#christophe is a bastard

[faunandfloraas]

© narimane 🥠🍀

[hannahssimblr]

I tap a knuckle against the study door. 

“Dad?”

There’s silence. 

I knock again. “Dad? Are you busy?” 

He’s moving around in there, I can hear him. Closing browser tabs, maybe. Shuffling around and rearranging things, in a blind panic trying to look like he’s doing something important. I huff out a tiny laugh at the thought of him hurrying to close the minesweeper window before someone can come in and catch him doing something unserious. I don’t really know what he does in his pokey little study all evening, but one of Jen’s crazy theories is that he’s chatting online to his twenty two year old YouTuber girlfriend, to which I need to remind her, once again, that my dad is too boring to have an affair. Mom says he’s writing reports and even that sounds too exciting for him.

“Come in,” he says eventually, and I let myself into his lair where he is sitting stoically at his computer, a stack of paper, no doubt with exceedingly dull information on them is right by his side, and his hand hovers over it so I'll know he’s especially busy, and whatever it is, I had better make it quick. 

I close the door behind me and approach him while his eyes settle curiously on the stack of soft cover books in my hands. “What are those?”

“I spoke to the guidance counsellor at school this week. She gave me some college prospectuses, and I thought we could... um, look through them together”

He heaves out a sigh and gestures to the second chair. The guest chair, I suppose, not that there’s ever guests in here to sit on it. It’s uncomfortable like a lot of furniture in this house, all style but no substance, and I perch on its edge, my knee doing that annoying anxious jerking thing while dad takes off his glasses and swaps them with another pair. “Show me what you have.”

I pass the stack to him and he drops it onto his desk with a thud, picks up the first and immediately flips the front cover towards me with a completely uncalled for attitude. “What’s this?”

“A prospectus.”

“Rhode Island School of Design?”

“Yes.”

He tosses it aside without so much as a glance inside it and grabs the next, “School of the Art Institute, Chicago,” Then reads the blurb incredulously “‘Art and design change the world.’ Alright…” He raises his eyebrows and puffs out a breath as he chucks it into the discard pile. “CalArts, nope.”

My face gets hot. 

He snatches another and flips over to the back, “‘Studying here is different,’” He reads, “‘It is about making a better world, about becoming a creative force and learning to change the world through bold and curious thinking…’” He mumbles the rest and then scoffs at it as if it’s some political argument he disagrees with inside the Sunday Times, and he goes on and on in this manner while the rejection pile builds and builds and so does the feeling inside me. 

“What is this?” He says eventually. “These are all American schools. American art schools.”

“Yes.”

He scrutinises me like he believes I have gone mad yet says nothing because he doesn’t need to. I already know what he’s asking. 

The words come out of me in a rush. I rehearsed this in the hall for five minutes before having the nerve to knock, “Because I think I would get a chance at a really great education there. It’d be good for me to be away and independent and to learn a lot of new things, not just education and art, but also travel and culture. I’d really like to go to college somewhere that’s exciting and dynamic and… and…” Damn, I forgot the other adjective I’d chosen, “...Um, fun, I guess. It’s just that whenever I think about college I imagine myself in the US. I really think that’s where I should be.”

“That’s because that’s what you see in those movies.” He says movies like one might say hardcore pornography, because Christopher doesn’t waste his time with such things as movies. Christopher works, and studies, and reads endless, endless books about World War II. “You’re not going to college in the states.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a waste of time and it’s a waste of money. Do you know what it costs to attend just a year of college in the US? Before your living expenses?”

“I know, but I spoke to the counsellor about it, and she explained that there are scholarships.”

He laughs, “You’re not going to get a scholarship,” and switches back to his other glasses and shakes his mouse to wake up his PC, which has some kind of thrilling spreadsheet open on it. This 2009 financial report must be rapturously exciting if he’s more interested in it than the future of his only son and firstborn child. 

I inhale sharply, “But why couldn’t I get a scholarship?”

“Because,” He types some numbers into the sheet, “You’d have to have a pristine academic record, a long list of extracurriculars and a very persuasive personal statement,” he peers briefly at me over the rim of his specs, “I’ve been through the US education system, and I know the standard that these colleges expect of their scholarship students. You’re just not up to it.”

“I could be, if I worked hard. I’m already doing pretty well in all of my classes, like, I get Bs in most things-” I stop myself before unhelpfully adding, without even trying, “And I have extracurriculars, like, I play rugby and help out Jen with her maths work…”

“You have to understand that the kinds of people who earn these scholarships do a lot more than that.”

“Well I would do more things if I had more time to myself in the mornings, or in the evenings, or after school, or at any other point in my day when I have to ferry Ivy back and forth from-”

Dad barrels on as though he hasn’t registered that I am speaking, “And you know, as well as the extracurriculars, all of these scholarship students have exemplary records. They're well mannered, well behaved, they never get into trouble, never get detention, never mind suspension. Twice.”

I snap my mouth shut. 

“Honestly, if I was the dean of one of these,” he plucks at the limp corner of one of the prospectuses, “Art college places, and I saw an application from someone with your record, I would simply toss it out. There’s not a chance, and before you ask, I am not paying for art school when you could easily do that here. For free.”

“Okay, I understand that, but I don’t really want to go to college here if I can avoid it.”

He doesn’t ask me why. He already knows but doesn't want to acknowledge it, and it’s easier, as it always is, just not to discuss feelings. Any feelings, especially mine, which are the most irritating and irrational feelings of all. “Why art school?” He hums, idly poking around with something on screen. “Couldn’t you choose a more academic course?”

I’m surprised he thinks I’m capable based on all the things he just said about me.

“You could apply for something in Trinity. Math, maybe?”

“Maths.”

“Or if you want something more artistic you could try English. Literature. That would be interesting, don't you think?”

“Or I could just… do art.”

“I would just hate to see you become one of those arty types. One of that NCAD crowd loitering around Thomas Street with their facial piercings and crazy haircuts.”

Oh no, a haircut. I sigh, “I’m not going to NCAD. I was kind of hoping you’d be more enthusiastic about my choices, but if you don’t think they’re right, I mean… what can I do.” I loathe the laugh that comes out of me, this strange, nervous titter that I didn’t even realise I was capable of.

I get up and begin to gather the stack of prospectuses laying forlornly on my father’s desk, my hopes and dreams bound for the recycling bin. “I’ll speak to the guidance counsellor again about my options, I suppose, and then I’ll try and choose something that’s more realistic for me.”

Before I let myself out I force myself to pause and turn to him one last time, “Do you… um, if I come up with more choices for colleges, do you think you’d want to sit down with me some evening and go through them? Like, I mean, really look over all of the options and help me decide what the best thing is?”

There is a lengthy pause. 

“You know, Jude, I’m really busy, and-”

“Okay.” I leave the room and shut the door with a gentle click.

Beginning // Prev // Next

[chanstopher]

this guy 🤭

[taisantanna]

[glbtrx]

Reading the final battle I finally understood the real reason CP caused Morzan to die pre-inheritance. Not because he would have hunted Eragon or Murtagh, not because he would have been an added force to the Empire, but because when the group meet Galbatorix, Eragon reveals that Brom is actually his father, and therefore that Selena cheated on Morzan with his greatest enemy.

I mean, pretty awkward, right?

[skzoologist]

Just caught up with all the teaser vids and I'll be needing 4-6 business days at the very least to recover from them.

[alscalaviccis]

pike left spock in charge for less than a day and he commits grand theft starship

[jessicafangirl]

WHAT MORE PROOF DO YOU WANT DISNEY.

[oceantherat]

Was in a car for 5 hours so I drew my bbgs

The sillers <333

(The text behind Chris: Making a wreak of broken glass and leaving me a fuckin’ mess)

(From the hit song the distortionist,,,)

[msclaritea]

DID I OR DID I NOT TELL PEOPLE HOW ABSOLUTELY JEALOUS CILLIAN MURPHY AND HIS WEALTHY, PRIVILEGED 'FRIENDS' HAVE BEEN OF BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH'S CAREER, TO THE POINT OF ENGAGING IN ONGOING SABOTAGE OF HIS PROJECTS AND CHOICES IN ROLES?

THAT'S HOW WE GOT STUCK WITH ELIZABETH OLSEN, THE END WE START FROM, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE AND THE UPCOMING ELIZABETH MURDOCH-PRODUCED ERIC, ON NETFLIX.

OPPENHEIMER WAS SO UNPOPULAR, THEY HAD IT IN THEATERS FOR FIVE MONTHS, JUST TO MAKE BANK, THEN RECENTLY RE-RELEASED IT, JUST TO CROW ABOUT THIS...65TH FILM OF ALL TIME, LIKE ANYONE GIVES A SHIT.

CILLIAN MURPHY IS NOTHING BUT A CODDLED LITTLE DICK, WITH FUCK ALL TO SHOW, WHILE ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING ACTORS I'VE EVER SEEN CAN'T EVEN COME OUT IN PUBLIC, DUE TO STILL GETTING THREATS FROM THESE DIRTY FUCKERS. FUCK HOLLYWOOD.

[scattered-irises]

In the Shadow of the Sun

I said I'd write an heir and spare analysis essay on Thomas and Christopher someday. Here it is, preceding a ficlet I'm gonna upload soon.

“The heir is born to a life laid out neatly and rigidly. The spare gets precisely the opposite: an uncertain place, unspecified duties, unreliable income and the unappealing promise of dissipating influence as the next heir and spare come along to bump you aside.” —David Von Drehle

Two brothers. One to rule and one to follow. One guaranteed a life in the sun, one a life in the shadow of his resplendent brother. A tale as old as time. 

We see it throughout the Bourbon Dynasty, with the struggles of Monsieur to define himself in the shadow of his brother Louis. We see it today with the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge. This trope has been replicated in media as well, from Succession to the Phantomhive brothers in Kuroshitsuji. Although not particularly highlighted in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal anime, the sparse interactions between the oldest and middle brother of the Arclight family hints at the tensions between the heir and the spare. 

The tension is demonstrated throughout the first season, where Christopher commands while Thomas grudgingly follows. Whenever Thomas attempts to rebel, he is silenced. He has been taught his place a long time ago, raised in the shadow of his brother.

Meanwhile, Christopher has been raised with an air of superiority. He wields his power without qualms, seceding his power only to his father. Christopher insults Thomas without hesitating, calling him “distasteful” in episode 33. When Thomas guardedly retorts, Christopher escalates the situation until Michael intervenes. 

Christopher casually insults and lords over Thomas, signifying that this has been happening for a long time now. In episode 41, it is even implied that Christopher trusts Michael over Thomas.

The rift between Christopher and Thomas was definitely exacerbated after Christopher sent him and Michael to the orphanage, but I would suggest that these tensions have existed since the very beginning. 

In the flashbacks at the Arclight mansion, we see that Thomas and Christopher are already established as opposites. Thomas is spirited and lively. Christopher is sedate, either overlooking his brothers at his father’s side or quietly asserting his power over them. “Be good boys and I will teach you how to duel next time” (Episode 46). This promise of good behavior is preceded by Christopher’s warning that the two would be scolded if they continued to fight. In typical tweenage behavior, Thomas irritatedly replies “Tch! I know,” which implies that this has happened before. Causing fights has always been Thomas’ forte, it seems. 

Historically, an heir and a spare would have been raised as equals (in theory). Due to high child mortality rates, a spare would ensure that the family name would continue if the heir were to pass away due to disease or accident. Despite that, only one would inherit the family estate. If fortunate enough, the spare would inherit a piece of property from their mother’s side of the family (Spangler). Growing up, many spares would attempt to find other ways to distinguish themselves from their powerful sibling. In the Bourbons’ case, Monsieur, the title granted to the king's brother, would patronize the arts or distinguish himself in wars (Spangler).

Louis XIV and Philippe (the future Monsieur) as children:

Thomas’ efforts to distinguish himself from Christopher can be seen in his worldwide success as Duel Champion IV. Note that he signs with his stage name, the Arclight surname nowhere to be seen.

He is a new man, reborn in this modern world of duel monsters and spectacle. Despite his immense success, Christopher’s provocations continue to anger him. 

The sibling rivalry between these two is inflamed by the tensions involved with raising a spare and an heir. Thomas owes his foundations in dueling to Christopher, who had taught him. No matter how successful Thomas is, he knows that a part of his older brother will always be with him. Therefore, he can never truly escape his brother’s shadow. 

Thomas’ dual personality—one of cultivated manners versus one bristling with anger—represents the dutiful spare and the resentful spare cast into the shadows. The dutiful spare has been raised as his older brother’s equal, yet acknowledges that his place is not to rule but to follow. He is an appendage to his older brother, serving him in lands beyond the estate. He is affable, yet able to deflect attention onto his brother if needed. Thomas’ outward personality is gentlemanly, charismatic, and cheerful, lightening his brother’s severe nature.  

His true personality is a product of constant sibling rivalry and family derision. Like any other child, he was scolded for causing fights, yet, growing up in the shadow of the composed Christopher must have brought up constant comparisons. Why couldn’t he be calmer? Why couldn’t he control himself like his brother did? Thomas desires attention because he is a spare cast into the shadows. Despite abandoning him and Michael, Christopher continues to be lauded as the rational, responsible, and most trusted brother. Seeing his brother favored over him even after his terrible actions further exacerbated Thomas’ behavior. 

The desire to impress his father signifies that Thomas wishes to be trusted like his brother. Although heirs and spares are theoretically raised as equals, the sibling hierarchy remains. Thomas knows he can’t become Christopher but tries on his own terms regardless. He was not raised with a sense of superiority like Christopher. He compensates for his insecurities by lashing out and attempting to fight the system that he was born into without knowing exactly how to dismantle it. The system of the spare and heir must be combated with wiles and subtlety, neither of which Thomas is particularly talented in. I must slightly digress and note that Michael possesses these qualities in greater abundance than Thomas.

Given a few years, Michael can choose between usurping the family title or creating his own legacy. I'm saying the latter.

In Zexal II, the only significant interaction between Christopher and Thomas is their farewell before his duel against Nasch. Instead of insulting Thomas, Christopher attempts to assert his power by preventing Thomas from dueling his “only friend.” He questions if Thomas can duel Nasch not because he wishes to demean his brother but out of concern for his emotions. This marked change in behavior is never explicitly explained. Perhaps at the end of the WDC duels, as the brothers faced death, they realized what was truly important. More reasonably, the period they spent missing from Zexal II was one of reconciliation. 

Christopher’s behavior in episode 124 signifies that he no longer views Thomas as a threat to his role but instead as a collaborator. This contrasts the archetype of the jealous heir. In 1569, King Charles IX rushed to join the siege of Saint-Jean-d’Angély due to the amount of praise his brother Henri was receiving on the battlefield. Instead of stealing Thomas’ glory for himself, Christopher allows Thomas to fight, granting him a card upon departure. Perhaps in his own way, Christopher was fighting alongside his brother during the duel. Thomas reciprocates his brother’s behavior and affectionately calls him “aniki,” affirming their brotherly relationship. Instead of admonishing him for the casual title (equivalent to ‘bro’ in English), Christopher accepts it with his characteristic quietness. 

Their improved relationship likely continues after Zexal. However, in Duel Links, it should be noted that Thomas has no unique lines when dueling against Christopher. Although Zexal’s duel links timeline is set in between Zexal I and II, the brotherly interactions around Christopher’s arrival still contain a fraction of the tension seen in Zexal I. While sibling rivalry is commonplace, I believe Thomas and Christopher’s rivalry is one heavily informed by the politics behind the spare and the heir. The “dissipating influence” continuously hangs over Thomas and he constantly finds himself at odds with his brother. Thus, he strives to create a life of his own outside of the family, traveling the world and creating a name for himself. 

Thomas is not an overly covetous spare seen in the likes of Claudius or Richard III. However, Zexal alludes to his envy of Christopher’s position. He wishes to be trusted and seen by his father instead of pushed aside. If he had been raised as his brother’s equal, why was he not deserving of the same trust? His fiery personality is built upon a foundation of resentment that festers in his heart. He attempts to fill this hole in with unchecked sadism and cruelty. At the end of Zexal, he is seen continuing his career as a Duel Champion, still attempting to create an independent identity from his brother’s. 

Cited Sources because why not

Spangler, Jonathan. Monsieur. Second Sons in the Monarchy of France: 1550-1800. Routledge, 2021, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003165897.

Von Drehle, David. “Harry and Meghan Are Product of ‘an Heir and a Spare.’” Indianapolis Business Journal, vol. 40, no. 48, 2020, pp. 14-15B.

[rurivu]

☎️you become a woman when you like absolutely any actor, but you dedicate your creativity to Christoph Waltz.....

[likesummerrainn]

DEFY The World Is Yours | 07.16.22

[robocops-a-christ-allegory]

Heres how I feel about that panel of Captain America and Moonknight

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

Still sad that the Addams Family tv show we're getting isn't Carol Kane, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci reprising their roles to raise Wednesday's kids together.