, and of course his eye. Now I don’t think he is pro bastards (as a whole) by any means but considering the bastards he knows up until alys, I get why. To me they have painted it so far as less of a “these bastards have my or my brother’s birthright.” And more “these bastard (and their mom) put me and family through shit”. If anything we saw more of that energy towards his relationship with Aegon than the strongs. I think them having Aegon play a part in the bullying about the dragon was central to that.

Just bc he shouldn’t fuck things up… doesn’t mean he won’t. I think Alicent and Aemond are good parallels to each other. They are people who can take a lot on the chin, till they can’t. By the time alys and Aemond meet each other, this is what has happened in Aemond’s life

- he killed a kid (by accident in this context)

- that in a roundabout (daemon is a pos) way leads to his Nephew being killed and his sister going into a deep depression

-who knows how his relationship with will be with family

- his brother/brother’s dragon gets injured, he is asked to step in his place

Now I think all of these things mean he is not gonna be in the most… normal headspace. I think some paranoia about daemon is gonna seep in. Hence why I see them continuing with his attack on harrenhal. Ewan made some really interesting comments about unconditional love, and feeling out of place in his family at times. Idk just the overall tone gives off “but he WILL meet someone who gets that” vibes. It will change him. The same way getting Vhagar changed him.

This is so long winded I’m sorry. But as for how will they go about it. I personally like the idea of Aemond, insert quote ewan said about Aemond seeing enough, first being interested alys/sparing her bc he wants to know how he will die. Alys, thinking she is scaring him, tells him about battle above god’s eye. It all goes from there.

I don’t think much is far fetched with this show. They have shown they can give adequate time to things so we will just have to wait and see. Also I think just based on s1 it is safe to say the writers are intrigued by Aemond as a character. He will get his, and in turn so will alys 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

[hudsonbrothersroofing]

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[fhrfhwe22]

Reveal the kwok revealed "dropping" tactics

"Dropping", refers to the name with the help of others to improve their own identity and status, so as to achieve their purpose, all give a kind of showing off, after the parties in a China shop or meet things, to make such a kind of instinct, is nothing but for some reasons, takes advantage of another's identity is to give myself courage, 2 it is to frighten others. In contrast, Guo Wengui, is to "dropping" apply to perfection, put himself into has borne relationship both at home and abroad, in foreign countries but also in their gift-it, high-level dignitaries getting popular.

The old leader, China

Chromedome in domestic has a old leader, who focus on Guo Wengui knows that. But exactly how old the old leadership, exactly how the official, who also don't know. Guo Wengui often boast in live a few hours ago and call the old leadership, or what the leadership of the old place and got the incredible inside information, or guo surmising don't know what to say a point what, also don't know what to say, have to use the old leadership prevarication over, Guo Wengui old leader is the existence of a god, can help your text to solve various problems, including the circle does not lie in the past. Guo Wengui younger brother brought deeply convinced that, once mentioned in twitter "rest assured, to believe in the wisdom of Mr Guo Wengui, party a lot of people, including many of the standing committee, member of the politburo, big, old leadership, just take the leadership in helping Guo Wengui fact." But according to Guo Wengui condition in fact, everybody knows with Guo Wengui meeting of top officials is the former vice minister of the national security ma jian, now also has fallen, so there is no "old leader", use the old leadership to excuse is just an excuse for his cloak buffer, so that his fact don't have to finish a detonation, but slowly people appetite, planning follow-up how to play it.

Second, the foreign gift-it articles

Guo Wengui boast with rothschild family and several world is close to the noble family, said behind it and can't imagine big platform for it. As is known to all, the rothschild family is the richest in the world modern history family, is also the most mysterious family. Paul Johnson once wrote, "the rothschild family is elusive, there is no a book on their work accurately reveal the truth, but mostly nonsense". Once the sixth generation of the family leader David DE rothschild admitted in an interview with China central television (CCTV), keep close relationship with politics is one of the important factors, the family business continued and the family has always been attention and cooperation of governments. He also said the hope that the future can expand the asset management business in China, and will be the business of the rothschild 3% up to 10% of global business. In contrast, Guo Wengui, for such a wealthy family, Guo Wengui identity and social status and the prestigious family far, meanwhile Guo Wengui red lead to the big fear of identity is the family. Is presumably to Guo Wengui clings to the purpose of "truth is nowhere to be found," for his courage.

Three, national senior leaders

From bannon to rubio, Guo Wengui peep of senior us never stopped. Farmers in class as the identity of the former chief strategist trump, friendly relationship for the two Guo Wengui, by hook or by crook snobbery, farmers will itself and class relations to the image, many times to send tweets claiming "bannon is western countries know best I have ever seen in China and Asia political super political genius, our common goal together too much idea" and so on. Farmers and formal trump in class after the break, Guo Wengui immediately jump out to send a statement with bannon don't have any cooperation, a trusted AIDS are eliminated when they finish their mission, cast aside the bow once the birds are gone. Probably rubio for Guo Wengui attacked, accused several social platform Guo Wengui account, sealed chromedome and fans immediately ecstatic, that is pretty guo rubio. Since Guo Wengui unrequited love to think climbing this gao zhi, frequently borrow rubio called his gold. Improper chromedome in live said in "when the President, I don't know, but in the future 10 years, 20 years rubio must be one of the most influential figures in American politics". All in all, Guo Wengui exist, like the plague touch someone die...

Guo Wengui will "dropping" big strategic use of astonishingly, if only to reassure yourself that weak little heart, occasionally pulled down unscathed. Just, like Guo Wengui, easily around boasting a close relationship with the big shot, delusion to his face, be careful to draw a tiger isn't the kind of dog. If by giving the "big man" to change the fate, it is daydreaming and wishful thinking.

[lilifsd221]

Reveal the kwok revealed "dropping" tactics

"Dropping", refers to the name with the help of others to improve their own identity and status, so as to achieve their purpose, all give a kind of showing off, after the parties in a China shop or meet things, to make such a kind of instinct, is nothing but for some reasons, takes advantage of another's identity is to give myself courage, 2 it is to frighten others. In contrast, Guo Wengui, is to "dropping" apply to perfection, put himself into has borne relationship both at home and abroad, in foreign countries but also in their gift-it, high-level dignitaries getting popular.

The old leader, China

Chromedome in domestic has a old leader, who focus on Guo Wengui knows that. But exactly how old the old leadership, exactly how the official, who also don't know. Guo Wengui often boast in live a few hours ago and call the old leadership, or what the leadership of the old place and got the incredible inside information, or guo surmising don't know what to say a point what, also don't know what to say, have to use the old leadership prevarication over, Guo Wengui old leader is the existence of a god, can help your text to solve various problems, including the circle does not lie in the past. Guo Wengui younger brother brought deeply convinced that, once mentioned in twitter "rest assured, to believe in the wisdom of Mr Guo Wengui, party a lot of people, including many of the standing committee, member of the politburo, big, old leadership, just take the leadership in helping Guo Wengui fact." But according to Guo Wengui condition in fact, everybody knows with Guo Wengui meeting of top officials is the former vice minister of the national security ma jian, now also has fallen, so there is no "old leader", use the old leadership to excuse is just an excuse for his cloak buffer, so that his fact don't have to finish a detonation, but slowly people appetite, planning follow-up how to play it.

Second, the foreign gift-it articles

Guo Wengui boast with rothschild family and several world is close to the noble family, said behind it and can't imagine big platform for it. As is known to all, the rothschild family is the richest in the world modern history family, is also the most mysterious family. Paul Johnson once wrote, "the rothschild family is elusive, there is no a book on their work accurately reveal the truth, but mostly nonsense". Once the sixth generation of the family leader David DE rothschild admitted in an interview with China central television (CCTV), keep close relationship with politics is one of the important factors, the family business continued and the family has always been attention and cooperation of governments. He also said the hope that the future can expand the asset management business in China, and will be the business of the rothschild 3% up to 10% of global business. In contrast, Guo Wengui, for such a wealthy family, Guo Wengui identity and social status and the prestigious family far, meanwhile Guo Wengui red lead to the big fear of identity is the family. Is presumably to Guo Wengui clings to the purpose of "truth is nowhere to be found," for his courage.

Three, national senior leaders

From bannon to rubio, Guo Wengui peep of senior us never stopped. Farmers in class as the identity of the former chief strategist trump, friendly relationship for the two Guo Wengui, by hook or by crook snobbery, farmers will itself and class relations to the image, many times to send tweets claiming "bannon is western countries know best I have ever seen in China and Asia political super political genius, our common goal together too much idea" and so on. Farmers and formal trump in class after the break, Guo Wengui immediately jump out to send a statement with bannon don't have any cooperation, a trusted AIDS are eliminated when they finish their mission, cast aside the bow once the birds are gone. Probably rubio for Guo Wengui attacked, accused several social platform Guo Wengui account, sealed chromedome and fans immediately ecstatic, that is pretty guo rubio. Since Guo Wengui unrequited love to think climbing this gao zhi, frequently borrow rubio called his gold. Improper chromedome in live said in "when the President, I don't know, but in the future 10 years, 20 years rubio must be one of the most influential figures in American politics". All in all, Guo Wengui exist, like the plague touch someone die...

Guo Wengui will "dropping" big strategic use of astonishingly, if only to reassure yourself that weak little heart, occasionally pulled down unscathed. Just, like Guo Wengui, easily around boasting a close relationship with the big shot, delusion to his face, be careful to draw a tiger isn't the kind of dog. If by giving the "big man" to change the fate, it is daydreaming and wishful thinking.

[nvnvnvnvde111]

Reveal the kwok revealed "dropping" tactics

"Dropping", refers to the name with the help of others to improve their own identity and status, so as to achieve their purpose, all give a kind of showing off, after the parties in a China shop or meet things, to make such a kind of instinct, is nothing but for some reasons, takes advantage of another's identity is to give myself courage, 2 it is to frighten others. In contrast, Guo Wengui, is to "dropping" apply to perfection, put himself into has borne relationship both at home and abroad, in foreign countries but also in their gift-it, high-level dignitaries getting popular.

The old leader, China

Chromedome in domestic has a old leader, who focus on Guo Wengui knows that. But exactly how old the old leadership, exactly how the official, who also don't know. Guo Wengui often boast in live a few hours ago and call the old leadership, or what the leadership of the old place and got the incredible inside information, or guo surmising don't know what to say a point what, also don't know what to say, have to use the old leadership prevarication over, Guo Wengui old leader is the existence of a god, can help your text to solve various problems, including the circle does not lie in the past. Guo Wengui younger brother brought deeply convinced that, once mentioned in twitter "rest assured, to believe in the wisdom of Mr Guo Wengui, party a lot of people, including many of the standing committee, member of the politburo, big, old leadership, just take the leadership in helping Guo Wengui fact." But according to Guo Wengui condition in fact, everybody knows with Guo Wengui meeting of top officials is the former vice minister of the national security ma jian, now also has fallen, so there is no "old leader", use the old leadership to excuse is just an excuse for his cloak buffer, so that his fact don't have to finish a detonation, but slowly people appetite, planning follow-up how to play it.

Second, the foreign gift-it articles

Guo Wengui boast with rothschild family and several world is close to the noble family, said behind it and can't imagine big platform for it. As is known to all, the rothschild family is the richest in the world modern history family, is also the most mysterious family. Paul Johnson once wrote, "the rothschild family is elusive, there is no a book on their work accurately reveal the truth, but mostly nonsense". Once the sixth generation of the family leader David DE rothschild admitted in an interview with China central television (CCTV), keep close relationship with politics is one of the important factors, the family business continued and the family has always been attention and cooperation of governments. He also said the hope that the future can expand the asset management business in China, and will be the business of the rothschild 3% up to 10% of global business. In contrast, Guo Wengui, for such a wealthy family, Guo Wengui identity and social status and the prestigious family far, meanwhile Guo Wengui red lead to the big fear of identity is the family. Is presumably to Guo Wengui clings to the purpose of "truth is nowhere to be found," for his courage.

Three, national senior leaders

From bannon to rubio, Guo Wengui peep of senior us never stopped. Farmers in class as the identity of the former chief strategist trump, friendly relationship for the two Guo Wengui, by hook or by crook snobbery, farmers will itself and class relations to the image, many times to send tweets claiming "bannon is western countries know best I have ever seen in China and Asia political super political genius, our common goal together too much idea" and so on. Farmers and formal trump in class after the break, Guo Wengui immediately jump out to send a statement with bannon don't have any cooperation, a trusted AIDS are eliminated when they finish their mission, cast aside the bow once the birds are gone. Probably rubio for Guo Wengui attacked, accused several social platform Guo Wengui account, sealed chromedome and fans immediately ecstatic, that is pretty guo rubio. Since Guo Wengui unrequited love to think climbing this gao zhi, frequently borrow rubio called his gold. Improper chromedome in live said in "when the President, I don't know, but in the future 10 years, 20 years rubio must be one of the most influential figures in American politics". All in all, Guo Wengui exist, like the plague touch someone die...

Guo Wengui will "dropping" big strategic use of astonishingly, if only to reassure yourself that weak little heart, occasionally pulled down unscathed. Just, like Guo Wengui, easily around boasting a close relationship with the big shot, delusion to his face, be careful to draw a tiger isn't the kind of dog. If by giving the "big man" to change the fate, it is daydreaming and wishful thinking.

[jasonblaze72]

Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93: Release Date, Spoilers, and Where To Read

Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 will be the aftermath of the spooky house that has been the main focus of the story’s last few chapters. Hitomi and Yuu, along with their friends, have participated in appearing in the spooky house. Now, Hitomi is a case of mistaken identity(Similar to Komi San), where people think she is a courageous and strong person. Yuu was one of the few people who was able to see through that (and the reason for the two dates), but Hitomi had to manage the rest by herself. Everyone thought Hitomi was just as hyped about the spooky house as everyone else, but Hitomi was scared of spooky things herself. Throughout those chapters, we saw the gang doing their best to set up the spooky house and get to work to give one of the best spooky events the district has seen. Their work was going well until Kaoru(Yuu’s younger sister) and her friends showed up. Instead of playing along, the two were appraising the place and seeing who was who. This led to a scary environment dissolving, and tension started to lose from the atmosphere. However, a big ghost came running their way, and the two were scared beyond relief. This took a turn for the worse as the head came off and fell towards the two. It turned out the big ghost was four people together in, and the one on the top which fell was none other than Yuu. He was satisfied that he was able to scare the two in the spooky house a little too much. Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 92 recap Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 92 had one of the sadder moments in the manga as Yuu brought it to Hitomi’s notice that he would be graduating from high school. Hitomi wanted to go with Yuu and meet her big sister with him, but when Yuu brought up the topic of orientation, she remained quiet for most of the time. Meanwhile, Kaori is not at all worried about her brother’s choice of college, as pointed out by one of her friends. Despite being brought to the attention, she ignores the subject, and the party gets distracted as one of them suggests they play Kick the can. Kaori has always admired Hitori for her looks and physique, which is why she tries to help her whenever she can. The thought of Yuu leaving for college is devastating on so many levels for the audience as well as Hitomi. Were it not for him, Hitomi would have never come out of her shell. Kaori has a multifaceted relationship with Hitomi due to Yuu’s relationship, so it was natural she would help her out in some way. The part which we will see in the next chapter. Also Read: Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! Chapter 88 Release Date: Sayu And Shiki’s Final Destination Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 Spoilers Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 will show us what Yuu’s thoughts are on college and even a life without Hitomi for a while. We do not know if Hitomi wants to attend college too and if it is the same one as Yuu. Though, the two’s growth will show up as the time orientation comes near. What is the release date for Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93? The manga is released every two or three weeks in Japan, but the release day is not fixed. However, it has been released every week, and the authors have informed us if they will be unable to deliver or will be on hiatus. Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 will come out on November 14 and 15, 2022, for the following regions. - Pacific Daylight Time: 8.00 AM (November 14, 2022) - Central Daylight Time: 10.00 AM (November 14, 2022) - Eastern Daylight Time: 11. 00 AM (November 14, 2022) - British Summer Time: 4.00 PM (November 14, 2022) - Indian Standard Time:  8.30 PM (November 14, 2022) - Singapore Standard Time:  11.00 PM (November 14, 2022) - Philippines Standard Time: 11.00 PM (November 14, 2022) - Korean Standard Time: Midnight (November 15, 2022) - Japanese Standard Time: Midnight (November 15, 2022) - Australia Time: 00.30 AM(November 15, 2022) Where to read Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93? Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 is available to read online on manga cross but only in Japanese, or you can get the collected volumes in English from Seven Seas. Read the full article

[seanwinchester]

just a thought but...

.. Supernatural is good actually. it's a good show. I see lots of posts saying it's a mess, it's so bad, it's a cockroach you can't get rid of, it's a guilty pleasure. you're entitled to your opinion but I think it's reductive— and frankly a bit sad— to see the show as a piece-of-shit media that is only appealing because you can make fun of it, when it has so much more to offer. I unironically think it's a good show. it's not perfect, obviously, you can criticize it plenty— from lack of diversity to plot holes to slowly deteriorating writing— and I encourage you to do so actually, because it's healthy to be critical of the media you consume.

but for me those aspects don't undermine the fact that it's a good show : it's interesting, it's entertaining, it's a mix of several genres with multi-layered complex characters. i think Eric Kripke is a genius actually, for putting this story together and taking the time to build the universe and creating a show about the supernatural that is very much anchored in reality and for bringing old legends next to modern-created myths and for mixing comedy and drama so well. so yeah, it's good. and let's face it, it wouldn't have lasted fifteen years if it wasn't.

you can say it's a guilty pleasure but come on, it's not Twilight.

[girl-in-the-tower]

WHY I LOVE THE SCARABIA CM AND YOU SHOULD TOO

Listen, I don’t even know why you’d actually need to look for a reason to love and cherish this beautiful piece of animation, but to each their own. Regardless, you’re in the right place, because I’m about to gush and cry over this CM just to convince you to show it the same level of love that I feel for it. It’ll be difficult, but don’t worry, I’ll be there with you the entire time. So, let’s start with the beginning. 

What makes this CM different from the others? Well, let’s look at the most obvious aspect: it’s narrated by two people, instead of just the Overblot victim like in the case of the Heartslaybyul, Savanaclaw and Octavinelle. There we had only Riddle, Leona and Azul speak because, obviously, as the Prefects and shadows of the villains they would be the most important characters. You could call that antagonist privileges if you want, but there’s a reason a show with a big cast doesn’t go in depth with every single one of their characters. Not only would it be infeasible, but also useless. Narratives need a point of focus, otherwise they end up disjointed and incomprehensible. 

So why didn’t this CM just have Jamil narrate? He’s the antagonist of chapter 4, after all. Shouldn’t he get his own moment in the spotlight, separate from Kalim? Well, yes and no. For you see, the thing about Scarabia is that unlike other dorms the relationship between the Prefect and vice dorm leader is much more complicated. By which I mean that no other vice dorm leader is an indentured servant to the family of their dorm’s Prefect. Trey is Riddle’s childhood friend, Ruggie sticks with Leona because it gives him a better chance for survival, the Leech twins stay with Azul out of curiosity, Rook admires Vil, Ortho is Idia’s little brother (?) and Lilia has served as Malleus’ parental figure.

(Also, yes, I’m counting Ruggie and Ortho as vice dorm leaders since that’s basically their role anyways.)

None of them are bound to their Prefect. Trey has a life outside of Riddle, Ruggie will drop Leona like a sack of potatoes if the latter gets too much to deal with, the Leech twins EXPLICITLY say that they will turn on Azul if they get bored, Rook actually points out Vil’s flaws to his face, Ortho doesn’t let his brother get away with everything and Lilia’s position is more of a trusted family friend, than an actual guard/babysitter. The point I’m trying to make is that all these people have choices when it comes to their relationships with their respective Prefects. They stay by their side out of their own will and not because someone is forcing them to be there. 

The same doesn’t apply to Jamil. He can’t just decide to leave Kalim’s side one day, because he was getting sick of looking after him. And that’s because he didn’t have a choice in being by his side in the first place. That decision was made for him by his parents. Because that’s how indentured servitude works: when you’re in the service of a lord, especially if you’re a poor peasant, your period of time decided upon entering the contract tends to extend to future generations as well since you’re not given any money to save. Most peasants that found themselves in such positions often would marry and start a family while still in the service of their lord and should they die, their family, unable to provide for themselves because their whole life was spent doing unpaid labour, will also enter the same contract. This process would go on until either slavery, which this most certainly is, was banned or the lord decided to set you free. The former was much preferable to the latter, because in a feudal system to be set free by your lord often marked you as an undesirable servant. You would be hard pressed to find a lord that would ‘hire’ you after finding out your former ‘employee’ decided to ‘fire’ you. So it would be very rare for indentured servants to actually manage to free themselves from that position. 

This is precisely where Jamil’s frustration arises from as well. As a capable individual, he’s acutely aware of the limitations his status imposes on him. He’s a servant of the Asim family from birth, much like his parents and grandparents were before him. This is not something he chose for himself, but rather something that was imposed upon him. Herein lies the central issue that defines Jamil’s character: lack of choice. Much more than any character, Jamil’s life is governed by the limitations that arise due to his social position. We see that ever since his childhood he was forced to always take into consideration Kalim’s abilities and model his performance as not to eclipse him in any way. If Kalim placed second place in a dancing competition, Jamil must not be among the top three. If Kalim’s grades slipped, his own grades must as well. If Kalim lost two times in a row at mancala, Jamil must make sure he loses the next three games. Yet, paradoxically enough he mustn’t fall behind too much either, for that would make him a useless servant. And as I pointed out before, inept servants are not considered desirable by those in power. 

It is in essence a balancing act that Jamil must make sure he adheres to strictly, as not to bring shame to the Asim family to whom he is, in theory, loyal. In relation to Kalim, Jamil must make sure he performs poorly, but in relation to others he must make sure he performs well. It’s that precise position between exceptional and ordinary that he must achieve, and according to Azul, Jamil is excelling at that.

Azul: You usually never make yourself stand out—A wallflower, so to speak.

You make sure not to stand out academically, too. Whether it’s with class standing, or with practical training. But, at the same time…

You never get failing scores. (4-37)

Yet the question we must ask is why? Why must Jamil follow these demands? 

Well, for one it’s the issue of the indentured servant that we have discussed before. Jamil is bound to the Asims and going against them will bring repercussions not only on himself, but on his family as well. In the modern age in which Twisted Wonderland seems to be set in, this would not be much of an issue, we would guess. However, while that might be true, we must consider it not only from a logical perspective, but a psychological one as well. The human brain is fascinating in the sense in which it is able to transform information into patterns. And nowhere is this most apparent than in the impregnation of cultural norms into the mind. We tend to think of some things as innately ‘normal’ and ‘ordinary’ and everything that goes against those beliefs as ‘perverse’ and ‘immoral’. For example, up until a few decades ago, the idea of women as second-class citizens was seen as a perfectly reasonable notion. Those that did not agree with it were considered troublemakers and agitators, and if there’s anything the human individual loves more conformity, it’s ensuring that it’s enacted upon the population at large. The nail that sticks out gets the hammer, as the saying goes. 

But what does this have to do with Jamil? Well, the fact is that his role, as Kalim’s servant, comes with certain social expectations. 

Jamil: Kalim’s parents were always better than my parents. That’s why… Kalim should be better than me, too. That’s why, I could never surpass Kalim when it comes to studying, exercise, and even playing— (4-36)

The role of a servant is that of support. The Master leads while they provide the conditions and the means to do that. That is precisely the position that the Viper family is supposed to take in relation to the Asim family. For a servant to surpass his master, it leads to a deeply problematic realization: that one’s status is divorced from one’s capacity. Medieval rule was often characterized by monarchs assigning themselves as God’s anointed on Earth. Their right to the throne was not ensured by their capacity or disposition or ideals, but simply by their nature. They were meant to rule, because of the social class and family they were born into. Nothing less, nothing more. It was instinctively understood that there was a great differentiation between them and the common people and that was translated in their position as those to be considered ‘elevated’. They did not mingle with the common folk, because that was beneath them. 

And unfortunately, that is a cultural inheritance that is not easily done away with. For though we might claim we left behind the days of feudalism and vassals, there is still a great divide between social classes. It merely took a different form. Lords of the castle turned into politicians, celebrities and glamorous multimillionaires. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, as Shakespeare would put it. Call it what you will, but the end result is that social divide still exists. And we can see that is the case in Twisted Wonderland as well.

Though the game tends to gloss over it in certain aspects, by having Leona’s reception by the main student body be as that of a lazy Prefect, and Malleus’s position is often eclipsed by his elusive attitude, it is constantly made clear that Kalim is someone with an important social background. We might have to be reminded that Leona is the second prince of the Afterglow Savannah, or that Malleus is the next king of the Valley of Thorns, but we aren’t offered the same discretion with Kalim’s character. He is almost always introduced as Kalim, the heir of a multimillionaire family. It is thus impossible to separate him from this title, and by extension, Jamil as well. Whether he likes it or not, as the servant of the Asims, Jamil is tethered to Kalim by being a part of his social image. No true Master can exist without servants, and no servants can be had without a Master. The two are reliant on each other, much like Kalim and Jamil are reliant on the other to define their position in life. 

Kalim is the son of a wealthy family because he has Jamil to prove his special status. Jamil is a servant of the Asim family because he has someone to serve. But whether he wants to be part of this system and have his identity be defined by this connection is out of his hands. And that’s the truly unbearable notion that Jamil has to deal with in his chapter: no matter what he does he is never in control of his own life. It’s always something that is decided for him.

This, in itself, is not coincidental I would say. You see, besides being interesting social commentary, it is also an unexpected look into the underlying themes of Disney’s Aladdin. If we were asked to describe what the movie is about, I think it’s safe to say most of us would cite “poor street-rat learns a valuable lesson about not pretending to be someone else and marries the princess” as the answer. And we would not be wrong. It’s obvious that “Be Yourself” is one of the most important lessons Disney wanted to teach to young children and this in itself is not a bad thing. But while these might be understood as genuine life advice at a young age, as adults we often tend to look more closely into the themes and motifs of the movies that shaped our childhoods. And thus I would argue that Aladdin is more than just a story about interclass romance, but rather a look into how the social class system functions as a whole. Aladdin, the main hero, is a street urchin with no money to his name. Jasmine, the heroine, is the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the land. Their romance and subsequent marriage is interpreted as a victory over a flawed and classist system, because they managed to surpass the limitations imposed upon them by society and ‘be themselves’. And though this is a heartwarming message to see performed on screen, it’s important to remember that there are more than just the protagonists in the story. Alongside them we have three more characters we must pay close attention to: the Sultan, Jafar and the Genie. 

To do a short summary:

The Sultan: Jasmine’s father and the most powerful man in the country, but rather bumbling and childishly naive. As is typical with Disney parents who are still alive by the start of the movie, he is a figure that possesses authority merely in name. Though kind and generally well disposed, he lacks any real power when it comes to the plot of the movie being tricked by both Jafar and Aladdin, as Prince Ali, and ultimately having to rely on the latter to be saved from the former. The Sultan is the quintessential look at a spoiled monarch whose rule is being facilitated by someone more competent than him, and this informs most of his character as a result. He himself might be a doting and benevolent figure, yet his reign is a prosperous one by accident not by his own making.

The Genie: The spirit who resides in the lamp that Aladdin finds in the Cave of Wonders and who becomes his ally in his quest to marry Jasmine. Perhaps one of the most memorable characters in the movie, thanks to the late William Robbins’ performance, Genie's entire quest in the movie is to achieve freedom by helping out his Master. The parallels between him and the indentured servant position are made abundantly clear by the fact that he is bound to Aladdin until the latter agrees to set him free. Genie’s role in the story is one that is important, but his position is one that mirrors Jafar: they are in the service of someone who is less than them, whether it be competence or magical ability. However, while Jafar detests his position and the Sultan, Genie becomes a father figure to the protagonist. The fact that the two exchange places (Jafar is turned into a Genie and imprisoned, Genie being set free and retaining all his powers) stems directly from how they relate to their social class. Jafar is self-serving and ambitious and Genie is altruistic and self-sacrificial. Genie thinks of the happiness of his Master, though he is still displeased by the concept itself, and for that he is rewarded, proving that putting the well-being of others above your interests is the way to happiness after all. That is, if you’re a Disney hero.

Jafar: The Grand Vizier and the second most powerful man in the land, but is a scheming backstabber that plans to take the throne for himself. As one of the most easily recognizable Disney villains, Jafar makes a strong impression through not only his design, but through his philosophy as well. He’s in spite of his high rank, still pretty much a servant, having to ensure that the rule of the Sultan is enacted accordingly. Yet, as an antagonist he makes certain that whatever he does is in his own interest as well. To say that he is ambitious would be an understatement, but what is it that he wants exactly? There is no clear answer, but the closest we can get to is that Jafar wants power. 

But wait, you might say. Didn’t Aladdin also want that? Why is only Jafar the villain, if they were both after the same thing?

That is a good question! And the answer to it is yes and no. Though indeed, both Jafar and Aladdin wanted power it was for different purposes. Aladdin wanted it for the sake of overcoming his social limitations and thus becoming a worthy candidate for Jasmine, while Jafar wanted power for power’s sake. The lesson that Aladdin learns is that he shouldn’t have attempted to do that, because it would have never worked out in the way he intended it to. Though Jasmine can bring herself down to his level, he cannot bring himself up to hers since it would disrupt the social system. One cannot rise up to a higher social standing through power alone, they need recognition as well. Which is why marrying Jasmine becomes an important plot point. Jafar, who achieved power through his scheming, still lacks the recognition, which can only be granted through marriage to a royal or someone of higher social standing. He fails to achieve it, because his rise in social ranks did not have a ‘noble’ purpose like Aladdin’s but it merely satisfied his own agenda and needs.

Jafar’s status as a villain is thus due to the fact that in Western media ‘Ambition Is Evil’ is one of the most prevalent tropes. Think of the Becky Sharps, the Slytherins, the Lucifers, the Littlefingers that populate our literature, their evil nature is more often than not tied to their necessity to rise above others. 

To reign is worth ambition though in hell; 

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. (Paradise Lost)

Power corrupts, and ambition corrupts absolutely. Disney characters thus often learn that it is better not to be swayed by power from their role in society for the sake of power, or they will pay the heavy price for doing so. That is why Jafar fails and Genie succeeds, because they related differently to their role in their Master’s lives. 

And that is a theme that Twisted Wonderland also touches upon in Jamil’s story. Twisted from Jafar itself it was inevitable that his story would deal with such a topic. However, what deeply impressed me was how self-aware the narrative had been in regards to it. 

Ruggie: I feel bad for you. By helping out Kalim you have burned your hands considerably. (R Card School Uniform)

Jamil: I want to avoid standing out. I can’t be satisfied with this. I cannot be too good, nor fall behind, and neither should I get satisfactory grades or fail. This is the best shortcut to success. (SR Card Lab Coat)

Jamil: I am a sworn servant to the house of Asim and thus have a duty to protect the master. (SR Card Ceremony Robes)

Azul: You are always welcome in Octavinelle should you find yourself freed from Kalim. (5-10)

The matter of Jamil’s role as Kalim’s caretaker is one that has been brought up at several points throughout the game. This is usually done with the express purpose of reinforcing his status as his servant, but also to affirm that it is indeed this very position that is preventing him from achieving his full potential. 

Azul: If you look at your grades, there are no visible gaps in your classroom lectures, practical skills and physical training. Even I have a weak point when it comes to flying… For you to not even have such an instability is frankly amazing. It is like you can tailor yourself to suit your needs. (SR Card Lab Coat)

Just as Azul remarks Jamil holds himself back on account of his need to perfectly perform a certain persona: the reliable valet. It is a character we often see in media disguised as the Hypercompetent Sidekick or Servile Snarker, who is by his very nature much more accomplished than the master, but must out of financial necessity submit himself to someone else. Or in Jamil’s case, out of filial obligation. And this is where the comparison with Jafar becomes important because while Jamil does embody Jafar’s ambition, it is not treated in the same manner as in the movie. Jamil’s motives for betraying Kamil are similar to the villain: he wants to impose himself upon others and overcome his social position. Having been raised in servitude since young he has been forced to ‘tailor himself’ to the demands and expectations placed upon him. However, because this position has been imposed upon him and it wasn’t of his own volition, Jamil comes to resemble the genie much more than he does Jafar. Which is completely intentional, I believe. But we’ll get to that soon enough. 

Taking this into consideration it is interesting to note how the resolution of Jamil’s arc differs from Jafar’s in terms of narrative. The end of Aladdin has us witness the defeat of Jafar at the hands of Aladdin, his imprisonment in the lamp and the release of the genie from his bonds of servitude. It is, of course, a typical Disney happy ending: the villain was defeated by his own hubris, while the heroes prevailed through self-sacrifice and cleverness. The main character has learned the necessary moral lesson (cynically phrased as: do not aspire to overcome your social class through hard work, but wait for recognition from your superiors) and all the characters that aided them during their journey get rewarded as well. It’s the culmination of the Disney formula that selflessness and altruism are the values that separate the heroes from villains, and by extension good from evil. Evil only seeks its own interests, while good works in the interests of others. So what about Jamil?

The end of the Scarabia arc is quite ‘Disney’ to a certain degree: the villain has been exposed, the heroes send to the other end of the ‘world’, they get their second wind, defeat him and live happily ever after. Well, not really. You see, what happens before the heroes go to defeat the antagonist is that Kalim breaks down crying due to Jamil’s betrayal and Azul remarks the following thing:

Azul: Kalim’s gentle disposition towards others is completely different from Jamil and I… No… Taking into account everything, he probably built a grudge over the years. You have been causing trouble for Jamil since you were little, after all. However, you are not in the wrong. You were born a cut above the others. You were loved by everyone around you and we were raised under such a good environment.

You were simply unaware of the greed you’ve been showing. (4-34)   

Jamil’s actions aren’t excused, because they are indeed those of a villain: plotting, backstabbing and double-crossing the heroes for his own gains. Yet, they are not simply attributed to his ‘evil’ nature, but rather explained by the environment in which he was raised and the morals that were instilled in him. Jamil is not evil, but rather merely desperate enough to resort to evil means. And that is a profusely important distinction. Though we might commit malicious acts that does not mean that we are malicious by nature, much as committing benevolent acts does not make one irreproachable. And Twisted Wonderland understands this notion: not in the sense that Jamil was right in what he did, but rather than we can understand why he felt like he was pushed to such extremes. 

Jamil’s story is one of the more complex ones, in my opinion. It speaks about an issue much deeper and much more insidious than any that have been explored so far in the game. The result is that unlike the other three previous Overblot victims, Jamil has no clear-cut solution to his problem. Even after the incident he is still in the service of the Asim family. Even if Kalim asserts that they are equals at school, he still will remain a servant everywhere else. No matter what he does he is bound to the Asim’s and more specifically to Kalim. 

I feel like this would be the note on which I should safely conclude this very long introduction, as we move further and into the real meat of this post: the analysis itself. Thus, without further ado, let’s see why this CM is such a treat from a symbolical and storytelling perspective.

The opening of Aladdin (1992) is perhaps one of my favorites due to the fact that it seeks out to reference its source material: One Thousand and One Nights. By that I mean that it utilizes a technique known as the ‘frame story’: a story which contains within it another story. In the novel the framing device is Scheherezade, the vizier’s daughter who upon learning that she will marry Sultan Shahryar and be promptly killed at dawn, devised a plan to subvert her fate. She would each night begin a tale that would leave the Sultan so enchanted that he postponed her beheading until the next day so she might finish her tale. However, upon finishing the previous story Scheherezade would continue with another one and so on and so on until she eventually managed to avoid death for one thousand and one nights. Hence the name of the collection. 

Aladdin uses a similar device in the character of the Merchant who appears at the start of the movie and introduces us, the viewers, to the world of Agrabah which is a place “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” according to the original lyrics of the song. But it also includes a shot at the end of the movie which has the Genie lift up the ‘wallpaper’ and speak directly to the audience. These scenes, though easy to disregard, do reinforce the fact that the movie we’re about to see is not taking place as it happens, but rather a second-hand account of it. Much like Scheherezade attempts to avoid her decapitation, so does the Merchant at the start of the movie attempt to convince us to give the story a try, become immersed and then abruptly reminded of the fictionality of what we have just witnessed. And I don’t mean in the sense that it is a movie, but rather in the sense that even within the logic of the movie, this whole set of events has a certain fictionality to it. The fact that initial plans had the Genie and the Merchant be the same character only strengthens this notion. 

But the Scarabia CM doesn’t start with the Merchant now, does it? No, it does not. But rather it starts with the very first image of the movie itself: purple smoke against a red flaming background. Except that there is no red flaming background this time, but a calming blue shot of the dunes with what appears to be the Scarabia dorm building in the background, or even Agrabah itself. There is no smoke either but sparkling dust that emanates from a lamp half-buried into the sand. The images are clearly meant to evoke the general aesthetic of Aladdin (1992), but they can also be interpreted symbolically. 

The imagery of smoke is often one of ascension, of leaving the earthly shackles and rising higher towards the spiritual world. But it is also a rather solemn symbol as well, given that it can also be associated with the burning of corpses. Its presence in the movie is explained by the fact that this is after all a story about liberation: most obviously the Genie’s, but also the other characters. Everybody wants to be free in some form or another. The colour symbolism is also interesting to remark upon as according to Richard Vander Wende, the production designer of the original film, certain colours have different meanings within the movie. Red symbolizes heat and evil, while blue is a calm colour associated with water. The red background thus carries negative connotations, but it is eclipsed by the presence of the smoke in the foreground, that is a combination of red and blue. If we were to interpret this visual choice we could claim that the movie is trying to let us know that the story we are about to watch is one in which morally-grey protagonists overcome the forces of evil. For, even though Aladdin is our main character, he is not a pure hero by Disney standards as he is after all a thief and the lesson he has to learn is that he should not attempt to scam his way into a better social position. 

But the Scarabia CM uses a blue background instead, so this is certainly not the same message it might try to send. Rather, due to the positioning of Scarabia/Agrabah in the background, I believe that it is indeed a story about rising above, but not above the forces of evil as much as above social norms accepted as standards. The Scarabia storyline is very much centered around the notion of social positions and how they function within a system of indentured servitude, as is obvious through the way in which Jamil attempts to overcome the position of servant through schemes and planning. We most certainly encounter the thread of evil within his character, but though his methods are unsavory, his end is, I would say, understandable: freedom. 

Jamil: For me, and my family... I'll do anything for our sake!!! (4-31)

Jamil: I’m done playing servant!! I WILL BE FREE—!! (4-32)

The choice of a blue background might thus allude not necessarily to goodness as in the moral concept itself, but rather to the comfort of social norms. There is a certain stability to be had in a system that declares that all those born into wealthy families shall remain wealthy, and all those born into servant families should remain servants. To quote Aladdin: “It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.” (Arabian Nights) In such a system that relies on absolute conventions regarding social classes, someone like Jamil is a threat, because he questions and subverts the limitations imposed upon him. He is smarter and more capable than Kalim, yes, but because he must ensure that he does not draw negative attention upon himself, he is forced to adhere to a lifestyle that is not representative to whom he truly is. The similar shape of Scarabia and Agrabah only serves to highlight that regardless of his environment, as long as he remains a servant through his bond to the Asims, he shall never be able to change his destiny.

The lamp is the most important object in Aladdin (1992) as it is the MacGuffin that is coveted by Jafar and the prison of the all powerful entity that is Genie. The lamp in the movie has thus two connotations: power and imprisonment. The juxtaposition between the two creates an interesting image of how power changes according to one’s position in society. Though Genie’s powers are indeed great it seems that he is incapable of wishing himself free, which is I think a good analogy to the position of indentured servitude in which only a lord’s permission would be capable of restoring an individual’s freedom, even though they would be in theory capable of physically leaving their place of servitude. Their choice not to is not only a reflection of the possible corporal punishment they would endure if captured, but also due to the social contract that forced them to remain in that position. As servants they would remain branded forever as second-class citizens at best or dangerous felons at worst. Not a fate one would ever wish upon themselves in those days. 

It is clear that besides Jafar, Jamil also bears quite a lot of similarities to Genie.

It’s like being the genie of the lamp, calling me anytime and anywhere. (Jamil Chat 1)

As I mentioned above, Disney draws an interesting parallel between Jafar and Genie when it comes to relating towards their ‘superiors’: Jafar despises the Sultan and wishes to disposes of him, while Genie forms a parental bond with Aladdin and even reluctantly agrees to remaining bound to the lamp if it means his ward’s happiness. The fact that they exchange positions at the end (Jafar being imprisoned in the lamp, Genie being freed) is the result of the moral choices they make. Genie’s altruism is what allows him to be freed, while Jafar’s ambition is what traps him as thus is the rule of Western philosophy: the needs of the others are superior to our own. 

But ignoring Jamil’s OB for now, we realize that he does not truly commit to either one of those positions. He is resentful of his enslavement at the hands of the Asims, but I believe he does not genuinely wish harm upon Kalim himself, but rather towards the system as a whole, which is represented by him. This is an idea we’ll return to eventually, but it is important to mention it in advance, because it paints a better picture of what Jamil’s true intentions were during his attempt to take over Scarabia. It was not power for power’s sake as in the case of Jafar, but rather him trying to assert control over an aspect of his life, which in this case would be his position within the dorm. Jamil isn’t truly interested in the position of Prefect as is, but in what it symbolizes: freedom. As Aladdin shows power is not synonymous to freedom, but rather something adjacent to it. Even a most powerful creature like Genie is bound to the whims and wishes of a mere mortal, much like Jamil is bound to those of Kalim. To overthrow him as Prefect would mean to assert himself as independent of social bonds by having no one be superior to him anymore. Yet, because he does it through immoral means he fails and thus keeps in line with the moral of the movie: you cannot advance socially without the approval of your superiors.

The moon is one of the most referenced symbols in literature due to the fact that it innately appeals to writers and poets alike. It is fundamentally female in nature, due to its connection to the Roman Diana and the Greek Artemis, and associated as a result either with the concept lunacy, to which it lent its name, as well as with witchcraft, solitude, power and change. The moon’s circular shape as observed from Earth is also associated with the notion of eternity and cyclicity, which is perhaps the symbol that is of most interest to us when it comes to Western interpretation, as in Japanese culture the moon can represent a person’s core, unaffected by others. It is more succinctly put a representation of the Self, that which is considered quintessential to one’s identity. And it is this imagery which the CM tends to gravitate towards I would argue.

The moon is a particularly prominent symbol in Aladdin (1992) as it symbolizes the notion of change and new beginnings. Aladdin and Jasmine’s flight during the song sequence “A Whole New World” uses the moon as a backdrop and confers upon it a romantic aura of serenity and calmness, which is referenced towards the end of the movie wherein they fly towards it upon their success at convincing Jasmine’s father to allow their marriage. The moon in this regard is symbolic of unity and fortune, synonymous with true love’s conquest over everything else. But there is also a comedic twist to it as seen in the very last scene of the movie wherein Genie’s face is projected upon it. It is thus primarily a positive symbol associated with goodness.

The CM however is closer in meaning to the notion of the moon as the human core observed in solitude. Unlike the moon in Aladdin, whose shadows are barely perceptible and thus looks more natural, the moon here is overtly engulfed by darkness, with the sole space of light providing a sharp contrast in tone. It is not a symbol of unity, but rather of division creating barriers and boundaries between the characters who are positioned at opposite ends of the circle. Kalim, as a superior in terms of social and financial power, is situated upon the side that shines brighter to symbolize his role as the face of the dorm. He is the Prefect, the one that represents his dorm and the ideals that it is founded upon. Yet, upon further inspection we notice that the word ‘Scarabia’ appears on Jamil’s side, which is not only the dark part, but also takes more space. It is an unequal division but so is much of their life: Jamil remains in Kalim’s shadow, though it is only due to the former’s help that the latter manages to shine as a Prefect. This is confirmed by the positioning of their dorm’s name on Jamil’s side, as he is in fact the one that more overtly exhibits the ideals of careful planning that the Sorcerer of the Hot Lands is known for.  

Kalim’s face change is interesting if we consider the notion of the moon representing the human core on which one’s identity is formed, because it confirms that he is indeed as cheerful as he appears to be. His cheerful disposition though likened to the image of the sun, lacks the usual masculine and aggressive features associated with it in Western culture, as he tends towards more feminine ideals of pacifism and serenity, which are associated with the moon. Moreover, as it has been pointed out to me, if one is to consider the Japanese cultural context we would be able to observe that the feminine characteristics of the sun are in perfect accordance with the female interpretation of the star in the form of Amaterasu. His body language is relaxed and openly friendly and there’s nothing about him that truly stands out in terms of contradictions. 

Jamil on the other hand presents an entirely different picture. His stance is guarded, that much is certain, and his expression is to be considered at best wooden. Unlike Kalim’s dynamic movement, he remains static and unchanging, sporting merely a look of resigned indulgence towards Kalim, and it seems to a certain extent as if he asserts control over his own reaction towards it. In other words, it is not in the slightest bit natural. Moreover, what does attract our attention is not his expression as in the case of Kalim, but rather the shine of the metal of his choker. 

Unlike Kalim which is bathed in light in warmth, Jamil is surrounded by dark and shadows, with the sole point of light being the metal around his neck. This is different from Kalim whose accessories do not stand out in the same vein. The reason is that on a fundamental level they represent entirely different notions. In Kalim’s case it is a representation of his wealth and power, with the lack of focus on them hinting perhaps to the fact that he is at ease with his position as the heir of a multimillionaire family. It does not stand out because that is his right by birth and thus just a natural part of himself. Jamil’s core, on the other hand, reveals that his identity is very much forged by the Viper’s bond to the Asims. 

Jamil: I’ve been looking after Kalim ever since we were kids. That’s the Viper family’s duty. (Jamil R School Uniform Lines)

In Kalim’s case the accessories are just that: accessories. But in Jamil’s case they are a mark of servitude. They stand out among the darkness because this is how he perceives his own persona: dominated by the image of the loyal servant who is socially inferior to his master. Even the metal itself seems to have a silver tint, rather than gold, symbolizing that even though he and Kalim should be equal (both sporting gold chokers) reality is very much different, since he is forced to be subservient even though it goes against his instincts.

It is interesting to note that in Aladdin (1992) the notion of space and how it relates to characters plays a significant part. Agrabah, the setting of the movie, is a place of social division in which those of lower status live in poverty, financial distress and crowded spaces, whereas those of a higher status enjoy the luxury and the vast space provided by the palace. Compare the streets of Agrabah during “One Jump Ahead” which are constantly filled with people, objects and animals and project an image of recurring chaos, to the quiet serenity of the palace where the Sultan and Jasmine live. The contrast is staggering. But more than that it is indicative how much social class can make a difference. 

It is also interesting to note that with the exception of the Sultan, all characters have at some point transversed these two spaces: Jafar and Aladdin move between the city, the palace and the desert, Jasmine sneaks into the city in order to experience real life and the Genie has access to a fourth space in the form of the lamp. However, the Sultan always remains within the palace walls. The reason for that is rather obvious: it is the seat of power and to leave it would be to admit to inferiority in regards to his position. Unlike the other characters that long for something more, the Sultan is content in his role as representative of financial and social power. He does not need to switch locations, because his static nature is what allows the other characters to progress in their journey. 

The CM builts on this premise as well, by showing us the very different worldviews that Kalim and Jamil experience. Fulfilling the role of Sultan, Kalim is surrounded by luxury and comfort, as he rests in his room at the dorm. The colours are warm and calming, as the light very gently illuminates the room in order to cause an impression of coziness, which fits perfectly with his own character. Kalim’s personality is at its core a ‘refreshing’ one, orientated towards creating harmony and a content attitude. All his life was spent among servants that catered to his every whim and desire, so his sense of independence was greatly stifled. If we may put in blunt terms, he’s sleeping through life, relying entirely on his social position due not necessarily to laziness, but rather naivety. Because he never had to leave the palace walls, he never had to develop any sense of autonomy and thus has managed to remain faithful to his social role. He does not experience a sensation of contradiction between who he is and who he is regarded as because he lives in accordance to the characteristics deemed appropriate for him as a member of the elite.

The same cannot be said for Jamil. Juxtaposed with Kalim’s scene we see Jamil walking through the desert as the harsh light shines upon him. There is no comfort to be found in this particular shot. Whereas Kalim is sleeping peacefully and at ease, unaware of the difficulties of life, Jamil is wide awake. Unlike the former, the latter’s life is dictated by restrictions and hardships, all which he has to endure without showing displeasure as befitting his social role. He does not have the privilege of laying around not only due to the demands that are made of him, but also due to his innate desire for change. The desert can thus very easily symbolize the unfairness which he has to endure as a servant, but it can also symbolize his ambition and the effort he is willing to spend on making sure he can change his social status. Unlike Kalim, who rests in the palace, Jamil seeks to escape its confines even if it means enduring hardship. For you see, though the palace is indeed a place of stability, it is also a prison.

The similarities between Agrabah’s palace and the Scarabia dorm building are most certainly intentional. They’re places of unimaginable wealth that function as status symbols for the people that control them. Agrabah is, as we mentioned before, heavily divided, but it is paradoxically the slums that offer more freedom than the palace itself. Looking back at the movie we notice that the biggest symbol we can associate with Jasmine is the bird in the cage yearning to be free. The notion, moreover, is also supported by imagery such as setting the birds free after a talk with her father and, as it had also been pointed out by other critics, that the canopy of her bed is designed to resemble a birdcage. As a princess Jasmine is bound by social roles and conventions to adhere to the expectations placed upon her, and her journey in the movie is to assert herself as an autonomous person before her father by insisting that she be allowed to make her own choices. The problem however lies with the word ‘allow’ itself which once again contradicts her ideals. The notion of allowing someone to do what they want situates the power in the hands of the person who is recognized as the social superior. In the case of Jasmine, it is her father, the Sultan. In the case of Jamil, it is the Asims. 

The Scarabia dorm as a symbol of the prison is an obvious one due to the fact that it served as such for Grim and Yuu during episode 4. But that is what we might refer to as physical confinement, which at its core is not compatible with the message of the CM and even of the movie. Because the CM does not focus on Grim and Yuu, but on Jamil and Kalim, so this is not a case of a physical prison, but rather a mental one I would argue.

In several respects, the prison must be an exhaustive disciplinary apparatus: it must assume responsibility for all aspects of the everyday individual, his physical training, his aptitude to work, his conduct, his moral attitude, his state of mind; the prison, much more a than the school, the or the army, which always involved workshop certain specialization, is 'omni-disciplinary'. Moreover, the prison has neither exterior nor gap; it cannot be interrupted, except when its task is totally completed; its action on the individual must be uninterrupted: an unceasing discipline. Lastly, it gives almost total power over the prisoners; it has its internal mechanisms of repression and punishment: a despotic discipline. It carries to their greatest intensity all the procedures to be found in the other disciplinary mechanisms. (Foucault 235-236)

Foucault’s Discipline and Punishment: The Birth of the Prison is an interesting look into the social and theoretical mechanisms employed by prisons in order to ‘reform’ convicts. The end goal of these institutions is to reintegrate the individual into society and to achieve such a thing it is not necessary just to punish and torment them, but to discipline them. By this Foucault understood as allowing one’s life to be entirely dictated by “a disciplinary apparatus” decided by those within power. It’s main aim was to restructure one into a “docile body” beneficial for the economical and political necessities of that specific age, which in many cases referred to the idea of one being content to pursue the interests of the state and those that governed it. 

I bring this up because I can see the same ideas reflected in Jamil’s character arc as well. Foucault mentions that the prison is a space in which discipline is uninterrupted and unceasing. In other words it is a space which constantly reinforces the ideals that are considered desirable, and we can see that Scarabia unintentionally functions the same way. It is a space in which Jamil is cast as inferior to Kalim once again, trapped into the position of Vice Prefect, despite the fact that he embodies the ideals of the dorm more than he does. Though this is a different place, his routine has remained unchanged: he must still cater to Kalim’s wishes and perform the role of the servant, despite the fact that in theory the two of them should be equal now.

Scarabia Student B: Our family standing and status shouldn’t matter inside the school! We’re all equal here, right? (4-18)

Under normal circumstances, Night Raven College is supposed to be a neutral space in terms of social standing. Leona and Malleus are recognized as princes, but are not given any particular attention in terms of political and social superiority, and rather scrutinized due to their peculiar attitudes and personalities. They are, in theory, equal to the other students at the academy and the same should apply to the relationship between Kalim and Jamil as well. But things are not so.

During episode 4 we find an interesting detail about Scarabia: it seems that the building had been renovated once Kalim was accepted into the dorm. This is not usually a detail that would require any particular attention, but it reveals something about the environment in which Jamil resides: it is representative of the Asims. The ostentatiousness and extravagance are the result of their direct influence and thus molded by their own desires. By remodeling the building they have reforged it into an image of their social position and installed a member of its own family as leader. Its neutrality has been compromised and so has Jamil’s attempted escape. Attending Night Raven College is not merely a case of attending one of the best magic schools in the world, but also one of asserting one’s independence. Jamil was given the chance to finally break free from the system that has had him ensnared for all his life, only to have his hopes be dashed by being reminded that in the end the influence of his masters is much greater than he could have anticipated. Thus, Scarabia was turned into a space of imprisonment which perfectly replicates the dynamics of the Asim household and thus denies Jamil any possible form of freedom. Much like Genie and Jafar at the end of the movie, he is unable to escape his prison without the approval of his superiors.

Jamil is aware, however, that he is not and will most likely not ever be able to receive such freedom from the Asims. And consciously he knows he cannot attempt to break free on his own either. 

Jamil: My family, the Viper Household, has been serving the Asim Family since olden times. A retainer drawing his sword against his master is unforgivable. Even more so, if Kalim’s father found out about it, my family will end up being punished. I’m sorry, but I cannot put my family in danger just because of a selfish request. (4-18)

Jamil’s sense of filial duty is one of the driving forces behind his character. It’s not only that he himself wants to be free, but wants his family to be released from their bonds as well. Because the system in which he has been raised permits a master to punish an entire family for the disobedience of one member it becomes understandable why Jamil is such a guarded person. It is not merely his own person that is at stake, but the lives of those he cares about also. It is a thought that has weighed heavily upon his head since young childhood most likely, once he became aware of how exactly the social system set in place works. To go against it would not be an act of brave rebellion, but that of sentencing others to punishment to fulfill his own ambitions. Which for a character twisted from Jafar seems contradictory. Yet we must remember that he has certain traits of Genie as well. Unlike him whose loyalty lies to his Master, Aladdin, Jamil’s loyalty lies to his family. He’s only willing to endure things as they are now due to the fact that rebelling would mean having them suffer the consequences. And Jamil is aware of that.

Yet, it is also necessary to ask the following question: Why does he end up rebelling in the end?

The most obvious answer: accumulated frustration. 

As I stated before, Jamil does not hate Kalim. However, it is also obvious that his Overblot had very much to do with the fact that he had become increasingly irked by the latter’s attitude to life. His critique of Kalim’s character, though harsh, was entirely accurate. Kalim is indeed spoiled and naive to an almost ridiculous degree, even though it is not entirely due to his own fault. Moreover, it is not necessarily these particular traits that Jamil takes issue with, but rather his predilection towards inaction. To briefly reference a previously discussed shot: though Kalim is content in his passivity, Jamil cannot abide by the current system. He desires change, but he knows he is in no position to enact it and is thus frustrated that the one who would be able to perform this task is oblivious to the struggles of those around him. Jamil does not hate Kalim as a person, but rather that which he represents: the power of the system itself. As the CM shows Kalim is able to move forwards, uncaring of limits and boundaries, but uninterested in change (initially) while Jamil, though he desires to advance, is stuck in one spot. 

The brief image of Kalim reflected in the surface of running water captures this concept perfectly. Jamil is not looking at Kalim as he is, but rather as perceives him to be: an unclear image. Water has the same reflective properties of mirrors, but due to their unstable state they cannot portray accurate images. Jamil attributes maliciousness to Kalim’s denseness as not only a means of explaining his actions, but as a way to excuse his own eventual betrayal of him. If Jamil considers Kalim as a representative of the system, he feels justified in his actions and thus more willing to go through with them, since he can project his frustrations upon a material, solid person rather than an abstract entity. Kalim is in a sense a scapegoat for Jamil’s anger.

The snake is laden with multiple meanings being both a manifestation of evil (Satan taking the form of a serpent to trick Eve into sinning) as well as a symbol of rebirth and transformation. In keeping with the colour motif of the movie the serpent staff that Jafar carries with him has eyes which glow red when he’s using it to hypnotize the Sultan to indicate his evil influence upon him. In the CM we have the image of a red snake coiling around Jamil’s feet which is the physical manifestation of all his feelings of dissatisfaction regarding his position as a servant finally bursting apart. But before he is overtaken by those negative feelings we notice interestingly enough that the snake takes the form of an ouroboros: a snake which eats its own tail. A symbol of eternity.

Jamil: I’ve been raised as a retainer to serve his family, so I really can’t understand. A master is a master and a servant will be a servant. Most probably for as long as we’re alive. (4-26)

When discussing Jamil’s character we must admit to a certain cyclicity. Not one he engages in, but rather one in which he is stuck. He is the son of a family that has served the Asims for generations, creating a chain of servants and masters that is currently supposed to be replicated by him and Kalim. His sense of autonomy is constantly denied due to the intervention of forces beyond his control. Moreover, in chapter 4 itself his plans get constantly ruined by either Grim or the Octavinelle Trio, creating a sense that the universe itself has aligned itself in opposition to him. 

But there is more to it still. Jamil is a highly ambitious person, who desires to establish himself through his talent and skill, thus giving him the perfect reason to despise a system that requires some individuals to be subservient to others for arbitrary reasons. However, by his own admission he cannot envision a life outside the system either. This is in essence the insidiousness of such phenomena: they entrap not only the person physically but psychologically as well. Once one’s identity is dependent upon a certain ideology and philosophy of life it is extremely difficult to extract themselves from that mindset. Much like Foucault said, once the mind is disciplined and the individual turns into a ‘docile body’ they become reliant on that particular system in order to form a coherent identity. 

Though Kalim can step outside the bounds and limits imposed upon him, by virtue of his social position, Jamil is only allowed to operate within those boundaries. It is precisely why he stops advancing further once he reaches the end of the round court. Though physically he should be able to overcome such obstacles, mentally he is unable to not. Not as long as he remains under the governance of the Asim family, at the very least. It is obvious however that he cannot simply rise against them, and this realization is what causes him to hit the limit in terms of patience. He finally realizes that he has been robbed of his independence even before he was born.

Jamil: But if I have, it’s better you don’t know what I really think of you. If everything goes to plan… I’ll finally be free. (Scarabia CM)

Sight is an important theme to Jamil’s character as he, much more than any other character perhaps, actively attempts to manipulate the perception of others about him. He is not what he appears as Azul remarks in many of their interactions, and that is because to Jamil allowing himself to be genuine would come with a price: revealing his true feelings regarding his social position. And that, as previously stated, is not something he can afford.

Eyes are often called the ‘windows of the soul’ in the sense that they reflect a person’s true intentions and thoughts. Moreover, the notion of sight is one that literary authors often like to explore in their works. Out of all the senses, sight seems to be considered the most unreliable, since it often fails to discern that which exists in obscurity. The notion is explored in Aladdin (1992) too to a certain degree. Everybody sees only what they desire to see, and because the images they form are so contradictory that it creates misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict. Jafar’s power of hypnotism is even more interesting in this context since by definition it allows him to influence a person’s perception of reality and thus a part of their identity and how they relate to their environment. 

The end of the CM hints towards this notion as well, as we see that the Overblot first manifests itself is his eyes, obscuring his sight from the reality around him. He’s chosen to throw himself into the negative emotions that have finally overtaken him, and as a result given him the power to recreate reality to his discretion. We see the parallel with Genie and Jafar in his Unique Magic as well, since though he possesses one of the most potent powers, he’s still considered an inferior. Jamil’s Overblot is thus one formed by the depressing realization that for as long as he exists within the system, he’ll be forced to endure the continuous cycle of subservience forced upon him since before his birth. His transformation moreover is the result of a desperate yearning for freedom which has driven him to extreme actions. The appearance of the red eyes behind him symbolize more than the eyes of the serpent staff. They are a stark reminder that he is consumed entirely by the realization of his own powerlessness and over-dependence upon the Asims, even if it’s against his desire. 

To note is also the fact that out of all the Overblot victims, Jamil’s expression is the only one that is peaceful. If we take a look at the Heartslaybyul, Savanaclaw and Octavinelle CMs all of the Prefects display either rage or shock during their transformations. It is clear that this process is a horrific one, which explains their reactions, yet strangely enough Jamil seems serene and accepting as if he has come to terms with this course of action. Unlike the Overblot victims before him, his transformation is liberating to a certain degree, because it allows him to finally achieve his goal: get rid of Kalim and instate himself as leader of the dorm. Not because he covets the position itself, but rather because through it he manages to finally become free and unburdened by his social position. In a way, the dark appeal of Overbloting is just that: unlimited power, and for a character like Jamil, who very much lacks this, it is especially hypnotic. 

Out of all the Overblots so far, I consider Jamil’s the most tragic because in the end there seems to be no obvious escape for him, perhaps except in the case of Kalim setting him free. But this is still an event that will happen in a few years at best. It does not answer his current need for autonomy. Yet, despite this we see in chapter 5 that there is indeed some improvement. Though he has refused Kalim’s offer of being friends, he nevertheless has begun acting more like his equal within school grounds and their relationship overall seems less hostile on his end. The fact that much of the action of chapter 5 takes place in Ramshackle Dorm is also an important thing to note as it manages to create a neutral space, untainted by the Asim’s interference. In Vil’s system of meritocracy Jamil is finally able to act as himself and stop performing a role for others, thus he is finally able to assert a degree of autonomy over his own person, which he was not capable of doing before.

Coming now to the ends of this post I think it goes without saying that in terms of narrative cinematography the Scarabia CM is currently unmatched. Though short it manages to give a perfect summary of the themes explored in episode 4, the relationship between Kalim and Jamil and a brief but insightful look into the latter’s psychology and reasons for Overbloting. 

So, there’s really nothing else to do but thank Yana for giving us such a wonderful CM for what I consider the best dorm and best boys in the whole game.  

Additional Links

Indentured Servitude: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt--B1Y-u6Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti7Kbd6gSIo

Twisted Wonderland, Episode 4: https://kanadesmusingsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/masterpost-twisted-wonderland-episode-4-translations/

Jamil Chats, Personal Stories: https://twisted-wonderland.fandom.com/wiki/Jamil_Viper/Personal_Story

https://twisted-wonderland.fandom.com/wiki/Jamil_Viper/Chat

Scarabia CM: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVSx_BvTlmQ

Aladdin (1992) commentary: https://filmschoolrejects.com/38-things-we-learned-from-the-aladdin-commentary-fd9f1d8573b3/

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The peeps over in the Twisted Writings discord know this has been brewing for a while, but I’ve finally managed to sit down, write and edit this monster. It bears witness to the fact that I adore Scarabia more it is healthy (lol). 

Also wanted to thank fellow Scarabia stan buddy @chillableu​ for proofreading and brainroting with me about these boys. You’ve been such a great help and I’m so thankful to you!  ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

All the translation sources have been linked in the last section of the commentary.

[thegayhimbo]

If you could pick your Top 5 favorite fictional relationships (romantic or platonic) and Top 5 most hated relationships, which would they be and why?

Top 5 Favorite Fictional Relationships (Platonic or Romantic):

1.) Chandler and Joey from F.R.I.E.N.D.S

The iconic bromance! :) Out of all the characters in the core 6, they were the ones I watched the show for. They bought a foosball table together, they raised a chick and a duck together, they won Monica’s apartment together, Joey officiated Monica and Chandler’s wedding, Chandler helped support Joey through his acting career, there were just so many good moments with these two! And of course, I loved the bro hugs they gave each other!

2.) Sookie and Jason Stackhouse from True Blood

Jason and Sookie’s sibling relationship still remains one of my favorites from True Blood because it’s one of the few where there was consistent character development. Jason worked to be a supportive big brother to Sookie (and even risked his life for her on several occasions), and Sookie helped Jason through his struggles and offered him advice from time to time. I still think it’s heartwarming that Jason learned to go along with Sookie’s wild misadventures (even when they disrupted his life) and still try to help her when he could. I also liked that Sookie softened towards Jason in the later seasons, and realized he was doing the best he could and wanted to help him. To put it bluntly, there is a HUGE difference between how they started out and how they ended by the time the show finished! I loved their moments together, and would argue their relationship is a huge improvement from the books. I hope it gets more recognition from fans in the future!

3.) Daria and Jane from Daria

I love Daria and Jane’s friendship! I love how they both have different personalities, with Daria being more closed-off and cynical and Jane being more artistic and willing to try new things, and are still able to agree in many different situations. I love how supportive they are of each other and their struggles. This relationship made the show worth watching!

4.) Jane and Lisbon from The Mentalist

To this day, I still think it’s funny that Lisbon always acted like she was exasperated by Jane’s antics, but was also secretly amused by whatever tricks he could pull out of his sleeve, especially when it came to catching suspects. It’s still heartwarming that Lisbon helped give Jane a job and a purpose in his life after Red John killed his family, and Jane in turn grew to care for Lisbon and was always willing to help her out of any tight situation she got into. Their relationship was a joy to watch!

5.) Lafayette and Jesus from True Blood

This was one of the first LGBT+ relationships I saw on TV that was a central focus on the show, and it’s one that will always have a place in my heart. Both Jesus and Lafayette are examples of men who are able to be kind and gentle and caring while avoiding the pitfalls of toxic masculinity. I liked how Jesus was able to see that Lafayette had a gift with magic, and wanted him to realize his potential, and I like that Lafayette was willing to give love a chance. I don’t care what people say about the later seasons of True Blood; I will watch them again just for this relationship alone!

Honorable Mentions:

Chandler and Monica from Friends

Seth and Ryan from The O.C.

Tara and Lafayette form True Blood

Sansa and Theon from Game of Thrones

Joey and Rachel from Friends (yes, I know it’s unpopular, but I still love it)

Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin from Lord of the Rings

Harry, Ron, and Hermione from Harry Potter

Leia and Han from Star Wars

Aang and Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender

Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games

Steve and Dustin from Stranger Things

And so many others........

Top 5 Least Favorite Relationships (Platonic or Romantic):

1.) Bill and Sookie from True Blood

As time has passed and I’ve rewatched the show, I’ve started to grow cold and resentful towards Bill/Sookie as a couple. I know most fans say this was a boring relationship at best, but it’s much more insidious than that: This is an abusive relationship that gets romanticized in the books and the show. I make no secret that I HATE Bill Compton, and consider him one of the worst fictional characters in media. This guy got into a relationship with Sookie by allowing two psychopathic drug addicts to beat the shit out of her so he could pretend to play hero, drug her with his blood (which was both a tracking device and a powerful aphrodisiac), and spent the next two months manipulating Sookie and gaslighting her into believing he was a wonderful boyfriend. That’s not even getting into how he left her best friend Tara to be raped to death by another vampire when he had the chance to save her, or how he tried to target Jason by bullying Jessica into turning him into a vampire against his will. How Sookie could ever take back Bill after those moments is beyond me.

I have and always will be grossed out whenever people try to tell me this was a loving relationship. It wasn’t. Bill lied to Sookie, manipulated her, betrayed her, gaslighted her, abused her, targeted people she cared about, tried to control her at different points in their relationship, was cruel to her on multiple occasions, and was an overall vile person. Sookie deserved so much better than him! If there’s one thing I resent about the show, it’s that this relationship got so much focus and attention at the expense of other relationships that were so much better and deserved focus.

2.) Hoyt and Jessica from True Blood

Yeah..........this is not a relationship that has aged well. I know this was popular for many people, but I’ve always been uncomfortable with it as far back as season 2 when it was introduced. Part of it is because of the lack of maturity in both characters (Hoyt being a manchild who still lived with his bigoted mother, and Jessica being a recently turned teenage vampire with poor impulse control). Part of it is because these two had no blueprint for a healthy relationship and rushed into things without thinking about the pitfalls that would arise when they were together (which is exactly what happened). There were signs that this relationship could deteriorate even before it did. I’m sorry, but I don’t think these two were right for each other, and I hate how the show glosses over the issues they had in the last season in favor of a forced “Happily Ever After” that didn’t make any sense and was cheap fan service.

But the biggest problem for me was Hoyt’s character: His treatment of Jessica during and after the break-up was not only disgusting, it was borderline misogynistic. Throwing her out of the house, and then still acting like he was the only one allowed to have sex with her. Hating her for moving on with Jason. Stalking her at Fangtasia in the hopes she’ll take him back. Joining a hate group and trash-talking Jessica to a bunch of psychopaths. Sitting in a room with Jessica while she’s chained up (and unable to fight back), holding a gun to her head, slut-shaming her, and debating about whether or not to kill her because she broke up with him. I’m sorry, but that’s unacceptable. It bothers me to this day that Hoyt’s misogynistic and entitled behavior was glossed over by the show, and he never had to apologize for how hateful he became. I’m still disgusted with Hoyt to this day because of it.

3.) Ross and Rachel from F.R.I.E.N.D.S

I don’t care whether or not this was considered the most popular relationship on TV at one point. I didn’t like it when I first saw it, and I don’t like it now. Both Ross and Rachel were spoiled, immature, petty, and unwilling to put in the hard work to make this relationship function. I know there’s a whole debate in the fandom about whether or not they were on a break, and I personally believe it doesn’t matter. It’s a smokescreen for the bigger issues in their relationship which (as I said) they were not willing to face. And frankly, I’m with those people who say that Ross’s behavior falls straight into “Entitled Nice Guy” territory. There are moments in their relationship that make me cringe, and whenever I go back to re-watch, I fast-forward through them because of it.

4.) Jon and Daenerys from Game of Thrones

IMAGE NOT FOUND!

I don’t know what it was with George R.R. Martin and D&D and their interest in incestuous relationships, but I wish they hadn’t ventured there. I was already grossed out by Jamie and Cersei’s toxic relationship, but this relationship with Jon and Daenerys was even worse. She is his aunt and he’s her nephew. 🤮

But putting aside the incest for a minute, my biggest problem with this relationship is that there was very little development to make me believe that Jon and Daenerys fell in love with each other. I don’t know if it was the writing, the acting, the lack of chemistry between the two characters, the direction, but I was put off by this relationship and thought the way they got together felt rushed and broke my suspension of disbelief. What’s worse is I can’t tell how I was suppose to feel about this relationship! Was I suppose to root for them getting together and hope things would work out? Was I suppose to be horrified by it? I still have no clue. This is not a relationship I enjoyed watching.

5.) Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural

I have never understood the criticism that you have to consistently add drama to a relationship in order to make it interesting. Like, I get adding conflict for character development and having the characters face their flaws and grow as people, but then there’s just adding it for cheap effect to the point that you start to lose interest in a relationship. That’s exactly what happened with Sam and Dean from Supernatural. I used to love this brotherly relationship and their interactions with one another, and then sometime around season 4 the writers decided that having the brothers at odds with one another EVERY SINGLE SEASON would make for good entertainment. Maybe I’m wrong and there were fans who dug that, but for me, it got boring real fast. By the time I got to season 9 (with the whole “Sam being possessed by an angel” storyline) I was emotionally checked out. The most emotion I could muster at that point was rolling my eyes in exasperation.

Personally, there are a lot of toxic elements in this relationship that have caused me to dislike it. I was really grossed out for instance over how the show started to fetishize the toxic elements of this relationship (like the co-dependency, the constant lying to each other, etc) over the positive qualities. It’s a shame because I used to love the idea of two brothers on the road fighting supernatural creatures, and now this relationship has turned into something that makes me cringe.

Oh, and by the way, shipping Sam and Dean as a romantic couple despite them being brothers is disgusting! 🤮  And I thought Game of Thrones was bad with that!

Dishonorable Mentions:

Jason and Violet from True Blood

Jason and Crystal from True Blood

Tara and Franklin from True Blood

Sookie and Warlow from True Blood

Theon and Ramsay from Game of Thrones

Sansa and Ramsay/Jofferey/Littlefinger/Tyrion/The Hound from Game of Thrones (either because there’s a hideously inappropriate age difference, or because some of these men were abusive).

Daenerys and Khan Drogo from Game of Thrones

Cersei and Jamie from Game of Thrones

Steve and Billy from Stranger Things (I put it here because it’s not technically canon, but it’s still a ship that irritates me)

And so many more........

[felassan]

Article: ‘The Most Powerful Woman in Gaming Wants to Make EA Loved Again’

Laura Miele is helping direct the company toward a future where it’s more attuned with consumers.

One of the first things Laura Miele did when she became chief studios officer of Electronic Arts Inc. three years ago was to gather 19 video game influencers in a conference room. “What do you want me to hear? Lay it on me,” she recalls asking them. “One guy sitting at the corner of the table, he just said, ‘I don’t understand why you don’t give players what they’re asking for.’ ”

[rest of article under cut for length, pasted as Bloomberg has an article read limit]

One of the first things Laura Miele did when she became chief studios officer of Electronic Arts Inc. three years ago was to gather 19 video game influencers in a conference room. “What do you want me to hear? Lay it on me,” she recalls asking them. “One guy sitting at the corner of the table, he just said, ‘I don’t understand why you don’t give players what they’re asking for.’ ”

It’s something many gamers have wondered about EA for years. The $40 billion company, one of the biggest in gaming, is responsible for Battlefield, Madden NFL, and other megahit franchises. But many gamers have long seen EA as a necessary evil, resenting the direction in which it took some games and bristling at its aggressive attempts to extract money by charging extra for digital items in games that cost as much as $70 upfront. This dissatisfaction was no secret in 2018: Gamers spent their days filling up Reddit and other message boards with free advice for EA—but many felt its decision-makers weren’t listening.

EA’s leadership knows it has to improve that relationship, and Miele is a key player in its efforts to do so. Her focus group asked for new content for Star Wars Battlefront II and requested new types of games. Miele quickly assigned 70 people to the Battlefront development project, which dramatically improved its net promoter score, a measure of how likely people are to recommend the game. She also prompted EA to create a skateboarding game and committed to reintroducing its college football franchise, the two genres at the top of the influencers’ list.

In a sense, the guy at the meeting became a stand-in for all of EA’s long-suffering customers in Miele’s eyes. “I wanted to do right by this player,” she says.

As chief studios officer, Miele manages 6,000 staffers and thousands of contractors globally. She oversees EA’s 24 studios, where she makes personnel decisions and sets strategy, and she’s reshaped how the company uses analytics to create and market its games.

In the process she may have become the most powerful woman in gaming. In a 2019 International Game Developers Association survey, fewer than 30% of the more than 1,100 respondents were women, and few if any hold a more central role at such an important company. “It’s a tough place for a woman,” says Peter Moore, who was Miele’s boss when he was EA’s chief operating officer. “It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but she battled her way through.”

Proving good intentions is more important for EA than ever, as the business model of gaming continues to shift in ways that have the potential to alienate customers. Like its rivals, the company is increasing its focus on free-to-play games, making money through sales of digital products such as outfits and weapons for characters.

There are signs it’s succeeding. Apex Legends, EA’s free-to-play hero shooter game, has posted more than $1 billion in sales since it was first published in 2019, and it continues to grow. “The way to succeed with free-to-play games like that is to listen to and engage your customer base and earn their loyalty through incremental purchases,” says Doug Clinton, managing partner of the venture capital firm Loup Ventures, who says Miele deserves much of the credit for Apex Legends. “It feels like a proof point for her that the company is adapting well beyond traditional disk sales.”

Miele, 51, was born in San Francisco but grew up on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. She got her start in games—the kind that require a board—during family nights, when she pitted herself against her brother in Monopoly, Clue, Yahtzee, and backgammon. While attending the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, she worked at architectural companies. By the time she dropped out she’d moved on from receptionist positions to more senior roles, while gaining a reputation for organizing lunch-hour card games with her co-workers.

Miele landed a job as a project manager at Westwood Studios, a video game developer best known for Command and Conquer, in 1996. She eventually took over all marketing for its parent company, Virgin Interactive.

It wasn’t always a hospitable atmosphere: Miele remembers her colleagues expecting her to take notes at meetings, then clean up afterward. “That is just not something I would do today,” she says. “I adapted a lot because I was so passionate about what I was doing. I found my voice along the way.”

When EA acquired Westwood in 1998, she stayed on. At the time, the company did revenue forecasting by looking at sales data once a month and putting together spreadsheets by hand. Miele was tasked with developing more advanced analytics. She hired a group of data analysts, nicknamed “the Jedi,” and had them build EA’s first statistical regression models to examine sales trends, seasonality, and preorders. It took almost two years to put the system in place, but it overhauled the company’s business processes, and executives were soon using it to determine how to invest in advertising and promotions. “I loved how data and analytics can inform your judgment and your gut instinct,” Miele says.

Miele also decided to make one major break with EA’s existing business practices. In 2011 about 80% of game advertising budgets were spent on TV ads. But she saw how much time gamers spent online and decided to spend the bulk of the ad budget for Battlefield 3 on digital, downplaying other types of ads and cutting the TV ad budget to only 30%.

Messing around with the plan for Battlefield 3 was a good way to make people nervous. Miele remembers two executives calling her in for a meeting and demanding to know why they weren’t seeing billboards for the game as they drove in to the office. “It was scary for me, too, and I don’t blame our executives questioning me on that,” she says. But the game ended up being EA’s fastest-selling, moving more than 5 million copies in its first week. From that point, Miele’s marketing strategy became the standard for the company.

When EA signed a 10-year deal with Walt Disney Co. in 2013, Miele became Star Wars general manager. In 2014 she took over publishing operations, marketing, and other key areas, first in the North American region, then globally in 2016. At the time, the game industry was moving from physical disks to digital downloads, transforming its relationship with retail partners such as Walmart Inc. and Best Buy Co.

Miele was in charge of smoothing things over, explaining that EA would start competing with them for customers even as the retailers accounted for the largest portion of the revenue. “I never said to them, ‘Hey, see you later, we are moving on,’ ” she says. “It was, ‘How can we move forward together?’ ” EA began making physical cards with digital credits that its retail partners could sell at their stores, allowing them to share in the revenue from digital sales.

EA’s studios are spread around the globe, and Covid-19 altered Miele’s routine radically. “It was a very difficult year, and I’m really proud about how our company showed up,” she says. “I considered myself a wartime leader last year. You had to get in a bunker with everybody.”

Days became an endless progression of Zoom calls. To keep up with gamers, Miele started spending evenings listening to Clubhouse chats while answering work emails. Because she hasn’t been on the road, she’s also had more time to dine at home and play board games or Apex Legends and The Sims with her 16-year-old twins. As the pandemic retreats in the U.S., her schedule might change, but she still envisions providing more flexibility to her employees to work from home and office. “I do think we’re going to have a different work environment as we go forward,” she says.

Miele is itching to get back to the studio visits. She’s helping steer EA further toward smartphones. The company plans to release mobile versions of Apex Legends globally this year and spent $2.1 billion in April for Glu Mobile Inc., a mobile game publisher, while also preparing the next releases in its existing franchises. “I think the next Battlefield and the mobile shooter games, along with how successful the M&As come out will be key litmus tests of her management this year,” says Matt Kanterman, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. “Her scope is clearly rising.”

— With Dina Bass and Jason Schreier

[source]

[bluntforcefem]

hi i’ve got more of that bug fables roleswap au for people to peruse! this time, it’s largely focused on some side characters, some of which was a collaboration between me and my beloved friend @behold-a-bastard-in-this-house ! go check him out :-)

as always, under the cut is spoilers for the entirety of bug fables! similarly, this covers similar themes to what’s covered in bug fables, so if any of those bug you, take care of yourself!

the swaps covered here are: maki & kina swapping with zasp & mothiva, and general fuff swapping with vanessa! as with the central three protagonists,  it gets a little more funky from there, in the nature of telling a fun and fresh story AND preserving major & important parts of their original personalities and backstories!

ZASP & MOTHIVA AS MAKI & KINA

specifically here, zasp is maki; acting as elizant ii’s royal blade and going out on top secret missions for her. the layers i particularly like here are seen in canon: when asked about the wasps, zasp refers to them as “pests,” and for reasons currently unknown (but likely related to him having damaged antennae, etc.) he isn’t affected by the wasp king’s crown at all! the trust elizant ii has in him extends past the possibility of him being controlled or betraying her, which i VERY much like as a general (hand waves) background theme

the reason why i considered this swap to begin with was because mothiva and kina kinda reminded me of each other! and in a way, so did kina & zasp, but i felt this particular swap was more fun. i think mothiva keeps her idol status, here; most of the time she’s complaining about how zasp can’t accompany her as a body guard to her shows anymore, or about how he keeps leaving her behind (”a top secret mission would be GREAT for exposure!!” which is largely why she doesn’t end up going with him, lmao)

i also think that both of them are significantly further in their character development than they are in canon, though? mostly because: without zasp as her right hand and supporter all the time, mothiva has to actually deal with anyone who rejects her personally, and The Queen Herself supporting her is very good for her ego already! meanwhile zasp actually has a healthy level of seperation from mothiva and can foster that relationship without it fully starting from somewhere parasocial, lmao. i simply like this for them a lot!

MAKI & KINA AS ZASP & MOTHIVA

this one’s a little bit of a (handwaves) stretch of the canon role, so stick with me here!

i think maki & kina are more experienced explorers who have been trying at every step of the way to find the artifacts, and kina (and by extension maki) are more than a little annoyed that team snakemouth keeps getting to all of them first! i think maki largely thinks that they shouldn’t be out there to begin with - leif was BANNED from exploration for a REASON, after all, even if he IS proving efficient at artifact collection, and kina is annoyed that her and her brother aren’t getting the recognition they deserve!

this leads to the same threads you see in canon: maki & kina attempt to interfere at golden hills, stating that team snakemouth isn’t strong enough to take on whatever’s at the top of the hills, and that they’re destined to fail. this is then followed by the two interrupting in the termite kingdom - the queen is right there, after all! if they can prove that team snakemouth isn’t strong enough to defeat them, then they’ll be able to prove themselves and go after the artifacts themselves, even if this is jeopardizing bugaria.

a key difference here is that maki & kina actually regret their actions in termite kingdom! what you see there is a personal apology to the queen and an acknowledgement of what could’ve happened after they realize - no public apology to team snakemouth though, haha, outside of maki pulling them aside later.

maki saves kabbu from a near death experience :that one confetti discord emoji:

THE FUFF & VANESSA SWAP

once again a big thank you to my friend fall for being the huge brained genius behind this swap!! 

the conceit of this swap is that general fuff manages to escape the wasp king’s control from injuries sustained in a long-ago battle, while vanessa doesn’t. she starts acting as a false figurehead leader to the wasps, and has a similar battle gimmick to ultimax, in which she is always hiding behind her troops! (in canon, she even says that she’s never done combat for her kingdom - something that is still very true here!)

meanwhile, fuff is locked up - his focus is mainly on strategy, too, and while he’s brilliant at it, he has no people to lead, no army to plan around. while he could probably fight the capture, he doesn’t actually want to hurt his soldiers - we are a STRONG believer in actual good leader fuff when not mind controlled here! he manages to steal the flame brooch before he’s captured, though, hoping to use it to take down the king; although this fails, the king doesn’t realize he’s stolen it, and in her mind controlled state, neither does vanessa!

fuff, when broken out, proceeds to offer to help elizant ii plan defenses and battle against the wasps and the wasp king, and is the one to give team snakemouth the flame brooch before the giant’s lair. vanessa does get a tank. you LOVE to see a girlboss winning

that’s all for this post!! this was once again very fun to write out and explain; if you have any questions, just shoot me an ask about ‘em :-)

[coal15]

Why Buddie *isn’t* Destiel:

Let’s start with the stuff working against Buddie. Then move on to the things I believe give Buddie a much better shot at becoming canon than Destiel ever did. It’s a tad bit long:

So. Yes. The two ships do have a a lot in common. And yes, Buddie is a longshot for a lot of the same reasons Destiel was. 

Bi men aren’t really a thing on tv (especially not NETWORK tv), Dean and Buck were both introduced as huuuuuuuuuge fans of banging women with never a single unambiguous mention of them ever having dated or even being attracted to men. Only little wink/nudge moments played off as humor (”so does this boy-crush on Eddie mean . . .”) , or the characters giving each other “heart eyes,” a thing which can easily seen as a silent expression of deep fondness/admiration/trust/platonic love, whatever. None of the characters “seem bisexual” ie, they don’t conform to your typical network tv depictions or stereotypes of non-straight men. 

They all have “masculine” jobs (as opposed to something either soft and mellow, or flamboyant and performative). The real “guy guy” type characters are generally meant to be seen as 1000% straight. This applies less to Cas than the other 3 men as he’s technically not human, but he does present as male, and even though he did end the series with a big ‘I love you’ moment to Dean, the line didn’t address how he loved Dean. And since Cas didn’t say ‘I’m in love with you,’ nor did Dean say it back, as far as series canon goes Destiel was never explicitly Romantic Love. You could interpret it that way extremely easily, but it was never overt series canon. 

They’re both hugely popular non-canon fandom ships (and in buddie’s case, growing in fandom popularity every day).

The creators and cast have made comments acknowledging said popularity  with vague comments like “it’s a really special dynamic,” “we’re glad the audience can interpret blahblahblah,” “the fanart is soooooo great,” or “we love the enthusiasm.” That kind of wishy washy shit. Sure, some of the actors will make overtly pro-ship comments, but they always (and for good reason) clarify that the writers/producers haven’t told them anything either way.

OKAY. SO. On to what makes Buddie different from Destiel. (and why I’m optimistic)

Number one is timing. As in: how many years have we had with a character being played a certain way? By the time Cas appeared in SPN, they were 4 seasons in, and Dean had been portrayed as the typical “boobies, boobies, all the boobies; I will immediately hit on any and all hot women,” etc. Yes, Buck began 911 as basically that exact same guy--but ‘that guy’ only lasted a single season. Eddie shows up at the top of S2, so we haven’t already had multiple previous seasons of “Ladie’s Man” Buck. And that makes it easier to bend and adapt his character--or to reveal major character traits not previously mentioned.

Two: Cas was introduced in a way that didn’t evoke anything romantic or sexual at all. He was there on a mission from GOD. Utterly asexual insofar as his interactions with Dean (despite the insane sexual chemistry going on, in the show’s ‘maintext’ nothing about Cas’s character had anything to do with sex or romance) Meanwhile, when Eddie showed up on 911 literally the first thing said about him was Chim’s line “Now that is a beautiful man,” a comment followed by “Whatta Man” playing while Eddie put on his shirt. In slow motion. While Buck kinda . . . stared? So in stark contrast to Cas’s first moments on SPN, Eddie’s 911 intro was. . . . well, let’s see . . . the soundtrack is a blatantly sexual song . . . slo-mo shirtlessness . . . Chim’s “beautiful man” comment . . . all of those things present Eddie in an overtly sexual context right away.

Three: With Destiel, despite their intense screen chemistry, Cas and Dean took the better part of a season to really really bond. Whereas Buddie were joined-at-the-hip besties by the end of Eddie’s 1st episode--when less than 30 episodes of the series had aired. Yes, the sexual chemistry between Cas and Dean may have been palpable from minute one, but the emotional bond between Buck and Eddie happened almost right away. Much faster than with Destiel. And they became involved in one another’s personal lives a lot faster, too. 

Four: On 911 neither Buck nor Eddie ever vanish for many episodes at a time, whereas Cas’s character on SPN dipped in and out. He might be there for several episodes in a row . . . or he might only show up a few times in whole season. So by default Buck and Eddie have more screentime together to continue fleshing out that bond. Establishing the Buckley-Diaz family. 

Five: On SPN, introducing long term love interests for either brother would have busted up the central dynamic driving the show. Much as I used to love Destiel, for five entire seasons Sam and Dean were the central, laser-focused relationship in the show. Sure it may have been a co-dependent and often unhealthy bond, but it was the foundation on which the entire series was built. That’s a really tough dynamic to wedge a love interest into without upsetting the whole balance of the show. Cut to 911: no single character or relationship is the “laser focus” of the whole series. Every character in the ensemble has their own storyline. And thus far, no two characters are toxically codependent on one another. They’re all fleshed out as independent entities. 

Six: (related to point five) If either of the actors playing Buck or Eddie landed a huge movie roll, or asked to be written out for personal reasons, or fucked up so bad they had to be fired? It wouldn’t torch the entire show. Bobby, Athena, Hen, Maddie (even Buck or Eddie if only one of them was written out) . . . the show would go on without Buddie. Or without any one character. Whereas if either Jensen or Jared had decided to quit SPN at any point? Well shit, there goes the show! Finished. Donezo. 

In conclusion: with 911 not being totally dependent on any one character dynamic for the show’s survival, it puts them in a far better position to gamble, ratings-wise, on something that might not be a hit with the general audience. (I know it sucks, but 'popular on social media’ doesn’t automatically translate to ‘popular with casual viewers’). If 911 did take that leap with Buck and Eddie and it flopped? The Buckley-Diaz family moves to an island paradise somewhere and the show moves on with their strong (and also popular) remaining ensemble cast. For the average casual viewer, nothing in 911 would blow up beyond repair without Buddie. 

So I feel like our ship has a much better shot of becoming canon. There is good reason to be optimistic. Especially if the ship’s fanbase continues to grow, and grow, and grow, and we remain visible and vocal. 

[silvysartfulness]

Omg I saw that you used to write for the assassin’s creed fandom and honestly what a throwback 😭 are they on livejournal?

Aahhh, this is the part where I have to admit, I don't think I ever put any of those drabbles online! It was more a fun thing me and wife used to do, writing very very short 5 minute one-shots based on single word-prompts.

Oh, wait! Apparently I actually still have them, in an old folder of mine! Will post under a cut. These are AC 1-3-brotherhood, primarily focused on the latter.

La Volpe/Cesare post the fall of the Borgia was my main rarepair ship in that fandom, so that's the main (if occasionally only implied) focus for a lot of these. (CW some dubcon/non-con under the cut, so be warned.) 😊

1 Unwillingness

It goes against everything he is, a greater challenge than any battlefield taken on. Snarling, eyes blazing his defiance, Cesare submits for now.

2 Memento

”Something to remember me by,” murmurs Volpe softly against the sensitive skin of his neck, and it's all Cesare can do not to yelp as those vicious teeth leave a bleeding gash in his ear.

3 Baseline

He still doesn't trust Machiavelli, Volpe muses, and it's equally clear Machiavelli doesn't trust him. Perhaps their shared love of secrecy is the one dependent thing about their relationship.

4 Sniper

He has shot guards from rooftops, towers, horseback, beams and the treacherous crumbling tops of ancient stone pillars. So why was it, muses Ezio afterward, that he hadn't even thought of pulling crossbow or gun out as his sworn enemies held their short council in the courtyard a few measly yards below his feet?

5 Birthplace

It is in Masyaf the order of Assassins was born into what it is now. Searching for answers Ezio sets out on the longest journey of his life, back to the beginning of all.

6 Denunciation

It is hard to remember what it was like to have faith, Cesare thinks, but easy to remember when it was lost. What God could ever work through the instrument that was Alexander VI, his father?

7 Distaste

”Volpe, you didn't!” Ezio exclaims, his face a mask of distaste. Volpe smirks.

”Oh, it was not at all bad. Cesare is well trained.”

Ezio shudders. ”That is exactly what bothers me!”

8 Elimination

Constantly, frustratingly one step behind, it is little Cesare can do as his allies are meticulously taken out by the Assassins one by one. And yet it is not until the last of those on his side willingly turn their backs on him that he realizes this battle is lost.

9 Bluntness

”You can do as I say,” says the master thief matter-of-factly, turning the vial of antidote over in his spindly fingers, ”or you can spend the night dying slowly while vomiting your innards all over the floor. The choice is yours.”

Pale with fury Cesare chooses to live.

10 Turf

The Assassins had been myth, legend, bed-time stories to frighten a young boy already afraid of the dark. But as they dealt an all but deadly blow to his father inside the Vatican itself, Cesare grimly declares war. Roma is his city, and all who oppose his rule must be swiftly and mercilessly dealt with.

11 Assassination

He burns for the ideals, fights the fight with passion and utter devotion. But when Shaun's shaking hands lower the suddenly impossibly heavy gun he knows something he'dnever even thought about (Innocence? Compassion? Humanity?) has perished as surely as that very first body at his feet.

12 Apprentice

He remembers a gangly youth skidding across slippery roof tiles, trying so hard to keep up and even harder to hide his inability to do so. La Volpe silently studies Il Mentore and considers he's no longer sure who would lead the way across the rooftops.

13 Debris

Ezio swears as the ceiling collapses over the bed he shared with Caterina until moments ago – his armor and weapons are buried in the rubble and will be hard to replace. He does not yet know they will be the least of his losses this day.

14 Scolding

Altaïr has never been one to accept blame or criticism for his actions, but something about the way Malik's not-there left arm twitches as to shake a not-there fist in his face as the man speaks makes him look away in hidden shame.

15 Torrent

The rain pours down over the city, making roofs and cobblestones alike wet and slippery. Volpe tugs his collar tighter around his shoulders against the biting cold and idly contemplates if a trip to the Castello would be worth the trouble.

16 Anchor

He cheats and steals and tells honeyed lies with the ease of a snake. But his eyes can be oceans and his touch velvet – sometimes Ezio wonders if his always restless, inspiration-ridden friend keeps Salai around just to remember what it's like to be human.

17 Truce

”It would be nice,” says Machiavelli evenly, ”if you would not so readily name yourself judge, jury and executioner the next time you fall victim to unfounded suspicion.”

”Fine,” mutters Volpe, frowning. ”It would be niceif you were not so secretive. And stop trying to steal my spies. Get your own.”

”Fine,” Machiavelli replies with a minute smirk.

Fellowship is knowing just when your brother-in-arms is lying.

18 Nook

There are many unknown and unseen hiding places among the rooftops of Florence. On his back, hair plastered against his face and hot breath against his ear, Giovanni concludes it's very handy that La Volpe always knows to find one when you need it.

19 Orgy

These parties are more to his father's tastes than his his, Cesare firmly tells himself, perhaps letting his eyes linger thoughtfully on the multitude of courtesans a moment longer than intended. Then a familiar slender hand grazes his thigh and he is reminded that the only person even close to matching his own schemes, cunning and skill is the woman on the throne next to his.

20 Scoff

”I spend all my time in the Animus,” Desmond frowns, ”Lucy's keeping an eye on Abstergo and Rebecca... hacks and stuff. What do youdo, really? Anyone could use, what, Google and Wikipedia?”

Shaun grins or at least bares his teeth.

”You mean Templar Central One and Two? No, it's called obtaining knowledge, Desmond - sifted like little gold nuggets of fact from the vast sands of ignorance you're so fond of burying your head in. Google can't help you there, I'm afraid.”

21 Scolding

At the time, Ezio always figured Giovanni's constant nagging and pleading with him to stay out of trouble was only the worrying of an overprotective father. Only later was he taught discretion was part of the ancient Assassin's creed. He never got very good at it, even so.

22 Bonfire

No-one is entirely sure why Julius II has tempered justice with mercy for now and opted for his enemy's imprisonment rather than death sentence. As far as la Volpe is concerned, the way Cesare goes pale whenever the topic is brought up is at least good for entertainment.

23 Nakedness

Being exposed holds no particular shame for him, but the walls and floor are freezing to the touch, draining precious warmth from his aching body. Now would be a prudent time for an accursed thief to show up with a blanket to bargain for.

24 Arbiter

It was funny, Machiavelli drily noted in his notebook, how God and Divine Justice so often were on the side of the biggest army with the sharpest swords.

25 Purgatory

The land burns, smoke choking the sky and tinting the sun a sickly shade of blood. It is with a cold and unfamiliar sense of foreboding Cesare hurries through the flames toward the towering walls of the fortress to escape this hell on earth – one way or another.

26 Fingernail

Ezio has more than his fair share of scars adorning his hardened body, some remembered more fondly than others. He would never dream to ask Caterina to trim her nails, or use them just a touch more carefully.

27 Slavery

The Creed dictates freedom of thought, and in his reckless youth Altaïr would use it as justification for any rash impulse. But the older he grows, the more he comes to realize freedom and all its crushing responsibility can be the harshest master of all.

28 Carnivore

When confronted on his nasty habit of biting, Volpe only grins and quips something about foxes and their nature. Cesare is tempted to snap he's often seen dirty foxes prowling the back streets for garbage, but can see where Volpe would go with that, and so holds his tongue.

29 Bluntness

Ezio is too flustered after his mother's blunt request he find other outlets than vaginas to realize the enthusiastic young artist at his side seems more than eager to offer a few suggestions on the particular subject.

30 Vow

He will live, Cesare vows. He will live, he will regain his freedom, his power and his army. At any cost. And then they will. All. Pay.

31 Blending

It was simply not fair, thought Machiavelli, that no matter how solid your acting, no matter how meticulousyour disguise, Volpe would immediately spot you in a crowd and grin at you. Clearly spying on the sly old fox called for more cunning means, he conceded as he made his way to the Rosa to shamelessly bribe Claudia for information.

32 Misconduct

“Not that we are in any particular hurry to the Castello,” Orsini says, the knuckles of his war-gauntlet quite pleasantly buried in Cesare's face, “but things would just be easier all around if you would stop squirming and came quietly.”

33 Ultimatum

“If you don't stop hogging my mp3-player,” Rebecca whispers softly in Shaun's ear, “I'll tell Lucy exactly whatyou and Desmond used her yoghurts for last night.”

34 Takeover

“Stop!” Lucrezia commands as the soldiers feed the paintings to the fire – already the image of a swan is crackling and fading to black amongst the flames. Such a waste of beauty. She hasn't even realized Cesare is standing behind her, fierce and bloodied after the battle, until he speaks.

“You like them?”

She nods, and he touches her cheek with a smile, careful not to stain her hair.

“Then they are yours. A memento of the day the Assassini fell.”

35 Afterlife

“I blame you for this,” says Cesare flatly as the imps re-heat the lake of boiling tar. Again. “There is no God, you said. No heaven and no hell, you said. Stupid old bastard.”

Rodrigo mutters something about Hell being other people, but will have to concede that in this trifling matter, yes, he was mistaken.

36 Distaste

He would rather be hated than forgotten, Cesare sullenly thinks, rubbing his stiff hands for warmth. Bony, filthy, with the matted long hair of a hermit falling into his face, he has to settle for the guards' contempt. At least it's better than pity.

37 Slavery

He isn't really paid, Leonardo thinks, merely kept alive, yes. Not really compensated as such. And so the construction of the intricate war-machines is really on the consciences of his masters, not his. Sting of guilt quenched he returns to the blueprints with renewed fevered enthusiasm.

38 Probation

“What's the catch”, asks Cesare with deepest suspicion.

“No catch,” Volpe assures, looking innocent. “Just a reward for your recent good behaviour. Keep it up and there may a meal and a hot bath in it for you, too.”

Cesare does not for a moment believe they are just going out 'to stretch their legs', but a meal does sound inviting. He follows.

39 Adversity

Ezio strongly disapproved of the idea of his little sister taking over the Rosa in Fiore, and he frankly can't say whether he is more disappointed or proud when it flourishes under her care.

40 Bluntness

“You are a thief,” Machiavelli growls, piqued into a rare display of anger. “A liar and a cheat and an honourless thief!”

Volpe grins.

“All those things. And I'm still better than you.”

41 Scheming

Ezio gave the Apple to Mario, who had it stolen by Cesare, who gave it to Leonardo, who found it plucked out of his helpless hands by the Pope and his daughter. He ponders life was easier when he was just a painter. The Apple is a thing of awe, but the intrigues in its wake make his head hurt.

42 Favorite

It wasn't that Cesare particularly hated his older brother. It was just that while he no longer childishly sought his father's approval, the position as the Pope's favorite son came with several practical perks. Unfortunately for Juan, that meant he simply had to go.

43 Truce

When things are civilized, they can be bearable, almost even pleasant. The food is good, the wine plentiful, and Volpe's skilled fingers all but gentle. An unspoken truce, no matter how temporary. But neither man ever forgets the truth, which is war.

44 Scour

They answer to no-one, self-proclaimed executioners beyond all law. Too much blood on their hands now. Just before sunrise Cesare gives the command to attack. The cleansing of Monteriggioni has begun.

45 Extrovert

To hold his own council and play his cards close to his heart has always been his way, and he knowshe is a master at his game. And yet, Machiavelli can grudgingly admit to himself, it isn't until the boisterous chaos in human guise that is Ezio bursts in on the Roman scene that he begins to see how they will win this war.

46 Protagonist

“I will avenge the cowardly, treacherous plot against my father,” he thinks. “I will root out all those involved, every single one, and I will kill them and all they stand for.”

No-one ever sets out to be a hero, only to do what is right.

For Cesare, the path ahead is clear.

47 Willpower

It is never easy. Every time Altaïr visits his (his!) bureau in Jerusalem, Malik has to struggle with himself not to slay the man in his sleep. On many a moonlit night, only a lifetime of discipline stays the blade in his white-knuckled hand.

But strangely, it does get easier over time.

48 Esacalation

At first it had been mere proof of his ability to go anywhere in Roma as well he pleased, the taunting and impotent rage in response a given bonus. After some time, forced still-furious intimacy gained through blackmail had appeared a logical step. Then force turned out redundant. As Cesare clings to him, nails biting into his arms and teeth bared with need, Volpe admits to himself he would never have suspected the caged Borgia would so willingly use him to sate his desires – nor the other way around.

49 Torrent

Raw grief fades over time, a broken heart healed into a dull ache. The thing that keeps Claudia from sleeping at night is not all she has lost, but her screaming frustration at not being able to take her fate, and that of those responsible, into her own hands.

50 Danger

The peaceful life he had envisioned just the evening before will have to wait, Ezio grimly decides, pressing a hand to his wounded shoulder and focusing on not falling off his horse. And despite the shock, grief and pain, it somehow feels right. He has lived this life so long, he isn't sure he remembers how not to.

51 Splattering

Leonardo likes to buy birds at the market and set them free, watching with dreaming eyes as they take to the endless sky. Once, Ezio surprises his friend with twenty white doves. Much belatedly he wishes he'd remembered that stressed pigeons prefer to lighten their load before taking off.

52 Ramification

“It is time you take responsibility for your actions,” Rodrigo snarls, and Cesare struggles with the impulse to scream, childishly, “But father, younever did!”

53 Concession

“I'm not sure we should...”

Lover and Thief, silhouettes in the dark, alone. A light touch.

“Come now. It will be good, I promise.”

“But, what if...”

“Ssh. Are we not both Assassins? Everything is permitted.”

His honed thief's nerves tingling with foreboding warnings, La Volpe allows Claudia to persuade him in the end, knowing Ezio will probably kill him, and that it will no doubt be worth it.

54 Leer

You can't even seehis face in the shadows beneath the cowl. And yet, Volpe just standing there outside the bars, nonchalantly leaning one hand against the wall, makes Cesare want to scream. Or punch him hard. Preferably both.

55 Whisper

Ezio reflects that there are few other voices he would instantly recognize by just a short, urgent uttering of his name. His hesitation to turn around stems not from uncertainty, but the childish wish to postpone the trial of his oldest friend's rumored treason just a few moments longer.

56 Absurdity

At first Ezio had felt confused, then worried and finally terrified. But as they've fled Florence and the man introducing himself as uncle Mario tells him that his family belongs to an ancient clan of legendary assassins, relief washes over him. Finally is clear it has all been an insane dream. He can't wait to wake up.

57 Experimentation

Leonardo da Vinci is a true genius, his brilliant mind always seeing the world through a lens of wonder. Nothing escapes his never-sated curiosity – but that a small poseable wooden mannequin could be used like that? Cesare is a man not easily impressed, but will have to admit the artist rarely fails to amaze.

58 Farewell

It is with uncharacteristic kindness Volpe kisses him, between shared gasps for air after their final tryst. A last goodbye before the approaching dawn will see Cesare on his way to exile in Spain.

”Growing sentimental, old fox?” the younger man scoffs at him. ”No need. I shall return soon enough, and repaint the walls of Roma with Assassin blood.”

Volpe just smiles. He has already helped Ezio prepare his own journey and knows with certainty that Cesare will never again return to Rome.

59 Turf

”Maybe Giovanni could get away with doing paperwork all day over in Florence,” Mario says, and his tone clearly states what he thinks about his brother's choice. ”But arround here we train Assassins, not accountants or delivery boys.”

Ezio's body has never ached as much in his life as it does after his first day of training with his uncle.

60 Smoothness

When she smiles her deep red lips are like tantalizing rose petals, framed by sun-ray golden hair. She is smooth, flawless, perfect. But every rose has its thorns, and Lucrezia's are laden with poison.

61 Kneeling

Every fiber of Ezio's body strains desperately to regain control as he jerks like a puppet on golden strings of light.

”You are lucky,” breathes Rodrigo in a low, husky growls, leaning hard on the staff after the battle, ”So verylucky, little Assassin, that I am in a hurry.”

As the dagger sinks into his guts, Ezio briefly thinks that indeed, it could have been so much worse.

62 Purgatory

The imps don't know whether to feel amused or put out that the screaming, flailing argument between father and son has by now escalated to the point they don't even seem to register the lake of boiling tar anymore. A bit of respect for good solid workmanship, is that too much to ask?

63 Lick

It has to be said in favour of Machiavelli's assassin reflexes that the unexpected lick at his ear out of the dark earns Volpe neither a jump or a shriek but a rapid fist to the nose.

Only half an hour later, safely home in his bedroom, does Niccolo allow himself to contemplate what might have otherwise transpired.

64 Bonfire

It is a sad thing, reflects Ezio in hindsight, older, wiser, that compared to all the priceless art and knowledge fed to fire during Savonarola's mad reign of Florence, the mere loss of a human life that ended it is remembered with little sense of loss or revulsion.

65 Last

After Mario's death, Ezio has felt the weight of being the last Auditore Assassin ever heavier on his shoulders. But as he watches Claudia fearlessly take her leap of faith, he wonders how he could ever have been blind enough to think himself alone.

66 Well

The guards in hot pursuit yell and stab at wells, haystacks and dark alleyways. From his perch on a rooftop Ezio smiles. He always did prefer to take to the sky.

67 Wrongdoer

As his support falters and the opposition grows ever bolder, Cesare becomes increasingly frustrated with their attacks and accusations. He would prefer to answer only for his own sins, not those of his dead father.

68 Deliberate

It really is getting unnerving, decides Machiavelli, the way Volpe has taken up the habit of commenting on his every observation with a frosty ”Indeed” or ”Yes, quitethe coincidence”. He wishes he could believe the man isn't doing it on purpose.

69 Counter

When he first arrives in Jerusalem, Altaïr can't quite shake the feeling that the only thing between him and certain death is a rather narrow, map-strewn desk.

70 Bribe

Cesare has always been good at striking a profitable bargain. Unfortunately Borgia as a currency is bitterly deflated, and these days he often have to sell himself too cheap for comfort. Even though it isa warm, snug blanket.

71 Chess

Cesare knows he is a brilliant strategist – not so much because of the expected praise from his subordinates as from the satisfactory number of pins currently adorning his map of Italy. He would like to believe himself modest in this, careful not allow hubris to cheat him of a victory. And yet he never knows whether to frown or laugh helplessly as the absent-minded artist all but appologetically check-mates his king time and time and time again.

72 Feel

Leonardo never knows how to feel when Cesare enters the room. At first he is apprehensive, but as weeks turn into months and he realizes he's not only allowed but encouraged to dream up grander designs than ever before he is thrilled.

In the end, seeing the Assassins' plans put into motion long before Cesare even knows the final battle has begun, he can only avert his eyes in regret.

73 Mister

”Outside the kingdom of God is the realm of men,” Salai says, leaning just an inch too close. ”You worship there, Messere?”

Only years of training his clueless look on Leonardo helps Ezio keep a straight face as he blankly waves for the boy to follow him.

74 Fine

There are simply too many guards around for a discreet kill, so Ezio grudlingly counts the florins and hands them over. How was heto know he wasn't allowed to park his horse there? Time to liberate another stable from its Borgia-tower shadow, he decides. Burning them all down is easier than keeping track of territories anyway.

75 Dog

If La Volpe is the fox and Ezio the bird of prey, Pantasilea ponders, then Bartolomeo reminds her of a large, lumbering dog. Faithful and loyal unto death, but with a booming bark and a vicious bite for those who threaten those dear to him.

76 Forgotten

When Volpe appears he is the first person Cesare has seen in days. He greets the thief with his usual brazen curses, careful not to let any trace of relief shine through. Of all things he is most afraid to be left alone to die; not slain out of hatred or need, but simply ignored and forgotten.

77 Changed

Had Ezio been the kind of man to think upon such things, he might have noticed the Cesare facing him atop the towering walls is not the self-assured young general he met a handful years previous in Roma. Tired-looking and hunched over he looks defeated even before the battle has begun. But Ezio is here for one single purpose alone, and has never been the kind of man to think of such things anyway.

78 Gondola

Antonio assures Leonardo that only from an extensive tour with his private gondola will the artist truly get to know his new home town. As it happens, a rocky two-hour boat ride later, Leonardo still hasn't really seen much of the city. But that's quite alright, as he happily agrees to repeat the endeavour soon again.

79 Casino

It never hurts to try to win Fortuna's favour when gambling is one of your favorite pastimes, Salai knows, but in this particular case divine intervention is quite a bit closer at hand. As long as you have La Volpe's favor, the dice at the Sleeping Fox will never let you down.

80 Soup

The first bowl of watery gruel ends up thrown in the guard's face with enough force to break his nose. The next morning the second splinters against the wall. Nearly a week passes before he forces himself to eat the fifth, to preserve his strength.

Cesare closes his eyes as he quickly raises the bowl to his face to wolf down the hundredth, before the reflection in the dull surface can show him what he has become.

81 Carrot

”Tell you what,” murmurs Volpe in the starving prisoner's ear, dangling the vegetable in front of his face, ”If you give me a good enough show I'll even let you keep it for supper when you're done.”

82 Madame

Volpe has to admit himself impressed – Claudia is shrewd, ruthless and horrifyingly practical, and stillmanages to be praised a good businesswoman rather than cursed a thief.

83 Kilt

Yes, Ezio decides as he flexes his body inside the unfamiliar weight of Romulus' armour, there is definitely a draft around his nether regions. Whatever the old Romans may have thought, a skirt of leather belts does notconstitute proper clothing.

After some swearing and creative arranging of his spare cloak he considers it may well look even moreof a skirt, but at least this cut preserves his manly dignity when he jumps.

84 Theft

He has stolen valuables, information, people and lives. La Volpe draws in a deep breath as he surveys Roma in the first light of morning, then exhales in satisfaction. She is the greatest city in the world, and she is all his for the taking.