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allisluv · 6 months ago

Text

COMING CLEAN

Chapter twelve -- final goodbyes.

pairing: finnick odair x fem!oc

content warnings: angst, the games begin, juniper is crying (yes that is a warning because i hate seeing my baby upset), needles, tremors, blood, gore, death, dahlia being a girlboss, katniss and dahlia having beef, concussions, CPR, sexual jokes and innuendos.

word count: 4.1k

previous chapter -- next chapter

A heavy sense of dread sits in Dahlia's stomach from the time she wakes up. It weighs her down as she gets dressed into the tribute outfit, a one-piece made of flimsy material that tells her this year's arena is something mild, and it stays with her when she says her final goodbyes.

Malaki is first, and it hurts worse than anything else Dahlia has ever experienced. He gives her a hug, arms wrapped around her torso, and leans down to whisper in her ear. "Stick to the plan. It will work, darling, you've just got to trust me."

Dahlia freezes in his embrace. She never told him about the conversation she had with Plutarch. Then again, it's not surprising; Malaki has always had a way of knowing everything before Dahlia herself figures it out.

He pulls away, eyes holding a silent question of whether or not she understands. She nods once, and he presses his lips together in quiet approval. He kisses her cheek and for what might be the first time in her life, she doesn't flinch at another man's touch (Finnick does not count in regards to this matter, she would like to point out).

Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out a gold necklace. "Your token," he says, dropping his voice as he leans in close to clasp it around her neck. "That's how they'll know."

Juniper is next, and Dahlia has to suck in a deep breath to steady herself for this one. Juniper's bottom lip wobbles and she clamps her teeth into it to stop it trembling. Shaking her head, she puts on a smile and throws herself at Dahlia, burying her head in the older woman's neck. "I'm not gonna cry," she mumbles.

Dahlia laughs softly. "Normally, I'd tell you to cry if you want to, but I think if you start, you'll set me off, too."

Juniper chuckles before morphing off into a sob. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault." She reaches up to dab at her eyes.

Dahlia cups her cheeks in her hands, eyes hard as steel. "You have nothing to be sorry for. None of this is your fault. You hear me? I made my own decisions and if I had a time machine, I would not change a thing."

"Okay," Juniper whispers. "Okay. Just.. just promise me you'll try to come home to me."

"So long as you promise to look after Ivy for me. And, please, for the love of God, just tell her that you're in love with her already."

Juniper's mouth hangs open and a blush creeps across her pale cheeks. "I'm-- I am not in love with-- what?"

Dahlia rolls her eyes. "Please, June. You've been in love with my sister since the first time you lay eyes on her." She arches a thin brow. "There's no point in denying it, hon. I'm not blind; I see the way you two look at each other. For what it's worth, I think she likes you, too."

Juniper folds her arms over her chest. "How do you know?"

"I'm her sister. I know her better than she knows herself," Dahlia replies with a shrug. "Just take the jump. What do you have to lose?" Without giving her a chance to answer, she pulls her friend into a hug and rests her chin atop her head. "I love you, yeah?"

"I love you, too," Juniper says, clinging to Dahlia. "But this isn't goodbye. You're coming home."

Dahlia doesn't have the heart to say otherwise, so she just squeezes her tighter until Bloom cuts their conversation short with an impatient tap of her foot. "I've got to go," Dahlia says, pressing a chaste kiss to Juniper's forehead. "I'll be back soon."

"You better be," Juniper answers, sinking onto a leather sofa and curling herself into a ball. "I'll miss you."

"Don't worry. You can annoy Haymitch. It'll be like I'm not even gone."

Juniper smiles as Bloom wraps her arm around Dahlia's shoulders and steers her into the open elevator. Before the doors close, she sees Wyatt saying his own goodbyes, and then they fly up to the roof.

Twenty-four hovercrafts are waiting for them, one for each tribute, and Bloom makes quick work of finding the one marked with Dahlia's name. Armed peacekeepers stand guard, and let the two of them into the hovercraft, where a needle is jammed into Dahlia's arm. She can feel the tracker sliding under her skin, and she makes a mental note to cut it out before the games end.

With how fast the hovercraft is flying, it takes less than five minutes to get to the launch centre. A peacekeeper escorts them off of the hovercraft and up a flight of stairs to the room where Dahlia will be launched into the arena.

"Sixty seconds," the voice over the intercom announces.

"Bloom, I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me over the years," Dahlia starts, clasping Bloom's hands in her own. "I know I'm not the most easy person to work with, so thank you for putting up with me."

Bloom's face softens. "Nonsense, sweetheart. It's been an honour. Now, no more goodbyes. I'll see you when you come out of that arena. I have faith in you, Dahlia. I've always had faith in you. You're stronger than you believe you are. You're a fighter, darling."

Dahlia smiles softly, despite the little voice in the back of her head that says otherwise. "Thank you. For everything."

"Ten seconds to launch."

Dahlia pulls Bloom into her arms, sighing contentedly when her stylist doesn't protest. Instead, she melts into the hug and when they break apart, Dahlia swears she sees tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

With one last squeeze of her stylist's hands, Dahlia steps into the launch tube, feeling the plate shuffle unevenly beneath her feet. She'll never get used to that feeling of being off-balance, no matter how many times she does this. See-through glass comes down, trapping her inside of the tube, and she feels her hands start to tremble. Never a good sign, she thinks.

Pushing back a stray strand of hair that has escaped from her high ponytail, she tries to keep her breathing steady as the tube starts to shoot up into the arena. The top opens and Dahlia's nearly blinded by the sunlight she's met with.

As the tube slides back down, leaving her stranded on a plate in the arena, she tries to get a grip on her surroundings. Choppy waters enclose her with slick walkways leading to the Cornucopia. She hones in on a pair of sickles right in front of her, and makes a mental path in her head. From the looks of things, the walkways are rocky and uneven, and the last thing she wants to do is slip and hit her head before the games even begin, so that leaves her with one option; swimming to the Cornucopia.

The announcer's voice sounds over the PA system. "Welcome to the 75th annual Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favour." He starts to count down, and then the canon is sounding, letting them know that they're safe to go.

Dahlia wastes no time in jumping into the water. It's icy cold and it's a shock to her system, but she pushes through. Other people swim to the walkways and then start running along them, but as a result, some fall back into the water, making Dahlia glad that she chose to swim the whole way.

Hoisting herself onto the Cornucopia, she makes a beeline for the sickles and grips the handles. She can hear footsteps behind her, and she turns, seeing Woof from Eight hot on her heels. She doesn't even have a second thought as she swipes her sickles through the air and slices his neck open. Blood spurts from the wound, soaking her, and she leaves him there, her legs shaking with adrenaline as a canon sounds.

Frantically, she looks around for Wyatt, eyes scanning the whole of the Cornucopia. She comes up empty-handed, but sees Cecelia from Eight heading right for her with a spear brandished at where her heart should be.

Dahlia has just enough time to duck as the spear soars through the air, clattering against an array of rocks as she misses. Cecelia pulls a dagger out of her back pocket, but Dahlia is too quick, and she slices Cecelia in the legs. She goes down like a sack of potatoes, crying out in pain and as Dahlia drives her sickles into her chest, she can't help but think of Cecelia's children, who no longer have a mother.

She bats the thought away like a fly and gasps for air as she stumbles away from Cecelia's body, tripping over her feet as she goes. Her hands shake violently as she spots Wyatt talking with both Finnick and Katniss on the far side of the Cornucopia. "Finnick!"

He looks up at the sound of his name as Dahlia staggers towards them, wiping the bloody sickles down the front of her wetsuit. "Are you hurt?" He worries, placing a hand over the crimson stain on her stomach.

"It's not mine," she says, closing her eyes and placing her trust in Finnick to lead her away from the dead body of Six's boy on the ground. "I'm okay."

"You're shaking," Finnick argues, a frown pulling down the corners of his lips.

"What's new?" Dahlia scoffs. "We've got bigger fish to fry right now. Where's Peeta?"

"I don't know. Cover me and I'll have a look," Finnick says, twirling his trident around in the air, and slipping away to the right. Less than five seconds later, he returns, beckoning them towards him. "Mags found him! He's over here!"

Katniss and Wyatt take the lead and Dahlia covers the back of her allies, sickles raised in case the Careers decide to make surprise appearance and ambush them.

Running along a slippery walkway, they slow to a stop when they reach Mags, who insistently points to a spot in the water. Finnick passes his trident off to Wyatt and dives into the cold water, swimming to where Peeta is fighting for his life with the boy from Ten.

The two men go under the water and she hears Katniss gasp when the sound of a canon cracks through the air, indicating that someone has died. "Peeta's stronger than you think," Dahlia says as balances the sickles between her fingertips. "He'll be okay, don't worry."

"You don't even know him," Katniss snaps. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're right," Dahlia says. "I don't. But if you speak to me like that again, I know that you won't be around long enough to find out whether he's alive or not."

Katniss narrows her eyes. "Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a promise."

Wyatt chuckles under his breath. "You're fighting a losing battle here, Katniss. You want her as your ally, not your enemy, trust me."

Katniss glares at the two of them, but a splash from the water has their heads snapping to the side to see what's happening. Peeta gasps for breath as he breaks the surface, and Finnick helps him get to land.

In the time it takes to get them to safety, the Careers have claimed the Cornucopia as their own, taking that off the table of options. Enobaria snarls at them and Gloss flips a dagger between his fingers.

"We don't want to stick around long enough to see whether they're bluffing or not," Dahlia says.

"She's right," Peeta agrees. "We need to find cover." He gestures towards the jungle and without another word, Mags hops up on Finnick's back and they've taken off in that direction.

The more distance they put between themselves and the Cornucopia, the more at ease they are. It feels like they run for hours, but it can only be ten minutes at the most. Palm trees cover them, and leaves drip dew down onto them. Slowly, they come to a stop, dropping down until they are safely hidden in the bushes.

The canon sounds three times and both Finnick and Wyatt laugh at the same time. "Guess we're not holding hands anymore," Finnick chuckles.

"You think that's funny?" Katniss bristles.

Finnick leans forward. "Every time that canon goes off, it's music to my ears. I don't care about any of them." He eyes Dahlia. "Apart from maybe you." She rolls her eyes and whacks him in the arm, which only makes him grin widely.

Katniss scoffs and unhooks a sword from her rucksack. "Good to know."

"You wanna face the Career Pack alone?" Finnick arches a brow. "Be my guest. But what would Haymitch say?"

"Haymitch isn't here, is he?" Katniss growls, pointing the sword at Finnick.

Peeta eyes the two of them, and, in an effort to diffuse the ever-growing tension, says, "We need to keep moving." He takes the sword from Katniss, partially because he didn't have time to grab a weapon of his own at the Cornucopia, but mainly because he doesn't trust her not to stab one of their allies.

Mags hops back up onto Finnick's back as they walk and Dahlia can't help but find it endearing how much he cares for her. Peeta slices vines out of the way as they make their way through the jungle, footsteps light and careful as if one wrong move will give away their position to the other tributes.

Katniss doesn't speak to Dahlia, although the glares she keeps casting over her shoulder speak louder than words. Dahlia's about to run her mouth and give her a piece of her mind when all of a sudden, Katniss screams out a warning to Peeta. Before Dahlia can process what she's warning him about, she's thrown backwards, and the rest follow like a stack of dominos toppling over.

Her skull hits a tree trunk with a sickening crack, and her head fills with pressure, as if someone has started shaking her brain about. There's a ringing in her ears as her fingertips move on their own accord to the back of her head. Her fingers come away sticky and stained with crimson, and she bites down on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out.

Her vision is doubled as she watches Peeta lay lifeless on the floor. Finnick hovers over him, and gives him mouth-to-mouth. She vaguely recognises it as CPR in the midst of her haze.

Someone crawls over to her and she winces when Mags coaxes her into leaning forward, nimble fingers checking the wound over. Mags signs something but she's too out of it to make out what it means. Wyatt's at her side next, and his voice fades in and out of focus as her head throbs.

Finnick's too caught up in saving Peeta's life, and his shoulders slump in relief when the younger boy gasps, chest heaving as he inhales deep breaths. Katniss starts to sob, clinging to Peeta, and Finnick takes a step back to give them space. His eyes do a quick sweep of his surroundings and his heart drops to the pit of his stomach when he sees Dahlia.

He's never moved so fast in his entire life, and he's by her side in less than a second. His fingers are gentle as he cups her cheeks in his hands and calls her name. "Honey, can you hear me?" It takes a minute, but she nods her head slowly, groaning in pain when the movement makes her brain ache. "That's good. Don't move for a second. Just take it easy, yeah? I'm here." His thumb rubs across her cheekbone soothingly.

"I'm fine," Dahlia murmurs, as stubborn as ever. She moves to stand up but Finnick pushes her back down firmly.

"Nuh-uh. I'm not buying that this time," Finnick says, voice gentle but firm, holding a certain level of authority that she would be stupid to disobey. "Just sit still for a minute. Take it easy. Where does it hurt?"

"I'm okay," Dahlia insists, trying to push herself to her feet again and nearly falling flat on her face. Finnick catches her and lowers her back onto the mossy ground, cradling her weak form in his arms. "I'm fine," she slurs. "Just need to sleep for a while."

Mags shakes her head violently and signs the words, "She's got a concussion. Nothing serious, but better to be safe than sorry."

Finnick tilts Dahlia's chin in his fingertips and feels panic grip his insides when her head lolls to one side. "Dahlia. Stay awake. Stay with me."

"I'm tired," she complains, nuzzling her face into his chest and wetting the front of his wetsuit with blood. "Just let me sleep. I'll be fine when I wake up."

"No, honey, you can't go to sleep. Just keep your eyes open. Look at me," he says, tone leaving no room for argument. Dahlia does as she's told and he smiles softly. "Good girl. Just keep those pretty eyes open for a little while longer, yeah?"

Katniss watches them warily, the faintest hint of worry in her eyes at Dahlia being so out of it. A buzzing sound catches her attention and she looks up to see a parachute drifting down from the sky. Once it's in arms reach, she balances on her tippy-toes and grabs it, ripping open the bright gold paper and reading the note attached.

Stay awake. Drowsiness should go away after an hour or so --- June.

Katniss unwraps the paper and crouches down beside the others. "Here. Wrap this around her head. It'll stem the bleeding and stop it from getting infected." Finnick is suspicious, but he reads the note and decides to place his trust in Katniss, in hopes that she knows what she's doing. As if she can read his mind, she says, "My mom's a healer. I know the basics."

Dahlia bites down on her fist and clings to Finnick as Katniss wraps the white bandage around her head, muttering quiet apologies to the older girl as she does so.

"Shh, it's okay," Finnick whispers, brushing away the tears that spill out over Dahlia's waterline. "I know it hurts, it's nearly done," he says, pressing a soft, gentle kiss to her forehead. Mags eyes are firmly trained on them and, despite herself, a knowing smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "I know, honey. It's okay," he coos. Katniss sits back on her heels and gives him a curt nod. "There. All done."

Dahlia's head feels less fuzzy and Finnick lets her sit up properly this time, although he keeps a firm grip on her hand in case she tries to stand. "Can we just sit here for a second? I'll be okay in a minute," she murmurs, using her free hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.

Katniss argues that they should keep moving, but one sharp look from both Finnick and Wyatt has her relenting. "I guess we can stay here for a minute, but not for too long. The Careers could show up here any minute now."

Dahlia's a bit behind on the uptake, but she eventually says, "The Careers are stupid, but they're not that stupid. They're not going to give up the Cornucopia unless they're forced to."

Peeta nods his agreement. "She's right. When I was with One and Two last year, they said they were trained to stay at the Cornucopia if they ever gained control of it."

"It's true," Wyatt chimes in. "It was the same during my games, and that was years ago."

"So, what, we just wait here for someone to find us?" Katniss scoffs.

"At least until Dahlia is able to walk in a straight line," Finnick snaps, tracing soothing circles over the skin of her knuckles. "Look, we won't be here long. Half an hour tops. She's already getting a bit of colour back in her face."

Katniss thins out her lips and shares a silent look with Peeta, who tilts his head to one side. With a roll of her eyes, she says, "Fine," and scours the floor for something small. Picking up a nut, she fires it at the forcefield and watches it disintegrate into ash.

Even in her daze, Dahlia can see the lightbulb appearing over her head. Without another word, Katniss adjusts the sheath of arrows over her shoulder and starts climbing a tree trunk, using the thick branches as grips for her feet.

"What is she doing?" Dahlia mutters, using her hand to shield her eyes from the hot sun beaming down on them.

Finnick fights back the urge to roll his eyes. "God knows with that girl," he shakes his head, voice dripping with more sarcasm than usual. "You just focus on fixing your head."

Dahlia snorts indignantly. "You're seriously thinking about sex in the middle of an arena? Shame on you, Finnick, shame on you."

"I'm glad to see you didn't lose that winning sense of humour."

There's no bite behind his tone, and Dahlia swears she sees his lips twitch. "You love me, really. Just think of how boring your life would be without me."

"It'd be a hell of a lot easier, too, but you failed to mention that," Finnick smirks, and she socks him in the shoulder. "Your cognitive skills are working. That's a good sign."

"Are you asking me to hit you again? Kinky."

"You don't knowhow kinky I can get, honey."

Wyatt gags and clutches at his chest. "You do realise the rest of us are still here, right? God, this is worse then when I had that sex dream about... you know what, I'm not going to bother finishing that sentence."

Dahlia's laugh morphs into a sob. It feels like someone's taken a jackhammer to her skull and is using her brain as a construction site. Her fingertips move to poke at the back of her head, but Finnick has quicker reflexes, and catches her wrist gently. "You'll only make it worse by prodding at it," he warns.

"It hurts," Dahlia whines, trying (and failing) to wriggle her wrist out of his grasp. "Let me go."

"I can't do that, honey," he sighs, angling his head to catch her eye. "God knows what'll happen if you get an infection in this place. That's a risk I'm not willing to take."

"You're not my boss," Dahlia mutters, yanking her hand free and crossing her arms over the front of her chest. "You don't tell me what to do."

Finnick rolls his eyes. "Stop being a brat, honey."

"I am not a brat!" Dahlia gawps, mouth hanging agape.

"Well, you're acting like one. You can't get your own way so you're throwing a hissy fit." He lifts his shoulders up into a shrug. "Sounds like a brat to me."

"You take that back or I swear to God, I'll--"

The sound of Katniss' feet hitting solid ground cuts their argument short. "It's a dome. We're at the edge of the arena," she drops down beside them and places her bow on the moss beside her. "I couldn't find any signs of fresh water."

"It's going to get dark soon," Finnick points out. "We'll be safe with our backs protected. We should set up camp. Take turns sleeping. Dahlia and I can take first watch."

Katniss laughs bitterly. "Not a chance."

Finnick stands up tall, digging the sharp end of his trident into the soft ground and leaning his weight on it. "Sweetheart, that thing I did back there for Peeta? That was called saving his life. If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it by now."

Dahlia raises her hand in the air. "Same here. I'd have killed you a long time ago if I really wanted to. I can't fall asleep for a while, so Finnick and I will be taking first watch."

Katniss looks like she wants to argue some more, but Peeta places a gentle hand on her bicep. "I trust them," he whispers. "It's alright." He takes her by the hand and leads her to sit down, their backs leaning against a tree trunk. "Wake us up soon, yeah?"

Dahlia nods and mouths a silent thank you to him.

Wyatt stretches his arms behind his back. "It's settled then. Dahlia and Finnick are on the first watch? Agreed?"

"Agreed."

#grace talks🐚🌷#the hunger games #thgs #thg #finnick odair #finnick odair x reader #finnick odair x you #finnick odiar x fem!oc #dahlia holloway #finnick odair x oc #fem!oc #coming clean #coming clean wp #catching fire #mockingjay #oc

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horizon-verizon · 2 years ago

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green and alicent stans have never touched a single one of grrm’s books and it shows everyday. tf you mean alicent watches b&c?? what do you mean she knew when to quit?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE CARED ABT DYANA AND WAS TRYING TO HELP HER??

everyday they have a new inconsistent argument and when you try to debunk it, you’re a misogynist and only like cool girl bosses and not the utter most passive feminine girls who suffer in silence.

Response to this post.

CORRECTION!: Alicent more likely than not watched her grandkid die bc there's no strong suggestion that she was actually moved before he died in spite of how the text also doesn't mention how weird it is the text doesn't include Alicent in the list of those Gyldayn was surprised at not having been hurt:

AND

there are no details of Alicent trying to get her way around or to her child and grandchild, begging behind the gag with Helaena as she begged for example.

This doesn't change that most of Alicent's actions during and after the Dance were mostly closely tied to her emotions, particularly her grief and rage and desire to prevent the deaths of loved ones when actually confronted with the likelihood of that. At the same time, she also still wanted Jaehaera to risk herself to kill Aegon III, so...my points from that post continue to stand.

Answering the Current Ask

The next ask is trying to convince me Alicent was wise and conciliatory towards any black is gonna get a disrespectful gif istg.

"girl boss"--from what I noticed in the HotD fandom--can be used to denote how the person perceives how negative or positive female autonomous power is more than what actually gives her power in the setting that she is in.

Some definitions I found:

Wiki: "Girlboss is a neologism which denotes a woman "whose success is defined in opposition to the masculine business world in which she swims upstream". She's the confident and capable woman who is successful in her career or the one who pursues her own ambitions, instead of working for others or otherwise settling in life...The term is conversely used with sarcastic and pejorative undertones, to denote women who attempt to raise their professional lives by practicing the same abusive and materialistic practices found in the patriarchal society."

TheWomensNetwork: ""Meanwhile, phrases like, “They hate to see a girl boss winning,” “Just a girl boss building her empire,” and “Gaslight, gatekeep, girl boss” has taken off as ironic Gen Z catchphrases used to poke fun at clueless millennials who once uncritically bought into the notion that craven careerism is somehow inherently empowering""

The second site goes on to say:

How did this idea fall so far from grace? To put it simply: scammers. We all know about pyramid schemes, and somehow they wormed their way into the idea of a girl boss. In an article from gen medium, writer Leigh Stein quotes Jia Tolentino from her essay, “The Story of a Generation in Seven Scams,” as saying this on the girlboss “The feminist scammer rarely sets out to scam anyone...She just wants to be successful, again the agency that men claim so easily, to have the sort of life she wants. She should be able to have that shouldn’t she?” The feminist scammer in Tolentino’s words is a part of the downfall of the ‘girl boss’ as this is what allows the joke to enter their conversation.

And then when it is Rhaenyra vs Alicent (HotD), Rhaenyra's detractors claim her being a "girlboss" in her somehow using her privilege to have room to be rebellious and "get away" from those "responsibilities" towards her family, which includes keeping "chaste" and having legitimate heirs...but also conducting herself, unlike the men who have the ability to do this AND not be condemned for it. Instead of thinking that:

A) she didn't come out of the womb wanting to "make trouble" for her society, she just has a more adventurous spirit than Andal patriarchal lords would think is "normal", hence Lyanna being seen as "wilful" instead of "spirited". This is show!Rhaneyra's nature. Her privilege as a Targ princess & Viserys giving her some more leeway than Jaehaerys would have is out of her control while, yes, shaping her sense of autonomy, which can only be a good thing!

B) and when she's up against restrictions on Asaid autonomy (bc she is, as she is still a woman in a patriarchal society) she then/continuously rebels because the irrational double standard is irrational and oppressive in itself. What is she going to have poisoned children bc she wasn't chaste? If true, how is that different from Robert's bastards? what is the real material difference b/t a woman's and a man's bastards other than already sexist customs allowing more power to men over women?!)

These people use "girlboss" against Rhaenyra, twisting the meaning of "pursues her own ambitions, instead of working for others or otherwise settling in life" as if Rhaenyra's is in the wrong for opposing or rebelling against not even a lot, but a few key elements of an already flawed and irrational system of "honor" and chastity.

The crazy part is that I can definitely call book!Alicent a "girlboss" by virtue of the fact that she, too, is still opposing men in a smaller way by using their power and perception of her for her own rise. The silent but deadly sort of "girlboss". And I can be sarcastic about it too, by pointing out how she still actively uses misogynist principles against female sexual autonomy as her main weapon against another woman for her own rise.

*EDIT* (8/21/23):

THIS is a great post by @mononijikayu about medieval queens, female rulers, the history of how women in leadership positions were made and seen as threats to the very structure of social "order", and contextualizing Rhaenyra thru Empress Matilda. I didn't even know about Matilda's husband being comparable to Rhaneyra's Daemon! PLZ READ!!!!

Excerpt:

just as much, along with these fictitious portrayals, more lies are depicted. these women are considered vixens that cause havoc to men by shifting them into desires and danger. through the written word, we see how women are cast in roles of villains in men’s lives. it is because by their conclusive thoughts, women are the only creatures that are able to turn ‘good honorable men’ into despicable creatures who do shameful, deplorable acts for the sake of women’s pleasures. it is within this narrative that ancient chroniclers declare that women were in fact the doom of men. if they were not able to control the dangers posed by the wiles of women, then the foundations of the mighty society they had built would be up in flames. [...] as i mentioned, these factors of community are written down and preserved. and with that, the example of the ancients were the foundations by which medieval society built itself. the same concepts continued to cause the same issue within society and that was the exclusion of women from participating in the bigger picture of community and state, much so with governing states in their own right—without judgment or disapproval.

#asoiaf asks to me #alicent stans #alicent hightower #alicent's characterization #girlboss #nlog #fandom critical #rhaenyra and alicent #rhaenyra's characterization #fire and blood characters

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lizzy-bonnet · 2 years ago

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I love Jane Austen's work and I love podcasts, so naturally I follow several JA podcasts (please drop recs in the tags). I'm enjoying Live from Pemberley from Hot and Bothered, but a comment from literally the first episode of the series has been circulating in my brain since I listened to it several months ago: one of the hosts expressed surprise (and disappointment?) in the fact that when we first meet Lizzy, she is "employed in trimming a hat". This comment literally comes right after a conversation about how Austen tells us so much in the very short space of Chapter 1; without wasting any words, we know exactly who Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are (lightly toxic relationship), understand their family situation (need to marry well), meet the main driver of the first act (rich man in the neighbourhood), and understand a social dilemma (girls can't meet him if Mr. Bennet does not make the first overture). So what is Austen telling us when we meet Lizzy in the employment of trimming a hat?

We so often read a sort of modern girlboss feminism into Lizzy because she is smart and stands up for herself, but I think that's something that really gets embroidered on to the text. Lizzy trimming a bonnet is telling us several things about her:

She is frugal - new hats and bonnets are really expensive (my casual hobby is shopping for reproduction bonnets and this remains true), because the straw is braided by hand, the bonnet shape is assembled and blocked by hand, feathers have to be gathered from real (living or dead) birds, ribbons and flowers are hand-finished, the whole situation is fuck expensive. Lizzy is most likely putting new trim on a straw or wool bonnet she already owns to make it work better for this season's fashions, or a new dress, and possibly recycling trimmings from other hats. Contrast this with Lydia's spending all her pocket money on an ugly hat in Chapter 39, just so she can reduce it to parts, even though she acknowledges she'll also have to buy some extra satin too, to finish the project.

She cares about fashion - we don't get a lot of information on sartorial choices in Austen's work, and when characters are discussing fashion, it tends to be a framework for explaining something about their characters; Miss Steele's need to know how much Marianne's dresses cost (rude, crass); Mrs. Bennet's loving description of the lace on Mrs. Hurst's gown (shallow); Catherine Moreland's agonizing over what to wear to the Assembly (young, a bit flighty); Bingley wears a blue coat (has probably read The Sorrows of Young Werther, is fashionable). The fact that Lizzy is trimming a hat tells us she is fashionable, but paired with the fact that she will get a petticoat muddy in order to see her sister, and does not spend a lot of time worrying after fashion like Lydia tells us that she does not live and die on fashion.

She is creative - I've trimmed various hats and bonnets over my years of interest in historical fashion and honestly it's not easy. It's quite fiddly to get a nice ribbon edge, a ruched lining takes forever, and getting sprays of florals and feathers to be nicely shaped and all in a complementary palette is quite fussy. Getting a nice looking bonnet requires some thinking and planning. But it's also great fun! The Regency era is, in my opinion, a particularly good period for hats.

She is normal - I think Austen wants the reader to understand that Lizzy is a young woman with normal cares and concerns. She doesn't have cash for a new bonnet, she wants to look nice, she knows how to put an outfit together, she's not frivolous like her sisters, and she engages in the typical pursuits of someone who is not yet one and twenty who does not have a specific occupation.

A lot of modern readers are expecting Lizzy to be striding around the countryside unconcerned with "girly" things, or reading a clever book because we have come to think of her as proto-feminist in a way that suggests she might be a bra (corset) burner, but I think that comes from an outdated feminist lens that still wants to tell us that girly things are bad, or at least, a bit weak, and I don't see that in the text at all (I think some of this trickles over from the adaptations). Lizzy walks enthusiastically, she enjoys reading (but not to the exclusion of other employments), she dances very well and plays with mediocrity, she cares deeply about her friends and family, she has excellent manners, and dammit, she trims hats.

#jane austen #pride and prejudice #lizzy bennet #regency fashion #bonnets #characterization

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eggs-can-draw · 2 years ago

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First, I bring the sneak peek

this master post is being made by a person who has a monster energy drink cans hung above their bed as a pride flag (the 8 colors version), I get to make it an eyesore (would make anything rainbow if given the opportunity to do so)

I am going for chronological events over chronological posting, definitely not done adding subcategories there, I know The Horrors will include Live Parents Reaction section and the alt ch 3 section. Speaking of which. I have an oumatsu question, I mentioned in the tags while reblogging the fic you wrote for Shuichi and Kokichi. Or more like multiple, is the alt ch 3 canon to the AU timeline or is it a what if? In the fic that I will be writing, would you rather I be evil and made their confession during a very emotional (crying & more crying & hugging) ch3 moment or be nice and do it after Kokichi wakes up in a soft kind of tender moment with a proper conversation (the Shuichi plan) they're going to have either way happening as part of the confession? Unrelated question, but did you reblog the outfit kitties just bc they're cute or are you doing the drawing meme? I just think Raspberry has Kaede vibes all over it, Kokichi would look good in Lilly Pilly Berry and Shuichi could match them in being pink as Strawberry or Pine berry, but like, I already visualized them in my head so no pressure if you weren't going to be taking requests on that. If I could get one request of them, I'd rather get this one I've had since last night, it's something I am going to put in the fic so it'd be an illustration basically.

post-game cuddle pile, Kokichi's old cat (10 years old at this point) sleeps above their heads, Kokichi himself is sprawled on top of the two of them, basically on Shuichi, would be listening to his heartbeat if they weren't asleep, but with an arm and a leg thrown over Kaede, who's snuggled up to Shuichi's side, it's Summer and they're in a sunbeam, so the blanket is nearly fully kicked of, tangled between their legs. They weren't supposed to have that sleepover, but Shuichi had a nightmare and when they checked on the groupchatTM after he calmed down it turned out Kaede was awake too, so they texted her to come over, knowing that none of them would be able to go back to sleep on their own.

It doesn't have to be today or under this ask, if you don't have time for drawing when you see it, I need answers for questions more.

Last bit: them playing house as kids and having all those weird ideas about what a normal family is like because as little kids they have no idea their parents are... pretty unique. Only in funny ways, tho. Like, I just imagined that as opposed to Kokichi's mind blown Kaede's reaction to polyamory was just like "that's how things are, I am going to have that in my future" and she makes a drawing of that future, explaining it to Mikan "this is my husband A, cooking dinner, and this is my husband B cleaning, and I am on tour playing piano like a girlboss", M: Hmm... A girlboss? Did Monaca teach you that word? K: Yes, when I learned playing that pop song to make an original TikTok soundtrack for her last week, it's not a bad word right? M: It's not, but... what song? K: Uhhh, the Boss... girl song. Or like "So which one of you is the one that gets a lobotomy?" type beat

Phwoof this is a biggun get ready for WORMS

YOOOOOO THATS SUPER COOL DUDE!! I like how organized it is that’s so fucking dope my dude <- (is going to be thinking about this for the next few hours)

QUESTION TIME:

✨ The alt ch3 is canon it scratches my brain too much

✨HONESTLY EITHER WOULD PROBABLY MAKE EMOTIONAL

✨ honestly it was a mix of both lol, cute fruity kittties and if anyone wants I can draw fruity blorbos lol

✨ALSO IVE GOT YOUR REQUESTS SCREENSHOTTED AND ILL GET TO THEM ASAP (which means I’ll probably thumbnail it during work and get started after work lol)

ALSO ALSO I LOVE THEM HAVING DIFFERENT TAKES ON WHAT A “NORMAL” FAMILY IS LMAO. I kinda like the thought of Kokichi’s polyamory realization being that you can just have more than one parent lol

They’re silly funky

#eggs can answer #monster energy drink pride flag is fucking awesome #kokichi ouma #shuichi saihara #kaede akamatsu #oumatsu #MORE TAGS LATER

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midnightdemonhunter · 3 years ago

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GOD THAT WAS GREAT !!! I'M ACHING !!!!! fuckin UHHHHH could we hear some about mikan & junko too then? junko & sonia? junkoooooo & akane & nekomaru? the last two in particular i always struggle with thinking of as despairs, & i'd love to hear your takes on them & literally any fleck of the remnants you want to discuss <3

THANK YOU!!!! I spend my days constantly thinking about Junko with class 77 and the remnants, so I'm absolutely delighted to get the chance to talk about them!! (put under Read More cause i have a LOT to say)

The big pain about Mikan and Junko to me is the idea that Junko is just NICE to her. Like she bumps into Mikan on her first day of school and laughs off Mikan's apologies. She says good morning to her every time they meet. She doesn't blink at Mikan's ramblings. Like she's giving Mikan a normal amount of attention and because Mikan is so starved for attention Junko becomes the love of her life. And it's like MAN she would have felt this way about whoever treated her like this and Junko just happened to be the first.

I think Junko's big thing pre-tragedy is to ask fucked up hypotheticals to everyone she knows, and she has a blast doing it with Mikan-- who's always happy to answer insane medical questions. And then after the tragedy...well Junko has always forgiven and embraced Mikan's worse traits-- surely Mikan owes her Beloved the same!

In terms of remnant Mikan...I feel like my ideas are the least revolutionary? She's one of the few remnants who 1. Has a reasonable amount of fics/art 2. Has a reasonable amount of GOOD fics/art So i don't have a lot of unique concepts with her?? I do absolutely love the idea that she is one of the less crazy remnants-- since for all we know, she's a mild one!

I really think Sonia would love Junko. Junko is a blunt, morbid person who would delight in Sonia's serial killer obsession, and they would have a great time binging horror movies and discussing Hypothetical Fights to the Death. Sonia is one of the many people Junko dates in the lost years, and they're sparkling blondes on the surface-- very violent cheerful conversations below it.

In the end...Sonia proposes to Junko, and offers her a spot on the throne. Junko happily accepts! Junko then precedes to happily kill herself in a very non hypothetical killing game, breaking Sonia's heart. Now Sonia is a bride abandoned at the alter, who wears her wedding dress permanently in honor of her departed love. She has BIG Mrs Havisham vibes.

I very much respect all Girlboss remnant Sonia concepts but unfortunately I have doomed her to be a sad girlfail girlcry. She finds the idea of anyone finding her attractive after Junko horrifying, and mutilates herself as a way of preventing this. She has chosen Junko over her kingdom, and she is very aware of this choice.

ARGH AKANE AND NEKOMARU. Honestly I agree with you, these two are really hard to nail down as remnants. Nekomaru especially, since he is both gay and seemingly very emotionally healthy, so it's harder to imagine him going to any of the lengths the remnants go to for Junko. However I try my best to justify and imagine it!!

In school, both Nekomaru and Akane were Junko's sparring partners. (separately). Nekomaru is very concerned about Junko but is also under the impression that he can fix her. HE CAN NOT. Junko wants to see how far she can push him in their fights, and how violent he can get with her. She'll leave their sparring sessions bruised and bleeding and beaming. Akane's sparring sessions are much less bloody, but much more homoerotic. Junko always loses the fights but wins the arguments.

Neither of them realise how much Junko means to them UNTIL she dies on live television. Nekomaru feels like he failed one of his athletes, and Akane only realises she was in love now that Junko's gone. Akane becomes determined to never get attached or become weak again, and stops eating. She avoids Nekomaru out of repressed guilt on how badly she's treating her body. She also kills a lot of people she used to care about as a way of cutting ties Whoops.

Nekomaru....is the most emotionally healthy remnant who moves in with Souda and is still happy but...he also cuts off his legs to replace them with prosthetics which contain Junko's bones so uh. There's that. He also really enjoys violence now! Thanks Junko!

Basically, I have pretty clear images on where Nekomaru and Akane are at Hopes Peak and as Remnants, it's just the inbetween I find hard.

Getting back to more general here, but I really do have a LOT of remnant thoughts, as you can see from my ask blog (which I'm very slow with but still remember) and all the fics I've written. Speaking of remnant fics, I'm gonna plug Those Who Carried On here because it's where I've started putting all my other standalone remnant concepts that exist basically to expand the possibilities of the remnants. That fic is a delight to work on and I very much want everyone to see it!

If you're interested in more of my remnant or class 77 Junko dynamic thoughts, please feel free to send more asks like this one! This is really only the tip of the iceburg, and I'd love to discuss my personal remnant ideas, the interpretations i love in the fandom and the ones I don't, as well as any other remnant/lost years concepts! (as well as my seething hatred of dr3) If you personally want to talk about this stuff more in-depth with me, hit up my tumblr dms and I can keep talking. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well! Once again, thanks for the ask and the excuse to ramble!

#danganronpa #sdr2 #remnants of despair #junko enoshima #mikan tsumiki #nekomaru nidai #akane owari #sonia nevermind #midnight speaks #THATS ALL FOR RIGHT NOW I HAVE TO GO PASS OUT #but this has been so fun op please keep this going its very fun #all your nice comments on my remnant stuff means the world :))

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