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lesbianrobin · 3 years

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Would love to hear more about your thoughts on Lumax, Stobin and Jopper after that gifset... v cool tags! Never thought of that before.

So I’ve let this sit in the inbox for awhile hoping that my thoughts would eventually coalesce into something smart, but... that hasn’t happened, so I’m just gonna give it my best shot anyway! For those curious, this is the gifset with my tags that anon is referring to, but I’ll be adding smaller versions of the gifs into this post for reference.

To start with, I definitely think that if we’re drawing direct parallels between members of the different core groups (kids/teens/adults), then Lucas, Steve, and Hopper would all be one another’s counterparts. They’re all very kind-hearted, playful, protective, action heroes, the type to step up when nobody else will, but they’re also prone to overconfidence and getting very angry or resentful when they feel they’ve been wronged by someone they care about (Lucas fighting with the party over El, Steve going full 80′s bully when he thinks Nancy’s cheated on him, Hopper with El in S2 and after being stood up by Joyce in S3). This isn’t to say that they all have the same personality or character arc, just that they have a fair number of similarities and often fulfill the same role within their respective groups. (Sidenote: Interestingly, all three of them tend to fill a “pursuer” role in romantic relationships, the one making their intentions known and waiting for a response or going out of their way to “woo” the object of their affections, but this is true of Mike as well. Jonathan is actually the only guy on the show who goes a significant amount of time without making a move on his crush, and the only one who does so after having essentially been told how said crush feels about him. He is also the odd man out among Mike, Lucas, and Steve, all of whom make attempts to “win back” their love interests at various points, whereas Jonathan does not reach out to Nancy after their fight in S3 and seems to have had no intention of doing so before she called to say their lives were in danger.)

There are also definite parallels between Max and Robin (the newcomer to the group, incredibly skilled and confident in her abilities yet harboring a deep fear, outwardly self-sufficient yet longing for friendship and a sense of belonging, snarky, lesbian, pretty, absolute lights of my life). Joyce, however, doesn’t quite fit this mold! She lacks the tough and sarcastic exterior, almost an inverse of Max and Robin; While they seem unflappable yet hide vulnerabilities within, Joyce initially appears rather weak yet hides a wealth of courage and tenacity. This is all relevant, I promise.

Before we go into the gifs, I’d like to ask that you pay attention to the movement of the camera, and you should see what I’m getting at immediately, but I’ll go into it a bit later on.

So, Max and Lucas!

The two of them grab each other’s hands impulsively out of fear when the demodogs are about to break into the bus, and once the adrenaline fades a bit, they realize what they’re doing. While Max seems fine with it, Lucas quickly wrenches his hand out of Max’s grip.

More or less the same thing happens with Steve and Robin!

They hold hands out of fear when they duck down to avoid being seen, and once the adrenaline fades, Robin seems okay with it, but Steve tears his hand away.

I think both of these scenarios are cases in which the people involved feel safer with the person next to them, are in need of comfort, and cling without thinking. There is no intention involved! Maybe if Robin weren’t there Steve would have held Dustin’s hand instead, and maybe if Max hadn’t been there, Lucas would have simply grabbed the edge of the bus seat behind him, or held onto Dustin’s shoulder or the back of Steve’s jacket. We don’t know! All we know is that they did not choose to hold hands in these two scenarios, and both Lucas and Steve were embarrassed by the weakness revealed to Max/Robin through this action, and thus put an end to it. Both Max and Robin seem hurt when Lucas and Steve pull away.

With Joyce and Hopper, however, things are different.

Do you see why I mentioned the camera movement? We have the same downwards tilt as the previous two scenes!!

At this point, both of the previous scenes have already occurred, so we the viewer have been taught by Stranger Things that if two characters with some romantic potential or tension are standing next to each other when something scary happens and we do a tilt down, that means we’re gonna see that they’re holding hands, and if tradition holds, we’re also gonna see Hopper pull away.

This doesn’t happen.

Joyce and Hopper aren’t yet holding hands as the camera tilts. They’re looking at each other not in surprise as they realize that their fingers are entwined, but as a question, a confirmation, and an understanding. This moment is not involuntary. It is not in response to a life-threatening danger, and unlike his younger counterparts, Hopper is not afraid of the potential weakness represented by the action. The two have been in plenty of dire situations prior to this moment, in the Upside Down and Hawkins Lab and secret underground Russian facilities, but it is on the Gravitron that they choose to hold hands.

Max initially teases Lucas for his crush before eventually kissing him, but then proceeds to dump him time and time again, possibly only going along with the romantic aspect of their relationship out of compulsory heterosexuality or for the fun of having a boyfriend. Lucas goes along with this routine dumping happily and has fun “marching into battle” to win her back. While the two certainly love each other, it is puppy love at most, and they are more friends to one another than they are true romantic partners. They’re on two different pages, one craving the vulnerability and trust that the other hasn’t yet grown mature enough to embrace, and so they cling to each other out of instinct before letting go.

Steve insists that he isn’t interested in Robin, yet later confesses his feelings to her immediately after having been tortured and drugged together. She rejects him outright. It’s unclear whether Steve truly had feelings for Robin that he’d been lying about all along, or if he simply mistook his feelings of genuine love and friendship for romantic interest. While they love each other, it is entirely platonic. They were on two different pages, Robin happy for the comfort of a friend and Steve fearful of a potential crush, and they clung to each other out of instinct before letting go.

A lot has happened between Joyce and Hopper. They’ve both suffered a world of loss, and helped each other through some of their darkest moments. The two love each other as lifelong friends and confidantes. Then, in Season 3: Hopper asks Joyce out. She’s still mourning Bob, and so she stands him up. He holds a grudge. They argue... a lot. Still, at the end of it all, they look into each other’s eyes, and finally, they’re on the same page. They know that they’re more than their worst selves, more than their hurt feelings and their pasts. They’re adults, partners, done with the misunderstandings and missed opportunities, ready to step into their future together, and so they make the choice to hold on.

I... think those are all my thoughts? I hope this is sorta what you were looking for!! Sorry it isn’t more articulate lmao but thanks for asking!!

#em talks #long post #asks #lesbianrobin.canon #flashing gif #stranger things #jopper #lumax #genuinely platonic soulmates

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inspector-montoya-fox · 4 years

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let’s talk about the themes of the Sly games

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002):

Paris: this might not be the game’s main theme but it’s the theme that is most omnipresent. Paris is the glue that connects everything together. it immediately has such an impact on the player, even though it’s just the tutorial and the gang’s base of operations. Sly being a thief but also living in Paris just sounds so right, like it’s the way it should be. it fits.

The Thievius Raccoonus: this is the main theme and what provides the game with its premise. it’s the book that needs to be glued back together and its importance is highlighted throughout. almost every level has a page included so we’re constantly reminded of its significance. the skills we earn by retrieving the main ancestors’ pages elevate the gameplay and force the player to respect it. other than that it’s a clever way to spotlight the ancestors and establish that Sly does come from a long line of thieves.

Family: this doesn’t need much explaining but i’ll do it anyway. we start off with Sly’s parents getting killed and him landing at an orphanage where he creates a new family for himself with Bentley and Murray. you’ve got 3 different types of family: (A) Connor and Sly’s mom getting murdered and Sly’s aim to avenge them, (B) Bentley and Murray being true brothers when Sly was left with no one (i’m tearing up), and (C) the ancestors, which are explored more in-depth through the theme of The Thievius Raccoonus. Family as a theme explores Sly’s motivations and drive, even though Connor’s role is minor, especially in comparison to his role in Sly 3

Morality: Sly 1 is rudimental in its gameplay. it was a little game with a big promise at the time it was released, hoping to serve Sony and the Playstation 2 with a worthy mascot and an even worthier title. but right off the bat the player is bombarded with a shit-ton of lore about the world Sly lives in and how he operates. we immediately find out he’s an antihero, an honourable thief who has a code of conduct. this comes into stark contrast with the game’s villains who are basically filthy crooks. thief takes down thieves and the theme of Morality is SP’s attempt to make the player distinguish between good criminal and bad criminal. Morality as a theme is spotlighted immensely in Cold Heart of Hate when Sly saves Carmelita because he truly is the good guy, but also when it’s revealed that what’s been keeping Clockwerk alive all these years is the lack of morals and the hatred. the game establishes Morality as the outlining theme of the entire series, placing Sly on a pedestal because he’s honourable. morals trump hatred, so fuck off Clockwerk (even though ‘perfection has no age’ might be one of the coolest lines in the game lol)

Sly 2: Band of Thieves (2004):

Paris: this is the theme from the first game but on steroids. like make it x10. when you take the plot of Sly 2 and boil down to its core, it turns out to be a full-on race against time to save Paris. it provides both a nod to the first game and a sense of closure at the end: the game begins in Paris and ends in Paris. It’s both a setting and a catalyst, and it is absolutely brilliant in the game. you spend most of the game globetrotting, away from home but as soon as you find out ClockLa is on her way to unleash her psychotic brain waves and turn the city evil, you find yourself at the edge of your seat, caring more about Paris than anything else. it’s omnipresent and powerful and i don’t know why but i love it.

Spice: if you wanna be my lover. here’s an amazing replacement for drug trafficking as a plot device in a children’s game: spice. the spice trail is what pushes the narrative forward but also gives the gang something to face before the pieces fall into place and the larger scale of things is revealed. before ClockLa steals the show, spice is the main antagonist in the game. it brings the villains together, leads the gang from one location to another, provides some memorable missions and obstacles (Spice in the Sky and a raged, spice-infused Murray). but it’s not to say that it fades away in the long-run. Spice is actually the subtle thread that connects the episodes together but also is significant to the final master plan of hypnotising Paris.

Deception: obvious one here. Neyla pretending to be an ally is the major example. we’ve got the Contessa pretending to be loyal to Interpol, we’ve got Arpeggio seemingly being the mastermind behind everything (which he kinda was until he wasn’t), we’ve got the whole evil plot reveal on the spice, we’ve got Neyla ripping off Arpeggio on her journey to become the most well-written villain in video-game history. lots going on here. overall great theme. on a wider scale (and i’ve touched on this before in some recent posts) we’ve got SP deceiving the player into thinking the plot is all laid out at Rajan’s ball until it all turns to shit and nothing goes as expected. Appearance V Reality is a sub-theme that pops up when Bentley fights Jean Bison and Bison constantly underestimates Bentley until the turtle fucking blows his lights out. it’s not an instance of Deception per se, but it’s worth mentioning

The Past: Clockwerk’s return makes this a theme instead of a motif. before ‘saving Paris’ becomes the main objective, it’s Sly’s determination to prevent Clockwerk’s revamping that kicks off the game’s events. the events of Sly 1 play a pivotal role here as they lay the groundwork for the plot of Sly 2. it’s not just Sly 2: The Sequel. with its own set of characters and an intricate story it becomes its very own thing. but Clockwerk is the link that connects everything.

Morality: this one sneaks up on you in the game’s second half and just bites you right in the ass when you least expect it. Contessa, who until her boss-fight seems to be just another selfish spider bitch witch, manifests into this advocate for Sly’s inner demons through simple dialogue. fucking brilliant. ‘You’re an ignorant child playing dress-up in his father’s legacy’ (in my opinion, the best line in the entire series) kicks it all off. and then the theme becomes obviously present throughout. it explores the fine line that Sly walks between robin hood and scumbag thief, it shows how the villains are down-right criminals who want to benefit from their crimes, it cracks black and white into a million pieces because in a single game there are like a million layers of good and evil: Barkley at the very top as the authoritarian white, Carmelita as a sympathetic cop who tries to grasp onto her own code of ethics while occasionally running with the thieves, Sly and the gang as antiheroes, the villains as... villains, and Neyla as the embodiment of satan. it’s a scale and the game spotlights this. i had a different bullet point for Justice but i think it falls under Morality. basically, Carmelita’s story arc in Sly 2 deals with blurring her views a bit and re-defining justice

Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves (2005):

Ancestry (Cooper Vault): this is what the game is all about, or at least the premise. after stitching the cottdamn book back together by the end of the first game, Sly 2 doesn’t give any attention to the Thievius Raccoonus. in fact, Sly 2 exists on a completely different plane, using its amazing plot to elevate itself away from the lore of the first game. ancestry is rarely mentioned. flashforward to Sly 3, where SP takes us back to the mythos for a new caper involving a new reveal: the Cooper Vault. what we thought we knew about the ancestors is thrown out the window to pave the way for this mystical place where the Coopers buried their secrets and their loot. i’d like to point out that the theme of Ancestry is great and all but SP does a shitty job in spreading it throughout the game. whilst recruiting the new gang members we often forget why we’re doing so and it’s not until the last episode of the game that we get the fulfilment of the theme’s promise. it’s also worth mentioning that the theme pops up in A Cold Alliance when Tsao is comparing himself to Sly and he speaks of his ancestors but we somehow get the feeling that his ancestors were all colossal jerks like him and had absolutely 0 honour

Family: this is not the same as Ancestry. the new gang members could have very well been distant with each other if not for the adventures that made them bond. Bentley’s fascination with the Guru, Murray being the Guru’s apprentice, Bentley falling for Penelope, Penelope and Panda King helping Murray with the van, Panda King and Sly working alongside each other to kill vampire mantises and the Crusher. these are all moments that helped sell the ‘group of thieves’ aspect of the game. but Family also explores the bond of the original trio and how, even when they face their differences (Bentley and Murray living in the shadow of Sly), they can still make it through, even stronger than before. other references here might include: Panda King and Jing King, Dimitri and the Lousteau diving legacy, Dr. M and McSweeney being Conner’s “sidekicks”

Honour: this replaces the theme of Morality from the previous two games as the situations the characters face allude to honour (doing what’s right for the greater good) rather than morality (black and white, good vs evil). what i mean by that is SP making an effort to distinguish why Sly is a different thief and ultimately an antihero. this was sorta explored in the previous games by having Sly put an end to the villains’ various operations but the overall plot overshadowed those instances. Sly 3 on the other hand fully explores the theme of Honour by including the word in the title and having the gang save the day in every episode. stopping harm to the environment (polluting the Venice canals, destroying the Australian outback), helping Penelope come to terms with her inner demons by encouraging her to drop the facade of the Black Baron, saving Jing King from forced marriage, etc. the theme also ties into the theme of Redemption (below) but what i’d really like to point out is that Carmelita gets in on it as well. i can’t think of a more honourable moment than when she finally, after 3 games, puts the petty cop bullshit aside and comes to Kaine Island with her squad to save Sly from Dr. M. she makes Sly’s battle her own and doesn’t give up, showing up at the very end to save him from Dr. M’s horrific boss-fight (ugh)

Deception: although not as major as in Sly 2, i’ve said this time and time again: Flight of Fancy perfectly encapsulates the theme of Deception. Penelope dressing up as the Black Baron is not the only instance of deception. you’ve got Bentley and Penelope blowing their online avatars out of proportion, you’ve got Dimitri who was initially a villain finally turning sides, you’ve got an episode card full of sunshine and bright blue and gold fonts for a hub that’s all gloomy rainclouds. beyond Flight of Fancy, i can think of a few more instances: some Shakespearian shenanigans when Carmelita disguises herself as Jing King, or when the gang doesn’t reveal their Dead Men Tell No Tales plan to the player and we’re left thinking that Sly is going to get eaten by sharks

Redemption (Choices): speaks for itself, really. this one ties in with Honour and is a sub-theme, maybe a motif. we’ve got Murray’s desire to redeem himself for feeling guilty over Bentley’s accident. we’ve got Dimitri and the Panda King joining the gang after previously being villains in the series, and eventually redeeming themselves through helping with the heist. we’ve got Penelope redeeming herself as the Black Baron by joining the gang. i also named it Choices because these characters chose to redeem themselves. Choices are all over the game, whether its the lack of free will or the sacrifice characters make: Jing King isn’t in a position to choose whether or not she gets married during her capture, Sly sacrifices his cane at the very beginning of the game to save Bentley and then jumps in front of Dr. M’s shot to save Carmelita (!!!)

Closure: or the lack of, smh. SP’s trilogy comes to a close and therefore the theme has to exist even if the game doesn’t provide the player with mass satisfaction. Sly finally gets together with Carmelita, Bentley finally gets over his fear and self-doubt and lives the good life (with Penelope), Murray kicks off his racing career, and we get happy-ever-afters for the rest of the gang as well

#ya boi is FAMISHED #this beats any sly essay i've ever written #i'm exhausted bye #sly cooper #sly MF COOPER BITCHES

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sanrionharbor-blog · 5 years

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Everything I Can Reasonably Surmise About the GOT Finale

Disclaimer: Discussion of leaks, casting, and fantheorying follows. I neither completely trust nor distrust the leaks. Many of the leaks have ended up coming true, but I sincerely doubt that they are all 100% true. I’ll wager 90% true, but would love to be wrong. Some of the leaks for 8x05 sounded worse out of context (imo they’re still pretty bad--but, for example, the bells didn’t make Dany go mad they just represented a decision she was about to make--according to commentary it was the sight of the Red Keep and what it represented to Dany that pushed her off the edge, but--).

Anyhow, let’s jump into it:

What They Have To Squeeze In the 80 Minute Time Slot

-Tyrion’s reaction to Jaime and Cersei’s deaths

-Davos’ reaction to Daenerys

-Tyrion’s reaction to Daenerys

-Jon’s reaction to Daenerys

-Arya’s reaction to Daenerys

-Something with Sansa (I really would not be surprised if this Mad!Dany demanded a trial, or said something sinister to Jon about Sansa--but Sansa is weeks away and I can’t see them rushing up there to take care of a hasty trial anytime soon)

-Daenerys’ reaction to Tyrion’s actions

-Brienne’s reaction to Jaime’s fate

-Whatever the heck Dany’s armies are going to do after Dany’s fate is decided

-Bronn (dunno what interesting thing he could do though--gosh, his whole sub-plot this season really was a throwaway huh...) (Please don’t give him High Garden)

-Bran (man I wish being a Three-Eyed Raven meant more to the showrunners --the amount of lore-related plots we could have had)

-Samwell (he’ll probably just be a cameo, sadly)

-Gendry (whether he takes Storm’s End or not, reunites with Arya or not)

-Epilogue for all surviving characters

Who We Haven’t Seen Yet

The leaks haven’t mentioned characters that have been confirmed with cast listings:

Edmure Tully

Robin Arryn

The New Prince of Dorne

Could they simply be cameos? Possibly. But the leak that mentions a council consisting of Bronn just sounds...look, I can’t put it past the showrunners, but if there IS a council, my money is on Tully and/or the Prince of Dorne being included over Bronn.

The Fate of Tyrion

If the leaks are to be believed, Tyrion will be put on trial, probably survive (I’m actually 76% sure he’ll survive), and then become part of some sort of ruling council. I think his ending could have been so much more, but they dumbed down his character arc and watered down his character so much I just can’t see them pulling off anything more nuanced than that. The best I can hope for is a thematically satisfying marriage with Sansa, or hints at their being together--and I truly mean that from both a shipping AND non-shipping perspective. Having a Stark and Lannister willingly come together, having two characters who have long dreamed of romance and suffered from abusive relationships, wow, it would just be--it would actually be something of lasting substance I could take away from this show.

Until then, there’s always the books.

The Fate of Jon & Dany

I will be the first to admit--I can’t believe that the Dany Going Mad arc actually made me...well, I never really supported Dany, but wow did I emphasize with her in this season. I think she’s going to experience a descent arc in the books too, but I think it will be a heckuva a lot more complex, Shakespearian, well-earned, and dare-I-say human in the books.

That said, I’m almost 100% sure Dany will die. The only other scenario I could see...geez, I dunno, losing her last dragon and going into exile? A death could at least be poetic, thematic. It’s possible they’ll give her a spark of humanity before that. It’s too bad we’ll never get her reaction to the old dragon skulls or other haunts of the Red Keep, since they were destroyed.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed her in a vision with Khal Drogo and her son--harking back to her vision of the Iron Throne covered in ash, a throne she never touches whilst she goes through another door and towards her family.

Jon will probably kill her. Man, I feel bad for Jon. I feel bad for Kit Harington. He did NOT have to be this sidelined and one-dimensional of a character. Why on earth did D&D take “good guys will always be duped by their good intentions” away from Ned’s death, and then apply that to Jon and Tyrion? Ned meant so much more than that. Jon was supposed to be Ned 2.0, in my opinion, and Tyrion is probably meant to be Tywin 2.0.--but when I say 2.0, I really mean “what those characters SHOULD/COULD have been.” Taking the best elements, learning from their mistakes, and, while making new mistakes, striving to incorporate all of the foils and flaws and make the best of it.

Which is a theme at the heart of GRRM’s books. Making the best of our own vice and virtue, no matter the personal cost.

The Fate of Jaime

Look, I don’t want to get everyone’s hopes up. Jaime’s dead, right?

The only reason I bring that up as a question is because they supposedly filmed on location for Brienne’s homeland and supposedly Coster-Waldau was seen there and supposedly Coster-Waldau was paid to appear in all six episodes.

It would be somewhat cheap to bring back Jaime Lannister back from two stabs and the entire crushing weight of the Red Keep.

No, it really wouldn’t make sense. Doesn’t mean they might not pull that out of the hat though. I don’t know why, but because I see a 2% chance of silly plot armor plot twist, I’ll include this.

Bran As King?

I know, I know, it’s a lackluster ending. I can sorta see the in-universe logic here, though, and I can point out at least a few inklings of foreshadowing that Season 8 has given us thus far:

If the Bran as King is true, I think THIS was the point of Tyrion and Bran having two significantly framed scenes together this season.

Tyrion will be one of the key players deciding on who takes the throne after, I only assume, Dany is taken out. Tyrion now knows Bran’s entire story. He’s vouched for Bran and cared for him since he was a boy--telling him that his life would not be limited by his disability, for the most part. He made him a saddle to help him continue living his life. He took the time to see Bran as a human being--something even Bran himself is incapable of these days. Then, they had their second chat, after the Long Night.

I think they’re going to establish that Bran having an insane amount of knowledge/the literal memory of all of Westeros + he can’t desire anything (good or bad) + he doesn’t want to rule (WHY DOES THIS MAKE A GREAT CRITERIA) = best choice. Which, um, again still leaves us with the heir-to-the-throne situation.

On the plus side, if Bran were king, even if he had no heirs, it would still guarantee a Stark to inherit the throne. Specifically, Sansa’s child, because of her place in the family tree. Which means it only makes more sense for Sansa to get married/implications of being married, but see below for my thoughts on that.

Of course, the other possibility is they introduce a quasi-Republic system or slap a little Magna Carta on the side.

Or the leak is wrong. Time will tell.

Romance

I actually don’t have a hard time believing that Arya and Gendry will reunite. They’ve at least set up Arya’s character for a moment like that: Arya, finally given permission via the Hound to turn back from a life of vengeance, Arya who inexplicably survived an entire city falling to pieces around her, Arya who also witnessed the horror that Daenerys released in a supposed rage of “this is what happens to people who mess with my family.” Yeah. I could see Arya now running to embrace life head-on and she and Gendry being the ones to continue on the Stark line.

BUT.

That doesn’t mean that Arya should be the only Stark who gets an S.O. and a new lease on life and the ability to carry on the Stark line.

The possibility of platonic Sanrion is strong. The possibility of romantic Sanrion is just that--a possibility. Again, I simply can’t trust the showrunners to follow up on their extremely vague hints regarding Sansa and Tyrion.

But it’s like Peter Dinklage once said: when it comes to Sansa and Tyrion, “...there’s just something you can’t put your finger on about them.”

The leaks say that Sansa rules Winterfell alone. Nope, I don’t agree with that as a satisfactory conclusion to her arc. Doesn’t mean it won’t be portrayed that way, but I have no trouble believing she’ll have a much richer ending in the books. Ned himself said she would be with someone kind, gentle, and strong. Yes, Sansa is strong on her own. But ‘aloneness’ goes against the Stark motto: the pack survives.

Sansa and Tyrion make sense on MULTIPLE levels, but frankly I don’t expect levels from GOT. I don’t even feel anti towards D&D: I’m simply unhappy, disappointed, and yes, still holding out for at least some sense of closure from the finale. If they manage to pull Sanrion through, I would be happy not just from a rose-glasses perspective of a shipper--it would be something that thematically makes sense and fulfills so many parallels:

The War of the Roses parallel (uniting two warring families together)

The Florian & Jonquil parallel (a story from the ASOIAF universe; some have thought this applied to Sandor, a knight, or to Sansa’s misplaced trust in Dontos, a fool. But Tyrion embodies the archetypes of the knight and the fool and rescues Sansa time and time again; he is also, like Florian, not stereotypically handsome)

The Beauty & the Beast parallel (Martin has only explicitly stated that Braime are supposed to be a Beauty & the Beast story, but with Tyrion being a Lannister bro as well and also having toxic love vs. healthy love as one of his struggles, I see no problem in Jaime and Tyrion both sharing a twist on this trope)

Simply the fact that both characters are intellectual politicians who were able to make the best of an awful situation and vouch for one another when they didn’t have to.

She could provide the heir that will inherit after Bran (if Bran becomes king) [theoretically, if we assume that Sansa does not get married and that Arya and Gendry have kids, Arya’s kids could still inherit, but, um, whatever I like Sansa’s kids inheriting mmkay].

Anyhow, that’s all I’ve got for now!

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warlordgab · 6 years

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Emotional support (LuNa edition)

One common consensus among non-shippers regarding the relationship between Luffy and Nami was: Luffy is Nami's emotional anchor. What's an anchor? The literal definition would be a device dropped by a chain to the bottom of the sea, to get a firm hold that provides a vessel or a ship with stability despite the motion of the waters. Why can we conclude Nami sees Luffy as her "anchor"? Because Nami can hold onto Luffy to get emotional stability in the form of hope, comfort, relief, and even strength. Luffy became this to Nami by actively and personally reaching out to her, fighting his way to her heart despite people telling him not to trust her (I know that sounded shippy, but it's doesn't mean they're already in a romantic stage). Until Nami finally gave in and decided to hold onto Luffy for hope, comfort, and strength

After that first time Luffy personally gave Nami relief and comfort during such a hard time, she kept holding onto him on several occasions. Let us remember once again Luffy Vs. Enel round 1 Nami had learned to trust in her captain's prowess. The moment she panicked didn't happen because of a lack of faith in Luffy; it happened because she found herself overwhelmed by uncertainty. She was fearing the possible consequences of Luffy beating Enel right there at that very moment. What was Luffy's response to Nami's worries?

In his very own way, through a very familiar gesture, Luffy reassured her she had no reason to panic. For she's the future Pirate King's companion. Appealing to their mutual faith/trust, Luffy manages to quell Nami's fears. He instilled in his navigator confidence and strength. Nami herself would later draw courage from her captain to stand her ground against Enel Nami progressively grows more and more emotionally attached to Luffy as the story goes on. A remarkable moment happens by the time she finds him before the Aqua Laguna strikes Water 7. Some perceptive readers could see a clear difference between how determined and tenacious Nami proved to be when facing the task of rescuing Robin.

But as soon as she gets to Luffy, she tearfully opens her heart to express how she honestly felt! As she was revealing the truth behind Robin's desertion, Nami fully opened herself to her captain

To Luffy, this is a very important matter. One of the reasons why can be easily found in the Arlong Park arc. After Luffy crushes Arlong, Genzo (Nami's sorta father-like figure) makes Luffy promise something:

Luffy's final answer to this promise was both subtle and obvious:

So, one of the reasons that motivate Luffy can be summed up as a sense of compromise. One side of Luffy's character that people don't see very often. Becoming Nami's "emotional anchor" was a choice first. It turned into a compromise the moment Luffy accepted Nami's smile, her happiness, as his responsibility. A role he can fulfill by providing Nami with comfort, relief, hope, and strength. But in order for Luffy to provide Nami with such emotional support, she must keep up that remarkable trust and unwavering faith she developed for him. For Luffy, this goes beyond a sense of compromise. Let us remember once again his response to the prospect of Nami doubting him and his capabilities:

A large portion of the emotional narrative Oda cooked for SW revolved around Luffy/Nami bond. So, in this regard, Luffy proved how much of an impact Nami's perception of his person has on him. This is not just because he has to fulfill a role to keep a promise; now this is more about how Luffy wants Nami to see him. A sign of a strong chemistry developing between these characters

It's no surprise to those who saw the movie, and read the manga, to see that Nami not only highly appreciates the active and personal efforts Luffy made to 'keep her smiling', she also responds to Luffy by putting a similarly great deal of faith/trust in her captain and making it her duty to safely guide him to his next adventures This is why Nami running to Luffy and opening to share how she felt was something both natural and consistent...

...because Luffy gives her that 'firm hold' that provides her with the emotional support she needs as they go through hardships This is one of the reasons why Nami took it so personal when Sanji brutalized Luffy while trash-talking his dreams. He physically and mentally assaulted the source of that strength, support, and comfort she received so many times in the past While none of this is explicitly romantic, it still holds a much greater value than what some people usually seek in shipping: a relationship based mostly on the fleeting thrill of "sexy" physical interactions rather than a bond nourished by emotional chemistry. While they try to add to their premises this sense of depth, they only accomplish their task by ignoring and/or downgrading what the story portrays as more significant and impactful moments A deep and meaningful emotional bonding, that grows up naturally, can enhance and improve any potential intimacy between the characters, and it worths a lot more than claims of "sexual tension" or "high sexual drive" headcanons

NaLu edition here: http://warlordgab.tumblr.com/post/170882940131/emotional-support-nalu-edition

More about LuNa here: http://warlordgab.tumblr.com/post/163994230826/analysis-constructing-a-potent-relationship

#One Piece #Luffy #Nami #luffy x nami #LuNa #straw hat luffy #cat burglar nami #LuNami #chemistry #Potent relationship #ルフィ #ナミ #ルナミ

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sleepdepravity · 7 years

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skypeia is so underappreciated like. people usually gloss over it bc it doesn't really contribute much to the overall narrative or directly affect the straw hats the same way the alabasta and enies lobby sagas did, it was more of a fun little side-adventure thing, but by god was it fantastically written anyway. like skypeia is prob one of the best written arcs in one piece and im so sad that it never gets the recognition for that

scribe-senpai replied to your post: i feel like when it comes to one piece i keep...

for the record skypeia is hands down my favorite arc in the whole series

my people, my dudes, buddies.......

like, i will admit that like, the team of villains isn’t all that memorable for skypeia, with exception to enel of course. like, for each villain group, there’s pretty much always this one sorta out-of-place person who’s goofier and, i guess, more “lovable” than the rest, like hachi and bon clay and, i guess, perona, by virtue of her being surrounded by fucking scumbags. and these characters are thus more memorable and i guess also have a tendency to show up later playing a different role. skypeia has, gedatsu. who just, kinda has this one goofy joke? which is like, yes, i definitely laugh when he just, talks in his head at chopper. and the guy next to him immediately knows what’s happening and reminds him to talk with his mouth. but at the same time, it doesn’t make his personality outrageous enough to be interesting or memorable, so that’s a bust. i remember satori (i think it’s satori, do not hold it against me, there are two clones of him basically with the names kotori and hotori, how can i keep them separated) very well for his design and the super good team fight, but then the other two, i can’t even remember their names off the top of my head. they’re just, they do their jobs well but they’re not super interesting.

it’s also hard to ignore uncomfortable implications re: colonization and treatment of indigenous peoples, just, another sorta troubling thing that oda kinda follows along but then stops exploring too deep into it, like, the elder just being, okay?? with gan fall being ruler again, which apparently also means ruler over the shandians?? just because they “fulfilled their purpose” or somethin???

but like there’s this whole thing where skypeia as a one piece adventure is different from other one piece adventures in that, it’s partly a mystery. or, like, it sets up all these things and ties them all up in such a satisfying way, it has these details in the beginning that suddenly have new meaning like halfway through and it all makes sense and it’s not even just plot twists for the sake of plot twists it feels organic and procedural and it just fuckin, fits right in the story flow. all the way up to the fuckin giant sky shadow!!!!!!!! there are just so many threads in this one arc that feel so carefully woven to make a real fuckin good story, and like out of all the arcs i feel like skypeia probably has like the highest concentration of “HOLY SHIT” moments. and they all work!!! not once did i feel like anything was fucking bullshit!!!! robin gets a solo fight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and also gets to be fucking brutal as shit like the character she deserves to be!!!!!!

it also happens to be the arc with the best sanji outfit and some good quality sanji scenes, and also, sanji being knocked out cold for the fucking climax and just missing everything. (like on little garden and also drum island. i’m super amused about this and though i know it’s not feasible as a running gag, i like it as a small subtle detail that’s never really pointed out. though i guess most recently he fucking missed some actual end game information about the literal point of the whole series, so there’s that.)

anyways, I Love Skypeia

#ask #malky talks about one piece #scribe senpai #one piece #it's just so good guys #i won't say it's like literally the best arc or anything but like #it's probably the best arc.#Anonymous

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