#lord take me now I love a good redemption story

[viridianevergarden]

This again. I just want to break down my thoughts here so bear with me.

(I did the math and calculated ~ 7.9k people voted that 55%) 💀

First of all,

Elain doesn’t just enjoy gardening for the aesthetic, but rather for the fruits of her labor through hard work. Spring Court’s flowers and nature are only in bloom by magic (The High Lord’s). Not work. Not labor. But rather for convenience and aesthetics (to embody the very domain that one, being Tamlin, High Lord of the SC, resides in). That, to me, goes against Elain’s very enjoyment of the craft of her gardening.

Couple that with the fact that she has completely neglected using those gloves that Lucien gave her. She put them down after they were gifted to her, not even bothering to look at them as if she didn’t care for them. She doesn’t seek protection from the labor of her craft. She doesn’t want to make it easier. She enjoys the challenge. I think Feyre’s perspective on that made it clear.

And again, why would Elain in her right mind willingly go to be with her younger sister’s abusive ex? Why would she? I’m pretty sure she is well aware of what transpired between the two. That she is aware of Tamlin’s actions. Especially when he is partially, if not entirely, responsible for her life quite literally being turned upside down. Having her mortality stripped from her and her love and happiness (or simply content) gone along with it. If she is so visibly uncomfortable with Lucien, who was an accomplice, I’d imagine she would also hold animosity or discomfort for Tamlin tenfold.

Secondly,

Regarding mating bonds being rare: This is a story that encompasses a main group of protagonists. 3’s are SJM’s specialty. Just because 3 brothers may get with 3 sisters does not automatically mean that mating bonds aren’t rare. As a fae romance series with mating bonds clearly being a significant staple throughout, we will encounter mating bonds. Especially with our protagonists. That just seems like logic to me. Even then, it’s been stated and shown time and again that not every mating bond works or is positive. That just because two individuals have a bond doesn’t mean they’ll have good chemistry.

Also take into account that our dear Inner Circle is not the entire continent of Prythian. The Inner Circle does not equal the entire population. So therefore, a small group of mated individuals ≠ a common occurrence.

What’s wrong with the storyline matching up to have a 3:3? Is the perfectionism so wrong? I think that the phrase “too perfect” should be replaced with “complete/completion”. One last brother to one last sister is the remaining piece of the puzzle. Yes, you can argue that the cliche of 3:3 is boring or too simple but this is SJM’s world. She is a cliche author. She always has been.

Lastly,

I believe that Tamlin has had his redemption arc. If you want to call it that at least. In my opinion, he doesn’t need one. His prime arc is over. The series is way bigger than just Tamlin now. I simply see no reason as to why SJM should take more time for Tamlin , who arguably has done more than enough, rather than anything else. I feel like it’d be a backward progression.

Not every character has to be redeemed.

Not every character should be able to find peace or become good after selfish or morally questionable acts.

Not every character calls for major development.

To me, it’s just bad writing to redeem and develop every single character.

Even then, Tamlin is a well written character. He doesn’t need more depth. (I think this post alone proves that people don’t understand him already). He doesn’t need Elain to come in and “fix him”. No one can. No one but Tamlin himself. And we see that if anything, he’s wasting away rather than trying to help himself. He’s wallowing in his grief, anger, and hatred. Be it for others -like Rhys- or himself. It’s on him. Hell, even Rhys tried to help him. Yet he remains unmoving. That is Tamlin’s choice. Elain shouldn’t need to be his catalyst for change. He should.

To Conclude,

I see no logical reason again as to why people think this is a possibility. It just seems like a terrible writing choice for the story of ACOTAR. Of course, SJM can indeed surprise us. She wields the mighty pen after all. But then again, why would she turn around and completely dismiss 4 books of chemistry with a certain shadowsinger just to pitch our third sister with someone like Tamlin or Lucien? If she had planned to do so before, why would there be 4 books worth of obvious chemistry? It’d be a waste. If she has planned or plans to have Elain go with Lucien or Tamlin, why hasn’t she written any semblance of true chemistry between them? If Elain should allegedly have a balance with Tamlin or Lucien, why isn’t there any chemistry? All I’ve seen from Elain is obvious discomfort.

“I thought it was obvious…” - SJM

I could write more about Lucien and Elain’s dynamic but I think that is a whole different matter that doesn’t pertain to the current topic so I’ll leave this here. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[biggerbetterbat]

WITH YOU | masterlist

Summary: When Glenn brings back a girl, Daryl Dixon doesn't know that she'll be the most important thing in his life. Story about finding soulmate when the world is ending

Daryl Dixon x reader!oc (season 1-?)

General Warnings: adult language/content, violence, descriptions of blood/injury, characters deaths, typical TWD themes. It will follow the plotline - maybe slightly different at some points. There will be plotlines and dialogue from the show. There will be descriptions of reader and her character, because it's more of fanfiction.

DAYLIGHT ON WATTPAD

"Cause when you're gone, I've lost myself away And I've never wanted to feel so wrong When I'm in love with you"

Marissa&EMO 365 Days

PART 1

ACT 1: ATLANTA

[1] SHATTERED DREAMS

[2] THE DAY THAT WORLD WENT TO SHIT

[3] HOPE CALLED GLENN RHEE

[4] THANK GOD DARYL DIXON IS NOT A WALKER

[5] THIS IS NOT A SUMMER CAMP

[6] HELICOPTER BOY

[7] OPERATION MERLE, OPERATION LAUNDRY

[8] DIFFERENT OPINION

[9] THE END OF THE SHANELEADERSHIP

[10] GOOD LUCK TO US THEN

[11] WERE YOU AN ADULT FILMS ACTRESS BEFORE?

CHARLIE’S DREAM

[12] TS-19

ACT 2: THE FARM

[13] JUST NEVER STOP

[14] POOR THING, YOU ARE

[15] WE HAVE CANDIES

[16] THE CHICK

[17] AND DARYL’S HERE

[18] GLENN’s DAY

[19] A WALKER IN THE ROOM

[20] LOST AND FOUND

[21] I LOVE YOU

[22] THAT’S RANDALL

LESSON

[23] DYING IS EASY

[24] SORRY, BROTHER

[25] TO PROTECT GLENN AND DARYL

[26] OLD MCDONALD HAD A FARM

ACT 3 PRISON

[27] HOME SWEET HOME

[28] DEAL

[29] I PROMISE

[30] THE KILLER I AM

[31] I’M SORRY

[32] THIS IS NOT A GOODBYE

[33] THE SOUR TASTE OF BETRAYAL

THE DIXON BROTHERS

[34] OLD AQUAIATANCE

[35] DECISIONS

[36] GREATER REASON

ACT 4: LIMBO

[37] BACK

[38] A GUT FEELING

[39] THE MELODY

[40] BLESS ME FATHER FOR I HAVE SINNED

A DREAM OR NOT

[41] I WILL FIND YOU

[42] TERMINUS

[43] HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST

HIS REDEMPTION

[44] TODAY I BURY YOU

[45] AT THE END OF THE TRACKS

PART 2

ACT 5: ALEXANDRIA

[1] LET THE JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL

[2] WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LORD’s HOUSE

APARTMENT IN ATLANTA

[3] A TRAP

[4] PAYING THE HIGH COST OF LIVING

[5] FROM A FRIEND

[6] KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’s DOORS

[7] COMMUNITY

[8] WEAK

[9] SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME

ACT 6

[10] THEN

[11] IN THE MEANTIME

[12] NOW

[13] BETTER DAYS

[14] BIGGER WORLD

[15] TIME OF DECISION

[16] CAPTURED

[17] FORTIFICATIONS

[18] THE DEATH WILL COME

[19] THE NIGHT BEFORE THE END

[20] THE END

[burst-of-iridescent]

Hi! I love all your posts regarding atla and deep diving into Zuko and Katara's relationship-those analysis's are *chief's kiss* perfect

Anywho, I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm guessing you heard about Bryke wanting to expand the atla universe, and will be creating a new movies, one of which, with the Gaang as adults, but as far as I know won't have any of the returning head writers like Aaron Ehasz..

so my question is: do you think there is any hope for these movies? Because to me I feel like it might just be a fully animated comic (we all know how those turned out) & just be 2 hrs of Katara and Aang saying "Sweetie" back an forth. Yes I'm still saltly

frankly? no.

and that's not even me saying it as a salty zutara shipper who doesn't want to see kat.aang as an established relationship. i doubt how good these movies are going to be because bry.ke have little-to-no understanding of their characters, especially katara and zuko, and at least since atla, haven't shown the self-awareness to hire a writer's team that can compensate for their shortcomings. i've said it before and i'll say it again: they have great, creative ideas and an excellent eye for stunning visuals and an immersive world. but when it comes to the nuances of characterization and story-building, they cannot do it on their own. lok proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

but more than bry.ke, these movies are also emblematic of a larger problem that i see in multiple franchises: the subordination of creative, meaningful storytelling in service to shameless nostalgia cash-grabbing. ask yourself, do we really need a story about the adult gaang? most of the main plot threads that they could've expanded on from atla have already been (mostly badly) answered in the comics: what happened to ursa, azula's potential redemption, decolonisation, industrialisation vs tradition, the founding of a new air nomad legacy, zuko's struggles as fire lord. any new story would either have to retcon previously established "canon" or put a new spin on old themes. the latter of which i severely doubt bry.ke's capability to pull off, particularly if any level of nuance is required.

atla is slowly but surely heading in the direction of star wars/harry potter/the mcu in producing new material just for the sake of making money instead of truly adding something impactful to the canon. the fact that absolutely no new atla material since the show itself has ever managed to live up to the original is proof that the franchise has no idea what it's doing.

and before someone comes at me to say that it's impossible to ever live up to the original - just take a look at the hunger games revival happening right now. the ballad of songbirds and snakes has been received so well because it isn't just a shameless cash-grab. it's a valuable contribution to the series that expands on the universe and themes of the original trilogy, giving more depth and nuance to the original books instead of detracting from them. because collins adds to the canon only when she has something meaningful to say, and for a franchise that she could have milked to absolute filth, that restraint reflects not only her integrity as a creator, but the value she places on the stories that she tells - which in turn makes her readers value and respect them as well.

and that's a lesson that i think every single storyteller should take to heart. if you want to be respected as a writer, you have to respect your characters and your stories first. because if you, the creator, don't... why should anyone else?

[kittenshift-17]

I want to know, if you don't mind and if you feel comfortable, your honest opinion, from the bottom of your heart, why you choose zutara over kataang. I'm really curious to know an adult's perspective about this ship.

Hi,

Thanks for asking this. Hopefully, it's with genuine curiosity and not a means to find things to argue with or attack me over.... anyway... I've been thinking about this a little bit, and the answer is two-fold.

The short answer is that I pick Zutara over Kataang because I don't like Aang very much, and I do like Zuko; I think the characterization of both just lends itself more to an appreciation of Zuko and his redemption arc over Aang's hero struggle.

The long answer is a summation of the following:

Aang's a child in the series, not yet even a teenager, and I think we can all agree that he often displays his lack of maturity throughout the series in several places. Now, this isn't necessarily a fair argument to bring to the table, given that he would undoubtedly mature as he grew (we assume) and did some growing up, even during the series. That said, his age - his being younger than Katara, is another reason I prefer Zutara, because most of the time - at least when I'm writing them - the gaang are either in their mid-late teens or early twenties, and I think at those ages, most girls don't want to date someone younger than them. Partially, it's social conditioning, but developmentally, boys tend to be two years behind girls in regard to maturity, etc., so it's a big factor.

We see throughout the series that Katara goes for guys that are... shall we say, more "manly" than Aang? Jet is a sexy schmooze with mixed-up ideals, but he's older than her and well-fit. Haru is buff as hell and kind of adorable (before the mustache makes its debut, anyway). In that regard, Zuko is much more Katara's 'type' than a scrawny, short, skinny bald kid with arrows tattooed all over him. Also, I mean, she seems to prefer men with great hair, and Aang just doesn't fit the bill.

Aang is the Avatar and, by merit of being so, needs to put his connection to the spirits world, his responsibility to the physical world, and his role as an avatar before everything else, including worldly attachments. We see this throughout the series, wherein his unwillingness to let go of his attachment to Katara inhibits his chakra pathways and blocks him from entering the avatar state. We also see him finally choosing his responsibility over his love for Katara, and while that's the right thing to do for the sake of the world, I just think Katara deserves more than that. It's the embodiment of the uptick in a preference for falling for the morally grey villain over the hero because the hero will sacrifice you for the good of the world, while the morally grey villain will let the world burn as long as you're safe.

Now, you could argue that the above isn't fair because Zuko has responsibilities, too, in that he needs to take on the role of Fire Lord, but I think there's more room for love/romance/attachment in that role than there is in Aang's role.

Zuko is so much more interesting than Aang; I don't know how else to put it. He's got the tragic back-story, the anger issues, the redemption arc, that morally-grey-what-can-I-say-grey's-my-favourite-colour vibe about him, and he's just so much cooler and more mature. Like, yes, he has his moments of childishness and temper tantrums - as does Katara - but he's matured far beyond what we witness of Aang and it makes him a more likable character. An example of what I mean is probably best illustrated in the Southern Raiders chapter. Aang tries to impose his own ideals and morality on Katara when she's burning for revenge, which, while he's trying to encourage her to do the right thing, doesn't really suggest that he's supportive of her feelings. I found him quite dismissive in that chapter with his insistence that she just forgave the man who killed her mother without any attempt at growth or chance for closure. Meanwhile, Zuko just grabs his gear and goes with her to make sure she'll be safe and to support her in whatever decision she chooses to make. Yes, it might've meant that he would be an accessory to murder, but at least he was supportive. Also, his reaction to learning Katara can blood-bend - an insanely frightening ability when you really stop and think about it - is alarmed but then accepting, and it's just so much more palatable than the lecture I imagine she'd get from Aang if he learned she'd used the ability for harm and revenge.

There's too much of a brother-sister vibe between Aang and Katara - at least when it's shown from Katara's perspective - and it wigs me out that the writers put them together in the end. Throughout the series, Katara treats Aang much the same way she treats Sokka, often mothering him as opposed to seeming romantically inclined towards him. Whereas with Zuko through the entire series, there's the ongoing thread of parallels between their characters and the underlying unresolved sexual tension between them - put there intentionally BY THE WRITERS, I might add. Like throughout the series, we were SUPPOSED to be shipping Zuko and Katara; the intention was to have them end up together. It's only the last-minute switch of writers and/or change of heart to fulfill the "hero gets the girl" trope that made Kataang canon, and I just think it's a disservice to the characters, the fans, and the series in general, to backflip like that at the last minute for a lame reason.

I could probably go on - and have before, in GCs and sometimes on Tumblr, about the many reasons they're just better suited to one another, but you're probably bored by now, so I'll stop here. Hopefully, the above gives you something to think about and a better understanding of the reasons so many ship the two of them. If nothing else, it's got me thinking about my Zutara fics and maybe even planning an update.

xx-Kitten

[conkers-thecosy]

In Backs To The Wall, was there ever a ring? Did it get taken care of early or did it never exist?

Hullo dearest! 💛

Ooh, lovely question, thank you! So usually when I write a "ring-what-ring" au, I don't address it at all, it's just not there. In BTTW, however, the Ring did exist, but was destroyed by Isildur! I enjoy the Jackson films immensely, but Isildur got done dirty, haha! This was my little redemption for him, small as it is! Now, obviously this makes no sense in the larger story, so don't look at it too hard, but for the sake of my little fic, it was the best way for me to wrangle certain plot points! I actually reference it briefly in chapter 24:

Bilbo had begun to read the tale of Isildur, the great king of Gondor who had defeated the evil Sauron and destroyed the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, and found himself deeply engrossed in it. He’d read many versions of this story, as there seemed to be a lot of different accounts of it. His favourite re-telling had been straight from the mouth of Lord Elrond when they had stayed in Rivendell, who had actually been with the hero, Isildur, when he cast the evil creation away into the burning heart of the volcano, and freed all the people of Middle Earth from the scourge of the Dark One. This version was a mannish one, which he’d never before read, and it was interesting to see all the differences, as well as all the similarities. He was just reaching the critical moment when Isildur felt the evil call of the One Ring (something played down quite a bit in this version) and resisted its lure, when from the corner of his eye he saw someone take up the other armchair beside him. Bilbo didn’t look up, caught as he was in the grip of the story, and continued all the way to the end, when the very lands of Mordor collapsed and all of the armies of Sauron were forced to flee to the furthest corners of the realm.

Thank you so much for your question, I love having an excuse to talk about this stuff! Hope you're having a good day! ~Conkers 🌰

[tornioduva]

Thoughts on Mistoborn (Era 1)

Ok, so, as promised, the nitpicks/preference post. I wanted to wait for the excitement to cool down, but if i wait more i'll just forget everything. so.

SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOILERS, BIG, HEAVY, MEATY!!!!

I'll just blurt out a list of things that i didn't like/left me concerned:

The Lord Ruler ""redemption" I thought this was going to be a more controversial take, but i've seen many other express the same feeling already, so cool. Basically, the way they talked away the evil Rashek did under his rule reeeeally left me with a disappointed. understandable, yes. all the things the characters say about him are contextually right and informative, but aside from the content, the emotions behind felt...wrong. The reader should be the one kind of above all saying "i kinda get what he was going for", not the ones that saw his massacres and cruelty. Plus the emphasis on "Ruin corrupted him, he had good intent in the beginning"; i don't hate it as a concept...but it should've have been worded differently i think. I will excuse only Sazed on this because he basically achieved Nirvana, but even from him i expected more...criticism let's say. Less gush about microorganism and more fuck you Rashek.

Disconnect of powers Now, this can all be explained away with "it is the way it is, because yes", and it wouldn't be incorrect. but still. Why either Rashek nor Vin Managed to realize, even on an insticual level, what the true nature of the mist/deepness was when they took the power? Vin is told to be able to briefly see in the past of the power, and has her senses and understanding greatly expanded; how come she doesn't realize they fit together in some way? I included Rashek because i remember he moved the planet to burn the mist, and i guess this means he viewed it as something to defeat, but i may be mistaken. Again, maybe she didn't have enough time, maybe Ruin obfuscated her understanding, maybe it's just the way it is. but, if sazed took his time to explain to me that there were organism to eat ash, he could've also told me why she didn't just know what the mist were. but it's also not that important i guess, admittedly, i don't know if it wouldn't have changed the story all that much.

There's an afterlife??? That. I rode the rolelcoaster of emotions that was the final chapters of HoA and it was amazing and heart breaking, everyhting fitting together, climax climaxing, tears tearing, me dying. The sacrifice of Vin and Elend was so moving and spectacular, i wouldn't have asked for a better one. but. Then came Sazed, giving their friend a beutiful goodbye in the form of their bodies left in the flowers...and then you follow that saying "but don't worry, they be chilling were they are now, lol". why. why Ruin (lol) such a beautiful send off by demistifying their death. or at least without elaborating on it more. without that note, their death would've have left a bittersweet taste in my mouth, happy that they both died doing what they thought was right, giving their people hope, and loving each other, but without knowing what that would mean for them, if they were just gone, reunited or else. The question of an afterlife was also like one of the big questions of this book, part of the selfdiscovery journey of Sazed. To just having it resolved in a footnote like that, right after i was starting to grieve for my main characters, was terrible. "guess i was dumb for feeling sorrow for them, they're fine anyway". Plus, to me it would've been faaaar more interesting if Sazed, even in a god form, still couldn't respond to the question of what happens, to confirm that even a god does not know what lies for him in death. that'd be chilling. instead i guess there's paradise? bah. I mean, happy for them, poor things, at least they can dance for all eternity now. I'm sure someone will RAFO me in regard to the afterlife, but doesn't change my feeling about it.

Kelsier ... Everything regarding Kelsier's actual actions post death, in regard to the voices and influece, to Sanderson saying he was briefly a god before Vin...that is all just kind of silly to me. at least presented as it is. It's too little too litle to be of any interesting significance, but at the same time his actions are relevant to the story. I'd say, either have him play a quiet, interepretative but bigger part in the story, or as is, just don't have kelsier doing wierd shit that technically shouldnn't have the powers to do. hell, Vin struggled to talk to Elend the one she had a special bond with, while in FULL GOD MODE. Idk, it feels just kind of there.

Pewter Reaaaally small nitpick. It's magic, i know, but given that pewter doesn't heal by itself, but just accellerates and intensifies the natarual one of the body (at least for how i understood it), i really think mistborns and thugs should have waaay more scars and residuals bruises than they are described with, Vin in particular. i personally choose to see her as a very scarred indivdual given everything she survived.

...Why metals? This is a strange question, like asking why a mage uses a wand to cas magic. because that's how it works. i know. still. Given how in depth of the rules of how this world functions are, and how much Sanderson clearly wants to explain them to us, to the point of, again, having sazed telling us that rashek made specific micro organisms to eat ash. like, for real. why do the powers of the gods of this world need metals to express themselves. I guess this is the most likely of all my qestions to receive hordes of RAFOs, because i'm sure he will explain it at some point, maybe by talking about the power behind Ruind and Preservation. But still, in a world where everything makes kind of sense, having to eat metal to access magic still feels kind of there as "it's that way because it's cool". It's weird too, because i wouldn't quetion it if it was just, magic powers manifesting into people. but by being this specific, having to use a finite reosource to access an infinite (apparently) reserve of power, an ability that was decided and designed by the gods that created this people...idk, feels weird somehow. i fully expected Sazed to at least question it. but i guees i'll find out later. or maybe not, and honestly i'm okay with that. it's ok to not expalin everything, it just feels weird juxtaposed to everything else being explained.

Aaaand these were my main nitpick about this saga. not too many all things considered. enough to nag at me in my mind, but not to hinder at my overwhelmingly positive enjoyment of the experience.

[rubyfoxfyre]

What did you base Alastors Nox Magia off of? Why type of magic is it and where did you get the ideas for a good ass fanfic?

Thank you for the question!

The answer is sort of a long story that I suppose begins with my first exposure to Hazbin Hotel in general, during a particularly doomed D&D campaign where my character basically acted exactly like Charlie did in the pilot:

Granted, Fianna is not anything like Charlie at all, but the DM found it funny enough to send me the gif above and then everyone got distracted for about 5 minutes while they started meming.

The next day I watched the show and was completely hooked!

I started looking into the Wiki to get a greater understanding of the world shown, read the comics (like all 20 pages hahaha), and listened to Addict while working on prompts for Charlastor Week 2022, taking a break from my regular manuscript I'd been working on for a few years (stay tuned for updates soon on that one!). I had about a month so I decided to try my hand at smaller short stories, since some of the authors I idolize are so good at short fiction, and conveying strong emotions in just a few thousand words.

I watched and rewatched the Pilot, studying the characterizations there as well as thinking about funny and unexpected scenarios the characters could get into while dealing with the concept of redemption and how to make it work (needless to say that the fact that they already had it happen was... unexpected. I have thoughts on that but will put a pin in that for now to avoid getting too distracted from your question!).

I can't remember which rewatch it was that I picked up on an interesting exchange between Charlie and Alastor that turned into a whole mess that would consume me to this day:

She tries to put a limitation on his ability to do too much, and I wondered if that could lead to a sort of interesting power-play between them (because in the end this is the part of their relationship that is fundamentally interesting - they're both powerful people with opposing moralities, having to work together to acheive a common goal). Basically, because Charlie's not precise with her language, she ends up basically not controlling Alastor at all. Which works out in its way, because she hides from her deeper wellspring of power with the aid of a gentle persona.

I liked the idea of something deeper between them and within themselves - and with them being opposing forces, I wanted to work with the idea of Alastor being associated with "night" and "dark", versus Charlie being associated with "sunlight" and "rainbows".

Shadow and Flame, only a bit less Lord of the Rings and a bit more sexy.

Nox Magia , the "night" magic, follows basic arcane principles that I've picked up on through the long and involved process of being a massive nerd and reading a lot of stuff.

For writing magic, I like looking at basic logic structures and hovering somewhere between harder and softer magic. My other manuscript that is premiering this year will be discussing some differing types of magic systems as well, if you enjoy reading Riddle and my other works, I hope you enjoy those as well!

But as for the story itself, it wasn't meant to be a story about a man falling in love... it's the story of a man being dragged into love, kicking and screaming about it. 🦌🌈

To Alastor the Hotel is about control, and his experience there is just a game not to be taken too seriously. Charlie is also about control, or rather, trying to find a way to control without breaking everything with her terrible strength.

Alastor embraces his strength, while she hides from it, and he finds that contradictory instinct in her interesting, so he comes up with the idea of a game to teach her some magic that might help her. But as with all magic, intent governs everything (even when you don't realize), and the spells he's teaching are telling a particular kind of story - you can preview what's happening in the chapter titles that have the runes' names! 🍷

❤️ Thanks so much for reading! ❤️

[snowswan-royalehigh]

Please, can you talk more about the misogyny in Remarried Empress and shit on the male leads, I love it!

Of course! The whole thing is built in such a pick me girl way, it's so hypocritical! The fandom, doesn't do much to counteract it, (I am slightly fearful for the media literacy right now.)

RE has underlying tones of classism and sexism

In order to try to prevent spoilers, I'm gonna mainly focus on the Webtoon, with 1 Rashta spoiler.

THE ONE GOOD WOMAN THEORY.

Why do I say this? Navier. Navier as a character. I actually like the concept of her. Navier herself however, I feel really perpetrates this sexism as well. She's the designated 'one good woman' which I notice in other historical drama/fantasy webtoons. Had it been Rashta's point of view, I'm sure Navier would have a horrible nickname like 'Trashta' maybe like, 'Nasty-vier' and they would make fun of her appearance like they did Rashta. (I love Rashta, but good lord the Christmas tree wedding dress...)

Personally, I don't have that much beef with Navier. But her stans. Especially people who think Navier had it harder than Rashta.

Navier did suffer, but ultimately, women in this story are treated disposably. Tuania, the most beautiful noblewoman, was cast aside by her husband via rumors. Krista, was easily killed off by her own father, and Rashta who's whole life was misery with one time of false happiness before rotting in a cell, taking her own life. And honestly. Navier would've been just like them too, if she wasn't the main character. However, to my knowledge none of the male leads have had to struggle like this.

People often forget, Navier was petty ASF. She was justified, but I felt as though the whole RE story felt classist too. We don't get to see a 'good commoner.' Lebetti, an actual slaveowner and abuser, got a happier ending than her victim. If you like Lebetti, you just like the spoiled brat version of Rashta. And when we see a 'good commoner' it's highly likely that they'll be a throwaway character, or just fodder to support the plot, such as Delaney's, (the maid who had her tongue cut out) brother, only existing to be another thorn in Rashta's side. Even then, Delaney is unable to get herself justice without a man.

None of the male leads really have to depend on women, as much as the women do. Krista, Delaney, Rashta, Tuania, Krista, and even Navier have had to rely on men.

Navier is a good character, due to her flaws and wants, but honestly, people disregard these very real flaws about her.

Petty and uncalled for actions from Navier, actually aren't that uncommon. Like how Navier treated Rashta's abuser, in the way Rashta wanted to be treated. Rashta didn't start out with bad intentions, at all. She was honestly, somewhat sweet in her initial approach. Navier was justified in disliking her husband's mistress, though.

You can notice a trend: Women not associated with Navier's good graces, don't get happy endings. Their only redemption is Navier.

Navier is a great character. Cool. Cunning. She's rough. She's intelligent. However, she is jealous, petty, and vengeful at times. Navier is flawed. Which is good. But in the RE fandom, people can even dumb down Navier, who's one of the most sharp characters into 'soft'. It feels as the story goes on, they're dulling the once sharp blade that was Navier. Navier is desperate to keep herself on a throne. To remain empress.

People demonize Krista all the time, but her motives for being an antagonist is similar to Navier, if not more wholesome. Krista coveted the throne as well, either for power or love. And honestly, Krista was good. She knew how to operate as queen. Navier was alright to be upset, but notice how Krista was killed. She died. Only as fodder for her own father.

I don't remember any sharp quips, or intelligent phrases said by her, since season 1. Such as the 'But if someone comes at me with a knife, I'm not going to let them stab me just because they're weaker than me.' or 'Are you saying that you only have value while you're loved by the emperor?'

Not to say people can't be softened as time goes on. However, I feel that she could start displaying behavior similar to Rashta, and no one would bat an eye. I also remember them pretty much getting rid of Navier's sharp fox eyes, and making them more doe like, like Rashta's.

TLDR: Navier benefits from what I call 'One good woman' theory. The other women can only support her, or scorn her. Either way, they will fade from existence and be forgotten. Her supporters will have happy endings and go away, and her enemies will die horrible deaths.

[saurons-pr-department]

I've been thinking a bit about how I would like to see a depiction of Sauron's time following the War of Wrath, in particular his potential for having, for a short while anyway, 'redeemed' himself before falling back into evil.

Now, I love a true (attempted?) redemption arc as much as the next pr department, but I'm not convinced that's quite what we'd be looking at here. As far as he was concerned, prior to the War of Wrath, he was serving the True King of Arda. (We're told he genuinely wanted Melkor to win the war and there are some elements that make me view him as a somewhat fanatical follower of his lord). He then witnesses their enemies brutally defeat Him, distroy the land that should have been His and then leave the mess behind them. I'm not sure he'd really go straight to "are we the baddies?" here*. If he belived in Melkor's cause, then I don't see why he wouldn't have thought of themselves as the good guys. And with the state that Middle Earth was left in after the Valar attacked, as well as their treatment of his lord, I don't think there's anything in front of him to tell him otherwise. In other words, there is nothing to be redeemed from. At least in his thoughts initially. And I think this is where we see the flaw that allows for him to slip back into evil. What we view as evil and what he views as evil aren't the same thing. His actions are a means to an end, and the end he has planned is so perfect that it'll justify any means. He genuinely wants to fix Middle Earth. Unfortunately for everyone involved though, his moral compas has never really had a good idea of where north actually is...

That isn't to say that I don't think he would learn nothing. That would be too static. I just think it means that there may not be any need for him to actively attempt to be a better person or to be actively trying to turn over a new leaf. I don't see that as something that should be focused on in a failed redemption story for him at this point in time. (I think that would suit post canon better, and perhaps even give it more weight because he can see his failure here and how close he could have been). I think he would eventually question at least some of his past actions. He would find things in his new life that he enjoys. Perhaps he's reminded of how much he loves creating instead of destroying? But I don't think he's setting out to do that. He's setting out to get involved and help restore Middle Earth because as far as he's concerned he's already one of the good guys. For me, this story would need way more layers to it than him simply saying "I'm good now. Actually, never mind, I'm evil again". I think it's far too black and white for how he sees himself. I don't think at any point does he truly think of himself as evil. He thinks of himself as right. He just has a very warped sense of right and wrong. His fall back into evil is inevitable, but he doesn't realise he's doing it because he never considered himself evil in the first place. This is why he fails.

[*I know he presents himself to Eonwe for pardon, but since he nopes out the second the Valar and Valinor are mentioned (and he suspects that he'll end up losing the status that he enjoys in Middle Earth), I don't really know how much of that came from a realisation that he had done wrong. It seems too quick for a realisation like that. So I'm taking it a bit more like either covering his ass or a moment of doubt in the face of utter defeat that then passes once he gets a little slap of reality.]

[sokkastyles]

Hi,

I've liked your takes on Azula. Personally, while i like her as a character (specifically as an antagonist), i've never really liked Azula. Perhaps that's why i have trouble picturing what a redeemed Azula would actually look like. I was wondering if you had any ideas on what kind of person Azula would be, post some kind of redemption.

Hi, and thank you!

As far as liking Azula, the way you describe feeling about her is how you're supposed to feel about her. She's a good character, but she's not supposed to be likeable as a person. Something that I think is a problem in fandom culture is that people get caught too much in character likability. To me it's a really weird way of looking at fiction, but it's oddly common in fandom spaces, the idea of whether x character is someone you would want to be friends with or date in real life, when most characters are not meant to be interpreted that way, they're meant to be interpreted as part of a story. Azula isn't a likeable person, but that's okay because she isn't supposed to be, and she's not auditioning for my friendship or anything, she's a fictional antagonist in a story, and she does her job.

On your question about a redeemed Azula and what that would look like, this is a really interesting question, and I feel like most people who talk about this get it wrong. I see a lot of sad baby Azula who feels immense guilt over her actions. On the flip side I see "redeemed" Azula who never feels remorse for anything and continues to treat the people around her like garbage, but they have to put up with her because she's "redeemed" now. I also see a lot of people proposing a redeemed Azula who gets to be a mary sue wish fulfillment fantasy - she is the most powerful bender, the most intelligent, funnier than Sokka (an actual take I've seen) and all around better than everyone. Which is a weird take on redeeming a character for whom one of their primary flaws as a villain was thinking that they were better than everyone.

To start thinking about redeemed Azula and what she would be like as a person, look at Zuko's redemption arc. One of the best ways to redeem a character and keep them recognizable is to take those flaws that made them a villain, and portray how they can also be virtues.

For example, one of Zuko's primary established traits early on is his dogged determination. It was one of the things that made him a villain, but it's also one of the things that pushes him towards redemption and building a new identity for himself. His ability to endure and get back up again helped him through his struggles even when it was hard, even when he had to give up a lot of what previously drove him and search for a new drive.

One of Azula's primary traits as a villain is her intelligence and quick wit. She is hypercompetent and ambitious. She's extremely observant and uses those skills to manipulate things to her advantage. I said long ago that I'd love to see an Azula redemption that takes those skills and refocuses them on something that leads her towards a path of goodness. One of the things that happens in the comics is that she notices that Zuko is struggling with being fire lord. She tells him in "The Search" that he doesn't really want it, and there is some truth to that. She's able to pick up on something true about his character because she knows him so well, and like previously, she's able to use that to manipulate him.

But what if she were able to use those powers of observation for good? What if, instead of manipulating people, she were able to use her ability to understand people and what motivates them to help them? There's only so far you can understand other people before you start to empathize with them, and it's hard to hate people if you really understand them.

I imagine Azula post-canon, struggling with the new world she finds herself in, not sure of her own identity. She starts out with trying to pick up the pieces of her old life. Zuko is fire lord, but she knows exactly where his reign is going. She was always able to think three steps ahead of him. He can't see the enemies in his own council. She knows exactly whose ear she would have to whisper in to bring her brother down. But along the way she can also see so many other possibilities opening up. Zuko would succeed in getting this new ruling passed if only he realized what this certain councilman wanted. She tells him so one day just because she's bored, and to both of their surprise, Zuko actually ends up taking her advice, and it works. Of course, Azula didn't want that to happen, it's just that she could have if she'd wanted to. But after that, Zuko eventually makes her a part of his council, and the more he trusts her with information, the more she buys into it just to see what would happen. Eventually Azula finds herself committing acts of kindness just because she can. She can see all the possibilities so easily, how to improve or destroy someone's life at a whim, and this amuses her. A curious thing starts to happen, though. The more Azula ends up, sometimes despite her own judgement, helping others, the more she finds that people actually like her. They come to her for advice. A young woman comes to her one day asking how she can get a certain powerful nobleman who her family wants her to marry to leave her alone. He is wealthy and well-connected, but she has heard rumors that he is disrespectful and aggressive to women. This man, he has secrets as well, and Azula knows exactly what strings to pull to get this man removed from Caldera's court permanently.

Along the way, the more Azula realizes about the people around her, the more she starts to see through her father's bullshit. The more she starts to build relationships with others, the more she realizes how empty the relationship with her father was. In fact, her father was the one keeping her isolated all along.

Eventually, she becomes a force to be reckoned with in her own right, except now she has something else to fight for and has also learned not to take herself so seriously. She doesn't strive for perfection anymore, but she's still known to be ruthless to those who cross her or those she cares about, and will have a biting word for those she dislikes. She would be fiercely protective of the new network she created for herself.

I also don't like the redemption scenario of Azula the hermit who goes off and does her own thing. There is some truth in the idea that redemption doesn't necessarily mean forgiveness from the ones you've hurt, but I don't see Azula being happy alone. One of Azula's main flaws is thinking that she's better than everyone else, and her tragedy is that she ends up alone. Her redemption, therefore, has to come through living for others. Isn't that what redeems all of us in the end?

[rollingsins]

To My Dear rollingsins:

YOU HAD ME AT THE EDGE OF MY FUCKING SEAT FOR THREE’S A CROWD THE WHOLE TIME! (In a great way)

I just read all of it right now and my god the spectrum of emotions you had me feeling right now is insane. It’s been a while since I’ve read a story that’s gotten me to outwardly react in such a dramatic ass way multiple times like EXCUSE ME WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT?!(I did, do it againᵕ̈)

In the beginning I felt so guilty about the fact that R really did seem more interested in Jenna than Emma nevermind the fact that R being confused and forging honesty out of uncertainty was the starting point of what would be a series of hurtful events, but good lord bro Emma quelled that feeling real quick.

I mean this with love but to the people who are still team Emma seek therapy immediately (づ￣ ³￣)づ

R has very questionable personal values because first of all you’re confused about what you want, THEY AREN’T! This is not a fucking race just figure it out and then get back to them 😭 R is a professional fumbler. BUT SOMETHING I WILL DEFEND R ABOUT IS Emma in my opinion had no right to go that far with R(and Jenna). Their gullible guilt/shame of what happened creates a barrier between their logic about how this punishment is unfolding and their sense of self-worth, their desperate need for redemption enables the villain in Emma. I’ve been the type to screw up first and screwed over worse in return because I genuinely thought every bit of it was deserved and it took outside perspectives to realize how insane that whole thing went down just cause of how badly I wanted to make things right!

Emma has questionable character values the way she went about the problem. Did they both betray Emma with with those two kisses? Yes they did. But the revenge Emma wanted and got? LMAO THAT GIRL WAS OUT FOR THEIR SOULS. I understand why she took that route because I’m more than sure if I was the one in Emma’s situation I’d take the revenge route but there’s a threshold I saw her reach where she was just cruel. I mean worked in Emma’s favor because it’s exactly what she wanted but it completely wiped away any possible redemption factor Emma had for me. You know what I mean?

Jenna and R bruised Emma, but Emma fractured R and broke Jenna.

The evaluation I used to describe it that way was by ranking who I would least like to be out of those three in that situation.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.

Cordially,

Spector

Let me say I was SEATED for this ask because I love long ass posts.

Not R being a professional fumbler 😭

I love the way you described it, Emma really takes no prisoners.

Thank you for reading, bby!

[toontalks]

Act Like You Love Me ~ Review

Where we read it? Webtoon

Completion status: Complete

_/10

Categories: Romance. Comedy. Modern Setting. Entertainment Business.

Warning: Includes misunderstandings and a love triangle

Ji-eon is jobless and apartment hunting. During her tenure as a cashier(among other jobs), a customer paid with a doll…What? Turns out this doll has the ability to control famous Korean actor Doyun Nam. After applying to be an extra on set, she runs into *drumroll please….Doyun Nam. He mistakes her for an assistant and orders her around, she loses her spot as a film extra and is sent home. Ji-eon goes home that day calculating how much she spent. Pissed, she takes it out on the poor doll.

Excerpt from episode one:

Ji-eon shook the Minji doll aggressively, “How dare you make me work for free?! Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness!! I can’t believe you didn’t offer me one of the coffees! I bought them with my own money! Lick my toes you ungrateful jerk!” She continued, letting out stress in a healthy way.

Out of nowhere her doorbell rings. It must be the landlady coming to complain about the noise level. She opened the door and lo behold, the centre of her frustrations kneeled at her doorstep, bowing.

“Why- Why am i- …Sorry!! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!!!!”

“HUH?!”

Our Thoughts ?

A great binge read now that it’s complete. The character’s had unique personalities and evident flaws which added to their development, Doyun’s overcoming of his anxiety (although that could have been handled better), Ji-eon’s little display of selfishness when he got the opportunity to go abroad and Se-in’s overall lack of social abilities and empathy (to an extent). The progression of the relationship seemed realistic as all characters faced relatable problems for the everyday worker and though they had some…frustrating arcs, and classic miscommunications/misunderstandings (Good lord there were so many) and lack of communication, the eventual resolutions were satisfying.

It was a little disappointing Se-in didn’t find love, the author cleared that up in the afterword so I wish him luck in his love life, but they could have at least have given the man a cat though. On the other hand, I’m so glad Sahye, Doyun’s obsessive ex didn’t get a redemption arc. After what she put Mcs and the guy who liked her through, it didn’t make sense to redeem her because her wrong-doings were purely out of selfish motives. For that, I applaud the creators because it’s common to see characters get redemption arcs or happy endings they didn't deserve.

It was nice to see that Ji-eon finally got a job that she enjoyed instead of relying solely on Doyun for income, it helps bring a little more balance to their relationship.

One thing that took away from the story however was the ending which we thought was rather unsatisfactory. They’re engaged so why didn’t we see a wedding? It might be a bit early in their engagement but a time skip isn't that hard… Even though the spin-offs cleared up some things, readers  (us) were deprived of a wedding scene. We could have at least gotten wedding attire in the afterword :(

[paramorearchived]

June 27, 2007

Transcript:

redemption. it's a long story.

re-demp-tion |riˈdemp sh ən| noun 1. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil : God's plans for the redemption of his world.

there is something that has been on my mind for a while, now, pertaining the song, "Misery Business". i haven't really known what to say about it or how to say it... but honestly, after talking to the guys about it, we feel like what's important is that we try. (whether it sounds "cool" or not). it might get a little personal but here goes nothing.

(in a week or so, i'm going to take this next paragraph down... so read up while you can, if you like details).

"Misery Business", like we've explained before in interviews - and even in past LJ posts - is a true story. the song was written at a time in my life that i felt very bitter towards a girl, who i still haven't forgiven, for a lot of things that she did a few years ago. until this person came into mine and my friend's lives, i had no idea what power someone could have over another. i watched her use sex to manipulate one of my friends, in particular, to the point that none of us - in our little circle of friends - recognized him. he went from being someone so innocent and joyful to becoming someone who was shut off from everything. needless to say, it hurt. not only because he was a close friend but because i felt that i was in love with him. (i know, you can't be in love when you're this young.. right? whatever). either way... the pain that i felt, i decided to hold inside. i thought that if people knew how hurt, angry and bitter i'd become, they'd think i was a bad - or worse, a weak - person because of it. (now, to keep this from getting any longer or any more personal, i'll finish this part of the story by saying... he eventually decided that the relationship had nothing to do with love and after that discovered that our friendship was becoming something different. we sorta fought it for a while because we figured it wasn't smart to start dating so young, especially after what all had happened, but fighting it just made it harder and the next thing i knew, we were an item. (no one uses that term anymore, really...)

i can remember exactly where i was and what everything looked like around me when i was writing the lyrics. i forced myself to relive some of the very vivid memories that i have of the times he dated her. i don't think anyone can understand how awkwardly dark those times were at such a young age. but i do. to finally explain my side of the story and feel freed of it all... well, i was so angry and so happy at the same time. every word i wrote was like a thousand weights lifted off my shoulders. no more burden. what i didn't realize, as i wrote some of those lines, was that while i was escaping one burden, i was also giving myself another.

"but god does it feel so good... to steal it all away from you now. and if you could then you know you would. cause god it just feels so... it just feels so good."

i'm ashamed to say that, although i'm a believer in Jesus Christ and i claim him as my God, when i wrote those lyrics i wasn't addressing him. i was using his name casually. in vain, to be blunt. if you know much about the Christian religion (which i'm not too fond of addressing my faith as), you'll probably know that one of the ten commandments is "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain"... it goes on to say, "...for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." As a believer in Christ, that last part scares the hell out of me. i don't want to be held accountable for being the cause of so many people using his name in vain. you don't have to believe in what i believe and no one in Paramore is ever going to go around forcing our faith into people's lives... but believer or not, i might have led some of ya'll to believe that i take my saviour lightly. and i don't.

God brought me through everything that i say in "Misery Business". i believe that i am a stronger person because those things happened in my life. through that situation, i learned so much. when i sing that song now, i'm not the same person i was when i wrote it. when i sing those lines that i used to sing in vain, i mean them in a different way. i don't want to opportunity to be held responsible for causing a lot of people to use my God's name in vain. so, whether or you not you believe in Christ. whether or not you care if it means something when you say God. just know that as for me, when I am singing those lines, i'm telling God that it feels good to stand up for myself and be victorious after long months of confusion and pain. i don't hurt the same way anymore.

sorry this was so long winded. i know we don't usually speak out about our faith. mostly, because our faith is personal to us. but i really felt like i needed to say something, before it was too late. thanks for reading. the guys aren't responsible for whatever mess this post could possibly get us into, hayley

[starry-kattz]

K so, Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time impressions

[Spoilers]

-The fanfics/ fan theories were right about so much stuff. I thought we already knew the emotion thing tho.

-Aren't they kinda friends with Dorothea? Like, why just call her "dragon ghost"? Rude.

-It's been a while since I watched the show, but the hell is Fright Knight's deal anyway? I thought he was over serving Pariah Dark, and you're telling me this dude just hangs out with his sarcophagus most of the year? Booooo.

-Holy shit, Dark Dan :):) He's so cool but he's officially in wet cat territory for me.

-Valerie is gonna be a problem in the future, and I don't think I'm down for that.

-I am simultaneously impressed and very miffed that they somehow managed to reset everything back to the status-quo damn near 20 years after the original show. I know a lot of people didn't like Phantom Planet, but good lord. I suppose it's a clever way to write out the Deus ex that Clockwork represents, but I rather wish they'd tried to keep some shake ups within the narrative.

-I was always an advocate for Vlad getting a redemption, until near the end of the show, so I'm kinda conflicted. He had a pretty cool moment tho, and was funny during the story. I hope it sticks I guess.

-Vlad finally has his evil son and it's a fusion of a version of himself and Danny that's an adult in a clone of Danny's body. Something about that is hilarious. Hope Dan can get over his angst.

-The end was a bit unclear about what everyone remembered, but since this is clearly a set up for a series, oh well I guess?

-Danny is the Avatar now???????????

-Main trio was alright, I guess. I loved Danny, but I feel like Tucker and Sam didn't really get to do much. Also, I know it wasn't the focus, I didn't expect it to be, but I dead-ass forgot Sam and Danny were a couple?? Like, they had a few panels with them looking at each other all soft and everything, but the chemistry kinda felt non-existent? Idk what to take from that, it's just an observation.

[maxwell-grant]

Soooooooooooooo, Lavender Jack Season 3, and overall thoughts on the series proper?

Anonymous asked: So... end of Lavender Jack... what did you think of it and more generally of the season 3 ?

(spoilers)

Gonna do this by bullet points to cover Season 3 specifically, because if you follow me I really do not have to tell you that Lavender Jack is an all-timer comic that fulfills everything it set out to do and then so much more and that it's one of my favorite things ever and an endless source of joy and inspiration to me, and that I am being perfectly normal right now about the fact that it's ended for good. I think Season 3 is as much of a seismic jump in quality from Season 2 as Season 2 was to Season 1, and I was singing this thing’s praises to high heaven off Season 1 alone.

So here goes:

Of all characters that I expected to come back I actually did not think Lord Hawthorne would be one of them, I really did think he was gone completely. Instead, he jumped from Tarzan to Frankenstein-Bane to achieve his final form as Lavender Jack’s twisted opposite and the ultimate brick wall for Mimley to crash against, the fighter that Mimley cannot defeat but needs to try anyway, and all of this is framed as an unspeakable violation of what little personhood he even had left by church, state and capitalism combined, a physical embodiment of institutional violence that co-opts heroic imagery and nobility and turns lonely and broken men into robotic instruments of slaughter.

Hawthorne is the story’s Ultimate Monster once again, more terrifying and violent and destructive than ever, and he once again he winds up being one of it’s biggest victims too. From one of my favorite takes on Tarzan, he became one of my favorite takes on Frankenstein’s Monster, which is a MUCH higher competition.

I truly adored that he was allowed a redemptive finale, and that the bulk of his and Mimley’s end conflict hinged not on Mimley being finally able to defeat him, but Mimley’s attempts to save him, to make up to him for his death, to be the only man in all of existence who looked at this horrible wild man with kindness and the insistence that someone should try to save him, finally reaching out to him in some form, and that leading to Hawthorne finally, at long last, using all of his potential for something more than just “another laborious climb to a locked-room murder” at the orders of someone else.

I loved that his finale was him adorned with that classic Frankenstein imagery of the lonely Creature in a cloak atop the alps, but here, the sun shines warmly in the background as Hawthorne at last is given a moment of peace. I’m gonna be thinking about Hawthorne quite a while.

Worst Face 2022

I KNEW IT I KNEW THAT THE BLACK NOTE WAS ALIVE SOMEHOW, I was very glad to have him come back for the finale and especially as an ally, he’s such a delightfully weird creature

“I took many other names in the course of my duties...and many more during my tutelage under the Five-Shadowed Man” YesHaHaYesSicko.png

I was definitely not expecting Cragen to make out of this alive but, a second death would have been reduntant. His final fate is one I find incredibly interesting, delightfully twisted in a way that only fits him too well. The bulk of his arc this season was inspired by him escaping from death only to realize that all of his efforts as a masked villain did nothing but embolden his father’s tyranny and the growing rot within Gallery he strove so hard to destroy, and so he assisted his once mortal enemies in finishing off said threat once for all and, given another chance at life and a final mask to put on, he will be using said chance to effect lasting political change as Gallery’s mayor, not as himself but pretending to be the monstrous tyrant he threw his life away to destroy.

I find it such an interesting note to leave out the character on, a supervillain vigilante realizing that all of his incredible talents and efforts put into masked terrorism only ever emboldened the systems he wished to destroy, finding out his explosive revolutionary anarchy only filled in craters and vacuums to be filled and exploited by fascist war dogs and capitalist puppetmasters, and in response he does the one thing you never expect supervillain vigilantes to do: He changes, he makes amends with the heroes, and he reshapes himself to affect change through the “boring” systemic route, putting his supervillain persona behind him to prove that he’s actually serious about his desire for political change.

It’s a change that you just wouldn’t see in a long-form superhero comic book that would inevitably require the character to be brought back again, but it being placed here at the end of the story means The Black Note gets to actually put his money where his mouth is and do what none of the Magnetos and Ra’s al Ghuls and Doctors Doom can do without that being inevitably averted.

I dearly, dearly adored all the additions to the supporting cast and they are a major factor why I’ve adored this season so much, easily the saddest thing about Lavender Jack ending is that I would have liked to see all of these characters and more show up more often. Sister Rex was a delightfully excessive cartoon with some really wonderful expressions, I loved seeing how the Princess of Pilaf concept set up way back in Season 1 played out. I really liked Uncle Salazar and his chapters, loved his dynamic with Ducky and what an excellent wild card he turned out to be in the finale. And GOD the Captain Berrada chapters, I could have read those forever, truly wonderful.

You can’t just make up all these interesting and wonderful new characters and make this world so much more vibrant and lively when we’re hitting the home stretch of never seeing them again, that shouldn’t be legal.

Johnny Summer is the coolest character and I really wish he’d appeared more, the chapters he shared with Mimley were some of my favorites and I was rooting for them so much, I really don’t wanna say goodbye to him.

“Mine’s for cutting the checks, I suppose” I DID NOT THINK THAT WAS GONNA HAVE THE PAYOFF IT DID

I loved the progression of how things escalated, with Mimley and the League escalating in members and tactics as the villains and exes all join forces. I loved the inclusion of new members like Sergeant Bethke and Miss Crow and Vassar as one-off agents as everyone, all the characters, all come back or debut as the fate of everyone hangs in the balance. It’s the kind of thing you really have to reserve for a no-holds-barred finale

I really do wanna dedicate a post specifically to Honoria Crabb, I was waiting for the series to end to talk about her arc in full but I will say: I utterly loved her growing role and particularly that moment where Ducky tells her that she is the reason why there is a Lavender League in the first place, that she turned this mutually-shared mask of revenge into a mission statement and force of good.

So much of the plan the villains had for the finale hinged on the war, a thing that so many pulp-inspired heroes inevitably deal with in some form or capacity, but that it all came down specifically to a scheme for money, Lady Hawthorne puppeteering war mongers and capitalists alike in a scheme to bleed Gallery dry to start over elsewhere, that the looming war was only part of the greater problem at hand. That Lady Hawthorne’s final plan was merely a long-winded and petty ploy at weaponizing bloodsucking capitalism for the sake of her all-consuming revenge, one that ends with her fleeing without putting up a fight and simply letting others to take the fall

Honestly, if anyone was gonna get shanked to death in this comic, it had to be Giddy and Marco.

Lady Hawthorne’s plan foiled by the Lavender League coming together stronger than ever and turning her own tactics against her, really there was no way this could end but with a pointed statement of Lavender Jack as the titular “Villains”, who win by being better villains than everyone else.

Whether it was Ducky at last cracking Lady Hawthorne’s cool (As your sister in kind, you...you embarass me), Cragen cracking open Endo Gall’s mask to reveal the sheer animal viciousness he hid until his dying breath, only to then steal it, Ferrier solving mankind’s ultimate crimes by turning the tables on those who control the systems allowing for said crimes to go unchecked, and Mimley saving the day by extending softness and understanding to his personal boogeyman and giving his life for a chance to save the Ultimate Monster, and have that favor repaid in turn, every character had the perfect ending. It works very hard to make it’s overally happy ending feel incredibly earned.

The ending does leave open the possibility of these characters returning in some form, but it really is a farewell and it’s the best farewell it could have gotten.

I still stand by an earlier assertion that Lavender Jack is a seismic cracking of the code in regards not just to adapting or approaching pulp heroes, but superhero fiction as well. It breaks them down and rebuilds them in the most wonderfully fascinating ways, it remains one of the most enjoyable and fascinating things I’ve ever read and will be reading again very soon.

[walkswithmyfather]

“Your sins were like a big cloud, but I wiped them all away. Your sins are gone, like a cloud that disappeared into thin air. I rescued and protected you, so come back to me.” —Isaiah 44:22 (ERV)

“I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.” —Isaiah 44:22 (NLT)

“Jacob, the Lord created you. Israel, he made you, and now he says, “Don’t be afraid. I saved you. I named you. You are mine.” —Isaiah 43:1 (ERV)

“Wonderfully made” devotional by Allie Marie Smith - Day 4: “You Are Made to Be Redeemed:”

“The world won’t love you broken. But Jesus—He will run to you. We all break. We all come apart, and experience heartbreak, disappointment, and hardship. Sometimes terrible things happen to us that don’t make sense.

Our struggles are not our identities, and with God, our brokenness never has the final say. As Elisabeth Elliot said, “Of one thing I am perfectly sure: God’s story never ends with ‘ashes.’”Redemption means to take back our buyback. It is “the action of saving or being saved from sin, error or evil” and “the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or the clearing of a debt.” Jesus has come to redeem our lives and bring beauty and purpose from even the most broken and painful parts of our stories.

Like a piece of Japanese Kintsugi pottery that has been shattered and then mended by a gold lacquer, by breaking and coming to God, not only can we become more whole, we can become more beautiful. Christ’s power that has overcome death mends the places we are crushed, making us whole to shine like gold.

God’s eternal plan for you is good. Sometimes we experience our mending on this side of eternity. Sometimes we just get glimpses of it in this life. But if we don’t, we know it is coming in heaven, and that one day every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 21:4). There will be no more mourning, no more death, or loss, or heartache. Restoration, healing, and wholeness are coming. Do not let your heart be troubled.

Reflect: How can you surrender the broken parts of your life to Christ?

Prayer: God, Thank You that You promise to redeem the pain and brokenness in my life. Thank You that Your eternal plan for me is good. I choose to trust that in Your perfect time, You will mend every shattered piece of my life and bring beauty from brokenness.”