#it made the same allusions to his ancestor

[theranilord]

• You know what I noticed in that scene? There was a stack of quarters on the payphone. Were those Rinaldo's or is that just a thing people of the region do?

• Hannibal so casual about someone rich wanting him dead. He knows exactly who it is.

• Bedelia wants to make him look like a suicide?! This is Hannibal's Theater! Not dramatic enough!

[aspoonofsugar]

SOTR Thoughts

Just finished the book, here some thoughts in random order!

A DARKER TALE FOR DARKER TIMES

Sunrise Of The Reaping is probably the darkest and most violent tale of the Hunger Games Books so far. Even more so than The Ballad Of Birdsongs and Snakes, which is an elegant Shakespearean tragedy. SOTR is instead an Orwellian dystopian novel. Especially if one considers that the epilogue is not really a conclusion of the story told in the book, but it builds on the the main trilogy, which is about hope and revolution. If Haymitch's story consisted of only this one book, well... the final line would be a very very bitter "Happy birthday".

I personally think that this Orwellian inspiration and the darkest tones tie into the current times, unluckily. I mean, I think nobody missed Plutarch's reference to GenAI, when he talks about this technology that their ancestors destroyed because it let you manufacture fake things out of thin air. This allusion alone made me think... If Panem had GenAI, could Katniss and Peeta even beat the games the way they do in the books? Because I think it is at least debatable.

Katniss and Peeta manage to beat the Gamemakers because they use situations and details Capitol either can't edit or would not want to edit.

There is no way the Gamemakers would not want to use the tragic story of the Starcrossed Lovers of District 12 for the show. At the same time they have to at least show a glimpse of Rue's body covered in flowers. Something that means nothing for Capitol, but a lot for the Districts. Still, with GenAI (especially a GenAI empowered by science-fiction logic, but not even that much tbh), you could easily edit the flowers out, if you wanted. Even more so, in 5 minutes you could create a fake scene where Katniss kills Peeta, then kidnap both, kill Peeta and force Katniss to play the Victor by using Prim and her mother as leverage. I think she would have complied.

TAKE BACK THE NARRATIVE

Of course and on a lighter note, SOTR also makes clear propaganda is not invincible and that things change and that there is the right time for every dictatorship or state to fall. Haymitch's time was not right, while Katniss and Peeta's was. They were luckier. Even more importantly, though, there is a difference in how Haymitch and Katniss fight Capitol.

First of all, there is the obvious paradox that Haymitch wants to rebel and to fight Capitol to begin with, whereas Katniss mostly wants to survive and to ensure the survival of her loved ones. In this they are opposites:

Haymitch starts as hopeful and idealistic. He shows his love openly to others, has dreams of marrying Lenore Dove and to have kids with her. He dreams of a normal life.

Katniss is cynical and represses her care for others. She is focused on survival even in her everyday life in District 12 and never wants to have kids of her own. She thinks love is a weakness because it makes you vulnerable and takes control away (hello Katniss's inner Snow :P). She dreams of no happy future.

This ends up giving Katniss an advantage because nobody truly expects her to rebel to the extent Haymitch does. Haymitch is put under special observation and targeted even before the games start. Katniss is one of the many before the start of the games. Haymitch does not want to play; he wants to die by sabotaging the arena. Katniss is initially willing to play along; she wants to try and become a victor. And here comes the key difference between the two.

Haymitch wants to "write his own story", to show the truth to the Districts and Capitol alike. He uses a "bad boy" persona to hide his plan, but ends up a prisoner of this mask, which ensures he can never tell his own story. Why should people believe his version, when the character he willingly chose for himself is that of a self-centered, brash smuggler? One with no important ties and that works alone? Throughout his narration, Haymitch's focus is on how to hide things from Capitol. He must hide his true personality, his love for others and his plan. He uses his character to do so, but this works so well the Gamemakers can easily use his own persona against him. The version they come up with is so believable years later both Katniss and Peeta accept it without doubts. They are both like "oh yeah, this checks".

Katniss instead does not want to write her own story because, to be frank, she is unable to. She feels powerless, has no social skills and believes she can be no interesting character. It is really Peeta the genius writer there, who finds a character for her aka "the object of his love". This idea is liked SO MUCH by Capitol, they choose to follow Peeta's script. And Katniss does too. Katniss doesn't choose her own character, but she finds herself trapped in it. And she detests it. And yet, she plays along as any good tribute should do. In fact, Katniss's narration focuses on what to show Panem. What should she show for sponsors to like her, for them to send her medicine and food? It is not easy for her to be charming (or so she thinks), so she has to put effort into it. And by the end she is able to use the persona Peeta and the Gamemakers gave her to take back control of the narrative. She doesn't write her own story, but she gives it a good finale: a double suicide. After all, who are the most famous Star Crossed Lovers ever, if not Romeo and Juliet? And how does their story end, if not with them being unable to live without each other? Capitol's Gamemakers should have really read more Shakespeare to better control the narrative :P

So, neither what happens in Haymitch nor Katniss's games is really the truth. Neither of them are able to write their own story, simply because the world they are in won't let them. They are able to do so only years later, when they write a memorial book for their lost loved ones. And even then it is a personal book, something they do for themselves. (Even if maybe they will public it one day or it could be published after their deaths).

Writing your own story in the Hunger Games is impossible because the Games will always use you. What you should do to defeat them is to use the Games yourself. Katniss succeeds because she does this. She uses the story given to her and makes it her own. And then she gives it to the people, who make it theirs. Ironically the destruction of the Games comes from the Games themselves. After years of frankly stale propaganda (Haymitch's true story is definitely far more engaging than the censured version Capitol serves), the Gamemakers find a genuinely great story they think they can use and are SO HAPPY ABOUT IT. And yet, as every good story, this narrative completely escapes their control. It resonates with people on many levels and in different ways. It makes Capitol's people feel something real for once. It makes the District overcome their fear and embrace their anger and desire for freedom.

And I wonder (with zero competence to do so, so take it as just my random thoughts) if what should be done in this new era of propaganda is to try and take back good stories. To take back narratives. Because as for now I think the right wing is the one with the strongest narrative tbh (or at least the loudest)...

Which is why whenever I think about cases like Isabel Fall's Helicopter Story , I can't help but getting angry. A Helicopter Story is about taking a transphobic slur to start a debate about gender and it is written by a trans woman. It is a great example of taking back a narrative. Except, many people (even in the LGBTQ+ community) basically decided it was wrong because it went against mainstream and accepted ways to discuss gender. Congratulations, you silenced a trans voice. How many other voices are you silencing with your bigotry and unwillingness to truly think and debate things masked as purity pure wokeness?

Similarly, whenever I see a Tumbrl post laughing and saying... "man, right wingers are so stupid... they are quoting book/song/movie xyz and they do not know it was written by xyz and do not understand that its real message is xyz..." my heart dies a little. Maybe we shouldn't laugh. Maybe this appropriation of content and narratives while interesting voices are destroyed because "not purity pure enough" is precisely why they are winning. After all, we should have read somewhere 2+2 can become 5 if everyone believes it and nobody questions it. And if we haven't, maybe there is another, MUCH more haunting dystopian novel we should read after the entertaining, adrenaline-filled and ultimately adventure-driven Hunger Games. I know, I know, the protagonist is so unlikable and problematic, but he still has something to say. And maybe we all are much more similar to him, than to the heroic Katniss and Haymitch. I dunno about you, but in the games I would die in the initial bloodbath :P

BIRDS, SNAKES AND GIRLS

After this slightly preachy moment (sorry :'')), I wanna actually make clear how much I liked the book! I especially loved its female characters and their different motifs.

So, all the major female characters (not sure about the male characters, I should think more about it later) are linked in different ways to both birds and snakes. This is no surprise given how much this double symbolism is key to the whole saga. Everyone is both:

A Songbird

A Snake

Like Lucy Gray, like Coriolanus, like Haymitch, like Katniss, like Peeta. Everyone has within themselves opposite forces fighting and we must choose who we will be. Well, the same can be said for our four main girls of SOTR: Lenore Dove, Maysilee and Louella/Lou Lou. All four have a duality to them. In particular, they are birds either poisoned by snakes or forced to become snakes.

Lenore Dove is the most bird-like of them all, as she is associated to two opposite birds: a dove (white) and a raven (black), so white + black = gray (dove color). Gray, like life (dove/color) and death (the Raven/poem). Gray, like Lucy Gray, the aunt her uncles and Snow project on her. The aunt her uncles do not wanna Lenore Dove to follow in the footsteps of. The aunt Snow condemns to repeat the life of... She is gonna leave Haymitch behind, no matter what. She is poisoned by a snake (snow himself, the Devil who acts as God) thanks to a red sweet (a piece of the arena in the real world, an apple) given to her by the person she loves (Adam and Eve). She is killed for a sin Snow blames on her. Haymitch's? Lucy Gray's? Snow's owns? Not important. She is an angel killed by the Devil in a heavy edited version of the Bible. Because that is also what propaganda does. It takes evil and presents it as good. It takes good and makes it look evil.

On a character level, Lenore Dove's birth itself is rooted in death (Maude Ivory's, but also the never forgotten loss of Lucy Gray). She is born to have a better life than her mother and aunt. She is her uncles' second chance to protect their sisters from "bad boys". She is their "lost lenore". Something good born from the grief. That is why she is called Lenore, the one who is no more, but that still walks among them as per a miracle. That is why she is called Dove. Gray, like Lucy, but with some pink in it, like Ivory's white has some yellow. A wish for a better future. And yet, she too gets lost in a snow storm. She too is lost because of a "bad boy".

Still, I wonder what was like for Lenore Dove to live as a replacement goldfish for Lucy Gray and Maude Ivory. Maybe it was the constant projection that made her so willing to rebel. And maybe this is precisely why she could not stand Maysilee. Not because of her bitchy attitude. Not because Maysilee figured out her secret political agenda. But because deep down Maysilee is like Lenore Dove. A canary in a cage.

Maysilee has a canary in a cage and Lenore Dove hates her for it. And yet, the canary is clearly a symbol of Maysilee's life. She is a pretty bird in a cage of privilege. Sure, she has expensive gifts, beautiful clothes and jewels, but she is forced to be someone she isn't. She is forced to sit in a sweet shop focusing all her creativity in coming up with new receipts. She has no choice. And then, she is ripped and she has to go in a bigger, more lethal sweet shop (the arena), where she is forced to wear more lethal jewels (the blowgun) and to come up with more lethal receipts (her poisoned darts). From beautiful frail bird to lethal snake. Still an animal. So, it is meaningful she chooses to give the name of her canary to Lou Lou.

Louella and Lou Lou are two sides of the same coin. They are a bird (Louella) closed in a caged and turned into a snake (Lou Lou). They are one of Capitol's hybrid. They are two people cut and re-arranged in one. Louella is compared to a bird. Lou Lou loves snakes, is given poison and is an unwilling spy. Louella is negated her death. Lou Lou is negated her life. Whenever the bird in Lou Lou comes out (her singing, her calling her captors assassins), she is immediately given poison that changes her back into a snake. Louella and Lou Lou are an extreme version of all the other characters. Humans Capitol turns into monsters. Human Hybrids. That is what neither Lenore Dove nor Maysilee want to become.

Maysilee makes this clear when she explains why she hates the Mockinjay pin. She doesn't dislike it aesthetically. She dislikes the bird because she sees it as an unnatural hybrid. It is an imitation, a copy. Like what her parents forced her to be all her life. One of two twins, always dressed the same. Maysilee, a made up name to mirror Merrilee's. It is unnatural and fake. And we know Maysillee loves genuine things. Like being direct. Like growing up old and beautiful and herself like her grandmother, who is the opposite of Capitol's fake eternal youth. Maysilee wants to live and die as herself, so she dislikes the Mockingjays. And yet, she is wrong and Haymitch points it out to her. Mockingjays were born because Capitol, but they outlived Capitol. They escaped its control. And so Maysilee thinks about giving her pin a second chance. Only for her to die killed by a flock of hybrid birds.

The choice of the hybrids was not accidental. They could have used the squirrels, like with Maritte. And yet, they chose the birds, after what she told Haymitch about not wanting to be a hybrid bird. They did so to tell her she is their bird hybrid until the very end. She is the hybrid who fought back (the murderer of the Gamemakers) and so she must be killed. Just like the jabberjays. That is all. And yet, even if the jabberjays got extincted they gave birth to something new. From their ashes, the mockingjays were born. From Maysilee's ashes, Katniss is born. From hers, Haymitch, Louella, Lou Lou, Wyatt, Amper and many many others'. Katniss is born from everyone's ashes. A girl who gives a new chance and a new life to Maysilee's pin. A memento everyone can make a spark in the right circumstance.

TRUTH AND LIES

The main theme of the book is propaganda, which uses human duality to its advantage. So, the motif of duality is everywhere. The real question is... are you able to identify the truth from a lie, the original from a copy?

The people of Panem can't as they forget Lucy Gray, accept the heavily edited version of the 50th games and drink Capitol's propaganda.

Haymitch himself loses this ability for a while, lost in alcohol and pain. It is symbolized by his dream where he can't distinguish Louella from Lou Lou anymore. And for a moment this nightmare becomes true when he thinks Merrilee is Maysilee. A small foreshadowing of him embracing his personal propaganda. The one Snow created for him. That he could never love anyone anymore. He accepts it and cuts everyone off. He lives alone and lonely for years. And yet, in the end, he learns to love again. Probably he never truly stopped. Katniss, Peeta, his ducklings, the symbolic children of him and Lenore Dove. All the children who will be born free of the games thanks to him, Maysilee, Wyatt, Louella, Lou Lou, Amper, all the other tributes. For years Haymitch believed all he did was useless. But it wasn't. His and Amper's was a first attempt, so that Katniss and Peeta's one could work. His survival let him be there to guide them. And he survived because Maysilee saved him from Panache and helped him reach the magnetic field. He is there because Lou Lou died smelling a flower and made him understand flowers were poisonous. And Lou Lou found Haymitch because Wyatt protected her during the bloodbath. And Wyatt grew fond of Lou Lou because Snow gave her to them as an insult to Louella. And he did so because Louella's death was so tragic the other District 12 Tributes could not let it slide and they forced even Snow to recognize it. Finally, Haymitch survives because Lenore Dove begs him to and asks him to fulfill a promise to her. Which is the same promise Maysilee silently asks him and Amper has not time to ask. To stop the games.

Ultimately, Snow's propaganda failed. Not only with the games, but with Haymitch himself. Snow tried to turn Haymitch into a copy of himself, identical to the original. Still, he failed 'cause Haymitch never gives up love, like Coriolanus did. He remains his true self. Because the most horrific and powerful propaganda is not the one which comes from outside, but the one which comes from inside. It is the lies we tell ourselves out of fear and pain. Like Haymitch believing they can truly take his humanity away. Like Coriolanus who tells himself Lucy Gray never loved him and that he never loved Lucy Gray. Or Sejanus. A lie he tells himself to justify himself and that ends up deforming everything. Yes, the first victim of the Capitol's propaganda Coriolanus Snow himself. The Snow who believed Gaul's ideology. The Snow who gives up on truth and becomes a snake who uses poison. But also a bird who keeps poisoning himself. To survive and to kill. Never to truly live. The Snow who can never see anyone else for their true self. The Snow who sees Lucy Gray Baird everywhere. In Lenore Dove, in Katniss. The Snow who tries to negate his own humanity by negating others.

Still, you can't negate one's humanity:

No, sir, Nothing you can take me from me is worth dirt. Take it, 'cause I'd give it free. It won't hurt. Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping!

Haymitch by the end remembers this song, whereas Snow never does, even if it is the first song ever he listens Lucy Gray sing. On the Sunrise of her Riping. And so, even if it seems Snow won in Sunrise Of The Riping, he really doesn't because he fails to impose his cruellest propaganda. He fails to take away everyone's humanity.

Wyatt dies protecting a child with zero chance of surviving. Maysilee dies without her voice, but she finds a final way to communicate with Haymitch by using her hands (the pinky promise), the true secret behind her art and craft. Even Lou Lou in the end dies because of who she was, not because of who Capitol turned her into. Her final gesture is to smell flowers which remind her of home. Lenore Dove doesn't die like Lucy Gray. She dies in the arms of the boy she loves while trusting him until the very end. The opposite of Lucy Gray who disappears mysteriously after Coriolanus breaks her trust. Never giving him the closure Haymitch gets. Never letting Snow truly control her. So, in the end, the only humanity Coriolanus Snow sacrificed is really his own.

[lovefromivy]

metaphors in hozier's 'would that i'

the song doesn't make a lot of sense until you decode the metaphors he uses in it, but then it all clicks. the use of extended metaphors for his present and previous lovers is really important and significant because it tells the listener a lot about how he experiences these different loves in very different ways, and why his current love isn't 'just another date', but something entirely new that he values very highly and cherishes to the point that he 'worships' it.

hozier compares his past loves to plants - he describes his past lover as having 'hair like the branch of a tree' and calls her a 'willow', and, when talking about forgetting other loves in the wake of his current lover, he says that he watches 'still living roots' be destroyed. plants are beautiful, but they require a lot of care. there's a specificity to each type of plant, because different plants have different needs in terms of water, types of food, mineral content, soil pH, and the list goes on. it's easy to accidentally kill plants with just one misstep. they are delicate and difficult and progress is slow because it takes years and years for trees to grow and reach their full potential, start producing fruit, etc. hozier is saying that his past loves were a lot of work and they didn't give anything back easily, even though he had to give them everything to try and make them work.

by contrast, hozier calls his new love 'the fire', 'flames', and so on. fire is wild, all-consuming, and can be terrifying. but fire is also powerful and free. when we think about fire, we mostly think about destruction - wildfires or burning buildings or similar disasters - but fire is also life. before human ancestors had fire, they were cold and vulnerable and in the dark. but, after fire, their survival was completely revolutionised: it was an entirely new way of life. for the first time, they could control when it was light; they could keep warm in the winter; they could cook food, and, subsequently, their diets were transformed; they could protect themselves much better from predators. fire represented energy, innovation, life. yes, it was dangerous. but it was also majorly useful and ultimately it was something they needed, not just to stay alive, but to live. to call your love not just a fire but the fire - as in, the first fire, the only fire, the fire to rival all other fires - is to call it the introduction of warmth, protection, light, growth, energy, and power; it is to call it the biggest advancement possible in your lifetime; it is to call it the single root cause of a metamorphosis. the speaker is commenting that this newest love has entirely changed the way that he sees and experiences love.

the metaphors also allude to the speaker's own inner turmoil and problems with love and loving. when hozier talks about his prior trysts, he uses precise, controlling language: he's very specific when he talks about exactly what the relationship was and how it worked in his first verse, detailing what was 'under' him and what was 'over' him. then, in the next verse, he repeats the verb 'must', giving that verse a desperate, urgent tone. 'must' is a harsh verb and it doesn't leave much room for debate. the level of control that hozier is exerting (or, at the very least, trying to exert) over this relationship is made clear linguistically, but is also mimicked in that extended metaphor of the willow tree. taking care of them is long, hard, and mostly fruitless work, and maybe he even feels like it's his duty to take control of the relationship because he feels that his lover needs that control, maybe because she isn't giving him anything much back, just like that volatile, hard-to-care-for willow tree. that same verse sees an allusion to the time that he 'fretted fire', and, if the tree is control and stability, then surely fire is the opposite - anarchy and disorder? - except that he comes to see fire as freedom. he manages to let go of the need to be in control. he finds a relationship where he doesn't need to be the one doing everything: he doesn't address his past lover(s) at all (perhaps he knows it's pointless, since they won't respond?), instead talking about them passively, but he does talk a lot about what he does, relying heavily on first person singular pronouns. in the fourth verse, he addresses someone else for the first time - his 'flame' - personally, and the fifth verse is entirely directed at her. he talks about her actually taking action, actually doing things. when he says that she 'licked off the grain', i think that he is alluding to her taking all of his bad memories, all of his felled willow (and other?) trees, and simply taking away the rough, uneven parts (the grain), leaving him with the smooth wood, and that she is able to do this because he no longer has any reason to lament his past failures in love - he has his 'flame', and the trees of his past can't use their roots to trip him up or push their branches in his face any more, and so he is simply left with happy memories, the best of his ex-lovers, whatever is left that he can still appreciate and be thankful for. and that's significant because he's found a love who has helped him let go of the need for control. he doesn't need to control the relationship any more, for his sake or for his lover's, because she is here and she is willing to do things with him and for him and give back to him and help him to be free, and offer him warmth and protection and energy and all these things that fire is, and he doesn't need to do anything except love her back, because fire only needs one thing to stay alive, and everything else simply becomes fuel. if his love is her flames' version of oxygen, then everything else is just flammable material. nothing he does can make her stop loving him because fires aren't difficult to keep alive, they are difficult to put out. fires don't need food with specific mineral ratios or a certain volume of rainfall or the right soil pH. they just burn. she just loves him - that is what she does. and he watches 'in awe' because that kind of unconditional love is so far removed from his carefully-measured, carefully-controlled previous relationships.

and those last two lines of the last verse are so beautiful: "long as amber of ember glows/all the 'would that i'd loved' is long ago". he's saying that even when the flame burns out, even if she stops loving him, even if she is dead and gone and buried, the freedom that she gave him will remain in the 'amber', that beautiful colour linked to energy and the sun and wealth (because isn't that what love is?), of the last, residual 'ember', the dwindling remains of the love and freedom they shared. and as long as he can hold onto that freedom, even if it does dwindle down to embers and ashes - treasured memories and the fears that you'll forget what their smile looked like or the way they scrunched their nose when the disliked something or the cute expression they assumed when focussed - then he never has to go back to feeling like he needs to grip onto a half-hearted relationship, where he must always be responsible and in control and doing.

but yeah i just love that fire metaphor. can you tell??? probably not

[tmisherewrites]

Chapter 7 Deep Dive: Day 1056 of the Revolution

Chapter 7 is where we start to see where this story will end and how it connects to canon.

I'm going to go into full chapter spoilers below so if you haven't read Chapter 7 of my fic They Will Come For You In the Night yet, I've got it linked here, or if you'd like to read from the start, Chapter 1 is linked here.

Let's dive in!

Kingsley Circe and District 13

This chapter introduces us to Kingsley Circe and his vision for how District 13 should function. He's enamoured with the idea of militarism and loves the aesthetic power of uniformity and sameness. We see the former with Kingsley wearing medals to denote his position and status, as well as his frustration with District 13's former leader Paylor, who was far more of a diplomatic leader than a militaristic one. For those of you familiar with canon, Paylor becomes the President of Panem after the assassination of Alma Coin at the end of Mockingjay, the Paylor of this story is absolutely an ancestor of canon Paylor so don't you worry about what happened to him. As for uniformity, we see the full consequence of this obsession also in Mockingjay. I represent this with the adoption of those grey jumpsuits by Kingsley's followers.

Kingsley was inspired by several aspects of America itself if I'm perfectly honest. It's isolationism which I'll go into later, particularly during the period of the Great Wars. For both wars, it took America several years before it entered the conflict because it's always been America first and as long as those wars didn't directly impact impact America, it would stay out of it and just rake in the cash from weapons manufacturing. In the rebellion, it was District 13's agreement to finally provide the rebels with firepower which finally led to the feasibility of the rebellion.

The more modern aspect of America which Kingsley and District 13 represents is the obsession with the southern border and secession from the Union that you often see in Texas. It's why I made an allusion to the militias which surveil the border and harass people who attempt to cross it with Auggie talking about getting Paylor to allow Kingsley to patrol 13's borders.

Isolationism

The District 13 we see in canon is more or less the inevitable end result of extreme isolationism which is extreme regiment in order to control the population's consumption because nothing is coming in or out.

Syrus knows this, having studied history in District 11's libraries and it's why she's been so adamant with Kingsley that he will doom the people he says he cares about so much if he follows through on his isolationism. It's also incredibly misguided and usually relies on a bit of magical thinking that something will come along to cover for the complex and interconnected systems of support needed in order for a community to survive and thrive. In canon, when we meet 13 they are on their last legs as a society because they've focused so heavily on protecting their borders that they left themselves vulnerable to things like illness and disease.

Negative Freedom vs. Positive Freedom

Some very simple and quick definitions of negative and positive freedom are that negative freedom is freedom from constraints, barriers, or obstacles, while positive freedom is the freedom to act and to take control of one's life. Here's a resource if you want the actual, long form and thorough philosophical explanation if of Negative and Positive Freedom.

I think this is the debate of District 13. Paylor understood this distinction and understood that a balance is needed, that sometimes one type of freedom must be sacrificed in order to uphold another and vice versa. Kingsley doesn't understand that. He is so desperate for his people to have freedom from others that he solely favours negative freedom, regardless of whether those others are Capitol or rebel, that he is willing to entirely remove his people's positive freedoms in order to accomplish that goal.

Quotes

Both quotes have to do with the flaw in Kingsley's ideology and in District 13's isolationism more broadly. The first quote is from Angela Davis whose work should honestly be required reading if you have any desire to understand America. In this quote:

“The idea of freedom is inspiring. But what does it mean? If you are free in a political sense but have no food, what's that? The freedom to starve?”

Davis is referring to how the idea of freedom is great as a motivator but if freedom remains only symbolic and not material, then it is not freedom. The difference between symbolic and material freedom can be found in choice on an individual level or democracy on a large-scale level. If you're given the choice between getting punched in the face or getting punched in the stomach, you only have symbolic freedom because you're only give the choice between two different types of harm. Sure, one harm could be worse than the other but both are still harm. Material freedom on the other hand, would be the ability to not have to be put into a position where that choice would need to be made. In this story, Kingsley is looking for symbolic freedom, he just doesn't want his people to be under any outside control in whatever form, no matter how beneficial that he is happy to let go of material freedom to do so and therefore recreates the power structure that the Capitol had on 13 onto his own people.

The second quote is from George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison, they wrote Invisible Doctrine which in my opinion is a really accessible introductory text about neoliberalism. I was reading it when I starting writing this fic and when I read this quote I immediately thought of Kingsley so I thought I'd include it.

That's it for the deep dive on Chapter 7: Day 1056 of the Revolution. It was way more meandering and unfocused because I am currently fighting off a nasty throat infection so I'm a little bit loopy. I swear I've written about these topics in a concise way that makes sense before, I just don't have it in me today.

Here's a gif of Eleanor Shellstrop from the Good Place who is the embodiment of anyone who read this all the way through.

[fantasyinvader]

I was thinking that maybe what happens to Edelgard in Azure Gleam isn't out of place, not when you consider a hidden motif to her character. Much like how Edelgard becomes a demonic being in Azure Moon in order to highlight her ideals, how Edelgard is a slave to them as well as how they aren't benevolent.

With that in mind, consider this: Edelgard talks about restoring the Empire to it's former glory, and as Flame Emperor, introduces herself in the Japanese as the one who will put the world back to the way it was. The way this works is that she wants to undo the Church's influence and get rid of it's teachings, going back to how things were under King Nemesis because she believes that's how things were when humans ruled themselves before her ancestor was “tricked.” Edelgard's path is referenced as the Animal Path by Dimitri in Japan, representing spiritual regression in opposition to Nirvana's spiritual ascension. Being on this path also undoes Byleth's character growth, turning them back into the Ashen Demon.

Edelgard acts because of what happened to her with the experiments, believing what her father told her even when we are told she knows that he was a puppet of the guys who killed her siblings. She'll still blame Aegir for the experiments after Thales tells her their true purpose or there not being any evidence of his involvement, and will still blame the Church for the state of the world even after realizing how much influence the Agarthans had in the Empire.

Her mindset goes against the more enlightened mindset that Buddhism promotes. She is unwilling to alter or change her course when she learns stuff, instead she'll either act on her own attachments (first and foremost, her ideals) or her feelings of hatred. The Animal Path allusion would imply that she's not aware of what she's doing, hurting innocent people in her wilful ignorance. And adding onto all that is the Japanese version of Edge of Dawn, where Edelgard decides to go with the decision to start the war she made before the start of the game DESPITE how she sings about the events of White Clouds were making her not want to do so.

Edelgard is tied to the idea of the past, not the future, and returning to it. Even at the end of Flower, her end card reveals the truth. Whereas Dimitri became the Savior King and Claude the King of Unification, Edelgard remained the Flame Emperor. Even with people supporting with her, she still says it's been her path alone in her S support (which, in Japan, admitting that her path has been hadou before saying that changes into the path of her and Byleth...while the rest of the endings still represent her victory leading to hadou according to devs.) Character development WILL. NOT. STICK to her, she'll always return to the same villain that hired Kostas to kill her classmates.

And in Azure Gleam, as punishment for betraying him, Thales mentally returns her to the little girl he manipulated into starting the war. It's an ironic transformation. Edelgard returns to who she used to be before all of this started.

[supernovafeather]

Allies With Benefits (18+)

Leto Atreides x F!Reader

Content : rough sex, unprotected sex, oral sex, anal sex, swearing, reader slaps him but that's part of some weird courtship rituals for them they're used to it dw they're into it, body changes (weight loss), really soft allusion to dubcon.

Summary : As countess of a minor planet, reader had to find new ways to get things done. She decided to use her body to seal an alliance with Leto Atreides.

A conqueror behavior had nothing to do on any planet other than yours. Where you were born, it could be justified by your bloodline and justice. Here, on Caladan, it could only get interpreted as insulting and egoistical. And yet, he loved it.

Not that people appreciated your attitude much, but their Duke did. It took him some time, but once alone with him, you felt more than great at the thought of stepping on his land, on his way. Your confidence eclipsed any unwanted thought. Doubt ? That was for the weak that used to always find an excuse for their pathetic behavior and failures. Now that you understood what it meant to embrace power fully, you had no will to let it go. For so many years your own people used to shame you about your appearance, behavior, and skills. No matter how hard you tried to make yourself understand and respect, they didn't care. Despite your benevolent nature you chose your mother's path, a bloody one. Yet, they still kept on disrespecting you. So you changed everything about you to adopt that appearance they would both fear and fantasize about. If they had to look up at you with hatred, at least they would do it with that lust and powerlessness in their doomed gaze.

Leto Atreides had felt… confused about it all, you saw it. He was the only one not to disrespect you when weight remained an insisting parasite in everybody's conversation about you. In theory you should respect him but that only made him the easiest to try to step on. Losing weight was one thing, and keeping control over the dark sides of your personality was another one. You wanted to outlive that image they had of you. You had enough of them, of their judgemental gazes that made you lower your eyes.

"Give me the men I asked for, and the both of our people are going to…" you started as you stepped up to him with a warning glare. "I won't give you anything my Lady. You are in no right to demand anything from my House after your… questionable behavior." He answered. "Who do you think you are to even try to make me abandon my own people ?" "I don't think I am the Duke of Caladan, I AM the Duke of Caladan, if that may bring you some lacking information about your own predicament." He snarled. "Your role is to obey and remain at your place instead of acting impulsively."

Rebellions over and over. You had had enough of them, so you chose a more brutal approach. Blood got shed and your whole personal changes supposed to turn into tools that would make you look like the distinguished lady they wanted to see turned into ones matching your perversity when it came to death and dignity. Order and discipline were desperately needed and that asshole didn't see it. That man you used to admire, that family that used to make you feel jealous over yours failed you.

"I do not care about your titles, I want you to act upon that mess reigning over my land, over my ancestor's land like you promised." You whispered with a hateful gaze. "I want you Leto Atreides, to respect our agreements instead of running away like a useless scared child would before a storm. That same storm is going to wipe us all, please act upon it."

You did not care about that mix of anger and hunger all over his face as you walked up closer and closer to him until pressing your chest against his. Since the day you appeared for the first time as slim, you noticed the way those men's gazes changed around you. Those useless pieces of shit begged to get stepped upon despite themselves claiming how deserving you were of a similar fate for the greatest good. For balance, for culture, for justice. And yet here they were, begging you silently to let your hands close around their neck, asking you to castrate them with your bare hands. They moved to declare you war in one way or another just to feel your wrath coating them in lava.

"I won't send you my men." He said.

You hated that heat spreading in you as his steely eyes locked with yours for good. Leto Atreides - by the Gods, an Atreides himself - tried to resist his own urges around you. Unthinkable a few months ago. He was about to regret his stupid choices. You would have been there baring his own child by now if only he were as loyal, open minded and kind as he claimed to be. He was not that different from them all.

"Do it." You muttered. "Why ? I won't condemn them to a certain death just because you asked like the spoiled child you are. Stop begging me my Lady." "You will be the one begging."

The firm hand grabbing your neck almost chocked you as you ended up pressed against the nearest wall, the Duke's eyes trying to take control over your exchange.

"I won't allow you to decide of my soldiers' fate." He warned you with a slight head tilt. "Who do you think your are to demand such things?" "The lady that has nothing to lose but her dignity. Is that too much to ask for," you breathed out.

His hand tightened its grip around your throat and for a second you started to panic. It hurt but you got your composure back as his features hardened as his lips almost brushed upon yours.

"I would be ashamed of acting this way my Lady. Your blatant disrespect, both for me and yourself is inconsiderate." "Are you accusing me of something? I am not the one strangling a lone woman in a corner of my chambers." You squealed. "You asked me to condemned over a thousand soldiers to death." "And you are about to get convinced by me and me only, as deaf you are to my people's suffering as you are."

For years you cursed those powerful and beautiful women for using their body to get what they wanted but now, you realized how invincible that tool was once you learned to use it in an appropriate way. You learned how to kiss men sensually thanks to your servants. You learned to moan the right way to make blood leave the brain they like so much to brag about. You learned to roll your hips against them to initiate some wicked desire in them even if they remained fully dressed. So, you used all those weapons against him and even pulled on his curled and greyish hair as he kneeled before you. You savored your victory as you glared at the wall before you, feeling his hot and shaky breath covered by your dress as his tongue and lips played with your thighs with sloppy kisses. All your unholy whispers and moans were enough to get his all mighty hands all over your legs freshly shaven for this night just in case, his mouth sucking on that spot full of nerves making you rub your entrance against his beard.

Then came the moment you cried his first name out when his tongue invaded your wet and already pulsating entrance, his own eagerness multiplied indefinitely as your thighs closed around his face. You felt each of his motions, the way his face rubbed left and right to increase the pressure against your flesh, the sucking sounds, and that warm tongue getting all this juice out off you to suck it in. Your body arched against the wall, and your eyes opened to see nothing at all as warmth spread all over your body. Only your muscles responded to his ministrations as you felt a finger finding its way behind you, inserting itself into a place where it shouldn't have any right to go into. You didn't say anything, your mouth open and silent as that tongue continued on torturing you so delightfully. Then that wet forefinger that started to dig its way up inside of your butt made you snap back to reality. You wouldn't let your Duke have you like that. You wanted to get your way with him with your own rules. If he was to get you, you would get him as well.

"Let's go to your bed." You moaned loudly as your eyes rolled back once again.

Twice. He got you so effortlessly twice in just a few minutes and you came loudly, his hands keeping your hips firmly against the wall as your upper body undulated. Your fingers pulled on his hair, and something told you he loved it as he kept on sucking on your juices with so much strength.

"Leto, by the Gods let me go."

He went even deeper with his tongue, and you opened you eyes wide as you felt his whole finger find its way up your butt, rubbing your insides to get you ready for what he wanted ultimately. The back of your head hit the wall with another insanely loud moan and you knew that you wouldn't win in that position. You felt him stretching you from the inside.

You were back at being the one begging to get heard and you hated that.

"Leto, my Lord, my liege, by the Gods please don't… don't…"You heard the loud sucking sound from between your legs muffled by your dress and gave up, letting him get what he wanted with his mouth as you closed your eyes tightly, feeling a second finger getting inserted in you as you tightened your hole around the first one. He had no pity, like you should have known. You could only admire him for that, and now you understood why so many women chose those weapons against men possessing such powerful armies.

Then he had enough, his face now pressing against yours as his hands held yours in a a hurtful grip, his tongue spreading your own taste in your mouth as he rubbed his covered crotch against yours, your thighs only able to welcome his presence between them. You wouldn't let him have you like this.

"Call me my Lord with that voice again and trust me my whole castle will hear your screams." He promised breathlessly.

You didn't care. You managed to make him fall to the side on his own bed, one of a fabrics unknown to you, so soft you got distracted by it until feeling two eager hands rubbing your chest to grab your chest. Your thighs and hips knew exactly where to go, trapping his hardness firmly as you stared right into his troubled eyes.

"Only once I'm naked." You said.

Confused, he looked up at you as he sat down. The moment you took your top off and stared down at him, you knew you won for a short moment. You refused to acknowledge that such a noble man would get distracted for your nipples and breasts so easily. Unfortunately his instincts were not that different from your servants. So you started to rub his crotch with the only strength of your hips, your emotionless face soon making his smile disappear. Your hands found his top, taking it off as he muffled a strange sound.

"Not that different from a desperate whore ?" He mumbled.

This was what made you commit the worst. You slapped him violently, then a second time following his pleased sigh. You took him by surprise, and rubbed your hips against his with even more strength.

"I don't think I am the slut here my Lord, I am not the one moaning like a bitch to get dominated."

You slapped him again which made his eyes glassy then pulled on his head as he moaned again. His hands grabbed the sheets brutally as you lowered his pants, and he managed to look down right as your warmth started to engulf his shaft.

"My Lady…" he started.

Drunk dazed by the power you had over him, you started the brutal thrusts yourself. It wasn't long before he joined you, his eyes either staring at your bouncing breasts or your sexes rubbing against each other in a concert of wet noises that would make any shy sould ashamed. You were beyond that point. Yes, he got you wet but just as you got him hard. He could see you as a slut and want you to see yourself as one, but you would also make him see himself as one.

"Lecturing people and yet acting like a desperate whore," you commented against his lips as his bed cracked even louder than before, "you're not that different from others" "You should feel that tight cunt to know who's the whore there." He groaned.

You slapped him once again and he answered back by inserting his forefinger back inside you. You slapped him against and he kept it deep inside you, his mouth now kissing the area between your naked breasts. Against your own will, you stopped moving, your heart beating like a wardrum as his fingers started to rub inside you. Your flesh hadn't tightened yet so it was still easy for him to do that, then he inserted the second one. Still, you didn't move as you looked down as his bearded cheeks hid his mouth closing around your right nipple.

"Leto please I only… please my Lord I… I need your men…" You squealed as he sucked on your sensitive skin.

Your audacity got you lost in the mayhem caused by the colors of his room as you ended up forcefully on your knees, your hands soon joining them on his sheets. Your eyes barely had the time to open widely as you felt something hard entering you from behind, confident hands holding you still as you groaned at the length inserted between your ass cheeks.

"Playing the sluttish empress when you remain a shy and unimportant ambassador asking for help should teach you a lesson."

He spanked you once and your offended gasp made him do it once more as you felt him get fully inside you. Humiliation got you tearing up as his hands caressed yours hips then up your breasts, pinching your nipples as his strong hips trapped you against his mattress.

"Give me your soldiers." You breathed out as you made your flesh close around him. "I want my people to remain safe. You promised."

He exhaled brutally then moaned before starting a slow pace, careful as he kept you in this position as your flesh started to burn you from the inside.

"I am a loyal man don't worry about it."

You lowered your head as you gritted your teeth, struggling not to protest as your body tried to reject him. It was not ready yet despite his shaky breath and febrile hands holding your hips.

"You're too tight, wait a second." He mumbled.

He got out much to your relief, but soon pinned your face against the mattress. Your buttocks completely exposed could only let you feel the trails of saliva drooling inside your hole stretched by his hands as it ran down your crack. He spat several times, sometimes right next to your ass as your struggled to break free.

"Easy beautiful, I always take care of my favorite ones. Breathe in and breathe out. Relax."

Your nose still against his sheets couldn't breathe in properly as the Duke started to insert himself again inside you, his victorious laugh ringing in your ears as he managed to slide completely in your hole.

"That's my girl." He commented out loud. "I hope your men are worth it." "Stop talking about them. You only have to let me make you enjoy this."

As twisted as your "tactical conversations" were, you had to admit that Leto always kept his promises, unlike many before him. The new weapon you got from your physical transformation - despite being the double-edged sword it was - let you gain so much more influence than what you used to dream of. As an unimportant Countess from a small planet lost in the vast universe, getting your deals sealed with an Atreides himself was a miracle. Your planet's survival depended on it. The Duke remained pretty possessive and rough in bed but you couldn't forget the surprising attention he would put in aftercare. Today was your third time and and you tried to focus on what would follow instead of the harsh and raw clapping sound.

"Come here Countess." He muttered.

Your body reacted to his words strangely, with pleased goosebumps and a moan. Without stopping, he lied over you to cage you from behind against the bed, his hips changing their rhythm to something more intimate as you felt him slowly sliding in and out. You could merely rest your cheek on the bed, feeling his hot breath against it as he watched you from above.

"What an insufferable brat you are for a Lady." He commented with a mischievous tone. "Please shut your mouth," you protested weakly. "We are here to talk about politics, we shouldn't try to silence each other."

He kissed your nape gently, your mouth letting some moans out as his thrusts remained slow but got deeper everytime he pressed back inside you. The muffled groans stuck in his throat sounded lovely, and you folded your arm to grab a mop of his hair to keep him close.

"Disrespect me." He requested.

He stopped his thrusts to frustrate you, and once you felt pleasure vanishing you were able to think of something just to get him going again.

"Why should I ? My sole presence is enough to upset you for the rest of the day." "Not right now so disrespect me."

He pushed hard once to the point where you tensed up with your mouth wide open, your wrist next to his face now kissed by his lips.

"Don't you feel ashamed of acting worse than I do ?" "Absolutely not." He replied. "What do you feel at the thought of me doing the same with the Harkonnens ?"

That was a sensitive topic with him and you felt him pausing his whole body before you groaned at the hand pulling your head backwards. Even reversed his disapproval was clear, especially with his frowned eyebrows.

"Do not talk about doing that with them. You don't know what it would be like." "What if those monsters fucked me better than you do old man ? Maybe I should take them all at once so that I can tell you everything."

You squealed at the brutality used to make you bite the sheets as he started to pound aggressively, his hateful grunts audible next to your ears as he took you.

"You would miss me immediately and pray for me to come here save your ass, and you know it." He mumbled as the clapping resumed. Then I would have to come inside you to remind you that I would consider that as a betrayal of our… alliance."

Nothing official linked you to Leto Atreides. No precise status, no privilege other than having sex with him to seal deals, but for some reason it seemed to have provided some trust between your planets, which was the major pro of this situation. And with this trust came some untold rules. Some mutual will to stay close to the other. Just like you this man must have felt lonely, just in different ways. People always had bias towards others and despite how much admiration you had for him before your first travel to Caladan, he must have had many demons following him relentlessly.

The moment you came felt divine as you arched your back and cooed loudly. As he said previously, you would definitely hope for him to get you out of there were you to get trapped and submitted to horrible treatments by the Harkonnens. It felt amazing to have this kind of relationship with such a good leader as Leto Atreides. You made the right choice. You were a conqueror. Not the kind you wished to become, but adaptability was an important quality and you were glad you found it out.

- - -

Thank you for reading ! :D

@queen-of-elves @qrjung

[happiness-of-the-pursuit]

20 fic writer questions

Thanks to all of y'all, @read-and-write- @daisymae-12 @inexplicablymine @celaestis1 @kiwiana-writes, for the tags!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

18 including my catch-all for drabbles which I update sporadically

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

77,357

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Red, White and Royal Blue as of right now

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Super Six Take a Lie Detector Test | Vanity Fair

Prince Henry and FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz Answer the Web’s Most Searched Questions

ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ COMMUNES WITH HIS ANCESTORS WHILE EATING SPICY WINGS | Hot Ones

Prince Henry and FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz Take a Couples Quiz

10 Things Alex Claremont-Diaz Can’t Live Without

Y'all love a YouTube/scriptfic, plus the Alex bias is showing y'all 👀👀

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, always, they are the air I breathe, the water I drink, etc. Comments are pretty much everything to me especially at this stage of my writing, I totally get why people with a greater readership may not be able to do this.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't really have angsty endings lol I'm such a fixer; I wrote a drabble where they're elderly and moving out of the brownstone (I hc them always living there) and so that's a bit sad.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

My fics all pretty much have happy endings but the happiest has to be for my 5+1 Water over Blood (five times a member of the Royal family loved Alex, and one time they loved Henry; featuring FirstPrince as uncles). It's so sweet you'll get a cavity.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No and I'm such a people pleaser it would be a Tough Time

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not really, if it's part of the plot I mostly have made allusions and faded to black. For some WIPs it's genuinely part of the plot so that'll change and I'm probably gonna need some help lol.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Kinda. PJO x RWRB WIP and my PJO x Grey's Anatomy are the closest, but they're not really true crossovers, we just put the RWRB characters in the Riordanverse for PJO and I heavily drew on Grey's as an influence for the other one, but they're not at Seattle Grace.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge, it would be an insane honor though

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

We will never shut up about PJO x RWRB, Super Six and the Siren's Call, which I'm currently co-writing with @read-and-write- and @inexplicablymine and it's literally a life-changing experience.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Percabeth probably wins in terms of length of time (I shipped them before shipping was a thing), but FirstPrince will probably be up there when it's all said and done.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

So I have a doc with an AU of someone else's RWRB fic which is one of the biggest barriers to me making more progress on it b/c I feel weird about that, their story just totally inspired an idea and I had to get it down on (digital) paper

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm pretty solid at dialogue and one-liners, especially with funny lines, even though I wouldn't necessarily call myself a funny person. Same with funny titles.

I feel so weird saying what I'm good at, but I also think I'm really nailing Alex's characterization, both inner monologue and his dialogue. I also recently realized I'm pretty solid at writing Nora I think? @read-and-write- and @inexplicablymine will have to verify, they've read that WIP

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Actions, I just want to be like "and then this happened and then this happened and then everything was fixed." I just haven't mastered artfully describing movement between spaces for example.

Also sometimes I'll rush to get to a certain scene because I'm writing chronologically, so then I have to go back and make the middle part of the story better because I neglected it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm...okay. I feel mildly confident in writing Spanish, but I double check using SpanishDict and triple check with @read-and-write-(God Bless You). Anything more than a couple of words/a sentence or two and I'm not there, I definitely try to use English writing structure for the Spanish language which simply doesn't line up perfectly.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Officially: RWRB, unofficially: HP, as a kid I just wrote my own post-canon stories and created tons of fan art

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I'm gonna cheat and say two:

proudest for plot/writing reasons: How well you play...that's up to you (Grey's-inspired fic)

favorite YouTube fic: ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ COMMUNES WITH HIS ANCESTORS WHILE EATING SPICY WINGS | Hot Ones (this idea inspired me to write the whole series)

also the PJO AU is probably going to be my favorite very soon

I kind of let these build up so sorry if I missed someone's! No pressure tags but I'd love to see your answers! @raysletters @heybuddy-drabbles @14carrotghoul @sherryvalli @affectionatelyrs @littlemisskittentoes :)

[etruatcaelum]

WINTER SCHNEE

PHYSICAL

Shorter side of tall. Athletic. Pale, leaning toward sallow. Hair very light platinum blonde; close examination would reveal streaks of premature grey; wavy enough to curl at the ends. Eyes light grey-blue. Oval face, soft features, long pointed nose.

STYLE

Always in uniform, pressed and perfect without a button out of place. When decorum requires civilian dress, goes for suits in dark grey or navy. Her emblem is a simplified version of the Schnee glyph.

SABER & MAIN-GAUCHE

Winter never bothered to name her weapon. It's a modified variant of the historical Valean cavalry saber, which continued to be carried as a sidearm by Valean officers even in the time of the Great War. Her version of the classic weapon is thinner, lighter-weight, and features an elegant guard she designed to better channel her semblance.

AURA

Frosty blue. Winter has a somewhat deeper-than average reserve, but the aura training she received at Atlas Academy wasn't quite right for her: the school's curriculum puts a premium on repetitive drills and standardized numerical metrics, an approach generally far more beneficial to novices than those students who, like Winter, mastered the basics in childhood. On a personal level, she enjoyed the routine, but during her four years in the academy, she was never challenged to leave her comfort zone. It wasn't until she graduated and chose to enlist that Winter realized she had inadvertently spent the past four years treading water and thus gone from ahead of the curve to falling behind, and since then she's made a concerted effort to continually push herself to improve beyond the standards set for her.

SEMBLANCE

On paper, the Schnee semblance sounds unimpressive: it's nothing more than the ability to cast a small portion of aura outward and store it in a glyph. However, the same semblance has manifested in the family again and again for generations, stretching back all the way to the founding of Tumak some three hundred and fifty years ago; almost every Schnee to inherit it has either discovered some novel way of using it or else refined and perfected techniques devised by their ancestors. The upshot is that the Schnees have far and away the most versatile semblance in all of Remnant. Winter trained to mastery in every known branch of the family semblance, but she chose quite early on to specialize in what the Schnees refer to as "summoning"—the creation of corporeal aura-constructs, taking the form of fallen adversaries who left permanent impressions upon their selves. Hers include a flock of small nevermores, a beowolf, a manticore, a trio of sabyrs, and a giant ursa. She's innovated a number of small tricks over the years to improve upon this ability. Winter's construct are more durable and far more aura-efficient than the family standard, and she figured out a technique that allows her to channel dust through her constructs even from a distance. (In essence: the standard method is to use the glyph as an ad-hoc conduit through which the construct is grown—imagine a 3D printer—whereas Winter's technique involves treating the glyph as the construct's core, such that her summons form around the glyph and the glyph persists inside until the summon is destroyed. This is more difficult to master, but affords her much greater control over the construct.)

PRINCIPAL ALLUSIONS

The Snow Queen –> Kai Cinderella –> The Prince. (Distant screaming: WHY DOES IT WORK)

OTHER NOTES

She's seven years older than Weiss, making her twenty-four when the story begins. Her enrollment in Atlas Academy at the age of seventeen coincided with the year her sister turned ten and their father abandoned his last shred of pretense about giving a damn about their mother. Close to a decade later, Winter still feels immensely guilty for leaving home so soon after their parents had that fight, and for not being there for her younger siblings when Willow's drinking spiraled out of control. Willow had already been struggling with alcohol abuse for years before that incident; Winter knew, though her younger siblings did not. For most of her childhood, she felt responsible for "managing"—really, covering for—her mother's condition. They have a... complicated relationship. Winter never especially got along with her grandfather Nicholas, in part because she felt little enthusiasm for the dust trade and in part because he liked her father. As a young girl, she was terrified of Jacques; after her sister was born, her fear hardened rapidly into protective hatred. From a very young age, Winter learnt how to hide her real feelings behind a mask of faultless, unquestioning obedience. Once she left home and entered the militaristic world of Atlas Academy, she separated her true inner self from her outward performance with automatic ease. She was never anything less than an exemplary student, and later soldier, but no one at Atlas Academy or, later, in the military, knew her at all—aside from Penny Polendina, with whom Winter began to work closely after the Fall of Beacon and came to trust enough to lower her mask. In Vacuo, she struggles with the feeling that her identity has been stripped away from her: she's become the Winter Maiden, Miss Schnee, surrounded by Vacuans who revile her for her family name and Atlesians and Mantelians who still see her as the General's lapdog. Shortly after Team RWBY and Jaune return, this pressure reaches critical mass, and she leaves for a short time. Of course, where else is she to go but hunting Cinder Fall? Unbeknownst to her, Cinder also leaves Beacon for her own reasons around the same time, and the two collide in the wild no-man's-land in between Vale and Vacuo. The resulting duel is so vicious that it draws the attention of a very old and powerful revenant, and they're forced to work together to take it down lest it kill them both. Both are utterly spent afterward, far too exhausted to resume their battle, and so instead they have a very strange, prickly conversation before warily parting ways. Winter returns to Vacuo, not altogether sure how to explain where—or with whom—she acquired her new summon.

[riverdamien]

Life Is An Allusion!

"Life Is A Grand Allusion!"

(Elijah's Trauma!"

1 Kings 19:4-8

New Living Translation

4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God.

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

Elijah is one of my heroes. He admits radically when he is traumatized by the violence of the regime he has fled; it has crippled his ability to care for himself and God responds to Elijah's very precarious situation, by performing an extraordinary act of solidarity, not in the prophet's violent rampage but in his moment of vulnerability.

In the same way these past weeks I have been pushed into my most vulnerable moments, moments of deep fear, rage, and anger; Over twenty years ago I was stabbed in the bottom of my skull and a piece of the instrument broke off, where it has remained simply being there. In my bi-annual examination in L.A., the Doctor discovered that it is now slowly moving, inoperable, and will in all likelihood kill me in the next three years. The song The Grand Allusion by Styx rings in my head:

“Welcome to the Grand illusion Come on in and see what's happening Pay the price, get your tickets for the show The stage is set, the band starts playing Suddenly your heart is pounding Wishing secretly you were a star But don't be fooled by the radio The TV or the magazines They show you photographs of how your life should be But they're just someone else's fantasy So if you think your life is completely confusing because you never win the game Just remember that it's a Grand illusion 'Cause deep inside we're all the same We're all the same... So if you think your life is completely confusing because your neighbors got it made Just remember that it's a Grand illusion And deep inside we're all the same America spells competition Join us in our blind ambition Get yourself a brand new motor car Someday soon we'll stop to ponder What on Earth's this spell we're under We made the grade and still we wonder Who the hell we are?” Styx

Like "Jessie" who long ago drew the painting, amid the depression, that led to his suicide, over his plight over being gay I have and am questioning everything I am, and whether or not I have failed. All I have tried to do is be a pastor, listening, caring, and supporting. Is all this simply a "grand allusion!"

Last night I encountered a fifty-year-old man, eating out of a garbage can, and I said, "Hey come here and I will buy you some food. He had not eaten in two days, was obviously on drugs, and was mentally ill, feeling threatened by everyone. I bought him a couple of pizza slices and listened to him. I wonder a lot if I have failed, after all, I mostly listen to people, I do not feed hundreds a day, I do not scream at the government, I sit, with a sign once a week, and if someone wants to talk, we talk, hopefully planting a seed of change. I am simply doing "Little by Little!" I believe that gentleman is the "broken body of Christ", and I fed Jesus! Is that a grand allusion?

"Life is a Grand Allusion!" Society has surrounded us by ways of finding meaning, and religious traditions that ultimately are destructive when taken to the extreme, and all I see is people suffering on the street and dying.

I have spent the past three weeks in the desert alone, with just me and my Bible, reflecting on maybe I should end it now- I am a failure, and no one gives a da. . mn! "Take my life, Lord, for I am no better than my ancestors. ."

Amid my fears and depression, a poem that has meant so much to me for years rang into my head:

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

And the words of the Angel came to me: "Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be to much for you.!(19:7). I will get up and continue my journey in ministry!

And so I am moving back into life and will seek to "Live the question now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it live along some distant day into the future!"

And in living the question I will  "Live to the point of folly and in the words of

Kawaga: “Being a freelance tramp, a

Vagabond for Christ. I must go until

Christ’s work is done. I go like the wind!” Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Put me in jail, then. Throw me behind your religious bars since you have dubbed me a breaker of your law. I live my days in the courtroom of your criticism. I move unbothered under the gaze of your gavel. I have no interest in defending myself before your bench. Go on, clench your fists, raise your voice to make your point. Type the rebuke that you must make on my page. Who asked you to come through anyway? Is this rage your duty? We operate under a different set of obligations and get worked up to frustration for different reasons, even though we both claim fidelity to God. If you were interested, which I doubt, here is where my passion lies: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, defend the rights of the orphan, plead the widow’s cause, and woe to you who unjustly enforce God’s Law. Why spend your energy policing me when that same energy could be used to love, fiercely? Justice, mercy, and humility. Go learn what this means. Drew Jackson Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

======================

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[wiseguynephile]

towards a locked tomb reading list

We all know the locked tomb series is wild about allusions and references. (that is not a negative! all stories are in dialogue with other stories.) Plenty of people including Tamsyn Muir herself have pointed out the many Biblical and Greek mythological references, and most people know there are tons of setting elements that echo Homestuck.

But there are some other influences that I haven’t seen people talking about, that are key ancestors to some of the concepts TLT is playing with, and I’m sure there are more that I haven’t noticed. If you want to know more about the concepts Muir is playing with, or just want to read something else with similar vibes (although very different tones/styles), then on top of the above, I would add--

The Gormenghast trilogy

The Ninth House owes a ton to the giant moldering castle-community of Gormenghast and its ruling House of Groan. Gormenghast is a morbid and insular culture extremely concerned with propriety and social class; the people there have been carrying out the same traditions for so long that nobody really remembers why, but almost everyone is so hidebound and dusty that it doesn’t even occur to them to question those traditions, let alone leave.

On top of all those parallels with the Ninth House generally, Marshal Crux specifically has a ton in common with the Earl of Groan’s right-hand man Flay (although Aiglamene gets his knee):

It did not look as though such a bony face as his could give normal utterance, but rather that instead of sounds, something more brittle, more ancient, something dryer would emerge, something perhaps more in the nature of a splinter or fragment of stone. Nevertheless, the harsh lips parted. ‘It’s me,’ he said, and took a step forward into the room, his knee joints cracking as he did so.

Taz Muir explicitly described Gormenghast as “the book that impacted [her] the most as a writer” in last year’s AMA so I really feel like the locked tomb fandom should pay it more attention! There are almost certainly more elements from those books that also turn up in the Ninth House or elsewhere in TLT, but I couldn’t tell you because I...actually haven’t made it all the way through even the first book (Titus Groan) yet. Be warned that these books are long and extremely dry; they’re very good, but they’re not immediately engaging and snappy the way Muir’s work is.

Warhammer 40k

This one is known in the fandom more than the Gormenghast connection seems to be, but still doesn’t get mentioned much for how important it is. WH40K was not the first series to feature a Roman-influenced interstellar empire of humanity (I think that was asimov’s Foundation?) or the first with an immortal emperor (that was probably Dune?) but the fact that the empire in 40K makes extensive use of (cyber-)necromancy, that it’s constantly conquering new worlds with legions of mages and undead, and that it’s clearly extremely evil and yet the narrative viewpoint is completely on its side, all make it a more immediate influence on TLT.

I don’t have any Word of God on this one but things line up closely enough that it has to be a partial inspiration. 40K also helped influence the troll empire in Homestuck, but that’s not the whole story, because there are 40k elements in TLT that weren’t in HS. 40K’s Imperium pulls off interstellar travel via dipping into a spiritual otherspace haunted by hostile ghosts, and they navigate that space using beacons set by the Emperor. 40K also features “saints” who are resurrected to serve the emperor, and draw massive magical power from him. Its biggest storyline concerns a great betrayal exactly 10,000 years before the “present day” of the setting, in which the Emperor’s greatest servant turned against him in a very Judas-coded way and led nasty unthinkable cosmic horrors to his doorstep.

---

Those are the two that I’ve noticed most, but I’m sure that there are other stories with huge influence on TLT that I just don’t know about. what else should be on that list?

[fineillsignup]

tips for choosing a Chinese name for your OC when you don’t know Chinese

This is a meta for gifset trade with @purple-fury! Maybe you would like to trade something with me? You can PM me if so!

Choosing a Chinese name, if you don’t know a Chinese language, is difficult, but here’s a secret for you: choosing a Chinese name, when you do know a Chinese language, is also difficult. So, my tip #1 is: Relax. Did you know that Actual Chinese People choose shitty names all the dang time? It’s true!!! Just as you, doubtless, have come across people in your daily life in your native language that you think “God, your parents must have been on SOME SHIT when they named you”, the same is true about Chinese people, now and throughout history. If you choose a shitty name, it’s not the end of the world! Your character’s parents now canonically suck at choosing a name. There, we fixed it!

However. Just because you should not drive yourself to the brink of the grave fretting over choosing a Chinese name for a character, neither does that mean you shouldn’t care at all. Especially, tip #2, Never just pick some syllables that vaguely sound Chinese and call it a day. That shit is awful and tbh it’s as inaccurate and racist as saying “ching chong” to mimic the Chinese language. Examples: Cho Chang from Harry Potter, Tenten from Naruto, and most notorious of all, Fu Manchu and his daughter Fah lo Suee (how the F/UCK did he come up with that one).

So where do you begin then? Well, first you need to pick your character’s surname. This is actually not too difficult, because Chinese actually doesn’t have that many surnames in common use. One hundred surnames cover over eighty percent of China’s population, and in local areas especially, certain surnames within that one hundred are absurdly common, like one out of every ten people you meet is surnamed Wang, for example. Also, if you’re making an OC for an established media franchise, you may already have the surname based on who you want your character related to. Finally, if you’re writing an ethnically Chinese character who was born and raised outside of China, you might only want their surname to be Chinese, and give them a given name from the language/culture of their native country; that’s very very common.

If you don’t have a surname in mind, check out the Wikipedia page for the list of common Chinese surnames, roughly the top one hundred. If you’re not going to pick one of the top one hundred surnames, you should have a good reason why. Now you need to choose a romanization system. You’ll note that the Wikipedia list contains variant spellings. If your character is a Chinese-American (or other non-Chinese country) whose ancestors emigrated before the 1950s (or whose ancestors did not come from mainland China), their name will not be spelled according to pinyin. It might be spelled according to Wade-Giles romanization, or according to the name’s pronunciation in other Chinese languages, or according to what the name sounds like in the language of the country they immigrated to. (The latter is where you get spellings like Lee, Young, Woo, and Law.)  A huge proportion of emigration especially came from southern China, where people spoke Cantonese, Min, Hakka, and other non-Mandarin languages.

So, for example, if you want to make a Chinese-Canadian character whose paternal source of their surname immigrated to Canada in the 20s, don’t give them the surname Xie, spelled that way, because #1 that spelling didn’t exist when their first generation ancestor left China and #2 their first generation ancestor was unlikely to have come from a part of China where Mandarin was spoken anyway (although still could have! that’s up to you). Instead, name them Tse, Tze, Sia, Chia, or Hsieh.

If you’re working with a character who lives in, or who left or is descended from people who left mainland China in the 1960s or later; or if you’re working with a historical or mythological setting, then you are going to want to use the pinyin romanization. The reason I say that you should use pinyin for historical or mythological settings is because pinyin is now the official or de facto romanization system for international standards in academia, the United Nations, etc. So if you’re writing a story with characters from ancient China, or medieval China, use pinyin, even though not only pinyin, but the Mandarin pronunciations themselves didn’t exist back then. Just... just accept this. This is one of those quirks of having a non-alphabetic language.

(Here’s an “exceptions” paragraph: there are various well known Chinese names that are typically, even now, transliterated in a non-standard way: Confucius, Mencius, the Yangtze River, Sun Yat-sen, etc. Go ahead and use these if you want. And if you really consciously want to make a Cantonese or Hakka or whatever setting, more power to you, but in that case you better be far beyond needing this tutorial and I don’t know why you’re here. Get. Scoot!)

One last point about names that use the ü with the umlaut over it. The umlaut ü is actually pretty critical for the meaning because wherever the ü appears, the consonant preceding it also can be used with u: lu/lü, nu/nü, etc. However, de facto, lots of individual people, media franchises, etc, simply drop the umlaut and write u instead when writing a name in English, such as “Lu Bu” in the Dynasty Warriors franchise in English (it should be written Lü Bu). And to be fair, since tones are also typically dropped in Latin script and are just as critical to the meaning and pronunciation of the original, dropping the umlaut probably doesn’t make much difference. This is kind of a choice you have to make for yourself. Maybe you even want to play with it! Maybe everybody thinks your character’s surname is pronounced “loo as in loo roll” but SURPRISE MOFO it’s actually lü! You could Do Something with that. Also, in contexts where people want to distinguish between u and ü when typing but don’t have easy access to a keyboard method of making the ü, the typical shorthand is the letter v. 

Alright! So you have your surname and you know how you want it spelled using the Latin alphabet. Great! What next?

Alright, so, now we get to the hard part: choosing the given name. No, don’t cry, I know baby I know. We can do this. I believe in you.

Here are some premises we’re going to be operating on, and I’m not entirely sure why I made this a numbered list:

Chinese people, generally, love their kids. (Obviously, like in every culture, there are some awful exceptions, and I’ll give one specific example of this later on.)

As part of loving their kids, they want to give them a Good name.

So what makes a name a Good name??? Well, in Chinese culture, the cultural values (which have changed over time) have tended to prioritize things like: education; clan and family; health and beauty; religious devotions of various religions (Buddhism, Taoism, folk religions, Christianity, other); philosophical beliefs (Buddhism, Confucianism, etc) (see also education); refinement and culture (see also education); moral rectitude; and of course many other things as the individual personally finds important. You’ll notice that education is a big one. If you can’t decide on where to start, something related to education, intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, etc, is a bet that can’t go wrong.

Unlike in English speaking cultures (and I’m going to limit myself to English because we’re writing English and good God look at how long this post is already), there is no canon of “names” in Chinese like there has traditionally been in English. No John, Mary, Susan, Jacob, Maxine, William, and other words that are names and only names and which, historically at least, almost everyone was named. Instead, in Chinese culture, you can basically choose any character you want. You can choose one character, or two characters. (More than two characters? No one can live at that speed. Seriously, do not give your character a given name with more than two characters. If you need this tutorial, you don’t know enough to try it.) Congratulations, it is now a name!!

But what this means is that Chinese names aggressively Mean Something in a way that most English names don’t. You know nature names like Rose and Pearl, and Puritan names like Wrestling, Makepeace, Prudence, Silence, Zeal, and Unity? I mean, yeah, you can technically look up that the name Mary comes from a etymological root meaning bitter, but Mary doesn’t mean bitter in the way that Silence means, well, silence. Chinese names are much much more like the latter, because even though there are some characters that are more common as names than as words, the meaning of the name is still far more upfront than English names.

So the meaning of the name is generally a much more direct expression of those Good Values mentioned before. But it gets more complicated!

Being too direct has, across many eras of Chinese history, been considered crude; the very opposite of the education you’re valuing in the first place. Therefore, rather than the Puritan slap you in the face approach where you just name your kid VIRTUE!, Chinese have typically favoured instead more indirect, related words about these virtues and values, or poetic allusions to same. What might seem like a very blunt, concrete name, such as Guan Yu’s “yu” (which means feather), is actually a poetic, referential name to all the things that feathers evoke: flight, freedom, intellectual broadmindness, protection...

So when you’re choosing a name, you start from the value you want to express, then see where looking up related words in a dictionary gets you until you find something that sounds “like a name”; you can also try researching Chinese art symbolism to get more concrete names. Then, here’s my favourite trick, try combining your fake name with several of the most common surnames: 王，李，陈. And Google that shit. If you find Actual Human Beings with that name: congratulations, at least if you did f/uck up, somebody else out there f/ucked up first and stuck a Human Being with it, so you’re still doing better than they are. High five!

You’re going to stick with the same romanization system (or lack thereof) as you’ve used for the surname. In the interests of time, I’m going to focus on pinyin only.

First let’s take a look at some real and actual Chinese names and talk about what they mean, why they might have been chosen, and also some fictional OC names that I’ve come up with that riff off of these actual Chinese names. And then we’ll go over some resources and also some pitfalls. Hopefully you can learn by example! Fun!!!

Let’s start with two great historical strategists: Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, and the names I picked for some (fictional) sons of theirs. Then I will be talking about Sun Shangxiang and Guan Yinping, two historical-legendary women of the same era, and what I named their fictional daughters. And finally I’ll be talking about historical Chinese pirate Gan Ning and what I named his fictional wife and fictional daughter. Uh, this could be considered spoilers for my novel Clouds and Rain and associated one-shots in that universe, so you probably want to go and read that work... and its prequels... and leave lots of comments and kudos first and then come back. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

(I’m just kidding you don’t need to know a thing about my work to find this useful.)

ZHUGE Liang is written 諸葛亮 in traditional Chinese characters and 诸葛亮 in simplified Chinese characters. It is a two-character surname. Two character surnames used to be more common than they are now. When I read Chinese history, I notice that two character surname clans seem to have a bad habit of flying real high and then getting the Icarus treatment if Icarus when his wings melted also got beheaded and had the Nine Familial Exterminations performed on his clan. Yikes. Sooner or later that'll cost ya.

But anyway. Zhuge means “lots of kudzu”, which if you have been to the American south you know is that only way that kudzu comes. Liang means “light, shining” in the sense of daylight, moonlight, etc; and from this literal meaning also such figurative meanings as reveal or clear. (I’m going to talk about words have a primary and secondary meaning in this way because I think it’s important for understanding. It’s just like how in English, ‘run’ has many meanings, but almost of all them are derived from a primary meaning of ‘to move fast via one’s human legs’, if I can be weird for a moment. “Run” as in “home run” comes from that, “run” as in “run in your stocking” comes from that, “run” as in “that’ll run you at least $200″ comes from that. You have to get it straight which is the primary meaning, which is the one that people think of first and they way they get to the secondary meaning.)

“Light” has a similar “enlightenment” concept in Chinese as in English, so the person who chose Zhuge Liang’s name—most likely his father or grandfather—clearly valued learning.

I named my fictional son for Zhuge Liang Zhuge Jing 京. The value or direction I was coming from is that Zhuge Liang has come to the decision that he has to nurture the next generation for the benefit of the land, that he has to remain in the world in a way that he very much did not want to do when he himself was a young man. In this alternate universe, Liu Bei has formed a new Han dynasty and recaptured Luoyang, so when Zhuge Liang’s son is then born he chooses this name Jing which means literally “capital”. This concrete name is meant as an allusion to a devotion to public service and to remaining “central”. After I chose this name, I discovered that Zhuge Liang actually has a recorded grandson named Zhuge Jing with this same character.

above, me, realizing I picked a good name

ZHOU Yu is written 周瑜 in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters.

The surname Zhou was and remains a very common Chinese surname whose original meaning was like... a really nice field. Like just the greatest f/ucking field you’ve ever seen. “Dang, that is a sweet field” said an ancient Chinese farmer, “I’m gonna make a new Chinese character to record just how great it is.” And then it came to mean things along the line of complete and thorough.

Yu means the excellence of a gemstone--its brilliance, lustre, etc, as opposed to its flaws. It is not a common word but does appear in some expressions such as 瑕不掩瑜 "a flaw does not conceal the rest of the gemstone's beauty; a defect does not mean the whole thing is bad".

Zhou Yu has gone down in history for being not only smart but also artistic and handsome. A real triple threat. And this name speaks to a family that valued art and beauty. It really does suit him.

Zhou Yu had two recorded sons but in my alternate history I gave him four. I borrowed the first one’s name from history: Xun 循, follow. Based on this name, I chose other names that I thought gave a similar sense of his values: Shou 守, guard; Wen 聞, listen. The youngest one I had born when he already knew he was dying, and things had not been going well generally; therefore I had him give him the name Shen 慎, which means “careful, cautious”.

SUN Shangxiang 孫尚香 is one of several names that history and legend give for a sister of w//arlord-king Sun Quan who was married to a rival w//arlord named Liu Bei in a marriage which, historically, uh, didn’t... didn’t go all that well. In my alternate history it goes well! You can’t stop me, I’ve already done it!

The surname Sun means “grandson” and the given name components are Shang mean “values, esteems” and Xiang “scent” which we can combine into meaning something like “precious perfume”. A lot of the recorded names for women in this era (a huge number didn’t have any names recorded, a problem in itself) seem to me to be more concrete, to contain more objects, to be more focused on affection, less focused on hopes and dreams. This makes sense for the era: you love your daughters (I HOPE) but then they get married and leave you. You don’t have long term plans for them because their long term belongs to another clan.

I gave her daughter by Liu Bei the name Liu Yitao 劉義桃. Yi 義 meaning righteousness, rectitude and 桃 meaning... peach. Okay, okay, I know "righteous peach" sounds damn funny in English, but the legendary oath in the peach garden, the "oath of brotherhood" is called in Chinese 結義 "tying righteousness" and the peach garden is, uh, a peach garden. I also give her the cutesy nickname Taotao 桃桃 which you could compare to “Peaches” or “Peachy”. Reduplication of a character in a two-character name is a classic nickname strategy in Chinese.

GUAN Yinping 關銀屏/关银屏 is a “made up” (scare quotes because old legends have their own kind of validity, fight me) name for a historical daughter of Guan Yu. Guan means “to close (a door)”. Yin means “silver” and ping means “a screen, to hide” and according to the legend, her father’s oath brother Zhang Fei named her after a silver treasure. So here again we see a name for a woman that completely lacks the kind of aspirations we see in male names. Who would have an aspiration for a daughter?

My fictional characters, that’s who. I named her daughter Lu Ruofeng 陸若鳳/陆若凤, Ruo (like the) Feng (phoenix), based on a quote from a Confucian text about what one should try to be during both times of chaos and times of good government. I portray her father as a devoted Confucian scholar, so that was another factor for why I looked to Confucian texts for a source of a name.

Modern parents also now have big dreams for their daughters :’) and so modern girls receive names that are far more similar to how boys are named. 

GAN Ning 甘寧/甘宁 is a great example of a person whose name does not suit him. Gan 甘 depicts a tongue and means “sweet”, and Ning 寧 which shows a bowl and table and heart beneath a roof means “peaceful”. Which, it would be hard to come up with a name for this guy, a ruthless pirate turned extremely effective general:

that is less suitable than essentially being named “Sweet Peace”.

And when he was an adult, his style name—a name that Chinese men used to be given when they turned 20 (ie became adults) by East Asian reckoning—indeed reflects that. Choosing your own style name was widely considered to be crass. I absolutely think that Gan Ning chose his own style name; he was that kind of a guy. And the name he chose! Xingba 興霸/兴霸! I’ve never seen another style name like it. It means, basically, “thriving dominator”! Brand new official adult Gan Ning treats his style name like he’s picking his Xbox gamer tag and he picks BadassBoss69_420, that’s what this style name is like to me. Except, you know, he had almost certainly killed many hundreds of people by the time he was nineteen, so, uh, it wouldn’t be a wise idea to make fun of his name to his face.

In my fictional version of his life, he married a woman whose father was the exception to the “parents love their children” rule and who named his daughter Pandi 盼第 “expecting a younger brother”, which is a classic “daughters ain’t shit, I want a son” name. Real and actual Chinese women have been given this shitty name and ones like it.

Because Gan Ning had an ironically placid name, I also gave his daughter the placid single character name Wan 婉, which means “gentle, restrained”, as a foil to her wild personality.

So there are a bunch of examples of some historical characters and some OCs and how I chose their names. “But wait, all that was really cool, but how can I do that? You can read Chinese, I can’t!”

I originally had a bunch of links here to dictionaries and resources but Tumblr :) wouldn’t let the post show up in tag search with all the links :) :) :) so you need to check the reblogs of this post to see my own reblog; that reblog has all the links. I’M SORRY ABOUT THIS. Here are a list of the sites without the links if you want to Google them yourself.

MDBG  - an open source dictionary - start here

Wiktionary -  don’t knock it til you try it

iCIBA (they recently changed their user interface and it’s much less English-speaker friendly now but it’s still a great dictionary)

Pleco (an iOS app, maybe also Android???) contains same open source dictionary as MDBG and also its own proprietary dictionary

Chinese Etymology at hanziyuan dot net

You search some English keywords from the value you want, and then you see what kind of characters you get. You should take the character and then reverse search, making sure that it doesn’t have negative words/meanings, and similar. Look into the etymology and see if it has any thematic elements that appeal to what you’re doing with the character--eg a fire radical for a character with fire powers.

And then, like I mention before, when you have got a couple characters and you think “I think this could be a good name”, you go to Google, you take a very common surname, you append your chosen name—don’t forget to use quotation marks—and you see what happens. Did you get some results? Even better, did you get lots of results? Then you’re probably safe! No results does not necessarily mean your name won’t work, but you should probably run it by an Actual Chinese Native Speaker at that point to check. Also, remember, as I said at the beginning, sometimes people have weird names. If you consciously decide “you know what, I think this character’s parents would choose a weird name”, then own that.

THINGS YOU SHOULD PROBABLY IGNORE!

Starting in relatively recent history (not really a big thing until Song dynasty) and continuing, moreso outside of mainland China, to the modern day, there is something called a generation name component to a name. This means that of a name’s two characters, one of the characters is shared with every other paternal line relative of that person’s generation; historically, usually only boys get a generation name and girls don’t. (Chinese history, banging on pots and pans: DAUGHTERS AIN’T SHIT AND DON’T FORGET IT!) “Generation” here means everyone who is equidistant descendant from some past ancestor, not necessarily that they are exactly the same age. For example, all of ancestor’s X’s sons share the character 一 in their names, his grandsons all have the character 二，great-grandsons 三, great-great-grandsons 四 (I just used numbers because I’m lazy). By the time you get to great-great-grandson, you might have some that are forty years old and some that are babies (because of how old their fathers were when they were conceived), but they are still the same generation.

In some clans, this tradition goes so far as to have something called a name poem, where the generations cycle, character by character, through a poem that was specifically written for this purpose and which is generally about how their clan is super rad.

If you want to riff off of this idea and have siblings or paternal cousins share a character in their names, ok, but it genuinely isn’t necessary. Anyone with a single character name obviously doesn’t have one of these generation names, and by no means does every person with a two character name (especially female) have a generation name. If you’re doing an OC for an ancient Chinese setting (certainly anything before the year about 500), you shouldn’t use these generation names because it wasn’t a thing. Also, in a modern setting, even if such a generation name or name poem exists, it’s not like there is any legal requirement to use it (though there may be family pressure to do so).

As a further complication, some parents do the shared character thing among their children without it actually being a generation name per se because it isn’t shared by any cousins. Or, they have all their children (or all their children of the same gender) share a radical, which is a meaning component in a Chinese character.

If someone does have one of these shared character names, then their nickname will never come from that shared character; either they will be called by the full name or by some name riffing off of the character that is not shared. For example, I knew a pair of sisters called Yuru and Yufei with the same first character; the first sister went by her English name in daily life (even when speaking Chinese) while the second sister was called Feifei.

tl;dr If you don’t already know Chinese, consider generation names an extra complication for masochists only. Definitely not required for modern characters.

Fortune telling is another thing that I think you should either ignore or wildly make up. Do you know what ordinary Chinese people who want to choose a lucky name for their child do? They hire someone to work it out. This is not some DIY shit even if you are deeply immured in the culture. There are considerations of the number of strokes, the radicals, the birth date, the birth hour. You’re the god of your fictional universe, so go ahead and unilaterally declare that your desired names are lucky or unlucky as suits the story if you want to.

MILK NAMES

In modern times, babies get named right away, if for no other reason that the government requires it everywhere in the world for record keeping purposes.

However, in traditional times, Chinese people did not give babies a permanent name right away, instead waiting until a certain period of time had passed (3 months/100 days is a classic).

What do you call the baby in the meantime? A milk name 乳名, which your (close, older than you) family may or may not keep on using for you until such time as you die, just so that you remember that you used to be a funny looking little raisin that peed on people.

This kind of name is almost always very humble, sometimes to the point of being outright insulting. This is because to use any name on your baby that implies you might actually like the little thing is tempting Bad News. Possible exception: sometimes a baby would receive a milk name that dedicated it to some deity. In this case, I guess you’re hoping that deity will be flattered enough to take on the job of shooing away all the other spirits and things that might be otherwise attracted to this Delicious Fresh Baby.

Because milk names were only used by one’s (older) family and very close family friends of one’s parents/grandparents, most people’s milk names are not recorded or known, with some notable exceptions. Liu Shan, the son of Liu Bei, who as a baby was rescued by Zhao Yun during the Shu forces retreat from Changban. Perhaps because his big debut in history/legend was as a baby, he is well-known for his milk name A-Dou 阿斗, which means, essentially, Dipper.

If you’re writing a story, you really only need to worry about a milk name for your character if it’s a historical (or pseudohistorical) setting, and even then only if the character either makes an appearance as a small infant or you consciously decide to have them interact with characters who knew them well as a small child and choose to continue using the milk name. Not all parents, etc who could use the milk name with a youth or an adult actually did so.

Here are some milk names I’ve come up with in my fiction: Little Mouse/Xiaoshu 小鼠 for a girl, Tadpole/Kedou 蝌蚪 for a boy, and Shouty/A-Yao 阿吆 for a boy. In the first two cases the babies were both smol and quiet (as babies go). The last one neither small nor quiet, ahahaha. 蔷蔷 Qiangqiang, which is a pretty enough name meaning “wild rose” (duplication to make it lighter), except the baby is a boy, so this is the typical idea that making a boy feminine makes him worth less, which, yikes, but also, historically accurate. Also Xiaohei 小黑 “Blackie” for a work that I will probably never publish because I don’t ever see myself finishing it. I might recycle it to use on another story.

 Here are some more milk names I came up with off the cuff for a friend that wanted an insulting milk name. They ended up not using any of these, so feel free to use, no credit necessary. Rongzi 冗子 “Unwanted Child”; Xiaochou 小丑 “Little Ugly”; A-Xu 阿虛 “Empty”; Pangzhu 胖豬 “Fat Pig”;  Shasha 傻傻 “Dummy”.

PITFALLS!

Chinese has a lot of homophones. Like, so many, you cannot even believe. That means the potential for puns, double meanings, etc, is off the charts. And this can be bad, real real bad, when it comes to names. It is way too easy to pick a name and think to yourself “wow, this name is great” and then realize later that the name sounds exactly the same as “cat shit” or something even worse.

Some Chinese families live the name choosing life on hard mode because their surname is itself a homonym that can make almost any name sound bad. I’m speaking of course of the poor Wus and Bus of the world. You see Wu may have innocuous and pleasant surnames associated with it, but it also means “without, un-”. (Bu is similar, sounds like “no, not”.) Suddenly, any pleasant name you give your kid, your kid is NOT that thing.

This means picking a name that is pleasant in itself yet also somehow also pleasant when combined with Wu. So you might pick a character with a sound like Ting, Xian, Hui, or Liang - unstopping, unlimited, no regrets, immeasurable. A positive negative name, a kind of paradox. Like I said, this is naming on hard mode.

If you are naming an ancient character, I am going to say in my opinion you should ignore all considerations of sound, because reconstruction of ancient Chinese pronunciations is on some other, other level of pedantic and you just don’t need to do that to yourself.

For modern characters, however, an attractive name, in general, should be a mix of tones and a mix of sounds. As a non-Chinese speaker, basically this means especially if you go for a two character given name, having all three characters start with the same sound, or end with the same sound, can sound kind of tongue twistery and thus silly/stupid. That doesn’t mean that such names never exist, and can in some cases even sound good (or at least memorable), but how likely is it that you’ve found the exception? Not very. (Two out of three having repetition isn’t bad. It’s three out of three you have to be careful of. Something like Wang Fang or Zhou Pengpeng is probably fine; it’s something over the top like Guan Guangguo or Li Lili you want to avoid.)

Just like the West (sigh), in the modern Sinosphere it is widely acceptable for girls to have masculine names but totally unacceptable for boys to have feminine names. If you see the radical 女 which means woman, don’t choose that character for a boy, at least if you’re trying to be realistic. Now Chinese ideas of masculinity doesn’t have the same boundaries as Western ideas, but if you want to play around in those boundaries, you gotta do that research on your own; you’ve left what I can teach you in this already entirely too long tutorial.

Don’t name a character after someone else in story, or after a famous person. In some/many Western cultures, and actually in some Eastern cultures too (Japan is basically fine with this, for example), naming a baby the same name as someone else (a relative, a saint, a famous person, etc), is a respected and popular way to honour that person.

But not in Chinese culture, not now, not a thousand years ago, not two thousand years ago. (Disclaimer: I bet there is some weird rare exception that, eventually, somebody will “gotcha” me with. I am prepared to be amazed and delighted when this occurs.)

Part of this is because of a fundamentally different idea in Chinese culture vs many other cultures about what is valuing vs disrespecting with regard to personal names. The highest respect paid in Chinese history to a category of personal names is to the emperor, and what would happen there is that it would be under name taboo, a very serious and onerous custom where you not only have to not say the emperor’s name, but you can’t say anything that sounds the same as the emperor’s name.

Did I mention that this is in the language of CRAZY GO NUTS numbers of homonyms? The day-to-day troubles caused by observing name taboo were so potentially intense that there are even instances where, before ascending to the imperial throne, the emperor-to-be would change his name to something that was easier to observe taboo about!

So you see this is an attitude that says: if you want to honour and show respect to somebody, you don’t speak their name.

As the highest person in the land, only the emperor gets this extreme level of avoidance, but it trickles down all through society. You can’t use the personal names of people superior to you. Naming a baby after someone inherently throws the hierarchy out of whack. Now you have a young baby with the same name as a grown adult, or even a dead person, who is due honour from their rank in life. People who would not be permitted to use the inspiration’s name may now use that name because they are superior to the baby who received the name! This would mean that hierarchy was not being preserved, and oh my heaven, is there anything worse than hierarchy not being preserved? All of Chinese History: Noooooo!

Now. As an author—and I hope to God no one is using my Chinese name guide as a resource to name an actual human baby because I can’t take that kind of pressure—you can use the names of characters to inspire the names of other characters, in the following way.

Remember that I said that the key, the starting point, to naming someone in Chinese is to start from a value. Okay. So what you do, if as the author you want to draw a thematic connection between two fictional characters, is take the Inspiration character’s name, think about what the value is that caused that name to be chosen, and then go from that value to choose the New Character’s name.

If you’ll recall what I said about Gan Ning and his baby Wan, this is exactly the approach I took. Gan Ning had a placid single character name that belied his violent and outrageous personality; I chose a placid single character name for his similarly wild daughter to make them thematically similar. As an author, I named his baby after him. But within the context of the story, she was not named after him. Does the distinction make sense?

Values also run in families for obvious reasons. It’s very common to look at a family tree and see lots of names that follow a kind of theme and give you a sense that, eg, this family is rather low class and uneducated; this family is very erudite but a bit too fussy about it; this family is really big on Confucianism. So yes, as an author, looking to other characters for inspiration is not a bad idea.

Remember, a lot of times, as an author, you can and even should kick realism to the curb sometimes. If you want to make some Ominous Foreshadowing that Character A’s name is something to do with fire but! They name their child something to do with water and therefore they are destined to clash with their own offspring, gasp, you can do that kind of thing because you are the god of your universe. Relish your power.

Do you have any more questions? Feel free to send a PM or an ask. I hope this was helpful! Go forth and name your Chinese OCs with slightly more confidence!

Edit 22 April 2019: I added some more sections (fortune telling, Milk Names, and taboo on naming after people). I also need to overhaul the entirety of the previous to emphasize that even thought I thoughtlessly used “Chinese” as if it was synonymous with “Han”, there are non-Han Chinese and they can have very different naming customs. Mea culpa.

[aspoonofsugar]

Weiss and Jaune = Knight + Queen

Mirror Help me Who am I?

Weiss and Jaune are strong foils (mirrors), who can be analyzed through a specific motif.

They are both Knights (masculine):

And Queens (feminine):

This is made clear also through their respective allusions:

1 -Weiss alludes to Snowhite and plays all the different characters of the story with a specific focus on the Princess and the Prince, which is highlighted since the White Trailer:

Weiss and her inner Prince (Animus), who is corrupted and possessed by her Father

Here, Weiss fights a giant armor, which symbolizes the power her father (the patriarchy) has above her. She is fighting both for her freedom and to get back a possessed part of herself (the Arma Gigas is literally a haunted armor). If she wants to escape Jacques, she has to be her own Prince. In other words, to be crowned queen, she needs to become a knight first.

2 -Jaune alludes to Jeanne d'Arc who was both a maid and a knight. Jaune's story is about him growing into both. He needs to accept his inner maiden to become a proper knight. This is made clear in the Jaunedice's arc (this mini arc really works as Jaune's trailer). There he grows not when he gives in to toxic masculinity, but when he stands up to it:

Jaune performing his first miracle and later on being guided by his Goddess (Anima), who is none other than Pyrrha

Jaune makes progress when he nurtures his most feminine side and shows vulnerability by apologizing and asking for Pyrrha's help. A real man has no fear to show he is also feminine.

In short, both Weiss and Jaune's stories deal with the integration of their feminine and masculine parts, so that they can be full-fledged individuals.

ANIMUS AND ANIMA

Integrating the feminine with the masculine is a psychological process, which is described by Carl Jung with the archetypes of animus and anima:

The animus is the masculine part of a woman

The anima is the feminine part of a man

Each person has naturally both, but society promotes specific gender values and drives people to repress traits culturally associated with the opposite gender. So, to fully be complete a person should integrate the negated parts.

This is the case for both Weiss and Jaune, who are initially trapped in fixed gender roles:

Weiss is the rich spoilt princess. She is forced to adhere to the social role Jacques has chosen for her. She is the Schnee Heiress, which means she should always be classy, perfect and elegant:

Weiss: I'm. Not. Perfect! Not yet...

Jaune is instead the loser boy, who wants to be a knight. He doesn't really fit his gender nor social role. He is a male, but is weak, geeky and odd. He has a legacy of warriors to honor, but can't fight. So, he feels he isn't enough:

Jaune: I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!

Basically they are both trapped in opposite ways. Weiss fits her legacy and stereotype so well people forget there is more to her. Jaune instead doesn't measure up to his ancestors nor to the classical male type, so everybody assumes he is bound to fail. This happens because Weiss and Jaune are victims in different ways of toxic masculinity:

As a girl, Weiss has to obey her father, to suppress her emotions and to be nothing, but beautiful. Think about how Jacques even weaponizes typical feminine traits Weiss has, like her talent at singing.

As a boy, Jaune has to conform to physical prowess and bravado. He has to be big, ripped and cool or else he is no-one. The idea he is not like the other boys is at the root of Jaune's insecurities.

At the same time, Weiss and Jaune are also incredibly immature and project outside the same gender roles they are trying to escape inside. Moreover, they do so specifically with each other:

Weiss: (mockingly) My hero.

This scene summarizes their whole early dynamic. On the one hand Weiss sees Jaune as the loser he is scared to be. She only sees his superficial bravado and misses who he is behind the mask. On the other hand Jaune is attracted to Weiss because he sees her as the perfect princess to his knight. So, he is drawn to the mask.

Even the reason Jaune initially falls for Weiss ties into this:

Weiss: Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!

Weiss here is mocking both Jaune and Ruby, two people she has misjudged and shows no respect for. She is being cold, superficial and rude. Still, Jaune falls for it and believes Weiss's words. He does because they describe Jaune as he wants to be perceived. So, he runs after Weiss and ignores Pyrrha.

In short, initially Weiss and Jaune can't see neither themselves nor others clearly. Luckily, this starts to change at Beacon.

ICE QUEEN AND VOMIT BOY

Sun: Ruby, Yang, Blake… Ice Queen.

Ruby: Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind.

Weiss and Jaune are given nicknames the moment they arrive at Beacon. This happens because they are both childish and self-centered, so they are called out by others. Specifically, their nicknames are light-hearted ways to criticize their perceived self-importance and the archetypes they are trying to emulate. Weiss is called an ice queen because she is acting as daddy's little princess. Jaune is instead jockingly named vomit boy because he tries too hard to look cool. They are still far away from who they want to become and their friends pick up on this. Luckily, giving them funny names is not all RWBY and JNPR do for Weiss and Jaune. Rather they help the two kids grow. In particular, Ice Queen and Vomit Boy develop in two different and complementary ways:

In volume 1 they learn to see who they are slightly better

In volume 2 they become able to see others with more clarity

Seeing One-Self

At the beginning of their stories Weiss and Jaune are running away from who they are:

I'm the loneliest of all.

Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home. How depressing is that?

Both have big families, but feel lonely and misunderstood. So, they hope they can have a fresh start at Beacon, but immediately meet unforeseen circumstances:

By this point Weiss and Jaune are pursuing a superficial dream of heroes and monsters. They figure their most perfected selves beside the "right" patner.

On the one hand Weiss wants Pyrrha to be the "knight" to her "princess":

Weiss: This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable!

She wants someone strong (body) that complements her intelligence (mind). She thinks that in this way she can't fail.

On the other hand Jaune wants Weiss to be the "princess" to his "knight":

Jaune: Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?

He wants someone who is beautiful and looks frail, so he can protect her. He thinks in this way he can appear strong.

Both are wrong obviously. This is why they end up with respectively Ruby and Pyrrha as partners.

Weiss needs to realize what complements mind is not body, but heart. This is why she is paired with Ruby, who lacks physical strength, but has more than enough heart to guide Weiss. Throughout the initiation, Weiss herself has to act as a Knight by saving Ruby from the Nevermore. And later on, she needs to follow Ruby's plan (so Ruby's mind) to take down the Grimm and pass the trial.

Jaune needs to realize a real knight is not physically strong, but is wise (mind) and brave (heart). This is why he ends up with Pyrrha, who is both and challenges him in two different ways. She doesn't fit feminine stereotypes and sees Jaune's value not in his superficial traits, but rather in his willingness to help. Throughout the initiation, Jaune shows this by staying behind to lead others into kiling the Grimm.

So, Ruby and Pyrrha are the ones, who can help Weiss and Jaune grow the most. However, the 2 kids struggle to accept it and enter into a conflict with their respective partners in The Bagde and The Burden and Jaunedice. These 2 mini-arcs are interesting because they do not really add anything to the main plot. Rather, they are episodes which focus on Weiss and Jaune respectively. Once again our wannabe queen and wannabe knight act as perfect foils to each other.

On the one hand Weiss is powerful enough to kill Grimms on her own, but wants to be the Queen giving orders. On the other hand Jaune has gained the title of leader, but wants to be the competent Knight slaining monsters.

In short, they want what the other has and miss what they already are. Why is that so? Because deep down they dislike themselves and can't see they have the seeds for greatness within. They don't need to look outside, but should nurture the inside.

Luckily, they are helped by 2 mentor figures:

Port: So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be.

Ruby: Because it's not just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us. We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you.

Port invites Weiss to grow as a person and Ruby reminds Jaune of his duties as a leader. So, Weiss and Jaune step up for the sake of their partners:

Weiss: Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader. Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have!

Jaune: Don't ever mess with my team - my friends - ever again. Got it?

Weiss encourages Ruby to be a good leader and promises her she will be the best teammate ever. She even aknowledges she has always loved bunked beds and makes a small step in integrating with her inner child. Something necessary if she wants to blossom into an adult.

Jaune fights Cardin for Pyrrha's sake and decides to dedicate himself to his role of leader. At the same time, he accepts Pyrrha's help, so he shows vulnerability. In other words, he starts integrating with his feminine side. Something needed to become more mature.

So, by the end of their first semester at Beacon both Weiss and Jaune have come to understand themselves and their roles a little bit better. Still, they have yet a long way to go when it comes to the way they aknowledge others.

What better chance than a dance to work on it?

Seeing Others

When it comes to the dance, Weiss and Jaune find themselves in the same situation of the initiation ceremony. They are locked into "triangles":

Jaune wants to go to the dance with Weiss, who wants to go with Neptune

Pyrrha wants to go to the dance with Jaune, who wants to go with Weiss

They pursue the wrong partner and ignore another person's feelings. In this way they do to another what they lament it is done to them:

Weiss: All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name.

Jaune: It's Weiss… I'm completely head over heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented-- I mean have you heard her sing? I just wish she take me seriously, y'know?

On the one hand Weiss wants to be seen for who she is, not her name. And yet, she refuses to look earnestly at Jaune and doesn't even recognize his feelings as genuine (recognizing someone's feelings doesn't mean to reciprocate them by the way). On the other hand Jaune wants to be taken seriously, but the moment Pyrrha tries to open up to him, he reduces her feelings to a joke:

Jaune: Oh please, if you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress.

At the same time, both approach love superficially. Jaune has started to really like Weiss as a person, but he is still far from truly seeing the girl in all her complexity. Weiss is instead failing to recognize Jaune's good qualities and is attracted to Neptune's try hard persona:

Neptune: Haven. And I don't believe I've caught your name, snow angel.

The narrative makes it very clear Neptune is just a shallower, but better looking version of Jaune. He is a geek (like Jaune), but calls himself an intellectual. He flirts with every girl that breathes, waaaay more than Jaune does initially. And yet, he looks cooler, so Weiss is attracted by him.

This "double triangle" is solved positively in 2 different ways:

Weiss and Jaune start to display respectively more masculine and feminine traits

Weiss and Jaune learn to see others a little bit better

Weiss plays the part of the knight and invites Neptune to the dance:

Weiss: I know this is a little unorthodox, but… I wanted to ask you something. Would you… like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?

Jaune plays the part of the maiden and wears a dress to accept Pyrrha's late invite:

Pyrrha: I had no idea you were a dancer. Jaune: Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters.

On a deeper level, Jaune confronts both Pyrrha (the ideal self he must aim to be) and Neptune (the past self he has outgrown).

Pyrrha: I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place. Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people. That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me.

He realizes he has hurt Pyrrha's feelings and has failed to see her the whole time. At the same time, he calls Neptune out on how he has treated Weiss's feelings:

Jaune: Do you even care about the girls you're hitting on? How they feel about you?

And finally, thanks to his ideal self (Pyrrha), he is able to give his past self (Neptune) a good advice:

Jaune: Then just go talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves, just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go.

In this way, Jaune shows he has grown more mature and crowns his evening by wearing a beautiful dress and proving he is a great dancer (differently from Neptune).

Weiss grows too. She accepts Neptune's apology and thanks to him, she is able to finally see Jaune for who he is:

Weiss: You said you were embarrassed at first. What made you come talk to me? Neptune: You're looking at him. You got some good friends looking out for ya.

She might not reciprocate Jaune's feelings, but Jaune is still her friend and cares about her as a person, not as a trophy. This moment marks an improvement of Weiss's overall dynamic with Jaune and she starts to see him as a close one, even praising him occasionally:

Weiss: Well, he's certainly improved.

This is a top off for Weiss's growth as a less judgemental person. This process starts with Blake and her prejudice against Faunus and goes on with Jaune and her misjudgement of him.

All in all, Weiss and Jaune's months at Beacon are key for the kids' early development:

Weiss grows through Ruby and Blake

Jaune grows through Pyrrha and his team

They keep walking parallel paths and slowly start to aknowledge each other more. Weiss starts to see Jaune not as a loser, but as a person who is trying hard. Jaune start to see Weiss not as a damsel, but as a talented individual with wishes of her own. Similarly, their relationship with their inner selves improves, as well.

By the time of the Vytal Festival, both Weiss and Jaune are making small steps toward who they want to become.

The Vytal Festival: Unsure Knight and Clueless Maiden

Weiss and Jaune's tournament fights display their better qualities. On the one hand Weiss sacrifices herself for Yang. On the other hand Jaune is able to lead his team well. They are both more selfless with a better understanding of their roles in their teams.

This growth is marked by important moments outside the arena.

Weiss meets Winter, who inspires her to branch out a little. This is the catalyst for Weiss's transformation into a knight:

Jaune notices Pyrrha is off and tries to step into an adviser position. Basically, he tries to do what Pyrrha has done for him. He tries to guide her by symbolically playing a more supportive role. Moreover, he tries to help Pyrrha making sense of maidenhood:

Jaune: I guess… I'm just trying to say that… you've always been there for me… even when I didn't deserve it. And I can tell there's something on your mind, so… I don't know. How can I help?

Obviously, they are both still immature. Weiss is dependent on her father and can barely summon a tiny sword. Jaune is ignorant and isn't able to give Pyrrha the right advice. Still, they both try, even if they meet an unforeseen crisis. The Fall of Beacon.

Weiss manages to step in to protect Velvet. She acts as a real Knight in Shining Armor:

Jaune does his best to stand beside Pyrrha, even in her darkest moment:

Jaune: She's right. Whoever was on that microphone… they're the ones that did this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else.

Despite this, they both fail in the end. Weiss can't save Beacon and loses her new found home and family. Jaune can't save Pyrrha and loses the girl he loves. So, after so much development and growth Weiss and Jaune wake up to discover it still isn't enough. So, the finale pushes them back in the roles they have tried to escape so desperately.

Weiss is brought back under her father's thumb. Jaune is shoved into a locker, forced to fly away like a loser. Weiss is once again daddy's little princess, while Jaune is once again a wannabe knight, who couldn't save the girl.

SNOWHITE AND JEANNE

Ren: Well that embarrassment - that desire to go back and tell yourself not to be so stupid - that just proves you're not the same person you used to be. You're smarter, you're kinder, you're stronger, and you're not done growing yet. None of us are.

The Mistral arc marks a metaphorical growth spurt for both Weiss and Jaune. This development manifests in the volume 5 climax, where their stories intersect:

This scene is a culmination of their respective developments and ties with both their allusions:

Snowhite dies, but is resurrected by the Prince

Jeanne D'Arc performs a mircacle and brings back a person from the death

So, it is clearly very important symbolically, but what does it mean for Weiss and Jaune's characters, specifically?

1- Weiss and Jaune overcome two fake Maidens

Vernal and Cinder are the two fake Maidens of the Mistral arc, as the opening of volume 5 suggests:

Vernal is set up as the Spring Maiden and Cinder is set up as Raven's biggest foe. And yet, neither of them lives up to expectations. On the one hand Vernal is just a red herring, while Cinder isn't Raven's true opponent, but Yang is.

At the same time, Vernal and Cinder are Weiss and Jaune's opponents during the Battle of Haven. Interestingly, they both challenge the kids about their true identities. Who are they really?

Vernal: Let's see what the Schnee name really means.

Cinder: Who are you again?

Vernal mocks Weiss by stating she is nothing outside her name and Cinder sneers at Jaune by telling him he is a nobody. These are Weiss and Jaune's biggest fears. Weiss is scared her only value is her Schnee name, whereas Jaune is terrified of being a loser. In short, both Vernal and Cinder attack Weiss and Jaune's egos and leave them shattered:

Vernal physically breaks Weiss's aura, while Cinder psychologically destroys Jaune by targeting Weiss, just like she did with Pyrrha. Vernal and Cinder's objective is really to reduce Weiss and Jaune to nobodies. And yet, they fail. That is because the self is not found in physical strength or power, but rather comes from inside:

Yang: You might be powerful, but that doesn't make you strong.

In this battle Vernal and Cinder really symbolize Weiss and Jaune's illusory sense of selves. Their ugly personas. This is why they are both fake. Fake maidens masked with strength and confidence. And yet, they are deep down made of lies.

Vernal derides Weiss because of her dependency on the Schnee Family. And yet, Vernal herself has dedicated her whole existence to the Branwen Tribe and even changed her name for Raven's sake. In other words, she has reduced herself to her Spring Maiden persona. She is the one, who is nothing more than a name. And a false one, to boot.

Cinder laughts at Jaune's wannabe hero performance, but a lucky strike by her opponent is enough to derail her. An inexperienced fighter like Jaune grazing her breaks Cinder's whole facade and shows the ugly psychological wounds she hides behind a mask.

This is why Vernal and Cinder defeat Weiss and Jaune, but ultimately fail and actually destroy each other. Vernal dies by Cinder's hand, despite how strong and smart she is. Cinder is unmasked by Raven and falls because of Vernal's final desperate attack, which ensures Cinder's defeat.

Weiss and Jaune instead are reborn thanks to each other. Weiss is physically saved by Jaune, whereas Jaune starts to psychologically heal through helping Weiss. Weiss unlocks a new summon, while Jaune discovers his semblance. In the end, Weiss and Jaune don't need to play by Vernal and Cinder's rules.

Weiss's strength doesn't lie in her individual skill, but in the relationships she has built with others. She doesn't have to survive on her own because she is full of loved ones ready to help her shine. And she can help them too.

Jaune is heroic not because he is a lonely warrior slaying villains, but because he is a good friend always ready to help. His value lies in his wish to protect others. Moreover, he can rely on them when he needs.

Weiss and Jaune's real selves are in their hearts, which are growing stronger. That is why they lose the physical fight, but win the spiritual one. They ultimately succeed, as Weiss's Queen Lancer is key to saving Haven and Jaune's Aura Amp is fundamental in saving Weiss. Weiss protects a Kingdom, while Jaune protects a girl.

2- Weiss and Jaune integrate with their animus/anima

Weiss and Jaune embrace their true selves by reconciling their masculine and feminine parts. Once again this process is conveyed through their allusions.

Our Snowhite dies and is reborn twice. The first time, Jacques (the Evil Queen) kills her psychologically by taking away her Heiress title and imprisoning her in her room (the glass coffin). Weiss is able to escape by developing her masculine side (the Knight).

She successfully draws energy from her animus (her inner Prince) and uses this new found resourcefulness to escape. She leaves behind her passiveness (feminine) and grows more active (masculine). This is why her summon symbolically breaks the window and immediately after Weiss makes the choice to leave.

The second time, Cinder (another Evil Queen) kills her physically, but Jaune (the Prince) saves her. As a result, Weiss wakes up and is crowned Queen.

Becoming Queen in fairy tales means you have reached self-actualization. So, Weiss has become her true self, which is a combination of feminine (queen) and masculine (lancer). The Queen Lancer then symbolizes Weiss reconciling with her anima (feminine part) by making it freer, more genuine and stronger through her animus (masculine part).

Our Jeanne performs a miracle and has a vision. He brings Weiss back from the death in Haven. By doing so he physically plays the part of the Knight in Shining Armor. Still, he succeeds by integrating his animus with his anima. As a matter of fact he lets go of fighting and killing (masculine) and takes up healing (feminine):

Later on, he needs spiritual guidance and finds it in his anima (Pyrrha). So, he has a symbolic "vision" of her in front of her statue:

Obviously, the woman is probably Pyrrha's mother, but it doesn't matter. The whole scene is framed up as aetherial and ambiguous because thematically Pyrrha's soul points Jaune toward the right path. So, Jaune is guided by his feminine side.

Weiss and Jaune's journey in Mistral leads them to face their fears and let go of their personas. By doing so, they succeed at integrating their animus and anima. The end result is that they grow up.

Weiss blooms into a Queen:

Weiss's royal dress is blue (melted ice) and has snowhite-like puff sleeves.

Jaune becomes a Knight:

Jaune's outfit keeps his red details and adds more gold to it.

Upon their arrival in Atlas, they are not Ice Queen and Vomit Boy anymore, but genuine articles.

QUEEN AND KNIGHT

Right now I’m just a bit surprised Cuz I feel just fine And I might just touch the sky

The sun is shining in the sky The birds are smiling so am i I’m kicking ass in every way Think this change is here to stay It’s feeling like a brand new day

In Atlas, our Queen and Knight live their best lives.

Weiss arrests her father and reconnects with her estranged family. She becomes the Queen of the Schnee family. Jaune instead supports everyone, meets the admiration of civilians and is in generally successful. He becomes a perfect Knight in Shining Armor.

Even when the situation gets dire they both maintain a mature attitude. They are not touched by the Divide and their major conflict lies rather with a family member (sibling):

Winter: You're not leaving me. I'm giving you a head start.

Ren: You cheated your way into Beacon!

Winter and Ren oppose Weiss and Jaune out of repression and frustration. And yet, Weiss and Jaune's reaction is of empathy and understandment:

Weiss: Don’t worry, they’re sisters. Sometimes sisters just have very different ideas about what’s right.

Jaune: We’re all under a lot of stress right now. I used to push people away too.

They never doubt their loved ones and when Winter and Ren come around there is no need for apologies. Weiss and Jaune simply welcome them back with warmth.

In short, our Queen and Knight are among the characters who have grown the most, so they often come up with solutions. For example, Jaune offers a way to overcome the Divide from a practical point of view:

Jaune: Okay. Okay… Then let’s go for both. Get Amity up and running and evacuate Mantle.

Weiss is instead the one to state the theme outloud before the climax:

Weiss: Trust is a risk

This development is precisely why they both get to shine in the final battle.

On the one hand Weiss holds it together while her team is in disarray after Yang's fall. Ruby is traumatized and caught up in a fight with Neo, while Blake temporally loses it. Weiss keeps on facing Cinder alone and does her best to protect Penny and the relic.

On the other hand Jaune keeps a level-head and manages to evacuate the civilians only to join the fray at the very end. He reads the situation correctly and kills Penny when there is no other choice.

Weiss and Jaune have grown into who they want to be in the beginning. This is why they are the last fighters standing. And yet, despite all their training and maturation, they still fail. They face an Evil Queen (Cinder) and are defeated when they are at their strongest. Weiss is a true Queen fighting for her home and Jaune is a true Knight fighting for the people. And yet, they are crushed and fall. Just like at Beacon.

Once again, Weiss fails to protect a Kingdom:

Once again, Jaune fails to protect a Maiden:

At the same time, they believe the other can somehow succeed, even if they don't:

Weiss: Maybe… Jaune and Winter were able to get them out, despite… everything… despite us…

Jaune: I don’t know where the others are, but… Weiss will give us time!

Weiss hopes Jaune and Winter (aka her ideal) save the relics. Jaune hopes Weiss can buy him and Penny time, like Pyrrha (aka his ideal).

In short, Weiss and Jaune grow into their ideal selves, but still lose. Not only that, but they keep on projecting their ideals on others. And yet, these others also fail. So, what to do? The only choice is to let go of unreachable perfect paragons.

FALLEN QUEEN AND RUSTED KNIGHT

Weiss: I am a citizen of a fallen Kingdom and an heir to nothing. I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it. I am Weiss Schnee, and I am a Huntress!

NeoCat: You were never the brave knight either! Just more fairytale nonsense!

Weiss and Jaune's journey in the Ever After is about letting go of their Queen and Knight idealized self-images. In this way they can truly accept who they are. This is difficult at first because they are full of self-hate and regret:

Weiss: But it wasn't enough! We hatched a crazy plan that put a whole kingdom at risk, and we don't even know if we saved the Relics...

Jaune: I’m trying so hard to save them… I stopped them from becoming what they needed to be. I was being selfish because I… I wanted the rush of rescuing someone and I got that here.

Still, they both work through it in 2 ways.

They face their traumas again:

Weiss: I am so tired of leaving places in ashes…

Jaune: On that bridge… I was the only one that could do it! I was the ONLY ONE! And I… And now I have to live with that forever… In here or back home…

They change their dynamic with Ruby, who they put on a pedestal.

Specifically, Ruby becomes a paragon for both Weiss and Jaune during the Mistral arc. There, Weiss learns to be emotionally vulnerable with her partner. Jaune instead grows to admire Ruby's optimism and hopeful self.

So, after the fall of Atlas, both Weiss and Jaune go back to Ruby. Weiss lets out all her troubles, while Jaune dives after Crescent Rose and proudly gives it back.

However, Ruby is in no condition to play Weiss and Jaune's hero. This shows and it unnerves them, who grow progressively more irritated with Little Red:

Weiss: Hurry! People are counting on us!

Jaune: I know you may not care about protecting this village, but you could at least help your friends when they’re in danger.

Until Ruby herself snaps at the both of them. Interestingly, it is Weiss's demand that Ruby consoles Jaune, which sets her off. Moreover, throughout her monologue, Ruby calls Weiss out on her dependency on her:

Ruby: What about me? “No time”, right? “Gotta get home!” “Gotta help Jaune!” Gotta find someone who isn’t just going to screw everything up!

And she lashes out against Jaune's hero complex:

Ruby: I’m sorry, is this a bad time? Are we supposed to be mourning Jaune’s make-believe friends?!

She pintpoints both their flaws and then runs away. It is Ruby's outburst, though, which wakes up Weiss and Jaune.

Weiss finally realizes Ruby's pain and empathizes with her. Her words clearly have an impact on Jaune too:

Weiss: Ruby has always been the one to get us through the hard times. We say things like “We believe in you”, “We can count on you”. I know we mean well, but…

They both let go of their idealization of Ruby, which in turns helps them with their own struggles:

Weiss: I think you’re asking too much of yourself. We’ve been telling ourselves that failing means we’re no good. But I can guarantee even the best Huntsmen in history… they’ve all lost. But they were still incredibly brave… and good.

In front of a genial ruby, Weiss and Jaune manage to move forward through each other.

Jaune is spiritually guided and shown empathy by Weiss. Weiss instead starts healing psychologically by helping Jaune. In a sense, this is a parallel and an inversion of their shared moment in volume 5. There Jaune finds himself strong enough to cure Weiss. Here Weiss finds herself wise enough to teach Jaune. Both are in a self-hate spiral, but then realize they are better than they think by saving the other. At the same time, this moment also calls back Jaune's "vision" in Lost. There Jaune is shown the way by a Pyrrha stand-in. Here Weiss steps into the role of spiritual adviser.

After spending the whole volume looking for someone to guide her, Weiss discovers she can be the guide. After spending the whole volume wanting to be the hero, Jaune realizes he is the one that needed help the whole time.

They both learn the main theme of the volume:

Jaune: Maybe that Cat was right… Maybe I just needed to accept it. It’s not a place you go.

They reach acceptance of who they are. Both their good traits and their negative traits. They accept they did their best, but also that they lost. And once they do, they become able to better accept others, as well:

Jaune: I think I get it. This is how we got here, or… why the Tree brought us here. Acceptance.

Weiss: We've done everything we can. Now it's up to Ruby. Whatever happens next… we have to welcome that.

Not only do they let go of their idealized self-images, but of Ruby's too. This is why they are ready to welcome her, no matter what. Strengths and limits, alike.

Thanks to their inner development, they both get to make another step into self-actualization. This growth is shown symbolically in the finale . Weiss is finally able to summon a full Nevermore, which combines all her previous glyphs (so it is symbolic of the self). Jaune accepts Alyx's hand and goes back to his real self through her (he goes from iron to mercury). These are glimpses of who Weiss and Jaune are going to finally become.

SOPHIA AND HERMES

Curious Cat: Looking at you, wise huntress.

Alyx: Maybe it’s time for a change, to be the kind of man you always wanted to be.

So, who are Weiss and Jaune going to be at the end of their journey? It is still too soon to say, but I would not be surprised if they were to become Sophia and Hermes to each other.

Who are Hermes and Sophia? They are the embodyments of a perfected animus and a perfected anima. In short, by the end of their psychological development, a woman should integrate with Hermes and a man should integrate with Sophia. Personally I think (wish) Weiss is stepping in the role of Sophia for Jaune, while Jaune is stepping in the role of Hermes for Weiss. Volume 9 might have given symbolic hints of this.

Weiss is directly associated with wisdom, which is what Sophia means.

Jaune goes from iron to mercury through Alyx and Mercury is just another way to call Hermes. Moreover, one of the symbols of Hermes in alchemy is a stag and well... Juniper resembles one.

Now, this final integration can be romantic (my preference) or platonic/individualistic (if they chicken out). What is sure is that it's going to happen, one way or another. It is just the cherry on top on a animus/anima story.

Snowhite and the Animus

Snowhite is the story of a child growing up. The first step in self-actualization is to stop identifying with the Mother, so the mirror image changes. This transformation generates an inner conflict. On the one hand there is the side who wants to grow up (Snowhite), on the other hand there is the side who doesn't wanna change (the Evil Queen). It is only by conquering the Evil Queen (the shadow), that Snowhite can truly become herself.

And how does she do it? She succeeds through an integration with her animus (masculine side):

The King is absent and doesn't help Snowhite

The Hunter appears and helps Snowhite

The Dwarves give Snowhite a home

The Prince saves Snowhite

As you can see, Snowhite's story is full of male characters and each new one is more helpful than the one before. This is because all these characters are representations of Snowhite's interiority and of her strenghtening animus. It is initially possessed, but then it progressively blooms until it saves the protagonist.

Now, this is just Weiss's story in a nutshell:

Willow is absent and Weiss's animus is possessed (The Arma Gigas she fights in the White Trailer)

Winter helps her and inspires Weiss to pursue her career as a Huntress (After her visit Weiss summons a part of her Knight)

Team RWBY welcomes Weiss and become her adoptive home and family (Weiss becomes herself through them)

Only the Prince is missing and it will probably be Jaune (he already is in volume 5). Wait, aren't all these characters women? Yes, they are because Weiss's fairy tale is all genderbent except her. So, why should Weiss's Prince be Jaune? Because in his case, he is the genderbent one :P

Jaune can be Weiss's Prince (again platonically or romantically) only if he fully blooms into Jeanne first. He can't be a real Knight, if he doesn't become a Maiden.

The Four Stages of Anima

Jaune's journey through the anima is well conveyed through 4 stages, which stand for archetypical female figures. Each one represents a different level of maturity:

Eve is the mother - The boy has no romantic attachment and sees the woman as a source of protection and nourishment

Helen is the seductress - The boy feels romantic attraction and sees the woman as a talented individual, but pays no attention to her spiritual or inner life

Mary is the virgin - The boy fells mature love and sees the woman as a paragon of virtue, but pays no attention to her negative traits

Sophia is wisdom - The boy is ready for a relationship with a woman as an equal partner and sees the feminine as a source of wisdom with no need to objectify the woman anymore

This scale describes Jaune's relationship with the feminine perfectly:

Eve is Pyrrha - she nurtures and protects him as a mentor and Jaune feels initially no attraction to her

Weiss is Helen - she is Jaune's first crush and he grows enough to see her as a talented person, but can't understand her inner world

Mary is Pyrrha - she becomes Jaune's guide and the embodyment of heroism and virtue

Only Sophia is missing and I think she will be Weiss. In general, though, these phases describe Jaune's general approach to women and how it changes. He arrives at Beacon looking for a girlfriend because that is what a man should do, which in itself is a very childish behavior. Then he grows to see the girls around him as powerful individuals, but he can't go behind the surface. This is true for Weiss, but also for Pyrrha, whose struggles he ignores. After her death, Pyrrha becomes an ideal, but she isn't the only one. For example, Jaune believes Weiss and Ruby can save Pyrrha from Cinder and later on he keeps idealizing them. In volume 9, he learns to let go of his idealization and to see others as their own people. He is stepping into Sophia (wisdom).

MIRROR MIRROR

I looked in the mirror And I gotta say It’s been a long long time Since I felt this way

Weiss and Jaune go through perfect mirror journeys, which are about recognizing others to see their own selves and vice versa. This is why Weiss's mirror mirror motif works so well for them.

They don't know who they are (mirror tell me who am I?)

They realize they dislike their current selves (mirror tell me who is the loneliest of all? I am the loneliest of all)

They work to change (mirror I'll tell you something, I might change it all)

They overcome their narcisism rooted in self-loathing (I'm shattering the mirror that keps me split in pieces)

Now that they can see who they are better, the next step is to probably see others more clearly. This is the secondary theme of the volume, after all: empathy.

Ruby breaks Summer's pedestal and as a result she can see herself better. In turn, this makes her able to look at others in a new light:

Weiss and Jaune do the same. They break Ruby's pedestal and show empathy and forgiveness for themselves and her. Still, this is framed as just the beginning. The theme of empathy is probably gonna be explored in later volumes. This is true for both Ruby's arc and Weiss and Jaune's stories.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the next mirror mirror song is a conversation not with the mirror, but with another person? A person that is a mirror, but not because stuck inside it like Weiss in the beginning. A person, who is a mirror because every person can be a mirror of another if looked at with empathy. And this is what beating the mirror really means. Not to look at ourselves through it, but to look at ourselves through others. And to accept them. And to accept us.

[porta-decumana]

Zadnor & Bozja’s Ending

I know it’s been the bandwagon to hate on Werlyt and I’ve been critical of that plotline in the past as well.  But Bozja may have just taken the cake for unsatisfactory storytelling, in my opinion, while also skirting into the same realm of “we’re gonna give imperialism a pass because maybe the Empire isn’t that bad uwu”.  Obvious spoilers for rank 25 quests, the Dalriada raid, and Bozja’s story ending under the cut along with screenshots.

This is a pretty critical look at Zadnor specifically so if you don’t wanna read that then feel free to bypass this post.

Bajsaljen’s Constitution was probably the first part that really made me scratch my head and question the entire plot.  I was convinced at first I was too sleepy to process what Bajsaljen was saying but then I went back and... yeah, he really did say that.

To which, Marsak calls him out on, a fact that I appreciate because my response was pretty much the same level of “wtf” as him and the nameless/dialogue-less NPCs in the room.

If you haven’t played Bozja in its entirety yet, you may not understand why I felt like this dialogue was incredibly appalling.  The instances are filled with horrific encounters, some of which are:

Dabog, a former Resistance soldier who was experimented on in order to become an expert warmachina pilot and later shows back up in Zadnor as a model swap for the final boss of Gyr Abania.  In other words, mutated beyond recognition.

Lorvo, another former member of the Resistance, who was tempered by the Queen.  You fight alongside his student, who is trying to save him.

Shemhazai, a death spirit summoned with auracite and the sacrifices of Garlean soldiers.

Delubrum Reginae’s 2nd boss (I believe?) are a group of former Blades who have been tempered and their bodies have mutated.  These are former comrades you, as the WoL, personally fought alongside in the early parts of the Southern Front.  Named characters with backstories.

Fabineau quo Soranus - a brutal commander that is known to torment his subordinates and use men and animals both as test subjects.  

And this is just a fraction of what I can think of off the top of my head.  So understand that when I saw Bajsaljen say the above parts, I was questioning what parts of the Empire he was talking about.  And I know he tries to use Misija as his reason for this but it still just doesn’t quite sit right with the literal everything else that happened fighting for Bozja.  Because you can make the argument that Misija saw the Imperial way of life better but also you can make the argument that she was enacting a revenge plan that transcended multiple generations.  Misija’s issue with Bozjan society was the mistreatment of her and her family as well as the murder of her ancestor-- classism.  And while her hatred of Bozja and its high society (the Blades) might be understandable, I think it does little to excuse the rampant death and cruelty the IVth legion goes on to do.

I think what Bajsaljen is trying to say is that he does not want to create another society that would create more Misijas. But in doing so, it feels like he’s giving the IVth legion a pass after all the atrocities they’ve done (even calling the occupation “peace” and that... hnghhh is it peace when people are being used as experiments, Bajsaljen?  And they’re being oppressed?) and it just feels really, really tone-deaf.  Especially given that Bajsaljen’s top soldiers were all, for the most part, tempered and then put to death.  That just adds an extra ouch factor.

I don’t wanna spend too long talking about this bit so I’m gonna move onto the next offender, which is Gabranth, or more specifically, what happens to Gabranth (or... how it happens, rather).  Honestly, I was uncomfortable with the Bajsaljen stuff but the Gabranth field notes absolutely floored me.  It feels as though there was either scrapped content here or... the team decided they could not continue the plotline with Gabranth any longer and decided to write him out in a note that only a handful of the playerbase will probably read because otherwise, there’s no indicator that Gabranth’s tale is over.  Here are the bits of the field note in question:

And you might go, “Wow, that’s a wild way to end the Bozja tale” to which I would agree and remind you that none of this is shown in-game, it’s all just in a field note that could be easily skipped over.  Yes.  That’s right.  Dalmasca’s freedom, Gabranth’s fate, Lyon going full mutiny... it’s all in a field note.  The ending Bozja cutscenes actually have dialogue like this:

In another scene, with Lyon and Gabranth in Valnain, Dalmasca.

Note: this is an allusion to Noah having the same terminal illness as his father.

The scene ends with Lyon looking surprised at the weapons and Sicinius and Gabranth go to discuss the findings.  The scene then cuts to this photo and the questline ends.

So to put it mildly... I’m mad.  Why are we supposed to find out the fate of Dalmasca-- something that’s been in and out of the story since Stormblood-- through a field note?  Why is Lyon’s betrayal also found out this way?  And Gabranth’s alleged demise?  I’m incredibly iffy on the choice to do this in the plot but I would be considerably less mad if any of this was indicated in the cutscenes.  I happen to really like Gabranth’s XII’s iteration and the fact that we got a field note on him made me excited.  I only found out about Dalmasca being freed, Lyon’s treachery, Gabranth’s death because of that.  And that was incredibly jarring to read given the cutscenes I had just watched.  There’s no indication that any of that would happen and I can’t help but feel as though that is a bit of lore that is often going to be overlooked by players who simply don’t think to check the field notes for important lore bombs.

I want to reiterate: I'm not specifically mad at the story decision to kill Gabranth (even if it’s a fake death), I’m mad at how this was all revealed to the players.  Particularly the bit about Dalmasca.  It discards the age-old rule of storytelling-- “show, don’t tell”.  I could forgive them for having to cut certain bits of Bozja’s story because of the pandemic severely hampering development but... there had to have been a better way than this.  Maybe redo some of the cutscene dialogue?  Maybe add in a little bit more to the final scene?  I was excited to face off against Gabranth.  I was excited to go help liberate Dalmasca, especially after the Return to Ivalice plot really set us up for that in the future.  This... just feels incredibly unfulfilling.  And I hope that this is not how they decide to end things with this section of the story.  The build from Return to Ivalice and the continuation of those plot threads in Bozja were great!  Having it unceremoniously ended in a field note?  Not so great.  

Two honorable mention things that I don’t have the energy to talk about at large

Mikoto’s visions don’t feel significant enough to the story.  This is particularly egregious in Zadnor’s arc, where she has a vision where she falls off an airship and then tells the WoL to not say anything because she “doesn’t want people to worry” instead of, idk, trying to find a way to save herself.  She only sees herself fall, she doesn’t see herself land.  But she insists there’s “nothing we can do about it anyways”.  It... felt like they didn’t really matter in the end?  Fran ends up deus ex machina-ing a rescue anyways so like... what was the point?

Misija's “redemption through death”, a tired trope that is even more tired in FFXIV.  I know there’s two different endings to this quest but Misija being executed after being mortally wounded by the Diablos Armament is the ending I received.

Going to harken back to the criticisms of Werlyt.  I’ll maintain my stance that I still think Werlyt had some glaring issues with it... but I will give it this.  It didn’t kill off characters from a side plot that had been going on since Stormblood in a field note.  And it didn’t involve the Werlytians being like “Hey let’s base our new constitution off of the VIIth legion... that is a great idea.”

Anyways, I still recommend doing Bozja if only because the Dalriada is a good instance with a very good final boss theme.  I did enjoy aspects of the questline but the ending really soured my opinion of it.  

[skellebonez]

Smoke, Flasks, and Unfinished Tasks: Chapter 7

AO3 Link!

Chapter 1 Link!, Chapter 2 Link!, Chapter 3 Link!, Chapter 4 Link!, Chapter 5 Link! Chapter 6 Link!

Summary: We return to the world outside the Calabash and someone regrets their life choices.

Warnings: Mild accidental self inflicted violence, after effects of the smoke from the last chapter.

Author’s note: A bit shorter than I intended since I was unhappy with how the additions to this chapter flowed and I rewrote them entirely, there are no spoilers for the special (I had removed or edited them into something unrelated) but there will be some allusions to it in the coming chapters.

Chapter 7: Real Feeling Illusion

Mei let out a yell of surprise as she felt cold metal settle into her hands, something that should be familiar but felt brand new despite that.

Her eyes snapped open to green, green and more green, every shade surrounding her as she stared into the gazes of her ancestors. The same judgemental gazes that she had already faced once before.

"Wh-what?"

The only thing that answered her were the glowers and whispers of the dragons above her, sneering, chastising, questioning.

“This has already happened... I’ve already done this...”

----------

"Monkey King!?"

Red Son gasped, eyes opening to a sight he wished to never see again.

"Come to take me? Find me?"

His breathing quickened, shaking his head as he took a step back.

"I will not let that simian abomination triumph again!"

This couldn't be happening again, it had to be a trick of the Calabash. Red Son had to believe it was as he watched his father scream over the screens showing MK and his friends coming closer and heard the whispers of the White Bone Spirit on the wind.

----------

"Hey, kid? You paying attention?"

The voice calling him made MK's blood run cold as his eyes snapped open, a far too familiar derelict dojo greeting his vision. And one very familiar, amused, dark furred monkey.

"No..." MK breathed quietly, holding his staff tighter. "No no, this isn't possible. It can't do this can it?"

"What's wrong?" Macaque asked, spinning a training staff in his hand with an easy friendly smile, practiced he now knew. Practiced to trick him, trap him, get what he wants out of him. It went softer, faker, kinder, and it hurt. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

----------

The air within the Bull Family's current abode was tense, Wukong's words weighing it down heavily. No one dared do more than breathe until the Demon Bull King or Princess Iron Fan reacted first.

While Iron Fan's face had fallen into disbelief and some form of concern, DBK's face was nearly unreadable. Eyes closed, arms crossed, the most emotion showing was the faintest furrowing of his brow.

"Darling?" PIF said softly, running her hand down his face in a soft display of affection that felt odd to watch for the group on the ground.

"I will assist you," DBK offered suddenly, turning to his wife with a soft rumble. "What wi-"

"I am helping," she answered instantaneously, features hardening as she turned back toward Wukong and the rest of the group.

"I should have assumed as much," DBK chuckled out, smiling softly for a split second before his features hardened once again. "I know my son, if you cannot find him then he is either hiding himself and his-" he growled deeply, spitting out the next word like poison. "-friends on purpose, which I doubt he could do for long with you searching of all people, or someone has made the mistake of angering the wrong family."

"Unfortunately we have no reason to assume it is anything but the later now," Wukong said, tone noticeably more relaxed but still more even and businesslike than normal. "This is what we know so far..."

Pigsy breathed out a sigh of relief, albeit the smallest possible any living being could manage, as Wukong began to explain to Red Son's parents in great detail exactly what they had done and what they had learned so far. There was something... off about it, however.

DBK was too calm. Almost... solemnly so. Now, normally he wouldn't be surprised if Iron Fan had been around to keep him calm, but she was hardly doing anything but sitting on his shoulder and talking to him in a hushed voice. Pigsy didn't know him all that well but every single time he had interacted with him, and from some stories from Wukong's younger days, he had always had a temper that put Red Son's fiery one to shame.

"Pigsy?" Tang said softly, laying a hand on his shoulder for a moment before frowning and squeezing it gently. "What's on your mind?"

"Somethin' ain't right here," he said with a shake of his head. "Somethin' really ain't right. Wukong can tell too, look at his tail. It's all puffed up on the back. Those two are hiding somethin' from us.” He turned to Sandy, who silently nodded in agreement.

Tang hummed softly, his grip on the pig demon’s shoulder tightening past gentle reassurance to a grounding firmness. “I trust your judgement, Pigsy. Let’s hope we can trust Wukong’s too, ok?”

Pigsy nodded himself, reaching up to grasp the scholar’s hand in a firm grip as they watched on from the sidelines still, waiting for anything to happen now. They didn’t have to wait too much longer before a gust of wind rushed past them and lifted PIF of her husband’s shoulder, setting her on the ground to the side of the two men.

“I will see what I can do with the equipment Red Son has left behind,” she said firmly, standing tall and looking all the more like a leader to an army than anything else at the moment. “While the Bull Clones will not likely be of any help, he left enough that should at least prove somewhat useful for a more delicate mission.” She frowned for a moment, looking up at her husband. “And... tell them. It might help.”

DBK startled, looking down at his wife with wide eyes. Now that was a look Pigsy had never seen on his face before. “Are you sure?”

“You and I both know that is the sole reason we need to find our son,” she said, frown deepening for just a moment before she wiped all expression from her face and allowed the wind to carry her off deeper into their hideout.

Now everyone was just confused, looking at the hulking demon lord as he scowled and ran a hand down his face. He turned to look at the group, taking them all in before focusing on Wukong again with a growl deep in his throat. “I had hoped we could convince him to return of his own accord and you would not find out about this,” he said with a deeper growl, scowling down at the Monkey King before sighing and seeming to relax ever so slightly. “But now... it has been so long I am doubting that is even possible now.”

“What are you talking about?” Wukong asked with a raised brow, fur bristling more noticeable as he tensed. “We knew you had been trying to get him to come back to your side.”

“Do you know why he left?” DBK continued, scowling even deeper than before. “Did you ever wonder why he chose to go to you?”

“...No,” Wukong admitted after a while, dropping his arms down to his sides. “I wanted to say that yeah we did, and no that doesn’t matter, but he’s never exactly been open about what made him come to Flower Fruit Mountain that day. Why?” He narrowed his gaze, watching the larger demon closely. “Wait... wait, you don’t mean-”

“Oh yes,” DBK said flatly, the sound of his teeth gritting together reverberating through the room and making everyone wince. “Ever since the Lunar New Year festival, Wukong. And it backfired spectacularly.”

----------

“Let!” Thunk. “Me!” Thunk, a cough. “OUT!” Thunk. “AGH!” Crack. “FUCK!”

Jin let out a screech of pain as he felt something in his hand give way, a knuckle or maybe a full finger bone. It didn’t matter either way, in only a few seconds it had fixed itself just as painfully as it had broken and left him with a fully intact hand for the third time.

“You’re one sick fox lady, you know that?” He yelled into the air, scowling even more as he changed tactics to attempting to kick himself out of containment. Trapped in what appeared to be the same little room he had left Yin in when he last saw him.

He may have the appearance of the Monkey King at the moment, and it may have given him access to some of his powers because of that, but physically he knew he was still Jin. The Gold Horned Demon. Not Sun Wukong, The Handsome Monkey King and The Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The Calabash itself knew this, could only go so far in the illusion, and not having breakable bones was apparently outside of the abilities of his and his brother’s device. Though he knew he was not actually being hurt, physically, everything that happened here was an illusion.

A very real feeling illusion. Unlike... unlike what could be happening to Yin...

At the thoughts of his brother in possible peril, Jin sighed, stopping his assault on the door to sit down on the makeshift cot they had been relegated to. He felt his tail (still a new and odd sensation to know he had one that moved of its own accord) drop down beside him, looking as deflated as he felt.

What if Princess Jade Face was hurting Yin? What if she had already hurt him? Was she using the new smoke on him as well or the sleeping smoke? His mind rushed through thought after thought of what she could do to hurt his brother while he wasn’t there to protect him... not that he had been doing a good job of it in the first place, all this being his fault in the first place.

He coughed again, throat aching from the after effects on whatever the new smoke was. His eyes burned and his head swam in lightheaded weightlessness. He wondered if it was supposed to hurt like this or if it was the combination of smokes, wondered if the trio trapped alongside him was feeling this or none or even worse. He wondered if they were safe.

“Safe?” He asked himself with a scowl. “Don’t tell me you’re actually giving a damn about those three outside of surviving yourself, me.”

He didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to wonder what that meant. The only people he worried about were his brother first and then himself. And he would get the hell out of here, broken hands or legs or not.

[saskaykun]

Naruto’s bonds - Uzumaki vs Uchiha.

Naruto as a manga is all about the bonds we can have during our lives, with other people, the impact they have on us, their importance, whether they make us grow, whether they make us suffer, whether we want to part with them or on the contrary strengthen them. The connection between Naruto and Sasuke is all about that. Naruto and Sasuke resonate with Hashirama and Madara's bond. The Uchiha clan and their so-called curse of hatred. The Senju clan, the clan that shines brighter than the sun, must make the Uchiha clan's light of darkness. Introduced by Hagoromo Otsutsuki aka Rikudō Sennin and the bond between his two sons, Indra and Asura, the first respective ancestors of the Uchiha and Senju clans, and the jealousy he himself created by favoring Asuma over Indra. So, basically the Uchiha clan caught the hatred because of Indra's hatred over Asuma and his jealousy.

Huge ellipse, back to Hashirama and Madara, the first two reincarnations of the two brothers, but are the first to get an unbreakable link, despite the SHARED hatred between their two clans. Their rivalry, fuelled by hatred between their two clans, was nevertheless based on love. I don't want to talk about romance between these two (this is for the benefit of the Hashi x Madara shippers), I'm talking about a different kind of love, a mutual understanding, a common interest. They both went through tragedies, losses, victims of the manipulation of their respective fathers. Their rivalry has been their strength, their bond is unbreakable, whether in hatred or in love. The Uchiha clan and the Senju clan are linked, in blood, in rage, in love, in stone, it was written.

Well for Sasuke and Naruto it's the same.

Even if Naruto doesn't belong to the Senju clan but rather to an ascendant clan, the Uzumaki clan, Asura's blood flows in his veins like Indra's blood flows in Sasuke's veins.

The massacre of the Uchiha clan, and the Kyubi's attack on Konoha, which made Sasuke and Naruto respectively the outcasts of Konoha, were in fact, the introduction of their bond. 

Indeed, the two found themselves orphaned, traumatized, and bullied by the rest of the village of Konoha, thus bringing their bond to light.

Naruto and Sasuke, together and reunited, it was written from page 1. It is undeniable. It was written in their blood, in their DNA, their clan membership, the fact that Naruto is an Uzumaki and Sasuke is an Uchiha, the yin & yang, the sun and the moon, the two soul mates reunited as one, a kind of artistic eclipse trying to prove that love trumps hate. That thanks to the Senju clan, and thus to the peace and love of Asura, the hatred and rage of the Uchiha clan and thus of Indra will die out and give way to mutual comfort, to an unshakeable bond, based on equality, at last.

I'm also writing this post to recall another character, certainly minor, but very important. Important enough for Sasuke to acknowledge her, even though it wasn't in his habit, important enough for him to make him release a new power of his MS in order to save her life, I've named . : Karin UZUMAKI.

What was the point of introducing Karin as a member of the Uzumaki clan and letting Sasuke know (although it was later spoiled)?

Karin was also part of the Uzumaki vs. Uchiha clan resonance.

It's kind of like it's written in their DNA.

The Uzumaki clan belongs to the Uchiha clan as the Uchiha clan belongs to the Uzumaki/Senju clan.

Sasuke Uchiha, the last member of the famous Uchiha clan, can only resonate fully by forging ties with members of the Uzumaki clan, i.e. Naruto and Karin. There are so many more or less subtle allusions through this manga to their unfailing bond. OVA filling episode where Itachi prepares eggs to Sasuke, two to be exact, and draws with soy sauce, the crest of the Uchiha clan and that of the Uzumaki clan, as a friendly reminder, that their bond is just the most important thing in the show and they can not escape or even flee from it.

I summarize, as far as I can remember, all the Uzumaki x Uchiha links present in the show:

- Madara’s and Hashirama’s friendship and rivalty.

- Izuna’s and Tobirama’s rivalty.

- Their respective fathers’ rivalty.

- Kushina Uzumaki’s and Mikoto Uchiha’s friendship.

- Naruto’s and Sasuke’s complex relationship - OMG -

- Sasuke’s and Karin’s relationship and their mutual pasts.

- Itachi’s references to the Uzumaki clan to Sasuke.

- Madara Uchiha asking Obito Uchiha aka Madara/Tobi to personally choose Nagato Uzumaki to work in co-op with him as Akatsuki’s leaders.

   Anyway, you get my point here, one can't exist if the other is dying.

@sasuke-nandomo​, for you baby. 

PS: about the rinnegan, I made a mistake here, rinnegan is byakugan x sharingan, sorry, my bad but the rest is still true.

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

Hello! I'm pretty sure I saw you mention a while ago that you were disappointed by confessions of the fox, would you mind explaining why? I've seen mostly good things about it myself. If I misremembered then I'm sorry and I hope you have a good day :))

I think this is one of my less popular opinions. And I understand - we so rarely get historical fiction with trans folk as the titular character (indeed, we rarely get any fiction what that). So I get people’s desire to laud it. 

For me though? It fundamentally didn’t work as a book. As a story.  

Let me count the ways. (Apologies in advance for the length of this.)

First: If you’re trans-ing someone who was historically cis instead of seeking to find a real, historical trans or gender-nonconforming person, I have questions. 

Most of the questions can be summed up as: Why? 

I struggle with historical fiction that takes a cis person and re-imagines them as trans as if there aren’t already literal historical, real trans people out there whose stories can be told. It smacks as (unintended, well meaning) erasure of lived experiences. 

Jack Sheppard, to the best of our knowledge, was a cis dude. There were trans folk in London in the 1710s and ‘20s. You might have to dig a bit for them, but they’re there. Because trans folk have always been there. 

Second: Characterisation 

This is more personal taste, but I found Jack and his girlfriend Bess to be inexcusably boring. How a trans, thief and gaolbreaker in 1720s gin-soaked London can be written as boring is anyone’s guess. But he was. 

Jack had no real personality and I found his story to be uninteresting. Oh, he’s the world’s best thief and gaolbreaker, that’s nice. But on its own it isn’t enough.

He had few to no faults. Childhood trauma isn’t a personality. Nor is being trans. And the author relies heavily on gender + occupation (thief-ness) to equal personality. So it falls very flat.  

Bess, his girlfriend, is a mixed-race sex worker from the Fens (even though actual real-Bess was from Edgeware). She seems to only exist to demonstrate that Jack is good at sex. She also veers a little into the Mystical Woman of Colour Healer Who Aids The White Person on their Journey of Self Discovery trope. 

Neither Bess nor Jack undergo any real change in the book. They exist in a weird stasis and experience no development, despite living through some harrowing things. They’re wooden dolls who move through the story without really engaging with, or being influenced by, the things around them. 

The other “main” character is a modern Academic who “found” this supposed “manuscript” of Jack’s life and is annotating it. His story unfolds in the foot notes and it’s just so messy if not a bit contrived. It didn’t make sense. I think the author was trying to convey that the Academic was in a sort of dystopian future, but if that’s the case it didn’t work. And if that’s not the case, the entire inclusion of the Academic’s story served only to annoy and take me out of the reading experience. 

E.g. There’s a scene where the Academic is being taken to task by the Dean for playing stupid games on his phone during office hours and like honey, lapsed-historian/academic here, trust me the Dean doesn’t give a fuck what you do during your office hours so long as you’re in your office and students can come bother you about their poor marks. 

The manuscript is supposedly being sought after by this pharmaceutical company for nefarious reasons that never struck me as being entirely realistic/believable. Also, the university was spying on this non-tenured, slightly useless Academic as if he somehow mattered? Which made zero sense. Anyway, it was stupid and should have been ripped out of the final version. OR changed substantially. 

Jonathan Wild, the thief taker (main antagonist to Jack), is probably the only interesting person. 

Third: Lack of Follow Through, or, the Fabulism Was Not Used Well 

The book tries to blend in some fabulism to the world by giving Jack the ability to “hear” the thoughts of inanimate objects. This could have been fun and gone to some interesting places, but it failed to deliver. 

I personally found the shoe-horning in of “capitalism commodifies everything” to be sloppy and heavy handed. It was done with little grace and didn’t sit right given that we are dealing with the early modern period. Yes, you can use the past to critique our modern woes, but do it intelligently. Don’t slap modern points of view and understandings of things onto the past and expect them to make sense. 

Anyway, Jack spends the book hearing inanimate objects talk to him, asking him to “free” them, or something. And uh .. .it doesn’t go anywhere interesting after that. 

Also the correlation one can draw from these objects to, you know, slaves, is uncomfortable. Especially as it’s the cargo of the EIC ships that Jack hears. I don’t think it’s intended in any sort of malicious way, but the allusion is there and I always found it to be distinctly uncomfortable. 

Fourth: Misuse of Marxist Theory, or, More Heavy Handed Moralizing that Annoyed the Dear Reader because it wasn’t subtle and, more importantly, it wasn’t done intelligently. 

So, the author is an academic - studies 18th century lit. Which is readily apparent as his Academic (self-insert) character is, I believe, supposed to be a historian and uh ... you can tell that the author doesn’t know enough to wing that. E.g. How he interprets some of the laws and customs of the time. Instead of understanding the social, economic and, most importantly, environmental issues that gave birth to laws like “the corporation of the city of London owns the streets so you can’t muckrake” he chooses to understand them through a very 21st century lens (and a Marxist one at that. I know I’m perhaps a bit uncool for this, but I find the application of Marxist theory to the early modern period to be ... not useful). 

Do you know why, mid/late 17th century London passed these municipal laws? Because of the god damn fucking plague you numb nut. You absolute buffoon. It had nothing to do with “oh the City/government is evil and wants to own you” it had to do with the fact that no one cleaned the goddamn street. So the city took over doing it. 

Prior to this, in London, you were supposed to keep the street in front of your building clear of waste, debris, refuse etc. No one did this, of course. I live where it’s cold and snows a lot and people can barely shovel the 2 sq ft of sidewalk in front of their driveway in the winter. I dread the idea of an average homeowner being expected to keep the street clear and clean. 

Anyway, guess what dirty streets attract? Vermin. Guess what comes with vermin? Plague. Guess what happened in 1665/66? The great plague of London! 

17th century England might not have understood germ theory, but they did understand correlation. (Also, the population of London was doubling at the back half of the 17th century and streets needed to be reliably cleared for through-traffic reasons etc. etc.) 

ugh, sorry, that one in particular drove me up the wall. Not everything is a capitalist conspiracy. Especially when we’re talking about municipal by-laws from the 17th century. 

And I understand the temptation to read a lot of modern interpretation of words like “corporation” and “company” onto bodies that used these same words in 17th and 18th centuries. But the weight, meaning and connotation of “the worshipful company of merchant adventurers” is different from, I don’t know, “the tech company google” or whatever. The early 18th century is when we start seeing the birth of the stock market, of “venture companies” (i.e. merchant adventure companies), of a lot of the language and proto-iterations of what will grow to be economic institutions of our time. But it doesn’t mean they’re the same and that difference is important. Because Jack Sheppard is a man living in 1720 he’s not going to be having our modern 21st century critiques of capitalism because his engagement with the economic systems of his time would have been radically different to our own experiences. 

Fifth:  Unbelievable Top Surgery & Recovery 

So, Jack gets top surgery. In 1720s fever-ridden London. While quarantining in a brothel. 

And he lived! No infection! No tearing! He was up and about in a matter of days. I don’t remember if his nipples survived the operation or not but somehow Jack did. Without anesthetics! Or you know, any concept of hygiene. 

His Mystical Girlfriend Who Exists to Show How Good Jack is at Sex is also somehow Magically Very Literate and also Magically a Surgeon? and performs this surgery on Jack in the middle of a plague. 

The entire ordeal was so poorly handled in terms of believability that I literally set the book down and said “what the fucking fuck” to the empty room then drank wine before finishing the chapter. 

An aside, it is funny thinking about the quarantine chapters at this point. I read COTF when it first came out a few years ago. Sweet summer children, we none of us had any idea how to write quarantine scenes. 

That reminds me: the entire quarantine thing was presented as the government trying to control movement and take away people’s rights etc. instead of a very normal, typical response that cities had been enacting since 1350. Samuel Pepys, who lived through the 1665/66 epidemic, barely even notes the restrictions. He’s like just “hmmm I’d love to go to the pub but I also don’t want to die. so. *shrug*” 

At the time of the author’s writing, most of us in the western world had no idea how normal and day-to-day disease was for our ancestors and yes, sometimes there would be crackdowns to try and curb it if an epidemic hit. That was part and parcel of life. So again, Jack and Bess wouldn’t be like “ooooh we’re 21st century slightly libertarian lefitsts who think the government is doing this to control us and for nefarious purposes”. Much more likely, they would have been like Pepys and viewed it as nuisance, albeit a necessary one. 

Sixth: Overall Lack of Realism 

I think I’ve noted the big moments where I was like “no one in the early 18th century would think that I’m pretty certain”. This isn’t to say people didn’t grouse, complain about London government (and the king etc.), critique or question the world they lived in. They absolutely did! Regularly. With great verve and gusto, if the broadsheets are anything to go by. But their critiques, their complaints, suggestions for bettering life, are not the same as ours. Because how could they be? They lived in a different world, were responding to specific things, grew up hearing and believing certain things etc. 

Jack, aside from having minimal to no character, really did read like a modern slightly-libertarian leftist who was plunked into a novel that takes place three hundred years ago. 

In addition to unrealistic political views, his understanding of body, gender, sexuality and identity also read as incredibly modern. Now this is harder, because we have so few extant sources from that time on those who lived non-gender conforming lives, and from their point of view, so yes creative imagining and interpretation is the rule of the day for writing that. 

But, we do know how in general the average person engaged and understood gender and sexuality and that would, naturally, inform anyone whose experience was different. And that base line of “probably what a typical cis Englishman or woman felt about their body and identity” wasn’t present. At all. 

Indeed, gender engagement at that time was interesting. The concept of the body, the role of the physical body, how it was interpreted is absolutely fascinating and the author could have done some really cool things with that. But he didn’t. He went for slapping a modern interpretation onto the past. 

At this point, write a dystopian novel and make Jack a fictional character. That probably would have gone over better, for me at least. The conceit can remain the same: It’s the year 4056 and an Academic found a manuscript from the year 3045 when the Dystopia Was a Thing - and go from there. 

--- 

I think part of what made this very popular and why people seem so taken with it is that it reads smart. It reads like someone who has immersed themselves in that world etc. because of the slang and language used. 

Yet, for me, as someone who has studied this period extensively, especially queerness in London in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, it read flat and unrealistic. 

I was initially very enthused when I started it. There are some posts to that effect on my blog. But it very quickly went south. It tries very hard to be Radical and Smart and Subversive and Critiquing Everything and so I think it fails at the fundamental thing it should be doing: telling a good story. 

(Note: The book does try and address racism in London at this time. It also felt a bit forced. And Jack seemed to have no prejudices or preconceived notions about Indian and Black folk which isn’t realistic. Like, it might make him #Problematic but my dude, you’re writing a man born in 1702. He’s going to have some iffy views. That can be challenged! Absolutely. But they still would have existed.) 

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Thank you for the ask! I again apologize for the length of the reply.