#The 'Stronger Than You' trilogy too-

[alexoreality]

If anyone is going to ask what I've been up to, THIS is my answer.

[artist-issues]

"Rian Johnson was mocking Star Wars fans for expecting Star Wars tropes in TLJ!"

No. Star Wars fans just happened to have the exact same flaw that the character, Rey, had: too much focus on her parents. That made her easy to relate to. But the whole point, down to the first movie she was introduced in (which WASN'T written by Rian Johnson) was that her parents were never important.

Star Wars fans should've expected that reveal. It was already set up. Maz literally tells Rey in the first movie to quit focusing so much on her parents. The filmmakers literally told you "she's wrong to put so much stock in who her parents are" in The Force Awakens. He just carried that theme on and y'all weren't ready for it because you never wanted to accept it in the first place.

=

Same thing with Snoke. Kylo Ren was introduced as a character who only wants one thing: strength. He thinks that strength will solve his emotional frailty. He's insecure. (Because reasons, to do with his family and their lack of faith in him.) Rey straight-up discovers that his biggest fear is "never being as strong as Darth Vader" and says it out loud so that the audience will get it.

You really think, when he was introduced as a character who believes killing mentor-father-figures will make him feel stronger and therefore more secure, that Snoke ever had a chance of getting past the second movie alive?

=

They straight-up introduced these characters with certain flaws, which lead to certain motives, which so happen to lead to different conclusions than common Star Wars fan theories.

Because that's the beauty of the Sequels. They acknowledge the legendary status of the Original Trilogy Tropes, then grow beyond those tropes.

Or at least. They were starting to. Until Star Wars fans threw continued hissy fits because they didn't want a story, they wanted a 💫 Star Wars Checklist Cleverly Disguised as a Story.💫

Then the powers-that-be were like "okay they're really not looking for a good story, just give 'em the checklist they were looking for." And you got exactly that in The Rise of Skywalker.

But Rian Johnson wasn't mocking you. He was just taking the next logical, compelling step in the previously-established arcs of well-written characters. And carrying on the Sequel's initial trademark of "appreciate the past by growing beyond it." Y'know. Like a good writer.

[shinshandholder]

i think way too often about nicky's conversation with neil about love ("exy can't hold you up, and it won't make you a stronger or better person. sooner or later you're going to have to let someone in".) and how it's relevant at so many points of the trilogy, how it ties to neil's fears and how it always leads him to andrew. there are so many instances of it… just to name a few:

when neil is telling andrew about his past (kind of), and andrew takes it like a champ: "neil didn't know how to feel about that. he should be relieved, because it meant andrew might be done asking him questions, but it went deeper than that. he wondered for a moment if andrew could handle the entire truth so calmly, but that was too dangerous and stupid to consider".

after neil accepts andrew's offer to protect him: "andrew didn't bulge beneath his weight. he was something solid to lean against, something violent and fierce and unmoving. neil couldn't remember what it felt like to have someone hold him up. it was terrifying and liberating all at once".

after the conversation with nicky: "neil wouldn't wish his mess on anyone else. except he'd already started sharing that burden, albeit unwillingly. he'd divided his secrets between kevin and andrew. kevin reacted the way neil expected everyone would to the truth: with a horrified demand that neil leave immediately. andrew, though, nodded in the face of it and told neil to stay. he stood his ground when neil asked him for murder and gave him a key to their house".

when he opens up about his past AND SHOWS HIM HIS SCARS. "with so many people watching, neil couldn't lift his shirt. he did the next best thing and dragged one of andrew's hands under the hem. he pressed andrew's palm to the ugly scarring across his abdomen."

when he picks up andrew from rehab: "they'd been apart for seven weeks but neil keenly remembered why he'd stayed. he remembered this unyielding, unquestioning weight that could hold him and all of his problems up without breaking a sweat. for the first time in months he could finally breathe again. it was such a relief it was frightening; neil hadn't meant to lean on andrew so much."

when his reaction to the conversation with wymack about being captain is to call andrew: "neil felt a half-second from losing his mind, but then andrew said his name and neil's thoughts ground to a startled halt. he was belatedly aware of his hand at his ear and his finger clenched tight around his phone. he didn't remember pulling it from his pocket or making the decisino to dial out."

JUST. "it's always been 'lie' and 'hide' and 'disappear'. i've never belonged anywhere or had the right to call anything my own. but coach gave me keys to the court, and you told me to stay. you gave me a key and called it home."

"letting someone in meant trusting them not to stab me in the back when terrible people came looking for me. i was too afraid to risk it, so it was easier to be alone and not think about it. but i trust you".

when they're making out and andrew lets him put his hands on his hair: "it wasn't much, but it was a desperate relief having something to hold onto. maybe that low rush in his gut was from being trusted enough to reach out at all".

the fact that he stopped running away and realized he wanted to be someone who stays and fights for his loved ones. "I didn't say anything then because I knew I'd look out for only me when the world went to hell. I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to go back for you."

[cecewarlock]

Okay so this are pretty disjointed thoughts. I'll probably rewrite once I've calmed the fuck down but I've just watched TBOSAS and I need to talk about it

1- The hanging tree is about a man who is accused of three murders and when he is about to be hanged he asks for his lover to run away

Now in the Hunger games trilogy the song is a call to desperate action. A call for love and hope and freedom with the knowledge it might all end in death

But in TBOSAS it takes a whole different meaning, more especially in what I believe to be Snow's two most important relationships: Lucy Gray and Sejanus.

Unlike the man in the song, Snow has in fact killed three people one of them being Sejanus and unlike the man in the song who chooses his love over his own life. Snow does the opposite. He tells Lucy Gray to run during the games but once she is no longer caged, once she becomes the one thing he believes will cost him his life he chooses to attack. He truly is living embodiment of dr Gaul's philosophy. He is a victor.

2- Many people have already pointed out the Katniss/Snow Peeta/Lucy Gray parallels but I cannot stop thinking about Plutarch/Sejanus.

3- Everything about Tigris makes my heart break.

4-"Snow lands on top" is such a cunty ass line. Say what you will about Snow but he ate with that one. Cannot wait to see it used inappropriately in a fanfic

5- Snow having two scars on his back. One from when he saved Sejanus and one from when Lucy Gray saved him. I need to be sedated.

6- Ceasar being a nepo baby lol

7- "You are as pure as the driven snow" seriously somebody sedate me.

8-the rainbow on the statue's dress at the end. Lucy Gray you will forever live rent free in Snow's mind.

9- Sejanus's last words being "Ma" something he got teased for at the beginning.

10- Everything about Reaper putting the flag over the fallen tributes. And his bravery in the face of death. And his kindness.

11-I normally scoff at prequels that lean too hard on the main story and while I definitely think that TBOSAS suffers from it from time to time I do believe it works because it serves a purpose. It recontextualizes what we know about Snow.

He is a haunted man. The revolution in the hunger games is personal to him. Beyond politics and money. It is Lucy Gray's songs, stronger and lauder than ever, accompanied by the drum of Sejanus ideals. It's payback. They have taken his power.

12- Do you hear that? It's the sound of Snow, falling.

13- In conclusion: If Suzanne Collins has no fans left know that I am dead.

[desultory-novice]

"Evigheden"

"...I'm sorry..."

.

-

"...Hee! Noir, you smell kinda moldy." "Yeah? And now you're going to smell that way too."

"...Because I'm not letting you go for anything."

-

Sometimes, the collar is a metaphor...

-

[Apologies AU Masterpost]

Also sorry if the first panel is unclear. Adeleine isn't trying to clumsily remove the visor, she's reaching in to touch his face to let him know she's there, as Noir is blind and deaf in this particular form, outside of what information the petals take in and transmit to him. They can't recognize qualities of the voice, ie, that it is his beloved little sister, simply that "some" voice is talking to him. They are also what transmits his "voice" (more like a droll, ghosty monotone) outwards.

-

Anyway, I was revisiting some of my favorite fairy tales, including HC Andersen's "The Snow Queen" (where the title originates) when I realized just how well parts of that story fit Adeleine and Noir.

In seconds, I'd written up a fresh script and was drawing this. It's a little rushed/uneven because I pushed myself to finish as quick as possible so that this could be my official last art post before my surgery tomorrow, figuring it was a good note to leave things on.

Call it ~fairy tale magic~ (although I imagine this is set sometime AFTER the Dark Matter Trilogy rather than during. Perhaps after Zero's "favorite tool" was discovered to be broken beyond repair and with Zero itself destroyed, 02 and the rest of the Dark Matter cut him off from the hive and left him to starve to death in the ruins of Shiver Star, where Adeleine eventually discovers him after revisiting her journey with the others) ...but at least we've got x1 Noir saved now!

(...How many more to go...? ^^; )

-

Because I know you folks care about lore, drone-type or unhatched Dark Matter "feed" off energy provided from the Hive Queen and they will burn in the light without their queen's protection.

Main game Shiver Star is actually MANY years removed from the Shiver Star Adeleine and Noir grew up on. (Adeleine fell through a dimensional rift halfway off planet and wound up on Popstar YEARS later than she left. It's a...complicated...story I'll tell later, while Noir has been Dark Matter for much longer than it seems) So, in addition to there being no more people there, there is significantly less of the kind of light that harms Dark Matter. (Is it, in fact, DUE to the lack of living creatures on the planet?? Dun-dun-dun?!)

Speaking of lore: "Wasn't there a literal parasite inside this version of Noir?? Like, an eyeball in his chest? Is that just gone now?"

Fufufu...

It is not GONE, for no one goes through life without some consequences. Though it was starved into hibernation and made further dormant by ~the healing power of love~ Noir does retain some piece of Dark Matter living inside him. A creature inside that grows stronger feeding off his negative emotions. 

He will simply have to learn to control it instead of giving in.

...Just like the rest of us humans. ^_-

[liveinalovelyway]

Hello! :)

I thought it might be fun to start a little music blog since I am so so so passionate about my favorite songs and artists. so very. Listening to new music and making all kinds of playlists have been big hobbies of mine for a while now and I’m hoping this will be a nice little hangout spot where I can talk about my favorite thing <3

Some of my very favorite artists!

❤️ Guns N’ Roses, Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley ❤️

+ David Gilmour, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Misfits, The Smashing Pumpkins, Ghost, Fleet Foxes, Palace, Dr. Dog, Frank Sinatra and Mac DeMarco to name a few :D

+ my Spotify <3 (descriptions and links to all of my playlists under the cut if you’re interested!!!)

find beauty in ordinary things - my very favorite rock-esque songs at the moment yaya

through hardships to the stars - pretty songs <3

you’re gonna make it if you try - soft rock / progressive rock / psychedelic rock type songs

take your time, don’t live too fast - classic rock songs

your zenith fades into eternity - pretty new/modern rock

know it’s for the better - power ballads and things of the sort

be patient with your life - pretty/chill songs

put your mind at ease - super chill songs

we’re a long way from the past - very pretty old timey songs

things are subject to change - old timey songs

near to the sun in the day - morning songs

near to the moon at night - nighttime songs

to live in fear is to not live at all - happy songs :)

like the mountains in springtime - upbeat and invigorating mountain songs / walkin’ songs

love is stronger than hate - nice and comfy songs

slow down, you’re doing fine - calm, comfy and quiet songs

everything lost will be recovered - sweet, gentle and childlike songs

hold on to the dream - super sleepy songs to go to sleeps to zzz

sketch the trees and the daffodils - spring songs

flaming flowers that brightly blaze - summer songs

swirling clouds in violet haze - autumn songs

catch the breeze and the winter chills - winter songs

you’ve gotta make it your own way - every Guns N’ Roses song (except one that.. that yeah..) in order of my favorites :) “don’t cry” i cried. he crew. we crode.

you are young and life is long - every Pink Floyd song (except the instrumental and/or wacky ones) in order of my favorites :)

it takes strength to be gentle and kind - every Jeff Buckley song in order of my favorites :) YEOUCH

take one day at a time - every David Gilmour song in order of my favorites :)

we are here to revel forevermore - every Ghost song (except Ashes because it scares me) in order of my favorites :)

sunlight over me no matter what i do - every Fleet Foxes song in order of my favorites :)

lord have mercy - the guns n roses “trilogy” / shot through the heart knees buckling turning into a pulp my gut is wretched gnawing at the bars of my cell sliding down the wall weeping on my hands and knees punching the ground writhing in my straight jacket this time i’m really gonna do it. in a good way <333

(apolocheese for that one, I think its funny..)

[adobe-outdesign]

Kung Fu Panda 4 Thoughts/Liveblog Thing

Just caught this at the theater for a grand total of five whole dollars, so I thought I'd do some quick opinions while it's fresh.

Non-spoiler opinion: It was Okay(TM), but the movies were considerably stronger as a trilogy. It's worth seeing one (1) time if you're a KFP fan (and really, who isn't), but I wouldn't bother paying full price for it or anything

SPOILERS FOR ALL 4 MOVIES UNDER THE CUT:

A list of things that slap:

The animation is stunning and fast-paced. Really loved the use of Chinese-style paint brush strokes to accentuate the action

Also I'll talk about the 5 later but I also really liked the animation change when describing where they are—all KFP movies have at least one animation shift and I'm glad this one kept up with it

Some of the fight scenes were super good, I liked the one that uses the tilting bar on a cliff in particular

(side note: the Missing Link did something similar, just on a ship. Go watch the Missing Link)

The Chameleon served straight cunt the entire time she was on screen and I kind of loved (almost) everything about her. Character design was incredible, voice was perfect, palace design was amazing, abilities were sick

Also the way she rides up chilling in a golden tree branch of all things? Fellas, we have no choice but to stan

Also I just appreciate the choice to both do a female villain for a change and to get a reptile in here after having only mammals and one (1) bird as villains previously

Speaking of character design there were a few really good ones in there, like a pangolin that moves Sonic the Hedgehog-style, a cool looking female boar, and a bunch of Komodo dragon henchmen. Good stuff

The jokes were a very mixed bag for me, some hit and some didn't. I will say that Zhen just going "that's great for you" in response to Shifu stating he's a red panda got me for some reason

If anyone hurts Po's gay dads I'm killing everyone in this room and then myself

Jack Black's cover of Baby One (1) More Time is unironically better than the original

A list of things that Do Not Slap:

Pacing/Plot:

This movie lacked a color scheme? KFP 1 was blue (also some gold), KFP 2 was red, KFP 3 was green. These colors weren't subtle either, there are entire scenes in each movie drenched in these colors and it was really obviously missing here

The whole first half the movie feels really breathless and too fast-paced. Apparently it was a studio mandate to have it not go over an hour and a half which is A) stupid and B) hurts the pacing

As much as I love Po's two gay dads we REALLY should not have been wasting time on their journey when the runtime is so tight

Also them tagging along felt off? Mr. Ping was worried sick about Po in KFP 2 but he doesn't tag alone because obviously he needs to let his son have his space. It's more in-character with Li Shan but it doesn't come across like he's talking Mr. Ping into it or something

In general there are so many plot points in this movie that feel under-developed. You could've made an entire movie out of the previous villains returning, Zhen and the Chameleon's relationship (see below), etc.

Po's Character:

People not knowing Po is the dragon warrior is weird, I'm pretty sure he would've been more well known than that

The entire thing with Po needing to give up his role as the Dragon Warrior doesn't really make sense? The Dragon Warrior is literally a made-up title. There's no need to have a Dragon Warrior because there is no such thing technically, it's why Oogway denied Tai Lung the title and then waited years and years to give it to Po. Like it's not a role that needs to be passed down, that's missing the entire point of the Everything

Also Po's only been like Dragon Warrior for a few years? I don't think we're ever given a time scale but it wasn't that long

The jokes about Shifu and Po having trouble with inner peace/mediating feels off given that was the entire plot of the second movie

It felt like Po regressed a bit character wise. He acts like he has no idea how to be a teacher in this movie but he already was a teacher by the end of the third, that was the entire point??

Also he seemed like he was more gullible in this movie but I could be wrong

Why is Po so impressed with Juniper city. He literally spent most of KFP 2 in Gongmen hello?? I think(?) Juniper is bigger but he shouldn't be acting like he has no idea what a city is

Zhen/Chameleon:

Zhen's character design doesn't match anything else, which is weird because most of the new characters in this film keep the distinct style in some form or another

Her wanted poster shows her with the bold markings KFP is known for and it looks SO much better

The plot twist with Zhen working for the villain was so obvious I did not realize it was supposed to be a twist at first

Also, the entire thing with Zhen was entirely unneeded? The Chameleon could've just just stood up and announced her plan to take over and Po would've shown up on her doorstep with the staff

I guess the idea is that Po needed to hand over the staff willingly for it to work? But if that's the case the Chameleon could've just impersonated Tigress or something and gotten it that way in like 1/3 of the time

Originally she was supposed to have kidnapped Shifu which would've been a much better plot point as it would've given Po extra motivation

The other problem with treating Zhen as a plot twist is that it hampers the relationship she has with the Chameleon effectively being her mom, which is FASCINATING. They had some really interesting chemistry together (the whole "stand up straight" thing as one example) and I could've seen it as a Mother Gospel from Tangled kind of deal, but we barely get any interaction between the two and it's like AAAAAAA

Fanfic writers fix this shit. I believe in you

I'll have to chew on it more but my pacing thought would actually be to start with Po finding out about the Chameleon's "take over everything" plan very early due to Shifu's kidnapping. He breaks into the lair like at the 1/3 mark or earlier and he meets Zhen inside which then leads into why she's doing what she's doing and the mother angle, etc etc blah blah

The Chameleon needed to just straight-up murder someone, comically shoving them down the stairs isn't good enough. I know stairs are Po's greatest enemy but I don't think that applies to everyone

Shen was allowed to stab someone on-screen so I think the Chameleon should be a allowed to strangle someone or something. as a treat

If violence was the concern just keep it off-screen like Master Rhino's death in KFP 2

The shapeshifter turning into a giant monster trope is overrated and I'm glad it was just used briefly here and not even for her defeat

Also the Chameleon's thing with her being rejected from Kung Fu because she's too small makes no sense b/c Mantis, which I'm pretty sure everyone's pointed out already. She does say "lowly" I think but was she ever poor? Could make a very interested parallel to Zhen if that was the case but it was never brought up again

I've heard some argue body image parallels w/ Po in KFP 1 but if that was the intent it's not explored, like, at all, which is a shame because it could've been an interesting angle

Also If they wanted a better excuse related to body image just say she was too frail instead of too small. I haven't owned chameleons but I've heard from people who have that they are very frail and very hard to keep alive, which would be a much better reason to turn her away

Cameos:

Yes I'm devoting an entire section to five second cameos don't judge me

I have mixed feelings on the Five not being present (save for the end cameos). On the one hand they are sorely missed but on the other hand they would've just made the plot bloat even worse

Lack of speaking was also bothersome. Part of me is glad they weren't recast with cheaper VAs because it's disrespectful to interchange them, but on the other hand that might've been better than just not having them speak and not paying anyone anyway

Tai Lung had all the best lines and was also the best used out of all the cameos, even if it would've been nice to have him on screen for longer. Also if they stuck with Shifu being kidnapped those two could've had some much-needed dialogue

Side note, while I don't think it contradicts anything from KFP 3 the spirit world having only kung fu masters in it feels off? It makes it seem so small and limited

Kai being there is weird. He's like. dead dead. Deader than dead. I guess you could argue that you can't kill something that's already dead but there's nothing even acknowledging this

Trying to take Shen's kung fu is really weird because the entire point of the fight with Master Rhino in KFP 2 is that he is not? a master?? like he's GOOD but he's not amazing, like if a master is like a 10/10 he's like an 8/10.

"The Chameleon has the powers of all my old nemesises!" WHAT'S SHEN'S POWER EXACTLY. HIS ONLY POWERS ARE GUN AND MOMMY/DADDY ISSUES

She does summon him way later than Tai Lung and Kai so maybe she was just camp spawning every single person she could think of regardless of skill level? she also uses his wings at one point so maybe she just wanted those, I don't think(?) there were other birds summoned

Though speaking of which she claimed she was using his wings but very clearly wasn't? not only were they black but they were raggedy and lacked the five longer feathers on the tips

Also Shen's model was super off, it looked way too fluffy and like an entire row of eyespots were missing from the edge of the train (which might have been a clipping error? unsure) it's been said the new models were made out of glue and popsical sticks and I believe it

Tai Lung has a habit of just like Grabbing anyone that's smaller than him and it amuses me

It's honestly really weird that everyone would just agree to go back into the spirit world willingly?

Like I think it works for Tai Lung because he's a noble person who just goes into a disassociative state and commits atrocities. Like I think he'd be willing to accept his death

Also it checks out for Shen because he killed himself and given his "dead belong in the past" mentality I can't imagine him wanting to stick around, he'd probably think it was unnatural

But Kai?? Kai was FURIOUS at being dragged back into the spirit world at the end of 3, like hell he'd just go quietly

Also I can see Tai Lung maybe respecting Po enough to bow to him but everyone else is pushing it unless they have therapists in the spirit world. Po offered Shen some nice advice at the end of KFP 2 and his response was to kill himself on the spot, I don't think him or Kai would be bowing

All of them were definitely in the middle of a mahjong match and were experiencing the equivalent of being woken up in the middle of a nap so they were just going along with things

Chameleon: I'm going to steal your kung fu

Everyone:

Misc:

I did like some of the more subtle callbacks. Stuff like Po seeing his reflection in the blade the way Shifu did or the "I can't even beat you to the stairs" scene were nice and not overly overt or in-your-face

If Po actively refers to himself as the "Kung Fu Panda" one more time I'm going to end it all

anyway that was not supposed to be a 12 page essay but it's too late now, goodbye

[riptidesblog]

Theory about Lilly

In MotM there is a statue of Lilly present in Heart of the Mountain.Now let's take a closer look at it:

Markings.Does it remind you of anything?Here's a clue:who else was close to their elements and has/had markings on their face(and body)?

These two:

There are two explanations for the markings on her statue:

1.Artistic choice of munce and geckles that built it,maybe the face markings are meant to be hair strands and other markings are details like armor and clothing.

2.Lilly almost merged with the earth and markings on the statue are referencing that.

First of all,her statue does not resemble others in the temple:

Their markings are armor/clothing details and are identical,but unlike Lilly's.Not to mention that spinjitsu burst and merging look similar:

Doesn't that look like a spinjitsu?

So,I think Lilly almost merged with the earth. The reason she didn't lose herself?My options are:

1.Gleck,who was her friend,saw that something was wrong and interfered before the transformation was complete,likely using Lilly's medallion to remind her of her family.She snapped out of it and later left the medallion with Gleck as a thank you gift.

2.She wasn't supposed to/can't merge with the earth.This comes from my hc that only those with direct ties to the source of power(water and wind elementals&technically Lloyd but only bc he's just the first to have energy and grandson of FSM) and tame elements have changed hosts many times over the course of history(The hc is in my Wojira lore theory post).Therefore,her mortal body couldn't handle all that power and the connection was cut off.

3.Both of the previous options combined in some way.

Now,as to how it might have affected her.She died from an illness right?The one we never learned anything about.Don't you find it strange that a young,powerful and perfectly healthy elemental master(who are seemingly stronger than a regular human in many ways as we've seen ninja recover from things that would leave a normal person seriously injured if not dead( Cole even had a car drop on him in s5, recovered from concussion in Crystallized and his fall in Oni trilogy)) suddenly fell sick?(that is not to say that I think em can't get sick,they are still only human after all)And doesn't a forcefully and/or abruptly cut off connection between an elemental and their element sound like something that might have negative effects on one's health?

(There are many reasons why Cole and Nya didn't have similar experiences.Earth may not have called to Cole as strongly due to being filled with vengestone/Cole was too busy fighting to listen to it's call/he ignored it/whatever you think.Nya didn't have health problems bc she didn't have the 'can't merge with element' limitation,was already merged and Aspheera draining her powers cut off the link enough for her body to have time to adjust before restoring that elemental connection.)

[zalrb]

for your recent ask on how to build relationships in movies where you used willabeth as an example i was just thinking of them as i read ur post lmao! what do u think are some underrated aspects of their relationship in the films ? and if you had to pick a favorite film of the potc trilogy based on just willabeth, which would you pick?

Oh, yay! A Willabeth ask!

AWE automatically wins on "At Wit's End" (aka "Will and Elizabeth's love theme") alone. That is the soundtrack to a cosmic, epic, transcendental, soul-moving, earth-shattering love story, that is the epitome of a romantic composition, it is everything. Like just listen.

But I mean, the scenes that they have in this movie?

I'm not sure that there's anything that shippers find underrated about them, it would just be in response to Sparrabeth shippers or people who are anti-Willabeth, which I just don't find merits a response but something I do quite enjoy about the Willabeth love story is the role Jack plays in it and how his respective bonds with Will and Elizabeth actually reinforce that love story:

Like, Jack helps Will come to terms with his parentage and history

and therefore who he is and Will, in turn, saves Jack from the gallows.

Elizabeth has faith in Jack, tells him he’s a good man, helps him see the morality of situations

and Jack does prove her right in Dead Man’s Chest by coming back to help the crew but I think the most significant way he proves her right is by going against a desire he wanted for all of At World’s End so he can do right by Will (and it actually goes further than his desire throughout At World’s End but to a fundamental passion like he sold his soul to Davy Jones to get the Pearl, that’s how much he loves the sea)

and then you had Jack speaking to Elizabeth’s desire for freedom

and encourages her obtainment of that freedom, of that agency, of that power

which ultimately leads back to her choosing to love and be with Will

which, despite what antis say, isn't a regression. The trilogy begins with seeing her discomfort in "polite society" and feeling pressured into doing what's expected i.e. an engagement to Norrington

which includes hiding her fascination with pirates as well as her feelings for Will

the two things are interconnected. In fact, when we see her being chastised for not behaving the way she should, it's when she's too intimate with Will

Her interest in pirates is signified with her keeping Will's medallion

her choosing Will is also her choosing her own freedom

Will even teaches her how to fight

and throughout the trilogy, it's them discovering more facets of themselves i.e. Will reunites with his father, Elizabeth actually gets to be a pirate but what even got them on those journeys was trying to find/help the other so they can be together

and those layers just bring them back together stronger. This has always been the point

This also isn't exactly underrated but I find when I go into the tag, there's a lot of emphasis on what Will does for Elizabeth, how he supports her, how in love with her he is, how devoted to her he is and I completely understand why but also Elizabeth's devotion to Will deserves a spotlight as well.

Going to fight undead pirates alone to save Will

Being both surprised and upset at Will even considering that she could be in love with Jack

Giving away the entire plan because she couldn't feign disinterest when Sao Feng acted as though he'd stab Will

Having to literally be carried away by Jack when Will was stabbed

Even the smaller, in between things like Will shouting at Elizabeth to shoot at the barrels of rum but her refusing because he was still caught in the net.

I just love them so much.

[kiiwiigii]

Twilight

Alec

Series:

Heartbeat - Alec x OC - by awriterwithnostory (ff.net)

Summary: "Watch your tongue." He murmured dangerously as he trailed his nose along my collar bone. The pounding of my heart was picking up speed and his eyes grew darker with every beat. "You first."

Jasper Hale

Oneshots:

Dandelions - Jasper Hale Reader - by @junkdrawerfics

Series:

Redamancy- Jasper Hale x Reader - by @bless-my-demons

Summary: What happens when your soulmate is a vampire that struggles to maintain a diet of trying not to kill you? Common sense says run for the hills, nothing is worth your life - but my heart is whispering why not, what’s there to lose?

Collar Bones - Jasper Hale x Reader - by @ashcal99

Summary: Camila Johnson was only 16 when she was diagnosed with leukemia. By the time she had turned 17, the doctors had tried everything to save her. Her family is close to giving up hope when they hear of a doctor who may be able to help her. The only problem is, he lives on the opposite side of the country. The small family soon decides to move to the small town in Washington, in efforts to prolong her life. In doing so, her life changes forever.

The Jasper & Danielle Trilogy - Jasper Hale x OC - by Carrot Top (ff.net)

Summary: When Danielle Clark moved to Forks, Washington, she hadn't really known what to expect. But she definitely hadn't planned on falling in love with Jasper Hale, and she certainly hadn't known he would turn her life completely upside down. 

HEAVY - Jasper Hale x OC - by bluemountainbayou (ao3)

Summary: Jasper really wanted nothing to do with Abigail Finley. Until he did.

BLUE MOON pt. One - Jasper Hale x OC - by xdeserteyes (wattpad)

Summary: "The smell of her hair, the taste of her mouth, the feeling of her skin seemed to have gotten inside him, or into the air all around him. She had become a physical necessity." [George Orwell] "I've waited for you for a long time, Evelyn Masen. I don't wish to be without you again."

SUPERNOVA pt. Two - Jasper Hale x OC - by xdeserteyes (wattpad)

Summary: "They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered." [F. Scott Fitzgerald] "Do you hate him? For what he did?" Despite wanting to say yes, she knew that she couldn't. "No, I don't hate him." "But you don't love him anymore?" Evelyn shook her head, fresh tears threatening to fall. "I don't know."

INTERSTELLAR pt. Three - Jasper Hale x OC - by xdeserteyes (wattpad)

Summary: "𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚." Jasper could taste the salt of Evelyn's tears on her lips, feel her shaking beneath his hands, hear her heart beating wildly in her chest as he touched her. Perhaps they were moving too fast now, but neither of them seemed to care. He kissed her deeply, drinking her in as if he were a man dying of thirst and she was the only thing that could sate him. *:･ﾟ✧

Poly

Secretarial Desk Series - Demetri x Reader x Felix - by @alecvolturi

Summary: Multiple Summaries & delicious smut.

Pt. One | Two | Three 

The Lord of the Rings

Aragorn

Sweet Metamorphosis - Aragorn x OC - by WhileISleep (ff.net)

Summary: "That, miss, is the root of bravery. You worry about survival, about being a burden. Consider this: you have been thrown into a world unfamiliar to you. Even more challenging, you were left to fend for yourself in a cave with no light, resources, or knowledge of your whereabouts, and yet you live. That is a feat. You are stronger than you think." Tenth walker; Eventual Aragorn/OC

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi there,

I have a nasty habit of falling too in love with my side characters and making them protagonists, expanding the plot to involve them more. I started out with two POVs and now I'm wanting six, which is just way bigger of a project than I was hoping for.

Is there a way to properly tell the story of a side character so that I can scratch that itch without making them a protagonist? And/or a way to decide when a side character *deserves* to be a POV character?

Thanks!

Side Characters Keep Turning into Main Characters

I think it's worth starting with a quick refresher on different character types...

Protagonist - The protagonist is the primary character responsible for driving the plot, whose growth or change is most important, and who has the most at stake in terms of whether or not the goal is reached. Most stories have one protagonist. Some stories have two or more, but it's extremely rare. Even in ensemble stories and stories with multiple POV characters, there's usually a single character whose choices, internal conflict, and change arc play a stronger role in driving the story... and as such, that character is the protagonist. In the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke, Leia, and Han Solo all played an important role in fighting the empire, but it was Luke whose story and actions played the biggest role in driving the story. In the Six of Crows duology, Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Mattias were a team, all with POV chapters and their own important roles in the plot, but it's Kaz's story, choices, and change arc that are most central to the story and drive the story forward. In the Raven Cycle (or at least most of it) although the story is about Gansey, Blue, Ronan, and Adam--and they all have their own internal conflicts and roles in the story--it is Gansey's quest and his steering of that quest that these characters are primarily united behind.

Main Character - Technically, a "main character" is one who serves as the audience surrogate as we experience the story through their eyes. This would be the case when the protagonist is not the main POV character, such as in The Great Gatsby which is about Jay Gatsby, but the story is told through the eyes of his friend Nick. Whereas Jay is the protagonist, Nick is the main character. In The Raven Cycle, Gansey may be the protagonist, but Blue is the primary main character... or, at least, the first three books all begin with her POV which positions her as the audience surrogate.

However... like it or not, the use of "main character" has evolved to mean "the most important characters" of a story. The characters the story is mainly about. So, Luke, Han, and Leia. Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Mattias. Gansey, Blue, Ronan, and Adam.

POV Characters - Any character, technically, can be a POV character. POV characters are simply characters whose POVs are used to tell the story. Stories can have one POV character, like Bella in the Twilight Saga, or two POV characters like Sean and Puck in The Scorpio Races, or four POV characters like Gansey, Blue, Ronan, and Adam. Or 24 POV characters like in A Song of Ice and Fire.

Typically, though, POV characters are main characters... both in the sense that they're the characters who are telling the story, and in the sense that they are (usually***) the most important characters in the story. (*** Though occasionally you may have an errant POV from a non-main character for various reasons...)

Side Characters - Any character who supports a main character and/or the protagonist of the story.

Background Characters - Characters who exist to fill a small role, such as the protagonist's teacher or a parent who appears periodically.

Another way to look at it: primary characters (protagonist/main characters), secondary characters (side characters), tertiary characters (background characters.)

Now, given all of that, I'm guessing your side characters aren't becoming protagonists, but rather main characters. And yes, because of the definition of a protagonist vs a main character, that does matter and is helpful to know in understanding how to unravel and prevent it.

When you say you're "expanding the plot" to involve them more, that's concerning, because if you're adding plot points simply to include these characters and not because they're crucial to the structure of the story, that's just adding filler.

So... is there a way we can tell the story of a side character without giving them more focus than they need? Yes...

Weave the Details In - The most common way to do this is to simply weave their story details into the larger narrative. You can explore their internal conflict through conversations with other characters, how they support the protagonist and interact with the other characters, their thoughts and feelings, their personal goals and dreams, their behavior, and the decisions they make. For example, Haymitch is a side character in The Hunger Games trilogy, but we learn a lot about who he is and why he is who he is, because of his own experience in the Hunger Games and as a victor of the Hunger Games.

Write a Companion Story - If you're writing mainstream or genre fiction, you might consider writing a companion story for these characters. Companion stories often center on secondary characters, giving them an opportunity to shine on their own outside the main plot. Companion stories can take place during the main story's narrative, filling in "off-page" details of the secondary character's story.

For example, in the Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Bree Tanner was a young vampire turned by Victoria to serve in her "newborn army." She is first encountered in Eclipse when she surrenders to Carlisle and Esme after surviving the defeat of the newborn army. To Carlisle's dismay, the Volturi show up and have different plans for Bree... rules about child vampires and all. Bree's story... being turned, being part of the army, and her ultimate fate, are explored in more depth in the companion novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

Depending on your publishing goals, companion stories can serve a variety of purposes. Like TSSLoBT, it can simply serve as another book to be released, but some authors use companion stories as newsletter bonuses, special edition bonuses, tier benefits for crowdfunding... the sky's the limit.

And finally...

How to tell if a side character deserves to be a main character: It isn't about "deserving" so much as it's about the importance of their role in the story... or the importance of their potential role. If they can serve as the audience surrogate, or if you can give them enough things to do that help to drive the story forward, they can be a main character. But unless they serve that pivotal role that makes them crucial to the events of the story, they're just not a main character.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[achillesinagaypanic]

I will add myself to the AFTG clutter, well after the trilogy is done:

Currently on TRK after finishing TFC in 2 days, I am hopeful to continue my quick reading. Some notes on my read so far:

I am having a hell of a laugh reading out all of Jean's dialogue with a french southern accent because peuchère il est marseillais le peutchi

I am also crying at the littlest things, like the showers in the first away-game against the terrapins (which I was surprised to discover is apparently a turtle??) But big events leave me indifferent (like Seth, but I think that was meant to be seeing as Neil had about the same reaction) or numb and in shock (like learning Neil BELONGS TO THE MORIYAMAS??? HELLO???? I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING????)

I should be doing homework. I am not. I will get in trouble. But at least I'll know how this all ends. I love theatre but the power of Adhd hyperfixation is stronger than me </3

I am VERY AFRAID to interact with fandom because I don't want to get spoiled (looking at you, dr who hyperfixation where I know way too much because of AO3) but I will be glad to update to you all my reactions through text as I read through this (though I will slide over most of the "I wish I could go in there and hold/punch him/her"s and "Omg he's so fucking hot"s)

Every character of the team is so fucking attractive and I was 100% shaming myself for my reaction when Kevin full-body-pinned Neil against the wall. 1/2 of my thoughts and reactions are "when is it my turn" or "omg let's switch places".

I was extremely worried when Neil woke up in Nicky's arms after having been drugged because like ???? Did they do anything ????? But then realized that Nicky would do no such thing, despite repeatedly talking about it.

The girls have all my love, seriously, Dan is wonderful as a captain AND as a friend, Renee is so nice I aspire to have her self-control, Allison needs a hug.

ALSO!!! IN THE SHIPS!!! (Because I did discover this off of a gay edit between Andrew and Neil "Yes or no Neil? / It's always yes with you") I fucking love that I can ship Andrew, Neil and Kevin interchangeably. Like, Guard dog and Hurt runaway? Fuck yes. Famous but kept captive and Underdog but free? You got it. Anxiety ball and Dangerous but somehow reassuring? Give me all of it.

OKAY now I need to let my newfound knowledge sink in because wtf was that conversation (Neil and Kevin about the whole lore thing), thank you for reading my thoughts as an excited first-time reader

[wildwarcat]

Hello! I recently rewatched the lotr trilogy and fell back in love with Legolas 😍 if you’re still taking requests then I have a Legolas x reader fic to request! If you’re not taking requests anymore then feel free to ignore this 🙂 but I was thinking that the reader is immortal (they can be a kind of wizard similar to Gandalf but younger, or an elf) and over the centuries they visited Mirkwood quite a few times and became very close with Legolas. They’ve been in love with each other for a long time and when they’re both chosen to be a part of the fellowship they decide to get married in Rivendell before they leave because if there’s a chance they can die on the mission they want to made sure they’re truly bound to each other 😍 if you do end up writing something inspired by this then thank you in advance!

Okay it took me WAY too long to get to this request but I absolutely LOVE it! Like how could I say no to something like this?! Definitely gonna have multiple parts to this so ENJOY PART ONE!

For Forever Pt. 1 (Legolas x Half-Maia!Reader)

“You’re deranged if you think I’m letting you go on this journey without me.” You said, propped up against a pillar while Legolas inspected his arrows for any faults. 

“And you’re deranged if you think I’ll let you put yourself in danger like that.” He answered, not looking up from his arrows. 

You smirked and rolled your eyes, “I’ve had my fair share of danger in my five thousand years of life, mel nin. You should know that better than anyone.”

“And the last time we faced an enemy that came even close to this, you nearly died in my arms!” Legolas snapped suddenly, his blue eyes meeting your y/e/c orbs with fear. You cocked your head gently, your expression softening from arrogance to understanding.

“So that’s what this is about, is it?” You whispered, knowing that he could hear you, “My magic failed me that day. Azog’s forces were too strong for me then.”

“I nearly lost you. My love, my light, my life... all of it would have been snuffed out like a candle in wind had I lost you.” Legolas choked out, holding back the raw emotions that were coursing through him. He set himself down on the marble steps and let out a heavy sigh. You joined him, pulling the arrow from his hand and replacing it with your own smaller hand, feeling every ridge and callous on his palm as you laced your fingers together. 

“I was younger then; my magic was not strong enough to protect me because there had never been a time before when I had to wield it. Nor was I learned enough to wield it properly,” You admitted, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, “But I am not as young as I was then, my talents have grown stronger, as has my magic. At the very least, my skills are more impressive than they were the first time we met.”

77 years earlier

“Remember this, Y/N. Thranduil is not one to be taken for a fool. Even the slightest offense may have you banished from his realm.” Gandalf explained to you. Even the wise old wizard had his hesitations about entering the realm of the Greenwood, but you, still being young in the eyes of magic and time, were fearless at the thought of having to stand before Thranduil himself.

“If all goes as we intend it to, then we shall not cross paths with him or his people.” You replied, glancing over at Thorin Oakenshield, his dark eyes fixed on the entrance to Mirkwood, “Though I do fear that Thorin’s brash behavior may cost us safe passage.”

Gandalf set a hand upon your shoulders and hummed softly, “That is why you are going with them, Y/N. You know the ways of Mirkwood better than they do. And you know what dangers lie within its borders. The trees are your father’s realm, but the power of a dying forest can only do so much. So, remember this and remember it well: do not disclose your bloodline to the King of the Greenwood, he will only seek to use it to his own advantage and that is something we cannot afford.”

You nodded and tightened the leather bracers on your arms before looking back at your mentor and friend. Gandalf was already climbing upon his horse, planning to ride south to look into matters that did not concern Thorin Oakenshield… yet. With a final farewell to the dwarves and Bilbo Baggins and final knowing glance towards you, the aged wizard nudged his horse into a lively gallop south, leaving you in charge of the company. 

“Alrighty, gents, off we go!” You called out, leading them onto the weather-worn path that led through Mirkwood. 

The sight of the Greenwood from within was gut-wrenching to say the least. Your father, Draefend, a Maia of Oromë, had helped construct this forest at the dawning of Middle-earth, as he had Fangorn and Lorien and all the other woodlands of this world. But to see his work perish before your very eyes sent a sharp pang into your chest. 

As you and Thorin’s company wandered ever deeper, your mind began to drift to thoughts of your father.

‘How could he let it come to this? Why has he not intervened?’

It was these lingering thoughts that had distracted you long enough to lose Bilbo among the trees and eventually, the rest of the company as well. When you no longer heard the complaints of dwarves behind you, you glanced back to find yourself utterly alone in the wood.

“Gandalf is going to kill me.” You muttered, looking around for any sign of your compatriots, finding nothing despite your efforts. That was when an idea clicked into your head. Making your way over to a nearby oak, you set an outstretched hand upon its withering bark and whispered the words taught to you by your father when you were young. 

“Mighty forest, I ask of you this deed. Show me Thorin Oakenshield.” 

Your eyes flashed gold, and in an instant you were travelling through Mirkwood without taking a step until at last you came to a halt at the nest of several giant spiders. Tangled in their webs you saw cocooned beings wrapped in silk writhing and squirming as the massive spiders inched ever closer to them. Pulling away from the tree, your eyes faded back to their usual color and a smile spread across your face. Gripping your sword, you took off in the direction of the spiders, feeling your physical form change as you ran, until you were set upon all fours in the form of a golden deer, leaping and bounding over stones and felled trees with ease until at last you reached the company. 

In the time it had taken you to reach them, they had broken free of their silk cages and were now on the attack, killing spider after spider before them. With a gust of wind, your animal form faded, and you stood upright, drawing your sword and leaping into battle.  

The battle, though intense, was ultimately short-lived when a small battalion of Silvan Elves appeared. Though most of the spiders were dead or running off, the elves made quick work finishing off the few that remained before surrounding you and Thorin’s company. 

Thorin tightened his grip on his sword, growling next to you as a blonde-haired elf aimed an arrow between your eyes, but you whispered to him in his native tongue. 

“Thorin, atkât!” 

The dark-haired dwarf snorted but relaxed his hand and silenced his growls. Your eyes shifted to the elf in front of you, who’s arrow was still trained upon your face. You raised a hand and pushed his arrow to the side without fear, shock filling his bright blue eyes. 

“Mín ceri- ú- anír- a cost. Mín onlui anír- na aglon trí i glad peacefullui.” You told him, making his brow raise in surprise. 

“Peaceful or not, your presence is not welcome here.” He replied sharply, turning to his guards, “Search them.”

At once, the circle of elves disarmed and moved in on the company, pulling weapons away. The blonde elf took care to search you himself, taking your sword and dagger, as well as the spare hunting knife you kept hidden in your boot. 

“This is unnecessary, mellon nin. We are not your enemy.” You argued, y/e/c pleading as the elves went to work binding your hands.

“We are no friend to dwarves. Nor are they friend to us.” He answered, before motioning to his guards to lead you all away.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After some time walking in silence through the deepest and murkiest parts of the dying Greenwood, you found yourself standing before Thranduil’s halls, a massive stone haven bright and white against the darkening greens, browns and grays of the forest around it. Before you, a pair of large marble doors swung slowly open, wide enough only for the company and their unfriendly escorts to pass through before closing again. 

While you would have liked to take the time to drink in the elaborate craftsmanship of the Woodland elves as you passed through the halls of Thranduil’s palace, you kept your eyes forward, following Balin as he was led down into the dungeons of Mirkwood, while Thorin was brought to the king himself. The blonde elf who had searched you earlier led you to a cell larger than those the dwarves were placed into and shut the door behind you, but not leaving as his kin did.

“Why do you linger, ellon?” You asked him, your back still facing him.

“Why are you in the company of these dwarves, bein er?” He asked, his voice no longer harsh, but soft and almost gentle. Heat crept into your cheeks at the name he gave you, but you still turned to face him, your expression steadfast. 

“That business is my own. You have no right nor reason to know such things.” You replied smoothly, smirking as you studied him from head to toe. He was handsome, there was no doubt about that. Everything about him said that he was of noble blood, from his armor to the color of his hair, and even the swords he carried were of finer make than his companions. 

“You are Thranduil’s son?” You asked him, a brow arched. He looked back at you in shock, but nodded nonetheless. 

“I am Legolas, son of Thranduil.” He said, setting a hand to his chest and extending it to you respectfully, “May I know the name of my fair captive in exchange?” 

Your smirk shifted into a delicate half-smile and you returned the gesture, “You may know me as Y/N and nothing more.”

[bella-rose29]

just finished my binge of all three hobbit movies (again) and I can't stop thinking about writing a fic for lockwood x fem!reader where their relationship is kinda like Kili and Tauriel

(possible spoilers under the cut for both the hobbit and a brief mention of Bridgerton s2)

I don't want either of them to die, obviously (because even though Kili definitely dies and while Tauriel doesn't exist in the books it makes sense that she dies from heartbreak, and I think that's mentioned in lotr? but I can't remember), but mostly I got stuck on the conversation between Tauriel and Thranduil after the battle, and these two lines in particular:

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"Because it was real."

Okay first of all, Thranduil spent the entire trilogy telling Tauriel that she's both not good enough for Legolas (because of hierarchical views of elves) and also that what she feels for Kili isn't real, so for him to say those words has such an impact.

Second, I feel like those two lines are so Lockwood coded and I can't figure out why (they just are).

Maybe it's the fact that he tries to shut himself off to caring about people by not telling them things, because he doesn't want to let anybody close enough to leave him again like with his family.

Maybe it's the fact that Lockwood would absolutely want to know why love had to hurt so damn much, because there's already so much pain in the world so why should something so beautiful end the same way?

I also think that Lockwood would be the sort of person to pull an Anthony Bridgerton and not want to be the cause of that pain, therefore becoming somebody likeable but far away and out of reach. He would absolutely try and limit the amount of pain that he caused others, because he's been through so much himself that he would hate himself if he ever became the reason that they felt the same way he had.

I think there's something to write about the types of race that lockwood and reader would belong to, since Tauriel and Kili are of two races that despise each other (for anyone not familiar with Tolkien's works, when I say race I mean what they are as a species, e.g. elves, dwarves, men, etc.). Lockwood I'm torn about what race he would be. My initial instinct is to class him as an elf, since he has the face and charm for it, but I also think that elves try and avoid anything that will cause them harm (since it will kill them), whereas Lockwood actively throws himself into harm, both physically and emotionally, even if he tries to hide the emotional part (he's often unsuccessful). Similarly elves are wise beyond all others, and while Lockwood definitely has a brain and his wits about him, he can also be stunted by his emotions (just look at what happens when Lucy does anything). That makes me want to place him more in the race of men, since they share attributes with the elves in some ways, but allow emotion to control their lives more freely than elves appear to.

I have no idea if any of that last paragraph made sense (and I would like to make it known that I haven't read the Hobbit in a good few years, and this is based off of what I can remember from that and the films (which are different to the books)), but essentially what I'm trying to say is that Lockwood is either an elf or a human and I can't decide which, and the reader is of a race that despises his (because I think it works better). If they have a sort of star-crossed lovers theme going on, then it makes the impact of those two lines even stronger, because they were never meant to have it in the first place. (I have other thoughts on Romeo and Juliet so don't get me started)

They were born into species that hated each other because of a slight that happened in the past, and loved each other anyway, regardless of the consequences, and I think that there is something beautiful about that.

Say what you want about star-crossed lovers, if it's done correctly, then it's brilliant. Is it done too much? I don't know. But I want to write one anyway because Lockwood in Middle Earth is not something I was aware that I needed until this evening.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk guys (not that I'm entirely sure what the topic was other than lockwood in middle earth).

[garthofshayeris]

MY OFFICIAL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ON AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM. Spoilers ahead.

OKAY. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It was very fun and it did not have the problem of too many villains that I was expecting based on everything I read. If that was the result of the rewrites and reshoots, I am happy for them.

A lot of the visuals and smaller adventures felt very Silver Age! There were certain creatures that were directly from the 60s, which I appreciated. Topo was lovely. If you know me, you know one of my major gripes with some of the recent Aquaman comics is that they do not lean into the animal sidekick thing anymore. And the group of whales straight up killing all those people? THAT is the Aquaman content I like to see.

The horror elements were just enough to balance out the sillier parts. Although I knew Arthur Jr was never in any actual danger, this is the closest DC has come since the 70s to making it even somewhat realistic that they would kill a baby. Like, I knew they wouldn't. But for once I said to myself, "they've established this enough that I believe this threat." You know my stance on DC trying to bait another Death of a Prince...

The cursed Trident possessing Manta was giving such Preboot Orm vibes. I liked it, I appreciate a slow possession arc. Manta was scary and felt like a real threat, which is difficult to achieve when he's a human and he's fighting people so much stronger than him. Shin was also SO good, you knew he was going to redeem himself but it still felt very natural for him to do so. Idk why Manta trusted him with the baby duffel bag tho, after all the times Shin clearly was snooping and giving Manta disapproving looks. Also why did they put that baby in a duffel bag lmao

Overall, it was a pretty straightforward story that felt easy to follow. This isn't always the case for superhero films, so it was refreshing. And a good end to the franchise. This actually felt like it would have been a great end to a TRILOGY, and that we were missing a middle story...

HOWEVER.

Not to make this about me and my blorbo but.......this would have made a lot more sense as a story about Arthur and Garth. I'm sorry, but it's true. Every time I saw a Silver Age reference, I just said to myself "oh yeah, that's a story with Aqualad in it, but now it's Orm." I KNOW that Orm needed his lil redemption arc, but if Patrick Wilson was not besties with James Wan, I don't think he would have gotten one.

Because Kordax was Slizzath. He just was. They took Slizzath's story and renamed him Kordax. So many parts of the movie I was like "this is adapted from Tempest (1996)" BUT IF THEY HAD USED SLIZZATH WITHOUT GARTH I WOULD HAVE BEEN PISSED so I get it but I don't get it, you know? But Kordax was just Slizzath.

I posted a few years ago about my ideal Aquaman trilogy, and tbh this felt like my ideal third movie, plot-wise and tone-wise......except my vision was about Garth, not Orm. Orm could be there, I guess, but imo he should have had a sequel redemption and then the third movie should have introduced the evil sorcerer thing. It would have made perfect sense to need Atlan's blood, thinking they're fine because they saved the baby but then Garth accidentally bleeds on the altar and unlocking his powers, and releasing Slizzath. PLUS then he could freeze the ice caps again with his new found powers lmao I'm worried about the implications.........nobody in this universe has ice powers.....

I get that it would have been hard to introduce a new character for a sequel with absolutely no chance at a third movie, so I do understand that Garth was never an option....but holy shit, Garth would have been a perfect fit for this movie.

AGAIN, not to make it about my blorbo .......

also I cannot believe they killed Vulko via plague?? I almost laughed out loud. It's absolutely because they could not reconcile that if Vulko was alive, Arthur would not need Orm's help lmao RIP Vulko I choose to believe you were hanging around as a ghost like in Vol 5

One last gripe but omg Atlan's trident looked so BAD in some scenes??? It looked very prop-like, and not metal at all??? did anyone else notice it? It's really bad on the iceberg scene. The costumes were actually great but omg that trident prop lmao

OVERALL, it was a really fun movie. I'm happy to say that I liked it. I think it will get bad critic reviews and really good audience reviews. It just felt very fun and heartfelt. The action scenes were also well lit and easy to follow, and that alone should convince people to see it

I'm going to see it again tomorrow and I want to make a list of the other random things that I noticed. I know I'm missing a lot. How did ya'll feel about it??

[imjustli]

The title "the ballad of songbirds and snakes" has so many meanings and I fucking love it. The ballad can refer to a song, as many of the ballads in the story. And in ~ye olden days~ songs were often used to tell a story, as they are harder to mess up than the usual told story (you know the game you used to play as a kid where you would whisper a word, and then it would come back as something completely different? It takes longer for rumours to get butchered like that when they're sung).

(I think it's especially interesting considering Lucy Gray is seemingly completely forgotten in the original trilogy, suggesting that either 1) the story was never told as a song, leading it to be forgotten, or 2) there is a song that is sung that is remembered only by a few, and is within the world sung back by those few people (maybe Lucy Gray/a descendant of hers) after the wars.)

And when it comes to songbirds and snakes, well:

Songbird=Lucy Gray, snake=Snow, this is the most obvious one. Lucy Gray is a performer, Snow a manipulator

Mockingjays/jabberjays and actual snakes, two animals that come back over and over, both important for the story

Songbird=Lucy Gray and the actual snakes she befriends by singing

Snake=snow, and the jabberjay he uses to betray Sejanus

Songbirds=the Covey and snakes=Snow

Songbirds=an animal often considered good or pure, representing the "good", what the Capitol considers themselves. Snakes=an animal often used to convey evil, and lying, what the Capitol thinks the districts are like. The Capitol think they're the right ones, that the districts are like animals (case in point: the tributes being kept at the zoo), and that they are the only ones that are inherently "pure". This is obviously not the case, but it's in fact the exact opposite.

Songbird=Snow, he may not sing, but he's a performer too, which is how he manages to manipulate so many people in the way he does, and he is proud (something that is not an uncommon trait of the songbird). Snake=Lucy Gray, where do I even start? The ballad of Lucy Gray Baird, to the uninitiated sounds like a sad song she sings to her lover about how she is about to die, but to the people who knows about Billy and Mayfair, it's clear she is telling them it's his fault, that he killed her. She is not a liar, per se, but she highlights particular aspects that will fly well with the audience, which is how she wins sponsors. And (spoiler alert) are you telling me she didn't know the guns were there? She probably figured out there's not that many people that could've sold out Sejanus, and had a hunch before the "who's the third?" conversation in the woods, whether she chose to belive it or not, but afterwards it grew stronger. Pointing Snow in the directions of the guns were a test, and he failed it. The last few minutes of the movie she had him totally wrapped around her finger. She's a manipulator too.