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thmgau · 2 months ago

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CHAPTER 26 - MANDATED NONCOMPLIANCE [wattpad]

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It had been a long, long day for Juniper.

Getting the job application from Sotry & filling it out took a little longer than expected. Juniper guessed Sotry didn’t want to be coworkers with aem either, which was fair.

After that, zae had to go to the store & pick up some food (Juno had a lot of fun in the shopping cart, it seemed). Then, fae went back over to Cherry’s dorm room to introduce everyone to Juno & the plan for tomorrow. The rest of the group just shrugged & agreed.

But now, finally, she was able to relax. As Juno got tucked into the couch, Juniper laid down in zheir bed, got all snuggled up under the covers, & conked out.

It was a restless sleep, though. In eir dreams, Juniper found emself face-to-face with the same shadow creature from before, when ey first got the necklace.

“Hero..” the creature’s voice echoed. “You must tread cautiously. Juno is not as he seems.”

Juniper tried to ask what the shadow meant by that, but nothing came out when zae tried to speak.

“Juno is a danger to us all.” the shadow creature continued. “Any mistake you make with her could lead to death, one way or another. Stay cautious. Don’t listen to a word he says.”

Before he knew it, Juniper was awake again. Phey turned to look at the time. It was only 5:46 in the morning. As voi took a few breaths, 2 questions came to mind.

Did the others have that dream, & is Juno really a threat?

A buzz from their phone answered one of those questions.

Leslie: did anybody else have that weird dream Nora: i did! Cherry: i did too. Juniper: same here. Kalani: yeah 👍 Cherry: what the hell was that even about. Cherry: “juno is not as he seems” ??? Nora: the last time we all had a dream like that was when we got the necklaces in the first place Nora: maybe this prophetic dream has a good point. Cherry: but what are we supposed to do? all we know is that juno wants back in the castle. Kalani: i think i might know what’s up ☝️ Kalani: remember what sun & mr. moon told us a couple days ago when we were at mercury ☀️🌒 Leslie: uhh. no :p Kalani: they said if we met anyone named juno, we have to avoid him at all costs. juno was the person who shot sun. 🔫 Juniper: OH SHIT youre right Juniper: THATS why the name juno felt so familiar to me Cherry: ugh so now on top of trying to pay rent in time now we have to deal with the dude who shot sun Leslie: what could juno want back in the castle for though? Nora: presumably to shoot sun again Juniper: well whatever her plan is we should probably stop it. Cherry: but how do we stop him? Juniper: i dunno! that’s what i’m asking! Leslie: if we all meet up at my dorm we could probably brainstorm somethin Leslie: plus i can make us breakfast :3 Kalani: well i can never say no to a leslie breakfast 🍳

Juniper sighed, getting out of bed. Of course ae would let a villain into aer apartment, knowing aer luck. She slipped on her slippers & made her way to Leslie’s dorm room. Whatever Juno had planned, the group was planning to stop it.

The group sat around on Leslie’s couch as it served them all some bacon & eggs. It was a little bit early for breakfast, but it’s better early than late.

“Mmmfh.. these are really good, Leslie!” “Thanks!”

Leslie sat down with their own plate of bacon & eggs. Somehow, throughout everything the group has been through so far, Leslie always manages to keep a smile on its face.

“So! What’s the plan?” Leslie asked, only to be met with a resounding silence from everyone in the room.

“Yea, uh.. We’ve got nothing.” “Nothing! We can work with that!” “No, Les. Not really.”

Kalani tried to think of ideas. Juniper had said the day before that the group was going to get Juno to the Castle the next day, which doesn’t give the group a lot of time to plan anything.. unless?

“I know how to kill two birds with one stone!” Kalani announced. “We’re killing birds?” “It’s a metaphor. Anyways, how about we use our jobs as an excuse until we can come up with a better plan?” “Our jobs that we.. don’t have yet?” “Ah, yeah. Those jobs.” “I’m sure we can find some odd-jobs to do around the city until we get hired!” “Ooh, good thinking! Why didn’t any of us think of that earlier?”

So, the group planned all throughout breakfast. Pretend to have a job while they do chores around town, & (as per Nora’s suggestion) get in contact with one of the Celestials, since they likely know what Juno’s personality is like.

“Alrighty, I’ll have a schedule posted for all of us in the group chat by, uh.. soon.” Cherry said, stretching. “Sounds good!”

Juno tossed & turned in his sleep. He was having that dream again. It was more of a memory, really, but Juno liked to pretend it’s a dream.

Despite this, the “dream” was extremely vivid in her mind. Juno could remember it like it was yesterday.

The fake court-like room that had been set up in the Castle penetrated Juno’s memory. The yellow & blue glowing podiums everyone stood at seemed duller than they had been in person. Juno had stood before Betty, Time, & Fate, & his job was to convince the three of them that he did not, in fact, kill Sun.

It was quite difficult to lie to the Celestial capable of seeing the future, though.

Before she could get a single word out, the Celestials standing before her stopped her from speaking, telling Juno that there was no use in defending herself. Everyone already knew Juno was the culprit.

Juno had no clue why Fate ever allowed him to live in the Castle in the first place, if she was able to predict Sun’s death, but what he did know is that he’d never forget the punishment provided to him.

“You have been sentenced to life on Earth for the rest of eternity.”

Those words.. Juno would never forget them. Especially not after she had gotten her revenge. He giggled to himself, knowing that these so-called heroes Fate had specifically appointed would be its downfall.

It was quite later in the day now, as the plan had been put into action. While everyone else was off doing gigs around Cincinnati, Kalani was going through the book to see if Juno was mentioned in it at all. She read & read, but to her disappointment, there wasn’t any information. Kalani suspected the book may have been on Earth long before Juno had shot Sun.

As he sighed & shut the book, Kalani heard a knocking on his door. Kalani got up to answer it.

“Hello! Delivery for Patience!”

Despite this person wearing a post officer uniform & holding an envelope, Kalani could tell this was not a post officer. It was two creatures trying to pull off the trenchcoat trick, but instead of a trenchcoat, it was a post officer uniform. Not to mention, this “delivery” seemed to not be for Kalani.

“Uh.. there’s nobody named ‘Patience’ living here.”

She could hear mumbling from the creature underneath, presumably talking to the creature on top.

“Evil, you dunce! The heroes don’t know about that yet!” “Oops, my bad!”

The mention of heroes made Kalani think these were Celestials. Nobody else knew about the hero thing (except for Natalie & Sorrel).

“Um.. you guys can just come in if that’s easier.” “Oh, thank Fate!” Evil sighed, “walking” inside of Kalani’s apartment. “I did not want to do that trick for another second.” “It was your idea, Evil!” “Oh, whatever, Good.”

As they came inside, the post officer uniform came off, revealing the two creatures in their entirety. One was pure black, with white eyes, & the other was the opposite. They looked to be around the same size in terms of height.

“Hi! I’m Good-” “-& I’m Evil!”

Good appeared to be the pure black one, whilst Evil was the pure white one. They both offered a handshake to Kalani.

“The name’s Kalani. Nice meeting both of you.” she nodded, shaking both of their hands. “I assume you both are Celestials.”

“That would be correct!- Evil, what are you doing?!” “Oh, just inspecting the long throne.”

The “long throne”, as Evil had called it, was Kalani’s couch.

“That’s.. not a throne.” “It is now!” Evil proclaimed, sitting on the couch like royalty.

“Anyways,” Good continued, showing clear disdain for Evil’s actions. “We come bearing news from Fate herself!” “Oh- Yes, yes! Very important news!” “I.. assume that’s what the envelope is about.” “Yup!”

Evil hands the envelope over to Kalani. It was a metallic yellow & gold gradient, & kind of felt like a sheet of metal.

She opened up the envelope & pulled out the letter inside. The paper had a nice texture to it, & the handwriting was quite elegant. Kalani began to read the letter.

“Dear Patience,

We all at the Castle of Celestials would like to inform you of the threat you’re about to assist. Juno is a known chaos-causer around the multiverse; she is not a Celestial. He was banished to Earth for eternity after the murder of Sun.

Juno plans on destroying the Sands of Time once she returns to the Castle. This poses an immense danger to everybody, including Juno himself. You & the other heroes must prevent this from happening.

Unfortunately, fending off Juno with your weapons will not suffice this time. A creature such as her must be permanently stopped. Frozen, if you will.

I’m sure you'll figure out what to do from here. Best of luck.

Sincerely, Fate.”

“We have letters for the others as well. You were just our first stop!” “I see..” Kalani hummed, folding the letter up & setting it aside. “So why does this letter refer to me as Patience?”

“Oh, uhh..” Good & Evil glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond. “That’s just how Fate has always referred to you.”

“Fate.. refers to me as Patience?” “Yea, it’s like this whole thing. Something about values, I think? Fate’s never told us why.” “The other heroes also have names like that as well!” “That’s intriguing.”

Good stretched a little bit, grabbing the hat of the post officer outfit & tossing it over to Evil.

“Well, we best get going now!” Good announced, picking up more of the post officer outfit from the ground. “Got a lotta mail to get through today!”

“Y’know, I could just deliver the letters myself.” “Really?!” “Yeah.” Kalani shrugged. “Just seems more convenient for everyone involved.”

“Well!” Evil grinned, hopping off of Kalani’s couch. “That’s quite kind of you!” “Yes, indeed! We shall go inform Fate of the good news posthaste! Good day to you, Pati- eh, Kalani!”

As Good & Evil scampered out of the dorm room, Kalani sat down on his couch, sighing & thinking back on the letter. It had mentioned that Juno can only be defeated by being frozen. Kalani knew of only one place that could freeze people.

The Auction House.

#thmgau #mandated noncompliance

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waveringfaith · 1 year ago

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Angels don’t have birthdays. They existed before the concept came to be. One moment, they’re nothing but the particles that make up outer space, and the next, they’re beings made up of light and purity, not of the flesh but entirely of the spirit.

So when he’s made aware of Ambrose’s birthday today, he’s… not entirely sure what to do. Until he does.

Upon the Reverend’s arrival, Oliver’s unlike his usual self. There’s a sort of awkwardness surrounding him, unsure of his gift and if he’s going about it correctly. He wants Ambrose— Timothy to know that he cares about him. Perhaps more than he should.

“This is for you.” He manages to say, stepping closer towards him and carefully placing the necklace into his hand. It’s a blue crystal no more bigger that his thumb, a swirling glowing energy inside of it that creates a faint luminosity.

A physical piece of his angelic grace. Metaphorically and literally.

“I know you celebrate the day you were born today, and although my resources for gift-giving are… limited, I can only hope you’ll find some use for it. It should serve as protection from any harm that threatens you.”

His locked room mystery is dismissed as the beasts lurking the church offering a day of mercy. Nothing creeps up on him while he goes about the church aside from a sharp toothed man in the gardens. A few parishioners realize what day it is, offering quiet celebrations alongside their daily requests. One of the Fathers insist Ambrose stays in that evening for a makeshift celebration. From memory of Father Jacks birthday, it would be slices of pound cake, a glass of unidentifiable alcohol, and ancient cigars that would smoke out the entire church.

Sneaking the cake out during his walk, Ambrose doesn’t know what to do. Does he mention what day it is? Both are pillars of awkward energy, staring and quietly cutting cake.

“How did you..” he trails off, in awe of the glowing gem dangling in front of him. The necklace too. “You didn’t have to do anything, I’m surprised you even knew.” Bowing his head towards Oliver, he carefully tucks it underneath his shirt. “I love it.”

#unending sermons #a quiet prayer #falsely fallen

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jackiestarsister · 1 year ago

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OUAT rewatch: Episode 1x01

~ The written intro feels more like the script for a trailer than a prologue/introduction. It doesn’t seem necessary to me, since the audience presumably has some idea of the premise already, and if they don’t, it’s explained pretty early on.

~ The open scene really is magical, from the landscape shots to the perfect actors to the real snowfall.

~ No disrespect to Prince Charming, but shouting “Hey” to get the Evil Queen’s attention before throwing the sword at her was not smart. It’s like shouting “Sneak attack” while attacking someone.

~ Emma’s blue star-shaped candle = making a wish on a star, associated with the Blue Fairy

~ It’s striking how Emma and Henry face each other. He’s much shrewder than you’d expect a 10-year-old to be, and he has some similarities to her in attitude and intelligence. The way he outmaneuvers her is similar to how she outmaneuvered her fake date at the start of the episode.

~ “Come home with me.” = a Hadestown reference?

~ “Believing in something doesn’t make it true.” “That’s exactly what makes it true.” Sounds like a convicting statement, but that’s not how either stories or the real world work. There is truth in metaphor, symbolism, and story itself; but truth does not depend on whether someone believes, understands, or acknowledges it. But (spoiler alert) this becomes a key concept in the season 6 finale.

~ Rumpelstiltskin’s first scene is fantastic. I wonder if him being in the dungeon at the beginning has some psychological symbolism for Snow and Charming. His return at the end is a bit startling, and confirms him as a significant recurring character, someone Emma will have to contend with, rather than just a footnote or supporting character in her parents’ story.

~ I don’t know why I didn’t realize it from the start, but the title is much more than just the first line of most fairy tales. Time itself is a central theme of the show, from the very beginning. The curse is being frozen in time. The story structure in each episode jumps between different points in time, showing the impact of the past on the present.

~ In light of these themes, the fact that the clock tower is located right above the library, a place that houses books, is quite fitting!

~ “Giving into one’s dark side never accomplishes anything.” – That line, spoken twice in this episode, could be one of the theses of the show. It hits differently knowing what lies in store for many of the characters!

~ The reply, “How many wars has a clear conscience won?” is a valid question. It’s easy to have principles and ideals in the abstract, but it’s another thing to live them out, especially when someone is threatening you or your loved ones.

~ “Our fate rests on a tree?” makes me think of the cross of Christ, another foretold Savior

~ It’s interesting that Regina’s house has a white color scheme, and in her first scene as mayor she’s wearing light-colored outfit. It’s only afterwards that she switches to a darker outfit. Maybe, instead of the white = good and black = evil symbolism used elsewhere, they decided to contrast white/neutral colors for Regina with vivid colors for Emma, as seen in her red jacket and yellow car.

~ I have questions about the castle setup. Why did Gepetto and Pinocchio go about constructing the wardrobe so far away from the royal couple’s bedrooms? My only guess is that they didn’t expect the baby or the curse to come as quickly as they did.

~ It makes sense for Emma’s last name to be a type of bird, given her mother’s connection with them and the metaphor they serve in her first scene as Mary Margaret.

~ I remain curious about religion in both the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. An archbishop officiated Snow and Charming’s wedding, and Mary Margaret is wearing a cross necklace in her first scene. Given that the Grimm brothers were theologians, it would make sense for these characters to be influenced by Christianity, but that raises questions about where the Enchanted Forest and other realms exist.

~ The queen and her forces approaching when a mother is giving birth and searching for her child to kill it is reminiscent of the mother, child, and dragon in Revelation 12

~ Snow and Charming’s love for their daughter and capacity for self-sacrifice are what establishes them as heroes, even more than the audience’s familiarity with their story.

~ Prince Charming defending his newborn child with his life = the most dramatic possible visualization of fatherhood, both gentle and fierce

~ Emma’s journey through the tree-wardrobe is similar to the stories of Moses, Elora Danan, and other mythical children who escape danger as infants, signifying hope for the future of their people.

~ I love all the motifs and little details that nod to the characters’ stories, like Pinocchio carving a whale, Henry’s bedroom lamp showing images of birds, starting with a swan, and Regina going to a mirror when she is threatened.

~ The episode is relatively simple and self-contained, but soooo good! Even though it switches between two timelines, they manage to lead into each other with great effect. For example, Pinocchio appears just one scene after he’s first mentioned, and Grumpy gets his big closeup and line right before his first scene as Leroy.

#Once Upon a Time rewatch #ABC's Once Upon a Time #Once Upon a Time #Welcome to Storybrooke #Emma Swan

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noisycowboyglitter · 3 months ago

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diamondjewellery · 8 months ago

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returntosaturn271995 · 1 year ago

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Monday, November 20th: Queen of Clubs (Part 3)

You know what I like about rich kids? Nothing.

1). Bumbled my way with my baggage to Ember Locke (side eye is international).

2). Amazing hotel with a garden and cafe where I had the best chai tea latte of my life, was social with the staff and co-patrons, and vibed until my room was ready

3). Spent a solid 20 minutes figuring out the elevator (no sensor to keep it from chopping your arm off as it closes) and the lights in the room (have to leave your key card in place). Am I dumb? I think I might be kind of dumb.

4). Fitzrovia, the Vagabond, The Donavon

5). Got ready to British indie music to meet up with Josef and his friends at The Queen's Club, tennis courts you apparently have to be part royal corgi to get let in. I just walked past security in an upscale outfit: fitted black dress with a keyhole neckline, black tights, black boots, gold necklace chain tucked in to my cleavage, black trench coat.

6). My god, trust fund babies are a special kind of crazy. 17$ cigarettes, getting cut off and put back on again, and enough nepo-neuroticism that the guillotine is looking kind. I loved it in a White Lotus kind of way. A safari of 1% problems. I have never felt more charming, confident, or normal.

7). Ate a burger (the meat comes from a butcher that only serves the royal family and the club, but they'll only serve it well-done. As far as metaphors go it was a bit on the nose) across from BlackRock investors. I idly wondered if the world would be a better place if a comet struck the building.

8). Got a very lurid tour and some delicious red wine to wash down a tasty but ultimately normal burger. I'm sure the grapes were blessed by some sort of shaman. There was a lowkey racist vibe to the entire club that I'm not sure was entirely unintentional. New meaning to "tennis whites".

9). Allowed myself a nicotine high, since apparently, that's all people do out here. Another trust fund kid who had returned from Ibiza seemed worried his come down from molly and acid was taking too long (a couple of days). Didn't have the heart to tell him, he probably didn't take acid, but with genes like that, I'm sure he'll be fine.

10). Ypatsia, the Greek heiress (although frankly everyone there was inheriting something) with insanely blonde hair, likes movies and sees everything. Simon, cartoonishly rude and prone to French cheek kisses, suggested I take the Eurorail to Amsterdam. Josef is a compulsive liar when he drinks and likely when he isn't drinking. They all seemed miserable. It was fabulous.

"Simon is great once you get to know him", Josef said as Simon listened to YouTube shorts at the table, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm sure he's just a hoot," I said, smiling directly in the bastard's direction.

Later when we were on our own, Josef, clearly not well-acquainted with reality, mentioned that despite being an average-looking, 24-year-old millionaire with the social skills of a cactus, Simon does really well with women, "If you can believe it".

"You know, Josef, I can believe it."

11). Kicked Josef out of my hotel at 3 am, but kept his scarf (retail $900) as my second souvenir. Turns out he lied about being 28 and is 25. But that's the thing with liars. He wants to visit me. I put my foot down.

Can't have trash like that meeting my friends.

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spammreviews · 10 months ago

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The characters here have the same issues as the characters in C-, but they have some sort of aspect which makes them a little more interesting.

320. Nestor Royce-

Nestor Royce has got all of your classic First Men traits: strong, honorable, and proud. He works perfectly fine within the two chapters he’s in.

I suppose there is a bit more to Nestor than at first appears, as we see how he, like many other characters, is a very jealous person who is obsessed with what is rightfully his. Not only that, but Nestor is someone who appears to be pretty smart at first, but it quickly becomes apparent that he is an idiot who gets rings run around him by Littlefinger.

319. Cortnay Penrose-

Cortnay Penrose is fun in his one chapter, with his whole badass bravado and constant snark, but let's all give thanks he only has one chapter. This series is choking in badass old men.

318. Balon Greyjoy-

Oh yeah. Him.

Balon Greyjoy is the fucked-up Ozai to Theon’s fucked up Zuko. Just like Ozai, Balon is a well written character in the sense that he serves his purpose within the story perfectly, and there really isn’t a way for him to be written better. However, Balon is a badly written character in the sense that he is not remotely interesting. All of the other kings in the war of the five kings have pretty intriguing personalities. Balon’s entire character is that he is dumb, petty, and trapped in the past, just like a lot of other Ironborn characters. He is exactly who he needs to be to move Theon’s character arc along, and that’s fine. Balon is fine. I don’t think he could have been any better.

I will say this, one of my favorite bits of worldbuilding in this series is when Balon says Theon is “dressed like a girl” because he’s wearing a necklace, something not uncommon for men in the North, but not in the Iron Islands. This is worldbuilding very directly influencing the dynamics of the characters and the plot.

I will definitely talk about how our other Ironborn characters tell us a lot about the culture of the Iron Islands, but that’s for later on.

317. Darkstar (AKA Gerold Dayne) -

It is very hard to rank Darkstar. In many ways, he is an F tier character. His motivations are uninteresting and frustratingly simple, his decisions don’t make a lot of sense, and his whole edgelord schtick is very similar to many other characters.

The issue is, it’s unclear exactly what the point of Darkstar is. Is Darkstar supposed to be cool and badass or a jerk and a joke? Of course, even if he is just a joke, we also have many other characters who are pathetic assholes that think they’re the seven’s gift to humanity.

Then again, Darkstar is a very memorable character, especially considering the fact that he only appears in one chapter. The fact that so many people have such a blinding hatred for Darkstar suggests there is something about him which makes him stand out.

Also, many have theorized that Darkstar was not the one who cut Myrcella, and honestly, I’m inclined to believe them. The whole situation makes very little sense, especially for a series which often goes out of its way to be logical.

316. Septa Lemore-

Septa Lemore has a personality and some mystery behind her, and that means something I guess.

315. Vargo Hoat-

Vargo Hoat has grown on me. He’s a terrible person, obviously. However, as a character, there are a few fun things about him. For one thing, he rides a Zorse, which I think is delightful. Another thing, he has a lisp, which I just find to be interesting, and his lisp is a result of his tongue being too large, which feels like a metaphor for something. Also, Vargo is an idiot. Basically every single action he takes hurts him in some way. He definitely doesn’t stand out from the cavalcade of other idiot torturers with a large amount of bluster throughout the story, but oh well.

A common theme with villains in this story is that they have a false sense of honor. Craster always talks about he’s a godly man, Roose and Tywin act like what they’re doing is simply what they have to do, and Vargo always seems so confident in his morality.

314. Ser Aron Santagar-

Ser Aron Santagar was the armorer of King’s Landing. He seemed fun, but he did die early on. I’m too tired to look back and remember why he was fun.

I looked him up on “A Search of Ice and Fire” and all I learned is that he is the one with the Breastplate Stretcher which Lancel needs to get.

313. Lyn Corbray-

Lyn Corbray appears in two chapters, and he’s just kind of a dude. That does work well within the context of the story. The ensemble of characters within Sansa’s Feast story is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. There are four fantastic characters, and their mere presence manages to elevate the 10 or so mediocre ones.

312. Mors Umber:

Mors Umber is a good example of a character who would be completely uninteresting if it weren’t for his sickass character design, and the sickass backstory behind that character design. George should work on a fighting game.

311. Moqorro-

The problem with Moqorro is that he is sort of an example of the “Magical Negro” trope, wich you can look up if you don’t know what it is.

Also, the way he is described and his whole personality feels kind of stereotypical. I don’t wish to discuss this further.

310. The High Sparrow-

All of the other religious figures we meet in Feast are trying to repent, whether they be Aeron, Lancel, or Maribald. Is The High Sparrow trying to repent for something? Who knows.

309. Sigorn of Thenn-

The Thenns are interesting because they stick out from the other Wildlings. Sigorn is a Thenn. He is also a character with traits. That’s neat, I suppose. He is overshadowed in every scene he’s in by Tormund or Mance or Melisandre or whomever.

308. Styr of Thenn-

Styr’s purpose in the story is to be untrusting and antagonistic towards Jon. That is it. He functions mostly as a plot device. That’s fine. He appears in six chapters. He is given some character traits, like his enmity with Jarl as both of them compete with power, showing how Styr has the pride one would expect from someone raised to believe he’s a god. Styr also displays that weird sense of humor which Wildlings have on a few occasions, like when Jon mistakes him for Mance, and Styr says he can’t be King Beyond the Wall because he has no ears.

Plus, Sty has a unique appearance.

307. Alicent Hightower (the one from the Dance)-

There’s only one thing that I think makes Alicent Hightower interesting, and that is what happens to her at the end of her life. Alicent has her four children and three grandchildren die and is then left all alone. We hear about how she goes a bit insane and is trapped in this sort of constant state of grief and guilt. After all, it was Alicent’s ambition which led to her children’s deaths.

It’s a tragic story. However, before this, Alicent doesn’t do anything which suggests there is anything more to her than someone who wants her and her children to be powerful.

In the show, they gave Alicent daddy issues, a relationship with Rhaenyra, and a whole bunch of other stuff to make her a fully rounded character.

306. Illyrio-

Wooooooow. Another jolly fat guy. So original, George. Illyiro being Young Griff’s may add something interesting, if it is true. For now, he just feels way too similar to eight other characters to stand out.

I do hope Illyrio is Griff’s Dad. There are many lines in Tyrion III which only make sense if he is Young Griff’s father. It definitely adds a sense of tragedy to Illyrio’s character where he can never be with his son.

The final time we see Illyrio, we hear that he “almost looked small” (Tyrion III, ADWD), and there’s a slight suggestion of loneliness about Illyrio, with him waxing poetic about his former wife. He seems to not have any family or any friends. Perhaps Illyrio’s hedonistic activities are simply a result of this loneliness.

Honestly, I’m starting to consider putting him higher. However, this is all definitely subtext, and whether or not it was intentional is heavily debated.

305. Mace Tyrell-

Mace Tyrell is silly, but not silly enough to be all that fun or stand out from the pack. He has a schtick, and that schtick works.

304. Grey Worm-

You can’t really blame a character for having no personality when their personality is having no personality. That’s why Grey Worm is going in C. You may have noticed that there isn’t much being said of the characters in C, D, and F. That’s because I just don’t have much to say about them.

303. Daeron II-

Wow, an actually good Targaeryon king. Yippee.

302. Gyles Rosby-

Gyle Rosby’s whole existence is kind of a joke, and I’m alright with that, as that joke is pretty funny, and George keeps finding new ways to use the joke.

I will say this, Gyles didn’t seem all that bad as master of coin in that he warned Cersei about building all of those boats.

302. Jeyne Westerling-

Jeyne Westerling is just a girl. The story didn’t need her to be anymore.

301. Alys Karstark-

Oh yeah. She exists.

There’s some fantastic fanart of her marrying Sigorn of Thenn, and this fanart conveys a really great sense of romanticism which is definitely present in the scene. However, that mostly comes from how the scene is written.

We know that what’s going on is an arranged marriage, an event frequently shown to be a tragedy, and yet, the romantic vibe of the scene is undeniable. The detail about Alys’ breath mingling, Sigorn’s eyes growing wide when he sees Alys, and Alys laughing nervously all adds up to create this idyllic atmosphere. I like to think that’s because the entire scene is from Jon’s perspective. He can never be married, and what Alys is experiencing with Sigorn is what Jon wishes he could have experienced with Ygritte.

But, yeah, Alys Karstark is just…a girl.

300. Margaery Tyrell-

You would think that someone of royal blood could afford an actual personality.

There’s nothing wrong with Margaery Tyrell, it just so happens that she’s always eclipsed in every scene she’s in. Margaery’s deal is that she is just a girl.

299. Dacey Mormont-

There are too many Mormonts. The Mormont women are all fun, but why do we need three of them? The answer is that Dacey needs to die in the Red Wedding, and Maege is a fellow mother for Catelyn to bond with. I guess George thought Asha should bond with a girl her own age, so Maege was replaced with Alysane Mormont in a Dance with Dragons. These decisions do make sense, but the consequence of this is that we have three warrior Mormont women.

Dacey is an alright character. She’s badass, honorable, and fairly nice. This also fits many other characters, and Dacey is only made a bit more interesting because she is a girl. I was sad when she died during the Red Wedding, but a mosquito could have died during the Red Wedding and I would be sad.

298.Denys Mallister-

299. Cotter Pyke-

Denys Mallister and Cotter Pyke first become characters in the later half of Storm, where their entire points are to be opposites. Their dichotomy is fun, showing the sharp division between the upper and lower classes in Westeros, and how it still exists amid the Wall.

However, there are already many characters who are honorable asshole badasses who’s greatest sorrow is that they exist in a world without coffee, and there are already many characters who are like if the word “forsooth” was a person.

Denys and Mallister and Cotter Pyke are still characters, and that puts them above Awful Yarwick.

296. Big Walder Frey-

297. Little Walder Frey-

The bratty one is suitably bratty and the one that’s not bratty is suitably not bratty. They do seem like children who could exist, except for the gambling and possible murder.

_____________

I would like to say that this is not a ranking of the characters based on morals. This is based on how good I think they are as characters. This is obviously extraordinarily subjective, however, I enjoy ranking and sorting.

There are three factors I generally considered for this ranking.

The first is how well written I think the characters are. Do they have dimensions, do they serve their purpose within the story, do they stand out from the very large crowd of faces within this story, et cetera. This one is less important if they are a very minor character.

The second is how fun I think they are. The point of some of these characters is to get a chuckle, and if they did that, then they succeed as characters.

The third is vibes. Sometimes, I just vibe with characters.

Art Credits to

The_Mico

https://m.facebook.com/198918470118215/photos/a.232323176777744/465124813497578/?type=3

Amok https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/File:Visenya.jpg

Riot Art Therite

https://riotarttherite.tumblr.com/

The Three Hares

Rae Lavergne

Weak Aside

https://www.tumblr.com/weakaside

Paolo Puggioni

Image of Nettles by Rlyeha https://www.deviantart.com/rlyeha/art/Nettles-885635180

Special Thanks to

A Wiki of Ice and Fire

https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Main_Page

and

A Search of Ice and Fire

___________

Without further ado, the list. This is a ranking of all characters from best to worst, with 398 being the worst and 1 being the best.

_____________________

F Tier:

398. Xaro Xhoan Daxos-

Xaro is like a weird homophobic stereotype. One could compare him to Varys, but Varys is a character and he has dimensions. There are moments where we are surprised by Varys. Varys has a boring room. Varys went out of his way to save Gendry. Varys has a fucked up backstory. Despite all of Varys’ silliness he never feels cartoony. He’s an actual capable and intelligent person who’s motivations are mysterious and intriguing. Et cetera, et cetera.

Meanwhile, Xaro Xhoan Daxos has no surprises. He’s just…ridiculously one noted, and that note teeters on the edge of being kind of homophobic with a few weird lines which I hope were not George’s intention.

All of this would be fine if he only had a few chapters, but he appears in two books. Two!

Everything Xaro says and does is so basic. He’s got simple and un-unique strategies because of his simple and un-unique motivations. Half of his lines and actions feel the same. His purpose within not just the story, but within individual chapters and conversations, never changes. I’m getting really angry right now.

I get that we are supposed to hate Xaro, but the hatred I feel with him is not a fun hatred. I do not love to hate Xaro. I simply hate him. He annoys me. The way he talks is so fucking annoying, with this stupid eloquence wich makes simple sentences turn into paragraphs. It reminds me of papers I read in college. “I have crossed long leagues and stormy seas to help you once again.” “A pretty metal, but fickle as a woman. Gold, now…gold is sincere.” Shut the fuck up. He also talks about how hot Dany is every other second. I get the point that the traits of Dany which are valued are her appearance, so even someone who’s not attracted to women is going to act pervy, but it’s still annoying.

Xaro is also ridiculously condescending. It’s purposefully infuriating, but it’s so cartoony and on the nose it’s not even a funny kind of infuriating. Perhaps he might go higher if he died a terrible death, but for now he’ll go here.

He also adds nothing to the story. He has two conversations with Dany in Dance. The first one lasts for pages, and it’s only purpose is to give us a bunch of information. The second one’s purpose is to piss Xaro off so he can declare war.

In conclusion, Xaro Xhoan Daxos is too ridiculous to be taken seriously, and too annoying to be taken comedically.

397. Yezzan zo Qaggaz-

It’s really hard to tell apart one Ferengi-esque Ghiscari from another (I think the enslaved people aren’t Ghiscari, but I’m not sure). They’re all ugly, cruel, ridiculously decadent, and greedy. It’s bland, it’s repetitive, and it’s almost, dare I say…lazy. The world of Mereen feels so drab in comparison to the world of Westeros because everyone there basically just acts basically the same. At least with the Ferengi, we were introduced to sympathetic and complex ones, and we learned about the nuances of their society and all that jazz. The Ghiscari are not afforded that same privilege. The exception is Hizdar Zo Loraq, who will be discussed later.

I’m obviously not saying that George should have introduced us to a nice, sympathetic slaver. Please do not misconstrue my meaning. I’m saying that George could have introduced us to a slaver who’s personality stands out, or a Ghiscari who wasn’t a slaver or something. You can make a character complex and interesting while still having them be completely irredeemable in every way. This is ASOIAF, after all, and this story has lots of characters who are atrocious people but who still have interesting internal psychologies. Hell, sometimes adding complexity or whatever to a character can make them more hateable, as we will later see. I know the Ghiscari suck, but there’s no slaver who provokes the same degree of anger in me that Joff or Ramsay does, and I’ll explain why later.

These are all evil, irredeemable human-shaped pieces of shit, but at least Joff and Ramsay are characters. Ramsay isn’t even that complex…he’s mostly just sadistic for no reason, but his sadistic cruelty is still interesting because he is a character with traits beyond “evil”. He’s a specific kind of evil, and there’s a reason he’s that kind of evil, and that specific kind of evil comes in a variety of ways. Grazdan and Yezzan and Kraznys are just evil.

Once again, I am not saying that George should have made a slaver sympathetic. I want to emphasize that. He could have, at the very least, given one of them an interesting quirk, like one of them is a big fan of card games or whatever and the other slavers are really annoyed because he always wants to play. I don’t know. I’m not a critically acclaimed writer of dozens of fantasy and sci fi novels.

Obviously, George making the slavers all greedy and decadent makes a clear point, but there are ways to portray greed and decadence interestingly, as we see elsewhere in this story. With the Ghiscari, George just ramps up the traits to extreme levels, making the slavers too cartoony to be seen as a realistic threat. I’m not against this series being a bit silly, but the slavers feel beyond parody, and this hurts his criticism of the systems of Slaver's Bay, as the story focuses less on how the system doesn’t work, and instead simply shows that the people who benefit from it are annoying and gross. Now, the story can focus on how a system is fundamentally flawed and also show how the people who benefit from it suck, because this story does do that, but not with Slaver’s Bay.

It’s also definitely possible to show oppressive forces as being ridiculously stupid and annoying while still having them feel real. Outside of ASOIAF, Quentyn Tarantino does this very well with Django Unchained and Inglorious Bastards. Within ASOIAF, well…we’ll see.

In conclusion, the character of Yezzan is extremely lazy writing.

396. Grazdan Mo Eraz (not pictured)-

It’s really hard to tell apart one Ferengi-esque Ghiscari from another.

Much has been written about how ASOIAF is not just a psychological story (meaning that the plot is driven by the character’s internal psychologies) but also a sociological story (meaning the plot is driven by the world around the characters). Dany’s story definitely succeeds on a psychological level as Dany’s character is well thought out. However, it only occasionally succeeds as a sociological story, in my opinion at least.

This is because the society Dany interacts with in Storm and Dance doesn’t really feel like a society. We never see what daily life is like in Mereen, or see a diversity of thoughts and opinions within the citizens of Astapor. Everyone feels like a part of one big homogenous blob. A society is made up of individual people, with all of these individual people having their own psychologies. In a sense, sociological stories are psychological stories- but with the psychology of thousands or even millions of people. What is the internal psychology of Grazdan Mo Eraz? Why has his society made him think and act this way? The answer is, he has none. He’s just another bad guy.

With much of the plot in Westeros, we see that these characters have ideologies which are a result of the world they're in, no matter how minor these characters are. For example, the two knights Brienne meets in her first chapter in Feast are clearly influenced by these ideals of knighthood and chivalry and gender, and these are very minor characters. Even the most displaceable of characters, such as Euron, are clearly influenced by their society's values.

We never get this with anyone in Slaver’s Bay.

395. Kraznys mo Nakloz-

It’s really hard to tell apart one Ferengi-esque Ghiscari from another. These three slavers are equal in value to me, as they are extraordinarily similar characters, with their only differences being different versions of sucking. One is harsh, one is jolly, and one is mocking. These are very common types of assholes within ASOIAF. I get them mixed up in my mind all the time.

I have one more issue with the Wise Masters of Yunkai and the Good Masters of Astapor. George wrote a fat character who suffered extreme amounts of abuse and bullying because of his weight and has to learn to love himself. However, he also wrote a bunch of characters who are fat to show that they’re rich. This trope isn't even subverted in any way, like with Wyman Manderly. The Wise Masters are fat, and it seems like we’re supposed to be disgusted by the fact that they’re fat because it means they’re decadent and gross. With Wyman, his weight is cleverly used against us, as we assume he’s just a bit player who only cares about himself, but then it turns out that he’s an extreme badass who uses his obesity as a shield. Even with Illyrio, we get the idea that he is more than what he seems to be, and he also serves as a reference to the “jolly fat guy” trope from Shakespeare. However, with the wise masters, they’re just overweight. We are supposed to think it’s funny that Kraznys “has bigger breasts than Dany”. I suppose maybe it’s actually to show Dany’s immaturity, and that she’s negatively influenced by beauty standards, but that’s not something which is really explored. With Cersei, we get her trusting hot people who betray her and disliking “ugly” people who are actually trying to help her.

That doesn’t seem to be a big part of Dany’s character. Kraznys is what he seems to be and nothing much more than that.

394.Doreah-

She was not much of a character

And ohhh…she had no personality

And I got this crazy feeling

I’m gonna ah ah put her low

And oh she was so boring

I didn’t care when she died

And I got this crazy feeling

George didn’t care either

As Dany only thinks of her once afterwards

You may ask what’s her name

And I’ll whisper her name

I’ll whisper her name

And her name is D-O-R-E-A-H

DOREAH! D-O-R-E-A-H

And oh, I’m gonna tell the world

She was Dany’s handmaiden

No, not Jiqui or Iqui

The only difference is that she was blonde

And the way she was described

Was very creepy

DOREAH! D-O-R-E-A-H!

Oh, what’s the point?

What’s the point of her?

Quentyn died for someone’s sins, but not mine.

392 and 393. Irri and Jiqui-

I have forgotten the existence of Irri and Jiqui. They are Dany’s Dothraki “friends”. I feel like George screwed up by making all of Dany’s friends (other than Missandei) uninteresting, and also making most of the Dothraki she encounters lacking in any depth. Jon has a large treasure trove of kooky characters for him to bounce off of. Some of these characters are wildlings, who are displayed as having a wide variety of character types.

Meanwhile, there are two flavors of Dothraki we meet: fierce men and fragile women. This fill-in-the-blanks approach to character writing is super boring, sticking out extraordinarily from the rest of the series. I don’t care about Jhogo because he is the same as Aggo who is the same as Rakharo. I don’t care about Irri because she’s the same as Irri who is just a non-Lysene Doreah.

Irri and Jiqui are not characters. That requires character traits, which they lack.

391. Reznak Mo Reznak-

Reznak Mo Reznak is just…too goofy. His whole evil manipulator schtick feels like something from a C-tier Disney movie, and there simply isn’t anything done to make him in any way interesting or memorable. And, with many of these other lower tier characters, one could argue that they work well as set dressing, but Reznak’s set is already dressed fine. We get the idea that Mereen is a pit of vipers, and we get that there are all these people giving Danny bad advice. He adds nothing but another voice, and as voices go, his is the most annoying.

390. Aegon IV-

Aegon IV feels like an AI generated list of things you don’t want a medieval king to be.

389. Alliser Thorne-

Purposefully asshole characters are old hat. Sure, Alliser Thorne was created in the 1990s, but uhhh…whatever. Alliser does feel a tad bit tropey, which makes him kind of annoying. He’s also not evil in a fun way, just a jerk. I also don’t like Rast, but I didn’t get an image of him, so I’d also put him here.

I suppose one could say that we need two dimensional jerks like this in this part of Jon’s story, and I suppose that is true. However…I still don’t like him.

I’ve seen a lot of war movies, and there are tough drill instructors who are just as dimensional as Alliser yet still manage to be more interesting. Just look at Heavy Metal Jacket.

Also, like what is Alliser’s deal? He has no motives beyond just hating everyone for no real reason.

388. Jaehaerys II-

Jaehaerys II is easily the most boring Targ king. Maybe he had a personality, but I can’t say for certain.

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divinegrey · 2 years ago

Text

𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 / 𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐱 𝐠𝐧!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

summoning my arcane girlies and gays we got some CAITLYN UP IN HERE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

prompt: Caitlyn with a sell sword that is a very bold flirt 👀 And Caitlyn is just a blushing mess but keeps trying to hide it [requested by my bestie u know who u are]

words: 1300

warnings: strap jokes, mel being sneaky, caitlyn being dommy mommy, innuendos, MORE innuendos

It isn’t every day that you get to work for the Kiramman’s, and it certainly isn’t every day that you get posted to watch the daughter of the Councilor, Caitlyn Kiramman.

If you weren’t at a party, dressed to the nines with a rifle strapped to your back and gilded gun holster around your leg, you’d spit on the floor, just for the sake of it.

But, as it is, you have to be respectful and make sure you aren’t interrupting the event being hosted by the Kiramman’s on their wealthy summer estate, just outside the main gates of Piltover and facing the ocean. It’s a nice place, a little large, but it’s nice.

You focus on the event itself, scanning your eyes around the place. Your coterie of guns-for-hire were signed on to guard this event, and guarding is something you’re good at, especially when you’re assigned to watch one person.

It’s only a bonus that Caitlyn is drop dead gorgeous in her blue silk dress, shoulders bare save for the thin straps of dark blue material. A gold necklace is settled around her collarbones, firm and rigid like plate armor. Her hair flows behind her back, pin straight, and you watch her tuck some of her hair behind her ear while conversing with Councilor Medarda in low tones.

Interestingly enough, you notice Mel gesture in your direction, artfully disguising it with her champagne flute. Nothing escapes your gaze, however, and when Caitlyn glances over her shoulder toward you, you give her a wink paired with a slight upturn of your lips.

Mel’s eyebrows raise at the flush that sinks over Caitlyn’s cheeks, and before you realize it, you’re being summoned with a crooked finger.

Doing your duty, you peel yourself off the wall and walk over, pulling on the bottom of your black coat lined with gold; the standard uniform for classy events like this. You fold your arms behind your back as you approach, giving Councilor Medarda a respectful head tilt combined with a small bow.

“This one has manners. I thought you liked them wild, Kiramman,” Councilor Medarda says as you realize her hand from a chaste kiss in greeting to her knuckles.

“With all due respect, Councilor, I assure you my manners are only attached to my clothes,” you quip, delighting in the laugh that Councilor Medarda makes and the slight glare that Caitlyn gives you. Adding fuel to the fire, you add, “I can be wild when asked to be.”

“Oh my!” Councilor Medarda fake fans herself, leaning over to the side, “Caitlyn, dear, do you mind if I take them once the event is over?”

“This holster on my leg is multi-purpose,” you say, shifting your right leg forward to show them the sparkling clean leather harness strapped around your thigh, containing the six bullet chamber revolver nestled within.

Caitlyn’s face is pure red, between the alcohol and the flush on her skin that goes down toward her chest.

“Miss Kiramman, I can come back over once Councilor Medarda is done having her way with me,” you suggest helpfully, and that only serves to make steam come out of Caitlyn’s ears (metaphorically, of course). You watch Mel’s gleeful grin turn toothier with the smile that she gives the young Kiramman.

Caitlyn slams back the rest of her champagne in one move, exposing the smooth planes of her long throat. You can’t help but think how pretty that skin would look with dark marks caused by your tongue and teeth.

“Dance. Now.” Caitlyn’s command is sharp.

“Of course, Miss Kiramman,” you reply, unable to hide the smug grin on your face. Turning your body slightly to the side, you say to the Councilor, “Rain check? I’m afraid my attention is required.”

“I’ll be waiting, darling,” Councilor Medarda says, giving a squeeze to your cheeks that makes even you flush.

You’re swept away by Caitlyn, her hand in yours as you’re brought to the dance floor just in time for another round of the waltz to start. Training kicks in, and you assume the proper dancing position, offering your hand for Caitlyn to take.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Miss Kiramman, but I’m pretty sure that dancing was not listed in my job description for tonight,” you say, your feet moving in time with Caitlyn’s, and you’re grateful that you’re taller than your average fellow, because Caitlyn is a goddess in her four inch heels that boost her height to the clouds. You’ve always had a thing for tall women, too.

“Caitlyn, please. I had to make it clear that you’re still my hired guard,” Caitlyn says, looking down at you with a slight curve to her lips. “What would my mother think if she saw you flirting unabashedly with a Councilor? Slacking on the job so boldly?”

“Then perhaps I should thank you for keeping me in line,” you reply, twisting Caitlyn into a very elegant dip. “Though you should be aware I’ve only ever had my eyes on you the entire night.”

Caitlyn grips your arm, and you feel the rings on her hands digging into your skin. “I’ve noticed.”

“Have you?” You bring Caitlyn upright, only for her to pull you close, her eyes smoldering. “Perhaps you’ve simply caught me in a trance, Caitlyn.”

You whisper her name an octave lower, catching the roughness in your throat. There’s a spark in Caitlyn’s eyes, an ember you could easily blow into a raging inferno, should you so choose.

And who would you be if you didn’t take an opportunity?

“All you have to do is ask, Caitlyn,” you whisper toward her ear, surveying the room for any wandering eyes looking your way. You find a dozen, all observing with quite curiosity. Councilor Medarda is among them, mirth sparkling in her hazel eyes. “Ask, and I’m all yours.”

That does it.

“We’ll see how multi-purpose your holster is then, hm?” Caitlyn all but growls into your ear, shifting her leg forward to press between your own and you have to disguise the rush of pleasure that tingles up your skin.

The two of you walk off the dance floor. You assume your guarding position, a pace behind Caitlyn as she leads the way. She dismisses anyone that even tries to talk to her, a determination set in her shoulders that you will say is very attractive. It sends heat down your back, and as you wind your ways through the halls of the Kiramman estate, you find yourself being pushed into a room.

You barely manage to pull off your rifle, and you’ve only just started to pull at your jacket when Caitlyn raises her leg and pushes your stomach. You flop into a recliner, hazily taking in your surroundings; a sitting room of sorts, with a fireplace that is lit and lights hanging overhead.

It makes Caitlyn look like a god, and you a mere worshipper.

Caitlyn puts her leg in between your thighs, the slit of her dress paving way to show all of the smooth skin, and you swear you see the edge of lace panties underneath the dress.

“For someone so keen on making their desire obvious, you’re not doing much to prove yourself,” Caitlyn remarks, leaning forward to grab your jaw.

“There’s your problem, princess. I take instructions,” you reply, winking.

Caitlyn makes a low sound from her throat, her eyes darkening with what you dare call lust.

She pulls her leg away, straddling your lap. Her hand moves to your throat, not to squeeze, but to hold a certain pressure that clearly screams I have control here. And she does.

“Then I order you to kiss me.”

“Yes, Miss Kiramman,” you whisper, sliding your hands around her neck and pulling her down onto your mouth.

~~~~~ A/N: i would sell my soul to the devil for the opportunity to shove my face into caitlyn's ti- [gunshot]

#caitlyn x reader #arcane caitlyn x reader #caitlyn kiramman #arcane caitlyn #arcane caitlyn imagines #arcane imagines #arcane netflix #arcane

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drakenxemma · 3 years ago

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Chapters 122-123 gave me a lot to think about. Here, Ken Wakui tells us about when Draken and Emma were children (first Draken in chapter 122 and then Emma in chapter 123).

I think the fact that these chapters are consecutive is very telling (of course the order and the positions of the chapters are generally and specifically thought to serve the narrative arc, but I think that's not all). Please, as always, consider this is just my interpretation, my opinion based on how I personally read the story, so nothing is necessarily true or correct.

The author shows, for both the characters, the suffering due to parents' absence. On one hand there's Draken telling Mitsuya how he'd like to have a parent, to have the chance to say trivial things about parents every son would say, a chance that he unfortunately never had.

On the other hand there's Emma feeling alone and wondering about the reason why her mother abandoned her, thinking about it over and over, in an attempt to understand what happened. In the end she reaches the conclusion that her mother probably hates her. Yet still, she tries to convince herself that her mother will keep the promise and eventually come back. I think deep down Emma knows that's not going to happen.

I think it's also worth noting how Wakui depicted their main personality traits as children exactly how they are in their adolescent version. Draken talks about the matter with a quite neutral expression, not giving away too much of his feelings, he just says what "he wishes [...]". While Emma, on the contrary, openly discusses the whole abandonment issue and desperately cries. Just like when they're older and, on a totally different matter, Draken loves her without confessing and without overtly showing his heart, while Emma loves him expressing her feelings with words and deeds and simultaneously her suffering for what she thinks is an unrequited love.

However, both Draken and Emma's backstories are very sad and I think the fact that Ken Wakui put these two chapters one right after the other somehow means that he wanted to point out Draken and Emma's connection within the general framework of the story. They aren't only each other's love interest, they also experienced similar hardships and loneliness caused by similar (not exactly the same) lack of a parental figure. There's an additional reason why these two characters love each other, it's not just a random couple: they understand each other, they know to a certain extent what the other has been feeling throughout life.

Chapter 123 ends with Draken and Emma meeting and I think it's not a coincidence (plus, in the last few pages little Emma was saying to Mikey that he and Shinichiro are not her types, then the scene changes and switches to the "present" and guess who appears in the next panels? Yes, Draken).

Towards the end of both chapters, Draken and Emma wear the same necklace and, other than being the cutest thing ever, this fact somehow also strengthens my point according to which the author subtly gives a nod to Draken and Emma's bond in these chapters. What's better than two matching necklaces to metaphorically say two people are connected and feels the same on so many levels?

And last but not least, in my opinion THEY DEFINITELY HAD A DATE that day and I just can't change my mind.

#tokyo revengers #drakemma #draken #ken ryuguji #emma sano #draken x emma #tokyo revengers spoilers #tokyo revengers chapter 122 #tokyo revengers chapter 123 #tokyo revengers my comment and analysis

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sullina · 2 years ago

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Meliodas decides its too big of a risk right now, Gelda won't be gone long enough and he won't be able to get out fast enough with his broken arm. He'll have to just keep his guard up, especially around Gelda now. He knows Gelda will keep her promise, but he's still uncomfortable she had managed to get so much information out of him at all. He may even be able to use this as an opportunity to learn what the Commandments were planning if he waits untol his injuries are healed, afterall they're bound to leave him alone at some point!

So he waits patiently as Gelda returns with another set of clothing, this time a shortsleeve green tunic, still open collared, but with a string tied at the collarbone into a gold decorative bead necklace and a pair of tan trousers. Once again he was allowed to keep his shoes. Gelda gave him a satisfied once over as she adjusted his clothes bit, having turned for a few minutes to allow hin to change his pants and helped him into his shirt.

"There, looking like a proper little prince now."

"I don't see why i need to wear this..." Meliodas grumbled a bit, missing his bar uniform, "What's wrong with what I had before?"

"Meliodas... it's was ripped to shreds and made you look like some second rate bartender."

'I am a bartender though.' Meliodas thought to himself as he thought back to the Boar Hat, wondering what the Son's were doing now. The thought made his frown deepen as he remembered how he'd left his friends, 'Or at least... I used to be.'

With mothing else to do, he let Gelda lead him back out to the dining room, bracing himself as he stepped in. Within seconds of stepping foot withing the room, he found himself being lifted up by Estarossa, much to his distaste.

"Meliodas! You shouldn't be walking after a fall like that!"

"Wha- Put me down!!!"

"No." Estarossa started walking him back to the table, unimpressed by Meliodas' struggles and protests.

Galand was petrified, metaphorically. "What did I just say, Estarossa!" The damn brat of a prince broke his promise. The other commandments weren't thrilled either, although for a different reason. After what they heard from Drole and Gloxinia, they all just wanted to cuddle and comfort Meliodas. They all could imagine what Meliodas had gone through in the past 3000 years and it might as well be a miracle he was even still alive.

When Estarossa finally let Meliodas go, he sat him in the same chair from before, ignoring how his older brother glared at him. Well, at least it was good to know that not all of him was gone.

Meliodas inspected the table and evertyhing once more. The spilled stew had been cleaned up and a new tablecloth had been put on the table where Meliodas had spilled, making him wonder just how recently exactly this place had been abandoned.

"You must still be hungry. Here", Zeldris served him a new bowl of hot dusk bull stew. He glared at the stew like it was at fault for the situation he was in, but the more he stared at the floating pieces, the more he was reminded of how Ban would get him to eat enough with his delicious dishes.

...he missed Ban. And the other sins. Even if he were to get out of here, he had nowhere to go. There's no way they would accept him back and even if he did show himself to them, they would only look at him with hatred in their eyes. His hearts couldn't take that. Not again.

#nnt #nnt everyone knows au #sullina nnt #meliodas

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m42-fr · 4 years ago

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Here’s my Lore Post™ on various types of common currency around Sorneith! Note that this covers only major forms of currency that can be found broadly throughout their territories of origin, or are otherwise culturally relevant in some way. This post does not include forms of currency that may exist between individual clans. If you happen to find that any of this worldbuilding goes well with your lore, feel free to use it so long as you credit me somewhere for the idea!

And, of course, a mandatory disclaimer: the names and lore of these currencies comes from my own head (and a random name generator). Any resemblance to anything from the real world is unintentional.

Vahrani (vah-RAH-nee) are small bronze coins that originate from the Ashfall Waste. Thanks to the Flamecaller’s ceaseless forges, vahrani are the most common and well-established metal-based currency in the world - and, in fact, are the most well-established currency in the world, period. Trade with the neighboring Windswept Plateau, which exports the products of Fire’s industry to every technologically developing region on the continent, has spread Ashfall coinage far and wide.

Most vahrani have been in circulation for decades, their surfaces oxidized completely teal-black. Pristine, metallic vahrani, either newly-minted or freshly polished, are considered a status symbol by some, but certain dragons may refuse to accept them as payment for fear that they have been recently (and illegally) forged. Vahrani jewelry makes use of the holes at their corners, stringing them together into necklaces, earrings, and other forms of decoration. In a pinch, vahrani can even be tiled together to create makeshift armor.

Vahrani come in units of one, five, and ten. These coins bear an identical picture of the Flamecaller on one side and have a number inscribed on the other, which indicates their worth. The runoff copper from the creation of vahrani bronze is pulled into small lumps and stamped with the sigil of Fire while the metal is still hot, creating small, misshapen coins called vasi - or, in common slang, slag - each worth a tenth of a vahrani. Vasi are not nearly as widespread as vahrani, but they make up the majority of the payroll for poorer dragons within the Ashfall Waste.

Suuram (SOOH-ram) are long, paper-thin copper chits used as currency within the southwestern Shifting Expanse. The very first suuram were copper wires that had been pounded into rough rectangular shapes, but modern suuram are machine-punched from massive metal sheets, ensuring an incredibly consistent size and weight. The asymmetrical pattern of crescent holes at their edges is meant only to distinguish them from simple copper pieces. In practice, the holes are often used to hold chains of coins together with cord or metal clips.

There is only one value of a suuram piece. Rather than create different coins with higher values, dragons exploit the extreme thinness of suuram sheets by packing pieces into small containers; informal higher-value units consist of rectangular boxes holding a carefully-counted number of coins. Carrying around large blocks of copper sheets can become awfully inconvenient, so five-and-ten vahrani pieces have become a popular alternative currency in the Expanse. Suuram are used mostly as pocket change.

Due to the relative geographic isolation of the far coast of the Stormcatcher’s territory, suuram are not particularly popular outside of the Shifting Expanse, and lack traction everywhere past the Charged Barrens. However, suuram are acknowledged as a valid currency in every territory with flourishing trade and worldwide connections, including the Ashfall Waste, Windswept Plateau, Sunbeam Ruins, Tangled Wood, Starfall Isles, and Dragonhome.

The northeastern region of the Shifting Expanse is home to independent scavenger-clans who have little need for formalized currency. Rather than conducting trade with stand-ins like coins, they prefer to directly exchange goods and services, determining the value of each with every new trade. That being said, they do occasionally make use of a form of unregulated, low-value currency, colloquially known as scrap.

Scrap refers to any collection of relatively small, portable, usually worn-down and otherwise useless metal chunks - rusty nails, old gears that don’t fit anywhere, spare nuts and bolts found half-buried in the sand, weathered iron spring-coils and copper wires, and so on. While scrap has no immediate survival value, it serves much the same purpose of currency in that it acts as a metaphorical stand-in for something that is of value, and can be exchanged with others for goods and services. Scrap is considered a valid currency within the northern Expanse, although it is often looked down upon as a ‘primitive’ coin in the more technologically developed regions around Goldensparc and the Lightning Farm.

Paxa (PACKS-uh) are hand-carved wooden chits infused with sparks of magic that keep them pristine even under the worst of abuse. Native to the Sunbeam Ruins, paxa owe their remarkably high value to the painstaking process of crafting them. Each coin is hand-carved to impossible standards of consistency, stained a beautiful deep ebony, and protected from damage with ancient Light artefact-preservation magicks. Their magical ‘fingerprint’ is nearly impossible to fake, which guards them from forgeries. The secret to creating paxa is zealously guarded by a handful of dragons who have dedicated their lives to the craft.

Paxa are a universally recognized coin, spread throughout the world by Light’s investment in research as well as their inherent value. Future-minded dragons convert their retirement savings into paxa, knowing that unlike many other currencies, the tight control on paxa production ensures that their value remains constant. Paxa is also the coin of choice for most illegal operations in Sorneith thanks to their high value and their impossibility to falsify.

The average working-class dragon, even in the Ruins, will struggle to get their talons on any significant amount of paxa. Paxa are used to facilitate expensive transactions, and as such are favored by merchants, the wealthy, and the criminal; throughout most of the Sunbeam Ruins, workers are paid in vahrani, with the occasional handful of suuram thrown in for variety.

The origin of wek-ya, (WEK-yuh) Shadow’s mercurial coinage, is shrouded in mystery. Nobody knows when or where the first wek-ya were made - and, in fact, nobody knows how to make wek-ya at all. Ambitious blacksmiths who try their hand at smelting some are invariably struck with tides of bad luck that force them to close shop. And, moreover, the Tangled Wood can hardly be said to have an established government, so the presence of such a widespread and standardized currency is a curiosity in and of itself.

Wek-ya are crafted of pure silver, or something that resembles it. Each coin has two unique patterns - one to either side - that depict an incredibly broad array of subjects. The most common motifs are crescent moons, mushrooms, thorns, and dancing dragon figures, but there have been wek-ya known to picture oddly specific situations, such as trees being struck by lightning, rats climbing atop bookshelves, and draconic silhouettes that bear a strange resemblance to the viewer in the midst of suffering some catastrophe. Many dragons believe that wek-ya are infused with divination magic; coins are commonly drawn from bags to determine future events, and some individuals claim that their fortunes are told by the wek-ya they receive in trades.

While wek-ya are the most common form of money in the Tangled Wood, they’re incredibly rare elsewhere. Common superstition holds that removing a wek-ya from its homeland will curse the coin’s bearer until it has been returned. There appears to be some vague truth to the statement, as the coins are known to have a way of mysteriously disappearing when they’ve spent too much time away from the Shadowbinder’s influence.

Wek-ya are capable of emitting a dim glow for several hours after being exposed to moonlight. Conversely, they’ve also been known to spontaneously melt when placed in sunlight, permanently disfiguring their faces - such coins are considered overwhelmingly taboo by most residents of the Wood and are traditionally thrown into bogs, rivers, and liquid-shadow ponds, such that they may be forever forgotten.

Dazal (day-ZAHL) are large, chunky coins cut from smoky quartz. They come from Dragonhome, make for an uncommon sight in the northern Starfall Isles and Tangled Wood, and are rare elsewhere. No one institution governs the production of dazal, but most dragons don’t go out of their way to fake them - the coins are used predominantly within the handful of high-population regions of Dragonhome, particularly Terraclae and the Colonnades of Antiquity. Thanks to Light’s vested interest in archaeology, paxa are the most common currency in Dragonhome’s urbanized regions, followed by the eponymous vahrani.

Unlike suuram, which are largely shunned by Lightning’s more independent desert-dwelling clans, the value of dazal is respected by clans among even the most rural and harsh environments of Dragonhome. Most groups will carry at least a handful of them to use in trades - a few dazal will buy a weary traveler water and other goods. The nomadic routes of the Snappers often bring them to urban areas every now and again, which makes holding onto the currency useful, if occasionally burdensome.

The distribution of colors and patterns in a dazal is unique to every coin. Dazal have no varied values in a legal sense, but many individuals within Dragonhome will accept morion dazal - that is, those made of smoky quartz so uniformly dark as to be nearly black - as being worth twice as much as a singular dazal (or equivalent to one wek-ya). Some seek out dazal with unusual color schemes for collection purposes. Another commonly-sought variant is a coin without any scuffs; though crystalline, most older dazal are ridden with chips and cracks.

The Sea of a Thousand Currents has no legally recognized currency. The stinging seawater makes metal-based money impractical, and even the magical toughness of paxa and arcslivers will wear under the waves. Among the more isolated, aquatic clans, though, an informal coin known as vanes (VAIN) are used in some transactions. Vanes are seashells that have been chipped and polished into glistening, guitar-pick shaped chits.

The production, distribution, and value of vanes is entirely unregulated. Any dragon with strong hands and sandpaper can collect seashells and file them to the right shape and smoothness. As such, individual vanes vary widely in color, texture, and shape. The value of a vane is equally variable - no bank in the world accepts vanes as legal tender, although they are acknowledged as being incredibly low-value, presuming they have any worth at all.

Bags of vanes are often exchanged by coastal and reef-dwelling clans as stand-ins for the payment of debt. If an individual needs a good or service, but cannot pay for it at the time, they can hand over some vanes that serve as a sort of credit, later giving something of real value in return for their lent vanes.

Among the roughshod sailors of the Sea, bilgespray is a tawdry term used to refer to any collective mix of multiple types of currency. The wide variety of territories that they visit throughout their trading routes means that they inevitably collect a number of different types of coin. The term, ‘bilgespray,’ usually refers to a singular payout given in more than one type of currency, but used more broadly may account for any messy assortment of multiple types of money.

Popular within the urban areas of the central Starfall Isles, arcslivers (ARK-slih-vur) are tokens cut from the same magically-refined arcglass that makes up the shell of the Astrolodome. Their edges are inscribed with faintly-glowing runes that, like paxa, protect them from damage, although their enchantments are comparatively weaker. The appearance and value of an arcsliver is standardized; their production is controlled by banks within the Astrolodome and neighboring communities.

Well-wrought trading routes have established arcslivers as a valid currency throughout the entirety of the Isles. However, they have very little steading outside of Arcane’s territory. Similar to suuram, geographic isolation has kneecapped their spread, with traveling arcslivers found mostly in the neighboring regions of Dragonhome and the Windswept Plateau; a handful make their way to the Sea of a Thousand Currents and beyond from there. Though rare, they are legally acknowledged in institutions around Sorneith.

Given the extremely well-connected, trade-focused culture of the Windswept Plateau, every currency - even strange or worthless ones, like wek-ya and vanes - can be found in abundance among Windsinger’s children. Vahrani from the neighboring Ashfall Waste are the most common coin, followed by paxa and arcslivers. Wind does not have a traditional currency in the way that other territories do. Rather than use a standardized object to represent physical value, Wind’s unusual currency holds strictly social value. These objects are called kuo (KOO-oh). They are long, ribbonlike textiles, made from hundreds of tiny interwoven beads, and are as much art as they are money.

The length of an individual kuo can vary considerably. Most are long enough to be used as sashes and belts, or be hung up as colorful banners. The harvesting, sculpting, weaving, and painting of their miniscule beads takes a painstaking amount of time and skill. As a monetary system, they indicate debts, allegiances, and other forms of social ‘money,’ whether paid or owed. The perceived value of a kuo is usually based on its size and craftsmanship - the longer and prettier, the better.

While more rural and traditional clans will use kuo for their original purpose, younger generations - particularly those living in more urbanized areas - forgo the social value of kuo and create them for artistic purposes. The creation of an individual kuo ribbon is considered a long and meditative pastime. The patterns in every ribbon are unique, and the abundance of beads and paints mean that elaborate images can be threaded along the strings; given the extensive length of most kuo, many are used to depict the events of stories, be they mythical or factual. The longest kuo is rumored to be a ribbon that stretches the distance of the Cloudsong and depicts an embellished version of the Windswept Plateau’s entire history.

In recent times, dragons have begun to weave kuo as gifts and decorations. Many young lovers and best friends will create kuo for one another, its pictures personalized to the other’s interests and personality, and wear the bands that they themselves were given (usually as scarves, sashes, or bracelets) in an open declaration of their bond. Kuo are becoming an increasingly popular export of the Windswept Plateau. Eager to share their culture with the world, Wind dragons often sell and gift kuo to travelers, and some have even begun to export them to other territories.

The rough, lonesome barrens of the Southern Icefield makes the establishment of currency incredibly difficult. Like other harsh environments in Sorneith - the Shifting Expanse, Dragonhome, the Scarred Wasteland, and so on - coins are not particularly useful for immediate survival, and so trades are preferentially conducted with goods and services rather than coins. Northernmost or otherwise trade-savvy clans may occasionally cut deals with foreigners using vahrani, arcslivers, and even suuram.

The ancient institutions of the Gaolers, for all their fervence with law and order, never had reason to establish an expansive currency amongst themselves. The basic needs of all individuals are cared for free of charge; anything fancier is either owned communally, acquired by advancing in rank, or traded for without monetary stand-ins. Among a few circles, though - and particularly popular in teaching discipline to younger recruits - is a token system using units called snowcoins.

Snowcoins are very simple constructions. At their core is a singular link of a metal chain, which is encapsulated in magically-unmelting ice. The surface of a snowcoin is smooth and convex, forming an oblong shape not unlike a river stone, and they are remarkably translucent. Snowcoins, then, are a small reward earned through various services and good behavior, and can be traded in for small personal luxuries. The things snowcoins can buy consist mostly of curios and other decorative trinkets.

Given that snowcoins are used only by the Gaolers, their existence is almost completely unheard of throughout Sorneith, even in the neighboring Snowsquall Tundra. Only a tiny handful have ever made it out of the Icefield - and even then, most of those found away from the Icewarden are replicas, not genuine. Those who are in possession of snowcoins usually regard them as oddities and collectibles. They hold some mildly curious historic value, but little else.

For all their hatred for one another, the territories of the Scarred Wasteland and Viridian Labyrinth share a similar trait: neither has much in the way of currency. The Labyrinth prizes self-sufficiency and its clans want for little. Their isolationist nature has created a strict limitation on the influx of foreign currency - not even vahrani have made it past their coastal regions. Those from Nature who detest outside influence often use the derogatory term rootmuck to refer to any form of outside currency.

While Plague has a similar lack of established money, they don’t hold the same wariness of foreigners that the Gladekeeper’s children do. Most Plague clans see no reason in shunning something that may help them acquire useful things in the future. Various currencies are common at their respective borders - dazal in the north, wek-ya in the east, vahrani to the south, and arcslivers to the west.

That being said, their central clans, much like those of the northwestern Shifting Expanse, trade mostly survival supplies with one another. Guttergunk is an informal term from the Wasteland that applies to any assortment of individually worthless items that are bundled together to have some collective value. Guttergunk is not anything that could keep you alive; it’s made of things like small trophies - teeth, scales, horns -, the last of old food preserves, tattered pieces of canvas, balls of string, and so forth. Trade offers of guttergunk are considered trashy, greedy, or desperate; in other words, a sign of either arrogance or weakness, perhaps both.

Alternatively, the term may apply to anything considered gross and worthless: “Your efforts are guttergunk,” is an example of a common insult. The word has become popular in neighboring territories, particularly by residents of the Driftwood Drag and sailors of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, and among them it has much the same meaning.

#flight rising #my lore #my headcanons #my art #my worldbuilding #long post #the flamecaller #THREE. THOUSAND. WORDS.#this post KILLED me to write #but man did i have fun... the drawings were especially really neat #I'm very fond of how vahrani. paxa. and vanes came out in particular #rip vanes my worthless children but i love you anyways

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multifandomwhore-003 · 3 years ago

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Eternals movie under Lia's gaze

Okay, more than a review or commentary, here's just me ranting about details in this movie that I cannot overlook. I watched the movie this second time and this is definitely one of those movies that are mandatory to watch more than once, the more I saw, the more I knew, the more I picked on things about it, and the more I loved it. I'm going in order of appearance, meaning I'll follow the movie's pace, not the logical pace.

So let's get started, shall we?

SPOILER ALERT IF IT WASN'T ALREADY OBVIOUS

First of all, let's start with the text at the very start of the movie:

"In the beginning... ...before the six Singularities and the dawn of creation, came the CELESTIALS. Arishem, the Prime Celestial, created the first sun and brought light into the universe. Life began, and thrived. All was in balance. Until an unnatural species of predator emerged from deep space to feed on intelligent life — they were known as DEVIANTS. The universe was plunged into chaos. To restore the natural order, Arishem sent ETERNALS — immortal heroes from the planet Olympia — to eliminate the Deviants. Eternals had unyielding faith in Arishem until one mission led by Prime Eternal, Ajak, changed everything..."

This is the most gaslit I've ever been in my life and listen, I live in an abusive household, okay? But the seriousness and approach of this introduction really puts you inside the mind of the Eternals, the approach of this whole movie even, the way this text has nothing else behind it, like- it's just the text, this is the only piece of information we know going into this story. Chloé Zhao treats the audience like a fellow Eternal, not like a simple mortal per se, she wants you to feel like one of them so you can understand every single one of the emotions, thinkings, conclusions, etc. She doesn't put them on a pedestal, it's not like the Avengers where you can so clearly despise the antagonist and admire the heroes, she achieved making god-like creatures seem emotional, layered, human.

Second, the use of the word "balance" during the first scenes of the movie is not essential, but also, it kind of is. Not only does it serve as a reminder of Thanos and his entire purpose, but it also makes you realize how selfish and self-centered the Celestials are. They created the deviants to feed on predators and therefore allow intelligent life to evolve and grow, but in order for intelligent life to grow, they have to adapt and survive despite those predators, so it makes total sense for the deviants to become them. Part of me believes that even the Celestials turned them into predators by seeing how intelligent life couldn't grow without obstacles, but of course, like everything else they do, it gets out of hand, and boom! We have the Eternals.

Third, the scene with Sersi and the class is very important. We have this whole lesson about Apex predators that is an obvious Metaphor? Foreshadow, maybe? I don't know what to call it, of the Celestials. Apex predators are those who hunt their prey for food and there are no other animals in their habitat strong enough to hunt them, the Celestials feed on intelligent life in order to be born and they're literal gods, no further explanation.

Fourth, we can't ignore the fact that Ajak didn't want to continue with the mission since Babylon, her entire first conversation with Arishem is about just that, is it still fucked up that she didn't do anything about it for all this time? Yeah, of course, but I guess is not easy to suddenly turn your back on your literal creator for some people you only began to love.

Fifth, the emerald tablet. Bitch, when I tell you I melted by this interaction between Druig and Makkari, maybe it's not relevant for most people or whatever, but those two scenes about that artifact did what Sersi and Ikaris were supposed to do throughout the entire film.

Sixth, the blue rock. We see Sersi giving it to Ikaris at first, and then we see her the entire movie wearing it as a necklace, kinda cute, they had me in the first half not gonna lie.

Seventh, 1521 Tenochtitlan. I am biased when I say Druig during the entirety of this sequence was my favorite because I'm Mexican, IT WAS FUCKING GENOCIDE, PERIODT. But regardless of that, let's talk symbolism in these shots:

Right here he's on the edge of snapping while being on the edge of the exit, coincidence, I think the fuck not. But also, after finishing his speech and years of turning his back on humanity's conflicts, literally and figuratively; he turns around and faces them upfront.

If it wasn't already obvious, this is a pyramid, it's not exactly accurate history-wise, but I'll let it slide, it's the thought that counts. Do you know how relevant the top is? Those rooms were used to perform religious rituals like sacrifices, Aztecs believed the cusps were sort of a link to their gods, the closest they could ever be to them, you know what are also the closest things to gods? THE ETERNALS.

The top of the pyramid has the sky as its background, while the rest of the stairs have chaos and violence. This scene is so great to show us the exact moment Druig quits being above it all and literally steps down into the human world, although he still believes he is superior, which is why he forces them to follow him, he finally interfered and showed how much he cares about humans. Such a good scene, my absolute favorite, I love Chloé Zhao so fucking much for this, an absolute genius.

Also, side tangent, his costume in this part is then times better than the rest of the Eternals' exhibit A:

You cannot convince me he didn't mind-control humans to make him a better outfit, just look at the details, look at the drama, look at the opulence.

Eight, the truth. Just look at this:

This is right after Sersi talks to everyone about their true purpose, they've been enlightened, except for Ikaris and Thena who already knew. Again, Chloé Zhao, an icon.

Ninth, the reunion. Mayhaps I looked way too deep into this one but hear me out:

It's believed that our left side is our feminine side and our right side our masculine side, now, tell me this doesn't represent their motivations. Ikaris is there because of Sersi, Sersi and Sprite are there because of what happened to Ajak. Karun is there because of Kingo, Kingo is there because of Ikaris, Thena is there because of Gilgamesh, and Gilgamesh although cares for what happened to Ajak, is there because the main goal is to recruit Druig. Druig being in the middle, being neutral, makes so much sense and this shot kind of puts him in a position of power because they all need him, he looks bigger even, again, because he believes to be superior to his fellow Eternals.

Going further with this sequence:

Ikaris' head is higher, not only because he's obviously taller, but it represents what his true intentions are, but Druig's is divided, again in the middle, again neutral, because at that point he didn't care and he hadn't made a decision.

...and that's it, I know it's not a lot but I just- I had to talk about all of this.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my TED talk.

#eternals #druig eternals #ikaris eternals #phastos eternals #sersi eternals #sprite eternals #eternals movie #chloe zhao #kingo eternals #ajak eternals #thena eternals #makkari eternals #gilgamesh eternals #mcufam #marvel mcu #mcu phase 4

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