#the inspiration for this one comes from a quote i read describing his victory at naseby in [clears throat] A More Particular and Exact | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

firstprincewrites · 8 months

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This Magnetic Force Of A Man

Henry is captivated by Alex Claremont-Diaz, there's no other way to describe the heat in his belly or the instant infatuation. For a long time, Henry is hopeless, dreaming a dream that seems so far away. When a media disaster strikes and things change for the better, Henry is left overwhelmed by the intensity of Alex - the man himself is a force to be reckoned with. In their heavier moments, Henry leans into the soft grip of dark curls, leans into the feeling of being grounded by another. Read to find out how Henry navigates all the big moments in their relationship, one hair pull at a time.

Caught Beneath the Landslide

What if Henry hadn't been emotionally unavailable leading to him being rude to Alex upon first meeting him in Melbourne? What if, instead of hating each other, their relationship starts right then and there? Come find out what happens when Henry and Alex find themselves growing up together, nursing a connection, and navigating hurdles in life without the fear of being alone in the fight. What could our boys possibly get up to now?

When Everything's Made To Be Broken

Henry is happy to be back at Etton College for his senior year but that's thrown off course by the president's son untimely arrival. A personal catastrophe brings Alex to England to rain on Henry's parade - at least, that's what the Prince thinks when the First Son arrives. Soon, Henry finds that there's a lot more to Alex and the relationship meant to exist between them.

Keep Breaking Me In

After a long night, Henry isn't expecting Shaan to knock on his door to bring bad news. Yet, his equerry stands there with a sheepish look on his face, nonetheless. Henry is quick to find out that Phillip got his hands on a damning video and plans to use it as a way to dishonorably discharge Henry from military service. Too bad Phillip doesn't recognize the other man in the video - Alex Claremont-Diaz is a high caliber Civil Rights lawyer just waiting to defend instances just like this.

Try To Document This Light

Buying the brownstone is both the start of Henry's path away from the crown and a concrete future for himself and Alex. It's a place he can call home with the man that he loves, a place where they can grow, change, and shift into the men they're going to be for the world to come. After a lifetime of not really belonging anywhere, Henry finds a space that's truly his. Read to catch little peaks into his life with Alex and what the future has in store for them between the walls of that simple little brownstone.

Just the Thought Of You (Gets Me So High)

"Amy helped me plan it."What went into Henry's ocean crossing surprise? What were his thoughts going to the DNC where he'd finally see Alex on the stage, doing what he loves & looking amazing while doing it? Read to find out Henry's side of things as the night of the DNC unfolds.

I Like That Thing You Do

Ever since the first polo match Alex attended, his obsession with Henry on a horse has only grew. Years into their relationship, Alex is still hanging onto the pitch's fence, watching with rapt fascination. Read to find out what happens when Phillip asks a question that creates a lust monster Alex can't control. No one ever said those white pants Henry wears aren't meant to be destroyed.

With the View In the Morning (You Won't Ever Go Back)

Despite being together just shy of a year, the night of the election is a first for both Alex and Henry. After sneaking away to linger in their victory, Henry is surprised by Alex's initiative. They're on his home court so Henry is expecting the usual but Alex has something different in mind. The shift is enough to knock Henry's world off kilter in the best of ways. Read to find out how Henry survives his first time topping.

Can We Dance In the Dark?

"Who would you be?""Be a writer. Live in Paris."Inspired by this beautiful quote, this fic follows Henry Fox, a writer who's famous for crafting stories about a fictional prince - The Royal Blue series follows James through the trials and tribulations of being young, royal, and gay as a maypole. He loves what he does but inspiration is dry. He can't find the words and is severely stuck in a bout of writer's block. To try and abate it, Henry takes David for a walk - fate, the dear she is, finds a way to intervene. After a collision, Henry comes face to face with Alex Claremont-Diaz, law student and first son of the United States. Read to find out how their relationship develops into something worth writing about.

This Happily Ever After

For such a natural, easy sort of relationship like Alex and Henry's, there is a lot of weight on their shoulders. Despite themselves, they're making history with each new step they take in their relationship. It's a good thing, then, that neither man is a stranger to the limelight. When Alex teases about them making history, Henry doesn't know how deep that comment will run or how true it actually is. Read to catch a few pieces of Alex & Henry's relationship where they make their own history. Sometimes, two people are meant to shape the world, no matter the circumstance.Or - 5 times Alex jokes about making history and 1 time Henry reciprocates.

I Get Lost, I Get Washed Away

Law school is stressful from the start but it reaches a fever pitch during Alex's last semester. He decides Henry's birthday is the perfect excuse to get away from it all so he hatches a plan to not only be there for Henry's birthday but surprise him with his presence, too. They're on the cusp of something in their relationship and Alex is ready to help whatever it is along. Everything works out perfectly, down to the moonlit car ride they take at the end of the night. Read to find out how an overstimulated Alex pampers the birthday boy - in the end, they both take care of each other.

I Got A Girl Crush

Alex Claremont-Diaz has been the object of Henry's affection for longer than the prince cares to admit. He's usually pretty sane about it but his brother's wedding has put everything on high alert. After reading a particularly upsetting gossip rag, Henry is distraught by the idea of seeing Alex with her - Nora Holleran - everything that Henry is not. He decides he wants what she has as the night goes on and her closeness with Alex becomes apparent. Though, Henry is quick to learn that not all things are what they appear. Sometimes, it takes a little frosting on the cheek to realize how wrong one can truly be.

Then Wiggle With It

What if, instead of balking at the request, Henry takes Alex up on his offer to dance during 'Get Low'? Alex has been wondering why he feels a little funny whenever Henry is around but an errant touch while their bodies are close causes him to reevaluate everything he's come to know about himself. Can the simple bump and grind of a raucous club song really change everything for Alex? And does their relationship shift now that Alex comes to a groundbreaking realization much quicker than ever imaginable? Read to find out!

The Perfect Genius Of Our Hands and Mouths

The first time they make love, that soft press of Henry's hand to the small of Alex's back is a guiding light. He's not a fumbling boy learning how to walk - he's a man with someone showing him the ropes. It's a wonderful thing that Alex never forgets. In fact, he comes to rely on that hand on the small of his back leading him through the ups and downs of life. Read to see a few slices of Alex and Henry's time together where making love and feeling that touch play starring roles in the biggest instances of their relationship.

A Solid Embrace

Despite the not so good nature of the holiday, Thanksgiving has always been special to Alex. Throughout the years, he learns things, eats good food, and grows into the man he is today. This year, Henry gets the freedom to spend the holiday with Alex and his family out at the lake house in Texas. Determined to make it the best yet, Alex goes through all the motions, perfecting them along the way. Somewhere throughout the day, his priority changes, however - Henry in a striped rugby shirt is suddenly the object of his fixation, food and tradition forgotten. Read to find out how a little football makes Alex realize his family is finally complete.

#firstprince #firstprince fic #firstprince fluff #firstprince smut #red white and royal blue #red white and royal blue movie #rw&rb #rw&rb fanfic #rwrb #alex claremont diaz #alex #prince henry of wales #henry fox mountchristen windsor #henry #bobbie writes #masterlists #masterlist #firstprince masterlist

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amydancepants-peralta · 3 years

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mr mendes just released a new song & i was wondering if you could write something inspired by the line: "i wonder what it's like to be loved by you" 😌✨

Ericaaa I loved this prompt! 💕 Of course I had to throw in some Pining because it’s so good ... hope you enjoy! (here it is on AO3)

to be loved by you

It’s a secret to absolutely no-one that Amy Santiago is the kind of woman that likes to excel in any skillset. Unapologetic in her badass-ery, she can (and has) chase a perp through the boroughs of Brooklyn in boots that have a higher heel than three of her male colleagues put together. Her finely tuned memory - the same one that has led Trivia Newton John to seven straight victories - helped solve a series of long-dead case files, and her problem solving skills are the reason that one of the city’s biggest kingpins is currently behind bars.

With this in mind, one could consider it safe to say that Amy regretting her natural ability to ace any situation would be up there with hell freezing over, or for a flock of pigs to soar across the sky.

But tonight, here in Shaw’s bar as she watches Jake have what seems to be a lovely date with Sophia; Amy just might be, if only maybe a little, slightly regretting her highly graded observation skills (yes, the same ones that pushed her into the highest percentile when graduating from the academy - which she very rarely brags about, and she really should - it was mentioned in the commissioners speech and everything).

To be fair, it wasn’t all bad. She could, for example; hear the jukebox in the corner, playing Come on Eileen for the fifth time in a row - unknowingly settling into a duet with squelching sneakers as a bunch of drunken frat guys danced, all of them too far gone to notice any repetition. Plus, she could pick up on the subtle click of the acrylic nails on the woman at a neighbouring table, listening to them tap against a series of her friends’ photographs, rotating between descriptions of priddy and gawgeous.

Mixed with the scent of spilled beer and day-old peanuts, it was exactly the combination that to others may appear seedy, but to Amy and the squad, just seemed … familiar. Shaw’s was their watering hole, the basement bar each could disappear into and drink to forget their days, and despite the five empty glasses on her table and the half-full one in her hand, Amy was finding it incredibly difficult to stop noticing just how sweet Jake was with his girlfriend.

Even more impossible was to stop imagining what it would be like if she were the one standing near the dart board, with Jake’s arm resting comfortably over her shoulders.

It had all started earlier today, when she had glanced over at her partner just in time to pick up on the tiny little smile that grew on his face when he noticed a text from Sophia.

(Okay, it’s possible that it had actually started back at The Maple Drip Inn, with that look he’d given her after maybe, yes, a little. It had definitely led to a series of Thoughts after Teddy’s departure, of which she’d only given herself just that night to think about.)

(Except ‘that night’ then turned into that week, and okay fine then it had turned into ‘just that month'; and now here she is, several weeks later; completely unable of getting Jake Peralta off of her mind, and it’s becoming very likely that this is more than just a little crush.)

It had been so endearing to see, that tiny glimpse of joy and enchantment as he’d read Sophia’s message - just fleeting enough for Amy to wonder if anybody had ever reacted to a message from her with such glee. (Teddy, she remembers, preferred not to text; and would instead express his affections by saving her the last bottle of his favourite pilsner, or brewing a new concoction ‘inspired by her’ … sweet, but somehow didn’t hold the same sentiment.)

So she’d kept her eyes glued to the computer screen in front of her as she listened to Jake pick up the phone and order a bunch of flowers to be delivered to Sophia’s office - using his debit card, and not a combination of the five questionably balanced credit cards under his name - which in itself is huge. Pretended not to notice the multiple kiss emojis in his reply, or the soft tune that he hummed for a few minutes after, focusing intensely on the case file in front of her as she described a recent interrogation in finite detail. Kept up the facade of all that stuff with us is in the past as he recounted a romantic weekend to their squad in the break room - laughing along in all the right places, doing her very best to keep the wistfulness out of her eyes.

And all the while, Amy’s mind had kept contemplating if she would ever get to know what it would be like to date someone like Jake: to have somebody who would take all the black and whites of her life and show her the beautiful greys in-between.

So when he’d shown up at Shaw’s this evening, with Sophia’s hand carefully wrapped around his own and a grin that announced his contentment to anyone who cared to look; Amy had felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. Her painted smile had just lasted until the couple retreated to the corner for a crazily competitive game of darts, and Amy had decided tonight would be a great opportunity to drown her sorrows in a few glasses of whiskey, doing her absolute best not to notice all the little things she will never have.

Like the way Jake would punctuate each congratulatory high five with a kiss, even when it meant that his girlfriend had beaten him at a game. The gentle way he steered them away from a rambunctious crowd, keeping an eye on the raised voices as his unaware girlfriend played her shot and came so close to hitting the bullseye. Or the way Sophia’s hand would rest on Jake’s chest as he held her in his arms (just the way that Amy wishes she could do), and the way she would laugh so happily as he commented on the drunk guys dancing near them.

It was all very simple, but undeniably sweet, and Amy doesn’t know how she ever doubted that Jake would be anything but.

“Your covert skills need work, Santiago.”

The chair beside Amy scrapes angrily against the worn floorboards and she turns, startled by the interruption, quietly praying that her face isn’t quite as red as it suddenly feels. Terry, far more interested in taking the last sip of his scotch than commenting on her appearance, settles in to his new location next to her, and his glass hits the soaking cardboard coaster with a slap.

“Wha-huh? Covert skills? You really must be drunk, Sarge. We’re not even on a stakeout right now. Unless you’re talking about us staking out the contents of that fridge behind the bar haha!”

(She’s rambling - she knows she’s rambling; but cannot stop the desperate need to pretend that she hadn’t just been completely busted for spending her entire evening staring at a life she may never know.)

“Ugh. Okay fine.” Her mouth stretches out into a cringe, eyes flickering to the colleagues Terry had just walked away from. “How noticeable are we talking here?”

“Noticeable enough that Charles has spent the last 40 minutes lamenting on ‘the beautiful tragedy of unrequited love’”. Dropping his air quotes, Terry rolls his eyes, one eyebrow lowering as he returns to his drink. “He lost me when he started quoting poetry. Terry loves Shakespeare, but he could do with a little less soliloquies - and a little more spirits - tonight.”

“Oh! You know what, there was just a Shakespeare play in Polonsky that starred - ” Terry overlaps her last words with his own heavy voice, and Amy’s stops in it’s tracks.

“Dianne Wiest. Terry knows. That was his segue, Amy.”

She nods, sensing the need to dig up. “Should have known. Charles loves his Wiest feasts.” Terry grunts his assent, pressing his lips together as he savours another verse-less sip, and Amy seizes the opportunity to cast another furtive glance at the happy couple.

“Seriously, though. Just because Peralta hasn’t noticed, doesn’t mean the rest of us haven’t.”

Amy brushes her hair to the side, swirling the liquid in her glass with her free hand. “Okay, so maybe I haven’t been very subtle tonight, or whatever.” Her gaze returns to Jake, drawn to him like a magnet, and her heart squeezes once more.

To his credit, Terry gives her a moment; waiting for a silence to settle over their table before leaning forward in his chair, ignoring the sticky residue of the tabletop as he rests his arms on either side of his glass.

“Out with it, Santiago.”

She shakes her head, swallowing hard to push down the burgeoning lump in her throat. “They look really happy together, don’t they? He looks … happy.”

Terry shrugs, glancing in the direction of Amy’s eye line. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“He does! All shiny and cheerful and just .. happy.”

“I don’t know. Terry remembers a time when you and Teddy looked just as content.” His look is pointed, and followed by the unsubtle raise of his eyebrows. Amy nods, draining the last of her drink. Somehow, she has a feeling that Sophia’s underwear isn’t lined with mesh like Teddy’s had been (and even if it was, it would be some kind of inexplicably sexy mesh, for sure).

“Sometimes things aren’t what they seem, sarge.”

“You know that works both ways, don’t you?”

Nodding again, Amy wipes her thumb along the smudged lipstick print on her glass, choosing to remain silent. Terry didn’t get it - none of them got it, really. She’d had her chance, the very first time the words romantic styles were uttered, and she’d let it slip away. And now, she has to live with the consequences.

Clearing his throat, Terry continues. “I mean … she is a defence attorney, you know.”

“But see, even that isn’t something that I can fault. Not fairly, anyway.” Clocking the look of disbelief on Terry’s face, Amy shrugs defensively, waving her hand vaguely in Sophia’s direction. “I know we all like to joke and call them evil, but really … all they’re doing is making us prove that our findings are beyond reasonable doubt. If anything, it’s people like her that push us to do better - to work harder to make sure that we’re definitely charging the right person. And as annoying as that can be, it’s definitely not a reason to hate her.”

“Kinda sounds like you do, though.”

She shakes her head, feeling the sense of defeat sink into her bones. “I really don’t. She’s incredibly smart, and funny and beautiful … she honestly looks like she should be in a commercial for shampoo or something. She’s perfect for Jake, and I’m just …”

“You’re just … ?”

Shrugging, Amy slots her thumbnail into the edge of the coaster underneath her glass. It, like her heart, had seen better days, and it was time for her to cut her losses. “I’m just … going home.”

“What? No. Stay! Our squad kicked butt this week, Amy. We all deserve a drink.”

Painting another smile onto her face (she really is getting good at them), Amy pushes her seat away from the table, allowing herself one more glimpse at Jake’s smile before shaking her head at Terry. “Sorry sarge, I just can’t seem to celebrate tonight.”

Heading towards the exit without a second thought, Amy doesn’t see Jake pull away from Sophia, taking a half step in the direction of the door as he watches her leave. She doesn’t notice him pull out his phone, start to type a message before hesitating, pocketing it without hitting send. The night moves on as Amy walks away, and the streets are deafeningly silent as soon as the bar door closes behind her.

The sky seems to feel just as morose as Amy this evening, tiny droplets dropping onto her grey work blazer as she waits for a cab; too lost in her thoughts to take in the frivolity of a parting crowd. As the rain increases and the splotches on her blazer turn into tiny Rorschach Tests she decides to give herself one more night - one last night of wishing for things that will never be.

In the backseat on her ride home Amy twists her hands together, linking her fingers and imagining not for the first time that one hand was Jake’s (she would imagine similar .. later). She thinks of what it could be like to have his warm presence near hers .. to have his hand resting on her leg, not out of possession but just to be near. Watching him get out of the car first, only to turn and offer a helping hand for her exit, every time without fail.

She pictures what it would be like to feel the brick exterior of her apartment against her back as Jake presses his soft lips against hers, kissing the life out of her, making her see stars before pulling her into the apartment for so much more.

He wouldn’t always be the perfect partner - and lord knows, neither would she - but Amy knows that through it all he would remain her best friend, because even through all of this yo-yo pattern of denial and admittance, thats who Jake has been for her. After all these years, he’s become the only one she wants to talk to, at any given moment of the day, who knows her coffee order better than his own and remembers her Abuela’s birthday, even when she hasn’t mentioned it in weeks.

The scent of rain lingers in her apartment as Amy readies herself for bed, casting her pantsuit aside with drunken abandonment and giving her face a half-hearted wash before stumbling towards her bed. She closes her eyes, the thoughts of what could have been still so loud in her quiet apartment, hugging the pillow beside her tightly while her mind begins to wander.

As she finally drifts off to sleep that night, Amy tries not to remember the smile that Jake gave her as they danced so long ago at the community hall - that special kind of smile, that made her think that maybe it was solely for her - and tells herself once. and. for. all. that sometimes, life just doesn’t work out the way you’d hope.

* *

It’s a rush of cool air that alerts Amy to a brand new morning, the drop in temperature squashed as quickly as it arrives by the wrapping of a warm arm around her middle. She smiles into the pillow as it completes its protective loop, letting her body get pulled closer to the human hot water bottle in the middle of her bed, and if there was a better way to wake up on a cold day, Amy is yet to see it.

She lets out a sigh of comfort as the bridge of a prominent nose digs into her shoulder blade, feeling the warmth of his breath through her old academy shirt, nestling closer until her legs are well and truly tangled amongst his. It’s late, later than she would normally allow herself to sleep, but the two of them were far too invested in basking in the afterglow of a rainy Saturday filled with sex and movies to consider leaving the bedroom anytime soon.

Jake’s voice is rough, the remnants of a deep sleep obvious in his throat. “Today’s Sunday, right?”

Amy nods, wriggling herself just free enough to turn within her boyfriend’s embrace. His hair is sticking out on all ends - unaided, she is certain, by her hands the night before - and she runs the tip of her thumb along his right cheekbone. Though his eyes are still closed, he leans into her touch, and she grins. “Definitely Sunday. A rainy Sunday, but part of the weekend all the same.”

He nods, the short and prickly fibres of his morning stubble scratching her palm. “Good. More time for time machine building.”

“… we’re building a time machine?”

“Yeah, one that lets us skip past all the boring work stuff, and leaves us with all the time in the world for more of this. Kinda like that movie Click, but a lot less ‘trying to change the past’ stuff, and a lot more sex.”

She chuckles, and his left foot rubs along the side of her calf under the blanket. “You’re crazy, Peralta.” (Although, she will admit - the ‘a lot more sex’ part did sound kinda great.)

His eyelids flutter open, gaze growing soft as a smile stretches across his face. “You’re beautiful, Santiago.”

Amy feels her cheeks begin to heat up, resisting the urge to cool herself down by tucking her hair away, completely unable to move as long as Jake continues to look at her like that. There’s a pimple growing underneath the surface of her chin that is going to rival Mount Vesuvius, and her morning breath could probably wilt the flower pots living happily on her kitchen’s windowsill. But here, in bed with her boyfriend of almost two years, she feels more beautiful than all of her best days put together.

“I don’t think I’ve told you this today, but I love you, Jake.”

Leaning forwards, Jake’s soft lips press against Amy’s, and he winks as he pulls away. “I mean, we’ve both been awake for a sum total of three minutes, so yeah, you’re pretty late with the love you’s today, babe.”

Her free hand flies out from under the cover, delivering an indignant smack to Jake’s chest, and he grabs it back before she can pull away, linking their fingers together and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I love you too, Ames. Even if you don’t want to build a time machine with me, I still love you.”

She laughs - a giggle that starts in her belly and bursts through her lungs, something that she’s been doing a lot more of these days - and pulls Jake in for a longer kiss, morning breath be damned.

One day, in eight or so years time, they’ll have a son - a miniature version of Jake that, much like his father, runs to the beat of his own drum; and answers to the name Mac. Amy will fall pregnant again, and when they explain to their son that he’s going to be a big brother, his response is so perfectly him that it makes Amy’s eyes tear up with laughter.

For they are, by Mac’s decree, now officially a Ninja Turtle family. He is Raphael (or ‘Rafel’), Jake Michelangelo due to his love of nunchaku, and Amy nabs Leonardo purely out of homage to one of her favourite artists. The mini-Peralta still growing in her womb is, by default, Donatello (or Donatella, depending), and even though there was a time when Amy truly felt like she could never be this lucky, she will love their little family with all of her heart.

But for now, she has Jake; and together they have warm bedsheets and no plans for a future that isn’t together - no matter what obstacles may be thrown their way.

And Amy realises, as Jake begins to trace a series of kisses along her side of her neck; truly, being loved by him is better than she could have ever imagined.

#it's all about the yearning #pining!Amy #fic prompts #has the ninja turtle family thing been done? I can't remember #b99 fanfic #peraltiago fanfiction #b99fic

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tweedstoat · 3 years

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What's your favourite quotes or lines that you've written in your fics?

THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME THIS. I’ll discuss my all time fav quote

Ok so if you’ve read the end notes of my fic A tigress, not a woman you’ll know that i drew a LOT of inspiration from my favourite Greek play - Medea by Euripides. As i stated in my note there are a surprisingly large amount of similarities between Medea and Elia:

Both are foreign princesses

In a strange city facing huge amounts of xenophobia

Abandoned by their husbands for a woman who arguably has more social capital than them (Lyanna is younger, able-bodied, and white. Glauce in Medea was the princess of the city in which Medea lived and from context clues seems to have been younger than Medea)

They have 2 children with the husband who abandoned them

Their children's lives are directly threatened by husband’s actions

Also this was me mining the show for the few good scraps they created but both Elia and Medea are connected with Tiger imagery. Medea is described as a "a tigress, not a woman" and Elia "fought like a tigress against Gregor Clegane".

Both are connected with sun imagery. Elia’s house sigil is a spear piercing a sun and Medea is the grand-daughter of the sun god Helios

Both are connected with snake imagery. Dorne’s got a snake motif, and Oberyn is the red viper and Medea has a golden chariot drawn by flying snakes (so basically dragons but they look distinctly snakey in art)

The play ends after Medea murders her two children, her husbands new father in law, and her husbands new wife all for revenge on Jason. And escapes using the golden chariot sent down by her grand-father in what is probably the first and most literal example of a deus ex machina.

The interesting thing though is that Medea is defiant to the last. She isnt sorry for what she’s done to Jason her philandering husband. Although she does escape with the bodies of her children to give them proper burials, she expresses regret for what she had to suffer as the mother who killed them, and rightfully points out that Jason was a terrible father who was willing to exile his own children and shouldn’t cry crocodile tears now that theyre dead. In fact the last part of the play is them raining down curses on each other and Medea doesn’t face any retribution for what she’s done. The rules are different for her. Shes a sorceress, and of divine descent and Jason, who discarded her under the presumption that she was a woman and couldn’t do anything to stop him, is left with nothing.

I really wanted to drive home the connections between Elia and Medea and show that Elia wasnt sorry for what she’d done to Rhaegar and that she gained strength and confidence from her public victory at the trial and was defiant to the last - so I included this part:

“She catches a glimpse of a woman in a window as she walks past and is stunned to realize it is her own reflection. She can barely recognize herself. Her eyes are flashing, her head is thrown back proudly, and a curious trick of the glass makes it look like she is in the street; standing at the head of her own gilded carriage that waits outside.

Elia’s red mouth curves upwards and she takes one last look at the lady in the glass, making her triumphant procession in a golden chariot.”

Elia is making her triumphant progression after Rhaegar humiliated her under the assumption that she would never leave him, would agree to a polygamous marriage, and would have to grin and bear it because she was a woman. She doesnt care that she’s dragged his name through the mud, basically implied that he’s an apostate and therefore a danger to the ‘god-fearing’ adherents of the faith of the seven further de-legitimizing him. She’s getting away in her golden chariot!

I toyed with the idea of having Oberyn drive a carriage to come pick her up (so literally a snake at the head of a carriage) but I decided not to. I wanted to drive home that the victory was completley Elia’s so I had her have a sort of vision/optical illusion of herself through the stained glass window (this was also me being catholic on main)

Thank you for asking me!!

#Elia Martell #A tigress not a woman #straight up this is my favourite part of everything ive ever written so thank you for the opportunity to talk about it #also sorry for the long ass lesson on a totally different story lmao #see this is how my essays get so long i always gotta do a 500 word history lesson #anyways everyone go read Medea its great #sansakatara #asks

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funknrolll · 4 years

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Focusing on Prince and the song Avalanche: Lesson learned or....??

Hi my music lovers, today we are celebrating the birthday of the undisputed music legend and virtuoso: Prince Rogers Nelson. Since all that is happening these days, I wanted to offer you guys the chance to reflect on these crucial issues. Therefore I chose to focus only on one song in Prince's vault: Avalanche. In my opinion, this piece is quite relevant to what is happening these days. I really hope I do Prince justice. I hope we can learn something from this article and the lesson Prince taught us. Should there be anything, I missed do not think twice to let me know or contact me. Enjoy the article.

In 2002, Prince released One Nite Alone (Solo Piano and Voice by Prince). As the title suggests, the only accompaniment in this album is the piano. Today I want to offer you the chance to reflect on the song Avalanche. Avalanche. The message delivered with this song is compelling, and the lyrics were magistrally written. Moreover, as many people know, Prince was an avid reader and an extremely educated person who had a vast knowledge not only about music but also about history, in this case. Indeed, with these words, the Artist is referring to some historical events to create one of the most MONUMENTAL protests songs in music history. Before I explain this total MASTERPIECE, I need to mention some crucial points. I will never stress enough about this. We all know that Prince was a black man. However, the fact that he, in some interviews, said things like "I was brought up in a black and white world. Black and white, night and day, rich and poor. I always said that one day I was going to play all kinds of music and not be judged for the color of my skin, but the quality of my work" or quoting his song Controversy "I wish there was no black or white" etcetera... It does not mean he was not conscious and aware or proud of being black. This does not mean that he was not aware of what black people had and still have to endure and go through. Indeed, Prince was extremely knowledgeable of everything that I mentioned, and he was proud of being black, and this is something significantly present in his music, in his sense of style, in his words, lyrics, music videos, concerts, and movies. I'm making this point because I have overheard too many people accusing Prince of not embracing his blackness or even being biracial as the new york times erroneously claimed. None of these things are true. I also heard that the Artist was not aware of what black people had and still are going through and that his music was not "politicized enough." This is another big fat lie. This song is proof. Therefore, before writing and describing this MONUMENTAL song, I thought I needed to re-emphasize this significant point. By the way, Prince's mother was NOT Italian. She was a beautiful black woman. Furthermore, as already mentioned, Artist had extensive historical knowledge and was also conscious and aware of how black people have always been exploited and treated. Moreover, Prince was accustomed to speaking his mind and saying what he meant, and just by reading the superlative and poignant lyrics, we could see that the Artist was quite straight-forwarded in writing this piece. Indeed:

He was not or never had been in favor

Of setting are people free

If it wasn't for the thirteenth Amendment

We woulda been born in slavery

He was not or never had been in favor

Of letting us vote, so you see...

Abraham Lincoln was a racist who said

"You cannot escape from history "Like the snow comin' down the mountain

That landed on Wounded Knee

Nobody wants to take the weight

The responsibilityHear the joyous sound of freedom

The Harlem Renaissance

Hear Duke Ellington and his band

Kick another jungle jam

Ooh, do you wanna dance?

Who's that lurking in the shadows?

Mr. John Hammond with his pen in hand...

Sayin' "Sign you're kingdom over to me

And be known throughout the land!"

But, you ain't got no money, you ain't got no cash

So you sign yo name, and he claims innocence

Just like every snowflake in an avalanche...Like the snow comin' down the mountain

That landed on Wounded Knee

Nobody wants to take the weight

The responsibility

This masterpiece begins with a quote taken from the 4th Lincoln-Douglas debate held in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 18, 1858. Lincoln opened his discussion with these words:

"While I was at the hotel to-day, an elderly gentleman called upon me to know whether I was really in favor of producing a perfect equality between the (slur) and white people. [Great Laughter.] While I had not proposed to myself on this occasion to say much on that subject, yet as the question was asked me, I thought I would occupy perhaps five minutes in saying something regarding it. I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, [applause]-that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of (slur), nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races, which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And since they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man is in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."

This was just the beginning of the speech Lincoln gave, and the words bolded are the exact beginning of the song by Prince (disclaimer: I replaced the racial slurs with this (slur) since I do not want any slurs on my platform). Moreover, as we can see in this song, the Artist was calling out the former President Abraham Lincoln for being racist. As you can see from this speech, HE REALLY WAS A RACIST. Moving on with the speech, Lincoln also said that he was not against slavery, and therefore he did not want to abolish it. Additionally, Prince mentioned the thirteenth Amendment. Before I report the Amendment, I believe it is important to contextualize it. What I am about to write will show one more time that Lincoln was a stone-cold racist, unlike many people were taught in schools. So, during the Civil War, the South USA (which economy was unfortunately still based on slaves working in plantations), wanted to keep a balance of free and slave states to maintain its political power in Congress. Southern slaveholders feared the loss of control for many reasons, including a rational fear that if Northern abolitionists had eventually swayed their representatives to vote to abolish slavery, the South wouldn't have had the votes to stop it. So, on September 22, 1862, President Lincoln warned the Confederate states that if they did not rejoin the Union before January 1, 1863, he would free their slaves. If they had timely surrendered, he would not have issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Therefore, on January 1, 1963, Lincoln "proclaimed" the "end of slavery." Bear in mind that this was as much an act of political/military strategy rather than moral courage.

Additionally, the Emancipation Proclamation freed only slaves held in the eleven Confederate states that had seceded, and only in the portion of those states not already under Union control. Slavery was left untouched in the loyal border states. The Proclamation also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy (the Southern secessionist states) that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon the Union (United States) military victory. The actual abolition of slavery was achieved when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865. The first section of the Amendment declares, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.". In addition to everything mentioned, the second segment of the speech I bolded is about the right to vote. Eventually, the Artist ends these verses accusing Lincoln of being racist, saying that it is not possible to escape from history. I must say that Lincoln really was A RACIST, and we have always been taught history the wrong way. I also must say that despite the abolition of slavery, black people were never really free, for racism was and still is one of the biggest plagues not just in the USA but all over the world and what we have seen until now is the proof.

Moreover, in the next verses, the Artist mentioned the Harlem Renaissance. For those who do not know that was, I will give a quick explanation of it. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, literary, and intellectual movement that fostered a new black cultural identity. This movement flourished in Harlem, New York, after World War I and ended around 1935 during the Great Depression. The movement raised significant issues affecting the lives of African Americans through various forms of literature, art, music, drama, painting, sculpture, movies, and protests. Voices of demonstration and ideological promotion of civil rights for African Americans inspired and created institutions and leaders who served as mentors to aspiring writers. The Harlem Renaissance arose from a generation that had lived through the gains and losses of Reconstruction after the American Civil War. Sometimes the parents or grandparents of those who lived during that historical period were slaves. Many people who lived in the Harlem Renaissance were part of the Great Migration. They moved out of the South into the black neighborhoods of the North and Midwest of the USA. African Americans sought a better standard of living and relief from the institutionalized racism in the South. Others were people of African descent from racially stratified communities in the Caribbean who came to the United States hoping for a better life. Uniting, most of them were their convergence in Harlem, New York City. Furthermore, Harlem was the center of a musical evolution that uncovered amazing talents and created a unique sound that had yet to be paralleled. Jazz was the newest sound, and it attracted both blacks and whites to go to nightclubs like the Savoy Ballroom to hear artists like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis. Jazz was a result of the Harlem Renaissance, which originated from the musical minds of extraordinarily talented African American people. The genre includes traits that survived from West African American music, black folk music forms developed in the New World. In his song, Prince was indeed referring to jazz music and one of its most relevant and most brilliant artists: Sir. Duke Ellington. In the next lines, we see the Artist mentioning John Hammond. Hammond was a white talent scout, record producer, and music critic. This is another excellent example of how history has been distorted. Indeed, if you look upon the net, you will find that this man fought against segregation and racism. However, if you read Frank Kokofsky's book, John Coltrane and the Jazz Revolution of the 1960s, you will learn the truth about the political economy of white domination over black music. In particular, Kokofsky focuses on the relationship between John Hammond, Columbia Records, and the Artist Bessie Smith. Indeed, as Kokofsky writes:

"The first and most important point to emphasize is that, as author Chris Albertson reveals in his biography of Bessie Smith, Hammond signed the singer to a series of contracts with Columbia Records that gave her a small, fixed fee for each performance she recorded and no royalties. Such contracts were apparently standard practice with the executive, for Billie Holiday unequivocally stated in her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues: 'Later on John Hammond paired me up with Teddy Wilson and his band for another record session. This time I got thirty bucks for making half a dozen sides.' When she protested about this arrangement, it was, according to her, a Columbia executive named Bernie Hanighen – and not John Hammond – 'who really went to bat for me' and 'almost lost his job at Columbia fighting for me.'"

Hear the joyous sound of freedom

The Harlem Renaissance

Hear Duke Ellington and his band

kick another jungle jam

Ooh, do u wanna dance?

Who's that lurking in the shadows?

Mr. John Hammond with his pen in hand...

sayin' "Sign ur kingdom over 2 me

and b known throughout the land!"

But, u ain't got no money, U ain't got no cash,

So u sign yo name and he claims innocence

just like every snowflake in an avalanche.

This situation is quite familiar, isn't it? Perhaps Prince had heard or read about this, and therefore he decided to add this fact to this masterpiece.

Last but not least, another relevant part of this song is the chorus. Indeed, with this brilliantly written chorus, Prince is referring to the massacre of Wounded Knee, where more than 350 Native-American were killed. Indeed, On the morning of December 29, 1890, Chief Spotted Elk (Big Foot), leader of a group of some 350 Minneconjou Sioux, sat in a makeshift camp along the banks of Wounded Knee Creek. The group was surrounded by U.S. troops sent to arrest him and disarm his followers. The atmosphere was tense since an order to arrest Chief Sitting Bull at the Standing Rock Reservation just 14 days earlier had resulted in his murder, prompting Big Foot to lead his people to the Pine Ridge Agency for a safe haven. Alerted to the band's Ghost Dance activities, General Nelson Miles commanded Major Samuel Whiteside and the Seventh Cavalry to apprehend Big Foot and his followers, and the regiment intercepted them on December 28, leading them to the edge of the creek. While confiscating their weapons, a shot pierced the brisk morning air. Within seconds the charged atmosphere erupted as the Indian men rushed to retrieve their seized rifles, and troopers began to fire volley after volley into the Sioux camp. From a hill above, a Hotchkiss machine gun raked the tipis, gun smoke filled the air, and men, women, and children ran for a ravine near the camp, only to be cut down in the crossfire.

More than 200 Lakota laid dead or dying in the aftermath, as well as at least 20 soldiers. Although the story of the Wounded Knee Massacre is well-known, its causes and effects are still an enigma 125 years later. For 19th century Americans, it represented the end of Indian resistance and the conquest of the West. For Native-American, it represented the utter disregard of the U.S. toward its treaty responsibilities, its duplicity, and its cruelty toward Native people. In the 20th century and beyond, Wounded Knee continued to fuel controversy and debate. Notably, what is particularly controversial was and is the impetus and intent of the government that day, the role of the military, and the conflicting ways the tragedy is remembered today. Indeed, from this story, we can see how Prince gave his listener another example of how racism was a persistent plague.

Like the snow comin' down the mountain

that landed on Wounded Knee

Nobody wants 2 take the weight-

The responsibility

Moreover, as I said, the Artist with this MAGISTRALLY written lyrics educates his listener on how racism has always been a persistent, prominent, outraging, and horrifying plague that is still going on today. In addition to that, we can notice Prince's deep and broad historical knowledge, which is something incredibly fascinating and mesmerizing. Moreover, the arrangement of this song, the instrumental and the vocal delivery is among the finest and most poignant he has ever done. Indeed, the Artist with this masterpiece delivers an extraordinarily intimate and intense but yet POWERFUL performance. In my opinion, even though the only instrument played is the piano, its arrangement is outstandingly complex. The blues genre the Artist opted for, also could not have been more following the whole meaning and purpose of the song. Furthermore, the Artist's incredibly broad vocal techniques are perfectly accompanying the meaningful message of the song. Prince, with his ability to shift from a beautiful falsetto to an extremely low chest voice to eventually change to a powerful head voice during the last chorus, is putting into sounds magistrally and vividly a poignant lesson we are still struggling to learn.

Thank you for your attention.💜 Peace. G💜

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raendown · 3 years

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Simple Joys & Easy Smiles

Tagged by: @dimancheetoile who really is a star shining brighter than they could ever realize.

The goal of this tag is to spread some love and happiness in hard, stressful and depressing times. Here are the rules:

be as honest as you dare. If there’s something you don’t wish to answer, invent something so outlandish no one will believe it and it’ll get a laugh out of them. That way, you don’t have to answer and you’re still spreading laughter and smiles!

change one of the questions for the next round of people you tag, without saying which one you changed. eventually, all my questions will have disappeared and I’m excited to see what this tag will look like in a few days!

tag people you love who deserve a smile and a distraction

Tagging: @kitsunekage88 @officerjennie @writhingbeneathyou @antukini @rookie-d @mike-remington-hanson Oh just everyone, say I tagged you, y’all know the drill.

what is the last film that made you cry happy tears

The new disney film Soul is so fucking good, I loved every minute of it and I love the whole message it gives.

what song did you recently listen to that makes you feel like you could fight dragons (and give one line from it)

Giants - Dermot Kennedy

The hope and the hurt Has lived inside of me But there's gold in the dirt I never took the time to see

which video game have you lost yourself into recently (if you don’t play, pick a book or tv show)

Genshin Impact

name a tumblr person who brightens your life

@rookie-d always out here with positivity and support for anyone who needs it

describe your favourite colour without saying its name or naming a thing of this colour

Deep and elegant, a subtle kind of royalty and majesty. Growth after a deep rain. An often overlooked shade of the deep sea. Goodness and healing, a steady calm.

name another best tumblr friend

@writhingbeneathyou better fucking know how amazing she is or I swear I will beat her gremlin ass up

link the last tumblr post you reblogged that struck something deep inside of you

Made you look

recount a memory that made you believe that love exists in a way you understand

The whip of my partner’s hand, the flash of his movements, when I told him what my father had done. I remember how fast he reached for the phone to call my father and tell him exactly what he thought of a man who could ever blame his daughter for loving her mother. How soft and precious, to know in a single moment with perfect clarity that he really loves me, doesn’t he?

if you have children, tell me what little thing they did recently that shocked you up with how much you adore them (if you don’t have children, same but with another human)

Not really a deep or important moment but watching them both make funny faces and flail their arms without a hint of self-consciousness, it really makes me hope they don’t lose that freedom of self any time soon.

if you could cover your entire body with a tattoo, what poem(s), quote(s) or song lyric(s) would you use

“I'll keep a part of you with me, And everywhere I am there you'll be”

There You’ll Be - Faith Hill

what does it mean to you

These are the lyrics we had carved in to my brother’s gravestone.

name a person that inspires you

Bitch, I inspire myself.

which book do you always come back to

The Redwall series will always be like sinking back in to all the good parts of my childhood just for a while. I will never tire of rereading them all.

recount a memory that made you feel like you were worth the world

The look in my mother’s eyes when she all but scolded me for thinking I was going to pay even a cent for my own wedding dress.

name one item close to you that is precious and tell us why

I have a 3D printed model of a Watcher from Horizon: Zero Dawn that I consider precious because it was the gift that made me truly let go of any bad blood left between me and the one who made it. Such an unexpected present that made me stop and realize that he too had let go of everything.

what’s your comfort food?

Apple strudel inside of a turducken drizzled with spicy peanut sauce and a generous side of I don’t actually eat food for comfort but you can always ply me with chai tea or soda.

a fic you read recently that shook you to your core

Settle In Among The Raincoats

if it applies to you, what style, clothes, and/or makeup look makes you feel like you’re marching straight towards victory

Put me in a well fitted dress with a nice pair of heels, do my hair and get me some dark lipstick, I will be your motherfucking queen.

#simple joys & easy smiles #tag game #about me

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hetamavi · 4 years

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The History Behind “Useless Italy”

Introduction

This post will go into detail on the World War II era history behind the stereotypes that defines Italy’s character and his relationship with Germany. Both during and after covering the history, I’ll go into how Italy’s character reflects that history and point out some inaccuracies in regards to him and his relationship with Germany (Spoilers: There’s a lot). The point of this post isn’t to condemn Hetalia, it’s to inform the people reading this post. The core of the series, and even the name, come from how useless Italy is portrayed as. When consuming this sort of content, I think the actual background behind it is worth knowing. Hetalia is a lighthearted series in large part about stereotypes, but stereotypes can have some very not lighthearted origins. It’s also true that if you’re a Hetalia fan, and you never really look into this history, you’ve been massively misinformed. Hetalia can serve as inspiration to look more into history, but it is not to be treated as a legitimate source for learning history.

One extra note. For most of this post, in regards to Hetalia, I’ll be talking about Italy as in the titular character who represents northern Italy and not Romano. I will briefly bring up Romano as well, but his existence doesn’t detract from anything said here.

Translated panels are taken both from Hetarchive and the Tokyopop translation of volume 1.

The Historical Background

Italy’s character seems to largely be based on stereotypes that Italy’s blunders during World War II were a result of character flaws such as cowardice on the part of Italian soldiers. Factually, however, these stereotypes don’t seem to hold much truth to them. This isn’t something I’ll spend too much time going into detail on, but the actual reasons Italy struggled during WWII has to do with factors such as its involvement in wars in Spain and Africa which came before WWII, lack of resources, and lacking in industrialization. Before even entering the war, it was understood that Italy wouldn’t be prepared for a major war until 1943.

Adding onto the practical reasons mentioned above, Italians really didn’t want to enter the war.

“In fact, few Italians – including Mussolini and Ciano – had much taste for either the war or their ally, and the Italians continued to build fortifications in the Tyrol and contest German influence in the Balkans.” (Understanding Defeat: Reappraising Italy’s Role in World War II)

So why would Italy get involved regardless of all these factors? Fascists leaders such as Mussolini were imperialists who wanted Italy to maximize its status and power within Europe. After Germany had successfully invaded Paris, it looked as if there were an opening for Italy to join in, have a series of quick victories, and then get a share of the success. That political calculus certainly sounded more appealing than potentially allowing only Germany to reap the benefits of the win, leaving a neutral Italy’s future uncertain under German hegemony. So despite the lack of resources, the outdated equipment, and the hesitant Italian public, they entered the war.

To say Germany and Italy’s relationship within Hetalia has some inaccuracies to how Germans and Italians actually interacted throughout the war would be an understatement. In a quote from “Of Myths and Men: Rommel and the Italians in North Africa, 1940-1942”, the relationship is described. “There is no question that the Germans looked down on their ally as racially inferior and friction between the two was endemic and pervasive; Vice Admiral Nomura noted ‘rivalries between Italian and Germans everywhere’ during his trip through the Balkans in late 1942.” There is an abundance of information and quotes supporting this claim, including a German general’s, Christian Eckhard, attempt to explain the friction. His explanation was that Germans held contempt for their allies because Italians knew of the superiority of the Germans and were insubordinate in reaction to that knowledge.

A quote from a German commander and noted Italophile, Albert Kesselring, is “The Italian is easily contented. He actually has only three fashionable passions – coffee, cigarettes, and women.” Another quote from this same commander is that Italians are likable “if one is not repelled by his naturally inherent attributes which are in sharp contrast with the characteristics of people from the North”. Kesselring would later be indicted for his involvement in the Ardeatine massacre which took the lives of 335 Italians (put a pin in that, I’m coming back to it later).

As evidenced by the already described friction, the contempt wasn’t one sided and the Italians were well aware of the hostility and racism towards them. “Count Ciano continually complained in his diary, and popular writers like Aldo Lualdi leave no doubt, that Italy’s German ally was not ‘simpatico’ (‘likable’).” (Of Myths and Men: Rommel and the Italians in North Africa, 1940-1942 )

The racism towards Italians at the time directly relates to the image of them as having been cowardly during the war. German commanders were prone to blaming Italians for whatever failures they endured, whether giving them the blame was warranted or not. Erwin Rommel, also known as the “Desert Fox”, was one notable commander who made a habit out of this. “Rommel increasingly blamed the Italians for his woes, and his disdain reflected the attitude of the German high command. Easily caricatured, Italian soldiers in fact showed flashes of ferocity and tactical competence in North Africa, particularly in infantry skirmishes.” (An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943).

Alongside bigotry and finger pointing occurring on the Axis side, both Allied (most notably British) and German propaganda overstated German competence. “The tendency to attribute Axis successes to the Germans and failures to the Italians seems to have its roots in the conviction that Rommel was a genius who could do no wrong, and the belief that Italians were subject to excessive Latin nervousness and made pitiful soldiers. It is thus normal to dismiss as loss of nerve Graziani’s request for permission to retreat in late 1940, even though a retreat seems to have been what was needed. At the same time, Anglo-American writers tend to depict Rommel’s various retreats as evidence of military genius.” (Understanding Defeat: Reappraising Italy’s Role in World War II)

These interpretations benefited both sides propaganda wise. “Perhaps Faldella was correct to see the myth of Rommel as necessary to allow the English to rationalize their defeats as due to the presence of a genial enemy commander rather than to the valor of German and Italian troops. And the Rommel myth also serves the Germans, who can blame the Italians for their own errors and pusillanimity, even though German commanders such as Paulus and Kesselring found Rommel less than an ideal army commander.” (Understanding Defeat: Reappraising Italy’s Role in World War II).

"We have a very daring and skillful opponent against us, and, may I say across the havoc of war, a great general."

- Winston Churchill on Erwin Rommel

With all that said, this section would be incomplete without talking about the Cold War and how the image of the German military, particularly figures like Rommel, as brilliant and super competent, especially compared to their Italian ally, has been prevalent for so long. After the end of WWII and around the beginning of the Cold War, West Germany was seen as a desirable ally against the Soviet Union (having already fought against them) and the conditions for that to happen involved the rehabilitation of the image of the German military, giving German senior military officials more control over the narrative concerning the events that took place during the war. This also led to the myth of the clean Wehrmacht, the idea that the German military had no culpability in the war crimes that had occurred. Bringing back Kesselring and the massacre he had a role in which resulted in a trial held against him by the British, he was one such war criminal who had his image rehabilitated and there was public sympathy for him, including from Winston Churchill. After initially receiving the death penalty and then having that punishment reduced to life imprisonment, he was released in 1952 despite protests in Italy. Another convicted commander, Max Simon, would have a similar fate to Kesselring in that he was released despite his role in the Marzabotto massacre which took the lives of at least 770 Italians.

Summarizing everything up, the Italians were not prepared for a major war and it was known at the time they wouldn’t have been ready until at least 1943. Despite that, what seemed to be the increasing chance of a Germany victory upon the defeat of France led to Italy entering the war in order to not be left in the dust of potential German hegemony. Alongside being not prepared and being on the receiving end of bigotry, the reputation surrounding Italy’s performance in the war was further damaged by propaganda occurring on both sides that exaggerated German competence and the Cold War making it beneficial for British and Americans to allow biased (often including racially biased) German senior officials to have a major role in defining the narrative concerning what happened during the war.

Italy in Hetalia

Italy’s personification gives the racial biases and misinterpretations against Italians a face and then puts him next to the super competent Germany. Germany is focused and serious. Italy is easily distracted. Germany is tough and brave. Italy couldn’t even endure a cat licking him. Italy is cowardly and incapable of keeping secret information a secret when pressured. Germany is strong-willed and will keep important information a secret no matter what he’s put through. Germany can also tie his shoes. Italy can’t.

Germany is reliable. The name of the series is literally “Useless Italy”.

Putting aside their individual characteristics, as mentioned above, Germany and Italy’s very romanticized relationship within Hetalia isn’t exactly accurate to what took place between the two countries in real life. In Hetalia, the two share a genuine and very close friendship. There’s even Buon San Valentino which showed Germany being willing to enter a romantic relationship with Italy when he misunderstood some friendly gestures on Italy’s part.

Mixed in with those feelings, Germany takes on an almost paternal role towards Italy which further places emphasis on the difference in competence between the two. This goes as far as having Germany having specific instructions for how Italy should be taken care of which he gives to the Allies when they capture Italy. In return, Italy admires Germany, not just for his clear competence, but for his ability to do even things as basic as tie his own shoes.

Here’s where Romano comes in because he is a completely different story when it comes to his relationship with Germany. He hates Germany and he made that clear from the moment they met. However, Romano disliking Germany doesn’t suddenly make Italy’s fondness of Germany make any more sense given the history (especially since Italy represents the half that was occupied where events like the Marzabotto massacre took place).

Conclusion

When consuming media such as Hetalia where the characters are meant to have some relation to real life events, it’s important to understand what you are consuming might not actually reflect reality. What I’ve covered here isn’t the only case of Hetalia not being accurate. But Italy and his characterization as useless in the given historical context (Word War II) was at one point a major feature of the series. Italy was the face of Hetalia and his relationship with Germany was also a significant part of the series. Those facts are what make this specific case of inaccuracy something worth talking about. There is an addition I need to make before closing this out. A lot of this post covers historical information that can almost make fascist Italy seem like another victim of Nazi Germany above all else. And clearly, there were some ways in which Italy was victimized, But Mussolini and other fascists leaders had imperialist ambitions which was motivation for Italy’s involvement in the war. With those ambitions and Italy’s involvement in not only World War II, but the wars preceding it, (the sames ones that were partly why Italy wasn’t prepared for a major war) came war crimes in the countries that were invaded. Just like how it’s untrue that the average Italian was a coward and subject to “Latin nervousness”, it’s also untrue that Italy was harmless.

#hetalia #aph italy #aph germany #hws italy #hws germany #historical hetalia

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jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear · 4 years

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What makes Salecrow so iconic

Tim Sale’s Scarecrow, aka Salecrow is one of the most popular and well known incarnations of Jonathan Crane to date. What makes him so special you might ask yourself? Well, that’s what I’m going to discuss with this post.

Time Sale is an American comic book artist, born and raised in Seattle Washington. Before he worked for DC, he did art for WaRP Graphics. Working for DC he has illustrated many popular Batman stories, and in collaboration with Jeph Loeb he work on several iconic stories including The Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

Salecrow’s first appearance is in in: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1, a story solely focused on Scarecrow. In this comic Batman hunts down the illusive Jonathan Crane while trying to conquer his deepest fears. I won’t be posting any story spoilers in case anyone wants to read up on these issues, this post is focused solely on his design and character traits...with that said, let’s get onto his design!

Above is the original character sheet for Scarecrow. Sale describes him “lanky, lanky, lanky” with a Dr Seuss style hat. He has fingerless gloves and straw hair, and his hat is tattered at the brim. From this turnaround we can see that he’s very tall, even if no comparison is offered. Much of the height come from his hat, making this six foot rogue appear even taller.

His design as become a fan favorite, and it’s easy to see why. At the time, it was radically different than any other Scarecrow design and still stands out against modern day versions of the character. Salecrow is a literal living Scarecrow, with his back protruding from a pole inserted into his costume. His mask is stitched together from oddly shaped and differently color fabric and he adorns a black clock that covers his whole body.

One of the defining characteristics of Salecrow is his speech pattern. He talks (mostly) in rhymes, quoting classic nursery stories as he carries out his whims. It’s hard to tell who had a hand in this thought process, but if I had to take a guess, this was probably Loeb’s doing. As the writer, he probably thought this would make for an interesting attribute.

And it indeed does just that. No other version of Scarecrow talks like this. (except for the Jonathan Crane seen in Batman Hush, but Loeb also wrote that story so it’s forgiven in my opinion) And no other Scarecrow looks like this. He’s wholly unique and I think that uniqueness gives him value.

This is why he’s so universally liked and why fans take inspiration from his design for their own incarnations of Crane.He stands out among the field of Scarecrows in DC Universe, and he’s still to this day much of a mystery. We don’t know his backstory, and we don’t even know what he looks like under the mask. This leaves so much room for the fans to infer and interpret him. He’s almost like a blank canvas, with just the essential qualities to jump off of.

Salecrow is ionic for these reasons, and he doesn’t need to be expanded upon to be enjoyed. He’s well rounded, scary and intelligent. All the qualities of a great Jonathan Crane. His uniqueness makes him special.

#Jonathan Crane #Scarecrow #The Scarecrow #Salecrow #Tim Sale #DC Comics #Batman #Scarecrow Analysis #Hope you guys enjoy this post!

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officerjennie · 3 years

Text

Simple Joys & Easy Smiles

Tagged by: @raendown

The goal of this tag is to spread some love and happiness in hard, stressful and depressing times. Here are the rules:

tag people you love who deserve a smile and a distraction

Tagging: Whoever hasn’t been tagged and feels like doing it

what is the last film that made you cry happy tears

I mostly watch horror movies, which aren’t really the type to make you cry tears of joy... I’ve been relistening to a podcast lately though, and a character that was believed to be dead for over 40 episodes just came back to life at the end of a really amazing arch. Even though I knew he would come back (I’ve listened to it before), it still had my heart Soaring as I walked home today.

what song did you recently listen to that makes you feel like you could fight dragons (and give one line from it)

“And now I come alive inside these flames”

which video game have you lost yourself into recently (if you don’t play, pick a book or tv show)

Haven’t been playing much of anything lately, or watching much recently either. Been mostly lost in either tidying up the home, or listening to music while painting.

name a tumblr person who brightens your life

@theintellectualweeb

describe your favourite colour without saying its name or naming a thing of this colour

The softness between. A calm that brings a small smile to your face.

name another best tumblr friend

@mike-remington-hanson

link the last tumblr post you reblogged that struck something deep inside of you

Struck a cord for sure

recount a memory that made you believe that love exists in a way you understand

The other day, I had to be sent home from work due to some serious fucking pain. Almost cried on my boss and I’d never seen him point his finger at a door faster. When I got home, I didn’t even change my clothes or put my uneaten lunch in the fridge, I just limped to the bedroom and collapsed down on the bed onto my side. And my sweet, old Lolla, who is almost always stationed at the foot of my bed, all toasty on her heating pad - Lolla waddled her way up the side of my bed to greet me. And for the first time ever, she put her front paws up on my side, and half laid on me while I shook and tried to breathe past the pain. She laid on me and purred and kept me company the whole while.

if you have children, tell me what little thing they did recently that shocked you up with how much you adore them (if you don’t have children, same but with another human)

I have furry children. Toddlers. They exasperate me to no end and I adore them. But I also recently adopted a little fishie child, who I watched dance in his water today. All flashy colors and movements. Turns out he wanted more food - he’s figured out he can dance around to get my attention, and I simply could not have been more delighted. I love him ^^

if you could cover your entire body with a tattoo, what poem(s), quote(s) or song lyric(s) would you use

My entire body? Nothing. But I already have a tattoo that holds the same purpose, and it’s a single kanji, in remembrance of someone I lost many years ago.

what does it mean to you

name a person that inspires you

My friends. But I’m careful about letting people inspire me, because I’ve looked up to people and had the veil ripped away too many times.

which book do you always come back to

I have a difficult time rereading books.

recount a memory that made you feel like you were worth the world

I remind myself pretty regularly that I’m worth a lot more than my depression tells me I am, and lately I’ve been pretty good at giving very good reminders ^^

name one item close to you that is precious and tell us why

I have a cheetah pillow pet that someone got for me back in 2012, and it’s literally travelled everywhere with me ever since. It’s been overseas and everything. Honestly I can’t sleep without it at this point.

what’s your comfort food?

Comfort drink, really. Tea. But I don’t seek it out when I need comfort, it’s more just a stable in my day-to-day life that relaxes me when I’m at home. I don’t eat or drink anything special to cheer myself up.

a fic you read recently that shook you to your core

I actually haven’t read it in ages, but citing it now just proves how much it did shake me to my fucking core

In All That's Dark, Our Colors Bright - by @mike-remington-hanson

if it applies to you, what style, clothes, and/or makeup look makes you feel like you’re marching straight towards victory

I haven’t found a full outfit, but damn did I figure out slacks make me feel like I’m the fucking Boss.

#tag meme #tag game

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firstprincewrites · 8 months

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This Magnetic Force Of A Man

Caught Beneath the Landslide

When Everything's Made To Be Broken

Keep Breaking Me In

Try To Document This Light

Just the Thought Of You (Gets Me So High)

"Amy helped me plan it." What went into Henry's ocean crossing surprise? What were his thoughts going to the DNC where he'd finally see Alex on the stage, doing what he loves & looking amazing while doing it? Read to find out Henry's side of things as the night of the DNC unfolds.

I Like That Thing You Do

With the View In the Morning (You Won't Ever Go Back)

Can We Dance In the Dark?

"Who would you be?" "Be a writer. Live in Paris." Inspired by this beautiful quote, this fic follows Henry Fox, a writer who's famous for crafting stories about a fictional prince - The Royal Blue series follows James through the trials and tribulations of being young, royal, and gay as a maypole. He loves what he does but inspiration is dry. He can't find the words and is severely stuck in a bout of writer's block. To try and abate it, Henry takes David for a walk - fate, the dear she is, finds a way to intervene. After a collision, Henry comes face to face with Alex Claremont-Diaz, law student and first son of the United States. Read to find out how their relationship develops into something worth writing about.

This Happily Ever After

For such a natural, easy sort of relationship like Alex and Henry's, there is a lot of weight on their shoulders. Despite themselves, they're making history with each new step they take in their relationship. It's a good thing, then, that neither man is a stranger to the limelight. When Alex teases about them making history, Henry doesn't know how deep that comment will run or how true it actually is. Read to catch a few pieces of Alex & Henry's relationship where they make their own history. Sometimes, two people are meant to shape the world, no matter the circumstance. Or - 5 times Alex jokes about making history and 1 time Henry reciprocates.

#firstprince #first prince #alex x henry #firstprince fic #firstprince fluff #rw&rb movie #rwrb film #rw&rb fanfic #rw&rb #red white and royal blue movie #alex claremont diaz #alex #henry fox mountchristen windsor #prince henry of wales #henry #bobbie writes #masterlist #firstprince masterlist

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revelation19 · 4 years

Note

How come that you still believe in the heresies of calvinism? It goes against everything the early church taught, it has no connection to the historical church and has been rehashing old heresies ad infinitum. I have myself been a calvinist until I bothered reading all the church fathers. Nothing even remotely like it has ever been taught by the early church. To be deep in history truly means to cease to be a protestant.

The very fact that your page is full of those reformed clowns is proof enough that you know nothing about the early church apart from the brain washing you might have undergone in the seminary. you quote John Calvin instead of people like Clement of Rome, St. Athanasius etc Your theology is a joke at best, and damnable heresy at worst. You dont believe ANYTHING the early church believed. That level of ignorance is mind blowing.

They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur death in the midst of their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. - sounds an awful a lot like your heretical group.

Notice how you didn’t mention anything about how Calvinism goes against Scripture? Strange huh?

I’ll start off by simply quoting Calvin’s own response to this claim.

“They [Catholics, i.e. you] unjustly set the ancient father against us (I mean the ancient writers of a better age of the Church) as if in them they had supporters of their own impiety. If the contest were to be determined by patristic authority, the tide of victory--to put it very modestly--would turn to our side. Now, these fathers have written many wise and excellent things. Still, what commonly happens to men has befallen them too, in some instances. For these so-called pious children of theirs, with all their sharpness of wit and judgment and spirit, worship only the faults and errors of the fathers. The good things that these fathers have written they either do not notice, or misrepresent or pervert. You might say that their only care is to gather dung amid gold. Then, with a frightful to-do, they overwhelm us as despisers and adversaries of the fathers! But we do not despise them; in fact, if it were to our present purpose, I could with no trouble at all prove that the greater part of what we are saying today meets their approval...

He who does not observe this distinction will have nothing certain in religion, inasmuch as these holy men were ignorant of many things, often disagreed among themselves, and sometimes even contradicted themselves. It is not without cause, they say that Solomon bids us not to transgress the limits set by our fathers (Prov. 22:28). But the same rule does not apply to boundaries of fields, and to obedience of faith, which must be so disposed that “it forgets its people and its father’s house” (Ps. 45:10). But if they love to allegorize so much, why do they not accept the apostles (rather than anyone else) as the “fathers” who have set the landmarks that it is unlawful to remove (Prov. 22:28)? Thus has Jerome interpreted this verse, and they have written his words in to their canons. But if our opponents want to preserve the limits set by the fathers according to their understanding of them, why do they themselves transgress them so willfully as often as it suits them?” -John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

He goes on to list several occasions where the fathers explicitly disagree with official Catholic Dogma.

I’ll list some of those quotations from the fathers here and elaborate on how they contradict the Roman Catholic Church.

“Sozomen tells a remarkable story of Spyridion, bishop of Trimythus, in Cyprus, ‘That a stranger once happening to call upon him, in his travels in Lent, he having nothing in his house but a piece of pork, ordered that to be dressed and set before him: but the stranger refusing to eat flesh, saying, ‘He was a Christian,’ Spyridion replied, ‘For that very reason thou oughtest not to refuse it; for the word of God has pronounced all things clean to them that are clean.’” -Origines Ecclesiasticæ: Or, The Antiquities of the Christian Church

Here Spyridion says that it is unchristian to mandate fasting from meat during Lent as Christ has made all foods clean.

“For our Lord Jesus Christ, dwelling in your inner part, and inspiring into you a solicitude of fatherly and brotherly charity, whether our sons and brothers the monks, who neglect to obey blessed Paul the Apostle, when he says, “If any will not work, neither let him eat,” are to have that license permitted unto them; He, assuming unto His work your will and tongue, has commanded me out of you, that I should hereof write somewhat unto you. May He therefore Himself be present with me also, that I may obey in such sort that from His gift, in the very usefulness of fruitful labor, I may understand that I am indeed obeying Him.” -Augustine, On the Work of Monks

Here Augustine calls into question the entire monastic system and shows that it is contrary to Scripture.

“When I accompanied you to the holy place called Bethel, there to join you in celebrating the Collect, after the use of the Church, I came to a villa called Anablatha and, as I was passing, saw a lamp burning there. Asking what place it was, and learning it to be a church, I went in to pray, and found there a curtain hanging on the doors of the said church, dyed and embroidered. It bore an image either of Christ or of one of the saints; I do not rightly remember whose the image was. Seeing this, and being loth that an image of a man should be hung up in Christ's church contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures, I tore it asunder and advised the custodians of the place to use it as a winding sheet for some poor person.” -Epistle of Epiphanius to John of Jerusalem

Here Epiphanius shows that the use of images in Worship is not to be permitted. This position was reinforced by the 36th canon of the Council of Elvira which said “That there ought not to be images in a church, that what is worshipped and adored should not be depicted on the walls.”

"The sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, which we receive, is a divine thing, because by it we are made partakers of the divine-nature. Yet the substance or nature of the bread and wine does not cease. And assuredly the image and the similitude of the body and blood of Christ are celebrated in the performance of the mysteries.” - Galasius I, On the Dual Natures of Christ.

In this quote Galatius I rejects transubstantiation and points out that the elements represent a similitude of the body and blood. This is not to be confused with Zwinglian memorialism nor Lutheran Consubstantiation.

“In obscure matters where the Scriptures do not give guidance, rash judgment is to be avoided.” -Augustine, The Guilt and Remission of Sin; and Infant Baptism.

Augustine says that Scripture is to be the norming norm for all knowledge and that anywhere the Scriptures are silent we are to proceed with caution.

“Zealous of reforming the life of those who were engaged about the churches, the Synod enacted laws which were called canons. While they were deliberating about this, some thought that a law ought to be passed enacting that bishops and presbyters, deacons and subdeacons, should hold no intercourse with the wife they had espoused before they entered the priesthood; but Paphnutius, the confessor, stood up and testified against this proposition; he said that marriage was honorable and chaste, and that cohabitation with their own wives was chastity, and advised the Synod not to frame such a law, for it would be difficult to bear.” -Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History.

Here is a passage which describes Paphnutius arguing against celibacy of the pastorate at the council of Nicea. Paphnutius won and pastoral celibacy was not included in the Canons of the Council of Nicea.

Some of these are a bit dated and obscure, so I’ll include a couple quotes from people that you mentioned...

“And we, too, being called by His will to Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” -Clement of Rome, The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

Clement of Rome is affirming the justification by faith in no uncertain terms here.

“The Holy and inspired Scriptures are sufficient of themselves for the preaching of the Truth.” - Athanasius, Contra Gentiles

Athanasius is saying that the Scriptures alone are sufficient, that there is no need to appeal to the Fathers or councils or popes or anything else... just the Word of God.

Now, you quote Cardinal Newman to say to be deep in Church history is to cease to be protestant... but I’m not even going to get into the history of Roman Catholic Church because this post is already way too long... and that would make it probably 3 times longer. I’ll just bring up this one anecdote from 1378 in which there were 3 popes simultaneously and they had to call a council to resolve the issue, forever dissolving any appeal to papal succession/authority.

#Anonymous

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mia-cooper · 4 years

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2019 fanfiction in review

I usually put more effort into pimping my favourite fics of the year, boosting a few new writers in my fandoms, etc. This year, however, I have not, for reasons both within and beyond my control. Which is pretty much my excuse for not Doing Better with writing for the past month or so, but hey. At least there’s this.

.......................................................

1. Best fic(s) you read all year, and why?

How can I even begin to list all the beautiful, shocking, feel-good, feel-terrible-but-in-a-good-way, envy-inducing, page-turning, soul-destroying, fluffy, hilarious, infuriating and horny fics I’ve read this year? I can’t. So I will instead list three that come immediately to mind.

@curator-on-ao3 – The Dismissed Protocol (rated T, VOY, TNG, Janeway & Crusher)

This fic made me angry. So angry that I left a ranty and incoherent comment, slammed down the lid on my laptop and stormed around the house for a bit. Why was I so pissed, you ask? Because this fic hit a good few of my personal triggers around bodily autonomy and the right to make informed choices, and because although the fic ends triumphantly, it’s somewhat of a pyrrhic victory and it left a really bad taste in my mouth. Which, considering this is fiction, is the mark of some really good writing. When it comes to tackling difficult topics with a fresh and thought-provoking perspective, and without opting for the easy answers, Curator never disappoints. This story is just one of many examples of that in her work.

@love-in-the-time-of-kolinahr – it will take place without witnesses (rated E, DSC, Pike/Number One)

Okay so let me start by saying it was the author’s fucking EXCELLENT pun of a pseudonym that made me read this in the first place. Then it was the poem they quoted (Discovery by Wislawa Szymborska, which is like a portentous rocket in the guts). Then it was Una’s scales-off-the-eyes, we-are-true-equals, don’t-bullshit-me-lover candidness in the way she sees, talks to, knows Chris Pike. I adore Pike in his laconic-space-cowboy-with-a-heart Disco incarnation, I like him a lot as the CoolDad in AOS, but this fic? This fic gives me smart, forthright, deeply tender Number One, and Pike as the fractured and very human hero I hope like hell we’ll see more of because they are definitely making a Pike series RIGHT? It is written. Anyway… this fic is beautiful and harsh and deft and real and sexy and poetic and at its core it’s about love, and who doesn’t love love?

@captacorn – Stars in a Ruined Sky (rated M, VOY, Paris/Torres)

It took me a while to read this one because CaptAcorn was posting it at the same time I was writing my epic, and I had no brain space to maintain a hold on someone else’s dark and compelling plot. But when I picked this one up, I couldn’t put it down. It is AMAZING. A Timeless AU, set in a universe where Voyager crashed and most of the crew survived, this goes where no other 100k+ epic I’ve read before has dared to tread, and it does so without flinching. The details are what make this unforgettable – there’s no magic reset button, so when something bad happens to the crew, there are actual lasting consequences – but it’s the humanity of the characters (if I can use that word to describe a crew that includes aliens) that makes it unputdownable (fuck off, my nana said that’s a word). This is not an AU I want to think happened, but CaptAcorn makes it one that rings true. And I’ll definitely read this again when I have the emotional fortitude for it.

Wow, there’s no Janeway/Chakotay in my top three. What? So here’s a bonus:

Northernexposure’s trilogy – Soft Light, Aftershocks and Resolution (rated E, VOY, Janeway/Chakotay) – three for the price of one! I mean, when northernexposure posts a new fic I race to read it no matter what, but smut! Beautifully written, true to character, sexy sexy smut from one of my all time favourite authors! How could I turn that down?

2. Best fic(s) you published all year, and why?

Mmmyeah to be honest I kinda feel as though my writing peaked in 2017, but here we go.

Desperate Measures (rated E, VOY, Janeway/Chakotay and other pairings) – because there’s angst and smut and the plot is twisty as fuck and I feel like there’s a pretty satisfying payoff. And it’s really long and relies on the reader engaging with my OCs which people seem to have done, which makes me think that if I ever do want to go write another original novel, maybe I won’t want to burn it as soon as I’m done.

This Is The Moment (rated M, DSC, Pike/Tyler) – because these two have exhausting chemistry and I couldn’t not write this but it was hard to make it come out of my brain the way I wanted it. But I’m really happy with it.

And I have a soft spot for First Officer’s Log (rated T, VOY, Chakotay & Tuvok, implied Janeway/Paris), because I just really love Threshold, okay? And while the episode is wack on so many levels there are really dark and heavy themes to explore there which I feel have gone very unexplored and I hope my fic struck that same balance between moral philosophy and holywhatthefuckery.

3. Favourite opening line(s) in a fic you published in 2019:

From Bad Maquis (rated M, VOY, Janeway/Chakotay):

The only thing more restrictive – and bosomy – than this outfit, Kathryn mused as she stared at her reflection, was her holodeck governess costume.  

Still, at least she didn’t have to leave her quarters wearing this getup, and thank goodness for small mercies. Because she was on the verge of backing down from this challenge as it was, and Kathryn Janeway did not chicken out. Ever.

I mean, it sets the scene, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t love Janeway in leather.

4. Favourite closing line(s):

This is maybe cheating a little bit because this fic isn’t finished, but this first chapter can stand alone and I won’t be continuing it for some time (first, I have to finish the two prequels, haha). Anyway, these are the closing lines from Inertia (rated T so far, VOY, Janeway/Paris and others):

When the daze clears and Tom looks up to discover that his hovercar is parked in front of an address he’s never visited but has nonetheless memorised, maybe he should feel a little bit surprised.  

He doesn’t. No matter how far he tries to go or how long he stays away from her, turning up at Kathryn Janeway’s door is inevitable.

Why do I like it? Well, I have an everlasting appreciation for Janeway/Paris, for one thing. For another, if you read the rest of the story and understand what Tom has just learned, you’ll want to know what happens next. I hope. I sure want to know.

5. The fic that was best received, and your favourite comment(s) on it:

That would be Desperate Measures again. It’s my longest fic by far and I was absolutely bowled over by the response to it, but one of my favourite comments on it is this one:

It actually looks like Janeway is saying gimme and it cracks me up.

Honestly though… the depth and kindness of comments on that fic in particular, the time and thought and effort that people have put into their reviews … it made up for every moment I wanted to chuck it in and never look at that fic again, or any other.

6. The fic you wish had gotten more love:

Honestly, I was surprised there was so little response to my @voyagermirrormarch fic trilogy, Heaven in the Shape of Hell. I really thought they’d be crowd pleasers, but it shows what I know, lol. I haven’t even finished the third one because the lack of interest made me wonder if they were just really shite, but I’m not so butthurt about it anymore and I will come back to it someday.

7. How many fandoms you wrote for in 2019, and which inspired you most:

Does Star Trek in all its incarnations count as one fandom? If so, I wrote for two (Trek and Marvel). If all the different versions of Trek count separately, I wrote for seven (MCU, AOS (that’s Trek Alternate Original Series, not Agents of SHIELD), Disco, Mirror, Enterprise, DS9 and Voyager).

Anyway, I guess I’ll never stop being inspired by Voyager, so even if Disco season 3 and the Picard show do nothing for me, I’ll always have that.

8. Your favourite pairing(s) to write for:

I mean, Janeway x Chakotay, for sure. But I’m deeply, deeply invested in Janeway x Paris at the moment.

9. What you’re writing now/next:

I’m struggling through the second part of what was supposed to be my contribution to @25daysofvoyager. I’m actually going to post the first part once I’m done with this quiz in the hope it’ll kick my ass into gear. I’m also on semi-hiatus from Kinetic Friction, but I’ll be going back to it as soon as I’m done with my 25 Days fic. At some point after Kinetic there’ll be the sequel, and then the rest of Inertia. I’m also contemplating something for Threshold Day, possibly throwing something into @voytalentchallenge (don’t count on that one), and I have an idea for a pre-Enterprise D, pre-Voyager meeting between Picard and Janeway (with smut, obvs), plus all the other fics I’m definitely going to write …

And of course there’s my meat raffle. Time to pimp that one again. Donate to AO3 and if I draw your name out of the hat of randomness I’ll write you a fic to your specifications (roughly).

10. Writing goals for 2020 (word count? new fandoms/pairings? anything?):

Look, I’d just really like to actually write to some of the prompts I’ve had sitting in my ridiculously complex filing system without getting sidetracked by the newest shiny thing to catch my eye. In terms of fandoms, I hope I’ll write more for Discovery, I’m looking forward to Picard, and I would like to branch out from Trek a bit. More MCU, definitely, and maybe others if I get inspired. The main thing I want out of writing fanfiction at the moment is for it to continue making me happy, though, so I just hope I keep having fun with it.

#miamemes #miawrites #2019 fanfiction in review

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silvanils · 4 years

Note

Oh damn, these are good!! Have fun!! 😁 For you: 2, 5, 7 (this one takes a bit of work so feel free to skip it if you prefer), 8 (ditto), 18, 26

unique writing asks

2. What are some common elements of stories you are tired of seeing? What would you avoid writing about?

The romantic b-plots being used as drama fuel. Love triangles are the worst version of this, but... I want more stories where the romance serves as a peaceful get-away FROM the drama.

I’m also a bit tired of how much “gritty realism” stories have been implementing since Game of Thrones got super popular, but hopefully that’ll die out. I enjoy high stakes and dark moments, but you can have those and still tell a hopeful story. I avoid writing overly tragic stuff.

I want my heroes to win, even if victory comes at a great price.

5. Would you rather write a happy ending that soothes the soul or a tragic ending that hurts the heart?

My above answer sort of answered this, but I prefer happy endings. They can still hurt, though. The heroes winning doesn’t always mean everyone survived, and sometimes victory is a bit hollow. I think the best endings are a bit of both.

7. Favorite description in your wip? (If asked more than once, respond with a new piece each time)

He swallowed and felt his stomach twist up. He tried to picture the girl his father had described — eyes like emeralds, hair as fine as gold, arms strong and muscled from years working in the forge, always smelling like sweat, leather, and iron… hands rough and calloused from working his craft. His voice was probably deep and gravelly, too.

(I’ve shared this before on this blog, but I love the way the description transitions naturally from Dirk’s attempt to think fondly of a girl and just... not being able to.)

8. Favorite dialogue in your wip? (If asked more than once, respond with a new piece each time)

“Mm,” Dirk hummed, unable to say much more around the bite of oatmeal he’d just taken. His father’s timing was impeccable.

(This has happened to me so many times. LOL.)

18. What writers have inspired you with their use of language? What are some of your favorite quotes?

This is actually a hard one, because the people I consider my favorite authors have very different writing styles from each other and I appreciate different aspects of how they write.

Brandon Sanderson writes clearly, giving enough details to tell the reader what they need to know. I still think about the opening to Mistborn a lot.

Peter S. Beagle has a very poetic way with words, which I fully realized when I read The Last Unicorn aloud to my sister. He’s fond of alliteration and calling attention to interesting, poignant details. His style has probably influenced mine a LOT.

Diana Wynne Jones also uses interesting details and a sort of sardonic sense of humor, which is very in-line with my own. I find myself chuckling at the turns of phrase she works into her stuff while I read her books. My absolute favorite of her books is Howl’s Moving Castle.

I could go on and also give quotes, but there’s TOO MANY.

26. What do you feel like you need to work on as a growing writer? How can you improve?

I mainly need to work on writing more often, more consistently, and sticking with a project until I’ve seen it through. I lose steam and get distracted easily. Some of this is due to outside factors and mental illness, but I need to push forward regardless. I have so many stories I want to tell, so I need to “show up” and actually get them on a page.

#curiousartemis #;knight things

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oldsoulxprobinsyana · 4 years

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LIFE and GAMEBOYS during the PANDEMIC 2020

2020 is indeed a brand new year, a brand new era; however, it is also undeniably one of the most challenging. As much as we want to celebrate this year, we are still battling this invisible disease that hit most of us rock bottom. Most of us had to adapt changes in order to get through. This pandemic is making us uncertain with so many things which sometimes make it hard to bear. Surprisingly, in the middle of our fight with this deadly virus, there are still good and beautiful things amidst it. Not romanticizing the situation but if we just take time to look around, we can get hope even from the smallest but beautiful things that encompass us.

This is me, sharing one beautiful thing I’ve seen during this difficult time. I can’t exactly remember when but I think it was early June, as I was browsing my Social Media to help me fall asleep I checked my Twitter trending topics and I got curious with this certain topic “GAMEBOYS”. I thought it was all about the 90s handheld game console, but I was wrong. I read some of the tweets and it made me open my YouTube to check on it. It is an original Pinoy Boy Love (BL) series. I got excited because one of its main casts is Kokoy De Santos, and just by seeing his name, I already knew this series is worth the watch; considering also his partner in the series, Elijah Canlas, both of them are undeniably and visibly great actors, quoting “Fccbois and Kalel 15”. Without any hesitation, I watched the first episode (it already has two episodes up that time), amazing as it is, I got hooked. What's unusual and incredible about the series is how they managed to combine two serious topics in one, “Covid-19 and LGBTQ community” without making it too hard to watch. Instead they made it informative, enjoyable and giddy. Every episode has touched my heart; it made me feel alive, in love and grateful.

This series has a special place in my heart, how it carefully tackled the two serious timely topics is really something I will treasure. It has given me some realizations and learning about life amidst this pandemic;

First, we are all in this together. We need each other in order for us to survive, because a single wrong move from one person will have a huge effect to many. Second, we need to learn how to listen to become aware. This world needs more kindness and compassion. It may just be all we need after all, considering all that is happening. Third, we all need love and acceptance in order for us to grow and live. It must know no gender. We must stop the old stereotype categorizing the LGBTQ community as different. We are all the same, all human, therefore all deserving to love and be loved. Fourth, mental health is indeed the new wealth. It is something we should not set aside, but rather, something that should be delicately and gently handled so as not to break the sanity and peace, no matter how fragile they have become, in this challenging time. Emotional Pain is invisible, so let us be observant and sensitive with what others go through. Lastly, we must deeply value the friendships that we kept and built during this pandemic. Those friends have become our rock, the very rock that witnessed our desperation with all these uncertainties, and also the stronghold that kept us whole throughout this battle. And when all of this is over, it will still be the same rock where we will stand tall and declare victory over all battles we’ve won – big and small, seen and unseen, fought alone and together.

“Don’t forget beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies, quoting this from one of the great authors, Paulo Coelho. Every sunset has different stories for each and every one of us; it may be an unhappy memory that needs to be forgotten, or rather a blissful moment to cherish. Whatever a sunset means to us, we should always remember that it needs to set for it to be able to rise again. Gameboys is a beautiful sunset for me. It gave me lots of time to reflect, and some moments transported me back to old memories. As I was writing this part, I became a bit emotional; it took me hours before I gathered my thoughts. I remember these two specific episodes of Gameboys which made me tear a lot, Episode 7 and 8. Just like Cai, I lost my father too. It was last year due to heart attack. Those episodes brought me in the exact time and day last year where I felt so weak, so blank, and in so much pain. I also chose to disconnect to people (just like what Cai did), for me to be able to grieve. It was the hardest and most painful moment for me. There are days where my mind was so preoccupied with the memories I shared with my father. But as days, months passed by, I managed to get up, not to forget my father but to live again even with the thought of him being gone. Those episodes reminded me too of how blessed I am to have a support system coming from my Family, Boyfriend and Best friend. They are my very own Mommy Leila, Kuya London, Paris, Gavreel and Pearl. The ones who stayed.

GAMEBOYS, a beautiful sunset. Despite the challenges our world is encountering right now, they managed to give us something beautiful at the end of the day, something we thought could never happen, something that made us want more, and something to look forward to. GAMEBOYS told us through their show to always live 'til the next sunset, stronger and braver.

Written By:

Joyce

Ps: THANK YOU, IDEAFIRST COMPANY for giving us an inspiration during the pandemic. Words are not enough to describe how grateful we are. Thank you, GAMEBOYS!

#gameboys the series #kokoy de santos #elijah canlas #boylove #gameboysph

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bullets-and-masks · 5 years

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Krieg’s Backstory based on tips/missions/canon quotes

“Alright, y’all. Since This Post (by @necromorph-slayinglovemachine) is making some rounds, stating Krieg’s inner voice quote [ Where is she? Is she still alive? Did she get away?] refers to Dr. Samuels, the woman responsible for slag experimentations at the Exploitation Preserve, and I’m just gonna say: Yes, I agree. So, let’s explore that, and therefore the very possible option that Krieg became what he is at the Preserve, going through Quotes and game events.

In the DLC Sir Hammerlock vs the Son of Crawmerax has a optional mission called Victims of Vault Hunters, in which Sparky, the son of Captain Flynt, hires assassins to kills the Vault Hunters as a revenge plan. Each assassin is related to who the Vault Hunters are and whatever happened to them before Pandora or got them in the planet. Here is Krieg’s assassin description: “At this point, Sparky's hopes for victory have been dashed, but he reluctantly introduces Clements, a Hyperion scientist who wants Krieg.” Krieg’s assassin in a scientist, and it’s not clear wheter he plans on retrieving or killing the psycho. But, Clements is pointed as a Hyperion scientist, tying Krieg’s relation to Hyperion was one that has to do with science/research. (We’ll come back to this mission). What works most about this assumption is Krieg’s very nature, design and skills: He is a borderlands psycho, bandits made crazy by experimentations. Badass pyschos themselves are a result of slag mutation, as Jack’s voiceover at the Preserve states: “This is Handsome Jack, thanking you, loyal test subject, for helping bring Pandora into the future. The experiments you'll be put through will help us uncover new uses for Eridium, new cures for medicine, and...why are you having me read this crap? They know we're gonna mutate the hell out of them, why lie to - (static) “ This voiceline is furthered reinforced by a loader present at the preserve, made to greet the “volunteers” (subjects) that arrive there. Its quotes that prove slag, pyschos and mutations are all tied: "Eridium injections may cause side effects such as gigantism, insanity, and excess limb syndrome." All things seen both in psychos and rats - a name that could allude to them being lab rats. "Thank you for open quotes volunteering closed quotes as a test subject at Hyperion Preserve. Do not attempt to leave the grounds." Stating that people are capture to be subjected to slag experimentation. "Do NOT touch the Eridium vats unless you have alerted a Hyperion technician first, preferably one with a camera." Just furthering on that. Krieg’s Mania Skill Tree also ends up with him assuming a badass pyscho form, confirming the possibility of him being a subject of slag experiments. Krieg’s design also counts with tubes going into his hand, or the protection on his arm, and wether this might not have anything to do with experimentation, it raises the question of why he needs it (if it’s a need) as well as the bigger filter present on his mask.

(image description: a turnaround of Krieg the Psycho from Borderlands 2, showcasing his design. He has orange pants, same as psychos - enemies from the game - a gas mask and bandages. He is shirtless, sporting only a harness that carries tubes that connect to his left arm. He’s holding his buzz axe, an weapon made of an axe with a buzzsaw as its head.)

What we have so far: Slag experimentation was done at the Exploitation Preserve. Said experiments resulted in psychos, among other kinds of bandits/enemies. Krieg is a psycho, and not only his design but his sent assassin and wanted poster alude to him being tired to a scientific branch of Hyperion, as property/prisioner. Dr. Samuels was a very relevant and active scientist in said experimentations, as proved by the Doctor’s Orders side quest given by Tannis.

Going into the Quote that started this all, let’s examine ALL his quotes pertaining women:

1.“ I can't see her anymore... She was so clear and bright... but the blood is in my eyes, and now I can only watch the ocean of blood... Its waves crash against my forehead again and again, AND I JUST NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SURF!! “

2.You're gonna scream, just like she did; open mouth, open heart, blood and noise forever piercing my skull, poisoning me with its psychopathic purple liquid. We watched it all, and felt the knife edge split down the middle... CAN YOU HEAR ME?!

3.“I'll never forget the way her holes cried... The way she screamed in agony as she pushed the knife slowly into my sternum... Such a beautiful symphony of feelings, and at the end of it, she was so much greater! My operatic diva of flesh and steel!! “

4.“ (On your feet, she might still be out there.)”

5.“(Where is she? Is she still alive? Did she get away?)”

6.THE TINY ONE AND THE SAD-FACED MOTHER AND THE BLUE TATTOO FOREVER AND EVER! (when Moxxi asks about a mister-or-missus Vault Hunter in Krieg's life during the Mad Moxxi and the Wedding Day Massacre DLC )

Quote 01, 02 and 03: 01: It’s unclear the context or identity of Her. It’s possible to presume there’s more than women being referred to in all quotes, but at the same time, although only a pronoum is used, it seems to be used as the closest he can to a name. 02: Pyschopathic purple liquid: Slag. It’s unclear hear if Krieg thinks about someone that was also experimented on, or along with him. 03. her holes cried: eyes, actual crying. The screams in agony could be or not an exaggeration; but the important here is that we are aware Samuels was threated, via her wife’s life, to work on the subjects, as she did not want to. By the ECHOs during Doctor’s Orders, Samuels sounded very humane, and it’s fair to believe she’d suffer having to do this. 02 and 03: Both “knife edge split down the middle” and “my operatic diva of flesh and still” could be interpreted as alluding to the birth and inspiration of a second personality, one that thrives in pain and slag - outter Krieg. Quote 04: It’s extremely unclear what happens to Samuels, but Doctor’s Orders alludes to her possible death in the explosion caused by Tiny Tina for her escape. However, there’s solid evidence pointing she’s alive (we’ll come back to this.) It’s therefore possible Krieg believes so, and would like to find her. As a familiar face? For revenge? To thank her or just check on her? Hard to know. But as the inner voice seems to have strong morals about who to kill, and seems not to resent her, it’s safe to assume a darker opition is less likely. Quote 05: As stated previously and in the other post; Krieg worries about her. He got away from the Preserve and would like Samuels to have gotten out too. Quote 06: Finally, with couple with 02 and 03, it’s possible to read “sad faced mother” as Samuels, as she’d be sad about the situation every human is at at the Preserve, and technically, because she’d be the operator during the slag experiments, the “mother” of the Outter Krieg personality. It’s important to note this quote is Outter Krieg’s, and that the outside personality seems to have clearer access to memories, or at the very least try to stop Inside Krieg from remembering. Now, what’d I say we’d go back to Samuel’s possibility of being alive, and the Vault Hunter’s Victims mission? Well, the mission goes as follow: The Vault Hunter tries to track the assassins hired by Sparky, only to find one dead after another, all killed by assassins’ assassins related to the Vaulties somehow. Each “savior” leaves a message, and Krieg’s reads: “Krieg: (reading) SALUTATIONS PSYCHOMAN I'M SORRY AS A SLICE WOUND SINCERELY SAMMY “ Samuels is also known as Sammy, as she’s called this by Jack during the ECHOS. This can be read as Samuels looking out for Krieg, and making so he’s not taken back by Hyperion and has a chance to live a good life. So far: Krieg is a psycho, made so by slag experimentations at the preserve, performed by Doctor Samuels (forced to). Samuels is alive and watches his back, Krieg believes she’s alive too and would like to find her. Finally, specially while being revived, Krieg has Quotes that can be interpreted as him not knowing exactly the difference between pain and care anymore, specially because they’re all quotes from the Outter Krieg, someone “born” from being hurt by a woman that possibly tried her best to be kind, or showed kindness while hurting him at the same time. They also seem to make it clear he might equal pain to something good. Being revived: “What're you doing to me?!“ “Why aren't you stabbing me?” “Somebody still cares?” Salt the Wound (a skill) stacks: “Hurt me more!”

“It hurts, HAHAHAHAHA! IT HURTS!!” “Pain is LIFE!!”

Among many others.

The last important point is this quote: “ Yes, make them pay for what they did to us...”said by Inner Krieg during killing multiple enemies, which could be a hint about him having been sold by bandits as where Tiny Tina’s parents.

In Conclusion / TL; DR: Krieg’s backstory is about him being captured by Hyperion or bandits, and becoming a test subject for slag experimentation at the Exploitation Preserve. There, he build trust and care towards Doctor Samuels, that though was the one to coordinate or perform experiments; didn’t want to, being as kind as possible in the situation. The experimentations split Krieg’s mind into two, the Outter, psychotic Krieg possibly considering Samuels a mother of sorts.

Fun facts:

Krieg has a voiceline where he mentions Hera, possibly another planet. Wheter he was just an intergalatic traveler or from Hera is unclear.

Inner Krieg uses “us” to refer to himself and Outter Krieg, making it clear he separated both.

Writer Anthony Burch has described Krieg’s psychosis as a man driving an out of control truck: He cannot stop the truck, but he can try and steer it away from as many innocents as possible.

Although it was a fan-favorite theory; it has been debunked that Krieg is Tiny Tina’s dad. Personal Headcanons:

Considering only his canon Quotes - the ones that are not references or fourth wall breaks - is notable that Krieg has a vast vocabulary, and I believe he can grow to rearange the words and communicate better.

The “she” mentioned could also be two people - perhaps Samuels and a woman important to him, taken to be experimented on too

Raving Retribution skill could be named after revenge for said woman Anyway, that’s it! There’s probably a lot more, a lot wrong, who knows, but I couldn’t help myself, Let me know your takes and what you think! And sorry for the english y’all, brazilian here.

#Krieg the pyscho #krieg #borderlands #bl2 #borderlands 2 #psyren

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zak-helling · 5 years

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Big Hero 6 Theory: Liv’s Next Mutation

Even though it’s not the main focus of my blog, it’s no secret that I love Big Hero 6: the series. I love the characters, I love the animation, I love the stories, and I, of course, love the mysteries. The show keeps you guessing as to what’s going to happen next, but the tragic thing is that, despite being popular enough to warrant a renewal for a third season before season 2 premiered, there doesn’t seem to be much of a fan community online. Unless you tag your fan art, theories, quotes, etc. it’s unlikely a piece of fan art will drift across your dash like it does for shows like Steven Universe, Star vs. The Forces of Evil, She-Ra, etc. I’m hoping that changes soon, but I digress.

Also, this theory is going to contain spoilers for season 2, so I’ll go ahead and tuck it under “Read More”.

Getting back on topic, one of the biggest mysteries thus far in season 2 is the monsters and who is making them. We know Liv Amara is the culprit, but as of episode 10, “Lie Detector,” it becomes less clear what’s going on. Who’s the real Liv Amara? Why is one Liv in what appears to be cryosleep? Why is the other Liv making these monsters? How long has this apparent clone been running amok? Have we only known this clone the entire time? Does the sleeping Liv know what’s going on? There are so many questions, but not a whole lot of answers. Seeing as it’s been a few weeks since the last new episode, we might not know for some time. All we know is that the active Liv Amara is turning old villains into monsters for some kind of fee and, at the moment, no known benefit for the villains. Well, yeah, the villains become stronger, faster, and meaner, but as we saw with High Voltage, the process kind of interferes with living their best lives. We don’t know why they want this or why Liv is doing it. All we really know is that Liv is turning humans into monsters and turning them loose in the streets, sometimes being the one to take them down and look like a hero, other times letting Big Hero 6 do the dirty work.

So now let’s take a look at what we know about Liv’s monsters. I’ll bold the important stuff, as most of this will just be recap:

The first one, introduced in season 1 although we don’t know the full story yet, is Orso Knox, the Shakespeare fan turned whale mixed with a dinosaur and some hair, put into a blender, frozen, and then partially thawed. He spends the episode rampaging through the streets of San Fransokyo, attending his meetings, destroying offices, and speaking cryptically. We later learn that he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, but is more beast than man, and was only trying to get help the best he could. Had it not been for Karmi reversing his mutation in the episode “Prey Date,” Liv probably would have kept Knox as a monster for even longer, potentially pulling him further and further from his humanity.

The second one is Momakase, who can be best described as turning into a werewolf from Skyrim (although her appearance is likely based on Lady Deathstrike, another Marvel villain). Momakase has always been strong, but she is heightened way beyond her normal abilities. Her nails are deadly claws that can cut through anything, she can escape the trap Big Hero 6 creates her and escape into the night, and has so far not been seen again since the episode “The Seventh Wheel.”

Third and fourth is the mother-daughter duo High Voltage. When they make their season 2 debut in “Something’s Fishy,” they discuss wanting to go straight with Liv, telling her that their crime days are over and even trying to lead normal lives after doing Liv’s dirty work. Unfortunately, once they mutate, those dreams are crushed, and they end up being kept in a tank until Liv needs them again in the episode “Lie Detector.” Barb and Juniper even end up turning back over their new leaf after an entire song and dance number about wanting to be normal, which, suggests to me at least, that Liv’s mutation process also messes with free will. Is it possible the two really did just learn they love crime that much? Sure, but I’m not convinced.

The fifth, arguably, is Nega-Globby, a destructive blob made from Globby’s already mutated DNA, introduced in the episode “Nega-Globby”. Side note, I love this episode. Globby makes such a sacrifice in the name of goodness and, I’d say, has been pretty thoroughly redeemed. While our Globby is victorious by the end of the episode, Nega-Globby is still part of him, suggesting that it’s not easy to undo one of Liv’s mutations.

The sixth is the Hibagon in the episode “Muira-Horror!”, the mutated Ned Ludd, back again for more action. Unlike all the other mutations before, Ned’s mutation leaves him a mindless killing machine, further supporting the idea that Liv has the power to interrupt or even override free will. Even Orso Knox had the ability to quote The Tempest, but Ned doesn’t say a word. He comes out of his mutation dazed and confused, with no recollection of what happened.

Mutant number seven is Mr. Sparkles, who is made into a fluffy green monster in the aptly titled episode, “Something Fluffy.” Also introduced in this episode are the Mayoi, adorable, fluffy fungus creatures created by Liv that grow into towering kaijus that can be controlled by Mr. Sparkles. Basically, Liv can create hive minds, or at the very least can put one mind in charge of many. She’s the one to save the day at the end of the episode, boosting her appearance and making Big Hero 6 look inept. After Hiro learns the police already don’t much care for the superhero team in the episode “Something’s Fishy”, this event creates more tension between them and the people they protect, possibly setting up the conflict for the rest of the season, or maybe even the main conflict of season 3.

Finally, we have the big Bessie Bear from the latest episode, “Lie Detector.” This mutation shows us that Liv can essentially give life to inanimate objects, as all she needed was a lock of grizzly bear hair to create the technology cancelling beast. This shows that all Liv needs to make a monster is the tiniest amount of DNA.

So now we know/remember what Liv can do with her technology. We know she poses a threat to Big Hero 6. Seeing as she has only done experiments on past antagonists (as well as Orso Knox and, as is implied, her Chris-sistant, although we don’t know enough about him for him to make the recap), why would she experiment on Big Hero 6? In my mind, the answer is simple: to break them apart. If she mutates one of the characters, crime fighting will be a lot harder. Public perception of the team will plummet. And, if she works her magic with tampering with free will, she can even have another henchman on her side. In short, there’s no way Liv loses in this scenario. Now that we know her motivation, who’s on the chopping block?

The first person who comes to mind isn’t a person at all. We know that Liv can make monsters with a frame and just a bit of DNA, so in theory, she could mutate Baymax. This doesn’t seem likely though, as it would be much easier to just unplug him. Plus, he was part of a super villain grand scheme last season, so it might be repetitive. It could be Hiro. He’s the main character, and having him mutated would force him to hide more things from Aunt Cass, force him to go to Karmi for help, and would give us more insight into the lives of the mutated villains. Although, because he’s the main character, I can’t see him switching sides. Fred is already pretty animalistic, as reflected in his costumes and behaviors while wearing them. But, I don’t know how much mileage we can get considering how Fred is still very much a comic relief character. Wasabi is probably the least developed character on the team, so a mutation could push things for him in a new direction, but that would probably come at the show’s detriment. Honey Lemon’s chem purse already puts her in harm’s way of suffering the same mutation as Globby, making her an easy target, but that would just be repetitive at this point. And so, we are left with one person, the character who I think this is most likely to happen to:

Go Go Tomago.

In a way, season 2 has been Go Go’s season. She’s had more development than the rest of the cast, maybe even more than Hiro. “The Fate of the Roommates” shows her emotionally vulnerable and opening up about her feelings for the first time, developing her as a character and her relationship with Honey Lemon. The very next episode, “Muira-Horror!” shows her learning to let go of some of her stubbornness to trust in Krei’s judgement. The episode “Supersonic Sue” shows her crisis as she fails to prevent an old criminal fresh out of retirement from escaping a crime scene, an old criminal who, as it turns out, was inspired by Go Go to go back to crime. Basically, Go Go has been on an emotional roller coaster this season. We see her get angry, we see her get sad, we see her challenged in ways we hadn’t before. These episodes gave her highs, but they also gave her lows. In fact, “Supersonic Sue” didn’t even give her time to get over what happened, nor does she get a chance to redeem herself from her failure. Right now, Go Go has the most to lose and would likely be the hardest to fall. If anyone on the team is going to get mutated, I’m betting it’s her.

As of right now, we don’t know if the show is going in this direction. For all we know, the mutations stopped at Bessie and the rest of the season will be rounding up the mutants and returning them to normal. But the season is only half-over. I feel like we have plenty of time to play around with the status quo and shake things up a bit. If they do go this route, I doubt it will be permanent, but it could be fun and heart-wrenching at the same time. We’ll see, when Disney finally airs those new episodes.

#Big Hero 6 the series #BH6 the series #BH6 theory #Big Hero 6 theory #season 2 #Liv Amara

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