#mi meta tag

[pulausemakau]

honestly insane to me that it's october and there are still people fucked off and complaining about the fact that in DR1, ethan couldn't choose between saving grace or saving ilsa, because "he's known ilsa longer! he loves her! grace is an asshole who didn't deserve to be saved!"

honestly do these people remember what fucking franchise they're watching and how the protagonist of said franchise has been characterised FOREVER? this is ETHAN HUNT we're talking about. the ENTIRE MI franchise has been spent showing us over and over again that ethan is literally incapable of choosing between the people he loves and the world; between one person and millions. that is his greatest strength AND his greatest flaw! he will jeopardise the mission and the greater good and his own damn LIFE to save one person, even if they're a total stranger!

like, ethan's strength as a protagonist, his uniqueness as an action hero amongst dozens others, especially in today's world, is that he doesn't play judge jury and executioner! he doesn't blaze through his missions doing "whatever it takes" for the sake of the greater good, that's literally why the plot of fallout fucking happens and he ends up chasing after walker in a helicopter instead of safely securing the plutonium in berlin. it worked out in his favour in fallout, why is anyone remotely surprised that we're seeing instead how it's ruining him in DR1 (and how presumably it will, as always, ultimately pay off for him in DR2)? i mean hell it already pays off in DR1, when he spares paris (who is actively trying to kill him, versus grace who is just looking out for herself) and that's why he and grace don't fall to their deaths from the orient express?!

what MI movies have people been watching if they can't understand one of the most basic tenets of ethan hunt's character jesus fucking christ.

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

WAIIIIIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT HOW DID I JUST NOW LEARN AFTER ALL THIS TIME--

Like, I've known about the religious aspect of Javert's death! Catholic theology taught that suicide was a mortal sin, meaning a sin that would send you to hell--Javert, who is described as exactingly religious (viewing religion as another authoritative structure, in contrast to Valjean's personal faith), was so distraught over the error and failure of his worldview, that he broke what he'd regarded as a sacred rule to punish himself and condemn himself to hell. I've known this! And it's agonizing!!

But then I read a YouTube comment of all things, and maybe this is an old take but it just eviscerated me:

At the time of Javert's death, suicide was a crime in France.

His last act was to break the law.

Mr. Hugo, I'd like to retire now, you're giving me too many emotions to process.

[himejoshi-homosexual]

Who cares if mha ended I'm rereading my favorite chapters again (my villain academia and all things related to the lov)

Some of my thoughts under the Read More

Hi everyone. This isn't a proper analysis or anything meta, but I felt compelled to share some of my thoughts regarding bnha (mostly about it's themes about the villains, mixed with some personal anecdotes) because, at the end of the day, it's still one of those series that, despite all it's flaws, questionable content, and inconsistencies, it's a piece of media that I hold deeply in my heart (that's what happens when you get attached to a series when you're the same age as the protagonist when it first came out)

I'm a bit sad I never had the time to properly catch up with the manga but all the past decade I've read the leaks and spoilers here and there were amazing (in the end that played in my favor bc I can now theorize with my sister while we both watch the anime and it's great)

It was great whenever a new season dropped and manga readers were always like "you haven't seen anything yet!" "The new arc is a lot more mature" and stuff, it was fun, it got annoying at times, but overall exciting and got me so into this story!

I remember picking up the manga when i heard the league of villains were on a tough spot financially, and knowing me, I'm a sucker for these kind of stories that humanizes their villains (irregardless of how that kind of ended). it was still a really thoughtful subject I never expected mha to touch so deep into the way it did, I guess I can resonate with it as someone who is always looking to comprehend the actions behind people.

Today's the only day I've read the manga in years, I stopped once the spanish dubbed dropped and I decided to watch it along with my sister from there, we're in s7 and it's always a pleasure to see these pieces of media in a language you speak. I'll always remember how I kinda infodumped on her all the lore the first time they transmitted the first season on tv, and now I'm glad I'm finally old enough to drive us to the cinema and watch the new movie that will come up to theaters this october(?).

Anyway. This is not the kinda posts I'm used to making, but even if I'm just as emotionally constipated as the main characters/villain, I can't help but feel moved.

The themes of wanting to save people, to make a change in the world, to reach to people, to live, to heal your inner child, I'll think about it for a long tiime.

Me duele tener que decirle adiós a esta serie 😅 una parte de mi quería que me acompañará hasta que me gradué de la universidad, en cierto modo si pasará por que aún me hace falta leer las novelas gráficas, los spin-offs, etc. Pero es lo mejor. Quiero seguir escribiendo mis pensamientos dado que dudo que alguien lea esto, pero ya debo dormir, mi vida también continúa.

Y como dijeron en la peli Deadpool y Wolverine: "Esta serie hizo que no me suicidará por una década"

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

ok ok ok so this is digging up a phrase that I had forgotten I used to use a lot (specifically when discussing Les Miserables tbh), "wide scope, small scale". which is just to describe stories where the scope of the narrative, the plot and its stakes, are really large and all-encompassing, but the scale, the focus, is honed in to just. people. so you have this massive story going on but at the heart of it all is humans. and it can be, you know, a lot of different humans (like Les Mis, where there's like... a couple dozen major characters throughout the course of the novel) or just a few (i.e. Ruta Sepetys' Salt to the Sea, or, in this specific case because I'm currently losing my mind, Tenet 2020) and it doesn't really matter who they are or how many of them there are. a wide scope-small scale story just means that no matter how huge the circumstances are, no matter how tangled and intertwined and all-encompassing the narrative is, the heart of the story is humanity, as shown through its characters. wide scope, small scale.

[dotted-half-note]

I was just trying to find a funny video what the FUCK are you talking about meta ai

[hickeygender]

i'm liking the donougher translation so far, save for one of my favorite lines being translated a little strangely.

in french, which i do speak a little of, the line is originally "enjolras était un jeune homme charmant, capable d'être terrible". this is often translated as "enjolras was a charming young man, capable of being terrible", which i think is the best translation. terrible is a cognate in french and english, having the same spelling and meaning in both languages, even if the pronunciation is different. i've seen it argued that terrible has slightly different implications in french vs english, that terrible in english brings only negative things to mind, whereas in french it is more ambiguous.

i'd like to argue against that! in english, terrible doesn't always mean wholly bad, it can be used in a more ambiguous manner as well, though this usage is more obscure and archiac for sure! the most notable example i can think of is the jrr tolkien quote from galadriel "and i shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the morning and the night!", which to me implies almost a sense of awe. that galadriel is so beautiful that it's like being confronted with the rising or setting of the sun for the first time. i've also heard of "terrible storms", and i think the association with the word with feats of nature is interesting and adds layers to the description of enjolras.

i think you lose out on some of that when you translate terrible as fearsome. fearsome to me implies looking scary, which enjolras decidedly does not if you read the passages immediately following this sentence. donougher likely then is referring to his temperament, but i still think terrible would be a stronger choice here!

[mediumsofmayfair]

CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE !!

BORROWED FROM: @radicalrascals.

TAGGING: @opheliaximmortal, @eclipsecrowned, @behindviolenteyes, @sangcreole, @withinycu and @godpyre.

 ✧･ﾟ   𝐃𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄.

► ROWAN, MONA & MERRICK MAYFAIR. 

★  ⸻   GENERAL

Name: Rowan Mayfair | Mona Mayfair | Merrick Mayfair

Alias(es): The thirteenth (13th) witch | Ophelia | practitioner of Vodou

Gender: genderqueer (she/they) | female (she/her) | demi-girl (she/they)

Age: 26+ | 20+ | 24+

Date of Birth: November 7, 1959 | October 24, 1983 | September 20, you do the math

Place of Birth:  NOLA, Garden district | New Orleans, garden district | New Orleans, French quarter

Spoken Language(s): French, English, Telekinesis, ghost/demon conjuring, French Roman Catholic, foresight and spells | French, English, intersectional feminism, telekinesis, ghost/demon conjuring, spells, and ghost hunting | Haitian creole, French, English, aave, ghost/demon conjuring, spells & ghost hunting

Orientation: bi (male lean) | bi (non-discriminating!) | bi (female lean)

Occupation(s):  that’s Miss Doctor Rowan Mayfair, PHD to you! | running the coven of the articulate when Lestat becomes histrionic 🤷‍♀️ | practitioner of Haitian Vodou & Talamasca member

★  ⸻   APPEARANCE

Eye colour: green | blue | brown

Hair colour: blonde (canonically) (black in the TV show) | auburn/red | dark black

Height: 5’8” | 5’0” | 5’4”

Other: the emerald necklace connecting her through a deal her great ancestor, Suzanne Mayfair made to the preternatural ghost/demon Lasher akin to a whip and the sound of the wind. | dresses exceedingly feminine, performing her femininity like a Shakespeare thespian or drag Queen/King. | At minimum Merrick always has a book on hand and a hair accessory in her creole curls.

★  ⸻   FAVORITE

Colour:  purple the queenly kind | baby blue | Mayfair (emerald) green. Song: Rowan | Mona | Merrick

Food: beignets | gumbo | shrimp po’boy

Drink: champagne | wine | bourbon

★  ⸻   HAVE THEY...

Passed university: with above average marks! | no - but more than capable of doing so! | no but only because time never let her

Had sex: yes | yes - perhaps… a lot | yes

Had Sex in Public: no | don’t tempt her sounds thrilling | no

Gotten pregnant/someone else pregnant: yes | no | no

Kissed a boy: yes | yes | yes

Kissed a girl: yes | yes | yes

Gotten tattoos: no | no | no

Gotten piercings: yes | yes | yes (ears for all of the above) Merrick, also pierced her nose

Been in love: yes | yes | yes

Stayed up 24+ hours: yes | yes | no

★  ⸻   ARE THEY...

A virgin: no | no | that’s a colonizer social construct.

A cuddler: yes | yes | no

A kisser: kinda? | yes | depends who you ask

Scared easily: no | no | no

Jealous easily: no | no | yes

Trustworthy: they’re Mayfair women, the answer is collectively no.

Submissive: yes | switch | yes

Dominant: in the mental sense | switch | no

In love: as a whole, not yet, they’d know.

Relationship status: collectively? It’s messy and complicated, of course Quinn Blackwood, Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt count! In that case… taken but complicated. Let us not begin on the family ghost.

★  ⸻   RANDOM QUESTIONS

TW for self-harm/suicide mention.

Have they harmed themselves: yes | not deliberately | (yes in canon) no (in my portrayal)

Thought of suicide/ideated: yes | yes | yes

Attempted suicide: yes | no | yes

Wanted to kill someone: yes but shush | he deserved it! | with good reason

Have/had a job: yes | of a kind | yes

Fears: a family legacy she can’t outrun, Lasher, violent men, the church, the state, and the future and being “enough.” | existential stuff, none of your concern | misogyny, racism, violence, injustice, the burden and blessing of family, and upholding her mothers legacy.

★  ⸻   FAMILY

A mess, that puts the Ptolemaic dynasty to shame.

See here.

On the Mayfairs and Lasher.

Lives of the Mayfair Witches.

Bonus, these threes collective playlist.

[omarfor-orchestra]

Quanto mi fanno pisciare loro che guardano La Porta Rossa

[himejoshi-homosexual]

@goldiesleepy

I realized something...

The reason he makes this face is because he’s trying to imitate his father and look down his nose at people.  Only he’s not as freakishly tall as Endeavor is, so he has to compensate by tilting his head back slightly.

In the first pic, he's talking to Shigaraki, who was sitting down at the time, and Toga was standing next to him not doing anything weird with her head angles despite being shorter. Second pic, he's looking at Shouto who's the same height as him.

Dramatic dork.

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

I am not typically the biggest Marius enthusiast, but knowing that in the moments of quiet towards the end of the barricade, just after carrying Gavroche back inside and not even noticing that he himself has been shot, Marius "was anxious about what his father would say to him"...like. It's because he thinks he's about to see him again. He brought back in the dead son of the man his father had saved, and soon he himself will be the dead son. ...For however annoying you can be at points, that made me feel some things, Marius.

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

If you actually believe suicide is punishable by eternal damnation and that applies to Javert as well, you must invariably also apply this logic to Valjean, who starved himself to death. A passive suicide is still suicide; it doesn’t stop being so just because you prefer one character to another. To pretend like Valjean didn’t commit suicide and goes to heaven but that Javert must go to hell is just outright incorrect and biased on every level. They either both went to heaven or both went to hell, but you can’t have it two different ways.

Hey thanks for the ask /gen!

I don't believe suicide sends you to hell. I've been pretty careful to specify that *Catholic doctrine in the past* (as I'm not aware of their current position) has taught that suicide is a mortal sin (you can even see this attitude in Hamlet, in which the characters are Catholic), but I am not Catholic, nor do I believe that doctrine was ever true.

Your salvation is not gained or lost by your virtue or sin. Salvation is given by God: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, so that no man can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Narratively, how this applies to Valjean vs. Javert is that Valjean accepts his salvation and the mercy shown to him, while Javert, because of his pride and shame (among other reasons) rejects it and instead commits suicide. Neither of them "deserved" a second chance, but both of them were offered it; Valjean took it, and Javert did not.

God will not force you into heaven, but He does make the Way (through faith in Christ) available to everyone. The tragedy of Javert is that he is unwilling to accept that God's path is not the path he thought it was, and instead of living a new life in light of this truth, he ends his life in rejection of it. And in doing so, he condemns himself, when mercy was right in front of him--as so many choose to do.

[junmsli]

dope

pairing. enzo vogrincic x reader

cw/tw. no good for tags pero está lindo!! confíen, "planificación familiar" así que bastante mención del embarazo, fluff, enzo siendo pegajoso es su propia advertencia, apodos cariñosos, age gap (enzo tiene 37!! perdón, reader 25), pronombres femeninos.

word count. 1.8k

rating. +16 ¿? solo reader y enzo siendo melosos

siempre tuvo una idea vaga acerca de cómo quería que sea su futuro, si bien la universidad/instituto no es el deseo de todos, era algo para ella y siempre sería su primera meta a lograr.

entonces cuando tenía 23 y esa meta se logró ¿qué seguía, 40 años trabajando sin descanso? no era su plan obvio. iba a trabajar y seguir aprendiendo más sobre su carrera, no quedarse en un solo trabajo por décadas, para nada. su vida no iba a ser aburrida, no veía eso para los años venideros.

entonces, uno piensa que cuando termina su carrera o lo que sea, se dedica a trabajar en ella y de paso a encontrar a la persona que quieres que te acompañe los siguientes años de tu vida.

ella lo ponía así, lo encontraba en alrededor de 2-3 años, lo conocía por 3-4 años, esperaba que cumpla con todas sus "expectativas", the bare minimum, y si lo hacía (obvio si no, no planeaba perder 4 años con él o ella), ella sabría cuándo sería la persona indicada, cumpliría con todo con lo que se supone que debes sentir y más al estar con ella, la inexplicable mezcla de paz, felicidad, comodidad y amor que ella estaba segura, se debía sentir.

¿no es por eso qué es tan importante en la vida encontrar un compañero? alguien que sabes que te ama, con o sin palabras, cuando alguien te ama, eso es algo que se siente.

creía que cuando esa persona llegaba, llegaba, solo es cosa de tiempo (aunque bueno, no había tanta paciencia de parte de la muchacha si había llegado a instalar una app de citas en algún momento).

y esa persona llegó y no la decepcionó ¿qué es mejor que eso?

enzo era la persona en la que estuvo pensando toda su vida, sin conocerlo... podía saber que era él o nadie, él sería el padre de los hijos con los que soñaba a los 17 cuando se dió cuenta que tener hijos, a pesar de lo dura que puede ser la vida, es algo que veía como meta en muchos, obvio, muchos años, que tu vida haya sido una mierda no significa que no puedes cambiar eso para tu descendencia, ¿por qué no podrías?

ahora estaba con enzo viendo un capítulo de su sitcom favorita, la que hizo a enzo empezar a ver en el momento en que las citas de estar en casa de alguno de los dos se hicieron tan frecuentes, hasta que se mudaron juntos, claro. ella voltea a verlo y el hombre al sentir su mirada no duda en ver a su compañera, ella sonríe con diversión y él no dudó en devolverle la sonrisa. voltea a seguir viendo la pantalla que tenía al frente del sillón de dos personas, enzo a su lado a unos 10 centímetros.

"¿no es un tanto machista que en estados unidos las esposas luego de casarse cambien su apellido al de sus esposos?" le dices a enzo y estiras tus brazos con pereza a su lado "quiero decir, todo apesta respecto a nuestros apellidos, sea como sea es el apellido de nuestros padres, abuelos y así, las mujeres no tienen un apellido, tú sabes a qué me refiero".

"parece que es algo en lo que siempre pensás" dice enzo con una sonrisa divertida.

"probablemente lo hago... ¿aunque sabes qué?" sonríe mirando hacia la figura de enzo, disfrutando la vista.

"¿qué, mi bebé?" acaricia el muslo ella con cariño, nada de malicia en la acción, solo amor por la persona que lo acompaña.

"no tendría problema en usar tu apellido... y eso no es muy particularmente feminista de mi parte" dice.

"no lo es, pero digamos que en primer lugar, lo haces porque suena muy bien tu nombre junto al mío, segundo, no porque me pertenezcas, aunque, me perteneces sí..." la joven lo interrumpe.

"¿no te acabas de contradecir?" alza una ceja.

ella lo hace reír bajito, se queda pensando unos segundos en su respuesta "sí, lo que quiero decir es que me perteneces, pero no como un objeto me pertenece, me perteneces de la manera en la que tu amor es mío, mía para amar, para cuidar, querer y eso. dale que me estás haciendo decir demasiadas cosas cursi y lo estoy disfrutando como no tenés idea".

ella se queda viéndolo un par de segundos y le da un rápido beso en el cachete "en algún momento después de nuestro matrimonio haremos una cita en la notaria, si es ahí donde se cambia el apellido o lo que sea, yo no séee" alarga la e al final, se ríe y apoya su cabeza en el hombro de enzo.

enzo se ríe feliz pero luego nota que la tele está en el comienzo de un nuevo episodio y le pone pausa "nos perdimos el final del capítulo por tu culpa, gracias gorda".

"de nada, esta conversación se ha vuelto más interesante que la tele" la chica se encoge de hombros. "por cierto, quiero tener una charla un tanto ¿seria...?".

enzo luce un poquito confundido pero asiente "mientras no me termines, banco cualquier charla seria, conseguir pareja a los 37 no va a ser tan fácil".

"que mentira con tremenda cara" ella voltea los ojos "la conversación está muy lejos de ser acerca de un posible rompimiento por cierto. he estado pensando y quiero esperar hasta los 30 para tener un hijo, o sea, dentro de cinco año luego de la boda. quiero disfrutar de ti y de mi profesión" suelta el comentario de manera rápida y espera la respuesta de enzo.

él la escucha atentamente y asiente "bien gorda, yo hago lo que vos quieras, depende totalmente de vos, en serio" la mira con cariño, con el mismo o mayor cariño desde que cayó en cuenta que ella es la mujer de su vida.

"gracias, en serio".

"decime que la próxima semana querés estar embarazada, dejas de usar el anticonceptivo y empezamos con la creación de ese nene mañana mismo".

ella tapa su cara con sus manos "no me estás ayudando, no lo digas así que te vienes con todos mis planes abajo, enzo"

"tendrás que esperar los años que mencionaste" ahora él se encoge de hombros con una pequeña sonrisa "fuera de joda, es tu cuerpo y tu decisión al fin y al cabo, respeto tus tiempos" tomó su mano suavemente y la acarició

ella sabía que si bien los hijos están en sus planes, si cambiaba de parecer en cualquier momento, como él se lo había dicho en una conversación parecida en el pasado.

él solo le iba a dar una cálida sonrisa y le diría "vos sos el sueño, los hijos vienen después, si vienen".

“bien… entonces… también tenía una pregunta para ti, ¿cuántos hijos querés tener?” enzo le pregunta mirándola fijamente.

“¿no te asustas si te digo que tres?” 

“tres es un buen número” se hace como si la pensara y asiente lentamente, con la sonrisa que tiene reservada solo para ella. “tres está bien”.

“sí, me gusta este plan”.

“ojalá después del parto sigas con la idea de tres nenes” dice con diversión.

“¡cállate! obviamente he sobre pensado respecto a eso, si el parto y el postparto son tan terribles te conformarás con solo uno, lo siento” ella dice.

¿sería un parto natural o una cesárea? ¿cuál es peor? porque no hay opción buena o mejor si se trata de ese tema, solo dolor y más dolor, ella suspira “es terrible eso, me preocuparé una noche antes de dar a luz, cuando sea que sea”.

él asiente “aún falta bastante tiempo, ¿no? tranquila” comenta y mira detenidamente sus labios “¿un beso es algo a lo que le dirías que sí ahora?”

“¿cuándo he dicho que no?” dice y sigue su mirada notando su detenimiento en los labios de ella.

“pues…” hace el ademán de querer contestar pero vuelve rápidamente su atención a ella y la clara intención de empezar un beso

ella es quien da inicio a la unión de sus bocas y sonríe, bastante inmersa en el momento, ellos dos compartiendo un momento de paz e inmensurable cariño, mantienen el beso por lo que parece más de dos minutos.

enzo rompe el beso delicadamente, le dedicó una mirada con tanto amor que la muchacha podría jurar que es capaz de verlo en el aire, si de alguna manera eso es posible.

“gorda, sé que acabas de decir que tendremos un nene aún dentro de cinco años pero qué pasa sí ahora es lo único en lo que estoy pensando” él cierra los ojos y deja salir un largo suspiro.

"¿qué está pasando por tu cabeza ahora mismo?" cuestiona y se apoya una vez más en el hombro de enzo. 

"pensé que ya era como un libro abierto para vos" dice con una pequeña risa.

"lo eres, pero prefiero que sueltes cada pequeño detalle de lo que está ocurriendo en tu mente"

"pues..." él sonríe cálidamente. "si es una nena se llamaría elena"

"¿y sí es un nene?"

"quiero que sea una nena"

ella ríe bajito "no depende de nosotros" se detiene por unos segundos y luego continúa "bueno, de hecho depende de ti, el espermatozoide determina el sexo" dice y lo mira divertida.

"bueno che, tenés razón y como no quiero dejar tu pregunta al aire... si es un nene se llamaría... esteban"

"ambos nombres empiezan con e" menciona la muchacha un poco sorprendida. "me gustan me gustan, haríamos una ruleta con mis opciones también, para que sea justo".

él asiente ameno "me parece razonable"

"soy la voz de lo razonable"

"claro que lo sos"

"¿qué más pasó por tu cabeza?" aprieta la mano de enzo esperando su respuesta.

"que serías la mamá más linda que ha existido alguna vez, demasiado tierna" comparte con una gran sonrisa.

"haría una sesión de fotos, tendrás muchas de ellas".

"¿te digo ese cumplido y pensás en una sesión de fotos?" alza una ceja con diversión.

ella le deja un pico en el hombro en el que todo ese rato se mantuvo apoyada "sí, yo sé que seré la mamá más bella, voy a dejar sin laburo a todas las modelos de maternidad" dice inventándose eso último, no sabe si existen esas modelos, seguro sí piensa ella.

"no lo dudo, amor" piensa unos segundos su siguiente comentario “de verdad que quiero ser el padre de tus nenes”.

siente sus mejillas calentarse “y lo serás” dice “serás un dilf” finaliza.

él hace una mueca y ríe “por favor gorda, no me hagas recordar que empezarán a decirme así” sostiene el rostro de ella en sus manos. “me encantás” empieza un beso en el que ambos se pierden por unos minutos, dejando la conversación un poco de lado. solo es cortado unos segundos por enzo para decir “te haré una linda mami”. vuelve al beso y acaricia los costados de ella.

ambos sonríen dentro del beso y al cabo de unos minutos se separan “me harás una linda mami”.

“aunque no es muy motivador de tu parte hacerme esperar 5 años" dice él y ambos comparten un par de risas.

ella se encoge de hombros “tendrás que esperar.”

-

writer's note: como mi beta dijo, y cito: i would, too, change my last name to vogrincic

esta es la primera vez que escribo 💀 así que cualquier tipo de crítica constructiva es súuuper bienvenida, háganme saber si les gustó o si quieren segunda parte, por cierto ¡mis asks están abiertas!

[himejoshi-homosexual]

@goldiesleepy

a twitter user pointed out that everyone is helping izuku forward but the only one he looked backward for was kacchan and the director was like “hehe you noticed” and I’m UN FUCKING WELL

edit: clarification this is actually him just talking about kacchan pushing him forward but it’s still so cute 🥺🥺

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

“because he never accepts that it's never been about righteousness--it's about repentance.” except javert killing himself IS repentance.

well, it’s like 12 different things, because bro had gone days without sleeping and very little food and water and he already had low self-worth and kept asking the amis to kill him and just assumed he was going to die AND THEN valjean upended his understanding of the world and morality. he was really going through it & there are a lot of overlapping reasons for why he jumps into the seine.

but javert is like Number One Most Responsible guy in the whole story. taking responsibility is his Thing (forever bitter the musical doesn’t include the punish me monsieur le maire scene). how else, in his derailment, could he atone for his conceived misdeeds other than by handing in his resignation to god? in the brick he had already left a note urging his superiors to treat convicts at toulon better, which is another step in his repentance (and another crime the musical commits by not including it). jumping into the seine was another step.

honestly a lot of ppl who like the book think the musical was dead wrong to exclude him from the big heaven group sing, because it COMPLETELY undermines the themes of forgiveness and compassion threaded throughout les mis. like the musical was simply wrong lol.

This is helpful context! I am still finishing the brick, although I have fully read the abridged version, and that detail about the letter wasn't included, so I didn't know that occurred! (And thank you for the message--this is a long response but I'd love to hear more of your thoughts!)

I agree that Javert is certainly deeply distraught and remorseful; like you mentioned, his worldview is literally falling apart, and his actions reflect his mental state. But his death isn't really repentance--in the sense that it's not what God would have wanted. To me it reads like a Judas situation: a desperate realization of a huge mistake, and doing the only thing you think can make it right, namely, ending it all. That's the just punishment for someone so wrong, isn't it?

But true repentance, meaning the repentance that the Lord desires, is about changing your ways, not "paying a price." Had Javert really understood the beauty of Valjean's mercy (an image of Christ's, just as the bishop's undeserved mercy was to Valjean himself), rather than killing himself, he would have lived to also become "an honest man"--in heart. One who could forgive and understand forgiveness, for himself as well as others. One who could recognize that he is not The Law, that he can fall, but that he can also be "brought to the light." One who could accept that men like Valjean, and men like himself, CAN change, and be changed.

It's tragic to me because so much of "Stars," and his character in the book as well as the musical, is about wanting to be righteous, to rise above his birth and the sinfulness he associates it with. It's about wanting to please the Lord by his actions. But in his end, he shows he never understood what God really wanted from him, and that's where my original phrase comes in: not righteousness, but repentance. To live, and face the man you were, knowing it's no longer the man you are. That it's never been about what you've done or can do, but about what's been done for you. That's the Gospel that he could never fully accept.

To use another example you mentioned, that misunderstanding drives why he asks the Mayor (Valjean) to punish him--in his worldview, mercy is unjust, or at the very least, unfair. Evil must be punished; "those who fall like Lucifer fell" receive "the sword." But "as it is written," God "desires mercy, not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13). God would have wanted Javert to live, and Javert couldn't see that, and that's why it's devastating to me. In his misunderstanding of the heart of God, he misses what would have set him free from the chains of sin he's always been trying to escape.

That's why he's contrasted with Valjean, who (though he carries guilt about his past till the end of his life) is eventually able to face it and confess what he had done to those he loves. He knew there was mercy to be found, if only it was asked for. Javert was too blinded by pride and shame to realize it, and so, while broken, he never was able to truly repent.

For that, you must go on.

[lurkingshan]

Love in the Big City Drama: Episodes 1-2 Book Club Discussion

I'm so happy to be back here with all you friends discussing this excellent show and the novel that inspired it. It has surpassed my wildest dreams in terms of both quality and authenticity to the tone and spirit of the novel, and I am so excited to talk about it!

As a reminder, these are the questions we originally discussed for Part 1 of the novel, and this is the meta round up, where you can see all the brilliant things you initially wrote about it. Here are your official discussion questions for episodes 1 and 2 of Love in the Big City, courtesy of @bengiyo:

With the move to the screen, more of Go Yeong's relationships are featured in Part 1. How does this change your impression of how Mi Ae fits into his life, compared to how you originally read his relationship with Jaehee?

What new insights did you gain from the adaptation's expansion of K3 (Kia) Guy from a few background lines into a fully realized character in Kim Nam Gyu?

In the novel, we see everything through Young's rather biting and cynical internal monologue, while in the drama we see other characters through a broader lens. With this different perspective, how does Mi Ae's outing of Go Yeong and the fallout change compared to the novel?

In order to make the show more cohesive and manage screen time, Sang Young Park has moved some elements of the story around, and in this first part he withheld the health scare for Go Yeong and also brought his friends, the T-aras, forward. How do these changes and the inclusion of the wider cast in Part 1 shift your perception of Go Yeong's college years?

As a reminder, you are welcome to use any or all of these as a jumping off point for your own posts, ignore them and post your own thing, or just participate by sharing and commenting on other people's posts. Please create new posts with the questions if you want to use them rather than adding on responses to this post--it will be easier to capture everyone's content if it's all in separate posts in the tag. I will be tracking everything posted in the [#litbc book club] tag and posting the weekly round up--look for that to go up next Monday ahead of the next set of discussion questions. Feel free to also directly tag me to make sure I don't miss your posts! I have tagged the regular book club participants below the cut, but anyone is welcome to join the discussion!

@becomingabeing @belladonna-and-the-sweetpeas @blalltheway @elimstillnotgarak

@colourme-feral @doyou000me @dramacraycray @dylogpenchester @fiction-is-queer

@hyeoni-comb @littleragondin @literally-a-five-headed-dragon @loveable-sea-lemon @my-rose-tinted-glasses

@neuroticbookworm @poetry-protest-pornography @profiterole-reads @serfergs @starryalpacasstuff

@stuffnonsenseandotherthings @thewayofsubtext @troubled-mind @twig-tea @wen-kexing-apologist

[himejoshi-homosexual]

@goldiesleepy

brb thinking about (and lowkey sobbing over) how hawks was THE ideal candidate for the hpsc to pick up and train

like they lucked the hell out by getting the perfect combo of quirk, age, and trauma that worked out perfectly for them

like his quirk: its versatile, and with training, (training they that could provide), it would be very powerful, its fits every category they want to check off

and since he was meant to be nagant's replacement, the whole feathers sharpening to knives (which honestly i doubt he was aware of that part of his quirk at like five years old, so that aspect probably got figured out later and made him ever more perfect for their program??? i know the pres brought out the good alcohol to toast herself that night)

the whole being able to listen, perfect for spy work

but also on the daylight/well known hero aspect of it??

he's got a noticeable, flashy, brandable quirk

he can solve a lot of cases quickly and efficiently

like its not just good for hero work as a whole, but also the "additional" work they trained him into

age: the obvious benefit, hes young and impressionable

hes between five-seven, where hes had his quirk long enough to be familiar with what it could do, but its still new enough that the idea of being able to use it everyday, to be a hero, is still the ideal career, like a kid who says they're gonna be a vet because they want to hang out with cute animals all day (and they haven't realized it means seeing the animals you love in pain)

plus he hasnt had his quirk for too long, so any bad or "not efficient" habits can be broken up easier than if he'd had them for five years

hes the perfect age where his quirk is fresh and malleable and able to be molded into whatever they need but not too young where he physically cannot control it

and now (the longest part, sorry yall, a lot of this is me speculating and rambling)

the trauma

look man this guys childhood primed him to fit exactly into what the hpsc wanted, because everything he lacked from his parents the hspc could provide, and he also internalized a ton of shit that affected his perception of himself that lined up perfectly with the hero that the hpsc wanted to mold him into

cause like look

takami keigo, a little kid, completely isolated from the world, with his only social interaction between him and his parents

and his parents either a) neglect him (mom) or b) physically and verbally abuse him (dad)

his only social interactions at a pretty important period for social development and developing a sense of self tells him that he's either: not worth attention or that his existence is a burden to people around him and he's not useful enough to outweigh that burden (that last one comes more into play later)

my overall summary of five year old keigo's view of himself is along the lines of: just existing causes pain to people around me (his dad yelling about how keigo being so recognizable is why he's stuck here) and at best i can hope for no effect on others (when they ignore him)

he literally can't comprehend making the people around him happy because it's never happened before

WHICH IS WHY "the hero show" on tv APPEALS SO MUCH TO HIM beyond like being entertaining and being an escape from his life and the general costumes and action being appealing to children

because heroics is a job where at it's most ideal, positive form, revolves entirely around helping people and saving them

so heroes have a positive affect on the world and people around them, and keigo wants that, he wants to have a positive effect on the people around him

but at the same time he knows the hero show doesn't actually exist so the idea of him being able to have a positive effect on the world isn't possible either, but hey, it's nice to dream

but then endeavor is actually real

and like beyond his dad who treated him badly getting arrested, and endeavor actually existing and being there in person, omg his favorite show is real (which anyone would get excited about)

it's also proof that being a hero is real

and by extension, it's possible for keigo to become a hero

which means that it's actually possible for keigo to have a positive impact on the world and people around him

which is why finding out that heroes exist has such an impact on him

and now, going back to the whole "he's not useful enough to outweigh the burden of dealing with him" mindset

his dad, the sole provider for the family, is gone

his mom cant provide for them or even just herself

and she's relying on him, the literal five-to-seven year old to make sure they don't die

and keigo knows that his existence is already a burden on his parents, but also now that he knows a positive effect is actually possible, that also means there's like hope that if he does provide for him and his mom well enough, then he would have a positive effect on her

so he's trying his best, he's trying his bets to emulate the heroes he looks up to, but it's still not enough for her

and then the line "why do you even have those wings?"

which further emphasizes the idea that that his quirk is the only relevant part of him

because it was his quirk that made him recognizable and connected him to his father

and now he's relying on using said quirk to get enough food and supplies so he and his mom don't die

leading to the idea that his quirk is the only useful/positive thing about him, if he uses it right

and it's only with his quirk that he'll ever be able to have a positive effect on things

but still, how he is right now, even though he's trying, he's still not good with his quirk to outweigh his inherent 'badness" and have a positive effect

and then crash happens

and the hpsc notice,,,this kid

this traumatized kid that's been neglected (emotionally and physically) his whole life, who has a desire to be useful/have some sort of positive effect on the world (like his hero, endeavor), and only views his worth in the context of his quirk, with a single mother who can't provide for him or herself

keigo (and subsequently hawks being a hero later) was the hpsc president's winning lottery number

there's no reason for him or his mom to say no to the deal

the hpsc can provide everything he lacks (physically and emotionally- although i doubt any emotional stuff went beyond the minimum making sure he's a passably adjusted and socialized member of society), which then makes him financially and emotionally attached to them

AND the idea that he doesn't have worth without his quirk? its fucking perfect, as both a motivator to train his quirk, not object to tough or unethical training, the better he gets at using his quirk the more useful his is, and it's also another way that he's attached to them and less likely to ever go rogue

because he doesn't value himself, he doesn't view himself as a person with intrinsic worth because his worth is based around his quirk and it's usefulness, so when he's treated badly, he won't care because why would he care about himself beyond how this would affect his quirk and performance

and granted that approach only worked for so long with nagant, but the thing that prevents him from becoming another nagant is:

keigo's need to have a positive effect on people

and combined with his age, that thought can very easily get molded into a "for the greater good" mindset

because sure, he might have to do something unpleasant, but if he can justify it, if he knows that the end result has a net positive effect (or at least what he's been taught is a net positive effect), then why wouldn't he do the unsavory thing? why shouldn't he corrupt himself for the greater good?

it'll help, it'll save more lives, it'll have a positive effect

his morals and feelings towards his actions don't matter, because hawks on his own does not matter

what matters is the effect he has on the world around him, and how he can use himself and his quirk to get the best effect