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zenkindoflove · 10 days

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Elain Archeron and Sansa Stark: A Comparison

I’ve been wanting to make this post for a while because I have seen a lot of similarities between Elain’s character and Sansa Stark (ASOIAF/GOT), not only in their mannerisms and narrative but the way that the fandom unfairly undermines and outright despises them. So, this post is going to be a bit of an exploration of both of their characters, speaking mostly to the ACOTAR fandom, to try and give some predictions I have about Elain’s narrative journey and lessons learned from Sansa’s narrative.

Elain and Sansa fit a very similar female character archetype in fantasy (and other fiction genres), which is that they are more traditionally feminine characters that conform to their roles as women in their patriarchal societies as compared to their counterparts who buck gender norms often by learning to fight. In particular, Elain and Sansa are often directly compared to their sisters who fit the more beloved sword-fighting, sassy, smart-mouthed heroines. What is important to this post, is that these characters are almost always heavily maligned and criticized by fandoms at large with critiques that are often rooted in misogyny, which fundamentally undervalues expressions of femininity and feminine roles.

Both characters also have a lot of other similarities when it comes to their personalities, characteristics, and narratives. Both Elain and Sansa are obedient daughters who are described as sociable and make friends easily. They both are well-skilled in navigating courtly politics, and they begin their journeys as deep romantics, dreaming and wishing to fall in love. They’re both betrothed to men for political gain, and both undergo tragic and heartbreaking violations to their bodily autonomy. They are also both frequently undermined by characters’ in their stories, often underestimated in their strengths and abilities, and in both stories, those assumptions are proven wrong.

Now, we do not know where Elain’s journey is going, but we do Sansa’s, at least from the show. Sansa eventually finds her independence and her strength, taking back her ancestral home and being declared Queen in the North. She did not do this by becoming a warrior or a great battle commander. No, she did this by leaning into her political skills, inspiring nobles and armies to fight for her because of her name and what it represents. And when she had some power, leading her people and putting their care first, a narrative journey I hope to see for Elain coming into her own leadership position one day.

One of the ways I wanted to outline drawing some of these parallels, is to break down some of the criticisms that Elain faces now that Sansa Stark also faced by fans. And if you are reading this and these criticisms are ones you have expressed, hopefully you reconsider your assumptions about Elain and where her story is going.

Elain is boring.

This accusation is often ascribed to Elain based on her interests and hobbies and refusal to participate in more traditionally masculine roles in the narrative (fighting, swordplay). Elain is often described as gardening, baking, helping with domestic duties, and purposely kept away from the political and adventurous parts of the narrative. And yet, this does not mean that in order for Elain to be interesting, she suddenly needs to be thrust into her own version of a training montage to start learning to use swords and daggers. Elain is a powerful Made Fae. She has one of the rarest abilities, being a Seer. She is deeply connected with the Koschei plot, as she was the one to see a vision of him, Vassa, and the other cursed women, which brought about Lucien’s journey to the continent and connecting that overall plot to what is happening in Prythian. It’s very likely her story will focus on her exploring her magic more, likely with Lucien, to figure out how to break Vassa’s curse and destroy Koschei once and for all - none of which requires her to actually become a warrior.

Elain will become evil.

Sansa too was often criticized as being boring by fans. They saw her struggles, being passed from cruel husband to cruel husband, as signs she was weak. Sansa was often directly compared to her sister Arya who was learning to fight with a sword and training as an assassin. But Sansa was undergoing a very different sort of training. We see her shed her sheltered POV of the world, and instead, became deeply involved in the politics of the game of thrones. She learns from several characters how to play the game and play it right, as she is one of the few characters to survive until the end, having a true hero’s journey of ascension. We see that she uses people’s assumptions that she is stupid and naive to their disadvantage, allowing their underestimation of her abilities to make them turn away from how she outsmarts them in the end. Elain is also hinted at being deeply intelligent, in ways that even her sisters seem to ignore. She is also described several times in ACOSF as being sneaky, foreshadowing that she will surprise her family based on their assumptions of her. Ultimately, I foresee Elain leaning into her courtly knowledge and social skills, much like Sansa, to push forward her own journey.

Elain and Sansa are also both very inward characters. When they are struggling, they are more quiet and unassuming, to disarm others and draw attention away from them. As we know from Sansa's POV chapters, she was constantly strategizing her pretty words to save her skin. And I think Elain similarly shows the world one side of her, but hides a rich and complex inner world that we won't see until we get her POV.

This critique - which is also not always presented as a critique but sometimes as a wish for Elain to become a villain so she might be more interesting to those who find her boring - is one that I really dislike. And one of the biggest reasons I dislike it is because I saw the exact same predictions thrown at Sansa crash and burn. Often fans would revel in the idea that “finally, Sansa can become interesting” if she were to turn into the next Cersei or Littlefinger. But we did not see that happen. Instead, we saw that Sansa clung to her compassion, empathy, and her Stark morality, while shedding the blind trust that put her father and brothers into so much danger. She took lessons from Cersei and Littlefinger, but rather than becoming them, she bested them. Especially Littlefinger, where she outsmarted him when he tried to turn her and her sister against each other, and ultimately is the one who passed his execution sentence, achieving justice for all the crimes he committed against her family and Westeros. Sansa did not let the brutalization of her body and spirit turn her against her family. She never betrayed them, even when she was wed to their worst enemies. Instead, she made it her priority to serve and represent the North and its interest in all things, including standing up to Dany, because she understood to hold the North, she must not bend to other rulers and respect all that the North had sacrificed for the Starks.

Similarly, I do not see Elain betraying her family. There are several times she asserts her loyalty and insists that she wants to help them and their interests. I think her story will be more about being underestimated by her family and overlooked for leadership roles and her insight (as was Sansa) and this will push her to branch out on her own to discover who she is outside of her family and the expectations they have of her. But I do not think she will become the antagonist to them. Instead, I see her using her own strength to “save” them too in ways they would have never imagined that Elain can do. Sansa was not an outright antagonist to Jon, for example, though she often challenged him (which upset many fans, more on that later) because she believed her perspective was valuable. I see Elain's difference in how she sees the world and what she values being in similar disagreement with the Night Court, and her having to "prove" herself to them that she needs to be taken seriously.

Elain and Sansa are also very similar in that they both are described as abhorring violence. Sansa, in the end, does sometimes use violence as a means to an end, and even is shown enjoying Ramsey’s brutal execution by being eaten by his own dogs. Yet, Sansa is never shown to enjoy moments like these again (and of course this moment is most understandable given all the torture Ramsey put her and others through). Sansa does not lead with anger or brutality like Cersei. Rather, she shifts from a bright, sunny girl to an authoritative woman who ices out her enemies and shows kindness and warmth to her friends and subjects. To me, in keeping with character archetypes, I do not see Elain straying from this core feature of herself as well. I don’t see her desiring to follow in the footsteps of others who use torture and violence to extract information or to hurt others who have hurt her. I do think should Elain come into a position of political leadership, that like Sansa, she will care for the people (as she is already shown to do in Velaris and was known to do in the human lands) and when needed, show her steely, authoritative voice that is unbending (much like the infamous quote from Sansa in the books “my skin has turned from porcelain, to ivory, to steel”).

Basically, female characters do not have to be either warriors or evil villains to be interesting. Sometimes, female characters who are kind, compassionate, intelligent, and full of hope can still have badass stories and stand as heroines in their own right while maintaining all of those characteristics.

Elain is two-faced/bitchy/spoiled/selfish.

Of course, the classic, when the feminine character does anything SLIGHTLY unsettling to the reader, she is hated and tons of stereotypically misogynistic insults are thrown at her.

I will first off start by saying that when people say this about Elain, it is when she is essentially displaying behaviors that counter their first argument - that Elain is boring. When Elain is being compliant and nice to the other characters, she is called boring. When she very briefly, pushes back on them at all, these insults are hurled at her. I don’t even want to waste time breaking down why these are just comically unfair. Because the fact of the matter is is that every character in the book displays moments of being two-faced/bitchy/spoiled/selfish. And yet, it is Elain who is given these monikers as if they are core features of who she is. Other female characters in ACOTAR are also called these names. However, Elain faces the unique situation of only ever being boring or bitchy to those who dislike her. She can't win either way.

Sansa, of course, had all these insults hurled at her too. She was a traitor and two-faced for having a girlish crush on Joffrey when she was 13 (11 in the books) and literally betrothed, by her father, to a prince. When Sansa at all stands up to characters like Jon or Dany and disagrees with them or argues with their logic about how to handle different choices, she is bitchy, even though Sansa is often proved to be correct in her logic, hesitancy, and how she thinks politically. And of course, in line with the previous point about becoming evil, it was assumed that Sansa would be two-faced with her family. And yet, we saw, time and time again, Sansa was loyal to House Stark. Even the ultimate “sin” of Cersei guilting her to write to Robb about their Father being a “traitor” to the crown - Sansa did it because she thought it was one way she could save her father’s life. Basically, Sansa’s crime was being a girl who didn’t win the audience over by being spunky like her sister. Sansa’s crime was her naivete early on - when she was only a child, and it haunted her throughout the entire series and how fans saw her. Even though, out of every character in the books/show, Sansa at her core, is the one who represents the audience the most. She is the most removed from the magical storylines. The way she lives her life is closer to our own modern way of living than any of the warriors or magical characters in their world. Sansa represents who we would be if we were suddenly thrust into a fantasy story - defenseless and easily abused. But most readers and watchers want to see who they are not, rather than follow a story of who they actually could be and what strength might follow.

What I want to see from Elain’s story:

Following the lessons of staying true to my girl, Sansa, I hope that Elain, like Sansa, finds her own way in the empathy, kindness, and social skills that she has - along with exploring her powers. Now, as Elain is in a romance, and not a dystopian fantasy like Sansa is, her ending will have a HEA with her love interest. Sansa became Queen in the North, it’s true. But she has no love interest. Her family is all scattered. And there is a bit of a coldness to her now. Many suspect that she will play more of a Queen Elizabeth I role in her rule and never marry, as to keep House Stark as House Stark. But if she were to marry, it will likely be a political alliance, though, my hope is she will find love in it. Because while Sansa might have had her dreams dashed at an early age, I truly hope for the sake of that little romantic girl, she can find love after all the hurt she had to experience.

Elain will end up with a romance at the end of her story. And I think harkening to her character archetype and who suits her narrative best, it will of course be with her mate, Lucien, who mirrors her characteristics, values, and morals the most. I imagine for them a story where they act as courtiers, helping piece back together Spring, working on alliances with the human lands, and eventually, once Lucien learns of his heritage, finding another home in the Day Court (though I do imagine them to be life-long travelers, making many friends and allies across Prythian and the continent together - as Elain always wanted to travel). Similar to how Sansa used her political intelligence and compassion for her people, I see Elain and Lucien as well using their courtier/emissary skills and knowledge and devotion to serving the people of the courts, putting diplomacy first, to heal a broken and divided world. I think especially the alliance with humans will be so important for Elain’s journey. Where Elain has struggled the most with no longer being human, Lucien has been immersing himself in human culture and political interests. And once they are ready to start their journey, I think both putting their heads together will be invaluable in representing both the interests of the Fae and the humans. I also think Lucien has more invested interest, as her mate, to push her to explore her powers rather than dismiss her ever exploring them like those in the Night Court do. Lucien’s connections through the world can also help her find ways to find the information she needs to learn more about being a Seer and whatever else is going on with her. He also has his own personal experience with exploring and learning of his multitude of powers as well, including what it means to suppress and hide them, as I suspect Elain has been doing. Where Sansa had to prove herself to every character in the story to take her seriously and respect her, I think the one person who has always and will always believe in Elain is the person who has a soul-to-soul connection with her. Who puts her and her needs before his own, and will serve as her devoted sworn shield (cries in Sansan) to fight for her if need be.

Also maybe I wish and hope for the unlikely Lucien and Elain as High King and High Queen narrative which would fit so perfectly to Sansa’s own rise, but I suspect SJM won’t go in that direction.

Anyways, if you made it to the end, thanks for reading my desperate need to get all these parallels out of my head. I have adored Sansa since I first watched the show in 2011 and fell even more in love with her when I read the books in 2013. I have been defending her to nasty people ever since, and when I joined the ACOTAR fandom, the way people criticized Elain felt SO familiar. Which of course it did. These kinds of criticisms do not stop with Sansa and Elain. Most characters like them are disliked for being soft women with big hearts who are vulnerable to cruel people in their worlds.

#elain archeron #pro elain #pro elain archeron #acotar #sansa stark #pro elucien #elucien

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atla-recluse · 1 year

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Some Not-So-Gentle Reminders and Points for the Gravity Falls Fandom (And for Fandoms in General) to Consider, Especially the Dishonest and Clueless “Apologists”

Note: So here’s my official first Gravity Falls post. I’m not exactly a new fan, though I am having a second wind of interest and appreciation for it and everything in it. For this particular post, I guess I just really felt like getting some thoughts off my chest and just kept going after that. Sorry for lack of pics/direct evidence. This was supposed to be quick and most of this stuff should be pretty obvious if you just pay attention and take the bias goggles off. I might come back and add images/media later. I’ll gladly correct any mistakes too, big or small, if need be.

Now consider this:

- Stan, in the scene where he allegedly “broke” Ford’s science fair project, didn’t even touch it! I repeat, Stan DID NOT touch Ford’s science fair project! What he touched, was the table it was set on when he slammed his fist down! Yet he was and still is blamed for it breaking by everyone in the fandom and show, even himself. How has this common claim so rarely been questioned by a fandom that prides itself on being skeptical and solving mysteries? Just use your eyes and rewatch the scene, people!

- The fact that Ford was so quick to accuse Stan—the one person in the whole world out of his entire life that had supported him through thick and thin and always protected him—of breaking his project based on minimal evidence at best, implies that Ford already had a low opinion of Stan by that point and probably much earlier. It implies that even if he did love Stan, he definitely didn’t believe in him. No one had ever believed in or supported Stan until Soos came into his life, followed by Wendy, Dipper and Mabel.

- No matter how you try and slice it, Ford had been outright shown time and time again, through both words and actions, to have not appreciated Stan’s love or devotion to him, or their closeness. At least not outwardly, to us viewers. His true feelings might not always show and we do get some glimpses here and there of his thoughts on Stan, but appearances matter a lot! Someone being open to doing things with another person, seemingly to keep up an air of decency and calm while they’re trapped in the same place together, doesn’t mean that person appreciates the other. It doesn’t even necessarily mean that you want a relationship with that person or to reconcile.

- Ford’s usage of the words “suffocating” and “meant for something greater” when talking to Dipper about familial relationships and specifically the boy’s connection with his sister Mabel, besides many other talked-to-death things, is very telling and shows how much he was terrified of the intimacy he had with Stan. There’s literally no nicer way to put it. He didn’t just want to escape the bullying he received or the crappy town he grew up in. He wanted to escape Stan. At some point in his adolescence, Ford seemed to have grown to view Stan as an obstacle to his success, a weight on his shoulders, a leech or spotlight hog of some sort, or just a painful reminder of awful experiences. This in itself is a very realistic reaction and when you look at the examples, the case for Ford truly being proud of what he had with Stan looks very shaky. Despite what I’ve noted here, I do think Ford did and does greatly love Stan deep down. But he also seemed to be afraid of something, which seems to have led to him wanting to run away from his feelings—and from Stan.

- Again, it’s possible to love someone dearly but still harm them or view them as harmful to you or for both of you to harm each other. If you really want to view Ford’s immediate discarding of what was supposedly both his and Stan’s dream, along with Stan himself, in a somewhat more positive (well, more selfless) light, you could argue that Ford thought he was holding Stan back (instead of solely vice versa). After all, if Stan did depend on Ford as much as we see him do in the series to the point where they were practically a (mis?) matched pair of socks, it could very well be that Ford felt like he was forcing Stan to be the ‘dumb but brawny and funny’ twin to his ‘smart but weak and weird’ self. Maybe he figured Stan shouldn’t have to keep defending him and making a fool of himself to make Ford happy and feel less alone in his ‘freakishness’ into adulthood. Perhaps he thought some separation was what they both needed to finally grow into two fully-fledged, separate beings.

- There’s an argument to be made that Ford is/was extremely narcissistic and insecure. You know what many narcissists (with or without NPD) have in common? They have low self-esteem. Low self-esteem often born from a childhood of emotional abuse and neglect and constantly being told there’s something wrong with you, that you’re not and will never be good enough. Low self-esteem and a need to hide it and look for ways to avoid rejection or coming rejection, even if it’s just perceived. It can be easy to forget that Stan and Ford were both treated terribly inside the home as well as outside it. Ford was on some level the golden child whereas Stan was the scapegoat. There are some narcissistic dynamics going on here. (They’re very prevalent in families, you know?) Childhoods like theirs are known for breeding such people. This means that Ford may have saw himself in a negative light but felt Stan’s love was exacerbating the problem because he was being led to believe that Stan was a problem; The problem child.

- Stan shows signs of extreme codependency to the point of having traits that practically mimic that of BPD/EDD/EUPD (including insecurity and low self-esteem as well). He’s clearly terrified of abandonment yet of closeness too, at the same time. This is likely also caused by his and Ford’s childhood. Many people with BPD come from homes like theirs, too. Now I understand these are cartoon characters, so the urge to diagnose, while understandable, is typically pointless. However, if we’re speaking theoretically on which disorders match up with characters the most based on what we see and find out about them, then yes, Stanley seems to be extremely codependent—especially toward Stanford—and likely suffers from other emotional trauma that was made far worse after he was kicked out.

Do we ever see it so much as implied that this concerns Stanford though? That he sympathizes with whatever current plight his brother is going through even once outside of the finale of all times, particularly before Stanley had seemingly already been erased out of existence? I don’t think we do. Well, maybe once. Stanford gave Dipper a pretty and high tech tie to give to Stanley... I guess he wanted to throw his poor, dumb dog of a brother a bone. (I kid, I kid. But not really.)

You can’t even claim that it was the same the other way around and say that Stan doesn’t pay mind to Ford’s struggles or want to help him out of them ever, because the show often goes out of its way to illustrate to us the opposite and often also makes it clear just how much Stan adores Ford. Spending their childhood protecting and sticking up for him. Dropping/giving up everything for Ford repeatedly. Being concerned over Ford’s sanity/behavior when he visited him that fateful day in 1982. Still holding out hope he’ll change his mind on their old dream despite the hell he’s been put through. Forgiving Ford for everything even after he almost ‘dies’ to clean up the problem that, mind you, FORD CAUSED TO BEGIN WITH. Ford “ruined” his own life! (And is implied or explicitly shown to have had a hand in bringing about the intense hardship of others’ lives. E.g. Stanley, Fiddleford....the evidence is there.)

- In fact, there can be no talks about “who was more responsible for Weirdmageddon” without acknowledging who was the first one to shake the devil’s hand: Ford! I mean, of course it’s mainly Bill’s fault, he’s the villain! The point is that it’s harder for others to do wrong when we refuse to help them. We know romantic relationship cheaters are jerks but what about those who knowingly help the cheaters cheat? They never get a pass, now do they? Then the same can especially be said for Stanford, who did not refuse to help Bill—even despite warnings about summoning him—until it was too late and the cat was miles away from the bag. At that point he had no one to blame but himself for the problem continuing to escalate. I mean, don’t you remember the many questionable ways he tried to contain it?!

- Stanley is not even close to being the dumb twin. Not in anyway. On top of all the skills he’s learned over the decades, he’s actually implied to be close to as smart or even equal to Stanford. His whole life is actually a testament to how amazing he truly is at surviving and, given the right tools, thriving. You know what some of you sound like when you have nothing but crap to say about this main’s relatively positive traits, irrespective of his actual wrong-doings? Stanford Pines, pre-realization of all the ways he has screwed things up for those around him. You know, who the man was only after he erased Stanley’s memory. Though a lot of you seem to self-insert and project onto Stanford to an unpleasant extent anyway, so I guess that’s not surprising. You know who else you end up sounding like? Filbrick Pines. Yeah, that one. I don’t know, seems a bit disturbing to be. You know who else you often end up sounding like? Bill Cipher, if I remember properly. In fact, wasn’t it implied that much of Stanford’s negative views of Stanley and not needing family, was influenced by Bill? Hmm.

- You can not blame Stanley for pushing Stanford into the portal while completely ignoring the context of the scene and all the actions that lead up to that point. Ford sent Stan a vague postcard (implying he may have known how to reach Stan all along). Ford allowed Stan inside and in the basement where things were bound to be the most dangerous. Ford told Stan to take the book and get as far away from him (“sail as far away as you can. To the edge of the Earth”) as possible despite knowing their were a lot of tender feelings there, especially when it came to the two of them sailing together. Ford started the fight when Stan tried to burn the book he was given, that Ford wanted to get rid of anyway! Ford pushed Stan while trying to get said book back onto a bunch of buttons which activated the portal to begin with! The accidental lever turn came after that and the Stan accidentally pushing him into the portal was just the nail in the coffin of their faux family reunion that Ford caused to happen.

No one made Ford choose an unsuspecting Stan as a tool and means to an end for the mess he put himself and possibly the whole world in. That was his choice. Either they’re both to blame or Ford is solely to blame. What you’re not going to do is put the entirety of the blame on Stan. Call me every name in the book for this, but I believe the BIGGEST innocent victim in that scenario was Stan! You don’t need to blame him for every single terrible thing that happened to Ford because Stan already blames himself for everything! Even when it doesn’t look like it could have been him responsible for it! He already is full of shame and remorse that fill every step he takes every single day. He worried every day for thirty years that the blood of one of the only people in his life that he’s loved, may have been on his own hands.

- I think it’s possible that one of the reasons Ford latched on to Bill despite all the red flags, was because Bill reminded him of Stanley. He wanted a friend. He wanted his best friend back. Bill played the role almost perfectly—until he didn’t anymore and Ford realized his mistake. This could mean that there’s a chance he realized the biggest difference between Stan and Bill since he did end up contacting the former after Bill’s betrayal, and in his own words, chose Stan because he trusted him. He still trusted Stan. It could have been less than when they were children though and all that time with someone that reminded him of Stan yet ended up betraying him ‘too’ may have caused him to start associating Stan with Bill. I can imagine that after he was sucked into the portal, Ford’s associating Stan with painful betrayal may have worsened. But bringing him out of the portal could have slightly improved it. And seeing as they finally sailed away by the end, he realized must have he was wrong to ever associate them, if he had before. I bet they’re probably still sailing around the world together over a decade later right now.

- If the thought of both twins not returning home and choosing to live with their grunkles and exploring gravity falls/world and sailing the sea together, bothers you, ask yourself how it would have been soooo much better if only Dipper had stayed while Mabel went back home? You see the issue with that now? I won’t argue whether or not it’s okay for a 12 - 13 year old boy to stay in a far off place with an adult family member. After all their parents didn’t mind sending them alone to Gravity Falls for the summer to live with their great uncle anyway, which was likely dangerous/irresponsible of them for many reasons. I just think it’s suspicious that some people can only see the issue if someone suggests that both twins should have left their parents and life in California behind to resolve the issue of the apprenticeship and keeping close to one’s sibling all at once.

- The Stan Twins told their story in ATOTS but only we, the audience, actually see it play out. The characters don’t. The way brothers explained it may have made it seem to each other like the other still had no sympathy for them and didn’t think that what they did was wrong. Stan even called Ford’s dream college “stupid” while the flashback was being shown and he was explaining his side of the story. The fact that neither apologizes for the painful things they helped contribute to in their young adulthood which affected them, probably didn’t help either.

- In one of the scenes from the ATOTS flashback, Ford yelled at Stan “Help me Stanley!” as he was slowly sucked into the portal. He wanted Stan to save him! These were Ford’s final words to him that Stan internalized and are what Stan immediately set out to do! He likely worked for decades with these last words in mind, not knowing whether Ford would still be alive when he brought him back to their world! Ford even threw the book that they’d fought over to Stan before he disappeared. How do you think that looked from Stan’s POV? Like a visual cry for help on top the audible one I bet! Also, Ford had some awful nightmares thanks to Bill. It was terrible what was done to him and pushed him to the point of insanity. However, he wasn’t the only one with fears, regrets and a troubled past. Imagine what Stan’s nightmares must have been like, especially the ones with Ford in them? The parts of Stan’s dreamscape that we got a view of were depressing. The dreary colors, the symbolism...

- Both sets of twins are extremely sensitive to and immediately take things to heart, especially insults/criticism and all of them can at times act less mature than their actual ages. They all feel inadequate in some way. They just showed these traits to different extents and unhealthily cope in different ways. Be careful with their feelings and what you say to them because all of them wear a front as a cover for protection. They also all occasionally lack common sense, act silly and say and do the oddest things at times. Plus they all need someone who genuinely loves them dearly to hold them down and would die for their family (or die of heartbreak if they didn’t get there in time).

- Stan and Ford after decades apart and so much animosity between them, are sailing on a ship. They could be together in the middle of nowhere very often. Knowing of all those negative feelings that were present, it leads me to think about all the ways their trip could have gone wrong. Many understand that their father was abusive, but what if they were or became abusive to each other? I don’t want to believe this would happen and I doubt we were supposed to consider such a thought. However, the terrible possibilities are still there. At worst, I prefer to think that things are at times bitter but then sweet.

- It’s very fascinating to me how so much “Stanford Defense” seems to be built upon throwing other characters under the bus to make him seem less culpable for his own choices. It boggles my mind how the same people who claim that characters such as Stan and Mabel are never questioned on anything (laughable to say this point, especially coming from them) seem to be the ones doing everything in their power to keep people from so much as voicing displeasure anymore at any part of Ford’s character. I swear I’m ever seeing the same names on different sites arguing with people about how wrongly ridiculed he is. It’s really is starting to look like all the “Stanford gets soooo much unnecessary HAAAAATE and is always bAsHeD” people are trying to take things in the opposite direction. Which is just as upsetting if not more so, because such behavior only leads to the shutting down of discussion and critique. That’s horrible for a fandom to go through, just like the other way around. Can’t Gravity Falls do better than that?

- Your faves won’t ever be every single person’s faves. Sometimes people will even dislike a character that you like. That’s fine! That’s life! Just don’t forget while loving said character, that this does not have to mean you approve of everything they say or do. You don’t need to jump to one’s defense whenever someone makes a point. Especially a valid one that can’t truly be disproven anyway. It makes you look delusional and like you’re in a parasocial relationship with that fictional character. Learn and never forget the difference between arguing an important point with societal implications and solely defending a character for the sake of it, please.

- Mental illness is not a joke or something to wear as a badge of honor. It’s also not something that, if noticed, should be swept under the rug. In the case of fictional characters, I think it’s quite admirable when people can see certain traits of themselves or their loved ones in characters past the stereotypical ones, but that also gives us a chance to talk about those traits and just how hard it can be to live with them and why sympathy and amnesty is so important to healing and moving forward. I believe Stan and Ford especially show signs of extreme mental illness in the show that I have a hunch were placed in them on purpose. This seems to be one of those cases where we’re supposed to see our own family dynamics in them.

- It’s asinine to claim to love a character but ignore or even outright deny their faults and flaws, even when they admit to it! If you love someone, love all of that person, even if you’re often at odds with them. When someone says they love Stanford for literally deny things about him that are proven to be true, I’m left wondering if that person actually loves him—or just the idea of him. Same with any other character this happens with. Enough with the need for our favorite characters to be pure, perfect versions of ourselves. Enough with the need to wipe away issues and to go as far as making up traits for the character, or even stealing their traits from another to make him or her look better and the other character look worse. You’re in effect masking what depth is actually present and risking putting a bad taste in the mouth of those that are neutral on them; souring them to the character and even fandom.

- Even the characters with potential who were unfortunately underutilized—such as Caryn Pines, the mother of the Stan Twins—still tended to fill their main roles in the story pretty well, even despite time restraints. Some of these and other side characters even managed to gain their own small group of fans and fan-creators on their behalf, within the larger fandom. That is pretty wild and deserves some praise. Nice one writers!

- Sometimes it really does help to just remove yourself from the story and just be meta with your takes, i.e. to distance yourself when discussing something because it helps make you less biased and more evidence-based. There are times where we really do see something in a character that indeed was not there or meant to be there. Death of the author can only allow for so much leeway in interpretations. Authorial intent will always matter. This show was very detailed and there are so many things you only noticed after looking again. Some theories exist that imply the whole story for the Pines Family would have mattered no matter what in-universe. We need to be careful when arguing things, we may be/end up wasting our time even more than we think. Oh and ...cartoon logic haha. Also no one loves or will ever love the Pines Family like the Pines Family can. Nor like the creators/writers themselves do. We also can not understand them the way the ones who made them can. When in doubt, it tends to be best to just trust them and their intentions, and your gut as a last resort.

- The Gravity Falls ending was meant to be a happy, fairytale-like ending. That’s how it’s been implied to be the case by the creator (probably not with the company known for fairytales, Disney, even asking him to) and is the reason why every character was so quick to forgive and forget, and why everyone but the ‘super bad guys’ got their ideal ending. Sometimes it’s really not about what would have been the most interesting or profound (or logical) to viewers when making directive choices but about what would make us feel most at peace.

Note: This was all written with mostly one perspective in mind. There are however, many others ones and I do think lots of them are valid takes too, some of them I may even agree with as well and may have hinted at. Also, although it can be hard to tell with so many questionable decisions made, things not done that should have been and even some writing errors here and there, I do think all four of the Pines Family members and those adopted into the family, truly love each other and express it in different ways. That’s what this whole show is really all about and how it ended: With Love for Family prevailing.

#Stanley Pines #Stanford Pines #Dipper Pines #Mabel Pines #Gravity Falls #Gravity Falls Meta #character criticism #character analysis #mental health #I needed to say all this.#I swear #It was driving me crazy.#Tiresome #None of it can ever be said enough by the looks of it.#Fandumb

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semper-legens · 6 months

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153. This Is How You Lose The Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Owned?: Yes Page count: 198 My summary: Red and Blue, time-travelling agents working for rival agencies, start writing to each other just to gloat. They write in fire, in animals, in plants, in tastes and colours - but what they don’t realise is that they’re growing closer with each letter. If they are caught, they will certainly be killed. But Red and Blue are falling in love… My rating: 5/5 My commentary:

I've spoken about this book before. It took me a long time to read This Is How You Lose The Time War initially - I knew about it as I follow one of the authors, Amal El-Mohtar, on social media thanks to her being featured in a Blake's 7 podcast I was listening to. It's been long enough since my first read-through, however, that a reread would be both an interesting prospect. I remembered some things about the book going into it, but not all of the details, which is always fun when you're reading something like this. Overall, I still really liked it, for many of the reasons I highlighted in my first writeup of the book. So, let's get into it!

First of all, I absolutely love the lyricism and poetry of the prose here. Long-time readers of this blog might remember that I like my prose on the purpler side, and this does not disappoint in that capacity. The words are archaic and modern, teasing and serious, playful and sombre all at once, and the overall impression is of a hazy dream, the kind of thing that would get endlessly quoted online to show how deep and cultured the person doing the quoting is. Not that I think that's a bad thing. It very much fits the tone of the piece and the impression of these two endlessly smart, endlessly devoted women. And I absolutely love how the letters between Red and Blue are themselves written - not just pen and paper or keyboard and screen, but found in smell and touch and taste as much as sight and hearing. It's a very sensual experience, by which I mean that it involves all of the senses. This is a book that you can feel, deep in your soul. (Now who's wanting to sound deep?)

Red and Blue are incredibly engaging protagonists. Blue is from some sort of biopunk flower place, where everything is grown and everyone is supposed to be encompassed in a sort of hive mind, led by the Garden. Red is more cybernetic, with hacking and connecting to computers being her thing, and she's led by the Commandant. Nevertheless, they both employ very similar methods in their fight to change time to favour their particular future, perhaps highlighting the similarities between their two shadowy organisations despite their very different backstories. They're two very similar women, but I found their voices to still be unique and distinguishable, both in the narrative style of their chapters and in the letters they write to one another. And, of course, the fact that this is a love story between two women is a huge selling point for me. We see their relationship go from slightly flirty rivalry to deep and pervasive love, the kind that would have both sides ultimately desert their original function and devote themselves entirely to each other.

Overall, this is still an incredible book, and I would still highly recommend it! I'm sure it'll be popping up on this blog again in due time.

Next up, snapshots of life in Weimar Republic Berlin.

#This Is How You Lose The Time War #Amal El Mohtar #Max Gladstone #bookblr #book blog #5

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jasontoddssuper · 1 year

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Chronicles of Existentia

I've talked about this on discord a fair amount and left a few tags about it on reblogs but i've been putting off on making a proper post about it because i wanted to wait until i had enough lore to make a big google doc for it.However,i realized that could be overwhelming for both me and my friends so i'm posting just what i have so far-For my original series!!The info is down below for anyone interested

@theultimatesagavan @1clown1 @agrebel18 @vambirezz @panbelle @itsmemaryk @peachyblkdemonslayer @belgiamese-boy @chadfarsight @leo-thecactus @gigilberry @spyrkle4 @bharatanatyampercy @catboymoments @fuckyeahamphibia @sarasanddollar @spellbook-gayboy @asmashed-papaya @insomniac-jay

Chronicles of Existentia is an 8 book all age series.The protagonist is an afro-dominican kid named Mateo Jones,who grew up on earth in an orphanage with a keeper who was abusive to them and where the other kids were mean to them too and they grew up getting bullied at school and with no friends.The reason for this was that they're black,neurodivergent and very feminine 'for a boy'(in reality,she's a trans girl who's egg hadn't cracked yet and felt a strong connection to femininity as a result).But nonetheless,Mateo did her best to remain kind and optimistic and dreamed of a better life for herself when she got older.A bit more info on her personality is that she's a 'weirdgirl' a la Orihime Inoue and Mabel Pines and holds a deep sadness and some anger from her trauma

On her 11th birthday,she's teleported to an alternative dimension where Earth is instead called Existentia and is a high fantasy world.Like Atla,the people of it are humaoid but have magical powers and almost all the countries are based off irl cultures of color,with the exception of the country where most of the antagonists are from and that one is based off european cultures.Mateo discovers she's not human but existentian and was born with nature magic,the rarest kind and in the right hands the most powerful,and goes on adventures,finally makes loved ones and even saves the world.She spends most of the first book trying to get back to earth but realizes Existentia has become her home and decides to stay.This part in particular is actually what inspired the series!!I was listening to 'Helena' by Mcr by on repeat because it was making my daydreaming disorder act up and the lyrics 'Things are better if i stay,so long and good night' stuck with me in particular.Due to this,our mc's chosen name when she realizes she's a trans girl is,as you probably guessed,Helena

The reason Helena was on earth is that her home country,Girasol(Ghana and Dominican Republic),was at war with Reckoning(Europe)and her parents,Ikhlas Reyes and Cendy Castillo,were great war heroes and best friends with Girasol's king,Addae Yao,so Reckoning's queen,Gwenolyn Day,found out she'd been born with nature magic and knew she'd be a threat to her when she got older so she snuck into her room when she was sleeping and tried to do a killing spell on her but messed it up because of trying not to wake up the Reyes-Castillo's pet cat,which would be very dangerous since it's giant and has magic to an extent,and accidentally did a teleportation spell instead.She then did an illusion spell of a fake dead body in her crib and hid her deed to keep up her kingdom's 'We fight for the greater good' image.Also,Ikhlas and Cendy had been killed in battle shortly before this so baby Helena had been staying with Addae in his royal residence

Nature magic is viewed as holy in this world due to how important nature is in it's universal culture.It's abilities are pretty much in the name,plant powers and the like,but it also gives the users what is more or less reality warping via a spiritual connection to the planet and because of this it's motto is 'You're not just existentian.You're Existentia itself.'On a semi-related note,except for the people of Reckoning,all existentians are autistic.This is meant to be a metaphor for white peoples ableism against poc

The male mc is an afro-indian kid who starts off as named 'Nia' and as Gwendolyn's ward who she kidnapped as a toddler after seeing he has darkness magic,the second rarest kind and one of the most powerful,and raised to serve her.He begins as an antagonist but was never evil,just an abused and misguided kid.Helena and her friends come along and help him get a redemption arc and heal from his scars-the mental ones that is,he keeps the claw shaped one on his face(which yes,was Gwendolyn's doing).Like Helena,his egg cracks during the series so he changes his name to 'Tharun' and once he reunites with his parents in Girasol,his last name from 'Day' to 'Osei' like them.Him and Helena are eachother's love interest's and have an enemies to reluctant allies to best friends to lovers arc with the romance coming in later since they're 11 and 13 at the start.The best way i can describe him personality,storyline and a bit design-wise is 'Zuko and Hunter Noceda-Deammone but black'

The secondary fem mc is Helena's foil but not in a pick me way and instead they become best friends.His name is Lang Son and he's a transmasc he/him butch lesbian who's vitenamese and has healing magic.He's also a mean girl who secretly has a big heart but acts up as a trauma response from being a war refugee.He's the same age as Tharun

The last two mcs are Uki Santiago and Lucas Mantoan.Uki is afro-inuit,a she/they trans butch lesbian,a shy uwu soft girl and has winter magic,which is looked down on in Existentia due to being seen as the opposite of nature magic(the logic being things such as 'nature magic makes plants while winter magic kills them').She's a year older than Helena and one of Lang's two love interest's.Lucas is half taino(indigenous dominican),half cambodian and a gay trans guy who's a himbo and has multiple types of magic,which is rare,Gwendolyn being another example of this!He has flight,super strength and higher than average vulnerability and is the same age as our protagonist.He has no memories of his earlier childhood and odd behavior,which is eventually revealed to be because he was abused brutally and became a system as a result

Two major supporting characters(in addition to Addae)are Aliyah and Dror Peretz,two israeli war refugees who are siblings-Aliyah is in the same age group as the main gang but Dror is 6.Aliyah is a they/them nonbinary femme lesbian with npd who's a lot like Lang personality wise and Dror is your typical cheerful and goofy kid.The former has air magic,the latter has animal transformation magic.Aliyah is Lang's other love interest and the two of them and Uki end up in a polycule,along with [Aliyah] and their brother being adopted by Addae and becoming Helena's siblings/cousins(Addae being a mix of her honorary uncle and adoptive dad).Addae himself does his best to present as reserved and detached due to being a king but is also very chaotic and loving and a huge cat lover-Literally,he's 7' KDJDJDJF

The main five form a team called 'The Forever Force',both because they're 'best friends forever' and because Gwendolyn's goal is to destroy the beauty of Existentia because she believes nothing should last forever.There's no such thing as prophecies in this verse and a theme in the series is that you're responsible for your choices,the good ones and the bad ones,along with that you can heal with time and love,that you deserve to love yourself,how bigotry is bad and more!!I'm unsure how to end this but i hope you enjoyed♡If you did,i 🅱lease ask that you reblog,COE means a lot to me already and i want it to get popular so bad(despite my fear of the consequences)

Oh!!I almost forgot,here's the Forever Force!!In order:Helena,Tharun,Lang,Uki and Lucas

#picrew is 'aloha sushicore' id anybody wants to use it!!#chronicles of existentia #letters from summer

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kamreadsandrecs · 5 months

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Title: Paladin's Faith (Saint of Steel #4)

Author: T. Kingfisher

Genre/s: fantasy, romance, mystery, romantasy

Content/Trigger Warning/s: gore, death, violence, murder, sexual harassment (not explicit)

Summary (from author's website): Marguerite Florian is a spy with two problems. A former employer wants her dead, and one of her new bodyguards is a far too good-looking paladin with a martyr complex.

Shane is a paladin with three problems. His god is dead, his client is much too attractive for his peace of mind, and a powerful organization is trying to have them both killed.

Add in a brilliant artificer with a device that may change the world, a glittering and dangerous court, and a demon-led cult, and Shane and Marguerite will be lucky to escape with their souls intact, never mind their hearts…

Buy Here: https://argyllproductions.com/product/paladins-faith-saint-of-steel-book-4/

Spoiler-Free Review: Kingfisher does it again! As always the romance was on point and delightful. Marguerite is a delight to read, and honestly strikes me as much more…open, I guess? Than the previous protagonists. Which is funny given her line of work, but she read as the one with the least to hide, and was most willing to acknowledge her own feelings and the feelings of others.

And then there is Shane. I was not entirely expecting this storyline for him, but I am IMMENSELY pleased with and delighted by how it went. His connection to the Dreaming God was mentioned in passing in previous books, but now that I know how deep that connection goes, and what the loss of both that connection AND the connection to the Saint of Steel did to him, well… I mean, is it any surprise that his self-doubt runs VERY deep? This facet of his personality plays a lot into his dynamic with Marguerite, and makes for some admittedly squee-worthy moments between the two of them.

Wren is also a delight and a darling in this one. There is an entire subplot going on with her that in some ways was more enjoyable to read than Shane and Marguerite’s, largely because while the beats for the Shane/Marguerite romance were more or less familiar and unsurprising, Wren’s subplot was less predictable.

Speaking of the Dreaming God, it was fun getting to meet more of his paladins! I kind of hope some of them will get books of their own eventually, but given that there are still three more paladins of the Saint of Steel to go before the current series is finished, I suspect it’s going to take a while. And honestly, I’m more interested in seeing more paladins of the Forge God; they seem pretty cool, based on the few glimpses Kingfisher’s shown of them in previous books in this series.

I was also delighted by all the throwbacks to the Clocktaur War duology! Readers who’ve read those books are going to be in for a TREAT, given how many nods and mentions are made in passing to characters and events that happened in that series.

Since there’s a rather heavy Dreaming God presence in this book, it shouldn’t be any surprise that there are demons at play, and the one featured here is VERY interesting. Won’t say more to avoid giving out spoilers, but I think a lot of readers are going to be fascinated by this one - and by the implications that particular plotline has for a whole lot of things in potential future books in this series and in others set in the World of the White Rat.

Overall, this was a great continuation of the series, even if the connection to the bombshell ending of Paladin’s Hope isn’t as direct as some readers might’ve wanted. Then again, that’s been the pattern for this series all along, with each book able to function almost as a standalone and instead lightly referencing previous books instead of being direct sequels. Still, that plot thread in Paladin’s Hope is picked up in this one, though in a highly unexpected way that might leave some readers feeling a bit rabid about the release of the next one.

Rating: five rats

#book review #book reviews #paladin's faith #t. kingfisher #saint of steel series #romance #fantasy #mystery #romantasy #books

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a-couple-of-notes · 1 year

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stray willow 1x07 thoughts

it's hard when you finally have the time and energy to write meta and all the meta has already been written. anyway please check out the what the force podcast and all the great stuff here on tumblr. throwing a few extra pennies in the well because I love this damn show.

two particular line callbacks that I caught! the crone tells airk "forget all you know or think you know, and come with me." this is willow's line to elora from 1x02 about magic: "now forget all you know, or think you know." this connects the crone to elora, (they're both entities who have connected to the deep mystical magics) but also, obviously, to willow, as the dark version of his mage. the other is boorman's line "I'm nobody." this echoes elora's line from the first episode, where she's rejecting her heroic identity as elora danan. it shows boorman is also at that point, and is ready, like elora did, to build his way back up.

time is a big thing this episode! and specifically very messed-up, nonlinear time. the main party jump around from location to location, conversation to conversation, with a very loose sense of where it fits on the actual calendar - because the continuity is emotional. they'll only reach the end of the shattered sea and come out of the night once they've worked through all their baggage, which the darkness provides them cover to do (something something rest/subconscious). meanwhile airk is stuck in an endless day, kept from exploring his real feelings and subconscious. there is simultaneously too much and no time for him, as he becomes thirstier and thirstier but does not experience the rest or growth or transformative journey that the others do.

all of kit and elora's interactions were gold this episode. I've always loved their dynamic but now that kit's come into herself, I think this is a representation of how fulfilling that friendship can be: mirrors pushing each other to be better. I love how elora's training with willow spurs kit to train with jade, which spurs elora to train harder. like they're silently challenging each other, but in a much healthier way than before.

kit's "my lady" line is so interesting because given her stated desires ("to be brave and loved and to not be a princess"), the specific role she's taken up in the ensemble (the skeptic/elora's lancer), and some of the ways her relationship with jade has hashed out (their first kiss being very reminiscent of sleeping beauty with kit as the prince, kit's arc of having to prove herself a worthy partner for jade, jade's origins as a bonereaver princess), I sort of wonder if kit did want to be a knight. either way, I think that moment is doubly heartwarming for the way kit fulfills elora's dreams of being a princess and the fact that kit has grown enough to truly embody the chivalry of that gesture.

graydon's love confession was so good both as a romantic moment and a demonstration of his self-confidence. this boy was choking on his drink at dinner in episode 1! look at him now.

the flirty sparring was super hot, and I am very aware that all the spinning and sword-twirling is unrealistic but I don't care (and also choreography is character - this was more of a dance than an actual fight, kit was absolutely showing off her moves, and maybe the fact that kit spins around so much is a sign of trust! she knows jade won't stab her several times in the back! I admit that's probably a stretch.)

kit's look back at jade before falling off the cliff is so heartbreaking and good, both for what it conveys in the moment and for what it conveys about kit's growth as a character. in the beginning, kit would have charged ahead without a second thought, not caring about jade's feelings and probably assuming she'd be right behind her. now kit is still charging ahead (she hasn't lost her core self, a person who will forge ahead when others won't), but she does care about jade, she does look back and check in, and I don't think she assumes jade will follow her, even if she hopes she will.

I hope kenneth is all right.

#willow 2022 #willow spoilers #kit tanthalos #jade claymore #elora danan #graydon hastur #thraxus boorman #airk tanthalos

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narrans · 2 years

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Draconic Defender

'Tis but a meager one-shot to fill the void. Fanfiction inspired by a reader and by the series Eragon. Cheers and, as always, stay awesome! ~Narrans

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

The crystal sky was cloudless. The air was crisp and filled with the scents of season’s change. Nothing hindered her. The ground was far below. The troubles of humanoid and creature alike were, quite literally, far away.

Up here, there was no war. Up here, there were no squabbles about food or garments. There was no need for coin.

Alagaësia was filled with these kinds of troubles. Corrupt kings and monsters called Urgal were rampant. All struggled to survive.

Up here, however, among the clouds – there was only freedom.

That is what Dara liked about it. The freedom of flight was something she dreamed about when she was a child. Never did she think she would achieve such a dream, nor did she believe she would be one of the few to have the ultimate honor of being one of them – the Dragon Riders.

Once thought to have been driven extinct, Dara came across a single Dragon egg deep in the waters of the lake in her home. She was deep diving, nearly at the end of her breath, when she came across the strange looking stone. Believing it would be worth something, she carved it from the clay like sediment and hoisted it to the surface.

Little did she know that later that afternoon when enjoying the soothing sun warming her skin and drying her body that this thing she believed to be a rock would hatch into one of the first Dragons in decades.

Dara knew she needed to keep this a secret the moment the reptilian head peeked out from the edge of the shell. The stretch of the wings alone told her this Dragon would be immense, undoubtedly as large as one of the Greats from legends and stories she’d heard about from her parents.

The connection between them was instantaneous, both because of the bond between rider and Dragon and because of their similar demeanors. Both elected to be alone, and both had a love for the sky and sea. Land was not half as interesting as what lurked beneath the cresting waves of lakes and the open waters or the clouds of water above.

Learning to ride and be one with her dragon was a journey all on its own. Not only did Dara have to work with the Dragon to come up with an appropriate, which was an atrocious ordeal because the Dragon was quite particular in what she wanted to be called, finally settling on Saphiree, but also how to coordinate their movements at the drop of a hat.

They learned to be with one another and, several years later, they were a unified force.

As they soared far above the land below, arms and wings outstretched, they let the clouds wash over them. The cool moisture brushed their skin and hide like delicate, untouchable feathers. They would be an undetectable speck at this height, completely and utterly free.

Dara let her head lull backward as she closed her eyes and absorbed the light of the sun. So close to touching the heavens and yet perfectly mortal she thought. Dara could have lost herself in the moment if the same introspective voice didn’t come creeping into the back of her mind.

“Shall we dive?” asked Saphi as she tilted her wings to bank to the right over a patch of lake far enough away from their hometown of Nethri to remain undetected. Dara opened her fair lavender eyes and peered down at the sun dappled ground at the place Saphi gestured to with her claw.

The place looked deep enough, but at this height Dara would most definitely injure herself.

“A little lower,” said Dara though the link in her mind that her and her Dragon shared.

“You’re no fun,” said Saphi disappointedly.

“Trying to hurt me?” Dara asked in a teasing, amused tone.

“I just wish you were more durable, that’s all,” replied Saphi. Dara could tell by her tone she was teasing, but Dara couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She knew Saphi could take so much more physical punishment than Dara could. She hated to hold Saphi back and decided on a compromise.

“Dive hard and then pull up just before you hit the water. I’ll jump off on the ascend,” directed Dara. A rush of pleasure ran through Saphi’s mind.

“Noes toes it is,” grinned the Dragon as she pulled her wings in tight to her body. With alarming speed in a perfect streamlined position, they dove at the ground. Tears stung at Dara’s eyes. It was her heritage that gave her the blessing of maintaining her sight on the ground below. A normal human surely would have passed out with speeds like these. She had her father to thank for this inherited trait.

Faster and faster, they plummeted toward the glinting surface of the waves. Dara felt Saphi’s powerful lungs heave beneath her legs. Closing her eyes, Dara could feel both of their hearts racing as pure adrenaline coursed through their veins. It was like they were exposed nerves to each other, perfectly capable in physical and mental strength and yet completely vulnerable.

Dara watched the ground getting closer and closer with every second. Any moment they would turn. It would take every ounce of strength Dara had to hang on as Saphi turned her nose back to the sky, but the way her insides fluttered at their freefall was worth every moment of impending pain her arms would endure.

“Now?” asked Saphi through their mental link.

“No, not yet,” directed Dara.

“We’re close,” reminded Saphi.

“Not close enough. Just a little more,” encouraged Dara.

“We’re too close! I have to pull us up!” said Saphi. She felt a wave of worry wash over her that came from the Dragon she was mounted on.

“On my mark,” instructed Dara. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four.

“Dara!”

Two. One.

“Mark! Now! Pull up!” shouted Dara. Saphi roared as she threw her head back, wings flaring, as she attempted to make the needed arc before they hit the ground. Dara felt every muscle of her Dragon tensing and flexing, challenging both of their levels of strength, as her claws barely scraped the surface of the water before soaring back up into the sky. Dara let a scream rise in her throat as her arms and legs threatened to let her slip.

Coasting, Saphi let herself fall back to the surface just as Dara pushed herself off of the saddle she constructed years ago. Both of them spiraled together and, in one fluid motion, dove beneath the waves of the murky lake water below.

Dara, with little air in her lungs, only made it to the first tier in the lakebed before needing to return to the surface for air. Saphi, on the other hand, glanced back at her rider before plummeting further down below in search of large fish for lunch. Dara pushed off of the ground and kicked to the surface, barely breaking the surface before gasping for air.

Once again, she was in bliss as she laid back in the water and floated effortlessly on the surface. She could hear the deep scratching and swirling of water and rock below her as Saphi was undoubtedly ending some poor creature that couldn’t get away fast enough.

How the two of them managed to stay undetected all these years, Dara didn’t know. What she did know was that she promised to make an appearance in town today and see Arun, the haggard woman of Nethri who made necklaces and charms from the shells and spines from things Dara dredged up from the lakebed.

Suddenly, Dara was under water. A rush of bubbles from below made Dara lose her concentration and her head slipped beneath the waves. She instantly fought to the surface and coughed up the water that threaten to invade her lungs just as she heard Saphi chuckle and break the surface, propping her rider onto her back.

Dara caught her balance on her Dragon’s scales and gave the sea foam green eyes a glare.

“Not funny,” scolded Dara. “I actually swallowed some water.”

“And you’ll take in more than that if I plunge to the true depths of this lake. Had you waited another second, you would’ve taken a face full of water and maybe even some broken bones for good measure. Don’t do that again,” scolded Saphi right back. She dipped her head below the surface and wetted her head, making her blue-green scales shimmer and come to life, each scale looking like a pool of water all on its own.

Dara sighed and smiled. “I guess I got carried away. Sorry,” she apologized.

“Accepted. Now, if I’m not mistaken, you have to get back to do human-elf things in the town and I have to annihilate that pesky school of fish that thinks it’s too fast for me,” stated Saphi.

“One dive and then the afternoon is yours,” stated Dara as she wrestled her thick chestnut hair into a tangled, messy braid. She gripped onto the spines of Saphi’s back as the Dragon dove beneath the waves once more, plunging deep and arriving at the bottom mere seconds after slipping beneath the surface.

Below the surface was a murky mess, but Dara’s keen eyes picked up the shapes of the world beneath the waves. She let go and watched Saphi dive further down and scoop up a mouthful of muck and head to the surface without her. Dara stayed and ran her fingers through the water until she found a couple of promising looking clams before launching herself off of the bottom and heading back to the surface.

Dara breeched the surface to the gagging and hacking sounds of Saphi, who was scraping her tongue against her claws. It was coated in mud and a few fragments of shell.

“I hate this. I do. I really hate helping you sometimes. I wouldn’t mind if it didn’t taste terrible!” She continued to scrape her tongue until she gave up and marched back into the water. “I’m going to fill my mouth with something desirable, like that pesky fish who thinks it can best me!”

“Remember to come up from air from time to time,” Dara reminded.

“Yeah yeah halfa. Enjoy,” stated her Dragon as she slipped beneath the waves. Dara pursed her lips at hearing Saphi calling her out for her part elvan, part human blood, but she knew Saphi didn’t mean it maliciously. Still, this is something they would need to discuss later.

Dara sifted through the muck and found a few dozen shells that seemed promising as well as a handful of fish bones before she placed them into her side satchel and walked toward the town of Nethrí.

It was a long walk, but it was necessary to keep Saphi a secret. Dragons, after all, were thought to be extinct and would undoubtedly be hunted down and killed in an instant if the wicked king were to find her.

So, rather than ride Saphi, Dara made the several mile trek over pebbles and stones, forest trails and fallen logs until she spotted the first chimney stack from the Karet’s family home. The dirt road, unchanged after years, was firm beneath Dara’s feet as she walked past the stone homes of Nethrí.

The stone homes, pale except for the slight growing moss along the wedges of the walls. The windows in the homes, misted around the edges from moisture, were obviously worn and weathered. The center of the town was a series of large wells and watering holes for livestock and washing. These were also constructed of stone and were weathered from years of use.

As if on cue, Dara could hear the jangling and scuffling of bones and the clanking of shells. It was Arun. She was propped up against the base of one of the common access watering holes tossing her fish bones and shells onto a woven mat in front of her. Her scraggly white and greying black hair clung to her head and in the bun she had tied it up into. Her tattered clothes were covered in thumb sized holes, but her smile was thoughtful, and kind as were her eyes.

The haggard woman spotted the young half-elf instantly, and her smile spread through Dara like the warmth of the sun.

“Well,” she said, the melodic lilt of her voice was like that of a great-grandmother. “If it isn’t my favorite.”

“You say that about everyone who comes to see you,” said Dara in a friendly tone.

“Doesn’t make it untrue,” replied Arun. “You’ve brought me something?” Arun cocked her head over to the side and pointed to the satchel at Dara’s side. Without delay, Dara removed the side pouch and poured them next to the mat Arun was working on moments before. The older woman shuffled through the bones and shells gleefully and pried some of the shells open to see the iridescent interiors.

“Oh! How beautiful!” she cooed. “Quite deep where these are found, are they not?”

“I can’t see that far when I’m down there. I was probably very deep,” said Dara, hoping the older woman wouldn’t pry further. Thankfully, she didn’t. She merely hummed her response and shuffled the shell fragments away and produced a few coins, holding them out to Dara, but she waved them away.

“I don’t need coin today, Arun. Maybe next time,” said Dara. Arun looked mildly offended, but in a playful and exaggerated way to let Dara know she wasn’t entirely opposed to keeping her coin.

“Oh, but beautiful fragments deserve payment and reward, don’t they? What if we exchange trade? These shells for a reading?” asked Arun. Dara knew the haggardly woman claimed she could read and discern futures. In a world of magic and Dragons, Dara didn’t doubt that such abilities were possible. Still, she didn’t know if Arun possessed such abilities.

It would be rude to refuse, so the young woman nodded. Arun gathered up the shell fragments, smiling and nodding over and over, as she cleared off her mat and, in one sweeping motion, scattered the bones and shells onto the mat.

She turned a few over and recast a few, but it wasn’t until Arun squinted that Dara did a double take.

“My child, darkness approaches,” breathed Arun. Dara looked down and squinted at the shells and bones herself. She didn’t see anything. It looked like a mess, like a family of otters had come through and broken the shells of their prey before abandoning them by the edge of the lake. She looked back up to Arun to ask her to clarify what she meant when a cold chill ran through Dara’s spine.

Arun’s eyes had glazed over white, completely opaque, and the look on her face was that of mortal danger. Her back was hunched over rigid, like someone had punched her in the gut. She was shaking all over, trembling in fear as she looked past Dara to the sea beyond.

“Arun? Arun!” Dara reached forward forcefully and grabbed the elderly woman’s shoulders and shook her, but it didn’t stop the spouting of strung together babbling nonsense from the woman Dara cared for as a grandmother. Her voice was two toned, deeper and not at all matching the frail woman she usually saw before her.

“Message on the wind. Gnashing teeth. Darkness. As the sun sets, fury shall ravage the town. Their screams will be heard from the tops of the hills and the lands to come. Ghosts and shadows will inhabit these homes. A spark from the sea is all that can save us. Eyes of lavender and sea foam green. A sacrifice must be made to save them now.”

With that, Arun gasped for air, clutching at her chest. There was a moment of pause as she blinked and looked into Dara’s eyes.

“My dear, are you alright? You look like someone just walked over your grave,” stated Arun. It was chilling to the bone, but something about it rang true to Dara. She looked back to the shells and looked to the lake behind her.

“Do you… not remember?”

“Remember what deary?” asked Arun. This was too unnerving. This was too strange. Did what she thought happened actually happen? Did Arun tap into something?

“I… have there been any weird reports in town, Arun? Has the hunting party returned from the hills?” asked Dara, trying to think of something – anything – that could serve as an alternative explanation for what just happened.

“Well, no. They haven’t returned. Odd. They’re taking rather long, aren’t they,” Arun said before reaching back down and shuffling around the shells and bones.

Dara tried to breathe deeply to calm her racing heart, but there was nothing that could be done. Her skin tingled and her hair was standing up on its end. She knew she needed to find out what was going on in the woods beyond.

“Yes, they are. You take care of yourself Arun. Find somewhere to stay inside tonight, okay?” breathed Dara as she stood up rapidly and began jogging to the stables where the horses would undoubtedly return after the hunters returned.

She greeted the stable hands and waved to the people nearby, but it didn’t make her feel at ease to see their smiling faces. Her mind was a torrent storm of thought. For nearly two hours, Dara went over the words over and over spoken by Arun and thought about what it might mean. Were Arun’s words meant to be taken literally? Lavender and sea foam green eyes was quite literally her and Saphi. Did that mean… did Arun know? Did Arun see Saphi?

She didn’t have time to reach out to her Dragon to find out. There, emerging from the forest, were the members of the hunting party – most of them.

Dara watched in horror as only half of the hunting party came charging out of the woods at full speed on their steeds, and half of them were wounded. Fear filled their eyes. There was no doubt something happened, and it wasn’t because of an animal they were planning to hunt.

“What happened?” called the others as they too ran forward to assist the hunters who were slipping from their seats, quickly losing consciousness. Dara rushed forward and began using strips of her shirt to tie off the wounds.

“Are you alright?”

“What happened to the others?”

“Were you attacked?”

Questions were thrown left and right at the hunters to ascertain what really occurred.

It was one bone chilling word, however, that told everyone what they needed to know.

Urgal.

Urgal, the creatures of darkness and humanoid in nature, are sentient beings. They are evil, bloodthirsty creatures that have no remorse for their acts of cruelty. More importantly, their roaming tribes are ruled by the king and his lackies, particularly a dangerous Shade.

This was bad.

This was really bad.

Dara looked to the forest and listened to what happened. Evidently, they were hunting a few rogue boars when they suddenly realized they were the ones being hunted. They were ambushed and attacked, the few of them managing to make it back with their lives.

But there was no chance the urgal would leave fresh spilled blood unattended to – and there was a trail leading right to the town of Nethrí. Based on their account of the event, there were dozens – and they were undoubtedly coming for them.

Heart racing, Dara wasn’t sure what she could do to make things right. All she knew was that she needed to protect her home and the families living there.

She stood up and breathed deeply, knowing what needed to be done.

“Saphi,” she thought, reaching out with that mind link between her and her Dragon.

“Hm?” Saphi sounded dazed and sleepy. Dara wondered if she managed to get that fish when the pressing matter shattered her distracting thought.

“We have trouble. Urgal are coming to Nethrí.” There was an instant shift in energy coming from Saphi. A raging, hostile energy that only festered in true anger.

“When? Where?” All hints of sleep were banished from Saphi’s voice from inside Dara’s mind.

“Just now. The hunting party was attacked. Half of them are gone and the others are injured,” informed Dara as she began marching toward the water back to Saphi.

“And there’s no doubt they will come to finish the job. Can’t resist the smell of fresh spilled blood,” growled Saphi. Dara couldn’t help but imagine the little lip snarl Saphi got when she was frustrated and angry.

“I know, and… there’s one other thing,” said Dara. “Arun. She said things. It was weird, like some kind of prophetic warning. She said darkness was coming and that death would happen at sunset. She said that lavender and sea foam green eyes were their only chance of survival.”

Saphi was silent.

“Saphi?” called Dara.

“Yes?”

“Well? What do you think?” prompted Dara as she finally made it to the shoreline. “You usually say Arun is a crazy old bat who has chewed too many bones.”

“I also think that, from time to time, we receive signs from the universe and the stars. Is that so strange to think that haggard loon of a woman could’ve received something like this? It’s too close together. It’s too close to be coincidence,” said Saphi.

“Agreed, but I wouldn’t call her a loon of a woman,” concurred Dara.

“So, shall we?” Saphi asked, obviously excited for a hunt of her own. Dara stopped in her tracks as she looked out onto the water, knowing Saphi was undoubtedly looking back from her hiding place on the other side of the lake. The sun was preparing to set nearby. There was no doubt things would be happening soon if all were true.

“You know what this means?” asked Dara. “We could be seen by the others. Our secret could get out.”

“And?”

“And won’t that be bad?” Dara pointed out. “We’ve been keeping both of us a secret for quite some time now. If the king finds out…”

“Don’t you think it’s odd? Now? Years have passed and no urgal have come by this area. Now, there’s an attack? We might be found out already by the higher powers that be. If that’s the case, the only ones we’re keeping this from are the people in the town. We were keeping it a secret so they wouldn’t be hurt, but it might be too late for that now. It’s ultimately your call, but I say it’s time for us to rise to the occasion. What say you?”

Dara thought only for a moment before giving her answer.

“I say good hunting. Let’s go,” said Dara. Their decision was unanimous. It was definitive. While terrifying, it was also exhilarating.

Dara turned and began running along the banks of the water. She and Saphi would meet halfway and use that as their launch point, taking to the air from there and using the cover of the hills and trees to hunt the foul creatures.

As she ran, her mind and heart pounded at the same pace. Both were racing. Both felt excited and nervous. Both felt the weight of what could possibly happen if they were discovered. The pebbles crunched underfoot with each spring forward. The water lapped against the shore rhythmically, smoothing the stones at the banks.

Saphi, experiencing the same, flew mere feet above the water’s surface along the edge of the water’s domain until she spotted her rider running. The duo made eye-contact, and Saphi knew in an instant that Dara wanted a running launch. The Dragon sped up before flipping to run parallel with her rider and spun upside down, dipping down just long enough for Dara to jump and dig her fingers into the scales on her neck.

“To the woods?” asked Saphi.

“To the woods. Let’s try to stay out of sight for now if we can. Just above the tops of the trees.”

Time was running out, but the two of them felt a calm overtake them. It was the calm before the storm. It was the tranquility just before the strike of lightening as it arced across the sky. Together, they would stop the rampaging urgal before they arrived at the town.

Saphi’s wings beat rhythmically as she focused all of her senses onto the forest below. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to detect the wretched stench of those creatures. Mingled among the smell of the decaying undergrowth of the forest, Saphi’s keen senses picked up the quickly overwhelming scent of many enemies rapidly approaching.

To her left, she knew the town was just on the other sides of the tree tops she glided past. Through her link, the Dragon could sense Dara was anxious about flying so close to civilization, especially because no one was aware that a Dragon had returned to the world straight from history and legend. To compensate, she tilted her wings and listed off to the right to hopefully attack the enemy from the rear.

“See anything?” asked Dara, her thoughts linked and ringing clearly in the Dragon’s mind.

“No, but I smell them, and that’s all I need,” Saphi relayed. “I can ignite the forest and eliminate them all in a matter of seco…”

“No, that will be too noticeable. We have to hit them hard on the ground,” directed Dara.

“Close quarters combat? Even better.”

Dara imagined Saphi grinning from ear to ear simply from hearing the glee in her voice at the mere thought of clamping her saber like teeth down on the urgal. Dara braced herself as Saphi pointed with the tip of her nose where the enemy was.

“There,” she stated.

“Let’s do this.” Dara crouched low against her Dragon companion’s scales, knowing Saphi would be plunging through the trees from above. Scrapes and injuries were unavoidable, but this was a small price to pay for the safety of Nethrí.

Dara’s heart pounded in her chest, hard and fast, as the two of them dipped beneath the trees, Saphi digging her claws into the ground as she landed with a solid thud. Dara’s eyes adjusted in a moment to the relative darkness around them and, instantly, her insides dropped. There were far more than she anticipated – far more.

Dozens of urgal were skittering among the roots and shadows of the forest brandishing weapons of all makes. Their beady eyes turned on the pair, their charcoal-colored irises glinting in the light of the setting sun. It looked like dozens of white dots littered the ground around them like the tips of candles ignited in the fading light.

Saphi growled and crouched while revealing her razor-sharp teeth locked into her jaw while Dara raised her hand, allowing her magical energy to surge. She uttered the simple command for fire as she raised her bow and fired a single shot into the nearest urgal.

While Dara fired from above, Saphi leapt forward to snap her jaws over the creatures and dig her claws into their flesh while swinging her tail to smash them into the base of the trees around them. The swords of the urgal scraped and pierced at Saphi’s great scales, but her injuries were little more than scrapes in comparison to the damage she and her rider were dealing.

They fought together as one unit, commanding and directing one another while watching each other’s backs.

“Lunge forward now!”

“Shoot up high! In the trees! The trees!”

“On our side. Stomp!”

They acted as one unit – one person – while maintaining their autonomy.

All was going smoothly. They were working well and destroying their adversaries one by one.

And then…

Distant screams.

They were coming from the village.

Both Saphi and Dara heard it at the same time, and both were immediately enraged. A group of urgal must’ve managed to sneak past and made it to the town.

“Saphi!”

“I’m on it. You know what this means, don’t you?”

Dara breathed rigidly but nodded firmly.

“Do it.”

Saphi let out a tremendous roar and crashed through the trees, squashing many of her enemies under her foot. The two of them came crashing through the tree line, claws and bow ablaze, as they spotted the enemy in the streets tormenting and chasing down the civilians.

The pair waisted no time as they charged forward, Saphi leaping into the air and gliding down to pluck the wretched urgal from the ground as they did. More screams erupted from the people as they spotted both Saphi and Dara flying overhead, firing down upon the urgal and plucking them up from the streets.

The screams, however, didn’t last for long before the people rose up, gaining the necessary courage and strength to rise up for themselves. Seeing a legend come to life once again fueled their will to fight and defend their homes.

Blades clashed and some injuries were too great to heal, but both the townspeople and the duo of rider and Dragon came together to defend their home.

As the last urgal was slain, Saphi and Dara glided above the town in large arcs. Dara, fear ruling her instincts, was reluctant to descend and face the people below. Saphi felt her rider’s fear and sent wave after wave of reassuring energy.

“Breathe, and just talk to them.”

They arced back down, making a lower pass just above the ground.

They didn’t hear any jeering or screams as they passed overhead this time. Instead, they heard another noise – cheers. Applause. Dara listened and heard her name being called from the ground and the oohs and ahhs of the people below as they gazed awestruck at Saphi.

“See?” beamed Saphi. “You see it, right? The look in their eyes.”

The both of them landed and Dara looked out into the faces and the eyes of the people of the town. Yes. Dara could see it now.

It was hope.

The people had hope – and Dara swore to herself she would not let that spark diminish. She was a Dragon Rider.

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tmarshconnors · 28 days

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Power of Repetition in Public Speaking

After watching "Oscar-winning actor & writer Tom Hanks gives the Oxford Union an acting lesson" on YouTube I felt inspired to write this blog. The link below if interested.

youtube

Public speaking is an art that transcends mere words; it involves a deep understanding of human psychology, effective communication techniques, and the strategic use of rhetorical devices. Among these, repetition stands out as a powerful tool that can elevate a speech from ordinary to extraordinary. In this blog, we delve into the Repetition class in speaking, exploring how this technique can captivate audiences, enhance message retention, and leave a lasting impact.

The Basics of Repetition:

Repetition involves the intentional reuse of words, phrases, or ideas within a speech. When employed thoughtfully, it can create emphasis, reinforce key points, and establish a rhythm that resonates with the audience. There are various forms of repetition, each serving a unique purpose:

Anaphora: This involves repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. For example, Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech masterfully uses anaphora with the repetition of "I have a dream."

Epistrophe: In contrast to anaphora, epistrophe repeats a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences. Winston Churchill's famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech is a classic example of epistrophe in action.

Anadiplosis: This technique involves repeating the last word of one clause or sentence at the beginning of the next. This creates a seamless connection between ideas and builds momentum. Yoda's sage advice, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering," is an example of anadiplosis.

The Impact of Repetition:

Emphasis: Repetition serves as a spotlight, directing the audience's attention to specific words or ideas. By repeating a key point, a speaker can emphasize its importance, making it more likely to be remembered.

Rhythm and Flow: A well-crafted repetition adds a musical quality to a speech, creating a rhythmic flow that engages the audience. This cadence can make the message more memorable and enjoyable.

Connection: Repetition helps to establish connections between different parts of a speech. It ties ideas together, creating a cohesive narrative that is easier for the audience to follow.

Persuasion: Through repetition, a speaker can subtly persuade the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action. The consistent reinforcement of a message can influence attitudes and beliefs.

Practical Tips for Using Repetition Effectively:

Choose Key Points: Identify the core messages you want to convey, and strategically repeat key words or phrases associated with these points.

Consider Your Audience: Tailor your repetition to resonate with your audience. Understanding their preferences, values, and expectations will help you use repetition more effectively.

Vary Your Approach: While repetition is a powerful tool, overusing it can diminish its impact. Vary your repetition techniques to keep the audience engaged and interested.

Practice Pacing: The timing and pacing of repetition are crucial. Practice delivering your speech with the right rhythm to maximize its impact.

In the world of public speaking, the Repetition class is a formidable ally. When wielded with skill and precision, repetition can transform a speech into a compelling, memorable experience for both the speaker and the audience. By understanding the various forms of repetition and practising its implementation, speakers can elevate their communication skills and leave a lasting impression on those who listen.

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nmenvs3000w24 · 3 months

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Unveiling Banff: My Journey as a Virtual Environmental Interpreter

Envision this: you’re surrounded by the gorgeous mountains in Banff, Alberta, where the air is fresh and the landscape is a beautiful blend of turquoise and lush evergreen trees. Consider hiring a virtual guide however, they tailor the experience to your learning style. In this blog, I am going to discuss my ideal role as an environmental interpreter working as a virtual guide in the landscapes of Banff, Alberta, and the skills required to create a narrative that resonates with a wide range of audiences.

As a visual learner, my venture into environmental interpretation starts with a deep understanding of my preferred learning style. Visual elements have consistently played a big role in both my academic and personal life, from participating in hobbies like watching movies and drawing. I have recognized that I succeed in classes that have visual aids and classes in which I study using diagrams and visuals which have also fostered a keen interest in the art of visual storytelling.

Catering to different learning styles is an important skill as an environmental interpreter (Dr. Hooykaas, n.d.). The visual richness of Banff provides an ideal place for engaging auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learners alike. The interpreter's art is in constructing an experience that resonates with each visitor's particular manner of learning.

Considering this, my role can entail:

Visual Storytelling vlogs: Crafting captivating vlogs for visual learners by showcasing Banff's scenery through bright visuals, panoramic views, and wildlife encounters. My dream would be vlogging a "Join me on a hike through Banff National Park"

Interactive and in-person nature trips: These are designed for kinesthetic learners who want to explore Banff's trails firsthand. Participants can interact physically, digitally, or both, developing a kinesthetic connection through immersive activities such as tactile encounters, virtual scavenger hunts, and emulating wildlife motions.

Podcast Series including Expert Interview: Developing a podcast series featuring expert interviews on Banff's ecology, geology, and wildlife for auditory learners.

As I consider my ideal role, the guiding questions for environmental interpretation take on new significance. Who am I as an interpreter? I'm a storyteller and a visual, auditory, and tactile narrator of nature’s beauties. Who is my audience? Anyone seeking a greater connection with the landscape of Banff, regardless of their learning style. How can I make this experience meaningful? By creating storylines that go beyond knowledge to trigger emotions and engage multiple learning styles (Dr. Hooykaas, n.d.).

Skills that would offer greater success in this role as a Virtual Guide include:

Effective communication: As a virtual guide in Banff, excellent communication is essential. I will need to communicate information clearly and engagingly in a variety of channels, including vlogs, podcasts, and written content. Tailoring my communication style to appeal to a wide range of audiences, ensures that participants with varying learning styles can connect with and comprehend the material (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018).

Adaptability and technological proficiency: Remaining adaptable and technologically proficient, altering my approach to meet diverse audience needs (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018).

Landscape knowledge: Having the necessary knowledge of landmarks and the history of Banff is essential in creating stories and providing accurate information in my interpretations.

In conclusion, my ideal job as an environmental interpreter finds a home in the stunning surroundings of Banff, Alberta. With an awareness of my visual learning style, I hope to guide others, through this natural symphony, constructing a tapestry of stories that go beyond standard learning.

Below are photographs of the stunning scenery of Banff taken during my visit last summer, which is now one of my all-time favorites. This incredible adventure has fueled my enthusiasm for environmental interpretation, making Banff the ideal location for such a role. I've also given glimpses of my most recent sketches, which are strongly rooted in my visual learning style and highlight my dedication to immersive storytelling.

Reference:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing. https://www.sagamorepub.com/products/interpreting-cultural-and-natural-heritage-better-world

Hooykaas, A. (n.d.). Unit 02: Teaching Learners [Lecture notes]. ENVS3000 Nature Interpretation. University of Guelph.

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theharpermovieblog · 10 months

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#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2023

I re-watched The Saddest Music In The World (2003)

I was in my 20's when I discovered the odd films of Guy Maddin, by stumbling across this very movie. I almost immediately became a fan.

A beer baroness with no legs stages a $25,000 contest in which people come from around the world to prove they can make the saddest music in the world.

Guy Maddin makes movies that use classic film styles, techniques, rear projection, odd characters and dream logic to create vision-like stories that defy genre. At once they are comedies, dramas, horrors and none of these things.

Of the Guy Maddin films I've seen, The Saddest Music In The World seems to me to be the most accessible to a wider audience. It's the film that I came across late night one night, which I was unable to turn off. But, that's not to say that a wider audience would accept it. It can be off-puttingly strange at times.

It's hard to explain to someone that watching a drunken doctor saw off a woman's legs is both hilarious and terrifying. It's hard to explain dream logic as something that is at times clear and at other times almost pointlessly odd. Hearts in jars, naps in the snow, glass legs. The creepy angles, grainy film and hazy light that smears the screen. All of it evokes something which is up to the viewer to decipher how it makes them feel.

While Maddin has nothing in common stylistically or thematically with David Lynch, I imagine what makes me a fan of one is what makes me a fan of the other. Using film to make their audience feel strange and off kilter. Leaving me with certain images burned into my brain and with my own feelings, which may differ from the next viewer.

This particular movie is very comical. But, it's not exactly a clearly defined comedy or laugh-out-loud stuff. It's funny like a dream, when you wake up you're not sure what was so funny. Is an advice giving tapeworm funny?

It's an undeniably interesting film to look at, as are all Maddin's films. His visual style is something I really love. It switches and swaps and is always a firm decision of editing and technique. It is itself a character.

The cast is excellent and they all seem to understand what's expected of them and what kind of film they are in.

The final message I get from The Saddest Music In The World is that there can be no saddest music in the world, as the truth is, we all connect to things on a personal level. Sadness is personal like tragedy and trauma. The film ends with truly human moments and the music that means the most to the main characters, which really gives a satisfying conclusion we were t expecting.

Guy Maddin's films have a deep artistic merit, but as much as I love them I can't explain why. I suppose it's because they walk the line of being strange for no real reason, until you realize that there is meaning behind all of it. Maddin makes me even love the things I find flaw with in his films.

Another visionary expression of a Canadian Auteur.

#the saddest music in the world #guy maddin

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thegodwithinblog · 1 year

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Dreams and magic. Creativity and love. He's a little of the story I'm writing so far: "Here’s the funny, and very interesting, thing about dreams: Even though our dreams are product of our minds, we never actually dream exactly what we consciously want. Sure, we can have pleasant dreams, or twisted ones; however, moments before sleep we don’t say to ourselves that we want to dream what we dream... "We are not in control. Our subconscious takes over. We just go along for the ride. But, deep in the crevices of our minds, the truth, the beyond, the darkness and the light hide in wait for the awakening conscience living in dreams. And now, unknown dreams had taken over while Red remained in her coma, placed inside a slumber pod, and located in a semi-lit chamber of The Castle of Illusions... "No one had been able to do anything about it. After that last event with the shadow ghouls in the skies, after she fell hundreds of feet the dragon-wolf grabbed her just in time, her mind had simply gone inwards, isolated itself, shut off from outside reality (see series #4). Now a tear rolled down her face. She dreamed and experienced some hidden, challenging truth... "Count Morgol had put 2 of his highest mages in charge of discovering what was happening inside her mind. The mentioned gremlins observed a sphere of energy hovering a few feet above ground and away from the slumber pod. This head-sized ball radiated a yellow, green and red substance around it, more like the dazzling vision of a rainbow in the sky... “I’m afraid your attempts to learn anything from the orb will not be successful, little ones,” the voice came from the shadows. “I too thought The Great Sphere would give us the answers we wanted about Red.”... "The silver god stepped into the light and approached the slumber pod, then he felt the energy coming off it with his hands. The gremlins became very humbled, and yet excited, by his presence, so they started immediately communicating their respects in their language. But they didn’t really know how to treat a Celestial god, so they just knelt on the ground to worship him... “O, please, there’s no need for that,” he said while smiling, approaching them and offering his hand. “Get up. And tell me: What are your names??”... "And so they told him their names. And, of course, he clearly understood their gibberish... “Well, Pkontuksunu and Pkontiksini, nice to meet you. Would you call Morgol down here for me??”... “Yes, Mr. Detreus!” they both cried at the same time, then went about their new duties... "In the background, the spiritual orb, or The Sphere of Truth and Wisdom, had started releasing slight, but still somewhat critical, pulses into the air that, mixed with the projected colors, appeared to be similar to heavy sound waves without any particular sound. He became interested and started feeling the pulsing pattern... "There was certainly a strange reading in the air, and as he came to the center of the room he became connected to it. As the holographic lights flashed in front and around him, he sat quietly in meditation pose on the ground and felt his surroundings. Not far from this event, Red stirred slightly and quietly grimaced in her dream-containment pod... "Detreus then proceeded to shut his eyes and extend his arms, thus touching the flashing colors and merging with it. There was indeed a special communication that was going beyond the physical here, because the sphere held great secrets, even greater knowledge, and magic beyond comprehension. Now, The Great Sphere had been created by the ancient Celestials, and the silver god, being a Celestial himself, was a direct descendant of these gods... "Created from the blood and tears of the first fallen angel, or of the first Celestial who led the revolution against the old established system of governance, the said orb now possessed great sentiency and was entering his mind. The images he was seeing, as the voices he was hearing, were catastrophic and ominous; but also familiar and comforting... “Show me more,” he said as he suddenly opened his eyes and stood up. Then he walked towards the orb and continued, “Great Sphere, tell me more.”... "Then Count Morgol quietly entered the chamber, but seeing the event happening he stayed in the shadows watching the silver god communicate with the sentient sphere. There were more lights flashing, and even shadows dancing, which lasted for a few more seconds. Then the orb became peaceful and the communication ended... “I take it you found your gokurawani,” Morgol started as he left the shadows for the light... “Yes, The Chosen One is ready,” replied Detreus while sensing the orb one last time. “He’s not lost. He found his way. And he also found some new friends it seems.”... “There are all sorts of creatures in the dream worlds...” ~ Ben #5, "Son of Darkness" ~

#fantasy series #current wip #creative writing #am writing #readers

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lotsofplanetshaveadeathstar · 1 year

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Should’ve listened to Elphaba...

I need to write this down to work through it and having a backspace button works a lot better than a pen with no eraser right now, so...

In Wicked, there’s a song called “I’m Not That Girl” and while the reasons why I connect with that song could fill several posts on their own, it has a line that I’ve been thinking about for almost a week now - “Don’t wish, Don’t start, Wishing only wounds the heart.” It’s a little out of context here compared to the rest of the song, but the general message is the same - don’t wish for what you can’t have, it’s just going to hurt.

Last weekend was *an event* and I had a great time, truly I did. But it sort of... awakened something in me, I guess you could say? There was a kind of sense of belonging and friends, for one part of it, and sense of, well, wanting, for lack of a better term here, for the other.

I haven’t had a big friend group since high school, and while I wouldn’t have categorized most of them as close friends even then, I never realized how comforting and fun and “like home” it was to have so many people who knew the same places and people that I did and were in on the same jokes and backstories and were in the same geographic area and (relatively) same stage of life. Then in college I had a bunch of “temporary” friends, I guess you’d call them, with a few that stuck around, but still, it was the same relative age and location and shared knowledge. Now, most of my true friends are scattered throughout the country and I’m no longer in the same age bracket as most of my coworkers or classmates. Sure, I’m friendly with them, but my best work friends range in age and stage of life and our schedules don’t usually line up consistently, so it’s not the same. And until last weekend, I genuinely thought I was fine with that.

But I was wrong.

In my mind, up until that point, I had this idea that I was in a kind of transition phase and all I really needed to do was to get through it and there would be this bright new Technicolor world waiting for me on the other side and everything would just fall into place and be wonderful. I just needed to get through this degree, get a new (and much better) job, and I could finally become a Grown-Up ™ and start living my Grown-Up ™ dreams. The interim didn’t matter, or so I thought.

Now I realize that as much as I genuinely enjoy being cozy at home most nights, watching whatever shows I want to watch or randomly deciding to deep-clean some area of my room, I want to have a person or group of persons that want to do things with me outside of my immediate family. I want friends who like at least some of the same nerdy things I do (not asking for interest clones here, that would be both freaky and probably not very fun) and don’t mind going places and not spending a bucketload on entertainment or drinks or whatever and who would participate in a kick-ass group costume for Halloween or an ugly sweater party or... you get the gist. But I don’t have that and I’m not even sure where to go about finding it. I know it’s out there though.

The other feeling though, the wanting...

Look, I know that that particular instance was not initiated by the all-fabled spark - it was almost certainly 80% alcohol, and I have no regrets, about either the instance or the alcohol (Malibu and Sprite is delicious and tequila lemonade is heavenly). But I’ve never been in a situation even remotely like that before, and this is another place where the aforementioned song from Wicked comes into play - almost always, I’m not that girl.

Not being that girl has usually never bothered me too much. I’m typically having too much fun with my other friends to care, and most of the time I’ve been grateful to be on my own and free to do whatever I want when I want to do it. I have always been enough for me, which is truly a great thing in my opinion. But there’s a tiny but growing part of me that wants to be something for someone else and have something for them in return. Maybe I’ll forever prefer dancing with abandon in a circle with my friends, but I’d also really like to know what it’s like to be twirled around by someone who only has eyes for me, to be able to close my eyes and feel their arms around me as I lean back into their chest.

In almost all of my visions of my future up to this point, it’s always been just me. I don’t mean that in an “I’m going to be alone forever” kind of way, but I picture myself being able to support myself by myself, to be able to go on vacations and stay at whatever level of hotel I want all on my own dime, to decorate my own living space exactly the way I like (although apparently that one could still be true regardless of if I’m on my own or not). There was never even a stick figure hanging around in the corner that I could factor into my plans, emotionally or financially - everything was me, myself, and I. (As a side note, I didn’t even picture kids, although I’m not sure if that’s because there wasn’t a partner in the picture or because I have a hard time even imagining having kids with my current income and the state of the world - time will tell on that one.) I still want to be able to completely support myself on my own income, that’s part of the reason I’m changing course and getting a whole new degree, after all. But to have someone there to share the load, bounce ideas off of, and take vacation pictures of me is becoming a part of the new future visions.

Now to loop back to “I’m Not That Girl” in the original context of this post - I wished, I started, and, thus, wounded my heart. I let my imagination run wild, even after reminding myself over and over that nothing was going to happen, that I did it because “why not?’, because you never know what will happen, “all you need is 20 seconds of bravery”, blah blah blah. I let my sappy romantic brain go too far and I only have myself to blame for this stupid pain and, yes, I’m beating myself up here a little to try and get myself to snap out of it. Even if I’m overreacting for the moment and things change, I know I’ll be right back in this spot fairly quickly after that, so this little eye-opener is coming from a well-intended place. I knew it was an almost impossibly long shot, but I told myself I should take this chance and see where it goes, and if this is where it went, then that’s that.

I don’t regret anything about last weekend, truly I don’t. I’m not ashamed and only the slightest bit embarrassed, but I wouldn’t change anything I did (except I’d figure out some way to get dessert since I missed out on the apple tartin and cake and I’m still salty about that). There’s not many things I truly regret in life, because everything I’ve done and every choice I’ve made has gotten me to where I am and I’ve gotten to do some amazing things and experience things that most people can only dream about. And I know that pain like this is unavoidable in any well-lived life. But sometimes I wonder if I’m strong enough to handle it when even minor blips like this seem so overwhelming to me, if I’ve waited too long and I’ve missed out on some key piece of development that would let me get through it all even a tiny bit easier.

Maybe, for the meanwhile, focusing just on me isn’t a terrible idea. But maybe I can also work on ways to bring in more of those feelings of friendship and belonging while I get where I’m going. Jury’s still out on the wanting, though.

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aphrostarot · 3 years

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Next Significant Relationship Pick a Pile

Who is your next partner and what will the relationship be like?

Please remember that this is a general reading and some things may not apply to you. Don't force it to fit. I offer paid readings on my page if you would like a personal reading. Prices are listed there. Please message me or email me if you are interested!

(All poems are in Perry Poems: A Collection. You can find it here)

Pile One:

Who is this person? What are they like?

Nine of Winter:

This is the nine of pentacles in this deck. Usually, the Nine of Pentacles represents a woman, but not always. A person represented by this card is highly feminine and an extremely independent individual. They are very hardworking, they appreciate the finer things in life, and their hard work has allowed them to enjoy these things. Your next partner will embody this energy.

King of Autumn:

In this deck, this is the King of Swords. Besides being a hard worker and extremely independent, this person is also calm and collected. Before making any decisions, they weigh the pros and cons of every situation. Your next partner will be someone you can turn to when you have trouble making decisions. They are a very mature individual, someone who is extremely logical and can sometimes appear to be judgmental.

How will you meet?

Three of Spring (Reversed) and The Crow:

One or both of you will be in a state of disarray when you meet this person. It will be difficult to make decisions in your life, maybe even in one particular area. Several directions will be pulling at you, and you won't know which one to take. Your progress in your personal development will be affected by this. The energy I'm receiving from this pile indicates that it will be you who is struggling and that when you meet this person, they will be drawn to you because they feel like they can help you, and ultimately they will.

How will you know it’s them?

The Lupin:

The Lupin is a highly intelligent and confident individual. Here your guides are telling you that the way you will be able to know that this is your person is by recognizing that they exude these qualities. As far as the environment goes there may be some flowers around you when you meet which is a sign to you that this is your person. You or they could be wearing purple as well.

What will your first impression of them be?

The Goldfinch:

The first impression you will have of this individual is that they are a very organized free spirit, willing to travel. Initially, you may be intimidated by their confidence and their refusal to get involved in drama or chaos. Initially, their eyes may also catch your attention and seem beautiful to you. If you are highly spiritual, you may even observe that this person's third eye is open whether they are aware of it or not.

How will they affect you?

Ace of Winter and Queen of Autumn:

When you are with this person, you will find that you have so many opportunities. You will become extremely passionate about your career and life choices. You will become more aware and even more in control of your path. Pursuing your dreams will be so much more fun because unlike in the past, you will know exactly what you want. With this person, you can regain control over your path and enjoy life again.

What kind of relationship will it be? What is the main bond between the two of you?

The Empty Cottage and Eight of Autumn:

It seems that this relationship may not be a good one. Although this person will provide you with many opportunities in your career, they are not healthy for your mental health. There is a strong possibility that they are very possessive and jealous in your relationship, which isn't healthy. Your anxieties might get worse or they may not understand the reasons for your mental health. The problem is that the person is extremely rational and does not deal with emotions very often, whereas you are an extremely emotional person. Relationships like these do not mix well and you may end up feeling very alone as a result.

Current obstacles standing in your way?

The Lighthouse:

One or both of you may be lacking in the stability department and also in the confidence department. I believe that it may be you that is struggling in this department and your guides are telling you here that this is blocking you from entering this relationship at the moment. I know that with the way that I just described this relationship you may not want to enter this relationship at all and so you may be saying “what is the point of clearing out these obstacles if it won’t be a good relationship.” to that your guides have to say that you are meant to be in this relationship. It won’t all be bad in the relationship, there will be good, especially when it comes to you getting out of a funk and finding joy and drive for your passions. This is something that is needed in order for you to excel in life. This person is meant to help you in your career and your passions, which is why you are meant to be in this relationship.

How to break through those obstacles?

Ace of Spring:

To overcome these obstacles, you need to become aware that this person is going to push you to pursue your passions and career further. You will learn how to succeed in your passions and career through this relationship, regardless of how short it may last. As your guides are telling you here, this is what you need to hold onto so that you can move forward with this relationship.

What will you learn from this person?

King of Winter:

You will learn how to be a successful and driven person through this relationship. It may not be good for your anxieties and your emotions but it will be good for your career. The two of you may have a lot of 10th house overlays in your synastry chart because the energy of this relationship is not at all emotional, it is way more career-centered.

If you would like to see some channeled messages from this person and spirit regarding this relationship click here.

Pile Two:

Who is this person? What are they like?

The Hermit:

The person may be a Virgo or have significant Virgo placements or energies in their chart, more than likely they are a Virgo Rising. This person is wise beyond their years and prefers their solitude. They are extremely observant, and constantly seek to expand their knowledge. Additionally, they may even have a deep connection to spirituality. All that being said, they are highly sensitive, especially to judgments and criticisms from others.

How will you meet?

King of Swords:

You might meet them at work, and either you or them will have some authority. Based on the energy I am getting from the two of you I believe that it will be them who is in authority. Once you start working for them, they are struck by you and your presence. You are constantly on their minds, and they watch everything you do. The two of you will be following a very common office romance trope.

How will you know it’s them?

Seven of Pentacles:

Your future may not be something you enjoy thinking about or planning. You don't seem to be a type A at all. Your preference is to go with the flow rather than make a solid plan. It might however turn out that, once you meet this person, you have a greater sense of direction and need to plan your future in a more structured manner. It is quite likely that this person is very much a planner and a critical thinker, so when they are around you will be trying your best to impress them. It is for this reason that you will begin to become more like that person. It is also possible that both of you will be wearing red or blue when you meet, which will be a sign that this is your person. Question marks may be involved in your meeting as well. They could be in the environment or you may find that you are very curious about this person which will result in you wanting to ask a lot of questions.

What will your first impression of them be?

King of Wands:

When you meet this person, you will think they are extremely confident. Their ability to lead and their determination to achieve their goals will impress you. As friendly and outgoing as they are, I can tell you that it may seem intimidating at first because you are really hoping that they will like you, and they can be hard to read so you aren't sure what they think of you.

How will they affect you?

The Hanged Man:

Part of you knows that there are aspects of yourself that do not serve you. Despite this, you continue to do nothing about eliminating these toxic behaviors from your life. This person will help you to do this. They do not tolerate toxicity, especially from the person they are pursuing, so when you begin to see them, they will work toward helping you eliminate those behaviors. This enables you to lead a healthy life.

What kind of relationship will it be? What is the main bond between the two of you?

Temperance:

It will be a very satisfying relationship for you both. Together you will build a solid foundation and live very comfortably. In the end, you'll feel at home with each other, seeing each other as family. Perhaps you both have never experienced something like this before, and for you both, it is a breath of fresh air.

Current obstacles standing in your way?

The Heirophant:

You may be stuck in a pretty traditional mindset especially when it comes to love. In that, you may believe that dating your boss is very unprofessional and that other people will think you are sleeping your way to the top. The last thing that you want is other people viewing you negatively and in your eyes, pursuing this is a disaster waiting to happen. According to your guides, this mindset is currently blocking the two of you from coming together.

How to break through those obstacles?

Page of Cups:

Your guides are telling you here that the way for you to release these blocks is by allowing yourself to feel emotions. You can’t help who you fall in love with most of the time and that is the case with this person. Instead of denying yourself this relationship, your guides are encouraging you to allow yourself to express your feelings, especially when it comes to this person.

What will you learn from this person?

Death:

As we have discussed, you have some toxic behaviors that you refuse to let go of, and this person will help you let go of them. In this person, you will learn how to shed the old side of yourself that doesn't serve you anymore and be transformed into the person you were created to be.

If you would like to see some channeled messages from this person and spirit regarding this relationship click here.

Pile Three:

Who is this person? What are they like?

The Moon:

This person may be a Cancer or have significant Cancer placements, more than like they are a Cancer Rising. They are a natural daydreamer and will stop at nothing to make their dreams their reality. Because of this, they have very strong opinions about how and what they want their world to look like. They tend to struggle when it comes to trusting other people because they wear their heart on their sleeve and have gotten screwed over quite a few times because of it.

How will you meet?

Nine of Pentacles:

You may meet this person right after you make a significant purchase in your life, whether that is a house, a new car, home renovations, or even garden improvements. They may be the person who helps you get these things done, or you will simply just meet them around this time in your life.

How will you know it’s them?

Five of Pentacles:

It really does seem like you will have just purchased a new home or you will have some renovations in your current home around the time you meet this person. I say this because in the imagery on this specific card you can see a door with a house key. I believe that when you meet this person you will be in a great place financially but they will not be. You may even need to provide this person with a place to stay. You will know it is them because they are in a very dark place when you meet and you will be in a very bright place. This will lead you to want to help them get back on their feet.

What will your first impression of them be?

Eight of Pentacles (reversed):

You may not have a good impression of them when you first meet them. You will think that they are lazy and have a bad reputation, especially when it comes to money. I get the feeling that you will know who this person is because they may be a family friend or a friend’s friend. However, you will not have officially met this person or really gotten to know them, hence you having quite a bad impression of them. I think that someone will ask you to invite them to stay with you and you will say yes even though you don’t want to. This is because in your eyes this person has gotten to their dark place because of their own actions and you feel like helping them will only encourage their behavior. However, you will be wrong about your impression of them and once they come to stay with you, you will see a different side of them and realize this.

How will they affect you?

Ace of Swords:

You will experience many powerful emotions with this person. They will make you hate them so much one day but then the next day you will be madly in love with them. You may have been in relationships in the past that were filled with simplicity and ease. You will experience an entirely new type of relationship with this person, one that will send your adrenaline soaring.

What kind of relationship will it be? What is the main bond between the two of you?

Eight of Wands:

You two will never grow tired of each other. Even when you are apart, you will always want to stay in touch. Whenever you are with this person, you will feel as if you can tell them anything. With this person, you will feel at ease, and you won't worry about what others think of you because of how comfortable you feel around them. You will be able to fully express yourself around them without fear.

Current obstacles standing in your way?

Three of Pentacles (reversed):

Right now your ego is getting in your way when it comes to this relationship. You may believe that you are better than this person and therefore you do not need them in your life. There is another part of you that may even be struggling when it comes to working in teams, you currently prefer working on your own and do not go out of your way to hang out with other people or work with others. Your guides are saying that this is blocking you from experiencing this relationship.

How to break through those obstacles?

The Tower (reversed):

You have been holding off the inevitable for quite some time now because you fear change and this person will be bringing you to change. Your guides are telling you here that you need to release your fears and allow this person to come forward. They are telling you that they have your best interest at heart and would never bring you something you can’t handle and this person is someone that you are meant to be with.

Two of Cups:

Part of you may think that this relationship will not be true love or you may even believe that you are not worthy of true love and your guides are telling you that you are incorrect. This person will show you a whole new side of what love means and feels like. They say that it is definitely true love, even if it isn’t how you define what true love is.

What will you learn from this person?

Six of Wands:

In your mind, you think you know what success looks like, whether that be in love, or just in life. The only problem is that you are still not expanding your view of what success really looks like, and it will be this person who is able to introduce you to the different facets of success. Through them, you will learn how to truly experience success in all of its glory.

If you would like to see some channeled messages from this person and spirit regarding this relationship click here.

Pile Four:

Who is this person? What are they like?

Ace of Cups and Strength:

This person may be a Leo or have significant Leo placements, more than likely they are a Leo Rising. They may also have significant water placements. They are extremely confident and courageous. They hold a great deal of power and many people come to them for guidance. They are also extremely romantic and sensitive. They love love and are a huge hopeless romantic.

How will you meet?

The Artist:

It is possible that one or both of you are artists. A gallery opening or an art museum may be the place where you meet. On the other hand, based on the energy I sense that one of you will have your art on display, and you will meet them through the event. You will get along almost immediately since you have very similar views on art.

How will you know it’s them?

High Priestess:

One of you may be wearing blue when you meet, maybe a long blue cardigan or dress. A floral pattern may be significant as well, whether it be wallpaper in the room you are in or someone is wearing it. This is a highly spiritual connection so you will almost just know it is them. You will feel how you have never felt before in their presence, it’s like they awaken your spirituality. You will feel your connection with this person almost instantly.

What will your first impression of them be?

Seven of Pentacles:

This person will seem like an extremely hard worker, someone who is very talented but doesn't see their own talent. You might also think that this person overworks themselves. However, you will also see them as kind and patient. You see this person as someone who has a lot of talent and is going to accomplish so much.

How will they affect you?

The Emperor:

They are very much someone who loves to be in control, and they enjoy bossing others around, especially when it comes to love. It seems that they want to dominate you and make sure you are doing exactly everything they want you to do. They will express a lot of their masculine traits in this relationship. However, it could also be you who expresses all of this rather than them.

What kind of relationship will it be? What is the main bond between the two of you?

The Lovers and Ten of Swords:

True love will be the foundation of this relationship. Both of you will experience the kind of love you have always dreamed of. However, this is not to say that the relationship will be easy, as there will be challenges along the way. However, due to your love for one another, you will get through each challenge together. This relationship may last for a long time.

Current obstacles standing in your way?

Six of Pentacles:

You may be an extremely generous person, especially when it comes to your time and energy. Your guides are saying that this aspect of yourself is hindering your progress towards this person. Yes, it is nice to be generous with the people you care about, but that generosity should not come at the price of your health or sanity. Make sure you are maintaining some boundaries in your life.

How to break through those obstacles?

Two of Wands:

It is time for you to set better boundaries especially when it comes to the people you are close to. You may be scared to set better boundaries because you feel like people will be mad at you. You need to release those fears because if people get mad at you for taking care of yourself, they do not truly care about you. Now is the time to make sure the partnerships in your life are healthy and the first step in doing that is by making sure that the partnership you have with yourself is healthy.

What will you learn from this person?

Eight of Swords:

This person will teach you how to get out of your own way. You have a lot of anxieties and insecurities, especially when it comes to relationships and this person will show you how to heal. Through them, you will learn how to let go of your fears and fully express yourself in a healthy way.

If you would like to see some channeled messages from this person and spirit regarding this relationship click here.

#pick a pile #pick a card #tarot readings #oracle readings #love reading #divination #astrology #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces

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mt-words · 3 years

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Can we get some dream smp fandom positivity posts? As someone who posts mostly analysis and has never once had someone say anything rude in response, I think we perceive the fanbase as more toxic than it is because of a few outspoken individuals. Y'all are pretty chill and I like you.

In no particular order-

I love that Eret’s fans come up with such cool theories, I swear she could give you two sentences of lore and I could see three five page essays on what it could mean about their character within an hour and each of them is unique, intricate, and makes logical sense.

I love the compilations Foolish fans make of him doing ridiculous things on stream, he’s a fun guy that never fails to make me laugh and everything I see from them embodies that energy to me.

I love how creative Hannah’s fans are, you take the awesome ideas she has and turn them into the most amazing designs and concepts.

I love that Techno’s fans might write a ten page essay about his character or just say they enjoy watching him do crime, and you never know which it will be because both come from the same people.

I love how Philza’s fans embrace everything he does with so much enthusiasm. His chat is a flock of crows? Excellent, they can work with that, you will see fifty incredible pieces of art and a hundred theories in the first hour and they’re just getting started.

I love that Niki’s fans are so careful to pay attention and not miss any details. It has been ages and I still see occasional mentions and theories about the “Dear Friend” letter.

I love that Fundy’s fans are very empathetic, they love to find and elaborate on the connections between characters and that’s pretty cool!

I love Tommy’s fans for their energy. They seem passionate about making things right and hopeful that no matter what your situation is things can get better. I’ve seen so many breathtakingly emotional art pieces from this side of the fandom.

I love that George’s fans unapologetically simp for him but then catch me off guard by making deep insights about his character.

I love how Bad’s fans are as genuinely sweet as he is, they’re willing to really look at everything that makes up a character and see the tragedy of it and have compassion about things. And some just want to see an egg rule the server, c'mon, it would be funny.

I love the running gag with Skeppy fans of making Skeppy critical posts, y’all are hilarious.

I love how Purpled fans play up his lack of lore as him being an incredibly powerful cryptid, and they’re right. He totally carried the wither fight on Nov 16th.

I love the balance Quackity fans have between a love of humor, justice, and darker topics. I think like Quackity they are often underestimated and thought of as the jokester side of the fandom to an extent, and then I start reading things they write and it’s well thought out and insightful.

I love that Tubbo’s fans love chaos, cute things, or both to an unhealthy extent. Seeing anything from them reminds me of princess unikitty in all the best ways, and then they turn around and throw a super in depth meaningful analysis at me in the next breath.

I love everything about Sapnap’s fans. Y'all are perfect. The writing and art from the born in fire line? Gold.

I love how Jschlatt fans are generally chill and just enjoy whatever they want to. Their favorite Manburg president was the one who publicly executed his right hand man and gave Dream a resurrection book for firepower, and he looked good doing it.

I love that Callahan has fans. You people are dedicated and I respect it. The fact that Callahan was one of the first names to pop up when everyone was trying to figure out who Harpocrates was even though he rarely involves himself with plot? Your influence knows no bounds.

I love that Alyssa’s fans are simply too powerful. She hasn’t played on the smp since way before I started watching and there are still people defending her barn and drawing pictures of her.

I love that Antfrost’s fans have taken so many ideas and just ran with them and made them awesome. Like him practicing magic? Perfect, he now carries potions and gets a wizard hat.

I love that Dream fans look at a character who has been portrayed as pure evil from many points of view and understand that Everyone has motives based on their situation, even if it isn’t handed to us in an easily understood way.

I love how Jack’s fans are so ready to support any action he takes. Crawling out of hell? Incredible. Killing a child? Good for him! Go team Rocket. Grieving the same child? Learning healthy coping, he’s the coolest.

I love that Connor eats Pants fans are the most reasonable people in this fandom. This is terrifying. Thank you for your service, you always make me smile.

I love that Punz fans unapologetically just love their capitalist mercenary. As they should, his presence always tips the scales and everything he does brings more depth to the characters and plots he interacts with.

I love how much Ranboo fans love complexity. Most of them aren’t afraid to admit that their favorite characters are flawed, because aren’t those flaws what make them interesting and relatable?

I love the variety of Hbomb fans. Half of them may be embracing the cat maid bit while the other half goes on about how impactful and cool L’cast is, but they’re all super chill.

I appreciate that Puffy fans take the time to understand so many perspectives. So many posts I see involving her tie in lore from other characters and find interesting ways to connect them and build them together, kind of like Puffy herself.

I love that Wilbur fans seem to approach the story like they’re solving a puzzle, carefully piecing together details from months apart to figure out how and why everything goes down.

I love how hard Ponk fans work to spread awareness of how awesome he is. Ponk says and does wonderful things and is very fun to watch. I never would have tried his content without them.

I love that Karl fans saw him wanting to be involved and started coming up with such cool ideas around his character that they actually made them canon. Correct me if I’m wrong, wasn’t the time traveler thing a fan theory at first?

I love the creativity Sam fans have with his design and their willingness to discuss complex moral issues. Sam is involved in some heavy lore stuff but he and his fans keep things entertaining and calm.

I’m sure I missed some things, please feel free to add on!

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