#it all started with a line of dialogue that basically had him admit he's never felt romantic feelings when asked. aro moment

[citnamora]

There's this show I'm watching and I have an alloaro hc that is only being further reaffirmed with every new episode. Aros stay winning!

[aleksanderscult]

Can you do the scene "he was my monster too"? That complete dialogue

Yeah, sure!

I love that line and scene (as every Darklina fan) because it really describes their dynamic. It's basically their relationship in just a few words and I'll explain to you why.

I'll start from here.

The Darkling used various means to get her to his side in that scene. First he bargained, then appealed to her loneliness that drew him to her every time through the tether, then pointed out that Mal couldn't understand her and now she knows it, then used Genya to show her what happens every time she leaves him, then tried to make her understand that they could save more lives together and kinda chastised her for the fact that she's stuck on the Novokribirsk murders and doesn't look beyond that, towards the persecution that's happening on a global scale for so many years.

Did he use various manipulative techniques to get her here? Yes.

Did he also mean the things he said? Also yes.

The Darkling sees in her the very thing that first separated him from other people too so many years ago: the rare powers they both have and can't find someone else to relate to.

Also, the fact that he has been proven correct ever since he witnessed Alina growing distant from Mal and feeling more and more alone makes him believe in that line even more.

Who else has rare Grisha powers? The Darkling

Who else is immortal? The Darkling

Who else has been "separated" from all others because of these great powers? The Darkling

Alina knew it all along but has been denying it to herself, clutching desperately on Mal in hopes that everything will go alright between them. But now, when Aleksander speaks these words, she realizes how true that is. There is the person that in terms of power and needs she can match and relate with.

I always believed that he wasn't only excited about having Alina's power in his hands here but also for the fact that she finally decided to willingly come to him. This is the first time that is happening ever since she left him on the Winter fete since she fought him every other time.

Her power is for his plans.

But her willingness and resignation are for him. He awaited this moment and wanted it for so long.

The connection between Aleksander and Alina existed long before the latter got the collar. So I bet that the collar and the nichevo'ya bite only enhanced that connection.

They can "touch" each other's powers. Reach out and feel it. They're connected in such a deep and strong spiritual way. I don't think any other Grisha have ever experienced that with another of his kind. They truly were unique.

Now these are the lines that are the basis of my "Alina feels embarrassed for her dark side and therefore afraid to admit that she wants the Darkling" philosophy and I will die on this hill.

Aside from the fact that this makes her an unreliable narrator, this is a major flaw of her character that Bardugo never fixed.

Alina, as every other person in the world, has light and darkness inside of her. But she's too afraid to admit it and, more importantly, even more afraid of embracing it. And that pushes her back. Instead of having this character accept her dark side and even using it at times on a moderate scale, we have her running away from it, never fully accepting it and presenting it as something disgusting inside of her.

Leigh could use this scene as the basis for her development. This and the "She would make herself a reckoning. She would rise" could be excellent premises of a girl becoming a strong woman and warrior, determined to save and lead her people and unite them with the otkazat'sya. Willing to become Queen just so she can make a change for the better and learn from the Darkling's actions and mistakes. Instead in R&R we got the same Alina. Again.

Alina had darkness inside her long before the Darkling did something. For example, when she let those people die on the skiff. The Darkling just put the kind of darkness inside her that made her connected to the volcra, the Fold, the nichevo'ya. There's a difference here.

Now. About that line.

I've said it before that Darklina is a ship of contradictions: man and woman, light and dark, good and bad. They're two sides of the same coin and therefore complete each other. In a way, one cannot live without the other. And they each have a piece that the other lacks and still wants.

The Darkling has darkness and Alina is a creature of light. But she still seeks that darkness in him and when she used it, it felt right and powerful and not at all strange.

Alina has light and the Darkling is a creature of darkness. But he still searches for her light because, to his great surprise, he likes the feeling of it.

You can see this aspect of them in their following quotes:

‘And he was my monster too.’

- Siege and Storm

‘Because with her he was human again.’

- Rule of Wolves

Both of them don't want to admit it. They recoil from it but Alina can't help but feel drawn to his darkness, to his "monstrous" side just as much Aleksander can't help but be enticed by her light, by her humanity. They bring out a wave of emotions and needs to each other that upset them.

But if only Alina kept believing in that line and if only that relationship and this aspect of it was explored more. It's so painfully interesting that I can't believe how the author chose to spend her trilogy talking about Malina.

Like seriously? Them over THIS SHIP AND THE WAY THEY WORK??

WHO ON THEIR RIGHT MIND---

[sad-drake-lyrics]

alright, i’m having a lot of feelings™ about giyushino & i have to talk about it because otherwise i will implode. i’ve liked the idea of them together from s1, like most people who ship them seem to; but then i stopped thinking about them much due to obsession with other ships, and also because after their initial altercation on Mount Natagumo they don’t really get much screentime together, so i just lost interest.

but in my modern day obamitsu AU (you can find my ao3 link on my page!), i’m featuring giyushino as a background ship, & i am starting to catch fucking feelings myself from writing them. (if you head off to read the fic, there’s only two chapters posted so far & Giyuu + Shinobu are not in it yet, but will be very soon.)

so, here we go. gimme a moment to ramble about what inspired these HCs / character analyses before i get to the meat & potatoes.

street lights by killedmyself is one of my favourite songs despite the fact it being really more of a piece of audio art than a song - it’s mainly a movie dialogue sample mixed with sad boi lo-fi beats, but i play it all the time because it somehow hurts so good. so i was listening to it when thinking of the aforementioned modern AU, & i had an epiphany like “holy fuck, this is exactly how a giyushino relationship would go down, whether in a canon AU or any other story.”

the sample in the song is from No Strings Attached, a typical romantic comedy/drama about two close friends who have a deep understanding of each other and casually have sex, but the guy catches feelings and the girl wants nothing to do with a relationship.

(honestly, most people would probably find this movie boring - it’s a basic white het ship storyline; i only watched it because of the song, & the conversation in the song is literally the best part - otherwise the movie is hella bland & i wouldn't care if i never saw it again LOL so i’m def. not saying “go watch this” here.)

anyway, i’m listening to this song, and i’m like “omg, i can hear Giyuu & Shinobu saying every fucking line.”

basically, in my mind, Giyuu & Shinobu would start hooking up just for the sake of it - probably as a result of a quiet development of closeness born essentially out of convenience (they are always at the Ubuyashiki Estate together or working together), and then one night boning goes down. they’re attracted to each other; they like each other as people; and then the sex is good, so it keeps happening.

& very quickly, sad boi Giyuu, who is typically self-isolated and depressed, starts crushing hard. he’s alone and he’s desperate for human interaction and affection, even though he doesn’t realize it - and Shinobu is beautiful, and he admires her. plus they’re starting to have a lot of sex; & it’s pretty common for that to bloom some sense of love, ranging from base level attachment to infatuation to real feels - and it gets to the point where Giyuu wants to be with her.

but Shinobu doesn’t want the same thing. she cares about him (more than she can admit), but she’s fiercely independent and immensely dedicated to her work (with all her research and crafting of medicines & poisons). she puts this work above absolutely everything else with self-denying devotion - her happiness doesn’t matter; like she tells Tanjirou, she’s angry, and all that matters is success. a relationship for her would be a distraction, & she doesn’t need it - doesn’t want to deal with it; too many emotional ups & downs; too much drama; too much risk; too much intimacy with someone else, which actually terrifies her. so when Giyuu tells her he wants a relationship, she rejects him.

now let’s take the samples that slap me in the face with giyushino feels from street lights, which i can literally hear coming out of their fucking mouths.

Shinobu: You know me, this stuff freaks me out. It's fake. What’s wrong with what we’re doing? It’s working, we don’t have to fight -

Giyuu: Maybe I wanna fight.

Shinobu: Yeah, well I don’t.

Giyuu: What are you gonna do - you’re just never gonna feel anything? How are you gonna do that?

Shinobu: I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.

^ this exchange already starts murdering me because i feel like once Giyuu realizes he has legitimate feelings for Shinobu, and is wrestling with his own self-denial and inability to accept love from others because of how much he hates himself - he sees that Shinobu does the same thing - she doesn’t want to feel anything too deeply because she’s traumatized from Kanae’s death. she doesn’t want to love anyone else in a way that makes them more important than anything else (though, yes, we have to also acknowledge her love for Kanao here, but i imagine that's it for her - no more), so that she can’t experience loss again. she’s scared; she protects herself by being self-sufficient and dedicating herself to her work.

she's also stubborn asf, and sincerely believes in herself and what she's capable of, and so "I don't know. I'll figure it out." is literally what she would respond to this challenge.

Shinobu: I don’t need you to take care of me. I take care of myself. That’s what I do.

^ destroying me because this is exactly what Shinobu does. this is her MO; her armor.

Shinobu: Why don’t you go find some other girl who’s not gonna hurt you?

Giyuu: Because I love you.

^ help. why are they like this. it’s because Giyuu’s so alone, but when he feels, he feels deeply (seen even in his initially inexplicable sentimentality for Tanjirou & Nezuko from the beginning, all the way to when we finally hear his backstory with Sabito). he’s smart and intuitive, he can see right through Shinobu - right through everything she does to protect herself. he also doesn’t give up on people he cares about, and his sad boi meter is off the charts - he probably thinks he deserves rejection. plus we have Shinobu pushing everyone away so hard because she can’t handle it.

also going off the HC here that they’re casually hooking up throughout this: oh boy is this a mess of confusing emotions for both of them, both struggling to keep it bottled up, and Giyuu is clearly the weaker link. he just would be. he’s too sensitive.

Giyuu: It’s obvious, I completely love you - there. You’re such a wimp.

Shinobu: I am not!

Giyuu: Well then be with me.

^ why is this dialogue like, canon. it’s their personalities to a T - the way they push at each other in a way of making fun of each other; the way Giyuu is honest despite his problems with feelings; the way strong, independent Shinobu would be so offended at him calling her a wimp (which he totally would fucking say) - calling her out on how she blocks out feelings for others to stay focused on her mission so she can protect them, but so she also can’t get heartbroken, because she can’t go through that again.

*cough*

anyway. there’s my roughly 1k word count essay on how i envision a romantic giyushino dynamic. i’ll be trying to work this into my modern AU - but considering Giyuu and Shinobu are secondary characters, i don’t know how much i can explore this; still, i don’t have the full fic planned out, so nothing’s off the table.

but seriously, this shit hits me in my gut so hard i could probably write an entire fic about them just on this premise lol.

anyway, yeah. woke up at 7:30, made a cup of coffee, sat down on the computer and just wrote this essay out of nowhere in an hour because suddenly giyushino is also ruining my life.

[deke-rivers-1957]

Clambake Review

This is often considered to be the worst Elvis film ever made. Even Elvis himself allegedly hated making the film. However, it's most likely because of the fact that Elvis suffered from that infamous concussion just before filming started. A lot of fans who watched this film say that you can see Elvis is ailing. Does his acting suffer because of it or just fan projection? Let's find out.

We immediately start off with the titular song "Clambake". For a movie that takes place in Miami, you wouldn't associate the city with clambake. Or oil rigs. But we don't live in this movie's reality because both of those things exist in Miami apparently. While it is true that Native Americans in Florida developed a technique referred to as a "clambake", a traditional clambake is predominantly held on the Northern East coast. They could've just as easily reused New Orleans if they wanted to include both of those elements.

This is easily one of the worst outfits Elvis ever worn. Scott would never wear this. Based on his character he'd want to be as far away from it as possible. It makes more sense for Tom Wilson to buy this when they switch identities. I know he has to wear something at the beginning to show that he's rich, but I would've used a different outfit.

Charlie Hodge cameos at the barber and gets a line. Imagine my surprise to see that we have an actual character arc that's setup. We understand who Scott is and why he's here in Miami. He's the son of an oil tycoon and wants to make a name for himself. He had a fiancee but he left her when it was clear she only cared for his money. We now have a clear reason to support his identity swap.

I don't hate this Prince and the Pauper type of plot, I just don't like how it's executed. Heyward Oil is everywhere somehow and yet no one recognizes Scott just by the face alone? Sure he's not the head of the company but they recognize his name so they had to have seen him at least once. Maybe I'm missing something, but I think this would've been better if Tom Wilson was played by an actor that looked more like Elvis. Impossible I know, but if Elvis had body doubles in movies, I think it could've been done.

"Who Needs Money" is a terrible duet. Elvis' vocals of course are fine but Tom Wilson's dubbed in vocals just doesn't work. The film doesn't grind to a halt because of this duet, but it's still not a rememberable song. I get that we needed a duet to show that Scott and Tom are both doing this for their own personal gain, but Tom Wilson needed different vocals for this song to be just average. It's also made abundantly clear that Elvis isn't in Miami to film this with the overuse of rear screen projections.

When we get to the hotel, the scene where Jamison is talking with the women is so bizarre. Some of the women's dialogue sounded either effected (meaning they purposely put on a type of voice that suggests bad acting or bad direction) or were dubbed in. It just didn't sound like they were recorded the same way Jamison's voice was recorded. The water-skiing scene also has so much dead air that we're watching Elvis' and Shelly's doubles ski at a far angle shot with no audio outside of the boat's motor. It lasted too long and could've been redone as it just wasn't engaging.

Given that Elvis wasn't actually in Florida, at least this scene has a real background. The lighting naturally matches the time of day it's supposed to be in and they all look like they belong there. I really like Elvis' outfit though as you can at least justify long sleeve shirts with "it's night time so it's going to be cooler".

"A House That Has Everything" is fine. It allows for Scott to seemingly bond with Dianne over being poor. As much as I love Scott's part of this relationship, I just don't understand why he's in love with Dianne. She basically admits to being a gold digger, which Scott wanted to get away from. I understand the point of the movie is that she falls in love with Scott for who he is, but Scott being interested after she admits to being the one thing he wanted to avoid just doesn't make sense to me.

I do appreciate that the movie wants us to dislike Jamison by making him act like a pig for ignoring Dianne's pleas to go away. I also appreciate that this movie didn't go down the path of most Elvis films and have Scott try to fight him ultimately getting him in trouble. Instead we get shown that Scott disapproves of Jamison's actions, but also acknowledges that Dianne's a grown woman who can take care of herself.

For once we have a mid 60s Elvis film that has him have the emotional maturity to know when to pick his battles. I also admit that as much as I don't like his romantic interests in Dianne, I really enjoy seeing him wanting to respect her choices and help her. He's willing to just be a companion and doesn't let any negative feelings for Jamison interfere. A cliched love triangle would've had Scott try to sabotage Jamison to make him look bad in front of Dianne, or Scott try to convince Dianne that Jamison is no good only for her to ignore him. He doesn't do any of that and instead just let's the chips fall where they lie.

This song was easily the worst scene in the entire film. "Confidence" is embarrassingly over 5 minutes long. The editing is just bizarre with a shot that is completely upside down and a clip of the US Calvary. It's so long that there was a stretch of time that Scott isn't even singing. We're just following him and Tom Wilson play with children. Even Red West, cameoing as the ice cream gets involved in playing with the kids for literally no reason. I kid you not, it was so bad that my besties who saw the film with me all had a mini breakdown at how awful and long it was.

I can see why fans say you can see Elvis is struggling in this film. Watching this scene is like watching a man mentally regress to a child's age right before your eyes. What makes it worse is that this scene has absolutely no impact on the plot. Him singing with the kids doesn't make Dianne see Scott in a new light the way, nor do any of the kids help Scott with his boat in anyway. Outside of a throwaway line about having confidence, nothing from this scene was ever mentioned again. This scene's only purpose is to provide filler to pad out the run time.

A ride up of over 2 inches or so should never happen with clothes. That's a sign of how cheap this film was. They couldn't even bother to give Elvis a turtleneck sweater that properly fits. This whole scene is just cringy mid 60s beach party aesthetics. "Clambake" as a song is bad in that I literally couldn't understand a single word of the beginning.

The dancing in this scene isn't good and the colors in the scene hurt my eyes. The only reason why I say this song is better than "Confidence" is that there's an actual reason for this song to exist. Despite being geographically inaccurate, a clambake event was mentioned earlier in the film. Scott would want to be there because he knows Dianne would be there and just in general wanted to have fun.

I like this montage of Scott developing the goop. The whole concept of Scott wanting to make his own product is brilliant. He wants to prove that his idea can work even if his dad didn't. It adds another dimension to his character without having to include his dad. He's a genuinely intelligent man who isn't depicted as a pathetic dork or an absolute kill joy.

This gives us a rare showing of Elvis playing a character that doesn't just rizz up girls, or fights people. He also isn't a bumbling, misfortunate character that is passive to the events around him. Here, Scott's actively choosing to do this. He's making the best use of his privilege and education to not only help out a struggling boat owner, but also create a product that shows that he's more than just his dad's money.

This dynamic only makes me think that Scott is too good for Dianne. He isn't just being a decent human being and therefore deserves to be with her by default. He's actively helping a woman he barely knows get with another man by giving her advice. The fact that she's still interested in Jamison after he refused to respect her boundaries indicates that she literally only cares about his money. I know that's the point of her character arc, but watching this only makes me think that Scott deserved better.

"You Don't Know Me" only solidifies that opinion. The entire song is literally Scott lamenting that Dianne doesn't know who he is. While part of it is on him for purposely hiding his true identity, Dianne basically uses him as a tool to get Jamison to notice her. She doesn't really take the time to get to know Scott on even a friendly basis. That one night on the beach just isn't enough to say that she knows enough about Scott to even be his friend. You really feel bad for Scott because he's in a one-sided relationship with someone who doesn't seem interested in him outside of what he could do for her.

It's little moments like this that make me appreciate Scott as a character. He's so dedicated to making this product work that he works through the night and falls asleep at his work station. He isn't even doing it to impress Dianne either. He's had this idea before he even met her. He genuinely wants to help Mr. Burton and prove that his product can work.

"Hey, Hey, Hey" is a terrible song. It's similar to "Clambake" in that it has bad dancing and similar to "Confidence" in that it just comes completely out of nowhere. It also just doesn't work with Scott's character. He's only shown interest in Dianne so even though he's not committed to her, it doesn't make sense for him to give every woman a kiss. I get that it's meant to be a montage of Scott getting help to finish the boat, but the song just feels unnecessary. Each woman's reaction to his kiss is obviously dubbed in as the actress' reaction doesn't match the noise she makes. You could just as easily convey that in a way that's similar to when Scott recreated his goop.

I was absolutely shocked at how good this dynamic was. Mr. Heyward had a big beef with Scott for leaving the way he did. He was so upset that Scott took stuff from his company without asking him, that he had to be confronted. At first you think this is the cliche dad that just doesn't get his son wanting to be his own man or even bothered to know what Scott liked. Scott's relationship with Mr. Burton made me think that this was the case. However, Mr. Heyward ultimately isn't that cliche.

Mr. Heyward knows his son more than anyone else. When he found out that Tom Wilson was acting like a party animal who smoke and drank, he immediately knew that this wasn't Scott. For a time period where it was more common for a man to smoke and or drink, Mr. Heyward outright being confused to hear that "Scott" did this shows he knows his son. He really does care about Scott, but is just upset at the way Scott chose to handle his feelings. When given the chance to confront him about it, Mr. Heyward said his part and let Scott have his say too. Even though he still didn't fully believe in Scott's product, he still wanted to let Scott try. Ultimately a very well written tension that didn't give you the idea that these two outright hated each other.

This part of the movie has the most amount of tension. There's a proper build up of the audience and Scott realizing that Jamison wasn't a good person worth Dianne's affection. Watching Jamison put the moves on her when she said no, is the nail in the coffin for the audience. For Scott, since he didn't see the same things we do, he wouldn't get upset at Jamison for that reason. He knew Jamison wasn't the best person when he forced Dianne to go out with him in exchange for her missing bra. He didn't interfere because he knew that he would've gotten in trouble because Jamison was rich and he was working as an employee.

Here he had the emotional maturity to not put up a stink when Dianne was with Jamison. He didn't even fight him after she left the room. It wasn't until Jamison essentially threatened him first, that Scott had enough and punched him. As soon as Jamison went down, he left. He had the emotional maturity to know that he put Jamison in his place. Nothing else needed to be done as there was no reason to keep punching him. Punching an unconscious man is no longer self defense and is just meaningless violence. Scott understanding that in spite of his own feelings is a refreshing thing to see in a character.

"The Girl I Never Loved" is the best song in the movie. Scott's lament that he'll never be able to tell Dianne how he feels is so sad. He's so adamant about not wanting to interfere in her relationship with Jamison, that he's willing to make himself suffer. He accepts that she doesn't have feelings for him, but he also still lets himself feel hurt about it. That being said, Dianne giving up her scheme and wanting to just go home feels a little forced. Like she doesn't even want to stay because Scott was a good friend. She just wants to go because Jamison ended up not working out.

I just feel bad that Scott went through all this work only for Dianne to not seem that enthused. Mr. Heyward only wants the best for his son so if the goop works, he couldn't be any happier and supportive. Tom Wilson and his girlfriend are genuinely excited to be at the race watching him. They really want Scott to win because they know he worked so hard on the boat. Dianne just doesn't look all that emotional for him and I wonder what would've happened if Scott ended up losing. Mr. Heyward and Tom Wilson I feel would've still supported Scott. They know how hard he worked on it even if it didn't pan out as he thought. I just can't say the same for Dianne. I'm not sure if it was an acting issue or a writing issue, but I just don't feel the same passion she has for Scott that he does for her.

This hurts me. When I think about the low production value of this movie, I think of this. First off no license would ever have a picture like that. If it has a picture it was to be front on not at this weird angle. Also his name's spelled wrong! If you look at the signs for his father's company it's spelled Heyward. The worst mistake though is that Elvis has blue eyes! Why do you mark Scott as having brown eyes when he clearly doesn't have them? This whole scene summarizes the lack of effort put into making this look like Miami. Florida doesn't have any mountains and if anything, Miami is actually prone to flooding and sinkholes because of the low altitude.

Regardless, I actually like how this film ended. The whole point of Scott switching identities in theory was to find someone who loved him for his personality and not just his money. Was doing that right at a stop light the best time to do that? No but in general for a mid 60s Elvis film, we didn't get a stereotypical final number to close out the film. It could've been executed better but we actually get the plot point of Dianne not knowing who Scott is wrapped up. I still don't think Dianne and Scott will work out. They don't know anything about each other and Scott kisses her once after he asks her to marry him. I'm happy for Scott that he got what he wanted, but I honestly think he still deserved better regarding his love interest. It really shows just how much of a real person this character was that you would feel something like that.

This movie is so baffling. On one hand yeah, I totally agree with fans that say this is the worst one. The complete lack of attention to geographical detail and the most blatant case of run time padding make this absolutely frustrating to watch. On the other hand Scott surprisingly has one of the most complete character arcs I've seen where every choice he's made has made sense to his character. His ballads and emotional maturity were quite refreshing to see. He actually makes me care enough to say "you deserve to find someone who loves you. Dianne isn't good enough for you king".

That being said, I give this film a 5/10. There's just too many issues to say that this is a good film. However, I truly think if this script was redone and a different creative team made this movie, it might be one of Elvis' best ones. In fact, as long as you skip "Confidence" and are someone who can forgive production errors easily, I would actually recommend watching this Elvis fan or not. Scott's character arc has enough good elements to make it worth watching.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Thank you @georgefairbrother for requesting this film. Also shout out to @arrolyn1114 and @xanatenshi for watching this film with me. Your input was much appreciated. I currently don't have anything planned on what to review next. If anyone wants to request an Elvis film feel free to send it in.

Tagging: @lynettethemadscientist, @motht-eeth, @ash-omalley, @spooky-hazex, @oh-my-front-door, @father-of-2cats, @stormie-ryan23, @yksuwyksud, @tacozebra051, @alienelvisobsession, @vintageoldsoul, @ohmygiddd, @lovininapinkcadillac, @stephthestallion, @mistyspresley, @bisexualwvtson, @karel-in-wonderland, @moonchild-daniella, @musiclover712, @worldofyns, @sillybookmarks, @g00d2balive, @leighpc, @generoustreemystic, @peskybedtime, @thetaoofzoe, @renegadewarrior, @vintagepresley, @tupelomiss, @myradiaz, @pinkcaddyconfessions, @kiankiwi, @presley72elvis, @delulubutidontcare, @elvispresleywife, @ilivebecauseiamforced, @jaqueline19997, @richardslady121, @if-i-can-dream-of-elvis and @lookingforrainbows.

[confoundedluna]

can't sleep and brain is on overload so i'm breaking out what is possibly a Controversial until dawn opinion

I don't believe Emily and Mike physically cheated on Matt and Jess with each other.

there's a Ton of evidence seemingly contradicting that, sure, but when you look at it it's Incredibly circumstantial and not the full story

Mike and Emily hugging after she tells Matt she's going to find Sam?

we never actually hear what they're talking about, it could have been a friendly greeting, or hell it could have been comforting because, y'know, IT'S THE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR FRIENDS DISAPPEARING AND IT'S KINDA THEIR FAULT

if they were cheating, surely they'd kiss, rather than a pretty chaste hug? okay, sure, there's the risk of being caught, and Ash does of course see them, but I don't really see anything romantic in their body language (though that might be just me)

Emily getting all jealous and possessive and picking a fight with Jess in the lodge?

I don't think that's coming because her and Mike are secretly involved still, I call that Maybe some lingering romantic feelings from what was likely a shitty breakup and mostly bitterness that her best friend is dating her ex that just a year ago she was helping deter another girl from

the big kicker some people whip out is the unpopular dialogue choice when the fire tower is falling, if Matt saw them through the viewfinder, in which Emily basically admits to cheating, right?

except. she doesn't.

her voice in that scene is the biggest thing to me. most of the time, Emily is angry. aggressive. but in that scene, she knows she might die, she's Terrified, and her only hope of getting to safety is yelling at her insistently that she's cheating on him.

"Christ, Matt, we were just talking!" and 'I- I was confused!" and "Please... Matt, I'm sorry!" are her most important lines in that scene, and her delivery is Desperate. she basically whimpers before her stuttered "I", which makes sense. most of Matt's non-choice dialogue, of which there is admittedly very little, makes him sound like a peacekeeper, a mediator. the way he tries to placate Emily when they first arrive, or how he apologises to Ash after scaring her? not the aggressive, fight-starting guy the player can make him be.

so to be Screaming at her in a life or death situation? she knew there was no getting through to him, and she had to say what he wanted to hear if she had any chance of him getting her to safety

none of her words are an outright confession, just enough to Seem like one, and hopefully be apologetic enough that he'll save her so they can talk later, back on safe ground

the "confused" line I call back to 'Maybe lingering romantic feelings leftover from a recent shitty breakup', I haven't heard many cheating confessions so I don't know how many try the confusion justification, but I don't think it fits here

(also, confirmation needed, but on a video I watched of this fire tower scene, I saw a comment saying the devs confirmed she's lying here about actual physical cheating having happened? I don't have a source for that if it's true, but if anyone does that would be really cool and helpful)

and on Mike's part, I look to simply every single thing centred around Jess he did in the game. which was a Lot. they have such a great dynamic, he's clearly very devoted to her, desperate and broken and angry when she's taken and he can't save her, and I just don't see him cheating on her at all, not even with Emily.

so, yeah. while there might have been some emotional stuff left on Emily's end, which does make her kinda shitty since she's with Matt, I don't think they did anything physical while committed to other people like some think they did. Mike I think too devoted to Jess and probably unwilling to go back to Emily, probably associating the relationship with the twins' disappearing. Emily I think does genuinely care about Matt enough to not act on any possible leftover feelings, and this is speculation on my part but she probably wouldn't even if she's just using Matt as a Mike replacement because she's so bitter at Jess for 'stealing her man', but wouldn't want to do the same thing in return to her because she thinks she's better than that i.e better than Jess.

if y'all think differently, I'd love to hear why! or, if you agree with me, I'd still love to hear more! I love thinking about this kinda thing and hearing other people's perspectives

[kasunex]

I've written before about some Coffin fans who argue that Andrew and Ashley are only incestuous in Burial/Questionable and why I disagree with this. To sum that, when consummation is the only line they've yet to cross, they've already gone far, far, far beyond the bounds of a normal sibling relationship.

In a similar vein, some fans argue that the Burial/Sane v Questionable division is the player being given the choice as to whether or not Ashley and Andrew's feelings are platonic or romantic.

I wouldn't agree with this take either, and I'll explain why.

Burial/Questionable

Burial/Sane

Look at the difference between the two choices themselves.

Note that, everything prior aside, neither option portrays Ashley's feelings for Andrew as platonic. The Burial/Sane still shows Ashley with a broken heart at seeing Andrew and Julia together. That Ashley has romantic desires for Andrew is the same for both portrayals, Questionable and Sane.

So then, the difference is whether Ashley chooses to portray her relationship with Andrew as romantic, with the heart above their heads, or one-sided, with Andrew having that heart with Julia instead.

That being said, this choice seemingly reflects how Ashley sees things - because this is all in Ashley's mind, done without Andrew's input.

If it was Andrew doing the placement, there might be more of an argument to be made that this is the player deciding how Andrew feels about Ashley. But given that it's Ashley, the choice seems to be Ashley deciding what she believes about Andrew's feelings - whether she assumes Andrew may hold romantic affections for her, or if she assumes Andrew has feelings only for Julia.

Adding to this interpretation is the dialogue choice after the vision. If the player picks "Never" - which makes them go into the Sane ending - Ashley thinks to herself that she is just fine with the possibility of a sexual relationship, but that it will never happen specifically because Andrew doesn't want it to.

Or so she assumes, anyway. Since we know that Andrew very much does desire Ashley sexually. Ashley also notes in this ending that Andrew "does come off that way sometimes" due to his "jealous streak". She is here considering that he might have feelings for her in a way she evidently hasn't before.

We have to remember that Ashley's primary issue in her relationship with Andrew is her insecurity. Even as Andrew chooses her time and time again, Ashley still feels convinced he will turn his back on her if given the chance. Burial is her moving past this, of course, but it stands to reason that just because she accepts Andrew won't jump at the chance to abandon her doesn't mean she thinks he returns her romantic feelings...god forbid. After all, Ashley has seemingly never held interest in dating anyone else, while Andrew dated Julia.

So all this raises the question - if the Sane v. Questionable path is based on Ashley's perception of Andrew and not on how Andrew actually feels, who does Andrew hold affections for - Julia or Ashley?

Basically all evidence points to Ashley. Andrew put Ashley ahead of Julia time and time again to the point Julia left him. Andrew admits he isn't bothered by the fact he will never see Julia again, in contrast to how he aggressively resists separating from Ashley in any regard. The devlog for Ep3 strongly implies Andrew only started dating Julia to dodge rumors of him and Ashley being a couple. And then, the cherry on top is the sad expression he had embracing Julia, only to perk up when he suggests making Julia look more like Ashley.

So ultimately, Andrew and Ashley do hold romantic feelings for one another, before and during all three routes. The dividing line between Questionable and Sane, then, would seem to be whether or not Ashley opens herself up to Andrew returning her feelings, or if she continues to assume he doesn't.

As to where Burial/Sane will go from here? I would assume that it will either have Andrew and Ashley's relationship stay the same or move in a more platonic direction - while emphasizing that they are less happy with this outcome than the alternative presented in Questionable - or it will ultimately have them accepting their feelings anyway, just taking more time to get to that point than Burial/Questionable.

[artistic-izzy-multifandom]

Izzy's Heavily Improvised Essay on Bambi 2

(to folks who follow me for other stuff, I apologize right ahead of time, just doing my "multifandom" name justice XD)

Okay y’all, bear with me, this was written in the heat of the moment and therefore I might go around in tangents. I’ve been dying to write this essay thingy for months actually, but I kept chickening out when I went to try and just do it. And it was also inspired by Wreckham’s own Bambi post that I saw a while ago, so uh... Yeah.

(also this mainly features my opinions, don't take them as facts >_<)

So, starting things off with this:

It shall be no secret that I’m an avid fan of the Bambi movies (more the second than the first, but we’ll get to that in a bit). 

It’s no surprise that visually speaking, Bambi is a spectacle from beginning to end, on top of having a beautiful soundtrack and a fascinating way of being the closest thing to an animated documentary with its environments.

However, it comes with the price of... Well, lacking a concrete plot. And by that I mean outside of just showcasing Bambi’s life from birth to adulthood. Not to say there’s no value in that, but I reckon it’s not the kind of movie lots of people nowadays would just want to watch multiple times in a row.

(plus considering how much of the novel’s plot they cut out when adapting it to the screens… That’s a can of worms for another day)

Yes, even I, the avid fan, will admit this flaw in the storytelling. And it’s a big reason why I maintain my statement on loving the second movie more than the first.

And oh where do I begin?

Namely how its plot is basically about the time that happened between Bambi’s Mother’s death and the scene with all those cheery singing birds — in other words, the period in which Bambi was raised by his father, the Great Prince of the Forest.

While animation’s changed significantly (given that, y’know, 64 years apart) and also different voice actors were hired for the characters (again, 64 years), I will come here and say that visually the movie did the original justice, and did it in spades!

Plot-wise? On one hand, there’s more dialogue and the humor is a bit more targeted for younger audiences, which in fairness will put off some who are more inclined towards the original.

On the other hand, the movie is also not afraid to explore some darker subjects, some indirectly (like the whole aspect of grief both for Bambi and his father and their respective ways of dealing with it), and some directly (such as the entire Deer Call scene).

And the fact that unlike the first movie, the characters here are more fleshed out, the main highlight of that is none other than the Great Prince himself; in the first movie he... Didn’t have nearly enough screentime or lines to justify his status as protector of the Forest, at best he was a minor character given too much importance, and at worst he was a living prop.

In the second? He’s the second main focus of the story, with a whole character development arc on how to be a father to Bambi despite his belief in tradition (aka the whole “the does care for the young” thing). In fact, I think I should dedicate this part of the essay on his character, shall we? Because years of rewatching the movie made me think a lot of things regarding him (which I don’t see many or even anyone talk enough about):

If we’re gonna think about it, we never really get to know the Great Prince too deeply prior to his mate’s death. Everything we do know about him personality-wise came afterwards, at a time when he had to look after Bambi while also looking after the Forest as a whole.

It’s incredibly easy to label him as a jerk and a deadbeat father when one fails to consider a few things:

1- His mate died, and given the timeframe, the Prince was unable to reach both her and Bambi in time before Man shot her; made worse when you remember that in the first movie he was able to save them both from Man. Literally, at the beginning of the second movie, one of the first expressions we see from him is sadness. Wouldn’t you think he was feeling not just grief, but guilt too?

2- He was left to raise his son alone, at one of the harshest points of wintertime, and only asked Friend Owl to find a doe because the owl offered some help in the first place; recalling the tradition thing, the Prince had no experience with children whatsoever, can you blame him for being baffled at the idea of him raising his son at first?

3- He’s the protector of a whole forest. That’s like, hundreds and hundreds of lives he’s dedicated to keep safe from Man at all times every single day, hundreds and hundreds of animals depending on him to not get shot. Even if he’s experienced at what he does, that’s still a huge pressure onto a single individual, and the fact that he can’t always save everyone every time Man is in the woods.

And a bonus: forget his status as the Great Prince of the Forest for a moment, and what do you have? A stag who lost his mate (whom he genuinely loved) and is left to raise their son entirely on his own.

If I were to guess, I’d say the Great Prince was far more serene prior to the tragedy; still a recluse, what with being the protector of the woods and then some, but less stern in general.

Everything we see of him before the completion of his character development, is him trying to make do with something that was out of his control and dealing with its consequences. (there’s a reason why ‘Parents as People’ is a trope, y’know)

Hell, it was all but stated that even before he became more open towards Bambi and embraced his role as a parent, he already cared about his son in his own way. I’m under the belief that he’s always been capable of raising him, all he needed was some time (and a bit of a nudge from Bambi himself at points).

Plus he was already regretting the whole “new mother to Bambi” plan and intending on calling it off by the time Friend Owl brought Mena, he only went through with it anyway because he thought he screwed things up with Bambi for good - btw I do not blame Bambi for being mad, poor guy’s spent most of the movie trying to impress his dad and taking every lesson to heart, only to find out about the arrangement at the worst time possible.

On another tangent, I feel like one aspect that’s often overlooked is how both Bambi and his father reacted to going through with the arrangement:

By the time Bambi was going to leave with Mena, he wasn’t even mad anymore, just downtrodden and upset that he wouldn’t get to see his friends as often, but otherwise resigned and accepting that it’s what he should be doing. Putting up a brave facade all the while, much like the Great Prince himself.

Same for the latter, he was trying to keep his regal facade up as well and insisting that “a Prince does sacrifices” - he was mostly talking about himself, having to give his son up so he’s raised by someone better than the Prince.

And let’s get one fact clear before heading to a main point in this essay: although Bambi did get mad at his father (down to even wishing his mother was there instead of him), he was far more upset at being separated from him and not getting to see him as often, and it’s made obvious he regretted yelling those words at his father.

Otherwise, Bambi wouldn’t have rushed back to nuzzle him goodbye, wouldn’t have thought of retaliating against Ronno when the latter taunted him about being “given away” due to his father “being ashamed of him”. And he certainly wouldn’t have run to another cliff to meet his dad after defeating the last of Man’s dogs.

In fact I more than believe that they would’ve reconciled on the spot as soon as they saw each other again, which was what likely gonna happen after Bambi saved Mena and got rid of all the dogs.

But then the cliff scene happened.

(aka one of my favorite scenes in the whole movie, and yes I will defend it right now)

Now, I can see why a good bunch of people hate that scene (namely the whole Disney Death thing), but allow me to say that it’s in the movie for a reason, and it’s not to trick the audience into thinking Bambi did die from the fall.

It’s to showcase the Great Prince’s character arc coming to fruition.

Remember when I said that the Prince did love Bambi in his own way despite not knowing anything about raising children? This is the scene where he finally realized just how much he did care all along, shedding away his “prince does/does not” mentality for good. Realizing that Bambi needed him as a father

There's so much that goes unsaid in the scene.

How the Prince’s voice nearly breaks when urging Bambi to get up, him saying “A Prince does not...” but never finishing it. What was he going to say? We don’t know, and that’s the point. Maybe even he didn’t know, maybe it was said out of reflex.

How he gets down and looks at his (seemingly) dead son before nuzzling him, keeping him as close as he could, and crying.

This all makes it more meaningful when Bambi does wake up and calls him Dad for the first time, showcasing how far their bond has gone and developed.

I believe, among other things, that the scene (and perhaps counting the dog chase as well) was also meant to be a mirror/parallel to the dream sequence from earlier in the movie. But that’s perhaps an essay for another day!

So, in conclusion… I swear I’m 100% normal about this movie, I totally did not spend days on end trying to make this improv essay as cohesive as possible-

[essay ends here, roll credits]

[innerchorus]

Arslan Senki Chapter 126 (Part 1)

SPOILERS for this chapter, obviously. The cliffhanger ending on this one is quite something and obviously a big departure from the novels.

We're straight into the Andragoras vs. Hilmes duel at the start of the chapter, and at this point I was sure that this would be the most stressful part? And it was pretty stressful, especially seeing Hilmes appear on the defensive and then watching as Andragoras kneed him in the chest/stomach... but then Hilmes managing to kick Andragoras's elbow from his position on the floor lifted my spirits somewhat!

Good move, Denka!

They're... really trying to kill each other here though, and that fills me with fear.

However, as they part with a hand to their respective injuries (nothing major for either, but Andragoras's arm must be throbbing/numb and Hilmes is winded and bruised) who should appear but the (Un)Holy Master?

He's becoming a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, especially in this scene, I think this time I'm not ashamed to admit that I quite enjoyed him. And at least his appearance had the added bonus of interrupting the duel.

The way he is just like... lounging nonchalantly against the throne.

The 'vwap' sound effect makes it seem very much like he just materialised there. We also get to see him teleport to (partially) evade Andragoras's attack later in this chapter.

Anyway, even Andragoras is shocked, because he recognises him, and yet... this sorcerer should much older than he appears!

Why do I like this panel.

The clawed hand sliding on the arm of the throne 👌

Interesting that he describes himself this way (same as in the novels if I remember correctly). I do think he originally started off as a regular human, but the effects of using this kind of sorcery warp the body over time into something unnatural in more ways than just an extended lifespan. I see some of the changes as deliberate and some as just a consequence of their magic use, though that's only a headcanon.

SNAKE PUPILS 🐍

Anyway after the stress of watching Hilmes and Andragoras try to take each other out it's quite fun to see the Master enjoying himself in the knowledge that the other people in the room know far less then him.

Oh, Hilmes... They were never on your side...

'Sides don't matter', hmm? Is that because we've entered the endgame? Because Zahhak is already free from Mount Demavant? Because this close to triumph, Team Zahhak don't need to pretend to be supporting anyone or anything in particular? Because they were always, always working towards their own aims? Either way, it definitely highlights exactly how poor Hilmes's grasp of the truth is here.

And at this point we divert back to Arslan!

He tells his followers the truth her learned about his origins, and states his aim to head to Mount Demavant and retrieve Rukhnabad. Last chapter, I thought Arakawa might be avoiding this and was planning to have him acquire Rukhnabad incidentally, by bumping into Don Ricardo which is funny because... it kind of does happen like that rather than outright aiming for it, and so when I realised where this chapter was going I was hesitant, but actually I liked it more than I expected to.

The dialogue in this scene is all so good! And it makes this decision more understandable. I would share it but I'd just be posting whole pages at this point, but one thing I will mention is that I was glad to see some discussion of what happened when Hilmes went after the sword and mentions of how Zandeh's actions stopped the earthquake. It feels like Arslan is making a more informed choice with an awareness of the consequences, and an acceptance of the concept that he might be found unworthy, which Hilmes totally lacked.

(For reference, in the novels this declaration of Arslan's intent to retrive Rukhnabad is a brief scene with like three lines of dialogue. Arslan basically says he'll go to Mount Demavant to retrieve the sword, prove he is qualified to rule, and then become Shah, and Gieve immediately agrees to be his guide. Arakawa did a much better job. I know Tanaka is the original creator but honestly... elements of that part felt out of character to me, and I think Arakawa manages to acknowledge precisely what was bothering me, so I'm now more on board with Arslan's decision.)

Now back to the throne room, where I will try to prevent myself from sharing yet more screencaps of the bastard himself.

No more snake pics in this post challenge: failed. Will you believe me if I say I wanted to post this image because of Hilmes?

Anyway, the big secret is out and Andragoras is NOT happy. The first half of the chapter ends with him taking a huge swipe at the Master with his sword that not only appears to cut him in half but also slashes straight through the ACTUAL THRONE behind him.

Andragoras, exactly how strong are you? What is your blade made of that it can cut right through the throne like that?

And at this point I'm realising how long this post is, so like the Kmanga chapter releases I'm going to split it into two parts. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon, in the meantime I'll leave you with Hilmes's utter shock at what is actually quite an epic moment from Andragoras (and just about the only one where we can cheer for him unreservedly).

[hiroukeimou]

Mild thoughts on Volume 4.

So, I'm still processing the season finale, and my vol.4 of the light novel thankfully arrived in the mail yesterday to lift my mood. So I figured I'd do a post about it instead.

Spoilers under the cut.

I'll start light:

Bridget is far more likeable and understandable in the light novel. She actually treats Shall decently (for a slave, if you can believe) by eating meals with him at a table. Also, her feelings for her family and those of the workshop are far clearer. She also oddly talks to Anne early on about the First Silver Sugar tale. It's a uniquely cute conversation I wish was in the anime because it's one of the few moments where Bridget's kindness is on full display because not only does she not punish Shall for laughing at her naivety but she actually talks to Anne in a civil manner.

On the note of Bridget, at the very end of the volume, we're clued in to how she obtains Rafael as a companion fairy. He simply shows up at her back door in the middle of the night and she's smitten with his looks.

I don't have many notes on the workshop beyond the side characters like King and Orland receiving more backstory and lines of dialogue. Orland's feelings for Bridget are clearer in the light novel.

Glen, on the other hand, is fascinating. He's a strict father who does in fact get pissed off that his daughter is isolating a fairy alongside herself. However, one big difference from the anime is during the time Glen is in possession of Shall's wing. In the anime, Shall is relieved to swap hands; however, in the light novel, there is no relief because of how strict Glen feels as a person. Even Anne points out internally how Glen is treating Shall like an object. That said, Glen is roughly how he is in the anime, he gives Shall direct orders but like Anne in the first volume, he doesn't intend to punish Shall for disobeying. And he does tell Elliot to give the wing to Anne if their workshop is chosen for the selection.

Finally, on my notes, we have Shall himself. And, of course, this is kind of why the light novel is necessary to understand the anime...

The guy's inner thoughts and dialogue are so interesting. I personally loved reading through his feelings on Anne during this volume. Unironically, Shall feels sorry for Bridget midway through the volume. Apparently, he was owned by a noble child in the past who acted similar to Bridget (and Rafael in his earlier stages): The person desired his affections because they had never been loved themselves and they treated Shall alright but of course Shall doesn't like being owned so the child would lash out whenever Shall wasn't being complacent. Although Shall feels sympathy towards Bridget, he refuses to be kind to her even after his wing trades hands to Glen.

The situation with Anne is unique in the light novel: Shall is a "say one thing, mean another" type of guy. He is already noticing his feelings for Anne as early as his first meeting with her in the book. Shall knows he'll be punished if Bridget sees him but he desperately wants to see Anne. And, by the time his wing has changed hands to Glen, Shall is admitting internally that his love for Anne is like Liz's love for him. Although, the near-kiss in the anime is purely an anime-only thing. In the light novel, Mythril is there the entire time, and it's all his imagination because he wondered earlier if kissing Anne would cause her to fluster and yell or run off crying (he loves teasing Anne, I swear), and he has an urge to again here, and Mythril interrupts his thoughts like in the anime. Afterwards, Shall covers his face and thinks: "Did I look like I wanted her that badly?" Even at the end of the volume, Shall still wants to kiss Anne, he's close enough that Anne "feels his warm breath on her lips", and only apparently chooses to kiss her forehead for a blessing last minute.

The trio scenes are adorable: Anne thinks of Shall and Mythril as basically family throughout this volume. It's what they are to her. So when Shall is back in their room, Mythril is so happy he's climbing all over Shall who holds him by his collar as usual whilst Mythril is trying to essentially hug Shall (in a sense).

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the volume. Can't wait to read vol.5, things will get interesting. If anyone wants to add their own thoughts later, feel free.

[tackytigerfic]

First Line Game

I was just thinking that I haven't seen one of these floating about in a while, so decided to start one. These are the general rules but I think people should play fast and loose with this - take part however you want and please tag me, as the last time we did this as a fandom, I found loads of brilliant fics to read and was reminded of many more I had already read! Here are mine: all Drarry except one Dron.

List the first lines of your last 10 stories (if you have fewer than 10, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 people!

Howl (M, 9k, werewolf Drarry): Draco woke up on a Friday morning in a field hospital in Grasmere, without a single memory of how he had got there.

Take the Moon (M, 15k, dad Draco, stepdad Harry, also werewolf Harry lmao): “I’ll do it, of course I’ll fucking do it,” Draco was saying, which didn’t make any sense, because he was supposed to be at work; maybe Harry was hallucinating him.

The Edge of Something (M, 1.5k, ghost sex which was basically the very reason i wrote the fic): “Well, the good news is that I’m not dead,” Malfoy said, the voice so very much his that it brought Harry out of bed and to his knees.

Far Side (M, 1k, werewolf Harry yet again and also good dad Draco yet again, what can i say i'm in a loop): Harry has a photo on his desk; he says it’s his favourite.

Snow on Snow (T, 1.1k, fake dating turned into safe house shenanigans): On the first night in the safe house, Harry was woken every hour by church bells.

Dreaming Skies (Dron, E, 20k, dragon tamer Ron and Draco who has nowhere else to go): Everything tasted better after working so hard all day that your palms bled.

Countdown to a Life (E, 3.5k, little moments in the first year of their relationship): Night-time, all the lights of London laid out in front of them from the balcony of Dean Thomas’s mum’s flat, the week before Christmas.

A Little Death Never Hurt Anyone (E, 4.2k, Master of Death Harry who is going through the Veil to try to raise the dead to help him defeat Voldemort): Draco was the only one awake when Harry got back.

Relic Radiation (M, 1k, Draco goes into space): “At least he waited until now. For Scorp's sake, I mean.”

Mortal Frame (M, 6.6k, Bellatrix left a Horcrux and Draco and Harry must track it down): The pub is called the Red Lion, and Harry thinks Draco might have chosen it on purpose, just for the name.

Hmm, I will admit that I don't think any of these are absolute bangers if I'm honest. Howl was supposed to start with "Something was burning" which I loved, but I had to switch things around so that's now further on in the fic. That said, I think my writing is better now than it used to be, even if the first lines don't necessarily reflect that. I have no patterns, clearly, though I was surprised to see myself starting with dialogue in quite a few of those, as I don't usually think of myself as a good dialogue writer.

My favourite of these is probably Countdown - I'm weak for a long run-on stream-of-consciousness sentence. Or maybe Edge as that would make me as a reader want to know what is happening (why might Draco have been dead??), or Snow because that gives a nice bit of set-up without feeling too heavy.

I did also cheat as the line from Dreaming Skies isn't the first line of the fic, it's the first line of the bit I wrote - @sweet-s0rr0w no doubt did start with a banger but it didn't feel right to nab that as my own.

I would really love to read everyone's so do please tag me if you do it!

[squares-the-cosmosrectangle]

Squares Research: Unused Data

With the help of @puyo-puyo-for-real-justice, I’ve gotten some unused dialogue and concept art for Squares. So now it’s time for the research post about all of it, I’ll start with the concept art.

Concept Art

So, Squares has 2 files of concept art on Puyo Nexus, that I’ll assume is all the concept art he and Marle both have.

His first Concept Art and second one look pretty similar. It seems originally that he was to have long hair by default and it not change. And then the second one has him with shorter hair. (It seems propeller hair was always part of his design here)

His third concept art here, seems to have the concept that his hair would grow longer and the cowlick change shape when he activates his powers. Bearing high resemblance to his “Cosmic Rectangle” spell art.

But, he seems to have even older concept art with Marle.

This is likely much older judging my how different his design is here. In this art, he has long hair, no cowlick, some fluffy tuft of furr(?) around his head, floating cubes around him, and his clothes are vastly different. Although heeled shoes seem to still have been part of his design all the way back here.

And it seems like judging by the other art in this image for this design of Squares, his powers apparently hurt him? Due to his face here he looks pained, which technically was kept in the final version of him. (He gains agonizing pain due to going to explode)

Dialogue

Next, we have the unused dialogue to discuss. Which is honestly super interesting, because it gives a whole new perspective of Marle & Squares character, it’s a shame they weren’t kept in the final game.

Tee

You can open up to us. Everyone here is willing to listen. You don't have to carry this burden alone.

Squares

confusion You all stand in the face of destruction. Yet… You're not afraid. You're not angry. I don't understand… Why…?

Marle

Listen, Squares. They're not afraid because that's just who they are. Please… Let's stop this.

Squares

…Never.

Marle

frustration intensifies You're so obtuse, Squares!

Squares

What?

Marle

I said you're obtuse! Stubborn! Hard-headed! Inflexible!

Ringo

Hey, Marle…?

Tee

She finally lost it…

Marle

Everyone here is trying their hardest for YOU! So why do you have to act like this!? I admit, it was my fault all of this started in the first place. But you're taking it WAY too far! And besides, I know what you're up to. You never planned to actually harm anyone here. You were never serious about any of this! Tch… You know what must be done. But you refuse to accept it! And for that… I have to teach you a lesson!

With these bits of unused dialogue, we have a whole new perspective of the story. Here, unlike in the final game, Marle admits to being in the fault, and states that Squares hadn’t truly intended on doing anything he had claimed he would.

But, now, it’s time for a more in-depth analysis of this conversation, and Squares characterization!

For starters, this unused bit of dialogue actually makes Squares seem much younger than what he seems, seeing as he wondered how the heroes weren’t scared, and how his plan wasn’t true. He basically, according to this, lied to the heroes about erasing them. Most likely because he wanted them to listen to him, and, to fix the worlds how they where,

But, unlike in the final game, Marle admits that it was her fault. Meaning despite what he had done, the reason was because Marle didn’t teach him enough, she didn’t let him learn. She could have stopped it by telling him more about her obsession with the Puyo and Tetris worlds after their merge.

But, how do these unused dialogue lines compare and contrast with the final story? Well, I think they are all still true. There are multiple signs in the game that Squares likely didn’t actually plan to hurt them, read here for my explanation. And, it’s still Marle’s fault in the finished game, she just never admits that it is.

But, Tee in the unused dialogue mentions that Squares is burdened with something, likely his feelings and duty. Would that mean that Squares has issues that needs sorted out? Like, why would he just keep how he feels bottled up, sure he was saying he was gonna erase them, but why keep his burdens hidden? Maybe he didn’t or doesn’t want to trouble them - especially Marle?

I find the unused dialogue very interesting, especially how we see Marle take responsibility for what happened. I think in the final game she just let’s people assume it was Squares fault, but in the unused dialogue - she takes responsibility, she created Squares so he is her responsibility to care for. I wish these where kept in, they completely could’ve changed how Marle & Squares are. Especially since they say that Squares basically was just bluffing, cause he wasn’t gonna do anything to them.

But, these basically confirm my theory that Squares was innocent with the events as they aren’t exactly his fault, and that he didn’t intend to hurt anyone. So, I’m happy about that.

Hmm… how would have Puyo Puyo Tetris 2’s ending have gone if the heroes didn’t rescue Squares from his powers making him explode? What if there was a bad ending where the heroes fail and they and Marle watch helplessly as Squares explodes? How would Marle react? How would the music sound? Would have Squares cried right before his demise? So many questions, so little answers…

[theoriginaltortuga]

Thoughts and opinions on Connor and Devon through the it lives series 

warning: long post, very rambly, and spoilers abound

So this might go in headcanon territory but ill try to keep it general for this post

ILITW:

I’ll admit connor was like the fourth LI i romanced after i started playing it lives and even then it was only because i had a specific playthrough i wanted. I don’t know how other people do it, but i changed my MCs personalities and appearances based on what i wanted their ending and final nerve score to be. So Devon Hernandez, my sole survivor, needed to be kind of a prick, or at least have severe foot in mouth syndrome, while maintaining the highest nerve he could and dating Connor was the best for that

But alas I fell hard for this character i previously skipped a lot of dialogue for. Connor is a wannabe bad boy in the best possible way, he’s got the leather jacket, the cool car, and the fighting skills, all while being “forbidden” by being Stacy’s brother. (won’t lie i was expecting a slight conflict from that even if it was just in flavor text, but im not mad that she was cool with it)  

the banter between him and Devon really worked for me, and i loved how even outside of the romance specific scenes there was still acknowledgment of the relationship (whether thats a failing on pb’s part or done because he’s technically on screen less than the others im not sure) 

More on personality, Connor is interested but not pushy, acts like he’s “not too good” while being too good at all times, a caring person and a fun one, an affectionate boyfriend and doesn’t put up with people’s shit. I realized i actually cared about him the second he offered to take Devon to a diner with burgers the size of their face

Main Route (connor and MC live, all their friends are dead) : 

Jumping through time to ilw and him and Devon are horndogs living together in a cabin and scarring their friends with their sex life, which was a direction i wasn’t expecting but one i loved anyway. Again all the small acknowledgements of their relationship killed me and pet names are always a win. Connor evolved from background character and “The Love Interest” to a semi-main badass. 

One thing i loved about it lives within is that all the characters from the previous books felt like themselves in a way that’s hard to explain but basically you just bought that these were the exact same characters and the fact that it was a completely different writer never crossed my mind

There is a kind of maturity in Connor and Devon’s relationship that is nice to see because they have been together 4 years, while still staying true to the versions of them we first met

This route ended with Connor proposing to Devon and getting them their beautiful house with the porch swing and several dog children and I loved the final moments of happiness in their otherwise kind of heartbreaking story

Good Route (connor and MC live, everyone lived):

Basically the same as above, though I will say I love the idea that the whole memorial Stacy knew exactly what was about to go down and I may or may not nudge aside the idea that Devon let their friendships fall to shit and their all like bridesmaids or groomsmen, its not that them falling apart again is unrealistic or bad, it just makes me kind of sad so I ignore it in my own hc

Bad Route (connor and noah live, everyone else died and then so does Connor):

The one i just finished playing and all the interactions between Connor and Redfield!MC were so sweet and i loved them but it always held that kind of bittersweet feeling.

I played with Noah also being into Devon which was also painful, but the line “i suspected for a while now” made me laugh because all i can imagine is an internal montage of Noah being annoyed at Connor and Devon’s affection and constantly looking at Devon with heart eyes and Connor just like “wow i should’ve clocked that like last year” 

i have a lot to say on the Devon being comforted scene that i will save for the hc post but the call back to “too good” was *chefs kiss*

And towards the end realization that Connor was a horror, the accidental hope i gave the crew, and then Connor’s horrific (in the best possible way) death was so wonderfully written. You know when you read something so good that you just have to do a couple laps around the room? That was me. 

Rowan flung Connor into the fucking ceiling and the description of his blood dripping onto them and Devon was just so gnarly. Devon has lost everything, watched most of the people they loved be brutally murdered before their very eyes, and is lashing out while also being sort of aware that its not really Rowans fault which speaks a lot to their character but it hurt so freakin much

and don’t even get me started on the graveyard scene and the parallels with the other Redfield!MC graveyard scene, metal rose and all. I mentioned it before but my Devon in this route is just burnt out on love and friendship and people in a way that i’ll get into more in a hc post but yeah he’s not finding love again and i don’t think he’d ever want to

In conclusion, i love connor and devon together and I thank the og ilitw writers for writing their relationship and the ilw writers for making it even better and tearing my heart apart along with Connor’s and Devon’s in very different ways

[jayspaceinc]

15 lines of dialogue: Greyson ❤️‍🔥

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

1. “Max, do you think before you speak? Because it genuinely feels like you want me to punch you in the face. You’re being real ignorant. Genitalia doesn’t equal gender. This is basic kindergarten information.” One thing he was never going to stand for was any form of discrimination. If that meant he had to dropkick his long time friend, he would without a second thought.

2. “I’m not seeing how this was supposed to ‘help my mental health’ like you said on the ride over.”

“That’s because you’re still in your head. Would it help if we messed with something?”

“A little.” Grey admitted.

3. Greyson clicked his keys and his car popped up in the parking space beside them. “Find your own way home, Max.”

“Come on, dude, I was kidding! Spur of the moment thing.”

“Not when it’s true. I knew you didn’t come here for me. There’s your girlfriend. You guys made up. Whoopdidoo. Now find a way home, Einstein.”

4. Greyson took a long bath to calm his nerves as the porta-TV blared the Korean drama he had been watching to try and distract himself. He liked when the characters were upfront with their feelings or when they didn’t have to tiptoe around showing affection. Why did I tell her I didn’t want to see her again? She asked to talk and I blew it.

5. “We don’t need 6 of them. We can do 2 to a tent. That’s 3 and they come in a cube so that’s minimal room. Summer’s trunk is big enough.”

“You’re telling me.” Greyson snickered.

“Max, is someone talking? I hear an annoying sizzling sound for some reason.”

“Oh, haha. You’re so funny. What a comedian. You tell those jokes when you’re enchanting people too?”

“Worry about trying not to burn anyone. And I’m not talking about fire.”

“Max, I’m giving you a warning. I’m not one to hit women but I can be tempted.”

6. “You’re weirdly cool for once... Why?”

Grey flicked the ashes into the lake and took another drag. Someone obviously cared about the environment. “I’m tired of the cat and mouse. I’m tired of being the cat that continuously chases. At this point, I’ve given up. I still like you but I can’t force you to like me nor would I want to.”

7. “You did some things. Let’s leave it at that. You’re not a saint. None of us are. I keep thinking that maybe eventually you’ll just learn to shut up but then you never do. It’s been 17 years of bullshit and still, you haven’t learned to just shut up. Sometimes I just let you talk and talk and talk and all I can think about is how much I want to kill you. Not ‘I’m going to kill him’ and then I just laugh it off. No. When you get into these little pissy moods of yours and just let whatever comes to mind fly out of your mouth, I am genuinely thinking of twenty different ways to kill and dispose of your body,”

8. “It’s their first rodeo, give them a break,” Greyson started stretching, cracking all the tense parts. “This is a blessing in disguise honestly. I’ve been dying to get into something.”

“Who’s leading this? You or me?” Max asked as they spoke in vague code. The pair could basically read each other’s minds.

Grey laughed, “Obviously I am.”

“What are you two talking about?”

“Just keep watch. Text one of us when he comes back. Max?”

“Right behind you, one sec,” He finished the piece of toast he’d been eating. “Not that it’ll go this far, but everyone should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice if necessary.”

9. “Alright, 20 credits. Can I just say something? You and your girlfriend are so adorable. I love tall couples.”

Greyson looked at Kori for a brief moment and turned back to the cashier, “She’s not my girlfriend. More like… my big sister. My ‘noona’ if you will. Thank you,” He paid for the items and walked outside, unlinking their arms.

For a moment, she was too stunned to speak. She rushed outside and marched back up to him. “That was uncalled for.”

He chuckled a bit and gave a nonchalant shrug, “What? You said we’re friends. That’s how I mess with my friends. If I jump like a dog at somebody calling you my girlfriend, then how are we ever going to be real friends? You are older than me, after all.”

10. “You would’ve let me die out there.”

“No I wouldn’t. I just didn’t see what you were seeing. If you really saw something that is.”

“I did! I said I was crazy, not blind.”

“But you did say you were crazy.”

“It’ll be your funeral, the driver always dies first.”

“The driver has the highest chance of survival. The passenger is easy prey and practically no difficulty to yank or push out. While they’re busy eating you, I’ve got just enough time to speed off. Everyone knows the modern day undead are on a lean protein diet. I’m way too hearty for their taste,” Grey explained as he pulled off the lot.

11. “I just want to be useful, that’s all.”

“Trust me, Max, you find a way to make yourself useful everywhere. The world could use a break from your ‘use’.”

“If that’s your idea of consoling someone, fuck you. And if it’s some kind of slutshaming in code, double fuck you.”

“I’m a man, I slutshame outright. Like.. okay, example: your cousin Enzo? That’s a grade A slut right there. ”

Max hit him in the arm despite his light laughter. “Shut up.”

12. “I heard you beat some guy in the club to a pulp last night.”

“That’s not exactly what I’d call it. Do wrong and expect wrong done to you. It’s the cause and effect of your actions.”

“So what’s the effect of you beating him up?”

“A sore hand,” Grey inspected his hand that was now wrapped under bandages. Did I go too far again..? No, I’ve been good about holding back and-and he deserved it. He did deserve it, didn’t he? Of course he did. If anyone deserved it, he did. But who put me in charge of being Judge, Jury, and Executioner? And if he deserved it the most, then does that mean the others didn’t?

13. “I’ve had it ten times worse than you, Greyson. Not even headphones can block out some of the things I’ve heard..” Ayden shuddered in disgust.

“And the universe thanks you for your sacrifice.”

“Oh whatever, suck my dick.”

“Maybe. How much are you paying?”

He rolled his eyes and silently flicked him off as his attention returned to his phone.

14. “You’d have a better grip on reality if you didn’t consume your body weight in weed everyday.”

“Weed is the only reason I do have a grip,” he said under his breath, resting his head on the window once more as his eyes moved up to the front.

15. “I think I’ll pass on staying here. Everything could just be an elaborate lie,” Greyson turned for the door.

“Hinote, right?”

He stopped in his tracks. “Greyson, actually.”

Bonus!:

“Shouldn’t you be inside?” Max asked as he inspected the inner workings of the van.

“I have no allegiance or duty to anybody inside of that house,” Grey responded honestly as he leaned against the side.

[laalaaisqueen]

I love how TV tropes calls Guardian killing Laa-Laa with a rock as a 'mercy kill'.

Because that implies Guardian is considering how scared Laa-Laa is. Which proven by their early interaction, he hardly has any consideration with how upset and scared she is.

So with how canonly he justifies stalking. He justifies it so much, that you can basically get angry back at her. (Seriously Sean why is there an option to hit her? Not even Po has options to be that horrible) My vague memory of this is along the lines "That's no excuse".

You know in response to Laa-Laa admitting how stressed she is about the fates of her friends. Alright so basically, she has no excuse to yell and accuse him of things he never did just because she's stressed. (Whilee it might be right that she shouldn't have accused him of stuff, but perspective people)

But she just has to accept that the stalking is going to be justified just because it was Guardian's 'job'? Or based on your dialogue choices of refusing her information, she has to accept that you know her but she can't know much about you?

Her night just has gone from bad to worse.

And sure maybe she should have waited to hear Guardian's side of the story, but maybe Guardian's admitting of the whole experiment was her breaking point.

She had a scary nightmare, Po can just be mean to her, she watched Tinky kill her best friend, she either gets chased by Cave or Yeti so she probably just went through a near death experience, she's probably trying to take in what just happen at her little fire.

Then along comes Guardian, after all that's happened, wouldn't you be suspicious of him too?

And then Guardian basically tells her that, he stalked the four of them, that her whole life was a lie;an experiment that their home was practically just a little cage. Implications that for several times one of them would try to leave only to be captured and mindwiped.

Poor girl probably just hit her breaking point. Like come on guys, two of her friends are DEAD.

And onto the 'mercy kill'. Since Guardian doesn't consider Laa-Laa's feelings, he obviously didn't do it for her.

He did it for himself. She was about to turn and he needed to do something so Laa-Laa wouldn't kill him. (Trust me I don't like admitting that. He's my favorite little snowball BUT he has issues)

Dipsy and Po he can get away with since they had murderous intentions.

But Laa-Laa wasn't a threat to him in that moment. It's more right to leave her behind, it's better than that gosh dang rock.

(DiD IT tO SpArE hEr the pain-she would be in pain no matter what you do. If anything now she has blood stains on her head, I have no idea if her head would still hurt though.)

More on this, Guardian has no right to make that choice for Laa-Laa. She's a person, not a sick pet you're taking to the vet to put her down.

And isn't there an option to just tell her to hurry up or something when she's sitting down because I think she's starting to hurt and not feel good. So bonus points of more of not considering Laa-Laa's feelings.

I'm fully aware you have nice options, but I know people have chosen these awful options.

And also is she not going to comment on Dipsy's hat on this dirty stalker's head???

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Nevertheless, the system persisted, and without basic changes. For all the public clamor and widespread dissatisfaction, parole survived relatively unscathed. How could failure and unpopularity have had so little impact on the continuity and structure of policy? The answer is to be found, first, in the functions that the program did fulfill for several types of officials within criminal justice. The day-to-day advantages that they gained from administering the system far outweighed (for them) its apparent defects.

The most vigorous champions of parole, those who gained the most from its operation, were the prison wardens. Their support was critical to the survival of the system and it was unwavering, despite some gradual diminution of their authority over parole decisions. Before 1925, wardens dominated the parole boards. They usually served as one of the three members; the meetings were held on their grounds, at the prison; and at least at the start, the inmate’s record of institutional conduct probably counted for most, if for no other reason than as a carry-over from the time when parole was defined as a reward for the good inmate. After the mid-1920’s, however, the parole system built up its own bureaucracy. It became more independent of the department of corrections and moved away from the warden’s direct control. He no longer served on the committee, the final decisions were more frequently made in the state capital, and institutional behavior ranked well behind an inmate’s prior record in importance as a release consideration.

As Warden Lewis Lawes of Sing Sing told a New York investigatory committee:

‘I have never attended a meeting of the Parole Board. I have never been requested to. . . . I did attempt at first to make a good warden’s report and recommendation; but when I found they didn’t read it or pay any attention to it I will admit my efforts became very perfunctory.’

The Wilcox study in Pennsylvania found that “good conduct in prison does not inevitably lead to parole, nor do minor disciplinary infringements always prevent release. Eighty percent of those paroled at the minimum had perfect prison records. But it is also noteworthy that 80 percent of those refused parole had maintained good conduct in prison.” And the Attorney General’s survey cautioned that

Parole should not be used as a device for solving some of the problems of prison administrators. Prison administrators . . . are liable to employ it as a good time regulation or reward rather than as a correctional device.

Nevertheless, wardens had good reasons to continue to support the program and to resolve in their national meetings that parole was “an essential element in protective penology.” Some of them did manage to keep the boards under their sway: in such states as New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New Jersey, the warden still had the most to say about who went out on parole. In many cases, too, a warden could persuade a board to take into account his own prejudices in any one particular instance. Hence, the following dialogue in the Montana parole board meeting:

Case of Fred Albo, a Mexican, was considered. The Clerk read the history. Governor: Hold him I think. Secretary of State: Go to it. Attorney General: It makes no difference if he is a Mexican. Clerk: The Warden hates Mexicans and recommends him. He must be a good man. Governor: All right, don’t hold him.

(One cannot be certain, of course, whether the warden was very impressed by this inmate or whether he simply wanted to get rid of a noxious Mexican.)

More important, whatever the boards assumptions about the significance of the prior record, the warden could thwart the opportunity for release for any especially troublesome inmate. Boards would not pay attention to minor infractions or necessarily release someone who minded his own business inside. However, the inmate who was far out of line would suffer, and wardens as well as convicts understood this. Wardens, or their principal keepers, were very often present throughout board deliberations; but at any rate it was they who made up the dockets and so they had ample opportunity to tell the board about the bad cases. In Pennsylvania, for instance, the inmate who “carried coffee from the mess hall, cursed an officer, refused to enter his cell, and stole and drank shellac,” did not win release at the minimum. In effect, wardens had a veto power, and their ability to blackball was sufficient to serve their own disciplinary ends well.

“Complex and difficult as is prison management under the best conditions,” insisted one Indiana official, “it would be immediately more difficult without the parole law. The prisoner looks upon the parole as the reward for good conduct and steady industry and does his best to earn it.” Or, as Pennsylvania’s Wilcox concluded: “The power possessed by the state under parole laws . . . provides penal administrators with a club which is even more effective than the old ‘good time’ laws in inducing internal discipline. Prison managers generally favor parole for this reasons.

Moreover, wardens found themselves locked into the system once it was in operation. They were compelled to favor its perpetuation for the critical reason that any talk of a diminution in the availability of parole (let alone its outright abolition) provoked substantial inmate hostility - and wardens did not enjoy suppressing riots. Under indeterminate sentences, any effort to restrict parole had to mean significant increases in time served. Almost invariably, then, wardens were eager to see more and more paroles granted to keep peace among the inmates. Joseph Moore, chairman of the New York State Board of Parole, complained that wardens were directing inmates’ anger at parole boards and away from themselves. “The Parole Board finds it advisable to hold a large percentage of prisoners beyond their eligibility for release and we have abundant evidence that prison officials disapprove of this. Unfortunately, this feeling whether purposely or not is conveyed to the prisoners and it is permitted to be a general idea among them that so far as the prisons are concerned they would be glad to release them but the hard-boiled Parole Board holds them up.”

In much the same way, the warden of the penitentiary in Washington State kept up a running battle with parole board members. Because they were (in his view) too strict about release, his own job of preserving good order was more difficult. In fact, the warden “usually placed about five or ten men on the Docket who had served a long time, but who had no present chance for release. Why? Because when a ‘con’ has put in a lot of time and is denied any chance for a hearing before the Board, resentment occurs, and if there is enough of that, trouble occurs inside.” That same warden resisted all efforts to abolish parole for three-time losers: “Such prisoners could not be controlled . . . [and prison administration would be impossible.” The warden of the Illinois State Penitentiary at Stateville, to choose one case from many, knew the truth of that argument first-hand: in 1937, responding to a newspaper crusade, the parole board cut back on releases (granting only 3 from 274 applications), and in short order the warden had to contend with a hunger strike. Or, to turn the point around, the warden at Charlestown, Massachusetts, consistently recommended parole “because he expected it to improve discipline. He proved correct in his anticipation as there has not been a riot or outbreak in State Prison since parole went into effect.” In sum, the wardens were parole’s warmest friends. They supported the system and were eager to keep the numbers granted parole as high as possible - always excepting that cult case which had to be made into an object lesson.

Legislative committees investigating parole found the wardens’ conclusions not only well-taken but almost unanswerable. No matter how critical they were of one or another part of the system, they were reluctant to restrict release procedures for fear of undercutting prison officials’ power. The New York Crime Commission, a tough group with little good to say for parole, moved very cautiously for fear of disturbing the wardens’ authority. Not only the wardens but representatives of the state parole board took pains to inform the Commission just how critical parole was to discipline. “It is your opinion,” Senator Caleb Baumes, the chairman of the Commission, asked the head of the parole board, “that you create and maintain a better morale, if you please, amongst the prisoners generally, if they know that system is in vogue?” To which the chairman replied: “Absolutely.” The Commission accepted the argument, and as eager as some of its members were to abrogate the board’s right to release inmates immediately at the minimum, they did not dare do so. “If you tell 3,000 men in the prison,” concluded one of the most law-and-order-minded members of the Commission,

that they are likely to be held from months to five or six years more, you will make a hell on earth of every prison in the State. . . .3000 men expect . . . from all the years of practice by the Parole Board . . . that they will be released at the end of the minimum, and if you tell them that now it is likely or probable that their time will be extended beyond the minimum . . . they are going to insurge and feel vicious, and you can not blame them, no matter how heinous was their original offense.

His conclusion was clear: “If we are to go ahead on any rough and ready method of extending sentences and taking that definite hope away from them, the consequences will be extreme.” True, public opinion (and his own instincts as well) would prefer to “make them serve indefinitely.” But “we cannot do it without smashing prison discipline.” It was this kind of reasoning that helped to preserve parole, no matter how poor its reputation or inadequate its practice.

- David J. Rothman, Conscience and Convenience: The Asylum and Its Alternatives in Progressive America. Revised Edition. New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 2002 (1980), p. 183-187.

Image is from the Handbook of the New York Reformatory at Elmira, showing the parole board finishing a meeting and releasing an inmate - on the left hand side. c. 1916.

[longsightmyth]

America overhears a conversation between Maxon and Kriss that makes feel slightly ill because it reads as Maxon having manipulated the fuck out of this girl, who we know was raised to expect only fundie style courtship and, presumably, all the baggage that goes with it. It includes Kriss saying she wants to go on a real date, maybe even outside the palace, Maxon saying that isn't possible now or maybe ever since his mother leaves the palace "maybe twice a year" (?!). Kriss says she wants to see him somewhere he's not the prince, and he points out he's the prince everywhere. She says he knows what she means.

“I do. I’m sorry I can’t give that to you, really. I think it would be nice to see you somewhere where you weren’t an Elite. But this is the life I live.”

His voice grew a little sad.

Buddy you immediately get threatening and yelly if someone who could MAYBE have a claim to the throne so much as exists. I don't think you're sad about it at all.

He's all 'I know the public is intrusive now' which it is not. The author has utterly failed at injecting any kind of media interference anywhere. Anyway he says she should consider how much worse it will be when "they only have one girl to focus on"

“Maxon Schreave,” Kriss started, “you make it sound like it’s a sacrifice for me to be here. Each day I’m thankful for being chosen. Sometimes I try to imagine what it would have been like if we’d never met. . . . I’d rather lose you now than have gone a lifetime without this.”

Her voice was getting thick. I didn’t think she was crying, but she was close.

“I need you to know I’d want you without the beautiful clothes and the gorgeous rooms. I’d want you without the crown, Maxon. I just want you.”

Maxon was momentarily speechless, and I could imagine him holding her close or wiping away the tears that might have come by now.

“I can’t tell you what it means to me to hear that. I’ve been dying for someone to tell me that I was what mattered,” he confessed quietly.

Kriss occupies such a weird place in this story, but given the whole Fundie Thing this is deeply uncomfortable and probably her essentially believing they are engaged, and of course Maxon has already told AMERICA he wants to marry HER, so now we've got... idk what shape this is anymore.

Also, I cannot help but read this as Maxon deliberately manipulating Kriss. She says she doesn't want to wait anymore, though I admit I had a long analysis written out until I went back for the quote and realized it was NOT Maxon saying he didn't want to wait anymore. In my defense, there are a few unlabeled lines of dialogue and I was extremely uncomfortable reading this conversation.

I peeked around and saw the back of Maxon’s head as Kriss’s hand slid just barely into the neck of his suit. Her hair fell to the side as they kissed, and, for her first, it seemed like it was going really well. Better than Maxon’s, that was for sure.

Idk. Probably I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. It just seems like Maxon has taken the boiling frog approach with Kriss by pushing her boundaries with non-mouth kissing to get to this point, and now he's implying he wants to marry her so why not?

I don't agree with the reason Kriss has these boundaries bc they are all too often forced on young women especially, and especially in the usa, but the book has established her background and her feelings on that background, and Kriss said she likes the no kissing until engaged thing. If this was real life, Kriss would have every right to set those boundaries. Because this is a book the author has written her (seemingly to me) being manipulated beyond them... by the romantic hero. Who is shown as Right and Good at basically all times.

I don't care for it.