Youre An Oath-keeper, Your God Will Whisper You The Names Of Those Paladins Who Have Broken Their Oaths,

You’re an oath-keeper, your god will whisper you the names of those paladins who have broken their oaths, and you slay them. But you awoke at night to an incomprehensibly long list of names, after an hour it said “ fuck it, all the paladins have broken their oath, slay them all”

I only operate in extremes

I can’t just be a bit sad, instead I’m soul crushingly miserable

I can’t just be happy, instead I’m completely elated

I can’t eat normally, instead I’m either binging or restricting

I can’t love normally, instead I’m either obsessed or want nothing to do with the person

I can’t just be bored, instead I have to fill the void with any method of self destruction available to me so that I don’t have to feel the boredom

funniest criticism of asoiaf worldbuilding is ‘why would anyone follow the faith of the seven? its obviously the worst of the religions theres no evidence the seven are even real theyve never done anything’ i dont think you understand how religions work. yeahh good point why do most respectable southern families follow the closest one to a state religion based in the capital the one kings are anointed by the one they were baptised into instead of the drowned god or rhollor. use your head for a second

Rewatched Saltburn and I'm obsessed with Farleigh and Oliver's tutoring scene. The essay specifically. For those who don't remember: Oliver did his homework and all his assignments and genuinely gave a well thought out essay for their summer assignments. Farleigh shows up hungover and late and didn't even read the books. But the teacher immediately loves Farleigh and is chatting him up with an interest he barely tried to show Oliver. Even after Oliver gives his presentation and shows that he's clearly a much better student than Farleigh. Obviously this is the real start of their rivalry. But it's also such a beautiful look into their characters and how they mirror eachother. Farleigh understands Oliver's essay, I believe. But like the teacher he's bored by it. The knowledge and work is there, but the presentation of it is boring and strange. Academic and correct, but lacking the appeal to the audience. (Which, can we talk about the fact Farleigh was genuinely listening at all? The teacher zoned out and switched channels, but Farleigh was interested and paying enough attention to know the exact number of times Oliver used the word "thus" in his essay. They respect each other truly even if they despise eachother at this point, and refuse to acknowledge the grudging respect.) So Farleigh does what he does best, he gloats over Oliver. He picks apart the style of the essay and it's presentation rather than addressing the central argument or topic. This delights the teacher and frustrates Oliver who is like, "so you're going to critique the style of my essay rather than it's substance? Seems a bit lazy" and that's the core component of these two characters.

Farleigh is ALL about presentation. He knows how fragile his pedistal is placed up and in view for everyone to see. He's a charity project, just like every other rando of the month. Sure he has some familiar connection, and that's given him a leg up in this world. But it's still shakey at best. He always has to give the correct performance, say the right words, keep his audience on HIS side. Unless he wants to get knocked down with the rest of the common rabal that he knows he's belongs with, but can't stand the idea of. So yes, of course he picks apart the one thing he knows Oliver is failing at. He takes his one advantage over Oliver and uses it mercilessly to both entertain and secure his audience on his side. (I wonder if the positions had been different some how, if Farleigh would have had anything to say about the substance of the essay itself. He was paying attention to it, did he want to have a real academic conversation? Did he possibly want to try and connect to Oliver in that way? A real and non performative way with someone who's so similar to him?)

As for Oliver, obviously his character is intelligent. He does the readings. He does the research. He puts the time and effort in to *learn* in the way Farleigh never does. And it must infuriate him that his essay is so easily pushed to the side for a cheep critique that doesn't even address the central argument of his essay. Of course he would hate Farleigh from the start for that. It's such a quick negation of all that Oliver has to offer and give just because it's not wrapped up in a pretty bow. And that's just his character. The substance is there, the intelligence is there. But it's not enough. It will never be enough. Because Oliver doesn't know how to translate it to his audience in a way they'll care about. He learns and tries to mimic, but it always falls short because he just can't seem to figure out the way to blend in and present himself so seamlessly as Farleigh.

And that's why they're such perfect mirrors of each other. They're both intelligent and clever. But they've found different ways of getting what they want and proving themselves. Farleigh is the face and the presentation, Oliver is the substance and body. In another world imagine what these two could have done and been if they hadn't been pitted against each other for the same prize. And the fact Oliver definitely deliberately shoved Farleigh out at the perfect time so he wouldn't get hurt and killed? Oliver and Farleigh respect and admire the other. But their tragedy is they can never be on the same page or team because the world they're in says there is only room for one. And they'd both do anything to get that title.

It is interesting how egg repeatedly calls bloodraven ‘baseborn’ and how dunk has to correct him MULTIPLE times, and remind him that he means bastard. Which on its face doesn’t seem that weird given the prejudice of bastards in asoiaf, but considering bloodraven was literally born to a king and a noblewoman he’s about as far from the smallfolk as could be. which again shows how deep the stigma for illegitimate children runs, as in egg’s mind at least there is no discernible difference between how a bastard should be treated and how a peasant should be treated (obviously his views change later on but still)

i like how the inclusion of The Warrior as an aspect of god in asoiaf catholicism makes it absurdly suited to reaching heaven through violence. the only ‘holy’ war in the medieval era was explicitly crusading in church interests most theologians would tell you unambiguously most men fighting earthly wars (ESPECIALLY knights who had a choice) went directly to hell. in asoiaf arguably all bloodshed is religiously charged