#their duality and relationship are so epic

[bitchslapblastoids]

i know we're all Quite Aware of this all, but i was rewatching the dan and phil react to phan twitter video and i was suddenly bowled over by the moment when they see the 'watch your step bbgirl' meme and dan goes 'pull up pinof1 i want to see how messy it is'

because then there they are, these men in their mid thirties, in the house they built together, on camera in front of the audience they've grown together, looking at this video of their cherub-cheeked selves from fifteen years ago the first time they met, just so they can remind themselves of what phil's room looked like when they 1. were romantically together for the first time and 2. 'professionally' (even if they didn't have a clue that it was going to become a cataclysmic career move) together filming a video for youtube for the first time.

it is just so insane that this video exists from their first meeting, and that that video has become this foundational cornerstone of their entire careers and their whole public identities. their life's work is inextricably linked to this time capsule of their initial chemistry and love and giddiness and youth and those first couple of days together literally getting to know/falling in love with their soulmate, but it simultaneously being a video that documents the first page in a still-in-progress epic story of them, as a duo, making online content with one another because their chemistry is so profound, building a community largely through their audience's attachment to who they are specifically when they're with one another, of engaging directly with their audience as much as possible (pinof1 being an audience-generated q&a), of cat whiskers becoming a symbol of this niche in-group, of "the most fun i've ever had" becoming a resounding phrase throughout their careers. and just the simple fact of it being their first video together. and they're still here. making videos together. in their 15+ yr long career. but it's also their first time together. and they're still here. spending their lives together in their 15+ yr long ranch metaphor.

it's just wild. you couldn't make this shit up. they are such a unique encapsulation of the digital era and maintaining highly successful careers online and building community and also of deep enduring love. there's the duality of those being two totally different things (careers vs. personal relationship) but also being completely intertwined with one another, and all of the complexities of that coexist in this first ever video!

[cilil]

So those who've been around for a while know that I like to celebrate the anniversary of the One Ring's destruction with not only a minute of silence for our lord and savior Tar-Mairon the Great, but also a special little (or not) fic.

This year I have a few fic ideas and can't decide, so let's run a poll. I'll also provide more details for each prompt down below.

Mairon's unhinged soliloquies

Building on what I wrote last year - a recollection of events from Olórin's perspective with commentary from Irmo - this would be an exploration of Mairon's grief after losing Melkor. The Ainur were never meant to lose their spouses, so his mental state continues to deteriorate over the ages. He starts talking to the statue of Melkor he built on Númenor and various other depictions in other temples and begins to hallucinate entire conversations. Also Gollum parallels.

Mairon and his lovers throughout the ages

An exploration of Mairon's relationships from Almaren to the love of his life to what happens in later ages, featuring various pairings (Melkor, Arien, Eönwë, Celebrimbor, Ar-Pharazôn, the Witch King, possibly more). This would highlight his obsessions (or lack thereof), how he views his lovers as people (or lack thereof) and the duality of passion and cruelty.

Post-Void reunion with Melkor

An old idea I've been saving for an occasion like this. The premise: Melkor gets out of the Void and instead of starting an epic final battle, he just wants to see Mairon and goes looking for him. Along the way, he begins to piece together what happened and worries - first that Mairon might have left him, then that something far worse might have happened (it did). A calm, melancholic, sombre tale with maybe some parallels to other great love stories in the legendarium.

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

E Rated Fics Masterlist (46)

Part 1 -Part 38/  Part 39 / Part 40 / Part 41 / Part 42 / Part 43 / Part 44 / Part 45 /

Created: March 27th, 2024

Last Checked:-----

DUALITY-juststella (ao3) Summary: Her family murdered, so mail-order-bride Katniss marries Peeta who seems sweet at first; the location is remote; something unnerves her. Could Peeta have an evil twin? Or an alter ego? Is Dr. Aurelius really helping or is he not what he seems? Can she trust anyone? Even herself???  Evergreen-IzzySamson (ao3) Summary: It had been a long, hard year for Katniss both personally and professionally. Her farm market had had one of the least profitable years she could remember and she wasn't optimistic about the Christmas tree season. That is until her hot new neighbor, Peeta volunteers to give her a hand and maybe something else, a little hope. Love Without Reaping-IzzySamson (ao3) Summary: How would one of Panem's greatest love stories play out if Kanisss never volunteered and Peeta was never reaped and Gale got tired of waiting for Katniss to return his affections and moved on? It would still be epic and dramatic. Peeta must convince Katniss that love and marriage is worth the pain that it may bring. Ruminations on a Prosthetic-icbiwf (ao3) Summary: What if it wasn't his leg that Peeta lost in the games? What Do You Do For Money, Honey?-Falafel_Waffel (ao3)  Summary: Peeta was in a rut, though Finnick’s unorthodox approach to the situation just might make matters worse.  When Things Are Too Crowded At Home-endlessnightlock (ao3)  Summary: Peeta and Katniss are enjoying an extended visit from her mother, Annie, and Finn Jr., but their home is small and Katniss is too nervous to "so after" with everyone there ;). They get creative on a warm fall night. When You Were Young-WinterWednesday (ao3)  Summary: Modern Day A/U. Katniss Everdeen is a typical 18 year old girl: she works hard at school, she looks out for her family, and she dreams of a better life outside of her small town of Meadowglen. What will happen when one electric moment forces her to realize that she can no longer ignore the magnetic connection that exists between her and smart, charming, irresistible Peeta Mellak? Why Is The Window Open?-endlessnightlock (ao3)  Summary: Katniss is lonely. Peeta is a strange boy with wings like an angel. He's just the friend she needs in a zombie-filled, mid 1860’s world. Or maybe he isn’t. Maybe he’ll rain damnation down on them all. But oh how seductive the devil’s invitation can be. Zombies/Angel of Death Peeta/Little House In The Big Woods crossover. Why The Mellarks Are Frequently "Under the Weather"-Everydayescapeartist (ao3)  Summary: Katniss and Peeta love being parents but find all the resulting starts and stops in their physical relationship to be more than a bit frustrating...until one day Peeta tells his employees he is under the weather and he and his wife finally get some quality adults-only time. Your Mark on my Soul-Xerxia (ao3)  Summary: A modern Everlark fairytale. Hundreds of years ago nearly everyone in Panem had a soulmark, a distinctive mark somewhere on their body that would match up with the soulmark of another person. Their soulmate. Finding the person who shared your soulmark, the journey, and of course the end result, was the basis for nearly all of the stories and music of days gone by. But soulmarks are incredibly rare these days. Nobody knows why, but each generation produced fewer and fewer soulmates. Soulmarks, and the few who bore them, fell out of favour, and began to be viewed with suspicion. No longer were songs written, and the stories were thought of as nothing more than myths...

[stellerssong]

ok sorry the OTHER thing about lucienne is like. as previously stated she is dream's handpicked emissary from the waking world to the dreaming she's the diplomat in chief she's the translator she's the bridge. because the dreaming is, in a very real way, dream's own psyche, this is tantamount to giving lucienne a tremendous degree of access to his interiority and by transitive property also tantamount to entering into a deeply emotionally intimate relationship with her (unimportant for the purposes of this post whether that relationship is platonic or romantic).

now, in general, looking at the pattern of dream's close emotional relationships—dream doesn't share himself with people as a rule (beyond the access that all things that live have to the dreaming; but i'm talking about his self here, the one he doesn't like to acknowledge he even has), but when he does share with people, it's with people who have some shadow on the soul, so to speak. just looking at attested relationships in show canon, his deepest emotional connection seems to be with death, who embodies the duality of light and dark even better than he does himself. calliope is the muse of epic poetry—heroism and tragedy—and also bears the sort of divine pride that led her to cut dream off for hundreds or thousands of years when he wronged her. the less said about that other guy, the better, but he's no sunshine-rainbows-unicorns type—he's a soldier of fortune, a bandit and a killer, a man who profits from the sale of human life. even best bird matthew, in comix canon, had a sordid past that will maybe be partially retconned for the show but has still been gestured at.

dream likes the complicated ones. he's drawn to them. they speak to something in him that he won't acknowledge in himself (he has to be Whole, fully integrated, without reservation, because he is the king and he is the dreaming and if the dreaming ain't whole then the universe is in trouble—but he feels that ache nonetheless).

all that is to say: when people try to portray lucienne as dream's Designated Well-Adjusted Neurotypical Friend, i begin to harm and maim.

[dangermousie]

Love that he's softening. Like you can tell he's falling without realizing it:

The thing is, he's still a bastard (the scene at the end of the ep with his comforting her is lovely but it's also something he copied from the documentary about her that her father used to do) but that's the push and pull that makes it so interesting to me - both manipulativeness and genuine feelings coexist (like the duality of the comforting scene.) And also, he gets so ridiculously jealous and has no idea and it's hilarious to me.

I laughed and laughed at the sequence where, after they had an epic fight, she stormed off and eventually found consolation with second ML because the intercut between ML at home folding her laundry and FL out having fun with SML gave mad "husband out with lover while virtuous wife does domestic chores" vibe ahahahah.

And the sniping when she comes home is totally not an agent-client thing. He sounds like a jealous boyfriend.

Bwahahaha when she sees him folding her laundered sports bras. This is a vvvvv serious and vvvvv hard-hitting sports drama.

This is AMAZING!!!!!

He is so jealous, he's Kermit-colored.

Bwahahahahahhaha

He's a total bastard who's using her (though out of literal desperation for his life and where she knows his goal) and manipulating her (which she doesn't always fully get) but he's also falling for her for real and is so hopeless and helpless about it and the sheer deliciousness of that is beyond anything!

Is it a relationship I'd root for in RL? Hell no! In fiction tho, holy fuck YESSSSS

[themovieblogonline]

Benjamin Walker and Robert Aramayo: Navigating Middle-Earth’s Legacy

When I sat down with The Rings of Power stars Benjamin Walker and Robert Aramayo, it was clear that these two have more than just a deep connection to their iconic characters, Gil-galad and Elrond. They understand the weight of Tolkien’s world—its sprawling lore, intricate relationships, and the complexity that comes with portraying legends in the making. And let me tell you, we had a conversation as epic as Middle-earth itself. https://youtu.be/gNAbIJ4Yelg Crafting Elrond: Paying Homage to Hugo Weaving When you take on a role like Elrond, you’ve got big shoes to fill—huge. Robert Aramayo, who plays the younger version of Elrond, discussed the challenge of balancing continuity with Hugo Weaving's portrayal while making the character his own. "I’ve always approached it with a light touch. What we see in the Peter Jackson films is Elrond fully realized in the Third Age, but now we’re exploring his journey. There’s so much rich history in the Second Age to draw from." Aramayo dived deep into Tolkien’s text, reading up on the First and Second Ages, and drawing inspiration from The Silmarillion and the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. While Aramayo acknowledges the responsibility of maintaining Elrond’s continuity, he’s also excited to show how the young elf grows into the legendary figure we know. He shared, "It’s all about planting seeds of what’s to come—Rivendell and everything else we know Elrond will become." Gil-galad’s Diplomatic Might Then we turned to Benjamin Walker, who portrays Gil-galad, the High King of the Elves. A character known more for his political cunning than swinging a sword, Walker portrays the Elven King during a relative time of peace. But don't let the diplomacy fool you—Gil-galad is ready for war, and Walker hints at the coming shift in his character. "We’re building to something big with Gil-galad. He starts as a figure of peace and diplomacy, but you’ll see him slowly transform into the warrior king he’s destined to be. And when the gloves come off, you’ll see the glimmer in his eye that says, ‘Finally, I get to shake things up.’" It’s clear Walker loves the duality of his character, a leader who longs for action, but must bide his time in political maneuvering. "Gil-galad’s had centuries to perfect the art of patience, but trust me—he’s ready to throw down when the time comes." Mentor & Protégé: The Dynamic Between Gil-galad and Elrond The mentor-student dynamic between Elrond and Gil-galad is one of the most nuanced in the series. When I asked both actors how they crafted this relationship behind the scenes, they emphasized how subtle the mentorship is. "There’s a lot that Gil-galad teaches Elrond without saying it directly," Walker explained. "It’s less about grand gestures and more about those quiet moments where Elrond learns by example." Aramayo chimed in, explaining how Gil-galad’s lessons shape Elrond's future leadership. "I think there’s complexity in how Elrond views Gil-galad. He trusts him, but there’s also a bit of tension, especially as Elrond starts to question some of the decisions being made." The Weight of Legacy Both actors understand the gravity of their roles in this sprawling saga. Walker emphasized that Gil-galad isn’t just a king; he’s a symbol for peace in Middle-earth, yet also someone capable of wielding immense power. Aramayo, meanwhile, is playing a character we know will be pivotal in future events, including the formation of the Council of Elrond. As Walker pointed out, "The Rings of Power shows us the roots of so many things we’ve seen in Middle-earth. It’s not just about action; it’s about the relationships and decisions that will shape everything to come." This show allows us to see the groundwork laid for epic conflicts like the War of the Last Alliance and the eventual rise of Sauron. Final Thoughts Interviewing Benjamin Walker and Robert Aramayo gave me a fresh perspective on how actors navigate iconic roles while leaving their own mark on The Rings of Power. Whether it's Aramayo’s youthful yet calculating Elrond or Walker’s regal but restless Gil-galad, both actors are shaping characters that will leave a lasting impact on Tolkien's universe. If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings or The Rings of Power, you’ll want to keep an eye on these two as they continue to bring new depth to these legendary characters. Read the full article

[silence-the-barking-monk]

I wouldn't recommend the pursuit of consciousness to anyone. I would not have chosen it for myself. I didn't. It chose me. If it hasn't called your number yet, don't worry. It will, eventually.

It will draft you from your small life and make impossible demands. You will say, “No.” You will say, “It can't be done.” You will say, "I don't want to," and it will laugh at your naivety.

It will speak to you in symbols, a language you don’t know. It will shake the stable earth. It will break your mirrors and douse your life with gasoline. It will light your spirit on fire. You will die and give birth to yourself in the same instant, again and again.

You will remember that Shakespeare was right: all the world IS a stage. You will wonder why you've been playing so small a part. For an instant you will be ecstatic. You will attempt to embrace your epic proportions and then the phone will ring and you will collapse back into your tiny character, hopelessly.

You will question your sanity. Constantly. You will conclude that you are crazy. Then, correct. Then, crazy. Then, brilliant. Then crazy....

You will remember you are God, experiencing. Then you will remember you are Sally or Jane or Joe: weeping, screaming, slaving. You will ask yourself again, if you are delusional. You will wonder why God has bad credit, narcissistic relationships, or a desk job she hates.

You'll wonder what kind of cruel joke this world is, and yearn for a home you can only remember by feel: fuzzy, glowing golden, drenched in light. You'll find gratitude for your suffering. You will also realize that suffering has no value. Out of your wailing, flailing despair you will realize that your love has been inverted.

You will see that you contain all opposites and spend many years trying to figure out which one is true, and snuff out the one you believe to be a lie. You will try to murder yourself, and fail. You will change your mind and reverse your strategy. And again. This tactic is a pendulum shaped like an axe that swings wild and wide. This is how you will die the death of a thousand cuts.

When you grow bored of bleeding out you will decide you are great enough to contain all opposites. You will attempt to love them, equally. But you won’t. You will conclude that good and evil is an opinion. You will begin to question how your opinions have developed. You will keep some, discard others.

You will reason that if the same intelligence that holds the cosmos together, that keeps the sun at perfect distance, that spins the earth, is present in all things then maybe, just maybe, even this is somehow perfect: its horror and its ecstasy.

Don’t buy the fairy tales written by wealthy gurus recycling from each other. They have too much to gain from selling you something that cannot be owned. If you buy it, all you will get for your trouble is a broken heart. It will make you feel you are wrongly put together- broken-because your own journey is not like the escalator ride up the mountainside that they’ve promised you. Not even with all your meditation, yoga, or group chanting.

The art of becoming conscious is like any other art: you must find your medium, your talent, and your unique approach to expressing the themes that move and torment you the most. Finally, you must grow the presence and courage to claim your impossible dream. Doing this will take mastery over the forces of density and duality. Mastery over your many faces, the thoughts that burn you at the stake, your own terror.

No. I wouldn’t recommend the pursuit of consciousness to anybody, but should you find yourself pursued, there are a few things you should remember:

You can’t outrun it because even though it may announce your number through seemingly external circumstances, the motor of consciousness is inside you and it will pull every curtain in your life down if you refuse to submit.

There is no map, so don’t buy yours secondhand. The gurus can’t save you. The career can’t save you. The relationship can’t save you. You will only find your way one step at a time. Listen to others, if you want, and learn, but don’t make the mistake of thinking they know the way home. If they did, they would be there by now.

And while we’re at it, there is no “there.” You don’t know who you are. Where you’ve come from is unknown. Where you’re going is mysterious. What your soul commands of you can only be found within you. No one else knows what you are here to do. And for now, here is all there is.

— Alison Nappi

Archaeology for the Woman's Soul

[trvgcdiv]

* herakles: blood-stained champion.

basic-ass profile series.

portrayal notes.

Herakles the Lionhearted, son of Zeus. Culture Hero. God. Murderer. 

Vibes-based portrayal while I pin down the various tales that make up the man, the myth, the legend of Herakles. Currently mainlining The Oxford Handbook of Heracles ed. by Daniel Ogden to get my bearings. 

Themes centered on the meaning of heroism and violence and what happens when the bigge damn hero is more terrifying than the monsters he slays. 

Interested in exploring the fall of a hero :’) (but a hero should rise before he falls, yes?)

Tertiary, Pre/Epic Cycle. Verses include (but not limited to) myth canon, myth AU, modern, and uhhh… Just about anywhere I can slot him in tbh. 

basics.

Alkaios of Thebes  Herakles God of Strength and Heroes; Divine Protector of Mankind, Patron of the Gymnasium Theban-born, but of Mykenai heritage (Tyrins, Troezen) / Aegan Of white, Black, and mixed indigenous Mexican descent in non-myth verses Pre/Epic Cycle

appearance.

His aura is what's larger than life — the man himself is on the taller side for a man of his era, but hardly the towering height most people imagine based on his exploits. 

Bronzed bc regardless of the existence of sunscreen, he's not gonna wear it. Dark brown hair, curled and thick. Dark eyes that would never be called cow-like. 

A thick dark beard and plenty of body hair as well. If he were a mortal man who changed and aged over time as one, he'd be one hell of a bear. Or, well, "dad bod" for those who aren't MLM.

relationships.

DIVINE HERITAGE: Zeus (father; grandsire); Hera NOTABLE ANCESTORS: Perseus PARENTS: Alcmene of Mykenai and Zeus (divine); Aphitryon (mortal); Rhadamanthus (stepfather) SIBLINGS: many divine siblings by his divine father; Iphikles and Laonome SPOUSE: Megara, princess of Thebes; Omphale, queen of Lydia; Deianira, princess of Calydon; Hebe, goddess of Youth LOVERS: enough of them that I need time to collect a list of names and make a separate headcanon post. CHILDREN: Some say there are over 100. Tbf some of those are now dead.  CONNECTIONS: honestly? Probably everyone.

personality.

The duality of Heracles is that he is both the best and worst person you could ever meet. He’d literally go to Hades and back to repay what’s a relatively small favor. 

He’s also known for impulsive acts of great violence, both in infancy (against the snakes Hera sent to his crib) and in adolescence (the murder of his music teacher, Linus)

He can be extremely generous and exceedingly loyal, boisterous drinker and a genial guest. 

He is also violent, arrogant, and impulsive. He is intolerant to the faintest slight and is capable of extreme brutality. 

Awful in both senses, inspiring awe and dread. 

need to know.

Typical ancient Greek male sexuality in that he has his wife and then both male and female lovers. Less important than the gender of his partners is that he’s (usually) the top. 

Only Omphale has had the honor of topping Herakles in his whole dang life. 

Grew up possibly in Thebes???

Timeline goes: some adventures > marriage to Megara > some adventures > madness and murder of family > 12 Labors in part to cleanse his soul of miasma of his murders > more adventures. 

There’s so much to know lkajsf;fsdaasfd

I’ll update this when I know what’s the most need-to-know

[therealnostalgialover808]

Translation.

Mario Bros the movie 2023: I want to leave you my most sincere opinion of the film, it is one of the best animated films I have seen, the animation is excellent, the hand of Nintendo is quite noticeable, so it is a love letter to the entire history of Mario's legacy, unlike past deliveries. (Yes, I mean you clunker from 1993). If you have to choose a character that deserves to be the best in this plot, it is Bowser, a villain who in games is the flattest and without justifications, to give us a being with whom you empathize for lapses due to his love for Peach, anyway Bowser was great for something, he has won the hearts of many for the way he is, since he goes from being the most despicable creature like in his games to the most tender individual. And speaking of her, Peach was a success, it was without a doubt her personality, we are so used to seeing her as the damsel in distress, that the change of screw that they gave her was incredible, being precisely that bit of female empowerment that any tape sometimes demands . Toad seems to me a very tender and quite comical character, having that facet of the friend that we all want, but what I love the most is that duality that occurs when Donkey Kong enters into action; With Kong already in action in the plot, we are shown the two sides of a friendly relationship, on the one hand, the cool friend like Toad and on the other hand, the guy who tears you apart with his bad comments but who in the end appreciates the experience lived with you About Luigi there is not much to tell in a few seconds, but he also takes his part of the plot, by showing us that personality so characteristic of him, shy, fearful and not very sure of himself as in video games, but which serves as a parameter for us. see what a good brother Mario is (beyond everything that was believed of him with quite emotional scenes). I would have loved to see more of him, but I think it was good because perhaps in a sequel he will have more weight in the future to take advantage of it (along with other characters in reference to Yoshi and Daisy perhaps). Finally, Mario is the protagonist or the central axis of the film, there is no doubt about it, his personality is epic, because despite the fact that he continues to be the same type of personality that he has in video games, we are shown the side more human of him, full of work, emotional and family problems, but wanting to get ahead with that desire to excel, like any of us being the fact that you can feel that degree of identification with him. That being the case, I do feel that the same film is missing another half hour, because it leaves you with that typical feeling that details and situations were missing that could be better addressed within the story, which, although it is very short and Simple, I consider that it was what was necessary to redeem the character after years of having him buried and in ostracism due to a cinematographic innovation error of the 90's. Now I don't think there is a justification for linking the film to progressive or much less conservative ideas, it just follows the essence of those games that we played so much as children and they bring back such good memories of our favorite mustache along with his brother. Hopefully there will be more Mario sequels because we are left wanting more and as the good Luigi said: "This is Cinema, Brother".

Mario Bros la película 2023:

Quiero dejarles mi más sincera opinión de la película, es una de las mejores películas de animación que he visto, la animación es excelente se nota bastante la mano de Nintendo por lo que es una carta de amor a toda la historia del legado de Mario, a diferencia de entregas pasadas. (Sí me refiero a ti bodrio de 1993).

Si hay que elegir un personaje que merezca ser el mejor de esta trama es Bowser, un villano que en los juegos es lo más plano y sin justificaciones, para entregarnos un ser con el que por lapsos empatizas debido a su amor hacia Peach, en fin Bowser fue genial por algo se ha ganado el corazón de muchos por la manera de ser, ya que pasa de ser la criatura más despreciable como en sus juegos al individuo más tierno.

Y hablando de ella, Peach fue un acierto fue sin duda su personalidad, estamos tan acostumbrados a verla como la damisela en aprietos, que fue increíble el cambio de tuerca que le dieron, siendo precisamente esa pizca de empoderamiento femenino que en ocasiones reclama cualquier cinta.

Toad me parece un personaje muy tierno y bastante cómico, teniendo esa faceta del amigo que todos queremos, pero lo que más encanta es esa dualidad que se presenta cuando Donkey Kong entra en acción; con Kong ya en acción en la trama se nos muestra las dos caras de una relación amistosa, por un lado, el amigo buena onda como Toad y por el otro lado el tipo que te despedaza con sus malos comentarios pero que al final agradece la experiencia vivida contigo.

Sobre Luigi no hay mucho que contar pocos segundos, pero se lleva también su parte de la trama, al mostrarnos esa personalidad tan característica de él, tímido, miedoso y poco seguro de sí mismo como en los videojuegos, pero que nos sirve de parámetro para ver lo buen hermano que es Mario (más allá de todo lo que se creía de él con escenas bastante emotivas). Me hubiera encantado ver más de él, pero considero que estuvo bien porque quizás en una secuela tenga más peso a futuro para aprovecharlo (junto a otros personajes en referencia a Yoshi y Daisy quizás).

Ya para finalizar, Mario es el protagonista o el eje central de la cinta, no hay duda de ello, su personalidad es épica, porque a pesar de que sigue siendo el mismo tipo de personalidad que tiene en los videojuegos, se nos muestra el lado más humano de él, lleno de problemas laborales, emocionales y familiares, pero con ganas de salir adelante con ese afán de superación, como cualquiera de nosotros siendo el hecho de porque puedes sentir ese grado de identificación con él.

Siendo así, si siento que a la misma película le falto una media hora más, porque te deja esa típica sensación de que faltaron detalles y situaciones que se pudieran abordar de mejor manera dentro de la historia, la cual, si bien es muy corta y simple, considero que era lo necesario para redimir al personaje después de años de tenerlo enterrado y en el ostrancismo por un error de innovación cinematográfico de los 90's.

Ahora la película no creo que tenga justificación vincularla ni a ideas progresistas ni mucho menos conservadoras, solo sigue la esencia de esos juegos que tanto hemos jugado de niños y nos traen tan buenos recuerdos de nuestro bigotón favorito junto con su hermano.

Ojalá que si haya más secuelas de Mario porque nos quedamos con ganas de más y como dijo el buen Luigi: "Esto es Cine, Hermano".

#MarioBrosMovie #MarioBros #Luigi #Peach #DK #Toad #Bowser

[thephantomcasebook]

I’m a pretty casual fan of ASOIAF, Lord of the Rings is more my style, but I’ve been reading some of the lore recently and I’m absolutely delighted by how many parallels and clear inspirations GRRM took from Arthurian legend. Aemond in particular caught my attention because he bears such a striking resemblance to Mordred in so many ways in terms of his role in the narrative. Mutual kill with his uncle? Check. Close relationship with an evil sorceress? Check. Mommy issues? Check. Doomed by the historical narrative? Check. Are you a fan of Arthurian legend? What are your thoughts?

Same.

I'm pretty steeped in ASoIF lore - though Martin continues to change the lore at convenience - but I'm a bigger Tolkien fan and nerd than G.R.R. Martin. Especially Tolkien's First Age Stories like "Beren and Luthien" & "Children of Hurin".

"Beren & Luthien" might be the greatest story ever told. Around Christmas I put that chapter on when I'm out doing Christmas shopping and when I'm out on my Birthday.

And "Children of Hurin" is one of my favorite books of all time - the audiobook as read by Christopher Lee is beyond epic. And has been one of the biggest influences on my writing.

As for Arthurian Legend, I grew up on it. My old man was a geek before the word really existed and he was into fantasy. So, I was introduced into Knights and Chivalry at a very - very - early age. Especially in the early-2000's when "Lord of the Rings" was big but there wasn't a lot of it available where I lived, my 11-13 year old self's want for Lord of the Rings anything sent me back down into the Arthurian rabbit hole.

I grew up with and still love "Excalibur" and the Merlin Mini-Series from the late-90's that Jim Henson and NBC did.

It's funny you bring up Tolkien and Arthurian Myth because I've written Downton Abbey fanfiction for years and a lot of the story series is based on "The Children of Hurin" by Tolkien and I used archetypes from Arthurian Legend for the characters. I steeped a lot of those Downton Abbey stories in an Arthurian mold and Tolkien sensibilities.

As for Aemond being Mordred.

Oh, you done done it now, my friend.

You got me started.

If I might expand your ascertain of Aemond being Mordred.

The way I see it is that Alicent is Guinevere and Criston is Lancelot. Aemond is most definitely Mordred. And Daeron is absolutely Galahad.

I would postulate that both Aemond and Daeron are the sons of Alicent and Criston's duality. Of course, I don't mean literally - but figuratively. They were both born after Alicent and Criston devoted themselves to one another, both were raised by the two, and both look at Criston is more of a father than Viserys. Unlike say Aegon and Helaena. Both Aemond and Daeron see Alicent and Criston as their parents.

Much like Mordred, I see Aemond as sort of the manifestation of all of Alicent and Criston's sins of envy and lust, not just of Rhaenyra's transgressions, but of their want for one another. Aemond bears Criston's hatred and Alicent's anger. He is a creation, a creature, of that darker and more human side of a virtuous and righteous idealistic veneer.

While, much like Galahad, Daeron embodies the ennobling features of Criston and Alicent's relationship. He is the dutiful and virtuous figure that his mother strives to be and the stalwart and just warrior that Criston tries to maintain. Making him the noblest of all knights.

While Aemond carries Alicent and Criston's humanity and flaws

Daeron bears their idealism and dreams.

The two showing the almost duality of their parent's two natures as a whole.

[k-rising]

Pick a card: what would your kpop group be like?

DISCLAIMER: readings are used as a guide, but the decisions you want to make for yourself are YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. this is a general reading, so take what resonates with you. this is for entertainment purposes only.

‼️ 2ND DISCLAIMER: sensitive topics - b*ll**ng, toxic relationships and mature content.

☞ choose a pile that draws your attention the most.

☞ you can choose more than one option, but I recommend that you stick with the first one you chose.

☞ readings do not have an expiration date.

⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟏ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟐ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟑

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟒ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟓ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟔

⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟏

what concept will your group have?

i'm hearing teen crush vibes. your overall concept is self-love, freedom, fighting for your goals and being positive. the company wants your group to inspire the young generations. the number of members will be around 4-5.

how will your group debut be like?

your debut mv will take place in school and the main topic of it will be b*ll**ng. the video will portray the desire that the students have to fight against this problem and reestablish control; it gives me revolutionary vibes. the goal of the mv is to become aware of this problem and end once and for all with this problematic.

the story will be about two people: the victim and the perpetrator. these two were friends before, but the perpetrator changed their group of friends and now b*ll**s the victim. at the end of the mv, the perpetrator reminisce about the old days and stop the b*ll**ng. there will be chains and explosions in the video as well; it's gonna be epic. the public will be shocked with your debut.

what kind of reputation does your group have?

you have the reputation of being a united group with a lot of harmony between the members. the public sees you as very powerful, confident, happy and super successful group that always knows how to excel. they see you as very creative and enthusiastic people who like to experience new things. people sees an impressive duality when you're all on stage and when interacting with your fans.

this is how your group would sound like...

⸻

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟐

what concept will your group have?

your group will have a cute concept and you'll stick to that concept. you'll have a very youthful and bubbly vibes, and you'll trasmit lot of faith and hope to the public. although you'll always use the same concept, all your comebacks will be very creative and aesthetically beautiful to watch. your job is to express optimism, freedom and enthusiasm. the number of members will be around 7-9.

how will your group debut be like?

the story of the mv will be about finding a magic lamp and using it to make all of the members' wishes come true. however, as the video progresses, you're going to ask for certain things that will harm you both financially and personally, since you're abusing the power of the lamp. even though the mv does not end very well, it will leave an open ending that will give hints that the story will continue with the next comeback.

what kind of reputation does your group have?

your group is rather irrelevant, but that doesn't mean that you're not talented... is quite the opposite, actually! you all work so hard and the public knows that, but in some way or another it's difficult for you to be recognized and that frustrates you too much. you face a lot of difficulties that can lead to a lack of control and direction in your careers; you can be very overworked.

this is how your group would sound like...

⸻

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟑

what concept will your group have?

you don't have a defined concept, you always come back with something new. the number of members will be around 9-12.

how will your group debut be like?

the mv will look very elegant and expensive. it will be about the greediness and dissatisfaction that one has for that key element that is not yet within our reach, even when we have it all. i'm imagining a queen who has great emotional instability and treats her servants coldly and distantly. despite the fact that she seems tough, she's actually very insecure and what she really needs the most is affection.

what kind of reputation does your group have?

the public sees you as a very versatile, witty, courageous and powerful group, with lots of inner strength and a big heart. I would also dare to say that you're also considered intimidating and you're always following new trends.

this is how your group would sound like...

⸻

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟒

what concept will your group have?

you will have a badass concept and you will transmit courage, determination, energy and a lot of passion. your company has high expectations for you and hopes that you'll become very successful and can be an inspiration not only for your fans but also for other groups; they want your group to be a great role model. the number of members will be around 7-9.

how will your group debut be like?

your debut will have a hopeful message. the mv will be very nostalgic, showing both broken dreams and relationships. the message of the song is that no matter what battles you have won or lost, you should never give up and you should keep fighting for your dreams. you can still save what you thought was lost. i'm imagining snow and public transportation (specially buses and the subway). all the members are going to their jobs, college and high schools and are facing lots of difficulties, but, at the end of the mv, they're all singing together happily in the city while snow is falling down. i'm hearing the color white a lot.

what kind of reputation does your group have?

the public knows you for being an extremely hard-working group. you have a reputation for being passionate, impulsive, and dreamy... but a little unrealistic as well. despite the fact that it seems that your bad luck is uncontrollable and that some people think your group is lost and you'll never become popular, you never give up.

this is how your group would sound like...

⸻

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟓

what concept will your group have?

the concept of your group is sophisticated and elegant. it's neither too cute or too daring, it's a balance between the two. the number of members will be around 6-8.

how will your group debut be like?

the message of your debut song is that no matter the difficulties you face, you should never give up and you should keep fighting for your dreams. the mv is low budget and pretty homemade. it will show the hard work that you all have put to achieve your goals and there's also gonna be a small part that will show clips from your trainee days. it's gonna be very emotional.

what kind of reputation does your group have?

people knows your group for being extremely hard-working. you're always busy preparing for a new comeback and you never have time to rest. your group is not extremely popular, but they're well known in the industry. you have the reputation for getting into a lot of trouble and you often get involved in all kinds of scandals.

this is how your group would sound like...

⸻

𝓟𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝟔

what concept will your group have?

your gonna do an angsty concept and the number of members are gonna be around 5-6.

how will your group debut be like?

your debut song will be about infidelity and guilt for not being able to have sacrificed everything for love. the mv will show a couple, "a" cheats on their partner and, even though "b" knows about the infidelity, they want to get away from reality and pretend that what they saw was all their imagination. "b" tries to sacrifice everything to get "a" back, but "a" doesn't want to and leaves "b" with a broken heart. you can also see scenes with a lot of arguing, make up s*x and typical toxic behaviors.

what kind of reputation does your group have?

your group is known for being very artistic and creative. you're the ones who produce and write your own songs. the group is rather irrelevant, however when people first hear your music, it usually leaves a good impression on them. you have a reputation for being enthusiastic and good-humored. however, you don't usually put out music very often and you're known for taking long hiatus.

this is how your group would sound like...

⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚♡⁎₊✧˚

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔! 　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

[applestorms]

ooo wait i love that interpretation, BGD as both dirk and jake’s potential for (morally good?) power is great actually. also, big Agree about jake’s intelligence being hidden, the interpretation of the kids’ fetch modus being a representation of how they think fits that idea too (jake’s being too large to even fit on screen -> his intelligence being kinda unknowable even to him). pretty sure it’s also pretty explicitly referenced in BGD’s intro following that long ass conversation between 13yo dirkjake (“GT: I have no business knowing those things.” pg.4875). ok now for this one:

OHOHOH. okay very interested in hearing your elaboration, but my understanding of abraxas is mostly limited to the way they’re referenced in the hermann hesse novel demian (and also all the explanations of gnosticism given in those optimistic duelist lore videos i obsessively binged as a teenager, epic). for denizens specifically though, we’re mostly limited in canon to john and caliborn (and i guess roxy?) for more extensive looks at the denizens besides basic visuals & names. so john does his whole oil quest with typheus (and is killed early on by him thanks to terezi) and caliborn gets the house juju from beating yaldabaoth, both incredibly significant moments for the Alpha Timeline™️ of homestuck.

we get very little information in hs canon about abraxas as a denizen, only really knowing that they’re jake’s because of the web browser thing (and also maybe karkat? forget where the evidence for that comes from). outside of the text though, abraxas is stupidly relevant when it comes to the whole duality motif that surrounds the cherubs, and many other key themes/visuals in homestuck. carl jung calls abraxas a god both higher than and a combination of the christian god and devil- pistorius also says this when teaching emil sinclair about abraxas in demian, i believe- essentially the ultimate evil and ultimate good combined. the appeal of abraxas to emil sinclair’s study is this specific duality, something he struggles with throughout his life from very early on with the worlds of light (family, religion, safety) and dark (danger, social taboos) he describes from his childhood. in demian, pistorius is basically emil’s transitional mentor at a time when max demian himself is not present, so this teaching of abraxas is quite significant. it’s actually really interesting then if abraxas is in fact karkat’s denizen too, given that both jake and karkat have a lot of jesus imagery associated with them w/ the hope angels/golgothas & sufferer respectively; abraxas is kind of blasphemous w/ their whole God&Satan thing when it comes to christianity.

jake and karkat in general have a lot of connections to the cherubs, actually. karkat is presumably a lime blood but mutated to bright red (calliope & caliborn’s blood colors), his gray text is right in the middle of callie and caliborn’s, and his struggle between passivity (more natural to him w/ his blood aspect) and violence (the Alternian standard, thanks to doc scratch). jake’s whole intro page is basically a hehe wink tease with how much lord english shit surrounds him, and he is later explained to have direct influence on lord english’s attire and, yeah, name.

the whole point of a denizen is that they can be either defeated or worked with, so the fact that karkat and jake both have abraxas, the ultimate symbol of extreme duality, as theirs is. PRETTY MEANINGFUL, i mean you can basically interpret that as jake and karkat are the best subjects to defeat the cherubs right?? which makes sense, especially when considering their strengths in relation to the meat/candy distinction of the epilogues. if you don’t like the pumpkin route thing and want alternatives to both meat & candy, karkat’s aspect being blood and all about relationships, with his biggest strength during the troll’s session being his ability to keep everyone working together, is a good alternative to the shitshow of compulsively heteronormative relationships in candy. and in terms of meat, with jake…..

yeah no, the evidence in favor of ultimate jake just keeps stacking up, jesus fuck lol.

clawed my way through (some of) the epilogues and hs^2 again for dirkjake crumbs and i think there is a Genuine place for ultimate jake to fit into canon (or at the very least, lord jake english) since meat timeline jake never actually shows up visually in hs^2 and his final appearance in that timeline (minus a phone call or something w/ roxy? or was it kanaya fuck) is giving ult. dirk his spaceship and then proclaiming his undying love while desperately trying to get dirk to let him join him, to which dirk responds that he’ll “never let [jake] break [his] heart again” (ch39). agony.

two interesting things about the end of his arc in meat actually: for one thing, it’s kinda implied that along with giving dirk a spaceship, he also gave dave/karkat/roxy/kanaya/etc a spaceship to chase after him, so he’s at least taken some action to try to stop him. again though, we never see him after that point so like. the idea that he could just hope himself into becoming an ultimate self in the background is actually kind of a possibility?? like while the others try to chase dirk down, jake is figuring out how to brute force himself into ascension as a backup plan. second thing, dirk is very snarky in the narration about the fact that this dramatic goodbye he’s giving jake is the last time he’ll ever get to see him (jake see dirk, i mean) but ult. dirk also seems to lack power against alt. calliope when they fight over the narrative so jake ascending would actually pose a serious threat and might be able to override that, assuming dirk’s power over the narrative extends that far in the first place (thinking about that post talking about how narration is also a reflection of characters’ thoughts…)

candy timeline jake is also pretty interesting since he very notably starts being advised by BGD to be a kind of spy on the inside against jane’s. whole thing in that timeline. i actually completely cannot remember what jane does in the meat timeline, i think also some presidency bullshit, right?? that’s what the davekat thing was about??? but anyway BGD sounds pretty normal in all his dialogue, or normal for BGD at least, and is aware of both the game over timeline and ult. dirk’s bullshit enough to make fun of it so. idk maybe i’m just misunderstanding how ultimate selves work, but the fact that BGD wasn’t really “integrated” into ult. dirk feels significant to me, especially considering the fact that we can see caliborn/LE’s influence on ult. dirk so much (his narration in ch39 gives AR too, frankly, like the epilogues are obvs way more openly horny than hs proper but AR was always kinda like that too, especially about jake). hs^2 also ends super abruptly with some lore shit i skimmed half heartedly between calliope, roxy, and john again talking about his initial decision between candy and meat. that whole conversation pretty deliberately frames the decision between meat and candy as being parallel to terezi’s coin flip about whether or not to kill vriska, and roxycallie even tell john straight up that he needs to get vriska again to fix the story, perhaps assuming that’ll work again since it did when he was retconning the timeline? but imo, though maybe i’m biased cause i didn’t really review what vriska does post-canon again, it seems more fitting to me that jake would be the one to fix the bullshit timelines, considering 1. dirk is the one going bananas out of his fucking mind w/ control of the narrative, 2. thematically, pumpkins are the most logical, healthy alternative to meat and candy, fitting since caliborn explicitly aligns dirk and jake’s color scheme with them in the smut-drawing conversation and since (in the same breath) he establishes that he hates them and prefers meat/candy. but that’s getting into sherlock secret final episode levels of conspiracy, and i’m not sure i’m ready for that one

[fearofahumanplanet]

Hello!! Happy STS, my question is what are some of your favorite tropes to write and/or what are some tropes you often find yourself writing?

Oh my god, I've got so fucking many, and I've listed them out a bit before, so... (A lot of these I'm sure you'll already recognize :P ) (Also a lot of these are probably more frequent themes than tropes but shhh)

antivillain/antihero protagonists

Sapphic relationships

Always a huge focus on psychological/mental health/sociopolitical topics

No matter what genre I'm writing in, some horror creeps in inevitably, it's unavoidable

Re-occuring cryptic phrases that change meaning throughout the story with further context

Alliteration

Mentally shattered badass independent lesbian protagonists has apparently become my thing according to some people

Either references to mythology or outright uses of mythological gods, but there is always at least something named in a way to reference myth its also inevitable

Stylized, very visceral gore

In general, i write speculative fiction but i mix grounded, gritty combat (i.e. shattering bones, biting through flesh, beating black and blue, in general emphasizing impact is the best way i can put it) & accurate medical injuries (thx nurse history) with fantastical elements like magic, the supernatural and metaphysical concepts

LOTS of philosophy, especially on the the nature of being human, nihilism, and existentialism

The deemphasis/subversion of "good" and "evil" roles, always morally grey

Small things, like using the word "cycle" instead of "chapter"

Using physical masks to emphasize duality and/or a physical manifestation of the concept of masking your true self, as well as just masks in general

Every one of my books always starts out bad (in stakes) and steadily manages to get worse and worse and worse with no relief

Exploring the cycle of abuse and seeing how traumatized people are often inevitably bound to traumatize others around them, whether they mean it or not

The nature of forgiveness vs punishment and whether a line should even be drawn

Using persecuted minority groups or "scapegoats" as protagonists to emphasize the idea of evil is a manmade concept

lots of references to epic poetry and classical literature

excessive symbolism

using the ocean as a metaphor for depression or loss

[antiloreolympus]

10 Anti LO Asks

1. I don't think LO fans get this but the having to resort to tearing everything else down to prop it up is actually a worse indictment on its quality than not. If LO is truly this great of a piece of work, it should be able to stand on its own, not having harassment/smear campaigns against even remotely similar (or not) pieces of work to make it look "better" in comparison. What happened to H/P Ficlets is probably the most nasty example of LO fans being cruel in the name of making LO look "better"

2. I want to know what Kool-Aid LO fans are on because I've seen so many of them say the art is actually BETTER than it was in the beginning. Like girl what, go check your eyes 💀

3. I saw Overly Sarcastic Production's explanation of the Persephone myth. It started out really good, covering the 'possible' ancient background on the myth, and reiterating how the Homeric Hymn to Demeter is the best version we have in terms of detail. They also don't try and demonize Demeter or try to make the myth seem like some kind of romance epic.

Then the end of the video comes along and ruins the entire thing - they basically encourage people to read Lore Olympus and continue the false narrative that Persephone and Hades are the 'most functional relationship' in mythology.

It's just so frustrating to see even a popular myth youtube channel is falling for the Tumblr false interpretation of the myth that ruined Lore Olympus while completely missing the point of the story. It was always meant to be about the relationship between mother and daughter - not a damn romance. 

4. ive seen so many lo fans condemn zeus (in comic) for being more flamboyant/not being hyper masculine as hades and im like 1) ok so hades is boring while zeus is fun, got it but also 2) considering zeus' myth canon bisexuality and lo's obsession with being very heterosexual that just seems ... wrong. like i dont think they mean to be biphobia/harmful while saying stuff like this but the fact they do zero relfection on it is a big issue.

5. tbh i was willing to give the benefit of a doubt about hades and minthe but then we find out HADES is the one who blurred the lines and chased after HER and started the relationship and made her to have an apartment and stuff all under HIS control so its like?? he went after her, he's the one who wasnt being professional and went after his employe, he controls all her finances and the literal roof over her head, but we're supposed to be on HIS side and see her as ungrateful/evil??? girl what!!

6. im sorry i just cant take the "sexy" panels hades seriously because 1) its always very clearly traced, 2) it just doesnt look right given how bad the anatomy is, but also 3) its just weirdly ooc?? like rachel cant decide if hes this serious brooding king who you dont mess with or an empty headed, horny teenager. im not saying he cant have duality to him but its hard to be like "isnt he cute?" when he owns slaves, neglects children, & takes advantage of vulnerable young women into relationships

7. im begging rachel to pick up an anatomy book or something on her break WHY is hades' head so tiny now??? how did she go from semi ok anatomy to whatever this is?? and you cant go "thats her style!" because it legit doesnt even look good or cohesive or even like what we know she once could do, it just looks like a mess. i dont get how you draw non-stop for years and actually get WORSE at it.

8. i just get sad because i follow a lot of webtoon creators who feel dejected and neglected by WT meanwhile they just throw up more and more promotion for LO and shove it everyones' faces (when it very much does NOT need the help) while these other creators feel so left behind many that many of them don't even want to make another comic again. i cant imagine that feels good that they have to work twice as hard if not more to even get noticed meanwhile rachel just gets everything handed to her.

9.i do not get why rachel went with the "gods dont care/hate mortals" take in LO. even just a skim of any myth will show you the gods, for all their faults, did care about mortals and wanted the best for them. like if they hated them so much, why even let them exist? why care persephone killed so many of them? why provide them with food, water, etc? also most of the male gods have children with mortal women, why would they do that if they hate them? it's such a bad take to go with.

-----FP Spoilers/Mention-----

10. Eris' head looking like an apple is not a smart design it's a mistake. I still can get over how they massacred my baby ;__;

[themovieblogonline]

Benjamin Walker and Robert Aramayo: Navigating Middle-Earth’s Legacy

When I sat down with The Rings of Power stars Benjamin Walker and Robert Aramayo, it was clear that these two have more than just a deep connection to their iconic characters, Gil-galad and Elrond. They understand the weight of Tolkien’s world—its sprawling lore, intricate relationships, and the complexity that comes with portraying legends in the making. And let me tell you, we had a conversation as epic as Middle-earth itself. https://youtu.be/gNAbIJ4Yelg Crafting Elrond: Paying Homage to Hugo Weaving When you take on a role like Elrond, you’ve got big shoes to fill—huge. Robert Aramayo, who plays the younger version of Elrond, discussed the challenge of balancing continuity with Hugo Weaving's portrayal while making the character his own. "I’ve always approached it with a light touch. What we see in the Peter Jackson films is Elrond fully realized in the Third Age, but now we’re exploring his journey. There’s so much rich history in the Second Age to draw from." Aramayo dived deep into Tolkien’s text, reading up on the First and Second Ages, and drawing inspiration from The Silmarillion and the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. While Aramayo acknowledges the responsibility of maintaining Elrond’s continuity, he’s also excited to show how the young elf grows into the legendary figure we know. He shared, "It’s all about planting seeds of what’s to come—Rivendell and everything else we know Elrond will become." Gil-galad’s Diplomatic Might Then we turned to Benjamin Walker, who portrays Gil-galad, the High King of the Elves. A character known more for his political cunning than swinging a sword, Walker portrays the Elven King during a relative time of peace. But don't let the diplomacy fool you—Gil-galad is ready for war, and Walker hints at the coming shift in his character. "We’re building to something big with Gil-galad. He starts as a figure of peace and diplomacy, but you’ll see him slowly transform into the warrior king he’s destined to be. And when the gloves come off, you’ll see the glimmer in his eye that says, ‘Finally, I get to shake things up.’" It’s clear Walker loves the duality of his character, a leader who longs for action, but must bide his time in political maneuvering. "Gil-galad’s had centuries to perfect the art of patience, but trust me—he’s ready to throw down when the time comes." Mentor & Protégé: The Dynamic Between Gil-galad and Elrond The mentor-student dynamic between Elrond and Gil-galad is one of the most nuanced in the series. When I asked both actors how they crafted this relationship behind the scenes, they emphasized how subtle the mentorship is. "There’s a lot that Gil-galad teaches Elrond without saying it directly," Walker explained. "It’s less about grand gestures and more about those quiet moments where Elrond learns by example." Aramayo chimed in, explaining how Gil-galad’s lessons shape Elrond's future leadership. "I think there’s complexity in how Elrond views Gil-galad. He trusts him, but there’s also a bit of tension, especially as Elrond starts to question some of the decisions being made." The Weight of Legacy Both actors understand the gravity of their roles in this sprawling saga. Walker emphasized that Gil-galad isn’t just a king; he’s a symbol for peace in Middle-earth, yet also someone capable of wielding immense power. Aramayo, meanwhile, is playing a character we know will be pivotal in future events, including the formation of the Council of Elrond. As Walker pointed out, "The Rings of Power shows us the roots of so many things we’ve seen in Middle-earth. It’s not just about action; it’s about the relationships and decisions that will shape everything to come." This show allows us to see the groundwork laid for epic conflicts like the War of the Last Alliance and the eventual rise of Sauron. Final Thoughts Interviewing Benjamin Walker and Robert Aramayo gave me a fresh perspective on how actors navigate iconic roles while leaving their own mark on The Rings of Power. Whether it's Aramayo’s youthful yet calculating Elrond or Walker’s regal but restless Gil-galad, both actors are shaping characters that will leave a lasting impact on Tolkien's universe. If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings or The Rings of Power, you’ll want to keep an eye on these two as they continue to bring new depth to these legendary characters. Read the full article

[al-hekima-madara-blog]

Hello, it's me once again. I would like to know how you think Tajima uchiha's relationship with his children was, personally I think he was a little cruel and strict with them, but I would like to read your analysis/hc. 💙

Hey Nailalala ! Hope you're doing great😉

That will be short, since we don't have much material for Tajima, "El Padre" as I love to call him. I think my headcanons will differ a bit to you for few reasons. Globally I saw him as a good father.

- We know that Hashirama had a violent father

- Kishimoto loves to play with duality a lot : Yin/Yang extravert/introvert, Light Hokage/Shadow Hokage

- Brothers in Senju family use archaic word to call themselve (anija by Tobirama), while Izuna used niichan which is more familiar. I guess relationships are warmer between siblings than the Senjus.

- With Hashirama there is a young boy who comes from a difficult relationship with his father, but somehow rises above his struggle and becomes a "good" person.

- Madara becomes a villain because he looses everything important to his life (like Sasuke). The only difference with his avatar is that it happens gradually. So it makes more sense to me that Madara initially is someone kind who have everything promising to him but end up alone and bitter.

- But I don't forget the context of Warring state era where literally it's the survival of the fittest. As the leader of a Shinobi clan, teaching your sons to stay alive and defend themselves is, in a way, a proof of love. Discipline and resilience, competition, stern way of life is normal in this household. And Uchihas are known for being elitist, better not being mediocre to be respected.

- I check and Tajima is Aries, the sign by excellence of the warrior, the bold hero on battlefield. I don't know... but I think this philosophy of "Power is everything", "let's fight to death but let's make it epic" "Me vs a whole army" comes from him (plus the fringe ^^)

There is an expression in english when we said "the mother of all thing". And I think the Father of all Madara is definitely Tajima !