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pinkanonwrites · 9 months ago

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The Immensity of Vacancy

Energon Universe Jetfire/Human Reader, +1200 words

Just a little bittersweet something I wrote after the last issue of the Skybound comics came out. Jetfire my sweet, you did not deserve your fate.

ENERGON UNIVERSE COMIC SPOILERS AHEAD.

It was curious how even the most harrowing of circumstance could, with enough time and enough patience, shear down its jagged edges until it became something nearly palatable.

Not comfortable. Primus, no, never comfortable. But palatable.

Stars no longer graced Jetfire’s curious optics, all light snuffed in favor of an inky nothingness soothed only by memory. There could be no ache of stasis lock when the freedom of movement had been ripped from his frame entirely, left to the whims of his fellow Cybertronians. The breems of silence would stretch into cycles, tuning his remaining audials ever finer upon the low thrum of Teletraan, the rattle-step of Autobots passing through corridors below.

Perhaps that was why he could always hear you coming.

Your footsteps didn't boom or echo like those of Optimus Prime, never accompanied with the screech of tires like Arcee or Cliffjumper. Instead came the soft tink tink tink of tiny, booted feet against the resonant floor, the jangle of metallic jibbitz swinging from a clip on your belt. ‘Keys’ you had called them, though they were nothing like the data-keys or passcodes more familiar to him. ‘One for my car, one for my house, one for the back door at work.’ Primitive, but undeniably clever.

You always paused in the doorway of the hangar when you approached, a brief instance of silence. Perhaps you were waiting for a transformation from him, a flourish of panels shifting and plates fluttering into place to reveal his root mode, his towering form compared to your own tiny one. You knew as well as he did that idea was an impossibility, but you paused nonetheless.

“Hey. Are you awake?”

Jetfire spent much time in recharge nowadays, the only respite from the insurmountable emptiness that surrounded him that remained in his control. It was another consistency from you, willing to let him rest for untold lengths of time, as if your own presence was not wildly preferred.

“Yes. For quite a while now.”

You let out a soft, sad sounding hum. “I’m sorry I couldn't get here earlier.”

“That's alright. I’m sure you have much of your own work to attend to.”

“Maybe, but it's not really anything exciting.” He could hear the shuffle and thunk of your backpack hitting the metal landing bay, the pull of the zipper. When you settled in your spot on the floor and leaned back against his landing gear, heat radiated through the space where your back pressed to his cool plating. “Work, mostly. Had a late shift last night, so I ran to the library this morning instead. The librarian actually recognized me.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, I just didn't expect it. I never went there until recently, anyway. Guess now that I’m going in a couple days a week I’m becoming a regular. Imagine that.”

Jetfire let out a soft hum. “We’ll never be wanting for reading material then.”

You seemed to hesitate for a moment as you removed something from your bag, the flutter of paper against your fingertips tickling his audials.

“I brought a new book. ‘The War Of The Worlds’. It’s an old sci-fi classic.” You softly fanned through the pages again. “It’s about, um… It’s about aliens. That come to take over Earth. It was probably a stupid choice, we can read something different if you want.”

He could understand your hesitation. Though Jetfire had not spent long interacting with the local lifeforms of your planet, he’d heard more than enough from the other Autobots about the occurrences at the power plant; The terror, the violence. The story of a hostile occupation from beings infinitely more powerful and dangerous than the planet’s inhabitants could strike offensive if presented in the wrong way, to the wrong bot. And yet…

“I would like to hear it.”

He couldn’t help that part of himself that yearned to understand. To learn. How often would he get the chance to hear the perspective of another species, better yet from the species themselves? Considering his current state, likely never again.

“Are you sure? It doesn’t have to be this, I brought other books. To Kill A Mockingbird, Treasure Island, maybe some Shakespeare-?”

“No, I… I want to hear it. I’d like to understand.”

You hesitated further still, as if you were waiting for Jetfire to change his mind. Then you let out a small, huffy noise, like you were trying to clear your vents. Jetfire recognized the sound to be what you’d called a “sniffle”. Paper shuffled, you let out a low, steadying sigh, and began to read.

“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own…”

You were a delightful narrator, though you’d often brush off Jetfire’s compliments as to the former. ‘You should hear David Attenborough!’ you’d reply, though Jetfire had no idea who this apparent man was. Your cadence and accent would adjust slightly when switching characters, like you were putting on a play. The first descriptions of the alien conquerors were read with a faux suspense, as if you could scare the Cybertronian with narration alone. And yet, when you came upon the paragraph describing the first human deaths, there did your energy began to falter. You shifted against his landing gear, swallowing thickly as you described the heat ray that jumped from man to man, ‘...as if each man were suddenly and momentarily turned to fire.’ Your hesitance didn’t seem to stem from the words themselves, but the context in who you were reading them to. Did the recent Decepticon attack on the hospital strike as close to home mentally as it did physically?

You paused again at the end of the chapter. Usually here Jetfire would have rattled off the questions he’d saved while you were reading, foreign concepts and names of unknown locations and the intricacies of human interaction that he didn’t quite comprehend. But he found himself in silence here as well. Not stunned, not scared, merely… contemplative.

“Sorry. It’s not too late to read something else, you know. Treasure Island’s still on the docket.” You murmured, fingers tapping absentmindedly along the book’s spine.

“There’s no need to apologize. Already it’s a fascinating tale.” He paused for a moment, mulling over his words. The question he was about to ask seemed painfully obvious. Yet, he couldn’t find it in himself to leave it unsaid. “Are all humans this afraid of… aliens?”

‘Will all humans be this afraid of us?’ He did not ask.

“I think…” You hummed, head thunking back against his landing gear plating. “I think that most humans are afraid of the unknown. The idea that there’s something out there we can’t understand. We don’t like being reminded that we aren’t actually in control. That at any point in time we could die.”

Jetfire thought back to Cybertron- the expeditions failed, the cities razed, the lives lost- and he understood the sentiment exactly.

“Would it comfort you to know that the experience isn’t uniquely human?”

You barked out a short laugh. “A little, actually.”

Jetfire had spent so much of his life in the cold. The cold of space. The cold of the ice. The cold of the silent, empty hangar. But here, in this moment, with your body pressed to his plating, your voice filling the blackness, he felt inexplicably warm.

“I’d still like to hear more, if you would continue.”

Though Jetfire could not see your smile, it was more than enough to hear it in your voice.

“Sure thing, big guy.”

#transformers #transformers x reader #x reader #jetfire #skyfire #tf skyfire #tf jetfire #energon universe #tf skybound #tf eu jetfire #jetfire x reader #my writing #maccadam

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iwannadrawsadcups · 1 month ago

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as much as i like the twin hc, mugman is canonically the younger brother lol

silly ramble about the comics under the cut

while in the main game who's the youngest and who's the oldest isn't mentioned at all [because it doesn't really matter] both in the comics and art book from the game they confirm mugman is the youngest [there's the novels and the show, but i haven't finished those yet so i'm not sure if that subject ever comes up], and the comics specially paint such a beautiful picture of the brothers relationship

my favorite comic from the books was one where Mugman wildly misinterprets how growing plants work, and when corrected he gets embarrassed and runs away crying. Cuphead, instead of making fun of him, tells elder kettle and chalice how sad it makes him to see his little brother like that, so over night he helps Mugman's plant to grow full size in just a few hours

and that it's just so sweet. Cuphead is in the comics, although a bit selfish and irresponsible [he is a kid, so, understandable], VERY nice to his lil brother. And yes they fight sometimes but there's a very clear dynamic at play there, one very different to the one they have in the show

i like the show a lot, but they portray the brothers as- twins? i guess? [or at least they have a very small age difference, like 1 year or so, while the comics i'd say there's a 2, almost 3 year diffence] and i like how they're more even now, Cuphead doesn't see him as his baby brother so he's meaner, and Mugman has a lot more control now, sometimes bossing around Cuphead. And as a result, the show is funnier of course, it's fun to see how the one in control of the situation changes from episode to episode, but i still sort of miss this specific portrayal of siblings

GIVE ME MORE COMICS GRRRRRR i'm even considering buying the "step into reading" books to get more content

#cuphead dont deal with the devil #cuphead fanart #cuphead #mugman #iwannasaysomething

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cy-cyborg · 9 months ago

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I'm getting a little tierd of the idea because amputees get more representation in media, it means rep for our disability is better and we "have enough"

People are right, we do have way more rep than really any other disability, im not going to deny that, and ive joked before about how often people write amputees without even realising it. So you would think, by sheer numbers, we should have at least some good representation, but by-and-large that is not the case. Legitimatly, the closest example I can think of to point to of good amputee rep is Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and even that uses multiple tropes I hate (the miracle cure/quest for the miracle cure, the almost perfect prosthetic replacement/forgetting the chatacter is an amputee until it breaks or needs repairs, refusal to call prosthetics, "prosthetics" (automail), the amputee who can't do anything without a prosthetic) and they call Ed a slur for another disability (m*dget) CONSTANTLY. I love fmab deeply, it legitimatly helped me feel seen and represented as a childhood amputee in a way no other show has even come close to, and when it gets it right, it gets it really right, but it's also very far from great and should not be the best example I can think of. Especially nearly 15 years after it released...

A big part of the reason why I don't read many books anymore is because of the sheer amount of books with downright offensively bad amputee rep, some of which were touted as good by people with other disabilities and were recommended to me as good examples. others times, I wasn't even looking for books with amputee/disability rep, it just popped up. It has ruined one of my childhood hobbies for me. Ive tried to get back into reading again as an adult but it hasn't gotten better in that time i was away. I was kicked out of 3 different scifi writing groups on facebook and reddit for asking people to remember "cybernetic enhancement" users are amputees - a real group of people, and maybe debating weather or not we're less human isnt great, and for pointing out seeing those discussions every day was making me feel pretty unwelcome in that space (yes i know, "real" cyberpunk isnt trying to say that, i had to turn notifications off on my post about the topic, it doesnt change the fact that newer creators in the genre dont seem to get that bit, that ive seen cyberpunk writers in these spaces say that debating weather people who loose more parts of their body were less human was, in fact, their intent but they hadnt even considered the fact this made their chatacters amputees, it doesnt change the fact that these tropes, intentionally or not, help make those spaces hostile for disabled fans/creators, especially amputees).

But yeah, I should be thankful I get more rep than other disabilities, no matter the quality, right?

It doesn't just stop at being me being made uncomfortable, though. The sheer, overwhelming amount of amputee chatacters with "perfect prosthetics" has had a noticeable impact on how we are perceived irl. In my lifetime, the general idea people have about multi-limbed amputees in particular has gone from "literally the worst thing that can happen to a person and the worst disability to have" to "is it even a disability? The prosthetic fixes it". These are both wildly untrue and harmful ideas about my disability that were both perpetuated by media, but now that the second one is taking root, it's causing real problems. I have not been shy in talking about how I have to fight to maintain my NDIS funding every time I get something done with my prosthetics, and had to get my prosthetist to sign off, twice, that my fancy prosthetic knee that costs the same as a higher-end new car ($125,000 AUD) is not, in fact a cure and I still need help with other things. It took me nearly 2 years to get a new wheelchair because they didn't understand why I needed it if I had the prosthetics - which to be honest, is not comfortable for me to wear, let alone use all day every day. Guys this isn't just assholes on the street or on twitter saying dumb shit, it's the people in the government body who decide how much funding I get to help with my disability who beleive it. People who have very real control over my life. It's not entirely the media's fault, but when the sheer, overwhelming majority of representation for people like me confirms that belief, it's hard to ignore the possibility that these portrayals are contributing to it, you know?

Which makes it so frustrating when I come on here and see other disability writing advice blogs saying to not write amputees because they have so much representation already. We do, I can acknowledge that, but the vast, vast majority of it is shit, and no one, not even other disabled people, are listening to us about it. And what makes it even worse, is the people they're advising to not writing amputees are the creators who care enough to be doing the research. They're the ones willing to listen, to ask questions. They could be the start of the positive change. But instead they're advised to not even bother with us.

And don't get me wrong, other disabilities ARE under-represented. There are so many disabilities, including some I have myself, that I've never seen represented as anything other than the butt of a joke. There does need to be more reprentation of disabilities other than amputation and limb differences. 100%! but can you please talk about that without saying "amputees have enough"

This isn't even touching on how amputees/people with limb differences who dont/cant use prosthetics, or even folks who use prosthetics sometimes but not others, are almost never represented unless it's for pitty-porn, or how the non-fictional media's (news outlets, etc) portrayal of amputees in particular is used to justify hurting very real, very vunderable people but this rant is long enough and honestly, ive got enough thoughts to make whole other posts on those subjects. That second one in particular deserves its own (more thought-out) spotlight and shouldn't be a footnote in a frustrated rant post lol.

#writing disability with cy cyborg (unfiltered)#disability #disabled #writing #writeblr #writing disability #disability representation #amputee #amputee representation #rant #long post

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marzipanandminutiae · 7 months ago

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Maybe I’m wildly misunderstanding what people who like the dark academia aesthetic are going for but I always thought the aesthetic was specifically about romanticizing those universities in England (or Europe in general) that were founded in like 1736 and the main building was originally a castle that belonged to the family that founded it or something like that. Obviously that’s a very niche university environment but I never thought that fans of the aesthetic thought that every single university looks like that. My university was built in the 70s and looks like a small town’s airport so I understand the appeal of escapism in pretending that you go to university in a marble building that has a secret library or something. I’m not criticizing your post btw I agree with you i guess I understood the purpose of the aesthetic wrong. I thought they just liked the old money aesthetic of those schools, not that they believed you’re not truly academic if your school doesn’t look like an ancient university in Prague.

So, yes, that is where the term came from

my issue with it is that they don't seem to know any other term for aesthetics they happen to have seen in a fancy university, anymore and totally unrelated things get slapped with the "dark academia" label

Oxford doesn't look like that because that's an ~academia aesthetic~. it looks like that because those were popular architectural styles of whenever X building was constructed. you are going to see those styles in other places! that doesn't make like...an 18th century commercial building "dark academia!"

like I've seen the term applied in completely random and incomprehensible ways. a marble bust is Dark Academia? HOW? is it in a university? or is it in an art museum where people are there to look at it, not to study it? is it in Mr. Darcy's house, where that classification makes even less sense? why is it somehow Academia when no Academia is in evidence?

an Art Deco theatre lobby. no joke. saw that tagged "dark academia." it could not have been more clearly a theatre lobby. I asked OP why they called it that, and they said it was just "the vibe." academia is not a vibe!!!! the word has a definition and the definition has nothing to do with aesthetics!!!!

my favorite movie, Crimson Peak, gets slapped with the DA label a lot. because...I don't know; there are ghosts and books in the same building? the heroine is a writer, sure, but absolutely none of it takes place in an institution of public scholarship or higher learning. there's a publisher's office, a doctor's office, and a private library in a house (that doesn't even get used for its intended purpose beyond a single scene). that's it. it's a pretty standard Victwardian Gothic.

the term DOES have function as a fictional genre; it describes a story pretty well. what happens? Dark Stuff. where? Academia. okay, I'm intrigued. but for aesthetics? no meaning or use at all, IMO

so I know they're not saying that ALL universities look like that. they're somehow saying that EVERYTHING that looks like that is University. which annoys me

(I also think "old money aesthetic" is more TikTok brainrot. I work a lot of museum benefits with old money people. they dress in many different ways, very few of them like a Kennedy vacationing on the Cape in 1965. just say "preppy" if that's what you mean!)

(and as with Dark Academia, it leads to a lot of things that have nothing whatsoever to do with the oldness of one's money getting labeled that way. which is annoying.)

#ask #anon #long post #tiktok brainrot

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lansplaining · 2 years ago

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Sorry, but I've a question. I was reading meta about how in the untamed wwx is someone who shows great social and diplomatic skills and I don't want to watch the drama (too long) and was wandering if in the drama he is good like that? I don't think in the book he is great as he thinks even if he is trying his best (also they were painting jc as a blunt instrument in their meta - is really like that drama jc? Novel jc knows how to read a room)

i am an unabashed drama fan so i really do think it's worth a watch, but that is not the point

but uh

no.

i think he can seem that way because xiao zhan is a wildly charismatic person who just radiates sweetness and charm, but no, even in the show, wei wuxian has never met a social situation he couldn't make worse. this is in fact so key to wwx's arc, and it's so frustrating that people miss it! when he was young and had a golden core, he could get away with being a little shit because he was talented. and then he could get away with it because people were scared of him! but he never actually had to learn real diplomatic and social skills, and even as mo xuanyo, skates by on a cheeky charm that is very love it or hate it for the people he encounters, with no real ability to course correct if someone finds him grating

as for jiang cheng-- this complete fanon overhaul of jiang cheng's personality and diplomatic skills drives me crazy. in the drama even MORE than in the novel, we see pre-timeskip jiang cheng being extremely deliberate and diplomatic. he is polite, cautious, and respectful. we have multiple scenes of him very carefully standing up to clan leaders who are much more powerful than him and handling it subtly and extremely well-- though admittedly, he doesn't really "win" any of the encounters. yes, he's grumpy to wei wuxian in the cloud recesses arc, but it is so so so clear that is not remotely the way he behaves with other people, especially people who are his elders or superiors.

now, post-timeskip, things are understandably different. he's operating from a position of great power, and has clearly shifted tactics to be a lot more blunt and to assert his authority in a more blunt way. but we have absolutely no reason to think he isn't capable of shifting his tactics as needed, and i think we very much see that in the scene with sisi and bicao, and the delicacy with which he handles both them and that whole situation.

#ask answered

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shadysadie · 2 years ago

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Hot take: the Wittebanes were not Puritans

So since Hollow Mind came out there have been a lot of jokes about how the Belos is a crusty old Puritan. And while he is certainly crusty and old, I don’t think he was a Puritan.

I understand why everyone jumps there, when we think of Witch Hunts in Colonial America the very first thing that comes to mind is the Salem Witchcraft Trials. However, the Salem Witchcraft Trials began in 1692, that is 80 years after Masha says the Wittebros showed up in Gravesfield, and 30 years after the events of Elsewhere and Elsewhen.

If Masha’s information is correct, (which it might not be but we’ll get to that) then Caleb and Philip arrived in Gravesfield in 1613, which is closer in time to the settlement of Jamestown (1607) than the Salem Witchcraft Trials.

The Pilgrims didn’t even land at pride rock until 1620, seven years after the Wittebros arrived in Gravesfield. The Mayflower Pilgrims were really the group responsible for creating the idea of religious charters. They specifically wanted to leave England to create their own religious society. Many other groups followed, (notably the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which later became the home of the aforementioned Salem Witchcraft Trials) but the Mayflower Pilgrims were the first group of religious extremists who came to America looking for their Zion.

Prior to that, the motivation to settle the “New World” was mainly financial. Ships were chartered through the Virginia Company. Which as we all remember from our favorite wildly inaccurate and problematic 90s Disney movie, the Virginia Company was in it for the money. The New World had resources and Britian wanted them, damnit, Glory, God, and Gold and the Virginia Company.

That meant, if Caleb and Philip really did arrive in Gravesfield in 1613, their family likely made the trip for financial gain, not religion. If that’s the case they were less likely a member of an obscure group of religious extremists, and more likely to be either Protestant like King James and Queen Elizabeth. (They could have also been Roman Catholic, evidence for that comes later).

“But”, you say, “weren’t Puritans the ones persecuting witches at the time?”

Yes and no.

In the Americas, Witch Hunts will forever be linked to Puritans, but in Witch Hunting long outdates the Puritans. King James himself, was a witch hunting fanatic, he personally oversaw hundreds of witchtrials. He wrote books about finding witches, and it was specifically the King James endorse translation of the Bible that features the infamous “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (in many prior translations the word witch is something more along the line of “sinner” or “evil doer”). By many estimates, upwards of 1500 people were executed for witchcraft as a result of his reign. If we are going with Masha’s 1613 timeline, the brothers would have left England smack dab in the middle of his reign, right after the King James Bible was published.

(^this GIF has nothing to do with the Owl House, I just love sassy Gay King James in his bird mask, look at this cocky ass bastard, you know him and Belos would have been genocide buddies)

However, I can’t pretend to be focused on some semblance of historical accuracy and take Masha’s information at face value, even in the context of the show it wouldn’t add up because according to the sign we see in Yesterday’s Lie, Gravesfield was established in 1635.

(Granted there is a difference between a settlement and a town, it is possible that 1635 was when Gravesfield was officially acknowledged as a town and the boys just lived there pre-establishment).

However, in the name of historical accuracy, I have to assume Masha got the date wrong, because the English didn’t even settle in Conneticut until the 1630s. The Conneticut Witch Trials began in the 1640s. By this timeline and demographic, the likelihood of Caleb and Philip being Puritans goes up by a lot.

However, if we look at Philip’s clothes an his goals, there are still signs that don’t point to Puritanism. First look at the clothes Caleb and Philip wear as children:

Philip’s pants are red and Calebs are green. While it is a myth that Puritans could only wear black, the colors that they were allowed to incorporate into their wardrobe were typically still neutrals (dark yellows and beiges). Green would be pushing it, and red would be unbelievably bold.

Additionally, the ruffles on Philip’s shirt in the journal and Jacob’s book, would have been seen as incredibly vain.

The blue/black coat that Caleb wore in the puppet show, and Philip later wears in Elsewhere and Elsewhen and King’s Tide has gold buttons and gold embroidery. Gold and Silver accessories of any kind would have been considered incredibly sinful and conceited.

Which would also make it really weird for a Puritan to choose gold to represent himself. Infact his whole emperor authentic is much more reminiscent of the Catholic Pope. His own role as the messenger of the Titan’s will is also very papal in nature.

Finally there is the term he uses, “Witch Hunter General” is an illusion to “Witch Finder General” which was a rank made up and used by Protestant Matthew Hopkins and not really used by any Puritans. Such a title would also probably have seemed pretty vain.

Now you might say, “It’s a fictional story, why does any of this matter?”

The answer is: It does not, but I am high and have ADHD and this was the rabbit hole I fell down.

#the owl house #owl house #toh #wittebros #wittebane brothers #philip wittebane #caleb wittebane #witch trials #witch hunts #history #belos #emperor belos

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lovemyromance · 7 months ago

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Why am I seeing the GAs/ELs claiming Elriels are just acting "hypocritically morally superior" when we say we want what Elain wants?

Then they go on to say "why should what Elain wants even matter?"

Um, idk it's because it's her fucking book? It's not Lucien's book. It's not Azriel's book. It's Elain's book, first and foremost. SJM has always talked about stories spotlighting strong female main characters.

Saying we want what Elain wants is not a bad thing?? If it's her book that's next, then yes. What she wants is the most important thing.

We are not SJM. We don't get to decide "what is best for her". In fact, acting like you ship Elucien because you "want what's best for her" is acting morally superior and condescending.

You are actually just assuming you know what is best for her. Especially when Elain acts like a ghost and loses her boldness around Lucien canonically right now. We don't get to just act like we know the character better than the writer herself. SJM will write what she wants. Elain will desire whomever she wants.

And I will goddamn support whoever Elain wants. Because SJM will write it so whoever Elain wants and ends up with IS THE CORRECT, BEST choice.

When Elain wanted Greyson, I wanted her to be happy and get Greyson. When he rejected her so cruelly, I was angry. I wouldn't have wanted her to end up with Greyson after that but if Elain had continued to want Greyson, I'm sure SJM would have written it so I would've rooted for that as well.

Elain now wants Azriel. That is not something Elriels made up. It is on the page. She is the one initiating every step of their late night encounter in the BC. She is the one who wants Azriel to kiss her. She is the one who gets aroused just when Azriel touches her neck.

If we want Azriel, it's because Elain wants Azriel.

That being said, if I were to open the next ACOTAR book and I see Elain is so hurt by the misunderstanding in the BC that she spends more time with Lucien (somehow...lmao) and starts to grow feelings for him ... I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT THAT!

I have said it time and time again, and so have many, many other Elriels. If Elain had wanted Lucien from the get go, we would've also supported Elucien. Hell, I did support Elucien, until I saw how uncomfortable and resentful Elain was of that bond in ACOWAR.

And honestly, I might've even been of the opinion that "eh SJM might have them makeup and it'll be her usual reluctant mates plot" IF SJM hadn't then brought in Azriel and shown me how Elain acts and behaves differently with someone she actually wants.

It is wildly different. If you cannot see that and acknowledge that, then it's your fault, not SJM's writing.

If I open up the next ACOTAR book, and Elain suddenly wants fucking Tarquin or Helion.... then I would root for Tarquin or Helion. Whether it's Azriel or Lucien or anyone else doesn't matter. What Elain wants is what SJM will write as her endgame. And true, Elain could grow to like someone else.... but right now, she likes Azriel. So right now, I am supporting Azriel.

It's not that fucking hard to understand.

Elain is an Archeron sister. The sisters are the focus of this book, SJM has said that time and time again. Yes there will likely be books beyond JUST the sisters, but not UNTIL the sisters' stories have been told.

AKA it's not gonna be Feyre, Nesta, Gwyn/Vassa/Mor/Amren, then Elain.

Elain's story does matter more than Gwyn's or Emerie's or Vassa's or Mor or Amren. I would say Feyre's matters the most, and Nesta and Elain are equal in terms of importance. That's how the series has been set up.

I don't know why people keep thinking this is Throne of Glass or CC. It's not. The setup and pattern has been made very clear. People are choosing not to see it, and then coming up with every single reason under the sun for trashing the people who read what was written and are rooting for Elriel accordingly.

#elriel #acotar #elain x azriel #elain archeron #azriel #pro elain #elain #antielucien #antigwynriel #pro elriel

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jimblejamblewritings · 4 months ago

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Marauders Fanon vs Canon??? (I don't have a good title but hear me out)

So I'm writing a fic but I wanted to make it more in line with canon for some parts and was looking up some stuff and realized a lot of stuff we think is common knowledge is fanon mixed with canon or something wasn't stated in canon when it was. This isn't about Team Snape or Team Marauders. I went to pick up my copies of the books since I owned them and noticed these things:

Keep in mind, anything anyone says is biased. On both sides. Especially when they're talking to Harry or showing him something. They want to make themselves look the best. So there might be contradictions by characters

(Sidenote: James says "you-know-what" when telling Lily he can't be as bad as Snape because he'd never call her a mudblood like he just did. So, yes, that very much shows mudblood is meant to be a slur like the n-word. we can put that argument to rest)

Snape Invented Levicorpus:

There's a lot of maybe he did maybe he didn't on every side but in Half-Blood Prince Ch. 28 (pg.603-604) it states:

“Sectum— !” Snape flicked his wand and the curse was repelled yet again; but Harry was mere feet away now and he could see Snape’s face clearly at last [...] Mustering all his powers of concentration, Harry thought, Levi— “No, Potter!” screamed Snape. [...] You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them — I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you’d turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, would you? I don’t think so."

Snape reacts only after Harry is about to use Levicorpus. So it's confirmed on page that when Snape says spells, he means both Sectumsempra and Levicorpus. And we know from his worst memory that the only spell James uses on Severus that isn't taught in school is Levicorpus. So that could be the only witnessed spell of Severus' James would have turned on him.

Also in the Worst Memory, he definitely uses a form of sectumsempra on James:

“SECTUMSEMPRA!” bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly. Blood spurted from Malfoy’s face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. (Half-Blood Prince Ch. 24, p. 522)

Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James’s face, spattering his robes with blood. (Order of the Phoenix Ch. 28, p. 647)

They both cause gashes although James' hex is obviously a lot less intense than Draco's hex. I don't know if this would imply Snape wasn't advanced enough yet in the spell but he seems very proficient even at the end of 5th year where this scene takes place. So maybe he used a different form of it? Either way the spells match up in the look of them, it's just the severity is different.

Lily was NOT a bad friend to Severus. I've seen people say oh she didn't use her wand during Snape's Worst Memory therefore making her a bad friend and not that invested in him. She literally pulls out her wand and threatens James and Sirius if they don't let him go. Just because they listened to her threat so she didn't get to fire a hex doesn't mean she wasn't going to. She wanted to talk first and try to reason before resorting to violence. She was a good friend to Severus. Period.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily. (Order of the Phoenix Ch. 28, p. 648)

Sirius claims that James always hated Dark Arts. This could definitely be a skewed perspective but so far I've treated every quote as truth of the person who said it so I'll do the same here for now. If this is true, then James never hated Snape out of nowhere and happened to be proven right that he's a Death Eater. They knew.

James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand that, can’t you? I think James was everything Snape wanted to be — he was popular, he was good at Quidditch, good at pretty much everything. And Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts and James — whatever else he may have appeared to you, Harry — always hated the Dark Arts. (Order of the Phoenix Ch. 29, p. 670)

The war started in 1970. The Marauders and Snape's first year at Hogwarts was 1971. So Death Eaters, Voldemort, and the war in general was their entire school career. Severus wasn't hanging out with pre-Death Eaters. They were always preparing to join the Death Eaters. They were called Death Eaters at the school. So whether that's his actual motivation or not, James and literally everyone else would know from first year if their fellow students were on Voldemort's side or believed in his cause or not.

You and your precious little Death Eater friends—you see, you don’t even deny it! You don’t even deny that’s what you’re all aiming to be! You can’t wait to join You-Know-Who, can you? (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 676)

To me that makes the use of mudblood constantly even worse. From the beginning students knew the implication of that and would call and honestly torment their fellow muggleborn students that slur anyway. Everyone at school was well aware of the war and their actions, even the first years.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said in a constricted voice. “Why not?” “Tuney h–hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore.” “So what?” She threw him a look of deep dislike. “So she’s my sister!” “She’s only a— ” He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him. “But we’re going!” he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. “This is it! We’re off to Hogwarts!” She nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled. (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 670 - 671)

James and Severus were at each other's throats. It wasn't one-sided bullying on either side. They both attacked each other. Literally starting on the train they both made petty enemies out of each other and it escalated each year. Now we never get to see on page who started the physical but whoever did the other side returned it just as much as they dished it.

“You’d better be in Slytherin." “Slytherin?” One of the boys sharing the compartment, who had shown no interest at all in Lily or Snape until that point, looked around at the word, and Harry [...] saw his father. [...] “Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?” James asked [Sirius]. “My whole family have been in Slytherin,” he said. “Blimey,” said James, “and I thought you seemed all right!” Sirius grinned. “Maybe I’ll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?” "Gryffindor." Snape made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him. “Got a problem with that?” “No,” said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. “If you’d rather be brawny than brainy— ” “Where’re you hoping to go, seeing as you’re neither?” interjected Sirius. James roared with laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike. “Come on, Severus, let’s find another compartment.” “Oooooo . . . ” James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; James tried to trip Snape as he passed. “See ya, Snivellus!” (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 671-672)

“She started going out with him in seventh year,” said Lupin. “Once James had deflated his head a bit,” said Sirius. “And stopped hexing people just for the fun of it,” said Lupin. “Even Snape?” said Harry. “Well,” said Lupin slowly, “Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an opportunity to curse James, so you couldn’t really expect James to take that lying down, could you?” (Order of the Phoenix Ch. 29, p. 670)

I'm also sure of this because of what Severus does to Petunia who has no magic. More than likely this was a back and forth but not one-sided bullying from the marauders or from Snape.

Then a small rustling noise behind Harry made him turn: Petunia, hiding behind a tree, had lost her footing. “Tuney!” said Lily, surprise and welcome in her voice, but Snape had jumped to his feet. “Who’s spying now?” he shouted. “What d’you want?” Petunia was breathless, alarmed at being caught. Harry could see her struggling for something hurtful to say. “What is that you’re wearing, anyway?” she said, pointing at Snape’s chest. “Your mum’s blouse?” There was a crack. A branch over Petunia’s head had fallen. Lily screamed. The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears. (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 668)

Like this is an overkill response and could have genuinely hurt Petunia just for her being a little shithead. So the notion that Severus dished it and took it probably isn't a lie from the characters but true. And I don't feel bad for adult Petunia. She was a horrible woman and abused Harry and should have been held accountable more for that.

But we have to be honest that child Petunia deserved better. She thought at strange neighbor was spying on her and her sister and then after he becomes friends with her baby sister, he either harms Petunia or convinces Lily to invade Petunia's privacy. And then she finds out she can't go be with her sister who is disappearing for months out of the year at what sounds like the best school ever. I mean baby Petunia didn't deserve this shit.

“You didn’t think it was such a freak’s school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you.” Petunia turned scarlet. “Beg? I didn’t beg!” “I saw his reply. It was very kind.” “You shouldn’t have read— ” whispered Petunia, “that was my private—how could you—?” Lily gave herself away by half-glancing toward where Snape stood nearby. Petunia gasped. “That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!” “No—not sneaking— ” Now Lily was on the defensive. “Severus saw the envelope, and he couldn’t believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that’s all! (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 669-670)

The two wouldn't have known Dumbledore's reply was kind if they just saw the letter. They went into her room and then opened her mail. Also, me, I would have freaked out more if some boy I didn't really know or liked was just in my room. This point doesn't really matter in relation to canon or anything, I just thought I'd mention that child Petunia deserves a mention every now and then.

The Marauders' pranks seem to all be hexes. Everyone considers them harmless and sometimes funny or annoying or pranks. So hexes even if not legal are seen as just pranking and stupid. This also kind of implies that James and Sirius did most of the pranks not really Peter or Remus but I don't think that was intentional and is just a book contradictory.

walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I’m surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. (Order of the Phoenix Ch. 28, p. 648)

“And stopped hexing people just for the fun of it,” said Lupin. (Order of the Phoenix Ch. 29, p. 670)

He pulled out a card from one of the topmost boxes with a flourish and read, “ ‘James Potter and Sirius Black. Apprehended using an illegal hex upon Bertram Aubrey. Aubrey’s head twice normal size. Double detention.’ ” Snape sneered. “It must be such a comfort to think that, though they are gone, a record of their great achievements remains [...] It was, as Harry had anticipated, useless, boring work, punctuated (as Snape had clearly planned) with the regular jolt in the stomach that meant he had just read his father or Sirius’s names, usually coupled together in various petty misdeeds, occasionally accompanied by those of Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. (Half-Blood Prince Ch. 24, p. 532)

I don't think Snape was a loner. Even in his own memories, he doesn't present them as if he had no one once he got to Hogwarts. The text itself makes it seem like obviously Lily was his best friend but he hung out with the Death Eaters on a level of actually liking them.

"thought we were supposed to be friends?” Snape was saying, “Best friends?” “We are, Sev, but I don’t like some of the people you’re hanging round with! I’m sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he’s creepy! D’you know what he tried to do to Mary MacDonald the other day?” Lily had reached a pillar and leaned against it, looking up into the thin, sallow face. “That was nothing,” said Snape. “It was a laugh, that’s all— ” “It was Dark Magic, and if you think that’s funny— ” [...] "Mulciber's and Avery's idea of humor is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them." (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 673 - 674)

Also we never find out what Mulciber does but in Goblet of Fire it's revealed that he's really good at the Imperius Curse. Now, he probably wasn't doing Unforgivables at school (although all the Crucio's thrown around even during Harry's time might prove otherwise). But it might have been something along the lines of that curse.

People change and grow which is good but Hermione and Ron definitely had a prejudice of werewolves and threw that in Lupin's face during the Shrieking Shack. Like it wasn't about him helping Sirius, they were also appalled at the werewolf bit seperately. Also it was wrong of Snape to teach that and make a whole essay hoping students would pick up on the symptoms matching Remus' symptoms.

Canon does confirm that Severus suspected Remus of being a werewolf before The Prank™. He wanted to know where Remus went every month. Severus had worked out the schedule exactly and knew it was once a month.

"Severus was very interested in where I went every month [...] We were in the same year, you know, and we — er — didn’t like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James’s talent on the Quidditch field . . . anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be — er — amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he’d be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it — if he’d got as far as this house, he’d have met a fully grown werewolf — but your father, who’d heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life . . . Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was." (Prisoner of Azkaban Ch. 18, p. 356 - 357)

Also I think this shows that The Prank™ happened in 5th year a little before Snape's Worst Memory but it wasn't what made Severus drop hints to Lily about Remus being a werewolf. His suspicions were confirmed that night of the Shrieking Shack but they formed well beforehand. We don't know if this is what Severus actually saw that led him to start being suspicious because it doesn't seem likely that he and Remus ever talked about it but this is really the only in depth detail we ever get so it's what we've got to go off of.

The one thing that never gets explained is how Severus approached Sirius or what happened that would lead to them having any sort of conversation where Sirius would say if you want to go after Remus, here's how you get past the Whomping Willow. Which is a missed opportunity in my opinion. Clearly Sirius was aware that Snape wanted to go after Lupin and they both understand that. So what did Snape do or say to lead up to that. Because based on how his character is written in the rest of the books, unless Severus alluded to knowing Remus was a werewolf, it's out of character for him to risk his friend like that. We get this scene showing Sirius' character in the exact same scene after Remus tells the story:

“Two more for Azkaban tonight,” said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. “I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this. . . . He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin . . . a tame werewolf —” “You fool,” said Lupin softly. “Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?” BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape’s wand and twisted themselves around Lupin’s mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black’s eyes. (Prisoner of Azkaban Ch. 18, p. 357)

If Snape had just said something like he was going to tell they were breaking curfew, I doubt Sirius would have just blurted that our so I wish it had been given a scene.

But this does show that even though Sirius was wrong to tell him how to get into the Whomping Willow, Severus suspected something was up and proceeded to go on a full moon anyway. If you suspected he's a werewolf, why take the chance?

Even though it makes no sense for fanfic purposes (or canon really but different convo) the timeline is: Snape is suspicious —> The Prank —> Snape's Worst Memory. And all in a matter of days or weeks in 5th year. Feel free to switch it up though because that's a lot crammed into a short time.

And personal opinion, but Dumbledore wasn't wrong in this moment. Remus can't control what he is and potentially getting expelled would make him a victim as well. We don't know if Sirius was punished by some made up excuse but I don't think forbidding Snape to tell was wrong when it doesn't affect Sirius but Remus.

Lily also knew about his theory. Even though this conversation is after the prank, this isn't new information. It's Severus reiterating what he suspected before, just with the added context that he has confirmation of Remus being a werewolf.

“He’s ill,” said Lily. “They say he’s ill— ” “Every month at the full moon?” said Snape. “I know your theory,” said Lily, and she sounded cold. “Why are you so obsessed with them anyway? Why do you care what they’re doing at night?” “I’m just trying to show you they’re not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are.” The intensity of his gaze made her blush. (Deathly Hallow Ch. 33, p. 674)

Unfortunately, I think people were right that Severus was jealous of James over... Quidditch. It sounds like a cover up and so foolishly silly. There's definitely more things but being jealous over quidditch was true. It comes out of Snape's mouth in his own memories.

The words seemed wrenched from him against his will. “And he’s not . . . everyone thinks . . . big Quidditch hero— ” Snape’s bitterness and dislike were rendering him incoherent, and Lily’s eyebrows were traveling farther and farther up her forehead. (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 674)

This is more speculation than overt in text but I don't think James did take off Snape's underwear during the second Levicorpus in Snape's Worst Memory. The Deathly Hallows is a YA book not middle grade so it would be acceptable to put that in the book. The book has worse stuff in it. But the first time the memory appears, Harry is pulled out by Snape returning to his office before he can find out. The second time, it skips it. If the scene had finished playing out with Severus having his underwear forcibly removed, I think it would have been on page by this point in the last book. That doesn't make it right by any means, I'm not saying that. But I think it's not concrete that James ever did that.

Now what else isn't concrete is that "Snape never used Levicorpus the way the Marauders did". It lifts people up by their ankles. It's a spell Snape confirms was invented. It's a spell that became a popular jinx around Hogwarts. The Hogwarts uniforms are black robes and point hats. Those things are confirmed and canon by text. So if Snape or any other student was using Levicorpus, unless they were wearing something underneath their robes, they all would have been exposed like Severus was in his Worst Memory. That makes literally everyone look bad and is actually problematic of all the characters. And means Snape invented the spell knowing it would do this and did it to people. And then all the other students did. They'd all be shitty.

Of course this can be remedied by just stating that people wear clothes under their robes and Snape just happened to be in only underwear that day but the books seem to be wishy washy on if people are wearing clothes under the robes or not or even wearing the robes at all sometimes. This also does lend some credibility to people saying Snape's Worst Memory was the part where he called Lily a mudblood not the part about being Levicorpused. Because if everyone in school was doing that to each other and it's just seen as stupid jinxes then the Levicorpus wouldn't be the most horrifying thing. I used to not believe in this thought but seeing the text again, it's possible.

This specific scene tackles a lot of what was said before but I want to address it as a whole instead of breaking the dialogue up:

“I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here.” “I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just— ” “Slipped out?” There was no pity in Lily’s voice. “It’s too late. I’ve made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends—you see, you don’t even deny it! You don’t even deny that’s what you’re all aiming to be! You can’t wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?” He opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking. “I can’t pretend anymore. You’ve chosen your way, I’ve chosen mine.” ��No—listen, I didn’t mean— ” “— to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?” (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 675 - 676)

There's something pretty traumatizing that Mary was the one around to hear Snape threaten to sleep in front of the Gryffindor Common Room. Like his friends assaulted you with Dark Magic and then he's there and threatening to sleep there. Mary dealt with a lot of trauma that we never talk about.

Severus never meant to call Lily a mudblood, once again confirming it is viewed as a slur in this world. It doesn't just slip out. He's comfortable using it. For years, he's been friends with people who want Lily and people like her harmed or dead. It's not just convenient to hang out with these people because he has to see them since they're all in Slytherin. It is Severus' ideology and belief.

And not to harp on her too much but Lily actively hung out with someone constantly calling people a slur and only gave up on him after he said it to her specifically. Like babes, stand up, please. She also says she made excuses for him for years implies he did in fact dish it out like he took it.

Snape calling every muggleborn a mudblood, hangs out with known Death Eaters, aims to be one officially, and wants to join You-Know-Who. All around the end of 5th year into early 6th year. The war had been raging and they all knew it so Severus wasn't a troubled teen who joined a bad cause. He actively participated in it. Troubled teens don't always join neo-Nazis simply because they're troubled. That claim robs Severus of the agency his character has. He made these decisions and has to contend with them. That's a more powerful character.

Even when he was alone though, Snape still used that word. Even when there was no part to play. He never changed his ideology. He only joined the right side because the woman he loved was killed by the other side.

And now Snape stood again in the headmaster’s study as Phineas Nigellus came hurrying into his portrait. “Headmaster! They are camping in the Forest of Dean! The Mudblood— ” “Do not use that word!” “— the Granger girl, then, mentioned the place as she opened her bag and I heard her!” “Good. Very good!” cried the portrait of Dumbledore behind the headmaster’s chair. (Deathly Hallows Ch. 33, p. 689)

He's still calling muggleborns a slur. Unprompted and Unprovoked.

(Side Note: Why does this feel like a retcon of Phineas Nigellus? He's not mentioned much but I think maybe fanon has me remembering him as being more awful but he's not that bad here or really does much in the series)

No one from the marauders era saw Harry as a real person. There's way too many quotes to show it but I think we all know. Every last one of them saw Harry as James 2.0 or James reincarnate but they never saw him as just Harry.

Final Thoughts:

The look-back into actual canon was very helpful. A lot of unanswered questions are actually explained in other spots, we just tend to forget when they are never explicit or lingered on and the book series is as huge as it is.

I do have to say though that the re-read actually made me not like Snape more. Like, I don't remember half the quotes being like this but they were actually worse than I thought. Particularly the point where he's in Sirius' bedroom, takes a letter not addressed to him and then rips a photo in half to only keep the part of Lily and throw the rest of her photo that has her husband and CHILD on the floor. I hate to say it but canon actually made me not like this character, the opposite effect I was expecting.

It also did make me sympathetic to child Petunia and remember that they were two very different people. Shame she became awful.

#marauders era #snape #severus snape #marauders #james potter #sirius black #remus lupin #remus #sirius #peter pettigrew #mary macdonald #lily evans #lily potter #harry potter

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my-pjo-stuff · 6 months ago

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So I was telling my friends about you and pointing out why I like Luke and also reading out a few of your points about Luke and him not being a “pedo” because you’re a really good defender. One of them asked the question:

“Why didn’t Luke get Nyx instead of Kronos? Zeus is scared of Nyx.”

Can you tell us why he could’ve or couldn’t?

So first off, thanks so much for the compliment 🥺💖 I think the easiest way to defend Luke against that argument is asking, how? How could Luke realistically have even gotten to Nyx in the first place? I think this fandom has a nasty habit of forgetting that most demigods simply don't have that many options of rebellion. Going to the underworld, getting more points of contact with the gods, going on semi-regular quests and advetures- that's all not the norm. You may think that it is due to it being what happens to the main characters and us seeing the books through their POV, but it simply isn't. Most demigods never meet any god to begin with, or get much cordial contact with any mythical being if any. You average demigod get's one quest in their entire lives at most. The average demigod simply isn't as strong as Percy or the Seven either. Luke was, for the most part, completely alone. He didn't have any other people with him on his quest as far as we know, he didn't have any support of the gods on his side and he didn't have any major power. Due to "only" being a child of Hermes he wasn't of particular interest to any mythical being either. From what I understand Nyx was in the underworld, yes? How could Luke have gone there? When Percy and co. went there they had help from Chiron pointing them into the right direction. And even if Luke got down there, how should he have gotten out? The only reason Percy and co. managed to return was because of the pearls Poseidon gave them. Not to mention the fact that there would be no reason for things like minor gods, titans, mythical beings, monsters ect. would have no reason to go along with Luke if he proposed joining him. There is a major risk factor in this entire plan. If they fail to overthrow the gods they very well may all be condemned to fates worse than death.

Luke in this would have been alone. No backing from Kronos or anyone else for that matter. Why should people take the risk of joining him? Some normal demigod child that isn't even especially powerful or special? Why should they risk horrid fates for a plan made by this random kid? Luke was in a wildly different situation when he had Kronos behind him to back him up. Kronos has many more powerful allies than Luke had and was much more well known, which allowed better and more avenues of alliances. Fact is that Luke had a lot of important backers in terms of demigods and titans he simply couldn't have even gotten to just based on their location all on his own. Which is also why I believe Kronos to have been the only viable option Luke had.

#pjo #luke castellan #percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #luke castellan apologist #pro luke castellan

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theweeklydiscourse · 1 month ago

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I decided to ruminate on Elain’s character a bit, I was hoping you’d join me.

I recognized right away during acotar one her character suffers from the same problems Nesta’s does where they were both not important, their purpose being only to push Feyre’s sob story along, the difference is that for whatever reason sjm chose to expand on Nesta upon Feyre’s return hence the whole part where she was able to see through Tamlins glamour, revealed she followed Feyre, asked her to teach her paint, encouraged her to go back while Elain still sort of took a back seat. All of this is not to say sjm didn’t give her character traits, she’s social and happy almost bubbly but in the first book she’s more just— there. More so than Nesta who originally was in the same cutout position. Keep in mind this was all in the same book.

Come book 2 I still get the sense she’s almost just there to serve as a contrast to Nesta’s actions, Nesta refusing to aide Feyre/ Elain acknowledges Feyre’s sacrificing to change her mind, Nesta puts herself in front of Elain when they meet Cassian, Azriel, and Rhys/ she is so terrified Feyre claims it’s a surprise she hasn’t fainted. It develops her character sure but she’s still almost just there. Seriously when she said ‘they can go to hell’ about the queens it would be such a blah, whatever, line if it came from Feyre or Nesta because at this point she’s still in a cut out position of just the cute, nice sister so a line as small as that one is so outstanding. The whole Cauldron scene Elain still felt just there the most remarkable thing (in the sense it’s an action that belonged solely to Elain, not to accentuate her character in contrast with another) is her warning Feyre of the knife being thrown at her because even the mate declaration scene was more of a Lucien moment. Nesta even gets the whole revenge point thing, labeled as Made differently than Elain, Uber powerful upon spilling out.

I think all this should be taken with a grain of salt because these are just my observations. There is some development in book 3 singular to her which I’d argue is small even in itself— her trauma reaction, the description of what Feyre sees when she looks into her mind, the heartbreak at the Made/Graysen situation. Although even in her biggest role yet, the killing of the King of Hybern, it wasn’t singular to her because it’s directly tied to Nesta’s ferocity. It’s a teamwork event that still doesn’t make it solely something Elain did. I think she takes off more so in acofas, but by then we’re several books in and she’s still not developed enough in comparison to other characters (Nesta) that had taken a counter part position along with her (cruel sisters), but by now Nesta has way more page time and narrative importance. That’s not to say she isn’t important, she’s definitely there but still just— not as present.

Now, I know some readers that resonated with her might argue that that is the point, that she’s just sort of in the background and now she will have to learn to speak up, take charge, stand up, which— yes I can see that’s what’s going on— but I still think this was more of an easy way out for sjm to have readers enjoy a character that in actuality is wildly underdeveloped. Which explains why said readers claim others lack understanding of her character “development” and then proceed to do the work for sjm of creating a character by filling in the blanks only to label misogyny when this *soft girl* aesthetic is not “understood”.

All this to say I’m pointing out how sjm truly hasn’t developed her at all yet sjm cleverly (arguably) makes the reader believe this is purposeful because according to the Elain she wrote “nobody really looks” so it feels like the reader is now given the liberty to do the “looking” and fill in the blanks to what is actually a very poorly constructed character 4 books in. What are your thoughts?

Always glad to ruminate, and I think your observations are accurate!

With Elain, we come back to the concept of the readers taking it upon themselves to fill in the narrative gaps left by Maas’s poor writing. Readers do this intuitively because on some level, they want the story to make sense even if that requires them to take some leaps to get there. Some gaps are smaller than others, with certain characters and plot points being gaping chasms that swallow the reader’s (and the fandom’s) attention. Some would like to believe that these gaps are purposeful as you said, but that belief makes me roll my eyes.

Elain is peripheral even in the sob story that Maas constructs early in ACOTAR. Feyre’s specific leniency towards Elain’s incompetence and failure to pull her weight is curiously overlooked even though she resents Nesta for the same reasons. This effectively dismisses Elain’s relevance to the negative beginnings of Feyre’s story and places her in a position of diminished importance compared to Nesta. I’ve tended to view Elain as little more than a lamp in the background of a scene because of how underdeveloped she is. Even Rhysand dismisses Elain when he chooses to assign more blame to Nesta for neglecting Feyre and brushes off Elain with: “Elain is Elain”. Oh I’m sure! As if that statement actually means something and isn’t Rhysand feigning insight into Elain’s character.

As you mentioned with the slaying of Hybern, few things can ever be accomplished by Elain alone. It’s very similar to the way the text removes her culpability from the supposedly grave sin of letting her younger sister hunt in the woods. Blame and ire is directed at Nesta, but at the same time, Nesta is receiving far more development and attention from the overall narrative. This in turn makes her more interesting, which leads to even more attention being paid to her and not Elain. Elain isn’t strong enough of a character to claim the glory of slaying the big bad, so that accomplishment has to be shared to give the moment its full impact. It makes me wonder how she’s going to carry an Elain-centric novel with such weak characterization.

On your note about Elain’s “soft girl” aesthetic, I completely agree. It’s not misogynistic to point out that Elain is an extremely underdeveloped character given the length of the series. Thousands of pages and yet we’ve hardly gotten a sense of who Elain truly is. Readers claim that this wait is intentional, but I call bullshit. If Nesta can receive development and have sustained relevance (positive or negative) why can’t Elain? The “softness” of her character is exactly what leads to her irrelevance as a character and keeps her as a pretty lamp in the background of any given scene. As much as I enjoy the creativity of the fandom, at a certain point, one must acknowledge the fact that Elain has a number of gaps in her characterization.

#Thank you anon for this wonderful ask! I enjoyed reading it and it captures my feelings on Elain very accurately #Hm perhaps Maas will end up giving the bulk of attention in Elain’s book to her two potential love interests…it would make sense too because #of how profoundly male-centric her books are.#a court of thorns and roses #a court of wings and ruin #a court of mist and fury #a court of silver flames #acotar #elain archeron #nesta archeron #feyre archeron #Rhysand #sjm critical #anti sjm #fandom discourse #literary analysis

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seeingteacupsindragons · 11 months ago

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Normally, my meta is pretty focused on what happens in the story, and I bring things from reality to use when it’s useful. But I like pulling stories apart to talk about how the story works, and stories only exist with a thin tether to reality most of the time, and they have wildly different rules.

This one is a little different. This one is going to have a lot of outside information brought to bear to discuss Sherliam’s relationship, but they’re things I think are relevant: A Japanese word and its origins, how creating art and stories works, what being an artist is…and how that all impacts William and Sherlock, how they relate to each other as creations of artists and artists themselves.

Basically, stuff about how art is made and the context it lives in. I think that's more useful than comparing it to reality. It’ll be interesting, I promise! Just a little different than usual.

Let’s start here. I think you’ll see where I’m going with the Sherliam thing pretty quickly, but if not, don’t worry. I’m going to explain.

I saw this post on Bluesky during aro week, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot since.

Basically, there’s a word in Chinese, that has actually carried over to Japanese (I’ll get to that in a minute) that means, basically, “person who truly understands your songs.” It’s based off this story of this musician would make instrumental music, as one does, and this person who understood immediately, without being told, what the song was about. And this relationship was so deeply important and meaningful that after the second person died, the first destroyed his instrument, because there seemed to be no point in continuing to create music without the person who got it.

Yes, I know, you’re all seeing the Sherliam parallels already, but give me a bit longer before we get there.

This word carried over to Japanese with a slightly different pronunciation (as happens), but the same kanji and the same meaning. My Japanese-English dictionary defines it solely as “an exceptionally close friend.” No other options are provided. So I looked it up in some Japanese dictionaries! They both started with the same origin story of the word, and then both came up with a handful of definitions: Dear friend, person who understands your heart, partner, comrade, eventually it got down to sweetheart, someone you can rely on. My favorite was “Peerless/unmatched friend.”

The word does seem to be fairly formal and archaic and mostly relegated to Literature™ and classic works. It’s not a word that’s canonically ever applied to Sherlock or William.

And yet. And yet.

I don’t know how common the word is in Japanese that they’d recognize or know it. Whether or not it actually influenced the story from background knowledge, intentionally or not. But knowing the concept now, and knowing the concept has existed in Japanese culture as…as an option does change how I think of some of the media I’ve seen before. The word notwithstanding, the concept exists.

As an artist myself, I deeply understand the need/desire/hope/longing/etc. for a person who just. Gets what you’re trying to do. The person who deeply understands what you’re doing and your intentions and the way you expressed yourself. Who understands you via your creations.

I am, as many of you know, looking for a new critique partner right now. I have one, but I need one or two others for Reasons. And one of them already turned up a dud because this person’s feedback had nothing to do with what I want the story to be or what I’m trying to write. It’s a lot of marketing advice. Advice on how to make the story more what they would want, or more like other books.

A good CP needs to see what the intention of the story is, so they can make that story stronger and help that story make that point to more people. They have to understand your art. Not to the degree of a 知音, but nonetheless.

Sherlock and William are, obviously, on the level of understanding each other this way. They just get each other, without explanation, and they both treasure that relationship dearly. So dearly that Sherlock, when faced with the prospect of losing the person who truly got him, would have rather died with him then survive without that connection.

Because what was the point of doing things, of making things, of being, without that person who got it. How to bear living once you’ve finally found that person?

And I think this kind of gets to what Louis was seeing in Sherlock and hoping he would do to validate William’s existence. Sherlock got William. He saw his intentions through his plans, and saw who he was and what his soul was even under all the masks and walls and machinations. He understood why William would want to die, and that he was actually trying to die intentionally almost immediately.

And because Sherlock actually understood William’s existence, he could actually validate William’s existence. The same way someone has to understand what my book’s story is trying to be to actually help it. The same way someone actually understanding what the fuck I was trying to write makes me feel…well, like writing and sharing it with people is actually worth it, because I can do this.

And, because Sherlock understood William’s intentions and plans, he made changes to the story William planned, because he saw the weaknesses from a distance, saw the intentions without drowning himself in what was already there the way William the Author did. Because he saw the intentions, but also the actual effects.

And William’s plan came out stronger and more effective and more beautiful for it all. Because Sherlock was there to see it, to understand it, and to help.

After all, Sherlock is an artist, too, even if we only see him with his violin on occasion. He knows what it’s like. And he knows William helped give him a stage to show off what Sherlock wanted to share with the world, too (forensics, etc.).

And I think it’s interesting, after all that, to remember that Yuukoku no Moriarty is created by not one artist, but two. Did they understand each other’s intentions the way William and Sherlock understand each other? Almost certainly not, especially given that we lost one of them from the series. But they had to work together, to understand each other’s intentions and art, in order to work together and create the story. To fill in where the other fell short, to give feedback and strengthen the story together.

We don’t know much at all about their working relationship or how the series came to be from the two of them. It’s really impossible to speculate if they felt in sync or they wished they were working with someone who Got Them better. But I think either way, Sherlock and William’s working together to create a story that was stronger, fuller, and better than either could have come up with alone is an interesting reflection of their story’s two creators anyway.

#Yuukoku no Moriarty #Moriarty the Patriot #Sherliam #writing #art #etc

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jessequinones · 4 months ago

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Creating your indigenous group.

Hi there, so you want to create an indigenous group in your world that’s not set on Earth? Great! I hope I can help by informing you of some things you should and shouldn’t do while creating your indigenous group for your story.

Before I continue, I must let you know I’m Taíno, and I don’t represent Native people as a whole, let alone represent my community as a whole, which is a perfect segue into the first point!

Indigenous groups aren’t a monolith!

When creating indigenous characters, many people will make everyone behave the same (except for one Native who’s different from the rest, and this is the only Native with whom the main character interacts).

For example, in Pocahontas, a 1995 Disney film, she’s the only one who acts differently from her tribe.

The Na'vi act the same, except for Neytiri.

The point I’m trying to make is that many people, when writing Indigenous characters, create a planet of the hat tropes. Sure, maybe two or three of the characters in a tribe might behave differently, but those are the exceptions. If anything, it proves what I just said: Most Indigenous groups are written to be monoliths.

Where you grow up and where you came from doesn’t automatically make you part of the hivemind. Let’s take the United States, for example. What’s the culture of America? How diverse is it? If I create a tribe based in America, what kind of people would I be making?

The United States isn't a monolith of ideologies and philosophies. An American from the North could have wildly different opinions and beliefs than an American from the South. So why does everyone in your indigenous group follow the same beliefs?

If you want to create a warrior Indigenous group whose central belief is “the strong will prevail” (First of all, that’s not original), but secondly, where’s the scientist? Where are the people who create better weapons to make fighting easier? Where are the people who generate armour so their warriors can stay in the fight longer? Where are the blacksmiths who made these weapons? Where are the teachers and educators to help train the newer warriors? Where are the doctors to help heal those who survived their fights so they can fight another day? Where are the cooks to ensure the warriors can fight on a full stomach?

See where I’m coming from? A society that’s bent on fighting still needs its basic needs met. A cook in a fighting society might be a cook because they don’t like to fight, but they don’t hate others who do. A teacher might be a teacher because they love the history of fighting and have more of a strategic mind than the quick reaction you need while in combat. A builder might be a builder because they can’t fight, but they can support their people by building them houses. Expand your society to something more than just a hivemind.

Religion

It’ll be hard to create an indigenous group without mentioning religion. For this reason, I’ll split this category into those without and those with computers.

Before computers (religion):

I don’t think I know of a single indigenous group with no connection to religion. Religion is the backbone of society. If you’re creating an indigenous tribe in a world that doesn’t have computers, you need to make a religion.

Please understand Indigenous people are the first people to set foot on your land and create a society. They could only survive because of religion. Religion helps teach others what’s right and what’s wrong. What’s dangerous, and what’s safe? To explain the unexplainable. The Norse and the Greek Gods? Those are religions, not myths. Religions that helped their community thrive and expand.

Religion gives a society a set of rules to follow and obey to keep everything in order. If you’re creating a society before computers, yes, many of your indigenous characters will be religious, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a monolith.

Christians may believe in the same God and read the same book. However, you can still encounter two very different Christians from each other. Your indigenous group who follow a religion don’t all have to be the same person.

If you struggle with creating a religion or may have religious trauma, keep in mind that religion doesn’t have to be a core thing in your indigenous society, but more so, a set of codes and laws that affect the society you’re trying to create.

These codes and laws can be simple: "Thou shall not kill an innocent or steal from the hungry."

To something more complex, like saying a prayer before taking someone’s life or else they'll burn in Hell.

Religion also helps explain the unexplainable. Simple questions such as, "What is life?" "What’s my purpose?" "How was I created?" have been asked thousands of years ago, and all of these questions have been answered by religion in some way or another. Before science, before technology, before we knew the world was round, we had religion to explain things and guide us to where we are today.

After computers (religion):

If you’re creating an indigenous group of people set in a world with technology such as computers, yes, you still need to create a religion for said indigenous group. However, if you don’t want to write about religion, you can avoid it. Just because your indigenous character is indigenous doesn’t mean they have to be religious as well, especially in an age where technology is available.

Take, for example, me. I’m Taíno but not religious, though I understand and acknowledge the religion and myths my people created.

Religion doesn’t play as much of a role in a new-age society as an old-age one, so religion doesn’t have to be in your story if you don’t want it to. However, keep in mind if you’re creating an indigenous group. They wouldn’t have gotten to where they are if they didn’t have religion to guide them.

Culture

What’s the culture of America? Or Australia? What’s British culture? When we think of Indigenous culture, we often think of everyone acting the same. However, that’s only because when their history was being recorded, it was recorded using a biased lens and from a small selection of people that was then generalised for everyone.

Indigenous people have existed for thousands of years. We have a rich culture, and it has changed over the years. Still, we don’t know what we used to be or where we came from because when we were “discovered”, the people who "discovered" us only jotted down notes of what they saw and, more often than not, what they didn’t understand and assumed everyone in our tribe did the same thing when that’s simply not the case. Even “warrior-type” cultures like the Spartans or the Vikings, who fought a lot, had a rich and more profound culture that was more than just beating their opponents.

Indigenous people also spread out and didn’t stay in one area. We travelled and interacted with each other. We didn’t hide in our little corner of the world waiting to be “discovered” because we had already discovered others. Like today, we had beef with our rivals and greeted friends with open arms.

When you create your indigenous group, and you think of what their culture will be like, understand this. Culture is created and changed based on the general ideas and beliefs of the masses. You might have a group of Indigenous people be more peaceful, but then the war came, and they lost, so they changed into a more warrior-focused kind of tribe. Culture is formed and moulded by interaction with others, and often, things such as war will change the culture of a society. However, remember that smaller subcultures will emerge if your society is big enough. This is why it’s impossible to define current US culture.

Also, when talking about your indigenous culture, how big should your indigenous group be? I know 1,000 people sounds like a lot, but that’s a dying community. Depending on the story you’re creating, Indigenous people, before getting killed, were in the millions, just like the modern day. So, there’s a good chance subcultures might’ve formed.

You could have your indigenous group have a cultural mindset where you need to eat lots of food. They’re a peaceful group of people who don’t want to fight. However, they have a military because while they may be quiet, they understand if they’re defenceless, they’ll get killed. So, a warrior from the same tribe might also believe in eating as much as you can, but this warrior might do it for other reasons. The cultural idea of eating lots of food is prevalent in both groups, but they behave differently based on what they do and who they are.

Just remember the one thing I mentioned at the start of this article: Don’t create a monolith or a hive mind. Not everyone in your indigenous group will act the same as everyone else. If this kind of thing is challenging, try imagining the modern world. Not much has changed from when indigenous people roamed the world to what happens today; the main difference is technology and the speed at which everything gets done.

Indigenous people fought amongst themselves; they hated who ruled them, and there was religion, science, and wars, just like today. The only difference was that Indigenous history was erased and changed.

Look at Indigenous people for examples of creating your indigenous society. This will depend on the kind of story you’re creating, the characteristics of the world, and so on. To simplify things, I’ll divide this into two sections: Before and after computers.

If your story is set in a world before computers, then you’ll most likely be thinking about creating your indigenous group to be kind of stereotypical. Keep in mind when looking at real-life examples, ask yourself this. “Why did they create this? Why did they believe that? How come they behave this way?”

Indigenous people created a club, then a spear, then a bow; if we weren’t killed off, would it be weird to assume we wouldn’t develop swords?

Indigenous people don’t wear clothes; is it because of the climate they are in? Is it because they believe the body is beautiful and has a different standard of beauty?

Indigenous people created herbal medicine; if we weren’t killed off, do you think we’ll just stick with that, or would we continue to craft what we made into more powerful medicine and maybe create pills?

If you’re creating Indigenous people set before computers, think about the area they live in and the climate. Look at others who lived in a similar environment to where you want your group to be. Figure out what and why they did what they did instead of just copying them.

It’s also a good idea to credit who you took inspiration from and speak to them. Ask questions, observe their community and learn their history. It’s the least you can do if you’re going to be using them as a base for creating your indigenous group.

After computers: If you’re creating an indigenous group of people set in a world that has computers and other advanced technologies, and you keep them in the past, using spears and stuff...yeah...that’s just racist.

People grow with technology; anyone who doesn’t will get killed. The Spaniards and the British discovered how to use guns and smelt iron before the rest of the world, and they used that to their benefit.

Indigenous people of today, the reason why we cling to the past is because that’s all that we have left. Our ancestors didn’t survive long enough to adapt to the new world. So, if you’re creating an indigenous group of people set after computers, make sure they’re at the same level as everyone else and not stuck in the past. We’re not stuck in the past; it’s just that our ancestors couldn’t survive to make it to the present day, and the past is all we have left to prove to everyone we’re still alive.

Language

Depending on the story you’re creating, you don’t need to create a new language for your indigenous group. Take, for example, Avatar the Last Airbender. Nearly everyone is codded or was based on an indigenous group, with the water and air nations being the prominent examples; however, everyone speaks the same language.

If you’re creating a story with multiple different languages, then I recommend having your indigenous culture speak their own language. It’s just an extra bit of world-building that can help define your world better, as you can use this new language to create names and other things.

What are some examples of indigenous people in media? Someone asked me for some examples of Indigenous people in media so they could see what other creators did and learn from them. The thing is, I can’t answer that, at least not in a way that says, “This is a good example.” Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m Taíno, and my group is so underrepresented that I can’t recall the last time we’ve been in the media.

I can’t and won’t speak on native rep when it comes to indigenous groups of whom I don’t belong. It’s hard to even talk about fictional Indigenous codded characters because most of them take massive inspiration from a single group of Indigenous people.

Examples are the following: The Celtics (Dragon Age Inquisition: Aavar), Aztecs, Mayans, Incans (Maya and the Three) Inuits, (Avatar the Last Airbender: Water Tribe), Native Americans (but more specifically, the natives who reside in modern America and parts of Canada...Avatar: Na’vi)

My view of these characters will differ from someone who’s a part of those cultures, and I won’t speak over their own views and opinions. So I can’t give you any examples for now because I don’t know any. Both The Pirates of the Caribbeans and Our Flag Means Death have Taíno rep. (Whether or not the writers knew natives who live in the Caribbean would be Taíno people is another topic)...I mean, in Dead Man Chest, the natives saw Jack Sparrow as a God...a white guy viewed as a God amongst the Natives...yeah...you can see why I can’t give you any good examples, right?

Overall, there are many factors to consider when creating an Indigenous group. If you have any more questions, please message me, and I’ll try to answer them. I hope you enjoyed this and have a good rest of your day.

Bo-matúm

#writing #writeblr #book #books #writers on tumblr #writers #writerscommunity #indigenous writers #indigenous #first nations #indigenous peoples #indigenous culture #taíno #taino #boricua #boriken #boríken

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