#╭ ⁞ ❏. narrations / abraham lincoln.

[historiavn]

@frxncaise sent: “ wait… hold on a second, what year is it? “

ABRAHAM WAS READY TO DISMISS THIS AS NAUGHT BUT A particularly strange incident when the strange woman asked a question that sent shivers down his spine. He paused, his haunted gray gaze flickering upward to meet Angélique’s own.

“…it is currently eighteen-sixty-one.” Abraham responded, his voice HESITANT amidst the curious uncertainty which this question provoked. “Why do you ask?”

[tqyzilla96]

I would just like to show my silly steam review of TSPUD (yes, my steam account is Abraham Lincoln. I think it's absolutely hilarious)

[historiavn]

“The Fourth is what we Americans call the anniversary of our declaring independence from England. Unfortunately, some folks get a little bit … heavy handed with the celebrations.”

╰► @wolfvirago

"... What's the Fourth and why are there scary explosions everywhere?"

Local awoo is confused.

[historiavn]

@apurekindness liked this post for a starter.

“I’ve got blood on my name.”

[wrishwrosh]

hey, i find your posts about historical fiction pretty interesting, do you have any recs?

anon this is the most beautiful and validating ask i have ever received. absolutely of COURSE I have recs. not gonna be a lot of deep cuts on this list but i love all of these books and occasionally books do receive awards and acclaim because they are good. in no particular order:

the cromwell trilogy by hilary mantel. of course i gotta start with the og. it’s 40 million pages on the tudor court and the english reformation and it will fundamentally change you as a person and a reader

(sub rec: the giant, o’brien by hilary mantel. in many ways a much shorter thematic companion to the cromwell trilogy imo. about stories and death and embodiment and the historical record and 18th century ireland. if you loved the trilogy, read this to experience hils playing with her own theories about historical fiction. if you are intimidated by the trilogy, read this first to get a taste of her prose style and her approach to the genre. either way please read all four novels ok thanks)

lincoln in the bardo by george saunders. the book that got me back into historical fiction as an adult. american history as narrated by a bunch of weird ghosts and abraham lincoln. chaotic and lovely and morbid.

the everlasting by katy simpson smith. rome through the ages as seen by a medici princess, a gay death-obsessed monk, and an early christian martyr. really historically grounded writing about religion and power, and also narrated with interjections from god’s ex boyfriend satan. smith is a trained historian and her prose slaps

(sub rec: free men by katy simpson smith. only a sub rec bc i read it a long time ago and my memory of it is imperfect but i loved it in 2017ish. about three men in the woods in the post revolutionary american south and by virtue of being about masculinity is actually about women. smith did her phd in antebellum southern femininity and motherhood iirc so this book is LOCKED IN to those perspectives)

a mercy by toni morrison. explores the dissolution of a household in 17th century new york. very different place and time than a lot of morrison’s bigger novels but just as mean and beautiful

(sub rec: beloved by toni morrison. a sub rec bc im pretty sure everyone has already read beloved but perhaps consider reading it again? histfic ghost story abt how the past is always here and will never go away and loves you and hates you and is trying to kill you)

an artist of the floating world by kazuo ishiguro. my bestie sir kazuo likes to explore the past through characters who, for one reason or another (amnesia, dementia, being a little baby robot who was just born yesterday, etc), are unable to fully comprehend their surroundings. this one is about post-wwii japan as understood by an elderly supporter of the imperial regime

(sub rec: remains of the day by kazuo ishiguro. same conceit as above except this time the elderly collaborator is incapable of reckoning with the slow collapse of the system that sheltered him due to britishness.)

the pull of the stars by emma donoghue. donoghue is a strong researcher and all of her novels are super grounded in their place and time without getting so caught up in it they turn into textbooks. i picked this one bc it is a wwi lesbian love story about childbirth that made me cry so hard i almost threw up on a plane but i recommend all her histfic published after 2010. before that she was still finding her stride.

days without end by sebastian barry. this one is hard to read and to rec bc it is about the us army’s policy of genocide against native americans in the 19th century west as told by an irish cavalry soldier. it is grim and violent and miserable and also so beautiful it makes me cry about every three pages. first time i read it i was genuinely inconsolable for two days afterwards.

this post is long as hell so HONORABLE MENTIONS: the amazing adventures of kavalier & clay by michael chabon, the western wind by samantha harvey, golden hill by frances spufford, barkskins by annie proulx, postcards by annie proulx, most things annie proulx has written but i feel like i talk about her too much, the view from castle rock by alice munro, the name of the rose by umberto eco, tracks by louise erdrich

[historiavn]

THE WARMTH FROM HIS DIVINE companion’s hands was welcome indeed, bringing Abraham much needed comfort in the midst of a particularly dark hour. Abraham let out a quiet sigh, his troubled gaze flickering upwards whilst he pondered this new information.

    “I see.” He said softly, carefully placing the pen with which he’d previously been fiddling onto his desk. “Is it …. Is it all souls which exist and are divinely remembered forever, or is it just the souls of those who follow your religion?”

continued from this open starter as a new thread.

╰► @withinycu

[historiavn]

OH, HE KNOWS FULL WELL WHO THIS being is, but up until this point, Abraham couldn’t bring himself to ACKNOWLEDGE her identity. He swallows the lump which had formed in his throat upon being graced by her utterly frigid touch, a shiver traveling down his spine as he had the distinct impression that someone was walking over his grave. Abraham might’ve never feared his own death, but he was NO STRANGER to her nevertheless. Death has claimed more than her fair share of his loved ones and more than her fair share of his fellow countrymen throughout the war, too.

She’d taken his mother, when she perished due to illness.

She’d taken Ann Rutledge, his first true love.

She’d taken Mary, seconds after Willie was born.

Now, with the CIVIL WAR — which some newspapers labeled MR. LINCOLN��S WAR — entering its SECOND bloody year, she’d taken at least FIFTY-THOUSAND Americans, and would likely take even more before this horrid thing was finished.

This being is Death, his OLDEST and TRUEST friend since he was a mere boy at the tender age of nine years old.

❝ Death. ❞ He whispers her name in what is a LONG overdue recognition of her presence, his eyes fluttering shut for the briefest of moments only to open once more as he lets out a resigned sigh. ❝ We are very close indeed. You’ve followed me around like my own shadow for my whole life, haven’t you? ❞

╰► @theirbetrayal

& @historiavn said : ❝ who are you ? ❞ — Abraham Lincoln to Mistress Death.

❝ I thought you knew , dearest ? ❞ drawling the word of endearment with an almost false innocence tone , resting my cold digits upon his before letting them move ever so gently more with a gentle touch on him . Have I not made myself known to him so many times throughout their maddening war ? Appearing at key moments in his lifetime , comforting him as I reap the very souls of his men and more ? Oh , you tall man of the living — you wound me with your question alone .

I let my digits wander on him before grabbing upon his fabric , dragging him closer to me to be on my level before letting my lips hover close to his at this moment . ❝ You know me . ❞ I whispered between us , planting a soft kiss on his cheek before letting him free from my grasp . ❝ We’re close , are we not ? I’m with you at every decision , always . ❞

[kimtiny]

I have started to read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter each day after work and so far here are some of my thoughts;

1. Teenage Abraham Lincoln is EMO ASF

2. The movie is not a good adaptation but I still like the way it tells the story

3. Since I watched the movie first I was expecting Will Johnson to appear any second but he didn't bc he's an original character from the movie. I got Torieled.. :(

4. I didn't like Henry in the movie and I still find him an asshole in the book (at least from the narrator pov)

5. Talking of the Narrator, I was super involved in his life for no reason I forgot what the book actually was about for a second.

6. This book is gore btw, not like it describes terrible acts of torture (yet) but the actions are told in such a gruesome way I just can imagine the scene.

7. The Narrator mentioned there was books about Lincoln's sexuality... erm... Speedcoln maybe?? Gay Lincoln please!!!!

[emeraldspiral]

So from what I understand, the initial pitch for Invader Zim was that the main source of comedy was Zim thinking posing as an elementary school student was the best use of his time as a spy and making leaps of logic based on his lack of cultural knowledge. And we did certainly see stuff like that happen in the show, but I think over time there was a shift to more episodes focusing on the Zim/Dib rivalry or things going on in space that didn’t feature the skool setting at all or didn’t revolve around cultural misunderstandings to drive the plot. IDK if they did more of that in the comics, but here’s some ideas I feel were missed opportunities. Not including anything obvious like “skool dance” episode, or “forced to work with Dib on a project”.

1 - An episode that’s just Zim and Dib narrating short stories they wrote for a creative writing assignment. It might be low-hanging fruit for them to both write the same story of a real incident between them from either of their perspectives, or a self-insert wish-fulfillment fantasy about defeating one another. I kinda like the idea of Dib writing the kind of story he himself would enjoy, like a noir-style detective story with a supernatural twist or gothic horror ghost story. Zim would just copy a story told to him by GIR, which itself is a mangled retelling of something that happened on TV that neither of them actually understand, but no matter how ridiculous and nonsensical the plot was he’d read it like it was Shakespeare.

2 - Similarly, an episode that’s just Zim giving an oral presentation on a historical figure or event, but he gets a ton of stuff wrong due to misinterpretation, or mixing up factual sources with like, a historical fantasy. Like if he read TF2 lore and told the class that stairs were invented by Abraham Lincoln.

3 - Zim gets an exam/report card back and finds out he’s performing poorly, which makes him question whether he’s learned anything at all from all the time he’s spent gathering intel. He decides to put his plans for conquest on hold to spend more time studying, except he’s not studying anything actually assigned by the skool and nothing he learns is on his next test or useful for conquering the humans.

4 - Alternatively, Zim is warned that because of all his absences and poor performance he’s at risk of being expelled. Dib mocks him for it at the first, but then decides he’d rather not have to worry about what Zim’s getting up to all day while he’s stuck in class, so he decides to help Zim break into the server room for the skool’s computer system so they can change his report card, but because this is Zimworld the security system is ridiculously over-the-top and the stakes are a like a Die Hard movie.

5 - The skool needs a team to represent for an academic decathlon. Zim signs up because he wants to show off his superior intellect and Dib joins the team to keep an eye on him (and prove his superior intellect). Zim and Dib are the math and science experts while their other teammates specialize in different subjects but everyone except Zim at least knows enough about the other subjects to mostly get the answers right if they’re forced to answer something outside their specialty. Unfortunately all the questions Zim and Dib know the answers to go to their less science-minded teammates and they get stuck with all the insane questions about skinning moose and other lectures from Ms. Bitters that they didn’t pay attention to.

Either that, or they keep getting quizzed about pop culture trivia they don’t know because they don’t keep up with mainstream television. Zim ends up getting a question right that wins the game however because he remembered it from some insufferable show GIR watches constantly and everyone treats him like a fucking genius for it. Dib meanwhile is treated like an idiot for getting all the stupid pop-culture questions wrong.

6 - The class has to read some classic lit out loud and Zim’s over-the-top dramatic narration leads to him being asked to audition for the skool play. Zim scores the lead role and gets way too into method acting. To the point where Dib can’t even tell if he legitimately thinks he’s the character or if he’s just doing it to mess with him.

7 - Zim joins a skool club and quickly usurps the club’s leadership and rules over the other members with an iron fist, twisting it from its original purpose into just being a club dedicated to serving his whims/messing with Dib. It all falls apart for some stupid reason like one member leaving and forcing the club to dissolve because it didn’t have enough members or some forms not being filled out correctly or budget issues forcing a bunch of clubs to shut down. Meanwhile, Dib tries to start a paranormal club but can’t get any members and gets kicked out of every other club he joins for trying to steer it away from whatever its original purpose was to make it about the paranormal.

8 - Baseball/team sports episode. Zim and Dib are both actually pretty decent so their team begrudgingly puts up with them. They let their rivalry get in the way at first and don’t pay any attention to the skool’s rival team talking trash about their skool. Even when it turns into an 80s cliche where the skool will actually be closed if they don’t win the game they don’t care because it is a shit skool and if it closes they’ll just go somewhere else. It’s only when one of the rival team members interrupts Zim and Dib in the middle of their own little pissing contest that they finally get their act together and start strategizing with the rest of their team. They win and finally get a taste of what it’s like to be appreciated momentarily for carrying the team until everyone else finds out their shitty skool is staying open because of them.

9 - Some Yu-Gi-Oh/Magic-type card game becomes really popular and Zim decides to get into it to blend in and find a way to exploit it to gain power over the humans. Dib naturally gets in on it too and they get way too serious about it. It either becomes an over-the-top parody of Yu-Gi-Oh and its hyper-realistic holograms and battle arenas that turn card games into genuine life-threatening experiences for participants and audiences alike, or it satirizes the satanic panic by having some kind of reveal that all the cards are actually possessed by real supernatural spirits and the games are part of some nefarious third party antagonist’s plot to overrun the world with demons or something.

[crepes-suzette-373]

Another conspiracy theory posting.

It has been mentioned that the Nerona in Imu's name might be a reference to Nero. Or perhaps specifically, a painting titled "Pochodnie Nerona", which depicts Christian martyrdom.

Now, if this is correct and not coincidence, this specifically makes Jupiter's naming choice very very strange, because his name strongly alludes to Saint Peter the Apostle.

Jupiter's full name was Shepherd Juu Peter. Peter is Peter directly. The "juu" is written in kanji like this: 十. Literally it means the number 10, but it's also the shape of the cross. Cross-shaped objects, including the Christian cross, is referred to in Japanese as "juumonji", or "the shape of the kanji juu".

The Bible narrated that Jesus left a personal message to Peter alone. The wording may vary depending of the translation, but one of the forms used says "shepherd My sheep".

Apostle Peter was, according to tradition, executed by the order of Nero.

I've seen some comments in the fandom suggesting that someone among the Gorousei might actually be a turncoat, and I'm not sure what the existing theories were, but I wonder if this means that Jupiter is the one.

Certainly there's a few things about him that makes it feel like he's the odd man out. His beast form is not a "traditional Asian folklore beast", but a Western one. Possibly a relatively modern invention, even, since I wasn't able to find anything like a "sandworm" in older mythology. Far as I can tell, this was based on or adopted from Dune's sandworms.

The other Gorousei's faces were very very similar to their real life inspirations. Venus being based on Gandhi and Mercury based on Gorbachev is so dead-obvious it's not even funny. Jupiter's supposed "reference" was Abraham Lincoln, but unlike the other 4, the resemblance is not intuitive. I'm even personally of the opinion he doesn't look like Lincoln at all. There is the entire possibility he's not actually based on a real person at all, and if so, that's singling him out as different again.

And now for the wild guess that is mostly based on conjecture. I previously wrote that by the zodiac alignment, Jupiter's "beast" form should have been a dragon. You can stretch it and suppose that "sandworm" maybe counts as a "dragon" somehow (because wyrm and worm sounds similar), but unlike the other 4 this is not really intuitive either.

I have posted a couple of times saying that I have this theory that maybe before the World Noble Tenryuubito established themselves, there were a race of "real dragons" who may have lived on Red Line alongside the Lunarians. Maybe Jupiter's strange naming and his zodiac alignment hinted that he is actually a real dragon, and he's been hiding his true form to avoid being hunted.

It's not yet really explained why Lunarians are hunted, but it's not entirely off base to make a conjecture that: 1) there could be other ancient races on the red Line, and 2) they might have been hunted just like the Lunarians were. In which case, hiding one's identity is necessary.

Not to mention the strange scar he has on his neck. Sure, Saturn has a scar too, but the scar being on his neck really makes me wonder. I half-jokingly theorised that maybe he was the dragon Ryuuma cut down all those years ago.

The wording says "cut down" 斬り捨て. While this tends to imply "kill", this does not actually directly mean kill. It's just slashing the opponent with a critical blow. This still leaves the slimmest chance of the opponent being able to survive the strike.

The direction of the diagonal scar also is consistent with a standard samurai slash. Or any right-handed sword slash, even, since Zoro's scar from Mihawk also goes the same direction. I'm not entirely serious with this theory, but it's not impossible.

[historiavn]

SECRETARY SEWARD HAD LOOKED LIKE he was going to kill him. When Abraham informed his cabinet of his plans to travel all the way across the sea and attend Queen Elsa’s coronation in Arendelle, every single man in that room had been absolutely FURIOUS. Honestly, he’s still not quite sure how he’d made it out of there alive; even though he was used to the partisan divide within his TEAM OF RIVALS, being faced with the ire of his ENTIRE CABINET was nevertheless a deeply unpleasant experience.

“A month!” Secretary Seward’s incredulous exclamation rings in Abraham’s ears as he exchanges pleasantries with all the other foreign diplomats and fancy posh folks attending the celabatory ball held in honor of Arendelle’s new queen. “You will be gone a whole bloody month, during a time where three-fourth’s of your country want your goddamn head on a goddamn silver platter! How the hell do you think you running off to some tiny foreign country across the sea will look to the vultures in the press, let alone General McClellan or even your constituents? Send me instead! I’m your Secretary of State! If you go, your reputation will never recover!”

However, this was about MORE than his reputation.

This was about the future of his country — and by extension, the SURVIVAL of the GREAT AMERICAN EXPERIMENT. Here was the GREATEST GAMBLE Abraham would ever take in his entire career, yet if he succeeds, the payoff would be worth all the risk. Arendelle was once one of America’s very first trading partners in the years immediately following the American Revolution, but as domestic tension grew in the United States over the divisive question of slavery, the partnership had faded away. If he can rekindle this bond — a task ill-fitting of his Secretary of State, no matter how gifted Seward may be at the delicate art of international diplomacy — then it will alter forever the course of this WAR BETWEEN THE STATES.

Yes, it’s reckless. It’s the most reckless diplomatic move any American official has made in the country’s entire history. But he has a good feeling about this, and deep down, he knows that coming here is the NEXT RIGHT THING.

He’s in the middle of discussing his divided country’s plight with foreign dignitaries from France and the small Kingdom of Corona when the conversation is interrupted by the WOMAN OF THE HOUR. Abraham towers over Queen Elsa by quite a few inches, but when he meets her intrigued gaze, it is he who can’t help the SHOCK which courses through his veins. Gray eyes widen whilst his breath catches in his throat, and a chill travels down his spine.

POWER. This single word cuts across his conscious like a knife, chilling Abraham down to the brittle old bone. Queen Elsa is only twenty-one, and yet just by meeting her gaze, he has the peculiar feeling that this young woman has endured the pain of a thousand lifetimes. Nobody this young should be so utterly HAUNTED, and nobody this young should make Abraham’s intuition pinpoint them as such a powerful being. He can’t quite identify the source or nature of this power, but he knows it’s there. Elsa has done a wonderful job of keeping it hidden — “CONCEAL, DON’T FEEL” echoes through his thoughts to the repetitive beat of a war drum — but it is not hidden enough. Whatever it is, her power is INCREDIBLE, and he must be extremely careful. Much more so than he originally planned. Thank God he didn’t end up sending Seward.

It takes a few moments — eerily reminiscent of an ETERNITY — for Abraham to shake himself from his stunned daze, and once he does, a small, sheepish smile tugs upon the corner of his lips. He offers a nod to his companions, his expression apologetic. “I hope you will forgive my absence, my good sirs, but alas; duty calls.” Abraham responds cordially, KEENLY AWARE of the extent to which his high-pitched falsetto voice — particularly when coupled with an accent straight from the backwoods Kentucky-Indiana frontier he once called home — makes him stick out like a GIANT SORE THUMB amongst Queen Elsa’s more refined guests. Good heavens; he feels like a fish out of water!

Upon gathering his resolve and receiving reassuring farewells from his companions, his attention shifts once more towards the queen. He removes his high top hat as a gesture of respect, careful to not disturb the bundle of IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS nestled inside. They’re still visible, though, and Abraham absentmindedly tucks one deeper into the hat when he notices it sticking out.

“Indeed it does, Your Majesty. Please do lead the way, if you so desire; I fear I’d get lost in this mighty palace of yours.”

╰► @vintersang

@historiavn walked into the unknown.

For the most part of the celebration, Elsa has kept quiet. She observed the flow of all her guests, lost in a perfumed sea of unfamiliar faces. She thought her little sister's familiar face would soothe the uneasy knots in her stomach, but Anna has disappeared in the crowd. Her arm was linked with a handsome man with sideburns, but she didn't get a chance to catch a snippet of their conversation. Anna looked as happy as she remembered her to be, perhaps even more happier. She spotted a blush decorating her freckled face, no help of rouge needed.

Though she longed to go speak to her sister, perhaps try to speak to the man that captured her sister's attention, but Elsa remained on the sidelines. She stays in the ballroom, unable to stray away from her party guests because someone had to be present. Her sister had the freedom to wander away tonight. She is breathing in and out to try to calm her nerves, still frazzled by the way the frost crept upon the golden relics when the bishop discreetly warned her about her gloves in the royal chapel. All she had to do, now, is survive this party. Elsa begins to wander amidst the crowd, slow yet graceful, as she listens to snippets of conversations.

She had no intention of joining any conversations, truly... All she longed for is to breeze past conversations. She paused heard something that caught her attention, something utterly unexpected. The hushed topic of war reaches her ears, but so did the urgency of the concerned voice. She has been raised by many etiquette lessons ever since she could crawl, so Elsa would never dream of interrupting someone's conversation. She, however, also heard the name of Arendelle in the same sentence as war.

She had to interrupt this little private conversation for Arendelle's sake—

Politeness will have to wait—

"I don't mean to intrude on your private conversation, sir..." Elsa jumps in, hands tightly clasped together. Her tone of voice is quiet, but it's coldly polite. Her gaze is sharp, but her voice still has the compassion of kindness. Wariness coils around her like vines of frost-covered thorns, but there is still a speck of kindness. She dons her mask quite well, no doubt trained for many years, but her stiff hands tell a different story. Something is eating away at her mind, though she does a good job at hiding it. Only the most observant can spot the tiny cracks in her behavior.

I didn't realize my coronation party has suddenly become a place to try to discuss another country's war. Elsa thought her world could never be shaken so violently again ever since what happened to her parents, but this American guest has proven to uproot her. Today has already been an incredibly long day, but hearing someone talk about a war is enough to bring a chill to the ballroom. Three years ago... Has it really been that long since her parents died at sea?

What would her father say if he was still here? She wish she knew what to do. Inhaling deeply, Elsa raised her head a bit higher to try to remain as regal as possible. She cannot believe someone is trying to recruit assistance for a war overseas on such an important day. Did they not know? Were they filled with desperation to try to end?

It seems like you're only reason for being here on this special occasion is to convince the Kingdom of Arendelle, my father's pride and joy, to join another country's war... All you want is to deplete our sources for your own gain. Elsa kept her bluntness, sharpened by her uneasiness and distrust, to herself. She knew her thoughts were childish, something created in the heat of the moment. She knew she shouldn't spout such carelessness, not when she has no information to defend her claims. This man before her... All he wanted was to protect his home.

He's far from home, that much is clear by his accent. He is risking his life for something beyond his grasp, grasping at straws. She can understand his desperation, so this realization allows her to smooth her suspicious mind... for the time being. In this moment, she wished she could be more of a social butterfly. Tonight, however, is already draining her.

"It would be best to discuss such important discussions in a more... private setting. Somewhere less loud, perhaps. It's beautiful outside tonight, so the balcony sounds like an ideal location, don't you agree?" Elsa offered to the stranger, feeling all too aware of so many eyes upon them. She had to get it out of her. She was not the tall guest's conversation partner, however. It was up to them on whether they wished to talk elsewhere.

[rmstitanics]

WEBWEAVE: With Malice Toward None

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE is a new musical currently in development that recontextualizes the well-known narrative of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency by focusing on his struggle with mental health. Narrated by the Robert Todd Lincoln of 1922, this musical is a complex commentary on the issues of mental health, leadership, and historical memory.

FEATURING QUOTATIONS AND IMAGES PULLED FROM Tumblr, Pinterest, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (Jon Meacham), Joshua Wolf Shenk, The History Channel’s Abraham Lincoln docuseries, The Psychic Life of Abraham Lincoln (Susan B. Martinez).

[cantsomeoneelsedoit]

Ch 52: To You, From Me

Rip: "Want me to pick you up, too?"

Latla: "I hope no one tags me in this..."

And that boy's name was Abraham Lincoln.

This chapter is all about Akira/Anno Un. For plot purposes, UU focuses on how his manga helped the Negators, but there are surely a lot of regular people who love it, too--Fuuko's mom, for one! It holds the record for the longest-running shoujo manga for a reason.

Andy and Tatiana both enjoyed it before they knew about its importance, too. It stands on its own as a story even if the reader doesn't know that it predicts the future, because it's a great story! Fuuko told Top that it was the "gold standard for long-running shoujo manga" and both she and Tatiana were SHOCKED that a young person like Top hadn't heard of it. I wonder what the normal fans would think if they learned its true purpose!

I just realized that if little Akira hadn't been a manga fan, he might've done something else with the story he saw, like make it into a movie or children's books or a spoken word album or an interpretive dance or something. Or even just kept it to himself! And if that had happened, there's a chance that Fuuko would've never known about it, Juiz would've never put the puzzle together, and the people who needed to hear the story might not have ever encountered it.

But the fact that the object he picked up was a G Liner seals the deal. It's for drawing manga! It's like God/the Author/whoever put it there was gently nudging him to make this story into a manga instead of any other medium.

The flashback continues in narration boxes while the current story moves ahead. Rip is running along Autumn's claw while Latla and Bunny get in close.

"Despite that, he never gave up on life, in part because of his mother's desire for him to stay alive. But the other reason...."

TOZUKAAAA!!!! Yes!! I love this!

He had to have a close relationship with a good parent or else the manga may have never happened. What if Akira hadn't overheard her hopes for him? Or if she'd given up on him?

It's all set up so perfectly! And Akira having a loving parent is the key to all of it working out. He wrote all of it with her in mind, even the title! And it did find its way to her, though Anno Un was too late to meet her in person.

I just love that he prefaces the fact that the characters kept him alive with "AND HE HAD A WONDERFUL MOTHER." It's nice to see that.

That's a lot to put on a kid! Poor Akira!

If the bad ending was that the world ended because Fuuko died, it's probably bc killing God is only possible with her Negation abilities and personality, but also hear me out: (ch 16⬇️)

Fuuko's death may have broken Andy, too, and with him weakened, Victor would come out to try to kill Juiz, and then who knows who would ride the Ark!?!

The one-shot contest Akira won was likely in the 70s, judging by the name of the magazine, so by now he's had like 30 years of drawing these characters and writing stories for them. He's their #1 fan! He loves them! How could he not? He doesn't want to see them defeated.

(And that's the difference between Anno Un and God/The Author in the UU-verse. Anno Un knows they're real and wants to help them. God may or may not know the characters are sentient, but only wants to see them defeated...)

Akira found a loophole to his ability by manifesting Anno Un to do the work for him! Has he just been following Anno everywhere all these years?

It seems like Akira may have taken out his soul with Soul Caliber and put it into Anno Un, but I still have questions:

If Akira's body was without a soul, then was his body just hanging out unnoticed somewhere like Fuuko's was when she was in the book?

How did Akira's soul get back into his body at the end of this chapter?

If you have theories, please send them!

Meanwhile, Andy and Rip begin the main attack on Autumn in a very wicked double spread

Hit 'em with the double moons! Without Rip, they couldn't have pulled this off!

The pen shattering as a punishment for changing the future is just cruel! Did God just expect him to live with that knowledge and not try to change it? Or was God afraid of what else Akira might tell them now if he could?

Latla swoops in on her broom-cycle with Bunny and Fuuko and Bunny grabs the core as Andy sets up a Volcano Unluck Bullet.

All of those pieces had to work together and maximize the way their skills could combine for Autumn to be captured. But now that Latla has the core, will the Union be able to get it back?

Awww, that's what Fuuko told Cap'n Andy at the cabin in the book! It makes sense that Andy would be the one to reach out to Akira. He knows what it's like to lose people and how alone Akira must feel.

In the anime, the voice actor for Anno Un, Akira, and the narrator are all the same person, so these narration boxes are Akira's voice speaking and talking about himself in 3rd person.

And we finally see Akira as an older man. He hasn't been acknowledged by another person in so long! Granted, Andy calls him "Anno," which is probably just how it has to be since no one can know about Akira. Still, a fist bump is a fist bump.

"To You, From Me," was a phrase that summarized Akira's feelings toward his mom, but it's also what Andy is giving back to him. Akira's ability forced him to live in a situation where he could only GIVE, never receive. He gave advice. He shared his work. He gave life to a drawing, then gave that drawing his name, his soul, and his fame.

But he couldn't receive things from others because no one could perceive him. Andy's fist bump is the first thing he's received in so long! I wish The Union could find a way to contain his ability and let him live a normal life, like what happened with Tatiana, but his requirements are so strict that there probably isn't a way around it. Still, it would be fun to see him stick around.

Masterpost

[angevon]

Here's an update to what I've been listening to during my daily commute.

Previous Podcast post: https://www.tumblr.com/angevon/738730790493552640/podcasts-im-listening-to-and-not

Still listening to:

Hey Riddle Riddle

Inn Between

Life with Althaar

Mission to Zyxx

No Such Thing as a Fish

Stellar Firma

Finished:

Blueberries Hill - a comedy podcast in a Peter Rabbit-like world, the actors are animals like Mr. Bear and Mrs. Rabbit. I like how there’s a coherent narrative to each episode, despite the ad-libbing. Makes the magic happen. Only 6 episodes.

DUST: Chrysalis - I found the ending a little anticlimactic, but it fit the narrative and I'm mostly satisfied with it. Recommended for anyone seeking a relatively short and self-contained sci fi narrative.

Sidequesting - Tal Minear has an enjoyable voice to listen to. I can’t say I loved this podcast, but it was wholesome and lgbt+ so I recommend it for that. My main issue is that I'm listening during my commute, and, particularly in the last episode, there are characters with hard-to-hear/ hard-to-understand voices. I just can't hear it well over the sounds of the road so it kinda frustrated me.

The Sword that Explodes - a barbarian named Clive quits the barbarian life to end up an adventurer instead, with a lady alchemist and a clever rogue. They get into various shenanigans. British style humor, only 7 episodes, seems to have been abandoned.

New!:

1865 - a dramatic reenactment of the events occurring directly after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The actor playing Edwin Stanton is enjoyable to listen to. Warning for coughing a lot, though.

Absolutely No Adventures - the owner of a small bakery was unfortunately born under ALL the signs. Everyone seems to think he’s the chosen one or whatever, and to him it really is “whatever” — he just wants to be left alone. Every episode he has to weasel his way out of being forced into saving the world by whoever’s found him next.

Bananas - funny news from around the world - what it says on the tin. Similar to Hey Riddle Riddle where it’s mostly a group of friends hanging out, with a focus on goofy headlines.

Death by Dying - this one is difficult to explain. The protagonist is an obituary writer for a small town, and each episode he’s explaining the death of a person in the town. But the stories are outlandishly entertaining. The narrator is fun to listen to.

Mission Rejected - when a secret agent chooses NOT to accept the mission, the mission gets passed down to, well, the B team. This is their story. It’s… okay? The humor doesn’t quite jive with me, but I keep thinking it might need more time to get better, so I haven’t dropped it.

Solutions to Problems - a human and an alien host a futuristic helpline radio show. The human is named Janet, which reminds me of The Good Place, and the alien is Loaf, short for Meatloaf, a name he chose for himself since his name in his native tongue is too difficult for Janet to pronounce. A relatively wholesome show with fun character rapport.

True Tales of the Illuminati - similar vibe to Mission Rejected. Stories about how the wacky Illuminati B team tries to accomplish Illuminati business. The first story was about them trying to get the Great Pyramids of Egypt built.

Victoriocity - in a cyberpunk New London, murder and conspiracies are afoot. Detective Fleet finds himself in the middle of the mystery and determined to solve it. This podcast has a fun narrative style, similar to Kingmaker Histories, but more humor focused, so I'm enjoying it.

Warlock - basically a magic school anime made into an audio drama, it even has a Japanese opening song. The characters are over-the-top and tropey, but that's the point. Despite the focus on combat, it's fun.

Zed 1 - a British couple and their hilarious shenanigans during the zombie apocalypse

Dropped:

Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet - started to get a real privileged feel from the hosts.

Tower 4 - season 2 is just plain frustrating to listen to. We know what’s going on, but the protagonist doesn’t, and he’s frankly being an asshole to the only people who can help.

The Judgies - too similar to Bananas

The Kingmaker Histories - a girl ends up with the valuable magic gem known as the Kingmaker inside her head. Now she’s on a journey to escape the people who want it from her. The world is interesting, an alternate-history-with-magic. Unfortunately, none of the characters have sold me and I decided I’m just not enjoying it.

StarTripper!! - this was fun at first, but got kinda horny…? An alien named Festin leaves his office job to travel the universe, in a style like Hitchhiker’s guide.

Tales of the Extraordinary - I honestly had a hard time following.

On hold…?:

Bridgewater - I like the mystery, but I’m not a fan of the dialogue patterns. I dislike when a dialogue has too much “character a says something, character b replies WHAT??? or repeats it again as a question” or similar. It really takes me out of the story. Put on hold due to being similar to Tower 4, but since I dropped Tower 4 I might come back to this.

Dungeons and Daddies - I’m already listening to a lot of dnd stuff via Dropout so I don’t need another one. Also, after one episode, I kinda only like the Druid haha.

Finding Pattersby - a ghost writer tries to find the guy he writes for, who went missing under mysterious circumstances. The protagonist has anxiety and the narrative generally feels real, I like him a lot. I was pretty hooked in the first couple of episodes but turns out it’s unfinished/ongoing. I don’t want to get invested haha.

Welcome to Night Vale - I do like this but it’s quite formulaic? Which is fine but after 100 episodes feels like it kinda wore out on me. I’ll come back to it at some point, I’m sure.

[historiavn]

JUST ONE WEEK HAS PASSED since he'd placed his hand atop the Bible to swear his Oath of Office only to be flung unceremoniously into the FUTURE instead. Adjusting to the modern era wasn't easy, but right when Abraham was finally beginning to recover from the CULTURE SHOCK of it all, the sudden attack on President King's State of the Union address disrupted all the progress he'd made. In the midst of his newfound acquaintanceship with modern technology, he'd never once imagined what it could be capable of in the realms of WARFARE - and witnessing these capabilities firsthand had left Abraham well and truly SHAKEN. This was a direct attack on the very heart of American democracy, and it had happened in the blink of an eye.

He might've been deeply RATTLED by the attack, but his grief at the damage wrought upon the Union didn't even hold a candle to Tamsin's. Abraham takes a deep, shaky breath, his gray hues flickering over towards the new president whilst he searches desperately for something — anything — to say that could bring her some semblance of comfort. Tamsin is a good soul who has helped him greatly with adjusting to the modern era, and seeing her so DEVASTATED makes his heart hurt. For once, Springfield’s most beloved storyteller is SILENT.

Dear God, where is his voice when he needs it the MOST?

When he finally regains the ability to speak, it is with shoulders that sag as if they bear the burdens of every single American citizen. “I didn’t know what I was doing when I took the Oath of Office either — hell, I still don’t know what I’m doing.” A wry chuckle escapes his lips, and he shakes his head. “In my time, the country’s on the brink of war, and based on what you’ve told me, that war will be pretty rough. I have no idea how on Earth I will manage to lead the country through that mess; but … well … clearly America’s still alive after my time in office. Battered and bruised, of course, but still here.” He shrugs. “The same will be true after your term; I am certain of it. I wish I had more advice to give you, but no matter what, I promise I’ll be right there by your side. We’ll get through this together.”

╰► @frstwomn

she slowly sinks into the couch next to him, pulling leather gloves from her hands, setting them onto the coffee table in front of her. there's few people she would ever let see her hands, the only part of her she kept hidden ( if asked, she would give a noncommittal answer and change the subject ). pressing her lips together, the president lets out a small sigh, pressing the palms of her hands against her eyes, rubbing the exhaustion out of them. or at least, she hoped.

it was the last funeral and perhaps the hardest one. her predecessor and her best friend. there wasn't even a body left to bury. her eyes clench underneath her palms, tears leaking out from the sides of her eyes.

"I don't know what I am doing." she admits quietly. "I don't know how to do this. millions are looking to ME for answers, for stability, for hope. and I don't know how to give that to them."

@historiavn ASKED FOR POST ATTACK TAMSIN.