#the conflict between wanting to fill these roles naturally vs being forced to be these things

[timbourinedrake]

Finally posting the Talia focused animatic I have been working on, because I don't know when I'll get time to finish it and I like it too much to let it rot in my folder.

This is based on the events of Batman: Son of the Demon and the song is Wife by Mitski

I have a whole lot of thoughts on how this song reflects Talia's treatment as a character both within comics and outside of them, and how she is always treated as the mother/daughter/love interest rather than an individual in her own right. These roles are important to her but she is also more than them, she is her own person. I think it's super interesting to look at how Talia would wrestle with balancing these roles whilst also not letting them be her own defining trait.

[kiveriah]

SW Daemons AU - MASTERPOST

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Jedi lore

The Jedi’s daemons settle later, their deep connection with the force lets them keep changing for longer It usually it’s towards the end of their time as Padawan, it’s part of their trials, it shows mastery of oneself.

Everyone, at the order, has flying daemons; insects, birds, flying mammals, although some exceptions exist.

It is not frowned upon, it only may complicate their efficiency on the field by the nature of their (current) missions.

Also because flying daemons have an easier time archiving endurance for long-distance separation. With meditation and the force, they can stand to be separated.

Yoda has a firefly, she can always light the way even in the deepest darkness.

Mace has a Vampire bat, everyone who has to debrief to the council swears she stares at them.

Sith lore

An important part of becoming Sith is severing your bond and reabsorb your daemon/soul by using an ancient dark ritual, it proves your commitment to the dark, and what better way to fill your anger but with an eternally open wound on your soul.

Sith have no preference of the species or kind for their daemons, they aren't there to stay.

The Chancellor's daemon is mute. A small scarab but it's not really his, he killed her a long time ago. By using the power from the dark side, Sidious severs a daemon from someone else and tethers them to himself, it's flimsy at best and needs to be replaced constantly but it keeps his cover.

Not all Sith attempt this or has this knowledge.

Maul and Savage weren't given a choice, they were forced to go through the ritual.

Count Dooku didn't go through it until AOTC, encouraged by his daemon, she told him to accomplish their goals and to never forget her, she was an Iberian Lynx.

Ventress still has her daemon, a Wyyschokk (spider). She would have never done the ritual, for the Nightsisters their daemons are sacred.

Misc

Clones don’t have daemons, the Senate uses this as justification to make/use them as an army. “They are sentient, yes but they don’t have souls like us”, is their reasoning to pass their war bills and treat them like an army.

Small daemons are preferred for space traveling purposes.

Daemons aren't usually bigger than their person, if they are it is mostly an inconvenience. When daemons present as big creatures, they do on a smaller scale than their "real" animal/creature inspiration.

Sapient creatures cant be daemons.

Daemons settle on their adolescence according to the species lifespan (ex. Yoda 900s vs Togrutas 90s).

Mandaolian daemon's use helmets/special garnmts too once they settle, children's daemons can show their face, since they are still shifting and cant hide their face with a helmet but they are naturally sneaky and shyer than regular daemons. For Mandalorians it is very upsetting having their soul out in the open because most cant wear an armor, so their daemons are usually small critters they can hide on a special compartment of their beskar armor.

Characters

Anakin Skywalker

Whilla

S: Female

Species: Starbird

RL: Phoenix

Many Jedi and the general public debated about what could she be, most agree it's some creature from the outer rim. Some of the most religious Jedi have their own theories. She inst sure about what she is, Whilla doesn't really care, although she believes that Starbirds are silly mythical creatures

She usually shifted into desert creatures and reptiles before settling

Settled at AOTC, when Anakin arrived at Tatooine to save his mother, it was the first time she had taken that form, not even she can explain why she choose that one

Friends with many, but if you provoke her, she will snarl back at you, an uncommon trait for a daemon

Always ready to fight, ride or die

Freely talks with Ahsoka, Obi-wan, Padme, the Chancellor (their daemons), and the 501st (although Palpatine's daemon feels off, she never talks)

Preens with attention but can be more serious than Anakin most of the time

Wants to cuddle with Ahsoka and Obi-wan daemons but knows she can't, so she is happy whenever they see Padme's, she loves to cuddle with him, she is clingy

They plan flight strategies together, she often demonstrates the logistics, she never crashes, she lands with style

According to the holograms when Anakin kneels before Sidious, his daemon looked a bit molt-y, and had some patches without feathers. This had previously happened soon after the Tusken massacre, Anakin believed it was because of the fight

At the fight at Mustafar, she let Obi-wan's daemon go once, she couldn't hurt her. Later when the duel was over and Whilla saw Obi-wan walk away, he didn't look back, she did

She got burnt by trying to pull Anakin away from the lava, her feathers caught fire and her soul lost hers

Starbird

Is Anakin the chosen one? we don't know, what we know is that he is always plagued with the conflict between light and dark so his daemon should represent that.

A Starbird in the Light is remade by fire, a Starbird in the Dark becomes the ashes themselves. They are deeply connected to the force and they are affected more deeply by it.

Dragons and Starbirds on canon have been described as living inside stars and are related to death, coincidence I think not.

If they had embraced the light his daemon would have been reborn on it, she would "be" a phoenix again but instead, she chose the dark too, to live and suffer, being "a" dragon was easier.

Obi-wan Kenobi

Vesper

S: Female

Species: Sonar Swallow

RL: Barn Swallow

Looking at SW canon trying to find a bird, I didn’t want a hawk or any big bird so the swallow was a perfect match

Flashy but elegant, small and fast, perfect for recon

Talks in the same accent

Sometimes talks with Anakin, mostly to tell him to be careful or scold him, she can’t stand his antics but worries for him

Always says “thanks” to Cody, when he brings back his tired idiot (affectionate) lightsaber

She had already settled by the time of TPM, she usually was small animals, so she could stay close, hidden on his clothes

Swallows usually represent hope, loyalty and mourning

Ahsoka Tano

Morai

S: Female

Species: Convor

RL: Northern Saw-whet Owl

Keeping her canon connection with a convor

In rare cases daemons can have the same sex as their pair, so we can keep Morai as a female

She usually preferred to shift into big predators to apparent strength before settling as a convor

Always tried to shift into the same creature as Anakin’s daemon, she never could. Copied Obi-wan’s Sonar swallow, once or twice.

Considers Anakin, his daemon and Rex her friends. Talks with them.

Her daemon had not settled when she was expelled, she did after Order 66

Owls usually represent intellect and wisdom

Padmé Amidala

Altos

S: Male

Species: White stag

RL: White fallow deer

Yes, he gets fancy outfits too, they are both divas. She has to dress him.

Padmé and her handmaiden's daemons talk with each other

They are comfortable with touching each other's daemons, they need it for the charade. Altos follows and interacts with the handmaiden that is playing Padmé's role.

Of course, he talks with Anakin and his daemon too

Whilla loves to attach pretty ribbons into his antlers, he loves it too

Keeping their relationship a secret gets even more ridiculous, how do you act like you haven't touched souls with someone?

Darth Vader

???

S: Female

Species: A shadow of herself

RL: Ashes

After Mustafar she can stay almost galaxies away from Vader now, their link is stretched thin now, this also helps Vader to keep her presence hidden

No, Vader doesn't go along with the ritual (see notes), keeps her hidden and away. Mostly in shame for his weakness, and for something more he can’t name

Either she cant talk or doesn't want to is up in the air, Vader hasn't heard her voice in years

Before she was always warm, now she can only yearn for it. She is a fire that aches to burn

Her relationship with Vader is icy, they are at war with each other

Most of her feathers are gone, only scales remain, she still has some feather patches around the scars.

She mostly stays hidden on Mustafar, she sometimes follows Vader in his endeavors. Pain and time have only made her dangerous

She lets Luke's daemon go on a fight, after finding out he is their son

She is onboard with killing Sidious since forever

When Vader is redeemed, Whilla feels something she thought she will never feel again, warmth

[vaalthus]

Remthalas Theory/Sort of Analysis: The All-Seeing Idiot God, The Dreaming Chaos, The Path of Omniscience. Oh and like potential Lore Spoilers maybe.

With the conclusion of the Reckoning War, and having bared witnessed to Remthalas’ actions, I believe we have a better idea of what our aquatic Dreamfarer desires and intends not only for themselves but for the inhabitants of Lore as well.

We already know that Remthalas believes that the only way to achieve freedom, to dream, is to not be shackled. To not live out the dreams or whims of others. Unfortunately, this boils down to the lesson Remthalas got out of the idea is that people should not tie themselves down by basic laws or morals people tend to follow. Otherwise, the endless possibilities provided by true freedom are not possible.

This a concept that he has clearly taken to his very core given how angrily or impulsively he’ll react should he feel someone is ordering him around or someone else shirking their freedom in his point of view as demonstrated when he rebuked Notha twice for commanding him and when he killed Mr. Nameless/Twinkles.

So that’s it then, right? Remthalas is just an anarchist drunk on freedom? Wanting all of Lore to break their shackles and live out their own dreams never minding once of those around them, right? Well yes, but there is I think a bit more going on here.

I found a few things concerning about Remthalas in our fight with either Notha or Uaanta. One, is that he found the Avatars more interesting in their reduced orb state. Secondly, he didn’t appear to want to destroy them. Thirdly, is that regardless of who we chose to side with, Rem finds us interesting either way. Fourth, and most concerning is that he only found Uaanta truly fascinating if she merged with the Avatars. Lastly, and most revealing was his desire to see all the events unfold regardless of what the outcome was and then simply bounce when a conclusion was reached.

The reason why I find him being able to see Uaanta as a truly fascinating player in this conflict is to be some cause for concern is that being ‘interesting’ to Remthalas seems to, at first, amount to being someone that can bring about his idea of freedom, freedom from the balance the Avatars imposed. Characters like the Hero and I imagine Notha when he first met her and was introduced to her ideology. However, if this is the case, why find Uaanta interesting? She after all plans to shepherd away the very entities responsible for the very concept that resulted in his abandonment and have shackled so many others and their dreams. Why find someone who still intends to be devoted to the Avatars to be a person of interest then? Are they not still choosing to wear their shackles? To ignore their own dreams in the favor of the dreams of others.

 The answer I think is simple. In the end, it was just less about Remthalas serving his ultimate plan and Remthalas wanting a show. Remthalas has always long been aware of our capacity to come out on top over our opponents, including his own fellow members. Why would he suspect there was any possibility we would lose to our dear friend or even Notha? He didn’t because he knew we would win, but how can he enjoy the play if all the actors aren’t putting in effort for their roles. After all, are you satisfied by the just the ending of a movie or the passionate performances that it took to get there?

You see I believe Remthalas revealed what he plans for us and Lore all the way back when we first met in the Ex Somniis Fabula or The Story of Dreams quest. In his introduction, Remthalas posits the question of whether he’d be able to alter reality if the entities only referred to as “They” dreamed instead of just slumbering. With quite the determined, if not a bit demented, expression on his face I might add. There’s also one other feature to this and it’s the fact that Remthalas points out that we’re in his dream, or perhaps more accurately his dream space, and that it’s basically just a blank white box. (There are also the blue glowing circles on his robes that could symbolize having multiple eyes to see which are only visible when he’s in his dream form, but it could also just represent Kathool’s eyes so who knows) This is ultimately his domain and by the looks of it he can bring anyone into it and determine what is experienced within this tiny space. What the viewer sees could amount to anything but what they ultimately stand is just the box, the blank canvas. Here, Remthalas controls reality, what goes on in the ‘bigger picture’ so to speak. Here, Remthalas is as close to a god as anyone else that can control their own dreams.

 What I’m getting at here is that Remthalas doesn’t just want freedom he wants to see possibilities and the process it takes to getting to an outcome. What he wants is to dream and for everyone else to be the actors in his never-ending play of entertainment. To see the big picture change from one point to the other. These are details that I think were touched on when he mentioned that he enjoyed the dreams of children because of their ability to imagine possibilities to fill in gaps left behind by a world they are still very new to. Or when he appeared genuinely disheartened at the idea that he was not at rest. Or when he finds dreams to be not interesting enough when pointing out that Voyna can only ever dream of dragons due to her trauma with them. Or even when we fought him in the dream to save Sally and he noted that our dream was “Fierce, but one dimensional” Or the rather basic nature, in comparison to whatever else he wanted to show us, of Notha’s backstory and memories.

 What he wants is for Lore to be his dream. To fit all of existence in that little box of his and to watch things go wild. Which is why I called him ���Idiot God’ because if true then Remthalas is basically trying to become Azathoth, the Blind-Idiot God from the Lovecraftian Mythos who created the entire universe in that series by simply dreaming, and who will kill it if he ever wakes up. A character/concept I still believe was being referenced when Remthalas asked what would happen if “they” woke up and questioned if the world would stop existing if “they” did. However, unlike Azathoth, Remthalas intends to be aware of all that happens when he finally dreams.

Azathoth is not the only eldritch god that Rem appears to share similarities with and to be honest it the one that makes him perhaps the most untrustworthy. The god I’m referring to of course is Nyarlathotep: The Crawling Chaos, The Dweller in Darkness, The Haunter of the Dark. These are just a few titles of Nyarlathotep, but I believe they would fit Remthalas for the similarities they share with the Outer God. For one thing is how both Remthalas and Nyarlathotep communicate through dreams to any of their unaware victims and pass on information that might shatter their world view. Furthermore, much like Nyarlathotep, Remthalas seems take more enjoyment in the dreams of others being messed with in a way that is typically nightmarish in nature. The most important similarity here of course is that both entities are more driven by spreading chaos and madness through people as opposed to their utter annihilation like other eldritch gods such as Cthulu. The reason for this is because in the case of both characters, I believe in Rem’s case anyway, their enemies isn’t so much other people but rather boredom, in addition to their own stagnation.

An interesting contrast I just thought about between them however is how Nyarlathotep and Remthalas spread chaos. As mentioned, Nyarlathotep does so through dreams by revealing, in typical Lovecraftian cosmic horror fashion, how utterly pointless the lives of his victims are in the face of the sheer overwhelming forces at play in the infinite and unknown universe and how they should just succumb to madness and/or become one of his followers, to amuse himself. Remthalas kind of does something similar when he suggests that morals and the lives people are currently living don’t hold much weight in the face of the grander schemes and roles of the Avatars. 

However, unlike Nyarla, Remthalas would do this so that others cast off their rules, still to amuse himself with the chaos that would thrive from that but in his view, they’d be getting something out of it. A sort of “You and everything you’ve known don’t matter so succumb to despair and madness and entertain me” vs “You and everything you’ve known don’t really matter so do what you want and entertain me” Chaos vs Chaos but different philosophies on how to get it.

The connections that can be drawn to other well known eldritch entities does make me wonder if when we see Remthalas next he might be trying to elevate his power on the material plane to that of the Primordials (Kathool, Uthuluc (probably not Uthuluc out of all of them to be honest), The Witness, Sciuridaehotep, the latter of which is just a Nyarlathotep reference) or is somehow going to get them involved in some way when his plans really start to get under way. If he does somehow involve Kathool in what he intends to pull off I imagine we might see Aquella again given that she’s supposed to overwatch his bedtime and I think it would fit to have a water take on another that was devoted to Kathool. I’d suspect she, or potentially another water elf, could reveal more of in-depth info on Remthalas’ servitude to the Avatars and later Kathool.

This brings us to the question of course of how exactly Rem plans to pull this all off. Obviously, we fit into those plans. However, with what just happened with the Avatars now being out of the picture and Myalos also being out of commission, what’s the next step? Where does he take us from there? The answer goes back to those “They” entities being referenced. Remthalas has brought them up, but he wasn’t the only one I believe. Celeritas mentioned them once when Sinnoncence made his move. I believe, I’m certain, that our dear Big Daddy named dropped them for us a long time ago. 

The one and only Aequilibria, the true gods of existence who are said to be slumbering even now. How Remthalas intends on exerting power over these beings is unknowable, but it would appear the best time to do so before they awake once more.

Which brings us to the Hero and the interest Rem has taken in them. It is clear the main reason that Remthalas has taken an interest in us is because of how capable we were in comparison to Uaanta at the time he was scouting us both out. We are an invested tool…and yet. I cannot help but wonder if Remthalas continued engrossment of us isn’t just because he knows we’ll be useful to his plans but also because Remthalas is straight up looking for a plus one when his plan would be theoretically completed. He did offer us to see where the currents of existence could take us.

  After all, why look at and enjoy multiple paintings in a vacuum or go to the movies by yourself when you can have someone watch it all with you. Then again, as I mentioned earlier, he could simply be viewing us as just another tool to pull off his plans and that is join the others later once everything falls in place

All of what I stated is more speculation than anything but if any of it’s true then we are in for a ride.

[katsidhe]

Choose your mindscape: 6.22 vs 9.1.

AHHH HELP I love them both so much. Sam’s coma forests deserve ALL the rights. 

My first instinct is that 6.22 has to win here, just because of sheer preponderance of Sams (all! sam! all! the! time!). But 9.01 has SUCH fascinating commentary on Sam’s decision-making and his relationship to the value of his own life.

In 6.22, Sam is trying to reintegrate himself: the parts of himself that have been split have to come together, messily, violently. The crux of his emotional climax here is realizing what it is that he’s got to do, and choosing to embrace these other selves so that he can get up and get out. Main!Sam isn’t actually conflicted on this front, so the conflict comes from his other selves: from their memories and opinions that are inaccessible to him. It’s his mind actually, actively at war, a question of core identity. And this gives Sam the ability to react and think against the lavishly appointed backdrop of his subconscious, and to play off the pieces of him that he’s about to build into his late-seasons personality. Soulless has his determination to save Sam/himself from the suffering of full reintegration--Sam’s pragmatic survival drive. Hell!Sam is exhausted, and he asks Sam to let him be, with the full expectation that Sam won’t listen. I love Hell!Sam’s quiet, quiet resignation--for as little screen time as he has, he fills the room with his silence, with the weight of what he knows Sam’s about to carry. 

In 9.01, in contrast, Sam isn’t actually split--he is just indecisive. He can’t choose whether he wants peace and completion or to continue to struggle. And so Sam gives roles in his head to other people in his life to argue it out with him. His sanity isn’t at risk the way it was in 6.22, but his life is, and to dramatize Sam’s fight with quasi-suicidality/acceptance of death as a DECISION rather than some external obstacle is a wonderful choice. In that sense, in some ways 9.01 is more about Sam vs. self than 6.22 is, ironically enough, because of the ways Sam’s selves are pseudo-externalized (internally, of course. Lol). 

In 9.01, Sam casts Dean as his instinct to fight for survival, and to do so violently: he doesn’t have logic or a plan or ideas, he’s just got directionless, violent determination that Sam should not die. The Dean in Sam’s head punches him to try to keep him alive, and that’s some pretty accurate commentary on Sam’s part, but. But. Sam tells him that it’s okay, that he’s decided, and Dean!Sam goes. There are a bunch of layers to how you could interpret this. Choose from: Sam can’t/thinks he can’t have peace with Dean; Sam thinks his only tether to the struggle and therefore life is Dean; Sam trusts Dean’s ability to finally let him go when he asks this desperately; Sam doesn’t trust Dean will let him go and so has to send him away by force. 

Sam casting Bobby on his other shoulder, as Sam’s acceptance of peace, and a refusal to fight the natural order, is in some ways a rare example of Sam being kind to himself. Which is extra ironic, because Bobby!Sam is the one convincing Sam to lay down and die. But he has some really nice things to say, that Sam’s leaving a legacy, that he deserves rest and to break the endless cycle of resurrections. Sam using that strength to tell his violent Dean construct that peace is something worth fighting for, that it’s what he wants, is poignant and full of dramatic irony, given what real Dean is currently up to. and then Death shows up, and then Dean!Gadreel. 

...........so that analysis was supposed to help me decide between them rather than make it harder. They’re pretty different, which might be surprising, given that they’re both coma forests! I think in the end, 6.22 does still win out on sheer excitement, and for the way it so effectively dramatized the establishment of Sam’s identity for years to come. It’s an excellent bridge between early and late seasons.  

[ilummoss]

One thing I really liked about Mace Windu: Jedi of the Republic is that it is really one long philosophy discussion, mostly concerning the war and the Jedi’s new role in it. It’s also a story about who Mace Windu is (vs how some perceive him).

Most of the discussions are the Jedi speaking amongst themselves, but it also includes some “debates” between Mace and the main villain of the comic, evil-money-grubbing-droid*. Many of these discussions also echo each other or other events in the comic in a way that is either intentional or someone accidentally striking gold.  *(The droids name is technically AD-W4, but honestly evil-money-grubbing-droid fits it way better. This thing makes General Grievous look like he has a healthy outlook on life.)

This is going to get long so buckle up (or blacklist the long post tag). 

The comic starts on a discussion between Ki-Adi Mundi and Mace about the war and the Jedi’s new role in it. This discussion is then (spiritually) continued between other Jedi characters. It follows through the entire comic. 

They continue to discuss how the Jedi strive to lead by example and Mace wonders if it would be easier to guide the Republic down the right path from the front of the battle lines. 

Mace later discusses his doubts with the ugliest Yoda ever painted. (It pains me to think that this is what Yodel/Yodito will look like in just a millennia.) 

Mace and Prosset Dibbs also discuss this very same thing, but here Prosset is the one who brings his doubts to Mace. 

(*Prosset speaks several times about sensing an unease in the force, which is interesting, considering how we know that the Clone Wars is a trap that has just sprung shut around the Jedi.)

Then we have my favourite moment:

A discussion about how they are peacekeepers is literally interupted by the war. We have the entirety of Clone Wars right here. The purpose of the Clone Wars even. This is an important conversation, but the Jedi do not have time for it. Because of the urgency of the war. It’s the worst and I love it.

There are also some good moments between Kit Fisto and Prosset but I’ve discussed those before, so I won’t be going into them as much here. To summarise, Prosset falls into despair over all the people who have died on this planet as a side-effect of the Separatist’s ruthless exploitation of the planets natural resources, and the failure of the Jedi to protect them. 

Prosset then accuses Mace and the Council of having turned their back on the orders teaching and advancing their own agenda (though he is unclear about what said agenda would be), that Mace is fighting this war for his own sake. He then goes even further and accuses the Council of tossing away the lives of this planets inhabitants as collateral, declaring that the true reason behind the mission is a power grab, that they too are aiming at explotating this planet, something we as readers know is false. They were sent there to figure out why the separatists are interested in this place. We have also seen Mace throughout the comic focus on protecting the civilians and trying to find a way to shut down the Separatist operation there, explicitly so that it won’t end up destroying the planet. 

But the confrontation between Prosset and Mace echoes an earlier confrontation between Mace and AD-W4.

This moment follows AD-W4 introducing his motivations* and Mace declaring that the Jedi fight for peace throughout the galaxy (”the greatest cause there is”). It also ties into AD-W4′s misunderstanding of who Mace is, what actually drives him, which eventually leads to his mission there failing. *(Evil-money-grubbing-droid openly states that he is only fighting for money, that he doesn’t care about who’s wrong or right in this conflict, only that the conflict continues so that his services are needed and he can make more money.)

This bit about a void is terribly interesting however, because Mace also speaks about being driven by the need to fill a void in this comic, but not in relation to himself, but to Prosset. 

“I have experienced first hand what insecurity does to men. How a mind warps with it’s obsessive quest to fill the void. With power. With wealth. With lust. With truth.”

Prosset denies it, but he has twisted, warped what is actually happening around him, into something that he can deal with. The Jedi Council have to be bad guys, there has to a conspiracy, because the truth that this is just out of their power and an uncountable amount of innocent people are going to die despite all of them trying their hardest is too much for him to handle.

Prosset also threw out a vague accusation that Mace is fighting this War for himself, something we see again in Mace’s final confrontation with AD-W4. During their fight the droid repeatedly taunts Mace:

“An excuse for your violence. You’re a hypocrite. Perhaps I am force-sensitive myself.”

It is certainly not a flattering picture of Mace Windu these two adversaries paint up. But this confrontation in turn ties into a mission from Mace’s youth which we are introduced to in flashbacks, where Padawan Mace Windu and Jedi Master Cyslin Myr has been sent to a planet suffering under a plague to investigate the disappearance of the Jedi in charge of an outreach temple there. The temple has been taking over be a “Master Drooz” a charlatan exploiting the suffering population, which has left young Mace outraged. 

*(Look at this, more Jedi philosophy. In this comic? What a surprise ^u^)

This moment is pretty clearly here to introduce us to Mace’s struggle with his anger, a characteristic both antagonists of this comic has honed in on. But this anger is connected to how deeply idealistic Mace is at heart, something they miss. As they confront the swindler, Drooz mocks them for what he sees as “squandering” a chance for profit and power whilst Mace’s answer underlines how those things grow pale in comparison to higher goals. 

This confrontation ends on a Palpatine parallel as subtle as a hammer blow to the head. 

This is the last part of the flashback, and it’s positioned right in the scene where Mace finally subdues Prosset, standing above him with his lightsaber pointing down. And then Mace knocks Prosset unconscious and says that he will be brought to the Jedi council. Master Myr’s lesson was heard. 

A fire burns in Mace, that is true. It is something Mace must struggle with and control. But he has learned to keep that fire tempered. He is no longer that hotheaded Padawan, but a disciplined Jedi Master.

The fight between Mace and AD-W4 ends in AD-W4′s defeat, but with evil-money-grubbing-droid gloating that his actual mission was still completed. 

Except AD-W4, like how the fake “Master Drooz” did not understand the Jedi and what drives them, does not understand Mace.

AD-W4 thinks he has Mace figured out, so he missed that Mace was really using himself as a distraction, whilst young Jedi Knight Rissa Mano rigged that ship to explode. As Mace tells AD-W4 during this fight: “Do not mock, nor underestimate, that which you do not understand.”

Mace actually believes in peace. Truly and deeply so. This belief, this want to do good and protect people, is what drives him forward. By believing that Mace was driven foremost by his anger AD-W4 misjudges his entire situation. 

“My righteousness is anything but self-motivated. There is definitive right and wrong. Good and evil.

Mace is going after AD-W4 not because he wants the fight and victory, “the power trip”, but because what evil-money-grubbing-droid is doing is wrong. The destruction he brings to this planet and it’s locals and his very indifference to it, is evil. 

This comic isn’t trying to pretend that Mace Windu is perfect. The very obvious Palpatine parallels reminds us of the moment in his future where Mace will not manage to temper his righteous fury. But this is not yet that point. 

Which brings us one final time back to Prosset. The crux of Prosset’s Fall lies in that this war is horrible and should not exist. The people of this planet should not be hurt and killed by it. 

But, as Mace points out here, it is not up to the Jedi to decide if there will be a war or not*. Peace is already lost. Not fighting will not protect these people.  *(The greatest irony of the Clone Wars is of course that it is an artificial conflict designed to benefit one person solely. There is someone who has decided that there should be a war and has moved everything into place for it. Palpatine could decide to end this any day, but the very core of his character declares that he never will.)

During Mace and Prosset’s fight Rissa is echoing the point Yoda made at the beginning of this comic. If the Jedi don’t keep moving, if they don’t fight, things will get even worse and more will die. 

The Jedi have to move forward and commit fully to their choice, because anything else will get people killed. It’s not about not doubting or questioning, but that sometimes you must move even when there is doubt.

This is the conclusion to the discussion going on throughout this comic. The choice to enter the clone wars wasn’t uncomplicated or easy. The Jedi clearly have great doubt about it, both as an organisation and individuals. But sometimes all you have are bad choices, and the responsibility to choose. 

[horde-princess]

A Meta on Catra’s Relationships with DT, Scorpia, and Adora

I’m so excited to write this finally ljsdflkj okay so. I’ve been thinking about why the creators would choose to center a whole season around this new character Double Trouble. They drove the plot and played a major role in a really important part of the story, Catra’s redemption. So I wanna think more about the purpose of this character and go deeper into a couple of their scenes with Catra.

tbh Catra and DT’s very first interaction says it all: DT literally takes the form of Scorpia and tells Catra “I’m about to become your new best friend.” As the season goes on, Double Trouble replaces Scorpia as a sort of artificial confidant for Catra. But it blows up in her face and the purpose of the whole thing is to shed light on Catra’s main internal conflict: her desire for love vs. her fear of heartbreak/vulnerability.

In other words, I believe Double Trouble was introduced as a foil to Scorpia. But if we think about how Scorpia is also a foil to Adora, then that means DT is like... a foil to a foil. So they’re not directly associated with Adora but a lot of what they do relates back to her. Yeah there are a lot of layers here lmao but basically what I’m gonna analyze is how Catra’s relationships with these three characters intertwine and build off each other in season 4 to set the stage for Catra’s redemption (and catradora endgame hollaaa)

So in the beginning, Catra and DT both understand their relationship to be a business arrangement. When does that start to change for Catra, and why?

Catra’s History With Betrayal

Just think about Catra’s relationships at the start of s4.. After the portal, Adora had basically severed whatever was left of their relationship, and that was shown to be weighing on Catra all season. Scorpia and Entrapta were the only other people she cared about, but Entrapta betrayed her (first by monopolizing Hordak’s attention then by refusing to open the portal), then Scorpia dared to question her decision to send their friend to die and her presence became a constant reminder of Catra’s guilt. In fact, the mere mention of Entrapta’s name in 4x03 causes Catra to snap and yell at Scorpia “we are not friends!” ... which of course isn’t true. Catra may think Scorpia’s annoying but she confided in her, her loyalty made Catra feel like she could trust her.. and that’s exactly why Catra always tried so hard to push her away. All the betrayals in her life scarred her so deeply that she wanted to avoid emotional intimacy at all costs. I’m about to get Jungian up in this shit bc we see a deep disconnect between Catra’s outward actions (her conscious) and her inner desires (subconscious) this season and it’s this i believe that leads to her breakdown in 4x10. It’s an unsustainable way to live.

Why Catra Trusted Double Trouble

So by 4x04, Catra had sabotaged her only two relationships. She was utterly alone, and vulnerable, and Double Trouble was in the right place at the right time offering their loyalty to her.. so Catra did what any emotionally stable person would do and subconsciously used a hired mercenary to try and fill the growing void in her heart. I don’t think Catra actually cared about DT much at all, like sure they got along and that matters on some level, but I think it’s more that Catra was in a vulnerable place and DT was the only one around.

So why does Catra trust Double Trouble when she won’t let herself trust anyone else? I’ve seen some posts saying it’s because Catra is self-destructive--i.e. she only seeks love from people who won’t give it to her because she doesn’t believe she deserves love--which is super true.. but I think her motivations can be better explained by saying that Catra knew from the start that Double Trouble didn’t really care about her, and that’s why the partnership was attractive to her (at first). She thought it would be safe--no vulnerability, no risk of heartbreak. But the truth is Catra’s just not as disaffected as she wishes she was.

The moment Catra really let her guard down was when Double Trouble saved her from the collapsing building in 4x04. 

can we just!! talk about this scene!!!! the way her voice shakes when she says “saving me” just, oh my god... like what a touchy subject for her, right? Shes spent her whole life resenting how Adora was always trying to “save” her from everything. I’m not sure but I think White Out (2x05) was the only other time Catra thanked someone for saving her life, and she just says “thanks for getting us out of there.” So her use of the word “save” here is special and it illustrates how deeply vulnerable Catra feels this season, and more importantly it’s a sign of character development! It’s no coincidence that the theme of saving is connected between DT, Scorpia, and Adora. It’s leading up to Catra learning to replace her resentment towards Adora with something closer to gratitude. 

But while the scene connects these relationships, it also highlights their differences. After Catra displays an astounding amount of vulnerability with DT, they coolly reply “well, I live to serve... for a price, of course.”

This right here is the first step of Catra’s breakdown. Suppressed desires making themselves known, one half of her heart rebelling against the other. She was pushing away her real friends and finding hollow companionship with someone she thought she wouldn’t get attached to, but it happened anyway.

The difference between Double Trouble and Scorpia must have become glaringly obvious to Catra in that moment. Whereas Scorpia was loyal to Catra out of love, DT was mostly interested in getting paid. And she was surprised by how much that hurt. She fucking hated how much it hurt, you can see it written all over her face. It’s why she fails Scorpia’s little test in 4x06. Because of Double Trouble, Catra’s true desires were threatening to break free, so outwardly she fights against it and acts more resistant than ever to being friends with Scorpia. She castigates her, calls her annoying and incompetent, harsher than we’ve ever seen... but she didn’t expect Scorpia to hit back (we did, tho. Scorpia’s an icon).

In four words Scorpia teaches Catra a hard lesson about what it means to earn someone’s loyalty. She knew she must’ve really fucked up if she somehow managed to push away the most loyal person in all of Etheria. And again the fake nature of Catra’s relationship with Double Trouble provides a reference for her to see why Scorpia’s loyalty, based in love, was so valuable, and why she shouldn’t have taken it for granted. It also relates to Adora because, similar to Scorpia, Adora had been trying so hard these past 3 seasons to connect with Catra, but she refused to forgive her and her behavior eventually forced Adora to cut ties. So Scorpia calling her out pushes Catra towards accepting some personal responsibility for everything that happened with Adora, too. Man there are just.. a ton of implications here.

Then Catra gives Hordak a fun pep talk but really it’s just her self-projecting all over him:

At this point her hateful actions and her goal to conquer Etheria are extremely out of line with her true desires and we can see it’s really affecting her mental state. It wasn’t just one thing or person that caused her breakdown, it was a combination of Adora severing their relationship, and Scorpia’s disappointment in her, and Double Trouble’s indifference towards her. All three of these situations were playing off each other and chipping away at Catra’s carefully crafted armor, revealing a desire to be loved hidden underneath... which she continued to fight against for as long as she could. Adora and Scorpia were playing their roles in helping Catra learn to take responsibility for her life, but those relationships wouldn’t have been so effective had it not been for how they were contrasted with Double Trouble’s indifference. Anyway have I mentioned how amazing and complex this show is????

Catra Loses DT and Scorpia Around the Same Time

4x07 is the last time Catra talks to Double Trouble before they get captured by the rebels. Coincidentally, Catra realizes that Scorpia left her just one episode later, which once again points to a connection between these two characters. From 4x08 to 4x11 Catra is completely alone, feeling like she has lost everyone in her life. It sets the stage for her meltdown in 4x10. But my fave part about Scorpia leaving is how it changes the way Catra thinks about betrayal. 

Even if Scorpia didn’t tell Catra where she was going in the note she left, Catra had to have assumed she was leaving to join the Rebellion because where else would she have gone right? So the two people Catra loves most have now BOTH abandoned her to join the rebellion. I don’t even wanna think about how triggering that betrayal must have been for Catra.. I don’t wanna think about how the next time Catra sees Scorpia she’s going to be a full blown princess with powers and everything, just like what happened with Adora. 

But there’s a key difference between Adora and Scorpia. Catra knows at this point that Adora didn’t want to leave her behind, but she did anyway to pursue some destiny that Catra wasn’t a part of, which left her feeling betrayed. Scorpia, on the other hand--the very definition of ‘loyalty’--left her specifically because Catra pushed her away. Her fear of vulnerability manifested as anger towards someone she refused to admit that she cared about, and it pushed her away.

Once again I think Scorpia is teaching Catra a lesson about taking responsibility for some of the shit in her life. It’s a privilege that Adora lost after being careless with Catra’s trust, and thus Scorpia was the only one in a position to reach Catra and help her. But I think that the things Catra learned from Scorpia are going to play back into her relationship with Adora and allow them to reconcile (when Adora deals with her own issues too).

We can also say a little about how Double Trouble’s betrayal contrasts with Scorpia’s and Adora’s. I think their complete emotional detachment is the perfect frame of reference for Catra to be able to acknowledge that even though Scorpia and Adora left her, they DID love her, and they never stopped trying to reach out to her--at least, not until Catra crossed a line with both of them. At some point, Catra went from being justified in her feelings of betrayal to overdoing it, placing too much blame where it didn’t belong and closing the door to forgiveness. So I think that’s the role that Double Trouble played there, helping Catra see that difference. Like even if someone leaves you, hurts you, it doesn’t always mean they don’t love you. Relationships take work and understanding and forgiveness and you have to learn how to handle that or you’ll always be alone. Scorpia’s the pure embodiment of that lesson, and she’s lighting the way for Catra to navigate the much more nebulous waters of her grudge against Adora.

Double Trouble’s Betrayal

So now Catra is feeling abandoned by Scorpia and Double Trouble (her only friends) and we see the disconnect between what’s in her heart and the front she’s been putting on come to a head in 4x10 when she has that meltdown. She’s kind of losing it because her fear and heartbreak are driving her down a path that she doesn’t actually want. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion. In 4x12 she continues to hold on desperately to the idea that beating Adora will make her happy, because at this point she doesn’t see any way to turn the car around.

There’s an absolutely fantastic scene early in 4x12 that sets up Double Trouble’s betrayal beautifully, like really it’s a masterpiece. Catra’s childhood friends walk in on her in the locker room and they’re laughing and joking around and for a second it’s like... Catra longs to be a part of that again.. To have friends, to be happy. But then Kyle accidentally kicks one of Scorpia’s old doodles (a painful reminder that she’s gone) and Catra freaks out and attacks them. Kyle’s like “we used to be friends, why are you treating us like this?” So she lets them leave, feeling alone and miserable, and THAT’S when Double Trouble waltzes in... having had just made a deal with Glimmer to double cross Catra.

God it hurts so much. The contrast between her pushing away Scorpia and her real friends, and then her childlike relief upon seeing the person who just sold her out.

This scene gives me fucking chills with the nightmare-ish music and everything.. It’s like, at this point DT is just fucking with her, they’ve already got Catra figured out. This face touch is so cruel and fits with the show’s motif of manipulative affection, too. For me it felt very disconcerting to see Catra like this... unaware that she’s been defeated yet she’s so emotionally vulnerable here, she’s like putty in Double Trouble’s hands. Scorpia leaving cracked her open and, as they’re the last person left standing with Catra’s trust, Double Trouble’s in the perfect position to come in and break her.

So the next episode 4x13 has that crazy scene where Double Trouble totally obliterates Catra and I’m not even gonna talk about it lmao because yall have already done a great job analyzing it. But I do wanna draw attention to the fact that this is the only thing she says in this whole scene:

Can you believe that’s what mattered the most to her in that moment? Not that literally everything she had been working for for the past 4 seasons had just turned to dust before her eyes, but the fact that this random mercenary she hired betrayed her. And there was no anger at all, just... heartbreak.

And then look at what she says to Glimmer afterwards (setting aside the fact that Catra is basically giving up on life...) she says nothing about the war, nothing about winning or revenge. The only thing she’s thinking about is how lonely she feels.

So by the end of Season 4, I think Catra did finally figure out what she truly wanted in life. She didn’t want to be on top just for power’s sake, she wanted people to respect her, to love her, so that no one could hurt her anymore. But she was so obsessed with winning that she ended up losing everyone’s respect. Wow haha if only she could get a second chance to earn it back the right way.... like say if, idk, she was trapped in space jail and forced to team up with her sworn enemy to survive and they came out best friends or something <:)

To sum up, Double Trouble’s role in Season 4 was to break Catra’s mask and force her to consider what she truly wants. I think their betrayal taught Catra to really appreciate what a terrible mistake she made in pushing Scorpia and Adora away. It taught her the difference between someone leaving her because they don’t care about her, and someone cutting ties with her even though they do care for her very deeply, they just couldn’t take Catra treating them like crap anymore. It showed her that what Adora did was nothing like what DT did. That’s what a betrayal feels like when the person doesn’t care about you. Someone who doesn’t care about you isn’t going to beg for your forgiveness for 3 seasons and risk being obliterated from existence just to get you back.

But the real beauty of season 4 was how Catra hitting rock bottom had almost nothing to do with Adora. With the help of other friends Catra has begun to find her own reasons to change, she’s acknowledging her guilt and heartbreak and discovering the person she wants to become. She’s learning to take responsibility instead of just blaming other people. And this character development had nothing to do with romance, just like how Adora breaking free of her destiny and learning to let go of control had little to do with Catra. I love the different perspectives on love that they give us with Catra, Adora, and Scorpia. I love how this show takes the “love conquers all” trope and subverts it, saying that sometimes.. love breaks you. Sometimes it’s not enough. Sometimes it’s used as a weapon. Sometimes you have to let go of people you love, but it opens up space for you to figure out who you are and what you want and to conquer your own demons. You’ll come out the other side with a better understanding of what real, healthy love is supposed to look like. And maybe in the end, the love you always sought will find you again, in its own time, in its own way. 💘

[sendmyresignation]

alright. writing this “little” piece to exorcise the demon inside of me that wants to expand my teenagers meta further than it needs to go (if you weren't aware I'm writing a post, well an essay, wellll a short paper, about why teenagers fits on the black parade- stay tuned) BUT i cannot stop thinking about the multiple little "rockstar to kill" moments within the song/music video/live performances so... I'm self-indulgently going to write about it :)

anyway, at its most simplified, teenagers is a song about the violence within adolescents and being an adult whose afraid of that capability. that is the basic, surface-level understanding of the song. inherently, with mcr specifically, that sets up a conflict between the narrator of the song and the song’s audience. that means conflict is generational- it duplicates itself over and and over which allows for several different understandings of the narrator’s perspective. the cyclical nature means they could be speaking to a representation of what they view as the fundamental corruption of the youth, both by outside focuses and their very human nature, as the narrator become more cynical in their old age. it could be representative of them talking to their past self, reminiscing on the revenge fantasies they had in high school or the ways they were made to feel like an outcast when they were young. and they also could be speaking directly to the very literal future about their concerns as a mentoring figure (teenagers, to me, functions in layers, its interpretation can shift and change depending on the context) right now we’re preoccupied with that last perspective both within the song and the video’s contextualization, and into this wider idea of what the band’s purpose was (or how they saw their purpose).

putting the rest under a read more out of respect <333

moving into the actual text with that in mind, what becomes significant is the tonal contrast between being the seemly scathing, sarcastic indictment of Dangerous Teenagers on the surface to the actual understanding (if we’re talking about the single on its own) which is moreso criticizing the Authority figures who create and mold this violence either purposely (cog in the murder machine) or with indifference (you’ll never fit in much/they’ll leave you alone/as well as the implication of having to take matters into your own hands because the adults are absent). As a result, the song, on its own, isn’t actually blaming teenagers for the violence they perpetuate, but the narrator attempts to extend their understanding and offer advice. here is a figure looking to bring catharsis without patronizing. like this is most clearly expressed in the use of “maybe they’ll leave you alone, but not me” at the end of the chorus, which in this reading means the other adults may leave you alone, the but I am stepping in to tell you that both self-directed and outward expressions of violence are bullshit and useless and that’s what everyone else is expecting of you so fucking stop it! (this can obviously be re-figured within the context of the album- because, interestingly, the pronouns are purposely confusing with the multiple uses of they in this section) the violence is never explicitly vilified by the speaker,- its exaggerated- what you have under your shirt won’t solve anything isn’t that obvious how ridiculous it sounds, how ridiculous I sound saying it out loud? but also, the violence is implicit. the conflict is still there. the teenagers still scare the shit out of the narrator. so what gives?

well. the song is still about the gulf between generations. the speaker is still afraid and out of touch, regardless of the leadership role they’ve assumed or the perspective of the past they can offer. there is ultimately a limit to how much they can give.

which leads us right into the music video.

So first things first, Black Parade as a whole is heavily inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall musically, but the actual aesthetics of the wall are kind of divorced from the ww1 cabaret weimar thing that parade is drenched in (bc britian circa the 1950s is boring and the wall is purposely very ugly and grey and removed from emotion which isn’t dramatic enough for what mcr had in mind). However, teenagers exists as a sort of connecting point between the two-  the music video of Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 (which you can watch here if you’ve never seen it) is clearly an influence on the subject matter and the setting and the “plot” of teenagers video- it serves as a sort of a parallel to it. more specifically, there are the “running shots” of kids making their way through unlit hallways into the auditorium that evoke the children in the pink floyd video marching through the school. there’s also the line “cog in the murder machine”, which seem particularly inspired from the depiction of children as going through machines and coming out the other side stiff, wooden, and obedient. then the backdrop of the large bomb centered in my chem’s stage show mimics the shot of the headmaster standing behind the large, lit up clock- especially since that where the teenagers in the crowd of mcr’s video all begin acting in unison, similar to the children in the wall all falling into line (but, like, just the use of ww2 era bomb imagery and gas masks in general is very reminiscent of the early wartime parts of the wall anyway). so in a vague sense, there is a huge connection between teenagers and that emulation and replication of the wall.

however, the most striking similarity is that, in the same way the students destroy their school in a moment of violent inspiration after sequences of disconcerting compliance, the group of high schoolers in teenagers do the same against the band. the difference is that in the case of the teenagers, the explosion is directed at the source of their outburst (they switch from the on-beat fist-punching to wild moshing as the song devolves and ray’s solo starts) instead of in opposition to a more institutional suppressive force. they are not motivated to action because of something done to them, instead it is the actual music itself that serves as both the impetus of conformity and the fuse that destroys that same unison action and then the band. and what’s significant is the particularity of the actions the crowd takes: they steal the band’s instruments from them and they bodily remove gerard from the microphone. like contrast this violence against the band vs the desolation row video where the whole band is physically incapacitated- there, its about knocking them around and getting them to stop (ray is beat down by police, bobs drums are destroyed, etc etc). but here, its about taking their places- the act of destruction is calculated but not purposely cruel. so, in teenagers being a parallel to Another Brick, that moment of turning on the band is the moment of violence but is also the moment of freedom. the difference in the two becomes the ways in which the band is responsible for reawakening the fire within the audience and giving them a purpose. which here is “killing the rockstar” by taking over, taking their places. and that is the nature of music and the nature of the conflict implicit to becoming the “rockstars”

it brings us right back around to that generational conflict: except when your talking about mcr’s realationship with their audience, that becomes the fostering of a group of outcasts and weirdos and freaks and giving them the tools to save themselves, yes. but also giving them the opportunity to do exactly what they did. to pick instruments and take their places. its the cyclical nature of creation and destruction “because when we get old and lazy some of you guys are gonna have to eat us alive by starting your own fucking band (x), that idea of needing a “rockstar to kill” has been refigured to mean something newer, positive. we are the ones killing them, but not in the way of typical martyring where a crowd of detractors and nonbelievers burns you at the stake- but instead by continuing the natural cycle of art, true genuine art. just as mcr is built off of so many influences- creating an entirely new project out of that existing landscape of sound that reaches people and gives them an outlet, we are doing the same things. by besmirching metal and punk by mixing them together, by “selling out” so they could put together a rock opera, by adding theater into a hyper masculine culture of nu-metal and post-hardcore, by making deeply emotional music that was still violent or angry, by writing the way they did they killed the bands they loved and made something better. its the the way in which the creative cycle is a rebirth, of scavenging the good things from the people who came before you and moving forward and taking the world by storm. here, in the video, the audience redirects their violence at the band, yes. but that is the point. teenagers still scare the shit out of the narrator, but that’s not going to stop them from reaching out, from speaking to them directly, from performing until their very last moments

until they take over. until they kill the rockstar. until we eat them alive.

in the end, that is the mission of my chemical romance, isn’t it- to inspire that level of passion, to turn the music into a life-raft and then gasoline and fire in your gut and then a sense of purpose and then into freedom and endless joy? and isn’t it the greatest act of love, the truest expression of admiration to tear them apart, build ourselves creations out of the wreckage to fill the space they leave behind, and then lay them to rest when the time has come?

[advernia]

hi hi!!! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ mmm… i try not to expect something out of an unreleased route (bc most of the time i am horribly betrayed lmao) but there are loads of stuff i hope to see! forgive me for being rambly tho haha!  

mousse. i actually have no idea what to expect from his route but what i do know is that his current position as a diplomat bothers me in a lot of ways lmao! but anyway… naturally we should be getting details on why he left the red army in the first place, so maybe on that side i do wish we’d get more insight on the workings of the red army, i guess? not that i’m expecting something super detailed or anything (tho it would be great if cybird feeds us with details), but for starters, maybe something more concerning the chosen bloodline - for instance, how did it come to be that for the red army, those thirteen certain families are the only ones strictly allowed to fill in that one position in the chosen ranks??? do relatives or family branch members count??? additionally, is mousse the first case of someone stepping down / refusing to take over their designated rank??? i’d like to think that he isn’t, but then again i maybe wrong???

alternatively… maybe mousse’s route could fill in some bit of cradle lore too? lmao i mean he is a diplomat and alice is a ‘visitor’, so he’s the best suitor to fit in the role of a tour guide. maybe a little more idea on how cradle works as an actual country, bc god i can’t even imagine how it functions properly. who knows, maybe he actually knows about that abandoned building in the forbidden forest + why it’s there in the first place. maybe he can actually elaborate the background of the goddamn 500 year conflict. if he actually does, bless my soul.

on relationships… while mousse is neutral but a former red, i imagine we’ll be seeing more of the ra guys rather than the ba, maybe… that’s fine with me since i’m interested in learning more about his relationship with lancelot, and maybe how he interacts with kyle + edgar since we already have a general idea of how he is around jonah + zero. but since the neutral faction has increased now, i’d like it if most of his interactions would involve more of his fellow neutrals. they need more screentime.

and finally, romantically… man, that ‘love at first sight… or is it?’ bit on his profile really gets me. oh, i will be ridiculously happy if that whole ‘love at first sight’ thing is interpreted as just sheer interest on mousse’s part. he’s in love with the visitor from the land of reason, with alice the second who hails from the same land as the first alice. he’s in love with the thought of her, a person who lives in a world so different from his own…but has he ever seen alice the second as the woman she is, as another human being??? this is probably unlikely to happen as mousse doesn’t seem too cold as a character but OOOOHHHHH I’D LOVE TO HAVE A TWIST（○□○）

tl;dr: a focus on red army history / more expository stuff on cradle. a toss between mousse interacting with the ra + neutrals, preferrably more of the latter. if cybird pulls a surprising twist / interpretation on mousse’s ‘love at first sight’ for alice, then i will LIVE.

dean. for starters, i’d like a little more understanding on how the boarding school he works in operates haha… i get it’s open to all regardless of status (red/black, noble/commoner maybe?), but what type of school is it, is it a regular one or a military academy of sorts??? if it’s a military type, to what extent are the students trained - basic combat/magic or are there advanced classes or all that shebang??? from what age are you able to enroll in it??? who runs it??? probably someone from the neutral faction / government itself but seriously speaking, is this the only school available in cradle??? if you’re wondering why i think that, i just find it odd that two different factions that have been in constant conflict still send their kids to study in that one school where anyone and everyone is accepted… i’d imagine the red side isn’t so happy about this more than the black side is, but maaaybe it’s a government-mandated / treaty / pact thing??? tbh i’m still on the fence on those ideas since there’s a lot more questions that would arise from that but… yeah. just… details, pls _(:3」∠)_ oh, more bonus points if we get more info about the day everything went dark!

anyway… dean being a professor appears underwhelming but it’s pretty interesting to take into account that he probably trained all(?) of them army suitors so… personally i’d be interested if there’s your teacher vs. student(s) fight scenes lmao. preferrably with dean still able to hold his own. bonus points if he taunts his opponent in the process with words like ‘i see you’ve forgotten your fundamentals’ or something haha! even more bonus points if we get dean/alice fighting the forces of evil magic disciples together!!! oh, that would be so good.

it would be fun if dean’s the type to subtly poke his former students with their dark history past mistakes when he sees them / needs them to settle down or smth. maybe he has dirt on someone like luka (and no, it isn’t about him feeding birds on the rooftop lmao). maybe he’s the only one who can make sirius & lancelot feel nervous easily, holy shit. but again, as dean’s a neutral, i’d prefer his interactions to involve more of his fellow neutrals. especially dalim. though that might be a given considering their relationship. i will greatly appreciate seeing more of the tweedle twins dynamic. even more if it turns out that the main conflict/antagonist of their individual routes happens not to be amon, but their other half and it’s not because of alice. AHHHHHH ( ･ᴗ･̥̥̥ )

idk what dynamic they’re gonna shoot for with dean & alice, but i do hope it doesn’t give off your ‘teacher-student’ vibes aha…… considering how dean’s personality appears so far though, i’d like to think that a slow burn would be fitting for them…? maybe something similar to lancelot’s where the conflict is given more focus than the romance itself.

tl;dr: background on the school + the day everything went dark. teacher vs. student(s) fight scenes + dean/alice fighting duo. dean being lolz evulz to his former students. tweedle twins drama, bless. if dean/alice gives off the teacher-student dynamic, well… can’t say i didn’t see that coming.

dalim. oh boy, while i’m trying hard not to expect anything for now, i can’t help but pray for something good with dalim. i think he has the best potential among the new three since he’s only (or first) suitor in an actual antagonistic position - he knows it, he accepts it, and he’s still going with it. if cybird handwaves a redemption arc for him thru the flimsy power of kira-kira labu (or friendship), i will be very, very, very disappointed. seriously.

anyway, there’s a lot of question marks surrounding him that i want answered but of course, more dirt on the magic tower. perhaps whatever details about the tower that they failed to address in harr’s route they can add + elaborate here, though i really wouldn’t mind knowing more nitty gritty on the human experimentation bit. then there’s the matter about the regression magic he developed. though maybe all before that detailed stuff, maybe some background about how dalim came to be a magic disciple would be good. and how and why he manages a pub on the side. origin stories are a must.

not gonna lie though - i’m more interested in his social life, his relationship with amon the first priority. how long has he known amon, did he approach amon or was it the other way around, when did he start serving amon, do amon and he have similar goals, how ‘loyal’ is he to amon, was he already amon’s subordinate when amon killed his father, did he help amon kill his father, why does he even serve such a guy in the first place... yeah, all that and more. hopefully those are going to be addressed. then there’s dean... if dalim’s goals + ambitions are purely for the sake of his older twin, i’m gonna cry a river. even moreso if his determination is so strong that he still chooses dean over his kira-kira labu for alice. now if cybird really does pull that off, consider me IMPRESSED. HOT DAMN.

them aside, in general his relationship tree seems complicated... he has strained relationships with harr + zero + loki + oliver, though it seems that he and harr still can seem to hold ‘conversations’ with each other... lancelot + seth don’t like him... idk if he was already involved in the day everything went dark operation, but if he was then ray + fenrir would definitely knock him down... lmao that’s a lot of hostility there, and that’s as dalim. as dum, zero + ray + fenrir + oliver are still wary of him haha! well, i hope his interactions with the rest of the cast will fare better / some of those relationships may not be as strained as they seem???

and the romance... since dalim’s human experimentation is a step farther and darker than edgar’s history of murder, there is no way you are going to make me swallow the possibility that he could go down the same route and be pardoned by cradle through trial. or in any way going to be redeemed + forgiven / set free quickly. no, i won’t accept it either if amon does something similar to a claudius and suddenly decides to say that he pulled dalim along for the ride (rather, i’d be furious). ends i’ll accept are dalim himself demanding for or receiving proper judgement for his actions. the feelings between dalim and alice are there & acknowledged, sure, but sadly regardless of what ending they physically cannot be together.

too angsty??? maybe it is, since i personally feel that his situation has the potential to feel more... well, military/war-fitting than the other suitors. i’m not hoping for that scenario simply because i want that extreme angst + drama, but rather because it somehow doesn’t sit right with me that someone so goal-focused, someone who seems to have walked down the wrong path of his own volition, who stated himself that he isn’t human and won’t let ethics stand in his way (zero’s route), would allow himself to be easily forgiven for all that he had done. it’s like a disservice. believe me, i like redemption arcs. but for something severe like what dalim dabbled in for what seemed like years... redemption almost sounds too kind.

i hope whatever they have planned for dalim would appear reasonable and satisfying, both to how they will portray his character and to the plot of his route as a whole.

tl;dr: more magic tower info. his history with amon. tweedle twins drama, bless. more insight into his relationship tree. cybird, dalim/alice’s foe yay has potential, pls don’t mess it up.....

[brynwrites]

First of all, I love your writing so much, and I am truly sorry if something like this has already been asked, I looked through your blog but didn't find anything! So, on to my question. I am never able to actually stick to my outlines. I have a very broad outline of what I want to write, but when I sit down to write none of what I planned out actually gets written, it ends up being something completely different! Is there a way to avoid that?

Why Can’t I Stick to My Outline?

Aw thank you

1. You don’t know your characters well enough when you outline, so when you write them, they make unexpected choices.

Solution: Develop your characters through writing before you outline. You can do this by role playing online, or adding them to short stories or by writing random scenes from your outline. (And keep in mind here, that sometimes thinking about your characters and filling out forms or taking notes will help, and sometimes it just creates a misguided illusion which will change the moment you start writing. Characters can be funky like that.)

2. You’re focusing your outline too much on where you’re going and not why you’re going there, so when you write, your story goes in the wrong direction.

Solution: Put more time into developing the motivations and goals of the characters and the initial conflict, making those tight enough that they can only lead to a certain outcome.

Instead of viewing your outline as a series of events (“I want the three main characters to have an argument and then they all go to the beach”), look at what’s forcing these characters to do the thing you want from them (“I know the three main characters all have vastly different opinions on what to do with the stolen money which are deeply rooted in these specific parts of their past and this is driving a wedge between them, but if they don’t go to the beach together they will lose out on their old chance to question the mysterious person who disrupted their lives and forced them together.”) 

3. Your story is trying to tell you what it wants to be, but you’re clinging to your old ideas of it and so can’t enjoy the new version.

Solution: Just don’t outline. This isn’t something I recommend most people do, but occasionally there are writers who create better stories when they don’t try to preconceive what they want out of the story ahead of time, and just let it take it’s natural course. You can always edit things around later!

You can also mix this with solution two, and outline the inciting conflicts, goals, and internal struggles ahead of time. By carefully devising characters who clash and placing them in situations with high stakes vs rewards which drive them to work together toward a common goal against an opposition they are thematically and externally bound to, you’ll have a solid foundation upon which to build your story.

4. You’ve done everything imaginable and still can’t get your rough draft to match your outline.

Solution: Edit or rewrite until you get where you want to be! Books aren’t finished in one, or even two or three drafts. They need a lot of revisions, and some of those can involve correcting plot dentures and character arcs and so-forth. 

[tacitwhisky]

Jon / Sansa Reread - Arya I, AGOT

< Previous Chapter (Jon I) | Next Chapter (Jon II) >

In which Arya is not good at sewing, she hangs out with Jon, and the two of them watch Joffrey be a dick.

The main action of Arya I is essentially two scenes and interactions: Arya with Sansa, and then Arya with Jon. But despite its simplicity, there’s a lot going on in this chapter. Jon I introduced the first really big conflict in the Stark family (Jon vs Catelyn), and Arya I introduces the second (Sansa vs Arya). It also our first real introduction to Sansa; not just her as a person, but a character in her element and the social sphere she’s most comfortable in.

Martin has said before that he originally created Sansa as a contrast for Arya and to introduce some conflict into the Stark family, and that’s very much in evidence in these first few chapters, starting with how in the second paragraph of her very first POV chapter Arya is already being contrasted unfavorably with Sansa by Septa Mordane.

Arya’s stitches were crooked again.

She frowned down at them with dismay and glanced over to where her sister Sansa sat among the other girls. Sansa’s needlework was exquisite. Everyone said so. “Sansa’s work is as pretty as she is,” Septa Mordane told their lady mother once. “She has such fine, delicate hands.” When Lady Catelyn had asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed. “Arya has the hands of a blacksmith.”

There’s a perception in fandom that Sansa and Arya fundamentally don’t like each other or that Sansa was condescending to Arya, but something that’s underrated is just how much the two are actively pitted against each other by Septa Mordane. And this is as good a time as any to mention that Septa Mordane fails epically in her role as a mentor and is kind of a dick. It’s one thing for Septa Mordane to not want to encourage Arya’s more rambunctious interests, but it’s entirely another for her to constantly beat Arya down and reinforce her negative self image.

It’s unfortunate in a lot of ways that Arya’s POV comes before Sansa’s. It’s a known psychological phenomenon that your first impression of someone else really does affect how you see them: there’s a study (wish I still had the link) where two groups were given the same list of actions someone took with the only difference being a negative or positive news story they had the group read about the person before the list of actions. Sure enough, people who read the negative news story rated that person’s actions as more negative, while the people who read the positive news story rated their actions as more positive.

With Sansa all her negatives as a character are front loaded, and our perception of her is permanently tarnished by Arya’s frustration and issues with her. This has the cascade of making the reader judge Sansa more harshly than they should for everything she does later.

She looked glumly at her sister. Sansa was chatting away happily as she worked. Beth Cassel, Ser Rodrik’s little girl, was sitting by her feet, listening to every word she said, and Jeyne Poole was leaning over to whisper something in her ear.

“What are you talking about?” Arya asked suddenly.

Jeyne gave her a startled look, then giggled. Sansa looked abashed. Beth blushed. No one answered.

Arya is pretty clearly excluded from this group, though considering what they’re talking about it’s not that surprising.

“Joffrey likes your sister,” Jeyne whispered, proud as if she had something to do with it. She was the daughter of Winterfell’s steward and Sansa’s dearest friend. “He told her she was very beautiful.”

“He’s going to marry her,” little Beth said dreamily, hugging herself. “Then Sansa will be queen of all the realm.”

Sansa had the grace to blush. She blushed prettily. She did everything prettily, Arya thought with dull resentment. “Beth, you shouldn’t make up stories,” Sansa corrected the younger girl, gently stroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words. She looked at Arya. “What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He’s very gallant, don’t you think?”

We can see here in Sansa holding court a lot her natural leadership qualities that will make her a good lady or queen someday. She’s kind when she corrects Beth, and doesn’t embarrass her. She also tries to include Arya in the conversation now that’s she engaged in it. I think there’s a tendency to read this interaction as Sansa fishing for a compliment, but there’s no actual reason to read negative intent into it. She really does seem to just be trying to include Arya.

“Jon says he looks like a girl,” Arya said.

Sansa sighed as she stitched. “Poor Jon,” she said. “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard.”

It’s worth pointing out that Sansa isn’t completely off base here. If Jon’s first chapter showed anything it’s that he is remarkably bitter about the cards life has dealt him and it’ll be an ongoing aspect in this chapter too. So while it’s dickish of Sansa to dismiss Jon’s opinion because of his birth, she’s not actually wrong on the substance of it.

“He’s our brother,” Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of the tower room.

“Our half brother,” Sansa corrected, soft and precise.

It’s the same thing here with her calling Jon their half brother. Sansa is the Stark most aware of formalities, and there is a formal distance between Jon and the other starklings that even he observes (for example back in Bran I where he called Robb “Stark”). There’s a legitimate argument to be made that’s Sansa’s simply being precise here and not trying to distance him from them.

That’s not how Arya perceives it though; for her to be bastard is to be other (we’ll see this again in a minute), so when Sansa says, “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard” Arya immediately interprets that as Sansa othering and distancing Jon. Thus why her answer is that Jon is their brother despite Sansa not actually saying he wasn’t related to them. Bastard is other, and Arya is closer to Jon than anyone.

I actually think since we don’t get Sansa POV of this interaction there’s enough ambiguity to support either reading depending on your headcanon: she may simply be being precise and formal, or she may be trying to distance Jon from them. Or maybe a mixture of both.

Of course, because we’re in Arya’s viewpoint and already preset to think the worst of Sansa, I imagine most readers interpreted it the second way on their first read, which would then make them dislike Sansa: we’ve had two chapters to empathize with Jon, so just by narrative law our first loyalty is to him, and we’re currently in Arya’s viewpoint and thus biased towards her interpretations of events.

“Arya, why aren’t you at work?” the septa asked. She rose to her feet, starched skirts rustling as she started across the room. “Let me see your stitches.”

Arya wanted to scream. It was just like Sansa to go and attract the septa’s attention. “Here,” she said, surrendering up her work.

The septa examined the fabric. “Arya, Arya, Arya,” she said. “This will not do. This will not do at all.”

Everyone was looking at her. It was too much. Sansa was too well bred to smile at her sister’s disgrace, but Jeyne was smirking on her behalf. Even Princess Myrcella looked sorry for her. Arya felt tears filling her eyes. She pushed herself out of her chair and bolted for the door.

This is one of the pettier and crueler things Septa Mordane does. Instead of minimizing Arya’s embarrassment, she amplifies it so she can preen and cast herself as long suffering. She truly is the worst.

There’s also an interesting thing going on here where Arya’s attributing things to Sansa that aren’t actually happening. First she blames Sansa for attracting Mordane’s attention, then thinks thinks Sansa is internally pleased at her embarrassment but just isn’t showing it. In both instances there’s no actual proof this is what's happening, but again we run into that cascade of negativity in how the reader sees Sansa. It also dovetails perfectly with the negative trope of the snooty feminine older sister that Sansa already falls into.

It wasn’t fair. Sansa had everything. Sansa was two years older; maybe by the time Arya had been born, there had been nothing left. Often it felt that way. Sansa could sew and dance and sing. She wrote poetry. She knew how to dress. She played the high harp and the bells. Worse, she was beautiful. Sansa had gotten their mother’s fine high cheekbones and the thick auburn hair of the Tullys. Arya took after their lord father. Her hair was a lusterless brown, and her face was long and solemn. Jeyne used to call her Arya Horseface, and neigh whenever she came near.

Again we see a zero sum dynamic between Sansa and Arya: there’s only enough femininity for one of them, and Sansa already used it all up (again attributing something to Sansa that she actually has no control over).

It’s also interesting to note that I think a lot of people actually conflate Sansa and Jeyne when it comes to their treatment of Arya: even I internally thought that both of them called Arya horseface, when the paragraph very clearly states it was just Jeyne. And while Sansa doesn’t seem to have shut Jeyne down (though I can’t remember if she ever knew Jeyne was doing that), it is worth noting that Sansa doesn’t bully Arya, and outside of arguments doesn’t seem to antagonize her.

This matters because Sansa and Jeyne despite being lumped together in Arya’s head, actually occupy very different positions within Winterfell. I wish I had bookmarked it, but I just read a meta the other day about how galling Arya’s existence must’ve been for Jeyne; no matter how much closer she is to Sansa or better at feminine pursuits, Jeyne because of her birth will always be lower than Arya, never Sansa’s true sister. Which is kind of fascinating when you remember that Jeyne will later be forced to be Arya when she’s married to Ramsay. She gets what she wants, but very much not how she wanted it.

(this also makes me want to read a Jon x Jeyne AU. No? Just me? Fine)

It hurt that the one thing Arya could do better than her sister was ride a horse. Well, that and manage a household. Sansa had never had much of a head for figures. If she did marry Prince Joff, Arya hoped for his sake that he had a good steward.

Being canonically bad at horse riding and math are strangely enough two things people tend to forget about Sansa. Partly I’m sure it’s that this isn’t in the show, and partly it just doesn’t really jive with the rest of Sansa’s character. Being able to manage a household is part of the westerosi feminine ideal, and so it doesn’t really make sense that she’d be bad at it, especially considering how well she is at logistics and managing a household later on in the Eyrie. Chalking this one up to early installment weirdness seems fair.

By now Septa Mordane would certainly have sent word to her lady mother. If she went to her room, they would find her. Arya did not care to be found. She had a better notion. The boys were at practice in the yard. She wanted to see Robb put gallant Prince Joffrey flat on his back. “Come,” she whispered to Nymeria. She got up and ran, the wolf coming hard at her heels.

They [Arya and Nymeria] arrived, flushed and breathless, to find Jon seated on the sill, one leg drawn up languidly to his chin.

This is a very Jon pose; composed, thoughtful, intent. It’s actually low-key one of my favorite descriptions for just how much it tells you about Jon in just a few words. It’s also very in keeping with how Bran described him in his chapter as slender and quick and graceful. Jon in these early chapters and from the viewpoint of Bran and Arya has a very different physicality to him than later when things are solely from his viewpoint. In these early chapters he’s a little more bishie than later; partly because he’s younger, partly because men don’t think there appearance as much in fiction.

Which all on its own is interesting to contrast with Tyrion who is exceptionally aware of his body at all times, and the female characters who are much more attentive to what they wear and how they look. I tend to think it comes from Martin’s, however subconscious, male gaze, but it also fits westeros: women from a young age are socialized to view themselves as sex objects and to be hyper aware of their attractiveness and appearance. It’s sadly not that different from the real world.

Jon gave her a curious look. “Shouldn’t you be working on your stitches, little sister?”

Arya made a face at him. “I wanted to see them fight.”

He smiled. “Come here, then.”

Arya climbed up on the window and sat beside him, to a chorus of thuds and grunts from the yard below.

“A shade more exhausting than needlework,” Jon observed.

“A shade more fun than needlework,” Arya gave back at him. Jon grinned, reached over, and messed up her hair. Arya flushed. They had always been close. Jon had their father’s face, as she did. They were the only ones. Robb and Sansa and Bran and even little Rickon all took after the Tullys, with easy smiles and fire in their hair. When Arya had been little, she had been afraid that meant that she was a bastard too. It had been Jon she had gone to in her fear, and Jon who had reassured her.

Arya’s fear that her outsider qualities stem from bastardy hints at just how much damage Catelyn’s ostracization of Jon seeps unintentionally into the rest of the starklings. As we saw when Sansa called Jon a bastard, Arya equates bastardy with otherness. It’s no doubt one of the reasons she’s so close to Jon as they both don’t feel like they fit. That and his unquestioning acceptance of her less feminine coded interests.

And just like when he gave up having his own wolf so Bran and the other starklings could get theirs, we see again just how much Jon loves his siblings. It must’ve stung for Arya to so blatantly unhappy about being like him, but he wasn’t bitter about it. In general with his siblings Jon doesn’t get bitter (outside of some stuff with Robb), only when the rest of the world intrudes.

(this also marks the first of many, many, many times Arya thinks about Jon mussing her hair. It gets old)

“Why aren’t you down in the yard?” Arya asked him.

He gave her a half smile. “Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes,” he said. “Any bruises they take in the practice yard must come from trueborn swords.”

“Oh.” Arya felt abashed. She should have realized. For the second time today, Arya reflected that life was not fair.

“The Lannisters are proud,” Jon observed. “You’d think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother’s House equal in honor to the king’s.”

“The woman is important too!” Arya protested.

Jon chuckled. “Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms.”

“A wolf with a fish in its mouth?” It made her laugh. “That would look silly. Besides, if a girl can’t fight, why should she have a coat of arms?”

Jon shrugged. “Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister.”

Like with Tyrion last chapter, we can see here the seeds of Jon’s later ability to empathize and understand other marginalized groups. Jon’s narrative is a constant examination of his own privilege and then using his bastard status as a way to extend sympathy and understanding. This is something he’s challenged with again and again.

It’s also reminiscent of Bran I where he was sympathetic to Bran but also didn’t hesitate to tell him the truth. Jon as a person is fiercely loyal and kind to those he cares about, but doesn’t coddle. Like we talked about last chapter, because of his position Jon is keenly aware that the world is not fair.

Jon watched them leave, and Arya watched Jon. His face had grown as still as the pool at the heart of the godswood. Finally he climbed down off the window. “The show is done,” he said. He bent to scratch Ghost behind the ears. The white wolf rose and rubbed against him. “You had best run back to your room, little sister. Septa Mordane will surely be lurking. The longer you hide, the sterner the penance. You’ll be sewing all through winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle still locked tight between your frozen fingers.”

Arya didn’t think it was funny. “I hate needlework!” she said with passion. “It’s not fair!”

“Nothing is fair,” Jon said. He messed up her hair again and walked away from her, Ghost moving silently beside him.

I find it endlessly hilarious how extra Jon tends to be in these Winterfell chapters; it’s a good writing tip though. Teenagers in general tend to be extra.

Show Comparison

I’m putting this as its own section this time because both of these scenes are almost entirely missing from the show: in the first episode we see Arya bored at sewing before she runs off to hang with the boys, but there’s no confrontation or dialogue with Sansa. And the second scene with Jon simply doesn’t exist.

While on the surface these aren’t big cuts, and were most likely simply due to time constraints and attempts to streamline things, they do subtly change the characters and speak to an underlying difference in how D&D see Arya and Sansa: feminine arts become something Arya generally despises because she thinks they’re dumb, not something that she dislikes because she’s bad at them and there’s no place for someone like her in her society.

We also miss her “the woman matters too!” exclamation, which is a far cry from her “most girls are dumb” line later in the show. It’s a subtle shift, but an important one.

---

This wraps up Arya I. Overall it’s a strong chapter, and an interesting introduction to Sansa: not a favorable one because of the POV, but one that’s consistent with her character. We won’t get her perspective on her relationship until both of them are well on their way south, but luckily for us we won’t have to wait that long. Next reread will be Jon II where he has the infamous scene with Catelyn at Bran’s bedside, and then the chapter after that will be Sansa I.

If you’ve got any questions or comments hit me up on my asks; I love talking with you all.

Previous Chapters:

Bran I

Jon I

Next Chapter (Jon II) >

[tender-history]

On Research: Worldbuilding and Culture

Hullo, in this post I’m going to talk about how I research and do world-building for my stories!

I’m doing this through the following ways:

1) using chapter 1 of my historical Taegi fic  to illustrate what I did to research the era and the culture for that period,

2) providing the templates and tools I used in the hopes that it can help some of you all writers if you ever want to write your own research-intensive stories or original fiction that requires world-building!

While I’m using my BTS Taegi fic as a means to explain my process, this post is for any sort of writing project - original or fanfiction. If you follow me for fic, though, there will be chapter 1 spoilers for it. So if you haven’t read that yet, be-warned that there be spoilers below!

> How I do my research/world-building:

 If your idea for the actual story is agnostic of time-period or setting, identifying that is possibly the first step. My initial idea for this story was to have it take place during a war (the Imjin War between Japan and in 1590s was the first choice) but finding the spooky landscape to set it against while also maintaining the drama and tension of a battlefield was going to dilute the characters and their inner conflicts.

So I went back to reading about Korean history in broad terms (Google Books is your friend) , trying to locate a time-period to set my story in. I finally chose this time-period because it was very interesting to me in multiple ways.

- it’s still a way away from the big social reforms in Korea in the 1800s that would push it into the Modern Period of history

- it was a time period when common people and peasants began to lose trust in the king and the upper-class bureaucracy, leading to peasant rebellions and some villages stockpiling their own grains

- it is a time when global influences were beginning to creep into Korean society, including Christianity. In fact, just a few years from this, a major wave of persecution would be unleashed against Catholics in Korea.

- I chose this time-period also because I wanted the level of organization of society that’s in this fic. It’s been established already, which means the characters are at a point of history where things are more or less stable in terms of what is expected of them as a member of this society. I needed that stability to create a quieter sort of period mystery.

 To research for this story (or any other), once I pick the time period, I start looking for answers to my biggest questions: 

1) how did they live: this includes food, travel, interests, societal hierarchy and organization, family structure, music, religions, and mythology. Basically, anything that they shared as a cultural group. In doing this, I had to separate royalty from common folk, because so much history is written about the royals and there’s so less about the folk. I looked up everything from the food that the common people ate to the issues they faced (winter and the gap between rice and barley cultivation was a huge aspect; so huge, in fact, that the popularity of kimchi can be attributed to needing a protein source in the winter that wouldn’t go bad). I looked up clothes and fabrics and the layout of villages. I looked for traditional crafts. And when I did, I found myself going down rabbit holes about caste professions (the shaman, for example, is of low caste in Joseon society, which was surprising to me considering so many period fics I’ve read has depicted them in a different fashion.)

I know that this feels very disorganized and random, but that’s because I have been doing world-building—both fantasy and historical—for a long time, and my process is built basis what I’ve historically realized works for me. But to make this post more useful, I’ve figured out a template that helps to look into culture. I used to use this to build original fantasy worlds, and I think it is useful.

And here is a graphic where someone has analyzed Japanese culture through this lens:

Most cultures share elements of commonality. You can use this graphic above to figure out how to research. For example, the culture of Joseon Korea as I have tried to research for this fic comprises of:

1) Language (written and spoken - so Korean; Hangul, + Chinese characters);

2) Religion (shamanism + neo-confucianism)

3) Government (caste system + agrarian bureaucracy + royalty) etc.

You can fill in the blanks this way for any time period and thus get a better understanding of the culture you’re writing about.

 Additionally, I’ve spoken about the cultural iceberg on twitter before, but I find it very useful when I’m researching to pick up on each element in it and look up information pertaining to them.

This is how I use the iceberg:

> the top portion is usually the things that we’ve picked up on, through Run episodes or general Bangtan stuff. Like, we know hanbok is Korean traditional dress. We know the kind of food they eat. We know the music scene in SK, and that the major festivals are seollal and choseok.

> the bottom portion is where you gain deeper intercultural understanding. Notions of modesty, for example. We know that gender roles in Korea are more entrenched than they are in the west. In this fic, men are the ones mostly occupying spheres of influence, but women have their own spheres—we’ll get to that in a while. If you see, there’s an aspect called ‘nature of friendship’. This is where the concept of hyung-line/maknae-line/same-age friends all fit into this culture. It’s less visible than the top half, but you can still gain knowledge of it. Similarly, ‘attitude towards elders’ or ‘concepts of beauty’ are both aspects of culture. These are keywords you can use to learn more about culture. Again, you can also use this in original writing projects to build your fantasy world. I know I do :)

 Now that I know how my characters live, I come to the second stage of planning/world-building:

2) where in society are my characters: since I’m writing a mystery, I need someone who wants to solve it. I need detectives. I read up on everything I could about the Joseon lawmaking process, going through scholars and bureaucrats and ministers before I found a smaller, quieter force: the podocheong. I also need medics, people in charge of administration, senior officials, and so forth. For each of this, I tried to look into how my character could have entered that role, what that role comprises of, and where it puts them in that society. Seokjin, because he is a senior official, would require to have taken a test to enter into that force. His family would have to be of a particular class status to even enable him to take it. Knowing this, I looked up everything I could about the gwageo because I found it so fascinating! There were whole coaching centers dedicated to just teaching children of upper-class bureaucrats so they could pass the gwageo! If you belonged to an upper-class yangban family, and you didn’t pass the gwageo for four generations, your titles could be stripped from you. This is another nugget of information that I thought would be an interesting premise for a character being a in a particular conundrum—you’ll see that later in the story.

For Taehyung, being an artist in that age would have come with interesting baggage. Calligraphers and painters were usually higher-class folk. Peasants simply did not have the time or the materials to pursue art. But there are outliers—inkstick craftsmen, for example, are among what was considered the ‘vulgar common caste’ but they were the ones who made ink and color pigments.

 This just helps me create a richer world than I would have without putting in this research. It also makes your world seem more cohesive, lived-in, and deep.

So now that I know how they live and who they are, we come to:

 3) what are my external/internal conflicts: my characters behave the way they do because of the culture and the customs of the time period. My external conflict—the murders—have to be set against a background of this, and informed by this. So I chose to make Yoongi a sort of disgraced scholar because it allows him to operate outside of his station: he needs to talk to Taehyung, or villagers for example who are all beneath his station, and he wouldn’t be able to do that to the same effect if he is a regular scholar like Jin is. The culture simply won’t allow him to. That also leads to friction between yoonjin, and secrets once they start appearing. His current station helps him integrate better into Tae’s world, while removing him from the world he’s working for. It also serves for his internal conflict, fears and grief.

 Now if I were to extend this example to a more contemporary story: say your characters are in modern Seoul. Your external/internal conflicts can still be tied into the culture. Expectation on children to look after their aging parents OR the character’s family values vs. individual outlook OR Korea’s culture of students studying late into the night vs. the slowing job industry etc.  For a Jinkook fake-dating AU, say, consider what are the troubles that Jin and Jungkook, who have 5 years between them, individually face. 27 year old Jin’s place in society, social spheres and worries will be very different from just-out-of-college Jungkook’s.

 Why does any of this matter? 

I just think putting in some effort to understand culture makes for richer characters, a richer world, and better writing. Not to mention it lets you learn about a new culture, which I think is fascinating, especially if you spend so much of your time thinking/talking about 7 Korean boys.

 So to summarize— I guess this is how I research/worldbuild:

 1) Find out when and where

2) Find out who, and how that character is affected by the customs/culture of that era/setting

3) tie my external/internal conflicts back to the era/setting so that the world feels truly lived in and alive.

For truly good world-building, make sure that your conflicts are caused by limitations imposed on a character due to their cultural setting, or because whatever is happening is outside of their comfort zone. Human beings don’t live in a vacuum. The society and the values that we grow up in affects everything we do, every decision we make. Even rebelling against that culture is an aspect influenced by that culture. Your world (fantasy or otherwise) will feel way less flat if it follows the rules of actual cultures world over. 

*mic-drop*

If you found this post useful as a resource for writing/world-building, please consider a small ko-fi donation!

 [PS: Clarifying that I will not be taking ko-fi for the fic itself - only for the original content that I provide here, on this blog, which can be used for fanfiction or original world-building.]

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: GreedFall (Spiders, 2018)

Genres: action RPG, fantasy

Premise: Players assume the role of De Sardet, a human noble who arrives on the recently-discovered island of Teer Fradee. Able to ally with either the natives who inhabit the land and/or any of the foreign nations competing to colonize it, De Sardet seeks out a cure for the mysterious illness that plagues their family, while also battling monsters and magic.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 3/5 stars

Disclaimer: My rating is in response to multiple aspects of the game, not just its politics. If I were evaluating solely on politics and gave the developers the benefit of the doubt that they were trying to make something with a good message, my rating would be around the 1 to 2-star range, depending on player choices.

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals.

Story: I’m immediately wary of any pop culture item that tries to tell a story about colonialism and Indigeneity because it usually ends up indulging in colonialist fantasies rather than critiquing them. Complex, morally-grey stories are great and all, but when it comes to tales about colonialism, “both sides” narratives tend to look a little insensitive. So, I can’t tell you why I decided to play GreedFall, other than I heard that it filled the Dragon Age-sized hole in people’s hearts. Since I’d rather use my own judgment than read video game reviews, I bought this game on sale and gave it a go. If nothing else, I told myself, I could use my history and literary analysis chops to say something intelligent about it.

In terms of politics, I don’t think GreedFall was as terrible as games where the goal in itself is colonization, but I also don’t think it achieved a narrative that was critical enough of colonization. De Sardet’s primary goal is to achieve balance between all the nations (which I’m calling factions because they’re mostly that). While I can admire that GreedFall really pushed for peaceful relationships, as well as pushed back against abuse and racism, I ultimately thought the developers didn’t consider how the struggle for balance actually facilitates colonialism. This game presents colonialism a diplomatic issue, so as a result, Teer Fradee is kind of a fantasy where colonists can settle on native land while maintaining friendly relationships with Indigenous peoples (at least, if you play it that way - at worst, you can seize absolute power). The experience was similar to the one I had playing BioShock Infinite, whose politics involve a “both sides” argument - the difference is that BioShock Infinite made explicitly clear by the end of the game that Booker was the true villain. With de Sardet, it’s a bit more ambiguous, depending on how you play, but I do think the game pushes you to be diplomatic rather than power-hungry. As a whole, it brings up the very valid question of whether or not colonialism should be in media period, or if there’s some value to be derived from consuming problematic media that tries to do good and talking about it.

Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. GreedFall had the guts to actually try to tackle little-discussed themes in this game, such as forced conversion, abuse within the sciences, and institutionalized bullying. While the missions associated with these big themes were accomplished with varying degrees of success, many of them added emotional depth to the game. Companions would have emotional reactions to these quests that tugged at my heartstrings, and there were never any shots of graphic violence or mutilated bodies, so it didn’t feel like I was playing the game for an edgy thrill. All of the side quests had a lot of bearing on the main plot and the worldbuilding - I don’t think I encountered any “fetch quests,” so most of the things I was doing actually related to enhancing my understanding of the world and its social dynamics.

The game also did a good job of presenting players with factions that were constantly in conflict with one another, lending an added layer of complexity to all the political aspects of the plot. Character’s personal quests were also very well done and had emotional depth. Vasco’s arc about learning about his true family was a nice exploration of birth family vs found family (he’s a sailor whose birth family gave him to the naval faction, the Nauts). Kurt’s quest was also a good one about the bonds between military recruits and really showed his commitment to people over institutions (he’s de Sardet’s commander at arms). Siora’s quests were more about staying true to her culture (she’s a native and daughter of one of a now-deceased tribe leader), while Aphra’s were about learning to be open minded when learning about a different culture (she’s a scientist interested in plants). Petrus’ were a mix of taking down the head of his Church and helping your character find their roots (he’s something of a pastor who also wields magic to fight). You can tell that the developers were inspired by Bioware games in that you can cultivate reputations with your companions and eventually romance them. Many of these romances are available to both male and female PCs, so there’s potential for a queer ship.

I will say that by the end of game, I was emotionally wrecked, despite all the political problems. So, I do think the developers of this game have a good sense of storytelling - I just wish they had done better politically.

Characters: Similar to Mass Effect or Dragon Age, GreedFall gives players a player-controlled character (PC) and a host of companions to take on an adventuring party. De Sardet, the PC, doesn’t have much personality when they’re being diplomatic, but I did enjoy the moments when they were confronted with information that impacted them emotionally. I played a female de Sardet, and the voice actress did a good job of balancing emotion with the facade that’s required of a diplomat. Constantin, de Sardet’s cousin and governor of New Serene (one of a few colonial settlements on Teer Fradee), is also carefully written as a charismatic, sympathetic nobleman’s son who wants to prove his worth. He and de Sardet share a close bond, which made moral decisions a bit more personal and emotionally difficult. I do think he became a scapegoat for all the evils of colonization, though, and I wish more was done with him to implicate every colonizer on the island. The companions are likewise very likable and fairly unique. Each of them had personal quests and stories that were compelling and sympathetic. I do wish there had been more opportunities to chat with them, or that they talked to each other during exploration (like Bioware companions do). I also appreciated that the Teer Fradee natives weren’t one, homogeneous group. I think too often we see pop culture try to write Indigenous peoples as having the same culture and goals, but with this game, there was some variety regarding what the best course of action would be against an invading force. I’m sure, however, that the depiction of the natives overall was problematic, but I’m not well-versed enough in native representation in pop culture to articulate the issues. While they weren’t portrayed as primitive or child-like (at least, I didn’t think so), I don’t doubt that there were tropes in there that I just couldn’t recognize (for example, Siora maybe a Chief’s Daughter/Indian Princess trope - it’s complicated). I suggest finding and reading an Indigenous critique of the game. (There’s also this one, which is valid, and I do think the game’s efforts and failures are worth talking about.)

Gameplay: This RPG mainly relies on balancing skills, talents, and attributes. Skills define what weapons you can use and how (one-handed blades, two-handed blades, firearms, magic, etc). Talents are things like charisma, science, or lockpicking - stuff which will affect the way you interact with the world. Attributes are mental and physical abilities like strength or willpower which affect how you wield weapons. Overall, the process of leveling up and gaining points to spend in these areas was pretty straight-forward, and I enjoyed the mental challenge of building a character that fit my play style.

Combat was a little clunky; basic attacks ran just fine for me, but there wasn’t much grace in the way characters dodged or rolled. I also kept getting thrown off by the fact that you can’t press space to jump! But in all, it wasn’t the worst experience. Enemies had helpful health bars, and I enjoyed the combination of a pistol and a rapier to finish off my foes. The diplomatic elements were by far the best part of gameplay for me. If players assign their skill points well, de Sardet can use a number of different tactics and choose from multiple dialogue options, from intimidation to taking advantage of intuition to laying on the charisma. It was fun to figure out which tactic would work on which characters, and how my skill sets translated into consequences for my decisions. I do think, however, that more options could have been presented to players in terms of dialogue choices and role-playing elements. While players make important choices regarding how to handle any given situation, there was little opportunity to purely role play. More opportunities to influence the direction or tone of the dialogue in non-crucial situations, I think, would have helped and made my De Sardet feel more unique.

Visuals: Aesthetically, I very much appreciated that we were given a fantasy game that wasn’t set in the faux Middle Ages. I loved the 18th century vibe to all the clothing and town layouts, and each of the maps were distinct and fully-realized, from the urban settings to the natural ones. There was a bit of repetition in the urban layouts; the palaces, for example, were the same, and some houses were recycled, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as Dragon Age II. I also appreciated that there were people of various races and genders in all positions and all social circles. There were women in the guard, women working on ships, and so on, without any hint that it was unusual. There was also a fairly wide variety of skin tones, with people of color being included in higher social classes and not relegated to lowly servant roles. There are some problems in that “diversity washing” detracts from the racial conflicts that were very present in the 18th century. I don’t think the developers thought through the implications of putting POC in positions of power where they could commit violent colonial acts against the natives. The creatures on the island were interesting to look at. Their designs frequently combined natural imagery (such as vines and wood) with horror to create foes with an eldritch, elemental vibe. The same creepiness was reflected in the fictional disease that afflicts the colonists; the afflicted had black, vine-like tendrils running through the skin, and there was an impending sense of dread whenever I looked at someone who was infected. Despite all the things I liked, GreedFall’s biggest problem is its animation. For a game that was made in 2019, facial expressions and combat are quite clunky, to the point where the characters felt robotic. I understand that not every video game needs to have top-tier level animation, but playing GreedFall was similar to my experiences playing the first Witcher game or the first Mass Effect or Dragon Age: Origins games. Still technically playable, but it feels very outdated.

In-Game Triggers: violence (especially racial violence), colonialism, racism, religious zealotry, torture, 

I feel the need to point out that while I don’t think this game is gory or explicit in any way (PG-13 would be my rating), there are some scenes that people may find triggering. There’s also one where a Native is killed by a religious zealot, and I found it extremely upsetting (it happens when you first enter San Matheus, if you need a heads up). Other than that, you never actually see characters torture native peoples, but you do hear about it later.

Recommendations: I would recommend this game if you’re interested in the 18th century, the age of imperialism, role-playing games, and fantasy. You might also like this game if you’re a fan of Bioware RPGs.

[lachalaine]

🔮 i love tarot card readings!

Tarot Reading with Lady J🔮

not accepting

1. THE PRESENT MOMENT / THE PRIMARY CONCERN

Card: TWO OF SWORDS - REVERSED 

Summary: Inner Conflict 

Meaning: There is a conflict between your heart and your mind, and the strategies you have in place are unsustainable, strained and precarious. You are managing skillfully but will soon be exhausted. You must do something, it is not a position that one can hold indefinitely. Though a stalemate may appear better then defeat, the issue can no longer be ignored. Pause, take inventory and find your way through this struggle. 

Position Meaning: A stalemate concluded, trickery, deception, dishonesty. 

2. THE CAUSE OF THE CHALLENGE AFFECTING CARD 1. A BLOCK.

Card: FIVE OF COINS - REVERSED

Summary: Precious Misfortune 

Meaning: There are times in life when we are in great physical need and our egos get embarrassed. Two people huddle in the cold, hungry and cold and afraid. They sit close to refuge but they do not receive it. As challenging as it may be, you must remember that adversity and exile are opportunities to accept your current reality, center yourself, and find strength. From a place of quiet, you can reassess what is truly important, learn what the moment is teaching you, and determine what resources are actually at your disposal. 

Position Meaning: Renewed courage, impending opportunity or change for the better, peace of mind, evolution in spirit. 

3. SUBCONSCIOUS INFLUENCES. UNKNOWN INFORMATION. THE DISTANT PAST.

Card: THREE OF CUPS - REVERSED

Summary: Rejuvenating Love 

Meaning: Three cups glow in the radiant warmth that can only be created by hearts that share a past. The Three of Cups is a spontaneous celebration - in the past, present, or future - that honors the bonds of family and intimate friendship. Though your solitary achievements have been many, now is the time to acknowledge your community and revel in the love of those who know and support you. 

Position Meaning: Overindulgence, decadence, ingratitude, termination, lost contentment 

4. THE RECENT PAST. A SITUATION THAT HAS COME TO A CONCLUSION.

Card: SIX OF COINS - UPRIGHT

Summary: Giving and Receiving 

Meaning: At some point in our lives, we all need assistance. The Six of Coins speaks to the relationship we have with others surrounding our prosperity – or lack of it. United in an endless knot of connectivity, we must learn to give without judgement and receive without shame. Like a living thing, this balance requires nurturing. Pay attention to where you are in this equation and make space for what is needed. Harmony can be restored through awareness, action and a generous heart. 

Position Meaning: Reciprocity, a change in circumstances, generosity, gratitude, stability, a gift, return of a favor

5. THE PRESENT. CONSCIOUS BELIEFS. CURRENT EVENTS.

Card: NINE OF COINS - UPRIGHT

Summary: Individual Accomplishment 

Meaning: The Nine of Coins exclaims that for now, “life is beautiful”. This card represents the ever increasing challenges you have mastered in life, and the steps you have taken towards accomplishment. Nines are powerful cards of completion; it took time to cultivate this level of success. Through discipline and hard work, you have gracefully and independently crafted a cherished environment and a stable life, filled with unpretentious style and quality. Take time to enjoy it and reflect. 

Position Meaning: Independent success, self mastery, discipline, safety, a rich life, fulfillment

6. THE NEAR FUTURE. A NEW PERSON OR EVENT. A SHIFT IN ENERGY.

Card: WHEEL OF FORTUNE X - REVERSED

Summary: Unexpected Change

Meaning: Wheel of Fortune reminds us that life is never predictable and that change is inevitable and necessary. It is impersonal; sometimes we are summiting the mountain and sometimes we are trudging through the valley. Either way, it is simply life. When Wheel of Fortune shows up in your reading, you are about to have a random encounter with chance and the outcome is unknown. Take it for what it is, without judgement or evaluation. In general, when this card is upright, the odds are in your favor. When reversed… not so much.

Position Meaning: Bad luck, a harmful pattern of behavior, unexpected disturbance, reversal of fortune, failure

7. YOUR POWER ( OR LACK OF POWER ) IN THE MOMENT. HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE SITUATION.

Card: FOUR OF SWORDS - UPRIGHT

Summary: A Quiet Space

Meaning: The Four of Swords is often known as the meditation card. It indicates that you have ( or have just gotten over ) a difficult time and you need to rest, reflect and reconnect with yourself. When we are troubled, our minds play tricks on us, imagining hopeful escapes or tragic demises. Quieting your mind is an act of humility which allows you to enlist divine intelligence - your true voice. It won’t make the problem go away but in the space of stillness, you can bring fresh perspective and invite new ideas to appear.

Position Meaning: An increase in stress, harmful persistence, busyness and activity.

8. THE EFFECTS OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU. HOW OTHER PEOPLE SEE YOU IN THE SITUATION.

Card: TEN OF COINS - UPRIGHT

Summary: True Riches 

Meaning: From the green grass of youth, through the bricks and stones of the middle ages, to the garden of maturity, the rhythm of the years reveals the varied expressions of abundance in our lives. In the Ten of Coins, the raw energy of the Ace has been thoughtfully cultivated to completion: a manifestation of prosperity in all things financial and spiritual. It is a moment for both gratitude and reflection. 

Position Meaning: Abundance, prosperity, stability, devotion, family matters, a legacy or bequest

9. YOUR HOPES OR FEARS.

Card: TWO OF COINS - UPRIGHT 

Summary: Precarious Balance 

Meaning: In the midst of a swiftly flowing current, a man juggles two desires successfully, but his solution is temporary and unsustainable. Submerged under the water, his clarity is questionable at best. For now, he still has both coins, but neither of them is securely in his palm. The Two of Coins invites you to look at where you are maintaining balance in your real-world affairs but getting exhausted. You can keep it up for quite a while but it might be time to consider relinquishing one of these goals for now. 

Position Meaning: A struggle for balance, need for clarity, an impending choice, juggling instead of handling responsibilities, determination, cloudy reasoning, inefficiency

10. THE MOST LIKELY OUTCOME.

Card: TEMPERANCE XIV - REVERSED 

Summary: Listening Within 

Meaning: We often look at options from an either or perspective, but Tempernce invites us to consider that all things are possible, even when they appear to be at odds. Life is not static and neither are our needs – they vary across a lifetime and across each situation. Through listening and awareness, the universe reveals what your soul truly needs, not just what your ego wants. It’s not as complicated as you make it. If you can put your perceptions and impatience aside, you create space for alchemy. 

Position Meaning: Confusion, disharmony, polarity, excessive caution, competing interests, forced decisions

BONUS CARD: THE CARD THAT PLAYS A ROLE IN THE ENTIRE SITUATION.

Card: ACE OF SWORDS - UPRIGHT

Summary: Powerful Clarity 

Meaning: As the root of the swords, the Ace brings a great deal of raw power and energy. A sword cuts through the web of scaffolding, holding up all the cloudy pieces of our identity: perceptions, conversations, facts, dreams and ideas. When the Ace of Swords appears in a reading, it means that a rare opportunity for clarity is near. It will cut through these subjective realities, revealing a truth, an insight or a new approach for which you have been waiting. Pay close attention to your words and thoughts. Knowledge does give you power, but without a little reflection, it can quickly turn into delusion. meaning 

Position Meaning: Mental clarity, a great force at work, a fresh approach, long-term success, determination, ambition

Card: THE FOUNTAIN - REVERSED

Summary: Be

Meaning: The Fountain exists outside and beyond the cycles of birth, death, time and form. It is the nameless, changeless source of which everything is a part. It is the waking from the dream of separateness and identity, and the recognition of one’s Self as not only connected to all things, but all things — divine nature. When The Fountain appears in your reading, relinquish all illusion of control, and remain quiet. It invites you to observe, master less, and to just be — effortless and indistinguishable from life. You are the voice and the breath of universes. 

Position Meaning: Identification with a role or personality, fear ( of being alone ), mind-obsessed, separation from source, resistance to ( or denial of ) reality

LADY J READING:

There’s something that’s troubling you very heavily right now; something that’s keeping you at a crossroads between what you ideally want and desire, vs what reality actually is. You are attempting to find means and ways to achieve such desire’s, but it’s hard. It’s heavy on you, exhausting on your entire being, and trying to keep things up the way you plan just won’t cut it this time. You are deceiving yourself, and running away from the truth, and it’s gradually getting to be too much. The biggest reason for this problem seems to be mainly because something bad happened, and rather then ask for help trying to fix it, you choose instead to try to forge ahead, hoping you can figure it on your own. You’re hopeful for change. You’re hopeful that things will get better and you’re ready to do what you need to make it happen. But you’re going about it wrong. Primarily, I think the biggest thing this entire reading is telling me is that more then anything, you need to take a step back and allow yourself to come to terms with whatever has hurt you, because if you continue to push it aside the way you have, it will only get worse. 

What the Five of Coins tells us however as well, is that your troubles are a “Precious Misfortune”. In the end, the pain and heartache will give you strength – it will give you what you need so you come out the other side better then ever. Maybe a little bit bruised and battered, but in the long run, it is for the best. 

The subconscious / distant past is the Three of Cups, which showcases that you have a support system, I believe. You’ve been working very hard this whole time, but try not to forget that you aren’t alone. You are loved, and people care for you, and no matter how much you wish to work your troubles out on your own, it’s important to remember that the people that surround you only wish for your well-being. They are a source of warmth, and of healing, but perhaps in your single minded focus to take care of yourself, you have pushed them away just a bit, judging by the reversed card. Their being there wasn’t giving you as much ease as you would have liked, so for a moment there, you stood apart from them, not realizing the distance that had crept between you in the process. However, perhaps you have decided to open up a bit again. The Six of Coins shows that there is someone most recently that you’ve come to trust – enough that you can let them in. A confidant that you haven’t shied away from, someone that has given you some form of peace. They’re important to you, and they’ve helped you a lot. You should nurture that relationship - it will help calm your troubled heart. 

The present moment states that despite your troubles, things are momentarily and perfectly ‘okay’. Whatever strategies you were employing have worked until now, and it’s an achievement for sure! It took a lot for you to reach this point, you’ve done amazingly well, so you should be proud! But again, whatever strategies you’ve employed – they drain you, and it’s just not sustainable in the long run. Which is why I think the Wheel of Fortune for your future is Reversed… because this moment of stability doesn’t seem like it will last. Something is going to go wrong if things proceed the way they are, and things won’t be okay :(

However, not all hope is lost. For your power ( or lack of it, depending on how you proceed ) is that you do have the capacity to take a step back and breathe. Meditate, be at peace, and just reconnect with yourself. Whatever troubles you is also feeding you realities that are far too severe; in other words, you’re overthinking. Try to find a space where you can regroup and think over your strategies again on your own. There’s something wrong with your current method of doing things, but it doesn’t mean it’s a certain failure. Just change your strategy, and things will be okay. You’re more then capable of achieving success, you just need to figure out a new way to manage it. 

I think the Ten of Coins indicates the effects of those around you, and how they’re affecting you. More then anything, their presence is helping stabilize you. Though you have that concern hanging heavy over your head, the support factor from your friends and family are giving you strength and keeping you calm. Try to gather whatever hope and light you can from them, it’s helping you more then you think. 

Your fear with reference to the Two of Coins indicates that you’re afraid - that when you finally reach a decision to choose between one path or the other, you’ll never have the chance for the other road again. You worry you need to give one aspect up to gain the bounty of the other, and you’re doing your best so that doesn’t have to happen. But again, like the Four of Swords states, you need to take a step back to breathe, and then decide. It’s remarkably difficult to continue as you have been until now, something has to give. Please do what is best for you, for your own sake; even if that means giving up something else.

Finally, the most likely outcome – is Temperance. As it states there - it invites you to consider that all things are possible, even when they don’t seem to coincide. Though it lays Reversed, which indicates your fear of having to choose, and eventually making a choice you don’t want, being tugged in all the directions with no idea which way to go – remember. Deep breaths, a step back, and try to center yourself and just Be. Which coincidentally is the summary of the bonus card of the Fountain. It coincides, because Temperance wants you to understand that things aren’t as complicated as they seem, really, and all things are possible if you can just look at it from a strategy that would be more beneficial for you. The things you want are possible, but as is the case with the Fountain Card, you won’t find that winning strategy the way you’re going right now. You’re focusing too hard on the wrong things. Let it go, for just a bit. Let reality come to you, recognize it for what it is, accept it, and then - when all the facts have been taken into account, meditate again. A different strategy this time. Let it flow, much like a fountain does. You are capable, you can change things, all hope is not lost. But let life happen as it will, you will find a way to achieve your goals. It is within You. 

And to end this reading is the second Bonus card – the Ace of Swords. In the simplest sense, it means one thing: prepare yourself. Whatever it is that you have built up in your attempt to avoid, the shaky concepts and ideas that you’ve hoped to achieve by continuously forging forward as you have – the reality of things will come, breaking down all imaginary concepts until you have nothing the truth laid bare before you. This is a card that affects your entire reading, this is a card that is good. Clarity is coming, and with it brings a new reality. A better one. You will gain the success you so dearly desire, you will gain the insight that you’ve been waiting for. Please keep an open mind and don’t turn it away when it comes – it may just be your golden ticket to your goal.

// @44003xx

[criticalbread]

okay so i’m watching Star Trek: Into Darkness for only the second time, and for the first time since I saw it in theatres, and I’m so... it’s so bad? That doesn’t even deserve multiple question marks signifying uptalk, just a single, despairing one. 

I just... I can barely. The cold open on the ‘primitive world’ absolutely made me want to kick someone. I just know they did not consult anyone with any kind of anthropological training on that bullshit, instead settling to go with the most offensive and dated Victorian armchair anthropologist bullshit about a “”primitive”” “”””savage”””” society with its silly, silly spiritual religiosity but, oh, of course the moment they encounter “”””civilized”””” “”””””””””technologically advanced””””””””””” beings they literally throw down their holy object or text (LITERALLY chuck it on the GROUND) and start worshiping a star ship they saw for 30 seconds. Literally worshiping the “civilized advanced white men strangers” because obviously they would, right? Because obviously they would, obviously, OBVIOUSLY h o l y shit

they managed to start the entire film off on a truly offensive foot and then they just... they just kept going with it. doggedly.

Like, this movie disrespects its audience but also just disrespects the source material. Star Trek: The Original Series was so fucking ahead of its time. It was revolutionary. It predicted a peaceful future for all of mankind that, after having overcome the racism, sexism, conscriptive gender norms, capitalism, nationalism, intellectual apathy, violence and war-- after overcoming all this, they decided to take to the stars in a peaceful venture to meet other beings and learn from them. Star Trek TOS was not perfect because it was made by humans who are products of their times who view everything through the lens of their cultural experiences, but to laud it as anything but revolutionary would be to purposefully ignore everything it did with its airtime, from the very premise of the show to the characters and worlds chosen to fill it. It stood for the equality of peoples across all identities and respect across axes of difference in identity and experience.

Then we get this film that from the very start chucks all this down the chute with the way it frames society and Starfleet’s interaction with new worlds (the visual and textual storytelling juxtaposition of “primitive” new society vs the “advanced” humans/people of Starfleet, the simple “savage” life vs the complex, technologically developed “civilized” society, the belief that the basic truth of these differences, inherent within the peoples themselves, would lead a fully-developed and discreet socio-cultural group to worship the “advanced” outsiders from the very first encounter ugh i’m going to barf even saying this. This is literally a trope of old colonialist, racist anthropological thought that of course a primitive society would recognize the advanced nature of invading Western men and worship them as gods because ho ho ho the “savages” can’t tell the difference between technology and magic, men and gods, of course! get fucked). So from the very start the film shits all over that, and then within a half hour we get to see the Starfleet that they have decided on: not a peacekeeping, pacifistic, knowledge-seeking group of humanitarians, but a very American militaristic group. They even say it in the film! Scotty confronts Kirk about it! Right before he is forced to resign because that is not Starfleet and not what he signed up for!

And hold my fucking hat, because besides committing the sin of completely leaving behind its source material’s heart in the name of Cool Big Explosion And Man Pain, the film itself is just... badly written. Terrible! Kirk is on a mission to avenge his fallen father figure Admiral Pike and so agrees to go on a militaristic hit-mission with some fun weird missiles on his ship. Spock tries to talk him out of it by pointing out its complete lack of moral grounding because Vulcan culture is utterly committed to non-violence and the preservation and sanctity of life and, hello, this is immoral even by America’s (immoral) modern standards of justice (no trial, etc.). Spock tries to talk him out of it and when expressing his own belief fails, he simply says he hopes Kirk will take the time to come to that moral conclusion himself (As, you know, presumably a good person); Kirk goes to talk to Scotty, tries to force him to sign the missiles on board; Scotty quits, aaaaaaaaand five minutes later on the bridge Kirk is like, “Listen everyone we’re just going to go capture this guy and not use any kind of missiles to kill him, k, thanks”. Like. Did you decide this in the walk to the bridge? Before you even dumped Chief Engineer status on Chekov (out of the blue, as if Starfleet wouldn’t have a structure of command that has someone under Scotty waiting and willing and actually assigned to take over in the case of his leaving, death, or absence)?

Like, my dude, you literally could have turned around since y’all h’aint even left yet. You can dump the damn missiles back onto the loading docks because you’ve decided you don’t need them, call Scotty and apologize, get him back on board gods be willing, then go back on your merry way! Cool! Capture the guy! Why are we leaving Scotty and Keenser behind? Besides for to add to the contrived plot of this movie which requires these useful fucking missiles as a plot devise and source of conflict?

(I’m literally watching this movie in a boba cafe and clasped my hands over my mouth when Scotty was shucked off by the plot! What! I’m not even emotionally invested in this terrible film and I! Was! Appalled! Bring Scotty back you cowards, you absolute reprobates, what are you even doing this is a Star Trek film.)

I’m like forty minutes in to this fucking movie and I already have so much to complain about, from an anthro perspective as well as a media studies perspective AS WELL AS someone who fucking loves TOS. We haven’t even gotten to the bit about Khan’s identity, or the whitewashing of the character and the huge step backwards THAT was, or how Uhura’s character was fundamentally flattened down to nothing more than a two-dimensional FemaleTM role consisting of “fights with my boyfriend” and “i’m here to emotionally support the male frontrunners because female nurturance”. And let’s not forget the use of women’s unclad bodies as props and voyeuristic objects, and why the fuck would James T “I Respect Women” Kirk be watching a woman undress when asked to turn around Y’ALL

I’m gonna keep watching but god and jesus know I’m gonna have something to say within like... twenty minutes.

[kingsofchaos]

I had an idea, and it kinda made sense to me. What if the cops are also immortal? Or maybe not all of them but Key members, and they and the fakes have been doing this dance for centuries. They chased Geoff through the French Revolution, caught Jack a few times Stealing planes in WW1, so on.

Oooh! I actually thought about bringing in immortal cops (would be probably the only way I’d have RT people in the LSPD because I don’t want to kill them oops) but I tend to always consider it as more of a purgatory type situation, all gaining immortality at the same time in the cursed hellscape that is Los Santos. I love your version, with the long term historic kind of fahc immortality, because there are just so many ways it could go.I mean

1. You could go for something really ridiculous and full on, something like immortality itself being stolen in the first place, because humans were never meant to live forever were they? Were never meant to have this kind of power, but where something of great importance exists there will always be people willing to steal it. It’s an object of the Gods, maybe, of the Devils, perhaps, something ancient and terrible, something forgotten and far too tempting to stay that way forever. Not when people like the man who would one day be Geoff Ramsey exist to find and steal it, when the original iteration of Jack Pattillo is around to share it with, not when Ryan, still James, kills them both and takes it only for the dead to track him down and take it back. Not when Gavin has always had sticky fingers, always been a thief, or when any version of Michael would follow him into hell and back, not when Jeremy was always going to jump headfirst into action, touch strange glowing objects first and worry about the ramifications later.But objects like that don’t stay forgotten forever. Objects like that aren’t left unattended. Others have touched it before, of course, immortal beings who were meant to stand guard, who return to their post to find the object missing. Who comb the earth to track the thieves, playing at law enforcement to avoid detection, avoid even more mortals stumbling across secrets they should not know, but while the criminals are found over and over across history the object is never recovered. Even when the FAHC settle in one place, choose fight over flight and demand answers to some questions of their own, even when the trackers infiltrate the LSPD and raid every place the Crew owns, even then the object remains hidden. Because immortal beings the pseudo-cops may be but the FAHC are human, at least mostly, in all the ways that count. Human in their creativity, their deviousness, their cruelty. Human in their their unlimited ability to adapt, to learn and conquer, to outwit anything and anyone no matter how old, how timeless. So war is waged right under the nose of society, each side keeping their secrets but neither concerned with collateral damage, a city turned battleground for those who cannot die, the nightmare that is Los Santos.Then again:

2. It could be far more simple, where immortals just somehow happen at some point, with no connection to one another, except perhaps some sense that there are others, an odd pull to one another. In the way of humanity throughout history the divide between these immortals is simply human nature, the inclination of some to use their advantages selfishly while others look to protect the greater good. The Fake’s, of course, are individuals who upon realising their own immortality quickly work out that they are now in a better situation than anyone around them, that they can do just about whatever they want with no real consequences, and go wild with the power. Thieves and mobsters, criminals and cult leaders, notorious names in history and unknown puppeteers - over the years the one-day members of the Fake AH Crew have done it all.  They meet up eventually, hundreds of years apart, perhaps temporarily as rivals but overlapping interests and shared ability quickly sees them joining forces. Sees them becoming the most dangerous group history has ever seen. That history keeps on seeing, in many different forms and under many different names over the years but never any less formidable. The eventual immortal members of the LSPD, who’ve been everything from soldiers to international intelligence to vigilantes themselves were never any less dangerous. There have always been famous detectives, always been soldiers who survived the unsurvivable, law enforcement who’ve gone above and beyond, and like the Fake’s these individuals are eventually drawn together under their shared quest for justice. Imbued as they are with a sense of virtuous purpose, assured their role on earth is to police the corrupted immortals and prevent them from raining hell upon normal people, these officers have long been just as merciless as the criminals they hunt. They’ve dogged the Fake’s wherever they’ve gone for centuries, first individually and now as a group, set up for the long haul in Los Santos, doing their very best to curtail the criminal behaviour and prevent the death of those who will not come back to life. It’s a battle they are all locked into now, a duty for the police, a defiance for the FAHC, bloody and vicious and all kinds of unforgiving, on and on into eternity.Or alternatively:

3. For the less serious sort of version of the FAHC - immortal criminals vs immortal justice seekers, still at odds of course, always pitted against one another as the Fake’s fight for selfish gain and power and the cops fight to keep them contained, but maybe it’s all become a bit mundane. Maybe eternity has given them all a bit of perspective, thrown them together for far too long to stay entirely objective, to keep themselves separate. They are all the only immortals any of them know, after all, the only ones stuck in this loop, so maybe they’re on opposite sides but they’d have to talk to one another now and again. Eventually learn more than names, learn like and personalities, not friends, no, but certainly a kind of camaraderie, a familiarity that could almost be fondness in the right light, inevitable after countless lifetimes in each other’s presence. Inevitable when there’s no end in sight, no grand finale, no true winner or loser in this never ending pantomime of life and death. Sure, no one likes dying, no one enjoys the pain or the inescapable flicker of fear, no one wants to explain away their lack of injury or, when the death is too public, create a whole new identity, but you can only take murder personally for so many centuries. Can only hold onto anger for so long before it becomes a little trivial. A little childish. No matter how much Hollywood loves to romanticise supernatural grudges the reality is far less passionate - do anything on loop for 500 years and the fire is sure to dwindle, the emotions mute, shit gets fucking boring.The never ending battle wages on, the conflict between two sides that will never see eye-to-eye, and the ever-changing nature of society and technology keeps the fights themselves from growing too stale, but when you run side-by-side with someone for this long there are only so many righteous monologues you can make before you start feeling a little silly. Sometimes you’re going to see Geoff and Jack at a cafe getting breakfast, or Lindsay and Jeremy at the store debating hair dye brands, and you just have to keep walking. Sometimes you’ll sit down next to Michael and Gavin getting drunk at the bar, will see Trevor and Matt filling a shopping trolley with energy drinks and candy bars, spot Ryan wandering around without that ridiculous mask he’s picked up this time around, and just move on.Because you’re enemies, yes, and tomorrow you’ll be back at war, but today you’ve got a date or tickets to that one movie or haven’t had a coffee yet. Today you’re tired or hungry or just need to talk to someone who isn’t Frank because honestly fuck Frank anyway he’s been hung up on that one ruined shirt for seventy goddamn years, Christ almighty. So you look away, or they look away, or you exchange awkward nods that are perhaps less uncomfortable than they should be, silent acceptance that you’ll pick this fight up another day. Because hey, there will always be another day.

[hellyeahheroes]

Characters That Need To Be In Young Justice S3, Part 1: Here Comes a New Challenger!

As The new Season of Young Justice is getting closer and closer to actually seeing the light of day, I thought of characters that would be good to see in it and, if we’ll be graced with such thing, following season. Of course what initially was supposed to be a short list simply exploded into a colossal one that will require at least few posts to cover. In this part I’ve decided to take a look not as the core cast themselves but rather characters that could in some way provide a challenge to them - be it as rival hero groups they come into conflict with for various reasons, antiheroes that supposedly have the same goals but take things too far or straight-out villains to beat. So without further delay, let us get right into it

Number Ten: Lord Havok & the Extremists

When it comes to obscure villains few things strike out like an entire supervillain team based on characters from your biggest competition. Marvel has both parodied and homaged DC multiple times with various incarnations of Squadron Supreme, while DC has the Extremists - an entire team “inspired” by iconic Marvel supervillains. They come from another world and their goal is less world domination but the extermination of heroes and domination for the protection - as their world has been destroyed, they have decided it was the heroes who were responsible. So now they aim to save another world from the same fate. By conquering it and eliminating heroes one by one.

A team of varied antagonists, at least some of which are extremely powerful, who do not play by the rules of heroes and villains game and are lead by megalomaniacal mastermind based on Doctor Doom would certainly upset the balance of power between the heroes and the Light, forcing both side to adapt or even team up to take them down before they can resume their own spy game.

Speaking of Extreme measures....

Number Nine: Manchester Black

I have mentioned it in the past that I’m not actually a fan of Superman story “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice And American Way?” or animated movie “Superman vs the Elite” it is based on. However, I can respect the villainous potential of Manchester Black. A British thug with incredible telepathic and telekinetic powers he what would happen if you gave Jean Grey power set to Frank Castle. Only, you know, British. While he usually sticks to antagonizing Superman and obsessively trying to turn him to break his vows and start killing the villains, lately he seems to have turned towards corrupting younger generation in his image. And that’s a role that would be extremely resonant in series like Young Justice. Heroes of this world already have strayed a bit too close to certain lines, especially during the second season. Seeing how the next season will likely continue diving into spy stories in superhero world, these lines might get blurry again. Even without somebody like Manchester with his twisted black and white sense of morality whispering in your ear.

While the obvious choice would have him go after Superboy, I think he would actually play a good antagonist to Miss Martian as well. Not only is she in need for a decent telepath to challenge her since I think everyone is just done with Psimon, but she had a history of going too far with her powers or using them too recklessly, something that caused her a great deal of grief. Not only that would make her a perfect target to somebody like Black but it would make him a warning sign of what lies at the end of this road and what kind of person it could turn her into.

Fun fact: Manchester was loosely based on Jenny Sparx, leader of team the Authority from Wildstorm comics, whose characters are now not only owned by DC but a part of their Universe. One of Wildstorm’s most popular stories was the Sleeper, which featured our next spot on the list

Number Eight: T.A.O

Because when the Tactically Augmented Organism looked at life, he saw only chaos and order. And humanity's denial of chaos appalled him. So he would tear it all down and fill the whole world with chaos, if only to watch mankind cling to their illusions as they burned around them...would he destroy the world at the same time? It's certainly a possibility.

T.A.O. or Tactically Augmented Organism is an interesting villain being a human basically grew in a lab and possessing both incredibly high intelligence and a compelling voice he uses to plant ideas he wants into people’s heads. He started supposedly on the good guy’s side, but have turned out to secretly been manipulating good guys and bad guys alike into starting a war among superhumans and countless destruction, just because he could. He turns out to have an extremely misanthropic worldview and likes the idea of overthrowing existing status quo in favor of chaos. He built his own villain empire just for that purpose. This all makes him perfect an antagonist in the type of story Young Justice is operating on. He could easily have started as an ally, only to turn out to try and “spice things up” between the Team and the light. Or he could be working with the latter, as he fits their “mastermind” style like a glove. He would also provide an interesting contrast for Superboy, seeing how they both were artificially created by scientists, yet turned out as total opposites.

And if we touch upon providing a contrast, let’s stay in WIldstorm corner for a moment.

Number Seven: Apollo & Midnighter

One of the advantages of jumping to a new online service is supposed to be that Young Justice can now show more LGTBQ characters. So I say, let them put their money where their mouths are and bring in one of the more popular gay couples in DC - a pair of antiheroes, Apollo and Midnighter. Due to their background, they could fit easily into the black ops feel the show is trying to have and they would also provide a contrast to the Team in a way similar, but less extreme than Black. These guys don’t play around if they have to kill a villain, they will. But they don’t actively go trying to enforce their way on others, but that would only present a dilemma to the team - can they afford to leave these two to their own devices? Or maybe they are worth having around, in case there were lines to be crossed?

We’ll stay in Wildstorm part of DC for one more group to visit.

Number Six: The DV8

Some might be surprised I’m bringing up them over Gen 13, heroic group of teenagers on the run from evil government conspiracy. But honestly, Young Justice already had a group that fits a similar niche in their Runaways. And while it would be fun to have Gen 13 around, they are, how Warren Ellis put it, kids you look at and you know they wash their teeth three times a day. Their antagonists on the other hand....

DV8 or Deviants consist of a team of 8 superpowered teenagers - Threshold, Bliss, Frostbite, Sublime, Copycat, Powerhaus, Freestyle and Evo. What makes them different from other teen supervillain teams is that these guys are mercenaries. Working for ruthless and ambitious Ivana Baiul they take on black ops mission for whoever is paying and whatever is advancing her ambitions. And that’s what makes them so appealing - because there might be situations where they will be hired to oppose the Team but in other instances, they might have to join forces towards the same goal, at least for a while. Plus some of DV8 members had shown shades of moral ambiguity so they could have a potential to turn good.

And in case somebody would say I’m crapping on Gen 13 for being heroic, let us leave Wildstorm to go take a look at another team.

Number Five: The Movement

Created by Gail Simone and Freddie Williams II, the Movement is a team of teenage superheroes who try to take on more “grounded” problems than supervillains. The movement is a team of young activists and disfranchised - Virtue, Mouse, Vengeance Moth, Tremor, Burden, Katharsis and Rainmaker -  who, to use Gail Simone’s own words  "all have reason to be mad at the system, which hasn't protected them or even tolerated them".

And this is precisely why I want them in Young Justice. Moving to a different network and being able to tackle more mature themes is a perfect opportunity to bring in the Movement. This is a team who is mad at the system, yes, but clearly idealistic and good-natured and they help people were official services cannot. This is something that I feel is often good if not outright necessary to have in stories taking so much from the spy genre’s handbook. The Team has risked and lost a lot and even did few things they might not be proud of in defense of the status quo. It’s about time somebody showed up to make them question if the status quo is actually worth all of this as it is or if they as superheroes cannot do something to also improve it. And the Movement is a perfect team to challenge them on that level instead of some unnecessary battles.

No, that we can leave to the next position on the list

Number Four: The Blood Syndicate

Young Justice was not shy of using characters from late Dwayne McDuffie’s Milestone Media imprint - that’s where they got Icon, Rocket and Static from after all. Well, how about one of their more controversial creations, even at the time. Blood Syndicate is not a team. They’re a gang. A gang of individuals who all gained superpowers in the same incident and now band together. Consisting of several characters like Wise Son, Brickhouse, DMZ, Tech-9, Dogg, Boogieman, Aquamaria, Fade, Masquerade, Flashback, Third Rail, Oro Kwai or (I kid you not) Holocaust. While a gang and very angry at everyone for what happened to them, they could easily be used to be opponents for the Team. But they also have at least some moral ambiguity and conflicting goals and dreams and at least few could potentially turn on the side of angels, while the others...well, I see no reason why Holocaust couldn’t be a big threat on his own as he was upon leaving the Syndicate in the comics, only now working with the Light.

So far there was at best some moral ambiguity connected to most if not all of the mentioned examples. How about some very heroic group next? 

Number Three: The Justice League of China

China’s attempt at beat Americans at their own game and create their own, improved version of its most well-known superheroes resulted in a team of teenagers bearing the names of Super-Man, Bat-Man, Wonder-Woman and Flash of China. They are at heart idealistic and deeply heroic, even if still rather inexperienced. That means they not only provide contrast to the Team (double than China’s other superhero team, the Great Ten, due to being teenagers themselves) but it might be very easy to set them as rivals trying to prove themselves or have them go into conflict with the Team, would one of their missions involve messing around on Chinese territory. And they also add a bit of world building as a whole, show that it’s not only the Justice League and the Light who are in the race for domination on the superhuman scene.

Let us not leave China too soon as there is a certain another character from there I wanted to bring up.

Number Two: Lady Shiva and League of Shadows

With the death of Ras Al Ghul (assuming he’s going to stay dead as, well, this is Ras we’re talking here about) it is a perfect opportunity to bring more focus on his League of Assassins and how it adapted and developed without their immortal leader. And Lady Shiva with her more extremist offshoot of the organization, the Lague of Shadow, designed to for most exists only as an urban legend might be a very good for just that. Leading more dangerous part of the League, maybe breaking out of the Light and even turning against them, trapping the Team between the two organizations. Not to mention that Shiva herself is a deadly oponnent that deserves to be able to showcase her skill in animation.

And if we’re touching on the League of Assassins

Number One: the Demon’s Fist

Lead by Ras’ granddaughter, Mara Al Ghul, Demon’s Fist is a fairly new addition to DC Universe, yet still an interesting one. A team of superpowered children - Nightstorm, Stone, Plague and Blank - kidnapped at birth, raised and trained to be assassins and servants of Ras. They never knew they were deceived nd once they found out, turned against their former master. But how could that story play in young Justice? Maybe with Ras dead, they will aid Mara in her efforts to seize grandfather’s position for herself? Or maybe they discover the League has been using them and ask the Team to help them get out? There are multiple possibilities to consider, which is what makes this team so interesting.

If there is a character who didn’t make it to the list, fear not - this is merely part one out of at least 3 DC Unvierse is rich and ripe with characters that would make a great addition to Young Justice, a single top 10 would not do them all justice. And when you look at the final two entries of this list, you can probably guess which corner of DCU we will visit next

- Admin