#claiming an adult character with a lot of political power who has done horrible things is 'actually just a scared child'

[llycaons]

went through the tags on that jc post out of curiosity and

THAT'S NOT THE TITLE

and I don't really agree but eh. more importantly. that's not the title 😭 twice!!

36 year old traumatized minor jiang cheng 😭😭😭 what a stupid take. only he, one of the most politically powerful characters in the setting, who's actively participated in the condemnation and slaughter of unarmed and innocent farmers, would be excused as a 'traumatized child'. well ig people do that with xy and jgy too don't they. and jc is a complex character, as are many in the story, but of COURSE good and bad people exist in the novel omg. like having sympathetic traits doesn't make say, xy a good person. and wwx and lwj being good people despite all the rumors to the contrary (abt wwx) is arguably an extremely important part of the book. you could argue lwj's reputation hides a more flawed person but the book doesn't take his assault at PM seriously nor his later actual kidnapping of wwx so I think we're meant to see him as a Good character too. which for the most part he is? despite the aforementioned. events.

[cheryblossomdreams]

A Discussion About Dramione

This is a very difficult ship in the HP fandom, alongside others like Drarry etc.

However, I think there is something to be said for it regardless, since I’ve seen a lot of anti-Dramione content with some valid points and a lot of non valid ones too, so I suppose I’d like a try my hand at rebuking some of them.

1. Dramione shippers romanticize abuse and bullying.

At first glance, it certainly looks that way. Draco Malfoy was a racist, petty, spoiled bully that jumped on every opportunity to bully Hermione Granger and her friends. He is not a good character. In the Dramione fandom, no one claims he is a good character either. Instead, the Dramione fandom recognized the canon potential for change in Draco and uses that to shape their fanfics. The largest majority of the fandom (There do exist those really young fans that don’t quite yet understand everything that will blindly defend him or create extremely problematic fanart, but they are truly a minority) acknowledges entirely all the wrongs Draco has committed, and they are many. Actually, in most Dramione fics, the writers go to great lengths to process the part of DHr’s past that was filled with hatred and insults. You can find examples of this in the fic Measure of a Man by @inadaze22​. Also to the point, most of Dramione fanfiction is written and set in a time many years after the War, after their school years, where they’ve both grown, matured and become adults, changed by time and what they went through, so it is a null point to say Dramione shippers romanticize bullying when their content is almost always set in a time where Draco is no longer a bully and Hermione is no longer a victim.

What the Dramione shippers like to emphasize is the fact that even though Draco used to be a horrible person, he had changed and grown past that, owned up to his mistakes and is now a different man. That’s what the stories they write are about. He had the potential to change already established in canon that he used later through his life to become someone better Hermione could eventually forgive and love.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a Dramione shipper that would say that while they were still in school they should’ve gotten together. Absolutely not. The content most of the Dramione fandom creates is always set post-canon, at a time where Draco’s changed and grown up from who he used to be, and Hermione recognizes his change and forgives him.

She certainly doesn’t have to forgive him, she doesn’t owe him anything, but part of Hermione’s bravery and overall character is that she would have been able to forgive him when she realized he’d changed. Plus, he saved her best friend’s life at a critical point in the war and, even though he did nothing to help her because he literally couldn’t have, which is something I’m pretty sure Hermione would have been grateful for, even a little bit. 

The Malfoy family saved Harry’s life TWICE in HP, in both extremely critical moments in the war (Draco lying at the manor, Narcissa lying to Voldemort), which is something Hermione wouldn’t have been able to just ignore and pretend like it never happened, because that’s not who she is. 

There probably is a very small percent of the Dramione fandom who create problematic content, but every fandom and every ship has toxic shippers, besides they are simply not the majority.

2. Dramione shippers use Hermione to redeem Draco.

The redemption arc Draco got in HP is extremely flimsy at best, especially considering the amount of damage he’d done prior. He saved Harry’s life, yes, but he did nothing to protect either Ron or Hermione, so personally I wouldn’t harp on about that being much of a redemption arc at all. However, I don’t think any Dramione shippers use Hermione to redeem him. In the Dramione content the things he did wrong and the hurt he inflicted is something Hermione recognizes and then, through the story, eventually chooses to leave behind. Besides, she doesn’t have to redeem him, since we know from canon he’d grown out of his beliefs eventually, privately at least if not publicly (more on this later).

3. Draco had a choice in how to act, if he really didn’t believe in blood supremacy.

No, he didn’t. Let me break it down why.

When he was 11 years old and first coming to Hogwarts, he was too young to understand the beliefs his parents ingrained into him were wrong and harmful, he simply didn’t have the mental capacity to comprehend that. He was a child that hung to every word their mom and dad said and he acted accordingly.

As he grew up though, started going through puberty and maturing, he would’ve realized that blood supremacy is wrong. Let’s say this realization came when he was 14. Lucius and Narcissa weren’t with him at Hogwarts, so if he changed his behavior to reflect his new realizations, they wouldn’t have known, right?

WRONG.

Do you really mean to tell me that if Draco Malfoy, only son and sole heir to the Malfoy family, an extremely wealthy, influential family in the Wizarding World and its politics, part of the sacred 28, well respected and with a high status in society, suddenly started being kinder and friendlier to Muggleborns and Halfbloods, people wouldn’t talk? People wouldn’t wonder, get suspicious? That such news wouldn’t reach his father, who’s got eyes and ears everywhere (evident by the fact he was able to bribe someone in Hogwarts to buy his son a position on the Quidditch team). And how do you think Lucius Malfoy, a devout Death Eater, would have reacted to receiving such news? What do you think would have happened to Draco when he came home that summer?

Draco was never abused and I doubt Lucius would start then, but I am positive he would’ve been disowned, for betraying the values his family had upheld for centuries. Lucius is a staunch blood purist and he absolutely would cut all contact with his son (disown him) when news reached him Draco was making nice with Muggleborns and Halfbloods.

And Draco knew this, he knew how strict his father was, he knew how deeply he believed in blood supremacy and he knew the consequences for stepping out of line and being anything less than the perfect son.

What would a 14-year old kid do being disowned? Homeless essentially?

So, even if he had realized the wrongs of his beliefs and renounced them, he couldn’t have done that publicly, and certainly not with Hermione Granger or Harry Potter much less, seeing as Harry Potter is the nemesis of the man his father believes in.

By the time he reaches 15 and 16, Voldemort is already at full power again and living in Draco’s house. Now things get even worse. After Lucius fails to get the Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort decides he has to punish him for his failure by having Draco take the Dark Mark. By this point, Draco had abandoned ideas of blood supremacy, but at this point, what the fuck is he going to do? Refuse The Dark Lord? The Darkest Wizard in all of Wizarding History? The guy who is living in his house AND holds the lives of him AND his entire family hostage? Who could and would murder Draco’s mother and father and Draco himself if Draco disobeyed? The man who murdered a person right on Draco’s kitchen table and had Nagini swallow them whole?

Even if all of that wasn’t true, and it is, how’s a 16 year old kid going to fight off a house full of seasoned Death Eaters, proficient at the Dark Arts who will use Unforgivables on him, plus Voldemort himself, plus a giant terrifying snake?

At that point, Draco is left with literally zero choice but to take the Mark and obey his mission to murder Dumbledore.

He hatches several plots to kill Dumbledore, all of which fail. When they stand at the Astronomy tower, even Dumbledore himself calls all of his plots halfhearted and weak. Dumbledore offers him help, but Draco is very clear in his regret of the things he’d done and the fact there’s no going back now.

‘I have to do this, I have to kill you, or he’s gonna kill me.’

AND

‘What do you know about me? I’ve done things that would shock you.’

(I’m paraphrasing here, these aren’t the exact quotes).

At which point Snape shows up and kills Dumbledore in Draco’s place because of the Vow he made to Narcissa.

Any way you look at it, he really didn’t have any choice, even if he did at some point during school renounce his beliefs and grow past them.

4. He tried to kill Ron.

I’ve seen antis blame Draco for this one, which is a bit ridiculous. He did not. He had madam Rosmerta poison a bottle of wine, which he sent to Horace Slughorn, hoping Slughorn would pass it onto Dumbledore. Filch hadn’t noticed any traces of poison in it, because he is a Squib, he also didn’t doubt a shipment from Rosmerta, and so he just gave it to Slughorn. Slughorn kept it around and then later he was the one to offer Ron a glass of that wine. In Draco’s plan, Ron wasn’t ever even mentioned nor included in any way. It had been an unlucky coincidence for Ron, and Draco couldn’t have possibly known that Slughorn would hold onto the wine, that Ron would ever be around Slughorn OR that Slughorn would offer Ron that same wine. Sufficed to say, Draco never attempted to murder Ronald Weasley.

5. He did nothing while Bellatrix tortured Hermione.

We’ve been over this, what could he have done? He had saved Harry’s life earlier, but that one lie couldn’t of spared Ron or Hermione, their faces were too recognizable, even if Harry’s wasn’t.

A room full of Death Eaters, some of the cruelest, most dangerous ones mind you (Bellatrix Lestrange) and he’d be 17, if I remember correctly, still not even an adult, plus at this point in the war even more powerless (considering the fact the Malfoys had fallen out of favor with Voldemort, evident by the fact Lucius tells Draco that if they deliver Harry Potter to Voldemort, all would be forgiven).

What did you expect him to do? Leap into battle and try to fend off dozens of Death Eaters, effectively betraying the Dark Lord in the process and single-handedly getting his entire family killed, if not even himself?

Would you have done that? No, of course not.

6. Draco Malfoy is not redeemable.

Now Draco’s “redemption arc”, if it can be called that, is a powerful moment but it’s flimsy. JK didn’t really ever intend for him to be redeemed or liked either, but let’s take a look at it anyways.

It is canon that Draco stopped believing in blood supremacy at some point during their school years, though we can’t know exactly when.

How can I say this, when his behavior never indicated that?

Well, I’ve already been over why he couldn’t have suddenly changed his behavior, now let’s go through how I can claim it is canon.

The scene where Draco lies to everyone about Harry’s identity.

That moment could only exist IF Draco didn’t believe in blood supremacy anymore.

Think about it, if Draco was devout to Voldemort and his beliefs like his father, he would have had no problem or conscience to tell everyone ‘Yes, this is Harry Potter, hand him over.’ It would have been favorable to him if Harry died.

And let’s be clear, if Draco had said the truth in that moment, Harry would have died. He was captured, wandless (his is broken, when they escape the Manor he steals Draco’s), Ron and Hermione captured as well, he was entirely helpless and surrounded by powerful Dark Arts wizards and witches who would lead him directly to Voldemort the moment they got confirmation it was indeed him and that would have been it. Voldemort would have killed him. Voldemort would have won.

But that isn’t what happened.

Draco looked at Harry, recognized it was him (evident by a later scene where Harry straight up says that. “Why didn’t you tell her? Bellatrix? You knew it was me, you didn’t say anything.”) and at first, still unsure what to do, asked why Harry’s face was like that, and he’s told Harry just came in like that.

Draco says “I’m not sure.”

At that point Lucius grips him and tells him that if they gave up Harry Potter to Voldemort all would be forgiven, Bellatrix brings him closer to get a second look.

Draco knows all the consequences of what he’s doing at this point, he knows what he’s risking, the literal lives of everyone he loves, and what does he do?

He still lies.

‘I can’t be sure.’

It’s a powerful moment for his character, BUT it’s not enough for redemption. The amount of pain and hatred he’d spewed for 6 years (I say 6 years because The Golden Trio wasn’t attending Hogwarts for year 7) is not redeemed by this one instance. His actions, letting Death Eaters into Hogwarts, likely torturing people on command of the Carrows in 7th year, are not redeemed by this moment, even if he did save Harry’s life.

However, though this instance doesn’t constitute redemption, it is telling of the fact Draco has changed, and changed significantly from the hateful, angry, spoiled, racist brat he used to be, which gives him potential to grow up into a different, better man.

Whether JK intended it or not, the way that was written makes Draco Malfoy more than redeemable, if not for the duration of the books, then later through his life.

Being a horrible person at one point in your life does not make you forever evil, does not mean you can not ever change. To prove this, I’d like to humbly request you to watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSH5EY-W5oM

Voldemort’s regime is very similar to Hitler’s Nazi movement, so this video is very fitting to my point and HP in general.

Here’s another three:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORp3q1Oaezw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw0vS0qvYo0&list=TLPQMTcxMjIwMjBZfqJdkbbQJw&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4gly9n9RBo&list=TLPQMTcxMjIwMjBZfqJdkbbQJw&index=3

If you don’t have time to watch, let me sum it up for you.

The first video chronicles the story of a man who’d been part of the Neo-Nazi movement, managed to leave it behind and become an activist and overall an amazing guy now.

The other three links chronicle the story of Daryl Davis, a black man who’d attended KKK rallies and even met with the Imperial Wizard of the KKK Roger Kelly, somehow despite all odds became friends with him and eventually managed to get through to Roger Kelly to the point where this man (The leader of the KKK on a national scale) stepped down from his position and left the Ku Klux Klan.

That’s real life, something like that happened, truly happened, but Draco Malfoy is irredeemable?

PLUS, Draco is hardly the first case like this.

Take James Potter as an example. James was also a rich, racist, privileged white boy, and a bully. He’d bullied Snape severely, even set up a “prank” with his friends that would lead to Snape getting attacked by a WEREWOLF, putting him in mortal peril, with great potential of killing him, that required then a rescue operation.

James attempted murder, or if you don’t want to go that far, he set up a situation that quite possibly could have gotten someone killed, and he got to mature and grow past his behaviors and redeem himself, fall in love with Lily and have a wonderful son.

Why couldn’t Draco change when James had?

~

In conclusion, I think there’s a big diifference between what the Dramione fandom actually is and what antis think it is. 

The heart of the Dramione fandom is about growing and changing and maturing and forgiving and falling in love despite the differences of the past.

It’s not about romanticizing bullying or toxic relationships, life is not black and white people, people can change and grow from their past actions and people can also forgive and move on. 

There’s plenty of examples in the books of Harry and Ron mistreating Hermione and they all move past those instances (obviously that can’t be compared to what Draco did, I’m just making a point here).

I do acknowledge that the Dramione shippers have some bad apples among them, some problematic people that take it all too far, but honestly, every fandom and every ship has bad, toxic people so you can’t really use that against them.

All in all, things aren’t the way antis always present them, there’s a lot more gray there, and I hope this entirely too long post helped some of y’all see that.

[whenwegounnoticed]

My Turn To Talk About VioletVineyard, MVCreates, and the Glaring Problems of Power Imbalances.

Introduction

I have been on the fence about talking about my experiences, on one hand, because one of her mods and I are or maybe were (?) friends, and I valued their friendship but in recent light, I don’t know and because I want my main to be a safe place for other writeblrs and because I am afraid.

I was in VioletVineyard at the beginning of it -- and being in it did not feel good for reasons I could never put my finger on.

Let's talk about me and who I am first without giving myself away:

I have a disorder that makes expressing myself difficult, this is due to childhood trauma and a form of self preservation. My wording will be clunky because only recently, with the help of amazing friends, I'm learning the right verbage.

Now. Some of you will know who I am. Hello. Please keep me anonymous. Some of you might have a guess. Hello. Surprised? Maybe you're wrong. I don't know, I'm not in your head just as you're not in mine.

I have screenshots for some stuff and none for others. These are all personal experiences.

I will not be sharing the screenshots of those who were victims to respect their privacy.

Please bear with me. I know this will be long and rambly, but it’s how I make sense of my thoughts and brain.

VioletVineyard: Questionable Reality

I joined VV at the start of it, although it was already pretty big. I was excited! I admired many writeblrs who were in there and wanted to be friends with many of them. They were all so welcoming. And I felt, for a hot minute, like I belonged.

It was sprint of my freshman semester as a journalism major, and Mina reached out to me in the general chat, saying that if I needed help or wanted an In at some journalism company, to let her know because she knows people.

Great! Cool. A little odd but that was nice of her -- and.

That's how it starts.

A side: my friend has a theory that if people only present how perfect and amazingly nice they are, they likely are rotting on the inside. Nobody is ever perfect and always super nice, do not trust them. I do not subscribe to this but it is a thought in my mind now.

It took a week of me being there for the not right feeling set in.

First:

There was drama.

She would start it. She'd vague in the vent about someone and then outright state who she was talking about. And it would be about someone whose opinions she disagreed with. People would go and send anons or they'd bitch about whoever was the victim in the vent channel.

I don't remember if I participated but if I did, I am truly and genuinely sorry.

I think I got stressed two weeks in. I was already ill from invisible physical problems. The server felt horribly unmoderated.

I remember saying something because Mina was doing it again and being told,

"Then support in here."

Mostly innocent right? You support your friends, right?

It wouldn't have been a problem if:

The victim did something wrong.

Mina and this person weren't in their goddamn 30s or near that. They have a child, by the way.

The person was at least under 20.

From my scattered memory, the issue was OP either slightly vagued abt Mina or she just disgreed with OP.

Lots of red flags, right?

"But OP why did you stay?"

Emotional masochism? Fear? Because she, either knowingly or unknowingly cultivated this sort of atmosphere? I cannot speak for anyone else, but that's the reasoning for me.

There was, also, in the beginning, a hope that maybe things would change. Varying personalities, you know? And a desperate need for validation.

So, so wrong.

MVCreates & OP

So, get to the point OP. What happened to you?

A vague threat.

Mina....had Opinions. And opinions are just that, opinions but for her, they were fact. After all, she has her own reality and own story that helped form hers but some of hers were odd. Maybe not to most people who aren’t paying attention or didn’t notice the red flags ( “through rose colored glasses, all red flags just look like flags”) but they were definitely something.

She, for awhile, talked an awful lot about writeblr positivity. I could never really make sense of it -- she either supported it or was against it, from what I remember. (keep in mind, this was a little over a year ago and visually, I can see the gaudy green - red - yellow colors for pronoun preferences).

And I made a vague post about it and her. A few times. I was in the wrong for vaguing about her instead of just saying something up front.

Her response was, and I will paraphrase,

“Do you ever screenshot people vaguing about you just in case they enter a political career?”

I wish I had taken a screenshot. I’m sorry now that I did not. Maybe someone saw that, maybe they brushed it off. I don’t know.

From then on, I kept quiet about my thoughts and opinions because I did have plans to go into a political career -- but jokes on her, I plan on being a human rights officer for the United Nations lmao

Another incident (we’re almost done, I promise):

I was -- venting about gender dysphoria. I was Peak Suicidal at this point in time, just knowing what I was born with brought me to tears frequently. Mina had jumped into in the conversation and started talking about something vaguely related. She started talking about trans BIPOC experiences, which is great! Their experiences are things that need to be talked about because they are often thrown to the side for trans white people’s experiences and that is not okay.

I forget the middle part, it’s been over a year. It went from BIPOC experiences to something else, a conversation about gender? I don’t know. Maybe there’s someone out there who remembers. I doubt it though.

I remember saying, “I wish I would have been born with testicles and everything else because [I’m in hell?]” and she answered with,

“That would [mean / cause / ???? ] privilege.”

This person who has claimed she is non binary, claimed to be a trans ally and part of the trans community, said that to someone in the height of dysphoria and was suicidal.

You do not say that to someone who is experiencing gender dysphoria. To say that is transphobia. And yes, trans & non binary people can be transphobic. You are not exempt.

Violet Vineyard & Reprehensible Behaviors

Before I start this section, and I promise this is almost done, I just want to thank:

@radley-writes​, @gingerly-writing​, @lilquill​, @sapiencenotes​  @rrrawrf-writes​ & many more who have come forward about their experiences, whether publicly and in private. It’s admirable and brave of you to do something I could not. @nuwuhorizons​ & @time-to-write-and-suffer​ have amazing documentation as well.

There isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said and documented, but I can corroborate the bullying Mina and the mods engaged in -- the stuff Radley spoke about I did not know about -- and that makes me ill. I’m glad they owned up to what they did, and for that, thank you Radley. It shows you are a much bigger and better person.

I will not lie, however -- I was hurt and felt a bit ill when you talked about what the mods did. And it made me question and second guess a friendship I have (had?) with another mod. But I think that helped put some pieces of the puzzle together.

 An incident that stands out to me (and honestly bothers me, so a few people have heard about this often and I’m sorry), very clearly and I have screenshots for but will not share to protect their privacy, was when they dogpiled someone who had been asking about writing a Jewish character. While they were falling into somewhat harmful stereotypes, VV was handling it.

Not well.

The person was a minor, for one -- teenagers make mistakes, they make them more if they’re not exposed to varying cultures and beliefs. And the person who was on the receiving end of this dogpile looked to be coming more and more unstable and all I could do is just. Grab screenshots of what I could.

And if you’re reading this, you know who you are, I am so sorry I didn’t say anything. That wasn’t right, the entire situation wasn’t okay. You shouldn’t have gone through that. I hope you find healing and peace.

A quick disclaimer: Violet Vineyard, as far as I know, didn’t have a lot of Jewish members. I know a mod was converting (but hadn’t yet) and I think I saw one or two people with the Star of David in their name or icon. That said, my paternal grandmother was Jewish and had been one of the few survivors of her family from the Holocaust. I cannot speak for the entire Jewish population, and I do not consider myself Jewish in religion but trust me when I say this:

YHWH would be disappointed in their (VV’s) behavior -- and if the moderator who is working on converting is genuine about converting, then I need them to think long and hard  about what is happening. This isn’t what Judaism teaches. And if you’re reading this, ask yourself, would G-d condone the actions of your fellow ex mods?

Final Words

Oof, this was long, wasn’t it? Must have been hard to sit through because I ramble! So. What’s left for me to say?

Not a whole lot but still, a lot but the stuff I want to say are not my lived experiences. It is not my place to speak on behalf of anyone else involved in all of this. And that is okay.

But to the people who were involved with the recent drama and dogpiled a trans teenager and to those who helped bully many people in this community on behalf of the oh so great Mina,

my question is  why?

What was a thirty year old woman, WHO HAS A CHILD, bullying a nineteen year old? Why was an almost thirty year old person with a toddler and one on the way involved in this as well?

Most or a decent handful of you were adults, some with children, some expecting. 

And Mina,

You used your age and position to manipulate people and for that, I find you the most reprehensible. Castor did not deserve what happened, neither did the victim mentioned above. Nobody did. 

I hope, in the end, you finally find happiness without having to lie about your talent and without having to manipulate people.

Thank you for listening and sticking around if you made it this far and didn’t bounce in the beginning.

I’ve said my part. If anyone wants to engage in constructive discussion or share their experiences, feel free to do so.

[thesffcorner]

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors is an adult fantasy written by Curtis Craddock. It follows Isabella, the eldest daughter to Comte des Zephyrs, who is born without her sorcery. Growing up in a world that treats her as either a demon or an object, she only has one friend; Musketeer Jean-Claude. When she gets betrothed to a prince from a neighboring Kingdom, she sees this as an opportunity to have a new life; though a web of assassinations and conspiracies may threaten this future. I had a real hard time getting into this book, and even as I was reading it and was fully intrigued by the plot, I had this sense of dread that the book will go in a direction I would not like, or the ending would make me very mad. I’m happy to report my fears were for naught, and I ended up really enjoying this book. There were definitely elements and plot points that annoyed me, but the plot and characters were strong enough for me to enjoy my my time in this world. So let’s start with what I think will be the biggest draw and the biggest deterrent from reading this book. 

Writing: The best way I can describe Craddock’s style is a mix between The Three Musketeers and Nevernight. The world-building and the plot focused on political conspiracy, marriages and royal bloodlines, as well as just the aesthetics of the book were straight of both Dummas’ work but also the much maligned 2011 film. The way this plot and world are conveyed however (as well as a lot of the magic system and religious aspects of the book) reminded me a lot of Jay Kristoff’s writing. Craddock has a style that I can only describe as overly-specific, overly-descriptive, and quaint; he uses very specific nouns for everything, from the clothes, to the different parts of the flying ships the characters move around on. And when I say specific I don’t just mean dictionary, I mean specific to the time period this is based on, which is 1600 France. It took me so long to parse out what title Comte and Comtessa and Le Roy are equivalent to, who all these different bloodlines and families were, and the fact that all the names of families, characters, cities, ships and castles were French didn’t help one bit. To give you an example, here is just a sentence from Chapter 1. ”All around him, deckhands scurried about, tugging on lines, adjusting sails in a madman’s dance, choreographed to the boatswain cry”pg. 9 And another from a bit later: ”Jerome stood on the rolling deck as if nailed to it, not a hair of his white, powdered wig out of place. He jerked his chin toward the bow and said, “We’re coming in widdershins on the trailing edge”, as if that clarified the matter. “If we don’t overshoot and ram the tower, we should make harbor within the hour”” pg. 11 This, again, comes down to personal preference. If you like this style of writing, and you don’t mind spending the first few chapters kind of confused and just coasting until you pick up on the world and the language, you will certainly find this enjoyable. By chapter 5, I was well caught up in the writing style, and really enjoyed how much personality Craddock managed to inject in the chapters, based on whether we were following Jean-Claude or Isabelle. It also made the world feel that much more well-rounded and real, since at no point did the characters stop and exposit for 3 pages about how things worked. However, if you struggle with this type of writing and world-building you will not have a fun time, because in addition to having to adjust to all the French terms and period words, you also have to contend with all the stuff that’s purely fiction to this world, like otomations, aether, artifex, and sanguinare, to name a few. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t confused; but I liked the plot and the characters enough to keep reading. World-Building: I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this in any review, but I’m a huge fan of The Three Musketeers. I’ve seen almost all the versions outside the BBC show, and I’ve read the books; they were the first classic I was ever really in love with as a kid. I also love flying ships that look like Caravels, so this world was perfect for me. San Augustus was a fascinating world; it’s a floating island that is held in the sky by magic which is never explained (which isn’t a bad thing). Since it’s floating in the air, people travel on this massive ships like the ones it Treasure Planet, which run on aether, a substance that seems to be the equivalent of whale-oil in the Dishonored games. I know I’m mentioning a lot of visual media, but it always helps me visualize the world, and there was more that reminded me of Dishonored, like the otomations which I imagined were like the Clockwork soldiers and the blend between technology and magic of the world. Where Nevernight comes into play was the fact that this world too is built on the ruins of an ancient civilization of Gods, which is where a lot of the technology, and magic comes from. The people who live in San Agustus today know very little about the Saints that inhabited the world before them, and though they use some of their technology, most of the artifacts and knowledge are collected by the Temple, the religious order of the world. The magic system was another thing that reminded me of Nevernight, and it was very cool. Saint Augustus is ruled by descendants of the Saints, who lived at the same time as the Builder. Each Saint controlled a different type of magic (now categorized by the Temple). Isabelle’s family, the Des Zephyrs are sanguinaires: they have bloodshadows that they use to feast on other humans. They can also hollow out a human and turn them into a bloodhollow, which they can possess to communicate with people or spy on them. The ruling family of Aragoth, the family Isabelle is to marry are glasswalkers, which I found the coolest powers. They can cast their reflection through mirrors and walk in the real world in various locations. Their mirror image is limited by hunger and thirst, and they see everything in reverse, but the mechanics of the power and the creative use it’s put to in the novel were really fun to read about. As for the religion… it was an interesting choice. I had some gripes with it. It’s clearly based on the Old Testament; a woman who was close to the Builder was curious to find out how his inventions worked, and tried to learn math which somehow awoke a demon which destroyed the Builder and all the Saints. Supposedly, in a time of great turmoil and violence, the Builder will be reborn and will resurrect the worthy in a Judgement Day type scenario. Seeing as the basis of the religion is profoundly sexist and even misogynistic, in this world women are not allowed to learn the sciences or the old language, and in some cases even reading is seen as heresy. The one thing they especially can’t do is learn math or astrology, which is precisely what our lead Isabelle really loves and studies. Moreover, women in this world seem to be seen as just walking wombs. They are sold into marriages, and being able to give birth is their only function. I couldn’t tell if this was a thing of the nobles, since we do see working women that are not aristocrats, but there are very few non-noble characters in the book. But rest assured, the society is profoundly sexist one part that made my stomach churn, was a bit where 12 year old Isabelle tells us she carries around a maiden blade, which she isn’t to use to ward off attackers, but to kill herself rather than risk being raped and bring shame upon her family. This was so incredibly unsettling, I even looked it up to see if it was a real historical thing, and apparently it is not. Even if it was, why would you write it in your FICTIONAL book? I will be fair and say that most of the sexist and misogynistic structure of the world is not meant to be seen as a good thing; the characters do lament the state of affairs, the ones we are meant to find likable disagree with seeing women as broodmares and prizes (for the most part; there are quite a few moments where Isabelle defaults to being owned by her father or being owned by her husband which was also Yikes). Craddock does try to show that the sympathetic men do see Isabelle as a person more than a womb with legs (though again, most of them with the exception of Gran Leon think she either needs protecting or want to sleep with her), and he does make sure all the female characters we get, even the villains have agency that is not tied to the men around them. I also have to give him props for having actual female friendships and having characters who are usually either background or written as shallow and vain, have a voice, like the servants, the handmaidens, the ladies in waiting, etc. However. When it comes to male authors, I am always wary of WHY they feel the need to write the world as horribly sexist in the first place. It’s not an oppression they can claim, and everytime I see it in fiction, even if it’s done with the intent to subvert it or question it, I feel squeamish reading it, and don’t trust them to handle it well. Even if the point is to make a point about sexism or misogyny, that doesn’t mean I want to endure 300+ pages of women being treated horribly, assaulted, kidnapped, silenced or otherwise harmed for the benefit of 100 pages of gratification. I have grown jaded of these kinds of stories, and though I really did like the world, and all it’s steampunk musketeer glory, and all the political intrigue, this was not something I could overlook. Everytime I would have fun, I would be reminded that this society sees women as just their womb, that they are completely indispensable and disposable. And I would stop having fun, and start dreading that the next page would have a rape scene or unwanted pregnancy, especially seeing as the main theme of this book is pregnancy. I didn’t trust Craddock as a writer because he chose to set this story the way he did, and while I will admit that was fully my own fault as a reader, I think it’s worth pointing out that we have to endure enough mistreatment in the real world, and I don’t necessarily want it into our fiction, even if it’s made clear that the author disagrees with it. Themes and Plot: The world-building leads me to my next point which is the plot. I’ll start with the bad first and then move onto the more positive stuff. I mentioned at the start, that this book centers on an arranged marriage between Isabelle and Prince Julio of the neighboring Kingdom of Aragoth. The King of Aragoth is sick and dying, and his eldest son, the heir, Prince Alejandro, is refusing to divorce his wife Princess Xaviera or take in a mistress, despite her not being able to bear children. Margarita, the King’s second wife wants her son, Julio to take the throne, and to leverage his eligibility, she wants him to marry and have a child. As all marriages are arranged through the Temple, an artifix, Kantelvar is sent to arrange the one between Isabelle and Julio. What I want to focus on is the theme or pregnancy, childbirth and being infertile. First off, I find it incredibly icky whenever male authors chose to write about women’s abilities to have children or even worse, their inability to have children. It always, always boils down to the character either being told or thinking herself that she’s some kind of monster for not being able to conceive. I HATE this trope, and unfortunately it’s present here. All we ever really know about Xaviera is that she can’t have kids. We know Alejandro loves her, and we know she can apparently wield a sword and pistol (not that we ever see it), but as a character she is simply reduced to her infertile womb. There is even a scene, which was profoundly ill conceived, (no matter how pure the intentions were) where Isabelle tells Xaviera she understands what it’s like to have your entire personhood being boiled down to your disability (Isabelle has a wormfinger). It’s a nice sentiment, except not being able to have children is NOT a disability, and the experiences are nowhere near SIMILAR, let alone the same. Yes, it’s horrible to feel like your body is betraying you, or working against you if you want to have kids and can’t. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to go through something like that, ESPECIALLY if you live in a society where that is what your entire worth as a human is boiled down to. But this is not a story for a man to tell, especially not if you want to focus so heavily on how other people think Xaviera is worthless, and not XAVIERA, the person who is seen as worthless and who actually has to experience this pain! There is never a scene in which Craddock dissuades the readers from thinking that it’s COMPLETELY unfair and sexist that Xaviera’s competence at being a Queen is negated because she can’t have kids; instead we focus on Alejandro and how he’s just such a good guy because he loves his wife so much that he won’t cheat on her or divorce her. Xaviera deserves a better story than being sidelined to be a foil to Isabelle’s working womb, and I absolutely hate this storyline, even more after we get a reveal that makes Xaviera;s infertility completely moot. Then, there’s also the whole thing with Isabelle’s mother having 3 miscarriages before she gives birth to Isabelle and dying while giving birth to her brother. Her character is mostly comedic relief, and though she may have been a vain, bad person, treating her miscarriages as some sort of divine punishment is incredibly offensive in a book that’s otherwise genuinely funny and clever about it’s writing. Isabelle’s entire birth scene left such a poor taste in my mouth, that I contemplated DNFing the book; it’s played mostly for laughs, with the Comtessa struggling to push Isabelle out, and yet Craddock wrote it the artifax giving a sermon about how the pain women experience in childbirth is the punishment from the Builder for destroying his Kingdom with their curiosity. Not only is this verbatim something religious fundamentals use to torment women with to this day, it’s so incredibly tone deaf and ill-placed in this supposedly lighthearted scene, that I was ready to quit. Then there’s Isabelle. There is a LOT to unpack with her, but unfortunately I can’t, without spoiling the whole book. What I can talk about is how she is treated as, again, a walking womb, for the whole first half of the book. She is arranged to marry Julio because she’s off saint’s blood, has a fertile womb and can’t do magic. It has nothing to do with her intelligence, or her skills or even her damn beauty; no it’s because her womb works and Julio needs a baby. And literary no one, not Jean-Claude, not Isabelle, not even Julio is opposed to this idea, at least until we find out the real reasons for the marriage. She is literary boiled down to her womb, and treated like a prized racing horse, and she is the LEAD CHARACTER. Again, this is not necessarily supposed to be viewed as good, but that’s only after we find out why the marriage was orchestrated. Up until then, no one questions this, and I cannot describe to you how uncomfortable it was for me to read all the 10 000 times people care about Isabelle’s womb more than her, encourage and downright blackmail her into sleeping with a complete stranger so that he can Euron style put-a-baby-in-her, and everytime someone calls her breeding stock or broodmare. That felt good to get off my chest. Let’s talk some positives. My favorite part of the The Three Musketeers is the bit about the Comtessa having her diamonds stolen, and the King asking her to wear them at the ball, and the Musketeers having to go make a new set and bring it in time for the ball. This plot is that same rush of tension and political maneuvering mixed with humor, except the conspiracy is so complicated, there would be no way I could describe it to you all without spoilers. What I can talk about is how through very different approaches and skill sets, Jean-Claude and Isabelle figure out what is happening parallel to each-other. Jean-Claude is like a Musketeer version of Hercule Poirot. He is incredibly good at improvising and acting, he has a way of getting people to talk to him and reveal information they don’t want to, he knows how to lie, fight, shoot, run and has a bit of a temper. While with Isabelle we learn more of the mechanics of the plot, with Jean-Claude we learn about the people involved in the conspiracy, and their various motives. I really enjoyed Jean-Claude’s detective skills; also since he’s the Musketeer, he gets the brunt of the action scenes which were all very fun. Isabelle on the other hand, is more like Sherlock Holmes. She’s good with words and people, but not the Jean-Claude’s effect, and she’s more than a little socially awkward and insecure, especially at first. What she’s good at is logic, facts and math, and she uses her analytical skills to deduce answers and see irregularities and inconsistencies around her. Though a lot of her skills are ones that she’s not supposed to have, like being able to read the Old Language, or know about how ships run and machines operate, her real skill is the ability to appeal to people and what they want, and she has a real knack for diplomacy that I really enjoyed watching develop throughout the book. The entire focus of the book, and Isabelle’s character arc is about soft power; she isn’t a sword fighter or a gunsmith, but she’s very intelligent, kind and clever, and combined with her deduction skills and wordplay, she makes a formidable political player. There is a reason Gran Leon picks her to be an ambassador, even if it’s with hidden intentions; she sees the loopholes in others’ plans and weaves her own, manipulating people when she must, and offering a branch of friendship when she can. I already mentioned the scene between her and Xaviera, but there are many more examples in the book of her making unlikely friends without even really trying to; my favorite scene was her duel of wits with Gran Leon. 

Characters:

Outside of the plot which was excellent and incredibly clever, I loved the characters. There are so many of them, that I couldn’t possibly cover them all, and a lot I can’t talk about because of spoilers, so I’ll just talk about the leading duo, which is Isabelle and Jean-Claude.  

Jean-Claude was my favorite person in this whole book. He was exactly what I imagined Aramis to be like; funny, sarcastic, too clever for his own good, very capable, and yet quite flawed. His father-daughter relationship with Isabelle was heartwarming, though I didn’t much care for how he saw her as someone who constantly needed protection, until she was to be handed off to another man to protect. He sees her as capable, but I wasn’t a fan of how he seemed to never quite understand that she was more than just whatever man was beside her.

He had the funniest quips, and keeping in with the theme of wordplay I liked his little anaphore game with Isabelle.

The other great thing about Jean-Claude, was how his moral compass was at odds to his loyalty to Grand Leon. He owes everything to Grand Leon, as he had handpicked Jean-Claude to be his own Musketeer, but when he finds himself in situations of injustice, Jean-Claude has a hard time standing by, even if it means potentially endangering his standing. He’s a flawed character, and sometimes he was too arrogant or too blindsided to see the full picture, like with  Vincent and Thornscar, and he is like any good Musketeer quite fond of self-indulgent pity.

One of his best quotes:

”Majesty, please excuse me for bleeding in your presence, but someone just tried to shoot the princess’s coach and bomb me, which is rather backward of the way I would have done it, but I’m thankful for his incompetence” pg. 249

Isabelle on the other hand is a lot more subdued, which makes perfect sense, seeing all the things she has been through. She has had a very abusive childhood, with her father trying to force her sorcery to come out, as well as being bullied and shunned because of her wormfinger.

I tried looking up to see if wormfinger is a real thing, and I couldn’t find anything, but as best as I could understand it, it’s a hand deformity where the hand has a single, unresponsive finger. Since this society is incredibly focused on looks and sexual appeal for women, Isabelle is considered a freak and even a devil-child, which isolates her. However, what I really appreciated was that she accepts her disability as just another part of herself, not some kind of burden, and she is content with herself. The book also doesn’t focus on her appearance, other than general descriptions, (which was true for all of the characters, points for you Craddock).

Isabelle suffers from a lot of trauma, especially concerning her own voice and words, as something happens to her, which is a direct result of someone misconstruing her words to hurt her. However, she’s still if not happy, then content, and though she’s not the bravest character in the book, she pushes through regardless, and tries to meet all her obstacles and overcome them, no matter how daunting they look.

There is a very mild romance in the book, but it’s so insignificant to all that happens that I hesitate to even call it a subplot. I liked this too; most of the relationships Isabelle builds are with friends and allies and what motivates her is entirely her friendship to Marie. I loved that her strongest allies outside of Jean-Claude were always other women; Marie, Valery, Gretl, even Xaviera. Her friendship with Gretl was especially important, as she is the only character who treats Gretl as a  human rather than some kind of object and the disability representation for Gretl was I thought well done.

Conclusion:

Though I might have come off harsh on a lot of aspects of this book, it’s only because the parts that were good were great, and every time we took a detour from those parts into bad territory it was all the more jarring. It’s a really fun book, and if you are looking for a gunpowder fantasy with a world we don’t often see in fiction, a focus on diplomacy, politics and a kick-ass pair of leads, then I recommend it.

However, if talk of fertility, childbirth, miscarriage and the threat of sexual assault unsettle you you might want to stay away; as much as I’d like to separate the adventuring from this, these are the main themes of the book, and it’s impossible to ignore them.

goodreads

[singtheskyandfightlikehell]

Do I hate Oswald?

So I’ve been informed that a lot of people one Twitter took my last fic to mean “I hate Oswald” and that’s... I’m not sure if that’s more funny or sad. Idk how many gotham followers I actually have, but in case anyone cares, I thought I would clarify exactly how I see Oswald.

Do I love Oswald? If by ‘love’ you mean I have a deep desire to coddle him and claim that he has never done anything wrong, than no. I don’t.

I love Oswald as a villain. I love the evil in Oswald. If he were a real person, I would not. But he is a fictional character, and his actions are not presented in a way that is likely to inspire real people to do harm, so I see no issue in admiring him for his ruthlessness.

Oswald’s real superpower is his ability to fast talk his way out of anything. He does terrible things, and when someone confronts him about it, he’s such a cunning strategist that he can pull an excuse out of thin air. In minutes he can have people who hated his guts thinking that he was actually working in their favor. And when he knows it’s a lost cause? When he knows the person is on their guard against his manipulations? He turns to strength in numbers. A few words to a mob, a small deed to “prove” he means it, and suddenly he’s made an army from the public. And when keeping that army becomes a greater cost than a reward? He drops them, because they meant nothing to him. If they turn on him, he’ll just do the whole thing over again.

That’s impressive. I love watching Oswald weave a web of lies around person after person in Gotham. I love how he can turn anything into a strength. When he’s lost his power, he puts on the most believable facade of vulnerability to lower his enemies’ defenses, and once they’re down, he strikes.

He’s a ruthless businessman, murderer, and strategist. He’s so absolutely amazing at it that he can convince others to do the work in building and rebuilding his empire, and they think it’s for them. I mean, there’s nothing more fun than white-washing a fence, am I right? And if he loses everything? Sure, it’s annoying, but does that stop him? Not in the slightest. Earlier on, yeah, he nearly gave up, but he moved past that. He developed as a character, and now a little stumble is nothing in what he sees as his destiny to rule Gotham.

I love every moment of it.

But what makes for a good business strategy does not make for a healthy relationship. Time and time again Oswald has shown a Machiavellian attitude, especially when it comes to the ends justifying the means. And in business? In politics? In organized crime? Maybe that works. Doing something bad to someone and coming up with a reason why it was good for them after the fact is fine and dandy when it comes to power plays and criminal politics, but it’s completely unacceptable in a relationship. In a relationship, you don’t do things to each other, you do them with each other. Nothing gives you the right to make decisions for someone else, not even universally sanctioned True Love™.

I also see no reason not to hold Oswald accountable for his actions. As a natural manipulator myself, who spent years studying manipulation to ensure I wouldn’t accidentally do it to people I care about, I have no problem seeing through the lies Oswald tells Gotham time and time again to regain their support each time something terrible happens to them (at his hand or another’s). He is a fully capable adult, with no conditions clouding his judgement, so he should be responsible for all the horrible things he’s done.

And yet, I still tend to root for him. Sometimes he goes too far, and I don’t excuse it when he does. But usually, he is the one I want controlling Gotham. I cheer on his victories, and I admire his skills at manipulating people. Frankly, if there’s one thing I truly dislike about him, it’s his stans. To me, it’s far more disrespectful to call him a little bird or imply what he really needs is a big strong man than it is to say sometimes he can be a dick. But people are gonna do what they’re gonna do, and I’m not about to make myself mad over the fact that I think their takes are bad. That’s why I know where the unfollow button is.

Like I said, Idk if it’s more funny or sad... the way I’ve seen people talk about Oswald leads me to believe they bought the bullshit he spews to the people of Gotham. I guess that impresses me even more, though - he’s such a good liar, he’s convinced people in our world, not just his lmao. I fucking wish I could be that good at manipulation.

tl;dr: to all the people on twitter whining about how I hate Oswald, I actually love him. I love him for being an evil fucking bastard who tricks and manipulates people at a scale I could only dream. But I also hold him accountable for his actions. I love Oswald as a character. He impresses me far more than he annoys me. Tbh, the thing about Oswald that annoys me most (and the reason why I don’t follow them) are his stans

[spoiler2010]

Rebirth Of A Nation?

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke finds himself in an unusual predicament. Never before have the spheres of his influence been so politicized as we have seen in this new century. He holds jurisdiction over Federal land and resources, Indian affairs, wildlife and territorial issues. As of 2019, Zinke finds himself faced with some unusual problems that may cause him to 'think out of the box' in dealing with what had once been considered routine matters within his Department.

One of the first controversies of the New Year was the Obamites attempting to erect a shrine to their idol on State property. The Obama Presidential Center was to be built in the downtown Chicago vicinity. In all likelihood his henchman, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, had arbitrarily agreed to the project without getting any municipal or State approval. Emanuel, as we recall, was the White House Chief of Staff before resigning under controversy after his first year. Emanuel and his socialist cohorts were taken aback to find that they were being blocked by a lawsuit filed by a parks advocacy group. As of this writing the trial has yet to commence. Chances are that Zinke may be asked to weigh in at a future date should socialists choose to appropriate Federal land to immortalize their heroes.

The biggest controversy surrounded the curious case of Covington Catholic School student Nick Sandmann, who attended a demonstration in Kentucky by race activists. Along with classmates wearing red Make America Great Again caps, he was vilified by protestors who hurled racial profanities at the youths. Nick was one of those who rose to the occasion, exhorting his classmates to stand fast and offer no retaliation against the belligerents. 

What happened next was the worst backfire Fake News experienced since the Trump inauguration. Leftist media outlets edited all video at the event, distributing it across their networks to fit their storyline. Sandmann was shown smiling tautly as an Indian demonstrator was beating a tribal drum with just several inches of space between them. It was not hard for the slanderers to claim that the boy was violating the personal space of the Indian and mocking his ritual display.

Unfortunately for the Fake News conspirators, there were videocameras documenting the incident from different angles. Black Hebrew Israelite militants were seen at a distance though within earshot of the street event, screaming racial epithets at the youths. Ironically, this sect has a nationwide following that adheres to bizarre interpretations of Scripture. They claim that the Twelve Tribes of Israel are comprised of black ethnicities around the world, and that whites are disciples of Satan sent to enslave the black race. Despite their virulence, Sandmann continued to admonish his fellow students not to engage in dialogue with the aggressors.

Next came videos of the Indian in question marching straight at Sandmann and belligerently beating the instrument inches from the boy's face. Here is how we see videos can be manipulated to tell the story as it is framed. With the entire incident filmed at a distance, we see the Indian encroaching upon Sandmann's position. Yet in a closeup, Sandmann's smile remains frozen as if mocking the Indian. With both sides examined, one wonders if Sandmann was trying to fight back tears of humiliation or fear.

Fake News' grievous error was to broadcast the video and report it with the exact prejudice and virulence used against what they call the MAGA Movement. This demonizes any and all Trump supporters as xenophobic, misogynistic and homophobic bigots abiding by fascist philosophy. As Sandmann and his fellow parishioners were wearing the red apparel, they became MAGA fascists by default. The boy and his friends were subjected to the worst possible verbal abuse by leftist media and activists alike. Apparently the boy's parents realized that this would have a horrible impact on his future and decided to seek remedy.

Weeks later it was announced that the Sandmann's attorney Lin Wood had filed a $250 million lawsuit against the Washington Post, who had been the main propagators of the libel. According to the lawsuit, Sandmann had suffered from defamation of character which was a result of the Post's actions in 'leading the charge' of the hordes of slanderers. The 'innocent child was bullied with (an) absolute disregard', causing 'permanent damage'. President Trump immediately applauded the announcement as a retaliatory blow against all who have used 'freedom of the press' as license to destroy the lives of others for commercial and political gain.

 The failed efforts of Fake News to keep the Black Hebrew Israelites out of the spotlight allowed them to easily avoid retribution. In cities such as Kansas City in Missouri, for example, the propagators of this cult stand in public areas such as the downtown Power and Light mall, the Plaza and Westport spewing their venom without consequence. Yet the slightest hint of support for the MAGA slogan sets the leftist media ablaze with fervor as they seek and destroy any public gathering displaying such intent. 

Of greater importance would be for Zinke to initiate a Congressional inquiry as to the reasons behind Indian poverty and lack of development on reservation land. For over a century, Indians have been shown as living in extreme poverty and lacking in all areas of economic opportunity. It seems impossible that this particular demographic has been given no chance to improve their collective lot. When we consider all the equal opportunities given Black, or the open doors available to Yellow, it would be an outrage that Red had no advantage whatsoever. Indeed, the nations of the world rebuked over human rights violations by America would rise in indignation due to lack of it. 

For across the planet since the dawn of man we have seen nomad races roaming the face of the earth. Bedouins in the Middle East, African tribesmen following rain clouds, Mongols seeking suitable hunting and harvest, among dozens of others. Most have been respected for their contributions to the traditions and folklore to their respective nations. Yet we find not one that have been given exclusive rights to significant expanses of their nation's land. Beyond that, the Indian has done nearly nothing to take advantage of that right.

It is well known that, over the last century, oil corporations attempted to make numerous deals to secure drilling rights on Indian land. The incompetence of the bureaucracies have made it impossible for either side to progress. A 2015 report from the Government Accountability Office found that poor management by the Bureau of Indian Affairs hindered energy development and resulted in lost revenue for tribes, according to Reuters. At this juncture, we wonder what can possibly be hindering the Indians from doing what is needed to make their people whole?

One thing is certain: a great Indian leader must rise from the ashes and speak for the people. Our history books speak of Geronimo, Cochise, Sitting Bull, and dozens of others who gave their lives for their people. Why is there no Millenial voice being heard? And of young adults, is there no greater aspiration than to be a casino owner? Or on the other end, the leader of a reservation drug gang? Someone must take a stand and unite the tribes to end Indian poverty and restore the dignity of the people.

According to Forbes, there is an estimated $1.5 trillion of natural resources available on Indian land. There is a discussion of fractionated land ownership, which is a result of inherited land shares being passed down to multiple heirs until becoming relatively worthless. The tribal leaders must bring the people together to sign over their shares until the land is fully accounted for and can be privatized to allow for commercial investment.

President Trump has discussed the options of privatizing Indian land. Here is where his deal-making wizardry and entrepreneurial skills may be of historical importance for the Indian nation. Obviously the Indians will need guidance, and the Trump Administration may hold many keys to helping them secure a trillion-dollar deal. It would be a win-win situation for Indians and oil corporations who would no longer have to invest in foreign lands to earn profits. The elimination of shipping costs alone would save them billions. Some of this could be used in improvements and betterments on reservations as a good-will gesture to help the Indians recover their dignity in a short time.

Once again, the employment of the indigenous population will result in the growth of its community. If young people are able to earn a good salary at the oil wells, they will be able to invest in homes and businesses which would result in the decline of the trailer park syndrome. Many of the elderly would be able to manage the mom-and-pop stores while their children worked. It would put an end to the chronic alcoholism that has ravaged the Indian communities along with hopelessness and despair.

This sounds like a broad and utopian statement, but it is a mirror image of the drug epidemic destroying black communities. If a person has so few options but to go out and work hard for minimum wage, they may well turn to the welfare system and intoxicants to lessen the emotional pain. Yet if there is a possibility of earning $600 a week, this is a game-changer for the person's extended family. He must seize the moment and invest in something for the family to cultivate. Even hauling the trailer to a roadside after a home is purchased can be the start of a lucrative business.

Of paramount importance is interaction between Cabinet leaders, Here is where Ben Carson can step in and implement programs allowing Indians to buy homes and invest in commercial property. The most important factor is the time element. Indians cannot be allowed to think that these advancements are quick fixes to their chronic decline into oblivion. The conservative media must glorify their efforts and use examples of Indian Pride as a guiding light to all ethnicities. When the Indian can seize the moment, he will see substance abuse as a rebuke and disgrace to his people. This is when the ancestral traditions are reborn and the nation rediscovers itself.

Once this happens, will we not see the Indian Territory become a great tourist attraction, a showcase rivaling Las Vegas spanning across the West? Will it no longer remain an endless wilderness interspersed by trailer parks and Indians selling trinkets at rest areas? Will we see theme parks and theaters proclaiming a nation's greatness, from ancient times to the 21st Century?

Our President and the Indian Nation hold the key to the future.

[televinita]

Zoo, 3.03 (super late)

Once upon a time I posted one short Feeling Explosion in the middle of this episode, then forced myself to stop and deal with a work-nado, and before I could claw my way back I heard "Welcome to the O.C., bitch," and that's the last thing I remember before waking up from my coma 6 weeks later. That's my story and I’m sticking to it. Claims that I may have woken up briefly to comment on bits of episodes 4 and 8 are unsubstantiated because officially, until last night I had not yet finished episode 3. (and that is the actual truth. I technically got to the end and a bit beyond, but only because I tore both apart for Mitch/Jamie content just like I feared I would and left the rest to spoil. Guilt may have played a part in my inability to come out of the coma.)

As I am Very Stubborn about not watching the next episode of anything until I have thoroughly spun the last one around in my head, dissected my feelings about it and processed them into text product, and I struggled with what to say, I got stuck in Zoo purgatory. But after an hour of freewriting, I think I have enough babble to feel content. This is mostly for me, but perhaps you’ll enjoy following my journey.

Originally Planned Opening Statement: Hey, remember when this show was was about weird mutant animals and not bizarre government conspiracies to abduct and experiment on children? Because I do. This is not the show I signed up for and it makes my soul feel gross.

(more evidence for the “why I had trouble moving forward” file, I think) Television Parents Council So we're three episodes in and I am really feeling like dramatic anguish is not Alyssa Diaz's strong suit in the acting department. It all feels kind of strained and forced? But hang on, I gotta go be way more outraged about her character's choices, as seen in this live reaction note: "WHAT IN THE FRICKITING FRACK DARIELA WTF. Is this* why you got divorced last time, 'cause I'm gonna have to assume it is seeing's as we literally never got any other reasoning for that random-ass info drop last year and I keep waiting for an explanation." *cheating on her husband

(and oh man, for the first time I am so glad it's these two who got the kid and not Mitch and Jamie, because can you imagine if I had to hear Jamie had cheated on Mitch with Logan and wrecked their relationship that bad? I would perform brain surgery on everyone with a power drill.) (nobody talk at me about the almost as distasteful thing that happened with them)

To be fair to Dariela, she and Abe mostly bonded over having a kid right after they met; I can't really say it feels like she betrayed an epic soulmate bond. I can muster up some sympathy for her feeling lonely and abandoned.)

Except that's not even her last horrible reveal of the episode*. What are you trying to do, run this character I miraculously chose to accept into the ground??

*possibly selling out Clementine to rescue her own kid from a sketchy situation. I will make a lot of allowances for putting yourself and your family's comfort and safety over the needs of strangers, but this does not fall under that header.

But, um, other than that, Papa Lion Abe is intense and amazing and I thought the whole desperate chase-after-the-military-convoy aspect was really well done.

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Television Parents Council Pt. II Live Reaction Note: "Mitch is a testy bitch in this episode and I love him." (I remember this being debated, but part of the reason I love his Testy Bitch self is what you see at the end of the episode. If he doesn't wrap himself in defensive anger, cling to it like a buoy, the pain of confronting everything he lost and missed will win.) I really love Mitch's two seconds of happiness when he thinks Jamie raised Clem in her fancy penthouse and they ended up thick as thieves. I am less fond of the reality that Max took her away when she turned 14, so the only solace I can take away, before I spiral into that "who TF invited Logan to this party" post we started with is "SWEET HALLELUJAH AT LEAST JAMIE GOT OVER THREE YEARS TO BOND WITH HER." Also, Jamie is so the adult who gives the kids beer to supervise them. I still think it's hilarious that Mitch assumed any adult gave her a beer at 14, because don't most teenagers just have friends who come up with it? I mean, I couldn't even find alcohol on my college campus so I am not the authority on this by any means, but that is the impression I get from books. My point being, I like to think that even in the happy world where 2x12 is the series finale and they had a life together after, this would still have happened and he and Jamie would have had more than one clash regarding her blurring the line between parental authority and friend, and it would have sounded exactly like this, so...thanks Zoo, for accidentally fulfilling my Domestic AU interests in the weirdest possible way! Awww @ Mitch's impatient little "hey" when Clem casts doubt on Jamie's ability to perform brain surgery with a power drill, and then uses that particular tone of voice to tell her it's going to be fine. Awww @ Clem sticking up for Jamie's parenting skills. You know what, just assume that I loved any and everything else that happened when these three were on screen. And I maintain that Jamie, while willing to stop him if he gets too far out of line, also remembers very well what it's like to wake up with missing time where everything's changed and gone wrong, and that means he gets the time and space he needs, within reason, to lash out and come to terms with it while she waits for the worst of the storm to pass. She does point out when Clem's upset, and she checks him with "she turned out okay," but never once do I get the sense that she takes any criticism he lobs at her personally.

(I might have said this before. I tagged wrong and can’t find it.)

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JKras and Emily Blunt's Alt Reality Doppelgangers (shhh just go with it)

Guess what I started shipping exactly two seconds before we went with the "slapping men across the face isn't domestic violence" trope on top of the "this one piece of information that is not about how you assaulted or killed someone in cold blood invalidates absolutely everything I love about you" trope. It's a two-fer of ship torpedoing. (How do you say no to that face! Look how tragic and sad it is on top of its normal rugged handsomeness and love for helping people! Also, guess who is probably gonna quit shippin' it and throw the lady right back out the door if/when she returns and eliminates Jackson's need to talk to the people I care about. That's just how I unfairly do. The Chloe-shaped hole in my heart won't heal, it's weird.) --------------- I LOVE YOU, MAN

And then this episode ends with Jackson's face lighting up at the sight of Alive!Mitch and glomping on him in a bear hug, and everything is right with the world now that my two faves are together again. ---------------

Yet More Thoughts

-Live reaction note: “I am glad to see that Mitch has shaved the beard and subsequently restored his powers of snark to full glory. They must have been suffocating under that thing.” -I loved Clem's montage of practicing how to tell her dad she's pregnant. These are useful sound bites for alternate takes.

-”Everything went wrong. The world went wrong.” This is somehow the most poetic thing I have ever heard on Zoo? Between the writing and her specific cadence, it sounds like something you'd hear in an award-winning speech, dressed up in voiceovers for trailers; IDK, I just really love it.

-Who even are you Abigail; your name and your hair make me want to get to know you but everything else (including my fandom girl-bros reacting to you with all the love they had for Logan last year and essentially forming a rousing chorus of "Don't need another You Part 2"), very much makes me want to not. -LOOK AT THESE GIANT UGLY WORM TUNNELING DINO-VULTURES, I LOVE THEM. -Mitch's JAMIE WHAT THE FUCK reaction to her stabbing her prisoner through the hand was pretty amazing. -In case you were wondering how appropriate for polite company my reaction to Jackson hotly threatening "I am gonna find you, and I am gonna stop you" is, the answer is "not very." -Quick question: how did Mitch's sacrifice save the world, exactly? I'm fuzzy on this. I wasn't tracking plot very well after Mitch "died" last year, but I thought it was a very personal sacrifice meant to save Clem alone.

-Well. That ending sounds like a fun little sophie's choice of "death vs. memory loss." Looking forward to seeing what episode 12 or 13 does with that. (If you kill him again, all the protection of "reality" in the world won't save you from the worm dino vulture pack I will summon to come after you.)

[wendynerdwrites]

Meta Repost #1: The Trident Fight: Why We Need to Stop Blaming Little Girls and Start Blaming Irresponsible Adults and the Awful Society They Perpetuate

It’s back!

I feel embarrassed that I feel the need to discuss the Trident scene in a meta at this point in time. It’s been four books and nearly twenty years since George R.R. Martin wrote the damn thing, and yet people still keep bringing this up as not only A defining moment for certain characters, but THE defining moment for certain characters. Especially for Sansa.

This is wrong. The person to be angry at isn’t Sansa or her sister. While both girls can get blamed for this event, Sansa tends to get the bulk of fandom hatred for the events that led to the death of Lady. I want to focus on why this viewpoint is wrong.

It’s just that so many of the mentions of the fight at the Trident between Arya and Joffrey, Sansa’s reaction, and the fallout are so often used to make really bad arguments. And, in fact, the whole instance is just misinterpreted a lot.

Usually, the Trident and subsequent hearing is often cited when people want to argue that Sansa Stark hates her sister, or Sansa was weak and stupid, or Sansa was super-duper-evil-selfish-and-wanted-to-throw-her-sister-under-the-bus-just-so-she-could-wear-a-tiara-and-was-willing-to-betray-everyone-to-do-it-and-also-she-is-probably-a-secret-Nazi-and-the-writer-of-High-School-Musical. Sansa has no honor. Sansa cared more about being a princess and impressing her crush than she did about anything. Arya is awesome and Sansa is the worst and here’s why. Sansa utterly betrayed Arya. Sansa was stupid. Sansa should have told the truth and she didn’t so she is the worst.

Okay, so everyone? Sansa may have actually done Arya a huge solid by saying she didn’t remember. It’s likely that her answer of “I don’t know, I don’t remember” was the best thing she could have done for not only her well-being, but Arya’s as well. The person who failed Arya wasn’t Sansa, it was Ned.

No, seriously. Hear me out on this one.

Now, a few things off the bat I want to establish: 1) Joffrey Baratheon was a sadistic little boy who attacked Mycah out of the desire to see him bleed. He got off on the suffering of others and that was his intention all along. 2) Yes, Sansa did often resent and antagonize her sister. I know that Jeyne Poole came up with the “Arya Horseface” name and that we don’t actually see Sansa use it. However, the fact that the name became wide-spread enough for people to remember it, and that Theon would have made the mistake that the name came from Sansa does indicate that she either used it herself or at least gave it enough of a blessing to allow that name to continue. As a huge Sansa fan, I have to say that in my opinion, Sansa’s lowest point as a character was her rant to Arya about how she should marry Hodor because she’s “stupid and ugly.” Sansa bullied Arya. Not all the time (and certainly not to the extent that some people claim), but it did happen. It was wrong and messed up, but it is true. 3) The relationship between the two sisters was seriously strained. 4) Arya was trying to defend her friend and what happened at the Trident was horrible and not her fault. 5) Yes, Sansa blinded herself to Joffrey’s cruelty in AGOT. She blamed Arya for the incident unfairly.

6) Up until the Trident fight, Sansa had no way of knowing Joffrey wasn’t Prince Charming.

7) Arya also had a tendency to antagonize and resent her sister unfairly. Why? Because that’s what siblings DO. Also, she’s a child. Kids can be dicks. Arya is not exempt from this. Because she’s a child. Sansa, being older and more capable of fitting into the social roles of her family, was in a position to do more damage to her sister. However, she was more or less actively encouraged to pick on her sister. Both girls were pitted against each other. Their primary caretaker, Septa Mordane, often made nasty comments about Arya while making rude comparisons to Sansa “Arya has the hands of a blacksmith”, etc. This happened CONSTANTLY. Sansa’s bullying of Arya was reinforced from all sides by their authority figures and the society they lived in. Arya’s resentment of Sansa, therefore, was likewise reinforced. The two fought in almost every interaction we see between them, partly because most of their interactions occur after the Trident. Their memories in later books are kinder. They used each other as outlets for their hurt feelings and acted out at one another. Because they’re children. It’s just that Sansa’s poor treatment of Arya was informed and reinforced by the abusive system they lived in. That is not Sansa’s fault. It doesn’t make what she did RIGHT, but it is the source of a lot of the emotional damage done to both girls and did insure that their relationship reached such an antagonistic level. Arya’s resentment towards her sister was also informed by the system in which they lived. 8) It doesn’t matter what Joffrey’s motives were in attacking Mycah. Not at all. At least, it doesn’t matter when it comes to the outcome or the reaction. Joffrey was always going to get off scot free for what happened. 9) Sansa and Joffrey were betrothed. It was considered a binding arrangement. Marriage was a system of ownership in Westeros. The husband owned his wife (they put it in kinder terms, but let’s not white-wash things here. Women were property. Husbands had legal rights to abuse, rape, command, control, imprison, and in some instances even kill their wives) 10) Joffrey was also the future king, giving him even greater authority over others. The common husband, according to TWOIAF, was allowed to beat his wife with seven strokes of a rod as wide as his thumb. Joffrey, as king, was allowed to order Sansa to be “beaten bloody” and stripped in front of the court. King Aerys Targaryen got away with raping, burning, and abusing his wife, Queen Rhaella. Aegon the Unworthy was allowed to systematically abuse and rape Queen Naerys and took joy in endangering their son (a story Sansa was intimately familiar with). Maegor the Cruel was able to kill multiple wives for not giving him an heir (another story Sansa would have known well). Baelor the Blessed imprisoned his sister-wives (another story Sansa definitely knew) Rhaegar Targaryen was only prince and still was able to abandon his wife for a younger woman and carry off Lyanna Stark. While Rhaegar DID NOT get away with this, it was only because of the huge war and rebellion that took place after. If Robert’s Rebellion hadn’t succeeded, Rhaegar likely would have gotten away with it. When a complaint was lodged against Aerys, the man set Lyanna’s father and brother on fire. Elia Martell and her children, left behind in the Red Keep by her husband, were brutally murdered and neglected more or less. Lyanna Stark died. Another story Sansa would have known VERY WELL. 11) Westeros is a country with a majorly divisive feudal, caste system. Highborn girls like Arya playing around with the sons of butchers was a HUGE breach of custom. The rights and safety of someone like Mycah didn’t matter to those in power. While Winterfell might have been an environment where Arya could have been “underfoot” and played with the children of the cooks and smiths, this was in no way the norm. Girls like her were encouraged and expected to consort with other girls of nobility or some sort of higher social status. For a “butcher’s boy” like Mycah, playing with the daughter of a Lord Paramount and the Hand of the King would have been considered him going above his station. It’s also a place where highborn people constantly get away with abusing and even killing common folk. Furthermore, “respect to one’s betters”, i.e., people of higher social standing, was expected and could be punished to the Nth degree. 12) Westeros is also a society that brainwashes young women to believe that it is their duty to accommodate their husbands at every turn. Ladies obey and please their lords, and to fail or resist is a dereliction of duty. 13) Westeros is also a society that encourages ideas of chivalry, of highborn men saving innocent women and children, often from monsters or evil lords or, on occasion, “common peasants.” 14) Arya was breaking more than one rule when she was playing with Mycah at the Trident. 15) (Controversial opinions time) Ned Stark is a really bad parent and shoulders quite a bit of the blame for what happened. Arya and Sansa are both little girls put in an awful situation. Their father utterly failed to handle it. None of this would have happened if Ned Stark wasn’t impressively negligent. I know people give him a lot of (deserved) crap for how he handled himself in King’s Landing vis a vis Cersei and the court, but I don’t see him called out for this shit enough. He’s no Tywin Lannister, but he still utterly shit the bed as a father to his daughters.

Okay, so with all of that background, let’s talk about that day and the morning after. I’m going to focus on this sequence of events in particular:

1) The events of Sansa I, where Sansa and Arya have an argument, Sansa encounters Ser Illyn and the Hound, spends the day with Joffrey, and the incident at the Trident happens 2) The events of Eddard III, the hearing and execution of Lady.

By the time we get to Sansa I, we know that Arya’s seen Joffrey act like a real dick. The fight with Robb showed her that Joffrey was a petulant brat, something Sansa didn’t witness. The only criticism Sansa’s heard of Joffrey thus far is, “Jon says he looks like a girl” per Arya I. Sansa’s interactions with her future husband so far have indicated that he’s polite. Also according to Arya I, he told Sansa that she was beautiful and gave every impression of being “gallant.”

Sansa’s been trained to be the perfect lady and wife, and to believe in romance, but also to accommodate royalty and men, as is her duty.

It was a great honor to ride with the queen, and besides, Prince Joffrey might be there. Her betrothed. Just thinking it made her feel a strange fluttering inside, even though they were not to marry for years and years. Sansa did not really know Joffrey yet, but she was already in love with him. He was all she ever dreamt her prince should be, tall and handsome and strong, with hair like gold. She treasured every chance to spend time with him, few as they were. —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Then there is Arya.

The only thing that scared her about today was Arya. Arya had a way of ruining everything. You never knew what she would do. — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Now, granted, this seems kind of a dick thing to say. But the problem is… Sansa is sort of right? In a way? Sort of. As much fun as Arya is, there is a good reason Sansa has to worry about Arya misbehaving and/or embarrassing her. Take this passage of Arya I, for example:

“What are you talking about?” Arya asked suddenly. Jeyne gave her a startled look, then giggled. Sansa looked abashed. Beth blushed. No one answered. “Tell me,” Arya said. Jeyne glanced over to make certain that Septa Mordane was not listening. Myrcella said something then, and the septa laughed along with the rest of the ladies. “We were talking about the prince,” Sansa said, her voice soft as a kiss…… “He’s going to marry her,” little Beth said dreamily, hugging herself. “Then Sansa will be queen of all the realm.” Sansa had the grace to blush. She blushed prettily. She did everything prettily, Arya thought with dull resentment. “Beth, you shouldn’t make up stories,” Sansa corrected the younger girl, gently stroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words. She looked at Arya. “What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He’s very gallant, don’t you think?” “Jon says he looks like a girl,” Arya said. Sansa sighed as she stitched. “Poor Jon,” she said. “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard.” “He’s our brother,” Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of the tower room. Septa Mordane raised her eyes. She had a bony face, sharp eyes, and a thin lipless mouth made for frowning. It was frowning now. “What are you talking about, children?” “Our half brother,” Sansa corrected, soft and precise. She smiled for the septa. “Arya and I were remarking on how pleased we were to have the princess with us today,” she said. Septa Mordane nodded. “Indeed. A great honor for us all.” Princess Myrcella smiled uncertainly at the compliment. “Arya, why aren’t you at work?” the septa asked. She rose to her feet, starched skirts rustling as she started across the room. “Let me see your stitches.” Arya wanted to scream. It was just like Sansa to go and attract the septa’s attention. “Here,” she said, surrendering up her work. The septa examined the fabric. “Arya, Arya, Arya,” she said. “This will not do. This will not do at all.” Everyone was looking at her. It was too much. Sansa was too well bred to smile at her sister’s disgrace, but Jeyne was smirking on her behalf. Even Princess Myrcella looked sorry for her. Arya felt tears filling her eyes. She pushed herself out of her chair and bolted for the door. —Arya I, A Game of Thrones

I hate to tell you this, guys, but that’s the sort of thing that WOULD give a person a good reason to worry. Arya interrupted a private conversation about Joffrey. She insulted the crown prince in front of his sister. She attracted the attention of Septa Mordane (something she blames Sansa for, which, you know, is wrong. “Her voice cut through the quiet of the tower room” while Sansa had been trying to keep things quiet). Sansa actually covers for her when Mordane comes over and asks what they’re talking about, being courteous and pretending that Arya did the opposite of insult royalty. Then Arya gets reprimanded and she cries and runs from the room. So yes, sorry, Sansa does have a reason to worry about Arya turning things into a fiasco. She of course does it in the most resentful, pre-teen way possible, but her worry isn’t exactly unfounded.

But back to Sansa I.

She found Arya on the banks of the Trident, trying to hold Nymeria still while she brushed dried mud from her fur. The direwolf was not enjoying the process. Arya was wearing the same riding leathers she had worn yesterday and the day before. “You better put on something pretty,” Sansa told her. “Septa Mordane said so. We’re traveling in the queen’s wheelhouse with Princess Myrcella today.” “I’m not,” Arya said, trying to brush a tangle out of Nymeria’s matted grey fur. “Mycah and I are going to ride “upstream and look for rubies at the ford.” “Rubies,” Sansa said, lost. “What rubies?” Arya gave her a look like she was so stupid. “Rhaegar’s rubies. This is where King Robert killed him and won the crown.” Sansa regarded her scrawny little sister in disbelief. “You can’t look for rubies, the princess is expecting us. The queen invited us both.” –Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so this isn’t great. The royal family invited both girls to ride with them. And yes, this is, as Sansa says, a great honor. It’s also pretty important for her future. Joffrey is her betrothed, Cersei her future mother-in-law. Making them happy will greatly affect her future. While Sansa’s determination to be “in love” with Joffrey does seem silly to a modern reader, there’s a very good reason for it. The second part of Bluecichlid’s excellent series of metas covered this pretty well. Joffrey is her future: her future monarch and her future owner. Both Cersei and Joffrey are going to be major influences on her for the rest of her life.

It’s better for her psychological well-being to believe that Joffrey is “all she ever dreamt her prince should be.” If not, well, the young man her father sold her to is a bust, and so is the rest of her life. Betrothals were considered VERY binding, marriage even more so. So yes, a lot is riding on Sansa impressing and pleasing the Lannister-Baratheon clan, including the wife of her monarch. Her well-being could very likely be shaped by the impression she gives now.

And then there’s Arya, who wants to snub the honor of Cersei’s invitation, covered in mud, and saying things like this:

“I don’t like the queen,” Arya said casually. Sansa sucked in her breath, shocked that even Arya would say such a thing, but her sister prattled on, heedless. “She won’t even let me bring Nymeria.” She thrust the brush under her belt and stalked her wolf. Nymeria watched her approach warily. “A royal wheelhouse is no place for a wolf,” Sansa said. “And Princess Myrcella is afraid of them, you know that.” “Myrcella is a little baby.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Remember, her sister also decided to mention aloud that their half-brother said that Joffrey looks like a girl in a room where Joffrey’s sister was sitting. So yes, Sansa’s frustration and fear is pretty warranted. As far as she knows, her entire future could be at least partially determined by the impression she makes on the Lannisters today (it is, as it turns out, just not in the way she expects). She’s an eleven-year-old girl who is looking at a future in a high-profile position as the wife, partner, and property of an extremely powerful person whom she doesn’t know very well. That is a ridiculous amount of pressure for a young girl to be under.

If Arya causes trouble, it isn’t just some brief embarrassment Sansa has to worry about. It’s her entire future and position.

So, keeping that in mind, there’s also this:

One day she came back grinning her horsey grin, her hair all tangled and her clothes covered in mud, clutching a raggedy bunch of purple and green flowers for Father. Sansa kept hoping he would tell Arya to behave herself and act like the highborn lady she was supposed to be, but he never did, he only hugged her and thanked her for the flowers. That just made her worse. Then it turned out the purple flowers were called poison kisses, and Arya got a rash on her arms. Sansa would have thought that might have taught her a lesson, but Arya laughed about it, and the next day she rubbed mud all over her arms like some ignorant bog woman just because her friend Mycah told her it would stop the itching. She had bruises on her arms and shoulders too, dark purple welts and faded green-and-yellow splotches; Sansa had seen them when her sister undressed for sleep. How she had gotten those only the seven gods knew. —- Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

And this:

“You’re not supposed to leave the column,” Sansa reminded her. “Father said so.” Arya shrugged. “I didn’t go far. Anyway, Nymeria was with me the whole time. I don’t always go off, either. Sometimes it’s fun just to ride along with the wagons and talk to people.”” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so sorry guys, but Sansa’s actually totally right that her father should have told Arya to behave. And then enforced that. Especially after the flower incident. The fact that Ned didn’t take that as a warning and instead just smiled and allowed his daughter to continue breaking rules and direct orders is kind of… Super shitty parenting.

Yes, Arya got some flowers that just gave her a rash. But the next day? It could have been flowers that give her an even bigger rash and an infection that requires a medieval amputation. Arya’s not exactly kept things hygienic in an already bath-phobic society. The fact that Arya was rubbing fucking MUD on her skin inflammation… Yeah…

Of course Arya does this stuff. She’s an energetic kid who likes to have fun. She’s going to want to do these things. She’s got this cool older friend who told her that helps the itching. She prefers hanging out with her exploration buddy. Especially since every time she tries to join the sewing circle like a “proper lady”, she inevitably gets Septa Mordane on her ass insulting her in front of her peers.

But, you see, that’s sort of why Ned has a job to do, one he’s not doing. He’s left his daughters to a caretaker that neglects and emotionally abuses the younger one. And then doesn’t do much to protect his daughter and/or keep her from running around random countryside where she’s already encountered POISON FLOWERS. He doesn’t take the Poison Kisses as an indicator that MAYBE he should at least send a guard with Arya when she goes on these little expeditions.

And no, having her run around with a temperamental direwolf doesn’t count. Neither does having her run around with the kid who told her to rub mud into her rash.

Okay, so Sansa’s got her sister defying orders, bringing home poison flowers, covering herself in mud and bruises, insulting Sansa’s future royal in laws, and announcing plans to snub the queen. The queen. The mother of the future king Sansa is going to marry and, once again, BE LEGALLY OWNED BY.

And for the record, Sansa does try to coax her sister by promising cake and feather pillows and lack of mud-covered poison rashes. That was Arya’s cue to insult the queen.

So, now, completely humiliated, faced with having to tell her future mother in law that “I know that you invited us to come and spend the day with you, but my sister decided to go look for rubies in a lake with a boy that smells like dead meat instead. Have I told you how great an honor it is that you invited us? I can’t wait to join your family.”

Is it any surprise that minutes later, upon meeting Illyn Payne, she has a panic attack?

She heard the queen say, “Joffrey, go to her.” And her prince was there. “Leave her alone,” Joffrey said. He stood over her, beautiful in blue wool and black leather, his golden curls shining in the sun like a crown. He gave her his hand, drew her to her feet. “What is it, sweet lady? Why are you afraid? No one will hurt you. Put away your swords, all of you. The wolf is her little pet, that’s all.” He looked at Sandor Clegane. “And you, dog, away with you, you’re scaring my betrothed.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Yeah, there’s Joffrey, looking cute and telling people who are scaring her to stop freaking her out.

Then this happens:

“Joffrey, perhaps you would be so kind as to entertain our guest today.” “It would be my pleasure, Mother,” Joffrey said very formally. He took her by the arm and led her away from the wheelhouse, and Sansa’s spirits took flight. A whole day with her prince! —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so Joffrey’s just “saved” her from the freaky executioner dude. And now she has ALSO been spared the prospect of giving her queen the “My sister prefers the company of the boy who smells like dead cow to you” speech. And to top it all off, she actually gets to finally spend time getting to know the king-to-be her father sold her to. She’s going to make a good impression! Exactly what she needs!

““What would you like to do?” Be with you, Sansa thought, but she said, “Whatever you’d like to do, my prince.” Joffrey reflected a moment. “We could go riding.” “Oh, I love riding,” Sansa said.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

This is a lie. Earlier in the chapter, she thinks about how much she hates it. But, also remember points 9, 10, and 12. We also know she’s afraid of making him angry, because earlier in the chapter:

“I can answer,” Sansa said quickly, to quell her prince’s anger.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

“If you like,” she said uncertainly. “I suppose I could tie Lady up.” She did not quite understand, though. “I didn’t know you had a dog …” Joffrey laughed. “He’s my mother’s dog, in truth. She has set him to guard me, and so he does.” “You mean the Hound,” she said. She wanted to hit herself for being so slow. Her prince would never love her if she seemed stupid. “Is it safe to leave him behind?”” — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

That’s a good question, Sansa. No, strangely enough, it is safe to leave him behind, even though logic dictates that it shouldn’t be. You’d think bringing a guard with the two high-profile, rich children would be the safer option but it’s the Hound, so no, not really. But good on you for having more sense than your father WHO NEVER SEEMS INTERESTED IN SENDING GUARDS WITH HIS CHILDREN. (yeah, there might be a whole other meta on this)

But then there’s this. “Her prince would never love her if she seemed stupid.” Points 9 and 10, guys. It’s super important that her prince love her. Which is also why she keeps drinking when Joffrey tells her to keep drinking. Why she suddenly loves riding. Why she takes his word for it that he’ll protect her.

Then the magical day starts. And what is described is what sounds like several hours of Joffrey charming her petticoats off. He promises to protect her, he gets her food, and he sings to her. He acts like every story she’s been told to believe in her entire life.

Also…

“They dined on trout fresh from the river, and Sansa drank more wine than she had ever drunk before. “My father only lets us have one cup, and only at feasts,” she confessed to her prince. “My betrothed can drink as much as she wants,” Joffrey said, refilling her cup. They went more slowly after they had eaten. Joffrey sang for her as they rode, his voice high and sweet and pure. Sansa was a little dizzy from the wine. ” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Guys, the eleven year old is drunk now. Sansa doesn’t know how to hold her liquor yet. She’s eleven.

“Beyond, in a clearing overlooking the river, they came upon a boy and a girl playing at knights. Their swords were wooden sticks, broom handles from the look of them, and they were rushing across the grass, swinging at each other lustily. The boy was years older, a head taller, and much stronger, and he was pressing the attack. The girl, a scrawny thing in soiled leathers, was dodging and managing to get her stick in the way of most of the boy’s blows, but not all. When she tried to lunge at him, he caught her stick with his own, swept it aside, and slid his wood down hard on her fingers. She cried out and lost her weapon. Prince Joffrey laughed. The boy looked around, wide-eyed and startled, and dropped his stick in the grass. The girl glared at them, sucking on her knuckles to take the sting out, and Sansa was horrified. “Arya?” she called out incredulously. “Go away,” Arya shouted back at them, angry tears in her eyes. “What are you doing here? Leave us alone.” Joffrey glanced from Arya to Sansa and back again. “Your sister?”” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

So here is the scene they’ve come upon: A girl and a much older boy are hitting each other with sticks. The much older boy is winning and hits her so hard she drops her weapon. And Joffrey knows that the girl is highborn. And Mycah, who is a good three or four years older than Arya, is the butcher’s boy.

Points 11 and 13 come into play now. Which is why Joffrey does this:

““And you’re only a butcher’s boy, and no knight.” Joffrey lifted Lion’s Tooth and laid its point on Mycah’s cheek below the eye, as the butcher’s boy stood trembling. “That was my lady’s sister you were hitting, do you know that?”” — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Points 1, 8, and 13 guys.

Highborn girls were expected to obey and not take up swords. For Mycah, the son of a butcher, to play with a girl as highborn as Arya was a HUGE breach of conduct. That he was hitting her with a stick didn’t help. Nor does it help that Arya’s been spending her days with him and coming home with bruises everywhere for weeks now.

Joffrey wanted to hurt Mycah for fun. He doesn’t give a shit about Arya, and he finds the situation hilarious. He’s a sadist. The problem is: it doesn’t matter. Because he’s the prince, because Mycah is lowborn, because Arya is much younger than Mycah and a lady, because princes like Joffrey are supposed to be chivalrous and protect ladies from harm, because Joffrey’s got a powerful family, because a lowborn boy hitting a little lady is a HUGE taboo. It doesn’t matter why Joffrey does it.

All Joffrey has to say is this: “He was hitting my lady’s sister.”

And boom. Excuse for him to attack an unarmed, innocent boy in the eyes of Westeros law. Joffrey, as prince, is allowed to hurt boys like Mycah, especially when boys like Mycah were hitting his lady’s sister. He was being “chivalrous.” He was maintaining the status quo.

He was definitely doing the latter, at least.

“Arya went for him. Sansa slid off her mare, but she was too slow. Arya swung with both hands. There was a loud crack as the wood split against the back of the prince’s head, and then everything happened at once before Sansa’s horrified eyes. Joffrey staggered and whirled around, roaring curses. Mycah ran for the trees as fast as his legs would take him. Arya swung at the prince again, but this time Joffrey caught the blow on Lion’s Tooth and sent her broken stick flying from her hands. The back of his head was all bloody and his eyes were on fire. Sansa was shrieking, “No, no, stop it, stop it, both of you, you’re spoiling it,” but no one was listening. Arya scooped up a rock and hurled it at Joffrey’s head. She hit his horse instead, and the blood bay reared and went galloping off after Mycah. “Stop it, don’t, stop it!” Sansa screamed. Joffrey slashed at Arya with his sword, screaming obscenities, terrible words, filthy words. Arya darted back, frightened now, but Joffrey followed, hounding her toward the woods, backing her up against a tree. Sansa didn’t know what to do. She watched helplessly, almost blind from her tears.” — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so Joffrey is bleeding and attacking Arya, Sansa’s freaked out and calling for them to stop, and Arya has attacked Joffrey and is afraid. Sansa has gotten her first glimpse of Joffrey’s cruelty and feels helpless. In comes Nymeria. She bites Joffrey. Arya calls her off and brandishes a sword at Joffrey, Joffrey threatens to tell his mother, and Arya bolts when Sansa bids her to leave Joffrey alone (good advice).

“Joffrey,” she sobbed. “Oh, look what they did, look what they did. My poor prince. Don’t be afraid. I’ll ride to the holdfast and bring help for you.” Tenderly she reached out and brushed back his soft blond hair. His eyes snapped open and looked at her, and there was nothing but loathing there, nothing but the vilest contempt. “Then go,” he spit at her. “And don’t touch me.”” —-Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Sansa is totally screwed at this point. There’s no going back. She doesn’t know this, but she’s aware that this is a huge problem. Even as she is trying to help him, he’s looking at her with hatred. Even though she’s not done anything. Joffrey is the type of boy who attacks little girls. Joffrey is looking at her with the vilest contempt. And Joffrey is the boy she is tied to for the rest of her life. The boy her father has betrothed her to.

Okay, so let’s move on to Ned III. They’ve found Arya, and she’s brought before the king after a night of being lost. She’s crying and sorry and freaking the fuck out because she’s a nine year old who was attacked by the prince, spent a night in the wilderness, and has now been dragged before the entire court like a criminal.

“Why was I not told that my daughter had been found?” Ned demanded, his voice ringing. “Why was she not brought to me at once?” —Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Arya should have never been allowed to leave the progress unguarded in the first place.

She felt so tiny in his arms, nothing but a scrawny little girl. It was hard to see how she had caused so much trouble. “Are you hurt?”” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Oh, I don’t know, maybe she’s an energetic kid left completely unattended in the wilderness and has a wolf for a pet? Maybe that’s how she caused all this trouble. (Actually, she didn’t and you know that. But whatever, look at the little girl who you know was defending her friend from the nasty, armed prince and view HER as the source of the trouble). Maybe the wolf you brought home and the guards you didn’t give her might have had something to do with the trouble. Even if you wanted to indulge her and let her go running with her friend, SEND SOME FUCKING GUARDS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS. POINT 15.

Now the actual trial part:

“The queen stepped forward. “You know full well, Stark. This girl of yours attacked my son. Her and her butcher’s boy. That animal of hers tried to tear his arm off.” “That’s not true,” Arya said loudly. “She just bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah.” “Joff told us what happened,” the queen said. “You and the butcher boy beat him with clubs while you set your wolf on him.” “That’s not how it was,” Arya said, close to tears again. Ned put a hand on her shoulder. “Yes it is!” Prince Joffrey insisted. “They all attacked me, and she threw Lion’s Tooth in the river!” Ned noticed that he did not so much as glance at Arya as he spoke. “Liar!” Arya yelled.” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Okay, first of all, this is a farce: It doesn’t matter what the truth is.

Second of all: A surprising amount of what Joffrey and Cersei said were lies. Mycah didn’t hurt Joffrey, and he and Arya didn’t beat Joffrey with clubs, and Nymeria attacked him without Arya’s bidding. But it is true that Nymeria kind of tried to tear his arm off (good puppy) and you and Nymeria did attack him, and you did throw Lion’s Tooth in the river.

And unfortunately, that’s all that’s going to matter. Because you live in a awful, unfair world, Arya.

Seriously, one of the saddest parts of this whole thing was “He was hurting Mycah.”

Why? Because it doesn’t matter to anyone but Arya and the readers. Arya, it doesn’t matter that he was hurting Mycah. It doesn’t matter to the king, the queen, and his court. That would never affect the outcome of any of this. Joffrey is (supposed to be) the son of the king. Mycah is the son of a butcher. 8, 10, 11.

All Joffrey has to say is that Mycah was hitting you with a stick. That is true. If anyone with power over the situation might have cared, your game with Mycah would put an end to that. It won’t matter that you were just playing. You’re not supposed to play with fake swords, you’re a girl. You’re not supposed to play with the butcher’s boy, you’re noble. According to the standards of class and chivalry, Joffrey was intervening in a wholly inappropriate situation and punishing the lowborn boy attacking the highborn girl.

You should have known this. But your parents kind of suck at preparing themselves and their children for the world around them. So yeah. Mycah is getting his throat slit by the Hound for attacking the prince as you passionately testify that Joffrey was hurting him. I’m sorry. You’re a little girl who lives in a world where everything is terrible.

Okay, so then both Arya and Joffrey tell their version of what happened.

And then Ned decides to make another really awful parenting decision.

““They were not the only ones present,” Ned said. “Sansa, come here.” Ned had heard her version of the story the night Arya had vanished. He knew the truth. “Tell us what happened.”” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Eddard Stark, YOU agreed to have your eleven-year-old daughter tied to this family. You had her swear an oath to marry Joffrey. You signed a contract. You did it so that the Lannisters would not question your loyalty as you investigated them for the murder of Jon Arryn. You are heading to King’s Landing to find evidence and bring the most powerful family in the country up on charges. The same family you have tied Sansa to in a legally binding sense. Sansa, the daughter who has been raised from birth to follow custom, be a perfect lady, and obey. The daughter who is tied to the boy you now know to have attacked your other daughter. The daughter whose future in laws you suspect of murder and treason. The daughter who has no idea WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON.

An hour ago, you were terrified that the Lannisters were going to hurt or kill Arya. You believe that the queen is responsible for Jon Arryn’s death. You know that she sent THE HOUND and her brother THE KINGSLAYER after your nine-year-old daughter.

So you’re asking eleven-year-old Sansa to go before her future husband and his murderous, traitor mother and call the prince a lying brute who attacks children. The same prince you’ve legally tied her to.

Both Joffrey and Cersei have attacked and/or tried to attack your children with lethal force. You KNOW this. Sansa is supposed to marry Joffrey, an arrangement you agreed to. And now you expect her to go up against them in a court of law.

“His eldest daughter stepped forward hesitantly. She was dressed in blue velvets trimmed with white, a silver chain around her neck. Her thick auburn hair had been brushed until it shone. She blinked at her sister, then at the young prince. “I don’t know,” she said tearfully, looking as though she wanted to bolt. “I don’t remember. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t see …” “You rotten!” Arya shrieked. She flew at her sister like an arrow, knocking Sansa down to the ground, pummeling her. “Liar, liar, liar, liar.” “Arya, stop it!” Ned shouted. Jory pulled her off her sister, kicking. Sansa was pale and shaking as Ned lifted her back to her feet. “Are you hurt?” he asked, but she was staring at Arya, and she did not seem to hear.” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Sansa’s entire future might have depended on this moment if not for the fact that the Lannisters are insane. In a somewhat sane, logical world, where fathers don’t betroth their daughters to the sons of suspected murderers, what Sansa did in this passage might have saved her and her sister.

If she had backed up Arya’s story, it would not have helped the situation. The closest thing to consequences that might have come about for Joffrey would be for attacking Arya.  And even then, an argument might be made for self-defense. It wouldn’t be a valid one, but it would win out because Joffrey is heir to the throne.

Joffrey might have been punished somewhat. Not severely, though, if Cersei has a say (and she does). Joffrey would still be heir to the throne. Someday, he’d be king. And he’d be very, very angry with both Stark sisters.

She’s seen Joffrey attack her sister once. Someday he might do it with a crown on his head and absolute authority. As far as Sansa knows, she’s still going to marry him.

We know she told Ned what happened earlier. The fact that her father didn’t decide right then and there that the betrothal would end speaks volumes. Her father didn’t make that decision. But he has made the decision to drag her up in front of her future husband and have her call him a lying psychopath.

If Joffrey doesn’t hate Sansa, if she finds a way to rectify the vile contempt she saw on his face, she’s potentially not the only person who is safer.

Yeah, Arya is safer if Joffrey likes Sansa as well. Everyone is. This won’t happen, but Sansa doesn’t know that.  

In a drunken haze, partially blinded by tears, Sansa saw Joffrey attack her sister. Before that, Joffrey had been charming. Sansa’s approach to her relationship with him even before this happened was to “quell her prince’s anger.” She’s always intended to be a tempering influence on him. That becomes much harder if he hates her.

However, if she agrees with Joffrey’s story, she’s selling out her sister and possibly subjecting her to a cruel punishment. It’s a capital offense to attack the prince. Even though Arya, due to her birth and age, wouldn’t be executed or tortured or something, it likely that this incident would ruin her life and lead to some severe violence for her down the road. Years from now, she’d have a king who hates her and the mark of being a criminal to make her even more vulnerable.

So, Sansa gives a non-committal answer.

She’s already told her father the story. He didn’t pull the plug on the betrothal even though he believes her. He didn’t use her honesty to protect her. He used it to fling her out in front of the most powerful family in the country and endanger her entire future. The future HE set her up for in the first place.

The thing is, it doesn’t matter if Sansa backed her sister up for another reason:

“Their only good fortune was that both Jaime Lannister and Sandor Clegane were missing, leading searches north of the Trident.” —- Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

It had already been decided that the Starks would suffer for this, regardless of who was at fault. The king allowed his wife to send her brother the Kingslayer and The Hound out after a nine-year-old. Justice for Arya and Mycah was never in the cards.

And then the wolves.

That was when Sansa finally seemed to comprehend. Her eyes were frightened as they went to her father. “He doesn’t mean Lady, does he?” She saw the truth on his face. “No,” she said. “No, not Lady, Lady didn’t bite anybody, she’s good …” “Lady wasn’t there,” Arya shouted angrily. “You leave her alone!” “Stop them,” Sansa pleaded, “don’t let them do it, please, please, it wasn’t Lady, it was Nymeria, Arya did it, you can’t, it wasn’t Lady, don’t let them hurt Lady, I’ll make her be good, I promise, I promise …” She started to cry. All Ned could do was take her in his arms and hold her while she wept. He looked across the room at Robert. His old friend, closer than any brother. “Please, Robert. For the love you bear me. For the love you bore my sister. Please.” The king looked at them for a long moment, then turned his eyes on his wife. “Damn you, Cersei,” he said with loathing. Ned stood, gently disengaging himself from Sansa’s grasp. — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

As much as I want to completely blame Cersei and Robert and Joffrey for Lady’s death, I can’t.

Really, Ned? THAT is the extent of your protests? Sansa did absolutely nothing wrong. You are Hand of the King. Offer to send Lady back to Winterfell (and send your daughters back too, FFS).

Or better yet, offer to do it yourself and then sneak Lady out of there!

“Shortly, Jory brought him Ice. When it was over, he said, “Choose four men and have them take the body north. Bury her at Winterfell.” “All that way?” Jory said, astonished. “All that way,” Ned affirmed. “The Lannister woman shall never have this skin.” —- Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

NED YOU SUCK ALL THE DICK.

You’re denying Cersei the pelt. You feel confident enough to deny the crown proof that Lady is dead. You want to send her back to Winterfell. You do.

Lady SHOULD have been sent back to Winterfell, but not to be buried. The fact that she is? Yeah, NED’S FUCK UP. AN UNNECESSARY ONE.

And then this:

“No sign of your daughter, Hand,” the Hound rasped down, “but the day was not wholly wasted. We got her little pet.” He reached back and shoved the burden off, and it fell with a thump in front of Ned. Bending, Ned pulled back the cloak, dreading the words he would have to find for Arya, but it was not Nymeria after all. It was the butcher’s boy, Mycah, his body covered in dried blood. He had been cut almost in half from shoulder to waist by some terrible blow struck from above. — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Remember what I said about justice never being in the cards? Here is your proof. The Hound didn’t even know they’d already found Arya. But he slaughtered Mycah. This was an inevitability, just as Joffrey getting away with what happened was. No matter what Sansa said.

Even if she backed Arya up. Even if Joffrey was punished and judged the sole aggressor. Mycah would still be dead. Joffrey would still be heir to the throne and angry at both Stark girls. And Sansa would never have a chance of “quelling her prince’s anger.”

A lot of people hate Sansa based on this and the fact that she blamed Arya for the incident later. That she didn’t see what Joffrey was then. That she trusted Cersei.

As Bluecichlid says in her meta, confronting the reality of the situation would cause a huge psychological break for Sansa.

Sansa has a history of rewriting events in her head to cope. The most famous example would be the Unkiss, where she remembers the Hound kissing her during the battle of Blackwater. He didn’t. He snuck into her room, put a knife to her throat, forced her onto the bed, and threatened to kill her. But she rewrites it in her head as a kiss.

She does the same thing with the Trident. In her subsequent chapters, she looks back on the event internally blaming Arya. It’s not just something she says, but something she thinks. She believes her sister, who had a habit of insulting the royal family and misbehaving, who literally attacked her in front of the entire court, attacked the prince with Mycah. She remembers again when she can no longer deny what Joffrey is, but consciously, throughout the rest of A Game of Thrones, she believes her sister is responsible.

George R.R. Martin has gone on record saying that the loss of Lady has had a serious impact on Sansa’s mental state. It’s not entirely surprising—all the Stark children, according to Martin, are wargs, and they come into their powers through their bonds with their direwolves. We see it with all of Sansa’s siblings. Even Rickon and Bran, who are far younger than her, enter their wolves’ minds. Arya possesses Nymeria even after they are parted and can possess the minds of other animals at will. Meanwhile, Sansa’s power hasn’t developed at all. This natural ability has been cut off and stunted.

During the fight, it’s mentioned that Sansa is “blinded by tears”. And soon after, she is robbed of her ability to ever see through the eyes of her wolf, who is a core part of her being. Despite the fact that Sansa didn’t do anything wrong, she, like Mycah, was punished. And she is still legally tied to a cruel boy. So yes, she alters her conscious memories and refuses to confront the truth. She stays blind in order to keep some semblance of her sanity and hope for her future.

Neither girl was responsible for what happened. Both of them were neglected and put in an extremely dangerous situation. Sansa, who lost her wolf, processes this internally, in an unhealthy manner to cope with the tragedy. Arya, who didn’t lose her wolf, does remember what happened. She “hates” her sister as much as Sansa “hates” her (they’re super, super pissed at each other with the sort of anger one can only feel towards family and congressmen). They both unfairly blame one another for things that are not their fault. The difference is, Arya didn’t have a piece of her soul killed by her father. So she deals with things like a normal little girl. Sansa, who lost Lady and is still looking at an impossible future, does not.