#she would always teach us meaningful things too

[angryborzois]

man my old school was weird and all but i miss it 😭

[skamenglishsubs]

Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 3, Episode 2

Episode 2 starts days or maybe a week after episode 1. The curfews and phone ban is in place, so Wilhelm and Simon make the most of their one hour of phone sex talking.

Blink and you miss it: Wilhelm snapped a quick instant picture of himself and Simon at the palace in the last episode, using the camera we saw on his desk. The heart is still on his hand, so maybe it's the next day, or maybe he's been filling it in every day.

Cinematography: Intense red light typically symbolizes their mutual love, and this scene is overflowing with it.

Lost in translation: They both finish the phone call with "puss", which means kiss, but not exactly. It's more platonic, something you can say and do with your parents, or your kids, or end phone calls with. The other word for kiss, "kyss", is more romantic/sexual, and would be super weird to end a phone call with. Simon is using that word when he says he would kiss Wilhelm's collar bone birth mark.

Subtext: Of course Vincent doesn't believe anyone was bullied. He's the biggest bully, but what he does is just a joke, or the other guy deserved it. This is gonna be a recurring theme™ in this episode, how various characters look back on and remember, or choose not to remember, what happened to them.

Subtext: If you didn't pick up this meaningful glance, you're blind. The initiation porno was totally real, and Nils and August clearly remember it, and weren't as flippant about it as Vincent.

Culture: In Sweden, inner city schools are typically better and have richer students than the poorer schools out in the suburbs. This is the exact opposite of the typical US school demographical pattern.

Subtext: Wilhelm avoids Farima's question by evading it. Note that it does make sense that she doesn't know what's going on at these schools since she's an employee, she's not upper-class herself. Wilhelm's parents know though since they attended Hillerska, but they would of course never admit it either.

Culture: Ironically, this is exactly how the real-world Danish royal family handled the Herlufsholm scandal in 2022 involving prince Christian. Only when the media storm in Denmark got too intense did they pull him out of the school, while furiously denying knowledge of the abuse or that he was involved in any way.

Cinematography: We're in the cursed music room, but the light is soft and golden, and the scene is just cute. No fight this time.

Subtext: We're touching the theme™ again, but from Simon's perspective. He has the same outsider perspective we have; speaking up about abuse is always good, and if the school's closing because of it, that's an obviously good thing. There's plenty of scenes in this episode showing that most Hillerska students don't share this perspective, they really love their school, as fucked up as it is.

Subtext: Although it sounds like a rehearsed PR line and Felice is thinking about her girl group here, it's gonna come true for her and Sara.

Subtext: Yuck. No further comment.

Cinematography: The immediate cut to Felice getting her aggressions out in gym class shows us exactly what she thought of what the principal said and how much it pissed her off.

Blink and you miss it: Simon audibly sniffs Wilhelm's hair.

Blink and you miss it: Micke made dinner for both of them, but in her depression, Sara ignores the cooked food (Pyttipanna, btw), and makes herself a cucumber sandwich instead.

Subtext: Micke is a man on a mission, and he is constantly steering the conversation towards helping Sara get her driver's license. For him, it's a way to make up for having been a shitty parent.

Culture: Sweden has long been a holdout of stick-shift cars, and if you don't do your practical test in a stick-shift, you'll get a restricted license, so it's not out of the ordinary for Micke to be teaching Sara how to drive one. However, automatics have seen a sharp rise in the last decade, and in 2024 automatics will finally overtake them.

Culture: The green ÖVNINGSKÖRNING sign is compulsory in Sweden if a car is being driven by someone on a learner's permit, with a parent or friend as the instructor. There's also a red version of the sign, which indicates it's a student driver with a professional instructor in a dual control car.

Cinematography: The room is filled to the brim with things to do, there's a bazillion board games, they have books, magazines, fidget thingies, they're drowning in stuff, and yet the girls are still soooooo boooored just because they don't have their phones. Except Madison, who is knitting.

Subtext: Here comes the theme™ again, and Fredrika is firmly in camp denial. Everyone else is just lying and exaggerating! The wheels are starting to turn in Felice's head though.

Subtext: Nils and August are finally talking about the initiation without Vincent being present, and they can finally be honest about what they actually thought about it. It happened, they didn't like.

Subtext: Their idea of fixing it however is not to go out publicly and talk about it, but to just quietly stop the tradition, hoping they'll be the last ones. (Since there are no second-year students in the show, we have no idea what happened to them, so we're just gonna ignore that.)

Subtext: And here comes the reason that August wanted to put a stop to it. He was completely humiliated by it, and he doesn't want anyone else to know that he was humiliated, because that just makes it worse. This is also the reason that traditions like this keep on going, no-one wants to blow the whistle on it, because everyone was abused, everyone was a victim, it's hard for abuse victims to speak up.

Cinematography: The talk with Nils triggered an anxiety attack for August, and being inside his small room doesn't exactly help. Him going so close to the camera that he almost bumps into it really shows how he feels like the walls are closing in on him.

Culture: This, kids, is a standard Swedish landline telephone jack. For the longest time I thought phone jacks looked like this everywhere, but it turns out that this particular design was only used in Sweden and Iceland(!?!). You won't find these in newer buildings because landlines are pretty much dying out, and if there are phone jacks they'll probably be using the much more common RJ-11 standard.

Culture: This, kids, is an Ericsson Diavox phone. The former government phone monopoly in Sweden, Televerket, only allowed certified and approved phones to be used on the network, and they only approved a very small set of phones, so everyone had pretty much the same phones in their homes. However, in the 1980's the market started getting flooded with "illegal" phones from other countries, so the monopoly simply stopped enforcing the rule, and you could finally, finally, plug in that novelty Garfield phone that you always wanted.

Blink and you miss it: Sara is studying for her driving test, and she's reading about driving in the dark.

Subtext: We're gearing up for the main plotline of the season, dropping more hints that maybe Wilhelm's image of Erik wasn't complete, and what August says sows some seeds of doubt in him.

Subtext: This song is objectively not very good, please don't kill me, but it is very sixteen-year-old-boy-just-singing-from-his-heart, not thinking about the text.

Subtext: Simon isn't wearing anything purple, but just after he posts his song video, he picks up a purple shirt, drops it immediately, and then the camera lingers on it. Colour theory goes brrrrrrrr. He thought about Wilhelm, and then stopped because his music is more important to him or something?

Subtext: Unlike Simon, Wilhelm immediately understands how problematic the text is for him, and how people will interpret it...

Subtext: ...but since he doesn't want to hurt Simon's feelings, he lies about why he thinks the song was a very, very bad idea. And he cushions it by telling Simon that he thinks the song is jätte-jätte-bra. Giant-giant-good.

Subtext: Yes, but also no, and someone from the court really should have given Simon some media training and explained to him why he has to be very careful about what he posts. But it's drama fuel, which is why this disaster is allowed to happen.

Subtext: A nice little throwback to season 1, this is exactly what Erik told Wilhelm in the first episode, about making sure that their public image is carefully curated.

Subtext: That's some on-the-nose foreshadowing there, since Felice is one of the main causes for the school ultimately closing.

Subtext: We're back to the theme™, Fredrika is saying pretty much the same thing as Vincent. It didn't happen, and if it did, it wasn't that bad.

Subtext: However, Felice isn't playing along this time, she's starting to speak up about the issues, and the result is a long, awkward silence, because her friends are not willing to do the same.

Subtext: Wilhelm and the rest of the rich kids are of course all wearing pretty expensive high-end hiking gear, in contrast with Simon who is simply wearing one of his usual hoodies and his usual winter jacket that we've seen before. That's a damn fine jacket from Fjällräven, btw, the same company that makes the weirdly globally popular Kånken backpacks.

Blink and you miss it: Henry is getting dragged for his actually quite reasonable objection to the tent groupings.

Subtext: Felice physically distances herself from her friends, and joins Simon and Wilhelm, in a nice little foreshadowing of the show's ending.

Blink and you miss it: Did you miss the line in last episode where Ayub said they were also gonna go camping at Talludden with their classmates from Marieberg? Well, here they are, because they pitched their tents nearby, and decided to go check out the Hillerska camp. It's not just Rosh and Ayub randomly walking through the woods.

Subtext: In season 2, we learned that Stella has a crush on Fredrika that she thinks is one-sided, but Fredrika sure has some kind of reaction to seeing Stella being close with Rosh. Jealousy, perhaps? Not clear at this point in time.

Subtext: Read the room Fredrika, for fuck's sake. At least Wilhelm has started learning to recognize privilege. The other rich kids probably recognize their privilege, but they're mostly just enjoying how much better they are than the poor regular kids.

Subtext: But Wilhelm's still got a lot more to learn. Yes, technically he is forced to spend his summer studying, and technically it is a kind of work, but the underlying reasons are completely different. If he skips it or fails, nothing bad will happen to him, unlike the Marieberg kids who rely on their summer jobs to have any sort of spending money.

Lost in translation: Wilhelm's dad says that the queen is going to be "sjukskriven", which is more serious than someone deciding on their own to take some time off or to use some sick days. It means that a doctor has evaluated you and decided that you are not fit to work, and that if you're a regular person, you are eligible for sick pay for the foreseeable future.

Cinematography: Yeah, mommy is really sick and Wilhelm is feeling the weight of responsibility, but take a look at that sunrise! It's so pretty! Wilhelm is completely in shadow because trouble whatever, but look at how that light just pops, with the sky and the water and the sun on the trees! Beautiful!

[reveluving]

Can you do one where Batmom loves doing ballet? Maybe with her in the ballroom dancing, and the kids come in. Cassandra immediately goes to join her and the boys want to try so batmom and cass try to teach them? And then at the end Bruce sneaks in and watches then fondly?

P.S. I love your work :)

a/n: to whomever sent this request last year (+ a couple of others), I am so sorry for only doing this now lol BUT! y'all know I love a fluffy batfam moment! 💗💗💗 changed it up a bit and also, thank you so much!!

warnings: fluffy fluff! (ballerina!cass !!!)

check out my batmom m.list !

Cass is an expert of many things, but your absolute favourite has to be her love for ballet!

It was no surprise how much she's incorporated her ballet knowledge into her fighting style—not to the point where anyone could see the similarities between Cass and Orphan, but just enough to give her certain advantages that the rest didn't have.

The first time Cass gave you the invitation to her recital was when she stopped by the café as usual one fine afternoon.

You had expected a form for a trip that needed your permission but no, it was so. much. better.

Not only was Cass' name handwritten in gold ink, but she was going solo for that matter?

You immediately tackled her into the biggest, most bone-crushing hug you could muster. Nothing Cass couldn't handle, though, in fact, she reciprocated your own happiness, grinning and giggling as you wouldn't stop gushing about how proud you were and how you needed to call Bruce, even if it was still office hours.

And you did just that!

Bruce thankfully didn't have any pressing matter when you rang him up, picking up the phone in one hand and idly checking some reports with the other. He stopped caring for the papers in hand though, not when he could hear how excited you sounded.

"We're invited to Cass' first recital next month!" You squealed, the soft of giggles of your not-so-little girl didn't go amiss on the line, "You have to clear your schedule."

Bruce grinned, both at the news and your sudden seriousness. You didn't have to tell him and you knew it, for he immediately wrote the date on a piece of paper to be passed to his assistant later on.

Cass also took the opportunity to share the news with the rest of the family, with all of their congrats and compliments ranging from Alfred and Damian's detailed praises for her appreciation in such fine art, to Dick's chaotic but meaningful cheers in all caps lock, with a side of triple fire emojis.

All in all, it was almost overwhelming for her—no matter how subtle Bruce tried to be in moving the old, almost depressing paintings out of the manor's ballroom after learning about her hobby, or how you'd bring over a single chair in the middle of the room to watch her new move without hesitation, or how Alfred made sure the manor's ballroom was always squeaky clean for her own use, she would be in awe of how fate brought her here.

A place where she not only fought for the safety of others, but also a place where she could finally make a name for herself the way she wanted.

Despite your protests, Cass helped you around the café that day, too happy to just sit down when she could channel that energy by lending a hand. You were thankful for the extra pair of hands though, for you wanted nothing more than to celebrate with her at home.

It was only fitting to bring her to the ballroom, the person praising her now was Alfred, who had came in with tea to pair with the extra cookies you brought from the café.

There was really no other way to channel your own joy other than to dance with her—from pirouettes to a grand jeté together. You learned from the best after all, how could you ever say no when she once shyly offered to teach you how to properly plie once upon a time?

With the classical music paired with Alfred's claps and the three of you laughing, it wouldn't take long for the rest of your family, besides Bruce, to investigate as soon as they're home. Some readily came with gifts, others were ready to properly congratulate Cass as texting did little to no justice. But seeing how much fun you were having, they believe it was best to at least wait till the music ended.

But ever the perceptive child, Cass was quick to notice the newcomers and immediately waved at them. They all huddled around her, with Cass growing flustered by the sheer attention she was getting in one day. She did somewhat expect a positive reaction, but not to this extend, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

You and Alfred watched the sight fondly, your smiles growing bigger when one of them had asked her to teach them a thing or two. And just like chain reaction, almost everyone was trying it out. It was hilarious, to say the least, seeing them, ranging from tall, buff, serious and just almost out of place, glancing at one another as they sought the girl's approval for their plie.

"I wasn't aware of a party." You sucked in a breath, the unexpected arrival of your husband taking you by surprise, let alone when his arms wove around your waist and then kissed you on the crown of your head. You leaned into him, caressing the back of his hand before letting his intertwine his fingers with yours.

"It's only fair," You sighed, not wanting to tear your eyes away from the tooth-rotting moment before you. You felt Bruce's chest vibrate on occasion, no doubt amused to see some making it a competition to see who was best, "Our girl deserves it."

Our girl.

As if on command, Bruce's hand lightly brushed over your tummy. You didn't stop him, only to gasp when he proceeded to tickle you and shared a laugh. You threw your head to the side, giving him the opportunity to nuzzle into your neck and be in your own world just as your children was.

To say Cass was in heaven was an understatement, and though her life started rough, she had always thanked the universe for shining her to the path that actually mattered to her most.

With the people she was meant to be with.

˚ · . f i n . · ˚

[misguidedasgardian]

The Winter Sun (9)

9. ... Is trough the green road

MASTERLIST

Summary: The first obstacle in your marriage appears

Pairing: Cregan Stark x Fem!Targaryen Reader 

Warnings: Cursing, medieval and asoif customs, arranged marriage , AGE GAP, Cregan is 12 years OLDER than reader), arranged marriage, foul language, hunt and killing of rabbits, might miss some warnings

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 3.4 k

Notes: You all wanted 🔥🔥 Between reader and Cregan and trust me... ME TOO, and I promise it's coming soon!

Winter is coming

Those were the words of house Stark, and those words, especially this time, held a true meaning, winter was coming, the days started to grow shorter, and colder, the snow had started to stick. 

The maesters had said this winter was going to be really cold, but short.

The castle was always with a lot of movement, Sara had told you that it was because they were preparing for the upcoming freezing cold.

Gathering wood, straws for the ceilings of the houses, food for the animals, food for your food, wool for coats, rabbit skins to cover the insides of the armor for the soldiers… they were all preparing for winter, and for you, it was… exciting…

It shouldn’t be, you knew, but to think that this huge winter storm was coming in and you had to stay inside, to stay warm, with your husband… and your new family, it was almost exciting, even though you knew the people of town didn’t think so.

But that’s what the preparations were for, so everybody could have a safe winter

Winter’s Town was also preparing for the arrival of the people of the country, who preferred to stay in the small city rather than face the winter alone.

Cregan was out hunting almost everyday, to gather meat that they were going to storage, after processing it with salt so it won't rot

Sara had mentioned that in normal circumstances he would leave for weeks, but this time he had rather stayed close, and she said it was because of you.

And that also made you feel excited

You wanted to prove to him that you wanted him, that you were prepared for all the duties that being a wife entailed, So you made sure to raise up very early in the morning, get dressed in your northern dress, and make yourself useful in anything you could. And Cregan wasn’t the only one noticing your efforts

People of the castle and of the town were too.

You have proven to be very well versed in numbers, and rather good at talking to people, as your teachings with your father had taught you, so you soon found yourself receiving carriages from Winter’s Town and also White Harbor, and making an inventory with the help of Sara of everything that was coming in, so you knew for certain the things you could count on when Winter finally came.

It was entertaining and very useful, as the maester also stood by your side and helped you.

Also you had proven yourself invaluable to him, because you knew the maester in King’s Landing, and you had opened a connection between them both with letters and ravens, to make sure the tower of the maester of Winterfell could get everything and anything it needed, regarding herbs for medicine and knowledge too. 

For the first time in your life, you felt like you were meaningful, that what you did, truly mattered, and it made you truly happy. 

The people even started to take a liking to Vhaelar, that you commanded to lit big pire of fire once in a while to keep the town and its surroundings free of ice and snow, and she was a kind creature of a nice temper, and never had hurt anyone 

Sara and you spend the afternoon making warm dresses for the coming winter, with soft fur on their insides, it felt so good to the touch.to made them using your riding gear, pants on the bottom part.

Your mind was occupied, you ended up so tired at the end of the day, where you sleep in your rooms, alone.

But Cregan! You thought you were making progress with him, as every night you would have dinner together, alone, Sara would make up some excuse and would leave you to it, he was usually quite silent, but you would ask things to him and he would entertain you with long stories that you adored.

You looked in the mirror to fix your hair nervously, this time, it was lunch and Cregan had requested you two have it in your chambers. Soon lunch was going to be served and you and Cregan would have some alone time

Soon there was a knock on the door, and you indicated, rather quickly, that whomever was on the other side could come in, there he was, ever so punctual, ever so Cregan

“Good day”, you greeted, your excitement obvious though your smile and blush

“Good day”, he answered back, he took a moment to observe you, dressed in a simple gray dress and your hair arranged in a simple way with two braids keeping the rest of your wild silver mane out of your face

“How was your day?”, you asked, as he sat down in the small table right in front of you

“Tiresome”, he admitted, sharing a small smile, “but we accomplished many things today”

“the preparations for the winter are truly something”, you said, with a shy smile

“Yes, indeed”, he said, his eyes looking at you, your face illuminated by the small flames of the candle decorating the table, “and you're great in it”

“You are so kind”, you offered

“It’s true, you had not lived a real harsh winter and yet… you understand the importance, the need of the people, thanks to you, we are making great advances”, you looked down at your plate and blushed

“I just do what I can, I’m glad I can be of service”, you admitted

“You are, I want you to know”, he muttered. His gaze was always on you, you’ve noticed, like he was analyzing you, like he was testing

And unbeknown to you, he sort of was

He looked at you, all blushed and nervous around him, to him you were so sweet, he was actually astonished by the things you had accomplished, of how easily you had adapted, of the good you were doing to the castle by doing the things you had done.

For a second, he thanked the maester that spoke on your behalf, you truly were your father’s daughter. Good spoken, smart, intelligent. You were… admirable, incredible… he didn’t even have the words to describe you, and now… you were his wife.

His wife

He was supposed to bed you, to take you, to give you his children… Right now it seemed you were two different women… the Lady of Winterfell on one side, serious, calculating, kind and smart, and now… his wife, shy, nervous, a young girl right in front of him, nervous of speaking to him… it was like two different persons all together

He had to find the balance.

Now you… were exquisite, beautiful, fucking naive to your own power, your feminine power… and he was thankful for it… he has to contain himself not to jump over you every night… no, he couldn’t, you were so sweet, so kind… he was afraid that if he truly just…. fucked you, all of it was going to go away… and he couldn’t have that, not now. You were so happy

(Oh if he only knew you could be even happier if he fucked you)

Oh how different you were to every woman he had once met… nothing like them… you were so different.

Every time he came to his chambers at night, he found you there, and he remembered you were already his wife, this marvelous, beautiful being, what was he supposed to do? he thought he didn’t deserve you 

He didn’t know where you came from

But you were here, like an apparition, like this person send of the Old Gods

But he had been down this road before, he had been married twice already, he had opened his heart, he let himself love his beautiful brides and then… they died in his arms, both of them, one taking his child with her.

Many say the third time's the charm but what if it isn’t and the price is you?

But he also may think that keeping you close, content and happy was better than keeping you at arm’s length. If he had you close he could protect you, keep you warm in winter, make sure you ate, make sure you stayed healthy, and strong… take care of you.

Hence, he looked down at the small package he had brought you, you noticed it too…

He bought a furry white thing

“I had this made for you, wife”, he muttered, grabbing the furry thing he had brought with him, and when he unfolded it, it revealed a beautiful white cape, white as snow, and the fur it was white as well, “it’s rabbit skin, white rabbits that I hunted for you”

Your mouth even opened in surprise, it was so beautiful, the cape was like his, but white

“Cregan… it’s…”, you were speechless, he had made this for you, for your comfort. You stood up quickly, to receive it in your arms, “it’s beautiful!”, he saw your every reaction, so when you looked up at him you found him smiling down at you. “Thank you”, you said softly

“It’s my pleasure”, he said, and he found himself wanting to see that look on your face everyday, for it was beautiful, “I can’t have the Lady of Winterfell freezing now can I?” He asked, and you shook your head still smiling, caressing the soft fur

“Help me?”, you asked, your eyes shining with a certain mischievousness, and a smirk on your lips. He smiled at you, as he took the cape from your hands and placed it over your shoulders, he secured the straps around your torso, and then, without breaking eye contact, he accommodated it over your shoulders, leaving his hands there as he looked at you.

“Beautiful”, he said, but he was not looking at the cape, he was looking right at you, at your eyes.

There was a connection, a moment, his right hand traveled from your shoulder to your neck, and then it landed gently on your cheek, your eyes connected, he leaned in, and you drew a sharp breath.

You leaned in, he leaned down, and you closed your eyes, waiting for his lips to collide into yours…

And then…

A horn sounded outside, loud, and from experience, it meant only one thing

“Dragon!”, they shouted and the spell was broken, Cregan separated himself from you

“Are you expecting anyone?”, he asked, his hand still on your cheek, you only shook your head, he released you then. You felt cold without his touch, and he proceeded to leave the room, and you followed closely behind him.

You were soon out of the castle and into the courtyard.

The gates opened and all the air left your lungs as soon as you saw who it was.

He walked in like he owned the bloody place, his steps long and his single eye defiant, it gave you a good flashback of when you crossed him in the hallways of the keep, and he would look at you with contempt and then he would push you against the wall.

His eyes looked around in poor-hidden disgust, and then his eye found you, and he almost seemed surprised

You were wearing a handmade northerner dress, you hair arranged like a northerner lady and wearing a winter cape, that was probably why he seemed so surprised  

“Aemond?”, you called, as you froze when he came near you,  “what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to bring you home of course”, he said simply, looking at you all calm and composed

“Welcome to Winterfell prince Aemond”, greeted Cregan by your side, “you surprised us”, it was a nice way to say “you weren’t invited”

Aemond barely looked at him, then he looked back at you 

“I think is improper, you, living here alone, with no one of your house nor chaperones or servants”, he muttered

“Is not improper, she is my wife”, said Cregan, and Aemond, for a second he seemed like he was going to burn the whole castle down, but he composed himself

“Wife?”, he asked, almost amused

“Cregan and I married under the Heart tree, and the old gods”, you said shakily, unconsciously taking a step towards Cregan until your arms touched, he obviously noticed it, and looked at you surprised.

Your entire body language had changed in the presence of this man, he thought, looking at him with mistrustful eyes 

“Funny, I don’t seemed to hace received a raven informing me of this union”, you knew him, he was trying so hard to act composed

“Why would we notify you?”, you asked, not even on a confrontational stance, but a curious one

He hummed

“You are a princess of the crown”, he said, “your union has to be sanctioned by the King and the council”

“It was their idea”, you said, Cregan took a step in diagonal, standing almost in front of you, to shield you from him

“I received an offer from King Viserys, in it, it offered the hand of his darling niece, and I accepted said offer, I exchanged letters with the council”, he said firmly, “Princess Rhaenys was a witness to the union”, Cregan said, looking at him, “I’m very sorry but I don’t see why this is of interest of you… my prince”, he said

“Mmm”, Aemond hummed, looking at him almost amused, “I’m sorry but, I’d like to stay, until we can clear this out with the council, you see, I was not notified of this, and the princess was supposed to be my betrothed”. Cregan turned back to look at you, surprise in his eyes, “furthermore I believe is proper to have a member of her family present, to ensure the princess’ comfort, don’t you agree Lord Stark?” 

“I understand your disappointment, you are welcome to stay here as you see fit”, he said, and you almost whimpered

“I need to speak to you”, he whispered to, and you only nodded

This can’t be happening

Cregan needed to speak to you, but Aemond demanded your attention first, and since he was your family, you felt the responsibility to find out his true reason for being here.

You had escaped him, you knew they were going to marry you to him so you begged a man to bed you first. And apparently, based on his actions and reactions, he wanted you, he wanted to marry you, own you, possess you…

And Cregan Stark now stood on his way

You needed to speak to him to make it clear to him that he had lost, that he must let it go, that it was too late for him, and that you, ultimately, had won.

So you walked with him towards an empty guest room in the castle.

“Alright”, Aemond muttered as son as he was alone with you, “you had proven yourself, let’s end this mummer’s farce”, two servants, Winterfell servants, entered to the empty room and brought a big wooden trunk with them

“You can’t just order people around”, you chided, “thank you”, you said as the gentle servants walked by you

“Of course I can”, he said, he opened the trunk with one hand, inside, it revealed a dozen dresses, all golden, red, emerald green, in exquisite detail and fabrics, worthy of Queen Alicent, and you, a princess

“What is this?”, you asked, suddenly lightheaded 

“What you deserve”, he said solemn, “let’s get you out of those rags and into what a princess like you should wear”, from under he dresses he took a large wooden box, which he opened and offered to you, inside it, there was beautiful necklaces, with rubies, emeralds, sapphires… Exquisite jewelry made for en empress 

“You burn all my things and now you dare to tell me what to wear?”, you said, indignant, taking a grasp back into reality, “I made this clothes, and I’m not a princess anymore, I am a Lady”, he tried, again to remain solemn and he made a fist out of his lean hand, leaving the box on top of the dresses

“I heard about that unfortunate incident, so I brought you these to compensate you”, he said, “you don’t know what you are saying, let’s go home”

“This is my home”, you assured him, “what the old gods witnessed and joined can’t be undone by men”

“You being married under those savages rituals means as much to me as you being married to an animal, it has no meaning” 

You looked at the dresses as they were a foreign thing, you would have happily worn them two years ago, they were so beautiful, exquisite even, but now? They seemed uncomfortable, not you, you would have frozen to death while wearing those. Your life in the Keep seemed to have been a century ago And the jewelry, it was fine in King’s Landing, but here? you wouldn’t even dream of it, they seemed so uncomfortable… 

“I do not care what you think”, you said finally, “Cregan Stark is my husband, I am the Lady of Winterfell now”, he chuckled, darkly, looking away from you 

“Are you now?”, he asked, “I bet he haden’t even fuck you yet”, your cheeks reddened as you looked away

“We made love every night”, you whispered defensively, he took two long steps towards you, to reach you

“I can smell the virgin off of you”, he whispered right in front of you, you shook your head, averting his gaze, taking a step back

“I’m married now Aemond”

“You had not consummate the marriage, and marriages performed under the Old Gods can easily be annulled by a high septon, now, let’s go home, now”, it was a command, he was commanding you

“This is my home now”, you said, scared of him, “I’m not going anywhere, specially with you”

“Mmm”, he leaned in, again eliminating the distance between you, he grabbed your arm roughly, “you are mine”, he said, “I’ve told you so”

“I’m not”, you stammered, trying to release yourself from his grasp, but couldn’t, “I’m nobody’s”

“I should have think you’d say you are Cregan’s”, he said, amused

“Leave me alone”, he grabbed you roughly and brought you to him, and then the door opened, Cregan walked in and even though you repulsed his touch, the scene must have looked like…

“Prince Aemond”, he called, you looked at him and Aemond released you at once, acting like in truth he walked in on something improper, “your room is ready”, he said solemnly and with a seriousness that made you shake

“I look forward to spending some time with you here in the North”, he said, even more amused, “to see the… picturesque… of your traditions”, it sounded more like an insult. 

His blood boiled when he saw you like that, so close to him, 

“I hope it’s not a lengthy visit”, Cregan said, “Winter is coming”

“Ah yes, the words of your house” 

“Winter is coming, frosty winds, ice and snow”, he said, “the maesters from Oldtown will be sending the white raven out soon”, he warned

“Hmm, we are dragons we do not fear cold”, he said looking at you, and you did everything you could to demonstrate how uncomfortable you were

“The journey was long from King’s Landing is long”, Cregan said, “I bet your grace is hungry”

“I’m famished”, he said, his eye still on you, you looked at Cregan that couldn’t stray his gaze from Aemond, and he looked so angry. You had never seen him like this…

Cregan had arranged for the three of you to have lunch in the great hall, and fortunately for you, Sara also showed up, she paled when she saw the prince seated by your side

“Your grace, this is Sara Snow, my sister”

“Snow is it?”, he asked, his gaze again, landing on you, “a bastard”, he whispered, his tone mocking… 

“Yes my lord”, said Sara, looking down at the floor

“My dear sister”, corrected Cregan, “it’s all that matters”

“Mmmm”, Aemond tends to do that, humm as he was thinking something over. “Interesting”

“Let’s have lunch”, said Cregan, again, his temper sour.

He was angry now, he wanted to speak to you, and you couldn’t help but feel guilty. As you looked at Aemond… you felt scared because you didn’t know what could possibly come out of this…

The only thing you knew for certain was that this was your home now, and you were not going to leave it.

taglist! ❤️ @severewobblerlightdragon @missusnora @stargaryenx @poppyreader @chainsawsangel @court-jester-stuff @batprincess1013 @eddiepicker @lyannesworld @arujee @kamisunshine @​​mss-nthng @partypoison00

[hazeltongzhi]

hi hazel!

this is a rather personal ask, and i’m sorry to burden you with it. i saw that you said venting is okay in ur inbox, but i’ll try my best to minimize it.

long story short, i am a very very well-off filipino in the philippines, and i’m trying to get my friend into marxist-leninist theory.

my father works for the adb, and prior to that, the imf, and i was born in usamerica. i live in manila and i am a minor (i read ur dni and im sorry TT… i just needed to ask this question really quickly, im trying to source from multiple communists) and i am trying to become a marxist-leninist.

lamentably, i’m sort of a shut-in + very whitewashed. i don’t like bgc, i don’t like looking around the city (makes me sad), and i can’t even speak tagalog, really, because my parents don’t speak it at home unless i ask (they’re fluent, but don’t speak it frequently) and i really feel rather useless if not super sad about the whole deal. this isn’t getting in to even my affluence: i go to an international school, i’ve never worried about financial issues, i don’t worry about my own personal well-being. we go to usamerica frequently for family members too.

i’ve always felt guilty about this, and while learning about theory and making attempts to be more useful have helped me feel better, and i feel a little good that instead of wallowing or even sinking into liberal delusion (like i did when i was younger: my father is a liberal and i would just go along with it because i was at a loss for what to do or ideas on how to progress in such conditions, and i would just believe what he said/school said in order to feel better) i am making efforts to get better, however, i feel like i need to read more and learn more.

recently, i’ve been talking to my peer, another rich filipino who goes to the school i go to, and i have been trying to introduce her the science of marxist-leninism. there are many ideas i wish to introduce her to, and she’s a very receptive listener, and a very nice one. she is interested in the topics i bring up and the concepts i’m trying to explain to her (shoddily), and so i feel like if i give her meaningful, concise resources about scientific socialism/dialectical materialism i can convince her to join me in learning about it, and then i can seek to convince others in her/our friend group. this would be a major success for me.

anyways, i have a long way to go till i can move out (i love my parents, and i so badly hope one day i can convince my father too) and i’m focusing on this short term goal. do you know what resources i should give (and also resources i should read) on, say, things like historical accounts of socialist states + comprehensive, easy texts about theory? i’m gonna send her principles of communism and i already sent her the soviets saw it coming, and i feel like historical accounts would make for very good evidence (our school’s teachers/classes, of course, portray communism in a malignant light, as if they are either a far-fetched idealistic dream [nonsensical, and i need to provide her/prove to her the scientific nature of it] or merely banally Evil and Wrong for the sake of…idk whatever they dont like communism for)

sorry, and thanks anyway even if u dont read this . bye :)

Hello!

I'm happy to hear that you're learning and teaching. I spent my days in high school more or less doing the same; reading, watching videos, doing shitty small organizing at my labor aristocrat school. I find that Michael Parenti's books, especially Blackshirts and Reds, are a wonderful beginner's resource for history with an ML perspective. They're not super hard into theory so they're more approachable than more advanced texts. There's Human Rights in the Soviet Union which talks about the life under socialism and compares it to the united states. For China, this article goes over some major statistics and has citations, graphs, and comparisons. As for your personal learning, there's always another book or account to read so that never truly stops, but assuming you've finished the basics (e.g., the manifesto, wage labor and capital, principles of communism), getting a grasp on the dialectical materialist and historical materialist framework of analysis is fundamental (on contradiction, on dialectics, dialectical and historical materialism, etc.). After that, a study on imperialism is equally crucial.

I'd also like to add that you're very lucky to have found someone of your particular background who is open to socialism. When I was attempting to organize at my high school, where the average income was more than 120K USD p/year, very few, if any people were interested in anything except minor concessions. Despite this, I think it's still good to get some experience in organization under your belt, be it a book club or a social gathering or a tabling or even handing out/putting up flyers. Being able to leverage your privilege will help with that. You might not convince many people, but knowing how to adapt your goals to your condition and, potentially, lead and work with a group of people is experience you cannot learn from reading alone.

Good luck!

[elliespuns]

Things/moments that were in the show but not the game; The Last of Us

Ellie being captured by Marlene and her people so they could 'test' her before being sure she's not actually infected. The first interaction with Ellie in the game was when Marlene was already sure of her immunity.

2. The "If she so much as twitches" scene was just a perfect addition to TLOU humor. I wish this was in the game too. Daaamn.

3. Ellie and Joel camping and eating together. We never got them like this in the game. There's only one picture of them sitting by the bonfire, laughing. But can you imagine having this moment in the cutscenes? Oh, man.

4. Ellie's horrified reaction to Henry commiting suicide in front of her eyes. Bella did an amazing job portraying this moment. I can only imagine game Ellie and what her baby face would look like if we got to see her reacting to such a heart-wrenching moment.

5. Ellie and Joel digging graves for Henry and Sam and Ellie showing remorse because she already liked this damned kid. The game never offered this, which is a shame since game Ellie was emotionally intelligent, and this must have taken a toll on her.

6. Joel teaching Ellie how to shoot at a target, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, being all cocky about being a good shot himself. This moment would be so lit if it was between game Joel and game Ellie. We only ever got a promo picture of Joel showing her how to use a rifle, but again, no cutscene. (and I know there's the Pittsburg scene where he teaches her, it's just not this).

7. Ellie gorging herself when coming to Jackson and spotting Dina! This moment would be so precious in the game because game Ellie has always been nice to people she met (unlike show Ellie who has always been more 'coarse'). So this moment would have probably happened quite differently and it would be cool to see how!

8. Joel remembering Sarah, seeing her in other people. This was such a touching addition to the show knowing even game Joel must have been experiencing this.

9. Ellie's life at FEDRA and her 'bickering' with classmates. We already knew this about game Ellie from the "American Dreams" comics, but we never got to see it on screen like this. Highly appreciated.

10. Ellie loving the escalator aka. electric stairs. Seeing her goofing around, having the time of her life just running up and down the stairs... just priceless. Can you imagine game Ellie losing her shit on an escalator?

11. Ellie and Riley hugging at the end of Left Behind. We never got to see game Ellie and game Riley hug and I will never forgive Neil Druckmann for this. Feeling this too deeply, it makes me sad this never happened in the game.

12. Ellie and Joel holding hands after he got impaled; Ellie showing him she cared enough to stay and take care of him. This breaks my heart in the most beautiful way to be able to see it at least in the show. But try to imagine it in the game, if you will. Are you picturing it? Becaue I can't stop.

13. Joel telling Ellie that Sarah would've liked her because she's funny. That was like the sweetest highlight of the most heartbreaking episode. Joel in the game mentioned Sarah in front of Ellie too, but not in this way and I feel like crying.

14. An actual backstory to Ellie's mom Anna and Ellie being born. This was such an important additon to the show and the fact Ashley Johnson got to play the role made it even more meaningful.

THANK YOU, THE LAST OF US, SEASON 1. THAT WAS QUITE A RIDE!

[thecrenellations]

"How many souls on this earth call you Francis?"

In 60 years of the Lymond Chronicles, I'd bet that many others have compiled this exact thing, but here is a list of who calls Lymond by his first name! Marthe draws our attention to the question near the end of Pawn in Frankincense, but it's clear throughout the series how deliberately Dunnett chooses what to call the characters in narration and dialogue - the choice can reflect who Francis Crawford (for example) is to others as well as to himself, at any moment. I love it, and Meaningful Naming is a feature of most of my favorite stories.

Characters are listed with the book in which they first call him Francis in dialogue. Italics indicate they call him that when he isn't present. If they directly Francis him later, they’ve been added to the list for that book, too.

I've also noted to whom he's just Francis in the narration - it's always someone who thinks of him like that, and it always makes me feel a lot.

If you notice something I left out, or if you know where to find similar analysis, let me know! Let us all be scholars of Francis.

Lists below! Plus some thoughts and quantitative stuff. (many, many spoilers)

The Game of Kings

Sybilla Semple (see, I have to decide what to call all of these characters, too!)

Margaret Lennox

Christian Stewart (to Sybilla, and I'm sure she called him Francis in their childhood)

Richard Crawford 

Francis in narration from the POV of: Richard

Queens’ Play

Tom Erskine

Jenny Fleming

Margaret Erskine

Martine

Oonagh O’Dwyer

Phelim O’LiamRoe

George Douglas

Francis in narration from the POV of: Richard, Margaret Erskine

The Disorderly Knights

Will Scott

Kate Somerville 

Graham Reid Malett

Adam Blacklock

Janet Beaton

Jerott Blyth (I'm also sure Jerott called him Francis in the old days, but he doesn't return to it until the scene with Evangelista Donati at Midculter)

Francis in narration from the POV of: Richard, Tom, Kate, Sybilla

Pawn in Frankincense

Jerott Blyth

Dame de Doubtance 

Marthe

Francis in narration from the POV of: Jerott

The Ringed Castle

Alec Guthrie

the Abbess/Sybilla's sister

Francis in narration from the POV of: Richard

Checkmate

Philippa Somerville

Marguerite de St. Andre

Catherine d’Albon (to Philippa)

Nicholas Applegarth (also to Philippa)

Danny Hislop

Fergie Hoddim

Piero Strozzi

Francis in narration from the POV of: Jerott, Philippa, Richard, Sybilla, Adam

Observations

Aaaaah!

Richard's monopoly on the narration Francises in the first two books kills me, I love it. The first, of course, is "God, Francis had screamed."

As a reader, I started calling him Francis, sometimes, somewhere in the middle of Queen's Play and stopped overthinking it by the beginning of the next book.

I didn't count, but I'd bet that Jerott says and thinks it the most. He's there more than probable runners-up Gabriel (shut up, Gabriel) and Richard (ily Richard) are, and Philippa goes on her own ... journey before thinking of him that way and allowing herself to think of him that way.

Adam is unique for making the list in his first book, specifically not calling Lymond Francis in The Ringed Castle, and then putting himself back on the list through address and narration in Checkmate. But that's The Ringed Castle for you 😬. And their entire relationship - there's a chapter or so in which Adam's narration calls him de Sevigny.

Who even calls him Francis in RC? Just Alec, Richard, and Margaret, I think. ("Do you call her Slata or Baba?" Thank you, Philippa.)

I would teach myself tarocco and play for at least a few hours to learn when Will started calling him Francis. Also the Erskines! They're all so genuinely close in the years after Game of Kings.

Notable Absences

Güzel - well, that feels meaningful. They were together for years. If she did, we didn't see, and I would also believe that she didn't.

Archie - will he ever? Who can say. Either way, he's the best. Also, see here.

Mariotta - I bet she does, after the first book, we just haven't been there.

Fergie, probably?

Piero Strozzi - Francesco? My petit François? I don't remember any Francises, though!

Ivan (and others?) - I'm not counting Frangike, either

Robin Stewart - I mean, I'm sure he would have if he'd known his boyfriend's real name before ... all of that went down.

Diccon Chancellor - probably not? I'd also put this down to the Ringed Castle state of mind. As meaningful as their friendship was, it makes sense for the book to continue to distance the reader, at the very least, in that way.

Does Francis call himself Francis?

No.

He doesn't, really! He's never that from his own point of view, but we do see him sign a few letters with his first name. These are to:

Kate (Pawn in Frankincense)

Catherine d'Albon (Checkmate)

Philippa (Checkmate)

All of this is not to say that “Francis” represents who he truly is; it certainly shows intimacy and usually vulnerability, but I feel that Lymond and Francis Crawford can be just as definitive when deployed, and that Lymond has a certain neutrality. There's also something really interesting that happens when the characters are stripped of names and become just "he" or "she," from their own perspective or others.

And then we get things like "Mistress Philippa's decorative husband," which really deserve their own list.

"How many souls on this earth call you Francis? Three? Or perhaps four?"

18 of the 25 Francis-ers on my list are living at the end of the series, and when Marthe, who is not one of them, asks that question at the end of PiF, it's 12 (out of 18 total).

18 out of 25 is a 72% survival rate! Great!

2 of the 18 are pretty awful (Margaret Lennox and the Abbess)

4 of the 18 live in France, which he's currently exiled from

1 of the 18 lives in Ireland, but I think they should still hang out!

2 of the 18 may be departing for Malta, apparently

7 of the 18 are people he probably sees or keeps in touch with regularly, 9 if I count Janet Beaton and Margaret Erskine, because I like them and they're not very far away.

As much as I wish that many of the others hadn't died, I think he's doing pretty well.

[yeetus-feetus]

my cousin came home with a henna tattoo today and it just gave me this really cute idea.

Imagine if Dick learned how to do henna from his mum, and as a way of connecting with both her and his younger siblings, he likes to practice doing henna on them. Or like doing henna on them for special occasions and stuff. I just think it would be really cute, for him to share something from his childhood, something really meaningful to him, with his siblings.

I'm imagining Jason reading one of his favourite books out loud, maybe something he used to read before Bruce adopted him, while Dick is practicing a new henna design on him that he saw and wanted to try. And they're both sharing something close to their hearts, something hold close from their early childhoods. It's a rare occasion, most times they're fighting or trying to kill each other, but it's moments like these that remind them they're brothers.

Tim has a date planned and he's really excited, and he's telling Dick all about this boy and everything he likes about him and how nervous he is about screwing things up. And Dick may be giving him some questionable advice, knowing him, but he's creating intricate designs over Tim's palms almost in the same way a person might get henna done for their wedding because he wants Tim to be happy, and this boy makes his little brother so so happy that he can't help but hope they end up married one day. Tim doesn't know a thing about henna, so he probably doesn't understand the gesture, but that doesn't matter to Dick. Both boys are just happy to be spending time together.

Stephanie loves being Dick's practice doll. She thinks it's so pretty and she likes showing it off to everyone. Sure she's not exactly Dick's sibling, but she hangs around enough to be basically family. The two of them definitely gossip a lot while he's practicing. Henna aren't the only things that are shared when they're spending time together. They also share beauty tips and hair care routines, they do each other's nails and have spa days with face masks and stuff. Sometimes Cass and Babs join them too.

Dick has done henna for Barbara too, mostly when they were together. But sometimes he'll do small little designs on her too.

He's currently teaching Cassandra how to do henna. It's a perfect way for them to bond, it's helped her come more out of her shell and she really trusts Dick. She practices henna on Dick whenever they get the chance and of course she's getting really good at it. She feels more connected to the family in sharing something like this. She's even started practicing on Steph sometimes too. In turn she teachers Dick ballet and her favourite fighting skills, and how she encouperates her dancing with her fighting.

I think about how Kori would teach Dick all about her culture on Tamaran, share language and all sorts of things, and Dick would ask questions wanting to learn more. In turn he would teach her his language and what he can remember of his parents culture, and of course that includes his mother's henna tattoos.

He'd do henna for the kids too if they ever asked. It'd just be a fun little thing, Dick is always happy to share. It helps him feel close to his mother even though it's getting harder and harder to remember her face, and everytime he uses henna it makes him feel closer to her, helps him connect with what he used to have. He's so happy to share, and to learn.

[marciabrady]

rachel ze*ger: *bashes Disney's Snow White as a dated portrayal of women without substance and says her Snow White will actually have to learn lessons throughout the film, unlike the original*

actual quotes from the original film that depict some of the lessons Snow White both learns and teaches during her narrative, identifying her value to past and future audiences:

"I really feel quite happy now. I'm sure I'll get along somehow. Everything's going to be all right." The power of positivity and optimism yields resilience in the face of adversity. Snow White was almost murdered and had to run away from the only home she'd ever known. She had a panic attack and allowed herself to process her emotions in a healthy way, and once she acknowledged her feelings, she instantly felt much better and began to make plans on how to rebuild her life. You can't become a product of the things that have happened to you- you have to continue moving through life. So yes- acknowledge what's happening, process your emotions, but also don't let circumstances outside of your control destroy you. Get back up and keep going, even when it seems impossible. You're capable of so much more than you realize.

"Please don't run away. I won't hurt you. I'm awfully sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. But you don't know what I've been through. And all because I was afraid. I'm so ashamed of the fuss I've made." Despite what you're currently going through, you can't let that bleed through to how you affect and treat other people. Always be mindful of the impact you have on others and never allow yourself to become a victim of your own misfortune. While it's important to allow yourself to fully experience the weight of your own emotions, sometimes getting too stuck in your own circumstances can make a situation worse and create additional barriers for you to conquer. Keep everything in perspective and keep your eyes open to the communities around you.

"And as you sweep the room, imagine that the broom, is someone that you love and soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune." Always infuse even the most mundane things about you with love and suddenly your work, no matter how seemingly inconsequential it may be, will feel meaningful.

"When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work." Doing something with lifted spirits and in a state of happiness makes a job ten times easier than setting about to accomplish something in a miserable mood. Nine times out of time, working on something when you're in a good disposition will also provide better results and findings.

"I know! We'll clean the house and surprise them. Then maybe they'll let me stay." Never expect anything from anyone. While Snow White assumed that the cottage belonged to orphans, making it an orphanage- and she, herself, is an orphan and she'd then have a rightful place there if, indeed, it was an orphanage- she didn't expect free room and board. She looked about her and noticed that there were gaps to be filled- namely in cleaning and cooking- and then went about fulfilling those tasks, which she hoped to leverage to bargain shelter for herself.

"Now you wash up the dishes. You tidy up the room. You clean the fireplace. And I'll use the broom!" Divide and conquer! Snow White delegated the various tasks of cleaning to the different animals and accomplished what would've individually taken her all day in a single afternoon. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of those around you, and work together as a collective to bring yourselves closer to a shared goal.

"You think their mother would- maybe they have no mother. Then they're orphans. That's too bad." Never assume anything about other people because you don't know the path of life they walk down and their situation. Never judge someone by what they're wearing or what they look like or the house they live in because you're never going to be fully aware of their circumstances and you'll come across as ignorant. Lead with compassion, always.

"If you let me stay, I'll keep house for you. I'll wash and sew and sweep and cook..." To avoid being kicked out of the haven she'd found, Snow White needed to pitch her values to the future landlords. As mentioned above, Snow White noticed the gaps that were needed to be filled in the house and pitched her services accordingly to tempt the dwarfs into letting her stay. It's hard to argue in the face of facts. Snow White knew the value she could bring to the Dwarf's cottage and wasn't shy about presenting it to them in a plea to allow her refuge.

"Oh, [you've washed] recently? Let me see your hands!" Never take anything anyone says at face value. If you're doubting them, call them on their bluff and ask for proof- and never be afraid to voice your doubt.

"March straight outside and wash or you'll not have a bite to eat!" Despite the fact that the Dwarfs nearly kicked her out before agreeing to letting her stay, Snow White had ownership of the tasks related to cooking and cleaning and she wouldn't budge until the Dwarfs behaved accordingly to the standards she set in place. She treated them as equals which, in turn, made them treat her as an equal. Sometimes, people are too afraid to come off as bossy or intimidating, or to throw their weight around, but there are moments you'll need to assert yourself and if you play second fiddle to someone, they'll treat you as just that.

"Bless the seven little men who have been so kind to me." Before wishing for anything for herself, or allowing herself to fall into a line of self despair over the tragic events of what happened to her earlier in the day, Snow White is grateful among all else. She thanks the Seven Dwarfs for their generosity toward her and asks for God to bless them. With a grateful heart, you can accomplish anything, and if you're thankful for the good things in your life and don't take anything for granted, your fortune will only multiply.

"Well, aren't you going to wash? What's the matter[, Grumpy]- cat got your tongue?" Snow White wasn't afraid to match Grumpy's energy in the moments he exhibited hatred toward her, but she always kept it playful and never meanspirited. If we encounter hatred in the workplace or at home, sometimes it behooves us to stick up for ourselves or comment on the apparent behavior others are exhibiting toward us. Always be mindful of limitations and how to express this in a safe way though- Snow White never pokes a hornet's nest or says anything toward Grumpy that would threaten the home she'd made for herself in the cottage. She knows exactly how close to walk up to the line.

more lessons we can observe from snow white in the 1937 film from her body language and different plot points:

Leave a situation that's dangerous and frightening to you. The minute the Huntsman tells Snow White of the Queen's motives, Snow White flees into the forest for refuge. She didn't try to sympathize with the Queen or reason her way out of it. Snow White recognized the potential danger she was in and she worked quickly to remove herself from it. A girl I worked with once said Snow White was dense for this- after all, why wouldn't she work with the Huntsman to ensure he'd bring her food and water while she was in the forest or assist in finding her a place of shelter? But the fact of the matter is, Snow White trusted the Huntsman once and that resulted in him nearly killing her. Cutting ties with him was the most conducive way to a safe future. Even if he didn't want to hurt her, if Snow White's whereabouts were known to him, there's no telling what the Queen would do to him to retrieve that information or to force him into using that knowledge to put Snow White in a place of danger, once again. More on this in the incredible post my friend made.

Make your intentions known! Snow White, in many ways, is a product of manifestation. Her mother wished for a child as white as snow, as black as the ebony on her window-frame, and as red as blood, and she received just that from the universe. Likewise, Snow White didn't shy away from making her wishes known to the wishing well- the wish of love after years of neglect and isolation and abuse- and her love came to her by the end of the song. Later, during the scene with the apple, she again voices her wish to be reunited with her lost love- and sure enough, it comes true!

Trust your instincts! So many people overlook this lesson that Snow White teaches, but she was visibly uncomfortable by the hag during their shared scenes. Her body language depicts her consistently shrinking away from the other woman, and generally behaving in an uneasy demeanor with tense facial expressions and a disturbed energy. She even openly says, "I feel strange" after consuming the apple. The hag applied to Snow White's compassion, identifying it as a "weak spot", because she could tell Snow White was growing increasingly vague and guarded.

Don't judge a book by its cover. Snow White wasn't frightened by the hag because of her unconventional appearance, but the frightening energy with which she interacted with Snow White. However, Snow White never judged the hag's appearance and when the hag feigned a heart attack, Snow White's compassion motivated her to nurse the old woman back to health and give her a drink of water. Juxtapose this with the Beast from Beauty and the Beast who couldn't see past the hag's outer appearance and refused to offer her shelter for the night. In turn, he was cursed until he learned the lesson that Snow White had already known.

Never expect anything from anyone or rely on a title. Snow White is the Princess of the land the Seven Dwarfs dwell in, yet she never once relied on her title or power in her interactions with them. She easily could've pulled rank and pointed out that since their property fell on the land of her rule and her former parents' rule, they should be more than willing to accommodate her. Instead of relying on these false barometers of social standing, Snow White interacted with them on a human level and offered to work in exchange for her room and board. This led to the Dwarfs interacting with her as an equal in return and they had so much more love for her than they would've if she pulled a "do you know who I am" card, leading them to rush to the cottage that much more quickly when they sensed she was in danger and surrounding her coffin in eternal vigil prior to the ending of the film.

Be open to different ways of thought and to the world around you. We live in a nuanced, vibrant world with so many different ways of thought and methods of approaching a conflict. One of the top attributes employers look for in future hires is a teachable spirit. There are many times throughout the film where Snow White askes those around her for ideas and is open to advice. "What do you do when things go wrong?" "Maybe you know where I can stay- in the woods, somewhere? You do? Will you take me there?" Snow White is always open to experiencing the world around her and never discounts the opinions and thoughts and values of those around her. In turn, she leads a very full life and this resourcefulness serves her in moments in dire need- like when she's homeless in the woods with no future prospects or connections.

[spaceorphan18]

I agree with you about Finchel; they make more sense as a high school romance, that was really the time when they could have helped (and did help) each other to grow. After high school though, they don't really work as a couple. What they want from life, how they want to live their lives, isn't compatible. That might be controversial to say but in my opinion even RM's reported original plan for how the series was going to end supports that; they would be really back together (and last) only after Rachel had achieved most of her career-related dreams and Finn had gotten over his insecurities. I understand why lots of people like the "opposites attract" type of relationship, but most of the time that doesn't work too well long-term. But all of that said, I don't dislike them. I like early Finchel, and I don't mind them in season 2-3. I just think their relationship was more suited to be a high school romance, like you said, and I like them better as "exes who are always going to be thankful for the relationship they had because it was beautiful and meaningful while it lasted but they understand why they had to go their own ways".

And I think you have written a very quick interaction between Jesse and Blaine in the The Sims fic.... Or maybe it was in another story, I don't remember it now. I would check but AO3 is currently down! But that's why I had mentioned it.

Nonny. First of all. I went back and read The Addiction - and it still cracks me up. And it makes me want to play the Sims again.... It doesn't really have Jesse/Blaine interaction, though. I'll have to make sure a future fic has some of that fun dynamic!

Anyway... I really agree with what you've said about Finchel!

Yeah, I actually have a lot of thoughts about Finchel! And, it's kind of complex, as it's not coming from a place of like or dislike, just evaluation.

I think Finn and Rachel were actually very sweet in Season 1 and really didn't mind them in Season 2. I think they both did get something positive out of the relationship. Rachel got validation that she was worth loving from someone outside her sphere, while Finn gained knowledge that he could be more than the labels that were bestowed onto him. They did help each other grow -- and grow up into the people they'd one day become.

That's the thing about relationships that I think sometimes is missed in media. And this goes to friendships and other kinds of relationships beyond romantic ones -- that people come into our lives and sometimes those people only stay for a short time, but their impact can effect us for the rest of our lives. And even if it is a short time, it doesn't mean it wasn't meaningful or worth going through.

By Season 3, I think it's apparent that Finn and Rachel's story kind of ran its course. (Even if the writers/RM did plan to bring them back together one day...) Rachel was always meant to go out and live in a big city and be on Broadway. And she needed to have someone who could not only keep up with her, but not feel threated by her level of success. Her star was going to always shine bright, and I just don't feel like Finn was ever fully going to feel comfortable living in the shadow of that.

Meanwhile, Finn's story is one that (like Will - whom he's modeled after) it's okay to come home and stay tome. I actually really liked the idea that Finn would have flourished in a small town, and realizing that it has worth and that he can do good things. Something Glee struggled with -- was the idea that you can be more than just a huge Broadway star. You can teach in a small town and have it be fulfilling and meaningful. Rachel would have never been happy on such a smaller stage. But it would have suited Finn wonderfully.

So - at the end of the day (Jesse aside) I just think their stories were going in two different directions. But the impact they had on each other was always meaningful. And I actually like that aspect of Finchel.

[orbeater]

HAI do you have any headcanons about specifically how vander views the other guards and students vs how they see him?

Ok so i think i wrote down a good amount time to ramble. Gonna talk about my hcs for the general worldbuilding and his upbringing a bit so it gives more context for his interactions with people i suppose. I'll highlight the part of your ask so you can skip to that 👍

Royale high plays a very major part on balancing the harmony between the different elemental groups. It was created as a sign of fraternity amongst the kingdoms and a vow of sort to never cause harm amongst each other, no matter how different they are, because the future generation is dear to them, and they wouldn't want them to suffer because of their actions. RH itself is set in a kind of a central city, a multicultural hub consisting of all sorts of people and creatures from different kingdoms, making it a very reputable institution due to its diversity and education quality available for everyone. Personally i would like to imagine it also goes beyond high school levels, mostly because its more convenient to imagine a place where kings and queens were made to also have college level education.

Now because of its stature, RH is in close connections with all sorts of kingdoms. Naturally, if you're training to become a knight the chances of you getting picked are high if you're from RH. RH also hires those that show valuable skills in the field as their guards. Some people use this as an experience of sort to later go for a Knight's position for their respective kingdoms.

Now moving onto Vander's upbringing:

He was raised by some of the most respected knights of the dark kingdom, which was how he was inspired to attend RH till graduation (I hc him to be of the dark element). He took up a position as a guard at the school to get more like credit for becoming a knight later on.

As a kid, his parents weren't around a lot because of their jobs. He never held it against them though, but he did grow up isolated because of his shy nature. He had a creative side to him too, his main hobby being writing. The time that he did get to spend with his parents, he cherished it a lot. They always taught him how even if the worst times were to fall on them, the people who loved him would always be there for him. What you give would be what you receive, things like that which he still holds as one of his main teachings. He's really just a shy guy who cares about his close group of people a lot, even if they're few. His main motivation to continue as a guard is the fact that he gets be of help to the students and people in general, because all throughout his younger days he was misunderstood and looked upon as some sort of like. A stone hearted person. Which was only because he isn't the best at expressing himself. He might look too serious and tough, but underneath it all he has a good heart.

Hes also kinda bad at social queues and stuff, sometimes saying things that might come across as strange, which gives people the wrong idea about him. I don't want to call him a nihilist, hes more of a uhhh, positive emo? If thats a thing anyways.

Also all the song lyrics he says, bro is just humming 👍. Hes a nerd who likes silent hill and fire emblem and quotes dracula (all canon).

The main part! His interactions with the other guards:

Philip:

Philip being Philip was always kind to Vander ever since he joined the guards. As his senior he would always engage in meaningful conversations with him, giving him advice and such even though Vander's responses would be short, he still saw him for how he was. It left a great impression on him, and he respects Philip a lot. They also engage in conversations about their favourite novels and poetry sometimes.

Zalia

Zalia would be wary of him at first, since shes not the one to trust others quickly. She also gets thrown off by the fact that he just sometimes appears out of nowhere (man has silent footsteps), and remains on edge a bit. I do think she'd slowly be able to trust him as more time passes by, because he does his job properly and doesn't give her a reason to doubt him. He also helps around with tasks like sorting the guard log which takes a long time just by herself, so she comes to appreciate his company even though he doesn't say a lot.

Hans

I feel like. He actually wouldn't mind him that much. All the times he gets assigned to work with him he's actually glad because the guard doesn't actively try to engage in conversations a lot, plus he doesn't annoy him unlike Edward. He just has to tell him to do some work or tell him his next patrolling area and he'd just go do it with no hesitation. The only time Hans was hesitant to tell him about his next guarding spot was when he was suppose to guard the dungeon, because of course he cares about others, and is aware of how unsettling the place is, even for him. Vander would be indifferent, but he would still think highly of his senior.

Edward

He'd be scared of him at first. Edward would be out patrolling the dormitory hallways at night, which already puts him on the edge. Vander being the guy with silent footsteps would see the guard walking alone and would ask him if "he perhaps required his assistance" which would scare the shit out of the other guy. After sometime though I can see them becoming good friends, especially once Edward would find out about his interests and realise that he's actually really chill. He would still not watch horror movies with him though, because he knows that a "not particularly frightening" for Vander would be a "keeps you awake at 4am" for him. Maybe he'd try to compliment him every once in a while but then he'd get flustered when Vander would say something really genuine because he obviously means it

Oliver

Theee nerd4nerd dynamic. I think Oliver would be a little scared of him at first, not because he thinks he looks scary or something, but because he has no idea how to interact with him. Over a course of time though, he'd realise how similar they are. They'd bond over his "Im a light fairy but my bestie is a dark fairy" anime that I have mentioned before. They both would enjoy the eveningfall season. They'd watch slasher films together. They'd talk about their lives with each other, maybe they would play dnd and bring Edward with them. They could sit in silence next to each other for hours and it wouldn't be awkward at all. I could enjoy a romantic dynamic between them two IF it isn't the weird alpha yandere Vander and soft bby Oliver bullshit because holy shit that makes me so unreasonably mad. The best dynamic is when Oliver is stronger than him in general because that is so funny. Man can clock an 8 ft plant monster but will panic over the idea of engaging in a conversation with a stranger. Imagine them bonding over their isolated childhood and how they were treated by people and that that didn't affect the fact they both still see people as something worth protecting. Can you see my vision. But also like I've said they'd never make it past the hand holding stage because together they're shy². Vander would be the closest to him amongst the guards.

Alexander

I feel like Alex would already sort of know that Vander is chill. He's quiet so they could just sleep and he wouldn't really say anything. Sometimes he'd quote something profound and Alex would just be like "Woahh....." and then he'd go back to snork mimiming. They would also look upto him because of how proper he is and because he is older than them. Vander wouldn't really mind his company, they'd both just stand next to each other while he guards and Alex just naps peacefully. Maybe he would buy them some snacks from the vending machine whenever he would run out of money, which Alex really appreciates.

Nathaniel

Honestly they'll have the most coworker type of relationship. It'd be a very one sided sort of conversation but they could still be work friends. Nathaniel would tell him random stories about his dreams, or the trading hub, some duck he saw, etc etc and Vander would just hum along. Nathan would appreciate his company because Vander is a good listener and lets him ramble about different things

Taj

For their first meeting Taj would be.... confused? by Vander's demeanor, but he wouldn't question it. Over time i think they both can become work friends because of their shared interest over reading I guess. Not much else to say really.

In short Vander is just a very normal emo guy who lives by the idea of

[tobiasdrake]

To the Sacrosanct Spires now. We have our "key", so to speak.

Pareidolia is the phenomenon by which people see what appears to be a meaningful shape in a meaningless or random pattern. For example, seeing a religious figure's face in a piece of bread.

With that in mind, I realize your barrier is probably not actually scowling at me. But it looks like it's scowling at me. That is hurting my feelings. I have done nothing wrong.

Please destroy it with extreme prejudice.

Eh, that's not so impressive. Zale has a hammer that can do the same thing.

Though I am now curious to know what you might be able to teach our ship's band.

I've been wondering, actually. Resh'an created the multiverse, but the multiverse was made from the fracturing of a single reality into split timelines. Resh'an was just some guy living in the one reality when his and Aephorul's fables began.

So even though they're both out there doing shit to the multiverse, it stands to reason that there is a level of shared "old" in all timelines that predates the fracturing. I've been thinking that was probably the Ovates.

I don't disagree, Serai, but I still wanted to hear him out. A bit of foreknowledge about what we need to break is always useful. But sure, I guess we can go with our favorite plan: Go in blind and wing it.

Oh cool, they're birdfolk! We have molekin back in my world. I wonder if every world in the Sea of Stars has one designated type of anthropomorphic Wildlife Person?

There goes that theory.

Alright, team. This is easy pickings. It's a bit of a hike from here to Estrid but we've been making roast chicken out of these bird sentries. Literally, in Zale's case. So I'm pretty sure there's nothing to worry about.

However, before we go any further, there is one important consideration that we need to address, and I felt it would be best to put it to a vote.

Would you think less of me if I made actual roast chicken out of the birdfolk that attack us? The wall meat and wall eggs were a pleasant surprise but they're only going to last so long, and I'm not 100% sure how we go about hunting walls for more.

You'd think it would be simple. They don't move very fast. But no.

We were just passing through. Frankly, I have an axe to grind with a lot of people but I've never seen you before in my life.

Lot of names on my hit list right now but "Triumvirate of Eminence" isn't one of them. Right now, I'm willing to chalk this up as a misunderstanding. You can still lower the barrier and walk away with your life.

This is not an invasion. If you grant us safe passage to our destination then no further--

Well. I just want it on record that I gave diplomacy a chance.

Our crew has never destabilized a sovereign regime before so, hey, this will be a learning experience!

Do we want to break it? There's two options here: Either this guy's been jailed for political reasons or because he's too fucked up for the Bird Crew.

Political prisoner it is, then. Never mind. Maybe after we assassinate the regime's leadership, we can install him on the throne or something. I'm pretty sure that's the heroic way to carry out regime change as a foreign influence, right?

There seems to be a switch on the other side of the cage, though. If we can just get to that, then maybe we can--

WELL YOU COULD HAVE WARNED US

THANKS SERAI. Now I look like an idiot in front of the bird man. How am I supposed to convince him to respect me enough to become a puppet ruler in my name now!?

Wait a second, you have portals. Why were you pretending to be trapped with us in the first cage? And why can't you just portal us out now? SERAI!? PORTAL PLZ!!!

PRESS THE BLUE ONE. THE BLUE ONE, SERAI.

Wait, these are soundproof. Dammit, she didn't hear me admonish her a moment ago.

Thank you, Serai. You are a valuable member of this team and I respect and appreciate your skills.

Even if you're stingy about letting me use your portal.

Everybody and their codes, apparently. You'd get along well with him, Resh'an.

But this conversation is going super fast. Can we slow down a moment? Do you have a name or--

Uh, bye?

Well, I guess his name is Drumsticks now. If he doesn't like it, he should have said something before zipping away like a magnificent poof. I don't make the rules.

In any case, we're out of the dungeon. I didn't want to topple a bird empire. But I suppose we're toppling a bird empire now. It's on record that I attempted diplomacy so now we're free to do whatever we want. That's how foreign policy works, I think.

[nerdygaymormon]

Lunch with the Renlunds

I had the opportunity to meet Elder & Sister Renlund. We gathered in his office at the Church Administration building and they presented me a gift, a book written by both of them titled The Melchizedek Priesthood: Understanding the Doctrine, Living the Principles.

They were cute. Elder Renlund said something, then his wife didn’t exactly correct him, but pointed out his words could mean this or that. I commented it’s obvious she’s a talented lawyer. She looked amused and he said it’s true.

Sister Renlund apologized and said we were going to eat in a little cafeteria, and the food is fine but nothing to write home about. It’s a place we can go without being constantly interrupted. I’m thinking, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Are we about to eat in the Church Administration cafeteria? The most exclusive spot in town?!!” What I said was, “It doesn’t matter so much where we eat as much as the company we’re with.”

As we walked into the cafeteria, Elder Gong was walking out. During the course of the meal, several other people sat down at other tables and ate, including Elder Ballard, I think Elder Rasband (I was seeing the back of him, so can’t be sure), and Elder Oaks.

When we sat down, I reminded them that when we met several years ago in Brandon, Florida, we took a picture together and the stake president called out, “Every General Authority who takes a picture with David offers to take him to lunch when he goes to Utah.” And here we are, having lunch! We laughed at that.

I noted that when I first met Elder Renlund and disclosed that I’m gay, his immediate response was “Same-sex attraction isn’t a sin, but bullying people over it is.” This reply was unexpected but meaningful to me because it indicated you understand that is part of the experience. People make comments and do things that convey very rejecting messages. They may or may not intend it that way, but it’s this one, and that one, and another one. It may seem like no big deal to them, but I’m the one receiving such messages over and over and over.

He responded that we are to love everyone. It’s not our place to judge.

Sister Renlund said it’s true for many people, including those who are single and those who are disabled, they deal with many judgmental comments. We need to love and not judge.

I brought up the panel I’m going to be on at the Affirmation conference. Parents of LGBTQ children can ask questions to those of us on the panel. I’m thinking that what I’d like to convey is these are your children, love them. The children are the ones who have to make difficult choices and to live with the consequences. Parents shouldn’t make their relationship & love another tough choice. The Renlunds agreed. 

Elder Renlund commented that too often parents think they have to choose between their LGBT child or their church. So often they think of their choices as a binary, either choice A or choice B. He added that limiting our vision to A or B presents a false dichotomy, we can do both. Sister Renlund stated there’s usually a choice C if they will look for it, and choice C is always the right choice.

Then Elder Renlund added, “If a parent has a gay child who is getting married, some church members think they can’t go to that wedding. No, that’s wrong. You go and support your children, be there for the important milestones in their life.”

I replied, “To me, it would be like if a friend invited me to the christening of their child. Even though Moroni teaches strongly against this, that’s my belief, not theirs. I can be there to show I love and support them in this important moment for this family. They are making the best choices for themselves, and I make different choices for my life, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love and support each other.”

Elder Renlund concurred. “That’s exactly right. We have many non-member friends and when they come to Salt Lake City, we take them to a little restaurant that serves wine so that our friends can choose to have some with dinner. Our choice is not to have wine. I don’t lecture them about their choice to drink wine. I accept it is their choice and I get to make my choice.

I can go to a gay marriage to show I love and support them. I’m not there to participate in that choice, I’m not marrying a man, he is. I am going to show up as my authentic self and I expect them to be their authentic self. I prefer to meet with people who are being authentic and not pretending to be someone they aren’t.”

Lunch went on and I asked Sister Renlund if she usually travels with her husband when he goes on an assignment. Indeed she does. Elder Renlund stated that he likes having her speak. If it’s a priesthood leadership meeting of only men, then she probably won’t, but otherwise he wants her to speak. They are aware of how it looks for it to be mostly men speaking at a meeting and they try to counter that. If the meeting is to mostly or only women, then he may choose not to speak and let’s her do the talking for both of them. On a more practical matter, a husband & wife traveling together helps custom officials believe he isn’t there for business activities, which they will likely suspect if he were showing up alone dressed in a suit despite what his visa indicates.

I honestly don’t remember what caused Elder Renlund to say this, we probably were talking about queer youth who reach out to me, but I will always remember him pausing, looking right at me, and proclaiming, “You’re a hero.” I’m sure I blushed at that comment, it feels over the top, I was surprised he would say that. I’m just an ordinary gay guy trying his best to make things work in this space.

As lunch was winding down, I asked if I could share about our meeting and discussion on my blog, it’s a place where I write & share about my feelings, experiences, thoughts, and frustrations as a gay member of this church. They said to please do. 

Sister Renlund suggested we should take a picture to put with the blog post.

They expressed that they really enjoyed their time with me and invited me to get together again when I come to Utah. 

I sent a thank you note to the secretary who set this up and she responded, “Elder and Sister Renlund each gave glowing positive reports of your lunch together. I think it is safe they are in your fan club.” 😊

I’ve been in their fan club since the first time I met them in 2018.

[toastofthetrashfire]

okay thinking about Home School once again. Especially the way the first few episodes play with the idea of “teaching valuable life lessons.” I think this stands out especially since the episodes end by quoting these lessons. My first reaction was a bit of confusion, wondering if the writers were in support of these lessons or not. Especially since a number of other GMMTV shows will end episodes by using a meaningful quote. But after watching further, I think it’s an intentional move, one that is meant to play with the viewer, using the metatextual element of the quotes and the “life lesson” narratives as a way to manipulate the audience--much like the masters use these lessons to manipulate the students. So far, I think it’s pretty clever in that regard.

Each “lesson” is clearly centered around punishing or breaking specific students while on the surface making it seem like tough love and a meaningful lesson learned to all of the students. Now I’m not sure if the masters truly believe they are teaching lessons, but the end result is the same. If you’re always trying to guess what lesson is being taught your focus is on either blaming whoever the lesson is aimed at or on how this is intended to better you. Rather than seeing the fucked up ways they’re controlling you through a veneer of “tough love”.

And this tension works on an audience level too. At least for me, I’ve seen many shows aimed at kids and teens growing up where the narrative of each episode is neatly wrapped up by the teen learning a valuable life lesson. So there’s a dissonance felt in watching Home School when we see how controlling all of this is but also can’t ultimately disagree with the supposed lesson being taught. And we’re so used to the sense of narrative and emotional resolution of a good old “life lesson.” But we also are never fully given that resolution either because the specter of control bubbles under the surface leaving us with a feeling of unease,, frustration, and at times confusion.

It’s interesting because in another context the lessons learned are valuable: rely on others, don’t let innocent people take the blame, etc. This goes for Pheng too. She needs people to step in and stop her more self-destructive behaviors. But not through coercion or more trauma, rather through care and support. The thing is, in another context these lessons would be wonderful and help the students, but instead they’re being co-opted to create control. This is something cults or high control groups do all the time, co-opting the idea of self betterment (whether that be moral, spiritual, physical, or otherwise) as a way to manipulate and control people.

And at least so far the writers seem to be pulling quite clearly on the types of control tactics common in high control groups and other authoritarian systems. They’re slowly creating a system where “you are responsible for one another” means: you need to monitor each other, turn against each other, and keep each other in line. They make basic needs like sleep and food either limited or unreliable. Notice how they find the lost ducks back where they fed them. It’s a moment of relief, but also read metaphorically can suggest how the masters want the students to also react by always coming back, always going to where they’re fed (notice how they always meet in the dining room). Even forcing them to write down what they did wrong is a classic control technique. It instills shame, shifts one’s view of right and wrong, and ultimately can be used as blackmail if someone acts out or tries to leave.

We can also see this control as standing in for the ways in which the students’ parental figures have failed them. We see this with White who bristles under the lies the masters tell because she has seen the way adults in her life have wielded lies against her leaving her feeling powerless. The masters’ games leave the students and the audience feeling powerless in a parallel way.

This is also true of what Penneung goes through. The way he is dragged off, isolated and drugged are clearly informed by the traumatic experiences many autistic and other neurodivergent people have gone through with restraint, seclusion, and forced medication. These are still very real issues that continue to happen in institutions, including schools. So the show is pulling on real world control tactics that are used on disabled people. Yet it also serves as a reflection of how Penneung’s father treats him--locking him up, but also shaming him, desperately wanting a cure (”treatment”), and rejecting him emotionally. 

In this vein, perhaps we can view the “life lessons” as also standing in for the various ways in which adults try to fit kids into neat narratives, narratives that ultimately aren’t about helping the kids but trying to control them.

[rose-from-ashes]

Today I'm thinking about how Endwalker is about the futility of giving your life a purpose. The unhappiness. More importantly, how there's a gentle light in the lack of one.

Think of the societies that had ended hopeless because they had reached their goals.

The dragons renounced war only to be conquered by the Omicron. Though they fought the Omicron off, their land began to die, and when they realized that they could not find another world without war, they gave up.

The Ea had sought knowledge. They did everything they could, abandoned their bodies, and finally, they found all the knowledge they could need and turned their gaze to the final fact. When the universe would die. Knowing that they could find no purpose. There was nothing else to learn and they had geared themselves for knowledge so heavily that they could find no other things to chase, knowing death would come for them in the end. They gave up.

The Omicrons had sought power. Fighting greater and greater enemies until they could find nothing left to fight that might teach them anything. Eventually, Sir came to believe that the Omicrons no longer served a purpose. Like the Ea, Sir could see no other direction in which the Omicrons could seek purpose, believing that it simply wasn't possible. Sir gave up.

The denizens of Ultima Thule aren't the only ones. Metion lists several in her report.

Deka-penta lived in service to a higher power that destroyed it in a fit of rage. The higher power destroyed itself shortly after, possibly because, like a primal, it had solely lived for the faithful that had made it and lacked any purpose now that they were gone. Another world strived to make a land with no conflict. They became detached from those that should have been their loved ones to prevent personal strife, and their world collapsed.

In the Dead Ends, we see yet more.

One world was struck with plague, and in an attempt to survive, they sought to destroy each other to purge the plague, giving up on a cure. Another world became embroiled in war, seeking freedom and peace using violence, until there were no people left to be freed from. One world sought to remove sorrow, only to find that joy without any other emotions became empty, and they became depressed, giving up on a meaningful life.

In modeen day, we know of Garlemald and Allag. The former fell to civil war, as that was what it had been built for. Its people only knew war, and to follow their radiant leader. When that leader was removed, they had none to war with but themselves, and collapsed inward, its people having already given up hope on any help from the outside world.

The latter, too, had been founded with the flawed purpose of conquest, and at its height ruled most of the world. When their leader passed, the Allagans pushed for greater knowledge, greater creation, greater technology, but stagnated nonetheless, as their culture had been designed to take and there was nothing left to take from. Xande was cloned and began to conquer the last traces of the world, but the Allagan people knew there was no purpose in it and fought back against his rule, ultimately spelling their end.

Finally, there was Amaurot. A culture so dedicated to the concept of purpose that some, like Hermes, could not accept the concept of there not being one. Their ultimate purpose was dedicated to the star itself, and they cared for it deeply, even to their own expense, never sharing deeper feelings, always keeping anything that did not pertain to their purpose to themselves. When the Final Days came, they were overwhelmed by the very emotions they had pushed down, and they knew no mechanisms to push through or seek help. Ultimately, Hydaelyn decided they would never be able to as they were, and sundered them. Whether or not she was right is not the purpose of this.

I'm sorry, did I say finally? i actually had some individuals to dig into as well. Zenos, whose chosen purpose was combat, the battle high. He knew that there was no true overarching purpose or meaning in life, knew that he could choose his own, but failed to see how he could have multiple, how he could have connected to others and seen a better life had he tried, until the very end. The Ascians, whose chosen purpose was to undo the sundering, unable to see the true value in the sundered world due to their focus. Hermes, whose purpose had been seeking purpose, unable to see the truth before his eyes that there not being one wasn't a bad thing.

The point is that every one of these worlds and people had the concept of purpose guiding them. And they were unable to pull away from that purpose in the end. They died unhappy, save for Zenos and Emet-Selch, who in their final moments saw a different light in the Wol and took comfort knowing that there truly was something else out there.

It's a life lesson. There's a lot to live for. Try to keep your eyes open for more. You'll be happier.

[tenaaay]

Inside Out 2: An Emotional Roller Coaster Experience

The long queue, the pricey tickets and the uncertain chance to make it to the last show - were all worth it. The Inside Out 2 film was able to take me on an emotional rollercoaster; I was crying the whole time even with the funny scenes. I was moved in ways I could not even explain . I felt seen, heard, and understood. The anticipation for the sequel for years, the thrill when the trailer was eventually released, the long line despite not knowing if I'll be able to secure a seat, and even the expensive tickets—it was definitely worth the wait.

I was surprised to hear someone behind me attempting to explain the different emotions to the child next to me as I waited patiently for my turn to pay for my ticket. I could tell by just glancing at them that the boy was his son, listening intently to him at that moment. In my experience, it is quite uncommon to come across an adult male who is outspoken about his emotions. Not to stereotype, but when it comes to talking about topics like this, women tend to be more vocal. I was secretly applauding the father for his efforts in an attempt to educate his son.

At that point, I thought of how wonderful it would be if my parents had been able to explain to me as a child the different kinds of feelings. Maybe I was able to regulate my emotions pretty well. Nevertheless, I am deeply grateful that my parents were able to raise me and teach me in their own unique ways.

I hope to someday be able to teach my future children the three valuable lessons I learned from the movie:

Everything is always bound to change.

As a chronic overthinker, I find it so hard when things are beyond my control. Just like Riley, the main character of the film, she was scared when she found out that she and her friends were no longer attending the same school. The idea of going forward without them is somewhat heartbreaking since they have become her home. Riley's anxiety made her withdraw from her friends in an attempt to lessen the weight of feeling alone. But that was a temporary defense mechanism. Riley finally had to discover the value of embracing and accepting change in order to get past the unwanted shift in her life. Hence, we just need to recognize the beauty of change. That would allow us to face the uncertain times ahead of us with hope.

2. Pressure is good; perfection isn’t.

I learned from a former co-teacher that pressure is good. She explained to me, using the diamond analogy, that feeling pressure over something is okay as long as it's a good form of pressure. Since diamonds are created under pressure, fire is the only thing that can make them precious and beautiful. We need pressure in life to help us distinguish between things that are and are not significant. However, striving for excessive perfection in our lives, careers, and relationships may only lead to frustration. I have overdone life by trying too hard to be ideal, only to fall short in so many ways. I learned that meaningful lessons are more important in life than flawless ones.

3. Life is too short to keep everything inside.

To always communicate your feelings and to be careful with them is the humblest lesson I have learned in life thus far. We sometimes have a tendency to lose wonderful things because our anxieties constantly stand in the way of our ability to keep them. Riley was in denial that the idea of her friends making new friendships and interests would not hurt her, and as a result, she was close to losing her friends. Unfortunately, hiding her feelings caused her more anxiety and confusion. Honest communication is crucial. As a future counselor, I want to inspire others to speak up about their feelings no matter how reluctant they are to be vulnerable. People are not mind readers, and thinking that they should be aware of our emotions would only lead to possible conflicts. We would never run out of reasons, it's true, but we must also keep in mind that we would run out of time eventually. Since life is too short to hold everything inside, speak your truth and handle situations with care. Honesty saves time.

I sobbed with understanding after watching the movie. I really hope you watch it and let me know what you think!