#illyria meta

[kataraavatara]

the nc’s main army from illyria being so poor cassian is handing out blankets while the the rich merchant class in velaris doesn’t have to provide any soldiers is good class commentary until you remember rhysand is supposed to be the good guy and also it’s sarah j maas

[thequeenofsastiel]

My GOD Amy Acker is an amazing actress. Even without the blue makeup she doesn't seem remotely like Fred. Her body language, facial expressions, the sound of her voice, her speaking patterns...she's capable of changing herself so much that it's hard to believe she's the same person despite the fact that her physical appearance wasn't at all different when she was pretending to be Fred for the sake of Fred's parents. It's incredible.

I love excellent acting. It's one of the biggest reasons I prefer live action tv/movies over animated ones 99% of the time.

[froggybogwitch]

The horror of Motherhood in ACOTAR

The title Mother is soaked in blood.

Basically all the mothers we see are either dead or suffering, yeah? The act of being a mother, chosen or not, almost always leads to violence or suffering. There's an element of sacrifice to it, yes, but rarely is made willingly. Often these women are simply collateral to the desires and goals of the men around them. Cassian's mother, raped and worked to death, forced to carry a child she did not want, then forced to give him up by the men who inflicted him upon her. The Lady of Autumn, forced to carry son after son after son, for a man she never wanted to touch, bound to the birthing bed for as long as Beron willed it. The Lady of Night, tortured, beheaded, mutilated, her pride and joy taken as trophies to hang in the halls over her murderers, for the crime being at the right place, at the wrong time. There's a real sense of horror and violence embued into the role of mother, in acotar, and none escape it, not even Feyre.

All of this is compounded by the fact that textually, they are remembered almost exclusively by their suffering. None of them are given names, or speaking lines or any influence over their children beyond the second hand trauma they passed down. They are vectors of pain and grief. Motherhood is not beautiful in ACOTAR, it's an act of violence against the women it happens to.

I don't think this was an intended pattern but I can't help but notice it in the way the characters defined by their motherhood are treated.

[elains]

Azriel's association with Enalius, what it means for his arc and Illyria

This is something me and my friends have talked about off tumblr, but I wanted to write my own post about it and gather my thoughts. But here, I'll discuss a bit Azriel's character and how the revelations we witness in House of Flame and Shadow will be important to his character. (+ a little bit of Emerie).

What do we know about Enalius? From ACOSF, Emerie provides us with a little exposition when they are in the Rite, when the Pass of Enalius is brought up:

Long ago—so long ago they don’t even have a precise date for it—a great war was fought between the Fae and the ancient beings who oppressed them. One of its key battles was here, in these mountains. Our forces were battered and outnumbered, and for some reason, the enemy was desperate to reach the stone at the top of Ramiel. We were never taught the reason why; I think it’s been forgotten. But a young Illyrian warrior named Enalius held the line against the enemy soldiers for days.

Now, from the Crescent City crossover, we learned that Truth-teller and Gwydion are twin blades. They are a pair. According to the Silene History Lesson, the dagger used to belong to her father's (Fionn's) dear friend, slain during the war. A bit later, when they find Vesperus, she confirms that this friend was Enalius:

The Asteri’s eyes flared with recognition at the long blade. “Did Fionn send you, then? To slay me in my sleep? Or was it that traitor Enalius? I see that you bear his dagger—as his emissary? Or his assassin?”

Immediately before that, she also confirms that the Asteri crafted (which can either mean created, shaped forged, but we are going with created) the Illyrians:

The Asteri’s blue eyes lowered to the dagger. “You dare draw a weapon before me? Against those who crafted you, soldier, from night and pain?”

From everything, we can conclude this: Enalius was the original wielder of Truth-teller before Fionn and Theia, a dear friend to Fionn, and someone who pulled the ultimate sacrifice to keep the Asteri/Daglan from reaching the top of Ramiel. He was a traitor to the Asteri, a rebel against his masters and everything they stood for.

Enalius is the hero most Illyrians strive to mimic, the legendary figure who they all hope to one day surpass. He's a symbol of their people, even if so much about him has been forgotten — the fact that he had a dagger, Fionn's friendship, what the battle was for, maybe even how he was as a person. Brave, for sure. Willing to die for the cause.

And it's Azriel who bears his dagger. Azriel, who has such a complicated relationship with his Illyrian heritage and loaths it - and by extension, himself - is the one with this enormous legacy right at this hand. And this matters.

Still in ACOSF, we have Rhys talking with Cassian and wanting him to play Courtier, the following exchange then follows:

“What, we’re doing some role reversal? Az gets to lead the Illyrians now?” “Don’t play stupid,” Rhys said coolly. Cassian rolled his eyes. But they both knew Azriel would sooner disband and destroy Illyria than help it. Convincing their brother that the Illyrians were a people worth saving was still a battle amongst the three of them.

Azriel hates the Illyrians for what happened to him and his mother and his dislike for them is, to a degree, understandable. The thing is that Azriel, no matter how much he loaths it, is Illyrian. Maybe he's more than that (as it's pointed that Az is different in a lot of ways and Bryce wonders if he is Starborn), but at heart, he's Illyrian. Siphons, leathers, fighting, being Carynthian, his wings, his scabbard and the dagger it holds.

It was healthy, perhaps, for Az to sometimes remember where he'd come from. He still wore the Illyrian leathers. Had not tried to get the tattoos removed. Some part of him was Illyrian still. Always would be. Even if he wished to forget it.

Being Illyrian is part of who he is and his deep hatred for them only fuel his self-loathing. He would like to set himself apart, but he is not.

We can actually draw a direct parallel between Azriel and Bryce with how they regard the Fae vs the Illyrians. Bryce loathes the Fae and for most of HoFaS, she believes they are evil, corrupt, power-hungry and quite generally, not worth saving. She would leave them all to burn. Sound familiar?

And Bryce is wrong. Sathia challenges her notion, pointing out that she's laying judgement to all fae and that is hardly fair. What the one who don't deserve it? Herself, yes, but Flynn, Declan, and Ruhn himself? Do they deserve to burn too? Bryce herself acknowledges this:

Urd had sent her there to see, even in the small fraction of their world that she’d witnessed, that Fae existed who were kind and brave. She might have had to betray Nesta and Azriel, trick them … but she knew that at their cores, they were good people. The Fae of Midgard were capable of more. Ruhn proved it. Flynn and Dec proved it. Even Sathia proved it, in the short time Bryce had known her.

And this part here sums up quite neatly:

Fire met starlight met shadows, and Bryce loosed herself on the world. It ended today. Here. Now. This had nothing to do with the Asteri, or Midgard. The Fae had festered under leaders like these males, but her people could be so much more.

There are Illyrians who are kind and brave and break the mold. We see this with Emerie, who is also a woman. We see that with Balthazar, Cassian. The main point stands, though, that you cannot judge or condemn an entire race for the bad apples.

Azriel is wrong, just as Bryce was wrong, and his journey will be also to realise that his people are worth saving. They were created of night and pain (words that Azriel embodies, being a master of shadows and a torturer), but that is not everything they need to be. They can be more than soldiers. They can thrive.

And I believe this was something Enalius himself came to the believe, long ago. His people deserved more than to be slaves to the Asteri, forced to give them their power when need be, bred to live and die for them. They could be more. And Enalius died to free his people from their chains.

Is Azriel Enalius's blooded descendant? I'm not sure, but he doesn't need to be. Azriel is Enalius successor because he will finish what was started. He'll uncover the secrets of the past, what his people were in truth, what Enalius rebelled for, what he stood for, what the Blood Rite truly means - which he only got a glimpse of.

And this is where I think Emerie will also come in. She's s one of ACOSF most relevant characters and the first female Illyrian to be Carynthian. I think Emerie will also become an inspirational figure to the Illyrian women, another of these what they coud be. What they can be. And more importantly and that is just a theory, what they were.

Orestes was a warrior. What if so was Carynth and she was woman? The name always struck me as similar to Carina, which is the name of a constellation and commonly used by women. It would be ironic and another shaking revelation to the Illyrians that Carynth, for whom their greatest warriors are named after, was a woman.

Does that mean all Illyrian women must become Valkyries? No, but some might wish to follow this path whilst their society takes its time to catch up. They already shook the status quo and with Nesta poised to have a big role (andthe Valkyries along her), they will continue to do so.

Azriel will uncovered the lost history of Vesperus offered him all the clues he needed to start looking. His journey to find out this secrets will lead to him facing his own demons, confronting his loathing for his people and, in doing so, he will make peace with himself.

[bastardborne]

cassian is an incredibly disciplined person in several aspects of his life. something that i deeply disliked about those books is that cassian seemed incredibly quick to anger, and while i do love the concept of him wearing his heart on his sleeve, i think there's a level of impulse there that just doesn't translate well when you take into consideration that this man is a five hundred year old period, but also a five hundred year old soldier. he is very passionate, but it's that same passion and care that drives him to make sure he is always giving his best and on his game, both in life and in battle. he is a great warrior, and in that, he is highly skilled at both strategy and adapting to the unknown. cassian always has multiple plans that factor in dozens of different possibilities, and even then he has backup plans for those plans, and most of the time he's making them up on the fly. but there is, to him, a heavy responsibility that comes with having to take into consideration the lives of not only his people but the people they are protecting. he has an intrisnic need to be the best because people will (and have) suffer(ed) for his failure if he isn't. all in all, cassian leads with his heart in work and in his personal life. he is a force of nature, he has earned his ranking as one of the top most powerful illyrians to have existed, and it is integral to him that he remains focused on what's important when it comes to utilizing his power, which, in turn, ends up becoming a tension point when he feels as though he's lost the sight of what he's after in the first place. to circle back to my main point, cassian does keep his feelings in check a lot of the time, especially now that he's older and not young with something to prove. he still has his passion, he still burns hot, but it's more prominent when he's fighting for something or someone rather than based in ego. there is also a lot to say about how cassian is viewed by the people close to him, and how those changes don't seem to register and there's often a default that is also problematic when considering the history and culture of illyria that cassian is a "hot-blooded illyrian male". cassian is actually incredibly patient, does his best to be understanding, again, leads with his heart first, and is a strategist that prefers to have as much information as possible before making a decision and even then, will always do the best with what he has. that didn't come naturally to him (aside from his big huge heart), it's something that he worked and still works on to achieve. his work on himself is never finished, and he strives every single day to be and do the best that he can do and even go above that

[blackcur-rants]

Okay, so we all know Charles Dickens was a huge Shakespeare fan and a theatre guy in general. Like, he did so many theatrical productions alongside Wilkie Collins and loved himself some dramatic readings of his own prose.

What I’m saying is that I kind of feel that “A Tale of Two Cities” lifts quite a lot from Shakespeare. For example, in both ATOTC and “Romeo and Juliet”, we have a story about two factions (the two countries of England and France in Dickens’ novel and the two noble houses of Montague and Capulet in Shakespeare’s play) who have been at each other’s throats for so long they don’t even quite remember why they’re at each other’s throats in the first place and what happens when two members of these respective factions (Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay in “A Tale of Two Cities” and Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in “Romeo and Juliet”) meet and become close to each other. And of course, both stories end with a desperate person sacrificing themselves for the one that they love with said sacrifice being less a noble and definitive ending to the story and more an act of desperation in the face of impending death (Carton takes Darnay’s place on the guillotine in a desperate attempt to buy Darnay, Lucie, and their daughter time to escape back to London while Juliet commits suicide in what is very likely a desperate attempt to escape from what she still sees as her impending arranged marriage to Count Paris). There’s also a strong parallel between the main character trio in “A Tale of Two Cities” and the main character trio in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, I.E…

•Both Viola and Charles Darnay are sweet, sensitive young nobles who find themselves living in a new land and assume new names in order to avoid suspicion and end up in a relationship they didn’t expect with the second character of the main trio.

•Both Olivia and Lucie Manette are smart, pious young women living in mourning for a dead or at least severely traumatised loved one and end up falling in love with the disguised protagonist while fending off the attentions of an annoying suitor (Malvolio for Olivia and Stryver for Lucie).

•Orsino and Sydney Carton are both the depressed young men uncertain of their purpose in life who become acquainted with Viola/Darnay while also being in love with Olivia/Lucie.

Where am I going with all this, by the way? Well basically, I’m kind of suggesting that there being queer subtext between Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay might actually have been intentional on Dickens’ part. However, because queerness was so verboten and punishable by prison or death in the 1850s, Dickens had to cloak all of this in ambiguity and subtext, using these allusions to classic Shakespeare plays as a way of coding/broadcasting his true intent to the audience who would know what he was doing.

@cynicalclassicist @eleftherian @secretmellowblog @dachi-chan25 @uncleasriel

[wingedblooms]

Heart of the Night Court

This meta is a continuation of theories in forbidden secrets, blooming dreams, and bright as the dawn, as it narrows in on Illyria, Ramiel, and their connection to Wyrd. Please avoid if you do not want to read hofas spoilers. 

Facing Ramiel

The northern region of the Night Court is where Ramiel, one of the three sacred sister peaks, is located. It is considered the heart of Illyria and the Night Court. 

Ramiel. The sacred mountain.  The heart of not only Illyria, but the entirety of the Night Court.  None were permitted on its barren, rocky slopes—save for the Illyrians, and only once a year at that. During the Blood Rite.  Cassian soared toward it, unable to resist Ramiel’s ancient summons. Different—the mountain was so different from the barren, terrible presence of the lone peak in the center of Prythian. Ramiel had always felt alive, somehow. Awake and watchful. (acofas) [...] Ramiel rose higher still, a shard of stone piercing the gray sky. Beautiful and lonely. Eternal and ageless. (acofas)

Cassian describes Ramiel as alive, awake, and watchful, and so very beautiful as she rises from the earth. Likewise, Feyre emphasizes that Elain is alive and somehow infinitely more beautiful as she rises from the ground after she is Made in the Cauldron. Her legs are even bare, which remind me of the barren terrain, and her sheer nightgown might even be a hint for thin places, as @offtorivendell observed. Elain’s strength has also always been different than her sisters, just like Ramiel among her sacred sister peaks.   

And as if it had been tipped by invisible hands, the Cauldron turned on its side. More water than seemed possible dumped out in a cascade. Black, smoke-coated water.  And Elain, as if she’d been thrown by a wave, washed onto the stones facedown.  Her legs were so pale—so delicate. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen them bare.  The queens pushed forward. Alive, she had to be alive, had to have wanted to live– Elain sucked in a breath, her fine-boned back rising, her wet nightgown nearly sheer. And as she rose from the ground onto her elbows, the gag in place, as she twisted to look at me— Nesta began roaring again.  Pale skin started to glow. Her face had somehow become more beautiful—infinitely beautiful, and her ears … Elain’s ears were now pointed beneath her sodden hair. (acomaf)

As each spring dawns on the world, Ramiel is crowned with three stars, and the Illyrians—who we learned may have been the Asteri’s soldiers and therefore may carry on rituals that would have benefited them—honor bloodshed on her land rather than new life. 

No wonder that first ruler of the Night Court had made this his insignia. Along with the three stars that only appeared for a brief window each year, framing the uppermost peak of Ramiel like a crown. It was during that window when the Rite occurred. Which had come first: the insignia or the Rite, Cassian didn’t know. Had never really cared to find out.  The conifer forests and ravines that dotted the landscape flowing to Ramiel’s foot gleamed under the fresh snow. Empty and clean. No sign of the bloodshed that would occur come the start of spring. (acofas) 

Some even seem to take great pleasure in the killing that is permitted during this rite, and Ramiel, which we know is alive and watching, is forced to witness it every year. Azriel calls it a week of pointless bloodshed, but we know now that is likely untrue. @silverlinedeyes, @offtorivendell and I believe the Asteri may have created or warped an existing rite to suit their needs. @silverlinedeyes pointed out that this spring rite reminds her of the Great Rite, and that made something click for me: perhaps the Blood Rite is the Night Court's Great Rite. Is the secondlight from slain warriors absorbed by the land? And do those few who reach the stone, which I suspect might be the Maiden in this rite, provide firstlight to the cache hidden in Ramiel’s heart? Is it any wonder the winds around her howl, and her land is often frozen and inhospitable?

The mountain neared, mighty and endless, so wide that he might as well have been a mayfly in the wind. Cassian soared toward Ramiel’s southern face, rising high enough to catch a glimpse of the shining black stone jutting from its top.  Who had put that stone atop the peak, he didn’t know, either. Legend said it had existed before the Night Court formed, before the Illyrians migrated from the Myrmidons, before humans even walked the earth. Even with the fresh snow crusting Ramiel, none had touched the pillar of stone. (acofas)

The shining black stone on Ramiel’s face is able to heal and transport those who touch it. In acosf, it knew where Nesta’s friends were needed most and sent them to the River House. It is also on the southern face of the mountain, which in the northern hemisphere, is the part of the mountain that receives the most sunlight. Cassian tells us that he doesn’t know who put it there, but legend says it was before humans even walked the earth. While it is very likely that the Asteri warped it (into a tool to sustain them, like the gates in Lunathion as @merymoonbeam so cleverly pointed out), I believe it may have also originally been linked to the Cauldron. 

In hofas, we discover that Ramiel used to bear the Cauldron on her land:

“The Cauldron,” Nesta said hours later, pointing to yet another carving on the wall. It indeed showed a giant cauldron, perched atop what seemed to be a barren mountain peak with three stars above it. Azriel halted, angling his head. “That’s Ramiel.” At Bryce’s questioning look, he explained, “A mountain sacred to the Illyrians.”  Bryce nodded to the carving. “What’s the big deal about a cauldron?” [...]  “All life came and comes from it,” Azriel said with something like reverence. “The Mother poured it into this world, and from it, life blossomed.” (hofas) […] The snows around Ramiel parted, revealing a massive bowl of iron at the foot of the monolith. Even through the vision, its presence leaked into the world, a heavy, ominous thing. “The Cauldron,” Nesta said, dread lacing her voice. […] “The Cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it. To turn it from what it had been into something deadlier. No longer just a tool of creation, but of destruction. And the horrors it produced…those, too, my parents would turn to their advantage.” (hofas) 

I wonder if long ago, before the Asteri desecrated them, the stone and Cauldron together resembled this depiction of Wyrd: 

The Under-King lounged on a throne beneath a behemoth statue of a figure holding a black metal bowl between her upraised hands. Symbols were carved all over the bowl, continuing down her fingers, her arms, her body. Ithan could only assume it was meant to represent Urd. No other temples ever depicted the goddess, no one even dared—most people claimed that fate was impossible to portray in any one form. But it seemed that the dead, unlike the living, had a vision of her. And those symbols running from the bowl onto her skin…they were like tattoos. […] “And she,” the Under-King went on, gesturing to that unusual depiction of Urd towering above him, “was not a goddess, but a force that governed worlds. A cauldron of life, brimming with the language of creation. Urd, they call her here—a bastardized version of her true name. Wyrd, we called her in that old world.” (hofas)

This depiction is interesting because it mirrors, almost exactly, the figurine Nesta assumes is the Mother in the House of Wind: 

It was a fire. Not her father’s neck. Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer.  Another log cracked, and Nesta flinched. But she remained sitting there. Staring at that carved rose. (acosf) 

For some reason, she needed to set Elain’s rose, half-hidden in shadow, next to this depiction of what appears to be Wyrd. In hosab, the Under-King also described Wyrd as a mother to all, which is why I theorized that she is actually a triple goddess: Mother, Cauldron, Fate. They are three parts, or faces, of the same force. The three sacred sister peaks and three blessed Archeron sisters are intentionally linked to her. Perhaps the moon in the female’s hands isn’t just a moon, but a world too. Immediately after this scene, the House of Wind shows Nesta her heart in the lovely darkness of the mountain, which she calls the heart of the world, of existence. Of self. 

Heart racing, Nesta lifted the lantern in one hand and gazed at the darkness, untouched by the light from the library high, high above. The heart of the world, of existence. Of self.  The heart of the House.  “This…” Her fingers tightened on the lantern. “This darkness is your heart.” [...] Let the darkness sweep in. Embraced it. “I’m not afraid,” she whispered into it. “You are my friend, and my home. Thank you for sharing this with me.” (acosf)

Nesta embraces the heart of the House of Wind, which naturally makes me recall the heart of the Prison asking Bryce to open her heart to it…it might sing again. Awaken. There was a beating, vibrant heart locked away, far beneath them. We’re not sure exactly how Avallen might have affected the Prison island, and I suspect there is more to come with that plot thread. While I had always hoped the Valkyries might re-establish themselves as an intercourt army in the Middle, which does not have ties to any court in particular, I can also appreciate the possibility that they might ultimately settle on the Prison island instead. It would be incredible to see Pegasi return and for the Valkyries to learn how to fly on them. 

This plot is related to the core thread driving us forward, and it is something that can occur in a book that is centered on Elain and Azriel. Together, they have the vision and gifts needed to map the secrets of the land, starting with the sacred sister peaks, which I believe will ultimately help them restore Wyrd. This would fit all of the seeds Sarah has planted for the third sister’s arc with Azriel, Nuala, and Cerridwen. It would also be powerful for a character who has been underestimated and ridiculed for gardening to heal the land and the very source that created it. 

As I said prior to hofas, this exploration will inevitably bring them to the very heart of Ramiel. As a bearer of Wyrd, the source of life, Ramiel may even be the heart of the world, not just the Night Court. Will they discover that she was once very different? Did she change, as her sisters did, when the Asteri burrowed into her heart? Or was it because the Cauldron, Wyrd’s physical form, was warped into a tool of destruction by the Asteri and later removed from her land? Were the Illyrians created to guard the Cauldron since it was the Asteri’s most precious weapon? And is that why, as @cassianfanclub wondered, the Asteri were so desperate to reach the stone at the top, where the Cauldron was once depicted? Enalius may have prevented it from falling into their hands as he defended the Pass, which would’ve been a critical turning point in a rebellion. Unlike the rite they currently use to honor him, Enalius’s defense was in the service of life, which is what made Nesta’s sacrifice so inspiring. Her sacrifice is now depicted in the heart of the Court of Dreams, which is dedicated to building a better world.

Descending into Ramiel

We learn that Ramiel may be hiding secrets from Eris, of all characters: 

Eris shrugged, and Nesta knew Cassian monitored his every breath. “There are three of them, you know. Sister peaks. This one, the mountain called the Prison, and the one the Illyrian brutes call Ramiel. All bald, barren mountains at odds with those around them.” “We don’t know why they exist, but do you not find it strange that two out of the three have underground palaces carved into them?”  […]  Eris gave him a mocking smile, but continued, “Unsurprisingly, the Illyrians were never curious enough to see what secrets lie beneath Ramiel. If it, too, was carved up like the others by ancient hands.” “I thought Amarantha made the court Under the Mountain herself,” Nesta said.  “Oh, she decorated it and made us act like a sorry imitation of your Court of Nightmares, but the tunnels and halls were carved long before. By who, we don’t know.” (acosf)

He tells us that the three sacred peaks are sisters. Sacred is another word for blessed. And two out of three of them have been at least somewhat explored, but the third? Still mysterious. No one was curious enough to see what lied beneath her beautiful face, at her heart. This is such a lovely parallel for the three blessed sisters, and seems like a clear hint for the third one in particular. 

In hofas, we receive confirmation that these secrets might be connected to the Asteri, who are known as Daglan in Prythian lore: 

“They fought the Daglan and won, she went on. Using the Daglan’s own weapons, they destroyed them. Yet my parents did not think to learn the Daglan’s other secrets—they were too weary, too eager to leave the past behind.” (hofas) 

-

Vesperus backed up a half step, hissing at the gleaming weapon. “We hid pockets of our power throughout the lands, in case the vermin should cause … problems. It seems our wisdom did not fail us.” “There are no such places,” Azriel countered coldly. “Are there not?” Vesperus grinned broadly, showing all of her too-white teeth. “Have you looked beneath every sacred mountain? At their very roots? The magic draws all sorts of creatures. I can sense them even now, slithering about, gnawing on the magic. My magic. They’re as much vermin as the rest of you.” (hofas)

Bryce concludes, after Vesperus is able to draw the power from her secret cache below, that there is a firstlight core in the root, or heart, of the mountain. We see what happens in Avallen when the land is forced to contain magic where its ley lines overlap, rather than allowing it to flow as it should: it binds the magic of the land and causes it to wither like a plant with root rot. And that seems to explain why the sacred peaks are so odd: barren yet thrumming with power. 

I have theorized that the caches of power may need to be released leading up to the restoration of Wyrd, and I suspect there may be clues—especially within Ramiel—about how the Asteri warped and bound her to the land. If Elain is as tied to the land as we suspect, this could also strengthen whatever magic she possesses. 

In the cavern illustrations Bryce views in hofas, we see what might lie beneath Ramiel, maybe even the entire Night Court:

Scenes of a blessed land, a thriving civilization. One relief had been so similar to the frieze of the Fae male forging the sword at the Crescent City Ballet that Bryce had nearly gasped. The last carving before the river had been one of transition: a Fae King and Queen seated on thrones, a mountain—different from the one with the palace atop it—behind them with three stars rising above it. A different kingdom, then. Some ancient High Lord and Lady, Nesta had suggested before approaching the river.  She hadn’t commented on the lower half of the carving, which depicted a Helscape beneath their thrones, some kind of underworld. Humanoid figures writhed in pain amid what looked like icicles and snapping, scaly beasts—either past enemies conquered or an indication of what failure to bow to the rulers would bring upon the defiant.  The suffering stretched throughout, lingering even underneath that archipelago and its mountaintop palace. Even here, in paradise, death and evil remained. A common motif in Midgardian art, too, usually with the caption: Et in Avallen ego.  Even in Avallen, there am I. A whispered promise from Death. Another version of memento mori. A reminder that death was always, always waiting. Even in the blessed Fae isle of Avallen. (hofas) 

This might merely be a hint for the Asteri secrets that remain buried in the earth. But I agree with others (including @offtorivendell, @ladynightcourt3, @cassianfanclub, and @silverlinedeyes) who have wondered if this Helscape is in fact a hint that Prythian, and the Night Court in particular, is tied to Hel. We learned that the worlds in the Maasverse are tied together through ley lines, and the veil between worlds is thin where these ley lines overlap—like the lines in a star. 

That may be the true meaning of star symbols throughout the Maasverse, and the one specifically found in the Prison that is connected to the Starborn: as I theorized pre-hosab, it is a compass rose, and it seems to be linked to other places in the grander tapestry of the universe. There is power in the space where the lines meet; these lines represent ley lines. Certain people (Asteri, Starborn, etc.) are able to use that power to travel, communicate, or even light up entire worlds. Depending on how those lines are woven in certain areas, they might even be able to draw you to one place more than another. That may explain why the Prison seems more connected to Midgard. So, could Ramiel be more connected to Hel, and the Middle to…Erilea?

I wonder if Elain, Azriel, Nuala, and Cerridwen’s exploration in the heart of Ramiel might lead them to Wyrd’s Temple in Hel, except @silverlinedeyes, @offtorivendell, and I think she goes by yet another name there: Chaos. It’s possible they could use black salt or another substance to achieve this, as @offtorivendell and @cassianfanclub have discussed, especially with Elain’s sight. I am personally hoping for a physical trip to Hel and Ramiel might possess a doorway, or rift, as @offtorivendell has theorized. 

The black boat that Aidas led Bryce and Hunt into was a cross between the one that had brought them into Avallen and the ones that carried bodies to the Bone Quarter. But in lieu of a stag’s head, it was a stag’s skull at the prow, greenish flame dancing in its eyes as it sailed through the cave. The eerie green light illuminated black rock carved into pillars and buildings, walkways and temples. Ancient. And empty. Bryce had never seen a place so void of life. So … still. Even the Bone Quarter had a sense of being lived in, albeit by the dead. But here, nothing stirred. […] “It’s like a city of the dead,” Hunt murmured, draping a wing around Bryce. Aidas turned from where he stood at the prow, holding in his hands a long pole that he’d used to guide them. “That’s because it is.” He gestured with a pale hand to the buildings and temples and avenues. “This is where our beloved dead come to rest, with all the comforts of life around them.” […] Before Aidas could answer, the boat approached a small quay leading to what appeared to be a temple. A figure emerged from between the pillars of the temple and descended its front steps. Golden-haired, golden-skinned. […] “The Temple of Chaos is a sacred place,” Apollion said sharply. “We shall never defile it with violence.” The words rumbled like thunder again.

This sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It sounds an awful lot like other beliefs in the Maasverse:

Bryce asked, because some small part of her had to know after what she’d seen of the Mask, “When you die, where do your souls go?” Did they even believe in the concept of a soul? Maybe she should have led with that.  But Azriel said softly, “They return to the Mother, where they rest in joy within her heart until she finds another purpose for us. Another life or world to live in.” (hofas)

-

“We’ll collect the dead tomorrow,” Manon said, her voice low. “And burn them at moonrise.” As both Crochans and Ironteeth did. A full moon tomorrow—the Mother’s Womb. A good moon to be burned. To be returned to the Three-Faced Goddess, and reborn within that womb. (koa)

Wyrd (Chaos) is the heart of the world, of existence. Of self. And that is where people rest in joy until they are reborn. Could this be where the spirits are migrating on Starfall?

We know the Princes of Hel are intergalactic helpers, so a trip to Hel or an encounter with a Prince (Bryaxis? Thanatos? Even Balthazar, if he isn’t Elain? 😉 still my favorite crack theory) might give us insight into their role in Prythian. It could also involve Azriel’s peculiar magic that makes him, like Ramiel, so different from even his Illyrian brothers. Let's be honest, he’s always had a Prince of Hel vibe—down to his reverence for Wyrd (Mother, Cauldron, Fate/Chaos)—that I would love to see come to fruition. 

Beyond Azriel himself, I also think we will learn the origins of the Illyrians in the heart of Ramiel. Were they connected to Hel before the Asteri made them their soldiers, like @silverlinedeyes and @offtorivendell theorized? Or were they an experiment like the blessed sisters? Did the Asteri put humans (hence the ears) into the Cauldron after it was imbued with their void magic and create beings of night and pain who could combat enemies, including demons? This might be another reason why the three most powerful Illyrians are a match in power for the three blessed sisters. 

Together, they balance opposing forces as @silverlinedeyes previously theorized. They seem to represent the forces of Void and Chaos, and their power can be combined in the space between to achieve impossible feats (eg, physically healing the Cauldron and the rip in the world). All three sisters seem to be chosen bearers, or conduits, for Wyrd (Chaos), so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another example of this in a different way for Azriel and Elain, and/or a scene where they are all linked magically.  

My lips tugged toward a smile. But Rhys stared at all of us, somehow assembled here in the sun-drenched open grasses without being given the order. Our family—our court. The Court of Dreams.  […] He surveyed them all again—and held out his hand to Cassian. Cassian took it, and held out his other hand for Mor. Then Mor extended her other to Azriel. Azriel to Amren. Amren to Nesta. Nesta to Elain. And Elain to me. Until we were all linked, all bound together. (acowar)

Since Ramiel is connected to Wyrd (Chaos), and there may be a doorway to her temple in Hel, this journey will likely also uncover secrets about her. Will her story come from illustrations in stone, members of Hel, or…my personal favorite, Wyrd herself? I believe that is one of the many reasons she gifted Elain with such powers, including sight: so she could tell her story to someone who could see differently. Someone who could see the creator within the darkness, just as Elain saw the dark cottage as a shelter rather than a prison. This gift may provide them the information they need to uncover the Asteri’s secrets and unravel their magic from the sacred peaks and Wyrd, which could lead them to at least two other places: (1) Midgard, where the Book of Breathings is now kept by Bryce, and (2) Cretea, where the Cauldron is currently hidden. Could Azriel even pay back Bryce for stealing his precious dagger? It would only be fitting. 

Ramiel Springs Eternal 

I was so cold I might never be warm again. Even during winter in the mortal realm, I’d managed to find some kernel of heat, but after nearly emptying my cache of magic that afternoon, even roaring heart fire couldn’t thaw the chill around my bones. Did spring ever come to this blasted place? (acomaf)

Illyria is known for being bitterly cold, to the point where Feyre wonders if spring would ever arrive there. Sarah has consistently described Elain as blooming life amid death and winter, and this imagery starts to become really apparent in Illyria: 

Mor let out a snort that made the Illyrians stiffen. But she shifted, revealing Elain behind her. Elain was just blinking, wide-eyed, at the camp. The army.  Devlon let out a grunt at the sight of her. But Elain wrapped her own blue cloak around herself, averting her eyes from all those towering, muscled warriors, the army camp bustling toward the horizon…She was a rose bloom in a mud field. Filled with galloping horses. (acowar) 

Compared to Nesta, a newly forged sword, Elain is a blooming flower even in an Illyrian army camp, which is essentially saying she is a bloom of life and color in the middle of winter. This imagery is so fitting because she commits her time to creating and restoring gardens wherever she goes. She brings life and joy and beauty into the world. Even her scent is a promise of spring: 

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. […] Her sister turned toward her, glowing with health. Elain’s smile was as bright as the setting sun beyond the windows. (acosf)

We also know she is also capable of hearing sound, specifically hearts, through stone. In their conversation about heartbeats, Lucien even wonders if she is speaking to him: 

She looked away—toward the windows. “I can hear your heart,” she said quietly. He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he said nothing, and drained his tea, even as it burned his mouth. “When I sleep,” she murmured, “I can hear your heart beating through the stone.” She angled her head, as if the city view held some answer. “Can you hear mine?” He wasn’t sure if she truly meant to address him, but he said, “No, lady. I cannot.”  Her too-thin shoulders seemed to curve inward. “No one ever does. No one ever looked—not really.” A bramble of words. (acowar)

Was Elain actually speaking to one of the sister peaks, or even Wyrd, during some of this conversation? Her response to Lucien even seems to echo the song of the land: no one had ever truly looked, not really. No one knew what secrets they carried in their heart. This is such a lonely existence. As Elain and Azriel heal the land, I believe they will also heal their own wounds. Feel seen and heard. Understood. 

Elain was also wearing a blue cloak in the Illyrian camp. Could that be a hint of her future work with others who wear something similar, like the priestesses who worship Wyrd? She answered her sister’s prayer during the war rather than Wyrd and has led her own sister in prayer before. Is she more priestess—more healer—than warrior, and is that the different sort of strength needed to garden on a larger scale? @willowmeres and I were discussing this the other night: perhaps like Gwydion and TT (which I theorized singing to each other across space), Elain’s rose necklace was called to the library when the priestesses were singing about Wyrd. And because like calls to like, the necklace answered and drew Azriel to the library instead of the Palace of Thread and Jewels. Like her sisters before her, Elain might receive help from priestesses as she hones her vision and gifts. I would scream if this turns out to be true because that necklace is pure Chaos (pun definitely intended).

It’s also possible the priestesses could be helpful in unbinding Void from the Book of Breathings, a book of spells. I doubt this will be a simple matter, however. It might rival the unraveling of Erawan, which required massive raw healing magic. Will the Asteri’s void magic manifest on another plane as Elain battles it with raw healing magic, shining bright as the dawn? Could a dawn ritual help ground her during this battle? And will Azriel, the sisters, the brothers, even priestesses with their healing stones, need to create a living chain to defeat Void and fully restore Wyrd (Chaos) in the end? Will we finally get a glimpse of her, unbound? 

Maybe with the help of Azriel and others, Elain will even restore Wyrd—blossoming life—to Ramiel’s sunniest face, the heart of the world, of existence. Of self. And true spring will finally come to her sacred land.

[hellsite-hungergames]

THE FIRST WAVE OF TRIBUTES

All tributes (With the exception of hellsite-hall-of-fame, God, Jesus, Tarlton, and Wallace) were chosen randomly, as were the pairs (Again, with the exception of 1, 18, and 32)

Information about the polls will be out a little bit before the polls themselves

Polls will open February 14th in the afternoon/evening (EST)

Second Wave will be announced sometime around 6pm EST

Tribute List under cut

@hellsite-hungergames vs. @hellsite-hall-of-fame

Vace (I Was a Teenage Exocolonist) vs. Herobrine (Minecraft)

Regulus Black (Harry Potter) vs. Edward Cullen (Twilight)

Merlin (Merlin) vs. Florida Man (American Mythology)

Gary the Gadget Guy (Club Penguin) vs. Sunny (Omori)

Benoit Blanc (Knives Out) vs. Ridley (Metroid)

Animal (Muppets) vs. Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson (Hamilton)

Clint (Stardew Valley) vs. Data (Star Trek)

Skunk Ape (Florida) vs. Daniel the Manager (Anon's manager)

Waluigi (Mario) vs. Timmy Turner (The Fairly OddParents)

Meta Knight (Kirby) vs. Castiel (Supernatural)

Death (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish) vs. Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia)

Katsuya Suou (Persona 2: Eternal Punishment) vs. King Arthur (Monty Python's The Holy Grail)

Squidward's Hopes and Dreams (Spongebob Squarepants) vs. Spiders Georg (Tumblr)

Anya Forger (Spy x Family) vs. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)

Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal) vs. Campbell Bain (Takin' Over the Asylum)

Jasper (Steven Universe) vs. Star Butterfly (Star vs. The Forces of Evil)

Tarlton (A completely real fandom) vs. Wallace (Wallace the Living Wall)

Mikhailo "Mickey" Aleksandr Milkovich (Shameless) vs. Dimitri Blaiddyd (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Duck (Don't Hug Me I'm Scared) vs. Everyone from Cats the Musical (Cats the Musical)

Jay Walker (Ninjago) vs. Miles Vorkosigan (Vorkosigan Saga)

Illyria (Angel: The Series) vs. Evan "Buck" Buckley (9-1-1)

Haymitch Abernathy (The Hunger Games) vs. Richard Gansey III (The Raven Cycle)

Ronald McDonald (McDonald's) vs. Amelia Bedelia (Amelia Bedelia)

Matt (Wii Sports) vs. Oswald Cobblepot (Gotham)

Edward Nygma (Gotham) vs. Tumblr Anon Icon (Tumblr)

Gillion Tidestrider (Just Roll With It) vs. Jedediah (Night at the Museum)

Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100) vs. Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Alex Fierro (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) vs. Puss in Boots (Puss in Boots/Shrek)

Jessie Prescott (Jessie) vs. George Costanza (Seinfeld)

Leon Scott Kennedy (The Resident Evil Franchise) vs. Han Solo (Star Wars)

God (Universe fandom/Deadbeat dads fandom) vs. Jesus (Christianity fandom)

[silverlinedeyes]

ACOTAR 5: A Frozen and Moana Retelling

By @wingedblooms and @silverlinedeyes

Note: this is mainly a joke based on @wingedblooms amazing Ramiel meta and we were cracking up at the idea, but Sarah has toddlers so I CAN SEE IT lmao

Cast of Characters

Te Fiti/Arendelle: Wyrd whose soul is in Prythian (the heart of which is in Ramiel)

Ta’ka/the eternal winter: the barren parts of Prythian

The Heart of Te Fiti: the Cauldron

Elsa/Maui: The Asteri (I think? TBD honestly)

Anna and Kristoff/Moana and Maui: Elain and Azriel

Love: well, love (or Elain’s life giving or healing powers)

A Plot Summary

A long time ago in a land far far away (Prythian) Wyrd birthed the land. To give life to the land, her spirit was entrapped in the cauldron, and that cauldron was hidden in the heart of Prythian: Ramiel.

One day, the land was invaded by evil beings called Daglan, though we now know they were Asteri. And the Asteri stole the spirit of Wyrd for themselves and corrupted it.

This corruption caused a plague to ripple through the land, killing mountain after mountain (like how death killed island after island in Moana—see where we’re going here?)

This set off an eternal winter (“you kind of set off an eternal winter”) in Illyria that could only be prevented by the Blood Rite feeding life and magic back into the land to temporarily bring back spring, only for the land to fall into a deep winter again that it seemed could not be broken until the Rite was done anew.

Never fear though! Elain and Azriel are going to go on a journey to figure out what is wrong with the land. They might even have to go to Hel or maybe the Middle (either one would be Lalotai—the land of monsters) and back to find answers.

They will have to face whatever evil lurks within the land, leeching it of life, and whatever evil has corrupted the cauldron.

And ultimately, they will discover that love (or maybe, you know, Elain’s lifesinging magic or healing magic) can thaw a frozen “heart” and remove the corruption from the cauldron (a la Yrene in ToD and KoA using healing powers to remove the Valg parasite?), restoring the heart of Prythian—i.e. the Caudron and Wyrd’s spirit—to the land and cause spring to bloom again.

Oh and how could I forget—Elain and Az will discover true love (true mates?!) for each other along the way.

THE END.

#you’re welcome 🤣🤣

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, December 21

FRED: Are you okay? LORNE: I was feeling seasick when we were still on dry land. Do I look greener than usual? FRED: A little.

~~AtS 3x12 “Provider”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Dead to Rights (Faith, Dexter, T) by Aadler

Role-Playing (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by veronyxk84

A Kiss to Build a Dream On (Buffy/Giles, M) by LonesomeSundown

Material Pleasures (Illyria/Wesley, E) by purple_mechanicalpencils

Chained Up for Christmas (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden, ClowniestLivEver

Gifts from the (Undead) Heart (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Grief Counseling

Uncommon Scenery (Buffy/Spike, T) by veronyxk84

[Chaptered Fiction]

The Greatest Gift: A Fuffy Christmas Carol, Chapter 1/4 (Buffy/Faith, G) by user1013

Return Of The Soulless Vampire, Chapters 1-50/50 (Buffy/Spike, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, M) COMPLETE! by Hoomanbeans (Frednymph)

The Queen's daughter, Chapter 68/? (Buffy/Faith, Cordelia, OUAT xover, not rated) by Dragonprincess19961

I Love You (and The Horizon Hides You in Vain), Chapter 3/? (Buffy & Dawn, Buffy/Spike, canon ships, M) by ConcernedReader

A Slayer in the Senate, Chapter 11/12 (Buffy/Faith, Buffy/Tara, E) by storiwr

Half And Half Girl, Chapters 2-27/27 COMPLETE! (Angel/Cordelia, Fred/Wesley, M) by Hoomanbeans (Frednymph)

Where are you?, Chapter 2/16 (Buffy/Riley, Xander/Anya, T) by RotBlau

Whiplash, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Ninereeds

Open Your Heart & Close Your Eyes, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

Rude Awakenings, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

Take Me to Prom, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Spikelover4ever

Some You Lose, Chapter 22 (Buffy, Stargate xover, FR13) by lyapunov

Out of Time: 1942, Chapter 61 (Buffy/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter xover, FR18) by Jonayla

Agape, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms

The Science of Being Yours, Chapters 9-12 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden, ClowniestLivEver

Indecent Proposal, Chapter 27 (Buffy/William/Xander, Adults Only) by harrisxander2

[Images, Audio & Video]

Gifset: ANGEL THE SERIES | 1.19 “Sanctuary” requested by juanabaloo (Faith, Angel, worksafe) by elizadushkudaily

Artwork: Probably not gonna finish these in time so have a couple of festive Faith wips (worksafe) by sideartblog999

Artwork: [Drawings of Buffy Summers] (worksafe) by psicheanima

Gifset: Every Tara look: S5E13 Blood Ties (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Artwork: 5 Seconds (Buffy, Faith, worksafe) by takenabackbytuesdays

Gifset: - hymn to virgil hozier (Buffy/Spike with lyrics overlay, worksafe) by theveryunlikelywonderland

Artwork: Just Spuffy enjoying their winter weekend and trying not to catch another apocalypse (worksafe) by flyora

Gif: I don’t need a guy right now. I need me. I need to get comfortable being alone with… Buffy (worksafe) by buffysource, andremichaux

Manip: Hustler (Buffy/Spike, G) by honeygirl51885

Manips: Snapshots From My Idiot, Chapters 1-3 COMPLETE! (Buffy/Spike, G) by cd85

Manip: Chasing Away Insanity (Buffy/Spike, G) by honeygirl51885

Artwork: [FANART] Fuck, Marry, Kill, Trio Edition (Warren, Andrew, Jonathan, T) by GarsCrucible

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Season 4 Recap by Investigating Angel

PODCAST: A Love Like Troy and Gabriela (S5E11) by It Stakes Two

[In Search Of]

ISO: Can anyone please link that great meta on the Buffy episode “Who Are You” that talks about the Faith and Buffy fight? requested by thewarlocknerd

[Fandom Discussions]

If ATS never happened… by annarowyn

Since I was little kid, I always imagine there’s spinoff about well adjusted Connor after Angel tv show by kingsaint

“Drive My Soul” by LIGHTS is so Spuffy coded by lilyginnyblackv2

doing a BTVS 3x10 Amends rewatch for the holidays. and damn if the (unintentional?) Fuffy isn’t hilarious by juanabaloo

The conversation between Buffy and Angel in Gingerbread always struck me as so poignant by initiumseries

[anon ask] Do you have any cents on the idea that the narrative let's angel get off easier than spike for his Angelus crimes and its a cop out that angel and Angelus are considered separate people? answered by firelxdykatara

sometimes I think about dawn being like. she IS it takes a village child by camellcat

we really do not talk enough about how just a TASTE of buffy’s blood snaps spike out of the first’s mind control by raisedbythetv89

Spike is so funny, it never even occurred to him to angst about being in a vampire/human relationship by messedupdoilies

The Conflicts of BTVS continued by hoponlilmama

If Liam's father saw Angel would he be proud of him? by The Whirlwind, multiple posters

Angel and Darla - Reprise by jogaforacont

Lack of Merch by Better-Mud2595

Buffy's Baby Bangs: A Christmas Essay by _ineffective_

Ever notice buffy wears white when she fight the big bad by Silver_Storm_1

Why didn’t the Watchers send someone to capture or kill Faith whilst she was in a coma? by Scopeburger

Christmas Buffy by TwistedLogic81

Holden is one of the best short lived characters by beans_the_fruit182

What's the difference between the Willow & Buffy dynamic and the Xander & Buffy dynamic (excluding his unrequited crush on her) by Cailly_Brard7

Why do you think a good portion of the audience struggles to connect with some of these Buffy characters? by PristineSituation498

Which are your favorite lines from the show....that you've actually used in your day-to-day life? by Jdobbs626

Buffy and D&D crossover by starbucksmetalhead

Catherine Madison (S1E3) was a really cool villain by TheSekretGarden

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PODCAST-Interviews: An Oral History of Buffy's "Hush": A 25th Anniversary Special by Slayerfest 98

CONVENTION: James Marsters to Attend Comic Con France 12-13 April 2025 by dontkillspike

CONVENTION: James Marsters Upcoming Events by dontkillspike

PUBLICATION: Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 10 Most Insidious Villains, Ranked by CBR.com

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Join the editor team :)

[kataraavatara]

back to this quote, I think I’ve cracked a major reason why training women to fight was Illyria going so abysmally other than “all Illyrian men are just The Worst” it’s like. not only are the men extremely psychologically fucked up from experiencing this insane amount of violence and abuse starting at eight there’s also going to be natural feelings of resentment that the women didn’t have to go through this and still get to be warriors and fight. they desperately need to rationalize the amount of abuse they experienced so it can mean something so now anyone who didn’t spend their formative years getting their bones broken is obviously No True Warrior. There’s an obvious misogyny element but also deeper psychological component that if they see someone like the Valkyries succeed when they started training as adults they might have to look inward and realize it was all for nothing. that they suffered so much for so many years for ultimately no reason. sunk cost fallacy yada yada

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

Oh yeah, this is definitely an extension of that culture war bullshit

I mean, Rhysand being progressive is very much a tell-dont show thing on SJM's part. Hes made Feyres High Lady of the Night which is supposed to be different from her just being Lady (like she was in the spring court) and is supposed to show how much more progressive he is than all the other High Lords, but then she ends up the exact same things as any other Lady (birthing an heir, being Rhys' armcandy at public appearances etc)

Or with illyria, hes banned wing-clipping but it doesnt seem like he's actually properly enforcing it, it seems like the camplords who do it just kinda get scolded a little but no further consequences to disinsentivise them from doing it (like maybe having their wings clipped themselves, or even just getting killed to set an example for the other camplords). And its not because he thinks enforcing it would require excessive cruelty or because he thinks theres some good inside these guys he can appeal to, because he was fine slaughtering all the illyrians who were with him UTM and because he seems to think theyre just inherently evil

Then theres the fact that women in illyria are allowed to train to fight, but only for an hour after their 'chores' are done, and thats seemingly the only move Rhysand has made towards giving them rights equal to men. And its an incredibly bad move too because we hear from one of the camplords that women who are seen training are declared unmmariable, which is a good insentive to keep them from actually doing it. But even without that, the idea behind it seems to be that it'll empower these women by giving them the option of 'fighting back' against their abusers, but women in a society this misogynistic cant just do stuff like that without massive consequences that, once again, disinsentivise them from actually doing that.

It also willfully ignores the fact that illyria's current setup, where every able-bodied male is essentially forcibly drafted from the age of 9 to become a soldier and theyre all constantly training to fight even when there arent any wars being fought, is incredibly fucked up and the best thing to do would be to make it so that no one has to live like that, not forcing all the females to do it as well

And Velaris definitely seems like the best place to live but it has its own ethical issues even beyond the fact that Rhysand is essentially using the rest of his court as a big meatshield factory for the sake of protecting a single city. Because its meant to be secret, no one except for the ic (and their guests) is allowed to come in or out, and the only people who are allowed come in are the traumatized priestesses that stay in the House of Wind, but you just cant leave. And its like, what if you wanted to travel? What if youre one of those priestesses and you had family members outside of the city that you wanted to see again? You just cant do thlse things. And obviously those things are nothing compared to the shit that everyone outside of Velaris has to endure but it still sucks that they have no choice in the matter

And the stuff with the CoN is just. Atleast with Illyria theres some attempt at fixing things and some implication that Rhysand believes that maybe not all of them are inherently evil, but with the CoN its just "yeah no, these people are born evil and they will stay evil forever, Mor (who just happens to be related to Rhys) the only possible good person there" which is a line of thought thats incredibly conservative. dare I say its even a little fascist

And like, it would make sense for Rhysand to think this way and to have this kind of ideology considering the society that he grew up in, but according to meta-narrative of these books, hes not supposed to be a guy with beliefs that are typical for his incredibly conservative culture, hes not even supposed to be a guy whos progressive by the standards of his culture, but that we as the audience would consider conservative by our own standards, hes supposed to be progressive by our own contemporary real world standards, but SJM just completely at writing him as such, either because shes incompetent or because her views of what being progressive means are just backwards like that

ohhhhhhhhhmy god I just saw someone say "ugh, cant believe all those rhys stans who voted democrat have the audacity to be upset about trump when they wouldve probably voted for him if he was hot" and I just. grips you firmly by the shoulders. You understand that fiction does not equal reality right. And you understand that you very likely cannot acertain anything about a stranger online just based on their taste in fiction or their takes on certain book. And thats not to say that their tastes or opinions on fiction are completely meaningless and that they cant tell you anything about them, but those things are rarely obvious because what people enjoy in fiction and what people enjoy in real life dont perfectly match up a lot of the time. Most women who like to read about being the husband of a sexy rapey vaguely-pedophilic rich fae tyrant and justify his actions online would not justify his actions if he were a person who existed in the real world and that they knew. The reason they defend and justify Rhysand's actions so vehemently is 1) because they dont like the thing they enjoy being attacked or criticised and 2) because theres no real stakes because HE is not real and defending him has no effect on the real world and does literally nothing exceot maybe make random strangers on the internet be judgemental towards you

[ichayalovesyou]

SNW Theory: Una is Why Pike Survives The Accident

In Ghosts of Illyria when La’an is infected with the Light Virus, she attempts to jump into the warp core and Una stops her. But not before they both recieve severe exposure to radiation, Una’s Illyrian genetic modifications save them both.

When she held onto La’an, it provided her with chimeric antibodies that not only spare them both from the radiation but allowed Chapel & M’Benga to use the antibodies from La’an to derive a cure from her blood.

Whose to say those antibodies aren’t still present in La’an’s body?

In A Quality of Mercy, Admiral Pike says that two cadets die in the accident. Maat Al-Salah, and presumably the girl whose console explodes that Pike fails to drag out in time before becoming grievously wounded and exposed himself.

Those cadets die from that level of exposure, Spock dies from a similar level of exposure in WoK, but Pike doesn’t, why? Unless…

Una (likely out of necessity) does something similar for Chris, protecting him the way she saved La’an. If/when she saves him, similar chimeric antibodies would be in him.

It would not prevent him from being injured or prevent him from being severely irradiated, but he would survive long enough for medics to get to him and prevent it from killing him.

I think one of the many reasons Pike actively chooses to live the difficult life the accident’s aftermath leads to. Other than he’s not one to give into despair, and is acutely aware of his own worth to those who love him. It’s this:

Even if Starfleet medicine can’t do much to help his quality of life, what they learn from his survival will lead to better treatment for Delta radiation survivors like him. If Pike possesses chimeric antibodies from Una that made the difference between life and death for him. That would absolutely support that notion.

[annyankers]

i think many people think that darla and angelus are totally emotionless killing machines incapable of love or other emotions because this is what the shows tell us, but it’s not what we actually see in their actions.

there’s not two orders of vampires-- soulless killers (darla, angelus, the master, dark willow, etc) and soulless lite (spike, drusilla). they’re all vampires, they all lack human souls. They are all demonic essences parasitically living in reanimated bodies. it’s not vampire the masquerade they’re not from different wildly bloodlines (and even if it was they’d all bE THE SAME KIND).

the difference is coming from who they were as humans before they were turned. Spike and Drusilla were both highly emotional, good hearted, sensitive people. they strove to be good and to be kind and it shows in them even as vampires. Drusilla is STILL not over the deaths of her family, she is open with her emotions and she loves to and WANTS to nurture as best she can. Spike is still a poet at heart, he’s still chasing love and beauty and wants nothing more in life to be married, he’s domestic as fuck. 

Darla and Liam were not sociopaths or anything but they weren’t like that.

Darla was a prostitute and a well off one in a time when that was even less well thought of. We don’t know much about her life or how that came to be her profession but we can extract from her turning scene that she was alone in the world. She was angry and apathetic. Her interaction with the master as a human on her deathbed is EXTREMELY telling.

The Master: Are you prepared now to renounce Satan and beg God his forgiveness? Darla: God never did anything for me. [...] The Master (to doctor): You can't save her life - perhaps I can still save her soul. Darla: My soul is well past saving. Let the devil take me if he'll have me. Either way - I die. (ATS 2x7 “Darla”)

This is the talk of someone extremely jaded. Darla had likely seen some of the worst of mankind and been associated with it willingly or not in her life. She doesn’t expect anything from anyone because she has already been disappointed and betrayed. She has emotionally closed herself off as a defense mechanism. She has a WILDLY negative world view and doesn’t give a shit about people because they don’t care about her. Then slap a demon that’s all into hedonism and violence and sadism and chaos and blam. You get the Darla we know and love from the Shows. She comes off as cold and heartless and totally willing to throw even Angelus under the bus to save her own skin but this is a lie. She’s just trampling on any and all of the “weak”, “dangerous” emotions that she always has to protect herself. She can’t be manipulated or her weaknesses exploited if she’s hidden them behind a 50ft wall.

But she takes Angelus back after he gets his soul because she still wants him, still loves him. she literally says as much to Angel when she’s revived.

Darla: See? No matter how good a boy you are - God doesn't want you!

Angel lets go of her and throws himself back away form her cross. They look at each other breathing hard.

Darla: But I still do. (ATS 2x7 “Dear Boy”)

In one flashback/story from Angel, Darla knocks Angelus the fuck out and leaves him for dead in a barn to escape Holtz but in another she rescues him from Holtz, barging in on a fucking cart with a whole fucking crew in the middle of the day to do it. Side note for an essay another day: this is why he’s into Buffy, why he’s into Cordelia. Look at Darla, how she acts, looks, talks and these kinda stunts she pulls and you can see how Angel(us)’s love map was made. You can see her in every woman he loves.

But Darla doesn’t feel love and has never felt love. She is soulless and thus totally incapable of anything we could recognize as love, affection, bonds (familial or otherwise). Okay. Sure. I’ll go tell Spike to not bother caring for Drusilla, or help save the world in season 2, or get tortured to protect Dawn. Because you know, soulless evil demon who can’t make interpersonal bonds and give a shit about people and like them. They have Angel and Darla on multiple occasions say they or the other cannot love then show us them caring for each other, obsessing over each other, understanding each other on an intimate level, being possessive of each other etc. Sure yes it’s not a human expression of love! But they are vampires. It is a vampiric expression of an intimate relationship, one that they are both deeply invested in emotionally.

Darla killed Liam because she connected with him emotionally. Yes, sure, because he was like hunky and stuff but also because of self-recognition through the other! Liam was a wastrel. He was a fuck up. He covered up mountains of fear and insecurity and self-loathing and feelings of worthlessness under bravo, drinking, fighting and charm. He was stuck in a similar place as her, if she was damned by societies expectations of women he was being crushed by societies expectations for men. I mean the first fucking thing he does is kill is his father to finally prove he’s the bigger/better man. Come on, this is classic shit.

Angel(us) loves Darla. It’s a fucked up love, sure, but he loves her. Her revival, her mortality, her death and then turning would not have effected him so deeply if he didn’t. You can see how much Angelus loves Darla in the flashbacks, if Spike is super obviously simping Drusilla in like, every fucking scene there in and Angelus and Darla just ask like the “adult” version of that then 2+2=4. I don’t know what to tell you. Angel(us) is a Darla simp. It’s textual. Shit Angelus has his own versions of protecting her from Holtz and his reaction to seeing Darla passed out after her threesome with the Immortal is IMMEDIATE CONCERN because he thinks she’s been hurt. He goes back to her post soul because he loves her and because it’s what he’s known for over 100 years.

Like look, do you REALLY think that Angelus would be SO OBSESSED with stalking and hurting Buffy if he wasn’t effected by Angel’s/his own but souled love for her? This is the man who ACTIVELY TOLD SPIKE NOT TO GET ON A SLAYER’S RADAR. Despite whatever the shows try to push (another thing for another essay: ats, “your heart is pure” and it’s campaign to macho up angel) Angel(us) is NOT a fighter. He’s an artist, a manipulator, a schemer. But Buffy has him out here falling all over himself. He knew better than to 1v1 a slayer, he did it anyway. Look, when Spike is poking holes in your schemes you know you’re fucking up. Spike’s not stupid or anything but he’s like the king of adhd “no think just do” and HE’S not impressed with Angelus’ work even just on a professional level here.

Darla and Angelus aren’t emotionless. They do feel love and affection and attachment. They’re just WILDLY emotionally damaged people who became vampires at their lowest points and view vulnerability and tenderness as a weakness and grind that shit under their heel as hard and fast as they can. Also they’re soulmates and besties and worsties and each other’s blorbo and their poor little meow meows and the only valid otp for angel i said what i SAID.

[dontwarnthetadpoles]

I’m into making lists lately, it’s fun and it simplifies the answer to the question : what to do with my thoughts when i don’t have the time and energy to write and edit an essay/meta?

So here, for a fun and light way to consider romance in the Buffyverse, a list of my romantic endgames for the still alive characters by the finals of Btvs and Ats (in no particular order) :  

Buffy x Oz: unusual pairing that nobody seems to ship (i only found one fic about them but boy was it good!), which never ceases to surprise me because they seem to be an obvious pairing based on their personality and tastes. The chemistry between SMG and Seth Green is very strong: they had very few (too little!) scenes together but each time, they shined as a duo. Oz, especially after his trip to Tibet, is everything that Buffy looks for: loyalty, stability, maturity with a dark and supernatural twist, and after being burned badly by Willow, Buffy is the ideal person to make Oz heal and trust again.There’s also the challenge to find a way to communicate and become a real emotional support for the other considering they have the similar way to not really share what they feel, but they’re aware of their limits and willing to work on them, so the reward would be really worth the effort.   

Xander x Dawn: inspired by the comics though the show suggested too, discreetly, this pairing during season 6 (maybe more often but i don’t remember). A couple by default (there’s nobody else to pair them with)  but with potential: she’s a mix of Buffy and Anya/Cordelia (i see Anya as the continuation of Cordelia), the only women he “loved”. She needs a older man who can be dedicated entirely to her because of her immaturity and spoiled nature, a man stable and who won’t freak out about her nature and that’s Xander at the end of season 7.    

Willow x Fred:  It was a very popular ship after Orpheus, mostly because the chemistry was off the chart, but i only started to support it after the Illyria arc when Whedon confirmed that Fred’s soul wasn’t destroyed and that Willow can bring her back by separating her from Illyria. They were less amazing by the end of their shows than when they were at the start (they broke the heart of my two favourite male characters so i like them a lot less), but Willow and Fred were still two impressive women that would balance each other well. They are a perfect match on the intellectual level, which is a necessity in their case because of how they take pride in their academic achievements, and have the same tendency to self centerdness so they won’t hurt each other much or be too needy. Their big transformative experience that made them temporary a big evil and left them in a in-between state: between good and evil, though they more good than bad, is the key for them to make things work and get over their insecurity. Also they lost Oz and Gunn and won’t find better guys (Willow is bi for me), so it’s time for Fred to get over men (dating Wesley was a major mistake).

Angel: single or Angel x Illyria (inspired by the comics) because considering his selfishness and lack of remorse, he doesn’t deserve happiness and that’s one thing for sure that Illyria will never give him. Based on her bond with Wesley, she’s more likely to feed him the lllusion of a relationship but i don’t think he needs more because he’s clearly still incapable at the end of season 5 of showing emotional support and commitment. He has Connor anyway, and trying to amend for what he didn’t do for him, without this time messing with other people’s life would be his first real step toward redemption.

Spike x Faith: That’s the obvious choice for Spike given his fascination for slayers. Also I can’t see him falling for a vampire now that he has a soul. This couple would work for all the reasons that Angel/Faith couldn’t work: Spike can be a friend and a lover to a woman. They are a good match because though they hold no illusion about their nature and their past, they’re not torturing themselves about redemption. They just help when they can. They won't be necessary a stable couple: i see separations and reconciliations in repeat cycles, but also a lot of fun. Their potential to become iconic is big.

Gunn x Anne: they are my ideal couple/choice for an endgame, both shows include, because they fit my favourite trope: from friends to lovers. And their also the only racial mixte couple that i can imagine in the Buffyverse (i never liked Faith with Wood and even less the idea of Faith and Gunn), after Gunn and Fred.They have always been supportive and protective of each other during their limited time onscreen. They had few scenes but i don’t doubt they revealed the entire truth about their relationship. Anne is the mature love that Gunn waited for all his life.They share the same hope, fights, values and support both the same community of homeless teens/young adults who try to survive in the streets, from which they both came from. Their communication is top: they don’t shy from asking each other help or advice. I see it as very long lasting relationship, with a lot of kids and a happy home.        

Connor x Gwen: They complete each other: he likes older women with good fighting skills and she’s still immature emotionally and inexperimented despite her dominant  attitude and her overconfidence. They remind me of Spike and Drusilla but as a less iconic and less cruel version. 

Giles: he should definitely stay single or maybe hook up again with Ethan if he reappears someday. He won’t be able to find love again after what he has become, though it doesn’t mean there’s isn’t someone somewhere to take pity on him, juste like Angel with Illyria. I don’t cry about him: he made his life and his choices without pressure, contrary to the young people that he had the opportunity to mentor on btvs (the scoobies) and that he failed badly.  

[wanderingwomanwondering]

Strange New Worlds Commentary/Meta

**this post is NOT spoiler-free** AND **long post!**

We’ve gotten 4 solid eps of Strange New Worlds so far. Ep5 dropped today but I haven’t seen it yet. Overall, I like the show and I also have some constructive criticism. Here are my thoughts:

Episode 1 - Strange New Worlds

This ep was fun and it was GREAT to meet the main characters, especially Uhura. She was more fully presented and developed in this one episode than she was in TOS. Overall, I enjoyed this episode. I’m a sucker for cosmetic genetic modification for away missions lol. 

What I did not love (at all) was the paternalism shown toward the citizens of the war-torn, warp incapable planet. The leader that Pike and Spock spoke with made it clear that she and her people had no intention of listening to their plea they not use warp technology as a weapon in their war efforts. Pike pushes the issue by waving the entire damn Enterprise around AND inviting himself to a meeting of the warring factions to force an Earth history lesson on them to discourage them from obliterating themselves.

On the surface, that seemed like a fine tactic on Pike’s part but scratch the surface and the persistent paternalism displayed is staggering. Pike has zero right and zero jurisdiction on an alien world. Period. Of course, if he had left it alone after the original demand that he and Spock leave, it would have been a very short episode lol. So, for entertainment purposes, it’s less concerning to me that Pike took it upon himself to (paternalistically) instruct an alien world on how to lessen their growing pains and is more concerning that no meaningful discussion of that action was supplied within the narrative. They chat for like 2 seconds about the precursor to the Prime Directive but then explain away their social and political interference with the aliens by saying that the only reason the aliens had warp technology in the first place was because of the war with Control in Discovery. 

Mind you, the Federation has no way of knowing how many other pre-warp worlds may have been negatively affected by what they saw in their night sky during that epic battle with Control (or any other space battle for that matter). Does the Federation plan to scan for ill-gotten warp-signatures in every star system where a space battle ignited the sky in inhabited systems? 

The Federation is not a “divine power” that can or should play with the destinies of worlds, which is why the Prime Directive among other regulations was established in the first place. But without some full-on, in-depth discussion within the narrative about these situations and the parameters for intervention (if any!) the show is buying into and perpetuating harmful logics that erode the agency and autonomy of worlds in the name of paternalistically-driven harm reduction. It’s...a problem LOL one that I hope they actually talk about a lot INSIDE THE NARRATIVE. We as long-time viewers of Star Trek know the basic ethical issues being alluded to in the episode but without a real exploration of those issues in the narrative (which is harder to do, but not impossible, in an episodic format) we are left only with the problematic implications of the “solutions” worked out by one Starfleet captain.

Another issue: Pike’s thinking about what his future disability will mean for him has been framed in an ableist way so far. I sincerely HOPE that framing of his thought process is on purpose so that the audience can go with him on the journey of deconstructing his ableist attitudes and changing them!! Seriously, if that doesn’t start happening in earnest soon, I’m going to have more to say about how deeply problematic his current conceptualization of his future is. *side-eye emoji*

Episode 2 - Children of the Comet

Super fun ep! Uhura, my beloved. Anyway, what I did not enjoy was the name calling (e.g. zealots), Like. How dare an alien species blend religion and science I guess??? It was an interesting choice of words for a man that regularly discussed the spiritual implications of the Red Angel while they were all figuring out exactly what was going on in s2 of Discovery. I had a lot of side-eye during the episode.

I did appreciate that at the end, Uhura (my boo!) presented scientific evidence that Ma’hanit was in fact runnin’ shit in the galaxy LOL. Just as Spock flying his shuttle mission factored into Ma’hanit’s role in seeding greater life on the planet (and Ma’hanit had foreknowledge of this), the Shepherds’ reverence and defense of Ma’hanit was important too and factored into the overall positive outcome. Arbiter of Life and Shepherds for the win!

Again, what I wanted was some engaging discussion of these issues/ prejudices/ assumptions and a visible/overt shift in crew viewpoint in light of the information Uhura shared. Preconceived notions + one scene where those preconceptions are proven wrong is nice but in 2022 it doesn’t feel sufficient imo. Within the Star Trek universe, there are a lot of lessons to be learned at this point in time in terms of the Federation’s and Starfleet’s development. I don’t know about other fans, but I want to see how the mind-changing sausage is made LOL.

Episode 3 - Ghosts of Illyria

I liked this ep too! It hit another Star Trek plot trope that I love: alien virus that makes the crew go a little cuckoobananas. Yes! Bring it! Also, we got the superhuman alien trope, my beloved. I was winning with this ep lol.

Overall the issue of genetic engineering was fun to explore. It’s been a theme throughout Trek and is hotly debated every time it comes up and I always find it fascinating. Those issues were at the center of a few eps involving Dr. Julian Bashir in DS9 and it was fun to watch. So I loved the reveal about Number One being Ilyrian. The Illyrians genetically modify themselves (instead of terraforming) in order to fit with a natural environment. They are contrasted with the Augments and I hope like hell we get more discussion of the (perceived) similarities and differences between the groups. 

Anyway, at the VERY end of the episode, Una offered FANTASTIC commentary on the consequences and problems inherent in being designated as an exception to a series of stereotypes (”one of the good ones”, a “hero”, etc.) by a person in power (Pike in this case), then the personal log entry was deleted, the ep ended, and I don’t know if they will carry it forward in BOTH small AND large ways. I mean - we will probably get a big moment in the future where Pike defends Number One to Starfleet a la TNG’s The Measure of A Man but who knows. Still, I wonder about the small ways that we’ll deal with Una’s identity among the crew and the day-to-day intraship politics of that now that it’s known. That pathway wasn’t really made clear and highlighted in the ep. We got Una’s discussion with La’an but I doubt that same level of interpersonal challenge will come through for Una ship-wide especially given Una’s rank. So where/how/to what degree will that character arc get to take us viewers on a meaningful journey?

Episode 4 - Memento Mori

Dire stakes. Mental health issues. Grief. Mind meld. Ingenuity. More backstory for La’an. Great character beats for Uhura (my love) and Hemmer. We glimpsed a possible love connection forming with M’Benga and Una. Nurse Chapel was in excellent form. Ortegas being snarky. Pike visibly feeling the weight of the captain’s seat. I was winning with this one yall. YMMV.

Ah, the Gorn. A faceless, predatory species easily glossed as “monsters”. The ep doesn’t do much to deal with that highly problematic characterization of an entire species but I think they laid the groundwork to approach that issue later in the show?

La’an noted that because of her past traumatic experience losing her entire family to the Gorn, she does not feel that empathy is possible and that they are true monsters, though not supernatural. That’s a big friggin statement and they HAVE TO come back around to that in a meaningful way. New life, new civilizations and all that. Conflict is of course a part of the mission but the demonization of one’s enemies, while very human and understandable is STILL A PROBLEM. 

Be enemies if that’s how it has to shake out because one side won’t see you as a human/person worthy of not being violently consumed but demonization feels beyond the pale (for Star Trek). Yeah yeah I know this is an way early in the ST timeline but still. They have to unpack that in the show (right???) otherwise what the hell are we even doing here???

Pro & Con of the Episodic Approach

I understand the fandom’s collective longing for the “simpler”, “easier”, episodic, exploration-driven times that defined the STU prior to Discovery. DS9 sort of started to break that mold in its final few seasons when the war with the Dominion began, but Strange New Worlds seems to be bringing back the episodic approach for the franchise. My basic point is that has a big con and a pro imo.

The big con I think is that the episodic format limits what they can really say/do AND FULLY ATTEND TO over the course of the season. We get snippets of deep/meaningful stuff but then those MAY get lost over the course of the show???

The pro is that the episodic approach is less “heavy”. We get mostly bottle episodes that exist in their own right and don’t require us to think and feel about the same/consistent cultural/social issues very deeply from week to week. Like. All four eps so far were good but they aren’t connected by anything but the characters themselves and their mission to seek out new life and new civilizations etc. 

I have theories about deeper connective elements at play across episodes but the show hasn’t been very loud about any of those yet. That’s understandable since the show is still very young, but it does make me wonder where we’re going in a deeper sense than just “the mission”. Like. What does that mission mean? How do we accomplish that mission? How, why, and to what degree must we grow and change to truly accomplish it? These are my questions and I think they are the show’s questions too? I just haven’t fully seen it on screen in SNW quite yet.

Season(s)-long narrative arcs imo allow for stronger clearer statements about key social/cultural issues presented in the narrative. Check out my post here to get more of a feel for what I mean. SNW returning to the episodic format is nice in many ways but my fear at this very early point in the show is that key character issues and larger/in-depth social commentary may not be as fully developed and explored as they would be in a season(s)-long arc format. I know some in the fandom may prefer this and I understand the various reason why but it still kinda concerns me.