#i want to hear about those first shows from multiple perspectives

[whositmcwhatsit]

I'd happily stay there even if that bus was moving

[agentrouka-blog]

What made you first interested in Jonsa? I really want to love Jonsa. Which may sound strange. But hear me out. I’ve read all the metas and from a metatextual level I really agree with and believe in Jonsa. But I have trouble actually enjoying it and I think maybe it’s because so much content seems to focus on Jon pining over Sansa. I’d much prefer to see things from Sansa’s perspective where she sees the hero in him and sees that maybe all the songs aren’t lies after all as opposed to him “winning her over.” I feel I have been inundated my whole life with stories of outcast men pining over beautiful women they see as out of their league and “winning them over” and I honestly find the trope tiring because it’s so male perspective focused and doesn’t give Sansa the agency of choosing her lover, instead, making her something to be won or earned. If you have any suggestions for Jonsa content that focuses heavily on Sansa’s point of view, on her falling for Jon first (or at least falling for each other at the same time without realizing it) I’d love to hear them! And I’d love to hear what makes Jonsa appeal to you on a personal non-meta level!

Hi there!

I too draw a difference between Jonsa as a theory and shipping it for entertainment.

I've drifted quite a bit away from what you describe as "content", which is fanworks, art and fanfiction. My tastes are very narrow and that puts me outside the target audience for a lot of what is being shared by creators. Plus, I get a great deal more personal enjoyment out of just interpreting the canon text. I enjoy what the couple represents in the narrative more than I necessarily enjoy immersing myself in different non-canonical variants.

And there's a lot of variants. You have two similar but also very different canon-sources (books and tv show) and within those two sources very different takes on the couple. For as many "Jon pines for higborn Sansa" approaches you get an equal amount of "Sansa jealously pines for her brother's oblivious best friend" modern au's. What we enjoy in recreational reading is extremely personal and subjective.

That said, for fear of disappointing you, I don't particular enjoy the "Sansa falls first" scenarios because what I like about the couple especially is the idea of Sansa finally being appreciated for who she is. Canon offers us plenty of examples of Sansa extending affection and crushes on other characters. They are never truly reciprocated, and they join in on a theme of Sansa going unappreciated for her qualities by the world around her. She is disregarded, mocked, criticized, belittled, humiliated. So much so that a large part of the fandom considers this to be justified and educational for her. She has given up on being loved for herself, but she will not sacrifice her values as a consequence. So someone falling in love with her is to me a very compelling and cathartic validation of Sansa as a person. Of course, this only works if the person falling for Sansa is actually attractive to her and embodies the things we know she has been looking for all this time. But specifically the idea that Sansa falls first fails my personal taste because it contains a sense of lacking reciprocation that we've already seen multiple times in her story. She's been not-loved-in-return a lot already.

I do enjoy the concept of Jon being loved by Sansa, too, because it validated aspects of him he usually keeps close to his chest. Things that touch on his specific mixed sense of identity as a nobly-raised bastard. He has soft sensibilities, a romantic disposition, pedestrian dreams of family and home, and highly idealistic and emotional ideals surrounding leadership that center on duty and honor. But he is generally not appreciated for those specific things. He is appreciated for his brains and his abilities, his bravery, his pragmatism, his loyalty to his friends and duties - but not for the boy who wants to be Lord of Winterfell with a lady wife and babies, who wants to be a hero from the songs, Florian the Fool, Ryam Redwyne. It's a lovely and very specific recognition of a very private part of Jon, to be loved for his secret soft self.

But it's not my primary focus because unlike Sansa, Jon still receives a lot of validation and love in the source material. It's just not the specific kind he wants. So that makes it comparatively less compelling to me.

That doesn't mean that Sansa primarily falling in love with Jon isn't an equally valid thing to enjoy! It's just that I can't make you any good recommendations on this subject specifically because it's not my specific favorite flavor of jonsa.

I wish you good luck though!

[dontforgetukraine]

#if a fucking propaganda movie is allowed in a film festival it just proves the west doesn't care

I wouldn't necessarily say that people in the West don't care. This is a failure occurring at multiple levels.

-First is the recognition that RT (and its current and former employees) is an arm of the Kremlin and is used for psyops. The Dept of Justice in America is finally showing some awareness about that, but this needs to happen at the government, business, and civilian level everywhere. -Second is how this film got sponsors and taxpayer money to be made in the first place. What oversight is currently there and how can it be made sure this doesn't happen again? -Third is what oversight is there at these cultural and art events? -Fourth is making sure people are educated and are able to recognize any form of propaganda.

Generally speaking, it's more likely people in the West, especially America, don't know how to recognize Russian propaganda.

I'll speak from an American perspective since that's where I am. We're uninformed due to it not being covered in our education system and media landscape. In addition, our leaders have been too slow to act on psyops. While Russian psyops flood the information space of news and social media, and some of us can recognize it, the propaganda about Ukraine we encounter is different from what's in "Russians at War" with some exceptions (ex. "Whataboutism"). A person that is only vaguely aware of the war and doesn't closely follow what's happening won't necessarily recognize the context and content. That's not an excuse. That's just reality. This is something I have to keep reminding myself, that the people around me don't know how to recognize it unless they are deliberately following the war and looking to educate themselves by listening to Ukrainians and other Eastern Europeans.

There needs to be more education on forms of propaganda and media literacy, and how to build up cognitive resilience. Propaganda doesn't always look like propaganda. I'll refer to a quote I posted from Dietmar Pichler. We typically think of propaganda coming from social media and talk shows, although now in this age its a lot of podcasts and YouTube videos. These are easy to overlook, including film at a cultural and arts festival.

I'll also refer to this quote from Pekka Kallioniemi.

Transparency should be our key weapon against individuals on the fringes who promote Kremlin propaganda… Highlighting and discussing these issues openly can help. Raising awareness about individuals spreading Kremlin propaganda, especially those in positions of power, is vital… Most countries, even those strongly opposed to the Kremlin, will have one or two such pro-Kremlin voices. It’s important to acknowledge that in a democracy, everyone has a voice, even if it’s frustrating to hear Kremlin propaganda. This underscores the importance of education. If people are equipped with cognitive resilience against such misinformation, it loses its impact on society as a whole. Building cognitive resilience through education is crucial. It’s a long-term investment, but it’s an essential competence also for our children’s future, well-being, and security.

So, please, don't automatically assume the West doesn't care. There's a long road in this fight for the information space and to educate that needs to happen on multiple fronts. It's going to take all the resources and people we can get against an enemy that is very good at what it does and has been doing it for a long time. I know it's frustrating and it sucks, but there are those of us here that care and I want to reassure people about that. Remember, the enemy wants you to despair.

[trekmupf]

The Court Room Drama AU ⚖️

Pro

Great episode to show important parts of Kirk's character

he really is affected by any death under his command and cares for his people deeply

he's really trying his best with Jamie and stays kind to her throughout

The way Kirk refuses to let the others in the bar be vague about what's going on and wants them to be direct and honest, just like he tends to be (unless it's for a ruse); instead of escalating the situation he leaves

he holds onto his beliefs not only ethically but in himself as well – he knows what he did and sticks to the truth instead of taking an easy way out, even though the situation seems hopeless

The first time we see how decorated Kirk is within Starfleet- really one of the fleets finest. Also the way Cogley frames Kirk's decorations is so well done.

When he takes the stand he is 100% sure of his actions and himself. We know that Kirk admits mistakes when he makes them, and this instance isn't one of them

Shaw in context of being Kirk's ex confirms again that he really likes smart and independent women and respects them, even after a relationship ended

Kirk has good knowledge of engineering as well

Shatner's acting in the episode is really great – he can do these subtle emotions and Kirk's character so well

Also the fact that his crew trusts him, each in their own way, and know that he wouldn't do this. 100% ride or die crew

McCoy making it clear that he stands behind Jim from the first scene with Shaw onwards; Also Bones' southern charm gets me every time

Shaw is a great character: she's much more than just an ex, she has her own believes and goals and is competent at her job; also the tension between her and Kirk rising because of her duty to her position as prosecutor, when their relationship itself as exes is fine

Actually this is how I imagine Kirk being with ex partners, very nice, lovely and amicable.

Cogley is a great character as well: very adhd smart guy vibes, initially strange but when the hearing starts he goes off and is so competent and passionate!

Proper intro of the dress uniforms! (honorary mention of Kirk's slutty wrap top, of course)

Spock and Bones serving during the hearing in said uniforms, absolute kings. Everyone looks so good in this episode.

Even though said before Spock's defence of Kirk deserves it's own point. His argument is so vulcan and suits him so well, and his trust in Kirk as a person doesn't waiver for a second during the entire episode

The same goes for McCoy (also DeForest's voice during the courtroom scene is VERY nice)

Finney is another one of Kirk's nemesis, I mean how many nemesis can one guy have, Kirk is literally the ultimate ex no one gets over (looking at Movie 2)

This episode shows once again that Starfleet isn't as cleancut as it seems and has problems – Stone offering Kirk a way out when fully believing that he made that mistake and killing Finney is questionable at best

Great episode for further world building: we learn more about Starfleet itself (it's actually the first time the name is dropped), we meet other crews, other ships get named and we get some backstory about Kirk

Even though we have multiple sets this was supposed to be a bottle episode and it shows. Set mostly on a starbase (unlike most episodes that are about new planets), the characters are in focus

Great commentary made from a 60s perspective but still relevant today: the “infallible” machine vs the fellable human. We have three people vouching for Kirk's character in court vs one video and one computer log. The people get immediatly questioned whereas the computer is factual until Spock's proves it's wrong. The idea that mashines and computers make less or no mistakes compared to people is still relevant, see the whole debate about self driving cars.

Also Cogley's speech about human rights and machines not having those rights works really well in the context (will get interesting in TNG)

Generally the acting and interaction of all characters really hold the narrative until the twist in the end

Despite the serious subject the interpersonal moments and the way Cogley works provide some tension relief

I just love the way Spock sits in the captains chair here. No notes.

Con

Jamie can be exhausting

Shaw as an ex shouldn't work this case (even though she's shown as 100% professional and capable)

I know why it's done for the narrative but resolving this serious situation with a fistfight is wild

Counter

Kirk shirt rip (I mean this is the rippiest shirt so far)

Technically Evil AI (as the concept of computers gets explored)

Quote

If I let go of a hammer on a planet that has a positive gravity, I need not see it fall to know that it has in fact fallen. - Spock, believing in Kirk

"Mr Spock, you're the most cold-blooded man I've ever known" "Why, thank you, doctor" -Bones & Spock

Moment

Spock's, McCoy's and Kirk's testimonies

Summary

A great character driven episode that focusses on Kirk as both a person and a captain as well as his relationships with the other characters. The interesting question of computers being fallible as well as a personal betrayal while Kirk's future is on the line make for a good and gripping narrative.

Previous Episode - Next Episode - All TOS Reviews

[fwoopersongs]

[Book Rec + Reaction/Thoughts] The Lantern and the Night Moths 灯与夜蛾 by Yilin Wang

An anthology of translated poems by five modern or contemporary poets and accompanying essays by the translator, @yilinwriter.

You can find the pronunciation guide and list of corrections here!

The cover art, a beautiful expression of the tone of this collection, is by Taiwanese artist Ciaoyin (check out her gorgeous insta!). I'm looking forward to the arrival of the physical book as my tab absolutely does not do it justice xD

Anyway! The official release date is 02 April 2024 though there have been some very thoughtful reviews by early readers already. Here, here, here and here.

(It was an ARC that I received too… though in the time it took to put this together, the ebooks have already gone out to readers >.< typical snail yj!) 

Instead, I’ll tell you who I think would be interested in this book or might benefit from reading it, then share things that are cool about it from the perspective of a bilingual hobbyist translator + lover of ancient poetry and lyrics.

Who should read it?

If annotations, translator’s notes and reflections spark joy for you...

If you’ve ever read poetry translations and been intensely curious about what goes on under the hood...

If you’re a translator yourself wanting to hear another voice...

Definitely check this out!

Also if you’re CN+EN bilingual and have ever read something in English that references Chinese terms and concepts etc. except ONLY in English, pinyin or wade-giles and been utterly frustrated by the ensuing guessing game (like me) Fear Not.

That will not be a problem here.

I really appreciate how Chinese words are used naturally where needed for concepts and quotes - they are also translated for those who can't read Chinese so no one is left out. It made this book of and about translation (and more) super comfortable to read! The solution is so simple, so direct, so rarely used that I am amused.

Oh, but do note that the Chinese characters are in simplified though!

The poems are organised by their writers who are listed here by order of birth year, not appearance in the book:

秋瑾 (Qiu Jin, 1875 to 1907)

废名 (Fei Ming. 1901 to 1967)

戴望舒 (Dai Wangshu, 1905 to 1950)

小西 (Xiao Xi, 1974 to _)

张巧慧 (Zhang Qiaohui, 1978 to _) 

Altogether, that covers nearly the last 150 years up to now. I’ve never really been into poetry by poets in such relatively recent times, in part because I’d been holding on to this stereotype of them spurning Classical Chinese and ancient poetry in the first half of the 20th century (not entirely true, as I came to realise xD). It made sense and was understandable, but felt sad.

Yet am I the target audience for this book?

Very much so.

In ways I didn’t think I would be too! It was so much fun to experience this both as a reader and a translator that I thought I’d share it here, where we are appreciating Chinese poetry together.

If you didn’t think you’d enjoy modern Chinese poetry, hey, give it a chance!

Oh yeah - on the way home a while back, I was talking to a friend about translation and was surprised to hear that her impression was that it ought to be a straightforward process. Like isn’t it a 1:1 conversion? At some point, ‘what’s the difference between something google translate might return, and how you would say it?’ was asked, and oh that was a delightful question to my ears! I showed her one of my comparison sheets where an original text is laid out alongside multiple translations line-by-line, briefly explaining some common and unique choices and how the people who had translated those probably arrived at the various interpretations. She was pretty amazed to see that the answer to her question was: very different. Hey, it’s a complicated process!

But there’s only so much one can explain in the space of a train ride. That’s why The Lantern and the Night Moths is a book I would also rec to someone like this friend of mine - open minded and curious but never having the chance to think about or encounter the craft of translation.

Like Yilin says, ‘the meaning of a word cannot be fully expressed in one single translation, nor through a series of translation attempts’. She then explains why with great attention to detail and some solid examples from one of the poems with word choices loaded with subtle connotations :D

What's interesting about it?

Okay, for one, Yilin shared a playlist of music that she listened to while working on this book. Here is the link to the spotify one and the one on youtube. Check them out! They sure put me in the mood to read xD (favs: 别知己, 小神仙 & 去有風的地方) Afterwards, this made so much sense like - ah! an audio moodboard.

She's also putting together these adorable mini profiles of each poet along with a cmedia and tea rec to match their vibes. Go see them on her instagram xD

Now to business...

structure

What really helped keep the reader’s focus was the way each section is organized, how the poems and accompanying essay were presented and finally the short bio of each person right at the end. 

The poets are first introduced through five or six of their poems, works well suited to this purpose. Their voices, distinct through the vision, ambition and emotion of their words, are brought across by Yilin’s sensitive, thoughtful and poetic translations into English. These translations were also creative and transformative in a way that made so much sense after reading one of her reflections on the process, how she ‘must guide it with gentle hands to ensure its spirit is kept alive and intact during this transformative, and often excruciating process’. A rebirth into another language!

Personally, I’ve come to think of reading translations as looking at a work through another’s eyes. So it’s delightful when the translator’s presence is discernible, and even more so when the reader is given insight into their intention and process via commentary. 

Yilin’s essays coupled with the poets’ bios at the end provide a means to go back and appreciate their works in context of their circumstance and inspirations. Similarly, to read the translations with a changed perspective.

I don’t know how much of a thing this is with translated poetry anthologies in English - can count the number I’ve read with both hands lol, and they’re all of the ancient chinese poetry variety - but I really like this design.

drawing on poets who came before them

Remember how we’re always recognizing traces of inspiration from ancient works (to them) in poetry of the various dynasties? 李商隐 Li Shangyin of Tang for example, was influenced by 楚辞 Verses of Chu and folklore and mythology such as that in 山海经 Classic of Mountains and Seas, 李白 Li Bai frequently references poets and history of the 魏晋 Wei-Jin era, and 王维 Wang Wei was clearly familiar with Buddhist scriptures which were translations themselves! 

Just like the late Táng poets whom he praised for boldly deviating from the voices before them, Fei Ming used popular references and tropey shorthands ‘in contexts utterly different from the original, reimagining them anew’. Dai Wangshu, too, ‘boldly re-envisioned what modern poetry could look like by revisiting the classics’. In fact, in his very relatable ‘To Answer the Visitor with Classical Imagery’, I see Li Bai’s 春夜宴桃李园序, Qu Yuan’s 离骚 and lots of - as the title says - classical imagery, as if pulling out painting after painting to describe a feeling.

And Dai Wangshu’s faith in the translatability of poetry, that ‘poetry isn’t what is lost in translation, but rather, what survives it’ reminds me of what a friend, @xiakeponz, said that I agree with so much - because readers can ‘experience something in their own individual way through (your) shared humanity rather than language alone’.

poetic tradition and beyond

Between the lines of contemporary poets Zhang Qiaohui and Xiao Xi, I can really see the charm of plain vernacular, how it can be beautiful, incisive and clever in turns. Even as it seems to have moved further than ever from the structure and language of literary Chinese, the themes that inspired common motifs remain a part of life. Mother and divinity, homesickness, finding oneself, tributes to admirable spirits and the issues that trouble society - just in a new form and with different ways of expression.

Qiu Jin

So many FEELINGS about what Qiu Jin was doing - ‘I awaken the spirits of women, hundreds of flowers, abloom’. I would love if she could see the world now. So many things for her to rouse and fight against, but at the same time just as many to be proud of. I am so in awe of her, but now hearing her loneliness and struggle there is a soft spot in my heart for those too. 

conclusion

So so so…

Qiu Jin’s admirable fire and lonely resolve. Zhang Qiaohui’s precious ability to express beauty in the mundane and in pain. Fei Ming’s utter delight! He is having so much fun and when* I’m vibing, I feel it too. Xiao Xi’s critical eye and keen observation of the world. Dai Wangshu’s whimsical charm and passion for translation. Finally, Yilin Wang, the connecting thread wound through them all, bringing them together so that we may be acquainted. 

*Reading his poetry is like unwrapping a seamless, many layered present. A gift that keeps giving - if only you have a key 😅 Fortunately, Yilin has halved our struggle 🤣

I’ve had such a great time with them all. And if you come, I hope you will too!

[sophieinwonderland]

i have a question, if youre willing to answer.

i dont want resources, i’ve likely already read them.

we’re a traumagenic programmed system. typically the thought of someone without trauma having this disorder upsets us, because what we went through was so severe that it seems unfair to people without trauma to have to live the same hell as us.

it seems like the only reason someone would be a system without trauma would be by choice.

i would like to hear your explanation for endogenic systems. as i already said, ive read plenty of journals on non trauma based plurality. i dont include spiritual plurality as to me that is an entirely different field.

all i would like to know is your version or perspective of why endogenic systems exist without any trauma whatsoever. when i say this, i mean the type of formative years that would leave a singlet with fondest memories of childhood, nothing bad or stressful, a peaceful parents and environment, etc.

this is not for syscourse, i dont engage with negativity like that.

im open to learning, and i will always peacefully coexist with opposing views to my own, but again, i do my research and have already read many of both the popular and obscure journals on non trauma based plurality that i have found.

-

i dont know if you’ll answer this, though i do hope so, and im not sure how often you get anonymous asks like this, but just in case, you can consider me as anon M.

much respect to you, and i hope you have a good day/night.

-M

Sure!

I'm curious if, in your research, you've also looked into studies into "imagined companions."

These are what I actually find most interesting. Now, "imagined companion" is a loaded term from a singlet-normative perspective that ASSUMES a single consciousness per body. But recent research into ICs have shown a reality that is far more complicated than that, with a majority of ICs seemingly possessing will of their own.

Current research shows about a third of ICs appear to be fully controlled by the host child. These are pretty much what you imagine they would be when you hear terms like "imaginary friend" thrown around. These aren't what I'm interested in.

At the other end of the spectrum are researchers call "noncompliant" imaginary friends. These do have will of their own but exhibit harmful and often bullying behavior. I think many of these would be traumagenic in nature, or at least trauma-affected. If a child's IC is bullying them, that hints that something has likely gone wrong in their homelife, and they're emulating toxic behaviors.

What I find most interesting then is this middle third. Those who demonstrate autonomy while being generally supportive, positive relationships in the lives of their hosts.

It's in this group that we find the strongest evidence of natural multiplicity in children. And it's a pretty massive percentage of the population.

Some studies have shown more than 60% of children have had imagined companions in childhood before the age of 7.

Extrapolating, this means as many as 40% of children, 2 in every 5, would experience childhood plurality, with other people in their heads with their own will.

About 1-in-5 would fall into the category of having these sorts of positive childhood headmates.

To me, the issue isn't a question of why natural multiplicity exists. It seems to me that it just does. Some people are just naturally multiple in childhood.

To me, the issue is what happens to it afterwards. Where do these headmates go? Why do some people keep them?

For the first question, this seems a result of forced conformity. Tell children that their ICs aren't real and that they need to outgrow them, and the ICs will either be forced into dormancy or fuse with the host child.

Their singlethood is sociogenic.

But a fraction will remain. The ICs will be stronger than normal or the host child won't let go of them. And they'll stick around to adulthood. Since they "know" a simple imaginary friend can't be real or think for themselves, they may turn to spiritual explanations for what they experience.

Most will feel alone in their experiences, feel crazy, and never tell others about these headmates.

I'll also add that these systems are usually unable to switch. Switching appears to usually need a dissociative capacity from either intentional dissociative practices such as those in tulpamancy and many spiritual practices, or from trauma.

These systems can learn to switch but it's not inherent to their plurality.

Those are my thoughts anyway! Good day to you too, and thanks for the question! 😁💖

[laufire]

And you know I always want to hear more about the YJ WIP, so Young Justice: Fenix

I'm going to switch things up a bit here. For those who might not know, that's how I call a Jason-centric, longfic WIP of mine set in the Young Justice (cartoon) universe. It takes all four seasons as canon (it cherry picks re: the tie-in comics), and mixes some of my headcanons regarding Jason's character in it with some mainline comics canon that I don't think would apply to the show, but that serve my purposes. AND it throws in some dcau canon (but making it my own) for good measure.

Though the story is largely about Jason, the collision with his old life and the reunion with his family, it's told in multiple POVs. Mainly to advance the plot and not just write a navel-gazing Jason angst fest xDD. I thought I'd list the characters that get to have POVs, and tell you a bit of what they'll be bringing to the story. In order of appearance:

Talia al Ghul. The story opens with her! She's the main plot-mover, because she's in the thick of the actual conflict (vs. the new league of shadows + the light), preparing and moving pieces so things go the way they're supposed to. The dynamic between her and Jason is shaping up to be interesting too: it's different from how I see their comics relationship, AND different from the fanon mother-and-son dynamic. There's some of that, maybe, but due to circumstances and the large gap between him and Damian in this canon (nearly 20 years), he funcitons more as a parental figure than a brotherly one... cue spousification añsdklfjasdf. It's been fun to write.

Jason Todd. He's the main guy. He's going through it xD (also, this version of him didn't go into a pit, so he's healed the slow way and that's had an effect on him.

Dick Grayson. He's running point on The Superhero Side of things, as a leader, as a link between various sets of the plot, etc. His relationship with Jason is still forming. They are closer in age and (in my head) they actually shared time and space in the manor, as brothers, which makes some things easier and something more complicated. He also offers a counterpoint to Bruce (next one). In every instance we see into Bruce's head, we see that (although he rarely exteriorises it), he thinks about Jason. Dick doesn't, he has a mental block the size of a country. Until things come crashing down... very close to his birthday...

Bruce Wayne. He's there to suffer! I say this with affection because yj!Bruce is better than most Bruces but. I enjoy putting him through the ringer. I'm giving him angst about Jason, I'm giving him angst about Damian, I'm giving him angst about this-mysterious-red-hooded-guy... even about Alfred, and about other things I still haven't ironed out completely lmao.

Damian al Ghul. He's at the center of the conflict, what our mains are protecting above all. He's six years old. My goal is to strike a balance with his character, because otoh, yj offers a different version of the al Ghuls, which would change things, but I do love comics!Damian and the edges he comes with. His relationship with Jason tugs at my heartstrings.

Dinah Lance. She has a much smaller part than the ones above, but she has a couple of POV sections of her own. One of the first scenes I wrote for this fic was a therapy session with Bruce shortly after Jason's death, and I didn't want her to be in the fic *just* for that lol. She offers a little insight into the Senior League, into how (what in this world is) a very public child hero's death affected things, etc.

Cassandra Wu San. I simply find this (very, very different) version of Cass fascinating and wanted in her head. I wanted to show her perspective on the other bats, Barbara (who hasn't gotten a POV herself because this version of the character is simply more interesting through Cass's eyes) and Bruce in particular. And I also thought that, timeline-wise, it'd fit that she might've met Jason as the Red Hooded Ninja if they were in the League of Shadows around the same time. So that's fun.

Artemis Crock. I wanted someone on the original team to have a POV as well, and she was the immediate best choice. She can help move the plot on that side (here she's the new team leader), she has insight on the Shadows as well (Jade is also around btw!), I imagine as the teammate who Jason would've connected with the quickest, and we get to see some of her conflicting feelins re: an old teammate being resurrected... and not being the one she misses the most.

Tim Drake. He caused me a lot of headaches because a.) the show version of Tim is really... just there and b.) I started properly planning the fic at a time where I wasn't feeling particularly kind towards comics!Tim. Luckily for my peace of mind I got over that lol, but even then, that period made it so I put extra effort with this character and the result is that he has his own parcel of the plot LOL. Featuring undercover mission, archeology digs, among other treats for him. His dynamic with Jason is complicated (Jason has a lot of feelings that are really more about himself than about Tim, but Tim is sort of in the way of dealing with those lol), added with the fact that when they meet, Jason is still keeping his identity under wraps and he can't air all of that out... yet xD

So basically: the Waynes (though Tim wasn't ever adopted in this version of canon, in my head; his step-mother is still around) or inner batfam circle + Talia + one member of the team + one member of the JL.

ask me about my wips!

[wildpeachfarm]

okay buckle up because this will probably end up pretty long but:

While there are similarities in both situations there are some major differences in many aspects:

1

First Caitis claim was originally that she got touched under her shirt which got interpreted as in on the waist and that’s what George confirmed, later she changed it/clarified? it was her boobs?

Beaus claim is she got kissed and then the guy proceeded to start making out with her which she described as basically more kissing

2

Caiti in her first stream says she was “freshly eighteen” which got quickly disproven based on her birthday and when vidcon happened and she is very firm on letting people know that the guy was 8 years older than her and that he definitely knew her age. Which later George addressed and said that no he didn’t know her age and he assumed she was over 21 based on the information he had. Caiti is clearly trying to make people come to conclusions that it was predatory

Beau never tries to paint the guy as predatory, they were I think both 17 or similar age. The guys response is “omg she is trying to paint me as predatory”

3

George is very empathetic in his response, while he shows his perspective he is still mindful of Caitis perspective and feelings and asks people tobe supportive to her

The guy Beau confronts starts going around telling their mutual friends “she lied” and when she posted about it on twitter denied everything, didn’t think about her feelings at all and again claims she is trying to paint him as predatory and destroy his career.

4

Beaus main problem isn’t that the guy is bad for making her uncomfortable, it’s the way he and their friends reacted after she talked to them how it made her uncomfortable to the point of having a panic attack in his bathroom

In Georges situation bo one seems to care about his response from the beginning and immediately write him off as a terrible person that can never learn and change

5

obviously the brightons bastards different reactions:

- not hearing out the victim vs not hearing out the guy who got accused

- different response when the guy who is accused is their friend vs someone they disliked for a long time

- jumping to tweeting about it vs the only response publicly is maxggs priv tweet yesterday qrting a dream stan that he stopped being friends with beau for different reason obviously not further explanation and that he only laughed about her on stream few times and later let her know about it???

6

Caitis story having many inconsistencies, things being corrected by George with evidence

Beau telling her story and being called a liar by the guy who she accused with no evidence she is and her friends just immediately believing the guy

idk if there’s more but here are things I immediately noticed

similarities is both stories are girls getting uncomfortable but not sa. different reactions from all sides in both stories to them?

yeah I'd say this is a decently fair assessment of it all but a few quick notes for those who want to be picky with details:

george confirmed "under the shirt touching", people originally took that to mean the waist (because that was how most people interpreted her initial claim) however he never specified beyond that iirc so I just wanna make it clear in case people wanna be picky about wording lol

I will say, as soon as Beau called it sexual assault, she is accusing this guy of SA. So to say her main problem is with how her ex-friends reacted is a bit inaccurate considering she is also essentially accusing this guy of a crime. Now, how much of her friends behavior rather than the guy's behavior contributed to her trying to commit multiple times? we don't really know. So i get what you were trying to say in making that point

but overall yes there are many differences which I think is why people have been saying not to compare them (on twitter) because the details are quite nuanced in each of them for different reasons and if you don't acknowledge that, then you're not representing each situation fairly or accurately I suppose.

[heliza24]

I have really enjoyed reading your analyses of the YR sex scenes. Thank you so much for putting it in writing!

I have a question I think you might be perfect to answer. The cinematography of s2 is obviously really different to s1 and I don't think it's only the new team they brought in. There is a lot more 'shakyness' in the hand held cameras, there is a lot of going in and out of focus, a certain blurryness that underlines the plot.

One scene that really sticks out to me is the kiss in 2.4. As you already mentioned, we don't get to see Simon's face, the angle during the kiss is also a little off, the focus is on Simon's hands, on Wille's shoulder, but never on their lips. What do you make of that?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hi there! I'm so glad you have been enjoying the analysis posts, and thank you so much for this question!

I have seen some speculation that the increase in handheld photography/shifts in focus constitutes a mistake or indicate that the camera team in season 2 was less talented than season 1. I don't think that's true, for a few reasons. First, that just isn't how TV works. Every scene is shot multiple times, from multiple angles. If the directors didn't like how something looked on the monitors on set, they would just do another take. And the editors and directors have all of those mulitiple takes to choose from when compiling the final edit, so they're going to pick the shots that they like the most, from an acting and also camera perspective. So if they're including a rack focus or shaky shot that's an intentional inclusion.

Second, while there may be an increase in this technique in season 2, it is already an established part of the show's film language in season 1. Specifically, hand held shots are used to convey heightened emotions.

I went back and watched the first kiss scene in 1.2, because I wanted to compare it to the kiss in 2.4 since you mentioned that in your question. There's three significant camera things going on in the 1.2 kiss in my mind. The first is the POV shots, where we look directly into Wilhelm and Simon's faces like we are the characters. This feels very stylized and deliberate. This technique actually appears in season 2 as well! Think about that moment in the party in 2.1, when the boys see each other and they're backlit by the swirling party lights. So not everything in season 2 is cinema verite; there are intentional moments of framing, slow motion, etc.

Going back to the kiss in 1.2: there's a wide shot, where you can see both Wilhelm and Simon in profile. This shot feels removed and uncomfortable, and it captures the anxiety that Simon is feeling when he's not sure if Wilhelm is going to return the kiss/his feelings. But then Wilhelm pulls him back in, and he does return the kiss and the feelings, and the camera becomes much more fluid as we're looking over Simon's shoulder as he kisses Wilhelm. As soon as the emotions swell, the camera becomes reactive, moving along with the characters. This happens in other scenes in season 1, like in the fish scene in 2.5 which I discussed in the last post.

With that in mind, I'd like to propose that the more hand held camera work is a deliberate choice used to convey heightened emotions in the Young Royals universe. And season 2 has much more heightened, strong emotions than season 1. The stakes are higher than the first season, and even when the boys aren't together they are always feeling intense emotions about each other. The kiss in 2.4 is one of the zeniths of that frustration and desire. There's a desperation in their reunion, and I think the way the camera comes in so close and switches focus adds to that. It's the third person in the kiss: breathless, excited, not sure what to focus on because it wants to feel all of the things at once.

This is also extremely nitpicky, but I think the reason that their lips are sometimes out of focus is because they're not the visual anchor of the scene. Their noses/forehead are the first things that touch, and I think the camera prioritizes keeping the focus on that part of their faces through the scene. Not that their noses are perfectly clear the entire time, because of what I mentioned above. But I did want to point out that just because they're kissing, that doesn't mean that their lips are by default the most important things in the frame.

As you mentioned, I do wish that they had included more Simon coverage in the run up to the kiss. But I think the decision to keep the camera on Wilhelm was a probably deliberate choice to center his reaction in that moment.

The other way the hand held camera works super well in season 2 is capturing movement, and sometimes a combination of movement and intense emotions, like when Simon completely whiffs Wilhelm with the ball in gym class earlier in 2.4 (this is possibly my favorite 30 seconds in season 2; righteously angry Simon is one of my favorite Simons). There are wide establishing shots that are pretty stable and set up the layout of the game they're playing, interspersed with more hand held closeups on Simon that capture his anger and the effort with which he throws the ball.

I think the choice to increase the amount of hand held work in season 2 really works. It highlights the intensity of what our characters are feelings and breaks down the distance between character and viewer. Obviously your mileage may vary depending on what kind of style you like, but I do think this was an intentional and well crafted part of the season.

[jojoqin]

Why the remake cabin kicks the OG’s ass -an analysis 🔎

Basically it has to do with a lot of elements. Sound, cinematic framing, how well written the entire segment is in general. All that sweet jazz. Also sorry in advance, I had to gifmaker some shitty gifs because I needed examples 😭💀

So I read up on a lot of filmmaking for this post about what makes a good set piece. At the start, the game already sets it up by subconsciously familiarizing the player with the cabin; making it one of the first areas we pass by. There’s something about how you see it in its position; in between the trees, sort of in the same center as the bridge, very by itself. Clearly it’s important. Later, the Saddler mindfuck scene at the church actually shows us why the villagers are on the chase. And it's all tied to how well realized the cult theme is in the entire story. It puts a slightly more sinister spin on the villagers' motivation compared to the og where it sometimes feels like they're purely used as obstacles.

And yes there’s actually PAYOFF this time. No more "vamanos" and the villagers just leave. Or for Luis to ask "so what now?". This time the villagers' condition gets woven into new exposition and a new goal; the Plaga ordeal inside the characters. And the end scene defines Luis role. A great set piece should have a well written purpose to advance the plot forward. And we actually experience first hand the whole hive mind thing instead of getting a 5 min Saddler monologue about it.

Talking about the technical stuff in scenes too. Like listen to the music and audio during the run up towards and after Luis closes the door, the music become this muffled droning as soon as the door is shut. It indicates that you've entered a different space that's more confined and sheltered from the outside w/o immediately breaking the ambient tension. Not necessarily an upgrade from the og but in the og, the escalating music stops because the payoff is seeing Luis. Whilst the remake still likes to remind you that you're still in a weird situation.

I also talked before how the camera loves to follow characters. In this shot you follow Leon forward and then you’re backing up behind Luis in this continuous camera movement. And see how tight the camera sticks behind Leon’s shoulder? He takes up like 75% of the frame at one point, with the camera subtly zooming in even though Luis is the focus. There’s a visceral feel in the confrontation, how its putting pressure on Luis just by how the scene is directed.

And the sound during that is like auditory storytelling. I know my audio doesn’t quite do it justice because it’s been compressed to shit so y’all might want to seek out the actual scene. But when Luis hits the wall here, the strings fade out and the sound of the rain is brought forward. Audio-wise, it’s like it’s bringing our focus to the presence of Luis and Ashley. It's also just ASMR af.

Another example of the fluid camera transition from earlier is when Ashley hides. The camera leads away from her and it follows that same “leading away” movement when it transition cuts to the window with Leon going into frame. Like look how seamless it tells action w/o having to do a lot of harsh cuts unlike the gif of the og below. The remake tends to show multiple activities either within the same shot or following a visual style so that it's easy to digest.

And holy shit, the way the music just disappears when our dudes take position here is so FUCKING GOOD. Because all you hear is the echo of the cult chanting and the ASMR patter of rain. I think of the silence as equivalent to taking a deep breath. And it’s funny because the sound effect when the scene transitions to the player is just this very intense and layered sound of exhaling. The way the camera also pulls back in the cutscene so that there’s no break from scene to gameplay just makes it so immersive.

Also those two shots we get from Leon and Luis’ perspectives before the gameplay is kinda interesting too. Very “Main Character POV” angle because the camera is positioned at the guys’ eye level, as if we the audience are directly in front of them. At that moment we sort of take the place of the characters as the player. The “it’s game time” line is so hype because it actually does feel like it’s being said to us.

I think the writing for the fight itself is way better than in the og. There's a real rhythm to how the conflict happens; a somewhat story structure. The setup, the moment things go to shit, the resolution. The setup happens in the cutscenes and as you're battling the early wave of villagers. The Plaga baddies I see as the first climax, because they only start conveniently popping up around the time you're scrambling to get the new boards. You get them up and there's your sort of downtime, the 'falling action' before things ramp up again.

There’s a clear transition to "the moment things go to shit" phase; it's all the elements working together in the entire segment. You get a visual cue which is the ladder, an auditory cue of the noise upstairs, and then you get the in-game cue from Luis. And the musical cue is particularly what the remake does best. Like often when it wants to change up the pace during a certain part, they'll simplify the track but make it a bit deeper to build up this new adrenaline.

And every big set piece needs constrasty elements to show different perspectives. I believe just the simple imagery of seeing the mob outside as you're constantly having to kick the ladder is so effective because it shows scale. It makes us actually feel that the problem is as big as it is. It's a smart show of perspective especially after starting the fight in a confined area. This part of it was kind of weird in the og. Even though there's a mob, you could always stare out some window and it'll just be a void there (probably due to the graphical limitations).

But before you even trigger the Bull Head dude's cutscene, like again, you already hear an auditory cue of him. Also his addition makes the scene a true "everything is going to shit" moment. You kinda need that enemy as a standout variety. Like the og is iconic but it's very straightforward with the ambience and the enemy encounter. In the remake, everything is an escalating bombardment to the senses. Especially on the first playthrough, at this point you're on your last leg, no heal, no shotgun/rifle ammo left, the cult chanting is overwhelmingly loud now. It's funny but also apt that when Ashley saves the guys, she's enveloped in this holy light. Even the camera angle that's positioned lower looking up visually puts her in a higher position than the audience.

[fairy-verse]

Do you think the winter fairies try to make error a form of glasses? Maybe after hearing from some of the spring fairies or even ink about what some humans use to correct their sight? Maybe they try to make it from ice crystals, then quartz they find in the mountains. It's really amusing that error wants a connection, yet Literally cannot see his suitors trying to vy for his attention.

Would he get ... jealous if the other first borns brought cross or killer etc to their meet ups? Since he relives his good old days during those gatherings... would he be upset to maybe feel like he's losing even these few days he can pretend it's all like it used to be? Do they hold those meetings around the little fairy hidden by Nightmare?

I'm curious on what horrortale sans would be, if maybe he's one of the few fairies that's escaped from a human trap? I could see him being autumn since they seem to be very curious and maybe his curiosity got him into trouble. Or even spring with the more likely to be around Big folk.

A new perspective

Once the winter fairies realise that Error cannot see their attempts at courting him, they will do their best at creating a way for him to see better. Many prototypes will be created, and Error will be shown and offered to try them all. Some do nothing, some make his face look funny, and others make his vision worse. At some point, he’ll think that it’s pointless. He doesn’t think his vision is that bad, after all. (Poor him, he doesn’t know better.)

But, when the fated day shall come and the final glasses have been made, he will try them on, and a new vivid world is suddenly presented to him. Everything is so clear, so detailed, so… beautiful. Error is so enamoured by his own domain that he cannot help his wings fluttering wildly as he looks at everything within the caverns and halls of the winter fairies, and when he returns to his own nest it will be as if he discovers it for the first time again. Once more, he is eternally grateful for his winter fairies, and he’ll show his gratitude to them by allowing them to throw a grand feast.

He’d have no idea how many would take their chance at once again courting him during this great day, and he’s so embarrassed and shy that he grumbles and hides within his own wings. He hadn’t expected this. Why are so many… interested in him? Why are so many looking at him as if he was the most beautiful fairy out there? Error had no idea so many of his own winter fairies admired and desired him this much, and he was almost a little overwhelmed.

He'll need time to settle down with this newfound information, but… it feels good to be wanted.

Jealousy and Grief

The chance of Cross and Killer joining these gatherings is very slim since it’s a special moment only shared between the Firstborn, but perhaps a moment in time, both Nightmare and Dream wanted the others present when they introduced their new mates, and so they took the opportunity to just briefly change the beginning of the gathering.

Error took this the wrong way.

He thought they were going to join them from now on. Dream and Nightmare look so proud of Cross and Killer, strong and capable fairies, the perfect mate for a Firstborn.

Error doesn’t mean to, but it all comes to an avalanche of repressed guilt and remorse, and he explodes on them all, saying that they don’t want to keep this sacred between them anymore, saying that they’re selfish, that they don’t care about tradition, that they don’t care about him.

He flees before they can explain themselves, and his emotional outburst causes a shift in the island’s weather, making it snow and hail despite it being early summer. He hides in his nest. The despair in his soul makes the mountain cold and he cocoons himself within the multiple layers of fur and wool, trying and hoping that he’ll perish in it.

He’s not given a chance to wallow for very long. Ink, Dream, and Nightmare will force their way through the ice and the snow, and they’ll carefully approach the bundle of fur and wool. They won’t make Error come out at once, but they will gently touch the visible lump under the blankets, and they’ll hum and coo to soothe his fried nerves.

They never intended to change the gathering. They just wanted to properly introduce Cross and Killer, and once that had been done, they’d lead them out. They weren’t aware that Error felt this way; forgotten and abandoned. It grieves them and makes them feel guilty for not noticing sooner, but they will reassure and tell Error that they love him. They always will. He means the world to them.

Error breaks down anew, but now it is out of relief and sorrow. He apologises for being so mean, for saying those things. The others hush him and tell him that he’s forgiven. It’s okay. He doesn’t have to apologise. They will join him in his nest, and they’ll keep their gathering there instead, for Error.

The innocent fairy

Nightlight is the innocence, curiosity, and purity taken from Nightmare; reincarnated in fairy form, given back to him by the island itself. He is a part of Nightmare, and therefore, he usually joins the annual gathering between the Firstborn, but only when they are held in Nightmare’s domain.

Nightlight is a bit shy, and he’s never left the underground nest, as Nightmare is terrified of him being taken. Because of this, Nightlight’s wings are weak and faint of colour. They have never been used for flight before. He enjoys the gatherings the Firstborn has, but he doesn’t always want to participate in them, prompting instead to stay in Nightmare’s library for some peace and silence. Sometimes, Killer joins him to keep him company, being that once he becomes Nightmare’s mate he’s never far away.

Gloom in the bowls of the mountain

There is a story the winter fairies use to tell, a story about a cave-in that happened deep within the mountain. It is said a group of their kin dwelled deep into the mountain in search of rare minerals when the roof above their heads suddenly began to cave and tumble down. One member of the group was turned to stardust beneath the rock, but the remaining six of the group were trapped within.

It took three days for the other winter fairies to notice that a few of their friends had been gone for too long, and the only reason they found out which passage they had gone into, was because the stardust of the fallen fairy had been blown out along with some dust from the walls as the falling rocks had pushed air away.

They began to dig and move boulders to rescue their kin, but it would take nearly two months before they managed to dig their way through, as more rocks kept falling; hindering their progress. They’d also dug the wrong way at one point, as the passage the group had gone into had split into two, and they had chosen the wrong way to clear up.

By this point, the winter fairies had little faith that any of their kin would be left alive. They’d gone too long without food.

Still, they wanted to at least collect their stardust, so that it may then be given to the winter winds.

…

That would have been the best sight for them to see, but so it was not.

What they found trapped within that final passage, was a massacre.

Stardust scattered, claw marks over the walls, clothes, and armour torn and crushed into pieces. And in the far corner, a hulking fairy sat, misshaped and weeping. The wall in front of him had been etched with the words:

‘I’m sorry. Didn’t want to. Tried to kill me. So hungry.’

The winter fairies were horrified by what they saw, and only two were brave enough to go inside and help the remaining fairy. They gave him a fright and nearly had their heads cut clean off their bodies, but the sight of them must have finally dawned on the trapped fairy, for he collapsed soon after.

None recognised the fairy anymore and therefore didn’t know his name. He didn’t seem to remember it either and was so nicknamed Axe, as that was the hidden weapon he’d shielded from them in the passage; made from the armours of his fallen friends, compressed, and then moulded into shape. A gruesome creation.

No one truly blamed him for what happened, but no one could truly forgive him either. None wanted to approach him or be seen around him. He was dangerous and unstable, speaking strangely due to the terrible wound to his skull, and towering from imbalanced magic caused by trauma and starvation.

Axe could never live inside the mountain dwelling of the winter fairies ever again. Too claustrophobic. It didn’t matter how cavernous the main hall was. If it was within the mountain, then the terror set it, and he became violent. Therefore, he was given a chance to become a guard by the southern border to Error’s domain, giving him a perfect view over the firstborn meadow.

Here he would stay. Content and alone; for now… Until the fated day when he’d find a strange pair coming his way: A begonia of the flower people, and a shivering little fairy with bright, dangerous eye lights of odd colours.

[vividxp]

I'm very sleep deprived, so I'm taking the easy route straight from your post suggestions (bc I can't form thoughts otherwise rn but want to hear your what you have to say) so what are your thoughts on episode 5 reception then?

I think there's something to be said about how one page in a novel may be nothing at all in the long scheme of things, but there's a common film writing cliché about how one page in a screenplay is equivalent to one minute on screen.

So consider the following excerpt from IWTV, the book:

"And our fragile domestic tranquility erupted with [Lestat's] outrage. He did not have to be loved, but he would not be ignored; and once he even flew at her, shouting that he would slap her, and I found myself in the wretched position of fighting him as I'd done years before she'd come to us."

That's two sentences. And yet, without claiming that this is the exact scene the writers put on screen (because it's most likely not), isn't this pretty close to what happened at the end of episode 5? Claudia was speaking to Louis mentally about finding other vampires, Lestat lunges at her, Louis tackles Lestat and they fight.

But the difference is, "wretched" or not, the book spent 2 sentences and moved on (to another instance of Lestat being irritated by Claudia). Were there any injuries? What did Claudia think about almost being slapped and having to watch her parents fight?

The show on the other hand shows all of that and more.

So I want to stop here and say that I think there are two arguments that people are making regarding episode 5 and I am personally responding to only one of them. The first argument is that the execution of the scene was overly gratuitous and there was no proper trigger warnings. The second argument is that the scene was not only out of character on Lestat's part, but the writers have written themselves into a hole they can't get out of because no one will accept Louis and Lestat as a couple because of episode 5. This latter argument is the one I'm mostly talking about.

Ok, as I continue, I want to look at Claudia's epiphany that Lestat has to go in episode 6. What I find fascinating is how close it was to the book.

This is the excerpt in the book:

"But I know it now," [Claudia] said with authority. "The vampire made a slave of him, and [Lestat] would no more be a slave than I would be a slave, and so he killed him. Killed him before he knew what he might know, and then in panic made a slave of you. And you've been his slave."

Louis denies that and Claudia says.

"No, slave," she persisted in her grave monotone, as though thinking aloud, the words revelations, pieces of a puzzle. "And I shall free us both".

Now admittedly, I have not read IWTV the book. All I have is what others have posted on social media. Maybe my thoughts will change after reading it for myself.

But I think as far as an adaption goes, the show writers had to get us to this moment. And they had to fit the entire arc (Claudia being turned, happy families, things falling apart, murder as the solution) into 3 episodes.

What I find interesting from all the posts I've read from book readers about Lestat's actions in IWTV, is that they'll follow up all the evidence with, "But he said he loves them and that he would not harm him in [insert book here]!"

Why do we have to take his perspective as gospel? I know most people will say that Anne Rice said he's view is the correct one but still. No one denies that Lestat trapped Louis by turning Claudia and threatened to destroy Louis and Claudia if they stepped out of line. It's not a question that Lestat and Louis fought multiple times. With that in mind, why is the logical conclusion that Lestat's threats to hurt them are empty? If the threat was going to work, Louis and Claudia would have had to believe that he could and would harm them.

Additionally, the show made changes to the characters and since they didn't do the easy thing and treat those changes as window dress, those changes had to change the journey to reach the same landmarks in the book.

Claudia in a 14 year old body can do a lot more than Claudia in a 5 year old body can. But both find themselves trapped. When Lestat threatens to destroy her on the show, it's enough to make her go back (and that's saying a lot because she already left and was going to leave again in spite of what happened her first time out) because we've already seen not only how powerful Lestat is, but that he's able to wield that power against his family/fledglings.

This is already pretty long, but I again, long story short, I think when you look at the show in retrospect, the choices make sense to me and were done to serve the larger story instead of a shocking moment for buzz and nothing else. It feels like the writers made a deliberate choice based on their view of the characters from the books and their opinions on what the changes they made to characters would mean (this interview with episode 5's writer is interesting). I'm just not convinced that the differences that people are pointing out between the novel and the show are actually that different at the end of the day.

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

Book of Secrets Fails As a Sequel: Part 3/?

Where Ben's Arc Went Wrong

Previously, we started our deep dive into Book of Secrets by taking a look at Ben's character arc. Specifically, comparing his flat arc from the first movie to his lack of arc in the second.

And part of what's so frustrating about his lack of a character arc in the sequel is that the pieces are right there to make it happen.

Book of Secrets Ben has flaws! He has negative characteristics that are holding him back and hurting the people around him. We're shown this multiple times and then...poof. Nothing comes of it.

Heroes and Flaws

The way a character arc generally works is that the protagonist is introduced with a flaw. There are multiple names you might see used here and different theories about how to structure this setup—the hero's ghost, their misbelief, their passion taken too far.

In BoS, I'd call Ben's problem a misbelief. That is, a false belief that at one point in the hero's past was true.

Ben's Misbelief

Ben's once-true belief was that he is fundamentally right. He held this conviction about the Templar Treasure for 3/4 of his life, risked life, limb, and a treason conviction to prove it, and he was right.

He was ridiculed by his peers, and his family, and he was right.

The problem is, now that the treasure is found, Ben seems to have displaced this adamant certainty in his own convictions onto...everything. He was right about the treasure, so he must be right about the Booth diary too. He must be right about Thomas Gates and what Abigail wants and what Riley is capable of.

And this is actually fantastic!

Ben's a jackass, and that's great actually

I know, but hear me out: this is the perfect foundation for a character arc in the second movie. It is completely understandable how Ben became such a self-absorbed person after doing something so massively redefining for himself and the world. It would honestly be weirder if there wasn't some kind of emotional fallout from this (and we'll talk about the lack of fallout in other areas in a later edition.)

So the movie starts off by showing us the ways he needs to grow: His assumption that he's always right has imploded his relationship with Abigail.

London

Then the movie keeps pushing on this flaw, as it should. Ben ropes the squad into another dangerous treasure hunt because he has to be right about his great-great-whatever grandfather.

In London, Abigail spells out pretty explicitly what Ben has to learn.

ABIGAIL When you get to a conclusion without asking, and you happen to be right, you got lucky. BEN I get lucky a lot.

And from Ben's perspective, this is correct. Past experience has taught him that his most deeply help convictions are true, even without evidence. Even with mountains of evidence to the contrary!

But the danger of this mindset is reinforced later in the same sequence when:

BEN Hack into the London Police database and get a picture from that traffic cam. RILEY Okey-dokey. BEN You can't do it? RILEY No, I can. I just don't like that you assume that I can. ABIGAIL [laughs] Why, thank you, Riley.

Ben almost loses a critical clue—the clue—because he is going off assumption instead of talking to the two people he's closest to and listening to what they have to say.

So those are the first two 'phases' if you will of dealing with a character's flaw. 1) establish it 2) push on it until

3) it leads to a moment of crisis where the hero can either grow and take the first step towards overcoming this flaw or double down on the consequences

4) in most stories that aren't tragedies the hero will pick the path of growth and learn from their mistakes, repairing the damage they've caused and often finding a solution that will unlock the final problem their plot poses, which they weren't able to see until they let go of their flaw

You many have noticed that the last two steps do not occur in National Treasure Book of Secrets.

As @tentacledwizard put it on the last post

#because like. there were clear opportunities for Ben to have character growth in nat2#i don’t remember the events of the film all that clearly but there was a point where he makes#this kinda wild leap to a conclusion#and i was thinking “oh it’s gonna turn out that he was wrong. he misinterpreted the clue and he needs to admit that he was wrong”#but nope he’s still correct#hes ALWAYS correct and doesn’t experience any growth. he doesn’t have to admit he’s fallible bc he ISNT

Ben doesn't learn to listen to Abigail.

He doesn't make a mistake or draw a wrong conclusion.

He doesn't need to reach out to her, Riley, Emily or anybody else for a different perspective.

He isn't wrong about Riley or another allies abilities. (Or his own!!!)

He's just...right. Ben is always right.

How did we get here?

I can see how this happened. At some point in the development process, somebody decided that the Ben Gates we meet in the sequel had to be the exact same Ben we met in the original movie. And that Ben was fundamentally Right About Things™ so this one must be too.

My guess is this did not come from the writers, at least not from the beginning. The skeleton of what should have been his character arc is just too clear to have not been intentional at some point.

But as the story was worked on by teams of writers and looked at by various executives, somebody decided—maybe intentionally, maybe not—this 'Ben learns his lesson' business had to go.

It's a shame because, at least in my humble opinion, a functioning character arc here is the domino that might have underpinned a very different approach to the movie.

Next time → The sequel reset

[cacklefrendly]

At this point i want to hear all of your gin and vodka hc cause we need more of them also cause youre art is AMAZING

OH ANON I WILL TAKE ANY EXCUSE TO PREACH THE GOOD WORD OF THE VESPER COCKTAIL

but first listen hey just. jsut listen to me.

have you considered the inherent vulnerability of standing next to someone who could happily kill you in a hundred different ways and trusting that they won't. of always being on guard for a knife in your back but knowing that there is exactly One Person who stands behind you who'd never raise that blade.

because my friends. that is Gin and Vodka.

ok these is in no particular order buuut here are some HCs that i work from as a baseline for rotating them both in my head:

Both of them are in their early 40s, and joined the Black Organization at about the same time. Gin joined from the criminal side of things, while Vodka joined as a legit office worker. They started working together a few years in.

They are SO GOOD at non-verbal communication. They've completely changed mission plans on-the-spot multiple times, all with a couple of glances and nods.

Vodka fell for Gin YEARS before the events of canon but there is no world in which he makes the first move. Initially his silence was because "i would rather not risk pissing off my Murder-Boss who would maybe react by Murdering Me" but he's stayed silent because. Well. He's honestly happy with their relationship as-is. He can see how much Gin trusts him, values that immensely, and reciprocates it. They live together, for god's sake. It's not a romantic thing, sure, and sometimes Vodka wishes it was, but he cherishes what they have more than anything. ...meanwhile Gin is demi-romantic and very autistic and straight-up does not realize that he's in love with Vodka. he'll figure it out. eventually.

If you want to compare them to dogs (and i very much DO), then Gin is a Borzoi (sighthound) and Vodka is a Clumber Spaniel (flushing dog). Vodka scares targets into running and Gin chases them down.

Vodka runs hot and Gin runs cold. They achieve thermal equilibrium when they cuddle!! But it usually means the car's temperature is set way too hot for Vodka.

Gin is well aware that he's a vicious person in every aspect of his life, but he's waaaay past the point where he tries to hide it. Vodka likes his viciousness. Gin likes that Vodka likes his viciousness. They're both freaks and should be together to keep them from mauling the public.

I like to think that their canon height difference is an artifact of the show being Detective Conan — it's part of Conan's view of the world. Gin’s the one who attacked him as Shinichi, the one who keeps coming the closest to finding Conan out, the one who's more cruel and ruthless. Vodka ticks all those boxes too, yeah, but Gin is the one who Conan's actually scared of. So, from Conan's perspective, we see Gin as super frigging tall. He looms over everything, he's untouchable — while Vodka’s just Some Guy who looks pathetic and kinda meek when standing next to Gin. In reality — AKA, according to how i draw them — Gin and Vodka are the same height. Taller than Vodka’s canon height, but shorter than Gin’s. (Technically Gin is, like, an inch or two shorter, but it's such an insignificant difference that their hats and shoes make them the same.)

An outside observer would think that Gin takes everything Vodka offers and gives nothing in return, but that's not true. It's just that he shows affection like a large cat: with mauled corpses and by invading Vodka's personal space. He also does stuff like 'lets Vodka drive his very expensive and hard-to-get car' and 'respects Vodka's take on situations' and 'keeps falling asleep on Vodka' and—

They spar. Sometimes, those spars are all-out. During those spars, Gin tends to bite. A lot! There's blood. Vodka is okay with being his chew-toy. A little too okay with it. You could go so far as to say he's eager. In Gin's defense, if you're fighting for your life you have got to take any opening you can. There is no defense for Vodka.

Theoretically, if Kaitou KID were to disguise as Gin, then Vodka "My Main Love Language Is Learning Other's Mannerisms" BlackOrg would clock him in minutes. He wouldn't say anything immediately, but he spends too much time working with Gin to fall for that shit. If Kaitou KID were to disguise as Vodka, then Gin "My Main Love Language Is Letting My Guard Down" BlackOrg wouldn't realize something was up unless KID stood directly next to him — at which point Gin would switch to his second Love Language, Murder.

The first song Vodka ever sang to Gin was Hallelujah. Someday, it will be the last song he ever sings to Gin.

The first time they met was technically way back when Vodka was working for one of the B.Org's fronts and not in on the illegal stuff yet. His immediate superior, Syrah, was killed by Gin — who was going by a different codename at the time, Kina Lillet. Vodka was bringing paperwork to Syrah's office but heard the tail end of some yelling and the sounds of a struggle. When Kina walked out looking Suspiciously Casual wearing all black and generally looking Scary As Shit he decided that he was not getting payed enough to die for that company. Kina asked "how much did you hear" and Vodka replied "i mind my damn business, sir, so frankly i didn't hear shit" and went on his way to figure out an alibi. (They met formally a couple years later, as Gin and Vodka. Gin recognized Vodka but Vodka didn't recognize Gin.)

[fuckmesaitama]

Gosh I seriously hate Saitatsu and Saibuki so SO much. For multiple reasons. Sometimes I feel like I’ll vomit. I’m gonna throw my organs up. Is there any way I can erase it from my memories forever?? It’s as bad for my health as pleasant it is for those who like them. I don’t care if there’s a strong or weak base for it in the series or not, it drives me insane to the point of skipping meals and I want to stay as far from it as I can. I won’t come after anyone’s ass just because they ship it but can I please pretend these two ships don’t even exist? Can I ignore everything I ever hear about them? Can I please not have them shoved down my throat like it matters everytime I look for Opm in return please? It’s genuinely detrimental to my mental health like seriously I’m only human, I can’t handle this level of stress from being reminded of them so much. I am unable to even talk to anyone about it whenever anything explicit about them accidentally shows up and I become upset. It’s been driving me insane for a long time now. I try to understand everyone’s perspective whenever I can but it really messes me up seeing them with Sai. I can’t do it please I want to forget them completely. Please I’m seriously SERIOUS. IT’S THAT BAD FOR ME.

I don’t want to care about how much potential someone thinks they can have as a couple. Cause that’s debatable until the series declares it canon. And as someone who doesn’t like those, it’s a huge waste of energy being made to think of them while they’re still just fan-made and I need NOT necessarily do so. I DON’T. Half of the reason it seems possible is because people would like to see it, and the second half is the nature of the interactions itself. I don’t have the first reason, and as for the second, I can easily see it as being similar to other interactions and not MORE possible than others. I don’t HAVE to like it or see potential in it. Just leave those alone who don’t like it.

I guess it’s partly my fault for associating with the fanbase and running into them on my own and then being unable to stop my thoughts, sucks that I just really liked looking around for what other fans are doing. Now, I’m not speaking about Tumblr but other platforms in general too. (Yeah, mostly reddit recently) I’m done. I’m so done. I can’t handle it anymore. Don’t ask why if you’re reading this. It’s just gonna sound pathetic. But it’s enough to affect me. Immensely enough for no one sane to take up a chance to make another joke about this just for the sake of wanting to continue talking about it.

I’m sorry if I offended anyone but I genuinely needed to do this 😵😫

[incarnateirony]

I hate to break it to people, but once they stop screaming over reality and trying to project their stuff at real people rather than listening to how they communicate, what they mean--

Jensen and Dean's journey is nearly the same. It's part of how he put himself to peace with Dean, and was one of the primary reasons (I've listed a few others before) he did this. (I remember before the prequel, and before clarified on stage a few times, 2po screeched specifically against this, but what's true is true.)

And that includes today's panel of Jared and Jensen distinguishing their opinions and perspectives despite the seeming parallelism of their paths.

I've banged on about Dean, Rocky, Rox(x)y. Not Who I Am, UnSure Who I Am, Who She Really Is. Jojo's dialogue about accepting who we are.

But that's just it. It's how that "we" is applied.

Jojo's use is addressing multiple people to accept, individually, who YOU are. However, if there's only a "who WE are" for you, if there's only your weird group identity or something, then you still didn't stick that Who I Am part.

And for many years, Jensen has grown and changed, reacted to stimuli and learning experiences to improve. And now he picked up this old alchemical story torch to run it.

And why? Because he Had A Take. It's interesting that you say it, because In That Exact Moment, He Had A Take. But then, by the next setup, He Has A Take. I Have A Take. But nobody wants to actually ask what that take is. They're too busy telling others what that new take is, off of OLD pretenses, thus deleting it as a new one.

It's the same way Jared assumed Jensen's question was also HIS question at Dencon, and thus shoved his bullshit in there and left Jensen buffering figuring out how to answer, since it's contrary to EVERYTHING he was working on. To not invalidate Jared's experience and feeling about the content, and also frankly not pick a fight with his coworker on stage while the show was still vulnerable.

And they talked about it. And now, Jared doesn't jump into questions over Jensen. *We* talked about it but *I*. Jensen using I. It's not We Are.

It's not Our Take. It's Jensen's take. Who He Is. What He Stands For. The Path He Chose. And that's different than Jared's, and that's okay, Jared can take from art or life what he wants, but it's not Jensen's, and Jensen knows Who He Is, and realized Who Dean Is through it too.

J2 ops and branding drift as Jensen individualizes his path and messaging, and Jared and Jensen both clearly picked different audiences. I even mean pollitical skew outside of SPN audiences. That's also fine I guess. Your choice dude. But those are Jared's choices, not Jensen's, and Jensen is going to continue to highlight in every possible way that Jared's take is not his take.

The Winchesters' ending is his new take. That's what it is. And that's why the antis and grifters are working so hard to convince everyone to ignore what the creatives are saying, and convince you that your voices weren't heard.

They were. But you gotta care to listen to how, and why Jensen sees it. You gotta let him Just Be, and listen to him the way he means to talk, or otherwise, you just gotta wait for the end and realize that your reservation was never the Pragmatism you sold it to yourself as.

Jensen is a wonderful person. He just wants you to Just Be. To Just Be It Or Do It Or Say It Or Take Up Space. Robbie's a wonderful person. When he meets you, he doesn't just tell you how it's going to go, he asks your story first.

Listen to what I have been telling you guys. Put your thinker caps on and ask yourselves what's happening here.

it's ok guys. just be. once you learn to carry this torch, you can do anything, even if it takes a while, because you know yourself. Robbie knew himself. Bobo knew himself. We knew ourselves. Jensen found himself. And now in it Dean, and everyone has a chance to hear.

Just listen.