#rta analysis

[queer-cosette]

Cassandra and Colour

In TTS/RTA, when Cassandra wears red, it's representative of her loyalty to Corona and Princess Rapunzel. The most vivid red she wears is the sleeves of her guard uniform.

It's important that it's vivid, because this is when her loyalty to the kingdom itself is her priority. And it's the same uniform the other guards wear. It's also brighter than the red she wears as part of her 'action' outfit:

This is a much more brownish red, almost pinkish, which is interesting because pink is one of Rapunzel's preferred colours. This is significant because Cassandra tends to set aside her loyalties to the kingdom in favour of her loyalty to Rapunzel specifically, which is demonstrated the first time we see her wear this outfit - when she sneaks Rapunzel out of the kingdom for one night of freedom before her coronation.

Also interesting is that the red is worn mainly on her undershirt. From there we can assume that the red undershirt is actually touching her skin (at least on her arms and neck), and it's also presumably the last layer of clothing over any undergarments, meaning it's almost directly over her heart. Loyalty is something that, at this point, she is making her own decisions about.

But then, at the Great Tree, Cassandra's loyalty to Rapunzel is her undoing. Someone else summed it up elsewhere, but basically, Cassandra and Eugene both see Rapunzel's safety as their number one priority - but Rapunzel's number one priority is Eugene's safety. No one has Cassandra's safety as their number one priority, not even herself, and that's why she's the one to get injured. Her arm is badly burnt, even withered, so she puts on this outfit:

Two things are important to note here. First, the arm that was withered was Cassandra's right arm - her dominant arm, established in the next few episodes where she is forced to relearn how to use a sword. This is significant because it means her right arm is the one she uses to protect Corona and Rapunzel, and now it has been destroyed. She's slipped further away from that position of loyal bodyguard by another tiny amount.

The other thing to note is that she is still wearing red, but now, rather than a garment worn over her heart, it's a cape. The red is on full display, but now it's the furthest garment from both her skin and heart. She's shrouding herself in it now, because at this point she's trying to pretend that everything is still as it was and that she's still highly capable of doing the job she was given (first by insisting she's not as badly injured as she is, and then later when she begins to contemplate double crossing Rapunzel). But she's slipping further and further away, and her loyalty to Rapunzel is nothing more than a mask by the time they reach the Moonstone Chamber of the Dark Kingdom.

A third thing that's interesting to note is that the cape is a much... purplier shade of red than anything else Cassandra is worn. Where else have we seen a purplish red before?

In fact, knowing that the Great Tree - where Cassandra got the armour - was once Zhan Tiri's stronghold, for whom Gothel once worked, there's even the possibility that the cape is made from the same actual fabric as her dress.

There's more analysis to be done here regarding Cassandra and colours, but I'll put it in a reblog.

[lazlolullaby]

Lost Royal Eugene Plot Bunnies~

hot takes and plot ideas on Eugene and his royal heritage being significant to how he ended up as a thief...because the brainworms are wriggling again

Normally in these kinds of fantasy stories, there’s a letter, or an item, or even a caretaker that stays with the Lost Royal and reveals the truth either when they’re old enough or when the chips are down.

Eugene doesn’t have that. He didn’t have that at all.

It can be argued in the movie (if he knew) he didn’t mention it because -

A (the letter): he just met Rapunzel 2 days ago, she’s not getting everything at once. Plus if he has proof his family abandoned him, even for good reason, it still hurts.

B (Royal item): he’s got a family heirloom that’s stashed somewhere that he can’t sell because he’s sentimental. May or may not know where it came from. Backed up by: the entirety of Tangled and also: the engraved comb and the scrapbook of wanted posters from RTA.

C (caretaker): He’s proudly a Thief, and a New Adult, who wants to tell their parental figure what they’re actually doing for a living??? This is assuming that they’re a Decent Person - if they were abusive and Eugene paralleled that with the Gothel situation - hoo boy now that’s a rabbit hole filled with plot bunnies~

The only thing Eugene ever had in his possession that hinted to his Royalty was a two-headed coin. That’s it. I suppose that was part of Edmund’s master plan - keep him as far from the Royal Line as possible so he would never find the Moonstone at all.

But he was carried away as a baby - he had to have had a nursemaid at least to feed him.

So in canon. We’ve got a gap between being sent away as a baby and being a “employed” by the Baron as a teenage thief.

I’ve uhh...got a theory.

The world isn’t kind to immigrants. Even in a lighthearted "never say die”, fantasy world, it’s going to be rough. The nursemaid (for funzies, let’s call her Claire) tries to support herself and baby Horace. And some people are kind enough, but there’s people that see Horace as a meal ticket, an obligation or a trade for a later reward when he’s King.

So Claire changes their names and runs, further than anywhere anyone she’s known has ever been. Claire throws herself into maintaining an orphanage in Varadaros, essentially hiding orphan Eugene in a stack of orphan needles.

Meanwhile, a Princess is stolen and a King tries to eradicate every criminal possible. The unlucky who are accused of more than what they're guilty of flood Varadaros.

The panic creates a power vacuum and one man rises to the top of the dust heap ; a man who styles himself as royalty, mimicking their manners and excess. The Baron.

Plague happens and there's no magical Flowers to save anyone. Claire dies when Eugene is around five, young enough to vaguely remember her voice but not her face. Claire’s possessions are gone through and divided.

The letters for Eugene are read. At first they think it’s a joke - ah, of course her favorite kid is a Prince! What a funny family joke! But the more they talk to others - they realize that he does line up with the facts.

Word gets out. Sure, it’s not the Lost Princess, but it’s something.

The Baron hears about it. And the one thing he wants that he can’t ever have is a Royal Title. So he shows up at the orphanage. Talks to them real gentle-like. Tells them to look the other way when he brings Eugene over to his gang.

They refuse.

Baron puts the pressure on the orphanage, threatening them and cutting off their supplies. And - in an effort to save everyone else - they relent. Baron gets the Royal item and the letter. It’s lucky that Stalyan takes a shine to Eugene - they could legitimately marry and cement the title in their family. If he doesn’t work out - he still has the letter, he could pass off another kid as Horace. It’s not like there’s a shortage of brown eyed kids anywhere.

And that's the story of how Prince Horace was swindled out of his destiny for the first time.

[nerdasaurus1200]

I just realized some sad things about Eugene and Varian’s talk in PEEV so Imma talk about that scene.

So first Eugene starts pretty small with it. I think you could interpret this as either Eugene trying to imply Quirin being a mole as gently as he can, or bringing up a sort of…I guess fact to start the tense conversation. And of course it kinda flies over Varian’s head. He takes it at face value, making sure to reassure Eugene. Which to me implies Eugene has probably been worrying about the Brotherhood for a while now.

So Eugene tries again, much more obvious this time. Although he never outright says anything he directly points the finger at Quirin. The implication is there. And lately I’ve been wondering if there’s something a little deeper to this conversation. i feel like could easily be echos of season 1 cause the whole reason Varian’s villain arc started was cause his dad was in danger. And now his dad is in danger, again. Except Eugene may be trying to not repeat history by actually checking on Varian this time and trying to nip this potential threat in the bud.

And if you listen to the dialogue Varian never actually says it either. But you can see in his eyes. Now that Eugene’s planted the idea in his head, the fear is very much there. And his trauma from season 1 is probably coming back a bit too.

So of course he mildly deflects and snaps at Eugene. I think this is…I’d say 60% trauma reaction, with the other 40% being Varian just being generally angry at the idea that Quirin would ever betray or hurt him. And maybe slightly at the idea that Cassandra would do that to him. Cause Adira and Hector are one thing, Edmund and Quirin is a new low.

Also I think this is actually the first time we’ve actually seen Varian seriously angry since season 1 ended. Yeah we’ve seen him pissed before this season but that was for jokes. There is nothing funny about Varian’s anger here. Cause when Varian gets angry shit goes down.

So of course Eugene backs off and drops the topic. He probably thinks (or rather hopes) Varian has some failsafe already taken care of for that situation but I think it’s more likely that Eugene doesn’t wanna press Varian any further and trigger him.

But, sadly…Varian knows Eugene is right. He knows he has to do something to make sure nobody gets seriously hurt or worse when Quirin inevitably turns on them.

[silvernmoonlace]

I mean, dresses can be very practical if they're made well but still, I somewhat agree. There's only so much you can do in below-knee dresses with puffy skirts. Women's sportswear in the 19th century did exist, but mostly in the later part of the century (I'm kind of unsure tho), when skirts started getting narrower again.

Also, it's not historically accurate. Tangled takes place just before Frozen, which takes place in ~1843. I assume then that Vat7K takes place in ~1845, and dresses back then did NOT look like Nuru's dress, even after excusing the heavy creative liberties that Tangled the Series usually takes. Nuru's outfit looks like someone took a dress from the 1820s, cropped it, and added sheer fabric and a few 18th century details. The high waistline here would have started dropping lower during the 1830s, and by the '40s it'd be practically at the natural waist.

Additionally, Nuru's dress looks very different from the Kotoans' dresses depicted in TTS S3 Ep7: Beginnings (Koto is commonly considered to be the Air Kingdom in Vat7K). This episode would have taken place very close in timing to Tangled, so around 1840. The Kotoans' dresses look pretty good in terms of historical accuracy and also in terms of differentiating them from other kingdoms. However, they would not have changed that dramatically to the style that Nuru's dress is, in the span of just 4-5 years after which Vat7K takes place.

edit: I often give her an alternate outfit when I draw her. However this is usually still a dress, although less sparkly, because I don't think the Trials are all that physically taxing. I've seen that a lot of ppl hc Nuru as lesbian, so imo it would be cool to see her in menswear too, just to try out that aesthetic.

Lastly, please note that I am in no way an expert and literally just a kid with a special interest on fashion history, so take my words with several grains of salt. I may sound 100% confident here, but the things I say might still be wrong. I would also like to acknowledge that historical accuracy was never the point of Disney shows, but it's fun to analyse them like it was. Thanks for reading through my silly rant/infodump 🌿🐛

(making this a non-reblog post because I want attention; OG post by @foursthemagicknumber)

Image references below so you know what I'm talking about (please read image descriptions).

[elijahs-dumps]

Cassandra and her villain arc; was it bad? Let's discuss... (Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure)

Just wanted to say before we dive in, I'm currently working on a piece about Gonzo from the Muppets and some Hazbin Hotel stuff too. So stay tuned;)

Cassandra was mainly portrayed as snarky, cold, and even a little rude. She's almost a perfect opposite to Rapunzel, which makes them interesting friends. And it's nice that Rapunzel has another girl she can rely on, since I personally believe female friendships are important in media. Within the TV series, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, Cassandra is often seen budding heads with Eugene or helping with Rapunzel's misadventures. And as the show goes on, we see Cassandra actively looking out for Rapunzel more and more.

Even though Cass states many times in the first two seasons that she loves and cares for Raps, their relationship is quite unstable through out the show even before she became a main antagonist. Let's take a look at their relationship pre-season two to get a better understanding:

For example, in The Challenge of the Brave (S1 E4) when Raps joins the challenge, Cass feels like Raps is being a bad friend by trying to win something that means so much to her. She's annoyed by Raps' ignorance, and jealous of the admiration Raps is receiving. Yet, Cass never even told Raps how much the contest means to her. So instead of communicating her feelings, Cass starts to act more snappy with Raps and actively tries to get Raps eliminated from the game. However, it's not unreasonable for Raps to be unaware of Cass' wishes, especially since she struggles with social cue. Regardless of the fact that Cass should've been more patient with Raps, I think this episode would've been nice foreshadowing to her change of heart in season three if they didn't try to paint Cass as the victim in this episode. I don't understand why only Raps apologized, when they both should've acknowledged their wrongs.

In Under Raps (S1 E9), Rapunzel tries to make Cass feel better about being single by making her things and showing her appreciation for Cass. When this happens, Cass sort of gets annoyed for no reason even though Rapunzel's intentions are sweet. She doesn't even really verbalize if Raps is pushing boundaries or not, she's just... frustrated?

This doesn't relate to Rapunzel directly, but in Great Expotations (S1 E8) Cass uses Varian to get what she wants. Even though she does make up for it, it's still a testament to her character. Cass often acts without thinking about how others might feel or think, and the way she treats Raps in season one is a prime example of that. She does take into account how naive and ignorant Raps can be, but she refuses to show any patience for it as Raps recovers from literally being isolated for eighteen years. And Cass is supposed to be Raps' best friend! It's the same with Varian. You see, Cass isn't really a bad person. She just wants her moment in the spotlight, her moment to prove herself. In these episodes, that's often what drives her to make these mistakes towards her friends. This would be a great character flaw, and an interesting writing concept. But this show keeps having Cass in this same situation again and again, and she never grows from it. It gets old very fast.

Not to mention, Cass also tried to force Raps not to tell Eugene how she got her hair back when it first happened. All because Cass "doesn't trust Eugene". I thought this was strange, because I don't really know what kind of friend asks someone to lie to their significant other.

In the flashback episode, Beginnings (S3 E6), we learn that Cass never wanted to be friends with Raps to begin with, and there was a lot of guilty undertones on Cass' part of the relationship at least in its early stages from what we can see. Raps clearly latched onto Cass way too fast, because she was still fresh out of the tower when they met. And Cass wasn't ready to be what Raps needed (which was therapy). Cass was Raps' first friend besides Pascal, and I don't understand why Cass would take on that role if she wasn't going to put in the effort to at least try and be compassionate and understanding with Raps.

Moving on to season two, Cass didn't really do anything of substance until The Great Tree episode (S2 E14) which is a little weird in hindsight. But I thought her insecurities about needing to prove herself and how she always feel second place to Raps were pretty justified. We saw a couple times through out the series that people preferred Raps over Cass, or gave Raps opportunities when Cass worked harder for them. Still, I don't feel like that's Raps' fault. Waiting in the Wings did a perfect job of illustrating Cass' feelings on this subject, and it even made me like her more as a character because it gave her so much more depth. Still, the song talks about how Cass is going to keep waiting until her moment in the sun arrives no matter what, which contradicts her villain arc quite a bit considering the fact she did not wait at all. Anyway, I think Cass trying to insinuate that Raps doesnt trust her judgement anymore in these episodes was BULLSHIT. Raps clearly loves and values Cass, and trusts her completely. All Raps did was mkae a call that Cass didn't agree with, I dont think this meant that Raps wasn't listening or wasn't trusting Cass. The two of them simply disagreed on it, which they do all the time.

Technically, the thing that pushes Cass off the edge is the fact that she finds out she's Mother Gothel's biological daughter. But there was one other incident that set this villain arc into motion before the episodes within the House of Yesterday's Tomorrows. Cassandra's hand wound from Rapunzel.

When Cass injuries her hand during the final fight within the Great Tree, she blames Raps for it even after they talk it out and apologize. I didn't understand this at all, because yes Cass warned Raps not to use the decay incantation. But it's not like they had any other choice! And Raps was not in control of herself or the tree when Cass got injured. Not only this, but Raps also told Cass to leave before anything even happened. Why is Cass upset with Raps for not listening to her when she wouldn't listen to Raps either?

The season three opening episode, Rapunzel's Return (S3 E1), shows us exactly what Cass saw in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrows. We learn that Cass is Gothel's real daughter, and this is a huge turning point in the series. Because in this episode, Cassandra's entire villain arc stopped being about her own struggles and insecurities and how she's felt second place to Rapunzel this whole time, it became about the fact that Gothel chose Raps over Cass. I felt like this was a lazy writing choice, to make it seem like Cass' feelings of being inferior to Raps are more justified. But honestly, I think her villain arc could've stood well on it own if they just planted to the smaller seeds of doubt earlier on, and didn't involve Gothel in it. Of all people. Gothel is a naturally selfish woman who would never do anything that doesn't serve some kind of purpose for her. I find it hard to belief she kept Cass around simply to do house work around her cottage instead of just dumping Cass at an orphanage of some kind.

I also feel the need to mention the fact that Cass was absent for almost 12 episodes in a row, during what is supposed her season as the antagonist and her moment to have the spotlight, probably has something to do with why her writing in season three came out so half-baked. Combining this with the fact that her change of heart was only really hinted at in maybe five out of the forty-five episodes, episodes in which the conflict involving Cass' character is always resolved by the end, makes her entire villain arc seem out of character at first glance.

This season went to great lengths to make Cass' actions and attitude as nasty as possible, especially by having her show no remorse or doubts after Be Very Afraid (S3 E9). This is on of the reasons her redemption arc fell flat.

In A Tale of Two Sisters (S3 E14), we see the last bit of Cass' doubt be outweighed by her need to blame someone for the way Gothel abandoned her. So, she blames Rapunzel. But Cass knows Gothel was sick and abusive towards Raps, and she also knows it's not Raps' fault she was kidnapped. After all their years of friendship, I didn't buy the concept that Cass would let her anger manifest in a way that would blame Raps for a traumatic event that happened to both of them.

While I'm well aware that Zhan Tiri has been manipulating Cass since the House of Yesterday's Tomorrows, it still didn't make Cass's villain arc anymore believable for me. It felt like the show's way of trying to excuse its own crappy writing.

Once a Handmaiden (S3 E16) is when Cass realizes Zhan Tiri has been manipulating her since the beginning, and begins to regret her choices. So Cass disguises herself as Rapunzel's current handmaiden to try and find a way to extend some kind of olive branch. This gives us a little more insight into the headspace Cass has been in these past few months, and it gives the audience more room to sympathize with her (especially in the play scene). Yet, when Zhan Tiri reveals Cass to everyone and the guards start attack her, Cass is quick to become incredibly angry, even though Raps was trying to call off the guards. Cass literally takes over the entire kingdom, almost killing hundreds of people after spending the whole day bonding with Raps like old times. While I have issues with the amber-firing machine Varian made, I feel like the switch up with Cass in this episode was absolutely insane.

Cassandra's redemption arc, if you can even call it that, completely fell apart because it was so rushed. It was similar to Varian's redemption arc in that sense, but even though Varian's redemption arc had flaws he was able to sort of get away with it. Varian's villain arc was shorter than Cass', his crimes weren't as bad as Cass'. and he served at least a year in jail anyway. Cass served no punishment for her actions and got to leave Corona scot-free. This also plays into the constant contradiction Cassandra goes through this season of soul-crushing remorse vs homicidal rage.

Considering Cass was one of our main three characters for the entire show, I just think she deserved better when it finally came time to give her some more depth and complexity. But what do you guys think? Do you think Cassandra's time as an antagonist was poorly executed? How do you think they could've fixed it? Feel free to let me know!

[bat-anon]

I can’t remember if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but something I’ve been thinking about for a while is how Cass and Hector actually... mirror each other a lot?? Like- Cass has all of this devotion to Rapunzel that’s emotionally complicated due to it being a mix of her status as Rapunzel’s servant and her genuine love for Rapunzel, which becomes strained because no matter how hard she tries she can’t escape how the power divide effects the nature of their relationship. Their friendship ends up falling apart with Cassandra’s hand being mutilated in the Great Tree and Rapunzel (because she has none of the interpersonal skills necessary to cope with any of this) pushes all of it onto Cass and ignores how she’s hurt her, leaving Cass emotionally isolated. 

And then you have Hector, whose devotion to Edmund drives him to push all of the people who care about him away and live in isolation to uphold Edmund’s wish. Hector is shown to put his loyalty before everything else even as it hurts him (”I’m sorry it came to this, sister.”). Hector pulls the spear out of the Great Tree’s heart, ready to sacrifice himself for his cause, only to be possessed instead. We see Hector be stripped of his free will due to his loyalty again with the Mindtrap... and no reaction from Edmund. 

Both Cassandra and Hector have made great sacrifices in their loyalty only to get burned for it time and time again. This parallel probably wasn’t intentional, but it fascinates me and it’d be cool to see some of it in analysis/fanworks. 

[adventuretolkienlover]

Okay, please tell I'm not the only one who noticed this. Vex's ear are like, super pointy!

Okay, y'all gonna call me crazy. But think about it. We've never seen her parents. She has unusually pointy ears. And she's very talented with weapons. I suspect...

She may be part elvish.

Do you see it?! I do! Anyone else notice this? This may or may not be important to my fic later.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

how fast everyone dropped Andrew back in 2019, which suggests their contracts have morality/ethics clauses allowing early termination.

The story back in 2019 was that the Queen "fired" him from his patronages:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/22/prince-andrew-duke-of-york-sacked

https://nypost.com/2019/11/21/prince-andrew-didnt-step-back-from-royal-duties-queen-elizabeth-fired-him/

By which I take that the patronages petitioned BP, giving The Firm an opportunity to handle things internally and spare everyone further embarrassment, before invoking the morality clauses/making a stink in public. The Queen spared everyone else from having to fire Andrew, she told him herself.

(and thank goodness that there's no such thing as a Sussex-like "York Squad")

Perhaps Invictus has tried to petition the palace, in this instance, asking to return Harry and exchange him for a proper royal patron, but The Firm answered "We've already fired him, so we cannot fire him for you."

I think Invictus has to tread carefully, if they want to drop Harry: he's vindictive, he gives passive aggressive interviews, and his wife's Squad has just demonstrated the disproportionate reach of their mud swinging ability with the recent "Where's Kate/Recalled Picture" controversies. Enough mud gets slung about, Invictus will get buried under it.

The lynchpin is still the Squad.

RTA, do you have any theory/analysis on how Meghan managed to build the Squad? I've followed this mad thing from the start, and I still cannot fathom how people can dedicate so much time to do the dirty work for these two grifters.

My theory about Sussex Squad is just that they were people looking for someone to look up to and when they saw Meghan, and came to like her, they went “ride or die” for her.

It happens to everyone. We see a celeb we like or that is interesting, we learn about them, we become their fans. Most people will be normal in their admiration of a celeb. Others will take to an extreme toxicity.

What’s unusual about Sussex Squad is that they’ve become part of “regular” discourse affecting a much wider community of fans; they go out in search of drama by baiting other people into arguments and rants. Most toxic fan clubs (because that’s what they are, a fan club) tend to stay amongst their own kind and leave everyone else alone.

[moltenhair]

Your analysis on Cassandra's moonstone armor makes me so glad I jumped on the fan redesign bandwagon and gave the armor more blue

Blue at the very least would stand out against the very shadow heavy backgrounds. When the nighttime/location backgrounds are painted super black, a character wearing all black is just going to blend in, especially in a lineless style of art such as RTA'S. The backgrounds are gorgeous but when they do darkness and nighttime they layer on the blacks and dark blues.

The character models only get lines to distinguish shapes if a color overlaps itself on character models. (Though when the characters are viewed at a distance these lines are still super hard to see or are absent because the characters are so small in the shot) When the characters overlap the same color in the backgrounds that doesn't happen and their details just vanish. This was a pretty big oversight when they were designing the "moonstone suit" and set her in a lot of dark locations. Either the backgrounds needed to be a different color or the suit did to make sure she didn't get lost in the shots.

I would settle for a slightly off-black shade of dark grey or dark blue but.. that's not as Edgy(tm)

[cycas]

Hello, Cycas! I wanted to ask you about the specific character voice of Maglor. I reread RtA and Quenta Narquelion to do some analysis of the way Maglor construct sentences and which words he uses. I still struggle with him a little bit, I'm missing some piece in the puzzle. I would be grateful if you can tell me more about the way you write Maglor and what character points to not miss?

What I learn about Maglor's speech patterns is the interesting contrast of flowery and lively speech, not being very blunt and dance around topics, but then suddenly being alarmingly blunt and to the point the second later. He is very eloquent and I noticed he is maybe persuasive without the intention to be sometimes? Always in control of every conversation and the way he is perceived by people even in daily life. My problem is I just.. have problem to write him like that and I would really appreciate some tips.

I would also appreciate if you can link me to some good books or essays on the matter of medieval kingship. Useful for the writing of noldorin politics. Thank you very much!

I finally got to answer this, terribly late, sorry. Very flattered to be asked!

I try to write Maglor as someone who enjoys language, and is sometimes a little playful about using it. Both he and Maedhros have a tendency to longer, more complex sentences and are perhaps more likely to use a scattering of Latinate words than many of my characters (particularly Nimloth, who is much more direct.)

But Maglor is more concerned with the sound and rhythm of words, while Maedhros is more likely to be obscure and elliptical when speaking. (Of course, really, they aren't speaking English, but, well, call it a translation convention.)

So on the whole, Maglor says what he means, using words that have a pleasant shape and rhythm. He's very good at that, so one thing he does, as you mentioned, is deliberately vary his sentences length for impact.

But he is also a procrastinator who prefers to avoid unpleasant truths. Such as: we are going to lose this war. Such as, just giving up and going home will go horribly wrong. Such as: you need Fingolfin's help so ffs, ask. (Maedhros faces unpleasant truths head-on, which is one of many reasons that Maglor used to prefer to leave big decisions to him.)

So when he is finally forced to face a situation he would have preferred to weasel out of (for example: the Oath really is still binding, or Elrond and Celebrimbor are in danger, etc) he's often a bit more staccato, because he's uncomfortable and dealing with emotions that he's definitely not going to explain to anyone.

But at the same time, like all of Feanor's sons, he can make a speech at the drop of a hat if he really has to. He has the ability to put on his princely mantle and play the part, the way Celegorm and Curufin did in Nargothrond. When Maglor does this, he does it expertly. Feanor's sons generally do things expertly, of course, and Maglor is an expert in language, and in manipulating emotion with language by telling stories.

So yes, sometimes he finds that he's swaying the people he is talking to with his words, even when he knows that's a perilous path to walk and is genuinely trying to dial things back. His default register, I suppose, is Teller of the Tale, and that is a role that is intrinsically manipulative of emotion and opinion. And controlling that is quite difficult because all of that family grew up using all their many talents as often and as hard as they could. They are not used to restraint. I think this is one of the many things that draws him to Elrond,Finrod and Fingon. Apart from shared history, they are genuinely friends because these are people that Maglor cannot accidentally push around, because they are more than capable of seeing what he is doing, not being impressed, and pushing back harder. After the First Age, Maglor finds that reassuring. He is aware that his own judgement has sometimes led him terrible consequences that he regrets, and he doesn't trust himself: even worse, he can't trust Maedhros or Feanor any more either, and that is really difficult for him.

A younger and more competitive Maglor would be much more irritated by Fingon and Finrod, I suspect, but of course he didn't know Elrond then. I think he gets on much better with reborn Fingon and Finrod than he did when they were children. As to medieval kingship, that's... a big question! And I don't know if I can answer it because I tend to feed in stuff from my long-ago history degree which probably has been superceded and also I can't remember where I read things anyway. But my emphasis tends to be early medieval European- what is often called the Dark Ages - rather than late medieval. Rosamond Mckitterick,J. M. Wallace-Hadrill, and Janet Nelson are relevant historians, maybe also Brian Ward-Perkins on the Fall of Rome. I like Nelson's book on Charles the Bald, but I'm not sure how much fun it would be to read just for fanfic!

But my ideas about Maglor as a leader and his characterisation are also particularly influenced by a couple of novels (neither of them, strictly, medieval!) : Island of Ghosts, by Gillian Bradshaw, and Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff, and I can definitely recommend those as fun to read.

Thank you for the ask, it was a lot of fun to answer, and I hope it made some kind of sense even if rather late.

[ai-ley]

RTA 950 - Meaningful Media Memories 1

What I watched with everyone...

During my tween years, Pretty Little Liars (PLL) must have been the pinnacle of teen TV. It’s no surprise that it was all the rage among my age group; the mystery was thrilling, the romances were juicy, and it was just “adult” enough that we all felt cool for watching it. Netflix made it easily accessible and allowed for endless replayability of our favourite scenes and episodes, and my friends and I used to sit in the lunchroom and discuss our outlandish theories or comment on the characters’ poor decision-making (“If that happened to me, I would’ve just called the police!”). While PLL was my poison, The Fosters and The Vampire Diaries are other examples of shows that girls my age were similarly engaging with.

Pretty Little Liars via Netflix

Looking back on those days serves as a powerful reminder of the screen’s “...omnipresence in every aspect of young people’s lives…” (Lemish, 2022, p. 3). Go to school and learn with a Chromebook; talk about television at lunch; go home and study with the computer; entertain yourself with more television or your phone. Putting it like this makes it seem a tad dystopian, but I agree with Lemish’s analysis that we need to let go of alarmist concerns over screen-time and its negative effects (p. 1). 

Was PLL quality content that made me a more upstanding citizen? Probably not. Would my time have been better spent disengaging with screens and touching grass? Possibly. However, a sense of community is a powerful thing, especially at twelve or thirteen. While adults may have seen us as shallow, TV-obsessed teen girls (emphasis on girls), our conversations explored real issues around storytelling, media literacy, and representation, even if we didn’t quite realize it yet. For us, screen-time translated into a greater understanding of relevant issues and a healthy, fun social outlet. 

Though screens permeated most levels of my life, it was television like PLL and its impact on my social life that I remember most. Even as an adult, I consider “watching” something with others to be a genuinely meaningful activity. 

What was equally as formative, however, was what I watched when no one was looking. →

And what I watched alone:

Although globalization and business interests have created a constantly evolving kids’ media industry, “Children’s television content is still characterized by programming designed to meet the needs of children” (Steemers, 2021, p. 107). The big question, then, is obvious: What do children need? As a tween, what I needed was something that most media products targeted towards my age group couldn’t give me, so I went and found it myself. 

When I was around thirteen years-old, I religiously watched the lifestyle content of a lesbian couple named Shannon and Cammie, one of the few pairs dominating the sapphic vlogger scene at the time. Their videos consisted of all the regular “couples’ YouTube channel” content, with various challenges, vlogs, and Q&As to feed their viewers’ curiosity (and probably jealousy!) about their happy, happy life. Shannon and Cammie have long since broken up, but their content provided me with glimpses of a daily normalcy that I hadn’t thought was achievable for queer people. 

Shannon and Cammie’s viral breakup video via YouTube

Vloggers were all anybody talked about back then, but I watched Shannon and Cammie with the doors locked and the blinds shut, paranoid that someone would see what I was watching and catch on to my unseemly secret. Even though the content was wholesome, watching it felt dirty, in the same way that looking at girls or saying the word “lesbian” out loud did. Loving something and being unable to share it with anyone is a lonely feeling, though I found out years later that many of my queer friends spent their youths watching and engaging in the exact same way I had- we just had no way of reaching each other. If platforms like Tiktok and Twitter had been bigger when I was growing up, I wonder if I may have been able to build a community with those people, and maybe we all might have felt a little less alone. 

With the proliferation of social media and accessibility of video-making, youth have been able to “...exert forms of agency and interaction” (Steemers, 2021; p. 101) that were previously not possible. My tween Youtube habits provide a perfect example. While much of the media targeted towards youth decided my “needs” for me, the YouTube search bar gave me the agency to decide my “needs” for myself; in this case, the need to fight the suffocation of growing up in the closet. In many ways, growing up queer is growing up alone. 

Shannon Beveridge (@nowthisisliving) via YouTube

Looking back, I realize that I really didn’t have much in common with Shannon and Cammie. They were white, affluent influencers in their mid-twenties, with the bright IKEA apartment and the dog and the California life so different from my own. These days, I’m certainly not interested in the saccharine vignettes of influencers in love, nor am I sure how healthy it is to make a living off of broadcasting your relationship to the world. However, I can’t deny that seeing two women, unafraid to love each other in front of the whole world, was a profound source of hope for my younger self. 

Shannon and Cammie (@nowthisisliving) via YouTube

Shannon and Cammie were a reminder that the cozy daily life with someone you love was within my reach. They were a reminder that the apartment, the dog, and the unabashed joys of the everyday were possible for queer people, too. Being queer, being happy, and being accepted, I realized, were not mutually exclusive. I could have the life I longed for, and things would surely be okay, if I was simply patient enough to wait for it. 🌷

Citations ->

[nerdasaurus1200]

Why Cassandra's Moonstone Armor Sucks

*cracks knuckles and dusts off keyboard*

It's time to finally rip this armor to shreds...figuratively because it's indestructible XD

And big shoutout to @whosbex @archivedwoods @th3p0rtalmaker @the-reverse-mermaid @aziraphalesbookkeeper and @majorabbey who all wanted to see this. I thank you all so much for your patience 🥰

Don't get me wrong there are some elements of this that absolutely work. The blue and black is a wonderful color scheme, especially that blue swirl that goes down and around Cass's body. And the spikes on the shoulders, forearms, and calves looks super cool and gives off a more black rock feel and a very intimidating silhouette. But...that's about all it does right.

1- It doesn't fit Cassandra's sense of style at all

In all the outfits we can see Cass wear throughout the show, we can very easily get a sense of exactly what her style is. It’s very clear that she dresses conservatively. And especially in armor she values practicality above all else. Her clothing has to serve its respective purpose. And up until season 3 the only revealing thing she wears is her island outfit and even then that’s pretty modest. And the moonstone armor comes along and completely disregards her established sense of style.

2- It undermines the moonstone's capabilities

We get it very explicitly confirmed that the Moonstone made the Dark Kingdom, and made Cass's tower as well. We see the amount of detail it puts into buildings. Even the rocks, the most simple thing it can make, are magically complex enough to know to seek out the Sundrop. And you're telling me that this thing can't make better armor than that?? Nuh uh, no way. I don't buy it. There’s absolutely no reason for the moonstone to provide a skin tight catsuit with a few spikes when we know its power can be much more sturdy and intimidating.

3- It's Chris Sonneburg's fantasies showing through

Those of you who have been in this fandom know the crush that Chris, the director, has on Cass. She's supposedly based on his college crush or something, and from day one he always wanted Cass to be the villain and plan to betray Rapunzel even as far back as the very beginning of the show. And of course, don't you want to see your crush in something hot? Therefore, I'm certain that the retaining of the catsuit was his idea. Because if you look at the moonstone concept art you can see more and more the visual leaning into a catsuit rather than actual armor

4- It's not at all practical or historically accurate

For reference, THIS is what armor has typically looked like throughout history

And even in works of fantasy you still have some version or variant of armor like this. Throughout the middle ages you can see just how tanky armor used to be. But as you can see, the moonstone armor looks nothing like that. It doesn't at all look like it could realistically defend a person.

Granted Cass's guard uniform is also kinda form fitting like the moonstone armor, but there’s still protective elements of it. The helmet, the breastplate. You could still believe that that is practical armor. Despite it being indestructible, the moonstone….is not at all practical armor. It doesn't look like it belongs in history or even fantasy. It is so obviously modern it’s almost painful.

5- It makes her disappear.

This is actually something that @moltenhair pointed out a while back that I never realized. There's too much black in there. A lot of the time we see Moonssandra at night and because there's so much black on her armor it makes her fade into the background to the point where she looks like a floating head and hand because the blue is all that really catches your eye about the design. Granted one can make the argument that this could have been done on purpose because taking and using the moonstone isn't actually giving Cass the spotlight she thinks it is but...eh...it's a loose argument.

[theprivatewolf]

The Ultimate Guide to Launching a Successful Car Rental Business in Dubai, UAE

Dubai, a bustling metropolis in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is renowned for its luxurious lifestyle, thriving business environment, and as a hot spot for tourists and entrepreneurs alike. Starting a car rental business here can be a lucrative venture. This guide provides a comprehensive look into establishing a car rental business in Dubai, covering benefits, steps, costs, and necessary documentation.

Benefits of Starting a Car Rental Business in Dubai, UAE

Dubai’s thriving tourism sector and its status as a global business hub present a fertile ground for car rental businesses. Here are some key benefits:

High Demand: With millions of tourists and business travelers visiting Dubai yearly, there’s a constant demand for rental vehicles. Diverse Market: Cater to a wide range of customers, from luxury car enthusiasts to budget-conscious travelers. Supportive Business Environment: The UAE government’s policies are conducive to business growth, offering various incentives for entrepreneurs.

For more information on the benefits and market analysis, visit the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing website.

Steps to Start a Car Rental Business in Dubai, UAE

Starting a car rental business in Dubai involves several key steps:

Market Research: Understand the local market, customer preferences, and competition. Business Plan: Develop a comprehensive business plan outlining your strategy, target market, and financial projections. Legal Structure: Decide on the legal structure of your business, whether it be an LLC, a sole proprietorship, etc. Trade License and Registration: Obtain a trade license from the Department of Economic Development in Dubai. You can find more details on the process here. Location and Fleet: Choose a strategic location and acquire a fleet of vehicles that cater to your target market. Insurance and Maintenance: Secure insurance for your fleet and set up maintenance and servicing schedules.

For a detailed guide on each step, you can visit the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

Cost to Start a Car Rental Company in Dubai, UAE

The cost of starting a car rental company in Dubai can vary widely. Key expenses include:

License Fees: This varies depending on the business structure and size. Vehicle Purchase: Initial investment in the fleet, which depends on the type and number of vehicles. Insurance and Maintenance: Regular expenses for keeping the fleet in top condition. Office and Storage Space: Rental costs for office space and vehicle storage.

To get a more accurate estimate of the costs, use this business setup cost calculator.

Documents to Start a Car Rental Company in Dubai, UAE

Starting a car rental company in Dubai requires several key documents:

Trade License: Issued by the Department of Economic Development. Insurance Documents: For vehicle and business insurance. No Objection Certificate (NOC): From the Road & Transport Authority (RTA) for each vehicle. Office Lease Agreement: If renting an office space.

For a complete list of required documents and their application process, visit the Government of Dubai’s official website.

Conclusion Starting a car rental business in Dubai offers a promising opportunity for entrepreneurs. By understanding the market, complying with legal requirements, and making informed financial decisions, you can tap into this lucrative sector. For more detailed information and guidance, visit the UAE Government portal.

This blog structure effectively covers all the key points for starting a car rental business in Dubai. It also provides strategic positions for inserting relevant links to government websites and a cost calculator, enhancing its utility for readers and improving its SEO potential.

M.Hussnain

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[vapehk1]

Radiator MTL RTA Review by Captain Dirty

Greetings, vaping friends! I appreciate the lively interactions we had on Instagram following my last review. A big shout-out to all our supportive friends. Issue 204 brought a unique flavor experience. So, what kind of device steps up to the plate today? Enter the Radiator MTL RTA, our star of the show. Product Overview What's in the Box? - 1 Radiator MTL RTA (with 1.2mm airflow pin) - 1 Screwdriver - 1 PC Glass Tank - 1 Spare Kit - 4 AFC Rings (2x0.8/2x1.0/2x1.4/2x1.6mm) Designed by Benzene Ring Company, produced by Auguse, and proudly made in China. Captain's Detailed Analysis A. First Impressions & Design - The Radiator MTL RTA at first glance reminds me of the Flash-e-Vapor RTA, but with a twist – it boasts a unique top airflow structure. - The intricate airflow design, utilizing turbulence technology, ensures smooth inhalation, surpassing similar devices like the Flash-e-Vapor RTA in terms of balanced vapor delivery. - This thoughtful design enhances the vape's flavor profile, offering a more nuanced and diverse taste experience – a testament to innovative design and functional improvement. B. Build Quality & Design Choices - Frankly, the build quality is average. The base engraving lacks finesse, and the refilling mechanism is quite outdated, requiring complete disassembly, which seems cumbersome for 2023 standards. - The air pins, however, are a highlight. With bullet-shaped and straight-through designs, they offer excellent compatibility and adaptability for various vaping experiences. C. Coil & Juice Recommendations - For the coil, I recommend simple wires like A1 for a slow heat-up and better flavor resolution, particularly for tobacco or complex tobacco flavors. - For dessert juices, go for a single-core Clapton coil. Avoid dual-core due to the internal air pressure build-up, and don't chase high power – it's a quintessential MTL device. Captain's Verdict In summary, for those who love tobacco or complex, non-fruity desserts, this is a must-have. It promises a superior vaping experience compared to the Flash-e-Vapor RTA. If you're not overly concerned about material quality, its craftsmanship is above average, with reliable quality control. So, vape on, as we always say at TrueToy – VAPE HOW WE ROLL, ALL IN TRUETOY. This is Captain Dirty, signing off. Curious about my next review? Drop a comment, and I'll see you in the next issue! Where to buy Radiator MTL RTA Read the full article