#my rosebud boy quote

[twinkle-twinkle-up-above]

Carry On Countdown 2024 Day 3: AU/Alternate Universe

"You go around making people's lives incrementally more beautiful until they're hooked?"

Baz from My Rosebud Boy.

@carryon-countdown

[razorblade180]

I don't remember if you did or not, but do you have a post where there's like a family tree or something for all your RWBY things?

I want to be able to follow along, but it's a bit confusing.

If you do, could you give the link, please?

Funny enough, I don’t. If anyone has a good website for those family tree diagrams I’d love to know.

Until then, I’ll just make a simple list right now because asking about my ocs will always give be boundless energy. I’ll try being brief. If I write a name that has the last name of the main ship in the au, I trust I don’t have to explain who the parents are.

Lasting Embers AU (Dragonslayer)

Jacquelyn Frost

Parents aren’t important aside from being deceased and her mom being the former Winter Maiden (Vol7 didn’t exist yet)

Jael Frost

Biological daughter of Jacquelyn and Adam. The younger sister of Sienna Frost

Sienna Fost

Adopted daughter of Jacquelyn and Adam. Older sister to Jael

Biological parents and older brother are deceased. Happened when she was very young.

Sienna is not her real name. She doesn’t remember. (It’s Jasmine)

Yujin Xiao Long

Only daughter

Lie Tenzen

Ren and Nora’s only son.

Canary Branwen

Daughter of Qrow and Winter.

Qrow passed away when she was like nine. (Don’t quote that age I don’t have my notes with me. She was a kid)

Not a fan of Ruby (Her Cousin)

A fan of Yujin (Also her Cousin)

Twin Snowflakes AU (White Knight)

Nick and Summer Schnee

Fraternal Twins. Brother and Sister

Sparrow Branwen

Winter and Qrows adopted son

Eliza Marigold

Only daughter of Henry Marigold

Mom took hush money and left after birth.

Henry was not the one who gave her hush money.

Valerie Valkyrie

Nora and Ren’s only daughter

Veronica Belladonna

Blake and Yang’s only daughter.

Blake was the one with the bun in the oven.

Miscellaneous (not a OC name)

This Au has a child for Robyn, Cardin, and a couple others. They don’t really matter too that much but they exist. Most notable is Max (Cardin’s kid) and a little girl named Ruth

Premonition AU (Knightshade)

Lucas Belladonna

Peach Rose

Daughter of Ruby and Weiss

Not related to Lucas in any way but they’re close.

Serendipity Karuma

Also goes by Serenity

Parents are alive but not around

Older sibling but doesn’t see the younger one

Rosebud AU (Lancaster)

Dustin Arc Rose

The oldest of three siblings

Raised by Cinder and Neo

Not a fan of his biological parents or siblings

Has silver eyes

(I probably should’ve called him Dustin Fall but oh well. I’m not changing the tags)

Carmine Arc Rose

Middle child technically, but she doesn’t acknowledge Dustin as an older brother.

Has silver eyes but wears red contacts

Only the grownups in her family’s circle know her real eye color

Cousin of Kovu

Garnet Arc Rose

Youngest of the three siblings

He’s just a lil fella

Kovu Belladonna

Son of Blake and Yang

Older cousin to Carmine

Yang had the bun in the oven

Aero Amitola

Son of Ilia and Sun. (I refuse to explain myself here)

Bird Boy

Mona Paulo Furem

All you really gotta know about her parents are that they’re horrible and her mother is reason Mona is the way she is

Has a younger sister. Barely talked about.

Does not live at home or keep in contact

Miscellaneous

Ren and Nora run an orphanage

Oscar is Ozcar and has been for decades.

Side note, there’s a a child named Levi Belladonna that’s Ruby and Blake’s kid. He has no au. I just thought he was neat. Maybe one day.

[sailorblossoms-snowbaz]

yet another post on simon and labels

For the record, I feel the need to clarify that when I talk about Simon and labels, it’s not because I want him to label himself. He could be a fifty-year-old that’s like “what am I? hell if I know” and that would be fine and gucci (it’s how I personally approach my identity; it’s okay to not have all the answers! it’s okay to have no answers at all!). I think it’s important that both the authorial intent and the main takeaway for the readers is to see how hard it can be to figure yourself out, to still fall in love despite not having the answers. If I never interacted with or even seen this fandom at all, I would’ve walked away with “canonically unlabeled main character” and left it there. 

At the same time, and perhaps in the interest of analysis (to a certain extent, perhaps with the same kind of curiosity one wonders whether Simon will ever know his mom visited) I’ve seen people wonder. Leaving something open usually invites speculation... Because this is a fictional (emphasis on fictional; I’ve been unfortunately cursed with the knowledge that people get on twitter dot com to do this to real people, which is beyond fucked up) character, I don’t think it’s wrong to wonder for character analysis purposes, (or for fanfic purposes, if one wants to understand something because they have a specific story to tell). Or perhaps in attempts to figure oneself through fiction.

When I log on to say “he makes so much more sense as in the ace spectrum” I’m not just analyzing, I’m also working through assumptions about intimacy and the ways in which the books challenge how attraction is perceived and I find that meaningful. There’s a reason why so many people who identify somewhere in the acespec feel drawn to these books. When I say “the kid is likely gay but struggles with not wanting to be perceived as gay/fears experiencing homophobia” I don’t mean to undermine him not wanting to be labeled (which, by the way, is also fitting for someone who has been defined by labels for so long: to just simply go unlabeled as he finds out who he is and what he wants, unburdened by expectations at last) I’m partly responding to the seemingly popular idea (which remains as an impulse, despite him being canonically unlabeled) to paint him as bisexual (which, at worst, results in people writing off the series as bi-erasure, or judging it for things it never attempted to do, so forgive me if I come here to yell about people being loud and wrong in my little blog). I also discuss him likely being gay because I do think the ways in which the books capture how heteronormativity and comphet can fuck us up (for the record, I know bi folks can also experience both!) it’s worth discussing. Our fear of not belonging, or not wanting to be gay because we’re afraid of not being accepted or being in danger because of it (Simon literally has the instincts to look over his shoulder to see if they’re being watched when he first kisses Baz!) being captured in a story where ultimately, the gays are alright and happy and together... for me? it’s worth discussing. (I’m also a serial over-thinker. Shit along the lines of “but tumblr user sailorblossoms, how can you say he is or isn’t interested in [whatever] when Simon thinks [insert quote]?” has sparked many posts haha)

I probably wouldn’t have been on here saying “Simon is likely gay” and “I’m confident this guy isn’t a woman-liker” without My Rosebud Boy, and AU written by the author, attempting to capture the essence of her characters in a different scenario, that has Simon in his early thirties saying “I’m gay. I used to have a problem with being perceived as/being gay, but not anymore.” Because this for me validated the perception I had with certain things that I was seeing in the books. If you asked me to speculate (because I ain’t a mind-reader) based on interviews and things I have seen the author say on social media, I would say that when CO came out, the author did genuinely not what Simon was, because the intent has been that it’s okay not to know from day one. Sexuality can be complicated, and the main intention was to not define him. But by the time MRB comes out, well... Simon says it. But also: this isn’t at odds with the intent in the trilogy. Simon is barely not a teenager there. He’s a thirty something adult in MRB. Different circumstances, different life stages, etc etc (I have lots of thoughts on that AU but I don’t want to lose the thread). The other thing the author has said from day one (before the sequels were even a thought) which remained consistent, is that good ol’ Simon is a “Baz-sexual.” That, for me, is among the big takeaways: Simon has not experienced true attraction before Baz. I’m not here saying this guy is interested in guys in general either – as soon as Baz is in the picture, it’s game over (who notices a match when you’re in the middle of a forest fire?). There are many people (and fictional characters) who experience attraction to a lot of people, all the time, even when they’re in love with one person. But Simon ain't one of them. He doesn’t say he’s “a Baz-romantic.” He says “a Baz-sexual” with his whole chest. 

[miale1note]

Dead Poets Society

1."Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a flying, and this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying." "Nhặt các nụ hồng khi ngươi còn có thể. Thời xa xưa là một mũi tên bay. Và bông hoa này mỉm cười hôm nay ngày mai sẽ lại héo tàn." 2. "Bởi vì chúng ta là thức ăn cho giun các chàng trai. Bởi vì có tin hay không mỗi người chúng ta trong căn phòng này một ngày kia sẽ ngừng thở, trở nên lạnh lẽo và chết đi." 3. "Họ không quá khác biệt với các em phải không? Cùng kiểu tóc, đầy đủ hormone giống như các em. Cũng cảm thấy bất bại giống như các em. Họ thống trị thế giới này. Họ tin rằng họ được an bài những điều tuyệt vời giống như nhiều em. Ánh mắt của họ tràn đầy hy vọng giống như các em. Họ có chờ đợi cho đến khi nó đã quá muộn để làm cho cuộc sống của họ dù chỉ một mảy may những thứ trong khả năng mình? Vì các em thấy những chàng trai này đang bón phân cho hoa thủy tiên vàng. Nhưng nếu các em lắng nghe thật gần, các em có thể nghe thấy họ thì thầm di sản của họ để lại." 4."Bây giờ lớp học của tôi, các em sẽ học lại cách suy nghĩ cho chính mình. Các em sẽ được học để thưởng thức từ ngữ và ngôn ngữ. Không cần biết ai nói với các em, từ ngữ và ý tưởng có thể thay đổi thế giới." 5. "Chúng ta không đọc và viết thơ vì nó dễ thương. Chúng ta đọc và viết thơ vì chúng ta là thành viên của nhân loại. Và nhân loại được phủ đầy bằng niềm đam mê. Y, pháp luật, kỹ thuật, kinh doanh đây là những việc theo đuổi cao quý và cần thiết để duy trì sự sống. Nhưng thơ, vẻ đẹp, lãng mạn, tình yêu là những gì chúng ta sống vì. Trích dẫn từ Whitman: "ôi tôi ơi ôi cuộc sống những câu hỏi những sự tuần hoàn, những chuyến xe lửa bất tận thiếu niềm tin. Những thành phố đầy kẻ ngu ngốc. Có gì tốt trong những điều này ôi tôi ơi ôi cuộc sống? Trả lời: Vì bạn đang ở đây. Cuộc sống đó tồn tại và duy nhất. Đó là vở kịch đầy sức mạnh đang diễn ra và bạn có thể đóng góp vào một câu." We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman: "O me, o life of the questions of these recurring, of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, o me, o life? Answer: that you are here. That life exists, and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse." 6. "Tôi đứng trên bàn của mình để nhắc nhở bản thân mình rằng chúng tôi phải luôn luôn nhìn vào mọi thức theo những cách khác nhau." I stand upon my desk to remind yourself that we must constantly look at things in a different way. 7. Nào, ngày khi các em nghĩ rằng các em biết điều đó, các em phải nhìn vào nó theo một cách khác. Mặc dù nó có vẻ ngớ ngẩn hoặc sai lầm, các em phải thử. Bây giờ khi các em đọc, đừng chỉ xem xét những gì tác giả ngh. Hãy xem xét những gì các em nghĩ. Các chàng trai, các em phải phấn đấu để có tiếng nói của riêng mình. Vì các em càng chờ đợi lâu hơn để bắt đầu, càng ít khả năng là các em sẽ tìm thấy nó. Thoreau đã nói: "Hầu hết mọi người sống với nỗi tuyệt vọng câm nín." Đừng để điều đó đúng. Hãy đột phá." Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try! Now, when you read, don't just consider what the author thinks. Consider what you think. KEATING Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out!"

[that-disabled-princess]

Hello good Carry On fans of Tumblr! As of right now there are just over five hours left in the poll, so I am considering it CLOSED! Thank you to everyone who voted, and it makes me happy seeing how many people are interested in seeing me crochet another Carry On themed blanket <3

Results as of 1:52pm CST

Chamber by chamber -- 23%

Maybe that just makes me yours -- 19.5%

You were the sun -- 15.9%

Never let them tell you you're not magic -- 11.5%

Rosebud boy -- 11.5%

Love's light wings -- 6.2%

Blow on the tinder -- 4.4%

Penelope is a fierce magician -- 4.4%

Butterfly wings -- 3.5%

For personal reasons, I will not be going with the chamber by chamber quote. Feel free to DM me if you must know the reason.

That being said, I will be crocheting my next blanket based on my favorite quote in Any Way the Wind Blows: "Maybe that makes me gay. Or maybe that just makes me yours."

I'll be sharing most of my progress photos on my crochet sideblog, so you can follow @that-queer-crocheter if you'd like to see lots of progress photos :)

Side note for anyone who chooses "other": I've already made a Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star blanket here!

[voidstilesplease]

Terms of Endearment 🖤 | Any Way The Wind Blows

[penpanoply]

“I loved you before I met you, and I loved you more the moment I held you.”

—from Carry On, by @rainbowrowell

This has got to be the sweetest mother sentiment, and one of my most favorite lines ever.

It was really interesting to read this book with a mother’s perspective. Lucy’s story was incredibly sweet and heartbreaking, and we won’t even dig into how the Mage makes me feel. (I’ll just say, Davey activates all my mama bear instincts and I would punch him if I ever met him.)

I loved how many adult/parental figures—traditional and otherwise—were woven into this technically YA book, and I feel like I saw pieces of myself in most of them. I’m inordinately glad that our two motherless boys had so many other motherers in their lives—Ebb and Fiona and Penny and Daphne, just to name a few.

And I’m so grateful for all the amazing mothers and motherers in my life—and for the chance to be a mama and motherer to others.

Happy Mother's Day!

xx

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

the girl with kaleidoscope eyes

(Cover art of Lucy generated by DALL-E, which is super fun, and which everyone should play with!)  

instructions:

list & explain the three lines/moments from canon that are most fundamental to how you write your fave character

challenge 3 more fic writers to do the same!

@mostlymaudlin​ invented this challenge and @captain-aralias​ tagged me, uh...... forever ago in internet time (thanks for the tag!!). I’ll tag @thewesterndoor​​, @cutestkilla​​, and @fatalfangirl​​ but zero pressure. :) 

I’ve been mulling over it, and decided I’m also going to cheat and talk about three quotes related to Lucy Salisbury. 

I am currently obsessed with Lucy because I am writing a Lucy fic series called Rosethorn girl. (Cheeky summary: Lucy lives, fuck the Mage.) (Real summary: Lucy Salisbury raises her rosebud boy, falls in love with a dragon, and starts a revolution.) 

~

1.) “That’s not what I’m going to do with my magic.” 

He stopped spitting for a second to squint at me. “What are you going to do, Lucy?”

“See the world.”

“The World of Mages?”

“No, the world.”

- Carry On, p. 69

I love this moment. It comes during a conversation where Davy (fuck the Mage) (sorry, it’s kind of an automatic reaction for me at this point) is mansplaining history and privilege and power and Idk, fucking Marxism, and Lucy is presented as kind of naive, not quite seeing anything wrong with the world as it is right now.  

But then she stops him with this. You think Davy is the one bringing in all this outside context to thinking about the problems with Watford, and then in this one moment, you realize - ah, his world is still very small. Even if he thinks his sphere of responsibility is bigger, he’s still only thinking about the World of Mages. Lucy’s thinking about the bigger, wider, deeper world that she wants to see. This is part of why I’m writing Rosethorn girl, so that she gets to do that. She gets to see more of the world. 

~

2.) “What does Davy expect you to do? What does he expect from any of us?”

I leaned towards her and whispered my answer -- “Revolution.” 

- Carry On, p. 111

This is part of a conversation between Mitali and Lucy. I’m realizing now, as I write this out, that (1) it’s not even just the specific quotes that have influenced me, but the conversations they’re a part of (2)  I think about Lucy a lot in the context of her relationships. 

This is at a point where Lucy is quoting a lot of greatest hits from Davy’s stump speech and Mitali is having none of it. And I'm so fascinated by Mitali’s rejection of the points that Lucy is raising - I think (partly) not because of the points themselves, but because they come from Davy (”he’s such a spiteful git”). It’s easy to see Lucy as just parroting Davy, but I think she honestly sees the value in Davy’s ideas and his challenges to the status quo. And Mitali’s response is sort of a throwing up of hands, of “Well, what can you do about it??” 

And Lucy’s answer: revolution. As if if it’s every individual’s responsibility to be part of the revolution, part of that change. But what does that revolution look like? Who knows!! 

I like that Lucy and Mitali’s friendship is loving and complicated and full of texture. I’m excited to get to explore that more in Rosethorn girl. 

Also: It’s almost impossible for me to not to be aware that Mitali is a woman of colour and Lucy is white, and they are having this conversation in the mid-nineties, in the midst of third wave feminism. I don’t even really know what to do with that - just something to wrestle with and be curious about. 

~

3.) I never wanted to leave Davy. 

So much of this is his fault — I want you to be angry with him. But I never asked to leave. I never asked him to let me go.

I thought . . . I thought that whatever was coming would be better if I was there with him. I thought it helped him to be tied to me. Like a kite with a string. I thought that as long as I was there, he’d never get carried away completely. 

- Carry On, p. 404

(And then Davy does the chicken murders) 

WHOOO BOYYYYY. So much here. There is so much packed in here. I’m so intrigued that Lucy says here that she wants Simon to be angry with Davy. She’s testifying, she’s truth-telling, she wants Simon to know what Davy has done. 

But I never get that sense, in all the Lucy chapters in Carry On, that Lucy harbours anger towards Davy (as much as I, a reader and a writer, WANT her to be angry with him, LOL). I could’ve gone with another Lucy quote here: I can’t help but feel proud of Davy now — you’ll think that’s funny coming from me, but I can’t help but feel proud of him.

But I am haunted by I never asked to leave. I never asked him to let me go. I think emotional abuse is staggeringly complex and I am trying my best not to over-simplify things with this story. But the phrasing here -- that it's something she feels she had to ask, as if she needed permission to leave this relationship. There’s something there, this sense of, I don’t know. Shame? Self-blame? To say, “Look. I stayed in this terrible relationship. I didn’t leave it. I'm responsible.” Which is........ a lot. A lot to unpack. It’s why I have to write a story about it instead of just meta. 

And the kite with the string imagery -- I like the idea that Lucy has a bit of a saviour complex, the same way that Simon does. That she feels responsible for saving Davy, keeping him grounded, keeping him here, that he’ll be worse off if she leaves. Again, I don’t want to over-simplify things by just slapping the label of “co-dependent” on a relationship. But I do think there are elements of co-dependency there. 

~

ANYWAY, that’s my overly-long analysis of just three Lucy quotes. There were some other strong contenders, but I’ll let this list stand as it is. Pray for me as I work through plotting and outlining the beast of Rosethorn girl. It started off as a prequel to a SnowBaz fic I drafted over the summer (Dragon!Simon and Human!Baz are Childhood Friends at Watford AU), and grew horns and tentacles and wings and fangs, as stories do. 

~

BONUS! 

Here’s a bonus quote from Mona Eltahawy, the magnificent Egyptian-American feminist, journalist, & activist behind FEMINIST GIANT (which everyone should subscribe to!). 

Glory and power to girls–their rage, and their daring and their audacity, their immodesty and rebelliousness, their disobedience, and most of all: their knowledge that they deserve to be free.  

[bookwyrminspiration]

Help

I need to come up with a moot tag

One of mine moved to a new blog and she goes by rose now

I don't know if you still need one and I've never before in my life made or used one but my first thought was to make it connected to some quote or reference

in which case "a rose by any other name" but that might be too long (idk your standards for moot tags) and also too cliché

the second thing I thought of was "my rosebud boy" as a reference to the simon snow trilogy, which is shorter but I don't know if that would fit your mutual.

I looked up some other quotes and another could be "love planted a rose" though you could alter that to be "love planted my Rose" because I think you have a trend of using my in your moot tags? I may be misremembering

you could also go for alliteration like "my reveling Rose" or "my rose reward," but of course customize that to fit your mutual. I just picked random r words because I don't know this person as an example.

those were my first thoughts at least! if you still needed them, that is. I have no experience in this field so. Feel free to ignore everything I said!

[littlemisssquiggles]

Pinehead Headcanons: Oscar's Dreamscape: The Garden of Two Lovers

@miki-13 asked "Okay I know we didn't get a lot of Oscar backstory, but I really do think that after the V8 finale, there's a new avenue to explore with Oscar. Why? Because as far as he knows, his friends, partner and love interest are dead. The people he's grown to care for over the course of V5-8 are suddenly gone. There's no way that's not gonna hurt him, even if Ozpin assures him that they're not dead. Because either way, he's been forcibly separated from them.

Heck, this could actually open up an avenue for him to talk about his own family life and why he lives with his aunt. Not to mention one of his allusions is to The Little Prince and he just arrived in a desert after leaving his Rose behind, and the whole story deals with death in general.

Actually, maybe that's how Oscar gets his semblance/ branches out with his magic! He wants to find the people he loves so badly and refuses to give up on them, that he finds a way to get the void/ communicate with them and possibly find a way to lay the groundwork for bringing them back!

Squiggles Answers:

Hey there Miki-chan. Pardon the late reply but I wanted to reserve my response to this as a new Pinehead headcanon post considering that, ironically, you and I share the same thoughts and theories about Oscar reaching out.

The idea I had is that Oscar would be able to connect to Ruby in the Other World in his dreams. Once again, I return to my old Oscar’s Dreamscape Pinehead headcanon from donkey years ago. Essentially, through his unyielding love for his rose and his deep desires to reunite with her again in some shape or form, Oscar unintentionally creates the Dreamscape.

And what the Dreamscape is is that it is this magical place that transcends reality and only exists through the shared bond between Oscar and Ruby. Picture a shallow stagnant sea that mirrors an endless sunset sky. A perfect blend of the warm embrace of the sun and the tranquil beauty of the moon that paves the path towards a small garden that sits in the middle of this mysterious magical place.

And it is in this garden where Oscar meets Ruby in his dreams and vice versa.

Remember how it was said that the Little Prince fairy-tale ended ambiguously with the reader never knowing the truth of the prince’s fate after he was poisoned by the snake and “went to sleep”.

Some iteration believed the prince to have died and gone back to his home planet in spirit to be with his rose while another interpretation described the Prince returning home only to discover that his rose had died in his absence without him present to take care of her.

Either way, the allusion is that the prince does indeed reunite with his rose but in a manner that is still tragic when you look at it. Going off of that, this is why I love the concept of Oscar connecting to Ruby in sleep with the two meeting and communicating with each other in their dreams through unknown power originated from Oscar. Only it’s NOT exactly a semblance. Nor is it exactly magic either.

One of my favourite quotes from the Lost Fable episode back in V6 is when Jinn described a power much greater than magic that caused Salem and Ozma to recognize one another in their new lives.

“…Call it magic or call it something stronger, but in that moment, the two knew exactly who stood before them…”

In the Lost Fable, Jinn made it seem as if loveis an element more powerful than even the likes of magic; as cheesy as that might sound. So if love is able to transcend life and death to cause two kindred souls to recognize each other in another life in another time time, what’s stopping it from transcending worlds to bring together another pair of kindred souls?

So as corny as this is going to sound, the hopeless romantic in me cannot help but swoon over the thought of love being what creates the Dreamscape and/or brings Ruby and Oscar together in such a place that only they can traverse.

It is a power that was born from Ruby and Oscar’s shared love for one another and desire to reunite with each other and thus it’s a power that only they share together. The Rosegarden in the Dreamscape is theirs.

In the beginning, on the first night the two reunite in their dreams, the Dreamscape was believed to be solely of Oscar’s doing but in reality, it was a special new world that belonged to both the little prince and his true rose alone.

Okay, hear me out with this one. The reason why I’m thinking the Dreamscape was believed to be Oscar’s power alone in the beginning was because when it all started, the Dreamscape mainly reacted to Oscar. On his end, let’s say…Oscar wished so desperately to see Ruby again that unbeknownst to him; the Dreamscape was forged just so Oscar could accomplish his heart’s wish---to see his rose.

Thus, Oscar is able to see Ruby in their dreams and she in turn is able to see and talk to him between worlds but only in sleep. However, that is extent of the Dreamscape through Oscar’s influence. The two can communicate but they can’t physically touch or feel one another.

Because I have this idea of Ruby and Oscar growing closer to each other than they’ve ever been before since they’re able to meet in Dreamscape. However it’s also this painful thing where despite being together in their dreams, they’re still not together when they are constantly reminded that they can’t touch each other.

Like imagine a moment where the two rosebuds are bonding in the Dreamscape, trying to come up with way to reunite together, swapping backstories and secrets about themselves with each other that they’ve never told anyone else only for one of them---mainly Oscar--- to get lost in the euphoria of the moment and attempt to reach out and touch the other person only to be painfully reminded, that they’re not truly there. They’re still separated despite how close the Dreamscape has brought them.

The only time when the Dreamscape is actually able is to make Ruby and Oscar interact physically is when that becomes Ruby’s wish.

Okay, hear me out again.

I have this scenario in my head where Oscar suffers a mental breakdown as a result of being poisoned during an encounter with Tyrian Callows. Remember how Tyrian’s venom caused Qrow to suffer and hallucinate back in V4?

Well picture something similar with Oscar where he falls into a sort of light coma as a result of being poisoned. Let’s say…as a result of the venom, Oscar is transported to the Dreamscape where ALL of his inner demons---the true feeling and fears he’s been suppressing for a long time---suddenly manifest inside this world to torment him and berate him.

And let’s say…on the other end, in the Other World, Ruby becomes worried for Oscar’s well-being when he doesn’t make contact with her in the Dreamscape for some time. And let’s say…due to her connection with Oscar, which became stronger as a result of them bonding in the dream world, Ruby is able to sense when something is wrong with Oscar due to her having a weird feeling in her chest. Almost as if her heart was beckoning her somewhere else. To take her to the person she wanted to see who needed her help. Or something like that.

In a nutshell, Ruby is able to enter the Dreamscape on her own through her connection with Oscar. At first, Ruby mostly relied on Oscar to bring her to the Dreamscape but when Oscar was in trouble, Ruby used their link to take her there as an alternative means.

To make a long theory short, Ruby arrives in the Dreamscape to find the once magical dream world in dark chaos ---basically imagine being on the outside of a tornado.

The Dreamscape had turned into a rampant storm to reflect Oscar’s darkest inner emotions which were spiralling out of control before Ruby’s very eyes.

Remember how in Steven Universe, in the episode that debuted the “Here Comes A Thought” song, remember how Steven’s true feelings about Jasper, Bismuth and his mother started to manifest before him and Connie while they were fused as Stevonnie during training?

Picture a moment like that with Oscar in the Dreamscape where Oscar’s fears take form---at first taking on the appearance of Oscar’s old self dressed in his old farm boy attire belittling Oscar for leaving home to be among people who he didn’t fully believe trusted or even actually cared him---unearthing Oscar’s thoughts and repressed emotions from the events of V6.

Then the Dreamscape manifests Ironwood to belittle Oscar for his repressed emotions from the events of V7. Then it transforms into Salem to taunt and humiliate Oscar over his repressed trauma as a result of being her prisoner during the events of V8 and being tortured.

You get what I’m saying, right? Whatever Oscar has been repressing for so long, the Dreamscape manifests it as a being of spite to through it all back in Oscar’s face when he was most vulnerable. Finally, as Ruby enters the fray, the Dreamscape takes on a new form.

Here’s another concept to toss onto the Fake Rose table. Imagine if…the Fake Rose isn’t another silver eyed warrior or rose-themed person who takes an interest in Oscar.

What if…the Fake Rose is actually a replica of Ruby manifested by the Dreamscape to reveal Oscar’s true feelings and fears in respect to Ruby?

Assuming that you’re an ole-school Potterhead like yours truly Miki-chan, remember the last book/movie?

Remember that one scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows involving the locket? Remember how the locket made an apparition of Harry and Hermione appear before Ron to voice his jealousy and inferiority when compared to Harry especially in the eyes of Hermione who he believed loved Harry over him.

Picture something like that with a Fake Ruby Rose---Mocking Oscar over his “childish” love for his rose, as if he actually stood a chance of being with her given the Merge and any other insecurities that Oscar secretly harboured that he’d supressed for so long.

Picture that. Imagine…something like that happening so that it could ultimately lead into Ruby denouncing ever fear of Oscar’s voiced by her fake copy as this rose---the one true rose did her best to comfort her prince.

It’s a moment where Ruby words unfortunately don’t reach Oscar. Thus, Ruby tries to one way she’s always reached out to him. Through a gentle comforting touch. In that moment, Ruby wishes for Oscar to feelher there beside him.

To feel her arms wrapped around him and the warmth of the hug she dared to give him since she wanted more than anything to be able to comfort him through the storm. And for a second time, through the power of love (mixed in with just a smidge of their share magic inherited from the God of Light possibly), the Dreamscape grants Ruby’s wish and Oscar is able to feel her for the first time since they met in the dream world. To feel her arms around him as she embraced him tightly with all the love and care for him she could channel in that moment.

And just like that, all becomes calm as the storm disappeared; softening to a gentle breeze against a beautifully sunlit sky; revealing two hearts embraced; once seperated but now together at long last in the world of their own created from their shared love.

Basically picture the Dreamscape as this magical world brought to life by the love and heart’s desires of two star-crossed lovers separated by fate and lost to two realities. Thus the Dreamscape mirrors the feelings and grants the desires of these two lovers since they are the rulersof said world as its creators. Thus it is a world that is only attainable by them. A world of their own. A world of dreams to grant the wishes of two lost souls in love.

I’d love to go more in depth into this revised Dreamscapeidea of mine for the Rosegarden pair. However for the time being, this is concept that I have in mind and is all that I have to share for now. What do you think?

~ LittleMissSquiggles (2021)

[ghtlovesthg]

A cabbage by any other name, smells as foul...

I was very amused to see Collins choose to open TBoSaS with a diatribe on cabbage. I love the stuff, but I totally see many folks find it unappealing. It tastes weird. It smells weird when you cook it. And what lowly foodstuff is a better choice to emphasize the divide between the President Snow we know and the Coriolanus Snow at the beginning of TBoSaS? We know champagne on balconies and tea with exquisitely iced cookies. Not cabbage.

It does a great job, in the first paragraph, of telling the reader to leave their expectations and assumptions behind. This is not the Snow we recognize. The poverty and hunger experienced in Panem sound so familiar, but they are wholly unexpected from him. I love the way Collins just changed the whole game on us.

I resolved to continue reading with an open mind about Coriolanus, all while watching for warning signs like a hawk. Now I’ve finished part one. There are definitely warning signs, but there is a lot of unspoiled humanity in Snow, too.

But maybe the cabbage is a little more than a sign of humble beginnings and an equalizer to the reader. I am reminded of a bracelet my grandmother left my mom (see below). When I first looked at it, I saw rosebuds. But my mother said they were actually cabbages, and pointed out that the artist (Georg Jensen) was great because he made them a thing of beauty. Whenever we talk about it, she quotes the movie So Big: “Cabbages is beautiful!”

Online, identical versions of it are described as flower bracelets by multiple vendors. So are they roses or cabbages? I don’t know which of us was right, but that’s my point. Sometimes they look awfully similar:

What is Coriolanus, as the book begins? A cultivated bloom or a straightforward vegetable? With her opening scene, Collins seems to be telling us everything is different than what we might expect, this isn’t a ready-made oligarch, this is a boy who is reduced to subsisting on cabbage. But I still see roses peeking through.

Is my perception too biased by my knowledge of the original trilogy? Surely there’s a blend of unassuming cabbage and ominous rose in Coriolanus already, but how much of each? I would love to know: how do you see in Snow at the beginning of TBoSaS?

Perhaps the two plants aren’t on opposite ends of the spectrum of who Snow is, but are just echoes of each other, and him. Maybe when Coriolanus trades up from the stench of cabbages to that ominous reek of roses, he’s not getting as far away from his humble circumstances as he thinks.

And lastly, with just a little spite, how funny would it have been if these were the roses Grandma’am had placed on his lapel?

[twinkle-twinkle-up-above]

Carry On Countdown 2022 Day 2: AU/Alternate Universe

"Will you tattoo your name over my heart?" Simon whispered. "No," Baz whispered back. "What if I come back to you in six months, and I still want it?"

@carryon-countdown

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

Dead Poets Society: The Story

Dead Poets Society opens in a pretty traditional way: with the first day of school.

It’s the beginning of a fresh school year for transfer student Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), new, shy kid on the block at Welton Academy, a prestigious prep-school for boys, located in Vermont.  At the opening ceremony, older recruits march through a church, down the aisles full of other students, carrying banners that display the words: Tradition, Discipline, Honor, and Excellence.  New students light candles, and, most importantly, headmaster Nolan takes to the podium to welcome the new students, and shy, quiet Todd Anderson sits in the pew, looking nervous as Headmaster Nolan begins his speech, discussing the four Pillars of the school, the prestigious nature of the establishment, and introducing the new English teacher: John Keating (Robin Williams).

The panel of teachers, sitting behind Nolan, is notably older and grayer than Keating, who, while not a terribly young man, is considerably more lively and animated than his new colleagues.  This will be important later, but not right now. (Spoilers below!)

After the ceremony, the courtyard in front of the school is full of parents saying goodbye to their sons.  It is here that we learn something interesting about Todd: he has, as Nolan puts it, “big shoes to fill” .  As it turns out, Todd’s older brother was a student here, and a pretty good one.  Even more nervous, Todd files out of the courtyard with the rest of the students, where we meet Todd’s to-be roomate: Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard).

Neil Perry seems to be Todd’s complete opposite in personality.  He’s confident, and out-going, and is expected by Nolan to be doing ‘great things’ this year.  He takes Todd up to their dorm room, and there, Todd meets Neil’s friends: Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles), Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman), Stephen Meeks (Allelon Ruggiero), Gerard Pitts (James Waterson), and Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen).  The boys get comfortable in Neil and Todd’s room, teasing Neil for being made to take chemistry courses over the summer.  The laid-back nature of the introductions is cut short, however, by a knock at the door.

It’s Neil Perry’s father (Kurtwood Smith).

Mr. Perry tells Neil that he has spoken to Mr. Nolan, and has cut all of Neil’s extra-curricular activities for the year, including the school yearbook, as he doesn’t want Neil distracted from the end-goal of medical school.  Neil tries to argue, but is quickly shot down.

After Mr. Perry leaves, the other boys encourage Neil to stand up to his father, but he refuses, resigned to doing what he’s told.  The other boys leave, inviting Todd to join them for a Latin study group the next day.

The next day, on the first true day of classes, the boys pass through lesson after lesson, taught by wizened, distinguished men who bore their students to tears.

And then comes English class.

Mr. Keating enters the room, passes his entire classroom, and heads for the opposite door, telling his class to follow him.  Confused, the class obeys.

Keating takes them out to the hallway, encouraging them to look at the case full of pictures of Welham alumnus, and tells them that those who first attended Welton, explaining that these people who were once young, are now old, or even dead.

“Carpe diem, seize the day. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.”

He also recites to them some poetry:

“O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It’s from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you’re slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain.”

After class, Cameron remarks that Keating seems rather odd, but the rest of the boys seem to like him, or at least, find him interesting.  While the boys hit the showers, Knox reveals that he has to attend a dinner at the Danburys’ (whoever they are, more on that later) explaining that he can’t meet to study with them tonight.  The boys pick on him a little and then invite Todd, who doesn’t seem to be on board for the plan.

That night, the boys meet to study, and Knox comes in late, elated.  See, he’s met the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen: Chris.  The bad news is that she’s engaged to a guy named Chet, but that doesn’t seem to deter Knox that much.  He remains completely smitten.

The next day, Keating’s class remains as unconventional as the day before.  This is no course where the first class is fun and then it’s down to business the next day: Keating seems to mean business about seizing the day.

He opens class by requesting that Cameron reads the first page of the introduction of their poetry book, an introduction about how to rate a poem’s ‘greatness score’.  As he reads, Keating writes on the board, allowing him to reach the end of the page before telling Cameron, and the rest of the class, to rip out the introduction.

At first, the class hesitates, but after a moment, many of the students gleefully obey.  As they tear out the pages, another teacher, Mr. McAllister stops to investigate.  Keating explains that he is teaching the boys to think for themselves, to enjoy the use of language and the power of words.  

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”

The boys contemplate this as Keating adds:

“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, “O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?” Answer. That you are here – that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

At dinner, McAllister sits next to Keating and chastises him warningly about his choice to educate the boys to think for themselves, encouraging them to be creative.

“Show me the heart unfettered by foolish dreams and I’ll show you a happy man,” McAllister quotes.

Keating smiles and replies with a verse of his own: “But only in their dreams can men be truly free. ‘Twas always thus, and always thus will be.”

At their own table, the boys unearth an old yearbook, searching for Mr. Keating’s page.  They learn that he was involved in a group called the ‘Dead Poets Society’.  

Curiosity piqued, the boys ask Keating about the Dead Poets Society after dinner.  Keating explains that it was a secret society, inspired by the words of Henry David Thoreau to ‘suck the marrow out of life’.  This group would gather in a nearby cave and read poetry aloud, and write some of their own.

Neil suggests to the rest of the boys in private that they should revive the Dead Poets Society and meet that night.  In his room, he finds a book called Five Centuries of Verse, with an inscription from Keating: the opening to every Dead Poets Society meeting.

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.  To put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.”

That night, the boys all sneak out of the school and meet in the caves.  Neil begins the meeting, reading the opening, and then the group takes turns reading poems and talking, getting progressively more spirited.  After a while, they conclude, heading back to the school and singing.  

The next day, in English class, Mr. Keating shows the boys how to read Shakespeare: not dull and stuffy, but full of life, (doing impressions of Marlon Brando and John Wayne to illustrate) and then does something even stranger.

Keating climbs onto his desk and asks the class why he does this.  Charlie suggests that it is to feel taller.

“No!  Thank you for playing, Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.”

With that, Keating encourages his class, one at a time, to stand on his desk, looking at the room from a different perspective.  As class comes to a close, Keating announces that the boys are to write, and then read aloud, their own poems, privately telling Todd that he is quite aware how much this assignment must scare him.

In his room, Todd attempts to write a poem as Neil bursts in, full of excitement.  He has discovered a flier for a community play of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and intends to try out, realizing that he wants to be an actor.  He says:

“For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do! And for the first time, I’m gonna do it! Whether my father wants me to or not! Carpe diem!”

The next class, Keating takes the boys out to the field, handing them each a line of poetry.  He begins an exercise where each boy must read aloud the line before running up and kicking a ball, one after another, while he plays classical music.  Directly after, Neil blazes through the dorm, shouting that he’s secured the part in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, his enthusiasm undaunted by the fact that his father will never write the approval letter necessary.  He forges the necessary letter from his father for the theater and the school principal as Todd looks on.  

It is the next English class, and it is time to read the poems from the class.  Knox, who has ridden his bike to Chris’s school to watch her at least once, reads aloud a poem dedicated to her.  Other students read, and finally, it comes time for Todd’s turn.

Todd, as it turns out, hasn’t written a poem.

Undaunted, Keating brings Todd to the front of the class, covering his eyes and encouraging him, helping him create a poem on the spot.  Todd’s spontaneous poem brings the class to applause, and Mr. Keating moves the class outside for some more ‘poetry in motion’.

At this point in the story, we’ve got a lot of information about quite a few characters.

Protagonists Todd and Neil, originally apparently the opposites of one another, are similar in pressures from home: Todd to be like his older brother, and Neil to follow the carefully laid plan that his father has set out for him.  Neil is already moving outside of that plan, pursuing acting, and Todd, with some encouragement, manages to come up with an intense poem in front of an entire class, despite his shyness.

Even the other boys in the group have unique characterization: Charlie, the anything-for-a-joke class clown, Knox, the hopeless romantic, and Cameron, the reluctant tag-along.  (Meeks and Pitts are there too, but they have far less screen time and personality than the rest of the DPS.)  We as an audience are watching their growth and personal arcs after the catalyst that is John Keating.

Oddly enough, Keating is the main character that we spend the least amount of time with, and know the least about.  We don’t know a lot about his home life, or what his background is, or what his thoughts are.  All we see is his direct influence on the boys at the school, and his unintentional inspiration to restart the Dead Poets Society.

Speaking of which:

At the next Dead Poets Society meeting, Knox seems uneasy, announcing that he’s going to kill himself if he can’t be with Chris, and leaves the meeting to call her.  The boys follow, cheering him on, as he makes the call, hanging up at first, before working up his nerve (Carpe Diem) to call her again.  Chris invites Knox to a party, saying she was thinking about calling him, and elated, Knox accepts the invitation.

The next night is the night of the party.  Knox heads off to the Danbury house, where he’s swallowed up by a rowdy crowd of teenagers.  Soon enough, Knox (and everybody else) is at varying levels of intoxicated.  Inhibitions loosened, Knox kisses the forehead of a passed-out Chris, enraging her boyfriend and starting a fight, ending the party abruptly.

Meanwhile, Todd is given the exact same birthday present as last year: a desk set that he didn’t even like, yet another sign of his parents not really paying attention to him.  Neil, noticing Todd’s disappointment, cheers him up, throwing the desk set off the roof, before taking him to another Dead Poets Society Meeting, where Charlie (now insisting on being called Nuwanda) has brought girls in to impress them with poetry.

Charlie also announces that he published an article in the school newspaper demanding that girls be admitted to Welton, signing it the Dead Poets Society.  The rest of the group is justifiably angry, afraid that this will put the school’s administration onto them.

Sure enough, at an assembly, Headmaster Nolan demands to know which of the students was responsible for the article.  At first, none of the students come clean, until a phone rings.

Charlie picks it up, and announces that it’s from God, saying they should admit girls to Welton.

This prank inevitably ends with Charlie getting paddled in the Headmaster’s office (1959, remember?) and threatened with expulsion.  Nolan wants the names of the other members of the Dead Poets Society, but Charlie won’t tell.  

After dismissing Charlie, Nolan calls Keating in, questioning him about his teaching methods.  Keating explains that he’s trying to teach the boys individualism.

“I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.”

“At these boys’ age? Not on your life!”

Afterwards, Keating approaches the boys, specifically Charlie, and gently scolds him for his stunt.

“There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for,” he says, explaining that being stupid is not the same as being an individual.

This is a common theme of the entire story, actually.  As much as Keating encourages free-thinking and exploration of ideas, he knows the difference between bucking authority for the sake of it versus nonconformity.  Each of the boys is exploring this aspect in their own way, from Todd’s slow-growing confidence to Neil’s direct disobedience of his father’s oppressive plan to Charlie’s defiance, even to Cameron’s caution against ‘disobeying rules’.  Dead Poets Society is a story about encouraging people to think for themselves, but to be wise about what they do once they start, and while some are more obvious than others (Charlie’s foolishness and Knox’s overzealousness contrasted with Cameron’s blind following of ‘the rules’, all portrayed as kind of problematic), some examples are more ambiguous.

Such is the case with Neil.

After a rehearsal for the play, Neil comes back to his dorm to find his father, very displeased with him.  He’s incredibly angry about Neil joining the play, and instructs him to quit the play the next morning, the same day as the first performance.  Upset, Neil goes to Mr. Keating’s office to ask him for advice.

Keating listens to him, and suggests trying to talk to his father, for Neil to show him how passionate he is about acting so that he will allow him to do the play, encouraging him to come to his father earnestly before the play.

On a slightly lighter note, Knox enters Chris’s high school and follows her to class with flowers, trying to apologize for the previous night.  She’s understandably embarrassed and tells him that her boyfriend, Chet, is still upset with Knox and is out to get him.  Undeterred, Knox follows her into class and reads a poem about Chris aloud, in front of all of her classmates.

Remember what I said about ‘wise’ ways to deal with free thinking?

A little later, Neil lies to Keating, telling him that he’s talked to his father, and that he’s allowed to stay in the play.

The next night, Keating and the boys prepare to go see Neil perform, with Chris even turning up and deciding to accompany Knox to the play.  It’s well worth it.  Neil is in his element, comfortable and dynamic on stage, and his classmates and teacher cheer him on, awestruck by his talent.

Before the last monologue, Neil spots his father, entering the theater.  Clearly daunted, he goes out and sells his final monologue anyway, to the wild applause of the audience.  

All but his father.

After the performance, Neil’s father brings him home, informing him that he is being pulled out of Welton, and enrolled into a military school, immediately followed by medical school.  Neil attempts to argue, to plead his case, but his father shuts him down, and Neil stops arguing.

Later that night, after his parents go to bed, Neil sneaks into his parents’ room wearing his costume, opens the drawer, taking his father’s gun, before retreating to his father’s study and killing himself.

It is right here that the movie goes from a good, even average film about ‘seizing the day’ and living life to the fullest, to a great movie about the consequences of doing it.

In another movie, Neil’s father would have seen the performance and realized his son was right.  Or if he hadn’t, Neil would have finally stood up for himself, and his parents might have seen the light.

In another film, Neil wouldn’t have died.  Especially not like that.

It is this moment, this gear-switch, that the audience is forced to contend with the implications, the fallout of these actions, and that sometimes, even ‘seizing the day’ is impossible, depending on your circumstances.

It’s not an easy idea to swallow.  It’s not one we’re used to in movies.  But it’s here, nonetheless.

Back at Welton, the boys tearfully wake Todd up to tell him the news.  Upset, Todd runs out into the snow, as the boys follow.  He remarks on how beautiful the snow is before throwing up and breaking down, rushing into the snow alone.  In the classroom, Mr. Keating paces empty desks, arriving at Neil’s and removing the poetry book he left for him with the Dead Poets Society inscription.

The next morning, it turns out that the fallout affects more than Neil.

Headmaster Nolan announces that he intends to conduct an investigation into what happened.  The boys gather to talk as Nolan interrogates Cameron, the rule-abider.  The remaining Dead Poets are certain that Cameron is going to sell them out, and sure enough, that’s exactly what he does.  Cameron enters, telling the group that he told them everything, and that they all should too, as it’s too late to save Keating, but not to save themselves.

Charlie reacts to this by punching Cameron in the face, getting him expelled.

The next boy called in is Todd, who enters Nolan’s office to find his parents there, too.  Nervously, he sits as Nolan tries to get Todd to sign a document blaming Mr. Keating for Neil’s death.  Todd glances at the page: the rest of the Dead Poets have signed too.

Later, in English class, Headmaster Nolan arrives and announces that he will be teaching until they can find a permanent replacement for Keating.  As he opens class (encouraging people to read the ‘excellent’ ripped out introduction from the book) Keating enters the room to collect his things.  After long moments of silence of the boys keeping their heads down as Keating gathers his belongings, Todd finally breaks, calling out to Mr. Keating and telling him that the school forced them to sign the confession.

As Nolan tries to get him to sit down, Todd shouts out: “O Captain, My Captain”, and stands on his desk.  Many other students follow, one by one, as Keating tearfully watches.

Keating gratefully thanks the boys, and the film ends on a closeup of Todd’s face, after he’s finally stood up for himself, and seized the day.

Make no mistake, this is not a happy ending.  Keating is forced to leave the school.  Neil has taken his own life, trapped into a lifetime he didn’t want.  Charlie has been expelled, and it’s likely the rest of the boys will be too.  This is a movie based on, and ending with, great uncertainty.  Not every boy stood up.  Not everyone is coming out of this okay.

The question is, what are we supposed to take away from this?

The message of the film, the core theme that people remember, is Seize the Day.  And yet, of those who ‘Seize the Day’, very few come out of it unscathed, if any.  Instead, people are left with heartbreak, making bad decisions or, even if the decisions may have been morally ‘right’, or what they felt they had to do, consequences must follow.  Charlie’s overzealous sense of humor and bucking of authority gets him expelled.  Knox’s over-the-top romanticization of Chris nearly drives her away and gets him in trouble.  Neil kills himself because the restricting nature of his family won’t allow him to ‘Seize the Day’.

And Todd?

Todd finally speaks out, but too late to fix any of the damage.

Despite the focus on Mr. Keating in most of the promotional material, the protagonist of the movie is, of course, Todd.  Once Neil dies, Todd is who we are left with, and it is Todd who changes from shy boy who won’t speak out to the leader of a final daring farewell to a teacher that changed his life.  He’s the one that grows.  He changes.

It’s just too little too late.

The story of Dead Poets Society is a sobering one, and not exactly a story you’d expect.  The first two-thirds could have been part of any typical, ‘feel good’ teen drama about self-discovery, but the last third takes expectations and turns them on their head.  This is real life: it doesn’t always work out.  People get fired for trying to do the right thing.  Parents don’t see the harmful impact they have on their children.  People value rules and tradition over the dreams of the young.

It is in this devastating third act that Dead Poets Society earns its place as a classic: by refusing to allow the cliched beginnings to define its ending.

It would have been so easy to allow Neil to convince his father to allow him to act.  It would have been simple to allow Keating to change the mind of the establishment, for the Dead Poets to take Welton by storm.

But real life doesn’t always work out like that.  Sometimes, the way we go about ‘seizing the day’ can end badly depending on our circumstances and the wisdom in the method we choose.  The film isn’t telling us how to do it right.  It’s showing you the lives of people who did it wrong, or at least, who seized the day, tried to make their lives extraordinary, and failed, due to many different reasons.

But.

That doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

For every failure, for every mistake (Neil sneaking to do the play, Charlie’s pranks, etc.), Todd’s example stands above and beyond.  Yes, he might get into trouble.  But this moment, this act of telling a beloved teacher that his work was not in vain, that his students will remember him, that he was not to blame, feels right.  This is what he is supposed to do.

We cheer for that moment, we feel the weight of the movie lift just a smidge, because in the end, we have to seize the day.  We have to try to make our lives extraordinary, but we have to find the right way to do it, the wise way to do it.

Because, for all of the mistakes made, Keating is right: Words and ideas will change the world.  It is up to us how to use them, when to use daring, or caution, and in the end, try to find the meeting place between doing what is right, and doing what is true to yourself.

The ending is uncertain, yes.  But it’s the only satisfying ending that an honest movie could give us.

Dead Poets Society is an emotional story, bringing up questions about non-conformity and following the rules that go beyond a surface: ‘yes or no’.  A gripping story full of great performances, a warm atmosphere, and immortal dialogue, Dead Poets Society will continue to be a testament to words as long as we care to use them.

In the articles ahead, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the other important elements of Dead Poets Society, so if you enjoyed this one, stick around and join us!  Don’t forget to leave a comment, like, or some other form of love if you enjoyed it, and follow for more!  Thanks so much for reading, and I hope to see you in the next article.

[littlebitalexis]

Schitt’s Creek Questionaire

tagged by @bestwisheswarmestregards

1. Favorite Schitt’s Creek character: david rose tbh. alexis is a v close second

2. Favorite Quote: can i quote the entirety of  the title track off the critically reviewed, limited reality series, ‘a little bit alexis?’ esp the ‘im a cute huge yacht’ bit, absolutely gets me every single time.

3. Who is the best dressed character in Schitt’s Creek?  alexis i think? like, the 70% of david’s wardrobe that i love, i love with my whole heart. but that other 30% i absolutely hate, whereas with alexis it’s a much more positive/neutral even split, so she comes out the overall winner. omg also, her workout gear? god damn

4. If you could be best friends with any character in Schitt’s Creek, who would it be? stevie bc she provides the weed and is also hot and i think she’d be down to join me for wine/mst3k movie nights. altho im tempted to say alexis bc she has to have a ton of air miles saved up, right? i wanna say patrick as well, but if i’m being honest he’d just make me feel anxious about all the paperwork/emails i’m constantly avoiding in my everyday life. which makes me sound like david and proves answer #6 a lie.

5. How many times have you watched the series up until this point? straight thru? 4 times i think. but individual eps/seasons have def been rewatched more than 4 times.

6. Which character are you most like and why? honestly i’m nothing like her really, but i relate so much to alexis. her whole going back to school and getting her degree arc? v much get that, love that journey for me,

7. Would you live at the Rosebud motel? nah man, i’d take that haunted $275/month soundproofed studio apartment from s2 in a fuckin heartbeat. david and alexis were both idioots for letting that one slip away, even if carl did hang himself from the ceiling fan there.

8. Do you prefer Patrick or David’s version of Tina Turner’s The Best? i’m gonna say patrick, bc due to 2nd hand embarrassment i can’t watch david’s performance without anxiously pausing every 3 seconds. i think it’s the eye contact with the camera in the beginning? having said that, i also have to pause patrick’s version every 6 seconds probably. i’m likely the only person on the planet who’s grateful to roland and jocelyn for interrupting that sincerity-fest. which only serves to prove that my answer for #6 (and #4) is a lie and the truth is that i’m actually most like stevie.

9. If you were to work in Schitt’s Creek, where would you work? cafe tropical for sure. that place is always popping and twyla is the only waitress so i’d get a ton of tables. she must make a killing in tips. sry to rose apothecary but food service industry > retail every fuckin time. i know ppl like to hate on tipping culture but you can make some money (when there isn’t a pandemic floating about. fuck you 2020 all restaurant dreams everywhere).

10. What moment made you laugh the most in the show? there are a lot, but i gotta say that i think the biggest laughs from me were moira-driven. the danny boy solo from s1, her interactions with the fiddly old man from motel review, the gd bernadette peters wig/latex gown ensemble from ‘rip moira rose’

also every single moment of moira as dr clara mandrake?? an icon (also i keep thinking of the ‘character within a character’ as ‘clara barton’ which is 1. disrespectful 2. absolutely awesome 3. can you believe that a human/crow hybrid founded the red cross????? incredible.)

11. Favorite episode? most of my favs are the ones that a lot of others would also say are their favs, so there’d be no surprise there. so instead i’m gonna mention my fav from s1: carl’s funeral

12. What actor would you most like to be friends with in real life? truly idk, i have a weird thing where when i become a fan of a show i find it rly hard to watch any interviews with any of the cast. i wanna say catherine o’hara tho. but also maybe dan levy bc i did somehow talk myself into watching that sturday night seder that he guested in, so who knows. i was feeling really lonely about passover this year.

13. What was the most touching moment for you? first things i thought of were the david/stevie moments from s6, esp that convo on the hood of her car in front of the cottage. also the entire second half of grad night, the alexis/ted breakup, and the s2 finale, and the scene in patrick’s apartment in meet the parents, and the bit in ‘driving test’ where david admits how much he worried about his sister over the years. i get emotional about this show a lot, don’t really have the desire to pin it down more than that tbh.

not tagging anyone bc i went and disappeared for 2 months and idek who’s done this or even who’s around anymore! also it’s 3am rn and i don’t want to be that person. but if you see this and want to claim i tagged you, i’ll totally vouch for you that i did.

[darnitdraco]

Schitt’s Creek Questionnaire

Tagged by @roguebabyinyourstore​, thank you so much!

1. Favorite Schitt’s Creek character: Patrick Brewer 

2. Favorite quote: literally anything Patrick says but the way he said “oh, are you in distress?” to David in Singles Week kills me whenever I see it or hear it.

3. Who is the best dressed character in Schitt’s Creek?:  David Rose. I want half his clothes to be mine.

4. If you could be best friends with any character in Schitt’s Creek, who would it be?: Patrick Brewer. I feel like we would have a lot in common, maybe?

5. How many times have you watched the series up until this point?: Certain episodes I've watched a lot. I rewatched it with my sister and then again with my mom save a few episodes. As soon as its on Netflix US, I am rewatching it all. 

6. Which character are you most like and why?: My mom said that I’m a lot like David bc he likes food, the way he talks and bc of how much I love Patrick. But she doesn’t know I’m gay. I was in a long term relationship with a male, figured i was straight until I started having feelings for a girl I was working with? I wasn’t 30 when I realized I wasn’t straight but I was 21 almost 22 so we both realized at later points? I just feel more like Patrick 

7. Would you live at the Rosebud motel?: I wouldn't hate it but its not where I'd choose to live in Schitts Creek 

8. Do you prefer Patrick or David’s version of Tina Turner’s The Best?: this is such a hard question. I have Patricks on my phone and play it a lot but I will rewatch Davids on youtube whenever I need a pick me up or just wanna see both my boys happy and giggly. 

9. If you were to work in Schitt’s Creek, where would you work?: I wanna say Rose Apothecary bc its my favorite location but i’m not a big sales person so it would probably be the Rosebud Motel.

10. What moment made you laugh the most in the show?: there are so many oh man. the happy ending scene was top tier but specifically Patrick’s “Don't answer that. Was it? Don’t”. takes the cake here. 

11. Favorite episode?: Meet The Parents. this is the episode that I have rewatched the most. I haven't come out to my parents yet but Patrick saying that he knows his parents are good people but that he is scared it'll change everything just resonated with me. It made me feel so seen and I love it so much. 

12. What actor would you most like to be friends with in real life?: this is a question I have thought about a lot ok and It would be Dan if I could only pick one and Dan and Noah if I could pick two. I also want my dog to be friends with Redmond if that counts. 

13. What was the most touching moment for you?: anything to do with Patrick and David. overall its how the Roses grew as people but I think when David told Patrick that he loved him. It was such a big moment for him because of his past but David thought he was (I know it might just be my head cannon but oh well. point stands) so unlovable, so closed off from good meaningful relationships but he found a good person who showed him how loved he is and can be. my heart is so full for David and his realization that he can have happiness. 

sorry if y'all have been tagged before, I just love you guys sm. @maxbegone @stuck-on-your-heart @bestwisheswarmestregards @patrickbrewcr @loveburnsbrighter and anyone else who wants to do it. do it or not, im easy either way :)

[lesbiancarat]

quotes on the banner in the background of the group photo:

<Walden>

I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out All the marrow of life! To put to rout all that was not life, And not, when I came to die, discover That I had not lived.

-Henry David Thoreau

<To the Virgins, Make Much of Time>

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying,

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he’s a-getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he’s to setting.

That age is best which is the first, When youth and blood are warmer; But being spent, the worse, and worst Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time, And while ye may, go marry; For, having lost but once your prime, You may forever tarry.

-Robert Herrick

“Oh Me! Oh Life!”

-Walt Whitman

I can’t read what it says to the right of GLOBUS. If anyone can read the text or recognizes the quote please let me know!

theory under the cut (includes dead poets society spoilers)

So all of these are quoted in the movie Dead Poets Society, which we know was also heavily referenced in their trailer video. These quotes and the movie itself share a common theme.

The Walden quote is about living life to the fullest, and To the Virgins, Make Much of Time is also about making the most of the time you have, and puts emphasis on the fact that your time could end sooner than expected or life can move quicker than you realize.

Oh Me! Oh Life! is this Walt Whitman poem, in which the speaker questions the purpose of life when so much struggle exists and comes to the conclusion that life will go on regardless, and you will have to contribute in some way. From my quick reading, I believe the implication here is that you will make some mark on the world just by existing, but it’s up to you what that mark or “verse” will be. It implies a question at the end. Will your verse in the play of life be dull and boring and forgotten because you didn’t do anything in life? Or will it be full and exciting and memorable?

The movie itself is all about Carpe Diem--seize the day. Mr. Keating encourages the boys to find joy in life and take risks, even if it means rebelling against authority a little bit. He encourages Neil (portrayed by Hoshi in the trailer) to pursue his passion for acting despite the fact that his parents are against it. Neil gets to be in a play (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), but his parents retaliate and decide to withdraw him from the school with his friends and send him to a military academy. This leads to Neil committing suicide but his parents blame Mr. Keating for his death, and he gets fired from the school.

The surface themes of all the poems implies that this concept may be something happy, where the members embrace their youth and follow their dreams. However, the underlying implication in the some of the poems which is made explicit in the movie is that there can be risks and sometimes consequences associated with Carpe Diem. My guess is that this concept will appear somewhat happy or youthful on the surface but there will be a twist or underlying darkness to it.

As for how the rain theories would tie into this I have no idea! But I wanted to share my thoughts about the literature/DPS aspect of it. Also, my readings of the poems were very brief and possibly incorrect. I’ve analyzed To the Virgins, Make Much of Time in school before but that was a while ago and I know a little bit about Walden, but I just looked at Oh Me! Oh Life! for the first time today. So if any literature nerds would like to correct me or add anything, even if it’s not tied back to seventeen please do! I love reading and analyzing poetry and I’d love to hear different people’s perspectives!