#who gets imprisoned and who doesn't is always political

[fiercynn]

disturbed by the number of times i've seen the idea that calling gaza an open-air prison is not okay because "that implies that gazans have done something wrong", the subtext being unlike those criminals who deserve to be in prison. i'm sorry but we HAVE to understand criminalization and incarceration as an intrinsic part of settler colonialism and racial capitalism, because settler states make laws that actively are designed to suppress indigenous and racialized resistance, and then enforce those laws in even more racist and discriminatory ways so that who is considered "criminal" is indelibly tied up with who is considered a "threat" to the settler state. that's how law, policing, and incarceration function worlwide, and how they have always functioned in israel as part of the zionist project.

talking about prison abolition in this context is not a distraction from what's happening to palestinians; it's a key tool of israel's apartheid and genocide. why do you think a major hamas demand has been for israel to release the palestinians in israeli prisons? why do you think israel nearly doubled the number of palestinians incarcerated in their prison in just the first two weeks after october 7? why do they systematically racially profile palestinians (particularly afro-palestinians, since anti-blackness is baked into israel's carceral system as well, like it is in much of the world) and arrest and charge 20% of palestinians, an astonishingly high rate that goes up even higher to 40% for palestinian men? why are there two different systems of law for palestinians and israelis, where palestinians are charged and tried under military law, leading to a conviction rate of almost 100%? why do they torture children and incarcerate them for up to 20 years just for throwing rocks? why can palestinians be imprisoned by israel without even being charged or tried? why do they keep the bodies of palestinians who have died in prison (often due to torture, execution, or medical neglect) for the rest of their sentences instead of returning them to their families?

this is not to say that no palestinians imprisoned by israel have ever done harm. but incarceration worldwide has never been about accountability for those who have done harm, nor about real justice for those have experienced harm, nor about deterring future harm. incarceration is about controlling, suppressing, and exterminating oppressed people. sometimes people from privileged classes get caught up in carceral systems as well, but it is a side effect, because the settler colonialist state will happily sacrifice some of its settlers for its larger goal.

so yes, gaza is an open-air prison. that doesn't means gazans deserve to be there. it means that no one deserves to be in prison, because prisons themselves are inherently oppressive.

[pluckyredhead]

Can you please say more about the Lanterns' politics?

I am so glad you asked me about this because I've been thinking about it since I reblogged that post but also I'm definitely about to get yelled at lol. ANYWAY THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG.

Tl;dr: John is the only one with a coherent political position or an up-to-date voter registration.

Hal:

So something interesting about Hal is that his stories are often very political but his character is not. With one extremely obvious exception, he rarely talks about politics; rather, he serves as a means through which to tell political stories, usually unintentionally.

What do I mean by that? Well, for example, in the Silver Age, his love interest would occasionally be possessed by a misandrist space jewel that would force her to attack him, but always lose because women are inherently inferior to men and prefer to be subjugated by them anyway. That's the original Star Sapphire concept. It's wildly misogynistic, but it doesn't mean Hal the character is misogynistic. But it's also a very political story, even if I don't think the writer was deliberately trying to make a point so much as...being an average, thoughtlessly sexist guy living in the 60s. (Carol continues to be the subject of mindbogglingly sexist writing and art well into the 2000s. Fucking comics.)

And so you have Hal Jordan, whose love life was ruined by his girlfriend getting promoted above him and who called his best friend by a racist nickname for decades; Hal Jordan, poster boy for chest-thumping post-9/11 kneejerk patriotism; Hal Jordan, lightning rod for a certain kind of regressive bigoted fanboyism. Choosing Hal as the Lantern for a particular story over John or Kyle has come to signify something very specific, but none of that is necessarily reflective of what Hal himself believes.

So what about Hal himself? Well, when we first meet him, he's the epitome of privilege: a white, straight, cis, Christian (I know he's canonically half-Jewish now but that's only as of the past decade or so), ablebodied, upper middle class (Geoff Johns retconned him to have a working class background, but in the Silver Age, he had one uncle who was a millionaire, another who was a judge, and a successful politician brother) man with a flashy job. Privilege tends to lean Republican; even if he is from California, I suspect Hal voted for Eisenhower in 1956.

In GL/GA, the word "Republican" isn't used to my recollection, but Hal is definitely presented as...I'm going to say conservative by I mean lower-case C. He doesn't have deeply held political beliefs, but he's traditional. He doesn't question the system, because he's never had to. He resists things that challenge the way he's always understood the world works, and that's very relatable - most people do! And he will absolutely argue with Ollie, who certainly isn't always right about everything. But he's also willing to listen, and have his mind changed, and certainly reachable via appeals to compassion and fairness.

Once the "relevance" trend of the late 60s-early 70s was over, Hal's stories default back to ostensibly politically neutral, although obviously nothing is actually politically neutral. In the late 80s and early 90s he's the most unpleasant version of himself, and that has political manifestations, like when he allows John to be imprisoned in apartheid South Africa for a ridiculous and unnecessary crime Hal himself committed. It's extremely fucked up, but again, it's less because of Hal's actual opinions and more because Christopher Priest wanted to write about apartheid, even if it does make Hal look incredibly, horrifically racist.

Then jump to the mid-2000s and Green Lantern: Rebirth, and you might imagine that losing his hometown, getting possessed by a giant space bug, becoming a supervillain, dying, and becoming the embodiment of God's vengeance might have some effect on Hal's politics, but that is not what Geoff Johns is here to write. Johns is writing a Hal who teleported in from, like, 1967 - no nuance allowed. He's a summer blockbuster that walks like a man. He's a Baja Blast. He's never had a coherent political thought in his life. In his defense, he has had more and goofier concussions than any superhero I can think of and his brain is smooth like an egg. Still.

Anyway, all of this is to say that I think Hal tends to default to center right positions but can be easily coaxed over to center left. That said, he has never not once in his life had his shit together enough to vote in a single election, not even for his own brother.

Guy:

So Guy's deal is a little bit complicated because his most vocally political era was also in part due to severe and personality-altering brain damage.

When Guy was originally introduced in the 1960s, he had the pleasantly bland personality of all superheroes. Many years later, he suffered a series of major injuries, torture, and a lengthy coma, and he emerged from the coma in 1985 with the aggressive, abrasive personality he's best known for today. Justice League International took that even further, using him to parody the jingoistic, red-blooded American action hero of the 80s.

This version of Guy is a vocal fan of Ronald Reagan and despises the USSR. He's pro-war, proudly xenophobic, and treats women badly enough that it crosses the line into repeated sexual harassment, both physical and verbal. (To be fair...ish, this last also applies to Wally West and arguably a number of other men, and was always played for laughs. It was gross all around.)

Again, this is partially a manifestation of his brain damage. There's also a running gag in JLI where if he gets hit on the head, his personality changes to this cloying, timid, gentle one, sort of halfway between a child and a flamboyant gay stereotype. Hit him again and he goes back to Asshole Guy. I'm not going to pretend I don't find some of the gags funny, but it's obviously all highly problematic, and not just from a medical standpoint.

That said, I don't think we can dismiss Guy's politics or his usual personality as simply a manifestation of brain damage. We see in later flashbacks that he developed the abrasiveness as a defense mechanism from growing up in an abusive home, and as he matures through the 90s, he doesn't actually become a significantly different person, even after his Vuldarian healing factor kicks in and heals his brain. (It's a thing.) I think it's more accurate to say that the brain damage probably affected his impulse control, his filter, and arguably even his paranoia levels.

All of which is to say that as much as I would love to go "Guy's better now, so he's not a Republican!"...that dog won't hunt. I think a really good canon writer could make the case that Guy is pro-union-style working class and also a former teacher so he's at least center left, but as of now canon evidence is pretty firmly on the red side. It doesn't help that the GLC has been written as fetishistically pro-cop and pro-military since Johns got his grubby hands all over it. I will happily ignore the New 52 retcon that Guy was a cop, and you could even try to argue that he dislikes cops because his brother was a corrupt cop who became a supervillain, but I think it's much more likely that he identifies with cops as a Corps member. Although I don't think he would have any patience for killer cops. ("You were afraid for your life even though you were the only one with a weapon? Then fucking quit, coward.")

All of that said, I think Guy is similar to Hal: defaults to center right, can be talked into center left on certain issues but he's more stubborn about it. (They would also both be enraged by Jan 6 and disgusted by the current Republican party - I can't quite argue that Guy Gardner is a Democrat but Green Lanterns don't have any patience for traitors or cowards.) It's also kind of a moot point because he never knows what is happening on Earth and hasn't voted since his pre-coma days.

John:

Oh John Stewart, thank god for you.

John was introduced as an explicitly political character in an explicitly political story. The first time we see him, he's stepping in to defend Black men from a white cop, citing his own knowledge of the law to do so. He shows a much more perceptive and informed perspective on the issue's main plot (a racist senator running for president) than Hal does. Even in the little moment above, we see that he's sensitive to exactly what it means for him, a Black man, to be taking on this role.

None of this is a surprise, since we'll later learn that John's parents were civil rights activists. Not only would he not have had the privilege Hal and Guy did to assume his existence was politically neutral, he was explicitly educated about political realities and progressive advocacy from childhood. He's well-informed, he's passionate, and he's going to tell you when you are being fucking stupid.

John isn't immune from the GL cop/military...thing, although I can't blame Johns for that - it was the cartoon that made him a Marine, and the comics followed suit. But that's never outweighed his origin or his upbringing. Like, he's friends with the DCU's fictional version of Nelson Mandela.

This one is straightforward: John is a staunch progressive. He is, however, in outer space 90% of the time, so he's always at least a little bit out of date. I imagine every time he comes back to Earth he spends the first 24 hours watching the news in abject horror.

Kyle:

Kyle doesn't talk about politics a lot, but when he does, he lands pretty much where you'd expect a young California-born artist living in New York City to land: to the left. My read on Kyle is that he hasn't really thought any of his politics through, which makes sense - he's a character who is led by emotion over reason every time. He doesn't have John's carefully thought-through arguments or knowledge of the law behind him. I feel like when something political upsets him, he's more likely to splutter angrily than make a coherent argument (which: same). When he's given the time to think things through and speak from the heart, though, he can be very eloquent, like in his speech to Terry after Terry accidentally comes out to him.

It's also worth pointing out that his solo appearances were mostly in the 90s, which were prone to avoiding politics or only addressing them in a halfhearted both sides-y way like the story above.

That said, I don't think he ever actually does anything about his political opinions. He never votes in midterm or primary elections, and probably only voted in a presidential one because Alex dragged him along one time. I feel like Donna tried to do the same when they were dating and that was when Kyle realized he'd forgotten to change his voter registration from California to New York. Jennie wasn't responsible enough to Mom him into doing his civic duty, and he's been in space pretty much nonstop ever since, so...

Simon:

In that other post, I said Simon's experiences should have radicalized him, but instead he was created by Geoff Johns. Simon is a Muslim, Lebanese-American man who came of age in the post-9/11 era, and was wrongfully convicted of terrorism and waterboarded at Guantanamo Bay. His reaction to this was...to put on a ski mask and wave a gun around. Like, it's been a while since I've read these issues, but aside from the "ripped from the headlines!!!" of it all, I feel like Simon's experiences largely don't inform his actions or perspective except that he's super angry (fair enough).

The thing about Simon (and Jessica) is that he hasn't been around very long, and most comics don't have characters directly expressing political opinions. It's not a coincidence that these characters are in chronological order and each write-up is shorter than the last. I can think of about three times where Kyle has ever said anything I can interpret as political, and he's been around for 30 years. Simon only has a third of that history. So while one could certainly extrapolate what Simon's opinions are likely to be, I can't think of any canon where he actually says them.

Jessica:

Jessica has even less to go on in terms of explicitly political comics. You'd think she wouldn't like guns because of what happened to her friends, but she has one of her own and doesn't seem bothered by Simon's. I'd imagine she has opinions on immigration as someone whose family is from Mexico and Honduras, but it never comes up. If I were writing for DC, I'd make both Simon and Jess leftists, but as for actual canon proof? I got nothing.

I will say that she probably avoids political discussions because anxiety, and I bet she got really good at voting by mail during her years not leaving the house. She probably votes by mail from space. Maybe John's not the only one with an up-to-date voter registration.

Kilowog:

[horizon-verizon]

Honestly as a neutral party I would prefer Jaehaera living to Daenaera being introduced. Jaehaera is an innocent, mentally disabled child and her death is needlessly cruel. Her death is the least plot relevant of all of the child deaths that have happened in the dance and it's reasonable for people to want that changed since it comes off as pointlessly cruel. Killing Alicent or even just focusing on her imprisonment more is enough to show that the greens have paid for their betrayal. At least Daenaera can still be introduced and do something else in the narrative even if she doesn't marry Aegon.

I've already explained why Jaehaera's death was plot relevant HERE and HERE.

A)

Daenaera's entire narrative purpose was to marry Aegon and have his children to propagate the Targ line AND to become part of Aegon's mental rehabilitation from the effects of the civil war and watching his own mother get eaten burned/alive by a dragon. This is also reason why she's a fan fav in the first place; it's seen as a noble undertaking to some and a way for the Targs to move away from the greens finally. What other narrative use would you have her have?!

We can't bring up how after the War of the Roses the two fighting houses (Yorks and Lancasters) were successfully brought together in marriage to justify Jaehaera marrying and having a family with Aegon. Because:

Elizabeth of York wasn't disabled like Jaehaera

neither her nor Henry Tudor were little kids when they married

this is a fictional tale that, while modeled after some real events and people, is using them as springboards for a specific, purposefully created "message" unique to the author's

and imagine what it would being pregnant several times really be like for a very mentally incapacitated and traumatized girl like her?!!

Much less the other traumatized boy who's to be her husband? What the consummation and all the...impregnating times looked like?! Then, imagine what the family life would have been like, with these parents unable to ever connect thus the resentment is worse and their kids seeing that?

This doesn't justify Unwin Peake murdering Jaehaera, but no she never should have been married off to Aegon or anyone in the first place and that was not Unwin's doing but a larger group's--Aegon's council/patriarchal feudalism. This is what GRRM's trying to tell you, stop resisting it.

B)

I can believe that it is the way she died and the other context of so much violence men and adults perform against women and girls in this world is what really offends people enough for them to say that somehow, this a narratively irrelevant death. Because they're just that horrified.

The feelings are valid. But the action to erase the significance of the death is not valid. You definitely can wish for a much less violent one, like a poisoning that puts her to sleep or something. The death is supposed to be tragic and make you feel that it wasn't deserved, was horrible, etc. Because it was all those things.

And to say such an untrue thing as "not narratively relevant" also leads me to suspect that some people don't like Jaehaera's death either bc they just:

wanted the greens to win in some way bc they favor them and their cause (my second linked post)

you--knowing that Daenaera will likely be black in the show IF they ever get to the Maiden's Ball--go so hard for Jaehaera bc she at least is a white girl in the universe of HotD

want excessively centrist politics to sway the story at the expense of actual understanding of why we should change and upend the status quo entirely (here the feudal entrapment of girls and women); deny a reality, discourage learning to the oppressive status quo can prevail [on this trend of neutrality]...the truth is the villains/antagonists were always the greens

AND/OR, are avoidant of facing ugly, sordid truths of oppression because they are close to it in real life and haven't found ways of separating that from collective understanding of oppressive systems/coping mechanism

Look anon, Alicent's imprisonment doesn't make up for mass death. Because it's not even just about Alicent as the individual, the grandmother, the mother, etc. It's the effect of her actions on a population. Jaehaera was one of many girls Otto AND Alicent endangered (another being Halaena). Though her actions became something much bigger than her & things went out of her control, that doesn't stop them from being hers AND having affected thousands of lives. Her main aim was to accrue power through her kids and grandkids--who she chose to risk by usurping Rhaenyra and beginning the war--the consequence is she loses said kids and grandkids through other's similar ambition. Again, bc even though those kids were noble and were supposed to be relatively safe, because they are all technically heirs or adults around them can use them accrue power (whether by killing them or through marriages or whatever), they were also targets. We could say similar for Rhaenyra's children, as what happens to her youngest 2; all of them in one way or another die because they were or could be used. however, they AND the greens' kids were all safer if the greens had not usurped Rhaenyra.

The greens were the aggressors and transgressors. The ones who started this war and looked for something out of it. They tried to act worse against Rhaenrya before/during the war AND the whole of Westeros before/during/after, thus they get the worse punishment and lose more than she did.

The entire point is that the greens lose everything, because they went after "everything". They lose everything, including their kids bc they relentlessly and hypocritically ran to obtain more power for themselves by attempting to exclude a woman from the position she never would have had without the will of a man.

They went on the basis that a girl/woman should not rule or become an heir before any direct male relatives...so Jaehaera was cut out of the line of succession by her own side of the family, thus she was also less prioritized, thus she was made into a baby factory for Aegon III. She became their last chance to get their blood to at least be part of the future line, but even that's dashed by a man who had similar ambitions as Otto and Alicent.

In trying to go against the king's word/an actual law, the greens also made it much more justified for someone to not care much for Aegon II's claim or authority...bc if you can so easily flout a king's word, why should you care about the guy you're trying to make king?! And using people who themselves are willing to be so dishonest creates a higher likelihood that they'd betray you, as similar to Ulf and Hugh betraying Rhaenyra. (And somehow, Rhaenyra is the only naive one when she expects people to follow through with their oaths 🙄)

Have you ever thought, anon, about those other girls who were maimed or terrorized into not appearing before Aegon III in the Maiden's Ball? Sure, most of them weren't disabled (Priscella Hogg was, I think), but what happens to Jaehaera is because she was girl in the way of a man's ambitions and not because she was disabled. What about all those Tumbleton folk, Bitterbridge refugees (the raped septas and girls as young as 8!), and riverland peasants--most of them children! Undoubtedly, you will have disabled children in those populations, anon. Why is Jaehaera's death so much more valuable than these mass deaths of also children? Remember that Alicent raised her kids to easier justify committing these atrocities. Maelor and Jaehaerys' deaths also reflect these events. Jaehaera's death was markedly different in meaning from theirs (to open up space for another girls who's being used) because she was female. In the first linked post, I talk about why and how people used Jaehaera's marriage to Aegon and how that reflects on her death being unique from her brothers' because of her gender.

GRRM comments, through Jaehaera and these girls and Rhaenyra what one pattern of F&B has: being female is dangerous because it is to be more of an object or property in lieu of self-concerned ambitious men to the point where the most vulnerable and those who cannot practice some of the same sort of agency can experience gruesome consequences--sometimes to become terrors themselves in their attempts to gain denied agency or defend themselves.

[semisolidmind]

Okay, so. One line from the Mac stays with immortal Reader when SWK is sealed for 500 years stands out to me. "Before he could", referring to getting her pregnant. And it got me thinking. What if in the middle of him quietly raging over the situation, his sons walk in? Sons, mostly because twins run in my family, so I am fond of the image. They would be about 500 years old, so very grown up. But two, strapping, handsome, very clearly NOT Mac's, men walk in. Each carrying a bushel of peaches (I don't know that Mac has a favorite fruit but I imagine it isn't peaches) under one arm and eating one with the other. After the three way spider man meme, what's his reaction? For what it's worth, the sons know the history and while they aren't happy SWK is here, they just want him to leave without hurting their mother or Mac, who has functionally been their father this whole time.

PS: Thank you for getting me hooked on Isekai'd to the West. Bada Bap Bap Baaaa, I'm loving it.

(ah, i see. so this is if swk was able to get reader pregnant before his imprisonment, but since mac helped raise them, the kiddos think of him as their dad, ok. )

alright so, twin baby boys.. since i think there need to be more monster babies, these boys are monkey demons like their dad. i kinda imagine the kids being fraternal twins, like maybe one of them has the ginger fur and the other has reader's hair color.

after the spider man pointing meme moment, the boys are obviously on edge. ooohoohoo, they know this guy, their dad (doesn't matter that he's not their "real" dad, mac raised and trained them) told them aaaall about him. even though he hasn't done anything yet, doesn't mean he won't. The boys go to sit by their mother and macaque, one on either side, putting themselves between her and the warlord who sired them. they remember their manners, though, so they make polite conversation with the disciples and their master.

wukong on the other hand...he's in awe. those are his kids. the evidence of his and reader's union, now grown and strong. he can't help the grin on his face despite their mistrust and readers obvious anxiety. of course, he's still incredibly pissed that his wife and children were stolen from him.

however, given that his sons are now grown and have been raised under the traitors' ideals...perhaps it'd be best if he just took back reader. after all, he'd always planned on having a ton of kids with her, so these next few will be raised his way. and it's not like his firstborns will be able to take their mother back. they were trained by the weaker version of him, so they'll likely never surpass him.

with her sons subtly guarding her, wukong doesn't get the chance to deliver his threat. regardless, mac, reader, and the boys make plans to move somewhere far away the moment swk and the diciples are out of sight.

[fuckmyskywalker]

babe babe babe.

i can't stop thinking about assasin!reader and anakin, like something reminiscent of mr and mrs smith. imagine this, she's been doing this since 18, luring creepy old influential men in politics and then murdering them...

imagine something where, padawan ani, obi-wan and a senior order member like windu are going undercover to lock up this famous yet shady guy, maybe like some weird old crooked politician who runs some kind of illegal underground prostitution ring, and they're just about to knock down the doors to his office, and then when they do, instead of finding the creepy politician, they're met with the sight of her... cigarette wrapped around her lips, lounging in his chair, look hot and elegant as ever, or however much a 19 year old can be, and this politician's bruised and bloody body lying on the floor, as well as his big bulky security guards' bodies scattered all over the floor. and she has this innocent smirk plastered on her face. and she and windu have like history, he knows her, and she says something like, "always making me do your jobs for you, huh?" she got to him before they did.

padawan ani is hooked.

and he can't stop thinkinh of her

luckily for him they meet again a month later... except he's managed to get himself tied up to a chair and imprisoned, but so is she, tied up and imprisoned. he tries to make conversation with her but she keeps shutting him down and looking for a way out... using that massive brain of hers she somehow manages to get rid of the ropes around her wrists, and suprise attacks the men who imprisoned her beating multiple men down and takes whatever she needs, and just before she leaves she looks back at ani, who's still a padawan and smirks before leaning down and kissing him, winking she walks away and leaves

he is so fucked, and so in love.

maybe they meet again during rots ani era, and he's still so in love, she drives him insane, leading him on, but he doesn't mind, as long as it's her

-🎸

Oh god, yes. This is art. I've been gatekeeping it because you have the best ideas love, I absolutely eat them up.

I can totally see everyone telling Anakin that he should hate you. "An assassin doesn't have any honor", that's what he always hears, and being honest he is tired of it.

Anakin can't help but be lured by your games, your teasing and seductive way of acting and dancing around him, hooking him around your finger over and over— he hates how needy just a brush of your fingers makes him, he hates how easy you just walk and trap him in that web of secret eroticism. But oh, how much he loves you.

He is definitely fucked. I swear. This idea has me spiraling down. I am insane. I am feral.

[godsofhumanity]

I would love to see Odin headcanons, he’s my favorite god king. I love how he’s both logical and also a warrior

hmm ok i did a lot of thinking on this ask and i think i have some stuff!

first of all. yes, as you said, i think Odin is a very logical guy... maybe too logical at times. i don't see him as being very emotional or sentimental, he just does what he knows will serve him best.

above all things, i think Odin is ambitious. super super ambitious. he craves knowledge which i feel is just another term for power, but not power in terms of how much land you own but power in terms of "knowledge is power" power.

i think Odin hates to lose. he needs to come out on top every time. as a result, he has a terrible anger. we know this already from the punishment of Loki-- i mean, he had to be seriously angry to do what he did to Narfi and Vali.

while he is a bookworm, Odin is also a warrior. he loves to fight and clash swords with another. given the viking tradition of wanting to die in battle, i think Odin prizes fighters and looks down on those who do not wish to fight.

that's not to say that Odin doesn't like peace. this is very important too. but i think Odin likes a balance of it. he doesn't shy away from war, or desperately try to avoid it if he knows he can't.

that's actually how i sort of hc Odin to have met Loki. i think, in the beginning days of the Aesir, Odin went to Jotunheim to maybe take over it, and in a recon mission, he got caught by the giants and was imprisoned.. in prison he met Loki,, a trickster full of guile that Odin admired.

i think they became friends after this point, much to Frigg's annoyance, and of course, Loki joined Odin in Asgard. i like to think about a "peace" treaty between Jotunheim and Asgard to outlaw any outright wars from either side, and that Loki, being of Jotun blood, was there to facilitate matters.

in terms of Frigg and Odin. i like the idea that Frigg was Odin's second-in-command in their early days. i realise this has no basis in lore but i just love the idea of Frigg being a warrior like Odin.

i don't think they were "heavily" in love, but Odin did admire her more than any other lover of his, and Frigg also admired Odin, so she accepted his proposal to be Queen. and i think she does an awesome job at it.

in saying that, i think they are far more in love with each other at the beginning of their relationship than at the end of it.

in terms of Baldr, Hodr, and Hermod. i hc that Baldr and Hodr are twins, though Baldr is the older of them. they are Frigg's first children but not Odin's, however, since Frigg is Odin's wife, Baldr is the "crown prince".

Hodr is blind from birth. i think that Frigg has always loved both children equally. i think Odin has a preference for Baldr because Baldr is like, the most perfect guy in every way, and Odin has a lot of high hopes for him,, and i do think this affects Hodr.

i don't think Odin intends to do this, but as i said, he is very logical. he knows that Hodr is blind and cannot participate in a battle as Baldr can. he knows also that Hodr was born second and will likely never become crown prince in Baldr's place. so he feels it is best for Hodr to stay indoors and he doesn't really dedicate too much time to teaching Hodr to use a sword, as he does with Baldr.

but, i do think Odin loves Hodr. Hodr, i think, is quite smart and i like the idea of him having an aptitude for runes and history moreso than Baldr. i think Odin would spend a lot of time with him to discuss such things. the death of both children is a tremendous loss that changes Odin and the rest of Asgard for the worse.

in terms of the rest of Odin's children by other women. i think Odin has a lot of kids primarily for political reasons. all of them have a home in Asgard and i love the idea that all of them get along with Frigg and her children... there are literally no quarrels about who's the better son or the better lover or anything like that. i don't think Odin would indulge it. i don't think Frigg likes Odin's various affairs, but i think she has always known that that side of him exists and is at peace with it. i also like the idea that Frigg and Odin are not each other's first loves..

i think Frigg might have had a "wilder" streak in her youth, when she was just a warrior and little more, but stops after becoming Queen because it no longer interests her; being a queen, a warrior, and a mother occupies her time in a far better way. i say this largely because i'm sick of there being loyal, modest queens with uncontrollable kings for husbands. i would like there to be a couple who start on "equal footing".

[corrodedcoughin]

This may have gotten out of hand but uh... Pirate Eddie and Royalty Steve au

Prince Steve Harrington is the eldest and only legitimate child of King and Queen Harrington. Rich, privileged, and so so lonely. A puppet of his parents. He got thrown into lesson upon lesson at their insistence.  Swordfighting, war tactics, horse riding, map reading, Latin, politics, money, and deals and anything his parents could throw at him.

And some of it he actually enjoyed. He loved to sword fight, to train, to ride his horse and hunt. Anything that involved getting out, moving his body. And some of it he was good at. He knew people- their thoughts and feelings and how their emotions influenced their actions. He knew what to say to get someone to listen to him. What carefully placed words and insults could have someone cowering. He could manipulate anyone if he wanted. But all that was still never enough for his parents. He was never enough.

He fell in love with Nancy but her family wasn't prestigious enough for the Harrington's. She ripped his heart out and crushed it between the palms of her hands so he supposes that doesn't even matter anymore.

He befriended the noble courtiers of Tommy, Carol, and Nicole - but they were only in it for the money and the influence. They didn't care about Steve. Power hungry assholes who got off on being above others. It's a wonder his father didn't like them more.

And then it was all for fucking nothing. Their trips to other kingdoms started getting longer and longer until Steve barely sees them anymore. And he isn't allowed to be involved in the day to day running of the kingdom - his father has advisors for that - so what's the fucking point of Steve?

He turns himself around. Tries to be nicer. Better. Befriends a girl who works on the palace grounds - Robin. And a young squire - Dustin. People his parents would despise but he loves with all his heart.

And then there's Eddie. Eddie the Banished - wanted pirate in his own right but more well known for being the son of the Dread Pirate Munson. Who sailed the seas, slaughtered the navy, stole from merchants, was wanted for years before it all caught up with him and he was imprisoned and hung at the gallows.

Following in his father's footsteps wasn't exactly what he wanted for himself - but he was good at it, he was poor, and he wasn't about to conform to the standards of a society who despises him. So he leans into it. Puts on the mask of the terrifying pirate they want him to be. With his long curly hair, tricorn hat, long black coat and sword always at his waist.

Was the underdog for a long time, but is now getting well known in the pirate and unlawful community of being someone who takes in people who need a place. His crew is full of them. His little sheepies.

On a fairly frequent basis Eddie will dock his ship in a secluded cove near by the Kingdom of Hawkins. Eddie dresses down, blends in with the crowd, becomes just another guard on a ship at the dock. Eddie dresses down, blends in with the crowd, becomes just another dock worker off shift. Where he can sell what needs to be sold, his crew can stock up on supplies, and Eddie can visit his uncle Wayne. The man who raised him once his father was hung, who loves him even with his career.

It's on one of these trips where he meets Steve. A man clearly high born, but dressing down to blend in with the people a bit better than normal. He intrigues Eddie. Plus, he's handsome as hell. And so he approaches him. They talk, they flirt, and neither man reveals who they really are. And then they leave.

Only, next time Eddie visits Hawkins, he meets Steve again. And they talk and flirt and agree to meet up next time Eddie's in town. And it keeps happening, both men feeling a pull towards the other. Until it comes to a head and one night they're kissing in a dark alley behind some shitty tavern they were drinking at. They rent a room above the tavern, spending the night naked and wrapped in the others arms. Only it isn't just a one time thing. They continue to see one another when they can.

Eventually, Eddie admits he's a pirate and Steve replies that nothing could change how much he loves him. It all seems too good to be true. And it is.

One day, they get caught by the royal guard. Eddie gets locked up in chains and dragged to prison. Steve gets a full guard to drag him back to his father - home from a trip for once. Steve hates himself. Hates how he wilts in front of his fathers steely gaze. Hates how he'll be haunted by the look on Eddie's face as he gets dragged away in irons as he realises that Steve isn't just some noble - but the Prince.

And then I have such a VIVID SCENE idea stuck in my head of Steve breaking into the prison to see Eddie. He needs to see him. To talk to him. And if that means throwing his name around and blackmailing a few guards then so be it. Steve is wrapped in a dark cloak, satchel over one shoulder, dim lantern in one hand. He walks down the corridor, searching the cells for Eddie. He finds him down the end, hunched over a ripped straw mattress.

"Eddie," he says, voice an exhale of air. Eddie whips his head up, turning to look and as soon as he sees Steve he is rushing towards the bars of his cell. Both of them, hands reaching through the bars and desperately grasping at clothes, at skin - pulling the other as close as they possibly can. Steve can feel the bars digging into his body but in the moment he doesn't care.

"Why didn't you tell me Steve?" Eddie asks. Voice quiet.

"Because of this. Because I didn't want anything happening to you because of me. Because..." Steve stills. "Because I'm not Prince Harrington when I'm with you. I'm just Steve. And I was selfish and wanted that feeling to last as long as I could."

"Stevie," Eddie replies, gaze melting into fondness as he peers at Steve through the bars. "Nothing could change how much I love you."

Steve is tearing up now. That's what he said to Eddie when he revealed he was a pirate. "You're using my words against me"

"What can I say," Eddie replies. "You're a smart guy."

"I'll get you out of here Eds. If it's the last thing I do." Steve says. And he means it.

And then they're kissing through the bars, desperately, hungrily, hands gripping clothes and necks and pulling and grasping. Lips on lips with the cool metal bars pressing into their faces.

oooooh babe you fucked me up with this one!!! The heartbreak and pain and soul crushing lonliness Steve has endured in his life! The love and acceptance he has found in Robin and Dustin. The fact that because of Eddie he is finally having fun, finally feeling wanted and desired and cared for!!! Prince Steve my heart belongs to you! and i LOVE the scene you described! Kissing each other through the bars because they just need each other in whatever way they can get to each other!!! I really love the idea of pirate Eddie and have this little image in my head

Before Eddie's ship, Hellfire, docks the crew get ready. They change the flag, hide the canons, stow everything suspicious below deck. They get on their civilian clothes and they are excited, yes they love the sea but getting back on land gives them all chances to rest, to find their land locked friends and catch up with their families and Eddie is no exception.

He changes into less conspicuous clothes, swaps out his obvious pirate garb for more understated black trousers, long black great coat with tarnished buttons, simple shirt, no obvious symbols of thieving and lawlessness. He doesn't remove all of his jewelry though, he knows he should, would blend in better but there isn't day since his 9th birthday that he hasn't worn the necklace Wayne gave him. Refuses the remove the ring gifted to him by Gareth when Eddie agreed to take him in. A large majority of his jewellry means something so he keeps on what he can.

And with that Eddie Munson is on land, walking amongst the unsuspecting. THe thing is he can't really blend in, not properly, Eddie has always walked with a swagger in his step and it's only gotten worse from his time on the sea. He has played the 'fearsome pirate' character so long he doesn't really know how to turn the persona off. So he's sitting in a tavern, looking cocky because that's a way he keeps himself and his crew safe, when the most handsome man he's ever seen walks in. Jeff notices Eddie's change immediately and nudges Gareth 'watch out, captain is in the throes of love again'. Eddie slaps the back of Jeff's head but he doesn't contradict the statement as he makes to stand and basically struts up to the bar. Eddie slides some coins over the surface of the bar and nods to the man 'whatever you want, I got it' winking as leans back against the bar surface. The man gives him a once over,

'hmm don't know if you can afford my tastes'

and steps in close to Eddie. Eddie reaches for the man's hand and pulls it up to his mouth, planting a kiss just above his knuckles 'sweetheart you are going to be trouble, lucky for you, I love trouble. I'm Eddie, do you have a pretty name to match the face?'

The man lets Eddie keep a hold of his hand as a smile spreads across his face 'Steve, you can call me Steve'

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Light goes to trial pre-L's death. Does the case against him go through? I always got the feeling L doesn't give a damn about consequences beyond solving the puzzle, but would he really let a judge (and probably multiple international officials) handle the Death Note as evidence?

I'm not in any way familiar with the Japanese justice system so I can't really speak on that. There might be haggling over who gets to extradite Yagami Light but given he hit everybody that's going to be a fucking political mess.

Honestly, though, I don't think it gets that far.

L has no proof he obtained through legal methods or methods that would stand up in... let's call it a modern legitimate court.

Amane Misa's confession he obtained through torture. Yagami Light he placed cameras in a minor's home, without warrant, then imprisoned him without cause, then tortured him for a month, then tried to get him to confess under threat of execution, then handcuffed him to himself for another several months, and at the end of it all obtains a secret voodoo murder weapon that, at that time, does not implicate Light.

Even if the 13-day rule proves false, it does not make Light guilty. What that rule proved, if true, was that Light could not possibly be Kira as he was without the notebook for 13 days. If that rule is false, it just means they can't rule Light out and that it starts looking a bit shady that the criminals stopped dying for a while.

However, the killings did then start up again soon after while Light was being observed 24-7, they have video evidence of him doing jack shit at his house for weeks, and they have him not having confessed under torture.

Light would be a defense team's field day in court as all of L's evidence is a) extremely circumstantial and b) inadmissable in court because L broke 500 laws to get it.

Most likely, Light's "trial" is L convincing the task force to take him out behind the chemical shed and shoot him. It's the only guilty verdict Light's ever going to reasonably get.

As for L letting a judge handle the notebook... well, the thing is, he did seem to be moving in that direction. L cares most about whether or not L is entertained, not what a bad idea it'd be for this thing to go public.

[viatagrinner]

Gilbert von Obsidian. Chapter 4

As Chevalier's spy, she wants to gather information about the Obsidian prince.

Gilbert put his arm around MC. Fear gripped her body and embarrassment faded into the background.

Gilbert: I'm freezing.

MC: .......I know that.

Gilbert: That was the point.

In his arms she was like a soft toy and the embrace was so strong that she was struggling to breathe.

Gilbert: I'm sensitive to cold, so I always want to feel people's warmth.

(This information...seems useless.)

Perhaps the mystery of Gilbert having no sense of distance has been solved.

Gilbert: I like Miss Bunny because you're warm.

MC: Why don't you wear your winter clothes instead of holding me?

Gilbert: Does it look bad?

The heroine does not want to be misunderstood. A man and a woman hugging each other in a public place... This is enough to cause gossip. The girl tries to pull away, but he only hugs her tighter.

Gilbert doesn't care, but the girl doesn't like it and it hurts her.

Gilbert: Oh, I'm sorry. It's hard to control the force.

He let her go, but not for long. His hand rested on her shoulder.

Choice:

1. ...I'm in trouble.

2. I'll bear it.

3. Let go.

Gilbert loves honesty. So option 3

MC: Let me go.

Gilbert: You're saying that to a guest of state?

She doesn't want to put up with the inconvenience just because he's noble.

Gilbert: Haha, you're so cheeky.

Gilbert: But I like that about you, right?

According to the prince one day she will get used to it and not feel anything.

But by then it will be too late.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

In the carriage.

Leon and Yves are in a bad mood. MC is puzzled. The house was in good condition, and the children were smiling.

Leon: There is nothing wrong with the management itself. It's not as if the children have been treated unreasonably.

Yves adds that it seems to him that they are being raised well until the children leave the orphanage.

Gilbert: Wouldn't this become a business tool for twisted aristocrats with bad taste?

MC: ...What do you mean?

Gilbert explains: Children are orphans. They are perfect for slavery, for hard work. There is no slavery in Rhodolite, but that doesn't change anything. There is the possibility that the children are being sold to aristocrats, using a false family registry.

Leon remarks that Gilbert has a keen eye.

Gil replies that this happens frequently in Obsidian.

Leon has seen dashes on the foster parents' lists, and he believes that many of the names may have been fake.

They need to find children in foster care.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

All four arrive at the baron's house.

Leon asks his assistant Julius where the children are.

Julius: I found the children imprisoned in the basement.

Leon hands the list with the children's names to his assistant.

Julius: You stole the document?

Leon: I didn't steal it, I borrowed it.

Julius: As expected of Prince Leon.

Leon gave orders for all involved to be locked up, not to let anyone go.

Before he left, Julius looked at Gilbert.

(What is it?)

The heroine noticed that the look, though it lasted a moment, was not hostile.

(I wonder what just happened.)

Gilbert: ...What an interesting pet.

MC: Prince Gilbert?

Gilbert: Oh, never mind.

Gilbert: The spectacle is about to begin, so you should concentrate on that.

Yves turns sternly to the Baron aside.

(But how do you know that the Baron was involved in the sale?)

Gilbert explains that someone informed the princes, after which an investigation was conducted.

Gilbert: Before the evidence is destroyed, we pull the documents from the asylum and interrogate the nobleman for dishonesty.

If the royal family is personally involved, no one can refuse to investigate.

(Proof that the domestic political faction listens to the voice of the people).

Gilbert: But aristocrats are creatures who like to fight.

Gilbert: Miss Bunny, if you don't want to die, stay close to me, okay?

The Baron, fearing for his life, rushed to the table and rang the bell.

Armed men burst into the room.

Leon suggests that the Baron belongs to an anti-royalist group.

The baron wants to run away, but the heroine resents this.

The knights are far away, and only she and the three princes are left in the room besides the enemies.

Gilbert, seeing her trying to think of something, notices that there is nothing she can do.

Leon and Yves fight, but the baron escapes. The girl wants to run after him, but is grabbed by Gilbert's hand.

Calling her a fool, Gil explains that the heroine has no physical training, plus she doesn't know the territory to run after a criminal.

MC: I'll set up an ambush.

Gilbert is skeptical. But he's determined to help her.

Gilbert: Because it's my job to help you today.

Leon calls out to her. After shouting to him that all is well and telling him that it will buy them time, she leaves following Gil.

The prince of Obsidian has blocked the baron's way. He did it so deftly, as if he knew the layout of the castle.

The baron is confused. What are they doing here?

Gilbert: Miss Bunny wants to talk to you.

MC tries to appeal to the Baron's conscience.

The aristocrat was a talkative one and gladly agreed to the conversation.

For him, selling children is just business. They should be grateful to have shelter, food and clothing.

A person's value is determined by their birth, by the conditions of their birth.

Baron: In a way, I am charitable because I help these people who have no social status.

After chatting some more, the Baron remembers that he is a criminal and it's time to run away.

He asks to get out of the way, but the heroine refuses.

The Baron pulls out his sword.

Gilbert turns on the mode: "Berserk".

Gilbert: Hey, whose permission are you asking for to touch Miss Bunny?

The cane plunges into the baron's body. He falls. Gil then stomps on the aristocrat's body.

Gilbert: No good. Miss Bunny is my prey.

No one but the prince can hurt her.

Gilbert: "Those of rank have the right to do as they please with those beneath them," right?

Gilbert: Is that what you mean?

The Baron squirms in pain on the floor.

The prince "doesn't understand" why the outlaw has such a displeased face?

Gilbert: Because I have the right to oppress you, just as you oppressed a homeless orphan.

Gilbert: I am royalty and you are a third-class aristocrat. I should tell you the difference in status... right?

(.....Prince Gilbert looks angry.....)

He asks the heroine if he should kill the baron.

These words come off his lips as easily as the suggestion of eating a sweet together.

The criminal should be judged, not killed, that's what MC thinks.

Especially in Rhodolite, criminals are tried.

For Gil, it's a hassle. It's different in Obsidian. Gilbert and the royal family are the law.

The prince tells the baron that he was lucky to live in Rhodolite. In Obsidian he would be dead by now.

Gilbert: We don't need bad nobles defiling innocent children, right?

The Baron is unconscious.

There was no emotion in his red eyes.

It was as cold as Prince Gilbert's body temperature.

MС: ...Prince Gilbert is the same as the Baron.

MC: I mean the words about "those of high status have the right to do as they please with those beneath them."

Gilbert: Hmm... That's what the "imperial family" means.

MC: Your eyes... They don't see a person.

Gilbert smiles.

(There are no people in Prince Gilbert's world.)

(That's why you can't hesitate to "kill" children, and just as you can be kind to children.)

(...A beast in human form.)

Gilbert: Hmm... Do you despise me?

Gilbert: I don't care what you think of me.

Gilbert: I hate people.

Gilbert: I don't love anyone, so you should be careful, too.

Gilbert: Because I'm a beast that can kill you with a smile, right?

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

"Chevalier's Sanctuary"

MC reports on the situation.

Chevalier asks her if she knows another name for Obsidian.

MC: "Land of Ore and War"?

Chevalier: No... "Land of Corruption and Lies/The Land of Corruption and Deceit."

MC: It's not a very good country, is it?

Chevalier: That's just a rumor.

Chevalier: The actual internal situation is unknown. Obsidian is also a country with strict information control.

Well, in a country like Obsidian, it's not surprising, but still being a prince who doesn't like people is bad. That's what the girl was thinking. Chevalier read her thoughts.

Chevalier: I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Chevalier: I don't see the Patch on the Eye as a human being.

Chevalier: And for you, it should have been a beast to begin with, not a person. By admitting that, you're protecting yourself.

MC thinks that she herself is like Gilbert in that sense. She doesn't see him as human.

MC: I did a bad thing...

Chevalier: An enemy is an enemy.

The heroine thinks that if it hadn't been for Gilbert she would have been hurt. And she didn't even thank him.

Chevalier: You don't have to feel guilty. ....Even if I say so, it's useless.

Chevalier flicked her forehead, smiling.

Chevalier: You can use the palace kitchen as you like.

Chevalier: But still... "I hate people" doesn't sound like the words of someone who hates deceit.

MC would like to understand his words.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Gilbert's Masterlist

[stupid-sloot-headcanons]

since mass effect requests are open—could I request some spicy hcs for Saren (in an AU where he lives) being assigned a cute human caseworker/therapist on the Citadel…who he finds himself VERY obsessed with? 👀

I imagine the Council would have him imprisoned in THE top tier prison facility I the galaxy, sort of like Kuril's prison ship but with the full power and funding to keep the most dangerous man in the galaxy under wraps. And to avoid a panic, they lie to the public and say he was killed during the attack on the Citadel.

His wardens honestly couldn't believe that a therapist would be assigned to him, much less a human. He can't Indoctrinate anyone anymore, but why not let an Asari pick his brain and sift through his thoughts instead? But none of the experts are willing to do it due to it being a full-time, live-in job with a very hostile patient. Then again, humans always seemed to relish death-defying odds and dangerous situations that smarter species would avoid or give up on.

Darling is patient and was right to expect an uphill battle. Now that Sovereign is destroyed, his mind is his own even if he is badly damaged: paranoia and obsession with control over himself/his mind, nightmares, visions, hallucinations. But Saren refuses to accept any help from a human. He's broken and a failure, but they are NOT his equal.

It's only when Darling orders the guards in the room to leave them alone one day that he finally starts to talk to them. He's still in restraints, but Darling says that she doesn't think they're necessary; she would be a meaningless kill, and if he tried to escape where would he go? If he has nothing and nowhere to call his own, then he also has nothing to lose by explaining the truth to her.

Now THIS is something Saren hasn't seen since Shepard. Someone wants to know the truth, why he did all of this? How does he even explain to someone who hasn't seen the Protheans or the Reapers? She replies that she's seen enough evidence firsthand to know he and Shepard are right, and not once does she interrupt when he angrily rants that he did everything for the greater good. He was so close to saving the universe, if he'd just acted sooner and done things a bit differently. He wouldn't have been used by the Reapers and managed to save a few people when they destroyed organic life!

No...no, he would have. He was. It took Shepard convincing him that he'd been Indoctrinated and was too far gone to fight back. It's why he turned his gun on himself. And yet he didn't die, by a miracle or by the hardware and software that made up his body now. His plan was meaningless. His life was meaningless. The Reapers will still come, and not even Shepard knows or has the power to stop them.

Darling is the only person to listen in full and sympathize with him, something that annoys him but is also validating. And once he starts talking, he doesn't stop. Most of it is angry, bitter, and he lashes out at Darling sometimes. She never gets upset or indignant, and that calmness gets under his skin. Does she think she's above his insults and harsh words? Above him? It's why she listens to him. He sees the pity on her face. He hates it, but he's surprised that he can feel anything that interrupts the despair in his head 24/7.

He knows he'll never be freed from this prison, and he doesn't really care. The Reapers will come either way, after all. Maybe if he fought alongside Shepard, there might be a chance? Still...it'd take their cooperation and the entire galaxy working together, and he knows that would never happen. Too many factions and races and politics and petty pursuits keeping organics apart and unfocused. He's fine to rot here; he doesn't mind the company, either.

That desire for control makes him feel suffocated in prison, though. He needs control over some part of his life, and he'll fixate on whatever he thinks can help him do that. That control he had over the Geth, his subordinates, and those he intimidated/coerced/indoctrinated...he needs something like it again. And there's one person in particular he cares enough about to want to control them. They've seen him powerless, but they've never returned the favor.

He's stealthy enough to collect a few mementos of them in his cell (after earning the right to be house in one, instead of a high-security pod like Jack in prison. Darling is the one who insisted he wasn't going to try to escape, and that he deserved to be rewarded for cooperating with all of this). It's very scarce: a scrap of cloth from the couch he's forced to sit down on during sessions, a few strands of her hair, and a few wax scrapings from those scented candles in her office. She specifically ordered ones from Palaven, to remind him of "the scents of home." He doesn't have one anymore, but now he associates those scents with her.

He doesn't need to break out. He just needs to slip away for long enough to corner Darling in her quarters, easily overpower her, and do everything he's dreamed of doing to her. He's rough and punishing one second, then suddenly gentle and sickeningly intimate. Maybe what he wants is a kind of mutual control and power: he dominates her here, but she's consumed his mind. And he finds that he doesn't entirely hate it, even when he was fighting so hard to keep his sense of control. He'll force her to relinquish control to him, and in return he'll reward her by giving himself to her as well. It's codependence to the highest, most illogical, most disturbing extreme.

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

Okay. Let's talk about Kay in The Forgotten Turnabout.

I've mentioned in a post before how I think Kay doesn't have a purpose in AAI2 (as in, AAI was all about the Yatagarasu which is her story, but AAI2 generally has nothing to do with her, and you can see this change just by looking at how she's positioned in the promotional material for the two games:

[left AAI; right AAI2.] In the left poster, while she's at Edgeworth's back, it's clear that they're both the main focus. In the right, though, she's on par with Gumshoe).

And I think the result of her slight lack of direction in the game culminates in what happens to her and her character in Forgotten.

From the beginning of AAI2, you can kind of tell that Kay was written to a bit different from how she was in AAI. She's still fairly consistent with how she was there, but the game kind of bounces between her original characterisation and her newer one, where she's slightly denser (see her calling the laser pointer a mole in Target, when she should definitely have known what it was; and them explaining to her what a prison is in Imprisoned like she wouldn't know??) and less concerned with maintaining formality around Edgeworth, although they haven't interacted since the end of AAI (see her partner opening line changing from "Yes?" to "Yeah, what's up?"). She also seems more eager for his approval (there are a few times when she questions/asserts her effectiveness as an assistant when I don't remember her ever doing that in AAI), and, overall just a little more like Maya.

In Imprisoned, when she freaks out, Kay hits Ray, which is notable because we've only seen her resort to violence before on purpose and as a child (whereas Mia/Maya have both hit people out of emotion). I'm not going to go through the whole game, but I bring it up because there's an argument to be made that they're trying to replicate the Phoenix-Maya dynamic and push the Dadworth interpretation in AAI2 -- probably because they realised it'd be popular with the fans -- and this comes to the forefront in Forgotten.

First, just a note about AA's amnesia cases. The thing about these cases is that they're usually done to explore some formerly unseen aspect of a character (as is with Phoenix and the one in DGS), BUT they're always true to the nature of the character (as is most clearly observed with Thalassa). This is... not so in Forgotten.

The parts about Kay that appear to remain in Forgotten are her politeness and sense of honour, both of which get dialed up to 11 and both of which we already know she possess. Everything else about her personality, though, is altered and has always reminded me of Iris (if you made a parody of Iris's soft and seemingly delicate nature). That's mostly because (1) they have similar sprites

and (2) because they're rehashing Edgeworth's mini arc in T&T (which I don't mind because T&T did leave room for that concept to be explored further) where he acts as the defence for, you guessed it, Iris. Looking at it more closely, though, I can definitely see bits of Maya mixed in, too.

The most obvious parallel to Maya, and by extension Phoenix, here is that you act as a... not-prosecutor who defends their assistant from murder charges that even they think they might be guilty of (Reunion, and Turnabout, anyone?). Just like Reunion Maya, Forgotten Kay has poor self-esteem (albeit to a greater, comedic degree), thinks of herself as weak and useless, and becomes reliant on Edgeworth for both her emotional and situational needs (this is not a dig at Maya; she was in jail after having her first big channeling session result in death. Her reaction was natural).

Another less serious but obvious alteration made to make Kay seem more like Maya here is her relationship with food -- which I know sounds ridiculous but!! It's really what tipped me off to her Maya-fication to begin with!!!

You see, in Forgotten, there's a point where Kay talks about hamburgers:

Kay: Umm... OK. I remember a faint scent... It was a wonderful smell coming from the counter of a food stall... I followed the fragrance, only to find a perfectly sculpted burger, resting on two golden buns... The tender and juicy patty made my taste buds sing with joy... Yes, I can remember what I thought at that moment! ...I want seconds!

The thing about this that stands out to me is that you never get a line about food like this from Kay in AAI; and I know this, because not only is the only time Kay ever brings up food in AAI with regards to Swiss rolls (which are notably her favourite treats), you have the option of presenting food to her, which gives you this dialogue:

Kay: It's a box of Samurai Dogs, right? Ah, but see, I'm a Jammin' Ninja fan! So, while I would love to have one... I'm going to be strong and resist the urge!

She would have one but she'll refrain. It blatantly goes against how she acts in Forgotten, and it's so obvious that they only did that to make her more like Maya!!! They even use burgers!!!!

So why am I even getting all uppity about this? There's nothing wrong with being like Maya is there? She's a great character. And, yeah, she is, but the point of Kay is that she's meant to be a foil to Maya... and Edgeworth.

Both Maya and Edgeworth lost their parents at a very young age. So did Kay. But, unlike Maya and Edgeworth, Kay was specifically written to have had the emotional support and strength she needed to move on from her father's death. Her character was created in a way that shows how you can still love and respect a dead family member (and choose to continue their legacy) without being held back by grief and trauma the way Edgeworth largely is. By making amnesiac Kay behave in a way that is so self-deprecating and reliant on other people for her emotional needs, you are implying that this has been who she is deep inside all along and diluting that message of being able to move forwards while still holding onto your love for the people you've lost. It undermines the resilience that has been a part of Kay's core as a character from her conception, and basically flattens everything that makes her... Kay.

Now, this is obviously not great, but what really gets to me about this is that they didn't need to do this for the case to still work. They could have given Kay a milder form of amnesia, where she has a gap in her memory regarding why she was up on that roof and what happened, and the story would have largely functioned the same way. The only reason I can think of for why they do a complete 180 on her personality is because they wanted to use her to develop Edgeworth's character.

Because think about it: we've seen Kay put in a position where she's been accused of murder before, and that didn't affect our or Edgeworth's desire to save her. That drama and the feelings invoked by placing Kay at such risk would still exist; the only thing that would change is Kay's reaction to it. We know from Ablaze that she wouldn't just fold and rely on Edgeworth's help; she would fight back. Her behaviour in Forgotten just doesn't quite align with her usual character (aside from being extremely honourable and polite), which makes me wonder why they did it. And the only answer I can find is that it gives Edgeworth someone to 'save' in the greatest sense of that word (because, remember, she's also extremely emotionally vulnerable and dependent on him here) and furthers his development as a character.

You remember at the beginning when I said Kay didn't have a purpose in this game? I think the developers felt that, too, and they decided that her purpose would be to make Edgeworth a better person and strengthen his arc by giving him someone to protect, without really considering what this would do to her character. This case was never about Kay; it was always about Edgeworth. And, honestly, that should have been obvious from the very moment you realise that Kay is being granted an amnesia plotline, because that whole thing about amnesia in AA being used to reveal parts of a character previously unseen? Yeah, that was never going to work with Kay. Because Kay doesn't wear a mask. She is who she is... until she isn't.

Honestly, I've said pretty much everything I wanted to say about Forgotten and Kay, so thank you if you've read this far. I really appreciate it 💝💖💕 The rest of this is me basically talking about how this change affects my feelings on the game and this interpretation of the Kay-Edgeworth dynamic, so you can stop reading now if that doesn't interest you and still get the basic point of this post.

I suppose I'll start by reiterating that I do like AAI2 despite what it may seem. The characters it introduces are some of my favourites in the franchise, and, in fact, the actual plot of Forgotten with the PIC is my favourite part of the entire game. I thought it was brilliant, but I just needed to get this out because... I don't know, it was bothering me for some reason hskdhdj Like, AA has some amazing female characters, but I know better than to go into it expecting some kind of boundary-pushing piece of new feminist media, believe me; it doesn't surprise me that they used Kay to push Edgeworth's character forwards. It is his game, after all. But I guess it's just a little frustrating to see after they genuinely achieved something great with her characterisation in AAI only to... there's no less inflammatory way to put it, infantilise her? a little? for the sake of developing a male character?

(Especially when I don't think Edgeworth even needed it?? Like, I'm pretty sure he would have been just as adamant about saving her if she had been her normal self so mmm???? It was likely just done to make him seem liked he'd be a good father and up his popularity a bit more, honestly. As if he needed it).

Again, I have no issues with anyone who enjoys the father-daughter (or brother-sister) dynamics pushed by this case; it's literally in the text, I can't say you're wrong for it and like. My opinion shouldn't matter to you anyway! It's fandom, do what makes you happy. But I personally can't get past what is actually being suggested when the game, or fanworks, echo the traits grafted onto Kay in this case within them. Like what it means when she's essentially made to take a few steps back so she's less as at peace with her father's death than she was when we first met her, or less independent and self-assured than she usually is -- especially when this is done only for an older male character (most likely Edgeworth but it could be anyone) to come in and either see themselves in her, thus coming to a conclusion that helps them better themselves in some way, or take on a "fatherly" position that lets them comfort her back to a level of confidence she would usually be at anyway, while simultaneously coming across as being such a good person (which is usually the focus/point of these kinds of things).

And, like, if you don't see a problem with Kay's characterisation in this version of their relationship, that's perfectly fine! If you think I'm reaching and do enjoy the Dadworth dynamic for what it is, then please don't let me rain on your parade. My main thing is that I want better for Kay, and this case just didn't satisfy my need for that.

Anyway, yeah! That's pretty much it. Thank you so much for everyone who read all of this, and I hope you got some amusement out of it if nothing else. Feel free to tell me your thoughts, too!

[misslili265]

i also saw that you love to write romance, full of hugs and kisses heheh could you write one for eren with hange's younger sister? thank you!! ❤️

Hiii, yeahhhh, romance it's my thing, love fluffy and these things 😈😈😈 and this one will be an intense fluffy ☺ hope you like, thank 4 your request my dear!

EREN YEAGER x HANGE'S YOUNGER SISTER

Eren has always had to put up with Hange's great energy, that doesn't mean he has any personal issues with her, but Hange has a unique way of expressing her passion for discoveries in relation to titans and also scientific themes. But anyway Hange has been always focused on making decisions.  

But for you, the younger sister, Hange is a reference, although you are a little more reserved compared to her.  A person that you heard talk about but never could see before, enters the place where some titans are imprisoned, unlike Hange would do, you keep a safe distance from them. 

You wanted to fight side by side with those of the elite team, but Hange and Levi only allowed you to help in the research, not that you hated it, because in your genes the love of science was intrinsic, but focused on your activities did not notice the entrance. from a stranger.  In fact, many would be strangers to you. 

Then others from Eren Yeager's corpses put their feet where you're working.  They got the information that Hange had a younger sister just seconds before a guard opened the door.  Upon entering, not only are the titans objects of analysis, but so are you. 

They expected extremely excited behavior like Hange's.  But you, after politely greeting everyone, begin to explain your findings with focus.  Everyone was silent, but a hand went up to ask you a question.  As you look at the individual who desires more knowledge, can't help, you are for sure distracted for a moment.  The contrast of green eyes like the rarest emeralds seriously staring at you, like precious stones that can only be seen and not acquired, like inside a safe, which would keep something of great value, and brown hair with various shades of brown that invite you to think about the most varied species of the palette that would adorn a forest, between the green of the leaves and the strong and beautiful trunk of the trees.  The hairs are slightly grown past the jaw height of the talented and famous one the attacking titan, which you can only so far hear about. 

"- Hi Miss y/n, my question is, can you figure out how to reverse this situation? I heard you were working on something like this."  Eren asks objectively and clearly. 

You've actually been focusing more on this issue, which is related to the titans, so it's intriguing that he's questioned the topic.

  Your masterful explanation of your reversal serum development theory surprises everyone.  "- I hope to at least get close to Mr. Yeager. Actually It would help if you could collaborate with the research, your hybrid status as human and titan could give us a direction."

Eren was unsure about such discovery and now for the first time, he sees a new hope rise. The fate he saw could be pure chaos. And now, you present a new perspective on everything, a hope that before was just impossible to him." - Of course." He replies.

Sure that he wants the advancement of such a theory, even though everyone around you thinks it's impossible. Eren's entire team withdraws, but he decides to stay. "- Can we start?" He offers.

You didn't think Eren wanted to contribute so soon, even more so given the stance he had at the beginning. "- That would take time Mr.  Yeager.  It would take many hours today." 

"- Whatever is necessary, this is my priority from now on. Before, Eren saw a dark future for himself, but at least he would guarantee the salvation of his beloved friends, but with that, the scenario could changed drastically. The idea of ​​making fate himself, matches with Eren's stubborn attitude, and you brought it.

Eren was wary at first thinking that like Hange, during the tests you'd be inconvenient. But your calm in dealing with him makes a comfortable silence invade the enclosure."

- Excuse me Mr. Yeager." You say while looking at the syringe in your hands, to inject a specific liquid that you have developed especially for Eren, not for the withdrawal of powers as a titan, but to separate some important enzymes. He looks at it and nods. 

Injecting the liquid in Yeager's arms which had to open his shirt to expose this part of his body. It's strange, Eren as you are so close, finds himself inhaling your essence on purpose. It's sweet, soft, different from the scent of blood and death that fills the warrior's nostrils everyday.

You, on the other hand, realize that it is impossible not to contemplate the muscular body in front of you.  Perfect features and everything else is something that no matter how centered and tough you are, sucks you in with the force of a black hole.  For a moment your eyes meet. A wave comes to shiver all of you.  Eren feels like the touch of the sun on his perfectly proportioned features, the reddish tone decorates him.  Even though Eren's gaze turned to the titans. 

The application of the tests that your hands are doing at the moment are physical, Your hands travel through various places on Eren's body, with specific touches.  He knows they are tests, but the warmth of your hands, the delicacy, are intoxicating.

  Eren realizes that you are shorter, which is common, Eren has become a tall young man with a strong frame.  And something in Eren's chest awakens.  "The desire to protect you? Of course, you're an innocent citizen, it would be terrible if something happened to you as well as anyone else...but with you it would be worse… would?"

Eren didn't realize, that didn't extend to that. everyone, with friends there is concerned, but on a mission they know how to get by, but you?  Good thing you're not on the battlefield. Who thought of that?  The patient to be tested, is grateful that you are not at risk, such a creature as you must be safe...but why?  He doesn't know. The silence is broken.  "- Are these titans really tight? They might be able to break free, right?"  You take your hands off Eren and start looking at the titans.  "-I wish they were in another compartment, but my sister insists they must stay here."  The opportunity to look at each other arises, and is not lost.

  "- Hange, huh?"  Eren sighs.  You smile silently as you head back to the final tests. Oh y/n…you don't know, but this smile was more powerful than any titan or blade that brings the death of giants could be.  Eren looks at your lips not knowing he's just drunk.  "- Is it the drug that was injected?"  He thinks. 

Your fingers lightly touching him become so overwhelmed.  These are new sensations for him. Yes, in the past he had someone he felt similar feelings for, but the choice to love Erwin was respected by him.  And he could, over the years, forget about her, leaving in his chest a feeling of respect and affection for Mikasa, nothing more.

"- Finished for today, I'll just need you to come during the week for about a month. And I'll have enough material to work with. Please now, allow me to take some of your blood, I believe it already reacted to the medication injected before." 

"- Go on."

  You lightly take the sample.  Then squeezing the cotton into Eren's arm.  "- Please press here." 

He was quick at your command, to the point where your limbs met.  His hands are placed over yours.  "- Sorry."  It is said in unison. But you both are not "sorry"...the frame of various shades of wine grace both cheeks. 

"- Thank you for your cooperation Mr. Yeager, see you tomorrow." 

"- Just Eren, no Mr. It's necessary ." 

"-Alright then…Eren."  The name was said slowly and clearly.  Causing a half smile in Eren, but that was by a mere formal friendly expression, for on its own, Eren wouldn't have reacted, except to stare deep into your eyes.  He goes away, closing the door behind him.

  Now he is back on his duty.  Between missions and tests, Eren caught himself seeing your figure emerging from the depths of his mind.  But no mission today, just a day of rest.  You are on the balcony, and not in the lab coat you normally wear, or uniform, for you are not a warrior, but a researcher.  Your dress, which contains small flowers, is waving under the breezes. You are undescriptible exquisite to him.

  Eren approaching, is watching you, watching the sunset, which invades the balcony, this entire scenery takes him out to reality. 

"- Hello y/n."

  "- Ah hello Eren, a peaceful day is good for a change, hu?"

Between your words, Eren's eyes fix on your being in awe… "I wish days of peace like this everyday."

The same purpose.  "- Yes, that's what I crave the most." 

You smile as an answer shyly,  but genuinely.  Another knockout on Mr. Yeager.  But if you think this was the strongest blow on the unbeatable attacking titan, wait until he notices the sun throwing sparks through your hair.

  He is leaning on the balcony next to you, but the various colors that the distribution that the light causes, makes him wires, become as incandescent as a prism in Eren's eyes. As much as the wind is cooling the day, moving your lovely locks and dress, Eren has no air in his lungs, and he finally understands why 'cause it hits him. 

You notice that in silence you are being watched.  Not that this observation bothers you, on the contrary, the green gaze, that not even the most beautiful aurora borealis could be at the height chains you.  You got caught.  But it wasn't just that...during the research days, the titans' move to another compartment, the more serious involvement of the authorities in the research area, which Levi arranged under Eren's insistent requests without you knowing, this was the than he thought, you were aware of everything he had made to you. And for this your fall was inevitable, all this was for more reasons than just a pair of pretty eyes.  It was who Eren turned out to be in your eyes. 

At this moment you silently accept the "challenge."

He has his face tilted towards you, due to the height difference, and he doesn't back down, Eren never backs down from anything.  He's a warrior, though that feeling terrifies him more than tearing apart a thousand titans.  You would like some word to come out of your vocal cords, but he cruelly hypnotizes you, but the meanness is two-sided, to Eren you are cruel too, enchanting him again and again, obliging him to dive in the unknown. Oh…your voice is the most wonderful melody playing on his ears, no nightingale could sing more beautifully, the slightest touch of your fingers is so needed as if he couldn't survive without it anymore, your sweet scent suffocates him,  and why does he love such suffering?

  You are complete enemies, who just love to lose. 

To Eren it's already enough, he can't wait any longer he takes the lead, the touch of your face by the hands with thick skin as a result of always holding a grip tightly, forces you to dive even further into his merciless gaze.

Is a permission required?  Eren is on the brink of death in agony, this touch has been desired for so long. The softness of your face is like touching the clouds. But politely he tells you. "- Y/n, I need to switch our roles for a moment, and take a test, excuse me." 

Before you can respond, the touch of the softest lips you can kiss, makes you soften, as you feel your strength fading as your body seems to drain below, Eren is strong and realizing your weakness,  holds you tight, keeping you where you should be, in his arms.

You never loved to feel so lost, and such a loser, but it's exactly what brings you happiness, so in all your mess, you return the kiss.  Using the rest of strength you have left,  wrapping him around the neck. Eren is hallucinating.  The kiss deepens, is overflowing with affection, passion, love. You both just can't get enough.

The taste of Eren's fountain is indescribable, that crystal liquid from his delicious wet mouth just is terribly addictive, the most powerful substance you can taste so far, and it'snot different to him. 

The long, harmonious kiss is painfully interrupted.  He's still supporting you with one of his arms, whispering how long he's been waiting for this, as he breathes heavy, craving his nose on your neck, as you caress his silk hair.

Eren closes his eyes and smiles slightly as he takes the air back into his lungs. Still holding you he say his wants. "- Would it be surprising that I wanted to meet you out of office from now on?"  The words came out with a sweet tone even by his strong voice and passion.

  "- Finally, Eren… you asked me." 

You guys chuckle delicately together as you tighten the embrace tenderly. 

But, Eren's wide eyes suddenly looks up.

  Hange is leaning against the wall with her amars crossed, behind her the whole patrol are watching, some with their mouths open and some with a bored look (Levi), and others with a twinkle in their eyes, Armin, Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, Connie etc…

With her index finger adjusting her glasses, she tells you.

"- Apparently you like titans as much as I do, little sister."...

.

.

.

[laurenlovesmitski]

✧༺💫༻✧

Breadclit head cannons!!

✧༺💫༻✧

An: this was an ask I decided to seriously this time...

Shrimp Cat 🌟~

Shrimp cat LOVES to cuddle with y/n

Shrimpy wimmy will is very overprotective when it comes to you and you only... 🤣🤣😫😫

Win my is the type of cat to pour MILK before the cereal (result of trauma at a the young age of 95)

It has a huge shrine of its mother (due to trumu it had from its mother)

Will comfort you when you accidentally pour the cearl perm the milk and gets orgasms because of the horrid sight.

Croissant Cat 💫~

Is very shy when the topic of pouring the milk before the cerall comes up (this topic is equivalent to politics!! 💄❤️‍🔥💋)

Is opps with Ellie Olivia Williams because of a enormous fight they over pouring milk before the cealrrr (they hab a toxic relationship💏💏💏💏💏)

She ha s a y2k style (corn cat is always jealous because corn vat is a raggedy hoe who don't front shit 🖕🏼💦💦)

Has an absurd amount of popcorn in her house (she is the reason why corn cuts are endangered CUNTTT 😘😘😼😻)

She is a certified cholo who don't take SHITT 💩 from nobody (esp corn clit)

Corn Clut ⭐~

Has stabbed croissant cat 95 times just for y/n

Has been arrested for armed battery

Got shot in the kernel

Irrelevant

Corn Clut and y/n are in an abusive relationship💏💏💏💏💏💏💏

Listens underground rap to feel like a minority but is really just an irrelevant piece of shit who deserves to get brutally gang banged by a group of croissant cars!! (=^ェ^=)

Gato de Hamberquesa ✨~

Doesn't know how to speak Ingles so he cusses out everyone in spanish because he's insecure about his wife (Baanana cut) cheating on him with Abby Juliët Anderson

Is the opps with Abby Juliët Anderson (they've been the opps since they were in their mamas bellies 🤰🏽👩🏻‍🍼)

Thinks that the cereal should go before the milk and gets beat up by Abby Juliët Anderson for it (he likes it)

He gave away Baanana cut's and Abby's baby away for a almost done takis bag (jk he actually ate the baby right in front of them)

Him and Ellie Olivia Williams have been best friends for 95 years!! Todays their anniversary!! 💦💦🎉🎊 CUNTTTTT

Baguette Catte ⚡~

Is having a a secret relationship with Baanana cut

Has went to PRISON👮😷👮🚓 for murdering 500 corn cuts for exchange of a baby (wait what.)

Luvs Stuffies!! 💕:3 (◍•ᴗ•◍)(≧∇≦)/

Takes care of her 95 year old grandma who is very ill and will die any moment "AHGBHGGH" oh wait nvm she just collapsed.

GRANDMA NO-

Baanana Cuta ☀~

Is in a secret relationship with Baguette Cate

Works for the FBI and the local bread clit/cut Imprisonment (she met hamberguesa there)

Ellie Olivia Williams is an opp (she has a bad reputation in the bread clit/cut community CUNTTT 😼😼)

Likes when Abby Juliët Anderson slaps her big fat juicy oiled up lubed up cake 🍰

Blueberry Cut 💛

Is part of Ellie Olivia Williams pussay

That's it

Bread cut 💛

Is part if Ellie Olivia Williams pussay

That's it

An: I think ik how to delete da lace!! UvU 💋💀🤫😒

[horizon-verizon]

Viserra’s story always makes me so sad. Alysanne literally did all that for no reason and decided a bad enough fate for her child (seemingly out of nothing but spite) that said child went drunk horse racing on her last night of freedom. I can’t blame her.

I read about this girl in F&B and I was like, “wow, she’s cool, wonder if there’s any content™ out there” and I happen upon a meta post talking about how Alysanne’s decision was justified and how Viserra just seemed like a caricature because she has “no redeeming qualities”.... I’m sorry but what does she have to redeem for ?? Because she knew she was beautiful ?? She was literally just living her life, she was 15. Viserra has threeish paragraphs written about her, but it’s enough time for the author to tell us that she was vain and aware of her attractiveness and Alysanne rightfully (her decision is at no point criticised by anyone but Viserra) decides to send her to be the fifth (!) wife of a northern lord at least two times her age because she committed the heinous and unforgivable crime of *checks notes* wanting to be Queen.

@ half the ASOIAF fandom: try and learn to love outrageously gorgeous female characters with a (justified) high opinion of their own worth and maybe you’ll calm down.

Anon is maybe responding to this recent post.

I read Viserra as more "she wasn't given a chance", as Saera, but she was less prone to take advantage of others as Saera was and therefore more likable. I didn't think of her as "impressive", but a little more comparatively more ethically responsible.

Don't get me wrong, Saera was definitely neglected & she deserved none of the brutality Jaehaerys emotionally inflicted on her. It's that in my first and all other readings of that moment, her hurting or almost harassing people plus the Maegor comment got to me and continues to get to me. Even with her obviously doing it all to get the feeling of being in control, and that being Jaehaerys & Alysanne's faults.

After all, even if we don't like Jaehaerys, Rhaena was forced to marry this man & he killed the 2nd Aegon--Jaehaerys & Alysanne's oldest brother.

Still, this doesn't justify imprisonment and forcing her to watch as you murder one of the only people she seemed to get close to (enough, considering). The "punishment" was more about expressing anger, saving political and machismo faces, reaffirming his control over her body violently, and revenge. Not about guidance towards autonomous ethical action nor protecting her.

On her own, Viserra was a teenage girl who happened to be beautiful & who should have been allowed to grow into her own, the bare minimum. The same goes for Saera.

So, yes, simultaneously, Viserra had nothing serious to apologize for, nothing to be "redeemed" for.

[danjaley]

Jo's school, the war, those Germans and how to write a good character purely by accident.

A literary essay that came to my mind yesterday, through the conversation with @nocturnalazure

Originally I wanted to include this in the favourite characters tag, but it required so much background information: It's easy to find good characters in well-written books. One of my favourite characters in a badly written book is Frieda Mensch from the Chalet school series (the blonde girl, in the back on both images)

I discovered the Chalet School series at a jumble sale a few years ago, and I enjoy reading it because I like to imagine what could have been done with some good plotting skills. Also it's full of motifs that only made sense in the mid 20th century (the chain-smoking lung specialist) and the German spoken by the characters is simply hilarious. (Onkel Reise - a very tall man.)

Interestingly, the series is heavily inspired by Little Women and its sequels, especially Jo's school. It's about the English sisters Josephine (Joey) and Madge (not Meg!) Bettany who set up an international school in Austria around 1930. There's also an unrelated little Amy around.

Frieda Mensch is an Austrian girl who goes to that school and becomes a friend of Joey's. So far that's nothing special, the series is literally about Joey being everyone's supportive friend. In volume two the sisters spend Christmas with Frieda's family in Innsbruck, which makes her stand out a little. Then, because her first name means "peace" and her surname means "human", the author assigned her the role of the peacemaker in her class. She's portrayed as a serious, law-abiding girl, but of course schoolgirls must also be good sports and know when to break the rules. Even if it's possibly an accidental contradiction, this gives her an implicit conflict. Gradually she becomes the main loyal friend who supports Joey if needs be (like on nightly ice-skating-rescue-missions ^).

When the girls in the books are around 19 and just left school, in real life the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany hit. By the time the school could be fictionally evacuated, war had begun too. Suddenly this Austrian girl whose name means "peace" and "human" becomes hugely symbolic. Frieda has to flee to England, one of her friends' father is tortured to death, her fiancée is also shortly imprisoned and suddenly she's a girl with a fate. She also helps Joey, who is married by then and has recently given birth, to cross the Channel. At the end of that volume Frieda gives a speech to what's left of the school, about peace and acting humanely despite political conflicts. Wars change many lives and reveal unknown strength in some people - sometimes this is even true for fictional characters.

(If I were set the task to write a novel in which an international school defies the Nazis, my first thought would be that they might have some Jewish students they must protect. Interestingly, this thought never crossed the author's mind. The Nazis turn their full force on this English school because the girls privately vowed to always keep up their girl guide ideals, even the Germans and Austrians from whom they're about to be separated. While violence against Jews is mentioned in the story, it shows how little the threat to them was taken seriously abroad. It also shows the hope that the decent-minded Germans might get the upper hand again after a while. It's strongly biased in its own way, but it's a perspective one doesn't find in books that were written with the whole history in mind. That's why I enjoy historic fiction so much.)

If I ever get so far with the McCarrics, I'm going to steal a lot from Highland Twins go to Chalet School. In fact I've already named Shiena after a character from that book.

[coarsely]

humble and fear for anyone who's on ur mind w the oc asks :D

HUMBLE. - How does your character handle praise?

So technically I've already answered this, however I'm gonna answer it again but with different characters! Potentate Clymene is a little more used to praise than Louis, as she is the Potentate most in the public eye. Many people compliment her on her poise, her intelligence, her socialable nature, and she is always agreeable and polite to them, having a lot of responsibility on her shoulders as a representative for the family, but also a representative for women in general in Bronze Eden, which is a heavily misogynistic society, and she is the first Potentate to be a woman in charge of the sciences. Generally, she doesn't let both compliments and insults get to her that much, as she can't rely on what other people think of her to survive. Sylvester Praeceptor will just laugh and dismiss you, as rather like Clymene he can't let other people's opinions shape him. Perhaps, long ago, he sought to make his father proud of him and tried to earn his love and praise, but that was long ago, and he has since accepted that won't happen, and he's made a life for himself he's pretty darn proud of. He's generally quite confident, so he handles it well. Imperator V lives on praise. This is largely due to the way the Imperators are raised in Bronze Eden; to be entirely dependent on the priests that live with them, to ensure they are loyal no matter what. Because of this, they are trained to always be aware of their mortal failings, to seek out sin in not just themselves, but in others, and to destory it by any means necessary. This has led to essentially all Imperators being desperate to be told they are good enough, holy enough, clean enough for the priests who raise and teach them. Bela doesn't give a shit for the most part. In certain situations and from certain people, it can mean a lot, but for the most part xe isn't someone who seeks or wants it very much. Xe is almost hypercompetent at hir job, and knows it, so being humiluated and insulted is something xe seek a lot more, and is fairly open about this much to everyone elses chagrin.

FEAR. - What are your characters biggest fears?

Potentate Clymene's biggest fear is being like her mother or her father. Both would be a terrible fate, but in different ways. Being like her mother would mean placing expectations on children to be far more mature and willing to take on massive secrets they aren't meant to handle, and being like her father would mean being cruel, abusive, callous and distant while expecting to be loved and admired. She overcompensates for these fears by rarely telling people things she doesn't think they can handle, and by being as kind and as sociable as possible. Sylvester Praeceptor fears falling into poverty again, and having his homosexuality discovered. Sylvester remembers when his family lost everything due to his father, and Frederick & William, and has worked exceedingly hard to bring his family name back into wealth and power, and the thought of losing so much again is what drives him to keep studying, to keep learning. The homosexuality thing is fairly easy to explain; in Bronze Eden it is punishable by imprisonment or exile, and would also likely place his family in dire poverty again. Imperator V's fears are centered around not being pure enough, like most Imperators. His status is entirely dependent on his percieved holiness, so the thought of being made a sinner is horrifying. To be a fallen Imperator is worse than death to most of them, and V is no exception. Imperator V also fears that because he is nonverbal, he might not be enough to enter the Empyre like every other Imperator; most people see him as being stupid or having the mind of a child because of it, which has led him to having a severe complex about it. He often has nightmares of meeting the Empyrean, and being rejected for being unable to greet It with words of praise and prayer. Bela is scared of vacuum cleaners.