#you're doomed by the narrative and you're serving!

[the-face-in-the-mirror]

As promised, here she is! Margaret in all of her new glory. I have scarcely been able to stop staring at this one, she's so pretty it's almost unfair.

Finally, a proper outfit for the icon herself. My goal here was to make Margaret look more like a princess and a royal heir, with some inspiration taken from Princess Zelda's design in Breath of the Wild while utilizing some of the colors that Margaret is seen wearing in canon. I might adjust the veil later to make it fit in more seamlessly with the rest of the outfit, but right now, I think it looks okay; let me know if ya'll have any ideas for that.

I always thought Margaret needed more love as the heir to the throne; being the firstborn, you'd think there'd be a little bit more emphasis on her and the position she holds, but she just kind of... exists in a bubble, it seemed like. This time around, Margaret gets a bigger role in terms of her place in Liones and the royal family. Given the time period, there'd be very little separation between Church and State, especially since the Holy Knights are a thing, so I've decided that Margaret gets to essentially be the head of the Church, or at least hold a high position in it. Since Margaret has never demonstrated any magical ability in canon, I imagine I can work with that to aid in her position as High Priestess; I'm still figuring that part out, but we'll get there.

Her overhauled role also gives Margaret more to do than just being constantly locked in a basement like in canon. Personally, I don't really get why she had to be other than the excuse that it was for her own protection, but even then it still seemed weird since Hendrickson had her being watched at all times by the chimera anyway. She'll likely be up to a bit more in this rewrite, and I hope to expand more on her character being stalked by the chimera versus no longer being stalked by it. Margaret could be cool and honestly it's what she deserves.

That's it for now, so I'll see ya'll just as soon as I figure out what to do next. See ya!

[liketwoswansinbalance]

What if Rafal couldn't save Rhian in time? Like Vulcan successfully stabbed him with the pen before Rafal could prevent it?

The comedic answer is that I have one word for you: gibbeting.

That's the more "fun" answer, a form of medieval execution/torture, which was specifically intended to make an example of someone, publicly, to deter further criminal acts, and if Vulcan murdered Rhian, well, he deserves the worst death possible! And why not make it a creative one? However, I think, to an extent, that gibbeting could be too extreme, and that Rafal would recognize that if Rhian were alive, he'd view it as an eyesore, tasteless, or simply too brutal, so it's probably unlikely to happen. But, Rafal might not be above it, considering that the Doom Room exists, so it could go either way, potentially.

Plus, there's some added, bonus "fun" here, in how a certain canon moment would come full circle. Vulcan put Rafal in a birdcage (while he was a black sparrow), and now, Rafal would get the pleasure of hanging Vulcan (or rather, his slowly dying and later, decomposing body) up in a cage, a pretty neat form of revenge, if I do say so myself, haha! Besides, Vulcan was a bit exhibitionistic, wasn't he? So, this would also make for an ironical fate.

⸻

Now for the serious answer. I hope you don't mind it if I get a little more subjective/personal with this one at some point. It's not quite as much an overblown, narrative-style post, and may be more understated than usual.

I took this "what if" ask to essentially mean: how would Rafal react to Rhian's death and how would he mourn Rhian over time? If I misinterpreted your ask, and this wasn't the kind of response you were expecting, please let me know. Also, everything is speculative, of course, so take my interpretations with a grain of salt. I'm open to hearing other opinions!

I think Rafal's immediate, knee-jerk reaction would probably be to murder Vulcan as revenge, but also it would serve the more practical reason of disposing of the tyrant usurper, ousting him from the School permanently. However, I don't think Rafal would find catharsis in it, not this time at least, considering why he is doing it.

He'd have to act on his feet, and quickly, because, Vulcan would still pose a threat to his own life, which would force Rafal to delay any kind of visceral, emotional reaction.

That is why I think the murder would be done instantaneously because speed is more important, and so is getting the task done right. And, having Vulcan dead sooner for everyone's safety is more important than the potential brutality of any kind of gruesome catharsis Rafal could derive from the act. That's why I think Rafal would go about performing this particular murder in a less sadistic fashion, for once, like how Vulcan died in canon by a stab wound, versus the time when Rafal turned Rufius to gold and shattered him, or did worse to others, generally. If Vulcan had simply been a foe who was already incapacitated, that could've given Rafal the opportunity to go for a worse form of murder, but Vulcan isn't harmless.

Thus, employing a "kinder" form of murder in this instance wouldn't be out of sympathy for Vulcan, but more so, to fulfill an urgent need. And, in some sense, the act of murder would be done out of a kind of duty to Rhian, for Rhian's sake and nothing more. I think Rafal deriving pleasure/catharsis out of this murder could possibly be a bit of a slight to Rhian's memory because this is somber business.

Then, after that adrenaline or rage-fueled clarity and the action taken, I think Rafal would next probably feel some kind of uncomprehending fog next because Rhian was suddenly ripped away from him with little warning. His supposedly immortal brother, who was supposed to be with him forever, just died. To an extent, that has to feel surreal.

The surreal feeling could start out as a detached, dissociated feeling, like the kind of out-of-body experience where you're like a third-person observer, (probably a similar feeling as a panic attack?) Like, what? What has my life become? Rhian is suddenly gone, for good.

(The revelation of Rhian's death being real could also prompt a lot of thought as to why their bond wasn't able to save or revive Rhian, and could evoke guilt.)

Once Rafal processes the implications of Rhian's death, his initial outburst could be the most, actual, unbridled emotion he lets out, at all, if ever—maybe, one raw, primal scream of agony into the ether and that’s it. (Yet, I'm also tempted to say, that's too dramatic of a reaction, even for him. As interesting as it is to go to extremes in other cases, I'm attempting to go for something closer to realism here, so bear with me.)

While there is probably a narrow chance, that under the exact, right conditions, he could be driven insane or become an extremist in some way, out of guilt or by how ridiculously unjust the whole situation would be, I think it's a little more plausible that Rafal would just bury himself in his work. He could devote his life to Evil, and still keep it in balance with Good, without Rhian there to keep him in check, even if he was more often the one to keep Rhian in check, from what we saw. (He could also become disillusioned with the world and the Pen.)

Given how I view Rafal, I think he would shut down emotionally but not functionally. He wouldn't let himself dwell on the grief for long, and he might even (irrationally) resent Rhian for dying, at first, on the surface, because he's now got twice the work. And yet, the work would be a welcome distraction from his actual grief.

Additionally, I think Rafal would become numb and immune to all emotional appeals from other people. Not even a trick like Hook reminding him of Rhian would work to convince him to change his mind that he's already made up in any future instance. He's never, never investing himself in the fate of another person again. Not when he could lose them. He just... does his job. Someone has to do it after all.

That said, I think his paranoia level would absolutely skyrocket, too, as a result of the whole Vulcan incident, and that he'd isolate himself more than he already did before.

Now comes the part where this may or may not take a weird turn, and I could be projecting with what I'm about to say, but I think I have actual reason to apply it to Rafal, purely out of thinking it could make sense for him, (as just one of the many possible ways he could take Rhian's death. Again, this is all just my speculation. I could easily be wrong, so keep that in mind.)

Ok, I'm not sure if this is a common or a weird thing to think and I had a feeling it could be controversial. Thus, I'm going to preface it with this: my intention is not to sound callous, but...

I (usually) do not miss people when they are gone. (Death is different from just absence though.)

I doubt that I "miss" people in what is the typical way, from what I have heard from others? Though, I have an explanation. Obviously, it depends, but missing others doesn't occupy my every waking thought. (And thoughts about fictional characters are a different type of thought to arise.)

I feel others' presence when they’re around, and when they’re not around, unless I'm concerned for them, I don’t exactly think about them. It's kind of "out of sight, out of mind," except for the cases in which I actually am holding something to say to them in mind for our next encounter.

I’m sorry if this is strange, but I think that’s how I operate most of the time. I don't "wait around" for people to return because I always have some thing to occupy myself with. Can anyone relate?

I suspect that the reason why is because, to me, missing someone is what I would classify as an active feeling. When someone I love is apart from me, I'm usually busy, regardless of whether they're present or not (that doesn't change), and I know that when you're busy, you don't have the time to feel, at least not active emotions. They just... don't occur to you? Or maybe they are not conscious?

Now, from my view of things, if something you feel becomes a problem, and interferes with your daily functioning or general contentment with everyday life, that could very well surface as a real reaction or outburst. But, that's an entirely different matter. I also think that I am reminded of people at times, but that I usually don't "miss" them without there being some kind of (internal or external) stimuli that causes me to think about them.

Maybe, I'm just projecting onto Rafal too much because I relate to him over other characters, and this is silly, or junk psychoanalysis, but it seemed to fit his character also???

Sometimes, I just want recognition more than I want actual companionship since I don't get lonely. I wonder what that says about me? That I'm an introvert, or lazy because relationships require regular maintenance to sustain them? I promise I'm not a misanthrope!

Ok, back to Rafal. He's sunken himself into his work and as such, he wouldn't actively miss Rhian. (If anyone would like more clarification, I'm not saying he wouldn't grieve Rhian at all. It's not that.)

And, if we're going down a more realistic than dramatic route, he wouldn’t lose his sense of self, or his mind over Rhian. Yes, not even Rhian. I think the only thing keeping him running and tethered to his life would be his commitment to the School/keeping himself alive.

What this makes me think of is how people romanticize grief or unrequited love, how they may end up looking wan and eventually wasting away (well, if we're talking about being heartsick in literary/symbolic contexts...). And, I just don't think Rafal would be the type of person to fall into some kind of "madness" or melancholic malady. Grief just wouldn’t be so debilitating or all-consuming to him because he wouldn’t let it do that to him. He wouldn’t stop eating or sleeping as I would expect these behaviors more from someone like Rhian, not him.

Similarly, he might not indulge in pleasurable things, but he’s a bit of an ascetic already anyway, so that’s that. He could potentially renounce pleasurable things in life out of mourning, in a traditional way, but I doubt that would happen either, to be honest. It probably wouldn't cross his mind. At least, it wouldn't happen on a formal, conscious level, even if he could very well deprive himself without realizing it.

I just don't think Rafal would be engulfed by grief, simply because he isn’t that much of an emotionally driven person or that vulnerable to being swept up by personal tragedy, when compared to Rhian, who's more "wild." He’d only let his grief manifest so far, assuming his emotions do still remained locked down and under his control.

So, while he may think about Rhian regularly, he might just accept the fact of Rhian's death, carry on, and not miss him because Rafal missing Rhian could (implicitly) mean becoming non-functional due to grief (or guilt) and that would be too great of a risk for Rafal to take, considering his current reality alone. Basically, to let himself wallow in those emotions would be an unnecessary "risk," from his viewpoint. That's why he might repress that reflective type of thought.

Such feelings would be too much mess or potential disorder for someone like him, especially if he realized he couldn't keep them contained, and they, as a consequence, actually jeopardized his fate or the School's, assuming the grief made him unable to perform his job properly.

(He'd probably subtly resent the Storian as well, for not preserving Rhian's life.)

Also, one small point: in canon, was his bond with Rhian really, truly all-consuming? Let's stop and ask ourselves that for a moment.

Yes, for a time, their bond may have seemed like it was priority no. 1, but Rafal was apart from Rhian for six months, and might not have consciously missed him, if it took him that long to return after getting an external reminder from his interactions with Hook. It might have taken something outside of himself (like the prophecy) for him to come to the realization that he had to return and reestablish his loyalty to Rhian (which was arguably never gone, just dormant for a while). And this would mean that if left alone to his own devices, had he never been moved by James, or "awakened" and been made aware by Adela Sader, he could have taken longer than even six months to return... if he ever decided to at all, if the thought ever arose in the first place.

So, overall, it would only be rarely, when he has nothing to occupy himself with, that Rafal would grieve in some quiet way, and over time, the grief would fade. It wouldn't leave him entirely, but it would diminish, I think, the more and more he distances himself from everything else.

Also, in canon, I suspect that he lies to himself about how much he cares for Rhian. He never shows Rhian much affection, but he sacrifices his life for him, on instinct, which probably means a grieving Rafal would also lie to himself about how “little” he mourns Rhian. In reality, he’d probably mourn Rhian a great deal more than he could know, but wouldn’t have enough self-awareness to realize it.

Perhaps, at night, he would be haunted by Rhian's memory, and take on Rhian's insomniac trait on occasion. Also, to credit @cursed-daydreamer, I think it would be plausible for Rafal to take on a few of Rhian's traits, unconsciously, to compensate for the loss, and fill his void; it could be a way of keeping Rhian's presence in his life.

Lastly, I doubt that Rafal would publicly erect monuments or dedicate anything to Rhian. He wouldn’t want a painful, visual reminder around. His rituals, if we were to call them that, any form of remembrance, I mean, would likely be private, away from prying eyes and students. Rafal wouldn't want to come across as weak or sentimental. That’s the last thing he needs at the moment, a ruined reputation, another so-called threat to his own life/power. Because, increased paranoia could lead him to believe that if he were to show any sign of vulnerability, more "Vulcans" could prey on him and the School.

He could maintain the cherry blossom trees though, but it'd always be a sobering occasion, and he'd never take the credit.

Besides that, he probably wouldn’t go eulogizing his brother or canonizing him. He can still recognize Rhian's flaws, and to praise Rhian so completely would be "too much," too public, and the performative (or contrived) nature of certain mourning customs like those would probably strike him as "wrong" because they just seem... insincere. I don't think Nevers (if we're assuming Rafal remains Evil) put as much much stock in praise anyway, according to their value system.

The exception to the rule would probably be if he recognized that it would be Rhian's wish, to receive some recognition or a dedication. Then, he would do it, out of reverence, I think. He'd have reason to "excuse" it (Rhian's dying wishes), unlike visible emotions, which don't have an excuse to be felt.

⸻

Also, I was wondering: does anyone agree or disagree? I'm really curious because this ask provoked a train of thought I'd never considered before!

[pyreo]

I know there's people who like their fantasy storytelling to take a few steps away from reality, you know. Nothing that verges on allegorical to the stuff we worry about in real life. And I think I'm on the opposite team to that and y'know, the further away we get from gw2's original core story the more I see The World Summit instance as more pivotal than it appeared.

It's the part in the middle of Season 2 where you bring the world leaders together to try and insist that they need to aid you fighting Mordremoth, a primal force who's only just now awakened and started causing disruption and deaths. Mechanically, it serves to show the various cultures being made aware of the upcoming antagonist for mostly the first time.

But there's something that grips me to this day about the realism in that segment. You know full well that this thing is beginning its warpath and will kill those around you. You and your guild know that you need to take action immediately before it gathers itself together to a point you cannot fight it any more. I don't think the scene serves much more than obligatory scaffolding in a narrative sense but it echoes the way I feel in real life all the time. It's the focal point where I've never felt more aligned with my Commander.

Smodur: They're plant creatures! How hard can they be to fight. One good flamethrower and…

Knut: Mordremoth is not yet as close as the Sons of Svanir. They press in around our homesteads. That is more important.

Phlunt: Are you saying we should put ourselves on the line to protect all of you? We are safe in Rata Sum.

Jennah: I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't see how this will work. What are you asking of us?

It's not easy to ask the Main Five Peoples to get anything done together - they do come from legitimately incompatible cultures and there's bad history between humans and charr, and sylvari and asura. But you have to present an argument to each one to convince them this is the most important thing to devote resources to.

It's been about ten years since this was written and it still feels exactly like every conversation that deflects from the reality of climate change. The 'we have bigger things to worry about', the 'it's not that bad', the denials, the giving up, the ones who have enough to feel secure individually and don't really care.

That and the way the narrative turns from 'you're the hero, slay the dragon' to a domino effect that cannot be stopped, wrenching the planet off its hinges and it was all down to you. There's a big difference in changing the threat from ancient dragons awakening to devour all life... and it being the Commander's fault that the stabilising effect those dragons had is unplugged. The allegory becomes undeniable - you doomed the world. You have to chase down that tether and pull the weave back from unravelling even if it'll tear you apart. And even if nobody realises how close their lives are to ending, even if nobody respects you for it.

You have to look the most powerful people alive in the eye and plead with them to fucking help you for god's sake knowing it's a crisis and if you don't take action right now instead of waiting for it to get worse... being able to tell them 'I told you so' will be no solace at all.

And fuckin.... if fantasy stories are there to give us hope for ourselves, nothing hits as directly as the journey from "It's not that bad, why should we put anything on the line for you?" to

That hope means something very real to me.

[tanoraqui]

I COMPLETELY FORGOT A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF CROWNLESS (the Young Aragorn show that lives in my, and apparently many of your, hearts): Each season opens with the framing device of middle-aged Sam Gamgee sitting by the fire in Bag End, telling his kids stories about the King. If you don’t have a (historical inaccuracy-excusing) narrative frame in a Middle Earth story, wtf are you even doing?

Also, the theme song in my mind is "All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter" by Clamavi de Profundis, but I'm open to some other group doing their own arrangement of the poem.

so, key elements of season 3 (s1 and 2 here):

A couple times in s2, including notably in the season finale?, Rohirrim were involved…so at the very end of that season, King Thengel invited Aragorn to come serve in his court/armed forces. That’s right, it’s time for UNMITIGATED HORSE GIRL!ARAGORN HOURS!

(confession: I could be persuaded to combine s2 and s3, with some elements of s3 going into s4)

(and clarification: Aragorn isn't deliberately using a false name, but he's also not presenting himself as anything more than a random northern Dúnedain ranger, son of nobody in particular.)

The show starts to shift in this season: in addition to/in place of some monster of the week episodes, we get political drama of the week, and more ongoing plotlines. Also, I realized it’s as much ‘location of the week’ as ‘monster of the week’—that continues, centered around Rohan (which means we’ll retread some locations from s2)

First trip to Minas Tirith, on some diplomatic excursion!

fun canon LotR info: Thengel, Theoden's father, was a total Gondor stan - he lived there from his teens until he had to come home to take up the crown, he married a woman from Lossarnach, as King of Rohan he spoke Sindarin and Westernesse and not Rohirric...

so I'm gonna say that teenage Theoden is kind of resentful of that? He was born in Lossarnach, came to Rohan at age 5...but Rohan is his home and he loves it, and he wonders if his father is too enamored of Gondor to be the best king of Rohan. He's skeptical of Thengel recruiting this random Ranger to be a captain of the Riders. On the flip side, Aragorn is SO COOL, and superb with horses. and Theoden wants to be him when he grows up. It's hard, being a teenager and a prince, with 4 sisters. It's hard and nobody understands

Sauruman is there for an episode, being genuinely helpful but his vibes are faintly rancid. He's about to start building up Isengard as an armed power. If the season finale involves something like a proper battle again, he might pitch in.

Halbarad and Dúnawen might actually stay in Ithilien? Or they come along to Rohan but they just join the Riders without getting involved in court stuff at all. Aragorn is going to start doing more things on his own. They presumably have their own B/C-plot character arcs btw, I just don't know what

Roddis definitely stayed behind in Ithilien/Gondor. New in the cast, however, not from quite the start but maybe like ep7/22, or the midseason onward? Is a perfectly normal human woman with dark hair and grey eyes...

Arwen. It's Arwen.

Aragorn: Why are you here? Arwen: I am the daughter of Elrond Half-Elven. My grandparents include the Evening Star, White-Winged Elwing, and Galadriel, student of Melian who on separate occasions told both Fëanor and Eonwë to fuck off. Everyone who met her agrees that I look just like my great-great-grandmother Lúthien Tinúviel. The distant echo of the Doom of the Exiles runs in my veins, as do the Songs of Lúthien and the Light of a Silmaril. I know the weight of Fate when it settles on my shoulders like a mantle, as it did when you called me 'Tinúviel' beneath Imladris's twilit trees—but the Choice of the Peredhel remains mine and mine alone. So I have come, Elessar, Isildur's heir, to see if I actually like you. Arwen: Curiosity. Aragorn: [vividly remembering how in s1 his mom said, "She's way out of your league" and Elrond said, "You won't get married until you're king." (Aragorn: "...married to your daughter?" Elrond: "To anyone. Period.")] Aragorn: Cool. Curiosity is cool. I'm gonna be so normal about this.

(Spoilers: he was not entirely normal about this.)

(Spoilers: they super do like each other, though)

Idk what the backup rangers are doing overall, but I do want Aragorn and Dúnawen to still have some sort of romantic Thing in s2, maybe off and on again, as Aragorn thought Arwen wasn't interested and was trying not to just be moping about it... Then Arwen arrives and Aragorn is So Conflicted for like 1 episode, before Dúnawen comes to him like, "Aragorn, I love you as a friend and comrade-in-arms and I love you as my chieftain and king-to-be, and I could probably love you as a wife if we really tried...but you clearly have not just a crush but some sort of Destiny thing with Lady Arwen, so I'm going to go back to Ithilien for a bit, maybe get drunk and laid with a handsome barmaid, and get over you. While I'm gone, you should try, like, talking to her."

A thing that Aragorn and Arwen...do bond over, but more it's there to demonstrate their compatibility to the audience, is: ...So, we (the writers/producers) don't have the rights to The Silmarillion, right, just The Lord of the Rings and its Appendices, and The Hobbit. These do periodically namedrop people, however, with dashes of elaboration mostly in the Appendices...and Aragorn is established from the start to be a bit of a history nerd, because that's what happens when you're raised by Elrond...so periodically, Aragorn and his friends will be in a Situation and Aragorn will whisper, like, "This is just like when [Fëanor/Túrin/Tar-Minastir/etc...]—" and Halbarad or Dúnawen hisses, "Does that actually help us right now?" and Aragorn will say, "Sure!" and start doing something that Silmarillion nerds can recognize is inspired by whatever the person in question did in a similar situation (note: sometimes Aragorn deliberately does the opposite of what the historical figure did, and it works much better.) The writers very carefully do not explicitly reference anything not explicitly in the permitted texts. If they need/get to elaborate on a historical figure, they'll toe a careful line of Silmarillion canon and blatantly made-up things.

That happened more in s1, when the show needed to make good with the old fans, but also in s2. Aragorn remains the only one referencing this stuff. Then in s3, he and Arwen are...let's say captured by bandits, and Arwen murmurs in his ear, "I have an idea. You know in the Lay of Lúthien..." Aragorn's eyes widen. "Beren and Lúthien or Beren and Finrod?" Arwen: "Finrod." Aragorn nods, and they proceed to bullshit their way out of being captive with flawless teamwork and yes-and-ing (and maybe fight a wolf on their way out, just to be thorough).

No idea what this season finale is. Like I said, you could probably weave parts of most of this season into s2 and s4? But that would ruin the "a different significant geographical area every season" thing we've got going on.

[s4 here!]

[aksually2008]

aksel's guide to relaxing media

A lot of people have asked me to compile a list of my go-to depressing/dooming media, but I feel it would be irresponsible to give you that without an antidote.

Maybe this will be of help to you on an anxious night and instead of smoking a cigarette you'll turn to this or maybe its a nice cozy afternoon and you need something to maintain that feeling.. either way here's stuff that I consume on those days:

Film/TV

Joe Pera Talks You to Sleep

This is something I have recommended to most of my friends at this point and if you ever give me the opportunity I'll probably talk your ear off about this man. I have a very special affinity towards this video, as it randomly found me on a particularly stressful quarantine night and boy am I glad it did.

I'm not gonna talk about it too much further, but if you're feeling a little bit lost or anxious, even after my 250 watches of this, I end up feeling a little bit better. If you like it make sure to check out his show, Joe Pera Talks With You on hbomax as it's one of my favourite shows ever!! The episodes are short and easy to digest :)

How to With John Wilson

It's hard for me to exactly describe this show, it's just one of those things you have to see for yourself to fully understand the appeal of it. For the most part, this show uses street footage of New York City and interviews with average everyday New Yorkers to convey some kind of narrative, usually disguised as a tutorial(hence the "how to"). There's a lot of absurdity, laughter and sometimes it plays with your emotions a bit, but sometimes it's nice to just unwind and learn about the insane industry of scaffolding in NYC.

Come and Visit Us Again

Okay, so this is probably one of the most niche things here.. Considering that it has 205 views as of me writing this and it's in estonian with no captions available.(Maybe someday I'll translate it)

As far as I can tell, it is a documentary short made by Liis Nimik, who at the time was a film school student. It follows the day-to-day of a village grocery store cashier and her interactions with the people who visit her store everyday.

Moms, dads, scary little kids and village bums.. It has it all and serves as this kind of a sweet time capsule of one particular week in this one Estonian village. I will admit this is probably extra comforting for me as I grew up near a village similar to this that also had a store just like this one. In a small village, the people who work at the local grocery store really become apart of your everyday life and I loved to see it captured like this.

I feel like even if you don't understand Estonian, it's nice background noise.

Malcom in the Middle

Need I say more?

Youtube

If you know me, you know I'm a fiend for comforting youtube personalities. Here are some of my favorites:

Steve Wallis

Even if you aren't particularly interested in camping, you'll still probably enjoy these videos. Steve is probably one of the sweetest dudes I've found on YouTube and he really knows how to keep a conversation. All in all, just nice to throw on if you just wanna disconnect for 30 minutes

Shirley Curry

I've loved Shirley's stuff for years now. She calls her viewers her grandkids and posts vlogs & let's plays. I think that covers the gist of it.

Featureman a.k.a. Tom Willett

This is an older gentleman, who for the most part shows you different meals that he makes & tells you stories about his time as an actor in the 1980s. Every video feels like you're visiting your grandpa.

GIFGAS

I found them quite recently, but they're quickly turning into my favourite Youtube channel. Videos of trainhopping, which are so well shot and the music choices are soooooo gooooood. Every travel vlog should have a mandatory requirement of at least (1) shoegaze song.

Roger Hance

Found this guy randomly on my recommended and him only having 4k subs feels like a crime. He's a bird photographer, who vlogs his outings and talks about all the little birds he sees. super cute.

Music

Below are a couple of playlists and tracks I recommend for this occasion:

Mixture of ambient tracks and just relaxing instrumentals. There's no vocals. During the summer, I would always listen to this if I was sitting in a park or doodling.

This is just some of my favourite ambient tracks. If you've never really listened to ambient music before, check this out I guarantee you'll like it.

I have fallen asleep to this so many times that sometimes i just constantly hear it in the back of my head. Maybe thats not a comforting thought but it helps me sleep so that's a price I am willing to pay.

That's about it though.. I didn't include everything, because this is already pretty long and I have to keep some things secret, but I hope you find use in some of this. bye

[hvezdnastreka]

Watched Star trek TOS episode "Metamorphosis" and I really, really disliked it, so here's a little rant about it, to get it out of my system!! Star trek has plenty of sexist moments, which I understand, it's quite old, but this somehow pissed me off more, than all of them (that I watched as of right now).

Heads up, I will not be giving the synopsis of the whole episode, I'm just focusing on Nancy.

Nancy Hedford has contracted a disease and Kirk and co. are giving her a lift to a starbase, where she can be cured. Nancy isn't like other women, that have interacted with our crew up to this point. She's very beautiful, but not liked, as she is proud, arrogant and somewhat rude. I think, that if I didn't really start liking her right here, I would've been more okay with the episode, but just in her introduction, she really spoke to me. Is it really arrogance, if there's a war, that she can help end?

When Nancy finds out, that she may have to live and die on this planet, just to keep company to Zefram company, she is disgusted, horrified. The stress of this and her illness is enough to make her pass out. Nancy sobs at the idea of being used for this.

The companion takes over her body, so that it's able to understand love and Zefram. You're supposed to be fine with this, as Nancy in her last moments confesses, that she wished to be loved and to love in her life. This is supposed to be the ultimate happy ending, Zefram and the companion get to spend the rest of their lives together and Nancy gets her wish, except she doesn't really, does she?

The companion might say, that they have merged together, but it clearly is just the companion's personality in Nancy's body. This new Namcy isn't proud, she doesn't care about the war she's supposed to be stopping, or the people dying, while she's not there. Zefram says, that he's staying, because he's genuinely in love and how could he not be? The woman whose beauty he's been constantly commenting on, takes on the character of the being, that has lived to serve him and love him for years on end. Nancy doesn't get to be loved, as that is not Nancy, and Nancy doesn't get to love, as she's repeatedly shown to be repulsed by Zefram. A mirage of Nancy will spend the rest of her life on this planet, with a man, whose desire she was disgusted by.

Perhaps it's just the way the actress portrayed her or the way it was shot, but you can't show me a scene of a woman sobbing "That's disgusting! How could you do this to us?! We're not animals!", then use her body as a vessel for an obedient alien and expect me to accept, that the episode's message is about the nature of love.

Kirk ends the episode, as he often does, with a little quip: "Well, I'm sure the Federation can find another woman *somewhere* who'll stop that war" and I don't know what it is about that sentence, but it made me realize, that Nancy gets doomed to this fate by the narrative, because of who she was. Nancy is proud, hostile, unpleasant and rude, therefore, what happened to her is a good thing. The Federation can find another woman somewhere, one, that is kinder, more loving, and less like Nancy.

[cinnamonanddean]

See I think what would have worked better for both Lionel and Lex's characters would have been if Lionel had genuinely tried to dissuade Lex from the path he was on, from a place of understanding. I get that Lex can't be redeemed; that he's doomed by the narrative to become Superman's adversary. BUT I think it would have led more credence to Lionel's redemption AND to Lex's downfall.

Like the whole Julian cloning thing: it's fucked up. But Lionel facilitated the cloning of a murderous ten year old who tried to kill multiple people. Lex cloned his little brother and got him a job at the Daily Planet. These are not the same crime. And what does post-redemption Lionel do? Calls Lex deplorable. Bruh. How about "Lex, I know you're suffering and you feel alone in the world and you thought this would solve the problem. I understand why you would think that. But here's why it's wrong." But no: he goes "Welp, my own son is a lost cause. Let's divert all my attention to the being I built a literal cage to contain in case he's evil instead."

Give me a man who has done evil, horrible things, has had a life-changing experience and seen the light, and then meets the child who is following his path with love and empathy. "Lex, I know WHY you're doing these things, I thought the same way, but here's where I went wrong and so will you, if you continue". I don't feel like anyone really tried to empathize with Lex once he started slipping, they just condemned him.

AND THEN, when Lex stays on his narrative path and refuses to change, it gives that more weight as well. When someone is being met with love and understanding and still goes ahead and does bad things - well, there's your villain. One with depth. One who just can't forgive or get over what's been done to him. That makes him way more nuanced and interesting, to me at least. AND Lionel too. Lionel's redemption arc in the show falls flat for me because it's so self-serving. He isn't trying to help Lex, or even Clark really. He's out for himself.

[witheredoffherwitch]

What do you think about Alys’ magic abilities? Since she was follower of Old Gods, do you think she was greenseer or skinchanger?

I do think that Larys is indeed a skinchanger, who enters mind of rats, so he’s able to spy over Red Keep. And in leaked audition tape Alys was joking(or not) she is barn owl who was cursed to live in human body, can it be a hint she’s able to skin change into animals too?

It said that only one in thousand is born a skinchanger and only one skinchanger in a thousand is born a greenseer. And greenseers known for having greensight, so I don’t think Larys is one of them, but Alys is described to have visions in multiple sources, some kind of greensight.

And with Ewan hinting that Aemond will know day he dies, Alys potentially can be the one who predicts it:

"That was one of the first things [showrunners] Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik wanted to think about: the legend of The Cyclops in Greek mythology, and how he ultimately traded one of his eyes to Hades in order to see the day he would die,"

"What does that do to a person, to possess that extreme degree of self-certainty? To know the day you're going to go down, and feel bulletproof to a point. I'm not saying Aemond is a seer, but he's scary perceptive."

And it’s interesting if she’s indeed a greenseer, unlike Bran and Bloodraven, who both were men in power, she was just a serving bastard.

What’s your personal assumption about this?

Hello nonnie, I hope you're doing well.

I sound like a broken record now -- but once again, I apologize for the delayed response. I'm so glad you found the time to ask this question because it prompted me to go back and read all the articles I had previously overlooked.

NOW... Ewan and Ryan both hinting at Aemond being privy to his own impending death is HUGEEE! If Aemond is somehow made aware of it through Alys' visions, then that completely removes the likelihood of her orchestrating his death. If makers don't botch the narrative they've employed for his storyline till now, then Aemond's character is primed to be one of the most tragic characters in HoTD. There is very good possibility that by the end of his journey, he feels like an absolute failure who's doomed his own cause to a potential defeat. In that scenario, when all hope is lost, I can totally see his character gambling everything away for that one final triumph that will not only assure the removal of the biggest possible threat -- but also offer him the retribution for B&C. Incidentally, there is also a high likelihood that we are reading too much into these quotes which were intended as some casual, off-handed remarks on Aemond's character study... I don't know.

Moving right along, me and some of my fellow shippers have been knee-deep in some fascinating headcanons recently. We’ve all largely agreed that both Alys and Larys could be skinchangers. I am not sure if Alys will be explored beyond her role in the Dance, but the theory of her being a 'greenseer' is an interesting one. I have read so many theories on Alys - from those guessing at a connection with Asshai and Quaithe to those believing her magic is derived from necromancy or blood magic. These are all interesting theories for sure, and opens a wonderful opportunity to explore more AUs.

I am excited to see what the makers have in store for us. She's such an interesting character, with both teams vying for her fealty on these online spaces. Our girl's definitely got many intrigued -- and I have even seen some TG fans suggest that the relationship between Aemond and Alys could be strictly platonic in the show. If that is the case, her story will either conclude at the battle above God's Eye or - in rare one-off case - they might even kill her character in the middle of a war. The makers are certainly not hesitant to change character arcs in the show, so nothing's off the table.

Thanks once again for this lovely ask!

Love, Kalki 🤗

[imminent-danger-came]

Spider Queen and MK Parallels

Okay strap in everyone this is a long one.

Spider Queen: "Do you want to know what you are? You're my ticket back to the throne. All that power the Monkey King gave you? After I've made my dinner it's all gonna be my power." (1x04 Noodles or Death)

(Obvious but important for later, there's a power motif between these two)

-

(2x03 Pig Pong Panic) (2x05 Minor Scale)

MK: "Hahoh! A super special package from Monkey King!? Oh, this day just hot a whole lot more interesting."

Spider Queen: "Haha, the monkey boy! Well this day just got a little more interesting!" Lady Bone Demon: "My Queen, perhaps-" Spider Queen: "Sooorryy, can't hear you over the sound of me rushin' destiny."

-

MK: "I'm TYRING to find something that will make me super super powerful so that I can defeat-" "-S- someone, anyone! You know, to be sure that I got what it takes to take on the next big bad!"

Sandy: "The wise warrior leads their enemy into their own destruction. What's that mean?" MK: "It means I need to be stronger! Be so powerful that it'd be certain defeat to fight me." Sandy: "Maybe you need a break little man." (2x06 Game On)

Spider Queen: "You ruined everything! It's all over because of, because of-" MK: "-Her. You were making it to fight her! The Lady Bone Demon!"

Spider Queen: "Agh, Lady Bone Demon! So it IS her! Well, if she wants to-" MK: "-Yeah, she scares me too." Spider Queen: "I'm not scared! I am the queen!" MK: "Please! She's the Bone Demon. I don't know, maybe if we work together-" Spider Queen: "Hmhmhmhahaha- work together haha—I don't need help from a child. I will rule this world, not even some ancient bone demon will stop me." (2x09 72 Transformations)

(In case it's not clear, I'm drawing a connection between MK trying to become stronger to stop the Lady Bone Demon and Spider Queen trying to rebuild her mech. "The strongest move isn't always the rightest move", eh?)

Fun bonus parallel to the above (and below) interaction:

Spider Queen: "*Laughs* Don't tell me you're scared of spiders?" Pigsy: "Kid, run!" (1x04 Noodles or Death)

-

Lady Bone Demon: "Just a piece in a game you can not possibly comprehend." "Run along, destiny will find you soon enough." (2x05 Minor Scale)

Spider Queen: "I was just a pawn in the game! Like you." MK: "It's not too late, you can run." Spider Queen: "Haven't you figured that out yet, there's no running from what she is." (2x09 72 Transformations)

-

(2x09 72 Transformations) (2x10 This is the End!)

-

Spider Queen: "I had the Monkey King's power! The city was MINE! And I still lost." (2x01 Sleep Bug)

Lady Bone Demon: "Now do you understand? From the start you never had what it took to defeat me. All your power could do was make me stronger." (2x10 This is the End!)

-

(2x09 72 Transformations) (2x10 This is the End!)

-

Lady Bone Demon: "You promised me my destiny!" "A promise I did not break my queen, this is your destiny." "Do not lament your fate child, you can rest knowing you've served your purpose. Destiny has found you." (2x10 This is the End!)

-

When the s2 antagonist and the protagonist are both doomed by the narrative together <3

[markantonys]

what's wrong with book!Min (gave up on books right now because i can't anymore, i'm on 4th I think? she is just not there)

book 5 is exactly when she started sucking haha so you stopped at the right time! i do get into some spoilers here, though i tried not to say anything too specific that you wouldn't have already known from the first few books (such as the fact that rand has multiple girlfriends and min is one, which her viewing revealed in book 2). also, maybe you won't even want to read this if you'd rather let your opinion of show!min continue on untainted, because i will say that 90+% of the things i'm about to complain about are very unlikely to be a thing in the show.

basically she just gets hit with an abysmal case of Men Writing Women: out of the blue she decides to throw her whole life away to chase rand down and make him love her, she changes her whole personality and style to try to cater to what she thinks rand would find attractive (i'm all for wanting to look hot for your man, but min herself doesn't seem to enjoy her new clothes or find them comfortable, and that's a problem), she stops having any relationships or connections outside of rand, she barely has scenes with anyone but him and in ensemble scenes she's just there to cling sexily onto him while having 0 dialogue because she has nothing to contribute to the plot-relevant discussion going on, she has no storyline besides barnacling herself to his side and being on tap for sex 24/7, she has no narrative role or in-world obligations besides Being Rand's Girlfriend, etc.

and on top of all that, you have fandom calling her ~Best Girl~ and saying that she is the only one of the 3 women who deserves to be with rand because she Puts Her Man First like a Good Girlfriend should, and fuck the other two for having the audacity to have responsibilities outside of being his girlfriend. fuck them for actually being complex, well-rounded characters with independent storylines and character arcs, right? we only like female characters who exist to serve men's storylines!

and on top of all THAT, she DOESN'T EVEN serve rand's storyline! she literally doesn't do anything! she always makes me think of the "let me ask you a very fair question. what DO you do successfully?" vine. you could cut her out of the entire series and very little would change. min fans claim that she was integral to keeping rand anchored during dark times because min and rand claim that is the case, but the actual scenes between them in the text do not back up that claim. i can think of ONE scene where min actually makes an effort to have a serious conversation with rand about what's worrying him; every other time she just stops his doom-and-gloom talk by punching him or waving knives at him or distracting him with sex. and the way people put her up on a pedestal for taking care of rand at his worst (which she doesn't actually do anyway) is a romanticization of the shitty idea that it's a woman's job to be the sole emotional dumping ground for her male partner. i guess it could simply be that Dating Your Therapist is a romance trope i personally dislike, but ugh, i HATE that vibe of their relationship and especially of the way the fandom talks about their relationship.

and on top of all THAT, their relationship is totally logic-breaking at times because rand will go "i'm so isolated and alone! i'm going to go snuggle up in bed with my live-in girlfriend and think about how isolated i am." he will go "i am so dangerous, i have to push away everyone i love! come on min, i'm taking you into the most dangerous magical event of the age during which many channelers will show up to attack us, even though you're a defenseless civilian and there's no reason you need to be there." it feels like RJ wanted to give rand an isolation arc but also wanted him to have a sexy mistress on his arm at all times, and could not understand that those two things are mutually exclusive (unless said mistress is just no-strings-attached sex, but that was not intended to be the case here, although the cognitive dissonance often makes it feel like rand DOES see min as just no-strings-attached sex rather than a real person whose safety he needs to worry about).

her behavior about the whole romantic situation also drives me nuts because she is SO possessive and jealous, which i personally absolutely hate in romantic relationships, though some people do find it attractive, including min herself - there's a scene where she tries to make rand jealous because she thinks it makes the sex hotter and i was like girl wtf? get some dignity. actually "girl wtf? get some dignity" is my attitude towards all her behavior about the relationship because listen, i fully support girls being silly over their crushes, but christ alive the way min comports herself brings me so much secondhand embarrassment. she'll be like "i'm sooooo mature and worldly, i will never lose my head over a man like OTHER women do, because i am Not Like Other Girls, i'm superior to them" (the Not Like Other Girls vibes is another huge annoyance about her character & fandom reception of her character) and then she'll proceed to go plop down into rand's lap and dandle herself on his knee in the middle of a political meeting to show off to everyone present that he belongs to her. girl, you are a grown-ass woman! get some dignity! she also has a shitty attitude towards the polycule situation, i won't say more since the details of that are beyond book 4 and this post is also getting super long, but suffice it to say that, surprise surprise, possessive and jealous people do not work well in polyamorous relationships.

but most of the above is the fault of the author (or the fandom), not the character. i can't exactly separate the two while reading because "RJ is writing min badly" very quickly blurred into "i feel super annoyed every time she is onscreen" very quickly blurred into "i can't stand this character," but it does mean that the show has a good chance to fix most or all of these problems with her because they aren't necessarily intrinsic to her characterization, they're just symptoms of RJ's weird ideas about het romance and gender norms. the show making her a world-weary 30-something-year-old who takes no shit and who is GNC in a queer-presenting genuinely-doesn't-care-what-straight-men-think-of-her-looks way rather than a not-like-other-girls-tomboy-who-still-caters-to-the-male-gaze way is already a HUGE step in the right direction!

[alicentsultana]

Hi! Sorry if im bothering you ,but since i will probably start the magnificent century ,i thought i could ask you question.

So ,ive seen a lot of Rhaenyra stans being baffled about the Hurrem .Alicent comparisons (Or Alicunt ,as they call her) .

Since i trust your opinion more than theirs ,what are your thoughts?

Have a good day and cant wait for your fic!

Hi! You're never a bother, don't worry.

So, mc is a roller-coaster ride get ready for your feelings.

Hurrem is a like a natural fenomenon, and the character in the series is based in rumors and short descriptions and considerations made from ambassador at the time she was alive. But I believe she experience the feminist kween effect like Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, Mary Stuart , Catherine of Aragon and many others because of media exacerbation, when in fact they were just elitist women of their own time (no bashing, just a reminder). So i can understand the rhnr stans going feral over her.

The comparisons between Hurrem and Alicent you kind of can see an outline - innocent girl have to please the guy in charge and do things she doesn't want to do to protect herself and her children's right.

Alicent is a Lady, she have resources, and Hurrem was a peasant turned slave, that after some many slaps she finally managed to be respected and gain the title of sultana. Both had to learn how to stand for themselves alone and think about their survival and their children only, no matter the damages. In this story we can make a mention of how Hatice can be compared to rhnr - but you guys are not ready for this discussion yet (I'm waiting patiently for this day).

I understand why everyone is obsessed with Hurrem, I am too, and all because she was doomed by the narrative, she had to literally rise from the ashes and call it a day, did everything she could to become free, killed some people and cried for others, and she did it all serving face and looks, hairs, and a ton of personality.

She is not a good girl, she is the antagonist, she is there to make other people angry, she is there to look at you and almost whisper "I win". You can't help but simply adore her because of all of this things she is.

Anyway, everyone should at least get to know Hurrem, I believe is worth it, and in my opinion she is kind of a water divisor idk I just get this vibe there is a world before magnificent century and a world after it.

Enjoy! And don't fall into kween crap trap

I'm so excited for the fic too skskdkdkdkdkd though there's still a long way to go

[daemon-in-my-head]

I like the angst of having an elven durge cuz buddy, you're so doomed by the narrative. There's no way in hell this would've ever properly worked out.

By the time my gremlins r middle-aged, the tyrant is long gone. After all, he's no Elminster. Even if Bane stops his ageing temporarily, he can't serve Bane forever because there's a limit to how useful he can be to a whimsical God of tyranny. He'd either fail or be so good at his job that Bane would need to get rid of him. There's no winning.

There was never a chance to begin with. And that's why I'm thriving. Cuz no matter what they do, long-lived races and humans are vastly different. They experience the world differently. No matter how equal they were in their goals or how they'd dream of achieving them, time is the one thing they can not overcome.

The lack of time wasn't simply their downfall. It was their equal doom. It was clear from the very beginning that no matter how much their stance changes, one would have to mourn the other eventually.

And then you switch it up so the elf dies first, and the tyrant is wholly caught off guard since he spent years coming to terms with that he'd be but a mere distant memory for the elf one day, but he never once deemed it possible that he would need to grieve someone yet again.

[fogwitchoftheevermore]

Yes!!! Watchers are Narrative!! I wish I could put it in words better but that's exactly how I see the Watchers. The patterns and stories and everything Just Makes Sense

DUDE LITERALLY i so badly wish i could actually articulate what i'm talking about here or honestly i at least wish i had some screenshots from the bigger mechscord about how people talked about Narrative. but it's just- ok if you're someone who has never heard of the mechanisms.

the mechanisms were a band of immortal space pirates who roamed the universe looking for stories. every story they found was always a tragedy and every story they made was equally a tragedy. they transcended time and space as they traveled because wherever they were going and whatever they were doing was at the whims of whatever (out of universe) made the story better. the way this manifests in universe means that the Narrative kind of exists in universe and has it's own thoughts and whims and is doing it's own thing. this is most obvious when the mechanisms die. but space, i thought you said they were immortal? yeah, they were, until it served the narrative for that to no longer be the case. all of their deaths are pretty indicative of this, but i think jonny's is the best example/the easiest one to understand.

"for some reason, it sticks". the "reason" is the narrative. the narrative has decided jonny works better dead than alive, now, so that's what he is, even though he has never before been able to reach that point.

basically it's taking those concepts that got real popular on tumblr (doomed by the narrative, the narrative loves you, etc.) and making it real- the narrative is somehow a sentient, alive thing that has wants and a story to tell. you are a member of that story and equally the vessel through which the narrative can tell it. once the narrative no longer needs you, as character or narrator, that means your story is over too.

things happen because the narrative says they do. these things don't have to make sense- sometimes something just works better this way, so there's plot holes and retcons and inconsistencies and missing information from different sides of the story but that doesn't matter because it's all serving one big story.

so like yeah the mechanisms concept of the narrative really encapsulates the watchers, and honestly a lot of mcyt storytelling in general, to me. it's a little cruel but it's mostly just not human. it has a story it wants to tell and that story is very frequently tragic, or at least has a lot of tragedy within it. (the mechanisms sometimes told happy stories! kinda! look the only thing i'm thinking of is briar rose and cinders and even that's not quite happy but you get what i mean.) sometimes the story doesn't quite fit together right, or elements are only decided upon later on and have to be sort of shoved in. the narrative exists mostly outside of the story but sometimes needs to move things along or needs someone to tell the story so it chooses someone to do it. it leaves just enough room for interpretation in the story for the audience to put themselves into it, to have their own brand of fun. do you see the vision.

[isfjmel-phleg]

The Secret Garden on 81st Street has lovely art and a lot of good intentions. But one reason I don't find myself revisiting this one for personal enjoyment is how it handles the story and characters. While the broad plot remains and the same roles are all filled (except for the notable absence of Mrs. Sowerby), the point of the narrative is now to impart Lessons on anxiety and grief, and to serve this centralization of an issue to address, the characterization is altered. This results in not merely a less effective adaptation but a less effective plot and characters.

To illustrate this, let's start by looking at how Frances Hodgson Burnett handles Mary and Colin's argument that leads to the tantrum scene in The Secret Garden (Chapters 16-17).

Mary has been spending a lot of time with Colin after meeting him. But when the rain that has kept her indoors finally ends, she spends the whole day out in the garden with Dickon. When she returns to the house, she gets into an argument with Colin, who is angry that she didn't come to see him. The two exchange insults, Colin plays the I'm-going-to-die card, Mary questions this, he is so angry that he throws a pillow at her, and she leaves. Late that night, she is awakened by his having a tantrum, and Colin's nurse asks her to try to get through to him. A furious Mary yells right back at him, orders him to stop, tell him that she and everyone else hate him, and contests his insistence that he has a lump on his back. She examines his back and confirms that there is nothing wrong with it. This upends Colin's entire worldview, and he is able to calm down and process the notion that he is not really doomed to die. His arc has reached a major turning point, and from here on, he is open to going outdoors, which leads to further progress.

In The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this plays out completely differently (pp. 156-168).

This version's Colin has anxiety/panic disorder and is portrayed as very emotionally fragile and self-doubting. Burnett's Colin has those qualities too, but 81st Street leaves out any of his negative traits. He is not ridiculously spoiled. He does not have an uncontrolled temper. He is not demanding, possessive, and entitled. He's just super, super anxious, which is a struggle rather than a flaw. He has no apparent flaws.

81st Street's Mary doesn't just devote a day to work in the garden without seeing Colin; she ignores him for an entire week. This sets her up from the beginning as in the wrong and makes his being upset with her more sympathetic--which is the opposite of what Burnett presents. When this Mary finally comes to see Colin, excitedly telling him about what she's been doing in the garden, he points out how long she's ignored him and how she knows he can't see the garden. She asks him why he's being like this, and he proceeds to guilt-trip her: "Because you forgot about me! You're going to leave me, too! You'd rather spend time with normal people, like Dickon. And this is all my fault. If I could just be normal and not be broken, I could be your real friend, not just someone you visit when you have time." He starts to cry.

I would consider this emotionally manipulative behavior, not unlike what Burnett's Colin does in the equivalent scene, but it's clear that this narrative wants us to fully side with him by portraying Mary's responses to him as lacking in understanding of his condition. Mary tells him he's being ridiculous and insists she didn't forget about him. He escalates into a panic attack. Mary, like her counterpart in the original, tells him that he's not dying and there's nothing wrong with him. His attack continues, she says he's overreacting, and the adults come running in to tend to him and shoo her out.

Later, Colin's therapist has a long talk with Mary about the nature of Colin's panic disorder and how to properly respond to it. Mary is abashed at not having understood but says she doesn't know why Colin is still upset about losing a parent, because she doesn't feel that way about her similar situation. The therapist talks to her about how grieving is different for everyone. This is followed by Medlock telling Mary to "please be aware of [Colin's] condition" and to apologize to him.

Mary apologizes, Colin berates himself for not being able to control the panic, and she repeatedly affirms that it's hard and she knows he's trying. She then apologizes for having to leave to tend to the garden and asks if it's okay with him if she does. He grants permission. Shortly after this, he decides for some reason that he's ready to go outside now.

In Burnett's story, the purpose of Chapters 16-17 is to establish conflict between the two deeply flawed protagonists which will build to a climax that furthers both the plot and Colin's arc. The argument is the natural outcome of a clash of interests between two characters who are self-absorbed and not used to being told no. Mary reacts with obstinacy and aggression, Colin with entitlement and self-pity, and these characteristic behaviors emerging their interactions move the plot forward. Going outdoors would be good for Colin, but he has always been vehemently opposed to it--so what would it take to get him past what's holding him back (i.e. his belief that he is destined to die young)? Mary returns to her renovation of the garden -> Colin is angry at being left alone and tries to control her -> she attacks his worldview -> he can't handle this and has a tantrum -> she lashes out at him and supplies concrete evidence that he's not going to die -> he has to reconsider his worldview and can thus start on the path toward growth. It's a logical progression of actions consistent with the characters as established, and they respond like humans, not plot devices.

In 81st Street, the purpose of these scenes is to deliver a lesson about responding to people who have panic disorder. It accomplishes what it sets out to do, but from a narrative standpoint, it does much less than Burnett's version. This Mary and Colin do not function so much as individual characters here as they do roles in the lesson being taught.

Mary is a stand-in for a hypothetical audience who is ignorant of panic disorder and liable to be dismissive. It is her job to be wrong, to be called out by an authoritative adult who imparts instruction, to meekly accept this rebuke, and to apologize and be accommodating, because this is what the narrative is teaching the audience to emulate. Whether any of this behavior is strictly in character for her is less important than the example that needs to be modeled.

Colin, meanwhile, embodies panic disorder. Since he is defined by this condition, he cannot have flaws or be wrong in any way lest anything disparaging be suggested about the condition. He is an Issue for other people to correctly react to. So nothing that he does in these scenes is affected by his personality or flaws, and he does not need to learn anything from other people. Other people have to accommodate him. (There should be mutual accommodation and understanding, with her learning to understand his condition and him learning to take ownership of his own feelings without expecting the world to walk on eggshells around him just because he has anxiety, but that's not what's being portrayed here.) Instead of external factors leading to growth, he just...changes his mind one day.

This Colin could have panic disorder and still have significant character flaws like his counterpart in Burnett's story, because these two factors (a psychological condition and one's personal character) really have nothing to do with each other. It would have made him more complexly human to allow him some negative traits, as well as moving the plot forward by allowing his and Mary's flaws to clash and giving him an opportunity to grow as a person, not just learn to manage his condition better (important, yes, but the heart of a story is not in a character's increasing in skill or knowledge but in how they personally develop).

What the graphic novel presents isn't an effective arc for either protagonist. Mary doesn't have any agency in her change; she must be instructed by an all-knowing adult instead of learning things for herself. Colin's change of heart is utterly arbitrary because he hasn't had to learn anything and hasn't had his misconceptions about himself and the world meaningfully challenged. It's just: Mary reacts incorrectly to Colin's condition -> she is corrected and instructed in what to do in the future -> she apologizes and corrects her behavior -> Colin decides he's ready to go to the garden. This isn't a plot; it's a PSA. Instead of letting the characters drive the action, they are there to be vehicles for the Lesson. And that may be instructive, but as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't make for a very compelling story or characters.

[kainissoable]

Sometimes you've just got to stop what you're doing and stare at the wall for a minute because you've realised another piece of genius in Legacy of Kain. Even the damn blood drinking mechanics serve the themes of fatalism, predestination and the futility of choice even with free will (BO2 fully dropped the ball on this, but without it I probably wouldn't have noticed the pattern in the other games so I can't be too mad).

With the exception of a few important characters, every NPC's blood/soul doesn't give you any special powers, doesn't progress the narrative, all it does is feeds you. I'd guess well over half the hostile NPCs in BO1, SR1 & SR2 can be pretty easily avoided. You don't have to fight them, and every time you do you're choosing to kill them. It's not a big choice from the player or PC's perspective, nor from the game's. It's just someone who will live or die by your whim.

Possibly the best example of this for me is the humans in SR1. Raziel can become worshipped by them as their saviour from the vampire scourge or he could slaughter all of them. The entire fate of humanity is in his hands. And then he travels back in time and in doing so rewrites history. No matter what choice you made, the pre-written events of the game make it not only irrelevant, but prevent those people from ever existing.

Practically any given denizen of Nosgoth is spared or damned at your whim, but fate ultimately dooms them all.

[writing-for-life]

Let's go choose violence:

3, 8, 9, 25 for The Sandman :3c

Rubs hands gleefully…

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr 

Of course not screenshotting as everyone’s entitled to their opinion, so this is just a thing *I* find hard to understand/get my head around:

“Neil Gaiman ran out of ideas, and that’s why he killed off Morpheus.”

I mean, you could say he wanted to conclude his arc, and with that I agree. And thank fuck he did, because if Murphy were still alive, we would need to suffer the horrible takes that DC has foisted upon us ever since. But it is so completely incomprehensible to me when I read that there was no sign that Morpheus would off himself before World’s End or TKO. That it came out of nowhere, that it made the whole thing completely depressing and insufferable and sends a "bad" message. 

It all was right there, from the start. You can’t read "The Sound of her Wings" and not see that he’s absolutely haunted by the narrative, and how much comfort he finds in her. And you don’t need to read the whole thing and then just see it in hindsight (it's something I hear/read quite often). It’s clear as day if you are willing to go down the line of thinking that the Endless aren’t people but concepts. I personally think that’s where people can trip up. And I even get it--of course we want to humanise them because we are human. But they are not. They are mirrors and foils that are supposed to make us think about our own humanity (and we recognise it in them, but that still doesn’t make them human--they just show us human traits and what this mortal coil is about. Carry it and abandon it in equal measures).

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about 

Everyone apart from me of course 😂

"Hob Gadling is any shape or form the personification of hope, and his sole purpose is to (squee! UwU) save Murphy from his bleak existence".

No he ain’t. Hope is Hope, and she is a little girl (blows a raspberry right in your face). If Hob''s anything, he is humanity in a nutshell: ugly, self-serving, opportunist, but also feeling, caring and redeemable. But especially the first part is harder to woobify.

Did I also mention I have this take that making Dream's relationship to Hob all about romance and sex forgets about the importance of friendship, and why it's actually so important for the plot? Plus, that we have a tendency to erase male friendship and hence lean into toxic masculinity if we make every glance and every touch and every close emotional bond about: "Oh, they want to fuck?", and that's decidedly *not* progressive? Yeah, about that... (ship them, it's fine, no problem whatsoever, just be aware it's not the *only* take, and I will stick my neck out now and say: it won't be canon).

9. worst part of canon

That’s a tricky one because I can make sense of pretty much everything to be fair, but if I had to choose, it’s that Morpheus’ failed relationship to Nada created ripples that basically doomed every black woman connected to his arc (not *all* black women, I think that’s actually a misinterpretation, as is that Morpheus is racist, which he conceptually can't be). And as soon as he’s dead, we get token Gwen who isn’t doomed by the narrative anymore. And said Gwen *really* is a token black woman with no true agency of her own—her entire purpose is to serve the redemption of the slave trader. And that Neil actually confirmed this was *intentional* in The Sandman Companion. I get why he made that narrative choice, but to me, it still looks bad. I have hopes though he moved on from that take and we don’t get to see it in the show (the signs are there, so fingers crossed).

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

Ties in with 3: That The Sandman should have a different, “more hopeful” ending. 

But quite a few others: 

You *should* write fanfics about XYZ because there’s not enough of it. 

You *should* elevate supporting characters to main characters because they are ABC.

You *shouldn’t* focus so much on the main character because he’s a guy/male-presenting (I mean, he’s the protagonist, so there’s that).

You *should* ship m/m because it makes problematic dynamics less problematic. 

You *shouldn’t* ship m/f because it’s heteronormative. My favourite: Johanna Constantine is bi, you *shouldn’t* ship her with a guy, because again: Heteronormative. Erm, I hate to break it to people (and speaking from experience): That’s how being bi works, and we like m, f and nb equally? And we happen to want sex with m, f and nb? And we pretty much have blinkers on when it comes to falling in love with a *person*, or what we find hot/sexually arousing? And I swear if I read shit like that once more, I’ll get heteronormative out of sheer spite and will smite people.

You *should* or *shouldn't* ship. Both fine. And/but there's certainly more to The Sandman than blorbofication and allosexualisation of everything.

So yeah, pretty much anything that involves a *should*. You can do whatever the fuck you like as long as you don’t lose your ability to critically engage with it. Plus, the space has to be welcoming for everyone, and that’s sometimes hard for creators and people who don’s serve/like the main flavour. And therein lies the problem, because critical engagement doesn’t always happen, and a lot of good stuff disappears in amongst the noise…