#media: the poppy war

[sweeetsh]

no genocide au rinaltan <3

[black-is-beautiful18]

White readers, and ignorant ppl in general, that insist that books shouldn’t be political when some of their favs are riddled with politics is so wild. Y’all love The Poppy War and Grishaverse but suddenly have a problem when ppl are telling y’all to think critically when it comes to these authors and their books…Make it make sense. Books are a form of media. No matter how much you enjoy it, it is meant to be critiqued and talked about. Books are my own form of therapy but you are not about to see me denying certain themes or supporting problematic authors. Y’all need to grow up and be fr.

[hannahofathousanddays]

[mrynnn]

R.F KUANG Books- my thoughts

I just finished reading all of RF Kuang’s work, a while ago and I have to admit, I have some pretty mixed feelings. On one hand, I totally get why she’s praised: her ambition and the themes she writes about like colonialism, identity, and power, are undeniably important. She doesn’t shy away from addressing these big issues, which is bold ofc. But at the same time, there’s something about her execution that really didn’t land for me. I wanted to connect with her characters and stories more than I actually did.

The Poppy War, for example. Rin’s journey is intense, and the story itself is brutal in a way that forces you to confront the cost of war and trauma. But for me, Rin’s character arc felt more frustrating than complex. I get that she’s supposed to be flawed and deeply affected by everything around her, but her decisions often felt predictable. By the time I got to the later books, especially The Burning God, I found myself less invested in her fate because it all seemed like a downward spiral with no real moments of reflection or growth. Yes, it’s tragic, but without that emotional depth, it became exhausting rather than impactful.

Then there’s Babel. This book had so much potential, especially with the setting in academia which i love, and the themes of colonialism and language. The concept itself is super interesting for me, and Kuang clearly has a lot to say about the exploitation and erasure of cultures. But again, I felt like the characters took a backseat to the message. Especially Robin’s struggle to reconcile his love for academia with the reality of its colonial roots is central, but his character felt flat to me. The dynamics between him and the other students had so much potential for complexity, but they nothing ever developed in a way that felt natural or believable . It was like everything was building up to this explosive conflict, but the tension wasn’t fully earned. Instead, it felt forced.

That said, I do like how Kuang challenges the reader. She’s not afraid to dig into uncomfortable topics, and her books definitely make you think. There’s a lot of depth in how she tackles themes of identity and belonging, especially in Babel, where Robin’s experience of being an outsider in an institution that simultaneously reveres and erases his heritage feels very real. But sometimes the way these themes were presented felt too heavy-handed for me. It was like the messaging overtook the story, and while I appreciate the points she’s making. Whats the point of the story if the message is the story, i want more moments where the characters could just breathe.

I think that’s where my main issue is,

I wanted more from the characters themselves. I know they’re meant to be complex and morally ambiguous, but a lot of the time, they felt more like vehicles for the plot rather than fully realized individuals. Nezha, for example, starts out as this arrogant figure you almost hate, but then we get glimpses of something deeper. Still, it felt like we never really got to explore that complexity in a meaningful way.

Kuang’s work is undeniably ambitious, and I respect her for that but I couldn’t fully connect with her stories in the way I wanted to. The themes and the politics are important, but they ended up overshadowing the characters and the emotional core of the narrative for me. I know she has a big following, but personally, her style and approach just didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d liked.

[mugenese]

thinking about rereading tpw...

[my-lady-morgana]

listicle writers throwing in adult books into YA rec lists will never not be jarring like wdym The Poppy War as YA Fantasy wdym Gideon the Ninth as YA Enemies to Lovers literally why do people assumeany book written by a woman under 30 is YA

[glasshalftrue-deprecated]

posted a reply to this but i think the OP just immediately blocked me in response? which i feel like was not warranted, although to be fair my tag #begging people to use basic critical thinking when evaluating art may have been unnecessarily inflammatory, so apologies for that. anyways here's my reply, because i think that the criticisms lobbed against rf kuang and the poppy war here are so grossly inaccurate and made in bad faith that i think it constitutes misinformation:

this feels like an incredibly uncharitable reading of the Poppy War series.

- “Plagiarized Mao’s life” - ...what? Am I missing something here? Mao wasn’t a character in a book, he was an actual human being who existed in history, so a historical fantasy series drew upon his life for inspiration. Is that not, like, the point of historical fantasy?

- “orientalism and anticommunism” - In the books, the fictional nation of Sinegard is heavily inspired by real Chinese society, culture, and history. I would not call this orientalism any more than I would call Game of Thrones “europeanism” - as far as I remember there was nothing fetishizing or exotifying about Sinegard’s portrayal. As for the accusation of anticommunism: yes, the book is critical of the Cultural Revolution and Mao Zedong’s dictatorial reign. I think that is a fair criticism to make, and I don’t think it means that Kuang is anticommunist in general; criticising one particular communist leader is not the same thing as being against the entire ideology! (to be clear Kuang could be generally anticommunist, I don’t know; I’m just saying you can’t make the claim purely based on how she portrayed a fictionalized version of Mao in her novels).

- “makes up shit to make her fantasy china... responsible for usa war crimes” - (SPOILERS FOR THE POPPY WAR) at the end of the first book, the protagonist Rin uses her magical fantasy fire powers to destroy an entire island. This is clearly a direct reference and allegory for the bombing of Hiroshima/Nagasaki. But like, I don’t think that Kuang is trying to claim that China is somehow responsible for dropping the atomic bomb on Japan in real life? It’s a fictionalized version of a real event that takes place is a very different context; anyone who can recognize the allegory is almost certainly aware of and can critically think about the ways in which the allegory differs from real life. Again, this is just Kuang taking inspiration from real events for her fictional story, but twisting it into a different shape; she’s not trying to lie or deceive the reader.

[pockafwye]

Poppies for Ukraine by Pockafwye, acrylic on cardboard

[heyiwannabefae]

might rearrange my blog

and also come back to orv maybe? i kinda miss my guys

[jcniper-backup]

Astarion Fandom- what's your fave book/book series atm? Put it in the tags.

[totallyhussein-blog]

At the going down of the sun, "we’re gardeners and guardians of heritage."

Gaza War Cemetery is one of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's more challenging locations. Dating from the First World War, it contains over 3,600 burials.

Throughout its 100 year existence the cemetery has been lovingly tended by the Jaradah family with each generation passing its passion and knowledge onto the next.

Now in their fourth generation, head gardener Ibrahim Jaradrah regards himself as ‘a son of the cemetery’.

In spite of all of this, the CWGC's dedicated and resourceful team continue to do the Commission proud. On top of the impressive standards, the war cemeteries are used as a teaching spaces too.

In an area where conflict and loss are all too fresh in people’s minds, team member Ibrahim Jaradah – the fourth generation of his family to work for the CWGC – guides groups of local children, reminding them that every life lost, no matter the cause, is something that should be remembered.

He said: “Our responsibility is not easy. Our task is to preserve these cemeteries against many challenges. We feel the weight of expectations, but we also feel the importance of our work.”

[poppy-glitters]

I am obsessed when idioms with way too many real world implications make their way into media like this. Cause it actually means nothing but what if the Cookie Run universe just had opium in canon…own version of the Opium Wars… a Crispia Opioid Crisis… Opium Poppy Cookie-

[mohamadabujbara]

**🚨 Urgent Appeal for Assistance 🚨**

📍 My family AbuJbara in Gaza has been devastated by the ongoing war, losing everything we owned. We live in a single building with separate apartments for my parents, my sister, and my family—**_my wife and three children_**—along with my brother Ali, his two daughters, and my younger brother Anas. **Our family consists of 14 members, including six children under 10 years old.**

Our homes and businesses, which were our livelihood, have been destroyed.

We owned "Mohammad Ali Optical," a 13-year-old family business run by my brother Ali and me .

My father and brother Anas managed _“Karmoush Toys & Gift,”_ **a business over 20 years old.**

I also had _“Adam Kunafa,”_ **which was less than a year old.**

All of this has been wiped out, as shown in the photos and videos from our earlier posts.

**⚠️ We are now homeless and without work, struggling to survive. ⚠️**

I have reached out to several individuals to document our campaign, but our turn has yet to come.

We urgently need your help to document and achieve our goal.

I am ready to provide all necessary documents to verify our situation.

My social media accounts, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, are linked here, as well as the pages for **_"Mohammad Ali Optical"_** and **_"Adam Kunafa,"_** and my father and brother's account linked to **_"Karmoush Toys & Gifts."_**

**🙏 We appeal to you for financial assistance: 🙏**

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**To help us with travel costs, securing shelter, and providing basic necessities like food, water, and medicine.**

Your generous donations can help us survive and rebuild our lives. Please don’t leave us alone. Help and share this appeal as much as possible. We have exhausted all our resources.

Please don’t leave us alone. **_Help and share this appeal as much as possible._**

We have **_exhausted all our resources._**

🙏 We appeal to you for financial assistance: 🙏

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**To help us with travel costs, securing shelter, and providing basic necessities like food, water, and medicine.**

Your *generous donations* can help us **survive and rebuild** our lives.

We have *exhausted all our resources.*

💸 Donate now through this link: 💸

https://gofund.me/fda798e3](https://gofund.me/fda798e3)

Thank you for your *kindness and support.*

Please confirm the tags and sharing :

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[the-fiction-witch]

Do not ever forget to love her P2

Media - House Of The Dragon Character - Oscar Tully Couple - Oscar X Reader Reader - Y/n Rivers (Riverrun Maid) Rating - 15 (Sad AF death) Word Count - 1655

Oscar's eyes shot open, his attention snapping back to his Grandsire. At the sound of his voice, he tensed, hope and disbelief warring for dominance in his expression. He moved forward, his hand still intertwined with Y/n’s, as he leaned closer to the bed. "Grandsire?" he whispered the word barely a breath.

"Sweet... kind... Elsa..." Lord Grover grumbles,

Oscar's heart stuttered in his chest at the sound of his Grandsire's words. He swallowed hard, his free hand coming to rest on the edge of the bed. "Grandsire, it's me," he repeated softly. "It's Oscar. we’re in Riverrun, remember?"

"Sweet Elsa... always so kind..." lord Grover raised his hand but not towards Oscar, towards y/n,

Oscar followed his Grandsire's movement, his eyes widening as the man's frail hand trembled towards her. His mind reeled with confusion, not understanding what was happening. He looked towards her, his gaze a mix of bewilderment and hope. "He's... he's looking at you," he whispered, his voice barely above a murmur.

Y/n was just as confused but she moved closer,

Softly Lord Grover took her hand in his, "Sweet kind Elsa... you take ever such care of my foolish boy..."

Oscar's breath caught in his throat, his eyes locked on the sight of her taking his Grandsire's hand in hers. The words that spewed from the old lord's mouth sounded like a fever dream, like a hallucination born of pain and milk of the poppy. He didn't understand, could hardly believe what was happening. And yet, as he watched the scene unfold before him, an unnameable emotion welled up inside him, a strange and unfamiliar mix of hope and fear.

"Sweet Elsa... where would you be without her Elmo," Lord Grover muttered with a smile patting Oscar’s shoulder, "Such... kindness," Lord Grover mumbled, his grip surprisingly tight around her hand. "you must promise me... promise to bring the boys… Oscar and Kermit to see me, the moment they are born. Make this promise Elsa."

And suddenly it all became rather clear to Oscar,

Time seemed to slow down as the realisation hit Oscar like a wave. All the pieces clicked into place, Elmo was Oscar’s father. Oscar didn’t have many memories of him as he died as a young man when Oscar was still a child. Elsa was Elmo’s wife and Oscar’s mother. He had never met her as she had died giving birth to Oscar and his brother Kermit. Neither Elsa nor Kermit survived the birth.

His heart hammered against his rib cage, his breath caught in his throat as he grappled with the implications. He looked at her, his eyes wide, a thousand questions burning behind his gaze. In his milk of the poppy days from death delusions, he thought Oscar was his father and Y/n oscar’s mother.

But before he could speak, before he could find the words, Oscar's heart felt like it was in a vice grip. The words from his Grandsire's lips echoed in his mind, the weight of the request sinking into his bones. He looked at her, his eyes pleading, silently imploring her to answer, to agree to the promise. His jaw was clenched tight, his knuckles white as he held onto the bed's edge, waiting for her response.

"I- I- Of course, My lord," Y/n nodded,

Lord Grover chuckled "That... brings me a sweet peace, and tell my foolish son. to get to work. Once those sweet boys are born house tully needs many more strong boys."

Oscar's breath caught in his throat at his Grandsire's words. It was a command, a plea, and a reassurance all at once. He swallowed hard, his mind racing. So many thoughts, so many questions, swirling through his head like a tempest. But one thing cut through the turmoil the realization that his Grandsire was entrusting him with a heavy responsibility, both as a member of House Tully and as the next in line for the lordship. As he struggled to find his voice, he felt her hand gently squeeze his. It was a silent reassurance, a calming presence in the midst of the whirlwind of emotions. Finally, he managed to find his voice, soft and rough. "I... I promise, Grandsire," he whispered, his gaze never leaving the frail figure on the bed. "I'll do everything in my power to continue her legacy and honor our house."

Lord Grover let a smile slip, he squeezed y/n's hand, and then Oscars. And then brought their hands together so Oscar and y/n held a sweet touch "My angels, our future, be kind and be strong... be better than me."

Oscar's breath hitched as his hand came into contact with y/n’s, his fingers intertwining with hers automatically. The sight of his Grandsire bringing their hands together, the feeling of her skin against his own... it was almost too much for him to bear.

A mixture of emotions - grief, pride, and determination - coursed through him, leaving him feeling raw and exposed. But he tightened his grip on her hand, holding onto her like a lifeline in a storm-tossed sea.

"And promise me one thing, my boy."

Oscar's throat felt tight, his heart in his chest as he prepared for his Grandsire's next words. He nodded, silently vowing to fulfill whatever request his beloved elder would make. "Anything, Grandsire," he replied, his voice hoarse and filled with a mixture of reverence and trepidation.

"... do not make my mistake," Lord Grover said "Do not ever forget to love her."

Oscar's heart skipped a beat at his Grandsire's words. Love. It was a simple word, one spoken casually in countless conversations. Yet, in that moment, it felt like a commandment,

He felt her hand trembling slightly in his own, a quiet confirmation of the words spoken by his Grandsire. Slowly, almost reverently, he lifted his gaze to meet y/n, his eyes filled with unsaid promises and an overflowing well of emotion. "I could never," he murmured fiercely, his voice cracking with raw sincerity. "I could never forget to love her, I... I..." He didn't finish the sentence, the words lodged in his throat, choked by the intensity of what he was feeling. Instead, he simply squeezed her hand tighter, his grip a silent vow of loyalty and devotion.

"Good boy...." Lord Grover chuckled "Now... leave me, Lana has come for me" Lord Grover took his hands away resting them on the bed, and as if someone snuffed out a candle... he was gone.

Oscar could only watch as his Grandsire's eyes flickered closed, His mind was a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions, each one warring with the next. He felt y/n’s hand in his, but it was as if he was watching himself from a distance, disconnected from his body. He swallowed, the lump in his throat so tight he could barely manage. He stared at his Grandsire's body, the stillness of the old lord a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions in his own heart.

"I- I'm so sorry Oscar," Y/n cooed squeezing his hand tightly and fighting back her own tears

Oscar's vision blurred, tears threatening to spill over at any moment. He squeezed her hand back tightly, almost painfully, as if trying to anchor himself to something solid in a world that felt like it was unravelling around him. "I... I just…" He trailed off, his voice cracking. He swallowed heavily, trying to steady himself, but the weight of grief was heavy upon his shoulders. "I don't know what to do," he finally managed to croak out, his voice barely above a whisper. He felt like a lost child, seeking comfort from the only person who could offer it. He turned towards her, his eyes redden and weary, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.

"As he asked of you, My Lord." she sniffled, "He died with a smile on his face, and hope in his heart, few in this world have either let alone both. Hold him in your heart and he will never truly be gone"

Oscar nodded, the words sinking in slowly. He knew she was right. His Grandsire had not only died in peace, but he died knowing that he had done his duty to House Tully. And that... that was a comfort. He took a shaky breath, his grip on her hand relaxing slightly. He allowed himself a moment longer to grieve, to mourn the loss before he spoke again. "I'll...I'll try," he said softly, his voice steadier than before, "I'll honour his memory,"

"As will I," she nodded

Oscar took a deep, shuddering breath, his eyes finally leaving the still form on the bed. He drew strength from her words, finding comfort in the knowledge that she was there, beside him, as a rock in the storm of emotions he was navigating. He turned towards her, his gaze locking with hers, and gave her a small, grateful smile. "I... I don't know what I would do without you," he admitted quietly, the truth of that statement etched in every contour of his face.

"its no trouble, I am here and I will be here as long as you want me to," she cooed "Do you want to go? or stay a while longer?"

Oscar contemplated her question for a long moment. A part of him wanted to stay, to spend a few more minutes in quiet contemplation with his Grandsire. But another part, a part that longed for solace and comfort, beckoned him to leave, to find refuge in a different, less painful place. "I..." he began, his voice shaky, "I think I'd like to go, if that's alright."

she nodded and silently guided him to the door letting him go at his own pace

Oscar followed her lead, his steps slow and heavy. He continued to grip her hand tightly, as if holding onto her was the only thing keeping him grounded in reality. They reached the doorway, and he paused for a moment, looking back at the room, his Grandsire's body a sad and solitary figure. Then, he turned away, his gaze fixed on the hallway ahead.

[acoraxia]

I think we should be allowed to enjoy characters whether they are evil without removing the fact that they are evil. I think we should embrace the fact that yes this character did a lot of heinous things and is openly hated by the cast but they are also interesting.

Lady Bone Demon from Monkie Kid, Emperor Belos from The Owl House, Su Daji from Investiture of the Gods, and so many more. Even Azure Lion is interesting because we've never had a character be written so antagonistic in a way where he tries to make you see him in a positive light? When the narrative tells you he is good and misunderstood and does these things because he cares but then you realize... if he wanted to do something good, he could have. He could have. He was a celestial with the power to go against the Jade Emperor - and you tell me he wasn't able to help the mortal realm as is?

We see him build an entire palace and area for people to thrive in and then we see it in ruins and that is so interesting.

We see Emperor Belos be this weird, fucked up man who in the end dies in the most horrible way possible — I think about the way he is written everyday, I think about the fact he was just fucked up and mentally unwell and unable to see himself in the wrong and he was too far gone for the show to try and fix him in such little time. But he was so well-written and left such an interesting perspective to me on how modern day villains are portrayed.

Su Daji was acting out on orders from Nuwa and she was so fucking cruel and it was wonderful to see her slowly start overtaking the empire of King Zhou and make her way to the top and be brutal the entire time. It was awesome. It was wonderful. It made me want to learn more about her, made me excited when she appeared on the page; and she was such a good villain to boot. Such a good villain that modern media still use her for antagonists (see: the Poppy War books)

Macaque did a lot of terrible things to MK and the crew and while he was acting out because he didn't have a choice, he still chose to go that route and still actively went far into his role of being the antagonist and it was good and enjoyable.

I do adore the LMK villains, I adore how they're written and how they're handled and I will adore the future villain characters when they show up even if they're not redeemed by the narrative. If they show me the hundred-eyed-demon or something and he ends up being the most absolute worst character they have introduced, I will happily add him to my collection of favorite characters solely because I know they'll treat him well.

And if they decide to make nuwa or erlang antagonistic i will ADORE them so fucking much.

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

So, do the toys have a favorite movie or a favorite movie genre? I would love to know their taste in films, like angel showing them superhero films, like Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, Batman the Dark Knight, Superman the movie, etc, or animations, like WALL•E, Shrek, The Lion King , Aladdin, etc, or original films such as Aceventura, Jurassic park, Star Wars, etc.

OH THIS ASK GOT ME THINKINGGGG! I like to think all toys just love animated media in general, but they have their own favorites:

Poppy loves regency-period dramas. Pride and Prejudice is her favorite movie of all time! Although I think she also loves sci-fi. I don't know why, I just think it fits her.

Kissy, Bobby, Picky and Mommy Long legs all love romcoms. They can't get enough of them, and probably have their own little romcom club where they discuss their favorites!

Mommy Long Legs also loves action movies, but has a preference when they are a bit more emotional.

Crafty will always be a fan of animated movies, and when she gets into anime her love for the media increases. I think she loves Fantasia (2000) and Kiki's Delivery Service! Catnap accidentally gets her into horror, though. Speaking of which...

Catnap. LOVES. Horror. Esp religious and haunted house-esque type of horror, and the more symbolism the better.

No one expects Dogday to join Catnap in the horror club, and much less for Dogday to LOVE fantasy movies in general. He gets so invested in the lore and character relationships, he could gush about them for hours!

Kickin and Hoppy are the presidents of the superhero movie fanclub, PERIOD, but they LOVE action movies as well.

Bubba and Miss Delight are a part of the sci-fi club with Poppy. They gush over Star Wars at least three times a day. Bubba also has STRONG opinions on book adaptations and loves comparing books to movies as a way of loving the story. He and Delight also get super invested in documentaries in general.

Huggy, Bunzo and Boxy Boo all love Disney movies. Huggy's favorite is Tarzan, Bunzo is Hercules, and Boxy is Cinderella.

Prototype is a Charles Chaplin fan. Angel also likes black and white movies, but has no actor preference.