#only in a symbolic sense. or in a very specific situation

[liauditore]

been thinking a lot about utena recently (insp)

[prahelika]

let's get into it. the most incoherent and nonsensical rant of all time ig.

the symbolism of the Knife (™) in Mission Impossible

our first introduction to the knife comes all the way back in MI1. It's used to kill sarah - ethan finds it lodged in her body. It's interesting that sarah's body is the only one ethan ever sees with his own eyes - it makes the horrifying events of the night real. once confronted with the body of his friend, ethan can no longer consider this a bad dream or a delusion. it's real, his friends are dead, he has nowhere to go, the authorities are after him.

so the first role the knife plays signifies ethan's loss of innocence. (bear with me, this is going to make sense in a minute. or not.)

next time we see the knife, it's in the hands of franz krieger. he's a secondary antagonist; his role is to provide a clue to ethan as to which side he's on, and die messily at the end. it's here that ethan recognises the weapon in his hands, and starts to put the pieces together. (krieger has the knife that killed sarah + krieger was brought to the team by claire = something fishy is up.)

the most significant scene with the knife is, of course, when krieger tries to kill a person with it and ethan stops him. it should be noted that, upto this point, the audience doesn't really know shit about ethan's moral alignment. is he looking for revenge? is he looking for a way to clear his name, and nothing else? is he even a good person, worth rooting for beyond the fact that his friends are dead? who knows?

until this scene. "zero body count." it immediately establishes ethan as a person who is unwilling to sacrifice even a single life, no matter what. It may be argued that it would be justified for a spy to kill in this specific circumstance (1. ethan needs to clear his name 2. the NOC list needs to be taken for ethan to figure out what is going on) but he. doesn't. I don't think ethan directly kills a single person in the film.

the point here is that the knife, previously shown as something that is meant to destroy ethan's character, is then used to build his character up instead, showing him as somebody who's morally good even in the worst circumstances of his life.

now, we can fiiiiiinally come to MI8.

a role played by the knife in the first film was also to destroy the life of william donloe, the guy supposed to guard the NOC list. it gets him sent to a far-flung corner of the world for the rest of his life. wow, bet he's pretty pissed at ethan, right?

wrong. he's found a new life for himself with a wife he loves very much. he thanks ethan for giving him a life he's proud of. the knife that was supposed to be the end of his life was actually the beginning. (cheesy af but words not wording rn. sory.) he's a major player in the endgame, and he gets to survive along with his wife.

now! the last use of the knife. unless I'm very, very, very mistaken (in which case I will delete my entire blog), it is used by paris for the emergency surgery in the doomsday vault to save benji. and i. just. does anything really need to be said about that. the knife used to kill ethan's friend now being used to save ethan's friend.

the point of this whole post!!!! was to emphasise the fact that the knife always, always signifies turning a bad situation into a good one. it's a representation of ethan (mr. Impossible Mission) managing to flip the script everytime and make the absolute best of the suckiest situations he gets into.

tldr: the knife is a metaphor for the soul of mission impossible which describes how the man's greatest strengths stand out in his worst moments. "you use a scalpel, i prefer a hammer" wrong, angela basset, ma'am. they use a knife.

also if you made it to the end. you are now my friend without introduction. have a picture of peak eye candy ethan hunt and the unholy spirit that guides him.

[artytaeh]

Besides uniforms, what kind of clothes and styles do the slytheirn boys have?

☆ HOW DO THE SLYTHERIN BOYS DRESS LIKE? · headcanons of style and favored accessories.

. 𖥔 ࣪˖ hello anon! another interesting question in my askbox that got me thinking a lot. :) thank you for interacting with me! i hope these make sense.

MATTHEO RIDDLE is an artist at heart. words can be misunderstood, actions are usually interpreted wrongfully by others, hence why mattheo expresses himself through nameless art. art also means a sense of individuality, perhaps a way to prove himself that there's more than his surname and genes. perhaps that's why, as someone who had very little income for his clothes, belongings and whatnot, that mattheo started to personalize his own stuff. a sort of brand that screams artistic ownership.

doodling on his all star. some piercings here and there, made by himself. a chaotic layering of chains that can attach themselves to his belt or become a cool necklace around his throat. mattheo heavily fucks with these. definitely enjoys going to thrift stores. values big large pockets to fit his essentials: wand somewhere, definitely his empty wallet, a pack of cigarettes, lighter and whatever dumb shit he might need later. on the matter of altering his own clothes, mattheo tinkers with his belts, adding extra holes or small ones that outline a star or whatever symbol he's patient (or bored) enough to make.

simultaneously, mattheo values comfort. sometimes comfort can be translated into small acts of rebellion, like walking around with a very loose tie, no blazer and whatever other things he can get away with. doesn't like his uniform shirt tucked inside his pants, rather lets it flow down his belt.

outside his uniform, mattheo ends up going for the 'bad boy' sort of clothes. leather jackets are heavy with him; mattheo prefers dark red clothes or monotone black slash some shades of grey. he likes jeans and specific belts to accessorize a little more. in the future, mattheo plans to find someone who can get him a safely done piercing on his eyebrow. might think about tattoos after his trauma is healed, due to the death eaters and dark mark situation.

as the king of cold tones, THEODORE NOTT rarely wears warm colors. white pieces that might fade into a pale blue or a disguised gray, never that soft yellow; at most, he might wear brown once or twice, if it's a deep shade. subconsciously enjoys melancholic colors, as if he was a rainy day himself. theodore enjoys wearing a few accessories here and there; his taste for belts was stolen from mattheo, even though he wouldn't wear his wildest ones (as in, less classic and more creative handmade pieces). definitely plans to pierce his ears out of pettiness and because he wants to upset his father ─ but probably won't do so until he has a home of his own, just to make sure that he's safe.

because wearing earrings could be perceived as feminine by his father, theodore opts for the second best thing; rings. out of this group of five, his collection and daily use is only beaten by draco, because he might exaggerate a little. theo likes to change rings and combinations depending on his mood and outfit; strictly wears silver, hates golden jewelry with a burning passion. has specific rings that he bought just because, but probably wouldn't be seen wearing them. secretly envious that lorenzo has the freedom to wear cool earrings.

actually likes ties and thinks that they can be a cool piece of clothing, if it wasn't mostly perceived as a formal accessory; thinks they look pretty when they're in the middle ground between neatly tied and messily loosened up. likes hogwarts' uniform, is thankful that gryffndor and hufflepuff would never be the sorting hat's options for him because he'd hate wearing red or yellow.

non cloth related, but learned to like the amount of moles that he has across his body—even though that's a gene inherited from his father. likes scarves, autumn fashion, looking attractive (as if he were a model walking through the streets of venice) and dark academia outfits. doesn't mind snickers although formal shoes are prettier for him. enjoys formal shirts under sweaters slash wool blouses.

LORENZO BERKSHIRE values his appearance, and as someone who was born with a wealthy notion, enzo seeks the best brands for himself. might occasionally go for thrifting stores for fun, thinks that whimsical clothes are cool but would never be caught wearing something less (socially) safe; he's scared of backlash. visiting thrift stores in muggle london is something that enzo would do with mattheo, when their estrangement became friendship after the little-black-book game.

loves wearing earrings, small but detailed. usually wears very small loops on his ears, might try other small models especially if a girl recommends it — lorenzo believes that women have a higher form of good taste and, logically, they're the public who he seeks to please. enzo likes to wear lighter tones rather than dark clothes. somewhat bege wardrobe with a spark of color here and there, likes patterns that aren't too elaborated and somewhat classic.

also really wanted to wear rings like theodore and draco, but ended up not feeling comfortable with them in his fingers. as much as enzo wants to look cool, he gets easily annoyed with them between his knuckles and how it feels like a lot on his hands. ended up settling for bracelets, especially handmade ones by some younger admirers or close friends of his, those that once you knot them, the only way to take them is by cutting them off. yeah, enzo has some of those.

wears his uniform properly, but somehow makes it look nicer than it actually is. the slytherin uniform seems to have been made for him; tie carefully knotted, neatly worn white shirt, rarely wears the blazer but really enjoys the cloak. thinks that piercings look cool but is too afraid of needles to go through with it.

DRACO MALFOY loves wearing rings. in fact, he's a collector. prides himself into having a good taste and the need to look neat, possibly due to narcissa's influence. wears his family's surname like a brand, wanting to make it look obvious that he's old money; hence why joining the fashion trend. opposite to blaise, he likes wearing suits, but he's still warming up to ties. only tolerates the uniform's dress code because different colored ties are... cool, on his perspective. straight to the point—and he's a proud slytherin, mind you.

prefers monotone clothes, especially black, because you can never go wrong with black; black goes with everything. he might have acquired that preference due to his parents' influence — narcissa is a fashionable woman with great taste, and with her advice, lucius became even more elegant with his lack of vivid colors in his wardrobe. meaning that, seeking his father's approval albeit subconsciously, draco replicates the man's closet.

turtle necks, tailored pants rather than jeans, a blazer above his shirt or blouse; rings, normal socks, maybe a belt and definitely a simple necklace that doesn't look feminine; draco doesn't have an obvious muscular build like mattheo and blaise do, which makes him feel somewhat insecure—and a bit jealous—sometimes, because it's easier for him to have a lean body than building muscles. makes sure to never look the slightest bit feminine; probably buys perfumes that have that obvious masculine undertone.

doesn't like snickers and that kind of sporty shoes that much, especially if they have that worn out look to them. while mattheo finds it charming, draco relates it to poverty; prefers elegant shoes, doesn't mind slight high heels on the soles at all. thinks that canes are cool, once again, due to his father's influence.

BLAISE ZABINI appreciates looking neat in public. appearances are important, and when you live under miss zabini's roof, you learn to appreciate a certain level of elegance. in a way, blaise tries to balance looking casual and somewhat elegant at the same time; nicely dressed, but not overly dressed to the point of negatively stand out.

doesn't like suits, but would wear them if necessary—perhaps he just relates them to attending his mother's weddings. doesn't like blazers but enjoys social shirts; wears a few rings — perhaps as much as theodore but less than draco's excessive accessorizing. also got his ears pierced under lorenzo's influence, but avoids noticeable earrings; just two dots is enough, keeping it simple and strictly masculine.

enjoys fragrances that have a slight masculine undertone but have that summer-like-scent. thinks that beige clothes look good on him, is impartial about the silver vs gold debate, since both colors look good on him. has a pet peeve against outfits where there are too many colors of different palettes or pieces which colors don't really relate to the whole outfit at all. his favorite season to dress up is the summer or spring, only wears shorts whenever it's a beach day with his friendgroup.

sunglasses, classic higher class brands that have a line of accessories, probably a gucci enjoyer. isn't the most muggleborn friendly in terms of equality, but secretly thinks that their fashion is cooler in very specific muggle brands and/or seasons. doesn't mind shoes as long as its type doesn't look worn out and is comfortable enough for blaise to enjoy his strolls comfortably.

[meanbossart]

I realize this is a weirdly specific question, but what was DU Drow’s experience like first waking up on the Nautiloid/on the beach?

Like, was he wearing Bhaalist stuff when he woke up then? If he was, did he ditch it right away or did he just leave it on until he found gear in better shape or maybe just didn’t want to associate with that symbolism/organization anymore? Like what was the thought process for him there, assuming that were the case??? If he was wearing something else, what might it have been?

I ask because I finally started my first Dark Urge playthrough yesterday (YIPPEE) and am plagued with thoughts about my guy, wondering if maybe he had some Bhaalist gear on when he first fell out of the Nautiloid that slowly was switched out for other things as the story progressed. Then I was like “oh hey what about Drow??? What was going through his head when he woke up that morning on the beach??????” Especially bc I can’t imagine he had much time to look at what he was wearing on the Nautiloid while it was still flying around.

ANYWAYS. Apologies for the ramble, my brain is plagued with thoughts now that I’m finally doing a Durge run so I might come at you with more random ass questions in the future >:)))

First of all AYYYY have fun with your first durge run!!! I'm always open to more questions if they happen to pop up throughout the experience.

Now to your question: An Interesting one! Though my answer might be disappointing LOL

In my personal lore, DU drow woke up from the tank with nothing but some scrappy underwear on - hell, It would probably make more sense if he was fully nude, even, but that would make many of the companion introductions a little too awkward - so, tattered underwear it is.

Considering what Kressa had been doing to him, I imagine that she would have either removed or destroyed his clothes at some point during the experimentation. DU drow was stuck with her for at least a few weeks - so, even if she didn't promptly undress him, his outfit would have been far too slashed, cut, and caked with old blood to keep, and likely torn off so it would stop getting in the way.

Her husband (I think he's the one who ships you away, if memory serves me right) would have had little reason to send him off with dignity - BUT perhaps he slipped some briefs back onto the drow's body because he felt ashamed of the implications of his wife keeping a battered, nude man around.

So, DU drow slides out of his pod, caked with old blood with only some ill-fitting linens covering his groin. He picks up whatever sharp object he finds lying around for self defense and proceeds through the ship, barefoot, hair matted, having no idea who he is, what he looks like, or how he got here. He's completely overtaken by his self-preservation instincts and being confused is second to getting out of his situation alive. He goes along with Lae'zel because she seems to have at least some idea of what's going on, and he frees Shadowheart from her pod because she seems more trustworthy than Lae'zel.

He probably stripped the trousers off of one of the corpses lying around the beach after the actual crash (they would have been a little tight, but it's better than nothing) and god-willing was able to snatch some fresher underwear at the grove or something. The only indicatives he had of a past life were his scars, and I guess his unusual features. The thing is - whenever he first caught sight of his reflection, he very much liked what he saw looking back. Someone else might have been shocked by their appearance, but what DU drow felt would have been more akin to a kind of relief - I'm strong. I'm big. I'm intimidating. Good. As it should be.

And well... There's not much reason to give it thought past that. His looks feel right, he thinks he looks attractive, even his scars are somewhat comforting. Tadpole and odd company aside, it actually feels nice to be himself right now, so why ruin it with questions and concerns.

[lynxgriffin]

Could indeed! I still need to actually check out the Mike room sometime...I was never super invested in Mike's identity, so I didn't really take looking into those secrets as a priority.

Once again, I love how much personality comes across in just these little sprites. Ralsei freaking out about saying a cuss is perfect.

Yes, definitely. Befriend more old men and you too can Deltarune in real life.

An absolute shock to the system, in all the best and worst and ways. I still need to go back and actually attempt to get the shadow mantle and beat it, and I'm scaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrred

It absolutely is extremely funny in hindsight, honestly. Lancer will say "toothpaste" and then "boy" indeed, come on.

Yup, seems likely to me.

Does all of them count?

His introduction was so jarring but so funny. Also I'm glad that I at least called the idea that he is fun to be around at first, but then gets really tiring as things progress. Also man, way to just continuously needle Kris with the fact that they used to be happy and aren't anymore!

That seems a possibility! Man, what a weird combo it would be for that dark world to have both "peaceful garden" and "bold superhero fights" combined into one.

I'm gonna push back on this, because no, I don't think Kris is really evil or selfish or "the real monster of the group." They seem like someone who's exhausted, backed into a corner, and stripped of their agency in nearly all directions. And when they are offered agency, it seems their only option to exercise that is with violence. They seem to genuinely want to just spend time with their friends, they seem to genuinely worry when they're hurt, and they genuinely loathe the player if you do the weird route. I don't really see a "just want to see the world burn" sentiment in their actions. I see a character who is so desperate for escape from a situation that they believe they've caused that they'll do anything, including things that are dangerous or harmful to themself.

Honestly, I think it was the right call. Dealing with symbolism is really difficult sometimes, because while it can be really powerful, it can also be really open to interpretation. If Toby wanted a more specific interpretation to be clear there, then it would make sense to change the symbolism to reflect that. I'm surprised that this sort of thing wasn't caught a lot earlier, but sometimes as an artist you really can be blindsided by how a very large audience will react to things.

[toh-tagteam-au]

man. I wish we knew the intricacies of why Hunter calls Belos his uncle. Like, was Hunter told that Belos's brother was his father? The whole situation is always vaguely referenced as "our family" rather than with specifics so it's all very open ended.

Hunter immediately clocks the previous Golden Guards in Hollow Mind as "family" even before he finds out he's a grimwalker, but whether or not he knew he was related to them beforehand is vague. He doesn't seem to have a strong reaction to Darius having the prev GG as a mentor, only focusing on being deserving of the symbol rather than living up to a family member's legacy specifically.

His admission to not knowing what happened to the old Golden Guard can be taken two ways: 1) he doesn't know they're related, and legitimately has no clue what happened to Darius's mentor, OR 2) he knows they're related somehow, so his fate must have been connected to wild magic, but Belos never tells him specifics of what wild magic kills their 'family'.

Anyway, all this to say: the fact that it's so vague makes it hard to pinpoint what Hunter thinks his familial relationship to Belos is. Hunter is EXTREMELY young for his hypothetical father to be close to Belos's public age (im guessing around 70 or 80, based on how long the emperor had been in power + his preaching during the savage ages. im assuming people don't know he's over 400 years old). Maybe Belos could be a great uncle and a previous Golden Guard could have been Hunter's father, but his reactions towards any mentions of prev GGs aren't really strong enough.

My current theory is that Belos told all the GGs that he was their actual uncle, and it worked out because all the Golden Guards before Hunter were older (and belos would have been a few years younger). The age gap would have been significantly smaller, and it would have made sense for Belos to be around the same age as their hypothetical father. It's only when Hunter comes in that it doesn't really fit, but since Boiling Isles families don't really fall under typical familial structures, he could afford to be vague about it and have Hunter fill in the gaps himself.

But yeah. Jesus. Day 600 of wishing we had a Belos character bible.

[jupitermoontarot24]

👀 You vs Ex? 🍒

Hi everyone happy holidays!!

❄️ Im hosting tarotmas over on my patreon where im uploading everyday till christmas check it out! we are on day 2 ❄️

1-4

Pile 1

Hello hi pile one. welcome to your reading. okay I heard that you are a walking sex symbol. you are sex, even if you don't view yourself like this maybe you wouldn't use these words to describe yourself but maybe you should. it seems like that's what this person and everyone else are thinking. yeah I think it's the way your lips look, the shape, the words that you use to speak. even the things you say on social media, it's very sexy and alluring. it's like this is a guaranteed good time is what I heard lol. yes sex world it's like you're going to leave satisfied in some type of way how could you not? Okay I don't even think this reading was supposed to be this sexual but when I asked my guides for pictures they gave me all sex pictures so I guess that's what we're doing. Okay I don't think people know what position you play in the bedroom and that makes you even sexier. Like whats up?, are you a bottom, are you a dominatrix, are you a submissive or do you channel all of them? I feel like people believe that you channel all of those things so it's like whatever you need pile one has it. yeah that's why it's sex world, because you have everything, people see you as a triple quadruple  threat  walking. Okay not to be slut shaming but their ex was a hoe. and I mean that in the traditional sense of like they fished for people and because of that they had a lot of bodies or just they've been through a lot of people. it seems like you are more an upper echelon person. like you don't have to fish you just sit and wait,  you are the trophy so it's like they're going to come to you regardless that you would never have to fish for that. you actually give your time and attention to one specific person that you like the most so it's a lot more meaningful than somebody who purposely tries to bring people in and go fishing for them. so it's like their ex probably brought in a lot of people that weren't good people or it was shallow connections because they went fishing for it and when you go fishing for something you really only can go based off of looks. you pick who you want whereas their EX was a lion so they kind of just ate whatever was near them and they chased it at that. yeah because the exe is coming up as the king of winds so they definitely were promiscuous. you could be aiming for a person people don't even know of. like does this person even exist people just don't know with you. so your relationships could be very private because people could think one thing and it's not that people don't know where you're aiming they might think that you're aiming in a Direction but they don't know what direction or what you're aiming at. well this person had to pointers so it's like they were aiming everywhere at the same time all the time. yeah it's nothing about being caught there's nothing special about being caught by their EX. checkout the rest on patreon where

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Pile 2 🍒

Okay so you and their ex could look really different. I don't know maybe this person doesn't have a type or you are just so beautiful that they want you regardless. but in this situation you are the main star and the ex is a feature like they're a background character. They're just there for moral support is what I heard LOL. Okay yeah the X is not even important it's just that they're there because in TV shows there's usually a X or there's background characters that's all they are. I'm not sure if that's how your person feels or if it's just true. Yeah so it's like the x is there but at the end of the day your person is focused on you. yes like you know that character that random policeman that might stop the main character in a high speed chase. The policeman might think they're important ? They are hot shot but nobody cares fr that's not a part of the plot at all. your person's the main character in their story but you're really the main character because you're the person that they're trying to get with that the audience has fell in love with. The hot girl. the character that already has an audience so it's like the main character is playing the co-star in your TV show because they're trying to get with you and they're trying to get you to pay attention to them. Like scott pilgram. Yes this person is trying to roll a dice they're trying to put their money in to see if they will get with you. You are so sexy you look like a little kitty cat, a doll like you are so sexy. but yeah you're the main character.  the ex is a background character. It doesn't matter how hard, how good looking the ex is nothing they could do that would bring them any more attention than to you.  your person what you do any day they can't stop looking at you they feel like you're their soulmate they love you everybody else is dead to them for the most part. if you ask your person they would say they don't have any exes they don't even matter if they do this person only think about you they future but you didn't care about no ex. check out the rest on patreon where

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Pile 3 🐝

Okay hiya.

 so you're a lot more thoughtful than their ex. you can move slower you could just be more mindful in the things that you do, you say and how you paint a picture. Yeah even in the picture that you chose is an outline of a body on a skyline. so it's like you could leave clues you could be more mysterious with your seduction. it's like you have to find me so its a riddle, it's a maze, it's sexy it's slow and  sensual. Oh I can tell your person is cute by the way they think about you. but it seems like you just appreciate Beauty in itself so  it's not just them specifically that you like but it's all that are that type. your person is a man they just like beautiful woman/ men the person is a woman you like beautiful men/women. so your person likes feeling a part of that because they're like pile threes enjoys Beauty so I must be beautiful and they have good taste so I must be very beautiful. they must think highly of me if they chosen for me to be their Muse or something that they think about/ the consider beautiful. This person felt like their ex was the black cat in the relationship. Yeah  your person could have been the golden retriever in this relationship and didn't want to be like maybe they're usually black cat. and that's not to say that you aren't the black cat because I feel like you are but maybe they just wanted it to be balanced. so if this is a woman they rather it be two black cats. but if your person was with a man maybe they felt like the roles were reversed. so even if this was a man that could have felt like their ex was too masculine and it made them feel like the black cat. take it how it resonates. checkout out the rest on patreon where

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Pile 4 💌

Okay so this ex could portray themselves as something that they're not. almost like a wolf in sheep's clothing is what I'm hearing. You hold your person hostage. it's like your person cannot Escape you they cannot get away from you. when they drink they think of you when they dream they think of you it's almost like that's a situation. this person could visit you on purpose so maybe they think about you on purpose, they get drunk just to think about you. they want to have fantasies about you. Okay so this person wants to give you all their money,  they like to work hard to provide for you. they want to have a family with you, they want to start a new chapter a new life with you. They are the type that they would give you their whole paycheck and let you spend it on what you want to, I mean other than house stuff of course. like they will give you the rest they would pay the bills and give you what's left. they're so thankful of you and you could keep a really nice house,  your house is clean, you have good Decor taste so it's like they wouldn't need anything so they would just give you money. they're really healthy with you as well as like you add life points to them. like they are very healthy. maybe you make this person want to be their best self even health-wise. sounds like whatever this person was doing before they left that in the past like even if they used to drink heavy stuff maybe now they just drink wine yeah they care about the health a lot more with you. this could be your twin flame. yes like you guys are the exact same person in different bodies that's how this person feels. it's like all their exes even their friends don't matter when it comes to you. like they rather build a whole lifestyle around you then to talk to anybody else. Okay so they're X was a hot girl and not a good way. this is somebody who would keep a rotation of people and act  single even if they weren't. so like your person might have been their favorite person or they actually were in a committed relationship but either way this  X always had another option laying around. they could have had a lot of options laying around because they pretended to be single even though they could have been actually planning to have a future with your person. checkout the rest on patreon where

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[blasphemousclaw]

Do you have any ideas on the Messmer / Fell God and Melina / Gloam-Eyed Queen links? Are these Demigods sort of reincarnations of those guys? Or their curses? Or sort of karmic comeback for Marika killing both? Or maybe one thing for one and another for the second one?

(I lean towards the third option *voice of a guy who can't shut up about Marika wanting her and her Erdtree to live forever and discovering she could not deceive fate after all*)

OHHH BOY was this a difficult and confusing topic… there are just SO many unexplained parts of Melina and Messmer’s lore that I feel like I still can’t make sense of how everything fits together, but I did come up with some connections that felt really compelling to me, and I think I agree with you on the third option!

starting with Melina, I’ve decided that I don’t think she’s the Gloam-Eyed Queen or an aspect of her, but rather that she and the GEQ are similar because they both have their own separate connections to Destined Death…

so the first thing I did was go through literally everything we know about her — Melina tells us that she was “born at the foot of the Erdtree,” and that her mother (Marika) gave her her “purpose,” which is the reason she lives, “burned and bodiless.” She finds out later that her purpose serves to aid in passing the thorns blocking the entrance to the Erdtree… basically, the purpose given to her by Marika is to burn the Erdtree!

Then, there’s the link between igniting the Giant’s Flame and seeking Destined Death…

“The one who walks alongside flame, Shall one day meet the road of Destined Death.” (Melina’s dialogue in her final cutscene; also in the Blade of Calling description)

“Flame” in this situation is represented by Melina — the kindling — and after the Giant’s Flame ignites, we’re transported to Farum Azula to confront Destined Death. Which means that Melina’s purpose as kindling is in some way intrinsically linked to Destined Death? don’t ask me how

Destined Death is also a part of Melina’s being: its power is sealed behind her eye, marked with a symbol that looks like a beast claw:

and if you do the Frenzied Flame ending, then the seal on Melina’s eye will fade and her eye will open, revealing a violet iris:

I think that Melina’s Destined Death eyeball was sealed with a beast claw symbol because Maliketh was the sole keeper of the Rune of Death; only he and those loyal to him can use its power… and Melina is certainly not someone Maliketh or the Two Fingers would trust with Destined Death. And, the reason why the claw symbol fades and Melina’s violet eye opens in the FF ending is because it’s the only ending where she’s still alive after Maliketh is killed and Destined Death is unbound.

I still can’t say for sure why Melina has an inherent ability to wield Destined Death, but my best guess is that it’s tied to her purpose being a sort of “hard reset” on the Golden Order… burning the Erdtree and unbinding Destined Death. I get the sense that Melina is very much like, “engineered” by Marika in order to fulfill her specific purpose… I think the fact that she’s even guiding us in the first place was Marika’s plan, because Marika also makes Hewg forge us a god-slaying weapon; she WANTS us to get inside the Erdtree and beat up the Elden Beastie! Melina even has some dialogue where she acknowledges that she’s following her mother’s plans, but she’s not just following them out of obligation, she really does believe in what she’s doing for her own reasons:

“There is something I'd like to say. My purpose was given to me by my mother. But now, I act of my own volition. I have set my heart upon the world that I would have. Regardless of my mother's designs. I won't allow anyone to speak ill of that. Not even you.”

“I have long observed the Lands Between. This world is in dire need of repair... and Death...indiscriminate... Are you prepared... To commit a cardinal sin?”

back to Destined Death… I think there’s some connection between violet eyes and wielders of Destined Death, because in addition to Melina, obviously the Gloam-Eyed Queen had purple eyes, but so do Maliketh and Blaidd:

Maliketh is the keeper of Destined Death, but Blaidd also wields Destined Death as a “Baleful Shadow” manifested by the Two Fingers!

if this link between purple eyes and Destined Death is intentional, then the fact that Melina has this in common with Maliketh and Blaidd as well as with the GEQ makes it less likely to me that Melina is literally the GEQ, and more likely that this is just a trait they all share. Overall, I just got the sense that Melina was so strongly tied to Marika and her plans and has enough of a unique identity that I don’t think it adds all that much for her to ALSO have been the GEQ who was killed and brought back? but that’s just my opinion!

Now all that was confusing enough, but then I got to MESSMER… man… I am still so deeply confused about how Messmer’s fire and the Base Serpent interact (and what the Base Serpent even IS, for that matter). The “fire” and “serpent” concepts combine within Messmer, which makes his fire magic behave in a serpentine way, which made me think, well, does that mean that the Base Serpent and Messmer’s flame are part of the same curse? but then I decided that no, they have to be separate concepts within Messmer’s body, because the Base Serpent is “shorn of light,” and fire famously gives off light. who knew! Also, the serpent is said to be “eating away” at Messmer’s kindling… which makes it seem like maybe Messmer’s vision of fire is the reason why the Base Serpent targets him in the first place? because it’s a thing of darkness that eats light? maybe?

“The kindling that burned inside Messmer the Impaler. A dark thing, eaten away at by a wicked serpent. Burns the sealing tree said to be found at the old Rauh ruins.” (Messmer’s Kindling)

Messmer’s kindling burns the sealing tree, and it can’t burn the Erdtree. I think that the sealing tree, and the thorns entrapping Enir-Ilim, are supposed to be like, manifested from the Scadutree:

“The caster wounds their own flesh using impenetrable thorns grown from the Scadutree, which then sprout from the earth.” (Impenetrable Thorns)

The Scadutree is able to manifest shadowy, impenetrable thorns, so I think it’s fair to assume that the ones sealing Enir-Ilim are tied to the Scadutree. Essentially that means that Messmer’s kindling can burn the Scadutree, or at least some aspect of the Scadutree… which would make sense, because his sister Melina is kindling for the Erdtree, and the Scadutree is the Erdtree’s “shadow.”

“Messmer, much like his younger sister, bore a vision of fire.” (Messmer’s Kindling)

the description specifically compares Messmer’s kindling to Melina’s, so I think we are supposed to see them as kind of a duality! We have the Erdtree, golden, symbolic of Order, and then we have its shadow, the twisted Scadutree:

“The Scadutree is the shadow of the Erdtree. Born of dark notions that bear no sense of Order, that twist and bend its stalk, rendering it brittle.” (Remembrance of the Shadow Sunflower)

it almost seems like each sibling reflects the tree their kindling burns… Melina being gold, Order, light, and grace, with a purpose given to her by Marika herself; Messmer being graceless, choked of light, a twisted thing that bears no sense of Order, someone burdened by his curses who Marika tried to save, but ultimately couldn’t.

(my son who has every disease)

Now to come back to your original question yes I know none of that even answered it I would say the Scadutree is kind of characterized as the inevitable “consequence” of the Erdtree:

“Miquella the Kind spoke of the beginning. The seduction. And the betrayal. An affair from which Gold arose. And so too was Shadow born.” (DLC story trailer)

“Incantation originating from Scadutree avatars. Creates a hail of golden projectiles which are fired toward foes after a brief delay. This incantation channels the force of the Scadutree's power, and its gold is accompanied by shadow.” (Land of Shadow)

I kind of see the Scadutree as being representative of what falls outside of Marika’s Golden Order, the lands and people that don’t get to bask within the Erdtree’s golden light… like in the Shadow Lands, you’ve got the Crucible, the hornsent, and “all manner of death” washing up on the shores, “only to be suppressed” (the Golden Order famously being without Destined Death)… it’s like all the dregs of the Golden Order exist here. no wonder Messmer’s soldiers feel abandoned the longer they spend in this place without word from Marika:

“Sorcery of those who abandoned the practice of incantations after devout faith rewarded them with only despair. […] The image of the twisted Scadutree is an edict: Denounce their ways. Do them harm. For they have abandoned us.” (Impenetrable Thorns)

Basically, I think if something in Messmer’s being is meant to reflect the Scadutree, all this characterization of the Scadutree points to Messmer’s curses as being something karmic that Marika manifested, like you said… maybe Marika’s creation of the Scadutree and all it represents was “the original sin,” and Messmer is the one who suffers for it??

Finally, I think this is where the Fell God could come in… Melina can kindle the Giant’s Flame in order to burn the Erdtree… Messmer is also kindling… his flame could originate from the Fell God because the trait of red hair is explicitly linked to the Fell God. (why doesn’t Melina have red hair then?? don’t ask me why) Maybe their kindling abilities both originate from the Fell God, but Messmer’s was forced upon him as a curse, and Melina’s was Marika later using that same power for a purpose? Marika originally intended to kill the Fell God, but discovered she couldn’t:

“Tricksome shield made from white stone depicting a malformed one-eyed god. The barrel of a firearm pokes through the open mouth. Once worshipped by the giants, this evil deity is believed to have been slain by Queen Marika.” (One-eyed Shield)

“The Fire Giant is a survivor of the War against the Giants. Upon realizing the flames of their forge would never die, Queen Marika marked him with a curse. "O trifling giant, mayest thou tend thy flame for eternity."” (Remembrance of the Fire Giant)

Presumably, Marika was afraid of the Giant’s Flame’s ability to burn the Erdtree, so she tried to suppress it! But maybe, as a result, what she suppressed ended up manifesting inside her own son! With Melina, I guess she had a change of heart later on, and realized that burning the Erdtree could be a good thing??? did she know she would be imprisoned inside the Erdtree by the Greater Will??? was Melina meant to be some kind of failsafe??? DON’T ASK ME I DON’T KNOW

IN CONCLUSION… I don’t think Melina is the Gloam-Eyed Queen. I think she and Messmer are meant to reflect the Erdtree and Scadutree respectively, with the Erdtree being Gold/Order, and the Scadutree being Shadow/Disorder, a “consequence” of the Erdtree’s creation that exists outside of its grace. Melina and Messmer both inherited a “vision of fire,” perhaps from the Fell God… but Messmer’s flame could have been a result of that “consequence” of Marika’s actions, and Melina’s flame is something that Marika makes use of in the future! Messmer tried to reject his flame and it made him suffer, but Melina is at peace with her flame and accepts it. I wonder if this is representative of Marika’s early years of suppressing aspects of life and death (the Fell God of fire being one of those aspects, maybe?), but coming to accept change later on, helping us become Elden Lord in a world that has natural death again?

Is any of this like, verifiably true? absolutely not… with these two, I don’t think you CAN make any solid conclusions since there’s so much about them that just isn’t explained… I’m just trying to pull together disparate strings of lore into something that makes some kind of thematic sense lol

this became about WAY more than your initial question… SORRY

[moreespressoformydepresso]

So about TBOSAS and Katniss shooting Coin-

We all agree Coriolanus sees Lucy Gray in Katniss right? Even though there's an argument to be made for Katniss-Sejanus and Peeta-Lucy Gray parallels Coriolanus looks at Katniss and sees Lucy Gray. And when he hijacks Peeta he wants Katniss to betray and kill him so he can feel justified in shooting Lucy Gray: Because she'd do it to him too, even though the EverLark situation is very different.

Now, at the end of Mockingjay, Katniss is ready to execute president Coriolanus Snow for his many crimes, which is of course a symbolic thing in the movie. The one who (unwillingly) started the rebellion is the one who kills the president. It's also a symbolic thing in the grander context of Katniss embodying specific things about both Lucy Gray and Sejanus being the one slated to kill him after he killed them. Except she doesn't kill him, she kills Coin and either lets the crowd deal with Coriolanus (movie) or lets him choke on his own blood (book). What I like about it is that things both do and don't come full circle.

On one hand, it's not the two people he betrayed the most who killed him, even if only symbolically. Except it kind of is, because either the people he's been tormenting for decades kill him or the very thing that got him to the top (his backstabbing and constant poisoning) brings his ultimate downfall.

On the other hand, it proves completely that Coriolanus cannot defend betraying Sejanus and Lucy Gray the way he wanted to by trying to get Peeta and Katniss to kill each other by hijacking Peeta. Even when the 'reincarnation' (in his head) of the two people he betrayed the most personally is in front of him, ready to shoot an arrow into his chest and kill him once and for all, she instead aims up and kills the new tyrant before one can even rise. Katniss with the arrow reminds me of Coriolanus with the gun, except Katniss doesn't shoot. She goes for the actual person causing the harm instead of chasing a desire for revenge against the man who ordered all her suffering. Coriolanus was consumed by both his paranoia and his desire for power and tries to shoot Lucy Gray, trying to work within the system that caused his suffering and eventually kills him too instead of striving for a better future for everyone.

Even in what to him might be an exact replica of that scene in the forest, Katniss choses to kill the problem where Coriolanus chose to become the problem. idk if that makes sense.

[jester-loverre]

YALL. I can’t after this episode, here are some incoherent thoughts nonsense

Joel wears his dad’s watch. Joel has worn it all these years even though it’s been broken for most of it. Now MAYBE MAYBE it broke for the first time when he was defending Tommy from their dad. Sara got it repaired, thereby showing his trauma healed, but then promptly broke again during outbreak day and Sarah’s death, reopening old wounds of needing to be a protector. Eventually after Joel’s death, Ellie wears the watch, becoming her own protector and Dina’s in Seattle.

In the scene with Cat, Ellie specifically emphasizes “It wasn’t an experiment.” She is very sure of her queerness. This and the whole ���let me go on patrol and I won’t get pregnant” is her trying to come out to Joel. She has no examples of how to do this, there are no elder queers in Jackson, she’s coming out in the only was she thinks she can, and Joel sees it as teenage rebellion.

The Moth. Gail tells Joel that the meaning of the moth is death and Ellie see moths as symbolizing her greater purpose, becoming the cure. And all this makes sense given the situation, but I’d like to propose something additional and a little out there. Moths can symbolize sexuality and new or changing relationships, something that also has a lot to do with Ellie. I think it’s very fitting that Cat is the person that gave Ellie the tattoo but also how it symbolizes Ellie trying to distance herself from Joel and try to figure out who she is as a person and what her purpose is after she can no longer become the cure.

For context, a few years back, while I was in rehab for PTSD, I formed a close relationship with Don, a staff member and very proud Native American. He gifted me the book “Animal-Speak Pocket Guide” by Ted Andrews. This book has some suggested meanings for various animal messengers across native cultures. Full disclosure, I am not a Native American person, nor do I speak for them. I think that their culture is beautiful and amazing and I think that we can learn so much from them scientifically and culturally. When Joel started talking to Gail about Moths, I literally ran to my room to check what it had to say about Moths.

Uncle Grumpy. 10/10. No notes. Also from now on in all fanfic, JJ needs to call him Grandpa Grumpy or Grump-pa.

The ugly crying has finally started to slow down now and I know I have to go to work in the morning but I have so many thoughts and my brain is a colander.

[saltywritings]

Bend The Knee | Aegon ii Targaryen x Reader

Summary: You have been called upon at court to bend the knee to the newly crowned king, however, a surprising turn takes place when you bend the knee.

Warnings: Smut, Minors do not interact, male oral receiving, oral as a demand, adult content, slight female receiving.

A palpable undercurrent of terror unfurled its tendrils within you as you ventured through the hallowed halls of the red keep. The subtle cadence of your heels created a delicate patter, resonating against the stoic stone floors, each step echoing the rhythmic pulse of your heart, which had quickened its tempo within the confines of your chest. The ominous ambiance of the surroundings enveloped you, casting shadows that danced in eerie tandem with the disquiet settling in the air. The very essence of the fortress seemed to be imbued with an unspoken tension, as if secrets whispered among the walls, and the weight of history bore down upon you, amplifying the sense of foreboding that clung to the atmosphere like a shroud.

How could one not succumb to an overwhelming sense of terror while traversing the path leading to the throne room? The ominous summons from the king, directed specifically at you, added a layer of apprehension that hung heavy in the air. This unsettling journey unfolded in the aftermath of the harrowing executions, where both your brother and father met their demise for adamantly refusing to yield before the might of Aegon Targaryen.

The weight of grief and defiance still lingered, casting a somber shadow over your steps. The very air seemed charged with a palpable tension, the echoes of the recent tragedy reverberating through the corridors. Each footfall echoed with a haunting resonance, a morose rhythm that mirrored the throbbing ache in your heart. The throne room loomed ahead, its imposing doors a portal to an uncertain fate.

As you approached, the memories of your fallen kin and their unwavering loyalty to their principles pressed upon your consciousness. The foreboding atmosphere intensified, a testament to the gravity of the situation. The iron grip of fear tightened its hold, fueled not only by the formidable presence of Aegon Targaryen but also by the specter of the irrevocable losses suffered in the name of steadfast allegiance.

As the grand doors swung open, revealing the regal spectacle of the throne room, your gaze fixed upon the newly crowned king. Adorning his head was a formidable black crown, adorned with a radiant ruby at its center, a symbol of authority that seemed to cast a profound weight upon his brow. His dark, penetrating eyes met yours as he beckoned you forward with a commanding yet composed presence.

"Lady Y/N, come closer," he declared, his voice unwavering and devoid of menace. The resonance of his command held a magnetic power, drawing you toward him. The air in the throne room seemed to pulse with a peculiar intensity, as if the very fabric of destiny hung in the balance.

Complying with the regal summons, you gracefully approached the throne, your steps measured and deliberate. Standing before him, the gravity of the moment became palpable. The ruby at the heart of his crown gleamed like a beacon, a testament to the authority he now wielded. The silence that enveloped the room spoke volumes, punctuating the significance of your presence in Aegon's gaze.

"I ask of you what I have asked of all my subjects. Prove yourself loyal." Aegon notified you, his voice hung with authority with each word that echoed through the throne room. You stood before him; despite the loyalty that your father and brother had put their life on the line for you were not willing to die. they made their choice and you could be nothing but proud based on the honor they were willing to die for. therefore, you made your own choice.

You sunk down to your knee and looked to the ground as you pledged yourself loyal to his crown. However, a great confusion managed to overcome you as you heard a small laughter come from the king.

"Both knees, lady y/n." Aegon spoke with a certain chuckle to your tone. A great confusion engulfed your senses by his sudden amusement. Still, you complied wanting to ensure that you made it out of this room with your life. You now rested before him with both your knees flat on the ground.

"Come closer," he urged as you gave a small slide on the ground. Remaining on your knees he let out a groan in anticipation. "Come here," he let out an eager demand grabbing onto you by your waist and sliding you so close to him that your knees were touching the iron throne. You were between his legs, looking up at him with pitiful eyes as he smiled. It was only now that you had noticed the growing erection in Aegon's pants and the sudden blush that covered your cheeks.

"Open my pants and use your mouth to show me how loyal you are to your king." Aegon demanded of you, sitting back as he looked to you waiting for you to make a move.

"B-but your grace . . . "you attempted to struggle. "I am a maiden I do not know how to do such a thing." you suggest your voice stuttering in tear unable to look up to meet his eyes.

Aegon let out a sigh as he took your hands. "It is not hard to do. I will show you," he insisted grabbing onto your hands and pulling them to his pants.

He helped you open the button holding them together and brought your hand to the inside of his pants. His cock felt soft against your hand and was throbbing from the very contact you offered. Aegon guided your hand to pull it out and your eyes widened at the sight of his cock before your face. Aegon could not help but to smile at the way your eyes looked to bewildered at the sight of him.

"Now open that sweet mouth of yours," Aegon demanded, you complied without hesitation. You knew what was to happen next and you worried any lack of performance would result in the end of your life and therefore.

With your mouth open wide he grabbed you by the roots of your hair and sank you onto his cock. It was a strange feeling, to have one in your mouth. It tasted slightly salty and you could not help but notice the vein that was pulsing against your tongue as he sunk you onto him. He let out a loud groan of pleasure begun to sink back into the throne.

With this gloved leather hands rooted into your hair he looked at you with his cold eyes, biting on his lip as he begun to force your head up and down on his cock. You complied with the action, however, begun to gad the further he forced your head down. It was perhaps for a moment you attempted to wiggle off a bit to ease from the gagging but Aegon only took efforts to force you down further.

"Hush, Hush. Relax sweet thing that's part of it." He insisted to you as he continued to force your head up and down on his cock until he had balls deep, forcing your lips to swallow his entire length.

"Fuck- Fuck, you're so beautiful when you're swallowing my cock like that." Aegon let out in a groan, still listening to the wet sounds your mouth made as it engulfed his cock. His boots sliding across the floor as he attempted to hold out. But there had been something too good about the feeling of your mouth around him.

Aegon soon pulled you off his cock, watching as the spit that trailed from your mouth and down your chin connected to his cock. Aegon stood before you, his hand in your hair still as he forced you to look up at him. "Fuck, yes-" he let out in a moan again as his cold eyes remained on yours.

Aegon kept you looking up at him as he began to release. The only thing you could do was look up helplessly at your king as he begun to release his seed across your face, watching as it dripped down your cheeks and onto the fine lace of your dress. "You look so beautiful with my cum ruining your innocent face." He said with a smile. "Good little loyal subject," he took a second to praise you while he stuffed his cum covered cock back into his pants.

"Rise," He remanded and you complied standing to your feet, his cum covering your face, you dared not move. However, you were met with sudden shock when Aegon went to his knees, the king before you on your knees was certainly not what you were expecting and he lifted up your dress. Aegon was now before your clothes womanhood and he soon pressed his face against it, taking in a deep breath as his other hand held your back steady. You let out a small yelp and could not help the involuntary struggle.

"Hold still- you are still proving yourself." Aegon reminded you and you attempted to so, looking as his nose pressed into your cunt and he took deep breaths in. He let out a hum of approval as he pulled his face away and begun to pull your underwear down just far enough to expose yourself to him. Aegon did not hesitate, his tongue managed to do a swipe across the inside of your cunt and he soon let out another hum.

"Gods, you little whore. You fucking loved that. You're dripping wet, like a ripe peach." Aegon said, with his hands holding onto your waist his tongue went in again. it licked and sucked and while you found pleasure in it that was not his intention. No, Aegon was trying to suck out every drop he could. However, after a few moments he pulled away, pulling down your dress but leaving your underwear exposed.

"You are expected at my chambers at nightfall. I believe I know a few others ways to test your loyalty."

[raayllum]

Lissa as Soren's Shadow Self

Intro

So sometime after S5 I talked about how most of the main cast had a 'shadow self' walking around—another character within the narrative that represents a bad end or dangerous/alternative path they could walk. Callum has Viren, for example, but also Finnegrin (both men are trapped in 5x08, both seek dark magic to free themselves from their perceived captors, albeit for different reasons, etc). Ezran was going to have Harrow's anger and the Orphan Queen; Rayla has Runaan's bow/duty as an assassin, and Kim'Dael, etc.

Someone who has already had a tragedy of some kind befall them versus their present day counterpart who will be twisted into repeating their choices while also, occasionally or ultimately, making better ones.

At the time, it felt like neither Soren nor Terry really had one. Claudia could suffice for both of them, to an extent; Claudia was very much repeating the cycle of use and dark magic and violence of "Viren to Claudia" to "Claudia to Terry and Sir Sparklepuff," with Terry fitting into the spot of who Claudia had been in the past: goofy, loving, non-corrupted. This is, admittedly, made more textual in S7, with Terry able to see the map whereas Claudia no longer can, contrasted parallels of the bird in 2x09 being not the first time Claudia uses someone (that'd be Callum in 2x02/2x03) but the first time she uses someone to get dark magic ingredients and earns her first white streak... vs the birds in 7x04 being what makes Terry realize he is being used, and one of the big things (symbolically) that represents and reinforces his decision to leave.

Soren also had parallels to his sister as a foil—both Viren's children, both manipulated by him, but Soren left whereas Claudia stayed—and to his father, as of arc 2. Both had their physical situations fixed without their input (Claudia healing Soren's paralysis and resurrecting Viren), leaving Claudia confused and frustrated when the situations emotionally changed them. Just as Soren had realized he was on the wrong side in arc 1, Viren was steadily learning that too, although it hadn't quite come to fruition yet.

Terry too, likewise, has very strong textual parallels to Lissa thanks to season 7. Like Lissa, he is used by his partner ("young Terrestrius has what we need" / "I needed her tears. Something so simple and easy") and leaves. In many ways, his dialogue with Claudia directly clarifies / invites insight onto Lissa's feelings ("Because you didn't trust me to make my own choice" -> "she shook her head. She said no"). Claudia most notably even frames their rationale the same way.

I think she had to leave for herself, to be happy somehow. (2x09) But he had to leave. For himself. (7x04)

Within the narrative and Soren's own family dynamic, however, Lissa being Soren's shadow self I think is still the primary usage of the device for each of them, even over Terry and Lissa.

And here's why.

The Semi Obvious

There's the obvious parallels, of course. Soren and Lissa are both blond; they both leave the family, and leave the family specifically with mind to the fact they no longer feel safe.

SOREN: I don't want to do this. (3x07)

This is different as to why Terry leaves. While all three leave to preserve a sense of identity, this motivation is only stated outright for Terry by himself ("[and if I stay] I'm not sure I can really be me anymore / but I love myself the way I am"). For Lissa it's implied, thanks to her parallel to Terry, and for Soren it's symbolic: leave, lest Viren change/turn him into a 'literal monster'. Terry too resists the idea of changing for the worst, but Lissa and Soren frame Viren (their shared 'changer,' whereas Terry has Claudia and Aaravos) in far more critical terms. Whereas Terry believes even after leaving that Claudia can be saved (is still 'good'), Lissa and Soren do not think the same.

SOREN: You've seen what's going on. You saw what Dad turned Kasef into [a monster]. What Dad turned into. (3x07) VIREN: She saw my face and she trembled. She said, "You've become a monster." [after the assault] And I knew she was right. (6x06) SOREN: That's a villain. My dad is a villain. [...] The only way to stop this is to look evil in the face and say no more. (3x08)

This turn from Viren, of course, causes all three to do the same thing: leave, even if that means leaving Claudia, but more on that in a second. First, I want to make a pit stop at what I call

Narrative Weight

Being alive and feeling things are two of the most complex things that can exist, with human existence being just a shit ton to conceptualize even just as individuals, nevermind when it comes to other people or strangers. Therefore, all stories have an aspect of condensation—condensing concepts or feelings into things we can conceptualize and understand within a fictional narrative in order to make it relatable or communicative. We go for personal details and personal relationships.

An example in TDP could be how while Janai and Amaya face a political clash of human-elf cultures in season 4, Rayla and Callum face an interpersonal one. Obviously there are going to be broader cultural differences than just mourning rites, but it's grounded in something familiar and often sacred; likewise, Callum and Rayla figuring out where they fall after that clash split apart their relationship takes centre stage in season four. Both of these couples are made up of individuals, but their relationships symbolize things—a fresh start for the Sunfire elves, the reconciliation of elves and humans and the continent.

Narrative weight.

And Soren carries Lissa's.

This is largely due to how closely interwoven the two become as we get the backstory in season 6. Lissa was violated by Viren in order to save Soren; after she left the family, Viren blamed Soren for it. In many ways, he likely felt like he'd traded her for his son, and found the balance lacking. And when tasked with Viren being presented with treating another family member as spell parts, even now with that family member's consent, he refuses.

Soren and his request/willingness provides Viren the chance to take the weight he placed on Soren over Lissa and her leaving off Soren's shoulders, narratively and symbolically. However, the two are linked not just through Viren, but also through Claudia.

First, a side note:

Inversion

The other big interesting psychological underpinning, I think, is that as of season 7 there's no way that Soren has finished processing his feelings about Viren, or Viren's apology/amends... yet he clearly believes now that his father did change and that they were effective, because illusion!Lissa repeats more than a few of them verbatim.

The choice to have illusion!Lissa's apology mirror Viren's is interesting to say the least, and a look into Soren's psyche at least partially. It shows that while some things from Viren did resonate enough for Soren to think they'd be effective with Claudia, and also possibly things Soren thinks his mother would never say otherwise.

Part of this is because, as stated, Lissa and Soren are inversions of each other. The inversion of one offering consent but being refused vs not offering and being violated. There are also smaller parallels, such as Viren routinely going after Soren's intelligence versus the one descriptor he has of his wife.

SOREN: Dad is so smart, so I figured there must be a good reason. (2x07) SOREN: Wait, I know I'm not the smartest, but I know what you said. (3x03)

Inverted parallels of staying and leaving. Of Soren being angry at his mother (and Terry) for doing—in some ways—exactly what he did to Claudia. Making her choose, and leaving her when she won't.

With that in mind, let's round back to Claudia, and how she links Soren and Lissa to one another.

Claudia

Season seven in some ways hammers home both Lissa as a representative for saving her children's relationship, and why it fell apart in the first place. Let's talk about the second facet first.

For example, one of the crucial things that Soren learned and internalized from Lissa is that Claudia doesn't make her choices.

CLAUDIA: And Soren chose Dad. How could I choose? How could I do that? Then my mom looked at my dad and she told me to stay.

This is why Soren has to wrestle with new aspects of his dynamic with Claudia in season 7 in such a difficult way. In prior seasons, he and Viren could both blame Viren for Claudia's actions and choices, and did so.

SOREN: Dad is dead, Claudia. You don't have to do what he wants anymore. (4x07) VIREN: I know I have set my sweet, brilliant daughter down the wrong path. I have led you by the hand and I have led you by my example. (6x01) VIREN: I have watched Claudia walk down such a dark path, Soren. And I set her on it. I am to blame. (6x05) SOREN: Put down the staff, Claudia. Dad's staff. (7x06)

This is why after Claudia asserts her own agency and choices ("Okay. Follow me" / "No, [the staff] is mine now") that Soren doubles down on his previous sentiments: "If you won't stop, then I will stop you" (4x07) to "we have to stop her" (7x08). It's taken a long time, but he's unlearned the idea his mother passed down, and can see Claudia is culpable and responsible for her choices — even if that strips away the defenses he still had up in regards to being unwilling to hurt her.

However, Lissa still represents / carries the narrative hope of the siblings reconciling for two clear reasons. One is the shot below, which is about as on the nose as you could possibly get.

The other is because of the contrast the broyals provide in 7x09 that also harkens back to 2x09 directly:

CALLUM: I said I hated you, and would hate you forever. And Mom said it was okay to be angry, but that I couldn't let the bad feelings stick. Because we were going to need each other. Because we're brothers. I still need you, Ezran.

CLAUDIA: And [Mom] told me to stay. She said that I had to stay with Soren, that this was my home, and that my brother and I needed each other.

Lissa is also an important tenet for Soren, because in order to confront and deal with his lingering anger towards her for abandoning them, he has to also come to terms with his own feelings and recognize Claudia's about him abandoning her. Once they work through that, they can work their way back to other from the brink, because their mother was right. They need each other, and they always will.

Because Lissa is Soren's shadow self, and in some ways, Soren is his mother and sister's light.

[rhythm-the-raptor-creations]

Funny things happen when two hyperfixations cross paths, so I present to you:

Malevolent: Wings of Fire AU

VAGUE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO SEASONS

Closeups and yapping under the cut, with (hopefully) enough relevant details about WoF to make sense if you’re not familiar with it; not much the other way around to avoid explicit spoilers (and because the setting is mostly just. 1930s US), go listen to it it’s good :>

(I already have several more sketches, so there WILL be more parts and that is a threat)

I’m not sure whether I want the setting to be more Malevolent or more WoF, so for now I’m presuming the more medieval-esque WoF cause dropping 1930s items in is easier than taking them out if I change my mind

Arthur is a SkyWing so he can:

breathe fire, which makes a decent replacement for a gun and the lighter (though I’m considering giving him something animus-touched (magical) instead to preserve the symbolism, and also talking might be a problem when you’ve got a mouth full of fire lol)

fly very well; to make it a bit more fun, John takes his wing instead of his foot (as it would be a bit redundant considering WoF dragons typically walk on all fours)

withstand cold weather better than most tribes; he should have died of hypothermia several times and you can’t convince me otherwise

His dragon name was a struggle, mainly because nothing sounded right in John’s voice; I’m not completely happy with Condor either, but it’s better than anything else I could think of

John’s name stems from the fact that Eagle is a common SkyWing name (we have two known in canon, which only happened like three times, aside from one very specific situation that’s not relevant here lmao), so it works quite well as a John Doe equivalent; tacked on Golden because that’s just too perfect for him

Kayne is a NightWing mainly because they can have mind reading and prophetic powers, and the star-like scales on their inner wings fit the vibe pretty well imo (not really visible here but eh); I gave him the teardrop scales behind eyes that signify mind-readers too. Aside from his eyes he’s completely greyscale, to make him just sliiightly off-looking next to other dragons

The King in Yellow is basically the same as I would draw him normally lol, just vaguely more dragon-shaped

[geospiral]

Taking a look at Mizi and Ivan as symbolic of Till’s desire for escapism vs. having to acknowledge the cruel reality he lives in:

When people think about Ivan and the idea that Till “never looked at him,” many people take this claim either in the literal sense or in the sense that Till was not appreciative of Ivan’s presence when he was still alive, both of which can be disproven with canon material. However, I want to take this idea and apply it in another way, of Ivan being the reality that Till does not want to acknowledge or face.

One of the most defining aspects of Ivan’s character is his rejection of idealism, to the point that you could honestly say that he leans towards nihilism. This is in great contrast to Mizi pre-Round 1, who was sheltered as a child and throughout most of her young adulthood, right up until the actual Alien Stage competition itself. The disconnect between these two and their worldviews can most readily be seen when comparing their intimacy levels with each other, with Ivan having a hard time relating to Mizi due to her innocence, whereas Mizi, although very fond of Ivan, seemingly only knows the version of him that he specifically curated and hid behind for the sake of survival.

(Text: "Intimacy: 75%. A cool friend with a prince-like smile! The object of every child's admiration! Whenever I don't know something, he's always kind and teaches me.")

(Text: "Intimacy: 30%. I like Mizi because she has a purity that is free of lies. As you get older, its natural to become pessimistic about your situation. But sometimes... its so bright it's difficult.")

(Text screeshot taken from a previous post)

Till was most definitely a witness to the different faces Ivan wore, being one of only two people that Ivan let his mask down around. But Till knew Ivan even before he started actively masking, before their first fight even, when he saw Ivan small and beaten from his holding cell.

Ivan is like Till’s shadow, ever present. Shown to us to almost always try to be by Till’s side even in his worst moments, especially in his worst moments. And while the two of them are friends, and I’m sure Till is glad that he doesn’t have to go through his ordeals completely alone, what comes with Ivan is an aching reminder of Till’s cruel reality. With Ivan there to care for Till in the aftermath of his mistreatments, there is now a witness that also carries the knowledge of what happened to him, and that can be both comforting and horrifying. These are no longer contained occurrences between Till and his abusers that Till can try and use escapism (Mizi) to ignore. Ivan knows and will always be by Till’s side, and so will the reality of Till’s circumstances.

This isn’t to say that Ivan’s presence is a detriment to Till but far from it! Reality cannot be fully ignored; you must come to acknowledge what is or has happened to you and then go forward with that to try and see what can be done about it.

Which leads us to the meteor show incident.

Till taking Ivan’s hand and leaving what he knows behind is NOT him ignoring reality but is him trying to escape from the constant abuse he suffers. Till should never have to “accept” the torture he is put through, and neither should anyone else who is in an abusive situation. The meteor shower escape attempt is simply a chance for something to be done about Till's circumstances—to leave and hopefully be able to live a life more independent and free away from the creatures and system that torments him, similar to Hyuna’s own escape.

It must be reiterated that in this moment, however, Till is leaving everything he knows behind, his entire life up until this point, and that scares him...

Till letting go of Ivan’s hand isn’t as simple as “Till running back to his crush." It's Till not wanting to leave behind the most prominent source that he’s used to cope with basically everything in his life.

And obviously Till cares for Mizi as a person, but he also sees her as much more than that. She is his light in the dark; she is his hope—innocent and yet to be scarred by the world.

Till going back is NOT a failure on his part or something that he can be blamed for. It's sad, but also incredibly human and understandable. A lot of people would have probably gone back, choosing familiarity over the unknown. I probably would have gone back.

Talking about Round 6 now, it makes perfect sense how devastated Till is over Mizi’s disappearance. It's important to face reality, yes, but it's also important to have something to emotionally rely upon to get you through your darkest moments. Outside of Mizi, Till doesn’t really have anything that he uses to comfort himself; sure, he writes and draws, but he’s made those things about Mizi with her being his muse.

Till’s obsession with Mizi isn’t healthy, but it's also all he believes he has. Ivan is still there, of course, but he’s not like Mizi. Till could never view him in the same light as he does Mizi, but at least he’s still here. Him being the only one left, a reminder of all he's lost, sure, but he's still here.

Then he pulls his stunt, and he’s gone.

And Till, who had decided to give up in the absence of Mizi, is forced to really look.

I don't have much to say about Round 7 because I'm not entirely sure how to feel about it yet, but I want to point out that Till didn't know that Mizi was trying to save him. When he was singing and fighting for his life on that stage, he was doing it for himself. He wanted to live! Despite everything he wanted to live, and the importance of that and that he was doing this for himself cannot be undersold.

[snakesartblog]

I spent a day or two digging through BKMN for analysis, and I’ve got some interesting stuff to share! 

CWs: referenced sexual assault, murder, pregnancy

I'm writing this so that anyone could read it and have some understanding of it, even if they haven't read BKMN. This isn’t a formal essay and there isn’t one specific point that I’m getting at, but I’d argue that the central theme of the story is desire vs coercion.

WEGG

Wegg is the protagonist of BKMN and the symbolism around his storyline isn’t particularly subtle. It’s about finding acceptance as a man, especially following loss of bodily autonomy in sexual assault (unfortunately tends to be viewed as feminine). Following debatably consensual sex with the Swans, Wegg is cursed to die every month, a pretty clear parallel to menstruation, and then he “gives birth” to Calum. The connections from the assault to these things, very dysphoria-inducing for many transmascs, and his need to find meaning and masculinity of his own, I think exemplify the central theme of the book.

His desire for  masculinity and acceptance are very present through the entire book. Even his mannerisms and speech seem very intentionally masculinized, especially in contrast with mild-mannered Neighbor. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t purposeful on his part! In a symbolic sense, he finds acceptance and recognition with Neighbor, another trans person, when he explains his need to die each month and Neighbor takes it in stride. Despite the loss of autonomy he experienced and how it continues to affect him, he finds a place for himself among other trans people. Moreover, he’s homeless - lacking acceptance and community - until he moves in with Neighbor, and when he says that he doesn’t typically eat enough, from then on we see Neighbor cook or buy him food constantly. The symbolism here is pretty strong I think! Wegg feels that he is only accepted or loved when performing a femininity that he hates (as victim/messiah for the Swans and also demonstrated in the flashbacks to his past) until he finds others like him. 

NEIGHBOR

Neighbor is a super interesting way to write a trans character and weave transness into their storyline, in my opinion. It’s established from the first few pages of the book that he kills people, but specifically people who he perceives as harmful to others. Despite filling a classic “violent cis man” niche, a serial killer, he’s aware of his situation and power differentials around him and directs his necessary killing towards at least a less harmful route. Even the very first person we see Neighbor kill, in the opening of the book, is heavily implied to be the target because he committed sexual assault against his partner. He also doesn’t kill out of a desire to do so, and the moment Wegg offers his own blood, giving Neighbor a way out from the murders, Neighbor jumps at the opportunity. Compare this with Rarold, who I’d argue is a foil to Neighbor. They’re both relative outsiders in the community, they both butt heads with Tillman in one way or another, and they both kill people - but Rarold kills only because he wants to, he has no need to do so like Neighbor, and he is exclusively seen targeting young women. Rarold represents the sexist violence typically found in the stories of real-life serial killers, and in doing so makes it clear that Neighbor is not that kind of person.

Neighbor’s position in the town is also interesting, especially in comparison to Wegg’s. Neighbor is a member of the Baths community, arguably due to the services he provides for its members, but he’s still an outsider; no one knows him that well, he has no friends until he meets Wegg, and Tillman gets a bad vibe from him. In the context of this narrative about transmasculinity, there’s a lot there - Neighbor passes as a man thanks to his deal with Trudy, and he pays dearly for it with the murders he enacts. He asks Tillman not to disclose his first name, a name he never uses, to anyone following their trip to the Trudy temple “for safety purposes,” a mirror to the way any stealth trans person might talk about a legal name they never changed. Neighbor is accepted as a man in this pillar of the community, traditionally masculine provider role that he’s built for himself, but he’s still an outsider, and knows that he would risk losing the support of those around him were he open about his transness. To maintain his personal safety he trades openness regarding his identity, close relationships with those around him, and his conception of his own morality (he says multiple times that he doesn’t consider himself a good person due to the murders he has to commit). Even so, despite his lack of close ties to the cisgender people in the community and his idea of himself as a bad person, he tries to direct his killing to reduce the harm he’s doing, he helps Tillman find Trudy, houses Wegg, and does chores for, like, half the town of Baths. Despite his position, he clearly cares about the people around him and wants to be a positive influence.

As a note, there’s a bit of Biblical symbolism connected to Neighbor, but it’s not consistent. I couldn’t find a properly reliable source for it, but the internet says that the name Adie was originally a diminutive of Adam. He built his own body, making him his own God, and was cast out from Eden (became an outsider in the community) in the process. His original body was also burned on a cross following his deal with Trudy!

THE GODS

I think the conflict of the story is most concisely exemplified in the conflict between Trudy and Calum. Trudy represents desire itself, as the book very explicitly tells us. She’s the snake in Eden of Neighbor’s symbolism, and her devotees follow her very willingly. Trudy’s religion is decidedly voluntary, she grants her followers’ desires and only takes what they’re willing to give. She requires Neighbor kill people because it’s within his capacity, but Tillman isn’t required to harm others at all - dealing with Trudy is morally neutral and never seems to be forced. Calum, on the other hand, was forced onto Wegg, and represents a loss of autonomy for the power of others. The followers of the two gods are juxtaposed, especially in the ways Wegg and Tillman are treated as new followers of Calum and Trudy respectively. The fight scene between the two gods in the climax of the book is symbolic of the central themes of desire and consent.

[skepticalcatfrog]

Kerch, Ghezenism, and the Van Eck Family

The title pretty much sums it up. This is a rather extensive analysis, and to be honest with you all it is 2,500+ words. So get into this absolute beast at your own risk!

~~~

From my experience in this fandom, I've seen it discussed very frequently how important religion is in the Grishaverse. Not only is it very deeply developed, to the point where many of the different countries have unique beliefs - which I'm not sure is seen very often in newer literature - but the various religious systems are also deeply important to many major characters, such as Matthias and Inej. However, one aspect of Grishaverse religions that seems to be overlooked somewhat often is the Kerch religion of Ghezenism. This may just be me, but I have a lot of thoughts on it. A big reason for that is that Wylan is, and always has been, my favorite character, and the culture surrounding Ghezen is actually a very important part of his character for many reasons. When you look into it in the way that I have, you discover that there are a lot of peculiar aspects of Ghezenism that make it stand out, as well as many ties that it has to major aspects of the story.

Right away, one thing that makes Kerch religion different from the others is how deeply connected to the economy it is. So much so that a lot of aspects of the two subjects are one and the same. Given that Ketterdam is a city largely fueled by commerce, it makes sense that Ghezenism would heavily tie into Kerch culture as well. Symbols of Ghezen can be found in many places throughout the city, even beyond the Church of Barter. A very good example of this is Vellgeluk, the island where the Crows meet Van Eck expecting to get their reward from the Ice Court heist: “Smugglers called it Vellgeluk, “good luck,” because of the paintings still visible around the base of what would have been the obelisk tower: golden circles meant to represent coins, symbols of favor from Ghezen, the god of industry and commerce,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 44). This just goes to show how many people in Ketterdam, and the wider country of Kerch as well, put their faith in Ghezen. Vellgeluk is a chosen place for smugglers to do business, specifically because favors of Ghezen are still present there. 

Another interesting part of that passage is the fact that Ghezen is referred to as the god of industry and commerce. Kerch may have other gods, but as far as I can remember - and I may be wrong, but I don't think I am - we never hear about any of them. A similar situation can be found in Fjerda, where Djel is specifically the god of life, implying the existence of other gods. In Fjerda, it is very clear that Djel is mainly what they base their culture and belief system around. This makes perfect sense for a god of life, but isn't Ketterdam’s situation a bit more unusual? The most frequently discussed god, Ghezen, represents industry. We can assume Ghezen is the primary god within the Kerch religious system. Not to mention that their largest church is called the Church of Barter, barter obviously being a term that has much to do with economics. Ketterdam, if not the entire country of Kerch, seems to have no real concept of the separation of church and state. They quite literally hold auctions inside of the church; the auctioning of Kuwei is not a singular event.

The impacts of religion can also be seen in the culture and behavior of the people of Kerch, as seen in a brief section of Crooked Kingdom. “Kerch women—even the wealthy ones—didn’t bother with anything as frivolous as embroidery or needlepoint. Ghezen was better served by tasks that benefited the household,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 14). Obviously, things like this are much more typical of religion. But I would argue that even this holds traces of the same values expressed by the connection between Ghezenism and the economy. It is specifically mentioned here that Kerch women are encouraged to participate in tasks that will “benefit the household”. This displays one of the very prominent aspects of the Ghezenite religion, which is that one of the most important things a person can do is be productive, and create a prosperous life for themselves and their family.

In addition to direct ties between Ghezenism and the Kerch economy, occasionally the legal system is put into the mix as well. While considering what consequences his father might face after the events of the auction, Wylan reveals this piece of information: “Knowingly entering into a false contract for the purpose of subverting the market wasn’t just illegal, it was considered blasphemy, a blight on the works of Ghezen, and the penalties were harsh,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 41). Essentially what he means by this is that not only is tampering with the economy against the law, but it is also heavily frowned upon in a religious sense, and anyone who does so will face punishment from both sides. This is extremely unique, even within the Grishaverse. This single sentence also reveals another very interesting thing about Kerch society. The market, as it exists in Ketterdam, is believed to be a creation of god - it is referred to here as being a part of the “works of Ghezen”. That, more than anything, is concrete proof of just how interconnected the economy of Kerch is with its primary religion. This also means that committing a crime such as Van Eck did isn't simply illegal (which we can assume he has no issues with), it is also an act that goes against his own religion. But stop to consider for a moment: does he really have a problem with that either?

There are numerous examples throughout both books of Van Eck blatantly abusing the values of his own religion. On its own, the teachings of Ghezenism aren't inherently bad. After all, things such as tampering with the market for your own gain are actively discouraged using the threat of blasphemy, which I'd say is generally beneficial. The issue, however, arises when Van Eck in particular attempts to twist some of these values in order to justify his own actions. If there is one single quote from the duology that exemplifies this, it would be this one: “Ghezen shows his favor to those who are deserving, to those who build cities, not the rats who eat away at their foundations. He has blessed me and my dealings. You will perish, and I will prosper. That is Ghezen’s will,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). Van Eck openly believes that, since he is a member of the upper class, he is somehow more deserving of a blessing. He is insistent that “Ghezen's will”, or what he interprets as what Ghezen wishes for him to do, is to trample others in order to further his own success. 

It doesn't matter to him who stands in his way, and it never will, because his goal is only to make himself more wealthy; he simply hides this behind a thin veil of piety. This motivation is especially clear when he is speaking to Inej while he is holding her captive. “When I leave this world, the greatest shipping empire ever known will remain, an engine of wealth, a tribute to Ghezen and a sign of his favor. Who will remember a girl like you, Miss Ghafa? What will you and Kaz Brekker leave behind but corpses to be burned on the Reaper’s Barge?” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 7). He frames people less fortunate than him - in this case Kaz and Inej - as forgettable and unimportant. The only thing he considers truly important is wealth, which he equates to power. He even references Ghezen here, claiming again that all of his actions, as well as his empire and legacy, are meant to show his dedication to his religion. He also claims that his ability to attain this level of success is a sign that Ghezen favors him. That in particular is a display of his extremely warped view of Ghezenism. The truth is that his success can only be attributed to his unethical actions, but the fact that he claims it is due to Ghezen's favor means that he will never be able to be convinced that he is wrong. He has what he believes to be an airtight justification.

His classism is also extremely evident, while indirectly, in an exchange between Kaz and Wylan earlier on in Crooked Kingdom. ““Your father much for charity?” “No. He tithes to Ghezen, but he says charity robs men of the chance at honest labor,”” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 2). This shows that Van Eck is very protective over his wealth. Which, quite frankly, is more likely than not the exact opposite of what Ghezenism is intended to promote. Based on what we are shown from an outside perspective, it seems as though one of the main aspects of Ghezenism is to create a prosperous economy for everyone. However, what Van Eck seems to believe is that he is intended to simply accumulate as much wealth as he possibly can, and keep it all for himself.

It is incredibly clear that Van Eck doesn't care about the well-being of anyone other than himself when it comes down to it. It could be argued that he cares for Alys, and will care for their child when it is born, but this simply cannot be proven. Just look at the exact mirror of this situation: Marya and Wylan. Wylan states about his parents, “I think he really loved her. They fought all the time, sometimes about me, but I remember them laughing a lot together too,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 14). If we are to believe that this is true, and Van Eck truly did love Marya, that doesn't change the fact that he didn't hesitate to send her away as soon as he discovered that Wylan couldn't read or write. There is no evidence to say that he wouldn't do the same to Alys, under similar circumstances. 

And, of course, this all leads back to the matter of Wylan. When Van Eck decided that Wylan wouldn't be useful to him, he stopped caring about him very quickly. Near the end of Six of Crows, we hear more of the specifics on Van Eck's opinion of Wylan. “I have hired the best tutors from every corner of the world. I’ve tried specialists, tonics, beatings, hypnotism. But he refused to be taught. I finally had to accept that Ghezen saw fit to curse me with a moron for a child. Wylan is a boy who will never grow to be a man. He is a disgrace to my house,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). Van Eck believes that Wylan is a curse from Ghezen, purely because he thinks that Wylan will be incapable of producing profits for their business. This is perhaps one of the most egregious examples of his blatant abuse of his own religion, because he is entirely willing to abandon and even murder his own son in order to fulfill his goals, which he claims is all Ghezen's will.

There is no feasible way Wylan would be able to grow up being raised by Van Eck, and not be affected by his religious ideas in some way. In fact, there is evidence contained in the text that proves this rather thoroughly. There are even certain things that have already been cited within this analysis that can be circled back to, such as the quote just above. This quote exemplifies the sort of treatment Wylan was subjected to while growing up. This is mostly speculation, but it's safe to assume he was told at a very young age that his own father considered him a punishment from god. That is objectively terrible, and we know that by the age of eight his father was his only parent. The psychological impacts that that would have on a child that young are unimaginable. 

Additionally, we can return to this quote from Crooked Kingdom: “When I leave this world, the greatest shipping empire ever known will remain, an engine of wealth, a tribute to Ghezen and a sign of his favor. Who will remember a girl like you, Miss Ghafa? What will you and Kaz Brekker leave behind but corpses to be burned on the Reaper’s Barge?” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 7). While Van Eck is not talking to Wylan here, and Wylan isn't even present at the time, this passage still indirectly displays Van Eck's feelings about Wylan. Here he is expressing the fact that he maintains that if a person is not able to create wealth and prosperity for themselves, they are essentially useless. As we know from the previous example, he believes this of Wylan as well.

It is evident that Wylan was taught Ghezenite values from a young age. While examining the exterior of the Church of Barter, his thoughts include this: “He didn’t need to be able to read the words engraved over the arch. He’d heard his father repeat them countless times. Enjent, Voorhent, Almhent. Industry, Integrity, Prosperity,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 31). This is confirmation that Van Eck frequently encouraged Wylan to think about these values, and it can be inferred that it likely wasn't in a particularly positive manner. Industry, integrity, and prosperity are clearly the three main ideals of this religion, and we can easily be led to the conclusion that Van Eck is certain his son is capable of none of them.

It is also suggested that Wylan may even associate his father's disapproval with religion subconsciously as well. A good example of this is in Crooked Kingdom, after Wylan is taken to the Church of Barter. “Van Eck shook his head. “Every time I think you cannot disappoint me further, you prove me wrong.” They were in a small chapel topped by a dome. The oil paintings on the wall featured battle scenes and piles of armaments,” (Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 31). While this is also simply meant to provide the reader with a description of the environment, the juxtaposition between the two halves of this passage cannot be an accident. What we can observe here is that after Van Eck once again expresses his ever-present disappointment with Wylan, emphasis is immediately put on the fact that they are in the church. This, along with the other passages listed, creates a clear link between Wylan's negative relationship with his father and the effects that their shared religion has had on it.

What I consider to be one of the most important quotes for this subject, despite also being the shortest one used, comes near the end of Six of Crows. After Wylan has played his role in foiling Van Eck's plan to trick the Crows, he says this: “Maybe you can pray to Ghezen for understanding, Father,” (Six of Crows, Chapter 45). This is sort of the first act of retribution that the reader sees from Wylan. He has just made his father look like a fool, and then he practically spits in his face by taking the thing that was used against him for so long - their religion - and using it against his father instead. Not only is this moment incredibly satisfying, it also marks the beginning of Wylan's growth as a character that eventually leads to him being able to stand up to his father in more ways.

Despite being arguably the least explored Grishaverse religion in online spaces, I find Ghezenism to be extremely interesting when it comes to the ways it ties into the themes of the story. It represents wider, more general themes found throughout the book, such as the idea that people often value their own success over the well-being of others, but it contains even more when examined under a closer lens. It opens the door to a completely new aspect of further analyzing the relationship between Wylan and his father, and introduces vital elements of in-depth characterization for both of them. The way Wylan and Van Eck each view the same religion is highly indicative of their individual values, and that is a very interesting thing to expand upon. It simply goes to show just how much thought went into creating both the culture of this world, and the characters who live within it.