Hello! You can call me Samsung. I'm queer, disabled, neurodivergent, and spend way to much time yapping about KOTLC.
I post mainly about Fandom content and discussions, along with things about topics like censorship, mental illness, and disabilities- and often those 2 things overlap.
I don't use a tagging system, though I try my best to tag the correct fandom and topics related to said post. I welcome reblogs, and you're never bothering me by adding to a post.
I use tone indicators (such as /pos and /nm), and sometimes my written text may not align with them. This is not on purpose, and the tone indicators are the correct intention. I struggle with tone, so please do not take offense if something comes off as angry but is tagged /nm, it wasn't intended.
(This also extends to interactions with me as well, I prefer you use tons indicators if you can, but i also cannot force you to do anything! Just be cognizant of the fact I'm more likely to misunderstand).
Asks are always open, and I try my best to respond!
Keeblr Discourse/Interactions
[Despite the title, this isn't a post calling out discourse, but my attempt to explain why I care at all about writing posts around my issues with the series, and to explain my posts]
I genuinely don't not care about discourse around people's interpretations of fictional characters. This is because it in no way effects actual people- you liking or disliking a character a fighting about what makes them good/bad isn't all that important. It's interesting most of the time (as interesting characters have good and bad traits) but its not actually important as it doesn't effect actual people.
most of my longer posts around my issues with the series [Issues with Alvar, issues with the series, Problems with the fandom #1, #2] are not important to me because of the context of the series, but rather the context out of the series. In no way to I think Shannon intended to promote/normalize grooming behaviors when writing Alvar, that doesn't change that her mainly quite young audience (who in more recent years is in more danger from online predators then before) has read characters constantly excuse and act as if those behaviors are normal. This goes for things she attempts to call out as well, such as the issues around the "school" (work camp) in the neutral territories that is not talked heavily about and then ignored by book 6. Issues with the fandom stem from problems both the book and general modern day internet fandom encourage (or rather don't discourage), such as Antis/Glazers, Ableism, Homophobia (which while not bad on keeblr is awful on other platforms), infighting, and general discourse instead of discussion. None of my posts were written with the intention to cause more discourse and I always want to hear other opinions on the topic
I do not vaugepost about other people (unless it's lighthearted and unimportant). This is so deeply stupid, if I have a comment yo make under a post I either keep it to myself or reblog that person. If I'm making it in a separate post, I normally link that person's post. Don't vague post about people, it causes discourse, is so stupid, and can be solved by just either mentioning the person (so they can also defend themselves) or just... doing it in a reblog? or not posting at at?
I do welcome and enjoy debates! Debates are not the same as discourse, it's genuinely discussing a character/plot point, discourse is just screaming at eachother. They are fun :).
I'm a mutlishipper lol, I genuinely don't care all that much about what characters belong with which. I'm not here to agree or disagree that you ship is valid, and as I said before, my issues only start showing up when you attempt to tell me an unhealthy fictional ship is in fact a great framework for a healthy irl relationship. Other then that, genuinely don't care most of them are fun :D
I am not an Anti of any character in the series (beyond Alvar for reasons already discussed here). I have criticisms, yes, but that's not the same thing. Good characters have flaws, and it makes them far more interesting. My mentally ill blarbos are wonderful :)
too many people seem to think certain ships would officially start going out and put a label on their relationship and sometimes even go so far as to get married. but most of the time said ships would really just be freaks and fuck weirdstyle without addressing the elephant in the room that is the mutual romantic attraction
honestly you all are so annoying because motherhood IS interesting but fandom people are simultaneously obsessed with deciding that every woman has motherly qualities and completely disinterested in actually exploring motherhood as a role that informs a character. I do think exploring a character being a mother can be wildly interesting if they are canonically one, but because of misogyny, people just view motherhood as a totally unremarkable naturalized state that all women must inhabit!
The issue mainly stems from the fact people refuse to see women who are mother's as anything but mothers, while men who are fathers have that identity treated second to their personhood. Motherhood is a PART of someones identity, and IS incredibly interesting when written from the idea that "this is a human being raising another human being" along with talking about social pressure. but it's so often dumbed down to "oh shes motherly" that you ignore the point.
She's not "motherly" shes just not an abusive asshole? She just has empathy? Not every women needs to be a mother, and not every good mother is "motherly". Ignore the part of you that is conflating these things because its not true at all, and it bleeds into fandom discussions and real life
the true nature of fintan’s immense power was foreshadowed by the fact that he somehow had the ability to get five of his friends together at the same time for an activity
shannon shouldn't have made cassius & keefe realist artists. they should be taking abstractism to new heights that are literally only explicable to fellow empaths
aroace sophie and fitz… something about both of them saying everything felt wrong when they were dating but they cared about each other so what could be wrong?
oh my fucking god Sophie foster deserves so much better it’s actually pissing me off
she deserves to burn every frilly dress she has and replace it with a wardrobe of the most comfortable and practical pants and shirts (because I’m tired of the closest she gets being casual dresses with leggings, if that’s not what she wants DONT FORCE IT ON HER)
she deserves to chop off her hair or idk do something cool with it if that’s what she wants
she deserves to punch nearly every adult in the face and tell them to go die and then they should be forced to tell her every single secret they’re keeping from her that’s about her and then she should be allowed to run away to a secluded cabin and sleep and relax and eat whatever she wants and never wear makeup or get dressed up and read books for a billion years
I agree, accept for the dress part. Because the funniest part is that she keeps getting told she doesn't need to wear them, that no one cares, literally having women in the series offer to buy her more not-dresses but NO. she MUST wear the dress! It is UNENDINGLY important for the girl to wear a DRESS.
the adults in Kotlc pmo so bad I can’t even blame any of the kids
as much as I love to criticize Keefe for being annoying and running away all the time, it wouldn’t be half as bad for ANY of the kids if any of the adults could get their shit together, communicate with eachother, and make a coordinated plan to actually fight against the neverseen instead of hemming and hawing over some bullshit. Like, get on the same page, manage the children, support the children, stop giving the kids adult responsibility with child freedom it’s actually pissing me off, the kids deserve so much better
I have so many thoughts and questions about the system because it makes no sense to me so here are my burning ones. If I’ve forgotten or misunderstood anything and you have the answer to any of my questions please tell me! I’m dying to understand 😋
Does the Elven society only have two schools?
I don't know if I've just missed it or something, but I swear no other school or equivalent to school has been mentioned in the series apart from Foxfire or Exillium. Am I supposed to believe that these are the only two options for schooling in the lost cities? Because it certainly feels that way. Where are the other schools for kids who aren't unworthy enough for Exillium but aren't good enough for Foxfire? Is there no middle ground? No equivalent to a public school? Does homeschooling not exist? Is the population of Elves so small that we only need two schools to educate the youth? Even Harry Potter (as poorly thought out and stereotypical as it is) had other wizarding school's mentioned and seen throughout the series. Does Foxfire not host sporting events against other schools? How can Foxfire be considered the best of the best if there's only one other school and it's meant for the banished children? I assume there's other schools but the fact their existence isn't mentioned once bothers me.
What do Elven children do before taking the entrance exam to find out if they can get into Foxfire?
Do Elven children not have proper education before the age of 11? We never learn about an elementary school equivalent for Elves so are parents just expected to teach their kids the basic's before they get to school age? I could see that making some sense, but I don't think every single parent in the lost cities has the time to teach their kids for YEARS before Foxfire. I also find it silly that an "advanced species" hasn't found a proper way to educate kids before the age of 11 and it's up to the parents to figure it out. Most elves would probably opt for Tutors (Fitz mentioned he had one in book one) but how many tutors would have to exist to educate an entire age demographic before they reach school age?
What happens if you fail out of Foxfire or don't pass the entrance exam at all?
Prodigies who are scared of not passing their midterms only ever talk about ending up at Exillium. Am I supposed to believe that the punishment for failing a test is equal to that of the kids who actually get banished? It seems like your only option is to attend Exillium if you don't end up at Foxfire and that is going so wildly from one extreme to the other it's ridiculous. "Sorry prodigy with great promise who has never done anything wrong ever, you failed your midterm so now your being sent to Exillium. A place for the unworthy which is underfunded and poorly staffed." This line of reasoning makes no sense to me. I know Exillium used to be for those who needed alternative learning, but it hasn't been that way for years. Why are we still sending kids there for the ideals the school doesn't believe or follow anymore? Again, is there no middle ground? No equivalent to a public school that doesn't treat its students like criminals?
How can Foxfire be considered the most "prestigious academy"?
I don't know if this is just a me being picky thing, but I don't understand how Foxfire can be considered the most prestigious academy when it seems like any student under the sun can attend it. Why are we letting the children of bad matches attend this school? Why are we letting kids who haven't even manifested an ability yet attend and waste resources? The motto of Foxfire is "All wish to attend. Only the most talented are chosen." Apparently, everyone is the lost cities is talented because everybody seems to go here. We never meet a character who hasn't attended Foxfire or Exillium at any point. Also we don't even know if other academies exist besides Exillium so it doesn't feel like it's actually a big deal to get into Foxfire. It seems like it's just a rid of passage that every Elf goes through who doesn't end up banished.
What are the qualifications to get into Foxfire?
How does this elite school even figure out who is good enough to attend? Enrollment isn't based on lack of ability since Foxfire literally has an ability detecting class and you get to stay till level six even if you're talentless. It's not based on skills since Foxfire doesn't even teach you how to use them properly. And it's not based on Elves no longer needing Nexuses so I'm sorry what are we testing these children on exactly? What are the excellent qualifications these prodigies showed to get into Foxfire? Apparently no student besides Sophie has entered Foxfire with an ability, so what did they test these kids on? Academics? Basic stuff like alchemy or Elvin history? Is lack in these subjects really the only things worthy enough to prevent an Elf from attending Foxfire?
How did Exillium originally function?
Exillium used to be a place for alternative learning, so was the school always meant to house kids who were banished? Was the school just originally meant for the Keefe's, Bex's, Lex's, and Rex's of the Lost Cities? The kids who were troublemakers but weren't outwrite dangerous to society? Or was the school always meant for the more dangerous individuals like the Brant's? Or was the school meant for those who had caused harm but simply because they needed a different environment to learn like Linh? What I'm trying to figure out is who was considered for this alternative learning school. The troubled kids, the mischievous but harmless kids or the outwrite dangerous ones? At some point they just started shipping anyone and everyone who caused any issues to Exillium but when did the switch occur and did the school always have a more toxic environment? Were the students always covering their faces and hiding their identity's or did that shift only occur after it gained the reputation of holding the banished individuals of society? I think I'm just confused about if Exillium was meant to originally function as a juvenile detention school or a more traditional alternative school. I do like the idea though that a school meant for students who learn differently turns into a place where the society dumps who they consider to be "problem children".
Why does Exillium teach skills?
If the wayward's are considered dangerous enough to be banished from society, why are we teaching them skills? What possible positives could come from teaching people who you abandoned skills that could make them more powerful and competent than you? So now all these students who are stewing away in a toxic environment are not only learning how to use their abilities but also skills. Why are you allowing them to train at all? If these students are no longer needed in society, what purpose does allowing them to continue training give you? It's a waste of time and resources. I understand some wayward are able to climb their way back into society, but that seems to be a very small majority. It doesn’t seem worth the risk to train any of the students. Also, this whole system in general is just creating a breeding ground for an uprising. The council deserves to be taken over at this point.
They have 1 school for rich people- that from everything we've seen teaches them nothing- and a work camp for the bad children. It doesn’t really create the grounds for an uprising, because the only thing it does it keep the population uneducated. And knowledge is the greatest threat to propaganda machines, so making sure no one but the council glazing nobility gets to go to school (where they learn nothing but abilitly training and how to be racist lets be so fr, the mutlispecies classes have been called out so many times) so thar no one have the knowledge to otherthrow them.
The work camp genuinely is just because they seem to enjoy controlling and abusing children. It's not even a work camp that TRIES to do anything productive, so genuinely going off of past behavior it exists just to be cruel under the guise of "giving exiled children a refuge", because when has the council ever cared for Exiles?
On a meta level I straight up think Shannon just doesn't understand how school works. Or how government vs the justice system works. Or how rebellions actually work. Or how villains motives actually work. Or what counts as toxic behavior. 99% of plot holes are what happens when instead of doing research or even just thinking about your series plot you prioritize shipping for a relationship half your fandom doesn't even enjoy.
I think what's most jarring about Sophie burning down the Neverseen storehouse wasn't the destruction itself, but the fact that she used fire to do it.
She's seen her whole life what fire does. She's had to hear about Jolie's death at the hands of Brant. She watched Brant burn off his own hand. She was there when Eternalia fell and took the life of councilor Kenric. She was kidnapped, burned and tortured with fire for several days. She saw what the Neverseen did to Wylie in his interrogation. She can't even attend the elf bonfire thing without flinching. She's even scared of Marella, her own friend, because of her Pyrokinesis.
Sophie burning the storehouse was her finally accepting that she can't let these fears stop her from doing what needs to be done. And it hurts so bad. this poor traumatized girl has so much pressure on her and now she's finally giving in. She's being their good little Moonlark. She's doing exactly what she was made for.
