#ffs aragorn is in the same book

[armenelols]

Daily reminder that it happened twice for someone to be compared to Oromë while riding into battle. The first one was Fingolfin. The second one was Théoden.

Fingolfin, burning with so much rage, Beleriand ablaze, his nephews dead, eyes so bright and inhuman and otherwordly that he gets mistaken for a Vala. And he challenged Morgoth to a fight, and wounded him seven times, and scarred him for the rest of eternity, and orcs made no boast about that duel, and no songs were sung about it, for the sorrow was too deep.

And Théoden. Just. Théoden. Whose mind was poisoned, whose son was dead, and the world was falling apart around him, but who would not stand down and would not give up. And the armies of Rohan came, the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them.

Something about Fingolfin riding out to challenge Morgoth in wrath and despair, raging at the world and nothing going as it should be — something about Théoden riding out in wrath and hope, because there is a better future and he will be damned if he doesn't do everything in his power to lead the world to it.

[dunadaan]

I should start working on the outline of Part 2 of my Big Grey Company Fic….

[esther-dot]

Lol, the truth is that your pessimist thinking really got to me, and at some point I thought that you are right. The show gave us the real ending, only blurred it so much for... reasons. Then I started thinking, alright, if this is the ending, how can we arrange it in the book context? Trying to make sense of all the mess led me to the crushing realization that, if Martin loves subversions, why would he have a fairytale ending? In such an ending, the prince/king always marries the princess and the kingdom is at peace.

In this case, Westeros will be destroyed through and through. So why did Aragorn become king in the end? I never understood that, much less because Aragorn never really wanted to become king. But he did, and he got the girl. Is ASoIaF the same? I don't think so. This is why I think that Jon will have his own kingdom, and Sansa, a queen in her own right and not because she will have married a man, will marry a king.

Seeing Jon's arc as a whole, it made me realize that he was always meant to be at the Wall. In his case, the show threw under the bus the FF storyline. Jon has saved them from extinction. He distributed them to the castles of the Wall; he made arragements for winter supplies; he made arrangements to save the people at Hardhome (this will happen in the books too, they didn't made it up); and he got killed because he realized that Ramsay's plans against the Watch threatened to overturn what he had built on account of the random escape of F!Arya (sincerest apologies to Arya's fans, this is not against her in any way). If you read closely, all his voluteers the night of his assassination were of the FF. They were perhaps the only ones in the hall who understood what was at stake with Ramsay's plans to make war on the Watch.

So, the FF storyline is extremely important in the book (and is a foil of what will happen to the Dothraki and Unsullied). After all this I think it is only natural that they make him their king at some point. And, knowing that they depend on him, when the time comes, book Jon will have a reason to go back to the Wall. He will not abandon them, not even for Sansa, because he knows duty and his duty is to them. (And it will be a nice pretext to reject the southern crown).

I am not sure that, in all this, some sort of punishment is in store for him because of his role in the invasion of Daenerys. This aspect really turned things upside down, and perhaps it was their way to increase the drama, send him to the Wall, and keep a part of the story for the sequel. But, if you remember, in 8.4, drunken Tormund celebrated Jon like a king, and this led to one of the best scenes between Jon and Daenerys in season 8.

In terms of foreshadowing though, there is much more to suggest three kingdoms in Westeros after the dust (or the ashes) of the events settles down. Perhaps in another post.

Thanks, Esther!

(continuation of this convo)

Oh, well obviously, by “as long as we’re having fun” I meant as long as I’m enjoying myself, it’s ok for me to cause you extreme suffering! (That is a joke). Your spec reminded me of the very interesting series of quotes we have about the New Gift:

"Who holds this land?" Jojen asked Bran.         

"The Night's Watch," he answered. "This is the Gift. The New Gift, and north of that Brandon's Gift." Maester Luwin had taught him the history. "Brandon the Builder gave all the land south of the Wall to the black brothers, to a distance of twenty-five leagues. For their . . . for their sustenance and support." He was proud that he still remembered that part. "Some maesters say it was some other Brandon, not the Builder, but it's still Brandon's Gift. Thousands of years later, Good Queen Alysanne visited the Wall on her dragon Silverwing, and she thought the Night's Watch was so brave that she had the Old King double the size of their lands, to fifty leagues. So that was the New Gift." He waved a hand. "Here. All this." (ASOS, Bran III)

(each time we get Brandon confusion sirens go off in my head!)

and

"What happened to them?"         

"They died or went away." Brandon's Gift had been farmed for thousands of years, but as the Watch dwindled there were fewer hands to plow the fields, tend the bees, and plant the orchards, so the wild had reclaimed many a field and hall. In the New Gift there had been villages and holdfasts whose taxes, rendered in goods and labor, helped feed and clothe the black brothers. But those were largely gone as well.

and

After. The word was a spear thrust. After the war. After the conquest. After the wildlings break the Wall . . .          His lord father had once talked about raising new lords and settling them in the abandoned holdfasts as a shield against wildlings. The plan would have required the Watch to yield back a large part of the Gift, but his uncle Benjen believed the Lord Commander could be won around, so long as the new lordlings paid taxes to Castle Black rather than Winterfell. "It is a dream for spring, though," Lord Eddard had said. "Even the promise of land will not lure men north with a winter coming on."    

If winter had come and gone more quickly and spring had followed in its turn, I might have been chosen to hold one of these towers in my father's name. Lord Eddard was dead, however, his brother Benjen lost; the shield they dreamt together would never be forged. "This land belongs to the Watch," Jon said.

(ASOS, Jon V)

and

Jon ignored that. "I have given you fodder for your horses, and once the stair is done I will lend you builders to restore the Nightfort. I have even agreed to allow you to settle wildlings on the Gift, which was given to the Night's Watch in perpetuity."  (ADWD, Jon I) it’s included in The World of Ice and Fire

and

Though in these days it is said that Lord Ellard Stark was glad to aid the Night's Watch with the Gift, and took little convincing, the truth is otherwise. Letters from Lord Stark's brother to the Citadel, asking the maesters to provide precedents against the forced donation of property, made it plain that the Starks were not eager to do as King Jaehaerys bid. It may be that the Starks feared that, under the control of the Castle Black, the New Gift would inevitably decline—for the Night's Watch would always look northward and never give much thought to their new tenants to the south. And as it happens, that soon came to pass, and the New Gift is now said to be largely unpopulated thanks to the decline of the Watch and the rising toll taken by raiders from beyond the Wall.  (The World of Ice and Fire - The North: The Lords of Winterfell)

The fact that this is an old Stark grievance and Ned and Benjen had plans to deal with it is very promising. Rectifying that old wrong, making the land safe and purposeful again, that definitely seems like it would fit really well as part of the endgame. I always liked the idea that Jon could take the throne, but instead makes it possible for Bran to be king to right the aftermath of the conquest (if we assume independence for Dorne as well, not just the North?), so if the followup to that is Jon getting to live out an abandoned dream…that’s beautiful! And it makes sense that Jon would be the candidate who can best keep peace between FF (those who settle South of the Wall, any who don’t) and the Northerners. (link)

So, I'm definitely with you as far as the potential for this being a sort of kingdom for Jon. It's the Watch's, it should be returned to the Starks, Jon has already set about fulfilling (in a totally unexpected way) Ned's hopes for it...I mean, I don't think it's far fetched at all to view that as part of the conclusion to the story.

And I also prefer Sansa being a queen in her own right! As a foil for Dany it would make sense, and there's this habit in her POVs to forget/downplay her claim/significance which can be read as a buildup to her rising to power in her own right as the story is critical of those who pursue / fight for power, and the best way to bring that home is to allow the person who doesn't chase after it to end up with it.

So, the FF storyline is extremely important in the book (and is a foil of what will happen to the Dothraki and Unsullied). After all this I think it is only natural that they make him their king at some point. And, knowing that they depend on him, when the time comes, book Jon will have a reason to go back to the Wall. He will not abandon them, not even for Sansa, because he knows duty and his duty is to them. (And it will be a nice pretext to reject the southern crown).

This really intrigues me because I do think Jon and the FF work as a juxtaposition to Dany and the Dothraki, and we know Dany is gonna bring the Dothraki with her to invade Westeros, and Jon has facilitated an "invasion" of the FF, but one that is humanitarian, for their own good as well as the North's. Rather than about conquering a people, it's meant to save them. So, it would make sense for Martin to go ahead and continue the comparison. We've already seen him branded as traitor because of what he's done with the FF, who knows what rumors will circulate next.

Actually, years ago, I read a meta by someone who since deactivated who talked about Jon as king of the FF. I can't find it now, but if I do I'll send it to you because you'd def find it interesting. (It's the same blogger who posted this, if anyone reblogged their meta?) It centered on this scene, if I remember correctly, because they may not kneel, by they are making the oath to Jon:

"Gave you my word on it, didn't I? The word of Tormund Giantsbane. Strong as iron, 'tis." He turned and spat. Amongst the stream of warriors were the fathers of many of Jon's hostages. Some stared with cold dead eyes as they went by, fingering their sword hilts. Others smiled at him like long-lost kin, though a few of those smiles discomfited Jon Snow more than any glare. None knelt, but many gave him their oaths. "What Tormund swore, I swear," declared black-haired Brogg, a man of few words. Soren Shieldbreaker bowed his head an inch and growled, "Soren's axe is yours, Jon Snow, if ever you have need of such." Red-bearded Gerrick Kingsblood brought three daughters. "They will make fine wives, and give their husbands strong sons of royal blood," he boasted. "Like their father, they are descended from Raymun Redbeard, who was King-Beyond-the-Wall." Blood meant little and less amongst the free folk, Jon knew. Ygritte had taught him that. Gerrick's daughters shared her same flame-red hair, though hers had been a tangle of curls and theirs hung long and straight. Kissed by fire. "Three princesses, each lovelier than the last," he told their father. "I will see that they are presented to the queen." Selyse Baratheon would take to these three better than she had to Val, he suspected; they were younger and considerably more cowed. Sweet enough to look at them, though their father seems a fool.

Howd Wanderer swore his oath upon his sword, as nicked and pitted a piece of iron as Jon had ever seen. Devyn Sealskinner presented him with a sealskin hat, Harle the Huntsman with a bear-claw necklace. The warrior witch Morna removed her weirwood mask just long enough to kiss his gloved hand and swear to be his man or his woman, whichever he preferred. And on and on and on.

As for Jon participating in Dany's invasion or burning of KL, I still think that's a major obstacle for King Bran. Like, how can he be freely chosen/work as a peace candidate, if his brother and/or cousin (depending on what is known), participated in that? I could easily believe that happened in the show just cuz they reordered events and wanted Jon and Dany to be together for their own purposes (hiding Dark Dany), so I'm not sold on the punishment idea either.

I'm loving reading all your thoughts and hope you continue to post about them!

[incomprehensiblelentils]

@loved-the-stars-too-fondly​ tagged me in a ship meme! I will try to make this interesting lol.

1. First ship

It’s a tie between Aladdin/Jasmine and Simba/Nala, because I saw both of these movies about the same time as a little kid. And my sixth birthday cake had a picture of Aladdin and Jasmine on it, and I used to tell stories about them to myself on the playground, but I had plushies of baby Simba and Nala with magnetic noses that could “kiss.” 

2. First OTP

I am taking this to mean “first fic you felt strongly enough about to produce content for or engage with in a creative/fandom way,” in which case that would be Michael/Mia from The Princess Diaries. I wrote one (1) bad fanfic when I was 13 (about how Michael proposed and then Grandmere threw a fit BUT then he saved her life while they were horseback riding) that’s still on ff dot net somewhere, and I read basically every fanfic for them that was available on ff dot net. I still have an enormous soft spot for them and I reread the books every few years.

3. Current favorite ship

Since I’m on a Dimension 20 kick right now, even though I haven’t read much fanfic yet I’m going to say both Fig/Ayda from Fantasy High and Ricky/Esther/Sofia from The Unsleeping City. Fig/Ayda is incredibly cute because Fig is a tiefling with shapechanging ability who had a string of questionable romantic encounters with much older men before meeting Ayda, the teenage curator of a magic library who is also an autistic Black phoenix. Fig is very impulsive and brash, but also emotionally closed-off and insecure, but she starts bonding with Ayda because Ayda thinks she’s really cool and admires her bravado. Fig doesn’t know what to do with someone who’s so intimidating but cool who seems to really like her, and, well, you can watch this scene where they get together, it’s very good. It contains Fig vomiting into a bush, then saying “I think you’re perfect the way you are,” then skateboarding away in a panic. It’s maybe the most accurate sapphic rep I’ve ever seen.

Ricky/Esther are just two incredibly nice people who get together in The Unsleeping City, but I think that they should also get together with their friend Sofia because of reasons. I genuinely think the canon supports this reading quite a bit.

4. Your ship since the first minute

I have a fun story for this, which is that literally since day 1 of Korra, I wanted her to have a girlfriend (post date: 12/7/11), and the second Asami showed up I was like eyes emoji. And then I dropped off the show after the first season for a few reasons, kind of assuming they would never do an f/f couple and casually shipping Korrasami sort of out of spite, but THEN my friend messaged me immediately after the finale like DUDE YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED. And that was honestly one of the emotional high points of my fandom life.

5. Ship(s) you wish had been endgame

I have...many! Bering and Wells from Warehouse 13 is paramount, obviously, because that is a wound in my soul from which I will never recover. Cartinelli from Agent Carter slightly less so, but I think that was truly the last time that I had real hope for a canon f/f ship. I think Matt/Foggy/Karen should have all been romantic together because Matt/Karen by themselves has weird vibes and I don’t like it. Obviously I think Fitz should have died in the series finale and Skimmons should have been canon, and as far as I’m concerned he died of a brain tumor after that and then they got together. (Daniel is also involved still, he’s a chill dude and I like him and it’s fine.) 

6. Ship you wish was canon

Grace/Dani from Terminator: Dark Fate, because wow did they shoehorn in an incredibly hilarious attempt at mommyzoning Dani (didn’t work, it’s still gay fuckos). But it would’ve been nice if they’d just leaned into it and let the horny lesbian ghost that possessed the screenwriters make it explicitly gay. Also I think Cameron/Donna and Gordon/Joe from Halt and Catch Fire should have been canon because that show is already basically about the world’s messiest polycule anyway, and Joe is canon bi and already treats Gordon like a booty call, and Cameron and Donna act like either romantic partners or bitter/awkward exes, so like. c’mon. Also I think Daisy/Robbie should have been a thing.

7. Ship that most of the fandom hates but you love

Natasha/Bruce is cute COME AT ME. Age of Ultron is a bad movie but they could have been cute!!!!

8. You don’t even watch the show, but you ship it

Uhhhh. Most things I end up secondhand shipping I end up consuming the canon for eventually lol. I was secondhand shipping Cameron/Donna from Halt and Catch Fire last year because my friend was watching it but then I just...also watched it lol. Uhhhh. The Killing Eve lesbians seem fun I guess? I’ll get to that eventually.

9. Ship you wish had a different storyline

I’m digging deep for this one, but Buffy/Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think they had SUCH a cool dynamic that kind of stopped getting explored after season 4, and it’s a bummer. I don’t think they’re like, endgame or true love or anything, but I think they’re sort of the messy pair that can’t completely disentangle from each other, and maybe they don’t even really want to? I think that they couldn’t live in the same house or anything but that they meet up and hang out and probably fuck every couple years, and it’s good.

10. Favorite ship(s) that’s endgame

GAMBIT/ROGUE GOT MARRIED IN THE COMICS. I’M SO PSYCHED. I don’t know if Karolina/Nico from Runaways counts as endgame but I love them, and I also love Gert/Chase. I’m rewatching Nikita and am delighted to know that Michael/Nikita is still very good. Priya/Tony from Dollhouse is also very good. Daisy/Daniel was honestly the best outcome SHIELD could have realistically given me and I was quite happy with it. I don’t know if Magnus Archives ships count but I really like Georgie/Melanie (we stan sapphic accidental apocalypse cult leaders). Oh and I like all the canon Avatar: The Last Airbender ships too.

EDIT: I FORGOT MY BELOVED ARAGORN/ARWEN AND WILL/ELIZABETH (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN).

I’m tagging @swiftzeldas @toriasimmons @dollsome-does-tumblr @theomenroom @zenithofdork if you wanna!

[glittercracker]

Kingkiller Crap

So, I’ve never really posted much here that involves my own thoughts. There are a number of reasons why, but whatever. I feel the need NOW to post some thoughts, and having no working independent blog (yet!) I suppose this is the place to dump them. PSA: none of this is about anime. None of this is frivolous or fun. TW for sexual abuse. You have been warned! So. I’ve been rereading the Kingkiller Chronicles. aka “Name of the Wind” and “The Wise Man’s Fear” and “That Other One That Shall Not Be Named.” This reread was, at the beginning, almost an afterthought. A way to keep my 13 yo happy on a 7 hour car ride. Except, he could not have cared less, and I got sucked back into the story (and okay, if that is how all our audiobook car rides go, meh? At least it keeps me sharp!) I raced through book one, and bought book 2 on audible with an eye to my upcoming surgery and recooperation. Book one was problematic in the places I remembered, but also as generally engaging as I remembered. And then book 2 happened, and surgery happened, and I have had weeks to lie in bed listening to this bloody interminable sequel, and I find myself lost in a morass of, “WTF was I ever THINKING?” Namely, how did I ever love this book enough to pine for the next? It’s been hard to put a finger on exactly what is making this time through book 2 both a slog and also vaguely, creepily uncomfortable, but if you’re interested, my rather stream-of-consciousness ramble of thoughts ensues. First, the male gaze that rears its head at times in book 1 predominates here. But while I don’t love the way Kvothe describes women, I also have 2 degrees in literature, and I’m beyond that being a reason not to read an otherwise engaging book. Second, Kvothe is a Gary Stu, for all of Rothfuss’s protestations to the contrary. Again, so far, so much traditional high fantasy. But while, say, Aragorn is content to just quietly be Awesome At Everything, Kvothe is a braggy little shit of a Gary Stu: the person you hated for announcing their perfect scores in that hs class you could never quite master. I could fill several pages with examples, but for some reason what really made me want to kick him in the head was not Felurian’s disbelief of his virginity (though really, jfc, REALLY?) Nope, it was the end of his time w the Ademrae (sp may be off, remember, I’m listening not reading!) when he crows about having learned the history of his sword 2 days earlier than expected. Why does this stick out? Oh, idk. Maybe bc he sucks so hard he can’t even get past the first obstacle in his practical final exam? Yet he still has to tell us how fucking awesome he is for remembering 6000 names of previous owners.

I know, I’m supposed to forgive his teenage idiocy. The internet sympathists (no pun intended!) keep telling me this. And I suppose that I would, IF this were a simple first-person narrative - but it isn’t. Let’s repeat that, and really think about it. This story is being narrated by an older and presumably wiser Kvothe who has lost everything - whose abilities have been expunged to the extent that he can’t open his own chest of Cool Stuff. He shows humility in his actions, mostly. And yet when discussing his 16 yo self, the humility evaporates, and he speaks with no kind of perspective or lens of accrued wisdom. He still compares women to instruments waiting for the “right” player (i.e. him) and defends this choice of words by saying, essentially, “You aren’t a musician, you don’t know!”

Interesting assumption for an innkeeper in a medieval-esque world. Interesting assumption if this is in fact authorial interjection, too, because I suspect the majority of this book’s audience *are* musicians to at least an extent, and I also suspect that the majority of us (yes, us - I own several beloved instruments, including a harp custom made for me as a wedding present from my husband) would not equate a human lover to even the most beloved of instruments.

But all of this is well-trodden critical ground. As far as I can tell, though, my third issue isn’t: although it’s perhaps the most glaringly tone-deaf example of all of Rothfuss’s excruciatingly tone-deaf portrayal of his world’s women. Namely, the two girls kidnapped and gang-raped by the fake Ruh.

Almost all of the criticism I’ve read on this section of TWMF concentrates on Kvothe’s treatment of the girls’ abusers. What’s interesting is that no one ever seems to write about Kvothe’s treatment of the girls themselves. Yes, he treats them kindly. He tends their wounds, he feeds them, he tries (and succeeds, of course) to draw Ellie out of her shocked stupor. 

Yet what he never once does, from the moment he takes control of the situation, is ask their opinions on any of this, including what their next step should be. He just decides to bring them back to their families - families who, in this type of society, might well disown them for being “ruined”. And the girls themselves, namely the intelligent and savvy Krin, seem to go blindly along with what he says. Why? Would Krin at least not question this, or object to his making decisions for her, when a group of men had so recently and brutally taken away all of her agency? Would she not question whether being brought back to her family is the best thing for the catatonic Ellie?

Okay, apparently not. So they return to their apparently very forgiving town. Kvothe stands up for the girls against the village shithead: thank you, Kvothe, bc I’m sure Krin could not have said those words herself. He assures the reader that they are with people who will love and care for them despite what has happened to them: thank you, Kvothe, though it’s stretching my credulity a bit that you would assume that no one will take issue with their deflowering. But then he “gifts” the girls the spoils of his slaughter: the horses, the valuables, the wagons. And I was about to give him a (grudging) pass for being decent about this, EXCEPT: he goes on to say that these goods are meant for the girls’ dowries. Specifically, to make them worth enough financially for potential husbands to overlook their loss of virginity. He even tells Krin not to settle for a less-than-lucrative marriage.

And suddenly, I was outraged. Why? Because a man who had witnessed the full extend of these women’s abuse brought them back to a backwater town believing that he was being magnanimous both in doing so, and in giving up whatever share he might have taken of the spoils of the debacle to make them financially lucrative marriage prospects. Because he never asked these traumatized girls if they might rather cut and run with the money than use it to make some man overlook their abuse in order to make them his property. He never even questions the idea that they will be grateful to submit to marriage contracts that will no doubt require them to have sex with their husbands, even though these women have been abused to the extent that they cannot sit a horse for *two days* after being rescued. And the worst part is that 20-something frame-story Kvothe doesn’t question this either; he just goes on to gloat about people singing songs about his daring rescue. Maybe I was just ready for a straw to break my benefit of the doubt. Or maybe this really is as outrageous as it feels. Either way, I can’t help being angry at Rothfuss. As a writer, I am very well aware that character and author are not the same thing; that authorial intent is not the same as authorial beliefs. But there are moments in some books when I have to wonder if that line is blurring, and this is one of them. Kvothe has literally JUST left a female-dominated country full of independent women happily doing their own thing. He has given these girls the means to find themselves a situation that will never require them to be beholden to a man again - even houses ffs, in the shape of those 2 wagons, should they want them. There are so many options beyond marriage: I can’t, for instance, think of a medieval society that didn’t have its version of a convent. Or, for Krin at least, why not the University? For that matter, why not marry her himself, and then set her free to do as she likes under the awning of a respectable marriage? 

Instead he returns them to their fathers, and likewise gives their fathers the means to marry them off with no argument. Who, after all, holds the reins of the horses at the end? Why does Kvothe assume that these families will actually use the wealth even in the dubious way that he recommends?

And in this, I think, I am justified in giving Rothfuss the stink-eye. This is one more instance for Kvothe to play the hero with no real attention given to the consequences. Kvothe himself, I think, would be appalled. He has suffered so much deprivation in his life, so often been marginalized, scapegoated, powerless, how on earth could he so easily consign others to that fate? How could he think, loving Denna as he does, having heard her words to the beaten girl in Severin, that buying these girls husbands who will “overlook” their abuse for the sake of wealth is anything but a wretched life sentence for them?

Sigh. There was a time when I desperate awaited book three. Now, given the other women’s lives at stake in this series, I’m not so sure I want to know.

[wintersmitth]

Lotr asks: 4 15 21 22 28 38 39

Thank you!! 

4.  Which scene always makes you cry?

There’s a lot of scenes that make me chocked up, but I think it’s ‘There’s something worth fighting for Mr Frodo” and uuuh last 15 minutes of RotK. 

15. If you could have any one of the character's wardrobes, whose would you choose?

Eowyn’s. Her dresses are so beautiful but also seem to be functional?? Also a set of armor? A dream!

But also Bilbo’s. 

21. Which 3 characters would you choose to go on an epic adventure with?

- to no one’s surprise, Thorin - Eowyn - going to drag up ancient times and say first elves, particularly sylvan ones.

22. Weapon of choice?

Sword. 

28. When did you first watch the movies? And read the books?

I was eleven years old and Orange Revolution has been raging, and I was reading adapted for kids LotR (that was a thing), and I was watching LotR on VHS. 

Fast Forward to 2013, AUJ is out, Revolution broke out, DoS comes out, war is starting--

With trepidation waiting for Amazon series because who the fuck knows what it brings to our political climate. 

38. Someone says 'LOTR IS BORING/TOO LONG/SUCKS', how do you respond?

Calmly think that okay, not everyone likes same genres I do, bUT IF THEy start talking about how people who like it are stupid/weirdos/etc, I’ll snap. 

39. Who is your favorite horse?

asdjakjsfhk I’m not Aragorn, ffs.

Ask me LotR-themed asks! 

[smokeybrandreviews]

Baxter Brilliance

There are whispers all over that John Krasinski met with Marvel for Mr. Fantastic. That sh*t makes the same amount of sense as RDJ for Iron man or Chris Evans for Cap. Straight up inspired casting. If this is true, Phase 5 might be getting off to a pretty legit start. Now, i'm curious who they get for Doom. I mean, you make an FF film, you gotta have Doom. From what i hear, they’re going straight issue one with Mole Man ass the main villain, which is fine, but, come on? No Doom is like a Batman franchise with no Joker, a Superman franchise with no Luthor, and a Spider-Man franchise with no Goblin. You NEED Doom. Hell, the interaction between Reed and Victor drives that narrative. It’s absolutely the heart of those books. If Halpert really gets the nod and straps up those stretchy boots, who has the presence to carry that Latverian juice?

Personally, I was of the mind that Mads Mikkelsen was perfect for Victor but they blew that load for Doc Strange. Kaecilius, while entertaining, was a waste. To under use Mads so haphazardly is a legit crime. Dan Stevens? He's got the look. Dude’s are are mad intense and he plays mania very well. Legion is the best audition available for this type of part. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau? Jamie Lannister was pretty good on Thrones and i imagine playing a vain megalomaniac would be a cake walk after that. Mike Fassbender might be as perfect for this role as Mads but, again, blown prematurely all over Magneto. I’ve seen cats mention David Tennant, Mark Strong, and Vigo Mortensson; All of which are very interesting choices, particularly Strong. Ten and Aragorn are nice looks but, i mean, Mr. Antagonist, Mark Strong, himself, might be the best option. F*cking Mark Strong? Dude was Sinestro but, i mean, it's f*cking Mark Stronk! Who else, outside of Mads and Shark-tooth Grin can embody this role so perfectly? Rami Malek.

Now, you might be thinking, “Ryan, What the f*ck, buddy?” but hear me out. Mark Strong has that presence. He looks the part. I grant you that. Dude is an exceptional actor as well. Another feather in his cap. Strong is also tall as sh*t. John’s given height is 6′3″. Stronk’s is 6′2″. Rami is definitely shorter than both of these dudes, by a good amount. Again, Mark Strong is a brilliant choice and i would not be mad about that casting at all. However, Doom is in a full body of armor complete with mask. Anyone can play that part. Rami can play that part especially knowing all of the tricks learned from RDJ’s Iron Man. That makes the height thing irrelevant. I like the Malek look, especially considering the geographical location of Latveria in the books and Doom’s Romani origins. I like the fact that Rami can play subtle psychopath as he did in Mr. Robot. If that’s not enough, we’re going to get one hell of a litmus test in the next Bond flick. Rumors are swirling he’s going to be Dr. No, the quintessential mad scientist of the 007 mythos, with just a touch more physicality than his predecessor. I like that the juxtaposition in physical difference. It can be mitigated in the intellectual execution contrast. Reed can be played as smart but reckless, thus the Four’s accidental empowerment. Doom can be played as smart but reserved, thus his animosity to the wildly dangerous Richards. Have an accident when they were young, scarring the already barely stable Doom and you have a lifelong antagonist to plague your hero; One just as smart, if not smarter. One amenable to committing atrocities in the pursuit of bringing Richards to task. One willing to accept things outside of reason and science to accomplish his goals. These two actors playing in that emotional sandbox? F*ck yeah!

Krasinski wants Mr. Fantastic and i think he’ll be excellent in the role. H e wanted Cap but they went with Evans instead. Back then, he was just Jim Halpert. Snarky, hipster hot, Paper pushing, James Halpert. Cats gave him the hard pass. That was before he was Bayhem-ified and got the Jack Ryan role. Ever since, Jim has been rolling. It helps, tremendously, that Chris Pratt made good with Star-Lord. Dude transformed for that role and it paid off tremendously not only for the character but for the MCU as a whole. I think Krasinski has the potential to be just as revolutionary, especially considering the expanded world the MCU is looking to create going forward. Also, just personal taste, gotta be Beard Richards. Dude looks good with the scruff, just sayin’.

[smokeybrand]

Baxter Brilliance

There are whispers all over that John Krasinski met with Marvel for Mr. Fantastic. That sh*t makes the same amount of sense as RDJ for Iron man or Chris Evans for Cap. Straight up inspired casting. If this is true, Phase 5 might be getting off to a pretty legit start. Now, i'm curious who they get for Doom. I mean, you make an FF film, you gotta have Doom. From what i hear, they’re going straight issue one with Mole Man ass the main villain, which is fine, but, come on? No Doom is like a Batman franchise with no Joker, a Superman franchise with no Luthor, and a Spider-Man franchise with no Goblin. You NEED Doom. Hell, the interaction between Reed and Victor drives that narrative. It’s absolutely the heart of those books. If Halpert really gets the nod and straps up those stretchy boots, who has the presence to carry that Latverian juice?

Personally, I was of the mind that Mads Mikkelsen was perfect for Victor but they blew that load for Doc Strange. Kaecilius, while entertaining, was a waste. To under use Mads so haphazardly is a legit crime. Dan Stevens? He's got the look. Dude’s are are mad intense and he plays mania very well. Legion is the best audition available for this type of part. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau? Jamie Lannister was pretty good on Thrones and i imagine playing a vain megalomaniac would be a cake walk after that. Mike Fassbender might be as perfect for this role as Mads but, again, blown prematurely all over Magneto. I’ve seen cats mention David Tennant, Mark Strong, and Vigo Mortensson; All of which are very interesting choices, particularly Strong. Ten and Aragorn are nice looks but, i mean, Mr. Antagonist, Mark Strong, himself, might be the best option. F*cking Mark Strong? Dude was Sinestro but, i mean, it's f*cking Mark Stronk! Who else, outside of Mads and Shark-tooth Grin can embody this role so perfectly? Rami Malek.

Now, you might be thinking, “Ryan, What the f*ck, buddy?” but hear me out. Mark Strong has that presence. He looks the part. I grant you that. Dude is an exceptional actor as well. Another feather in his cap. Strong is also tall as sh*t. John’s given height is 6′3″. Stronk’s is 6′2″. Rami is definitely shorter than both of these dudes, by a good amount. Again, Mark Strong is a brilliant choice and i would not be mad about that casting at all. However, Doom is in a full body of armor complete with mask. Anyone can play that part. Rami can play that part especially knowing all of the tricks learned from RDJ’s Iron Man. That makes the height thing irrelevant. I like the Malek look, especially considering the geographical location of Latveria in the books and Doom’s Romani origins. I like the fact that Rami can play subtle psychopath as he did in Mr. Robot. If that’s not enough, we’re going to get one hell of a litmus test in the next Bond flick. Rumors are swirling he’s going to be Dr. No, the quintessential mad scientist of the 007 mythos, with just a touch more physicality than his predecessor. I like that the juxtaposition in physical difference. It can be mitigated in the intellectual execution contrast. Reed can be played as smart but reckless, thus the Four’s accidental empowerment. Doom can be played as smart but reserved, thus his animosity to the wildly dangerous Richards. Have an accident when they were young, scarring the already barely stable Doom and you have a lifelong antagonist to plague your hero; One just as smart, if not smarter. One amenable to committing atrocities in the pursuit of bringing Richards to task. One willing to accept things outside of reason and science to accomplish his goals. These two actors playing in that emotional sandbox? F*ck yeah!

Krasinski wants Mr. Fantastic and i think he’ll be excellent in the role. H e wanted Cap but they went with Evans instead. Back then, he was just Jim Halpert. Snarky, hipster hot, Paper pushing, James Halpert. Cats gave him the hard pass. That was before he was Bayhem-ified and got the Jack Ryan role. Ever since, Jim has been rolling. It helps, tremendously, that Chris Pratt made good with Star-Lord. Dude transformed for that role and it paid off tremendously not only for the character but for the MCU as a whole. I think Krasinski has the potential to be just as revolutionary, especially considering the expanded world the MCU is looking to create going forward. Also, just personal taste, gotta be Beard Richards. Dude looks good with the scruff, just sayin’.

[arlessiar]

Eleven questions

I’m incredibly late with answering this, but it took me a while and then the whole Kingsman SDCC thing happened in-between. So no idea if people are still interested in this, but now that I’ve written it I also want to post it. :)

I was tagged by @notbrogues @hartwin-af and @spockri

rules: 1. always post the rules. 2. answer the questions given by the person who tagged you. 3. write 11 questions of your own and tag 11 (or however many) people to answer them.

Questions by @notbrogues

1. Describe your least favourite character.

In general, the pointless love interests, the boring villains, the almighty and flawless heroes, the dumb and helpless females

(And just in case, the opposite – my favourite characters are the caring doctors, the smart geeks, and the loners, misfits and underdogs *g*)

2. A go-to comfort meal/snack/treat.

When my Mum crumbs meat or veggies to fry them she always makes a small fried bread/omelette from the rest of the eggs and breadcrumbs. She adds salt, pepper and some cheese. It’s an old Silesian tradition, my Gran always did that and we still do it today. It means home and comfort for me and I love it and I’ll defend it from every other hungry person in the house. It’s mine. My precious. Me eats it alone! *eg*

Apart from that – Avocado. Chickpeas. White chocolate. Chocolate digestives.

3. Describe a perfect vacation,     with no limit on funds or how long you can stay there.

I go there quite often, but still, London. It’s been my happy place for years. And from there I’d go to Cornwall, to the Lake District, the Brecon Beacons and the Highlands. With unlimited funds I’d take my parents with me or my BFF, and we’d spend lots of time visiting all the manors and country houses!

4. Do you listen to podcasts? If so, what are you favourites?

Listened to the Three Patch Podcast in the Sherlock fandom, but only a few times. Not really my thing in general.

5. One widely accepted fanon headcanon that you just don’t agree with?

Hmm, I like most of the fanon and can live with the rest. Not so keen on Percival being Roxy’s Dad. Distantly related, yes, but I can’t imagine him as her father.  

6. One story/movie/song/album/piece of art that resonated with you and that you will never be able to forget?

There’s so much I could write here, but I have to make a decision, so:

Stories, movies – too many to count!

Song and album – R.E.M., Automatic for the people, “Everybody hurts”. My fav forever band, and that song saved my life during a very low phase I went through in my teens. Oh, and Jeff Buckley’s version of Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Listening to that for the first time was a revelation.

Piece of art: My favourite picture is Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer above the sea of fog. I could stare at it for hours. Also, seeing Van Gogh’s Sunflowers for real in the National Gallery had blown my mind and I’ll go to look at it every time I’m in London.

When I was a teen there was an exhibition in my city with photographs from Nan Goldin. Our art teacher took us there and most of my classmates weren’t prepared for this rather explicit art. For me though a gate had opened, I finally understood the art of photography, and it’s been a passion of mine ever since.

7. If you have a day off, no responsibilities or pressing matters to attend to: what are you doing for the rest of the day?

Three words – Lego, AO3 and tumblr.

8. Favourite past trend that you are most nostalgic for?

I honestly never really followed trends a lot, so I’ve no idea what to say here. ^^ What I really really miss is the way they made computer games in the Nineties. Give me a good old fashioned Adventure with tricky puzzles and I’m happy.

9. What’s a hobby/skill you’ve always wanted to learn?

Playing the harp or the violin. And archery. Might still try the latter one day.

10. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

So sorry, but I have to skip this one... I don’t dream much anymore. The only thing I can say is: Hopefully still surrounded by the people who I love more than my own life.

11. What was your first fandom? First OTP? First NOTP? Any memorable experiences from those early days?

My first fandom was Star Trek, around 1991. I always blame my Dad for me becoming a geek because it was him who told me to watch TOS. :) Wrote my first story in a notebook when I was twelve, no OTP though then, it was rather Mary Sue-ish. ^^ Then we got our first computer, and I had moved on to DS9. More stories, now on computer, still no OTP but lots of h/c. Then we got internet in 1996, and I was having some sort of epiphany – there was this world-wide phenomenon called fanfiction! I was not alone! An amazing discovery! Saw my first slashfic at that time, Garak/Bashir, and I was 16 and all like ‘ewww’ and backed away from it (so that was probably my first NOTP).

Being a Tolkien fan for years I easily fell for the LOTR films later and wrote FF for that and published my first stories. Arwen/Aragorn was my first fandom OTP I guess. Saw more slashfic, Legolas/Aragorn, and I was still not convinced, but I read one. While I never shipped that pairing, slashfic in general suddenly started to look appealing. Well, and today I say “all I’ve learnt about sex, I’ve learnt from fanfic”, because those years were really educational… ;)

Next fandom was Stargate Atlantis (OTP McShep), my online fan-life started in earnest then with the Gateworld forum and LJ, then Torchwood (OTP Ianto/Jack), then Sherlock (OTP Johnlock). And here I am now, in the Kingsman fandom, with Hartwin and Merhartwin being my OTPs.

Now @hartwin-af

1. Who are your favourite artists/actors/fictional characters?

I admire Viggo Mortensen both as an actor and as an artist. And Colin Firth has been one of my favourite actors for many years. Closely followed by Chris Pine and Matt Damon. I also think Meryl Streep is a goddess.

Fav fictional characters: Aragorn, Sherlock, Mr Darcy and tons of others, among them right now Harry Hart :)

2. What are your favourite tv shows/movies?

Fav TV shows from the past: Star Trek DS9, Torchwood, MASH, SGA, Sherlock, Flying Doctors, Diagnosis Murder, Queer as folk

Recent TV shows: Agents of shield, Poldark, The Handmaid’s tale

3. What/Who do you fear?

Dying alone

4. What are you looking forward to the most?

At the moment my summer holiday and Kingsman 2.

5. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

The acceptance of ignorance you see nowadays. It’s ok to lack knowledge, but one shouldn’t be proud of it. It’s no badge of honour to boast about. There’s something you don’t know – go and look it up.

6. If you could make one thing canon in your fandom, what would it be?

DAISY UNWIN

7. Do you hoard usernames? 

Nope. In fact I’m known for having the same username for decades and almost everywhere…

8. Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? KFC or McDonald’s? 

If at all, Coke. Coffee, with tea being a close second. McDonald’s, but rather Burger King!

9. What would make today better?

Less humidity. Apart from that it’s been a pretty fine day. :) 

10. What’s your favourite scent?

Privet when it’s in bloom.

11. What’s your proudest achievement?

Finishing my university degree (MA)

And @spockri

1)  Are you a morning person or a night owl? 

100% night owl

2) What is your OTP (and you can only pick 1!) and why? 

Currently Hartwin. It just… happened. Love the fact that they’re so different and yet so similar, and that there’s tons of chemistry between them.

3) What is your favorite thing about Colin Firth? 

His smile. Absolutely.

4) What’s your favorite book and how would you recommend it to someone who’s never heard of it? 

That is in fact Atwood’s “The handmaid’s tale” and has been for years. I would recommend it as a book that’s become scarily relevant again in the light of the current political situation in the US.

5) Where is your favorite place to read? 

Used to be my bed, but the older I get, the less comfortable it becomes. So today it’s my desk chair. And Parliament Hill when I’m in London.

6) What was your last impulse buy? 

Clothes. I have way too many clothes… send help! Or Livia Firth, so that she can rip me a new one. Or Colin so that he can rip my clothes off… ok, wait, I need to stop.

7) What is/was your favorite subject in school? 

That was English and Art

8) Are you an introvert or extrovert? 

Introvert, INFJ. And an HSP. 

9) Do you have any trips/vacations planned this year? 

Most likely London again in August, and a short trip within Germany to visit two wonderful friends in October

10) What would you do if you saw Colin Firth walking on the other side of the street from you? 

In my dreams I’d work up the courage to walk over to him and smile and say hello and ask politely for an autograph… depends on the situation though. So in reality I’d most likely try not to bother him to respect his privacy and just stare at him from afar… while silently hyperventilating

11) I probably know you because we’re both into Kingsman, so when did you first watch Kingsman and what drew you to it?

When it came out I saw many posts about it on my tumblr dash and had no idea what it’s about. Thought it must be a big thing though and decided to watch it one day, but ignored it then on tumblr in order not to spoiler myself accidentally. It was on my list for a while and I finally bought the DVD in November 2016. Watched it with my parents. Was hooked in a second. This rarely happens to me, but I liked that the movie didn’t take itself overly serious but was still believable, and that the story had no loose ends. Also, suits and Savile Row (love a man in a good suit), and Colin Firth. Sold. The rest is history.

- - - - - 

Now, eleven questions from me, just in case anyone still wants to do this and isn’t sick of this meme already. :)

1)      What did you want to become as a child, and what did you become?

2)      If you were allowed to dress your favourite actor however you’d like, who would it be and what would she/he look like afterwards?

3)      Did you ever cry while reading a book or watching a film, and if yes, when was the last time that happened and why?

4)      What is your favourite piece of jewellery that you own?

5)      If you could invent and play any kind of yet non-existent role in an existent movie, who would you like to be?

6)      You have to share a room with a Kingsman character for one night. Who will it be and why?

7)      Did you have a comfort toy as a child and if yes, what happened to it?

8)      What is the colour/design of your bedclothes?

9)      What was your happiest fandom moment so far?

10)   The last film you saw in the cinema

11)   You invite your favourite fictional character for dinner and you’re having pizza. They say it’s your choice – what kind of pizza would you order for them?

You all probably did that already, I’m sorry!!

@agentdagonet @ripgalahad @jeherion @jesspaw @londongypsy @letmecomealong @galahadthelate @solarrift @lady-mephistopheles @fideliant @deepdarkwaters