#and then. the death of miranda creating the story of the war.

[sapphicrow]

Re8 Characters as Crane Wives Songs!

Karl Heisenberg- Take Me To War

I think he would be this song because it’s very violent and argumentative, as he is. Also. The man literally is jam packed with the desire for a revolution and his design is heavily influenced by WWII elements. It’s a very simple connection, but suiting.

Donna Beneviento - Unraveling

I think this song reminds me of her not because I imagine her exactly as the serial romantic that the narrator of this tragic tale is, but because of the fact that she has dealt with a lot of loss in her life. Between the death of her family, then anyone she may have had in the village when Miranda ordered them to be massacred, as well as earlier her humanity. The idea of unraveling, or losing it per se, alludes to her characteristic mental illness. Shes off the rails, we love that for her, and so does this song. One of the main lyrics in the song is “But now my love is gone / and I am left unraveling” and I just feel that encompasses how she’s been abandoned to her dolls to wither out of sight. Also the song goes tailor, gardener, then carpenter and she is all of those things which I find to be a rather seemly match.

Salvatore Moreau - Nobody

Now, the artists themselves describe this as a queer tragedy, but I think I can yank it out of context a bit to fit the silly. Now, this song states over and over again how “nobody ever loved me like she tells me she does” and I feel that is a very manipulative statement. Moreau does not have much of a back story, but one of the original concepts for his character was that he was to have the woman he loved melded to his back in a somewhat perverse fashion where she would be forced to stay with him. This idea is encapsulated by the obsessive and toxic nature of the relationship this song portrays. If you really want to have a think about it, you could imagine it was the woman herself trying to justify Moreau’s actions to herself. However, I was thinking more along the route of how Miranda surely had to lead this poor fish on for him to be so devoted. I don’t mean romantically, but she most definitely was more involved to begin. Nobody ever loved him like she told him she does. That doesn’t mean she does, but it does illustrate how she taunted him with the idea of a mom, leading him to create this familial illusion in his twisted mind.

Alcina Dimitrescu- Tongues & Teeth

Now this one was a little tricky, I was torn between this one and The Wolf but I feel this one gives more of that cruel seductiveness we have come to associate with Lady Dimitrescu. This song is very blatant. “And when you come in quick to steal a kiss / my teeth will only cut your lips, my dear” I love to imagine our lady as a woman who relishes in her power, not one who is insecure in it. She will not shy away from her own strength, nor will she temper it for anybody. Tongues & Teeth tells it like it is- should you wish to be hers, you are going to get hurt. End of story. She’s going to hurt you. This is no accident, this is no fluke. She is violent in her very nature. But on the contrary to that, this is a warning. This gives you the courtesy to flee. I think she would want you to at least be willing to be broken by her in some capacity, which is why she would even say anything in the first place. Also. I think the song is a banger and I’d like to bang her.

Cassandra Dimitrescu- Show Your Fangs

Cassie is a huntress, a conclusion made among fans due to her final fight being fought within the Dimitrescu castle’s armory. She is strong and has a fierce playful energy to her, going as far as toying with Ethan with her lil “RAH!”s that admittedly did scare me a few times. I view this song as a sort of feminine war song. “I’m not your highness, a damsel left helpless by fright / I am a lioness, fierce as I walk through the night” Out of the three sisters, she is certainly the most combative. In addition to the obvious associations, I believe that the line stating that she is not your highness is a sort of jab at the title of countess. She wants nothing to do with that power. She is wild and bitey and feral. She is in no way a ‘proper’ lady. She refuses that idea outright and I mclove that for her.

Bela Dimitrescu- Steady, Steady

We all imagine Bela as the perfect, shining golden child of the Dimitrescus. She’s responsible, respectful, and just overall a polite little lady. But I think she’s more wild than that. The duality of this song orchestrates this view wonderfully. Sang in a slow, deep melody; “Steady, steady, you know when you’re ready.” This shows her prim side, I also like to imagine this as her mantra muttered between deep breaths as she goes to present her work to her mom. (She’s always well received, but she over thinks it a lot.)

And then the other side of this song goes in a more frantic, rambunctious tune; “I’m swimming in this dress like a child in her mothers clothes/ This ring around my fingers like a chain around my throat” and while I suppose the original intent was to allude to an unhappy marriage, I think we can point it towards the subtle resentment Bela holds towards her responsibilities and how she feels as though she’s not the right person for the job. Bela deals with a lot of impostor syndrome on this matter. I just think this song gives both sides of our dynamic blondie. (Alternatively for Bela, Hard Sell)

Daniela Dimitrescu- Icarus

Originally, Icarus was a tale of a young fool who got too close to the sun. It is also the tale of a boy who wanted Apollo BAD bad. Daniela feels very youthful and naive to me, she was locked up after all. I think that her mother acknowledged that she was desperate for outside interaction and that this was a threat to her, thus her seclusion in the library. However, in the end, her delusions of romance had her get just a bit too close to Ethan. “My love will fall with grace,” says the song. And so she did. She flew too close to the sun. Plus this song is super spunky and that gives Dani vibes.

Mother Miranda- Never Love An Anchor

Okay so. This song speaks of a shitty shitty relationship, one that’s maternal evidently. I believe this is symbolic of Mother Miranda’s connection with the lords. Heisenberg, who wound up in her control against his own will, shown respect solely for his success as a subject. Donna, demented and alone, was taken under her wing only for her to be defenseless when Ethan attacked. Alcina, mighty and beautiful, but weak and insecure in her own mind, left to yearn for her favor. Moreau, grotesque and ruined by Miranda’s hand, then allowed to spoil further as his desperate need for her love went unfed.

“Do you ever think of me and my two hands? And wonder why they never soothed your fevers? And wonder why they never tied your shoes? And wonder why they never held you gently? And wonder why they never had the chance to lose you?” On a separate note, I think this could be something Miranda thinks to herself as she fights for Eva. If her consciousness is trapped in the megamycete, it stands to reason that she is conscious in there. I wonder if Miranda ever worried if Eva could overhear the carnage she was causing for her. I wonder if she spoke to her, apologizing for not being a good enough mom. I wonder if the guilt would overwhelm her to the point she was crumpled on her lab’s floor, weeping against bare earth and mold, begging her to forgive her. Hm. Food for thought.

Bonus! Mirancina- The Moon Will Sing

[lesbianboyfriend]

can i ask for lesbian book recommendations 🥹🕺

yeassss ofc my love <3

erm and obligatory disclaimer for any who might read that i don’t think “queer” or “lesbian” is a necessarily coherent category of books or adequate descriptor for a novel which is why i’ve also provided the actual genres here (sorted into which ever one i felt best fit) and descriptions. and these books have much more going on than just being about lesbians. however all books are undeniably awesomer with lesbians so yayyyyy

FANTASY:

-the salt grows heavy by cassandra khaw: fantasy horror; murderous mermaid and plague doctor come across a cult of children (could be read as not lesbians bc one character is nonbinary but i choose to read as. lesbians)

-the empress of salt and fortune by nghi vo: political fantasy; monk unravels the tale of exiled empress’ rise to power

-when the the tigers came down the mountain by nghi vo: political fantasy; monk unwinds the tale of a tiger and her scholar lover to prevent other tigers from eating them (stand alone sequel to empress of salt and fortune)

-ship of smoke and steel by django wexler: ya fantasy; girl has to steal a ghost ship to save her sister’s life

-the mermaid, the witch, and the sea by maggie tokuda-hall: ya fantasy; pirate falls in love with one of the ship’s hostages, a girl being sent to an arranged marriage against her will

-tremontaine created by ellen kushner: political fantasy; there’s a lot going on in this one okay just trust me that it’s really good esp if you love political intrigue (this was released serially and is easiest to acquire an electronic version)

-the deep by rivers solomon: fantasy/spec fic; African slave women thrown overboard gave birth to mermaid-esque descendants. one holds these traumatic memories for her whole people and must grapple with that pressure

-wild beauty by anna-marie mclemore: ya magical realism/fantasy; a family of women who can create flowers and whose lovers always tragically vanish fight to keep their land and to unravel the mystery of a strange boy who appeared

-siren queen by nghi vo: historical magical realism/fantasy; girl’s rise to stardom amidst the monsters of hollywood back in the days of the studio system

-gideon the ninth by tamsyn muir: sff; um. how to explain briefly. gideon wants nothing more than to leave the ninth house, but her nemesis harrowhark needs her sword skills to pass the emperors trial and become immortal. sure. (caleb i know you’ve read this just adding for any other viewers yayyy)

HORROR:

-white is for witching by helen oyeyemi: horror fantasy/magical realism; a house with women in its walls calls to miranda silver while the people she leaves behind struggle to make sense of what happened to her

-plain bad heroines by emily a. danforth: historical horror; when filming a movie about the macabre history of a boarding school, its past starts to become the reality for the stars and author of the novel it’s based on

LITFIC:

-girl woman other: contemporary litfic; the intersecting stories of Black british women told in verse

-nightwood: classic literary; i feel like i can’t describe this one well but nora and jenny are obsessed with robin, whose penchant for wandering and inability to commit drives them crazy. toxic dyke drama at its best

-the thirty names of night: lit fic; transmasc syrian american unravels the history of artist laila z who encountered the same rare bird his mother saw right before her death and realizes their pasts are intertwined

-under the udala trees: historical lit fic; coming of age set against the backdrop of civil war in Nigeria, two girls from different ethnic communities fall in love

-everyone in this room will someday be dead: contemporary lit fic; that moment when your ocd lands you a job at the catholic church even though you’re an atheist and also your relationship is falling apart

-stone butch blues: historical lit fic; butch lesbian realizing and grappling with her identity throughout the 40s-70s

-the color purple: classic lit fic; story of two sisters separated in their youth—one is forced into an abusive marriage and falls in love with her husbands mistress, wondering what became of her sister

-oranges are not the only fruit: semi-autobiography with slight fantasy elements; exploring growing up lesbian in a deeply religious pentecostal sect

SCI-FI:

-the weight of the stars: ya sf romance; aspiring astronaut is forced into friendship with a girl who waits on the roof every night for radio signals from her mother in space

-the seep: sci-fi/spec fic; what if aliens invaded and formed a hive mind of everyone and also your girlfriend turned into a baby again. wouldn’t that be fucked up

-the stars are legion: political science fiction; an awakes with no memory amid a group of people calling themself her family who claim she is the only one who can save their world

-not your sidekick: ya sci-fi; superheroes are real and they fucking suck

SHORT STORIES:

-sarahland: contemporary/spec fic short story collection; various stories about people named sarah

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Why 'Black Sails' Is Still Worth a Watch

These pirates' lives made for some great television.

(Spoiler alert for people haven't watch!)

The Big Picture

Black Sails is an underrated pirate series that serves as a prelude to the novel Treasure Island.

The show explores the origins of Captain Flint and John Silver, and their journey from noblemen to pirates.

The series features an ensemble of real-life pirates, has a prolific cast, and delves into darker and more introspective themes than other pirate shows.

Pirates make for great entertainment. From the swashbuckling thrills of the Pirates of the Caribbean films to the animated antics of One Piece, and recent hit shows like Our Flag Means Death, buccaneers and their battles on the high seas have provided a wealth of stories for screens large and small. One of the most underrated pirate stories happens to be the Starz series Black Sails. Over the course of four seasons, a gripping narrative of blood and betrayal was woven.

Created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine, Black Sails was crafted to fill the void left by Starz's previous heavy hitter Spartacus. And much like the Rome-set series, Black Sails features an ensemble cast and drew inspiration from another creative work. In this case, the show serves as a prelude to the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, and focuses on two characters from the novel: Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and new crew member John Silver (Luke Arnold). While other prequels to famous works feel the need to explain every little detail that surrounds the preceding source material, Black Sails takes a different path and explores how its pirates came to be the men they are.

Captain Flint and John Silver Are at the Center of This Swashbuckling Story

In the second season, Flint is revealed to have turned from a nobleman's life to that of a pirate following the imprisonment and death of his lover Thomas Hamilton. Adding salt in the wound is the death of Thomas' wife Miranda, which pushes Flint over the edge. Throughout the series, he attempts to gather his fellow pirates into a force that will rival the British fleets; he also tracks down and kills those who wronged him. By the series finale, Flint has finally won his war and becomes the ruler of the pirate nation Nassau. Stephens portrays Flint with a quiet intensity that often boils over into bloodlust and/or rage given who he interacts with.

During his quest, Flint must deal with Silver, who often schemes against him and ultimately winds up betraying him in order to gain a greater share of the gold hidden in the Spanish ship known as Urca de Lima, which drives the plot of the first two seasons. However, over the course of the series, Silver grows to be a loyal ally to Flint and the crew of the Walrus, and uses his schemes to help them survive. True to the book, Silver suffers extreme torture in Season 2 that forces him to have his leg amputated — but even though he has a peg leg, it doesn't make him any less dangerous.

'Black Sails' Explored the Lives of Real-Life Pirates and Deeper Themes

Black Sails was also notorious for introducing several real-life pirates into its narrative. Chief among them was Blackbeard (Ray Stevenson), who goes by his real name of Edward Teach. Teach enters into a partnership with Flint and the other pirates when they seek to retake Nassau from Captain Woodes Rogers (Luke Roberts), who Teach wants revenge against for reasons initially unknown. Stevenson is utterly terrifying as Teach; he towers over everyone and even defeats Flint in a sword fight — when Flint is the one who challenged him! Other real-life pirates include Zach McGowan as Charles Vane, Toby Schmitz as Jack Rackham (otherwise known as "Calico Jack"), and Clara Paget as Anne Bonny.

Black Sails contains what may be one of the most prolific ensemble casts for a cable series; each member went on to star in more genre fare. Tom Hopper, who portrayed Billy Bones, is a major part of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Jessica Parker Kennedy, who plays Max, made an appearance on The Flash as Barry Allen's daughter Nora. Stephens has appeared in the James Bond film Die Another Day, as well as Netflix's Lost in Space. Stevenson has been in all sorts of genre fare including Ahsoka (in his final performance), Punisher: War Zone, Thor, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. This is another thing it shares in common with Spartacus, as that show has seen many of its alums go on to alternate genre fare (none likely more famous than Lucy Lawless, who defined early genre TV when she played a certain warrior princess).

Black Sails stood out from other pirate series by going into darker places, especially where its characters were concerned. Though Flint was the protagonist, he'd commit cold-blooded murder, especially if anyone crossed him. Betrayals were second nature; one minute two of the pirates could be allies and the next they'd be at each other's throats. And for all the blood, sex, and swearing, the series was rather introspective; it explored the mental cost Flint's past took on him, and was willing to question whether or not he could truly find peace. Black Sails was definitely a series ahead of its time, not just in pirate media but in genre storytelling on the whole, and the map it laid out would lead to many similar elements playing out in shows that would soon follow, like Game of Thrones and The Witcher.

Black Sails is available to stream on Starz.

Note from admin: Black Sails coming to Netflix US on 1st January, stay tuned!

Source: Collider

[eye-in-hand]

The Morality of Art in the 21st Century

I've been struggling the last couple of years in feeling like I have to justify my art. Mostly in regards to the materials and products used, and its environmental impact. Without a doubt, life in the 21st century is riddled with questions about climate change, humanity's hand in the atmospheric changes, mass extinction and use of non-biodegradable materials. The mass industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries lacked foresight, and the repercussions of the World Wars are still echoing.

Irregardless if I use digital or physical mediums, there will be a carbon footprint of some sort. I'm just one link in a very large chain. Either my electrical usage, or Internet usage, etc will lead to massive cables everywhere, noise pollution, the energy needing to be produced somewhere; Or the physical materials I use needed be taken from something somewhere, molded into something else, and then later decompose in a fashion that takes longer than the art itself lasted…

I've never seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada, but a scene from it was thrown at me from the mighty algorithms that control the world we live in, and it struck a chord with me.

Anne Hathaway's character Andrea Sachs is at some fashion store wearing a "cerulean blue" cardigan, and Meryl Streep's character Miranda Priestly comments on it. I'm assuming before this clip Andrea says she's not involved in the fashion industry.

Miranda: You go to your closet, and you select, I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, but what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue. It's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? […] And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores, and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner, where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs, and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry, when, in fact, you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.

It’s hard to justify buying art supplies without feeling like I’m just contributing to a problem from a privileged position as someone who doesn’t have to work in a factory that makes the shit I use. The only art form I can think of that doesn’t waste or disturb the environment is oral stories. I don’t know if I can commit to that—and what about people who can’t speak? Or struggle to? Or just don’t connect with expressing themselves that way? Like nonverbal autistics for example. I’ve been stuck between unable to tell someone their art or medium of expression is wasteful, and believing in the selfishness that art requires both in time and materials. Art shouldn’t be a luxury few can afford, but there has to be a balance between that and our current art for consumption.

There isn't a singular answer… But lower population, more bio-degradable materials, less fear of death, less materialism… Who knows. I certainly don’t.

There’s an idea that when human cultures have down time, humans create. That art began to blossom after we started growing agriculture and settled into cities. IE, when we aren’t constantly working or trying to survive but. I would argue that’s not true. How many songs were created in the South while the slaves worked all day? How many folk stories were passed down through pre-history like the aboriginals’ stories? How much art has been made by nomadic cultures who never settled down with agriculture like in Siberia, or the Saami? Even in my own personal life. I found when I was homeless that talking, and being creative was entirely possible as I was literally starving and had no where to sleep.

So I don’t think that holds true. I do think when we have access to more resources, we can create a wider variety of things. This time we live in now, especially in the industrial world, is a very privileged time. We have more access to resources, and information than humans ever have had in our history. The art world is over-saturated, but at the same time, what a blessing that so many are able to express what makes them human.

It’s a double edged sword, and I don’t think I can take a singular stance on one side or the other.

Consumerism is a curse. I can commit to that idea. But that leads me down the rabbit hole of struggling to make money for myself doing what I love because I’m so uptight with the idea of selling my art, of doing art for money. It makes me feel ill. But I can’t work a normal job very well, for one I’m disabled as an autistic person, and regular jobs have always been really hard for me to keep, and two: I’m still contributing to consumerism, only, I’m not my own boss.

Something needs to change. But I don’t know how to help the tide turn, or if I even can. Should I just pull a George Carlin and watch the world burn from a distance? Despite my contributing to it? Not owning up to my share of the responsibility?

Of course it’s not up to one individual but if no one starts who will?

Is it even my responsibility? A solution often proposed is to buy organic, local things. I can't afford local sustainable things and why is it the responsibility of the poor to fix the mistakes of the rich and their corporations? My taking a shorter shower means null when compared to the amounts of waste the average factory pumps out every minute of every day. How responsible am I as an individual for the climate vs the factories and corporations that are actively ruining the planet in mass quantities. It’s not my fault that American companies out source to China because they can get a cheaper production price and it's not my fault that China has limited human rights and very little regulation. But am I endorsing it by complying with still using what comes from that? I won’t use things like Temu or Aliexpress because—sure they skip the middle man and sell directly from the factories—but they’re still selling from the factories. But I will buy things from Walmart with their art supplies doned with “made in Vietnam/Indonesia/China/other outsourced, underpaid, dehumanized working conditions country that my country exploits.” Even if it’s because I can’t afford more sustainable art supplies.

I won’t buy crystals because they’re mined unethically by workers (sometimes children) who are treated like shit, barely paid, and often die. But I will buy chocolate that exploits other places and other people.

Even when it’s things I need: clothes, food, etc. Someone is being exploited for my personal gain.

Humans live in a community, and our community is suffering as well as in a radically toxic relationship with our environment. A community is made of individuals, and therefore the responsibility is shared among them. Equally? No. But everyone has their piece.

It leads me to want to say I wish I could live with no impact. Unfortunately, everything, human or not, affects the world around it. Wanting to live with no impact is impossible but I feel so unjustifiably selfish. Having an impact is a reality I can’t escape from, and I need to stop trying to escape from it. So the real question is, how do I make amends with my impact?

I want to live my life happy with my choices and the style of which I’ve lead it, and that involves adhering to my morals and values—but am I being unrealistic? If I fully commit to never creating anything but oral art, will I just bring a world of suffering in silence with me? I don’t think ‘not creating’ or being unable to express myself in the ways that I feel called to is the answer. It leads to repression of self, and oppression when it spreads through the community. I can’t advocate for that, that’s not the example I want to be.

If I feel tremendous guilt every time I make art, do I expect others to feel that same guilt? If not, why am I holding so much of it?

[qu-film-history-to-1968]

Teenagers and Representaion - Final Essay #1

BY JULIA SCHNARR 

The impact that Rebel Without a Cause had on the youth of America upon its release was very important. James Dean, a cultural icon was under contract with Warner Brothers at the time and in his professional career only made about four films before his tragic death. His impact on films became apparent when he did this film to portray the lost and confused teenager looking to find his way through high school and the pressures of finding himself and fitting in. This captured the atmosphere of students and youth at the time in the 1950s, which also goes off of my post-war realism example, who through the American lifestyle looked appealing from the outside, lots of young women and men found themselves pigeonholed into what their parents wanted them to be, and who they were to become being planned out before their eyes. Historical films from this time period that also capture that essence of youth feeling stuck are The Graduate, as Dustin Hoffman’s character gets out of college with absolutely no idea what he plans on doing with his future. A current film that can also relate to this kind of ‘lost kid’ trope is The King of Staten Island, with Pete Davidson. In the film, Davidson searches to find his own goals while still living at home with his mom, and portrays a very similar reflection to Davidson’s own life with the loss of his firefighter father and family dynamic. This film, Rebel Without A Cause also moved motion pictures into a new and innovative era of widescreen filmmaking with an image that is much larger and more colorful than past films set for a 4:3 aspect ratio. This new picture size brought American audiences into theaters with a completely new experience, as mentioned in “Widescreen” by Paul Schrader. Technicolor helped to bring a new life to films and create a more memorable experience for theatergoers. 

A film that also brought color to the screen was a film made in the 40’s, to help give foundation to my post-war stance, Springtime in the Rockies. Carmen Miranda on screen this film playing a supporting/leading role served as a new face for audiences introducing Portuguese culture to the screen. Though Hollywood today is much more diverse in its portrayals and stories, decades ago the industry had less to share about other cultures. A movie musical that can relate to the same kind of portrayal is In the Heights, that shows Brooklyn’s diverse Latin American community in all its glory through song (featuring the talented Lin-Manuel Miranda). Springtime in the Rockies was a great example of how Carmen Miranda from Brazil was able to break out into Hollywood’s mainstream media through her talented singing, dancing, and acting. Sadly, Carmen also died early on but she is remembered from the movie musicals, television shows, and radio broadcasts that put her name on the map. Past genres can definitely still compare to the ongoing films of this era due to their strong foundational similarities regarding teen spirit and diversity, but I do think something is lost from these older films like a sense of artistic promise, or patience instead of companies churning out films left and right for profit.

[geekgemsspooksandtoons]

Possible Bioshock story synopsis and characters

I just want to post this because I want to do something with Bioshock again ever since seeing The Last Voyage of the Demeter and other feelings I’ve been having. But I do think I become too ambitious with shit like this. This is technically my Bioshock movie here. But I’m going to make some edits to certain things and characters like Elizabeth was originally supposed to be called Debbie.

I may just call this “GeekGem’s Bioshock” instead of Bioshock Rebirth.

Maybe one day, not right now. My head has been feeling weird recently. I may want to write more of this. But it’s so much and...I got to write/complete an outline for this. 

This is essentially a new take on the Bioshock series because it’s best to not fuck with the game’s canon. And I legit believe it’s best not to adapt those games because they were not meant to be films.

This was first developed in a draft on March 29th, 2023.

When a distress call from somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean pops up after many disappearances. The US government sends a group of covert ops soldiers aboard a ship posing as a regular cargo ship. But when the mission turns up disastrous when his ship is sunken down, former US Army Ranger and rookie covert ops operative Archie Wynand stumbles upon the isolated underwater city known as Rapture. Built and owned by thought to be dead business magnate Andrew Ryan.

But what appears to be a beautiful utopia is being torn apart by a civil war, classism, and the horrific growing danger of Splicers that were once people. Along with the unsettling nature of children becoming Little Sisters.

To save a Little Sister named Eleanor, Archie must navigate through the city as he is set on a collision course with the Splicers, Atlas, and Andrew Ryan himself. But things become challenging when Eleanor's protector, a Big Daddy is determined to bring her back.

-

Archie Wynand: A 22-year-old soldier who had endured much trauma during his childhood. A person who hopes his purpose is life is even making a difference. His entire life changes when he arrives in the city of Rapture and meets Eleanor.

Despite not wanting to get involved with the war at first. He makes it his mission to help Tenenbaum develop a cure for Little Sisters and end the war by taking down Ryan.

Used to have a little sister, Miranda, nicknamed "Flower" that had died. Thought of idea on 4/26/23.

Andrew Ryan: The 60-year-old founder of Rapture. Having built the city to be a paradise for the most brilliant men and women and inspired by Ayn Rand. His Objectivist views and other details are the major reasons why the city started to fall.

In a war between the rich and the poor. Ryan tries to keep all control to himself. But when Archie, a soldier enters the city. Ryan becomes Hellbent on killing the soldier before he brings to light about Rapture to the surface.

Subject Delta: One of the original Big Daddies and the first one to successfully ever bond with a Little Sister. More streamlined and agile than later Big Daddies. When Eleanor is taken away, Delta is Hellbent on bringing her back.

But on his collision course with Archie. Delta's purpose slowly changes. Specifically Archie as realizes the similarities between him and Delta.

Eleanor Lamb: A 7-year-old Little Sister that a "Utopian" test subject by Sofia, daughter of Ryan and Jasmine.

Brigid Tenenbaum: One of the leading scientists in Rapture and the creator of the Little Sisters. Horrified by the actions she has done, she has been Hellbent on creating a cure and trying to save as many Little Sisters as she can.

Elizabeth Winslet: A 20-year-old woman that was trying to get around in Rapture before the civil war. And the only person helping Tenenbaum’s quest to save the Little Sisters.

Atlas: A supposed "Voice of the people" in Rapture that Archie despises due to his violent actions and harvesting Little Sisters.

Yi Suchong: The creator of the Big Daddies who survived his near-death experience with a Big Daddy.

Julie Langford: The scientist in charge of Arcadia and able to make oxygen for the people in the city.

[maremote]

steinberg saying that deaths create more story than they close- the death of james flint not closing the story of long john silver but extending and solidifying it. silver thinks he can escape by "killing" james flint but instead he creates even more lore for his own story and traps himself even further in this co-created caricature of himself.

[chichiscloset]

Films That will help you On Your Feminine Level-up Journey!

1. The Devil Wears Prada: Growth

Originally adapted from a novel, this iconic film follows ‘Andy Sachs’ a less than fashionable but attractive female that finds herself in the clutches of Miranda Priestly, a fashion maven that begrudgingly hires her as an assistant at a New York magazine. The importance of this film is two fold.

As one would come to expect, it is a coming of age story for Andy, learning about fashion, traversing Miranda’s low expectations (and everybody else for that matter) as well as confronting the ramifications of her new found confidence and how it stacks up against the ever present ‘male gaze’.

2. Malena: Allure

Starring Monica Bellucci, Malena centers around a gorgeous woman in the 1940’s, grappling with the effects of the male gaze. Due to the ‘death’ of her husband in world war II, men of the town including a young boy gawk at her, flock to her and make advances to her, to which she must decide how to navigate, knowing full well the power and the danger of her beauty in her small Sicilian town.

This movie is an important one because it examines the effects of unmistakable beauty, the fear that it stokes in the hearts of other women and the uncontrollable hold it has on men, so uncontrollable in fact, that it can just as easily put a woman in a position of power as well.

3. Crazy Rich Asians: Integrity

There is a lot to learn from this movie, first and foremost is fashion (obviously) the importance of acceptance, the power of thwarting said need for acceptance, the idea that pedigree still very much matters to people of means and manners (it never goes out of style). Although this is your classic, rich boy meets regular girl and he sweeps her into a world of deep pockets and first class flights, the main character exercises dignity.

As a woman in the modern world, we are going to encounter a lot of situations that make us question how firmly we stand in our dignity if a shiny carrot is dangled in our faces. At times, split second cost benefit analyses must be made and perhaps even sacrifices must be made in favor for or against our dignity. Whatever choice we make, it has to be a decision that benefits us and we can live with. In the end, that’s all that matters.

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[your-fave-transboy]

Archive of My Own

So, this is just a list of all the shit I have written and posted on Archive of Our Own. I'll try and update this as I go lmao but life is a bitch, so bear with me. :)

*= Warning

+ = Uncommon Pairing

Updated: 7/13/2022

Arresting and Arrested *

Fandom: Law and Order: SVU

Status: WIP

Chapters: 10/?

Words: 32,095/?

Summary: Phoenix Wesley has become content with his ordinary life. With a job he loves and clients that always need him, the middle-aged man is sure that he is happy until a single mother and her son force him to reevaluate. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Phoenix’s life is forever changed in the best way by the addition of Olivia and Noah Porter Benson. The two remind him that life is worth living if not just for the little moments and help make more along the way.

Coffee In the Morning

Fandom: Law and Order: SVU

Status: Complete

Chapters: 8

Words: 16,429

Summary: Serena Clarke, the new owner of The Morning Stop, was not all that interested in Alphas. That was until she met one Olivia Benson. The detective was beautiful and smelled amazing, but seemed to hold the weight of the world on her broad shoulders. Over time, Serena found herself getting closer to the older woman once their lives collided until they did as well.

More Than Just Surviving*

Fandom: Harry Potter x Grey's Anatomy

Status: WIP

Chapters: 6/?

Words: 45,926

Summary: Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said, “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” A life without purpose is a painfully hollow existence. Some are unlucky enough to never find theirs. I thank Death every day that I escaped that fate. I’d been a hollow shell of myself after the war. It took a while, but I found my direction, and the long and eventful journey of self-discovery has brought me to my latest destination. This rainy, cloudy, and downright depressing city of Seattle. Absolutely perfect in my books, just like back home. I miss it, and them, my friends and chosen family, but they understood why I had to step out into the world. I had served their purpose, and it had been time to strive for my own, and be more than just the Boy-Who-Lived.

Peter B. Parker: SAaPTSB+

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe (Spider-man)

Status: Complete

Chapters: 21

Words: 40,422

Summary: It all began when Peter first turned eighteen. His senior year was just getting into motion when his birthday had rolled around. Technically, it all really started three years prior when he was just fifteen.

she ain't gonna marry me

Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada

Status: Complete

Chapters: 1

Words: 1,147

Summary: Two years since Paris. Two years since Andy Sachs walked away from Miranda Priestly's world with no intention to ever return until she got a wedding invitation.

Shuffle Challenge: Madam Secretary Ed.

Fandom: Madam Secretary

Status: Complete

Chapters: 1

Words: 9,856

Summary: The Madam Secretary addition to the shuffle challenge because this show is criminally underrated. Let's hope I can do these characters justice the way they deserve.

Shuffle Challenge: Murlendez Ed.

Fandom: The Good Doctor

Status: Complete

Chapters: 10

Words: 8,801

Summary: N/A

Stealing Clothes to Create a Family

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Status: Complete

Chapters: 7

Words: 8,363

Summary: 6 times Emily Prentiss wore the team's clothing and 1 time someone wore hers. A story of change and obtaining treasures from your family. From fuzzy socks to an umbrella, they all had a special place in Emily's heart.

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Fandom: Grey's Anatomy

Status: WIP

Chapters: 46/?

Words: 14,916

Summary: Grey's on Twitter babes. Our modern fam, but gayer.

[persephinae]

Since apparently some people just like throwing new words around injudiciously because they just learned it, here are some facts:

Awww the hyped character is not the pure, free from sin character you thought :(

Shepard is in the military and does whatever Anderson or Hackett tell them (pro military)

The human Allaince companions are pro military (Kaidan, Ashley, James, Samantha, Steve)

Jacob, Miranda, Kelly were part of a terrorist dot org that did unspeakable things

Jack murdered like a LOT of people, pirated spaceships, and threw one of them at a moon.

Wrex was a mercenary that killed for money

Garrus was in CSEC and was becoming corrupted by the system

Tali viewed geth as not worth saving and as things, her people performed horrendous experiments on the geth in a centuries long war because they wouldn't simply talk to "things/machines"

Zaeed is also a mercenary that's killed a LOT of people

Grunt was ready to kill you from the get go

Joker joined a terrorist organization due to his tremendous guilt over Shepard dying because he wouldn't leave the ship

Thane is an assassin, a more precise and exclusive merc

Kasumi is a thief

Samara is a very genteel religious bounty hunter who can kill anyone if they get in her way, with no due process

Liara became a crime lord who threatens people with psychic lobotomies

Legion and the geth have been murdering people for centuries because they also did not want to try diplomacy. They could have gone anywhere in the galaxy, lived on some asteroid, they have no need for Rannoch, but they violently took the planet out of spite in their war against their creators. They could have always just walked away. They chose not to.

Mordin happily participated and created war crimes against another species

EDI murdered people on the moon

Morinth literally was a serial killer that fed on people's death

Javik was a soldier of an empire that colonized and conquered other people, brutally killing them if they did not submit to the empire

No one in this series is perfect or "pure". Everyone in the game series, yes everyone, has their own xenophobia and biases and made a shit ton of mistakes and questionable deeds. They are all "problematic".

I assure you, in the 10 years this series has been out, all Discourse(TM) has been said and hashed out.

Please either just play the game or don't tag your hate on characters. It's already been said. I PROMISE you.

We love the games because they're complex and it tells a great story.

I love all the characters.

Thanks

(CHARACTER HATERS DNI)

[daisyachain]

D.Gray-Man is a story about why children choose to fight in a war. Allen is so empathetic that he'd sacrifice himself to save people in pain, to make it hurt less for himself. Lenalee wants to keep the people she loves alive as long as possible. Lavi has no sense of self outside the role he's been trained to fill, he will do what's required to get information, as long as death isn't guaranteed. Kanda is an empty shell, he was created for no other reason than to fight and it's the only thing he knows. Even the side characters' stories are tied to their joining up, Krory is rejected by society and retreats to the Order when his one connection dies, Miranda is so miserable and outcast that she can only find worth through using her Innocence and the only way she can do that is in the war, Marie only avoids suicide through trying to look after Kanda. The entire series is full of characters whose tortured lives force them into a situation where their only hope is to fight. They can't live peacefully. Then, you have one single character who has a loving family, a peaceful home, and a prosperous life, who leaves that life and fights for no reason other than fun. Clearly this character will be an important recurring figure. Surely his blithe philosophy will be contrasted with the others' misery and emptiness. Obviously the story will delve into whether it's good for him to have pure motivations or bad for him to find joy in destruction. That would make sense, wouldn't it?

[captainatarime]

The story of Captain Atarime and DJ Octavia

(I decided to make this post to explain the story of Atarime and Octavia, in case anyone is curious to know what their story is :o)

First of all...

Who are Atarime and Octavia?

(They are the young and female versions of Cap'n Cuttlefish and DJ Octavio)

Story:

It all started in Calamari County, 12 years ago, Atarime lived with her family in Calamari County, one day she decided to enter Mount Nantai, what she didn't expect is that there she would meet Octavia, the daughter of the kings of the Octarian kingdom and future heir to the throne

Despite her grandmother's warnings not to go near the Octolings as she thought they were dangerous, Atarime decided to ignore the warnings and talk to Octavia, they quickly became friends and met on Mount Nantai every day

Atarime entered a school to follow her dream of being a Captain, Octavia managed to convince her parents to let her go to the same school as Atarime, but if she caused any problems that endangered her reputation, they would never let her return to school

At first everything was going well, until a girl named Celine, who was already friends with Atarime before meeting Octavia, became jealous that she spent more time with Octavia than with her, so, she devised a plan to kill her, When she was about to kill Octavia, Atarime managed to stop her, but as revenge, Celine faked her death by throwing herself off a cliff in front of Atarime and Octavia, but she swore that one day she would return

A few days later, Atarime was being blamed for the "Celine's death" but Octavia decided to say that she had been responsible for Celine's death so that Atarime wouldn't be expelled, after this, the school expelled Octavia, her parents, the Takeshi and Miranda Takowasa, decided to hide everything about what had happened and never allow Octavia to leave the castle again

Years passed and after Atarime's graduation, at the age of 10, she moved to Inkopolis along with her friends, Pearl and Xena, Octavia decided to go live with her in Inkopolis, but she had to return to the castle for a few days so her parents would not suspect anything, Atarime created a group called "The Squidbeak Splatoon", Atarime and Octavia began to train to become idols and they had fun with their friends Xena and Pearl playing Turf wars in their team called "Team Fantasy", they even won a tournament

At the age of 14, Atarime and Octavia went to live in Inkopolis square, Xena and Pearl accompanied them as well, Xena continued studying to become a scientist and Pearl opened Grizzco industries, Atarime and Octavia became idols known as "Mc Star" and "DJ Fresh" in her band called "Cephalopop"

(Also, at age 14, Atarime and Octavia discovered that they could travel to other dimensions)

after having defeated Tartar, Celine returned, but thanks to the help of her friends from other dimensions, they managed to stop her

And few months later, Octavia confessed her feelings to Atarime and she accepted it and from here they would start dating

After the Final fest, someone revealed that Octavia was DJ Fresh and that quickly ruined her reputation as the future queen of the Octarians, her parents, after seeing this, decided that she would no longer be the future queen of the Octarians, they decided that it would be better that James (Octavia's cousin and who by the way, wanted the throne and hated Octavia because she was going to be the queen of the Octarians) would be the new king of the Octarians instead of Octavia, Octavia would no longer be allowed to leave the castle, to make sure she didn't escape, they increased the security of the castle, and that was not all, but they would send some guards to look for Atarime since the kings blamed her for Octavia's behavior

And after this happened, the 4 friends had to separate, Xena went to a city called Coral city to continue her studies while Pearl stopped being the head of Grizzco industries and went to sail the seas to investigate more about salmonids

Atarime and Octavia had to escape from their dimension and after spending 1 year hidden in another dimension, they were captured, while they were captured in the castle, Tartar took Atarime's white ink, since she needed it for a project she is working on, after this, they were both rescued by their friends from other dimensions

Currently, both are 17 years old, they are safe in another dimension, and they are thinking of a plan to stop Tartar

Splatoon 3 Story (Coming soon in 2022!)

3 years have passed since the tragedy...

After losing everthing, Atarime, now an adult, lives in Splatsville, a city far from Inkopolis, she arrived to Splatlands when she was 17 years old and has been living in Splatsville alone with a small salmonid that she rescued and a small baby great zapfish

in Splatsville, she will meet Cassandra and Ivy, the new idols of Splatsville and Elizabeth Kamabo, the last human and creator of Tartar

the story continues in Splatoon 3...

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Black Sails’ Toby Stephens on Captain Flint and the Final Season

Black Sails will return to Starz on January 29, 2017 for its fourth and final season. When we last left the pirates, Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) was beginning the revolution in Nassau and Long John Silver’s (Luke Arnold) star was rising. We recently got a chance to chat with Toby Stephens about the end of the series, what’s coming for Flint and working on this epic show. Check out his thoughts on season four below!

Here is the official synopsis:

The fourth season opens with hundreds of British soldiers dead in a forest… the Royal Navy sails back to England in retreat… the West Indies are now a war zone, and the shores of New Providence Island have never been bloodier. With the help of Eleanor Guthrie, Woodes Rogers transforms Nassau into a fortress without walls, as Captain Flint amasses a fleet of unprecedented strength, hoping to strike the final blow against civilization and reshape the world forever. Meanwhile, from within the island… an insurgency builds, fueled by the legend of its exiled leader, whose name keeps grown men awake at night… the one they call “Long John Silver.”

But as Flint, Silver and their allies are about to learn, the closer civilization comes to defeat, the more desperately and destructively it will fight back. Oaths will be shattered, fortunes will change hands, and amidst the chaos, only one thing remains certain: it has never been more dangerous to call oneself a pirate.

xxxx

Legion of Leia: I was in South Africa on the set when you were filming that crazy storm sequence in season three. What sort of set pieces are we going to see this time around?

Toby Stephens: It’s huge. There’s loads of stuff that will keep fans extremely happy, I’m sure.

Legion of Leia: Flint had a crazy few seasons. I’m curious about whether or not you think his destiny was set with Miranda’s (Louise Barnes) death.

Toby Stephens: I think yes, it kind of compounded the way he was going. I mean, I think before Miranda died, maybe people could reason him out of certain choices, but I think when Miranda dies, that’s the last nail in the coffin in terms of him going after England in this relentless way. And also, I would say, the other thing that compounds it is finding an ally in Silver. The fact that they become partners in this enterprise, it seems that Flint can only function when he has somebody who he’s allied with or is an alter-ego for him. Someone who can balance him and he can work through. So that is both good for him and bad for him in a way.

Legion of Leia: In the last episode, there is that conversation between Flint and Silver where they’re like, oh, we’re friends. But bad things happen to Flint’s friends. We know a bit about where this is going to go because of “Treasure Island.” What’s ahead for Flint here?

Toby Stephens: Yeah, well, I think it’s really the end game for the whole series, and we know it’s a tragedy because there was no great revolution in the pirate world. There was no emancipation of the pirates and the slaves. It didn’t happen, so why did it not happen and what happens to Flint at the end of that, when his dreams are crushed? What happens to Silver and him? How does that play out? And also, how does the Silver that we know become the eponymous Long John Silver of “Treasure Island?” How does that happen? And I think season four brilliantly leads us to a point where where, it’s a very satisfying ending, but also leaves you to fill in the gaps between there and “Treasure Island.” You kind of know who these people are at the end of this, but it’s a kind of really cool thing to allow people to do that themselves rather than go, look, this is what happens, all the way to the end. It leaves you to do some work yourself.

Legion of Leia: I love that. This show has sent me to Wikipedia more often than you would believe!

Toby Stephens: [laughs] I know!

Legion of Leia: How much research do you do for a role like this, or do you rely mostly on the script?

Toby Stephens: Do you know what? It’s a combination of laziness and there is method to it. I just go with what is in the script. I mean, like you, I’ll go to Wikipedia if I need to know something, if I don’t know what something is. But whether or not it has real historic context, for me is immaterial because I’m working in a fictive world. It’s a fictive world with dashes here or there of historic fact. A pinch here, a pinch there, and I need to work in that world, so it’s better if I stick there.

Legion of Leia: I did love seeing how much was actually built on the set and how many little touches were there, historical and fictive, both.

Toby Stephens: Yeah, what I love is the detail in terms of everybody else, the props, etc. There was a lot of care taken about what would have been there, what wouldn’t have been there, creating that texture of the world, where you can believe it.

Legion of Leia: When we were there, we were hearing stories of bugs in the walls!

Toby Stephens: We were always having problems with–there were these crickets. And they would get in. We would call them “sea crickets!” [laughs] You would be in a take and you would hear [makes cricket noises]. We’re supposed to be in the middle of something scene! [laughs] Or there would be birds up in the rigging going “cheep, cheep!” And you just go, oh my God, there’s another hour in ADR!

Legion of Leia: Did you have to do a ton of ADR?

Toby Stephens: Oh yeah! I have become the master of ADR. I breeze it now! I kind of like it because sometimes you can actually improve things. You know? There was a scene I did in the first season where it was with Gates (Mark Ryan), and it was a storm, and we’re having this conversation and we’re having a drink, and we’re on the set–it was the beginning when they used to gimbal the set. It was so noisy! There was water coming in, dripping everywhere. They wanted it to look authentic. Because it was quite a stressful set to be on [laughs], for some reason my [in a high-pitched voice] my voice was up here! I watched it–I mean, I had to loop it because there was so much noise there, but I thought, I sound like an hysteric! I managed to re-voice the whole thing and kind of couch it where Flint speaks normally. That’s a case in point where you can really improve on things.

Legion of Leia: I can’t imagine trying to speak clearly during some of those storm scenes!

Toby Stephens: I mean, it was mad! This job was amazing because I loved the people and I loved working on it, but there are aspects that I won’t miss. It was totally exhausting. By the end of this last season, I was literally hanging in rags, because it makes such demands on you. You’ve got enormous amounts of dialogue and enormous amounts of acting to do, and then at the same time, you’ve got all of this physical stuff to do, and it’s day in and day out. And you’re in the costumes and you’re in baking heat, and it was long, long days. No other job I would be able to do, in terms of acting–I mean, I’m not working in a coal mine–but there is no other job I could do that would come near this. It sort of made me immune to–it made everything else seem like a breeze. It was so arduous. And some of the stuff we did in season four, some of the stuff that I did towards the end, it was really difficult. Really difficult.

Legion of Leia: Having seen that storm scene and the tanks of water being dumped on you and the ship moving back and forth and the yelling–it was crazy!

Toby Stephens: Yeah, it was also the length of time it went on for. Because we also did two weeks straight, and then we kept on coming back for pickups because it was so particular. And also, it’s part of the reason why I’m so proud of the show, is that they had such exacting standards for what they wanted. They’d cut it together and realize they were missing bits, or that they could get bits better, but it was a drag. You had to get back on this deck and they were spraying you with stuff and they had the engines on. It was brutal. But you look at the end result and you go, that will stand. In ten years time, it will look amazing.

Legion of Leia: What are you going to miss the most, now that the show is over?

Toby Stephens: I think I’ll miss all the people that I worked with. One of the things about the job is, you create these very intense and very fun relationships with people, creative relationships with people, very creative, and then they dissolve and move on. I’ll miss that, and working with such great writers. John [Steinberg], Robert [Levine] and Dan [Shotz], you know, just brilliant writing, fantastic showrunners. They were so good and we had a really intense relationship. I’ll miss that.

Legion of Leia: What do you have coming up next?

Toby Stephens: So I just started doing the reinvention of Lost In Space for Netflix, so I literally just started working for them. I’m really excited for that. It’s a brilliant segue from one genre to another. [laughs] It’s a really fun reinvention of it. It’s really clever, and I’m really excited about it. I think this will be fun in terms of, it’s servicing fans, making a show for now.

Legion of Leia: Also, different costumes. Maybe not so much wool in the heat!

Toby Stephens: I think it will be differently uncomfortable. [laughs]

Legion of Leia: Those costumes were insane and it was so hot while you were filming.

Toby Stephens: Yeah, it was tough, and also in the brutal sun all day long. Standing on ships. It was killer. And the boots. I remember always complaining. I bitched and moaned about my boots all the time. [laughs] These things are killing me! Can you imagine these pirates going, “Jeeze, man! Couldn’t we have flip flops? Could we have a pair of thongs? Why do we have to wear these things?” [laughs]

Legion of Leia: I feel like pirates should have worn fewer clothes!

Toby Stephens: Yeah! [laughs] But apparently they didn’t. They didn’t, actually. The whole thing of pirates wearing all of that is baloney. They actually–they had very light shirts and stuff. Apparently they just didn’t wear much.

Legion of Leia: That was for fancy pirates.

Toby Stephens: And also, it was just for show. Also, what Black Sails kind of gets into is, a lot of it was p.r. It was p.r. by the English, because they wanted to demonize these people, but it was also their own p.r.–like Blackbeard having fuses on his beard and stuff like that. It was all to make people scared.

Legion of Leia: You can see that even with what Billy [Tom Hopper] is doing at the end of season three with Silver.

Toby Stephens: Yeah, and here’s a really fun thing. You get to the end of this season, and you take a screenshot of characters at the end of this season and you compare them to screenshots from the beginning of season one and they’re just like–the journey that they’ve been on, and the toll it’s taken on them is really cool. I mean, Luke just looks terrible at the end of it! And he was so beautiful at the beginning! [laughs] And the same with Tom Hopper who plays Billy Bones. You see he’s headed towards the Billy Bones of “Treasure Island.”

Legion of Leia: I wanted to ask you about Flint and Billy. There is such a tense relationship there with so much history. How is that going to shift this season?

Toby Stephens: Yeah, it really comes to a head. It comes to blows. They’re not going to be able to–it’s really interesting the way Billy goes, I think, in this season. It’s been a long time coming.

Legion of Leia: Do you think Flint has any of the idealism left that he had at the beginning?

Toby Stephens: Well, what’s really interesting at the end of it, one realizes how personal this is for Flint. And that, actually, it’s not really some altruistic scheme that he has to liberate everybody. He’s playing out his own psychodrama in reality. And how demented–how he will not stop. How it will go on and on and on. And somebody has to stop that. You know, it’s a tragedy because we know that there was no–it’s got to end somewhere. It’s not going to be good.

Legion of Leia: I do have to ask you about working with your family! [Toby’s wife Anna-Louise Plowman plays Mrs. Hudson and his brother Chris Larkin joined the cast as a Redcoat this season]

Toby Stephens: Yeah! It was wonderful, actually! It was so wonderful because I hadn’t spent so much time with my brother for a while. And was really great hanging out with him. And it was a bit strange. We had one scene where we were given direction to look at each other across–we had no lines together, but we had to look at each other across this town square. And I suddenly realized, this is really difficult because nobody on Earth knows me as well as my brother does. And to try and pretend with one another is just impossible! There cannot be any artifice! [laughs] So both of us, it was hopeless! I said, you look at my chest and I’ll look at your forehead. [laughs] It’s impossible! You can’t hide!

Are you guys excited for season four? Let us know in the comments! Black Sails will return to Starz on January 29, 2017.

sources: Legion of Leia (unfortunately I can't put link because it wasn't secured)

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Rewatching TDK Trilogy

Easily my favorite superhero trilogy and arguably one of my favorite trilogies of all time. I think in terms of superhero trilogies, Captain America is the one that comes closest because I love all three movies, but they aren’t a trilogy in the normal sense in that Civil War is essentially Avengers 2.5 and neither Civil War nor Winter Soldier can be understood without having watched Avengers and Age of Ultron. But even putting that aside, I adore TDK trilogy and it still ranks as my favorite superhero movies. The trilogy, obviously starting with Batman Begins, is what put introduced me to Nolan. I hadn’t seen Memento and Insomnia till then so Batman Begins was literally my first introduction to him.

I was always a big Batman fan as a huge follower of the DCAU cartoons with Kevin Conroy voicing a really badass Batman throughout the 90′s and into the early 2000′s. While I enjoyed the first 4 Batman movies as a kid, yes even B&R, I always wanted to see the more somber version from the cartoons. Batman Begins hit me at the perfect time where I started to have longer attention spans and wasn’t just looking for the next action scene. Rewatching the movie, it amazes me that Batman doesn’t show up for half the movie. I think that was a really brave call given pretty much all previous Batman movies introduced Batman almost immediately. I genuinely love all the prelude to Bruce becoming Batman. I liked that we got to see his training extensively and we are introduced to the city and see the dynamics of the rich and the poor, the police, the mob, the lawyers etc... It really gives Gotham a very grounded personality. I think Nolan really killed it at the casting level. By getting Caine as Alfred, Freeman as Fox, and Oldman as Gordon, he created a superbly acted support structure around Bruce/Batman, so we aren’t just always waiting for Bruce to show up. On top of that, they had Liam Neeson as Ra’s, who is effortlessly compelling, as well as other strong supporting actors like Cillian Murphy as a scene stealing Scarecrow, Tom Wilkinson as Falcone, Rutger Hauer as Earle etc... All giving personality to a difference facet of the city and Bruce’s life. But this truly is Bale’s movie. I didn’t know him at all prior to this film, but I have been a fan ever since. He carries the movie on his shoulders and he delivers the ferociousness of Batman and the humanity of Bruce Wayne effortlessly. If there is someone who doesn’t make a big impression, its Katie Holmes. I didn’t find her terrible, but rather the character isn’t exactly well written which bleeds into the next movie with Maggie Gyllenhall as well. My favorite Batman performance. Rewatching, what surprised me the most is the amount of humor in the movie. This is actually reflective of the entire trilogy. The movies deal with darkness and death, but there is actually plenty of humor sprinkled throughout these movies which prevent it from being dour. There have been a lot of superhero origin stories, but this still remains the gold standard of superhero origin stories. A 9/10 for me.

There is nothing I can say about The Dark Knight that hasn’t been said a 100 times over. It quite literally is the best comic book movie of all time. But it basically is at heart a drama about Gotham. Whereas BB acts as a character centric piece, this film is about all the characters living in Gotham. Arguable, the character that has the biggest arc in the film is Harvey Dent. Again, the casting department knocked it out of the park with the casting of Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. Unfortunately, Eckhart never really capitalized on his performance here because he really was terrific in the film, both as Harvey and as Two-Face, to the point where you wished you had more of Two-Face. Gary Oldman gave his best work in the trilogy in this movie. The desperation as the situation spins out of control is fabulous. Freeman also has a very meaty role in the movie and continues to add a lot of weight to the scenes as well as plenty of humor, as does Michael Caine. Christian Bale continued to be terrific. There were some complaints about his voice, which I feel have been overexaggerated over the years. I definitely think his Begins voice is better, but barring one or two scenes, I never really had an issue with Bale’s voice in this film. He delivers a very nuanced performance. Maggie Gyllenhaal took over from Katie Holmes in TDK and while I think she is a far better actress than Katie Holmes, I think the character itself is not very well written. In both movies, Rachel comes off as very judgmental. Whereas in BB I can understand her reason in being so, given Bruce was ready to commit murder and later was out being a playboy in front of her for the sake of appearances, in this movie she is judgmental towards Bruce even though she knows what he has been doing to help the city. Also, she did come off a bit flaky in the whole Bruce/Rachel/Harvey triangle. And then there is Heath Ledger. There are very few performances that I consider perfect. This is one of them. I think every choice Ledger makes in this movie, be it intentional or unintentional, works amazingly well. Like him licking his lips to keep the make up on. It just adds a creepy quality to his character, even if it is completely unintentional. There are so many ticks and quirks in Ledger’s performance that make this a phenomenal performance. I don’t see any villain performance having matches that since 2008. I think the closest I have seen prior to that is Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. It really is a performance that adds such a big extra edge to the movie. I love that Nolan sticks to certain details such as Bruce never actually drinking alcohol and throwing it away at the part and then Joker showing up and taking a glass and him spilling almost all of it. It gives a lot of personality to the characters. If I have any complaint about the movie, it is that Bruce does at times feel like a stationary character as he does not have as big of an arc as a Harvey Dent. And if you want, you can pick apart the holes in the series of events that happen that cause the chaos. But the drama of the film is just so intense that you forget all of that behind. I give it a 9.5/10

The Dark Knight Rises to me is the film that gets often maligned just because it isn’t TDK. And that is a crazy yardstick to compare it to. But as a movie on its own, its pretty damn awesome. TDKR is where the film truly steps away from being a version of the comics to being an Elseworld story with Batman having been absent for 8 years and then Bruce retiring and leaving Gotham at the end of the movie. But I don’t think there was any way for Nolan to close out his trilogy without it becoming an Elseworld story and it really didn’t matter because I always figured that as long as Bruce is out there, if Gotham needed him, he would come back. Its not as if there aren’t existing comic book stories of Bruce having retired or left being Batman behind. Again, there is some superb new casting. JGL ends up being surprising integral and he is terrific. Tom Hardy is awesome as Bane. He manages to provide a terrifying presence. I actually loved his voice. I love that a terrifying brute of a man has a polite, gentlemanly sounding voice. It gave him a unique personality. Marion Cotillard is pretty good as Talia/Miranda. She has an awkwardly filmed death scene but she’s good throughout the rest of the film, particularly during the reveal scene. But the casting of the movie for me was Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. I knew Anne Hathaway mostly from the Princess Bride movies till then even though she had gotten an academy award nomination by then. But I really didn’t envisage her as Selina Kyle but she blew me out of the water with her performance. She was seductive, yet very likable. I love the clever costume design of her goggles looking like cat ears when she puts them up. I also love Nolan’s version of the Lazarus Pit. Certainly Bruce’s climb out of the pit is one of the most compelling scenes of the movie. You truly feel the emotion. The film also has one of the best acted scenes I have scene between Michael Caine and Christian Bale in the hallway. Its the scene I remember first whenever I think about TDKR. Oscar quality acting by both in that scene. The returning cast is all terrific but Michael Caine has a few gut wrenching scenes, including this one and the scene at the funeral at the end. Oldman and Freeman continue to be stalwarts throughout the movie, I really admire that Nolan did not waste these actors and given them very substantial roles in all the movies and all these actors really respected the material to not sleep walk through the roles. I think Bale’s performance here rivals his performance in Begins. Particularly in the scenes in the Pit. You get to see a full range of emotions, from pain, to despair, to anger, to hope. Its a superb performance. The film isn’t flawless. Its just a tad too long and there is some clunky editing at times. None of the three films can be said to contain very memorable action sequences because Nolan is not known to have great action sequences in his film until more recently, but the drama in the action negates that. Like, the Bane vs Batman fight where Bane breaks Batman, isn’t the greatest action scene in terms of fight choreography, but there is a lot weight to these characters which is what makes it incredibly compelling. Same is true to an extent for the climax at the end. When Batman beats Bane, I felt a sense of satisfaction after what I had witnessed in the previous fight. Overall, I genuinely feel that I love the last act of TDKR the most out of all three films. The Batplane, Batpod, and Tumbler chase scene was thrilling and it was cool to watch all three Bat vehicles in operation. The ending montage also ends the movie on a real uplifting note for all characters, which is very satisfying. I really love the movie. A 9/10.

It has to be said that Zimmer’s score across all three films contributes enormously to these movies. All in all, these set of movies are still my favorite superhero movies and my favorite Nolan movies till date.

[an-american-experiment]

Who lives, who dies - Who tells your story?

Lin-Manuel Miranda

By the time Eliza Hamilton died, the generation of people who had started, fought, and ended the American Revolution, cleaning up its pieces and stringing together a country, were gone. All that was left of it was their stories and the stories told about them. The way those stories were talked about - even before Eliza’s death - were already changing. 

That lofty pedestal that the ‘Founding Fathers’ were put upon, that in some regards we are no stranger to today, was being built. Who was mentioned, and when, was all based on what those telling the story wanted because those who lived it or those that personally knew them, could no longer speak for themselves. It is from this that the way we speak about Hamilton was born. 

Eliza had ensured that there was a biography of Hamilton, a multi-volume collection that covered his life, but this did not mean that this was always to be the point of view from which the world saw Hamilton. Even during Eliza’s lifetime, Hamilton’s reputation was up for debate - something she tried to quell. This debate continued after her death and continues, in some form, to today. When we talk about Hamilton we are influenced by this past and current debate, and no writer, me included, is an exception from that. My viewpoint on Hamilton is biased, as are all historian’s viewpoints on any subject or topic or idea that they write and research on. The way I view history, through a feminist lens and my Jewish heritage, means that when I see history I see it in a certain way. All historians, however much they might try to distance themselves from the past, are this way. Every story that has been told about Hamilton is biased - presented from a different point of view.

After the biography of Hamilton Eliza requested and Thomas Pickering wrote, there were other biographies of Hamilton, such as the ones that I used to write this blog. The study of the historiography of Hamilton (the writing of history of Hamilton) is a broad one. Try, for instance, to search “biographies of Hamilton” in any search engine. In doing so, you will find a plethora of books written about him. Some of these are for children, some the public, and some for those who study history. These are how we tell the story of Hamilton - these books show Eliza’s success in ensuring that Hamilton’s story is told. 

Whether the story we tell about Hamilton is the one Eliza wanted or not is, in some ways, irrelevant. Like many other people who were family members and friends of the ‘Founding Fathers,’ Eliza censored his letters and papers to try to ensure that the only story that could be told is the one she wanted told - this is not unique nor is it surprising. And, yet, despite her best efforts to make it so that we could only see the good Hamilton did, there have been numerous occasions where historians point out his flaws and faults. This is all part of telling Hamilton’s story. As historians and as individuals wanting to understand the past so that we can understand the most reasonable and possible way to build a future, we have to look at both successes and mistakes. This is also part of telling the story - Hamilton’s story. 

This musical, Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is yet another telling of Hamilton’s story. And, like many tellings of historical events and people, perhaps it is more telling of today that it is of the yesteryear it presents. This is not to say that it does not tell Hamilton’s story - it does, albeit with historical inaccuracies - but it also tells the story of today. It tells of an America that has so long neglected, when it has told its story of the downtrodden and unmentioned, the people who also built the country but are so frequently left out when the story is told. It is a retelling of that story, Hamilton’s story, but also today’s, which reflects the country that part is and part wants to be. 

This blog is an addition to that, it is yet another telling of Hamilton’s story. I hope that in this blog, though, I have brought to light some left out and interesting parts of his story that do not always make it into others and were not in Miranda’s telling. My goal in this was in no part to break apart what he did, but to add to it, for it is just as legitimate a telling as any other because it tells the story of now along with Hamilton’s. In writing this I have continued what Eliza wants, both in this song and in real life: telling Hamilton’s story. I am sure, however, that I have not presented everything as she wished it to be seen. The way I presented Hamilton and Reynolds would be one such example. But I also brought in ideas and people who perhaps would not have traditionally have been thought to be as important to Hamilton’s story. In making Eliza and the other women in his life more prominent, I have tried to also tell their story, because his story and theirs, would be incomplete without each other. 

These people were once living - and while they lived, they told their own stories, controlling much of the narrative. Once they died, their family controlled the story that was told as much as they could, but slowly, that grip unraveled. Historians were able to gather evidence and tell the story. Now, each of us who knows the story, who talks about it, who sees Hamilton An American Musical, listens to its songs, and learns about Hamilton the person, the people around him, and the systems he created - we tell his story. 

Sources: the following sources were used - the collected letters/writings of Alexander Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton the Revolution, Ron Chernow’s biography of Hamilton, The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton by Allan McLane Hamilton, Hamilton by Richard Syllia, and Charles Cerami’s book called Young Patriots. In addition, War of Two by John Sedgwick and Washington and Hamilton by Tony Williams were used throughout. Tilar J. Mazzeo’s Eliza Hamilton was also used. 

Follow us at @an-american-experiment where we are historically analyzing the lyrics of Hamilton with a new post every day!

[justmyimagination92]

Why Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Theon Greyjoy are similar, beautifully grey and real characters that represent overcoming abuse and manipulation and it makes no sense to love one but hate the other, a thread:

*Disclaimer* I have only watched the GoT series & SW movies, I have not read the books or comics for either series but I have done research into both so anything I’m pulling that’s not from the movies or show has been taken from research/information I have gathered from others who have used these sources for their own opinions/arguments/statements as well as from a GoT class I took my senior year of college

Life of Mental/Physical Abuse:

They both had mentally abusive upbringings which is obvious to say has a huge effect on your development and how you perceive the world around you. Theon was the youngest of 4, known to cling more to his mother and not care as much about the ironborn mentality of piracy and raiding as his older brothers did. He was constantly tormented and bullied by them for it as well as feeling neglected by his father for “showing weakness” which made him feel like he didn’t belong and wasn’t accepted in his home. He was then sent off to be Ned Stark’s ward (prisoner) and would be executed if Balon tried to rebel against the throne again. This knowledge is constantly hanging over his head and threatening him even though he makes the best of the situation, especially by finding a brother in Robb. The North and most of the Stark family don’t accept him despite his best efforts in trying to do his best while also missing the Iron Islands and not being able to fulfill his right as the heir to the salt throne

Ben has been mentally abused since he was in his mother’s womb. Palpatine has been in his head since he was conceived, trying to seduce him to the dark because he knew the power Ben would possess from his family. Now were his parents abusive towards him like Balon, Maron, and Rodrik were to Theon? No. But they were afraid of who he could become which definitely drove him towards becoming what they were afraid of to begin with. He felt isolated and alone. Aside from questioning why his parents were afraid of him with no explanation (making him feel like he was some sort of monster), Han was gone the majority of his upbringing and Leia was building the New Republic. He was often left with droids to watch him, further developing his isolation. There’s also apparently an instance where a droid fantasized about killing him and how they’d be able to cover it up? Eventually, L&H sent him off to be trained by Luke due to their growing fear of him becoming like Vader, but he didn’t know because they never told him Vader was his grandfather. He ended up finding out later on when it was announced at a senate meeting that was broadcasted on the holonet. (Keep in mind he’s consistently being mentally tormented and tempted by the dark but fighting it off)

Loss of Identity:

I think you can argue that Theon and Ben have struggled with their identity their entire lives. Before Theon was taken to Winterfell he already felt like he didn’t belong. Then he does his duty as Ned’s ward, placing him in the midst of the rest of the Starks and trying to figure out his place without stepping out of line but also wanting to fit in as best as he can. After Ned dies and he’s at war with Robb he is able to return home to persuade Balon in lending his fleet to help Robb. Balon refuses and now Theon is stuck in deciding if he should help Robb or win over his father and take back his place as a Greyjoy. He leads an attack at Winterfell, betraying his loyalty to Robb, killing two farm boys that all of Westeros believes is Brand and Rickon, which leads to him getting overthrown by the Boltons taking Winterfell back, putting him in the hands of Ramsay who tortures him mentally, physically, and spiritually to the point where he takes on the persona of Reek and truly believes that’s who he is, who he was meant to be and who he deserves to be

Ben has also had this lifelong struggle. He’s tried to follow what his parents have taught him while fighting everything going on in his head. He looked up to his dad and wanted to be a pilot like him despite Han being gone a majority of the time. Not to mention just the pressure he faced with being Han & Leia’s son as well as Luke Skywalker’s nephew. But he could sense and sometimes hear his parents discuss their fear of who he is/who he will be. He was under the impression that they thought he was or could become some sort of monster and gave him no explanation on why they would think that and then was sent off to train with Luke (when there’s no real indication that he wanted that, he just voiced how he wanted to be a pilot) Luke could sense the same darkness in him as H&L but instead of helping him and having a conversation about it he decided to sneak into Ben’s tent one night and kill him before his fears came true. Ben awoke to his own uncle standing over him with an ignited lightsaber about to strike him down. Yes, Luke regretted it the minute he ignited it but it was too late, Ben was awake and betrayed. What he didn’t do (but the galaxy thought he did) was destroy the Jedi temple and the rest of the padawans, a higher power (most likely Palpatine) did and Ben was upset about it and he didn’t want them all to die. He felt like he had nowhere else to go and succumbed to the voice that had been tormenting him for 23 years (but in a way was the only consistent thing in his life) and went to Snoke. He felt unwanted, untrusted, and doomed to become this awful being everyone around him thought he would. He took on the persona Kylo Ren and allowed Snoke to continue to torture him mentally and now physically and spiritually to ultimately turn him into Snoke's chess piece to take over the galaxy

Path of bad decisions driven by the need to please their abuser who gives false hope of a home:

Parts of this are redundant but they both have made some terrible decisions that were heavily influenced by the manipulation of their abusers and a need for a sense of acceptance and belonging. Theon wanted to please Balon and later Ramsay, Kylo wanted to please Snoke and his grandfather (who we later find out was all Palpatine). The majority of deaths that Kylo is blamed for were under Snoke’s orders and Kylo was either unaware they were happening or tried to prevent them and resort to other solutions to get whatever it is they wanted. He killed his father because he was convinced it would make him stronger and reach his potential on “who he’s destined to be” when really it tore him apart and destroyed him, 

similarly to how Theon felt after he killed those farm boys and saw what his actions had created for Winterfell and Westeros 

Acceptance of “who they truly are” through self-hatred and regret:

Through this they come to terms with their actions and the destruction that has followed from those actions. They believe they deserve the pain and suffering they’ve had their whole lives. Theon is constantly saying how Theon is dead, he’s Reek and he deserves to be. Ben states how Ben is dead, he’s only Kylo now and that he deserves to be seen as a monster.  

Needing help to be pulled back to their true selves:

Their inner conflict is clear through both of their journeys and it’s clear that others can see that. They need help to be pulled in the right direction and reminded that they’re not the person they think they are. Yara comes for Theon when everyone else has given up on him. He’s her brother and regardless of what he’s done she still cares for him and believes in him. However, even the love of his sister can’t persuade him or break the abusive turmoil he’s been suffering and he stays with Ramsay as Reek. 

Then Sansa comes, someone he has grown up with and cares for. She learns the truth that he didn’t kill Bran and Rickon. She knows who Theon really is and she brings him back, she needs him back and gives him the strength to do it. 

Similarly, we see Han trying to bring Ben back in TFA, and like with Yara and Theon, it doesn’t work. He believes Ben is dead, that his family gave up on him and he did too so he can only be Kylo now. And as we see later on, the act of killing Han only made it worse and caused a deeper pain and regret to Ben as well as the conflict on where he lies in the force. In TLJ we see this and how Kylo seems to be chipping away from coming to terms with everything he’s done. 

(I would also like to point out that in TLJ Ben couldn’t kill his mother and it’s stated that had he noticed quick enough he would’ve stopped the blasters from hitting the bridge) He gets a connection with Rey, who at first wants nothing to do with him and sees him as the monster he thinks he is. But similarly to Sansa, she finds out the story Luke told her about him destroying the Jedi Temple was a lie and from then on they’re able to console in one another and understand the pain and isolation they’ve both felt their whole lives. 

When Luke refuses to go back and help Rey and the resistance she takes it upon herself to go and fight to bring Ben back to the light because she can see that he’s still there.

Taking a stand against their abusers, specifically to help save someone they love:

They both go against their abusers and take a huge leap towards taking back their true selves. Theon wants to help Sansa and she gives him a few chances too, for example with the candle but he ends up telling Ramsay. However when Ramsay is gone Sansa is crossed by Miranda and even though he’s still filled with fear and conflict, he throws Miranda off the ledge to save Sansa and finally defies his tormentor and everything that he’s done.

Kylo retrieves Rey when she lands on the capital ship and takes her to see Snoke. In the elevator they both state how they’ve had a vision of seeing them by each other’s sides. Kylo takes it as Rey joining him in the dark but Rey sees it as him reclaiming who he was supposed to be and even refers to him as Ben which he responds to. 

(for the majority of knowing him she called him Kylo, monster, etc but since they touched hands and she saw the conflict she now sees him as a real person and more importantly Ben) Snoke wants Kylo to kill her in order to reach is full potential since killing Han only made him question the path he was going down even more. However, he tricks Snoke and instead kills him instead of Rey, destroying his abuser and saving Rey who is the only one he’s ever been able to connect to.

Reclaiming their identity:

Even though they have someone in their corner, believing in them and helping them to come back to who they are, it takes time. Theon stays with Sansa until they cross paths with Brienne and Podrick and knows she’ll be safe with them. He then heads back to the Iron Islands to join Yara and help her however he can. He still feels as though he’s Reek and doesn’t deserve any redemption or to be trusted/loved. 

Overtime those who still believe in him and given time to heal he reclaims himself as Theon Greyjoy, not even the one from before, but a better and stronger man because it’s who he chooses and wants to be. He saves Yara from Euron and goes back to Winterfell to help fight against the dead. He protects Bran at the Weirwood tree bringing it back and trying to rewrite his wrong when he took Winterfell from Bran and caused him to abandon his home. Even though Arya is the one to ultimately save Bran by killing the Night King, she wouldn’t have been able to without Theon and his sacrifice.

Now Kylo’s is a little different and his journey back to Ben takes a few more steps. Killing Snoke was supposed to be him reclaiming himself and finally getting rid of the demons that have been haunting him his entire life. But now we’re aware that Palpatine created Snoke and was the one who has been in his head the whole time so really those voices are still there, abusing and tormenting him to do what they want. Except now he has something more to fight for. He knows Rey believes in him and they have a bond, a force dyad, that hasn’t been seen for centuries. We don’t get to see much of how Supreme Leader Kylo Ren deals with First Order affairs but I would assume it would be different from how Snoke handled it considering (as stated earlier) Kylo tried to get what they needed in the easiest way, preventing as much unnecessary harm or death. (I also would like to point out that at the beginning of TROS we see Kylo in Mustafar and all of the people he’s killing are Vader cultists so they were bad beings) He then travels to Palpatine who reveals it’s been him all along in his head and Kylo threatens to kill him, but then palp shows his army he’s been creating, how it could be Kylo’s, and reveals who Rey truly is. Palp wants him to kill her and he tricks him into thinking he will when really he chases her around to tell her this information as well as see if it’s true and to prevent her from getting killed. They fight a lot but it’s always Rey initiating it and Ben defending himself when he needs to. He gets distracted during one of their fights because Leia is reaching out to him and in the process, Rey stabs him with his own lightsaber (death of Kylo Ren) but ends up healing him and tells him that she did want him, the real him

He then has a vision of Han and basically reenacts what happened in TFA but has it play out how he wished it did the first time. He is now truly Ben Solo and goes to Exogal to help Rey and defeat Palpatine. After Rey kills Palpatine she dies and Ben comes back (he was thrown down deep pit) and transfers his life force to her to save her. Like the situation with Theon, if Ben wasn’t there Rey wouldn’t have been able to defeat Palpatine and save the galaxy.

Only got to live in peace with themselves for like 2 minutes:

They both get complex, intriguing, and beautiful arcs of redemption that represent realistic struggles of life and grey morality that people face throughout their lives. But they both end with a terrible message that the only way to fully redeem yourself from past mistakes, bad decisions (even if it was influenced by a life of mental/physical abuse) is to sacrifice yourself.

Theon sacrificed himself to save Bran and the fate of Westeros and was only able to be at peace with himself for about the last 20 seconds of his life because Bran forgave him, told him he was a good man and confirmed the type of person Theon really is and always wanted to be.

he deserved to feel this way for a MUCH longer time and continue to heal and grow and live a life that gave him much more peace and happiness (preferably with Sansa 😏) but instead he only gets to feel good about himself for the first time in his life and have it only last for a moment.

Once Rey defeated Palpatine it’s safe to say that the voices stopped in Ben’s head. There’s no more tormenting, persuading, or taunting. He climbs out of the pit to find Rey dead (his literal other half) and channels the rest of his energy to bring her back and it works. Similar to Bran, Rey confirms her joy and acceptance of Ben being back 

and he would’ve been fully content with that, but Rey kisses him and he smiles for the first fucking time we’ve ever seen. His mind is at peace, Rey is alive in his arms and for the first time he is truly happy. And then he DIES. 

Who knows what would’ve happened to him and how the resistance would’ve reacted, but he deserved the opportunity to atone for the mistakes he made, live life with a clear mind, as well as continue to be the other half of Rey that brought balance to the force and galaxy.

Bonus:

They both deserve to be with the only person that fully understands them and their pain and can grow, heal, and live in peace together.