#i am very much up to discuss specifics of their dynamic and trade thoughts back and forth im NOT a brick wall

[aethergate]

⭐

REWIND & CHROMEDOME

okay well i feel like this ones obvious. but it's because it's true to me i love these two. i think their dynamic is so interesting what if we decided to not end it all for the sake of each other.. but there's this strange thing happening where they know each other but not as well as before, because they're different versions of the person they knew. i'd love to go more in depth about how that shift effects them, and how they adjust and end up loving each other still but somewhat differently due to circumstance. their dynamic is so interesting i could ramble on about it but for the sake of this post i will not. as for plots i diverge a bit as for how they end up, instead him him getting stuck in his alt mode, he's working on expanding his archive to earth and other colonies connecting to cybertron! fun stuff. i'd love to write just about anything with them honestly.

TAILGATE & MEGATRON

I think these two are really funny based off the premise that Tailgate sorta missed the whole war and pretty much everything Megatron did. If I remember the time where he was before getting knocked out I think he missed everything actually. Which is really funny to me, because while Tailgate very much understands why other people are wary, he sort of... doesn't personally get it. There's a disconnect there. This is a stranger to him who he's only heard has done bad things. Obviously he gets to hear more and more about stuff he did, and see Megatron talk about it directly, all that stuff, but I feel like it's a really interesting aspect of their dynamic to discover. As seen by everything with Cyclonus at first, he's very hard to properly shake or make properly regard you as unreachable. So I think it'd be really fun and interesting to see how that plays out with these two.

okay and now i'm gonna hit you with a quick list of other ones i'd be interested in with maybe a few bullet points but nothing in depth. TAILGATE & RATCHET , because while I haven't read MTMTE in a HOT minute, I remember them having a fun friendship! WHIRL & WHEELJACK because, I don't trust myself to actually WRITE whirl until i reread the older comics and mtmte, i feel like there's history there or at the very least a very fun dynamic to be had. BUMBLEBEE & TAILGATE for the vibes I feel this in my soul. and if you'll let me cheat for a second and bring up sideblogs, i feel like this is obvious, STARSCREAM & MEGATRON. I have a MTMTE / LL verse for her, and I think it'd be super interesting to see how they'd cope with dealing with each other after the war. I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words here, but the war is lost, and I think it'd be interesting to see them navigate around each other with new circumstances. Lot of complexities to sort out between each other, trying to avoid falling back into old toxic cycles where they bring out the worst of each other. I have too many thoughts that'd make this post longer than it is, but if you'd ever wanna brainstorm something there just lmk and I'd love to discuss :]! Both for like these ideas for them and just in general cause I wanna make sure we can handshake and I don't wanna step on your toes at all ever. last but not least if i can cheat and mention a sideblog of YOURS, KNOCKOUT & STARSCREAM eaugayagah i LOVE their dynamic so bad SO BAD i think they're so interesting. I know yours is a mix, and I find that inch resting as well and would love to see how that blends together!

[cfr749]

What’s your opinion on the Valentine’s Day storyline? specifically Tim being upset with Lucy and just how it was written in general?

Hi anon!

Thanks for the ask! I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you!

So I will admit my feelings have evolved a bit on this particular storyline especially in context of season 6 (which I am enjoying so far).

I'll start with my thoughts on the whole five-player-trade thing since those storylines were so intermingled (and apparently that whole thing is going to be the gift that keeps on giving 😂).

Side note: I still wish they would have just dealt with the repercussions of the whole TO/Rookie superior/subordinate thing directly instead of inventing all this sorcery when they could have just acknowledged the inherent misogyny and sexism they've already admitted exists.

We still could have had the cuteness of the group scene and all the plotting to find an opening for Tim without making Lucy out to be a manipulator.

But for whatever reason, they really didn't seem comfortable dealing with the power dynamic issues and repercussions head on, so now I guess we get to see Aaron try to date his therapist instead 😂😬

But at least it seems like they are trying to fix their framing this season by making it clear to the audience that Lucy is the one being wronged, so that's a good thing in my book even though it's hard to see her struggle.

So, after all that, you will be shocked to hear that I wasn't a huge fan of Lucy's choice to do the five-player-trade thing 😂.

I do understand why Tim was upset with her. I think doing what she did behind his back was a problem. Don't get me wrong, though -- they both failed majorly at adult communication 101 here.

Tim should have talked to her before he made the decision to switch positions. Had they discussed it, I don't think Lucy would have felt the same level of responsibility and pressure that she did to make sure Tim wouldn't be stuck in a role he hated. Mostly because she never would have agreed to him taking a desk position and they would have had to work together to come up with another solution. From there, the story could have unfolded very differently.

Tim made a choice behind her back that impacted their relationship, but only his career. Lucy went behind Tim's back and made a choice that ultimately impacted both of their careers.

But, at the end of the day, Tim 100% came out of the situation a winner. And Lucy is continuing to pay the price. As happy as I am that Tim finally acknowledged Primm's role in the outcome of Lucy's detective exam, I am actually pretty disappointed that we haven't seen any actual acknowledgement from him that Lucy is in the position she's in now specifically because she didn't want him to be unhappy.

Lucy's choices were her own, and now she's gotta live with that, but there's no question that she did what she did out of love. And it sucks that we haven't seen any direct appreciation for what she was willing to risk for him, even if he wasn't a fan of the execution.

I had to go back and watch some clips from this episode in order to respond to this, and I have to say it actually gutted me to see how genuinely happy and proud and excited Lucy was for Tim when he got the promotion. Especially juxtaposed against Lucy learning that as much as Tim loves her and wants to support her, he really isn't able to fully get behind her on her dream, which is, of course, understandable, given his past, but still just really heartbreaking for Lucy.

When I initially watched the five-player-trade episode, I was just waiting for Tim to pop up at Smitty's trailer in his own hazmat suit to help Lucy. I thought he would be a little irritated about Lucy going behind his back, but ultimately I though we'd see him acknowledging and appreciating just how much she was willing to do to make sure he was happy (forget torpedoing her career -- she cleaned Smitty's trailer for god's sake!).

Moving into the V-day episode...

First off, boo on Tim for bailing on V-day breakfast (even is she was up late catching up with Noah 😂).

Even though I understood why Tim was upset, I don't love avoidant Tim (looking at you, beginning of 6x02 Tim 😂). Lucy of course deals with it because she does genuinely love him and understands how he operates, but this is something I do think he needs to work on and I'd like to see change over the course of the relationship. As much as I loved their Rookie-T.O. dynamic, there are definitely aspects of it that don't belong in a healthy relationship.

Back to the point, I do think what Lucy did was misguided and short-sighted (and unbelievably sweet). I do think she should have actually apologized (sorry not sorry doesn't count 😂).

But, while we're at it, Tim can apologize for making a major life decision without talking to her first also... 😂

The scene at the end was cute; I like it better now than I did when it originally aired. Some actual heat over "fuel for later" would have been great but it is, of course, The Rookie. And I do wish they would have made the gift somehow meaningful for them to give the scene a little bit more weight (think when Jackson gave Lucy the St. Michael pendant), but hey, at least we got the trophy this season 🥰.

Ultimately, it didn't make me feel a whole lot, and it's not a scene that makes the list when I think of my favorite moments for them.

And watching it back did highlight (IMO) the contrast between what we've seen so far in season 6 vs. the bulk of what we saw in season 5. And while angst is part of it, for me, I think it's more about giving us a story that (at least occasionally) goes beyond the surface level (Tim was mildly irritated! Lucy was sassy and silly!) and explores the character's emotions in a way that makes them more human and relatable.

What were your thoughts on this storyline??

[mikkeneko]

Got tagged by @veliseraptor for a writing meme!

How many works do you have on AO3? What’s your total AO3 word count?

193 works over 10 fandoms;  2,591,823 words.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

I would count 10 real ones. Dragon Age; Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle; Critical Role; Marvel Cinematic Universe; The Untamed; The Witcher; Cardcaptor Sakura; Fullmetal Alchemist; Gundam Wing; Weiss Kreuz. Some of these pre-date the existence of AO3, and some of them are better off that way.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Villain State of Mind; Cover Up the Sun; Laughing As I Pray; I do solemnly swear; The Morning After.  All Loki fandom fics. Not too surprising as that was the most mainstream fandom I wrote for, and they’ve been around for a while now, lots of time to accumulate stats.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do! I have a somewhat complex set of criteria for when I respond and how. 

I will respond to all  comments left on works in my current/active fandom except  for: comments consisting entirely of emojis (mainly because I have no idea what to say to that) comments consisting of single words (same) or comments that seem to be about something other than my fic entirely or focus entirely on negativity (i.e., the commentor is using this box as a space to rant about how much they hate a character, the show, or another author/trope.)

I will usually but not always respond to comments on my next-to-last fandom. On older fandoms I will respond only  to especially long or thoughtful comments, or ones that specifically ask a question that I can answer.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

That would have to be Rise From Ash,  the Loki timeloop fic I wrote in MCU. Since it was intended to lead into Avengers, it naturally had a downer ending since we know how Avengers went for Loki; but the story also ended with him having a major mental health break and resolving to kill himself in order to end the timeloop, so, uh, that was pretty unhappy.

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I think that the Never Gonna Tell A Lie series has to qualify for this one by default; two fics of the “characters from wildly different series meet in a bar” format, spanning seven different franchises.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Occasionally. I can’t answer in a lot of detail because I make a conscious policy of thinking about these comments as little as possible, so I tend to forget the details. Off the top of my head I know I received a few comments on my MCU fics of people complaining that the fic was nothing more than a Thor-bashing exercise (it wasn’t intended as such, but you can’t control how the audience will receive, I guess.) And then there was the whole infamous “ableist torture porn of a mentally ill man” episode.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I can recall. It may have happened that I just don’t know about.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Have you ever had a fic translated?

A fair amount! Sometimes people will leave a comment asking permission to translate. I have always granted it. Sometimes they go through with the translation and sometimes not.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! In Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle I co-wrote a couple fics with @faux-fires which were a lot of fun. (Which... doesn’t seem to be on AO3, huh. But Not Quite Paradise  is still on ff.net.)  And more recently @cerusee and I have been trading scenes back and forth for each other’s stories.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

I don’t know if I have just one. Maybe Kurogane/Fai. They really manage to straddle all my favorite ship dynamics.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Both of my WIPs in Critical Role fandom, Molly’s Moving Castle and Fjord Mustang’s YEEHAW! Fun and Pony Ranch,  are at this point probably never going to be finished. Partly because of Characterization Marches On; the characters that I thought they were when I started writing were not the characters they ended up being in canon. But mostly just because I’m no longer really in the fandom. 

Wonder if it’s worth closing out the WIPs on AO3 with final chapters describing how the fic would have ended?

What are your writing strengths?

I can do humor, I can do horror, I can do heartbreak. I can write a complex outline and stick to it, I have a fair amount of discipline and perseverance. People occasionally compliment my character voice, so I’d say that’s decent. I can spin up a plot for just about any situation. I love  adapting canon to AU. My dialogue is pretty punchy and my action sequences are adequate.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I’m really bad at writing OCs, as I admit to every darn time this comes up. I’ve also recently realized that I have a strong tendency to avoid writing about characters I don’t like, on several fronts.

The first way that manifests is that if there’s a main/good guy character who the fandom likes and I dislike, I will avoid writing about them whenever possible. I don’t do character bashing. (Which means that if I am  writing about a protagonist character, even if they’re being a jerk and the narrative is whacking them for it, that doesn’t mean I hate the character. It just means that the story requires that they get a good whacking, Thor.)

But the second way this manifests is that I will often just... avoid writing about the bad guys, if they’re unpleasant and I dislike them. Which in shorter things is fine! We’re here to read about the characters we like.  But in longer or more plotful things, that means that all of the villain’s bad things happen off screen  if they happen at all, so the audience doesn’t get a chance to really build up anger against them, so their eventual downfall is less satisfying.

I’m also weaker at writing romance than I would like, I’d say. If it’s a story that has a plot, the romance will frequently get shoved in around the corners or at the last minute. If it’s a story that’s supposed to be about romance, the characters will usually sidetrack into having philosophical discussions about moral relativity when they’re supposed to be flirting.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’m not sure I understand the question. I don’t think this has ever come up in my fic. I do not speak any other languages fluently enough to have ever tried to write any part of my fics, dialogue or otherwise, in a language other than english. Is this asking my thoughts on other  people doing that? Sure, why not?

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

That would have been Gundam Wing! Gosh, it’s been so long that I barely remember what  that first fic was. But the biggest thing I wrote for that fandom was a ghost story on a space station, which was not very good, objectively, but I look back on it and think it had some seeds of a pretty cool horror/psychological drama going there. 

Was Duo Maxwell really  haunting the space station? Or was Heero Yuy just going mad with grief? Who can say.

Tagging! Well, Lise tagged me, so she’s out. How about... @hollyand-writes (if you have the time to spare,) @curiosity-killed, @thethirdamell, @plotdesigner, and @cerusee ?

[writingfromkitchenator]

The Hunter, The Demon, And The Halfblood

Masterlist

Crowley x Original Female Character

Chapters: One | Two | Three | Four

Series Warnings: A/B/O series, some Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, Alpha x Omega, obligatory smut warning here (as usual, no under 18′s please, specifics will be within chapter warnings as needed), violence, blood, fluff, angst, major character death, possession, swearing

Chapter 5

Words: 2,556

Crowley was glad to finally get Madelyn alone properly for a moment, knowing that none of them would come upstairs in a hurry.  He was still wishing it hadn't come to this, but neither of them had a choice now.

It was clear Madelyn was relieved to be alone as well, holding tightly to him as he led her to the bedroom door.

“You are far from alright,” Crowley said softly, allowing her to rest against the wall so he can get a proper look at her.  “Whatever am I going to do with you?”

Madelyn, despite the pain, grinned.  “I can think of several things.”

Crowley returned it, stepping in close so he can rest his forehead against hers.  “Don't let your brothers hear that, they're high strung enough about this as it is.”

“They'll get over it,” Madelyn closed her eyes, just allowing the two of them to be still. “Besides, once they find out the next part, they won't have a choice in the matter anyway.”

“They don't have a choice now,” Crowley growled, his hand hovering over the wound in her side.  “Nor, do I believe, did they ever have a choice.”

Madelyn sighs, her arms looping around his neck.  “I'm glad you're okay Crowley.”

Crowley relaxes and dips his head, placing a chaste kiss to her lips.  “I'm glad you're okay too love.”

She nudges his nose slightly with hers.  “You probably shouldn't stay up here too long, they'll start to wonder what happened.”

“Let them wonder,” Crowley's lips hovered over hers.  “There's something I have to do first.”

Madelyn hums as he pressed his lips back to hers, pressing her a little firmly against the wall, one hand just over the wound on her stomach.  The kiss is deep and slow, but it had more purpose than to just rile the other up.

A small trickle of blood ran down the corner of Madelyn’s lips, a small shudder going through her, her hands bunching in his jacket, trying to keep him close.

She had to break off, allowing herself to breath, both their lips stained red.

Crowley kissed her softly. “Does that feel better?”

“A little,” She breathes, her tongue sweeping over his bottom lip.  “You know they aren't going to like this.”

His thumb cleans the blood that had trickled down and presses it against her lips, allowing her to take it into her mouth.  “It doesn't have to come up.”

“They'll figure it out,” Madelyn said softly.  “And they are upset enough as it is without trying to hide that too.  Not to mention, if there is an…incident.”

Crowley thinks for a moment, clearly concerned, but sighs, pressing another soft kiss to her lips. “Go and get some rest love, I'm sure I can manage for a little while, as much as they probably don’t want me to.”

Madelyn smiles softly. “At least Casey won't come down, she loves curling up next to me still.”

“Something I hope she never grows out of.”  Crowley opened the door quietly for her, Casey still fast asleep in the bed.  “At least she seems to be resting easily.”

There was no hiding the worry in Madelyn's expression.  “I hope we've done what's right for her Crowley, I really do.”

Crowley nods and gently leads her in.  “Get some rest love.”

Madelyn blows him a kiss, letting Crowley smile as he closes the door.

She quietly gets herself comfortable on the bed, a soft smile coming to her as Casey stirs a little and instinctively curls into her side.  Madelyn couldn't tell her brothers yet, but she wouldn't trade Casey in for anything in the world, no matter what had happened in between all that.

Downstairs, Crowley had taken up Madelyn’s seat, aware, but ignoring, the three slightly impatient and uncomfortable glares from the three other men in the room.

“You're lucky you're getting this much,” Crowley said lightly.  “If I had it my way, details would be kept far more to a minimum.”

“Come on Crowley,” Dean growled.  “Just get on with it.”

Crowley shoots Dean a grin. “Well, as I was saying, your sister was far more intelligent than you two, and actually managed to finally track me down in all that pre-purgatory mess.  I wasn't too pleased about it, but I have to give credit where it’s due.”

Madelyn glared at Crowley, her arms folded across her chest.  “A compliment?  That's really what you're offering me?”

Crowley shrugs easily. “What would you prefer? A blade to your throat?  A gun to your head?  A compliment is far more entertaining.”

He wasn't a fool, he knew that she could reach for her gun quickly, and he also knew that there was a chance she could've learnt a new trick or two.  Madelyn was incredibly, and infuriatingly, resourceful.

For what it was worth though, Madelyn didn't seem to be there to fight.

She rolled her eyes, doing her best to hide her irritation.  “Right.  Look, you're the one in charge downstairs now, right?  So can you do anything about Sam's soul or not?”

“Why? Is he having performance issues?”

“Cut the shit Crowley,” Her eyes flashed dangerously at him.  “I'm not in the mood.  I know full well that you know what’s going on with those two.”

Crowley chuckled. “Always straight to it, makes a nice change.  To answer you honestly, no, I can't do anything for little Moose’s soul.  It's trapped in a little cage with a big bad Lucifer, and I have very little interest in that being opened again.  I'm sure you can understand why.”

Madelyn observes him, her mind thinking.  “And here I was thinking that the King of Hell would have access to all the perks.”

He knew her well enough by now to know that she was now just buying herself time, trying to get the information she needed.  “Don’t underestimate me darling, it wouldn’t be a wise decision considering just how vulnerable you are here.  Considering what you were going through last time as well…”

“Vulnerable?”  She raises an eyebrow, ignoring the second comment. “And here I was thinking that we’d built up enough of a rapport with each other to discuss things civilly.  Or did I actually make an error on that?”

Crowley chuckles, unable to help it.  “Oh, you are far too interesting for that Madelyn, unlike those brothers of yours, but if you actually stay here much longer, then I will have to take action.”

Madelyn’s eyes narrow on him, her eyes doing a quick scan of the room.  “What are you up to Crowley?  You’re being far too cautious and calm for your own good.  Especially around me.”

He smirks.  “Would you care to handle this one Feathers?”

The sigh from Castiel made her jump, quickly taking several steps back from the angel, eyeing between the two of them cautiously.

“I warned you not to go looking,” Castiel said, a little firmly to her.  “To stay with Sam and Dean.  It would’ve been far safer.”

“Like I’m going to listen to you, I barely listen to them.”  She said flatly.  “And the fact that you’re working with him, really doesn’t improve my opinion of you.”

Castiel sighed.  “This is an awkward enough situation as it is Crowley, why did you call me here?  Sam and Dean will be on us quicker than anything if something happens to her.”

“Have you currently seen Sam?”  Madelyn asked bitterly, cutting off Crowley.  “He’s just a little bit of an arsehole, which is the only reason I even ended up here. Discovering you two are up to something, however, is far more interesting, as here I thought not long having one apocalypse would’ve been more than enough for both of you, or am I reading that wrong?”

Castiel flinched, but Crowley held her gaze, amused.  “You’re acting like it’s not going to be beneficial.”

“And you’re acting like I’m going to trust the word of a demon and a renegade angel,” She replied. “Why don’t you both just cut the shit? Surely it must be tiring?”

Crowley smirks and his gaze moves to Castiel.  “I’m sure we can keep her out of the way somewhere, at least enough so the boy wonders won’t worry?”

Castiel sighed.  “It’s bad enough lying to them, let alone doing that as well.”

“What’s a few more lies?” Crowley shrugs.  “Besides, it’s one less hunter to work around.  A rather painful one at that.”

“Oh, I don’t think-” Madelyn collapses, a simple touch from Castiel rendering her unconscious.

Dean stares at Crowley.  “So who the hell was texting us throughout all that?”

Crowley smirks.  “Who do you think Dean?  Feathers lacked the imagination and I have to admit, it was a lot of fun.”

Dean pursed his lips, looking less than impressed.

Sam was frowning.  “So what, you just kept her aside somewhere?   I can’t imagine Maddie standing for that, nor do I remember her ever mentioning it.”

There was no missing the slight unease in Crowley’s expression.  “Well, there may have been a good reason for that, and before you all start saying something, it was unintentional on both our parts.”

They stared at him, Bobby sighing heavily.  “Let me guess, you underestimated her.”

“A little,” He admitted.  “I wasn’t quite expecting the determination she would have in trying to get herself out of the situation, no matter how comfortable I made it for her.”

“Comfortable?”  Dean growled. “Like you would ever make something comfortable for one of us.”

“You need to understand,” Crowley said.  “At that time, I was still intending to get her onside.  One can hardly do that through torture, especially to a Winchester, not to mention Feathers was more than determined to keep her whole.  So yes, we tried to make her comfortable, as much as I’m sure that seems strange to you.”

“But you both forgot that it was Mads,” Bobby shook his head. “The only time she is comfortable is out on the road hunting.”

“Yes, or at least making my life a living hell,” Crowley said. “Which is exactly what she did once she learnt the…routine of things.  See, Castiel and I were hardly going to let anyone else near her, and as Castiel was usually strongly invested in keeping you three occupied, especially after Sam got his soul back, then it left me to keep things as civil and normal as possible.”

“Unfortunately,” He continued.  “She quickly made other plans.  Managed to construct herself a devils trap for me.  I thought we could’ve avoided the whole situation by not giving her anything to write or hurt herself with, however, as usual with you Winchester’s, you are more resourceful than that.  She crafted herself a small weapon, one that would go unnoticed, and slowly, I would imagine quiet painfully, constructed herself a devils trap out of her own blood.”

Sam sighed.  “Of course she did, and judging by the way this is going, you walked straight into it?”

Crowley looks less than pleased.  “It wasn’t my finest moment.  I had gotten…complacent…with her.  I had figured that I had her exactly where I wanted her.”

“Just another wonderful day in paradise,” Crowley said as he enters the room, barely even glancing at Madelyn, who was leaning against the headboard of a large, bare bed, glaring at him.  “Don’t worry, I’m sure your brothers will notice you missing eventually.  Although, their returning messages give zero indication of suspecting anything.”

“Funny,” She said thickly, not moving from the bed.  “I wasn’t aware that I had to rely on them for rescue.”

He places some food and drink down at the table, casting her a smirk.  “I never said you did darling, but you do seem to be taking this all rather well, all things considered.”

If he’d been paying proper attention, he would’ve seen the small makeshift blade she was spinning in her hand.

“Like I’ve had much of a choice,” She clipped.  “But don’t worry, I promise I’m coming up with all sorts of plans for you.”

Crowley chuckles. “Now that I like to hear.  Only good plans I hope?”

Her eyes flash. “You’ll just have to wait and find out.”

To Crowley, the interaction had been no different to normal, however, as he went to leave, still chuckling, he found himself suddenly frozen in his steps, unable to move any further.

He glances down and discovers that it hadn’t been the carpet he’d been walking on, that the sheets from the bed were covering what was clearly made beneath it.

Madelyn smirks. “Getting a little out of touch, are we?”

Crowley glares at her. “And just what is it you intend to do here, darling?  You still can’t leave this room, and if you keep me locked up like this, then there’s going to be no more food and drink coming in.”

“Guess we’re at a bit of an impasse then,” She said lightly.  “Because you’re not getting out of that trap unless I say so.”

“It’s on carpet-”

“And I’ve been here for a while now,” She said.  “Don’t think I haven’t thought this through Crowley, you’ve given me more than enough for that.  I would’ve thought you’d know by now, never let a woman, especially a hunter, think too long, you never know what she’s going to come up with.”

He grits his teeth. “So, what is your suggestion then?”

Madelyn shrugs. “Honestly, at the moment, this is more than amusing for me.  The oh so powerful King of Hell, trapped and powerless, and the only one that can come and save him is off somewhere, more than likely, looking after my brothers.” She grins.  “Who’s the damsel in distress now?”

Crowley wasn’t impressed, although he could applaud her tenacity.  His eyes narrowed her for a moment, a sudden thought occurring to him, a slow grin coming to him, one she doesn’t notice, preoccupied with the blade in her hand.  “Oh darling, I do believe that that is still you.”

“Oh?” She said, only half interested.  “And what makes you come to that conclusion?”

“Your heat,” He said casually, making the knife stop in her hand as she glances at him.  “Just how many tablets do you have left?  No doubt you got a stern warning from the doctors about it after our last encounter.”

Madelyn scoffs and keeps spinning the knife, but her voice wasn’t as convincing as she wanted it to be.  “Keep dreaming.  I have myself well and truly within control.”

“We’ll see,” Crowley said lightly, deciding to play her game pulling up a chair and sitting down. “I seem to remember the last time I found you that you were almost wild with it.  This time, I can promise, I won’t be so generous as to get you to a hospital.”

She makes an indignant noise as she gets up from the bed.  “Hoping to put me in my place Crowley?  Fat chance.”

He shrugs.  “I won’t have to do anything.  You’re going to beg me for it.”

Madelyn makes a disgusted noise and strides past him, heading to the bathroom.  “Good luck winning this one.  We’ll see who cracks first.”

Crowley smirks as the door closes behind her.  “Oh, we’ll definitely see love, but it’s not going to go the way you want it too.”

[lesbianaglaya]

Please elaborate on that The Idiot essay

Okay anon, ask and ye shall receive. Here is my manifesto on why I love The Idiot (1868-1869). Homoeroticism and me crying over Bakhtin under the cut.

Okay from here on out let me just warn you that there will be discussion of epilepsy, sexual abuse, violence against women, murder, and suicide. I never claimed it wasn’t a messed up story.

Let me start off by saying, this is not a good novel. It was written as a desperate cash grab by Dostoevsky after he and his wife Anna had had to move to Switzerland for financial reasons (they were rather continually in debt due to Dostoevsky’s gambling problem. In fact, they’d met when Fyodor hired Anna as a stenographer to help him write down The Gambler, the completion of which he’d bet all his rights to his published works on).  The four separate parts are only loosely linked by narrative threads, things don’t follow the course you would expect from a work of literature, and the protagonist of the novel’s literal schtick is that he was supposed to be “a perfectly beautiful man”. Which, yeah, great in theory but in reality people don’t want perfect protagonists. The morals of the novel tend towards Dostoevsky’s own often troubling views of religion and morality, and it is a distinctly 19th century work.

And yet, it’s still one of my favourite things I’ve ever read. Not only are there some truly insane homoerotic moments in here, but there are some brilliant moments of play with narrative voice, society novel-esque shenanigans, questions about the nature of goodness and what that really means, and, of course, one really hot moment where a woman slaps a guy who’s being a dick in the face with a riding crop.

The loose plot of the novel is that Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin, the eponymous idiot (and a holy fool, or as Dostoevsky once described him, “Prince Christ”), is returning to Russia from a period of many years in Switzerland being treated for epilepsy. On the train into Petersburg he meets Rogozhin, a young man who has just inherited an enormous fortune after the death of his father. They begin talking, and Rogozhin confides in Myshkin about his love for (read: obsession with) a girl known as Nastasya Filipovna. (This seems weird doesn’t it? Just confessing your major life problems to this weird guy sitting next to you on the train? Yea that’s just what people do around Myshkin). Upon arriving in Petersburg, Myshkin goes to meet with his distant relations, the Epanchins, to get to know them and form a family connection. The rest of the novel is these characters cycling through various love (?) plots, more random inheritances, people dying of consumption, going to stay in the country for a while Just Because, and other stereotypical 19th century novel things.

What makes it unique is that each character is their own person with their own thoughts, experiences and world views and the novel is these views interacting and clashing, or as Bakhtin puts it “a plurality of consciousness, with equal rights and each with its own world”. The characters are not there to help prove any thesis or idea; instead the thesis of the novel is how these characters differing views interact with each other. Myshkin is the lens of this, making it a picture of how each different character (or world view) reacts to his inherent goodness.

Of course, that’s all very... meta. Fun to discuss, but it doesn’t necessarily make the book fun to read. That’s where Nastasya Filipovna comes in.

Nastasya Filipovna, the girl that Rogoshin is “in love with” is a young woman who was born to nobility but orphaned and then sexually abused and turned into a concubine by her guardian Totsky. At the beginning of the novel she has escaped the control of Totsky and is in the incredibly tenuous situation of being provided an income from him for not completely destroying his reputation. A marriage has been arranged by Totsky (so that he won't have to worry about her any more) between her and this one asshole Ganya, but she has not agreed to it yet and has said she will announce her decision at her name day party.

At said name day party is where things get Crazy. She goes ham, mocking Ganya (who she knows hates her) for selling himself for the money promised in marrying her, verbally torturing Totsky, and generally saying fuck you to everyone while also tossing in a good amount of self hatred. Myshkin (whom she invited after meeting him once earlier that day for like five seconds seriously just role with it) declares quite earnestly that he thinks she is a good person and if she likes he’ll marry her amd also that he just inherited a fuck ton of money. Nastya is taken aback, and agrees to marry Myshkin. Then Rogozhin shows up (drunk, with the lads) and we find out Nastya has been planning all this. She tells Myshkin that she can’t actually marry him because he’s too innocent and she believes herself to be awful, and then asks Rogozhin for the money he promised her. Rogozhin hands over 100,000 rubles and Nastasya proceeds to toss them in the fire, tell Ganya that they’re his if he’ll reach in to get them out, and then leaves her own party with Rogozhin!!! I said this novel was batshit!!!!

Nastya through out the novel continues to be The Best Character, writing homoerotic letters to Aglaya Epanchina, who I FIRMLY choose to see as a lesbian, smoking cigars, and of course, upon hearing a man say of her “Here you simply need a whip, there’s no other way with this creature”, in return “she rushed to a young man completely unknown to her who was standing two steps away and holding a thin, braided riding crop, tore it out of his hand, and struck the offender accross the face as hard as she could”.  Iconique. Of course, her story ends tragically but we’ll get into that later.

To quickly touch on Aglaya Epanchina, because I love her, she is one of the daughters of the Epanchin family, she and Myshkin almost get married, and she ends the novel by running off with a foreigner and becoming (horrified whisper) Catholic. Anyway she and Nastya have a brief but horribly gay dicourse where Nastya confesses her love (platonic of course. That is definitely how I, a lesbian, read this) for Aglaya and Aglaya refuses to believe her. Aglaya says she wants to marry Myshkin specifically because then she wouldn’t have to be a wife and a mother and could pursue what she wants and continue to learn. Also at one point Aglaya adopts a hedgehog. That’s Lesbianism Baybee. Her ending is supposed to be tragic but I choose to believe that her marriage is a lavender marriage and she and her gay husband are having wild fun around Europe. Let me have this.

Now for what you’ve all been waiting for — more homoeroticism.

Myshkin and Rogoshin’s dynamic is, like, fully insane. After their first meeting on the train, Rogozhin says to Myshkin “Prince, I don’t know why I’ve come to love you. . . . Come and see me, Prince. We’ll take those wretched gaiters off you; I’ll dress you in a top-notch marten coat; I’ll have the best of tailcoats made for you, a white waistcoat, or whatever you like; I’ll stuff your pockets with money”. Slow down lover boy you met this man five minutes ago and you’re already trying to sugar daddy him?? It only gets worse from here.

Part II of the novel picks up six months after the name day party. Rogozhin and Myshkin have in the intervening time “often happened to spend long hours together, and there had even been several moments during their meetings that had left an all too memorable imprint upon their hearts”. Yeah. It’s also said that Rogozhin is jealous of Myshkin maybe holding some of Nastya’s affection but like. It just reads a lot like Rogozhin is torn between Nastya and Myshkin, which he is in a way because being in love with friends with Myshkin and Nastya  (lavender) marrying Myshkin (that’s not an exaggeration it’s basically out right stated that if Myshkin and Nastya married they would not have sex), would mean giving up the weird destructive obsession he and Nastya have with each other. This is supposed to imply coming to Jesus. I take it as accepting your homosexuality because Dostoevsky is dead and I can do what I want.

So Myshkin shows up at Rogozhin’s house and things are a bit awkward (Rogozhin has maybe been stalking Myshkin??) His “affectionate” smile is described “as if something had been broken, and try as he might, he was unable to glue it back together.” Anyway.

They begin actually talking and oh boy. I’ll just present these without comment.

“I’ve come to bring you peace, because you, too, are dear to me. I love you very much Parfyon. And now I’ll go and never come again. Farewell.” “‘Stay with me a little’ Parfyon said quietly, without getting up from his place and leaning his head on his right hand, ‘I haven’t seen you in a very long time.’”

“When you’re not in front of me, I feel spite for you Lev Nikolaevich. . . . Now you haven’t sat with me a quarter of an hour and all my spite is gone, and I love you like before. Stay with me a little . . .’”

“Nobody’s asking our opinion. It got decided without us. And we love differently too.”

“I didn’t want to come here! I wanted to forget everything here, tear it out of my heart!”

Not to mention the jealousy Rogozhin has for the perceived relationship between Myshkin and Nastya. Hmmmm. Anyway after all That, Rogozhin insists that he and Myshkin trade crosses, his golden one for Myshkin’s tin one.

And THEN Rogozhin proceeds to stop Myshkin from leaving again, and takes him to get his mother’s blessing, which is the same thing he did with Nastasya!!!!!! I feel insane.

After this Myshkin returns to his hotel but then Rogozhin follows him and um. Tries to stab him. With the knife that’s been built up as a phallic symbol through the whole novel. But then Myshkin falls into an epileptic fit and Rogozhin flees. Like this is deeply fucked up but What The Hell am I supposed to be thinking rn??

Anyway the next time they meet it’s in the countryside and Myshkin has fully forgiven him for the murder attempt. Indeed “struck by Rogozhin’s sudden appearance, the prince was unable to collect his thoughts for sometime, and a painful sensation rose again in his heart.”

Rogoshin has apparently not forgiven himself for trying to kill Myshkin, to which Myshkin responds “all that you went through that day I now know as well as I know my own self. What you were imagining did not and could not exist.” *jenny slate scream*

Myshkin proceeds to invite Rogozhin home with him, saying “I have some wine, we’ll drink wine, you must wish me something I myself don’t know how to wish for now, and it’s precisely you who must wish it, and I’ll wish you your fullest happiness. Or else give me back my cross! You didn’t even send it back to me the next day! You’re wearing it? Wearing it even now?” and THEN he says “I don’t want to meet my new life without you because my new life has begun! Don’t you know that my new life begins today?” and then they head home together.

Okay skipping over a bunch of stuff because 1) I havent read the novel in a year and while i know there’s more stuff in there I don’t know exactly where and I don’t want to be flipping pages for another hour and 2) this is already insanely long so. For context in the intervening time Rogozhin and Nastya do end up getting married (which everyone including the two of them kind of agree that it’s just a way for them both to kill each other/basically comit suicide. Fun!). So that’s exactly what happens, and Myshkin runs to their house, arriving too late and finding that Rogozhin has stabbed Nastya and she is dead. Thus ensues a scene that makes me so insane I cant... look here just take this:

“‘So let her lie here now, next to us, next to me and you...’

‘Yes, yes!’ the prince agreed warmly.”

And

“‘I’ll make up the bed and you can lie down... and I’ll lie down with you... and we’ll listen... because I don’t know yet man... I don’t know everything yet, man, so I’m telling you about it ahead of time, so you’ll know all about it ahead of time...’”

And

“But two people could not lie on the sofa, and he absolutely wanted to make up beds now side by side, and that way why, with great effort, he now dragged pillows of various sizesfrom both sofas all the way across the room, right up to the opening in the curtain. The bed got made up anyhow; he went over to the prince, took him tenderly and rapturously by the arm, got him to his feet, and led him to the bed”

And

“[Rogozhin was] laying the prince down on the left, better, pillows, himself on the right”

And

“‘What did you use? A knife? That same one?’

‘That same one’”

And

“The prince would reach out his trembling hand to him and quietly touch his head, his hair, stroke it and stroke his cheeks... there was nothing more he could do! . . . and pressed his face to the pale and motionless face of Rogozhin; tears flowed from his eyes onto Rogozhin’s cheeks”

And

“He quietly hastened to pass his trembling hand over his hair and cheeks, as if caressing and soothing him”

And then the cops show up and there’s a brief epilogue talking about how everything is terrible now and Myshkin goes back to Switzerland because he’s incoherent with grief. Insane.

So there’s also a lot in this novel about what is actually good, and how people react when confronted with goodness, etc. etc. but this is five pages in google docs and I need to. Stop. Anyway if you made it to the end cheers this novel is awful and insane and I love it. Dostoevsky do not interact I hate your crusty ass even if your prose makes me feel things.

[bi-dazai]

2000 words on soukoku romance-coding in episode 26

i’ve talked a lot on here about how there’s a lot of romance-coding in the canon content featuring dazai and chuuya. here’s a rundown of my base theories here

i didnt add this in my original above post, but ill say now that diegetically chuuya and dazai are usually quite levelheaded and manipulative - both are the two youngest port mafia executives in history. even when dazai is annoyed with other characters (such as kunikida or atsushi) it is clear that he is play-acting. chuuya, meanwhile, is extremely level-headed and doesnt get upset at all - even when yosano and kenji appeared heavily armed. dazai is only slightly upset by shibusawa and dostoyevsky. the only person to genuinely get a rise out of both chuuya and dazai are each other. even so, their arguing has, from the beginning, been petty on the surface, yet upon reading into dialogue and animated/written/illustrated facial expressions show deep hurt at each others actions, particularly on their 4 year separation and dazai covering up his loyalty to chuuya by betraying his trust in episode 21.

i have two more points to add on concerning their non-diegetic relationship. firstly, that official merchandise and posters almost always depict chuuya and dazai either ogling each other (theres a trend of dazai ogling chuuya’s ass in particular) or doing something romantic together (for example there’s a poster where they are depicted hanging around together with no other characters near a christmas tree - christmas is considered a romantic holiday in japan. the same coding is given to many canon fictional couples in japan, and to another studio bones production pairing in bnha kiribaku, which has a similar level of gaycoding).

the second non-diegetic point you should understand about soukoku: it’s one of the most popular ships in japan, and japan’s anime industry tends to be a lot more open about showing same-sex relationships/gay-coding than the west is.

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and for a note on my authorship - i admit that i do ship soukoku, and that this gives me a bias. i am also bisexual and am much more sensitive to noticing homoeroticism than many straight audiences. however, to counter this point id like to clarify that it takes a lot to make me believe a same-sex ship has even the slightest chance of being canon. also, id like to say that i am an author in my second year of a creative writing degree and my first year of a film studies minor. these degrees both involve analysing text within production and authorial context (a lot...). in my free time i read a lot of papers and articles on the production context and general views of lgbt representation in different countries’ media, in particular the usa, australia, and japan. i consume every piece of media i view with an intensely critical eye and i specialise in connected diegetic elements with non-diegetic elements in terms of production, authorial, and social context

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*NOTE* im going to be doing things out of order here for no other reason than that i realised them in that order as i thought about the episode analytically

today i want to talk about something extremely specific that came up in episode 26, and it has to do with the use of symbolism and shot composition. it’s just a short, short sequence but to me it speaks volumes, both for their canon relationship and their coded romantic relationship.

specifically this sequence. this is just one shot and to me it portrays soukoku’s dynamic as explicitly romantic in a mise-en-scene sense.

before we like to go in, id like to clarify that the dialogue doesnt matter - it’s mainly expository stuff.

the first sc is the first shot we see of dazai and chuuya ‘alone’ in this scene. it’s unclear where mori is exactly. even though mori is clearly orchestrating the two of them and this entire scene’s dialogue, he isn’t in this shot until the very end. this defines the soukoku relationship, as well as their first meeting being entirely incidental, as being something that was supposedly orchestrated by mori but on a deeper level something they created and grow themselves. it is their relationship from the beginning, not mori’s. even though we know that mori is orchestrating this, we are told that this story will be about chuuya and dazai, not mori’s plans. along with that, it’s also the first shot of open sky we get in this scene, and it’s with just chuuya and dazai looking at each other, silent. it’s open and refreshing and new, but there’s something there already - which i will discuss now.

so. let’s talk about the vapour trail. the vapour trail has no real relationship to the scene or story at all. it would be perfectly logical to just place clouds here, or even place the vapour trail somewhere else. but this vapour trail is very specifically placed to form an arrow to comes from dazai’s heart and reaches towards chuuya, passing over mori’s head narrowly. mori watches the trail, dazai and chuuya watch each other. mori knows the middle part - that they will be tied together to be a device of violence of his own making. but at the other ends dazai and chuuya are tied together in a way that goes above and below mori’s knowledge. this symbolises their future together, and indicates a subtextual level to their dynamic.

the choice i want to focus on here, however, is the choice to have this arrow reach from dazai’s heart. as a writer, if i was trying to symbolise the general strategic soukoku dynamic i would have this arrow go from dazai’s head (the brains) to chuuya (the recipient and conductor of dazai’s plans). in fact, i have a dynamic im writing right now that is similar to this, in which one is defense and one is agility. however, these two also end up in a same-sex romantic relationship together later on. in order to code and foreshadow this, as well as add romantic subtext, often when using symbology i adjust my symbols to fit a romantic context subtly. as an author myself, this shot is a clear hint of adjusted symbolism in order to code dazai’s feelings for chuuya.

and if i’m to read further, i would even say that the fact that the arrow flies over chuuya’s head suggests that dazai currently has romantic feelings for chuuya that chuuya does not yet return (but comes to, something that i have discussed in my linked post above).

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secondly, tumblr user @cream-and-punishment made a fun joke post about dazai and chuuya “exchanging wedding vows” at their first meeting. firstly, it’s funny as fuck and when i first saw the post my reaction was just “haha it does sound like that!”. however, i keep looking at that post, keep returning to the script and that scene, and my reaction is now “wow. it does sound like that. like. exactly what soukoku wedding vows sound like. huh.”

for the lazy here’s the script (translated by the funimation subtitle team):

Dazai: You’re a cocky, overconfident child. You’re the kind of person I hate the most.

Chuuya: And I hate condescending pricks like you more than anything in this world.

and because im thorough, i ignored my english subs and listened the original japanese script as well (with my limited japanese to basically check for anything that could be translated differently or means something in japanese that is culturally untranslatable). what i found was that the english subs are right, and capture the original lines quite well.

dialogue can function as a tool for multiple results. in this two-line exchange, neither of the lines are meant as views into the character’s true interiors. instead, the purpose of this interchange is meant to be foreshadowing, specifically into the fact that this is how chuuya and dazai spend the rest of their relationship (up until the current point in the canon manga plot) expressing their opinion towards each other. it mirrors the kind of dialogue we see in episode 10 in which dazai and chuuya’s dialogue works as exposition for their past and their base dynamic, and here it is used to foreshadow what is considered backstory in the main plot (if that makes any sense?).

however, chuuya’s response to dazai is where im interested. im gonna pull my writer’s card here and say that if i was, again, just foreshadowing hatred and frustration as well as cooperation, i would cut chuuya’s line to something like this:

Chuuya: And I hate condescending pricks like you the most/just as much/etc.

“more than anything in this world”, of course, could just be incidental. but considering how a lot of soukoku’s dialogue is clearly double-entendre (read my original post linked above), it makes me consider a second option: that we are already putting that romantic double-entendre into their dynamic. if we refer to the future soukoku dynamic, in particular in episode 21, we are shown multiple times that chuuya genuinely cares for dazai’s well-being (secondary to rimbaud’s hat of course hahaha). chuuya would be genuinely upset if dazai died, and its implied (though still up to interpretation as opposed to the explicitness of chuuya’s shown feelings, however i would argue that dead apple is fairly explicit in dazai’s trust and feelings) the vice versa is also true.

going off that, often how both of them express concern for each other is by making ‘hateful’ comments towards each other. in episode 9, it’s clear there is uncomfortable tension in the room. there is 4 years of unspoken confusion lingering and chuuya is clearly, clearly upset. so dazai, in referencing an unchanging nature of what makes them them, calls back to one of his first mocking entries - how short chuuya is. it’s funny and it’s mocking, but the blows they trade are familiar and even when theyre brawling, despite being on opposite sides they take genuine pleasure in each others company. considering both of their personalities and histories as well as their trauma, both of them tend to struggle with interpersonal relationships and opening up. but chuuya and dazai canonically feel comfortable with each other, and know how to read each other well enough to both bounce off each other while also understanding what lies beneath.

so when chuuya says something like “i hate you more than anything in this world” we are pulled back to the present (in the plot), where chuuya says these things but moments later is concerned or worried for dazai’s wellbeing. chuuya in this line prioritises dazai as the foremost person in his life within minutes of meeting each other. diegetically (to the characters) we know this is them exchanging tense negotiation. non-diegetically (to what we know of the script and their future, as well as this entire exchange being mostly foreshadowing), we are clearly meant to interpret this to mean that chuuya will, eventually, hold dazai to be incredibly important to him, and vice versa. 

of course, we also have the fact that the phrase “more than anything in this world” is yet another soukoku romantic double-entendre. as i mentioned with things such as “the silent treatment” and mentioning drinking heavily when someone abruptly leaves you, it’s clear that these are used almost entirely as romantic tropes. i’ve discussed this before so i wont get too much into it, but just say that this scene adds yet another line to that long list of soukoku double-entendres.

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considering at least the first 3 episodes will be related to exploring the soukoku backstory, ill be trying to post an analytic of soukoku for each episode of the 15 adaptation. furthermore, these posts won’t be explicitly about the potential of canon romantic chuuya/dazai, but will analyse soukoku scenes in a focus that i see fit for each episode. whether this is examining it like this post again, or examining it for foreshadowing or cinematographic details etc, will be decided once i watch each episode.

anyway lol! yet another rambling analytical of something nobody cares about haha

[pynkhues]

Hi! So I love your blog and your headcanons and ask responses but and I really want to ask you something thought provoking but my brain is like not cooperating so... what I really was wondering is do you have any hot tip fic recs? I am pretty new to GG and the tag on Ao3 is starting to get kinda long so I would love to know your picks before I start trawling through!

Ah, thanks, anon! And oh my gosh, there are somany great fics on ao3!! I barely know where to start, so I’m just going torec my straight up faves. This kind of blew out a little bit, so I’ve kept itto one fic per author (but assume I’m like, reccing all their works, haha)annnd I’ve put it under a tag to save everyone’s feeds, haha.

Happy reading!

Fora Moment We Were Strangers byopenhearts. 

I think I’ve already re-read this one like, a hundred times, and it’sjust so, so perfect. Intimate and domestic and sexy and sweet and just the rightamount of heartbreaking. Basically Rio, Beth, Marcus and Emma end up playinghouse due to Reasons, and it feels so true to character, and true to the show.It’s great.

He looks for another several seconds before a mild little grin colorshis face for a moment, then vanishes as he backs away.

“Nothin’. You just get pissed about weird shit is all.” He actuallyturns to leave the room, adding, “Laundry,” as he does, for emphasis.

Beth could probably choose not to rise to that, but she doesn’t. He’s inher house, messing with her, getting in her space and doing things withoutasking or being asked and it’s freaking her out, beyond just the fact that he’spresent and has made it clear he’s ready for a repeat performance of the barrestroom whenever they can find the time and privacy.

“My laundry,” she corrects, following on his heels, and she thinks shecan tell just by his shoulders that he’s holding in a laugh, which is obnoxiouson both their parts. “My house. My kitchen, my dishes-”

“I’m tryna be a pleasant houseguest, damn!” he says under his breath,both of them immediately mindful of Marcus in the next room.  Then, “thissome real last year shit, you know? You got all bothered about me bein’ in yourhouse where people could see, what your friends gonna think, how’m I gonna makeyour pretty life messy today like you-”

“Rio?”

StayPut and Play Along by FakePlastikTrees.

There are almost no words for how much I love this fic. It’s set after1.10, so it’s a little older, and basically assumes Rio really did cut Beth andthe girls loose after beating the crap out of Dean. They didn’t retaliateagain, but started their own shady business in the world of highstakesgambling, and it is just sogood and hot and the dynamic between them is *chef kissy hands*. 

Eyes trained on the wall, she takes a deep breath and asks, “Why did yousend me my necklace?”

“Well, what do I want with your necklace? Plus, you have my gun. Thoughtwe could trade.”

The statement makes her want to punch a hole in the wall and she has totake a steadying breath before slowly turning back around to face him. When shedoes, he’s standing, looking at the picture of the kids on the nightstand.

“Car man’s gone, huh?”

“Rio–”

He turns to her before she can finish a thought and as if he’s beenwaiting to say it, blurts, “You look good, Elizabeth.”

He’s serious now, all mischief gone from his demeanor.

FierceKingdom by emeraldcut

I’m a total sucker for fic which focuses on Rio’s relationship withour other good girls, soemeraldcut’s story with Annie and Rio sitting in a car basically baiting thehell out of each other makes me totally giddy every time I read it. It’s so, somuch fun, and she gets both their voices down perfectly. 

“Are you married?” she asked.

That got his attention. He gave her a blatant once-over. “You’renot my type, sweetheart,” he said, mock apology in his voice.

“Ha!” She scowled, fighting the urge to stick her tongue out.“You would be so lucky, but I never thought I was. You obviously like theolder ladies.” She didn’t know his age, but beneath the scruff, he had ababy face, she could tell.

“Why do you care?” The glint in his eyes told her that he knewexactly why.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s my job to care. Don’t you havesisters?” Now she was just baiting him.

Rio’s jaw rocked back and forth. There was a shift in the energy aroundthem, and he almost looked uncomfortable.

Annie had watched this guy hold a gun to Beth’s head without flinching,but her messing with him about something romantic with the same woman had himlooking uncharacteristically awkward. “Her husband’s a super douche.Capital S, capital D,” she announced in the midst of his silence, feelingher stomach lurch. Annie thought this was a joke, thought it was all in goodfun, just entertainment, but now she wasn’t sure.

WeSuck Young Blood by sylvianorth

Another one thatmarries domesticity with wonderful character insight and great writing! Thisone basically diverges from canon at 2.03, but it honestly could’ve replacedit. It’s such a logical progression, beautifully drawn, and with some prettysexy scenes too (a running theme in these recs, haha).

“It’s been two weeks since you said you were going to teach me.”

Rio squints at her. “Uh-huh,” he says, like he’s not sure where this isgoing. He takes a piece of bacon off her plate. “I am teaching you.”

(Sitting here at the table in her sun-drenched kitchen, Beth feels likeshe’s trapped in a cage with a leopard but Rio is genial, drinking coffee,discussing current events in the paper and asking questions about her kids.Sometimes his questions get so specific that she wonders if he goes throughtheir backpacks when she’s not looking. Once, he brings a box of Danishes forbreakfast and recommends that she save some for her children’s afterschoolsnack.)

Beth shrugs. “It’s just – it’s been a while and we haven’t doneanything. You just show up here and drink my coffee and tell me to be a bossbitch and leave and I don’t know what’s going on. You haven’t even showed mehow to fire a gun. I still can’ t lie. I still can’t kill anybody. You don’teven tell me what being a boss bitch entails, only that I’ve gotta do it. Imean, I got rid of Annie’s boss, so if anything, you owe it to me to teach me.”

Una Lady Como Tú bySleepylotus

This one haseverything! Beth and Rio on a stakeout! Snarking! Shotgunning! Car sex! It’s sogood, and so sexy, and just genuinely a lot of fun. 

“This wasn’t supposed to take this long,” Rio grumbled, tapping theclock with one long finger. “Your kiddos gonna wake up wonderin’ where Mamais?”

He almost sounded worried about them, which threw Beth off a fewdegrees. “No, they’re with their father at the family cabin up on thePeninsula,” she answered. “They’ll be gone all week.”

This won her a sideways look that sent a small shiver down her spine.“You all alone in that big house, baby girl?”

Narrowing her eyes, she lifted her chin. “I’m perfectly fine on my own,thank you.”

Rio chuckled under his breath. “Yeah, I believe that.” Strangely, itsounded like he really did.

PTA Vibes by greyish 

This is just so.much. fun. The banter! The Rio POV! The swings and roundabouts of the Beth xRio intimacy! It’s honestly just got such a great energy to it, and is sowell-written, I love it. 

The first PTA meeting he walked into, she’d given him a look of totalabject horror before quickly resuming her standard Passive Housewifeexpression. He’d enjoyed riling her up until she completely cracked, yellinggluten-free snacks are non-negotiable! at him across the table like a maniacand stunning the rest of the room into silence. They’d stared at each otherintensely until someone awkwardly cleared their throat and suggested they takea tea break

(She’d pulled him aside and demanded to know why he was trying to fuckwith her by attending a PTA meeting. He denied it lazily, not even trying tosound genuine. She’d carved out a space in his life like it was nothing. Hewanted to retaliate. Invade every aspect of her existence.)

She’d stormed off and spent the rest of the break agressively loading apaper plate with pieces of cantelope and then left it on the table withouteating any. He’s pretty sure that’s when the betting started.

A Bit of Reciprocity by nottonyharrison

Another one set post2.04, this is just really, really great. It’s more these quick snapshots ofBeth and Rio that comply with canon, but also give really great insights intoboth characters. It’s fun, and dirty, and complicated, because the charactersare fun, and dirty, and complicated, and I just love that. 

She straightens her dress and checks her makeup before she leaves, Heruns a hand over her hair to flatten a couple of strands at the back, and runsa hand towel up her leg and then she’s gone, the door closing softly behindher. His eyes lift to the mirror and he can see his hands shaking.

He didn’t kiss her, not on the mouth. He recognised her husband as heturned in his chair trying to catch the wait staff’s eye. If he’s being honestwith himself, the idea of her returning to the table dishevelled and obviouslyfucked out turns him on more than anything, but there’s a time and a place andthis definitely isn’t it.

HaveIt Your Way by ohmisterjapan

Oh my god, everything about this series is just hot. It’s a realpowerplay series, so if you’re not into that, it might not be for you, butohmisterjapan captures so well the dynamic between Beth and Rio, and both oftheir alpha personalities competing in, ya know, a very sexy way. It’s so, so,so good. 

“You set up a meeting already?” he cuts her off, visibly irritated.

There’s a beat.

“I handled it.” She holds his eye contact. He feels one of his guysshift behind him.

Another beat. He grimaces a little then leers.

“Oh you handled it? You made a decision without talking it through withyour partner, huh?”

“I did what needed to be done.” She’s deliberately light and assertivewith him and he’s so pleased and displeased at once that he barks out a laugh.He looks round to both his guys; they’re poised but, Rio notices, look a littleuncertain. He’s tries to push that observation away because if he acknowledgesit then he might also acknowledge that he, too, feels little uncertain ofhimself. And then he feels a twinge of foolishness. He snaps himself out of it.He taught her.

Suream using you byAniara 

This is actually, I think, one of the most underrated fics in the GGtag. It’s tagged as Rio/OC, but it’s actually more like Rio/Beth but from theopinion of an OC he’s fucking instead of Beth, and ugh,it’s so good. I mean: 

“[Rio’s] eyes soften and he looks away. It’s too late because before hedoes she catches the rest of his features turn almost tender. She’s seen thatlook, not just in Lee, but all the men who’ve been interested in her. It’s alook of beginning but this one is clouded with apprehension. He’s hot for thispearl lady and not just for her body.

It gets to the point his skin buzzes sometimes when she sees him. Shehalf expects him to whisper her name when they’re getting it on but he doesn’t.He’s tight lipped about most things, she figures, so why not this.”  

Annnnnnnd, I mean, it’s not a rec exactly, but a casual reminder that I’mflashindie on ao3 and you can read my stuff here, haha. :-) 

[infochores]

Leftism, the DPRK and the Nuclear crisis

I thought id write a thing on this because most of the current far left talking points on this issue are terribly poorly informed. There’s a tendency amongst leftists online, particularly notable on twitter, but also here to conflate two kinds of commentary on contentious geopolitical issues into being one form of sin. Obviously the most current example is regarding the Singapore summit. The way its currently playing out in a lot of cases is basically as follows (I’m being a little snarky here but this is a fairly accurate play by play for a lot of the stupider stuff):

Prominent analyst, journalist, politician or Liberal pundit makes a statement criticizing the deal for a given reason. It might either be ordinary partisanship, or a genuine technical criticism of the content of the circumstances. 

It gets retweeted

People comment on  it in the retweets, claiming that the given person is in favour of  Koreans getting exterminated, because all objections to the circumstances must be borne of a desire for war or something.

The difference between multiple forms of criticism gets totally ignored by the left, we dont learn anything and we continue patting ourselves on the back.

Obviously this is fairly normal for online stuff but even so i think we need to start paying much closer attention to these issues and at the same time, stop being so parochial in our thinking about issues such as these. Therefore I’m minded to make a few points here about why its  short sighted to interpret this via the lens of western domestic political leftist rhetoric, the problem being that there’s severe limitations on that lens. 

Firstly its primarily based on established rhetorical forms that are largely out of date or constrained by a lack of room for outside information. This prevents us from usefully adopting lines of analyses from schools of thought not traditionally connected to existing normal stances within leftism. On the occasions where this does occur, we co-opt it for our own benefit. Essentially, If there’s a form of analysis, or an area of academic or technical expertise where the information and commentary is not directly subordinate to a conservative, US-centric interpretation of anti-imperialism then it tends to get completely discounted. The main example of this type of thing i wish to talk about is an area of interest of mine, namely arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as the place of nuclear weapons within a fairly basic Marxist influenced viewpoint on nuclear politics. 

Secondly, this stance is limited by the dynamics of online sectarian politics and the desire to produce content. Everyones familiar with this and knows how it works so im not going to bother going into this in any great detail. Essentially its providing a great addition to our respective mutual firing squads.

A third issue is the presumption of knowledge, and of moral or intellectual high ground on a combination of ideological bases. This latter point ties into an ongoing dynamic of orientalist thinking and presumptions that tend to seep into leftist rhetoric on subjects surrounding the Korean Peninsula. This is notable particularly within Marxist-Leninist  self styled “anti-imperialist” discourses, which are the main area of failure on all three of the issues ive listed, though there has been cross-pollination with other leftist sects. This behavior is reliant on making the nuclear crisis All About Us, unconsciously sliding over the human and political realities in order to establish credentials, ignoring regional factors beyond what is read about in a few articles and a surface level adherence to popular conceptions of anti imperialist praxis. Its essentially a highly banal form of watered down orientalism mixed with a vague presumption of superior politics. The reality is that we havent really learned anything from the crisis, because we’ve refused to. Arms Control, Non-proliferation and a lack of far-left institutional knowledge: I’m mainly going to address the first issue, that of a general lack of understanding of evolving dynamics in nuclear proliferation issues and arms control within the far left because its where i have the strongest base of knowledge relating to this matter. Functionally, nearly no-one in the circles of the online left I’m in actually knows how arms control is meant to work either in its form as a policy enacted between countries on a mutual basis, or in its form as a system in the world of geopolitics within which countries formulate policies. Im not trying to grandstand here as this circumstance is totally understandable: its a very niche topic and its not as if I’m particularly special for having made it something I’m interested in, but regardless there is a knowledge gap in leftist discussions on this issue and it seems important to highlight it. If there are any leftist arms control nerds that happen to see this assuming it gets more than a handful of notes by all means let me know. Anyway, I think its wise at this point to make the following statement and to explain it:

In the particular example at hand, namely this weeks Singapore summit and the deal made there, what has just happened is very likely a disaster in the long term, and should be absolutely regarded as such by the left. This is due to a combination of technical and political factors relating to the context and structure of the agreement. I am saying this as a Marxist and as someone in favour of internationalism and popular movements directed towards nuclear disarmament. Leftist institutional knowledge and the general knowledge in the community of how arms control works isn't really that great. During the cold war it was ok, due to the size and importance of the disarmament movement, but in the modern era its essentially non-existent. Anyway, the summit was a disaster for arms control and very few of us seem to get why. This is for a few reasons, but the main one is that it has established a precedent for successful, aggressive  strategies of proliferation under extreme duress. Arms control as a concept has taken a serious beating since 2003 and the Iraq war, with other major points of inflection since. The most significant of these have been the collapse of the JCPOA agreement with Iran  and the various chemical warfare atrocities in the Syrian civil war. The collapse of the Libyan state stands as its own special case as well for its own reasons. In the case of the recent summit the precedent set has been one of the solidification of certain dynamics, of the transition undertaken by nuclear weapons from being articles characterized by their technical use into being primarily characterized by a capacity for abstract political use in a way that had not yet been achieved, and of the deliberate manipulation and degradation of existing institutions in order to facilitate proliferation. I am not merely talking about Nuclear weapons being used for political purposes. I am talking about a very specific type of political use. This dynamic is extremely bad and provides a model for action to accompany the diminishing difficulty in producing nuclear weapons, which will provide a great incentive to states seeking to proliferate nuclear weapons. The only outcome possible here is the furthering of the development of weaponry to be used against populations and in so doing, the armory of empire. This is not a victory for Anti-Imperialism, despite its surface appearance having had great propaganda value.

The deal has essentially entrenched both the (many) negative and the (few) positive aspects of the present crisis, essentially providing cover for the ROK to continue a gradualist approach toward achieving a sustainable end result at the same time as providing a model of success for proliferation as a state policy. In fact i would argue that one of the main contributions that this will all make to geopolitical history will be the establishment, testing, and success of a new model of proliferation, one with profoundly negative though interesting consequences from a leftist perspective. Essentially, by forcing the nuclear issue, by making all of the political capital centered upon repeated escalating crises, comprising a protracted greater crisis, the DPRK strategy meant that all political questions were to be decided according to a single signifier of value: the technical usability and validity of its nuclear weapons, demonstrable to all onlookers from the outside. A value which the DPRK leadership were able to be the controlling agents of, determining its magnitude, qualities and effects. In doing so it has essentially managed to manipulate the existing notions of arms control agreements and non-proliferation principles in order to turn those structures to its advantage: to turn them from being systems which constrained nuclear proliferation, to using them as a basis for updating the nuclear weapon into taking on a modern form of its already infamous role as the ultimate political commodity. It was essentially a strategy of folding up all issues into one and forcing everyone's decisions to rest upon that single focused issue. It is now far easier to proliferate nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in terms of technical restrictions than it was 30, 40, 50 years ago. The designs are no-longer unknown and the required production technology is no longer as challenging as it once was. Provided with this, directed efforts towards various kinds of proliferation now have new potentials: the end state no longer has to be one option from a three way fork between a failed program, a successful program and being attacked/sanctioned. Obviously nuclear weapons have always been used as chips to bet on and trade between states, but for the most part those items, in the historical contexts of the cold war, the India/Pakistan standoff, and in the cases of Israel, Iran and the DPRK prior to recent developments, were developed for strict military terms, as items of deterrence, as physical items for physical use as instruments of policy in the most literal sense. In other words, they have been pursued by states for their use either as weapons, articles of deterrence or as a combination of being usable weapons and articles of abstract political power realized. This has now changed, likely irreversibly, and the summit has been a notable moment in the change.

The realization of abstract powers, and the risks of a new Nuclear credit:

What the new development has done is to introduce the potential for the transformation from nuclear weapons as weapons into a sort of proto-commodity form, whereby proliferation, as a behavior that states may engage in and as a form of production existing in a political sphere, has been brought to a such point of technical and political development that it may now be used not merely as an action engaged in to achieve a physical end, a productive approach to achieving a state policy, but takes on a new meaning, as a form of bargaining chip in itself. Elements of this have been present with nuclear weapons since the cold war in  relatively isolated minor forms but never reached the stage of proliferating for the sake of trading against that proliferation.

I believe that the summit has laid the groundwork for the establishment of such a dynamic  and I suspect that the fallout from the summit and the ongoing crisis ( which is not at all over) will now exacerbate this tendency in future cases. It is as if they have succeeded in laying the groundwork for making nuclear weapons not merely commodity items between a state and its industrial complex, but have extended their existence as commodities right into the geopolitical sphere. The truly perverse thing about this is that this change has been achieved without the DPRK even having to actually physically trade any of them: it has merely made a vapor-deal based on vague promises to limit the most obvious cases of its potential power.  In this manner another well established dynamic has been reinforced: The confrontational relationship between the instability of deterrence and the long term tendency evolving from it for states to engage in proliferation. The repeated historical cases of the seeming success of deterrence, (a false semblance) have created a climate of encouragement for proliferation: existing nuclear weapons states are encouraged to expand and proliferate new powers to counter their antagonists advances, whilst non-nuclear weapons states begin to seek the weapons to achieve parity on various fronts. Against this backdrop, both the repeated crises in deterrence, the breakdowns of its various forms, political crises between states etc, and the longer periods of time between them, the long moments of false security, serve to enhance the fetishized value of deterrence. The illusory success of deterrent strategies encourage the proliferation dynamic. Deterrence will therefore, if i am correct, become a contributing factor in commodity-led proliferation. But now a new aspect of this dynamic has appeared: the change in nature of arms control into also becoming a contributing feature. Prior to this arms control was a diplomatic, technical activity, with strict technical aims. It may still take on that characteristic but is at severe risk of being held, in measure of value, against the new measuring standard that i fear is being established.  This situation is profoundly negative for leftist political positions: the brief lull in tensions may be whisked away by a new return to sabre rattling at any point if political capital is to be made, ushering in more risks of accident miscalculation or catalytic war and further it is a massive blow to the disarmament movement. It will certainly serve to entrench national military industrial complexes in nuclear states, as well as further contributing to regional problems in areas where proliferating states are players. Holding all this to be down to the blunderings of one leader and the energy of another is a useless way to think about this issue. This is to the detriment of internationalism. 

[hopefulfestivaltastemaker]

September 12, 2021

My weekly roundup of things I am up to. Topics include learning curves, Telosa, the fine-tuned universe, and some anniversaries.

Learning Curves

Last week I commented on Matt Clancy’s site, New Things Under the Sun, and in particular the material on fertility rates. It is meant to be “what academics generally believe” on questions related to innovation. The site is chock full of good material. This time I’ll comment on his work on learning curves. See in particular this and this article.

A learning curve, also known as the “learning-by-doing” phenomenon, is the idea that the cost of producing a product goes down as more is produced. This makes intuitive sense. As production goes up, we would expect more workers to be trained to be efficient, for companies to optimize their production processes, for more efficiency techniques to be discovered, and so on.

The empirical evidence is fairly strong too, or at least it appears to be. Learning curves are also known as Wright’s Law, going back to a paper by Theodore Wright in 1936 where he observed that for every doubling of airplane production, the cost goes down by 20%. There are numerous other studies that find similar cost reductions (albeit of widely different magnitudes) in many areas.

But the old mantra of “correlation doesn’t imply causation” applies here. One could tell the opposite story. Maybe cost reduction has nothing to do with learning-by-doing, but rather happens for other reasons, such as technological improvement. That’s what many of papers that Clancy cites show, to an extent.

Some, but not all, of cost reduction really is due to the learning-by-doing effect. What is the portion exactly? This turns out to be very difficult to estimate, and reading through the studies that Clancy discusses, I don’t have a good answer. Until now, though, I had naively assumed that it was the full portion.

These observations have several policy implications. Many decarbonization models, for instance, rely heavily on deployment of already developed technology and assume cost reduction going forward as this technology is deployed. This assumption has two purposes. First, if we expect that the price of solar panels, wind turbines, HVDC cables, lithium-ion batteries, and other technologies will decline with further deployment, then this makes models that rely on these technologies look more cost-effective than they would appear if present costs are assumed. The second purpose is that cost reduction is a beneficial spillover of deployment, and therefore a justification for subsidizing deployment that goes beyond carbon dioxide reduction. This point has been invoked, for instance, in justification of the policies behind Germany’s Energiwende (renewable energy transition).

If we determine that learning-by-doing effects are weaker than a naive learning curve analysis would indicate, then there is less justification for subsidizing deployment. The Investment/Production Tax Credits for renewable energy look less attractive. Policy should be more oriented toward technological change than deployment. The idea of a France- or South Korea-style nuclear power buildout also looks less attractive, and we should focus more on next generation nuclear technology instead.

Several things I have done will have to be rethought.

Telosa and Other New Cities

Telosa is a newly announced planned city with a target of 5 million people by 2050, to be built in the American Southwest somewhere. The official website, linked above, has a lot of pretty pictures and buzzwords from urban planning.

I hope the project is successful, but I also hope to be forgiven for not getting too excited. There is an extensive history of new city projects not working out or performing less well than hoped, including seasteading, Khazar Islands, Masdar City, and others.

The main headwind I see is that, as Alain Bertaud describes in his book, cities are first and foremost labor markets. When a new city starts seeking residents, it has the basic problem of providing jobs for those residents. Attracting employers will be difficult too because there won’t be many employees for those employers to hire. This is a fundamental problem that will also make space colonization difficult. As this article explains, the youngest of the top 10 cities in the United States is Phoenix, AZ, founded in 1868.

Most wealthy countries now have declining populations or soon will. Under current demographic trends, most other countries will reach this crossover point sooner or later. A declining population is another headwind for founding new cities, since they will also have to complete with depopulating existing cities.

Despite the problems noted above, Masdar City is an example of a project that has achieved at least some success. For one thing, it is not really a new city because it is within the commutershed of Abu Dhabi, reasonably close (though a bit outside the commutershed) to Dubai, and close to a major airport. The developers were also smart in recruiting IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) as an anchor tenant, which helps resolve that chicken-and-egg problem of building a robust labor market.

Fine-tuned Universe

The idea of fine-tuned universe is that it appears that many aspects of the universe we live in are set to specific values that are conducive to the emergence of intelligent life, to a degree that is hard to imagine being a matter of chance. Such parameters include the relative strength of gravitation and electromagnetism, the rate of hydrogen fusion, the fact that there are 3 non-compactified spatial dimensions, and many others. Explanations as to why this is the case have been all over the map, and the issue intersects deeply with questions of creationism and intelligent design.

One of the argument, outlined by Lawrence Krauss here, is that the large number of seemingly life-conducive parameters may be an artifact of our lack of understanding of physics. We are learn more, several factors that seem to be unrelated may turn out to be multiple manifestations of the same phenomenon.

While I don’t think that intelligent design is the best solution for the fine tuning problem, this explanation doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. For one thing, it is rather hand-wavy. It appeals to things that we might know in the future, but without a clear sense of what those things might be. Second, even if this argument holds, it remains unclear why a deeper theory of physics should have any cases where it resolves into a universe that is conducive for life, and thus is it unclear to me why, even if different parameters that are conducive for life turn out to be related, this should resolve the paradox.

Intelligent design is one of those topics that I avoided when it was a much more active area of debate, but now that it has calmed down somewhat, I would be interested in understanding these issues better.

Anniversaries

Yesterday, the news was occupied with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

George W. Bush gave a speech that I thought was interesting for two reasons.

First, and this was the issue that most of the news coverage picked up, was that Bush equated domestic terrorism with foreign terrorism and portrayed the two as being comparable threats. I would have found such a statement from a prominent figure unthinkable 20 years ago, especially from Bush. But I think it goes to show the extent to which the United States has again become an inward looking country. This is the normal state, at least that I can remember. Of the presidential elections I am old enough to remember (since 1992), the 2004 election was the only one where foreign issues were dominant.

I would reckon this state of affairs began with 9/11, and it was definitely over with the onset of the Global Financial Crisis, though it could have ended with Donald Rumsfeld’s departure from the Defense Department, or maybe sooner with events that eroded Bush’s standing, including the Terry Schiavo incident, the failed attempt to reform Social Security, and Hurricane Katrina.

Bush’s foreign policy during these years was a weird mix of anti-terrorism and Wilsonian democracy-promotion. Such a combination was probably never stable. Now the “America First” movement is strong politically. There is bipartisan opposition to immigration and trade, two issues where Bush was a proponent. In justifying the withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Biden was keen to emphasize that ongoing combat would not have been in the US interest. The political right has made hay for obvious partisan reasons and because the withdrawal was executed so badly, but they were much happier with Trump championed the same policy. Such is the degree of the inward turn that even Bush himself has to respond to it.

The second interesting point was on the idea of national unity. There is a certain 9/11 nostalgia now that pines for the apparent sense of unity that prevailed immediately after the attacks. It would appear to be distinct from, but related to, the idea of the “Sputnik moment” that prevailed in the aftermath of the 1957 Soviet launch of Sputnik, or current anticommunism and anti-Chinese sentiments. It is the hope that widespread recognition of an external threat can suppress internal acrimony and catalyze a more dynamic posture than Americans have shown in recent years. Though it has never been clear to me what this apparent unity is supposed to mean.

Tomorrow I am also noting the first anniversary of my brain aneurism. In the months after the event and my recovery from it, I have more or less resumed the patterns of living that I had pre-stroke. Perhaps some things are subtly different, such as a more visceral appreciation for the fragility of life and a greater sense of seriousness with which I pursue my goals.

I still get the chills, though, when I think about how close I came to death. I was unlucky that event happened in the first place, of course, but given that it did, I was fortunate to have a successful operation. Based on what doctors said in the hospital, I probably wouldn’t have survived if this had happened in 2001. I was fortunate to have access to a good (albeit expensive) health care system. I was also fortunate that the aneurism struck when I was in a well-trafficked hallway of my apartment building, so I was found almost right away.

In happier anniversary news, next week I will be celebrating my 40th birthday.

[ilovemyarchitect]

Rosario Mannino was born and raised in New Jersey.  He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Florida Atlantic University and a Professional Certificate from New York University in Construction Project Management. Eight years after graduating from FAU, Mannino founded the Architect-Led Design-Build company RS|MANNINO Architecture + Construction.  RS|MANNINO builds on our diverse professional and construction backgrounds to provide a balanced and thoughtful approach to our clients’ projects. Together with our trusted network of professionals, trade and supplier resources, we bring the expertise and hands-on experience in architecture, design, engineering, construction trades, and project management necessary to make every project we take on a success. They approach everything we do with a commitment to an integrated design and construction process.  For more information visit them online Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn; Website

ILMA INTERVIEW

When did you first become interested in Architect-Led Design-Build?

I knew I wanted to be an architect from a very young age.  Growing up around construction, I was so intrigued by the entire process.  I loved being on the job site watching the architectural plans unfold into a beautiful home or building.  I always thought I had to decide on which path to pursue: architecture vs. construction/office vs. jobsite.  I had been exploring the idea of both disciplines from a very young age, and it grew into a focused research project for me by the time I reached high school.  I don’t think there was ever this “ah ha” moment.  It was a passion that I had from the start.

Can you describe the process of ALDB?

As the Architect, we contract with the owner both to design and to construct a building, and we procure the construction services by contracting directly with the various construction trades.

Can you walk us through a typical project?

In ALDB, we start our projects very similarly to a traditional method.  We start with a budget and scope.  If the budget and scope are approved, we start to design.  Once we complete our schematic design, we provide an updated preliminary estimate.  Once we confirm we are within budget, we continue to refine the design and the cost estimates.  We want our clients to be informed and included throughout the entire process.   This factor creates a trusting relationship between our firm and our clients.  With our method, the clients only need to communicate with us.  There are less parties involved making communication much more efficient.

How are the fees structured?

Depends on the complexity and size of the project; some are hourly design fees with the Construction documents set at a fixed fee which is determined after Schematic Design.  Most of our projects are defined well enough that we can provide a professional fee plus reimbursable expenses.  Our Construction Management fee is a fixed fee which also includes a pre-construction management fee.  Occasionally we will perform Construction as a fixed price.

What are some of the risks and rewards of ALDB?

If a problem arises, there is only one place to point the finger.  In the traditional design-bid-build method, miscommunication between Architect and Contractor can cause unnecessary tension.  With ALDB, the entire process is much more cohesive creating a team-like environment. The clients also feel a sense of comfort when only having to communicate with one entity.

What are the three greatest challenges with ALDB process?

Higher Insurance premiums – This is one of the main reasons why we separate our business entities, having separate insurance for both entities and separate contracts for the client.

Most Architecture firms can take on smaller projects if the work load is slowing down, and most builders have very small overhead to compensate for the slower times. With ALDB, you need to have separate staff for both Architecture and Construction; it’s a bigger machine to feed.

Training new staff is much more of an investment because overall, they are becoming much more knowledgeable about our whole profession. There is even more training involved because new staff must learn both Architecture and Construction. It is extremely gratifying to educate Architects to think in a different way.

What are the three greatest advantages of ALDB?

One of the best advantages of being an ALDB firm is that we get to work directly with the craftsmen themselves to discuss how we can make improvements to the project; it is a learning experience for both of us. We appreciate this close relationship, and I am certain our craftsmen enjoy working in close contact with the designer. The designer and the craftsman work directly together.

As the Architect, we take on a role that allows better control of project budgets, schedules, and overall project quality, including the quality of design.

It’s so much fun. I think it’s so much fun because we are truly going back to being Master builders. As Architects we love to problem solve; that’s what we do all day long, but now it’s even more in depth and more dynamic.

Do you see ALDB as a way for Architects to take back “control” of the design and construction process?

For certain markets, yes.  I have had the pleasure of working on projects with unlimited design budgets, having total control of the project as the Architecture firm.  In reality, not every client is going to have an unlimited budget.  The client relationship in ALDB is far greater than in a traditional design-bid-build method.  We have found our clients to be so much more appreciate of our talents on our design-build projects vs. our design only jobs.  Some of our design jobs have a 2-3 month duration, followed by phone calls and quick site meetings.  In design-build, we have a much closer relationship with our clients; most of them feel like family before the project is over!

Why do you think that most Architects, Clients and Contractors shy away from ALDB?

For Architects, it is not necessarily something they ever thought about because they weren’t introduced to it.  We are trained in (most) schools to be Starchitects with grand budgets.  After school and our internship is completed, most architects find the niche they are most comfortable in.  I cannot say that ALDB is easy nor is it for everyone to pursue.  There is a more executive and dynamic role; there is a much more entrepreneurial mode to ALDB as opposed to running a boutique design firm.  You can be a one-person design firm, but to do design-build you need to build a solid team.  The daily tasks of designing, managing the office, managing the sites, and keeping finances in order is not for everyone, nor can one person do it all.  It requires a great team, and we are fortunate to have that.

I have not yet met a client who shied away from ALDB. However, we do work on design only jobs.  This usually happens when the client already has a relationship with a contractor.  We are agreeable to this because we can only build so much, and we want our clients to be comfortable with who they are working with.

For contractors, there is a sense of losing the market.  Good builders and contractors should not be concerned.  They may choose to adapt, but to be honest I do not think this will be some sweeping trend in the AEC industry.

What are some of the tools you use (from AIA, NCARB, Insurance Company, Other Professional Organizations) to help you manage your firm’s performance and reduce risk?

I have read a lot of literature on ALDB; the AIA has a few great articles as well as a book on ALDB.  There is an organization specifically for design-build called Design Build Institute of America (DBIA).  This organization is geared more toward government and large-scale projects.  There are also a few attorneys who have published articles on ALDB that have been very helpful.

My research has lead me to separate my design and construction contracts, but each project is unique.  I treat each project differently.  I cannot really say I have a set method because our scale of work differs so greatly, spanning a large spectrum.  On one end, we have worked on small kitchen renovations, and on the other end we have done new construction on vacant lots.

What is the percentage of ALDB your firm is currently working on – what are the major differences between traditional project delivery vs ALDB projects?

Being recently engaged in a few large multi-family developments, we’ve found that we are providing more than the basic services on those scale projects.  This is due to our experience.  Developers are taking advantage of our management and construction background.  Our role is much more than just producing design documents.   I would say we are about 60% design only and 40% ALDB projects.

Is there anything you would like to see to make the ALDB even better for future projects?

I hope to see more architecture schools incorporating some type of design-build programs.  If Architects played a larger role, communities would greatly benefit.  It would be nice if ALDB gained more popularity so that clients can learn to appreciate Architects playing a larger role.

For more exclusive ILMA interviews click here.

We would love to hear from you on what you think about this post. We sincerely appreciate all your comments – and – if you like this post please share it with friends. And feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss ideas for your next project!

Sincerely, FRANK CUNHA III I Love My Architect – Facebook

  Our Exclusive ILMA Interview with Rosario Mannino @RSMannino Rosario Mannino was born and raised in New Jersey.  He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Florida Atlantic University and a Professional Certificate from New York University in Construction Project Management.

[westfallingforchaol]

Fantasy (more specifically high fantasy) is one of those genres that I can never have enough of. Whether it’s television, the big screen, or books, fantasy is the one thing I always return to when I’m feeling uninspired or slump-y. And because I’m such a big fan of such a vast genre, I obviously have favorite tropes that I always turn towards. I’m pretty much always looking for fantasy books with these tropes, and most of my favorite books utilize them brilliantly. So, let’s get into it.

Royals living away from their homes; whether it’s because they’re hiding, in exile, or leaving voluntarily, this trope results in fantastic development & characterization.

Whether it’s because of an arranged marriage they’re trying to flee, or because their parents died in suspicious circumstances so they’re running to save themselves, royals leaving their homes and luxuries behind is one of my favorite tropes. Mainly because there are a myriad of discussions that can be had if this is the case. For one, leaders living sheltered lives behind the walls of their castles can never truly be good leaders; more often than not, the trope uses the opportunity to disguise said royal as a commoner. The royal lives amongst laypeople, makes acquaintances, begins to understand the struggles that they never would have had they stayed holed up in their previous life. This trope directly results in a well-rounded character, who – if or when they take back their home – can be a leader for the people.

A good example here is Jon Snow from A Song of Ice & Fire. Despite not being a royal, he’s still lived his entire life as the child of one of the most powerful people in the kingdom. He has a nice room in a big castle, people who listen to him; he has luxuries, teachers, trainers, a family, a home. But he has a very skewed understanding of honor, responsibility and leadership until he joins the Night’s Watch and gets to know people from all over the Seven Kingdoms. He’d thought he would be surrounded by brave men full of honor, but is instead forced to call criminals his brothers. He learns about the conditions that lead poverty-stricken people to commit crimes, like stealing food or money, and comes to understand that there are different types of bravery, different types of honor. This genuine understanding of the plight of common folk, their wants, needs, and the things he saw while living away from luxury are what give him the upper hand in becoming a good ruler. He’s developed from the first book – from a kind, generous young man who was mostly sheltered and ignorant, to a kind, generous young man who knows more, who’s understood more, who can become the leader for the people instead of a leader because of blood.

E X A M P L E S

Schools. Give me all the schools in fantasy books. I don’t care if you’re studying about how fast horses decompose- just give it to me.

I love fantasy schools, and Hogwarts is obviously the greatest school of all-time, but its existence seems to be detrimental to other fantasy series with schools. Mainly because no matter how different the school is, every new fantasy series that contains one is automatically compared to Harry Potter. Which is awful, because fantasy leaves so much room for so many different types of schools.

There could be schools that teach magic, obviously, or there could be schools that teach history. What about schools that teach etiquette? Schools that teach royals how to behave royally? Law? Politics? What about assassin schools (those are always awesome, let’s be real).

A Song of Ice & Fire has the Citadel where maesters learn several crafts to become learned; The Seven Realms series has Oden’s Ford, that teaches etiquette, magic, and several other trades. Like I said, there is infinite wiggle room when it comes to schooling in fantasy. It doesn’t have to be a traditional school setting either – it could be training, or tournaments where lessons are taught, or tutoring in history. Just give me more schools in fantasy! And for the love of God – while you’re at it – stop comparing every book with a school to Harry Potter!

E X A M P L E S

Politics and civil war. Don’t know what side to root for? That’s a great fantasy.

World-building in its materialistic form is fantastic. I love maps as much as the next person; I enjoy reading about different continents, cultures, peoples, moral values, governing systems, etcetera. Magic building is wonderful, as well, but what makes a fantasy truly great? To me, it’s politics. For a fantasy to immediately capture my attention, it has to have people on all sides that I am rooting for, even if there is a clear good and bad dynamic. I want to see people lurking in the shadows, vying for power; I want to see nobles’ deceiving their lieges because they want more political influence. Politics has made and broken our world since the dawn of time, and fantasy books without a political system in place seem incomplete.

Civil war is an extension of this political aspect; when politics plays a huge role in a fantasy series, when the players of the game are well-developed and interesting, war is inevitable. But war is never pleasant. It’s confusing, and muddled, and very rarely is it as binary as “This side is good, this side is bad.” Well written war, and well-written politics has innocent people dying on both sides. There are people you can root for and understand on both sides, which is why the situation is so tense and gripping.

The series that does this best is obviously A Song of Ice & Fire. Despite there being lines within your mind about who the good guy is, and who the bad guy is, you’re still rooting for characters on both sides of the spectrum. The political aspect of hegemony, imperialism, revolution and rebellion, of monarchy, usurping, treaties and deceits and reward and punishment? That’s what makes the series so fantastic. Politics and complicated, grey dynamics are realistic and complex, and give storytelling a layer that nothing else possibly can.

E X A M P L E S

Tournaments and Competitions. Characters showcasing their skills in a fully competitive setting? Yes, please.

Tournaments have become a cliché now, but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t the biggest sucker for tournaments. There’s so many things a writer can do while writing tournaments, from showcasing characters’ skillsets, their personalities under stress and pressure, seeing them learn from their mistakes, and get up after they’ve been pushed down, to showcasing magic systems, the cultures and practices of other peoples if it’s a nationwide tournament. The tournaments could serve as a backdrop for politics and scheming, or they could just be plain old fun.

Perhaps the most legendary tournament for me is the Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter, because Rowling utilized it perfectly by mixing themes of first love and coming-of-age with Harry’s first real encounter of darkness, death, war and politics. But there was a lot more to it – the world-building was expanded greatly as we got to see what was under the waters around Hogwarts, we got to encounter different species (merpeople, dragons), as well as different plants. We got to see our characters use their skills under grueling conditions, but we were also given glimpses into the properties of fame, of celebrity. The tournament tested friendships, and loyalties, and it broke relationships while it made others. For me, tournaments – apart from being a hell of a fun time – are perfect backdrops to explore world-building, politics and characterization.

E X A M P L E S

The anti-hero. They do things that are morally ambiguous, and it’s sometimes difficult to root for them, but they’re some of the best characters you’ve ever read.

Anti-heroes and anti-villains are my favorite types of characters, in any genre, period. But in fantasy, they hold a special place in my heart, simply because there’s a lot more they can experiment with and get away with in fantasy stories (using magic, honor, war, etcetera). There’s nothing quite as satisfying as reading a good anti-hero. Heroes bore me; you already know you’re supposed to root for them, no matter what they do, because they’re ultimately the good guy.

Anti-heroes make you doubt yourself, they make you doubt the author’s intentions, the story, the other characters, what’s good and what’s evil, and this quality of thought-provoking characterization is my absolute favorite thing in writing. Morally complicated characters who don’t fit neatly into boxes are the fucking best, man. They keep you on your feet, and if they ever undergo a redemption arc, you’re left amazed at how meticulously the writer built up a certain character, naturally tore them down, and built them back up – better and stronger. There’s so much literary power in anti-heroes that I will devour most every book that has one as its main character.

E X A M P L E S

That’s all for my favorite fantasy tropes! I’m thinking of making another post that talks about tropes that are less fantasy-specific, so let me know if you’d be interested in that. Also tell me – do you enjoy these tropes? What other tropes do you like? And definitely give me recommendations!

5 Fantasy Tropes I Love Fantasy (more specifically high fantasy) is one of those genres that I can never have enough of.

[tombraider-china]

Exclusive Interview with Phillip Sevy - Tomb Raider Comic Artist

June: Could you introduce yourself to the fans in China? (How did you become a comic book artist? What was your first comic book? How many series have you done so far and which ones are your favorite?)

Phillip: Sure. My name is Phillip Sevy and I’ve been working in comics for a few years now. I’ve wanted to draw comic professionally since I was 9 years old and bought a copy of Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s X-Men #1. It’s been a long road (I started showing my portfolio of comic art at San Diego Comic Con in 1999) but I love making comics and am blessed to be able to do so. After attending the Savannah College of Art and Design I drew a miniseries called “The F1rst Hero” for Action Lab comics before placing as a runner-up in the Top Cow talent hunt. For Top Cow I drew a few oneshots for their Aphrodite IX series before I drew issues 5 – 8 of “The Tithe.” While drawing The Tithe, I got offered Tomb Raider, so I drew two series at once for a few months (I don’t recommend this as sleep and life was sacrificed to do this – ha!).

Since the end of Tomb Raider, I’ve turned my attentions toward my own projects. I released a scifi oneshot for free online called “Paradox.” (you can read it at paradoxcomic.tumblr.com)

Around the same time, Drew Zucker and I started releasing our long-gestating horror series “The House” on Comixology that I’m just writing and Drew is drawing. Issue 5 of the series just came out and there will be 7 issues in total.

 Tomb Raider was a fantastic experience that introduced me to so many passionate and welcoming fans, but my favorite series (so far) has to be Paradox. It was short and very different from my other works, but it was very personal. It was also my first venture into creating a series where I do all aspects of production (writing, penciling, inking, coloring, and lettering). I’m working on a pitch for an longer series right now where I’m doing just about the same.

June: Most fans in China got to know you for the most recent Tomb Raider comics, could you tell us how did you start the Tomb Raider series? and how long did it take to complete those 12 issues?

Phillip: The editor of the first six issues or so was Patrick Thorpe and I met him over two years earlier at San Diego Comic Con. We had kept up with each other since then as I’d sent him samples of work. Early fall of 2015 I had emailed him some pdfs of the work I was doing for Top Cow as a way of updating him on what I was doing. I was busy with “The Tithe” and wasn’t looking for a new project at the moment, but Patrick responded and asked if I was available to start a new project that was “pretty big.” He called me up and as soon as he said ‘Tomb Raider” my heart skipped a beat. I was a big fan of the earlier Tomb Raider series that Top Cow had produced – Michael Turner was and is one of my all-time favorite artists. I knew that no matter how crazy my life would be – I HAD to draw Tomb Raider. I talked to him at about 6pm on a Monday night. I started the next morning.

It took me roughly 14 months to draw the 12 issues. I had deadlines that ranged from 3 – 5 weeks per issue, depending on a lot of factors. It was really hard and exhausting, but I wouldn’t have traded it. Looking at the numbers, I haven’t drawn the most issues of Tomb Raider (that record belongs to Andy Park, I believe), but I’m one of the longest runs by an artist on the title. I feel very proud to be able to say that.

June: In your opinion, what is the difference between your art style (in Tomb Raider series) from the other Tomb Raider comic artists (in Reboot or Classic Topcow version)

Phillip: I was very lucky in that I was allowed to put my style on the series. My style is more in line with the reboot comics/game – more realistic and grittier – but I think my work is darker and more textured than the reboot comics that came before. I loved being able to push the blacks and textures in my work.

June: What is the general process of making the artwork of this Tomb Raider comic series? Did you involve any other part other than line art?

Phillip: Again, I was very lucky to work with great collaborators. Mariko (Tamaki) would send me drafts of the scripts and ask for feedback or input. She looked at the work I was producing and found ways to play to my strengths and allowed me to cut loose. So even before I started drawing an issue, I’d have been involved in the issue. She’s a great writer and did a great job not only writing but making me feel apart of the process.

Once her scripts were approved by Crystal Dynamics, I’d work on layouts that would get approved by my editors. From there, I’d pencil the whole issue and send to CD for approval. From there, inks and approvals. After that, Michael Atiyeh would work his color magic while Michael Heissler would add the final touch of great letters.

 June: What was the most difficult part to you? Did you have to follow certain guidelines?

Phillip:It took me a little bit to get the look of Lara down right. I was drawing her too muscular at first. I have lots of female friends who are big into crossfit – so that got into my early drawings and I gave Lara much broader shoulders and muscled arms. Working with Crystal Dynamics, they helped me develop a look for her that was more consistent with the games. But after that, we were set.  

(Above is an early drawing of Lara Croft from page 2 of issue 1, which emphasized her muscular build)

(Published version)

June: We heard the storyline of this series was completed by both of you and the writer - Mariko Tamaki, could you tell us more about it? Did you make any twist on the storyline?

Phillip:There were a lot of great discussions and back and forth between Mariko and I as we worked on the book. Obviously, she’s an award-winning, fantastic writer so I always trusted the choices she made and did my best to bring them to life. One of the big areas of focus she had was the relationship Lara had with her friends – often times the price her friends paid because of Lara’s actions – but that her friends were what gave her the strength to do what she did. I believe I suggested that Jonah be the one to save Lara and shoot the head bad guy at the end of issue 6. Lara is strong and capable and can do anything because of who she surrounds herself with. She’s strongest when she’s with others. That’s part of her strength – her love.

June: Obviously, many TR comic followers were focusing on a specific character – Sam. In your interview of “20 Years of Tomb Raider”, you mentioned Sam is also your favorite character other than Lara Croft, what is your thought between these two characters? What is your explanations on the ending of #12 issue between Lara and Sam?

Phillip: What I love about the dynamic between Lara and Sam is that as far as Lara goes into the world of adventuring, cults, spirits, ancient evil, artifacts, etc – Sam is the person who grounds Lara and returns her to normalcy. Sam is who she cares about above all and it’s what will always guide Lara to do the right thing.

 As far as the ending to issue 12, I’m curious to see where the story goes from there. Obviously, we had some plans that we weren’t able to see through, but I know Tomb Raider is in good hands and I can’t wait to see where the story goes.

June: We noticed you started the series with pencil sketch and then transfer to digital process, what is the difference between the two process?

Phillip: My process evolved over the course of the year plus I spent on the book. The first five issues, I penciled digitally and then printed my pencils on the board and inked the pages by hand (combination of brush, nib, and pen). By issue 6, I switched to full digital work. As my deadlines got tighter, I had to find ways to speed up. It took about two full issues until I adjusted to the digital workflow, but I loved it. There were a few pages in each issue I’d normally ink by hand, but the bulk of 6 – 12 were done digitally.

With digital work, I was able to make corrections and changes much easier. I was also able to build 3d models of the environments for each issue and then drop them into my pages and ink over them.

June: What is the current comic book you are doing ?Will you come back for the future TR series?

Phillip: I’m working on a new series that I’m writing, penciling, inking, and coloring. It’s the first time I’m doing full-fledged colors on a sequential work and it’s been both intimidating and exciting. The project doesn’t have a publisher yet, but I’m pitching it to a few companies next month. Fingers crossed that I’ll be able to announce it in the next six months or so.

I would love to come back and do more Tomb Raider work. Even though I got to do 12 issues, it felt like I was just starting to hit my stride.

June: Would you like to say anything to your fans in China? Many of them want to become a comic book artist, what is your advises to them?

Phillip: I want to thank them for the support of the series, my work, and Tomb Raider, in general.

As far as becoming a comic artist – if I can do it – anyone can. Ha! Each market for comics is very different, so the best advice I can give is to educate yourself. You don’t have to go to formal art school, but study anatomy, visual storytelling, perspective, etc. Just practice won’t make you a great artist – you need to study your craft and then practice.

It has been a great pleasure to get to know and talk to Mr. Sevy and found out all the back story about this most recent Tomb Raider comics series. Mr. Sevy is very easy to communicate with and super friendly to talk to, many of us adore his artworks and the image of Lara Croft that he drew in this series. He is definitely one of my favorite Tomb Raider comic artist other than Andy Park.

If you are interested in his artwork, please visit his face book page or other social medias (see below).

Facebook:  facebook.com/phillipsevycomicart

Twitter：@phillipsevy

Instagram： @phillipsevycomicart

Personal illustration of Lara Croft

中英文双语版请点击这里

[comicteaparty]

August 19th-August 25th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from August 19th, 2019 to August 25th, 2019.  The chat focused on Rainy Day Dreams by Mariah Currey. 

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START! Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Rainy Day Dreams by Mariah Currey~! (http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until August 25th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What wish do you think Tristin wanted to make with the orb? Similarly, what do you think Tristin’s backstory is in general? Lastly, what do you think the orb actually is given it’s considered a high crime to try and take it?

Kabocha

1. My favorite scene... Honestly? Probably when young Mara realized how to actually control her power for her own defense. Just... Let it roll off ya... http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/comic/page-454/ 2. Honestly. I think she was honestly thinking it would help get her home, and was gonna use that wish to open a portal back. I dunno how she got lost in this world, but aaaaa. Oh well. The orb probably has some very powerful properties - maybe it can fudge with reality somehow? Or it keeps reality stable in the area it's in? I dunno that it ultimately matters too much though.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. What sordid things do you think Michael was involved with in his past, and why did he choose to turn a new leaf now? Also, do you believe that Michael will eventually tell Tristin he’s a vampire? If so, how will that conversation go?

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene is probably the one where Tristin, after sneaking out to get gifts for Mara, bumps into Mara. http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/comic/page-330/ I just found it to be an immenseoly touching scene since Mara doesn't get mad, she just gives Tristin a hug. Meanwhile, Tristin grew as a character and actually acknowledged a lot of faults. And the way Tristin worried really was presented in such an identifiable way that I super related, so honestly, it kind of made me feel better about some anxieties I generally have since everything worked out fine. 2) Honestly I kind of feel it was for something serious. Like Tristin wants to bring someone back to life. Wish her family out of debt cause someone is sick and dying and all the medical bills are killing them. Cause I definitely get the impression that despite Tristin's general go-lucky attitude, there's some serious secrets being kept in the closet that when they come out, Tristin will try to laugh and brush them off as no big deal (even though they're a big deal). Meanwhile, I bet the orb basically follows genie logic. In that you have to be damn specific with your wish or else whoops, you undid the fabric of reality cause you couldnt work things good.

Kabocha

Oh, that was an enjoyable scene too, Rebel! Tristin is kind of an anxious mess, and this world hasn't been real kind to her, either...

3. I think my favorite character is probably Aldus, honestly. Aldus is a cinnamon roll. Too good, too pure for this world. Made a mistake, but was happy to at least own up to it. 4. ....AHAHAHAHA I think Tristin finding out he's a vampire is inevitable. I think she's probably going to not... be too into that... Unless she gets her hands on a copy of any book which features hawt vampire boys and ANGST. And then that'll just... that'll be a thing, I'm sure. I think Michael's past is another story though. There's probably a trail of bodies to help illustrate the point...

mariah currey

Aldus is such a good boy~ TuT Also, I'm just here lurking and enjoying your responses (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

Kabocha

Heya~ And yes, Aldus is kind of the best, I think. Mara's a close second, but... Aldus is such a precious boy. :3

snuffysam

I've only gotten through the first 14 chapters but I'm loving the comic so far! My favorite scene was actually the tall tales from chapter 6. I love seeing cute little slice-of-life interactions like that between main characters - it really fills their personalities out! My favorite character is Mara. She's just so cool, and I love how she's transitioned from this mysterious aloof figure into being a parental/sibling figure for Tristin.

Doodyp0p

1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it? Favorite scene so far has been the Academy Trio's training/mission montage. The why; I love Mara and Aldus' friendship, but adding in Desmond really hit me good. Friendship is my jam. 2. What wish do you think Tristin wanted to make with the orb? Similarly, what do you think Tristin’s backstory is in general? Lastly, what do you think the orb actually is given it’s considered a high crime to try and take it? At this point I haven't really considered Tristin's backstory actually. It's weird but I like taking Tristin for what she is here and now, and not thinking about her past. 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor? Mara, hands down. At first it was Michael- but the academy stuff sent Mara to the top of the list hardcore. Her growth in her past is amazing, but thinking about her at the start of the story in juxtaposition is really interesting. You get to see layering of character developments for her. It feels much more real as believable person. 4. What sordid things do you think Michael was involved with in his past, and why did he choose to turn a new leaf now? Also, do you believe that Michael will eventually tell Tristin he’s a vampire? If so, how will that conversation go? Sordid things? I have no question Michael is a tortured soul with actually no guilt. He may have been mildly involved in Tabitha's stuff in that he was forced to do things against his will. But no way did that soft boy do bad things with joy, I figure he left because she finally pushes him too far. As for Tristin, I think Tristin will approach him but I don't think he will hide it at this point. He's trying to open himself, he wants to be apart of the group, but Michael is just too much of an emo kid to let things go.(edited)

mariah currey

It's only mild spoilers, but the next chapter is gonna be all about Michael's secrets spilling out all over the place. I'm so excited to finally be getting to it

Doodyp0p

I can't wait to see how wrong I am lol

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. What do you think happened to Desmond, who Mara cared about deeply? Is he alive somewhere, or is he dead? If alive, why hasn’t he returned? If dead, what do you think exactly caused him to die?

RebelVampire

3) My favorite character is actually probably Tristin. I kind of feel like Tristin is the underdog of the story who is just expected to be happy, go-lucky, and kind of irresponsible. And while that's probably true, I also think she's the glue that holds the family together since Mara and Michael both have a penchant to take care of her and both seem to care most about what she thinks. 4) Michael probably, ya know, did the typical vampire stuff. Murdered some people, drank some blood, punched someone in the face for looking at him funny. Think like a super angsty rebellious teen. As for why a new leaf? Honestly, I think he just grew up and grew out of it and decide it was boring and not getting him anywhere. And as for him telling Tristin he's a vampire, yes. I feel that's inevitable. I'm actually kind of expecting a twist here. Like Tristin is like "wait youre a vampire? that was the secret? seriously?" and just overall sees it as no big deal since Michael hasn't eaten her. I think there'll be some awkwardness, but I think it'll be harder on Michael than Tristin. Tristin seems more the type to be anxious just from the idea of secrets as opposed to concerned about the secrets themselves.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. What was your reaction to Mara’s bullying situation at school, and/or what did you identify with most about it? What is a message we can take away regarding bullying given what happened to Mara?

RebelVampire

5) Definitely the bottom panel from here http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/comic/page-250/. I love the touch of color added here cause it makes the wall picture seem more ethereal since nothing else uses that much color. I also love the angle cause it gives it this sense of grandeur that really makes you kind of feel how others probably feel seeing the pic. 6) I'm gonna be optimistic and assume Desmond isn't dead and has instead been trapped somewhere. Like in some other world and can't get a portal home or something like that. So while Desmond wants to return, he can't. Only I hope it doesn't turn into one of those things where Desmond can only come back by trading places with Tristin, forcing Mara to maake the most impossible of impossible choices.

snuffysam

@RebelVampire What if Desmond got trapped on Earth, in the same way Tristin is trapped here? And some nice family took him in! Anyway, I'm finally caught up! For number 8 - thankfully I don't identify with it much, but the feeling of literally everyone being against you is pretty universal regardless of the specific type of bullying. As for lessons - the big takeaway in my mind is that if you see a victim, try to talk to them. Even if you're not able to stop the bullying, a friend is a valuable thing to be.(edited)

RebelVampire

@snuffysam Wait didn't Tristin mention a brother? What if the plot twist is that it's an adopted brother and it was Desmond the whole time.

Whimsy Machine

1) Favorite Scene? I'm going to second the training montage scene with Mara, Aldus, and Desmond. It's a great upswing from how hard things started out, still has a lot of struggling together, and feels like it could be a high fantasy adventure story. 2) The Orb? Full disclosure: I'm privy to spoilers, so I'll skip the speculation questions.

3) Favorite Character? I have a running joke that Tabitha is my favorite character and she's misunderstood, but she is just a very bad baby. I really like the weird side characters, like Kadri, Kiara, Freya; the tenants; the shopkeeps in town; I think they do a lot to really round out how strange The Nameless World is. But of course I love the main trio. And Romeo. I just love them all. 4) Michael's a Vampire? I really like the tension between Michael and Tristin. They're very good foils for each other and the undertone of dangerous secrets is a good balance to the swooning Tristin and like when Michael gets cocky and smug because he thinks he's in control.

Whimsy Machine

5) Favorite Illustration? It's an older one, but I really love what pages 33-34 represent: http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/comic/page-33-and-34/. As a contrast to the first time Tristin looks out at the auction house and sees all the monsters, she gets to explore a safer, more contained area on something closer to her own terms. She gets to see first hand that things are actually weird and often scary in this world. We also get to see that Mara already has an apparent history of collecting misfits. 6) Is Desmond Okay? ....I'm sure he's fiiiine.

Whimsy Machine

7) Favorite Interactions? Tristin interacting with everyone and the world has been fun to see. It feels like she goes in steps of wildly overconfident, humbled by the reality of the situation, emboldened by experience, and then wildly overconfident again... Seeing Mara's interactions with peers in her past versus now is a super cool comparison, especially since we see Mara and Aldus talking as adults first, then we get a new context with all their backstory. 8) Mara's Bullying? This is a difficult but, I think, very important chapter. Silent bystanders in situations of bullying have so much power to intervene. We find out later that many of the students didn't agree with Saava and what he was saying and doing, but their inaction positions them as complicit in both Saava and Mara's eyes. Since they were quiet, it was up to Mara to have an enormous amount of strength to fight the bullies, the system, the whole culture around it. It could've been so much easier for her if she had gotten that support—or even if the bystanders had not gone along with Saava—before the breaking point.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. Who exactly do you think Astrid was, and how do you think she managed to amass so many followers to her cause to the point of causing a war? Why are followers of her resurfacing now of all times?

RebelVampire

7) The characters I enjoy seeing interact the most are probably Tristin and Mara. They're both very different from each other, while at the same time wanting to do right by each other. While at the same time not really revealing much about each other (at least until recently). And it's such a contrasting yet cohesive relationship that it's endearing to see them together making their situation work. 8) My reaction to Mara being bullied was actually one of surprise. Given how well-respected we see Mara is now, you wouldn't imagine she would be the sort of person to be bullied. Like she doesn't even remotely fit the stereotype for person you'd expect to be bullied. But I think that's a good thing as well, since I think that's a good message to take away from the comic. A good lot of people have experienced bullying at some point in their life, even the people you don't think would be bullied. So it's good to be kind and respectful and not automatically assume someone had a perfect life just cause they don't fit what is usually shown for bullying situations.

9) The use of different outfits. It is always refreshing to see instances where its noticeable that the characters are changing outfits a lot. Makes it feel like they're actually living their life and that clothing is a survival thing that needs to be addressed. 10) I think Astrid was probably someone like Tristin maybe. Wanted the orb, whoops got trapped, but then someone took pity on her. As for how she amassed so many followers, I assume generally what politicians do: lots of grandiose speeches saying, "I can fix everything." Cause while Mara may seem to have a high opinion of her world and think it's not that bad, I think at least vampires would beg to differ since they seem pretty looked down on. And we also saw Mara's school situation so, ya know, I think it's less rosey than she makes it out. As for why the followers are resurfacing, who knows. Maybe they got new info, or maybe they were just bored and needed something to do after the 100th game of go fish.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. Why do you think Mara tried to obscure herself so drastically after the war that she was apparently a hero in? Do you think Mara will be able to solve the mystery of the thefts, or do you think she’ll struggle from being out of practice?

Doodyp0p

5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far?  What specifically about it do you like? http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/comic/page-281/ I really like how it's pulled back in after we see it at the party. But also just a very good illustration. There's a lot of good art in here, I love the chapter covers and in-between arts too. 6. What do you think happened to Desmond, who Mara cared about deeply?  Is he alive somewhere, or is he dead?  If alive, why hasn’t he returned?  If dead, what do you think exactly caused him to die? DESMOND- dear sweet Desmond, what a whirlwind. Hate, love, gone. I get the feeling he isn't dead, but won't return. Something mystical and magical is a foot. 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most?  What about their dynamic interests you? This is a very tough question, I think I like the starting trio in the form of "The adults are talking." Tristin's interjections cut the serious time conversations between Mara and Micheal that I just eat up too hard.(edited)

8. What was your reaction to Mara’s bullying situation at school, and/or what did you identify with most about it?  What is a message we can take away regarding bullying given what happened to Mara? I felt it hit home, not in the exact same way though. Just in that it was hard to be around people because they weren't in it for me. I never really felt like I had a core set of friends until later in school, much like Mara finally becoming buds with Aldus and Desmond. Message would be something along the lines of "Learn to be okay with/by yourself." 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention? Lots of good threads and opens ends to keep you wondering if/when they will reappear. The artist isn't afraid to just draw it out. What I mean is, I see a lot of comics having a hard time with nondynamic images, and Mariah just goes for it. If they want this shot to happen, it's gunna happen. 10. Who exactly do you think Astrid was, and how do you think she managed to amass so many followers to her cause to the point of causing a war?  Why are followers of her resurfacing now of all times? Astrid I feel, is going to be a relatable villian, one with a cause we find out is very sympathetic to the reader. The resurfacing is probably because she's not actually gone- I have a feeling she is embedded somewhere, like maybe a stuffed bear or something? '(edited)

11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths?  What do you think makes this comic unique?  Please elaborate. It's unapologetic. This comic does what it wants, goofy moments? Check. Love stuff? Check. Action? Check. Slice of life? Check. The list could go on. But I think very few comic artists let themselves be free with what they do. And it's not always easy to do, not every story fits for it- but I think more stories could add elements of other writing/art genres to theirs like RDDs does. 12. Why do you think Mara tried to obscure herself so drastically after the war that she was apparently a hero in?  Do you think Mara will be able to solve the mystery of the thefts, or do you think she’ll struggle from being out of practice? I think Mara hid herself because "war is hell" and she's actually a very in tune person. I think if she had to do things under orders that she didn't agree with, it would affect her. She didn't run away at school, so she would have to commit some pretty terrible things she wouldn't want to be tied to anymore. I think she may struggle at first, but shes got a full team right now. She's likely to do fine.(edited)

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. Overall, what relationship problems do you see Tristin, Michael, and Mara having given Mara’s reactivation status? How might Tristin and Michael help or hinder her in regards to her job?

RebelVampire

11) I think the comic's strengths are characters and mystery. There's a lot of long game mysteries going on, yet the fact the characters hide things about themselves never feels unnatural. So while the drive to find out the answer to mysteries is strong, it always feels integrated into the story. its never there just for the sake of the comic having mysteries, so each answer feels like just getting to know someone. 12) Honestly, Mara was probably just exhausted. It sounds like she had a huge role in everything, and any sort of fight can be really draining. I get the impression this was a brutal war, especially for a world that apparently doesn't have these issues, so I think she was mostly just tired. Wanted to take a well-earned nap and not be bothered. As for solving the mystery of the thefts, it'll probably be a walk in the park and mostly just take a while cause ya know, investigations of this sort just take a while. its just the nature of them.

13) I am looking forward to learning more about Tristin cause I definitely think there's more than meets the eye and I think whatever we learn about Tristin is gonna make Mara and Michael see her in a different light. 14) I feel like Michael and Tristin are gonna be more concerned for Mara's safety than Mara will be. So will kind of hinder her by hovering going "Mara no that's dangerous." But at the same time I think it'll balance out cause Mara probably does need some people there to hang on and tell her to slow down and that she doesn't need to do everything herself, etc. etc.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Rainy Day Dreams this week! Please also give a special thank you to Mariah Currey for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Rainy Day Dreams, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://rainydaydreams.mariahcurrey.com/

Mariah’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mariahcurrey

Mariah’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/mariahcurrey

Mariah’s Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/mariahcurrey

Mariah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/RainyDayMariah

[bacondriver55-blog]

Ask Sam Mailbag: 04.19.19

What can I look forward to trade wise and free agent wise in the offseason and is Derrick coming home?

Devin Antus

Sam: It all depends. Oh, right, on May 14. Though John Paxson last week accurately said wishing and hoping isn’t a plan, much can change if the Bulls move up in the draft lottery drawing and have the rights to the first or second selections in this draft. Despite what some scouts suggest, there seem to be several good players who’ll do well in the NBA after the top two. Inevitably, someone always rises up to surprise after all the teams are sure he’s not there. But this year it’s pretty fixed that Zion Williamson and Temetrius “Ja” Morant are the primarily two team fixes for most teams, especially the Bulls. I’m personally not fully convinced of Zion’s impact without much shooting and at that size, but his marketing possibilities are enormous. And it as, as we often are told, a business. And he should be a very good player. Great, franchising changing? To be determined.

Morant for the Bulls would also be very good because he answers the biggest starting lineup question. There are, of course, smaller ones at every other position, but there are players there the Bulls believe will make the team a better team. They’re still not fully sure at point guard, though Kris Dunn’s journey hasn’t been a straight one thus far. So maybe there’s more there. If the Bulls fall outside the top two, they’ve indicated they’ll try to become more creative and daring than usual regarding exploring trading the pick along with perhaps even one of their core players and even throwing in future No. 1s, which they generally don’t do. And then as far as some $20 million can take you in the summer free agency bidding, which isn’t a top star, but a very good player or two. So there could be substantial change, which really cannot be known or planned for until that lottery drawing. For a lot of teams, actually, since I have heard a few already talking about trading Zion for an established star if they get him.

As for Rose, I expect there will be discussions and some interest from both sides.

I was reading in playoff previews how part of what is good about the Bucks is their clear pecking order.  It made me think back to those Bulls teams after Rose came back from injury.  I always wondered if part of their problem was they had The Guy Who Used to be The Man (Rose), The Guy Who Thought He Should be The Man (Butler), and The Guy Who Became The Man (Noah).  I’m an outsider, but I always thought that made for an interesting dynamic, that there was the possibility of competing centers of power.  Any validity to that thought?

Craig Berry

Sam: There is validity, though Noah never was quite “the Man,” as the definition goes for his lack of scoring. But more so at the time his deteriorating body. They did scratch out 42 wins then, which doesn’t look too bad in retrospect. That is one thing about rebuilding. It may be time, but it can be very long and painful and cost a lot of jobs as you try to get back where you were. I understand the concept; it’s not unlike financial investment. You want to do much, much better. But there’s risk, which means it may not work. Still, this is the rhythm of sports. Most everyone seems to accept the notion that being around .500 is the worst spot to be and you have to DO SOMETHING! Though sometimes being patient long enough to get lucky works. Though that, too, is really not a plan. And people want a plan! And now!

Oh, yeah, your question. Actually, this is a subject that was brought up a lot at Bulls media day before this season when everyone looked like they would play. The Bulls didn’t seem to have any great, but a lot of good. So what happens? Who’s “the Man?” There is something to that in having a primary scorer and player identified, which we saw was necessary when LeBron went to Miami and Wade eventually had to back off some for the good of the team. And it worked. It’s generally an organic process in which someone emerges. For now, it seems it’s Zach LaVine with the Bulls because he’s the only one who can produce a big shot at a big time. I believe the Bulls would like Markkanen to be that, but he has physical issues against pressure, which we saw after his good February when teams began attacking him. He needs a better go to move and more strength. Dunn was working toward that for awhile in the 2017-18 season, but hasn’t been able to regain much with all the injuries and changes to his role.

But, yes, at the time Derrick’s physical decline and Jimmy’s physical incline brought them to similar planes, where they butted heads over their roles, and as a rookie NBA coach Fred Hoiberg wasn’t able to mediate well enough. Noah couldn’t because he got hurt, and the Bulls at that point had to change directions. Though it looks bad in retrospect, what they did made sense, at least in theory, in trying to be patient afterward around Butler and accommodate him. They did want to give him a chance to be the guy and move forward with him. But Wade and Rondo—and Jimmy was the one who lobbied and pleaded for Wade—were the two wrong guys with the right idea, sort of the Curry/Chandler version of the 2001 rebuilding project. Wade still believed he was a star without the ability to be one and was that lit fuse in the middle of a fireworks factory. I believe you need some sort of talent hierarchy, and the Bulls still are working on that.

How do you think Jay Williams career would have turned out based on his progression during first year and talent?

Jeff Liechtenstein

Sam: Not as good as he did. I’ll admit I was leery about Yao, in part because I’ve never seen bodies that size hold up very long in the NBA, and I was glad the Bulls got Williams. Yao did better than I expected. And while he was an All-Star and cultural game changer, he wasn’t a serious impact player. He was hurt a lot and I think only played out of the first round once. I believed as I still do in the power of the point, or playmaker, in the NBA. It’s even more pronounced now. Williams looked like he might be that guy. He scored in college, shot well and seemed strong and was winning. It’s terrible he wasn’t able to realize a career with a stupid stunt that most everyone would walk away from with a scratch. Williams did have a high scoring triple double early that season playing against Jason Kidd. But he mostly was overwhelmed by more athletic players. He still was a kid, so he might have developed. But I never was around a player still so caught up in his college experience. Everything was always Duke did this and Coach K did that and it always seemed he wished every day he was back at Duke. It was a horribly, dysfunctional team, which didn’t help, and numerous players competing for the same position who didn’t like one another. He was really about six foot and not that explosive. I believe he would have had a good NBA career as a reserve or spot starter. But it was one of the worst drafts ever with Amar’e Stoudemire the rare exception at No. 9 and second rounder Carlos Boozer the next best player. Jay—formerly Jason, which was an unpopular Williams name then because of the Nets’ Jayson—seemed lost in Chicago and I still feel badly for his accident.

Any chance we keep Robin Lopez? Every time I have a favorite player he gets traded or signs somewhere else, am I cursed? lol Brand, Mercer, Gordon, Rose, Noah, Niko n now RoLo.

Adam Garcia

Sam: Ron Mercer? I suggest you get a Markkanen jersey. I believe he’ll be here quite awhile.

I'm a huge fan of team building and unlike most of our fans, actually have patience and see potential in our roster. My biggest fear in free agency this year is acquiring players that may push our young players already on the roster, further down the rotation. There's something to be said for on-job training. Hutch and Valentine specifically. The drop off from the starters to the bench is too dramatic. So I've compromised a list of pieces that I think will fit and compete.

-Pursue Dinwiddie or Dragic as starter -If Dragic is starter, still attempt 2 sign Dinwiddie as backup  -Keep Arci as 3rd pg -Niko or Taj (backup PF) -Re-sign Robin -Pursue Hood/Justin Holiday/Glen Robinson III -Trade Dunn. For picks/cash if necessary (if not, waive)  -Maybe waive Blakeney, Felicio, if no one bites in trade talks -Still have Hutch & Valentine -Valentine has to show and prove -Keep Selden? Maybe G-League prospects Lemon & Sampson?

Brandon Evans

Sam: Well, it’s a plan, I guess. Dinwiddie did sign earlier this season and Dragic is 33 next month, been hurt a lot and never much more than an individual scorer. Good player; not the future. Though your point makes the point that it’s not easy and requires your best players to get a lot better. The Bulls bench is a major issue and weakness, and yes it might get some help with the return of injured players like Valentine and Hutchison, the latter though still young and inexperienced. The larger issue is the starters being better, being more reliable and being supported and joined by real veteran players.

Thanks for mentioning Walt Lemon Jr. and Jakarr Sampson in your recap. Also, the diminished use of Antonio Blakeney. Management and the coaches miss dynamic players even when it is in front of their face. There is a ying and yang in basketball. When you have a distributing ball handling shooting guard like Denzel Valentine, he should be paired with a scoring point guard

Same is true at small forward. If you have a long range shooting power forward like Lauri Markkanan, you need a crafty banging small forward. Jordan Bell was misidentified as a "big" two years ago. He stand 6 foot 8 inches. I would have moved him to small forward and called an old Notre Dame alumni Adrian Dantley in to coach Mr. Jordan Bell how to be a prolific small forward near the basket. This is what visionaries do. They see talent and utilize it in creative ways.

I love the Bulls. They are to structured and tight on how they evaluate players. Get outside the box and stay outside the box. If I would have coached Shaquille O'Neal on shooting free throws...I would have had him hit the box on the backboard and bank it in. He couldn't have done worse and a guy with no shooting touch needs to focus on something different...even if no one has ever banked free throws. Ask Sam Sneed in golf putting about putting croquet style before it was outlawed and then putted sidesaddle. Just be creative and put each individual talent in a winning situation.

Glenn Smith

Sam: I like that sort of thinking even if I don’t agree with all the points. I do often see a universal sort of thought in sports, to see what works and then try to duplicate instead of seeing what you have and taking a chance trying it another way. That’s often how Don Nelson thought, though he often was criticized for never winning a title. He became viewed as doing something different for the attention rather than the effect, which was part jealousy and always some truth to it. What I see from too many teams is the way they fall in and out of love with players based on how they do where they are. Maybe the Bulls don’t need a point guard. Jordan was basically their point guard when they were coming along with Paxson (and a host of potential replacements) off the ball and then Pippen while Paxson the point guard was basically the spot up shooter. Of course, having the talent of Jordan and Pippen helped.

The Bell debate was askew because they weren’t taking him even if they kept the pick. What I see mostly with teams is they are afraid of innovation because it’s then too easy to be criticized and questioned. You have to be very strong and very committed to your philosophy, and if it doesn’t work right away, you may lose your job because it was so out of the box. It’s that business thing, and investment and results often don’t live comfortably with patience. Maybe if I’m the Bulls LaVine is the point guard and I have a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Doug McDermott, Nik Stauskas, Eric Gordon or Jodie Meeks type shooter with him? Antonio Blakeney, as you suggest? Fit and talent are a delicate marriage and not always easy to manage, especially if the guy who is paid more and is more talented perhaps isn’t the best fit. I remember talking to Phoenix Suns scouts when Mike D’Antoni was coach. They said they had to recommend drafting lesser talented players at times because they fit with the way D’Antoni was coaching. That management/coaching connection is more essential than often understood. I do believe the Bulls are adding the kind of players with versatile talents. But are they the right ones? And then is it better to subtract someone of more talent for someone who fits better? Those are the things that make up a team, an often elusive concept.

What do you think about the Embiid Flagrant foul?  Not sure if I’d call that a 1 or 2, but I do not think it was an ‘accident’.  Shaq argued that he didn’t haul off and elbow him. But looking at the replay, his elbow is higher & pointed out further from his body than is natural.  In a spin move, you want to keep your arms and the ball inside the span of your shoulders.  Outside of your shoulders, you have less strength and the ball is vulnerable to being snatched or tipped away.  They showed several clips of Shaq doing spin moves to -ahem – illustrate that it’s normal.  Yeah, it was normal for Shaq to clock guys like that… on purpose.

And how about them Clippers?  That really was a shock… probably even more so for Steve Kerr. I was recoding the game, but flipped to another channel when they were down 30.

When I looked back, there were only a few minutes… but the lead was down to 3.  So I backed it up to watch the 2nd half to see how the Clips came back, but I still expected Curry to hit a 3 or something to squeak out the W.  Either this will focus the Warriors, or it’s a portent of doom in later rounds.  IMHO, they thought it was over and stopped playing about 20 minutes too early.  It may be just the kick in the pants they need to take the playoffs seriously.  I’m still picking GS to win.

Art Alenik

Sam: Yes, playoff talk. People sometimes forget they are series and not NCAA elimination games. It’s OK to lose some games. It’s part of the test. First, I’m glad they didn’t eject Embiid. It seemed intentional, but enough with throwing guys out of playoff games. After all, the NBA’s foul out rule probably is obsolete as well. Pretty much no sport regularly ejects players for routine rules violations during a game. I think the officials dealt with it the right way: No harm, no ejection. If Allen were forced to leave the game as a result, then I’m OK with the reciprocal ejection. Basketball is a physical game, the playoffs are physical, and that’s why you want to get there. Because your players have no idea until they play in that environment. It does matter as carry over to the regular season because they don’t have that gene to finish games, which you get from the playoffs. I did see Embiid and Simmons laughing about Embiid’s alleged apology after the game, which struck me more about the insincerity of the apology. It’s an unusual group of 76ers players with attitude. It’s mostly a good trait, though it’s unclear if you have too many. They have a lot. As for the Clippers, this kind of season is what’s making them an appealing team for free agency. They have tough minded players and so don’t look that far away. It’s the benefit of having a .500 season and getting to the playoffs. I don’t expect them to win, either, but it’s not difficult to project a next step for them. Which is more bad news for LeBron and the Lakers. That should make a lot of people happy.

Who do you see coming out of the east??

Gorav Raheja

Sam: Thanks for giving me the extra week, and I still don’t know. I’ve had the 76ers all along with the additions of Butler and Harris, and I’ve still had problems figuring out why the Bucks have done so well. I know, Giannis is great, but I really don’t see another All-Star despite what the last All-Star game suggested. If Khris Middletion were on the Bulls he’d be the third or maybe fourth best player. That Bucks coach is a good one. There’s obviously some internal issues with the 76ers that you heard about even before they started texting on the bench. It’s perhaps inevitable when a coach goes through what Brett Brown did and then you bring in this group of incredibly strong willed people with Embiid, Simmons and Butler. Toronto seems still haunted by their fragility and Boston by their personal competitions. Which makes for a good first round and likely a very appealing second round to come.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/ask-sam-mailbag-041919

[redwhale]

The Curious Case of Chekov’s Thomas Hamilton.

Thomas (2x03): The new world is a gift, Lieutenant. A sacred opportunity to right our wrongs and begin a new - and I do not want my family's plot in it to be the reason for its fall. ...well, about that, Thomas.... I hate to say it.... Miranda (1x07): This path you're on, it doesn't lead where you think it does. If he were here, he'd agree with me!

The following is a stupidly, stupidly long prolonged ramble about the whos/whats/potential hows on the justification for a Thomas Hamilton return, one that originally came about after I started doing a series rewatch. There are lot of questions, and not a lot of answers, but I decided typing it out was probably better than zoning out in the vegetables section of the supermarket again, trying to puzzle out the great mystery of Chekov's Thomas Hamilton... which embarrassingly did happen. Twice. Once whilst staring at pumpkins.

Wherefore art thou, Mr Hamilton?

The following relevant quote is something @flinthamilton​ cleverly picked up on some time ago, which has been my soothing madness mantra ever since -

Thomas (2x01): They say it started with a man named Henry Avery, who sailed into the port of Nassau, bribed the colonial Governor to look past his sins, and camped his crew upon the beach -  and thus began the pirate issue on New Providence Island. Where and when will it all end - I suppose that's where you and I come into the story.

Even prior to the great Thomas Hamilton Unified Meltdown of 4x04, like with a lot of viewers, there was an odd ambiguity to Thomas' death that I could never shake. Thomas' death is a story within a story, first told to us via Richard Guthrie, and only ever glossed over with no true specifics outside of the implication from Guthrie that Thomas had committed suicide. Hilariously, nearly every leading character on the show has been thought to be dead at some point, with Madi, Silver, and the Walrus joining the club as of S4. (Didn’t the Walrus die twice?) I thought the ambiguity in regards to Thomas' demise was odd, but had come to terms with it by the end of S2, outside of the actual reasoning why Lord Hamilton was travelling under an assumed name.

...then comes along S3, with Flint being haunted by Miranda and Mistress Death in his day/dreams. I'd initially assumed the lack of Thomas was due to a scheduling conflict with Rupert Penry Jones, but there is an almost bizarre lack of Thomas mention throughout the dreams, which easily could have been worked around with the odd bit of dialogue to compensate for the lack of actor availability. I know some viewers were concerned the lack of Thomas was done in response to some of the homophobic backlash from S2. Considering Thomas is very much not forgotten for the rest of S3, with Flint nearly in tears in two occasions over his memory, I don't know if that was entirely the case. Miranda's comment in Flint's dream is still surprising, and in retrospect, could have meant more than one person alongside of Silver's valuable companionship for Flint:

Miranda (3x05): You can't see it yet, can you? You are not alone.

On the assumption Thomas will show up at the end of the series, seeing Thomas interact with Flint in Flint's dreams would lessen the punch significantly. We've seen Thomas and McGraw interacting in flashbacks. We saw Miranda Barlow and Captain Flint interacting for a season, and then with S2, were introduced to the Miranda Hamilton and James McGraw that came before. Understandably, considering Thomas’ currently dead status, we have not seen the dynamic change between Thomas and McGraw of the flashbacks to Thomas with the Flint of the present. A conversation between Thomas and Flint, even in a dream, would come with a lot of baggage on Flint's behalf that would be odd not to mention - forgiveness, penance, loss, legacy. You couldn't have Flint and Thomas in a dream sequence without discussing at least some of those aspects of Flint, and it would again lessen the later emotional punch significantly if Thomas were to return, and then rehash the same issues in person. It would be a bigger emotional punch to see Thomas and James together for the first time since the flashbacks as the men they both now are after a decade, as opposed to Flashback!Thomas interacting with Flint in a dream. Just visually, there is quite a shocking difference between James McGraw and Captain ‘Walter White’ Flint of S3/4. (Walter Flint. Captain White.)

Again, it's not like the showrunners were handwaving in S3 how much Thomas had meant to Flint. Mentions of Thomas and his legacy are a big part of the Flint and Rogers meet and greet on the beach, with Flint blinking back tears over Rogers’ queries. He's in a similar state explaining Thomas' story to Silver in 3x10, with Silver wanting to know who Flint is really fighting this war for. Even as of 4x04, the loss of Thomas - even a decade later - is still a very, very raw wound for Flint.

...I will also never get over how darkly funny it is for Flint to show up on the beach, ready to grind Rogers under his heel, and Rogers mic-drops the name of Lord Thomas Hamilton. You see all of Flint's bravdo evaporate in a moment.

Silver getting very specific knowledge re: Thomas and his fate in 3x10 was interesting, too, as Silver could have gotten a glossed over version and it would have worked just as well. Silver needed to learn of Thomas' actual name for whatever reason. Regardless of whether the estate mentioned by Max plays into Silver's backstory or is linked to Thomas, that knowledge (and potentially using it against/or as a catalyst for Flint) from the previous season has already come into play in some form.

Silver (4x04): I see. But that wasn't really what I asked, was it? Assume, that his father was just as dark as you say, but was unable to murder his own son. Assume he found a way to secret Thomas away from London -

Flint: He didn't.

Silver: Would you trade this war to make it so?

When it comes to Black Sails, I feel like the devil is always in the details.

Outside the continual narrative thread of Thomas' mentions throughout the series, the unexplained oddity of Lord Hamilton travelling under an assumed name is still unexplained. In S1, we learn of the Maria Aleyne, but we don't know who/what/why. In S2, we learned it was Lord Alfred Hamilton, travelling under an assumed name. We now know the who/what/why for Flint's and Miranda's actions, but we still don't know why Alfred was travelling secretly. If he was visiting Peter, it still seems odd that he would do so under an assumed name. Lord Hamilton's power was absolute - who would he have to fear? He could have taken a big ship, and would have high enough status that he surely could have been protected by the Navy against the pirate threat, but instead, everything was done in secrecy.

It took until the final season for the extended Guthrie family to come into play, and that's been a narrative thread since back in S1. With the dangling 'north of Spanish Florida' thread, there's also the fact that Abigail was sent to Savannah by Peter, the very same place that Flint is supposed to end up pre-Treasure Island. The pieces have all been laid out, and have to come together somewhere - though I can't imagine anything coming to pass before 4x10. Not a lot of time to tie up loose ends, either! There's also another reason why I think Thomas needs to come back to resolve Flint's arc. Interestingly, in 2x08, Flint is concerned about judgement from Peter for the things he has done. ('Not of Nassau, but of me, and the man I have become.') If Flint was so devastated at the thought of Thomas disagreeing with his choices in S1 - and it took a Thomas-like rhetoric from Eleanor to drag him from his stupor - the ultimate, agonizing judgement of Flint would be from Thomas himself.

Silver (4x04): If we assume, that we are on the verge of some impossible victory here, a truly significant thing - that we assume that is real, and here for the taking , wouldn't you trade it all to have Thomas Hamilton back again?

Flint: ...I think if he knew how close we were to the victory he gave his life to achieve, he wouldn't want me to.

I'm assuming that by the end of the series, for better or worse, we'll have a true answer from Flint re: Thomas and the war. Thomas vs. Thomas' legacy. Silver has had the same question posed to him via circumstance, and chose Madi. We’ve since seen Max choose Anne. Flint doesn't have to make a decision like Silver or Max with Thomas dead, and can justify his actions all he wants to himself.

On a boring pacing note, I’ve been surprised that the big Skeleton Island/cache Silver/Flint stressful emotional climax seems to be in 4x09, and not the finale itself. 4x08 almost felt like the penultimate episode, leading into a finale. All of this is to say that it looks like there is time for a further resolution to Flint’s arc, and that it seems like finale emotional battle for Flint will be choices regarding the war itself, and not the cache.

How’s the weather north of Spanish Florida?

You don't do an absolutely ludicrously specific exposition dump and then don't come back to it in some form to resolve it, especially on Black Sails! What's more, the set up for the subplot happens in 4x02, with Max dropping the first hint of it to Silver.

Max (4x02): I am tempted to put the sword to you and your men both and bury this story for good, but what am I, if I spend my days pleading for a return to civility and then do dark things under the cover of night. So you will remain in my custody until I can find a place far from here to deposit you. You will be gone, but you will live.

...I also like the nice 'bury this story for good' metaphor. Black Sails loves a good story metaphor.

The odd little narrative thread once again comes up in 4x04, with Silver very unsubtly bringing it up again with Max. Regardless if the whole 'north of Spanish Florida' mention relates ultimately to Silver's backstory or to Thomas himself, Max's mention of sending Silver away was subtle and in passing in the first place that it need not be brought up again unless there is to be pay-off later. It really doesn't need to be talked about at all - she didn't want to kill him, so she'd send him away, the show has more important plot points to worry about. We don't need to know why as the audience, unless it is plot relevant later. It actually feels quite clunky on rewatches - Silver needs to get the information for the plot, but the conversation flow for how he gets it is pretty transparent.

Max (4x04): When Anne was recruiting spies in Port Royal, she met a man with an estate in the wilderness, north of Spanish Florida. A reform minded man, who uses convicts as laborers - convicts he solicits from prisons in England, where their treatment is far less humane. This man, we were told, found it profitable to offer his services to wealthy families, some of the most prominent in London on occasion, who needed to make troublesome family members disappear. Cared for, tended to, but never to be seen or heard from again.

There is so much information dumped here! a) A location - north of Spanish Florida, possibly near Savannah, and comparatively close to Charlestown. b) A reform minded man. c) The use of convicts as laborers, who had previously been treated badly. d) The biggest stand is the line about offering services to wealthy prominent families from London with troublesome family members that need to disappear. If Max wanted to send Silver away, there is absolutely no need to bring the ‘services to wealthy familes, some of the most prominent in London’ into it, as mentioning sending Silver away to be a laborer would have been enough. The show is intentionally - and a tad clumsly - invoking Thomas’ circumstance for the audience. Or a possible Silver backstory, just to cover my ass. e) We also have the implication that these troublesome family members would be found in good condition, to hand wave away in advance why those that lived there would most likely be in a fairly healthy state, hopefully both of mind and body.

As mentioned above, with the Guthrie family subplot finally coming into play in S4, there are very little narrative threads that get started on Black Sails that don't get finished. As of 4x08, we had Idelle bring up Charlotte! Regardless how it all relates to Thomas, the narrative thread of the man north of Spanish Florida certainly was a big one.

Troublesome Family Member Hideaway Camp for Rich Londonites.

Depending on Peter's role in all this, and what degree of guilt over his part in what Alfred Hamilton had done to Thomas, I can't see why it wouldn't be probable that Thomas wouldn't have ended up at the estate. I also can't imagine there would be many men offering this kind of service in the first place, let alone so comparatively close to where Peter Ashe resided, so it's again not very improbable Thomas could have ended up there. In the end, it might be a good enough justification to get Flint there - hey, there's an estate that takes in the troubled family members of rich Londonites, and what a coincidence, it isn't ludicrously far away from Charlestown! Lord Hamilton could have taken Thomas there without Peter's knowledge, but surely it would be more likely that Peter was the one to suggest it. Peter can alleviate his guilt somewhat in regards to the whole proceedings, as Thomas is free from Bethlem, and yet still keep Lord Hamilton placated. After Lord Hamilton drops off Thomas - or visits Thomas at a later date - Flint then boards the Maria Aleyne, and kills him. Was Thomas ever in Bethlem in the first place? Was Alfred Hamilton horrified at his treatment, that when Peter offered a potential out for Thomas, he took it? After what Thomas had been through, there would be no way to release him back into London society - it would have made the Hamiltons look even worse.

I'm quite curious about the man who runs said estate. How long he's been doing it, why he's been doing it, etc. Ha, maybe he's the connection to Silver's mysterious backstory! From a few paragraphs ago, the emphasis on 'tended to, cared for' by Max in her exposition is interesting. On the hypothetical Flint finds Thomas, it does tell the audience in advance why Thomas might be found in good and healthy condition, and also (hopefully) of a sound mind. I'm curious about the freedom of those at the estate. Are they in cells? Do they have more autonomy? Is it heavily guarded, or do the prisoners have more autonomy?

One negative is that with Lord Hamilton dead all those years, wouldn’t Peter have had Thomas released? Surely Thomas would know his father had died. It depends who is footing the bills in the Hamilton family, I suppose. With Lord Hamilton’s death, maybe Thomas now had the autonomy to leave, but chose not to do so.

Who needs enemies, when you can have a friend like Peter Ashe?

Flint (2x10): What was the truth, my lord? Why did you betray those closest to you all those years ago? Was it really so small and vile as a bribe? The promise of lording over other men in this place? Or were you simply too weak to say no, too cowardly to do the harder thing and preserve your decency. Tell me It was the latter. Tell me this is all happening because of your cowardice. I could accept that. I might forgive that. ...I s'pose there is my answer. Even in this moment, alone with a condemned man, you are unable to speak the truth.

It's interesting that in Peter's final moments, Flint is still aware he's being lied to.

I go back and forth whether Peter had any inkling that McGraw had become Flint. The news of Thomas' death would have come to Miranda whilst they were living on Nassau. I guess contact would have broken between Miranda/McGraw and Peter sometime after the fact. When Alfred Hamilton was killed by Captain Flint, who also made his home on Nassau, it surely wouldn’t have been that hard to put two and two together, even if Ashe had no concrete proof. For my part, I feel like Peter had considered it a possibility, but hadn't known for sure until Miranda and Flint arrived in Charlestown. There was also the time period of how quickly Flint had appeared after McGraw had arrived on Nassau that Peter seemed incredulous about, which was explained by Flint.

Peter gets very defensive, very quick at the implication he hadn't done right by Thomas.

Miranda (2x09): Tell me, sir, when does the truth about your sins come to light?

Peter: You know nothing of my sins!

---

Peter: Were you there when I visited Thomas at the hospital, to confess my signs and heard him offer his full and true forgiveness? He knew I had no choice in the matter!

Miranda: No choice-!

Peter: A hard choice. Made under great duress, but with the intent to make the least awful outcome. You wish to return to civilization - that's what civilization is!

It's funny, in a television series with a lot of characters that have done horrible things out of necessity or defence, Peter's character is still one I can never truly get a handle on, which is a compliment to both the writing and the actor. I think Peter's intentions were initially good, before greed and fear at the threat of Alfred Hamilton's reach overrode those good intentions. I wonder if McGraw's return from Nassau with the loss of the governor's family was the last straw. If there was some compassion there, and fondness for his friendship with Thomas, I imagine he would have eaten away at Peter - judging by his explosive dialogue, it did. Whether he did something about this guilt is the next question.

Also, the 'least awful outcome' still seems absolutely horrific when Thomas ended up in Bethlem. Somewhat less horrific if he ended up cared for at an estate, but still an ultimately cruel treatment of a man whose only crime was to help others and change the status quo.

As I rambled on above, with north of Spanish Florida comparatively being so close to Charlestown, surely Peter must have known of the estate. Did he create the place himself, and find a man to run it? Was it because he'd heard good things about the reform minded man that he could offer the knowledge to Alfred, to alleviate some of their guilt about the treatment of Thomas? Was it just an estate Thomas was staying at that ultimately became something more?

The following point likely means very little, because if someone is trying to kill me, I'd be telling them to wait, too! Regardless, it is backed into a corner with Flint loose, loss of power, hands up, that Peter pleads, "Wait, James -" before he is stabbed, before everyone's favorite Nation of Thieves cue plays. After that, Peter says no more, and is resigned. If Peter has knowledge of Thomas, it's a final 'fuck you' to Flint to let the knowledge die with him.

Peter(2x09): You and I will sail to London together, then you will stand up and tell your story.

The main negative I can see with Peter knowing Thomas was alive was, after visiting Nassau with Flint, he was going to take him to England to reveal the true story of James McGraw. Whilst Peter no longer has the threat of Alfred Hamilton hanging over his head, it's not unlikely that Thomas wouldn't hear about the Flint reveal eventually, unless the estate he is being held in is very restricted and lacking in news from the outside world. I can't imagine he wouldn't be furious at Peter when he found out about McGraw's judgement, especially if it led to McGraw/Flint being hanged.

The Reform-Minded Man of Mystery.

With the reveal of Thomas wanting to pardon the pirate of Nassau in 2x04, the reformation aspect of Thomas' character particularly apparent, especially with his interactions with McGraw, Alfred Hamilton, and the introduction of Peter Ashe.

Thomas: They're men!

McGraw: They're traitors to the crown!

Thomas: What difference does that make?

McGraw: Makes some difference to the crown-!

Thomas: Just answer me this - would it work?

Excerpts from later in 2x04 with Thomas' dialogue to Alfred:

'I want to put them to work. Tilling, harvesting, coopering, building, smithing, fishing.'

'I intend to secure them pardons. A blanket amnesty for any man that would accept it, in exchange for his allegiance, renunciation of violence, and his labor.'

'This is the solution most likely to lead to our desired result, and it also has the virtue of being the right thing to do.'

'If you do not forgive men their sins, then your father will not forgive your sins!'

Thomas, later at his salon(2x04): Absolution. A clean slate for those wanting to accept it. -- I am committed to this end, but it is a long road, and I will need your help to see it through.

Even after 2x05, when it is revealed of the horrors that occurred in Nassau with the Governor's family, Thomas still doesn't give up on the pirates of Nassau.

Thomas (2x05): The men responsible for this crime deserve to be punished, but we cannot, we must not, allow their actions to condemn the rest.

As @flinthamilton​ pointed out, specifying the 'reform minded man' in Max's exposition dump is very interesting. Going back and note taking the episodes, I was surprise how constant reform and forgiveness was thematically in all of Thomas' dialogue. I'd always knew there was that element to his character, but there was very much more of an emphasis that I'd previously considered. If the man running the estate isn't Thomas, it's ironic that he is 'cared for' by a man with similar motivations.

The comparative vicinity of the estate to Charlestown is circumspect, even if Thomas is kept there, not as the man who runs it. On the hypothetical he's the reform minded man, there are a lot of interesting what-ifs. Did Lord Hamilton buy the estate, did Peter? Was Thomas kept there for awhile, before he thought of some way to stop others suffering similar fates? Taking money from prominent families would cover the cost of running the estate, and pay for the former convicts to be treated well.

It's also fitting that while Thomas couldn't reform and pardon the pirates of Nassau, he was potentially able to help men from England in similar positions. Potentially, Thomas wasn't able to carry out what he'd originally intended, but he was still able to continue his work in another way. Flint desperately tried to carry out Thomas' dream, but it is now above just saving Nassau and going to war with civilization itself.

As a semi-negative to the point, if Thomas was the 'reform minded man', he would have had the autonomy to have met Anne at Port Royal. Considering Port Royal's proximity, one would assume at one point he would have surely gone to Nassau, unless the wound was too raw. I suppose it depends on what he thought the fates of James and Miranda were? If they were told Thomas was dead, I assume he was spun a similar tale. If Thomas didn't know where they were, he could have gone to Nassau and asked around for James McGraw and Miranda Hamilton, but never realizing who James and Miranda now were. It could be probable, as I think they were only known to Nassau as Captain Flint and Mrs Barlow. Did anyone know of their first names outside of each other? Surely someone? Gates? Eleanor? It also depends on where Miranda chose the name 'Barlow' from. If it was her maiden name, Thomas would recognize it. Of course, Thomas could have known they were there all along and chose not to see them, but I can’t really picture that, either, unless he had a lot of guilt about what had happened.

I also can't picture Thomas holding men against their will, maybe more so the troublesome family members than the former convicts. It wouldn't fit for Thomas, and if he'd spent any time in Bethlem at all, surely couldn't do the same thing to another? Maybe there is consent by those that are brought there? It's funny, there is a lot of various ways it could have all come together, but Thomas being the reform minded man Max spoke of is the most intriguing for me of all.

Mr Ashford, I presume?

Peter(4x09):  Abigail, I've made arrangements for you to be shuttled to Savannah today. You'll be taken to Mr Ashford's house.

---

Thomas(2x04): He'll be arriving n less than 2hrs.

James: I'm sorry? Who?

Thomas: The fourth Earl of Ashbourne, Lord Proprietor to the Carolina Colony including the Bahama Islands, and Peer of the Realm - Lord Alfred Hamilton, my father.

Thank you to @flintstruestlove and the ASOIAF forum for floating the idea that Thomas could be Mr Ashford in the first place, and thanks to @flintsredhair​​ for noting that Lord Hamilton was the Earl of Ashbourne, which is a connection to Thomas.

Mr Ashford is certainly an intriguing one, as he was a friend of Peter's that they bothered to give a name, and chose yet another name for a character in Black Sails involving the word 'ash'. He's also someone that Peter found reasonable to send Abigail to in a time of crisis, a Mr Ashford that lives in Savannah....

To be corny and reachy as hell, but ash is also what remains after a fire. To keep the corny/reachy motif running, said fire could have been started by steel ‘n flint. Flint himself being associated with fire is (understandably) a constant motif throughout the series. Even just as of 4x07, Rackham says the Guthries can’t be blamed for wanting Flint dead, as ‘Flint will stop at nothing until the entire West Indies are ablaze.’ It’s probably a lot of reaching, but when it’s all said and done, maybe only ‘ash’ will remain?

...if nothing else, ha, there are quite a few names with ‘ash’ in Black Sails! Like, a lot.

The abrupt disappearance of Abigail Ashe from Black Sails was understandable at the time considering Flint departed Charlestown, but also still feels very jolting considering the amount of time spent to build her as a character. Ultimately, Mr Ashford could in fact be the name of the reform minded man, and not of Thomas. Either way, Thomas and Abigail could potentially be in the vicinity of his each other, and Abigail is in our favorite ominous place ever, Savannah.

To Forgive, But Not To Forget.

I don't want to go into this topic too much, as it's a whole prolonged conversation entirely, but I've seen the odd sentiment that if Flint finds Thomas, Thomas wouldn't want anything to do with him after what Flint has done. That Thomas would want Flint dead. I’ve also seen the odd comment that Thomas would take revenge against Flint himself. Of all of the characters on the show, it has been emphasised over and over again what kind of person Thomas was - hence the whole 'reform minded man' section above. Of course, Thomas wouldn't have stayed completely stagnant as a person during that time, and that the experiences that he went through wouldn’t have affected him - but his capacity for acceptance and forgiveness seems to be a continually emphasised core element to his character. Even with the pirates killing the governor's family, Thomas didn't want the rest of the pirates of Nassau to be tarred with the same brush. (Thomas 2x05: The men responsible for this crime deserve to be punished. But we cannot, we must not allow their actions to condemn the rest.) I always think Thomas is trapped between being a realist and an idealist - he knows the reality of the situation, but wants to push forward anyway in the hope of more. Heartbreakingly, as we saw in 4x08, Flint very, very much carried on his mantle.

Thomas (2x04): If you do not forgive men their sins, than your father will not forgive your sins!

Miranda (2x06): I had a very different life before I came here, a life I shared with my husband. He was a special man, a man of ideas, about the world, about the order of things. Writers, artists, men of science - they'd fill our drawing room night after night to talk and argue. Sometimes just to listen to him. In some ways he was like you, a shepherd to his flock. He would have loved to have met you. Me? You think I can play devil's advocate! Thomas would have played that game with you from dusk until dawn. And everything you hold sacred, he'd leave in tatters. Not from malice or hate, but from love. From a desire to see the yoke of shame lifted from your shoulders.

If there is any character to give Flint some solace or a pardon (ha) at the end of it all, it is more than probable it would be Thomas. Like Miranda and McGraw to Flint, Thomas would have very much changed over the decade, but they were still the same people under it all. From what we've seen and heard of Thomas, and from what has been emphasised over and over again in dialogue, I honestly cannot imagine he'd dismiss Flint so easily as others have considered. It may not be all sunshine and roses, and I would be fascinated to hear Thomas' thoughts on his father and Peter Ashe. Again, Thomas' worst crime was that he wanted to change the status quo and help others, but I imagine he'd also have guilt about being his drive and actions being the catalyst for having Miranda and James sent away.  

A touch of Greek Tragedy.

I've seen people mention that Thomas returning would be too much of a happy ending for Flint. Even if Flint is reunited with Thomas, in some aspects it is even more cruel than if Thomas had stayed dead. For one, Flint has to confront the choices he's made in Thomas' absence upon coming face to face with the man himself. Just consider everything Flint and Miranda suffered for and fought for, thinking Thomas was dead. If it is revealed that Thomas is alive, and potentially so close and accessible the whole time? The guilt, the regret, and the frustration would be monstorous. That's not even considering everyone that suffered and was sacrificed as a proxy of Flint's agony and drive for Thomas and Nassau - the crew, Mr Gates, etc. There is an added punch by just going to Charlestown before Miranda's death, they would have sailed passed the general area on the way. Thomas being alive gives us both a satisfying ending for Flint, but also a deeply tragic one, befitting of the Greek tragedy/poem parallels Black Sails makes throughout.

As Max tries to come to grips with in 4x05: It wasn't supposed to end like this. How could we all have sacrificed so much, and none of us has anything to show for it?

Flint and Miranda fought for and sacrificed so much, and Miranda died because of it, with ultimately very little for Flint to show of it. For Flint to have to come to terms with that, whilst dealing with the fact that Thomas was alive all along? It won't be easy. What they fought for wasn’t for nothing, mind you, as it was Flint and Miranda trying desperately to survive, trying to hold onto Thomas' ideals whilst dealing with the anger and grief over what had befallen them all. But, goddam if that isn't going to hurt for Flint regardless.

[happymetalgirl]

Heads or Tails Pt. 2

Rob Zombie vs. Marilyn Manson

Both industrial metal icons during the 90’s who have kept themselves going far into the 21st century, the “versus” between these two band leaders is in fact quite warranted due to the fair about of conflict between Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson. Both have recently come back into better form from career “slumps” (as some might argue). I feel like the past 3 Marilyn Manson albums have been hyped up, intentionally or otherwise, as “comeback” albums, with people seeming to get their hopes up for a return to the industrial madness of Antichrist Superstar that, at this point, doesn’t really seem probable at all. But I did think that Manson’s 2015 effort, The Pale Emperor, was a big step up from Born Villain and Eat Me, Drink Me (I thought The High End of Low was not too bad either). But ever since that 2007 album that was originally not supposed to happen (The Golden Age of Grotesque being planned as Manson’s last album), Marilyn Manson has hardly even flirted with the industrial metal that won him such a huge reputation within the metal community, and I still haven’t enjoyed any of his newer material as thoroughly as I have Antichrist Superstar and Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). But I have enjoyed it, and I’ve appreciated that, even though by rotating his crew of musicians, he has continued to refresh his sound throughout the years. Rob Zombie, on the other hand, has remained stylistically consistent, and sort of made me glad that Manson hasn’t, because his music has aged, and most of it not well. Hellbilly Deluxe remains his sole standout record, even taking into account his career with White Zombie. The 3 studio albums that followed it contained a lot more filler than his solo debut, but when he put out Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, I thought he was done. He sounded so out of ideas, so uninspired, and as corny as ever on that album. But last year, he caught me off guard with The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser, which was concise, catchy, punchy, and a much less meandering, homogenous mix of tunes compared to the past 4 albums, and Zombie was certainly as true to himself as ever on it too. As far as the comparison between these guys, it’s basically campy Halloween-y metal versus hyper-serious, poetic rock of various styles, and I thoroughly enjoy both of these approaches. But I think, having quite a few more albums that I hold in very high regard, my general preference falls with Manson. I like many of Rob Zombie songs from his various patchy albums, but I think his only two standout records are his debut and his most recent effort. With Marilyn Manson though, I can point to a stellar output all through the 90’s up through The Golden Age of Grotesque, and even his newer work is musically, and definitely lyrically, intriguing enough to garner repeated listens from me. Both of these guys seem to be on the upswing right now in their careers, especially Zombie. Despite how much I enjoyed his last album, I wouldn’t bet too much on him again capturing a similar energy on another record soon, considering it took almost 2 decades to muster the musical power for something comparable to his debut. Say10 (Manson’s upcoming album), on the other hand, I have some hope for. I am not expecting any kind of reprise of the industrial metal of Antichrist Superstar, but I’m sure it’ll make for some interesting artistic rock project as usual.

Neurosis vs. Swans

I don’t think too many people pair these two bands, but to me, Neurosis is metal’s sludgy answer to Michael Gira’s strange musical experiment, Swans. Because Swans doesn’t exactly reside in metal territory the comparison between the two isn’t really as stylistic contemporaries, but as experimenters of a similar vein in their respective fields (although I consider Swan’s first few albums to be quite metallic). Being a longer-standing project and starting off on an innovative foot with Filth, Swans certainly have the upper hand in the pioneering field, but Neurosis have certainly contributed more than their fair share to expanding and developing modern sludge metal and experimental metal, funneling all sorts of world music influences into their albums. I’m not sure what it is specifically about each of these two that reminds me of the other aside from their ability to craft such similarly ominous works from such varied styles; Scott Kelly’s very Slayer-esque shouts and low-register singing are nothing like Michael Gira’s unstable grunts and creepy mid-range singing, and Neurosis’ overall consistent metallic heaviness is something Swans only channeled in their early years and only kind of off-handedly allude to in their most recent output. Swans have had a bit more of a dynamic ride through the decades than Neurosis and have ventured farther musically, but this has made their discography patchy in my opinion. When they’re on, they’re really on, like with To Be Kind, Filth, Soundtracks for the Blind, and Cop, but albums like The Glowing Man (their worst in my opinion), My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky are, to me of course, just unlistenable. When I found out that Filth came out the same year as Kill ‘Em All I was stunned because it sounded genuinely heavier and ahead of what thrash was doing. Groove metal and death metal took about a decade or so to catch up, but Swans seemed to be tunneling away even further underneath everyone’s noses with their weird psychedelic output in the 90’s. I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of these albums, but there are some gems among their track listings. I’ve definitely enjoyed the more drone-y, sinister output of The Seer and To Be Kind though, and I think those albums, while not exactly ground-breaking, are excellent works in the niche they occupy, with Michael Gira finding a new groove to suit his more mellowed-out tastes of late that still culminates to bombastic performance on many songs like “Screen Shot” and “Bring the Sun”. Neurosis’ less divergent trajectory as a band has, I think, contributed to a more consistently enjoyable output on their part. Their first 4 albums (excluding their strange, crusty punk beginnings) are undoubted landmarks of sludge metal and intriguing from beginning to end. Even as they started moving into uncharted territory and into more atmospheric waters with A Sun That Never Sets and The Eye of Every Storm, they’ve managed to keep me interested with something. Their ability to make their music dynamic with more than just clean and distorted guitar has certainly set them apart from their other sludge metal comrades and has given each album some kind of surprise factor that keeps me coming back and keeps me interested. Again, being that the two bands are not actually stylistic contemporaries, this comparison isn’t as comprehensive or as immersed as people who like to compare experimental music projects can often find such a debate as this to be. My preference for Neurosis on a generalized level could be written off as just bias toward more metal-centric music, but I’m just talking about my general preference for what to put on and listen to. Swans fans might point to how innovative Swans are or how consistently “critically well-received” their albums are (and they are; lots of critics can’t seem to stop fawning over Swans), but I already acknowledged that, and I’m just talking about what I like and dislike about these bands, not summarizing the opinions of music critics.

Mastodon vs. Baroness

Mastodon are certainly the biggest sludge metal band right now and their take on progressive sludge metal has won them boatloads of admiration from the metal community; Baroness on the other hand are only just starting to break through to levels of recognition near to where Mastodon are. I’ve mentioned before that I think Mastodon is overrated, and my subsequent argument for my preference for the music of Baroness is usually an uphill battle when it comes up. Any time I discuss Mastodon with friends, and Baroness come up, I’m outnumbered. Where I think Baroness dominate is in the vocal and song-writing departments. Mastodon’s vocal trade-off game works on some songs like the brilliant “Oblivion”, but it only gets them so far, and it’s been a source of slight boredom on their recent albums. It’s entirely personal preference, but I find Brent Hinds’ vocals to be distracting and too drowsily monotone for the music backing him, Troy, and Brann up. John Dyer Baizley, on the other hand, is a vocal powerhouse who drives Baroness’ music forward with intensity of either the overtly blazing type, or the subtly emotive type, largely single-handedly. My preference for Baroness extends also to composition and lyricism that I largely prefer from Baizley and company. Mastodon’s lyrics, while not terrible aside from what their last album featured, are often convoluted and incomplete enough to hold hardly any meaning; and this is even on songs I really like, such as “The Czar”. But songs like “High Road” and “Show Yourself” fall into vague alternative metal cliché lyrically. When Mastodon does show some ambition in the form of narrative lyrics, they usually don’t come through all the way and their stories require supplementary commentary from the band to be finished. Baizley, however, has a poetic style that has improved since Blue Record and resonates with me consistently through each album. As with vocals, lyrics are definitely a to-each-his-own thing, as is everything in music. Where Baroness really reel me in, though, is with their ability to write many more types of songs with considerable success. Songs like “Little Things” and “Eula” show their ability to write moving songs without resorting to excessive loudness, while songs like “Rays on Pinion” and “Morningstar” display their ability to be effective with their use of such heavy loudness. Of course, I can’t neglect their numerous anthems like “Chlorine and Wine”, “Try to Disappear”, “Shock Me”, and “March to the Sea” as those are the types of songs where I think Baroness and John Dyer Baizley’s soaring voice shine the brightest and show a unique angle of progressive and/or sludge metal. Songs like “High Road” and “March of the Fire Ants” from Mastodon, though, do show a quality from them that I do in fact enjoy deeply. I never said I dislike Mastodon in the general sense, it’s just that for the subjective reasons I laid out above, their music doesn’t quite resonate with me with as much consistency as Baroness’ does.

Iron Maiden vs. Judas Priest

Legends. Judas Priest and Iron Maiden are absolute legends and have been for a long time, there’s no point trying to compare them based on whose music has become a “more” integral pillar of metal as a whole, because even the people who prefer one and/or consider one as more legendary largely have huge respect for the other as well. Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford are both held in high regard as iconic, godly vocal talents of metal (who were both sorely missed when they both went absent for two albums in their bands’ careers) and both bands have sustained themselves more than adequately into their old age. Both these pillars of the new wave of British heavy metal are quite well known for their string of important, influential albums in their early years, but also for fading out in the 1990’s. Since reuniting with the voices that made these bands the icons they are, they have both hit new creative strides, especially Iron Maiden. I’m probably in the minority on this one, but I prefer Iron Maiden’s 21st century output over their 1980’s output. Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death particularly showcase a progressive ambition from the band and they are my favorite Iron Maiden albums, although The Number of the Beast and Somewhere in Time are also some of my favorites as well. Judas Priest, on the other hand, has yet to really come into form with Rob Halford back at the helm, Redeemer of Souls not exactly redeeming the overbearing mess that Nostradamus was. Maiden may have a bit of an edge over Priest by having begun their career a few years later and being able to take on some influence from Judas Priest’s 1970’s work, of course sacrificing a few points in the we-did-it-first department. Overall, I’d say that despite the incredible similarities between them, Iron Maiden has always struck me as carrying a good deal more intensity in their music than Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson being a major player in his consistently vibrant performances. I of course love Judas Priest and Rob Halford too, but Iron Maiden, to me, is a band that has continued to push themselves to new heights, even as the incredible band they were in what many fans consider to be their prime.