Inky-for-a-bit - Inky?

belos is such a fascinating character to me because his whole narrative is just not an idea i expected any story to explore at all. like objectively “a witch hunter who infiltrates the witch realm to take out his enemy from the source” is a strong concept, but what immediately comes to mind is a more contemporary witch hunter who has thorough experience with witches and witch hunting, not some sixteenth century guy who comes from a culture with an ideology concerning witches that is FAMOUSLY wrong and inaccurate, who only by absolute chance ended up in the one alternate universe which could prove his scientifically deluded worldview right. and then by exercising the audience’s own established modern world experience they go on to examine the situation he’s in where, completely convinced of his own ideology and oblivious to any of humanity’s recent scientific and cultural developments, has No Idea nor reason to believe that the whole concept of witches and witch hunters was debunked centuries ago and that his status as a witch hunter, the thing he’s dedicated his Entire life to, ONLY has any value in the realm of his enemy, not the one he calls home. kind of insane.

people be like “andrey/goncharov are literal soulmates! a greek tragedy! they’re star-crossed, goncharov killing andrey was how they were meant to end up, but they loved each other throughout every betrayal and every gunshot!!” when katya and sofia and “the world wants you dead” “do you want me dead? “never” “then the world doesn’t want me dead” iS RGHT THERE

Here are some great recipes for de-colonizing Thanksgiving

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Native Recipe: Three Sisters Salad

Not only do the three foods grow well together, but when cooked together they provide nearly complete nutrition.

The Gingered Whisk

Nasaump Cornmeal Porridge

Nasaump is a Wampanoag recipe for cornmeal porridge. Cooked with fresh berries, nuts, and seeds and sweetened with maple syrup.

Delish

Chayote With Dried Green Chile Is An Amazing Vegan Main Dish Option

Green chile powder is a really incredible ingredient.

Magic Pumpkin Squash Soup by Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart,

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash

1 tbsp. garlic powder

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

1 stick butter

1 medium yellow onion

1 can organic pumpkin puree

2 cups coconut milk

4 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock

Roasted pumpkin seeds (for topping)

Instructions:

Peel and cube the butternut squash, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tbsp. garlic powder, kosher salt, and cracked brown pepper, and place on a baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes

In a large stockpot, sautée the chopped medium yellow onion in 1 stick melted butter; sprinkle with salt until translucent

Add 1 can organic pumpkin puree

Add 2 cups coconut milk

Add 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock

Add the roasted butternut squash

Simmer for 30 minutes

Blend with an immersion blender

Top with roasted pumpkin seeds

Cowboy Kicker Beans and Wiiyaa:

NPR.org

In 'Original Local,' Thanksgiving Recipes From The First Americans

Author and poet Heid Erdrich writes about the food-ways of Native Americans in the Upper Midwest in the new book, Original Local. Erdrich te

I know, I know, everyone talks about Goncharov's themes of overcoming your past, the cycle of violence, the Gay, etc. but I feel like the theme of seeking home needs to be talked about more too! I love how all the main characters are trying to find a new or an old home in different ways.

Let's start with Goncharov: he obviously wants to be the Big Tough Mafia Man (tm) and does his best to burn all his links to his past. And in the present, his home/marriage with Katya is falling apart, and he starts to find happiness with Andry. Regardless of whether you read Goncharov and Andry's love as romantic or platonoic, Goncharov accidently finds a home in his relationship with Andry yet still clings to his life with the Mafia and his "perfect" marriage to Katya. He rejects both his past and present homes.

And of course Andrey's whole thing throughout the film is running from his past. He's ashamed of what he's done and is afraid that he'll never be accepted or find a home anywhere. He has no one. Until he meets Goncharov. Then he slowly realizes throughout the movie that it might be possible to find love and a home. But of course he has to deal with the period-typical/internalized homophobia and the inherent tragedy in that Andrey knows nothing but to betray and destroy relationships and protect himself so that of course leads to an ending where he loses his home only after he had it within reach.

Next, Katya. I love the parallels between her and Andrey- both have regrets in their past that they are trying to escape from, both feel that they are unworthy of love or having a home, neither are sure they even know what home is. Katya obviously didn't have a happy childhood with her rich family that only cared about connections and politics and marriage. Katya doesn't want to return to her past. She's never had a home, and has no home to return to, and no idea of what home feels like.

Katya's arc is tied to Sophia's. Unlike other characters, Sophia does have a home that she loves, but she cannot return to. After the death of her parents, Sophia grew up in an orphanage and then when that burned to the ground it's implied she lived on the streets for a while. Her home has constantly been uprooted and destroyed, so her arc is figuring out where and with whom to make her new home. Sophia is afraid she'll find home and won't belong. She's afraid she'll never find a home where she'll feel true belonging and love, so she runs from love and home. This is what makes Sophia's offer to Katya to run away together so important. This is the moment where both Katya and Sophia realize that they can create "home" together, that it is possible to find home.

And I love how Sophia's home theme parallels Ice Pick Joe's! We never see Joe's parents- it's implied that his parents died when he was young and he was raised by his brother Giorno. Giorno was his entire family, his home. After Giorno's death and Joe's breakdown resulting in him being institutionalized, Joe loses his only home. Both Joe and Sophia lost homes that they long so, so much to return to, but never can. The difference is in how their stories end and it is so tragic to see how things could've been different.

Just... how these people come from such different homes or lack of homes and try to find new homes in such different ways and learning that home can be such different things arghahga I live for that sort of thing