#it may not be about me because I'm not heir to the trauma that the movement centers

[corbinite]

Ecofascism is "environmentalism" through the lens of blood and soil. It's about the "purity" of what you put in your body, of the people who own a land, and of the land itself. It's about not wanting to be "tainted" by "savagery" (note this is not nonviolence even if it tries to look like nonviolence). It's about land Belonging to white people and white people being entitled to a version of stewardship through dominance and blood ties. And at its core it's about ownership over nature and over the people who are degraded to be seen as less human and therefore "ownable". That's why ecofascists treat marginalized people as if they were invasive species.

Veganism is about nonviolence. That's it. It takes many forms but it is inherently about nonviolence and a REJECTION of ideas about any hierarchical nature of humanity or the earth. Veganism is not eating plant based because it's more "pure" or "wholesome" or even because it's less environmentally impactful on average. It's just a commitment to nonviolence.

How many of you claiming that veganism is ecofascism can actually list off the traits of ecofascism? Was my first paragraph the first time you've actually seen the word defined instead of just being used as a vague "veganism is colonialism because of [insert whichever factoid you wanna play telephone with this time]"? Was it the first time you heard an explanation of what it was past "well the maga shaman guy didn't eat meat so you connect the dots"? (which wasn't even true, he eats *organic* and that includes meat). Do you think you can identify and fight ecofascism without a working definition of the ideology? Let me clarify, I'm not even saying your definition is wrong. I'm saying you don't have one. If you don't actually have a model of what ecofascists BELIEVE IN to reference, do you think you can pretend to be an authority on how to fight them? The end goal of ecofascism is genocide justified as "fighting overpopulation" and "keeping the land under its rightful protectors. It has to be actively and competently opposed at all costs. You cannot be an activist on vibes alone. You certainly can be a reactionary though.

[bookishdaze]

Noa and Mae as Romeo and Juliet in the Next Planet of the Apes Movie?

Here's why a potential "love story" between Mae and Noa, whether explicit or simply implied, may not be such a terrible idea.

Why? Because Shakespeare told me so, that's why.

"When in doubt, it's from Shakespeare....or the Bible." At least according to a book I had to read for high school, lol.

The biblical references in Caesar's trilogy have been pointed out multiple times already, and these movies have also been described as Shakespearean tragedies. So I thought, 'ok, what kind of Shakespearean tragedy will we have this time around?'

I'm first gonna start off with Hamlet in the Caesar trilogy. I'm also gonna mention other popular movies that are based on Shakespeare's plays. Not necessarily because it's concrete proof that this is what will happen in future POTA movies. This is me simply picking up certain storytelling beats and patterns I've noticed in some of my favorite movies.

It's not 100% the same, but there are some similarities. Also, this isn't anything new. Many have pointed this out before, but I love talking about this stuff!

The Lion King, Black Panther, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes are loosely based on Hamlet. A king or rightful heir is killed. Usually by an evil uncle, cousin, or family member. For some reason this always results in them falling off a very high cliff.

Everyone thinks they're dead, the evil relative takes power, and everything kinda sucks. There is not enough food in the Pride Lands under Scar's rule. Killmonger burns the heart-shaped herbs. Koba leads the apes to war against the humans.

The rightful ruler spends time in exile, recovering from their wounds and trauma. They might even get a visit or have a recollection of their dead father.

Then the rightful ruler comes back from the dead, challenges the usurper, and regains their rightful place upon the throne.

Now lets take a look at their sequels.

The Lion King 2 and Wakanda Forever share some similarities. They both follow another one of Shakespeare's popular plays, Romeo and Juliet.

Like the Montagues and Capulets, we have two rival kingdoms in both movies. We got the Pridelanders and the Outsiders. We also got the Wakandans and Talokanils.

The two heirs/rulers from both kingdoms meet. They hate and don't trust each other at first, but then they start to have compassion for the other. In Kiara and Kovu's case, they fall in love. Namor and Shuri don't fall in love, but after Namor shows her his underwater kingdom and what he has to protect, she softens and begins to understand him more. (They even got the whole Hades and Persephone thing going on, who are a couple in Greek mythology, by the way).

There are losses on both sides. Kovu's brother was killed while going after Simba. One of Namor's people was killed when Shuri was rescued by Nakia, and Shuri's mother, Queen Ramonda, died after Namor's attack on Wakanda. (Starts nervously eyeing Anaya here...)

These losses make things worse, by the way.

In the end, both pairs are able to bring the fighting between their people to a stop. The Outsiders are welcomed into Simba's pride. The Wakandans and Talokanils stop fighting after seeing their leaders return together.

In the end, they realize that they're the same. That they can't let hate and fear of the other side cloud their judgement.

Kiara tells her father, "A wise king once told me we are one....Look at them. They are us. What differences do you see?"

Shuri tells Namor while she spares his life, "Vengeance has consumed us. We cannot let it consume our people."

And I think this goes well with one of the core themes of these POTA movies. The apes are a mirror to humanity. We the audience are seeing us through them, and the characters in the movies themselves must come to the realization that they're the same.

Like when Caesar tells his son, "I always think ape better than human. I see now how much like them we are."

Maybe something similar like this will happen with Noa and Mae and whatever fight will happen between apes and humans. While I'm all for a good romance, it may end up being more like Namor and Shuri's case. There's something there. The tropes are present, but they don't fall in love. (At least not yet. Please Ryan Coogler, give me Nashuri endgame in Black Panther 3, hehe).

This is just a theory, by the way. This doesn't have to happen, but I just think it'd be neat. There would be differences though. What those differences would be, idk, but whatever happens in the next one, I can't wait!

"But but.... aren't you forgetting something?"

What's that?

"Don't they...ya know...both die at the end?"

Besides, they don't have to die. Things can be a little more hopeful for our two heroes 🙈

[angelasscribbles]

Heir Apparent Chapter 22: So This is How We End

Series: Heir Apparent.

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Drake x Riley, Liam x Riley (past)

Rating: MA

Warnings: Mature themes

Word Count: 1,223

A/N: So we finally come to the end after a mere two and half years! This series was such a learning experience for me. It was the first time I got wholesale attacked, and by multiple people, for my characters lacking "morality". 🤷🏻‍♀️

I strive to imbue my characters with real life emotions, flaws, mistakes, and reactions. This means they are often messy, sometimes toxic, but always realistic. Life is messy, humans are flawed and shit happens, then we deal with it.

I regret that I let the negativity derail me. I shut the story down and didn't pick it up again for well over a year and even then, the updates have been sporadic. I had to get to a place where I once again trusted the process, where I let the characters speak to me without the voices of my detractors in my head.

I think I've done that. I'm quite happy with this ending and I think I've stayed true to my characters, complete with their misperceptions, insecurities, and stubborn refusal to see the other side.

That said, stay tuned for an open ended spin-off series set in this universe. I have further ideas.....

Everything else: Master List.

The doctor from Auvernall delivered a healthy baby girl via c-section.

Riley spent the next three days in the hospital wing recovering. She was so wrapped up in her new baby that she didn’t question the lack of outside news sources in her room. There was no TV, and her cell phone was getting no signal.

Not that it mattered. All she wanted it for was to take candid photos of her new bundle of joy.

She was over the moon happy.

Crown Princess Eleanor Elizabeth Hana Olivia Rys was perfect. Ten little fingers, ten little toes, and no ill effects from the eclampsia outside of being born three weeks early.

Riley’s blood pressure stabilized by day three and as preparations were made for her to move back to the suite she shared with Drake in the royal wing, the men in her life realized they had to tell her about the treaty with Auvernall before she read about it online.

Liam had insisted on being the one to deliver the news. “I’m the one that made the call, after all.”

The conversation did not go well.

“I had no choice! My hand was forced!”

“Without consulting me? Without even talking to me first?”

He looked at her incredulously, “You were unconscious! You were about to die! I did what I had to do to save your life and hers!”

Tears of outrage and betrayal slid down her cheeks. “You promised me, Liam! You fucking promised!”

“I know, Riley. But things changed—"

“She’s a baby, Liam! She shouldn’t already have her life mapped out for her! What about love? She should be allowed to marry for love!”

Liam rubbed his eyes as defeat and frustration swirled through him. “You keep trying to apply rules for commoners to the monarchy.”

“Why should the rules for the monarchy be any different Liam?”

“Because they are Riley! You may not like it, it may not be pretty, but that's the way it is!”

She glared at him. “Then I’m glad you and I didn’t work out and I’m sorry you’re Eleanor’s father and not Drake! He would have never allowed this!”

Liam reacted as though he had been physically struck. His body jerked back and his mouth fell open as he regarded her with stunned disbelief.

He wanted to believe she was only reacting out of anger. He wanted to believe that she was just being illogical and unreasonable because she was hormonal and had just gone through a trauma. But he was afraid this was deeper. He was afraid that this was a fundamental difference in world views. One that might not be reconcilable.

He stood and began to pace the floor. Did he regret that he’d had to affiance his unborn child to the Auvernesse heir? Yes. Did he regret that making that decision saved the life of both the woman he loved and his child? Not even a little.

It had been a Hobson’s Choice and he’d done what had to be done. As he had been trained to do. As he would always do. Just like he’d done on coronation night, another impossible choice that had protected her, yet one she would never forgive him for.

The realization that this was the way it would always be engulfed him like a tidal wave. He suddenly saw the future he had wanted with her the way it would have actually played out, with her always second guessing him on subjects she didn’t fully understand.

He stopped pacing and turned to her with the most painful decision he’d made yet. “I rescind my offer.”

“What offer?”

“I told you that if you ever changed your mind about adding a Cordonian arrangement to your marriage contract, I would always be here. I won't. If nothing else this has helped me see that I was right in the first place that I would never marry for love. As loath as I am to admit it, my father was right. I love you Riley and I always will. But affairs of the heart have no place when it comes to making decisions for the good of Cordonia.”

He needed someone by his side who understood how the monarchy worked, how diplomacy worked. Riley had been right when she told him they would have never made it as a couple. She was always going to end up resenting him for something. It was better to let her go and be happy with Drake than to hold on and make her hate him in the long run.

“The good of Cordonia? What about the good of our daughter, Liam?”

“I made the hard decisions that had to be made. It's very easy to Monday morning quarterback the situation, you don't know what we all went through watching you almost die. If you had died, Eleanor wouldn’t even be here. She would have died with you. Have you considered that?”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

Liam shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry you’re disappointed in me. There will be a full investigation into everything that happened that night. If there’s a way out of the agreement, I’ll find it.”

Dr. Russo had been found locked in a music room by an unknown person. Godfrey had ties to Auvernall. Though no one could have predicted the medical emergency ahead of time, there were ample questions that needed answers. If the Auvernese king and queen had taken advantage of the situation and sidelined their doctor, he would find out. Meanwhile, a contract signed under duress could be challenged in an international court.  

He said none of that to Riley. He simply promised her to do what he could and then got out of her way so that her anger at him wouldn’t cause another spike in blood pressure.

He relayed the main points of the conversation to Drake.

“Why didn't you tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That at the end I agreed to it as well.”

“Why would I do that Drake? She needs you more than ever right now. She needs someone she can rely on, someone she can depend on, someone who understands her and the rules of the world she grew up in. That's you.”

“Sure. And I’ll always be there for her, you know that. But—"

“You fought me up till the very end. You only capitulated at the last second out of sheer terror for her life. And to be clear, I was going to do it anyway. With or without your approval.”

“But I still did capitulate.”

“And what good would telling her that do? Make her hate you too? Then she would have nobody to lean on. Let me be the bad guy so that she can have her husband to rely on. It's the only thing I can do for her now.”

Drake gave him a long, measuring look before slowly nodding his head, relief cascading through him. There was only a sliver of guilt as he agreed to be absolved of any responsibility in the decision. He understood Liam’s reasoning that, at least for the foreseeable future, it was more important for Riley to have someone to lean on, someone in her corner. And that was all he could do for her now, so that’s what he would do.

~Fin

[angelfirstclass]

Magneto: A Villain playing Dressup or Reformed Tortured Soul?

This is going to be hard one for me because I don't want to be too negative about Magneto because I think in X-men 97 he isn't the villain, but upon rewatching the show I think this question is viable. I may be accused of being a Romy shipper and Charles apologist, but I'm not really. I like Magneto in the show and he says some of the best lines in the show. But sometimes he says and does things that are kind of assholey am I right?

To start off with, the way that he introduces himself and announces that he's the heir to Xavier's mansion and the X-men. Did he really have to barge into Xavier's office and confront the team as they were bonding together playing basketball? He is so smug in that scene which is something I like about Magneto, his Alpha male strength and directness. It's hot and works when I'm writing Magneto fan fiction, but it is a tad presumptuous. His first reactions from everyone on the team is anger and suspicion and then he wonders why he's not getting a warm reception. He could have been normal and called or rang the doorbell or something, but it wouldn't have been as dramatic or as Magneto to come barging in.

The way that he says My X-men at the end of episode 1 is kind of smug and sinister is not? Maybe it's just the writers wanting tension out of that moment and having the readers shocked by Magneto, a known X-enemy inheriting everything, because at that moment we don't know if Magneto is going to be a good leader or not.

Then we see Magneto in action and he's playing the good guy. He saves a child from a busted ride and the Morlocks from the Friends of Humanity. It is shocking to the X-men but also shocking to humankind because of Magneto's past crimes. He enters leading the X-men tamping down his evil past and his more destructive methods of getting back at anti-mutant groups, but he is still Magneto with all his arrogance and his confidence and his strength of belief in himself.

Something that I actually love is the line that he toes the line between trying to be a good X-man and his feelings about humanity. He has seen so much that he is formed by those traumas and pain which cannot be so easily let go of. When he talks of not harming the Friends of Humanity members, the sneer when he says "sapiens" is pure gold. This Magneto is a tempered Magneto and we have to appreciate how far he's come. If it wasn't for his love of Charles Xavier he would be 1000 times worse.

It could be argued that other people might have made better leaders of the X-men, but for this season's storyline having Magneto play the leader was brilliant. He was just enough of an asshole to make the whole thing interesting and made the twist at the end more believable because he never really lost himself completely. You saw moments of him being potentially selfish, arrogant, cruel throughout the season which made him an interesting, complex character.

"My intentions here was not to cause drama or discord." Lol! Says the man in the cape and big M on his costume and the one who barged into the mansion without notice. Yeah, sure, Jan. He yielded to the UN, but not until after he proves how powerful he could be. A note to point out his that Wolverine talks about people being upset over all the things Magneto has done and "can't say I blame them" for being upset and I take this seriously. So currently he's trying to reform, but in this universe and timeline, Magneto has done some awful things.

The trial scene is really amazing. There are some great lines in it. The speech is probably the most compelling reason to want to trust Magneto. He is a great public speaker and he speaks of his past, how the oppressed become oppressors and that loving or being different will cause you to be punished. He is speaking Xavier's words and attempting to walk his past, but he must also acknowledge his past and the consequences of them. This is where I get confused or conflicted as I don't know if Magneto went too far or just enough or is justified or crazy. I don't know and I don't think it's something that the writers even know- like that is the crux of the show itself.

His sardonic wit is the best! "Oh to play by the rules and still they come for you." Yes. It's all going sideways and Magneto is not panicked in the least. He may be a lot of things, but dumb is not one of them. He saw this all coming and knew it was a matter of time that the extremists broke through and the judges would be deemed traitors of the race. It's like a part of him wanted things to get extreme, so the X-men would get to be on his side and see that humanity is not to be trusted and making nice doesn't work.

When asks if this is the high roads destination and essentially kidnaps all the judges, viewers are justified in thinking he might have snapped and gone back to his evil ways. We are surprised to see that he is walking Xavier's path and applaud him for that. He eventually lets the people go and asks them to not let him let them down and that's so poignant because we see just in episode 2 what Magneto is capable of and what he could do if he wasn't walking Xavier's path.

Magneto did a pretty good job of leading the team from episode 3 to 5, he is concerned about Jean, Scott, and Nathan and coordinates the team. He fights clone Jean or Madelyn and she taunts him with the line about a villain playing dress up as a hero. I think that line is so apt with Magneto because I think that his character arc is at the heart of the storyline. I wrote once saying that his relationship with Xavier was the thesis of the story and I also believe that Magneto's belief of Xavier's ideals and his own is also a pivotal part of the story. Madelyn had the power to delve into the psyche of each mutant and find their weak spots, so it proves here that Erik is self conscious of seeming to play the hero and most likely doubts his own commitment to Xavier's cause.

Then we go to Genosha in episode 5, where Magneto is king, literally. There are posters and statues of him everywhere and this all was his dream. Magneto is a savvy politician and understands making grand speeches or doing publicity stunts. Even other mutants at Genosha understand that he is the handsome face of Mutant kind and especially after joining the X-men and following moderation is liked by moderate mutants as well as humans. Even when he speaks to the group, he acknowledges that this was all Charles' dream and he didn't believe that it would happen. He is asked to be king and then he asks Rogue to be his queen. Episode 5, I think is tragically the peak of when Erik is believing Xavier's dream and thinking that peace is possible and happiness is possible for him as well. He is letting down his guard, accepting the King position, declaring his love for Rogue, trying to walk Xavier's path, be a good X-man, and etc. We know what happens next tragically however.

Everything he believed gets snatched and beaten out of him in Genosha. He tried to walk Xavier's path and it did not work out for him. He was already scarred, but this time was too much. He was kidnapped, tortured, and saw many deaths. He was already toeing the line before and felt justified in a way for committing crimes and atrocities and Genosha set him back to that way of thinking.

When we see him later, trying to persuade X-men to join him, EMPing the planet, attacking members of the X-men trying to stop him, he is traumatized and reacting poorly to Genosha. I don't justify his behavior, but I understand it. This is an Omega level mutant that has a track history of hurting humans for hurting mutants, so when a massacre hits it is not surprising that the mutant in question flexes his powers and gets angry.

What I don't know and am still on the fence about is how dedicated he truly was to Xavier's cause. Was he really a believer and dedicated to being a X-man or did it just take one incident for him to return to his ways? Also, how far is too far? Who is allowed to seek revenge or retribution? And to what extent? It is these questions that I think are so fascinating and I'm glad I don't know. These questions about Magneto are what made the show so interesting and complex and wants to make me see Season 2.

[kaeyachi]

GENSHIN 3.5 UPDATE SPOILERS

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I'M WARNING YOU. THESE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS. MAJOR KAEYA LORE DROPS

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FINAL WARNING!!!

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Ok here it goes-

Kaeya hopping onto a caravan to get to Sumeru as a kid is simultaneously the funniest and saddest thing ever.

Could you all imagine the chaos once the Ragnvindrs realized child Kaeya is missing? I could just imagine Diluc crying loudly about losing Kaeya while Crepus panics and half yells at his staff and the knights about looking for him.

And the moment Crepus sees Kaeya again, he pulls him by the ear!! Because how dare this child give him the heart attack of the century! The nerve of this child to give him gray hairs!! Absolutely comedic!

But the fact that Kaeya did it because he wants to learn more about his heritage hurts. He barely knows anything (and even if he does know a lot, he feels as if he is missing large amounts of context anyway). No wonder he hid that one piece of paper about information on their clan. He's clinging to what is left over for him.

I don't fully trust the idea that his father left him in Mondstat just to live a better life at all. As sweet as it may be, I actually think that's just Kaeya's hopeful thinking. That's why he "thinks he made a clean break with his past". His mind tells him that he probably has nothing that Khaenri'ah or the abyss order might want. A reasonable conclusion because they haven't contacted him- in fact, he was the one doing the interrogating.

That makes me nervous for him though...

Even if it is to free him from his history who tf leaves a child in one of the strongest storms (where he almost dies in), tells him that he will be a spy for Khaenri'ah, and gives him the pressure of being their "only hope"?! Damn dude, if you really want to give him a better life maybe don't give him a last minute multiple trauma gift.

Dain probably crumpled a bit of Kaeya's said hope by straight up mentioning that Kaeya is a descendant of the Abyss Order's founders (I knew the Alberich last name had a damn purpose! Being the birthright successor to the Abyss Order is a big deal and literally a power move! Names have power!!!)

(((Random thought but I wonder if Kaeya could start his own faction- an alternate Abyss Order where he leads as the birthright heir where they go against the Abyss twin near the end? It would be a major decision to lead the order after all, he would have to leave Mond for it, and I'm sure that Dain would prefer to side with him on this one if it is a faction made to counteract the Abyss twin's actions)))

His heritage being such a big deal that they had to mention it in an Archon quest is very iconic for his 4-star starter character ass. They had to make sure everyone knows about it and now Kaeya's lore is gonna get more speculations and scrutiny. Good. I'd still argue that he has one of the best lore in the game- easily in the top 5.

Final thoughts for now, but Dainkae having that enemies to friends to lovers energy is very funny to me. Kaeya asking Dain to go drinking with him someday is *chefs kiss*. Dain is right to be wary of Kaeya though. The fact that Kaeya felt him watching is definitely telling of how perceptive Kaeya is (reminds me of the cutscene where Diluc is introduced, and when Diluc attacked from behind him, Kaeya didn't even flinch). Dain probably realized that Kaeya also purposely avoided him in Mondstat as well since Kaeya knew of him ( I don't think Dain would avoid someone who is blatantly using "Alberich" as a lastname).

Oh wait! One more thing! But is Kaeya actually immortal? (where they stop aging once they reach a certain age) or is he only half-Khaenriahn? (if so, why wasnt he turned into a hilichurl? Do they get a free pass?...but so far, he is the only regularly aging Khaenri'ahn we've met...)

I knew that the more lore drop he gets the more questions will be added. damn.

[halliescomut]

Kiseki Ep 9

So I don't have proof, but Ai Di was planning to leave. He used the 'orders' from Boss man as an excuse, but I think even if he hadn't seen that text he would have just up and disappeared. I think he took that conversation with Zong Yi in ep 7 to heart and thought that it would be possible for him to leave and not see Chen Yi, and that if he was gone long enough his feelings would die.

I do want to know what Chen Yi is thinking though. Because after we pop back to the present and he brings Ai Di home...it feels like he's trying to get Ai Di to admit he has feelings for him and that's why he took advantage. And if he gets that confession it means that he can confess too, because I think he remembers that night and has now had his feelings for Ai Di change, or perhaps they've simply become clearer. For all the brother stuff, Chen Yi not wanting to see Ai Di being potentially romantically involved with anyone feels a lot to me like jealousy more than a brotherly interest in keeping your freshly 18 'brother' from sowing his oats. I don't know. I do 1000% think that despite all of the depression drinking and Chen Yi still answering to Bossman, I don't think he has the same level of adoration anymore. I think Bossman using Zong Yi and then sending Ai Di into the prison AND promising Ai Di that he could be free of the gang broke ALL of that.

The Ai Di stuff didn't make me cry, but it was so close. Because that 'love scene'...that was clearly Ai Di knowing he was making a choice he wouldn't be able to come back from and thinking that even if all he has is a memory that will be enough.

And Zong Yi... that's what made me cry. Seeing him reunited with his family, but it's never going to go back to how it was even though his dad is okay and now they have each other. It was so sweet and so sad. Like, the poor sister blaming herself, and dad blaming himself, and Zong Yi blaming himself, it's so fucking sad.

The Jhe Ruei stuff was rough to see. Knowing what we do about how Jhe Ruei came to the Fan family and what he gave up, and the lengths he was going to hide his true self, and failing in some aspects. Seeing the 'Old man' (who I don't know if he's Jhe Ruei's father or grandfather tbh) talk about how they can't trust him fully because he's different after suffering MASSIVE BRAIN TRAUMA AND LOSING HIS MEMORY made me want to knock some sense into him. Like how the fuck????

But also what was the point of the Fan family wanting to take Zong Yi out when he was already in jail?? Like what was the purpose...is he just an old-fashioned homophobe, or is he worried Jhe Ruei will remember and leave the family for Zong Yi? Because, dude you barely want him there, so what do you really care?? And it can't really be about 'appearances' when he's an illegitimate heir and isn't going to be given any sort of position of power. I really don't know what's going through the old man's head.

I'm confused, I'm worried, I'm a little sad. So I guess we'll see what happens next week.

Also if you weren't aware there is a 'bonus episode' like episode 8.5 that's up. I watched it on bili, but it gives a bit more insight into the whole Teng and Dragon Gang debacle. It's not really SUPER necessary to follow the general story, but it does give more info. But if you watch MODC, then you may have a bit of a PTSD reaction to watching it...as a warning.

[nebbyy]

A list of my most unpopular ASOIAF opinions and theories

Please remember this is all based on the books alone, and there also might be SPOILERS for Fire and Blood and the Game of Thrones book series.

ALSO I might open the requests for Game of Thrones fics and headcanons, and maybe for Baldur's Gate as well once I get back into it.

Okayyy so here we gooo.

1. Maegor's story doesn't add up

Don't get me wrong, he must've obviously been a horrible king and a shitty husband, but reading the chapters that talk about him in Blood and Fire, it all just felt like a list of rumours and versions of all nefarious crimes he would've committed. There are about five versions of whatever he did with each wife of his, each of them more depraved than the one before.

Again, I don't think he was an angel or anything, but my theory is that his history was written by biased sources. His reign was made illicit by Jaehaerys, so it would've been in his best interest to have him remembered as nothing more than a viscious monster.

It's a form of "damnatio memoriae" that we've already seen, in a way, with Mushroom and the Dance of Dragons. When in a conflict, and especially after a victory, each side wants to depict the side they beat as badly as possible Caesar did a similar thing in "De Bello Gallico", the book about his conquest of the modern French and Swiss territories. In this book he excuses his conquest with the supposed preparations for an attack by the Helvetians, a fact that was proven to be misinterpreted as it was a mere pacific migration. And again, he did the same thing when he accused them of cannibalising each other while being under siege, another untrue fact made up to just make them seem worse.

So in a way, Maegor's reputation could've been made worse by following historians to legitimate Jaehaerys' reign over Aerea's claim.

2. Incest has no effects on Valyrians

Okay, this is a bit weirder. My theory is that Valyrians practised incest because it had no effect on their offspring.

Looking at the Targaryen family tree, I noticed that the cases of madness increase the more Targaryens marry with other houses. Baelor the Blessed was the first mad Targaryen, and he had a grandmother of house Harte and a great grandmother who was half Arryn.

Before Baelor, Helaena is questionably considered mad as well, which would prove my theory furthermore had it not been for the amount of trauma she endured in her life so I'm honestly not gonna count her as "mad". Rhaegel Rargaryen was the second confirmed mad Targaryen, with a Martell mother; his daughter Aelora is questionably considered mad too, and her mother is an Arryn.

Aerion Brightflame was another mad Targaryen, with a half Martell father and a Dayne mother. The last two mad Targaryens were Aerys II and Viserys III, but at this point, the bloodline was mixed with others enough to make the Targaryen madness an unpredictable factor.

So I think we could theorise that Valyrians can perform incest so long as it remains within pure Valyrian blood.

3. There is no good or bad in the Dance of Dragons

Rhaenyra had a claim on the throne because of Viserys' will, but Aegon had a claim on the throne because of the laws of Westeros themselves. You can argue that Alicent wasn't the nicest stepmother, yet you can't look me in the face and tell me a woman in the middle ages married to a KING to whom she had given THREE SONS wouldn't complain when the king dismisses all of them and their claims in favor of his firstborn daughter.

Otto may have manipulated Alicent, but that was just how a Lord was supposed to act in that situation: have her marry the best candidate (the king), have her birth at least a son (she did) and make sure those children are first in line for the throne (as it should be, by the laws).

Viserys shouldn't have remarried if he already had his heir, period.

At the same time, Rhaenyra had every reason to fight for her claim and try and go against the actual laws of Westeros, but it was inevitable that many would've seen badly her attempt at claiming what was Aegon's birthright.

Lucerys was an asshole for mutilating Aemond and never showed remorse, quite the opposite. Aemond was an asshole who shouldn't have had all the power he had, plus I hardly believe his and Alys relationship was really consensual so there's that..

In the end, they all had their rights and wrongs, but that doesn't matter at all. The only point about the Dance is the fact that a pointless conflict led to the downfall of one of the strongest families in Westeros history.

4. Rhaegar didn't love Lyanna

I hate the series for making them marry. Like, seriously, have D&D ever read the books? Have they not read what happened between Maegor and the Faith when he took another wife??

Never, not even in the most twisted of universes, would the faith let Rhaegar kidnap and marry a Stark girl while he was still married to Elia. That just wouldn't be plausible.

And I also don't think he'd just fall in love at first sight with a random girl at a tournament. She was a beautiful soul and had many qualities, but she had nothing that could truly make a man throw away his whole life to pursue her.

He needed another child. The dragon has three heads. He had Rhaenys and Aegon, but Visenya was missing (I just made up the name for the third possible child considering he was naming them after the three conquerors lmao). He needed Lyanna to have that third child, and he knew how to get her to get what he wanted.

Perhaps we'll find out this isn't true. Perhaps Rhaegar really was head over heels for Lyanna, but I honestly really really doubt it.

5. There is no certainty on who the Prince that was Promised is

No matter what the show wants us to see, we still don't know who it is. It could be Daenerys, it could be Jon, it could even be Stannis and we're not gonna know it until Martin reveals it.

I honestly think Daenerys is Azor Ahai, but I'm still curious to see why we would need to revive Jon then. And considering Stannis' sword possibly being Azor Ahai's sword, is it a fake one made by Melisandre to get what she wanted from him, or does he actually possess the original sword?

Well, these are the first theories and opinions I could think of right now, I might post more in the future. Again, please don't slander me in the comments, these are just my personal opinions and I respect all others.

[creatingblackcharacters]

(Submitting one that I've actually gotten into arguments with people about)

Jasmine and Jarred from Deltora Quest!

The books don't really specify race at all with the characters, but from an early age I invisualized Jasmine as a Black girl bc her main visual descriptions are having long wild black hair, which as a Black kid with long wild black hair I was like "that's one of mine for sure".

She's one of the main three characters, and for a while with the books they kind of hint that she may be the lost heir they're trying to find. Her parents had lived in the palace in the main city of Del, but around when she was born they had to flee because of a hostile takeover and hid out near the forests outside of town.

When she was little, a bunch of the guards run by the bad guy attacked the home and took her parents while she fled into the forests, and she basically raised herself in the woods for 10 years. When the other main characters go into the woods and immediately nearly die she saves them and joins the party (along with her pet crow and another pet that's a lil fuzzy guy). Since the other two haven't really been outside the capital city she has more of an idea of what's been going on since the villain took over.

I know it's a little not great to have the Black character be the Raised By Wolves girl that talks to the trees, but I actually visualize the main cast to be Black as well (a poor blacksmith's kid and an ex palace guard), and I think that going into this series with the idea of Black as Default works really well with the setting. Jasmine is just my favorite bc I felt like I looked like her as a kid, and she's (I think) a good example of showing a kid going through a Lot of Trauma at an early age (especially in the second series, which focuses heavily on her being desperate to find surviving family members).

But I think the main detail that makes me headcanon her and the focal character of Leif as Black is because of final book spoilers; there's this common thread mentioned in the books that Leif's dad and Jasmine's dad, Jarred and Endon, were childhood friends in the palace, and they dressed the same, learned the same, basically lived parallel until the villain took over. In the last book it's revealed that the character that had been going by the name Jarred was actually Endon and Leif is the heir. Since the third member of the adventuring party is older and used to work in the palace, I feel like it's reasonable to assume both characters were about the same in skin tone bc otherwise he would have immediately noticed the switch.

Jasmine's dad, Jarred, is my favorite character as an adult. He shows up at various places as a "mysterious" character called Doom, and is part of an underground resistance.

These two are also why I dislike the anime made for this series. Partially bc they made them both really light skinned, but also bc when it shows a flashback to what was the intro to the first book (the Shadow Lord taking over and Endon and Jarred fleeing) they frame it from the also disappointingly light Leif's memory of being told the story, and they swap the characters. I get that it's trying to just show how he visualizes it happening, but it feels like straight-up lying about which character is which so that the pretty blonde guy wins at the end (also Leif isn't canonically blonde, just in the anime). I feel like it's much more reasonable for the characters to look similar for this to work.

But yeah, I know this is kind of rambly, but I wanted to talk about my theory that Deltora Quest is a better series if Black is assumed for the main cast, and I really have a lot of fond memories of this series. It's hard for me to get into specifics without basically summarizing the whole series so I hope this makes sense!

To be honest, I'm just really happy to see your excitement over it 😅 especially knowing that you found a reason to make it yours at such a young age. That's what we like to see 😤

And alas, people like to see the pretty blondes win, no matter what 😭 but that's something coming up soon in later lessons 👀

[blazingstaro]

MAN you got me thinking about Eave (I love her 4 wings btw!), but all the questions I want to ask about her story probably go into spoilers territory, so instead… another free ask about her daughter and her daughter’s parents?

AAA THANK YOU! I'm glad!! Auughhh I've always loved her 4 wings. She's such a pretty lady. And hey— you never know unless you try, but sure I can tell you about her daughter and fam!

You may have guessed, as many have, but Eave's baby girl is Twyla! She's undergoing a little bit of a design update as well, but here's my latest iteration from last year:

Her father and stepmother belong to my sister, @starlightfyre! Zeelo and Amani Zeidric are her current guardians and caretakers!

Yes, that's right— she's a Zeidric, and I've hinted it from the very beginning in DotS' original Episode one! Right here was my first clue (old art jumpscare):

Second were three different hints here in Episode 2:

First set of panels— that's a very subtle one and wasn't really intended to be obvious; however that's something Zeelo's known to say often! The second panel also has Zeelo's distinct green eye color as another subtle reference. There's many instances where I used Eave or Zeelo's eye colors, or maybe both, as a hint towards her relations to the two.

Additionally, Twyla has a magic version of Zeelo's signature pistol here, her hair is styled similarly to his, as well her gloves had changed shape to emulate his style! Additionally, they're both holding a pistol with their left hand— Twyla is mirroring that poster in the background!

You can see she has her mother's cream-colored wings. She's very much the spitting image of Eave

SO YEAH— I'm revealing this here because in DotS' rewrite, this information is in the open. How she arrives in her father's care, however, will remain a surprise, hehehe!

That's just a glimpse of how deep and subtle my foreshadowing can get :3c

But some info on Twyla— her personality's had a bit of a shift because of these changes, thanks to the direct influence of her father and stepmother. She'll still have plenty of sass, but she's going to be much more brave and have much less Trauma™. Much more outgoing and confident in herself!

However she's also aware of her lineage, and as the youngest in her family, believes she has the biggest shoes to fill. She constantly strives to prove herself worthy of her family name on both sides. The challenges of being the child of not one but two famous heroes. She has her mother's legacy to uphold as well, as her only heir and survivor of their bloodline

Although— this pressure is self-afflicted. Zeelo and Amani are already proud of her as she is! They have no expectations of her beyond just being herself, and enjoying her peaceful childhood 💜

[random-tree]

I really REALLY wish Umineko expanded upon how Jessica, the only blonde child in the Ushiromiya family (after the death of the second Beatrice), Jessica who has her hair even styled in a similar manner to Beatrice, was affected by growing up in the same house as kinzo.

Like, ok, so women/girls presenting masculine because of sexual trauma is often a bad stereotype, but so much of Jessica's tomboyish attitude is as a rejection of her parent's expectations, that I wouldn't be surprised that kinzo also contributed by trying to push her to be more feminine to try to mold her into another Beatrice replacement.

Like, in general I feel like the when they cry series has a lot of lost potential when it comes to it's GNC girl characters.

Take mion for example, so much of her old man attitude is from her being forced into the role of an adult, as the heir of her family, forced to become desensitised to various cruelties and pliant. No wonder she struggles romantically, she doesn't know how to connect to people her age, not because of her masculinity.

Her leadership role in the club is less about her being a genuine leader but it being the only way she knows how to interact with others her age. Acting as the caretaker of sorts, the attitude you'd expect from an elder sibling who's forced to do their parent's paperwork in the day and clean after their siblings at night. (She may not have siblings other than shion, but with how few kids there are in the village and how she seems to take responsibility for them as class president she might as well be)

You can see this in how worn down she is, unable to make decisions when the going gets tough not because she's weak minded but because of how tired she is.

Now before anyone gets the wrong impression I'm not saying that Jessica's and Mion's masculinity is bad, I just wish we could have seen it go from a coping mechanism to something that is genuinely their own, something they take pride in.

(with Jessica I'm a little more forgiving since it's a tragedy so of course we don't see her grow and develop, but man I wish we saw it with mion

It's actually why I dislike shion as a character, not because shion is a bad character or I dislike her personality, I just feel structurally her inclusion resulted in her taking away screen time from mion)

Idk maybe I'm looking at this from the wrong angle? Feel free to tell me your thoughts

[livingfast04]

Steddie Hogwarts Au?

I need someone to take the internet away from me. I have massive writers block, but my brain also has this stupid- stupid idea I don't have the energy to write between My two WIPs- but god. My Non-binary ass is truly trying my own patience at this point. The massive urge, to write a Steddie Hogwarts Au??? (Fuck JK Rowling) But it's- like, not through the years, and it literally doesn't involve the actual cast of HP, because fuck that- that's boring. Yeah Dark wizards, but more like Dark forces kind of thing. Tw: Child abuse, child death (unnamed child)

Anyway- Stevie- Born into a very rich, pureblood family- all Slytherin's or Ravenclaw's. At least on his father's side, his mother is French and she went to Beauxbatons- Steve's got a, King Steve thing going on- Quidditch chaser, and he's good at it. He's the top of his class in Charms but not really anywhere else, and he's is a perfect. (so I'm thinking 6th year-) He's the third year and under "whisper" the younger years flock to him, it's on the down low. But he's really good with kids. Crying because of Tests? You miss your Parents? Steve's got you, just quietly and out of the way. Eddie is a half-blood, father is a muggle, and his Mom is a Witch. Her line of families jumps from houses to houses, no real lineage to uphold. Wayne was a Gryffindor. (That's not important to the story, but it's important to me) Eddie is the guy to go to if you are in need of something. He'll walk you to class if someone bothering you, he still stands on the Tables in the great hall at Lunch. It's a commonly know thing that if anyone needs anything that Eddie will help without asking too may questions. No matter what house. As long as you aren't a bully. (there is asshole tax, but he respects the grind) Steve is a Slytherin (Hang in there with me please. I promise I'm not a lunatic) Eddie is a Gryffindor (That's a brave boy, he's a reckless boy, and a man with a lot of courage.) I haven't fully figured out the like semantics, lore and general details- because I'm desperately trying to refrain from writing anything. But I'd say 5th or 6th year- (6th or 7th for Eddie) Steve's brutality attacked. It's in a Muggle Village within a few hours of walking of the Harrington Manor- and Steve goes down there when he needs to get out that house, with a pocket full of Muggle Currency and no Wand. When his Dad is pissed off and not above hexing or cursing his own kid. When his Mother is passed out drunk in the sitting room. He always gets the same thing, Hot Chocolate from the little family owned Café that's better than any house Elf could ever make- The Woman and her wife adore Steve and he hasn't had to pay since he was 7. He always leaves the amount in the tip jar. Walks to the candy store two fronts down, and buys whatever the little group of kids pressing their hands all over the window out front whatever they want with what's left over in his pockets. Like he always does. Might be The Party, might be just a group of Muggle children. It's not even a magical attack. It's not an attempt to kill the heir to an incredibly wealthy house. It's just some muggles who took offense to Steve's and a group of little kids existence. However it does maul up half of his face, his ribs and his hands. The blunt force trauma of the attack leaves him with little of his hearing left. The assault almost kills him. (Despite his attempts to keep the angry attention all on him. It does kill a little boy, Steve sees his head split open on the pavement every time he so much as blinks.) He doesn't talk much either after. Little things, yes or no- but that's about it. And that's far in-between. He won't tell anyone what actually happened, or at least can't. Anyone who wants the story has to get it from the Muggles who looked on in Horror- and the man who called emergency services. Both his parents had already written him off as useless before- but not even more so.

When he returns to Hogwarts for the School Year, he's basically been abandoned and shunned by the rest of the pureblood peers in his house and in the other houses. His friend group wasn't restricted to one house, but all of them leave him when it's clear he's a shell of a human being and can't use him to further themselves in Wixen society. not when he can hardly hear and refuses to talk. They come back to school, and Steve ends up "The Outcast" A worse Fate than Eddie "The Freak" Munson. It doesn't help that Hargrove who before hadn't liked Steve but they had the same friends- but they kept mostly to themselves- just steps to kick the dog while it's down. Tells Steve loudly, and aggressively that his "Pretty face and pretty words couldn't save him. He was taking his crown." Pushes him around, mocks him, all but bodily removes him from their compartment on the Train. It hurts more when no ones says anything about it. A lot of the kids from years previous are unnerved by his appearance, and the next set of first years are terrified of him. And that's only the Train ride, the carriage ride (he can see the thestrals now), and Welcome Feast. By the time they get down to the Dungeon and under the lake to the common room- The Castle refused to let him in. He's left stranded in the chilled hallway, and no one cares. He doesn't know where his trunk is, his things, and his Cat even are. Steve bathes in the Perfects bathrooms as is his right with his position, Sleeps in fits. In History of Magic, and sometimes empty classrooms between his classes, and homework. Uses quick cleaning charms on the robes he wore when he first arrived. Steve see's it as his atonement for letting that little boy die. Eddie's actually the one to notice somethings far more wrong that Steve just being traumatized. The younger boy was completely withdrawn and almost totally ostracized from his house and no matter how many other students attempt to reach out. Eddie watches as they are all treated with a almost hostile kind of fear. Slytherin and Gryffindor share History of magic. 5th, 6th and 7th years took it together, (staffing issues) so Eddie watched more than once as Steve's pale, scarred up face- develop even deeper bruises under his eyes. It's a sudden thought, one that he makes on his own and without talking to anyone about it- not even thinking to owl his Uncle for advice. That he was going to befriend Steve Harrington, and make sure the dude actually got some fucking sleep. It takes weeks, Eddie walks him to and from Classes whether the younger boy wants him to or not when he realizes that, the reason there's been a lack of bullying in the younger student body is because almost everyone has been targeting Steve. He keeps a notebook within that he only ever uses to talk to Steve with. Takes in stride every single little giggle he can pry out of the others lips. He celebrates Steve making noise in response to him talking in the privacy of his dorm room. Steve sits with him at lunch, and sometimes breakfast if he can find the boy before classes start. He's a strike of green among Red. The Gryffindor's take to Steve slowly but fall in line with Eddie glaring over his shoulder.

Gareth tells him that he's Harrington's guard dog one day, and Eddie takes that in stride too. Steve needs a guard dog with the way Hargrove looks like he wants the brunette 6 feet under. It's halfway through October when Eddie realizes that Steve can't get into his own common room. He beats himself up over it for the rest of the year too- because he notices that there's a roughly done patch on Steve's robes sleeve- and Eddie hates that it takes him almost a week to recognize the same spot. See, Eddie made the patch. Because it was Eddie's fault that Steve ripped a hole in his robe anyway. They'd been walking along the edge of the Forbidden forest, Eddie talking, Steve laughing. (he was pretty, with or without the scars- Eddie was all but tripping over himself to see that smile. No matter how weak it was) Steve had tripped, because Eddie had knocked their shoulders together. Ripped up his robes, and scrapped up his arm. Eddie was quick to clean that up first, he hadn't liked the way Shell Steve had come back at the sight of the blood covering his skin. Eddie took the cloak when they parted ways at the Great Hall after dinner. Steve had been hesitant, but handed it over. He returned in after staying up for far too long with a patch of soft green cloth. Eddie knows he could have repaired it with magic- but, there was something in watching Steve's whole face light up at the sight of it. At first- Eddie had just thought Steve had just really liked the patch, that Eddie had fixed it. But then the weekend came, and he realized for the first time. That he hadn't seen Steve out of uniform the entire time so far. And that the washing day had passed and Steve was still wearing the same clothes. He waited a week, the same. Eddie had no idea what he was supposed to do. Steve clearly wasn't being either allowed in the common room, didn't have extra clothes- But, other signs pointed to other things. That Steve couldn't get in the common room. Broken quills, lack of notebooks, the change of clothes- the same robes. How he always slept in History of Magic when Eddie knows before that the other didn't. They'd shared the same class for awhile now. Eddie hates, hates that he doesn't bring it up to Steve- but he knows enough now that Steve would just ignore him on the subject, and blow him off and hide for weeks. it had happened about something before- So Eddie went to his Head of house for the first time since 1st year.

Steve's pulled from all classes for two weeks, he's not even on the castle grounds. Eddie looked, and Eddie asked. When Steve comes back, he looks a little healthier, and he comes back in Hufflepuff yellow. Eddie smiles wide when he slips onto the bench at his elbow, stares at the new soft looking sweater under his robes, and the pants with yellow thread. His eyes find the green patch on the sleeve. Leans over and presses a kiss to the youngers temple. It doesn't magically get better. Steve still doesn't talk, he talks some now, short sentences 2 or 3 words at most. (his longest so far is 6 words and Eddie kissed him on the nose for that one, right on a scar). But only with Eddie, and eventually with Robin- a girl in Hufflepuff who attaches herself at Steve's hip and declares herself his bestfriend. They don't start officially dating until just after Yule either. Eddie kisses him in the middle of the Great Hall after Steve gives him the biggest laugh he's heard out of the other since the beginning of the year. There's bad days, and worst days, but the good days- the good days make it worth it. School is hard, on both of them. Its harder when Steve returns from Yule with less words than when he left. It's hard when Steve sometimes finds himself sleeping in empty classrooms out of mindless habit. It's hard when sometimes all Steve can think about is drowning, can see the boy whose name he doesn't know, but his body he can never unsee. It's hard when Eddie graduates. It's hard for the both of them knowing that Steve will have to go back just one more time. Steve Stays with Eddie and Wayne over the summer between his own 6th and 7th year- only goes back to his parents the first week and arrives on their doorstep at 12 in the morning with tears running down his face, his trunk and cat in hands and never goes back. Eddie works in a small bookstore, and Steve joins him when he finally graduates. They both learn Sign Language, for days when Steve is completely non-verbal, and because it's easier on his brain. And Eddie loves him.

--- I clearly thought about this far more, than I had wanted to. And Now that I've written it down I have even MORE Ideas. This was counter productive to my plans of just spitting out the idea. I was just- "Traumatize Steve Harrington who doesn't fit in his house anymore and the castle just pushing him out- and Steve seeing that as a "this is what you deserve for failing to protect a child who didn't deserve to die- this is what you deserve for not being fast enough, for being too stupid to bring your wand-" and not as a. "This house won't help you in your journey anymore," but when has magic ever been like, straight forwards. And then ofc Eddie's here. :)"

This was far longer than I thought it was, I'm so sorry- I'm emotionally invested in this Au now- Damnit.

[evilhasnever]

who do you think is the initiator when it comes to intimate moments in the context of xiyao/3zun? I'm not a big fan of the 'all lans are only pretending to be pure and reserved, and are quite perverted on the inside' trope, but it seems to be the case for at least one lan. and lxc appears to be the most eager one to pursue reconciliation between his sworn brothers, which may indicate him taking the lead in other aspects

Hey anon! first, allow me a disclaimer: I enjoy platonic 3zun content, but I don’t ship it in any romantic/sexual way, so I’ve got nothing for you there. (In fact, I get a bit peeved when my gen 3zun art is tagged with shippy comments… but it is what it is. This is unrelated to your ask, sorry!)

Anyway, let me talk about xiyao, since that is my jam! I think saying Xichen’s support of the sworn brotherhood somehow informs his tendencies in the bedroom… is a bit of a leap. I’m with you on the “not all Lans have to be closet freaks”, but I definitely think they’re all repressed. I remember when in an interview Liu Haikuan said (paraphrased): “LXC is just as passionate as Wangji, but had to repress it even more because he was the sect heir”… ain’t that the truth! Poor Xichen. I don’t think his own inner freak would manifest in the exact same ways as LWJ though. If he is a freak, he’d be suave about it. ;) 

Honestly, I’m a fan of subby service top LXC, so I like to think he’d be waiting for JGY to ask something of him rather than taking unwanted initiative, you know? (Just imagine him vibrating while waiting for A-Yao to give him A SIGN. Oh, A-Yao, breach that divide because LXC wouldn’t dare to presume…! He will take the lead if A-yao wishes him to!)

BUT! JGY is also repressed for entirely different reasons (shame, trauma, etc.) so it’d be hard for him to want to initiate things, and thus xiyao were probably sexually frustrated for years. The UST is out of control. That’s why their gazing scenes should come with an adult warning.

[searchingforserendipity25]

If you're still doing the character ask, please: Fingolfin

Character Ask Game 💚🤍🖤

I am always up for asks! Thank you @melestasflight, Fingolfin was very fun to tackle!

Give me a character and I will give you my thoughts on

Fingolfin

one aspect about them i love 

Leading several thousand people across a desolate wasteland after cutting ties with their deities is THE most insane thing anyone does in the Silmarillion. This is true, and every time I remember Araman is right there as an option it makes me insane. 

 He is the single most interesting leader in this whole book for that. I don’t think it can be overestimate what a feat of every kind of resources it is. The commitment it takes, the huge amount of - even social control you need to have, to keep so many people united to the same goal, when the goal means fighting another worse deity, and vengeance, and sublimating the grief of the many partings and direct religious trauma while surviving the Arctic and facing constant privation?

In a way it’s a good thing everyone is busy creating steel-strong community concepts while on the Ice, because otherwise it would be a gigantic nightmare to deal with that fallout. The fact that he maintains the Flight of the Noldor as a Chase of Morgoth, creating unity and a shared ideal to maintain - the fact that his host only splinters under Turgon’s direction? Insane. 

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

It is not even so much about Finwë, although of course it is also about Finwë. 

Being ambitious is not a crime! It is however a strong character trait, and a way to define one’s life when it’s very existence is a cause of philosophical debate. 

But politics, governing, those are Fingolfin’s true crafts, and Fëanor insisting on being always a step up on the dias and above him is maddening, and to a point feels like he is outright trying to stifle his calling on purpose.

Which he is, although perhaps not in a would-steal-your-forge-along- with-father’s-favoritism way. Not sure Fëanor cares to conceptualize leadership in such a crafting-equivalent way. 

This may be more suited to headcanons, but I do think the idea that a social role can have such a strong impetus, even spiritual value to someone is mostly Vanyar, and having no material evidence of work, doesn’t fit so well in the Noldor’s material culture point of view about singular purpose. 

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Big tea drinker. Not much of a musician. Loves cool tones (Indis sorrows for the adorable emerald green and amethyst-bright onesies he refused to wear). Also a smith, as all Noldor princes are, but his interests are tied to infrastructures - steam-energy mostly, awfully boring stuff for most. Runs life according to a constantly updated list of priorities in his mind, that include meal times, coups, trips with each of their kids, divorce settlement negotiations with Anairë, etc. 

This made him the logistics genius the host in the Ice needed, and was in fact the kind of basilar confidence that led him to it - among other things, I'm sure he studied the journey to Valinor extensively. He knew it would be incredibly difficult in their circumstances, that many would not survive, that the loss would change them utterly; but he also knew it was not impossible, and therefore it ought to be made possible.

His confidence in himself in never entirely wrong, but sometimes misjudged; he knew exactly he would be able to land up to five wounds on Morgoth. The last two were a freestyle bonus :/

as well as

one character i love seeing them interact with

Fingon! Father and son, king and heir, bright flare of despair and the inheritor of hope - they are foils, they are parallels, and they are painfully, painfully aware of it. Would love to read a JSTOR article comparing their rules, up to the yearly tax reports. 

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Lalwen (not a surprise!). The sort of loyalty involved is so interesting to me, but also the true that has to be based off true understanding and belief. They’re each other’s ride or die, and the idea of generally very magnificent and polis-minded Fingolfin being bffs with his irreverent younger sister is very amusing and fascinating.

(Also Turgon! Turgon and his disappearing act - well. He kind of commited treason, in a way? Treason-ish. It’s certainly a very pointed denial of Fingolfin’s direct authority, that’s for sure. Like. I crack up every time I think about this. Turgon must have been a nightmarish teenager, he’s very much like his father.)

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

Had a hard time connecting with Finarfin. They enjoyed each other’s company, mostly! Had a very clear understanding of who the other one is, which was even about 60% correct. 

But the spark just isn’t there, and later on that’s something he grieves as much as Fëanor’s whole business. In part because idealized memories of Finarfin’s restful diplomacy are a succor in Beleriand, and in part because he has moments of clarity with some foresight, and sees Finarfin in a position of commander against Morgoth against his own. 

That’s part of his despair - he thinks the war against Morgoth will go so badly it will be taken up against the elves of Amanyar in their own terrain, that all the efforts of guarding and defending in defiance will be for nothing, and even fair Valinor will perish with only Indis’ son to defend the Noldor.

 This - is not correct. Finarfin fully takes the hosts of Valinor to Beleriand; but part of Morgoth’s power in battle is to take one’s worst fears and inflate them with the force of his own undeniable might. It gets him one dead Noldorin king, but also several painful scars, so really it’s a toss up on how well that works for him. 

[i-sveikata]

I finally finished the chapter and I don't even know where to start because so much happened. My thoughts may be in disorder but I hope that you can follow me and provide me with answers in my analyses. First of all: it is clear that Korn is the villain of the story. He is much more dangerous and manipulative than Vegas' father, it's almost scary. We can also see how dangerous he is when we see how he feels threatened by Pete. My impression, from what I've read and what I feel, is that Pete and Vegas are a very powerful couple and partners (apart from Vegas' place as the minor family heir). Korn seems to feel extremely threatened especially since he saw the Vegas ring on Pete's finger. I don't know if you already see the end of your story but I have the feeling that a battle for Vegas and Macau to recover their heritage and their power must be fought. Besides, imagine Vegas and Pete reigning together as the head of the miner family is hot as hell and I need to know how that feels.

Vegas over drugged against him with a dangerous and highly addictive drug? Even if it's only for 3 days, you still pointed it out and I doubt it's for nothing... Knowing that Vegas is in full mourning, completely in shock at the death of his father, has barely recovered from his family's physical abuse (drugging him against his knowledge and almost killing him), not to mention the many years of trauma, gaslighting and under the influence of his father... is severance with the symptoms would be a trigger for Vegas to break down and open up to Pete about how he feels and also all his insecurities and things Pete doesn't know ? Because I have the impression that Vegas's extreme horniness (in addition to the fact that they want each other 24/7), could be a defense mechanism by Vegas to escape the thinking about dealing with the death of his father and all the wounds that it arouses in him.

I love how Pete is more open about his feelings for Vegas, he came from far away so what we have today is barely the minimum, but I don't know... he can't seem to saying it out loud that Vegas is officially his boyfriend but in this protective way of acting, the fact that he would do anything for Vegas, that he can't leave without him, that he only thinks to him, who we finally know he loves when Vegas calls him "Baby"... I can't wait to see more of them together in a domestic way, like a real couple, even in their way of express their feelings to each other... Will Pete finally let Vegas tell him he loves him? Will Pete admit to Vegas that he loves him? Or even though he resigned, he still has intense emotionnal blockages that cause him to fear hearing that he is loved? Besides, I would be curious to know where this intense fear comes from because I remember his anxiety and panic attack when Vegas told him that he could love him, or when he interrupted him in fear when Vegas was ready to say it out loud to him. I think that these details cannot be ruled out and that we still have a lot to explore regarding their two traumatized neuroses which complement each other. And we always learn more about them than the scenes where they talk together alone (and fool around in between).

I'm probably forgetting a lot of things but there's also the scene with Macau, I felt so sad for him but I love the big brother figure that Pete has become for him, the way he protects him and taking care of him is really touching! And I love Pete's grandmother, I love how she understands firsthand what's going on between Pete and Vegas and how she's suspicious while being sweet and protective (but I didn't understand who the other woman is , a friend of the grandmother?)!

Let's talk about Vegas again and how they can't have sex, I wonder what he's going to do to try to get Pete's guard down haha! I can't wait to know what's next... I'm heartbroken because I know we're going to have to wait 3 months for the next chapter but I can't wait (hoping we won't wait as long this time)

From all series and books I read your fiction is the thing I hold on the most, you saved my year last year with this

oh yeah honestly mr korn is straight up terrifying!! they need to get him out of power asap because none of them will ever be able to live happy lives otherwise

oh yes that is one hundred per cent right mr korn is threatened by their potential and their unwavering loyalty to one another. right now he can still get between kinn and porsche whenever he likes and he knows how to pit them against one another but i think hes aware that the same kind of tricks wont work on vegas and pete and i absolutely think that makes him nervous. with pete's level headedness and vegas' unstoppable determination he knows they could make an incredible team once they sort out their issues.

yes vegas is going to have a lot to contend with next chapter but im not too sure if hell be able to bridge the gap between himself an pete to let him know how hes feeling. vegas has a few things still hidden close that he doesnt share with others so itll be a question of whether hes ready to finally bridge that gap with pete and actually open up about something other than his desires for once. yes he absolutely uses sex as a distraction a lot of the time- but pete is getting very close to figuring this out as well as vegas' insecurities surrounding it- funny how a sex drought will do that- so they might be able to have some honest conversations. the biggest thing vegas is worried about i think is pity, hed rather be hated than pitied which is where most of his abrasive behaviours come from (and why hes so terrified of pete's grandma- because shes even more intuitive than pete, she looks right at him and knows what hes made of and pities him for it)

oh yes for sure there is definitely way more to be addressed from petes end too of course in terms of his trauma at both his father and vegas' hands, his reluctance to admit to anything serious or long term with vegas when his actions speak against him and also his fear of being loved. they also need to come back to the sexual elements of their relationship that namely pete has been avoiding- and that needs to be confronted too before they can go forward. theres definitely a lot more work needed!

aw yeah pete looking out for him is so sweet!! he is kind of like a big brother too! im looking forward to writing more of their interactions!! oh yeah shes just a friend of pete's grandmother. shes strikes me as the kind of person whod have a lot of friends (which is also part of the reason pete didnt feel as guilty leaving her to go to bangkok in the first place tbh)

ah yes thats going to put them in a tricky spot because so much of their relationship and dynamic revolves around sex!! theyre going to be forced to confront a lot of things that the sex and physical intimacy has been helping to cover up or distract them from. it will be interesting for sure.

I very much doubt itll be three months wait! just had too much going on the last few months what with getting covid, then walking pneumonia two weeks later followed by christmas family shenanigans and then a road trip for a couple weeks in Jan so i just really didnt had the time or energy for writing unfortunately! but im on some stronger antibiotics now (which apparently make me burn very easily in the sun???? what) and im feeling loads better.

will probably be a month-ish wait depending on how i go but i mean i still work full time and i do need to look after myself and have a social life and stay alive on top of spending a lot of my time writing this for free so ive got to have some balance too!!

but honestly if i rushed through it im not sure it would be the same quality or level of enjoyment that im having right now so theres that to consider too!

oh wow that really means so much to me you have no idea! like honestly writing this story really made last year so much more wonderful and bearable than it already was (and last year was a pretty shitty year for me ill admit)

i do really hope that youll enjoy the rest when i get to writing and posting it!

[ae-azile]

I really love the way you write each character in Progression. This latest chapter made me think a lot, mainly because I somehow didn't expect for Kinn to have this trauma. It is somehow interesting how Kim and Kinn are very different in this regard. Kim was virgin, was sexually assaulted and now he is considering bottoming for Chay (all by himself and because he wants to). Meanwhile there is Kinn, who was also sexually assaulted (but we don't know more info yet) but he also has high bodycount and is no virgin (he can have sex without love) and yet he didn't tried bottoming in all his sexual life. It is such interesting parallel and I am now truly worried about Kinn and about that incident. This story is so great and I am looking forward to more:D

Hello, anon! Thank you for your message and kind words about the story and my depiction of the characters! It really means a lot, and I'm glad so many seem intrigued at the depiction of Kim being a victim in this regard. I wasn't sure how readers would view it since he is portrayal is often viewed as a masculine and strong leader who can display a short fuse. But I also felt like this was a good reason to give him a background such as this to contrast from the abuse against Kim in this story.

While I won't reveal Kinn's sexual trauma (yet), I will lay out a rough timeline to explore why he responded the way he did to it.

Tankhun's, Kinn's, and Kim's mother died suddenly. Regardless of whether she passed from natural causes or not, this would be incredibly traumatic. I know the ages in the books differ from the vague ones on screen. But in Progression, I feel like Khun is around 31, Kinn is 29, and Kinn is 22 going on 23. But when their mother passed, Khun was close to 16 going on 17, Kinn was 14, and Kim was about 7 or 8. They were very young. Considering she was likely a dual presence (a fierce leader, protector, and business woman, but also a nurturing mother) this would have been a huge loss. It would have created a massive hole no one even tried to fill but Milan, but she could only do so much with the tension in between the families. Since Kinn aligns himself with his mother in the first episode, I imagine he was close to her. I also imagine more responsibilities were forced on Khun when it came to being the heir, taking care of his brothers, etc. Korn likely distanced himself - maybe from guilt, maybe from grief, or maybe because he did not prioritize caring for three grieving sons. But Kinn was old enough and close enough in age to Tankhun to understand the stress likely on his oldest brother and and his father. Since Kim is too young to hold in his grief effectively, Kinn likely held in everything.

Kinn is sexually assaulted in some manner by a very prominent businessman and investor. This is all we know so far, but it happened a couple of months after his mother's death. He is forcing every feeling down to not be a burden that he tells no one. He is old enough to know "it could have been worse." He knows Khun would not let it go. He probably has no idea how his father might address it. He may respond with vengeance, or he may dismiss it due to the role this man has in their lives. He does not want to jeopardize Khun's well-being or put stress on his father, not when they have bigger things to tend to. Despite likely still loving his aunt, cousins, and possibly even uncle at this point, he still can't fully trust them due to being raised not to. He has so many people he could tell, but feels like he can tell no one.

Six months after being assaulted, Khun is kidnapped. Kinn faces his brother and protector possibly being dead and is actively being prepared to become the new heir. These potential responsibilities become incredibly real when he becomes solely responsible for Kim in a safe room. Kim is inconsolable due to feeling more of an attachment to Khun, as well as losing his mother roughly eight months before. He's a child and can't control his emotions under such a high magnitude of trauma. As much as Kinn tries, he can't either. He's 15, already has had two horrifically traumatic things happen to him in eight months, and now faces possibly losing his brother and becoming heir. He loses control and screams at Kim, saying cruel things to him until locking himself in the bathroom. It is an incident Kinn remains deeply ashamed of and never forgave himself for. He realizes he doesn't like not being in control. He doesn't like being wrong.

A few weeks later, Khun returns traumatized and shows signs of significant and complex PTSD, which causes a secondary diagnosis of agoraphobia. Kinn is informed within a couple of months that Khun will no longer be heir and that he will be. He feels less control than ever, resentment against things and people he probably can't quite identify, and now feels he can't lean on anyone since he can't do that anymore. People can only depend on him.

All of these things happen in less than a year. While he eventually finds "love" with Tawan, he never finds it within him to express what happened. Part of it is likely Tawan never challenging their roles in the bedroom, another part of it could be Kinn subconsciously finding something off about their relationship but being too blinded by his feelings that he can't evaluate it further. He was also likely very young while involved with Tawan - late teens to early twenties. It wasn't enough time to identify how much his sexual trauma shaped him - or the rest of the trauma he experienced that year. All he knows is that he needs to be the one in control. When he finds out about Tawan's betrayal, this further traumatizes Kinn and makes him more guarded and quick to anger than ever. After that, he mostly engaged in sex that he has full control of. He ensures this by paying for it. He treats these men well enough and makes sure they get home safely, but he does not explore what he may or may not like in the bedroom, nor do the men he pays to have sex with fit his type. They are much more delicate and have a smaller build than Tawan and Porsche do. He probably yearns for someone who challenges him (like Porsche ends up doing), but his trauma and upbringing cannot allow that.

As for Porsche...I feel like out of everyone, he could truly confide in Porsche. But so much time has passed and Kinn has been so conditioned by his father, his circumstances, and by himself that he has no idea how to express that trauma to the love of his life. Porsche is sweet with him and happy with their sex life, but probably would appreciate switching things up occasionally. I think part of Porsche recognizes there may be a very complex reason as to why they haven't tried it the other way around yet, but Kinn isn't talking. He is kind to Porsche, but likely gently pushes the conversation to the side. I don't think he has ever planned on telling Porsche, despite how far they have come and how serious their relationship is at this point. However, a few of their huge initial conflicts were rooted in Kinn's need for control.

One of these instances was sexual in nature and a form of assault inflicted on Porsche. Despite Porsche being the one to "pursue" Kinn, he was under the influence and could not consent. His feelings the following day are troubled and complicated, as are Kinn's. Kinn apologized for this transgression twice. Porsche forgave him and fell in love with him once seeing a much more genuine side of Kinn, but he was only able to see it once Kinn no longer had control and they established some semblance of equality in the forest. Despite that, I feel like the event brings Kinn a lot of guilt. It is also an example of how destructive Kinn can be when he feels out of control but HAS to maintain some semblance of it in order to not be knocked down from his position of power - a position he strived for and obtained after being forced to make it a goal.

The TL;DR on that last paragraph is that Kinn likely has not confided in Porsche about this particular trauma (or that eventful year in general) because he feels like he has no right after crossing that boundary with Porsche. The circumstances were much different, and Kinn's complex and untreated/not understood trauma likely led up to something like that, but it still happened.

He definitely never planned on telling Kim. But with Kim and Kinn both becoming more open with each other and re-evaluating their pasts in their own respective ways, I think this has shifted something in Kinn just enough for him to blurt a hint of that trauma out. Now that Kim is actively working towards getting better, he is much less avoidant with hard topics - especially hard topics that aren't his own. He likely takes Kinn's impulsive and vague admission much more seriously than he does his own assault, and Kinn's takes Kim's much more seriously (plus was traumatized by the rescue). They can only treat this type of violence with the gravity and attention it deserves when it happens to someone they care for, rather than themselves.

Since Kim's descent into his depression and subsequent kidnapping and assault are covered in Progression, my contrasting points are much shorter.

While Kinn feels like he has to care for everyone he considers family, Kim doesn't have the same responsibilities. He wants to separate himself at least some aspects to his family - going as far as creating a separate persona to be who he wants to be in his professional life, only to never fully escape it due to his own trauma and mafia ties. He craves love - something shown through this romantic lyrics - but has guarded himself so heavily due to his dangerous connections, introverted nature, and (in this story) likely falling on the autism spectrum. On top of that, he is demisexual in this story, although he hasn't given himself an official label. All he knows is that he would only consider sex if it was with someone he loved. Chay is the only person he felt those feelings for. Due to Kim's secretive goals, how guarded he is, and how hard it is for him to express himself, he dropped the ball. Monumentally. That heartache and guilt impacted what was likely an already underlying depression and Kim gradually lost control.

I see Kim as someone who also needs control, at least initially. But losing so much of it and not being able to express how much help and support he needs makes him feel completely isolated. That isolation, depression, and desperate need for love and support makes it so Kim doesn't necessarily want the control back. He needs someone else to take the reins. This is shown when he willingly goes with his kidnappers, despite knowing he very well may die or face serious trauma/injury. This shows how much Kim now avoids taking any control back. He has no idea where to start since his life has completely unraveled. By the time one of his kidnappers assaults him, he does briefly try to fight. But the drugs in his system and his weakness from his eating disorder make it so that control can't be obtained. His assault is only cut short only when Chay takes control (by completely losing it, ironically enough) and almost beats his captor to death.

Kim doesn't really think about sex with Chay after their reunion until the prospect of it seems as if it could be likely when they are waiting out the storm. It gives Kim anxiety and he still has mental health concerns that he is working through. But like Chay's absence was a major reason for Kim's descent into his depression, his presence, support, and friendship after Kim hit rock bottom is a major reason for his healing. So Kim develops a deep appreciation, love, and trust for Chay - even deeper than his original feelings. Chay has become someone he feels safe around. That trust has led Kim to find himself becoming a person that more closely aligns with the person he had only wanted to be prior to all of this. Add that to Chay now making a habit of protecting and comforting Kim? Kim wants to hand the reins over Chay. He makes Kim feel safe, despite their complicated history. Kim no longer sees handing over control as a weakness because it has led to him having more love and support. This mindset is crossing over into his and Chay's growing sexual relationship. While Kim is a virgin and Chay has acquired a huge list of partners during their separation, this dynamic and Kim relinquishing the need for control has strangely given Kim MORE control with his growing agency. That agency is also giving him confidence to try more things with someone he loves and trusts deeply.

This answer was so much longer than what I initially planned and I don't know if it all makes sense. I probably gave too much backstory away, but it is what it is! Feel free to engage or give your thoughts on it all, but these are mine based on both my views and analyses of the characters in the show, and of the events that have unfolded in this particular fic.

[blindseer0]

Echo X Magic the Gathering: Colors, Themes, and Legendary Lands

Been busy so no new Echo analysis, but because I can't help myself, I've decided to combine two of my brain worms and make custom Echo MtG cards. To make things even more difficult for myself, I've decided to make a set of five commander decks, one for each Route character. That means a deck each for Carl, Leo, Jenna, TJ, and Flynn and because I love cycles, I've decided that each will be a different three-color shard/arc combination:

Carl

Colors: Black/Red/Green

Theme: Food and Treasure

Comments: Probably one of the more controversial character/color choices, I decided early that Carl fit most in Red/Green (being a stoned artist) and that as the rich heir of an Ice Cream company Treasure and Food tokens were a natural fit. Black might seem an odd choice, but it plays into the fact that you're sacrificing tokens and allows for the inclusion of everyone's "favorite" gay ghost serial killer.

Leo

Colors: Red/Green/White

Theme: Vehicles (?)

Comments: Like Carl, Leo wants to be Green/Red (and is definitely not Blue). While I think he could also be Black, I thought White was much more fitting for him and could lead to more interesting designs down the road. The theme is still in flux, but I like the thought that the mechanic does things with vehicles, so hopefully I can come up with some good designs.

Jenna

Colors: White/Blue/Black

Theme: Hand and Deck Manipulation (?)

Comments: Jenna is definitely core Blue, and while you could argue for including Red or Green, I think her repressing her feelings/trauma and rejection of her biological family/hometown lend themselves more to Esper. As a psych major, Jenna being able to know what the other players are doing just seems like the obvious route, but we'll see if there's enough fun design space there.

TJ

Colors: Green/White/Blue

Theme: Group Hug

Comments: TJ, obviously White, and going full Bant for him just makes sense. His whole route it about how he can't help but help, so Group Hug was the natural choice. This is the other theme I'm most sure of and the deck I have the most designs for.

Flynn

Colors: Blue/Black/Red

Theme: Investigation (?)

Comments: I don't think it's controversial to say Flynn is primarily Black, and as the character I most connect with, he gets my favorite color combination. His route is all about trying to find the truth of what happened to Sydney, so clues and investigation seem like the perfect fit.

Overall Comments: I tried multiple different types of color combinations, including wedges, four-colors, and a mix of wedges and shards, but ultimately the shards fit the most characters the best. Some of the themes are still up in the air, but I'm excited about what I have so far.

And lastly, actual cards; a cycle of legendary lands, one per deck (Everything, especially how much the abilities cost, is subject to change):

Hendricks Manor

Legendary Land

Tap: Add Colorless.

BG, Tap, Sacrifice a Creature: Create a treasure token.

Echo Trainyard

Legendary Land

Tap: Add Colorless.

RW, Tap: Exile the top card of your library. Until the end of turn you may play the exiled card.

Jasmine Street

Legendary Land

Tap: Add Colorless.

WB, Tap, Exile a card from your graveyard: Create a 1/1 colorless spirit creature token.

Lake Emma

Legendary Land

Tap: Add Colorless.

GU, Tap: Mill a card. If a land is milled this way you may put it onto the battlefield tapped.

Echo City Hall

Legendary Land

Tap: Add colorless.

UR, Tap: Investigate.

If you happen to share my combination of brain worms or just find this interesting let me know what you think. Would you have chosen different color combinations and/or themes? What do you think about the cycle of land? What would you like to see? (I'm continuing along this path regardless of if I get any responses because it's too late for me, but it would still be fun to hear what others think.)