#imagine the freedom I felt when I realized that a character doesn't have to have the same hairstyle every time

[theres-no-protocol-for-this]

Murderbot and Pronouns

This is my personal opinion, so take it as such. But it felt like something worth saying.

I used to get very frustrated when people used the wrong pronouns for Murderbot. I remember thinking more than once, why can't they just get it right.

But, a few years ago, my mother read All Systems Red in Russian of all languages. In that translation, Murderbot is referred to, partially, as a robot, which is masculine in that language. When she talked to me about this human-robot, it was also in Russian, and using masculine descriptors. It became "he" by translation.

I'm told that in the Hebrew translation, the pronouns are feminine, but that might be hearsay.

Then, a dear friend of mine finally finished ASR! And she kept referring to MB as a "she." When I asked my friend why she did it, she said it was because of how its voice is described at the beginning of the book.

She'd imagined a tough-looking butch with short hair, a no-fucks-given attitude, and a kind voice. Like herself.

And that made me pause. She had seen herself in Murderbot the same way I had. Her choice of pronouns was coming from her perspective of the world, not from a desire to misgender MB. She wasn't trying to hurt anyone. She'd missed the pronouns (especially in book one) and saw herself in the main character.

And I understood her logic.

The thing she helped me realize as we spoke is that MB has unusual-by-US-standards pronouns, and when people didn't get them right, it made me feel like they wouldn't accept my pronouns either. That their supposed disrespect would extend to me, the person.

But that wasn't true. My friend knows my pronouns and doesn't get them wrong. It was never about that.

So, now I try to be kinder and gentler when I see people call MB a he/she/they. What I want is for people to respect my pronouns because I'm a living, thinking being, and I want my autonomy to be respected. And by being observant and kind to one of my favorite characters, people showcase that they may be kind to me and respect my autonomy.

And that's what I tell them now. I care about MB's pronouns because its autonomy is one way for me to explore my autonomy in a world that wasn't willing to give me the freedom to be myself.

And I find that people understand that, just like they see themselves in MB, so do I. And why that makes it important for me to see them get its pronouns correct.

And some people didn't read the books deeply enough to really let the "It/Its" sink in. Or they're trying to reference Skarsgard-MB without misgendering the actual human playing MB.

Either way, may I recommend kindness and compassion?

You're valid, your frustrations are valid (and this is to everyone, not to anyone specific). You deserve to have the world acknowledge your pronouns and your autonomy!

[ensemblesongs]

Hello, I’m the anon who said I was disappointed and I’m here to apologize. When writing that comment I was going through a mental episode which (due to unrelated and personal issues) isn’t an excuse but definitely aided in the way I wrote that comment. I realize that it sounded very rude which was not my intention and makes me disappointed in myself. I was really sad to see one of my favorite enstars creators support the boycott because from the research I’ve done, by observing the reactions from both Japanese and Ryukyuan Enstars fans, they don’t seem to be very happy with the racial part of the boycott. Some are definitely still not happy that Akatsuki went from 3 to 4 but it has nothing to due with race for them. The reason I said the boycott itself seemed racist is because I’m seeing a lot of boycott supporters saying that BECAUSE of Ibuki’s Ryukyuan heritage he shouldn’t be in any unit at all and should remain by himself which makes me sad because he deserves a loving and supportive unit which Akatsuki definitely is. Again I’m very sorry for the way my previous comment came off and I still appreciate your work. I just hope that this informed you on the perspective of actual Japanese and Ryukyuan people.

Sweet thing! It's okay! Don't beat yourself up. I hope I didn't come off as aggressive, I can be emotional in the face of criticism but try my best to leave it out of my responses. I was explaining my motives!

He DOES deserve to be in a unit that will give him love. I felt a bit sad seeing him be neglected during the Esupuri debut, and I was personally hoping for him to be able to shine as a solo idol because that'd mean he would get to collab with all sorts of units like Madara does, and it felt like he was being set up to seek freedom and parallel him in some sort of way given his rejection of his role as a kid, but I would have also loved for him to belatedly join the rest of the new face idols in Esupuri, because I think his dynamic with Esu could have been interesting ♪ I even pondered the delusional combination of Ibuki and Kaname, though that would never happen, just because it's interesting to imagine.

I've definitely seen the people you're talking about, and also those who focus more on the AKATSUKI dilemma than Happy Element's mishandling of Ibuki. I only mentioned it because I think both are valid to be upset about and thought that maybe you didn't see anything wrong with the story at all. But one issue is so much larger than the other, especially when it's being done in a game with as big of an audience as Ansta, and I feel sad seeing people misdirect their hatred towards Ibuki — not just because he is a child and the victim here regardless of Keito's kindness (the traditional, Yamato Japanese character who is here to guide the proud, "indigenous demon" character down the right path. Do you see how that sounds? It's one thing for Keito to be his senior, drawn to him because of his experience with Kurou... ah, I don't know...), but because he is not real. The people who love him and feel connected to him are, though.

The "because" factor is less that because of his ethnicity he doesn't deserve to be in a unit, and more so that they are really doubtful that the writers will be able to pull it off inoffensively or that they already find it offensive due to the implications. At least, that's most of what I've seen. And again, the execution was just very poor. Ibuki and Esu are my favourite of the new kids, as I've mentioned. When it was revealed, I felt a sense of dread that still doesn't fade days after, cementing itself in my stomach as I watched the stream featuring the seiyuu via a third party. The way they're going for it is already rather reflective of history and not in a necessarily good way. I want to have hope that they will find a way to make this better, but I don't deserve to tell AKATSUKI-p to have that same faith, nor do I expect them to. It's sad that Happy Elements' official account is blocking people with genuine criticism, and very immature of them.

Anyway, I hope you'll feel better soon, Anon! And know that I, and many others, really do mean well. I've only seen two or so tweets in Japanese addressing the racism angle, honestly... even that much I was happy to see. Not that I think they're stupid or unaware. But there's a lot of work put into brushing Ryukyuan struggles under the rug.

[sapphireshineonao3]

Updated Kinich Fic Masterpost

Well… with my latest fic posted, I have officially written and released over 100k words of Kinich focused fanfiction. Within a two months window. I never expected this to happen nor did I expect this character to take over my life as it did. 

So, small milestone in my opinion, thank you for all the support and I'm glad you all enjoyed the stories. I have more planned and I really hope this love for Kinich doesn't fade away too quickly. So, below is an updated Fic Masterpost of all my Kinich fics. Thank you all for reading, and for newcomers, please enjoy 100k words of Kinich focused fics.

Genshin Impact [Kinich-Centric] Fanfic Masterpost 

Of Saplings & Embers [complete]

Kinich was seven, when a young lady with black and white hair appeared in his life for only a month.

Kinich is twenty two, when he meets Arlecchino the Knave… for the first time.

Injured Bird [on-going]

Kinich is severely injured during a fight in Natlan. When he wakes, he's in the custody and “care” of Fatui Harbinger, Capitano and his entourage.

Unique Specimen [on-going]

Dottore captures Kinich to learn more about the pact he made with Ajaw. However, what he does find out is far more interesting than he could ever imagine...

Ajaw meanwhile, must figure out a way to get Kinich back, because that body was promised to him and no one else.

The Bat, The Hunter, and the Vet [on-going] 

Kinich doesn’t hate going to the doctor, he truly doesn’t. What he hates is when Ifa insists he needs a check-up when he obviously doesn’t need one. It doesn’t help that he decided Ororon was needed as an escort of sorts either. He’s not a child.

The Windswept Rogue, K’uhul Ajaw [complete]

Self proclaimed “Almighty Warrior” K’uhul Ajaw is a prideful rogue who originated from the Scions of the Canopy. He wanders Natlan and does odd-jobs here and there, all the while boasting his skills. However, some things change when he meets a dragon in the depths of a ruin… a dendro dragon named Kinich.

May the Debt be Paid, and Sins Cleansed by the Turnfire [complete]

“This debt was never meant to be paid by ‘Kiongozi’.”

“Thank you… for everything, Mavuika… I’m sorry… ”

Contract [complete]  

The Abyss Agent, Sanka, ever curious about Kinich and Ajaw, asks why Ajaw simply won’t let Kinich get killed despite his grandiose declarations.

Series: 

Chimaera Alebriius Snezhevich (Fatui!Kinich AU) [on-going]

Ripples From Another Life [complete] An unknown relic, supposedly from one of the old Witches of the Hexenzirkel, takes Kinich to an empty space. One claiming to see where 'ripples meet another'. The only other person he sees in there is…. Himself? A New Home [complete]   Even the most simple of decisions can alter the course of history. For Kinich, it's when Peruere returned one day and offered him a home. About: Kinich Snezhevich [complete] In-game styled voice lines about Kinich if he was a member of the House of the Hearth and part of the Fatui. Hush Little Children, Don't Say a Word [complete] Kinich felt freedom and loneliness on his seventh birthday. However, that loneliness would not last, as someone decided they would be with him whether he liked it or not. What happens when this small child falls into the grasp of the Third Harbinger?

Kinich’s Encounters [on-going]

It Must be Fate! [complete] “You do realize this is kidnapping, right?” “What about it is kidnapping? I simply saved you from a high fall.” “You've refused to put me down and even carried me off against my will, that's kidnapping.” Observation [complete] “You've been following me, how come?” “You are sharp, even though you're in a state of exhaustion.” “...Just tell me what you want.” Introduction [complete] “Ah, there you are, I'm glad you're here, Kinich.” “Oh, hello, Peruere…” “Eh? You know Father?” Wanna Fight? [complete] “I don't have any interest in fighting you, if you want me to fight you that badly, I'll need compensation.” “Name your price.” “50,000 mora.” “Deal.” “...what about 100,000 mora.” “Deal.” “What is wrong with you?”

There's more to come, so I hope you enjoyed all these stories. See you next time ^^

[eriochromatic]

I am in love with the wha cross guild designs. Can you say something more about them? Like the thought process behind them and stuff.

sure! What I focused on first is how Mihawk, Buggy, and Crocodile's motives and personality would translate into the WHA world (I need a loose story first to be motivated before delving into the design!)

tbh I think with one piece's characters so focused on freedom and living without constraint, all pirate characters would technically be brimhats LOL (and Coco's arc of realizing the flaws of the current insitution is quite similar to Koby and the marines).

Devil fruit powers are easy to translate into seals tattooed on the skin (hence wha!Buggy's seal on his chest letting him split his body and wha!Crocodile's on his hand giving him sand manipulation). Mihawk is more interesting since he doesn't have a devil fruit, so naturally wha!Mihawk also doesn't have tattooed seals. Another way for a witch to become a brimhat is dabbling in forbidden seals, so wha!Mihawk has cursed seals on Yoru instead (which makes him a brimhat without modifying his body)

As for cornerstone character traits in the original: Mihawk is the greatest swordsman, Buggy is… just vibing LMFAO, and Crocodile is ambitous/power hungry/looking to rule his own kingdom. Obviously the greatest swordsman title means nothing in WHA, so wha!Mihawk instead is a great artificer, with Yoru being the strongest magic imbued weapon in existence. I'd like to think Yoru's seals were initially within guidelines, but Mihawk felt those rules were suffocating Yoru's potential, which is when he started using cursed and forbidden seals instead, all for the sake of Yoru becoming stronger.

Buggy I'd imagine is kind of like how Iguin is introduced in Coco's past- as a solo traveling witch mingling amongst common folk rather than being in a community of fellow witches. I think he'd be addicted to that feeling of superiority he'd get from being a revered witch in the eyes of the common people, so he's probably the head of a traveling circus troupe (where he's the only witch) touring the countryside (keeping a relatively low profile in the realm of witches, never staying in one place too long so the Knights Moralis don't go after him). Buggy's definitely not as altruistic or eager to help those in need as witches are supposed to be in WHA society, but of course he'd put on a good show to entertain the masses.

Eolio mentioned something interesting in chpt 53 ("We can be as in the tales of yore. King and witch, side by side"). There might've been more references to this concept of a monarch/person in power with a witch as their advisor (I just can't find it at the moment a;sldkfs) but I'd imagine that's what Crocodile would be doing. Like Buggy, I think he also gets a sense of superiority by being alongside commonfolk (vs Mihawk who's goal is to genuinely just make the strongest weapon possible and not interested in mingling with others). But instead of Buggy's route of mingling with commoners, Crocodile would definitely go the more sinister route- find some easily manipulated king or high lord and get into his good graces, eventually becoming the witch operating in the shadows and whispering machinations in his liege's ears. We don't know much about the pennisula yet and how far the witches' institution reaches so I don't know the exact position of power Crocodile feels safe aiming for without the Knights Moralis coming for his ass (a ruler might be too obvious lol but then again Crocodile tried to take over Alabasta right underneath the World Government's noses so who knows).

As for the designs themselves: Mihawk's fluffy plume being reminiscient of a brushbug is what started this entire idea for me, so I knew I had to add that in somehow. For each character I picked an overarching motif/theme I wanted in the character design, as well as adding in WHA design elements. WHA characters all tend to have large cloaks to cover their body while writing seals, and even though Cross Guild is all brimhats, nobody starts out as a brimhat so I'd imagine a large cloak or something top heavy would still be familiar to them even if they don't care about covering seals anymore.

For Mihawk I leaned a bit more into the vampire theme than his usual (cloak silhouette is bat like, plus the additional crosses everwhere. His sleeves aren't exactly attached to his jacket (like OPLA) and I also added that detail in the pants haha. I think Yoru is the real star here with all the seals on it, the two big ones are actually modified seals from the Ars Goetia (since they're supposed to be cursed after all); the top one is Glasya-Labolas (manslaughter and bloodshed) and the bottom one is Ronove (taker of old souls). The flower pattern on his sleeves is also not as paisley looking since it doesn't fit with the WHA artstyle, but there's so much hatching that at the end of the day I don't think it mattered lol. His cloak is the least cloak like since he needs to be able to swing that sword HAHA also he's not interacting with normal humans much anyways, usually he only interacts with witches that try to challenge him. Personally I think wha!Mihawk is quite bad at drawing seals on the fly- his specialty is being able to carve complex ones on metal perfectly so they'd be suitable in a fight later.

Buggy I went full medieval jester mode (I always tend to lean toward that aesthetic for Buggy rather than Joker Batman anyways haha). A couple of star motifs here and there, as well as slashed sleeves to reinforce the slicing and dicing of his body. Overall there's just a lot of vertical and horizontal lines on his body for that purpose. I really wanted to let Buggy's beautiful hair down since WHA's style is lovely with that kind of flowing hair. Oh all three of them are also wearing slyph shoes!

Crocodile's coat is directly inspired from Iguin's (esp for that scale motif); overall I wanted to incorporate flowy ornaments for him since I'd be drawing a lot of flowing sand; hence all the tassels on his cloak and sleeves. Cutouts are there for him to use sand manipulation more effectively. I know in canon both for him and Buggy the clothes also are affected by devil fruit powers but I don't think that would be the case here- Buggy's clothes also probably have seals in them and no one would be able to see if he's on stage but I think for Crocodile, since he'd be working with normal humans more he does have to be more cautious about things (hence why he also has a more traditional cloak compared to the others). Sand hat for coolness also for convenience bc he can just dissipate the sand if he's trying to disguise himself (like how Ininia's ribbons can appear normal instead of brim shaped). I also gave him a smoking pipe instead of a cigar because the pipe can be used as a red herring of sorts- to outsiders it might appear the pipe being the source of power (like for Mihawk's sword) but Crocodile's sand manipulation ability has the same scope as canon.

ANYWAYS that's probably a way more detailed response than you expected but hopefully that was interesting to read my thought process behind things! even though i captioned it Cross Guild I guess it ended up being more East Blue/Alabasta saga personalities than actual post Wano Cross Guild dynamics haha

[acourtofthought]

Lucien lost his mother when he was forced to flee Autumn.

He lost Jesminda forever at the same time.

Elain lost Graysen when turned fae.

She lost her father forever only a few months later.

I think Elain end Lucien know that what they could feel for one another could be the more powerful than anything they've ever felt but when they've both lost a great love and a parent, I think they're scared and that's a big part of why they're keeping their distance.

Lucien longs for Elain, there's no doubt about that, and I do think part of his behavior towards her is giving her the space and freedom to decide what she wants, but he's not using the most effective tool in his arsenal to bridge the gap between them (mind out of the gutter folks 😉), his words.

I think they're both scared. Lucien has now learned twice over that loving a female (romantically and familial) has ended in pain and suffering for them and him.

Elain has now learned that loving the men in her life has ended in despair and death.

It makes complete sense that they'd be scared to open themselves up to more heartache and suffering by moving forward with one another. For Elain, I think that means engaging in a harmless crush that she probably knows doesn't mean anything.

Elain is observant, it's been mentioned a few times by multiple characters.

Does anyone honestly think she hasn't noticed how Azriel looks at Mor? Every single person in the IC is aware of it. How he can't stand the scent of her bond because he wants a bond more than anything (not her more than anything)?

I think she knows she and Az are both lonely but that what they have between them isn't real. Elain had real when she was with Graysen, someone she spent time with, fell in love with, and that ended in a proposal.

Elain knows love and I imagine she knows a few brushes of fingers and glances doesn't equal love.

I think both she and Az realize they were a temporary distraction from their real worries and that we'll come to find Elain and Lucien have both been terrified at the thought of what losing a mate could do to their already broken hearts twice over.

[zalrb]

Anora (2024) Review

OK! Since a few anons have asked for an Anora review.

I'm still unsure of whether or not I liked the movie to be honest, but at the very least I could say I found it funny.

In terms of Ani and her character, I understand the people who think she was poorly written and I understand the people who think that she was given substance.

There are definitely choices made throughout to showcase how she's viewed and how she's treated and how she presents herself to make a living, like the fact that we don't really hear her speak during her week with Ivan, like you hear his friends speak, Crystal speaks more than Ani speaks during that week and it's because Ani's not there to speak, she's there to be The Horny Girlfriend, even when they toast her, she doesn't really say anything. Her Role is To Be Ornamental

and she's actually quite reserved compared to everyone else during these escapades, it's her job to present like she's having fun but she's quiet and she smiles at the appropriate times, but she doesn't make any remarks, she isn't really letting loose, she is not One of Them

and when she does speak, it's in her Customer Service Voice but there are moments where we see reflection and actually see discomfort with Ivan's behaviour and excess. Like when he gambles away however much money

or how awkward and uncomfortable she is when Klara is vacuuming around them

there are other things like Ani having a butterfly on her finger

Butterflies symbolize transformation, hope, freedom, good fortune, and these are things that she thinks she finally acquired with Ivan at the beginning of the movie, that he made her believe she acquired only to realize basically a big joke to him to piss off his mother by the end

and the viewer actually does see a transformation in Ani; it's just that it's not an overhaul of her personality, it's a peeling back of what her personality actually is, she isn't playing a Role during the quest to find Ivan, she's herself, this is how Ani actually speaks, this is how Ani actually carries herself

which we get glimpses of in the back room at HQ, her voice changes, her facial expressions change when she's actually communicating without a facade

At the end, she's referred to as a "night butterfly"

and a cursory look at Google (so it might not be right, I didn't do any real research on this) says that in Russian/Slavic folklore a night butterfly is a swamp spirit that "takes a form of a beautiful woman and then visits men in their dreams, torturing them with desire, and dragging life out of them", which again can show how Ani sees herself and how others, namely men, view her.

And there are things you could probably draw parallels with -- she wants her honeymoon to be at Disney World because it's been this dream since childhood, it's framed like it's been unattainable, compared to Ivan who has never had to grow up and is an overgrown, selfish, weak-willed boy.

So, there's all of that, which I believe adds complexity to the character, particularly because I don't think the other characters are more fleshed out than her or anything like that. At the same time, I can understand wanting more from Ani's writing, wanting a little more introspection from her, not necessarily wanting to see how she got to where she was, or more about her home life, but more about how she was convinced of Ivan's sincerity, I can understand that.

For me, the most I felt Sean Baker's maleness behind the camera is actually when Ani beats up Igor and Garnic because I find that male directors or writers do this a lot -- it's meant to be this kind of reversal of the damsel where the female character is this force and the ostensibly bigger, taller, physically stronger men around her are just so inept when it comes to overpowering her, it's kind of like Emma Watson in This is The End

or even that feral child in Barry

but it's usually done in a way that's clumsy to me and that's done for comedic effect like "haha, could you even imagine?" like the inherent tone of the sequence is that the scenario is just so bizarre and so the sequence ends up feeling either patronizing or (obviously not in the case of Barry) kind of like a fantasy/male gaze-y, which I think is also because the men aren't framed as actual threats, they just want to make her feel comfortable or they just have a job to do and it's this huge misunderstanding that we're meant to find funny because of the optics of what's going on.

So, I felt that with those scenes. At the same time, there were a lot of funny lines and great comedic deliveries throughout it.

Sean Baker always has great shots in his movies, my favourites were the ones at Coney Island

I think Mikey Madison was good in it, I think she switched between her persona and her personality quite well. I think she riffed with the others really well, the dynamics between all four of them were fun.

Anything else, you can send asks and we can discuss because this is already monstrously long :)

[deva-arts]

Human Vince and Sera are not on the best terms, but at least they talk to each other!

They're waiting for the others so they can take the train.

Some human au lore under the cut! it's kind of disjointed ahah

Just raising Vincent in a 'normal' environment outside a lab would change the outcome of his character a LOT.... But some parallels still stand!

He's always been a very performative and willful person (even as a kid! He's lived for the spotlight just to prove he can shine in it), so I imagine he'd still have that spitfire in him... But directed towards means and goals that aren't as destructive to himself and others.

He was the type that was categorized as the gifted child, but his talents were never really given much space to develop since Sera's birth took the forefront of their parent's priorities in an already failing marriage. He felt neglected and even replaced in many ways, trying and failing to get their attention and recognition... And suffering academically because of it, which created more rifts. He dealt with his frustrations using physical means- exercise, running off without knowing where, and spending the day roaming and doing dumb tricks with his friends. "Ooh, this makes people pay attention to me? they're looking for me? I should keep doing this!"

Vincent is a bit directionless, getting in trouble with his parents, his school, the law... Until eventually he realizes his shithead hobbies (parkour, stupid dares, sports and street racing) could get him somewhere. He becomes quite successful in this field! but he never seems to get his family's approval... Nothing he does is perfect in their eyes. Is he just a bug to them? He gets kicked out after going to jail for reckless endangerment.

Vincent and Sera grow to be somewhat estranged; Sera thinks that he hates her for being the 'perfect child', and he thinks that she looks down on him for his rockier go at life. "She doesn't know how hard I had it. She'll never understand." His jealousy certainly doesn't inspire any bonds, even though he knows it's not really about her as a person. Their idea of the other was never dispelled with an earnest conversation, and so it continued to build until... They felt it was their reality.

Sera is the quiet, good child. She doesn't bicker, does her tasks well, and their parents even go so far as to say they learned from their mistakes with Vincent. However, she's always swallowing her feelings, and never feels secure when moving outside the lines set for her. Vincent never understood Sera's plight with always having their parent's 'approval', and so she never brings it up. If anything, he was the bad example. She somewhat envies his freedom, and resents it all the same. "Maybe if he tried harder I wouldn't have to pick up after him. "

She grows up quite alone, with few friends if any. She's always in new clubs and practices and study groups, out by six and back by nine. Sure, it's great to train your child to be multi-talented, but the pressure placed on her leads to whittling herself down into a utilitarian shell to meet her family's expectations, and she loses interest in the things that made her happy. She doesn't have time for herself anymore, nor does she make any. She has work to do, things to attend. What's the point of anything?

Sera leaves home early after a very, very low point in her life and goes to juvenile bootcamp with her highschool friend, Eric, in search of some sort of release from her life, where she'd eventually continue on until entering the Airforce under Monica Herrera's mentorship. There, she eventually meets Nathaniel.

Vincent wanders around the country a lot, likely working in fields that give him the sweet thrills he seeks without staying in one place too long. Good way or bad way, he learns regardless, like a renaissance man of risk taking. Stuntman gigs, extreme sports, racing, and competitions would be his bread and butter. It brings in the dough. And the dopamine. When things slow down, he often leaves to try the next thing and see where it takes him. His unabashed nature opens both doors and windows, while also closing many others. Maybe monotony just scares him.

It's only years later, when Sera and Vince reach a more stable time in their lives and careers, that they reluctantly see eye-to-eye.

[deusvervewrites]

Convergence AU:

Eri being turned into an Oni is adorable!

If we are going with the "Oni are monstrousl strong"-type of Oni, I could imagine that the CE happened overnight and Eri didn't initially realized what happened. Sure, she felt a bit different when she woke up, but she didn't really have time to figure things out when Overhaul came for more "experiments".

That was, until she managed to grab his wrist while flailing and, whoops, he is a lot lighter than he looks, and thats the story of how Overhaul got thrown through a massive brickwall by a tiny girl.

Luckily for him, he survives.

Unluckily for him, that means Eri can use him to break down more walls in her Quest for freedom!

Bonus: Halfway through the compound, Rappa sees them and decides that A: This is precious and adorable, and B: He has new Boss to follow now!

Eri didn't process her second horn, only that Overhaul was back, and scary, and something new deep inside of her was telling her to fight. Overhaul, stunned that even as hidden away as she was, the 'cursed girl' had been infected by the Convergence, let his guard down for one second too long, and went through a wall. But, you know, he can Overhaul himself back together.

In canon, Rappa tells Fat Gum everything he knows about Overhaul's plan, but he doesn't know much about it. Only the end goal, and that it involves mass distribution, for which he needs funding. Rappa does not know about Eri. But he's not stupid; he's an excellent judge of character. He'd take one look at Eri and know what's going on, or at least have a damn good idea.

Considering that Rappa absolutely fucking hates Overhaul and is only sticking around because Overhaul keeps killing him every time they have a death match, I could absolutely see him running into Eri on rampage and siding with her. After all, with that kind of strength, once he gives her a few fighting lessons, she'll be a beast. Also it lets him fuck over Chisaki while giving him something to do while he waits for another chance to deathmatch him

[vivididreams]

How Literature Expands Personal Thought Horizons 🌌✨

Literature is not just letters and ideas woven onto pages; it is a spirit that breathes between the lines. It is a journey into the depths, where we encounter ourselves as we've never encountered before, drowning in the ocean of words, only to be submerged in new visions. Reading is a ritual of introspection, where we don't just read, but discover our inner worlds and dive into their depths. Every book is a window into another world, but what sets literature apart is that it doesn't merely introduce us to different worlds; it reshapes our internal worlds.

Literature as a Mirror of the Soul 🪞

When we open a book, a mirror is placed before us, revealing our hidden faces. Literature is not only an external world we discover but a journey into our innermost selves. The characters we meet are not just fictional beings; they are shades of ourselves, reflecting our perceptions, tensions, and dreams. Have you ever thought that every hero in a story could be a part of you? Every word you read, every sentence that takes you further, is an invitation to deconstruct the self and reconstruct it.

Literature as a Gateway to Understanding Other Cultures 🌍

Literature is not just words written down; it is windows that open onto new cultures and horizons. When we read, we do not simply live in the place where the story is set; we immerse ourselves in the mindset that shapes that story. Novels born in different cultural environments invite us to go beyond the imaginary boundaries we construct in our minds. Literature opens doors to empathy and understanding, enhancing our ability to interact with the world in a more open way, seeing it through a broader lens.

Literature as a Liberation of Imagination ✨

It is said that the mind creates limits on what we can imagine, but literature shatters those limits and frees the imagination. Between the pages of a book, we do not live in reality; we live in a world where gravity merges with magic, and time bends with fantasy. Reading is a journey into a place without boundaries, where thoughts transform into creative energy, and where impossible ideas meet in one world. Writing is the expression of this breaking of convention, of turning thoughts into tangible human experiences.

Literature as a Tool for Philosophical Reflection 🧠

We must also note that literature is not just an entertainment tool; it is a playground for thinkers and philosophers. Between the pages, you find that you are not merely reading a story, but a thought that is forming and shaping. Literature gives us existential questions and encourages us to ponder life’s mysteries. How do we deal with love? What is the nature of the conflict between good and evil? What is the meaning of freedom? These questions are not posed in dry philosophical treatises but handed to us as dialogues between characters. Literature takes us back to the fundamental thoughts that shape our understanding of the world.

Literature and the Ability to Empathize 💞

In the literary world, we gain the ability to empathize with others in ways we have never done before. We live their sorrows, joys, victories, and defeats. Literature teaches us to put ourselves in the other person’s place, to understand, to see with different eyes. But deeper than that, we begin to understand ourselves through others. This shared journey makes us more human and gives us the awareness that what binds us together is greater than what divides us.

My Journey with Literature 📖

I remember a time when I read about a lost hero searching for his identity in a world full of challenges. At first, I felt as though I were seeing him from a distant horizon, far from my own world. But as the pages turned, I felt myself becoming part of that journey. Writing was a personal exploration, and every page added a new idea or opened a door I hadn’t noticed before. I realized then that literature doesn’t just speak about its characters; it speaks about our minds, about those endless human states.

In Conclusion 🌟

Literature is a bridge of ideas, carried by the mind to a broader horizon of understanding and contemplation. What books have you read? Did they bring any change to your thinking? Literature, in all its diversity and creativity, is the engine that propels personal thought, the tool that frees our minds from the prisons we build for ourselves. As we read, we not only learn about others but also about ourselves, because every book is an invitation to step outside our personal boundaries and into a space where ideas become vast and limitless.

[blimbo-buddy]

Greystripe and Silverstream probably keep their names but they remove kit from Feather and Storm.

It takes a while for Greystripe and Silverstream to adjust to kingdom life and are initially taken aback when they don't have to go hunting every day and there are dedicated cats and dogs for it.

They meet Millie and she is the one who comes developing food to Grey and Silver's den area.

They hit it off and they become good friends and she tours them around once their kits are able to toddle around and see the kingdom of Whiskerhaven.

They see dogs talking to cats, raccoons skinning the meat off deers and wild hogs.

Young cats being taught by single teacher and learning all the basics they need to learn.

They're overwhelmed and gradually warming up to it. It's just a lot to take in and they slowly and gradually but surely learn to love their new lives.

Greystripe joins the Knights, Silverstream helps catch fish and their kits are tended to by the local queens and taught in classes with the other kits.

I honestly want to give Greystripe and Silverstream something they never got in the clans. The freedom of choice. They can choose to do whatever and they aren't dictated to do a role and stick with it. They could've remained civilians and raised their little family.

Stars, I feel really happy for giving Smudge, Silver, Grey, and everyone just something more with their characters. I love them and wanted to give them life in this AU.

Oh man, I really enjoy this approach to GreyStripe and SilverStream, especially the latter because she doesn't get much time to shine. I like that she still has some snarkiness to her (which on a side note, I love the version of SilverStream where she's just a little bit spoiled). Especially the two's friendship with Millie, so easily could this fall into a love triangle thing where it's like "woooah will GreyStripe be with Millie or SilverStream?", but Millie just stays as a good friend to the two, I'm sure Storm and Feather like to call her "Auntie Millie", they most likely learned what Aunt and other familial words meant in those little classes lol (seeing as the canon clans don't ever really refer to their family as such beyond the parents and siblings. I wanna see Aunts and Uncles and Cousins, dammit!).

I really like imagining the two of them trying to fit into Kingdom life, it'd be a major shock to them with how different Kingdom culture is to Clan culture. Imagine GreyStripe having a hard time adjusting to the Knight position because of how different it is to Warriors meanwhile SilverStream's just having a blast with her fishing career, probably likes making the other Fishers laugh and makes Fishing 10x more entertaining. Listen it'd be funny seeing somebody toss aside their fishing rod only to then dive head first into the water and come out with a big ass fish in their mouth.

Although I just realized something: Imagine how devastated either one of them becomes when they find themselves battling against a clan cat patrol, and they see their previous friends and loved ones hissing and spitting at them, treating them like a stranger. They can see the hesitation in their eyes, but it's like the Clan cats get over it and go back to becoming hostile.

Overall, I really appreciate what you're doing with characters like Smudge and SilverStream with giving them more character to work off of. Especially with SilverStream seeing as it felt like she barely had much development beyond "GreyStripe's girlfriend who died giving birth". CrookedStar's Promise gave us some more ideas to work with but beyond that, not much. I appreciate the life that you're giving these characters, it feels like a breath of fresh air.

[janiedean]

25th hour and city of thieves I never read the book so why did you compare them to jaime jon and ygritte

eeeeh it's been years since I dealt with either and god why do I even have to admit benioff can write when he wants to but anyway

25th hour has nothing to do with asoiaf it's just a really good script and it turned into a really good movie

the thing with city of thieves is... okay tldr the basic plot is two russian men (lev and kolya) are taken prisoner during the leningrad siege and are promised freedom if they manage to find eggs to bake a birthday cake for the daughter of the guy who arrested them (obv hard to find during a siege where everyone was dying of hunger), they go around trying to find the eggs, at some point they go out of town in this mansion where they supposedly had a bunch of chickens and it turns out that the mansion is full of girls who were kept there as nazi prisoners for you can imagine which reasons, they team up with the local partisans to save them, the partisans include a young girl named vika who is v good at warfare and eventually falls in love with lev, blah blah blah not spoiling things but at the end they have to separate then *she* finds him post-war bringing eggs, he tells her they can make an omelette and she replies she can't cook, that was your basic plot thing is, lev is a 17yo bucket of walking angst who has Issues because his father was arrested and deported by the government because he was too much of a free thinker for them and jewish, bad combination when it comes to stalin government (as far as I recall), doesn't really want to admit that he might be dead-dead at least in the beginning, doesn't talk too much and isn't too social, also being jewish he already felt singled out and like he had to mix/blend/be better than his father or smth like that kolya was taken prisoner for being a deserter, doesn't appreciate authority all that much, cracks bad jokes all the time and irritates lev bc he doesn't take shit seriously except when he gets serious when it comes to saving the girls used as unwilling prostitutes, if I don't recall wrong he was extremely attractive/charming vika basically was going guerrilla stuff, was a better shot than them, went at lev every other moment like I know way mroe than you about stuff (which she did btw), was the one pursuing him more actively and I don't remember if she was a redhead or not but like... the personality fit the bill now like idk if it was obvious from my bad summary and ofc there were differences (like for one kolya had a nice active sex life with a bunch of female friends instead of yknow toxic rship with his twin) but when it comes to character archetypes/personalities lev and jon were pretty much the same deal from the teenage angst to the daddy issues to needing to keep the family name honorable, jaime and kolya had a good 70% of basic traits in common and vika and ygritte were the exact same type including the romance where they make the first move and not being stereotypical feminine which is why idg why the fuck benioff managed to write a book with three main chars that are the exact same archetypes as jon jaime and ygritte with the obvious differences and then completely fucking up adapting jon/jaime in the series because if he could write city of thieves there is absolutely no way he actually misread the og characters nor didn't realize what they were there for so...................... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idk and I guess I never will but if I wrote an asoiaf au of city of thieves with that recast no one would bat an eyelid, I compared them because they're the same tropes obv written different and in another context but it was so glaringly obvious I'm still asking myself wtf went wrong there almost ten years later

anyway as much as it pains me to say city of thieves was actually a pretty good book so like idk if anyone feels like obtaining it through whichever mean they find most ethical when it comes to maybe or not financing benioff it's not a waste of your time

[cityoftheangelllls]

This is so beautifully put, OP. I couldn't have worded it better myself, and you deserve a ton of kudos.

I am actually ashamed to say that I saw the live action remake of BATB in theaters. The whole thing. If I hadn't been with a friend who was actually enjoying it, I would have gotten up and walked out within the first half hour and demanded my money back. Like most of these cash grabs that Disney has been cranking out lately, it is a soulless husk of the animated masterpiece it was based on and made no effort to acknowledge what made the storytelling in the original so poignant, riveting, and exposing of the human soul. I just felt so sick the whole way through. I did like a few details, such as Lefou getting (sort of) a redemption arc, the Beast's new song (even though If I Can't Love Her is superior), and that old beggar woman being the Enchantress in disguise, but that's it. It mercilessly chewed up one of my favorite Disney films of all time - in fact, one of my favorite films, PERIOD - and spat it out all battered and drenched in slobber and other nonsense.

I am also incredibly bitter about how Belle was portrayed. I like Emma Watson as much as the next person but she just wasn't right at all, based on how she treated the character. She mistakenly believed that Belle needed to be "reimagined" as "a sTroNg iNdEpEnDeNt wOmAn wHO mAkEs hEr oWn dEcIsIonS aND dOEsn'T SiT aRoUnd WaiTiNG fOR a mAn". BELLE ALREADY WAS A STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER. There is NOTHING wrong with being kind, feminine, respectful, being afraid when danger is lurking about, or having dreams and goals about wanting to explore the kinds of worlds read about in books. Regarding that last one, books were really the only escape she had from her humdrum life as a peasant, so can you really blame her? Furthermore, her biggest strength, far more so than her intelligence and daringness to dream and be different from the status quo, is her bravery and willingness to sacrifice her dreams and freedom if it means her father gets his freedom back. SHE WILLINGLY GAVE ALL THAT UP AND FULLY INTENDED TO STICK TO THAT PROMISE, and it fills me with a boiling rage that the filmmakers of the BATB remake neglected that crucial detail. Just imagine all that inner conflict, all that dread swirling within her, her thoughts that she would never be able to fulfill her dreams or see the outside world again, before she became resolute that this tremendous sacrifice would mean that the one person she loves most in the world and who has always been there to support her will be safe and free and not have to die alone in a dungeon. Now THAT kind of decision takes a ton of bravery and strength.

And don't give me that "wELL sHe StOoD uP tO ThE bEaSt iN tHe rEmAkE aNd sHe TrIeD tO eScApE sO sHe's sTrOnGeR iN tHaT vErSiOn." SHE STOOD UP TO HIM IN THE ANIMATED FILM TOO. AND SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE ESCAPED BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO REMAIN TRUE TO HER PROMISE. It was only when the Beast caught her in the West Wing and she thought he was going to attack her that she decided to leave. And even though she intended to remain true to her promise, she never took any of the Beast's crap when he was rude to her.

I also agree that the way the Beast was portrayed in that scene of the remake was really shoddy. The whole purpose of that scene was for the Beast to realize how selfless and brave Belle is due to her decision, as well as to show how he can still be moved by compassion, or perhaps realize how little he may have been shown that kind of affection during his lifetime, even before the curse. It goes to show that, even under all that beast, there is still some humanity left in there.

So yeah, seeing that mess of a movie disillusioned me to the point where I want nothing to do with any of Disney's live-action remakes, even those that have been well received by fans and critics.

Anybody else want to talk about Beauty & the Beast? Specifically, Belle?!

no? just me?

I don’t care I’m doing it. Look down there 👇 

OKAY. You know how in B&tB17, Belle was played by Emma Watson? And the Belle from the Original was joyful, self-sacrificial, and saw the world through fantasy-colored glasses? So Emma Watson chose to play her as a stony-faced, somber heroine with all the cheerfulness of a Knight who’s been to war and back again?

((I mean, look at her  expression. The original, the one on the left, is hand-drawn, so you know it was the more intentionally executed of the two. She looks, at the very least, like she’s thinking about something interesting and her face is resting. At the most, she looks peaceful and HAPPY. But on the right? Emma Watson couldn’t outright smile. No way. Has to have just the faintest suggestion of a smirk, and one of her eyebrows is barely raised. She looks like she’s daring the viewer to think of her as gentle or kind. And then silently promising to take them outside and hit them over the head with a book she hasn’t read yet. And don’t tell me it’s all about the context of the two photos; Emma Watson (who does not play the same character as was created for the Original) looks like that throughout the entire 2017 film.))

Yeah, this was going to be a post critiquing the live-action film. (Which I liked—but in SPITE of the way they got Belle wrong, not BECAUSE OF.) It was GOING to be. But then, in comparing the two, I just got more appreciation for exactly HOW intentional and well-done the original was.

Belle was not a character left open for interpretation.

 She was a strong, believable, intentionally-crafted character whose every decision and even every facial expression was drawn, line by line, into place to communicate something. And it was something the live-action film swung and missed at in the name of “updating” her. I think there are a lot of issues with Emma Watson’s portrayal of Belle, but really, it all comes down to one small change that threw everything else into the realm of an extreme mistake. That one small change is this:

In the 2017 film, Belle tries to escape. She promises to stay with the Beast—and the entire time, fully intends to break that promise. That’s it. That’s basically it. That, in a nutshell, sums up the whole problem with her.

But I’ll elaborate. Hear me out.

Keep reading

[emily-the-fae]

Hector from Castlevania terrifies me

No but seriously hear me out, he might be one of the most frightening characters of the series. Here's why:

Hector is a skilled necromancer and just generally very strong as we have witnessed. He is used to dealing with dead bodies that stuff absolutely does not repulse him. If anything he is very capable of killing humans and bringing them back into an altered existence.

Hector was completely cool with the idea of enslaving a ton of humans as long as it was presumably merciful. He wasn't fond of the "let's kill everyone" but totally on board with "let's enslave them all to drink their blood" which is not much better. Seems like he thinks it is.

As many other characters that are "better with animals than with people" I feel like he is not very good at understanding social behavior/rules and feelings of other humans in general (add to that lack of good parent treatment and help growing up, as we've seen in the flashbacks) which is not bad in itself, but added to his overall standing... being used to cruelty, being alright with using the term "pet" when talking about humans - something tells me he does not fully grasp boundaries and need of others for freedom and safety.

To conclude it feels like he just doesn't fully understand. Unlike the vampires that know that they are killing and hurting people to benefit themselves, make the world more to their liking, Hector operates in the terms of greater good that he believes in.

That's why he is terrifying. Vampires know when they inflict pain and suffering. Hector? He can do terrible things to someone and not even realize that it would hurt them. Imagine what the souls that were locked in his night creatures felt? Yet he's forging on. Hector does not realize he is doing damage and because of it you'll never see it coming nor how much of it is coming.

[17sasuke]

thoughts on badhaai do

it definitely wasn't a perfect movie and the story was too obviously led by cishets but i loved how it didn't end w everyone's acceptance. sumi's mom wasn't even present during the pooja at the end but it didn't matter bc they had what was important to them. freedom, a child and their own acceptance. and that of sumi and rimjhim under the pride flag? i owe them my life for it. if i'm reviewing this objectively its 7/10 but i'm attached to the characters this is now one of my comfort films so for introducing sumi, rimjhim, guru and shardul's mom to me i'm giving this one a ten. (also for the pride scene. cinematography.)

spoilers under the cut

what i didn't like: it does drag in between while some other plotlines are never properly explored (i honestly didn't feel like they focused enough on sumi and shardul's relationship although it was supposed to be the backbone of the film). the kabir plotline should have been completely deleted actually and instead focused more on shardul's misogyny and his relationship w sumi.

the entire kabir plotline was so bad tbh. one, the age gap was a questionable (they'd been together 3 years already so). two, wow were they gonna write that domestic violence off bc they were both men?? bc shardul should have gone to jail for that wtf?? three, it wasn't even ever resolved. if they were carry it in this direction anyway there should have been a scene where they sat down and talked but?? four, the domestic violence thing. you can't raise ur hand on ur lover and it looks so much worse bc shardul's around 8-10 years older than him he's dating a college student and when he realizes the dude's bored of him and lying to him he hits him and then says sorry stfu and go to jail.

also there's many times thru out where i really felt like this story was made largely by cishets. the romances really suffered from the heterofication of gay love bc a) the violence thing w shardul and b) when sumi and rimjhim fought and said callous things to each other but never talked about it, apologized or even addressed the root of the issue (rimjhim's jealousy. u can argue that it'd be futile to bring it up since everyone knows suman's gay but it doesn't hurt to write a scene where a girl placates her gf's insecurities.)

basically. heterofication. like they had to show gay romances were like toxic cishet ones to make the audience more accepting or smth i literally dk but i hated it.

oh and the biphobia. did they have to shove that on rimjhim's character. like ik gay ppl can be v biphobic but if ur not going to address that as an issue that needs to be changed then don't bring it up at all.

lastly, shardul's misogyny. tbh i loved that they brought it up bc really cis gay men can be so fucking nasty and misogynist and its almost never talked about bc apparently gay men are more understanding of women (suman even exclaims this once!). it was done well and used as a comedic device which did give way to some good jokes but in the end we never see him grow out of it, realize he was wrong or apologize to suman. from the one year skip its obv it was resolved he isn't a dick anymore (bc shardul's misogyny came from his need to hide his sexuality behind the alpha male façade) but instead of wasting time on the kabir plot i wish they'd instead explored this deeper and concluded this plotline onscreen.

what i liked:

everything else. i loved every lgbt character (except kabir bc idk what to think about him and shardul bc he's on thin fucking ice), shardul's mother and suman's dad. also loved naaznin. if only we got to see more of her.

i teared up so much by the end esp during suman's conversation w her father and when shardul's mom hugged him. but its when her father tells rimjhim to sit beside sumi that i genuinely broke down. everything else was like sumi herself said: u expected this much from them. u imagine that soming out scene so much when they say those exact words that lock u up w terror, u feel like u've already heard it before. her father was the only one she had hope in, her father was the only person she had any expectations for. he too let her down thou, he too broke her heart. but he got over it, he made up for it. he didn't only accept her, he accepted her gf too, as sumi's partner, as the mother to sumi's child. he told her to sit next to his daughter and sobbed so hard like i'm never going to have that so its soothing to see a fictional character get that.

and shardul's mom oh god i adore her. she shouldn't have outed suman ever but i can't bring myself to think of her as a bad person for that. bc when it came to her own son? she accepted him the minute he said he was gay. she gave him what sumi wanted from her father, what she begged her father for. not understanding not even kindness just acceptance. and that's true love yk that's what parental love should be like. u don't need to understand ur kids u should be accepting them no matter what. i do think the reason she outed suman had less to do w her being gay and more w her thinking suman cheated on her son thou. this is like the only time i've forgiven an outing wow this movie really did that.

anyway the whole kabir sequence was unnecessary and only made me hate shardul more. cis gay men Are misogynist and i like that they addressed that but it wasn't properly resolved onscreen and that combined w kabir made shardul such a despicable character. if i delete that thou then i adore him misogyny and all. i was so proud of him in the end. when he came out in anger hearing his family insulting sumi (inadvertently insulting him), when he wore the mask during pride and when he called his bf over during the pooja. loved his growth thou really instead of the kabir plot i wish they worked more on sumi and shardul i wanted to see them bond more to see them become best friends, each other's ride-or-dies. only good thing that came out of that plotline was that we got sumi-shardul bonding moments. yeah my only gripe w this movie is the kabir plot. all that screentime wasted when they could have focused on other plots like sumi-shardul, shardul/guru or more of sumi/rimjhim. or the resolution of his misogyny.

omg guru. i loved that guy so much loved every scene w him in it he really saved the movie by fixing the male lead thank god. (those scenes of him flirting w shardul. the business card and the secret hand holding omg.)

my favorite thing obv was sumi and rimjhim. there was smth so accurate about lesbians moving in immediately and then discussing children within weeks of dating. their romance arc their relationship the way they're moms!! (they're MOMS!!) all of it was such a delight to watch. it felt so good to watch a wlw romance in a bollywood movie i could watch them for hours i wish they got a full length feature film like all that chemistry, their acting, their story, it feels inadequate watching it all squeezed into the movie as a parallel plot. (wish we saw them getting married. just a marriage scene is that too much to ask for.)

[chickawah23]

I'm also honestly at the point where I'm so freakin tired of their "will they won't they" engagement shizz. It's getting sooo repetitive. I just want her to get it over with if she pushes through with her lavender marriage. It will create a buzz, then eventually the general public (not the swifties) would not care afterwards. Also for my own selfish take, so I can finally get off-board the dream of Taylor coming out at her prime. Not to say that she can't come out as bi while being married, but you know it's gonna be different. I love her so much and will continue to support/watch her journey (not as closely anymore tho if this is the path she's gonna take), but please.. this push and pull.. I want to be free from this. I want to know if I should move on or not.. (again sorry, this is mostly my selfish desire as a fan. She doesn't owe us anything at all.).. Am I a bad fan for thinking that? I guess it's more of a personal choice for my mental health as a queer fan 😭

I hear you anon. I am tired too. I also imagine taylor is tired. I don’t think she expected to have to re-record her masters when she made her original coming out plans. Everything she has done since then has honestly felt like she just said eff it I don’t care anymore and handed over controls to her team and is just doing the re-recordings and just giving the bare minimum amount of effort that she can get away with marketing wise. The energy from her since the tail end of Lover into folklore to the present has consistently been “I don’t know and I don’t care.” It reminds me of when she said she got to a point awhile back where she just needed to step away and she just asked her team to step in. This feels the same way.

So if she does go the marriage route and just stops really talking about her personal life then it is what it is. I feel like she has a plan. Or an end goal that she’s willing to follow the flow to reach. And everyone on her team knows that end goal and is helping her get there.

My digression: She could’ve so easily avoided so much of this discourse by admitting some of her songs were queer but saying she was inspired by conversations with her queer friends and reading queer stories over the years because she wanted to be a better ally. And in doing so she learned that as an ally she can show that love can exist in many forms and through many lenses because it is universal. Like it’s the easiest way to continue to write about things and not have people speculate about your sexuality and also appear to the public to be a full time advocate by telling queer stories in a universal way. Which would push back homophobic fans. This would be perfect especially if she was going with the not sharing from my real life narrative putting her feelings and experiences into fictional characters. Like it is the easiest lie that doesn’t isolate fans and also slows down speculation until you’re ready to tell you truth, if ever. And it also sets her up to secure her beards by saying I didn’t realize why those stories resonated with me so much until I fell in love with a person who just so happens to be a woman. She could say “I don’t like labels because I don’t think love likes living in a box. It wants the freedom to come and go as it pleases. And when it comes I would be foolish to let a label stop me for exploring it or recognizing it and choosing to foster it.” Yadda yadda yadda

[whateverthedragonswant]

I hated the whole “Jon doesn’t forgive Sansa” thing because if what we’re led to believe is true, that Jon bent the knee because he fell in love with Dany, his betrayal was greater and then he lied to Sansa and his people.

However, if PolJon was the plan (even if ultimately it went unconfirmed) it makes a lot of sense that Jon was hurt that Sansa questioned why he bent the knee in 8x01 and that’s why he didn’t offer a verbal explanation. He didn’t know how to explain his behavior to someone who thought that badly of him since it sounds like a very callous thing to do. Then, Sansa breaking her word would seem like such a betrayal, because he had the situation handled and he was working to keep Dany stable and the info about him getting out contributed in a big way to Dany going nuclear. So, not only did he have to kill Dany to protect Sansa, Sansa’s actions are part of what got Dany into the headspace to do such a thing (burning KL) which is part of why Jon had to kill her.

The idea that Jon fell in love and gave away her freedom and then fucked this conqueror/invader and was mad at Sansa makes him sound like such an ass, but if the idea is that he listened to Sansa’s advice and she distrusted him and then she betrayed him….sure, of course he’d be upset and have a hard time forgiving her.

I guess I shouldn’t ignore D&D’s anti Sansa thing, but honestly, the second option makes sense of a lot of their season eight interactions. It makes sense of their s6-8 relationship in that, the problem isn’t that the other isn’t worthy of their trust, but that their own issues, their own fear of rejection, prevents them from being totally honest about how underhanded they each are willing to be to protect each other and the North.

I feel like that makes sense of why Jon is tormented too. I don’t buy that Jon would be that tormented after killing someone who burned hundreds of thousands of people alive and didn’t care. I do buy that he felt awful he led this woman to believe he cared and that his people would accept her when neither was true and then he not only misled her to get her help fighting the others, he killed her. Pol Jon just makes Jon’s choices and feelings make a lot more sense. Without it, he’s pretty awful in s8.

Hey, Anon! Sorry for the delay in my reply.

I hated it, too, tbh when I read that in the script that had been released. I was angry, thinking how dare he? When, like you said, he really put her at risk and betrayed her trust. And after he promised to protect her! Like I get that the NK was coming and he had to be dealt with but damn.

But after rewatching and rewatching and rewatching everything (and realizing we didn't really know what draft that script was), I have to say that pol!Jon was absolutely a thing. And you're right, it's the only thing that makes sense in the end. It's the only thing that justifies some of his choices tbh. The thing that D&D did in the end that really hurt Jon's incredible storyline was they didn't confirm it. They literally built up to this big reveal and then...poof, they changed it in the eleventh hour. I'm convinced this had to do with partially Emilia and the other part due to the public backlash the network knew they would get when Dany went full on dark. And since they already had Jon doing the stabby-stabby, imagine the full force of that backlash if it was revealed that he had been manipulating her this whole time. Which to me doesn't make sense given how we know how GRRM works and how this show set up all the clues along the way, that Jon's wildling arc would come back into play at some point, just like every other character's arcs. But I'm convinced this is why they backed off of pol!Jon. I also believe there were reshoots that were done, the throne room scene dialogue was changed up (though I think Emilia copped to that one iirc), there were rumors of possible network interference (not sure if they're substantiated though but I think when it came to Dany they absolutely had notes), and I firmly believe this is why Kit was not happy with how the whole thing went down. He was alright with Jon's ending but not the killing Dany part. But of course, none of us will ever know 100% until one of them talks. Instead, you just had D&D later on that year in a film festival stating that they had no idea what they were doing and them's the breaks pretty much.

But as much as I despise what D&D did for other characters such as Jaime and Cersei for example, I don't feel that they were complete idiots. I think their egos just got too massive and they wanted to hurry up and be done with the show, and move on to Star Wars (which they didn't even end up making, which is just ridiculous). So they basically threw in the towel and let bygones be bygones. I mean, look at what happened with 8x03, you can barely see anything until fire happens and even then... And then you had the lighting director defending what happened. Like, no dude, when you can't even make out the character's face due to how dark it is, never mind everything going on around them, that's too dark. You fucked up; own it. Even though allegedly Dan lost his shit when he saw the episode (and Dan was very attentive to the small details like David has said in the past so something this big naturally would have caused a near meltdown mode most likely so I believe the rumors), they have never gone back and fixed it for streaming. (I just rewatched it and it still looks like shit, well it would if I could see anything lol) And they wanted that episode to be the TV version of Helm's Deep? Yeah, okay, at least in LOTR we could see Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, the soldiers, and the orcs. So we knew who was fighting who. And they had rain mixed in! And you can't tell me that GoT didn't have enough of a budget when HBO revealed they were willing to throw tons of $ at D&D to continue the series past season 8, not to mention the budget they allocated for the dragons' CGI. And the night shoots, Miguel Sapochnik directing (who was responsible for some of the highest rated episodes of the series), the Helm's Deep reference the show kept going back to in the press, the deleted scenes of Ghost and other wolves fighting in the battle that was shot but never used, and you're telling me that HBO didn't give them enough of a budget? Come on.

So, I think when it came to the whole Dany dark turn vs pol!Jon thing, I think they also threw in the towel when it came to Jon. Which really hurt Jon's character and story. And then they decided to negate Dany's entire arc by giving into the throne room scene dialogue change. Such a shame. Because they had the opportunity to make history imho. But also because they ended up sacrificing the story to make either network execs or masses of Dany stans or both happy. And the editors made sure to put the scene of Jon walking past those Unsullied guards before the throne room scene - that man is on a mission and he's going to handle business (which gives creedence to what Emilia or whoever said about the change in the throne room dialogue). The darkness surrounding him, and then Jon melting/appearing from the dark while Dany looks at the IT. Not to mention the whole scene with Drogon where he lets Jon pass after he inspects him (though we don't get a closeup, because he's still keeping something hidden). It was all leading up to a reveal...that never happened. They literally followed the season 7 playbook with the Littlefinger/Starks reveal but this time didn't do a follow-through. Just sad.

I never heard of a D&D anti-Sansa thing? Can you elaborate? Because I have to be honest, I never got that vibe. I know they tried to portray some ridiculous power struggle between Jon and Sansa at some point (they were doing PR once again, since they were trying to contrast Jon/Sansa to the upcoming Jon/Dany power struggle most likely - I'm telling everyone, you can't trust the PR surrounding this show, at the time they were trying to get people invested (so expectations could be subverted) and keep people's interest so they would keep watching, just look at their push for the Jonerys romance when they knew how it would end all along, just sayin') but other than that I thought they were pretty indifferent to Sansa but not anti her. I know they also adored Sophie, almost as much as they loved Emilia. But I haven't heard anything past that.

I do think Jon is regretting his whole "kind" manipulation of Dany afterwards, but I also do think that he regretted killing her. Not because he loved her. Not because he didn't see her for what she was (and what she had just done). But because she was family and he did care about her somewhat, and he didn't want to kill a woman. I don't think they threw in his inability to kill Ygritte (one of the enemy) and Melisandre (someone who committed murder, burned a child alive) in there for no reason, especially when it all led up to Dany (one of the enemy, Dany said it herself in 7x03, and someone who just committed mass murder, burning several children alive). Especially, since it plays into why he makes the choice he does: to protect Sansa. Even in the table read video, we hear "He looks down at what he's done, terrible and necessary." (And we also hear "Standing before the Iron Throne, Dany kisses the man she loves. The perfect kiss" And never anywhere do we hear about Jon loving her or initiating the 'perfect kiss'. We only hear about his regret, his being upset that he had to do what he did) So I do believe he does regret killing her for the reasons I stated above but not because he was forgetful of what she had just done.

Well also, tbh, I think Dany was already going there before Sansa ever learned Jon's secret nevermind told it. I mean, Sansa was definitely one of the tipping points for her but it wasn't just the secret. Each moment Dany saw that Sansa was a respected ruler by the North added to it, as well as Sansa's refusal to "respect" her aka bend the knee. I know the show only verbalized the secret and Sansa's initial icy reception of Dany but everywhere else they showed Dany was jealous of Sansa, just not as jealous as she was of Jon's claim. Between her seeing Theon's (Iron Islands) coming to fight for Sansa/Winterfell, seeing Ser Royce (The Vale) listening to Sansa's instructions in the library, seeing Sansa making the same point she herself did about the food shortage to Tyrion (while unknowingly pointing out her mistake), and then seeing what happened in the Great Hall with Jaime, to me it wasn't a huge surprise that Dany snapped at her in 8x04 in the library when Sansa made the very valid point about the men needing more time to recuperate. Sansa and Jon were better rulers than Dany; they both got along with their people and worked together with them. (which really is no surprise to me given they're both Starks plus Tyrion's line of: "A good relationship between the Iron Throne and the North has been the core of every peaceful, prosperous reign we've ever known.")

I kindly and respectfully disagree, they didn't show Jon's reaction in 8x01 because they were keeping something about Jon hidden (i.e. pol!Jon). They also did this when Sansa and Arya found out who he really was. And you had David Nutter saying they didn't show their reaction because "the audience already knew that information" which still just makes me...grr. I know why he said it but that man is a veteran of some of the most well known TV shows over the years, he knows better. Wow, 3 years later and I still get a little pissed about that lol. But going back to the season 7 playbook with the Starks, if we look at it a bit closer, we can see it happening similarly in season 8.

Season 7: we never see a conversation (about Littlefinger) happening between the Starks (other than Littlefinger giving Bran the dagger), we see them reuniting and of course Arya's and Sansa's arguments (the cover story or surface arc, sister vs sister), but we never see them truly discussing anything below the surface. Arya mentions her list but she and Sansa never discuss what she went through. Sansa alludes to what she went through, but it's never discussed. The closest anyone came to acknowledging it is Bran saying what he said to her. That's it. So the focus for the Starks all season was the tension between Arya and Sansa which also tries to suggest this power struggle between Jon and Sansa in Jon's absence (since they tried to initially suggest it in the season premiere episode with that whole 'undermining' scene though they dissolved that tension between Jon and Sansa pretty quickly with their convo as well as Jon trusting the North to Sansa's very capable hands while he was away), Sansa sends Brienne away (the person who would intervene between the sisters should something happen between them), Sansa makes a heavy decision and has Arya brought to the Great Hall, and boom! Switcheroo, Littlefinger is executed instead, and it's revealed that the Starks were working together all along.

Season 8: we see conversations happening between the Starks that do involve Dany and why he really brought her to the North but we never get them discussing while he's still continuing to blindly support her cause even though he knows she's a tyrant - it is never vocalized or explicitly stated why Jon is acting so OOC, with the Starks, Sam, Davos, or even Tormund. We don't get to see Sansa and Arya's reaction to his parentage reveal, nor do we get to see a goodbye between Jon and Sansa or Sansa and Arya or Bran and Jon or Bran and Arya when Jon leaves to go South in 8x04. The only time we see Jon really react (meaning acting in character that's overt enough that the audience can see it) are: the moment in the Throne Room where he snaps at Dany, where he snaps at Tyrion before leaving the jail scene, and his expressions when Dany isn't looking (like on the steps, after she walks away). That's it. Before that, the only real Jon we saw was in 8x04, when he says goodbye to Sam, Gilly, Tormund, and Ghost. And throughout the season, that's the only time we see the real unguarded Jon appear anywhere if you think about it, with Tormund (when alone or thinking he's not being watched in 8x04), with Sam (before the big reveal), with Edd (again, when Dany and her retinue are not around), with Arya (when they're alone in 8x01), and with Sansa (again, 8x01). This theme continues all season, and then boom! Dany goes dark (showing herself to be the villain we all knew was coming, well most of us who were paying attention to the clues along the way I should say), it's pointed out to Jon that if Dany isn't stopped that Sansa is in danger, Jon goes to the Throne Room to try to reason with Dany one last time, and when he can't, Jon has to make the heavy decision to kill her.

It's very similar and the proof is in the pudding. The show just refuses to give explicit confirmation, which to me, is very telling that it's possibly due to the network that his arc went poof! and not due to D&D or Emilia. Dany was their most popular and marketable character outside of Tyrion and Jon. They had other series already in the works at the time (in very early development) and even one show that they had started production on that was then cancelled. And then came along House of the Dragon (which obviously is about the Targaryens) and a sequel for Jon Snow was announced. Sure enough, people want to see Dany/Emilia return to the sequel no matter how they do it. They want to see her story "righted" (which, don't even get me started, they missed the whole point of her arc, and it doesn't help when Emilia keeps insisting that Dany never did anything wrong, SIGH). So I do believe the network told D&D/GoT to change something up there. But regardless, the proof is all right there for Jon and something being hidden a la season 7 style.

So my long point is I think Jon was at first hurt in the 8x01 solar scene when he sees how angry she is. But when she confirms that she has faith in him, he relaxes and even moves closer to her, indicating that he's coming off of the defensive. I think his lack of response was not due to him being hurt by her question, by her not being sure of what was going on, but due to the show keeping something hidden for him, and in the story, of him not really being able to answer. Not because he doesn't know what the answer will be, but because he doesn't want to put her in danger. Which is also why I think Bryan Cogman/GoT gave that confirmation to Sansa and the audience through Dany in the 8x02 library scene. "Tell me, who manipulated whom?" And then we see the realization play out on Sansa's face, and then she changes her approach. "I should have thanked you the moment you arrived." She's not as coldly professional as before, until it becomes apparent that Dany doesn't intend for the North to be free under her reign when she wins the IT.

And tbh, I'm not sure if Jon feels betrayed by her telling his secret. Meaning, I think he's more irritated with the fact that he had to choose to protect her because she would have never bent the knee, and that her telling his secret was one of many factors that did help to contribute to Dany's increasing paranoia. It's not until Bran gives him confirmation that he did the right thing, that he then realizes. But he and Sansa still have to work to overcome this rift between them now (something I hope they allude to at the very least in the sequel, even if only in dialogue). Though, as we saw, they still care about one another, and like you said, while Jon might feel the way he feels, Sansa has as much right to feel the same way. He brought danger to her doorstep, and she kept fighting for their family (like Arya said in 8x01). There's betrayal on both sides, even if they were done for the right reasons. And to me, while I wish they had that convo before the series ended so it could be verbalized between them and to the audience, it really just adds to them being paralleled to one another this whole time as well as being two sides of the same coin. A lot of the GA missed that: Jon and Sansa were the power couple that could have ruled the North peacefully. Regardless of any ship wars or romanticism attached, it makes absolute sense that they both were in a ruling capacity and they heavily paralleled each other as rulers. And that they both called back to Robb.

I'm sorry, Anon, I've rambled on and on. But my point is I truly don't believe Jon was awful in season 8. His arc got sacrificed for the greater financial good. (even today, with all of the HotD promo before it aired, they played on Dany and the dragons; they showcased her in the GoT-rewatch promo, etc. It makes sense due to it being a Targaryen show, but yeah) At least that's what I believe. And like you said, if we're led to believe that Jon bent the knee because he loved Dany, then that is what makes him truly awful in the show. And due to his character, how could anyone believe that? No matter what the show says. I swear, one of these days, I hope they release a tell-all book or do a podcast or something to tell us what really happened. But considering it's an HBO IP, I doubt even then we would get the deets without it being run through them first.

Thank you so much for the ask, Anon! I hope you have a nice rest of your day!!! <3