#but in a sense he does fulfil his prophecy by being a catalyst.

[finalfivecarts]

when a man with a saviour complex tries to ascend but you achieve godhood first and revolutionise humanity into a new golden age #girl

[weirwoodking]

what do you think sansa's endgame is? and i'm not talking ships. like what do you think she'll be doing by the time the books end.

Anon, you accidentally made me write an essay.

So, to try and guess where Sansa could be at the end of the story, we have to look at where she’s heading currently.

She’s currently in the Vale, stuck under the control of Littlefinger. I think Sansa’s arc in TWOW will revolve around breaking free of his manipulation. There’s a line in Bran’s first ASOS chapter that seems to foreshadow this:

Sometimes he could sense them, though, as if they were still with him, only hidden from his sight by a boulder or a stand of trees. He could not smell them, nor hear their howls by night, yet he felt their presence at his back . . . all but the sister they had lost. His tail drooped when he remembered her. Four now, not five. Four and one more, the white who has no voice.

These woods belonged to them, the snowy slopes and stony hills, the great green pines and the golden leaf oaks, the rushing streams and blue lakes fringed with fingers of white frost. But his sister had left the wilds, to walk in the halls of man-rock where other hunters ruled, and once within those halls it was hard to find the path back out. The wolf prince remembered.

—Bran I, A Storm of Swords

It’s hard to find the path back out, but not impossible. I do believe Sansa will return to “the wilds” that belong to her and her siblings.

George was asked once if Sansa still has skinchanging powers even though Lady is gone, and he said she does. We’ll probably see that aspect of her character start to make an appearance in Winds, especially since the presence of magic ramps up with each book. I think it would make sense if she bonded with a bird (such as a falcon or a hawk), seeing as she has quite a lot of bird imagery (particularly caged bird imagery) in her story. Sansa “flying free”, both literally and figuratively, seems like a logical step for her arc.

I do wonder how her connection with the “pack” will be handled. All of the Stark kids except for Sansa have the telepathic bond through their wolves, so I wonder what GRRM will do with Sansa there. It’s heartbreaking, that she doesn’t have that mental connection that the others do. I don’t know if that could somehow be reformed without Lady? There are a lot of unanswered questions about the Stark kids skinchanging powers (and the telepathic bond). Why did their powers only show up when the wolves did? How far do their powers go? How powerful could they become once they’re properly trained? How does the telepathic bond work? Is that a thing that other skinchangers can do? Is it there because of the wolves or is it through the kids themselves? Is it forever broken with Sansa because Lady is gone, or could Sansa reform that connection through another wolf that joins the Stark warg pack? Would it make sense narratively and thematically for GRRM to give Sansa another wolf?

Anyway, no idea what he’ll do with that. (Some sort of scene where Sansa is like “I don’t have a wolf anymore”, and then all the other Starklings crowd around her for a giant group hug and say “that’s okay, you’re still a part of the pack no matter what” is something I could see happening. It’s not like the other kids would treat her any less for not having a direwolf, she’s still their sister.)

A common speculation I see for Sansa’s endgame is that she could become the new head of House Arryn. And, well, the aesthetic of Sansa being Lady of the Eyrie/Lord Protector of the Vale/Warden of the East is definitely cool. The Queen of Birds up in a mountain palace with her flock all around her like a winged army? That’s some gorgeous imagery.

But...

I don’t think Sansa would ever willingly choose to stay in the Vale if she had the option to go home to Winterfell:

She awoke all at once, every nerve atingle. For a moment she did not remember where she was. She had dreamt that she was little, still sharing a bedchamber with her sister Arya. But it was her maid she heard tossing in sleep, not her sister, and this was not Winterfell, but the Eyrie. And I am Alayne Stone, a bastard girl. The room was cold and black, though she was warm beneath the blankets. Dawn had not yet come. Sometimes she dreamed of Ser Ilyn Payne and woke with her heart thumping, but this dream had not been like that. Home. It was a dream of home.

The Eyrie was no home.

—Sansa VII, A Storm of Swords

One of the largest themes in the stories of the younger POV characters (Theon, Jon, Dany, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon (even though he’s not a POV character)) is that of home. Just go on A Search of Ice and Fire and search for the word “home” in each of those characters’ chapters. I think Sansa will end up at her home, with her pack. We know she must return at Winterfell at some point, as she has the final part of this prophecy to fulfill:

"I dreamt a wolf howling in the rain, but no one heard his grief," the dwarf woman was saying. "I dreamt such a clangor I thought my head might burst, drums and horns and pipes and screams, but the saddest sound was the little bells. I dreamt of a maid at a feast with purple serpents in her hair, venom dripping from their fangs. And later I dreamt that maid again, slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow."

—Arya VIII, A Storm of Swords

The wolf howling in the rain is Grey Wind (or Shaggydog/Rickon, since it’s raining on Skagos when Jon dreams of his “black brother”), the clangor is the Red Wedding and the bells are the ones on Jinglebell’s hat when Catelyn sawed at his throat, and the maid at the feast is Sansa. And Sansa will “slay a savage giant in a castle built of snow.” That castle is obviously Winterfell, although the fandom has yet to concretely agree on who the “savage giant” is.

Evidently, Sansa will return to Winterfell, and she probably has to get there before winter really starts setting in, or else the journey would be nearly impossible in the deadly weather. So, probably at some point in the next book.

Now, I believe that there’s a big moment coming for Sansa in TWOW: the moment where she unrepresses/uncovers her memories. Sansa knows a lot of important things. She knows the truth about Jon Arryn, she knows that her hair net was used to poison Joffrey, she knows that Littlefinger was involved in the disappearance of Jeyne Poole. Sansa’s memory swapping/adjusting/erasing/repressing (whatever you wanna call it) is important to her character. It’s her brain’s way of coping with the trauma she’s been through.

I think that one of these memories coming to the forefront is going to trigger something big: Littlefinger’s downfall. I speculate that what will most likely come out in the open first is what happened to Jeyne Poole. Sansa finding out what Baelish did to her closest childhood friend could definitely be what turns her against him.

Warning, I’m going to mention the sh*w here for a second. George has said that he wrote Sansa and Jeyne’s interactions into season 1, and that he tried to build Jeyne as a character, but her scenes were cut by the showrunners. Clearly, George cares about her, her friendship with Sansa, and her value in the story, he was very upset about the deletion of her character and of Sansa’s friendship with her.* I believe the reveal of what happened to Jeyne will be a major part of Sansa’s story in Winds. She’s repressed her memories of Jeyne and her disappearance because it is, understandably, too much for her mind to handle thinking about.

The reveal of this memory could be a catalyst to the other memories coming forward, especially since they involve Littlefinger. I think Sansa will be a key part in wrapping up the political aspect of the story, she can reveal the truth of why the Stark-Lannister conflict began all the way back in book 1. She can expose Littlefinger’s lies and schemes. That’s where I think her narrative is heading, at least in TWOW.

I’m not sure what Sansa’s story arc will be in ADOS (I’m not sure what anyone’s story will be in ADOS, but Sansa’s is a bit more of a blank page than others). If the Littlefinger conflict gets wrapped up in TWOW, I don’t know where her story will go from there. Supposedly, she could be in Winterfell at that point. What will happen then… well, then it’s Long Night time. Sansa is not one of the “key five players” (Tyrion, Dany, Arya, Bran, and Jon), but I still think she’ll have an important role in the book. I think Sansa and Arya’s relationship is something that will be focused on a lot through both of their chapters in the final novel. We’re going to see Ned’s quote, “you need her, as she needs you”, really matter.

No matter where her arc goes over the next two books, though, I do think she’ll end up at Winterfell. And like I said, I don’t think Sansa would choose to leave her home again after returning. I think that her story will end with her staying at Winterfell with the other kids. The Stark children would never willingly leave each other after reuniting. Jon literally describes the separation from his siblings as “a deep ache of emptiness, a sense of incompleteness.” And, of course, the iconic line Ned delivers to Arya: “The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” I don’t see any of their endings being them as “lone wolves” again.

So, to answer your question, I think the endgame for Sansa will be her back in Winterfell with her family, where she belongs, where she is strongest. I do suspect, however, that there will be some sort of epilogue at the end of ADOS, possibly a “10 years later” or somewhere along those lines. Where she’ll be then, I have no idea. She’ll probably be involved with something politically by then, like ruling or advising.

*Based on what George himself has said about the show’s post-season 4 portrayal of Sansa, I don’t think her story will be similar in any way to the show’s very different version of her character (same goes for everyone). George is typically very mild when talking about the show, saying stuff like “they chose to go down a different path with the story”, but this is one of the only times he flat out criticized the show for how wrong it is. He was very upset the show cut out her storyline. He has also said that “every character has a different end” in the books. So take from that what you will.

[undertalethingies]

The Angel

In Undertale, there exists a prophecy. This prophecy drives most of the plot and is responsible for the deaths of Chara and Asriel, which is one of the story’s driving conflicts and possibly the most important thing that ever takes place off-screen.

The prophecy is thus:

The Angel… The One Who Has Seen The Surface… They will return. And the underground will go empty.

We encounter mentions of this prophecy throughout the game, in notable locations such as the game over screen, the glyphs in Waterfall, and Gerson’s shop. (Gerson’s shop is where we’re told of the more violent interpretation)

There are two major ways the prophecy is interpreted in Undertale, and they correspond with the two major routes, True Pacifist and Genocide. One interpretation states that the Angel will free the monsters, breaking the barrier and emptying the underground that way. The other is that the Angel will empty the underground by killing all the monsters, “freeing” them from their mortality.

Betcha can’t guess which is which.

Before the events of the game, Chara was thought to be the Angel, as they were a human from the surface. Judging by some of the accounts of their death, it seems likely that this is what motivated them to attempt to break the barrier by any means necessary.

It’s plausible that consecutive humans were also treated as possible Angels, but it seems somewhat unlikely, since Asgore ordered their deaths.

(Though it is a possibility that the more violent interpretation of the prophecy gained ground after a violent human, since Gerson says that it’s only been on the rise recently)

Something notable is that the prophecy is only fulfilled on the True Pacifist and Genocide routes, and never on Neutral paths.

Now, all this is well and good, but there’s a burning question we’re left with after the game is finished.

The prophecy has been fulfilled, so who is the Angel?

At first glance, it seems obvious that it would be Frisk, since they’re the protagonist. Frisk is who we follow through the Underground, who we guide on a journey of magic and friendship and spaghetti, and it feels almost ridiculous to say that the Angel is anyone else.

This doesn’t hold up to closer inspection, however, due to how the prophecy is worded. Specifically, it says that the Angel will “return”, and Frisk has no way to have previously visited the underground. 

While it’s possible to justify this in various ways, I think it best to move on to other candidates for the Angel.

The next obvious choice is Asriel. While he spends most of the game merely being vaguely annoying, he takes on a much more major role before each ending, even going so far as to steal the human SOULs for himself on every route but Genocide. He’s also directly responsible for breaking the barrier for a True Pacifist ending, which is a solid commendation for “Angel” status. Not to mention, he actually has been to the surface previously, when he absorbed Chara’s SOUL after they committed suicide.

There are flaws with him too, however. For one, his “return” doesn’t really line up with the events of the plot. Rather, he returns seemingly between Frisk and the previous human, controls the timeline for an unknown amount of time (or well, “time”), and then eventually Frisk falls, which is the catalyst for the plot. On a related note, though he’s seemingly exhausted just about every possible ending for his own shenanigans, he insinuates that he was never able to break the barrier or acquire the six human SOULs without Frisk’s assistance. As a third reason why he’s probably not the Angel, he doesn’t actually live to see the ending of a genocide route, instead being killed before Chara appears and erases the world.

None of these explicitly disprove the idea of him being the Angel, but like Frisk, something about it just doesn’t gel right.

So who does this leave? Who’s seen the surface and returned?

I suppose you could argue for Toriel, Asgore, or Gerson, who are all implied to be older than the barrier, but this returns the question of how they would be “returning” when presumably they’d never entered the underground until being trapped there.

You might be able to make an argument for Sans or Papyrus, since not much is known about them, and their past is deliberately mysterious, but this ends up being little more than wild speculation, which I usually prefer not to touch. The same goes for Gaster.

But if it’s not any of these characters, who could it be?

Ladies, gentlemen, and esteemed personages of indeterminate gender, may I present to you…

Chara Dreemurr.

Chara is an enigma. Nothing on the level of Gaster and his followers, of course, but for such a major character, we know almost nothing about them. Even their name is subject to the whims of the player.

As I mentioned earlier, Chara was thought to be the Angel while they were alive.

They fit the criteria, after all. 

We know they lived with the Dreemurrs for some time underground before their death, and that they’ve seen the surface both when they lived there and when they gave their SOUL to Asriel in an attempt to free monster kind.

Their “return”, of course, would refer to one of the lines they say at the end of a Genocide run.

“Your power awakened me from death”

This lines up with the start of the game, too, rather than being an unknown amount of time before it, like Asriel.

Now, everyone knows you can’t have a Genocide run without Chara. It’s well known that they appear at the end and erase everything, whether or not the player agrees.

You can’t have a True Pacifist run without Chara though, either. You see, after you SAVE the monsters who have turned into lost SOULs during Asriel’s fight, you’re told that you have to SAVE him, as well. When you attempt to do so, though, instead of reminding him of the memories you’ve made together, (of which there aren’t any) a cutscene of Chara’s life with the Dreemurrs plays.

This cutscene didn’t come from nowhere. Technically, it’s possible for it to have come from Asriel, but it seems unlikely, since he’s fighting you. What makes more sense, (to me at least) is that these memories come from Chara.

In conclusion, Chara appears to be the most likely candidate for the Angel, on both major runs.

[him-e]

Submission: How do you think r+l=j will be handled in the books?

Hi, him-e! I appreciate the fact that you make an effort to parse through what the show’s given us in order to make more calculated predictions about what’s coming in the books. I’d like to ask, then—because I don’t recall you ever talking about it—how will r+l=j be handled in the books. It’s a fairly accepted possibility in fandom that finding out about it will wreck Jon. And fair enough, it probably will, considering how much pride he takes from being Ned’s son. But then there’s the rub for me—a lot of people also expect Jon to be angry at Rhaegar and to revolt against his biological father by abandoning the role he was supposed to have in the WftD. That makes sense, it can be existentially terrifying to think that your actions are all a product of a prophecy and that you have no control over them. It’d also fit with the other five main characters, who will likely all be going through their own dark phases. Here’s the part where I think we should take the show into consideration. What effect did r+l=j have on Jon, exactly? Mostly, none—I’d say it served as a catalyst for Dany’s downfall. Nothing was made to challenge Rhaegar’s character or actions, and the last season was the perfect place to do so, considering he’s Dany’s brother and almost every single aspect of Dany started being portrayed negatively. But sure, one could argue that the show isn’t good at handling psychological turmoil and that he’s Jon’s father too, and Jon must remain morally pure. Still, I then think about the books. If GRRM intends to make Jon rebel against Rhaegar and what he stood for as part of the fandom believes, why didn’t he seed anything related to that yet? Anything that makes Rhaegar more challenging and least susceptible to idolization? Some examples of how he could’ve done this: * GRRM could’ve shown Doran or Oberyn still angry at Rhaegar for leaving Elia behind. Instead, they both want to side with Viserys and later Daenerys without any (mentioned) reservations. * GRRM could’ve had Ned thinking about the fucked up power dynamic between Rhaegar and Lyanna (less harshly than Robert, but still negatively), but instead Ned only thinks about how Rhaegar didn’t frequent brothels. * GRRM could’ve had Dany have her view of Rhaegar be challenged the way her view of Aerys is being (slowly) challenged, instead she still thinks of him the same by the end of the fifth book. * GRRM could’ve added a POV who is critical of Rhaegar’s actions, yet he added three in FeastDance who idolize him (JonCon, Cersei, Barristan). And that’s not even mentioning how R/L was painted as straightforwardly romantic in the S7 finale, which may well be what GRRM does—if he doesn’t think Dany was raped by Drogo in the books, maybe he thinks R/L is an unproblematic love story, even if many have pointed out the consent issues. Finally, I don’t see his friend Arthur Dayne having his reputation challenged in any way in-universe for remaining with Rhaegar despite the fact that there is reasonable criticism to hold against him. My question, then, is: isn’t it more likely that Jon’s problem with r+l=j lies with his relationships with Ned and Dany and not with Rhaegar?

Hi, thanks for your submission, and sorry it took me a while to answer! ;))

Using the show as an indicator for how the books will deal with things like this is very tricky—because, as you said, the show sucks at psychological insight, and character motivations are usually either grossly simplified or not taken into consideration at all (which, ironically, makes them seem even more obscure and complicated if you’re trying to analyze them. See: the entire debate on why Sansa didn’t tell Jon about the knights of the Vale back in season 6. The show simply didn’t address the reason why she didn’t tell Jon, because it wasn’t important to the plot, but the fandom—me included—tried to make sense of it nonetheless, with increasingly convoluted explanations. Was Sansa trying to throw Jon under the bus, and let him perish in the battle so she could be lady of Winterfell? But that clashes with her desperate attempts to convince Jon to delay the battle. Did she hope they could do without Littlefinger’s help until last minute? Was she afraid that Jon would’ve had the final say on how to use the Knights, had he known? Was she trying to prevent him from taking credit for the victory? And so on).

There’s also the fact that the show dealt very quickly and superficially with the Prince that was Promised and Azor Ahai prophecies, mostly via Melisandre’s cryptic catchphrases and more as an afterthought or book nod than as an organic part of the narrative. The prophecy was just not conveyed well in the show. We’ve hardly ever seen other characters grapple with its meaning, or experienced its importance in the context of Westeros’ slowly waking up to the threat of the White Walkers. So, if the bulk of book!Jon’s reaction to r+l=j is temporarily rejecting his supposed role in the PtwP prophecy, it makes sense that the show completely skipped it, just as it makes sense that it skipped the valonqar part in Cersei’s prophecy: it simply has no place in the show’s narrative as they devised it. There would be no point in having a major character angst about his role in a prophecy, if said prophecy is all but a namedrop whose significance remains largely unknown to the average viewer who hasn’t read the book.

So… is it possible that in the books resurrected!Jon will go through a phase of complete rejection and denial of his heroic destiny, that will climax with the reveal of his parentage and a major identity crisis? Yes, totally. It’s exactly the mix of complex character study + mystical/magical stuff that I can see d&d scrapping in favor of a more materialistic, down to earth “game-of-thrones” narrative (the whole bend-the-knee pseudopolitical drama with Dany, for example).

But what will he reject, what will he deny? Which identity will challenged?

His destiny as a prophesied hero, fulfilling which has never been an (explicit) driving force for him? (we know everything Jon’s done in the Night’s Watch was building up towards his becoming the champion of humanity against darkness, the “third head of the dragon”, the “prince that was promised”, but it was Ned’s teachings and Ned’s moral lessons that inspired his choices and actions, not Rhaegar’s prophecy) His (non-existent) relationship with a biological father that never mattered to him?

Or…

isn’t it more likely that Jon’s problem with r+l=j lies with his relationships with Ned and Dany and not with Rhaegar?

^ Nailed it.

I think Jon’s psychological conflict about his parentage will be more about Ned/his Stark identity (and Dany) than about Rhaegar. For one thing, Rhaegar—regardless what light the overall story presents him in—isn’t really present in Jon’s narrative; Jon has virtually no opinion of him, and Rhaegar’s name rarely shows up in his chapters. Sure, when the PtwP prophecy finally erupts in Jon’s narrative and he realizes what Rhaegar was trying to accomplish, he’ll necessarily develop more complex feelings for him. But as of now, Rhaegar Targaryen is simply someone from the past that Jon isn’t really preoccupied with. Secondly, and more importantly, Rhaegar is a dead character, who has always been dead since the beginning of the story. I truly doubt he is going to have more of an impact on Jon’s character evolution than Ned (the father that raised him, the only father he’s known, and the faux-protagonist of book one) or Dany (the living and breathing major character Jon will plausibly have a romantic dynamic with, that with no doubt will be drastically affected by the parentage reveal).

I actually think it’s more likely and more narratively compelling that, rather than rebelling against Rhaegar, r+l=j makes Jon rebel against Ned, and everything he represents. Make him temporarily reject his Stark identity (out of fiery anger re: being lied to by Ned, and forced to a life of bastardy and anonymity, the reasons behind which resurrected!Jon, more wolf than he’s ever been, might not immediately understand, or care to understand) and embrace his Targaryen ancestry instead, with the whole fire&blood shebang. That is… until he’s made whole again by the love he has for his siblings, and the need to protect them. I think Jon’s love for his family—the family he grew up in—will be what eventually leads him *back home*, back to his Stark roots, back to Ned’s teachings.

[goblinconceivable]

A runup

Gots to write it out if I want to start.  Overly long, rambly, and not worth reading, merely worth writing, and I always do so in a technically public forum.

Right.  So.  What bugged me about Hook’s treatment is that all aspects of his character devolved to being Emma’s devoted lover.  It was treacle, pure treacle.  And unlike Snow and Charming, who drew strength from each other, and did everything as a united front, HookedSwan was lopsided.  Emma is the Savior, the tip of an arrow with her loved ones behind her.  And while her loved ones were interwoven with each other, in history and present, interrelationships growing and strengthening over time, Hook’s wide history with various characters didn’t evolve.

Yes, he fought and adventured along with the rest.  But he never felt part of a team.  He didn’t have many moments with other characters, not in a deep sense, it was always ‘for Emma.”  Which has it’s place in fanfiction, but that’s the problem: canon should not be fanfiction, especially with an ensemble cast.

Enter Regina.  Though in fairness it’s Regina I adore, and Hook is just a pretty and interesting character to match her with.  But while Emma may open her love to someone (I never understood her love for Hook, except that he gave his ship up for her?  Why does she love -him- apart from his love for her?), I think her true match is Baelfire.  They are the ones who found each other, as is the case with True Love.  

The best argument for Hook is that Emma may be a princess, but grew up in the Real World, and in the Real World love is something we often fight to create and keep, not a predestined fact.  But, again, aside from fulfilling that, I don’t get the relationship.  Not when Emma’s side of things is fueled by the urge to protect the love she has, without having fought to get it, as it was handed to her.

So compare to Regina.  Who, frankly, is better at loving.  Snide of me.  But she’s a whip, fighting for everything, even if she goes about it the wrong way.  She’s constantly disappointed but keeps trying, keeps fighting, without prophecy on her side.  When she’s offered anything - second chances from the Charmings being the most notable, she fights against it, against herself oftentimes, and it’s that struggle that is interesting.

So how would the story have played out if Hook’s random devotion focused on Regina instead?  And... Why not?  She’s strong, she’s a fighter, she’s “special” in terms of magic, she’s broken.  But her darkness matches, surpasses his own, and that’s where canon failed.  They kept reintroducing Hooks dark past, his own darkness, but as something to leave in the past, not he’s found light.  But as a lengthy and successful storyline noted with Regina, it’s not leaving the past behind but embracing our past selves, dark as they might be, which allows us to find peace and move forwards.

There is a nod to this, when Regina stepped in when Hook was the Dark One.  It may have been love for Emma that kept pulling at him, but it was Regina’s understanding of the heart of his issues that cut to the core, and guess what?  It wasn’t about romantic love, it was familial.  It was fundamental.  It was about Who He Is, and who anyone is is much more than a romantic entanglement.  Charming and Snow know that about each other, accept and foster that. Emma just keeps saying he’s changed.

And he has.  Regina has,  But their worth is lodged in who they were, as much as who they evolved into being.  Regina knows that, which makes HookedQueen a more organic love story.  I love dynamics where the female is further along, wiser, stronger.  I loved Robin, and loved that he was further along, had never been as dark, but was accepting of her past and understood.  They would have been happy.  But Regina’s story is to lose light, that’s the unfortunate canon, and drawing from that, ultimately her story of love is a story of Loves.  

Daniel and Robin became a part of her, a part of her story.  Her strength is to find more than one True Love, because her strength is when she fights to love again after loss.  That is reality.  That is the true Real World.

Hook is the same.  Assuming he and Milah were true love he learned to love again.  Though frankly, I don’t think they were, or when they found Milah in Purgtory she would have been less disinterested in him - she was dismissive when Rumple indicated her unfinished business had to do with Hook.  If it was true love she’d have been jumping to find him.

Break for assessment: Emma and Hook were True Love because Canon said they were, and there’s no getting around that, except by going around that.  Though hmm, there IS.  They weren’t confirmed as True Love for a while, and even then there’s wiggle room in how True Love isn’t just between Lovers, and a Savior Superpower could be True Love in general, all love being true and whatnot.  But anyway.

Regina and Hook.  Hook resisted instantly falling for Emma because of his belief in Milah, which by that time had been corrupted by his love for vengence.  Regina resiste Robin for the same reasons.  So, happily, they resist each other.  Equality, that, levels the playing field.  But Hook caved with Emma, as he would with Regina, which sets up a similar dynamic, which was, let’s face it, lovely to see because a pining Pirate is a very handsom pirate.  But Regina doesn’t want a doting follower, she wants an equal, or rather someone stronger in some ways, weaker in others.  She needs to be loved first to allow her to lower walls and let herself love.  

She would question blind devotion, fight it as a weakness, and that’s where it’s interesting.  It’s not just a denial of real affection for Hook, not just a wall put up, but a deep questioning of Why.  And that’s interesting.  A journey internal and external (yay plot) that justifes how two hearts twisted into darkness find each other once they’ve begun to untwist themselves.  Regina began long before, Hook’s heart started to go out with Bae, if not before, in both cases a child acting catalyst.

Regina fought for her relationships with the rest of the characters, and they fought for her.  She’s the inroad for Hook to actually get the same, which is how his character needs to develop into something independant yet a part of the whole crew.  He is a pirate, she is a queen.  Why are they not called PirateQueen or QueenPirate?  HookedQueen makes it sound like he caught her by the tip of steel.

Anyway, I didn’t get as far as I hoped, progress made picking apart what didn’t work with the Emma/Hook dynamic, and inroads to what dynamic would work for me with Regina and Hook.  Another shot at research and some pen to paper time would be worthwhile.  And, as I was so lately reminded, a oneshot is a good place to start to begin working things out.  I mostly bypassed that with Rory/Logan because I half wrote some things before finding a clear story to complete, but they were dark in a lighter way, different fandom and genre and all.  But this will take some work, epic always does.

[imagine-loki]

If I could Turn Back Time, I’d Still Choose This

TITLE:  If I could Turn Back Time, I’d Still Choose This

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 45

AUTHOR: wolfpawn

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine that when Odin found Loki on Jotunheim, he did not take him to raise as his son, as Frigga was pregnant at the time, instead he was given to a normal Aesir family. Years later, Loki meets Odin’s daughter Sigyn, and trouble ensues.

Fandral had her horse waiting for her, Tempest seemed to know there was a sense of urgency as she ran down to the stables. As soon as she came into view, she gave a whistle and the horse pulled free and cantered over to her. Using a wall to allow her jump onto his back, she righted herself and dug her heels in before making her way through the streets as quick as she could. As soon as she got to the bridge, she pressed in her heels and Tempest lived to his name as his hooves struck the bridge with a sound like thunder and they galloped to the far end with a speed that seemed to try and rival lightning. On their arrival, Sigyn dismounted and pulled the horse by the reins into the Bifrost. ‘Heimdall?’

‘Princess.’ He turned and walked up to the centre of the Bifrost.

Sigyn smiled to see the sword already in place. ‘Second time’s the charm, right?’

‘I hope…’ Heimdall paused before sighing and shaking his head. ‘I am sorry, Princess.’

Sigyn bit her cheeks for a moment. ‘Which one?’

‘Me.’ She turned to face her mother. ‘So, this is it? Running away, not facing the consequences, like a child?’

‘I am facing the consequences of my actions. I accidentally caused my sons to be created, so I am being a responsible adult and being with them, raising them.’

‘You have no idea what to do.’

‘I am not going to pretend I know everything, but I am their mother, I am not some bumbling fool. I won't have a pile of nursemaids to assist me, and I will get things wrong, but you know, I will actually accept my shortcomings.’

‘You think my actions are faulted.’

Sigyn scoffed. ‘Look around, Mother. We are standing in the Bifrost. I am fleeing the realm as nigh on a fugitive to be with my children because you.’ She pointed to her mother. ‘Took them from the room without me ever being able to see them.’

‘It was only going to make it harder.’

Sigyn laughed. ‘No, it couldn’t have. Living was torture without them. You never suffered it, you cannot understand.’ She stepped forward. ‘Sansa’s last moments of life were spent protecting Loki, she died praying to the Norns that he would be saved. I do not have a way of seeing it, but I know it because it was my thoughts, they are the thoughts of a mother that is being forced from her child. I thought the very same thing, the only difference is, she died, meaning that she no longer could worry. I have not slept without a single night passing that I have not woken crying, wanting to be with them as the vague image of one and the knowledge I never saw the other plague me. How could you have done that to me? How could you have been so heartless?’

‘Do not say such things to me, I am your mother.’

‘And I am their mother!’

‘You are the princess of Asgard, you cannot just leave.’

‘Watch me.’

You have a duty to the realm.’

‘My greatest duty is to them.’

‘So you would abandon your family, just like that?’ Frigga snapped her fingers.

‘I am going to my family.’ She retorted. ‘I have two little boys who need their mother. I have a husband I love with all of my heart and who I would have ten more children with if he wanted. I love my family and I would die for them.’  

‘When did this marriage take even take place?’

‘The reason Loki and I were not in Aunt Ana’s when you got there is because we were on our honeymoon. We wanted our children born to a home that had both parents, we wanted them to be legitimate.’

‘You really have sealed Asgard’s fate.’ Frigga stated sadly. ‘With childish selfishness.’

‘You have sealed it by being a terrible Queen. You could have stopped this years ago, you could have copped Odin on, but no, you were selfish, you liked everything that his actions got you. Whatever else happens, I know I am being a responsible adult, while you act like nothing more than a selfish lapdog to her bigoted…’ In all honesty, Sigyn knew it was coming, she could see it before it landed and if she wanted, she could have defended herself, but she allowed it. The moment Frigga’s hand connected with her face told her that her mother had thought she was going to prevent it striking her. The acceptance on Sigyn’s face shook Frigga. ‘Does it make it better, Mother? Does it take the sting from my words? I cannot see how. Goodbye, Frigga. I hope you can find it in yourself to change how you are, in hopes that the day will come that you will realise the wrongs here today. I am going to my family. If Odin sends anyone, he had better send them all, because I can and will destroy any that come for me or mine.’ She warned. ‘I know what my name really means, the one from the prophecy that I was so long blamed for.’ Frigga’s head tilted slightly. ‘I am sorry for what my birth did to you, taking that from you, the chance of more children, but I did not ask to exist and I will not apologise for existing, now I am going to exist to the best of my ability.’ She turned. ‘Heimdall. If you would, please.’

‘It will be my honour, Sigyn, the Loyal, the Victory Bringer.’

Inhaling deeply, Sigyn mounted her horse before turning to her mother. ‘I forgive you both, tell him that.’ She stated as the machine began to whir to life. ‘Even if you are not sorry. You did what you thought was right, you just….did not realise that what you thought was right is anything but.’ She nudged Tempest with her heels. ‘Thank you, Heimdall.’

‘Safe travels, Princess.’ The Guardian smiled as he watched her walk the horse into the light and disappear across the realms. He pulled the sword from the Bifrost and looked at Frigga, who was crying. ‘We are often blinded by our own beliefs, we forget others have their own.’

‘You have no idea what…’

‘You forget in your heartache, Allmother, I see all, and the Princess is only one of those I have been forced to endure see through great struggles. Asgard will change from this, there is no doubt, it can be for its better, or for the worse, that is up to the Allfather.’ He said nothing more to the queen as he turned to face the realms again.

*

Odin stared out the window of his rooms as the Bifrost finished sending Sigyn where she wanted to go. ‘Are you satisfied now, now that our realm is left in this turmoil?’ He turned to face Thor, who was smiling.

‘I am heartbroken, I want nothing more than to go into a dark room and not see any as I accept I will not see my sister for a very long time again, but yet, I am elated beyond measure, she is free to be with her family, her husband and her sons.’

‘You knew they had wed?’

‘Yes, Aunt Ana told me. I was her informer here by the way. I have betrayed you, I confess, but not before you betrayed Sigyn.’

‘You are a traitor, and will be treated as such, you are not worthy of Mjolnir.’

‘Yet here she remains, in my grasp.’ Thor took the hammer and swung it around. ‘Does this not tell you Father, your ideas are contorted and wrong?’

‘Asgard will fall from this.’ Odin did not look at his son.

‘And perhaps that is not a bad thing. Let the rot die, cut it off, like a diseased limb, start afresh. The Jotnar are here, let this start us anew, accept Laufey’s hand.’

‘I...I cannot.’

‘Then it is not Sigyn fulfilling a prophecy of destruction, it is you. I have read the prophecy, Father. And yes, the catalyst of it is clearly Sigyn, but that is not a bad thing, in no way does it indicate a terrible fate for our realm. We can take it to mean the end of everything, or we can see it as a turning point. I beseech you to see it as the latter, Asgard can and will rise from this stronger, if you choose to let it be.’

‘And her?’

‘Your daughter, Sigyn, you mean?’ Thor scoffed, angered by his father’s lack of ability to even reference Sigyn.

‘You say yourself she is the subject of it.’

‘I believe so, but her marriage, her children, they are not negatives, you need to cease seeing them as so.’ Thor walked forward and left something on the table for his father. ‘She wrote this for you, when you are in a listening mind, read it.’ He turned and he left.

Odin glared at the envelope before snarling and turning away again.

Thor on the other hand, went to the quarters King Laufey was staying in, and waited to be announced.

‘Jotnar usually sleep at this time.’ Laufey growled once he saw him.

‘I apologise for annoying you at this hour,’ Thor bowed his head before looking at the Jotnar king and his attire. ‘Though clearly…’

‘Considering my daughter has had to flee the palace to return to my son and grandsons, I could not see fit to slumber.’

‘We call such relations “daughters-in-law”.’ Thor informed him.

‘When a woman marries into a family on Jotunheim, she is embraced fully into the family, she is my daughter by such now, and my responsibility.’

‘Well, she is still my sister, that is not a role I am foregoing.’ Thor stated with a smile.

Laufey chuckled. ‘Then she is well loved and protected, not that she needs protecting.’

‘If Father sends someone after her, she will decimate them where they stand.’

‘That, I would believe. What has you here now, as I know she is gone?’

‘She mentioned something of teaching Helbindi chess, she made me promise that I would.’

Laufey smiled. ‘There was mention of that, yes.’

‘While we wait to see if my father decides to declare war, how about we make a start?’ Thor offered. Helbindi was concerned, but as he knew it was for his betterment, he sat down and listened to Thor.

* Sigyn had little idea where it was she needed to go to find Loki, she had never been to Alfheim’s village regions before, but she knew Heimdall would ensure she was close to where she needed to be. Concentrating, she closed her eyes and let her seidr come to the fore. As soon as she did that, she realised she could sense her sons’ seidr. Ensuring she had Tempest going the correct direction. She pressed her heels in and made her way to where she felt she would find them.

It did not take long for her to smell what she needed to smell, burn and iron, the trademark smells of a forge. She all but jumped off the horse and went to the door, knowing it was her sons’ seidr that she sensed within, she inhaled deeply and knocked on the door, all too aware it was the middle of the night. She heard noises inside sounding like people talking and someone coming to the door. It opened slightly and in the darkness, all she could see was alabaster skin and green eyes. ‘Sorry to interrupt your evening, but I was looking for my husband.’ She smiled, her eyes filled with tears of joy.

[notesofarichlycolorednight]

Why does no one talk about how luke lost siblings pre war? Like like is what 14 when he comes to camp, hes 19 when percy does. Meaning, because he wasnt the cousler when he got to camp one or more of his soblings had to die in the five years he lived at camp. In the five years he lived at camp his brothers and sisters would go home and not come back? How many bodless shrouds did luke have burn???

oh i think

but on this blog, we stan luke castellan

i stanned luke before it was cool, before the word “stan” even existed

i was stanning luke the moment i finished tlt

but, uh, anyway,,,

in a more…coherent way, i think it’s bc a lot of ppl don’t like luke. like at all. and a lot of it stems from two things,,,

1: many ppl, i think, don’t separate kronos from luke and luke from kronos. OR, they don’t fully grasp just how manipulative kronos was, and how far someone can go when they are being manipulated. OR, they could not do both of those things and still hate luke, and that’s fine and fair. they’re entitled to their opinion

2: the whole “did you love me” scene, when luke was dying

and i know this isn’t what you’re asking for–in fact your question at the beginning of your ask is probably more rhetorical than anything–but like i said, i stan luke castellan, and i have a lot of feelings abt this topic. so i’m going to break down my points, and then talk abt his life at chb before percy showed up, regarding the deaths of his siblings

which is my usual at this point so, ya know,,,

what are you gonna do

as usual, hcs under the cut

one

1a: sometimes i get the feeling that some think luke and kronos were basically one in the same? and that luke is completely and wholly responsible for his actions throughout the series. which is wrong. he’s not, he was being severely manipulated by a titan; misled, misguided, and used. kronos was taking something that already existed in luke and twisting it to his own gains. additionally, after kronos possess him, he’s no longer in control of his actions. he’s trapped in his own body, while kronos pulls the strings, quite literally.

1b: i also get the feeling that sometimes ppl don’t quite understand how manipulation and gaslighting can effect your ability to think for yourself, to think clearly abt a lot of things at all. or, swinging in the other direction, perhaps think too much abt everything. for this post, it’s the former. manipulation is subtle and insidious, you start to do and say things you wouldn’t normally think you’d do or say for fear of punishment, whether it be physical, emotional, and/or psychological from the other. manipulation like that is abuse, and luke was being abused by kronos. so he is not completely and wholly responsible for his actions throughout the series

1c: finally, ppl may very well recognize these two things–that luke and kronos were two separate entities, and that manipulation can be a terribly powerful and destructive tool used against ppl–and still decide to hate him. and ya know, that’s fine. we’re all entitled to how we feel abt fictonal characters. at the end of the day, agree to disagree

two

a lot of ppl hate him also bc of the question he asked annabeth in tlo, a dying man’s inquiry

and a lot of ppl interpreted it as romantic. and therefore, rightfully so, saw that as disgusting, considering luke is considerably older (6 to 7 yrs, at least).

not only that, but luke oftentimes used annabeth’s crush on him against her (whether he knew annabeth’s love was romantic or familial at that time, who’s to say; i mean i say that he didn’t realize annabeth had a crush on him for a very long time, he probably mostly saw it as familial, bc he is considerably older)–i think the biggest example of that would be when he got annabeth to hold the sky for him bc he knew if she saw him in pain, she would help him, no question, bc she loved him. that i can’t really argue against. i will say he was still being deeply manipulated by kronos, but it’s still a p despicable thing to do just in general

the infamous question he asks annabeth, i see as way more complicated. i think since we’re in percy’s head, it’s meant to seem romantic, considering percy could tell immediately annabeth had a crush on luke at the beginning of tlt, and percy, himself, had completely fallen, head-over-heels in love with annabeth at that point in time.

i see the question as familial, as well as romantic love, but not in the way you think. i felt it was him almost checking to see the depth of annabeth’s romantic love she felt for him–was it just a crush, or has she deeply and truly fallen in love with me? i think he knew she’d fallen in love with percy (even if it took him a while to figure out she had a crush on him). his question was more a check, rather than a, “oh i’m going to ask this girl who is 7 yrs younger than me if she loves me romantically.” but also one of familial love. her answer is implied to be strictly romantic, but luke knows that annabeth’s always loved him, and he’s checking to see if not romantic, than still as family. i.e., “but, no, i didn’t love you in that way”

bonus! three

and look, before you get all indignant and ready to pull receipts, i’m not a luke apologist

i recognize that him being manipulated, and not fully in control of his actions, does not excuse the fact that he still committed them. i am fully aware that he was not a good person, and that he did terrible things

but i also recognize that for one, he wasn’t entirely in control or himself bc of the manipulating kronos was doing to him (which does count for something in the grand scheme of things, even if it does not excuse his actions), and two he had a point abt the gods. the gods are fucking awful. they ain’t shit, and they care little abt their own fucking children.

[aside] hey so cool concept: if you don’t want to put in the effort to do the bare minimum for you children…DON’T HAVE CHILDREN. wild i know. and for gods??? the bare minimum would be like claiming them, and making sure their cabins are the least bit comfortable to live in, which they could do, literally with a snap of their fingers, which would take less than a second. the bar is on the fucking ground. if you’re gonna try and give me the Ancient Laws shit, first of all it was clearly shown throughout the pjo and hoo series, the gods often help demigods, even if they aren’t “““““supposed to interfere””””” so that’s a weak argument. second of all, for bigger things, like getting them to camp or smth, well why not find adults who maybe can take care of them??? maybe it’s a bit idealist sure, but adults should fucking know better. not to mention, the fact that i wish older ppl would care and take care of younger ppl is me being ideal speaks for itself. i recognize not every single person can be the perfect parent, but we can sure as hell try to get close

luke did those things bc he thought he was helping demigods–he started doing it for them and it spun wildly out of control bc kronos is a titan, he’s ruthless, and wanted to kill the gods for his own gain. he didn’t care abt luke, but he’d gladly use luke to achieve his goal. by the time luke realized that, it was already too late. but anyway, /tangent

i can completely understand luke’s motivations, while also understanding that his methods were not the way to go abt change. and that’s another thing abt it, is that i feel like many in the fandom take a very black-and-white perspective on his character, when it’s much more complicated than that

there’s a post going around, talking abt how antagonists and villains should be relatable, bc it reminds us not to go there. and i think a lot of ppl should really take that to heart. i can like a character, but not the person. i don’t idealize luke is any sense of the word. i am aware of all his flaws.

now, first i would like to point out that the rules of becoming head counselor don’t have to involve death. i’m sure with demigods, they often do, but there are two other options: 1) two competing head counselors have a chat and agree on who should be head counselor or 2) they battle each other, and whoever is victorious becomes head counselor

it’s a safe bet that that probably happened quite a lot in the hermes cabin, considering how many demigods resided in there before the second titan war (tho i imagine chiron at least tried (???) to make sure legit only children of hermes become head counselors, bc it is...well...the hermes cabin).

but, as i said before, they are demigods, and so it’s another safe bet that their head counselors were often lost to death

it’s hard to say just how many of luke’s siblings were lost to death, but let’s look at the timeline here real quick. in tlt, luke says that he screwed everything up for everyone else, bc after his quest went so awry, chiron stopped letting kids out of camp to go on quests...which thinking abt it now, almost doesn’t make sense.

i mean, the fact that luke failed so miserably and came back horribly scarred was the catalyst the made chiron stop letting ppl out, but demigods literally dying on quests didn’t???? uuuuuummmmmm?????????

and we can extrapolate from the spoils in the attic of the big house that a lot of campers did die on their quests

i mean, maybe it was also bc chiron had a feeling the great prophecy was getting nearer and nearer to being fulfilled, and he decided after luke failed his quest--a close call like that--he didn’t want to risk any other demigods’ lives anymore until the prophecy began, bc war takes a lot of lives, but still, that’s p fucked up logic

/tangent

anyway, so i think luke was at camp for abt 3 yrs before he finally got a quest of his own. so luke had three yrs at camp to lose siblings to death.

i mean, going by how much luke fought to get his own quest, hermes’ children probably didn’t get a lot of issued quests (more evidence abt how others see hermes as a god, despite him still being a major god).

but, for argument’s sake, let’s say that before the great prophecy became too real for chiron to let out kids on other quests, abt 5-10 quests were issued for each full yr, depending on how long the quest itself would take (tho we’ve seen that a lot of things can be accomplished in v little time, so that’s why my estimation has a lot of variation)

[aside] these numbers are completely and utterly arbitrary, i’m totes making this up as i go

and for more argument’s sake, let’s say that the hermes cabin were issued at least half of those, since they have so many kids--maybe even some of the undertermined kids were issued a quest and as a reward would get to know who their godly parent is (wow, that’s just so shitty, where did my mind come up with that)

and i imagine, even tho they were undetermined, luke felt like they were siblings all the same bc everyone, even children of hermes, were miserable in that cabin. it was jam-packed, crammed, with no breathing space. and some of them in there had completely given up that they’d ever find out who their godly parent was bc their godly parent didn’t care abt them at all

luke hated seeing that. so when a quest was issued to anyone in his cabin, and they didn’t come back, that probably took a serious toll on his mental health. not to mention only did to feed his anger and hatred toward the gods. esp if he thought that the kid was only doing it to find out who their godly parent was

bc they get at least half of the quests during the yr, across 3 yrs, luke probably lost from 5-15 of his siblings, and those he considered siblings.

i have a hc that he cares quite a lot abt his half-siblings. for as much as he hates his father, his siblings didn’t do anything to be ignored like he is, and as luke grows older, he probably takes on kinda father-figure. like if hermes isn’t gonna step up, then luke will he just kinda went abt it the wrong way, with the whole kronos thing...

i imagine, also, that he sometimes lost his siblings when they would sneak out of camp. i mean, from what little glimpse into luke’s life we got before he started trying to take over the world, he made it sound like the hermes kids often snuck out of camp to get things from new york proper like junk food. and it’s more dangerous for them outside the borders, so it’s safe to say that if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and met a monster they were unprepared to face, they most likely died.

that only increases the number of siblings he lost over those 5 yrs before precy got to camp.

i think tho, those that went on quests and died would have more impact, bc it’s obvious his siblings dying after sneaking out didn’t dissuade him from still sneaking out. but luke was probably more careful abt it

actually, jk, it probably affected him A Lot. and hc that that’s part of the reason he trained so hard with a sword--he probably told his siblings that he’d be the only one going out of camp for any bargaining chips, didn’t matter if he was directly involved or not. and bc he was so good with a sword, he’d be better equipped to handle tougher monsters.

with every lost sibling, i imagine luke throws himself into sword-fighting and masking his grief and pain with anger and hatred even more--it grows exponentially, and never hits a ceiling. he probably blames the gods to bury the fact that he actually blames himself. bc if he accepts that he blames himself that means he also wasn’t strong enough to protect his siblings

it’s easier to blame the gods and train so that maybe one day he’ll be strong enough to protect his siblings. that’s another motivation behind why he decides to join kronos and lead his army until kronos can reform/find a host. kronos promises to make him strong enough to protect not just his siblings, but all demigods who have been thrown to the wayside by the gods--no more useless quests that needlessly take their lives, just to get their godly parents to “““““approve””””” of them

i’m sure he gets tired of feeling powerless, and sometimes the grief is so overwhelming he hides in the forest and lets himself feel for once, but not willing to let anyone else see him break. then he somehow puts himself back together, more determined than ever to become powerful enough to make it stop. at the very least, make it stop happening so frequently.

hmmm, not sure if this is what you asked for, but this is where my brain went. not quite happy with it, i feel like i keep saying the same thing abt luke over and over again but in varying ways, but i did add some new hcs

if you wanna send in another ask with some of yours ideas, i think my brain would be able to use that as a springboard and come up with more specific hcs

as always, thanks for sending this in!!! i know i say this with every ask, but i really do enjoy thinking/discussing these things ^_^ it’s always fun to interact with the fandom for me

FEED ME SEYMOUR

[iabsolutelyresentthiswebsite]

The Romantic Relationship Development Rebuttal

I received this comment (below) on my post for the second installment of my “Fundamental Misunderstanding of Rian Johnson” webseries and comments are not long enough for what I need to say.

Them: “I think you mistaken that the relationships in TLJ are meant to be explicitly romantic? You basically have a bunch of broken people just trying to connect to one another as they try to figure themselves out/their places (in the often flawed ways people do), which is much more realistic in an imperfect/war torn world than romantic love is. The OT and PT directly romanticizes these unhealthy relationships in Anidala and Han/Leia, but they both fail for lack of substance. On the other hand everything in TLJ is pretty subtle, tho Kylo and Rey have and spark more substantial development in each other than either Anidala and Han/Leia in the OT/PT. Is it romantic? Who knows. Affection doesn’t always have to be. What matters is that these characters and their relationships become the catalyst for growth, romantically or otherwise. Besides this, Rose’s character is there to give a voice to the rebels (in and outside the mobilized resistance) and their motivations. Perhaps the reason it was shown this way will be clearer in IX, as XIII clarified much of XII. TLJ and what Johnson was trying to do seemed pretty clear to me but I understand we all have diff opinions. Anyway, Happy V-Day!“ 

Because of their respectfulness, I have declined to include their name, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are so wrong on almost everything. Including the episode numbers... (BTW, I electively ignored the comments until someone slid in and agreed with them. This is the only reason I am replying now.)

Never did I say in that video that the relationships were intended to be explicitly romantic. The problem is, nowhere in The Last Jedi, was it ever even implied it was supposed to be something else. I understand the whole “imperfect people trying to find imperfect ways to make sense of things”. I like that concept. I do. But even on that front, both FinnRose and most especially Reylo fail on every account.

Finn and Rose don’t play on each other well, don’t challenge each other in any logical manner, and nor do they find any kind of solace or understanding that the commenter is referring to in one another. Finn is an escaped Stormtrooper, who is extremely conflicted, scared, but brave, however doesn’t know his place outside of the fact he feels semi-indebted to both Poe and Rey for saving him in different ways. Rose’s purpose is still unclear outside of the whole forced romance arc. She is a useless character, aside from the fact the whole purposeless excursion on Canto Bight that should have been between Poe and Finn led to Finn voluntarily aligning himself with the Resistance. But I truly believe, without Canto Bight, that whole alignment arc could have and should have been done much better and more convincingly. Rose’s character did nothing to serve to give the rebels of voice, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. We know that the rebels come from everywhere and have their own reasons for joining and exploring that would have been great and even hearing the little bit of Rose’s backstory was...fine, I guess, but it does not change the fact she handicapped the entire plot- rather, lack thereof. It’s never been necessary to have a poorly-designed side character’s motivations explored in a poorly-constructed environment completely being forced by the plot in a main canon movie. That is exactly what the books are designed to do. Cover information that is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things so that it gives backstory on people we didn’t really think twice about. We saw Rose’s sister die for the Resistance and that was pretty powerful, but we didn’t even seen Rose really grieve over her sister, except lashing out at Finn, whom she was just fawning over. Like...I’m sorry, she was written so badly. She is a detriment to the plot, to the necessary relationship developments, and even to herself. 

Moreover, to boldly claim that it wasn’t intended to be explicitly romantic is objectively wrong. This is Disney we’re talking about. To them, love solves everything and for the things it doesn’t solve, it excuses. Rose kissed Finn because they wanted us to see them together romantically, but they gave Rose no personality and therefore, she and Finn have no chemistry. A kiss on the lips is a universal symbol of romantic love and as someone who was very mildly interested in a potential friendship between the two, that even I saw that kiss as romantic 100% of the way (btws, that was the only thing that lead me to that conclusion cinematically), it really says something. Also, cinematically speaking, the moment they kissed, an explosion went off, which is very clearly indicative of the romantic aspect I am so confidently asserting was intended to be in The Last Jedi between these two. They tried to make us see the “spark” by literally showing us them, but failed because of everything else wrong with their dynamic. 

Moreover, I explicitly do not see Reylo as romantic at all. They are completely 100% at opposite ends of the spectrum and cannot reconcile at this point. A Reylo endgame is completely asinine with what Rian Johnson did to them, which has always been fine by me. I don’t like/respect/enjoy a Reylo endgame as a narrative concept because it does not make logical sense based on their characters and interactions. It would have been asinine after JJ’s first installment, too. Reylo simply cannot happen, logically-speaking. As TFA began to explain, TLJ solidified that Reylo is DOA- Dead On Arrival. 

But the problem is, Rian Johnson basically said he ships Reylo, so we know that’s what he was trying to do. He said he played with the idea of them actually making out  in The Last Jedi. That is proof enough he fundamentally misunderstands romantic relationship development, but also fundamentally misunderstands these characters he’s writing! He did not and continues to not understand their real dynamic, which I really don’t get. It’s not that hard. 

Again, I concede that how someone might see the whole “imperfect people/imperfect places” thing. It makes more sense than what Rian tried to have happen. Rey and Kylo having this Force bond, which would have been fine under different circumstances, is a thing I was totally down for. Loved the concept. It made sense after what The Force Awakens established their relationship to clearly be, but now...suddenly that is thrown out the window for a shallow, Dues Ex Machina, self-fulfilling prophecy-esque plot device initiated by a person who simply is not powerful enough to make this thing happen. So is the Force-bond genuine or fabricated? No one will ever know. 

Kylo is very broken, although clearly not nearly as broken as we were lead to believe considering Rian decided to have him throw his redemption away in favor of the lies and power his now-deceased master promised him in his youth. Kylo knows what he’s doing now. And Rey, completely stripped of her personality, is unrealistically believing every single thing Kylo Ren has to say without consulting Luke Skywalker about anything. I’ve already spoken about how OOC Luke was, so we are not going there right now. Rey, based on her characterization in TFA, would not have done that, especially considering Kylo had just murdered his father in front of her and knew that his father meant something to her. He did it as much for himself as he did to hurt her intentionally. If they were supposed to be “imperfect people finding meaning in imperfect ways”, Kylo would have actually gotten something beneficial out of it, much like Rey. Instead, we have Kylo Ren’s arc assassination and Rey being completely and utterly betrayed by Kylo Ren with no good reason and now the Rebellion is pretty much up shit’s creek without Han, Luke, or Leia. Maybe Rey learned a lesson that she wasn’t supposed to trust Kylo Ren, but why did she in the first place? She literally detested him all of about 18 hours prior. Maybe Kylo Ren learned that people cared about him, but Leia literally telepathically sensed her son and sent him good vibes and Han put his life in jeopardy for his son. He knew that, too. 

Moreover and very quickly, Anidala wasn’t really all that unhealthy until Anakin became obsessed with protecting Padme. It was weird to us because Padme was 14 when Anakin was 9 and they got married when he was like 19 and she was 24. But like, it was what it was until Palpatine really started trying to turn Anakin’s heart by playing on his fears of losing Padme. And at really no point in time was Han and Leia’s relationship unhealthy. They fought a lot because they were denying the sexual tension that did exist between them and their personalities were both fairly dominant, so testing the waters was necessary. Couples fight all the time and their bickering really lead to them being able to see each other for who they truly are. Neither relationship was what you assert it was. 

I will say, again and a-fucking-gain, nothing in this movie should have logically happened and what happened actually is illogical from the very concept to the way it was executed. Rian Johnson wanted us to see failure, but unfortunately for this franchise, the failure we saw was this God-awful movie. 

But like you said, we all have differing opinions. Happy Valentine’s Day.

[mosmindmanifested]

LSD: An Odyessy of Possible Realities

"You are your own worst enemy". 

 What does that cliche even mean? Are there two "mes'", engaged in an intimate duel for dominion over my mind and body? Probably not. 

 "You just need to get out of your own way." 

 Now that one perplexes me even more. The obstacle that I need to overcome is myself. But what aspect of mySelf? Clearly, we aren't meant to take these cliches literally, or they would just be the common word salad we'd expect from a schizophrenic. These cliches seem to be hinting at an underlying theme. Self-sabotage. 

 How many times have you got yourself so excited about pursuing a specific endeavor? You may have actively imagined yourself enjoying the fruits of this endeavor, indulging in the thoughts and feelings associated with achieving this goal. Now the time to start this endeavor arrives. You begin by feverishly committing to this vision. You take the first few necessary steps to make your dreams a reality.

 As time progresses, your romantic feelings towards this goal pass the honeymoon stage, and what once was a complete immersion fades into a mild focus. 

 Before you know it, you stop pursuing this endeavor. 

 Where was the spark you had to begin with? You brainstorm all the reasons why you couldn't find the motivation to continue. You tell yourself the same old story. I'm just not the type of person who does that type of thing... Not everyone would be: x,y,z.. It wasn't meant to be... Whether you're aware of it or not, you were doomed to begin with. Intoxicated by the sweet imaginings of future success, your burning desire acted as a catalyst to fuel the first few miles of the trip. Desire without faith is useless though. Deep down in the recesses of your being, a part of you was not congruent with the task at hand. A part of you believed itself to be unworthy of the success it desired. A part of you feared the challenges associated with the work and the consequences of potential failure. A part of you believed the criticisms your peers expressed when you spoke to them of your plans. A part of you desperately grasped onto the status quo, afraid of venturing into the unknown.

 (Doubt is the devil.) 

 Your core beliefs expressed unconsciously and developed early in life, dominate your will. Whether positive or negative, these beliefs determine the course of your actions and chances at success. Analogous to computer programming, we are all running the SCRIPT of our fundamental beliefs. We are all stars of a Self-fulfilling prophecy. So how do we go about regaining control over our destiny? How do we leverage the forces of heaven and earth to our aid?

 In comes LSD. 

 The transcendental super drug that fueled the counter-culture of the 1960's. The subject of the ever notorious MK-Ultra trials at McGill university. (Long story short, they were trying to develop a mind-controlling substance and were testing the efficacy of LSD6 to do the job.) The nootropic mind fuel for silicon valley tech-experts. LSD seems to be powerfully intertwined with higher mental functions and creativity.

  This is not an academic post. I will not be discussing the scientifically proven benefits or downsides of consuming the substances. Instead, I will be sharing my personal experiences with the substance, and the dramatic transformations it had facilitated for me. 

 September 2016

 I am starting my second year of university. I have barely any credits from the previous year and am dreading the two-hour commute to and from school. I feel as though I have no autonomy in my life. If I don't graduate from school, I will be a failure in life. I have to find a way to pay all this debt I'm placing myself in I am so much behind my peers; will I be able to graduate in four years? What will I do after my bachelor's degree? Ever and their mom has a degree in psychology; how will I get a job? Should I tell my parents I failed two classes last semester? 

My mind was in a chaotic and paralytic nightmare.

 Every day seemed like a hassle. Every moment was another drowned in future anxieties and worry. I was desperate for a change and turned to drugs. I had been experimenting with marijuana for a while but found it served as a spiritual anesthetic more than anything. I was looking for something more profound, something that would have an impactful and transformative effect on who I was with a person. Having experimented with magic mushrooms once before, and being deeply moved by the permanent effect it had on my worldview, I felt as though using LSD was the next logical step.

 I found a supplier through a mutual friend; he testified to the potency of the drug, warning me of the potential dangers and elucidating the type of experience I was heading towards. The day after my first lecture of the year, I meet with the supplier. 

I drop the acid on the 2-hour train ride home. An hour in and my visual perception becomes skewed. The walls of the train become amorphous. The chatter of those on the train merges into a  static hum, hardly being able to pay attention to any dialogue long enough to decipher any meaning. Colors take on a higher level of saturation. Everything is brighter. A light layer of perspiration covers my body. It is the tail end of summer and the sun is blazing. I hop off the train and rush onto the bus, praying not to bump into anyone I know in my vulnerable state. Low and behold, I bump into a distant friend. We get into the standard dialogue that people who see each other unexpectedly after being loosely acquainted get into. Work. School. News. I mild nausea kicks in. The longer I stare at this mans face, the more cartoonish it appears. I abruptly hop off the bus and run into a local library. I lock myself in a public washroom stall and force myself to take a shit. Nothing is coming out. I step out the stall. I shouldn't have looked in the mirror. I can barely recognize myself. I look like a wild animal; alien. I jump back on the bus and head home. I rush into my parent's bedroom and console myself with my guitar. I feel as though I am sinking into my bed. The mild perspiration becomes a thick layer of sweat. The acid is not agreeing with the iced coffee I had hours prior. I rush to the washroom and force myself to vomit. My brother recognizes something is off. I psychically sense his concern. There is nothing left to do but confess. He directs me to his room where I spend the next few hours. Better his disapproving embrace than the wrath of my mother, I would not be able to handle that right now. He brings me his laptop and suggests I surf the web. I play Richard Linklater's "Waking Life". I am moved by the themes of the movie. Is my whole waking reality a manifestation of my dreaming reality? 

The uncomfortable feelings fade and replaced with awe for everything around me as if I was seeing it all for the first time. I go outside and play basketball with the local high school kids. I am in ecstasy. I take my bike and go for a bike ride. The sky is so beautiful. Torrential rainfall and I'm far from home now. For the first time, I was not bothered by the rain. I embraced every drop. I get home soon enough and dreamed about the rest of my life. I was to become a world-traveling anthropologist, discovering new cultures and integrating them in the west. For the first time in a long time, I was not worried about anything. Everything was perfect.

 I could've died a peaceful death at that moment.

 In fact, I feel like a part of me died that day. 

 June 2019 

 I embark on an experiment. I buy 10 tabs of acid and decide to take small amounts every day, progressively taking larger doses as time progresses. At this point in time, I am working at an independent coffee shop. The only thing on my mind is saving up enough money to move out of my parent's house for good, and living on my own. Each day brings new insights. Week 1 I find myself stripping more and more activities and engagements from my life. I spend my off time meditating and reading books on personal success. I talk less and listen more. I'm making more tips at work and am a lot more diligent when it comes to the minutiae of the job. My workouts are amazing. I am hitting personal bests on the squat and deadlift. 

 Week 2 

All my time spent not working is dedicated to spiritual work (meditation, prayer, active imagination), exercise and time with family. Old ideas are resurfacing and, for the first time, I am taking action towards realizing them. 

Week 3 

The course of my life has completely changed. I have reached a state of unconditional love. I am one with everything and everyone around me. My personal engagements are becoming more rich and authentic. I am no longer afraid to be vulnerable. I forgive those that have done me wrong in the past and make it a mandatory endeavor that I expose myself to the situations that make me feel the most insecure and afraid. In meditation, I cry tears of joy. I am complete as I am. I love everyone. I am completely transformed inside out, and opportunities and insights begin happening in real-time. My business idea seems so tangible as if they already exist in a parallel reality. Everything is perfect. I am at peace. A month has passed and the feelings I have cultivated during the three week period are alive and active. I no longer feel angry, or wronged. Every day is filled with gratitude. I make it a habit of mine to be creative daily. Cataloging my ideas and actively pursuing the ones I deem most appropriate for the moment. 

 LSD is a powerful tool. 

It allowed me to access the deepest layers of my being and reorganize my belief system. Exposing myself to positive material during the experience was integral to rearranging my psyche. I have undergone a profound self-hypnotic restructuring, and can never see reality the same again. 

 The hippies might be on to something.

[christiansunraysang]

Balance to the Force: An In-Depth Fan Analysis of how Rey is the Sequel Trilogy’s Chosen One

Written by Christian Ang

Beloved by generations of fans, Star Wars was first introduced on screen in 1977, and has since been an iconic piece of cinematic and pop culture history, that has since influenced the genre to come. Yet, as Lucasfilm would later be helmed by a new team after The Walt Disney Company had purchased the company and all subsequent franchises, including Star Wars, new films had been proposed to continue the legacy that came before it. However, the lore of the Star Wars films are coveted by many, and those that had been with the series in its early days, hold many of its elements, including original cuts of the first trilogy dear to them. As such, Lucasfilm and its founder, George Lucas, were vital in shaping and preserving the growing mythos that would later be expanded in books, comics, and animated television shows. One core component of the pantheon of characters that exist is the focus of the films in which the first six movies centralized in telling the tragic story of Anakin Skywalker, a boy destined to influence the galaxy in great and powerful ways. Below is an analysis of all canonical films and television shows that currently exist at the time of writing this essay, and how the future of the films would play out in reintroducing the concept of the Chosen One. While there have been recent books and comics that also elaborates the details in between the on-screen media, not including those from the Expanded Universe banner, these will be otherwise unacknowledged on the basis that both Disney and Lucasfilm had stated that the main canon of the series is primarily kept within the aforementioned films and television programs.

Star Wars tells its narratives in a circular fashion. This is often supported by George Lucas, himself, in which he states that the nature of the prequel and original trilogy functions as a symbolic circle. We begin with the rise and fall of Anakin and then his rise to redemption as Darth Vader. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, has gone on record with different press junkets to reinforce that the Star Wars films have always been about family dynamics, and Lucas also mentioned, before Disney’s acquisition, that the films have always been about the character of Anakin Skywalker. Through this logic, though Anakin may not exist as a physical character, his spiritual essence is reinvigorated through Rey.

 If Lucasfilm is continuing the tradition in maintaining this circle, this can be denoted in the way that The Force Awakens heavily draws its influence on A New Hope. However, in 1999, when The Phantom Menace was released, this was also supposed to be the prequel equivalent of the same film. It is also the same film that introduces the Chosen One concept into the mythos of the films. As a result, it would not be surprising for Lucasfilm to take both films’ concepts and merge them into the first film of the sequel trilogy. On the other hand, it can be argued that when Poe Dameron destroys Starkiller base, it does not necessarily line up with the Circle Theory, as it is Luke and Anakin that have the climactic moment in their respective space battles. This can be a narrative oversight, in which it was more important to emphasize the conflict between Rey and Kylo. Yet, we see Rey have the same natural piloting prowess that Anakin had as a child, with her telling Finn that she had no prior experience in doing so.

 The catalyst in which Anakin, Luke, and now Rey embark on their journey usually comes from someone from outside their world and bringing them into the fray of the conflict. When we first meet Anakin as a young boy, it is through meeting Qui-Gon Jinn, Padme, and Obi Wan who are not residing in the planet and takes him along on their journey. This is echoed in A New Hope in which R2-D2 and C-3PO, who were recently on Leia’s ship, encounter Luke and Ben Kenobi, and serves as an expositional tool set Luke on his path. As such, this is the same with Rey, in which her way of living is disrupted upon meeting BB-8 and Finn. Further parallels to Anakin and Luke persist throughout The Force Awakens, in which she encounters the other characters. Maz Kanata asks Han who is this girl, and the rest of the dialogue in the film keeps reiterating the same question: who is Rey? It is an obvious trope in which the mystery of Rey is made known to the audience, and yet there is a distinctive connection, though it is currently unknown how. There is a strong, unspoken bond between her and Han Solo, as well as Leia in the conclusion of the film. If there was a direct familial relation, they would have recognized her. However, if she was the Chosen One, then it would make sense for the original trilogy characters to be drawn to her in a spiritual sense, though they might not understand why.

 Rey’s vision further dives into exploring this connection, in which by touching the lightsaber, she sees a cryptic series of events. First, she hears Vader’s breathing as the scene unfolds into the corridor in Bespin in which Luke would subsequently lose his hand, dropping the lightsaber that Rey had just touched. This can be interpreted as the last time the audience had last seen this saber, as well as a connection to her past life as Anakin and the fact that he encountered his former saber once again. Later, the scene continues to shift into showing R2-D2 and what the audience assumes to be Luke in a robe. Though one can deduce that since she doesn’t know what Luke looks like, this could be why Luke’s face is not shown on screen. However, this would not make sense, as we also see the forest that Rey would battle Kylo Ren, and even sees a massive slaughter from the Knights of Ren. This is all before Rey actually meets Kylo Ren in person. Through that logic, one can even further speculate that it was not even Luke under that robe, but rather Anakin before his battle on Mustafar. This is also inconsistent, however, as much of Anakin’s attire is darker tones of black and maroon, as seen in the Clone Wars animated television show, and in both The Attack of the Clones, and The Revenge of the Sith. This can even be delved in further as this may possibly be Rey in the future, for some reason on a lava planet that is meant to be significant. This may also allude to a return to Mustafar in either a flashback, if it was Luke, or in the future if it was Rey. Regardless, in Rogue One, the audience encounters Darth Vader in a large castle-like structure on a lava planet, thus providing plausibility as to why one would see either Luke or Rey at a similar environment. If the films are really about Anakin’s character, then it would not be out of context to revisit this castle if the protagonists believe there is something important hidden within there. Furthermore, in the vision, the voices of both Yoda and Obi Wan (both as a young and old man), can be heard in whispers throughout this sequence. Despite never meeting them, this would only make sense if Rey was channeling this through her past life as Anakin. In effect, both Jedi masters played a huge role in influencing Rey, and the latter being Anakin’s former master.

 Throughout the prequel trilogy, Obi Wan wrestles with the question if Anakin really is the Chosen One, to which the Council also can be seen discussing this as well. Qui-Gon, however, is convinced that Anakin will fulfill this prophecy, as he is unusually strong with the Force, and desires to train him before his demise at the end of The Phantom Menace. As a result, this is an obvious reference and parallel to the life of Jesus Christ. Shmi states that Anakin has no father and that she was mysteriously pregnant. Moreover, much like Jesus, there is doubt that Anakin is a messianic figure. In the climax of Revenge of the Sith, Obi Wan tells Anakin of this prophecy and that he was intended to “destroy the Sith, not join them”. This is not necessarily true, as the prophecy is said that the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force. Anakin accomplishes this, in fact, by helping wipe out most of the Jedi Order as they were too powerful over the Dark Side. However, Obi Wan’s claims would later be fulfilled as Vader kills Palpatine and himself, thus ending the reign of the Sith, and thus balancing the Force once more. Years later within The Force Awakens, the only characters that are trained in the Force or are familiar with sensing it when meeting Rey, would be Kylo Ren, Snoke, and Maz Kanata. Maz senses a connection between the former lightsaber of Anakin with Rey, and Kylo also notes to Snoke that she is incredibly powerful in the Force though untrained. Lastly, Snoke senses an “awakening”, which is implied to be Rey. It is not uncommon for young children to be born with a potential connection in using the Force. In fact, this is mentioned in the Rebels animated series in which Stormtroopers are searching for children who may be proficient in the Force, just as Ezra would later be. In effect, Rey’s use of the Force should not alert, let alone worry Kylo or Snoke, as this should be common in the galaxy, unless she is the new Chosen One to bring balance once again to the Force.

 Kylo Ren’s journey is made to parallel Ben Solo’s descent into the Dark Side like his grandfather, Anakin, and becomes obsessed with fulfilling his idea of his familial legacy. In fact, Kylo can be interpreted as Rey’s antithesis. In conjunction with Circle Theory and the tendency of the franchise to rely on symbolism, Rey is everything that Kylo desires to be: his grandfather. When trying to extract the map leading to Luke’s location, Rey resists, despite lacking any training, and overwhelms Kylo, only to tell him his fear of not living up to the legacy of Darth Vader. The parallelism that surround them both continue to be riddled throughout the film. Both characters belong to opposing factions, and both have an important connection to Han Solo. In the final battle, Kylo attempts to reclaim his grandfather’s lightsaber, which instead goes to Rey, as she uses the very weapon belonging to his family against him. It is important to note that this saber was easily called upon by Luke, Kylo’s uncle, and the notion that the saber would be easily drawn upon the Force to a girl who he believes to be unrelated to himself would be devastating. Kylo desires to be the Chosen One, while Rey simply is thrust into that role. Rey is ultimately the true successor to Anakin’s legacy, and Kylo is rather a false prophet that believes his own idea of what that legacy means.

 Lightsabers are built through a Jedi’s will in union with the Force. Thus, it represents a personal symbol, and source of identification of that respective Jedi. In the Clone Wars and in Rebels, the construction of a lightsaber is explored, and in Rogue One, the Kyber crystals that are used to power the Jedi weapons are bastardized into functioning as the main power source for the Death Star. Throughout the Clone Wars television show, the connection to one’s saber is important, and this is seen in A New Hope in the symbolic “passing of the torch” to Luke as Obi Wan hands over Anakin’s saber. In fact, Anakin makes note of how personal and important this is to him in an episode of the Clone Wars. As stated above, Luke and Rey are both able to call upon the saber with ease, while Kylo, a descendant of Anakin, cannot. Maz even states that the saber was calling upon Rey, and notes the legacy of its former users. If Rey is revealed not to be Luke’s daughter, as that would be a reveal that would not have had paid off as well, and is in fact the new Chosen One, the dramatic connection would be more impactful. Furthermore, Luke already has his own saber, as seen in Return of the Jedi, and would no longer need his father’s, thus giving it to Rey.

 Much speculation had risen, in anticipation of the film, that Kylo Ren and Rey were in fact a new iteration of Jacen and Jaina Solo, and are related to the Skywalker family, as seen in the Expanded Universe of books and comics. While the former was in fact revealed to be related to this lineage, Rey’s family is intentionally kept a secret. If it was the intention of the film to preserve the reveal that Rey was somehow blood related, why bother revealing Kylo Ren’s connection so immediately? This can be resolved in application with Circle Theory in which Episode VIII would emulate many of the same elements of both Empire Strikes Back and Attack of the Clones. Within Empire Strikes Back, Vader unveils the truth and tells Luke that he is, in fact, Anakin Skywalker. Though Attack of the Clones does not have a tantamount reveal parallel to this, both Anakin and Luke lose their hands in combat with a Sith Lord. While Kylo is not defined as a Sith Lord, Episode VIII, if it follows a narrative pattern like The Force Awakens and A New Hope, would see Rey facing off against Kylo Ren once more. The parallels between VIII and Empire Strikes Back is further supported as Lando Calrissian is expected to return, just as he was introduced in the latter. Luke also parallels Yoda’s role, in which he is now the exiled Jedi on a remote planet that is intended to train Rey. Yet, what is more important is the further character development that is to be expected in the upcoming film, and the reveal of Rey’s connection is undoubtedly a core component as well, in its plot. Paralleling the middle films in both trilogies that came before it, a single iconic piece of dialogue that overall shaped the importance of the films to come after it in the franchise was built upon the twist that Darth Vader was the fallen Anakin Skywalker. For Kylo Ren as he questions who Rey is to him, Rey would subsequently call him to the Light, just as his grandfather attempted to do the inverse to his uncle many years ago. As Ren resists, he would claim that he intends to accomplish what his grandfather tried to, only for Rey to knowingly say, through the Force, that, in fact, she is the risen Anakin Skywalker.