#that all goes to the way loyalty is portrayed in one piece

[thegreatcaptainusopp]

Do you ever think about water 7 and remember how many fans (way too many fans...) completely misunderstand Usopp's character and feelings towards Merry and reduce it to "he was only attached because Kaya gave them the ship" and forget that we are explicitly told that he sees himself in Merry and also later on we found out he heard Merry say she wanted to take them further, so we KNOW just how much Usopp saw her as another nakama (I know they all did, but he SAW and heard her first) and no wonder he didnt want to just get rid of her, do you ever remember that and want to cry?

Also I get that Usopp said hurtful things, and went against the captain, but if he hadnt Merry wouldnt have been able to save them... I always feel like Zoro was too rough on Usopp but I don't know, maybe I'm misremebering because Usopp haters always use Zoro's speech to say that Usopp was in the wrong or whatever (and it drives me INSANE ooh 😤 makes my blood boil)

I should rewatch Water 7...

Also unrelated but what are Merry's official pronouns?

Oh boy do I ever think about Water 7. I’ve posted about this before but Usopp’s reasons are numerous and just build on top of each other. Not only is it because of Kaya and seeing the Merry as a crew member and seeing himself in the Merry but it also is because of his own trauma and insecurities and abandonment issues. There’s a lot there and it all exploded out in a messy argument and is just…so sad and emotional and I don’t think anyone in universe (including Usopp himself) have still even know parsed out all of that complexity yet.

I think a lot of fan reaction here is victim to the point of view of the narrative. Luffy is our protagonist and the rest of the main characters are his crew, and that means certain expectations of loyalty. He’s the boss, which means they have to follow his rules. Which, you know, is fair enough: if you want to stay, you follow the rules that the boss sets. However, I think a lot of what actually goes on here is accepted at face value and not considered further critically. While Usopp’s actions here were wrong from the perspective of the hierarchy established on the crew, as well as from a personal standpoint because of some of the things that were said, they were also right from another point of view. Usopp’s argument here was that the Merry was a crew member, as alive as any of the rest of them. And, canonically, he’s fully correct. Luffy’s argument is that the Merry can’t take them further, which is also correct. They were both right, but the communication breakdown also means they were both wrong. And Usopp got most of the blowback because of narrative perspective, and because of the fact that he is not the captain and therefore is not going to receive the same loyalty in decisions that Luffy does.

Zoro is a character that is very much a vehicle for this narrative perspective: he is a strong believer in the ship hierarchy and believes that following it to the letter is not only the morally right thing to do, but also is the only way they will survive the journey to come. Is he right? The narrative certainly seems to direct us to that. But at the end of the day it’s just a certain perspective on how things work. Usopp here went against the loyalty that Zoro holds so dearly (and to Luffy in particular) and therefore Zoro felt it was his duty to set them (and him especially) straight. But again, this is very much from the perspective I mentioned above.

I think examining it further, like I said, shows that both Usopp and Luffy were right, but went wrong in how they communicated how each felt. Luffy may be the boss, and his word may be law in the ship, but I think as the boss he has the added responsibility to deescalate and manage his crew, and communicate to them his expectations clearly. Usopp failed here to control his insecurities and succumbed to them. Luffy here failed in his capacity as a leader in communication and deescalation, especially since he most certainly does not want to be an iron fist type leader. However, I don’t think that element of Luffy’s failure is discussed enough in and out of universe, which is also why I always say that I wish the crew challenged him and his decisions more.

With regards to Merry’s pronouns, I think she/her? I’m unsure though, if anyone can confirm that.

[habunshu]

Hello! Sorry to bother you.

I noticed you are in JTTW fandom and wanted to ask if you know where can I find more info on Sun Wukong's make up and stage performance? I tried to find stuff on my own but quickly realised that I'm just one small weak goblin. I saw some blogs about chinese opera behind the scenes with SW images and couple of videos but that's about it... and since you look like you are way more knowledgeable I came here to beg a favour.

Do you know any videos, documentaries or blogs on this topic?

Thank you for your time ♥♥♥

Hi!

TLDR: Bold text are writings/videos linked to Peking Opera Culture and specifics surrounding Monkey King performances. Post has a mid-length summary of key aspects of his Peking appearances and core thematics. This mainly goes along visual design analysis, as I don’t focus in performance art as much! Read more divide for courtesy

(Also taking a moment to highly praise @/bonesmarinated ‘s Peking opera Wukong pieces!)

The Monkey King/Sun Wukong is a very well covered and well performed character in Peking Opera, I’ll give a short(ish) summary of the key aspect of his design across various performances based on work I can recall from my Undergrad as well as my own experience- and i’ll link any documents/websites/images I have on hand

Wukong’s Lian Pu falls under what is known the Jing role (complex hero) with similar facial decoration also being delegated to the Chou roles in Opera as well.

The dominant school of art in depicting him either on live performers or maskwear, have a fairly universal foundation for his appearance.

The oldest forms of Peking opera stick to Wuseguan (Five Colour Theory) with his Lian Pu sticking to a core 3 of White (Cunning), Red (Bravery), and Black (Loyalty). Even with Modernisation of the Peking Opera and developments in the science behind art and makeup, Lianpu is specific in its purpose of portraying the nature of a character beyond body language and aiding in accessibility for people at the far end of the audience.

The Monkey King’s Lian Pu is reflective of his mischievous and bold nature, combining it with the shape of an Old World Monkey’s furless face shape so that even those “uneducated” in Peking Opera culture can at least see /what/ Wukong is before they see /who/ he is. The White and red placement are linked to yin-yang dynamics relating to the stone he was born from and the energy it cultivated) as well as general themes beyond the tale itself.

Zheng’s “Evolution, Symbolism, and Artistry: A Study on the Colors of Peking Opera Facial Makeup” Discusses this in more detail. ( DOI: 10.23977/artpl.2023.041207) (ISSN 2523-5877)

(General Mask colours in Peking Opera, separate from Lian Pu: The Cultural Connotation and Symbolic Meaning of Chinese Opera Mask Color - Hanbing Tu)

In more modern designs, the key foundation of Wukong’s face doesn’t change much, however some variations do add colour to Wukong’s eyelids- mainly pink or yellow/gold. Both of these relate physically to the ‘whites’ of Old World Monkey’s eyes, with the yellow face paint being representative of “barbarism” or “savagery”. Gold is used on the faces of various immortal creatures from all backgrounds as Silver is.

(Left: Chu Luhao as Monkey King, stedling divine peaches and wine in celestial realm, Kaohsiung ) (Right: Monkey King Wukong in Beijing Opera Journey to the West at Liyuan Theater)

As with Taiwans branch off in culture, This Lian Pu on the left shows the eyebrows as the top of the eyelid makeup, contrast to Chinese style and other Sino-influenced regions. This works in Chu Luhao’s production as it plays towards the character Wukong is before he’s sealed under the mountain and begun the journey- hence more “wide eyed”.

Mentioning Yellow within the Wuseguan, this is why most of his earlier outfits have such a heavy bias towards yellow cloth, barbarism being represented across his whole body (his form, as a monkey over his soul that achieves enlightenment) with costumes later down his hero’s journey adding more black, blue (simplicity).

(Left: Performer playing Monkey in Journey to the West, Chinese Opera performance in Singapore) (Middle: Chu Luhao’s production, Sun Wukong arrives at the Dragon Palace of the East Sea) (Right: CANTON, CHINA – CIRCA JULY 2019: Beijing Opera performance of “Monkey King Making Havoc in Heaven”)

Key Read -> The Artistic Symbolism of the Painted Faces in Chinese Opera: An Introduction, David Ming-Yüeh Liang. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43560653

Book -> Chinese opera: Images and stories, Peter Lovrick, Wang-Ngai Siu

Book -> Drama kings: Players and publics in the re-creation of Peking opera, 1870-1937, Joshua Goldstein. https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XT_1fZ9Jp18C&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=info:49R3XREYwVoJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=3OF1F4SILK&sig=gQyW7bGJzgnxG62Y2TxU01ZPazQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

This analytical paper on Monkey King: Hero is Back showcases modern animated links to Peking Monkey King designs - https://fslmjournals.taylors.edu.my/wp-content/uploads/SEARCH/SEARCH-2024-16-1/SEARCH-2024-P5-16-1.pdf

A blog site I found interesting was an interview with Yao Yudong, the successor to colourful Peking Opera masks, where he discusses creating the mask designs (with a Wukong mask as a recorded example) and a more in-depth written post. He expresses the key two styles of Wukong’s red markings known as “Upside down Gourd” style, and the less complex “Upside down Peach” style attributed to a different art school. In which his mask is directly attributed to items that come into contact with his face.

Jiao Feng, Peking Opera Facial Makeup: The Art of Face Painting: http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/ctenglish/2018/ich/202001/t20200117_800190202.html

Connected is a video of an Opera performer who does his own Lian Pu, which depending on the time period could take up to two hours. Although this design is significantly more contemporary in the use of gold on white sections as markings like black paint. https://x.com/chinadaily/status/1365730927133958144?s=46&t=06bYiE12l6qVJUxPCBuvvQ

In regards to Wukong’s combat performances, he falls into the role of a Wusheng (武生), which is the strand of stage costume used in representation of his staple armour.

(Monkey King in Journey to the West Performance, Beijing Opera)

In this costume, Wukong’s Phoenix feather cap is mirrored by Lingzi (翎子) or Zhilling (雉翎), which likely play back and forth with influencing eachother as time progresses, due to Wukong’s theatrical personality being heightened by the Pheasant tails and their movements as actors play their roles. In his Wusheng roles, he is more likely to be adorned with gold eyelids to highlight his layered immortality and connect to the golden armour he wears. The trait of biting the pheasant tails as a theatrical act of frustration is seen across adaptations, most recently in Black Myth: Wukong’s Chapter 6 Animation.

This animation’s design seems to relay the Lingzi strongly due to the way the studio details the lowest connection points to the crown ornament.

As stated in Bond’s writings “BEIJING OPERA COSTUMES: THE VISUAL COMMUNICATION OF CHARACTER AND CULTURE”, Wukong’s in-game Suozi Set and various adaptations Dragon Palace armours split similarly to the Kao (Armour) on Peking stages, with the falling of the frantic drastically increasing the size of the actor and his silhouette.

Qing-era flags on the costumes of Wusheng were used to express social standing, gender, nature, and ranking. The image above showcasing them has them match the Kao pattern of the clothing, other flags often held zodiac patterns- with the monkey showcasing vain, egotistical, inventive and tricky individuals; and the peach included in a flag hinting towards immortality.

(Ching Dynasty Year of the Monkey Flag used in the Peking Opera) Zaricore Flag Collection: https://www.flagcollection.com/itemdetails.php?CollectionItem_ID=943

Due to the History of Lian Pu, and Wuseguan, despite modernisation of Opera arts vastly widening the colours and complexity of costumes; Wukong sticks to a key 5 colour scheme, with a emphasis on the original trio of red-white-black, and gold being reserved for Wusheng/Wuxiaosheng to showcase immortality and strength. The prevalence of Opera alongside fictional theatre means that the two constantly play off of eachother in mannerisms and influence, both at the time of JTTW’s writing to the 21st century. But as Opera is a physical performance, all aspects of Peking costume design is meant to make the emotional and psychological aspects of characters physical, to a large audience space needing to see facial expressions heightened and clarified by Lian Pu.

Read -> Cultural-based visual expression: emotional analysis of human face via Peking Opera Painted Faces (POPF)

[2n2n]

Lately I've been trying to run the simulation of "okay, well, what if Amane and Tsukasa confer with one another more than what we see?" and generally thinking about the possibility of more collaboration, permittance, between them.

Its the sort of thing that's as possible as it is not-possible; there is space for it to be true, but it just as well could not be. Not the sort of thing to have conclusions on, just something to reread top to bottom and consider the plausibility.

To start, I wonder often, if Hell of Mirrors isn't just a game between Amane and Tsukasa. Its not so far as something planned by either of them-- obviously, they are mutually shocked on sight and have completely unrelated reasons to be there, babysitting Mitsuba and rescuing Nene who he unexpectedly called out to via the photos-- but I don't feel certain that Hanako's entire processed response to it is earnest, and its almost easiest to see the scene as being for Tsukasa more than any other players. Nene being passed out for its entirety might be to embellish that... (to be true, she's not allowed in the narrative to see the first Mitsuba/Tsukasa/Hanako confrontation, either. These events cannot and do not impact her personal perception of their relationship, for whatever reason, and Kou exclusively defines their relationship based mostly ON these events... definitely a narrative disparity to create unique impressions)

Hanako: feels very performative in Hell of Mirrors. Hanako's nervousness during his declaration against Tsukasa/Mitsuba is odd-- I don't, personally, think Hanako 'fears' Tsukasa or what he will 'do' to him (well, in a violence sense, lol). That really isn't their power dynamic... we're more likely to see Hanako show no hesitation to manhandle him,

be openly, casually bothered by him, (even after the events of the first Mitsuba incident, he isn't any more intimidating baseline, to Hanako)

or just corrects him swiftly, not afraid to snip and command him,

none of which really look like the behavior of someone afraid to get bitten. He's more overwhelmed just by what Tsukasa can say to him, or rather, Tsukasa captivates him with his words easily. It doesn't often seem to be a very physical threat to Hanako-- but Tsukasa is his yorishiro, and we don't have a complete understanding of that, but it sortof seems like Tsukasa is closer to being at Hanako's mercy than the other way around....

Anyway,

Amane's stance, and speech, to Tsukasa feels very… 'put on' to me.

At the very least, it sure is awkward to be doing your whole responsible superhero schtick to your little brother, who knows your real personality and history ...

All Hanako's typical heroic epic posturing, dramaticisms, flourish, is for Nene to admire; it's perhaps kind of embarrassing to do around someone who actually knows him, and what this 'job' is, haha.

Maybe it's a little nervewracking to play along! Or to have the ruse engaged with on the same level he's been: IS this all a joke, a game, to Hanako? It has been, up until now, and for all of these years. And especially for his dynamic with Nene. This has been a sortof comedic game of gaslighting an ignorant girl into seeing you as a dashing hero, and not, perhaps, an imprisoned menace blackmailed into loyalty, eternally punished, and emotionally broken. Hanako himself knows he's not accurately portraying anything to her, that nobody would agree with his narrative.

If this scene is Tsukasa seeing if he can 'play' with Hanako 'on his level' and his terms (having spectated Misaki Stairs and the tenor of that), then Hanako is being a very good and gracious big brother, giving Tsukasa plenty of chance to take his turn... Tsukasa gets to state his own piece,

and, er... when it goes wrong, its like... ehm...

Hanako in general, is utterly performative FOR Nene to observe-- because he wants to propose himself, to her, as a cool, dashing hero.

Something he doesn't bother with for the other mysteries, obviously, who only see him as a lackadaisical pervert bore who doesn't take his job seriously, and doesn't care as much as he ought to.

So, in the event Hanako is doing his little song and dance speech of heroism, it's insincere, and a performance. A performance for who, here? Nene is asleep, so…. for Kou? I guess, though I'm not sure he'd bother with so much emphasis for Kou alone (he doesn't so much in the initial Mitsuba debacle, which lacks speeches and flourish, more somber). I'd almost think he'd want to be quick about things and get whatever nonsense over with. But maybe it's a performance for Tsukasa.

you're really trying to give your fail little brother a fair shot here maybe, patiently not making your own moves..... and, Tsukasa really isn't doing a great job at joining his big brother in the reindeer games....

trying to look cool and play with big brother, stop, RUINING IIIITTT come on come on come on do it right!!! Amane is waiting, we're in the middle of playing, come on come on!! Amane said the cool stuff!!! Now you say cool stuff!!! We're enemies in this game, you have to act like it!!!

But maybe for both of them, so 'new' and 'unsure' to this situation… this weird new dynamic… as a first foray into it, is, awkward, Tsukasa is impatient and eager to impress, and, Hanako is sweaty, trying to play along, his delivery isn't confident, and maybe it's a little embarrassing to do this.... in front of people, too.... hoy.... this has to at least 'pass' to Kou.... who luckily is so stupid and busy with his feelings he won't notice Hanako being weird and unserious

Trying to allow Tsukasa into this 'playtime'… surely Amane, of all people, could identify when Tsukasa is playing a role or goofing off, and that's why this chapter is so stupid and goonish nonsense. He knows Tsukasa won't really hurt him, but he doesn't really know what the endgame is here, either.... no precedent.

Hell of Mirrors is a comedy of errors REALLY, if this were an earnest proposal of opposing ideals, I don't think Hanako would be so glib and distractible and inconsistently engaged. And… you'd think he'd want to go back and readdress it, but he never does. Perhaps the scene accomplished all it needed to-- it certainly satisfied Tsukasa… wonderfully, this was no failure to him at all, he did what he wanted to (: which was, make Mitsuba into existence, and then, serendipitously, play with Amane...... an amazing surprise (: he did it ...! yaaaay! I-its kind of endearing if its like this, its good Tsukasa doesn't feel like that was embarrassing or a failure to play with Amane right.....

He didn't need Mitsuba to maim or kill anyone, not the objective. It clearly wasn't Hanako's objective, to really do anything, either, as he never comes back to this to finish the job.

We know what a 'serious' Hanako, not performing, looks like; he becomes, typically, aloof, tired, and exacting. He likes things to end efficiently. The airs of caring drop. He's annoyed to have to do something with his earnest strength, that people are not just bowing to his will, lol.

I draw a big distinction between fights Hanako is being 'serious' and ones he is being 'playful'. When dealing with someone contentious, you'll either have him earnestly pissy, sullen, or (to someone like Kou...) belittling (embarrassing for you to try to fight me).

He's a leetle serious... ffffor a second, in Hell of Mirrors. I'm sure Amane likes to 'win' games with Tsukasa, after all… and, this is his dogma, so, lets grill this set piece....

this panel is always like... lol. our hero

After this 'test' 'game', comes 'Picture Perfect', which sees Hanako and Tsukasa working together towards a common goal. If 'Hell of Mirrors' was actually a fun little check-in of 'will you play with me, Amane?' then 'Picture Perfect' is a logical next step: 'OKAY, you WILL play with me!'

Backing up,

In the first Mitsuba situation, Hanako becomes alerted to Tsukasa's presence in the school not via seeing or hearing him, but by Haku-Joudai flashing and alerting him after Tsukasa activates his Koku-Joudai to grant a wish. It would seem as if Haku and Koku Joudai, whether by choice or by nature, are linked. Hanako doesn't always come running when Koku-Joudai is used (suchas the crane situation, or just before the bookstacks, as Sakura wields it), so I have no idea if this is just sortof like a walkie-talkie situation they can nebulously use to ping one another at will, or what...

nonetheless, information about these dang orbs is so incredibly scarce in canon, and I'm sure whatever they have been, or can, be used for, is intentionally ambiguous for some, later drop of some kind. I simply keep it in my back pocket that for some reason, Haku Joudai detected Tsukasa's wish-granting and flickered to inform Hanako, and he already immediately understands how severe whatever it is, is.....

How often could discreet communication happen? How often does either know when the other does something?

A small pocket of time I find amusing, is that, for just a second, Amane and Tsukasa are alone together on the roof, tinkering with a classmate's telescope while Nene isn't observing. I don't suppose the boys have any reason to earnestly engage fakeass classmates once Yashiro is out of sight. I wonder if they had any words for one another here, considering how sneakily Tsukasa snakes in words to Nene in only seconds of company.

Nene spends some time here catching up with fake Aoi, a reasonable space of time for Amane & Tsukasa to chat. Though he did spend some of that time setting up his . girlfriend box trap and prepping his Antares speech.

Of course there's also the moment Nene runs off to get dressed, and they try to be patient… they really make the whole walk to the classroom together and wait for her together. So who knows if, while alone, they chatted or at least, exchanged glances.

and the dubiously canon movie date. I have no idea if Amane is lying, or relaying memories from childhood but pretending it's just happened, or if fsr when setting up and testing the world you had to trial run the movie theater to be sure it would suffice to trick Nene and Tsukasa was there because why wouldn't he be. The setting up of Picture Perfect is so ambiguous....

All of this to say .... there are many random spaces of time across the manga, Amane and Tsukasa could have stopped to exchange a few discreet words! Even without focusing on them always being in the school every night or over the weekend without observation (I wouldn't go so far as to say they are having slumber parties, lol, I'm sure their interactions are always rather brief and loaded and centering on some goal)....

after this moment, I started to feel like... ugh, wait =.= I ... officially have NO IDEA 'where you are at' with Tsukasa!!! How you feel about his shenanigans!!!! This is not a face of, resigned defeated sadness, this is a face that reads to me as WEIRDLY WARM AND FOND?? What on earth do these sequences of events and their exchanges feel like to, HANAKO?? Exciting??? mysterious, alluring, captivating, tantalizing?? Salivating for the next run-in??? Interested in what the hell his endgame is??? What he'll suggest to you next??? THIS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT TSUKASA AFTER YOU FIND HE'D INVITE YOU TO RIP HIM TO SHREDS??

alive together, did Tsukasa ever have much freedom, power? In their situation, could Amane even see a Tsukasa flourishing in any sense, moving as he pleased? Did Tsukasa ever have other friends at all, a social life? What is it like, to see Tsukasa seemingly doing whatever he wants to, now, unrestricted? Is not Amane willfully enabling Tsukasa to continue at every step?? How often do they confer, or, how often does Tsukasa at least let Amane listen in on something, or know what he's up to? Tsukasa wants to 'know' Amane and, ultimately, he loves him no matter what he does... and Hanako also seems interested in 'knowing' Tsukasa, too... observing what he will do. Even if it's dangerous, or causes collateral damage.

Trying to be a little worried after all of this, that the Yugi are possibly persistently flirting with one another more than I had originally thought... worried you sortof want to see your little brother do crazy shit.... worried it's way too mutual....

AN ADD-ON:

I do think Hell of Mirrors is a performance, most likely... I think that is why the interstitial image pictures Nene and Mitsuba as circus clowns performing:

this promotional image for vol7 also features that get-up, and Amane and Tsukasa linking arms

promotional images are easy to shrug off, but they often do reflect the volume's theme, more often than not... here is the promo image for vol 9, Picture Perfect: everyone drawing together

while volume 11 is the volume Hanako traps Nene in PP:

...sometimes images are more incidental, but other times, they are symbolic/referencing what occurs in the volume. Its at least something to think about when theorizing!

[yeonsols-garden]

❁Chapter 139 discussion❁

I know this has taken a while but I have been busy with things lately, but anyways time to rant about chapter 139.

This chapter Lowkey had me giddy. I'm not going to lie.

I know that the situation is horrible but getting more of Junhyuk's point of view on everything that has happened to them in middle school has been just such a fun ride for me. (You're all suffering and I enjoy it) 

It brings so much more nuance to his character and I just find him even more interesting than before. 

What I want to touch on is his loyalty. This man is loyal to an absolute fault when it comes to Yeonwoo and I love him for that. It's not often that you see friendships portrayed this way where the loyalty is so strong that you have to do a double take and just pause and think about yourself. (The only other parallel I can think of is Zoro and Luffy) 

The way he was ready to risk his entire life to make sure that his childhood best friend was okay. The way he has visibly changed significantly from this one encounter but does not regret it because he now knows that Yeonwoo is safe it's just so heartwarming. 

Yeah, the situation is warped and messed up in every way. He's not going to be able to do what he loves anymore and he is sad about it but the thing is he would do it again even with the knowledge that his leg would be broken in the process. I call that loyalty because THAT is a dedicated friend right there. 

And what makes this even worse is that Yeonwoo knows Junhyuk is not going to change his mind. Junhyuk just trying to gloss over the fact that his leg is broken and lying to Yeonwoo's face about how he doesn't like soccer. It was just a pastime so it's fine that he can't play it anymore is so devastating. 

(THE ONLY SILVER LINING IS THAT I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE!!!)

Anyway, I'm going to cease talking about trash like that because it's genuinely not good for my mental health. 

But what hits home is how the art style has gotten so much more muted in a way since the backstory. Like there's just this air of uneasiness now in every chapter and that ripped page at the beginning of every chapter is not helping. Adding insult to injury, the way the facial expressions and the clear eye bags under both Yeonwoo and Junhyuk's eyes show just how messed up they are now…. that is not good food for thought. 

You can tell that this experience has seriously changed their dynamic and it's for the worst. The way Junhyuk looks at Yeonwoo now is like a hawk eyeing its target. In the sense that he's keeping such a close watch on Yeonwoo that you can just feel the intensity in his gaze. 

His entire life got ripped to pieces because now he has the fact that he was part of a school violence committee on his record. But what hit me in the feels is the nightmare that he has about YEONWOO DYING??? The way his parents were crying and that picture of Yeonwoo at the funeral surrounded by white and yellow flowers.

The imagery of those flowers alone has me just ruined. 

The fact that white flowers mean innocence… y'all already know where this is going.  

The title has never hit the same ever since the flashback chapters and the flower imagery is not helping. White flowers symbolize innocence and yellow flowers symbolize happiness

When you read the flashback and you look at that imagery and you look at the title... THAT is like the biggest sucker punch in the gut you could ever feel. Because his innocence is gone and he is not in fact happy at all.

Yellow and White flowers? Esol you're a menace. 

When Junhyuk says “Yeonwoo is broken because of me” I felt that in his soul. I felt that in my soul!!!

The revelation that Yeonwoo was getting better but JUNHYUK was the one who didn't want to move on he was the one who didn't want to get away from their past, he was the one who wanted to keep Yeonwoo with him forever. It honestly just reaffirms the fact that this relationship goes both ways.

Their codependency is 100% codependent. (Heavy on the CO aspect of codependent)

They both have such good intentions that they go about it in such a wrong way and it's just so devastating to watch. 

Now to the meat and butter. Junhyuk's jealousy of Kanga Haesol.

I could honestly write about them alone.

I have a specific end goal for all of the relationships in mind and for Junhyuk and Haesol I desperately need for them to see eye to eye. Because what connects them both is their love for Yeonwoo. They both know what it is like to care about him. They both understand him and they care for him deeply. I want them to bond over that.

Junhyuk’s inferiority complex when it comes to Haesol goes deeper than ‘my best friend has a girlfriend and all he talks about is her’. Junhyuk's inferiority complex is rooted in the simple fact that Haesol could help Yeonwoo when he couldn't.

The fact that he feels this so much that at the end of the chapter that single tear that rolls down his cheek… 

When Nari asked him earlier how he felt about breaking ties with Yeonwoo. 

This right here is how he feels about breaking ties with his best friend. He doesn't want to separate from Yeonwoo, but he feels like he has to. 

At the end of the day, everything Junhyuk does is rooted in the belief that it will make Yeonwoo happier. Even if in the moment Yeonwoo is mad at him for his actions. In the long run, he wants Yeonwoo to be happy even at his own expense.

THE DEDICATION TO FRIENDSHIP IS EVERYTHING!!! 

I could honestly go on around about how intricate the platonic relationship between these two is and how obsessed with it I am but I will not because this essay has gotten long enough. I fear I will be yapping the day away about this topic.

Tell me what you guys think because this is just so fun to me.

[tweedfrog]

Was Rhaegar hoping for Elia to die giving birth to Aegon? I mean he crowned Lyanna while Elia was still pregnant and before he learned she couldn't have any more children.

I dont think Rhaegar was hoping for Elia to die giving birth for a couple of reasons

1 - He could have just tried killing her in an easier way by making her have a 3rd child and then marrying Lyanna after an appropriate mourning period if thats what he wanted. I cant remember whether it was that the maester said Elia just couldnt have more children (as in couldnt concieve) or whether it was that Elia couldnt have more children safely (as in her and the child would live past the birth). There was quite a gap between when he crowned Lyanna and when he ran off with her and he seems to have run off with her after Aegon was born. This means that he knew Elia possibly wouldnt live past a third pregnancy when he decided to take off with Lyanna. The timeline around Roberts Rebellion is quite fuzzy though so this is hard to piece together. If he ran off with Lyanna before Ageon was born then maybe???

2 - His fixation on the prophecy - the things he is doing with his children (trying to have 3, using the naming scheme of the conquerors, Having Aegon be conceived during the time of the comet etc) stem from a desire to fulfill the prophecy and create the prince that was promised. I know fandom argues about how much him taking off with Lyanna was based on "love" for her vs seeing her as a vessel to bring forth his third child but from his actions during the war we can at least see he isnt actively plotting Elia's death. He kept Elia and Rhaenys and Aegon on dragonstone until Aerys recalled them to KL to use as hostages for Dornish loyalty.

3 - Finally characterisation as a reason he wouldnt do this. In the books Rhaegar isn't portrayed (or thought of by anyone except Robert) as an evil person. Hoping your wife kicks the bucket giving birth to your second kid is Craster level evil and i dont think GRRM set up Rhaegar to be characterized this way. I think he's just selfish/has enough of a messiah complex to simply not care about the way his actions are affecting his first wife. "Of course she'd be happy to be the mother of 2 heroes they're going to save westeros from the long night and shes lucky to be part of that" etc etc.

Also just from an outsiders perspective he seems to be either consciously or subconsciously trying to replicate the original trio of Aegon/Rhaenys/Visenya with himself as Aegon Lyanna as Visenya and Elia as Rhaenys. Snd with his own 3 children as the 3 conquerors. This would require Elia to live and be cast in the role of one of the wives.

Of course the thing is despite not actively hoping for Elia to die his political stupidity and actions cause her death and the deaths of their children anyway. That's one of the things i find so interesting about the situation - hes ostensibly this gentle clever handsome prince who at every turn makes the WORST decision possible.

He probably didnt set out to hurt Elia's feelings during the Tourney of Harrenhal! He probably didn't want to have sex with Elia so soon after her bedrest ended after her 1st pregnancy but you see he has to because the comet is here! He probably wants her on Dragonstone away from his clearly insane father but it's really just easier to leave her in KL and he promises he'll somehow fix all this in some way during an unspecified time during the future!

His moitivations mattered less than the result of his actions because functionally nothing changes if he hoped Elia died. He got her killed anyway. Hes like a bad person but not because hes evil deep down it's because he consistantly makes choices that hurt almost everyone close to him to serve a prophecy. And what makes it even worse is that he seems to realize these are the wrong choices but he goes ahead and makes them anyways because he thinks its for the greater good or its just easier for him personally.

[aerhouseofgifts]

Unique Customer Gift Items to Strengthen Business Relations

Building strong relations with customers is one of the most important factors for success in business in the long term. One such undertaking in this regard could be sending out tokens of appreciation and building rapport. In fact, unique customer gift items leave behind long-lasting impressions and increase brand loyalty and trust. Building Business Gift Ideas to Nurture Relationships At Art House Of Gifts, we pride ourselves on providing a whole menu of very special one-of-a-kind gifts—from the iconic End of Trail statue to luxury home spa gift baskets—all making you able to express your appreciation. Following are a few such innovative gifts to share with your business relationships.

1. End of Trail Statue: A Gesture of Appreciation

The End of Trail statue speaks to the spirit of the American West. The striking piece of sculpture—portraying a weary cowboy, head down, on his horse—will certainly go down as a timely gift in the minds of well-appreciative clients of good art and culture. Intricately crafted and symbol-rich, it stands as a beautiful testament to milestone anniversaries or a simple expression of thanks for a key partnership.

A customer gift with this End of Trail statue not only adds class to their décor but tells them how important your relationship is. It is a nod to show appreciation—to explain that you are there and considerate of the journey you two are on in this business.

2. Home Spa Gift Baskets: Pampering with a Personal Touch

Self-care matters more than ever in today's fast-paced world. A home spa gift basket is a wonderful way to express your concern about your clients' well-being and your desire for them to indulge in relaxation. Filled with luxurious bath products, comforting candles, and pampering accessories, these gift baskets offer a nice retreat from the stresses of everyday life.

When creating a gift basket for your home spa client, think about including luxurious items such as scented oils, bath bombs, and plush towels. Adding an extra touch of thoughtfulness with a handwritten note or specific scents from a recipient's favorites is something that goes a long way to show you've put some thought into the gift. That helps not only to promote relaxation for your client but also to tighten up bonding.

3. Custom Customer Gift Items

Besides the End of Trail statue and home spa gift basket, this list of unique customer gift items can help you customize gift items for your valued customers. Customization speaks that you truly get it as it demonstrates you understand your client's tastes and interests. Engraved pens and branded merch, individually drawn gift baskets—that just take a special moment in time to make a difference.

For example, a custom-fit business gift can serve as a daily reminder of the relationship that stands between you and your client. On the other hand, this very attention to detail in choices of gifts catering to their interests makes you go the really extra mile in satisfying them.

4. Building Lasting Relationships Through Thoughtful Gifting

It's not just a transaction; it's about appreciation and cultivation of business relationships. Indeed, it is such unique customer gift items as the End of Trail statue and the home spa gift baskets that you will only be able to create memories recipients will be proud to recall. It is a show that you really care and that you take precious time to invest in the relationship.

Always be reminded that it aims for the clients to feel appreciated and impart value to them. A gift, sent on their special day — be it on their anniversary or during a holiday — will make your link stronger still, keeping your brand on top of their minds.

Conclusion

Uniquely pertinent customer gift items can be a wonderful tool to further bond in a business relationship and show appreciation. If it is the End of Trail statue that stands out for you, an icon from the West, a luxurious home spa gift basket, or any other thoughtful gifts, it will doff the hat to your clients. Art House Of Gifts has a very exhaustive range of gift items that can satisfy the tastes and preferences of any client at any time. Hence you can have that perfect item that would enhance your business relationships. Visit us today at Art House Of Gifts and experience the delight of proper gifting

[melis-blogs2024]

Blog post 6

The narrative of Nisi Shawl’s “Black Betty” is designed to challenge the mind. It is a story about identity, loyalty and change as seen through the eyes of Betty, a modded beagle who lives with two different families. This narrative is not just about Betty’s journey; it is also a poignant discussion on race and belonging that makes it an amazing piece to explore within the context of Afrofuturism.

Afrofuturism is a unique approach to “Black Betty” that combines science fiction, history, and fantasy in order to explore the experiences of the African diaspora and rethink the future in terms of what the world would be like if it were influenced by African culture. This genre seeks to reclaim black identity and agency within speculative futures while often challenging dominant narratives by creating worlds where black people are at the center of their own experiences.

“Black Betty” follows Afrofuturist principles by situating the story within a speculative context that features a black protagonist. The Fraziers are Betty’s first family and they give her a black cultural environment which contributes significantly to her formative years; she learns their languages, ways of doing things among others. Betty considers herself as being more of a Frazier since this is what she grows up with however when she goes to live with the Dunnetts who are white then we can see some changes taking place around how people perceive themselves vis-a-vis others based on race or color alone hence reinforcing our previous point about Afrofuturism’s concern with self-identity.

In her journey towards self-discovery and acceptance, Betty undergoes modding that reflects Afrofuturism’s theme of identity and transformation. Modding is a speculative technology which gives people powers or takes away their weaknesses thus making them better placed to fit into different societal settings than before while still remaining unique individuals within those societies however it could also widen the racial gap between individuals who possess such abilities and those who do not. For example; When Betty gains the ability to speak courtesy of her mods, this sets her apart from the Dunnetts who expect all members in their household including pets like dogs not only to understand but also to use human languages whenever necessary, therefore failing which they would consider such individuals/animals as being less intelligent or even subhuman.

Additionally, the way in which Betty is portrayed by Shawl as she grapples with her own sense of self and then eventually decides who she wants to be is in line with Afrofuturist ideas about seizing control. Even though the Dunnetts try to silence Betty’s “bad grammar,” Betty speaks in the dialect of her people – resisting cultural genocide. However, Betty chooses to stay with Baby Boo, another “modded” creature who signifies even more voices at the margins thereby highlighting unity and community building as told through Afro-futurism.

“Black Betty” also looks at how race and technology intersect, which is a recurring theme within Afrofuturism. It makes one wonder who gains from technological progress and who is left behind. The act of modding empowers Betty while simultaneously making her feel alone because it reminds us that sometimes advancements can have negative effects on people of different races. For instance, it gives her strength yet opens up avenues for prejudice against this woman of color; thus illustrating real life instances where some groups lack access to sophisticated equipment due to their skin color or ethnic background.

In summary, the story “Black Betty” written by Nisi Shawl has depth and covers many facets central to Afrofuturism. Through Betty’s experiences, Nisi delves into questions of identity, community rapport as well as the struggle for technological authority over Black bodies. The audience is challenged to rethink tomorrow by seeing through black eyes in a world that not only acknowledges them but also honors their contributions.

[amazonconsultingexpertsuk]

Create magic on Amazon with comprehensive harmony between ads, listings and storefronts

In the early 1990s, rudimentary ways of selling and buying were prevalent. No one imagined one day we would be able to fetch products online. The concept of virtual shopping was redefined by Amazon, today’s largest online retail shop. More than a platform, it is a bridge between companies and customers, bringing them together. In 2019, it observed a whopping 300 million active users. From one city, Amazon has conquered the world with its customer-sensitive philosophy. With smooth shipping, innumerable category options, and timely customer support, it’s managed to drive both sellers and audiences.

Amazon listing – To explain it in uncomplicated words, product listing is the process of reshaping ordinary product listings into converting pieces. The FBA descriptions are the first ways your customers get to know you. To truly thrive and shine on Amazon requires a perfect creation and optimisation of each component.

Explore the critical parts of Amazon product listings –

Best quality imagery – Images are the power source of tremendous revenue. A clear, multi-angle depiction goes far from a few clicks.

SEO-infused title – The title is the very first snippet indexed by search engines and read by customers. Keep it short and informative – It is good to go.

Product descriptions – In addition to the title and bullet points, the descriptions are comprehensive information.

Bullet points – These target points are used for readability. In one sitting, the customer can grab key features of the products.

Amazon Brand storefront – To succeed on such a competitive scale it takes more than just individual efforts, here and there. It demands a concrete measure and synergy of all the tools. One of the best ways to build trust and loyalty in your customers lies in investing in an Amazon Storefront.

Let us see how you can achieve a perfect storefront – Top secrets!

Schematic theme – Stay consistent with the theme colour, backdrop and presentations. The first impression is the last impression, after all.

Segmentation – Dissect the separate categories and combine similar ones. This makes it easier for customers to find products faster.

Use human-friendly designs – Let visuals do the talking. Incorporate high-resolution, life-like images that best showcase your products.

Share your mission and vision – Though it is a digital platform, it is not mechanical. Share your experiences with them to evoke a sense of connection that lasts long.

Amazon Sponsored ads – Once you have set up the listings and built the store, it’s time to focus on the Sponsored ads. The above two might bring visibility and traffic, but ads take sales to new levels. Using the three types of campaigns, Products, Brands and Display, allows sellers to portray products in fascinating ways. From product placements, ad creatives and competitive bidding, it boosts brands to beat all the competitors in the market.

source: https://amazonseoservices.com/create-magic-on-amazon-with-comprehensive-harmony-between-ads-listings-and-storefronts/

[mayihavethisdanse]

“What is this, the Dark Ages?”

Or, Arthurian themes and allusions in the Brotherhood of Steel mythos as seen in Fallout 4. (But that’s a lot of words.)

Yep. We're doing this. 

First, some obligatory caveats: there is no single Arthurian canon, just 1500 years of assorted fanfic based on the whims of whoever was writing at the time. For this extremely highbrow Tumblr meta, I have ignored most of it and drawn on my favorites. Also Wikipedia.

Also, I am not an expert in Arthurian literature (or Fallout lore, come to that), and I preemptively beg the pardon of anyone who is.

Finally, in no way am I claiming that all these parallels and thematic echoes are deliberate or even significant. In fact, I'd break it down into:

Clearly deliberate allusions, whether in or out of universe;

Probably coincidence, but could be someone deliberately capitalizing on a coincidental similarity;

Almost certainly coincidence, but fun to speculate about; annnnd

Blatant Monty Python references. (Because of course there are.)

I'll start with the big one.

Arthur Maxson, boy king and unifier

(source)

So across all the retellings and variations of King Arthur’s life story, there are a few consistent elements, particularly in his early life and rise to power. Some of these threads are echoed in the Fallout universe, specifically (and unsurprisingly) in the person of Arthur Maxson.

Both the legendary King Arthur and Arthur Maxson were born with a claim to power lying in their ancestry, both were fostered away from their families, and both proved themselves in combat at a young age. 

King Arthur united the warring kingdoms of Britain into a single entity, making them stronger against outsiders and receiving general admiration and acclaim. Arthur Maxson united the divided factions of the BoS after the events of Fallout 3 and is held in similarly high regard by his men.

The name Prydwen is a reference to the ship of the original King Arthur. Presumably, Arthur Maxson (or someone in the BoS who anticipated his promotion) christened the airship in a deliberate homage to the Arthurian myth.

King Arthur is associated with his legendary sword. I think it’s notable that Maxson’s legend is associated with a bladed weapon, too. ("He killed a DEATHCLAW with a COMBAT KNIFE!”)

Probably coincidence, but fun: the historical emperor Magnus Maximus, who pops up a lot in early Arthurian legend, was known in Welsh as... Macsen. (⌐■_■)

Round Table, but make it dieselpunk

(Continued under the cut.)

Moving away from obvious allusions and into some looser parallels:

Like the Round Table, the Brotherhood is an exclusive knightly order with its leader being the one able to open it up to his chosen few.

Like the Round Table, the BoS sees itself as defending human civilization against forces of chaos. (I’ll touch on their tech-hoarding tendencies when I get to the Grail stuff.) This idea of civilization in the face of chaos goes back to the BoS’s founding, even though the level of isolationism we see in most of the Fallout franchise is not exactly what founder Roger Maxson had in mind: “Notably, Maxson's ultimate intention was to establish the Brotherhood as an organization that works closely with people outside of the Brotherhood, as guardians of civilizations, not its gatekeepers.” (source) In a lot of ways, Arthur Maxson represents a return to his ancestor’s original ideals.

Renegade knights? Internal politics? Traitors within? We gotchu.

In both the medieval legends and in all chapters of the BoS we’ve seen, there’s a big focus on bloodlines (ew). Ironically, it’s probably Arthur Maxson’s unquestionable ancestry that allows him to be more progressive than either of his East Coast predecessors when it comes to boosting Brotherhood numbers by recruitment (even though you can still see a clear division between “born Brotherhood” and recruited soldiers, but that’s a topic for another day). Maxson sees himself as an Elder who "cares for the people"—however misguided and patronizing that attitude might be—and whatever else you might say about the guy, you can't say he doesn't believe he has a duty. Which brings us to…

Know Your Enemy: Danse as Gawain

Before I start this section, an acknowledgement of authorial bias:

Gawain, as portrayed in the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is my very favorite of King Arthur’s knights. (Other stories aren't always as flattering, but like I said at the outset: I'm sticking to the ones I like.)

That poem is my very favorite piece of medieval Arthurian literature. In this section, I'll refer to the modern English translation by Simon Armitage.

...that’s it, I have no other biases to disclose. 

What? 👀

(Art: Clive Hicks-Jenkins)

All right. So in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, you’ve got this himbo loyal knight of Arthur’s who finds himself caught up in... you know what, let me just paste in the Wikipedia summary. (The Toast, RIP, also did a pretty entertaining and more-or-less accurate recap.)

It describes how Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, accepts a challenge from a mysterious "Green Knight" who dares any knight to strike him with his axe if he will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts and beheads him with his blow, at which the Green Knight stands up, picks up his head and reminds Gawain of the appointed time. In his struggles to keep his bargain, Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honour is called into question by a test involving the lord and the lady of the castle where he is a guest.

Don’t worry too much about the plot details, though; for this post, I’m more interested in the thematic parallels. The Green Knight story is full of contrasts: order vs. chaos, civilization vs. wilderness, mortal man vs. Other... but let’s start with Gawain himself. 

Some stuff to know about Gawain:

He was "as good as the purest gold, devoid of vices but virtuous and loyal". Gawain took his principles more seriously even than the rest of Arthur’s knights, not out of pride but out of humility: "I would rather drop dead than default from duty," he says. 

He’s faithful and honorable and never even tempted to betray an oath, even when offered every variety of seduction and riches, except for a single moment of weakness in a desperate desire not to be executed for random shit by powerful forces for reasons he doesn't understand.  

Even though he doesn’t really understand why he needs to die, he sticks to his oath. Gawain's one weakness is a moment of desperate, private, human desire for survival. He'll submit to the headsman’s axe if he has to, but he'd still rather live. 

Above all, Gawain is the ideal of a human man: he might be the bravest and loyal man there is, but he’s still fundamentally human.

You can probably see where I'm going with this.

A few more fun facts about Gawain that resonate with Paladin Danse’s story:

He’s got a bunch of really shitty brothers. (No comment.)

Gawain (SPOILERS!) doesn't actually end up beheaded, but he does willingly kneel for his execution and gets a cut on the throat as a reminder of his sin. And, uh, Danse can also get his throat cut! It doesn’t end as nicely but it’s, you know, a thing that can happen.

Gawain might be a really good guy, and he tries really hard to be one, but in the end he’s nothing more than that: there’s nothing supernatural about him, he has no special powers beyond his own principles and devotion. He’s just a dude doing his Best. 

Wait, why not Danselot?

Oh, that guy? Here’s the thing.

Lancelot personifies the continental ideals of courtly love that became popular in the High Middle Ages. Central to his story is the prioritization of personal relationships and romantic feelings in a way that you don’t really see in Gawain's, at least in the Green Knight tale. (Later stories hook Gawain up with an extremely delightful lady, but even that is a different flavor of romance than Lancelot's and has more to do with Gawain honoring his word and his egalitarian treatment of women (hell yeah). In the poem, Gawain is impressed by Bertilak's wife but resists her temptation; in fact, the biggest risk is not that he'll yield to her advances but that he'll be discourteous to her, i.e., violate his principles and cause dishonor to his king and his host.)

Lancelot is driven by passions over principles in a way that Gawain never really is (at least in the stories I’m talking about; later writers have committed character assassination to various degrees). Yes, you could argue that both Gawain and Lancelot betray their oaths, but Lancelot’s betrayal is never, um, blind. He knows what he’s doing and makes a deliberate choice to prioritize his love for the queen over his love for the king. It doesn’t make him a bad guy—he too is an ideal knight with one fatal flaw—but his character isn’t as comparable to Paladin Danse. 

Yeah, Gawain is (in most stories) a prince and a kinsman of Arthur’s, but he’s ultimately a native boy who doesn’t break the mold of a Knight of the Round Table. Likewise, Danse is portrayed as competent and valuable to the BoS, but not exceptional or breaking the mold of what a BoS soldier should be: he simply represents the ideal. Meanwhile, Lancelot is a foreign prince who was marked from childhood as special and fancy, and his storyline goes alllll over the place. (Much like this post.)

For example, Lancelot goes to absolutely absurd extremes to prove his devotion for no other reason than to prove it. (“I’ll do any useless humiliating thing you want. I’ll betray every oath except the one I made to you. That’s what love is!”) Gawain would never. Danse would never.

Ultimately, Gawain's tests are of his character and not of his love. And like Gawain, Danse’s devotion is to service and his principles, not to another person—even Arthur Maxson.

All that said, there are some similarities: both are beloved by Arthur, both are held up as the ideal of what a knight should be. And even if their fatal flaws are different, both make the point that no matter how good and brave and loyal they might be, no human being can be perfect. 

(Except Galahad. Who is, as a result, very boring.) 

I’ll conclude this section with a quote from someone else’s take on the Greek Knight poem:

I like Gawain. He’s not perfect, but he’s trying his best which is all any of us can do. He’s not like the other knights in the Arthurian legends who occasionally ‘accidentally’ kill women on their little adventures and then feel hard done by when they have to deal with the consequences of that. Gawain holds himself to a high standard – higher, it seems, than Arthur and his knights hold him to considering how hard they laugh when Gawain tells them how bad he feels about the whole thing.

I think Gawain is very relatable in this story. We all want to be better than we actually are.

And that, more than anything else, is Danse.

The Grail myth

What’s that? Lost relics of power? Better send some large armed men after ‘em!

The parallels to the BoS’s tech-hoarding ways are obvious enough that the games themselves lampshade them (albeit by way of Monty Python). But it also ties into the larger themes of “purity” versus “corruption” and the BoS’s self-image as a bastion between civilization and chaos. (See Maxson's line in response to the Sole Survivor’s quip about the Dark Ages: “Judging from the state of the world, it wouldn't be a stretch to say we're living in that era again.”)

But the ultimate futility of the Grail mission is also worthy of note. The BoS might want the power of prewar tech on their side, but they’re no more to be trusted with it than any other group of human beings. No matter how they try, the “corruption” of humanity can’t be overcome as long as they’re striving to harness power for their own ends. You can only achieve power by surrendering control of it.

The death of Arthur

The nature of gameplay being what it is, it's not guaranteed that the Arthur figure will be fatally betrayed, bringing Camelot down with him—but it's not unlikely, either.

Awkward.

Some final spitballing:

Outside the Brotherhood, there are some fun parallels of the Arthur myth with the rest of Fallout 4. Betrayal by one’s own son, for example.

The key difference between the BoS and the legendary Round Table: King Arthur’s knights, for all their flaws and human weaknesses, are usually presented as unambiguous Good Guys. The BoS is... a little more ambiguous...

...but damn if they don’t think they're the good guys. 

A-ad victoriam, fellas!

[witch-hazels-musings]

childe is such a good character PLS i also like hearing how people interpret him yknow it’s so interesting cause a lot of people love him as the loving husband who’d do anything to protect you and keep you safe and away from all the fatui related stuff BUT i also love the people who portray him as a kinda “i hate everyone but you” guy or just kinda mean and rude but deep down loves you to pieces and AAA

love them all <33

i guess we see it in the way you write childe BUT i’d love to know how you personally hc him with a s/o and their relationship and stuff :D

so - based on my character analysis of Childe he really is a much softer character than your second example - why? well let me gift you some reasons

he goes above and beyond for his family, he will fight for them, he sends them funds and letters on the regular - and if you played his character story with his younger brother, the sweetness and dedication he shows Tuecer is one of protected devotion

there is no way he 'hates everyone' because he clearly has warmth for those in his circle - you become a part of that and he will be unbound in his love

Childe can and will be serious when he needs to be - he's harsh, unwavering, and loyal to his cause. Even if he has to do something he couldn't like, he'd do it because of this loyalty -- if you cross him, you will not enjoy yourself

he can also be fun and quite odd - he does things in different ways than the other harbingers, he is 100% capable of being convincing enough to trick people into liking him, but he also is still kinda a kid at heart ( the lie he makes up for his brother, the actions he takes at times, the way he doesn't always think things through ) he wants to have a good time and will make that happen however possible

I think Childe is a complex character who can both love deeply and destroy without compassion - it's all about which side of the line you decide to fall onto ( and if he loves you, he will keep you on the side that will win ) ( if you want more info on his character, I wrote an analysis for him on my pinned post <3 )

[nocompromise-noregrets]

Okay, if you're needing a distraction, tell me all about Gawain/Galahad! I've seen you mention them quite a few times, and I'm curious. I've seen King Arthur a few times but that was never a ship that occurred to me. (Admittedly, I may have been blinded by all the Arthur/Lancelot vibes ;P) So tell me what makes these two awesome! <3

Oooooh! *cracks knuckles* (insert that gif of Tom Hanks gleefully preparing to type here, the wifi on the train isn't nearly good enough to load the gif search XD )

SO. Gawain/Galahad, my darling brothers-in-arms. They're a bit subtle and understated, if I'm honest, I was definitely looking at them with slash goggles on, but once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it (although it is a bit of a case of having to go looking for it XD ). They're together a lot of the time, there's a certain amount of banter (and to be fair most of my shippy headcanons take place offscreen, such as Galahad getting a bit snippy and insecure about the bit where Gawain talks about going home to Sarmatia and having a wife, and hitting Lancelot with his axe if Lance even thinks about going near her), but the thing that really does it for me is that scene in the 'town square' of the fortress, when Arthur has to come and tell his knights that they're going to have to do One Last Mission before they can go free. Gawain, who I headcanon as the sensible, steadfast, utterly loyal type (his loyalty is to Arthur, not to Rome), says something to the effect of "I'm with you. Galahad too." Galahad is a) drunk and b) rather more impulsive than Gawain and c) incandescently angry, and I can't remember if he actually says anything at this blatant assumption that where Gawain goes, he goes (IT'S TRUE), but he smashes his wine-jug on the floor and strops off. Gawain heaves a long-suffering sigh and follows him, and of course we don't see what happens, but I am convinced it's a long and rather fraught conversation about the effrontery of the bishop, the absolute injustice of it all, and by the way, where does Gawain get off thinking he can speak for Galahad. At which Gawain patiently points out that he's been doing it for years, because let's face it they're basically of one mind about pretty much everything, and Gawain is just as angry as Galahad is, but someone has to keep their head around here.

It probably helped that I wasn't the only one in the fandom, there were a few of us and we definitely enabled each other XD But I went off in my own direction a bit and wrote several fics in which they're not particularly demonstrative or out-there, but they are absolutely all and everything to each other (they're the sort of couple who don't need to put it into words, they don't need to say what they mean to each other, they've been so close for so long that they just know). I've had Gawain being a quiet, patient, steady presence in the back of my head for almost as long as Legolas has been there (being somewhat similar in presence, actually, he's pretty quiet and steady too, most of the time), and I absolutely adore him. I was beside myself when I realised Joel Edgerton was playing Bertilak in The Green Knight, and when I realised they KISS, oh my GOD, both my Gawains at once! (I've been utterly in love with Gawain-the-mythological-character, as opposed to Gawain-from-the-2004-film, since I was about nine years old, and I am always a sucker for seeing him well portrayed. And KA2004 was...well, it's a very silly film and it has a very great many issues, but Gawain and Galahad are one of my absolute all-time OTPs/comfort ships - it's a bit of an old-fashioned you-have-to-go-looking-for-it kind of ship, but I love them to pieces.

I don't tend to go looking for KA fic any more, since the tags are absolutely flooded with Hannibal crossovers etc (thank you very much NBC for casting my Tristan and Galahad together in that...) but there is some great stuff out there (I can highly recommend my friend sashab's Arthur/Lancelot stuff!)...

omg, thank you for asking! <333333 anyone else want to ask me random stuff to distract me from studying and travelling? :D :D :D

[ace-of-pythons]

Proceedings of the Men Of Letters on Angels

The following text will examine the Biology, Culture, and Psychology of Angels. These creatures have not been observed since 1901 [See Recorded Angelic Sightings by Matt Powell, pg. 893] and remain mysterious. Many would suggest that Angels are presented well in religion and are covered in their entirety. On the contrary, many paintings from the 1700's and journals from the 1800's depict another side of Angels that show many contradictions. This text is meant to be a compilation of many of the different literary records of the Men of Letters American [A31d], British [B85g], Mongolian [M59u], and Egyptian [E93k] chapters.

Compiled and written by Sebastian Outlander of the Men of Letters British Chapter

1963

Biology & Physiology

Angels are beings that inhabit the waves of light in multiple parallel spaces, or dimensions. The theoretical reason that they are able to exist between spaces, is that they travel at too high a speed for humans or our technology to detect. It is assumed that the energy Angel's are made of is faster than light. Using this speed, a massive amount of Kinetic energy is formed and is possibly how Angels get their power. The light that makes up their incorporeal forms is often referred to as "Grace". [The Journal of William Greyson, The Murder of Grace (painting by Brianna Colt)] The collection of an Angel's Grace is know as a "True Form" as seen in both numerous journals and the Bible. [See Biblical Accurate Angels, sketches by Juliet Robinson] Angel True Forms are too bright for any one person to lay their eyes upon. There have been several accounts of people being found dead with their eyes burned out of their skull. Whether Angels were the cause of these deaths or not is still up to debate.

Angels can not show their true forms to the creatures of Earth but many take a mortal vessel to communicate. These vessels are usually devout followers of the Lord and will follow an Angel's word. Angels need to have the vessel's permission to enter, unlike demons who can possess a person unwillingly. [The Vessel (1875, Mia Partens)]. These vessels may or may not be able to contain the Angel's full power, and in that case, their body will start to disintegrate and their mind will be null and void. This is, in fact, more desirable than meeting an Angel out of their vessel. An Angel's true voice alone is able to shatter glass, make ear drums bleed, and shake the earth. Seeing an Angel's true form is securing a sure destruction, as the image can burn a victim's eyes, and even brain, out of their skull.

Angels are known to be more like soldiers than expected. The Men of Letters Egyptian [E93k] chapter recovered a silver blade with markings of an ancient language. Upon further investigation, it was discovered to be Enochian, the language of the Angels [See Angelic Culture and Rankings] . The blade of the Angel is safely stored in the Egyptian [E93k] chapter house [Building 4, Row 28, 13b]. Other weapons have been recovered from dig sites across the globe. A long sword believed to be used by a subset of Angels [details unknown, American chapter, Main bunker, Room 24, 58c], a curved spiral blade believed to be used for ceremonial reasons [British chapter, Chapter house, A37b], and a peculiar spear also carved with Enochian [Stolen from the American chapter house in 1958]. Angels are believed to be fierce fighters, and precise in their attacks. According to the Daily Musings of a Wanderer, [Mary Wanderer, 1253] a female Angel was able to throw a silver blade around 50 feet and hit the direct center of her target. It is unknown if this Angel was trained for ranged weapons or if she had the same skill as the rest of the Host. [The Heavenly Host, all Angels known in heaven]

One of the oldest books that has been acquired by the Men of Letters is an untitled journal from both an unknown author and unknown date, although our scientists believe that it dates back to before Christ. This book contains information on Angel wings and culture and was discovered somewhere in Africa by townsfolk. A few of the illustrations have been recreated for this index, so in event of disaster, the information in the book will not be lost.

Angel wings are mostly held in the Ether and are rarely brought into our plane. Although they are rarely brought here doesn't mean they can not be. It is unsure how an Angel does this, but a common theory is that they either use an Enochian spell or that they are intrinsically able to control what plane their wings are on. An Angel is extremely vulnerable while their wings are out, so it is understandable that it is a rare occurrence.

The diagrams that have been found [The unknown book, A Complete Study of Angels (1901, Lily Sunder)] are almost exact to the structure of bird wings. It can be assumed that God created birds to mimic his first creation. The diagram shows that Angel wings have primary feathers and secondary feathers, primary coverts and secondary coverts, marginal coverts, and an alula on each wing. While each of the individual parts of the wing are depicted on the diagram, each section will be described in detail.

The largest feathers at the tips of the wings are grouped as the primary feathers, which help the Angel gain thrust. The long feathers on the rest of the wing are called the secondaries, which help the Angel gain lift. The next layer of feathers up is called the covert. The primary coverts cover the primary feathers and the secondary coverts cover the secondary feathers. The top most layer is called the marginal coverts. All sections of coverts are meant to stream-line the wing as to reduce the amount of drag. The alula is the thumb-like feather that is used during flight to lessen the speed of sharp angles and dives.

According to the text, Angels have created a culture around their wings, [See Angelic Culture section of text] as many have different shapes, sizes, and even colors. Not all Angels have white wings like many paintings portray them as. Each color represents a different personality trait, some being more common than others. The book goes into detail on what each color means. It is unsure if this is accurate or not. Below is the paraphrased section on wing colors from the text.

"White represents Heaven and purity, shades of purple represent logic and the ability to use it well, red represents anger and a tendency to lash out, yellow represents bravery and fearlessness, the lightest blue represents intelligence and one's ability to use it in battle, and silver represents loyalty. All of these colors are the most common among Angels.

Indigo represents an Angel's resourcefulness, orange represents an Angel with a cunning nature, dark green represents stealth, jade represents an Angel's stubborn nature, and cyan represents high prowess. These colors are uncommon wing colors in Heaven.

Dark brown represents Earth, rose represents ruthlessness, coral represents power and pride, tan represents compassion, and the darkest blue represents curiosity. These colors are rare and not seen often in Heaven.

Gold, grey, and black are rare enough that only a handful of Angels are known to have them. Gold may represents a flair for the dramatics in such a way that an Angel would go above and beyond to impress. The only Angel known with this coloration is the Archangel Gabriel. Grey is believed to be independence and doubt, as it is noted that before an Angel fell, grey feathers were seen mixed in with their normal colors. Black is the most unknown color. According to the unknown book, Angels have differing opinions on what it means or what causes it. Black could represent an Angel who has been to the deepest pits of hell, or could be what a Fallen Angel's wings would be. Rebellion was also noted frequently."

Angels can display multiple colors at once, or can change their colors during their next molt. Each Angel has a slightly different molt period. It is said that "An Angel will shed their grace of physical form every millennium and begin anew with colors unable to be perceived by the humble human mind." [Life of Light (1534, Leo Morris)] The estimate of one-thousand years between molts may be 100 or more years off, depending on the individual, the state of an Angel, or the inevitable change of an Angel's colors.

Angelic Culture and Rankings

Angels have been a prominent piece of religion for centuries, and many different types and ranks have been presented. Some put the Powers as the highest rank, others have Principalities, while some have Archangels. [Rings of Heaven (1904, Anthony Stine), Angelic Omens (1800, A.Z. Fell), The First (1734, Eve Heartt)]. When averaging all media in the Men of Letter's possession, we can create an accurate ranking system.

Archangels are the highest ranking Angels and the first to be created. There are four documented Archangels. Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, and Lucifer, who was cast out of heaven. The next rank is Seraphs or the Seraphim. They are the commanders and leaders of Heaven's army. There are different sub-categories within the Seraphim, similar to those who lead battles and those who order the battles to be fought. Then comes the common ranking of "Angel". They are the soldiers, the writers, and the guards. They are meant to fill any role given to them. The lowest ranking Angels are the Cherubs, as they are the ones meant to deal with humans and human relations.

Within these ranks many Angels will create some form of sibling bonds during molt. Molting is believed to be quite painful and difficult to deal with, so Angels will help each other. The painting labeled "The Bond" [1634, Paul Theos] depicted two Angels sitting while one is combing through the other's feathers. Outside of molting, it is believed that the partners will fight together and spend much time in each other's company. From a first-hand account of an Angel [Host, (1102, Akobel)], it is known that Angels see each other as siblings. Molting partners seem to have a closer sibling bond with each other then with the rest of the Host.

Due to Lily Sunder's book [A Complete Study of Angels (1901, Lily Sunder)], we now know more about the way Angel's age and train, although it is much different then how humans grow. Because Angels are created from God Himself, they are incapable of being infants or children. The youngest Angels are referred to as "fledglings" when they are first created. Fledglings are not children but are still inexperienced in relation to their older companions. Any fledglings that were created were positioned with an older sibling, to help train, teach, and care for them. The reason that these Fledglings had older siblings to begin with is that not all Angel's were created at the same time. There were multiple generations of Angels created. The first Angels were the Archangels, as they are God's oldest and they represent power. The second generation, or first choir, was meant to represent defense. The third generation, or second choir, was meant to represent agility. The fourth and final generation, or the third choir, was meant to represent endurance. Eventually there were no new fledglings created and the ones that did exist grew older. Today, fledglings are essentially an extinct species.

The fledgling's guardian would care for their needs, help with the first molts, and teach them how to fight and follow orders. Fight training would include training in defense, offence with weapons such as spears and swords, battle strategy, and learning about their enemies, such as demons and monsters. Not all fledglings would be warriors and commanders, but all would receive basic training and knowledge. Many of these Angels would become archivists and shepherds. In regards to care, the guardian would show them how to take care of their wings, help them heal any injuries, and teach them how to fly and properly use their powers. Molting would also be taken care of by the guardian until the fledgling could find a molt partner.

Angels are known to have both the first spoken language and the first written language. It is known as Enochian. The Angels have many weapons and tablets carved with this language. It is unknown what these carvings and texts mean, as no one can decipher them. All songs and communication between Angels is conducted in Enochian, although they understand all of the worlds later languages.

Psychology

Not much is known about how an Angel's mind works, or even how much free will they display. Their culture is based upon worship of God and following orders. Loyalty is an important trait in Heaven, and is rewarded. The Archangels are the highest rank, and by that default, they are the ones depicted to have the most autonomy. There is no room for mistakes in Heaven and it has been seen that free will creates disorder in many cases.

Although loyalty is desired and autonomy is frowned upon, there are Angels who dislike the system of Heaven. These Angels are referred to as the "Fallen". Angels who wish to have more free will can flee from the host to Earth in what seems to be two ways. An Angel can flee to Earth and take a human vessel and use the many Angelic wardings to help avoid the Host. The second way is more dangerous and precarious. An Angel can rip their own Grace out to be born as humans with no memory of Heaven. This has not happened often according to the book Host. [1102, Akobel] The Fallen have been associated with black wings and Lucifer although only one of which is remotely true. The few Angels that have fallen have been seen with a few black feathers, but there is no guarantee they are working with or for Lucifer.

There is much more information now then there was back a hundred years and it is much easier to find. Although an Angel may never step foot on this planet again, it is a curious thing to learn about their culture and biology. They are celestial creatures we may never understand completely, but we live in their world. It is my hope that this text can be of use to understand both Angels themselves and spell work that revolves around them.

-Sebastian Outlander

This work is inspired by many wing fics and Flight by northernsparrow.

[lnterjection]

Sleepy Bois Inc and DSMP Fanfic Recs

Uhhh I realized I have a ton of stuff in my bookmarks list and might as well compile a list of favorites because I’m always looking for good fanfics, and this might help some people. Most of these are SBI, though a few focus on things other than their dynamic with each other. Nothing explicit here. Feel free to suggest more recs. 

Fics set in DSMP universe/about DSMP (One-shots first, then longer fics):

One-shots and series of one-shots-

therein lies the madness by sapphicist - 2095 words. Currently says it’s one chapter out of three complete, but can be read as a standalone one-shot. Nice introspective fic on Tommy’s exile and his parallels with Theseus. In 2nd person, but it’s actually done nicely. Mostly angsty, can have hopeful interpretation depending on how you look at it. 

crazy how life goes on without me (2090 words, one-shot) by itisjosh - What if Ghostbur did remember everything, and just pretended to be clueless and vapid? Made me cry. It’s so good. Tortured my heart. 

the inner mechanism of a black box (13521 words, one-shot) by Bee_4 - only work of a series called “system theory”. “Technoblade lets himself get imprisoned for Philza’s sake. He doesn’t plan on being there long. Unfortunately, he’s underestimated Pandora’s Vault. There are things that will make even the Blade fall apart in due time, as it turns out.” Yeah so Techno’s mental health goes out the window in this one and its written brilliantly. There’s comfort at the end, if it helps? 

A State For One Man Is No State At All (5247 words, two-shot) by angstfortheangstgod - “A different version of the festival, in which Dream shows up unarmed, the Community House is left intact, a traitor is executed, and Tommy doesn't betray Technoblade.” Ranboo centric. Angst and comfort. 

All the Kings Men series by MollyPollyKinz - “After Ghostbur's suggestion to do Lads on Tour, Tommy finds himself reunited with his family. However, escaping from Dream is going to be harder than anyone previously thought.” A connected series of one-shots and short fics about Tommy, his exile, his family, and escaping Dream. Well written, good characterization, great studies into the characters themselves.

ad astra per aspera series by cacowhistle - Collection of one-shots that start with Tommy’s exile and expand to be about SBI and their dynamic with each other, including a resurrected Wilbur. Really, really well written and probably my favorite of the “Tommy exile fic groups”. 

the fall of a hero series by cracklesnaple - “After being threatened with being exiled yet again, Tommy takes the decision into his own hands. If those around him can't see that he's given up everything to make this nation what it is, then he's not sure he can stay in L'Manburg any longer.” Series about SBI and mainly Tommy, eventually crossing over into Mianite territory in a way some might enjoy and some might now. Writing’s good, though, which is what I care about.

Longer fics-

Rewind (101002 words, 25 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 17 2021) by Anonymous - Best time travel fix-it fic I’ve ever read period. Tubbo and Tommy travel 10 years back from a very messed up future to the first L’Manberg election. Concept may seen a bit weird at first but trust me, holy fuck this is amazing. 

second chances (hurt the most) (8841 words, 4 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 17 2021) by Anonymous - “Wilbur wakes up alone in a bloody room, and has to come to terms with living again. (How can he go on, knowing who's blood is on his hands?)”. Amazing fic where resurrection requires someone else’s life as sacrifice. Phil is dead. Wilbur struggles to come to terms with his father’s decision, and his second chance. 

all scotch, no soda (47466 words, 43 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 14 2021) by fishstixx - “Vulnerability meant trust, though, and trust was a thing not so easily given. Post-exile and canon divergent, follows the consequences of Tommy’s isolation. Expect chases, heists, bloodshed, and the mending of a family.” Features raccon hybrid Tommy being badass, and I live for it. I really, really love this one. 

DON’T FORGET THAT ICARUS FLEW. (16426 words, 6/10 chapters, last updated Jan 1. 2021) by orpheusaki - “The day before and the days that follow Tommy's exile; told through the eyes of The Blood God.” Techno (and Dream) is a god, and gods often forget how the intricacies of the minds of mortals. He’s trying to get better, however. 

what do you fall for? (16374 words, complete) by tablrcloth - Ranboo centric fic with Techno, Phil and Tommy. Ranboo realizes that playing L’Manberg’s politics is less than ideal for him. What can I say, it’s just really good. 

Breathing’s Just a Rhythm (12631 words, 6 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 17 2021) by MollyPollyKinz - “Tommy, Tubbo, Jschlatt, and Dream all end up in the past. (Oh, and the Chat comes too).” Great time travel fic. 

What World Have We Inherited? (73635 words, 12 chapters, unfinished and last updated on Dec 22 2020) by Anonymous (this one has a series with all their works, and they’re all AMAZING). Holy fuck this one is probably one of my favorite fics in the fandom so far. “Wilbur blows everything to hell on the day of the Manburg festival, just like he wanted. When the ashes settle, it's just Tommy and Technoblade. It's not good, but it's better than nothing. It's just them, healing up in a world that never wanted them.” Amazing characterization, worldbuilding, everyone’s internal thoughts are portrayed and written so well. Even if it never updates again I would keep coming back to it. I rec this Anon’s works so much. 

In June, I Changed My Tune (29489 words, 6 chapters, unfinished and last updated on Jan 6 2021) by KryOnBlock - Eret runs away and eventually becomes friends with Techno. Nice cottagecore aesthetic. I have mixed feelings about this one - the writing’s good, descriptions and characterizations are really good. Just that there’s consistent punctuation mistakes and it takes me out of the world a bit. Everything else is good enough for me to continue reading, however. 

stay with him (24353 words, 12 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 9 2021) by junipersand - I especially rec the first chapter, which can be read (and originally was) a standalone fic with the summary “Every ghost had a purpose to fulfill. So what was Tommy’s?” Utterly heartwrenching, probably the most emotionally gut-punching bit of writing I’ve ever read in this fandom. It continues with other lore stuff afterwards that eventually branch off from just SBI and Tommy, but man. I don’t think I can ever forget that first chapter. 

I’m not angry at you, well, sometimes I am (52801 words, 16 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 14 2021) by sircantus - After Tommy is exiled, he runs away to Techno’s house instead of going off with Dream. SBI decide some revenge and “world domination” is in order. 

Fics set in AUs outside DSMP happenings:

One-shots and series of one-shots-

Empty Crowns AU by UnderUrsa - the SBI + Tubbo are gods, and a family. Series of one-shots. Nicely written, what can I say? Some angst, some fluff.

Secure, Contain, Protect AU by blue000jay - Amazingly written SCP AU. Knowledge of the SCP universe would help with understanding some more meta things, but is not needed to understand most of it. Some angst, disturbing themes around memories but nothing terribly gory.

CLASSIFIEDS. (13804 words, finished). SCP pages on SBI, short stories and audio transcriptions as well as files, lots of good lorebuilding here. Features an escape, + Tubbo!

CONFIDENTIALS. (13232 words, finished). Centers on Dream Team.

ARCHIVES. (1270 words, one-shot). What happened after SBI and Tubbo’s escape from the SCP foundation.

old gods (new gods) AU by WriterWinged - the relatively well known SBI gods AU. Amazingly written, great character interpretations. 

the gods are cruel (none crueler then you) (1394 words, one-shot) - As much the grammatical mistake in the title hurts me it’s no doubt one of the best pieces of work in the fandom. 

and yet they find kindness (and so do you) (2/4 chapters posted) - continuation of “the gods are cruel”. 

there’s a risk to the world (but the kindest are strongest) (2/3 chapters posted) - continuation of “the gods are cruel”. 

SBI Antarctic Princes AU by ScripWriter -  One of several Antarctic Empire AUs, this one just has these two preliminary one-shots but they’re nice bits of fun and neatly written. All fluff and mild hurt with lots of comfort so far. 

Younger Holding On Another (1781 words, one-shot). Techno is a good brother and reassures and newly adopted Tommy. 

But Oh, Don’t You Know How It Goes (2511 words. one-shot). Tommy, Techno, and Wilbur have some “fun” at a boring gala. Phil is very exasperated. 

Antarctic Princes ‘verse AU by BirchWrites - AU where Techno, Tommy, and Wilbur are princes of the Antarctic Empire (well, Techno’s technically the emperor now), but this time the events of DSMP still happen (at least up to the 1st season).

Homeward bound for the arctic ground (10562 words, one-shot). Wilbur and Tommy travel to the Antarctic Empire in person to ask Techno for help in fighting Schlatt. Good worldbuilding and acknowledges Wilbur’s beginnings of insanity while still being rather light.

Surprise Hugs (2542 words, one-shot). Dream doesn’t realize Tommy is Techno’s brother and thinks he’s going to get killed for tackling the infamous Blood God.

Family Reunions (1396 words, one-shot). Fundy never realized he’s loyalty and Techno informs him unexpectedly.

Longer fics-

leave me your starlight (14620 words, 4 chapters, unfinished and last updated Jan 11 2021) by findingkairos - “Once upon a time, Philza Minecraft is the only person who does not shy away from the bloody teen that regularly turns the tide of war. This cements a friendship that will last wars, empires, worlds, and lifetimes.“ Amazing backstory fic on Phil and Techno’s relationships, one of my absolute personal favorites. Very well written and really digs into the intricacies of Techno’s character (or an interpretation of it, but hey, that’s what all fanfiction is).

I was a kid in a village, doing alright, then I became a prince overnight (21736 words, 5 chapters, last updated Jan 13 2021) by sircantus - another Antarctic princes AU, this time centering on 16 year old Tommy catching the attention of Phil, Techno, and Wilbur after thwarting an assassination attempt. Really well written. Actually, I rec all of sircantus’ SBI stuff because they do amazing work.

antarctic adage (26591 words, 4/7 chapters posted, last updated Jan 13 2021) by blue000jay - Another very well written Antarctic princes AU with Emperor/ruler Phil. Are we seeing a pattern yet? blue000jay is another writer I’d rec, with really great SBI stuff.

a renewal of faith, and of family (56684 words, 31 chapters, unfinished, last updated Jan 13 2021) by SolivangantStories - One of the only fics here that doesn’t feature SBI, this one is Tubbo and Dream centered. Basically, the DSMP!Tubbo is executed by Schlatt and wakes up in a world where Manhunt!Dream is trying not to die and is also actually a nice person, to Tubbo’s surprise and confusion. Not SBI and technically not even DSMP, but it’s really good so I’ve decided to rec it anyway.

[depressedacadamia]

Book Review on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Overall, this book took my heart, smashed it into pieces and then proceeded to burn them. Suzanne Collins does an excellent job at portraying Coriolanus as a conflicted protagonist from the start; in doing so, she manages to make the reader feel sympathy for him. Thus when Snow starts acting up, the reader feels obliged to stand by his side and you yourself feel conflicted- similar to the protagonist.

This by far is one of the best books I've ever read due to the turning of the main character. He starts out as a guy who hates The Hunger Games and the war and over the course of the book, he starts to do small things that would be seen as immoral. By the end of the book, he's betrayed and gotten his best friend killed, killed the mayor's daughter, attempted to abandon and then kill his girlfriend. By the very end, we are met with the cruel and infamous President Snow that is featured in The Hunger Games trilogy. I think this turning of character is done well by Collins because by the end of the book the reader hates the acts that Coriolanus has performed but it's still hard to hate Coriolanus himself after getting such a beautifully written backstory.

I think another reason I loved this book was because it explained the background of the Hanging Tree song. I absolutely loved the song and the second I read the first 2 verses in this book and how it was written, I could just tell that Coriolanus was going to do something bad. I think the writing behind the character Lucy Gray was splendidly done and it reminded me of Luna Lovegood. I think the reason why Snow is pitied in this book is partly due to Lucy Gray. Lucy Gray is a character with morals- strong ones that she firmly believes in. Snow, as established by the end of the book, is an immoral character so the fact that these two characters have any sort of interest in each other, a love interest especially, really allows us to connect to Snow and sympathise for him- maybe even root for him. It's a complete juxtaposition of the characters as well. Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow are complete opposites and yet they are attracted to each other. It really displays how Corionlanus needed someone with a different perspective and for all his life that person was Sejanus. When he starts growing away from Sejanus, he turns to Lucy Gray. Snow is constantly selfish, as seen in the manner in which he uses people. Alas, in the end, Snow did try and kill Lucy Gray and then proceeded to run away. While his rebellious acts at the beginning seemed to be the right thing, we as readers witness how all along these acts were all for him, not Sejanus or Lucy Gray.

Oh my goodness, lets not forget the insight behind the white roses over here! Finally, we get the entire backstory to the roses and I think because of that, the symbolisation of them is emphasised. At first, the roses are seen (in the Hunger Games trilogy) as a malicious part of Snow’s personality- a sign of revenge. The white rose was a symbol of purity and innocence - something that President Snow clearly isn’t. To add on to my point, his name is Coriolanus Snow . The irony is unfathomable; his surname and symbol both suggest purity and yet he is the complete opposite. I’d also like to quickly talk about his first name, Coriolanus. For those who don’t know, Coriolanus was a Roman general who thought he was a bit too great and became an enemy of Rome. The fact that his name is the name of a traitor and his second name is Snow immediately foreshadows that he will become a traitor. Later on in the book, Snow disobeys many Capitol rules and is forced to become a peacekeeper where he breaks more rules and then tries to kill his own girlfriend. The inability to maintain loyalty to one side further suggests that Snow is indecisive and only does what is best for him in a certain situation. The white roses symbolise that he is deceiving due to the fact that white roses mean much more than just purity. The complete juxtaposition of character compared to his name and symbol further highlights the manipulative tendencies as well as his need to maintain a flawless public image. It really illustrates his desire to appear as a person of the people. However, White roses are also a symbol of death. This complete oxymoron of purity and death fits in well with Snow’s malicious behaviour. The white roses are alluring- something that one cannot help but be attracted to however once you pick the rose, you are more than likely to die. This perfectly sums up the characteristics of Snow. The roses are a trap, similar to his cunning and crafty behaviour. Snow’s white roses symbolize his obsession over maintaining a perfect public image all while manipulating those around him and destroying those he wants gone, in an elegant and discreet manner.

If I were to improve this book, I'd say there is a part in the middle where it just loses its mojo. I had to put down the book for a few days because I genuinely couldn't manage to continue paying attention to the book. While the mass majority of this book is very fast paced and full of plot twists- the middle just slows down- Of course, it's okay for book to do that and often times, the book itself often benefits from it but I felt that right here it didn't very well. Coriolanus is a peacekeeper and what else is new? I just felt like I was waiting for something that was never going to come. However, I kept reading and thank God for that. Sejanus's death was the saddest death scene I've ever read. I think the fact that we as reader don't know if Sejanus knows whether Snow betrayed him or not makes the death so meaningful. His last words is him calling out for his mother- who we know loves him very much. Lucy Gray is there mourning. Coriolanus is mourning and yet the whole time he is still thinking about himself. Does Sejanus know what he did? Does anyone else know? Worst of all, after Sejanus dies, one of Snow's first thoughts is that he is safe from the Capitol ever finding out what happens. This just goes to prove Coriolanus's selfish and immoral nature. But the ending of this book is what put the cherry on top for me. I think a specific part of the epilogue in particular got to me. It was went we find out that the Plinths and the Snows are kind of one big family now. In particular, Strabo treating Coriolanus like his own son. Earlier in the book it's mentioned that Strabo would much rather Coriolanus to be his son rather than his actual child, Sejanus. I think it is simply so heartbreaking to see Strabo treat Coriolanus like his son when he didn't treat Sejanus in the same way. At the end it is strongly hinted that Coriolanus poisoned Dean Highbottom which once and for all settles Snow's true nature. It reveals the truth that Coriolanus will kill for power and that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He just like his father Crassus- the person who stole Dean's idea of the Hunger Games and actually pitched it (despite Dean's subjections to it). Manipulative, deceiving and ruthless, Coriolanus Snow is the evil protagonist and Collins ends the book with a classic overarching loop. In the first Hunger Games book, Snow was evil, and now at the end of the last book ( well, that we know of), Snow has been portrayed in many different lights and has returned to the one that suited him most. Being a villain.

[otome-silvynne]

Thoughts on Saeran's After End

Okay I think I've finally got my thoughts together enough to write this lol. I will try to keep it as organised as possible!

CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SAERAN'S AE

TL;DR - I loved the amount of work put into this AE. The CGs and new sprites were absolutely stunning (not the hands) but I wasn't a huge fan of some of the writing choices.

Okay let's start this mess of a post with what I liked about the AE!

The new CGs, sprites, and emojis. I loved every single (positive) CG even though the art style changed a lot. Some of them were so cute I wanted to cry and Saeran's new sprites fit him really well I think. Though the crying one made my heart hurt 🥺

The length. Cheritz went above and beyond when it came to the length of the AE. I was really expecting it to be episodic like V's but the fact that it's a mini route was a cool surprise!

Calls/texts. The Cheritz team added a tonne of extra calls for this AE and though I've only seen the ones my friends have shared, there are some super cool ones that add interesting perspectives on the plot.

Good End/Normal End. I have some issues with the plot which I'll get to in the next section, but I really really loved the good end and normal end for the AE. They were both so heart-warming but I do think that a combination of both would have been the best ending.

Jumin Han. This poor poor man went through so much during this AE but holy crap did it make me love him even more. He really had some amazing character development and even though he was in a crisis, he still did everything in his power to help Saeran and MC and I think it really showed just how deep his loyalty goes. I love him.

Okay so this is where I get kind of ranty. Apologies in advance.

I find the plot of this AE to be unideal in... many ways. Though it was satisfying to finally have it after waiting so long I really wish they had done some things different, so let's get into it.

V. My #1 issue with the writing is what they did to Jihyun's characterization. It just really was not fair in the slightest and in my opinion it wasn't entirely accurate to him. (Feel free to call me out for being biased, I have role-played as this man for years now.) V and Saeran are actually tied as my favourite characters so as you could guess the prologue for this hurt me so so so bad. V never seemed like the type of man to turn on his friends like that. Not even for Rika or his obsession with her - he has always made shitty decisions or has been mysterious, but he would never betray them like that and he was never straight up evil like he sometimes seems to be in this. That man was not Jihyun to me - it was like he was a stranger.

Guilt tripping. There are multiple moments in the AE where they mention that "maybe V wouldn't have turned out that way if he met someone like MC" and it's kind of bullshit. It feels like they're blaming the player for choosing Saeran over Jihyun when they really shouldn't be - both are amazing characters and there is no reason the AE should have that kind of undertone at all. I might make another post about V if anyone wants to hear my opinion in more depth lol.

Forgiveness/Healing. Cheritz hasn't always been the best at portraying trauma and we know this but I felt like I should mention it anyway. This AE takes place two weeks after the end of Saeran's route. Keeping this in mind, every single interaction he has with Rika in the AE is just... unimaginable. For years he was brainwashed and manipulated by that woman and yet it seems like he feels nothing when he sees her again even though she has done unspeakable things to him. Realistically he would have felt fear or hatred or anything at all. I understand they said he healed a lot but completely getting over it? In two weeks?? I don't think so man.

PM/The agency. I feel like the focus should have been on them a bit more during the whole thing. A lot of the focus of the writing was on Rika and V when they were the least of the RFA's problems - they were dangerous and outright insane, but they wouldn't have killed anyone like the other antagonists.

Pain. Out of every single piece of media I've ever consumed - game or otherwise - this is the only thing that ever gave me physical chest pain from how upsetting it was. It made me so anxious I could not sleep at times and generally stressed me out lol. Some would probably see this as good writing or something impressive but it just felt awful for me because of how long we waited for this to come out. I was looking forward to seeing Saeyoung's rescue and everyone living happily (which is sort of the point of an AE, right?) but there was just so much heartache in between that it almost didn't feel worth it when I finally did get to the end.

BR End. I'm sure you all know the one lol cough collar cough cough and lord why on Earth is it so incredibly easy to get by accident? I got 100% on all three days when I played and still got it anyway - it sucks man. I had to start over and go through all of the stress mentioned above again and it wore me down. That being said, I do like how you're free (and expected) to be suspicious of Rika and V instead of forgiving them for literally drugging the entire RFA and making deals with criminals. Thanks man. Wish we didn't have to see them and the PM forgiven in the end anyway though :)

Okay /rant lmao. Obviously this is all a shortened version of my thoughts and it's still pretty long but I'm glad I could at least express this much. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this and I'd be glad to discuss more with other fans through DM or something and see other opinions. If you're interested you could message me here or @silvynne and if you read this far you are probably insane but also awesome so thank you.

[manifesting-author98]

Learning How to Love: Shadow Weaver vs. Scorpia

In the context of Catra’s character arc, Shadow Weaver and Scorpia are two characters integral in helping her to learn how to give and receive love, often in ways that are at odds. As character FOILs, Shadow Weaver and Scorpia function to display to Catra the differences between toxic types of love (Shadow Weaver) and healthy/true love (Scorpia), often by modeling each type themselves.

Interestingly, they also even have the same color schemes... and use the same rune! But let’s disregard that rn and focus on their character traits/relationships, particularly with regard to their effects on Catra...

Shadow Weaver

We all know that Shadow Weaver is an abuser. She pits Adora against Catra and convinces them that it’s for their own good (when it definitely isn’t). And all of this manipulation leads to one main takeaway for Catra: love is conditional.

Shadow Weaver’s “love” for her is based on how well she performs, or how much she doesn’t inhibit Adora from succeeding. To Catra, love is a limited resource, and Shadow Weavers gives all of hers to Adora, so there is none left for Catra. And she just thinks this is how all relationships are.

And that’s only further confirmed when Adora leaves her too. Adora’s love for Catra, like Shadow Weaver’s, seemed to be conditional. Catra thinks that Adora will only love her IF she changes too, just like Adora herself has, but Catra can’t. Catra didn’t see their love as something that changed with the political tides. In fact, she didn’t care about the war at all. She just wanted to have enough power that she and Adora could finally be free from Shadow Weaver. She even says something along the lines of “I already knew what the Horde was doing, but it doesn’t matter. You and I were going to move up and determine things on our own.” Her love for Adora was the most important thing. It didn’t depend on anything. It was what the rest of her actions depended on.

In that way, Catra sees her love for Adora as unconditional, but when Adora leaves her, Catra sees that as Adora saying that her love for Catra was the opposite, only conditional, just like Shadow Weaver’s (which definitey isn’t true, but Catra can’t see that). And Catra begins to doubt love in general. Love for other people, loving friendships, and love for herself (maybe people wouldn’t leave if she was lovable...).

So all of this to say, Shadow Weaver taught Catra that all love was this type of toxic love, which eventually led her to interpret Adora’s love in the same way.

And overall, Shadow Weaver’s influence on Catra was undoubtedly negative: she frequently told her she had no worth or skill, she compared her to Adora in a negative way, she maintained a lack of faith in Catra at every turn, and she even manipulated Catra into loving her again, just so that she could find the means to escape. And abandon her. Just like Adora had. In doing all of this, Shadow Weaver fostered extreme self-hatred in Catra- and unfortunately, Adora went on to accidentally add to it.

Scorpia

Okay, now let’s compare that dumpster fire to fucking Scorpia. The absolute QUEEN that is Scorpia!!

From the start, Scorpia is shown to have the utmost respect and love for Catra. There is absolutely nothing that Catra does to earn it- because she doesn’t need to. And this already goes to show that Scorpia’s love is unconditional, rather than conditional, but we’ll get to that.

Scorpia loves Catra. Period. At every point she can, she lets Catra know how much she cares about her, and when she can’t say it, she portrays it through action (saving her life several times, doing the duties that Catra doesn’t want to deal with). And the best part about all of it? She never asks for recognition. For any of that work. Like she fucking saved Catra from a huge monster in that frozen tundra and she doesn’t even need a thank you from Catra- Catra sharing a little portion of the blanket was enough for her.

Additionally, she supports Catra in all of her endeavors, no matter how flawed they are. She trusts her skill and worth- showing Catra again and again that Scorpia thinks she’s capable of great accomplishments.

Looking at all of that, it is clear to see that Scorpia’s love for Catra is unconditional. Not only because of the good times they have together, but also because she doesn’t leave when things get hard either (As she puts it, “loyalty is her whole thing”). And this is especially important because Catra is so rude to Scorpia, like a lot of the time, but unlike Shadow Weaver, Scorpia’s love is not exhaustible. She has unrestricted amounts to give. So she just keeps flooding Catra with it, even after Catra’s been unendingly rude and inaccessible. Scorpia won’t leave, even after all the shit Catra’s done. She would never abandon Catra. And that’s the point.

She’s the opposite of Shadow Weaver.

Scorpia lays all of her cards out. No manipulation whatsoever. She validates Catra as much as Catra needs her to, letting her know that she believes she’s a great leader and deserves happiness.

Scorpia even tries to get Catra to stop focusing so much on Adora. Because Adora left her- and because comparing herself to Adora is just going to keep hurting Catra. And when it does shatter Catra again and again, who is there to pick up the pieces, even after she warned her not to obsess over Adora? Fucking Scorpia!! Her love is not conditional and it is not selfish either. There is no ulterior motive. She loves Catra wholly and selflessly. In direct contrast to the way that Shadow Weaver showed love- as a means to manipulate people, as something that you have to earn and keep earning over and over again.

But the worst part about all of it is that...Catra doesn’t believe in unconditional love. Not after everything that’s happened to her. She finds it suspicious or even foolish for Scorpia to love her. So she doesn’t acknowledge it. Because Catra just wants power. She wants to earn enough power that she won’t need love anymore, that she won’t feel hurt by it, or feel like she doesn’t have it at all. So she fails to see what Scorpia is trying to teach her.

And eventually, like she does with all of her friends, Catra pushes Scorpia away- so far that Scorpia even leaves (but she doesn’t abandon Catra). This is Scorpia’s way of discovering her own worth (she can’t let herself remain being used and neglected), but she trusts that Catra will be able to learn the truth of it all on her own:

That she both needs and deserves love. From both Adora and everyone else (including Scorpia).

Love that Shadow Weaver taught her wasn’t real.

Love that Shadow Weaver could never give her.

And once Catra understands this- and sees the problem is Shadow Weaver (and always has been), she can finally love in the way that she’s supposed to. In the way that Scorpia modeled for her.

And after everything, Scorpia finally gets to see her wildcat happy and free from all the hurt and pain- and she welcomes her back with open arms (claws?), without even needing so much as the beginning of an apology from Catra before forgiving her.

Shadow. Weaver. Could. Never.