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bluedalahorse · 4 months ago

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August for the character breakdown game!

Or if someone else already named him, how about [one secondary character of your choice] from YR?

August you asked for, and August you shall receive! I was hoping someone would ask me about him, and I’m really glad you did.

How I feel about this character: Good lord. The absolute perfect storm of what this character did to my psyche. I am not going to lie that I spent a lot of first season (and significant parts of second and third) screaming at him. And sometimes he makes me really mad at him even now! At the same time, he’s well-written and well-acted and terribly interesting, and I have wanted him to be able to figure stuff out and fix his life from the moment I learned that his father died by suicide and he’s dealing with traumatic grief. I have wanted to climb through the TV screen and pluck him out of an environment like Hillerska. August is such a fascinating example of the way the system fails even those it’s supposed to protect. I just want to break him out of the system, and write him into new situations. In conclusion, what a tragic blorbo I seem to have acquired. (Totally valid if he isn’t other people’s but I see why he’s mine.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character: First and foremost, Sara. I have a weakness for them as two weirdos who see a similar sort of loneliness and want in one another, who get drawn together even though there are plenty of reasons that that’s a bad idea. There are so many stories that can be written about them still. I think Sara breaking up with August was where their relationship needed to be at the end of season three, but I’m not ruling out futures-with-growth-and-therapy or alternate universes. They have the potential to be just as epic as any other pairing on the show! Outside of Sara… well, in my Nils post I talked about how much I ship August/Nils, and how there’s so much there that is currently untapped by fandom. And then Simon/August and Alexander/August are ideas that intrigue me, even though those are more in the realm of deliberate disaster fics.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I came out of season 3 really enjoying the terrible preppy boy friendship trio so August and Nils and Vincent’s friendship dynamic fascinates me. As someone who went to an odd little college with a lot of traditions, I could relate to it a lot. The people who’ve been in close quarters with you, who you’ve had fun with, but who you’ve also been jealous of and you’re constantly on one another’s nerves… man. I really felt seen by that kind of complexity! I also have to admit I have a soft spot for August and Wille’s relationship, since Malte and Edvin have a lot of chemistry together, and because it seems like August and Wille’s healing is so interdependent. I could talk about that for ages, really.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I cannot even pick one to share because I’m fairly sure most of my opinions about August are unpopular. Liking August itself, in a way a fan does where you want to write fanfic focused on him or ship him with other characters or envision a more healed future for him—even if you repeatedly write multiple paragraph disclaimers about the harm that he did—kind of feels unpopular. And I wish it was a little less unpopular. And maybe my unpopular opinion is that the unpopularity of this opinion (August is indeed worthy of our fannishness) is not wholly by accident. I have no beef with the portion of fandom that just doesn’t particularly like him and doesn’t care to explore him in fanworks. Sometimes you don’t like the dark-haired Byronic asshole and that’s a valid personal preference! And for some people, engaging with August as a character isn’t something they can do with full emotional safety, and I would never want people to have to engage with him if that’s the case for them. He does do legitimate harm. At the same time, there is also a second current in fandom that is actively hostile to fans engaging with August in a fannish way, that uses language in a way that reduces him to his absolute worst deeds and does bad faith readings of any post that dares to explore him beyond the harm he does. I’ve heard stories of sargust edits on TikTok getting endless hate comments, and talked to writers who’ve wanted to write August-centric fic but figured it wouldn’t be worth not getting many hits. I’ve watched an adorable video where Edvin and Malte get interviewed together, only to see that the comments section was full of fans demanding Omar be in the video and not Malte. And I’m just thinking… why are people tearing stuff like this down? Why get angry about there being the bare minimum of nuanced August content out there? It’s not erasing any of the tens of thousands of Wilmon fics and edits. It’s not giving August more screentime in the show or having him take over as main character because the show is already finished. The way that Sara (and by extension Frida) gets caught in the crossfire is doubly upsetting. The lack of August and sargust and nilgust fanworks may be partially due to lack of interest on the part of some fans, but I can’t ignore that active hostility on the part of other fans has also played a role in who sticks around fandom and what they create. And that makes me terribly terribly sad. Because I look at other fandoms and it looks like they have more room for nuanced approaches. Like Interview with the Vampire fandom is having so much fun with Devil’s Minion and I don’t think we have anything like that.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish August and Simon had more of a chance to interact in season 3 without Wille there. I’ve talked before about how Wille and Simon have fundamentally different issues with August, and that they aren’t actually as united against him as Wille seems to think when he gets all hypermasculine and protective. I don’t actually think Simon and August could have resolved all their issues in one season, and they might not be able to period. But they might benefit from some kind of restorative conversations, even if those end in a place of non-closure. And there’s a lot that’s similar in their experiences that they don’t even know about. The worst thing is, it feels like the show is aware of this, and maybe had some moments in mind, but then cut them. Like why have that scene in 2.3 where August tells Vincent to shut up when Vincent’s being awful to Simon? Why have Simon be the one who names August’s eating disorder? I feel like they were meant to have more, and maybe it got cut because it didn’t involve Wilhelm. And honestly that makes me so sad, too.

This got horrendously long-winded and I apologize. But hopefully my answers were worth reading!

#young royals #august horn of årnäs #asks

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saintsenara · 1 year ago

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Literary style (rich prose, use of narrative techniques, etc.); strong adherence to the principle of charity (diversity of perspectives/everyone is given the fairest possible shot); thematic focus on death and its effects on the living (particularly, grief); thematic focus on gender; devastating one-liners; emphatically correct Ron Weasley takes; Voldemort having a thing for mirror sex.

thanks so much, pal!

sex/gender/death are in an exclusive triad over here, but what i most appreciate you drawing out here is the principle of charity in writing [also the subject of this meta: fandom is like medicine].

I've seen a lot of posts from villain-enjoyers recently taking against the idea of redemption. and i do get this - there's been such a move in many fandom spaces against any sort of moral complexity in characterisation that i understand the impulse to say fuck it, and enjoy your favourite horrible people as horrible people.

but i do also think that this rejection of theme of redemption often misunderstands the reading that we all owe our blorbos. i think there's a tendency to believe that redemption would require some sort of damascene extraordinariness which would result in the character in question becoming neutered - perfect and soft and lacking the bite which led to us becoming interested in them in the first place.

but not so. redemption can be small, ordinary. it can be accidental. it can sneak up on you. it can exist in some areas of your lives and not others. sometimes little chips of redemption are gradually carved by bringing the man whose parents you murdered cups of tea - and maybe that's not enough to redeem you fully, and maybe it shouldn't be, but it's something - and by him being charitable enough to understand what happened in your life which led you down the path of evil.

one of the real issues with the harry potter fandom [and this is why i am so frequently on my soapbox about how we need to think about the narrative conventions of the series, and how it wants us to do this and how we should work against it] is that far too many people involved in it find themselves on sides. maybe they identify as gryffindors, and therefore fail to offer any of the other houses the nuance they extend to their favourite characters. maybe they think the villains get a bad showing in the series, so they bash the heroes. maybe they loathe a specific character, or ship, or subfandom, and so they dismiss anyone who writes within those confines.

but this is an error. every single character - just like every single person alive - can be interesting and worthy of exploration and worthy of the chance to transcend their canon [and fanon - catch me defending molly weasley against both sirius and percy nation like it's my paid employment] evils if we just give them the chance.

and i'm not just saying this because i have been recently forced to become fascinated by rodolphus lestrange...

i hadn't deeped before now that the 'lord voldemort enjoys watching himself get fucked in a mirror' thing had turned up in more than one piece... and all i have to say is...

[attention-seeking behaviour here]

#asks answered #attention seeking behaviour #the fact that every human being is capable of redemption is actually important and i'll die on this hill #be good to each other

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sweetthingshavesharpteeth · 3 months ago

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@threefolddefencespeech's worldcon report inspired me to write up what I've been reading recently, so here's the books I've read in roughly the last year (at least, what i recall). Let's start with the Hugo-nominated ones:

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty

The blurb hooked me on this, and I wasn't disappointed. To be clear, it's not going to give great insights into the human condition or anything - it's a getting-the-gang-back-together heist movie, fun but not terribly deep. I do think "bad-ass older woman" is an underutilised protagonist archetype, though.

Witch King, by Martha Wells

This was not my favourite book by Wells - I enjoyed it enough, and the world and magic was interesting, but I think @threefolddefencespeech was right that the book sacrifices too much in character development to achieve its parallel-past-and-present narrative structure.

The Greenhollow Duology, by Emily Tesh

I actually read Silver in the Wood years ago on ao3, and when I saw that there was a sequel, I had to read it (after re-reading Silver in the Wood, of course). It has some great, and distinctive, characters, and some deliciously otherworldly vibes. I will have to read Tesh's Hugos-nominated novel (Some Desperate Glory) now.

Notorious Sorcerer and Shadow Baron, by Davinia Evans

Notorious Sorcerer is possibly my favourite book from the last year. It uses the trope of "outsider achieves what the indoctrinated don't even think is possible", but - in contrast to a lot of other examples of this trope - the protagonist doesn't magically stumble on the exact right thing to do the first time. He really doesn't know what he's doing, and uses a lot of trial-and-error. Evans sacrifices some smoothness of plot to demonstrate this, but I think it's worthwhile. It's also a book about corrupt power structures, but doesn't try to suggest that changing those structures is simple, or without consequences.

Shadow Baron is clearly the second book in a trilogy, and - as is typical with such books - doesn't really feel like it has a coherent plot of its own. I still enjoyed reading it, and I'm looking forward to the final book in the trilogy coming out.

The Archive Undying, by Emma Mieko Candon

This is exactly the sort of thing I love from SFF - it throws you in the deep end of a complex, alien world (for all it's ostensibly Earth), and you just have to trust that the author will make things clear in time. Stylistically, it felt a lot like the Machineries of Empire series by Yoon Ha Lee, one of my all-time favourite book series. I would highly recommend to anyone who liked that series.

Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get around to reading this classic short story collection (that includes the story the film Arrival is based on). In some ways, I think short stories are the ideal format for sci-fi - they can explore an idea without being overly weighed down by the need to have an engaging plot. Chiang does a good job of wielding short stories in this way, and explores some interesting concepts.

The Adam Binder Novels, by David R Slayton

There are surprisingly few novels with queer male protagonists that are written by queer men. I actually bought these books for a pound each, expecting to get holiday-worthy trashy reading, and was pleasantly surprised. They're well-written, with some interesting worldbuilding, and were definitely worth the price!

Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien

I re-watched the films last Autumn, and followed up by re-reading the books. I enjoy seeing how adaptations change a story, and thinking about why those changes were made. Also, every time I read LotR I'm more aware of the white supremacy woven into the heart of the worldbuilding.

Bunt!, by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert

Ngozi has a fantastic grasp of visual humour, and thematic parallels, and knowing when to be silly and when to be serious. It's something I loved about Check, Please!, and it's on display here as well.

Into the Tower, by Hari Conner

Claiming I've "read" this is a bit of a push - it's a choose-your-own adventure book, and I've played a handful of different paths, but there are still many more to explore. I love the world Conner has built - the weird, metaphysical world of the tower is perfectly suited to this style of piecemeal exploration, where a linear narrative couldn't hope to encompass the breadth of strange goings-on.

The Simon Snow trilogy (Carry On, etc), by Rainbow Rowell

This was sold to me as "a massive fuck-you to JK". This was inaccurate. It clearly started as Drarry fanfiction - the characters that were formerly Draco, Harry, Hermione, Hagrid and Dumbledore are plain to see - but it doesn't really engage with the themes or flaws of that book series in any meaningful way, rather using it as set dressing. Instead, it attempts to take on the broader genre of Chosen One stories - digging into themes of manipulation, being used as a tool, whether a Chosen One is actually doing Good, and what happens after their part is fulfilled.

I think it does a reasonable job of this - better than several others I've read, at least - although I didn't enjoy it enough to want to re-read it, or to make a particular recommendation of it.

Books I failed to get into

Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett

Lesser Known Monsters, by Rory Michaelson

#books #there's likely others that i've forgotten about #i don't keep good track #i also read a lot of fanfic #which leaves less times for published books

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navree · 2 years ago

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Do you think that the showrunners were biased against the greens , esp Aegon ii ans Larys?

I can't really speak to bias, just because I do not know these people personally and as such I don't have any insight into what they actually think or feel. But it's clear that, from a writing perspective, they seemed to have prioritized Rhaenyra (and to a lesser extent, Daemon) over the Green main characters, and viewed them as largely more sympathetic and tailored some of the writing accordingly. And I do believe there was a vested interest in making Aegon kinda look as bad as possible, though they've still given him a fair amount of qualities worthy of analysis and development. With regard to Larys, that's the one thing where I can confidently say that yes, there was some sort of bias clearly at play. The concept of the evil disabled villain is not new, the concept of the guy with some kind of deformity who fetishes a non-deformed body, the concept of the guy who signals his depravity through not just his physical limitations but sexual perversions, these are not new concepts in media, and these are concepts unique to show!Larys. And it's a shame, because they could have done something interesting with Larys, in his relationship with his disability and with masculinity and with his family and certainly with Alicent. But because ours is, by and large, an ableist society that does have a tendency to present "deformity" and disability and subpar physical appearance as a mark of who a character is as a person, the writers just decided to fall into those lazy tropes and stereotypes, without examining the internal biases that might have led them to write Larys that way even at the expense of an interesting character.

With all that being said, I do think the showrunners also had a vested interest in developing the Greens far more than they did the Blacks. The Blacks do appear to be framed as more sympathetic in the narrative, yes, but they're also incredibly two dimensional. There has been a lot of effort put into making nearly all of the major Greens varied and complex. Aegon's many things, but he's certainly not one dimensional, and there's a lot to talk about him. Alicent and Aemond and Otto and Criston are all explicitly written to contain multitudes in terms of their personalities, that there are both good and bad qualities within them that are explored within the text and their arcs thus far. Helaena is very two dimensional but that's just more laziness in general than any sort of bias. And when you contrast that to Baela and Rhaena who are so interchangeable I still can't quite entirely pick out which is meant to be which half the time, Jace and Luke who are such wooden planks of characters that I dare anyone to name three distinct characteristics of each, Rhaenys and Corlys who have such schizophrenic writing half the time and have like an hour of screentime combined, it becomes very noticeable. The Greens got a lot more character and a lot more time devoting to fleshing them out as people, not just as a whole team but also as individuals specifically. In contrast, the only Blacks who have any fleshed out characters are Daemon and Rhaenyra (and maybe Rhaenys and Corlys but again, incredibly disjointed writing that makes it hard to feel like they're real people with firm personality traits half the time). Everyone else is just basically there to be background extras and eventual cannon fodder. I'm being serious, is there anyone who's sad about Luke's death because of the fact that he will now be absent from the narrative and you'll miss the contributions his character and his arc could have given the story as a whole? Is there anyone who was sad about his death period for any reason that wasn't "he's young" and "I'm sad for Rhaenyra about it"? No because the kid was a blank slate that's why his only significant character moments were in the same episode as when he died because the writers realized we're supposed to feel things when Vhagar eats him instead of either cheering Vhagar on or feeling sad for Aemond's emotions.

Despite the fact that there's a clear vision to make Team Black more sympathetic, there's also a clear and concerted effort to make Team Green much more fleshed out and multi dimensional that's coming at the direct expense of the characters on Team Black.

#personal #answered #anonymous #again most of my Issues with the show (and i say this as someone who likes the show)#are in that they have good foundations and good ideas and i wish they'd been executed better/in more depth/more sensitively #but the larys thing.........yeah that's one of those things where i want a complete overhaul

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cosmicjoke · 2 months ago

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Exactly. As ever @geektasticjustine you’re straight on point. Floch is very obviously a sadist. He derives genuine enjoyment and pleasure from terrorizing, tormenting and forcing people through physical threats of violence and death to comply with him, all under the guise and excuse of a warped and shallow ideological movement. Floch doesn’t actually believe in anything. He’s a power freak who gets off on hurting and controlling people.

He’s convinced himself of his righteousness, but ultimately, all he cares about is feeling powerful. We see this demonstrated again and again, starting with his desire to force Erwin to keep living, he says because they “need a devil” to win, but in reality because he wants to hurt Erwin for leading them on a death charge against the Beast Titan. And in typical fashion for Floch, he absolves himself of all responsibility for being in that position, despite voluntarily signing up for the SC, fully aware of the risks and what would be expected of him. It’s 100% telling of who Floch always was, that he wanted all of the glory of being a scout, without taking on any of the actual risk, and then becoming so angry when he found himself in a position of danger, that he sought to shift the blame for it onto Erwin and make him pay for what was, in truth, Floch’s own fault and his own choice. He would like to blame others for his radicalization, but ultimately, he chose that path for himself, and had the convenient excuse of a war he helped manufacture to play out his sadistic fantasies and delusions of grandeur. Because Floch was never fighting for anyone but himself and that’s why he was so upset at the thought of dying for a cause like humanity. He didn’t ever care about humanity. He cared about his own glory and satisfying his bitter hatred at the world for his own insignificance and lack of exceptionalism.

And it wasn’t anything that made Floch that way. That sadistic, cowardly and entitled nature which refused to take any responsibility or accountability for his own actions was always in him, and it was always going to manifest as it did, with him deciding the rest of the world should pay for wrongs never even committed against him specifically. People like Floch use ideological movements to act of their sadism and cruelty. It’s an excuse, not a reason. And again, we see this tendency toward sadism, entitlement and cowardice in the way he treats Onyankopon, Shadis, Levi, etc, etc….

And 100% also, what started this entire argument was me saying that anyone who thinks Floch is more than a complete POS has missed the entire point of the story. I never said anyone who enjoyed Floch’s character for what he is is an idiot, or hasn’t understood the story, what I said and what I meant was that anyone who genuinely looks at Floch’s character and sees him as any sort of hero, or even tragic figure, has missed the point, and yes, I completely stand by calling those people idiots. Floch is everything AoT is warning its audience against becoming. He’s like every Nazi that ever thought and genuinely believed that he was justified in slaughtering Jews because they supposedly posed an existential threat to the German people. In the end, you aren’t going to care how he arrived at that conclusion, you’re only going to know he isn’t a person worthy of anything more than your disdain. And that’s what Floch is. You aren’t meant to sympathize with him, and you aren’t meant to see his point, and you aren’t meant to cheer him on. Yes, he’s a complex character, worthy of exploration and analysis, just like every character in AoT, and especially in the context of the stories overarching themes and what he’s meant to represent within that framework. But that doesn’t mean the audience isn’t meant to see him for what he is, which is, at the end of the day, a complete piece of shit, and truly nothing more.

there are still alot of floch stans well after the anime ended im honestly surprised his tags is full of floch simps.. i would think his tag here on tumblr would be the first to go but alas..

Yeah, well, there's a lot of idiots in the AoT fandom, sadly. This isn't the manga/anime for you if you think Floch was anything more than a disgusting POS. I don't know how these people got here, honestly. I can only suppose the themes of the story flew entirely over their heads once it got more complex than humans fighting titans, but they stubbornly stuck around out of some completionist compulsion, lol.

#floch forster #attack on titan #shingeki no kyoujin

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sunandmoongobrrr · 4 years ago

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on katara and white feminism

i was thinking a little bit about how Katara and other atla women are seen as "traditionally feminine."

there's this crisis that almost all south asian women go through where we're hyper-masculinized to the point of not knowing how we fit into being feminine.

there's a unique pain in the realization that you'll never be feminine like the white women around you expect you to be. that you'll never have their paper-thin eyebrows or perfectly slim figures or sleek straight hair or small nose or whatever beauty standard is centered around whiteness (although is not necessarily contained to being white--but is a standard set for women of color to make us think of white features as desirable). or you'll never be seen as quiet and demure and worthy of protection (which can fit into why this type of femininity is seen as lesser than, but there's also safety in the protectionism of white women, especially from the demonized man of color).

it's why there's such a huge movement against white feminism--women of color have such a different experience from white women as to fitting in to what white supremacy deems "feminine."

it's been a longtime coming, but i think i'm finally starting to realize that being feminine goes deeper than what my surface features tell me or what society expects me to be.

that's why i like katara so much. she is a little whitewashed -- her eyes are large and blue and her figure is slim, but this is not what makes her feminine. What makes her feminine is how fiercely feminine she is. she is compassionate and nagging and caring and angry and ambitious. and all of this is what encompasses her femininity-- not because she does chores, not because she has healing abilities, not because she wears makeup. but because her femininity is a part of her actions and choices. she is not a fighter in spite of being feminine--she's a fighter because she is feminine.

in all honesty, part of the way i was able to come to terms with being feminine in a way that is not defined by western stereotypes is exploring my own culture. i'm Hindu, and the three central female goddesses worshipped in Hinduism are Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. There are many ways to define their characteristics, but in general Parvati is seen as the Mother goddess, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and abundance, and Saraswati the goddess of knowledge. i found myself very close to these manifestations of femininity because they encompass such fierce versions of what femininity is--something that i felt more comfortable with after society pushed me out of the femininity worthy of protection. Parvati manifests into power, war, ferocity, compassion, family. she is all of these things and the things they encompass, too, and i think it's a really beautiful way of seeing femininity.

i think it's a really important way to view the atla girls, too. there's this subconscious idea that ty lee is somehow more "feminine" than katara or suki or mai or toph or azula because she is the bubbly pink feminine that we've been accustomed to seeing. she's the nice and the compassionate and the loyal (among other things) and those are all feminine. but the fierce, and the ambition, and the blades and the flame and the ice are all feminine, too. its why people saying that political leadership or any sort of organizing role is a masculine trait is wrong; those things absolutely encompass femininity, just in different ways.

anyway, this was all started because i've been seeing people say that saying katara shouldn't be a healer is misogynistic because they're discrediting feminine roles. but i don't think they understand that femininity is not just the compassion or the helping or the healing abilities. katara has those, but she also has the ferocity and the war and the ice. and those can also manifest in a healing role, but the way katara's healer future was envisioned--her being demure and sad and alone in the South Pole--is not who she is. and that's fine. it's fine to be a different feminine than what people tend to think of when they think of femininity. but it's not fine to force her into the kind of femininity that is deemed acceptable by white supremacy--the kind that is demure and quiet and following, and again, is fine if that is who you are as a person. this is the basis for being anti-choice feminist; the realization that some choices can be easier for women depending on what roles society forces us into. that the statements that women will be criticized for whatever they do because femininity is deemed lesser than, and that one version of femininity is deemed more acceptable because it is centered around whiteness, can coexist.

it's also why i think terfs are ridiculous. (side note: i am not trans so feel free to criticize this) femininity has nothing to do with what body you were born with or the physical traits you exhibit at birth. femininity is a part of your actions and choices and personality, and it can sometimes bleed into what we see as masculine because gender is a spectrum and these traits are not completely separated from each other by a hard line.

anyway, i think such sums up my thoughts about white femininity and why i think katara and other girls in atla encompass the beauty and complexity that is being feminine.

#katara #pro katara #atla #avatar #atla meta #katara meta #choice feminism #white feminism #feminist #feminism #i cant fucking spell the word feminism #or femininity #take a shot whenever i say the word feminine #why are there two n's in that word #why cant english function the way i want it to #anyway #mili rambles #as i do

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amuelia · 3 years ago

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How do you think Roose will meet his demise? Or will he survive? What's your best Roose end game predictions?

Thank you for the question! This will be a long post under the readmore, going into my thoughts on the show ending and exploring what the books may have set up in regards to themes and characterization, as well as a bit of general analysis of Roose' story arc in a Dance with Dragons (and some speculation about Ramsay as well).

If you click on the readmore i will have divided the post into sections with bolded Headers, if you want to only read my specific endgame ideas you can skip ahead to the "His Endgame?" section.

In The Show

The show had him get killed by Ramsay in s6, which informs a lot of the fandom speculation about this storyline.

I am not a fan of the show's scenario as it was both similar to tywin and tyrion as well as a mirror of robb's death; it would also be offscreen in the books since neither of the characters are PoVs and Ramsay would need to do the act in secret. This would ultimately undercut Roose' role and impact, being a death scene that is not very unique and also isn't shown to the reader directly. Since no PoV is even in Winterfell currently, we would just hear of it from afar and not witness the consequences.

The show also has a different dynamic in the Bolton storyline, emphasizing Ramsay as the "main character" of this arc, and elevating him to the main villain for s5-6 to fill Joffrey's shoes as an evil character played by a very charismatic actor. Ramsay's show writing is informed by the needs of a TV setting that wants shocking moments and capitalizes on "fan favourite" actors; his rising importance in the show thus is not necessarily an indicator of his book importance. The show was also missing many central characters like the northern lords and the Frey men in Winterfell.

The show had a tendency to kill off characters early when they wanted to cull storylines or had no plans to adapt more of the character's story (like Stannis, Barristan, possibly the Tyrells...); In Mance Rayder we have the most obvious example, where they killed him off for real in a scene that in the book was a misdirection. We also have characters like Jorah where it appears the showrunners had their own choice of how they want his storyline to end, even if Grrm has his own ending in mind.

"For a long time we wanted Ser Jorah to be there at The Wall in the end," writer Dave Hill says. "The three coming out of the tunnel would be Jon and Jorah and Tormund. But [...] Jorah should have the noble death he craves defending the woman he loves." - Dave Hill for Entertainment Weekly

So a death in the show does not need to be an indicator that the books will feature an equivalent scene, even if it gives a hint as to what may happen. By s5 the show has become its own beast, and the butterfly effects from radical changes they made as well as the different characterizations results in the show having to cater to its own needs in many cases when it gets to resolving a plotline.

"We reconceived the role to make it worthy of the actor's talents." - Benioff and Weiss for the s5 DVD commentary, on Indira Varma's casting as Ellaria

In The Books

(Since this post was getting out of hand in length a lot of these arguments are a little shortened/not as in-depth as i'd like! Feel free to inquire more via ask if something is unclear or you disagree)

In the books i find it hard to make a concrete guess as to how it will end. Occam's razor would be to assume the show sort of got it right and that it will vaguely end the same, which could very well happen and i will not discount the possibility; Ramsay is cruel, desires the Dreadfort rule, and is a suspected kinslayer and has no qualms to commit immoral violence.

"Ramsay killed [his brother]. A sickness of the bowels, Maester Uthor says, but I say poison." - Reek III, aDwD

Reek saw the way Ramsay's mouth twisted, the spittle glistening between his lips. He feared he might leap the table with his dagger in his hand [to attack his father]. - Reek III, aDwD

Arguments against this or for a different endgame come down to interpretations of the themes in the story arc and opinions on dramatic structure/grrm's writing, and are thus very subjective.

The way the story currently is going, Ramsay killing Roose treats Roose almost as a plot device; his death brings no change or development to Ramsay's character as we already know his motivations and cruelty align with such an act, and we can assume that he would feel no remorse about it either. The results of such a scene would be firmly on a story level, as it brings political changes and moves the plot along into a specific direction. Roose himself cannot have any relevant character development about it as he does not have a PoV and we would not be able to witness his reaction from the outside.

“The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself.” - William Faulkner, often quoted by Grrm

Further, killing his father is very difficult to pull off in secret (Roose is frequently described as very cautious, and employs many guardsmen). And even if Ramsay pulls it off (people often interpret Ramsay as Roose' blind spot, assuming he might be caught by surprise, not expecting Ramsay would bite the hand that feeds him), Roose is the one that holds his entire alliance together; The Freys would be alienated by Ramsay who would antagonize Walda and her son as his rivals, The Ryswell bloc appears to dislike Ramsay (especially Barbrey), and the other northmen are implied to not even like Roose himself. Killing Roose would quickly combust the entire northern faction, and hinder Ramsay's further plans (another reason why I am not convinced of a book version of the "Battle of Bastards"). Though this might of course, if we look at it from the other side, be grrm's plan to quickly dissolve this plot and move the northern story forwards.

"Ramsay will kill [Walda's children], of course. [...] [She] will grieve to see them die, though." - Reek III, aDwD

"How many of our grudging friends do you imagine we'd retain if the truth were known? Only Lady Barbrey, whom you would turn into a pair of boots … inferior boots." - Reek III, aDwD

"Fear is what keeps a man alive in this world of treachery and deceit. Even here in Barrowton the crows are circling, waiting to feast upon our flesh. The Cerwyns and the Tallharts are not to be relied on, my fat friend Lord Wyman plots betrayal, and Whoresbane … the Umbers may seem simple, but they are not without a certain low cunning. Ramsay should fear them all, as I do." - Reek III, aDwD

Roose' death at Ramsay's hand also removes him thematically from the Red Wedding, as we can assume such a death might have happened regardless of his participation in the event (seeing as Ramsay is getting provoked by Roose constantly in normal dialogue, and has a general violent disposition). Roose already took Ramsay in before aGoT started, and married Walda very early in the war, which is already most of the buildup that the show's scenario had. It also has little to do with the The North Remembers plot except set dressing, since the northmen are presumably neither collaborating with/egging on Ramsay nor would they appreciate the development.

Themes: Ned Stark and the rule over the North

Roose is treated as a foil to Eddard; They are often contrasted in morals and ruling styles, while also having many superficial similarities that further connect them (they are seen as cold by people, grey eyed, patriarchs of rivalling northern houses, etc...).

Pale as morning mist, his eyes concealed more than they told. Jaime misliked those eyes. They reminded him of the day at King's Landing when Ned Stark had found him seated on the Iron Throne. - Jaime IV, aSoS

They both have a "bastard son" that they handle very differently; Roose treating Ramsay in the way that is seen as common in their society. Ramsay and Jon as a comparison are meant to show that Catelyn had a reason to see a bastard as a threat (since Domeric was antagonized by his bastard brother), but also shows that her suggested plan for Jon would not have stopped any danger either (as Ramsay being raised away from the castle didn't help).

And if his seed quickened, she expected he would see to the child's needs. He did more than that. The Starks were not like other men. Ned brought his bastard home with him, and called him "son" for all the north to see. - Catelyn II, aGoT

"Each year I sent the woman some piglets and chickens and a bag of stars, on the understanding that she was never to tell the boy who had fathered him. A peaceful land, a quiet people, that has always been my rule." - Reek III, aDwD

It appears to me that Roose' story functions in some ways as an inversion to Ned. He makes an attempt to grab a power he was not destined to (becoming warden of the north), where Ned did not want the responsiblity thrust upon him ("It was all meant for Brandon. [...] I never asked for this cup to pass to me." - Cat II, aGoT). Where Ned rules successfully and his northmen honor his legacy ("What do you think passes through their heads when they hear the new bride weeping? Valiant Ned's precious little girl." - The Turncloak, aDwD), the Boltons are largely hated and there are several plots conspiring against them ("Let me bathe in Bolton blood before I die." - The King's Prize, aDwD).

It seems possible to me that in terms of their family and legacy, Roose might also live through an inverted version of Ned's story; where Ned died first, leaving his family behind, Roose already lived to see the death of his wives and trueborn heir, and might thus also live to see Ramsay's death. Ned leaves behind well raised children and a North who still respects his name, and even though he dies it will presumably all be "in good hands" in the end (in broad strokes, obviously this is all much more morally complex). Roose however built up a bad and toxic legacy, and also built his way of life around evading consequences; it makes sense to me that he would be forced by the story to finally endure all the consequences of his actions and witness the fall of his house firsthand. After all we already have Tywin who fulfils the purpose of dying before his children while his legacy falls to ruins, and a Feast for Crows explores this aspect thoroughly.

Roose' arc in A Dance With Dragons

The story repeatedly builds up the situation unravelling around Roose, and him slowly losing a grip on it and becoming more stressed and anxious.

Reek wondered if Roose Bolton ever cried. If so, do the tears feel cold upon his cheeks? - Reek II, aDwD

Roose Bolton said nothing at all. But Theon Greyjoy saw a look in his pale eyes that he had never seen before—an uneasiness, even a hint of fear. [...] That night the new stable collapsed beneath the weight of the snow that had buried it. - a Ghost in Winterfell, aDwD

Lady Walda gave a shriek and clutched at her lord husband's arm. "Stop," Roose Bolton shouted. "Stop this madness." His own men rushed forward as the Manderlys vaulted over the benches to get at the Freys. - Theon I, aDwD

It also directly presents him as a parallel to Theon's rule in aCoK, who similarly experienced a very unpopular rule and his subjects slowly turning against him. Presumably, the point of this comparison will not just be "Ramsay comes in at the end and unexpectedly whacks them on the head". Both Theon and Roose invited Ramsay into their lives, giving him more power than he deserves, and causing Ramsay to make choices that increasingly alienate others from them (the death of the miller's boys for example has repercussions for both Theon and Roose). Grrm is likely steering this towards a difference in how they will deal with this situation.

It all seemed so familiar, like a mummer show that he had seen before. Only the mummers had changed. Roose Bolton was playing the part that Theon had played the last time round, and the dead men were playing the parts of Aggar, Gynir Rednose, and Gelmarr the Grim. Reek was there too, he remembered, but he was a different Reek, a Reek with bloody hands and lies dripping from his lips, sweet as honey. - a Ghost in Winterfell, aDwD

"Stark's little wolflings are dead," said Ramsay, sloshing some more ale into his cup, "and they'll stay dead. Let them show their ugly faces, and my girls will rip those wolves of theirs to pieces. The sooner they turn up, the sooner I kill them again." - The elder Bolton sighed. "Again? Surely you misspeak. You never slew Lord Eddard's sons, those two sweet boys we loved so well. That was Theon Turncloak's work, remember? How many of our grudging friends do you imagine we'd retain if the truth were known?" - Reek III, aDwD

Roose' arc is deeply connected to the relations he shares to the other northern lords, which has been heavily impacted by the Red Wedding. It stands to reason that they are going to be an important part of his downfall, and we see many hints of them plotting to betray him.

The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer's farce is almost done. My son is home." - Davos IV, aDwD

Themes: Stannis and kinslaying

The books set up Roose and Stannis as foils as well; Both lack charisma and have trouble winnning the people's support, Stannis and Roose both parallel and contrast Ned, Stannis appears as a "lesser Robert" where Roose is a "lesser Ned", Stannis represents the fire where Roose represents the ice, both struggle over dominion in a land that doesnt particularly want either of them, etc... What i find interesting is how they are contrasted over kinslaying:

"Only Renly could vex me so with a piece of fruit. He brought his doom on himself with his treason, but I did love him, Davos. I know that now. I swear, I will go to my grave thinking of my brother's peach." - Davos II, aCoK

"I should've had the mother whipped and thrown her child down a well … but the babe did have my eyes." [...] "Now [Domeric's] bones lie beneath the Dreadfort with the bones of his brothers, who died still in the cradle, and I am left with Ramsay. Tell me, my lord … if the kinslayer is accursed, what is a father to do when one son slays another?" - Reek III, aCoK

Stannis is set up as someone who is very thorough and strict in following his own code and his "duty", even if he does not like what it forces him to do.

Stannis ground his teeth again. "I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am the king, I have a duty . . . If I must sacrifice one child to the flames to save a million from the dark . . . Sacrifice . . . is never easy, Davos. Or it is no true sacrifice. Tell him, my lady." - Davos IV, aSoS

The armorer considered that a moment. "Robert was the true steel. Stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. He'll break before he bends." - Jon I, aCoK

Roose however is frequently characterized as someone who tries to get as much as he can while avoiding negative consequences, and who does not have a consistent moral code and instead bends rules to his benefit to be the most comfortable to him.

It is often theorized that Stannis will end up burning his daughter Shireen; the Ramsay issue might then serve to contrast the two men. If Grrm intends it to be compared by the reader, I can see it going two ways: Either Roose will be forced to finally act in a drastic way after avoiding his responsibility in regards to Ramsay and he will be forced to get rid of his son, making him break the only moral hurdle he has presented adhering to during the story (though analyzing his character, the kinslaying taboo is probably less a sign of moral fortitude and more him using the guise of morals to explain a selfish motivation). Or he might not act against Ramsay and suffer the consequences, presenting an interesting moral situation where some readers might consider his action "better" or more relatable than Stannis', breaking up the otherwise very black and white moral comparison between the two men. It serves as an interesting conflict of the morality of kinslaying compared to what readers might see as a moral obligation of getting rid of a monster such as Ramsay; contrasting Shireen whose death would not be seen as worth it by most. Ramsay as a bastard (who was almost killed at birth if he hadnt been able to prove his paternity) also makes for an interesting verbal parallel with the bastard Edric Storm, and might be used for a look at the utilitarian principle of killing a child (baby ramsay/edric) to save countless people from suffering that underpinned Edric's story.

"As Faulkner says, all of us have the capacity in us for great good and for great evil, for love but also for hate. I wanted to write those kinds of complex character in a fantasy, and not just have all the good people get together to fight the bad guy." - Grrm

"Robert, I ask you, what did we rise against Aerys Targaryen for, if not to put an end to the murder of children?" - Eddard VIII, aGoT

"If Joffrey should die . . . what is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?" - "Everything," said Davos, softly. - Davos V, aSoS

However Grrm decides to present these conflicts or which actions the characters will take in the end, it will result in interesting discussion and analysis for the readers.

His Endgame?

Looking at the trends of the past books, it is probably going to be hard to predict any specific outcome; every book introduces new characters and plot elements that were impossible to predict from the last book even if their thematic importance or setup was aptly foreshadowed.

Roose has a lot of plot importance and characterization that has, in my opinion, not yet been properly resolved in a way that would be unique and poignant to the specific purpose his character appears to fulfil. However I also have a bias in that i did not like the show's writing of that scene which makes me averse to see a version of it in the books, and i really like Roose as a character and want to see him have more scenes in the next book(s). This leads me to discount plot speculation that cuts his character arc short offscreen early. Roose is only a side character; however, i have trust in grrm's writing abilities and that he would give him a proper sendoff that feels satisfying to a fan of the character.

"…even the [characters] who are complete bastards, nasty, twisted, deeply flawed human beings with serious psychological problems… When I get inside their skin and look out through their eyes, I have to feel a certain — if not sympathy, certainly empathy for them. I have to try to perceive the world as they do, and that creates a certain amount of affection." — George Martin

Considering my earlier analyis, there is a case to be made for Roose killing Ramsay; however it appears grrm might have a different endgame in mind for Ramsay, foreshadowed in Chett's prologue:

There'd be no lord's life for the leechman's son, no keep to call his own, no wives nor crowns. Only a wildling's sword in his belly, and then an unmarked grave. The snow's taken it all from me . . . the bloody snow . . . - Chett, aSoS

I tend to think something might happen to Roose/the Bolton bloc later in the book that would cause Ramsay to attempt to flee the scene again like he did back in aCoK fleeing Rodrik's justice; perhaps Ramsay is sent out to battle but then flees it like a coward, or he sees his cause as lost. This time, the fleeing and potentially disguised Ramsay would not make it out to safety though, and get killed without being recognized as Ramsay, dying forgotten. This would serve as dramatic irony since Ramsay so strongly desired to be recognized and respected as a Lord of Bolton, without being too on the nose.

As for Roose, i could see him getting captured and somehow brought to justice (either when someone takes Winterfell or in some sort of battle). I see it unlikely that he will be backstabbed like Robb was, because it seems very "eye for an eye" and ultimately doesn't teach much of a lesson except "he had it coming"; But the various people conspiring against him could lead to his capture by betraying him (giving a payoff to the northern conspiracies and the red wedding). I would find a scene of him standing trial interesting since i believe we didn't have one of these for a true non-pov villain yet, and it would be an interesting confrontation that he cannot escape from (he also loves to talk so it would be a good read to see him make a case for himself).

I assume Roose will be out of the picture when the Other plot finally properly kicks into gear (whether dead or "in prison"). With Stannis as a false Azor Ahai and Roose as a false Other (with his pale, cold features), their struggle in the north seems to be a representation of the false "Game of Thrones" that distracts people from the "real threat" of the Others.

As always this is just my opinion, and it could all go very differently in the books! There could always be something that completely uproots my analysis and goes into a direction i did not expect from the material we had; But i have fate that Grrm as a writer will deliver and give me something i can be satisfied with.

#asks #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #roose bolton #valyrianscrolls #a song of ice and fire #not art #anonymous

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yetaeso · 3 years ago

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i finally finished watching light on me. sorry for being ia, i had some irl stuff going on so i didn't really get to watch many bls in a long time. BUT i did finish this one and oh boy do i have quite a few things to say.

first of all, shin woo. that boy might just be one of the best characters ever written. and he is in all aspects a character worthy of being called a comfort character. and not in a "he is so perfect, i wanna marry him" sort of way. he is far from perfect, which is basically normal and very REAL given the fact that perfect people don't exist. so i really like that they showed him as a very good person with some struggles and traumas that resulted in him not acting all kind and nice at the first glance. i like that realness in the show where a character who is basically gay doesn't go around being "i'm gay", but he also doesn't go around hiding who he truly is. (don't get me wrong, both situations are valid but there are also people who just don't give a fuck about going around denying or confirming their sexuality as if that's something that matters, just let people love each other, gay people don't owe you an explanation). he just chooses not to say anything and not denying means people are gonna spread rumors and he just doesn't care and i absolutely adore that about him. sure, it took a lot of struggle and bullying and wishing he wasn't who he is, so he would now be like "i am who i am and i don't give a heck what you have to say about it". but then again, he is definitely NOT perfect. he isn't very sweet and hostile, he isn't talkative, but he is good. he loves tae so much. he makes him feel so good. he loves his friends to the point he would give up his own happiness to save theirs. we saw how he gave up on tae so da on would be happy. and the things he does for both of them are just so precious. that boy is a very good character and i enjoyed watching him. not to mention that kang yoo seok is an absolute beauty and he rocked this character !!

i don't have much to say about tae kyung. he is a very complex character, definitely not so easy to read. he is a bit weird, different. not necessarily in a bad way, but definitely not a person you can meet whenever. i like that uniqueness about him. he just says and shows what he feels and means and it's a good trait. sure, it can make his feelings get hurt very easy, but he likes to feel everything raw and just move on if it doesn't work or stay there if it does. he has no time to waste. i feel like he wants to feel it all and if it doesn't work, he will be sad for a while, but he won't dwell on it. it's a good character, definitely something we need in the bl representation more.

SHIN DA ON !!! I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS ONE !!! i hate how easily he became my comfort character the moment i played the first episode. the pure kindness in his heart, the constant need to help and please others because he just wants to be noticed and appreciated SO BAD, but constantly fails to be so. and i blame all that family trauma for it. his parents suck real bad. but, as i said, he too isn't perfect, but while shin woo doesn't want to prove anything and just lives his life how he wants to, on the other hand, da on tries his best to please and make everyone else proud and happy, no matter if it makes him comfortable or not. but you know what they say: you can be so good to someone and they will still break you apart with no mercy. and that's what everyone does to da on. e v e r y o n e , starting from his own parents up to his friends (not considering tae, shin woo, shi woon and mr seo) and up to the girl who claims to love him and all those random people who always asked for all sorts of favors but never appreciated it enough. he tried so hard to fit into that mold other people made and even though he got blisters on his palms and tears behind his eyes and even though his limbs ache from trying to fit in SO BAD, he did it so flawlessly for such a long time, never showing that he actually isn't okay at all. and it absolutely pains me. because his character is a good character who just tried to be liked by everyone, he wanted to prove that he was worth the love and affection and good enough for people to consider him a friend, or a son or a lover. but people just never appreciated it enough. that's why he couldn't be a person tae kyung likes, he couldn't be someone who is not considered likable in a society that he tried so hard to please. and i understand that. being a queer person in this world is very hard on it's own, adding his insecurities and trauma on top of it is even worse. he felt like he couldn't handle it, like it wasn't supposed to be like this. and in that constant need to prove himself to others, he kind of lost the track of his own self. he doesn't know how to love who he truly is, not because he doesn't want it, but because he has no idea who he is. and i think that's something he needs to work on FIRST before getting a lover, before breaking any more hearts. and i adore how he actually ended up changing and figuring that part out at the end. slowly, but he is getting there. i think he understood it eventually, too. that's why he gave up on tae when he saw that things just don't work like that. we miss chances sometimes and as much as it can be painful and as much as we regret them, we can't get them back and da on knows it. he finally knows it. and i'm happy for him, he is finally learning who he is. and my opinion is that he deserves all the happiness in the world. i fell so deeply for him.

i didn't want him to end up with taekyung, not because i thought he wasn't fitting, but because i felt he needed to explore himself more. he deserves love, so much love. and i hope someone will be able to give it to him eventually.

i won't say much about so hee. she is that typical girl in bl dramas that has to ruin something lol. but i'm glad she ended up figuring out her mistakes and that she fixed whatever she could in the end. it shows some kind of growth even though i could never forget what she did to da on. you don't hurt the people you love.

haet bit is a good teacher, a good senior. i adore him so much, he is just a ball of fluff and sunshine. all those things he did for his students and taekyung make me feel so emo. really a senior you could wish for.

and of course i saved best for the last. my precious baby shi woon. one little ironic, funny and caring mf. i fell in love with him in the first episode. he is just so perfectly good and nice to his friends and he has no chill if u dare say shit or do stuff to his friends and i absolutely live for that. he is a huge marshmallow in general but if you dare touch his friends, he will bite your hand off. i like how he just knows everything but choses to stay quiet in some situations and then help in other WHEN it seems fitting enough, he really cares a lot. the scene where he is pretending to barf in front of shin woo and tae flirting still gets me.

overall, this series was a great experience and i really enjoyed it. it wasn't too deep, too smutty or anything like that, but it was very fun and very meaningful and it just showed the real side of being a teenager. i'm not saying all bls should be smutty, deep or stuff like that btw. i'm just saying, it was a package where nothing outdid the other, like kissing scenes weren't better than deepness of it and the other way around. it was a little package and everything was not too much, but just enough. i really really liked it. i give this series a 9/10. it was a great experience and if i have time, i would want to rewatch it. absolutely gorgeous. <3

#bl series #bl couple #bl drama #bl shows #light on me #light on me the series #woo taekyung #noh shinwoo #shin daon #nam goong shi woon #seo haet bit #lee so hee #shinwoo x taekyung #taekyung x daon

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cheri-translates · 4 years ago

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Gavin’s Official Art Book (Eng Translation)

Credits to @minjee98 for sending me photos of Gavin’s official art book and requesting this translation!

This post contains details on Gavin’s outfits, items, backgrounds, and interviews with his CN voice actor, the Copywriting Team, Art Team, and Production team.

More: Kiro l Lucien l Black Swan l STF l NPCs l Loveland City

💙 GAVIN’S OUTFITS 💙

[ Leather Jacket ]

Like a gust of wind blowing from a time of youth, coursing through very long years, Gavin appeared before you. An unruly and intractable smile, a relaxed tone, and the corner of his shirt riding up with the wind at the front seat of the motorcycle...

Back then, you wouldn’t have thought that he would be holding onto your hand like this, accompanying you through countless sceneries.

[Note] Something cute is that the word “sceneries” in Chinese is 风景 (“feng jing”), which directly translates to “wind view”

[ Uniform - Jacket Version ]

If it weren’t for Gavin bringing you to the Special Task Force and telling you about the Black Swan organisation, you would have continued living in ignorance.

Shouldn’t you be glad that he was willing to tell you everything? It’s only because of this that you knew you had been protected all along, and could finally stand by his side.

[ Gavin’s Shirt ]

If a rainbow is a delight after a rainfall, and two rainbows are a delight of a coincidental destiny, the three rainbows that you and Gavin saw must definitely be a unique miracle.

As long as you’re with him, the two of you can definitely create even more miracles belonging only to the both of you.

[ Shirt and Pants ]

The summer wind, his mildly bashful smile, the white shirt with its slightly rolled up sleeves, and the side profile with the blue coloured roof reflected in his pupils.

There’s no need to specially reminisce that summer day spent coursing through the river of love with Gavin. It’s definitely shimmering brightly in your memories all along, isn’t it?

[ Swimming Attire]

Riding the waves on a surfboard, playing the bass underneath the lights, using a light cough to cover his shyness... These are the most beautiful memories of that year’s summer.

Back then, when you had looked into Gavin’s eyes, did you suddenly feel that your entire life would pass like this?

[ Camo Jacket ]

On the day of releasing Pearly, the sunlight was warm and bright. A slight wind was blowing up strands of stray hair. Gavin held onto you, the two of you embracing the sunlight and wind.

Do you still remember? Him promising you the rest of his life back then, the bright amber of his eyes, and the answer you had given.

You said that you’d never let go of his hand.

[ Silver Grey Suit ]

You never would have thought the so-called “Meeting the Parents” would be such a nerve-racking thing.

It’s a good thing Gavin donned a well-fitting suit and appeared in time, protecting you from all sorts of tricky questions posed by your relatives. Or else you’d have been disorientated from the questions early on.

[ Swordsman Outfit ]

Which incident left the deepest impression on you during that year’s Qixi Festival? Was it Gavin’s swordsman appearance, his tender gaze under the moonlight, or was it... the sense of suffocation when you found out that his wire was broken?

If prayers truly worked, you would have been willing to make a prayer to the gods and spirits: Please don’t let him be put in danger again.

[ Wedding Attire ]

Although the wedding was just a filming activity, have you ever secretly anticipated it?

That path of fresh flowers the two of you walked along together, those bright and resplendent moments, and that person who had held onto you as you walked forward...

Being with him like this has commenced the true start of your lives.

[ Black Jacket ]

The first time you spent Valentine’s Day with Gavin, the first time you received an exorbitant gift from him, the first time the two of you drank from the same beverage...

On that day, you experienced so many memorable firsts. And to him, these memories are definitely just as precious.

[ Army Attire ]

The pitch-black uniform and gloves, medals flashing with a cold light, and ice-cold handcuffs... You’ve probably never seen such a Gavin.

But even if he doesn’t recognise you at all, he will continue stopping you from getting involved in danger, and will keep your lost bracelet properly.

No matter what, he has always been a tender person.

[ School Attire ]

He’s already hurt but still has a look of happiness and wants to play basketball - are all boys like that?

Can’t you easily imagine how a young Gavin was definitely the type to lead a bunch of small boys at the front with the broadest smile on his face as they ran towards the basketball court!

💙 GAVIN’S ITEMS 💙

Communication device - I carry it on me. It’s indispensable.

Gloves - An accompaniment when on missions. When I’m with you, I'll take them off.

Photograph together - Every moment related to us and worthy of remembering have been properly stored.

Photoshoot pictures - Because it has to do with you, I [ I CAN’T READ HIS HANDWRITING ]

Universe cake - Only you can fulfil my wish.

Astral stone - That was the last time [ I CAN’T READ HIS HANDWRITING ]

Cute hair tie - I’ll only be like this in front of you.

Touchscreen phone - Don’t bother about the rumours from school. Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell them all to you.

Shampoo - Next time, I’ll help wash your hair again.

Police badge - Memories of you in high school surface in his mind... it was truly a counter of a rebellious youth.

Bullets

Soft pillow

Ginkgo leaves

Letter

Phone keychain

Gavin’s house key

Lavender eye mask

Ginger tea

💙 BACKGROUNDS 💙

[ Gavin’s Room ]

Ever since the two of you reunited, life has gradually entered this minimalist-styled room. Without realising it, photographs of the two of you have appeared on the neat and tidy work desk. And the gloves you gave to him have been placed in the most eye-catching spot in the closet.

[ Gavin’s Kitchen ]

The kitchen, which didn’t have a full collection of ingredients, was gradually imbued with the smell of soot. The two of you have made several failed dishes together, but each time, he’ll smile and finish everything. The next time, will the both of you be able to overcome the curse of “dark cuisine” together?

[ Special Task Force Office ]

Here, you found out about the secrets of the Special Task Force, and also found out that the righteousness he has been steadfast in is hard-won. After that, he may never step into this place again. But you definitely trust in the conviction of his words.

[ Castle Steps ]

When he held onto you, walking up that serene spiral staircase, your heart was beating even faster than usual, wasn’t it? Did it stem purely from an anticipation of an unknown scenery, or was it from the unending stream of warmth from his palm?

💙 INTERVIEWS 💙

[ Interview with Ah Jie, the voice actor for Gavin ]

“I hope that while he remains steadfast to his convictions, he can live each day happily and optimistically.”

Q1: Teacher Ah Jie, having interacted with Gavin for such a long time, do you have any new insights regarding him?

Ah Jie: Mm, I do, a little. The most obvious thing would be how he has recently returned to his original self. Actually, things related to his mother, and the attitude his father adopts when interacting with him, have to a large extent changed his personality and the way he handles things. I still hope that while he remains steadfast to his convictions, he can live each day happily and optimistically. Love can make one more cheerful and carefree, and it’s pretty good.

Q2: Are there any characteristics of Gavin you appreciate a lot?

Ah Jie: I find one thing good about Gavin - the way he strongly perseveres in what he has decided upon. No matter whether it’s in terms of righteousness, his convictions, or feelings - once he decides on it, he’ll move forward without hesitation.

Q3: What do you think of Gavin’s Evol?

Ah Jie: I initially wanted to possess it, but... it’s not very useful considering Beijing’s weather. If his Evol was sufficiently powerful, could it blow away the smog? I’ll find a chance to ask him some other day.

Q4: Is there anything you’ve always wanted to tell Gavin, but haven’t?

Ah Jie: Even though he isn’t the type who knows how to hold a conversation with girls, he has changed for the better recently, and it’s a very large improvement. However, there’s no need to specially change. I think girls like how he is right now.

Q5: Has Teacher Ah Jie recently chanced upon a restaurant which you want to bring Gavin to?

Ah Jie: I recently discovered a very delicious and very spicy place. Next time, I’ll arrange to have supper with him there, haha.

[ Interview with the Copywriting Team ]

“He should be free and unfettered.”

Q1: The storyline of the game has several science fiction elements. What made you consider including science fiction elements in a game targeted at females?

Actually, we felt that romance is often underestimated. Love isn’t simply effete language without substance, or honeyed words. Love can give us courage, and bring us to a whole new world, opening new journeys, finding your unlimited self. A romance story is naturally appropriate to be melded with any other motifs. In love, we can explore various issues: personal growth, contradictions in society, the truth of civilisation, the rise and fall of history... The story we wish to convey to the players is one of “the cruel competition between love and power”. This isn’t just a complex story with science fiction elements. Actually, it’s also very related to the lives of every person.

Q2: As an Evol agent, does Gavin work 365 without rest?

No, but he has to be prepared to accept sudden missions.

Q3: Why couldn’t Gavin keep Greenie alive?

He watered it too much.

Q4: If he uses his Evol, what’s the highest point Gavin can reach through flight?

As long as he wants to, he can fly as high as he wants.

Q5: Does Gavin really like eating noodles?

It’s not to the extent of "really liking” it. it’s just that he finds it convenient.

Q6: When deciding on Gavin’s Evol, were there any special considerations?

We felt that he should be free and unfettered, just like... a gust of free and easy wind.

Q7: In the process of interacting, does Gavin have any difficult-to-spot “moe points”?

His slightly clumsy way of expressing his care and consideration. For instance, asking “Were you happy to ride it once more” after taking the Ferris wheel.

Q8: In the 2018 Qixi Festival event, Gavin’s ancient garb left a deep impression on people. Why did you design Gavin this way?

A swordsman who comes and goes without a trace. A swordsman who can rush to the skies even after falling off a cliff.

Q9: Is Gavin a dog or a cat person?

Dog.

Q10: What do you think is Gavin’s most classic line? How did you think of it?

“As long as you’re in the wind, I can sense you.”

It just came out very naturally in the plot - that Gavin would say something like that.

Q11: In relation to Gavin, are there any scenes that you’ve always wanted to write but haven’t fulfilled yet?

More scenes imbued with the feeling of a youthful romance. For instance, kissing at the rooftop staircase. I hope it can be arranged soon.

[ Interview with the Art Team ]

“Your photograph must be placed even on the workbench of the secret base!”

Q1: In relation to the various scenes in Loveland City, are there are any real life references?

The answer to this question has already been discovered by some meticulous players. We have indeed made references to a few real sceneries, such as the The Bund.

We want to give players the sense that the romance is happening right next to them, which is why we’ve brought our city’s scenery into the game, so everyone can feel a sense of familiarity and realism.

Q2: Art Sisters, what you think of the “Papergames Art Style” as coined by players? What is the biggest difference between the art style in Mr Love Queen’s Choice and other games by Papergames?

Actually, we don’t really understand the meaning of “Papergames Art Style”, and we don’t know what it means specifically. It probably refers to how the tone and atmosphere are more clear and romantic? Even our own department finds that the art styles from different games are very different. In making a comparison, Mr Love Queen’s Choice is much “harder” (laughs). After all, our main characters are four adult men. Right now, the style is basically “hard but not coarse” - there are parts which require meticulousness and delicateness, yet can’t be too soft.

Q3: Have you ever considered changing Gavin’s hairstyle, for instance giving him a crew cut?

Based on his personality, he might have thought about it. After all, a crew cut is very convenient. But come to think of it, does everyone really want to see him with a crew cut?

Q4: Where does Gavin typically buy his clothes? Online or in the shopping mall?

When he thinks it’s about time to buy clothes, he’ll find time to go to the mall. Occasionally, he buys them online.

Q5: How many different scars does Gavin have on his body?

There are some especially obvious scars on his collarbone and back. There are many other non-obvious ones in other places.

Q6: Why is there such a big difference between Gavin’s initial design and the final design? Initially, why did you give him that somewhat “smart” hairstyle?

Actually, we tried out many different types of hairstyles in the beginning. Then, we selected the one which was most suitable, and then refined it. The “smart” hairstyle was just one of many.

Q7: How many different outfits does Gavin have currently?

It’s difficult to say. After all, he does keep buying new clothes. A guy’s closet is the same as a woman’s - forever missing one shirt, a pair of pants, a pair of shoes, a watch...

Q8: Flowers appear frequently in the game. Could I ask the Art Team which flower best suits Gavin?

White lilac.

Q9: When it comes to Gavin’s home decor, what do the Art Sisters find the most special?

What’s special lies in “the warmth only you know about”.

Although the monochrome colours appear cold and cool, the details reveal the dribs and drabs of your lives: Outside the windows, you can see ginkgo trees which a harbour special meaning to the two of you. Atop the shelf in front of the window sits the strong “Greenie No. N+1″. Your photograph must be placed even on the workbench of the secret base!

Q10: What’s most difficult to grasp about Gavin?

The ahoge on Gavin’s head should point in the opposite direction of the wind.

[ Interview with the Production Team ]

“He gives people a sense of security, like the ‘Ah Sir’ in Hong Kong films!”

Q1: Why did you produce a game like “Love and Producer”?

Producers: Since 2015, our company has already started producing this game. As a mobile game with romance at its core, it’s something not many companies have tried before. The company had a lot of discussions on the possibility of it. In the end, we decided to do it, and the reason for making constant iterations, updates, and persevering after three years is especially simple. No matter what age you are, no matter whether you’ve dated before, no matter whether you're married and have your own family, we believe that in every woman’s heart, there remains an anticipation for romance and heart-stirring experiences. Which is why we believe “Love and Producer” has a reason for its existence. This belief has always guided our production and operation process, and we hope we can continuously bring even more beautiful romance experiences to everyone in the future.

Q2: Where did the name of the game “Love and Producer” come from?

Producers: I don’t know if anyone remembers that in the very beginning, our tagline on the official website has always been “Love and dreams need to meet their match.” Why is this game called “Love and Producer”? That’s because the link between you and him not only encompasses the narrow scope of love, but also permeates into to your life journey together.

Q3: Are there any deeply hidden “Easter eggs”? Could you disclose them to us?

Producers: They aren’t really that hidden, but there are indeed some “Easter eggs” which should have already been discovered by some players. For instance, you can see a certain poster during City Strolls. In “Go See Him”, the coupling of certain outfits and sceneries could bring out a few hidden lines. We welcome everyone to give it a try.

Q4: If you were to catch criminals together with Gavin, how could you help him?

Producers: After much thought, we might only be bait...

Q5: What do the people in the Production team call Gavin?

Producers: Gavin, Old Gav, Lil Gav, Bro Gav.

Q6: How do the males in the production team view Gavin?

Producers: An envoy of righteousness, he gives people a sense of security, like the ‘Ah Sir’ in Hong Kong films!”. But sometimes, he’s like Andy Chan.

Q7: If you had Gavin’s Evol, what would you use it for?

Producers: Of course, I'll go for a flight!

Q8: If there comes a day when you can be as fearless as Gavin, what would you want to do most?

Producers: Serve... serve the motherland?

Q9: Lastly, do you have anything to say to the players?

Producers: This interaction between the Production Team and the players is already sufficient enough to cherish. The world we created has only become perfect because of your participation. Our days alongside Loveland City have already become an important stamp in our lives. This world is still constantly becoming richer and broader. Kindly look forward to it!

#mlqc #mlqc gavin

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bitletsanddrabbles · 3 years ago

Text

Maybe I don’t pay enough attention to fans of other characters.

Maybe I’m just too hot and too tired.

Maybe this year has entirely too good a job of driving home that my only value to society is as a ‘worthy cause’ that they can support when there isn’t something more important for them to concentrate on and the best thing I can do for the world is keep quiet.

But I seriously think that the reason everyone is so dissatisfied with how Julian Fellowes writes Thomas Barrow, why we’re so quick to point out how much he sucks at writing gay people, is because we the audience treat Thomas differently than everyone else because he’s gay.

With every other character Julian was allowed to explore what an individual in their position might be like. Robert is one Earl, not representative of All Earls; Cora is the only American Heiress, but she not The Token American; until the movie Mrs. Hughes is the only housekeeper we’ve seen, but she doesn’t stand for Housekeepers or even Scottish People. They are allowed to be themselves first and foremost and their status simply dictates how individual selves are expressed.

Thomas isn’t important as a character, he’s important as a gay guy. His value as an individual hinges entirely on his liking men. It’s not enough that his creator thought about what it would be like being gay in a repressive society, stuck in the middle of Yorkshire rather than the Queer Mecca of London. It doesn’t matter that there are gay people out there – particularly people in unsafe situations – that connect with the character and use that connection to get through the day. It really, really doesn’t mean a damn thing that JF bothered to acknowledge the fact gays – and working class gays at that - existed in a show about the decline of the aristocracy as seen through the lives of people in a country house.

What matters is that JF had the unmitigated gall to introduce a gay guy in a story that wasn’t going to be all about him and queer politics. If he wasn’t going take an entire season, minimum, to show us the London drag balls and the night life and get Thomas a good, steady boyfriend (we can skip the whole ‘hand jobs in the urinals’ thing...promiscuity is for other gays, not our Thomas), he couldn’t do it right. The good parts of history are, as always, the ones that important to remember, not those beastly police raids and such.

There are days when I honestly, 100% wish he hadn’t bothered. I wish Thomas had just been a snarky, sneaky little brat who never so much as looked a guy. He could easily have been the childhood neglect poster boy without being gay. He could have been O’Brien’s angry, spiky little lackey without being gay. There are other motivators – so many others! - that could have been called into play to create basically the exact same character. And the story didn’t need gay rep, JF just put it in because he thought it was an important part of history and should be acknowledged.

Hell, I probably would have still written him as gay. Or bi. Or straight with an exception. Whatever. If he’d simply not been assigned a sexuality and been nothing more than a complex, spiky little brat whose parents had kinda sucked at parenting, I’d have had fun pairing him will all sorts of guys. Most of my fan fiction would have turned out exactly the same.

I’m sure people could even have still found plenty of reasons to call the heterosexual cys white male aristocrat a talentless hack…who wrote six seasons of pure rubbish that we just watched because the actors made it good.

Maybe that would have been kinda of an insult to the inspiration, though. Maybe it would be bad to straighten out the guy he was based on. The guy we know nothing about other than JF knew him and he was in the theater.

The guy who makes me wonder if maybe there was a reason Thomas wasn’t supposed to survive the first season and wound up cutting his wrists in season six.

But hey, he’s not the queer rep in our show, so he’s not important either. Not really.

And that’s all from the chick in the back whose Lesbian License should be revoked for repeatedly letting down the team and just wanting to be treated like a Normal God Damned Person. I’m going to take at least one week break (although it should really be a month, minimum).

#downton abbey #thomas barrow #no i'm not alright #not remotely #but i'll surrivive #i always do #even if the world is making a damn compelling argument right now

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itsclydebitches · 4 years ago

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Voyager. Now that’s a kettle of fish. Obviously watch/enjoy whatever you wish, but I do recommend also checking out SFDebris’ reviews of the episodes (he’s the rwde of Voyager). He is a lot smarter and more eloquent than me.

Putting these two asks together since my thoughts on both are all jumbled!

Now, I want to emphasize that I’ve only watched the first 16 episodes (Season One + Season 2 premiere), so idk if Voyager is going to go seriously downhill later on, but right now I do really like it. And not in a, “Lol yeah compared to the other crap on it’s good, I guess” way, but in a completely honest, “It has its flaws, but is overall a solid, compelling show with lovable characters” way. Out of curiosity I watched SFDebris’ review of “Phage,” though I’m afraid I didn’t agree with it. The only part were I was like, “Yeah okay” was pointing out that they had the Doctor using a keypad when he supposedly wasn’t solid, but that’s precisely the sort of continuity error that, in an otherwise strong show, I’m willing to shrug off. For all the major points, it sounds like SFDebris is concerned primarily with the show he wants Voyager to be, rather than the show Voyager actually is. Which I know sounds familiar--I’ve heard that criticism leveled at my own work: “You just want RWBY to be a totally different show”--but the difference is that Voyager is a part of an established franchise, following three other TV shows, an animated series, and a collection of films. It’s not an original show (like RWBY) that can take itself in any direction the story may need/claim to want (again, RWBY). It has a brand and those established characteristics seem to be bumping up against SFDebris’ critiques:

Hating Neelix as a character - You’re supposed to hate him. Or at least find him frustrating (I don’t personally hate him) because that’s what all the characters are grappling with too. From Tuvok forced to have an awkward conversation while Neelix is in the bath to Janeway dealing with him taking over her dining room, Neelix’s conflict revolves around how others learn to accept him. Star Trek as a franchise is about “Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.” Voyager begins with the problem of how the trained Federation officers are supposed to work with the more violent Maquis. Difference doesn’t just create “Wow, you’re so amazing!” reactions, it also includes frustration, disagreement, and outright hostility. Creating an outsider character with a kind heart but incredibly overbearing personality is a great way to test the other characters’ convictions. Do they actually care about all life in the universe? Or do they only care about life when they personally find it palatable? Having Neelix around is a great reminder for them--and the viewer--that just because someone annoys you at times doesn’t mean they’re any less worthy of love, respect, and companionship. It also doesn’t mean they don’t have something to offer: he keeps the crew fed even if his cooking is horrible, he provides information about this area of space even if he sometimes gets it wrong, we roll our eyes at the “Morale Officer” stuff, but Neelix does provide much needed perspective for characters like Tuvok. If Neelix made fewer mistakes, stopped bugging the crew, became a “cooler” character for the audience to root for rather than be frustrated by... a lot of the point of his character would be lost.

Frustration about discoveries not carrying over to the next episode - AKA, the crew finds inanely powerful, alien tech and then (presumably) never uses it again. This would indeed be a big problem in a serialized story (like RWBY) but Voyager maintains much of Star Trek’s original, episodic nature. Though we have continuity in the form of them inching towards home and evolving as characters, the world still resets to a certain point at the end of each episode. This is what allows Star Trek to explore so many different questions and have so many different adventures. If you demand that serialized continuity--this character needs to have an arc to deal with this traumatic experience, the crew has to follow the thread they just discovered, our Doctor needs to do something with the new tech they just found--then you lose the variety that Star Trek is known for. Instead of a new story each week (or, occasionally, across two weeks) you’ve got a single story spanning months. Neither form is better or worse than the other, it’s absolutely a preference, but there’s a very specific, structural, intentional reason why the characters “forget” about the things they’ve discovered and, at times, experienced. Unlike Ozpin forgetting that he has a nuke in his cane for seven volumes, or Ruby forgetting to use her eyes at crucial points, Star Trek deliberately sets things aside to ensure there’s room for new ideas and questions next episode.

Janeway doesn’t kill the Vidiians to get Neelix his lungs back - No Starfleet captain would. At least, not during this period of Star Trek. Sisko has development in that regard (making morally gray choices), but that’s built into the heart of the show from the start: he’s on a station, not a starship, that is jointly run by the Federation and the Bajorans, and built by the Cardassians. The rules of the Federation always had a tenuous hold there and Sisko as a character always pushed the boundary of the Federations expectations (Q: “Picard never hit me!”) Janeway, in contrast, is 100% a Federation captain and, more importantly, has explicitly told her crew that they will be operating as a Federation vessel, despite being so far from home. That’s the conflict between the officers and the Maquis. That’s why Tuvok accepts the alien tech in “Prime Factors,” recognizing that Janeway can’t. That’s why Seska is a compelling antagonist, pressuring the crew to abandon their ideals for survival. The series (or at least that first season) revolves around questions about identity and whether they’re willing to give that identity up now that they’re out from under the Federation’s thumb. Overwhelmingly, they choose not to... which would make murdering the Vidiian a complete 180 for her character. We’re not necessarily supposed to agree with Janeway’s choice, we’re supposed to acknowledge that murdering another sentient being is not some simple choice to make, especially when you’re a leader devoted to a certain set of ideals. We’re supposed to recognize the challenges here (many of which SFDebris doesn’t acknowledge) like how you’re supposed to keep a prisoner for the next 75 years when you’re already struggling to feed and take care of the crew you have, or the fact that they claim to take organs from dead bodies and this was a rare time when they couldn’t. (It’s only in “Faces” that we learn this is complete BS and they actively kidnap people to work as slaves and then be harvested.) The frustration that Janeway doesn’t act here stems from wanting her to be a character who is, fundamentally, not a Star Trek captain.

Granted, I only watched one review, but that’s what the whole thing felt like: wanting a series that’s not Star Trek. Something without a token, challenging character, without hand-wavy science, that’s more serialized, and doesn’t adhere to a “do no harm” code. (I just started “Initiations” and Chakotay asks a vessel to stand down three times, while actively being attacked, before finally retaliating and then he tries to reestablish communications and then he warns them about their engine and then he beams them aboard his shuttle. That’s what Star Trek (usually) is: that idealized love of life, even when that life is actively hostile). And like, that’s obviously fine! As you say, Flawartist, “watch/enjoy whatever you wish,” but just based on this one review I wonder if SFDebris just wants something other than Star Trek.

I think one of the reasons why I feel passionately about this (beyond my love of context and recognizing when shows are actively trying to accomplish something specific) is that I went through this with DS9. For years I heard about how horrible the show was. It’s trash. It’s a mess. It’s not TNG, so don’t even bother. Or, if you do, be prepared for disappointment. There was this whole, strong rhetoric about how silly it all is--Star Trek is, by default, silly, so supposedly only the Shakespeare loving, archeology obsessed captain is sophisticated enough to save it--and then... I found nothing of the sort. I mean yeah, obviously Star Trek is silly as hell (that’s part of its charm), but DS9 was also a complex, nuanced look into everything from personal agency to the threat of genocide. There’s so much wonderful storytelling there... little of which made it into my cultural understanding of DS9. And now I’m seeing the same thing with Voyager. When I did some quick googling I was bombarded by articles saying how bad it is and now I have an ask comparing it to a show I don’t think has even a quarter of the heart the Star Trek franchise does. Which is is not AT ALL meant as a knock against you, anon. I’m just fascinated by this cultural summary of Star Trek: TOS is ridiculous but fun if you’re willing to ignore large swaths of it, TNG is a masterpiece and that’s that, DS9 is bad, Voyager is bad, and to be frank I haven’t heard much of anything about Enterprise. It’s weird! Because I watch these shows and I’m like, “Holy shit there’s so much good storytelling here.” Is it perfect? Not on your life, but it’s trying in a way that I can really appreciate. It’s Star Trek and Star Trek (at least at the time) meant something pretty specific. Criticisms about divisive characters or idealized forgiveness feel like walking out of a Fast and Furious film and going, “There was too much driving and silly combat. Why didn’t they just fix the situation in this easy way?” Because then we wouldn’t have a film about lots of driving and silly combat! If you make all the characters palatable, make Janeway harder, extend the impact of all the discoveries, remove the ridiculous science that doesn’t make any sense... then you don’t have Star Trek anymore.

#star trek #ST #mymeats #flawartist

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some-dr-writings · 4 years ago

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Gundham x Reader one-shot: Seasons of Love

Spring, the season of new beginnings and the blossoming of life, that was when he had first met you. It was towards the beginning of the school year. With his ever-loyal Devas by his side he had set out to explore this new domain, after all he and his companions would be living in such a large facility for the next three years, knowing the lay of the land would be useful.

Stepping out onto the field he found himself trailing along it on a stone pathway. Sparse wispy clouds speckled the sky, the sun’s rays so warm and inviting while the air cool, for a moment one might think they were high up in the mountains. Which made it even more of a surprise when his Devas skittered away! Gundham kept a vigilant eye out, allowing them to wander for a moment since they were likely getting antsy from being in his scarf all day in an unfamiliar place. What he found curious though, was who they ran straight too. A person in Victorian gothic clothing, looking dreadfully exhausted, sighing as they flipped through a writing pad. They sat on the stone planter which held a small cherry tree. Several of the petals had fallen atop them, so simple and plain, beautifully contrasting with the more complex designs in their clothes. Even their posture, how they carried theirself, there was this sort of contrasting elegance to it. Slumped over, resting their chin in their palm, their legs crossed, foot swaying to the beat of some tune unknown to Gundham.

“Hmm? Oh, hello little ones. Come out here to revel in the splendor nature has given us today as well?” They looked to the Devas who scurried about beside them. They lightly chuckled, placing down their writing pad. “You seem to be in lively spirits. I should hope your time has been in better graces than mine and you’ve not come here for shelter from some beast which may wish to harm you.” They raised a brow, smirking at the Devas’ chattering. They sifted through a bag they had beside them and took out something. “My, since you have dared to be brave enough to travers these horrent plains, I suppose you do deserve a reward.” They gave each one a seed from the bag in hand. “Hold thy tongue for a moment and answer me this. You hold a high enough power level to speak with the Four Dark Devas of Destruction!?” “So the Overlord himself finally approaches.” They glanced to him, briefly shaking their head before their attention had returned to the Devas. “Sadly, that is not a power I hold, though one I would give much to achieve. Having created and traversed many worlds, even if I may not understand the language I may read and interpret action and tone. That is the power of Y/N, the stringer of fates, the Super High School Level Playwright.”

With tired eyes you gave him a strained smile. “Hmm, I see. Not as powerful as myself or the Dark Devas, yet still much higher in level than a mere mortal. I’ll grace you with my name, never forget it for I am Gundham Tanaka, the Supreme Overlord of Ice. This is the name that shall rule the world!” He sat beside you, the Devas immediately hopping into his lap or burrowing into his scarf. “I can’t seem to find your true power though, an impenetrable fog has consumed thy being, making searching out your true form nearly impossible.” “Yes, even I can not seek out myself. I am lost, unable to find my way. I had come here in search, yet all has still left me. As of moons ago, this begun, the endless chase, and now a curse most foul has befallen my world and so here I lay, frozen in time.” A sigh escaped you and you flipped through the writing pad, beautiful handwriting sprawled across every last page, and yet something seemed lacking. From what he could glean they were all dark tales, but it seemed there was no reason for such bleakness, no tale to tell through it all. Seemingly a reflection of what you were lost in, only feeding it more and more in an endless cycle.

…

“Huh?” Your drowning thoughts came to a stop hearing the pitter-patter of little paws against stone and paper, and seeing the Devas trot across the writing pad, one even perching on your shoulder. “The Devas wish for more tribute from you, but that of a different form.” A giggle soon erupted from you feeling the Devas scurry about, their whiskers tickling their neck. You held them close, a light blush spreading across your cheeks as you pet them or lead them around with treats. Man, though animal, was one step away from them. It was not often The Overlord of Ice found such beings to be beautiful, but in that moment, perhaps it was how such a person got along so well with himself and his Devas, perhaps it was how the sun rays has beamed between the leaves and how they framed your figure, perhaps it was but the spring air, perhaps it was all those, whatever the reason may be, he instantly found a connection with you, and it was one he’d like to nurture.

Summer, the season of fun and excitement, that was when you had officially gotten together. Chiaki managed to organize her rambunctious class into a trip to the beach, and Gundham had invited you, Hajime was coming along as the honorary member of the class and the others liked you, so it was no surprise to them that you had showed up.

“A castle worthy of gods to survey this new land, truly the Overlord of Ice has mastered many arts.” “Of course, for this is but one step for the Tanaka Empire, I must master all things!” You simply adored hearing that uproarious laughter as you watched his Devas race about the sandcastle. Now was your perfect chance. Suddenly that laughter was cut off, Gundham frozen for a moment wondering what exactly had happened. Seeing you giddily running away with a water gun in hand he immediately puzzled out why he was cold and wet. Thankfully you had the forethought to avoid shooting his scarf. Swiftly he scooped his beloved companions into his scarf and took the second water gun you had conveniently left behind. “Wait, San-D!? Where are you!?” A malicious cackle filled the air, even greater in power and volume than the crashing waves. He looked up finding you standing atop some large rocks by the shore. “Poor, foolish, Tanaka. Haven’t you realized it now!? San-D has joined my crew, and together we shall take over this island!” You cackled once more, San-D simply sitting on your shoulder munching on a seed. “Wha- How could this be!? You fiend! Stand down from your perch atop that treacherous cliff and face me in battle! I shall show you the true strength of Gundham Tanaka!” “Tch, how pathetic, if an Overlord of the most horrendous and dangerous of Waters wishes it, come face me yourself you coward! What kind of king of all things, even pirates such as I, are you even if you can’t reach me!?” “Fine then, I shall steal back my treasure. Pick a god and pray that you may survive this fight scoundrel of the seas!”

You dashed about, kicking up sand wherever you went. It was a fierce battle filled with betrayal and trickery; even underhanded tactics were used! “Nevermind, hide me!” “What the-” You ducked behind her just as a shot grazed past the pair of you. “Hah! No longer can yee fight, for I have captured the Queen! Take another shot and I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger!” “Not the Dark Queen!” Sonia looked between you and Gundham in confusion for a moment before noticing you had a water gun pressed to her back. “Ah, I’ve been taken hostage!” “You WHAT!” You, Gundham, and Sonia ignored Kazuichi’s panicked cry as she continued. “Don’t worry about me Tanaka, do whatever you must!” “Hah! The Overlord is much like the ice he so controls, he may seem cold hearted, but he can melt and lose his edge, he’d never attack you! Now he may never seize this day and it is mine and mine alone!” “Is that so?” Before you knew it, Sonia had done a leg sweep, knocking you onto the ground, in the process she had even taken your water gun and shot you. “Excellent move, I would have expected nothing less from the Dark Queen!” You shrieked, holding San-D, shielding the little creature as you ran from their shots. “What’s going on here!? I heard a scream!” “Nidai!” You dashed up to him, absolutely beaming. “Teach me how to be the greatest at water gun fights!” He smirked, seeing Gundham and Sonia not far away chasing after you. “Alright! Let’s do this!” He passed you a tub of water balloons from seemingly out of nowhere and that was how your battle had grown. Soon Kazuichi and others had joined your side while Akane, Hajime and others had joined Gundham and the entire shore had become a battlefront for you.

When the sun had begun to set, that orange, yellow, and purple sky was reflected across the rippling water, all had collapsed, the battle having no winners. Out of breath you sat by the shore, dried off and ready to head back to Hope’s Peak, simply waiting for the others to get ready. It was a little lonely with San-D having returned to Gundham’s side, but soon you’d be packed in a car or truck with many of the others, so you wanted to enjoy the peace and space while you could. Then… someone sat beside you, but you didn’t know who it was till several hamsters had ran across your lap. “Ah, so the Overlord of Ice, now pirate king wishes to gloat over his well won victory?” “…” “Supreme Overlord?”

Finally, you had turned to face him, finding his seemed to be lost in thought, his face partially buried in his scarf. “Wrighter of Dimensions… the world you had summoned us all to, it was an extravagant event I had not found, let alone partaken in, the like of in eons. I give you my thanks for this… Though I have yet to reach my treasure.” “Hmm? I know not of which you speak, is there a meaning undefined to me laced in your lines?” “…” He… blushed. Pulling up his scarf he attempted to hide it though. “A being such as you, only you have yet to cease to astound me. Never has there been any akin to you. As much revelry there is in locking horns, attempting to out match one another… I find… the most… the most… fantastic, most astonishing of recollections were formed when you are by my side, not across. My treasure… it not yet exists, but it is one that which can only be formed with you. I… I-I- Ugh! BE STILL MY RACING HEART!” You desperately held in telling Gundham how adorable he looked when flustered, you wanted him to take his time with this and not accidentally tease him and possibly hurt his feelings. Taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with you. “D-do you too treasure us together? If so then… would you partake in courting rituals, to… a-are you my soul’s mate?”

“o-okay.” You would have said more, spoken it within Gundham’s flowery vernacular as you always had with him, but in the moment, you mind was blank, you weren’t setting the scene or manipulating the world for a story you were just… in the moment.

“Wait, does this mean they’re dating now?” “Uhh-” “Yes, Yes, they are! I’m so glad for you Tanaka!” “Are you sure?” “Hey, if Sonia says they’re dating, they’re dating!” Gundham abruptly stood up, wiping around finding his entire class hiding behind various items and Kazuichi lighting fireworks while Ibuki began to play some rock love ballad. “WHAT SORT OF DEVILRY IS THIS!?” Chiaki looked to the others for a moment before looking back to the completely flustered you and Gundham. “Celebrating you two finally getting together. And I win the betting pool.” You now stood up. “You guys were making bets on this!?” “Oh, no, not about IF you got together, but WHEN, we all believed in you two.” “THAT’S NOT THE POINT! Though I do appreciate the support.”

Autumn, the season of departure, that was when he first said he loved you. The Devas huddled close in his scarf, seeking shelter from the chilling winds that rolled past the early morning hours, tossing the leaves off the trees, carrying them along through the air and across the ground. He didn’t wish to remove his hand from his warm pocket, yet he must to unlock his room. He adjusted his arm for a moment, making sure the package tucked under it wouldn’t fall out before dispelling the barrier which sealed his domain.

As he yawned tears percolated in the corners of his eyes. After placing the box and scarf on the bedside table he flopped onto his bed. As his Devas hopped onto his pillows and raced around his bed, he took the package. He first opened the letter attached to the box. Though you texted and video called everyday you still sent letters which always filled the Overlord with unimaginable excitement. Just as always it was a script and notes you had sent in a desperate attempt to not get stuck working on it when you were supposed to be out partaking in plays, not writing new ones. He kept it in the file folder where he had placed the others for safe keeping… not before reading the entire thing first, he simply could not resist to see the rough draft of your creativity since you were alright with him doing so. Then when opening the box, he found the most beautiful of jewelry, this time a small broach, one that would fit perfectly on his scarf, an abstract, light design fit for one such as he. Though he planned on donning it not long later in the day he still placed it on the shelf where all his pieces were spread across, covering the whole thing. Countless rings, necklaces, earring and many more, all from this single trip, Gundham had planned on getting a separate box for it all once you had returned, given he wasn’t sure how much more you were going to send to him.

Then his phone came to life, screen turning on, an alarm playing. Unlocking it and accepting the video call he tried rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes. “Aw~ Good tidings my Supreme Overlord. I trust that veil of darkness had enamored thy mortal form?” “Most certainly.” “And did my most recent artifact find you well?” Smiling Gundham pointed the camera towards his collection. He swore his heart melted hearing your giddy laughter. At least you weren’t able to see his ever-darkening blush. “My Emperor… this tribute, as much as I adore it all, I can’t stifle myself from being concerned. You only have so much time and gold to give, do you leave enough for thy own wellbeing?” “… Tanaka, I may only find calming respite sending you my affections. No space, no sight, no hearing, I long for even the smallest of embraces. Giving you my sentiment in any form is the only way to put at ease my aching heart. You have no need for concern, this will be just the same when I return. Due to your poison, I may not touch you so I must give my affections in forms such as this.”

…

“I love you too.”

Wait…

Gundham froze, dropping his phone in the process realizing what he had just said. Immediately he heard his Devas chattering away. “S-shussh! Enough! Cease! I- Enough of that! I may express my feelings to my partner, it’s not-… My own Devas how could you do this to me?!” He covered his face with his hands, kneeling to the ground unable to stand on his unsteady knees. “Uh… My Overlord?” Then he remembered the phone, the smile so evident in your tone. He scrambled to pick it up, dropping it again a few times in the process. “I-… Just… re-return when you can!” And he ended the call…

Gundham almost missed class that day embarrassed yet… happily indulging in that entire encounter.

Winter, the season of endings and romance, the season… the season he first kissed you. Awaking the morning of his birthday he was surprised by the amount of gifts he had received in the mail, and… many were from strangers? Very confused he went to class anyway where he ended up explaining the experience to his classmates. That was when Nagito and Sonia pipped up. “Ah so it seems Tanaka’s fans are celebrating too.” “Tanaka, here I’ll show you!” At the computer room Sonia had shown Gundham the message boards made of Hope’s Peak, ones of specific students, such as him. “So many already know of my rule. Excellent. And they even pay tribute!”

The moment class had come to an end you were already by his side, holding his gloved hand. “So, have my ears been deceived, or have you received the tribute you rightly deserve from the world?” “Indeed, I have. Though no matter gifts of the thousands may never compare to a single moment with you.” “ah, so my Overlord is feeling affectionate today I see.” His blush darkened at your sickeningly sweet tone, and he stiffened as he felt how you so tenderly squeezed his hand. He could see how you were holding back. He so appreciated how you had always respected his boundaries with touch, instead lacing your affection through words and gifts, but… at times he wondered how affectionate you would be if he held no reservations… “Well, should you be prepared let us set off for our ritual!”

It was a lovely and calm evening, the pair of you simply walking through a few botanical gardens. Most places were already decked out in holiday cheer, some parks even offering out cocoa for any who visited. Having been on your feet for hours, you decided to rest at a gazebo. To Gundham’s confusion though, you stopped before the building, even letting go of his hand. “My Emperor?” “My apologies, it’s but nothing. My gaze had just caught something.” “Certainly, it’s not nothing, you’d never let loose your embrace otherwise.” After appearing to think of something for a moment you pointed to… some plant tied to the ceiling of the gazebo. “Moons ago, back when autumn had taken root, when I was training in America I learned of their traditions. One such is that should a pair stand under mistletoe when ice and frost had consumed the world… they must kiss.” Gundham simply stared as you walked inside taking a seat. “Just a tradition I recalled, as I said it’s but nothing.”

You simply looked out to the gardens and forested shrubbery that surrounded you, cooing over the atmosphere the snow had made blanketing the world. Then with a questioning expression you looked to him, feeling he held your upper arms. And you froze as he leaned in.

…

And he stopped.

Gently, he gently placed his bandaged hand over your mouth before closing his eyes as well as the distance between you. The grip of his hand on your arm tightened as his heart pounded in his chest, nerves striking him as if it were lightning. As he parted his breath hitched, shakily letting go. “… You okay, Tanaka?” Unable to speak he simply nodded, covering his face with his scarf, desperate to hide his blush. You smiled, your own blush darkening as you placed your hand atop his bandaged one. And Gundham lightly pressed your fingers together, loosely interlocking them.

Spring, the season of meetings, the season Gundham was rather fond to see again. Though he had experienced the passage of time for so long, the seasons seemed to hold new meaning to him now. He wondered what new meaning he’d find for spring this year with you.

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headspace-hotel · 4 years ago

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I keep seeing people saying that they want flawed female characters but what IS a flawed female character?? because when a female character is well-liked she's always treated as flawless and perfect. That doesn't happen with male characters. I have a hard time believeing that there has never been a SINGLE well-written female character in the history of fiction.

The thing about flaws is that, among other things, they are what helps us see ourselves in characters, and also they are what helps us get anything positive out of characters. Seeing characters with flaws we relate to can help us feel represented, but they can also help us explore those destructive sides of our natures and come to a better understanding of our own flaws, whether through watching the character overcome those flaws or watching them drag the character down.

But people all want to see different things in female characters, depending on their differing needs for representation.

For example, some women want and need narratives where women are allowed to be happy without romance. Some women, however, haven’t seen people like them represented in media as worthy of love and adoration and find empowerment in those same sorts of stories that stifle others. Some women want independent female characters, whereas others prefer reassurance that it’s okay to lean on and need the help of others. Some find comfort in stories of people like them weathering hardship and suffering, whereas others need reassuring and escapist stories.

And—as I’ve discussed on this blog—some women need stories where feminine women are portrayed positively and allowed to be strong, whereas others want to see women that are unapologetically unfeminine.

But there simply aren’t as many well developed women in the stories that surround us as there are men. So, often, we’re forced to defend the female representation we have while finding it ultimately unsatisfying. That means that we don’t see as wide a range of character flaws, but it also means that it’s more difficult to discuss the flaws we see and identify with because acknowledging that a character is flawed too often is taken to mean a bad character.

I would argue that deeply flawed and complex female characters in media are relatively uncommon. There is a little bit of a double standard; male characters can be edgy, bitter, morally grey, and misanthropic in a way that female characters often aren’t. It’s been argued a lot that audiences excuse that behavior in men where they wouldn’t with women.

This might be related to what our society holds to be true about gender; misanthropy and moral apathy isnt exactly validated in men in real life, but competitiveness, toughness, emotional repression, and use of force to justify authority are all things that align with stereotypes about men to some extent. That could be why audiences are more forgiving about men being written as selfish, violent, or not caring about other people, it’s more jarring in a female character than in a male character.

This is not to say that there aren’t any flawed female characters. But there are fewer female characters overall, there is a lot of disagreement in what kinds of female characters people want to see, discussing female characters’ flaws is to some extent more difficult, and creating flawed female characters that audiences like is also, arguably, more difficult.

#female characters #writing #characters #ask #women #writing women #flawed characters

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not-poignant · 4 years ago

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I’ve been having a lot of Thoughts while reading FFS about how there is really no space in society for people who have committed assault or rape to meaningfully rehabilitate or re-integrate, especially if what they’ve done goes public. Do you think there’s a point where holding people accountable for what they’ve done sort of morphs into not letting them grow or improve?

This is a really complicated issue.

Firstly, in some parts of the world, there are specialists and psychologists who do specialise in helping people like Efnisien integrate back into society. They usually work in concert with community housing or government departments, and there are - especially in more welfare focused countries - many programs designed specifically to offer support to people like Efnisien (and criminals in general - though Efnisien has never been to prison or even juvenile detention).

A lot of this stuff is invisible in society, because of taboo and stigma, and because like you say, if a lot of these people are identified publicly (outside of a sexual offenders register), it’s often bad news for them. A lot of people don’t know these things exist unless they a) do something terrible and encounter them firsthand or b) are a loved one who knows about someone going into those programs.

As to the issue of holding people accountable, there’s a lot of things going on in your statement. People need to be held accountable, but that is not the same as tacitly approving bullying or abusing people who have done terrible things. Holding someone accountable is not done by bullying or abusing a person, and studies repeatedly show it’s counterproductive to treat people like this when they are trying to rehabilitate. There’s a direct correlation between recidivism and how a person’s rights (including the right to respect and care) are fulfilled after they’ve committed a crime. Also, once a person has proven they are self accountable, one has to question whether it’s relevant or necessary to hold them accountable after that in a way that is designed to destroy a person’s quality of life. Self-accountability changes how we hold people accountable; but...you wouldn’t always know that with the internet these days.

We definitely live in a culture where in some parts, people are not permitted to grow, improve or rehabilitate, and are bullied or abused for things they said or did that aren’t remotely criminal, even ten or fifteen years ago, even when it’s clear that they’ve changed. This is not holding someone accountable, this is scapegoating someone you don’t like for a reason that feels righteous, and bullying them for it. Of course their target can’t grow or improve in an environment like that; because it actually has nothing to do truly with accountability.

It’s one thing to hold JKR accountable for her horrific transphobic views. But if by some fucking miracle she manages to apologise and make genuine amends, somehow, in the next few years (unlikely but whatever, a trans person like me can dream), people bullying her after that won’t mean ‘holding her accountable.’ That’s just bullying under an umbrella of ‘this is justified, right?’

One of the reasons I actually write Falling Falling Stars is actually to explore the often very left-wing perspective that people who are morally grey, or who have done bad things, should be treated like scum, or like the worst of the worst and - as Efnisien knows - deserve to be killed or tortured or treated terribly etc. But all humans deserve human rights; that’s why they’re human rights. And it’s been interesting watching people...become very defensive in the face of what this story challenges. It hasn’t happened nearly as often as I expected, but it has happened.

My story at the end of the day is just a story, no one has to read it if they don’t like Efnisien or don’t think he deserves good things; but it’s been heartening to see so many people sort of...supporting him because he’s trying. It’s been great to show how consistent support and positive regard can actually create positive knock on effects.

Because like, we know that happens in reality too.

(Also, because you (the proverbial you, not you specifically, anon) would be surprised how many people who haven’t done criminal things still sometimes feel like reprehensible people who don’t deserve forgiveness for things that they’ve done in the past; because we’ve created a culture that...perpetuates this. A lot of people really identify with Efnisien, not because they’ve molested people, but because they feel like they might not deserve forgiveness for something in the past, or might not deserve to live a full or happy life because of something in the past.)

But the world is also far more complicated than Falling Falling Stars. Efnisien is a unique case, and not everyone who has committed crimes or been abusive can recover, and may only ever be interested in exploiting the system (Crielle is a great contrast to Efnisien in this sense; as Efnisien says ‘does this mean Crielle is human too?’ - whatever applies to him, also applies to her, and yet we know Efnisien can rehabilitate; and Crielle can’t. It’s a tough world out there, not everyone will stop committing crimes or atrocities in the face of support; and yet they still have a right to be supported. Human rights are complicated sometimes, and very challenging.) Also, a general caveat, no victim of an abuser ever has to forgive their abuser, no matter how much that abuser has changed. Ever. Ever ever ever.

But many people act like victims of other people, when they never have been, and use that to excuse the most horrific rhetoric (we see this when antis treat people who write taboo content like scum, they act like they’re being victimised, when they’re not; they’re choosing to engage in that content, with those authors and artists -> if they feel like a victim, it’s because they’re victimising themselves. They don’t believe in self accountability).

Anyway, lots of rambling, this is incredibly complex and you could write many books on the subject and still not be done. I’m not against callout culture, but I am against condoning bullying and abuse of ‘people who have never done anything to me but who are still shitty and it feels good to not manage my anger and just dump it on them instead’, especially under the umbrella of supposed ‘righteousness.’ I’m a big believer in rehabilitation, education and support programs for many types of criminal acts, as well as early intervention (i.e. spotting criminal behaviour in youth and acting early).

Ultimately one of the most important things in these situations is self-accountability. This means holding someone accountable, but it also means offering support so a person can safely learn to be self-accountable, and process what that means. It’s scary to go ‘I’ve been abusive’ or ‘I have treated people badly and that’s on me’ - it’s scary to do that even just in an argument with a friend, let alone criminal acts. It’s naive and callous to assume that people who engage in behaviours we deem terrible, to be capable of confronting these kinds of truths without support. Like we don’t want to offer them tacit support, but we don’t have to!!! Of course we don’t have to be the ones who support them, but it’s important to support programs and facilities of people who are trained to support them.

Some countries are a lot worse than others. The USA, obviously, is pretty bad at offering this kind of support. Some European countries and some parts of Australia are getting better at it, etc. For example, we know that ‘prisoners and pets’ programs are actually really amazing for reducing recidivism and improving outcomes.

In the absence of support, all you can do is protect yourselves and sometimes, yes, publicly point out the people that aren’t going to change in the absence of support, so that everyone can be as potentially safe as possible.

Anyway it’s complicated. There are lots of caveats and disclaimers, it changes country by country, crime by crime, condition by condition, person by person, situation by situation. But yeah I think there is a radical difference between holding someone accountable, and just bullying and abusing them publicly. And I think that is something basic, that a lot of people on the internet have forgotten over the years, in these times of polarised, black and white thinking.

I don’t know what the right answers are. I support Efnisien, but there are criminals I’ve known personally who have impacted me directly that I hate, and I struggle to view them as human beings worthy of human rights. This story challenges me too. Will I change my mind about those criminals? Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes I change my mind, sometimes I don’t. I generally support programs that help reduce recidivism, and repeatedly, those programs are ones that offer support, counselling, community and friendship, and connection to others. I think any program that reduces recidivism is a good one. But you’ll never eliminate recidivism entirely, and that makes the subject complicated. People will point to the failures, to justify getting rid of programs that have successes. They cost a lot of money, it’s...complicated. :/

But it’s sometimes hard to wrap your head around that when people who have never done anything wrong in a significant way struggle to get any kind of support themselves, but that’s a greater government welfare issue, and... well...

Now my brain is breaking and I have to stop talking, lol.

#asks and answers #dodgy advice please don't ever listen to me #falling falling stars #fae tales AU #fae tales #efnisien ap wledig #it's just...a side story of a side story of a side story #at the end of the day #i have a lot of feelings about callout culture and stuff #but...#anyway #accountability and bullying are different #calling a person 'an asshole who deserves to die horribly' is not holding someone accountable #in fact #there's a real lack of self-accountability with a rhetoric like that #but anyway anyway i don't know #i can really only talk about efnisien here #and i hate so many types of criminal #the idea that fascists deserve some kind of support #makes me want to claw my own eyes out #so i don't know the answers anon #but like i said #this situation changes person to person #and i'm so glad i'm not writing about some racist fascist #because i'd probably kill them on the page alkdfjsajlkfsa #Anonymous

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