#this does makes full sense. he doesn't care about order and rules.

[masked-and-doomed]

KENPACHI?!?!?!?!?(?!?!?!??!!?!?

[rabbitsrants]

PROOF THAT SHINRAN IS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN ROMANCES OF ALL TIME - PART 4

symbolism

disclaimer: gosho's imagery is subtle and therefore often overlooked, so in order to highlight it, i'll be referencing the work of suzanne collins, an author who tends to spell out her metaphors more

sharks

chapter 882-884

how the case begins:

how it progresses:

this isn't gosho's first time exploring the theme of sharks in the manga:

chapter 311

both shinichi and haibara relate to sharks, they're self-admittedly drawn to blood and darkness. but why?

haibara was born into it, she didn't have a choice... and even though she's no longer a part of the black organization, she still carries the past with her.

shinichi on the other hand? he seeks it out. he directly confronts it, because he wants to defeat it. his unfaltering idealism is what pushes him to be a shark.

ran is very idealistic too, which i talk about here. so why doesn't she act like a shark?

"Finnick knows then what Haymitch and I know. About Peeta. Being truly, deep-down better than the rest of us." - Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire Chapter 19

the closest that gosho comes to spelling it out like this, is haibara's line about ran "i'm up against dolphin, one of the most loveable creatures in the ocean"

ran's defined by more than her virtuous nature, she's also unbelievably compassionate and sensitive. that's what makes her a dolphin.

her unmatched kindness is constantly displayed throughout the whole manga.

sometimes it irks shinichi:

chapter 787

sometimes it hurts him:

but most of the time it baffles and touches him:

chapter 258

now i'm going to say something that might be controversial: from what i've gathered, shinichi doesn't just appreciate ran's tender heart... he depends on it.

and i'm not saying that lightly, i'm aware that ran's caring nature affects a lot of dcmk characters - it's the reason why vermouth calls her an angel, why haibara refers to her as a dolphin and sees her as a sister figure, hell, it's the reason why kogoro's able to function most of the time.

but i'd still argue that nobody relies on it the way shinichi does, which brings me to the next symbol i want to analyze:

cherry blossom

flowers can represent a variety of concepts, depending on your source and in what context you use them for your writing. the same rule applies to cherry blossoms.

gosho's used it as symbol for justice in the past:

chapter 687

it's interesting to look at it through that lense, but i don't think that's what the cherry blossom represents for shinichi.

after doing some research, i came to the realization that cherry blossoms are widely believed to symbolize hope and the beginning of spring.

i think that interpretation makes a lot more sense for shinran. especially if we examine their first interaction:

chapter 924

shinichi shows ran his deduction skills to impress her... ironically he ends up impressing everyone but her. shinichi's condescension leads to a full-blown argument:

but then something completely unexpected happens... despite the fact that they don't know each other, despite the fact that shinichi insults ran, despite the fact that ran's completely put off by his arrogance, despite all of that... she offers him a cherry blossom and along with it the kindest smile he's ever seen:

and i just can't help feeling like ran's cherry blossom is symbolically very similar to suzanne's dandelion:

"I found him staring at me  from across the school yard. Our eyes met for only a second, then he turned his head away. I dropped my gaze, embarrassed, and that’s when I saw it. The first dandelion of the  year. A bell went off in my head. I thought of the hours spent  in the woods with my father and I knew how we were going to  survive.  To this day, I can never shake the connection between this  boy, Peeta Mellark, and the bread that gave me hope, and the  dandelion that reminded me that I was not doomed. And more  than once, I have turned in the school hallway and caught his  eyes trained on me, only to quickly flit away." - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games Chapter 3

"What I need to survive is not Gale’s fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that." Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay Chapter 27

and clearly, only ran can give that to shinichi...

let me further elaborate by revisiting the shark analogy:

the most beautiful dolphin in the sea sees a shark like him, calls him out on his bluff and instead of avoiding him, she actually welcomes him. ran shows him genuine affection, despite having so many reasons not to. how could he not fall for her?

for someone like shinichi, a cool shark who's able to recognize other predators in the sea from such a young age, seeing the innocence and warmth of a dolphin is pivotal for him, because it reminds him that there's so much more to life than constantly familiarizing himself with other sharks (in his childhood by reading and later by investigating them)... there's good too.

to summarize... shinichi sees a delicate cherry blossom, a gentle dolphin and holds on to her for dear life. he desperately clings to the promise of hope and spring, he depends on her affection and warmth. he needs ran, because without her winter would never end, he'd never escape to coldness of the sea, he'd freeze.

which explains why

a) he's so protective of her

b) ran's smile serves as a compass for shinichi throughout the whole story - while his mind is busy chasing sharks, shinichi's soul is persistently searching for the same smile that strummed his heartstrings all these years ago. which is why he immediately notices when ran's not okay (even though she's very skilled at concealing her pain) and why he always tries to make her feel better

and that's ultimately why

a) shinichi's keeping his identity a secret

b) he's so focused on getting his old body back

without ran, shinichi wouldn't have a constant inner conflict as conan, without her, he'd lack purpose and as a result, detective conan would be empty and lifeless.

ran's not just a love interest y'all...

she's the heart of the entire manga.

visit the shinran library for more

[ricep0pp]

already having to relive the Octavian/Luke comparisons and i think i may in fact spontaneously combust.

the blatant misremembering of Octavians character simply because readers just went along with whatever the main cast thought is honestly a little bit infuriating. he's the most spectrum coded character in HoO and most of his actions up until he is literally *brainwashed by Gaea* are justifiable.

"b-but he destroyed Percy's pillow pet comfort item!!" okay, maybe think about how he has to do this with his own comfort items every day? it's literally his job and it's very likely that nobody has ever gotten upset with him over it before. and *Reyna told him to do this* so why are we mad at octavian if it was an order from the praetor to do an augur thing and the easiest way to do that was with an item that had a connection to Percy?

i will also never get over the banquet scene at the beginning of MoA. Octavian literally does nothing wrong here but the characters decide that they just really want to make him the butt of every joke simply because they find him 'annoying'.

after Reyna does the toast and Jason is recounting their rescue of Hera/Juno, Octavian interrupts him in an exclamation of disbelief that they hadn't noticed that the queen of the gods had been imprisoned in a location that was very important to the romans. is interrupting rude? yes, but he obviously seems distraught over the fact that Juno was unknowingly imprisoned. instead of politely explaining the full extent of the situation, what does Piper do? immediately use charmspeak on him.

next, when Percy praises Jason's skills ("No wonder they made you praetor."), Octavian immediately brings up the fact that they have three praetors now that Jason has returned. this is really important, especially from his perspective since he's such a stickler for rules and regulations. Percy decides to immediately abtagonize him, and then completely dismiss his frustration over Percy choosing to step aside for Jason. Octavian has every right to be offended over this, even if it's not necessarily the most correct time to bring it up. Percy antagonizes him, and then basically blatantly insults him by treating the position he's worked his entire life for as if it's nothing important.

after that, Reyna has Octavian recite the great prophecy, ignoring his hesitancy (that is entirely warranted considering greece and rome have been at war for literal millenia). when Annabeth recites the last two lines of the prophecy and Frank brings up her parentage, Octavian has a right to be skeptical. in rome, Minerva isnt even a war goddess, and doesn't have children. without understanding how the gods operate in their seperate forms, it's reasonable, considering they arrived in a war ship, are being lead by a child of a war goddess that they are wholly unfamilliar with in more ways than most of the other major gods, and are, in fact, greek, to be suspicious of the groups intentions.

when Annabeth and Percy list the seven demigods they believe should go on the quest, Octavian is again rightfully upset. There are rules and procedures that are being completely ignored, and by visitors that are already suspicious to him and have made it very clear that they do not care about his opinion, even though he's on the senate and *the fucking augur.* he is once again interrupted, but this time by the book itself as Tyson shows up.

Ella then recites the 'mark of Athena' prophecy, which Octavian *once again* has every right to know about. prophecies are his job, and his entire *personality* as far as camp jupiter is concerned. i understand that it basically says 'Annabeth will destroy rome' but her secrecy in regards to the quest her mother gave her has never once made sense and is not justified in any way. instead of even saying something simple along the lines of 'Athena made me swear to secrecy', Percy for some reason is made to be the character that needs rescuing (in a situation that has nothing to do with him) and Annabeth takes the opportunity to make Octavian into the fool in front of all of his peers. it feels even worse later on when Annabeth and Reyna discuss the prophecy but only to agree that it even *is* one, and for no purpose beyond that for several paragraphs.

THEN when Leo offers a tour of the Argo II to Octavian and Reyna *once again* dismisses his suspicions, she winds up partly to blame for the resulting attack, as well as Leo for never telling anyone about gaea, and Annabeth for not saying anything when she noticed Leo was acting off. when Gaea attacks CJ and Octavian relays to Annabeth that he saw Leo open fire on the city, she assumes he's pulling some trick to get them to fight each other. she had known him for all of maybe a few hours and for some reason, watching her friends and boyfriend openly bully him has convinced her that he could be evil?

mind you, all of the above events happened over the course of *two* chapters, both of which are from the perspective of Annabeth who had only just met Octavian.

he only really began doing things you could consider 'evil' once gaea had fullt brainwashed him and driven him mad. and even then, he gets a fucking joke death?? as the only character up to this point that i was ever able to identify with on an ASD level, that feels really shitty! and the fact that the fandom just jumped on the Octavian hate train really drives home how people cannot handle spectrum coding/writing/*people* unless its presented in a cutesie helpless way.

but back to the original point of Octavian being compared to Luke; Luke was scheming the *entire* time we knew him. He did not want to protect his home, he did not have any real morals or self imposed rules. all he cared about was getting back at Hermes for not showing he cared about him (which is kind of bs considering Hermes is one of the busiest gods in the pantheon but as a fellow neglected kid i get it.) Luke was willing to do this in any way, even if it meant literally destroying the world. Octavian was just trying to keep his home safe in the way that any historical roman would have.

You also kind of have to consider his background. he was left at camp as an unwanted baby. we dont even know if his parents named him or if the camp did. his only identity is that he's a legacy of Apollo with a gift that is incredibly useful to CJ. this, along with his very clear coding (whether intentional on Rick's part or not), only shows me a character that was always unwanted and outcasted from the only place he even could call home. he doesnt want to be praetor for power, he wants to be praetor to prove to everyone (and himself) that he's worthy of being one of them. if he wanted power for the sake of power he could easily use his augur position to manipulate his way up, but never once do we see him attempt this. it doesn't help that he's named after THE Gaius Julius Ceasar Augustus, the man that founded the fucking roman empire in the first place. imagine how that must feel? to have your identity tied to such massive, larger than life people? imagine feeling like you have to live up to that in a place that seemingly fucking hates you for existing and only keeps you around because youre useful??

i really wish people would stop blatantly villainizing Octavian, dudes literally just an 18 year old autistic kid that was victimized by Gaea. give him a break, please.

[purpledemonlilyposting]

Lorch is being confusing about writing conventions again.

[Lily's Post]

Just because people tend to use villain and antagonist interchangeably doesn't mean they mean the same thing in a literary sense. So in order to demonstrate a protagonist can be a villain, that an antagonist isn't necessarily a villain and a villain can have a valid point lets go to the Breaking Bad universe!

Walter White

Villain. Protagonist. There you go.

Everything bad that happens to Walter after his cancer diagnosis is the consequence of his own decision making. He doesn't have a good motive. He keeps telling himself "I'm doing this for my family" but it's really for his own ego. An ego that grows and grows out of control as he fails upwards through the drug trade only to have it all justifiably come crashing down on him in the end. He's bitter, angry, full of unwarranted self-importance and only accomplishes ruining the lives of his family and everyone around him before his death.

Chuck McGill

Here's a complex antagonist for you. I was impressed when I first watched Better Call Saul that they managed to make a even pettier narcissistic manbaby than Walter White. But he's also more nuanced than Walter.

Chuck is a highly respected lawyer in his field. He's suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, a psychosomatic mental illness that is borne of his own controlling nature and pride. It is real to him and he's really suffering from the effects of it. He has always resented his brother Jimmy (Saul) for being the more personable, charismatic brother. He liked when Jimmy was just a burnout loser running schemes and getting arrested for public indecency because he at least had his success and his devotion to the law over him. But when Jimmy decides to get his life together by following in Chuck's footsteps? Chuck gaslights him, sabotages him, does all this underhanded shit while shaming Jimmy for doing the same.

But was he wrong about Jimmy not being able to resist falling into his baser instincts to circumvent the rules? Would Jimmy had gotten as bad as he did if Chuck had just supported him, or was this always going to be in him?

Gustavo Fring

The villain with a point.

Gay icon who played a 20 year long game to murder the Salamanca clan and the cartel leaders to avenge his boyfriend. Legend.

Gus is unequivocally a villain. He has devoted his entire life to this one thing and doesn't give a shit about anything else. His street dealers can kill kids for all he cares, he'll slit a minion's throat to intimidate Walter, he'll threaten Nacho's dad to keep him in line as a forced double agent. But he's also taking out dangerous criminals. He also runs a legitimate restaurant business as a front for his drug empire, takes pride in the food quality and treats his employees there well.

I think Lorch of all people would definitely argue that Gus is pretty damn justified to desire revenge when Hector shot his lover through the brain right in front of him. Have fun with that one, asshole.

Bonus round!

Mike Ehrmantraut

How the FUCK do you even classify best girl Mike as a character? He was unplanned, added to the show as a fluke, a stand-in character when Bob Odenkirk wasn't available to film, and became one of the most fascinating, well-written characters across both shows.

Is he an antagonist? A protagonist? A hero? A villain? He's been all of these things at various times.

To Lily "has a point" only has to be "expresses a correct or valid idea" so there you are. Chuck and Gus both have valid points. Walter doesn't. And Mike is a medley of I don't even know what the fuck.

[glam0urgh0ull]

CAN WE KNOW ANYTHING MORE ABOUT ZACH AND JEFF? Or with zach and any other characters like EJ and/or Toby?

YES OF COURSE, YALL DONT KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE WHEN YOU GUYS ASK ABOUT ZACHARY!! 🙈

-----------------------------------------------

Zachary's relationships with Other Pr⦻xies/Pastas!

➳ Jeff the Killer 🔪

Jeffery Woods exhibits very severe antisocial and sociopathic behavior. He’s frustrated with everyone around him trying to understand him when he can barely understand himself. He has a negative outlook on life and is very selfish and narcissistic, these feelings lead to frequent fits of violent rage. All of these factors make Jeffery Woods a very hard person to get along with, many of the proxies have actually come to dislike Jeff due to his poor behavior. Except for one, Zachary Phelps.

Zachary is an irresponsible and aggressive jackass, and one of the few proxies who are consistently affected by the Slender Sickness. The reality-warping torture messing with his head, his drug addiction-along with the brutal withdrawals-has only making things worse, wearing down what little sense of reason he had left.

Zachary and Jeff will often act as if they’re both one second away from tearing each other's throats out, but in reality, the two of them are practically joined at the hip. Both are short-tempered, irrational, and prone to violence-and when nights out doesn't go according to plan, then all hell will break loose in no time. Verbal arguments will quickly escalate into full-on brawls until somebody pulls them apart or they are too beat up to continue. But for all the screaming, swinging, and shit-talking, they’re both very oddly attached to each other.

➳ Toby Erin Rogers 🍂

Toby Erin Rogers is infinitely more understanding and empathetic when put side by side with proxies like Jeffery Woods and Zachary Phelps. He is absolutely loyal to Slenderman, following every order, mission, and task without question.

However, unlike the rest, Toby would have clear boundaries when it comes to people he kills for Slender. He will not lay his hands on any women or children, because he believes that would make him too much like the man his stepfather was. Thankfully, Slenderman has never challenged this rule and Toby has thus far been able to enforce it without any punishment. However, Zachary is the kind of guy who goes in and out with a bang-explosives, guns, whatever gets the job done in the most destructive way. Collateral damage? Civilians caught in the crossfire? Doen't faze him one bit. Every stunt he pulls, the risks of getting arrested skyrocket, but he simply does not care.

Toby, on the other hand, hates the recklessness, the complete disregard for innocent lives, and the lack of control involved in it. Being around Zachary is a draining experience, as it is like standing next to a box of flares with lit fuses and awaiting an inevitable explosion. But Zachary? He loves Toby. Not in a way he'd ever say out loud, but deep down, he admires him. Sees in him something he could never be-someone with restraint, someone who still has their shit together. Someone who still gives a damn.

➳ Eyeless Jack 🩻

Eyeless Jack, previously known as Jack Nyras, was a medical student with a bright future ahead of him—until the night when fate took a turn on him. Jack was lured into the forest and sacrificed by a girl whom he had trusted. He was made into some grotesque, monstrous demon, cursed with an insatiable hunger for flesh. His body, animalistic and twisted, served as a further reminder of the disgusting, vile creature that he had come to truly detest with every passing day.

Jack struggles to accept what he has become and what he's done for Slenderman. The countless lives he has taken just because of his own gluttony leaves him drowning in his own guilt and mental torment. Often to the point where Jack punishes himself for his bloodlust by starving himself for days on end. Then again, no matter how much he punishes himself or indulges in his urges, the hunger always remains. Never satisfied. Constantly gnawing away at him on the inside.

Because of this, Jack hasn't allowed himself to be around the other proxies, he couldn't. Not when he's a risk. So, Jack avoids everyone as much as he can. Therefore, Zachary hasn't seen him all that much and doesn't have an clear opinion on him. Jack, on the other hand? He's seen just enough of Zachary to know that if they ever stuck in a room with each other, he would end up ripping the poor guy's throat out. So, for his own peace of mind and Zachary's safety, Jack would rather keep as much space between them as possible.

[catoslvt]

Gally (tmr) x Reader

You were the first person to come up. It starts with a girl and ends with a girl.

Not together.

I stand with furrowed eyebrows as I watch gally stand and laugh with everyone.

Out of an entire maze with forty-four gladers, it's safe to say I only hate one.

Gally.

But I don't actually hate him, I actually really love him, but for some unknown reason, we act as if we're sworn enemies, but we both know that's not true.

But today, our forty fourth glader came up, so I suppose I should act happy with everyone.

As I slowly approach the group, I watch as Gally quickly realises I'm approaching and straightens his posture and crosses his arms, he always does this and I'm not sure why, I normally just put it down to me being the leader here.

"Hey guys, has anyone seen the new greenie?" I quiz and everyone shakes their head.

"Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on him?" Gally asks as he raises an eyebrow at me.

"I thought Alby was, but he's clearly here." I say as I motion to Alby, who's stood with Clint and Jeff as they both advise him to stop drinking, usually at the bonfire for the new greenie, alby doesn't drink, but when we hit the forty mark he stopped caring, realising that we're probably not getting out of here any time soon.

Suddenly, my attention is snapped to screaming coming from the deadheads, and I take off in a sprint towards the screaming as it actually sounds terrifying, but I let out a groan of annoyance when I realise its just Minho and Ben pranking the greenie, who stands doubled over with a heart over his chest.

"We're having a meeting first thing tomorrow." I tell them all as I point at them before I walk back to the party and Newt and I shush everyone.

"So guys, after something that just happened there, I've decided that we'll be having a meeting tomorrow morning first thing after breakfast, which is perfect because us runners have the day off tomorrow." I announce, and everyone groans and sighs, but Gally just sort of stares at me with a proud smile. Normally, I'd beg Alby to do the meeting announcements, but then I thought why should I?

I was the first person here, so people should respect me.

As I stand in front of everyone, I clear my throat.

"So, I'd like to clarify that there will be no scaring of the Greenies until they're used to the glade and have remembered their names." I say to everyone, and the new greenie nods. He hasn't remembered his name yet, but I'm assuming he'll figure it out by the end of today.

"But how? That isn't fair." Frankie complains and I motion around the room which is full of people.

"You have tons of other people to scare, but scaring the newcomers isn't fair. Don't want them dying of a heart attack before they've even remembered their names, right?" I ask, which earns a wave of laughter from more than half of the room, but the other guys just groan, the sexist guys.

"Why should I be taking orders from a girl?" One spits, I'm not looking at their faces so I don't know who.

"Because im the first in command?" I say confused.

"And what did Alby have to say about this?" Freddie, frankies possible twin brother by how alike they look ask and I turn to them and just shrug.

"I don't give two shucks about what alby thought, I'm the leader here. I don't need to run past my rules to anyone apart from myself." I state, and they both just scoff.

"Yeah, they put a girl in charge and were still stuck in the maze. Maybe they should put Alby in charge. We'd get out of here much faster." Frankie growls, and everyone turns to him almost in shock.

"Okay, frankie, how would you feel if you were the leader here? You had all these responsibilities thrown on you, half of the things you don't even understand? How would you feel if you had to juggle being a runner and being in command? You couldn't handle one day in my shoes, so just slim it." I warn and they both laugh.

"Go ahead, put me in charge. We don't need some useless girl like you in charge. Makes sense on why there's forty-three of us and only one of you." He then adds and that's when I lose it.

"I said slim it, one more word out of either of you, and it'll be three days in the slammer with no food." I threaten, pointing a finger stern at them.

"She's losing the soon she's threatening us how scary." Freddie cries and I throw my hands up in anger.

"You know what? If you think it's so easy being first in command, then you can take my job. I don't shucking want it." I spit before I push through the group of boys and leave the meeting hut, walking towards the deadheads.

Once I found my usual spot where I sit to clear my mind, I hear footsteps approaching, and I expect to year either frankie or Freddie continuing the argument, but instead I hear newt let out a little laugh.

"You will not believe what gally done back there." He ushers as he sits next to me, and I look at him and raise my eyebrows.

"Hm? What did he do?" I ask and he laughs again.

"He punched both of them, but you weren't there to punish him, and Alby and I pretended we didn't see it, so he can't get punished." Newt says, and I let out a laugh.

"Did he say anything before he hit them?" I gasp, my stomach filling with butterflies at the thought of gally someone for me.

"He said,'Will you two just shuck off and leave her alone? She doesn't deserve any of your cruel comments she does everything for everyone, and you two do nothing. One day, when we get out of here, you'll realise how much we need y/n.' And then he just punched both of them and stormed out." Newt explains and my eyes widen.

"I should thank him. Where did he go?" I exclaim and Newt thinks for a second.

"Towards the builders area." Newt answers.

"Great! Thanks, newt." I happily gasp before I jump up and begin running towards where the builders work, quickly slowing my running speed to a normal walking pace when I see gally throwing bricks at the ground.

"Gally." I say as I slowly approach him, and he drops the bricks and stares at me.

"How long do I have in the slammer?" He grumbles, and I shake my head.

"You're not going in the slammer gally, I didn't see it, and Alby and Newt both turned a blind eye to it, so technically, it didn't happen." I say and he just nods.

"So gally, why did you do it? I mean, I thought you'd be on their side with how much you hate me." I then ask and he just stares at me.

"You know I don't hate you, and they had no right to say those things, I mean, we've survived this long because of you, we'd be nothing without you, and I could see that you were getting really annoyed. You shouldn't let those shanks get to you. They're just annoyed that you're the leader, and they're not." Gally says as he tries his best to give me a comforting smile.

"But what if I don't want to be in command anymore? I just want to be me." I say with a small frown.

"Then who would be in charge y/n? You're the best leader we could've asked for." Gally pushes and I shake my head.

"You're only saying that because I'm here in front of you, all the other times I was near you, you acted as if you didn't want me there gally, you're only saying all of this to get out of being put in the slammer." I tell him as I shake my head and he furrows his eyebrows as he steps closer to me.

"Y/n, I don't hate you." He tells me, and I just scoff.

"So what's with all of the glares? All of the mean comments?" I quiz, and he grabs my face and looks deep into my eyes, his stare sensing shivers down my spine.

"We both know the answer to that." He states and I shake my head.

"No, gally, I don't. I've never understood why you hate me, I've asked newt, but he doesn't know either, so why me? Why do you hate me." I exclaim, extremely frustrated and gally doesn't say anything, and instead, he leans in and kisses me, taking me by surprise, but I kiss back anyway my hands making their way around his neck as I pull him closer than ever, as close as we've ever been.

"That's why I acted as if I hated you y/n, because deep down I loved you, but I didn't want any of the other boys to know incase they got you before I did." Gally complains, and I stare at him, extremely confused. Before it hits me, gally would've been jealous.

"You should've just told me gally!" I exclaim as I then hit one of his shoulders out of pure outrage that he never told me.

"I didn't know you felt the same way. You returned the hatred feeling." Gally complains, and I let out a quiet chuckle.

"I was trying to make the feeling mutual." I argue, and he smiles.

"God, you're such a shank." He tells me before he kisses me again, my smile widening against his lips.

[pandemoniumonwheels]

I have a crazy theory about episode 7 of The Wheel of Time, but I need it to cope. Feel free to cope with me. Feel free to discard that too.

It was all Siuan's quick thinking and her masterplan. And Verin didn't lie.

To start we need to separate all Moiraine - Siuan meetings. There were three.

The first one, the cold one.

Moiraine demands answers and gets none. Siuan is visibly angry, but also worried. She outright calls Moiraine's stilling a violation. She is aware how hard it is, how dangerous, how difficult to survive. And she loves Moiraine, we know she does, she worries about her. She also has to check if Moiraine can continue their mission. At the same time she can't speak too freely, they're in Cairhien, the chances of someone listening to them are higher than chances of people not eavesropping on them. She needs to be careful. What Siuan says is: "The Tower's laws have stood for 3,000 years, it's time we obeyed them." She is quite vague about the laws she refers to. And she doesn't lie, they stood for 3000 years and every time is the time to obey them. According to the law. Moreover, it's a clear parallel to season 1, episode 6 Moiraine's words: "When have we ever followed the rules?" Since when Siuan who took a marriage vow in front of the whole chamber of Aes Sedai gives a damn about Tower's laws? Why would Siuan suddenly care? Well, she doesn't, it's just a phrase only Moiraine would understand, a code in case someone is listening. This scene is also the only one we see them being close, showing affection (Siuan's hand on Moiraine's cheek? I almost hear "pufferfish" in the way Moiraine relaxes). It's another sign to Moiraine, the non-verbal communication of Siuan's real intent. Then it fades to black. We don't really know what happened between them later. Siuan also talks about rowing together. Keep that in mind, because all that she does next contradicts that statement at the first glance.

The second scene - Rand

Siuan talks with Rand, a very weird conversation. Just a few seconds earlier we saw Lan reassuring Rand that Siuan is not a typical Aes Sedai. And what is Siuan doing? Talking about caging him. But also, she doesn't say she is planning to do it to him. Only that Tower laws require it. The idea is to have Rand as a warrior, not general. But Siuan never says it is hers idea. She shows him how powerless he is. Stresses how he needs to learn. How caging him would help with that? And then Moiraine comes in. Why? To be told (in front of Rand) how incompetent she is? Only to lock them later together, because why not suddenly imprison a banished Aes Sedai with the Dragon Reborn. It doesn't make sense. Unless it's a show created to convince Rand to trust Moiraine. Rand is afraid of the Tower, rightly so. He keeps pushing Moiraine away afraid she is trying to manipulate him, make him follow the path created for him by the White Tower, put a leash on him. Moiraine can't guide him if he sees her as an agent of the power he fears. That's why Siuan becomes exactly that - the White Tower Rand doesn't trust, an Aes Sedai carrying more about forcing him to obey rather than reaching his full potential, an image he hates. On the other side is Moiraine, taking his side, arguing with imprisonment. In comparison, she is extremely trustworthy. And it works. Rand finally confides in her, shares his plans, his brilliant idea of bringing Lanfear to the city(/s). That's when Moiraine's and Siuan's plan fails, one of the Forsaken is not something they wanted, but we'll get to it.

Bonus - Verin 007

We all assume that Verin lied because that's what Moiraine suggested. But did she really? Moiraine decided to trust her to some extent. Why wouldn't Siuan? The phrasing of the "order" was very careful, but maybe not because it was a lie, but as an attempt to allow Siuan to deny such order without suspicion. And to keep the pretence in front of Rand. It worked again.

The third meeting - the pain

It all went perfectly. The Dragon trusts Moiraine and takes her with him (finally) instead of running from her. Siuan is ready to proclaim him. She doesn't need him to do so. Him fulfilling the prophecy in Falme will only make her words more believable. Verin helped them escape, no one can trace this ploy back to Siuan. There is, however, one factor they couldn't expect. Lanfear. Maybe her appearing changed Siuan's mind about letting Rand go? More likely she just Aes Selies about some boy and runs after Moiraine. And magically she finds her without any issue in front of the Waygate. How? Only Verin knew where the Waygate was, and where Moiraine would take Rand. You know where I'm going with it, right? So we get to the closing of the Waygate. Because suddenly it wasn't only about convincing Rand. They had to deal with one more, unexpected guest, and they didn't have time to discuss any tactics. Siuan had to make sure Lanfear didn't see Moiraine as a threat. She would never allow Rand to keep close someone who is working for the White Tower. The risk would be too great. Someone cast away, alone, someone who just lost their love, whose grief might be just enough to turn them to the Dark is, however, a very different thing. Siuan had to create a scene which could convince the very mistress of the dream world that Siuan and Moiraine do not work together anymore, and that Moiraine is no threat to Lanfear's plans. There was no time for planning, no time for explaining, for games. Lanfear was getting closer with every second and they wasted some of the precious time on "you lied to me" part. Side note, I do think Siuan actually believed she was lied to, and her shock was real. So was Moiraine's reassurance. But that's when Siuan came up with a way they could fool Lanfear. All she needed was Moiraine looking utterly broken and betrayed. And there was one way she could achieve that easily. By violating Moiraine more than even Ishamael did, by taking control over her in the most violent of ways, by making herself a villain. So she did. She used the only thing Moiraine never suspected could be used against her by Siuan - their love, their devotion, their secret, sweet, forbidden dream. Siuan broke both of their hearts. And when Lanfear came all she saw was shattered pieces of their love. For her that was what made her turn to the Dark, what's more convincing than a lost loved for Lanfear? Before she could think for too long, see through it, or before Moiraine could do anything, ask questions Siuan would not be able to answer, Siuan attacked. Possibly expecting that's the last thing she would do in her life. And it worked again. Lanfear let Moiraine live. Lanfear took Moiraine with her and Rand.

Siuan made herself a villain in front of Rand. And a betrayer in the eyes of Lanfear. She took that burden from Moiraine, so Moiraine could focus on helping Rand. She used every resource she had, she gave up everything she had. Because Moiraine isn't the only one that knows the right thing to do, no matter how hard that is. And her last plea was for forgiveness and nad of hope that Moiraine understands and continues their mission. As Moiraine herself said, guiding, protecting Rand is more important than Lan. It's more important than her. It's more important than any love. It was Siuan's time to give up everything to the cause. Just like Moiraine did at the Eye of the World.

__________

And it was longer than I expected. I think I will be adding more analysis to the certain scenes, words and looks. Because as I said, I do cope hard.

[nasubeenwithcat]

Slytherin Harry Potter(but he is a Gryffindor)/Ron Weasley fic doodle

What is their shipname???? Okay, I have only read the original in Japanese translation. And this post was machine translated. I checked it as best I could, but it is not perfect.

Harry and Ron are indeed friends. Ron loves the time The Boy Who Lived spends paying attention to him. He is completely absorbed in it.

Harry Potter is clearly not the right student for Gryffindor. He chose red and gold just to be 'special' to his friend.

"Pleased to meet you."

His answer was much shorter than Malfoy's rude greeting. But there was an unspoken understanding between them that it would be enough. In less time than it took Ron to blink, they had mutually agreed to it. Malfoy smiled in satisfaction and left them gracefully. It was a momentary lapse. A momentary lapse. What's that all about? It was a big shock, at least to little Weasley. For he had not expected that Harry Potter to shake Malfoy's hand. Ron felt the time that had been so cosy a moment ago suddenly grow boring, and he cast his eyes down. It would be nice if everything worked under clear rules, like chess, but the fact is that it doesn't always work that way. Harry Potter welcomed Malfoy. Ron swallowed the little seed. No doubt, he was happy to have this famous boy's precious time all to himself. He was happy that the boy, who was loved by everyone, could see him, and he felt a strong sense of specialness in that. He was disappointed when that was suddenly destroyed. The seed that had been sown wanted water. Great soil, warm sun and a well-thought-out name. All in order to put up young emerald leaves and put down roots in his 'favourite'.

Ronald Weasley is the youngest son in the Weasley family. Born into a poor but warm home, he grew up just like any other child. In the Weasley family, there is truly something that can only be called love. Ron loved his family because he knew it, but he also realised it no one ever said so openly.

The love from the Weasley family has never been equal.

Unfortunately, Ron realised this early on. The Weasleys loved their children, but there was never a moment when Ron felt more valued by them than Ginny. She was the only princess in a small house full of sons. Her parents clearly cared for Ginny more than any of their children. Surely if Ron and Ginny were to drown in the sea at the same time, they would save Ginny before Ron. Only after she was safe would they finally reach out to Ron. Even if it was not Ginny but his brothers, Ron would still be the last to be helped by them. Until then, who would take care of Ron? Undoubtedly, it was the chess. Only a used-up soldier and an instruction book needed Ron. It was not the Weasleys who told him, "It has to be you", but a white pawn. It was almost inevitable that he would become a chess master. He learnt the rules, learnt the openings, learnt how to guess his opponent's thought. Thanks to this, Ron was able to 'guess a few moves ahead' to some extent within the set rules. Based on this, he could also 'manipulate the situation to his advantage'. The problem is that there are not as many rules outside chess as he would expect. He does not want laws. He wants a promise: 'If you do this, this is what happens.' But no one has ever tried to teach Ron that. Even when he acts to make himself look like an honours student, the mysterious promise messes it up. He would always just stand there and be baffled. It always was＿＿＿ Ron looked enviously at the book Ginny was holding so carefully. He too had books he wanted to read, but when Mr and Mrs Weasley found out, they looked a little annoyed because of their financial difficulties and simply said, "Boys at this age play outside," and went on to the next shop. "There's a big library at Hogwarts. You can read as many books as you like there." It's not that he was expecting a library. What he wanted was attention. That day, Ron bit his lip in a huff. He wasn't even young enough to pretend he didn't know how stupid a way to get stuck in a bookshop, stubbornly, just to get his parents' attention.

That is why he was secretly pleased when Harry Potter was in a compartment, knowing it was a coincidental prank. The boy everyone knew had chosen Ronald Weasley, of all people. Not the rich boy, nor the children who also came from the Muggle community. Ron, who had attracted no attention from anyone, was found by him. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had nothing in common except that they were the same age. They were different in appearance, birth and love. Above all, he had more than enough 'attention' on both hands, which Ron had always wanted. However, the moment the Hogwarts Express started running, the only person Harry was paying attention to was Ron. How happy that made him. What even his parents had found it hard to give him, he gave easily. ......And how harmful it was for him.

"Gryffindor!"

Harry came running up to the Gryffindor table to thunderous applause, narrowing his eyes happily. A little further away, his brothers were shouting, "We've got Potter!"

"Ron."

Harry tapped him on the shoulder delightedly. Sitting down next to him naturally, he said, "Good. We're in the same dormitory," he whispered excitedly. He felt a strange satisfaction rise up his throat again at the sight of him. Of course. On the train they became friends. The Boy Who Lived's first friend was unquestionably Ron. Not Malfoy. After all, that handshake was just a stopgap. Having concluded this, Ron was completely at ease and watched the rest of the pairing. Come to think of it, the Malfoys are a famous family. (Of course, the Weasleys too.) He probably just decided that he shouldn't make buy him his displeasure.

By the way, Harry Potter was inexplicably strange. Not to mention his appearance, but his existance. He was an honours student. He could study well and was strong in sports. On top of that, he was brave, kind and 'The Boy Who Lived', so his following only grew stronger. Sensing a myriad of attention that was not directed at himself, Ron was more than a little doubt with the perfect Gryffindor student. If he was telling the truth, Harry had never known the magic until recently. He doesn't like reading, nor he doesn't have an unusually good memory.

"Maybe I have a good bond with magic." He explained as he unwrapped the large package McGonagall had sent him. "I didn't get very good grades before I came here, and I wasn't very good at sports." "A bond? Then maybe magic doesn't like me." "Don't be discouraged," he revealed the contents of the box. It was a Nimbus 2000, not a Clean Sweep. "You have chess, don't you?" "If I could get a grade by playing chess, I'd have a game against Snape by now." "Play with me. I've never beaten you."

He said as he made stand his broom by his side. Not teasingly, but seriously. The words made Ron feel better and he replied, "Anytime you're ready." The time for the eyes of the hero who arbitrarily holds the world's attention to turn to Ron alone. There's nothing more interesting than that. In fact, Harry was not a good player.

He probably did not know the theory. Often, without his awareness, the game would start on the kings gambit and end soon after. He always chose only the middle pawns to move, as if he could not forget being told one time that it is important to dominate the middle first in chess. That in itself wasn't wrong, but he was so obsessed with the middle that his subsequent moves were always fatally bad. He's thankful the muggle world has a game of the same name, every time he wins. Also glad he is good at chess. Thanks to that, he can beat Harry Potter, even though his Potions results are dismal. He can get his attention. The only fear is that he will give up trying to beat Ron one day. His brothers were brave enough to challenge him at first, but they soon realised that there were more important things to do than that. Gradually his chess skills became less and less important. So he loved it when Harry would say, a little ruefully, "Play with me again". It was nicer than 'congrats' or 'wow'. Because Ron could see that it was enough to promise that he wouldn't get bored yet.

-

"Honestly, sometimes I can't believe my eyes. Because that uniform doesn't suit you too well. Nothing describes you more distantly than 'Dauntless'. No real Gryffindor would befriend a Slytherin. A student who befriends the enemy for their own gain is called 'Cunning'."

"I agree with you," replied the sarcastic voice, a voice that Ron knew very well. "Actually, I'm a Gryffindor. I got in there of my own volition, that's for sure." "Not the Sorting Hat?" "Sorting Hat? Oh-" he said, his faint smile betraying no trace of impatience at the mistake. "Yes, the Sorting Hat."

Ron had no idea what that conversation meant. There was the same air in the cellar that he had felt then. It's called 'unspoken understanding'. It is treated as a violation of the basic rules to speak about it. It is customary to talk eye to eye, memory to memory. Really, Harry Potter was incomprehensible to him. One thing he does know is that he looks different from the other Gryffindor students. There is no doubt that he is brave and courageous. He was the first one to run out to retrieve Neville's Remembrall. Despite this, that red uniform doesn't suit him very well. Even now it didn't. He was more 'natural' when he was talking to Malfoy in the cellar than when he was playing games in the Gryffindor common room. It was as if he looked like a Slytherin student, despite the fact that his tie was red.

"Can I go now? It's almost lights-out time." "I know that, but Potter-" Malfoy coughed. "No, Harry. If you want to go back to Slytherin, you can tell Professor Snape that." "Thank you, Malfoy. If it comes to that, I'll count on you."

Harry approached the door to leave the cellar. Ron hurriedly put away his extendable ear and ran as fast as he could up the stairs before the door opened. He spat the password with ragged breath at the fat lady and prepared to start on his homework report. He wrote the title in messy handwriting, opened some books and waited for the hinges to open again. His head was filled with a whisper that he had just heard. He had chosen Gryffindor of his own volition. So should he have originally been chosen for another dormitory? A student who would befriend the enemy for their own gain. What on earth did Harry value in Malfoy? At least on the train they would have met for the first time. Besides, even when the classes started, they didn't seem that close. No, no. Malfoy is a Slytherin. They were close without Ron's knowledge. Then was that incident that led to his being selected for the Quidditch team actually 'just designed to happen'? He wished he could have said it was just paranoia, but even he could see the marks of the promises made.

At that moment, there was the sound of a hinge opening, far behind his back. Ron picked up his pen with a bitter feeling. Why had Harry chosen Gryffindor? Was it because his first friend was a Weasley? No way. Even if he had chosen Slytherin, he would have had Malfoy. Or was it because he was proud to be The Boy Who Lived? If that was the case, why did he shake his hand?

"Ron," Harry approached the table where Ron was sitting, exactly as usual. "That report's still a week away from being due. Aren't you going to sleep?" "You're the one," the nib of his pen, which kept looking for a place to write, wobbled about, lost. "Where have you been?" "I told you. Penalty."

"Right. Can you see Malfoy as Snape?"

As soon as he said the words, the air that had been flowing gently until then froze as if it were a lie. Ron stared into Harry's eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. He had learned many people's secrets and kept them to himself, but tonight, he couldn't help but ask it. Likewise, Harry gazed back into Ron's eyes. The emerald green were not perturbed at all. On the contrary, it was like he knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Oh. You saw us," he readily admitted. "I did not tell you a lie, you know. Just that it ended too soon. Malfoy's arrival was just a coincidence. He's in Slytherin and Snape is a housemaster. He probably had something to do and just happened to find me there." "It didn't sound like the kind of talk he would do if he happened to find you, though." "I didn't have the impression either that you were the kind of person who would do homework at late night."

Harry nodded his head and took up one of the open books. "Put them away. We'll do it together tomorrow." He insulted me. Whatever the truth, Ron felt that way. It was just like when George or Fred would cover up a story they didn't want their brother to touch. Or when the Weasleys realised Ron needed to buy books too and wanted to leave the bookshop early. But Ron wasn't timid enough to bite his lip in silence again.

"......Why did you choose Gryffindor?" "Why don't you ask the Sorting Hat?" "I'm asking you. Why didn't you go to Slytherin?"

"Why didn't I go to Slytherin?"

His eyes narrowed. If he did so to smile, it was too eerie a movement. It was not unlike a lion's stare. It was more like the kind of look a snake would give when it has found its prey. As far as Ron knew, no student in Gryffindor ever smiled with a face like this. If this hero was a true Gryffindor student, that was not the case. Harry released the book onto the table.

"Because you're a Gryffindor, Weasley."

[bats-and-birds-24]

Okay, so I know that we're all mad at Gege, and for good reason. But I don't agree with the fandom that he's wasting good characters by killing them off.

JJK is an allegory for the terrible pressure placed on people to be the best, or to be useful, which makes people stop seeing them as a fellow humans. And the characters in the show represent that.

For example, Gojo is labelled as the strongest, and as such, no one sees him as a person other than Geto. They always either put him on a pedestal or find him to be a nuisance that they deal with because he's useful to jujutsu society, such as the jujutsu society elders. Even in death his body is used as a tool.

In Geto's case, the honor of being powerful enough to save humanity from curses was dashed because he saw how the non-sorcerers they were trying to save treated them, in spite of the sorcerers facing heavy casualties. Jujutsu society didn't even send someone to check up on him, and he just spirals after the failed mission. After realising that this society didn't care about him, he tries to create a society that does care about sorcerers, at the cost of normal people, the same people who didn't care about him.

Yuta was sentenced to death because of the dangerous curse that was attached to him. Jujutsu society dehumanized him because of factors that he cannot control, same with Yuji.

Gojo sees this and realized that he can't let them be dehumanized like Geto was, gotten rid of if they were deemed pests or used until they were broken if they were deemed useful.

Yuta himself adopts this view in this chapter, risking his life so that they can defeat Sukuna. Yuji also adopts this mentality when he declares himself a cog in the machine that kills curses.

Hakari, Maki, and Noritoshi, are all an exception to this rule, as Hakari refused to let himself be merely a tool and have things decided for him. He enjoys passion and passionate people, while jujutsu society may admire his cursed technique, they don't respect him as a person. Maki and Noritoshi only achieved their full ability after cutting ties with their respective clans.

The Zenins viewed Maki as useless as she was both a woman and had no Cursed Energy. While the Kamo clan only viewed Noritoshi as useful for being male and inheriting a powerful cursed technique.

Megumi had a lot of potential with the ten shadows technique but when he gave up, the elders would have had him executed in order to kill Sukuna.

Sukuna himself stands in opposition to all of this, seeing everyone as equally worthless in a world where the strong have every right to make the weak suffer. In this sense, him and jujutsu society share the common view that only strength matters.

Yuji and the rest of Gojo's students stand in contrast to both Sukuna and jjk society here. They spend more time trying to save Megumi, because they see him as their friend. They spend more time protecting the people close to them not out of some sense of duty or usefulness, but because they genuinely care about each other.

Yuta takes Gojo's body not out of a sense of duty to kill Sukuna, but because he cares about Gojo and doesn't want his sacrifice to be in vain. Gojo died not by doing his duty, but by trying to care for his students.

Gege is saying that following orders and doing your duty until you burn yourself out isn't good, and neither is making yourself out to be better than everyone else because you think that the world revolves around the logic of "survival of the fittest". Which is Sukuna's line of thinking.

I think the story is going to end with only Yuji surviving and him beating Sukuna not because he's just a cog in jujutsu society, but because he's Yuji and he loves his friends and family.

The curse of "die surrounded by the people you love" from his grandfather is reversed as Yuji learns to live for the people he loved.

He's saying that people work best together, but not when they are forced to for some nebulous idea of duty or justice, but because of simply caring about each other.

That's why Gege made us care about these characters in the first place, so that we can fully understand the injustice that these characters are going through.

[liopleurodean]

how can you look at the story of Anakin Skywalker and not see it as a tragedy.

you have a boy born to slavery on one of the most inhospitable planets in the galaxy, born with powers no one can explain to a father that doesn't exist (and exists in everything) and a mother who cares so much but is helpless. and then others like him come and he is free but his mother is not, and is he really free? because he still calls someone master and his mother is gone and he is forced to follow rules that don't make sense and all he really wants is to be like them but they never wanted him in the first place and he's older than everyone else but he doesn't know half as much as they do but he's ten times more powerful and got to be an apprentice first but his "master" is grieving and maybe? doesn't really like him and everything is his fault even though it's not.

and then the boy grows up and struggles, tries so hard to be what everyone wants him to be but he still remembers and maybe they were right, maybe he is too old but it's too late now and this is everything he's ever wanted, right? and he misses his mom but he's not supposed to so instead he turns to machines that won't hurt him, something that he can fix and won't make fun of him or talk about how he's the "chosen one" (and what does that even mean?) and his master tries to be kind but this boy can tell that he causes problems and no one knows what to do with him and the only person who seems to care is the Chancellor but his master doesn't really like him (none of the Jedi do).

then the war comes. he knows it's not what he's supposed to do but she's the first person who really cares and knows about his mom and she was there, she knew where he came from and none of it matters to her. he gets dragged into the war and he finally has something he can do, he can channel his anger and pain into helping people and saving lives and at the end of the day she's there, someone that he can lean on aside from the Chancellor.

eventually he gets more people. the boy could be considered a man now, but he doesn't really feel like one, but the Jedi think he's ready so they give him an apprentice, someone quick and sassy and full of life and so much like him, and he has to keep her safe on the battlefield and teach her things he doesn't really understand himself and how is he supposed to be a role model??? but he has his Captain who maybe understands a bit and his master who doesn't (except that he does, all too well, but won't say it) and his apprentice teaches him a thing or two and the Chancellor is there like always. and he knows that he's not supposed to feel this way but something about fighting feels right, is freeing in a way being a Jedi never was, but that doesn't make sense because being a Jedi is everything.

the war drags on and things get worse. he loses men all the time (men, not droids, real people who care) and he thought he lost his master but he didn't, but then his apprentice walked away (and he understands, he really does, but she left and now what is he supposed to do), and he keeps losing more people and he's so tired of everything. his apprentice comes back asking for help and of course he wants nothing more, but his friend the Chancellor is in trouble and he's been given orders so he leaves his Captain, the last of his circle, to keep his apprentice safe. he leaves and his master is proud and he saves the Chancellor and she is pregnant and the war is ending and everything finally seems to be working out.

then he finds out the Chancellor is a Sith. his friend, the person who always supported him, even approved of her, and. her. she's pregnant, and he's been having visions. she's in danger, and his master would never understand, never support him, and he tried going to the other Jedi but they ignored him, and his family is far away and she's all that he has left and the Sith is his friend, right?

so he tries doing the right thing. he tells the Jedi that the Chancellor is the Sith Lord and they believe him, but they leave him behind and they've been asking him to spy on his friend, and they insulted him before and now they've sent his master away and the Sith knows, can help her, and he thinks he doesn't have any other choice. so he saves the Sith, kills the Jedi, and now this slave-boy-man is Vader, and the Dark has seeped its way into his mind to cloud his judgement. he goes to the Jedi, because the Sith says they will kill her, the one person he has left, and the Dark is screaming in his mind to blot out the Light telling him otherwise.

now the Jedi are gone, and the war is nearly over but he needs to finish it, because it's the last thing putting her in danger, the last thing that could make his visions come true. but then she arrives, covered in burning Light, trying to tell him he is wrong, but how can he be wrong? she always supports him, she's the only thing he has left, and of course. the master is there, the one that never wanted him, and of course he has turned her away, he always thought it was wrong, of course he's here to try and stop what Vader has started. so they fight, and the master brutally wounds him but refuses to kill which is almost worse, and the Sith comes and fixes him (fixes, yet shackles him up as another slave and it burns), and tells him that he killed her. killed her, and their children, and his master is against him and surely his apprentice is dead at the Captain's hands (and later he finds that the Captain is dead too) and now he truly has no one left. his story comes back around to where it started: a slave boy, alone, with nothing but his power and chains.

later, a boy comes. from the same slum planet, but this boy is Free. the same power, but he is brighter, kinder, never had to kick and bite and claw to be seen as a person. this boy is Vader's son, thought to be dead, proof that the Master is full of lies and was wrong. the Master wants the boy dead but Vader cannot, will not, not when the boy had already been dead for so long. the boy sees Vader, in a way that none since the apprentice ever have (and he still wonders about her, who disappeared before she could feel the bite of his blade), and this child says no. this Free child sees the chains of the Dark around what remains of Vader's Light and refuses to let go.

this child, with the master's teachings and the apprentice's ferocity and the Captain's wisdom and her Light, says Anakin Skywalker is not dead.

what else is he to do but agree?

in Vader's last moments, he sees everyone who ever cared, and realizes that Anakin Skywalker was not alone. Vader was the Master's puppet, and it takes this child, who is not one of his people but rather a piece of all of them to clear out the Dark, moments before both Anakin and Vader are no more.

[innerchorus]

As much as I know, Andragoras and Tahamine adopted Arslan because Tahamine gave birth to a baby girl, and after that she can't have baby anymore. But why Andragoras didn't try to have other babies with other women? Is there any explanation?

Okay, warning for novel spoilers.

First, the truth about the child born to Andragoras and Tahamenay. The baby was a son rather than a daughter, but unfortunately it was stillborn. This is revealed by Zahhak in Book 16:

'"If Tahamenay had given birth to the child without mishap, things would have turned out differently. Since the son born to that woman was stillborn, Andragoras panicked and staged a foolish charade. No only did he bring in someone else's son, but he also bought three baby girls, gave them the appropriate silver bracelets and sent them off to separate parts of the country. This was all for the sake of preventing the infertile Tahamenay from committing suicide."' (Book 16, Chapter Five, Part ii)

You're right that Tahamenay was left infertile after giving birth. I assume the birth itself must have been pretty traumatic for those who attended her to know this was the case right away, as if Andragoras had believed she was able to give him more children, I doubt he would have gone to all this effort.

As for why he didn't father children with anyone else, as far as I know there are no details about this, but we can make some guesses.

Andragoras doesn't seem to particularly care about the continuation of the royal line. He sees it for what it is, and in all honestly I think he gets a grim sense of satisfaction from hinting at the unpleasant truth while never revealing it in full, and was fully prepared to let the line die out after his death. I'm sure that in an ideal world he'd have liked to have his son inherit, but when that's not possible (specifically, when it's not possible for him to have another child with Tahamenay), from his point of view, a substitute will do.

He needed an heir in order to maintain stability in his rule, which is likely a big motivation for taking Arslan. By the time Arslan is named Crown Prince and officially designated as his heir, five years have passed. During that time, perhaps he held on to some hope that Tahamenay would somehow conceive again, but after five years it must have been apparent that it truly was impossible.

I do think, in the absence of a biological child with Tahamenay, he fully intended for Arslan to become Shah after his death, but was more interested in preserving his own power during his lifetime than he was in setting Arslan up for success.

For Andragoras, I think his biggest motivation was "having". The throne. The wealth and power that came with it. Pars itself. And Tahamenay as his queen. He wanted more than anything to possess her, and he did it by controlling her since he couldn't force her to love him and he knew that without believing she had a living child out there somewhere, she would find a way to escape by killing herself. Perhaps he was even so obsessed with her that no other woman would do. I believe all of this mattered more to him than thinking about what would happen to the country after his own death. He's a very selfish person, especially compared to Arslan.

Unlike Andragoras, Arslan has no personal desire for power and does not wish to be Shah for his own sake, but rather views it as his duty. He spends his whole life wondering what an ideal ruler is like and worries about not living up to that ideal. He is conscientious and puts the future of his people before all else. He doesn't care about riches or treasure. And he does not want to marry or have an heir of his own. They are total opposites in every way.

(That last bit was a digression; I just find it interesting. Hopefully this has answered your question!)

May as well edit to add here as well as in the comments: it is also mentioned in Book 7 that part of the reason for the baby-swap is that having a son preserves Tahamenay’s status. That must have been important to Andragoras (again, for selfish reasons, not for Tahamenay’s sake).

[happynowyo]

The triad, part 2

Fandom: House of the Dragon

Pairing: Aemond x fem!reader, Aegon x fem!reader

Summary: The announcement of your engagement with Aegon make you and Aemond question your feelings.

Word count: 2,2k

Tag list: @flavorofsalt

Part 1

— I don't want to marry him.

Alicent rolls her eyes in evident irritation, but restrains herself and forces her lips to part in the softest and most reassuring smile. Sometimes she feels like these children were sent to her as some kind of punishment, but she loves them in her own way and reminds herself of that now. You and Aegon have been begging her to change her mind and break the tradition since you were children. Each has a list of their own arguments, but over the years both of you have come down to a simple and unapologetic "I don't want to."

Aegon is rude and cold. All he cares about is the new maids and the wine in his glass; even at battle training with Cole he is now a rare guest. Alicent senses a chasm between them that is only getting wider as time passes. Her boy has grown up and become too independent. His unwillingness to take responsibility for his actions horrifies Alicent - it seems that Aegon does not understand at all how much hope is placed in him as a firstborn son. Apparently one day she may have to drag him to the throne by force.

But she has Aemond, a son she is truly proud of. These days he is her only comfort. The only one who doesn't give her any trouble. Aemond treats everyone with respect, accurately performs every task, shows interest in his studies and spends lots of time training, striving to become the best fighter in the whole kingdom. Alicent admires him, not accentuating the ghostly bitterness at the sight of the scar and the leather bandage covering his empty eye socket. Even with this injury, Aemond remains a far more worthy party than Aegon. He wears it almost with pride, forcing everyone to treat him appropriately, though other people's pitying glances still annoy him.

— Girls rarely marry for love, honey. Usually it's the will of the head of the family. Dynastic marriages, duty, responsibility... — Alysent's voice grows quieter as she is caught up in flashbacks about Otto's time confronting her with the fact of her impending marriage to Viserys. — Our wishes don't matter. Fathers trade us as commodities for fortunate offspring, money or higher status in society.

— I will not have children with Aegon, — you shake your head stubbornly, feeling truly sure of what you just said, as if someone has slipped these words to you right now as an undeniable fact.

You braid your long almost white hair in front of the mirror and stoically don't flinch when your mother puts her arms around you shoulders, hugging you from behind. You catch her sad look in the reflection and hide your understanding. You pretend not to know why Alicent uses those exact words. Pretend not to see in the images of the past the young mother who had to marry Viserys, despite the terrifying age difference. Maybe you were a little luckier in that. Aegon is the same age with you, you grew up together, and you know him from every possible angle. But he does not hold a special place in your heart. He isn't the reason for your happy smiles and burning eyes.

— Why can't I marry Aemond? You know he's worthy, and we could...

Your voice, full of hope, falters as Alicent shakes you by the shoulders and turns you toward her. She's sorry, but there's an order to things that they must obey.

— We've discussed this before, and I won't waste time doing it again. I've listened to your lamentations for years, but you know they won't change anything. You will marry Aegon, it was decided when you were born, — your mother mints each word with particular firmness, and this is a hint of how tired she is of the whole situation, and you nod meekly, giving up.

You will still manage to get your way, even if you do it bypassing all the rules, but now it is better to calm Alicent down and not bring her to the boiling point. You remember quite well how long your cheeks can burn after mother's slaps. You know how to be a chameleon and give people the reactions they expect, even if they are false. You learned a long time ago that sincerity is not always the key to everything. But it's the only thing that matters to you - that's why the truth rings openly in the room when you talk about not having children with Aegon. You don't need to use cards or the stars or avoid nights together with your husband-to-be to know that.

It only takes a sudden frame, a blurred wisp in front of your eyes, to see an adorable boy beside you addressing Aemond through the cherished "Daddy!" And that alone warms you from within, sending a real shiver of shy happiness through your body. Your mother's words immediately lose all meaning - some girls are entitled to their love, after all, even under the condition of a dynastic marriage. And you know that Aemond will gladly take Aegon's place as your husband. He has repeatedly spoken out about this, even though no one has taken the youngest's words seriously.

Later that night, you visit your brother. You aren't a frequent guest in Aemond's chambers, but tonight he has deliberately avoided you all day since the announcement of the engagement, and despite the fact that you two usually spend Friday nights together, you have a premonition that this time Aemond will break a long-standing tradition. His resentment toward the world, mixed with aggression, spreads throughout the entire wing of the castle in a shock wave. You walk down the corridor, barely breathing, as if you were wading through a thick curtain of smog. Aemond doesn't keep guards near the door, so getting in isn't the biggest problem.

But to your disappointment, the room is empty. At this late hour your brother can only be in the training room. You contemplate the fact that this isn't the worst way to deal with emotions, so you let yourself lie down on the bed, staring into the stained-glass window across the room with a cloudy, tired look. Aemond is predictable - if something goes wrong and something knocks him out of his crystal smooth icy tranquility, he gets rid of that tension either by holding his sword in his hand or holding Vhagar's reins.

Aemond would have been glad to go up in the sky today, to circle over the neighboring lands and let the dragon choose its own direction, just to hear the sound of the wind and feel the frisky currents of air above him. Maybe it would spare him fantasies of what would happen after you and Aegon's official wedding. He can't help but imagine. Jealousy clouds the mind, rises as a desperate veil before his eyes, and beasts growl somewhere behind his ribcage, demanding to take away what belongs to him. You are destined for Aegon by birthright, but Aemond will rather die than let it really happen.

A break in the family is not as frightening as his mother's anger, but even that pales in the face of the fear that he might lose you before he has found you. It's hard for him to remember at what point the childish thought of "I could be a better husband for her" was replaced by the quite distinct "I want her only for myself, all to myself". Blind affection has developed into something more - if one were to ask Aemond to assess the situation from the outside, he would boldly call it a crush that at times feels more like an obsession. These feelings are so vivid and all-consuming, and they are only further fueled by envy of Aegon, who doesn't even have to try and do anything.

You're literally handed to Aegon on a silver platter, but he turns away at her, and that's what angers Aemond more than anything else in the world. He is so angry that the whole day flies by, lost in this boiling aggression. His mother forbids him to fly and sends guards to keep the way to Vhagar - she is truly afraid that Aemond will lose control of himself. She does not need to speak to her son to notice the reverent tenderness with which he treats his sister, and the fierce insistence with which he asks again and again to marry you. Putting two and two together is not at all difficult, but Alicent pushes away the dangerous realization to the last. She wants to believe that Aemond will outgrow his adolescent sympathies and won't become an obstacle to all her plans.

So Aemond is training all evening, deliberately skipping dinner. He literally boils over with his own powerlessness, and the scar itches nastily, echoing the tension that is already multiplying in his body. His wrist goes numb and his shoulder cramps from overexertion, but it seems to Aemond that he would rather burn in the fire of his own rage at fate than manage to truly calm down. "I should have been born first." He grinds it out through his teeth, trashing the training figures as if it were his own fault. But all the tension suddenly vanishes from him only the moment he finds himself in the bedroom, noticing a maiden silhouette on the bed. And then he is overtaken by utter fatigue, coupled with a ghostly joy.

Aemond moves almost silently, having already had time to change his clothes and take a bath. He leaves his trusty sword by the armchair and walks around the bed, a cautious smile blooming on his lips in an instant. He dares not disturb your fragile sleep, so he lays down beside you so as to leave a fraction of a safe space between them. But even this allows him, nevertheless, to reach out to the heavy blond curls and run the tips through, to drown in them like in the silk. Aemond had once even been able to braid your hair, but now his fingers, rough under the steel of his sword, can hardly remember the right movements. He gazes at you as if he was a thief about to be caught. Every moment is so priceless that Aemond hardly blinks, he doesn't even breathe, it seems.

Love pierces through him. It shackles him hand and foot and makes him utterly helpless. He could control anyone in the castle, he could easily overrule and defend himself, but even his own armor is no match for you. Any mask melts under your inquisitive look, any hardness vanishes from by your voice, obeying light touches or kisses. You two never crossed the line, always wandering somewhere on the edge, pretending to maintain the boundaries of propriety, but Aemond knows that the feelings are mutual. He knows that if he takes a step into that abyss, your affectionate embrace is sure to meet him on his way.

— Are you angry with him or with me? — the innocent question takes him by surprise, and he involuntarily flinches as he notices that you are no longer asleep, instead engrossed in tracing the movement of his fingers through the tips of your hair.

— With myself.

Aemond doesn't need to lie in your presence. You feel him so subtly that you easily bypass the barriers of words to get straight to the point. There's something he can't say out loud even to himself, but you know without having to, so you move cautiously closer to be with your brother, literally nose to nose. Pulling your cool fingers to his face, you smoothly circles the sharp cheekbones and the outline of his lips before picking up the tip of his artificial skin. The blue sapphire shines in the glow of the night, and you look at it mesmerized as if you noticed it for the first time, though years ago it was your gift.

— You're staring, — Aemond, as always, feels naked without his usual blindfold, so he uses that as an excuse to change the subject. He'd like to pay less attention to the fact that your touches are creating a tight lump somewhere in his stomach. — Do you think Aegon won't let you come here after the wedding?

— Aegon won't take away my will or my desires. He won't change anything, — you shake your head softly, not noticing the sneer in your brother's voice, and stand up a bit on your elbow. Reaching out some more, you press your lips to Aemond's cheek in short, blind kisses, trying to put a promise in your words. — Everything will stay the same. Our Friday nights, our flights together and our walks in the garden. I will stay with you, as I promised. I love you, remember?

You stop yourself, belatedly remembering that these promises they have yet to say to each other in the future, but Aemond is too focused on the tenderness flooding his gut with hot treacle to notice this hiccup. He's no longer able to run from what you so generously offer him, he feels a special foreboding in the air and he reads the benevolent permission in your eyes before he covers your lips with his for the first time, dragging you into a kiss that grows more desperate and impatient as the feeling of elapsing time becomes stronger.

[christian-oc-tournament]

OC Propaganda: Subject: Loch

Cares a lot for rules, but he does have the experience to understand that the application of rules isn't black and white

He is very old, he just made his humanoid form really young because he accidentally over-corrected on his estimate of the average human age

Despite being old, he doesn't have much experience with humans. There are some towns near his loch where he used to live, but he never really had any reason to go there.

He and Friend would go there, anyway, but mostly to prank the locals

Besides frogs/toads/amphibians in general, he really likes beavers

Very fond of his Father, the Creator, and gets excited when humans know about him, too

Reasons to vote for him:

He's trying to make sense of this weird situation and be a human person as well as a fae person

Has a fae/"monster" form

Becomes very fond of "his" humans and tries his best to take care of them and the town

He is a chronic prankster

He's a smol and lil and doesn't smile much but is secretly full of contentment and whimsy

Will exercise his right as a fae to keep order by um. taking care of bad people. This can be interpreted several different ways

Has smol fangies

.

[hwnglx]

Felix as a person pls

thought it'd be nice to do all of skz ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

stray kids as a person based on tarot, take it with a grain of salt

bangchan libra sun libra moon

judg, 2ofsw, 10ofw, hangm+3ofc

chan was literally made for the leader role. he's a very assertive and mature person with a clear vision and a lot of amazing advice to give because he's been through it all. his libra nature also leads to him always working hard to restore peace in times of conflict and being a person who constantly seeks harmony and balance. however, he's very prone to taking on too many responsibilities and overworking himself to the point where he gets burned out. he obsesses over his plans way too much which then can result in him neglecting some light-hearted, fun times with his peers.

lee know scorpio sun sagittarius moon

3ofp&10ofp, 4ofc, 6ofw, hieroph+4ofp

minho is like the reliable rock of the group. he's someone very emotionally stable and an excellent team player with very good communication skills. he has a strong work ethic and is very devoted to his craft. since he's so good at recognising when situations or people do not serve him, he's very good at detaching himself from those. lee know knows exactly what he wants and needs and has been very successful in his approach to life so far so this man sticks to his beliefs no matter what. if he has a certain opinion about you or something, god forbid he changes his mind about it which can lead to him being a little overly stubborn sometimes.

changbin leo sun leo moon

7ofw, queofc, judg, 5ofw&devil

oh this man is a leo in every aspect of the word. mister jutdae has veeery strong convictions and does absolutely not let anyone stand in his way. he is very firm in his beliefs and will definitely stand up for what he believes in. he has extremely caring and compassionate energy too, so best believe the entire universe could be against you, he'd still defend you like his life depends on it if he truly believes in you. changbin is a huge giver and another natural leader with so much advice to give. however, his overly competitive nature can result in him getting into conflicts too easily which can get too much to a point of toxicity sometimes.

hyunjin pisces sun virgo moon

7ofc, aceofc, 3ofc, pagofp, 5ofp+aceofp

hyunjin is definitely the most emotional member. very much aligned with his pisces placements, he is a dreamer by heart with his head always up in the clouds, losing himself in illusions of every kind. his vivid sense of imagination makes him an extremely artistic and creative person and he loves and feels very deeply, to a point where he can get overwhelmed easily. in spite of that, he's extremely disciplined and focused when it comes to work and therefore tends to doubt himself way too much. he tends to always feel like something is missing in his life but doesn't know what to change in order to fulfill that emptiness, not realizing he has all the charisma and potential in the world to be whatever he wishes to be.

jisung virgo sun pisces moon

kingofsw, knofw, strength, 5ofp+pagofp, 8ofc+6ofw

jisung is a young man wise beyond his years who carries a lot of intelligence and intellect with him. while he often tends to rule with logic and chose his head over heart, he's someone very charming and bright, full of energy and warmth. due to him having been through a lot already, he possesses a lot of inner strength and resilience, though he's not entirely aware of it. similarly to hyunjin, he's very quick to doubt himself and get insecure. despite being very fun and adventurous, he's a true introvert who's very private and seeks for inner meaning and answers rather than material pleasures.

felix virgo sun aries moon

queofc, sun, queofw, hieroph, 9ofp, aceofw, 6ofp, world

another member who truly lives up to his nickname sunshine. this boy radiates so much positivity and joy to the people around him, as well as is a huge source of inspiration to them. he is a natural caregiver and healer and truly thrives the most when he can not only shine his light on others but also share his inner strength and knowledge with them. felix has a lot of inner maturity and power and his magnetic and warm personality draws people in very naturally which is why he's a little social butterfly. however, he needs to be careful to not get overly generous in giving since not everyone is always worthy of it.

seungmin virgo sun cancer moon

knofsw, herm, 7ofsw+4ofw, kingofp

seungmin is a very quick witted and sharp-minded person which makes him a natural problem solver. his amazing intuition and detail-oriented personality (hello virgo sun) makes him very self-aware and also very good at figuring out other people and looking beyond the facade. he is very analytical and due to him carrying such a stable and strong-minded personality, he can easily become a great source of reassurance to his loved ones. but he has a tendency to overanalyze situations and become overly calculative sometimes, especially when it comes to his precious relationships.

jeongin aquarius sun leo moon

aceofp, queofw, highpr, 3ofp, 9ofsw+4ofp+8ofwrx

jeongin is another member who's a lot more mature than it seems. since he's very intelligent and feels a deep connection to his inner voice, he possesses a lot of inner wisdom. he is very good at not only taking care of himself physically and emotionally but also very generous when it comes to the people he loves. his joyful and warm nature makes it very hard for others to dislike him, while he also has a lot of enthusiasm and passion for his work which makes him a great teamplayer. still, despite being of such sociable nature, he's quick to hide away his struggles and not communicate his negative emotions which can cause them to weigh on him even more.

[siesffuts]

Witch Hat Atelier Speculation-Tartah ingested silver when he was younger in order to become a witch

I'm only on chapter 22 of WHA, so I figure this has already been touched on by now. But fuck it. Im'a text my piece regardless.

So when I saw this panel on pg. 19 of ch. 13, I was immediately curious if argentosis was a real condition. First result I got was a page on Wiktionary which explained that it's an alternate form of the Latin word argentosus which means "full of silver, silvery, silver-bearing". This seemed to partially line up with what Qifrey says on pg. 26 of the same chapter. "[It] is an affliction of the eyes. From the moment you are born, everything appears as if it's enveloped in a silvery sheen."

That didn't quite answer my question, so after going through a couple more search results, it was not commonly used but it did lead me to a wikipedia article on something with a different name. Another relevant find was a Quora page which described the same condition just with a different name across different websites. What I could glean is that the term is perhaps an outdated, less commonly or incorrectly used substitute term for Argyria. The National Library of Medicine states that it is a "... dermatologic condition that is acquired by exposure to or ingestion of silver, and it presents with the insidious onset of gray or blue mucocutaneous discoloration." Can't speak for anyone else, but the first time me and several of my peers had heard of it was via Paul Karason in science class if I recall correctly.

However it's plain to see the kid doesn't have any noticeably discolored skin anywhere, so the more relevant term for Tartah would be Argyrosis, or Ocular Argyrosis more specifically as that and Argyria are used interchangeably by some. That NCBI article I mentioned earlier lists it as one of the 3 subtypes along with generalized argyria and localized argyria. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything to indicate there's any correlation between it and a difficulty or inability to see color.

Since that's the end of the real-world information I could obtain, my proposal is a simple one. Back in chapter 5, we're told the importance of silver trees in regards to their unique importance as the only way to get magic ink, and that they can poisonous which is semi-similar to how silver is slightly toxic in our slightly less fantastical and scary world. My idea is that Tartah in someway ingested or came into contact with either a branch of a tree or some of its byproduct to help himself become a witch. This makes a bit more sense to me from a narrative standpoint. What I mean is that in trying to further his dream, in a way he hindered himself in one of the most detrimental ways he could've considering how highly valued eyesight is, and how little tolerance witches at large have for deviants and exceptions as Qifrey states in the chapter where we learn about Tartah's circumstances mentioned above. While I don't envy him and think it's misplaced to call him lucky, it does position him to challenge the rules which are so set in stone that even the mere existence of people like Coco poses a threat to collapse Witch society entirely. But that's all I got for now your they's gotta eat.

If anyone out there who's more knowledgeable than I on the real world science of the subject, as well as the significance of silver from an alchemy standpoint, would care to prove, disprove, or elaborate on anything I've put forth so far

(WITHOUT SPOILERS)

I'd greatly appreciate it.

[liber-what-ia]

I was planning on dropping a full-blown rant about The Mandalorian s3 after the finale (and I still plan to) but here I am getting out of my system the one thing that won't slide with me, no matter how good the last episodes might be.

That is, the "You walk both worlds" bullshit. Or rather, the how the handled the whole thing.

Hear me out before you jump at my throat.

I've seen people talk about how we heathens criticizing the show don't know anything about storytelling and that Bo-Katan's and Din's situation with the Creed is very different, thus the Armorer deciding to handle them differently.

This is, theoretically, correct. They are different people with different pasts and a different relationship to the Creed (I dare to say that Bo-Katan has none, since her sentiment about the whole matter is still vague aka rushed).

But. The Armorer is basically a priest. A minister, if you want. Someone with authority, who handles the sacred matters of the Creed (baptisms, forging beskar, assigning signets). As such, she should be completely impartial to each one of her devotees.

Well, she's not impartial with Din and Bo-Katan, am I wrong here? Din has to repent after breaking the Creed, but Bo-Katan, who hasn't ever even believed in the Creed and mocked it until mow, gets to walk scot-free and become the new Mand'alor to retake Mandalore.

Which is totally fine. That makes the Armorer a complex character, someone who is willing to bend the rules if she sees the sense to that (even if we're bordering OOC here). What doesn't sit right with me, is the perspective we're given on the whole thing.

As I said, what she does is not by any means agreeable from a sheer belief point of view. It's straight favoritism, if you ask me. But it's not put into a critical light by storytelling. Nor is it shown as questionable, or is the Armorer depicted as hypocritical or at the very least biased. It's like everything is neat and fine and solemn and you're supposed to be in awe for her decision (even though there was something ominous in the scene of Bo removing her helmet, but I don't think they even noticed with how bad the writing for this season is).

Anyway, the last drop was Din nodding in seeing Bo-Katan helmetless. Din fricking nodding. After he thought he had lost his Creed and family and felt guilty to the core for removing his helmet. After the Armorer marked him as an apostate and told him he had no identity anymore. After he had to repent and travel to a forsaken and supposedly toxic planet in order to do so.

And he nods. Happily, even.

Guys, this isn't a matter of what's coming in the next episodes or of different situation at hand or even of bad plot handling. This is not understanding how characters work and should react.

Din should've been livid. Confused at the very least. He should've felt betrayed, dismayed by seeing Bo-Katan without her helmet and walking side by side with the Armorer. No matter how much respect he has for his leader, this should've been reason for conflict. A deep conflict, the bitter taste you feel when you see someone you respect put you down and praise others for the very same things you did.

He took his helmet off to save a Foundling, which now we know is the most honorable deed for a Mandalorian. And he got punished for it. While Bo-Katan gets the crown, literally, even though the Darksaber belongs to him.

This is lazy writing. This is not wanting to acknowledge an issue in order to get "to the real point" even though the characters should be the real point.

I don't care of they set up some conflicts in the next episodes/seasons (and they will): that simple nod managed to make the whole show crumble.