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moriartyluver · 2 years ago

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FALSE LOVERS CHAPTER XVI

"I ACCEPT YOUR REQUEST" A harmonious voice asked from the other side of the wooden grid in the abandoned chapel's confession stall. "Are you prepared for anything, even if it means losing your life?"

Another consultation.

"of course! Cough. In any case, my body's been taken over by illness, and I won't last much longer. I merely have one wish.." The middle aged man managed to cough out. "And if this'll make that man suffer and get a taste of hell on earth...then I'll gladly give up my life!"

"I'll send you word of the plan at a later time," William responded "until then, wait for my instructions."

"We found this man through Fred's information network but what do you think? Can we trust him?" Sebastian asked while they sat in the carriage with (name) sat beside William.

Ever since her parents visit, she had been acting strange. The other had seen her as a ticking time bomb. She had managed to put up a facade on the last day of her parents' visit of being completely fine and happy, even though the grand duke and duchess still felt guilty for bringing up such a topic at such a cheerful dinner. She was also avoiding the other members of the team (Fred and Moran had heard about the disastrous dinner from Josephine) and especially william after their encounter in the bedroom, which she had seen to be a mere mistake and on the day of their anniversary, she had stayed in her bedroom the entire day, planning her own schemes as of a spark had been relit in for her desire to dissolve the British empire.

Of course she would still interact with the others but it had seemed that all she was now was some sort of machine who only spoke of work or business related affairs. Even when William had told (name) he had recommended her to work at Durham university to cheer her up, after two year of trying to get a job as a professor and then giving up, she had only reacted plainly, thanking him as though he had meant nothing to her. To everyone this seemed reasonable but William was especially curious regarding the death of Arden, considering (name) had caused it yet was upset about it all the same.

(Name) couldn't have cared less about Arden's death though. She had massacred so many people during that time period that she had somehow numbed herself to the feeling of grief of guilt. She wouldn't have felt guilt anyways, this was all for the sake of avenging her deceased brother.

That particular evening, she wished her parents hadn't mentioned anything. Of course, they were worried for her but all it had done was being back unpleasant memories and guilt she had tried to bury. William was the only person she knew who could distract her from such. Their not-quite-a-friendship in university had meant a lot to her despite not admitting it because whether it be heated Philosophical debates, study sessions or chess matches, the presence of the blond had always helped her forget whatever had troubled her.

"He has a rather powerful grudge against that noble. However the noble is so well guarded that he can't even get to him which is why he is despairing.." (name) spoke

Viscount Arden, Theodore Arden's father, wasn't as well guarded, she thought. Still, with her lack of experience at the time when it came to scheming and crime, (name) had used the man she was courting to her advantage.

Each night after every little rendezvous between the 'couple', (name) would, after she would cause Theodore to fall asleep and once she had slipped out of his arms, look around his manor. During the first of these few secret meetings, (name) had gathered enough blackmail, which she had prepared in case Scotland Yard, (or worse, the government) questioned her regarding the soon to be deaths of not only Viscount Arden, but his children and wife too. It was a small price to pay for her brother.

It's not like he would approve though. (Brother's name) was always a kind person, a pacifist, a boy who helped those in need and would never kill another or even think an unkind thought about anyone.

She clenched her fists.

It was unfair. It was so unjust that such a good person was removed from this world all because of this damn empire. If she could sacrifice herself to bring him back in her place, she would. (Brothers name) should have been the heir. (Brothers name) should have attended university. (Brothers name) should have lived instead of her.

Even after all the people she had killed, she still felt no satisfaction.

"Indeed...His death is so close and it's filling him with loneliness. He has no attachment to this world aside from his desire for revenge." William said as he looked over at (name), who looked back, almost as if they were non verbally communicating. It was as if he was wondering if (name) was in fact the same. He had found in his research that may have been the case. "we can trust those kinds of people."

"Is that so.." The dark haired man rested his arm on his seat "and that Holmes man or whatever he's called.. if it looks like he'll become a problem, tell me. I'll kill him any time."

(Name)'s face had a short flicker of a frown on it, but she promptly returned to her neutral expression as she tore her gaze away from William and back to the late night scenery outside the window.

"Thank you, Moran but wait a little bit longer. I have a plan."

As William and (name) had expected, the plan was indeed a success in revealing the sort of man Sherlock Holmes, the worlds only consulting detective, was.

William turned to his wife as she kept her hand on his arm "Our audition has definitely borne fruit, hasn't it (name)?"

(Name) gave william a curt nod as they walked through Baker Street, watching as a crowd surrounded 221B where sherock Holmes resided and was currently standing outside of wearing a deerstalker hat and cloak alongside another man she couldn't recognise but knew of as Arthur Conan Doyle, or John Watson.

"An expected success.." she whispered

William titled his top hat "The test we had set up to see he had the certain qualities needed whether or not he was the type of man who would stop at nothing to reach his success."

"Even with the promise of information on all of us, he still didn't go along with Hope's preposition." Moran sighed in confusion

"Based on your calculations of Holme's commitment to satisfy his curiosity, there was a 60% chance he would kill Hope." Louis said as they all walked down a mysterious alleyway.

"And yet he didn't go through with it..." Josephine muttered under her breath

"we don't shy away from doing anything to get what we want but he does," uttered Fred quietly "So does that mean he's the person we're looking for?"

"His deduction skills are definitely irreproachable but surely, your plan didn't account for him turning into 'master detective Sherlock Holmes' overnight, did it (nickname), Will?" Although the smog and mist seemed to be enveloping the group, (name) could sense Albert's smirk.

"From now on we shall be the ones to put an end to the evil demons of the privileged classes that cannot be handled by the yard or our justice system..." William lifted his hat off his head with a swoop "..And mr holmes will solve the incidents and convey to the world the depravity of those nobles..He is just a man who will bring light onto the shadows of the world..

..Sherlock Holmes."

"(Name)? You've been here all day.." a soft voice called out to her.

"I found this one book on Pythagoras' most influential mathematics theories..I've been distracted since." A small (name) responded as the boy sat beside her. "Besides, I've been terribly bored as of late."

The older boy chuckled as he sat beside his sister, leaning against the bookshelf in the largest library of the grand dukedom. There were multiple others, but this one was alway both of their favourites

He took the book out of her hand with a gentle smile, but (name) couldn’t see his face. It was a blur.

"Hey! I was reading that!" (Name) frowned

(Brothers name) flipped through the pages, skimming them as his fading face managed to hold various different expressions, some of confusion, others of understanding.

"Mother and father did tell you that you should rest, didn't they? In fact, to quote mother, I should 'take whatever book you're reading and eat a page in front of you' if that's what it takes for you to rest for the first time in your life." He said, shutting the book then handing it back to her, patting her head whilst she glared at him "Of course, I could never do that to my little sister, but they are right, you know. You're only 8 years old and you've already read all the fiction books in all 4 of the libraries and father caught you sneaking into his office to read some ancient political documents for (home country)"

The (hair colour)-ette pouted childishly. Only with (brothers name) did she ever feel the freedom to act in such a manner.

"But I like reading!"

"So do I, but you don't catch me reading books 24/7," her brother looked at her irritated expression with a smile "Then again, you're probably the smartest (last name) there is, and that's certainly saying something. You're bound to get bored at some point. I do wish you would use that brain for good."

"You're intelligent too, idiot." (Name) said as she rested her head on his shoulder

"That's quite the contradictory statement"

"That's quite the contradictory facial structure."

The brunette gasped dramatically and placed a hand to his chest "I'll have you know there are multiple girls waiting in line to court me!" They were both joking as siblings do, though. The 18 year old was actually well sought after in (home country) and even other countries.

(Name) rolled her (eye colour) eyes"I think they should all see optometrists."

(Brothers name) couldn't even bring himself to be upset at that point. He let out a strange sort of choked laugh that sounded as though he were a hyena, or like someone was rubbing two balloons together.

"Touché, touché," he managed to say as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Did mother send you after me?" (Name) asked curiously. She had skipped an etiquette lesson that day and she hoped her mother would allow her to brush it off. It's not like she was impolite anyways. Her mentality was that if she smiled and used big words, her etiquette would be fine.

"Nope. Your governess didn't mention anything to her. I think she might be sick of you," (brothers name) said as he stood up and placed a fallen book back in its designated place. "They are right when they say you should use your intellect for good, you know. You just seem to absorb it all and then hoard it like a goblin."

"Look who's talking..!"

"You know what I mean though," he said, stifling another laugh "Mother and father don't want to boost your ego to become larger than it already is but you are their pride and joy. The little gem of (home country). I saw a letter coming from the United Kingdom make its way into fathers office the other day. It had their Queen's seal on it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a request to make you into a Princess there."

(Name) grimaced "Ew no! I'm only 8! I cant even tie my shoelaces!" She made an obnoxious gaging noise "How would I even marry a prince who's probably wayyy older than me. The nerve of that queen! Her husband died only a few years ago and now she wants to arrange me to marry one of her sons!"

"Father would never allow it. Mother would much rather burn down Buckingham palace than sell you off to them." He continued "After all they've done to (home country)..."

She saw her brother clench his fist. She had never seen him angry before. To (name), he was a peaceful boy, she was always a bit more of the problem child. He could occasionally be protective of her, but that was because she was her older brother. Unknown to her, 9 year old (brother's name) had promised from the day (name) was born, to protect his little sister no matter what.

"Aren't you off to study there in a few months?" (Name) asked

He nodded "Next month is your birthday and then three months afterwards, I'm taking a ship there to study at Oxford. Study hard, (name). Then we can go together."

"But I'm a bit too young—"

He kneeled down to his sister, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye "(name), for you, age won't matter in getting into university. Nor will your gender..it may be difficult but knowing you, you get everything you put your mind to. Besides, I over heard mother speaking to your mathematics tutor, he said he thinks you'll be able to study alongside other university student by the time you're 16, and you'll finish in half the time needed. There's no need to worry...just study hard and use that brain to become great, if not for yourself then for me."

She nodded, a determined smile on her face.

"For you, brother."

"(Name)...wake up.." She heard a soft voice call out to her as she was gently shook awake.

Her eyes slowly opened. She could feel a little teardrop fall onto the paper her face was rested again. She lifted her head up to see William sat beside her in the candle light along with the new unarmed kitten sleeping on her lap. (Name) rubbed at the small ink stain on her cheek.

"Has the morning come already..?"

He shook his head and then gestured to the door with a head tilt.

By the door frame, (name) could make out four people stood with only the lamp illuminating their features. She winced then rubbed her eyes again. Fred was there alongside Moran and Josephine and Louis who was holding the lamp behind them.

"I...I have information for you...Lord William, Lady (name).." Fred stuttered out

(Name) raised a brow. If it was a normal mission or request, Fred would usually arrive in the morning. From the sky that (name) could see in the overhead glass windows, it was still night. This must have been urgent and based on the expressions each of them held, it was.

"Fred," William smiled reassuringly "Take your time and start from the beginning."

The boy lifted his eyes from the floor and looked at the two at the desk. "Y-Yes, sir! From what I’ve heard, the children were taken to Dartmoor..I fear that the manhunts are still going on..!”

“Dartmoor? Enders’ old hunting ground..?” (Name) repeated. Ah, someone else must have started going on manhunts in his stead.

Fred nodded “What’s worse is that these monsters are kidnapping defenceless children from the slums for to murder for their own entertainment! The yard won’t care if a few of them disappeared, they’re only encouraging these blood thirsty nobles to continue their hunt..!”

(Name)’s eyes widened. This was possibly more extreme than most of the missions they had done. Most of the time, they would only target a single aristocrat at a time but this clearly involved more people. And from the way Fred, who was usually so calm and quiet, was getting heated, it showed the urgency of the situation.

“It’s not right!! They think of commoners as less than human…and decide they can do as they please with us!!”

William put a hand to his chin in thought then dropped it down to his lap “I see…thank you for the information, Fred.”

“So..someone is continuing Ender’s barbarous manhunt..?” (Name) thought aloud, still half asleep

“Fred..your role to cause a collapse of the class system,” William said “is to collect information and make sure I never do the same thing twice, correct?”

William had read him like a book.

“n-not at all, sir..I know this information is useless—“

“It’s not useless at all,” the blond interrupted “I have always been doing what I can to be of help to all of the people I meet. However, to eradicate all of these devils at once, we must destroy the foundation they’re standing on, the class system so that no more evil like them can take root. H the class system of britain is nothing but a curse. In order to destroy it, we must have the people question its very existence. The method we’ve chosen to reveal this wickedness is through crimes.” William clenched his fist “Yes indeed, to reach one’s goal, one must be prepared to make sacrifices. The evil we have committed in order to destroy this class system may never disappear, but that’s the price I’m willing to pay to eradicate these devils.”

“Lord William..”

“If the law and the police won’t judge that evil…then only another evil can do so..” a strange feeling of deja vu washed over (name) as William spoke. “We will be that evil, these manhunts need not to continue any longer.”

“S-sir!” Fred exclaimed in surprise

“The carriage will come at dawn, we will need to be quick if we want to catch it. I shall join you.”

(Name) finally spoke up “I’m coming too.” She insisted.

William gave her a hesitant nod as he continued “Go make preparations quickly if necessary.”

“Understood sir!”

As the four left the two in the office, Fred went ahead, almost excited, as he went to make preparations.

“We’re preparing for another job then,” Louis said

“Yeah..and right at dawn too..” Moran trailed off, looking down at Fred hurrying down the stairs. “Fred always thought of William as some sort of bigger than life existence..though, I suppose we all have quite an unusual relationship, don’t we?”

Louis and Josephine nodded simultaneously. The latter knew she would probably have to stay behind this time around. (Name) had forbidden her from going on missions that may be too visceral for her to handle. Josephine had easily figured out that it was because (name) seemed to worry about her so much, even though she thought (name) should be worrying about herself and her poor habits. It was likely because of her previous experiences in the poorer parts of london and her experience with Ashfordshire. She would never complain, but sometimes she felt the deep desire to be by her saviour’s side, just to be of use to her so she could repay her for all she had done for her.

“Yes..although William can be quite distant sometimes..”. Louis muttered “So I think I can understand how Fred was feeling..”

“That feeling of not being able to do repay your benefactor..” the brunette agreed “it’s familiar..”

Moran looked at the two in disbelief “come on, you two! You’re exaggerating!” The both looked at him with a serious look “Jesus! Every one of you!”

He looked at Louis “look, you’re not like Fred, you and William are brothers! You’ve no need to act reserved around him!” He then turned to Josephine “and you..! (Name) practically treats you like you’re her daughter or something..! Just tell ‘em both what you want to say..!”

Louis looked up in thought “Perhaps I should..”

Things didn’t seem as easy for Josephine though, she and (name) weren’t biologically related and she was still her subordinate . With the way (name) was acting recently, she felt it would be best if she kept her distance. She felt a little hurt that her mistress couldn’t turn to her now when she seemed so troubled. She nodded and left to her chambers to take care of the manor whilst the others were gone on their mission.

“Indeed! Well, see you in a bit then!”

A/N: icl this chapter was kinda dead. Deader than fls brother. Fl needs to stop self sabotaging ong. Also I hope the sibling dynamic between fl and her brother is actually realistic because I’m sick of siblings written by only children and they call each other “sis” or “bro” unironically. As someone with four siblings we just call each other insults lol

#moriarty the patriot #william james moriarty #william moriarty #william moriarty x reader #—false lovers 💋#mtp william #yuukoku no moriarty #yuukoku no moriarty x reader #moriarty the patriot x reader

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matan4il · 2 years ago

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I love your posts about Jewish representation on TV and it reminded me of another post I saw by someone else who talked about how there’s a movie coming soon to Amazon that’s based on a book (it’s called Red and White & Royal Blue), and how the only Jewish character from the book was the only character to not be cast authentically in the movie because the actress and her family and openly and proudly Christian. I don’t think the character herself was canonically very religious, she goes home for Hanukkah, but she was written as Jewish ethnically. The blog I read it on talked about how it’s Jew erased because they didn’t cast someone Jewish and you can’t play another ethnicity (especially a minority one) and because the character doesn’t really do anything Judaism related, no one will even know she was supposed to be Jewish. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on it?

Hi Nonnie! And just lemme give you the BIGGEST hug! I thought this was fascinating. I'm so glad that you enjoy my posts about Jewish representation on TV and in film, they're obviously really important to me on a very personal level. IDK if this'll make you happy to hear, but I plan on writing at least two more posts about Jewish rep, one on OUaT and one on Friends. All in the context of my theory regarding Jewish rep. Here’s my thoughts on your ask...

What you're asking about can be referred to as the question of "Jewface." It's a term that has existed since the late 19th century, when non-Jews started portraying caricatures of Jews, often while wearing fake enlarged noses, fake long beards, ragged clothes and speaking with a thick Yiddish accent. By 1909, mainstream American Jewry had already decried this custom. But recently, this term has been brought up again, in 2021 Sarah Silverman wanted to talk about the way Jewish roles often go to non-Jewish actors.

I have to admit that as a general understanding seemed to take over that white people should not be cast in the role of POC for several reasons, Jews were left out of that discussion, so I think Sarah was absolutely right in bringing it up, as are you to ask about the casting of this Jewish character in RW&RB. The thing is, Jews ARE an ethno-religion. That means that we're not like Christians or Muslims, who are only bound together by a shared religion, Jews are also bound by shared ancestry. We're not the only ones, BTW! Another prominent ethno-religion is the Druze. Now, the Druze are far more strict than the Jews, they cannot marry any non-Druze and no one can convert to the Druze religion. Judaism isn't as strict: Jews can marry non-Jews, and people can convert to Judaism. However, for most of Jewish history, not that many people converted to Judaism. It was due to more than one reason:

Many non-Jews never got a chance to know Jews and Judaism, so there would be no reason for them consider converting.

Judaism on its part is against trying to convert non-Jews to Judaism (we believe that if someone converts, that means their soul was always Jewish, they were always meant to be a part of the Jewish people. But for that, conversion has to be an act of free will and not the result of a campaign of persuasion).

Jews were persecuted to such a degree, they suffered discrimination in every walk of life you can think of, they were lied about, demonized, repeatedly attacked, too often even massacred, so why would you want to be a Jew? Even if you did get to know Jews and Judaism and decided you liked this, the price to pay for being Jewish was just too great. This was an obstacle to conversion as well as to simply marrying Jews.

This is why for the most part, non-Jews did not convert to Judaism. At the same time, Jews sought to marry other Jews in order to pass on the Jewish identity, faith, values, traditions, culture, language, etc. As one lady explained it to me some years ago, "If you truly believe that a certain set of values is full of good, that your religion is true and enriching, and that your culture is beautiful, why wouldn't you want your kids to have all that as well? And the best way of ensuring that inheritance was by marrying and having kids with another Jew."

That means that to a great degree, the People of Israel (notice, this is what Jews call themselves in the Bible: not the Religion of Israel, the People of Israel, עם ישראל) did remain one people, one nation. Even the exceptional people who did convert to Judaism, they also married into the Jewish people, and their kids married Jews as well, and so did their grandchildren, and so the descendants of converts still shared that same common Jewish ancestry.

And all of this together was probably critical to the survival of Jewish identity. Take for example the Philistines. They were a seafaring people (most likely Greek and originating in the island of Crete based on the pottery they left behind) who invaded the Land of Israel from the west and settled along the southern part of Israel's coast. When the Babylonian empire invaded and occupied the Land of Israel roughly 2600 years ago, the Philistines were expelled to Babylon together with the Jews. But where the Jews maintained their identity long enough for the Persian empire under Cyrus the Great to defeat the Babylonians and allow the return of exiled populations to their homelands, the Philistines disappeared from the pages of history. Historians believe it's most likely that as a small minority, they inter-married with the majority, the Babylonians, to the point where they lost their culture, their language, their faith, and as a result, their distinct identity, and that's why there's no record of them after the expulsion to Babylon.

Now back to the question of casting, while Jews all over the world share common ancestry, we don't necessarily all look the same. The Middle East is actually a place where facial features and skin tones have always been very diverse, and that's what the Jews are, Middle Eastern. Add to that some degree of inter-marriage with convert Jews, and the result is that there really is no one look that all Jews share. So the question of casting, I don't think it's best tackled through that prism. I think it's more about the way the ethnic part of the ethno-religious identity of Jews should be acknowledged. About feeling like we matter, and that casting directors take Jewish identity into account, just like they do when they cast for a black character or an Indian one or a Native American. I also think having this conversation would allow us to talk about how the idea of Jewish facial features HAS BEEN demonized along the centuries (precisely that idea of the "Jewish nose" that was used in ugly antisemitic caricatures, or the idea of Jews having darker complexions than the average European).

Lastly, I know some people might point out that Jews get to be cast as non-Jews, so supposedly this shouldn't prevent non-Jews from being cast as Jews. Well, other actors who are POC are sometimes cast in roles originally intended for white people. An example is the 2018 show Troy: Fall of a City which cast a black Achilles, even though he was Greek (and specifically described as having fair features, as the ancient Greeks believed that was a sign of being favored by the gods). As much as such a casting might stir a discussion, at no point would we assume this means it would be okay to cast a white person in a movie about Martin Luther King Jr.!

Which brings me to another point, the question of which Jewish roles are played by Jews and which are not. This is something that I thought of being a gay woman. I know that a lot of gay actors, once they come out and are publicly perceived as gay, they get type cast as gay. It doesn't matter whether they look gay. It doesn't matter that prior to coming out, they could get lots of straight roles. Once they're identified as gay, there's a world of roles they're not going to get anymore, especially as a romantic lead or an action hero. It's a part of why many gay actors choose not to come out, even if they're okay doing so on every other level.

I'll just stop the analyzing of gay roles for a second to mention that this was true for Jews for a really long time as well. Yes, they were cast in non-Jewish roles, but they had to change their names and make sure no one would know they're actually Jewish. For example, beloved comedian Danny Kay was actually born David Daniel Kaminsky. Kirk Douglas, the movie legend? Born Issue Danielovitch Demsky. Winona Ryder? She was born Winona Horowitz. Natalie Hershlag? You know her as Natalie Portman.

At the same time as openly gay actors are limited to (mostly minor) gay roles, there are MAJOR gay roles in the entertainment industry, the ones that will have prestige attached to them, and those are almost always played by actors who are publicly known as straight. Think of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain, Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club or Armie Hammer in Call Me By Your Name. They're all men that the public knows as straight. Now, I think straight people should be able to play gay and learn some empathy for gay people through that, that gay people should get to play straight and not be punished through the loss of work opportunities for being open about being queer, and I also think that when it's all mixed up, that can also prevent the bullying of an actor for taking on a gay role to the point they're forced to come out (by accepting that it's okay to be queer, straight, questioning, gay-but-before-realization, and take on a gay role). BUT I do think we have to talk about the Big Gay Roles being cast almost exclusively by straight actors. We should put studios and execs, not actors, on the spot, and ask them for more Big Gay Roles and for more diverse casting in those roles, and we should def not badger a teenager for being cast in a gay role.

Along the same line, I was asking myself about Big Jewish Roles. TBH, over the years, there haven't been many, give or take mostly Holocaust movies. But now in recent years, we have the non-Jewish Rachel Brosnahan in the lead role as a Jewish woman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, until that show was canned we had the non-Jewish Kathryn Hahn set to star as the Jewish Joan Rivers, the non-Jewish Daniel Craig was cast as the lead in the movie Defiance which told the real story of Tuvia Bielsky leading a group of Jewish partisans and saving the lives of roughly 1200 Jews during the Holocaust. These are just some examples off the top of my head, there are many more. So yeah, I'd like more Big Jewish Roles and more actual Jews cast in them.

In conclusion, I think Jewish actors being cast in Jewish roles should, at the very least, be talked about because it does matter and it does help explain a part of Jewish identity, and I also think we need more Jewish stories with Big Jewish Roles, and I think it does very much matter that those be cast (at least predominantly if not exclusively) with Jewish actors.

Thank you so much for being interested! And I am so sorry for the length... But I really didn't know how to do this subject justice in less words. xoxox

You can find my ask tag here and my other posts about Jewish representation here. xoxox

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