#and the fact that the analyses of warriors here are actually in line with the theory i study

[thewhizzyhead]

ngl because of all the warriors talk here with it inherently being activism-spirited and how the people here engage with socio-political analyses, I've been more willing to talk about my activism again both inside and outside of tumblr and actually returning to studying the theory! So that's cool! Thank God for Eisa davis!!

[lux-et-astra]

analysis of what each sink scene represents - session two

once again thank you tash for the reams of analysis material!!!! spoilers (obviously) under the cut

for reference, i'm calling fire/dry girl/narrator kate, and her victim/best friend birdie

bearings (scarecrow tent): ahh what a scene. this is one of only a few more family-oriented scenes, along with the feathers/bath scene (and arguably dip day/it needs to dig and balanced for eggs/parents' race), which is really special i think! our characters are a birdie parallel fairly obviously and her father. we get more themes of birds & scarecrows (our first mention of a scarecrow actually!) and we can see how hunted birdie is - i think that's the main thrust of this episode, how the scarecrow (kate) is getting closer and closer. however there's also a nice undertone of dubious relationships! this theme builds further with the feathers/bath scene but we can see in the father's dialogue that he's concerned about some of his daughter's relationships ("Oh yes, here they come, these boys, creeping in closer every day –", "I wanna protect you! You’re just –", "Feel like the moment I close my eyes, someone’s gonna grab you away.") which seems trite and trivial compared to the fear we as the audience feel because of the approaching scarecrow, but the feeling behind this echoes for birdie's relationship with kate as well! so there's a nice double meaning in there.

beautiful neck: on the surface this scene makes zero sense, thank you tash <33 HOWEVER i think there's one key line that gives us some analysis material and that line IS "Do you want some straw?" now the reason i think this line is important is that what else has straw? scarecrows. we see that textually later on in the dog in illness scene although there they're talking about hay which is just the same thing i think? ("He doesn’t want to bundle up hay in a tidy heap, he wants to scare me!") anyway therefore we can draw links between the giraffe and the scarecrow! so let's look at their relationship a little deeper. the man leaves behind his family to go with an intriguing and mysterious figure, a fairly straightforward parallel to draw with the camping trip. in addition, the giraffe might seem like a prey animal and therefore not dangerous, but we can see that it is actually pretty dangerous ("We’re powerful, and our legs are strong, and we run, very fast.", "We’re warriors.") which could also represent kate - girls and young women have social camouflage when it comes to being perceived as threats, however kate is very clearly dangerous to herself & to birdie. the final interesting thing to analyse about this scene is the narrator's parting words about it! "Funny, isn’t it… what you really want. What’s underneath… Nothing to be ashamed of, it’s just what’s inside you. Quite nice, really, when you admit what it is." i think while this could be construed as kate encouraging birdie that their friendship was valid and normal, it could also be a reference to kate's own fire-starting desires! evidently she managed to largely hold off on self-immolation until the camping trip, but that was evidently always what she really wanted and what was "underneath"! (also given that i'm suggesting that the giraffe is a kate parallel and the man is a birdie parallel, the fact that they have sex implies that their friendship was verging on romance. thanks, tash!)

feathers/bath: this is another family scene, showing us a birdie and her mother this time. i think the key part of this scene is building on the birdman's theme of birds as prey/victims/hunted, showing birdie to be part of that theme as well, the bird rather than the scarecrow, which the next scene develops in full. besides that, we also get to see pretty clearly that birdie has a loving family - her mother calls her "love", "my love", and "sweetheart", and evidently her dad is also involved in their life ("Your dad did say…", "I’ll get your dad.") this creates a further contrast between birdie and kate (who lives with her grandmother as far as i can tell) and also we can see that birdie might perceive this love as being over-bearing ("Yep, okay, that’s fine, thank you Mum, you can get –", "Oh my God. No!", "What do you want, Mum?") which could lead to her feeling stifled and to her decision to run away with kate! (the more analysis-y bits about this scene are actually about its reprise in sessions six. damn. thought i had more material)

dog in illness: a really perfect conclusion to the session, i feel, this wraps up a lot of the important themes really nicely, joining the scarecrow from bearings and the bird theme from feathers. we have a male hospitality worker, a birdie parallel, a friend, and a scarecrow! so we have lots of fun things here including birdie's paranoia & fear about the kate stuff pushing her away from her friends ("Sam, if you’re doing this – [...] If you’re doing this, can you just do it, please?", "She’s – she’s being fussy.", and then from birdie "I’m not mad, Claire, you’re making me sound mad.") which continues the theme of her guilt/memories distancing her from her relationships. as well, we get a scarecrow getting closer! while this could in part be birdie having repressed memories that are creeping up on her, it could also represent kate who is literally getting closer to her as the narrator! and then we get the fantastic exchange "MAN: Scarecrows aren’t for scaring people, madam. // SAM: I know. // MAN: They’re for scaring birds. // SAM: (SCARED) I know. // MAN: Are you a bird, madam?" which ties together the whole session! natasha hodgson you genius. it fully reinforces birdie as a victim of not unfounded fear and as the target specifically of the scarecrow AND the birdman, giving some context for the birdman sections which continue to crop up. this scene is a lot of people not listening to birdie, invalidating her fears, something which could even have pushed her to find a sleep aid to begin with........

final thought: so here's the narrator's ending speech for this session ("The things that come back, it all means something. Underneath your dreams, swimming into focus, is the truth. Like a lovely bit of hair, at the bottom of the canal. And we’ll find it. Whatever it is that’s keeping you from sleeping. Whatever it was that you did.") and what i find interesting about this is that she keeps framing it as something BIRDIE did. which... hmm...

once again feel free to chat to me if you have any thoughts on the sink!!

[soupthatistohot]

BSD: An Absurdist Analysis - Chapter 110.5

[BSD Absurdism Masterpost]

To be completely honest, there's not a ton to analyze here simply because its a .5 chapter, the events of which were included in the final episode of BSD season 5. But since I totally dropped the ball on doing a breakdown of that episode, I figured I could do my usual thing with this new chapter.

We pick up the story threads of Aya and Fukuzawa in this chapter. Aya successfully pulls the sword from Bram (as I predicted last time!), although we don't see her fate as she falls to the ground, something I assume will be included in next month's chapter.

All I'll really say about Aya succeeding in this moment is that it aligns with absurdist storytelling. This is her last-ditch effort to literally save the world, and it works! Assuming the plot continues to follow the anime, we kind of know whether she survives or not, but I don't want to say anything about that until it's confirmed that the manga and anime line up.

Something I don't remember being included in the anime is the bit where Aya reflects on the idea of the "warrior of justice," something she's said multiple times at this point and I pointed out as absurdist rhetoric in a prior post. In this moment, she reveals that her father is a warrior of justice and it is he who she admires and aspires to be like.

So we now know the origin of this idea she's reiterated multiple times throughout the series, though I do find it intriguing that it has to do with her father, who has been previously implied to be emotionally abusive towards her. It almost reminds me of Atsushi and the orphanage director or Akutagawa and Dazai. Is it possible that this the cycle of abuse and healing in a different iteration?

After this, we jump to the old man yaoi— sorry, I mean Fukuzawa and Fukuchi.

Fukuzawa, too, exhibits absurdist behavior by continuing to fight back despite the fact that he's been brutally stabbed and Fukuchi certainly has the upper hand. He separates Fukuchi from his sword and slits his throat... and that's where the chapter ends.

There's not much to say about Fukuchi and Fukuzawa at this point without delving into what the anime revealed, and as I mentioned earlier, I want to wait on doing that until the manga chapters are posted. This is partially because there's no actual confirmation that the anime and manga are pursuing the same storyline, partially because I much prefer the writing in the manga and find more fulfillment in analyzing the chapters, and also because there's so much information packed into that episode that I genuinely do not have the time to break down at this point in time.

If you're interested in this content, please consider checking out my analysis of other chapters! This includes a few recent chapters, but I've also started re-reading the manga and posting my analyses through the absurdist lens. All of these posts can be found in this masterpost!

[firespirited]

Yesterday’s film was Avatar, the way of water.

I saw the first one ages ago and mostly forgot the details except “noble savages, white saviour” “guy in a wheelchair gets his wish to be an able-bodied blue sphinx catboy” “wonderbread!guy level deforestation kink”.

I’d seen reviewers i usually respect who found part 2 delightful and fun, ok so a JCameron sequel flips the script on the first (think Aliens and Terminator2) so we’ll get some sort of deeper exploration of the themes right? If it’s getting decent reviews, it can’t just be as clunky as Avatar 1? I decided to go in without researching anything or watching any trailers.

It’s bad. Sure it’s pretty but I’ve seen children’s tv offer more nuance on a topic.

Review: half a star out of 5 for the pretty nature graphics, the mixed emotion and action pacing and the single line indicating that the sentient whales used to be belligerent.

A lot of terrible choices were made here. You’d think there would be idk, consultants for the whale CGI who might also know a little about whale behaviours, a consultant for where to put the lit up parts on the brain scan CGI when you have epilepsy to give the basics. Maybe some language and accent consultants?

I mean yes this is Avatar2, the “dead dove” is right there so yeah what was I expecting? This is somehow more racist and ham-fisted 13 years after.

About four minutes in there’s a kid who hasn’t been taught how to brush his hair that’s hint 1, a minute later Zoe Saldaña is playing yet another grieving strong warrior woman: hint 2, a few minutes later marines think vengeance is a good tactic: hint 3, then you hear Sully’s Na’vi sons be like sir, yes sir... That is where my brain went from enjoying seeing non muted colours on screen for the first time in ages to “oh no. oh. no. this movie is going to be wrongTM on so many levels” and I think the fact that it’s colourful and we’ve missed that counts for so much. If they’d released GOTG with proper colour grading I’m pretty sure it’d get even better scores. Our eyeballs are hungry for anything but grey-blue.

It’s a film that makes you care about these caricatures and their caricature world while also repeatedly whacking you over the head with A Singular Message and I’m afraid that specific message is 35 years too late (yep once upon a time, people actually cared enough to ban CFCs) and too blunt and is used to hurt indigenous hunters. Analysing the ways this film is insulting to biology, ecology, sociology, pharmacology and our understanding of our relationship to the environment would take as long as the film and is not worth the effort of me ranting and you reading.

It’s insulting to many specific groups and to any viewer, including children, and it’s a waste of money (New Zealand’s money in particular) and time.

[thelovelyghostwriter]

Some of my favourite female characters in fiction

This list is not exhaustive and while I do have other characters that I find charming and that I love, I have noted these characters because in my opinion, they have struggled and/or there is a certain analysis to their personalities. 

Please take note that some of the characters are not morally good or have done questionable actions. This is not to discuss or say they are role models, but rather to write up what they represented, their role in the story or simply their personalities. I’m not here to justify the character’s actions.

Remember that a well-written characters do not have to be morally good. 

Also, a lot of them are from memory and the analysis aren’t well-structured. 

Let’s dive in:

1. Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby

Daisy, in my opinion, is incredibly misunderstood and unjustifiably hated among the readers. Her betrayal to Gatsby is indeed vile and it did upset me, I definitely think that she is materialistic, shallow and hurtful.  

“I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

Daisy did shit on Gatsby [trying to avoid spoilers here].  

However, I do like to note that I think part of her materialism and shallowness is because of how women were in the 1920s. They did not have any freedom or agency. To Tom, she seems to be a trophy wife for him to keep; and to Gatsby, he only liked the idea of her, he wasn’t in love with her. To everyone around her, she was an item, a beautiful doll to be possessed, rather than a person. I think that’s why she turned out like that. 

She's materialistic because men around her sees her as an object. Nonetheless, Daisy is still “careless” and hurtful; and I think this stemmed from the life she had led that were a compilation of choices that were made for her. Her betrayal towards Gatsby is what makes her character rather disappointing to most readers. The whiteness in her dress as described in her first appearance? It’s not innocence, but rather a void and jadedness. 

2. Neon Nostrade from Hunter x Hunter

Yet, another girl in our list that loves to be hated by the fandom. Though honestly, most of her haters are Chrollo and Kurapika stans who gets jealous because Chrollo got to hang out with her and Kurapika works under her. Also her repulsive hobby - although this is actually what makes me like her. 

I have addressed this in my other posts before, but let me just copy and paste them (and modify a bit):  Her upbringing and exploitation by her dad makes her materialistic and emotionally detached. This materialism and detachment is manifested in the form of her hobby as a dead body parts collector. But other than that, she’s really a normal girl, just sheltered and spoilt. The money she spends are even from her talent Lovely Ghostwriter, her father will be nothing without her. So I don’t see an issue with her spending them on shopping etc. 

In fact, I would argue that she bathes in materialism to fill the emptiness that she has. Her father is more concerned with her ability and power, she has no friends and is guarded 24/7 by employees.

All the times she threw tantrums and the way she talks… it’s a different speech pattern altogether when she interacts with Chrollo - which may suggest that the whole spoilt attitude is exaggerated to gain attention from a father who is indulgent in terms of material gifts, but not in terms of affection and time for her.

When Eliza cried, she was willing to forgo bidding the auction physically. Yes she did not care about the bodyguards because she is more focused on the living and the present (Eliza) than the dead.

The reason why she didn’t seem fazed when Dalzollene and the others died is because a) they were her bodyguards, it’s their job to put their life on the line to protect her, b) she mentioned to Chrollo that her fortune-telling is for the living, she likes to live in the present and doesn’t believe in the afterlife.

Neon is more focused on who is alive, rather than the dead (which also represented by her hobby of dead body parts collecting). She focuses on the present, unlike her clients who likes to know their future or people who dwell in the past. Kurapika on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He dwells on the past and likes to focus on his dead clan rather than the present times with his friends (which is completely understandable).

Another significance is that her fortune-telling ability is very useful and helpful, she says that she wanted to make people happy with it; but however, it is commercialized and used as a means of power (knowledge of the future = power) by her father and pretty much everyone around her. Just like how she objectifies dead people by collecting their parts, the people around her sees her as a tool due to her fortune-telling abilities, rather than see her as a person. Even Kurapika chose to get employed under her, for his own agenda (he is bound to meet dead body parts collectors at some point). 

She treats people like objects because people see her as one.

Of course, collecting dead body parts is a pretty fucked hobby; but what she represents and her role as a minor character is what makes her an outstanding minor female character in the show. 

Yes. She has traits that are not your typical role model, but neither are other hxh characters. She’s not independent, naive, can’t fight, in need of saving, uncaring at times and spoilt. She is far from so-called “strong female character” that we often look up to. She is a character with bad traits which is a result of being a victim. But that’s what makes me love her as a character in hxh. It reminds us that there are girls out there who has lack of freedom and control over their own fate; and their only way out is through materialism and detaching themselves from people. 

In fact, she might be even relateable to some people more than other female characters because there is vulnerability in her character.

3. Hua Mulan (Mostly the Chinese 2009 film, though the most well-known is the Disney 1998 animated film)

There has been various adaptations for this character, with the Disney Animated version being the most prominent.

However, my favourite one is definitely the Chinese film Hua Mulan: Rise of A Warrior (2009). It portrays the horrors of war and the suffering it brings, nationalism, camaraderie among the army - all while giving us the admirable Mulan climbing up to the ranks of being a war general.

I highly recommend this adaptation. I know the Disney Live Action 2020 version did not receive good reception, and we honestly did not need one because this 2009 Chinese film does the job well (I like their soundtrack though). It's not really well-known because it's a Chinese film (which is hella ironic because Hua Mulan is a Chinese character? Lmao).

"Today we will stain the battlefield with our blood. Behind us is our homeland. If we have to bleed out our last drop of blood, if we have to become bleached bones in this desert, we must defend it to the death! We must let the Rourans know we Wei warriors will never surrender and will never compromise! Soldiers may rebel against me, generals may leave me for dead, but I, Hua Mulan, will never betray my country!"

Generally, I either have an issue with strong female characters because they are just shallow (meaning they are only physically strong, often viewing rudeness, misandry and independence as strength). I like female characters who are so much more to that.

Mulan, in this film, not only showed her badassery in fighting the war for more than a decade, but we also see how much she struggled. Everytime her comrades die, her heart gets broken. Yet she has to learn how to pick herself up and become the leader that they need. She dislikes war, she dislikes the bloodshed; yet she fights for her country.

To me, a strong female character is not just a feminist icon or someone who can fight. In fact, a female character doesn't need to be someone capable of fighting, what makes her strong is to be able to overcome turbulence with determination.

I think this is something that is lacking in recent "strong female characters" - showing us their strength through perseverance.

As for the Disney's counterpart (talking about the 1998 film here), it is less morbid but we also see her trying her best to make her family proud and protect her country. Like the song Reflection and Loyal, Brave and True, she struggles with finding her purpose and her role in her family.

"The greatest gift of honour, is having you for a daughter."

4. Blanche Dubois from A Streetcar Named Desire

It's been years since I had analysed Blanche, but among all the 6 books that I had to study for English Literature, A Streetcar Named Desire has been my absolute favourite.

I think what struck me in this book is not just the style, but Blanche's vulnerability. Her actions are definitely not morally good: she misrepresents things, she lies, she even had sex with an underage student. She's paranoid, mentally unstable and prissy. Which was why, her polar opposite character, Stanley, is so annoyed with her.

After her husband's suicide, we see Blanche relying on the company of men to fill the void of her loneliness and misery. She is also concerned about her beauty fading with age - I find that highly reliable. It sounds incredibly "vain", but beauty does play a part.

Based on Evolutionary and Mating Theories among humans, appearance in women are especially important (also for men but not as much as women). Of course, there are other factors and traits that people find attractive, but Blanche's concern is valid here. She needs to find a husband to escape from her financial troubles; and her age, beauty and chastity plays a huge factor in her search for getting a man in the setting she was in (which was Mitch in this case). Ironically, these are the very traits that she has "lost" and so desperately tries to hide it.

Her ending is truly a devastating and upsetting one. [Will not talk about it due to spoilers]

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers."

5. Haibara Ai/Shiho Miyano from Detective Conan

Perhaps one of the girls that is a wasted potential. In a series where the characters are mostly flat, she's arguably the most multi-faceted (but somehow I had heard that she no longer has the same complexity as she used to have - it's been a while since I followed this series).

But I remember absolutely loving this character.

Her background story is really unique in the show and one that is embedded within the Black Organisation plotline (why her character was dropped... Forever frustrating for me).

From the moment she was first introduced, we see Conan taking an immediate distrust towards her. A guy who is a detective who had been catching criminals - yet one ex-syndicate member stands before him. The one that actually helped to develop the APTX4869 that changed his life.

Yet, we see that it wasn't entirely within her control. Both her parents were syndicate members and when her sister tries to get both of them to leave, her sister dies.

Ai starts off as seemingly cold, pessimistic and avoidant. But as her arc goes on, the iceberg around her melts. We see her quirky sarcastic replies, her taste for fashion and she genuinely desires to be happy. Her relationship with Conan developed into a beautiful one - to the point where Conan trusts her with anything and they would risk their lives for one another.

Yet, we also empathies with her impending jealousy and heartache. The boy she has fallen for already has someone else. What's more, the girl is genuinely kind and is a splitting image of her sister. After Ran saved her from Vermouth, she quickly warms up to Ran as well.

She's also the key to developing the antidote for Shinichi to be back with Ran - an almost painful metaphor for her to give him away (he never belonged to her in the first place). Yet, she doesn't really stop them from being together (even though in some cases she appears jealous or phrase ShinRan's reunion as a word of caution).

I definitely think she is the most compelling character in Detective Conan because of her character development and the struggles she faces. It's definitely upsetting that her character has been neglected.

“Don’t judge people from the outside. Like any rose has thorns, the more the person appears nice on the outside, the more you should doubt the inside.”

6. Misato Katsuragi from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Who is the best female character in Eva? Asuka or Rei? My answer will always be Misato, Risato is a close second (I wanted to analyse Risato, but I’m trying to keep it to one person per series). Misato is one of the 90s anime babes. She definitely captivated many people’s heart. 

I must say though, I have a soft spot towards female characters who has some sort of daddy issues (why I like Neon Nostrade). It’s been a while since I had watched Eva, but I’m going to try to remember why I like her. 

I think the concept of Hedgehog’s Dilemma has been echoed throughout the series, and all the characters seem to struggle with emotional attachment towards people. I actually like to phrase the Hedgehog Dilemma as “Avoidant-Fearful Attachment Style” - wanting connection with people, yet not being able to do so out of fear of being hurt. 

For Misato, when I initially first watched Eva, I compared her a little to Blanche Dubois in how they cope with loneliness - their sexuality. I remember being confused with her interactions with Shinji, who was half her age. At times, she serves as his guardian/mother figure; but at some moments (I think it was sometimes after Kaji’s death), she tried to seek comfort with Shinji by attempting to initiate sex (which Shinji rejects). I remember coming across a comment somewhere that Shinji and Misato’s relationship is somewhat like Humbert and Dolores (from Lolita) - can’t comment on this as I only read the first chapter of the book. 

It makes me think that she uses sex as a way to cope and the only way she can connect with people (and it’s superficial), which doesn’t work for Shinji because she needs to be her guardian (and ultimately fails to be purely his guardian once she crossed that no-no boundary). 

Another thing to note was her backstory about her dad. There seems to be a dissonance, given that she resented her dad for not spending time with her due to his work, but he ended up sacrificing her life for her. I do think it’s a bit of guilt (because resenting her dad but he saves her - these two contradicts one another). It’s clear that her issues to connect stems from her backstory regarding her father. 

It’s interesting how she compares Kaji to her father. I do think she loves Kaji, but “reminds him too much of her father” (as to put it simply). There is this... stereotype that we find someone similar to our opposite-gender parents, no matter how shitty they were towards us. I believe that it is because we tend to stick to something that is familiar to us, even if those type of people aren’t good for us (I think to break this cycle is to practise self-awareness and know what is good for us). 

Anyway, Misato is a character that I really liked (as all the characters in Eva) because they highlight Hedgehog’s Dilemma that stemmed from their parental issues. Maybe I have not watched a lot of anime, but female characters with issues with their fathers are not as explored deeply as male characters and their parental issues. A lot of times, female characters (especially in shounen) serves as a romantic interest and yes they can have really sad backstory, but not issues towards their father and how it affects their relationship with other people. So far, the only ones I had seen is Mukuro (Yu Yu Hakusho), Misato and Neon Nostrade. 

7. Disney's Cinderella

First of all, she has been a victim of abuse since she was a child. It's not easy for her to escape her predicament. Where can she go? It's not that easy.

Boy. I hate how much people remember Cinderella wrongly and attack her for being "backwards", which is actually factually wrong.

Cinderella always get flack for using the Prince to "escape" her predicament when "she can do it herself".

I say that's bullshit. I actually came across a youtube video: Cinderella Stop Blaming the Victim [please check it out for more in-depth analysis]

Despite all that, she's doesn't internalize it. She knows she doesn't deserve to be treated this way, and she does to a certain degree stand up to them (whenever the cat makes her tasks harder). She knows when to fight back and restrain herself because it might endanger her life.

After years of suffering in this domestic household, she remains kind, compassionate and hopeful. Which is not an easy feat. The problem is, these traits are often seen as feminine and synonymous with being weak. But it is actually, in fact, signs of strength. The mental fortitude she has to remain kind after all she went through is a sign of strength.

The Fairy Godmother only appeared when she was losing hope - take note that she ends up crying because her stepsisters tore her mother’s dress (which is the most disturbing scene in the film). 

Even I had remembered this wrongly - one crucial fact is that... She did not want to go the ball to nab the Prince. That was her stepsisters. Homegirl just wanted to chill. She did not even know she was dancing with the Prince!

When Lady Tremaine locked her up to prevent her from reaching the Prince, it wasn’t the Prince that saved her. She and her animal friends got her out of the room, and proceeded to prove that she was indeed the maiden that had danced with the Prince. Her marrying the Prince was only a fitting end to her because it provides her a home and an escape from an abusive household; however, it was her resilience for holding onto fate and being mentally strong, and her initiatives partially contributed to her happy end. The Prince is more like a passive character. 

I highly think that people tend to brush her traits - e.g. compassion, having fate, being kind is listed as feminine. However, it is far from being weak, which most people would deem it as. But that is definitely not true. 

“No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish can come true.”

8. Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan

Mikasa is either a hit or miss among AOT fans. Some people like Mikasa because she is physically strong and her loyalty to Eren is admirable. On the other hand, some people think she’s clingy and her being physically strong makes her a Mary Sue. 

Whether or not you like Mikasa, there is a fact that she is not a Mary Sue. The definition of a Mary Sue is a female character lacking in weakness and seems perfect. 

She is physically strong, yes - I believe that Isayama wanted to distribute traits to the trio. Even Hannes has said it in S1. Armin represents intellect, Eren represents grit and Mikasa represents strength. So her being physically strong makes sense, and Isayama also provided an explanation for it (being an Ackerman). 

However, this does not mean she lacks any weakness. Arguably, her loyalty to Eren is both a liability and her strength. This “weakness” has been highlighted by her dilemma between her loyalty towards Eren and her belief that mass genocide is wrong.

[I won’t go into details about the manga parts that have not been animated as of 2021, can’t spoil it too much]. 

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

BBC Merlin 4x05: His Father’s Son

Here's a round-up of my main observations from BBC Merlin's "His Father's Son" (4x05).

1- MERLIN AS A KNIGHT 

I have to admit that Merlin as a sorcerer and trusted adviser appeals to me the most, but I did write a lengthy post analysing how Arthur had turned Merlin into an excellent fighter. This refutes claims that Merlin gave more to Arthur than he received in return. 

At the beginning of 4x05, we see Merlin selected to play a new role: that of knight. How did this come about? Arthur Pendragon is best known for his skills as a warrior, but he deserves more credit for his military tactics. These destroy the popular yet false idea that he is unintelligent. More on the latter in a forthcoming post.  

One of Arthur’s favourite tactics is using decoys. Previous examples of him using decoys include: The Castle of Fyrien (3x07), when Arthur used Merlin as a decoy to entrap Cenred’s soldiers; Aithusa (4x04), when Arthur used himself as a decoy to get Sir Percival to safety; Arthur’s Bane Part 2 (5x02), when Arthur uses Merlin as a decoy to enrage the slave traders before they escape-- by far my favourite example. 

All things considered, I don’t think it takes long for Arthur to choose Merlin. Furthermore, this decision may have taken place before they reached their selected location, as Agravaine later mentions a previous attack by Caerleon on the border. This choice demonstrates that Arthur has higher confidence in Merlin's abilities than he does of in his knights-- else he would have chosen them. We must conclude that Merlin is Arthur's best fighter, though at first glance, we wonder why an unarmed man follows trained knights into battle. 

Merlin is sharp, fast, has high stamina, and is incredibly resourceful. Most of all, however, he is incredibly brave. In fact, when rewatching 1x02, I was surprised to see Arthur acknowledge that Merlin was "braver than you look." This despite Arthur’s frustration that Merlin did not try hard enough during practice ("Come on, Merlin: I've got a tournament to win!"). 

What’s more, in that same episode, Merlin complains about his first day, but later on, we see his fascination wth the ongoing tournament. Then he admitted to Gaius that working for Arthur (in the context of said tournament) "isn't totally horrible all the time." It took one day for him to change his opinion! 

Sure, Merlin would continue to treat the fighting as pointless violence, and Arthur as having nothing more in his head than a desire to knock "the seven bells" out of other people (3x04). However, even in 1x02, when he applauds Arthur's fighting, his actions tell a different story. We associate this habit of liking something whilst pretending otherwise to Arthur, yet Merlin has it as well. 

As I have said before, Merlin and Arthur have profound differences, yet are profoundly alike. 

2- MERLIN AS A SERVANT 

It comes as no surprise that Merlin would return to serving after the beginning of 4x05. However, what that change represents sets the tone for this entire episode: Arthur dismissing Merlin's counsel repeatedly in favour of listening to his uncle. 

When Arthur says, "so please, stick to what you do know," you have to wonder whether Merlin remembered being entrusted with the role of knight. Now, Arthur puts him back in his place. 

Here's another example: "My conscience is clean, which is more than I can say for my room, so just... do your job, will you?" Yet just yesterday, that job involved Merlin risking his life against enemy forces by dressing as a knight. 

By the way, you can tell that Arthur doesn’t believe his own excuses, because he keeps using the passive voice to justify killing Caerleon: “...a show of strength was necessary… an example had to be made… My conscience is clean��” 

Merlin’s face after Arthur claims he doesn’t need anyone is self-explanatory. 

3- NEW THOUGHTS ON ANNIS

Is Queen Annis a good person? Actually, no. 

First of all, she knows and approves of her husband invading foreign kingdoms to plunder their wealth. Such invasions naturally cost not only the lives of Arthur's men, but her own, too. 

Furthermore, despite accepting Arthur's offer of a fight by single combat, she is prepared to cheat by enlisting Morgana's power. Perhaps if Arthur had died, too, she would have felt some remorse. Yet she still takes a monumental risk with Arthur's life in blatant violation of the knight's code. One has to wonder about her reaction had Camelot plotted against her armies in the same way. 

Then we have Annis calmly ordering Merlin’s execution without giving him a chance to explain himself. The lack of emotion in her voice suggests she has done this before. 

Speaking of cruelty, Annis’ champion seems to enjoy inflicting pain on his enemies, yet the Queen claims that he “served my husband well.” I dread to think what she means by “served”. 

I will also note that Queen Annis disdains magic, referring to Morgana as “witch”. As I have said before, Uther did not begin prejudice against magic; sorcerers were disliked and feared elsewhere, too, including by those who disliked Uther. Many sorcerers caused this prejudice by engaging in manipulative, violent, and wicked deeds. 

Examples include High Priestesses using Fomorrohs to enslave people’s minds (4x06); Cornelius Sigan using his power to change day into night and acquire vast wealth (2x01); sorcerers using special blades to murder people (3x04), and so on.

None of this takes away from Annis’ complexity, nor does it undermine her immense humility when she accepts defeat and withdraws from Camelot. After all, much of Annis' rage and desire for vengeance stems from intense grief over Caerleon's death, so we can assume her marriage was a happy one. 

Forgiving the man who destroyed her domestic happiness (as well as leaving her people without a king) shows tremendous nobility on Annis’ part. I think Arthur sees that, for he is always humble and respectful before her. 

4- LONG LIVE THE KING 

Few people respect Arthur more than Merlin. So when he doesn’t join in with cries of “Long live the king!”, you know something is wrong. 

5- CONTROL YOUR FEAR 

Episode 4x03 has a hilarious scene where a drunk Arthur claims he isn’t even a little bit scared, because, “I’m a warrior. You learn to control your fear.” Then Arthur walks smack bang into a pillar. Never fails to make me laugh. Minus the drunkenness, Arthur was telling the truth about controlling his fear.

You can see this at least twice in this episode: first, when he sees how many men Annis has brought against Camelot, and secondly, when he sees the size of Annis’ giant. In both cases, Arthur harnesses his fear into determination, which is another sign of a great warrior. 

Next up, we have a fascinating scene where Arthur watches his men joking by the fire. It's a great way of showing Arthur’s care for these men, as well as his guilt that impending war will end their lives. In a sense, Arthur has to control his fear yet again. 

6- TRUST IN MERLIN 

After the above scene, Gwaine asks Merlin if Arthur is all right, and the fact that Merlin can describe Arthur's feelings without even questioning the King once again shows the unique nature of their friendship. Merlin sees Arthur's expression, and he just knows. And Gwaine knows that, hence why he does not question the King himself. 

Listen to the silence after Merlin's response. Nobody questions Merlin's judgement: they just reflect. Given the way Arthur has repeatedly dismissed Merlin's advance in favour of his uncle, I think he could have learned something from his own knights. 

I wonder whether the knights would ask Merlin something about Arthur in this way, whenever the king was absent. In ancient kingdoms, kings had advisers, and in order to earn the monarch's favour, you spoke to the latter first. Did Merlin ever play that role for the knights?

7- MERLIN’S IDIOCY 

Now, I have a problem with Merlin telling Arthur that 1)- he would have taken any other option but to face war with Annis, and 2)- his decision to kill Caerleon “was made in the best interests of Camelot.” 

Sorry, but it wasn’t. Merlin knows that. I understand that he has to rally Arthur’s spirits so that they can win against Annis, but I am glad that Arthur knows full well he has done wrong. Both Merlin and many fans do not give Arthur enough credit for recognising his own errors. 

However, even these foolishly optimistic statements pale in comparison to Merlin's reckless and self-righteous interference when Arthur negotiates with Queen Annis. I burst out laughing when he trips and falls headlong into the tent, a metaphor for his impetuousness.  

Merlin eavesdrops outside Annis’ tent, gets caught (so he didn't conceal himself), and then has the audacity to say, “Sorry about this!” to Arthur! Not only that, he got angry over being called a “simple-minded fool”, when he couldn’t even walk in a straight line to follow the king, got himself caught and almost killed by enemy soldiers, and made Arthur look as though he were double-crossing Annis! 

I completely agree with Arthur’s anger: “Oh, I was being kind, believe me: you almost got me killed in there!” Correct. Merlin simply could not trust that Arthur knew what he was doing, and decided to interfere. Instead of apologising for getting Arthur into trouble, Merlin remains on the defensive, claiming without evidence that Arthur was “doing a pretty good job of that yourself!” 

This is untrue. Arthur surrendered himself to Annis’ men. The most injury he received was a slap. He asked a favour. That isn’t risking your life. In fact, Arthur was trying to save lives, and if Merlin had been listening properly (or just stayed in bed), he would have seen that. Only after Merlin’s sudden entrance did Arthur face serious danger from Annis. 

Now, Merlin’s explanation for this is, “I’m your friend! I was looking out for you.” I don’t doubt it. But once again, Arthur is right: “I appreciate that in your very confused way, you’re only trying to help, but please: don’t do it again.”

Condescending? Of course. But this time it was Merlin who provoked him into this anger. 

8- MORGANA 

Despite all her power, Morgana still has to defer to non-magical kings and queens. After all, she requires their military assistance to take over Camelot. 

You can also see how Queen Annis detects Morgana’s hatred, greed, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and bloodlust. In one glance, Queen Annis begins questioning the wisdom of working with a sorceress she does not trust, not least on account of Morgana being a sorceress. 

In fact, Arthur’s prowess as a warrior impresses her more: “You have as much to lose as I if Arthur wins…” Fascinating scene. 

9- THANK YOU, OLD FRIEND 

It’s ironic that arguably the best scene in 4x05 begins by showcasing Arthur’s cynicism. No guesses why Arthur did not tell Merlin about breaking off his relationship with Gwen earlier. That speaks volumes. If he had told Merlin, I think they would have had an argument similar to that of 4x11. 

Only when Arthur realises that he may die does he ask Merlin to pass his ring onto Gwen with an apology. You can see the guilt etched onto his face as he refuses to make eye contact. Interestingly, Merlin does not ask any further questions. 

Arthur’s entrusting Merlin to look after Gwen in the event of his death says a lot. For example, that ring is technically royal property, yet Arthur gives it to a servant for safe-keeping, rather than his next-of-kin, Agravaine. Despite claiming to need his uncle’s advice, Arthur will not trust Agravaine with such duties. Has Arthur made a medieval will or testament? Obviously, I have no idea, however, this episode already shows Arthur’s reliance on Merlin to deal with family matters. 

Another interesting aspect to this scene is Merlin’s silence after Arthur makes an indisputable point. This dispels any idea that Merlin’s advice was always correct. On several occasions, Merlin had to defer to Arthur’s judgement, because he saw the truth and wisdom behind it. “I don’t know what will happen. But for the first time since I became king, I know in my heart I’ve made the right decision.”

Got to love Arthur’s half-amused, “You’re not about to start crying on me, are you?” He expects Merlin to be either in good spirits or confident, because that is how he, too, remains confident. Arthur is an optimist, yet Merlin becomes a pessimist, so the king must pull Merlin together with light and yet serious teasing. 

Needless to say, Arthur calling Merlin “old friend” implies that they have been friends for a long time. So why do some fans still think that Arthur had trouble admitting that Merlin was his friend? Also, the word “old” in this context can imply reliability, constancy. Arthur chose that word to describe Merlin’s value, as well as the length of their friendship. 

The great thing about Arthur is that while he makes some serious errors, when he does repent, he does so well. Not only does Arthur graciously thank Merlin for his concern, but he makes it clear to Agravaine that he relies on Merlin’s judgement prior to entering battle. This supports my earlier statement that Merlin is Arthur’s best fighter, as well as right-hand man; Arthur does not leave for the fight until Merlin has confirmed his readiness. 

On top of this, Arthur later admits that he might be a cabbage head. “I should have listened to you, Merlin. Just this once, I think you were right-- even if you are the worst servant in the five kingdoms!” 

By implication, Agravaine is wrong. Arthur won’t say that, of course, but we saw Merlin’s sound advice competing with Agravaine’s lies for this entire episode. We can only conclude that regardless of what he says, Arthur trusts Merlin more than members of his own family. 

And this is a theme which will continue and grow for the remainder of Season 4. 

FURTHER POINTS:

Merlin’s fighting skills

Paradoxes of Arthur and Merlin’s friendship

[land-of-classpects-and-analysis]

The Knight Class Analysis

Ah, yes, Knights. A Class beloved by many for countless different reasons, yet one that often brings about the most discussion. It is oddly suiting for the Knight Class to cause such a thing, as Knights have shown to somehow always be the center of whatever show they may find themself in - whether they pushed themself to that center or not. Even when the brightest spotlights shine down upon them, though, there still never seems to be a way to reveal all of the intricacies of this Class. It’s one filled with the most speculation rather than answers, the most debates, discussions, and analyses than many of the other Classes. Perhaps this is why it is a Class so dearly beloved by the people in this Fandom. Of course, there are many other reasons why people do love the Knight Class. Whether it be the protective, devoted, and underlying caring natures of the Knights, the facades they are capable of putting up for countless years in order to hide their insecurities, or they simply love the long and glorious cape of the outfit. There are just as many reasons people adore the Knight Class as there are people who, well, love this Class. For this month, every last possible Knight will find their way upon this stage and within the spotlight to have their stories told and titles analyzed. For today, though, let’s focus on the Class itself.

Knights are those whose powers seem the most obvious, yet also the most complex and mysterious. Some argue that Knights serve their Aspect, while others claim that they exploit it, and so many others. As November came quickly approaching, it became obvious to your Host here that there was a little bit more of a hidden option that, personally speaking, never seemed to hit anyone else’s radar. Knights are those who actively protect exploitation of their Aspect, or they actively protect through exploiting their Aspect. However, that is quite the mouthful and far too long. For the sake of everyone’s time, it will be shortened as such: Knights are those who actively protect their Aspect, or actively protect through their Aspect. While there is no doubt some people who have already thought and written about this, it has not come towards my own attention that this take on the Knight Class exists. Now that the basis of the Knight’s power has been established, it is time to go over the journey for the Knight, as well as how they would go about participating in the protection of or through their Aspect.

The way the Knight’s journey begins is often one wherein destiny will equip them with their Aspect, but not in a way that directly benefits the Knight. If anything, the way in which they are equipped with their Aspect is oftentimes something that brings the Knight many battles, internally or otherwise, most of which they will lose in the beginning. While this may seem as though the Knight’s Aspect is out to bring only pain and suffering to the Knight, that is actually far from the truth. Every battle the Knight faces is meant to bring them closer and become more attuned with their Aspect. Learning the ins and outs of how it works, what it looks like in other people, being able to identify its weak and strong points. Deep down, this is exactly what is happening within the Knight, as their Aspect grows and blooms inside of their hearts through every fight they participate in. The Knight should be one of the quickest players to connect and master their Aspect, and to those on the outside that might just appear to be the case. To those who are not the Knight, they seem like someone who has everything in their life held together perfectly - a flawless, unstoppable force of confidence, ego, and badassery. Little do any of them know is that the Knight doesn’t truly know what they are doing at all, especially in regards to their Aspect.

One of the biggest flaws of the Knight is that they are often so quick to hide themself beneath a facade or even a few, as it truly depends on who they are talking to. Due to their upbringing of having to go through so many different battles, and having lost just as many, one of the biggest fears of the Knight is that they are not strong enough to survive. The pride of a Knight is one of the most paradoxical things about them, as they show themselves to simultaneously have a pride so strong and durable that nothing can scratch it, yet it also can present itself as something so frail and brittle that even a harsh phrase could tear them down. What they are prideful of is being a warrior, being capable of surviving for this long - even when the odds seemed stacked against them. However, it is with this pride that also comes with the fear of losing a battle - of not being worthy of calling themself a warrior. It is with this fear that leads to many of the insecurities that are so often deeply woven into the minds of Knights. Depending on their walk of life, as well as their Aspect, these fears and insecurities can vary greatly from Knight to Knight. Amongst all of them, though, there will always be one thread that runs through all of them. That thread is questioning if they are truly capable, or even worthy, of being able to handle the powers of their Aspect and use them as they properly should be. What all Knights fear the most is that of failure.

What the Knight must do in order to truly make progress in their journey is to learn that what is truly preventing them from fully embracing their Aspect is themself. They most certainly are equipped with their Aspect, but they can only use the bare minimum of its true potential and powers. A Knight’s Aspect will only ever allow itself to fully be used by the Knight once they have proven themself worthy and capable of wielding such a powerful thing. Much like the sword in the stone, if the Knight continues to fail in proving themself pure and capable enough to retrieve the fullest potential of their Aspect, then their journey will come to a stall and the Knight will never reach their fullest potential. The biggest thing the Knight must let go for this state of being and mind to be achieved is that the Knight must fully allow themself to be vulnerable to those in their life. The mask they have worn for years must come off, and the act they have been a part of must finally have the curtains called upon it. It is not the Knight themself trying to fully take hold of their Aspect, after all, but rather the lie that they created so as to shield and hide their true self away from the world. However, this is not an easy task for the Knight to do on their own, as Knights have often shown themselves to be prone towards streaks of stubbornness. If the Knight does not feel as though they are safe and supported enough to open up, then they just might never will. Those who call themselves friends, or perhaps even lovers, to the Knight must also prove themselves worthy to see the Knight at their purest, most true form of self. Because of this, once a Knight truly opens up about who they really are, and reveals to you all of their fears, insecurities, and scars from all their lost battles, it would be unwise to take such a trusting gesture for granted.

As mentioned before, the Knight is someone who will often find themself having somehow been brought to be the center of attention, no matter where they go. Because of this, they are often someone who manages to pick up and carry off quite a few allies and friends along their travels, with those people staying with the Knight for a multitude of reasons. While they may pick up a few bad and rotten apples along the way, it most likely will only appear to be another challenge brought on by their Aspect for the Knight. Even when a relationship does go sour, the Knight will often do what they do best and hide the pain that they may have endured from such an experience. For situations such as this, the Knight will sometimes go as far as to not tell anyone about this as they may fear it would prove to everyone else that the Knight is as held-together as they show themself to be. While some people may be frustrated by the secrets that the Knight seems to love keeping, others may find this mysterious air about them intoxicating, alluring, and/or simply fascinating. No matter what, though, there seems to be no doubt that Knights, no matter how emotionally distant or volatile they may seem to be, attract people who find them charming in one way or another. Out of most of the Classes, Knights prove themselves to be rather charismatic and/or charming in their own special and unique way - another reason why so many people seem to be drawn towards them. Even if the Knight’s facade may say otherwise, Knights are those who prove themselves to be more than willing to devote their mind, body, and heart to those they truly love out of many of the other Classes. Whether they scream/shout at, and belittle their loved ones, or play it off like they’re too cool to show affection in return, there is a part of the Knight that does truly, deeply care for and love those within their life. It all simply depends on the Knight in regards to how they show this love and affection.

It is through this love and devotion to their friends and allies that will help to push the Knight closer to being able to wield their Aspect. However, what the Knight needs is one final push, one final leap for them to finally cross that line in which they may finally take hold of their Aspect like that of a shield or sword. This final push is the Knight coming to terms that, for the longest time, all they needed was to believe in their own worth. Call it a fairy tale ending if you wish, but this is something that has been seen with many Knights. Their fear and insecurities have, for the longest time, plagued and clouded their vision for so long - long enough that they even became blind to the fact that they had been worthy of using and connecting with their Aspect for far too long. Once they manage to bust through such negative things, though, will they finally be able to take hold of their Aspect and do as they see fit with it. Finally, will the Knight rise and step forth to fulfill their duty as a protector.

Knights are those who actively protect their Aspect, or actively protect through it. By protecting their Aspect, it means that they are willing to use themself in order to try and preserve every last instance wherein their Aspect can occur. They protect it from being exploited, destroyed, manipulated, and more. Depending on who is within the Knight’s group, or what is occurring within the world of the Knight, this can prove to be a daunting and even exhausting task for the Knight. The shield is the best way for the Knight to equip their Aspect, if they so wish to protect it. However, depending on the Knight, they may only try to protect a select few instances of their Aspect, rather than trying to protect the entire thing. If these Knights are ones to fall in the ways of being selfish, then they will have no problem with only protecting their own personal instance of Aspect, as the rest of it falls away or becomes twisted and mangled beyond recognition. For the selfless Knights, though, they would do the opposite - allowing all other instances of their Aspect to be protected, while allowing for their own to be exploited and taken advantage of. Then there are the Knights who protect through their Aspect, wielding it far more like that of a sword so as to slice down any foes who threaten the Knight and perhaps their friends and allies, as well. Along with the sword, they’d be able to use their Aspect’s powers to their fullest ability if it meant protecting those they cared for and loved. Whether it be warping the fabric of reality to create that of a blackhole, cloaking themself or their team in shadows, or creating a wall of plants so thorny and thick that nothing could even bring a scratch upon it. Once again, this can lead to some Knights who are picky in terms of who deserves protection and who deserves to fight for themself. For some Knights, this can boil down to only protecting themself, or being willing to become a sacrifice for the betterment of the team. Then there are the Knights who may prove themselves capable of not wielding one over the other, but rather both the shield and sword at once or interchangeably. However, that is a discussion for another day.

Ultimately, the Knight is one where their job is to help protect their teammates, friends, lovers, and more, especially once they have proven themself worthy of wielding their Aspect. By taking on this position of responsibility, it will have meant that they are someone who welcomes the idea of failure instead of hiding away from it. They may have started their journey as someone they were not, afraid of being seen as weak and incapable of survival by their peers, but as long as they stuck to the path forged by themself and their Aspect, then they should have long since burst forth from their cocoons as the truly beautiful butterflies they are meant to be. While there are certainly moments down the line where the Knight may fall back into their old habits of facades and hiding, if they learned to keep the better company around them, then such people should be more than capable of giving reassurance and kindness to the Knight. Sometimes, all they need is a gentle reminder that they are worthy to have gotten as far as they have, and they are capable of surviving many more days ahead of them. The Knight is someone who puts great faith in the relationships they have, as well as putting a large part of themself within them. As such, it would be unwise as to harm and mess around with those who the Knight holds dear. While Knights may show themselves to be able to keep their cool most of the time, even the most level-headed of them have been shown to occasionally go off the rails. As much as Knights are protectors, they are just as willing to be true, unyielding, brutal warriors.

[silver-wield]

Cloti Resolution Analysis

So I was sent an ask about analysing the promise scene between Cloud and Tifa, and I completely went to another plane of existence and did the Resolution instead. Oh well, enjoy the breakdown and I’ll get to bby Tifa and Cloud another time.

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven't played (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it's gonna be a VERY long one so prepare to scroll.

Also, this is one person's interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that's cool and we'll agree to disagree.

You're also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I'm grabbing them from Youtube and it's frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want.

Other analyses if anyone's interested.

Shinra HQ vision scene (Cloti/plot analysis) 

Chapter 3 (Cloti reblog) 

Tifa character analysis 

Aerith Resolution (plot analysis) 

Train graveyard (not really an analysis, but I got some sweet screenshots of Cloti) 

Clotiscrew tunnel analysis 

Now, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Ok, recapping for anyone who hasn't seen this yet.

We begin with Cloud waking, having heard someone leaving the house. He checks, it's not Barret, so he goes out to investigate and spies Tifa staring at the night sky.

Now from this there's actually an unmentioned possibility Cloud decides Tifa doesn't want company and leaves. This obviously doesn't happen because he's developed his character to the point where he'd put himself out for someone else and find out what's wrong. The point I’m making is that Cloud is that guy who’d say “Not interested” and leave, but because he cares about Tifa, he stays. 

Right away we get hints of concern on his face. Obviously, with everything they just went through and all the people they lost he's expecting something along those lines when he asks if she can't sleep. The head tilt that goes with this has echoes of chapter 3 when he invites Tifa to share her worries, only this time she's got her back to him so can't see it.

Tifa, for her part, isn't very forthcoming. She's quite closed off, almost unwilling to open up and talk. She's probably come out because – as she said – she can't sleep and didn't actually intend for Cloud to follow. She apologises for waking him. There was no intent on her part to force a confidence between them. We can't even see her eyes until she replies, which is intentional on the framing to further express her being closed off. Remember, eye contact matters and a lack of eye contact with the audience means she's hiding from us too.

Damn it, she's so clearly cut up but trying to hold it together here it breaks my heart! I'm trying to figure out if her eyes are already swollen from repressing the urge to cry or if it's my imagination. Either way, she's distracted. She's not focused on Cloud or the conversation that much. A distant, polite answer from her is likely meant to hint she's not up for a chat, which is why I love that Cloud doesn't leave. She needs comforting and he's aware of that.

Demoralised tone of voice. Keeps her back to him. Head bowed. She's totally in her own head at this point and having woken Cloud up is just another black mark. She wanted to be alone and wallow, but she can't even do that right. So, when Cloud brushes it off and even goes so far as to make a light-hearted joke – yes him saying it's a SOLDIER thing isn't about him drawing attention to the fact he's succeeded with that part of their promise, he's capable enough to protect her – he's saying it to lower her guard, and that's why she laughs. It's the opening he needs to encourage her to talk so he can find out what's wrong.

Ah, the moment people think this scene is all about Aerith. Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

Now, remember, in the previous glimpse of her we saw she had her head bowed. She's not looking at the stars anymore like she would when recalling her and Cloud's promise. She's looking down at the flowers. The same type of flower that Cloud gave her and she put on the counter in Seventh Heaven. This is why she brings up Aerith because she's the flower seller.

We're shown her feet at this point because she's turning. Cloud's little joke has opened her up enough that she believes she can face him. She can confide in him. She asks about the flower not because she's all about Aerith, but because the flower was in Seventh Heaven: her home. And what is the reason she's out there in the first place? Why can't she sleep? Because she just saw everything she holds dear crushed, literally. She watched Biggs and Jessie die – ok we know better but she doesn't. She let Aerith get kidnapped by Shinra and almost got Marlene killed too – yes, she's definitely the type to blame herself for this too. She's lost friends – who knows how many? There's death and fire and it's all because of Shinra, again.

Ah the other moment people believe makes this all about Aerith. That isn't a “I got caught with another woman” look of guilt. That's an “I lied to you,” guilty look because, if you remember, back when Cloud gave Tifa the flower she said, “What's up with you, buying flowers?” and he said, “A guy can change,” making her believe he'd purposely sought out Aerith to buy a flower for Tifa. Obviously, he doesn't want to contradict himself while she's in a heightened state, so he's all “uhhh.” That's an “I don't know what to say so this doesn't hurt her,” look.

Tifa awkwardly laughs it off. Poor thing, her misconception about Cloud's thoughtfulness is shattered without him having to say a word. Putting a brave face on it, but she's disappointed. And that's not because she thinks she's “lost” to Aerith, but she thought something of Cloud that wasn't right. She thought their relationship had moved on more at that point, which further supports the subsequent intimate moments between them. Now, she's wondering if anything she knew is right.

And that is clear disappointment that he didn't actually do it on his own initiative. Regret hits hard when it comes, right, Cloud?

It goes on with Tifa explaining she looked up the meaning of the flower – now we don't know when, but it's safe to assume it's around the time of the reactor 5 mission when Cloud goes missing. She likely got back to Seventh Heaven, spotted the flower, linked its importance to Cloud and then looked up the meaning. When she saw it symbolised reunion, she did everything she could to keep it alive as a symbol of hope they'd meet again. They'd be reunited. It isn't symbolising anything to do with Aerith. The reason she even brings it up is because of where they are. It's the location that prompts the association.

Now, remember, Tifa has lived through a massive tragedy once before. She literally lost everyone in Nibelheim. It's stated in other media that Shinra rounded up survivors and gave them to Hojo – they became numbered experiments or died. Tifa is the only survivor and she only made it out because her teacher, Zangan, found her. It's also implied that anyone else from Nibelheim was tracked down and killed to silence them after Shinra remade the town – so on the off chance that Tifa went to Midgar to find people she knew, she wouldn't find any in the town and when she asked after Cloud at Shinra she was told he went missing, which explains why she says she's so glad to have Cloud back.

When she says the flower is dead and buried, she's relating it not to her relationship with Cloud – I mean he is literally ten feet in front of her listening to her and offering a shoulder to cry on. No, she's relating the flower to the location. She's talking about her home. Where before she linked it to reuniting with Cloud, once she learned about the danger to sector 7 she linked the flower to reuniting with the people most dear to her there. These are people she's known for five years. She's not a callous, unfeeling bitch, who only focuses on herself and some dude she's just got back in touch with. It's clear from NPC dialogue while you're running around that Tifa is very much loved and respected – and crushed on – in the slum. The people love her and she loves them. She wanted them to be safe more than anything. Her entire arc getting back to the sector is filled with panic. Her focus is her home and the hope she finds it and the people safe.

So, now she's saying that hope she clung to, like the flower, is dead.

And there it is, the brave smile that falters. She's trying so hard to not burden anyone because – as Marle says later on – crying is pointless. Remember, Marle is the one who looked after Tifa, which means Marle's mindset is the one Tifa's been exposed to from 15 to 20. Remember, Tifa is only 20 years old. She's not some grizzled warrior, she's a young girl who had to watch her father die, her town get burned to the ground and be left alone. The only survivor. Until Cloud. Marle has taught her it's pointless to cry; Avalanche and everyone in it has told her she needs to be tough and hard and unfeeling if they want to succeed. But, Tifa doesn't want anyone to die. Not her friends or her enemies. She's not got that hard core, no matter how much she acts cool and detached.

And this is the point that Cloud is likely hearing about his home for the first time. We know he was there, but it's one of those memories he's shut out. The reminder is one of the few times he doesn't get a flash of pain, either. That soft exhale of surprise, the eyes widening just a touch. Cloud hadn't thought to relate his past to this event, and likely hadn't related it to Tifa, either. He's shut it out, so expected her to, as well. This is a musing expression. He's thinking about what she just said. It hits him this is where her emotions are focused. She's in the past, and that gives him the chance to think about the past. This is what opens him up to needing comfort just as much as she does, because he's not processed his grief either. They're both stuck in that place where they weren't allowed to mourn the people they loved and all they've lost.

Then we're treated to a reminder of the physical distance between them in this scene – which has been a theme between them since the start. There's physical distance, that closes at times, then widens again, highlighting how they're struggling to find their way back to each other for various reasons. Cloud because he can't fully relate to his feelings for her and Tifa because she's too afraid of losing him to truly open up.

And then Tifa takes those few steps – that seemed to take forever – to meet him. She's looking for comfort from the Cloud she knew. The real Cloud. His expression here is surprise because, well, Tifa's just not like that, remember? She's reserved and self-contained. He wasn't expecting her to do this. He's once again confronted with a woman being forward. Only, it's different this time because it's Tifa and he knows and trusts her and has all these complicated feelings he can't define. He knows part of him – the 14 year old who wants his crush to notice him – is ok with this. It's what he wants. That's why he doesn't move. He wants to offer her comfort, be the strong capable SOLDIER he thought she wanted.

Oh, but look, the dawning realisation he's just as upset as she is. His hard expression wavers, just for a moment, and he looks cut up. He doesn't know if he can be the strong SOLDIER right now because, just as she's processing grief, he is too.

Hearing her sob, really sob, is hard for Cloud to take. Just like in the pillar when Jessie said, “Tifa's crying,” and Cloud lost his cool for a moment and felt like a failure. He couldn't prevent any of it. He let her down. Listening to her cry tugs at the latent feelings he has for her, but he's still so wrapped up in that fake persona of what he thinks he should be that he doesn't know what to offer her in comfort. You can hear a couple of attempts at speech, but ultimately he doesn't say anything.

I wasn't gonna screen this bit, but what the hell.

You can see the hesitation in his movements. He doesn't know if he should hug her. Tifa's hand isn't quite touching Cloud as it moves from his side to his shoulder, but then when he pulls her in close there's full contact between them with no space. I mean, he's holding her tight.

After the pan away to the stream – which is likely a nod to the lifestream scene in the OG – we're back with them and Tifa's calmed down somewhat.

Cloud's distracted. We can only guess what he's thinking about, but considering the conversation they just had it's probably a blank with vague unsettled grief about his past that he can't grab hold of. He knows he can relate with Tifa at that moment. He's hugging her so tight he hurts her. He's hugging so tight because he needs comfort from her just as she does from him. He lost people too. He's so in his own head that he doesn't quite hear her say his name at first, and then I speculate he expected to hear something else besides, “you're hurting me,” if that very soft “hmm?” is anything to go by. His head was in a place where the outcome of their moment was different. Hurt/comfort is a thing after all.

And then there's the “oh shit, I can't even comfort her properly” moment. He's dismayed he hurt her when he was supposed to be helping. That boy with a crush is mortified and the grown ass man isn't much better. He's ruined the intimacy and lack of emotional distance by failing. Again.

But that doesn't mean he won't linger until the last possible second before stepping back again. The downturned mouth, frown and concern are clear. He doesn't think he did very much at all for her. Does he feel guilty about hurting her, not being the man she deserves? Possibly. He definitely looks regretful. Likely thinking what he could've done better. He wasn't much help at all to her.

“It's stupid. I know that crying's a waste of time.”

Ah, here's what he can do for her. His physical comfort missed the mark, but this is something he can do. He can reassure her. Get back some of that emotional closeness between them. And it succeeds. Tifa's gratitude is clear in her tearful smile and heartfelt thank you.

Conclusion.

How romantic is this scene? I hear no one asking cause you all made up your minds well before I even started. Well, from my pov, I'd say it's definitely up there, although it's very heavily rooted in hurt/comfort and relying on their childhood closeness to further their intimacy. But, that's ok because plenty of great couples begin like this and there's usually a moment like this within Final Fantasy narratives.

Rinoa/Squall's Ragnarok scene? There was no kissing in that either, but the emotional intimacy was clear. And Squall is just as big a butthead as Cloud tbf.

Tidus/Yuna laughing scene? Hahaha, I bet you thought I'd mention the lake instead? Well, no because that is clearly intimacy on a different level to this. We're at the developing intimacy stage, and that stage in 10 was them confiding in each other and laughing together.

This is Cloud/Tifa sharing their grief and comforting each other. The scenes parallel. Whether or not this means it's canon is up to you to decide, but combined with all the compilation evidence – yeah, I've heard the latest argument that compilation doesn't count anymore and until it's confirmed by Square I'm not listening – it does heavily suggest that Tifa and Cloud's relationship will continue along this route to the endgame where they confirm their feelings for each other under the Highwind.

[ailuronymy]

As someone who’s always been afraid to allow my OCs to live long enough to graduate to elderhood based on the simple fact I feel I’m giving up their personality, what’s your personal view on elder ‘duties’ and how do you see a cat still contributing to their clan during their golden years?

Hello there, Ruddles! This is a hard one for me to answer, because it feels very obvious to me. I don’t mean to say this is a bad or dumb question, because it’s not! But I think to a certain extent, writing character is intuitive for me and it can sometimes be challenging to take things that I just know by vibecraft and translate that into something practical for other people to apply. 

I think the first major thing is: everyone is still young inside. Ninety-plus year olds that I’ve spoken with don’t feel like they’re old: their bodies are, but in a lot of ways, they still feel twenty. The soul stays young forever, basically. Your characters don’t necessarily lose anything of themselves by ageing, but they might gain perspective and wisdom from life experiences. 

What that means is that you can reasonably be more flexible with their personalities and choices, because no-one stays the same their whole life. Characters who were reckless in their youth might be slightly more cautious now, having learned bitter lessons--or maybe they’re outright fearless, because they figure they’ve made it this far and they’re still standing. If you’re worried about characters losing personality, I really recommend you sit down with your characters and analyse why you feel that way, because it’s not actually a guaranteed result of ageing to become boring. A lot of people find ageing to be liberating, in fact, because they feel less bound by expectations and care less about what other people think of them, because often a lot of their previous social concerns (the fads of youth, success, beauty, romance, etc.) become less relevant.

The second major thing is: if elders aren’t at the centre of your clan’s community, then I personally think you’re doing some wrong. Erin Hunter's perspective of the clans is shaped heavily by their context (Western, white, Christian, capitalist) and also because of the demographic they’re targeting (primarily children and tweens). That means there’s always going to be a focus on younger characters, because they’re the market audience, and that’s not unreasonable. However, because of where Erin Hunter’s writing from, they’re very entangled in a history of side-lining of older and elderly people away from the general public space after their ability to labour is expended. 

This isn’t a universal truth or norm, though, and there’s a lot of cultures in the world where older people are considered vital and are deeply embedded in traditions of teaching and storytelling, care (medically, of children, etc.), decision-making and leadership, spiritual guidance, and everyday family life and community. Given how the clans are structured, I personally feel that this is far more likely a model for the clans to follow than Erin Hunter’s canon. 

I’ve talked a bit about what being an elder might entail and signify before, so I’ll link that here and here, but basically I feel that elders would hold a lot of power (socially and politically) within the clan. They’re a source of wisdom and guidance for the leader and medicine cat to draw upon, and might be considered as advisors or even their own form of council who must be taken into consideration by the leader. They’ve likely mentored many of the extant warriors (who have then gone on to mentor apprentices of their own) and therefore have strong bonds and the support of many cats, which mean that they’d be collectively a massive power base to either support or oppose the leader’s actions. 

Elders are also the longest-lived and most experienced cats in the clan, meaning that they could be outstanding teachers, storytellers, keepers of history, keepers of genealogy, spiritual advisors and support for other cats, and generally would make clan life so much more rich and connected. These contributions to the clan are so significant and important and make it possible to actually have a clan, instead of being just a group of rogues who hunt and fight together. Hunting and fighting are done to continue warrior lives and are important too, but history, culture, community, and tradition--the things that elders protect and share--is what makes a warrior in the first place.

So yeah, basically I love elders, I think they’re fantastic and I love writing about them, because they are the embodiment of everything I adore about Warriors as a concept. I can really recommend thinking about them as the centre of the clan, rather than living on the perimeter, and see how that shapes your world-building. I hope this helps and good luck!

[theawesomeloner]

Chapter 3: Professor Larson

“Do you know who painted this? I’ve looked online and couldn’t find out who it was.” Samantha asked.

“Ah, unfortunately we do not know,” Professor Larson answered with a shrug of her own before looking at the portrait herself. “All the paintings you see of the Gods in the exhibit are by the same painter but we do not actually know their name. The legend is one night they were visited by the Gods, and they were so honoured they had been chosen to paint their faces to share with the world, they refused to take credit for it. Saying the privilege of meeting the Gods was payment enough.”

“It’s a good story to get your paintings sold,” Samantha found herself saying before thinking only realising how dismissive it sounded afterwards.

“So you do not believe the legends?” The Professor raised a single eye brow at her. 

“I mean they are legends after all, myths and all that.”

“Ah but even in myths, the truth is hidden. How else would we come up with stories so magnificent?” Professor Larson said. Samantha had no response and simply looked back at the painting above them. There was a moment’s silence before Larson spoke again. “We could learn a lot from her story you know.” 

Samantha turned her head to woman, tilting her head down slightly to make eye contact, showing her she was listening. 

“Despite many false beliefs, the Vikings weren’t as sexist as many people believe. They valued strong woman as demonstrated by their Goddesses. The story is, Geni was the product of a long line of decorated male warriors. She had to fight to prove herself to be as worthy a warrior as her ancestors before her, which she did and then some. If the story is to be believed she was even stronger, more feared than her predecessors. Not only in her fighting skills, but in her mind as well. Alongside Sif, Goddess of War, the two fought for women’s rights way before their time.” 

“Sounds like she was a badass,” Samantha muttered, unable to stop herself. She paused for a moment wondering if she had been inappropriate but Larson simply chuckled beside her. 

“Yes, by all accounts, she was badass.”

The two shared a chuckle. For a moment Samantha hesitated to ask her next question, wondering how much further she could push it, but then again, she had come this far. 

“It mentions here about her relationship with Loki, the God of Mischief, like as in dating or…?” Samantha trailed off, not really sure what she was asking but also needing to know following her dream. 

“Ah, now that is one of debate,” Larson said, clearly enjoying her captive audience and showing no signs of wanting to return to the party next door. “It was widely believe for a time the two were enemies. Too closely linked in a battle of wits, Loki’s trickster nature clashing with her wisdom. Over time as texts are re analysed, it felt the two were more friends then enemies, their wits equal and their intellect only matched by the other. Then of course there is most recent theory amongst some of us younger academics.” 

“Which is?” Samantha prompted, her whole body now facing Larson. 

“That they were lovers,” The Professor stated and Samantha was taken aback for a moment. Larson gave a large sigh though before Samantha could say more. “Alas the theory is not popular in the Norse academic community despite the evidence. In fact it was what my thesis was on for my PhD. Geni has always been a favourite of mine.”

Samantha Jennings, your average 25 year old trying to manage her way through life. Keeping her head down and ignoring the voices she can hear in her head. That is until her dad goes missing and the same dream of her dying wakes her up every night. Original character for Marvel’s MCU with Loki/OC/Steve Rogers elements (but not often at the same time).

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13926724/3/The-7th-Avenger

[tmntxreader-fics]

TMNT Leo X Reader: STICKS AND STONES (Part 2)

ITS BACK 

I’VE REPOSTED AFTER THE TUMBLR UPDATE DESTROYED THE LAST ONE. 

Found this in a glitch actually, I copy and pasted it and it disappeared literally 10 minutes later into the abyss so I don’t know if the Tumblr staff took pity on me?... 

ANYWAY

WARNINGS: Cussing, angst, and possible typos. Also it’s long as hell. 

Word Count: 3307

Your gaze drifts over your own reflection, heart pounding in your chest.

“You don’t look like yourself,” April had said when she picked you up from the airport. It was one of the first things she had greeted you with. Now, back in your old city, standing in your old apartment and appraising yourself in your old mirror- you realize that she is right.  In the 6 months that you had been gone, you’ve abandoned your old self and God did it feel good. Like a snake shedding its skin, a butterfly emerging from its cocoon; you are new. 

Your once simple and almost bland hair is now vibrant and impossible to ignore. The roots remain their original colour but slowly along its length it weeps into a red that puts Raphael’s mask to shame. A deliberate colour scheme to symbolise the opposition of blue. 

Even as you eye the clothing draped over your body, you can’t help but compare the difference between your originally modest and humble style and the present edge you’ve currently obtained. 

But the most significant change you display is not a tangible presence, it cannot be observed with a materialistic lens. The thing that stands out the most, as you analyse your own reflection, is not the clothes on your back or the colour of your hair. It’s the confidence. 

It was a terrifying concept at first, attempting to push past the fears that plagued you for years. The chains that bound you under the label of shy, socially anxious and introverted were never weak. They were made of hard steel with what you had previously thought to be no weak link to be discovered, but you found it six months ago and its name was Leonardo. When you broke the link, shattered it with a sword of humiliation and scorn, you realised then that the opportunity for growth came after being cut down. You are free of your chains and you want to let the world know that you’ll never be confined by them again. Starting with the one who both restricted you and freed you, you plan to display this newfound power in the best way you could. You’re going to rub it in everyone’s face that you are new.   You are an entirely new being and you plan to bask in it. You want to silently gloat about it to those who thought you to be insignificant. You know your worth now. Precisely why you’ve agreed to visit the infamous lair of the turtles after so long of avoiding it like the plague; trying to pretend it never existed. “You sure you wanna come with?” April questions sceptically, her eyes slowly dragging over your frame. After a hard silence, she throws her hands up in surrender and mutters a sarcastic apology beneath her breath. The reporter knows this meeting will be chaos; not necessarily physical but emotional anarchy for everyone involved. It sounds good in theory, the idea of ‘strutting your stuff’ in front of your ex but the bond between you both was deeper than the average relationship. April knows that tie is still existent whether you choose to acknowledge it and young woman suspects this will not go in accordance to your plans- things rarely do. However, you are stubborn and even the famous reporter is no match against the fury of a woman scorned. Your breathing picks up as April leads you around what seems like the 100th corner in a row- and it’s not because of the amount of unwarranted exercise you’ve been forced into. “Donnie said he’d meet us here,” April huffs, slightly winded by the hefty trek. Before you can reply, a recognisably excited voice pipes up from the shadows of the alleyway. “And I’m here as promised!” You exhale sharply at the sight of the purple clad turtle- it’s been so long since you’ve seen any of the mutant brothers that the presence of even Donatello shocks you. You drink the sight of him in, from the goggles resting atop his head to the gadgets strapped to his ankles. An almost nostalgic sigh is expelled from your system as you shift the strap of your bag on your shoulder, a nervous tick. His gaze lingers on you after greeting April, longer than it should have until he figures it’s illogical to try hide the fact that he is staring. You smile sadly, “Hey, brains. It’s been a while, huh?” His gaze softens and his lips quirk to mimic yours. “Precisely 6 months and 2 days,” he states quietly. His smile widens into a goofy grin, the tension easing up as he rubs the back of his head awkwardly, “who’s counting though?” “I have a suggestion as to who,” April responds suddenly, observing her fingernails when the attention falls upon her. You realise she’s talking about the blue clad turtle and the turmoil within your stomach returns tenfold. You felt physically sick by the idea of seeing him again, having to look into those eyes. A gaze that had once observed you with love, a gaze that was tender and affectionate reserved only for you; a gaze that turned too cold, too quickly. “Speaking of,” Donnie begins quietly, “everyone’s waiting downstairs for you guys.” He nods his head towards to the open manhole cover and you swallow thickly. You almost wish that the walk to the lair was as long as the trek it had taken to meet Donnie at the rendezvous point. Your heart has basically nestled itself in your throat and you know that there will be difficulty dislodging it. As your little band of three approach the entrance to the lair you force your racing mind to stop, this was all done for a reason. You will not allow yourself to be weak, to become unravelled by a person you once knew. They are no longer a part of you, they no longer define you, they no longer value you the way they once did but you value yourself and that is what makes you infinitely more powerful than you were. You know your self-worth, you know you deserve just as much respect as anyone else. After 6 months of inner struggles and the journey to self-love you absolutely refuse to be shaken. However, as told by Mike Tyson, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” You figure that it wasn’t meant to be coupled with this current situation, but anything can be applied to everything depending on the individual’s approach.

As you enter the room holding Donatello’s brothers, you realise that seeing Leonardo’s face damn well felt like a nasty uppercut. As Mike Tyson predicted, anything witty you had planned to say has expelled itself from your mind.

A glacier like gaze skims over your being repeatedly, slower each time. The ice melts into pools of emotion, collecting at the water line of his eyes. Your mouth opens, fighting to make a sassy remark that you had planned previously- you failed miserably. A name slips from his lips, your name. It sounds foreign, why does it sound like that when it used to be comforting? Why does he say it like that? With longing, with sorrow. He has no right to long for you. But he does have a reason to be sorry. You straighten your posture and set your jaw, forcing your sights to rip away from him as if he wasn’t worth any time of day. Settling your gaze onto Raphael, his lips curl into a charming lopsided smirk. “I like your hair,” he states; stepping forward with a confident sway. Seems you aren’t the only one who’s grown. “It reminded me of you,” you tease playfully, a grin finally gracing your previously tense features. Through your peripheral vision you catch the slightest flinch from Leo. Raph returns the sentiment with a brilliant smile and you’re shocked by both the act and the way he immediately reaches out to embrace you. Blatant affection from the temperamental warrior was a rarity, to be the object of said affection made your heart swell. “It’s been hell without you here,” his words are pressed against your ear, quietly swallowing the air around you. He frees you from his embrace, eyeing you with a meaningful glance before returning to his resting expression- a mixture of irritation and arrogance. “I’ll go wake Mikey up,” he suggests, disappearing past Leo and into the tunnels. Something about the way he spoke confirmed to everyone that he was doing no such thing. April and Donnie, unfortunately, also got the unspoken memo. “Well, I’m just going to um-” Brains mutters awkwardly, spinning in a half circle away from you. “Show me the lab! He’s going to show me the lab,” April exclaims, gripping his bicep and dragging him in the opposite direction. “You know? TCRI isn’t going to disappear over night!” The duo left the room in a flurry of nervous mumbling, leaving you to face Leo by yourself. You swallow your nerves and un-furrow your brows, determined to give this turtle absolutely no rope and no leverage. You are in control here. Your gaze returns to Leo with hooded eyes and cold intentions. He steps forward as if to embrace you but your stare stops him dead in his tracks. Blue’s mouth opens and closes repeatedly as if he is confused by the apparent shift in attitude. You take his clear vulnerability as an opportunity to speak, looking around the lair with nonchalance. “You know, I really missed this place,” you state, tossing a side glance at the still turtle. “I missed your brothers, I missed Splinter- God knows I missed the pizza.” Your fingers trail over the railing beside you casually as you reign yourself in to ensure the confident voice doesn’t waver. With two slow and long strides forward towards Leo, you Harden your gaze and let it rest on him. “You know what I didn’t miss though?” You question, taking another step closer to the turtle who suddenly looks almost alarmed. “You.” You cross your arms and square your sights on him, “I didn’t miss you at all.” His jaw clenches before an emotion crosses his face, one you’ve never seen before. You find yourself beginning to wish you hadn’t stepped so close. “You’ve always been a bad liar,” Leo’s voice is quiet but hard. Your eyebrows raise at his immediate response. You’d hurt him with your words, you can tell by the silent strain in his voice. His icy stare narrows in on yours and he takes a step towards you- it feels like the ground is shaking. Resisting the urge to step away from him, you instead opt to swallow nervously and raise your chin in defiance. “You wouldn’t know,” you say. “I’ve never lied to you. That was your job.” Just like that, Leo’s strong facade shatters. His expression opens, revealing sorrow and harrowing regret, your heart squeezes at the sight. “What I did to you,” he begins, licking his lips as he pauses. “What I said to you was wrong.” “You’re stating the obvious again,” you force a tone of boredom but your hands begin to tremble. Leo’s swift gaze travels from your eyes to your lips, they trail from your shoulders to your shaking hands. His stare lingers there for a moment and his brow ridge furrows slightly. “I’m sorry.” His words are barely a whisper. His sorrow incites fury; two words cannot erase months of heartache, betrayal and tears. You narrow your eyes at him. You’re furious at Leo for what he’s done, you’re furious at him for seeking forgiveness through just two words but mostly you’re furious at yourself for wanting to forgive him so easily. Your blood boils at the fact that you wish he was the first to approach you, to embrace you, to express how much he missed you. But he wasn’t; he didn’t say a word. However, you were never one to slap away an apology- even if the last thing you want to do is forgive them. “Apology accepted. Have a nice day, Leonardo,” you laugh bitterly, turning on your heel with the intention to be in the company of anyone but the turtle with the blue bandana. How disappointing. “I can’t.” His voice is sharp, demanding to be heard. You frown and face him. “Can’t what?” “I can’t have a nice day,” he states, almost frustrated with himself. You pull your shoulders into a shrug. “Well, that’s unfortunate,” you say carelessly, motioning to continue with your departure. “I can’t have a nice anything, actually,” he continues. Leo steps closer and the intensity of his gaze weighs down on you- forcing you to be still where you stand. “I can’t have a nice meal, a nice training session or a nice patrol.” Your eyes widen as he grits his teeth and moves closer, it feels like the air is being drawn from the room. “I can barely close my fucking eyes at night, let alone have a nice sleep,” he snaps and you swallow at the sound of the cuss being spat out from between his teeth. It sounded alien and misplaced, he hates swearing. Your breath leaves you in a subtle tremble, your eyes unable to tear themselves away from him. “How so?” You whisper. He chuckles humourlessly and you note that it’s almost self-deprecating in tone. “Because I sent away the one person that made things nice. Nothing has even come close, ever since.” You stare at him, heart pounding in your chest and tears gathering in your eyes. This was becoming vastly more complicated than the scenarios you had played out in your mirror at the apartment. “Then why?” You settle for the one question that’s been plaguing your mind for months. “Why did you do it?”   Leo falters before you. Despite him being completely frozen in his tracks, it’s as if you’ve physically just watched him trip over himself at your question. “I…” He trails off, voice a mere, soft rasp. You raise a brow, trying to will back the tears. You are shaking, you know it’s visible, but you can’t find it in you to be embarrassed. “Well?” You prompt impatiently, “you made it your damn mission to break me. I at least deserve a reason, don’t you think?” “Yes,” he whispers. “Of course you do.” “Then spill it,” you snap, swiping the tear that had made a mad dash down your cheek. He eyes you carefully as he words his response carefully, “I was failing. As a leader, as a partner, as a member of the team…” You motion impatiently for him to continue. Leo casts his gaze to the floor, a frown marring his expression. “I couldn’t keep anything together and rather than look at my weaknesses and failed choices as a leader, I blamed you.” He grits his teeth, “I failed and you suffered for it. I thought you were a weakness when in reality you were my strength.” You don’t bother wiping the tears that have begun to basically stream down your cheeks, you know that’s a lost cause. Leo, catching your small sniffle, glances up and his face contorts to one of guilt. Your ex-lover makes an instinctual move to comfort you. “What do you want me to say?” You ask, wrapping your arms around yourself and stepping away from his advances carefully. “That it’s fine? That we can go back to what was? You can’t humiliate me and toss me aside then expect me back when you realise your mistake,” you snap. Leo’s eyes soften, “I don’t expect that from you.” “Then what could you possibly want?” You’re visibly exasperated, not to mention exhausted by this entire exchange. “A chance to try again.” Leonardo states almost pleadingly. You’re stunned by his words, mouth opening in bewilderment. Then you begin to laugh, interrupting his sentence with an almost cruel laugh that subsides into giggles. You imagine that this is possibly a terrifying image considering that your face is still heavily laden with tears. “You think I’m going to just get back with you?” You throw your hands up and turn in a circle, “the mighty Leo has asked something from me so I just must obey. News flash! I’m not your little bitch anymore,” you hiss. “I’m not the same person I was, I will not roll over for you.”

“I know. You’re stronger, you’re smarter and you’re angry. I understand that and you have every right to be but if you’d just give me a chance to prove myself.” He begins, moving close in another habitual attempt to console you. “Damn right I’m smarter, smart enough to stay away from you,” you snap, stepping back from his advances. Instantly he opens his mouth to respond, with wide eyes and hands raised to defuse, “Hold on, I wasn’t done just listen to me-” “No, you listen to me,” you interrupt, halting your retreat and instead stomping towards him, “I am not part of your damn team and you sure as fuck are not my leader!” Your hand had poked into his plastron to emphasise each point and his gaze moves down to eye the hand you had left resting upon him. “You do not get to make demands as if I owe you something.”

His mouth closes and to your surprise a small smile lifts one corner of his mouth. “You don’t owe me anything,” he begins softly. “But I will ask you, please, to let me try earn back your affections and amend what I have failed to do previously.”

You stare at him for a long moment, gaze drinking in every feature of his face. You remember the times before he had distanced himself from you. You remember the affection, the love, the way he had tried to so hard to woo you in every way possible even when you were intimidated by him and it seemed he had no hope. Leo had fought for you, fought to make you comfortable around him, he had made sacrifices to be with you. Your anger begins to slowly ebb as his icy coloured eyes search your own for some sort of agreement. Where did it all go wrong?

He took you for granted and whether he gains your affections later down the track or not, he has still paid the price.

You clench your jaw before a heavy sigh slips from your mouth. The silence is loud as you both wait in anticipation of your decision. You know that allowing him back into your life allows unpredictable elements to gain control, once more. Would he do the same thing under a different lie? Would he treat you the way you’re meant to be treated? Rather than cutting him off and the possibilities of a positive outcome, you decide that letting things move slow will provide ample opportunity to catch any deviations.  

“You can try,” you agree, “as friends first, obviously. Don’t get your hopes up for anything beyond that.”

With that, Leonardo cracks a blinding grin- as if he had been waiting his whole life to hear those words. He takes in a breath, one that is not heavy with despair like those he had taken in the past six months. He wants to drop to his knees, express his gratitude for your mercy and promise you the world.

Instead, he settles for a simple, “of course.”

Because, this time, Leo will not waste his chance on words that he knows you will never believe.  

@pokiekatherine @dead-lee-15 @crazy-pleasures-and-crazy-habits @ihlni686-and-rps @chichiguitarist123 @ihlni686 @jam-jar2  @whataprimeexample @the-chick-with-the-best-fandom @rinsakka @llturner7 @axa0113 @yesimthatboring @bluehelixx @mydogjustfarted @dark-demon-s-tears @dksuniverse @pleasetooweirdtolive-tooraretodie16 @lil-safe-haven @fireflyloki28 @moonrocksleeping @theunawesomeduck @thepovofem @eiri-thehedgehog @forfoxsake629 @utterlystardust @kapowinthekisser @eilikes @dva-reengaging @loekie-mulder138 @mallory-lawson23 @royalpuglife @hlemon11 @super-flamin-hot-cheetos @henderwhore4life @looneylorrhael @uninspired-plebian @thetruepotatolordjay @pluvialday @animechick555 @nodistressdamsel @fluffydino-15

[jaimetheexplorer]

PROBABILITY DISTORTION - Or why Jaime Lannister is less likely to die than you think (part 2)

Most of the popular clues hinting at Jaime’s potential death, come in the form of foreshadowing. There are three hints in particular that are always brought up, in no particular order: “Born together/die together”, the weirwood dream, and “in the arms of the woman I love”. Let’s look at each one of these.

Born together, die together

Jaime (ASOS): “I cannot die while Cersei lives. We will die together as we were born together.”

Cersei (AFFC): “We will leave this world together, as we once came into it.”

This is seen by many as proof that the twins will die together (and is the origin of the “valonqar corollary”, where Jaime is the valonqar and will therefore kill himself after, even though no such thing is mentioned in the prophecy). But in 2011, GRRM had this to say about it: 

“There’s an element of sociopathy to it, where it’s the two of us and no one else really counts, especially outside their family. They’re twins, they were born together, they have a feeling that they’re going to die together. There’s this bonding that they’re two halves of a whole, so who else would they pair with? Anything else is lesser.” (GRRM)

There’s a lot to unpack in his statement, but I want to focus on two things: “they have a feeling that they’re going to die together” and “they’re two halves of a whole, so who else would they pair with? Anything else is lesser.”

GRRM is careful to specify that that’s a feeling they have, it’s not a truth. He might obviously be avoiding spoilers, but I think there’s more to it than that, in the sense that he is using that belief of theirs as an example of the level of unhealthy obsession and delusion in their relationship. This is the point at which their story begins; the point at which they buy into this notion that they’re two halves of a whole and the only ones who matter. I already discussed in part 1 about narrative arcs, how perhaps the main part of Jaime and Cersei’s story is about discovering that they’re not two halves of a whole, and set off on opposite journeys. Indeed, Jaime’s quote comes from early on in his POV, before he returns to King’s Landing and his disillusion with Cersei begins to set in. And GRRM is indeed raising a question that will be addressed later, as their story unfolds: “who else would they pair with?”. Of course, at the beginning of their story, the answer is nobody because “anything else is lesser”, but will that still be the answer in the future? (6’3” hint - probably not).

As the story progresses, the two become disenchanted with the other, with some symbolism thrown in for good measure (such as Jaime losing the hand he was born holding Cersei’s foot with, or the wind in his hair being compared to a generic woman’s fingers, instead of Cersei’s like pre-rift), until Jaime burns the letter Cersei sent to ask him to be her champion in her trial by combat; i.e. win for her or die with her (see this Reddit post for a nice comparison between Jaime and Cersei’s belief they will die together).

With that gesture, Jaime essentially refuses to go die with her and abandons her to her own fate, therefore rejecting the belief they must die together (he later even thinks that he “guesses he might have to face her, if she’s not dead already”). In 2014, when asked about how he was planning to deal with them in the future, GRRM said:

“Well, as for the books, I have two more to write. I’m certainly going to be dealing with Jaime. Jaime and Cersei’s relationship is in a very different place in the books than the show has reached now. They are effectively estranged now.” GRRM sees this moment as their estrangement.” (GRRM)

Note how back then George said just how far Jaime and Cersei’s relationship had “reached” in the show, compared to the books, implying the show still needs to get there. Fast-forward to 2017, and the final thread of tv!Jaime and Cersei’s relationship snaps as well. Jaime heads north to fight for the living, leaving her to her own fate in King’s Landing, a snowflake melting on his glove in the same way it melts in the books, signaling the arrival of winter (it’s also interesting that the show has omitted these lines, changing them instead for “We were born together, we belong together”).

Could their “feeling” that they will die together turn out to be true regardless of their journey, even if it means dying at the same time, miles away from the other? Maybe. But foreshadowing often exist to foreshadow the *opposite* of what is stated, and this is especially true when it comes to a character’s own beliefs. This is another important feature of the POV structure. Characters can be unreliable narrators, telling us about feelings they’re still confused about, which are not clear to them, or convinced of things that are not true. The most glaring example of unreliable narrator, without straying too far into other POV’s, is Cersei herself. For example, in ADWD, when she’s confronted with the fact that Jaime has gone MIA in the Riverlands with Brienne, Cersei’s reaction is to dismiss the news as impossible:

“Jaime would never abandon me for such a creature. My raven never reached him, elsewise he would have come”.

But we, as readers, know that Jaime did receive her letter, burned it and set off with Brienne. Cersei is wrong in her beliefs. This type of unreliable narration can also be at play with regards to beliefs the characters have about their future, such as Jaime bitterly thinking he is “a warrior, and that’s all he’ll ever be” (err, no; we know GRRM does not have that planned for him), or when he thinks about how much he’d rather be dead than a cripple (and then he gets his hand chopped off and has to live with it).

Given their journey, and the way their bond is, in many ways severed, as things stand, and that those quotes reflect a feeling Jaime and Cersei have at the stage of their relationship where their delusion and obsession was strong, I think it’s very possible this is one of those hints that foreshadows the opposite turn of events.

The weirwood dream (a.k.a. “I dreamed of you”)

"The flames will burn so long as you live," he heard Cersei call. "When they die, so must you."

[…] The fires that ran along the blade were guttering out, and Jaime remembered what Cersei had said. No. Terror closed a hand about his throat. Then his sword went dark, and only Brienne's burned, as the ghosts came rushing in.

"No," he said, "no, no, no. Nooooooooo!"

The weirwood dream is another fan favorite when it comes to predicting Jaime’s death. I once wrote a long post analysing this dream, and I might rewrite one for the blog, but I’ll try to stick to the basics here. The dream is clearly prophetic since many of the things in it do actually happen later on, and the fact that Jaime has it as he sleeps resting against a weirwood stump suggests there might be some magical intervention at work. Many think that this foreshadows Jaime dying in battle against the Army of the Dead, since Jaime and Brienne here are facing dead people “armoured in snow”. But I think there’s much more at work here. What I think George might be doing is to deliberately get people, throughout the early part of the dream, to focus repeatedly on the association between light = life and lack of light = death, so that when Jaime's sword dies out, the reader's brain is primed to think "He's dying". In many ways, this is no different than those tricks where you ask someone to repeat "fork" fifteen times and then ask them "what do you eat soup with?" and they say "fork".

But a key aspect of the dream is the thing that constantly gets ignored: Brienne’s presence. Brienne is standing by Jaime’s side, wielding her own flaming sword and repeating “I swore an oath to keep you safe”. Once Jaime's light goes out, hers is still burning (and Jaime at that point is still alive: he’s screaming “No” over and over).

When you think about the fact that protection (and fear of failure at that) is one of the biggest themes in Brienne’s arc, and the many lines and dreams in books and show that seem to draw a connection between Brienne and protecting Jaime from death (“Who wants to die defending a Lannister?”, “You can’t die. You need to live.” , “she saw that the dying king was not Renly after all but Jaime Lannister, and she had failed him”, “Nothing is more hateful than failing to protect the one you love”), the fact that she’s meant to be his protector is a relative no-brainer.  Jaime even tells Qyburn as much, earlier in the books. And I think her presence in the dream represents just that. Cersei talks about the flames in the plural sense. There is no explicit, direct connection between one specific flame and one specific life, nothing to suggest that Brienne's flame isn't enough to keep both of them alive. And the dream is a reminder that Brienne would do everything in her power to protect Jaime.

Brienne: "Ser Jaime? I am grateful, but . . . you were well away. Why come back?"

Jaime: "I dreamed of you."

The dream, in the books, is what spurs Jaime into going back to Harennhall and save Brienne from the bear (who is foreshadowed in the dream itself). Why would a prophetic dream, most likely due to magic, where Brienne is defending him from ghosts with her flaming sword, be the catalyst for Jaime to run back to Harrenhall and save Brienne’s life? My money is on the fact that it’s because it foreshadows Brienne protecting him from death when they’ll end up facing the Army of the Dead in the future, with their twin swords. Had Jaime had not gone back to get her from that bearpit, she would have died, he will have nobody to protect him and die himself. Why exactly the magical intervention was needed to keep them alive, remains to be seen (someone should ask Bran, I think he might have a hand in this).

We don’t have the dream in the show, but the show has used Olenna in a similar way. If the weirwood dream suggests that if Jaime doesn’t go save Brienne, he will be fucked in the future because she’s going to be the only light that protects him after his family has abandoned him, Olenna’s line in the show is the mirror image of the weirwood dream, suggesting to Jaime that if he doesn’t leave Cersei, she will be the end of him. And, at the end of S7, he chooses to do the right thing, live her and fight for the leaving.

In the arms of the woman I love

Bronn: “How do you want to go?”

Jaime: “In the arms of the woman I love.”

Lately, this S5 conversation between Bronn and Jaime is the greatest hit of foreshadowing. You’ll find it literally everywhere, from Reddit to Twitter to YouTube. Debates continue over whether the woman in question will be Cersei or Brienne (some suggest it’s Brienne, because Brienne held Renly in her arms as he died - re-read part 1 about Brienne’s arc to see what I think of that), but the general consensus is that this is foreshadowing that he will die. Like with any line that is taken as foreshadowing, we can’t know for sure until the end, but I argue that people might be missing the forest for the trees in this case. I think the debate over which woman it might be is much more important than that line itself. Indeed, people always ignore the last line of that dialogue:

Bronn: “Does she want the same thing?”

This stumps Jaime and ends the scene, leaving the audience with all sorts of questions: is he stumped because he’s thinking about whether Cersei would want that? Or because he’s thinking about whether the woman he loves now is still Cersei or Brienne (it’s no coincidence this is the same episode where shortly before this scene they inserted a totally gratuitous scene of Jaime gazing longingly at Tarth)? Or because he is thinking about how the answer might change depending on the woman? Or because he’s thinking whether they would want to die in his arms? We are meant to make our own assumptions as to what goes on in Jaime’s mind at this moment - Nikolaj himself said as much in a tweet to a fan asking him whether Jaime was thinking of Brienne or Cersei. That, I would argue, is the whole point of the scene. To stump the audience just as much as Jaime and raise these questions.

Furthermore, even if it is foreshadowing his death, it doesn’t specify anything about the circumstances. It could be in battle (which I have already discussed the likelihood of), it could be murder at Cersei’s hands to fulfill their “born together/die together” foreshadowing (which I have already discussed the likelihood of), or it could be as an old man in his castle (which, interestingly, is what Bronn suggests - albeit in his usual crass way).

And since we are in Bronn’s company, I want to bring up another exchange the two have in S7 that is almost never mentioned in terms of foreshadowing. Right after Bronn saves Jaime from being roasted by Drogon, he says:

“Until I get my castle, nobody gets to kill you. You don’t get to kill you. Only I get to kill you.”

Which suggests that, unless Bronn suddenly sells out to the other side and assassinates Jaime (which is unlikely, given that I doubt a main POV character like Jaime is going end his story being betrayed and assassinated by a minor character he barely interacts with in the books), and for as long as Bronn is alive, Jaime just found himself another protector.

So, in conclusion, yes. If we analyse narrative arcs, foreshadowing and GRRM’s style (see part 3), foreshadowing is where we find the strongest case for Jaime’s death, out of the three. However, even then, the case isn’t THAT strong, when you dig deeper into the text and take into account how the foreshadowing fits or contradicts the overall arcs and themes we find in Jaime’s story and that of his two ladies.  

Up next in part 3, a look at GRRM’s writing style.

[fabula-novo-mundo]

Theonymy: On the Names of fal’Cie

The gods of Fabula Nova Crystallis (FNC) are, as the title of the mythology would suggest, multifaceted. This post will be the first in a series that attempts to analyse them from a polytheistic, specifically, a fictional or otherworld reconstructionist perspective.

Names are essential to storytelling. In the Final Fantasy series of games especially, names are drawn from many different cultures and languages, even within the same title: Nomura Tetsuya, the series’ lead character designer for the last 22 years, and one of the creative leads behind the original Fabula Nova Crystallis project, drew from Okinawan (“Yuna”, night; “Tidus”, sun), Ainu (“Wakka”, water), and Arabic (“Lulu”, pearl) while creating the characters of the Final Fantasy X series. These names often subtly allude to the positions of the characters or their future arcs in the context of the story or its themes, and understanding their etymology can frequently be illuminating.

This doesn’t hold a candle, however, to the significance of the names of gods, which describe their relationship with the world itself, and have their origins in epithets used to describe them by their worshippers. For example, the chthonic jötunn Hel, whose name derives from the Proto-germanic *haljō, from the Proto-Indo-european *kol-, “to cover/hide”, as one covers a corpse in the soil of a grave; or the Irish psychopomp an Morrígan, whose name either translates to “Great Queen” or “Phantom Queen”, as befits a goddess who manifests to doomed warriors; or Nebt-het, the netjert of death, whose name translates to “Lady of the Temple Enclosure”, describing her role in ritual.

fal’Cie

Firstly, the term “god” itself should be addressed. Often applied in english-language literature across religious traditions to describe a wide array of entities, it often fails to capture the nuance that culturally specific terms have for these entities. For example, in norse tradition, the word “god” is typically applied to the Æsir and Vanir, but not their enemies (such as the Jötnar) despite the latter often being of equal power and cosmic significance to the former two; additionally, the word often fails to describe the nuance of the word “kami” in Shinto tradition.

This word, kami, in fact is the term often used to describe the higher deities in the original japanese scripts of the Fabula Nova Crystallis franchise (this term became “god” in the english, of course), particularly concerning the most supreme living being in the mythos: Bhunivelze, the Shining God (Kagayakeru Kami), for whom the terms for lesser spirits in the mythology were considered inadequate or degrading by his historical worshippers.

However, being apathetic (at best) to the Shining One myself, i will use this term for him anyway: fal’Cie, the name for a living, material god in the various worlds of the setting[1]. In the rest of this post, and in subsequent writing, i will use the collective and singular term “fal’Cie” to refer to inorganic spirits in Fabula Nova Crystallis that are themselves descended from inorganic spirits.

The term “fal’Cie” itself deserves analysis. In the original japanese scripts, the kana for this term is ファルシ, “faruShi”, which is very nearly a correct transliteration of the english-language word “fallacy” — whose definition is of course “a mistaken belief or error in reasoning.” This will become incredibly important later when i discuss the nature of mythology and cult within the setting, but for now let it simply be noted that it is important that the term used for spirits in this world is nearly synonymous with the concept of “misconception.”

The related term “l’Cie” provides another avenue for analysis of the theonym. l’Cie, written ルシ, ruShi, are (formerly) human servants or slaves of fal’Cie. The term, especially in the original scripts, is pronounced almost exactly the same as the italian “luci”, or “light”, and when romanised, is quite clearly just the french word “ciel“ or “sky” with the last consonant shifted forward. Both of these concepts allude to the origin and master of all living fal’Cie and, indeed, all souls and Matter in the FNC, in the most exalted Lord of Light, Bhunivelze.

The fa- prefix that forms the word fal’Cie is then theorised by FNC fans to have its origins in the Latin famulus “servant,” in line with the origin of the “fa” note in solfège (Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti) from the Latin hymn Ut queant laxis. This would, fittingly, give us an etymology for the term fal’Cie that comes to something along the lines of “Servant of Light/Heaven.” Personally, i’m not sure how much merit this association actually has, convenient though it is, so i’d like to propose an alternate theory.

There is only one obvious association that the fal- prefix could have in west european languages. It has already been covered, indirectly, but bears discussing again: the word “fallacy” derives ultimately from the Latin fallere, “to deceive,” and the fal- stem in descendant romance languages still retains this association with falseness (french and italian, used in the “l’Cie” part of the word, are, of course, romance languages, which makes an italic etymology for fa(l)- the most likely). This would give “fal’Cie” the etymology “Heavenly Deception” or “Deceiving Light,” both of which could help elucidate the beings’ true natures.

It should be further noted that words in japanese containing the syllable シ (shi), which is a homonym for 死 “death,” often become associated with death by association: for example, the japanese numeral 四 “four,” also pronounced shi, is historically considered inauspicious.

[1] i am aware that in the brand change from Final Fantasy Versus XIII to Final Fantasy XV, the term “fal’Cie” was replaced with “Astral” as a term specific to the world of Eos, but insofar as these entities still exist as the crystalline descendants of the Fell Trickster Lindzei and the Hallowed Tyrant Pulse, the theonym “fal’Cie” is still correct, and i will use it when describing these entities in the context of the wider setting. The word “Astral” itself shares connotations with the celestial etymology of the original term, which hints at the Astrals’ true nature, even after the rebranding.

Pulse

Stout fashioned earth, that future might take root. — Analect I, “The Vanished Gods”

The first theonym i would like to address is the most simple. Pulse, the Terrestrial Potentate, is a male fal’Cie who is credited with shaping the physical world. Concretely, this means he is the entity responsible for the creation of, well, nearly everything that can be seen, touched, or otherwise mundanely sensed in the mortal realm.

His symbol is ten bidirectional prongs or arrows emanating from a central eye, five upwards, five downwards. In Final Fantasy XIII we find its analogue in the many-pronged double-headed spears of the Gran Pulsian l’Cie Oerba Yun-Fang, which makes it doubly clear that this symbol is supposed to be phallic, and possibly a symbol of fertility or rulership, an association strengthened by the fact that the Etro-venerators of the Kingdom of Lucis and the otherworldly leisure house Serendipity depict Hallowed Pulse as the King on their playing card sets, and give him the title “the Mighty Potentate.”

The origin of the english word “pulse” is Latin pulsus, both words to describe a beat, throb, flow or stroke. This highlights the deep connection that the Hallowed Pulse has to the mortal world and all parts of nature that lie within, as the source of and indicator for the terrestrial realm’s strength and vitality.

The etymology of pulsus can reveal more, however: pellere, to push, drive, affect, compel, expel, propel, repel, dispel, impel, strike, banish, or conquer. This helps us see the significance of the ten arrows as a symbol of force, power, domination, and divine kingship, and solidifies the Divine Pulse’s associations with violent rulership or tyranny. Pulse is very much the archetypal patriarch, and the domineering attitude of his descendant fal’Cie towards the mortals they live alongside reinforces this.

Lindzei

Sage turned mind's eye inward, seeking truth profound. — ibid.

The third and youngest offspring of Light, the etymology of “Lindzei” is much less transparent than her elder sibling’s, but by examining the Heavenly Ruler’s iconography and associations, it is possible to determine some likely candidates.

Analect II, titled “Lindzei’s Nest,” from Final Fantasy XIII, gives us the following from the perspective of a Gran Pulsian demagogue:

And lo, the viper Lindzei bore fangs into the pristine soil of our Gran Pulse; despoiled the land and from it crafted a cocoon both ghastly and unclean.

Lies spilled forth from the serpent's tongue: 'Within this shell lies paradise.' Men heard these lies and were seduced and led away.

O cursed are the fools who trust a snake and turn their backs upon the bounty of Pulse's hallowed land! For those who dwell in that cocoon are not Men, but slaves of the demon Lindzei.

Ye who honor Pulse: rise unto the heavens, and cast down the viper's nest!

The serpent imagery here would seem oddly out of place if it weren’t for the universal symbol of Lindzei used by his descendant fal’Cie and the mortal societies she patronises. Lindzei’s symbol is that of a statuesque feminine figure with exaggerated hips, arms, and a headdress, whose stylised silhouette strongly resembles a uterus and ovaries. However, seen from another angle, this extremely stylised shape also resembles the hood of a cobra. It is fitting that a fal’Cie who is so associated with duplicity and tricks would be represented by such a multifaceted symbol.

This gives us a clue to the origin of the first part of Lindzei’s name. The germanic stem lind-, seen in the english word “lindworm” (dragon) and in many other germanic words for “snake”, has its origin in the Old norse linnormr, ultimately deriving from Proto-germanic *linþaz “flexible.” This is by far and away the likeliest candidate for the etymology of the Fell Lindzei, and strengthens the already existing trickster archetype or Satanic associations the gender-ambiguous (yet highly feminised) fal’Cie possesses.

The other associations of the word *linþaz are also worth discussing. The english word “lithe” descends from *linþaz, and the concept of flexibility or bendsomeness is itself highly relevant to the nature of this uranic fal’Cie. Lindzei is, above anything else, noted for his “dark cunning,” her skill with words, and, in the history of the Etroites, is effectively considered the midwife of the mortal races, who cultivated the very first human civilisations after their Goddess’ death. Given that societies patronised by Lindzei’s offspring (e.g. Cocoon, Milites) tend towards being extremely technologically and politically advanced, as well as lacking in superstition or fear towards the natural world, this idea has significant merit.

Which brings me to the Linden tree. Originating again from *linþaz, the Linden in germanic cultures has associations with femininity, divine protection and fertility, as well as truth-seeking, jurisprudence and political deliberation in general. All these associations are relevant to Lindzei, who above all his siblings is associated with the political life of humanity, and to whose followers is the true salvator and protector of the mortal peoples from nature or Pulse’s violent tyranny.

This leaves only the suffix -zei, pronounced “zeɪ” as in “say”. In fact, the word “say” — being of ancient germanic origin in *sagjaną, whose descendants are frequently pronounced as “z” (e.g. german sagen, dutch zeggen (past singular zei)) — is my personal best guess as to the actual etymology. Lindzei being so strongly associated with language and society, it seemed natural to me that this would be alluded to in her name.

Overall, this would give an etymology for the theonym that comes to something along the lines of “Speaking Serpent,” very fitting for a Lucifer-esque trickster figure.

In Analect VIII of Final Fantasy XIII, Lindzei is given an additional epithet “the Succubus,” which strengthens the Trickster/Satanic archetype associations, and yet further feminises the fal’Cie who is so demonised by devotees of Hallowed Pulse.

In Serendipity and on Eos, playing cards depict Lindzei as the Jack, with a caption describing him as “the Solemn Ruler,” who is “commanding from his throne on high.” This solidifies the uranic and political associations that the fal’Cie has.

Etro

Fool desired naught, and soon was made one with it. — Analect I, “The Vanished Gods”

For the Infernal Goddess, who is barely acknowledged by most mortal cultures in the setting, the problem of naming is particularly pertinent. To most peoples, She is simply Death, the embodiment of their mortality — but to those of Her children (for all mortals are born from Her broken corpse) who venerate Her, She is also known as “Her Providence”. This epithet is in fact the only name by which She is known specifically in the version of Eos depicted in the rebranded Final Fantasy XV, where the remnants of Her crystalline soul provided the Lucis Caelum[2] dynasty with its magic.

The epithet “Providence” of course alludes to Her gift (or curse) of prophecy, and associations with probability/entropy — misfortune, and prudent preparation to stave it off in particular.

Given that the Crystal of Lucis is referred to as the soul of the planet Eos itself, and yet is also termed the “Light of Providence” by the Astrals, it is possible that “Eos” is in fact itself another epithet for Her Providence Etro. Eos, originally greek ἠώς, means “Dawn” and is also the name used for the hellenic thea of the Dawn herself. This word ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-european *h₂éwsōs of the same meaning.

It may seem counterintuitive for a Goddess of the Underworld to be referred to as the Dawn personified, but it is worth noting that She is also associated with entropy and disaster and yet is still called Her Providence. As the Lady of Chaos, She may bring the dawn if She so chooses by drawing the darkness back into the Unseen Realm, and in fact this is the role She plays as the Queen of Valhalla and by protecting the people of Eos from the Starscourge (which is a manifestation of the Unseen Chaos).

Like many death deities in our world, it is possible that Her true name is so rarely uttered because of this fal’Cie’s deathly nature, and how tied She is to destruction, chaos and entropy in general — it is not uncommon for such terrible spirits to often be referred to with euphemisms to avoid invoking either their wrath or their destructive natures. Surprisingly, one thing both Pulsian and Lindzeian cultures agree on is their fear of or even hatred for this entity.

Unlike Her sibling fal’Cie, She is entirely absent from the mortal realm and Her influence can only be felt through the chthonic Unseen Realm which awaits Her children between death and rebirth. Also unlike Fell Lindzei and Hallowed Pulse, Her Providence bore no fal’Cie of Her own, as She was granted no divine gifts in life.

The concept of the Unseen Realm will be revisited later in this series, but for now let it simply be noted that She is depicted as the Queen on playing cards created by Her devotees, and referred to on the writing below the illustration as “the Veiled Goddess.” Personally, i believe this epithet refers to mourning veils, as well as the veil between the Visible and Unseen Realms which is Death — i.e., “Veiled Goddess” is a euphemistic manner of describing Her nature as the Dead and Death Goddess.

The actual name of this fal’Cie (if indeed She can be considered a fal’Cie alongside Her kin) is not even alluded to until the very, very, very end of the post-game in Final Fantasy XIII, and outside its two direct sequels Her name is even then seldom referenced except euphemistically. There are many possible reasons for this, but that’s a topic for another post.

Children of Hallowed Pulse scour earth, searching substance for the Door. Those of Fell Lindzei harvest souls, combing ether for the same. So have I seen.

The Door, once shut, was locked away, with despair its secret key; sacrifice, the one hope of seeing it unsealed.

When the twilight of the gods at last descends upon this world, what emerges from the unseeable expanse beyond that Door will be but music, and that devoid of words: the lamentations of the Goddess Etro, as She sobs Her song of grief.

— Analect XIII, “Fabula Nova Crystallis”

Etro, written エトロ (Etoro) in kana, has an extremely ambiguous etymology, as is noted by several fans of the setting. i will list what i consider to be the likeliest possibilities here, and describe the reasoning behind each as best i can.

Firstly is the french être ”to be,” triply relevant due to the presence of french and other italic languages in the FNC’s theonymy already; the nature of the Veiled Goddess Etro as mother to all human-kind, midwife of all re-born human souls, and as She who endows mortals with the formless heart that delineates us from our fal’Cie cousins; and, lastly, due to a possible connection with the etymology of Her cosmic antithesis, the Shining God Bhunivelze, which will be covered in the next section.

Second is the italian tetro “gloomy”/”grim,” which has obvious connections to Veiled Etro’s chthonic nature as She resides in the perpetual twilight of the Unseen Realm of Death.

Third, the Breton etre “betwixt,” whose etymology is entirely distinct yet is geographically proximate to the previous french. Veiled Etro, powerless in the world of Her birth, was  granted a power beyond any living fal’Cie in the Immortal Realm of Chaos, and used this power to grant this primordial force to Her mortal children in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth, between one world and the other. Thus, the concept is relevant to Her nature.

Fourthly is the Proto-Indo-european *kʷetwóres “four,” an association that might be clearer when examining the numeral’s descendants, but which i am fond of as a potential etymology for Her Providence due to the association that the number has with death in japan, as discussed previously. The reconstructed *kʷetwóres becomes Latin quattuor, italian quattro, greek τετρα- (tetra-), Proto-balto-slavic *ketur-, and many others whose stems all resemble the name “Etro.”

Fifthly is the italian etra “heaven,” ultimately derived (via italian etere) from greek αἰθήρ (aether, transliterated into japanese kana as エーテル, “ēteru,” which is remarkably close to “Etoro”) which is a good way of describing the formless fluid nature of the Chaotic realm over which Her Providence Etro presides.

Last, but certainly not least, is the option that i personally find the likeliest: the Latin ceterus, or greek ἕτερος (heteros), both of which mean “other one,” both descended from the Proto-Indo-european suffix *-(e)teros — a suffix which means “one that is especially more than [prefix],” making fundamentally important word stems such as *ḱe- (here) or *sem- (one), into a general term for “that which is distinct from this.” This is incredibly important to understanding the Veiled Lady, who has largely been defined by being set apart from every other fal’Cie in Her lack of godliness, Her dominion over Chaos, Her cosmic opposition to the source of all living fal’Cie, and most notably, Her total absence in human culture or the majority of historical accounts concerning the world’s fal’Cie. Etro is the Great Other who is set apart from wider society, ostracised, scapegoated, and painted as a childish Fool or terrifying monster, regardless of cultural context or era.

Etro’s symbol is quite mysterious, as befits the Veiled Goddess. Similar to the etymology of Her name, there are many possible interpretations of Her sign.

The most obvious might be the image of a sprouting seed, which fits Her rebirth function and also matches the possible french etymology être.

The second is that of an eyeball cut in half longways, pointing downwards, which matches Her associations with prophecies and visions, as well as the world below. Etro’s Gate, the other of Her prominent symbols, which is the Door of Souls through which the dead and newly-reborn must pass to enter or exit the Unseen Realm, is also, notably, in the shape of an eye as seen from the front.

The silhouette also somewhat resembles an avian head viewed from the front, with the eyes near the base of the image, and this has immense importance to Her avian associations (the presence of (white — possibly swan) feathers is Her single most important omen/symbol after the Door of Souls). The softly-thinning curved prongs arguably resemble feathers themselves, or perhaps multiple sets of wings stretched upwards to the sky.

The fourth thing to note is the sphere of something fluid at the heart of whatever the image is depicting, which represents an organic flow of some kind, most likely the primordial Chaos that the Unseen Realm and the hearts of Her children are composed of. Within this dark fluid seems to be concealed some sort of staff or spike, which might represent a concealed blade or other weapon of some sort. Either way, this strengthens the already existing associations Her Providence has with concealment.

It might also possibly speak to the twin martial and spiritual functions, or, in DnD-esque Final Fantasy terms, physical and magical power — two things that are extremely relevant to Her Providence, who is so delighted by contests of violence. The fact that this dark fluid and the weapon concealed within are surrounded by the husk or wings/feathers of the symbol could either be an allusion to the Chaos that lies at the heart of every mortal (and Etro Herself), and the Unseen Chaos that Etro is charged with keeping at bay to preserve the Visible World.

[2] Note the connection to italian luci and french ciel here in the Latin Lucis Caelum, which are both referenced in the theonym “fal’Cie.”

Bhunivelze

Luminous lamented, for creation spiraled unto doom. — Analect I, “The Vanished Gods”

This supreme fal’Cie of light, “the god who rules all things,” and “holds the world in his palm” is in fact primarily referred to not by name, but simply as “God,” singular, monotheistic and absolute. He is also given many epithets related to light and the sun, such as “the Shining God,” or simply “Luminous.” All fal’Cie depicted in the setting, and thus, all Matter itself — everything that doesn’t stem from Chaos, to be clear — stem from this being’s great, near-absolute power as the self-made centre of all existence.

But his etymology is much less transparent than his realm. There are only a few narrow possibilities i have been able to find, and they are even then only tentative, so of the five entities discussed here i am most likely to revisit the Shining One at a later date.

“Bhuni-” may have an origin in the Latin bonus “good”/”right”, whose romance-language descendants often mutated the word into bun- stem words, all associated with correct morality. This has a credible link to Shining Bhunivelze’s associations with purification and correct action.

The second option i find more credible, myself: Proto-Indo-european *bʰuH- “to become”[3], which becomes Proto-germanic *beuną “to become” (from whence the english “be”/”been”), Kurdish bûn “to be,” Sanskrit भूमन्  (bhū́man) “world,” भू (bhū́) “earth”/”matter”/”world,” and particularly भूमि (bhū́mi) “limit”/”extent”/”foundation”/”earth.” As Bhunivelze is the foundation of everything that can be seen in the material realm, and possesses absolute control over all visible Matter, his name being to do with the world itself, or the concept of limits/extents, or even matter/substance itself, would be extremely fitting.

The concept of Bhūmi is particularly relevant. The word represents the earth element in Hinduism, and is embodied in the devi of the same name who is analogous to “Mother Earth” and is also known as Prithvi; however, the term Bhūmi is used differently in Mahayana Buddhism. Within Mahayana-thought, the bhūmis are the ten[4] stages of attainment that must be passed in order to reach bodhi, or enlightenment. This concept is most certainly relevant to the self-declared most enlightened being in all creation.

“-velze” requires some more work. In katakana, his name is written ブーニベル (Būniberuze), which could help with finding more candidates.

Firstly, the dutch/Middle german vels(e) (plural velzen) “rock” — it is arguably a stretch, but i think it bears mentioning due to the fact that the Lord Bhunivelze does in fact have associations with stone/mineral — not just in that he is the god of all solid Matter (something that i will discuss later in the series), but that he is associated with crystalline structures in particular. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, we are given the following Oracle of Etro, which is the first time the Shining One is actually referred to by name:

In the physical world, it contains within its form endless chaos. By the will of the deities, it gives birth to all living things. I speak of crystal.

The eternal dream world of the crystal lies within the Unseen World. Even the gods long to find their way to that place. In all crystal, the heart that shines most brightly is called Bhunivelze.

— “Bhunivelze’s Sleep,” Yeul’s Confessions

With Proto-germanic *beuną this would give Bhunivelze an approximate etymology of “Stone Coming Into Being,” “Stone Appearing,” or “Growing Stone.”

Second is the Hindi वली (valī) “lord”/”saint”, which is even more of a stretch than vels to be honest, but is worth mentioning. This would give him an etymology akin to “Lord of the Universe.”

The last guess i have for this etymology is the english “verse,” from Latin versus, based instead on the original japanese pronunciation. The reason i think this is plausible is due to the Shining One’s connections to the Biblical God, whose words speak creation into being. This would, with Latin bonus or Proto-Indo-european *bʰuH-, give the Shining One an etymology something along the lines of “Good Verse” or “Verse Coming Into Being,” both of which are quite fitting.

We can go one step further from “verse,” however: If we take Proto-Indo-european *bʰuH-, and the original japanese pronunciation, we can form Bhu-niverse, which is to say, the english word “universe” (ultimately derived from Latin ūniversus, “turned into one”) — a lot more plausible given the numerous Sanskrit bhū́- stem words listed above meaning “entire world.” This is the likeliest etymology for Shining Bhunivelze, in my opinion, and gives us a final meaning of “the World Coming Into Being.” This concept is incredibly relevant to the nature of Bhunivelze and Matter in general in Fabula Nova Crystallis, and will be discussed at length later on.

[3] Here the possible connection to the speculated french etymology être for Etro, also “to be,” which would highlight their shared cosmic significance as the ultimate light and dark principles.

[4] The number ten is incredibly important to the Shining One, who bears ten wings in his full manifestation and whose Latin-alphabet name (not coincidentally, the Latin alphabet is sacred to him) is composed of ten characters.

Mwynn

Maker forged fal'Cie, from fragments Maker's own. — Analect I, “The Vanished Gods”

Barely referred to except by the hints of hints even in the most hidden parts of the Fabula Nova Crystallis video-games, the majority of our knowledge about this most ancient of deities comes from the 2011 Square Enix video describing the central mythology of the entire setting.

Mwyn is a Welsh word with a dual meaning, the more common of which is neglected by FNC fans, so i will cover the less common first.

Mwyn is an adjective meaning mild, tender or gentle, which alludes to the Deepest Mwynn’s role as Mother to all creation, and particularly in raising Her offspring Shining Bhunivelze (in the Mortal Realm) and Veiled Etro (in the Unseen Realm) and instructing them on their respective cosmic positions as the wellspring of all Matter and the shepherd of all Chaos. Unfortunately, the etymology of this word is unclear, but it might possibly originate from Proto-Indo-european *men- “to think.”

Mwyn also means “ore” or “mineral.” Similar to the hypothetical bhū́mi and vels etymology for the Shining One Bhunivelze, this is relevant to our Deepest Mother Mwynn as the ancestral crystal of every soul and heart and speck of Matter that exists, as far as can be known. The etymology for this word is not much better-attested, though likely ultimately descends from Proto-Celtic *mēnis, meaning the same thing, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-european *(s)mēy(H)- “to cut”/”to hew.” The concept of cutting/hewing crystal is central to the almost parthenogenesis-like method by which fal’Cie (and, indeed, the ancestral mortals born from the Veiled Goddess Etro’s blood) are created, so i ultimately find both definitions of mwyn to be relevant here.

Unfortunately, there is only one depiction of the Deepest Mother available for analysis, but unlike Her chthonic daughter, who is frequently depicted badly wounded, sleeping/comatose or dying, She is depicted with Her body and all Her limbs intact; and within a great tapering double helix, a great disc — likely the universe — lies beneath the soles of her feet. This symbol is ultimately the logo used for the Fabula Nova Crystallis setting as a whole, and it warms my heart to know this long-forgotten Goddess receives some recognition in this form.

In time the gods departed, leaving all by their hands wrought.

Fal'Cie were as Man forsaken, orphans of Maker absconded.

— Analect I, “The Vanished Gods”

i dedicate this etymological analysis to The Dead Goddesses: to my Veiled Infernal Queen, Etro, and to my Deepest Ancestral Mother, Mwynn. We stand guard over your legacies still.

[geekmama]

Bumps in the Road

Sherlolly Appreciation Week 2018, Day 2, Early Relationship

Scenes from an Engagement -- three short follow-ups to various elements in the stories that comprise the Aftermath series (Perfection, Hope Reborn, and yesterday's Beautiful, respectively) though I believe they can be read as stand-alones, too. 

And again, many thanks to Ellis_Hendricks for beta reading!

~ Day Four... 

“I could get used to this,” Sherlock said, as contented as he’d ever been in his life. 

“Yes,” said Molly, and she squeezed his hand. 

“But we are not naming him Calvin.” 

Molly sighed. 

They were still in their dressing gowns and pyjamas, seated side by side on the porch steps. The early morning air was cool and fresh, the sun shone thin but with the promise of a beautiful spring day, and they were watching their new Basset Hound puppy as he took his first post-breakfast run and sniff around the back garden. 

Sherlock was not one who ordinarily waxed poetic, but the quest they’d undertaken the day before, to fetch the puppy from Anthea’s cousin’s farm in Exmoor, still seemed little short of dreamlike. A chauffeur-driven car had arrived for them about an hour after Sherlock confirmed that he was indeed interested in acquiring the puppy, and Anthea had sent along an agent to serve as cat-sitter for Hobbes as well, Molly having stated that she wouldn’t leave the kitten for so many hours when he’d only just arrived. Sherlock and Molly had had nothing to do but climb in, buckle up, relax, and enjoy the view. 

The journey was a long one, but reason had dictated a temporary cessation of carnal delights in any case. Sherlock had lost track of the number of times they’d made love in the short time they’d been together in the aftermath of Sherrinford and that horrid, blessed phone call, and he had been amazed to find his desire only increased with each encounter. Molly had not been amazed by this, though she’d been extremely pleased and assured him that she felt the same. She also reluctantly admitted to feeling a bit “shagged out”, physically speaking, which admission had filled Sherlock with such a mixture of manly pride and tender sympathy that he should have rolled his eyes in disgust at having become such a cliché. But for once he decided he didn’t give a toss about analysing the particulars of a situation, and was only deeply and sincerely thankful.  

Watching the countryside slip by, they’d conversed in a desultory fashion, and occasionally gave into weariness, in spite of the beauty of the landscape. Molly had napped curled against him, her head pillowed against his shoulder, and it was all he could do not to bend and kiss the top of her head every few minutes. Eventually, he fell asleep, too, and only roused when they’d arrived at a rather idyllic farm not far from the borders of Exmoor National Park. 

They’d managed to rouse themselves and face Anthea’s cousin, a Mrs. Eugenia Trent, with adequate decorum, though if Mrs. Trent had scratched the surface their facade would have crumbled pretty readily. In fact, the woman’s eyes were lit with amusement from her first sight of them, though whether said amusement was the result of unseemly tells on their part or was just her natural expression remained unclear. She was kindness itself, however, and introduced them to the puppy straight away. It was love at first sight (well, second sight, the photo Anthea had sent that morning had pretty much sold Sherlock). After giving a tiny bay at the sight of the strangers he’d trotted over to them behind his parents, two really beautiful prize-winning Bassets named Terry and June. 

Mrs. Trent said, “He was the only boy in the litter, and little girls seemed the order of the day among the buyers that’ve come by. He’s ten weeks, now, and good as gold -- I’ve even started housetraining him a bit. He’s been waiting for you, Mr. Holmes, you see?” 

The latter statement was a comment on the fact that Sherlock had crouched down and the three dogs had come right over, the pup actually trying to jump up and put tiny, slightly muddy paws on Sherlock’s expensively trousered knee. Sherlock chuckled, and carefully picked the puppy up, and then could not help laughing outright as he received a series of enthusiastic puppy kisses as he stood up again, the little dog in his arms. “Yes, yes, you are a fine fellow!” he told the pup, and to Mrs. Trent it was, “I believe you’re right. We’ll take him!.” 

The transaction confirmed, Mrs. Trent had invited them in for just a bite before that long drive back to London. The “bite” turned out to be hot tea, sandwiches on homemade bread, and some of the best biscuits Sherlock had ever eaten, casting even Mrs. Hudson’s into the shade. 

The puppy had slept most of the way home. Sherlock and Molly had not. They’d argued, instead, about what to name him. 

“What’s wrong with Calvin?” Molly asked. “Calvin and Hobbes! They go together! And he looks like a Cal.” 

But Sherlock replied, “I hate the name Calvin, the comic strip’s character was named for John Calvin and he was a wretched man with his predestination and theocracy. And anyway, I looked it up and it means little bald one. I was thinking more along the lines of Hercule.” 

“From Agatha Christie?” Molly considered, but then shook her head. “We could call him Herc for short, but it lacks the crisp consonant at the beginning that will draw his attention when you shout for him. What about Excaliber, with Cal for short? Or Calico -- he is white, black, and tan. Or perhaps Caliban?” 

“Those are ridiculous, and Caliban was a monster! He would have raped Miranda, given half a chance, and peopled else this isle with Calibans.” 

“That’s awful!” 

“That’s Shakespeare!” 

They continued the debate, off and on, clear back to London and Molly’s doorstep. Then, what with the excitement of introducing the puppy to Hobbes (the kitten established dominance in short order, puffing up and hissing fiercely so that little Hercule/Calico/Excaliber ran to Sherlock, yelping), showing the pup his new home, making everyone supper, and getting ready for bed, Sherlock and Molly quite forgot the argument. The pup was Darling or Sweetheart all evening, and when he was finally asleep in the luxurious crate Anthea had provided, Sherlock took Molly to bed again and they were once more lost to the world. 

Now, however, in the clear light of a new day, Sherlock felt that the matter of the puppy’s name needed to be resolved. Darling or Sweetheart would never do long term for a hound destined to be the bane of the criminal class and boon companion to the World’s Only Consulting Detective. 

“I still think Cal is a good nickname,” Molly said. 

“Hercule is better,” Sherlock insisted. “More elegant. And French.” 

“Very well,” said Molly. “Trying calling him. Go on!” 

Sherlock frowned. “You mean summon him by name? Very well.” He cleared his throat a bit, then called out, “Hercule!” 

There was no response. The pup continued snuffling about, nose to the ground, apparently finding some fascinating scents in Molly’s neat little garden. 

Sherlock tried again, a little louder. “Here, Herc!” 

There was still no response. 

Then Molly sang out, “Cal! Here, Cal!” And when the pup jerked his head up and began to run toward them, she burst out laughing, and exclaimed, “Good boy!  What a good doggie!” 

“You must have been practicing with him!” Sherlock accused. 

“Have not!” she asserted, smug. “When would I have had time?” 

“Well, your voice is higher!” But further sulking was cut short as the pup came running to him, rather than Molly, and indicated a desire to be picked up and cuddled. Sherlock complied with a smile, and his discontent vanished entirely under a renewed onslaught of puppy kisses. 

Molly chuckled. “He knows who his new master is.” 

“Certainly he does,” Sherlock agreed, laughing, until he got the pup to settle a bit, though the little dog still gazed up at him adoringly, panting happily. Sherlock was equally smitten, and stroked him, amazed at how soft he was. The thought occurred that this was the first dog he’d ever owned -- but he shoved that dark cloud away. Plenty of time to deal with the past without spoiling the delightful present. Sherlock said to the puppy in a playfully scolding tone, “So, you think you’re a Cal, do you?” But hearing even that slight disapprobation in the voice of his master, the pup immediately laid his ears back, looking uncertain. Sherlock hastily backtracked. “No, no! Everything’s fine! But you are a smart one, aren’t you?”    

And then Molly said, “What about Calbraith?” 

“Calbraith?” Sherlock repeated (idiotically), frowning at her again. 

“Means British Warrior.” She cocked her head. “You’re not the only one who can google the meaning of names.” 

“Hmm.” Sherlock actually rather liked the sound of that, though it would be some time before the moniker would really fit. “It’s not bad,” he conceded. 

Molly smiled and, leaning close, she reached over and joined in petting the pup. She said to Sherlock, in a deceptively casual way, “It’s up to you, of course. If you really like Herc…” 

But Sherlock, in the first throes of romance and domestic bliss, thanks to the woman beside him, knew when it was time to give in gracefully. “Apparently this one does not, however,” he said, pouting only a very little, for form’s sake. “Do you, Calbraith?” he asked the pup, stroking the long ears. 

And Molly giggled as Cal took his cue and licked Sherlock’s hand.   

  o-o-o

  ~ Day Six...

 “Sherlock, what’s this?” 

Cal and Hobbes, now fast friends, had breakfasted and were curled up together in Cal’s crate, and Sherlock had gone back to bed, too, commandeering all the pillows to ensure his comfort as he went through email on his phone, his cup of tea and a plate of gingernuts on the nightstand beside him. However, he made an effort to look up at his beloved, since she was industriously preparing some of their clothing for delivery to the dry cleaners. 

Apparently including the suit he’d worn to Sherringford. 

And of course, being Molly, she had been checking the pockets. 

He stared at the small metal plaque she was now holding up. The one that said, I Love You. 

The sight of it took him right back to the moment when he’d bent to snatch it up from among the debris of the coffin he’d destroyed with his bare hands, John and Mycroft still standing like statues over by the open door as he’d concluded the process of giving himself over to pain and grief and rage. Exhausted, he nevertheless had been determined that that plaque with those words would not be left in that place, exposed to further mockery. 

“Sherlock?” 

He realized he’d been “buffering” as John called it, and, blinking, he raised his eyes to Molly’s face. She was looking worried and puzzled. A little wary. He cleared his throat a bit and then said, with a semblance of calm, “Give it to me, will you, please?” 

She came over immediately and handed it to him, but she also asked him, rather gently, “Is that from the coffin?” 

“Yes,” he replied. The plaque was so small and cool to the touch, which seemed very odd considering… 

But now Molly was sitting down on the edge of the bed beside him. “It’s alright, you know.” 

He looked up at her. 

 “I mean…everything’s going to be fine.” She bent and tenderly kissed his lips. 

He set the plaque down on the nightstand beside his cup of tea, and then his hands went to her: warm and vital, slender and alive.  “Come back to bed.” He needed her again, needed her close. Closer than close. 

Delight, worry, sympathy… he could read her like a book. “Yes. Alright,” she said, softly. “But you have to share the pillows.” 

And he was able to smile at that. “I will always share the pillows,” he replied, and as he drew her against him he wondered again at the helpless, visceral joy and agony of love.

  o-o-o

  ~ A Month Later...

 “Holmes!” 

Sherlock, with Molly on his arm, had been following the restaurant’s hostess back to their table when the vaguely familiar voice sounded and a big, beefy man pushed back his chair and stood up, looking between Sherlock and Molly in surprise. 

“And Molly Hooper! Well, I’ll be damned!” 

Bloody hell! Sherlock thought, his eyes widening ever so slightly as a jolt of recognition shot through him, though he maintained his mask of insouciance in all other respects. 

It was Glen Harrison, former rugby-playing idiot from Molly’s mid-level organic chemistry class in her first year at uni, the class in which Sherlock, at the tail-end of his graduate studies,  had reluctantly served as a teacher’s assistant. 

“Glen!” Molly smiled a bit uncertainly, glancing between her current fiancé and her former classmate cum perpetrator of bodily assault with a view to attempted rape. Nonetheless, she held out her hand to the bastard, since she had received his apology the Monday after the incident, which apology, true to form, she had accepted. She was far too soft a touch, and always had been. Thankfully for Sherlock’s youthful peace of mind, he’d observed that Molly had enough sense to steer clear of the tosser outside the classroom and, thus reassured, he’d  been able to take leave of that bastion of higher learning and pretty much delete Glen from his Mind Palace without further ado. 

Though not entirely. 

One of his favorite memories of university was the rescue of Molly Hooper, featuring his young dragon-slaying self. He’d utilized some simple moves he’d picked up from associates of Mycroft, and Glen the Great Gawk had dropped like a stone. Molly, who’d been smitten with Sherlock before the incident, was quite awestruck, and the subsequent sojourn along the river as he escorted her back to her room had been very… pleasant. 

So no, he had not forgotten Glen. Not quite. 

Now Glen was grinning, and said, “Lord, fancy meeting you two here -- the wife and I -- this is my wife, Tiffany, by the way--” 

“How do you do?” Molly murmured, and Sherlock inclined his head very slightly at Tiffany (upper middle-class antecedents, left uni to pursue modeling, whirlwind romance, engagement, marriage, two children, charitable work, garden club, PTA). 

“--we came up to town on business and actually saw the announcement of your engagement in the Times!” 

“Yeees,” said Sherlock, angry at his parents all over again, though they’d at least had the sense not to mention the wedding venue. 

But Glen gleefully nattered on. “And then, of course, it all made sense. Always wondered if consulting detective Holmes was some relation to that Holmes at uni, and there it was, in black and white: William Sherlock Scott Holmes! Good job you kept to William at school -- easy enough to take the piss without something like Sherlock providing ammunition.” 

Sherlock merely glared at the collosal berk.  

And Glen, contrary to expectation, actually took the hint. “Yeah, well, you have to admit it’s an unusual name, and you know how kids are. But anyway, congratulations, you two! God, it’s amazing to see you both again after all these years.” 

“Indeed,” said Sherlock. 

“It is,” said Molly, with rather a sharp look in Sherlock’s direction. 

He tried to subdue the flutter of dread in his bosom. 

Molly turned back to Glen and his wife. “I do hope you have a wonderful time in London. Where do you live now?” 

“Just outside Brighton,” said Glen. “Look us up next time you’re down there, eh?” 

“That would be lovely,” Molly replied. 

When hell freezes over, was Sherlock’s reply, but aloud he only said, “Yes, well, must be off, our table’s waiting.” 

“Oh, of course,” said Glen. “Cheers!” 

Sherlock and Molly resumed the journey to their (thankfully secluded) table at the back of the restaurant, Sherlock trying not to panic. The hostess saw them seated and handed them each a menu, and took their order for drinks. 

“I’ll have the Macallan, and make it a double,” said Sherlock. 

“Just a glass of the Pinot Grigio.” Molly smiled until the hostess took herself off. Then she turned, unsmiling, to glare at Sherlock. 

Feeling there was nothing for it, he said, “Soooo… not an extra strong G and T?” 

An angry flush suffused her cheeks. “You liar!” 

Sherlock sighed, well aware he deserved every bit of her anger and more. 

Molly went on. “That first time we met at Barts: you did remember me from university!” 

“Yes,” he said, simply. 

“Then why… no! Don’t tell me. You wanted my professional expertise without involving yourself in anything involving sentiment.” 

“Yes.” 

“And all these years… why, I thought I must be the most forgettable girl alive! That what had been so important to me -- that night… the… the event… YOU… had meant so little to you that you’d completely dismissed the whole thing!” 

“Yes.”’ 

“You bastard!” 

He sighed again. “Yes.” 

The hostess returned at this point, and Molly composed herself as best she could as their drinks were set on the table. Sherlock picked up his glass of Macallan and tossed back about half of it. 

As soon as the hostess took herself off again, Molly hissed, “Is that all you have to say for yourself? Just Yes, Yes, Yes?” 

Sherlock winced. “Would I’m sorry help?” 

She drew herself up. “I don’t believe you’re sorry at all! I think you’d do it again in a minute!” 

“Yes, I probably would,” he admitted. “Under the same circumstances. I mean… before… everything. I never meant to hurt you... but I always do, don’t I? And after a while I… I really did forgot about it. More or less.” 

She looked slightly less angry. However, she said, fuming, “You should be…oh! I don’t know what you deserve!” 

“To be married?” he suggested, hopefully. “So you can hold it over me for the rest of my days?” 

And she gave a chuff of laughter. “Well, there is that.”  She sat back, shaking her head. “What am I going to do with you? You’re impossible.” 

He gave a derisive sniff. “Oh, Molly, you’ve known that for years, and yet here we are. You’d better just marry me. That’ll give you all the time in the world to decide what to do with me. Let your imagination run wild. I trust you.” 

As planned, she could not suppress a smile, but there was a glint in her eye as she retorted, “You may just regret those words, Sherlock Holmes.” 

But he dared to smile, now, too. “Never in life, Molly Hooper,” he said, and knew it for God’s own truth. “I leave my fate entirely in your hands.”

 ~.~

[ohgodwhy151]

Reiner Braun, the broken hearted patriot

As I explained with Bertholdt the most interesting part of Reiner’s character is how he chooses to live and deal with the consequences of his actions. Since Reiner has become one of the most important characters in the story and the main focus of the Marely arc we get to see him in his own home, where he wanted to return to for so long. His progression and arc is longer and larger than nearly every other character making him possibly the most intriguing character in the series. (Along with Annie).  

In this analysis, I’m going to do something a little different. I’m going to chronologically follow Reiner’s story, commenting on his actions, choices, beliefs and what they mean to him, the people around him and the story as a whole. And seeing how he has become one of the main characters there is a lot to talk about.

The first time we see Reiner is in the arms of his mother, she is telling him about his Marleyan father and the taboo nature of her relationship. This scene put Reiner on the path that will lead him to be the tired, broken man he is in the latest chapters. His mother’s words plant a seed of self-hatred in his heart, hatred directed at himself and the blood in his veins. “If only you were born to a Marleyan.” His mother says while crying. As young children we love our parents, we want them to be happy and impress them so when Reiner sees his own mother crying while condemning and his blood it births a goal in his head and heart. The goal being to live as an honorary Marleyan with his mother, it drives to push himself beyond his limits as shown during his training where he works harder than anyone else, yet despite his determination, he still fails time and time again.

When he finally gets onto the warrior cadet program he runs to his mother and into her arms, then she says something so toxic and poisonous it damages Reiner’s psyche in ways difficult to describe. She doesn’t congratulate him, instead, she says. “We’re only a step away from being honorary Marleyan.” In saying this Reiner’s mother doesn’t recognise her son’s accomplishment for a personal triumph for Reiner. (As he worked SO hard to get on the program.) Instead, she reaffirms her own goal for her son and Reiner's response hurts my heart. “I promise I’ll inherit one of the Titans.” This is a seven-year-old boy, who is would be happy to shorten his own life for a deranged idea that has been drilled into him for years. If anything Reiner’s mother is a living metaphor for the brainwashing and propaganda that the Marley government relies on.

After his conversation with his mother we next see Reiner with the other cadets and here we learn a lot about Reiner’s personal goals and reasoning. While talking with Bertholdt he met with an important question. “Are you okay with that? You’d only have 13 years.” This also alludes to Bertholdt’s intelligence as he recognises the fate he and others have been doomed to live out. But Reiner’s response is equally as interesting as Bertholdt’s question. He quickly answers with. “And then I’d be a hero right?” He immediately shrugs off the death sentence inheriting one of Titans is, and instead sees it as the greatest honor possible. He then goes on to say in doing so he’d “Make his parents the proudest of all.” And this stings because this CHILD believes that the only way to make his parents proud is to sacrifice his life for his country. Did I mention that he was a CHILD? Because that makes my heart sink in my chest whenever I think about it.

The next time we see him Reiner has already inherited the Armoured Titan and is actively participating in warfare. In becoming the Armoured Titan he has allowed both himself and his mother to become Honorary Marleyans, he has succeeded in the eyes of his mother and now all that remains is to get his mother and father back together, there is nothing stopping him from getting his family back together. (Forgetting the fact he has shortened his life.) And then we see his father and the split that comes to define Reiner’s personality is born. Upon seeing his father Reiner follows him and shows him the band on his arm, showing him that now, after everything he has been through, the grueling training and curse that comes with the power of the Titans he and his mother can be together. And then, and then Reiner’s father shuts him down. He’s horrified and furious that Karina would put her son through all this just to “Get revenge.” He screams at his child, calling him and his mother devils that could ruin his life. Here Reiner is being faced with something he never thought would happen, he dedicated himself to the goal of making his parents proud and yet his father is condemning him and his achievements. To Reiner and children his age, this is a contradiction, children believe that good actions should be rewarded and yet despite his ‘good’ actions there is no reward. In fact, the opposite occurs, his father condemns him and verbally punishes him. This damages the way Reiner sees the world and contributes heavily to his split personality.

To cope with this contradiction (Something that comes to define his character) He chooses to believe that even if his mother and father can’t be together his father would at least pray for his success. This is likely the first time that Reiner develops a split to deal with something that contradicts his views, goals and ideals.

So after the confrontation with his father we next see Reiner he is on the shore of Paradis and as the boat and his mother sail away he reaffirms his goal of becoming a respected hero to the world despite the fact the rest of the world sees the Titans as monsters. So then we have the campfire scene… Here we have Marcel apologizing to Reiner for forsaking him to die in 13 years and it’s Reiner’s response that hurts the most about this scene. He doesn’t understand why Marcel is apologising, because despite the lies that allowed him to inherit the Armoured Titan he still inherited it. It’s not that Reiner doesn’t see the tragedy of his fate, it’s that he can’t, it’s something I’ll touch on later but it feels similar to an idea brought up in George Orwell's 1984. Doublethink.

After Marcel is eaten and killed Annie confronts Reiner over his indecisiveness which likely got Marcel killed. Of course, I’ll be analysing this whole scene when I talk about Annie since it is mainly about her but one part is crucial to the development of Reiner as a person. “TAKE THE BLAME AND DIE!” Annie screams. And he does. Reiner makes a point saying. “Reiner is dead, I’ll be Marcel.” Yet again Reiner deals with a contradiction (In this case all the work and training he’s done being rendered mute only a day into the mission. Once again a child so this doesn’t make sense to him.) by making sure that the idea of Marcel survives in his body.

For the sake of time and space, I’m going to jump ahead to the 104th and his relationships with Eren and the others. While training in the 104th with the other Shardis mentions that Reiner is strong emotionally, physically AND most importantly people looked up to him which is possibly the most important part of his character. While in the 104th the split in his personality develops and grows to such a powerful degree he has different memories of certain events depending on whether he is a soldier or warrior. With each personality hating the other but sharing their ideals as shown at the end of chapter 96 where Reiner is asked: “What the hell did you come here for?” And both the still young soldier personality and warrior answer “To save humanity.” This moment blurs the line between the personalities Reiner developed which leads to his break down on top of Wall Rose.

I think the anime does an AMAZING job when it shows Reiner breaking down and telling Eren about his mission as the Armoured Titan. At this point, he exists outside of the warrior and soldier personalities and is similar to the Reiner we see in the latest chapters. At these points, he realises the hypocrisy of everything he’s done and why he has done it. Chapter 42 “We were just kids who didn’t know anything.” It hurts to watch and read this because it is the raw personality that Reiner has hidden from everyone and himself for most of his life, and what does he do when exposed like this? He cries.

And when he comes home he suddenly finds himself looking at himself when he looks at Gabi. I think the fact that Reiner and Gabi are actually related just goes to show the links between them, she is exactly like he was back them, hopeful, loyal and full of hatred towards the Edilans and people of Paradis. And now Reiner knows where that leads, to nightmares, PTSD and suicidal depression. The only reason he didn’t pull the trigger in chapter 97 was because he heard a frustrated Falco telling himself that ‘he needed to change something’ at this point Reiner realised he had a chance to stop Gabi and the other children repeating his mistakes and ending up the way he has.

Now chapter 100 hasn’t officially come out yet (As I’m writing this) BUT I have seen the spoilers and several fan translations and from I’ve seen it seems that Reiner is being judged by Eren, drawing parallels to the story of the hanged man. Eren is the one capable of judging Reiner and judging (Get it) from the fan translations it seems that Eren in some ways forgives Reiner or at least understands the situation that he was in and now finds himself in a similar one. I’m not going to use the fan translations that much because they aren’t official the fact that Eren is right in front of him and that came right after the panel where Bertholdt claims the hanged man wanted to be judged says a lot.

But anyway from the spoilers I’ve seen Reiner seems to have a breakdown and falls to his hands and knees in front of Eren now that he can be judged. In a way he seems slightly relieved as now the guilt that weighs him down (and drove him to put a gun in his mouth at the very thought of going back to Paradis.) Can be taken away.

In conclusion Reiner’s story is a tragedy, of a child groomed into fulfilling the dreams of his deluded mother, having his father (One of his goals) call him a devil, his training and dedication coming to naught, (Failing to take the Founding Titan.) losing his friend and watching his mistakes repeat themselves in the form of his own cousin. My hopes for Reiner is that when he dies it is quick, painless and AFTER he has been forgiven.          

That was a long one... but Reiner is a complex character who needs to be understood. So let me know what you thought, agree or disagree I wanna hear it! So stay tuned for Annie’s turn.              

[jeremys-blogs]

Star Wars and Samurai: A Classic Combo

As I probably mentioned the last time I wrote about this particular franchise, Star Wars has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, and as something that I've been watching for that long a time it can be easy to notice certain trends or ideas that keep popping up. Sure, the recurring motifs of lights vs dark, lightsaber fights, space battles and complicated family dynamics are all pretty widely-known, but even the less famous aspects of the wider Star Wars story can be interesting to look at and analyse. Specifically for this talk, I wanted to discuss how the franchise has a very close relationship to Samurai films. Going all the way back to its earliest days, Star Wars has frequently borrowed story concepts from old films about Japan's most famous warriors, and it's worth noting that every time it does so it always creates tales that, while perhaps not universally beloved, always manage to become at least interesting to watch. So that's what I'm going to be doing here today, to look back over the times that I personally know of from Star Wars and which classic Samurai story they drew inspiration from. Because if there's one thing that can make a cool sci-fi franchise cooler, it's basing itself around equally-cool real life figures.

And of course we have to start at the beginning. The original Star Wars, 1977, the film that shook the world. It almost goes without saying that George Lucas drew inspiration from a number of big stories when making his original blockbuster, from classic sci-fi serials like Flash Gordon to more folkloric tales like king Arthur. But perhaps the biggest shaper of the plot of the film came from the 1958 film by Akira Kurosawa, The Hidden Fortress. This story, set during the tumultuous era of feudal Japan, feature two peasants who, unbeknownst to them, are secretly escorting a princess across enemy lines. Now the parallels here are obvious, as the character of Leia is also a Princess in need of transporting to a safe location during a time of war. And the two peasants, while they can certainly be seen as spiritual successors to Luke and Han, perhaps better fit the role that R2D2 and C3PO fill, that of more bumbling and comedic characters who simply found themselves roped into this situation through no fault of their own. Regardless, Hidden Fortress played a big part in making the original movie what it was, and given how beloved a title it went on to be, we should all be grateful to it.

But its worth noting that Kurosawa was by no means limited to the original Star Wars when it came to his influence over the franchise, as his movies provided the basis for a lot of homages over the years. Take, for instance, what is perhaps his most famous work, the Seven Samurai. Now, I realise that this one doesn't technically qualify for a samurai film since the title characters are actually without masters and therefore ronin instead, but it's in the name so that's what I'm counting it as. Anyways, the story of these seven "samurai" who get brought in to defend a local village and help defend it from bandits and even teach the villagers to defend themselves is a plot that might be familiar to fans of the recent Star Wars hit, the Mandalorian. Its fourth episode, Sanctuary, had this as its central premise, even though there are obvious differences, like there only being two people hired to do the job. But even so, the connection is as plain as day. And as you might expect, a story rooted in one of Akira Kurosawa's most beloved films was a damn fine episode in its own right, to the point where I'll even call it my personal favourite of the show's first season.

At this point I imagine that serious fans of every aspect of this franchise will likely feel a sense of familiarity with the previously-mentioned film, as Seven Samurai also served as the inspiration for an episode of the hit CGI TV show Clone Wars. The episode "Bounty Hunters" followed a much more close adaptation of the film, to the point of actually having seven defenders of the village, and in fact the episode even went out of its way to be a love letter to the works of Kurosawa, dedicating itself to him. And it really is a testament to the man's film that it can lead to the creation of not one, but two great episodes from two great shows. Now it's probably going to be a debate among fans as to which one is actually the better episode, regardless of whether or not it's a good adaptation of Kurosawa's work, but regardless they are both fine stories that are well worth watching, and though it might not be fair to credit him as being the progenitor of the idea of outsiders coming to a village's aid, there can be no denying that it's because of him that the trope is as popular as it is.

And speaking of tropes that Kurosawa has helped to make popular, another such idea is the notion of the same story being told in different ways by different people, which was the premise of the movie Rashomon from 1950. The story in question being that of a murder, a crime being described by multiple characters, with uncertainty about who is really telling the truth. Now this one admittedly hasn't had that big of an impact on Star Wars as much as Kurosawa's other films, but this idea of differing perspectives had a very noteworthy appearance in The Last Jedi. Now I realise that this is a very divisive movie among the fandom, but this idea of perspective is right at the centre of one of the film's more controversial choices, specifically regarding the actions of original trilogy hero Luke Skywalker. It frames his actions, his near-attempt at doing something terrible, from the point of view of two people, himself and his nephew. Whether Rashomon was indeed the inspiration behind this particular plot point is unknown, but I would be very surprised if it wasn't, especially considering Kurosawa's shadow over the rest of the franchise. And regardless of whether or not you like Last Jedi, it's undeniable that this particular storytelling technique made for an engaging development with our old hero.

For our final example of the connections between Star Wars and samurai stories we move away from Kurosawa (may he rest in peace) and return again to discussing the Mandalorian. Because with the hit show the entirety of its premise, that of a stoic warrior defending a young child from the dangers around them, we go to the tale of Lone Wolf and Cub. Now here I'm technically cheating a bit as that story, while having plenty of films made from it, actually began life as a manga back in 1970. But even with that difference in mind you can still see the clear connections it has with our favourite spacefaring father and son team. A main lead whose livelihood features a great deal of violence being cast out and vilified in some way and defending this youth is almost exactly what Mando and the Child are going through, though there are obviously plenty of differences in the details and aesthetics. Out of all the samurai stories we've covered, this one is possibly the least well-known, and as such it would surprise me greatly if anyone watching Mandalorian will even come to the conclusion that it drew inspiration from it. Now the series is still ongoing, so it remains to be seen if it will continue this premise, but for right now I think the manga's author would appreciate the love his story is getting in this new form.

And with that, we come to the end of our look at samurai influence in Star Wars. It's worth saying upfront that I have not seen or read everything related to Star Wars, as there's frankly way too much out there for me to every really declare myself an expert on it, so what I've talked about here is all the examples I personally knew of. Are there other samurai references out there in the franchise I don't know about? Quite possibly, and if so then I hope people enjoy them as much as what I've talked about here in this posting. But suffice to say I trust my point has been well made. A sci-fi story it may be, but Star Wars owes much of what it is to that other great subgenre of film, and with the franchise likely continuing on for many years into the future I have no doubt that those films will carry on making their way into whatever movies, TV shows, games, books and so on get made from the Star Wars name. How good they will be I cannot say, but if nothing else then at least the stories made thus far have been of great entertainment value to me, and I'll be more than likely giving them a few more re-watches before I'm done with them 😉