#and killed each other to survive

[aleksanderscult]

Was Aleksander power-hungry or wanted power to use it for the protection of his people?

This question is one of the most hotly debatable in this fandom and I decided to clear this out not by analyzing his words through the POV of other characters (who don't believe him and therefore the reader finds him a liar) but through his own perspective in "Rule of Wolves".

So let's take an objective look inside his own thoughts and find out.

His very first thoughts were how could he reclaim his powers, describing the whole experience as somewhat painful and confusing to him. His second were about Alina.

And these are his third ones. He explains how utterly worthless Nikolai and Zoya are to save Ravka. How immature and weak. Aleksander finds himself to be the only one able for this task. His powers, experience and general abilities are testament to that.

But note how he calls Ravka "his country". From the carved woods decorating his bedroom to his knowledge of "every pebble and branch" of it, this country is special to him. He loves it, feels a connection to it and wants to protect it.

(You just can't call the Darkling "unpatriotic")

He displays bitterness for his loss and Ravka's new state just verifies to him that his plans would only prevent this decaying fate.

Yuri: "Sankta Alina who gave her life for Ravka"

Aleksander: "Am I a joke to you?"

And indeed is he?

Aleksander displays a very strong resentment for the lack of recognition he has gained. His statement: "I gave my life for Ravka" probably doesn't only allude to his death from Alina's hands but also his total commitment in the protection of the Grisha and Ravka that lasted for centuries. He gave his life away by pushing his personal happiness and well-being aside and wholly dedicating his life and skills to a selfless goal. He wasted years, allies, soldiers, endured otkazat'sya Kings that rule him, a bitter mother and his own immortality only for others to hurriedly erase any memory of him once he's gone.

So it seems that his desire to be seen only stems from his long-awaited and secret wish for his actions to be recognized.

Based on the last screenshot, he views his actions as justified not because of a "power-hungry nature" but out of his efforts to help others. Whether these actions are justified or not depends on the reader.

I believe this is one of the most concrete evidence that Aleksander truly cared about the Grisha.

He felt intense anger for those who were ignorant and apathetic towards the Grisha's fate and he himself cared about who was gonna sit the Ravkan throne.

No matter how much humanity he shed as the years passed, it seems that he didn't shed all of it by the time of these books.

Apparently Aleksander had two main goals in this book:

- To protect his people and country as he always strived to do.

- For others to finally give him some credit and have their acknowledgment that yes, he has done something for this country all these years.

In order to help the Grisha and change their fates he needed to be in a position of strength, hence his desire to take the throne. He views himself as a fatherly figure towards his people. A protector and guardian.

But he also wants to become a Saint and king. For people to look up to him. So many Saints had done less than half in comparison to Aleksander and they still won people's love. Now it's his turn and he thinks he deserves it.

I'm adding a short parenthesis here.

His concern didn't only extent to the Grisha but to his blind, otkazat'sya followers as well.

He cared about what would happen in the battlefield and seemed ready to create nichevo'ya to protect them. Merzost is extremely painful but this "selfish" villain is ready to use it to protect his naive but innocent army.

A hundred of years ago Aleksander refused the King's gold as payment for his services. Instead he opted to plead for the construction of a palace. A home and haven for all the Grisha that were hiding out of fear from the persecution against them.

He saw his chance and took it to make the lives of his people a little better.

So this whole "the Darkling created the Fold out of his desire for power" was bullshit after all.

He wanted power but only to use it to end the wars. Ironically, the result of it (aka. the Fold) only aggravated the problem.

And the Darkling's dream never came entirely true. He gave them a home but never a safe life. Ravka was almost always at war, Grisha were never accepted, the Ravkan kings never paid much attention to the Grisha's problems regarding their role in society which placed them almost at the bottom of the food chain.

All these things worried Aleksander and pushed him to action both when he created the Fold and when he started the Civil War.

The Darkling has a very different mentality than those who don't have the burden of immortality on their shoulders.

Aleksander uses time as an advantage and has a remarkable patience. He bides his time and strikes when he sees the opportunity, leaving other people to die since they're only just a part of a whole. He probably thinks: "Well, I'll meet plenty more new otkazat'sya in the future so why should I be concerned for this bunch here?"

But the bleak future of the Grisha make him stop and think. They're the only reason why he stays and fight and why he proclaimed Zoya a Saint.

So it's obvious that Aleksander only used power for the benefit of his people and country.

- When king Yevgeni offered him a handsome reward, Aleksander turned it down and chose to appeal for a better future for the rest of the Grisha.

- When the wars didn't stop coming and Grisha were again getting killed, he tried to use merzost to augment his powers and put a stop to it.

- When he tried to use the Fold as a weapon with Alina at his side, he did it to place Ravka in a stronger position in comparison to his enemies.

- He viewed Nikolai and Zoya dangerous to the rest of the country.

- He was concerned of what would happen to the Grisha if Demidov became king.

- He was determined to save Ravka and lead it as their king and protector.

- Even though he thought of leaving, he stayed out of concern for the Grisha (again).

Contrary to the people who say that the Darkling began selfless but by the time of these books became selfish, it seems that he never lost his selflessness. He still kept thinking about others and his last moments he was unrepentant for his crimes since he did them for others not for himself. It's true that he had pride and an ego but rightfully so. No one else was as powerful or as capable as him to make a change and, honestly, no one else made a decent effort but him.

He also displayed a strong bitterness for the fact that others were so quick to forget him and his actions. He felt wronged that after all he had done, none wanted to acknowledge his own part in the protection of Ravka. He wanted to be seen and appreciated. His anger and indignation came from a place of injustice as he saw it. Whatever he did was labeled as wrong and people only feared him, never feeling gratefulness or love towards him. The Darkling wanted others to give him his due for what he went through, did and tried to do. Recognition after so many years of feeling invisible and hated.

It was something that even his enemies admitted about him:

The strongest evidence of his yearning to shield his country is how he willingly gave his life for it at the end. He would be tortured forever but at least his people wouldn't forget him and he would have fulfilled his desired role as a protector of his country.

[grahoriasfancave]

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky died because he got distracted by a rant from Peerless Cucumber.

Shen Yuan died because he got too worked up ranting about Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky's latest chapter.

[duocordaut]

can u Behave. moments before theyre choking each other to death too mind you

[vykodlak]

Heir of the unicorn

[chaiaurchaandni]

4 year old Ahmad Shabat - an israeli airstrike hit him, his parents & 4 siblings; he survived, they didn't - then they hit him & his father's relatives; he survived, they didn't - then they hit him & his uncle; he survived, his uncle didn't - both of Ahmed's legs have been amputated because of injuries. He survives.

i hope Ahmad gets to live. i hope he has a beautiful and fulfilling life. i hope he finds love and safety and comfort and success. i hope he finds happiness. i hope he heals. i hope he continues to survive. in spite of the violence, in spite of the trauma, in spite of the horror. in spite of the world.

[jacenyra]

what if we all just k*lled ourselves? 🙃

[thatrandombystander]

"average person kills 1 sibling in their lifetime" factoid actualy just statistical error. average person kills 0 siblings. Brother fratricides Faulkner, who lives in a cult & adopts new siblings to kill, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

[awesomeeclecticcupcaketyrant]

These two interacting would lead to a couple of different options;

*kill each other

*sex

*hate sex

*conversations about past lovers

Or all of thee above and I will not elaborate

[viscountess-nila]

this has probably been said before a million times, but I WILL NEVER get over how devastating Jinx/Powder and Vi's relationship is. They literally define doomed by the narrative, the show starting with the two of them holding onto each other in the midst of rubble, death and destruction. We think they'll hold onto each other no matter what happens. But a war, Vander, Silco, Mylo, Claggor, Caitlyn, this entire world is made to keep them apart. A universe where the conflict between Piltover and Zaun doesn't exist and there is peace? It's only achieved if Vi dies. The end of season 2, where Zaun and Piltover unite after years of fighting and Vi and Jinx do reconcile despite the pain, suffering and loss they've caused each other? Death has the final call, Jinx literally slipping through Vi's fingers. They might have loved each other with all the rage, violence and power in the world, but they're fated to never actually be happy together.

[viktorarcanedeservesbetter]

Thinking about how Jayce was literally all for using the hexcore to save Viktor before he even did it. like. of course he was gonna use it. he literally got Heimerdinger fired for (turns out, rightfully) wanting them to destroy it and his main argument to the hamster is that it could save Viktor. He literally even discusses this with Viktor on their little ledge place.

He’s really just like the non-warcrimes/ethical (sort of?) version of Singed. Would do anything to save the one he loves with the thing that literally killed someone else.

Hell the last he saw of it was it killed a plant before he even heard it killed Sky. (Also man asked no questions about her at all wtf Jayce literally did not give a shit about anyone besides Viktor turns out) What did he think was gonna happen actually?

God he’s such a disaster I love him

[caitvibing]

At the beginning of Episode 6, Viktor describes the hexcore as a 'sophisticated conjuration' which is 'simultaneously self-replicating and self-annihilating'.

Let's assume that at this stage the hexcore is essentially a living entity, right? So, from a biological/evolutionary standpoint, the main way I can make sense of this quotation is that an entity might annihilate the parts of itself it finds to be weak/disadvantageous to the continuation of the species. For example, our human bodies 'annihilate' cells which do not function ideally and thus threaten the function of the rest of the body.

Applying this to the latest evolution of the hexcore (i.e. the version of the hexcore which is spreading through different individuals via Viktor) I wonder if the evolutionary disadvantage here is in fact Viktor's humanity. This is most evident in his reaction to Vander: he is aware that he is risking his own life, and everything he has built, by extending his powers to the max in an attempt to save Vander, but he does it anyway because he is 'worth it'. Viktor is compassionate to an extent that it risks the continuation of the hexcore species.

Therefore, when Viktor says "that isn't Jayce, but there is another will at work within him", perhaps he is correct. Perhaps the hexcore recognised the risk to its own existence, and evolved in a way that allowed it to show Jayce the absolute horrors that could arise as a result of Viktor's influence, in order to convince Jayce he needed to destroy his dearest friend. Perhaps the hexcore's influence on Jayce deliberately persuaded him to annihilate the biggest threat to its existence: Viktor's humanity.

As other theories have pointed out, there are indications in the trailer (and in Viktor's final in-game form) that Viktor is not permanently dead: he most likely will have one last glorious evolution to become the Machine Herald in Act 3. But I would not be surprised if Viktor as we know him - Viktor's selflessness, Viktor's compassion, Viktor's humanity - will not survive the transformation. And thus, if the hexcore's biggest threat has been taken out.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Jayce had good intentions. But I wonder if it's possible that his visions were empty threats conjured by the hexcore, if Viktor's death was needless, if all of this was indeed just the result of an entity 'simultaneously self-replicating and self-annihilating', simply desperate to survive whatever the cost.

[beanpools]

Jayce looks good as hell in that act 3 teaser but I’m begging Fortiche for ONE scene where he pushes his hair back out of his eyes, i need to see my wife Giopara even for a single split second

[heliomanteia]

The inner complexity of characters and their inter-relationships in Veilguard feels intentionally mature in so that they mostly don't have obnoxious petty fights but they have fundamental clashes that would naturally occur (and get resolved) between professionals — and that are heard and seen within their interactions. You can witness them slowly grow more understanding of each other's struggles the more time they spend together and the longer you let their banters play out. It is however immensely ironic that the two guys with most intense clashes are by all means narrative mirrors

[dark-elf-writes]

Someone: *tries to scare Shen Jiu off with the horrible tales of what Wei Wuxian did to his enemies*

Shen Jiu: *horny gripping so hard* Excuse me for a moment, I need to go ravish my wife

Someone: Wei Wuxian is a violent monster that kills without remorse.

Shen Jiu: Joke’s on you, I’m into that.

[tadc-survival-isles]

Hiiii another question. Just curious. What is Jax's and Gangle's relationship in this AU? :3

I'm glad you asked!

They are the best of friends your honor! Besties if you will! They have absolutely no ill intentions towards one another at all! Why would you ever think that? :]

(This is all /s)

They hate each other. The only times they ever interact is if Jax decides to antagonize Gangle which can escalate into something worse pretty fast depending on eithers patience. Ragatha often makes sure the two are kept separate whenever Jax visits for this reason. She doesn't need anymore problems to deal with.

[patrice-bergerons]

I keep thinking about just how much love and affection there is from Admiral Hennessy's side in that final confrontation with James, and how it makes the whole thing all the more devastating.

Had Hennessy responded to the news of James and Thomas' affair with revulsion and anger, it would have been easy, far easier, to cast him aside as a "villain" — both for us as the audience, and also I think, for James.

But earlier in the episode we hear that James considers him to be a father figure and here, right before they walk into that office with Alfred Hamilton waiting for them in it, knowing full well what James has done, he still calls James son:

Good God. You perceive the danger about this to be imagined. I told you when this began to be careful of those people. To be aware of just how sharp and unexpected the knife would be if you discounted that danger. I'd thought you'd heard me, son.

There is no reason for him to do that, not to someone he is about to permanently cast out of his life. Once they walk inside too, Hennesy's lips utter that terrible pronouncement but his expression, his voice is so gentle as he does it. Alfred Hamilton is in the room with them and what James has done is so outside cultural norms, it severely limits what Hennessy can say or do. Without uttering the words, this scene is yet another entry in the show's collection of "this is not what I wanted"s.

In fact, while AH would like to avoid the scandal of his son having a homosexual relationship, I have no doubt there were ways to hang James that would be equally if not more amenable to him that would not cause such scandal, and yet they give him a way out of London without any charges to his person, quite likely because it was the best Hennessy could manage to salvage under the circumstances. And yet still, Hennesy's words:

I would like to defend you. I would like to remind myself that every man has his flaws, his weaknesses that torment him. I would like to help you recover from yours. But not this. It is too profane; it is too loathsome to be dismissed. This is your end.

I keep thinking about what James tells Miranda in s1 re the pardon to go to Boston: "They took everything from us, and then they called me a monster." But who called him a monster? Given how quickly he and Miranda have to leave London after that confrontation in Hennessy's office, not to mention the way the actual affair with Thomas is swept under the rug, I highly doubt he had any more conversations about it except what transpired in Hennesy's office.

It is so much more devastating I think when someone says I love you but what you are is too vile, too profane for me to ever accept. Says I love you but I cannot accept you, and perhaps that is why what James hears Hennesy tell him is that he is a monster.