#willing to sacrifice anyone to save the world vs willing to sacrifice himself to save the people closest to him

[anna-croft]

so

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

SECOND ROUND: 6th Tilt

Frodo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) VS. William Thatcher, A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Propaganda

Frodo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) Portrayed by: Elijah Wood Defeated Opponents: - Dong Yilong [Henry Lau], Double World (2020) - Prince Chauncley [Daniel Radcliffe], Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)

“The bluest of blue eyes, the burden, the sacrifice, the sadness… When I was in middle school and the movies were coming out, you were either an Aragorn girl or a Legolas girl. I was a Frodo girl.”

William Thatcher, A Knight’s Tale (2001) Portrayed by: Heath Ledger Defeated Opponents: - King Arthur [Charlie Hunnam], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) - King Vortigern [Jude Law], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

“13-year-old me had such a HUGE crush on Will Thatcher / Ulrich von Liechtenstein, and you know what? 13-year-old me was RIGHT (and had much healthier taste in men). He's a dreamer, he's sweet (except maybe when you're dismissive about jousting...), he gives to others despite having little himself, he has the most charming, contagious smile. And to play us out... he's blonde! He's pissed! He'll see you in the lists! Lichtenstein! Lichtenstein!”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Frodo Baggins:

“cracks knuckles Okay, everyone. My time has come. Let me tell you all about the beautiful, wonderful treasure that is Frodo Baggins.

"He's intelligent. He can speak and write in Elvish, and he's mischievous, at least at the start of the story. His best friends are Merry and Pippin, and you can't tell me he didn't get into shenanigans with them once in a while. Whether it's repeatedly stealing Farmer Maggot's mushrooms as a kid in the book, or pushing Sam towards Rosie and cackling like a maniac afterwards in the movie, this makes him more relatable and imperfectly human, for lack of a better term, and you can't help but laugh with him.

"He's brave. Oh, he is so brave. Not in the sense that we would usually think- he's terrified the whole way through, and who wouldn't be in his situation? But he lets himself cry, lament his fate, feel whatever he needs to feel, do whatever he needs to do... and he gets up and keeps going anyway. He keeps going even though he's carrying something that's literally killing him, and rarely complains even though he'd be well within his rights to. This quote says it all, really: 'I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way.'

"But most of all? He is so, so terribly kind. He's kind to everyone he meets, even to those who arguably don't deserve it, such as Gollum and Saruman. He loves the people/world he loves so much that he's willing to sacrifice himself to save them without any hesitation or thanks. And it's his kindness towards Gollum that actually ends up saving the day in the end! How could anyone not love him?”

For William Thatcher:

“HE'S SO CUTE AND BRAVE AND STUPID AND DETERMINED AND FUNNY AND POETIC AND HE HAS BIG BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES AND FRECKLES AND HE'S BISEXUAL-CODED HE'S MY BOY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH”

“The only man that could have pulled off a David Bowie dance scene within a medieval ballroom.”

[mai-komagata]

i think you are simplifying sauron's relationship with celebrimbor if you think it was boring/not unique to celebrimbor, and thus doing the same with haladriel, and erasing why him manipulating her is interesting.

sauron doesn't manipulate people in the same way every time. the whole point is that its tailored to what a person desires the most, and that is ultimately what the ring also does -- it is a mirror to the self.

Celebrimbor was picked because he was so much like sauron. he is more like sauron than galadriel is. Sauron was fangirling over meeting him. he is a smith that desires to achieve greatness and save the world via his creations -- which is the same thing sauron wants. sauron doesnt just manipulate him, he learns from him and turns what he learns against celebrimbor. it is a symbiotic relationship, until its not. Sauron would never have this kinship with anyone else bc nobody alive is on their level. his fundamental nature as someone who creates and via creation improves the world could only be fulfilled via celebrimbor. and the fact that celebrimbor denies him at the end makes it so he can never truly achieve his goals. he will never truly be able to control the three (because sauron didnt make them), and he'll need to given so much of himself to control the others that the sacrifice will weaken him and ultimately destroy him.

galadriel's manipulation is also unique. she alone of her siblings does not want to return to valinor. she wants to achieve greatness in middle earth before doing so. which is the same thing sauron wants. he could have been forgiven after melkor's banishment. he just had to return to valinor to *ask*. but either is fear or his pride prevents him, which is what prevents galadriel.

sauron sees in galadriel someone who is willing to defy the valar. just like he did. so she could be an ally. because she feels the temptation to rule middle earth as well. he might desire her honestly but he is being manipulative -- because he knows it wont help Galadriel. he isnt trying to be with her to get better. and the only way galadriel can get better/defeat sauron is to stop fighting.

yes, sauron was created good, but he isnt good right now. he has a clear goal he has wanted to achieve since morgoth was gone. he thinks he can rule middle earth and in doing so, make it better -- his intentions are good i guess. and unless he is proven wrong he is gonna continue steadfastedly on that path -- he is gonna use the rings of power to bend all creatures to his will. sauron promises that if you let him *help you* it will work out in your favor -- but what sauron offers is always a lie, he wants control at the end of the day you cannot fix middle earth in defiance of the valar and via coercion and force.

if and when we see him manipulate other characters, it will look very different bc each character wants something different. he always offers what people want. and that is what is interesting -- seeing how good intentions can be twisted. im especially intrigued by how they are gonna show characters like isildur being affected (who is a sweetie), not just characters like ar pharazon.

and as for where they are taking galadriel's connection to sauron its to reveal to her that she cannot defeat sauron by becoming like him. even if that is in her nature to be like him. which will escalate once the one ring is created and the temptation is to use the three against him.

dunno to me what makes sauron interesting isnt *sauron* its how he says "this is what you wanted" but its a complete monkeys paw of your original intent. its a psychological reflection of our own selves. halbrand is how he is bc that is what galadriel wanted. annatar is how he is bc that is what celebrimbor wanted. and i want to see what other reflections are hidden jnside him.

we can all have our own interpretation, but i hate the insinuation that manipulative halbrand is *boring* vs a more standard romantic narrative. because i was not bored by evil manipulative halbrand shown in ep 2.01 and 1.08. it reframed the entirety of season 1 to see it from that lens.

I think it would be so boring and one note of Sauron was just manipulate all the time and couldn’t form a connection and he was just manipulating Galadriel from the beginning.

Even if people don’t see Galadriel/Sauron as romantic, they still have the “cosmic connection” and are two halves of the same coin.

Sauron is not the incarnation of evil, he started out good and believes he’s doing good and that’s what makes him fascinating.

He needs a person to center on with a push and pull dynamic through out the show (Galadriel) or we’ll just keep seeing the same thing recycled with Celebrimbor 2.0. While that was great to see him actually girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight someone, I don’t want see him stuck in a room with a new victim repeating the same thing again. Yes, that’s what he does but as a viewer, it’s not what I want to watch.

Thus Galadriel, who knows his mind and he knows hers and whom he can have an evolving deeper dynamic with (as long as the writers aren’t cowards and don’t go the boring safe route) over the course of the show and allow us to see more than the Great Deceiver.

And personal interpretation is up in the air about the raft scene in the last episode of season 1 but the Forge Scene and Binding Scene after the battle in the Southlands are Sauron being honest and not manipulating cause otherwise how utterly tedious and makes a fascinating character so monotonous.

My two cents anyways.

[bing-bang-bingo]

- 4x3: c. 40:00 Cas comforts Dean after Mary makes a deal w/ Azazel

- 4x7: 15:50 Dean stops Sam from shooting Cas, then Sam mentions that he’s “heard a lot about him”

- 4x7: 39:00 Cas tells Dean he prayed he’d save the town, then he tells him about his doubts and Deans future troubles

- 4x10 & ???: Dean calls “last night on Earth” his best line. He uses this line on Cas

- 4x10: 27:15 “Castiel has this weakness. He likes you.”

- 4x10: 32:50 Cas looking jealous and sad when Dean kisses Anna

- 4x16: 7:30 Cas tells Dean he got in trouble for showing emotion and getting to close to Dean. 8:20 “I would give anything not to have you do this”

- 4x16: 39:00 Cas warns Dean to be careful while Dean is in the hospital, they discuss the first seal and saving Dean from hell

- 4x18: 31:30 Cas tells Dean how to save Sam from Lilith even though he’s not allowed to interfere

- 4x20: 38:00 Deans face when Cas tells him he “learned his lesson when he was in heaven”

- 4x22: 30:40 Cas considers rebelling for Dean. 33:00 He does. 35:20 He fights multiple Archangels for Dean

- 5x1: 5:45 Dean denies Cas’ death 8:25 “I learned that from my friend Cas you son of a bitch”

- 5x1: 31:00 Cas saves Sam and Dean from Zach

- 5x3: 6:10 Cas-“I need your help because your the only one who will help me”

- 5x3: 10:20 Dean fixes Cas’ tie and jacket

- 5x4: 38:50 “Don’t Ever Change”

- 5x8: 38:20 Dean makes Gabriel bring Cas back, then makes sure he’s okay

- 5x13: ?:?? Cas won’t let Dean meet with Anna because it’s not safe

- 5x17: 30:30 Cas and Dean discuss what it’s like to have a deadbeat dad

- 5x18: 25:15 Cas kicks Deans ass for trying to sacrifice himself

- 5x21: 3:50 Cas and Dean bickering like and old married couple then Cas gives Dean a heartfelt apology.

- 6x17: 18:55 “No you’re confusing me with the other angel, the one in the dirty trench coat who is in love with you.”

- 6x17: 38:00 Sam: “So you killed 50,000 people for us?” Cas: *looks at Dean*

- 6x19: 25:20 Bobby reassures Cas that they’ll be back soon, Cas acts like a worried and disappointed wife.

- 6x19: 36:25 Cas yelling “Dean!” when Eve bites him

- 6x19: 40:00 Dean is the only one who doesn’t think Cas is working with Crowley (he’s wrong but it’s sweet)

- 6x20: 4:50 Dean v v worried, “But Cas you’ll call right? If you get into real trouble?”

- 6:30 Crowley implies that Cas is distracted by Dean and tells him he reeks of the Impala.

- 7:20 Cas says that Dean taught him how to care and what to care about. Then Cas saves Sam (for Dean)

- 13:15 Cas says that the worst part of working with Crowley (basically his sworn natural enemy) is that it hurt Dean and that he hated lying to him.

- 25:20 Cas refuses to ask Dean for help because he has “sacrificed too much” even though it means Cas could die.

- 26:00 Crowley tells Cas he has a way for everyone to get a happy ending “with all possible entendres intended” while Cas stares longingly at Dean.

- 33:00 Dean is close to tears when he learns that Cas is working with Crowley, Cas says he did it to protect Dean.

- 35:25 “Dammit Cas we can fix this!” “Dean it’s not broken!” He then tells the boys to run from the demon cloud and Dean gives him the saddest look in the world before being forced to leave him behind.

- 38:00 Cas watches Dean sleep. “I’m doing this for you Dean. I’m doing this because of you!”

- 6x21: 22:40 “I do everything you ask. I always come when you call and I am your friend. Still despite your lack of faith in me and now your threats I’ve just saved you yet again. Has anyone but your closest kin ever done more for you?”

- 6x22: Dean to Cas- “Don’t make me lose you, too.”

- 7x2: 5:35 Dean nearly cries on screen when he thinks Cas is dead

- 7x17: Cas says “I remember ~you~” as soon as he regains his memories.

- 7x17: Cas ask why Dean didn’t tell him all the horrible things Cas did. Parallels the conversation Karen and Dean had about telling Bobby she remembered him killing her and her telling Dean that he had never been on love before.

- 7x21: The face Dean makes when he sees Cas again plus the prolonged eye contact when Cas says Deans name.

- 7x21: Hester telling Dean that when Cas first saved him from Hell he was lost- parallels- Lucifer/Jess saying she was dead the moment she met Sam.

- 7x23: 8:50 “Go ask him. He was your boyfriend first.” Meg to Dean about Cas

- 7x23: 32:45 “I’m sorry but I’d rather have you, cursed or not.”

- 7x23: 36:50 Cas steps in to protect Dean despite spending the whole season avoiding fighting and saying he won’t fight.

- 8x2: 25:00 Cas ran away to keep the Leviathans away from Dean. Dean refuses to leave purgatory without Cas.

- 8x7: 20:30 Deans reaction to seeing Cas all cleaned up.

- 8x7: Dean convinced himself that it was his fault Cas was still in purgatory because he’s a sweet idiot boy who hates himself

- 8x7: 35:00 The whole Dean and Cas conversation about purgatory and Cas doing stuff that puts him in danger.

- 8x8: 12:30 Cas just casually going through Deans stuff and Dean not saying anything.

- 8x8: 13:00 Cas offering to watch over Dean while he slept

- 8x8: 15:15 Dean talks to Cas about feelings and heaven even though Dean hates talking about feelings.

- 8x17: Cas fights Naomi’s mind control for Dean

- 8x23: 22:50 Dean and Cas sadly discuss Cas closing the doors of heaven and say goodbye

- 9x1: Dean prays to Cas and tells him he isn’t mad about the angels falling.

- 9x1: Cas’ first instinct is to explain himself to Dean then to come help him.

- 9x1: Dean begs Cas to “for once, look out for yourself.”

- 9x3: 36:45 Dean to Cas after Cas came back from the dead “Don’t you ever do that again!”

- 9x6: Literally just Dean trying desperately the whole episode to hang out with Cas

- 9x10: 26:00 Dean and Cas talk about how Cas is doing and Dean offers him a rare sincere apology. Plus the “I prefer the term ‘trusting’. Less dumb, less ass.” dialogue

- 9x18: Cas’ little smile when Dean makes a joke about Honor Bars and Cas is just so happy to hear his voice.

- 9x18: Metatron’s illusion of Gabriel calls Cas Dean’s boy-toy

- 9x18: Cas can tell something is wrong with Dean, then Cas yells at Dean about getting the Mark of Cain

- 9x22: Cas chooses Dean over all of Heaven once again

- 9x22: The Cas and Dean conversation about the three of them being enough when an army wasn’t and Cas giving up an army all for Dean

- 9x23: “I’m blaming you for taking Cas’ grace.”

- 10x1: 5:00 Cas about Dean- “I miss him.”

- 10x2: 9:00 Cas’ reaction to learning that Dean is a demon

- 10x3: The conversation between Dean and Cas at the end of the episode. “You look terrible” “You on the other hand, your looking good.”

- 10x5: Deans reaction to Cas and Dean actors hugging and holding hands

- 10x5: “Put as much sub into that text as you possibly can.” *looks directly at fake Cas*

- 10x9: 15:00 Cas tells Dean he’s a good role model. Then asks him if he’s okay and when Dean lies and says he is he pushes it further. Dean makes Cas promise to kill him if he goes Dark

- 10x22: Dean and Cas fight and parallel Cain and his Wife.

- 10x23: Dean sees Cas’ bloody face in the mirror

- 11x1: Cas being more worried about Dean than himself even though Cas is under a spell that will kill him.

- 11x2: Dean calling Cas and stressing out when he doesn’t answer

- 11x3: Dean trying to coax Cas out of the attack dog spell, refusing to fight back when Cas was attacking, freaking out when Cas took a minute to wake up, refusing to let Cas heal him (because he “had it coming”), and refusing to let Cas apologize (because “there’s nothing to apologize for”).

- 11x10: “Dean, I came as soon as you called.” Also: “Stick your tongue out.” Dean-*does*

- 11x11: Dean realizing that something is wrong with Cas (while he is possessed by Lucifer)

- 11x11: Mildred says that Dean is pining for someone else(probably meant to be a reference to Amara, but she told him this after he had seen Cas for the first time in a few days.)

- 11x14: The sadness on Deans face when he realizes Cas is Lucifer and then his determination to save Cas

- 11x15: Dean getting kinda dark when he talks about what he’s willing to do to save Cas and he prioritizes saving Cas over bearing Amara.

- 11x17: Dean once again prioritizing saving Cas over saving the world. Sam reassuring Dean that they’ll save Cas (even though Dean didn’t say anything about what was upsetting him)

- 11x17: The camera zooming in on Dean after Michelle says that there is no normal after losing the man you love.

- 11x18: Dean refuses to put Lucifer in the cage or let him fight Amara while using Cas as his vessel.

- 11x18: The difference in the way Dean looks at Lucifer vs at Cas

- 11x18: Dean about Cas: “Lets go find that idiot and bring him home.”

- 11x19: Dean has been looking for leads non stop for a week since Amara took Cas

- 11x21: Amara uses Cas’s heart to find Dean, then shows Dean images of Cas beaten and bloodied to convince him to turn against Chuck

- 11x23: Dean’s face when he realizes Cas is back and Lucifer is gone.

- 11x23: Dean tells Cas he isn’t stupid and that he always helps

- 11x23: Cas: “Dean are you okay? How do you feel?”

- 11x23: Cas hugging Dean super tight before he goes off to die. Dean entrusting his life’s purpose (look after Sam) then thanking him for everything.

- 12x1: Cas seeing that Dean is alive and hugging him while his voice breaks.

- 12x1: Cas taking the job Dean have him very seriously

- 12x2: Dean adorably venting to Cas about his mommy-issues

- 12x3: Dean- “Morning sunshine want some coffee.” Cas- “No thank you.”

- 12x7: “Well at least I don’t look like a lumberjack.” They are such husbands

- 12x7: “Engaged in what Cas? killing you?”

- 12x8: Cas being so worried about what happened to Sam and DEAN that Kelly escaped.

- 12x9: Mary-“You left them!” Cas- *voice breaking* “Dean told me to go!” Also, just Cas looking so hard for them.

- 12x9: Cas blaming himself for Sam and Dean being taken

- 12x9 Cas knowing how long the boys have been gone down to the hour.

- 12x9: Cas’s voice and eyes when he hears Dean’s voice on the phone.

- 12x9: Cas killing Billie because “You mean too much to me” and “The world needs as many Winchesters as it can get.”

- 12x10: Poor Sam having to deal with Cas and Dean while they fight like an old married couple.

- 12x10: Dean immediately telling Ishim to go to hell when he insults Cas

- 12x10: Sam telling Dean to go to Cas when Dean thought Cas was in trouble

- 12x10: Cas immediately believing Dean about Ishim even though they’re mad at each other. Dean about to let Ishim kill him to save Cas.

- 12x10: Ishim comparing Dean and Cas’s relationship to Ishims relationship with his human lover, then saying he was going to cut Cas’s human weakness

- 12x11: “And Cas is my best friend.”

- 12x12: Dean about Cas- “My shy but devastatingly handsome friend here...”

- 12x12: Dean stressing out and voice breaking as he tries to comfort poisoned Cas

- 12x12: LITERALLY TOLD DEAN THAT HE LOVED HIM WHILE CAS WAS DYING

- 12x12: *looking at Dean* “I love you.” Then adds “I love all of you”

- 12x12: Cas- “Run.” Dean- “Cas, no.”

- 12x12: The look Dean gives Cas when he won’t stop staring at him after he’s healed.

- 12x14: Dean says some very harsh stuff to Mary after finding out the reason they Cas almost died at the lake house was because Mary was working for the British Men of Letters

- 12x15: Dean could tell something was up with Cas after talking to him for less than a minute, over the phone.

- 12x18: Sam trying to make Dean feel better about not hearing from Cas.

- 12x19: Dean literally always acting like a scorned wife when Cas comes back after long periods of time

- 12x19: Dean made Cas a mixtape

- 12x19: Cas- “I ~needed~ to came back here with a win for you.”

- 12x19: Cas- *gesturing between Dean and himself* “You mean... we?” Dean- “Yes, dumbass, we.”

- 12x23: Dean screaming for Cas when he attacks Lucifer and trying to chase after him forcing Sam to drag Dean back through the rift. A direct parallel to Dean pulling Sam away from Jess and the fire in Pilot

- 12x23: Dean kneeling next to Cas’s dead body looking up at the sky completely devastated.

- 13x1: Dean couldn’t bring himself to say dead when referring to Cas

- 13x1: Dean PRAYED to GOD to bring Cas back

- 13x1: “We just lost ~everything~. And now you’re gonna bring ~him~ back.”

- 13x1: Dean personally wrapping Cas’s body and giving him a hunters funeral.

- 13x1: The look of complete devastation on Dean’s face when he burns Cas’s body.

- 13x3: Dean refusing to help save Jack because he blames him for manipulating Cas and getting him killed.

- 13x4: The Empty to Cas: “I know what you love, what you fear. There is nothing for you back there.” He loves Dean and Cas fears that Dean doesn’t love him back.

- 13x5: Sam being worried about Dean who has given up all hope since Cas died.

- 13x5: Dean being so distressed thinking Cas is gone forever that he tries to kill himself

- 13x5: Dean seeing Cas alive again and they both have tears in their eyes.

- 13x6: Dean hugging Cas and saying he’s been gone for “too damn long”

- 13x6: Dean being immediately happier and nicer to everyone once Cas is back

- 13x6: Cas saying “Yes. Yes, he does” (in response to Jack saying Dean really likes cowboys) with the tone of an exhausted spouse.

- 13x6: “I told you, he’s an angry sleeper. Like a bear.”

- 13x6: Dean made Cas watch Tombstone with him.

- 13x6: Dean and Cas dresses like cowboy husbands.

- 13x6: Cas saying “I’m your huckleberry” to Dean in a deep accent and Dean looking away.

- 13x6: Their undercover names are Russel and Kilmer

- 13x14: The whole scene where Cas and Dean fight Gog/Magog and act like an old married couple.

- 13x14: The angry, dark look Cas gives Donatello when he tries to kill Dean

- 13x16: “Dean has him by the thigh!” Cas, jealously: “He ~what~?”

- 13x16: “and that includes the Cartwright twins.” Cas, again jealously: “what did you do with the Cartwright twins?”

- 13x19: Cas angrily confronting Naomi about forcing him to kill a bunch of Dean clones.

- 13x21: Cas secretly sliding Dean more pizza when Mary and Sam left the room.

- 13x21: Cas having to hold Dean back from going after Sam. Dean would have beat the shit out of anyone else who tried to stop him.

- 13x23: Cas trying to stop Dean from giving himself to Michael even if it meant losing Sam AND Jack

- 13x23: Cas sitting alone in the bum jet with tears in his eyes after Dean left

- 14x1: Demon: “How is it you lost Dean. I thought you two were joined at the... everything.”

- 14x1: Dean trying to save Cas from Lucifer then vs Cas trying to save Dean from Michael now

- 14x3: The look that Dean and Cas give each other when Dean comes home.

- 14x9: Cas almost being happy seeing Dean happy. And then having to force himself to not be happy so he doesn’t die.

- 14x12: Cas being phased at Dean for wanting to put himself in the box with Michael forever

- 14x14: Cas is the only Dean will let talk to him about Michael and be honest about how Dean feels

- 14x14: “No, it’s on us.”

- 14x14: Cas’s voice breaking when he talks about the possibility of Dean dying one day.

- 14x18: The pure self loathing in Cas’s eyes when he feels like he failed Dean by not telling him about Jack’s soul.

- 15x2: “You asked ‘what about all of this is real?’ We are.” THE MOST ROMANTIC LINE EVER. (Plus later Eileen and Sam have the same conversation but they get to kiss because homophobia)

- 15x9- 20:00 Dean said that they lost everyone they cared about, then added Cas specifically. Then he says “I had to bury him” not “we”

- 15x9- 23:00 Dean cries when he can’t find Cas. Then he prays to him and apologizes for letting him go. He falls to his knees praying to him and fully crying

- 15x12: “I created the world.” *shows Destiel*

- 15x15: This time when Dean sees Cas leaving the bunker, he stops him. (In reference to Cas saying “you didn’t stop me” when Dean got mad at him for leaving)

- 15x16: This is the the only version of Cas that rebelled for Dean. This universe is literally being saved repeatedly because of Cas’s love for Dean

- 15x18: CAS CONFESSES HIS LOVE TO DEAN then goes to mega hell for being gay

Anyway, Cas loves Dean and Dean LOVES HIM BACK, OKAY?!?!? Feel free to add more

[the-great-lightwood-bane]

ask game - magnus?

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life 

I LOVE MAGNUS OKAY

my url & pfp is kindof a giveaway skdjhfskdjfh

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang

i love him your honour

hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff

this one's a hard one, but I do think he's a ravenclaw... He has traits from a lot of the houses (self-sacrifice, political capability, loyalty) but imo most of those are just standard traits? so... ravenclaw.

Magnus is brilliant. Like, he's 100% a mad scientist, he's probably got a bunch of random degrees from various universities around the world, he invented the portal for god's sake. And he kinda has ravenclaw vibes — not sure exactly how to describe it, but he's ravenclaw.

best quality: willingness to help those in need

Magnus always, always helps people (perhaps to a fault) — book or show, he's constantly offering aid to Clary, the other Shadowhunters, Downworlders, Alec... He's completely selfless in that way, and as infuriating as it may be when he shows too little care for himself, it's admirable.

worst quality: hides himself/his emotions

Magnus doesn't like opening up about anything. It's understandable, of course — he's been burned so often in the past — but it's definitely a problem (p511 breakup in the books was because of this; in the show, there's the not wanting Alec to move in thing, the magic thing, etc.). It's harmful both for Magnus himself and for everyone around him who cares about him (the aforementioned problems with Alec, but also with Magnus's friends).

ship them with:  Alec

is anyone surprised 😂😂😂

(going to use this as a place to rant about malec now btw)

I love them SO MUCH. like their dynamic is really, really good — we have confident flirtatious extrovert x shy blushing introvert, sunshine x grumpy, etc. — and they're absolute BAMFs together. And then they're perfectly matched for each other: they're both a bit touch-starved, they both learned how to open up from the other ("you unlocked something in me" vs. Alec being closeted & prepared to marry Lydia), and (especially) they're both self-sacrificing & protective of each other: without the other, they're both far too willing to sacrifice themselves for others. With each other, however, that tendency is curbed (if only because the other one would immediately sacrifice themselves to save the first one). So they're absolutely perfect for each other <3

brotp them with: the immortals! (Ragnor, Raphael, and Cat)

(again, let's ignore the fact that this is supposed to be one person)

Please note: Ragnor and Raphael are both alive and well, canon can go and die in a hole like NEITHER OF THEM DID.

These four have an absolutely IMPECCABLE dynamic. They are completely chaotic (PERU ANYONE), and there's a level of comfort and familiarity that's achievable only with several lifetimes of knowing each other, which I find really intriguing & appealing.

needs to stay away from: Camille

pretty obvious here... I hate Camille <3

misc. thoughts: I LOVE HIM. (Have I mentioned that already?)

thank you for the ask! (and if anyone wants to send me more...)

[meteormoss]

This is my first listen

WAIT I JUST DID THE MATH ODYSSEUS WAS AWAY FROM HOME FOR LIKE 13 YEARS

Cuz the war was like 7 and it took him like 6 to get home after

That never really hit until i thought about his son

So he was away for most of his sons childhood

Already knowing the main parts of this stiry has me pointing and going foreshadowing

Me "thats not a good idea" at everything they point out

LOTUS! I KNOW THAT ONE!

"I see in your face there's so much guilt in your heart" thats war for ya

ATHENA

THE HARMONIES

They should have a song where the key cha gws and its the exact same space between notes but it creates more disonnance to call to the issues

POLYPHEMUS! I LOVE THIS GUY

People who are actually willing ti scream <3 (context, i had a role in a show where i had to scream and so many people thought it was so embarrassing and anyone who was forced to try it for call backs got red in the face and didnt commit, so i live for when people do)

600 men vs 600 lives

The drum is a very effective club holy shit (club to my god damn heart)

QHEN THE VILLIAN TAKES THE HEROES LINES IN A MUSICAL MY BELOVEF

Captain what are our orders CAPTAIN

All goosebumps

OH HIS VOICE DROPS IN REMEMBER THEM AND HE'S GOT A WHOLE.DOFFERENT VIBE

The thing about the crew is that their colelctive coice is lower than odysseus so he always stands out and he always seems seperate

"What good would killing do when mercy is a skill more of the world could learn to use" HOLY SHIT I CANT THIS SONG IS SO GOOD

Athenas a prick

When characters in a fight use the same phrasing <3

CALLBACKS TO PREVIOUS SONGS

I have a feeling the just a man vs monster is a theme throughout

THE INSTRUMENTS DO SOUND LIKE A STORM

"Is it nature or divine or a blessing in disquise?" HOLY SHIT

I am insane about this. My musical theater nerd is helping.

Oh the wind bag, i know this

"ODYSSEUS OF ITHACA, DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" No, sir, I (moss) do not

Based on this next songs intro, Posedion

"Ruthlessness" there's a reason he's known as the earthshaker

His voice fucking rocks

"43 left under your command" "when does a man become a monster" when odyesseus gets home he is only recognized when he strips entirely bare, until then, no one knows who he is, not his wife, not his son

"What was it?" "A woman." ......... just silence for a moment, that was so funny

"We have to save them." "No we dont?!"

HERNES MY BOY U COULD TELL JUST FRON YOUR VOICE ITS SO FITTING and his song fucks

Circe also fucks

I LOVE EVERYONES VOICES

"Hermes gave it to you, didn't he?" "Fine, yeah."

THE FACT THAT THERES NO HARMONIES WHEN CIRCE AND ODYSSEUS ARE SINGING TOGETHER IS SO GOOD

I lovw so many of the musical choices inthis

FULL SPEED AHEAD MIRROR

"558 men who died under your command" right after "when does a man become a monster" with an inhuman echo affect

"I took too long....and adventured too far" When a man is unrecignizable until he strips bare even by those closest ti him

The pain in his voice as he screams who after its implied that his wife will be with someone else but i think that someone else is him but he is no longer himself.

I think its fitting that monster happens in the underworld saga because thats the cinfrontation betqeen the death (and revival) of several parts of yourself

DAUGHTER??? THATS NOT PENELOPE

I DONT KNOW THIS PART OF THE STORY BUT THATS NOT PENELOPE, YOU DONT HAVE A DAUGHTER

SCYLLA THE SIREN

"Lets cut the charade you are no wife of mine" DAMN THE POWER! HES SCARY HOLY SHIT

DIFFERENT BEAST IS INSANE HOMY SHIT MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE

I LOVE THAT HIS VOICE GETS LOWER WHEN HE MAKES A MESSED UP DECISION and he's much more indistinguishable from the crew

MUTINY!!

"Look me in the eyes and tell me captain, Tthat tou did not just sacrifice 6 MEN!" GOOSWBUMPS

MUTINY MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE HOLY SHIT

Selfishly he sings, "i need to get home" long befire he sings "we need to get home"

CALL BACK TO IM JUST A MAN EXCEPT ITS PRESENTED AS WEAKNESS THIS TIME

The quiet of "we're too late"

"You or your crew?" HES GONNA PICK HIS CREW TO DIE HE WILL.CHOOSE HIMSELF TO LIVE its a choice that hurts but it's not hard

AND ITS DONE SO WELL

THATS IT?!?!?!

Fair warning, im copy and pasting the entire liveblog of my first listen to EPIC

[pfreadsandwrites]

hi! feel free to answer this or not however you see fit! but i’ve seen a lot of discourse lately related to sacrifice and s/o when it comes to villains vs heroes and i was wondering do you think that kakashi if driven and forced to this point, would ever sacrifice his s/o for konoha. like if it really came down to his s/o and saving the world and being able to save his people, would he do it? regardless of if they would want him to or ask him to do it, do you think he would?

Hello!!

Thank you so much for the question!! Lemme attempt to think this through

But man, this is a tough one. Because Kakashi is so loyal to his home and doing the right thing, but that 'not letting your loved ones die' has been beaten into him through trauma and survivor's guilt and everything else, and this situation is those two things coming into conflict very intensely.

TLDR: if the s/o is now a villain, he probably would. In other circumstances, I don’t think he could, not without throwing his own life away in the process.

More rambles under the cut:

I guess the first thing it would depend on is how it’s established that his s/o *must* die for the sake of the village. Like, if that idea is coming from his superiors or the Hokage or something like that, and he has orders from them, I don’t think he’ll obey them to be honest. He’s Kakashi, he’s smart, he’ll think of something and we’ve seen before that he’s okay going against orders to protect or help people close to him. So I think if it’s a case of ‘your mission is to kill Y/N because the village/world is at stake’ he’s going to work around it and not directly follow those orders, whilst still doing absolutely everything he can for the village. This is one of those instances where he trusts his own intellect and skills, so I don’t honestly think he’s even beginning to feel conflicted about what he should do in a scenario like this. Like obviously he’s not gonna even begin to consider harming his s/o unless he’s thought about absolutely everything and done everything he can. It seems weird to describe Kakashi as optimistic, but I think he is in some ways - in that he’s not willing to give up hope easily, and despite what some people say, he’s not willing to blindly follow orders and he’s shown that multiple times in the series.

I think where this has the potential to be angsty and horrible is if it really does become clear to him that it’s a matter of the village/world and his s/o. Especially when you remember that he was forced into this position with the whole Rin/three tails jinchuuriki (I know that’s not the exact same as the s/o situation but she’s a loved one) and he was basically forced to kill her for the village? I really think he’d be much more willing to kill or sacrifice himself before he’d ever let himself harm a s/o. Or rework the situation where they could both sacrifice themselves. Because he really, really doesn’t want to lose anyone else, and not his s/o of all people. It’s just too much. (This is kind of what he does near the end of the series with Obito - he’s not just willing, he’s happy to be dying with him and sacrificing himself to protect Sasuke and Naruto, until Obito stops him)

Another thing worth mentioning is that I think Kakashi’s s/o would have a self-sacrificing nature as well - because that’s really at the root of who he is too and important to him - and they also would not want him to agonise over this decision, and I think if he refused to choose the village over them, they would not let him. Maybe they’d choose to kill themselves so he wouldn’t have to make the choice, a little like Rin (though hopefully they die in a less, well, selfish (?) way than she did), or stop him from doing anything stupid like try to join him.

So, I think in most cases, Kakashi wouldn’t be able to kill his s/o. He’d very much want to die instead, or die trying to stop the conflict… or even die with them.

Because at the crux of it, the only time I see Kakashi being able to resolve himself enough to kill his s/o is if they are a villain who is actively coming against his home and his village and the entire world. It’s just dawned on me that that could be what you mean. In all other circumstances he probably wouldn’t be able to kill them, he’d die instead or die with them like I said, but this one - after trying every other avenue, pleading with them, fighting them into submission - he would resolve to stop them even if it comes to their death.

I’m just thinking about the Kakashi VS Obito fight and the way his fingers tremble after he Raikiri’s him through the heart; but he steels himself and clenches his fist before pulling out- I really think he might be able to kill his s/o if they were the villain: it’s just, if he thinks they’re long gone, and if he doesn’t stop them, more precious people will die and so will innocents and the stakes are even higher if it’s the whole world and if his s/o is the active cause of this conflict… he just couldn’t live with himself not doing everything he could to stop them. He’d convince himself in a ‘I’m protecting them and the world from themselves, I’m protecting the version of them I fell in love with’ kind of way. It’d be horrible and difficult, and Kakashi would be very happy to die straight after or in the process, but he just can’t let the s/o do this to themselves, above all else.

So I guess to answer your question: no, he wouldn’t - with the exception of being forced to, or if the s/o is a villain to the point of no return.

[codenamesazanka]

actually thinking about it, HeroAca sets up the potential for a bit of an unusual take for the Shigaraki-Deku stop-the-villain problem.

Like. I know there’s lots of readers who wishes Deku would just kill Shigaraki and be done with it; lots of readers who think Shigaraki should die, whether by someone’s hands or in an act of sacrifice to defeat AFO probably. It’s what happened before in a whole bunch of stories and/or it’s what a bunch of people think should happen in stories: No redemption for the Villain, but instead death. If we’re squeamish about dirtying the Good Protag’s hand with blood, then it’s up to the Villain to off themself somehow.

With Shigaraki though, he is literally impossible to kill right now. Like, the Heroes have tried. Multiple times. They didn’t perform CPR, they tried to burn him alive, they tried to blow him up. I think Eraserhead wanted to straight up shank him. Thanks to regeneration, Shigaraki bounces back each time. If Shigaraki can’t be killed, Heroes have no choice but to capture him alive and contain him.

So the question of ‘Will Deku be able to kill Shigaraki if it comes to it’ wouldn’t make sense unless Shigaraki stops being immortal. That’ll probably happen one way or another, but until then, considering what’s known and what the characters are working with currently in the story, the only option Deku has is to, again, capture him alive. This then gives Deku two later options: to execute Shigaraki in a planned, deliberate, methodical, possibly extreme way given the immortality thing, a way that’s very much *not* shonen protag - in fact that probably goes against the traditional plucky heroic concept of not dealing a blow to someone unarmed and defeated/surrendered; or to just keep him alive and unable to act on his destructive impulses.

The whole idea of Heroes vs Villains and the Final Battle is to settle a problem: The Villain hurts people. It’s time to stop them, forever.

As we well know from many stories, there are multiple ways to do this. There’s sealing them away somehow, whether via jail or vessel; there’s taking away their powers; and then there’s changing them, set them on the path of atonement, and not only do they stop harming people, they’re making up for it. Lately, it seems like people have found these options to be unsatisfactory because…

Well, I’m not sure. Because it’s tiresome and cliché? Because it’s unrealistic to believe evil can change? Because it’s not as cathartic? The logistics are too much? Because they don’t deserve to be alive?

From what I’ve gathered, the idea of a Hero killing a nasty, irredeemable Villain is most often justified as a precaution to prevent the Villain from ever harming someone again. Meanwhile, the idea of death as simply a punishment seems to be less popular of a given reason, probably because it seems rather savage in modern times, and especially if the Hero isn’t meant to be seen as someone ruthless or vengeful.

But if the goal is to stop harm, if the goal is to prevent the Villain from hurting anyone ever again, then having them change is just as effective as killing them, if not better because they can spend the rest of their lives repaying the world. From what we know of Shigaraki, we know this is possible: he’s not ‘born evil’, he was a sweet kid, he was purposefully raised to be a Villain, he’s currently trapped in darkness unable to see the light. Shigaraki changing is entirely possible and believable; and as someone so willful and determined, he can probably do a lot of good in atonement for the rest of his life. Even if not, him not doing bad stuff is already a good outcome.

Frankly, saving Shigaraki - not killing him - is sorta a given. If he remains immortal, then he can’t be killed anyways. If he stops being immortal, and also stops his rampage of destruction, then he doesn’t need to killed, since the goal is ‘prevent him from doing harm ever again.’

The only reasons to have Shigaraki die, are 1) he continues hating to the very end, which would be quite a pessimistic ending for HeroAca; 2) he sacrifices himself to bring down All For One, which is less pessimistic but still tragic. In both cases, the Heroes explicitly fail to save Shigaraki in all the ways that matters. Maybe that’s the bitter ending we’ll get, but that just feels strange as a conclusion for My Hero Academia’s ‘we’re the greatest heroes who saves everyone.’

anyways, basically, here are my rude opinion. i think readers wishing for Shigaraki to die in whatever way simply doesn’t want Heroes to save him because they just want to see death as retribution and punishment. Which is fine, but I think that’s missing the point of the story.

[totentanz]

Second Chances in Erha

One of the threads running through Erha is second chances, particularly the question of how to earn one. This theme really comes across in three of the shizun/disciple relationships we see: Huaizi and Chu Wanning, Luo Fenghua and Xu Shuanglin, and Chu Wanning and Mo Ran. All three of these relationships have aspects of wanting to be able to start over and remedy past mistakes, but only one of them actually gets to live happily ever after. I spent some time mulling over why that’s the case, and I think one of the themes is selfishness vs. selflessness - you can only get a second chance if you stop actively pursuing it, and let it come to you as a gift.

If we look at Huaizi and Chu Wanning, their relationship is flawed from the start. Huaizi is burdened with guilt and shame—he is, after all, the boy who helped facilitate the deaths of Chu Xun, his wife, and their son, Chu Lan, when the city of Linan was besieged by the Ghost King. But his guilty conscience won’t leave him alone, and he eventually fixates on the hope that he can somehow atone for his actions and find a way for the souls of Madam Chu and Chu Lan to reenter the cycle of reincarnation. When he hears that Chu Lan’s soul was so damaged that it’s beyond recovery, he decides to use the Divine Wood to recreate Chu Lan. It’ll be simple! He just has to carve the wood into the shape of Chu Lan, raise the resulting child until his spirit energy and body are well-developed, then bring him to ghost realm and insert the remnants of the real Chu Lan into the body created from the Divine Wood. And then Huaizi will have righted the grievous wrong he did to the Chu family on that day in Linan.

But two wrongs don’t make a right, and Huaizi’s conception of Chu Wanning as nothing more than a thing with no life and no soul, a piece of wood that exists solely to benefit someone else, is a grievous wrong. In trying to earn a second chance for Chu Lan—and to ease some of his own burden of guilt—Huaizi refuses to see Chu Wanning as a person in his own right until the last possible second, when Chu Wanning’s core has already been damaged. He ultimately  turns aside from his plan and lets Chu Wanning go out into the world, but this leaves him broken. He will no longer fulfill his plan to grant Chu Lan a second chance, and Chu Wanning is lost to him. He’s left alone, with nothing but his guilt.

If the theme in the Huaizi/Chu Wanning relationship is guilt, the trait that defines the relationship of Luo Fenghua/Xu Shuanglin is selfishness. When the two of them first meet, Xu Shuanglin’s first reaction is to be dismissive of Luo Fenghua—he thinks Luo Fenghua is too young to be an effective shizun for him, and immediately treats him disrespectfully—but he eventually warms up to him. Luo Fenghua gives Xu Shuanglin the friendship he so desperately needs, to the point that Xu Shuanglin mellows enough to wish is that he, Luo Fenghua, and Nangong Liu will be friends for life, eating oranges and climbing roofs and sharing snacks together.

But it all falls apart. Xu Shuanglin can’t let go of his resentment toward his father and his father’s favoritism of Nangong Liu, and this eventually drives him to murder his father and take possession of the Rufeng Sect, not realizing that the ring of the Sect Leader causes its bearer to suffer incredible pain in the moonlight. Unable to endure it, he decides to pass it on to Nangong Liu via Luo Fenghua—only for Luo Fenghua to decide that he will bear the curse himself and spare Nangong Liu for as long as he can.

And Xu Shuanglin can’t bear it. He desperately wants to get a second chance with Luo Fenghua, to have a life where they can eat oranges together and be happy, but he goes about it with complete disregard for anyone else. His use of the Forbidden Techniques bring suffering to others, from the disaster at Butterfly Town to the burning of the Rufeng Sect, and when the protagonists finally arrive at Mount Jiao, they realize he’s set out to become the Emperor of his own little fantasy world. Nangong Liu, his brother and rival, has been forced to exist in a childlike state where all he wants is to bring oranges to “His Majesty,” his sister-in-law has been reduced to a puppet, and he can preside over his perfect world deciding what is fair and what is not. He’ll have his shizun back and the world will be exactly as he wills it, never mind that his world is built on deception and suffering.

But Xu Shuanglin doesn’t get his second chance. It turns out that his attempts to bring back Luo Fenghua and live in his perfect little world were only done in the service of yet another chess master, and as he watches Luo Fenghua’s incomplete resurrection fall apart before his eyes, he falls apart along with him. It’s a heartrending scene, but did Xu Shuanglin deserve a second chance? Did he really want to bring Luo Fenghua back so that he could remedy the flaws in the first iteration of their relationship, or does he just want to create a fantasy that he has complete control over?

The only pair that manages to earn their second chance is Mo Ran and Chu Wanning, and the key to their success is that they aren’t so obsessed with getting one that they lose sight of what is right and what is wrong. Their actions are based on selflessness, not selfishness. When Mo Ran agrees to accept the Flower of Hatred in Chu Wanning’s place, he has no expectation that this will erase the crimes he committed at the Drunken Jade Pavilion, he simply wants to spare Chu Wanning the agony of undergoing the Flower’s curse. Later, when Chu Wanning slips through time to remove the Flower from Mo Ran’s heart, he does so out of the desire to finally be able to protect Mo Ran (“Now, I’ll save you. I’ll take care of you.”). And even at the very end, when the two of them have realized their feelings for each other, they never lose sight of everyone else. They aren’t going to abandon the rest of the world to create their own false paradise. At the novel’s climax, Mo Ran/Taxian Jun proves willing to sacrifice his own life to keep the Gate of Time and Space and Life and Death open long enough for everyone who accompanied him to the alternate timeline to escape, and Chu Wanning trusts him and respects him enough to honor his choices.

And so, their second chance is earned. They are devoted to each other, but they don’t see the other person as a mere possession; and while they complement each other, they aren’t using the other person as a tool for making themselves feel better their past crimes. They want to do what is best for their partner and for the world, even if that might cause them personal pain. That selflessness is what ultimately grants them that second chance that eluded the other shizun/disciple pairs. If you comport yourself with compassion and justice, it can come to you as a gift. But strive for it and trample over others, and it will always slip through your fingers.

[ataraxixx]

this explanation would be true if the fandom was like the age range of the target audience but saying harumi has never had a redeeming moment like morro to make her relatable (if we take crystalized out of the equation since its fairly recent) just isnt true. she has an equally emotional moment at the end of s9 where she sacrifices her own life for the sake of others and her character arc comes full circle.

its valid to say 'ah, its a kids show, so people are only going to understand redeemed villain vs evil villain' in terms of characters, but that really only applies to children-- everyone on this app is well aware of themselves as an older fan of the show and able to conceive of the characters in more complex ways than the show does. thats *why* morro has such a large following to begin with. because people took the basis they were given in ghost story & cursed world and ran with it. id say morro and harumis character arcs can both be summed up like this, generally speaking

traumatic experience as a child causes them to become disillusioned with the world -> evil ensues -> they realize they were in the wrong and have a 'redeeming' moment in which they acknowledge their faults

crystalized is New. if crystalized had came out like, years ago at this point i would be more willing to be like ah yea people dont like harumi cuz her character arc sucks. but the oni trilogy has been out since 2017-2018. Harumi's character arc has been thought to be complete for like 5 or 6 years now. That's plenty of time for her to be psychoanalyzed, had angst made of her, and created a following. I wasn't exactly active on tumblr when s5 aired, but i imagine the following morro grew was relatively quick to sprout up .Yet generally speaking, i see a lot more hate for her than i do fans in the fandom at large. which is interesting-- because its not like i see morro hate, you know?

and you can say 'oh harumi did worse things' but its not that she did do worse things than morro-- its as you said, its *framed* that way by the show. and now lets step back for a moment and look at ninjago's stellar writing of female characters (its non existent). its crazy how a male villain doing something evil and redeeming himself is just well he redeemed himself! hes good now! but i am fairly certain that when s9 aired and harumi died trying to save a family, nobody's tune was changed. people still hated her for what she did to lloyd, even though her actions were heartfelt and genuine. but its not like people hate morro for what he did to lloyd-- most people forgive him because he felt bad in the end to go back on his actions. and its not about 'well the writing frames it as this' because literally everyone on this app ignores the writing. the morro fandom especially. and all of this isnt to say 'you should love harumi', but it is to point out the very clear & active misogyny she faces as the shows *sole* main female antagonist besides aspheera. because i already know if harumi was a man you guys would have ate her up years ago as a poor misguided sadboy, and i dont think anyone could disagree on that

if you enjoy lloyd morro cousins content but think liking lloyd and harumi siblings hc is weird/bad im going to squint at you really hard. just a little bit. sorry. obviously everyone can like/dislike whatever hcs they want but lets not be hypocritical nyeow .....

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

FIRST ROUND: 1st Tilt

Frodo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) VS. Prince Chauncley, Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020)

Propaganda

Frodo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) Portrayed by: Elijah Wood Defeated Opponents: - Dong Yilong [Henry Lau], Double World (2020)

“The bluest of blue eyes, the burden, the sacrifice, the sadness… When I was in middle school and the movies were coming out, you were either an Aragorn girl or a Legolas girl. I was a Frodo girl.”

Prince Chauncley, Miracle Workers: The Dark Ages (2020) Portrayed by: Daniel Radcliffe Defeated Opponents: - Bilbo Baggins [Martin Freeman], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

“How can you not love a prince played by Tony-winning mensch Daniel Radcliffe?? Chauncley is also such a sweetie, even if he can be air headed at times. Plus his romance with Geraldine Viswanathan's character is very cute.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Frodo Baggins:

“*cracks knuckles* Okay, everyone. My time has come. Let me tell you all about the beautiful, wonderful treasure that is Frodo Baggins.

He's mischievous, at least at the start of the story. His best friends are Merry and Pippin, and you can't tell me he didn't get into shenanigans with them once in a while. Whether it's repeatedly stealing Farmer Maggot's mushrooms as a kid in the book, or pushing Sam towards Rosie and cackling like a maniac afterwards in the movie, this makes him more relatable and imperfectly human, for lack of a better term, and you can't help but laugh with him.

"He's brave. Oh, he is so brave. Not in the sense that we would usually think- he's terrified the whole way through, and who wouldn't be in his situation? But he lets himself cry, lament his fate, feel whatever he needs to feel, do whatever he needs to do... and he gets up and keeps going anyway. He keeps going even though he's carrying something that's literally killing him, and rarely complains even though he'd be well within his rights to. This quote says it all, really: 'I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way.'

"But most of all? He is so, so terribly kind. He's kind to everyone he meets, even to those who arguably don't deserve it, such as Gollum and Saruman. He loves the people/world he loves so much that he's willing to sacrifice himself to save them without any hesitation or thanks. And it's his kindness towards Gollum that actually ends up saving the day in the end! How could anyone not love him?”

For Prince Chauncley:

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

Yeah, so I read your HP headcanons/analysis and I found it really well put. I was wondering about your thoughts on Dumbledore and who he really was as a person. (It’s okay if you don’t really want to reply :> )

We’re just getting all up into The Carnivorous Muffin headcanon land, aren’t we?

Well, this one’s probably obvious to anyone who reads my work.

I fall on the manipulative Dumbledore side of things and then some. Dumbledore is not only a bastard man but is a raging misogynist and extremely classist (which is funny because I don’t see too many people calling him out for those last two when to me canon all but shouts it at you). 

Basically, what it comes down to, is even taken in very good faith I simply cannot read Dumbledore’s actions as benign in pretty much every single goddamn decision he makes ever.

God, where do I even start here? I guess we can go chronologically.

Well, there was Dumbledore’s Wizard Nazi youth with an oddly Dorian Gray flare to it with Gellert. I think it’s fairly obvious why Dumbledore’s not exactly... good there so I’m going to skip past it. Suffice to say, it took his sister’s death (and maybe murdering his own invalid sister) for Dumbledore to stop planning world domination. Even then it wasn’t so much that world domination was wrong, but because his sister died and he was an asshole.

I’m going to go ahead and include CoG and Fantastic Beasts because I can (CoG, while a terrible movie, actually does entertain me in many ways). Anyways, before the films came out I always considered the younger Dumbledore far more stoic and brooding. He doesn’t get his eccentric persona until after the defeat of Grindelwald and was before then angsty mcangsts and an academic at heart. 

Well, per CoG, apparently he was a budding spy master long before defeating Gellert/Voldemort popped up. We see him manipulating Newt, sending him to Paris as his own agent, WHEN NEWT DOESN’T WANT TO GO AND HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT DUMBLEDORE USED HIM INTHE LAST FILM. Dumbledore writes off having used Newt for his own agenda with a charming smile but none the less it paints a pretty grim picture that Albus has always been... Albus. There has always been a greater good out there somewhere and the man is always using someone as a pawn.

Cut to canon and his treatment of Tom Riddle. Frankly, Dumbledore’s treatment of the young Tom Riddle, and even Tom Riddle just before he came Voldemort, is insane. The thought experiment I like to run is “replace Tom in those scenes with Harry Potter”.

Harry was a poor orphan, whose guardians would more than match what Mrs. Cole said about Tom Riddle, who had spurts of accidental magic now and then and enjoyed when his bully cousin was discomfitted. Now, imagine Dumbledore giving Harry his letter, and then pretending to light all of Harry’s possessions on fire to “teach him a lesson”. What the fuck?

Now, am I saying Tom Riddle wasn’t creepy here and that killing a rabbit was terrible. No. But I am saying Dumbledore had a horrible reaction to it and is proud of it years later. (Also, the fact that he uses this memory to convince Harry of how evil Tom is, is hilarious to me. Dumbledore, you were the shit that lit people’s wardrobes on fire. If I was Tom, I’d be upset too). 

Dumbledore is always like this with Tom Riddle. He thinks the worst of Tom even in points where Tom hasn’t done anything. I’m not talking about later when, yes, Tom did live up to Dumbledore’s fears but when Dumbledore treats him like garbage and actively sabotaged Tom’s career.

Anyways, cut to later when the Marauders are in school. One of the big things is that Dumbledore puts up a guerilla resistance gang OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. While most members are older, James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter are all only just out of Hogwarts. “Well,” you say, “It’s their choice and they did graduate. Surely Dumbledore wasn’t actually recruiting school children.” I point you towards canon, where Dumbledore convinces three actual school children that the fate of the nation rests on their shoulders and to go fight the good fight. So yes, Dumbledore canonically uses child soldiers and has no regret for doing so.

The other is letting James and Sirius off the hook for the Lupin incident. While Dumbledore talks the talk this showed that he was not willing to walk the walk. True, while getting them into major trouble would have involved outing Lupin (who was innocent in all of this) at the same time they were nearly responsible for the murder of another student. It’s very convenient that Dumbledore lets off the rich son of a lord, two individuals who later end up in the resistance movement (Potter likely funding part of it), and tells the impoverished half blood to sit down and shut up.

And in canon, yes, I believe that Dumbledore absolutely knew what Harry’s home condition was like. While the blood wards are an excuse they aren’t a particularly good one as for most of Harry’s childhood the Death Eaters were all accounted for. Harry was in no extreme danger from them. To not have had an inkling of Harry’s home life (when Harry even hints at it when wanting to stay over the summer, Harry runs away from home in third year, Fred and George see the bars on the window, and he even visits Harry’s home in sixth year) would be such laughable incompetence and stupidity it’s right out.

With that, I absolutely do believe what Snape showed us in the memory, the Dumbledore behind the scenes as it were. That Dumbledore knew fairly early that Harry Potter was a horcrux and began grooming Harry for suicide. Specifically, that’s what sixth year really is. All those memories of Tom Riddle, the pretext to get some memory from Slughorn, it’s an excuse for a smear campaign designed to convince Harry that Tom Riddle is inherently evil and must die at all costs, even Harry’s own life. 

Dumbledore didn’t need that Slughorn memory. Sure, it was useful to know Tom intended to make seven but think about it. How did Dumbledore know there’d be anything remotely useful in there? He doesn’t know that Tom actually drops a number on Slughorn. Even then, he doesn’t know whether Tom actually goes and does it. All of it felt like, “Harry, I have a super secret important mission that only YOU can do. Can you handle it, Harry? Because without this the country is surely doomed” And in that I mean it was an effort to win back Harry’s favor after the previous year meltdown, keep him busy, and start in on the excuse to show Harry some pretty damn innocuous memories of Tom Riddle and go, “See, HE IS EVIL!”

Due to this, I frankly think that the train scene was a hallucination on Harry’s part. Wishful thinking for some gentle explanation of how Dumbledore had not cruelly used him for years and intended his death. 

Well, that and it never made much sense that Dumbledore could predict Harry’s a) becoming the master of death b) miraculous second resurrection.

In the first case, Harry becomes master of death because of wand lore bullshit and happenstance where Harry happens to save Draco’s life. Dumbledore had no idea such a thing would happen. Dumbledore’s plan was for there to be no master of death, as the wand would default to having no owner when Snape defeated Dumbledore on Dumbledore’s orders. That Draco got the wand is a sort of Deus ex Machina. Sorry guys, Dumbledore intended Harry to die.

More, even then, while Dumbledore was very into the occult of these things we leave canon without any idea if these things are even responsible for his resurrection. They’re just relatively nifty objects with a legend behind them. There was nothing concrete to suggest that, should Harry happen to get all of them, he would be able to rise from the dead.

Otherwise onto the misogyny and classism parts.

In terms of misogyny this is from every time Dumbledore talks about Lily Evans or Merope Gaunt. In the case of Lily, she’s this weird Madonna figure whose love for Harry was so powerful it saved his life. That she also happened to make these blood wards Dumbledore cannot reproduce and extended her protection to Harry wherever he went is irrelevant. It’s her love that counts. That feminine, maternal, love purer than all others.

Basically, Dumbledore seems to be of the belief that women are flowers. The best of women are these demure, selfless, brave women who sacrifice themselves for their children. Yikes, Dumbledore.

Merope’s the really bad one though. Merope’s tale is how she drugged and raped a defenseless muggle for months and then he escaped. Dumbledore spins it into this Victorian tale of woe where Tom Riddle Sr. THE KIDNAPPED RAPE VICTIM is the asshole here who abandoned Merope to the merciless cold world. How dare he. 

It’s very clear that Dumbledore doesn’t see Merope, or women in general, as people. Instead these weird Victorian ideals who can be tragic victims of circumstance.

As for the classism.

While Dumbledore’s very against the pureblood culture we see in the Malfoys a lot of his treatment of Tom Riddle feels very... classist. The big one, which is a little tangential but I say it counts, is Dumbledore’s theory that children of rape are incapable of love. Granted, he’s saying this while convincing Harry to kill himself for the good of the cause and there is a real world parallel in that alcohol/drugs while pregnant is a very bad idea that can lead to extreme mental and physical health disorders. That said, we’re talking love potions at conception, and it always read more as “rape babies” vs. specific drugs. And that is... just yikes on so many levels.

Now, do I agree with manipulative Dumbledore we see in many fics? No, because Dumbledore’s not that stupid.

He doesn’t need to borrow money from Harry’s vault, he doesn’t need to pay off Hermione and Ron to be Harry’s friends, he doesn’t need to choose Harry’s friends for him, he doesn’t need to manipulate Harry’s memories directly. He doesn’t need to do any of this because he got what he wanted just fine in canon.

Dumbledore is one of the smartest characters in canon, far smarter than Harry, and he doesn’t have to stoop to such outrageous schemes to get what he wants. Poorly concealed smear campaigns convincing Harry to commit suicide are more than enough.

[digitalzombie]

Ok. I read it, I cried, and now I feel empty inside lol

*Chapter 139 Spoilers*

The ending wasn’t as bad as people make it out to be, but that��s because things were headed in that direction anyway. I won’t say that the ending was incredible, though. There are still some things that need clarification.

My thoughts, what I understood, and questions I had while I read the chapter:

The Rumbling… It’s the worst thing that Eren has done. It was still something he caused with Ymir’s help. To me, this chapter confirmed that Eren was always behind the Rumbling; it wasn’t Ymir’s doing. I don’t see that as a positive thing for his character, though a lot of fans who supported his actions might… I see people argue that the Rumbling was for nothing, or that it was set off because of Eren’s love for Mikasa. I guess that’s true, but he was also thinking about everyone he loved including Mikasa. It wasn’t because he was a “simp;” he addressed that he wanted to sacrifice himself so that the so-called ‘avengers’ could be seen as heroes, to destroy the allied forces and buy Paradis time to build an army large enough to protect the island, his home. It’s a highly flawed strategy on his part, but this is the gist of what I understood.

Eren’s outburst about Mikasa to Armin took me by surprise, but that’s because I haven’t seen Eren lose his composure like that since the cave scene in Season 3 (where Eren begs Historia to take the Founding Titan). He was devastated about what he was doing (or going to do), and somewhat childish. He reminded me of a child having a tantrum. He was selfish. I think it showed his humanity was not completely gone. I had to keep in mind that he was reduced to a child during the Rumbling. Perhaps what we were seeing in those panels was something similar to that. He was a traumatized individual and was never really able to express his feelings well. He was vulnerable and expressing his deepest desires. He wanted to be with Mikasa and his friends. He wanted to live a normal life.

Eren and Armin’s friendship still remains true to the very end. Eren was vulnerable in front of Armin as he had been before. I like that Armin gets closure.

Mikasa Ackerman and her memories… I’m kind of stumped. I wonder if her memories were manipulated despite being an Ackerman. I’m also wondering about Levi under the assumption that Eren also spoke to him via Paths.

Mikasa and Eren’s head. It is kind of weird, but humans respond to death differently. I had to keep in mind that she’s the one who killed him. She’s respectful of what’s left of his body. How else was she supposed to carry his head?

Also, Mikasa leaving with Eren’s head: Again, a little weird, but she wanted to let him rest in peace. I’m assuming that if she stayed behind with Armin and the rest of the survivors, Marleyan authorities (or at least of what’s left of them) would have taken his remains into custody.

The Survey Corps’ final salute made me ugly sob. I love that Levi got to say goodbye to them a final time. Same thing with Sasha… However, I wish that Jean got closure about Marco. I also wish that Bertholdt got closure, or had a final interaction with the warriors.

Marleyans vs Eldians after the titans disappear: I’m not surprised. They were almost killed by the titans that had transformed. They were being cautious. It reminds me of Season 1 when Eren, Armin, and Mikasa faced canon fire after they learned about Eren’s titan.

Also, what happened to the parasite-thing? I assume that it died after Eren was killed. But did it just disappear like the titans did?

What happened to Ymir? Seriously, where did she go lol. I also don’t like the idea that she loved King Fritz. It’s awful. Although I do see her as someone who wanted love and approval. She was a slave and the King used her as such for power. This was probably the closest she ever got to feeling loved and wanted. It’s a sad thought. I can’t help thinking that she had Stockholm Syndrome.

Also: the power of love prevails! And by that, I mean Mikasa’s love having an influence on Ymir. My understanding of this was that Ymir felt someone’s love through Eren. Again, all Ymir wanted, aside from freedom, was to be loved and wanted.

Annie and her father: I obviously cried. She finally got to see him.

Annie and her titan’s abilities: What was the point of telling us that she could mimic the powers of other titans? I was hoping to see that happen during the final battle.

The warriors and the remaining soldiers get to live. I’m semi-bitter about Hange’s death. I’m indifferent about the others’ survival just because somebody had to have survived.

When it comes to Historia’s pregnancy, I still see it as a way for her to save herself from taking the Beast Titan. It was implied before, and it was implied now. There’s this idea of her pregnancy being pointless, but I think it was to save her skin and buy Eren some time to meet with Zeke. It’s selfish of her, yes, but she didn’t only do it for Eren; she did it for herself, too. She didn’t really want to be queen, she didn’t really want to be a titan, and maybe she didn’t really want to be a mother. But she did want to live, so she found a way to survive. At least she’s seen happy with her daughter. I hope that she named her Ymir, after the woman who sacrificed everything for her.

Paradis, the Eldian Empire, and the Yaegerists: Paradis is basically a stratocracy (a military-run government). It’s not shocking that they became a powerful country after the rest of the world was left in devastating states. Historia seems to be in power, though I can’t say she has complete authority over everyone. The Wings of Freedom were changed to two rifles and similar wings, a huge hint that their military is a high priority. Did anyone else notice that those in power are younger than the ones who used to be? Not to mention that the civil war in Paradis is very reminiscent to what happens in real life when small countries have civil uprisings. This “cycle of hate” will not end, and it’s a blatant message that can be applied to the real world. Theirs isn’t a happy ending, though it is as realistic as it can get.

Kiyomi is alive but what happened to Yelena? Also, Mikasa is pretty much royalty… Why didn’t that get addressed? I get that it’s not a central part of the story, but it is a major fact about her.

Reiner’s crush on Historia bugs me. It’s… weird? It seems like the little bit of comic relief we get in the chapter… It makes me wonder if the titans never existed and the world wasn’t at war, would Reiner actually be this creepy? lol

Armin and Annie? I guess it’s implied that they’re a couple, but I’m not so sure… She listens to what he has to say and watches him fondly. I think that’s enough to say that they’re canon… (for me, anyway lol)

Levi living outside of Paradis is fitting for someone who wants to live in peace, given that the Yeagerists tried to get rid of the older military leaders. Not to mention that it became a country that seems to be a stratocracy. He was injured severely during the Rumbling, so being in a wheelchair shouldn’t be surprising. The fact that Gabi and Falco are hanging out with him is adorable. I also like that Onyankopon lives!

Mikasa by Eren’s grave shouldn’t mean that she doesn’t have a life that doesn’t revolve around Eren. She lives on Paradis, her home. I’m sure that Historia looks after her. I’m also sure that she visits his grave frequently. Does Eren deserve her love? Probably not. But Mikasa does love him. She still mourns for him.

Overall, I liked the chapter. I wish my questions were answered. I’m sure I missed some things, but that’s all I have so far. I’m willing to reread SnK later on, but for my sanity’s sake, I’ll hold off on that lol.

[californiannostalgia]

Tangled the Series Character Analysis: Childhood Trauma POV

I can't believe Tangled the Series really created two incredible antivillains and threw them in direct contrast with the pre-existing golden couple. I love what the showrunners did with the main quartet, so I made a very subjective analysis post about it from a Childhood Trauma POV. (Spoilers, obviously.)

The Boys

The series' focus is on Rapunzel, and by association her direct opposite, Cassandra, so the boys get comparatively less screen time. But it doesn't take long to figure out that Varian is meant to be a parallel for Eugene—these are two people dealing with the absence of parental guardians, struggling to reconcile the lives they previously had with their changing ideals in relation to a less-than-perfect Father Figure.

They both respond to the helpless state of being young, alone, and powerless by trying to take back power in any way they can. Eugene reinvented himself and buried his desires for a family. Varian throws in everything he has into recovering what he lost, because he's a child and the best solution he can think of is to return to the familiar safety of his father's presence. A significant portion of his desperation is fueled by fear of his father’s disapproval, because as much as Quirin loves Varian, he wasn’t the dependable voice of support. Varian needs approval from outside sources, which was also Flynn Rider’s purpose in life, once upon a time. (Again, parallels.) 

Throughout the series, the boys' relationship with each other transforms from exasperated incomprehension to easy understanding. The process is hastened as Eugene lets himself realize he cares a lot about troubled kids who remind him of himself. He becomes aware that children should not be required to survive on their own like he and Lance had. Spurred on by his significant other's love and encouragement, Eugene is able to acknowledge the adverse affects of his childhood on his life and start moving on. His extending a ready hand to Varian is his process of healing. Though Eugene's first priority will always be Rapunzel, he truly wants to save Varian from the uncontrollable volatility of risky decisions because he knows that downward spiral intimately.

Of course, there is a difference between thieving from the rich and planning the destruction of a kingdom. We'll get to that later.

The Girls

Rapunzel and Cassandra are the biggest driving forces of narrative power in the show, and they are survivors of child abuse. Every one of the main quartet has Parent Issues, but Rapunzel takes the crown (figuratively speaking) with this one. She was kidnapped and groomed into a life-giving doll, and she was only able to escape her abusive adoptive mother through incredibly traumatizing means. For Cassandra, it was neglect, and even her loving adoptive father couldn't leviate the scars left on her childhood mind.

They're a classic case of Golden Child vs. Scapegoat, which is a common case seen in siblings raised by Narcissistic parents. When one child is "favored" more than the other, the kids experience vastly different childhoods, resulting in resentment that stems from their inability to understand each other. Rapunzel and Cassandra are both jealous of what the other had—Rapunzel wants Cassandra's casual, practiced ease with freedom and personal agency, while Cassandra wants the attention and respect that Rapunzel is given by the status of her birth. Because they're unwilling to speak candidly about the unique hardships of their childhood, what results is a series of miscommunications that put a strain on their friendship.

Cassandra and Rapunzel both want the other in their lives, but how they attempt to make that connection is very different. Cassandra wants to be a helpful, essential force in Rapunzel's life. Unfortunately, Rapunzel has been raised on the idea that when push comes to shove, no one will help her survive. Cassandra interprets Rapunzel's desire for independence as Rapunzel scorning the connection that Cassandra is attempting to create. Add in some manipulation from an ancient evil, and Cassandra decides she is done exhausting her emotions for Rapunzel.

Rapunzel, on the other hand, wants absolute honesty in her relationships. Gothel raised her on lies, so she spurns deception. But Cassandra knows the merits of protecting herself by holding her opinions in, which is where the misunderstandings occur. Rapunzel cannot trust someone who isn't completely forthright with her. She's tired of dealing with liars, and she grows afraid that Cassandra will cause her the same pain as Gothel did. But the thing is, Cassandra is not Gothel, and Rapunzel loved Gothel. She couldn't save Gothel, but maybe she can save Cassandra. It's not too late.

Rapunzel doesn't know when to give up on Cassandra because she is aware that she and Cassandra are similar people. Giving up on Cassandra would feel too much like giving up on her own hopes for a happy life. Rapunzel can't let Cassandra be unhappy. This princess cares too much, loves too hard. She never learned how to write people off because you can't survive a childhood like hers with that much cheer if you don't hang onto your optimism like a goddamn lifeline.

This is Rapunzel’s method of taking back power for herself: saving others. Rapunzel could have been Cassandra. Rapunzel is trying to believe she herself is worth saving—therefore, Cassandra must be worth saving as well. Rapunzel's significant other is giving her a stable source of love and support, but without a proper resolution to Cassandra's struggles—a final proof that despite Gothel's influence, they can both be happy—Rapunzel would feel incomplete.

The Golden Couple

At the end of the day, Rapunzel and Eugene are fundamentally good people. If it comes down to it, they would be unable to sacrifice the world for their own desires. (Eugene's thievery doesn't count as an expression of true desire because it was literally his method of survival. An expression of true, selfish desire for him might've been something like manipulation and abduction for the purposes of making people stay, but Eugene is not Gothel and he would never do that to anyone in a million years.) (On a side note, Rapunzel's selfish desire might've manifested in the abandonment of all duties and personal connections in favor of eternal exploration, or revenge towards a kingdom that failed to save her, or a thorough destruction of authority figures—but she loves people too much and would never be able to forsake her family.)

Life threw a lot of rocks at them, but these two came through it marginally well-adjusted. They affirmed their love for each other in a violent, unforgettable manner, which makes it easier for them to trust in each other's affection. Eugene would've been okay with never finding his biological father, just as Rapunzel had been okay with her biological parents' inability to protect her. They have no wish to punish the world for what they suffered. They’re content with who they are. They're just glad they made it, that they're finally allowed to love someone without being afraid. They're each other's saving grace.

The Antivillains

This is the difference between Hero and Antivillain: Cassandra and Varian are willing to punish the world for what happened to them. There’s a very faint line between justified retaliation and venting. In their desperation and anger, they cross the line, and they’re unable to stop themselves once they get going. Unlike the Golden Couple, Cassandra and Varian refuse to settle. They want what is owed. 

Also, they really, really hate themselves. (This is important.)

Varian believes Quirin is the ultimate source of affirmation. The fact that he lost his father by way of his own dangerous experiment, coupled with the fact that no one prioritizes his call for help in the face of national disaster, is enough to make him feel isolated from the world. Though he is burdened with a growing sense of remorse for his deeds, he doesn’t stop resorting to drastic, harmful measures to get his father back until he is forcefully stopped by betrayal from his allies. He finally makes the full transition from “antagonist” to “protagonist” when Rapunzel risks herself to save Quirin from the rocks. If Quirin could not be saved, there’s a possibility Varian might have stayed an antagonist, unenthusiastic though he may have been in his villainous role. As long as Quirin is trapped in those rocks, Varian remains the villain who put him there.

With Quirin safe, Varian allows himself to take huge steps in healing. He slowly rediscovers his self-worth, one that is separate from Quirin’s approval. Rapunzel—and by extension, Eugene—play the friendly, supportive role to Varian’s ingenuity, helping him along in his quest for self-acceptance. Varian still has trouble working through the heavily ingrained self-hatred, but he recovers enough confidence in his own judgment that he takes Eugene’s warning to heart and is able to install a safety device in his father’s helmet, just in case.

This is the Varian who meets Cassandra in the Tower that once belonged to Gothel. At this point in time, Cassandra has been manipulated into thinking of herself as weak and unimportant in comparison to Rapunzel. Her adoptive father, much like Quirin, was too gruff to be vocal with approvals. Her efforts have not been met with successes. She feels like a failure, and she hates feeling like a failure. This is Cassandra’s method of taking back power: by turning herself into someone unforgettable. If she can make something of herself, she’ll finally be able to prove Gothel wrong. She can be just as special as Rapunzel, if she’s given the chance. She wants that chance.

Similar to Varian, Cassandra doesn’t stop her downward spiral until her supposed ally and mentor betrays her and forcefully takes her power away. Only when there are no options left does she allow herself to admit that she was wrong. She is then rewarded for her honesty with Rapunzel’s love and trust. Armed with a new confidence, the sisters vanquish the evil together in an epic showdown that will long be remembered. Cassandra finally gets her dramatic hero’s tale.

Rapunzel and Eugene have an internal compass that lets them make snap decisions. They don’t have the healthiest self-esteem, but they can at least stand by what they think is right. Comparatively speaking, Cassandra and Varian have terrible self-esteem. They don’t trust their own judgment and are heavily influenced by outside forces. Without the constant barrage of trust and affection from Rapunzel, who is akin to a blazing sun when it comes to personal loyalty, these antivillains might never have reached their redemptive ending. They wouldn’t have been able to let go of their twisted priorities without outside influence. Can’t blame them for it, though.

It’s no surprise that Cassandra and Varian are relatable to many people. Who wouldn’t want to reclaim what was taken from them during childhood? (Of course, the problem occurs when you start hurting others to reclaim what you lost.) Their journey is a different kind of vulnerable from Rapunzel and Eugene’s journey, and it’s extraordinary in its detail. This show is essentially a long exploration of the various ways a parent can mess you up and the coping methods of kids who want to become more than their past, which is totally up my alley of expertise. I’m grateful I got to watch them grow taller than their trauma.

Finally, here’s a parting gif of Lance, because I love him and he’s a well-adjusted ray of sunshine. We all wish we could be as mentally stable as Lance—the main quartet included.

[tundra-tiger]

…Okay I am dying to know about the misadventures of your ttrpg character who pulls a Willful Bilbo Baggins vs Classic Bilbo’s “A wizard made me do it.” XD

YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT MY SWEET BABY TIEFLING CLERIC ASTRA WHO JUST WANTED TO FIND HIS COUSIN AND HAVE A SMALL ADVENTURE DOING IT BUT NOW HAS TO SAVE THE WORLD???

Astra is my tiefling cleric of Sarenrae, a goddess of light and justice and mercy (from another game system, DM suggested her) who was raised in a small abbey with his cousin Pence since he was about four-- Greenwood Abbey is most all he remembers, being raised by the order there, helping the injured or refuge-seekers who traveled to them, gathering herbs for medicine to bring to town (Yes it is heavily influenced by Redwall, because No One Can Stop Me >:3)

His cousin didn't take to life raised in an Abbey like he did, and would travel far and wide as soon as she was old enough to (possibly sooner). She'd leave for weeks at a time, show back up for a few days, then be off again-- no word where she went, just a quick goodbye and she was gone. The order didn't want to force anyone to join, and they didn't want to make her feel unwelcome, but few of them knew what to make of her in-and-out behavior. They were pretty sure she just came back for Astra, who had thrown his whole self into the studies and practice of the Abbey, training to be a healer

Only one of the times she came back, Pence and Astra had an argument, one of those big messy misunderstandings that would have needed a few days of breathing room and some time examining the other person's actual words with a clear head to clear up. Only Pence left that night, without saying goodbye, a thing she had never done in the fifteen years they'd lived at the Abbey. So, Astra set out to see where she'd gone to, heading to places nearby or that she'd mentioned before, hoping to at least get a clue as to where she'd gone-- and if she was in trouble (and to apologize, if she wasn't)

He got a job to pay passage to a town with an inn name that sounded familiar, delivering some iron with a few other adventures. In town, they ended up learning of a group of goblins gathering under the banner of an evil priest-king, threatening farmers and shepherds in town and stealing sheep. In checking it out, the small group ended up not only taking down a cruel cleric and his growing mercenary band, but learned of the rise of a cult that had once threatened the whole of the land, enslaving and sacrificing any they could get their hands on to amass their power, to unleash even more destructive terror upon any they saw as enemy.

Even then, it's been an entire cascade of "it's only just--" mini-missions, leading into one another. It's only just checking out these goblins who attacked a shepherd. It's only a trip to this old moathouse, to talk to their leader. It's only a trip north to the next town over, to see if similar is happening there-- I wanted to check for Pence there anyway. It's only helping. It's only a few more days. It's only until I find Pence

As far as Astra can tell rn, something has happened with Pence. He was told she came through the northern town, or that someone who looked like him passed through and lived in the same direction as the old cult's temple, and since she's (as far as he knows) his only living blood-relation, who else could it be? But there's no sign of anyone living along the river near the temple, and so many mercenaries within, so many captives, he doesn't know what he dreads more. Finding her there as a sacrifice, or as a hired blade. And now there's a prophecy the team's paladin was given, so even those who originally asked them to go see have entrusted stopping the cult to join and his companions. After all the horrors he's seen inflicted on beings, and the horrors the cult plans, he couldn't leave even if there weren't a prophecy. He couldn't call himself a follower of Sarenrae if he left the world to suffer. If he left Jeffrey and the merchants and Wonillon the thief and the whole room of captives by the ghouls to suffer? Or any others they haven't found yet, as they try to make their way through this terrible temple??

But Astra doesn't know how much longer he can stand all the bloodshed, as they fight their way through undead and mercenaries and hell knights and so many, so many who attack them on sight, but of course they attack on sight, we’re strangers in their private temple, they’re hired to guard it, but they’re trying to torment and slaughter any they can get their hands on and…

He writes letters home to cope. Only the first set of letters has been sent out, since there’s little need for mail-carriers around the town they work out of, so he’s mostly been writing just to get through things. He hasn’t been heard anything from the abbey since he reached this town, nor have they heard anything from him for weeks

[tundrainafrica]

Remember when Kenny Ackerman mentioned that “Everyone is drunk on something to keep pushing. Power, family, dreams, children etc. Everyone was a slave to something.” I find it really intriguing and fascinating. I think SnK story is just really well written and deep.

Anyways... I want to ask if Levi is also the same. If he is also drawn to a strong desire and be drunk on that desire to keep on pushing. I know he wanted to fulfill his promise to Erwin, but aside from that, what would be the the humanity’s strongest soldier strongly wished for?

Thank you.

Hello Anon, 

This is a super interesting ask and I was super excited to tackle this so here I am at 4am just writing this because the last episode made me sadder than I expected to be. 

 “Everyone is drunk on something to keep pushing. Power, family, dreams, children etc. Everyone was a slave to something.”

Kenny is right. I honestly think to a degree we can apply this type of thinking to real life, particularly during war torn periods because in the most hopeless situations, we kinda have to explain how people are able to pull motivation out of their asses and keep fighting during trench warfare for example etc etc. I actually ended up reading a lot on post war ideologies shaped from trench warfare commonly used in WWI and WWII when I was finishing up AOT and I think I applied some of it in this fic. 

And I do have this headcanon that this idea that you have to be drunk to continue fighting and to stay motivated was particularly stronger among the survivors (soldiers and citizens alike). Because the realization that the world is a shitty place through exposure to suffering, war, violence and general hopelessness of the situation comes slowly in the battlefield, especially when means were made for battle to last longer (like trench warfare.) And these long drawn out battles give soldiers time to think about what the hell they are really fighting for and these longass reflections can really make or break people and sometimes, we need an (almost) unhealthy attachment to things to stay alive.

And with Attack on Titan in particular and that paradigm where they’re the only surviving members of humanity left? I think that general paradigm tends to push fighters and victims to desolation more than hope.

I don’t think Levi is an exception. Actually, the fact that Levi stayed alive this long and had such a shitty life even before going out to the battlefield? Having lived one of the most arguably difficult lives in the survey corps, he had to have something to keep him going or he would have given up on life early on or I don’t think he would have gotten so strong in the first place. I wrote a fic on this long ago with the intention of making a character study of Levi with focus particularly on interactions with everyone he has ever loved. I only got two one shots written so far. You can read it here. 

(I was just getting back into writing though after a long ass hiatus so I’m not too proud of the quality of this one in comparison to my latest works so I have plans on cleaning it up after getting back to it.)

But generally, the point of my sharing that fic is: I had, for a long time hc-ed what Levi could have been drunk with and I’ll try to articulate here meta-style instead of fic-style. 

Let me start by pointing something out. 

In my opinion, Levi is the most selfless, kindest and most pure hearted person in the series. 

Of all the characters in Attack on Titan, Levi is the only character I have never seen act selfishly.

Okay fine we have seen him act recklessly, we have seen him act childish and we constantly see him impose his penchant for cleanliness on every single person. We know he likes to take advantage of the survey corps budget to buy some good tea. But when it really mattered, when has Levi ever made a selfish decision? When has he ever decided something for himself? Personally, I don’t think I have ever seen Levi’s desires articulated explicitly in canon. When Levi feels strongly about something or when he makes such a controversial decision to do something like maybe beat Eren to a pulp? Or, throw out bodies? It was always to save someone’s life. 

Levi was first introduced as some crazy rash soldier with the courtroom beating scene but I think most of the character establishing moments happened in the 57th expedition with Levi telling Eren to do what he wants and just not regret it. We saw Levi admonishing the soldiers who wanted to go back and get a body. We saw him so willingly ready to throw the bodies out to give the soldiers a chance to escape and we saw Levi willingly give Petra’s badge to a mourning soldier so he has something to bring home. Also, we got ACWNR so we also get crumbs on the bond with Erwin and the will to follow him.

And what is the commonality among all the establishing character moments of Levi? For one, there is Erwin and the ‘ackerbond’ but even before that, how was Levi so easily able to live on despite all the bullshit he deals with? 

More than anything, I believe Levi was drunk on bonds and on the friendships he built with people.

And this particular concept manifested in so many different ways. It manifested in his high regard for human life particularly which stems from his ability to empathize so easily with other people. 

A high regard for human life stems from empathy more than anything. 

Levi has this uncanny ability to empathize and to see the human in every single individual he encounters and I think this ability rivals his actual combat abilities in the battlefield. 

Let’s talk about Levi’s godly sense of empathy for someone who grew up with such a shitty life. We see it in the soldier badge scene, we see it when he makes Nick watch the refugees go and we see it in how Levi supports Historia in opening up that orphanage and what made Levi so empathetic was the fact that he lived a life of struggle. There are two ways people can go about suffering, they can use it as an excuse to be an asshole or they can think to themselves “I don’t want anyone to ever have to experience this again,” and I think Levi’s general mindset is towards the latter. And really let’s give Kuchel some credit for having raised our boy so lovingly that he ended up thinking like that. I have so many headcanons of this because she had to be such a great mom for Levi to adopt this way of thinking.

When Kuchel died, Kenny came in and Levi started to understand that to survive in this world he has to do questionable things which explains his tendency to settle issues with his fists. Either way, Levi never did forget the general foundation that life is precious and that’s why he’s able to balance so easily those two facets of his personality. And possibly that was generally the start of Levi’s personality of willing to do the questionable for some greater good. 

He experienced the worst things the world has to offer and that is why Levi is so easily able to put himself in other people’s shoes and this fuels his decision to act on what he believes is right. And even before that, all of the questionable decisions Levi has ever made was always for someone. 

Levi had a godly sense of empathy and of course he empathizes, he feels it too, he feels the need for companionships, bonds, human contact and a sense of belongingness. 

Why did Levi decide to learn how to fight? Why did he decide to beat up people? He wanted Kenny’s approval. And we already know how painful it was for Levi when Kenny left. 

When Levi started his gang, I think it was more of a Robin Hood type of set up. We didn’t really get the details behind it but I think a lot of Levi’s work there was making sure a lot of the orphans in the underground or a lot of the less fortunate had means of making money. We did seem crumbs of it in ACWNR. When he gave a lot more money to that one kid who was sick?  Maybe because he saw in them his powerlessness at being unable to save his mom.

Levi was particularly protective of Isabel and Farlan. And even in Ilse’s journal, we’ve seen that same protectiveness when Oluo was almost killed and when his special squad was killed, did you notice how Levi’s eyes went a little red in the anime when faced with the female titan right after finding out his squad died?

People are saying the ackerbond is a myth and whether or not it was a myth, I think Levi choosing to follow Erwin after losing everything he loved could have been a combination of both. He needed someone to protect but more importantly, I see that as Levi trying to find something else to live for. He left everything he has ever known in the underground, the only two companions left of his life there were gone and in those few moments before Levi talked to Erwin in ACWNR, Levi was broken, lost and trying to find something to live for. 

And what does he decide to do? Follow Erwin. Right?

And let’s segway to some parallel a decade later when the only person left from his old life before decides to sacrifice their life in that godforsaken chapter 132.

(Yams wouldn’t have given us three panels of this if he didn’t want to show something.)

We have to admit Levi did grew up, he didn’t go crazy on some titan after they killed Hange and maybe because he was too injured or maybe the chapter just didn’t allow it. But Levi did have to cope for a chapter or so. 

And what kept Levi fighting in ch. 135? 

Bonds and Companionship again. He didn’t want anymore unnecessary deaths. 

It probably can be considered ‘reaching’ for me to compare how Levi coped with Isabel and Farlan’s death vs. Hange’s death but I really think that the way Levi coped with them is similar. 

Because for one, these weren’t just deaths, these were the last people from Levi’s certain points in Levi’s life, i really think that’s why they hit harder than before. With Isabel and Farlan’s death, Levi lost all remnants of his life underground. Levi was quickly able to see hope in Erwin and that’s why he was still able to continue fighting and Levi said this multiple times in the ending of ACNWR. 

With Hange’s death, Levi lost all remnants of his life with the vets. Hange was the last vet and I think that’s one interpretation as to why we saw Levi practically die  with Hange in 132 with those eyes. 

(I’m a Levihan fan though so I have way more interpretations than that but I’m not dropping it here and making this meta longer than it is rn)

And a few chapters later, we see him scrambling for some reason to continue fighting. And what is the first thing he decides to do?

Risk his leg AND HIS LIFE for both Connie and Jean. And I honestly think that already says A LOT about his motivations for fighting. I mean Levi could have I dunno... Just mind his own business fighting titans right? But Levi decided to focus on keeping who he has left alive for a reason. 

And as painful as it was to watch. I think it just paints a beautiful picture of his personality.

Levi has never done anything like that for himself. Levi has never fought for just himself. I think at the start of his life, he decided to fight for Kenny and every time he meets someone that person becomes his reason to continue living and fighting. 

So maybe Levi was drunk with companionship and this desire for a sense of belongingness and his god tier empathy fueled by that drunkenness is what is pushing him to create a world where everyone can live with those too?

I really hope this makes sense. I’m writing this at 4am and I gotta leave for work soon but...

Thanks for the ask anon!