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roach-works · 11 days

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ok im waffling on about fallout instead of having breakfast but i saw a criticism of how the prisoners were treated that's stuck with me.

spoilers!

so i think the criticism wasn't incorrect, per se: it condemned the way the show portrayed the vault dweller's naive intention to rehabilitate their murderous captives. it found fault with a common, and horrible, message that tv shows like to say, which is that carcerial violence and even the death penalty is the only effective way to deal with criminals, who are a fundamentally Bad category of human. im sick of that message too! but i think that wasn't what was going on here, actually.

so like, the vault dwellers had only ever experienced violent loss the once, and didn't really know how to cope other than denial and repression of the ordeal. but they were all hopeful and enthusiastic that their prisoners, the invaders that came to kill them all and take their stuff, could be eventually welcomed into the community as their comrades. the champions of this cause were nebbishy dorks and painfully out of touch academics. this is pretty normal for how prison reformers are portrayed, if extremely fucking annoying for those of us who ARE in favor of prison reform.

but so of course when the son of the former overseer, Norm, speaks up and suggests killing the prisoners, because why should they share resources with invaders who explicitly wanted to keep hurting them? why should they show mercy to their attackers? everyone is appalled by this suggestion. because they had to reinvent the whole concept of vengeance right then and there, because grudges and cycles of violence are anathema to a bottle society like theirs. they have been raised all their lives to forgive and forget and now, put to the test, they're recommitting to this ethos: get along, let the past go, look towards the future, believe the best of everyone.

but the prisoners die, anyway. the prisoners are killed with rat poison. and the thing is that Norm who suggested it didn't do it himself. and the prison guard who's blamed for it, even though she privately agreed with Norm that the prisoners are dangerous and unforgiveable, she didn't do it either. it's not a moment of triumphant, cathartic vengeance and it doesn't prove that there's no way to negotiate with terrorists and invaders but kill them like vermin because that's not what the message is meant to be.

the message is that norm stands there in the middle of these inconvenient prisoners, these corpses dressed in his own people's uniforms, and he looks at the new overseer. and he knows that she killed them, and she knows that he knows. she wanted him to know. this is her message and he's reading her loud and clear. and he doesn't look like a guy who's just been backed up by authority, who's just been validated in his desire for the ultimate control over those who have wronged him.

he's scared and pale and the music is ominous as fuck. and he's inside the cell, he's directly in the middle of it.

because what just happened is that he realized his entire society is being held prisoner, and the overseer is the one with the rat poison. and that he doesn't know, anymore, what freedom and safety and justice actually mean, just that he doesn't have them and he doesn't know where to find them.

that's what that scene meant. not that rehabilitative justice is a pathetic delusion of people who have no idea how to make hard choices.

but that before you advocate for killing prisoners, you might want to see how big that prison is, first.

and which side of the bars you're standing on.

#fallout #look i went NUTS over the prison scene #it's gonna live in my brain for a good long while #RATS ARE A BIG THEME IN THIS SHOW #the rats that are vermin and the rats that are lab subject #both disposable #both struggling so hard to survive #both in pain and wondering what's going on and why is life so hard #both disposed of when they go where they shouldn't

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marmett · 2 months

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the trend of ppl dismissing "good" characters as boring is so annoying. and like, i know the primary reason ppl dismiss wyll for it is the racism. but theyre also missing out on the complexities of how and why wyll is good.

protecting the weak is a classic trait of hero characters. wyll does this. but theres also this element of isolation to it. wyll is the protector, but hes also an outsider to the people he protects. w/ mizora hanging over him, the potential that hes turned into a devil, theres this sense that hes been socially isolated for some time. before joining ur group, he probably hadnt had stable relationships in years. other than mizora, his abuser who intentionally isolates him.

and this isolation is a direct result of him choosing to protect other people. he was exiled because he made his pact to save baldur's gate. he was turned into a devil because he chose to defy mizora to save karlach. actions that did material good for other people, but doomed him.

theres also this element where wyll is both less than his image as the blade of frontiers, and more than the legend. wyll is a warlock who made a deal with a devil, he is occasionally forced to kill targets at the behest of a devil. he potentially kills an innocent, and theres no guarantee he hasnt been mislead before. but wyll is also just as selfless and heroic as the stories say. he can easily choose to spare karlach, and face his punishment despite the fear and the cost. he willingly sacrificed his soul for baldur's gate, and possibly for a father who rejected him.

wyll primarily hunts monsters, but he also expresses empathy for them, and is willing to give anyone a chance to prove that they can be good. he isnt hostile to astarion for being a vampire spawn, he only asks that astarion not harm innocents. he gives a dark urge character another chance if they express any kind of regret after killing alfira. he even argues against astarion wanting to kill 7000 vampire spawn. he knows the dangers, but he cant see the justice in killing 7000 people who were victimized and transformed against their will.

wyll offers grace, mercy, and forgiveness to almost anyone who shows even a hint that they could be better. but not himself. he holds himself to impossible standards, and denies himself any sort of grace. when astarion compares what cazador did to him to what mizora did to wyll, wyll rejects it outright. astarion was a victim, but wyll does not view himself as a victim. the pact was his choice, and the consequences are his to bear.

ANYWAY. being good is far more complex than just being a "goody two shoes". theres so much depth and contradiction in how wyll is a good aligned character. and i wish ppl would stop seeing being good as boring and lacking complexity. insert ursula k le guin quote here.

#wyll ravengard

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moonmeg · 10 months

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Remember the Philip-succeeds-in-killing-Evelyn(and the baby) course of events/AU where Caleb goes on a vengeance hunt?

"Hell to Your Doorstep" from The Count of Monte Cristo the Musical is like the perfect song for that so here's a car doodle turned digital sketch

"The world is a place

where the villains wear a smile on their face

While they take what you can never replace

Stolen moments gone forever

But tables can turn

As my enemies will soon enough learn

I will strike a match and then watch them burn

On the pyre of obsession

You run 'till you drop, chasing an advantage

You'll pay any price if you think it's free

I will carry hell to your doorstep; I will make you pay

You will reap the hate you've sown on my judgment day

Sleepless nights and days of damnation

Soon and evermore

I will bring the Chateau D'If knocking upon your door

And love is a lie swearing that no matter what it won't die

Disappearing like a star in the sky

In the hot light of morning

But what do I care?

There are women to be had everywhere

First there's retribution I must prepare

Mighty vengeance is mine

I have a nice show that will tempt you onward

And just when you're sure that the prize is yours

I'll deliver hell to your doorstep dressed in rich facade

Then, I'll burn you to the ground like an angry god

Once you're in my shining cathedral heed the tolling bell

It's the final sound you hear as you descend to hell

Fall down on your knees

Fall down and let me hear you pray

Fall down on your knees

'till I can hear you bargaining, scheming,

begging and screaming to me

I will carry hell to your doorstep; you will rue the day

You will reap the hate you've sown

no matter how hard you pray

It's a place without any mercy, fashioned in cold blood

Stones of fear and stones of doubt

No forgiveness, no way out

Only justice

Then, amen!"

#toh #the owl house #caleb wittebane #caleb clawthorne #no idea what to call this au lol #sketch #the count of monte cristo musical

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aughtpunk · 5 days

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So in the comments of "Primum Non Nocere" someone asked what would have happened if Shaun didn't get sick. I answered briefly, but I really felt like getting lost in the weeds of this idea for a bit. Because there's just so many possibilities, you know?

To start, Shaun would have ran. Shaun had been running his entire life. He doesn't know how to do anything else when faced with such potential danger. Shaun would run, leaving the safety of the Grand Temple and everyone within behind. It's from there our possibilities begin to branch off.

It's possible that, with time, Shaun would calm down and reflect on what he learned and the life of his twin. Maybe it would take weeks, months, years, decades, but with time and distance he could begin to understand what Jacob had gone through. Perhaps as more and more lambs come back to life and return to the world Shaun would slowly believe that--despite their evil actions in the past that--Jacob is now fighting for a peaceful, better future. Perhaps then Shaun would return to the Grand Temple. Older, yes, but more mature and understanding and willing to rebuild his relationship with Jacob.

or maybe

Or maybe Shaun never returns to the Grand Temple. He instead spends his life in hiding, too scared to return to the only family he's ever really known. Maybe he starts a family of his own. Maybe he spends his years alone. When he eventually passes he's not too shocked to find himself alive again in front of Jacob and Narinder. Would he run again? Or would the weight of a life alone make him more eager to forgive?

or maybe

Or maybe once he's alone Shaun would find it so easy, so painfully easy, to convince himself that the God of Death isn't his twin. That Jacob died kneeling in front of the Bishops over two hundred years ago. This thing, this monster known as the God of Death is not Jacob. Maybe it's just the Red Crown using his body as a puppet. Maybe it's a demon, or some other sort of monster that had taken Jacob's form. Because there's no way Jacob, his Jacob, would ever do those horrible things. No, this must be something else. It must be. Whatever it was it had to be stopped or Jacob's soul would never be able to rest.

Shaun couldn't do it alone. But The God of Death and their followers have plenty of enemies. How easy it would be to join those ranks. To rise up thanks to his knowledge of The Lamb's weaknesses and fears. Shaun wouldn't think twice about leading these troops into battle. He would show no mercy to those within the Grand Temple, nor would he hesitate to take on the thing that wore Jacob's flesh himself.

Shaun would lose, of course. Dead before he even knew what happened. Jacob wouldn't want to do it but they'd have no choice. It was the only way to end this. The only way.

And Jacob would bring him back, of course. Apologizing the whole time. Begging their twin to hear them out, to listen, to stop this senseless violence.

Shaun would run again. He'd come back more powerful. He'd fight Jacob. He'd die. Jacob would bring him back. He'd run again. An endless cycle fueled by rage and denial.

or maybe

Years pass. Decades. Centuries. Jacob still hasn't felt Shaun's second death after all of this time. But they're not shocked at all.

Because, you see, on the night Shaun left someone also stole the translated text about how to create a crown.

There are rumors of a new cult in the air. This one lead by a God of Justice. A lamb.

Jacob could easily crush the new cult, but they don't. They can't. All they can do is wait until the day The God of Justice decides to make Jacob pay for all of their past sins. Even if it meant killing The God of Death themselves.

And frankly? Jacob may let him.

***

In all of these possibilities, these strange and twisted branches, Kallamar will sometimes look and his old chess set and feel an odd lump in his throat. It made no sense, really. He'd only known The Lamb's twin for a few short days. Yet there was still a part that missed him. He'd then go back to whatever he was doing before and forget all about it.

Still. It was a shame he never got that rematch.

#cult of the lamb #cotl #cotl lamb #cotl shaun #cotl kallamar #I spent way too long on this #whoops #Primum Non Nocere

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ilynpilled · 8 months

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jaime seeking out the executioner ser ilyn payne immediately after the lancel conversation with real swords this time and taking him into the godswood to escape all eyes and ears and confessing having sex with cersei on the king’s bed at darry and then hunting arya for her thinking “the things i do for love” —which we know is tied to bran— and ending the chapter with “kill me if you can.” [turning into “it pleases him to humiliate me nightly. it might please him even more to kill me. he liked to believe that he was getting better, but the improvement was slow and not without cost. underneath his steel and wool and boiled leather jaime lannister was a tapestry of cuts and scabs and bruises”] THEN the next chapter is the brienne chapter at the quiet isle with septon meribald holding confessional + the discussion about sandor, sin, crime, pity, and mercy. then the juxtaposition of that with the seven pointed star and the high septon’s punitive justice of “without confession there cannot be forgiveness” —> “there can be no penance without pain. no man should spare himself the scourge […] i seldom feel so close to god as when i am being whipped for mine own wickedness” —> “ser osney shall taste [mercy] in the afterlife. in the seven pointed star it is written that all sins may be forgiven, but crimes must still be punished” which is ofc the same thing that ser bonifer said to jaime after their talk of sin/crime and forgiveness/punishment and sending sinners to the block for their crimes despite repentance as he folded his hands before him like a steeple in a way that reminded jaime uncomfortably of his father

#🫣#i need winds so bad im gonna throw up #jaime lannister #jaimeilyn

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tockamybeloved · 2 months

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Considering Canon Fate & Justice

First, my thanks to this post and tags within, which prompted me to write out and share more of my thoughts on Ronghao's canonical ending. (Please forgive any errors. I will try my best to keep on topic since while writing this out many thoughts developed about other critical interactions. Welcome to hear and share other thoughts / discussion / or if you think I missed a point. These are all personal opinions and my interpretation of the work of art.) While discussing his ending in canon (and redemption) or if there was a way within the show to change Ronghao's nefarious deeds, I think he had no reason to change his plans and the ending was fitting.

Revive His Shifu at All Costs, Restore Her to Her Rightful Place

(Look at this face. This is peace. This is heart-swelling pride at seeing his goal reached)

Once Chidi was reinstated as god of War, he viewed his plan as complete success.

What is troubling - he did not anticipate (and this drove me mad regarding the show's writers) how disintegrated her spirit would become by being kept alive by evil qi. There was no other way to end their story. She would have continued to kill, and Ronghao would have supported her. He felt some guilt at killing the 3000 guards, and the villagers they came across, but admits even if she were to kill him, he’d do the same again.

In their last scene in the courtyard he is willing to let her take his life. He drops his sword. He is offering himself. He was expecting her to kill him and take his qi (which also was tainted). Initially his self sacrifice was the same plan he always had: keep Chidi alive. (There is also more to be said about how when he confesses to her that he has brought Tai Sui with him, he is trying to get her to hate him. He doesn't want her to feel guilty to for taking his life. Yet he also tosses her sword away when the moment comes.) Yes, he goes into that courtyard wanting to do whatever it will take to now never be separated. But how will that play out?

Then we come to that heartbreaking moment when he falls to his knees.

Once he understood she "had a mortal heart" for him, her own death at his hand made more sense. Ronghao understood himself to be the one to take her life this time. He may have hoped just seconds before that there was another way. ‘She has to die in every life for her beloved one.’ I think this is the reason he decided to kill her. To fulfill her fate. To close the cycle. Not to stop her from destroying more of Shuiyuntian or fairies or whatever, but to complete her Fate. It’s not a ‘mercy’ to kill her, but enacting the last line of her destiny. Chidi asked Siming how to change fate. The reply was: 'The Dead cannot be revived - that is the law. If you must bring someone back, it will bring disaster. Chidi knew the price for bringing Ronghao back from the dead would doom her. The pure understanding from Ronghao in this moment!

The final moment, when he will pay the price for himself *and* Chidi, is the only time he dares to touch her face. (Yes, this act too is another topic for a separate post.)

Tai Sui's Lie: A Factor in Ronghao Destroying His Primordial Spirit

So yes, in the show, there is no other way for it to end. Chidi must die and he 'sort of' redeems some of the things he's done by sacrificing himself in front of Tai Sui. I suppose he thought destroying his primordial spirit would weaken Tai Sui, or injure him. OR: It’s not impossible to think Ronghao would see it this way: Tai Sui would eventually die / be locked away since Ronghao now refused to be controlled and provide him with evil qi and Chidi could not be Tai Sui's vessel. Because that's the line Tai Sui had been telling Ronghao for 30,000 years. Without the evil qi, Tai Sui 'dies' (although we know this is a lie). Ronghao goes to his death believing he will help destroy the evil god and in a way this act does redeem Ronghao, because he believes no one else can refine evil qi and feed Tai Sui and he doesn't understand Tai Sui will eventually seek out and find another vessel. (again, confused by this choice of the writers to make Ronghao so short sighted here)

Chidi accuses Tai Sui of bewitching Ronghao, which the evil god counters as: 'No, I just gave him hope.'

In the end, Ronghao does what he originally intended when he brought Chidi’s body to the cave in the first place.

Ending Thoughts Storytelling wise, their ending in the show makes sense. It is less about Justice, and more about no matter what - having no choice in what Fate has planned. It is predestination with the only variables being how long it takes you to get there, and by what means. You can take any road you want - the end is already predetermined.

*referenced: Ep 7, 26, 27, 32, 34

Thank you @moonsorchid and @justarabidlittleyingzhao for sparking these thoughts. (I hope you don't mind the tag! If you do, let me know and I will remove it.)

(now back to writing my fic and changing Fate. Because as is the show's central message: Only Love is not Fate) Bonus gif because ANGST

#love between fairy and devil #my thoughts #left out her poem #that's another post #justarabidlittleyingzhao #moonsorchid #agreeing with canon #but also writing a fic to change it #Ronghao #is enormously interesting to examine #if you read the tags in TCNS one is: attempts at therapy #having read comments on various tumblr posts #I understand no one else is interested in this arc #it seems no matter what #he is condemned in the eyes of fandom #this only makes me more curious #to explore motivations of characters #xu haiqiao #and his impressive acting skills

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xluna-reclipse · 9 months

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Love your interpretation on Jin GuangYao's character. What's your opinion on the death of JGS? Forcing those women into those acts, and then killing them afterwards, was not an act of self preservation or even necessary for revenge, as he could have killed JGS in many other ways, he just did not value those lives.

Do you also think that JGY would hurt LXC to save himself?

Jin Guangshan was a rapist who raped his own subordinate's wife THEN FORGOT ABOUT IT and died in a manner that at least one person thought would deliver poetic justice for Jin Guangyao, his mother, and his sister. Jin Guangyao's subsequent allowance of the death of those he had hired for the job was to eliminate witnesses. It was a pragmatic, though cruel, solution, perhaps partially mitigated by the memories of his mother's fellow prostitutes ridiculing her for being able to read/having "airs", stripping her, and pushing her onto the street and him down the stairs. He still couldn't stop that pesky trait of mercy and spared Sisi, who was kind to his mother. As we all know, without knowing who she was brought to testify against, she later helped bring him down.

I don't think you can say he did not value those lives. He understands what he has done and does it because he must, in terms of having those women killed. In his outburst with Nie Mingjue, a part of what he screams, besides the surface of "of course my life is worth more than theirs", what he brings up is that all life is equal and murder is murder no matter the circumstance. Just because you think you killed for a greater cause does not mean you did not kill.

And I think it very much was revenge. Revenge (like what NHS does) is personal and messy and brings in innocents (perhaps even the way Wei Wuxian uses corpses can count towards this, but more apt is the way he made Wen Chao eat his own legs and fingers then tortured Wang Lingjiao to insanity via horror then death by making her eat a table leg). BUT Jin Guangyao's revenge is also motivated by future troubles. He gets rid of people who will continue to make his life miserable, not solely out of revenge. He had his father killed the way he did because of all that Jin Guangyao and his loved ones have suffered at Jin Guangshan's hand. AND because Jin Guangshan would continue to ask Jin Guangyao to whittle away at his soul (corpse refinery, murder, dirty work motivated by Jin Guangshan's desire to be the first chief cultivator).

Honestly though, Lan Xichen has this same gripe, not that Jin Guangyao has killed his father, but that he chose that method. I think that's a fair critique. Considering the kind of person Jin Guangyao is, it really was "in seeking revenge, dig two graves". He is a person who tries to be kind whenever he can. In the end, it's these kinds of deaths that must get to him most.

There's a saying, "If you haven't suffered, don't ask others to forgive." I can't comment on Wei Wuxian's, Jin Guangyao's, Xue Yang's, Nie Huaisang's desire for revenge because I haven't suffered what they suffered, I haven't lost what they've lost and it's very easy for me as an outsider to be calmer and say that I wouldn't have done what they've done. The most I can say is that I'm not as talented and even if I wanted, I would not be able to accomplish what they've done and hope that I would not desire revenge in the first place.

As for Lan Xichen...

Jin Guangyao, in all universe, uses one of his very last actions to save Lan Xichen, the Lan Xichen who has stabbed him (even if it was an accidental stab). Lan Xichen has been repeatedly described as the white moonlight in Jin Guangyao's life. I'm not sure if you've read it, but I'm sure I've written meta about the common juxtaposition of "white moonlight at the foot of the bed" and "red cinnabar mole on the heart". In essence, Jin Guangyao will not intentionally hurt Lan Xichen because to him, Lan Xichen is all that is good and kind in the world and will die before he does. And actually, he does--die before he intentionally hurts Lan Xichen.

#Lan Xichen #jin guangyao #meng yao #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #xiyao #chen qing ling #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mdzs

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kanansdume · 2 years

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All the parallels between Obi-Wan and Reva and I’m just starting to realize that Reva coming out of that canyon, having chosen not to kill Luke but CRYING about it, devastated that she feels like she failed her friends, her family, the younglings that didn’t survive, is just as much about Obi-Wan as it is Reva.

Obi-Wan HAD Vader. He so easily could’ve killed him on that planet. Vader was DESTROYED, his control panel damaged, his helmet broken, a slash across his back. Obi-Wan won that fight, completely. He had Vader 100% at his mercy and could’ve killed him right then and there. Ended it that day as he says earlier. I’ve already complained to someone once that it seems odd that he would make the claim that this had to end today with either his death or Vader’s and then walk away from Vader AGAIN, knowing he’s going to survive and continue to tyrannize the galaxy.

But then Reva tells us why. OBI-WAN tells us why when he tells Reva that her act of mercy wasn’t a failure, that it brought peace to her friends, it honored the younglings that Anakin killed. The Jedi don’t kill unarmed people. Obi-Wan is too wrapped up in Anakin to kill him JUST out of necessity, JUST because it has to be done. He loves Anakin too much to be able to actually do that, so if he DOES kill Anakin, he’s going to have to pull from some more negative feelings to do so, from his pain and his anger. He CAN overpower Vader, he CAN defeat him, he CAN kill him. But he would lose a part of himself in the process.

It has to be someone else. Obi-Wan has to let go of this idea that Vader is his mistake to fix, that it has to him or Vader. That’s part of the whole healing process is recognizing that this fight he sought out with Vader was more about him than it was about removing Vader from the galaxy and saving other people. Roken calls him out on it, saying that Obi-Wan WANTS this fight. Because as sad as Obi-Wan’s been all season, he’s also angry. He’s in pain. And he’s GUILTY. And it’s that guilt that he needs to let go of as much as anything else. He has to forgive HIMSELF, apologizing to Anakin when he breaks that helmet and sees Anakin’s face isn’t truly for Anakin, it’s for himself. And Anakin likely recognizes that, it’s part of the whole “I am not your failure” comment. It’s not about absolving Obi-Wan, it’s a rage against Obi-Wan trying to reduce Anakin to this. It’s anger against Obi-Wan making it all about HIMSELF.

And it’s Obi-Wan who takes Anakin’s words and recognizes how much he has to let go. How his pain and his guilt are pushing him to be able to defeat Anakin, but if he continues that path to its inevitable end, he’ll be as responsible for his own death as Anakin was for his own.

So he chooses mercy. He chooses to let Anakin live. Maybe it’s, in a way, offering Anakin an opportunity. If Anakin lives, maybe he can choose better down the line. But it’s also just letting go of his own responsibility not just for Anakin’s past, but for his FUTURE. It’s not down to Obi-Wan, it’s not down to Luke and Leia. He chooses to save himself because he can’t kill Vader and save himself at the same time, he just can’t. Reva can’t attain justice for her friends and save herself at the same time. She honors her people by letting go of her guilt over being unable to save them, she brings her people peace by not giving in to her pain and anger.

And Obi-Wan does the same when he lets Anakin live. On Mustafar, he just couldn’t bring himself to make the killing blow because he loved Anakin too much.

This time, he lets Anakin live because he loves himself and his people too much to destroy himself trying to kill what’s left of Anakin.

#obi-wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #reva sevander #obi-wan kenobi show #owk #owk spoilers #kenobi show #kenobi spoilers #obi-wan #anakin #reva

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fizzigigsimmer · 3 months

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Fargo Season Five: Finale thoughts.

I AM UNWELL. I have never seen a piece of television so beautiful. More of me just rambling and processing my thoughts beneath the cut. Spoilers naturally for the season.

Oh boy. I’m going to start this off by saying preemptively that I know there is going to be a portion of the audience who feels underwhelmed by this finale. In comparison to seasons past, this last episode was surprisingly lite on the blood. The epic showdown and fantastic shoot outs that Fargo has become known for was quite literally skipped over. The feeling is anti-climatic and that won’t sit well with some.

But here’s why I don’t give a shit and wouldn’t have it any other way.

This season wound us up. It brought us to a place where we were on the edge of our seats, so certain that the only way out for Dorthy, if she got out at all was going to be pathed in blood and bodies. We thought that the only way for Dorthy to be free was to rip and tear and destroy all who tried to stand in her way. We wouldn’t have blamed her. What else can she do, in a world that is kill or be killed. Fight or die. Conquer or be conqured.

But that was never the point of Dot’s story. Her story has been about how to live this entire time, and the secret to living is not more death. It’s acceptance and forgiveness. It’s empathy for your fellow man and a helping hand. It’s sacrifice, doing the right thing even when it costs us everything.It’s learning to bear the burden of the unfair, because those sacrifices are rarely made by the people with the most to give and the least to lose. It’s giving what you can, and leveraging the privileges you have for the greater good and learning to appreciate those around you. It’s putting aside our bias to find common ground and appreciate the best in each other. It’s a meal made with helping hands. It’s oatmeal cookies. It’s a buttery biscuit. It’s love.

👏🏾

I will forever love this season for giving me Dot’s story. For telling a story about abusers and survivors without the cinderella syndrome. For showing abuse survivors as they are in reality : complex human beings with flaws, phobias, bias, and toxic coping mechanisms just like everyone else. The only truly innocent character in the entire season was Scotty, a child and that is purposeful. Everyone else is just human, and it’s the choices they make that are important and define their fates.

Roy chooses to be a cowardly monster until the very end and so Lorraine sentences him to a lifetime of feeling the suffering he’s dealt to others. Feeling what it is to be weak and small and violated and at the mercy of the system. We stan a queen.

Lorraine didn’t have to open Dot’s file and hear her truth, or accept it for that matter and at first she had no interest in educating herself about the woman she disdained and tried to discard. But she chose to open that file and reckon with Dot’s past, and not only that she let it change her and how she lived going forward. It changes her for the better in small but significant ways. It saves Dot, preserves her family and allows for the chain of events that lead to Roy getting his just deserts. *Side note, Dot hugging her and her not knowing how to deal with such a kind touch and intimate moment is such a mood. 😆 I laughed out loud.

Indira was laden down by a man who could only love himself, but still she chose to get up every day and try to serve her community. Even when nobody else cared, she cared about finding the truth and helping the real victim in it even if it cost her everything. The only person she didn’t know how to fight for was herself but Dot and Lorraine showed her how. We stan a principled Queen who knows her own value!

Witt. 😭 😭 😭 In a lot of ways Indira and Witt are two sides of the same coin. They are both sentinels. Principled individuals who truly want to serve the greater good. And it’s so meaningful that the two characters showing us what true justice - true law and order - should look like, are marginalized individuals. While Indira’s struggles as a brown woman in the police force are less pronounced for a more internal subplot, the narrative does such a beautiful job of showing us the battle against external powers through Whitt. He is a state trooper. A good and dignified man worthy of his badge and yet his authority is always challenged and he is constantly reminded by those around him that he is less than. There’s a huge emphasis on names and their meaning throughout the season, and the importance of what we call people. But few characters bother to remember his name. He’s called Boy or Son more than any other character on the show. Every time he stands up for Dorthy and goes into battle we’re made aware of his powerlessness despite the badge he wears. He’s powerless to stop Gator stealing evidence. He’s consistently demeaned and threatened, and yet he chooses to bear it all with grace. He chooses to stay his course and help Dot, even when he has the least power and the most to lose. He dies alone, without backup and the last words he hears are Roy’s “Don’t fight it, it’s over now Son.” It’s not fair. It’s not right. But in so many ways he saved Dot’s life. He’s a big part of the reason she gets to go home. She’s the last character to say his name. “I’m looking for my trooper. Whitt Farr.” I cried. Still crying.

Gator. Gator, Gator, Gator, Gator. 😭 I will probably do a longer post about this someday when I’ve fully processed it all, but for now… I was fully expecting for Gator to have a “last moment act of goodness” through killing Roy, and probably die himself. My Billy girlies know what I am talking about. I’ve seen it over and over again in books and movies. I have talked about this many times over the years in multiple fandoms, but our society loves to write “the human villain” for their capacity to emotionally hook an audience. But they have no idea what to do with that humanity once it is written, and that’s because we ourselves barely know how to live once we’ve been at our lowest and done our worst. We don’t know how to forgive ourselves or others, and we don’t know how to heal and move on. We’re afraid of the work required when you live past the redemptive moment. We resent the work required and the loneliness of it. It’s boring and difficult and messy and it never seems to end. It’s so much easier just to write characters who either choose not to change or die sacrificially. But we need more than that. We need to see and to believe that it’s worth it - clawing your way through the dark, searching for light - doing the right thing and learning from the pain of yesterday. We also need to know that we will find someone waiting on the other side for us, who sees that struggle and believes in our potential. This is what Billy Hargrove deserved. This is what anyone who has ever been abused and abandoned deserves. This is what everyone who wants to change and chooses to do it deserves.

Ole. What a phenomenal use of magical realism this character is. He is the man who has swallowed the sins of mankind for centuries. He’s carried the burden of our atrocities and our most inhumane impulses until he forgot his name, his place of birth, or even how to dream. Until he became a function of the system. Tit for tat. Eye for eye. The man who ensures that the debtors pay their debts. A soldier. Until he became a code and forgot how to be a man. His use of the third person as if he is narrating the life of All Men from some position outside himself is so profound in the face of the truth he finally shares with Dot and her family. A truth he’s probably never shared before. He echos Gator’s character in a fashion. He’s a soldier who doesn’t know how to dream, a victim of an unjust system, but deep down he yearns to be better.

The old woman whose house he invades is never named, simply called “Mama Munch” and we see how he takes on an almost childlike role with her. She asks him what he wants, and the answer is pancakes - reminiscent of Scotty’s love of all things breakfast for dinner - and it’s of course deeper than pancakes. He wants to feel a mother’s love and a child’s ability to take comfort in it. But he can’t. Because he has invaded her life, and even when he guards the door the war gets inside. She’s abused by an ungrateful child and then killed on her own front step. Ole came to Dot’s house to continue the cycle and perform the only function he knows, but Dot reminds him that he can choose. He can choose to stop swallowing the fruit of the poisoned tree. He can choose to remember beautiful things. He can choose mercy. He can choose kindness. He can forgive and he too can be forgiven.

Dorthy Lyon’s story was always about more than survival of the fittest. It was about more than the fight to live on and get back to the people who loved her and find a safe space for herself. Her story was about rejecting the lie we’ve all been told since birth.

That life is like a prison. You’re born and then you’re shuffled into groups, separated by class and race, and within those groups the strongest rise to the top. And until death it’s an endless fight to take take, and hold onto what you take.

Dot’s story presents us with an alternative viewpoint. That life can be devastating, but it can also be beautiful and it all comes down to who we choose to be.

#fargo #fargo s5 #fargo spoilers #gator tillman #Dorthy Lyon #reaction #And that my friends is how you WRITE A SHOW

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cherrypikkins · 5 days

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15 Lines of Dialogue

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture their character/personality/vibe. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you’re free to include those as well.

was tagged by @omgkalyppso, who kindly requested some kitt content :3

“Did Seteth lecture you again today? Don’t take it personally. It’s his job get into every new face in the monastery.”

2. "Ew, I got ichor on the rug again."

3. “It’s fun trying to keep up with you on the battlefield. I wonder what chasing you would feel like.”

4. "This is the frilliest thing I've ever seen. Are you sure it's edible?" (to Lysithea while about to eat cake for the first time)

5. “Why the sour look, Felix? We got the job done. You even helped a little.”

6. "You'll have to forgive me. I still find the concept of an 'archbishop' somewhat… novel."

7. “Just a little sigh, Hapi. Something to help us get away from all this work.”

8. "You know how these stories of chivalry and knighthood end. The hero in shining armor must slay the monster in order to restore glory and balance to the world."

9. “LET ME OUT! TRAITORS! MURDERERS! DEFILERS! HOW DARE YOU! LET ME OUT OF HERE, I BEG OF YOU! BEFORE THEY COME… BEFORE I TEAR YOU APART… YOU CAN’T KEEP ME IN HERE FOREVER, COWARD! WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME? WHERE IS YOUR MERCY? WHERE IS MY JUSTICE? I WON’T FORGIVE YOU! SOMEONE SAVE ME! PLEASE! IT HURTS! I’LL KILL YOU!!”

10. "Crawl back to your hive, you miserable insect."

11. (meeting each other on the battlefield after five years)

Sylvain: “Well now, aren’t you a sight for… wait. Is that you, Kitt?!” Kitt: “Oh by all means, PLEASE finish what you were about to say!”

12. "I look away for just a few years, and everyone's changed. Which reminds me, I can't wait to show you my wings!"

13. "They prayed for a hero and got me instead."

14. “Foul creature, get thee hence! … Heh, I always wanted to say that.”

15. "Sorry. I only accept judgment from the Goddess herself - substitutes like you needn't bother."

tagging @edns @alienducky @dazzlerazz @ashes-of-ailell and @meltypancake and YOU

#fe3h oc #oc

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cirilla-fiona-riannon · 5 months

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Francis Drake Main Story

This is simply a fan translation of the game. Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors.

Chief Hunter: "Lass, are you a vampire?"

I involuntarily shrank back under his intense gaze.

However, if I hesitate here, it will only deepen his suspicions.

Mitsuki: “No, it’s not like that.”

Chief Hunter: “Then why do you have this blood?”

Mitsuki: “It’s for medical purposes.”

Chief Hunter: “Oh, so you’re a medical practitioner?”

The lie I blurted out on impulse was embarrassingly clumsy.

(I have no choice but to stick with the lie.)

Chief Hunter: “Your voice is shaking. Even if you lie, the truth will be exposed eventually.”

Mitsuki: “Anyone would be confused if they were suddenly questioned about something weird.”

Mitsuki: “Besides, do vampires really exist in this world?”

I feigned ignorance and expressed the kind of doubt a ‘normal person’ might have.

Without changing his expression, the man looked at me as if he were trying to assess me.

Chief Hunter: “You may act like you don’t know, but let me enlighten you.”

Chief Hunter: “Vampires do exist. That’s why we, the hunters, have been chasing them throughout history.”

Chief Hunter: “We protect humans from these monsters that feed on human blood. It is our mission and pride.”

(Monsters...)

The sound of disdainful words made my chest tighten painfully.

(The vampires I know are not monsters.)

(Some vampires never harm humans.)

Chief Hunter: “Remember this. As long as there are vampires, we will exist.”

Chief Hunter: "We will exterminate every single monster in this world."

With that declaration, the chief hunter turned his back on the cell.

Mitsuki: "Wait! If you suspect me, then please release Karen and the others!"

Chief Hunter: "No. There's no evidence that the child and you are not accomplices."

Chief Hunter: "Your vague testimony might have been an attempt to help you escape."

Chief Hunter: "Besides, vampires have blood relatives. At this point, I will thoroughly investigate the foreigners as well."

Mitsuki: "What do you plan to do with us?"

Chief Hunter: "It's simple. If you're human, I'll set you free. If you're a vampire, I'll pierce your heart in the name of God."

Mitsuki: ".........."

Chief Hunter: "But even then, if you cannot end your eternal life, I will seal you away forever."

Chief Hunter: "You will suffer from eternal hunger at the bottom of the earth or in the depths of the dark sea."

Without showing any mercy or hesitation, the chief and the hunters left.

He left us with words that conveyed such a strong sense of justice, determined not to forgive the absolute evil known as vampires.

(I'm glad it was me who got caught.)

(But it can't go on like this.)

If they investigated my background, suspicion would inevitably fall on the mansion.

Even Drake could be in danger.

(I absolutely can't let everyone be suspected of being vampires.)

(Also...)

I heard anxious voices and faint sobbing from the other prison cells.

These people were captured for the sole reason of being foreigners, just like me.

(They’re suffering because of me.)

Karen: "It's my fault."

The words I whispered in my heart echoed as I turned around.

Karen tightly clenched her hands and looked down.

Karen: “After I stole your stuff that day, those guys caught me.”

Karen: “I never thought that one theft would lead to something like this. You, and many others, got dragged into this.”

Mitsuki: “Karen.”

Karen: “Will they kill us because they suspect us of being vampires?”

Feeling Karen’s fear and regret, I gently wrapped my hands around hers.

Mitsuki: “Calm down. This isn’t your fault.”

Mitsuki: “Besides, putting us in cells like this means they’re not planning to do something right away.”

(The leader seemed to take pride in being a hunter.)

(If their mission is to protect humans, they wouldn’t kill us unless they were certain we were vampires.)

Hoping this wasn’t just wishful thinking, I smiled to ease her fear.

Mitsuki: “It must have been scary to get caught in a place like this.”

Mitsuki: “This is probably why you didn’t show up on the day of our meeting on the Seine River.”

Karen: “That's...”

Mitsuki: “Yet, despite that, I started having doubts. I’m sorry.”

She made a face that seemed like she was about to cry, and her lips trembled.

Karen: "Why are you apologizing? Why do you stupidly try to believe in me?"

Karen: "I don't even have a sick parent, and I never intended to keep that promise from the start."

Mitsuki: "Karen..."

Karen: "Even though you protected me and were kind to me when I shoplifted, I still laughed at you for being gullible."

Tears rolled down her eyes as she poured her heart out.

It was as if her facade of strength was crumbling away.

(Has she been living alone all this time?)

The thought of it made me feel overwhelmed, and I held Karen's thin body in my arms.

Mitsuki: "Thank you. I'm glad I believed in you."

Karen: "Why?"

Mitsuki: "Because you honestly told me the truth. That sincerity makes me happy."

I think it was because she felt guilty that she promised to see me again, even though she had no intention of keeping it.

Regretting dragging me and the others into this and crying was evidence that she still had kindness in her heart.

(I'm glad her heart hasn't frozen over.)

Karen: "Sorry, I'm so sorry."

The hand wrapped around my back tightly felt dear, and strong emotions welled inside me.

(I have to help her and the others.)

(But what should I do?)

(In times like this, what would Drake do?)

While thinking about it, a sudden idea crossed my mind.

------------Flashback-----------

Drake: “Next time, it’s my turn. If something happens to you, I will definitely help. I promise.”

---------Flashback Ends--------

(Drake…)

If Drake were to come and help, he might end up in a fight with the hunters.

Moreover, there was a risk that they would find out who he really was.

Considering all this, I couldn't bring myself to wish for his help.

(I want to believe in Drake.)

Regardless of whether he would actually come, just believing in him seemed to support my faltering spirit.

(Anyway, I can't give up.)

With renewed determination, I continued embracing Karen.

Meanwhile, deep within the mansion in the woods that night—

Comte: "No one has seen Mitsuki, right?"

Comte asked them, and the residents nodded with serious expressions.

They had all gathered in the living room, concerned that Mitsuki hadn't returned home even after nightfall.

Comte: "Today, I heard some concerning rumors from acquaintances in the social circle."

Mozart: "Rumors?"

Comte: "Apparently, foreign women have been disappearing in Paris."

Comte: "Tourists who came to visit the World's Fair, as well as those who came to work from other countries."

Comte: "Many of them, regardless of their age or status, have disappeared."

Leonardo: "I was just about to warn Cara Mia when she went missing."

Comte: "I'll go to the police to report. Still, we need to find clues about Mitsuki."

As the discussion progressed, footsteps approached from the hallway.

Appearing before them was一

Shakespeare: "Greetings. I apologize for not being the person you're looking for."

Shakespeare: "Considering Mitsuki's absence and the stern expressions on everyone's faces, it seems the situation has taken a turn for the worst."

Shakespeare understood the situation instantly.

Vincent: "Will, have you heard by any chance about the rumor regarding the disappearance of foreign women?"

Shakespeare: "Yes. I came here to inform you that Mitsuki could also become a target."

Shakespeare: "I'm not sure how much you all know, but there is some concerning information about this incident."

Dazai: "Any clues are welcome. Tell us, Shakespeare."

Shakespeare: "According to the testimony of the last person who saw the missing individual, she was accompanied by a mercenary-like man."

Vincent: "Mercenary?"

Shakespeare: "Aye. He was wearing a cloak and carrying a sword."

Comte: "Could it be a vampire hunter?"

Shakespeare nodded.

Shakespeare: "The reason is unclear, but there seems to be a possibility that the hunters are abducting foreigners."

Vincent: "Could it be that Mitsuki was taken because someone leaked our identities?"

Arthur: "That seems unlikely. For now, Mitsuki is more likely an individual who got caught up in this."

Theo: "If our identities were exposed, they would likely make direct contact with us."

Comte: "Yeah. Hunters have the duty to protect humans. They target vampires."

Comte: "If that's the case, I'm worried about the way they're acting. It seems as though they're convinced there's a vampire among the foreign women."

At that moment, Sebastian, who had been silently listening, raised his hand.

Sebastian: "May I interject for a moment?"

Sebastian: "This is just my speculation, but..."

The usually composed Sebastian continued speaking, his expression more serious than usual.

Sebastian: "Until recently, Mitsuki was delivering meals to Isaac's university."

Isaac: "I did ask her to. But since I heard about the hunters showing up, I asked her to bring me Blanc instead to ensure it wouldn't be suspicious if someone saw her."

Sebastian: "Yes. However, there was a day when we were out of Blanc, and she had to carry Rouge instead."

Sebastian: "If, unfortunately, someone saw her carrying it and the information reached the ears of the hunters..."

Sebastian lowered his gaze, as if blaming himself.

Leonardo: "It's not just your responsibility, Sebastian."

Leonardo: "But I see. In that case, it wouldn't be strange for Cara mia herself to be suspected as a vampire."

Leonardo: "The hunters were searching for Mitsuki based on the information of a foreign woman."

The possibility that emerged made everyone's faces more stern.

Jean: "What happens if she gets caught by the hunters?"

Drake: "Execution, undoubtedly."

Drake, sitting with his legs crossed on the sofa, uttered the words that cut through the tension.

It was the worst outcome that everyone had in the back of their minds.

Comte: "That's true. In the past, there were times when vampires would be executed on the spot once they were identified."

Comte: "But that was centuries ago. Even if they are hunters, I want to believe they won't do anything barbaric in this civilized society."

Drake: "You can't be sure about that."

Drake: "There are plenty of people who go against our expectations and do outrageous things."

Napoleon: "Drake has a point. In any case, we need to figure out a plan to help her."

Napoleon: "First, we need to find the hunters' whereabouts."

Drake: "If that's the case, he might be able to tell us."

Drake stood up from the sofa and opened the window in the living room.

With the flapping sound of wings, a red parrot(Draco) flew in.

Draco: "Fawn! Over there! Fawn! Over there!"

Drake: "Hm. There, there. Thanks, Draco."

Drake placed Draco on his arm and squinted his eyes at the parrot.

Then he muttered in a voice only he could hear.

Drake: "I'll repay the debt. I promised that to you, little fawn."

Drake: "Sorry, hunters. This time, I'm on the other side."

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikevamp jp #ikevamp drake #ikevamp francis #ikevamp translations #cybird #ikevamp arthur

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em-dash-press · 6 months

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The Dark Art of Character Sacrifice: 5 Reasons Why Writers Kill Their Characters

There are some good reasons to kill characters in your fictional stories and definitely some bad ones. It’s hard to know what’s cliche and what’s not when you’re first starting out (or when your mind is caught up in the middle of a manuscript).

Use these ideas to see if taking one of your characters out of a story could make it work better.

1. To Start Their Story

Plenty of stories start with someone dying in the first chapter or two. It’s usually someone important to the protagonist. Sometimes it’s someone whose death directly or indirectly changes the protagonist’s life.

Here are some examples:

The protagonist is a 10-year-old child raised by their grandma, who passes away. The story is about the protagonist experiencing the foster care system.

The protagonist is an 18-year-old graduating from high school. A few days after graduation, the president of their country is assassinated by another leading country. The protagonist joins the military to fight in the ensuing war. The story is about the horrors of war.

The protagonist is a 50-year-old woman. She’s independent, has a thriving career, and feels great about her life. Suddenly, her best friend of 20 years dies. The story is about processing and living with grief.

All of these deaths are foundational to each story’s overall plot and theme. Without the deaths, the stories would be very different. The protagonists would continue living their normal lives and not experience the specific events you want to write about.

2. To Emphasize the Theme

Character deaths can emphasize a story’s theme. Let’s say you’re writing about how deeply cruel humans can be to one another over money. The antagonist kills someone the protagonist cares about. The loss sets the protagonist back due to staggering grief, so the antagonist gets to make a financial deal that the protagonist was trying to score.

There are a few ways this would reflect the theme. It shows how greed can be all-consuming, to the point of erasing someone’s morals. It also speaks briefly to the reality that cruelty happens to people indirectly. It’s horrible for the person who dies and those who love them.

3. To Add Closure to Their Arc

At some point in your story, there will be a character who completes their arc. They might make amends with someone they hurt, feel at peace about their life after reaching a big goal, or otherwise finally feel settled. If that character dies, the reader and protagonist grieve together. They can also come to the same conclusion through the rest of your story—the character who died lived a life that made them happy.

That’s not to say happy people can’t continue growing. Life is always going to present new ways to grow. Stories will do the same for characters. However, when you don’t necessarily need a character anymore, death can be a poetic end.

4. To Add Justice to the Story

When your protagonist stops the antagonist from harming others, the crimes the antagonist committed might make the protagonist call for their death. We have this in the real world with the death penalty.

This post isn’t going into the ethics behind the death penalty, but I mention it because wanting justice to the point of killing the perpetrating criminal is something many people can relate to. It’s a tool you can use in your story to drive home your theme (what real justice looks like, mercy, forgiveness, etc.) or exemplify your feelings about real-world dilemmas (the actual death penalty, vigilante justice, etc.).

5. To Add a Plot Twist

While you’re writing your story, that draft belongs exclusively to you. You can do whatever you want with it. Sometimes it’s helpful to write a death scene and re-read your work. See how the story feels and if it works with that death written into it.

You might not have planned it, but maybe it gives you fresh ideas about where to take the story. Every plot twist has a purpose—you can find it before or after writing the twist by giving yourself the freedom to explore alternate realities within your fictional world.

-----

There are many other reasons why writers kill their characters. By all means, do more research if you don’t feel like these ideas fit with your WIP. It’s better to know what deaths can mean and do in fiction because it informs your writing. Your stories will make more sense to you and your readers.

#tw death #tw: death #writeblr #writing tips #writing advice #writers of tumblr #creative writing #writing community #writing inspiration #writing #writing help #writing resources #writing death #writing death scenes #fictional death

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flastar13 · 7 months

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I was in my bed cold and bored, searching on Netflix for a light but fun movie, when I found Once Upon a Crime. I loved the concept of a little red riding hood detective who befriends Cinderella and together they investigate a crime but the ending disappointed me.

Spoiler Alert

It turns out that Hans' murderer is Cinderella but it was in self-defense, Hans was a disgusting guy obsessed with cutting women's beautiful hair regardless of the fact that women refused to let him cut his hair. Unfortunately Cinderella had the misfortune of running into this creep in a scene that she uncomfortably reminded me of a predator convincing his victim to come with, WAIT THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. Upon arriving at Hans' house, the stylist tries to forcibly cut Cinderella's beautiful blonde hair in a confrontation that reminds me eerily of an attempted rape but Cinderella manages to defend herself and hits him with a rock, unfortunately FOR HER NOT FOR HIM DISGUSTING HANS, he dies. Here I recognize that her actions are truly criminal although I still empathize with her because the victim is Margot, her stepsister who abuses her and kills her dove for being ugly and sells her cake. Cinderella blames her for the crime but it doesn't turn out as expected. planned.

Little Red Riding Hood discovers the truth and gets Cinderella to confess, so I prepared myself for an emotional scene where Little Red Riding Hood asks the prince for mercy for her friend, after all she was able to hide a corpse so that her friend can have a moment of happiness in her life. shit and had Margot arrested for one night for being a bully to Cinderella even though she knew she was innocent of the murder. Then the prince, who they said was so fair and strongly suspected the rumors about the disgusting Hans, would forgive Cinderella for the murder because it was self-defense, but he would force her to pay the penalty for trying to frame Margot for murder, showing us the girls that it is okay to defend ourselves from disgusting guys no matter how influential they are and the law is going to protect us but at the same time saying that no matter how bad they are to you, framing your bully for homicide is wrong and will be punished by independent law of the evil one, what is your bully because you are violating the law. After that, Little Red Riding Hood would point out that Cinderella's family is guilty of committing domestic abuse and that if the disgusting Hans got justice, Cinderella should also get it, the stepmother and her daughters would be arrested for longer than Cinderella so after paying her Crime would return home free from her abusers with the friendship of Little Red Riding Hood and the prince who loves Remi but pities her and developed brotherly affection for Cinderella. That was the ending I expected in 2023, where women can defend themselves against disgusting guys and have male friends.

What I got was a poor victim who is shamed for defending herself against a disgusting but rich and influential guy who got justice even though her murder was in her own defense while her victim didn't get her abusive relatives They were arrested for having her as a slave. Then the other girl Remi for not defending herself from the disgusting Hans, leaving her with a scar that depresses her so much that she hides even from her boyfriend, the prince, is rewarded with the prince's hand in marriage for acting for a year as if she were guilty of being attacked. by a madman while Cinderella is imprisoned for defending herself. Nice teaching, let that influential man rape you and then leave society so they don't see how hurt you were because you will be rewarded for your passivity with a handsome and rich boyfriend but if you defend yourself you will be arrested and no one will care why you did it If you are poor you will never get justice, you must be rich to get it.

#once upon a crime #cinderella #little red riding hood #movies #netflix

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shinskyber · 7 months

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Precious gray tone - A Wolfwren narration

What if it's not enough?

It was all she had wanted, all that had kept her alive since his disappearance, since it was all over. His family had split up after the tragedy and everyone had written him off, remembering him as the hero the whole galaxy would look up to until the end of time.

Or until someone forgot about him, and did not tell his adventures to his children. Or until the painting of the murals that swore to portray him for eternity betrayed their purpose and left him as a mere shadow of a past. A past she had lived and created, to tell the truth.

But, tragedies are usually remembered much longer than good things. Because darkness attracts much more than light. Because, what darkness can bring in the feelings of any creature in this immense galaxy is not comparable to what light tries to bring. For, if a black hole approaches a fiery and luminous body like a star twenty times larger in size, it sucks it in and leaves that piece of galaxy with no trace of what once gave light. For all is darkness, and light is only a small rebellion that opposes it.

But, like all rebellions, they are an absolute minority. So much so, that many creatures are drawn into the darkness without knowing that there is another choice. Thinking that darkness is actually neutrality, when it is only evil disguised as mercy. When you are offered justice, in reality silence is given. When forgiveness is offered, only vengeance comes. That is why many blindly follow that path of darkness, because they do not know a light to guide them.

But that light can end up blinding. It can end up blurring your vision completely and you think everything is black and white, when beautiful shades of gray illuminate and bring true balance to life. When strength is much more than just light, but thanks to those shades of gray, life makes sense. That light that blinds you makes you cruel, when you promise to be a hero. It doesn't let you see the reasons why some creatures contrary to your beliefs perform those actions. A light can be so blinding that it doesn't let you reason and you think there is only that path to follow.

A moon that has never known light.

And a rising sun that has never encountered darkness.

Those were Shin Hati and Sabine Wren, the two most tragic apprentices that the history of a lineage that, at some point lost in time, was glorious. And, as surprising as it may seem, a lineage that emerged from the same dream. That dream of the jedi knight who will protect the galaxy. That same dream that plunged it into a darkness so black that nothing could confront it for years.

That lineage that had sprung from the same place and branched drastically at that lost point in time, was now coming together again. Like two polar opposites, darkness and light were struggling to maintain control. But they also attracted, if you positioned them in the right direction.

Padawan Shin Hati had been trained with the idea that the jedi order failed in its task. As delicate as that might sound to a true master of the dark arts, it had actually turned out to be a genius of manipulation. His master had not incited in her hatred for those who used the light side, saying that they were its opposite, or that all they brought was evil and injustice to the galaxy. No, it was much more complicated. Lord Baylan had explained to his apprentice that the jedi order was an order that knew its principles, that had good faith, but failed at the most important times for lack of discipline. That it failed many creatures of the galaxy at a time when they needed them most. That did create hatred within a poor girl who had seen her world burn.

Sabine Wren belonged to the tragic jedi lineage that began with Dooku, who trained a young knight before becoming corrupted by darkness. That knight named Qui-Gon trained Obi-Wan Kenobi, before being killed by a disciple of that same force who finished off his master. Obi-Wan then trained and trained the boy who was named the chosen one, who ended up becoming the greatest enemy of the entire galaxy and bringing hatred and destruction. That chosen one had an apprentice, a young togruta named Ahsoka Tano, who was left alone and heartbroken after that loss. Gathering strength, she found the lost Mandalorian Sabine Wren and knew she could train her, that her heart was pure and full of light. Sabine, after knowing the whole story and from her own experiences, had also been blinded by everything, but on the opposite side to Hati.

They were two polar opposites that attracted and repelled each other at the same time, two forces that longed for each other and hated each other, as light and darkness have done since the beginning of time.

With that look in that ship, that darkness in young Shin's eyes was tinged with a faint whitish drop that left it a slightly grayish hue, but nothing compared to the dark gray left by General Thrawn's revelation. They were going to follow her to kill her and her friend Ezra. It didn't seem necessary to her, and deep inside she knew it wasn't fair.

Sabine's white light tinged grayish as she began to assimilate her mistake and that she herself had made that decision. That she had not been forced by anyone and that, despite knowing the possible consequences, she had taken the risk. And let her teacher die. It hurt, but now she had regained what she had longed for. She felt bad for feeling happiness knowing all that she had sacrificed to get it.

Shades of gray that would soon cease to be different and unite to form that balance that no Jedi knight or Sith Lord had ever managed to achieve.

#wolfwren #wlw #ahsoka #sabine wren #shin hati #baylan skoll #ezra bridger #SORRY I HAD TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT THEM #im going crazy over them #their dynamic #im insane

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richonnesbitch · 1 month

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Haven’t kept up with the show after Rick ‘died’ but it always pissed me off that they had Carl vouch for Negan. Like Glen was so loved and saved Rick; he gave Carl his father back! and all three (Carl, Rick, and Michonne) understood the necessity of HARD choices very clearly. And the love of their family. Yeah, yeah the value of ‘forgiveness’ and all but this? Glen was brutally killed in the most undignified and savage way and then they didn’t even grant the audience the catharsis of watching that evil man get his. The only redemption for him should have been the justice of his death. The writers really got it so wrong with this. Especially because the poor writing choice of having the Grimes family give Negan the mercy of keeping his life is just so out of character that it makes them look like hypocrites (don’t get me wrong I love them!) because you damn well know that if it had been any of them who had been murdered by bat to the head they would not hesitate in the absolute surety that killing him is the only choice. Also ain’t Negan a r*pist?! This the guy the writers are so invested in? 😭

You're so so so right 😭😭 Negan still being alive just makes EVERYONE out of character and look like hypocrites. Like, his ass should really be dead. Imagine how Glenn and Abaraham fans feel? Or like anyone with a brain really.... there should have been no redemption for that nasty man. He should have died.

I really don't know why they ride so hard for him. Personally to me, I don't think JDM is a strong actor so it makes all the goofy ass shit Negan says even GOOFIER. And on top of that, Negan just isn't a good character. Like. What do you mean you want me to feel sorry for him because he cheated on his DYING wife and neglected their marriage?? Like how does that make him relatable or likeable??? Please tell me! Lmao. In my opinion, Negan tanked the entire show. You would have thought they wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible but no apparently not. To me, it's the worst choice they could have ever made in the show. Him being alive does nothing for anyone.

Glenn fans got done dirty, Abraham fans got done dirty, and poor Maggie fans are suffering the most for it now. Grimes Family for sure 1000% would have killed him if any one of them had died!!!

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