#text vs subtext

[puppyeared]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[cleromancy]

god ppl trying to claim jasons "we're the not so different you and i" villain speech to mia WASNT incredibly unsubtle subtext... that they went through the same trauma... like he says theyre alike. she says he knows nothing about her. he lists what he knows. and then he repeats that they're alike.

that's only barely subtext and not text itself, man. trying to argue that isn't the intention that jason was also a csa victim is just willful misreading at that point

[elephant-in-the-pride-parade]

Shout out to the new trekkies who are gonna watch Prodigy first and get invested in the J/C ship. Because they are all gonna get it in their heads to watch Voyager afterwards, to get the references and see how these characters got to where they are in 2385...

Endgame is gonna be a special kind of whiplash for them.

[jinkieswouldyoulookatthis]

Subtext - Part 2

This is a follow-up to my previous post about subtext.

Subtext vs. Text

So, if the potential meaning(s) of subtextual elements is not part of canon, Jinkies, how can you say that Sam and Dean are canonically soulmates when the show never came right out and said that they were?

Great question! The short answer is that there is a difference between subtext and text that shows rather than tells.

Writers are always being told to "show, don't tell." But what the fuck does that actually mean? It means that good storytelling isn't just exposition. Sure, you can explicitly tell your readers/viewers a thing, it happens all the time, but if you want to really draw your audience in and make them suspend disbelief for a time, immerse them in your story, you want to show them things because that makes them feel the things. So instead of saying, "Bob went to the store and bought eggs, milk, and flour," you would instead, perhaps, describe Bob coming back with shopping bags that he unloads, pulling out eggs, milk, and flour, and putting them away in his kitchen. The fact that Bob went to the store and bought these items, while unsaid, isn't subtext. As the writer, you just chose to show your reader the results of an action instead of talking them through the steps of that action.

Likewise, in the episode Dark Side of the Moon (5x16), the writers show us that Sam and Dean share a heaven by having them be able to find each other without breaking out of their individual heavens, a thing that they show and explain to us through Ash as needing to happen to jump from one person's heaven to another's. But Dean just follows the road through his heaven and it leads him to Sam... because they're in different parts of the same heaven. Taking Ash's metaphor of Heaven being like Disneyland a step further, both Sam and Dean were in the Winchesterland heaven portion of Heaven, just on different rides within that portion of the larger park. Then Ash says, while looking pointedly at the two of them, that special cases like soulmates share a heaven. So while the story did not say, "Sam and Dean are soulmates," it gave us the equation, explained all the variables, and just left us to fill in the answer on our own because they had faith in our ability to do the basic math. Turns out that faith wasn't 100% justified, but whatever, not everyone is good at math.

So in this case, Sam and Dean being soulmates is a part of canon even though they never came right out and said those specific words in that order. It is text that is shown not told.

Text, in a written work, is the actual words used, whether those words are describing actions, dialog, or setting a scene. While subtext is the space between and underneath the words where implied additional meanings can be found, if one chooses to go looking for them.

A great and fertile ground for subtextual readings can be found in discussions about Sam and Dean's sexualities. Because while the text only tells and shows us both brothers being heterosexual, there is a lot of subtext that speaks to a lot of people in support of one or both of them being queer in some fashion. Queer readings of either character are valid head canons with lots of support that can be pulled from the subtextual elements of the show. There is room within the story for a lot of subjective readings, even though all the canon tells/shows us is that they are heterosexual cis men.

Now I know a lot of you may screech to a halt here and start objecting that I am putting a subjectively heteronormative read on this. Yeah, I know. Unfortunately, the entire issue with the heteronormative bullshit that we all deal with in the really real world on a daily basis, is that it is the default presumed pov. This is changing (thankfully) but Supernatural was created before that shift really began in the collective consciousness, so the default presumed pov of the show is a heteronormative one. That is how the show was created, the filter through which it was written and acted and presented. And while reading it from a different pov is valid, it is not going to be in line with canon... it would be head canon.

Again, HEAD CANONS ARE VALID even though they aren't canon.

[mirai-desu]

As a huge friends to lovers enjoyer… it makes me so sad that the message of MSATD became don’t ever fall in love with your best friend or it will ruin your friendship 🥴

Like, they had William fall in love with Eliza too deeply too fast for the pacing that what RN/TPTB wanted (their apparent opinion, not mine obviously), despite the fact they are the ones who wrote that pacing. Like the call is coming from inside the house babes--

But then William felt like he had to leave the whole ass country because he couldn’t be around her anymore (and mind you, while he was still recovering from being shot and being in a coma!!!) because he felt like she didn’t return the same feelings at the same level as him, and that fucking sucks so much ugh

Like no matter “the why” this all happened, that’s the ultimate message and it’s horrible and hurts and I hate that they have perpetuated this.

Especially when you SHOULD be friends with your significant other, no matter at what point you fall in love.

And yes, Eliza's characterization ended up being all over the place thanks to shoddy writing, but she DID love him back, RN just refused to let her voice it, because she though that would ruin the show. HA.

And if they were going for something like "well sometimes it doesn't work out" ... if the show is about their bond and everything they've said before, then why just not make it actually tragic and kill him off then??? So what, they just don't fight for each other??? make it make sense

anyway it really doesn't matter which way you slice, it this whole thing still just sucks

[and I needed to get this rant out of my drafts because they are going to start S5 promo soon and I simply want nothing to do with it at all]

[missbiddle]

Got approved and assigned a supervisor for my Xena: Warrior Princess research thesis 😎 bring it on

[aveline-amelia]

I guess we're doing this again....

So, I recently saw someone say that they believe Mycroft isn't attracted to Lady Smallwood and that he only had sex with her (which he textually hasn't, by the way) because "he owed her".

And I am sorry, but why would you prefer Mycroft having sex with a woman he doesn't want to be having because he felt coerced and pressured over him having sex with a woman because he enjoys having sex with women?

Isn't that much worse?

There is no textual evidence Mycroft ever had sex with Lady Smallwood or any woman, or proof that he had or has sex at all or that if he had it was with a woman. Be free. Headcanon away. You believe he's a virgin? You believe he's not? You believe he was popular at campus because he gave people sexual favors (yes, I saw that one too)? Fine by me.

There is subtextual evidence for the Smallcroft thing. But subtext isn't text. Subtext exists to be deniable. It's how queer people got their writing past the censors. Most subtext has an alternative explanation, either through a surface reading or an alternative reading. Sometimes one is more or less believable. It depends on your perspective.

Faith!Eurus saying the word "sex" after Lady Smallwood said Mycroft hasn't made it up to her doesn't mean she literally told him he has to have sex with her or that he owes her sex.

That is coercive. That is rape culture and it makes my skin crawl.

Them putting on their coats isn't actual proof they had sex. If you want to believe they had or that they're dating, that is also fine. But don't feel the need to believe in it if it causes you actual distress.

And no, it has nothing to do with Lady Smallwood being newly widowed or her being around 20 years older or the fact that Mycroft has (next to) no dating experience. But all of that certainly doesn't make it better.

And not to pull the "if the genders were reversed" card but we all know what the reaction would be if we talked about an older experienced man and a younger less experienced (and read as both queercoded and possibly neurodivergent) woman.

[br1ghtestlight]

I can't even be mad bcuz there's not that much ableism in bobs burgers.... everybody kinda loves tina without question. Same for all the kids

[sakucrossing]

Another day, another post misinterpreting why Sakura wanted a rivalry with Ino.

[scare-ard--sleigh]

i don't have it in me to rant about the villainization of joseph chr*stiansen ft. the opinions of r*bert small anymore, the smallies have won, i will take my manipulative puppetmaster youth minister and ride him into the sunset. i mean ride him. i mean wank off. i mean ride off.

[tragedykery]

ALSO. that siyu is the one to tell the story in adofn, while ead tells it in tpotot! siyu, who is ead’s direct ancestor! siyu, who started the tradition of priory sisters protecting the queens of inys! I’m aware I probably look like man standing in front of conspiracy board dot jpg rn but it’s so inch resting to me. the differences between the two scenes…tuvuna asking siyu to tell her the story to cheer her up/distract her/remind her of its importance, a warm and comforting moment, while sabran and roslain ask ead to tell it to “comfort [sabran’s] ladies”, a moment of such inflamed anger and narrowly avoided danger. choking on the blood from a bitten tongue. do you think at the inysh court, siyu would find herself in a similar situation? being asked to tell, in tunuva’s words, “the story that matters most”, but having to make it into, in ead’s words, “half a tale”? having to butcher what is indeed the most important story in this universe, for both her safety and the inysh ladies’ comfort? I, for one, would eat it up

‘I would like something in exchange,’ Tunuva said. ‘I would like you to tell me a story.’

‘What story?’

‘The one that matters most.’

the fact that it is siyu to tell the story in this book… while she’s the symbol of the “rot” and unbelief that has taken root in the priory at this time, while it is, in saghul’s words, “a fable to her.” just a story. in believing this, siyu is one of the major examples of the very thing the book warns against: the belief that stories are “just” stories—and, with that, the conflation of “being a story” with unimportance. while nothing could be more untrue! there are few things in this world (or in that of the priory) that are more impactful, more important than stories. stories are what people base their beliefs and behaviour on, their countries and religions and identities. sharing them is a beautiful way to connect with people, with a culture—but they’re also used to justify subjugation, oppression, and colonisation. violence and hatred. and THAT is the main point the series is trying to make.

[asidian]

I've seen a lot of talk about how hell affected Edwin's pain tolerance, but not very much breaking down how it seems to have affected the way he manages emotion. So to that end, here we go:

Edwin Payne vs emotions (and how his no good very bad helltime messed with him something awful)

Dead Boy Detectives does a very good job early on of establishing the fact that Edwin is not particularly good with people. He's stilted, he's repressed, and though he can be incredibly kind to the people he cares about, he can also be quite abrasive, particularly to those he doesn't know well.

Time and time again, we see Charles step in to be the face man. Charles is the one to greet the clients, to take note of their names, to set them at ease. Charles is the one to support Crystal emotionally, and his interactions with Edwin seem to imply that he's done the same for Edwin, over the years. Charles has to remind Edwin to mind his bedside manner, and he explains to Crystal that Edwin forgets how to talk to people sometimes, because of how long he spent in hell.

In short, these boys compensate for each other's strengths and weaknesses in a lot of ways, and Charles is very much the one doing the emotional heavy lifting in this partnership.

And there's a reason for that, laid out in the text and subtext all throughout the show, and the narrative handles it brilliantly.

Edwin's actor does a fantastic job in expressing the character's reactions – or rather, lack of them. Because in the most shocking scenes throughout the show, Edwin often doesn't seem as horrified as the others in the face of events that ought to be horrific. In the Devlin house, he seems as though the murders scarcely affect him. When the jumper at the top of the lighthouse throws herself down, he's downright composed in comparison to everyone else.

And Edwin repeatedly shows or expresses that emotion makes him uncomfortable. When Crystal and Charles are fighting in episode five, he requests that they set their feelings aside until the case is finished. At the end of the episode, he says that the day has been entirely too full of emotions for his taste.

So, what is it specifically about emotion that bothers him so much?

In hell, emotion meant an awful, bloody death.

Panicking over potential incoming horrors? Nope, sorry, too loud. Dead again. Having a sobbing breakdown in a corner? Nope, sorry, too loud. Injured and trying to keep it down so it doesn't get worse? Nope, sorry, that's too loud, too.

Again and again, we see Edwin trying to tamp down on his emotions, but also, tellingly, trying to keep his emotions subdued and quiet.

When Charles finds him in hell, he's crying without making a single sound. When Esther starts to torture him in episode eight, he doesn't scream at first. He's trained himself out of making noise when something hurts or frightens him.

Of course he wants to set emotions aside until the case is done. He's spent seventy years learning what happens if you don't. You take care of business first. If, and only if, there's an after? That's when you let yourself feel.

Early on, when Edwin and Charles need to find the correct book but Edwin is unable to access their office due to the Cat King's bracelet, Edwin is upset. He's frustrated and out of sorts, blocked from making progress on the thing he knows he needs to be doing – hurting himself trying to get his arm through the mirror until Charles stops him. It's Charles who has to step in and help him calm down. It's Charles who has to remind him to breathe through what is very likely a panicked throwback to those times when if he could not solve his way out of a problem, it would very literally get him killed. In this scene, we get a brief glimpse of how Edwin looks when he starts to lose his grip on his rigid control.

And that's before we even get to these things:

Because as awful as the doll spider was, it wasn't the only thing skulking around the Doll House. Charles stumbles across misery wraiths when he goes to rescue Edwin from hell – and we know from the Devlin house episode that Edwin is extremely aware of what they do and how they operate. They were in his space, looking for despair to feed off during a time when he had it in spades.

Taken all together? It's an absolutely heartbreaking picture.

This boy seemed a little socially awkward before his death, from what we see of his time before hell. But afterward? He's had seventy long years of having to teach himself to regulate his own emotions, under pain of excruciating torture if he didn't do it well enough.

With an object lesson like that, over and over again, for literal decades, it's no wonder that Edwin has such a hard time navigating emotions and everything surrounding them.

[billiewena]

FOUR YEARS SINCE NOV 5TH, 2020, as summed up by Supernatural

past recaps: year one / year two / year three / year four

full context and sources below:

various explanations + resources/sources/extra reading on this year's recap:

balls deep: misha collins says the quiet part out loud at Cross Roads 8 Supernatural Convention, saying "if the CW wasn't so homophobic dean and cas would've been balls deep for sure" at a con (x) (x) (x)

garthbenny canon: supernatural actors DJ Qualls (who played hunter-turned-werewolf Garth Fitzgerald) and Ty Olsson (who played the vampire Benny Lafitte) reveal they're married, delighting crack shippers like myself everywhere (x)

spn spooky picture book: official supernatural children's picture book is released, retconning things like john winchester as a happy father figure and castiel being their cowardly childhood friend who sorta hangs around (x) (x)

boop button: tumblr introduces a feature people enjoy for once for april fool's day and halloween and allows users to boop each other, spn bloggers re-awake like sleeper agents to use it in full force (x) (x)

bedlund speaks on destiel: former spn writer ben edlund goes on a tweet fest replying to fans, talking about destiel multiple times including this profound tweet (x)

clear text, not subtext: jensen speaks out again on the confession at Purcon 8, this time taking a more open stance on how the relationship was textual, his take on dean's feelings about cas's feelings, and how the scene with cas deserved a resolution (x)

bury your gays: famed author chuck tingle (known for his plethora of highly specific and delightfully inclusive, if strange, indie erotica novels) publishes his second mainstream horror novel, inspired by TV network studios' infamous history of censoring LGBT relationships and openly killing off queer characters. In a non-subtle nod to supernatural fans, the main character is named misha. (sidenote: did end up reading this and this book is actually really good commentary on the industry in general and really good, 10/10 recommend) (x) also someone got the book signed by misha, to further break the fourth wall (x)

tracker: jensen ackles begins starring in a CBS show where he is basically csoplaying dean winchester, with the show featuring many non-subtle spn references (i.e. him pretending to almost get in an impala before going to his truck, characters wearing spn necklaces, etc.) (x) (x) (x) (special shout-out to clarice @youre-only-gay-once for expertly tracking the tracker show and these easter eggs, highly recommend their tag for their show)

cw's walker cancelled: fans rejoiced upon hearing the cancellation news for jared's post-supernatural show, walker, a remake of "walker texas ranger." in addition to generally being a copaganda show for the notoriously racist texas rangers, jared's inspiration for the show's direction caused much concern. the actor himself said the show was inspired by the US border crisis, not by the immigrant families affected by the separation and internment, but instead wanting exploring the POV of the law enforcement agents working at the border and the moral dilemmas they had to face (x)

pro-destiel Wonder Woman: Lynda Carter (aka the iconic and beloved original actress for Wonder Woman, not the z*onist one) says she could "go for some Destiel" when promoting #GeeksandNerdsforHarrisWalz and Misha's involvement (x) the rest of the spn cast and original Showrunner Kripke were also a big part of this event

chili's backfire: the chain restaurant chili's drags destiel while interacting with 9-1-1 bucktommy shippers on twitter, immediately gets backfire. notably, their stock takes a dip the next day. coincidence? maybe so, maybe not (x) (x)

samgirl voting fraud: "who is the gayest spn character" tumblr poll surprisingly gets heated, with a blogger straight-up admitting they used a bot on the "castiel vs. sam" poll to rig the poll in sam's favor, which they apparently also did for w*ncest in another poll in the past, and posting a guide on how anyone could do the same. luckily democracy wins in this one instance and castiel prevails anyways, leading to an also contested "castiel vs. charlie bradbury" round (x) (x)

pink pony jarpad: jared is spotted at lesbian pop star chappell roan's set at a festival, un-likely place for him to be (x) also may have been one of the "boring" people called out by chappell? (x)

pro-kamala castiel: in a last-ditch effort to get out the vote, misha uses the power of castiel photo ops to campaign for harris-walz and even shouts-out destiel. I feel depressed writing this sentence, if you've made it this long in your read and you're in the states I hope you're doing alright! maybe by the time I wake up things will be a little different though. (x)

[dandelionjack]

since we’re having an active discussion about racism in doctor who now. what is going on with the 1 million academy era thoschei fanarts where theta (the one that grows up to be good) is a blonde curly haired white blue eyed angel boy and koschei (the one that grows up to be evil) has straight dark hair DARKER SKIN THAN THETA dark eyes and looks asian most of the time. what is Up with that. are we not examining these stereotypes at all. nowhere in the source text(s) does it actually say which race either of the pair were, especially, as we know, race on gallifrey is arbitrary and meaningless…

of course, the argument could be made that this is intentional and reflects the perception of these characters vs who they actually are. i.e. theta was the rowdy troublemaker, theta killed torvic and got away with it by scapegoating his best friend, meanwhile koschei was the thoughtful child that was bullied and ignored, and this early trauma impacted the way both of them turned out. but somehow i doubt it.

somehow i don’t believe that academy era fanartists are making a deliberate commentary on the way that Whiteness will often allow a teenage delinquent to get away scot-free after breaking the rules in a way their counterpart of colour would have been punished for. which would actually make sense and, if this is the case, i’m all for white theta and asian kosch. but — after all — in my humble opinion, there should be variation. gender, too. we don’t know what they were like when they were children. one thing we should be wary of, though, is accidentally falling into the deeply socially-ingrained tendencies of white supremacist subtext. it’s time to leave the bubble

[sarahthecoat]

ooh, i like it! wonderful how new things still pop up! yes, for a graffiti artist, the spray paint is the pen, and he uses it to create a visual message rather than a verbal one, as one would with a pen.

Spray can versus Pen

Sometimes it helps to distance yourself from something. I watched TBB after a long time and one of the characters that I still hadn’t placed well seems to have found a place. Raz, the rebel graffiti artist, who smears walls for someone, makes art for others, and brings his message. I thought he might be the rebel Conan Doyle who hid the truth in the subtext. The one who knows the hidden, underground language and uses it expertly. We see him for the first time drawing on an institution wall, and within moments he throws his spray can at John. For a graffiti artist, the spray can is the pen. And Doyle gave his pen to John Watson making him the narrator. But what would have happened if he had given Watson the spray can can and not the pen? The subtext instead of the text. The police would have intervened to arrest Watson/Doyle, which exactly happened in TBB.

@possiblyimbiassed @ebaeschnbliah @gosherlocked @sagestreet @sarahthecoat

[luminnara]

Feyd Rautha headcanons plsss

Like what was his upbringing and training like? How did he become what he is?

Okay I think about this A LOT and I just wanna say that I know people argue a ton about the original Dune book(s) vs the older adaptations vs the new DV movies, and these are just my thoughts! Frank Herbert was a great writer and he gave us complex characters with tons of subtext, but the original Dune was also published in the 60s and the other best known older adaptation is from the 80s, and both have some definitely outdated and not great stuff was used to show how bad a character was (like the Baron having an affinity for uh young boys who look like Paul 😬). I think that DV made some really smart changes to these characters that are more in line with contemporary thinking, while also remaining true to what Frank Herbert was trying to tell us about them—like the Baron is a Bad Man and Feyd is angry and impatient and definitely wants to kill him. ANYWAYS leggo, this is long and my thoughts jump around a lot but I hope you enjoy!

WARNING for some talk of SA! Also mentions of violence and murder and cannibalism, the usual stuff

The more serious ideas that are backed up by text and movie evidence:

Feyd-Rautha was taken from Lankiveil, a Harkonnen planet ruled by his birth father Abulurd (Vladimir’s younger half brother) by his uncle, Baron Vladimir. Feyd definitely knows this, and knows that Glossu Rabban is his older brother…so imagine all of the conflicting thoughts he must have surrounding his own position and future. On the one hand, he was taken and raised by his uncle so that he could inherit the title of Baron. On the other hand, he was taken as a punishment to his father. There must be resentment there, towards both his father and his uncle, and even his older brother. Even though Feyd was essentially chosen to become something more than Rabban, he grew up away from most of his immediate family. Even though he was raised to become Harkonnen royalty, imagine how he might have turned out if he had remained with his father, who had renounced the Harkonnen name.

He was brought up in a cruel and harsh environment. He was made into a killing machine, partly because of Harkonnen customs, partly because Vladimir enjoyed the carnage, and partly because it was the only thing a young Feyd ever knew. As a young man, he loves killing and shredding because it feels natural and is second nature to him, but does he ever wish he had known what it was like growing up in a softer environment? Food for thought.

He hates his uncle. In the book, he attempts an assassination. In DV’s part two, he mentions to the Baron that he should kill him, and the Baron laughs. Vladimir finds it amusing that Feyd would say something like that, because he knows he’s got Feyd under his thumb. Perhaps Feyd is even scared of him.

The Baron is, and was, cruel to him. In the book, after the failed assassination attempt, Vladimir tells his nephew that if he agrees to stop trying to kill him (lol), he’ll step down and let Feyd have his position. BUT he kills his darlings as a punishment (who in the book are female slaves, who act as his lovers)

I already have a ton of headcanons about his darlings in the DV movies, and I really think that Feyd cared for them. So imagine that your own uncle WHO YOU WANT TO KILL takes away the only things you care about?? That’s fucked up man

The Baron abused Feyd to some degree, very possibly sexually—I’ve seen a lot of people pointing out how heavily this is implied by the subtext in both the book and part two. Feyd is actually a complex character, but neither Frank Herbert nor DV really spelled that out, and you have to dig a little and think about it. While I obviously don’t want ANYBODY, even fictional characters, to experience something like SA, I think it does add to the depth of his character and gives more fuel to his rage. It also shows us just how terrible Vladimir really is. I’ve seen it suggested that this is part of what Margot Fenring means when she says that Feyd is sexually vulnerable, but I take that comment to more mean that he opens himself up to the possibility of harm a LOT in bed and that’s when he’s most emotionally vulnerable. BUT I don’t think those things are mutually exclusive

NOW THE MORE FUN IDEAS THAT I ENJOY (fun is a subjective term here lol)

Feyd-Rautha has a vulnerable side, and it’s very, very guarded. It’s buried so deep he may not even be aware of it.

He really does care for his darlings, and that’s the closest thing he feels to love. It’s a possessive, ownership kind of love that we would consider toxic irl, but they’re the only things besides his weapons and power that he cares about.

He doesn’t revere his weapons, but he respects them. They’re not personified, but he appreciates a good killing tool, and likes to take care of his knives.

He views lives as very black and white. There are people who can be killed (slaves, servants, rivals, his uncle), and people who ABSOLUTELY cannot be (his darlings, an SO, his hypothetical children)

He views everyone else as weaker than him, and it’s partially because his uncle would never LET someone as important to his plans as Feyd be harmed, so Feyd rarely feels that his life is actually in danger. Almost everyone he fights in the arena is drugged, and it isn’t like his trainer would fight without shields. He’d be confused and intrigued by someone who could actually defeat him, and he’s so into the art of war and battle that he would respect it (but also be upsetti)

He spends a lot of time watching and calculating in silence. While he’s impatient and has a short temper, he likes to learn about things that interest him.

He’s up to date on Giedi Prime beauty trends and sets a lot of the standards himself. He gets massages and spa treatments regularly and has been known to undergo more serious procedures.

While he doesn’t partake as regularly as his darlings, he occasionally consumes human flesh and blood and doesn’t think it’s weird, because he views almost everyone as lesser than him, so eating them is akin to eating livestock. Alternatively, I could see him going down the “I feel so overwhelmingly deeply about you that I must consume you body and soul” road about someone special but I really don’t think he’s got that brand of romance in him lol

Like lady fenring said, he is, in fact, sexually vulnerable. In the bedroom, he can let out his emotions, and sometimes they’re ugly and sometimes he needs to not be in charge for the night. He leaves himself open to manipulation and harm. Man just really needs a good hug tbh

Canonically hypersexual as a result of trauma

Is harsh as a result of a harsh upbringing, one that looked comfortable from the outside but was anything BUT for him. Beneath the surface, he’s messy.

Aggressive because he’s always had to be to survive. His uncle probably wouldn’t have killed him because he was always integral to Vladimir’s plans, but did a young Feyd know that?? NO

is NOT well traveled. He’s lived on Giedi Prime his whole life, has probably seen Lankiveil, which is cold and watery, and has been on Arrakis, but I think he would NOT know what to do if he was on a lush green planet. All he knows is harsh, extreme environments. If you plop him down in a meadow, he will have NO clue what to do

As a child, he watched his uncle kill anyone who inconvenienced him. This definitely warped Feyd’s concepts of kindness and the value of life.

His childhood was just unbelievably strict and harsh and at the same time he was spoiled in certain ways, and that has led to him growing into a pampered yet still caged man

He would LOVE to slaughter his uncle and feed him to his darlings

In an arranged marriage, something about his spouse would have to suddenly intrigue him, and then he would be HOOKED. He would sink his teeth in and refuse to let go. Opening up to someone who isn’t one of his darlings would be strange and difficult for him

Remember how I said he isn’t used to fighting sober opponents? I think that once he gets a taste for fair fights, he becomes a little addicted to the thrill of it and the power that those victories bring him, and he loses interested in drugged fights. After a lifetime of living under this uncle’s thumb, the control he has over someone’s life and PROVING that he’s better and stronger and meaner than them is the most validating feeling he knows.

He never shows mercy, because no one has ever showed it to him.