#i love how each of these has its own occupation and theme

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance - Chef Kyroo

[flanpucci]

Hirohiko Araki's Manga Techniques - Continued | Creating a villain from scratch ~ The boy who loves mushrooms (english)

(Taken from JOJO Magazine winter 2023)

[...]

Creating a villain from scratch ~ The boy who loves mushrooms

Kyouka is a character born from the already existing setting of Rohan and “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan”. As I mentioned last time, normally you'd start with a "protagonist", and then create a "villain" in contrast to him. But even if you don't have a theme, story, or setting, you can think of a villain character on its own. I'd like to explain how to do this in a live performance style, creating a character sheet from scratch.

My first idea was a simple one. I happened to have some books about mushrooms on the bookshelf in my office, so I thought, "What about a boy who likes mushrooms?" and started to expand on the image of the character. This time it's mushrooms, but if I had seen a book about dinosaurs instead of mushrooms, I might have made a character of a "boy" who likes dinosaurs. In this way, I think it's good to start by taking inspiration from things that you're currently interested in or involved in.

Now, regarding the name of this villain character, I named him "Kinjiro". You can think of the name at the beginning, or you can decide on it after filling in the other sections. In my case, naming is a matter of intuition, and in terms of manga, I think readers will be more interested if it contains the character "kin" (fungus). If a mushroom had a cool name for example, using it would be a great way to make up a cool manga character name.

At this point, all that's been set and decided is that Kin Jirou is a "villain who likes mushrooms”. From here on, which section of his profile to fill in first will vary depending on each character, but this time I think that the "special skills" section is the most essential part of his character. So, in that section I’ll write "Has been interested in mushrooms since he was born, and knows everything about the mushrooms that grow in his hometown”, for example if they taste good, or bad, which seem obvious, but also maybe "Knows that there are mushrooms that grow here that will make you hallucinate, or erase your memory if you eat them", maybe even mushrooms that are deadly if you were to eat them, or mushrooms that will make your senses go haywire. In any case, although I’m an amateur when it comes to mushrooms, I’ll have to make it sound like I’m an expert, or rather someone who knows an unusual amount about all kinds of mushrooms, so when I draw them in the manga, I'll note “research needed” as to what kind of mushrooms are likely in that situation.

After that, I ask myself what to do with his face and physical appearance. I established that "It would be interesting if he was a little chubby," and "He could be slightly overweight," and built upon that to gradually create Kin Jirou's visual appearance in my head. The next important thing is Kinjiro's upbringing and environment. Family relationships form the basis of the character, so in the character sheets, I try to determine to a certain extent what kind of people his parents are and what kind of family he grew up in. Even if I don't actually draw it in the manga, if I have an image of the character in my mind, I can feel the character's blood flowing through his veins, as if he was really “there”.

Now, as for Kinjiro's father's occupation, it actually can't be just anything. Because, when you think about why Kinjiro became so fond of mushrooms, it's natural to think that he was born and raised in an environment that was somehow related to mushrooms. So, I came up with the idea of ​​his father being "head chef of a three-star restaurant." In this case, mushrooms would feel familiar since they’re used by his father as cooking ingredients, so it makes sense that Kinjiro would become a "mushroom lover." If this father had been an incredible, “achieving 2 Michelin stars in a row” kind of chef, people would think, "Kinjiro must have a complex about his father," or "They probably have a pretty twisted parent-child relationship," and that’s where the twisted side of Kinjiro’s personality would take shape.

Starting the story

We could set up other family members besides the father, including the mother and other siblings, but for now, the character Kinjiro is complete as long as he has a father, so we'll move on to the other sections. After the name, body type, special skills, and family relationships, the next essential thing we need to think about is "what does this character want to do?", that is, his "motivation." You can’t start a manga plot with just "Kinjiro, who loves mushrooms,", so we have to think about why would Kinjiro use his knowledge of mushrooms to do something. For a "good", hero protagonist, it is necessary to have a motive that readers can sympathize with and that is favorable in light of the reader's natural sense of morals, such as justice or friendship, but since Kinjiro is a villain, we can directly reflect basic human desires in his motives.

When thinking about Kinjiro's motives, I suddenly wondered, "Is this guy popular with girls?" Normally, it'd be hard to imagine a chubby boy who likes mushrooms being popular, but maybe it would be interesting to imagine him as "surprisingly popular with girls." What kind of girl would Kinjiro be aiming to make his girlfriend? For example, what if there was a rich young lady who came to his father's restaurant almost every day, and he started to like her for some reason... I thought a bit about it, and wrote a memo that says “Wants the rich young lady to be his girlfriend”, “His father’s customer”, and “Desire”.

Once you have decided on this, all that remains is to come up with ideas for schemes and tactics for Kinjiro to achieve his goal of "making the young lady his girlfriend." From what I've researched a little, mushrooms have a network of mycelium, like a web that connects them to each other, so he could use that to trap the young lady, or Kinjiro could discover a secret mushroom that no one knows yet, and put it in the food the young lady will eat. Depending on your imagination, there are an infinite number of possibilities. You could also research mushrooms in science magazines and use any interesting ideas you find. At this stage, it's important to just keep coming up with ideas, like "What about this?" or "Maybe we can use this too." Even if something doesn't seem relevant at first glance, it can suddenly become necessary as the story moves forward.

If we think about it in JoJo terms, the story could unfold like this: One day, Kinjiro realizes that he has a special ability that lets him induce hallucinations from the sauce on leftover dishes from customers at his father's restaurant. Therefore, he tries to use that ability to make the young lady his girlfriend... This Kinjiro is becoming more and more dangerous (lol).

Slowly and steadily refining the character sheet

Just by deciding on the spot that Kinjiro "likes mushrooms”, and filling in the main items of the character sheet, the character of Kinjiro is pretty much complete, but it only takes about 30 minutes to get to this stage. However, this is not the end. If this stage is half-baked, I could get into dead ends as I continue drawing the manga, so from here on, I’ll go back to refine it many times.

When I meet with my editors, I get comments like "I don't really understand this" and "Wouldn’t it be good to include that?" on the personal history and ideas I've written, so I'll say "Well, how about doing it like this" and "No, I think that's not right" and solidify my ideas through repeated exchanges. If I were to show Kinjiro's personal history to the editor, I'm sure he would say, "Kinjiro's goal is to make this young lady his girlfriend, but what does he like about her?" and "What part of her makes her so great?", so I decided I had to make a character sheet for her too. Since I decided the young lady was "rich," fashion and academic background are elements of importance. I'll also carefully think about the episodes that explain why Kinjiro fell in love with her.

It would be fine to just say, "He fell in love with her because she was kind to him," but just like when I decided on Kinjiro's father's occupation, it's important to come up with ideas related to mushrooms as much as possible to fit the theme of "Kinjiro the mushroom lover.” There are many possibilities, such as the young lady being able to recognize the taste of mushrooms in the sauce very well, or Kinjiro was walking in a place where mushrooms grow and the young lady happened to come by and he liked some kind of behavior or gesture from her very much. After that, if you create the character of the father, which is the key, you can make more and more stories.

Since Kinjiro is a villain, the natural progression of the story is that he’s "heading towards trouble," and if we are to make Kinjiro the “main villain”, or villain main character, we must have him confront a character who stands in his way. His antagonist could simply be a detective, but if it was someone in his family, the suspense would be heightened. It could be his grandmother who is always watching what he does and thinks “Hm? Something’s wrong with Kinjiro”, or maybe if the father became suspicious of Kinjiro's actions, then the head chef of a three-star restaurant with a genius sense of taste would become the enemy, and I think he would be a pretty big obstacle for Kinjiro.

What we must not forget at this time is that the basic pattern of characters in shonen manga, independently of if they are heroes or villains, is that they have to "grow". That's why the characters are always forward-looking, and why the all villains in “JoJo”, Dio, Kira Yoshikage, and President Valentine for example, affirm their own "evil" and walk their own path without worrying. Characters who grow in this way clash strongly with each other, which is what makes the battles interesting.

The fate of manga that even its creator cannot resist

The process I've written so far is something I've done all  throughout my career as a manga artist, and I always create the enemy characters in “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan" this way. If I were to continue making Kinjiro's story into a real manga, the opening would definitely focus on how much Kinjiro loves mushrooms. If I were to quickly finish that and move on to the next story, readers would probably think, "This is a story about a boy who loves mushrooms, so draw more about mushrooms!" In other words, Kinjiro's story is all about "loving mushrooms."

Last time, I said "All elements are created simultaneously," the four foundation pillars of a manga - "characters," "story," "setting," and "theme" - are naturally decided as the characters are created. In the case of Kinjiro, he is a character who has a close relationship of cause and effect with mushrooms, so if the story and setting do not integrate this, the manga will feel strange. For example, it’s not possible to suddenly decide that "Kinjiro is actually very good at soccer" and turn it into a sports manga, and in that sense, even if the author thinks despite everything, "I want to include a story about soccer after all," he cannot do as he pleases. In other words, by making Kinjiro a character who "loves" mushrooms, it is the fate of a manga in which Kinjiro appears to be "a mushroom manga." I think it would be possible to take advantage of this, set the stage in some fictional world, and depict the mushrooms in a fantasy setting kind of style.

When drawing manga, you must be careful not to deviate from what might be called the "rules" of that manga. If you feel like something is off while drawing, you are probably drawing something superfluous, that is outside the “rules”. If you’re tempted by thoughts like “If I want my manga to sell, I should include a character like “XX” from that worldwide hit”, or if your editor tells you to aim for something that would sell better, I recommend that you consider whether or not that will be a fit for the manga you are currently trying to draw. In most cases, it will probably not fit, but when that happens, you should be confident and properly depict the fate of the manga you are trying to draw. Even if you are worrying “Will the world accept such an ordinary and ugly character?”, I think as long as the manga's "four foundation pillars" are properly integrated, it will actually turn out fine. Generally, I don't think that popular manga artists really understand whether their work will be a hit or not when they’re drawing it.

From the basics to an original manga: Aim for the royal road of manga!

I mentioned this last time, but I'm sharing my creative techniques, knowing that it may be detrimental to me, because I think it would be a shame for talented aspiring manga artists to give up their hopes without knowing about these things. However, when I say "my creative techniques," I don't mean to convey my own unique know-how; I'm trying to explain the universal "royal road" that is common to many "masterpieces" of novels, movies, and manga.

The contents of "Manga Techniques" and "Manga Techniques - Continued" can be said to be like a "guide" for walking the "royal road". In order to reach your destination, you don't necessarily have to follow the map, but rather, I think it is important to find your own path and reach a place no one has been before. Deliberately go off to the side to see a different view, or discover that "there was another way to get there". In the event that you get lost, look back at the map, confirm where you are standing now, and determine how to get back on the right path. " Manga Techniques" and " Manga Techniques - Continued" are there for that purpose, so if you use what is written here as an instruction manual to draw manga, you will not be able to draw something great.

To conclude, I'll give you one more hint to help you walk your own path with this map in hand. I think you can pretty easily achieve drawing a great first manga if you take inspiration from your life experience, and draw the world you know firsthand. However, from the next one onwards, it won't be that easy. That's why it's important to take in things you don't know, especially what is being thought about in the world today, so to speak, the atmosphere of the times. Even if it's not directly related to manga, I think it's important to have an attitude of trying to learn about the times and society by reading the news every day. The reason is that the actions of characters are surprisingly related to the mechanisms of the world, and if you draw them without knowing anything about them, you often end up thinking, "Oh, something doesn't feel right." As I wrote in "Villains Need Philosophy," in order to properly depict the "evil" of villains, it is essential to know the times and society in which you live, and this is something I myself am studying while drawing manga.

"Manga Techniques" is a book that, frankly, puts me at a disadvantage, because it reveals trade secrets. "Manga Techniques - Continued" also reveals a lot of trade secrets, knowing it will put me at a disadvantage. In particular, the process of creating Kinjiro is pretty much exactly the process that I always go through while discussing with my editor. But the reason I am sharing my savoir-faire in this way is because I strongly hope that among those who read this, there will emerge a manga artist who creates a work that will completely change the world. If one day I come across something that I really want to say, maybe I'll continue talking about it somewhere.

(Translation by Flanpucci)

[lilacstro]

Hello, I have read your career post but absolutely don't understand how to apply it to my own birth chart. Can you help me to find out?

hey! no problem, id help you. if you read the first part of the post, i have mentioned 5 ways to check your career in your birth chart. I could have mentioned one single way, but I have seen this go multiple ways so I mentioned most of it so you can decide how you want to go with it.

Infact, if you find some kind of common element between all the 5 ways, you can have more clarity about your career prospects. however, even if you check it from any one methods and find it resembling what you wanted to do, you can take it as a confirmations. This was the purpose behind creating this post this way.

I will illustrate with example on each of the 5 ways I have mentioned and how the information in the post can be used !

1st: checking your 10th (career)and 6th house(your working style, your coworkers) planets and sign

let us say you have your 10th house in Leo and 6th house in Aries. Let us say your 6th house has sun while the 10th has Mercury. You would see the careers related to Leo for 10th house and check Aries for 6th house. Now check careers related to Sun and Mercury. And among all of this IF you find some kind of commonality, you should find your answer, let's say, a common occupation between mapping this out could be being an author or a publisher or a CEO.

2nd: checking where does Sun(leadership and power), Saturn(where are you dedicated and disciplined)

let us say your sun is in 1st house in Aries and saturn is in 5th in Leo. You will now again try finding the answers through how i mentioned before. If you want to lead your career, you would see your Sun, if you want to see where would you find motivation and discipline to be able to do it, you would see your Saturn. You can then find a common ground between them, if you find.

3rd: aspects//house//signs //degrees for the Asteroids fama(408)(what can you get famous for) and industria(389) (longterm career, something we might purse out of nature, zeal and passion)

lets say you have fama in 11th house and industria in 2nd, you could find fame for careers related to the 11th house while you can thrive in ones related to the second house. Let's say you want to find a career that would give you both, see something common that occurs between themes of these two houses, even if it isnt on the list I have mentioned, you can try doing it yourself. Example, here, would be starting a business (collaborative;11th house) related to wealth management or stocks(wealth and finance;2nd house).

4th: where does ruling planet of Ascendant(our main themes and interests throughout our life)

i think its clear, but lets say you are a Taurus rising, you would check where does Venus(Venus rules Taurus) lie in your chart. Lets say Venus is in 7th house, so themes related to 7th house could be important to you, or you may find them to involve with your life in some way or other. It is important to check aspects too.

5th: Checking where is lord of your 10th house.

Example if your 10th house is in Aries, you would check which house is Mars in. Let us say your Mars is in 1st house, you would check careers related to Mars and 1st house, both.

I hope this was helpful and I could explain you well, if you still have doubts please let me know so. Also, aspects we have in our chart can also affect our career related choices. Let's say someone has Sun conjunct Uranus, they make like doing new things, and usual 9-5 may bore them off. So they need to look at all the factors comprehensively.

Remember you dont have to subscribe to how I view astrology personally. If you find better ways that seem better and tangible, please use them :)) astrology, thats why gets subjective based on interpretations. Sending love your way <33 and i hope you find success in whatever you do :)

[eggsaladstain]

elaborate on the wasted potential? What parts would you have liked to explore?

Hi anon, I could go on and on about the wasted potential of Gyeongseong Creature but I will keep it relatively brief for both our sakes.

For the record, I did like the show, particularly the way it combined history with fiction to tell a story about dehumanized Koreans fighting back against their oppressors during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The titular creature is a physical manifestation of the atrocities committed by the Japanese soldiers against the Korean people and seeing the monster going on a violent rampage against those soldiers feels like an extreme version of the Korean people fighting for their country's freedom. But despite its best efforts, the show never really finds a way to tie the central theme of resistance and freedom to the rest of the plot. The resistance is more or less used as set dressing as neither of the two main characters, Tae-Sang and Chae-Ok, are members of the resistance movement, and the central plot of the season is a heist/horror story about uncovering the mysteries at Ongseong Hospital. The character who actually is a member of the resistance, Jun-Taek, has no real impact on the plot at all and his only noticeable contribution is the explosives used in the finale.

Think about how much more compelling a character Tae-Sang could've been if we'd gotten to see him transform from a selfish man who only cared about his own interests to a proud member of the resistance, finally finding a cause worth putting his life on the line for. By the end of episode 7, I thought the show had mostly achieved this, albeit clumsily, because we never really see why Tae-Sang had a change of heart and decided to be a hero, and if we're supposed to believe it's because of his feelings for Chae-Ok, I don't buy that for one second because the romance was half-baked at best. But then by the end of episode 10, he's once again shrugging off the title of patriot, and this is not a man who is humble, so what gives? Is he meant to be a charming rogue with a heart of gold or a selfish man who will be a hero only if it aligns with his personal interests? I still can't tell and I don't know if the writers themselves even know the answer - they kept trying to tell us he was the former but most of his actions pointed at him being the latter.

Even the horrific creature could've had a genuinely compelling arc if the show had bothered at all to humanize Seong-Sim prior to her transformation. I wanted desperately to root for mother monster to get her revenge against everyone who wronged her, but the show didn't give us any time to get to know her as a human, so it was hard for me to see her as anything but the monster she became. I wanted to believe that she still had some humanity, but the scenes of her protecting Chae-Ok ultimately fell flat because we never got to know the loving mother she had once been. Consider the flashback where Chae-Ok discovers the message her mother left for her on the wall. Now consider how much more impactful that scene would've been if we'd gotten to see it from Seong-Sim's perspective in real time in episode 1. It would've gone a long way in showing Seong-Sim's humanity and it would've made us believe in the love she had for her daughter, a love she would continue to hold onto even when she had lost everything else.

Towards the end of the show, it's revealed that multiple people close to Tae-Sang have all betrayed him at one point or another. But we barely know any of these characters or how they all became a part of each other's lives, and that emotional beat is once again lacking. This is what I mean by wasted potential. The show is full of moments like this, moments that should have been compelling and emotional, and could have been, if they've been tied together with a stronger, more cohesive script.

I don't know if you've watched Kingdom, anon, but it executes a similar concept to absolute perfection (in just 12 episodes and 1 movie) by using the supernatural element, zombies, as a vehicle to discuss its broader theme of hunger, both literal and metaphorical (which I've previously written about here and here). If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it because it's a fantastic show on its own, and if you liked Gyeongseong Creature, I recommend Kingdom even more as an example of how this show could've been so much better than it was.

[weightedblankettt]

nicovid works well platonically but i really like it romantically. taking someone who’s desperate to survive (nico) and pairing them with someone who views his own life as worthless (david) is already an interesting dynamic, but when its paired up with their actual personalities it just adds a layer of bittersweetness to it. nico, someone who’s been tormented their entire life, and david, who’s basked in the attention of everyone around him for years. nico, who was bullied for being themselves, and david, who was praised for being someone else. nico, who’s shy, david, who’s outgoing at first but slowly devolves into someone cynical. i do like their dynamic pre-freakout, its very cute and could lead to nico breaking out of their shell, i find their post-freakout dynamic much more interesting. nico and david both have a common denominator: they did something bad and will most likely be ostracized because of it. seeing as they both know how it feels to be set aside as the odd one out (nico through their bullying, david through never feeling as if his true feelings are enough for others) and they both have similar character relationships. (disdain towards ace, fallen-through friendship with hu). i feel like given david’s clear self-esteem issues, nico’s blunt manner of speech won’t be seen as insulting by david, and that lets them learn how to speak their mind. i see their dynamic as someone who wraps himself in a lie, and one of the only people that can see through him. even during the trial, nico’s one of the three people out of the cast of 13 students attending the second trial that notices david’s bullshitting about killing arei, alongside the protag and the support. idk if this is plot armoring my favs or whatever but i do think that nico can read people well, similarly to the animals they work with (considering their occupation: pet *therapy*) and david’s tendency to lie might not really fool them. they can both depend on each other when they need to, but they also do have their own problems and stuff. their development in canon chapter 3 could be interesting if they do end up talking to each other, especially if nico does end up becoming a chapter three victim. another thing that really intrigues me about them is how they’ve both committed an irredeemable action. david’s trying to get them all killed by pretending to have killed arei after all, and nico tried to kill ace. they’re both one of the “bad people” of the second chapter, and i can heavily emphasize (empathy =/= sympathy by the way.) despite their contrasting personalities and themes. it emphasizes how anyone is capable of doing bad, even someone seemingly kind and timid or someone seemingly well-intentioned. nico really has no room to speak on david’s shortcomings and vice versa, and i doubt that either of them want to. they provide each other with a safe space that neither of them really deserve, but it’s still comfortable to have and they enjoy it. david, although his nihilistic tendencies are on display, probably still can’t help but accommodate for nico if they ever started dating or going out. maybe not immediately after— he’d probably still be cruel, but nico wouldn’t really mind. they both let each other say what they’re thinking freely, without caring much for their words, but one thing leads to another and they cant help but fall in love. they both accommodate for each other. nico tries to help david with his honesty and his feelings, because they can’t control their own feelings OR how honest they are (even if its insulting,) and david takes care of nico when they can’t take care of themselves. gaah i lovw them.

this sounds insane? thats because it is. i dint know what the fuck im takjing about but they make me happy and sad. their entire dynamic can be described as one thing: bittersweet

[empty-dream]

Just watched Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

24 years old overworked office worker in Tokyo finally gets his day off when the city is overrun by zombie outbreak, then decides to do all the things he can't do when he was trapped in his hellish job before he becomes a zombie himself.

I like it because it's stupid real lmao. Nothing's gonna stop me from grabbing my favorite beverage to spend a long overdue off-day with, even if it's the end of the world.

This is a writing about the anime, not the live action movie. I do wonder why they released both anime and live action at the same time. As of this writing, the anime has 7 episodes already.

1st episode really sets the mood. The majority of the episode is black and white, symbolizing Akira's burnout meaningless day to day life. Then the colors suddenly explodes in vibrant and emotional manner as he undergoes a major life changing moment. You have to see it yourself.

Ngl a huge part of my drive to watch this is because it's written by Haro Aso, the mangaka for the Alice in Borderland. Which is an amazing story please read the manga/watch the Netflix series I'M BEGGING.

In a similar vein to AiB, Zom 100 is ultimately about life and how to cherish and fight for it in difficult, dying times. While AiB, being suspense thriller, is a lot more grim in exploring the theme, Zom 100 has a more lighthearted and carefree approach, though not without its own heartrending moments.

It's a fresh breather because the main protagonist and his friends are not highschoolers. For people who are already working, their ups and downs in their respective occupations at their respective ages are pretty relatable.

As expected of Haro Aso. He also incorporated a lot of different occupations for his cast in AiB, like forensic police or corporate lawyers, even though its main characters are still highschoolers (Not the case in the Netflix version tho, they get age-lifted).

Akira reminds me a lot of Shinra Kusakabe from Fire Force. Maybe because of the similar plain straight black hairstyle a la shounen protagonist, with a personality that's loud and cheery yet still politely kind. With dream of wanting to be heroes.

Also loving the dynamic between main cast. Akira-Kencho's is really that one friend you made in school that stuck with you for the rest of your life hell or high water. Their personalities clash with the uptight Ms. Risk Analysis and its fun to see how they mingle with each other. Unfortunately the blonde samurai woman has not appear yet so I cant comment but Im very sure she would be a fun addition.

The OP and ED are so catchy and lively, even though they have different type of music (as far as my meager musical knowledge can assess). Both are pretty vibrant, complete with the vivid images, truly a fitting celebration for the story. I love how the song titles (Song of the Dead and Happiness of the Dead, respectively) keep up with the X of the Dead theme naming.

The OP uses footages from previous episodes and it hits kinda hard in EP 7 for reasons happened in that arc. There seems to be at least 2 versions of the ED credit, which have some slight differences between each other.

Tl:dr this is what toxic working condition will do to a man

[whyceasefirefaq]

How To Turn Your Wheelchair's Elevating Footrests Into An Everyday Protest In Solidarity With Palestine

So, in the last post, I talked about the struggle of when you're an activist who is in solidarity with Palestine but lacks access to most protests due to inaccessibility and/or the need to be COVID-cautious. RELATED: New Idea! (+ POV: You’re A Disabled Jewish Activist Protesting The Palestinian Genocide In A Time Of COVID)

And while I'm still figuring out what are the best ways I can contribute to the collective effort to stop the genocide and end the occupation, one of the ideas I had was to turn my wheelchair into an everyday protest. ATTACHING A SIGN TO YOUR ELEVATING FOOTRESTS I decided to start by attaching a protest sign to the external part of the elevating footrests aka the part that everyone sees. I noticed that it's also the part that people tend to gawk at the most, thus making it a prime spot for a protest sign. WHAT YOU WILL NEED a protest sign (you can use one from this outreach project or make your own) a piece of cardboard for the back clear packing tape (or equivalent)

The trick is to make sure the tape wraps around to the inside part of the footrest aka where your feet go, so it's secure. Also, I found I needed to do this at least twice. Taping it once was not enough (and thus my comment in the last post.) I also want to add things to other parts of the wheelchair but that'll be for another post because spoons. (If you know, you know.) That said, are you also decorating your wheelchair (medical equipment, car, bike, self, etc) in daily or near-daily protest of the genocide? I'd love to see what you've done or what you want to do if you had the spoons! You can find me @ rebelwheelsnyc on Twitter & Instagram. You can also message me via Tumblr if you have an account or email me at rebel wheels NYC @ gmail . com (but with no spaces). Please don't send attachments. [image descriptions 1st image: protest art based on the wheelchair symbol. but instead of a blue and white theme, the background is 3 thick horizontal stripes (black, white, and green) like the Palestinian flag. and the wheelchair symbol (a person in a manual chair) is the red of the flag, only the fill is a poppy flower and there's a keffiyeh around the neck. there's also a poppy flower inside the empty space in the wheel. in a small font, in the lower right-hand corner, it reads: @ rebelwheelsnyc 2nd image: photo. motorized wheelchair. in my apartment. elevating footrests are raised & extended. a protest sign has been taped to the outside of the footrests. can also see other bits of the wheelchair. The sign. horizontal rectangle. white & yellow border. within this a pink rectangle with red triangle pointing toward the right. text, bold & each word has its own black rectangle behind. main text: "don't be silent in times of genocide". Every word is white except silent which is a golden yellow & genocide which is green. Below, smaller font, blue, black rectangle behind words: "not in my name". Below in white: "(this is not up for debate)" below that, smaller text, URL "why ceasefire faq.tumblr.com." Lower left-hand corner within the pink, a small Palestinian flag. right of main text, vertical watermelon slice. in the upper right-hand corner a QR code that leads to a petition  [2nd image description was streamlined to fit in the image description character limits of Twitter] 3rd image. A photo of the black footrests of my motorized wheelchair. The leg rests are elevated and extended. One part of the leg rest is missing. There are also some stickers that are anti-ableism in nature. But you can see that the clear packing tape is wrapped around the internal portion of the footrest.]

[denimbex1986]

'The love stories of British filmmaker Andrew Haigh aren’t the kind of Hollywood romance flings that will have you wanting to toss your partner into bed; rather, they are the kind of anxiety-provoking films that keep you awake at night fixated on the ceiling. Exploring how love can enhance your life but also how it can torment you in times of loneliness, Haigh’s clear interest in the search for self and the fantasy of true love culminate in All of Us Strangers, his latest feature that treats wistful sorrow as spectral manifestations.

Such gothic apparitions are treated as ghouls in Taichi Yamada’s original novel Strangers, but in Haigh’s adaptation, they are no scarier than your mother asking if you ‘want more tea’. “That idea of meeting your parents again is so fascinating as a central idea, and I’m sort of confused, it’s not been done more often,” Haigh says of the central concept, “So, I took that idea, and then it was like, ‘Okay, how can I make this personal to me.’”

Partly inspired by Haigh’s own experience dealing with his father’s dementia and the eventuality of revealing his sexuality to him once more, All of Us Strangers tells the story of Adam (Andrew Scott), a screenwriter penning a tale about his childhood who, upon revisiting his childhood home, finds their ghosts occupying the space as if they’d never passed away at all. Understandably, he refrains from revealing this to his newfound lover, Harry (Paul Mescal), seemingly the only other occupant of the towering apartment block on the edge of London.

Once Haigh had stripped away the more fantastical elements of the novel and added the gay romance, “it sort of unlocked everything” for the filmmaker, “’Ah, okay, I can now talk about queerness in relationship to family, I can talk about essentially the trauma of growing up gay in the 1980s, and I can associate it and wrap it up with another trauma which for Adam in the story was the loss of his parents”.

It was a “knotty and fascinating” writing process, especially as it was penned during the Covid-19 pandemic, with this sense of isolation and existential vulnerability seeping into the film like a steady stream of city smog. Extraordinarily timely, its themes seem like a direct moral antidote to the contemporary epidemic of loneliness, with Haigh being wary of his film’s efforts to solve this phenomenon.

“It is about trying to connect, trying to know people, getting them to know you, being compassionate to each other. That is what love is about,” he eloquently exclaims, “When you are a parent to a child, you have desperate compassion for that child, you want to understand that child. Really, that’s the same in romantic relationships, too. That is what a romantic relationship, if it’s successful, is, because you feel deep compassion for that person, and you don’t want them to be alone”.

This isn’t the first time these themes have arisen in his filmography either, with ruminations of abandonment and vulnerability bubbling beneath the surface of everything from his breakthrough 2011 romance Weekend to his Oscar-nominated 45 Years. “I am so well aware that everything I’ve done, even the things that might not seem like they are related, are related,” he admits, even linking the BBC drama The North Water to his feature films under one central interest in complex characters searching for a morsel of stability.

Undoubtedly, it’s Weekend that shares the most likeness with his latest movie, with the humble indie film being the last time Haigh last made an explicitly gay romance, telling the story of two men in Nottingham who fall in love after a chance encounter. “I knew this film was always going to be in conversation with that film,” Haigh states, well aware of the similarities, “But it’s 11 years later, and everything has changed in 11 years for queer people. So much has changed, and in a weird way, there’s a lot of new things to talk about and discuss, but at the same time, the central feeling is similar”.

“Adam is feeling the same separation from the world that Russell feels in Weekend,” Haigh adds, drawing parallels between the leads in All of Us Strangers and 2011’s Weekend, “That in itself is interesting to me, that time can move on, that everything can change, but you can still feel trapped in a feeling unless you can go back and unpick why you have that feeling inside you”.

Untangling such a network of complex emotions about one’s troubled past is no easy feat, but the music so often acts as the remedy to this bewilderment, allowing everything to seemingly make sense, if just for a few minutes. This is a comfort for Adam throughout All of Us Strangers, where the likes of the Pet Shop Boys and Frankie Goes to Hollywood become figurative family members, giving weight and comfort to his every emotion.

“I can still now listen to music from the late 1990s, and I can suddenly feel like I’m in a club again. I can feel it,” Haigh expresses with wistful investment, “And a song from when I was a kid, I can suddenly know what it was like to listen to that in my bedroom. And you know, those were songs that I cared about when I was young, and most of them were written into the script”.

Used as some sort of therapy throughout the movie, Haigh took great care as to what songs did and didn’t make the cut, focusing largely on 1980s pop music: “The great thing about pop music is that it reflects and articulates ideas and complicated emotions that people can’t always express. I think that’s why teenagers and kids love pop music because it expresses ideas that they can’t express yet because they’re not old enough to and they’re not wise enough to”.

As Adam utters in the film, “It doesn’t take much to make you feel the way you felt back there again,” and with every cinematic flourish of Haigh’s wand, he proves this beyond doubt, effortlessly dragging the protagonist and audience back to a different time and place entirely. The visceral meditation on adolescence has already enchanted critics the world over, with Haigh’s film being recognised at the Bifas, where it walked away with the lion’s share of prizes, the Golden Globes and the forthcoming Baftas.

“I’m not craving awards,” he modestly admits, “But we won at the Bifas and that was really nice to have won there. I’ve been in British Independent Film for quite a long time, and I’ve never won anything at the Bifas, so it felt like it felt special”. Haigh’s tune may indeed change if he was to be given a nod in a major category at the Academy Awards, but he asserts, “You want to be in the conversation because it means that people hear about the film and it’s very hard when you make an independent film for anyone to actually know about it. You’re constantly battling to try and get it into the ether”.

Regardless of the potential of awards recognition, Haigh’s film has already profoundly captured the ethereal sense of contemporary loneliness that shrouds the zeitgeist, bottling a mood not too dissimilar to Charlotte Wells’ wondrous 2023 debut Aftersun. An odyssey of love that spans generations, Haigh’s sombre drama pulsates with a genuine hope for human connection, protesting the differences that keep so many of us apart.

Given his fondness for love stories focused on characters learning to find themselves before falling for anyone else, it’s likely that Haigh’s next project won’t stray too far from this path. “I would love to make a musical,” he admits, with this being somewhat unsurprising given his perfectly timed needle drops throughout his filmography, yet his desire to make “a massive apocalyptic disaster film” is a little more off-brand.

Still, in the same vein as Mike Leigh’s 1993 Palme d’Or nominee Naked, whose apocalyptic musings have made the film an iconic piece of British filmmaking, it’s certainly not outlandish to see Haigh’s recent movie as part of the same thematic genre. “That’s my apocalyptic end of the world movie,” he jokes when the idea is broached, yet in all the film’s delicate sadness and hopeful plea in the face of catastrophe, it’s now hard to see it as anything but.'

[littleredroseonthevalley]

Political Marriage, Taken as Its Own

Summary: Arthur and Guinevere live a quite cold and barren marriage of convenience. Until they don’t.

Rating: MA - Content is only suitable for mature adults. May contain explicit language and adult themes.

Words: 2400

Notes: What if Arthur was a little awkward in love? I think it’d be hot.

The first time they slept together, neither of them uttered a word.

The marriage had gone unconsummated for months by that point. There was talk in court that the king was hoping to return her to Carmelide, and gentlemen and gentlewomen alike waited for such a thing with batted breath, some with purer intents than others. He had assured his wife he had no such plans, but until he bedded her, those are nothing but words.

Guinevere had been pacing around in the Round Table room, devoid of any of its usual occupants, thinking mostly alone about the next upcoming strategies needed to protect Camelot. They were in a vulnerable situation compared to its bordering nations, the Empire loomed large and every precaution to avoid the materialization of her vision was a worthy effort.

However, it is not always that she can have things her way, and she and the king were bickering over how they should proceed. She is not quite sure how exactly it happened, but the handsome man came closer, for the first time invading her personal space. She does not know what came over her, but her body naturally leaned into his. Her eyes closed for a second, mind on overdrive as it concentrated on his heartbeat, the heat in his body, the smell of sandalwood in his clothes.

His face was close, licking his lips in the darkness as if he was getting ready to speak before she pressed her lips onto him, effectively rendering him silent. With that, suddenly, she was hoisted on the table, his mouth grazing every inch of skin with newfound urgency.

The queen can still remember touching her lips afterwards, tingling with the ghost of his memory, that, if she closed her eyes, she could still feel it happening as if it has been but a moment ago. She remembered her heart beating quickly, threatening to burst at the seams. She remembered the heat flare coming from the depths of her sex.

This had been just the first time, there had been plenty of experiences afterwards, plenty of moments of passion and longing. She could not quite recall all the other times where they were tangled with each other, but it was a cycle that neither could break and nobody wanted to acknowledge, never addressing it head-on, never putting a name to it. Their marriage continues of convenience, and to the court and the Church, she is still pure.

Guinevere wagers this is fear. Or perhaps His Majesty wants to preserve the liaisons she never really attested with her own eyes, but that the noble ladies of court all say they have spent a night in a bed where his wife is not welcome.

Now, separated for weeks on end due to a skirmish at the border, once they had finally reunited, they both ignored each other.

Not that this achieved anything. They were both so attuned with each other, almost like if their relationship had been written in the stars. Every thought, every movement, every fibre of their being were keenly intertwined. If they were to ever push, the other would pull back. They did not even have to make a sound, almost like an ancient drive forced them to be bonded together. However, not a word was ushered between them again, aside from forced proximity due to meetings or their performance for the Yule feast.

He had returned to her once more in the late hours of the night, sneaking into her chambers, always her chambers. She was hyper-aware of him as she pried her eyes open, her mind snapping out of her dreams. She sat up, pushing the covers off and peered up.

He was fixated on her, eyes staring directly into hers in nothing but the pale moonlight. The knot at the top of his washed chemise is undone, golden hair tousled, unlike his normal neat image.

There was a look in his eyes that she had seen many times before in men like this, a look of desire, power and need. None of them, however, was quite as intense as his. It was like looking into the blackness of a bottomless well, so far down that it could reflect a sky full of stars. Like two sapphires that held on them the future of humanity, and, in a sense, she supposes they are.

There it was again, the tantalizing and dangerous allure of the King of Camelot.

Guinevere sighed heavily, the sense of disquietude flaring as the uncertainty of what to do grew. All the silent words, lingering stares, the sleepless nights filled with soft moans and unspoken promises. What did they mean? What did he want them to mean?

Because she knew what she wanted. Her every thought was of him. She wanted more than just secret nights between silk sheets.

“What is it?” She finally asked.

The cold from the winter slowly seeped into her bones, but maybe that was his doing. After all, his shadows loved to watch her greedily.

His face was twisted in longing, an expression she is not used to seeing. She wanted to reach out for him, but she instead forced herself to remain seated.

Her eyes close in slight annoyance when he makes no move to speak. Rather, she concentrated on his striding footsteps. With each step, her chest rose and fell rapidly, getting a sense of his intention. The bed dipped and his hand cupped her chin to tilt her head up to stare at him directly.

Countless deaths and blood laid on his hands, and yet his hands are scrubbed clean, free of blood. Guinevere watched him kill multiple men with a single flick of his wrist and watched the splatter of blood hit his face. However, with his murderous being, stained with lives haunting him and burdened by perpetual lifetimes, he worshipped her tenderly like she was a precious jewel.

“Your Majesty…”

“My name.” He said, stilted. “Please, my name is Arthur.”

His speech was slightly broken as if he had never told anyone to call him by his name before. Maybe he had not.

Her breath hitched.

“Arthur…” She tried, testing his name on her tongue. “I have always thought it is such an ordinary name for such a legendary king.”

He breathed out, mimicking a half-hearted chuckle. “I am sorry to disappoint.”

His hand moved, knuckles brushing against her cheek before cupping the side of her face. Everything about him, his touch, his exotic perfume, his lips, was insurrectionary, making her want to surrender to temptation.

“Speak my name.” He commanded.

There was a pleading tone that bleed into his voice. Guinevere could not deny him.

“Arthur.”

He leaned in closer. “Again.”

“Arthur.”

Finally, it earned her a soft peck to her lips.

“Arthur.”

Another peck. And another.

“Arthur…”

Then it prolongs, turning into heated kisses as she finds herself melting into his touch. Everything about him was cold, freezing, but his lips were warm and inviting, almost sultry.

To Arthur, her voice was hypnotizing, laced in spun gold and made an ache break loose in his chest, basking in her warmth. He felt his heart patch over with the inexplicable glow of sunlight, replacing the loneliness that had drilled so deeply within him for so many years.

Whenever it was her, he felt consumed with uncontrollable longing and need.

They take their time and Arthur lets her lead. One of his hands snakes around her waist, pulling her flush against him while the other supports the back of her neck. Her fingers ran up his chest, before threading through his hair.

“My love.” He moans into the kiss. “Tell me what you want.”

“Please…”

“Please what?” He pulls back from her lips reluctantly.

Her breath hitches. “Please, I need you. Now.”

“Dearest…” He coos, ignoring her requisition entirely. “Repeat that?”

Bastard. Guinevere clicks her tongue.

Arthur chuckles at her reaction. His lips brush against the column of her neck, fingers gliding over the fine silk of her red nightgown before looping beneath her ribbon straps, pushing them off her shoulder. Her breasts were exposed, nipples hardening from the cool air.

His hand shoots to knead her breast, and she has to hold back a gasp as his fingers, littered in silver rings, brushes over her nipple. After a particularly hard swipe, her body twitches as his thumb rubs incessant circles over the sensitive nub, similar to how he would play with her clit.

“I love it when you beg.” The king mused.

The fact that his wife wore red made him tick further. He never wanted to see anyone in the royal colours until her. A wrapped, perfect present just for him.

His kisses until that point were gentle, but he pressed a particularly hard one, laced in possession before laying her flat on her back. He positioned himself on top of her, hands pinning her wrist to the bed.

“I missed you.” A kiss and he is suddenly vulnerable again. “I thought about you every day, wife.”

Her heart ached, and she smiled softly. “I have missed you too.”

Arthur dips his head, burying his face in her chest meanwhile his tongue continues to lap at her nipple, swirling it around with his tongue, then sucking. His free hand finds itself between her legs as he rubs her clothed clit, spreading her legs wide.

Guinevere buckles in his hold from the feather-like touch, but he is so strong that she hardly budges out from him. She is already dripping and she can feel him smile against her skin.

“So pretty, aren’t you? Always desperate for my touch.” He chuckled.

Impatient, Arthur slides down her underwear. He rubs slow circles on her clit and he is more than pleased to hear the little sighs and moans that leave her, each louder than the next.

He moves to hover back over her face, letting her hands free as he is too busy devouring her lips. He pressed a leg between her legs and her hips to move involuntarily, grinding on the fabric of his trousers.

The man finally relents, pulling back as he descends across her body, nestling himself between her thighs. Her glistening folds sparkle in the starlight. It feels like he is examining her and embarrassment flares until he blows cool air to her entrance, placing a tentative kitten lick. He finally wrapped his lips around her clit, fingers gliding through her slit.

He groans, sending vibrations through her pussy. One hand flew to grip his hair, the other cupping her breast.

“Arthur…” Guinevere moans sweetly.

It causes a chain reaction, setting something deep within him to crack. He holds her in place, unable to move while his finger slid through her fluttering hole as he pushed in. He sucks harshly against her, fingers pumping quickly.

He slipped in another finger and the woman felt her skin heat. Having him still clad in his formal attire gives him an edge, leaving her completely exposed or his eyes to feast on her.

Arthur groans loudly while he feels Guinevere cum on his tongue, listening to her shuddery whines. It flooded his senses, and all he could do was watch, wanting to imprint the memory into his mind forever. Her moans, resounded by pleasure, sound like music to him. He only pulls away when she’s left trembling.

He rids himself of his chemise, exposing white chest sculped like marble to the elements.

“Do you want my cock?” He taunts slightly, but subsequently frowns when she does not respond, still too dazed from her high.

“What, now you can’t speak?” He insists.

Arthur undid his trousers, reaching to take his cock in hand, stroking himself languidly.

“Want you.” She sounded sweet, smooth like honey and he cannot help but indulge in her more.

She lets out a whimper of pain at the stretch as he enters her. His lips claim hers, drinking in every sound, feeling him sink in inch by inch.

“So good for me. Taking me so well...” He praises.

Guinevere moans as he hits a spot so deep inside her that it feels delicious. His movements are so controlled and precise, and it is clear he is going to take his time, milking every second.

She drags her hands down his back, nails digging in, leaving red scratches in their wake. She has never felt so full before.

One hard thrust had her slapping a hand over her mouth, making her choke on a moan.

Arthur frowns, ripping her hand away. “I need to hear you, my love. How else will I know you are feeling good?”

Something was different, very unlike the other times. She exploded him thoroughly before. She has taken him in her mouth, on her knees; fingers clawing his hand, trashing either on top or beneath him…

This time, however, it felt intimate, full of an yearning from his end. The understanding caused an electric sensation to fill her body.

His hands grip her jaw, turning her head to look at him with some brutality.

“Say it.” His voice was low, nothing more than a whisper but it came out as an underlying threat that sent shivers up her spine. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you.” She says for the first time, and she means it wholeheartedly.

“Yeah?”

Arthur could feel his treacherous heart exploding into blazing white light and eyes softened by her words. He slows his pace significantly, fingers rubbing circles on her clit that has her crying. Adjusting his position slightly, he pressed his chest against her, his cock unremitting.

Something takes over Guinevere and she shouts, “Of course! I love you. Love you, love you!”

His heart clenches together from her eagerness. He leant forward, teeth grazing her bottom lip, nibbling until pressing a searing kiss against her. His pace picked back up.

He bites and kisses her neck, furiously rubbing her clit. The way she clenches around him has his head thrown back, panting and looking down at her with a gaze so warm, idolatry, that it could set the sun ablaze.

“I love you, too, my dearest wife.” He smiles widely.

Arthur means it like he had never meant anything before. Guinevere was almost a prayer, a mirage he thought he could never touch, never quite grasp. Alas, here they were, colliding with one another.

She is his.

*_*_*_*_*

Guinevere Masterlist

[itsthatalice]

Now, although Discovery might not be my cup of tea exactly, there are certain aspects of the show I really love to see and wish to highlight.

First of all, the diversity, obviously. No, Star Trek hasn't "gone woke". NEWSFLASH ASSHOLE! IT'S BEEN WOKE THE WHOLE GODDAMN TIME!

Although Star Trek has always been champions for representation and diversity, the older shows were somewhat limited in what they could do and show because of the times it was on air.

Burnham, Stamets and Culber, Adira and Grey, and plenty more examples of diversity in action in Discovery. It's beautiful.

Second, I love how emotionally open the shows allows its characters to be. The characters speak their mind, they put words to their thoughts and feelings and they rely on each other's emotional support in ways the previous shows never allowed for their characters. Granted, I'm not always happy with how it handles this aspect. There are certain episodes where it feels like every single conversation is equally emotionally pungent, which can get a bit overwhelming at times. But overall I think it does a great job with this aspect. These characters truly feel like a family a lot of the time.

(personally I prefer the more "coworker/friends" feel of the older shows, as I feel it's more appropriate to the setting and their occupations, but I am very happy Discovery's style has a place in the Trek universe)

Lastly, I want to touch upon the ever present positivity present in the show. Yes, bad shit is happening, these characters get thrown into awful situations and are traumatised on a monthly basis. And yet, the positive outlook the show presents permeates the feel of the show. These characters truly love each other, they're there for each other, and as long as they work together and communicate, nothing is impossible. It almost falls into the "love saves the day" trope, and I am completely fine with that.

Now, I have a lot of criticism for this show, critisisms which affect my overall enjoyment of most of the seasons. Or I could mention the more "geeky" positives I have for the show, like the Andorian/Tellarite redesigns, the use of Archer's theme in season 4, or the numerable references to past Trek. But I will hold off on that for now, and instead let the positives I mention stand on their own as the most important aspects of Discovery. All this to say, although it's not my preffered style of Trek, I am nonetheless really happy that Discovery exists.

And sad to see it go...

Also, Discovery re-introduced Captain Christopher Pike, and I will be forever grateful for that.

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: The Bright Sword

Author: Lev Grossman

Genre/s: mythology and folklore, historical

Content/Trigger Warning/s: mentions of rape; depictions of physical and emotional abuse of children and adults; depictions of the brutality of medieval battles and their after-effects; depictions of nearly drowning and being buried alive

Summary (from author's website): A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur is dead, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive.

They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she buried him under a hill.

Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as the fairies and old gods are returning, led by Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay, and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But first they’ll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.

The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is steeped in tradition, full of duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings. It’s a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, who are looking for a way to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.

Buy Here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-bright-sword-a-novel-of-king-arthur-lev-grossman/20856403

Spoiler-Free Review: This is a heartbreaker of a book and make no mistake, but also a GEM of a book in its own right. There is both light and dark contained herein, and it all comes together to make something absolutely beautiful, and absolutely bittersweet.

So, first things first: you do not need to be completely familiar with the Arthurian Cycle to understand this story. As long as one knows the broad strokes of the story about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round, the reader will have no problems keeping up.

What DOES matter when reading this book, though, is picking up the themes that Grossman lays down in throughout the novel. There’s quite a few one could pick up, but after some back-and-form with a close friend via messages, I’ve concluded, as she did, that the main theme is that of cycles: of old to new and back again, of faith, and of people. The groundwork for this is laid in the novel’s first chapters, when the protagonist, Collum, observes how successive waves of occupants changed and shaped the landscape of Britain, each one leaving their mark on the land and its inhabitants. He also brings up the concept of a “golden age”: notably, he observes that “golden ages” all come to an end. That bit’s important because, as the reader knows (but Collum doesn’t), King Arthur is already dead.

Tied into that theme is the conflict between Christianity and the pagan faiths of Britain. This is a theme that’s frequently been picked up in other adaptations of the Arthurian cycle, but oftentimes, in those adaptations, one is held up as better than the other. In this novel, though, it’s made pretty clear that returning to the old ways is neither better nor worse than accepting Christianity - mostly because, in the end, it all depends on the people running the show. After all, terrible things have been done in the name of God, just as there have been good things done in the name of the old gods.

Speaking of people running the show, this book also offers a lovely and incredibly human portrait of Arthur himself. I know that this is something a lot of other books, movies, and even TV shows have attempted to do, but this novel’s take on Arthur is such an excellent balance between a legendary hero and a flawed human being. He’s a genuinely good person, and wants the best for the people around him and for his country, and he works HARD to make that so, but he is still human, and therefore is prone to doubts and mistakes. This is King Arthur with impostor syndrome, and it makes him a wonderful character to read about.

While Arthur is certainly important in this novel, the other characters are definitely just as important, if not more so. After all, it is through their eyes that the reader comes to understand Camelot and Arthur himself, and it is through their actions that the fate of Britain is decided. And, just like Arthur, they are all wonderfully, poignantly human while also being pretty damn heroic, especially since most of them have faced rather tough odds before and during their tenure as Knights of the Round Table.

Which leads into the second important theme of this novel, which is another thing my good friend and I circled back to repeatedly over messages: breaking cycles is vitally important for moving forward. This is showcased most prominently in the novel’s overall plot, which follows the protagonist Collum has he helps determine Britain’s future, but it’s also present in the story arcs of the other characters - including the antagonists. Like Collum, they are all caught up in a cycle, whether that is their internal struggle with their gender or sexuality; finding their place in the world at large; or a history of abuse. And to be able to move forward, to avoid getting stuck in a rut, they have to break that cycle and move forward - or find themselves doing more harm than good. It’s difficult to illustrate this well without going into some very big spoilers, but suffice to say that this is a very important theme and plays into this novel’s climax.

Because that’s another thing that the novel focuses on and spends a lot of time trying to get across: all golden ages must one day come to an end, and everyone must move on and keep on living. Time and time again the novel talks about how the age of miracles has ended, and how Britain’s inhabitants must deal with the aftermath. What does one do when one must live in the shadow of a golden age, watching the world move on and slowly forgetting the greatness that once lived in it? What does it mean to have lived through a time when it seemed like all things good and great were possible, only to come to the end of that time with nothing ahead but something lesser? That part really got to me, because we all hope that things will get better in our lifetimes, and we all try to do SOMETHING to make things better while we’re still alive, but what if the chance to do so has long since passed? What’s the point of struggling? What’s the point of living?

And this book says: that’s it - living is the point. One lives, and keeps on going, changing as one needs to, because to give up is to choose stasis, and that just doesn’t work out well for oneself or for anyone. Change is never painless, of course, and it can be sad and terrible and dark, but it is necessary regardless. But what we can do is choose HOW we rise to change, HOW we move with it. We cannot stop change, or make it happen faster, but we CAN choose how we act when it arrives.

Overall this is a beautiful, wonderful book: an interesting take on the Arthurian cycle that is familiar with its origins, but still manages to put a new spin on the legends instead of retelling them. There is a bittersweetness to this novel that will resonate with a lot of readers, and will likely leave them thinking about the story long after they’ve put the book down.

Rating: five grails

[pagingharu]

Name: Rune Vilulf

Age: 22

Height: 6’2”

MBTI: ESTP-A

Main Theme Song: True Blue by Boygenius

Occupation: Seafaring Trader and Dragon Rider (formerly a criminal)

Bio: Growing up, Rune was trained to be a warrior by his father who was never satisfied with his accomplishments and progress. Eventually, the man abandoned his own son, leaving the boy to fend for himself on the streets but, fortunately for him, he was quick to adapt.

He then meets Gitta, and pitied her when no one wanted to take her in. He taught her how to survive as they traveled around, but parted ways after a dragon clawed his back and he was left to heal while Gitta ran away. The two then began bumping into each other in their travels.

While still young, Rune was notorious for being cold blooded, using any means to get his way. Though this didn’t stop him from taking others under his wing, reminding him of Gitta who he sees as a younger sister. He became a leader of sorts, and having realized this, he decided to steer them to the right path starting with changing himself. Though he’d sometimes slip into old habits from time to time.

A summary of his relationship with his father: 

"I needed a soldier. You wanted a father."

"Well I guess we're both disappointed then."

After his mother died in an attack, his father became obsessed with training a young Rune so he wouldn’t meet the same tragic fate. Although the longer this went on, the more his father lost his way of being a good father to him. Stripped of family love from losing both parents (mother, dead; father, a changed man), Rune had no one to turn to while the harsh training and beatings (when he failed to meet expectations) happened. 

During those times, he was told again and again that his wants don’t matter (he kinda passed it down to Gitta but in a kinder and gentler way. "Gitta, this want of searching for any clues of your family won’t help us. it wont feed our hungry tummies. You have to know this is for the better."). After years of anger and depression eating at his father, the man eventually abandoned Rune, saying he’ll never be good enough to be his son.

Personality: passionate yet tired, confident, loyal to a fault, hopeful romantic, daring but this makes him prone to crossing people’s boundaries, shares the same spontaneity as Gitta but is more grounded, sociable like an extrovert adopting introverts, goes by the saying “Do it scared anyway”

A.K.A. Rune is a driven, action-oriented person who thinks life should be an adventure or not at all

Scars: He has 4 scars in total: 3 on his back, and 1 on his face. He got his back scars when he was young after shielding Gitta from being picked up by a dragon when the town they were at got raided. His back got clawed in the process, and he was left traumatized. As for his face scar, he got it from his father when they unexpectedly reunited in his travels��� causing a fight to break out in the tavern.

Dragons: He’s terrified of them at first, remembering the time a dragon clawed his back. But upon realizing that dragons are all around in his world, he’d try and find ways to work with his fear rather than overcome it (something his father would surely be disappointed with). After befriending a Shockjaw, he’d grow a bias on it saying it’s not like other dragons

Shockjaw: While on the search for Gitta after her Triple Stryke appeared before him without its rider, Rune found a Shockjaw being captured by dragon trappers. He didn’t hesitate to attack them and interfere with the activity, saving the dragon in the process and releasing it back to the wild. While scared of dragons, he didn’t want to stand by and watch it all happen just like that.

Eventually, Rune realized that the very same Shockjaw he and his crew saved followed after them in their travels. It kept its distance from the ship at first, usually lurking from afar, and upon realizing it meant no harm, some of the crew tried feeding it, though the Shockjaw never went close enough for it.

The crew then tried to get Rune himself to feed it, thinking maybe something would happen if its hero did it. While skeptical and scared at first, the Shockjaw actually answered and went closer this time when it saw Rune about to feed it. The dragon becomes his companion in his seafaring trades and the two have stuck with each other since. He eventually names his Shockjaw as Boltsnap, though Gitta prefers calling him Seaweed for his color.

Fun Facts:

>He hates being called a pretty boy, thinking it reduces him to being just that

>While he’s learning to put his criminal life behind him, he would still be game to murder someone— and do other criminal acts— if need be, what more if it meant to help a friend

>He grew up too fast, too soon given his circumstances, and never got the chance to experience a proper childhood

>Has never made peace with his father, and knows that he might never get to. Maybe this is why he takes in underdogs; to give them another chance? Something his father never gave him

>Refuses to settle down in one place, feeling like he might miss something if he does. When he decided to turn things around, in his eyes, being a seafaring trader still gave him the excuse to go around, while keeping himself and his crew afloat

>He still has old wanted posters up in some tribes/villages

[cxnevr]

hiii!!! thank you for offering such an interesting ask game! may i join in the game pleasee?

so i associated myself with the black swan! black swan is known for its rarity and it made them special, just like im my own person! people have two perspectives about me, depends on how see them, just like black swan. some people symbolise black swan as something symbolize death, danger, and destruction. however, because its rarity people consider it as good luck. i like how people have their own opinion about black swan. just like black swan, i could be intimidating. but then some thought of it as elegant. black swan is also a powerful symbolisation of change and transformation, i believe i have grown throughout the years and willingly to always "transform" myself to be the best person i can ever become!

i choose 🖼️ for future apouse please! my gender preference for my fs is male please ♡♡

for the exchange

i am doing an intuitive reading for yor future spouse. so right of the bat im seeing someone who will into music. that could be one their hobby, guitar is their main interest. someone with a green eyes, i see that it could be the first thing that caught your eyes for the first time. they just have that crazily mesmerising eyes!

their love language might be physical touch and act of service. o they would always put their arms around you, or at least just holding hands. and im also getting that you sometimes thought that your fs could read your mind haha. oh and im also getting they like when you play with their hair. your fs has such a nice and fluffly hair that tempt you to always play with it.

i saw vision or 2 people talking mindlessly. you two wouldnt have to worry about running out of topic to talk about, the relationship never get boring. also im getting that your fs will look at you with hearty eyes (awww so cute!!)

i feel like he could be from denmark, switzerland, or spanyol. for initials im getting f, g, t, a.

you would meet your fs in a social setting im getting. its just like that classic movie scene where you guys found each other, in the midst of crowd. when you guys start talking, the spark immediately takes over the two of you!

expect him to play song with their guitar for you.

im getting a warmth feeling from him. he is a kind person, he might be working to serve others, so service occupation. that could be a teacher, lawyer, or even doctor (you get the theme!). however i could see that their job might be a burden sometimes for them, but im getting they are glad to have you when they come home. they love when you comfort him and whenever you are with him, they feel like the tiredness is long gone.

oh and they would make grant gestures for you when they ask you to be in a relationship (its cute but ngl i laugh, your fs is sooo down bad for you!). they would surprise you GOOD!

they are someone who easily open up for people, but once people broke their trust, there will be no second choices. im getting that your fs is someone who is wise.

im getting scenario of two people cooking together, that could be you guys' things!

i see so much love, trust, compassion, and warmth between you and your fs!! such a genuine relationship. LOVEE AND LOVEEEEEE the energy. rooting for you and your fs 🤩♡ thank you for letting me participate!! have a fantastic day/night!

hello!! thank you for participating in my game! and thank you so much for the intuitive reading, so many things you mentioned line up with a lot of my astrological persona charts and asteroids, and even the countries were so on point because i always get countries from nordic/colder regions and then spain out of nowhere. I’ve gotten the love language being physical touch thing a-lot and i LOVE that i will be a safe space for them because i really do love making people feel at home, it’s one of my biggest goals in life. also, i’m not specifically into musicians but i think i like that they have something they are dedicated to and are really talented in. it was a really sweet reading so thank you!!

for your future spouse, i am getting that they will be a very smiley person, but might also be kinda unapproachable at the same time. in an awkward, endearing way. might seem a bit untouchable but not to you and loved ones. they may also have sharper canines? some sort of a height difference will be present but not very big one, 10-12cm? they could be considered tall for where you or them grew up. i think they will be tall average, and kinda lean too. might be athletic without really having to try. honestly i feel like your future spouse and you might be a very lovely and warm and cheerful couple, and i had this weird scenario pop up in my head where you guys took your children’s friends’ under your wing by providing them with meals and a safe space to go to because they might not have the best home life. your future spouse is loved by a lot of people. genuinely. they’re like a neighbourhood sweetheart and they have such lovely boy next door energy but i don’t know how to explain it but it’s so cute. they are playful, might have gotten into trouble here and there but definitely a charmer and just very lovable overall. in my native language, there is this phrase that directly translates to, “good to love”. but it could also mean easy to love or just lovable in general and i feel like thats the closest thing i can use to describe your future spouse. also they might play soccer and might wear a chain around their neck for some reason. i feel like there might be some sort of puppy love situation going on at first, where they have a little crush on you and try to hang out with you, speak to you, but you’re not really picking up on it. they could be hispanic/latino, maybe have roots there ethnically. i think i’m actually picking up on spain very strongly, but also the Philippines.

cards i got: four of swords, knight of swords, nine of cups, page of cups

this person is really sweet. they might have an athletic/lean build (i cant remember if i’ve said this already). you might be some sort of a dream come true to them and i feel like they will be very grateful to have you in their life, and that these feelings of gratitude do not fade even after so long. i think this person is clever, probably did pretty well academically, but i don’t think they were a nerd or anything like that. i honestly feeling like you might kinda be the more studious and academic one and they’re not dumb but it’s just not something everyone immediately links them to. they might try studying with you though (not sure if you’re in school or might have been in school together). honestly take this as it resonates because i feel like i keep revolving around the topic of homes and they might have been someone you grew up with, could even be childhood friends/best friends because to me they feel so homey and like you’re already so comfortable with them. i think this person may have an older sister (or sister in general), and they might have grown up learning to be okay with emotional vulnerability. i think there will be a sense of peace and stillness as well when you’re with them.

thank you for letting me read for you, because i genuinely enjoyed the energy i felt from this reading. again, thank you for participating and i hope you have a lovely day/night!!

note: this isn’t tarot related at all i just realised you reblogged an F1 post so i’m very happy i love F1 too so so much

[obitohno]

phone sex

mikey, hanma, draken, mitsuya, ran, rindou, sanzu, shinichiro

synopsis ⤸

tonight, he can’t help but love your voice just that little bit more. 

themes ⤸

fem! reader, 18+, smut, phone sex, dirty talk (?), quickies, masturbation, mutual masturbation, ejaculation, long distance relationship, established relationship, mutual pining

word count ⤸

1.5k (unedited)

a/n ⤸

i start a new job tomorrow, but i wanted to write another quick head-canon. this one is shorter than my last one, but i think that i enjoyed writing this one more?? yesterday was the first time i wrote something in well over a year, and atm, i have the motivation, so let's see how long it'll last for (hopefully a while)

reblogs are appreciated ~

your voice is his favourite thing about you. 

he has no shame when it comes to admitting that, on most days, listening to you waffle into his eardrum is actually the highlight of his day, and most of the time, that is what you’re doing; waffling. a lot of the time, you don’t even realise that he’s not paying attention to a single word that is flying out of your mouth, too immersed in your own story to even pause for breath as your tongue races at a pace that he’s sure is inhuman. 

but he doesn’t mind. because the reason he enjoys these phone calls so much is simply because he loves to hear your voice. on most nights, the sound of your voice is soothing after long hours at work, which occurs on most days because he often works until late at night. more often than not, he actually falls asleep whilst you’re still chattering away, blissfully unaware of the whispered goodnight, sleep well’s that are breathed through the speaker of your phone when you eventually realise that he’s no longer responding. 

not that he needs to talk much. his summary of his days are short, which is mostly because his job isn’t one that is easily brought up in conversation. you are aware of his occupation, but you’ve learnt to stop asking for details, and he doesn’t bother sharing them. mostly, he’s content with listening, and besides, you are more than capable of talking enough for the both of you. 

but some nights are reserved for the sole purpose of scratching at that particular itch. 

he’d never planned for a long distance relationship, and he’s sure that you didn’t either. but living more than an hour’s drive apart means that he has to wait until the weekends to see you. such circumstances means that when the time calls, the two of you have had to learn how to get creative. over the months that you’ve been together, he’s accumulated an impressive album of over a thousand photographs of you—one thousand and seventy-three, to be exact—but a good eighty percent of those photographs are ones that he saves for nights like these. 

he’s all too familiar with the ache that has built in the depths of his stomach, and tonight, he can’t help but indulge. as usual, your voice fills the empty silence in his bedroom, and you’re oblivious to the fact that twenty minutes ago, his hand had preoccupied itself with the heavy weight of his arousal. shirtless, his skin is feverish, abdominal muscles coiled tight as he strokes a hand down to cup his balls. there’s a twinge that travels up through the base of his erection, and tickles its way all the way to the tip until it oozes a clear liquid that slicks the palm of his hand. he’d only planned to jerk a quick one out, but the longer he teases himself, the more he wants to see how long it’ll take for you to notice. 

which, as it turns out, isn’t very long at all. 

he ruins it for himself—which is just typical—and he’s almost frustrated when he’s unable to stifle the quiet moan that slips past his lips when he hears you giggle something unintelligent in his ear. 

there’s a pause. 

and then comes the hesitant, coy murmur of his name. his toes curl, neck stretching as he pushes his head further into his pillow. he doesn’t answer, but he knows that you can now probably hear each rough upwards stroke that tugs him closer and closer to his peak. 

‘fuck,’ he chokes upon hearing the sharp tilt in your voice when you ask if he’s close. ‘keep talking,’ he begs, hips bucking when you oblige. 

‘i can’t wait to taste you,’ you purr, and if he wasn’t so turned on, cock eagerly jumping at the promise in your tone, he’d probably blush with mortification with how easily you bring him to the edge. ‘you’re always so sweet for me,’ you coo, the praise burning his cheeks red, eyes screwed shut, mouth glistening with saliva as he sucks in a deep breath. he actually whimpers when his tip leaks another gush of arousal, fingers shaking as he spreads it all over the head, the tip of his index finger teasing his slit until his balls tighten in warning. he groans, the sound drawn out with a sharp a-ah! and he hears you tut down the phone. ‘you going to cum already?’ 

he can’t help it—the condescending tone would be enough to make most people feel shame, yet it only serves to aid the upward cant of his hips and he stutters your name into the darkness of his room. the drag of his palm is a slippery glide that you’re just able to hear over his heavy breathing that he no longer hides now that you’ve caught him in the act. the noise makes your core throb, but tonight, you only want it to be about him. so for now, you ignore the pulsing in between your legs, and you coax him toward his orgasm. 

he’s already halfway there. 

‘bet you look so pretty right now,’ he hears you mumble heatedly, and although his eyes are shut, his head tilts closer toward the speaker in a futile attempt to hear you better. ‘you’ll let me watch next time, won’t you?’ 

‘hng, fuck, yes,’ he promises breathily, ‘whatever you want.’ 

you hum, pleased, ‘good boy.’ 

his cock jerks at the praise, and he moans again, louder this time. his wrist flicks a little faster, and his balls tighten just a tad more. there’s a coil that is burning deep in his groin, and he knows that he won’t last much longer. ‘miss you,’ he whispers, voice choking around another moan when you respond with a soft mewl. 

tonight isn’t just about him, after all. 

on the other end of the line, you’ve not even bothered to discard your clothing, hand shoved down the front of your underwear as your fingers desperately rub at your clit. it’s already swollen, throbbing rapidly beneath the pads of your fingers, yet, there’s something missing. 

him. 

heat pools between your legs, coating your folds and soaking the cotton fabric that now sticks to the cleft of your asscheeks. your ears strain to listen to the schlick, schlick, schlick of his hand wetly colliding with his pelvis with each downward stroke. just hearing how soaked he is makes you cry out his name, your clit smothered in your own mess, legs trembling when it becomes apparent that the noise has been accompanied by the sound of his mattress creaking. you easily imagine him thrusting into his own fist—a sight that you’re no stranger to—and you picture the curling of his toes, the uneven rise and fall of his chest as his lungs expand and deflate, the tensing of his abdomen as he grips the sheets underneath him until his knuckles are white. 

gods, the weekend can’t come fast enough. 

but he can. 

it takes a few moments for you to understand that he’s rapidly nearing his peak with each hoarse moan that is tugged from the back of his throat and he sounds as desperate as you feel, the knowledge only amplifying your need to come undone at the same time as him. 

he’s sure that he’s sweat through his sheets by now, his hair sticking to his temples, eyebrows damp and chest glistening in the slither of moonlight that has crept its way into his room via the gap in the curtains. he’s trying his best—and failing—to hold on for as long as he can, but all too soon, he feels the familiar tickle of fever that spreads across the entirety of his body. he desperately squeezes the base of his cock in a lame attempt to prevent the inevitable, to no avail.

he comes undone with a broken yell that you recognise to be the syllables of your name. 

and with that, you follow just after him. 

for a long time, all you can hear is the sound of the other’s panting that eventually settle into a pace that eases the remnants of what you can only describe as one of the most intense orgasms that you’ve shared. eventually, it’s he who recovers first, ignoring the puddle of seed that is already starting to dry on the surface of his skin. grimacing, he dips the tip of a finger into it, and traces a pattern across one hip before his hand lazily flops to the mattress. he listens to your soft breathing, and when you don’t say anything for another five minutes, he guesses that you’ve slipped into unconsciousness. the corners of his mouth slowly tilt upwards, and he heaves a gentle sigh of his own, eyes sliding shut. limbs like jelly, he doesn’t plan to move any time soon, so he lays sprawled among the mess of crumpled sheets and discarded pillowcases. a large yawn stretches his jaw wide enough that he actually feels it click in protest, and bleary eyed, he searches for the red digits of the electronic clock on the bedside table that read 01:58. he grunts, eyelids drooping shut once more. 

he’ll clean up in the morning, he supposes. 

© obitohno. all rights reserved. do not repost my works.

[silent-dragon]

TWST OC Profile - Paz Quimera

sona oc #2

Theme song to listen to while reading ^^

Name: Paz Quimera 

Gender: Demigender(He/She)

Age: 24

Species: Cat Beasthuman/Alebrije

Birthday: Nov. 1st

Zodiac: Scorpio

Height: 203cm

Inspired By: Pepita from COCO

Orientation: Androsexual

Eye Color: Amber Yellow(Luminescence at night)

Hair Color: Mossy Green with Yellow highlights

Homeland: Isle of Woe

Occupation: Night Shift Security Guard 

Dominant Hand: Left

Favorite Food: Fish(Tuna is favorite)

Least Favorite Food: Carrots

Language: Spanish,English(Paz tends to weave both languages into his speech unless working then just english)

Dislikes: Curfew breaking students,CARROTS,Birthdays,Strong smells,Forgetting something

Hobby: Woodcarving,Woodwork,Humming songs,Computer skills,family scrapbooking,Day of the dead activities

Talents: Figurine Crafting,Scent Tracking,Stealth,Internet Hacking

Elemental Magic: Flora & Cosmic

Unique Magic: "Faded Kiss of Remembrance" - Paz's lips are cursed with magic that causes any living being who Paz puts their lips on or kisses Paz's lips to slowly forget him. He wears a facemask to cover this cursed magic.

OC’s Lore Summary: Ignihyde graduate who was known for being alone a lot and carving small weird animal figures. Also known for hacking students grades & stealing marks from online bank accounts when he was a student. Now works at NRC to atone for that.

Personality: When Paz is working he is very serious with coming off as scary given his weird mask. Off work Paz is very shy and tends to be alone in room talking to his mother's picture on ofrenda or making small Alebrije figures.

Art by @/minccinoocappuccino

Fun Facts: Paz sheds his horns and new ones regrown after a couple years.

My oc Reno is Paz's brother from father's side. Born of the same Alebrije shards but Paz was born in mortal world where Reno was born in spirit world.(i have explanation as to how they were born but it involves rl folklore alot so rather not post)

Since Paz wears a facemask all the time no one knows what his mouth looks like. He has a normal human looking mouth with yellow lipstick usually on. He also has a snake tongue that is quite long and does the snake noise when he sticks it out.

Paz is good friends with my oc Roger. They have lingering romantic feels for each other from college days so they always friendly with each other and hangout...maybe flirt but Paz doesn't want her curse to touch him at all so doesnt let it go further..

She loves to dance hiddenly alot and does so with her brother Reno alot as he sings.

Due to the curse's possibility of lingering on utensils and other things like drink cups Paz only eats finger food or canned food and drinks from disposable cups. He burns the containers and cups after to ashes afterwards. If taken to restaurant usually by Roger Paz has his food given already in a to go box and has plastic utensils ready. He eats normally from box then burns it with the utensils after. He always brings his own drink regardless too that gets its container burned later.

Paz is quite lonely and often hangout with Roger but with his job being 24/7 its hard to so Paz wishes he had more friends. His brother busy with college work.

[testudoaubrei-blog]

“I’m loyal, that’s my whole thing.” - Scorpia, Season 4 Episode 6, Princess Scorpia

“Everything they taught us in the Horde about loyalty is meaningless” - Lonnie, Season 4 Episode 5, Protocol

Rewatching Season 4, I just finished Princess Scorpia. This is an episode that has always stuck with me, especially the A plot of Scorpia realizing how badly Catra has treated her and everyone else and deciding to leave. One thing I’ve been thinking about since I finished the series, though, is what this episode is telling us on a larger level. Looking beyond the character arcs and more at this show’s larger themes and message. Because this show is very much a show that says things, made by people who believe them. That earnestness and depth is one reason I keep coming back to it.

In the pull-quote above, and throughout the episode and before it, Scorpia defines herself in terms of loyalty. It is her identity - as she says, that’s what Scorpions do, they’re loyal. Her actions for three and a half seasons bear this out. When she first shows up, she tries to position herself as Catra’s new best friend, the one who won’t leave her and will stick by her no matter what. And that’s what she does, until this episode. She sticks by Catra through Catra’s increasingly villainous plots and erratic behavior. But she doesn’t just stick around. Until the portal, she barely contradicts Catra, and even afterwards, does so only furtively and immediately backs away as soon as Catra pushes back. For more than a year of show time, Scorpia has not just stood by Catra, or supported her, she’s actively assisted her in her most villainous and destructive acts. Scorpia is fighting by Catra’s side, eagerly carrying out her orders, and doing her utmost to see that Catra succeeds. But her loyalty goes beyond this practical help. Because for all that Catra loudly declares that she doesn’t need a new best friend, she consistently seeks out connection throughout the show, even when she’s at her most isolated in season 4. She needs moral support, and connection, and to know that she isn’t alone. Scorpia provides that, and keeps Catra going. Though Scropia isn’t initiating Catra’s various misdeeds, she’s assisting and supporting Catra throughout. On a personal, psychological level, the only word that seems adequate for this is ‘ennabling’ - Scorpia, sweet as she is, is Catra’s enabler. We see in the next few episodes what happens when Catra doesn’t have Scorpia’s support - she breaks down, and realizes that her actions really do have consequences, and that the affection she took for granted for so many years is something she can’t live without. But as long as Scorpia’s still around, Catra can’t make that realization.

Now I’m not going to say that Scorpia is morally culpable for Catra’s own actions. She’s not. Catra is solely responsible for her various betrayals, manipulations, violent outbursts and assorted murder attempts against...most of the rest of the cast (though being raised by Shadow Weaver sure as shit is a mitigating factor). But while Catra is obviously being a bad friend to Scorpia throughout, Scorpia isn’t actually being as supportive or helpful to Catra as she thinks, because Catra doesn’t actually need unconditional support, she needs people to be honest with her and express to her how she’s hurting them. She needs people who will stand up for themselves just as she needs to take responsibility for her own actions. This is part of why she and Adora have such a healthy dynamic in season 5 - Adora doesn’t take her crap, and Catra takes responsibility for her crap.

However, Scorpia -is- responsible for her own actions. And as I said above, she’s been with Catra every step of the way as Catra has attacked just about everyone and made war on Etheria. On a larger, political level, Scorpia is a willing participant in upholding the Horde’s oppressive system, and executing a war of aggression and colonization against innocent people. Speaking of colonization, perversely, she’s loyal to the very organization that dispossessed her and literally stole her birthright, then discarded it like a useless trinket when it was no longer useful to them. No one ever suggests ‘why don’t we let Scorpia connect with ~her runestone~’ until Glimmer does (and Glimmer’s motivations and arguments aren’t exactly forthright). Scorpia’s loyalty makes her an accomplice in her own oppression (like a bunch of the themes in this show there’s some interesting post-colonial stuff that the show doesn’t fully explore, probably because Noelle and the crew felt self-conscious about telling a post colonial story, or just didn’t know where to go with it). Interestingly, Scorpia’s loyalty to the Horde here parallels her loyalty to Catra, which has made her completely disregard her own wellbeing, which is the most obvious take away from the episode.

But I would argue that everything above shows that for Scorpia loyalty has been a way of avoiding developing her own moral compass. Scorpia repeatedly shoves aside questions of right or wrong in favor of being loyal to her friends and to the Horde. Loyalty has made Scorpia not only willing to accept her own mistreatment, but to willingly mistreat others, and to keep herself from asking any hard questions about what she’s doing or why. This is despite the fact that Scorpia is, by inclination, an incredibly gentle, kind and compassionate person. She’s willing to silence the best parts of her nature out of loyalty to Catra and the Horde. In the end, she also commits acts of violence and perpetuates the oppression of Etheria. And this is so insightful, because we see this sort of thing in our world all the time. So many oppressive institutions depend upon the loyalty of their members to keep them ‘just following orders’; so many abusive systems depend upon loyalty to stifle dissent and silence potential whistleblowers before they even speak. We see this in some of the most oppressive institutions and the worst scandals in our own society, and looking back through human history we see it in some of our nation’s and our species' most infamous crimes.

And when we look at the Horde as a system that Hordak has built in imitation of his elder brother’s empire, we see just how central loyalty is an ethos. Hordak himself is motivated entirely by loyalty to Prime - being a former clone, he spends the entire series not fully capable of accepting himself as an autonomous being (even when he acts like one and enjoys it, there’s some fucked up religious shit there that I won’t get into). He seems to have instilled this in his followers. The Horde Trio, Catra and Scorpia all hold loyalty as one of their highest values. Catra clings to it as her biggest accusation against Adora - that she was disloyal, as expressed in Catra’s perception that Adora broke her promise and abandoned her. Loyalty keeps the Horde Trio together and fighting for the Horde, and Scorpia with Catra. I think we can read between the lines and say the Horde runs on loyalty (as well as fear) and this is a very insightful portrayal of oppressive military and paramilitary institutions like armies of conquest and occupation and other instruments of state violence.

There’s another, related way of looking at how a sole reliance on loyalty as a moral framework has stunted Scorpia’s moral growth, and I think that brings together both the ways that it makes Scorpia willing to accept her mistreatment and participate in the mistreatment of others. Namely, loyalty in the Horde style isn’t just sticking with someone or something, but subsuming your own will into theirs. Following orders. Supporting your friend in what they do no matter what. Whatever you call it, it’s about turning off your own self - your self preservation, your self respect, your conscience, whatever other things you value - and just going along with what the person or institution you are loyal to wants you to do. And this is where Horde loyalty goes full circle, back to its origin - Horde Prime, the narcissistic self-made god who wishes to control or destroy everything that is not himself. Loyalty as Hordak conceived of it and as the Horde believes in it is a reflection of Prime's absolute control over all his domain.

In a way, self-determination is one of this show’s highest values (together with love). It’s at the heart of Adora’s 5-season, 3 year struggle to become her own woman and her own hero as she shrugs off one imposed destiny and then another and finally embraces what she wants. In a more negative form, it’s at the heart of Catra’s arc, as she finally accepts responsibility for her own actions and their consequences and starts working to make a world that she actually wants to live in, as well as admit to herself that what she really wants is love. And I could go on. This self-determination is existentially, obviously threatened by Prime chipping people, but it is also stunted by horde-style loyalty that demands unquestioning support and obedience.

Both the Horde Trio and Scorpia reject the Horde’s ideal of loyalty and walk away, but I think it’s interesting how they do it. Neither rejects loyalty entirely (not on the way Adora does) - the Trio, realistically, remain loyal to each other and simply walk away and walk out of the war (this might save their lives), joining the other disillusioned cynics in the Crimson Wastes. They reject loyalty to the horde and embrace a more supportive and respectful form of loyalty to each other. Scorpia leaves, but she actually comes to her crisis and makes her decision out of loyalty, and because it’s clear that her loyalty isn’t returned. The immediate situation - loyalty to Emily and Entrapta’s memory on one hand and Catra’s orders on the others - creates the conflict between loyalties that forces Scorpia to actually make her own choice rather than deferring to Catra. But she also reflects how Catra betrayed her loyalty to Entrapta, and thus how all of her friends’ loyalty to Catra is not returned.This is another point about horde-style loyalty - it’s one way - Hordak or Catra will demand your loyalty, but they feel no obligation to return it, which reflects Prime’s view of every other being in the universe as disposable. It’s only when she’s with the Princesses that Scorpia starts to find a new moral center, though sticking up for and protecting her friends remains important to her. In neither case, though, are these kinds of loyalty coming at the cost of either the Trio or Scorpia’s autonomy or ability to make moral choices of their own. In the very next episode, she says she wants to 'be A good friend' which is how the Princesses typically describe sticking together, which is a much more active and holistic concept than 'loyalty'. Scorpia confesses that she doesn't even know how, but she wants to learn and thinks the princesses can teach her.

There's another interesting counterexample to Horde Loyalty. Adora repeatedly breaks with the people around her to do what is right. First she leaves the Horde, then walks away from Catra by stages when it is clear that Catra is going to continue to harm other people and Etheria. Then she walks away from Glimmer, defies Light Hope and breaks loyalty with her supposed destiny and purposes as well as loyalty to the homelans she has never known. By season 5, Adora is loyal only to herself and the people she cares about, but she isn't constraining her will to anyone else's. For all that she seems like a rule follower Adora has a rebellious streak a mile wide, and she will do what is right, no matter what. This is what allows her to save the universe 3 times.

So the show’s argument is that loyalty is not a good moral framework to base all of our actions around. I don’t think it goes so far as saying that loyalty has no place in our ethics (being a good friend, which is such a huge part of the show, certainly includes loyalty, especially sticking with people when the going gets tough), but the show stresses time and again that being loyal to something or someone shouldn’t make you disregard yourself and what you think is right. Because it’s only by living out our own values and taking responsibility for our own actions that we can come into our own as moral beings. Moreover, if we insist on maintaining loyalty to institutions that oppress us and others, we can’t dismantle the systems of oppression that are holding us and other people down. (Yes, this is a pretty radical message, but I suspect that Noelle is some kind of anarchist? Anyway, it’s a thing.)

Okay, so that’s what I, a 35 year old, get from this kids show. I think it’s also worth pointing out that this lesson applies to younger viewers too, in their most immediate lives. Younger viewers will have had friends who didn’t treat them well, or might not have treated other people well, and who might have pressured them into participating in the mistreatment of others (this is kind of how bullying works a lot of the time). I think it’s important that younger viewers see how being a good friend never means disrespecting yourself or other people and it means a lot to me that She-Ra shows this in such a nuanced and realistic way.