#not to mention the added tension and personal stakes in act 3

[mellowthorn]

i finished my da2 replay with anders rivalmance and i chose to kill him and now i can't stop listening to "i'm not calling you a liar" and it's making me very very sad :(

[nabrizoya]

honestly would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the nikolai duology because i really only see blanket praise or blanket hate for it whereas I see a lot of wasted potential. Bardugo's actual writing was beautiful as ever for the most part, but the choice of the plot/beats feels baffling to me. I love Nina, but her parts felt so separate from the rest of the book until the very end, and even that felt off. I liked the first 2/3 of KoS enough, dealing with the monster, political tensions, 1/2

and even the cult of the starless saint was at least interesting because dealing with people trying to rewrite the narrative of their greatest enemy (who hurt these young leaders in deeply PERSONAL ways) was really compelling (making him literally come back was. a choice) but I feel like somewhere in the last third, KoS went in a wholly differeent direction, and RoW has this vibe of feeling like she definitely wrote it after reading the show scripts or even seeing some footage. idk. 2/2

I will try to be brief (1/12)

Hey anon! Thank you so much for asking this even though it took 38756588247834 years to answer this I’m so sorry !! The Nikolai duology was good—wonderful too maybe because of the myriad of themes and topics it discussed and explored, all in addition to how beloved these characters are. For me, it’s the end of KoS as it is for you, and the entirety of RoW in particular that irk me the most.

I have very little issue with KoS, and I agree with everything you’ve said. The political tensions, the sort of urgency in trying to secure a country at the cost of personal reservations, preparing for a war that seems unforgivably near the door, etc. was all thrilling. After all, it is the first installment in the duology, and it’s supposed to set the course for the upcoming books.

KoS managed to introduce the stakes and the circumstances, lay the rails for what the characters will face and what it might mean to a vast set of entities connected to the events. And it’s hardly out of sense to expect Rule of Wolves to pick up where the previous book left off and carry forward the themes and plot points introduced in the first book.

Except, RoW failed spectacularly in that aspect.

Rule of Wolves: the second book, and the supposed finale to the Grishaverse and the Nikolai duology; it fails to continue the other number of threads that KoS set up for it, effectively compromising the characters, their characterizations, the themes and other political tensions and stakes. The due importance that should be given to the heavy set of topics that get brought up in the povs are not through, nor are the small details that Leigh added to the conversations evolve into something worth talking about, which are the actual points that could have been given some more page time to explore than just making them facts or points of nostalgia for the characters.

If you take a step back and analyze the whole timeline, events, characterization, objectives of the arcs and the plot points etc. etc., all the way from Crooked Kingdom to Rule of Wolves, there’s so much that is left out and tied in, quite haphazardly, which leads me to believe that Leigh wanted to attempt writing a duology that is more plot-driven than it is character driven. And we know that Leigh writes character driven stories brilliantly, and SoC, CK and TLoT are testament to the same. Heck, even TGT has more consistency than whatever TND has.

So, objectively? Plot possibilities? Characterization? Potential? Personal goals? Addressing the very serious themes it brought up, in little or major light, but give no proper elaboration about them?

The lost potential readily compromised the characterizations of many characters, and it all amounted to their arcs being very underwhelming.

I’m dividing this into four parts and here’s the basic outline.

Writing and Plotting

The Plot, Possibilities and Potential.

Characters, Characterization, Character Potential.

Remedy (what I think would've worked better to tie this all up)

This can get very looong, so be forewarned.

I. Writing & Plotting

Now, Leigh Bardugo’s writing is exceptional, no doubt. The sentences are short and flowy, and convey the tone, psyche, environment and the setting and its effects on the pov character marvellously. It's also immersive. It’s the same in Rule of Wolves, except, a little or a lot weaker.

The two main parts of this is that one, that Leigh slightly overdid showing a lot more than telling, and two, that the RoW (and perhaps KoS too), was more plot driven than character driven, the latter of which is actually Leigh’s strength.

In Rule of Wolves, Leigh’s writing seemed very choppy and snappish. The descriptions were lacking, or maybe that’s just me wishing for more internal conflict and dilemma, and going back and forth in one's own head for a bit. It felt like she showed more than she told.

Example being how Zoya ‘snaps’, ‘drawls’, ‘scoffs’, or ‘scowls’ less, and even if that’s supposed to be show Zoya beginning to be a little less unpleasant than she usually is, the tone in those chapters was not strong enough to distinguish how and why the character was acting a certain way. Nor pinpoint an explanation on what brought that change about. (And there were many instances like this with many other characters), which resulted in the characters themselves feeling so off to me.

Leigh’s characters are important to the story. They carry tremendous weight and actively contribute to the plot. Except, by focusing a lot more on the plot, some parts of these characters’ relevance was not up to the mark. It is greatly due to how weak the plotting and pacing of the book was, tbh, more than just her writing.

Consider: Mayu Kir Kaat. She is integral to the story, but she is thrust into responsibilities, and that doesn’t give us much time to see her as a person, and then as a person with a duty, like we see with most other characters. Whatever parts of her we did see were very circumstantial and timed, which is probably the reason why not many we’re unable to appreciate Mayu as much as we should. (Maybe fandom racism also plays a part, so, well,,,).

Like, we know from Six of Crows and with The Language of Thorns, how great care went into describing the characters’ state of mind, which further heavily influenced their choices and decisions. This time though, I think she wanted it to be more plot driven, hence the whole crowded feeling of the book and general worry about oh my god too much is happening, how will all this be solved and all that.

And this, I think, greatly hampered Leigh's writing, leading to unsettling and rather unsatisfying character arcs. Not to mention that there was quite little space given for the characters to develop or let them grow in a satisfying way which touches on most of the elements and themes that get brought up with regard to their powers and potential,,, and when it was indeed brought up, it was all in vain since they were never followed through.

That's one of the biggest problems for me in RoW: Plot points brought up in KoS were not brought forward in RoW.

II. The Plot, Possibilities and Potential.

Phew. Truly buckle up because this train has too many coaches. And to discuss them all, let’s keep the starting point as Crooked Kingdom.

a) Parem

Now, by the end of Crooked Kingdom, we know some important things about the parem.

It's dangerous asf for the Grisha who have to sacrifice their will and capabilities for a short time superpower high that they didn’t even ask for

Which means they are more often than not forced to consume the drug

Shu Han is the creator of the Parem and are also creating a new kind of soldiers called Khergud (who additionally require Ruthenium, but we’ll talk abt that later)

Fjerda snatched the formula after kidnapping Bo Yul-Bayur, keeping him away in the Ice Court and in their possession, and used the Parem to further their own heedlessly heinous agenda

I think it’s easy to understand how KoS started off on the right track, considering that Kuwei Yul Bo is mentioned, the antidote and jurda is brought up and so come the political tensions alongside it (what with the impending war, the demon, the lack of funds in the coffers and security and peace for the country alongside safety for the Grisha).

The point is, parem is a character of its own. CK was its inception, and its fate was decreed along with its lifespan and its doom. Ideally, by the end of RoW, parem should have been vanquished while addressing its nature as a deadly drug, the addiction and aftermath, and the key person who will guide the plot: Kuwei Yul Bo.

Parem is a political tool that pitted countries against each other, making one another their allies or enemies. (Though parem is not the only one factor). Ravka doesn’t yet know about Kerch’s neutrality. The Shu made their move to assassinate in the end, just as Fjerda cleared the air about their goals.

Point is, parem is weapon, a new kind of warfare that keeps getting alluded to in KoS. The first book gave a glimpse of how the Shu and Fjerda are using parem, thereby exploiting, prejudicing etc. the Grisha in their countries. Khergud whose humanity is washed away with parem + ruthenium, and the Fjerdan Grisha (are targeted) drugged and exploited while be subjected to torture, training and imminent death, parametres of these outcomes being severely gendered.

Ravka too wanted to weaponize it and create a usable strain that would still give the Grisha their powers but at a minimal cost, until Nikolai’s conversation with Grigori convinces him out of it and to use only the antidote for the Grisha.

And when are the contents of this conversation brought up again?

Never.

Another aspect of parem (that the conversation also covers) is this: that what was once merzost, parem is its strange cousin. Parem parallels breaking the bounds of Grisha norms unnaturally, while merzost takes it a step further to break the bounds of nature itself, which comes with a heavy price. They're both the same with little differences. Amplifiers are in tune with this discussion, hence the conversation between Zoya and Nikolai about how, and whether or not the abomination in him, the parem, and the amplifiers are tied together. This gets brought up again in the conversation with Grigori.

Parem parallels the superpowers, something that Zoya too manages to achieve once the corruption of the amplifier business is resolved, which makes her realize how in tune with nature the Grisha must be, and how limited the Grisha powers until then had been. And why the amplifiers were a corrupted piece of magic.

Zoya was supposed to be the conduit in that sense that she reversed the Grisha norms and understood the importance and nature of small science. This is alongisde parem getting abolished or resolved in the least, be given a redressal.

Yet instead in RoW, we barely see any of Zoya’s powers, nor even her experimentation and hunger for power which would give her protection. We don't see how she begins to realize that while power was indeed protection, it was also a responsibility. Not clearly, anyway.

So like, not only is this entire discussion thrown away in Rule of Wolves, but no matters are resolved either. Parem did not reach its end like it was supposed to. Merzost with regard to parem would have been an excellent thing to address, with or without the Darkling being present, because the blight is there. But that doesn’t happen.

What happens instead? We get one chapter of Grisha getting the antidote during the face off at the start of the book, the women in Fjerda are not brought up again and instead we jump to Shu Han. Kuwei is also conveniently forgotten because hey, the Zemeni are here so it’s all sorted!

RoW could have (should have actually) sought to address both the political and medical (?) aftermath and implications. Maybe it did succeed in showing the political side of it, with regard to Mayu, Ehri, Makhi and Tamar’s storylines. But that’s only in Shu Han, whose state of affairs we had NO idea of until RoW. No idea, so much that it was completely out of the blue.

And what we did know (get to know about in KoS) is Fjerda and the affairs there remained… unsolved.

(...sorry).

b) Grisha Powers

Re: From the conversation between Nikolai and Grigori, and Juris and Zoya, about how parem and the amplifiers are parallel to each other in terms of being abominations, a corruption of Grisha powers. Now the theory of it is not entirely explained, but we do know that the parem and whatever Zoya learnt from Juris was meant to move along in the same direction.

But we don't see another mention of it, except maybe we could dig a little deeper and realize that it all adds up because Zoya is the Grisha Queen of Ravka, Summoner, Soldier, Saint, all of it rushed and unnecessarily magical in a war so dire and realistic in RoW.

Welp.

c) Spy business

Just… genuinely what even was Nina up to in RoW? A spy, sure, but only to garner information on the pretender?

Why couldn’t there have been two responsibilities for her to uncover: the lies or truths about the pretender while the Apparat causes hindrances, and Nina trying to seek out more documents of the locations and labs where the Grisha women are being tormented and the other Grisha being weaponized? It could have been a leverage to discredit Fjerda in front of everybody in the Os Kervo scene. Imagine if Nina whipped out the documents of Grisha labs and brought the truth of the exploitation and killing and kidnapping etc. in front of the convention of all nations. All of it together would have upped the political tensions by quite the notch.

Even then, there’s a possibility that it wouldn’t matter either because the Grisha aren’t exactly valuable to all the nations. But killing and exploiting is still wrong so maybe it might have worked? Or see, even if it wouldn’t have, the slow and sluggish realization of Mila’s identity by Brum, and alongside writing it as a tragedy where Nina’s efforts seem to have gone to waste, or where Nina is telling Zoya about not accounting for Prince Rasmus’ word and she informs her about the documents she has snatched? Something could have been done here?

The point is, KoS focused on Fjerda and its unraveling, and it wasn’t continued with and through in Rule of Wolves. Instead it sought to find the problem in a whole new country, Shu Han, and fixed it within the same book leaving the other country as it is.

d) Ruthenium and the Blight

Ruthenium, the metal that is an alloy of regular metal and Grisha made steel, could have been utilized more significantly in the books.

I mention it in association with the blight because while on one hand it is true that the blight is an area full of nothingness, ruthenium as a metal could have been utilized to show the effects of rushed industrialization that is leading to the ground losing its essence. This is supposed to be advanced warfare after all. Besides, Makhi loses someone very dear to her. Perhaps ruthenium is more dangerous in Shu Han because the Shu use it to create the khergud, so the constant manufacturing of it has been leading to the metal leeching the lands of their fertility, along with the blight.

And so also to broker peace, Ravka could have provided aid in some ways. :

1) The Darkling sacrificed himself, as a result of which the blight vanishes. While the blight took away her niece, the possibility of a blight persisting despite the ending of RoW could be attributed to ruthenium.

2) Ravka could provide the reversing effect to the alloy of ruthenium and metal using Grisha and otkazt’sya engineering and ingenuity to replenish the lands.

All in addition to whatever will be Shu Han’s policies to bring lushness to their lands.

e) Women and War:

Holy fucking Shit, where do I start with this?

Whatever we saw in Fjerda was haunting, and we see it from Nina’s chapters. There’s literally no resolution for it, nor is it ever brought up again, at all. In Zoya’s chapters, we see through her eyes the brunt that Grisha faced with the war, and in a country that has refused to recognize Grisha as the citizens and considers them expendable.

Add to it her own narrative of how the women are never mentioned, let alone the ones that she has lost or has known to suffer, at the hands of the war, at the Darkling's torture and powers. The description of these women suffering, often being forgotten and thrown aside as mere casualties… where or when was it ever going to be brought up again?

Like, switching between such horrifying things happening in Fjerda to whatever was happening with Zoya and Nikolai and Isaak is such a contrast, horrifyingly demeaning and insulting, even more so when it failed to align with the importance of parem and offer a solution to both these problems.

Now switch to Rule of Wolves, where the Tavgahard women immolate themselves on Queen Makhi’s orders. Not only is that such a cheap and insensitive thing to do, it gets treated a simple fucking plot point in the book, and it barely gets addressed afterwards. Women in Asia have a vastly complex and complicated history with fire, and this is a serious criticism that culturally affects readers in personal ways. And what gets done about it? Fine, Zoya feels baaaad, sorry oops why would the women do that?!?!?

Where is the adequate sensitivity to the topic? Where is the continuation of the pain Zoya feels for many people, despite them being the enemy? How does she honour them? Where is all that dilemma and pain? Why does she not think of them or just get a line or two to talk about them?

Where is the due importance for this suffering given? Structurally and culturally?

f) Soldier, Summoner, Saint / Yaromir the Great

We never really get any explanation for why Zoya deserves to be the Queen, and why she is the best. But we do get to see why Nikolai isn’t the one supposed to be on the throne, and it’s not just because of his parentage but also because of his failings and doubts and the need for acceptance with the secrets he carried.

Here's the thing though; it’s not just about her showing mercy. It’s very subtle, and in good sense, should actually have been given a little bit more importance that be loosely brought up at random times.

Keeping aside the fact that Zoya is representative of Ravka—a woman, a Grisha, a Suli girl who changed the course of war and who knew what it was like living in poverty, being as an underprivileged person of the society in addition to the trauma from then and the state of living at her aunt’s place—which is meant to be covertly apparent, the other reason tracks back to Yaromir the First, who with the help of Sankt Feliks of the Apple Boughs—the one who raised the thornwood—lead Ravka at that time into the age of peace.

The Darkling testified that in his POVs, that while Feliks and Yaromir worked in tandem for Ravka, Aleksander worked for safeguarding the Grisha. In one sense, Zoya is supposed to reflect that moment in history in the present moment, except she is Queen and Sankta, and Grisha, all three at once.

It is brought up in one of the Darkling’s POVs and once in the conversation with Yuri in KoS. Other than that, we never actually get any more hints of this explanation in the text, which is the reason why the entire ending felt so so rushed, and like a fever dream, that even if it was a plot twist, it was kinda very baseless when it should have been more ohhhhh sort of a thing.

g) The Starless Cult and Saint Worship

This cult had immense potential to blossom into many things, some of which were indeed touched upon in KoS when Zoya says that she saw a bit of herself in Yuri, and brings up time and again how easily she’d been led and had not been aware enough of what’s right and wrong, just as she supposes Yuri is too. And to some extent, there is truth there, because in the Lives of Saints, we do see why Yrui comes about to hail the Darkling and how it parallels Zoya’s, of being helpless and ten being saved by a different power/ their own power, respectively.

That’s where it forks, that Zoya is older and realizes the path that Yuri has chosen and understands that it won't happen until he realizes it himself because the Darkling’s crimes are so obvious.

Even then, there’s still more potential: This cult could have been the mirror that would make Zoya reflect on the questionable methods of the Darkling, and the ways in which she might be mirroring them, despite or not it is the necessity because of the war. How she is training soldiers too, just as the Darkling did, and while the need to take children away from their homes just as soon as they were discovered Grisha was abolished, it was war, and they needed soldiers.

So like, there’s quite a big narrative going on here, how mere children are pushed into one path of becoming a soldier and the whole system that was that the Darkling followed to train the Grisha and all of that. All of this in addition to the juxtaposition to the Grisha being seen as elite despite them being hunted, and the people who are not Grisha frowning upon them. This is also the work of the Darkling, which actually paves the way to see how there can be a world where the Grisha are not feared or seen as abnormal, despite or not they are given a Saint-like narrative.

This cult could also have been the segue to discussing Yuri and his brainwashing, and the sort of cult-ish behaviour of believing in something firm when you couldn’t believe in yourself, or not seeing the magnitude of the crimes of their supposed Saint, alongside always staying focused on becoming a soldier only and never actually thinking beyond what is told.

Some of these are very subtle and some are brought up, but never given too much of an explanation.

Genya brings up another good point in the funeral chapter, about how Fjerda seemingly taking into the whole Saints thing could mean that if the Darkling moved there, he could very well sprawl his influence there to bring in supporters. Which leads to another discussion that gets brought up towards the end of the book: about Nina telling about the Ravkan Saints to Hanne and therefore to the Fjerdans,,, which doesn’t exactly sit right with me. It’s still a very nascent topic, and I think SoC3 will explore this path of faith and personal beliefs etc. but leaving it just there, while talking so much about Saints in both the countries,,, don’t exactly know how to put it into thoughts here.

But regardless, the cult of the Starless had different potential to talk of (blind) worshipping of an ideal without critically examining why the person must be put on the pedestal in the first place (and if it is simply power, then there is actually a narrative right there, which RoW gets right, about the people valuing the power still, as a result of which the monarchy still persists at the end of RoW. Even then, there’s more discussion awaiting there).

Not sure if any of this makes sense, but I’ll leave it at this here for now.

edit: 05/07/2021 | I think what I was trying to say here is that we do not have any kind of narrative evidence to seeing how and why it seems right that the Fjerdans will worship Ravkan Saints; is it merely because they are all Grisha? Or is it because of the segue explore this path of faith and personal beliefs and all of that, of the talk of the monastery and the Grisha there being of all identities, that a monastery is in Shu Han, that it has Djel's sacred Ash tree so far away from Fjerda... much to think about.

III. Characters, Characterization, Character Potential.

Mostly going to be about Nina and Zoya, but I’ll bunch up the rest of them at the end.

a) Nina

*head in hands*

I severely mourned how poorly Zoya was written in RoW, but then I realized that more than Zoya, it’s Nina whose potential was severely undermined and wasted. On one hand, I’m glad she uses her powers and quick thinking,observation and her own tactics to analyze the population and opt for the best way to make them see the truth she wants to show them (eg: making Leoni and Adrik and Zoya saints and also showing that the Grisha are the children of Djel via people’s belief to Joran and Rasmus’s mother).

But then, it’s like you said; her parts were so offbeat and outpaced and completely disjointed, when in fact, Nina is the thread that ties all the characters, their plotlines and potential, together. Nina is connected to Zoya and Hanne, two equally important characters and main characters of the duology. Whatever scope Nina has, they are greatly in parallel to Zoya and Hanne. And it’s all literally there, in the text! What a waste.

Though keeping aside these parallels, Nina’s own journey from Ketterdam to Ravka to Fjerda, while is spoken about, doesn’t touch some other parts that I see potential in. Or this is just meta.

Nina has grief not just from Matthias’ death but also from the loss of her powers as Heartrender. So much of the Second Army was built on being a soldier, and perhaps the Darkling was not outright disdainful of racial differences in his army, yet he still stripped every part of the children away until they weren’t children anymore in his view. They’re all soldiers… (albeit his soldiers, preparing them to do his bidding because hey, give and take right?). Nina was a soldier, and she is a soldier still under Zoya’s role as a General, but an ‘other’ of a soldier. That’s her only identity, and the loss of her powers means that she’s a different kind of soldier.

I imagine that this entire time, some small part of Nina longed for normalcy, or whatever settled as normal for a life like hers. In the sense that she wants to go back, but what is back and where exactly did she want to go back to? What was the before and after and where did things go wrong or change? There’s tragedy in the realization that whatever you were before what you became is not a place you can return to, and that’s a different kind of loss that she has to bear, and all by herself. She has powers over the dead now, a strange power she learns to grow to, but all the places she has been, all the lives she has led and people she had been, everything might seem like they’ve all been locked away in some strange place leaving her barren and indisposable.

She’s off to Fjerda as someone she isn’t, figuratively and literally. In KoS, Nina brings up many times how odd she feels as Mila and in some capacity longs to be Nina Zenik again. This ties in with the previous point of returning to somewhere, but where?, but is also a segue towards body dysmorphia, the thing that Nina and Hanne’s storylines parallel and connect too with in a small way. It’s a great line to follow to discuss what her discomfort with her body means to herself while it means something entirely different to Hanne, who is also not entirely comfortable being who they are. (This discomfort further which leads to gender dysphoria, while for Nina, it will be about learning to accept her powers. I’ll add on to this in a bit,).

I'm mourning the lost potential of that experience being a parallel to Hanne’s own feelings, of a discussion between people being uncomfortable with their bodies, something that can mean multitudes to each person and on their own accord.

In parallel to Zoya, I like to draw it from the fact about Nina wanting to go back to who she was, while Zoya actively tries to lock her past away and drown it somewhere or throw it to the storm, never to hear of it again. She has no identity other than being a soldier, and that’s enough for Zoya, because who she was before she was a soldier is not pleasant. But moving from being just another expendable shell of soldier under the Darkling’s rule, Zoya becomes the one third of the Triumvirate, and then the King’s general, all of which bring self-awareness of Zoya’s capabilities and challenges that are bound to excite her. But all of these also compel Zoya to be many other people to others as she slowly grows to realize that power is not just protection but also a responsibility, and it will inadvertently mean confronting her past of her lost identity, realizing the how of the Darkling, and how harmful it was. As Genya puts it perfectly in Rule of Wolves, that they were all taken away when they were young kids, not even barely children, and then thrust into responsibilities that didn’t allow them to be anything else other than what the Darkling told them to be.

Back to Nina; a few other great parts about Nina’s arc could have been about her connection to languages, as language being a mode of strengthening identity, in addition to growing to her powers. In RoW, there’s this line that goes ‘how sweet it was to speak her language [Ravkan] again’, and the feeling of homesickness. Like, Nina is trying to connect to Ravka through what she knows best—language, and then stories. In that, Nina realizes a part of her identity, which could also act as a segue to Zoya reclaiming her own heritage and ethnicity. Not only that but Zoya and Nina’s stories are literally so intertwined that it’s hard not to see how their choices and line of thought affect one another’s arcs, in the grief they have and how they choose to treat it, and also show why Zoya is particularly protective of Nina (and keeps wishing that she doesn’t become the monster Zoya had become, in the sense that Nina is more mature in handling her grief than Zoya was and the entire mercy plotline ties Nina, Zoya and even Genya together. More meta, haH).

And that’s why the ending doesn’t make sense. Even though the part about her not being comfortable as Mila is not brought up many times in the continuing chapters (and that’s why perhaps naming Nina’s discomfort as body dysmorphia may be wrong), there’s still the part of Nina readily accepting to be who she was a Mila and remain in Fjerda that seems iffy to me. Especially when Nina and Hanne literally a few chapters ago think about running away (it may be just another alternative they might be fantasizing about, but I think it still means that they both want to be their true selves without hiding any parts of it away). So her staying as Mila… well, it doesn’t exactly add up.

I’d also add the part of Nina’s story mirroring Leoni’s, and how she is from Novyi Zem and being a part of the Second Army meant that she had little to no connection with her past, her culture etc. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part that Leigh went for that arc.

edit: 05/07/2021 | I don't agree with my point anymore about Nina not having the kind of ending I assumed she might have, considering that it is very well possible for Nina to treat her identity as Mila as a fresh start, as a Grisha with a command over the the dead and begin a new normal that is suited for her. You can read more here.

b) Zoya

For one, white passing Zoya is not canon to me. I simply pretend I do not see it.

See, her race was handled very badly. Making her half-Suli was supposed to show the struggles and the trauma that the ridiculing of her identity by other people has caused to her. Except, not enough time nor text is given to thoroughly discuss it. Not to forget how problematic of a narrative in itself it is to make Zoya white passing.

It would have made more sense to make her dark skinned and predominantly Suli-looking than whatever yt bs she was put through. Her not being white-passing would have led to conversations about tokenization, or people caring little about her and not giving her any respect because she is Suli. Or being called beautiful to the face and praised just for it or a harmless tumble in their point of view.

So like, instead of making the ‘mistake’ of seeking for acceptance, seeking appreciation and love, from her mother at first and then the Darkling, Zoya instead makes herself someone to be feared, if respect was not what she deserved. The iciness is a part of her and has always been, but all of it soon became a shield, an armour that she vowed to harden her heart with. Just the sheer impact of this narrative and her reluctance, and seeing Nikolai love her for beyond who she thinks she is… if all of this was canon, I’m pretty sure I’d have built a shrine for this duology.

Let’s now talk about her grief, and...

…

Okay it’s not for me to point fingers at how Leigh chose to write about grief because there’s no one way or one proper approach to go through that pain, and if that’s how she chose to write about grief for Zoya, fine! But I really wish we’d have gotten a little more into her head to see how the trauma has affected her thoughts and how she struggles against why and what exactly it is that Juris wants her to do. That enough time and text was dedicated to Zoya’s feelings and the mayhem it caused her, as a result of which the dragon’s eye took its cue and made things more unbearable to her because she was the only one to bear them all.

Like, I feel like Zoya was overwhelmed throughout the book and in between she had some skyhigh responsibilities to discharge and it’s all so inconsistent and poorly woven,,, it completely dissolved her character from KoS and made it 10000000x more miserable for me to read her POVs. And honestly, what even were her assignments that the Kirkus review mentioned? Never an inch of text in RoW is given to decipher her complications of her mind, the muddled sense of hopelessness and fear that grips her time and again. Why overwhelm her so much that you fail to do her mental state and capacity any justice?

I’m not going to be harsh about how much David’s death bothered me-- no actually fuck that; what’s the point? Fine, he died. All because you wanted to make his death a plot device to make Zoya reconcile with loss and deal with it? Where was Genya’s grief? Literally no point of having a death in the book at all, and it didn’t even achieve anything. (I’m still trying to wrap my head around why David’s death was important and maybe if I find some straws, I’ll consider…)

There were so many other ways around it; could have brought back Lada and killed her off, or have the Darkling piss her off so badly or just. Something. Instead of whatever happened with David. I think this is too harsh and insensitive of me to say about Leigh, but still… there’s a myriad of other ways to have gone about it. Helping Zoya deal with her grief with Nikolai at her side, to understand that the rage that was fueled from her loneliness, like it had been in the past, could now be a weight that Nikolai was willing to carry with her… Helping someone with their grief, staying and choosing is also a love language you know?

So in that regard, I won’t regret saying how flat the garden scene was to me. Zoya’s lines, though tinged with grief, were so out of what I would expect KoS Zoya to say. Maybe it’s also because of how bitter I was reading about David's death, despite that part being spoiled for me.

The cost shouldn’t have been David’s death, especially not when his death too wasn’t properly handled at all, and Genya’s grief was never spared a second thought beyond bringing Titanium.

+

Now let’s talk about how Out of Character Zoya was throughout the book. Her punchy attitude was missing, and even if she was warming up to her friends, we see little of the iciness she continues to retain. Another part of this is about exploring her relationships, particularly with Nikolai and her growing feelings for him. I wish we’d have seen them grapple with more of their confusion and propriety, if only for the yearning™. Besides, no matter how cute their scenes were, they were mostly (like maybe some. 70%) awful to read them, simply because it felt so odd to see Zoya be so open with Nikolai, all of a sudden.

A part of this definitely has to be the fact that we don’t know just how much time has passed between the end of KoS and the start of RoW, and we never, never see any description of they regarded their feelings for each other and how they understood it themselves. I don’t actually know how exactly I can put this into words in a manner that will make sense, but the only scenes where I appreciated Zoyalai were in the Ketterdam chapters, ONLY. The rest was… bleh lmao. Their scenes were so cute and brilliant, and if only we’d seen more of the internal conflict and had given some more time for them to practically approach their feelings but still end up in the puddle of it. If only.

Their scenes apart were the good ones, because that’s where we finally see Nikolai feeling the loss, no matter how temporary (on the verge of being permanent since it’s the war), of not having Zoya with him, of not being there with Zoya because who else would it be if it wasn’t her? Zoyalai had good scenes but they barely lived up to the mark lol. Their feelings are never thoroughly explored, nor their mental capacities.

While we’re talking about Zoyalai, let’s also talk about how lame it was for Zoya to say that Nikolai was the golden spirited hero all along, from the very start, when canonically we know Zoya had little to do with him in the earlier books, that she may have only been physically attracted to him and never saw him as more than just some guy with a responsibility to manage, and had sooooooo much distrust about him. And that it was only in the next few years of working with him and alongside did she grow to recognize his efforts and relish in the hope that he was building for Ravka, inadvertently making Zoya hopeful too.

Nope. Instead, we’ll just throw in some destiny bs that he was the one all along rather than show that the beauty of their relationship did not stem what they perceived of each other, but was instead built on strong respect and admiration for one another and their capabilities. 100% destroyed their relationship for me.

+

Some good parts about Zoya’s arc in RoW was how she acknowledged her past mistakes, and the nuance that was touched upon in seeing sense in becoming a soldier from the start, that offered her a chance to be anything other than a bride. That some part of her was grateful for the Darkling for teaching her how to fight, while still keeping Genya’s words in mind about how they were mere kids, children who had only one path to traverse because the Darkling (who wanted their acceptance and loyalty) nor the Kings of the country let the Grisha be anything else other than pawns of the war. That she recognizes her mistakes as a teen and how self centred she was, that her being snotty had at times cost some peoples’ lives too. And she doesn’t take the blame all up on herself, because it’s not hers alone to bear. Super good.

Also, the way Zoya comes to view power as responsibility instead of merely as protection was something cool to read about. It’s not clear in the books, but Zoya actively tried to not be the Darkling while still continuing to build an army for the war out of necessity, and actually sharing some parts of the dream that the Darkling had for the Grisha. I can’t articulate this so perfectly, but the point is, Zoya trying to avoid becoming a tyrant like the Darkling was an active process that she was constantly trying to change, and where Zoya could not recognize her own feelings and inherent thoughts about warfare that in some ways did mirror the Darkling’s, by the end of book, Zoya is much more self-aware and conscious of herself and her power than she was at the start of the book. And this was well done.

+

Now, what is up with YA and making people turn into giants or animals lol wtf. Why couldn’t we have seen Zoya use her dragon powers in a way that symbolizes the conditions of her dragon amplifier and the power of the knowledge she obtained from Juris? She is a Saint, and we’ve seen that their powers allowed them to cause ‘miracles’ and such, as we see at the start of KoS and at the end.

Why couldn’t we have seen Zoya dabble with her newfound powers and completely lose her shit in anger during the wae, only to rein back in mercy, just as someone from Fjerda begs for forgiveness since they see her then as a Saint? Adrik and Leoni used their powers in Fjerda, so having Zoya bring about a conundrum of all orders and do something about it would also have been cool, wouldn’t it? In the funeral scene we see her turn water into ice, thereby making a path for Genya. Why couldn’t we have had more exploration of the importance of the dragon’s eye and the general nausea of being overly empathetic every. damn. time? Why didn’t we get to see her powers? Why couldn’t we have seen her fail in them and realize that the reason she was not perfect was because she was trying to be strong on her own and was not relying on others and joint effort?

Her turning into a dragon was genuinely the most baffling part bc here’s a war that’s so serious and dire with metals and bombs, and then here’s this magic that will solve all of it entirely. Like I’m not saying it was bad, (I am actually saying just that) but I also don’t know what I am saying, except that the ending felt like a fever dream.

…?

Not sure if I’ve managed to convey it properly, but well. Zoya felt out of character throughout RoW, and that the only place I saw KoS Zoya was in the final Os Kervo scene where Zoya finally agrees to be the queen.

c) Nikolai

Nikolai’s arc was very satisfying and brilliant to read about in RoW. In KoS, he seemed very much like a passive character, one of the reasons why his stunt with the Shu in RoW was appreciable, no matter how ill-timed of a plot turn it was. His journey throughout this book was also introspective to see why others deemed him unfit as the King, and even if they were his enemies who thought that in want to dispose him from the throne, Nikolai realizes that him being on the throne is not of much value and that this book was entirely about him seeing his privilege and making decisions to counter and correct the mistakes he’s made. That was nice. Oh, also his father not being an antagonist was a pleasant surprise.

I don’t have many complaints about him, except perhaps wanting some more internal conflict and elaboration about his feelings for Zoya. Them being apart was where it was satisfying, and then in the Ketterdam chapters. His arc could have been better in KoS, but that’s to blame the plot for the characterization.

d) Hanne

Now, from the very start, their arc was super good and it only got better and better until… the ending. Except it’s so odd that Hanne, a poc, has to now live as white person, while feeling comfortable in their transmasc identity. Icky, no? That you need to eliminate one part of your identity in order to feel safe and comfortable about another? Add to this the whole white-passing Zoya thing,,, doesn't exactly send off the right message.

Together with Nina, the ending seems uncharacteristic for both of them. Them coming to accept their powers and knowing to use their powers on their own accord was brilliant, though the entire husband business felt very,,, eh to me, even if it did make sense. The ending about their name and their new identity was too vague.

e) Genya, Leoni and Adrik, Kuwei, Mayu,

Genya is the one who faced the most disservice along with David. While there were exceptional parts to both of their plotlines, it's still sad that even if David's death was necessary, we don't get to see the entirety of her grief and the possible anger, and that her kindness is simply used as the justification for lack of portrayal of grief.

It really did take me by surprise, mostly because I wasn't a fan of the original Shadow and Bone book, but seeing David's conscience and self-awareness, along with Genya's (and Zoya thinking of how she wouldn't let any harm come to them, which shows a bit of her development towards her character development), was plenty refreshing. David and Genya were genuinely the highlights of the book and to kill David off was just. doesn't sit right with me.

Leoni and Adrik deserved more page time. They’re saints and immensely capable (no wonder they’re now the Triumvirate), but a few more pages for them to shine would not only have been nice, but also a necessity.

And now, Kuwei...

....

I mean,,, parem should have been the plot, alongside the entire weaponry and the discussion of making a city killer. But uh… that didn’t happen.

There's not much I have to say about Mayu, Tamar and Ehri, except that their plot was superb, only very badly timed.

There's more to talk about them in the remedy tho.

IV. Remedy

Here’s the deal. Before KoS release, there should have been a Nina novella.

Nina is a very important character. All of her potential, alongside many other parts of her personality--from dealing with grief, to accustoming to her powers, to growing stronger--there could be so much to do with her as a protagonist, alongside another character: Mayu.

A whole book dedicated to Nina in Fjerda with Hanne? Brilliant. Show Stopping. Mind blowing. It gives SO much page time to explore not just Nina and Mayu, Hanne, but also Zoya, Leoni and Inej. All together.

How?

Nina’s plotline carries the entire medical effects of the use of parem, just as Mayu’s will carry the pain she feels about her brother being a part of the khergud program. The novella will give ample time to flesh them out as characters and protagonists, each dealing with plot problems and problems of their own--like the loss of ones powers and newfound responsibilities, and the shared loss of a beloved person in parallel, even if neither Nina or Mayu interact on page.

Fjerda and Shu Han could be tied together with one chapter as a POV from Zoya (or maybe two), who, along with the Triumvirate and Nikolai, are completely at loss with the political scenario in the country, and are debating over what should be the course of action. Zoya receives news from the scouts, and missives from Nina, and Tamar takes care of the information she garners from the rest of the network, including Shu Han.

Like, the entire surprise of finding a Zoya POV, from a character whom until CK we’ve known as cold hearted and stern and not giving a fuck about anything or anyone, be humanized in that one chapter, thereby building up the anticipation for her arc,,, the very potential,,, *chef's kiss*.

And by the end of book, we could have an POV--or maybe a cameo if not a POV--of Inej meeting Nina on one of her travels of slave hunting. Inej could help take care that the women that Nina has rescued (as Nina does in KoS) reach the Ravkan shorelines safely. But, for a price.

The entire parallels between Leoni and Hanne and Nina could be set up, while also building up the narrative for the Saints’ plotline with Adrik's, Leoni's and Nina’s powers (like it was at the end of KoS). KoS and RoW would thereby continue it by tackling the weaponization and the antidote, Sainthood and the rest of the politics of it all.

Coming to Shu Han: one key aspect that I’d love to have explored would be the importance of art, during or despite the war. Of how war or pain chips away culture, while detailing on the ill effects of it from the commoners' perspectives, from the soldiers etc. Art is integral to Shu Han and could be portrayed by Mayu’s pain finding balm in poetry, of seeing glimpses of Ehri poring over poetry also mayri ftw, of politics that Makhi is weaving against Ravka, etc.

Or also add some more length to Zoya’s POV and explore a bit of Tamar and Tolya and Kuwei’s interactions and perspective added to it, of missing a home that they seemed to not know, or know; of discussing culture and differences on the basis of where they’re from (maybe the twins are from the borders, while Kuwei grew up near the capital or somewhere distant from the borders etc.), all while directly pointing at Zoya’s heritage and how it ebbs at her conscience, no matter how much she wants to bury it.

POTENTIAL !!!

Like,,, Nina novella would have been too powerful. It would have been perfect. I think I’d excuse bringing back the Darkling too if this was the case. (Or maybe not).

But welp.

Hey, thanks for reading! Not sure if you could make it this far, but if you have, you honestly deserve a medal for sitting through this all. I can’t imagine how tiring it must be to read through this, considering it seemed to take it more than month to compile this there’s also me procrastinating on it too so i’,mbhbdhshfsdn

Drop an ask if you want to talk more about this!

Sincerely, thank you!!!

[ragingbookdragon]

To Challenge The Flow of Fate PT. 1

An Adrian Tepes (Alucard) x Reader Story

Warnings: Explicit Language, Mentions of Violence Author’s Note: So, after binge watching seasons 1 and 2, of course, I started a mental story, and I’ve finally put it down to word. Enjoy! Cause I have no idea where this is going tbh. -Thorne <3 Update: I changed the title from��‘To Challenge The Flow Of Immortality’ to what it is now, because I feel that it fits better with the story!

Her eyes snapped open the second after they hit the ground, and she shoved at the legs across her torso. “Trevor. Get the fuck off me before I amputate both your legs.” His chuckle quickly dissolved into a groan as he rolled off her, clutching at his stomach, and she leaned up, hands coming to her side to help push herself up. She muttered to herself as she dusted off her pants, slipping the sword back into its scabbard, “What type of genius lands on metal beams that have been under the goddamn ground for who knows how goddamn long?” Trevor rolled his eyes as he helped Sypha to her feet and retorted,

           “Will you stop complaining (Y/N)? You’re alive, aren’t you?” She jerked around, narrowing her eyes into a glare.

           “You won’t be in the next few minutes if we don’t find a way out of here.” When Sypha found her feet, he looked over at (Y/N), pulling a smug face.

           “And what are you gonna do? Stab me?” Her hand went to her hilt and she spat,

           “Don’t tempt me you arse.” Trevor stuck his tongue out at her, but stopped when the Speaker next to them groaned,

           “Will you two please stop fighting? You’re acting like children.” The siblings glared at each other for a moment before they scoffed and began walking to the hallway. They entered the room, and (Y/N) immediately drew her eyes around the walls.

           “Wow…look at this place…it’s amazing.” She drew her gaze to the center of the room, scanning the large coffin. “Is that what I think it is?” Trevor shrugged and muttered,

           “Won’t know ‘til we find out.” No sooner did the words leave his mouth, did his foot sink into the ground. The sound of gears turning echoed through the room and he blurted, “I didn’t do that.” (Y/N) glowered at him from his right and quipped,

           “Nice goin’ loser. You just woke up whatever’s in there.” Before he could retort, a cloud of gas released from the coffin and they stared at it as it rose, the top sliding off. She leaned over slightly, voice soft as she murmured, “Trevor…is that…” He nodded, lips pursed into a thin line, and (Y/N) gripped the hilt of her sword. The lid dropped against the marble with loud thunk, and she felt it resonate in her chest as the man rose from it, coming to levitate above it. He hunched over, voice low and gravely as he asked,

           “Why are you here?” Sypha’s eyes grew wide as she exclaimed,

           “The story…the Messiah sleeps under Gresit! The man who will save us from Dracula.” The man didn’t respond, simply turning his attention to (Y/N) and Trevor.

           “And you two? Are you in search of a mythical savior as well?” (Y/N) opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off as her brother remarked,

           “I fell down a hole.” She grunted, elbowing him in the side.

           “Will you fucking shut the hell up before you say something even more stupid?” He eyed her from the corner of his eye, tempted to stick his tongue out again, and she turned to the man. “We need your help.” Sypha nodded, adding,

           “Dracula is abroad in the land. He has an army of monsters and is determined to wipe out all human life wherever he finds it.” The man’s head simply tipped as he acknowledged her, but then asked,

           “Is that what you believe?”

           “That Dracula’s released his horde on Wallachia? That’s fact. There’s no belief involved.” (Y/N) watched carefully as her brother spoke, hand tightening around the hilt of her sword as his voice dropped and he questioned, “But that’s not what you’re asking.”

           “No.” Trevor drew his gaze up and clarified,

           “You’re asking if I believe you’re some sleeping Messiah who’ll save us and no, I don’t.” Even Sypha’s shocked call of his name didn’t stop him as he growled, “I know what you are.” (Y/N) knew a grin was on the man’s face as he challenged,

           “And what am I?”

           “You’re a vampire.” At this, the man finally looked up at them and with Sypha’s gasp in her ears, she caught sight of pointed fangs. “So, I have to ask myself, have we come down here to wake up the man who’ll kill Dracula…or did we come here to kill Dracula?” The man rose to his full height, but before he could speak, (Y/N) announced,

           “He’s not Dracula.” Everyone’s eyes turned to her, and Trevor scoffed,

           “He’s a vampire (Y/N). Under Gresit. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for misinterpretations.” She side eyed him before glancing at the vampire, eyes scanning his face.

           “And Dracula’s forces are attacking Gresit in a war on humanity. No person, not even a vampire, would sleep as they waged war. You have to be awake and present.” She observed the man for a moment. “Trevor, he might be a vampire…but he isn’t Dracula.” The vampire lowered towards the ground, eyeing (Y/N) as she inconspicuously moved to Trevor’s blindside.

           “One calls me Dracula…the other doesn’t.” Trevor grunted at him.

           “I’ll call you whatever you like if you’re gonna show me your teeth.” The vampire gestured to Sypha.

           “She called you Belmont…are you from the House of Belmont?” (Y/N) could feel the tension rising as Trevor affirmed,

           “Trevor Belmont. Last son of the House of Belmont.” The man glanced at (Y/N).

           “And you? The one who is standing at his back?” (Y/N) met his eyes, amazed at how they looked like pools of molten gold.

           “(Y/N) Belmont. Last daughter of the House of Belmont.” The man’s eyebrows pulled together, and he explained,

           “The Belmont’s fought creatures of the night, did they not? For generations.” Trevor barely spared the two women glances before he moved, ignoring (Y/N)’s hum of concern.

           “Say what you mean.” He threatened, stepping to the sides, watching as the man’s eyes followed him.

           “The Belmont’s killed vampires.” Trevor huffed.

           “Until the good people decided they didn’t want us around.” The nonchalance made (Y/N)’s fingers twitch as she started moving the other direction, opposite of Trevor. The vampire’s eyes darted to her moving figure, letting her know he was aware as he said,

           “And now Dracula is carrying out an execution order on the human race.” He paused, then raised a hand. “Do you care Belmont?” The question gave Trevor a pause, and he looked at the wall in front of him.

           “Honestly, I didn’t, no.” He took a breath and continued. “But now…yes, it’s time to stop it.”

           “Do you think you can?” Trevor turned, hand moving to his whip and declared,

           “What I think…is I’m going to have to kill you.” Sypha grunted, taking a step forward.

           “Belmont! No!” She argued. “He’s the one we’ve been waiting for.” Trevor moved back a bit, (Y/N) doing the same.

           “No, he’s not. He’s a vampire. And he’s not been waiting here for hundreds of years, have you?” The man’s eyes narrowed into slits as he warned,

           “I don’t like your tone, Belmont.”

           “This place is old, but it’s not been abandoned. It’s alive and working. So, go on, vampire, tell her exactly how long you’ve been waiting down here.” The man’s attention turned to the Speaker.

           “What is the year of your Lord?” Her voice was clear as she responded,

           “1476.” He turned back to Trevor.

           “Perhaps a year, then.” Trevor nodded.

           “There. And on top of that, what kind of messiah creates mechanical death traps to buy himself an uninterrupted nap in a stone coffin?”

           “My defenses we not for you.” Trevor huffed.

           “You could’ve told your defenses that.”

           “They are machines, nothing more. They were not intended to protect me from you.” The vampire’s tone was clipped, and (Y/N) quickly concluded,

           “Defenses of that power would give even the best monster hunters trouble.” She regarded him with a look of suspicion. “You’re protecting yourself from something more dangerous than simple monster hunters.” He nodded at her, turning to look back at her brother.

           “I asked you a question. Do you care?” Trevor leaned forward and announced,

           “I care about doing my family’s work. I care about saving lives.” He turned his body. “Am I going to have to kill you?” At this, the man’s tone colored with anger and he sneered,

           “Do you think you can? If you’re really a Belmont and not some runt running around with a family crest, you might be able to.” He flicked a finger, and (Y/N) heard a clinking sound before a silver sword spun through the air. He caught it and slung it back, the air cutting before it with a sharp slice. “Let’s find out.” Sypha leaned forward.

           “Belmont you can’t do this!” She turned to (Y/N). “(Y/N)! Stop him, please!” Trevor cut her off before she could speak.

           “Tell it to your floating vampire Jesus here.” The man’s face pinched and he countered,

           “You’ve got nothing but insults, have you? A tired little-” The whip cracked the lower end of his torso, sending him flying. He skidded across the ground, and looked up, a hiss passing his lips, and (Y/N) warned,

           “Trevor.” He didn’t look at her.

           “Stay there (Y/N). I’m fine.” The two began to fight, and (Y/N) moved back near Sypha, knowing she couldn’t help her brother.

           “(Y/N), please! Stop them!” She glanced at the woman and grunted with laughter as she watched Trevor knee the man in the groin. Her laughter quickly faded into shock as she watched her brother’s short sword snap, then get punched to the ground. The vampire dropped his sword, moving to Trevor, one hand gripping the hair at the crown of his head, the other shoving his shoulder down.

           “Do you have a god to put a last prayer to, Belmont?” A grin played at Trevor’s lips and he quipped,

           “Yeah. Dear God, please don’t let the vampire’s guts ruin my good tunic.” The man’s bled with confusion as he asked,

           “What?” He let out a pained grunt as the dagger entered his chest. He leaned forward, hissing, “I can still rip your throat out.”

           “You can, but it won’t stop me staking you.”

           “But you will still die.”

           “But I don’t care. Killing you was the point. Living through it was just a luxury.” The vampire let out a chuckle, but stopped as a hand tightened in his hair, pulling him back, and an edge of a blade rested against his throat. He made no movement as he felt breath next to his ear.

           “I might be the only Belmont willing to talk my way out of fights, but make no mistake, I will cut your head off if you kill my brother, vampire.” A bright light appeared in the vampire’s gaze and he looked forward at Sypha, who stood in front of him.

           “And I will incinerate you before your fangs touch that man’s throat.”

           “I thought I was your legendary savior.” Sypha’s head lowered.

           “So did I. But he saved my life.”

           “You’re a Speaker-Magician.” She nodded.

           “Yes, and his goal is mine…” Her eyes shone bright as she added, “To stand up for the people.” The vampire regarded her for a moment before looking down and muttering,

           “Good. Very good. Two vampire hunters and a magician.” The cut began to heal on his torso, and he leaned up off Trevor’s dagger. “You’ll do.” He let go of Trevor’s hair, but made no more movement when (Y/N)’s blade didn’t move.

           “You won’t kill us?” She queried. He nodded, as best he could and added,

           “On my honor.” With his confirmation, she drew back her blade, and released her grip, smoothing the hair down from where she had it gripped. He stood up and turned to them. “I am Adrian Tepes. Known to the Wallachians as Alucard…son of Vlad Dracula Tepes.” Before he could continue, (Y/N) leaned around his body, pointing at Trevor.

           “Fuckin’ told you dumbass.” Trevor’s blue eyes filled with annoyance and he gave her a sarcastic clap.

           “Congratulations sister, shall I give you a pat on the back for your excellent deduces?”  She scowled at him.

           “How ‘bout you bend over and let me plant my foot up your ass.”

           “Children, please!” The two went silent at Sypha’s exasperated call, and Adrian continued.

           “I’ve been asleep here in my private keep under Gresit for a year,” He placed a hand over his chest, and (Y/N) caught sight of the angry red scar across his pale skin. “to heal the wounds dealt by my father when I attempted to stop him unleashing his demon armies.” Sypha’s hand lowered and she marveled,

           “You are the sleeping soldier.” Adrian turned to her.

           “I’m aware of the stories. I’m also aware that the Speakers consider the story to be information from the future. Do you know the whole story?” A dust of crimson touched the tips of Sypha’s cheeks, and she ignored (Y/N)’s snicker as she nodded.

           “Yes.”

           “The sleeping soldier will be met by a hunter and a scholar.” Trevor’s neck disappeared into his shoulders as he muttered,

           “No one told me that.” (Y/N) waved him off and questioned,

           “The hell am I then? Chopped liver?”

           “You smell like it.” She flipped her middle finger at Trevor who snorted, and Adrian turned to her, golden eyes zeroing in on the onyx raven crest at her chest.

           “A huntress from the Order of Shadows…I never expected to see one in person.” (Y/N) blinked in stunned silence. When she found her senses, she asked,

           “You know the Order?” Adrian nodded.

           “Only by the outstanding reputation for being protectors of the innocent and oppressed.” He eyed to silver sword in her hand. “And for being deadly in combat.” He looked back at Trevor. “I think I might’ve lost if she’d engaged me instead of you.” Trevor rolled his eyes, ignoring the barb, and Sypha took it as a chance to speak.

           “Why do you think my grandfather tried everything to make you stay?” Trevor picked himself off the ground, groaning,

           “I hate speakers.” The three waited for Adrian to dress, then Sypha inquired,

           “So, what happens now?” Adrian shoved the scabbard into his belt.

           “I need two hunters and a scholar. I need help to save Wallachia…” The sword lifted from the ground, sheathing itself. “Perhaps the world and defeat my father.” Trevor glanced at him, suspicion coloring his tone.

           “Why?” Adrian’s feet stopped and he murmured,

           “Because it is what my mother would have wanted…and we are all, in the end…slaves to our families wishes.” The words made (Y/N)’s heart heavy, but she ignored it, tightening the armor at her wrist.

           “You’ll help us kill Dracula and save Wallachia?” The four met at the doorway, and Adrian nodded.

           “My father has to die.” He glanced at them, eyes stopping to rest on (Y/N). “We four…we can destroy him.” For a moment, no one spoke, then (Y/N) pointed to the doorway, deadpanning,

           “Not to break the dramatic silence here, but numbnuts broke the gears and shit coming down, so how the fuck do we get out of here?” Adrian passed her by, his eyes so focused on her, it almost made her sweat.

           “Follow me.” The vampire walked ahead, Sypha following him, but the two siblings stood solemn. The two didn’t speak at first, then she whispered,

           “Are you sure about this Trevor?” She looked aver at him, watching as he glared daggers into Adrian’s back.

           “No…no I’m not.” (Y/N) took in a breath, then let it out.

           “Well…nothing we can do about it now.” Trevor nodded, following her as she jogged to catch up with the other two. “So, Goldenrod…do you prefer Alucard or Adrian?”

[popwasabi]

Lockdown Lookback: Catching up on the past months’ Pop Culture

Aaaaannnd we’re back!

It’s amazing what a little pandemic can do to shake you out of your creative cobwebs but if we’re all going to die, I want to make sure all my pop cultural hot takes are up to date at least.

Many of us are already on lockdown and many major movies including “007,” “Black Widow” and ummm I guess “Mulan” are all getting pushed to the backburner as no one is leaving their God damn homes unless they’re told to!

(Didn’t realize the thing I wish I had more of in the apocalypse would be sweatpants...)

But there’s still plenty to talk about from the previous months and other hot topics I have been meaning to write about but just hadn’t found the time or energy for. Life has been hard I think for just about all of us these days thanks in no small part to this pandemic. For me personally, I’ve had two different vacations canceled because of the virus and currently working understaffed at my job which is considered essential. Not to mention my therapist is on call only at this time and both my martial arts schools have been suspended, so I can neither talk nor punch my feelings out of my system.

So, I might be just a LITTLE on edge at the moment.

(My internal monologue for most of these past few weeks, more broadly years...)

Anyways, I digress, you come here because you like to read my highly unprofessional takes on pop culture and genuinely to those who have cheered me on from the beginning thanks, you guys are my prime motivators. But anyways let’s talk about all the shit I was supposed to write about these last two and a half months.

 “Birds of Prey” was a hot, but needed, mess

Earlier last month I got to see the sort of sequel to the much-maligned “Suicide Squad” in “Birds of Prey and the…waaaay too long of a title for me write here.” I had cautious optimism for it because it looked strange and off the beaten path of most comic book movies and seemed to promise at the very least a fun time at the theater but it’s still also a DCEU movie so the floor was pretty low on its possible quality as well.

In the end, the movie is kind of bit of everything; the best and worst parts of the DCEU. 

In terms of the good, it’s definitely outside the box, a sort of fem Deadpool first person story as told frenetically by Harley herself. Margot Robbie is, of course, still quite great at this role and you can tell she’s having a blast as this character. The humor is mostly good and visually the bright colors and cinematography pops on each screen and on that front there isn’t much to complain about.

But as a DCEU movie it does suffer from some narrative imbalance partially due to it’s psycho storyteller but mostly, and more than likely, due to corporate editing that probably axed an entire dance number that I was honestly looking forward to from the trailers.

(Seriously, I actually wanted to see the full unedited version of whatever hell this ended up being.)

It’s definitely in the “could’ve been better” camp of comic book movies but you know what? I’m still glad it exists. You know why? Because comic book movies dominate our blockbuster culture right now and if the genre wants to survive, at least artistically, it needs some outside the box films like this. I HATED “Joker” but I appreciate that it opened the door for stranger, more unique takes on a genre that is getting increasingly more stale. This movie falls into that unique category too.

(Also, to all the faux-intellectuals and alt-right nerds making a culture war out of “Sonic” vs “Birds of Prey” *kindly* reevaluate your lives please...)

We’re at the point now where comic book movies should be getting weirder, not more formulaic, and that means swinging for the fences even if a couple don’t quite make it out of the ballpark. If it takes a few not so stellar takes on the genre for Hollywood to greenlight a truly fantastic one I’m all for it.

In any case “Birds of Prey” doesn’t quite end nor continue the DCEU’s recent hot streak but it is enjoyable enough to where I would be more than open to a sequel. It’s worth a watch.

 The Mandalorian and The Witcher: Two shows about violent mercenaries and fatherhood

Both these shows are old news at this point, but I did want to talk a little about both for a bit if you would have me.

First, “The Mandalorian” which was Disney+’s flagship production to begin its streaming chapter late last year is definitely a more than welcome addition to the galaxy far, far away. It’s pretty easy to feel fairly jaded about Star Wars these days given how flat the new trilogy ended but for what it’s worth “The Mandalorian” was a good mix of nostalgia bait and something new and interesting for fans to chew on. Its production value is obviously top-notch, no doubt because of all the Disney money pumped into it, it’s well-acted and thrilling and fun from start to finish. It plays heavily on the genres that influenced the series, primarily westerns and old samurai flicks, and fans of those will certainly enjoy the homages to them all.

The series was something of a coming out party for Deborah Chow who directed two of the season 1’s best episodes. Her steady hand, eye for details and tributes to Asian cinema throughout really gave the series an extra kick at times and showed how Star Wars can evolve still. Chow is set to helm the upcoming “Kenobi” series and one can only hope that she *really* leans into the samurai genre for that show.

(Hopefully, there are some “Yojimbo” vibes in there somewhere...)

The Mandalorian’s best and worst parts though are its semi episodic nature making each episode easy to digest as a one-off but also lacking some narrative tension between each. It plays kind of like a Saturday Morning cartoon to both its benefit and detriment with bite-size easy to digest plots and dialogue for the viewers but not offering a ton of depth beyond that.

The Mandalorian himself is also kind of a Gary Stu. His armor is basically impenetrable and far and away the best killer onscreen typically, making more than a few action scenes lack real stakes and tension. Baby Yoda certainly helps at times to make him more vulnerable and puts him in precarious positions plenty of times but outside a few moments (mainly episode 2 and to a lesser extend the final episode) he’s just a little too overpowered to be a more interesting character.

But this show and frankly the Star Wars series as a whole is meant for kids, no matter what the neckbeards try to tell you (violence =/= adult), and that’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Plenty of kids productions can be both great and even sophisticated and while I wouldn’t say “The Mandalorian” is either of those it’s a good and fun kids show for the fans.

(And yes I’m aware that the books, some comics, and games have touched on more adult stuff, you weirdos. But how would you describe the overall tone and presumptive audience of the movies and TV series as a whole, guys??)

As far as “The Witcher” goes it also has a bit of an episodic style to it as well with an overarching, albeit, convoluted story that runs parallel to it. The first 3-4ish episodes can be classified as a quasi “Game of Thrones” clone leaning perhaps a little too heavily into the tropes of that series. Once the series finally starts leaning into its real identity, a dry-witted hack and slash fantasy, the series is much more consistent both tonally and narratively.

Henry Cavil is solid as Geralt of Rivia and the supporting cast of Joey Batey as Jaskier, Freya Allen as Ciri and even more so Anya Chalotra as Yennefer are all great in their respective roles delivering some great moments throughout the season.

(And lest you forget this earworm...)

“The Witcher’s” early season struggles keep it from being as tonally or narratively consistent as “The Mandalorian” but where the monster slayer beats the bounty hunter is that it has overall more compelling drama and has more to say, leaning much more heavily into the thematic greys of the plot. There are tons of problems with “The Witcher” on a story-telling level but you can definitely say it cares more about adding some depth in between the more pulpy aspects of the story which is something you can’t say as much for in “The Mandalorian.”

Of course, I’m partially overselling “The Witcher” a bit here, it’s not anywhere near “Game of Thrones” best (yet at least), and on the flipside one could argue that “The Mandalorian’s” more subtle sense of story-telling does its themes better. But when it comes down to these two shows you get somewhat similar story-telling ideas, mostly involving both characters and their smaller counterparts, in two very different genres with equally diverging conclusions to their respective seasons. 

(🎵 Toss an “Oof” to your Witcher...🎵)

All in all, they’re both good and worth a watch and I think they deserve a chance to evolve and hopefully showcase more of what they have to offer moving forward.

“Parasite” wins Best Picture! Many people have some hot takes, including the president...

Last month one of my favorite films of 2019 “Parasite” won Best Picture at the Oscars. It’s a movie that is becoming increasingly relevant as elites and celebrities alike are getting front of the line testing despite being asymptomatic in the middle of pandemic and think they can assuage our concerns and dread by poorly singing “Imagine” together within the comfort of their McMansions.

It’s about as a good time as any to revisit this movie, I mean where else are you going to go during this timeline, and at a later date I’ll write something more extensive about it eventually (hopefully) but first here’s a helpful video on one particular thing that came out after director Bong Joon Ho took home the night’s top honors:

 “Cats” is still a fever dream of madness

Back in late December, I watched “Cats” for science, as I had AMC A-List and a friend crazy enough to join me. I figured it would be bonkers and unlike anything I had seen before in the worst way but even then, I don’t think I was truly prepared for what I ended up seeing that fateful night.

I remember quite vividly going to the bar inside the theater and ordering a stiff drink beforehand to numb the pain and the bartender asking “So what are y’all watching tonight?” and beginning to laugh manically like an insane asylum patient at the innocuousness of the question. Walking into the theater was like that feeling you get before getting on a particularly scary-looking rollercoaster at Six Flags but instead of the pre-ride jitters eventually subsiding to the eventual fun and joy of the ride, only a deep sense of existential dread built up and sustained itself through what felt like six hours of the most baffling thing put to screen in front of my eyes ever.

(The music that played in my head as I exited the theater...)

Have any of you watched the Stanley Kubrick movie “Eyes Wide Shut” before? You know the scene when Tom Cruise is walking around in his mask observing the strange occult sex orgy going on around him at the mansion? That’s kind of what “Cats” felt like except way more terrifying, somehow MORE sexual, and definitely crazier.

(Is...this some type of...intepretative dance to summon an eldritch horror??)

There’s a voyeuristic terror that comes from sitting in that theater room as you watch bipedal humanoid looking felines dance to confusing songs about “Jelicle” cats (whatever the fuck that means) and all other manner of things that should NOT take human form throughout it’s near-endless runtime. A lot was made about Rebel Wilson and the disgusting roach people she consumes but NO ONE warned me about the frankly HORRIFYING mice children in the same scene!

(I am not perusing the internet to find that image again for y’all. I have enough nightmares each night...)

The saddest thing about the whole movie is everyone, save for Ian Mckellen who seemed to be acting as if a gun was pointing at him offscreen and Judi Dench who looked 100 percent like a geriatric in her digi fur, was giving the movie their fullest effort in what can only be described as a Titanic-sized level of hubris by all parties involved. This movie really needed a “Chaostician” involved in evaluating the production for studio heads and shareholders because there were definitely NOT enough people on this project wondering whether or not this film SHOULD exist...

(Dr. Ian Malcolm coming to Universal Pictures to access the film.)

What has “Cats” wrought upon this world? The universe has been clearly out of balance since this movie came out and while I’m not saying it’s director Tom Hooper’s fault, I’m not saying it isn’t either.

“Cats” is one of those things, much like The Matrix that cannot be simply described but must be seen to believe. It’s one of the worst things I have ever seen onscreen but with the right group of people and a few stiff drinks it’s certainly an experience you won’t forget. Consider it for your next Google Hangout during this apocalypse.

  Anyways, that about wraps up my thoughts on the last few months. Going to try to be more consistent going forward especially given how much more time I have now to write, for better and worse. But more importantly, just want to say stay safe y’all. It’s going to be a process to get through this and while things are more likely to get worse before they get better there will be a day when this all ends and some normalcy may yet return to our life but in order for us to get there we need to remain vigilant. 

So stay at home, wash your hands, and if you want to watch movies just order it online for now and we’ll just wait until aaaallll this blows over…hopefully.

Don’t panic...

[blackasteriia]

🔥 story structure bih

Feed the Fires of my Salt

I jumped into Kingdom Hearts right after KH3 came out. I had the privilege of watching the series’ cutscenes from beginning-to-end, starting with the KHUX back cover and ending in KH3. This is a very confusing way to enter Kingdom Hearts. The start of the story is in KHUX and the beginning is in KH1. It’s KH1 that introduces the core mechanics, themes, and principles of the story. Yet, the story starts in KHuX, which is a mobile game. The KHuX itself is a baffling mess with too many twists for me to even bother tracking it. For the purpose of this essay I’ll focus on Sora’s story, he’s the protagonist after all. 

Kingdom Hearts 1 begins medias res, ‘into the middle of things.’ It doesn’t know that. It thinks it’s a straightforward story and probably the best told one in all of Kingdom Hearts. Sora and his friends live a normal life. He has a call to action when his island falls into darkness and he losses his friends. To find his friends he must travel through several worlds. On the course of this journey he learns of Kingdom Hearts. He then meets Ansem, the antagonist who believes that all people and things belong to the darkness. Sora takes all that he has learned to confront Ansem. Ansem is defeated and Sora’s journey comes to a close. It’s a simple story but it is effective, charming, and fun. 

Then, Sora loses all his memories in a random castle through an event that he does not remember, he wakes-up after sleeping a full year, and we go into Kingdom Hearts 2. 

Kingdom Hearts 2, is another hero’s journey. Sora seeks guidance from the wise Yen Sid, a mentor archetype we most often find in stories of this type. Yen Sid informs Sora that he must defeat Organization 13, an insidious group seeking to obtain Kingdom Hearts. This bunch isn’t as straightforward as Ansem was. They’re manipulative, and also, very human, with their own quirks and personalities, some even befriending Sora. The series delves into a more mature grey than the pure black and white of KH1. Sora learns that light and dark aren’t clear-cut concepts, but to accept the complexity of himself, and others. Sora defeats Xemnas and returns to Destiny Island with his friends, concluding his journey. 

In Dream Drop Distance, Sora and Riku undergo training by Yen Sid to become keyblade masters, which is very important. Sora must unlock the power of waking by *shuffles notes* freeing seven sleeping keyholes, in the realm of sleep. Okay, yeah, anyway he does that. Then this Xehanort guy --who the hell is this guy? He was in Birth by Sleep. Wait, what?-- kidnaps him and tries to possess him so he can fill out the ranks of Organization 13-- Didn’t we kill all of them in the last game? No, they came back. Then why bother killing them off?-- But he’s saved by Axel --who died in the last game-- and Riku. Anyway, this is apparently grounds for failure and Sora does not become a keyblade master. 

In Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora embarks on an adventure to unlock the power of waking by traveling through the worlds and training to become stronger. Didn’t he already beat like, three series antagonists by now why does he need to grow stronger??? Sora is confronted by the members of the Real Organization 13, who taunt him as he travels. Sora gathers the Seven Guardians of Lights and defeats Xehanort and the Real Organization 13. He returns to Destiny Island with his friends and concludes his story by vanishing into a burst of light.

And that, from beginning to end, is Sora’s journey through the Kingdom Hearts series. I skipped a lot of details. I didn’t include side games. I told it as Sora experienced it. Here’s a few things I noticed:

1). There’s a lot of start and stops. The series has three endings. The end of Kingdom Hearts 1, Kingdom Hearts 2, and Kingdom Hearts 3, are all satisfying stop-points for the series. This makes sense, as Nomura, for the most part, intended them to be endings. Of course, he leaves some running threads to intrigue and hint at another game. It means that Sora has his powers reset twice and he begins another hero journey three times. The goals never change: train, grow stronger, beat-up bad guy, go home. Sora never grows past the dumb kid that picked-up a giant key in KH1 and started swinging, or any growth he does develop is reset. 

2). The side games are useless. I can tell Sora’s story without Birth by Sleep. I can do it without 358/2 Days, Chain of Memories, Re:Coded, and I bet I could kick-out Dream Drop Distance too. Xehanort is the sole character that you need. He is by far the worst antagonist. He shows-up without fanfare and is defeated with little trouble. Ansem and Xemnas both had something to contrast to Sora, some sort’ve dynamic, a personal stake. Xehanort is just a jerk and he needs to be beaten-up.

3). Xehanort is a terrible antagonist. An antagonist is the character that opposes the protagonist. It is the antagonist who the protagonist must overcome in order to complete their journey. Ansem and Sora jostle over the very nature of humans, idealism vs cynicism. Xemnas forced Sora to recognize the complexity of the human condition. Xehanort-- bullies Sora until Sora kicks his ass. Never mind untangling how unbelievably complicated the relationship between Xehanort, Ansem, and Xemnas are. You’d believe that Xehanort would be some culmination of Sora’s journey-- but I’d argue that it’d complete the Sea Salt Trio’s story more to defeat Xehanort, than it does for Sora to do it. 

4). Final Fantasy and Disney are window dressing. This game series is supposed to be a crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy. If you read my synopsis, you would not know this. Maleficent in KH1 is the sole character I feel I could’ve added. None of the Final Fantasy characters are on the list or come close to deserving mention. Why do we have the fiftieth Xehanort clone, and not Sephiroth, or anyone else, as a main antagonist? When I watched this series for the first time I did not watch a single Disney World, and I lost nothing for it. About 60-70% of this entire game series is useless, poorly written filler. This becomes worse as it drags on too. There’s some neat character study in KH1 but by KH3, it’s all crap. Instead of using the Disney World’s for character exploration and building plot, they’re usually charmless retellings of the original movie. 

5). There are so many useless characters. We don’t need Roxas. Get rid of Xion. Namine, who? Xehanort just needs to go. You can remove Kairi after KH1. Maybe we keep the BBS-trio because we have to have someone fill-out the Guardians of Light in KH3, but I think Terra is expendable. All of the Union Cross cast, gone. After KH2, all of the Organization members are wasted screen time. These characters do not contribute to the main plot and they have no satisfactory, useful, or good character arcs. They’re just here, repeating what we already heard. Axel finished his story in KH2, why is he still here? The entirety of Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days and Re:coded can be removed, and you would lose absolutely nothing. If I was Nomura’s editor, I’d be making judicious use of a red pen on his scripts. Characters that die don’t stay dead, characters that finish their arcs just hang around taking-up space, and characters that shouldn’t be added, are added. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, trim this down to like, 2-3 games, tops, and you’d have a powerful story. Not a long overwritten piece of absurdity that’s wheezing like a pneumonic horse on its last legs. 

6). Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts 3 are the worst. Sora sets out to complete one task: become a keyblade master, and, he fails. He doesn’t even finish his secondary task, master the power of waking. Kingdom Hearts 3 has no tension, it’s so cut-and-dry, you need about... an hour of the game to know what happened in it. Sora defeated Xehanort, the all important villain, introduced in DDD. It then ends on a stupid cliff hanger. Also, goes to show that Re:Mind was stupid and didn’t help anything or anyone. KH3 had one job, complete all the character arcs introduced in the series in a satisfying way, and it failed on every single account. 

How this series tells story is terrible. It’s done through long-winded exposition that is boring and confusing. Somehow, after watching hours of cutscenes and reading all of the additional side material, I still do not know what Kingdom Hearts is supposed to be. Sometimes, it’s the ‘heart of worlds,’ other times it’s a ‘source of wisdom,’ or it’s a ‘source of power,’ or it can just grant Xemnas’ wish like a star, and it looks like Scala Ad Caelum inside, or its the door to the Realm of Darkness. How can it be the name sake of the series and be so poorly defined? The Metal Gear series is just as convoluted as Kingdom Hearts is, but at least I know what a metal gear is. 

Nomura can structure a plot. He understands the basics of hero’s journey. Every single game is based on that structure, individually. When tied together, however, they make this weird mass  of starts and stops, retcons, wasted time, and poor story telling. I like Sora and I like his story. I would not be here if that was not the case. It’s the same way with Xion. I really like Xion and her story, but she shouldn’t be here. That, or it needs to be written in a way that it matters. This plot stuff isn’t just about the events. It’s about the characters.  What happens to them. What do they do. How do they behave. How do they change? Plot happens when characters act. What a bad plot indicates is bad character motivation and action. These characters don’t matter because Nomura didn’t give them backstories, nuanced motivations, real flaws, or meaningful action. So he crams as most information into the dialogue and pretends that counts as a plot. 

 And it’s not like plot is  complicated, shit happens, that’s it. To add in some RP salt? It bothers me when muns says they’re ‘bad at plotting.’ What do you mean you’re bad at plot? Plot happens when our two muses meet and shit happens. Your muse has encountered a wild Xion, what do you do? > Run > Attack > Talk to > Feed. I’m not writing a passive brick here, ya’ll. I want shit to happen. And when I’m slogging through 13 hours of Kingdom Hearts 2 I want shit to happen, and not watch Sora faff about in a Disney world for forty minutes. Why is that so much to ask for?

[fortunatelylori]

"Everyone who's crossed her she's found a way to murder." I can definitely see this going through Jon's mind if Sansa is kidnapped. Sansa and Arya were used as baragining chips in S1 for Robb but he chose not to go to KL. Also, when Jon found out "they" were being held there he initially was going to go but was talked out of it and chose to honor his vows. I think this will come back too. Conflict of the heart. "You'd think of little else if you had too." (tbc...)

I think Jon will be consumed by this at this pt. So to make the stakes higher I think both the WW and Sansa getting kidnapped (if this does happen) will happen simultaneously. While I think Sansa and Cersei will have another showdown and Sansa being in KL against her will check so many boxes I can’t just can’t figure out why. Why kidnap and not just murder? Why would she think Jon would come when Robb didn’t? Could LF might have told her something about their relationship?

Also, if both Cersei and the WW happen at the same time then both of them will be right as far as who to be concerned about. How do you see this plot unfold? What will Jon’s conflict be at this point? What will he decide? What role will Dany play in this? I would love your thoughts on this. Thank you!

Hey, nonnie!

I have to say … this kidnapping plot is slowly taking over my life. :))))) I’ve been thinking about it a lot actually. And while the more time passes, the more I’m convinced it will happen, the details of it are still a little fuzzy for me. 

So I guess I could start by saying why a kidnapping of Sansa by Cersei makes sense and what story boxes it would tick if it were to happen. After all, you don’t make a plot choice if it doesn’t help you achieve certain goals both thematically and in terms of story progression: 

1. It would bring Sansa and Cersei face to face again: this is VERY important for a number of reasons. Sansa was Cersei’s “little dove”, the girl she attempted to mold to her will but also despised because she saw her as being weak and naive. Their relationship is rife for dramatic exploration and I don’t know any writer worth his salt that wouldn’t want to tap into that, particularly now that Sansa has grown and developed and they could flip the dynamic on its head, showing what Sansa has learned from all of her tormentors, Cersei included. This is also important because Sansa needs to go back to her: “If I am ever queen, I will make them love me” mentality. Right now she’s vacillating and the question of her admiring Cersei hangs in the air, as per Jon’s observation. The simplest way for Sansa to fully reject Cersei’s worldview is by being faced with her once again, and choosing to the the Queen that people love, not the Queen that people fear. It’s kind of a play on being faced with who you might become if you choose one road instead of another, sort of thing.  

2. The Younger, More Beautiful Queen: this prophecy has tormented Cersei her entire life and it’s bound to conclude in its final act. If Sansa is the younger, more beautiful queen that will cast Cersei down and take all that she holds dear, it makes sense that she would be present for Cersei’s demise, whatever that might be. I say present because while Sansa was involved for most of Cersei’s tragedies, she was never the party responsible, she inadvertently found herself involved and I hope the pattern continues because I like the idea of prophecies not being played straight and that Cersei herself is ultimately responsible for her own downfall. 

3. Sansa is the princess in the tower with no prince to save her: for all the complaining that people do that Sansa can’t do anything for herself and she always needs saving, the sad fact of the matter is Sansa has never truly been saved by anyone. As she herself puts it to LF: She’s taken from monsters that murdered her family and given to other monsters that murdered her family. Her “rescues” are simply an exacerbation of her confinement. No one saves her. The one that comes closest is Theon but it’s Sansa that pushes him to that point and thematically speaking this action is linked more to Theon regaining his identity that Sansa Stark being saved. Also, her reunion with Jon did not truly bring liberation because she was still stuck with LF and also her trauma has made her close herself off and put herself in a sort of emotional cage. 

As you mentioned, Robb actually refuses to risk the ire of his men to go and try to save Sansa so she’s never truly a priority for someone, nor is she the goal, as the princess in the tower trope lays out. So to finally see someone make Sansa their priority and come to rescue her, despite all other consideration, would be a fulfilling arc. Particularly since Sansa keeps saying that no one can protect her. People have taken this to mean that Sansa doesn’t want protection because she can take care of herself. I don’t think that’s it at all. Sophie Turner said that when Sansa reunites with Jon, it’s the first moment of happiness Sansa has felt in years because she’s finally with someone who will take care of her and look after her. So I think Sansa is still looking for that prince to protect her and save her. She just doesn’t believe that exists anymore. So maybe it’s time she be proven wrong. 

4. Jon has a choice to make: Jon has been teased with a choice between love and duty since season 1 and he’s always chosen duty. But there were always extenuating circumstances to his choice. When he wanted to join Robb’s campaign, Joer Mormont pointed out that fighting the WW was more important on the grand scheme of things. Also Jon, at the time, was still the outcast, bastard of Winterfell, looking to forge his new identity. When he chose the NW over Ygritte, he had already made up his mind that he was a brother of the NW and that’s where his life was (he tells Ygritte: I have to go home now) and also justified by the fact that Ygritte violent tendencies pushed him away in any case.  However, in the end the loyalty that Jon showed to the NW was betrayed when he was killed by the very people who called themselves his brothers. When he came back from the dead, he was a man without a purpose or a plan (a weird thing for Jon Snow). It was Sansa that gave that to him, pushed him back into action so it would be easy to assume that whatever determination Jon might have now to fight the WW, protect the North and whatever else is inextricably linked to her. So what happens if she’s in danger? Will Jon’s choice between love and duty be as easy to make as it was in the past? I’d argue no. Because Sansa is not only his love, but his duty as well. He’s sworn to protect her time and time again and her safety and well being are paramount to him. So this time we’re going to watch Jon choose love and what a sight that will be!  

5. Tension must be added to the Jon/D*ny dynamic: And the parentage reveal is not enough. Because D*ny finding out Jon is a rival for the throne she’s been dreaming about since season 1 is a political matter. Her seeing him lose his mind over the possibility of Cersei hurting Sansa is a deeply personal one. I always found it interesting that D*ny wasn’t there to witness Jon’s interaction with Theon on the beach and see his reaction when Theon brought up Sansa. But I’m willing to bet good money she’ll have a front row seat to Jon Snow going berserk because “his sister” is in danger. It will probably be the last nail in the coffin for the already doomed Jon/D*ny alliance. Also, at some point, Jon is going to ride Rhaegar, I’m almost 100% sure of that. No way the writers are passing up the opportunity to have their number 1 hero mount a dragon or have this Dance of Dragons 2.0 end without a Jon/D*ny showdown on dragon back. So what better time for Jon to steal Rhaegal than when he needs to get to KL really, really fast?

6. Jaime and Cersei need to meet again: For one I believe that Jaime is the younger brother who will choke Cersei to death. For two, Cersei’s storyline is so marked by wildfire that it would be weird not to have the man most traumatized by wildfire be there to stop her from using it (which I believe will be the reason why he ends up killing her, paralleling his killing of the Mad King). Jaime and Cersei’s relationship is so toxic and tragic that it needs to end in the same vein, and “I don’t believe you” and a quick exist North ain’t gonna cut it. We know Jaime is going North to join the fight against the WW so the kidnapping plot might bring him back to KL, of his own accord or perhaps as Jon’s hostage. (he’s going to need some kind of leverage against Cersei, right? Who better than the only person left in the world Cersei actually cares about?)

7. The feelings reveal needs to happen somehow: At some point Jon and Sansa will need to confess their love for each other. So … what better time in terms of full emotional impact than after they’ve been separated and they thought they’d die/never see each other again? 

8. The writers need to connect the Winterfell/WW plot to the King’s Landing plot: I mean what is Cersei going to do for at least 3 episodes? Walk around the Red Keep counting the villages she’s taken back from D*ny with the help of the Golden Company? I mean, that would be the smart thing to do. Why march your armies into the North, in the dead of winter, with a zombie apocalypse underfoot? But then again, if characters acted smart and rational all the time, we’d have much more boring plot lines, wouldn’t we? The kidnapping of Sansa can bring the two narrative threads together. 

So both in terms of plot expediency as well as arc completion, the kidnapping plot neatly solves all sorts of issues as well as add drama and the all important cliff hangers GOT loves. 

As for how it will unfold … I think what we’re truly missing in order to see the full picture is the: Why? Why does Cersei kidnap Sansa at this juncture in the story? She could have already done it in season 7, when Jon was away on Dragonstone. It would have been a hell of a lot easier to do than now, during the Long Night, with dragons circling Winterfell and huge armies fighting zombies. Unfortunately, I don’t have a clear answer to this. Something needs to happen … some unforeseen plot development that convinces Cersei to send her men to capture Sansa. What that might be, I’m not sure. 

But it will probably also be the answer to your question about why kidnap Sansa and not just murder her. In addition to that, one other reason why Cersei wouldn’t just murder Sansa is because of the way that Cersei gets her revenge. If we look at her revenge against Septa Ornella and Ellaria Sand, we can see that Cersei is not content to only murder her enemies, she wants to dish out the same amount and type of torment that was inflicted on her by the parties responsible. I imagine she will want to do the same thing to Sansa. 

Could this happen simultaneously with the WW attack? Again, I don’t know. Feels like a lot to juggle but it could … Maybe the kidnapping happens during the WW final battle and Jon going to KL is the start of the Dance of Dragons part of the story line? Maybe Jon steals Rhaegal to go rescue Sansa and D*ny pursues him on Drogon? Just ideas at this point …

One theory I do have is that Cersei need not attack Winterfell to get Sansa. After all, Cersei did promise to help against the WW. That would mean that the Winterfell gang, at least in theory, will be waiting for her tropes to arrive. Any day now … Almost there … There they are! They show up, Winterfell opens their gates and boom, somewhere during the night, Euron (it would need to be Euron, wouldn’t it? he’s the only one crazy enough to attempt it particularly if Cersei commits to marrying him) and his merry men abduct Sansa. Now imagine the fall out from that decision, the guilt that Jon would feel that he allowed them to walk through the gates, the angst, the torment! That would be great! So? In his desperation, he steals Rhaegal (and possibly Jaime) and goes to KL. The reason why I’m so attached to Jon stealing Rhaegal at this juncture is that atop a dragon, Jon has more of a chance of getting out there alive with Sansa, than if he were to travel by boat. I mean he needs to take precautions, despite whatever Cersei might say/promise. He’s not a moron. 

As for what happens in KL,it’s anyone’s guess at this point because again we must return to that pesky: why. Although I have to say, that whatever might happen, it won’t be that pretty for Sansa. I don’t see any way it could be. In the end, she will triumph but it will be an angst riddled couple of weeks for all of us.  

If anyone has scenarios to share here, please feel free. 

Thank you for the ask, nonnie!

[gofancyninjaworld]

Thoughts on One-Punch Man Season 2: But what about the story?

Second part: So much for the structure, what was the effect?

Just before the second season started, I posted about what I hoped I’d see, assuming it ended where it did. Let’s see how they did. 

Yup, I keep cutting the words, but the bastards keep multiplying

The Story Itself

What I’d hoped for:

There’s a lot less of the monster of the week situation, this series. I love the care with which the Monster Association goes about attacking. What looked like random stuff (egregiously stretched out by the tournament), will come together to be a coherent and potent threat that will leave us viewers desperate to find out how the Hero Association replies.

[…]

And at the end of this season, even though we’ve had a very interesting time of it, none of it will be over.  The stakes will have been delineated, the battle lines drawn and I really hope that J.C. Staff does enough to make it clear why we should care enough to come back for season 3 whenever it airs.

What we got:

No question about it, there’s a Monster Association and it’s pretty serious. We got their ultimatum to the Hero Association and there’s no question that they’re taking it seriously. The problem comes with the overall lack of energy and urgency in the treatment of the plot.  We’re missing bodies, broken buildings, landed punches, follow through, all the things that sell that sense of urgency, of a situation that’s threatening to spin out of all control.  Which is a pity, because then we don’t get the sense of relief once the monsters disappear, only to be replaced with foreboding as the Monster Association makes its demands.  

They really can’t use time as an excuse for that.  It was really bad scripting with a tendency to soft-soap all impacts by panning away at critical moments.  It’s a real shame when episode 7 (19) is named ‘Class S Heroes’ – the heavy cavalry whom should turn the tides of battle – and we see very little of how they work.  The rare times they have followed through with blows, the entire mood of the episode changes for the better. 

It’s interesting that when chapter 84 was released, it felt like an excellent season finale.  And it could have been, but for the lack of a build up in tension and urgency that should have been sustained all season long.  So many missed opportunities – like little scenes of Atomic Samurai going in person to Bang’s dojo only to find it locked, more scenes of Bang hunting increasingly desperately for Garou,  a running tally of heroes struck down by Garou adding pressure to his search… all sorts of things the manga has left wide open to be added to that would have created continuity and tension against the backdrop of a crisis that really, really needs the help of *every* hero.

Special note: Can I just say that Phoenixman is awesome in his garishness?  He looks like a children’s show mascot put together by people on the last day of a ten-day bender.  Guaranteed to give children nightmares. I love him.

Don’t believe the monster, kids

The Characters

Charanko:  I wasn’t expecting anything of him, so honourable mention to him. I absolutely love the small but important addition J.C. Staff made to his story, whereby he came across Garou, heard and saw all the heroes the latter was beating up, and, despite his fear and knowledge of his weakness, went forward anyway.  Fantastic! 

Death Gatling:  I’d been afraid that they’d undersell him.  He wasn’t and I was very, very happy to see that.  He’s ever inch as serious, tactically astute, and legitimately charismatic as he needs to be. They could have made Flashy Flash slightly more obnoxious to bring across the extent to which he felt slighted but that’s minor.   

Looking at how fans took him, I’ve been a bit disappointed in the number of fans who don’t get that he’s far from wrong both in seeking recognition (although he did pick the wrong target to make an example of), and for not believing Garou, but that’s not a critique of the way he’s been presented.   The thorny issue of recognition is something I’ve been mooting a meta on, but another day!

Garou:  What I’d hoped for 

I want to see the story of how Garou grows from a malcontent and apparent crazy to this juggernaut whose appointment with destiny cannot be stopped. 

What we got:   

I’d say this was fulfilled!  His luck and unstoppable destiny come across well.  I really like his relationship with Tareo and with Bang being expanded on. 

Fans definitely have taken Garou to heart with very few people neutral on him.  I appreciate the fans who correctly point out that he’s incoherent and hurting heroes who have done nothing to him on account of the childhood trauma he’s projecting onto them.   Like him or not, he’s definitely been given the space he needed and it’s going to be very interesting to see how people change their views of him as the anime continues. 

King:  What I’d hoped for

I want to see King be exposed as a fraud and a coward who runs from danger and leaves people to die, then redeem himself as a decent human being and become the fraud and coward who stands before danger so people might live.   That’s huge – he’s been running like a rabbit for years.

What we got:

Fulfilled.  I love how his relationship with Saitama unfolded, pretty much note perfect.  The scene of his wiling himself to courage is great; it and the flashback JC Staff added linked back to to where he started out quite nicely. 

Who doesn’t love King?  I suspect he arm-wrestled Mumen Rider for fan favourite, particularly as he’s so very ordinary a man in a world of demi-gods. 

Saitama:  What I’d hoped for

We see Saitama finally make a friend, get resolution as to why the world ignores him, and get to celebrate his progress, even as we learn how deep his sense of alienation goes. I love how it’s going to start with Saitama walking away from his disciple and end with Saitama running for his disciple and how nothing else mattered until he saw him safe and well.

What we got:

Mostly fulfilled.  His stasis and ongoing dissatisfaction with life come across excellently.  His feeling ever more irrelevant and removed from the flow of life is literally and metaphorically on show, even as we get to witness the life-changing impact of his punches on others. 

Folk missed Saitama sorely, which is as it should be.  JCStaff, bless their lily-livers, really did miss a trick in not having Elder Centipede continue disintegrating for several seconds – after having been parched for Saitama, that ludicrous scene really helped.

Genos (why always you, my friend?): What I’d hoped for

Last series, we saw Genos try and lose, try and lose, try and lose, try and lose yet again. This season, from the very first episode to the very last, we watch that process of change from a failing hero to a truly fearsome one fit to rub shoulders with the best of heroes.  I want to see how it thrills us, entertains us, breaks our hearts and maybe we dare to hope for even crazier heights in the future.

What we got:

Hm.  Let me paraphrase Dr Bofoi here: ‘It takes a special sort of stupidity to mess up this badly’.   This is worth unpacking a bit as when things go wrong, we often get a better opportunity to see what makes them work.  And I’m always interested in what makes communicating ideas effective. 

For once, let’s start with fan reactions.  The actions Genos takes on the screen are pretty much the same as in the manga (a little abridged in places, but more or less the same).   After manga chapter 84, you got reactions like this: ‘ Genos from now on to me will no longer be a joke. He’s earned my respect.’ ‘…if he still had a human body, he’d have broken his limiter by now…’, ‘he really stepped up’, etc.  After episode 12:  it’s ‘oh, everyone can beat Genos’  'he’s like a princess in distress’  'he’s lucky that Garou wasn’t at full health’… ‘…that man has felt useless since when he first met Saitama during the mosquito fight…’  

Manga readers are less scathing than anime only viewers, but they have the benefit of the manga and aren’t reacting to what’s actually presented on screen.  Where the anime has made the case for Genos being awesome, as it did in episode 11 (23), fan reactions followed appropriately.  

Interesting.  How the hell did JC Staff create the diametric opposite reaction of the one Murata and ONE had elicited?  Particularly when they made a decent fist of the other characters?

From the beginning, I’d worried most about Genos – the clumsy, lifeless sequences we saw of him in the PV inspired no confidence.  With Genos both opening and closing out the season, they really needed to get him right to set the correct tone and leave the right taste in the audiences’ mouths.  JCStaff have struggled most with his portrayal, both in visuals and action, although it came together nicely in episode 11 (23). Mostly, it’s Ishikawa’s sterling voice acting that has carried the character all season. 

And then they silenced Ishikawa.  A mix of stupid-lazy-desperate-for-time meant that for the last episode, they cut out all of Genos’s POV regarding how uneasy he still felt about the monstrous presence he couldn’t pin down, his shrewdly  wondering how to find their headquarters, his initial assessment of the Elder Centipede and even how very carefully he thought before deciding to take action.  They thought his amazing actions could speak for themselves.  They were wrong.

It’s like having Garou act without benefit of flashbacks and assuming his actions will speak for themselves.  They don’t!  Without the benefit of our knowledge of his motivations and thoughts, he really is just a thug launching unprovoked attacks on heroes.

Instead of us seeing and understanding that Genos had learned, was thinking carefully on all he’d been told and the drastic action he took was because he’d weighed up the options and realised only someone sacrificing his life would save the others,  we got the opposite. So what they created instead was a guy who wouldn’t listen to repeated good advice, took on a too-strong enemy and got his butt kicked. Again.  And if there’s anything fans rightly hate, it’s a fool who won’t learn.    As I pointed out earlier, Genos opened and closed the season – so the impression that nothing had changed really took a lot of any climactic feel out of the episode.   

The title of the final episode didn’t help either.  Instead of translating it as ‘taking responsibility for one’s disciple’ which would apply with equal force to both Bang trying to bring Garou to heel and to Saitama, rushing in to deal with a situation Genos couldn’t deal with, Crunchyroll went with the near-literal ‘cleaning up the disciple’s mess’ and Hulu with the literal ‘wiping the disciple’s butt’.  Both of which set the viewer to see whatever Genos did as a mistake. Even though, ironically, he didn’t make any this episode.  It’s a translation klutz like finding out that someone has translated the English idiom ‘catching Peter’s eye’ as ‘gouging out Peter’s eye’ instead of ‘being noticed by Peter’ (no Peters were harmed in the making of this sentence).  That is out of JCStaff’s hands, but I hope that whoever does the DVD/Blu Ray has a better set of translators available.

Ah, it’s not worthwhile grousing. It’s not like they had the time to watch the finished episode back and consider the story they were actually telling.   I don’t envy whoever takes up season 3.  They have a lot of extra work to do to change viewers’ impression of the character and the source material isn’t going to help them.  It's going to br difficult to explain why, when faced with a fool who won't listen to him and appears intent on self-destruction, Dr Kuseno would hand Genos an outfit that needs the most careful judgement to use with any degree of safety. For manga readers, it makes sense. For anime watchers some heavy duty retconning will be necessary.

While ONE cried tears of joy after reading Chapter 84, if he’s crying any tears after this season, they won’t be happy ones. 

[friendlyneighborhoodborg]

Rose Appreciation Week 2k19| Day 3: Favorite Ship| “Angel -- Pt. 2/2″

Again, Ladybug ain’t mine.

I’m posting this past the R.A.W. deadline, but hopefully it’s still good.

[Link to Part 1.]

[Link to AU.] (to be added)

So, if you didn’t read Part 1 or the foreword to that, this will make no sense whatsoever.  I’m doing some weird things with Rose’s character, I thought they were cool, so... anyway, I’m sorry if it’s rushed or paced awkwardly, I finished this up in a rush and I may have missed some stuff.  Anyway, if you have any notes on my writing style, or if you’re confused about my Superhero AU, feel free to shoot me an ask and I’ll make sure to respond if I can.

(again, warning for OCs, violence, and language).

           The bolt sticking out of Leo’s arm was starting to smoke around the wound.  De Sang pushed the other two aside.  “Aspen,” she guessed, looking at the shaft.  “Be very careful when removing it, you might break it, and that will keep burning him if he doesn’t get it all out.” She took a deep breath, steeling herself.  “The longer it stays, the worse.”

           She took a firm grasp of the offending object and, apologizing, pulled slowly.  The flesh resisted, and Leo groaned in pain, but deliberate tension won over and the projectile was removed.

           She examined it.  “Intact,” she judged, relieved, tossing it aside, looking at Leo worriedly.  “Does that feel better?”

           He choked out, “A little.”

           De Sang looked at his shoulder, peeling up the scorched edges of his shirt.  “The burn’s not spreading.  That’s good.”

           She heard the whistle and acted on impulse, spinning around to whack the next bolt out of the air with her baton.  “That was a slow reload!” she shouted, sounding almost disappointed. “Even for a member of the Iron Cross!”

           “Iron Cross!”  Aria snapped to attention.  “They’re here?”

           The hero told Leo, “Get some iodine, that’ll disinfect it.”  And to all of them, “Make yourselves scarce, we’ve got someone who actually knows what they’re doing.  Stage entrance, I’ll draw their fire.”  At some of their worried faces, she smiled and nodded, assuring.  “I’ll be fine.  I survived you three, didn’t I?”

           As the other two vampires helped their friend to his feet, de Sang jumped onto one of the seats near stage left, on the opposite side.  “So!  To whom do I have the pleasure?”

           She waited a long moment for the reply, during which time the vampires fled.  Not even another crossbow shot signaled that she had been acknowledged.

           Then he stepped forward.

           He had wiry black hair, tied in the back, a tanned complexion and a crooked smile.  Green-tinted goggles with thick, black rims covered his eyes, and there was a brown-and-black crossbow in his dark-gloved hands.  He wore a beige capelet, and a brown leather quiver was strapped to his back. Under the capelet was an olive-green dress shirt and dark brown slacks, and de Sang presumed there was padding underneath. And he was much taller than de Sang.

           “They call me…” he said in an oily slick voice, “Èpouvante.”

           De Sang blinked and stifled a laugh. “Wait, they literally named you ‘Dread?’  And… they thought that was clever?”

           “Do not speak of the Iron Cross in that tone.” He grinned.  “Oh, just wait until they hear that I found you.  Wait until I bring you in.  Can you imagine what they’ll do you when they get their hands on you?”

           “That’s if you bring me in.  Do you happen to know who I am?”

           “Oh, of course I do…”  He walked slowly down the aisle closest to her, keeping his bow trained on her gleefully. “Madame de Sang.  What a fortuitous surprise this is.”

           “Hah!” she laughed.  “Finally, someone gets it. By the way, I notice you haven’t stopped aiming that weapon at me.”

           “No.  I’m not an idiot.  But I do say, you’re awfully short.”  De Sang frowned, but didn’t speak up.  “You’re not exactly what I expected from your stories.  I thought the dreaded mercy huntress was a veteran fighter.  Did you actually decommission thirteen guild members?”

           “I did.  Five resigned because they didn’t want to fight me again.  Eight were caught and arrested by police for multiple murder.”

           “I’d hardly call this murder.”  He gestured to the empty cage.  “Those creatures were about to condemn those humans to a torturous, cursed existence.  This is justice.”

           “Everyone makes mistakes.”  De Sang narrowed her eyes.  “This time, the damage was reversible.  How many lives have you taken?”

           “Countless.  You?”

           “None.”

           “None?”

           “If you’re lucky.”  Her hand slowly found a ruffle in her dress, which was a pocket. Inside was something she was going to need, if the direction Dread was glancing was any indication.

           “Bold words.”  He adjusted his grip on the weapon.  “But never any action.  Why should I be scared of you?”

           “You tell me.  Why haven’t you shot me yet?”  She smiled when she saw Dread falter slightly.  “You even let those ‘creatures’ escape because of your focus on me.  Apparently, I’m a bigger threat.”

           Dread didn’t answer, and his expression hardened.

           “Don’t worry.  I’ve heard it before.”  She hopped down from the chair and linked her hands behind her back.  “You’re scared of me, but you don’t know why.”  She took a few steps forward.  “We should fix that.”

           “One way or another.”  With a shot of his crossbow, the electric light in the center of the room shattered, plunging the room into darkness.

           He brought his hand to his face and adjusted a dial in his goggles, switching their function to night-vision.

           Right as Dread activated them, he saw a punch coming for his face that he didn’t have time to dodge.

           De Sang was also wearing night-vision goggles, having seen him adjusting his aim.

           Her baton found its mark, and the crossbow was smashed to the ground.  “Crossbows,” she said.  “So many little moving parts.  Very fragile.”  She armed a knife.  “I hope you brought a melee.”

           “As a matter of fact…”

           The swing of the baton was blocked by a pair of tomahawks from under the capelet.

           “Dual-wield,” observed she.  “Brave choice.  Let’s see if you’re any good with that.”

           As it turned out, he was.  Very good.  The axes were clearly under his complete control, neither one hanging loose at any time, and his grips on his handles were viselike.  Every blow that de Sang threw with her baton was blocked by one weapon, while the other went for the kill.  De Sang couldn’t match him.  De Sang only had one weapon.

           De Sang also had guile, which is sometimes just as good.  And throughout their whole fight, she never once stopped smiling, because she always had something to smile about.

           She allowed herself to be pushed back against the wall.  At the blow that came on her right, which held the baton, the Angel waited until the last possible instant before dodging to the right, and it had the intended effect.  The axe missed her by just a hair’s width, and his back was now facing her. The weapon implanted itself in the wall, leaving it stuck for just a second, and she seized her chance.  Dread’s hand was in one place while the tomahawk couldn’t move, so she swung at his forearm with her baton.  He was knocked away, and de Sang dropped her knife and pulled the axe out of the wall.

           “Second weapon down,” she said.  “Two-zero.”  She clipped the axe to her waist, where her baton usually went.  The weapon had a near-identical clip.

           “Blind luck,” accused her opponent.

           “Maybe it was.  It still worked.”  She went back into her fighting stance.  “Warning you now, I’m coming for the other one.  Once you lose the axe, you lose against me.”

           “I’m aware of the stakes.”

           “You hunters can’t fight without weapons.  That’s basic logic.”

           “Think you can take it from me?”

          “I got two of them already, didn’t I?  And I know how you hunters think.  For example, you didn’t come here alone, did you?”  She waited for a response, but Dread didn’t give one.  “I know I’m right.  They’re just outside, guarding the entrance.  They probably ambushed the vampires, and that’s why you didn’t go after them.”

           “So, what if I didn’t?”

           “You wanna know how I know?”

           “How?”

           “Because I didn’t come alone either.”  She cocked her head curiously.  “When’s the last time you saw your partner?”

           Dread lunged at her, axe swinging, and it clashed with the baton.  Now that they had one weapon apiece, they were much more evenly-matched, and de Sang had no difficulty in returning blows, finally going back onto the offensive.

           “I recall now,” Dread mentioned as he parried. “The Angel’s consort.  Your,” he sneered at her to accentuate his disgust, “bitch.”

           “You know, that wasn’t funny the thirtieth time.” No matter what, she couldn’t let the man get a rise out of her.  “You hunters need to stop thinking you’re so clever.  I heard fools rarely differ.”

           “That’s what it is, isn’t it?”  He swung, and she ducked.  “An animal.  A beast.”  She swung back, and he hopped to the side.  “My men will make short work of it.”

           “First of all,” she retorted, gritting her teeth, “she is not an it.  And you don’t get to talk about her like that.  Second,” she took a second to swat at his axe again before continuing, “do you think she’s survived this long because of me?  She’s been squaring off against your kind for almost as long as I have, bless her.”

            “My kind?”  Dread laughed heartily.  “That’s rich!  My kind is your kind, too!”

            For the first time in the fight, de Sang stopped smiling.

            “No, it isn’t!” She attacked him again, more ferociously than before.  “I fight monsters!”

            Still, Dread matched her, blow-for-blow.  “And so do I!”

            “No!” she growled.  It was very alien to her, growling, but this man was being particularly mean tonight. “You fight people.  Those vampires are people.  My partner is a person!” De Sang raised her baton like a club and brought it down as hard as she could, which the man blocked.  “You, however, are a monster!”

            She ran at him, and Dread grabbed her and flung her into the aisle.

            It was all she could do not to lose her balance.

            De Sang cursed her own lapse in judgement.  She should have seen that coming. She needed to calm down and steady herself, or she was going to lose.

            She felt the axe behind her right before it hit, and she rolled out of the way and back on her feet.

            “The Cross trained me!  Yes, it did!” de Sang shouted.  While her earlier words had been fueled by anger, these were fueled by strength.  “It trained me to hunt, and hurt, and it told me how to kill.  But I won’t kill.  You see that as weakness.”  She advanced on him with a newfound vigor.  “But life is precious.  And you are all tantruming children in a china shop, smashing every life within reach if you don’t think it looks pretty. That’s why I stopped!”  She hopped onto an aisle seat, never losing sight of him.  “It trained me since preschool, just like every other kid they draft into their web of murder. And this is how I repay their trespasses!”

            When the axe stopped the baton this time, the curved head hooked around the shaft of the baton, catching on the globe at the end when he pulled. De Sang pulled it away, and almost succeeded in pulling the axe out of his hand, but he persisted.  The ensuing tug-o-war lasted five seconds.

           The Angel smiled.

            Her grip slipped, and she fell from the chair to the ground from the loss in balance.

            Dread kept his balance.  “Pitiful,” he spat, and he was on her in an instant.  “Did you think I, a fully-fledged member of the most prestigious monster hunters’ guild in the world, would be so easily defeated by a child.”

            “Maybe,” she panted.  “But I bet you did too, for a minute there.”  The axe blade pointed at her head, and Dread was standing on her chest, preventing her from reaching her knives.  “Be honest, I had you on the ropes.”

           “Cease your prattling.  I’ll cut out your tongue.”  He chuckled triumphantly.  “Finally,” he celebrated, “the rogue huntress who’s been a thorn in our side for so long is defeated.  The dreaded L’Ange de Sang, all mine…”  He trailed off, looking his captive in the eyes, and his tone lowered as his suspicion grew.  “Why are you smiling?”

           She couldn’t help it.  “When’s the last time you saw your partner?”

           What?

           Oh.

           Dread turned around.

           The sneering animal roared in his face.  He swung at it with the weapon in his hand—

           Which, because his attention hadn’t been on de Sang, was no longer in his hand.

           “Three-one,” a voice chirped below him.  “Game, set, match.”

           A strong fist struck him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying through the air at the cage.

           “That is a remarkable sturdy set piece,” the Angel quipped as she ran after him.

           The new entrant to the fight gazed after them both.   She didn’t have night-vision goggles, but she didn’t need them.  Her eyes shined gold, even in the dark.  She was just as tall as Dread, by the top of their heads, but her pointed ears made her an inch or two taller.  Her padded top and leggings were midnight blue with swirls of gold and silver, and the top ended at her elbows.  Her bare forearms exposed coarse, black fur, and ended in padded hands with hard, sharp claws.  Her bushy tail poked out the back of her shirt.  She had black combat boots and an indigo-and-silver cloth mask that was tied around her head. Her hair was long and tied in a ponytail, and her jaw was long and fanged.

           A human-shaped animal: a werewolf.  Bigger, faster, stronger, and more precise than a human, particularly with how much training she put in with her Angel.

           She tossed the previously-discarded baton in her grip to her partner, standing over the disarmed Dread.  De Sang smiled and pointed with it at her defeated opponent. “You’ll have to excuse her,” she chirped.  “Eventide doesn’t like sharing.”  She turned and lightly chastised her partner.  “You sure took your time.”

           “You didn’t need me,” the wolf replied in a gravelly voice.

           “The guard out front?”

           “Two guards, actually.  Tough pair.  Till some vamps stopped by.  They took one, I got the other.”

           She laughed.  “I taught them everything they know.”

           “What!?”  The wolf brought a hand to her face.  “Oh, you would.”

           “I like seeing people do good.”  De Sang pushed her playfully.  “You love me for it.”

           She shrugged.  “Can’t argue with that.”

Dread tried to stand up while they were engaged, slowly propping himself on his elbows.

Eventide growled at him again, baring her long teeth.  Dread’s arms gave out.

           “Scary,” the onlooker surmised.

           “Too much?”

           “Well, you don’t scare me.”

           “Really?”  Eventide crossed her arms.  “Practically everything scares you.”

           This was met with a giggle.  “Not you, though.”  Without even looking, she tapped the man struggling for his quiver on the head.  “Oi!  Dread-man! Stay down.”  She aimed her baton threateningly, as if daring him to try and stand up again.

           Eventide looked at her, mildly confused.  “What are you doing?”

           “Getting ready to fight, Darling.  What does it look like?”

           After a pause, the werewolf reminded her, “Sweetie, you’re not right-handed.”

           “Shush. I was making him feel better.”  At Dread’s dismayed look, she relented.  “Oh, well, I suppose you heard that anyway.”  She tossed the baton to her left hand—her dominant hand.  “Yes, alright, I was holding back, but you know what?  You looked like someone who needed a confidence boost.  So sure, I let you have me on the ropes, just this time. Positive mental attitude really goes a long way.”

           “Again,” Eventide chuckled.  “Only you.”

           Dread looked fearfully between them.  “What are you going to do to me?”

           “Well, that’s the thing.”  Huntress turned back to monster.  “Evie, you called the police when he arrived?”

           “Yes, Angel.”

           Angel once again faced sinner.  “And I assume you called your guild buddies for backup?” Not even waiting for a nod, she crouched down and calmly explained.  “Well, depending on who arrives first, either you’re going to jail, or you’ll get picked up and retrained, and you’ll have to fight me again, and I don’t know if I can keep handicapping myself.”

           His eyes widened under his goggles.

           “Well, we’ll see.  I’ve got a bet with my girl here about who will win.  I’ll see you again, maybe.  Or maybe not.  Depends.” She shrugged.  “Night-night.”

           The hammer swung around and boxed him in the jaw hard, knocking him unconscious.

           The street that the stage door entrance led to was bare at this time of night.  Eventide’s form changed as they stepped outside, bones shifting and fur receding to become a teenaged girl with long, black hair and pale skin.  Her mask, boots, and attire changed with her to better fit her shortened stature, and glowing gold eyes faded to a coppery orange-red.

           De Sang had recollected her lost knives and replaced them in her bandolier, and she now was carrying a duffel bag.

           “We good to go?” Eventide asked.

           “How long were you standing there?” Angel replied. “Inside.  How long did your fight actually take you?”

           “It was shorter once your vampire friends stepped in.”  She looked down sheepishly.  “I came in right when you took his first axe.”

           Angel pursed her lips.  “So, you were basically watching me fight for a few minutes?”

           “You didn’t need me.”  She coughed, blushing.  “And… you looked breathtaking.”

           “And who do I have to thank for that?”  The Angel twirled, making her dress and cape flutter.  “I never could have asked for someone as talented as you.”

           Evie smiled shyly.  “How is it on your end?”

           She tapped her chin thoughtfully.  “Let’s see: stopped a conversion, gave some vamps something to be proud of, caught a few hunters.”  She smiled as she heard the sudden whine of sirens nearby.  “And look at that!  The police got here first this time!  And it’s only what, two a.m.?  This was a great night!”

           “And it’s Sunday now?”  Evie bounded over to her, quietly embracing her.  “This calls for something.”

           “I was thinking we celebrate right now, actually.” She held up the bag.  “How about we both slip into something a little more casual?”

           “A quiet night in town?”

           “A midnight stroll through Montmartre?” Angel suggested.  “Walking through the moonlit gardens to Le Mur des Je T’aime?  Or we dance down Place Jean-Marais, or promenade past the cabarets?”

           “Chérie…” Tempting as it was, the werewolf had to play devil’s advocate.  “Your dad still thinks you’re sleeping over.  And my mom’s gonna be waiting with the boat, and Montmartre’s in the opposite direction.  What if we get caught?”

            “But it’s close.”  Angel looked at her, her smile warm and her eyes pleading.  “Come on, Julie.  Let’s ignore the rules tonight.  We’ve earned it.”

           “Rose…”  The werewolf acquiesced.  “I can’t say no to that smile.”

           “Wonderful!”  The huntress gave her partner a quick kiss on the cheek.  “Let’s get out of here, first, we don’t want police finding us.”

           And so the girls fled, and their dark clothing blended into the night, concealing them from the sight of casual observers.

           Rose’s hooded sweatshirt covered much of her costume, and her duffel bag held the bulk of her supplies.  She looked normal enough that no one would look twice.

           Juleka stepped out of the restrooms.  She wasn’t bothered by the cold too much, but she still wore a zipped jacket and a pair of sweatpants over her padded outfit, and her hair was out of the.  “Ready?”

           “Thank you,” Rose said suddenly. Juleka looked at her quizzically, so Rose clarified.  “I forgot to say it earlier, but thank you.  For having my back tonight.”

           “Oh.”  Juleka took her hand and caressed it.  “You didn’t need to thank me.”

           “I do.”

           “You don’t.”  She grinned.  “I already know.”

           Assured, Rose pulled the goth girl closer and hugged her tightly.

           The two stood like this for several minutes, letting themselves relax from the events of the night.

           “I’m always going to protect you, Rose.”

           “And I’ll always save you.”

           They separated, and Rose offered her arm.  “So, mon amour?  The gardens first?”

(3315 words, so it’s still pretty long.  I think it turned out okay, but I’d love to hear what you guys thought of it.  So any nitpicks you have, tell me, please.)

Thanks again to @wearemiraculous / @seasonofthegeek for hosting this event.

[ciaran-nyc]

Week Seven: Greta Thunberg Documentary: "I Am Greta"

1. "Why would I need an education if there is no future?"

When Greta is sitting in front of Parliament and has a discussion with an older woman, she is challenged to go to school so she can eventually make a change. This quote really emphasizes the immediacy of the issue of climate change and why she is taking action. There is the continued narrative that we can continuously push off climate change and telling Greta after she gets an education she can work to make a difference is the issue. Rather than waiting, Greta has opted to leverage the celebrity she has to make a difference.  

"The climate is the defining issue of our time.”

Greta uses this phrase to convey the seriousness of her protest when directly questioned about her motives. This exchange is greatly framed by the age dynamic of Greta and the adult she is speaking with. Greta and her generation will witness the most horrific effects of climate change and she is acutely aware of that.

"Once the climate crisis has gotten your attention, then you can't look away."

After getting the invitation to a UN conference, Greta raises concerns about missing school for her speaking engagement. The viewer is then shown Greta in a classroom as a voiceover is heard stating this quote, implying that Great is preoccupied with her crusade for climate justice. This directly points to the tension of Greta trying to maintain a semi normal life while dedicating her life to a cause.

2. In the beginning of the film, we see Greta’s great determination and tenacity as she sits in front of Parliament unwavering in her cause. She stands firm in the face of criticism and even garners a large crowd of supporters. We then cut to her father as he voices concerns about her doing this and we remember she is just a child and ultimately a person with family members that care for her. When we get glimpses into the interactions she has with her father we see a more unfiltered version of her that is not the strong face of a movement but a vulnerable human being that deserves are sympathy for the emotional toll such work does to any individual.

3. I didn’t know she was on the spectrum, had aspergers, or suffered from depression. I knew nothing of the kind of background she came from, but it was interesting to see how close she was with her father. Additionally, I didn’t know just how well she knew how to manipulate social media and digital platforms to support her message. The scene where she discusses Arnold Schwarzenegger’s following gave me the first indication of her hyper awareness. It’s clear that this knowledge allowed her to substantially grow her base. There is a scene where she is introducing her Fridays for Future campaign and decides to speak in English while encouraging people to record and share her speech, knowing that speaking in English will maximize her potential reach.

4. I didn’t realize at how fast of a rate the Amazon forest is burning; that was rather alarming because I knew it contributed to such a significant portion of the planet’s oxygen production. Additionally, I was unaware of how many different young activists there were across the world.

5. I didn’t realize how quickly the movement grew, I had figured Greta had been working for a considerable amount of time in climate justice. I have a false memory of Greta coming into the spotlight and beginning her work earlier than she did with her celebrity having a slow build. I do remember Greta’s celebrity coming to a peak in 2019 when she embarked on the sailboat to NY, but I was tangentially aware of her because she was frequently in the headlines, not anyone I ever sought out or investigated information about her. I think this movement took off as it did because Greta was such an unlikely leader and her dedication to this effort made others recognize their own privilege and how they could contribute. Greta is also very savvy and well informed; her preparedness and passion make her very charismatic and a leader to who is easy to rally around.

6. Early on in the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger was mentioned to have shared a video of Greta’s on Twitter to his four million followers. Although he is a politician, Emmanual Macron’s global recognition is beyond that of just a politician and has reached a celebrity like status. His meeting with Greta very much served as a cosign of her efforts and added a legitimacy to her as an activist. Her meeting with the Pope also served as a major moment in her being recognized by a figure that is held in the highest regard by an entire religious sect.

7. The Paris Agreement is an international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 countries in 2015. The goal is to limit global warming below 2 degrees celsius. This goal is difficult to reach because there are so many moving parts and countries that are acting without concern for the climate crisis. Under the Obama Administration, the United States was initially a major proponent of the Paris Agreement, but with the changing of power, Donald Trump backed out the agreement. President Biden has returned to the agreement, but such instability in commitments pose serious threat to accomplishing long term goals over the course of many years.

8. At conferences, Greta was used as a pawn to simply give off the appearance of leaders caring about the climate crisis. Although she was given a platform, Greta’s words were not taken seriously at these events and she voices frustrations about this. Greta’s past bouts with depression led her to withdraw into herself, only speaking to her family and refusing to eat. We see that in the midst of a very raucous crowd, Greta gets overwhelmed and refuses to eat. There is a back and forth argument with her father, where she eventually gives into his demands for her to eat. It is evident in these moments her celebrity status takes a great toll on her mental health. Her dedication to climate justice drives her to seek perfection in her work and, in striving for perfection, she overextends herself, as is apparent when she is crafting a speech in French.

9. I think Greta served as an example, showing that it is possible for all young people to actively make a difference, but teenage girls were most able to recognize themselves in her. The template Greta laid out showed how easy it was to leverage one’s position in the world. For young women and girls in particular, her outspoken nature and strong will defied stereotypical expectations of both gender and age, and demonstrated alternate ways of being. Further, the fame and positive feedback Greta received as a result of her efforts encouraged others to follow in her footsteps.

10. I think this footage really got to the heart of the entire film as she was detailing her struggles on the boat and how she wished she could just live a regular life. The immense pressure Greta is under reflects the responsibility her entire generation will have to undertake to try and save the planet. By highlighting Greta’s pain and vulnerability, her humanity was put in focus and when contextualizing the climate crisis affect on actual people it is harder to deny its impact. I didn’t follow her voyage in real time, but remember it being a popular topic of conversation.

11. Unfortunately, I was unable to participate in the Climate Strike. I was working at a job that if I had missed a day I would have missed a paycheck and potentially lost my shift, so I had to prioritize my financial stability. There was certainly an internal struggle as I wanted to participate, but felt unable to. The choice I made felt selfish, as I was ranking my own interest above the collective good. However, I was not just responsible for myself and had to consider the commitments/promises I made to other people in terms of my bosses/coworkers and family who I would be more dependent on if I lost employment. This tension I experienced, although rather low stakes, forced me to contemplate the idea of how capitalism is often at odds with environmental conservation.

[ah-ga-seven]

Christian Yu x Reader: Let Me Explain - Chapter 5

Chapter 1: These Seoul Streets. | Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests | Chapter 3: Confrontation | Chapter 4: Who Wouldv’e Thought? 

Chapter 5: Red Roses

Word count: 4007

Series type: Angst, Smut & Fluff.

Warnings: Bad language. mentions of sex and mature content.

Additional Characters: DPR LIVE (Dabin) and mentions of other artists/fictional characters.

A/N: Please keep in mind English is not my first language therefore there might me some spelling/grammar mistakes

“You will?” both Yura and Dabin asked shocked.

“Well yeah, but only if that’s okay with y/n” he says shrugging.

“Look, I get that there’s a lot at stake for you here but if y/n doesn’t agree then you’re going to have to find another way to deal with this mess.” Christian says walking towards you and protectively putting his arm around your waist.

You were surprised he actually considered your feelings for once. But now 3 pairs of eyes were staring at you. 1 relieved pair, Dabin. 1 desperate pair, Yura. and 1 angry pair, Hyung Suk.

“What a coincidence that y/n-sshi is your actual girlfriend” Hyung suk said through his teeth. He didn’t seem happy about that reveal at all. His eyebrows were furrowed, looking you up and down.

You felt uncomfortable. Not only because of the way Hyung Suk looked at you, but also because Christian wasn’t even your boyfriend. At least not yet.

Christian scoffed at Hyung Suk’s tone. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” He says tightening the hold on your waist.

“Well, it is if you’re going to do this.” Hyung Suk says sniffing, crossing his arms while giving you an impatient look.

Dabin looked at you, telling you with his eyes that it’s okay if you didn’t want Christian to do it. Of course you didn’t want Christian to do it. But there is a lot more going on here than your selfishness can take into consideration right now.

Yura took your hand, looking straight into your eyes. “Eonni, remember how I told you I was sorry earlier? I still am. Even more so now. I understand how difficult this all must be for you given everything that already happened but I’m begging you. This is all I have riding for me right now. I also understand if you don’t want him to do it, but I just want you to know that you can trust me.” She says.

You look at her a little startled. Can you trust her? Is that what it’s all about? Trust?

You bite your lip, knowing that this would be the ultimate test for Christian to prove his loyalty to you. It’s only a fake relationship right? So if he slips up, at least then you’ll know for sure to run from him. As far away as possible.

“Okay” you say. “Fine” you take Christian’s hand from your waist and take a step back.

Yura’s eyes lit up as she throws herself at you, hugging you as a thank you. You awkwardly pat her back, making eye contact with Hyung Suk who still looked at you like you were an unfitting piece to his puzzle.

You really don’t know why you said yes, and by the look of Christians facial expression, neither did he.

“Oh my god eonni thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she says letting go of you.

Christians eyes find yours, he kind of smiled at you. It was an indifferent smile. He didn’t feel a special way about the situation, but he was also relieved to know that you trusted him enough to let him help Yura.

“Well. Mr Yu. If you could just come by tomorrow, we’ll map out our strategy with the marketing team.” Hyung Suk says.

Yura smiled at Christian, but he avoided her gaze only looking at Hyung Suk.

“Marketing team?” Christian asked confused.

“Yes. Mr Yu, the marketing team will come up with strategies to shed a light on the situation to try and make the public sympathize with your relationship rather than loathing it.” Hyung Suk answers in a very professional tone.

“Keep in mind there will be a few public appearances as a couple and fake dispatch photo’s before we announce the break up.”

Dabin sighed getting up. “Bro I hope you understand what you just agreed to. You too y/n.”

You just nod, lost in thought. This was going to be so much more work than you thought it would be. Deep down you knew you’d regret this decision, but it’s the only way to put Christian’s loyalty to you to the test, even if that meant getting hurt. Again.

“What about dance classes…and her mv?” you ask trying to look Hyung Suk in the eye again.

“Everything will go on as planned. It would be odd if you suddenly resigned. Wouldn’t it?” he says almost mocking you.

His tone annoyed you. He talked to you like you were an outsider to this entire situation when in fact, you were right in the middle of it.

Dabin noticed your annoyance and decided to blend himself into the conversation. “So everything will basically be the same, apart from the fake news and photo’s. It’s not like Christian needs to be with Yura all the time, right?”

You internally thank god for Dabin’s existence. He asked the questions you couldn’t think of right now, but would think of when you’d be alone in bed with plenty of time to overthink.

“Correct. Just try not to hold hands in public y/n-sshi, in fact. Try not to be alone together in public for the mean time.” Hyung Suk sarcastically smiles at you. “Oh and take the back entrance to each others apartments.”

Christian sighs. “We’ll be careful.”

You run your fingers through your hair and nod, looking to the floor.

This was such a 180-degree flip to Hyung Suk’s personality. He seemed so nice and professional when you first met, but now it seems like that person never existed in the first place.

You decide to lighten the mood as you see how tense Yura was standing next to Hyung Suk, scared you’ll suddenly decline with all of these new terms and revelations being added to the mix.

You bite your lip before speaking. “I expect at least one box of triple chocolate chip cookies at the next practice” you tell Yura in a serious tone.

Dabin was amazed at how well you were handling the situation. It was so unlike you to ignore such a bullshit attitude Yura’s manager was giving you, just to make her feel better.

Christian chuckled. “Make it two” he says putting his hand on your shoulder.

Dabin looked at Christian’s body language. He noticed how Christian kept touching you, only standing closer to you so people would see you as the pair. Making him impressed with Christian as well. Well shit this might work out, he thought to himself.

“Yes! Of course!” Yura smiled, and so did Hyun Suk. But his smile wasn’t sincere. You could just see it, not necessarily through his facial expression but through everything he emitted.

His presence made you uncomfortable.

“Well then Yura, let’s go. I’ll take you to your sister’s house.” Hyung Suk says placing his hand on Yura’s back while giving you one last look before he turned to Christian.

“So, I’ll expect you at the YG building at 2 PM tomorrow.” He says putting out his hand for Christian to shake.

Christian shook his hand and nodded. “Sure.”

Hyung Suk nodded to Dabin as a goodbye and walked out, followed by Yura who politely bowed to the three of you and quickly hopped after him leaving you alone with Dabin and Christian in the dance studio.

“Okay, well. Let’s get food. I’m starving” Christian says taking your jacket off the floor and handing it to you.

You look at him a little funny. Not saying anything.

“What…” Christian cautiously asked, still standing there with your jacket in his hands.

Dabin looked to the floor. Unable to handle the awkwardness.

“Food?” you just say.

“You’re telling me you’re not hungry.” He asks sincerely confused.

You turn to Dabin crossing your arms. “Why is he acting like nothing happened?” you ask acting as if Christian wasn’t standing right in front of you.

“Shit y/n, I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Dabin says walking to the door.

Christian rolled his eyes at the both of you, taking your hand. “Let’s not make it a big deal okay?” he says looking at you. “The more we talk about it or think of it, the more it’ll consume us. Let’s just focus on us. The way we have been for the past week.”

Dabin walked out. “I’m in the car” he yells from the hallway clearly avoiding the situation.

You sigh staring at the ceiling.

“It’s not too late to say no…” he says wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you close to his chest.

You hug him back, burying your face in the crook of his neck. “I’m scared of what this’ll do to us” you confess closing your eyes inhaling the scent of his cologne.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of” he says softly.

His arms let go of your waist to grab the sides of your face. He looks into your eyes and stares into them for a while when suddenly he presses his lips to yours. Never in your life did you expect him to do that. Even after everything you’ve been through and all of the emotional attachment, unspoken feelings and sexual tension he has never once kissed you.

At first your body froze, your heart was now beating like crazy as Christian led the kiss, massaging his lips against yours. You slowly relaxed, leaning into him and letting him do as he pleased, wrapping your arms around his neck. His hands went down your body, taking a hold of your waist, steadily lifting you up on one of the higher stools behind you. You wrapped your legs around Christian’s waist while you passionately kissed him back, pushing his torso closer to yours with your legs, grabbing on to his messy hair.

Out of breath he pulled away before things got too heated. You both panted while hungrily staring into each others eyes. He rested his forehead onto yours, breathing heavily. “Fuck” he says closing his eyes.

You lean back as he stands up straight, you both longed for more, that wasn’t a secret, but not like this, and definitely not here.

As the both of your breathing calmed down a bit, he took your hand helping you off the stool. “You know. I’ve wanted to do that since the day you walked into that dance studio in your white booty shorts the first time I met you.” He says taking both of your hands, smiling while you intertwined fingers. You shyly try to cover your face with your hands which were still holding onto his, but you failed; making him chuckle at your cuteness.

“Y/n, I’m yours.” He says biting his lower lip, cocking his head sideways to admire your swollen lips a little.

“I don’t want you to forget that when all of this goes down.” He says stealing a quick peck. “I’ll keep doing things like this to remind you of that, okay?”

you shyly nod looking to the floor.

He let go of your hands, laughing a little. “Since when are you so shy around me?” he asks teasing you, poking your sides.

“Stoppp” you playfully demand, taking his hands into yours again so he’d stop teasing you.

He chuckled, pecking your lips once more, a little longer this time. “Don’t forget that you’re mine too now” he says putting a lost strand of hair behind your ear.

Christian was lying down on your couch, scrolling through some articles related to Yura and him while you cleaned your kitchen after the three of you had eaten. Dabin had already left, saying he had to meet up with someone.

“These comments are crazy” Christian says out loud.

“What comments?” you ask finishing up, leaning over the kitchen counter while looking at him.

“People are telling her to die and stuff it’s just crazy” he says lost in thought.

You sigh, it obviously bothered him more than you’d expected. If anything; reading those comments made him want to help Yura even more.

“Is there anything about you on there?” you ask walking towards the couch, sitting in between his legs while facing him.

“No…nothing really” he says in a little higher pitched tone than he usually talks in.

You squint your eyes at him. Liar.

“Give me that” you say leaning forward, almost falling on top of him when you finally get a hold of his phone.

Your eyes scan through the comments.

“Wahh, daebak. Where did she find him?” You read out loud.

“You can say what you want about her, but they look good together” you continue reading.

“I don’t know him, but now I want to know him, maybe have some ramyeon at his place ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

you read raising your eyebrows. (sidenote: having ramen with someone at someone’s house is the Korean equivalent to Netflix and chill)

Christian leans forward taking his phone from you. “Stop torturing yourself, netizens are crazy you know that.” he says sitting up, removing a fallen eyelash from your cheek with his thumb.

You blankly look at him. “I don’t know Ian, they think you look good together.”

Christian cocks his head to the side looking at you with a tired expression on his face. “Babe, don’t be like this. Besides those are like the only descent comments under that article.”

You sigh crossing your arms. “You know I can’t help but feel jealous” you say avoiding eye contact.

Christian chuckled putting his phone on the coffee table, unexpectedly pulling you towards him so you’d be laying on top of him. “Why be jealous when you’re the only one I see” he says brushing your hair behind your ear. You look at him with anticipation. Hoping he’d kiss you again but he just looked at you, caressing your face from your temple to your cheek, placing a kiss in between your brows.

You decide to steal a quick kiss from him, quickly hiding your face in his neck afterwards.  You felt giddy. Like a 15-year-old who just kissed her crush on her own for the first time. You traced your finger over his inner shoulder tattoo under the strap of his black tank top, when suddenly he flipped you over so you’d be under him.

He supported his own weight, placing his elbow beside you as his other hand grabbed the side of your face while pressing his lips onto yours. His sudden sexiness made you moan into his mouth, turning him on even more as he always wished to hear you moan under him.

You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer as his hands disappeared under your shirt, lightly stroking your sides with his fingernails, unleashing a tickling and sensual sensation in your lower abdomen. You let out a slight moan again, enjoying the physical contact.

He broke the kiss, putting his hand on the side of your face again while his other hand was on your waist as he sloppily kissed and sucked on your neck. You threw you head back so he had more access to your skin, arching your back a little when his hands pushed your shirt up just above your bra.

He slid down lower, taking a firm hold of your waist with both hands as he left wet kisses from your belly button to your neck again. He came back up to kiss your lips, fondling your still covered breast while grinding on your clothed heat. You nearly lost it, ready to rip his shirt off of him when suddenly your doorbell rang.  The sound scared the both of you as adrenaline still rushed through your veins. You both sit up in a fraction of time a little out of breath when you give Christian a quick look pulling your shirt down while Christian runs his hand through his hair, showing his frustration.

“Who the fuck could that be at this hour” he says annoyed.

You sigh getting up, walking to your kitchen window to see who was outside, but there was no one to be seen. You frown, quickly walking to your door to open it.

You looked around. No one. The cool air hit your face giving you goose bumps. Your cross your arms to shield yourself from the wind. You sigh looking down, not expecting to see what you saw. Your eyes widen squatting down to pick a bouquet of at least 30 red roses up. Suddenly a card attached to the bouquet fell on the floor.

You take a step back, picking it up, confused and a little anxious at the same time. Not knowing what to expect. Is Christian playing a joke on you or something? You look over your shoulder if he hadn’t gotten up to check on you before you opened the card and started reading.

This was supposed to be a thank you letter for agreeing to the deal, but coming here changed my mind. I want to be sure that you won’t break after seeing what I just saw. Know that I recorded the two of you on your couch through the window just now. If you, in any way talk Christian out of our little deal or form any type of threat, I will release the video online with a time stamp and a fabricated story. Showing his disloyalty to Yura. Turning him into the bad guy. What a story that would be right? I think you are smart enough to know the consequences for the both of you. Don’t underestimate me y/n. I would do anything to ensure my own and Yura’s reputation. I look forward to seeing you again. And just a tip. Buy some curtains sweetheart. Good night.

You panic. Your heart pounded in your throat as your breathing became heavier. If that video leaked it would ruin Christian. Not only Christian but DPR too. A tear escaped your eye. Fuck. You swallow harshly unable to wrap your head around the situation yet, feeling like you just stepped into a nightmare.

“Babe?” Christian yelled from the living room, wondering what’s taking you so long.

You quickly wipe your tear away. But you fail at the attempt to calm yourself down when your eyes land on the card again.

“Uhh-I-just a second” you stammer with a shaky voice. You quickly take the card and hide it in one of the pockets of your jacket. You take the roses from your doorstep and close the door. Trying to get yourself together a little more, you quickly do a few breathing exercises before you walk into the living room again. You see Christian sitting up straight on the couch, he was on his phone before he looked at you, luckily only noticing the huge bouquet of roses instead of your body language.

“Do you have another boyfriend I need to know about?” he says wide eyed. Getting up.

“When I opened the door all I saw was these” you lie, blinking a couple of times.

Christian looks at you. “Are you okay?” he asks worried seeing your pale complexion taking the roses from you.

You want to cry so bad right now. It took everything from you to control your emotions. You bit your lip shaking your head looking to the floor.

Christian put the roses down on your kitchen counter and walked closer to you. “Baby what’s wrong? What’s this about?” he asks making you look at him with his thumb and index finger on your chin.

You close your eyes. “I’m not feeling well. Maybe it was the food I don’t know.” You lie again walking away from him to a cabinet, searching for a vase to put the flowers in.

He walks after you, sitting down on the high stool behind your breakfast bar. Looking at you cautiously. You were acting weird, it was obvious.

You removed the thorns from the roses with a knife, one by one, putting them into the vase. “Who are the roses from?” he asks still looking at you.

“I fed my neighbors’ cat while she was on a business trip, I guess this is her creepy way of saying thank you” you lie again not making eye contact.

He supported his head on his hand, still looking at you pursing his lips together. Somehow he felt like he needed to give you some space. Maybe that make out session happened too quick when you both promised each other to take it slow. He knew what it would have resulted in to if that doorbell didn’t stop him. He looked at the time on his phone. 12:34 AM.

“A-are you staying over” you suddenly ask.

Christian looked up at you, shaking his head giving you a faint smile. “I have to get up early tomorrow. I want to work out before that meeting with Lee Hyung Suk. Otherwise it doesn’t fit my schedule”

Your heart sank hearing his name and you immediately looked down again to focus on the roses. You were relieved he wouldn’t stay though. You were trying your best to suppress your emotions, but didn’t know if you could for much longer. You needed time to think. Alone.

“y/n?” he says. You look up at him. Your heart was pounding so hard in your chest that you were almost afraid he could hear it.

“T-that’s fine” you stammer.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay, you really don’t look well.” He says furrowing his eyebrows walking towards you.

No, no, no. Please no hugs. You’ll break.

You decide to take his hand first, knowing he’d envelop you in one of his bear hugs if you didn’t.

“It’s okay. I’ll just drink some tea and go to sleep. I won’t be much fun to be around anyways.” You say still not looking into his eyes, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Fine” he says kissing the top of your head. “Just call if you need anything” you nod, taking a deep breath collecting the courage to look into his eyes. Knowing it’d be too weird if you kept avoiding to look at him.

When you do, your heart hurts. He’s genuinely worried, but something tells you he knows you’re lying. You don’t want him to think he did something wrong.

You both walked to your front door. Your eyes quickly check on the jacket you put that card in. Good. It wasn’t visible.  When he looks back at you, you give him a smile, standing on your tippy toes to give him a quick kiss. It surprised him, but he smiled back at you, caressing your cheek. “Good night” he says. “Text me in the morning if you’re still not feeling better alright?” you just nod at his words. Opening the door so he could walk through.

“Good night Christian” you say almost inaudible as he walked off. Your eyes followed him down the steps and to his car. You needed to be sure he wouldn’t come back.

When you see him drive away you close your door, and immediately you start to cry. You cover your mouth with your hands trying to mute yourself, slowly letting yourself fall to the floor, leaning against your front door. You sob uncontrollably as reality cuts through your heart like a knife.

It scared you, it scared you so much that Hyung Suk now had the power to make you distance yourself from Christian. Knowing you’d agree to any suggestion he would make to you, and you couldn’t do anything about it. That thought alone choked you up even more, not knowing what to do and not wanting to lose Christian, especially now that your relationship was taking a turn for the better.

You loved Christian too much to tell him. He wouldn’t care about what it would do to him or his life. He’d never let you keep it a secret, so he could never know.

You pull your knees up to your chest, leaning your chin on your knees while you close your eyes trying to bare the heavy pain chest.

You’re on your own now.

Chapter 6

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #200 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) The prologue.

This first scene of the last film does a number of things well. For one, Sméagol suddenly becomes a much more sympathetic and tragic character. We see how happy this creature was before being corrupted by the evil of the ring; before becoming Gollum. And that’s the other thing this scene does well: we understand better than ever how evil the ring is. How quickly it can turn good people bad. This sets the stakes high for the final chapter of the trilogy. Originally meant for The Two Towers, its inclusion in this film works so much better I think. Also it’s worth noting that the transformation from practical Gollum makeup to CG is seamless and visceral.

2) I love how freaking angry Gimli gets upon running into Merry & Pippin alive (after searching so desperately for them in Two Towers) before being tempted by what they’re smoking.

3) It’s worth noting that I HAVE watched the extended editions of all three films and while I usually forget about the scenes added in those versions, Saruman’s death scene (which is cut in this film) is always one I miss. It is a nice note of finality for such a major character in the trilogy.

4) Much as this film really covers Frodo’s eventual corruption by the ring, Aragorn’s journey is also complete. Over the course of the trilogy we see him go from a loner who wants nothing to do with leadership into the king of men. This film is very much about Aragorn accepting that part of himself, becoming the leader he was always meant to be, and we see it in many little ways. He takes a moment for himself to respect those fallen before celebrating a victory, he imparts wisdom onto Gandalf, he earns the trust of Théoden, later honors his promise to the ghost soldiers even though he could’ve used them as a weapon, and leads his army into battle in an effort to give Frodo the time he needs. By the time the credits role Aragorn fully embraces his duty as king and that’s a wonderful transformation to watch.

5) Have I mentioned I low-key ship Sam and Frodo?

Frodo: “I need you on my side.”

Sam: “I’m always on your side, Mr. Frodo.”

6) The last film very much covered Merry’s maturity, becoming invested in the war (which guides his actions in this film as well). In Return of the King we get to see Pippin grow more as a person. We see him go from a someone who doesn’t think before he acts (like when he looks into the orb and risks alerting Sauron about Frodo) to someone with deep sorrow who takes responsibility for his actions (such as when he pledges his allegiance to the Stewart of Gondor because he feels responsible for Boromir’s death). It’s a nice subplot for the film.

7) Can I just say: Théoden can be a real idiot.

Théoden [about Gondor]: “Tell me: why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours?”

Dude, you made SUCH a big deal about not asking for Gondor’s aid in the last movie when you were heavily advised to do just that. And now you’re getting pissy because they didn’t give you something you said you didn’t want?

8) While Sam and Frodo’s kinship is wicked strong, that’s not to undersell how deeply connected Merry and Pippin are. They’re great friends and the sadness of their goodbye as Gandalf takes Pippin to Gondor speaks to that.

9) Okay, can I just say something? There are only three named female characters in these films I can think of who have lines: Arwen, Galadriel, and Éowyn. They’re all awesome, they’re all great. They never EVER interact with each other and while we understand both Arwen and Galadriel are dangerous women it’s only Éowyn who gets to fight in the war. And I get the books were published in the 50s and everything but come on. Some changes to improve on female presence wouldn’t kill the movie.

10)

Arwen [about Aragorn]: “If I leave him now, I will regret it forever.”

And that’s literal, because elves are immortal. I just wanted to point that out.

11) John Noble as Denethor.

While there is initially a bit of sympathy for the stewart of Gondor because he’s mourning his son Boromir, wow is that lost quickly. I am rooting for this guy to die harder than I am any other character in this series because he is such a raging asshole. I think he’s supposed to be and John Noble plays him in a very interesting way. Much like Imelda Staunton was great at making us hate Doloris Umbridge in Harry Potter, John Noble is great at making Denethor a selfish, arrogant, cruel bastard who I just want to punch in his fucking permanent scowl of a face. HE FUCKING ADMITS THAT HE WISHES FARAMIR WERE DEAD INSTEAD OF BOROMIR! I just…yeah, I’m glad when this jackass dies.

12) The Dead City always reminded me a little of the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz. Or is that just me?

13) I apologize for this in advance.

Frodo [when he feels the Witch King near, who stabbed him in Fellowship]: “I can feel his blade.”

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

14) At first I questioned the need to include Faramir’s skirmish with the orcs, but for one thing it shows the continued darkness which spreads across Middle Earth as well as the scale of this war. Not to mention it feeds directly into a conflict between Faramir and his jackass dad.

15) I love Éowyn, which I said as much in the last recap. But in this film she is just so freaking ready to fight for those she loves, to stand up against evil even though the sexism of Middle Earth tries to keep her off the battlefield. But she doesn’t and we get the best moment in the whole trilogy. More on that later.

16) When I was younger I never really understood why Frodo believes Sam actually stole the bread, why he sends Sam away. But now I get just how great a manipulator Gollum is and how dark the ring can be on Frodo’s soul. Gollum knows EXACTLY what the ring is doing to him, the little things it whispers to him, the greed and mistrust which is taking him. He knows because he spent (I think) five hundred years under that very same influence. He knows what Frodo is going through better than anyone which he manipulates to his advantage.

17) Sean Astin just freaking shines with his breakdown after Frodo sends him away breaks up with him (you know, after refusing to give Sam a ring). He’s come so far, sacrificing his very life, to make sure Mr. Frodo stays safe and trying to make sure the ring doesn’t take him. And he’s ALWAYS on Frodo’s side, he always trusts Frodo. But Frodo can’t do the same thing for Sam. In fact, he does the complete opposite and distrusts him so deeply he tries to get rid of him. And it’s based on NOTHING, just the manipulations of a fiend and the darkness of the ring. Astin i just so great and conveying how heavy this is on Sam, I love it.

18) Ah, the song.

First of all, Billy Boyd’s vocals are just absolutely amazing here. They infuse the song with such grand heartache which helps it set the tone for Faramir’s attack on the orc troops. This isn’t a grand action scene, this isn’t a heroic triumph, this is a heartbreaking suicide mission made because of a son wanting to earn the love of his soulless father. And that’s why the song works as well as it does. It sets a beautiful tone.

19) Honestly, a few of these notes are just going to be me acknowledging awesome Éowyn is.

Éowyn [after some troops laugh at Merry for wanting to fight]: “Why can he not fight for those he loves?”

20) The scene where Aragorn takes the sword from Elrond is a great moment. The music, Aragorn’s demeanor, the subtleties of the cinematography, the visual of Aragorn taking the sword, it all just makes it feel like a real hero’s moment.

21) While the extended edition of this film may have some more Legolas & Gimli moments (there’s this wonderful drinking competition they get into), the bromance of the entire trio is still something I love.

Gimli [after Aragorn tries going into the dead mountain alone]: “You might as well accept it: we’re going with you, laddie.”

22) Merry is told he can’t go into battle by Théoden, that no one will carry him on their horse. Meanwhile Éowyn - who was basically told to stay at home and look after things while the men fight - says, “Screw that,” and takes Merry into battle herself. I LOVE ÉOWYN!

23) The scene with the ghosts and the dead mountain is truly eerie. Peter Jackson’s roots as a horror director really shine through in this wonderfully creepy scene and place. It’s just chilling.

24) In the long running list of why Denethor is a piece of shit: he is so freaking eager for Faramir to be dead and to have some man pain he doesn’t even check his pulse! Then he bitches about not getting help from Rohan which HE DIDN’T EVEN WANT and then gives up. Thank god for Gandalf.

25) The initial battle of Gondor has a nice sense of scale and stakes to it, especially when we see it through the eyes of Pippin. There’s this constant sense of dread and hardship which builds tension nicely.

26) I’m not talking about the spider scene because I always hide behind my hands when that scene is going on. I fucking hate spiders, guys. I hate them. It’s a miracle I didn’t just straight up fast forward past all the spider stuff. AND IT JUST KEEPS COMING BACK! You think the spider is gone but then no, it comes back for one last attack! ENOUGH WITH THE SPIDER ALREADY!

27) Gollum is totally done with the manipulation, the tricks, all of it. As soon as Frodo reveals his intention is to destroy the ring, he loses it and just is going to solve his problem with brute force. This doesn’t really work for him though.

28) Awww, Sam comes back to rescue his boyfriend only to think he’s dead.

Sam: “Don’t leave me here alone. Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

29) A coincidence to get the character in trouble helps move the plot along. Such as when the orcs show up RIGHT AFTER Frodo gets paralyzed so they can easily capture him.

30) Through a strong sense of visuals there is a nice feeling of hope when Rohan shows up to participate in the battle of Gondor. The build up to that and the fact we see it via Merry and Éowyn works REALLY well because they - like the audience - are both new to this.

31) I always liked that Gandalf is willing to leave the main battle to save Faramir, because isn’t that what this is all about? Saving as much life as we can.

32) There are few film deaths which are quite as satisfying to me as Denethor’s death. I won’t include it hear but those who have seen the movie know exactly what happens. Know if you seek it out it does involve fire (so if that triggers you maybe best to stay away).

33) Once the freaking elephants show up to battle you KNOW this shit is epic. One thing this film does best out of all three is its battle sequences are amazing. They may be long, but they are choreographed interestingly and use a strong sense of action = reaction to them. They’re epic and totally amazing.

34) I do have a bit of a fear of death, so Gandalf’s words to Merry always bring me calm.

Gandalf [after Merry says he can’t believe it’s going to end like this]: “End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path we must all take.”

35) THE BEST FREAKING MOMENT IN THE ENTIRE FREAKING TRILOGY! If you only watch one moment from The Lord of the Rings, make sure you watch this one. This is all you need to see. This is beautiful and I love it and it’s awesome. Watch it! Watch it now!

FUCKING ÉOWYN VERSUS THE FUCKING WITCH KING! YES! You can see she’s TOTALLY scared but that doesn’t matter at all. She works through the fear, she fights this mythical creature who is supposedly un-killable AND SHE FUCKING KILLS HIM! It’s either him or her uncle and damn it’s sure as hell not going to be her uncle! It is glorious. I cheer every time. I love it. Best moment in the trilogy. No contest. Done.

36) There is this tone shift in the battle of Gondor once Legolas and Gimli start their contest.

Gimli: “There’s plenty [of the enemy] for the both of us, may the best dwarf win.”

They bring out an intense amount of fun to the battle which just has you cheering them on. Cheering on the victory! I mean, LEGOLAS TAKES DOWN A FREAKING ELEPHANT!

Gimli: “THAT STILL COUNTS AS ONE!”

I love it.

37) Again, I apologize for this in advance.

Orc [about to kill Frodo]: “I’m going to stick you like a stuffed pig.”

Sam [killing the orc]: “Not if I stick you first.”

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

38) It is always important that characters not be passive. Them making a choice is interesting. So even when Frodo is at a point where he can easily STOP carrying the ring and let Sam carry it, but he CHOSES not to, that’s interesting. It speaks to his character.

Frodo: “You must understand: the ring is my burden.”

39) This is one of my favorite things to hit the internet in 2012. It’s so random and weird I love it.

40) The moment when Aragorn really becomes the king of men is when he rallies his troops to fight against Sauron. He takes his role as leader seriously and he’s damn good at it.

Aragorn: “I see in your eyes the same fear which would take the heart in me!”

He relates to them, he lets them know he’s afraid, but his bravery inspires bravery in others. That’s what a good leader does. They speak of hope and unity against hatred, they don’t encourage it. They don’t divide people, they bring them together.

41) Have I mentioned I love Legolas and Gimli’s bromance?

Gimli: “Who thought I’d die fighting side by side with an elf?”

Legolas: “How about side by side with a friend?”

Gimli: “Aye. I can do that.”

42) Frodo is literally pushed past his physical limits, unable to climb any further up Mount Doom to destroy the ring. But he HAS to. That’s high stakes. Forgoing physical needs for the goal is the highest stakes imaginable. And also: HELL YEAH, SAMWISE GAMGEE!

Sam: “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!”

43) Can I just say: I will never truly wrap my mind around the super convenient giant eagles which show up at the last minute. Like, maybe there’s an explanation for this in the books, but wouldn’t the eagles have helped out A LOT MORE before this final battle? I mean really. What’s with this Deus Ex Machina stuff?

44) The scene where Frodo decides to keep the ring visually matches the one where Isildur did the same thing in Fellowship, meaning the seeds for this were planted in the trilogy from film one. It’s smart planning and helps make the choice all the stronger. We’ve seen the consequences of this action once, but again? Oh man, that could be disastrous.

45) You can really see the influence the ring had on Frodo when this is the first thing he says after it’s destroyed.

Frodo: “I can see the shire.”

Frodo talked about how he couldn’t remember it before, while he was carrying the ring. But now it’s gone and he can. I love that.

46) One of my favorite moments in the series is when Frodo wakes up in Rivendale with Gandalf standing at his bead. Remember, Frodo thinks Gandalf is DEAD from the first film. So not only is there the joy at his own survival but that of his friend too. And you can see it on Elijah Wood’s face.

47) This film has A LOT of endings. Like, it takes 20 minutes to end. But I like each and every one. Firstly, this massive respect the hobbits are paid.

Aragorn [king of men, to the hobbits]: “My friends. You bow to no one.”

[Aragorn bows, then so does literally EVERYONE else]

48) The Shire still brings about the same sense of peace it did in Fellowship. You know you’re really out of danger when you are in that place. The tension defuses and it feels like…home. It’s worth noting that the hobbits at first have nothing to talk about while at the bar. They just sit there in silence because…what is there to say?

49) The final goodbye.

I may not be the best to pick up on subtext, but even I get that this boat into the West is meant to represent the afterlife. That Bilbo, Gandalf, and Frodo are all going into the afterlife (even though I always forget that Gandalf leaves). This is honestly not only the most fitting ending to the story, but for Frodo’s character as a whole. There’s no way Frodo could’ve just gone home after all that evil. He couldn’t have just returned to normalcy. He’s changed too much, so he has to move on. But just because Frodo’s gone, doesn’t mean life moves on. And I think that’s one of the greatest messages this film has: even in the face of great loss, life moves on. And there is always ALWAYS hope.

50) And I think instead of analyzing the song “Into the West” I’ll just leave you all with a link to listen to it because it’s a wonderful piece.

The Return of the King is everything fans loved about the first two Lord of the Rings films dialed up all the way. The stakes are at their highest, the battles are at their most epic, the performances are incredible, and the characters finally reach the end of the journey they started at the beginning of this film. Winning Best Picture at the Oscars the year it was nominated, this film definitely deserves it and is worth the watch (even if it is a long watch).

[against--the--dark]

Double Indemnity -- Characters, Story, and the Introspective drive

(Introduction if you missed it, and if you didn’t watch the clip in the last part, here it is again) 

In this scene, Keyes’s first response to being troubled about the claim is to drop in on Walter to talk about it, further evidence of their friendship.

The framing in this long shot adjusts to keep Walter and Keyes seperated by background elements (such as the door in the first shot, space, and the line where the wall changes direction in this shot).  The film is not trying to excuse Walter for what he’s done, and as mentioned, noir is full of morally grey protagonist (notably while other characters are given white or black—with white actually more often than not being the “evil” color, Walter is perpetually dressed in grey, not evil but not good either—caught, like he is by the narrative, repeatedly described as a train ride “straight down to the end of the line,” and with a cemetery waiting at the end.)  

The tension in this scene is largely build off of Walter’s need to act natural while not encouraging Keyes or giving away anything, as Keyes makes guesses about the claim.  But emotionally, there is far more going on.  The voice over narration interspersed through the film lets Walter constantly refer to the filmic “now” in the past tense, adding to the movie’s theme of incapability.  That theme is picked up and reaffirmed in this scene by the knowledge Phyllis could walk in at any moment, which would mean the end of everything for both her and Walter.

There is also a very tense and real question of what Walter will do if Phyllis does arrive.  Is he the kind of person who would kill his own friend to cover his tracks?  Although Walter makes no move to arm himself, block the door, or anything like that—and later is adamantly against even a vague suggestion of doing something about Keyes, the film silently conveys this anxiety by shooting Keyes from high angles and Walter from slightly low, making Walter seem worryingly bigger and more powerful—even in the two shots, the height difference allows for a shot even with Keyes’s head to be a low angle shot of Walter.  

Unnerved by the line of thought Keyes is working through, Walter goes to light a cigarette.  Throughout the film, Walter repeatedly lights cigars for Keyes as a sign of their friendship, so this movement is both a reminder of that relationship and that betrayal, and is emotionally impactful as the specific tic Walter picks up when worried about Keyes finding him out.  Mid-light (lighting the match being the key motion he makes for Keyes,) Keyes suggest Mr. Dietrichson might not have known he had insurance.  This is exactly what happened, and the key to the entire crime Walter and Phyllis put together.  Walter was the one to handle those papers, and Walter knows that Keyes knows this, so it’s basically an accusation of murder.  Walter freezes mid-movement because this is it—it’s over.  Keyes knows.  Keyes is a genious at insurance claims, and quite literally the only protection Walter has in that moment is the unlit match—the symbol of their friendship. Their relationship is his only hope.

The camera cuts to Keyes, who also realizes what he has just said, in what is one of the most heartbreaking shots in the film.  Soft lighting on Keyes and Walter makes them both look vulnerable, and that coupled with the backlight halo on Keyes and the perfect eyelight make Keyes appear particularly vulnerable in this shot.  He looks at Walter for a second, and it’s a beautifully painful shot because he’s wondering--and as viewers we know their friendship is very important to both of them, and how awful this would be for Keyes if he found out—even moreso if he was the one to expose Walter—and it’s doubly painful to see him realize it’s the most logical  answer to what he’s worried about, but decide it can’t be right because of that symbolic match—their friendship—and dismiss the idea. 

As soon as Keyes picks firendship over logic, Walter lights his match—the relationship is unbroken, and he is safe for now.

 James Naremore comments in his book More Than Night “One of the ironies of Walter’s crime is that in betraying his employer, he is also betraying a friend and a father substitute; hence his interoffice message, which is not only a confession of guilt but also an admission of love. The last scene of the released print of Double Indemnity makes this Chandleresque theme of male friendship and betrayal clear” (90). To add to that, it’s important that the ability to light the match is symbolic of the friendship being unbroken, so this scene is setting up the last shot of the film, wherein Walter collapses from blood loss in Keyes’s office and tries to light a cigarette, but can’t, and Keyes lights it for him—an act which, when referenced with the iconography built throughout the narrative, shows Keyes not only acting out of pity, but choosing to still keep his relationship with Walter, even after everything.

We cut back and forth a few times as Walter tries to recover and Keyes works through ideas, until Walter finally asks Keyes if he thinks it’s murder.

Cue Phyllis. Now that Walter has miraculously dodged Keyes’s intellect and preserved their friendship, the other thing that could cause it all to fall apart arrives.  (Note, Phyllis also knows who she is—and, like Keyes, gets to wear black. Walter alone is stuck in grey.) Luckily for Walter and Phyllis, she hears them talking about her and stops, then listens in.

Just as Walter fits the film noir archetype main character, a morally-grey and morally weak middle class man, in some sort of investigative role generally (PI, cop, journalist, insurance investigator, etc), Phyllis is a classic femme fatale as Janey Place defines in Women in Film Noir.  Sexual, dangerous, attractive, Phyllis fits the archetype down to one of it’s most defining features—the femme fatale is potentially and often successfully “fatal,” both to the man and to herself (Place etc).  In the end of Double Indemnity, Phyllis’s involvement of Walter and her continued initiative cause the ends of Walter and herself.

Keyes leaves the apartment unexpectedly quickly, just after declaring he suspects Phyllis is the murderer, and Phyllis barely manages to hide behind the door.  As incapability and anxiety are recurring themes in this film and noir in general, Walter, has barely dodged one bullet before immediately caught visually, physically, and thematically between Keyes and Phyllis. 

Keyes threatens to bring Phyllis to justice, and Walter shields her, moving the door back to provide better cover, reaffirming his choice between the two. This sequence reiterates the themes of betrayal and incapability, as Walter is wishing his friend luck hunting down a killer who he knows is himself, and sheltering his partner in crime from Keyes, and Walter is trapped, unable to move even from the doorway until someone else has moved—Walter is continually trapped.  Between Phyllis and Keyes, by Venetian blind lighting, in doorways, again and again—and trapped by the inevitability of the frame story--for the first Walter we meet, this is already past tense.

He’s caught emotionally as well.  This screenshot embodies basically the entire relational dynamic of the film.  Walter is bound to Phyllis by a crime—something he cannot escape—and to Keyes by emotion and choice—something he does not want to lose.  The film again plays out Walter’s signature lighting of a cigar for Keyes, which, juxtaposed against Phyllis symbolizing the crime, betrayal, and danger for Walter, forms a fairly complete visual reminder of everything that is at stake for the protagonist.

Going back to Phyllis--one visual which contributes to Phyllis’s femme fatale “otherness” is the incredible lighting job in the film.  While Keyes and Walter and everyone, including the other females like Lola, get low-key lighting which displays feature structure and makes them look real, Phyllis is often given attractive but flat lighting, which gives her face the appearance of an unfracturable mask—beautiful, but unnerving.

Keyes leaves and Walter and Phyllis go into Walter’s apartment.  Again, Walter is visually trapped in a doorway. Although he’s with Phyllis phsyically, his mind is clearly still on the encounter with Keyes, and he’s still emotionally stuck between the two of them.  The long takes and wide framing often used in noir films contributes to a feeling of authenticity and a lack of control—as if even the editor cannot control the picture. Less closeups and more two shots means the ability to chose who to look at, undirected by an editor, as well as who, when, and why to emotionally identify with.

Walter walks away, trying to think and gain some control over the narrative, but Phyllis follows him, still lit mask-like compared to Walter’s realistically depth-shown face, making her appear like some sort of monster almost, stalking prey.  The eyelight that served Keyes so sympathetically before makes Phyllis’s eyes glow unnervingly.

The Camera moves into a tight shot as Phyllis confronts Walter about his confliction regarding the two of them, using sex as a weapon like a typical femme fatale, until Walter gives in and kisses her.

The final image, which should be a romatic embrace, feels passionless and false, because even going in for the kiss, Walter still looks conflicted and distracted, and the almost desperate physicality can’t help but be compaired to the much more emotional conversation between friends which just transpired.   

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Indexes:

WELCOME Post and current Headliner.

CLASSIC NOIR: Introduction to the Genre and Classic Noir, Part 1(Double Indemnity) Part 2 (Kiss Me Deadly,) and Classics Conclusion/Part 3

TRANSITIONING TO NEO-NOIR: Fatalism and the Noir Future, Part 1′s intro (For I Robot), Part 1 (analysis for I Robot), Part 2 on Neo-Noirs (Fargo), and the Conclusion.

THE FUTURE OF NOIR: An Expansive Noir Future,  An Expansive Noir Future part 2,  Noir and Anime, Noir Future and Video Games  Noir Negatives and the Future,  Noir Film and TV,  In-Depth Analysis of the Video Game Noir: The Wolf Among Us,  In-Depth Analysis of the Video Game Noir: Heavy Rain, and Conclusion/A Waypoint.