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elryuse · 8 months ago

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To celebrate the release of part 1 of your Hierarchy series how about a fic about Yoon He-ra in where the readers family decides to help her out when her family was in debt, but the readers family made a condition in where the Reader and He-ra would be in an arranged marriage

A NEW BEGINNING

YOON HERA X MALE READER

The rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the storm raging within Yoon He-ra's heart. Her family, once a beacon of hope, was now drowning in a sea of debt. The weight of their financial burden pressed down on her shoulders, a heavy, suffocating force.

A flicker of hope ignited when an unexpected offer arrived. The wealthy Kim family, particularly their son, Y/n, had extended a helping hand. Their generosity was overwhelming, but it came with a steep price.

The Kims' ultimatum was clear: an arranged marriage between He-ra and Y/n. It was a cold, calculated move, a strategic alliance to secure their interests. He-ra, a mere pawn in their grand scheme, was forced to accept her fate.

As the wedding day approached, He-ra found herself increasingly isolated. Her friends, once a source of comfort and support, began to distance themselves. The harsh truth was that they were uncomfortable with her newfound status as a future heiress, a position they couldn't relate to.

In the midst of this social upheaval, only one friend remained steadfast: Jae-i. She had always been different, a true friend who saw beyond the superficial. She understood the weight of He-ra's burden, the sacrifices she was making for her family.

"You don't have to do this, He-ra," Jae-i said, her voice filled with concern. "You deserve better."

He-ra, her heart heavy, shook her head. "I-i have no choice, Jaei-ah" she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

As the wedding day approached, He-ra couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread. She was marrying a stranger, a man she barely knew. What would their life together be like? Would they be able to connect on a deeper level, or would they remain mere acquaintances bound by a contract?

On the day of the wedding, He-ra finally met Y/n. To her surprise, he was nothing like the cold, calculating figure she had imagined. Instead, he was kind, gentle, and surprisingly understanding. He seemed genuinely concerned about her well-being and made a conscious effort to make her feel comfortable.

As they spent more time together, He-ra began to question her initial assumptions. Perhaps this arranged marriage wasn't as terrible as she had feared. Maybe there was hope for a future filled with love and happiness.

As she prepared to start a new life with Y/n, He-ra couldn't help but wonder how their relationship would evolve. Would they be able to overcome the challenges of an arranged marriage and build a genuine connection? Only time would tell.

The night was still young, the moon casting an ethereal glow over the city. He-ra and Y/n sat on a secluded bench in the park, the soft rustling of leaves providing a gentle backdrop to their conversation.

"So, Y/n," He-ra began, her voice barely a whisper, "what do you expect from this marriage?"

Y/n turned to her, his gaze soft and tender. "I simply want to spend my life with you, He-ra," he replied, his voice filled with sincerity. "I want to care for you, to protect you, and to love you unconditionally."

He-ra's heart skipped a beat. His words, simple yet profound, touched her in a way she hadn't expected. She had been so caught up in the complexities of their situation that she had forgotten the most important thing: the human connection.

"But... but what about the family expectations?" she stammered, her voice filled with uncertainty. "The pressure, the obligations..."

Y/n took her hand in his, his touch warm and comforting. "We'll face those challenges together," he assured her. "We'll create our own happiness, regardless of what others expect."

He-ra's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had never felt so vulnerable, so exposed. Yet, there was a strange sense of peace that washed over her. Perhaps this arranged marriage wasn't so bad after all.

As they sat there, lost in each other's gaze, a spark ignited between them. It was a spark of hope, a spark of love, a spark that could ignite a beautiful future.

The limousine glided smoothly through the city streets, the soft hum of the engine providing a soothing backdrop to the intimate moment unfolding within. He-ra and Y/n sat side by side, their fingers intertwined.

As they drew closer to Jooshin High, Y/n's hand, bold and confident, slid across the seat and gently rested on He-ra's thigh. A shiver ran through her, a mix of surprise and anticipation. His touch, soft and tender, sent a wave of warmth through her body. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and excitement.

When they arrived at the school, Y/n leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Have a good day, my love," he whispered, his voice filled with affection.

He-ra, her cheeks flushed, nodded silently. As she watched him walk away, she couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging, a sense of security.

At school, He-ra immediately became the center of attention. Whispers and curious glances followed her every move. It was as if she had become a celebrity overnight. Some students were envious, others were simply amazed.

Jae-i, noticing the unwanted attention, approached He-ra. "Don't mind them," she said, her voice firm. "They're just jealous."

He-ra smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Jae-i. You're a lifesaver."

With Jae-i by her side, He-ra was able to navigate the day with relative ease. Together, they faced the curious stares, the snide remarks, and the hushed conversations. And together, they emerged victorious.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, He-ra gathered her belongings and prepared to leave. Just as she was about to step out of the classroom, she felt a familiar presence behind her.

"He-ra," Y/n's voice, soft and gentle, broke the silence. "Would you like to grab a bite to eat with me?"

He-ra's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at him, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. His warm smile and inviting eyes made it impossible to refuse.

"Sure," she stammered, her voice barely audible.

As they walked together, the other students couldn't help but stare. They were an unexpected pair, a match made in an unlikely heaven. But as they watched the way Y/n looked at He-ra, filled with affection and adoration, they began to understand.

Perhaps love, like fate, could surprise even the most cynical of hearts.

- To Be Continued -

#x male reader #beautiful #update #hierarchy drama #hierarchy #kdrama #k drama #yoon hera #ji hyewon #kpop #kpop x reader #kpop x y/n #fluff stuff

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vivacissimx · 5 days ago

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Hello! Saw in an earlier post of yours that you’re interested in Visenya mainly for the possible Jon/Dany/Tyrion dynamics that might (will) play out in Winds and Dream, and I wanted to ask, if you haven’t already explored this in another genius meta of yours, how do you see these dynamics unfold? I rarely see people take Tyrion into account for their endgames speculations, which is unserious given how Tyrion is so well connected to all the other protagonists.

That’s a good question! Sorry in advance for the tome in response.

I do really find Visenya’s archetype the most fascinating because it’s the one you have to chew on. It defies immediate categorization and in many ways kind of resists letting you in. Visenya is the insider-outsider. She is the first and last line of defense. She is my least ‘favorite’ conqueror yet she’s the one I fiddle with the most. And her later iterations (Queen Rhaena, Daemon T, Bloodraven, etc~) only reinforce the tension crucial to her character. Whether it’s negotiating gendered roles, the individual vs the familial, ambition vs loyalty, or love vs duty, with 'Visenya' the repetition of these push-pulls is a beating drum that only grows louder. Honestly, in that last sentence I’ve presented these dichotomies like they’re necessarily in conflict, but the truth is they include shades of each other. Visenya’s rigidity includes a rigid defiance of being categorized as either marginalized or complicit.

Visenya’s archetype is, I think, unknowable from the outside, and reminiscent of a knife dragging roughly through a thick fabric—the people who love these ‘Visenyas’ understand viscerally the difficulty they pose. The question isn’t whether a Visenya can be loved, but how far can a Visenya (who is all at once ruthless, sentimental, independently capable, and personable) be trusted. And because Visenya’s social rank is always murky, there is a balance to be found between granting them freedom v. exerting control. I am not calling Visenya’s intimate relationships a zero-sum game but the presence of love doesn’t change the fact that there is only so much give. Often, the give between a 'Visenya' and an 'Aegon' is the presence of their third. Consider the relationships between Queen Rhaena & Jaehaerys, as well as Daemon & Rhaenyra: Because Rhaena & Daemon represented the strongest threats to Jaehaerys & Rhaenyra’s sovereignty, certain rituals were performed to enforce a hierarchy between them. Rhaena was made to do obeisance to Jaehaerys and she kept Dragonstone by his ‘gift’ rather than in her own right (after telling him directly that she had more right to it than him—perhaps similar to how Visenya raised Maegor largely alone on Dragonstone, implying she the elder had run of the island moreso than even Aegon did). Yet Queen Rhaena issues rulings from the island and it’s her Jaehaerys turns to with tasks he would not even have Alysanne perform. With Daemyra, upon her taking the throne she seemingly allowed his infidelity with Mysaria but she did so saying that Daemon could fuck who he wants while Rhaenyra was busy ruling. See: Daemon would not be ruling. (I would argue that Brynden & Daemon B are also a take on this Aegon-Visenya dynamic, but it’s not explicit therefore many people disagree. Either I will make another post on the topic or history will absolve me. Whichever comes first.)

And in all these relationships you can ask yourself what ‘Visenya’s’ motivations actually are. When Visenya brought Maegor back to Westeros when the Faith were in open revolt, did she do that because House Targaryen needed a strong King to survive this existential threat? Or was it personal ambition for her own son to sit the throne? Rhaena handed Blackfyre to Jaehaerys and supported his claim—how can you balance that with her clear and public resentment of everything Jae & Aly ‘took’ from her? Did Daemon just use Rhaenyra to get to power, or did he love her? Did Daemon court Rhaenyra’s dependency on him and weaken her, or did he defer to her and make her stronger? None of these can be neatly ascribed.

Overall I would classify all the post-Conqueror trios as ‘failed’ because none of them achieved the harmony that Visenya, Aegon, & Rhaenys did in the brief years that they all reigned together. By trio I do not mean three people, but three as one. Even the OGs fall apart after Rhaenys dies. It doesn’t work with just two. There is grief and even resentment between Visenya and Aegon following the loss of Rhaenys. And that is something important to highlight because this break between siblings is often assigned to Visenya being mad her child would not inherit the throne, only, at that point Visenya did not even have a child. The split between Visenya-Aegon was a result of the difference in the dynamic between Visenya-Rhaenys and Aegon-Rhaenys—something that will exist between Dany/Jon/Tyrion as well!

Visenya was Rhaenys’s older sister and was protective over her as an elder sibling would be. Here we can note that of Dany, Jon, & Tyrion, only Jon is an elder sibling. Yes Aegon was also Rhaenys’s older brother, however, he mostly loved Rhaenys as a wife and partner. A crucial difference! If he was just her older brother and King he would never have let her go on the Dornish mission which killed her. Visenya would never have allowed it. Aegon & Visenya had successfully conquered kingdoms through individual negotiation/negotiation by dragonflame. Rhaenys had failed in her attempt. This failure weighed on her. And because Aegon was foremost her partner in life, she demanded to go to Dorne so she could prove that she was truly an equal in their triple-pronged relationship. I imagine he acquiesced because to deny her would be to dismiss her. On an emotional level denying her would have broken something between them that Aegon would have never been able to get back, but which Visenya would not have even recognized as being broken. So what if Rhaenys needed Aegon and Visenya to believe in her? I'm older than you, I'm a better warrior, I'm going! Rhaenys’s death in Visenya's mind proved her right. Aegon alone had to reckon with the fact that, though it ended in the worst possible outcome, Rhaenys was capable of knowing herself & taking the risks she did with full resolve. Visenya saw herself as Rhaenys’s protector while Aegon saw himself as her other half, her accomplice.

[Aside: Recently I read GRRM’s first novel, Dying of the Light, where you can see a prototype of the ‘three heads of the dragon’ in the characters Jaan Vikary (a reformer and a leader), the man with whom he shares a highly revered lifelong warrior’s bond (Gaarse), and the woman who is his life partner but socially regarded as a concubine (Gwen). Gwen, unhappy with her lesser role despite Jaan’s supposedly egalitarian approach to their relationship, at one point engages in a duel she really can’t win because she refuses to be the object of such a duel—rather, she demands the agency to be an active participant. And Jaan, after this fight is lost, permanently breaks the codes of his culture while avenging her not as his wife/property but in the full spirit of her humanity. Gaarse tries to convince Jaan not to do this & seek vengeance following the codes of their honor-heavy culture, which would actually require both Gaarse and Jaan to fight on Gwen’s behalf—Gaarse agrees that vengeance must be had, but disagrees with Jaan’s method which inherently raises Gwen to the position of equal. In this I see Visenya/Aegon disagreeing over Rhaenys: the lack of ‘one mind’ which drove a wedge between them, later becoming a gulf.]

So in the main series we can shallowly recognize that Daenerys is ‘the Aegon,’ while Tyrion is her Rhaenys and Jon her Visenya. I believe there is some disagreement that positions Jon as her Rhaenys but personality wise it’s very clear that Jon connects more to the Visenya archetype/tension and Tyrion to the Rhaenys (witty, clever, the one who will most love to fly, etc). We can look at an example of a Visenya who failed where Jon later succeeds: Visenya raises Maegor in her image and passes to him her sword (Dark Sister) yet Maegor discards her sword to choose his father’s (Blackfyre). Jon, in early AGOT, yearns for his own father’s sword (Ice) and dreams of earning it/the Stark name. When he thinks to run to Robb’s ranks and avenge Ned, he leaves behind Longclaw. Yet by the end of the book, he has instead accepted his place in the Night’s Watch—choosing Longclaw over Ice. And let's not forget that the Night’s Watch oath was used by Visenya when she created the vows of the Kingsguard. Bloodraven (a ‘Visenya’) joined the Night’s Watch. So, personality and story-wise, it’s Jon. Tyrion fights battle in AGOT as well but his contributions are moreso the Vale Mountain tribes whose allegiance he wins through guile. When he fights, it’s done not with the sense that he is a warrior but that he’s clever, brave, and valuable in ways that one misses when they hastily dismiss him for being a dwarf.

Obviously Jon & Tyrion have met and developed a relationship of mutual affection, tentative friendship, and disaffection with the systems that raised them. Actually it is interesting that Daenerys growing up hearing that Ned and Tywin were the ‘Usurper’s dogs’ gets so much play while Jon having a similar hiccup with Tyrion (he’s a Lannister and Ned is executed by Lannisters) gets glossed over. Which is to say, the books gloss over it first. In the rare moments when Jon and Tyrion respectively think of one another it’s always done mildly. So it’s exciting that the next two to meet will be Tyrion and Daenerys—because they are two who actually will be looking to resolve something generational.

I’ve said before that I think they will meet on the opposite ends of the negotiation table. However I want to pin that the original three heads (Visenya, Aegon, Rhaenys) were siblings. The tension between them was inherently familial, so DanyJonTyrion’s tensions have to be translated into their own version of this because they are not directly related, rather their ties of 'kinship' are more complex. Leading into that (TW for rape & abuse in this section): it cannot be stressed enough that Tyrion’s relationship to women is complex. It begins really with Cersei the cruel sister who hates him, yet views him as belonging to her, hers to pinch and twist and abuse. It’s interesting how that dynamic is repeated not just in the obvious parallel of Daenerys with Viserys, but also in Cersei/Joffrey’s expressions of entitlement to Sansa—Tyrion’s future wife. Which brings me to my point: thus far, Tyrion’s relationships with women have mostly been with vulnerable women/girls for whom he feels a deep empathy, as well as a gratitude for convincingly loving him, though he second guesses the latter extensively as he doesn't believe he can have it even while desiring it above all (ex. Tysha, Shae, his one-sided hope that Sansa whose brother his family murdered could somehow, impossibly, find refuge in him). Yet it’s also true that he consistently hurts these women. In ACOK, Acting Hand Tyrion understands very well the attitudes and odds stacked against him (including the unlikelihood that Shae genuinely loves him) yet he pursues his seemingly unattainable goals with all his ability, in hopes of some form of positive recognition/redemption as a man, lover, brother, son, and so on. The trial over Joffrey’s murder is a complete farce but the reality is nonetheless that upon fleeing King’s Landing, Tyrion has completely lost his previous hope for respect, love, or even absolution. Absolution of all, honestly. Because when Tyrion comes to understand just to what extent he was forced into participating in Tysha’s gang rape, he sinks into his lowest pit of despair—leading up to the scene in ADWD where he rapes the sunset girl all the while thinking of Tysha, his own wretchedness, replicating how Tysha must have experienced him etc. I understand that scene is a VERY uncomfortable one but we do have to engage with it for what it is. In the rape scene with the sunset girl, Tyrion internally goes on and on about how much she hates him (she doesn’t actually speak except to protest his actions which may result in punishment for her) and indeed he wants her to hate him. He wants her to hate him the way he hates himself. As I said previously, Tyrion is extremely empathetic to Tysha, Shae, Alayaya, Sansa, Penny, and so on—he sees his own pains in them, is even mostly aware when he is projecting onto them, but he also sees clearly the pain he causes them. He is ashamed of himself in those moments, fearful that they’ll see him as a pitiful beast and revoke their affection. He is ashamed of his emotional neediness which fuels his lashings out. But with the sunset girl he loses all control. In ADWD, Tyrion wants to find Tysha. Why? To apologize? Yes, but also to be punished. It’s not that Tyrion hasn’t been punished by so many others “for the crime of being a dwarf” and causing shame to the Lannister name, but Tysha is someone who truly knew him for who he was. She loved the wholeness of him, which is what he's always yearned for—and she will surely punish him for the sins for which he is actually guilty. It may seem like a warping of his previous yearning but it’s rooted in the same desire for an intimacy which is purely between two people, something the whole world can neither touch nor understand.

With Daenerys and Tyrion, there’s a lot that’s up in the air for TWOW. What we basically know for a fact is that Tyrion will be the rider of Viserion, who is Daenerys’s gentlest child. That, and Tyrion will play a central role in Dance of the Dragons 2. The first point is a picture more easily painted so I’ll tackle it first. Throughout the series, there are profuse connections/parallels running between Tywin, Cersei, & Jaime with Aerys, Rhaella, & Rhaegar. Tyrion is not so much included in that due to his young age at the time of the latter three’s deaths. Yet when Oberyn comes to King’s Landing, it’s Tyrion who engages with him on the topic of Elia, Rhaenys, & Aegon’s murders. It’s Tyrion who roots out the identities of JonCon and Co, including Young Griff as ‘Aegon.’ It’s Tyrion who is Tywin “writ small,” Tywin whose role in said murders Oberyn seeks to obtain, and it's Tyrion’s trial for the murder of Joffrey which morphs into a duel between Oberyn and his sister’s murderer/rapist, Gregor Clegane. Both Daenerys and Tyrion have little to do with the violence that happened between their families besides carry the weight of it.

Narratively Tyrion represents the Lannister legacy; Tyrion is even quite similar to the originator of House Lannister, Lann the Clever. So when we think of Tyrion riding Viserion, who is so often referred to as Daenerys’s child, our second thought naturally goes to the last time Targaryen entwined with Lannister, that final image which keeps repeating throughout the story: when the bodies of Rhaegar’s children Rhaenys and Aegon were wrapped in red Lannister cloaks. Rhaegar’s children, murdered by Tywin—Daenerys’s children, one of whom Tyrion will touch and trust and ride into the sky. This is I think a redemption/absolution of which only Tyrion is capable: him, Tywin’s closest shade, and Daenerys, who is all but Rhaegar's daughter, building a trust which results in the exact inverse of the brutality seen in the previous generation. Instead of murdering a child, Tyrion will be put in a place to nurture a dragon. It’s poignant that Tyrion as a boy dreamed about dragons as a means of defense against Cersei & Tywin’s abuse because by ADWD Tyrion is deeper in that cycle than ever before. In order to earn the goodwill of Daenerys and then her dragon, Tyrion will have to be wily and clever, yes…. but he will also have to reach past his self-hate for a degree of belief that he can be worthy of this entirely unique form of connection. The fact that Daenerys is in a social position above him (she is a Queen while he is enslaved, a sellsword) is, I would say, a good thing for the development of their relationship but also for Tyrion individually. I am not even really touching on the fact that she saved his life in the pit. I moreso mean she’s an escape from the relationships he had and pursued before, with women who either used their authority to hurt him (Cersei) or those he loved, and caused astounding pain (Tysha, Shae) or those for whom he did not do enough to protect from his family (Sansa, Alayaya, Penny).

Daenerys is also younger than Tyrion and not formally educated, though she is eager to learn, which invites a return to what AGOT Tyrion initially tells Jon is his use:

Things are expected of me. My father was the Hand of the King for twenty years. My brother later killed that very same king, as it turns out, but life is full of these little ironies. My sister married the new king and my repulsive nephew will be king after him. I must do my part for the honor of my House, wouldn't you agree? Yet how? Well, my legs may be too small for my body, but my head is too large, although I prefer to think it is just large enough for my mind. I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses. My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind… and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." Tyrion tapped the leather cover of the book. "That's why I read so much, Jon Snow."

And this is a healthier state to which we already see Tyrion returning, when Griff commands Tyrion to write down everything he knows about dragons:

Tyrion had read much and more of dragons through the years. The greater part of those accounts were idle tales and could not be relied on, and the books that Illyrio had provided them were not the ones he might have wished for. What he really wanted was the complete text of The Fires of the Freehold, Galendro's history of Valyria. No complete copy was known to Westeros, however; even the Citadel's lacked twenty-seven scrolls. They must have a library in Old Volantis, surely. I may find a better copy there, if I can find a way inside the Black Walls to the city's heart. He was less hopeful concerning Septon Barth's Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History. Barth had been a blacksmith's son who rose to be King's Hand during the reign of Jaehaerys the Conciliator. His enemies always claimed he was more sorcerer than septon. Baelor the Blessed had ordered all Barth's writings destroyed when he came to the Iron Throne. Ten years ago, Tyrion had read a fragment of Unnatural History that had eluded the Blessed Baelor, but he doubted that any of Barth's work had found its way across the narrow sea. And of course there was even less chance of his coming on the fragmentary, anonymous, blood-soaked tome sometimes called Blood and Fire and sometimes The Death of Dragons, the only surviving copy of which was supposedly hidden away in a locked vault beneath the Citadel.

Though he is at his darkest in ADWD there is a path back for Tyrion, in my view, with Daenerys and her children as one catalyst for that. I don’t mean to say that Daenerys will serve this purpose in Tyrion’s story because it is a mutual process of reconciliation, actually. Of all the dragons Viserion seems likeliest to ‘change’ into a female in order to lay future eggs (a gender transition which has seemingly already begun). We see in the example of Rhaenyra, Laena, and Daemon—another trio—that when their polycule or whatever is at their happiest, the dragons are at the peak of their fertility. Dany conceiving a child with Jon + Tyrion’s mount birthing draconic children simultaneously = a pretty impressive seal on the bond shared between the new ‘three heads.’

However, Tyrion is not Dany’s love interest (in the way that Jon is). Remember 500 paragraphs ago when I was describing the difference between how Visenya and Aegon loved and perceived Rhaenys? Right, bringing that back into play now. In the absence of a formal marriage, so to speak, there remains a tension between Tyrion as a Lannister and Tyrion as part of the trio. Tyrion as Daenerys’s hand, as Jon Snow’s confidante, is not without its friction. Dany and Jon will fall in love which pretty easily presents a path to understanding how they’ll develop empathy for each other and overcome past familial tensions, because when two people get married there’s an idea that they will henceforth prioritize the needs and beliefs of the family they build together. Families of birth aren’t erased but they aren’t so much at the forefront. That’s the blueprint for monogamous romantic love, generally speaking. There is of course another blueprint for an unconsummated courtly love, steeped in devotion flowing from higher values and blooming beneath heaven’s plenty, which I hesitate to call chivalric because I don’t think asoiaf’s ideas of chivalry quite align… and, by the way, I am talking like it’s a thousand percent certain that Tyrion will never ever ever even once be sexually/intimately involved with Daenerys and/or Jon. It’s not certain. I am a canonically bisexual Jon believer. In Jon’s very first chapter he uses the same terms to describe Tyrion that he does Jaime, to whom he is at least platonically attracted. The OG ASOIAF outline had Tyrion and Jon as romantic rivals. Aegon romantically/sexually engaged with both Visenya and Rhaenys. Though they’re not really one another’s types, Tyrion and Daenerys making love could have a host of other impetuses beyond the simplistic formula of "physical attraction->physical intimacy" and ultimately be really beautiful, you know, very safe. I don’t think this is necessarily likely but it’s possible.

More realistic is that Tyrion will be a single Lannister. In that case we are faced with Tyrion’s split loyalties between Daenerys (and Jon) and his family of birth (Cersei having by then formed a coalition with Euron), the latter of whom he hates but is nonetheless deeply intertwined with. People go back to what's bad for them all the time, quite frankly. My personal prediction (not unique, I’m fairly certain it’s the one held by the majority of fandom Philosophers~) is that Viserion will die during the Second Dance with Tyrion acting as a queenmaker, while Rhaegal is the one Euron will initially hijack (to be hijacked back, obviously). So, Tyrion's significance cannot be stressed enough. Not being part of the couple does not erase his primacy in the story, or the beautiful interweaving between three people that is coming. And this is what I mean by translation of the Conquerors siblings dynamics to Dany, Jon, & Tyrion’s non-sibling dynamics. That repetition of a love match within a triangle, and it only working so well because there is a unity outside of that traditional structure wherein each prong of the trident is performing precisely the functions they are best fit for, with shared values that guide them where they overlap—well, it can be done outside a polygamous incest union. It’s really the tensions, the give, which need to be retained. The faint lines between all three which push and pull.

#asks #tyrion lannister #daenerys targaryen #jon snow #text

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mirnimo · 1 year ago

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Dramas I've been watching:

1. Lovely runner - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not exaggerating when I say this is the best drama of our generation. I know this will stand the test of time and become a classic for kdrama watchers. The acting, the plot, the chemistry...everything was on point. Nothing could've been better.

2. The atypical family - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The cinematography in this show is beautifully dark and magical. I like that it's not a superhero show but rather people with superpowers who struggle to live with and without their powers. It's a story about family and trauma. But also about destiny and love. The romance in this is different yet intense and exciting.

3. Hierarchy (dropped) - ⭐

This show is so bad, I was expecting so much more considering the budget and the hype. Rian's acting was dreadful, his facial expressions had 0 range. Jae-i was a boring character. I don't like rich bullies and somehow I was meant to be on their side? The only scene I enjoyed was Kang ha and Jae-i shirt scene.

#kdrama #lovely runner #the atypical family #hierarchy #mir reviews

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candidllama · 29 days ago

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Dear Hongrang, Mr. Plankton and a new age teen angst of a nihilist flavor.

While I, like everyone else, want to rave about the cinematography and excellent OST, I thought it might be more interesting to talk about these tropes that have noticed in a few other dramas, particularly with Dear Hongrang and Mr. Plankton. Particularly regarding Dear Hongrang and Mr. Plankton both offering a new flavor of chaotic rebellion that propels characters to new heights of angst.

Typically dramas featuring youth rebellion is framed through a coming of age lens - a passage we all must pass through to come to a place of maturity and understanding. But both Dear Hongrang and Mr. Plankton are fueled by pervasive and crippling sense of nihilism until the very end, when salvation comes but only with death at its heels. Their supercharged and paralytic youth is not a passage to make through nor a transitory state to overcome, it's the end. And while reminiscent of greek tragedies, both these shows subvert the typical tragedy with intense self awareness.

I think this underlying sentiment is very current, very Gen Z, and very representative of the hysteria of collapsing social structures that once seemed immutable.

A greek tragedy but make it ironic;

Typically in tragedies, the tragedy lies in the audience knowing along with the ignorance of the characters. Yet in both these stories, the characters are fully aware of their transience and their hubris. While the audience might expect some sort of growth arc from these characters, we don't expect their arc to be their literal end. Yet the characters themselves are aware of their impending mortality, so acutely that in fact, it brings them to the brink of nihilism. This subversion of the classical tragedy is what modernizes these narratives.

For instance, Hae Jo (Woo Do Hwan) in Mr. Plankton grows up quite a privileged life but is unable to overcome the pervasiveness of feeling like a reject, a fluke or a vestigial after thought. His birth is a direct result of a corrupt and rotten system, while Hongrang (Lee Jae Wook) is born within the confines of a corrupt and rotten system and cannot escape it. In both stories, The System is powered by Forsaken Children.

Starting with a Dark and Troubled Past, Hongrang is an orphan trapped in a pretty f**ked up class (and caste) based hierarchy as a slave who is basically kept as a proxy to absorb all of his shitty master's punishments. He's barely a real person, merely an effigy of someone who had the luck of being born in an affluent family. In fact, Hongrang does not even get his own name. He dies, still under a name that is not his own. He may have had his own name prior to the events of the story but that is not for us to know and it is most certainly intentionally left out to make a point.

Nearly *all* of the ruling class don't know how to be decent humans to their subordinates and offer a pretty colourful range of villainy, ranging from the Evil Aristocrat (the Prince), the Corrupt Corporate Executive (the Dad) to the garden variety assholes who are more or less tasked with being a menace rather than actual evil.

In Mr. Plankton, our protag starts out more or less the same. Though his dark and troubled past may not be at the level of Invasion of the Baby Snatchers, but nonetheless, the Child Eater trope is prevalent in Mr. Plankton as well. Hae Jo is as much a victim of circumstance as Hongrang. Both shows feature this stolen innocence, this sufferance foisted on children who bore no responsibility and did not even have any filial piety to uphold towards adults and elders who clearly deserve a hard curb sandwich instead of the obeisance they expect. Hypocritical and delulu parents are rampant, well meaning but toxic, selfish, greedy and unable to overcome their own delusions to keep their children safe and stable. Amidst this environment, Hongrang and Hae Jo were purely random collateral damage. There was nothing personal in their suffering. They just happened to exist.

This leads the protagonists (including the female protags in both shows) to live pretty hard and love like there is no tomorrow. Hongrang does not give AF about the implications of being seemingly in love with his sister, like the optics of it does not bother him at all. Even when his own so-called sister is a little taken aback by the brewing sexual tension.

Hae Jo ruins weddings and gets hunted down like a fugitive, then decides that he's gonna f-ck up his ex's love life and her future that does not have him in it. There is no pausing for repercussions and no crushing sense of responsibility. They're out to burn brightly and burn out fast. There is no future for them, only the abyss.

I knew Dear Hongrang would turn out to be a tragedy the moment Jae Yi and Hongrang actually ran away. I didn't think they would but I kind of enjoyed that they did. Most would think this to be an act of escapism, but in the context of this show, we know that the two of them running away was in fact a willful defiance of the social expectations that requires them to be sacrificial. Them running away hastened their end and they knew it too. Staying low and fighting the greater fight was no longer the driving imperative.

Similarly, I knew Mr. Plankton would turn out to be a tragedy when Jae Mi decides to go along for the ride and Eo Heung decides to pursue. Not because Hae Jo was destined to die, but because he would not find relief until it was too late.

Overall, I think I primarily was struck by the similar vibe in the soundtrack and its cinematography, later to notice more of these overlap in tropes. I wonder if its a pattern or if its just a fluke, considering none of the creative team overlaps except for the music director perhaps.

#dear hongrang #mr plankton #kdrama review #tragedy #melodrama #kdrama blog #kdrama #lee jae wook #woo do hwan #tragic hero #historical

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teashh · 1 year ago

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So I binged Hierarchy on Netflix and OH MY GODS. It's so good. I see people lashing out on the drama because they want UK and Spain type of high school drama but can we please acknowledge that THIS IS ASIA. The standards and morals are DIFFERENT here. Why are you expecting the UK and Spain kinda storyline in a country that's NOT UK or Spain.

NOT SPOILER FREE

It makes each character so very morally grey that you cannot help but root for all of them.

Kang Ha is driven by revenge but truly cares for Jae-i. He also wants to make amends (I think. I don't think he's the one who sent the last message).

Jae-i is a tortured heroine and will go to any lengths to protect the people she loves and I'm here for it. But she's also someone who acknowledged her mistakes and that of her friends. She's also very steady. Like a rock.

Ri-an, again is someone who is accountable. He takes responsibility for his mistakes once he's aware of it but he's also arrogant. But he's so selectively loyal that it just gives Slytherin vibes. He's also a tortured chaebol and loves loves loves Jae-i.

Woo jin is a mastermind. He's kind but he'll do anything and I mean anything for the person he chooses. It's so cool to see him choosing one friend over another. And he's so artistic. He's a kind face but a wicked mind. So morally grey

Yoon He-ra is jealous and prideful. She herself admits that she's a bitch but she's a bitch with morals. I absolutely loved the dynamics between her and jae-i and the way it ended. And seriously. You will grow to love her.

I loved the way they absolved the love triangle also. They made a case for each one of the characters. They didn't make Jae-i indecisive. She was headstrong and steadfast. And it didn't downgrade one love interest over another. Both love and care for jae-i in their own way. Jae-i also doesn't lead anyone on.

And the way Kang Ha made the school take responsibility- it wasn't your typical revenge drama. That's why I think that the last message wasn't sent by Kang Ha. He's not the type to do it.

All the characters are so morally grey. Especially Ri-an. I loved every single one of them. I would totally recommend it because it really is very good. I genuinely hope this gets a season 2.

#hierarchy #hierarchy Netflix #kdrama #rant #lee chae min #kim jae won #no jeong-ee #roh jeong-eui #ji hye won #lee won jung #jung jae-i #yoon he ra #Kang ha #kim Ri-an #lee woojin #i need a season 2

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dojae-huh · 7 months ago

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The human brain constantly produces impulses of neural energy, kind of like a mini power plant or inner engine. People differ in the intensity of these impulses. Some have a high "voltage", others - "low". And this generated neural energy (excitation) needs to be spent on some type of activities. This energy can reflect in how "jumpy" or visibly energetic a person is, but not nesessary.

Both Mark and Doyoung have strong power plants within them. However, the way this energy is processed and spent varies significantly. Mark spends his a lot in a direct way - through work (long hours, big load), physical activity (the way his dance is super energised), loud voice and laugh, creativity (contemplating and writing, brainwork). I guess Christianity and faith help him to streamline his path as well, there are deep grooves to run along without unnesessary worry. He wants k-pop to be known around the world, the horizon is wide and there are many more mountains ahead, so he has no problem how to channel his energy. He juggles three teams, heh.

Doyoung is not a physical type, spending neural energy through pure physical activity (running, dancing) doesn't work for him. It tires him and the cells in the brain and muscles, eats up sugars, of course, but doesn't let him dispell the neural charge.

A normal active brain.

Doyoung's

The energy still sips through the body in physical manifestations: a bouncing leg, walking on heels, cracking of knuckles, chirps, jumps, poking of others. However, it's not an outlet, just the energy leaking through cracks. Doyoung can't sit still and can't tolerate boredome. He needs to make himself busy and active.

I actually started to write this post because of this 2Dongs moment. An example of a very happy Doyoung unleashing his positive energy on a person nearby. Literally rubbing off the excessive charge, lol.

These last couple of shows gave us a new Doyoung - a Doyoung free of worries in his pure excited and content form. His solo career progresses well and he is working on his second album, WayV and Wish are doing well (NCT as a brand), 127 as well (the motivation of the members) despite the absence of Jae and Tae. Evidently currently there is a good dialogue with SM (A&R team, a good director for the concert, Mark and Hyuk getting their solos, (I assume) an appropriate budget for 127, etc). Also, Jaehyun should be settling well and also not complaining.

In the past Do demonstrated his energy through sassiness and wit (self-protection, he was establishing his position in the group, fought in the hierarchy games), worry and irritation (127 had troubles and didn't progress in popularity as quickly as Do hoped, a constant burden to succeed with every comeback, a chance to change the tide that had to be seized), nagging and micromanaging (the desire to move things, to get to the destination), even a burn-out and tears (when the body couldn't take the high voltage that wasn't spent properly, and a dam had to be broken for a forced release).

Doyoung spends his energy through reshaping the environment, influencing it somehow, making it better for people around him. He is the most grounded when he controls or affects in other way (singing, empathically) a large crowd. Not for the power, for the feeling of others being taken care of/doing well. Then his brain energy is properly channeled, the outflow is big (and there is none to remain and damage him from within). He is social and society oriented, his drive is to interact not with the natural world (nature, animals) or inner world (art, knowledge/science), but the society, other people.

When he talked of being bored being a child, his way out was to join clubs (like an art club), become a class president and run for the school student body. He cooked and invited friends to his house. He was hurt by being ostracised a lot and found salvation in singing (not a musical instrument or computer games, animals). Already then he demontrated how it was most natural for him to apply his energy.

When Do doesn't have things to worry about and people to micromanage (who do everything the right way without the need for him to intervene), his energy naturally emanates in a positive way: goofiness/playfulness, wide smiles and giggles (in the end), lightness, being hyper and extra, and boldness.

This moment (when Do asked the crowd of this size to repeat "2 Baddies" after him) especially demonstrated well the "expansion" (of his kekkai, lol) he does when he is in a right place mentally and occupationally.

It's important that Do said in public during his award speech that he worked hard. He is a perfectionist, he can easily find fault in anything, he is very demanding of himself, it's the first place or you are a loser mentality. So the fact that he is truly proud of himself and content of his own achievements (enough to praise and thank himself) is a sign of him being in a good mental shape and generally satisfied with how everything is going, with his life.

Even the eyes became rounder, hehe.

#glee club conductor #mark is a golden child #three brains

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