#she's in no way punished for being driven and ambitious

[ennaih]

Every Film I Watch In 2023:

271. The Cutting Edge (1992) -- a rewatch

[pcril]

*     ◟    :    〔   song hye kyo  ,      cis woman    +   she/her    〕     sae yujin ,      some say you’re a  forty-two year old  lost soul among the neon lights.      known for being both  ambitious  and  impatient,  one can’t help but think of  the ghost on the shore by   lord huron when you walk by.    are you still a    replicant mechanic at  stoneage industries,     even with your reputation as the phantasm?     i think we’ll be seeing more of you and    looking at the mirror that looks back at you as a stranger — you do not know who you are, family doesn't inherently deserve respect, harsh is the line drawn between the heart and mind   although we can’t help but think of the doctor (john wick 3), seo mi-ri (vincenzo), wendy carr (the mentalist)    whenever we see you down these rainy streets.     

ENTER THE PHANTASM .

You wake up to the sound of a knock or doorbell being rung at the dead of night. Again. Sure, it's known that your door's open to off the record repairs, but now you're starting to regret not having a more set schedule. What you do on the clock taxes you at an increasing rate. You're not sure how much longer you can stomach it. How much longer until you can look at her in the eye. But you still get up. Wrap yourself in a modicum of comfort and answer the door to help whoever's in need of another broken part as always.

PUBLICLY KNOWN FACTS:

Name: Sae Yujin

Appearance: Equal parts impeccable and messy. It's only a matter of time before your clothes stain with such extensive repairs at work and at home. When not on the clock, she tries to wear the embodiment of comfort. Loose fitting clothes, minimal layers, well cushioned sneakers.

Warmth always lacked in her household. Though the conditional love by both parents was taken in stride; always with her chin up and steely gaze unwavering. A trait that had both mother and father crown her with adequate pride.

The first time her diligent ways wavered came in the form of a younger soul. A little girl born with scintillate, starry eyes and a cry that shook the evening sky itself. The very same baby sister that was fed with the same gilded silver spoon, and spoken to with even higher expectations than the last. What with the ferocity she had come into the world. A fissure first formed between Somi and their parents. Rebellion struck at a young age to achieve goals on her own terms and not of traditions past. To her credit, she achieved them in due time ( if not quicker ) than Yujin had. Yet where pride should've been lent, spite soured within the hearts of dearest mother and father.

She had something innate that they lacked, and she dared to deviate from customary ways? Unacceptable. Despicable, even.

The foundation of Yujin's very own devotion followed suit; now made of hairline fractures that cracked away from their parent’s iron gripped control. Traditions waned the more time she spent with Somi to learn new, innovative ways to grow in power and thrive. Defiance reinforced her bones and nonconformity layered steel over her heart. For the first time in her young life, she was made known of unconditional love for family. A bond made of blood and likeliness, Yujin was willing to support her sister no matter how cruel home was. Time and time again, she would intervene the spats and punishments dealt from the very people that were supposed to nurture them. Even when the direct repercussions of an experiment gone wrong had fallen onto herself.

Skin and muscle horribly burned, she held firm against their parent’s ire for the unforgivable insolence. They forbade any professional aid to help her heal seamlessly as punishment for being unruly —only enough attention was given to be sure infection wouldn’t set in. Foolish of them to think she would be ashamed of such a scar, for she wore it with pride from then on out. A reminder of just how blinded her parents were for reputation and power.

With a metaphorical wedge driven between the family and two of the Sae children ( they’d never be ostracized – couldn’t for the overarching reputation ), they both stubbornly lived their own lives as seen fit. All until one half came to a sudden final destination. Oddly enough, Somi's passing is what brought the family back together. For they all loved her in their own way; some more harsher than others, but no less valued. And while they all coped differently, her father took things a step too far.

See, her father is the type of man that obsesses until perfection. It's what landed him a position as the original crew to turn the concept of replicants into reality. He really pushed himself to give Stoneage's creations that extra realism ( and uncanniness ). And in doing so, he happened to pull a few strings.. Spin his own personal project with Somi as the subject.

Her replicant was publicly released with the others, but kept a secret from Yujin and her mother. So imagine her surprise, her initial horror, to see such a familiar face come alive once again. She might wear the same face, but that isn't her sister. Equal parts devastated and.. Relieved? Yujin threw herself into studying everything there is to know about replicants. How they're generally created, how to mend every single part back to perfection, how to look at her so-called sister in the eye again. The shock's done well to numb her thus far, but it's starting to slip. She's beginning to stomach the full bile of uneasiness. Starting to silently doubt her purpose in the industry as a whole.

TLDR: growing up at home had always been suffocating for yujin and her sister, so they split once they were able. both were strong, fiery spirits in different ways (fire vs. ice) and things were good for a while. unfortunately, her sister passed in her late twenties. while everyone within the family was struck with grief, her father coped with it differently. the thing about her father is that he was one of the original scientists hired to take on the concept of replicants becoming reality. definitely the mad scientist sort. so her sister was remade as a replicant to fit his image of her. less rebellious, more sweet, lacking that spark that truly made her sister so unique. while horrified by her father's actions, it's undeniable that some of that grief ached less. it's like she's still here, but not.. exactly. so while yujin tried to sort out how she truly felt about it, she threw herself into knowing everything about repairing replicants as a whole. except it's starting to wear on her in more recent days.

[heroic-ignus]

May the Gods have mercy on our souls... ~*

Surface.

"Eveybody knows of the man with no name who travels through the land offering his services as a swordsman. He's been around for a few years, maybe one or two decades at this point, a wanderer, a vagabond, owner of the title "The Errant Knight", once used to mock him for his job as a sellsword with no place to call home, but that now has turned into something more, a label of respect, for his abilities with the blade are nothing but art. Rumors say he hunts those whose deeds are obscure whilst protecting those who need it from the darkness of the world, and that his sword knows no defeat against evil, a warden of light, but those might just be exaggerations..."

Biography.

( TW: Suicide; Violence; Abuse & Blood Mention )

The town of Skohfjell was home to the Ignus family for generations, tale told from father to son that once upon a time they had been part of nobility, tricked into ruination, but nothing to confirm these words. Tales such that made Arthos Ignus what he was: a man driven by his ego whose heart was as dark as the end of times, ruthless, violent and, unfortunately, a swordsman like no other, which helped him become captain of the townsguard. Of course that was not enough for the ambitious and selfish man, he needed more, he wanted an easy life, and more than that he wanted even more power over others. Although he couldn’t marry nobility, through his handsome appearance and his charming words he managed to lure in the daughter of a rich Merchant, Lucelia Aresio, whose naivety blinded her to the multiple signs that would eventually haunt her future.

Before marriage, Arthos was everything someone could wish for, he was strong, handsome, eloquent, charming and caring, but everything changed once the vows were made and their first son was born. Like water turning to wine, he became cold, distant, rude and even violent, and even though he never hurt her physically paradise became hell to the poor Lucelia who once dreamt of a happy family. She killed herself before Alder was ten, and the little boy was the one to find her hanging from the ceiling, swinging ever so slightly due to the wind coming from the window to the beautiful day outside but that to him was closer to a cold winter now, a scene that would remain burnt into his memory.

After his mother’s death, Alder was blamed for what she’d done to herself by his father, who desperately tried to revert the situation it had caused, her family asking questions and taking their money away from the claws of the man who they correctly believed to be at fault, leaving their legacy to be collected only by Alder himself on his sixteenth birthday. Now, having had his desired wealth and comfort stripped from him, Arthos became more violent than ever, constantly leaving his son at the brink of death every time he drank, which was almost every day, incapable of even eating properly. Rare were the days he would be able to go back to his bed to sleep, too weak to resist, too hurt to move.

Alder spent the next five years being only a punching bag to his father, incapable of defending himself. A wrong look or any word that was in a slightly different tone than what Arthos wanted would lead to punishment. It would’ve kept going if not for a call from the Lord of Skohfjell ordering Arthos to lead a few of his men outside of the town to deal with some bandits that had been terrorizing merchants. That kind of task would usually save Alder for a few weeks at best, but for some reason it took way longer than expected, and, as such, the cleaver boy could finally fully recover and take his time to go outside in search for help. Unfortunately, things weren’t as easy as they might have seemed.

Everywhere he went, people turned their backs on the young boy, and at first he didn’t understand why they all had that reaction, but soon he could see in their eyes that familiar look, something he had carried with him all these years: fear. They all knew about his father’s reputation, someone who would go out of his way to destroy those who were weaker than him, and few were the ones that could rival him in battle. Just before the boy gave up, a hooded man offered him a hand, a man by the name Errond, he trained the young Alder Ignus with a sword for the next few months, and for some that could’ve seemed like wasted effort, but it wasn’t. Some could say Alder was a prodigy with the sword, but, of course, that wouldn’t be enough to fend himself against his father, so he chose a path different from Arthos’s, instead of relying on strenght and overpowering his opponents, he focused on his dexterity, evading and parrying his enemy’s blade until he saw the opportunity to counter.

When Arthos came back from his task, Alder had already changed, there was fire in his eyes unlike before, and that wasn’t something he enjoyed, so the older Ignus decided to punish him for that, but this time the boy had a blade, so the swords had to clash before he could teach him a lesson. Perhaps it was because his father underestimated him, or maybe because his blade was corrupted by the alcohol he’d been drinking before coming home, but slicing his arm off was too easy for the younger Ignus, so he had to blink a few times before even hearing the screams of agony echoing through the streets and slowly bringing people out of their houses to see what was happening. His father tried his best to grapple him to the ground, but Alder was faster, and there went his other hand, blood painting the streets red, and in that moment he had the chance to choose, but what came to him wasn’t anger or sadness, it was apathy, so he cut that old man’s head to stop the loud noise.

Now that he had his revenge, he was ready for the punishment that, in his mind, would certainly follow his actions, but instead he was met with praise and joy from all those around him, as if celebration was the result of his father’s death. Graced with the title of  The Hero of Skohfjell by the people for dethroning an evil man in power, untouchable by even the law and the Lord, he would finally be able to live his life as a normal person from that day on... Or that’s what he thought.

A few nights after that, as he was laid in bed, looking intently at the ceiling, still unable to believe he’d killed a man, a confused mix of satisfaction and guilt for being happy about that bathing his mind, he felt it. Pain throughout his whole body unlike anything he’d ever felt, as if every bone in his body was breaking and healing at the same time, his voice unable to escape his throat due to the contraction of his muscles in response to everything. He couldn’t beath, and his vision started fading slowly, as the lack of oxygen took away his consciousness. That night he dreamt of running through the streets of Skohfjell under the moonlight, feeling the wind hitting his skin as he reached great speeds, and soon he was inside the Ironwood Forest, jumping fallen trunks, the scent of nature to his nose, and as he looked around, wolves, but he wasn’t scared, it was as if he’d connected with them in a certain way.

All that faded into non-sense as he woke up in his bed, and it would’ve passed as just a dream if not for his dirty naked body as he looked at himself in the mirror. It was the beginning of a new nightmare: he’d become something else, something forbidden across all Iskaldrik, a creature of shadows, a supernatural being, a werewolf. Now he had two skins in which he resided and none in which he felt free, a man deemed hero by the people and a monster to be hunted by the light. He clinged into that mask of rightousness crafted by the citizens to hide his secret, doing his best to become the symbol of justice they made him into so to distract them from the signs of his duality. Luckily, he had the talent and soon became the very best swordsman in the town, just like his father, but unlike him Alder was kind or was it just the mask? That’s something he never really figured out until the day of his death.

What was supposed to be his second, and final, chance at freedom became his third nightmare as he suddenly came to his senses covered in the blood of the people he’d sworn to protect, his features reflected on the broken glass from the window he’d broken through, feral, savage, demonic, and in that moment his heart sunk into hopelessness as he realized what he had become: the monster which resided in his interior, creeping around in between both his forms, always there to haunt him. Maybe that's what he really deserved, what he truly was. He wandered around for some time, but could never stay in the same place for long as eventually this dark side of him came out and took control of him, rendering him a mere puppet of the darkness that corroded his soul. Stories of The Hero of Skohfjell never stopped spreading throughout Iskaldrik, and every time he heard a song about himself he’d feel disgust for what he’d become.

When Iskaldrik suffered from the war that would crush it, he fled from there, becoming a citizen of the world, but it was only after meeting a certain someone that light finally fought back against the darkness he’d holed himself into, and since then he’s been trying to forgive himself while battling inside and out for a chance at redemption, maybe someday he hopes to live up to the title bestowed upon him, for now, he’s become a sellsword for anyone with a heart in the right place, helping those who need it and charging a price equivalent to what they can pay. That’s when he finally tried connecting to his wolf self to find a way to fight the urge to do evil, and that’s when he met Lor, the dire wolf he connected with and which helps him during his crisis, as he directs his feral instincts to evildoers.

Personality.

Charismatic ++ || Observing +++ || Just + Distant +++ || Quiet ++ || Headstrong -

Alias.

He goes by TEK, short for his new title.

Status.

Currently helping refugees reach Lysara.

SKELETON

[sweetestpopcorn]

Do you think it's possible that Alysanne treated Viserra like she did because she's angry on behalf of Alyssa? Viserra did want to marry Baelon and so maybe Alysanne didn't like that specifically because Baelon was married to Alyssa? It still wasn't okay but I guess I just want to find a reason for why Alysanne seemed to hate Viserra of all her children.

That also reminds me, why Theomore Manderly or whatever his name? He's some twice or thrice a widower, right? An old man with already some heirs of his own and not even a lord paramount. What advantage would marrying him give them? At least, Daella married a lord paramount and one whom she chose (not to mention Rhaenyra was their granddaughter, so not complaining). But Viserra did not even choose that man. Is it because Alysanne wanted her daughter to marry into the North? If that's the case why not a Stark? Didn't Alaric have two sons?

What is it with parents giving off/wanting to give off their most beautiful children into shitty marriages? First Alysanne with Viserra and then Viserys with Rhaenyra. At least, it's one thing that proves you're Alysanne's grandson after all, Viserys.

Hi there Anon 😊

While I think there could be some merit to your argument, of Alysanne just being very angry because she saw Viserra’s actions as going against her siblings in a kind of weird way (?) I honestly don’t give George that amount of credit given all the incongruences we have in Fire and Blood. As I have said a lot of times the story is plot driven - just trying to get from A to B - and the characters suffer a LOT from it. On this regard, Alysanne was no exception.

Besides Viserra we also have Aemma as an example since Alysanne was outraged at Daella (Aemma’s mother) being a mom at 18, but apparently perfectly fine with Aemma being impregnated at 13. Which makes no sense.

And ignoring Alysanne wanting to “punish” Viserra for causing some type of harm to her siblings by trying to seduce Baelon (and by being overly ambitious), I would still maintain there’s no logical explanation for her to be all about love (allows Aemon to marry Jocelyn instead of Alyssa his eldest sister; allows Alyssa to marry Baelon saying they belonged together; giving Daella her pick of whatever dude she wanted and most were dudes from MAJOR great houses; allowing Vaegon to follow his passion instead of pushing a marriage on him) and then not extending to Viserra the same choice she gave to her siblings. Not to mention being willing to forgive Saera and not extending the same curtesy to Viserra for being “too ambitious” or something.

So at the end of the day I call Alysanne’s behaviour towards Viserra bad writing and characterisation on George’s part. There was no logical way for her to be pushing Theodore Manderly, who yes was a super old widower and had kids and grandkids, on her young daughter. Fifteen by the way. Apparently again a perfectly good age to marry unless you are Daella Targaryen.

Like let me just pull out Fire and Blood for a sec, and let’s just compare Alysanne’s behaviour in relation to Daella and to Viserra.

“Lord Arryn was the oldest of the three contenders, however; at six-and-thirty, he was twenty years older than the princess, and a father besides, with four children left him by his first wife. Short and balding, with a kettle belly, Arryn was not the man most maids dream of, Queen Alysanne admitted, “but he is the sort you asked for, a kind and gentle man, and he says he has loved our little girl for years. I know he will protect her.” To the astonishment of every woman at court, save mayhaps the queen, Princess Daella chose Lord Rodrik to be her husband.” (Fire and Blood, pg. 309)

“In 86 AC, Queen Alysanne announced the betrothal of her daughter Viserra, fifteen years of age, to Theomore Manderly, the fierce old Lord of White Harbor. (...) His lordship had outlived four wives, however, and whilst still a doughty fighter, he had grown very stout, which did little to recommend him to Princess Viserra.(...) If the princess was intent on marrying her brother, the queen was equally determined to prevent it. Her answer was Lord Manderly and White Harbor. “Theomore is a good man,” Alysanne told her daughter, “a wise man, with a kind heart and a good head on his shoulders. his people love him.” The princess was not persuaded.” (Fire and Blood, pgs. 326 and 327)

While I don’t recall we getting an age for Theomore, we do know that in 55 AC one of his daughters was a companion to Alysanne. His betrothal to Viserra was in 86 AC, so y’all are welcome to do the math and see how freaking old this dude was at this point. Certainly we are talking about a MUCH greater age difference than the one between Daella and Rodrik Arryn. 

So in sum, I blame George most of all. This attitude was not congruent with everything else we see from Alysanne.

Walserys was different. Quoting a previous Anon “this bitch had been hibernating his whole life” but when he decided on something and someone went against him, you had like “Dance of the Dragons Walserys Version” and he remembered he had once been the dude who had claimed Balerion and went like:

On most things though, he was a doormat :) and he just wanted people to get along. 

All the best to you, Anon :D

[symphonicmetal101]

OCS MASTERLIST

I will add to this as I recieve braincells from the great unknown

Vizzie: me! Or a glorified self insert at least. She/they, 19 ish, 5'4, Queer and polyam, becomes Devildoms Queen (was not born a demon)

Jasper and Caspian: Vizzie's long lost brothers. Not fully human before all three siblings became demons. (18)

Jasper is gay and polyam as fuck, twinky little slut, emotional baby that demands attention (he/they) 5'7

Caspian is quiet demiboy, also an emotional baby but only lets his s/o see that (he/him) 5'9

(Also Caspian and Vizzie have slightly darker skintones than shown in this picrew)

Kai: Vizzie's childhood friend. Seperated from each other when they were 4, reunited in the Devildom years later, but they bring out the part that never grew up out of each other (demisexual, panromantic, he/him, 6'1)

Nanami: a bimbo-y little gorgon who genuinely just wants to make friends, but always forgets her enchanted glasses so she accidentally turns people to stone. (17, she/her, 13 feet long in her sneky snek form, 6'6 in her human form, figuring out her sexuality, leaning lesbian?)

Rouge: shes part of a family of 11, (I have names and picrews for all of them but there is a 10 pic limit on posts fhsjdb) a very shy and timid succubus until you piss her off. Fiercely protective of her family. Hates being summoned. Bisexual, leaning fem aligned preference. 19ish.

(Gia and Var are her parents, then Avon, Azro, her, Mary and Kay the twins (shhhh), Nyra, Belle, Manny, and Bubba)

Mazanine: RADs youngest and most ambitious teacher. She runs almost all the fine arts programs and acts as a mother/counselor figure in a lot of her students lives. One of the first aquatic demons to find a way to adapt to dry areas long enough to teach and whatnot. Shes an amazing cook, and speaks with something similar to a Nigerian accent.

Casimir: they're a ghost that haunts the HoL. Once upon a time they were Barbatos cousin from another timeline. They were sent to this timeline as a punishment and a last ditch effort to save their life. Has a lot of hate for angels. Little shit. (Genderfluid, they/she/he)

X and Nazari

X- was/is the oldest of a noble family. Ei did not want the role, gender or political, which lead to eim running away and becoming a bounty hunter of sorts. Ei are well practiced in traditional Devildom medicine. X visits eir little sister from time to time in secret as ei were disowned by the family. Ei dont care.

Nazari- was left to fill the role her sibling refused to. She's extremely driven but does hold some resentment towards her sibling. She has prophetic dreams, which help her in her decision making. She hasn't told anubody about it yet.

[strelles-universe]

Brokentail's Band: Brokentail

Name: Brokentail, Brokenstar

Meaning: Unconnected and Obedient

Identity: Cisgender Tom - He/Him

Orientation: Heterosexual - Aromantic

Rank: Prisoner

Former Rank(s): Guard, Deputy, Executioner, Leader

A large brown tabby tom with matted fur and a flat faced named for the broken tabby stripes across his back and orange eyes. Brokentail has horizontal clawmarks over his face rendering him blind.

A real nasty piece of work, Brokentail raised by a foster mother who never wanted kits being spoiled by his dad. His foster mother did almost nothing to defend him from the rumors of outsider blood even after his father, Raggedstar deemed the matter closed. Despite the whispers, Brokentail was always arrogant and self assured of his place in the world. Being the son of the leader, it was always known that he’d succeed Raggedstar in one way or another.

Brokentail was apprenticed early at five moons with the rest of his foster litter and named a warrior before all of them. He was considered the clan’s rising star for his ferocity in battle and ruthless lack of cooperation with the other clans. Any battle Brokentail was in, his side won the clan would claim.

A mere half moon after he earned his warrior name, Raggedstar skipped over his more experienced warriors and named Stumpypaw his apprentice. Brokentail was a harsh and fearsomeone mentor- his praise was rare and his punishments severe. He repeated brushed off the medic, Yellowfang’s concerns and worries about his apprentice’s safety. As soon as Stumpytail received his warrior name, Brokentail was made both Raggedstar’s deputy and Executioner.

This was exactly what the ambitious tom wanted and he waited with growing anticipation. Raggedstar had admitted to still having 7 lives at that point. He allowed Raggedstar to be killed by a rat during a fight at Carrionplace, he destroyed herbs sent by Yellowfang costing Raggedstar two more lives. He goaded ThunderClan into a fight and refused to assist him when the agitated cat killed Raggedstar to end the raid and fed him poisoned prey later. His final act was taking a patrol with Raggedstar alone where he brutally murdered his father then claimed it was a WindClan patrol taking revenge for a former invasion.

When Brokenstar went to receive his nine lives, he entered the Canyons and -much to his frustration- only received five. Still, he now had the mark of a leader on his brow (albeit a strange one) and began making sweeping decisions. Blackfoot was elected as his deputy and Executioner.

He made the ShadowClan apprentice age, 3 moons old and trained them ruthlessly. Warriors were removed from hunting duties and are made to train apprentice and fight near exclusively. Elders and non-nursing queens were kicked from the camp and made to fend for themselves instead of ‘forcing’ the warriors to care for them. Apprentices are responsible for attending all of their training but also to hunt for the entire clan themselves. He accused his medic of killing kits after she annoyed him for the last time about his harsh training tactics and had her executed.

Brokenstar intended to expand ShadowClan’s realm of influence as far as he could and started by attacking WindClan and driving them from their home under the  banner of retaliation for Raggedstar’s death. He also pressured RiverClan into sharing territory under threat of invasion and intended to either drive ThunderClan from the forest or erase them. 

Brokenstar was finally driven from ShadowClan by the combined might of ThunderClan and an enraged ShadowClan when it came out that he murdered his own father and their leader. The parting blows he took resulted in him losing his first life.

Brokenstar took a mate in the rogue, Hound for a very short period of time while living as a rogue. When she revealed herself to be pregnant, he held her against her will and terrorized her, pleased with the idea of having an heir. Hound bided her time, giving birth to two kits Bark and Mask. Brokentail took and killed Bark the second he found out he was male to prevent his kit from growing up to kill him like he killed his own father and allowed Hound to nurse Mask. When Hound could stand firmly on her own four paws, she viciously ripped his throat out, took Mask and ran away. Hound hasn’t been seen since and Brokentail, furious lost two lives.

He later launched a raid on ThunderClan that failed fantastically after attempting to stage a war between then and ShadowClan. He intended to kill the medic easily and move on unknowing that Spottedleaf was more than capable of caring for herself. Spottedleaf took his fourth life from him and blinded him.

He now resides in ThunderClan a prisoner, endlessly enraged by his knew rank and yearning for a chance to return to his former glory.

Mentor: Nightstar, Raggedstar (unofficial)

Apprentice(s): Stumpytail, Mosspaw (deceased), Volepaw (deceased)

Parents: Yellowfang (dame/deceased), Lizardstripe (foster dame), Raggedstar (father/deceased)

Sibling(s): Brindlekit (sister/deceased), Dapplekit (sister/deceased)

Mate(s): Hound (former/unwilling)

Kit(s): Bark (son/deceased), Mask (daughter)

[thequeendomhq]

NAME. Alder Ignus "The Errant Knight" AGE & BIRTH DATE. 279 & November 17th, 2745 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Cis Male & He/Him NATIONALITY. Iskaran SPECIES. Vuldak FACTION. Warrior's Guild ( Blademaster ) OCCUPATION. Sellsword FACE CLAIM. James McAvoy

biography

( tw: suicide, violence, abuse, blood )

The town of Skohfjell was home to the Ignus family for generations, tale told from father to son that once upon a time they had been part of nobility, tricked into ruination, but nothing to confirm these words. Tales such that made Arthos Ignus what he was: a man driven by his ego whose heart was as dark as the end of times, ruthless, violent and, unfortunately, a swordsman like no other, which helped him become captain of the townsguard. Of course that was not enough for the ambitious and selfish man, he needed more, he wanted an easy life, and more than that he wanted even more power over others. Although he couldn’t marry nobility, through his handsome appearance and his charming words he managed to lure in the daughter of a rich Merchant, Lucelia Aresio, whose naivety blinded her to the multiple signs that would eventually haunt her future.

Before marriage, Arthos was everything someone could wish for, he was strong, handsome, eloquent, charming and caring, but everything changed once the vows were made and their first son was born. Like water turning to wine, he became cold, distant, rude and even violent, and even though he never hurt her physically paradise became hell to the poor Lucelia who once dreamt of a happy family. She killed herself before Alder was ten, and the little boy was the one to find her hanging from the ceiling, swinging ever so slightly due to the wind coming from the window to the beautiful day outside but that to him was closer to a cold winter now, a scene that would remain burnt into his memory.

After his mother’s death, Alder was blamed for what she’d done to herself by his father, who desperately tried to revert the situation it had caused, her family asking questions and taking their money away from the claws of the man who they correctly believed to be at fault, leaving their legacy to be collected only by Alder himself on his sixteenth birthday. Now, having had his desired wealth and comfort stripped from him, Arthos became more violent than ever, constantly leaving his son at the brink of death every time he drank, which was almost every day, incapable of even eating properly. Rare were the days he would be able to go back to his bed to sleep, too weak to resist, too hurt to move.

Alder spent the next five years being only a punching bag to his father, incapable of defending himself. A wrong look or any word that was in a slightly different tone than what Arthos wanted would lead to punishment. It would’ve kept going if not for a call from the Lord of Skohfjell ordering Arthos to lead a few of his men outside of the town to deal with some bandits that had been terrorizing merchants. That kind of task would usually save Alder for a few weeks at best, but for some reason it took way longer than expected, and, as such, the cleaver boy could finally fully recover and take his time to go outside in search for help. Unfortunately, things weren’t as easy as they might have seemed.

Everywhere he went, people turned their backs on the young boy, and at first he didn’t understand why they all had that reaction, but soon he could see in their eyes that familiar look, something he had carried with him all these years: fear. They all knew about his father’s reputation, someone who would go out of his way to destroy those who were weaker than him, and few were the ones that could rival him in battle. Just before the boy gave up, a hooded man offered him a hand, a man by the name Errond, he trained the young Alder Ignus with a sword for the next few months, and for some that could’ve seemed like wasted effort, but it wasn’t. Some could say Alder was a prodigy with the sword, but, of course, that wouldn’t be enough to fend himself against his father, so he chose a path different from Arthos’s, instead of relying on strenght and overpowering his opponents, he focused on his dexterity, evading and parrying his enemy’s blade until he saw the opportunity to counter.

When Arthos came back from his task, Alder had already changed, there was fire in his eyes unlike before, and that wasn’t something he enjoyed, so the older Ignus decided to punish him for that, but this time the boy had a blade, so the swords had to clash before he could teach him a lesson. Perhaps it was because his father underestimated him, or maybe because his blade was corrupted by the alcohol he’d been drinking before coming home, but slicing his arm off was too easy for the younger Ignus, so he had to blink a few times before even hearing the screams of agony echoing through the streets and slowly bringing people out of their houses to see what was happening. His father tried his best to grapple him to the ground, but Alder was faster, and there went his other hand, blood painting the streets red, and in that moment he had the chance to choose, but what came to him wasn’t anger or sadness, it was apathy, so he cut that old man’s head to stop the loud noise.

Now that he had his revenge, he was ready for the punishment that, in his mind, would certainly follow his actions, but instead he was met with praise and joy from all those around him, as if celebration was the result of his father’s death. Graced with the title of The Hero of Skohfjell by the people for dethroning an evil man in power, untouchable by even the law and the Lord, he would finally be able to live his life as a normal person from that day on… Or that’s what he thought.

A few nights after that, as he was laid in bed, looking intently at the ceiling, still unable to believe he’d killed a man, a confused mix of satisfaction and guilt for being happy about that bathing his mind, he felt it. Pain throughout his whole body unlike anything he’d ever felt, as if every bone in his body was breaking and healing at the same time, his voice unable to escape his throat due to the contraction of his muscles in response to everything. He couldn’t beath, and his vision started fading slowly, as the lack of oxygen took away his consciousness. That night he dreamt of running through the streets of Skohfjell under the moonlight, feeling the wind hitting his skin as he reached great speeds, and soon he was inside the Ironwood Forest, jumping fallen trunks, the scent of nature to his nose, and as he looked around, wolves, but he wasn’t scared, it was as if he’d connected with them in a certain way.

All that faded into non-sense as he woke up in his bed, and it would’ve passed as just a dream if not for his dirty naked body as he looked at himself in the mirror. It was the beginning of a new nightmare: he’d become something else, something forbidden across all Iskaldrik, a creature of shadows, a supernatural being, a werewolf. Now he had two skins in which he resided and none in which he felt free, a man deemed hero by the people and a monster to be hunted by the light. He clinged into that mask of rightousness crafted by the citizens to hide his secret, doing his best to become the symbol of justice they made him into so to distract them from the signs of his duality. Luckily, he had the talent and soon became the very best swordsman in the town, just like his father, but unlike him Alder was kind or was it just the mask? That’s something he never really figured out until the day of his death.

What was supposed to be his second, and final, chance at freedom became his third nightmare as he suddenly came to his senses covered in the blood of the people he’d sworn to protect, his features reflected on the broken glass from the window he’d broken through, feral, savage, demonic, and in that moment his heart sunk into hopelessness as he realized what he had become: the monster which resided in his interior, creeping around in between both his forms, always there to haunt him. Maybe that ‘s what he really deserved, what he truly was. He wandered around for some time, but could never stay in the same place for long as eventually this dark side of him came out and took control of him, rendering him a mere puppet of the darkness that corroded his soul. Stories of The Hero of Skohfjell never stopped spreading throughout Iskaldrik, and every time he heard a song about himself he’d feel disgust for what he’d become.

When Iskaldrik suffered from the war that would crush it, he fled from there, becoming a citizen of the world, but it was only after meeting a certain someone that light finally fought back against the darkness he’d holed himself into, and since then he’s been trying to forgive himself while battling inside and out for a chance at redemption, maybe someday he hopes to live up to the title bestowed upon him, for now, he’s become a sellsword for anyone with a heart in the right place, helping those who need it and charging a price equivalent to what they can pay. That’s when he finally tried connecting to his wolf self to find a way to fight the urge to do evil, and that’s when he met Lor, the dire wolf he connected with and which helps him during his crisis, as he directs his feral instincts to evildoers.

personality

+ charismatic, observant, just – distant, quite, headstrong

played by zeus. gmt-3. he/him.

[directory-98]

Scylla | N/A | Fantasy - Modern

HISTORY

It is said that she had another name before being called Scylla. Though due to her exceptionally well skill in causing ships to steer off course and lure men to their deaths, it is said she took up the name Scylla after the naid that was cursed and led to many ships' demise in the strait of Messina.

Some speculate it is the same siren but freed from her curse from Posiden due to punishment paid in full. However, it is well known her punishment was not just to begin with. ( due to a jealous god )

Personality

She’s good at her job, perhaps even one of the best, which makes her very arrogant while in the water. Her kind needs to eat and humans falling overboard doesn’t happen nearly as often. ( human meat is considered a delicacy )

Unfortunately, due to men’s technological advances, her kind is forced into hiding and is dying out. Driven out from pollution, forced into hiding due to sonar, and dying out of malnutrition. Most of her kind linger in the mid-depths of the ocean, no longer having the skills or the will to come up to the surface.

Others left the ocean to live as mortals never to return to the ocean again. This has made Scylla very ambitious and sad.

Pros: Insightful, Experienced, Wise, Forgiving ( Due To Years Of Hardship )

Cons: Naive in the ways of living on land. Manipulative, has a strong urge to kill and try to eat other mortals, lonely. Untrusting

“She swore vengeance on all men with dark hearts.” ― Lisa Papademetriou, Siren's Storm

Skills & abilities

Charm Skilled Singer Siren’s Call ( Can Charm People With Her Voice, Especially When Singing ) Mesmerize Extremely Fast Swimmer Stronger Than Most Mortals Good Fighter Fast Runner

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Miraculous Assassination Classroom AU

Marinette was put into E class due to her stress. Her anxiety kept getting the better of her and she just couldn't focus on the pages, it all just swam away in a haze of executive dysfunction and anxiety (I hc her as having ADHD so), and without any nurturing teachers to help her, she was just shoved into class E. She's creative, intelligent, and flexible, but very hesitant and this always hurts her well-crafted plans. She's sort of like Nagisa's creative plans side - she doesn't have his dark abusive home life, but she still really does care about assassinating their teacher, if only because she finally gets an environment which doesn't make all her stress worse. I see her being Nagisa in the opening suicide bomb scene. Alya somewhat is Karma. She's far from as cruel as him, but she's intelligent, ambitious, driven, and logical until her emotions get the best of her. She winds up in E class when she defends a fellow student against a teacher who was physically attacking them for whatever reason, and the school punished her instead to save face, so she has an extreme distrust of authority and sees the E class teacher as just another crony in the system who she's going to have to get past to change the world so people in power can't tale advantage of those below them through lies. While she's not opposed to trickery and is actually quiet good at it, she rarely lies - instead she changes how she words the truth. She also encourages Marinette to stand up for herself more and take risks, like Karma with Nagisa, and is very determined to kill their teacher, even after another way is found. Adrien has Nagisa's home life and his dark side. His mother is dead due to natural causes and his father is an abusive shithead who constantly tries to shape him into this perfect doll who just does whatever he wants. After his mother's death, between that and his father just being an ass, his emotional state got bad enough he just stopped trying in every class sans physics and dropped into E-class. He has Nagisa's hidden bloodlust and polite demeanor, though he's more direct and open with his plans a bit like Okuda. His father's abuse has made him an excellent actor and liar and he doesn't really hesitate to use these, including against their teacher, though he ultimately doesn't want to kill the teacher is there's another way. Nino is generally more of a background character. He's not as invested in the assassination - sure, it would be cool and all, but he cares more about his classmates and friends. Nino's dad left after his parents got divorced and he was so caught up with his younger brother and trying to even things out between them, his tiny but of motivation for schoolwork was lost entirely. He's more of a support member in general - he doesn't pull crazy stunts or gather information like Alya or have a hidden desire to succeed like Adrien and Marinette. He's a protector first and foremost, and once he gets close to his classmates that's who he is for all of them. Rose makes poisons and stuff using her chem experience from perfume and uses a lot of plant poisons. She's sweet and amazing, but still invested in killing their teacher. She was put into E class because people kept taking advantage of her kindness to demand afbors and she got so swamped she couldn't manage her schoolwork. Juleka and Nathaniel are the two snipers. Juleka was always the odd one out, the delinquent, and lashed out whenever it all just got too much. Teachers were happy to have a reason to get rid of her. On the other hand, Nathaniel always just faded into the background. Even when people would shove him around, when his parents would shove him around, no one ever noticed. Then one day he found a student spray painting the windows of the school in huge, bright red, angry letters: "FUCK YOUR ELITISM". Fine, he decided. He would make them notice him. He was dropped down to E-class when he was found with a can of neon green paint, which matched the words sprayed, huge, on the school's front wall. The student he saw? Alix. The Rio of this, Alix is smart, chill, and cocky. Her relationship with her dad isn't the best and for her, school was always just a haze of boredom as they taught stuff she knew and would never need. So she cut classes, was rude to teachers, didn't do her homework. She was never good with the rules. She's intelligent and knows it, and is absolutely ready to kill their teacher or fuck with her friends. Also Alya Alix chaotic duo my beloved. Ivan's just the wholesome, strong big bro of the class. He was shoved down to E-class bc his grades were low and that's that. He's got insecurities about his intelligence but it's not that he's not smart, he's just not good with written tests. Sabrina was always a shadow. No matter what she did, everyone else was doing it, or someone else already had. She wanted to fit in but with her carrot orange hair and overbearing father who never let her out past 5pm, she never could, yet she could never stand out, either. She's a master of stealth and organization, and was put into E-class when trying to steal some answer keys for someone who blackmailed her into it. Max is all numbers and calculations, he's intelligent far beyond anyone else he knows yet can never seem to grasp people. They dislike him. Nor can he seem to find that same ease in subjects like Language Arts - there's no logic, no clear answers, and he hated it. He hated it. A mix of arrogance and that put him in Class E, where for the first time he met people who might, just might, understand him. Kim's the brawn, not the brains, and he's alright with that. It takes him a while to realize, but sometimes encouragement and a pillar to lean against is the best thing you can give. Mylene is scared by everything, everyone - so scared it dropped her down to class E. Chloe is a mix of Itona and Bitch-sensei. She originally is raised as an assassin by Audrey and shows up to kill the teacher and leave, but is humbled, eventually joins the class, finds a ground of people who love her for her and make her see her value beyond Audrey, and gets a redemption arc. Lila is ofc Asuno, with her lackeys being Felix, Aurore, Mirelle, and idk Wyhelm. The principal is Lila's mother. The teacher? Uhh idk who could replace Koro-sensei... okay we keep him, he's irreplaceable. Tikki is Karasuma and Plagg is Bitch-sensei kinda.

[meta-enthusiasm]

You know what I am really fucking tired of seeing in popular media?

The "evil, hysterical woman in power" trope. The clichè that potrays women who are in a position of power as overzealous, unhinged, power hungry maniacs who are a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

Female leaders are shown as less resonable and down to earth as their male counterparts, and are often villainized by either the fandom or the narrative of the story itself. They are doomed to fail because of their womanliness and need to be taken down before they enact their evil plans, preferably by a man, or a woman who performs the 'right' kind of femininity.

This trope relies on the sexist misconception that women are more fragile than men, more emotionally unstable and unpredictable.

"Women aren't cut out to be leaders, they should be nurturing and supportive and tend to their families. Having higher aspirations is against their nature and will eventually break them and drive them crazy."

That type of bullshit that was designed to keep women out of leadership positions and keep oppressing us. To keep us quiet and submissive.

Here are a few examples to further explain this stereotype:

Daenerys Targaryen is one of the most well known characters to fall victim to this trope. She is an abuse and rape victim, seeking to change the current social and political systems of the world because she knows how many people suffer under its injustice. ("Crush the wheel.")

For all her compassion and charity she has shown over the series, the writers decided that it would be reasonable for her to go crazy at the end of the show and, despite promising she wouldn't inflict more damage than necessary, kill thousands of innocent people whose government had already surrendered to her.

And guess who had to kill her in the end? Yup, another man. Her love interest, who was "forced" to betray her.

Next, we have:

Morgana Pendragon, from "Merlin". To remind you, she is an abuse victim who had to endure her father's controlling behavior and bigoted attitude towards people with magic abilities which, suprise suprise, she turned out to have. She had to watch as her father murdered and oppressed people just like herself, and when she challenged that behavior, he would come down hard with punishment. (Going so far as to actually throwing her in the dungeons for a couple days.)

Eventually, she rebelled against the corrupt system and had her genocidal father killed. She led a rebellion against Camelot after Uther's son (Arthur) continued to oppress magicians under his reign, and sought to create a better future for herself and her people.

So far so good, right? Well, no. The problem here is that she is the antagonist of the story. She is portrayed as being in the wrong for not quietly taking the injustice and watching it happen.

Halfway through the show, she becomes obsessed with power and status and desperately chases after the throne of Camelot. She is extremly vindictive, manipulative and cruel to others to archieve her goals. She is a "hysterical woman" who is out of control, emotionally unstable, challenges the patriarchy, and therefore needs to be defeated.

Her death was portrayed as tragic, yet absolutely necessary.

(Of course it had to be a man who killed her.)

Azula is the epitome of this horrid, misogynistic trope. She is a fierce, ambitious leader and highly skilled fire bender, respected and feared among her people. She is highly driven and succeeds at almost everything she sets her mind to.

Ever since she came into this world, she was better at everything than Zuko. She was a better fighter than him, a better bender, better strategist, better child. And that is precisely the reason why she had to lose in the end.

Despite coming from the exact same circumstances as Zuko, the story and the fandom at large see Azula as way less redemable and likable than him. Even though she is an abuse victim whose own mother hated her and is a literal child soldier, she doesn't get any sympathy from the protagonists of the story. The otherwise so understanding and wise Iroh even calls her "crazy", (which is, if you've done some basic research into misogynistic expressions, really fucking problematic.) and tells Zuko that there is no saving her. Why? He doesn't tell, but it's obvious that the writers made him say this because of their own internalized sexist beliefs. She isn't offered a way out of her toxic environment like Zuko was. She didn't get the support from Iroh because he had already given up on her.

To top it off, she has a nervous breakdown near the end and loses her remaining sanity. Because, you know, "She's craaaazy!! And SO unstable!! Typical woman." (Not to mention how this further stigmatizes mental illness and portrays it as something only evil people get.)

She was supposed to become the next fire lord, a position that carries utmost power and influence. Of course, such authority could not be given to a woman. That's why Zuko, a man, gets to be the next fire lord, and we are left assuming Azula will be spending the rest of her days in prison.

The writers assume the audience detests Azula and wants her to suffer. She doesn't deserve a happy ending, or the love and support that Zuko got.

Why? Because she poses a threat to the status quo, the patriarchy. She challenged the belief that men had to be the best and most efficient at everything they do, that women could indeed be better leaders and be happy with having a career and not be nurturing, motherly figures to the men in their lives. And for that transgression, for breaking gender stereotypes, Azula was punished.

(It's also why Katara, someone who performs the "right" kind of femininity by being nurturing, motherly, supportive, healing, doting, and is the care taker of the group, ends up taking Azula, the evil and perverted form of femininity, down. I believe @batboyblog has made a similar post about this.)

This is Carmilla from the popular Netflix show "Castlevania", and if you've payed attention to my previous points, it should be pretty obvious what her character represents and how her story ends.

Note that she is also an abuse and rape survivor who is represented as evil and cruel for being angry at what was done to her.

To top it off, she is also an example of the man hating woman stereotype, whose anger at the misogyny and sexism of the world is portrayed as an "overreaction" and as "too much".

At the end of the story, she had to be taken down by another man (Isaac) so that the status quo could be preserved, and the reign of a crazy bitch like her could be stopped. Horay, the day is saved from yet another unstable, selfish woman who would have brought suffering and pain over her country if allowed to rule. Hysterical women with their demand for equality.

Conclusion:

In all these examples, we can see female abuse victims thriving for power and status, for respect, being represented as something negative and something to avoid. Trying to fundamentally change a system that is rigged against women/female representing people is a fruitless endevour that will eventually fail and drive us crazy, because our minds aren't strong enough to handle this type of responsibility and status.

Holding on to anger and bitterness over what was done to us is the sign of a bad person, and the only morally acceptable path is to forgive/ignore our abusers and let the injustice continue to happen.

Strangely enough though, that same gaslighting, victim blaming mentality gets almost never applied to male characters. Men who seek vengeance are never portrayed as weak or crazy for giving in to the wish of changing a corrupt system/killing bad people. (Batman, the Punisher, Hawkeye, John Wick, Jason Todd, Erin, Scar from FMAB, Iron Man, and so on)

The reason why these stereotypes almost never apply to men but almost always to women is sexism. There is no other explanation for this. These tropes were specifically designed to make society believe that women aren't cut out for leadership positions and are happiest with domestic, easy tasks like watching after our children and taking care of the household.

Women who are angry, women who are dominant are to be feared and distrusted. They are represented as a danger to the general public and need to be taken down before they enact their evil plans.

Feel free to add further examples.

[imaginariaextraordinaire]

Episode 8 is one hella packed episode and it is an absolute joy to unpack it, beginning with this:

Clever, clever idea to have Ji-Woo repeat the line that Mi-Joo just said to indicate Ji-Woo is taking charge of things as far as Assemblyman Ki is concerned. It's also a good reminder of how tone and intent can change the meaning of a sentence even if the words are exactly the same (which is why we need good translators).

Seeing Mi-Joo stride across the screen with Seon-Gyeom behind her, it struck me that we've seen a variation of this many times before, beginning with the credit titles. While Seon-Gyeom is the sprinter, the one we see constantly trying to up the pace and charge ahead is Mi-Joo. She's always intent on moving ahead faster — perhaps to outrun the past that she finally makes peace with during the marathon? — while Seon-Gyeom moves at a slower pace, disentangling himself from the constraints of his troubled past and troubling father. The only one time we see him race ahead (in episode 2), we also see him come back and slow down.

What I particularly love about Park Shi-Hyun's writing is that in addition to all the layers and complexity she's written into the scenes and characters, she's also written a very, very funny show.

Both Shin Se-Kyung and Kang Tae-Oh do such a fantastic job with both the physical humour (without being over-the-top) and the timing that's needed to play up the wit in the dialogues. Not that Siwan and Soo-Young do a bad job — the scene in which Dan-Ah proposes to Seon-Gyeom is hilarious. My favourite is still May, who is very funny throughout this episode (the shot in which we learn she sleeps with her eyes open! GOLD).

The transitions in this episode are so well written. The insights from one scene ricochet off the next. For example, Dan-Ah in the scene at the bar — where she tells the bartender she can't risk keeping the book in her own study because she can't risk people guessing she has anxieties — gives us a look at the problems of the privileged. This is followed by a scene in which Yeong-Hwa and Mi-Joo discuss student debts, which is a relatable middle-class problem. This in turn is followed by Tae-Woong saying that he takes selfies because he's addicted to the validation he gets from the likes each of those photos gets him — a Gen Z problem. And so it is that we get a spectrum of problems that people face and hide behind performative façades.

The likes that Tae-Woong talks about pop up with manic frenzy at the end of the heartbreaking scene with Dan-Ah in the parking lot, presenting the viewer with a terrible contrast — driving away from him is the love and acceptance that he yearns for from a sister who (he hopes) knows him. All he has to hold on to is the superficial attention of the love professed by a fandom that doesn't really know him at all. Soo-Young's performance is fantastic in this scene, especially when she asks in a voice tinged with desperation why Tae-Woong keeps coming back to her despite her treating him so badly. For the first time, you realise how much it takes out of her to lash out at this desperately-sad boy. "It takes effort to hate someone," Tae-Woong tells her. My heart!

Another fantastic set of transitions comes later on in the episode, when Mi-Joo and May are unwinding at the end of a long day at the film shoot.

This is such a great example of writing inter-generational female friendships. When May remembers not being paid for working overtime, it's an acknowledgement that things are better for working women (especially in film) than it was before, but as Mi-Joo's experiences show, there's still a lot to be done because women are still driven by a certain insecurity and anxiety to push themselves way too hard (as we see a sick Mi-Joo do later in the episode).

Of course a man tries to break this gathering up — because he wants to go to bed. Superb excuse, particularly because these women are talking how much they have to work — and it is deeply satisfying to watch all three of them shut him down and establish their right to unwind.

This scene of female friendship is followed by one that shows the friendship between the three runners. Then we get to see a fight scene full of male actors. The machismo of that performance is a sharp contrast to the awkward tenderness of Woo-Sik and Yeong-Il's conversation.

While on the subject of toxic masculinity, this is the episode in which we find out Dan-Ah's father forged Myeong-Min's birth certificate to make him legally older than Dan-Ah even though he's actually 10 months younger than her. All to ensure he has a male heir. It's a nice detail that Myeong-Min's mother is the one laying out the memorial service for Dan-Ah's mother because it hints at a sense of solidarity.

Also dismantling traditional notions of masculinity is Seon-Gyeom, whom we see at his most domestic as he cooks and packs meals for May and Mi-Joo, and does chores around the house once they're gone. It's very much an inversion of the standard male-female gender roles with the woman going out to work and the man as the homemaker. To underscore this point, we see Seon-Gyeom consider the leopard-print shirt (that May and Mi-Joo hang to give strangers the impression they've got an alpha in the house) for a second before putting it away.

Speaking of alphas, Mi-Joo's really got a thing for wild cats. In addition to that shirt, her blanket is also a leopard-print and when we see her calling Seon-Gyeom, she's standing in front of a painting of a tiger. All these seem to be digs at her posturing that she's strong and invulnerable and I burst out laughing when Seon-Gyeom folds the leopard-print blanket while muttering, "I'd have guessed this is hers even if she hadn't told me."

As disinterested as Seon-Gyeom may be in films, they play a big role in sustaining him emotionally. In this episode, it's the film set that helps Mi-Joo and him come together after their stupid disagreement. Equally importantly, the film set is where he gets the time and space to reconnect with his mother.

Run On has so much fun being meta with the film bits. The film shoot within a drama is indeed an old fake.

There are two film sets we see in this episode — one with Ji-Woo and the other with Mi-Joo. While Ji-Woo's set feels relaxed, the one Mi-Joo's working in is chaotic and taxing. The two women are also at different ends of the professional spectrum. Ji-Woo is a star while Mi-Joo is not just working behind the scenes, but she's come to fill in for the person who was the juniormost member of the crew.

When pointing out the main players of their film crew to Mi-Joo and May, Hui-Jin describes the cinematographer as "a bit racist, but still a gentleman". (Mi-Joo's response is superb: "Weird.") It's an interesting choice to make the cinematographer racist because that's the crew member who decides how subjects and scenes will be framed. "Racist but a gentleman" feels like a precise summary of the orientalist perspective which (aside from being overwhelmingly masculine) shows the East through stereotypes that are often superficially beautiful, but also reductive and damaging. Not surprisingly, this cinematographer is the reason Mi-Joo flounders while translating on set.

The film set is also the first time that Seon-Gyeom sees Mi-Joo's vulnerable side when she falls ill. It's such a clever choice to have Mi-Joo stop performing in a setting that's all about performances. Not only does Mi-Joo give up the alpha act when she's sick, she admits to Seon-Gyeom that when she's feeling helpless, her instinct is to resort to a performative lie — calling out for mom because that's what she saw other kids do as a child in a sick ward (imagine how isolated and neglected she must have felt to do this. Also, she's felt this way so many times that this performance has become second nature to her).

The anecdote suggests Mi-Joo's mulish championing of her self has its roots in past incidents when she tried to fit and either failed or was rejected. And yet, for all her strength and confidence, she's chasing phantoms and has been doing so since she was a little girl. All because she was alone and didn't have anyone she could reach out to for help. Which is why what Seon-Gyeom tells her at the end of the episode is so relevant. He helps her to reorient.

To which Mi-Joo, bless her leopard-print-loving heart, responds with

But my favourite part of this episode is the conversation that Ji-Woo has with Seon-Gyeom when he visits her set. First of all, Ji-Woo is playing a "vegan murderer", which is brilliant as ideas go and it's adorable how delighted she is about her violent roles.

I love how Run On doesn't punish Ji-Woo for sacrificing her family life for her work. Instead, it holds out the possibility that it is ok if you have that imbalance. In this scene, we see Ji-Woo's family reforming at the film set with Eun-Bi sending the coffee truck and Seon-Gyeom showing up just because Ji-Woo asked him to be there.

The mother-son conversation gives us a glimpse of Seon-Gyeom's bleak childhood and we learn that everything Seon-Gyeom did for his father was actually him doing what his mother had asked him to do. It comes as a surprise to Seon-Gyeom that his mother has noticed what he's suffered and that she understands how he'd hoped silently suffering would keep the family together. It's almost as though he's feeling seen for the first time.

Much like Dan-Ah, Ji-Woo may seem self-centred because of her ambitiousness, but she does notice what's happening beyond the obvious, especially when it comes to people she cares about. Both women are up against the worst of patriarchy. Also, I love that when she's talking about motherhood, Ji-Woo is blood-spattered — after all, being a working woman and a mother in a patriarchal is nothing short of fighting a war.

In previous episodes, it seemed as though Ji-Woo was the 'bad' (or at least not ideal) mother while Director Dong was the ideal, modern mother. Yet in comparison to how Director Dong later reacts to her son coming out, you can't help but feel Ji-Woo, with her unconditional support for her kids, might just be the better parent. What is great about Run On though is that that the script doesn't pit the two older women against each other as competing examples of motherhood or femininity. The point is that everyone's struggling, making mistakes and trying to learn from them. Ji-Woo is doing that and so will Director Dong eventually.

Love that the scene ends with Seon-Gyeom effectively declaring himself his mother's son. Take that, patriarchy.

[ladymelisande]

The Grisha Trilogy/Six of Crows Zoya>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>King of Scars/Rule of Wolves Zoya. I really don't think Zoya needed a tragic backstory (she already has plenty of conflict without the sad past),nor all that character shilling. Also,as a biracial woman who knows plenty of "passing" biracial people,Suli Zoya was a wack retcon. Ironically,TGT/SoC Zoya came across to me as more nuanced,if in a simple way. She was an unapologetic bitch,driven, ambitious,had a caring side, presumably had gone through character development (changing sides in the war),kind of a brat yet loyal and reliable. The most logical step for Zoya's arc would've been her handling the responsibility of dealing with being one of the most powerful people in a country in shambles.

I also saw a meme saying something like:

Zoya in TGT and SoC: I don't have a tragic past, superpowers (she did,but nothing really unique or over the top,just honed natural abilities in universe) to justify my behaviour. Don't like it? Fuck you.

Zoya in KoS: Hello,my name is Mary Sue.

It's kind of weird that her being Suli because as far as I remember nothing in her description of the trilogy says she was. So yeah, it's a whack retcon ala Rowling, but apparently we hate brown women because we point out a double standard!

I read one page of KOS that a friend showed me (meanwhile crazy stans where quote tweeting us while in private... Because nothing is more charming than stalkers that are also cowards) and she sounded like just Bardugo's mouth piece. Like the whole listening the Darkling's bad deeds and the whole cult that Bardugo did to piss of Darklina fans... Who she is still baiting, nah, it's not even worth reading.

In a way is kind of hilarious because any other hack writer would use Alina as self insert and sometimes yeah, Alina is kind of a boring sack of flour... But God, Bardugo trashes that girl to the ground for having even the tiniest desire of leaving that pathetic life she had with Malaria that I can't help having pity for her.

The whole double standards of how Alina was warned and punished for using the merzost by ending up basically in her childhood again. But Zoya can have every power under the sun and I don't see Leigh fucking with her as she did with Alina.

Like you describe her and how people have showed me spoilers, she gives me show Strong Female Character™ vibes.

[sols-actual-main-blog]

Some thoughts about Thea and Nadia and the conflict of justice and order in Vefluchtes Land

I have been struck by a sudden wave of thoughts about my novel, more specifically the relationship between Thea and Nadia.

They don't interact a great amount in the story besides from some rather neutral boss/employee stuff, because Nadia doesn't appear that much especially towards the beginning, and when she does it's mostly in scenes centered around Falk instead of Thea. And on top of that, the interactions Thea and Nadia have are not very exciting, because they have a rather distant, but polite professional relationship with no banter or anything that would make it overtly interesting to the reader.

However, I noticed that could be done if I decided to go behind this cool, professional exterior - Thea and Nadia are two characters that share a lot of similar traits and themes in their arcs and could be made into both narrative parallels and foils with a little work.

For a start, they are both highly ambitious, matter-of-factly and hard-headed leader personalities in a male-dominated professional field, who present and see themselves as above their emotions while they are very clearly driven by them. At the core of both their arcs lies a theme of justice.

More under the cut because spoilers.

Thea is a character drive by her quest for justice. She has a strong moral compass and has no problem in asserting herself against the opinion of her team as well as direct orders - she is the one to push for more investigations despite everyone believing Lorenz guilty of the murder, and after Nadia closes the case, she investigates further on her own.

This strong sense of justice is proven right, as she is able to find the true murderer by her relentless search and save the day. Thea believes in the necessity of breaking order to achieve justice, and the narrative plays out in a way that makes her appear right and her (sometimes questionable) actions justified.

Nadia on the other hand champions justice as order. She is introduced as a strict law-and-order person who puts great emphasis on following rules and punishing the failure to do so - see her continuous conflict with Falk, who breaks the rules a lot for fun, convenience or because he simply sees himself above them. However, over the course of the story, it gets more and more obvious that Nadia herself goes against her own strict rules when she sees it fit, culminating in her dramatic confession that she knows that the judicary system has nothing to do with justice and she believes in enacting what she views as justice by herself in a deeply cruel and unsettling way.

I think both Thea and Nadia raise interesting questions about order and justice in regard to the police system. In Nadia it is very obvious - she's the person representing law and order in the story, and this person turns out as selfish, cruel and corrupted by a deeply warped sense of justice that is driven by personal slight and can only be enacted in a very violent way.

Thea follows the standard trope of the "good cop going against the system to do the right thing" which seems to be polar opposite of Nadia at first. But if you look at it a little closer, they are actually more similar than different - Thea's judgement of who is guilty and who isn't is as driven by emotion as Nadia's is, despite her viewing it as rational. She wants Lorenz and Erika to be innocent because she identifies with them, and she wants Johann jr. to be guilty because he represents everything she hates. The only thing that keeps her from being a cruel and unsettling crusader taking out her personal slights on innocents is that the narrative proves her right.

Thea is very similar to Nadia in the way that she sees her own, very emotionally driven sense of justice above the system she works for and breaking the rules to enact it as necessary when it comes down to it. She might have been right in the particular case the story has shown, but she might as well have been wrong, or be wrong in the future, and she would without hesitation abuse her power if it serves her idea of justice.

In a way, Nadia probably started out similar to Thea - earnestly trying to serve justice even if it means going against the law sometimes; and Thea will probably end up similar to Nadia - disillusioned by the system failing to enact her vision of justice and abusing the power she has gained in order to administer it by herself instead.

[josiecarioca]

So first of all I have mad respect for all the thought you put into your OCs! What was your creative process like creating Evelyn Black? What's the most challenging part of writing her?

Aaaaaaw, thank you so much!!! That's awfully sweet of you to say! *hugs*

The process for creating Evelyn? Ooof, that's a complicated one to explain, but bear with me if you will. :D

While I was reading the Harry Potter books/watching the movies, I had all sorts of ideas and concepts, but it wasn´t until I finished with the very last movie and book that I felt motivated to actually write anything and the reason for that boils down to Severus Snape. 

I think every Snape fan can agree that there's this tragic and heartbreaking sense of unfairness in his path as a character. Sure, it's a story of redemption, and it's moving, and it speaks to the universal experience of atoning for your "sins", but right from the get go, Snape never really gets a break. His death is particularly tragic... needlessly tragic almost. There´s this tremendous aspect of hopelessness, and just "waste" of a life that could have been lived, but was instead used to the service of a cause and sacrificed in the name of redemption.

Like countless other people, I felt there was potential for so much more. The Prince's tale reveals an aspect (a fundamental one) of Snape´s life: his relationship with Lily. But he remains in many ways a mistery, because aside from that we´re not privy to his inner world. 

So this was one first aspect I wanted to explore: Snape outside of the confines of being "Dumbledore´s man" or "eternally repentant for Lily´s death". The only way to do this, was to give him a life after the war, see what he'd do with himself once the one thing that kept him going (protecting Harry) was resolved.

In a way Evelyn was created as a narrative instrument for that. In order to explore Snape outside of his "self-sacrificing" role, he would need another character to interact with. Thing is, Snape is such a complex character, with such a difficult personality and such heavy emotional baggage, that only somebody with as big a personality as him would be able to deal with him.

Then I thought this character had to be a foil of sorts to him, a person who was just as stubborn, just as smart, just as "larger than life", but who unlike him, had the sort of emotional structure he lacks, and enough compassion and understanding to look past all of Severus' (many) issues and actually interact with him on a common ground of respect and possibly affection. In my mind this character had to be new because every character in canon has a complicated backstory with him, and approaching these relationships would also mean returning to the narrative structure I wanted to leave behind. If I wanted to explore Snape in an entirely new situation, then he'd have to interact with a character that posed him with entirely new challenges.

Evelyn´s creation in on itself was easy from that specific starting point. So Evelyn was basically "custom made" so I could use her to explore the aspects of Snape that I wanted to delve in. She´s basically Severus "inverted mirror":

Her grief about Paul vs his grief about Lily: Both feel guilty about losing a loved one, both spend their lives trying to make amends. Both of them punish themselves by taking on more responsibilities that they can handle (emotionally/psychologically), but Severus self-destructs in the process because he has nobody to help him, while Evelyn becomes stronger thanks to her family  and friends.

Severus is a half- blood wizard, raised among muggles whose identity is determined by finding a place in a magical community. Evelyn is a muggle (?) who comes from a magical lineage, and has no idea the magical community exists, except for the nagging feeling that she doesn't quite belong in the world where she was born. Both of them have identity issues.

Both Evelyn and Severus are intellectuals, they´re both driven and ambitious, and extremely respected in their respective fields. However, she´s the type of intellectual who thrives on connecting with people, while he prefers to study and work in isolation. Severus´ interpersonal relationships were always problematic. Thought his life he's either been neglected, abused or used by those around him. So he never developed healthy strategies to deal with other people. Evelyn was raised in a supportive family who went above and beyond to make sure she had the emotional support and care she need, so she went through life with the proper tools to form healthy relationships. Basically Evelyn is what Severus could have been, had he been more fortunate

Both of them are hopelessly stubborn, and have strong tempers. But while Severus is a ball of barely contained ressentment, anger and frustration, Evelyn actually has the emotional structure to deal with her issues. 

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Also, I mentioned in another post that in "Post War" I wanted to explore a cis, straight Snape, because I wanted to explore the tension between traditional masculinity and non traditional masculinity that I felt was at the core of Snape's canonical traumas. His relationship with Evelyn was perfect for that, because their respective takes of masculine and feminine feed off each other. Basically Evelyn is super feminine, and Severus is a man who´s comfortable with and commforted by femininity. So there´s this aspect of it as well. While in terms of personality, there´s enough "friction" that Severus and Evelyn challenge each other, in terms of sexual politics, they find a common ground in what they have in common and how they find comfort in each other.

As for difficulties....I think the main ones are writing Evelyn´s flaws while still keeping her likeable, and writing her as her own person instead of a plot device to explore Severus.

Evelyn is much more of a "grounded" character than Severus. He's a fantasy character though and through, while she's a bit suspended between fantasy and realism. So many of her flaws are very...mundane. She´s bossy, she holds grudges, she's too blunt, too set in her ways...but at the same time she's caring, generous and compassionate. It´s always  challenge to write her as somebody who can on the one hand accept Severus and provide him with care and affection, but also as somebody who doesn´t always trust him (at first at least), who clashes with him, and sometimes drives him bonkers. She´s not supposed to be his saviour, his "magical love interest who will cure his broken heart", she´s just supposed to be a woman who also has her broken pieces to mend and found somebody she can be vulnerable around. 

And she has a life outside of him, she has traumas of her own, weaknesses of her own. She loves Severus, but she exists outside of that love: she has her family (and a plethora of complicated relationships with every member of it, particularly her mother), her friends,  her professional ambitions, her students. And she challenges Seveerus to be a part of that, instead of just accepting to solely become part of his world...Basically Evelyn is a lovely, generous woman, who can, sometimes, be a bit of a bitch. She´s Severus foil and his path of reconnection with his own identity, but she has an identity of her own she refuses to erase for him. She was born and operates in a non-magical world, but enters a magical world without giving up where she came from.

Balancing all of that is probably the thoughest part about writing her.

[nastybuckybarnes]

A Broken Fairytale  -  Seven

Pairing: Prince!Bucky x Reader AU

Summary: Sold by your mother, you work as a servant for the King and Queen of Acadia. The Prince, much to his initial dismay, takes a liking to you. When a wicked woman intervenes, your life is nothing more than a prison sentence. With a war on the horizon and a betrothal to a missing Princess that he can’t escape, Bucky is forced to be the Prince -and King- that his father wants. A pawn in a bigger game than the two of you realize.

Warnings: Language (Maybe), Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 2.3K

A/N: Guys it’s gonna get intense soon. This is your final warning because in the next chapter... shit is getting real. :)

SERIES MASTERLIST MASTERLIST edited poorly

~*~

“I’m not sure how much more of this my heart can bear, my love,” The Queen says, tears welling up in her eyes as her dear friend informs her and her husband that still, after nearly twenty years, there’s no trace of their daughter anywhere in the kingdom.

“We’ll keep looking, your majesties. Not a soul will rest until we’ve found and returned your daughter, I swear on it,” Tony says. King John nods sadly and looks down.

“You’re dismissed, Anthony.” The brunet nods, bows, then leaves the throne room, intent on finding the lost princess.

“My Queen?” Queen Valerie looks at her lady in waiting, a distant look in her eyes. “Come, let us get you to bed,” Pepper says softly.

As the days pass, the Queen grows weaker and more distant, the loss of her only child heavy in her mind. It’s not that she and her the King didn't try to have more children to unite the kingdoms, but each and every single one was lost halfway through her pregnancy. She cannot help but feel as if this is the Gods punishing her for some atrocity she had committed in a past life.

“The Kingdom grows colder with each passing day. There are whispers of war on the streets. We’re poor as it is, but if we were to go to war? There’s no way we’d survive. I want my daughter found, Virginia. I want her found soon. I cannot bear to think of what she might’ve had to endure these past years.” The redhead helps her queen up the stairs, listening as the woman expresses her concerns.

“You worry far too much, your Majesty. Anthony will not rest until his goddaughter is found, you can be sure of that. We’ve scoured the Kingdom and we plan to move on to the forest next. He’s considering sending a small group to Acadia to look for her there.” They slowly make their way through a long corridor with only three doors, one of them being the King and Queen’s bedroom.

“You know about the locket? Everyone’s been made aware? That is what will bring her here,” The Queen says, squeezing Pepper’s hand tightly.

“We’re searching for the Princess, her locket bright in our minds. We will find her, your Majesty. There will be no war and we will unite the two kingdoms, as we swore to do.” Queen Valerie nods and stops walking when they get in front of the second door in the corridor. “You’re dismissed, Virginia.” Pepper bows, sad eyes lingering on the Queen for a moment as she takes her leave.

Queen Valerie walks into the room that has sat unchanged for the past twenty years, a single tear dripping down her cheek as she approaches the crib. Her hands shake as she picks up the stuffed rabbit that sits there, not a speck of dust on his head.

She begins to hum, as she always does when she’s in this room, and she prays to the Gods that they find her soon, not for her Kingdom, but for herself. She wants nothing more than to hold her daughter in her arms again and never let go.

~*~

You’ve set up a small camp of sorts by the glowing river, resting yourself and your mare for the night.

You’re warming your hands on the small fire you were able to make when a low growl catches your attention. You glance over your shoulder, standing slowly as you see the large black wolf. It’s eyes seem to shimmer in the light of the hand-moon and you swallow hard.

It takes a step towards you then stumbles, a whine leaving it’s mouth. You frown and try to see what’s wrong, eyes widening when you see the trap digging into it’s back leg.

You take a step towards it, hands raised in front of you as it snarls.

“Please, just let me help you. I promise I won’t hurt you.” The wolf bares its teeth, growling at you as you approach slowly.

“I promise I won’t hurt you. I just want to help you.” You get onto your knees, and slowly crawl towards it, surprise filling you when it sits down, eyes watching you with guarded curiosity.

When you’re close enough, you slowly put your hand out, closing your eyes as the wolf leans in. Instead of biting you, like you thought it would, it sniffs you curiously then licks your palm.

A surprised laugh falls from your lips and you grin, gently running your fingers through the fur of its side.

“Are you gonna let me help you?” You ask softly, moving closer and inspecting the metal locked around it’s leg.

“I’ll hold it open but you’ve gotta move quickly, I’m not as strong as I look.” The wolf watches, tail starting to wag as you grab either side of the metal, prying it apart with great difficulty.

Your fingers are sticky with blood and the metal creaks and groans but eventually yields, opening slowly. The wolf jumps out then lies down, licking its hind leg protectively.

You let go of the trap and huff out a breath, grinning as the wolf nudges you with its snout.

“Not many people would stop to help a wolf. Especially not in these woods.” You whip around at the voice, swallowing hard as you see the woman standing there. She’s tall, with billows of black hair flowing to her waist, eyes as green as the forest itself, and olive skin that looks like it gets kissed by the sun every day. She’s gorgeous, to say the least.

“I... I couldn’t just leave it. It was hurt,” you explain, fingers finding the soft tufts of fur laying beside you. The wolf seems unfazed by the woman and you try your best to calm down.

“You’re very brave.” You shrug, looking down at the wolf for a moment. “I couldn’t possibly leave it in the trap. It has done nothing to deserve such a fate.” The woman looks at you, lips pursed.

“Where are you coming from?” Your heart clenches and you look down. “I... Acadia. The king means to kill me.” She hums, eyes zeroing in on the necklace around your neck.

“But that’s not where you’re really from, is it?” You snap your gaze back up to hers. “H-How did you know?” She smiles, her face softening.

“Gather your things and come with me. I have a small cottage just deeper in the forest. You and your horse can get proper rest there.” She turns and starts walking away, pausing when you don’t follow.

“Why are you helping me?” You ask hesitantly. “You saved someone very dear to me. The least I can do is offer you food and shelter.

“Seileach! Thig!” The wolf rises to its feet and limps after the woman. The pieces click in your brain and you scramble to gather your things, your mare already following the wolf and the woman.

You walk for maybe fifteen minutes before she stops, a quaint cottage in front of you.

“There is a small stable around the back. Bring your horse there then come inside. I’ll put some tea on.” You nod, following her directions and bringing your mare around to the stable where she almost immediately makes herself comfortable. You kiss her gently on her forehead then make your way into the cottage.

You’re immediately struck by the scent of lemongrass. It’s surprising but welcome, and you follow the sound of humming. The woman stands by a small wood-burning stove, a teapot warming on top of the flame.

“Come, sit. I’m sure you have many questions.” You nod, sitting down at the kitchen table and jumping slightly as the wolf bumps your knee with its snout.

“Seileach,” the woman says, her voice warning.

“What does that mean?” You ask, scratching the wolf behind it’s ears.

“’Willow’. It’s her name. She’s been my... companion for many years. I was out looking for her, I could feel her pain, when I found you.” You mull over this for a moment, trying to make sense of it.

“Are you... a sorceress?” You ask softly, not wanting to offend the woman. “I suppose you could call me that. I’ve been given many names before, as have you (Y/n).” You’re absolutely shocked that she knows your name.

“You’ve strayed a long way from home. But you know not where your home is.” You nod slowly and she smiles. “My name is Erutan. I live and guard these woods. I have for centuries and I will for centuries to come.” You watch as she pours you a small mug of tea, adding a spoonful of something then stirring it slowly, whispering words in a foreign tongue before pushing the mug over to you.

You slowly raise it to your face, taking a sniff of it before bringing it to your lips. You take a small sip then sigh, closing your eyes and enjoying the taste and the feeling of warmth it brings you.

“What language were you speaking?” You ask, looking up at her. She smiles from across the table, taking a sip of her own tea.

“The language of the place you’re travelling to. If you plan on living in Corona, you should learn the language.” You look down with a frown, “I... I was learning until...” She nods, not needing any further explanation.

“I have some books on it. I can teach you, if you’d like?” You look up at her in confusion. “You’d really do that? Why?” She smiles softly at you. “You have a kindness in your heart that I have not witnessed for many years. You’re ambitious and driven and your soul needs nurturing. If I can help in any way then I will.” You smile and nod, accepting her offer.

~*~

“When I told you to deal with the thorn in my side I didn’t mean send her right to her parents! I wanted her as far from Corona as possible! Now you’ve only made matters worse!” Her voice is low but full of rage as she glares at the knight. He raises his hands in surrender, scoffing at her anger.

“She’s gone, out of the kingdom. You only said you wanted her gone so now she’s gone,” he says simply, not understanding what the woman truly wanted.

She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tries to compose herself. “You are going to find her and you are going to kill her. I don’t care how many you need to slaughter, as long as she’s dead. I want her head on a silver platter delivered right to my doorstep!” Brock’s surprised by the request but if he’s paid enough he’ll do just about anything. There is one thing he’s wondering though.

“Why do you hate her so much?” He finally asks, watching as the woman opens her eyes, storms brewing in their grey depths.

“It’s not so simple as hating the girl. I hate her family, her kingdom. I hate the very blood that runs through her veins. Her mother stole something from me. Something very precious to me, something I had kept near and dear to my heart. And then the little brat was born, destined to continue the bloodline, to deprive me of one of the few things I had truly earned in my lifetime! I will not stand for it any longer! Her mother has stolen enough from me! If I was denied access to my rightful place in the kingdom, my rightful place as Queen, then she shall be too!” Her chest heaves as she rants, eyes almost glowing with anger.

The pieces click in Brock’s head and his eyes widen.

“Is... is that servant girl... the....” He trails off, not wanting to say it out loud for fear of someone finding out what he’s done and who he’s speaking to.

“That girl is nothing more than a little brat who knows nothing of the real world. She’s a burden, a thief, and she needs to be dealt with.” She takes a deep breath then smiles sickly at Rumlow.

“You will kill her. Then when the two kingdoms cannot be united, King George will wage war on Corona. The King and Queen will fall and King George will take Corona for himself. But his greed will bring sickness that will plague his family and kingdom, I have made sure of that. And in the fall of the two Kingdoms, I will take my rightful place upon the throne. I will rid the two kingdoms of those who do not wish to follow under my rule.” Her eyes are wild, a wicked smile on her lips as she plots the death of millions of people.

“I don’t care if I need to kill everyone to do it. There will be nothing left of the royal families. Those that don’t die of sickness will burn in the endless fires of my rage. And in the days of my rule, you will be by my side. Kill the girl, bring me her head, and you will forever have a place by my side in our new kingdom. No one would dare attempt to overthrow us. We will be the two most powerful people in the world.” The idea appeals to Rumlwo, he must admit. Power is something he’s always been hungry for. And a chance to see the entire Barnes family crash and burn? Well, He’d pay to see that.

“You’ve got a deal.” The woman sighs, smiling happily at him. “She made for Corona. Do not rest until she is dead. Do you understand?” He nods, standing up and heading towards his horse. “I don’t need to remind you what will happen if you fail me, do I? I hate to be disappointed.” Rumlow shakes his head while mounting his horse.

“I’ll bring you her head. And I’ll enjoy it, too.” He takes off, leaving the woman by herself in the small clearing.

“For far too long have I suffered in silence,” she whispers, glaring into the night sky.

“I’ll stand for it no longer. Far too long have I been denied what is rightfully mine. And now they will pay. They will pay with their lives for what they’ve done to me.” It’s not a simple threat she’s uttering in anger. It’s a promise. A promise she’s making to the gods.

~*~

[springsummerspring]

Our disposition, personality, and behaviour all have a profound effect on the types of relationships we thrive in. A couple doesn’t need to be identical, but the right balance of traits is necessary for compatibility. This new RP theory focuses on two important characteristics: the dominance level of each person, as well as the woman’s dominance threshold.

Your “Dominance Level” (DL) measures attributes such as your natural tendency to assume the lead and how you exercise authority in interactions. DL takes into account all behaviour, it is not limited to actions within a romantic relationship. For the purposes of this post I will use a scale of 0 - 10 to discuss DL, with 10 representing the maximum possible level of dominance one can have. There are separate male and female scales - a woman who is a 6 is not more dominant than a man who is a 5, and a man who is a 10 is more dominant than a female 10.

How are dominance levels expressed in men?

A 10 has 100% alpha traits, and a 0 has 100% beta traits. As you move across the spectrum, the ratio shifts. So a 2 has 20% alpha traits, a 6 has 60%, etc.

Men who are lowest in dominance (0-3.5 on the DL scale) have the highest ratio of beta traits in comparison to alpha traits. They can be easygoing, empathetic, gentle, and considerate. They can also be sensitive, emotional, unconfident, indecisive, and soft. Keep in mind that these are just a few examples, these traits do not define these men nor are they required to be in this category.

The 3.5s-6s exhibit more alpha traits but their nature is that of a “greater beta”. These men are able to provide comfort and leadership as required in a relationship. Most women have men in this category, especially on RPW. If you are looking for a “medium dominance” category, this is where your man belongs (but to be clear, he is still in the "low dominance" category of this system).

Men who are a 6-8.5 on the DL scale have a higher ratio of alpha traits in comparison to beta traits. There are many types of alpha men: apex, renegade, patriarchal, criminal, corporate, political, etc. and they all have different characteristics that allow them to succeed and take charge in their respective environments. One thing they all have in common is an immense amount of masculinity, which can be both good and bad.

8.5 - 10s can fall into any of the alpha subtypes. They also have the highest amounts of Dark Triad traits, and are the rarest group of men.

How are dominance levels expressed in women?

The alpha/beta ratio does not apply to the female dominance scale. There are no easy, clear cut terms for the spectrum, just various dispositions and behaviours. While the ratio of masculinity and femininity plays a role, the DL is not measuring either of those traits directly. I have chosen both positive and negative examples for each type but again, these are generalisations and only a fraction of the possible characteristics one can have.

Women who are in the low dominance category (0-6) are non confrontational, sensitive, and accommodating. They are psychologically feminine, not only with their men but in their everyday lives, automatically. They can be doormats, passive, weak, and insecure if they do not learn how to prioritise themselves first instead of others. This does not mean that they are incapable of having any of the traits that high dominance women have, just that the concentration of H traits lowers as you approach zero (and vice versa with H women and L traits).

High Dominance Women (6.5-10) are more confident, driven, assertive, and ambitious. They can also be more masculinised, argumentative, self serving, and insubordinate. Some women like to think of themselves as “alpha women” but this is a myth, not an RP concept. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that being high dominance is superior. Both categories have their strengths and weaknesses. Feminists have pushed the idea that male characteristics and virtues are a universal ideal that all should strive for so women are encouraged to be high dominance. The only way that high dominance women can have romantic success with a dominant man is if they can master psychological femininity and deference within their relationship.

Your “Dominance Threshold” indicates how dominant your man has to be in order for you to feel attraction, commitment, and love. I will also be using the 0-10 dominance scale when referring to the dominance threshold. For the purposes of this discussion it is assumed that all women have a range of 0-2 points past their threshold where attraction is possible. The threshold is the minimum but most women who prefer a 5.5/10 would not be comfortable with an 8 or higher.

How are dominance thresholds expressed in women?

Women with low dominance thresholds require less alpha, and more beta in their relationships. This means more affection and softness, more obvious and frequent displays of love and care. These women are repelled by or afraid of extreme displays of male aggression, anger, or arrogance. They also do not like strict boundaries or being controlled. They are suited for betas and greater betas.

Women with high dominance thresholds require more alpha, less beta. They crave arousal, displays of power, raw masculinity, etc. from their man and view the same beta traits the low threshold women love as weaknesses. They are perfect mates for all types of alphas.

When a man’s DL is way too low for a woman, she reacts with disgust or infantilisation. If it is merely a point or two lower you’ll see shit tests. If it’s slightly too high, she’ll comfort test, and when it’s way too high she’ll be afraid. This applies to all women regardless of their threshold or dominance level.

Taking the 4 categories into account (low/high DL, low/high threshold) there are 8 possible relationship combinations. Not all are optimal or RP but all of the dynamics exist in the real world. Moving forward we will use these labels within the subreddit in our discussions and the advice we give.

By using a combination of 3 letters (all of which are either H or L) we can refer to each dynamic with ease. The first letter establishes the man’s dominance level, the second the woman’s, and then the third is for her dominance threshold. So a high dominance man (H) with a low dominance woman (L), who has a high threshold (H), would be described as HLH. A low dominance man (L) with a low dominance woman (L), who has a low dominance threshold (L), would be LLL.

Now onto an overview of the dynamics, which will be described with an emphasis on the effect on the woman. They are ordered from least potential to be RP to most potential to be RP, with 3 equally RP dynamics, there is not one universally ideal dynamic. Please keep in mind that these descriptions are all generalisations of what is most likely to happen, there are always exceptions. Note: future posts will help you identify your dynamic, do not fixate on labeling yourself from this introductory post.

High dominance man, high dominance/low threshold woman (HHL) - she vies for dominance and feels little to no comfort or security. Possible violence as she is likely to stir up trouble by constantly challenging her man.

High man, low/low woman (HLL) - she needs more beta comfort and can’t stay motivated when feeling unloved. She feels he is mean or scary. There is also a strong chance of violence in this relationship which only further discourages the LL woman from being her best and creates a cycle where the man is constantly punishing her.

Low man, high/high woman (LHH) - she walks all over him or bosses around. This is a very common dynamic as it is what usually happens when a woman is out of the CC riding/AF phase and has settled for her beta bucks.

Low man, low/high woman (LLH) - she is repulsed and/or can’t respect him, wishes he was more dominant. Whenever you see an RPW post where the OP asks: “How can I get my main to be the captain” or says “I tried captain/first mate but he’s not taking the lead” then you know it’s an LLH situation.

Low man, high/low woman (LHL) - a lot of feminist relationships are like this, and they can work, and people can be happy in them. There is also a chance that the woman walks all over the man and disrespects him and he just puts up with it. It all depends on how attracted the woman is to her man, and how well he is able to maintain that attraction.

High man, high/high woman (HHH) - potential to be RP if the woman respects the man. “Captain and First Mate” as described by RPW is not an adequate description of the dynamics in HHH relationships. This combination can be a power couple, or there can be violence if the woman does not defer to the man (think Chris Brown and Rihanna).

High man, low/high woman (HLH) - potential to be RPW and a classic fantasy that is not seen as much in reality. The woman is naturally submissive and aware of it. She is drawn to a dominant man and requires power over her. There is a strong sense of ownership and there can also be a paternalistic element to the dynamic. This differs from HHH relationships in that the woman is not a partner in crime, but rather a source of support and feminine energy while the man takes on challenges. At its worst, HLH relationships involve the man taking advantage of and abusing the woman.

Low man, low/low woman (LLL) - this is the most common both in and out of the subreddit. Contrary to what many may assume, most rpw are interested in or already with greater betas! When done right, these relationships are the epitome of the captain and first mate concept. The man leads and the woman occupies the traditional female role, but it may not feel like submission or deferment to her because of the lack of power imposed explicitly. If the man fails to take the lead, the woman may feel forced to assume that role and her respect for her man will decline. If no one assumes the lead, arguments are more likely to happen, and again, the woman will lose respect for the man.

Can you change your dominance level?

You can absolutely eliminate the personality traits that hinder your success. If you are a high dominance woman, you may need to work on being less controlling, argumentative, or disobedient. RPW is great for that! If you are low dominance, you can become more assertive, confident, and more. However, men who want the traditional, RP relationships are not interested in women who do not listen to or respect them, so it’s important not to go too far in the other direction.

Can you change your dominance threshold?

Attraction is non-negotiable. It’s important to be aware of and honest about your preferences and select a partner wisely. Understanding how men think can help you become more comfortable with a man that has a DL way higher than your threshold. If you are with a man who’s DL is below your threshold RPW can help you with respect, loyalty, and all of the other issues that come with those dynamics. Your threshold may change naturally over time based on life experiences, as you learn what you actually like in relationships.

What can we do with this information?

As mentioned earlier, this system will be a great way to have everyone on the same page when it comes to discussing relationships and giving advice. We should all be aware of our biases, and our individual dominance levels and thresholds greatly affect the responses we leave about other people’s relationships.

A lot of women with low dominance thresholds can’t understand masculine, dominant men, and that contributes to them advising women to leave their men in certain instances or worrying that something is abusive. The reverse also applies, women with high dominance thresholds are less able to wrap their heads around how other women can stay with and be attracted to low dominance men.

It is important to be aware of our biases and work to overcome solipsism. It’s not about what we would do in their situation, but what they should do in their situation. Hopefully having the language to identify dynamics will help us all provide suggestions that work well with whatever dynamic a user is involved in.